In the Shadow of the Goddess (Book 1 of The Fallen Gods Trilogy)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

She surged in Aden's grasp, squirming so suddenly he nearly dropped her. He swore and staggered, but didn't let go.

He didn't leave me after all. Clarine is so full of crap, came Jill's first thought as she peered at Brexten. Now, his hair was chestnut brown and his eyes looked brown too; it was difficult to tell in the sparse street-lamp light. They were a far cry from blue at any rate. He must have used more mopinhal juice. This time, he had the benefit of Aden's advice and wasn't balding or sprouting a hunchback. In fact, the change wasn't so radical at all. It did nothing to change the shape of his mouth, the cut of his chin, or the width of his shoulders. Or...

No, no, no, don't look at him like that! Jill, you idiot, don't you dare think about him in a sexual way! Except, suddenly, she was. Intensely. It had to be a remnant of the temple magic, of seeing Kydel and thinking about the Awakening. Panicked, she struggled in Aden's arms, trying to get free. She didn't want to be in his arms while thinking about Brexten. Aden merely held her tighter.

"I asked a question, Shey'na'shen," Brexten demanded. "Why are you carrying Jill?"

"You idiot! Keep your voice down!" Aden warned in an angry whisper. "Do you need to let the whole damn city know what we're about?"

"My lord! Please come back!" one of the women cried, bouncing down the steps after Brexten. Her blonde hair was loosely piled atop her head and ornamented with feathers, and her dark silk gown pushed her breasts up to perilous heights. "We've only just started!"

"The night's already been paid for, my lord," the other said, calling from where she stood on the top step, using an arm to swing herself back and forth on the porch column and letting her full skirt float around her knees. "I promise this night would be better spent if only you'd let yourself relax."

"Ah, I see you still remember where the Silken Bower is," Aden said. "From the look of it, I'd say you already sampled the entertainments. Getting a jump on the evening, so to speak?"

"I'd say you're getting your own jump on the evening, my lord," the blonde woman said, arching an eyebrow as her gaze raked over Jill and Aden. "I must say, it's not often I see a man in such haste. There are plenty of shadows to be had. You can prop her up against a nice shed and finish it there if you're so anxious."

Aden gave the woman a withering look that barely phased her. Jill could feel her own face turn a bright pink, and it actually seemed like her skin had burst into flame as the situation and its implications clicked. Brexten...The women...The Silken Bower...

She gaped at Brexten. "Is that a...brothel? You're paying both those women for sex? At once?"

"I recall him having a running tab here, paid for by the Crown," Aden added helpfully.

Brexten shot him a dark, awful look before swinging back to her. "Jill, no, it's not—"

"Yes sweetie, it is," the woman finished, nodding and smiled. "Now, why don't you two hurry off to wherever and we'll just go back to—"

"Goddess, woman! Get back inside!" Brexten roared, shaking off the blonde when she tried to grab his arm.

"Aden, put me down! I can walk on my own!" Jill shouted at the Shey'na'shen, fighting him. The prostitute's implications, coupled with an awkward desire for Brexten she couldn't squash fast enough, plus Aden's carrying of her—it was too much.

"No, you can't. You were barely conscious a moment ago. How far do you think you could get on your own if I let you go?"

"Barely conscious? Jill, what happened? Where were you tonight?" Brexten asked. However, his apparent concern was undercut by the prostitute hovering two feet away, watching and eavesdropping shamelessly.