Qaen arrived back at the l’Rasel townhouse much later than he expected — when he stepped into Iara’s chambers, she was already dressed in a negligee, her hair loose and flowing down her back. She glanced up rather disinterestedly when he entered, and in the silence, Qaen quickly raked a careful eye around the rooms.
“Where’s Anet?”
“Gone,” she replied vaguely. “Someone came to collect her.”
Qaen tensed. “Riese?”
Iara shook her head, visibly amused. “She did, too, yes, but she wasn’t here very long before Ithur chased her off. No, I arranged for someone.”
Qaen narrowed his eyes. “Does Ithur know?”
Iara offered him a chilling smirk. “Naturally not.”
Qaen’s mouth felt dry. “Am I supposed to accept that you had someone not only sneak into, but also out of, with an additional person on t
