Bride of the Emperor (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 4)

by Hayley Faiman

  Sybilla presses her lips together and I stand, watching as she does just as she is told. Following Aaric’s instructions without fail, Diaboli screaming with each move that she makes. Then he stops.

  “He is not dead yet,” Aeliana calls out. “We must wait until he wakes.”

  “Why?” I ask.

  “The ceremony cannot be completed properly if he is passed out. He must be alive and conscious. He must be alive as the final part of the ceremony is completed and he’s being sent to the Underworld to stay for eternity.”

  It makes no sense to me. He must be bleeding out, but I watch his chest rise and fall, assuring me that he is indeed still alive.

  “Dru, your turn,” Liv calls out.

  I watch as my sweet mulier walks over to Diaboli, her body trembling with each step that she takes. She turns to Liv who murmurs something softly to her. Then she reaches inside of Diaboli’s body, past his broken ribs, and pulls his insides out, flipping them around to the other side of his body.

  This move causes him to scream again.

  “Tiberius, change places with Birdie, she is next,” Aaric instructs.

  I don’t mind following his orders in this instance, though normally I would never follow another man’s order at all whatsoever.

  Making my way over to the pole, I step up to Birdie. She looks down at the ground, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

  This is not a moment for the lighthearted and I despise the fact that the women need to be part of it, instead of just being spectators. Though this is the way of the world and they need to be strong.

  “Take his lungs from his body, Birdie. Place them on either side of his body like wings. Once this is done, he will be taken to the Underworld and we will be free of him and his manipulations and cruelty,” Aaric explains.

  We all watch in silence as Birdie sucks in a deep breath and does just as she’s been told. Then we watch as Diaboli takes his last breath. Turning toward Aeliana, I open my mouth to ask her if it is done when I freeze.

  She is surrounded by a golden glow, then Amare and Odium appear. Everyone else around me gasps, but I cannot.

  I am frozen, staring at the goddess and god in awe.

  Dipping my chin, I don’t bow completely. As the emperor, I do not bow to anyone, but I do show respect to the goddesses and gods, as they are and always will be above me in all ways.

  “Aeliana, you have done your duty,” Odium announces.

  Amare takes a step toward her, I watch as she lifts her hand, wrapping her fingers around Aeliana’s and squeezes.

  “You can come home now, the prophecy will continue the way that it is meant to. Diaboli is gone and in his rightful place.”

  Aeliana turns from Amare to me, then back to Amare. “I would like for Tiberius and his empress to be able to conceive,” Aeliana says.

  I hear Drucilla gasp in the distance, but I cannot look away from the divine. My gaze is frozen to theirs completely.

  “There are no restrictions placed on them. Love is all that they need to produce an heir,” Odium states.

  Then, before anyone can ask any questions, before another word is spoken, they disappear before us.

  DRUCILLA

  Turning to Tiberius, blood on my hands and my knees shaking, I fall to the ground. I can’t control myself, can’t stop myself. My legs completely go out from beneath me.

  My sisters and their men are all a blur as they move around me to embrace one another. I can’t move though, I’m stuck on the ground, my body shaking.

  Tiberius’ form appears in front of me, and I lift my gaze to look into his eyes. “You are okay, Drucilla,” he murmurs.

  “Am I?” I ask.

  He reaches out for me, gathering me in his arms, and picks me up like a child. I hear him barking out orders and there is the word burn in his orders, but I can’t concentrate on his words. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I bury my face in his neck and inhale his scent.

  I’m alive.

  We’re alive.

  I don’t really know where he’s taking me and I don’t care. I feel as though I have been away from him for years rather than hours. I hear a door close and inhale a deep breath, smelling our space.

  “What about my sisters?” I ask on a whisper.

  He lowers me to the floor, my feet landing on the hard rock, but he doesn’t release me. His hands grip my waist and he dips his chin, his gaze locked in on mine. He lifts his hand, cupping my cheek as his eyes focus on my own, he searches and I feel as though he can see all the way throughout my entire body and soul.

