Page 44 of Poisoned Empire

“Is it working?”

“I’m undecided,” she replied, blushing.

“Then perhaps the promise of a meal to be enjoyed without being on display will sway you. Come, take a seat. Feel free to kick off your shoes. I can tell they’re hurting you.”

He held out her seat for her and helped her to get comfortable before seating himself. She slipped out of her pinching, extravagant footwear.

“This is very kind of you, Marduk. Thank you.”

“I imagine it isn’t easy to adjust to the very strictly regimented life of a noblewoman, given your relative freedom before. Though the circumstances for this charade are troubling, I want you to know you can be yourself when it’s just you and me.”

Iliana sipped her wine and wondered at her good fortune to have had her lot thrown in with his. It was a damn sight better than she’d imagined when she’d arrived in the capital, fearing for her life.

“Why would you go to the trouble? I’m a bastard, and of a criminal, no less.” She feared his answer.

“Is it so strange that I might sincerely enjoy your company?”

“What about the fact that we’re leaving once this is over? Are you just looking for a… a momentary affair?” She braced herself for the worst. Iliana liked this man. She didn’t want to be nothing to him.

“Would that be so awful, if we enjoyed ourselves?” Her heart sank. “Besides, the future is hardly set in stone. Perhaps I’ll decide to join you on your journey. Gods know, I won’t be able to show my face in polite company once you leave my innocent reputation in tatters.” He winked.

So, it was just a tryst he wanted. It hurt. Did she want more of him, as impossible as that would be? She set it aside as best she could. It wouldn’t do to dwell on what couldn’t be.

“I highly doubt a strategos is allowed innocence of any kind,” she said, her tone light.

“My hands may be bloody, but my heart is as pure as the driven snow.” He placed a hand over his heart.

Iliana let out a splutter of laughter, then covered her mouth with both her hands. She had a rather unfortunate habit of snorting as she laughed. It was hardly something one wanted to show off to a man of his station, no matter how silly said man was behaving. Marduk smiled and reached across the table to remove her hands from her face.

“You don’t have to hold back your laughter.”

“It’s not a very appropriate laugh.”

“No, it’s not,” he agreed.

“Hey!” She tried to pull her hands out of his grip, but he couldn’t be moved.

“Fear not, dear woman. I’m told my snore could wake the dead.”

“Snoring, you say?”

“Yes. I also steal all the covers. No one is without their faults.”

He released her hands and grinned. She felt the loss of his warmth keenly.

“It hasn’t escaped my notice that you’ve only mentioned things having to do with one’s bedroom, Strategos.”

“I don’t know what you mean. Perhaps you were picturing what we might do.Ifwe were in a bedroom. But we’re not, so you should try to resist the temptation to imagine it,” he replied with all the cheek he could muster while he cut into his steak.

Iliana chortled with laughter. After a while, Marduk couldn’t hold back his own guffaws at her snorts. By the time they’d both stopped laughing, Iliana was wiping tears from her eyes and suppressing giggles. As she looked across the table at the man before her, she realised it might be impossible to avoid a bit of heartbreak over him, no matter what she chose to do.

Chapter 17

Seleneshotoutofbed, back slick with sweat, heart hammering in her chest. A dream of riding atop a beast mage’s shoulders, clutching spiralling black horns, had warped into a nightmare of screams and ash and agony. Ripped apart at the seams, she felt herself unravelling. She patted her body, trying to reassure herself she was indeed whole.

Flooded with adrenaline, Selene stared wistfully at her pillow. A few hours more till dawn, the sky was still a murky blue. As she slowed her breaths, her mind wandered. Thus far, she hadn’t bothered to learn much about the magistri. Given the interesting tidbit she’d learned about Emerald’s history, it might be in her interest to go properly armed into any future dust-ups with the dominae. She dressed herself simply, stealing out of her rooms. Her destination? The library.

A man with longish, dark, unkempt hair was the only librarian on duty. His robes appeared worn, a touch too big for his tall frame, obscuring whatever physique he hid underneath. As she got closer, she noticed his skin was a light brown, and that his dark hair was streaked with grey. He shelved books silently, unaware of her.

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