40. Clash of Stone and Steel #3
Surgeon and Serise exchanged smirking glances, and Talyn knew they’d just confirmed what they took to be a weakness in Samhail. Her.
“She is a rather enticing little piece. Will you share her?” Serise said, letting her eyes roam over Talyn. “I bet she holds a dagger to your throat when she rides your cock. Or do you hold one to hers? Please tell us.”
“Normally I wouldn’t be inclined to fuck your leftovers, brother,” Surgeon added, “but in this case-”
Talyn and Samhail moved at the same time. Samhail shot out of his seat, and his hands slammed down on the table, nearly collapsing it.
Talyn was far less subtle. Both Surgeon and Serise screamed as Talyn ported in between them and drove a dagger into each of their hands. The daggers pierced all the way through and stuck in the wood so both twins had a hand pinned to the table.
Samhail still had murder in his eyes when they met Talyn’s, but her look said she had this under control, so he cracked his neck and sat down.
“Now then,” Talyn said to the two gargoyles as they groaned in pain, “this was a friendly reminder to keep your hands to yourself around me. Understood?”
The twins nodded.
“Wonderful,” she said. “If you don’t mind, we really do need to be on our way. If you have any extra message leaves, though, we’ll take those so we can keep Lord Bressen updated.”
Surgeon reached into his pocket with his unpinned hand and pulled out several blank message leaves to lay on the table. Samhail swiped them up and put them in his own pocket.
“Are there any other questions you have for Samhail?” Talyn asked, and both gargoyles shook their heads.
Talyn pulled the daggers out of the table at the same time, and the twins clutched their wounded hands to their chests.
“You should probably get back to Solandis and have Lady Cyra look at those,” Talyn said. “I tried to avoid any major bones or tendons, but as you said, Serise, no one’s perfect.”
Talyn smiled sweetly at the other woman, and she was surprised to find the gargoyle grinning back at her.
“I like her, brother,” Serise said to Samhail. “You should invite her to the next family gathering. She and Sadira would get along well.”
Talyn couldn’t tell if the comment held the undercurrent of a threat, but Samhail’s growl suggested it did. She ignored it and sat down again to finish her breakfast. She felt a little bad about the two bloody palm prints on the table the innkeeper would have to clean up now.
“What should we tell Lord Bressen?” Surgeon asked as he wrapped a cloth napkin around his hand.
“Tell him we’re working on a plan to lure Sandrian into the open, and as soon as we have something definite, we’ll contact him,” Samhail said.
Surgeon nodded and glanced at Talyn’s wrist. “No caronium cuff?” he asked Samhail.
“She got out of the one I put on her,” he said.
The twins raised simultaneous brows.
“Do you need a new cuff?” Serise asked. “We have one.”
Talyn gave Samhail a look that said he better not dare. He ignored it.
“No, I still have the one she escaped from,” Samhail said. “There’s no point putting it on her if she can get out of it.”
Talyn looked at him in shock. He still had the cuff but hadn’t tried to put it on her again?
“Besides,” he went on, “she promised to behave herself, and if she doesn’t…” He let the thought hang for a moment as he glanced at her with the hint of a smile. “…I know how to get her under control.”
Talyn let out a sharp laugh. “Just because I let you think you’re in control doesn’t mean you are,” she purred to him.
The gaze he returned was so full of heat she went instantly wet between her thighs. That hadn’t been the effect she was going for.
“Oh, they’ve definitely fucked,” Surgeon said as he watched them.
“No, they haven’t,” Serise said as a knowing grin lit her face. “But they want to, and they will. Soon.”
Talyn and Samhail both glared at the gargoyle woman.
Samhail popped a last piece of steak into his mouth before he stood. “Tell Bressen we’ll be in touch soon,” he said.
“Give me back a message leaf so we can have Cyra call us a portal to Solandis,” Surgeon said.
He reached out to Samhail, but Samhail only laid his hand at the small of Talyn’s back to steer her toward the stairs to their room.
“If you leave now, you might make Callanus by lunchtime,” Samhail said over his shoulder. “Stop at the Priory and ask for Phaedrus. He can draw you a portal back to Tide’s End.”
“You can’t be serious,” Serise said to him.
He turned to face her. “I am. That should give Talyn and I enough of a head start so you can’t call Bressen before we’re ready for him.”
Surgeon tsked at him. “Trouble between you and the lord?” he asked. “I thought you were Lord Bressen’s dutiful little lapdog. Since when don’t you come when he calls?”
Samhail paused. “Since Bressen lost his objectivity about this,” he said as he caught Talyn’s eye. “He’s too angry about the threat to Cyra to see Talyn’s usefulness where Sandrian is concerned.”
Both twins raised a brow. The same brow, in fact.
Talyn couldn’t help the twinge of disappointment at Samhail’s claim that he was only doing this because she was ‘useful’ to them, but she shook herself mentally. What had she expected? That Samhail was trying to shield her from Bressen because…because he cared for her?
“And you believe you’re being objective?” Serise asked dubiously.
Samhail didn’t answer but just urged Talyn toward the door.
“Best get between her legs soon, brother,” Serise called after them as they began to ascend the stairs. “The lord will catch up to you soon, and I doubt there will be much left of her when he’s done!”