“You might want to give me a warning if you’re going to change…ho!” She ended on a cry as he shoved up the skirts of the tatty Dellish gown she wore as a disguise.

“Silence,” he bit.

She said nothing as he continued to push up the skirts, his actions not meant to be titillating, and he kept pushing, even the loose bodice of the too-large dress, until he exposed what he wished to expose.

He then bent to the side and studied her ribs.

“Chu,” she whispered as what he was doing penetrated. “I am all right,” she promised quietly.

He straightened abruptly while dropping her skirts and catching her gaze.

“He kicked you,” he ground out.

“I am all right,” she repeated.

“He called you a bitch.”

Dear goddess.

She moved closer to him, feeling awkward, not understanding what her instincts were saying and how her body was complying.

Only knowing in her soul it was right.

She then wrapped her fingers around the side of his neck and squeezed, saying firmly, “Chu, I am all right.”

He scowled into her face.

“We will not be able to gather the information needed if you attack every person who might harm me,” she told him.

“There was no ‘might’ about that, Serena, he kicked you.”

“Shh,” she hushed, stroking his skin with her thumb. “I am fine, my Master.”

He relaxed at that.

“And you really can’t be going about smashing Go’Doan heads into walls,” she told him. “Or we’ll be found out in a flash.”

“Those weren’t Go’Doan.”

She blinked.

“What?”

“Those weren’t Go’Doan,” he repeated. “There is faith in that religion. The conspirators might have earned their robes, but they are not of that religion, no matter what they say. A zealot is not holy, except in the sense he has wholly lost his way.”

“You’re annoying when you’re being wise,” she muttered.

He grinned at her.

And something fluttered in her belly.

Good goddess.

What was happening to her?

Then he took her hand again and they were snaking through the shadows on silent feet until they made their lodgings.

He opened the door and pulled her in, locking the door behind her.

She tossed the blanket aside and went direct to the banked fire to stir it, for they were nowhere near Birchlire Castle or the luxuries it provided, it was bloody cold, and the stone needed repointed for she would vow she felt the wind sweeping through that place.

Thank the goddess Chu slept practically on top of her or she would have frozen to death.

Still, she was demanding they put blankets up over the walls to keep the draught out if they had to stay here much longer.

He swept off his cloak and lit some lanterns. She pulled a slab of meat and a cake of cheese out of the larder.