Cassius released her arm and stepped back. “Listen to what he proposes, and you will see Pontus has the stability of the Empire at heart.”
“If you can help me, Azurha, I will make sure you are properly rewarded. You’ll want for nothing the rest of your life.”
The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her mind screamed at her to walk away. “And how long would my life be once I’ve served your purpose?”
“I give you my word that if you succeed, you’ll live to see your grandchildren playing around your ankles.”
The prospect of living a life of leisure overcame her hesitations. This could be her last job, the one that made her rich enough to buy a life of obscurity. “You’ll bear witness to this, Cassius?”
“On my life and honor.”
She snickered. “There’s no honor in you, but I know you jealously guard your life.”
“Then are you agreed to it?” Pontus leaned forward, greed dancing his cool blue eyes.
She settled back into her chair. “Almost, Governor Gurges. Explain your plan to me.”
“As I mentioned before, I offer you as a gift to the harem. As one of his concubines, you will have greater access to the palace in Emona than most members of the Imperial Family. When Sergius summons you to his chambers, you do what you do best.”
She exhaled slowly. She wouldn’t have to become the Emperor’s whore. It was all a cover. “And you think the Emperor will find me suitable to summon to his bed?”
“My dear, I’d summon you to my bed if I didn’t know how deadly you were.” Pontus stared at her as if he was picturing her naked. His cold smile made her skin crawl. “Of course, you’ll need appropriate attire for an Imperial concubine, which I will supply, as well as some instruction on how to please the Emperor.”
“Which you will supply, too, I assume?” She ground her teeth together.
“In theory only, naturally, unless you would like hands-on instruction.”
“I’d prefer not.” She turned to her mentor and searched his face. “Why did you choose me? Surely you know other female assassins.”
“Because you’re the one person that could carry it out, Rabbit.”
Could she carry out the guise of pretending to be the Emperor’s whore? Flashbacks of the pain and humiliation she suffered at the hand of her former master filled her mind, of her bleeding wrists bound above her head while he and his friends look their liberties with her. She belonged to no man now and never would.
Anger warmed her blood, and she swallowed the lump of doubt caught in her throat. She could easily kill the next man that tried to take advantage of her. Let them offer her to the Emperor. His blood would stain his sheets before the sun rose.
“When do I leave for Emona?”
Praise For Crista McHugh
A SOUL FOR TROUBLE
“Book one in the Soulbearer trilogy, this fantastical romance is completely different from the myriad of others out there. It’s a great book that pits Trouble against Chaos — two characters that all readers will want to visit again and again!”
— 4 1/2 STARS, RT Book Reviews
THE TEARS OF ELIOS
“The first thing that came to mind upon finishing this book is, ‘Holy Crap! Is that it?!’ I did not want this book to end.”
— Starcrossed Reviews
A WALTZ AT MIDNIGHT
“I love this story! I didn’t expect it to be so entrancing and captivating… A WALTZ AT MIDNIGHT is a great romantic story with engaging characters that I didn’t wish to end… A must read for romance lovers!”
—The Romance Reviews
HEART OF A HUNTRESS
“Warning: you will not want to put this book down once you start.”
— Happily Ever After Reviews
ANGELIC SURRENDER
“The author did such a great job creating my ideal hero that I found myself thinking about him for days.”
— Whipped Cream Reviews
KISS OF TEMPTATION
“As Ms. McHugh moves on with her writing of The Kavanaugh Foundation, I found this story even more spell binding than first two books.”
— Literary Nymph Reviews
CAT’S EYES
“…an excellent plot with oodles of action and suspense. I could not put it down.”
— Just Erotic Romance Reviews
“This is a well-paced, enjoyable read complete with action, suspense, humor, and hot sex.”
— Night Owl Reviews
THE ALCHEMY OF DESIRE
“Crista McHugh did an incredible job of drawing me into the world of magic, steampunk, and old west that she created.”
— Wakela Runen’s World
DANNI’S BOY
“What I liked most about this short story is the fact the main characters, Danni and Ryan, are “real” people… highly engaging and enjoyable.”
— Whipped Cream Reviews
PROVOKING THE SPIRIT
“I loved the twists and turns the author threw at me while I was reading and felt my heart racing in my chest numerous times as I was flipping the pages… Overall, this is a fantastic story that’s worth picking up!”
— Night Owl Reviews
Books by Crista McHugh
The Soulbearer Trilogy
A Soul For Trouble
A Soul For Vengeance (Spring 2013)
Other titles by Crista McHugh
The Alchemy of Desire
“A Waltz at Midnight”
Cat’s Eyes
“Danny’s Boy”
“Provoking the Spirit”
The Tears of Elios
Tangled Web
The Kavanaugh Foundation series:
Heart of a Huntress, Book 1
Angelic Surrender, Book 2
“A High Stakes Game”, Book 2.5 (a free read)
Kiss of Temptation, Book 3
Night of the Huntress (Print Anthology of Books 1 and 2)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
A Soul For Vengeance
A Note to Readers
Author Bio:
The Tears of Elios
Tangled Web
Praise For Crista McHugh
Books by Crista McHugh
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
A Soul For Vengeance
A Note to Readers
Author Bio:
The Tears of Elios
Tangled Web
Praise For Crista McHugh
Books by Crista McHugh
A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) Page 32
