Page 65 of Vows of Sacrifice

Elendur smiled again, with that smile that wasn’t a smile at all.

“Please do, Lord Dovah.”

After a brief bow, Dovah urged me to the door where the guards stood.

“I’ll explain,” he whispered in my ear.

Once we were outside the den of the great eagles, Luanda and Marione raised a hand to their hearts in relief.

“Lady Ashana . . .” Luanda began, approaching us.

Dovah interrupted her with a wave of his hand.

“Take some time for yourselves. I need to speak with my wife alone.”

They nodded in unison and walked off, but not without giving us a curious look. I noticed that Seitha had disappeared. Had she returned to the Isamane?

Dovah pulled away from me, just enough to place my hand in his and lead me towards the garden, not as lush as the one in the castle where I’d grown up, but captivatingly beautiful.

“I wanted to tell you after our walk, but one thing led to another, and not in the best of ways.”

He released me, then pinched the bridge of his nose, as if to stem a pain there.

“Because of my uncontrollable brother, I had to leave my men to deal with the creatures of the Abyss alone to find you. Three of them came back wounded. I didn’t have the pleasure of telling you about our wedding, and to top it all off, the king has decided to make you his mistress . . .”

“I beg your pardon?”

Dovah’s dark gaze locked onto mine. He seemed so unsettled and worried! For some strange reason, my heart began to beat a little faster in my chest as my eyes remained locked on his. He continued:

“It’s obvious. It’s a game. Because he’s mad at me and you’re . . . you.”

“I am me? What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“You are Muvarian. You have blood-red hair. You are my wife. That’s enough for him.”

“I see,” I said, too stunned by the possibility.

And incredulous, above all. Dovah burst into a harsh laugh.

“No, I don’t think you fully grasp the dangers lurking behind the whims of the King of Osacan. Please, Ashana, never be alone with him again. Or with his sister. And don’t accept anything from them.”

I instinctively looked down at my dress and Dovah understood, then cursed under his breath.

“Remove it.”

I gave him an outraged look. His stare back was black with ill-contained fury.

“Take it off or I will!”

“I . . .” I began, searching for an excuse.

He was asking me to undress in a public place, all the same! Suddenly, my head spun slightly.

“Damn it! Ashana! This dress is probably poisoned!” he exclaimed, rushing towards me.

With a few skillful movements, he tore the fragile layers of fabric from the garment. I was naked, shocked, and just as I was about to shout at him, I was horrified to discover a few red welts on my skin.

“What the . . .”

---