by Sarra Cannon
A slow smile curled on her lips. Yes, this would do for tonight. Titus would be dead before he knew what hit him, and he wouldn’t stare back at her with shock or betrayal in his eyes while the light in them dimmed.
She retrieved a small vial of her most potent poison and dipped each needle into it. Then she replaced the carefully designed sheath, covering the coated needles in the tines of the comb.
Waves of nausea rolled around in her stomach when she laid the comb aside with her dress for the evening. She was losing her appetite for killing. After tonight, she’d retire and try her hand at growing grapes in some hidden estate. She curled up on the small bed and closed her eyes. The soothsayer’s words echoed in her mind.
You’ll never find a knot you can’t unravel.
— —
The slaves woke her later that evening and attended to her bath. When they arranged her hair, Azurha insisted on placing the comb herself. The last thing she wanted was one of them to discover the small latch and accidently prick themselves. She wouldn’t be able to cover the instant death up with a flimsy excuse, and with witnesses present, she couldn’t slip out of the palace without raising an alarm.
Once they left her dressed and ready to attend the emperor, she tested the strength of her silk veil. It was the closest thing she had to a rope for her escape.
A click sounded from the door, and Varro entered, casting her an approving glance. “Emperor Sergius requests your presence in his chambers.”
She smiled. “Was there any doubt he would?”
The corners of the servant’s mouth twitched. “He could claim exhaustion from the day’s events.”
“Did something bad happen?” she asked as she followed him out into the corridor.
“His duties as emperor demand much from him.”
She heaved a sigh at Varro’s cryptic response. Apparently, the servant’s loyalty to the Imperial family extended to his tight lips. If she wanted to learn anything, she’d have to ask Titus himself.
When they entered the chambers, they found Titus bent over his papers and maps, much like the first night she came to him. Varro cleared his throat. The emperor whirled around. His eyes met hers, and he smiled. “You were faster than I expected.”
“The lady was ready and waiting for your invitation, Emperor Sergius.”
A warm glow sparked in Titus’ eyes that caused the pit of her stomach to clench, but she couldn’t tell if her reaction was from desire or fear. She lowered her gaze.
“I’ll have a slave bring you your dinner in a few minutes.”
She bit her lip. That meant she couldn’t kill Titus until after dinner was served. Her shoulders tightened. The sooner she completed her job, the better. She already felt the knots coiling up in her gut.
As soon as Varro left, Titus approached her. A look of confusion crossed his face. “Is something wrong, Azurha?”
“Why do you keep asking that?”
“Because you seem ready to bolt for the door.” He laughed as he said it, but she silently cursed. She didn’t need to reveal her already guilty conscience before she actually carried out the deed. He removed her veil. “Do you not wish to keep me company this evening?”
Her eyes locked on his lips, and warmth pooled between her legs. By the gods, she needed to continue this game of seduction, no matter how much it tested her. She licked her lips and leaned toward him.
He took her invitation and kissed her as if he hadn’t seen her in months instead of the few hours that passed between this morning and now. His arms wrapped around her, and the growing ridge of his erection under his tunic ground against her stomach, eagerly searching for the slick recess of her sex.
— —
When he pulled away, they both gasped for air. “We better stop before we get caught naked by the servants.”
She nodded and dragged her nail lightly across his chest. Keep his mind on sex and he won’t notice anything else. “But after they bring us dinner…”
“By the gods, Azurha, you know how to drive a man to madness.”
And death, she thought grimly. She’d probably killed more men in the last year than he had in his entire life.
He took her hand and led her to the chair by his desk. “You don’t mind if I take a few minutes to finish making some decisions?”
“You’re the emperor, Titus. I’m merely here to bring you pleasure.”
His eyes closed, and the expression on his face revealed his struggle to stay in control rather than taking her right then and there.
A flush crept over her body, and she crossed her legs to soothe the ache there. No, she should be staying focused on the job, not wondering what would happen if she’d let him finish what he started last night. Why was dinner taking so long to be served?
He opened his eyes and stared at the map before he spoke. “I was in the middle of trying to decide where I should build my new aqueduct.I was thinking in Lucrilia.”
He focused on where his finger pointed on the map, much to her relief. Anything to keep her mind off removing their clothes and dragging him back to the bedroom. She studied the map and shook her head. “Have you considered placing it in Volsina?”
“But Lucretia is closer. At the way the city is growing, we won’t have enough water in two to three years.”
“Yes, but the Volsini plains experience severe flooding every spring due to the melting snow in the Dagiolo Mountains. Dozens of people die each year because of it. Building an aqueduct here will solve two problems. You can divert some of the flooding, and you can still bring water to the city.”
He rubbed his chin as his gaze flickered back and forth between the two possible locations. “The mountain elevations would provide enough momentum to provide a steady flow as the aqueduct descended into the city.”
The corner of her mouth rose. “You’re an engineer as well as a philosopher.”
