Page 13 of Empire's Curse

Daiyu paused at the door. She didn’t want to take a bath right now, but if she left the bathroom without taking a bath, wouldn’t that alert the guards that something was up? Would it be better to pretend to be a part of the selection and figure out another way to leave?

She pushed open the door and closed it behind her. The air was dense with steam and fog, but Daiyu could make out a pool in the center of the room with a statue of a dragon curling around the rim. She didn’t give it much attention as she padded toward the stone bench. After dumping the fancy dress onto it, she began to untie her sash when she finally noticed that, through the steam, a man was sitting in the bath. She almost hadn’t noticed him because he was so close to the dragon’s gaping mouth of razoredteeth and he blended in against the pale oranges and yellows of the statue.

The man had his midnight-like eyes set on her. Like an abyss waiting to yank someone to their demise.

Long, inky, silk-like hair fell over his lean shoulders. His powerful arms were braced against the rim casually, and she could make out a dragon tattoo on his forearm. His pale face was immaculate, not a single scar or imperfection. He pinned her with an amused look of someone powerful stepping into his den.

Daiyu’s heart nearly stopped.He has a dragon tattoo.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my bathing chambers?” Even his voice was beautiful and powerful. Smooth and velvety. Perfect, if not for the power he radiated.

Daiyu slowly grabbed the dress from the bench. “I’ve made a mistake.” Her voice came out as barely a whisper, like the wisps of steam fogging the room. “Apologies, sir. I’ll be?—”

“Leaving so soon? I think not.” He pointed to the bench and the water rippled across the surface. “Sit.”

Daiyu remained standing and turned her face away from the naked man. Her heart was pounding so loudly and hard in her chest, she felt like it would leap out. Her hands trembled and adrenaline coursed through her veins. She shouldn’t be here—she didn’t know who this strange man was, but she suddenly felt like prey in his presence.

“This is highly improper. I must leave.” She tightened her hold on her dress, the silk creasing. “I’m an unmarried woman and you … you arenaked.”

“That I am.”

“And I … I’munmarried,” she reiterated, choosing to stare at the metal lanterns hanging from the ceiling. “So, sir, I must leave. Now.”

She could feel the man boring holes into her. There was something intoxicating about him, like if she stared for too long, she would unravel at the seams. And the more he stared, the more herbody flushed with heat. She was becoming dizzy in the muggy room.

Daiyu’s legs felt leaden as she stumbled toward the doorway. “Goodbye?—”

“Do not run.” There was a warning in his tone, and Daiyu almost face-planted hearing the grave timbre in his voice.

Daiyu’s fingers dug into the doorframe. She didn’t dare look back at the man.

“Your name?” he asked.

A fake name. She needed to give him a fake name.

Daiyu’s mind was blank. “I-I have no name,” she blurted.

A pause. “You … have no name?”

He didn’t sound convinced. And Daiyu cringed at her terrible quick thinking.

She finally looked over her shoulder at him. He hadn’t moved and was still in the bath. His fingers skimmed the surface and he rubbed a petal between his fingers, his black gaze set on her. Warmth pooled in her chest at the same time an icy dread washed over her—something wasn’t right.

“That’s right. I have no name,” she went with a strained smile. She barely choked the words out, unable to rip her gaze from those dark, dark eyes that seemed to consume her in swathes of shadows. “So, sir, I’ll be leaving now. Good day to you and I apologize for disturbing your bath.”

“Don’t leave so soon?—”

“No, no. You see, I’m in a hurry.” She bobbed her head, swallowing down the dryness of her throat. “I have somewhere very important to go and seeing as how I’m unmarried and you … you are likely unmarried too? Yes?” She sucked in a deep breath, the words tumbling out of her mouth too quickly for her to think straight past the haze of steam and the intoxicating smell of jasmine. “Yes. So seeing as how we both are in this improper situation, I think it’s best I leave before anything escalates?—”

“Escalates?” He raised a brow and she could tell that remark angered him by the tick in his jaw. “You think I would?—”

“Yes, escalate! Because, you see,Iwould jump on you and I don’t think you would want that. Right? Right. No one wants to be attacked. So as to preserve your chastity and mine, I will leave. Right now. Good day!” Without waiting for his response, she yanked the door open and scrambled out of the room. Slamming the door shut behind her, she slumped against it with a loud, shaky exhale.

One of the guards jumped and stared at her like she had grown two heads.

“Take me to the women’s lotus, blossom—whatever it’s called—wing,please.” Daiyu waved toward the hallway and the man blinked. “Now, please!”

“Err, yes.”

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