The miracle seeker bothered Razia. Maybe bothered was the wrong word, but Razia didn’t know how else to describe it. It had been nice to find a member of the temple who wasn’t a complete asshole, but it was more than that. The other priestesses and priests looked at Razia and saw only what their disgust and judgments told them. Maralana looked at her like she saw her, and recognized her as a peer.

And the offer she made. Being able to go back to the temple and pray and offer her gratitude sounded better than she expected. Although maybe she didn’t have to. Razia stared at the statue, as she had ever since the miracle. She’d already proved the Pierced Heart was listening and aware of them. Who was to say this statue was any less holy than the one at the temple? Maralana told her to be open about what she experienced, so why not offer similar services?

Maralana warned her about pissing off the temple, and for once Razia considered restraint. Maybe there was a way to do it without directly bothering them. Maybe a secret option for the most dedicated clients, with her and the girls performing their own little rituals and prayers. Then she could show the miracle seeker and see her reaction then. See if she meant it when she said she respected Razia’s faith, or if she really was a temple loyalist.

“Hey Razia! What’s got you smiling so wide?” Samantha walked in from the gardens and stood by the couch next to her.

“Just thinking of being a pest to someone,” Razia replied. “I’ll probably behave for now until we’ve dealt with the Warlords.” Razia sat up and Samantha took the spot where her legs had just been.

“They’re still not back yet? You getting worried?” Samantha pulled Razia into a one armed hug. Razia allowed herself to be squished.

“Not really,” she said after pulling away. “I’m more worried about Jonas and the boys than anything else. Quentin will be fine, and he said that they’d probably go out for something to eat when they were done.”

“Wait,” said Samantha, “they’ll be back late if something went wrong or if something went right?”

“Well, when you put it like that maybe I should worry,” Razia playfully slapped Samantha’s arm. The two of them shared a laugh Razia needed. “But no, I’m not worried.”

“Because Quentin can’t die?” Samantha asked.

“Pretty much. And because I know how good he is. Unless Christophe himself shows up, things will be fine. Hey, how did your appointment go?”

The redhead’s eyes lit up with excitement. She practically vibrated in her seat. “It was incredible! The whole miracle thing is doing wonders for business. The entire time he wanted to worship my body to try to gain any lingering blessings! He spent the entire time focusing on me, which was nice. Until I got kinda bored and wanted to finish things up, but he seemed happy enough.”

Razia smiled. “That’s fantastic. For you and for him. Who was it this time again?”

“Oscar Harrington,” said Samantha, puffing herself up to look important. “Carolasan general. He and his men were coming here to trade for some weapons and medicine for a war going on back west with Cartinia. Maybe that’s why he wanted a blessing so badly. How dumb is war?”

Given they were in one, kind of necessary sometimes. But Razia smiled and said, “Pretty dumb. Think of how much better it would be if girls like us were in charge. There’d still be fighting, but it would be over important things instead of worrying about…What’s this war about again?” Razia was usually better about current events, but there was something about Cartinia that repelled her and kept her from paying as much attention.

Samantha shrugged. “Something about expanding territory, I don’t know. The general’s convinced that the other guys are the problem, so I dunno what to believe. It’s not my problem, right? I’m just here to be divine and pass on the blessings of the gods.” Samantha preened proudly.

“Damned straight,” said Razia. Idly, she wondered how much different the ritual would’ve been if it had been Samantha instead of Lucy. Less connection, less innocence being sacrificed on display, but maybe the enthusiasm would’ve made a difference. No, she shook her head, it was silly to ruminate on the ritual. It was over, they were blessed, it was time to move on.

“Are you busy at all?” Razia asked, looking around at the mostly empty Garden. “Quentin and the men are gone and we’ve only got a few people here to escort the girls, I’m going crazy without anything to do.”

“Sorry,” said Samantha with a shake of her head. “I’ve got one more appointment for the day and he’s probably going to take up a couple of hours.”

