Page 62 of Poisoned Kingdom
I shook my head. I wanted a woman I could not have.
Not now, not when the country was in uproar, and not a dark sister. Not if I wanted to stay on the throne.
‘This is beyond ridiculous,’ I groaned, my hand drifting down. If I was ever going to fall asleep, I needed to ease this tension. My cock throbbed as I grasped it while I pulled out her shirt that had somehow ended up under my pillow.
‘You’re a sick bastard,’ I muttered to myself, inhaling deeply as I recalled the memory of her straddling me on the throne, but it felt so good to give in to this craving. Roksana’s eyes, their hazel depths illuminated by the green lightning of her power, dominated my thoughts as I stroked myself to completion, her name slipping from my lips as I came.
I might have scolded myself for yearning for a woman who thought nothing of me, but it was her image that finally brought me peace.
Chapter 22
Roksana
The carriage taking us back to the House of Lilies bounced over the uneven cobblestones, making pretending to sleep impossible. I was curled up in the corner, Lily’s gaze from the seat across from me drilling a hole into my head. I ignored her, needing to gather my thoughts before our inevitable conversation.
‘What an utter mess,’ I snorted as I stared at the thin red line on my palm that tied me to the king. If I’d thought that healing Reynard would make him more lenient, he’d proved me wrong before the blood had even congealed.
‘Will you talk to me instead of muttering and huffing like a lunatic?’ Lily snapped, and I finally looked at her. ‘What happened? What went wrong?’
‘Everything. Oh Lily, I messed up so bad . . .’ I sighed, hiding my face in my hands.
Lily’s eyes kept widening as I regaled her with the story of Jagon’s visit to my cell, but it was my dealings with the king, from blinding him to that misbegotten blood oath, that made her clasp her hands to her chest and shake her head.
‘Sweet Makosh, Mother of Gods! Sana, what did you do to offend fate? That’s . . . I mean . . .’ Lily stuttered, gaping at me.
‘Utterly insane, impossible, and unworkable? Yes, but somehow, despite the drawbacks, I got what I wanted. Reynard will help me with Jagon, and Ciesko will teach me magic.’ I bit my tongue before I told her about the vivamancy. ‘It’s just, the price . . . I don’t know if I can handle it.’
‘At least you’re free.’
‘Free? It’s simply a longer leash.’ It was difficult to hide the bitterness in my voice as I showed her the cut on my palm. ‘I can only go as far as he allows. He’s watching me, too. Didn’t you notice the guard nearly breaking his neck to follow us when we left?’ I smirked when Lily leaned out the window to look back. ‘Oh, and Tova’s in prison, though that’s the least of my worries. Maybe a night in a cell will cool his temper. Bloody dolt almost got himself killed.’
Lily’s eyebrows drew together in a deep frown. I knew she was about to lose her temper and give me a piece of her mind, but I was willing to listen and apologise for worrying her. I had Reynard’s oath that he’d protect them both from harm. That was all that mattered.
‘Anyway,’ I said, ‘if my impulsive friend doesn’t turn up by tomorrow, I’ll go back to the palace and make a fuss. Now, please tell me, how the fuck did you two get in there in the first place?’
‘Impulsive? Thatcrazydwarf turned up on my doorstep this morning, demanding to see you, and threatened my bouncer with an axe! My idiot guard told him you were in the palace, and that was it. There was no stopping him. Tova stormed off, and I followed, hoping to keep him from getting killed.’
I smiled involuntarily. ‘Tova is stubborn, hotheaded . . . and as loyal as a dragon. Give it time and you’ll end up liking him as much as I do.’
Lily smirked. ‘I doubt it. I prefer men who bring flowers. I’ll leave the ones swinging their big weapons to you. So, what now? We wait until the Mabon feast?’
‘I need to arrange some things before making my grand entrance at the Brotherhood,’ I said, biting my lip, wondering if I should tell her. ‘When Jagon visited me in my cell he told me that he has evidence that implicates you as the murderer of Tivala’s son, despite me doing the deed. So tonight, I’m going to retrieve it.’
Lily sat motionless, her face turning pale—a remarkable feat given her almost translucent complexion—before a determined expression crossed her features.
‘Sana, Jagon’s a manipulative liar. There’s a good chance he has nothing, and even if he does, I don’t want you to risk it. He might want you alive, but there are plenty of others who would be happy to see you dead rather than returning to Boyan’s service.’ She pursed her lips in a huff. ‘Besides, half of the City Council moan their pleasure in my basement. I also have something to trade with if it comes to buying their favour.’
I recognised that tone. Lily was all business. She was a woman who had dragged herself up from the gutters of Truso with nothing but a shrewd mind and ethereal beauty. She might play coy for her patrons, but the Lily I knew tackled problems head-on. Still, I wouldn’t let her become collateral damage in my war.
‘I’ll be fine. Don’t forget—I know the Chapter House like the back of my hand. Plus, I’m good friends with Dagome’s best assassin. With Irsha guarding my back, it’ll be child’s play.’
‘Oh, the same friend who sat by my side these last days like a bloody gargoyle, scaring my customers away?’ Lily said, rolling her eyes in such an exaggerated way that I chuckled, and she soon joined me.
‘Be kind to him, Ice Queen. He likes you, and it is nice to have your own personal gargoyle with twin daggers in hand,’ I said, and her gaze softened before a faint blush tinted her cheeks.
‘He hasn’t even touched me.’
‘And he won’t. His mother was a courtesan, and he learned early on that even if she allowed something to happen, it didn’t mean she wanted it. He’ll flirt, but if you want something more, you’ll need to make the first move.’
