Bound in Darkness by Jacquelyn Frank Read Free Book Online Page B

for whore. “There’s more than one man here in need of servicing.”
    “Kilon!” Maxum barked in warning.
    Kilon let a moment of surprise flit across his features at Maxum’s tone, then he grew even darker and angrier, glaring at Airi.
    “It’s not like she’s going to be good for anything else!”
    “You’d be surprised at what I’m good for,” she said breezily, refusing to let him get to her.
    “No, I wouldn’t. Women are only good for two things…and holding up a headstone’s the other one.” Kilon turned his back on her before she could get over her shock enough to reply. She shouldn’t be shocked really. She was used to men’s attitudes when it came to her capabilities. But like she had said to Kilon, it was surprising what she could do when her back was to a wall.
    The group got under way shortly after that. She noticed that Doisy had a staff strapped to his saddle—the same staff she’d seen him with the day before. Since he didn’t walk with a limp, she didn’t think he used it for support. She suspected he could use it in very nonclerical ways. He was a handsome man overall, blond haired and blue eyed, always a smile toying with his lips. He came up and rode beside her when Maxum rode on ahead of them to scout.
    “So, my lady, how fare you this fine day?”
    She laughed. It had been raining at a drizzle for most of the morning.
    “I am well, and I’m not ‘my lady.’ ”
    “Ah, but all women are ‘my lady’ to me. I mean no offense by it, only that my sainted mother would never forgive me if I forgot my manners.”
    “His mother was a whore,” Kilon barked.
    “All women are whores to you, my friend,” Doisy said with a good-natured grin. He clearly didn’t pay any attention to Kilon’s surly temper and she decided that she wouldn’t either. Still, she wouldn’t turn her back on him. “So you are something of an accomplished thief, I take it.”
    “Not so accomplished if I got caught.”
    “Ah well, you just had the bad fortune to steal from the one man who could outthink the most learned scholar or the most devious thief in these lands and all the others.”
    She preened. “Thank you. I do consider myself to be quite devious. Clever anyway.”
    “I have no doubt.” He reached to take her free hand from the pommel of her saddle and leaned over to bring it to his lips. “No doubt on a better day you would even outthink Maxum.”
    She laughed when Kilon made a disgusted sound. “No doubt,” she agreed, taking her hand back.
    “Oh, for Hella’s left tit, you’re making me sick already,” Kilon said before springing his horse ahead and putting his back to them. Kyno came up on his mighty looking destrier and took the surly man’s place so they were riding three abreast again.
    “So where you from, little one?” the giant man asked her.
    “Here and there,” she answered vaguely. She didn’t much care to talk about herself when they were the more interesting ones. “What about you?”
    “Same place,” Kyno said with a chuckle. The sound was deep and rolling, as if it were coming from a very low place in his belly.
    “What about you, Doisy? Where are you from?”
    “Koysis, a small town of no fame on the Red Continent. But we are known for making the most delicious breadcakes in the many kingdoms.”
    “I love breadcakes! Can you make them?”
    “Indeed I can, my lady. When next we avail ourselves of an inn I will buy supplies and ask the innkeeper to use his oven. I suspect if I offer to make enough to go ’round he won’t mind.”
    “You would do that for me?” she asked, surprised.
    “But of course. It is good for a man’s soul to please a lady.”
    “Good for a lady’s soul too!” she quipped. They all laughed and she decided right then that she liked these two men very much. They were certainly better company than Kilon.
    She looked over her shoulder to where Dru was pulling up the rear. The road became narrow a short while later and she took