by Stacy Reid
“What do you know of the hari Tehdra, Ajali?”
Ajali lowered his goblet of wine and he stared at Sascha at the end of the table. They dined in one of the smaller dining halls, very secluded with no chance of interruption. The servants had outdone themselves in the preparation of the dishes and the room. Succulent meats, fish and roasted ducks lined the table with meat pies, sauces and several desserts. The crystals from Avindar were tuned low, creating a soft intimacy. Lady Sascha had dressed herself in a close fitting green caftan that complimented the deep blue of her eyes and her dusky skin. Her blond hair was upswept from her face, showcasing the graceful lines of her neck. Yet he was not tempted. The dinner with her father, a duke, had been planned weeks in advance. But the man had not shown, only his daughter. No doubt at the countess’ machinations.
“You question me about a hari, Sascha?”
He raised imperious brows at her hesitation. It was so unlike her. Confident and secure in her power and title as a countess of the realm, her apparent fluster in the face of his question had Ajali lowering his goblet. “What is it?”
“Several of Tehdra’s actions have given me cause for concern,” Lady Sascha said with a grimace.
“You are uneasy?”
“I suppose you could say it is discomfort.”
“What is it?”
Ajali stilled as fear flashed in her gaze to be quickly banked. He was not mistaken. Lady Sascha was scared of Tehdra?
“What happened?”
The sharp command had her inhaling deep.
“She threatened me.”
“Tehdra threatened you?” He had not foreseen Sascha’s response. “When did this happen?”
“Earlier in the lower levels of the castle, near the eastern wing. While I prepared for our evening, I debated if I should mention it to you at all. She promised death if I came to your bed. There was something about her, Ajali. Dark and real. Her eyes were…cruel. She meant it. She is not what she seems.”
Ajali was nonplussed. “Tehdra warned you about staying out of my bed?”
“Yes, she did. But it was the way she did it. I am a countess of this realm, for her actions I can have her in chains, yet I hesitate to do so.”
His rough laughter had her lowering her fork as she stared at him, affronted.
“You are amused?”
“Her boldness never ceases to amaze me,” he said.
Lady Sascha speared the meat with her fork. “Why are you not angry?”
“I am feeling a multitude of things, yet anger is not one of them.”
Sascha narrowed her lids. “A lower house daughter threatened a peer of this realm, Ajali. I should have her arrested,” she snarled.
“Ahhh, but you will not do so.”
Sascha inhaled sharply and stared at him in apparent shock. “You are indulging her threat? She is…different, Ajali. She presents herself as an unskilled warrior, yet she flashed faster than I could track. She is a killer. I saw it in her eyes.”
“I will meet with her,” he promised.
“How will she be disciplined?” she snapped. “How can you accept someone of no status trying to impose on your desires, Ajali?”
“She has not imposed on me, Lady Sascha.”
Fury flamed her cheeks.
“Be calm, Sascha. Let us enjoy our meal, I will seek her out after our dinner and get an explanation. I will assess how best to discipline her at that time.”
“You said discipline as if you intend to do so with pleasure.”
The jealous bite in her tone had him assessing her intently.
“Is it that you are of the impression that you are not in a harem?”
She clearly struggled to regain her composure. “You have been absent from my bed for weeks, Ajali. I miss you. Do you not miss me?”
“I miss our conversations, our dinners such as this one. Yet, to admit that I miss our pleasure together would be a lie.”
Lady Sascha flinched from his brutal honesty.
“Is it the hari Tehdra? Are you really consumed by her charms? Or is it because she placed her life in harm’s way for you?”
“The discussion of Tehdra is over, Lady Sascha. Tell me of the house of Assai. How fares your father?”
