Page 51 of Ember and Eclipse
When Rel didn’t rise right away, the guards stepped toward her with menacing intent. But she sat up, mostly because if someone touched her, she was certain she would do something wild. The chamber spun, becoming nothing but blurred colors. She closed her eyes against the onslaught. But when it was through, she was able to keep her eyes open with only minimal vertigo. It had to be from the lack of food and water.
But she’d experienced far worse in her lifetime.
“Let’s get you cleaned up. We don’t have time for a full bath, so we’ll need to make do with the time we have.”
Rel removed the crusted, flaking blood from her lips, chin, and neck while Calliope worked gently around her head to make her hair look less slept on.
“What am I even getting ready for?”
“The Imperator is coming to your chambers.” And as if she spoke it into existence, the door opened, and his unmistakable voice, though quieted, reached her.
“Well, that’s about as good as it is going to get.” Calliope squeezed her shoulder, but before they fully stepped out, she lowered her voice. “Play soft for now.”
“You may go,” the Imperator said to the lady’s maid without looking at her. “And you two, wait outside the door.” All obeyed without complaint, only Calliope sparing her a worried glance over her shoulder before the door closed, and Rel was once again alone with Asear.
His lip was raw, but it looked better than she expected it to, a scab already covering the torn skin. She planted her feet wider, preparing to fight him with her bare hands if she had to, but he merely sighed.
“I understand I was too direct, too idealistic. Perhaps I was even too much of a hopeless romantic to realize that you would need time adjusting to being back in Romul.” He rubbed his chin where stubble had grown, as if he had been up all night and couldn’t be bothered to shave that morning. “What more can I do to prove to you that I brought you home to fix everything?”
And though her desire for retribution took up her body’s every function, beside it was cool and calculating intellect. Could she somehow use his game against him? “Do you expect me to forgive you right now?” She kept the venom in her voice.
“No. All I ask is that you give me the opportunity to show you what your life could be like with me. As the man that I am now. TheImperatorthat I am.”
She folded her arms over herself. “And how long will you give me before you tire of trying to convince me with what—rings, baubles, and flowers?”
“As long as you need,” he murmured, spreading his hands out wide.
“And what if I never touch my essence again? Is it me you want or my magic?”
Something dark moved behind his eyes but was gone just as fast. “I want you, Rel. Your magic is merely a part of who you are.”
It pained her to know that she used to believe his obvious lies.
“In three nights, there is a party to celebrate the victory in Dornstrum. Rest, eat, and refamiliarize yourself with the keep.” Asear looked around the barely furnished room. “And I’ll have you moved to quarters befitting your station.”
Several crude choices of words were in her throat, but she swallowed them with the same difficulty she would a stack of needles. Instead, she merely dipped her chin.
He moved toward her, but she instinctively took a step back. He paused as if uncertain. “I’ll fix this.”
“And the witchsilver? Or are you afraid of what I could do if you took it off?”
He studied her. “It can be removed by one of the guards. In the meantime, please eat something. You’ve become withered.” With a bow of his head, he turned on his heel and was out the door before she could tell him exactly what she thought of him speaking about her appearance.
It took everything in her not to claw his face off until nothing was left of it except bone.
Play soft.
Rel used to be able to do that. Make herself smaller, softer, more submissive, but all that did was make her prey. And she wasnotprey.
She would wait to strike.
Like a crocodile lurking just beneath the surface.
Chapter XXX
Asearkepthiswordin so much that he had her moved to a fully furnished room. Clothes, food, and books were delivered to her often throughout the three days she had been there, but she couldn’t leave her chamber. Guards stood sentinel at her door, and they ignored any of her requests.
She was still a prisoner, just in a more decorated cell.
