Jeanne G'Fellers - No Sister of Mine by Jeanne G'Fellers (reading tree TXT) 📗

Females of decent upbringing are properly supported by their men and would never be seen here. You know what this will cost.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes. I have to eat,” whispered LaRenna, intent on her role. “I have to support myself.”

“Well, if you want it that badly . . .” Firman fairly swooned with counterfeit excitement. He wrapped his hand fully around her upper arm and half-dragged her toward the hall. LaRenna dug in her heels as she was jerked along. She didn’t want to appear too eager for what the others thought awaited her.

“Not fair!” protested the Autlach who had started the ruckus. “We can’t whore ourselves to get in your good graces.”

“You could try,” said Firman with a grin. “But the answer would be no and your friends would never let you live it down.” Successful in diverting the crowd’s attention, Firman slammed shut the hall door. He lay against it as he wiped his brow. “You’re good, too good,” he told LaRenna. “You all but got yourself mobbed out there. Aut men aren’t used to a woman commanding attention. It either excites them or pisses them off, neither of which you want when you’re that outnumbered.”

“Got me in here without anyone the wiser, didn’t it?”

“That it did, but will it get you past the Hallmaster still clothed?” He took her arm again, not quite so roughly this time, and led her to the double doors on the foyer’s far side. “Ready?”

“In a second.” LaRenna closed her eyes tight then refocused on Firman through glass-blue eyes. “Now.”

“Taelach eyes.” He shivered. “They can be so cold.” He slammed his free hand against the doors, flinging them open with a bang. “Look what I found outside, Hallmaster Tynnes.” He shoved LaRenna into the room. “This one wants work.”

“Hello there.” The Hallmaster peered over the recorder in his grubby hands. “Only one way for a woman to get work out of my hall. She willing?”

Firman stroked the back of LaRenna’s head, half for effect and half to offer silent support. His other hand still gripped her securely. “She said she’d do whatever it took.”

“Is that so?” Tynnes scratched beneath the greasy knots making up his hair. “Come here, woman, and we’ll, um, discuss your qualifications.”

Firman released his hold and she walked around the worktable, careful to keep her gaze from the Hallmaster’s. When she drew near, Tynnes clutched her about the waist, pulling her into his lap. “My, my, but you’re a pretty one. I’m going to enjoy this immensely.”

“I figured you’d like her,” agreed Firman. “I know I do.”

“Out!” The Hallmaster pointed to the double doors. “I need to interview this young woman.” He pushed his nose in LaRenna’s shoulder and breathed deep. “Sweet.”

“I found her, Tynnes!” Firman rounded the table in a single fluid stride. He was not going to allow his superior one second alone with his sibling’s love interest. Damn the pretense. Damn the outcome. “I should get a turn, too.”

“Very well.” Tynnes sneered. “When I’m finished, she’s yours.” He undid two snaps of LaRenna’s frock and set his face deep into her cleavage as his hand inched up her skirts. She cast Firman a look of expanding terror and revulsion. The lead Hallmaster was disgusting, both physically and mentally; his smell, combined with the pressure of his excitement against her leg, was enough to make her vomit.

Firman’s expression became anxious. “Do it,” he mouthed, his skin crawling at the thought of Tynnes’s filthy touch.

“Tynnes,” LaRenna cooed in the Hallmaster’s ear. “I’ll do whatever it takes for work. The better the job, the more I’ll do.” She massaged his bony shoulders and tickled his neck. His skin prickled in response.

“I can see you will,” he mumbled and pulled her into a greedy, full-mouthed kiss. Then he pushed back to stroke her downcast face with a greasy finger. “Look at me,” he demanded, digging his fingers into her side until she squirmed in his lap. “Look at me, woman.”

“Whatever you want.” LaRenna focused a deep stare on him and smiled, delighting in the way his expression shot from ecstasy to repulsion.

“WITCH!” Tynnes jerked his hands back and stood, throwing LaRenna to the floor. She never lost eye contact as she fell, pushing pain phase enough for him to grab at his head. His mind was open, defenseless to the attack. So open, it made her glad Krell had forced her to practice. A loss of control would prove deadly right now and she wanted to temporarily disable, not permanently handicap the smelly little man. When she pushed a little harder, the Hallmaster collapsed in his chair.

“Did you kill him?” Firman rushed to his employer’s side.

LaRenna scrambled to her feet and wiped Tynnes’s slime-ridden kiss from her mouth. “Of course not, I only phased him unconscious. He’ll be out most of the day but when he does wake, he’ll be satisfied. I gave him a wonderful delusion of what happened.” She ran her fingernail over his neck, leaving a thin scratch.

“Why’d you do that?”

“Effect. Adding the physical to the mental heightens the memory’s effectiveness.”

“Oh.” Firman jerked the Hallmaster upright and threw him over one broad shoulder. “LaRenna, remind me never to piss you off. You’ve too much of a mind.” Tynnes’ lack of hygiene forced a crinkle into Firman’s nose. He pushed the offending Autlach as far from his face as possible and carried him through the small door at the back of the workroom.

“Where are you taking him?”

“To his bed.” Firman stepped into the bedchamber, tossed Tynnes onto the unmade platform, and partially undressed him. “For effect,” he assured her, then closed the door and drew a long breath. “Only thing worse smelling than Tynnes,” he declared, “is his room. It hasn’t been cleaned once in the seven passes I have worked here.”

“Neither has his mouth,” replied LaRenna as she snapped her top. “Maybe I should plant the suggestion of bathing in his mind.” Tynnes’s dirty hands had smirched the laced edging of the frock. She rubbed at