Quinlan's chuckle disturbed the hair spread across his chest.
"Every good hero needs ulterior motives. Just look at Adventurer Black. His good name is spreading all over Sarthal. Right now, he's on a mission to keep three lovely women from becoming goblin rape victims. And his real motives...?"
Quinlan shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Well..."
"Adventurer Black is no hero. Just like an elf pretending to be a sophisticated, graceful queen, he's nothing but a pretender."
"Oh?"
He drew her onto his chest, turning her to face him as his hands slipped beneath her ribs and hips. Then he straightened his arms, lifting her into the cool night air above him.
Black Fang caught his wrists. Her hair fell toward his face as he held her stretched out over him, her violet eyes looking directly into his.
"Is that any way to speak about your leader, adventurer? I'll have to discipline you at this rate."
"Put me down."