“Right, right,” Razia remembered it. Rocco was coming back for another round with Samantha. Over the past three months, he’d requested Samantha at least once a week, usually twice depending on how often he came around. As far as Razia knew, whoring was his main hobby and sometimes he paid extra to take a girl or guy out on a date somewhere in the city. He was safe enough.

“But if Quentin’s not back after that, then…” Samantha grimaced. “You’ll probably be way too worried to want to do anything.”

“You’re not wrong,” said Razia, sighing. She stood up and stretched. “Not that I’m worried, of course. I’m not. But the boredom is starting to get to me. I should’ve been there, at least watching from the carts. But nooo, I would’ve been a ‘liability’ and split their attention. Feh.” She knew it was smart, but that didn’t mean she liked having to go with the smart decision.

Samantha said nothing at first, lost in thought. Razia knew the look because Samantha’s face screwed up and the tip of her tongue idly stuck out the corner of her mouth while she worked things out. Finally she looked up at Razia with a mischievous grin. “You could always join me for my appointment if you really want to pass the time. I don’t think Rocco would mind.”

Ooh, now there was an idea. She hadn’t been lying to Isa when she said Quentin and her had a talk about exclusivity after Cicero’s men swarmed the Garden. That brief bit of jealousy had led to a delightful night, and a satisfying conversation afterward. She was impressed by just how far Quentin came and how fast, but…

“I like the idea, but I’m not so certain today’s a good day for it,” said Razia.

“Ahh,” said Samantha knowingly. “If it helps, Rocco doesn’t mind a bit of blood, and we can always focus on --”

“No no, not that,” Razia laughed. No, that wasn’t an issue. The fact that Quentin came back from the dead and they still hadn’t had too much time to themselves was what bugged her. It felt wrong to throw herself into the work when she wanted something specific before she did. Much like intentionally pissing off the church, maybe it’d come later. But that didn’t mean the idea was entirely out of the question.

“Tell you what,” said Razia. “If Rocco’s willing to sit around and pass some time before the two of you go off to fuck like rabbits, we’ll waive the house fee. You’ll get paid the same, he’ll pay less, and maybe I won’t go stark raving mad waiting for everyone to get home.”

“Sounds good!” Samantha said. “Before that…Bath?”

She didn’t have to tell Razia twice. Though the novelty of having a pool of a bathtub you could swim in had mostly worn off, baths were still one of the things they regularly did together to relax and just socialize in peace. It was hard not to be at peace when the water was nice and hot and you could soak away all your troubles. Samantha and Razia spent the next half hour there, pointedly talking about plays, regulars, new places to go eat. Any and everything that wasn’t serious and had no weight. It was as relieving as the water.

They were right about to get out when Rocco came into the bathroom, knocking on the wall. “There you are, Sam. I’ve had a very long day and I could use your sweet touch to make the pain go away. Oh, hello Razia. Looking good!”

“Am I?” Razia raised herself partway out of the bath. She was gratified when his eyes dropped down to her chest and he wore a dopey grin. That grin only got wider when Samantha did the same, standing next to Razia with her much, much larger breasts glistening with water. Razia really did like Rocco. He was simple, he appreciated them, and he was funny.

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Rocco made grabby hands at the air, one hand for each of them. “Is the water still good? I wouldn’t mind a bit of a soak.”

“Lukewarm, I’m afraid,” said Samantha. “And I’m a bit of a prune. If you want me at my best you’re going to have to wait for me to dry off, love.”

Rocco shook his head vehemently. “Not at all. I prefer you wet, even if you do get wrinkly. Let’s be real here Sam, do you think I’m going to be looking at your hands? Get over here and give me a proper greeting.”

Sam giggled and climbed out of the bath, dripping wet. She pressed herself against Rocco, who very much didn’t mind getting soaked, and gave him a warm, equally wet kiss. By the time she pulled away he let out a disappointed groan.

“That’s better,” he said. Then his grin reappeared and he turned to Razia. “What about you?”

