Cenric is distracted while on duty

Ana giggled breathlessly. “Don’t drop me!” she whispered.

“I won’t drop you,” Cenric smiled. “I want to see how far I have to tip you before you pour out of your dress.”

“Oh, Cenric, you’re awful!” But he was wonderful! “What if someone comes?”

“Nobody will come,” he murmured. “I won’t be relieved for hours yet.”

“Who’s relieving you?”

“Bran,” he said between two kisses to her throat.

“Bran! Oh, God, what if he finds us?”

“You ever known Bran to be early? Besides, I thought that was why you came. To make Bran jealous.”

“Bran? Oh, God, who cares about Bran?”

“I thought you did.”

“Who, me?” she giggled. “I don’t think – ”

He silenced her with a kiss on her mouth.

He was awful, but oh, he was wonderful! She could not believe she had given him up for Bran. How close she had been to losing him forever! But he loved her. He loved her, and–

“What was that?” she gasped as he abruptly stood and pulled her up with him.

“Don’t know,” he said uneasily. “Sounded like a woman’s scream.”

She tried to kiss him, but he pulled his head away, murmuring against her lips, “I’m on duty – I should go see…”

“What was that?” she gasped again. The second sound had been blood-​​chilling.

“Sounded like a man’s,” he whispered, alert and ashen.