The driver pulled to a stop by the front steps, and a guard opened the door for us. “Welcome back, Lord Iannis,” the man said, bowing. “And welcome, Miss Baine and… Fenris,” he added, clearly unsure if Fenris had a last name.

“Fenris is fine,” Fenris said, nodding to the man as he closed the door behind us.

As we crossed the steps and entered the Palace through the heavy oak doors, I was grateful I’d magically cleaned my leathers before departing Nika. I might not have looked as noble as everyone else here, but at least there were no bloodstains to show off, and my skin and hair were clean.

A maid in a dark green dress was summoned, and she curtsied before us. “Good afternoon,” she said, her dark brown eyes wide as she surveyed me. I supposed whatever rumors she’d heard about me were flitting through her head, and she was trying to match them up with what she saw in front of her now. “Lord Logar is in a meeting. He has asked me to show you to your rooms.”

She led us down a series of hallways, cutting south. Busy meeting rooms and halls gave way to carpeted floors and quiet colors as we entered the guest wing of the Palace. We were given separate rooms, Iannis’s and mine next to each other, and Fenris’s across the hall.

“Your evening wear has already been delivered,” the woman told us. “Please let me know if any adjustments or exchanges are needed. You’ve only to pull the bell and I will come.”

She left us with the keys, and we went to to our separate rooms. A stack of white boxes stood on my dresser and vanity table—my evening gown for tonight, I imagined. My hostess or some Palace minion must have provided it. Noticing a door that connected my room to Iannis’s suite, I ignored my bed completely and went to his room instead.

A hint of steam warmed the air as my feet crossed the cream-colored carpet, and the sound of the shower running was clearly audible beyond the open door of the bathroom. My heartbeat quickened at the thought of Iannis standing naked beneath the hot spray, water sluicing down his hard body, and a grin tugged at my lips. We still had a few hours until it was time to dress for the banquet. What better way to relieve the stress and general crappiness of the week than some good, old-fashioned sex?