Oh, this was too perfect. Smiling, Razia climbed out of the bath as well and sauntered up to him slowly, putting extra sway in each step. “What about me?” she said. “You’re right.” She leaned closer…Only to veer off to Samantha, kissing her instead. Samantha didn’t hesitate, kissing her back and pulling her closer. Razia let out an exaggerated moan that Rocco followed up with one of his own. When Razia broke away, she was grinning. “Is that better?”

“Much,” Rocco groaned, his entire body screaming tension and frustration. His eyes flicked between the two of them and Razia knew he was picturing exactly what Samantha had suggested before he arrived. Oh, the poor man. If he’d known her three months ago that wouldn’t even have been a question. “So, I was going to take my time, but I’m so hard it hurts. You two want to grab a room?”

Razia pretended to think about it. “No, I’m waiting for Quentin to get back. Best you get is a free show.” It wasn’t pissing off someone dangerous, but it was still being a bit of a brat. It was better than nothing. She made a big show of turning her back on him and moving slowly as she retrieved her towel and patted herself dry. No way was Rocco going to ruin the good thing he had going by trying anything.

And he didn’t. Razia put her clothes on peacefully while Samantha caught his attention again. “She might not be down, but I could maybe help with that,” Razia heard from behind her.

“Mm. Just excited in the moment, I think. I got greedy. If I have you all to myself for the day then I want to take my time. I want to wine you, dine you, and pick your brain for all the juiciest gossip. Why don’t you start by staying naked and getting us some wine to share?”

“What, didn’t bring your own this time?” Razia called out, pulling up the strap of her dress over her shoulder. She turned around, smirking.

Rocco just smiled and shrugged innocently. “I was in the neighborhood and had a drink. You girls love me too much to give me shit about it.”

“It’s true,” said Samantha, pulling on his toga to give him another kiss. “I’ll get us something to drink. Hey Razia, do you mind if I go into your personal collection? The Garden’s stock is running a little low on quality vintages.”

“Sure, sure,” Razia waved her off. “We’ll do a big order for supplies tomorrow. You know where the good bottles are? We wouldn’t want to give anything less than the best to our VIP here.”

Rocco beamed while Samantha nodded. “Of course. Think the guards will mind a free show?” She laughed and walked out of the room. Both Rocco and Samantha watched her go.

Razia moved past him and went to the atrium. He followed along after her, lounging crookedly on the couch opposite her. “So gossip before sex, huh? I swear, it’s usually the other way around.”

“Yeah, well, Samantha usually has so much to say. Not as much as Jenna, but I’m not sure anyone talks as much as her.” Rocco made a face, and Razia laughed.

“That’s true.” That’s probably why that bitch Kelli stuck so close to her. It made the job that much easier with Jenna feeding her everything she could possibly want. It was almost time to do something about her, but for the moment…Wait. Razia looked at Rocco, really looked at him for the first time. “Who would you say is your favorite girl to see?”

Rocco made a thoughtful sound, drumming his fingers along the arm of the couch. “Why must you ask me impossible questions? How could I ever choose between such a wonderful selection of passionate, enthusiastic, and skilled companions?”

“Excuse me one second,” said Razia, getting up and moving to the master bedroom. She searched the nightstand where she kept some of the records. There were better places for it now, and later she’d transfer them. But for now…Yes, there it was. Rocco had seen almost every companion at the Garden an almost perfectly even amount of times. There were fewer instances of him seeing Tenchi and Cullen, but they were new. All the information was there, and Razia couldn’t believe it took her this long to see it.

It had been too easy to tunnel vision on Kelli as a spy when she was so bad at it. When she was so irritating and grating and easy to dislike that Razia honestly felt her judgment clouding whenever she thought of her. The little pieces all painted a picture she hadn’t seen before now. Razia put the records away and went back to the atrium.

“So, I’ve got a question for you, Rocco,” Razia said, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. He raised an eyebrow but motioned for her to speak. “What is it you do with your time? You come here a lot. What else do you do?”

