’Rein it in, old son,” Lucivar murmured, glancing over his shoulder and then at Daemon.
Palanar and Tamnar finished their routine, and Hallevar and Kohlvar stepped into the practice circle.
Palanar shifted his mouth into a sneer. ”Here comes a chirpy, trying to grow some balls.”
Daemon whipped around, his eyes filmed with the red haze of fury.
Hallevar pivoted and smacked Palanar on the buttocks with his stick hard enough to make the boy jump.
”That’s my sister, boyo,” Lucivar said too quietly.
Palanar looked sick. Someone else muttered a vicious curse.
”Now, I’m going to forget you said that,” Lucivar continued just as quietly, ”as long as I never hear it again. But if I do, there will come a morning when you step into the practice circle, and I’ll be waiting for you.”
”Y-yes, sir,” Palanar stammered. ”I’m sorry, sir.”
Hallevar cuffed the boy on the back of the head. ”Go get something to eat,” he growled. ”Maybe with some food in you, you’ll use more of your head than just your mouth.”
Palanar slunk away, Tamnar trailing behind him.
Hallevar eyed the distance between them and Jaenelle, figured she was close enough to have heard, and swore softly. ”I taught him better than that.”
Lucivar rolled a shoulder. ”He’s old enough to want his cock admired. That makes him stupid.” He looked at the older Warlord. ”He can’t afford to be stupid. What the Queens in this court may be willing to overlook from a youngster, the males in the court won’t-at least, not a second time.”
”I’ll blister his ears to make sure he gets the message,” Hallevar promised. ”Might as well blister Tamnar’s while I’m at it.” He went back to the circle and began the warmup routine with Kohlvar.
Daemon turned toward Jaenelle, Palanar already forgotten. When he saw the feral look in her eyes, his smile died before it formed.
Lucivar simply raised his left arm.
With one wild-shy glance at him and a murmured greeting he could barely hear, Jaenelle ducked under Lucivar’s arm.
Lucivar lowered his arm, and the hand that settled at her waist tucked her tight against his side. Her right arm rested against his back, her hand curled over his bare shoulder.
But he suspected that Lucivar was better prepared to deal with the feral look in her eyes than he was. That hurt, too.
”Do you want the introductions now?” Lucivar asked quietly.
Jaenelle shook her head. ”I want to warm up first.”
”When you’re ready, I’ll go a round with you.”
She glanced at Lucivar’s bare chest. ”I would have thought you’d already done your workout.”
”I’ve gone through two of them. Haven’t worked up a sweat yet.”
”Ah.”
Lucivar paused. ”Your sister’s here.”
”I know.” She flicked a glance at the empty women’s practice circle. ”I’m surprised you haven’t dragged her out here.”
”She’s got another thirty minutes to arrive on her own before she gets dragged.” Lucivar grinned wickedly. ”I promise I’ll go easy.”
”Uh-huh.”
That, Daemon thought sourly, he would like to see.
”We also have company,” Lucivar said.
Her eyes iced over. ”I know,” she said in her midnight voice.
Daemon took a step toward her. He didn’t know what he could say or do, but he was certain he-or someone- had to shift the mood she was in.
Lucivar… he began.
Just keep things soft and easy, Bastard, Lucivar replied. The workout will take the edge off her.
Daemon took another step toward her. Her expression changed to something close to panic-and he realized that, last night when she had let him hold her, the Queen had been doing her duty for one of the males in her First Circle, but the
As she darted away from Lucivar-and him-she almost ran into Jazen, who was carrying a tray containing a pot of fresh coffee and clean mugs.
”Who are you?” Jaenelle said a little too softly.
Jazen stared into her eyes, frozen. ”Jazen,” he finally said. ”Prince Sadi’s valet.”
Her eyes changed from ice to curiosity. ”Is it interesting work?”
”It would be more interesting if he wore something besides a black suit and a white shirt all the time,” Jazen muttered.
Lucivar choked back a laugh. Daemon felt the blood rush into his face and wasn’t sure if it was from temper or embarrassment. Jazen looked horrified.
Then Jaenelle’s silvery, velvet-coated laugh rang out. ”Well, we’ll do our best to rumple him up for you.” As she walked past Jazen, she brushed her left hand over his shoulder. ”Welcome to Kaeleer, Warlord.”
Daemon waited until she had reached the women’s practice circle before turning to his valet. ”Should I apologize for being boring in my taste in clothes? And why in the name of Hell are you out here doing a footman’s work?”
”Beale asked me to bring this tray out.” Jazen gulped. ”I don’t know why I said that other.”
”You said what you’ve been thinking,” Lucivar said, amused. ”Don’t worry about it. By the time we’re done with him, you’ll have to work hard to keep him looking pristine.”
Daemon snarled at his brother, then glared at Jazen.
”I’ll take that,” said Holt, one of the footmen who had carried out the other trays.
Jazen glanced at Daemon, handed the tray to Holt, and made as quick a retreat as possible without actually running.
”Looks like breakfast is being served out here,” Lucivar said as he eyed the various dishes that were being set out on the table.
Daemon took a deep breath and watched Jaenelle go through the warmup movements. ”I should talk to her, explain about Jazen before she passes judgment.”
Lucivar gave him an odd look. ”Old son, she just did. She welcomed him to Kaeleer. That’s all anyone needs to know.”
”This way,” Marian said, making a friendly ”come on” gesture to Wilhelmina Benedict while she eyed Surreal’s loose-sleeved tunic and trousers. ”What are you wearing under the tunic?”
Surreal worked to keep her voice warm. Marian didn’t seem the type to be interested in a former whore’s underwear. ”Why?”
”Lucivar will insist that you strip down for the lesson.”
”Strip?” Wilhelmina said. ”In front of those men?”
”You don’t want your movements restricted by your clothing,” Marian said kindly. ”And you’ll want to put on something dry afterward.”
”I take it I’m going to be sweating,” Surreal said. She glanced at Wilhelmina and wondered if that kind of exercise was a good idea. The young woman looked as pale as water and scared enough to break.
”I don’t think he’ll work the beginners that hard, but you…” Marian’s gold eyes flicked to Surreal’s pointed ears. ”You’re Dea al Mon. He may push you harder, just to find out what you can already do.”
”Lucky me,” Surrel muttered as they headed across the lawn toward the other women who were already gathered at the practice circle.
Marian smiled. ”My first weapon was the skillet.”
”Sounds dangerous,” Surreal said, returning the smile.
”I’d been working for Lucivar as his housekeeper for about four months. My moon’s blood had started that morning, and I wasn’t feeling well. Looking back, I realize that he must have gone through the other moontimes
