A/N: And the hits just keep on comin' ... as promised, chapter 15.

Thanks to Leiasky for the beta.

Inara was through waiting. Clenching her hands into fists, she strode up to the attendant guarding her and demanded, “Where is the Priestess? I must see her now.”

The young man, easily half Inara’s age, stared her down with an air of disdain she had only seen a handful of times before. And it riled her. “The Priestess is detained. She will be here as soon as her schedule permits.”

Anger blazing in her brown eyes, Inara ground out, “Tell her that Inara Serra wishes to see her-“

“Even though you can no longer make such demands of this Guild.”

Laylin’s cool, steady voice cut through Inara’s angry statement and she whirled swiftly. Inara knew Linny was right; her expulsion from the Guild and the circumstances surrounding it meant Inara had forfeited any and all claims to her once vaunted Companion status. Under normal circumstances, she would never have dreamed of coming here, making demands and yelling at innocent stewards. But this was anything but normal.

Stalking across the ornate rug to stand before Laylin, Inara dropped her voice to a growl and ordered, “I need to speak with you in private.”

Matching her tone, Laylin’s normally warm violet eyes bored into Inara. “Mind your manners, Inara. You have no rights here, not anymore.”

Swallowing thickly at the admonition, Inara conceded slightly, bowing her head and taking a step back. Laylin stared her down for a moment more before ordering the young man from the room. Once the heavy oak door had closed behind him, she again addressed her old friend. “You’d better have a good reason. You know word is going to spread regarding your presence here and your behavior.”

“How much did you know?” Inara did not bother to drape the question in thinly veiled implications or vague hints. She simply wanted answers; answers surroun