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it.

Chapter Three
    When I woke up the next morning, it was still dark, and I could hear Taro breathing quietly beside me. That meant it was much too early for me to be getting up. I wondered what woke me, for in general I was the sort to sleep in until something forced me out of bed. I lay and listened, wondering if it was a noise that had woken me up, but I heard nothing strange.
    I was hungry, though. Starving, in fact, my stomach curling into a knot in its protest of the lack of sustenance. I lay still awhile longer and watched the air lighten a little, but I really didn’t think I could wait until whenever the house served breakfast. I was that hungry.
    When this had happened in the Triple S residence in High Scape, I’d simply gone down to the kitchen for some bread and cheese.
    Fiona had told me to treat this place as my home.
    But I didn’t like the idea of taking advantage of that invitation so soon.
    Who would it bother if I went down to the kitchen and nibbled on something?
    Damn it.
    I slipped out of the biggest bed I’d ever slept in, wrapped myself in my dressing gown and made my way through the maze of chairs, settees and tables sprinkled throughout our bedchamber and sitting room. Once I was out in the hall, I couldn’t remember which direction took me to which set of steps, so I went right, because I was fairly sure I would hit stairs eventually. And I did.
    I saw some candlelight curving around the walls, and a few moments later I heard sounds. Odd, grunting sounds. Frowning, I moved a little faster, and I came off the stairs onto a large, wide balcony. I was looking down into a large, long room. It was lit up with candles and Fiona and Dane were standing in it. It took a few moments for me to figure out what they were doing, it was so bizarre.
    I saw Fiona strike out at Dane with her fist. I saw Dane block her blow and slap her on the face. Hard.
    For a few moments, I was too stunned to do anything. Then I shouted, “Hey!” and the two of them broke apart and looked up at me. “What the hell is going on?” I ran down the next flight of stairs and jumped the last couple of steps to the floor.
    “Don’t worry,” Dane said, stepping forward with his hands out. “It’s all right.”
    “I wasn’t asking you,” I snapped. “Fiona?”
    “It’s fine, Dunleavy,” she said. “I walked into it.”
    “What the hell does that mean?”
    “We’re just training.”
    “Training for what?”
    “So I can protect myself.”
    “By him slapping you? That hard?”
    “Just watch. Dane?”
    Dane stood before her. She was the first to throw a punch, which he dodged before striking back. She evaded his fist and reached out with her foot, hooking it behind his knee. He crumpled to his knees and she punched him in the nose. He rolled away and Fiona pressed forward, kicking and striking at him. He stopped suddenly, grabbing the leg on which Fiona’s weight was resting and yanking her off her feet. She landed flat on her back on the hard floor.
    I covered my eyes with my hands. “Are you crazy?” I demanded.
    “It’s wise for the titleholder to be able to fight,” Dane answered breathlessly.
    I uncovered my eyes. Fiona was still on the floor, the breath clearly knocked out of her, while Dane sat on the floor beside her, unconcerned. “This is insane. What if you really hurt each other?”
    “Then we stop, though, of course, we wouldn’t have that luxury in a real fight.”
    Fiona was finally able to breathe, and after a few more moments she sat up. “I’m fine.”
    “You’re demented.”
    She grimaced. “Is there something I can do for you, Dunleavy?”
    I suddenly felt embarrassed. I was presuming on a familiarity that didn’t exist. “I’m sorry. I just got turned around. I’ll go back up to my room.” I ran back up the stairs, ignoring dignity. What a horrible nearly first impression.
    Daylight was much stronger when I found my way up to the suite I shared with Taro. And I smelled