He ignored the flare of pique in her gaze and steered the conversation in another direction. He was still amazed that Tehdra thought to warn Sascha from his bed. Her actions were unsupportable. The countess could file a grievance against her, and the house of Assia was immensely powerful. If she was arrested and he stepped in and pardon her without a hearing, it would be revealing a weakness. Would Tehdra think to warn all his haris? He found himself anticipating their confrontation. He should probably ignore it. It was this fascination for her that prompted him to try and purge her from his system with another concubine. He wrestled his mind from her. In due time, he would understand what possessed her to act so rashly with a peer of the realm of Nuria.
***
Tehdra launched herself from her bath as the door flung open and Ajali stepped through. Heat surged through her in shocking waves at his mere presence. Ours, hissed against her mind in hunger.
“The countess Lady Sascha de Baron of the house of Assai has laid an accusation against you.”
“And you barge into my bath to tell me this?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Cold, are we?”
“You invited others to your bed after what we shared.”
“Ah, so you have indeed threatened a countess to stay out of my bed.”
The fascinated humor in his voice caused something dark to unfurl inside her, and her beast howled in rage. “I am pleased that you are amused,” she said with biting sarcasm. “Why are you undressing?”
Sensual lips quirked. “As you have deprived me of a bed mate, I must seek my satisfaction elsewhere. Your charms will do.”
With a growl Tehdra flashed from the bath to stand toe-to-toe with him. “You think wrong,” she snarled, sweeping her foot out. As he toppled, she spun behind him and flung him into her bath.
He was completely submerged before he realized her intent. He flashed from the bath, grabbing her by the waist and moving from the inner bath to her bedchambers.
Ajali looked down into her dark and wicked expression. The laughter that pulsed out of him surprised him. She was bold, beautiful. Irresistible.
Pain flashed in her gaze. “You laugh?”
He stilled at the rage that vibrated in her voice, one that hinted at a coldness he did not associate with her.
“You take Sascha to your bed and think you will rejoin mine at your convenience? You had Suri touching you,” Tehdra hissed.
The palm that slammed into his chest rocked him with its power. It pushed him back a step, and Ajali froze as she launched herself at him, wrapping her legs around his hips, effectively distracting him as she placed a blade against his throat.
A blade!
The heat deep in him stirred, and violence sang through his blood.
Tehdra did not flinch from the icy rage that encased his eyes, turning them into hardened emerald. His coldness reached out, and her beast slid against it, luxuriating in the danger that pelted from him.
“Ah…so the king does not like a blade at his throat?” she murmured with darkness licking at her insides.
She frowned as his hands slid from her ankles curved around her back, up to her thighs and cupped her ass, pulling her more firmly onto his hardness. A hardness she had ignored until now.
Her eyes narrowed, and she pressed the dagger closer to his throat. He lifted her slightly and ripped away the wet undergarments protecting her core from him, all without saying a word. Tehdra inhaled sharply as he started to unbuckle his trousers, holding her gaze with glacier coldness.
She trembled in arousal but pain had her leaning in so her lips caressed his. �
�You will not have me as long as you bed other haris,” she growled while she held his gaze, baring her emotions.
Regret clenched inside of Ajali, freezing his movements as he absorbed the pain in her gaze. The knowledge that he may lose her if he did not atone rocked him. That if he did not explain his actions, he may lose something before he understood its value. “The depth of arousal that you incite in me, the recklessness, is why I sought another…to prove that I am not indelibly drawn to you.” He pressed forward, licking at her lips, sinking the blade into his skin and letting blood. “It was never my desire to hurt you with my actions. But I needed to believe I could want others, but the only thing I confirmed was that it is only you I crave. I did not become aroused until you entered my chamber. You are a dangerous weakness, a known spy in my kingdom, yet I doubt I can relinquish you. I had only intended to dine with the countess tonight. I want no other since I met you.”
The confession was dragged from him, and the raw pain in her heart eased.
Mine.
Blood beckoned, and Tehdra slowly lowered the blade as she dipped her tongue and lapped the crimson trail that ran from his neck, holding his emerald gaze—a gaze that had thawed to sheer hotness. The sweet metallic taste of his essence tingled on her tongue, thrilling her.