He grinned. “I don’t claim to be either, but as emperor,I need to know a little bit about everything. Once I make my mind up, I leave the rest up to the experts.” He turned to her. “How do you know so much about the Volsini plains? Are you from there?”
“No, I was born in Phonaesus.” As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, she regretted them. Details about her past could lead him to her old master. Her scalp burned where the comb brushed against it, reminding her of its presence. The sooner she completed her assignment, the better. He already knew too much about her past.
Azurha took a deep breath and continued, “I’ve moved around a lot.”
The skin between his brows puckered. “You’ve belonged to other men besides your master?”
Perhaps it would be better to lie to him and make him hate her. But her heart lurched at the thought of it. She didn’t want his hatred. She wanted something she couldn’t name. Respect? Kindness? Love?
The moment she admitted it to herself, her throat began to close off. Murderers like her didn’t deserve love. She fingered her comb. How much longer until the slaves arrived with the meal? “Once I gained my freedom,I was determined to get as far away from my home as I could.”
“I can understand that.” The lines in his face smoothed out, and he returned to the map. “I think your suggestion has merit. After hearing each of my advisors tell me why I should build the aqueduct in his province, yours is the only one that wasn’t spurred by any political gain.”
“Perhaps it was based on personal gain.”
“What do you mean, Azurha?”
She trailed her fingers down his arm, admiring the warm cords of muscle along it. He was strong enough to put up a good fight if she didn’t succeed on her first attempt to prick him with the poisoned needles. She’d have to be prepared for that if she found enough courage to carry out her plan. “Perhaps I wish to gain your favor.”
“Why?”
The word came out as command rather than a question, but she hesitated all the same. She knew why she wanted to gain his favor, but if she admitted that, she would expose a weaknes
s. In her business, her enemies would jump on any opportunity to take advantage of that. Even if she came clean and told him about Pontus’s plan, she’d still be arrested and executed for her role in it. Or worse, for all the assassinations she’d committed. She was the Rabbit, after all.
Words failed her. She lowered her lashes and looked away.
A knock at the door preceded the familiar click of the locks, ending their conversation for now. Azurha bit back a smile as Varro slowly opened the door and ushered a slave into the chambers. All she needed was a few more minutes, and her job would be complete.
She only wished she didn’t have to wait as long as she had to kill him. It would have been much easier to have done it before he kissed her, before he seemed to value her opinion. Before she’d let information about her past slip out.
The slave set a tray on the table and silently exited. Varro lingered in the doorway. “Will you require anything else, Emperor Sergius?”
Titus slid his bright blue eyes in her direction. “I don’t think so. I’ll send for you if I do.”
“Very well. Good evening.” Varro gave them a curt bow and disappeared from the room.
The door closed, and they were alone once again. Azurha reached for her comb. It was now or never.
Titus’s hand clasped her wrist, preventing her from pulling the instrument of death from her hair. “Why do you want to gain my favor?”
Her breath caught. She could easily free herself by ramming her elbow into his throat, then stabbing him before he recovered. Why was she holding back?
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to her feet. Their bodies melded so his cock pressed against her stomach. Had he grown tired of her teasing? Was he going to try and force himself on her? Adrenaline flowed through her muscles, tightening them. And yet, she couldn’t resist the way his eyes seemed to caress her face like she was the most fascinating creature he’d ever seen.
She wanted him so badly.
Never show a target how weak you are.
She brushed her lips against his, forgetting every lesson that
Cassius had taught her about how to be an assassin.
Titus loosened his grip on her, and his jaw fell lax in surprise. It took him a second to recover. He still held her close to him, burying his nose in her hair. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“Yes, I did.” She angled his face down and stroked his cheek. “Should I make my desire more obvious?”
His pupils dilated, and he licked his lips like he wanted to devour her. “And what do you desire? My wealth? My crown?”
She shook her head. “Just for you to keep your word.”
“My word on what?”
“You promised last night…” She hesitated. Just mentioning it awakened the rush of strange emotions that tested both her resolve and her sanity. “You promised you would make me come.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. He led her to the cushions, settling her onto them like she was a delicate orchid. Then he knelt in front of her and drew her dress up to her waist with agonizing slowness. His mouth covered hers, seeking confirmation of her desire.
She gave him what he sought. Her tongue twisted around his, each stroke making her want to whimper. She hooked her leg around his waist and drew him closer. He tightened his grip on her thighs, slowly drawing them apart.
When Titus touched her, a warm glow flowed over her skin and clouded her mind. Instead of making her feel like a sullied possession there only to fill his needs, he seemed more interested in fulfilling hers. His light kisses trailed down her neck, across the tops of her breasts, then along the tops of her thighs.
For a few blissful moments, she was lost in a dream that this could become her life, to lie back on silk cushions while the most powerful man in the empire catered to her every desire.