  “You were taken from me, from this bed, from my arms,” Tiberius growls.

  “I was,” I breathe.

  He frowns, his eyes never leaving my own. “I cannot protect you.”

  “He was a god, Tiberius. He was not a mortal man.”

  He dips his chin, touching his mouth to mine, and I whimper against his lips. “Yes, he was. But it is my duty to protect you, melculum.”

  Laughing softly, I use my thumb and slide it across his bottom lip. My eyes trace the move before I lift them to meet his.

  “I don’t know about your duties here, but in my world, the duty of protection falls equally amongst a married couple. I figure that’s not the same here, but maybe it is because I have magic and now you do too. Maybe we’re meant to protect one another.”

  “Maybe,” he grunts. “Magi, it isn’t anything I’ve ever desired to possess.”

  “And yet you do,” I say with a smile.

  He hums, nipping the pad of my thumb that is still against his lips. “Yet, I do,” he rasps. “Though I am unsure of how to use it.”

  “Me too, maybe we can learn together?”

  His eyes widen slightly, then his lips curve up into a grin. “I know exactly what we can do together,” he says, his voice coming out as a low rumble.

  Wordlessly, without an ounce of instruction, I lower to my knees in front of my husband—for my husband. He doesn’t try to stop me, and I discover that he is willing to forego traditions so that his wife can take him inside of her mouth. Thankfully, he is willing to do the same with me.

  His clothes are gone by the time my knees gently touch the floor. His cock is hard, long, and ready for me. Opening my mouth, I look up through my lashes at him, leaning forward I touch my lips to the tip as I wrap my fingers around the backs of his thighs.

  Opening my mouth wide, I lean forward and suck. He lets out a growl, one of his hands gripping the back of my hair, and he guides me at the rhythm that he wants. I don’t look away from him, our gazes are locked and he watches me take him.

  I can feel him climbing closer toward his release, but then he stops, taking a step back, his chest rising and falling with his panting breaths.

  “I need to taste you, melculum,” he growls.

  I don’t question him. I don’t ask him if he truly does need it, or if it is just a tit for tat thing. I don’t ask because that’s not what we are. If he says he needs it, it doesn’t matter if it’s to make me happy, or because he truly wants to taste me.

  The only thing that matters is that he is willing to give me what I need—compromise—this is marriage. And when we were first married, I didn’t think I would ever have this with him.

  I practically jump to my feet and run to the bed, peeling my dress off of my body as I go. When I’m completely naked, I start to turn around and lie on the bed when I feel Tiberius’ hands span my waist from behind.

  “I would like to taste you this way, bend over, Drucilla,” he orders, his voice low and raspy. His lips touch the side of my neck and goose bumps break out over my entire body. “Bend over, melculum.”

  With a shiver, I do just as he instructs, and my husband makes me come within moments. Then, I come again when he’s inside of me. He fills me with his release and this time, it’s me who knows that we’ve created life.

  I feel it deep in my bones.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  TIBERIUS

  The men
stare at me. Men that I am connected to, now more than ever. More than simply by marriage. These men are not just my family, they are also connected by magi, by the gods. They watch me, unsure of why I’ve called them here to my office. The door is locked, my guards stand by so that nobody will attempt to enter.

  “We have done something that no other men, for centuries, have done,” I announce. “We have come together, and we have won against the God of the Underworld. We defeated him.”

  “Our wives did,” Aaric announces, though the words may seem annoyed, he is anything but. He is proud of his strong mulier.

  I feel proud of my Drucilla as well. When I thought that I would not survive the battle, she was there to take my back, to help me and her sisters. She is a warrioress, just like her sisters. I have no doubts at all that the gods created them for us.

  “Yes, they aided, then they were able to transfer their magi to us, so that together the eight of us could defeat Diaboli and send Aeliana back to her post.”