“You are drawn to me more so than usual?” she asked with false calm as triumph pulsed inside her.
“There is no other explanation for me allowing your life after placing a blade against my neck.”
Tehdra purred. “I leave after the games. Ten days’ time. I only ask that you not bed any haris or visitors to your court until I take my leave.”
“Done.”
“You capitulate?” Surprise coated her voice.
“Should I hold out for threats? Threats such as the ones levied at Lady Sascha, a countess of this realm?”
She blinked slowly looking at him to see if he jested. No negative emotions pelted from him. The coldness had thawed, and she could sense nothing from his chakra.
He smiled and it hinted at a promise of cruel pleasure. “Since you are to be my only bed mate, I must warn you that your sensibilities are about to be shocked.”
“I doubt it.”
“Hmmmm.”
He flashed with her in his arms towards his bed chamber, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “For the night these succulent lips of yours will wrap around and pleasure my cock.”
He ran his fingers through her soft wetness and plunged three deep, preparing her. A soft hiss escaped her lips.
“I will bind you in silken restrains. Lash your pale skin so that it blushes for me. Feast on your body with my lips, and ride your pussy deep and hard for hours.”
Arousal stabbed into Tehdra’s core, and she restrained the urging of her beast to pounce and devour. Heated lips seared her as he deposited her on his bed. Pleasure drowned Tehdra as he followed through on everything he promised with bold sensuality, and her body wept with bliss for the long, long night.
Chapter Fifteen
Ajali stood at the terrace overlooking his coliseum with a goblet of wine in his hand. He spun to face her.
“Ravishing,” he said, appreciation glowing in his eyes.
Pleasure warmed inside Tehdra at the lust in his gaze. It was worth it, she decided—the painstaking hours of being pampered, pinched and bathed in scented water. Ladies-in-waiting had attended to her and dressed her with exquisite care. Instead of being garbed in her routine warrior black, or sheer harem clothes, the most stunning silver caftan molded her curves. Blood red rubies dripped from her neck and ears. Her hair, brushed with dozens of strokes, cascaded down her hips and was held off her face with a ruby comb.
He captured her gaze, and his raw vitality caused her heart to pulse. He was garbed in black breeches, with a silver undershirt, and a back waist coast molded to his frame. Instead of an armband, he wore a headband held by a simple silver band embedded with diamonds and rubies.
Tehdra smiled in appreciation of his raw beauty.
“We match,” she murmured, gliding closer to his warmth.
She met his eyes, and it was like tumbling into oblivion. It was the most natural thing for her to lift her lips to his. She groaned in pleasure as the spicy flavor of Ajali wetted her tongue and sank into the depth of her being. She missed him, ached for him even though it had only been a few hours since she had been wrapped in his arms. She fed on his kiss greedily, loving the dark sensual delight, licking, sipping, and inhaling his taste.
He slowly released her lips from his and drew her to overlook the crowd. They stood on the king’s balcony, enclosed on all sides by granite-carved stones. Twenty high seats were arranged in a semi-circle, giving them a perfect view of the coliseum. Thick carpets the color of indigo cushioned her feet, and the chairs themselves displayed the hues of his royal house. The Phoenyx flames—orange, red and yellow—blended into a stunning montage of colors. The sigil of the house of Haddin, the Phoenyx, was etched onto the stones of the balcony. The sight stole her breath; the noise from the crowd was thrilling. Thousands of spectators graced the coliseum.
“How many does it seat?”
“Two hundred thousand and it will be filled to capacity for the days of the games.”
She walked to the balcony, surveying across and down. The king’s seats overlooked the entire coliseum. The stone structure, elliptical in shape, flaunted one of the most beautiful architectural designs Tehdra had ever seen. Talon, an enforcer for her king, was the greatest stone artisan she knew, and he could have been the carver for the massive stone and marble buildings. The structure boasted four stories that rose in sheer splendor. On each level arches and balconies bore statues of past kings of Nuria.
