Page 128 of The Mercy of Dawn

“Sorry I never came by,” Cyril said with a grimace. “I tried looking for you all at the solstice party, but…”

Kaia just shook her head and slung her arm across Cyril’s shoulders. “No hard feelings. The boss mentioned you got pretty sauced, had a rough day after?”

“I…yeah,” Cyril sighed.

Lovely to know that was the sort of information Mikael was passing on about her to the guards. A nagging, itching part of her wanted to ask if the prince mentioned anything else about her, but Kaia cut in first.

“You know, I never asked you about your trip to Brynnhold. Did you get to do anything other than…work?”

Cyril winced. “No. But I finally got to see a bit of the city at least, so that was nice.”

“Shit.” Kaia stared at her. “Had you not been yet?”

Cyril shook her head.

“Well, we would have taken you weeks ago if we knew!” Kaia squeezed her shoulder and grinned. “I’ll make sure we drag you along the next time a few of us sneak away for some drinks. The ale is so much better in the city, and some of the clubs are quite an experience.”

“I’d seriously have to sneak away.” Gods, Cyril didn’t even want to think about broaching that sort of conversation with Dion. He’d shut her down before she even got it out. “But I’d like that.”

Kaia gave her a bit of a curious look, but she nodded. “Good, we would too. Oh!”

Her eyes darted around the room, and she hooked her fingers in her lips, letting loose a whistle so shrill that Cyril winced. She may have had a lingering headache.

“Ari? Gunner? Pay up, you cynical fucks. I told you she’d show!”

There were a couple of grumbles and curses from the other end of the room, and a middle finger waved in the air. Cyril just blinked.

“Did you…?”

“Bet on you? Oh, absolutely we did. It’s our new favorite pastime.” Kaia chuckled. Her dark eyes gleamed with a bit of mischief. “Mika mentioned you might drop by for a little visit this afternoon, and those two arses didn’t believe him. But I did. So I bet them each five coppers that you would show up. And, lo and behold, I am now ten coppers richer, so thank you for actually showing.”

Cyril sighed and shot Kaia a glare.

The barracks were really just a repackaged version of the estate; the guards weren’t any better than the rogues.

“I’m honestly not sure if I should congratulate you or tell you all to go fuck yourselves.”

“Oh, I’d love it if you did both.” Kaia grinned and started moving, pulling Cyril along with her. “But come on, the boss is in his office with some of the boys. I’ll take you back there.”

Cyril had no control over the frantic rhythm her heart set into when she walked into Mikael’s office behind Kaia.

He fixed her with one hells of a fucking smile from where he leaned against the edge of his desk.

With his hair down.

And his uniform jacket unbuttoned.

And his hands slipped in his pockets.

Gods help her.

Kaia bumped her shoulder with a smugly cocked brow as she said, “Come grace us with your pretty face again soon, yeah? Doors are always open.” Cyril didn’t manage more than a stuttered syllable or two as Kaia looked from her to the two men lounging in the chairs pulled in front of Mikael’s desk. “Come on, boys. There’s still a whole rack of shields I need help with.”

The men grumbled and sulked out of their chairs. The one with short, blonde hair and a wicked scar along his jaw smiled and dipped his head at Cyril as he walked past. “Nice to see you again, Lady Cyril.”

Cyril didn’t have the faintest idea who he was.

But she smiled anyway and said, “Nice to see you too.”