“As little as possible!” Rocco laughed, slapping his knee. “I gamble, I carouse, I go out to eat with my friends and we spend a bunch of my father’s shards. It really is nice, being born into money.” His smile was smug, but there was something behind his eyes.

“So you’re saying you’re not a spy for Cicero?” Razia asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes.

He laughed again, but there was a second of hesitation. “Cicero? The loan shark?”

“Yes,” said Razia. “It makes sense. You’ve seen all the girls an equal number of times with a slight preference for Samantha and Jenna. You spend money like you’re not worried about losing it, but you’re not anyone famous or notable. I don’t know your father, all I know is you have money and you spend too much time here. You’re the one he sent here to listen in on my clients and see what you could get my girls to reveal.”

Rocco wasn’t laughing anymore. He stood up, and Razia really noticed how much bigger he was. And the fact that they were alone. Now this was more like it. She took a step forward, and he took a step back. His face went through a gamut of emotions before it settled on resignation. “Great. The cushiest job I’ve ever had, ruined. Thanks a lot Razia.”

“Yes!” Razia punched the air and laughed while Rocco frowned at her. “I knew it! I’m surprised you didn’t deny it harder, but…”

“Would there even be a point?” Rocco pouted. “You’re sharp and Cicero knew this was likely to happen eventually. I was just hoping I could spend another month or two fucking around and getting drunk and getting paid for it.”

Oh, this was too good. Not only was that mystery finally solved, but it proved above all else that Kelli was a spy for Piro. That meant it had to be her who signaled the Warlords when to attack, it was her that knew when the party was going to be for Christophe and Piro to crash. Who knows what happened next, now that they were in open war with each other? They’d deal with her when Quentin got back. Satisfied, Razia had an idea.

“Cicero doesn’t have to know, you know,” she said.

Rocco perked up. “He doesn’t?”

“It serves my purposes to have someone I know is harmless as a spy. Well, mostly harmless. I’m sure there’s plenty Cicero’s done with the knowledge you’ve gotten from here.” Rocco said nothing, but bowed his head in acknowledgement. “So let’s say we don’t tell him that your cover is blown. That way you can STILL spend your days fucking and drinking and getting paid to do both.”

“I must say, Ms. Rashid, I love the way your mind works.” Rocco grinned and held out his hand. She shook it, and together they laughed. They were still laughing when Samantha came back with probably the best bottle of wine in Quentin’s collection.

“What’re we laughing about?” Samantha asked, joining them there and cradling the bottle between her naked breasts.

“Oh, nothing,” said Razia. “Just enjoying some good times together. Any trouble?”

Samantha giggled. “The head guard, Fred I think, asked me not to wander out naked. Some of the neighbors saw me and weren’t happy about it.”

“Excellent!” said Razia. “This calls for a celebration.”

Rocco took the bottle from Samantha and popped it open. The cork shot off sideways and rolled along the tiles until it fell into the pool. “Oops!” he said with a laugh, bringing the bottle to his mouth and taking a long, deep drink. He passed it to Samantha next, who took a much smaller drink.

Then it was Razia’s turn and she lifted the bottle to her lips. She was right about to drink when Rocco coughed. A loud, harsh cough right in her face that made Razia pull the bottle away, ready to give him shit for not covering his mouth when it was followed by another cough. And another. Panic flashed in his eyes as his face darkened. Then Samantha started coughing.

“Are you okay?” Razia looked down at the bottle of wine. It was Quentin’s favorite, and one he only brought out for special occasions. She looked back up and Rocco’s face was purple.

He coughed harder and harder, gasping for breath and clutching at his throat. Rocco fell to the ground, convulsing. His struggles grew more frenzied until a far away look entered his eyes, and he stopped. Samantha’s coughs only got worse. She looked at Razia with fear, desperation, and begging. Then she too fell to the ground.

“Sam? Sam?” Razia set the bottle down and kneeled beside her. Samantha’s face was darkening as well, but her gasps deeper, less panicked. “Help! Somebody help!”