Page 49 of Poisoned Empire

“You’ve got range too. Damn, that’s impressive.”

“Did you just try to poison meagain?”

Wait a minute. He didn’t even know when she was trying to use her magic? Could he really be that rarest of rare mages?

“You’re a negation mage, aren’t you?” she gasped.

She’d known about only one such mage, and he’d been the best assassin people only ever whispered about, able to overcome any mage, no matter how powerful, simply by being in the room with them. He never allowed a target a fair fight, disabling their magic and overpowering them with weapons, poisons and anything else he deemed necessary. Those in the criminal underworld referred to him asThe Negation.

“How in the hells do you know about negation mages?”

“Only the best assassin ever is a negation mage. How else would I know about them?”

He was only momentarily bewildered before a scowl overtook his features once more. It mattered not. Her eyes had other things to look at, like the line of dark hair leading to an impressive royal sceptre.

“Wasthe best assassin. He took on the wrong contract and died before divulging the name of his paymaster.”

“Youkilled The Negation?” Her respect for him trebled, which still wasn’t particularly great, given he’d started off so low. Yes, that was why she only saw him as the peacock, dripping wet and too masculine for his own good. Did he really need the towel?

“Is that what he called himself? Yes, after a fashion.” He sighed, looking exhausted. “Why was I angry with you?”

Selene shrugged, sitting attentively.

“So how come I didn’t die from eating poison that first night? How did I even remove the poison the second time, now that I think about it?” she wondered.

“I don’t erase a mage gift, I suppress the outward expression of it. I can’t stop your body from absorbing poison—just producing it. As for the other night, I held my gift in check long enough for you to help.”

“Interesting…”

So, it was like something he unconsciously conjured at all times? It had range, so it also worked in a certain radius.

“Just leave. I’m not interested in whatever escapades you’ve embroiled yourself in now. If you’ve harmed someone, inform an attendant of their predicament. I wish to be left alone,” he sighed.

He turned, removed his towel and slipped into the waters of the spring. Selene saw no reason to go—not yet. How could she, when the greatest tale never told had been hinted at so maddeningly just now? Besides, he was naked and she was needy.

“I don’t hear you leaving, Selene.” His voice was whip-like.

Selene stripped off the last of her clothes and dashed under the water in the spring. Belisarius seemed too stunned to speak.

“I’ll leave when you tell me how you killed him. Promise,” she replied with as sincere a voice as she could muster. The longer she stayed in the spring, the more her muscles unwound. No wonder he kept this little gem to himself. Looked like she’d just found her new favourite spot in the palace.

“Fine. I killed him with a knife. Happy?”

“Getting there,” Selene sighed, relaxing into the warmth. “So how does that work anyway? An ignoble mage as prince of an empire full of elementalist pricks? Why let them get away with the snobbery?”

“Very few know what my mage gift is, and everyone else assumes I command fire, as all my siblings did. There’s no reason to disabuse them of the notion when all it would mean is more resistance to my reforms. Contrary to your opinion, both laws and minds must change before the last hateful remnants of the caste system die. And if you hadn’t noticed, the most important men at my side are decidedlynotelemental mages.”

“Be hard to hide it once you get married. I can guarantee the dominae think you’re a fire mage.” Selene drank in her fill of his slick body. Seated on a nearby stone bench, her nipples just covered by the depth of the water, she caught his eyes snaking down before he looked away guiltily. She licked her lips, his eyes tracking the movement.

Fearing she’d liked his passion too much for her own good, she’d run the last time. She couldn’t keep him, after all. Not that she’d wanted to. But this time, she cast aside those fears. Hunger curled low, making her ache.

“Cross that bridge when I get to it,” he said.

Selene sauntered closer, this time sitting up so that her breasts were mostly bared. His eyes widened at the sight. The tendrils of steam were not quite so thick here, and she could see a blush across his cheeks.

“Is this your twisted way of trying to seduce me?” Belisarius asked, voice gone husky.

She liked the sound of that. And his delicious muscles were begging for it.

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