"I mean to speak to the hellcat that gave me this!" Malchus almost shouted, pointing to a purpling bruise that had begun to darken his cheek. "My friend has misspoken," Jameson soothed. "He means to speak to the young maid who is the eldest child of your master." "A fiery one, she is," the servant nodded, still a bit offended, "but I will take issue with the gentleman call

“You understand that this is our opportunity.” Several voices from nearby tables erupted into murmurs of assent as the barmaid approached with another round of drinks. With the wan and flickering lamps scattered around the windowless cavern, shadows danced across the faces of the gathering, rendering their aspects almost ghoulish. “No one has heard from or seen the Duke in weeks,” the man continued, his graphite gaze flashing as he turned to connect with each member of his sm

"What is truth?" The question never holds an easy answer. Aylee Hembry had thought the idea simple - there were people you could trust and there were people you couldn't. In her world, the distinction seemed obvious. Honest? Her family, her merchant father, the local smith and most of the farmers. Dishonest? The miller, the saloon patron, and her father's rival merchant clan - the Lorne family. All of them. Simple maybe while she stands in her familiar surroundings, with her