Page 50 of Captive of the Stolen Empire

“I have no idea. What happened?” Her eyes widened as she sat up straight. “Elin, is she—”

I waved a hand through the air, cutting her off. “She’s fine. Safe in her room.” Warren confirmed that the girl hadn’t been involved. At least some of our honored guests followed the rules.

“Then what happened?”

Gods, she was a good actress. Pretending to be so innocent, just as she’d pretended to want me. “Your friends broke the rules.” The words came out sharp, edged, harsher than I intended.

“My friends…” She looked away.

I’d asked for her loyalty, and she denied it.Of courseshe knew. She probably helped develop their plan.

Anger burned under my skin. I lunged across the bed and grasped her chin, forcing her to face me. Her startledyiphit me like a punch to the gut.Hard, too hard.I loosened my hold but refused to let her go as I settled my weight on the bed beside her.

“Don’t think you can fool me,” I said. Her olive-flower scent teased me, threatened to steal my focus. “You spend all your free time with them. I’m sure you know what they were up to.”

“I don’t. I spent the evening with you. At your request.” She held my gaze, unflinching.

That look—the same proud, defiant air she’d held the day we met. By The Four, I wanted to believe her. Her words, her actions, that she could want me despite what I’d done…Don’t go there.A shiver rolled down my skin as I adjusted my grip on her chin.

“Please…Lucien.” Pain flickered in her eyes.

I jerked away and stood. I’d hurt her, this woman I wanted to protect. I stared at nothing across the room, trying to sort out the thoughts chasing themselves like hounds after a doe.

A light touch pulled me back to the moment—her hand on my arm. “Honestly,” she began, her voice feather soft, “I have no idea what happened.”

I read my men like a book, sourcing out their truths and whatever weaknesses they try to hide. It was a daily game, almost like the ones I played with Warren. Who’d been late to their post? Who skipped training? Worse—who might be a spy among us? Cycles of practice honed my skills and told me one truth: Ilya truly did not know what had occurred.

“We caught some of your lot trying to send a letter.” I sighed and shook my head. “Brishon saw them himself.”

They’d been so foolishly obvious. How could they not expect us to be there without our armor and keeping a close watch on all the emperor’s guests?

From the corner of my eye, I glanced at Ilya. She swallowed. Her hand slipped from my arm as she looked away. Her skin paled further under the bright moonlight as she touched her fingers to her lips.

“Who?” she asked, barely a whisper.

“Lord Gabriel Laril and Lord Fernand Reis.”

She closed her eyes. Her hand fisted in the covers.

“And what’s going to happen?” Her voice cracked. “Or what has?”

Silence reigned. At length, she opened her eyes, their sorrowful, glassy appearance cut me like a blade. Sadness, from fiery Ilya.

“They’ll stay in a cell until we decide.”

“The rest of us?”

I frowned. Did she think they’d all suffer for the actions of two? Probably. I didn’t want to see her in pain, but she’d hurt me too. She’d crawled under my skin and then dug in her nails. They were two of her closest friends here. Allies. So many times, I’d watched them at meals and in the gardens, ever since she’d come to Zhine. She would have known their plan. Known and not told me, which meant she was still my enemy.

She could have planned to stick a knife in my throat tonight after she’d seduced her way into my bed. Sweet words. Soft looks. Bile soured on my tongue.

“You promised to prove yourself to me.”

She straightened. “I did. Have I not done all that you asked?”

No, sweet Ilya.I crossed my arms. “You didn’t tell me what your friends were up to. All that time when we danced or when we crept into the shadows and—” I cut myself off. My hand slid to the pommel of my blade, grasping tightly for control. “One of my guards overheard you ask Elin to tell Gabriel something on your behalf. Should I interrogate her instead?”

She rose from the bed with a huff and stalked toward me, her attire revealing everything and nothing all at once. I held my ground as she advanced. The fire in her eyes burned as much as my own, two wildfires about to clash.

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