She latched the bracelets on her wrists and jumped from the bed. The room wavered for a few seconds, and blackness bloomed on the edge of her vision. She grabbed the mattress to steady herself until it passed. Once it did, she moved to the door.
Varro blocked her escape. “Going somewhere?”
A flicker of the previous night’s confrontation passed through her mind. “I need to leave.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow that. The emperor gave me strict orders that you were to remain here.”
“For how long? Until he decides to execute me? Or maybe banish me beyond the barrier?” She tried to push past the steward, but his reflexes were quicker than her sleep-dulled ones.
“I have no idea what the emperor intends to do with you, but I feel confident it will be neither of those things.” He grabbed her wrists and pushed her back until she sat on the edge of the bed. “We had to force him to leave your side for his own coronation.”
The air whooshed from her lungs. She would have preferred his hatred over this. Tears stung her eyes. “Please, Varro, let me leave before he comes back. It will be better for everyone involved.”
“Why do you say that?” He presented her with a plate of fruit, playing the role of the dutiful servant and ignoring her distress. “On the contrary, I have a feeling he’d be quite distraught if he returned to find you missing. I might even lose my head if I allowed it.”
Some of the hardness returned to her soul, reminding her that she was still the Rabbit. She narrowed her eyes. “You know who I am and what I’m capable of doing, Varro. Who’s to say I won’t kill you in order to escape?”
He withdrew the plate, his face expressionless. “Perhaps, but I have faith that you won’t. Unlike your normal targets, I’d like to think I’m more than just a name to you, Lady Azurha, and I doubt anyone has paid your usual fee for my demise.”
The memory of how he’d defended her from Galerius replayed in her mind, lancing the bubble of cruelty that had been forming inside her. That was why Cassius had always warned her never to get to close to her targets. Moments like this tugged on her emotions and made her question her actions.
Varro watched her with a satisfied curl to the edges of his mouth. “I thought as much.”
When her threat failed, she tried pleading with him. If she had to refuse Titus one more time, it would be akin to ripping the heart from her chest. “You know as well as I do that I don’t belong here.”
She waited for any hint of disdain in his voice, any sign that he agreed with her, but found none. Instead, she saw admiration glowing in his dark eyes. “That is not for me to say.” He offered her the plate again. “Eat so you can restore your strength.”
The first ripe berry had barely touched her lips when the click of the locks echoed through the harem. Footsteps followed, and a few moments later, Titus stood in the doorway.
Azurha’s jaw dropped when she saw him. His full coronation apparel proclaimed him to be every inch an emperor, from the golden crown of leaves circling his head to the shimmer of the toga woven from metallic threads hanging from his shoulders.
But it was more than the clothing that awed her. It was the change in his countenance. Every part of his body, from the set of his shoulders to the angle of his jaw, emanated power and dared anyone to challenge him.
And for the first time since she’d gained her freedom, she fell to her knees and bowed forward with her arms stretched out in front of her until her nose touched the ground. It was the posture of abject subservience, a pose reserved for slaves pleading before their master. Before now, the thought of finding herself in that position again would have sickened her, but she could think of no other way to address him after everything that had happened.
At first, all she heard was the hollow thump of her heart.
Then Titus spoke. “Leave us, Varro.”
She didn’t lift her face to watch Varro scurry out of the harem. The rapid patter of his feet and click of locks told her he’d followed the emperor’s command.
“Get up.” The way he growled those two words made her breath hitch, and her body refused to move. She glimpsed a flicker of movement in front of her. A pair of strong fingers hooked under her chin, forcing her face up. “I said, get up. There’s no need for you to humiliate yourself like that.”
She kept her eyes fixed on his feet, scared she would see disgust tugging his mouth into a sneer if she looked upon it. A mouth she still craved pressed against her own, against her skin from the hollows of neck to the place between her legs where he could pleasure her for hours. Her skin grew warm, and she cursed her insatiable desire for him. “It is the proper way for a slave to greet her master.”
“You are not a slave anymore.” He guided her arm in front of her so her face reflected in her bracelets.
But still she refused to look at him. Silence stretched on for another minute before she found the courage to ask, “What do you plan to do to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know who I am, what I’ve done.” Anger boiled inside her stomach, creeping up into her voice. “Why did you save me? Do you intend to make a public spectacle of my execution?”
“You saved my life last night, so no, I won’t be executing you.”
Laughter seeped into his voice as though he was mocking her. She bit her bottom lip to keep from yelling at him. All she needed was a few seconds to overpower him and sneak out. Then she would be gone from his life and allow him to be the ruler she knew he could be. “Then what do you plan on doing to me?”
He knelt beside her and cupped her face in his hands. His lips pressed against hers as light as butterfly wings. The tenderness of his actions made her pulse quicken and desire swirl in her stomach. How could he still want her when he knew the ugly truth?
Titus pressed his forehead against hers. “I have one question I want you to answer truthfully.”
