Lady Mutiny

Twenty-Two

"I need to know who you have within the Guild."

It had been a few days since Lilia crossed paths with Wil, and ever since she had been wary to walk the city alone. Not because she couldn't handle herself, but because they were so close to finally achieving their goal, she would let nothing compromise their having the upper-hand.

But the wedding was tomorrow, and she hadn't heard from the assassin since she assigned him his task - to keep Cass away from Baz, at any cost. The anxiety was welling up inside of her, even after her years of training and expertise. Of all the missions she had had in the past, none affected her as much as this. So much so that she barely slept the night before, even after Andro's valiant efforts at exhausting her.

Instead, she sat in the room's only chair, staring out the window that looked out over the city's harbor, waiting for the sun to rise to give her an excuse to rouse.

So, when she heard the Lord stir an hour after dawn, she immediately sprung her request upon him.

"Good morning to you, too," Andro murmured hoarsely as he woke.

She watched him as he pushed himself to sitting, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as the blankets pooled around his naked waist, his black, tousled hair loose and falling into his face. She bit her lip as she reminded herself that now was not the time- later perhaps- but she had considered her request since before the sun rose and would allow nothing to distract her.

"I need to get a message to Wil," she said quickly. "I need to know who else we can trust."

She had told Andro of all that occurred between her and Wil the moment she returned from the tavern, tossing aside the packages she purchased and rushing towards the bathroom to rinse out her mouth. Somewhat concerned, and more than a little amused, the Lord remained quiet until Lilia was ready to explain to him exactly what transpired during her time away. And when she was done, he held her. She didn't know she needed it until he did, but he pulled her close and assured her that everything was going to work out in the end.

That if she wanted to remain within Lathos for Cass, he would never deny her that.

And if she wanted to take her rightful place as Leader once she disposed of Baz, all the better.

She hadn't given him an answer, but that was also something that drifted through her mind as she waited for the morning to arrive.

"You know I can't tell you," he reminded her as he ran a hand over his face, rubbing at his stubbled cheek before meeting her eyes.

"I thought you trusted me," she countered, folding her hands over her chest. She hadn't dressed for the day, not truly, so she stood from the chair wearing only a borrowed shirt of Andro's that fell to the tops of her thighs. Her hair, now a more permanent shade of blonde, was braided over her shoulder, and she tried to repress the shudder that traveled through her as her bare feet hit the cold wooden floor.

"I do trust you," he reminded her, leaning back on his arms as he took her in just as much as her eyes devoured him. "But you know that I won't do anything to compromise his position, especially now when we may need him the most."

"Will you ever tell me?" she pressed.

"Once Baz is dead."

"Then I need you to get a message to Wil."

He perked a brow.

Lilia laid down on the edge of the bed, folding her legs underneath her. "I need to reassure him he's not alone in this. I need him to know where to bring Cass when all is done, and I need to make sure he knows that if he thinks of betraying me, I'll track him down and slit his throat myself."

"You do have a way of convincing people," he mused affectionately.

She scowled at him but continued. "Will you do it for me or not?"

"And what will you do for me?" he mused, lying back suggestively on the bed, his arms folded behind his head as he looked up at her.

With a low growl in her throat, she crawled up and over him, straddling across his hips and perching in his laps. With only a blanket separating them, Lilia's mind instantly traveled down the long and dangerous path that would leave them within the bed for much longer than they should.

Andro chuckled softly, knowing well where her thoughts were, and gently ran his hands over her bare thighs as the shirt rode up to her waist. "What if I can give you something better?"

Now it was Lilia's turn to perk a brow.

"I have a meeting I need to attend today... and I wanted to send you on one of your own."

Both brows hit her hairline at that.

"I want to see if my assassin is up to snuff... I fear she may be out of practice after all this time."

"How dare you-"

"Baz has requested a meeting with the visiting diplomats-"

Lilia's jaw dropped as she tried to find the words, but Andro continued.

"And Lady Cassandra Cortova has specifically invited me to a lunch meeting to discuss our mutual silk trade."

Lilia felt like the world stopped spinning.

"And seeing as I can't attend both at the same time, I assumed that you, as Lady of Thuria, could attend in my stead."

"Which?" she asked carefully, barely able to find her voice.

"Obviously I won't deliver you to your sister by yourself, not when there are already so many parts in motion for tomorrow."

"But Baz-"

"Will drive himself insane knowing that you're here and he can't do a damn thing about it, not when there are so many important figures vying for each other's attention. And your gender will provide you with an extra layer of protection - the other diplomats won't allow anything to happen to you so long as you remain with them, even if Baz loses his mind and attempt to uncover you before them."

"But he'll tell Cass," Lilia challenged desperately, but Andro shook his head where it lay against the pillow.

"He won't. It would show his hand - that he had been lying to her the entire time. And he won't chance that, not when he's so close to getting what he wants."

"But what does he want?" she asked, desperately.

"That I still don't know," Andro sighed. "But I promise it will be the one thing we find out before we run him through."

"I love it when you talk so salaciously in the bedroom," she purred as she leaned over him, her fingertips bracing against his hard chest.

"Remind me to speak of tearing a man's guts from his stomach more often."

She let out a dramatic moan as she leaned down and capture his lips in a heated kiss. "Tell me more."

And he did. All morning, and well into the afternoon.