Page 33 of Poisoned Empire

“All their glory, eh?” Marduk grumbled. She blinked, and the pain in his eyes was gone. Had she imagined it? “So, you’d fancy a ride through the sky?”

“Oh, no. I’ve never been good with heights,” Iliana replied.

This beast mage was all over the map today. One minute he was all business, the next teasing, then cold, then hot, then sullen. For some reason, her reply seemed to make him feel better. How had he ever become the strategos with such a mercurial personality?

“Why do you look so happy to hear that?” She raised her brow.

“I was just thinking I’d rather not have my soldiers flying you about.”

“Are you saying I’m too heavy?” Iliana scowled.

Marduk laughed—again. Apparently, she provided him with no end of amusement.

“I’m saying I don’t want to share you with any of them.”

“Oh,” Iliana replied, cheeks heating once again.

He was standing altogether too close. She could smell his oiled leathers, feel the heat of him. Her waist burned where he’d had his hands on her, strong and sure. What would it feel like to have him trace his calloused fingers along her neck, her cheek, her lips?

“Indeed,” Marduk grinned.

When he leaned in, butterflies fluttered restlessly in her gut. She was in definite danger of feeling a bit too much attraction for the handsome mage, torn between a desire to kiss him and the urge to flee. She’d always dreamt of leaving the continent and the fear of her father behind. The last thing she needed was to feel tied here, to know her life could be in danger at any moment, death as swift as a flash flood. But as Marduk slowly leaned closer, his dark eyes softening, the time to dither slipped from her grasp. Whether it was ultimately fortunate or unfortunate, she would never know, but a distraction came on swift wings.

The branches of the canopy creaked in a turbulent wind, the beating of immense wings audible. Amidst the clamour, Iliana heard feminine shrieking. An enormous dark shadow bearing a breath-taking wingspan flew overhead.

“I’m sorryyyyyyyy!” a feminine voice howled pitifully, quickly fading into the distance.

“Selene?”

“Fuck.”

Chapter 13

“Areyousuicidal,orjust stupid?” Selene demanded.

“I beg your pardon? I’m neither! I’m from a noble lineage. Can’t you see how beautiful my plumage is? Well?” The griffin extended his wing pointedly.

“Stupid, then. I’ll have you know, all my murders were committed in self-defence only. That aside, if you knew all that, why in all the hells would you say as much? I’m pretty sure other murderers would just slit your throat, fancy feathers or not.”

“I did stay quiet while I was on the pirate’s ship that brought me here, but that’s because they’d have just as soon eaten me as sold me.” The griffin shivered, his feathers ruffling. “The stench was nigh unbearable,” he said, haunted.

“Is this a griffin thing, or ayouthing?” Selene asked.

“How discerning! As you suspect, I was cursed by a member of the fae race when I spurned his advances. I haven’t been able to take on my common form or communicate with decent sorts since. My life has been one tragic mishap after another. But surely, you’ll help me change this? You may have shed blood and lifted a pretty bauble here and there, but you’re noble, just like me. Will you help me communicate with your kind and break this curse?”

Selene had discerned no such thing, other than that the creature before her was an idiot. Even in the isolationist empire, mages knew that fae were bad news, to be avoided at all costs. Still, he could be useful. There was a mounted hunt to win, and she refused to ride a demon horse creature. Why not this griffin instead? He could kill something really impressive for her.

“You know, the only thing I’m shocked about is being the first noble you’ve met who can understand you. Plenty of thieves and murderers among them. But far be it for me to turn down an opportunity like this. What are you called, griffin?”

“I am known as Renfreid, Lord Renfreid. And you, Lady?”

Selene thought on this. According to rumours, knowing a being’s name was all the fae needed to lay a spectacular curse. If her name got out in connection with some disgruntled fae, she might find out whether the conjecture was true. Thankfully, she had another she could use as cover.

“Domina Milena Amethyst.” Selene curtsied prettily despite her riding attire. “Now let’s come to some sort of arrangement, shall we?”

Belisarius had just been informed of Selene’s undignified absence from the hunt by one of Marduk’s soldiers, who then took off with a bow and launched himself into the sky with a set of feathered wings. While a respite from dealing with Selene’s antics was welcome, the thought of spending dinner making more meaningless conversation with another domina had him dreading the evening ahead. At least with Selene, he didn’t need to pretend he was enraptured by the conversation.

As the sun drifted through the heavens, the hunt was nearly over. Belisarius took one of the rougher paths back to the castle, a winding, mulchy trail for his horse to trot along, one of his favourites. The sounds of gurgling waters brought him back to the days of his childhood when he, Mother, Father and Marduk would picnic nearby. He emerged from the canopy of thick, dark pines to the sight of a familiar stream and its rocky shore.

---