  Elias leans forward, his blue eyes focused on me. “You have something you wish to offer us, I can feel it. Say it, Tiberius.”

  My lips twitch into a small smile. “You are correct,” I murmur.

  Sitting back in my chair, my eyes flick between the three warriors in my room. Kings. That is what they are, and they are all good men as well. What I propose would not work with any other men. This is why the prophecy was between the four of us.

  “I have a proposition,” I say, clearing my throat. “A proposition that we unite our countries. The gods chose us in this time for a reason. We could unite as one superpower. Our children will no doubt possess some type of magi that will be handed down from their mothers. I propose that we rule as one, just as the gods did, generations ago.”

  The men are quiet for a long moment. I think that they are going to oppose, but then something happens. Aaric stands to his feet. His eyes shift around the room before they meet my own.

  “Our children will know from the moment that they are born that their duty is to rule alongside their family. I do not dislike this concept,” Aaric says.

  There is another moment of silence and then Colt and Elias stand. I do the same, walking around my desk. Without anything verbal in place, we all take turns shaking one another’s hands. A bond formed, a future aligned, and soon everything will be in place on paper as well.

  “Should we have contracts created, reviewed, and signed?” Elias asks.

  Dipping my chin, I tell them that I agree with that plan. “The women will like this. Perhaps we can do a yearly celebration in one another’s countries, alternating. A time for the children to grow close and the women to strengthen their sisterly bond. I know that my Birdie would enjoy that,” Colt suggests.

  My lips curve up into a grin, as do the other men’s. “Shall we drink on it?” I ask.

  The other men chuckle and voice their agreement. Making my way toward the table in my office, I pour each of them a goblet of wine.

  None of us takes a drink, not until we are able to toast. Holding up our glasses, I begin. “To a long prosperous future.”

  “May our countries’ unification bring nothing but joy and happiness to our families,” Elias says.

  Colt speaks next. “May our children learn to love and rule together as we will.”

  Finally, Aaric speaks. His accent thick, his eyes focused on mine, then shifting and flicking to each man in our small circle. “May the gods continue to bless our lives richly as they have already done. May we provide this new world with harmony.”

  Lifting our glasses a little higher, they all touch in the middle before we simultaneously take a sip from our goblets. Then, as if moved to do so by the gods, we all let out a roar.

  Perhaps it is because we are warriors.

  Perhaps it is because we have taken a step that no other has taken before us.

  Perhaps it is because we are all family.

  I wasn’t close to my father, I love my brother and my cousins, but this is different. We are bound by something, by the gods, by our wives, by one another in a way that has never happened before.

  “A united world. I do think that I like the sound of that,” Elias murmurs.

  “As do I. Think of the future our children will have, the way they will rule together. I hope I am alive to see them rule together,” I say.

  Aaric grins. “We will not go to Valhalla until the gods call us there. Until then, we will see everything come to fruition. I know of this.”

  We spend the next few hours talking about the plans that we have. I take notes, writing down ideas from all three of my brothers. This will not be a one-sided contract that binds us, not at all. We will all agree and we will all contribute equally in the writing of the terms.

  This is what the gods wanted. This is what they wanted to create and they knew that we were the best men to implement it. I know without a doubt that they are smiling down on us right now. They are watching and are as pleased with their efforts as I am.

  DRUCILLA

  My sisters watch me. We’re exhausted, but not because of the fight, though that didn’t help. We’re exhausted because our men kept us up all night long celebrating the victory. War. It’s not anything that I thought I would ever feel good about, but I do. I feel good about this war, even if I had to do some nasty shit there at the end, it doesn’t matter—it was worth it.

  Cassia, Laurentia, and Petronia make their way into the garden area. It’s all cleaned up from the fight, not a tree or pebble out of place. I should be questioning how that could have happened in such a short amount of time, but this world is magical and Tiberius is an emperor. Both are explanation enough.

