In the years he’d spent living in Windust, Petyr had never actually brought any girl to the house.

  Not because he had been forbidden from doing so or anything of the sort. But none of those relationships ever seemed that serious.

  Not as serious as nearly being killed, that’s for sure.

  Petyr rushed Avesta through his doorway, afraid that Alis might come out and discover them at any moment.

  Once he closed the door behind, he breathed with relief, though this unwelcome presence was not going to make it very easy to relax.

  Instinctively, his eyes traveled along the length of her body, his instinct driving him to imagine things that were definitely not going to happen: her slowly peeling off that bodysuit, they naked bodies pressing against one another, possibly more…

  “I will sleep on the floor,” said Avesta.

  Does she ever take that thing off? he wondered, gaze following the small of her back where her buttocks began to curve.

  Avesta turned and gave him a long look. “Tomorrow, we will interrogate your father.”

  “W-What?” That quickly snapped him from his less than decent thoughts. “We are not doing that! What’s even the point?”

  She shook her head hopelessly, as if at a loss for how to proceed. “I have explained to you what my purpose here is.”

  “No, actually, you haven’t.” Petyr crossed his arms defiantly and propped himself against the door. “All you’ve ever told me is that you’re here because something something a group of cultists influencing your father.”

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  For the breath, Avesta went quiet, watching him attentively. “Do you wish for me to paint you a clearer picture?”

  “I suppose?”

  “What do you know of the Soverni Republic?”

  They have skysails? In truth, he knew less than nothing; but he wasn’t about to look stupid in front of her again. “The basics.”

  “For centuries, the Soverni Republic has been a peaceful place. A republic not just in name but in practice, a small island that was mostly preoccupied with petty squabbles between noble houses. Now, it is expanding an alarming rate. It owns half the world.”

  Petyr scoffed. “Now that…” He chuckled dryly and tried not to be too much of an ass about it. “That’s a bit much.”

  “Just because there are no armies doesn’t mean they don’t own a place,” said Avesta, speaking as if he were stupid. “Because they do.”

  “Fine.” Petyr shrugged carelessly. “Then why not go to any other number of places?”

  “Because the people I’m after aren’t formally a part of the Soverni Republic. I’ve told you before, they’re an informal organization, an interest group.”

  “Which controls your father… the leader of the Soverni Republic.”

  His tone made her roll her eyes. “Do you think I would lie about this?”

  “If someone lied about anything, this is definitely what they would lie about, yes.”

  “Oh, truly? How many people have you come across that have told you they’re the sons or daughters of a king, then?”

  Zero, Petyr thought. Nevertheless, he still thought he had the better of it. Sure, maybe it was an unlikely lie. A far-fetched one. But wasn’t that precisely what made it so believable?

  “And I don’t suppose you have any proof of you being who you say you are.”

  “I do not care,” said Avesta. “You’re free not to believe me.”

  She rolled her shoulders, then sat down on the floor. “We should go to sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow.”

  Petyr padded over to the bed and dropped down. “You’re not really going to sleep on the floor, are you?”

  By the time he finished asking, she was already stretched out on her back, hands folded over her stomach, looking like the hottest corpse he’d ever seen. “Do not think of touching me as I rest.”

  “I wasn’t. But why don’t you want the bed? I feel this is wrong.”

  “You’ve slept on that bed. Done… Gods only know what. I would rather sleep on the floor.”

  He took a final deep breath and dropped down. “Have it your way.”