Azurha pushed that dream out of her mind and reminded herself once again why she was here. She reached for her comb as his face disappeared from view. It was the perfect time to strike. He was so preoccupied with her body, he would never see it coming.
The first swipe of his tongue over her sensitive nub sent such strong shockwaves through her body that the comb clattered to the floor.
No man had ever touched her there, especially not with his mouth. Yet he pleasured her like a man well-versed in the intricacies of this part of a woman’s body. He held her hips down, controlling the way they rolled in response to his touch, while he sucked gently on her clit. Within seconds, he’d reduced her to mere moans.
The tables had turned on her. She’d been in control of her life since the day she gained her freedom, yet here she was, completely vulnerable in front of a man all because he promised to give her something she’d never experienced before.
No, she couldn’t let herself fall into his trap. She fought her desire, threading her fingers through his hair, preparing to snap his neck before she’d surrender to him. Her head lolled to the side, and she caught a glimpse of the poisoned comb a few feet away. The light flashed on the polished lapis, taunting her for her weakness. She reached for it in a final effort to stay in control, but each flick of his tongue pushed her closer to the abyss she both feared and welcomed. Unable to fight it any longer, she let herself fall. Her vision blurred, and the first violent waves of ecstasy shattered her consciousness. She frantically repeated his name and dug her nails into his shoulders to keep from slipping into insanity.
All the tension bled from her muscles, leaving her limp and exhausted by the time her orgasm faded.
The flutter of gentle kisses trailed up her neck, along her cheek, and finally traced the outline of her mouth. “Did that satisfy your needs?”
The husky timbre in his voice rolled through her body and warmed her like a sunbeam through an open window. This was what made Titus so different from her master. The latter would have left her a bruised and crumpled heap on the floor once he came. Titus stroked her head and continued to plant sweet pecks on her face.
She cast one more glance at her comb and drew in a shaky breath. “For now,” she whispered and tucked her head under his chin.
Chapter 8
“No, that’s not what I was looking for,” Titus told the dressmaker.
She held up another dress, one the color of ripe raspberries. “How about this?”
He tried to imagine Azurha wearing it, and his mind immediately wandered to the game she played with the food the other night. If she wore that color, would he be able to keep his lips off of her? “Maybe.”
A thin line of annoyance creased the dressmaker’s brow. “Is there anything in particular you were looking for, Your Imperial Majesty?”
“I didn’t know you were the type to fancy women’s clothes,” Marcus said from the door way. The dressmaker’s gasp of horror only made him snicker. No one else would dare tease the emperor in such an informal manner.
Titus let the comment roll off his back. If it had been one of his nobles, he would’ve considered it an insult, a jab at his masculinity. But Marcus rarely took anything seriously. “It’s not for me, but if you’d like to model a few of them…”
“No thanks.” Marcus waved his hands in front of him before helping himself to a glass of wine. “I don’t think I’ll do them justice.”
The dressmaker gave a dignified “hmph” and held up another dress. “How about this one?”
The pale gold might have flattered the creamy skin of a Deizian woman, but not Azurha. “No, that won’t do.”
“Are we picking out something for your new concubine?”
“Yes.”
Marcus met his gaze, the desire to say something more flickering in his eyes, but he instead turned to the dressmaker and said, “What do you have that would be fetching on a concubine?”
The dressmaker’s mouth flapped wordlessly for a moment, her cheeks growing red. Then she turned and started digging through her trunk. “I don’t know if this is something Your Imperial Majesty might be interested in, but some of the mad
ams in town have requested this style for their girls.”
She held up a white linen dress that looked as though it came straight off the walls of an Alpirion temple. The pleated neckline almost seemed alien to him, but his desire to see Azurha in it took over his power of speech. He merely nodded.
The dressmaker smiled. “Do you require anything else, Your Imperial Majesty?”
He shook his head. “Please leave the dresses with my steward so he can have them delivered to the harem.”
She draped both the white dress and the raspberry dress over her arm and backed away, her head bowed until she reached the doorway to the throne room.
Marcus followed her and immediately closed the door. “And here I thought your grandfather had outlawed Alpirion fashion.”
“In this instance, I’ll let it slide.” He sat in his chair. “What brings you in today, besides finding an opportunity to have fun at my expense?”
Marcus immediately sobered. “I wish I were here just for that.” He lowered his voice. “I’ve been hearing rumors that there’s a price on your head, and the assassin who kills you will get a reward that rivals the royal treasury.”
Titus’s chest tightened. He knew he wasn’t popular with the nobility, but for them to plan such a coup was almost unheard of. “Who is behind it?”
“Judging from the amount, I’d say more than one noble.”
He forced himself to laugh in an effort to relieve his friend’s worry. “And what will happen after they kill me? Who will take the throne?I suspect the empire will be torn into civil war if they succeed. And with the border failing, the Barbarians would overrun the planet.” He sank further into his chair, feeling a bit more at ease after he logically plotted the consequences. “It would be political suicide.”