Page 62 of Darkest Desire

“It’s not your fault either,” Phoebe said quickly. “Honestly, if you could just try to forget everything I said and did last night, I’d be grateful.”

“It’s already forgotten. I won’t bring it up again,” Sirex promised.

“Thank you.” Phoebe smiled gratefully. “So…we have to find a way in to see the Emperor without Thruck.”

“Which isn’t going to be easy, considering he appears to control the only access to ‘The Shining One,’” Sirex said dryly.

“Except for the servants,” Phoebe pointed out. “They still have access—at least that’s what Be’ti’ta told me last night, before we started drinking that damn Sparkler.”

Sirex looked thoughtful.

“I wonder if one of them might be bribed?”

“You’d have to be careful which one you asked,” Phoebe pointed out. “If you asked the wrong one and he reported back to Thruck…”

“Yes, that wouldn’t end well at all,” Sirex agreed. “However…”

A sudden knock on their door interrupted him.

“Excuse me, I have an urgent invitation for Lord Sirex and his lady!” a familiar voice called outside.

“That’s the servant now. Let’s see what he wants.” Sirex rose and pulled on a pair of leather trousers.

Though she tried not to look, Phoebe couldn’t help noticing that he did, indeed, have two cocks—a smaller one which rested above the much larger one. God, had she really sucked them both? The larger one especially looked too big to handle—even though it wasn’t even hard at the moment.

I must have been feeling ambitious last night, she thought and wished again that she’d never drunk the damn Sparkler.

As her mentor headed for the door, she decided to come along. Wrapping the sheet all the way around herself, she trailed after Sirex, coming to stand behind him as he opened the door.

The servant at the door was the same one who had brought them their clothes and led them to the banquet the night before. He must be assigned to them, Phoebe thought.

“Yes? What do you want?” Sirex asked, frowning down at him.

“Hello, Lord Sirex.” The servant boy made a nervous bow and cleared his throat. “I come with an invitation. Lord Thruck has invited all the males in the palace to join him on a Grox hunt today. He would be most gratified if you would meet him at the gallumpher stables around the west side of the palace. A fresh air breakfast will be served before the hunt commences and a jolly time will be had by all.”

He sounded like he was reciting something he had memorized, Phoebe thought. And then he just stood there, waiting for the answer.

Sirex frowned.

“What if I don’t wish to accept the invitation? I have never ridden a gallumpher before. In fact, I don’t even know what one looks like.”

“Oh, they’re extremely gentle!” the servant boy assured him. “And I don’t think it would be wise to refuse the invitation. Lord Thruck gets offended when his guests don’t agree to his plans,” he added in a half-whisper.

“I didn’t come to the palace to be a guest of Lord Thruck,” Sirex growled, scowling down at the servant. “I came to meet with the Emperor. How long will it be before I can see him? My time is valuable!”

The servant went pale and shrank away from the angry warrior.

“F-forgive me, my Lord, but I don’t know,” he stammered. “Lord Thruck is very particular about who he allows to meet with the Shining One.”

“But you have access to him—don’t you?” Phoebe asked, stepping out from behind Sirex. “I mean, the servants of the palace still get to see the Emperor because you wait on him, right?”

“Well…” the servant boy began.

“What if you helped us get access to him, just for a minute?” Phoebe went on, not giving him time to refuse. “We could be very discreet—no one would ever have to know. And I’m sure my Master would make it worth your while.” She looked up at Sirex for confirmation and he nodded.

“Indeed I would.”

“But you don’t understand—only Hil’de’guard has access to The Shining One!” the servant boy blurted. “She’s the Emperor’s personal servant and nurse. And she reports only to Lord Thruck.”

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