Her mouth went dry. So, it was all a ploy to throw her off guard, a means to lower her defenses so he could wrench her secrets from her. She tried to pry his hands off her cheeks, but he held firm.
“Did you really mean what you said last night?”
Her gut tightened. She’d expected Titus to question her about Pontus and her involvement in his plot. Life would be much simpler if she took back those words, but her heart balked at the idea. She stared into his eyes, willing the word no to form on her lips.
“Answer me.”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
This time, his lips crushed against hers like a man set on conquering a territory, and her body betrayed her. She kissed him back with equal passion, tugging at his clothes like a starving woman eager to taste his flesh while he pulled them to their feet. Her mind fought back and tempered her actions, though. She pushed him away. “No, Titus, we can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because this is madness. I was sent here to kill you, and you act like nothing has happened.”
His lips pressed together, and he took a step away from her. “Fine. Yes, I acknowledge that you were sent here to kill me, but you didn’t. You ended up saving my life. That makes you a hero.”
“That still doesn’t wash away all the blood I’ve spilt in the past.”
A heavy sigh billowed from his chest. “So you are the Rabbit.”
She nodded. “And once your nobles know that, they would condemn our affair even more loudly than before. It’s bad enough that I’m not a Deizian.”
His laughter cut her off before she finished listing all her shortcomings. “On the contrary, I think they would be more fearful knowing the Rabbit was my wife. One false move, and they would be constantly living in fear of being found dead with a rabbit’s foot on their body.”
“This is not a laughing matter. This is real. You can’t keep ignoring the fact that you and I come from two separate stations of life. You are the emperor, and I’m a former slave who’s slit more throats than I care to admit.”
Her
statement sobered him. “And when are you going to believe me when I tell you that none of that matters? There is a precedent to pardoning criminals who pledge to protect the empire, you know.”
“You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not.” He closed the space between them and took her hands in his. “I love you. You and no one else. And you love me. Why do you insist on destroying what we have together?”
“Because you have the chance to do so much good for the empire, Titus. I know it. I see it on your face and feel it deep in my heart. Don’t throw it all away for me.”
“Is that what this is all about? I’ve married for the good of the empire before, and it ended up killing her. My hands are just as bloodstained as yours. I will not force that miserable existence on another ‘proper’ wife again, even if you think it means securing my throne.” He reached up and pulled the crown from his head, tossing it to the side. It clattered across the floor before skidding to a stop against the wall. “Without you, this means nothing. If I have to give it up to have you, then so be it.”
“Don’t be a fool.”
“Then don’t argue with me. You say you see potential in me, but before I met you, I didn’t know what to do with it. I was an empty shell until you filled me with your trust, with your encouragement.” He tilted her face up until she met his gaze. “With your love. You believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. And if you leave me, I’ll go back to that emptiness.”
“But what will people say? What will they think?”
“I’m don’t give a damn what they think. The only thing I care about is you.” He kissed her again, this time slowly, easing his tongue into her mouth and coaxing all her conflicting emotions to the surface. All the pain, the longing, the self-loathing faded as she melted into his embrace. His hands caressed her curves.
They tumbled back onto the unmade bed. The weight of his body felt so comforting, so familiar, that she could only call it home. This was where she belonged.
They paused their kisses long enough to shed their clothes. The warmth of his bare skin against hers heightened her arousal. She inhaled the scent of sandalwood that mingled with his unique male scent, tasted the desire on his lips. Her sex grew wet in anticipation of his hard cock, craving it with a hunger that almost frightened her with its intensity.
“Wait.” Titus uttered one word that ripped the veil of desire from her and left her cold and naked to reality. His breath came short and sharp, but she glimpsed the hunger in his eyes. He wasn’t asking her to wait because he was having second thoughts about wanting her. “I told you once before that I would never force you to do something you didn’t want to do, and so I’m going to ask you one more time and I’ll respect your answer. Will you marry me? Will you be my Empress, rule by my side and help me shape the empire into something greater?”
She traced the planes of her face with her hands, searching for the truth behind his question. It still astounded her that he cared for her, that he loved her. And by the gods, she loved him, too. He’d shown her that she was someone to be cherished through his words and his actions. Even now, he refused to exert his Imperial Will on her, even though she knew he could order her to marry him.
Her throat choked up with emotion. Could the gods have granted her this one chance at happiness, as preposterous as it seemed from a distance? “If you are certain that an Alpirion assassin is what you want as an Empress.”
He paused, appearing to weigh her words carefully. “No, I want the woman I’m holding in my arms. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
She waited for the doubts to plague her and convince her that this was all madness, but they didn’t come. She spread her legs and lifted her hips, ready to accept him. “You can be awfully persuasive.”
“Believe me when I say that you are the only person I will use this form of diplomacy on.”
She couldn’t resist smiling. “Is that a promise?”
“Only if you say yes.” His eyes crinkled when he grinned back at her.
She dug her heels into his ass, urging him into her. He slid in with such agonizing slowness, a moan formed in her throat. Last night, she feared she’d never know this level of bliss again. She would not tempt fate. “Yes, Titus.”
