Page 35 of Rise of the Gods: Vardor's Destiny
I chewed my lower lip between my teeth, unsure of what to do, and nervously eyed the bed. He wasn't going to expect me to sleep with him in it, would he? Cold sweat broke out all over my body. Thanks to Abbie, I had somewhat of an idea of what awaited me on my wedding night, but doing that... that intimate act with another person besides Thomas was unthinkable.
You better prepare yourself, the voice inside my head warned,this might happen whether you want to or not.
Want to?I screamed back.There is nowant toin this.
Something in between my legs objected to that statement, and heat spread over my cheeks in embarrassment.
A knock on the door interrupted my inner turmoil. Two serving maids entered with two trays laden with steaming food. They threw blushing glances at Vardor, who had taken the hood off his face. Of course he would catch their eyes. Most women found men like him attractive. They didn't see how dangerous they were. Loud noises followed, and three burly men entered carrying a large tin tub, which they placed in front of the fireplace. More servants followed, carrying buckets of water. How much was Vardor paying them?
In no time, the tub was filled with steaming water. Towels were placed by the bed, and a brand-new piece of soap was laid on a small table.
"I'm not going to bathe with you in here," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest to emphasize my words, but deep down Iwas shaking with fear. There would be nothing I could do to stop him if he forced me.
"Eat," he pointed at the table with all the food. "I will go procure some clothing for us while you bathe," he raised a finger, "don't even think about running away or calling for help. I will find you no matter where you go, and whoever is with you will pay the price."
I shook my head. A different tremble moved through me: excitement. The man might be just deranged enough to believe that. I didn't doubt that he could take down several men, armed or not, but there was no way he couldtrackme down.
"Roweena," he moved threateningly toward me, "Iwillfind you. Don't doubt that for a second."
A shudder moved down my spine, and the spark of hope that had ignited in my belly extinguished. I didn't believe he was a god. I didn't, but...
"I will always find you," he held up my discarded handkerchief. "Your scent will lead me straight to you, just like it did before."
Was he insinuating that he had not randomly picked me out of the church but instead had been following me? I trembled harder. I didn't believe him. I really didn't. But... I stared at him, and his eyes glowered in warning.
Defeat moved through me. In all honesty, I didn't care what he might do to my father if I ran to him for help, just like my father wouldn't have cared had I told him about Thomas' plans. But I cared about the other people in our house, contrary to Vardor, who would kill indiscriminately.
Thomas had guards. Plenty of them. Could I put him—them—in danger? I mulled that over and didn't like myself when the answer was a maybe, not a no. As much as I tried to tell myself that Thomas wouldn't have followed through with his plan, deep down, I always feared that I was wrong. Thus my contingencyplan with Abbie. But I didn't wish Thomas harm or death. So… no. Going to Abbie was out of the question as well. I would never put her in danger. But without her, I didn't have a penny to my name.
I was truly trapped. With a crazy man. St. George's Fields suddenly didn't sound that bad anymore. Oh, who was I kidding? St. George's Fields would have been a hundred times worse.
"I won't try to run," I whispered.
"Good, let's eat."
We sat down by the table. The delicious smell of stew made me realize how famished I was. Yesterday, I should have feasted on salmon in butter sauce and roasted venison with baked vegetables and herbed potatoes, followed by ratafia biscuits and wedding cake. I’d skipped breakfast in anticipation of the feast following the wedding, which meant I hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours. As unappetizing as the unidentifiable pieces of meat and vegetables swimming in a thick sauce were, they tasted heavenly. I broke off a piece of nearly black bread filled with kernels and corns and promptly bit into one, nearly breaking a tooth.
"What is this?" Vardor complained, picking through the brown mush with his spoon.
"Stew," I said, scalding the top of my mouth on the hot food.
His lips curled in distaste, "This is inedible! Proprietor!" he yelled the last word so loud, it made my ears ring.
"I didn't think as a god you would need to eat," I couldn't stop myself from saying, biting my tongue as soon as the words were out. I shouldn't antagonize him.
His black eyes turned to me. "I don't. But I haven't had anything between my teeth in over ten thousand years. I want to taste fruit, meat. Proprietor!" he yelled again, loud enough that I was sure his voice would carry all the way down the stairs.
He said he hadn't eaten in ten thousand years. Did he have any idea how ludicrous he sounded? I did have to give him credit for playing his role, but still, how stupid did he think I was?
The door opened, and a timid-looking maid with honey-blond hair entered. "Sir?"
I jumped out of my chair as he threw the dish of stew at her, just missing her head. It flew out into the hall, spilling over-cooked meat and potatoes against the wall.
"This is inedible. Tell your master to bring us decent food or return my gold."
The maid shook from head to toe. "Yes, sir." She mumbled, rushing back and forgetting to close the door behind her.
"You might as well take your bath now. I'll go find us some clothes. Hopefully, by the time I'm back, they will have cooked up some decent food for us." He paused by the open door and turned, "Remember, I will find you, and whoever you're with will pay dearly."