  Standing, my legs grow weak and I see spots as blackness creeps in on the edges of my vision. I’m forced to sink back down in my chair. Letting out a sigh, I look over to my sisters and notice that they’re all watching me with mixed expressions playing on their faces.

  “What?” I ask.

  “When was your last period?” Sybilla asks.

  Licking my lips, I turn my head to the side, my eyes looking out at the trees in front of me. “Aeliana already said that I couldn’t have children,” I whisper, even though I really want her words to be a lie.

  Liv hums, she reaches for my hand and wraps her fingers around the top, squeezing. “When was it, Dru?” she asks.

  “What’s happening?” Cassia asks as she sits down on one of the empty benches.

  Laurentia and Petronia set down trays with food and drinks before they take a few steps backward. Laurentia still won’t join me as a friend, at least not when others are present. I don’t push her.

  “Dru almost passed out. We’re trying to find out when her last course was,” Sybilla says.

  Course.

  I almost giggle at the word, but Sybilla has been here longer and knows the lingo a lot better than I do.

  “Have you had them at all while you’ve been here?” Cassia asks.

  “No, she hasn’t,” Laurentia murmurs, her voice soft, but undeniable.

  I blink. She’s right. I haven’t. I had my period when I was sent to Florida by Amare, like almost immediately after arrival, but not since then. Thinking back, I count how long it’s been since I was there.

  Shit.

  “It’s been weeks,” I whisper.

  “How many?” Liv demands.

  “Seven,” Laurentia says, answering for me.

  I’m not even annoyed that she answered for me. I don’t think that I can speak for myself right now. Just the idea that it could be true has my mind spinning. Licking my dry lips, I look from each of my sisters, to Laurentia, then Cassia and back to Liv.

  “It can’t be, they told me,” I whisper, repeating myself.

  “They are gods, but they don’t have control over our bodies like that, not really,” Cassia says. “Perhaps they did to a degree, but sometimes nature, love, and the bond between two people overcome everything. Maybe after we defeated Diaboli. Didn’t the gods say someth
ing like that?”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Birdie murmurs. “They can’t control everything, Dru.”

  I hear Laurentia sigh behind me, and I know she has to be thinking of Marcellus and the bond between two people. Anyone with eyes can see they’re hot for one another. I just hope that Marcellus makes a move before it’s too late.

  “Well, how do we test it?” I ask, turning to Cassia who seems to know all.

  I haven’t seen any drug stores around here with pregnancy tests, so I don’t even know how that’s done in an ancient Romanesque world. Cassia turns to Petronia, her lips curving up into a grin.

  “Gather the grains,” she cries, then she leans forward and hands me a goblet. “Drink,” she demands.

  “Drink?”

  She nods her head. “You’ll urinate on the grains, wheat, and barley. We’ll check back in a few days. If the wheat is sprouted, you’re having a girl, the barley, a boy.”

  “If nothing happens?” Sybilla asks.

  “Then she is not with child,” Cassia murmurs.

  The whole thing sounds nerve-wracking. I don’t think that I can wait days to know for sure. I should have thrown some pregnancy tests in my pocket and kept them there when I was back in Florida for such an occasion.

  A few moments later, Laurentia and Petronia are back, seeds in hand. They look at me expectantly and nod to their hands, then again, as they watch me wide-eyed.

  “Here?” I ask.

  Cassia giggles. “Where else? This is the garden.”

  “You want me to pee right here, outside?”

  Liv snorts, at the same time so does Sybilla. I look over to them and narrow my eyes. “We’ve had to go in worse places and circumstances. Don’t be a baby, pee on the grains,” Liv says with a laugh.

  “I hate you,” I grind out.

  “Hey,” Birdie calls out. “Remember the time we went to the Grand Canyon?” she asks between giggles.

  “Oh my god,” Liv cries as she starts to laugh.

  “What?” I ask.