His lips captured hers. As he moved inside her, she reveled in his joy. For the first time in her life, she felt free. Free to do as she wished. Free to shape her future. Free to love the man who knew her darkest secrets and still wanted her.
And she embraced it with every fiber of her being.
Together, they would write their own future. But for now, Azurha was happy to murmur that she loved him before he took her over the brink of ecstasy again.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Kate Pearce and Kinsey Holley, who gave me some great recommendations on how to improve the story.
Thank you to Heather for falling in love with Titus and Azurha and for helping me make this story shine.
Thank you to my husband for offering to pay for cleaning services and baby-sitters when I was under tight deadlines so I could focus on my writing and not my mommy duties.
Keep reading for a sample of
Queen of Swords
the first novel in the electrifying new Sanctify series
by NYT bestselling author Katee Robert
When the cards tell Ophelia Leoni she’s supposed to marry the Prince of Hansarda, the gunrunner grits her teeth and boards the starship that comes for her. It doesn’t matter if the ship’s commander is the gorgeous stranger she just spent a wild, drunken night with. As a Diviner, she’s painfully aware the cards don’t lie. Ever.
Boone O’Keirna knows Ophelia is trouble the second he sees the way she moves. Not about to let the deadly little hellcat marry his sadistic half-brother, Boone pretends to be the Prince’s emissary and kidnaps Ophelia. Too bad they can’t be in the same room without him wanting to throw her out an airlock–or into bed.
Even as they fight each other–and their explosive attraction–Ophelia and Boone sense something is wrong. Too much is going their way. Soon, they realize while the cards may never lie, the truth is sometimes hidden between them…and the future king of Hansarda is not one to take defeat lying down.
Chapter One
Ophelia couldn’t find her underwear.
They had to have been around there somewhere. She’d been wearing them last night, after all, but she was hard pressed to find that small piece of silk amongst the other clothing scattered about the room.
She stood up, hands on her hips, and scowled. Against her better judgment, her gaze slid to the man taking up more than his fair share of the bed. He was delicious. Absolutely delicious. Even relaxed in sleep, his muscles stood out beneath tanned skin marred by scars. The marks crisscrossed up his back and over his shoulders, perfect, shiny lines made by some kind of blade, or maybe giant claws. They were enough to make her reconsider her morning-after policy and crawl back into bed with him.
Her link beeped again, setting her teeth on edge. The damn thing was what woke her in the first place, and now she couldn’t even find it. Ophelia moved around the room, picking up her clothes. Yeah, she should definitely crawl back into bed with the hot man. She’d do damn near anything to escape the memories of Sanctify’s white hull looming before her ship, her crew’s frightened faces…
Nope. Not thinking about it.
And still no underwear.
Oh well. She shimmied into her pants and pulled on her shiny silver tank top. In the hazy light of morning, she felt rumpled and twitchy. Her link beeped again, giving her a better idea of where it was—under the bed. Growling uncomplimentary things, she sank to her stomach and peered into the shadows. Sure enough, the link’s small screen was lit up against the back wall. Ophelia grabbed it and headed into the bathroom, locking the door for good measure, and brought up her messages.
Her stomach clenched when her mother’s voice came online. “Good morning, daughter. I trust you slept well last night.”
/> It was like she knew what Ophelia had been doing. Considering she was a second-level Diviner—known as a Tyche by their species—it was likely she did. Ophelia shoved the hair out of her eyes, refusing to feel guilty. Or at least making a good effort at it. She’d lost her whole damn crew, for the Lady’s sake. A failure like that deserved a little drinking.
Her mother continued on, looking remarkably put together despite the fact the call had been placed before Keiluna’s twin suns breached the horizon. But then, Mama always looked put together. It was downright unnatural. “In any case, your father and I need to speak with you immediately. We will see you for breakfast.”
Corpse’s fingers traced up Ophelia’s spine and down her arms, raising goose bumps in their wake. Damn. Her mother might support Azure Enterprises, might agree with their mission, but she also never involved herself with the dirty details, let alone something so small as a run.
Something was up, something to do with the Lady’s business. That’s the only reason Mama would be the one making this call.
Double damn.
She cast a quick look around the bathroom and frowned at the flash of red in the hot tub. Crossing the black-tiled floor, she peered in. Sure enough, her underwear floated along the surface. Ophelia grimaced as she hooked them with a single finger and raised the dripping cloth. The dripping ripped cloth. All evidence pointed to her having the time of her life last night.
Too bad she didn’t remember it.
She frowned, thinking hard, but last night was one big blank. Which had been the plan, of course. It had started at her favorite pub, The Hammer, and she vaguely remembered deciding to go dancing after midnight, but then everything faded into a pleasant grayness. She was going to have to make sure she tipped Lacy next time she was in—those drinks had been strong enough to make even her wince and Ophelia was all about more bang for her credits. Still…pretty soon she would have to tone it down on the whole blacking-out thing. Too much could go wrong, from her killing someone to getting kidnapped.
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