Page 51 of Captive of the Stolen Empire

“Don’t touch her.” She craned her head up at me. Defiance cloaked her like armor. “She knows nothing.”

“But you do, don’t you, Ilya?” I crooned. She wielded seduction against me? I’d return that volley.

Color touched her cheeks as her hands fisted. “He wanted to talk to me about something, but I couldn’t find him. Something felt off, but I went with you. I chose you!” She shoved my chest. “What more do you want?”

So much fury. Could she possibly be innocent? “Then they trust you, enough to tell you their secrets,” I mused.

She flinched. “More than you…”

I unfurled my arms and stepped closer, so near we almost touched. A whiff of her scent soothed the raging fire within like a blizzard. How could she affect me so? “We lost whatever information they planned to pass on,” I said, offering her a token of peace. “Burned before we could get it.” Without thinking, I grazed her shoulder, the barest touch. She didn’t flinch or pull away. “But they might tell you.”

“So that I could share it with you?”

I nodded.Help me, Ilya. Prove yourself to me.

“They just want to help their people. Is that so wrong?”

“In this castle, it is. Their efforts won’t help them or their people. They’d be better off accepting our emperor’s rule and making the best of their situation.” I touched her shoulder again, savoring the feel of her skin against mine. “You all would.”

Ilya jerked away and hugged her arms around herself. “Please. Just tell me now. I can’t…I need to know.” The flickering lantern light cast jumping shadows across her form.

“Need to know what?”

“What will happen to my fr—er, Emperor Ryszard’s honored guests? The ones who disobeyed his rule?”

My attention dipped to the bangle around her upper arm. She wore it even in sleep. Somehow, seeing my gift against her skin acted as a balm to the ache of her likely betrayal.

“Torture,” I said.

Ilya gasped.

“By magic.”

Her hand flew to cover her mouth. She looked away, eyes glassy.

“Nothing permanent,” I continued quickly. “Just enough to send a message. To them and any who would follow their example.”

“You can’t.” She whirled around and latched onto my shirt, tugging on the fabric I wore under my armor. “Whatever it is, talk them out of it. Give them a last warning. Anything.”

“It’s too late.”

She shook her head. “It’s never too late, not when it hasn’t happened yet.”

I’d never seen her like this. So open. Vulnerable. Without thinking, I grazed her arm, the briefest touch. “Emperor Ryszard commanded it. I cannot go against him.”

“This is too extreme. Such a punishment for…” Her words trailed off as she caught my meaningful stare.

“We talked him out of worse for the two men,” I offered. My emperor asked for death. It took hours to convince him it was an overreaction. “But their people will share the punishment. A higher tax.” It was the only way he’d consider sparing them.

Ilya bit her lip, her eyes flittering this way and that.

“Show me your arm.” She slid her hand along the loose sleeve of my shirt.

My brows knit together at the odd request. Curiosity convinced me to comply. As I rolled up my sleeve, my birthmark came into view, no more than a dark smudge in the dim light of the room.

Ilya traced a delicate finger down the edge of my mark. My muscles tensed as I let myself savor the touch. “How long have you had this?” she asked.

I smirked. “So curious about my body now?” With her hands on me, I could almost forget the misery of the night. Almost. “As long as I can remember. Does it bother you?”

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