The warrior in Tehdra catalogued the many entrances and exit. There were more than sixty entrances on each level, and her eyes searched for warriors and approved their strategic positions. “It is beautiful.”
“King Ajali.”
Tehdra turned to Bastien as he entered with Ajali’s blades, Lord Uriah, Lady Shae and Princess Xian. Tehdra smiled at Gavyn. His hair flowed like midnight silk down his back. The scar on his face did nothing to detract from his harsh male beauty. On contrary, it only added to his deadly affect. Tehdra snorted inside as her gaze flicked to Acheron. Clearly wealthy, he was garbed in the finest waistcoats and boots, with a deep blue undershirt completing his black ensemble. His skin had a golden cast, and he was the only blade that wore his pure, silver-blond hair at waist-length.
She had come to understand more about the nature of Ajali’s blades.
They were the highest house of aristocracy in this kingdom and they swore allegiance to his ruling family by blood. They had done so for millennia through their fathers and their grandfathers before them. If his bloodline right to rule were ever threatened, he had ten of the most powerful houses in his kingdom supporting him.
Riveting eyes clashed with hers, and a slow sensual smile curved Acheron’s lips. He sauntered towards her.
“Tehdra,” he drawled with a smooth bow that somehow seemed mocking.
She was not sure she liked him. The most arresting thing about him was his eyes—multi-hued with swirls of amber, silver and cobalt. “Acheron of the House of Thessaly,” she greeted.
Muscular shoulders encased in rich silk shook with silent laughter.
“Very formal, Tehdra of…?
“Why are your eyes multi-hued?”
The laughter slowly leaked from his gaze, leaving flatness behind.
“You are very becoming, Tehdra of Aria,” he answered.
“I see the king’s penchant for directly avoiding questions is shared by his friends.”
He moved behind her, and she shifted to keep him in her line of sight. The move was subtle and instinctive, but he caught it. She smiled slightly as she met his gaze. He was dubbed the torturer. While slipping in and out
of the shadows, not only had she discovered that he was part witch and Serangite, but he had been held by Mevia in their dungeon for years. Yet he lived. Tehdra was not sure what feeling that knowledge roused in her, respect or apprehension.
“Are we spying tonight?”
Tehdra observed him coolly. “I am merely curious about the man who aided me.”
“You saved my king from a possible death blow, so do not be surprised that his blades will aid you in any way. Despite that you continually deceive.”
“I do not deceive.”
“No whispers of a spy from Aria reached my ears. I am confident my informant would never tempt death by lying to me.”
“Ah yes…the torturer. From whence do you think I hail, if not Aria?”
His flat gaze ensnared her, and her breath caught at the beauty of his eyes. She read a message in them though, one that assured her he spared her life for a reason. She glanced at the sky, judging the sun, something she had learnt to do aptly. Hours remained before it sank. She wanted to delve deeper and understand the darkness inside of Acheron, the one that so clearly peeked out of his eyes.
“Why do you not take your suspicions to the king?” she murmured, assessing him.
“I do not trouble my liege with trivial matters, and it would be a folly to assume that his thoughts are not the same as his blades.”
“Trivial? Is not his protection of paramount importance?”
Acheron’s soft laughter ran right over her. He was dangerous as a warrior, and as a handsome man. Tehdra gritted her teeth, uncomfortable in admiring the sheer sensuality he reeked of.
“You live because you do not wish my king harm. We do not accept your story. Do not believe that Ajali accepts that his kingdom of alliance has sent a spy to infiltrate his kingdom.”
“Then why am I not in chains? Under your tender care?”
“You are not a threat to Nuria.”
Stated with such certainty Tehdra paused.
“The minute I doubt it, I will end your life.”
“Are we interrupting?” a soft voice asked.
Tehdra slightly shifted to include Princess Xian, startled that Acheron had so engrossed her she missed hearing the other woman’s approach.
