SMALL FAVOR

She regarded me with level, lovely eyes. “And what is the Knights’ intended role?”

“They’re here to build trust.”

“Trust?” she asked.

“Absolutely. I can kick you a lot farther when they’re around.”

A very small smile touched her mouth. She inclined her head slightly to me. Then she turned to Sanya. “Those colors hardly suit you, animal. Though it is more than agreeable to see you again.”

“I am not that man anymore, Rosa

“No, you haven’t,” Rosa

Sanya shook his head with a faint smile. “I still enjoy a fight,” he said. “I simply choose them a bit more carefully now.”

“It isn’t too late, you know,” Rosa

Something very odd happened to her voice on the last couple of sentences. It became…thicker somehow, richer, more musical. The individual sounds seemed to have little to do with meaning-but the voice itself carried a honey-slow swirl of sensuality and desire that felt like it was going to glide into my ears and start glowing gently inside my brain. I was only on the fringe of it, too, and had gotten only a watered-down version of the promise contained in that voice. Sanya got it at full potency.

He threw his head back and laughed, a rich, booming, basso laugh that bounced back and forth from the icy stones of the church and the cold walls of the buildings around us.

Rosa

“I told you, Rosa

She just stared at him.

Sanya spread his hands. “Give up the coin, Rosa

Her eyelids lowered into slits. She shuddered once and looked down. Then she said, “It is too late for me, Sanya. It has been too late for me for a long, long time.”

“It is never too late,” Sanya said earnestly. “Not as long as you draw breath.”

Something like contempt touched Rosa

I tapped the hilt of Shiro’s Sword, hanging from its improvised strap over one shoulder. Then I drew the purple Crown Royal bag out of my pocket and held it up. I shook it. It jingled.

“Give the coins to me,” Rosa

I folded my arms. “No.”

Her eyes narrowed again. “Our bargain-”

“You can see them after I’ve seen the girl,” I replied. “Until then, you’ll have to settle for some jingle.” I shook the bag again.

She glowered at me.

“Make up your mind,” I said. “I haven’t got all night. Do you want to explain to Nicodemus how you threw away his chance of destroying the Swords? Or do you want to get moving and take us to the kid?”

Her eyes flickered with something like anger, and warm brown became brilliant gold. But she only gave me a small, stiff nod of her head, and said, “I will take you to her. This way. Please.”