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his cousin's ire at this were a palpable thing, although he wrote it off to
his imagination.
More than anything, Lukasz wanted to make peace with his household, but he
suspected that would never happen.
* * * *
Brainerd slipped through the corridors of the east wing, following a midnight
assignation with one of the bereaved widows. There were dozens of noble widows
since Stefan's ill-
fated adventure in Angrim, all of them with money, lands, and titles, and all
of them in need of a strong husband such as himself. Once Gunther sat the
throne, a profitable marriage could be arranged between Brainerd and whichever
one he wanted. Gunther would not dare to refuse him.
Three doors down, a familiar willowy blonde emerged.
What the hell is Iwona doing in this wing at this hour?
Brainerd stretched his legs to catch up to her and, as he passed the door she
had come out of, he noted that the room belonged to Lukasz. Ahead of him,
Iwona hesitated and glanced back over her shoulder. That was all Brainerd
needed
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281
to overtake her. He imprisoned her elbow in a grip like iron.
She flinched.
"What the hell are you doing?" Brainerd hissed. "I did not give you permission
to open your legs to that mongrel."
Iwona sucked air for an instant. "I was paid well."
"By who?"
Brainerd walked her down the hall to a room he knew was currently unoccupied
and thrust her inside. He dropped the bar and turned to confront her.
Iwona trembled before the look of rage on his face.
"Gunther."
"Gunther paid you to sleep with that tainted dog?"
The question was clearly rhetorical, yet Iwona answered any way. "Yes. And he
paid me well."
Brainerd stared past her thinking. "How long has this been going on?"
"A month."
"And all of it in his bed?"
Brainerd rubbed his chin. Neither he nor Gunther could afford to make any
mistakes. He would have to allow this to continue for the moment, but he would
have a word with
Gunther.
"Yes."
"Is the boy any good?"
Iwona began to relax, and shook her head. "He's awkward and uncertain, but
totally caught up in our little ruttings."
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Brainerd laughed softly at that. "Then keep fucking him, Iwona. With luck, it
will keep his head away from matters that
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would not bear his or Hartmut's notice. There is no one so cock-happy as a
young boy."
"I'll do that. I'm very good at what I do, Brainerd."
Brainerd laughed again. "That's why I got you hired onto the staff. Just
remember to save up for your old age, Iwona.
Once your looks are gone, I'll have no use for you."
Sending her on her way, Brainerd proceeded to Gunther's room with the
intention of giving him a small scare.
Gunther's suite was still and dark as Brainerd let himself in with a special
key that he was not supposed to have. The first light of morning edged the
outer room in tiny streams that broadened as he crept into Gunther's bedroom.
The bed curtains were tied back, and he could see the outline of the boy
curled on his side sound asleep. A poisonous smirk of anticipation curled the
corners of Brainerd's lips. He leaned forward, clamped a hand over Gunther's
mouth to stifle his scream, and jerked him awake with a dagger beside his
neck.
The youth's eyes bulged.
"Remember how easy it is to die, Gunther," Brainerd said and released him with
a shove.
"How how did you get in here?"
"I have my ways." Brainerd sheathed his blade and sat down on the edge of the
bed. "I want to know why you're paying Iwona to sleep with the mongrel."
"She told you?"
"I caught her coming out of his room a few minutes ago.
So of course, she told me. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
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Gunther rubbed his eyes and settled cross-legged in the middle of the bed.
"She's the bait for my trap."
"
Your trap.
You are not I repeat not to leave me out of your plans. If Lukasz were an
experienced mon, he would never fall for this, never allow a woman to lead him
somewhere dangerous. Women are notorious for their unfaithfulness and
treacheries."
"I understand. It won't happen again. I promise."
"So what were you planning?"
Gunther lowered his eyes, clearly expecting to be told it would not work. "The
part of the gardens that are kept wild.
The places where some of the nobles like to play their games of hide and go
fuck."
"You're going to arrange for Iwona to get him there?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll need to do better at your lessons than you have been. Tonight,
come to the Kill Room after dinner."
* * * *
It was one of those nights when Iwona did not come, and
Lukasz laid in his bed feeling restless without her. He stared out his window
at the full moon, which looked so large and round and near that he could
imagine walking through the garden to the far side and finding it sitting
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amidst the dense thickets. A huge winged shape passed across the moon and
Lukasz gasped.
Berran had told him about the gryphon and suddenly
Lukasz was certain that was what he was seeing: Talons'
trained gryphon. He sprang from his bed and pulled his pants
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284
on over his nightshirt. Lukasz stole through the palace, using the servants'
stair that led into the kitchens. He knew all the guard routines and eluded
all of them.
The flickering light of oil lamps guided him to the edge of the thickets, but
then there were none and he had to stop to let his eyes become accustomed to
the dark before he could move on. Lukasz moved deeper and deeper into the
wilder portions of the gardens.
He heard a deep-throated crooning, dropped to his hands and knees, and crept
closer. Soon Lukasz saw the tremendous gryphon limned in moonlight. Talons
stood beside him, stroking and patting him. Enchanted by the sight, Lukasz sat
up and the bushes shifted.
"You can come out now, Lukasz," Talons said without looking at him.
Lukasz stood up. "How did you know it was me?"
"Little Bit smelled you."
"But how'd he know it was me?"
Talons laughed. "I gave him one of your dirty shirts to smell."
"Can I touch him?" Lukasz asked, approaching closely.
For answer, Talons grabbed Lukasz around his slender waist and swung him up
onto Little Bit's back.
"Will he carry me?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]