by Sin
Narrowing her eyes, Dijana stared up at him. “Or you will what? Punish me? See to it that I’m locked in a cell for life? Or have me executed? Hmm, I’ll take any of those options rather than be forced to be here.”
That stopped him in his tracks. “You would prefer death to the opportunity that is being presented to you?”
“Well, it’s not every day that I go around besting head advisors.” The need to taunt him was great.
“Besting advisors?” he asked, shock lacing his voice. “You are hardly in a position to claim victory, woman.”
“Hmm, yet I’m not the one flinching every time I move slightly now. Am I?” Dijana jerked her leg fast as though she was about to strike out again and Andrija jerked, making her grin from ear to ear. “I’ll consider that ample proof that you were indeed bested. I certainly hope you’re not the king’s last line of protection. Wait, I take that back. Who do I need to see to assure you’re the one protecting his overly pampered backside?”
“Woman, you are dangerously close to being taught a lesson you will not like.” He raked his gaze over her. A tiny grin began on his handsome face. “Hmm, perhaps you would enjoy it. I know I would.”
“Pfftt, you won’t be participating in any sort of punishment involving anything lower than your navel for some time. And if you should try, I’ll tear it from your body!”
His eyes widened. “You dare to threaten me? Men twice your size have died for less than that.”
Dijana wasn’t about to give an inch. “That doesn’t surprise me. Most men I know are pigs and cowards. Try taking on more women and you’ll drop the act.”
“Act? What act?”
“The one that tries to convince people that you’re not only powerful but dangerous as well.”
Andrija’s mouth dropped open. She smiled wide.
A loud clapping noise came to her attention and she glanced sideways to see the source of it. There, only a few feet from her, stood the most magnificent looking man she’d ever seen. His long black hair was in one braid that hung over his shoulder. The sides of his head were shaved, as was the custom of most men in Braluse. He wore a long red robe that was open in the front and a wrap that was tied in a knot around his waist. His tawny, rippled chest seemed to shine and his small gold hoop earrings added to the mystique.
Looking down at her with the same dark eyes as Andrija, he smiled. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
She balked. “Not really.”
“Care to tell me what you are doing down there?”
Dijana pushed hard on Andrija’s chest until he finally moved off her. She rolled to her side and took a deep breath in. “Ah, I was doing my best not to be squashed by the king’s henchman.”
The red robed man laughed. “King’s henchman? Oh, I like that.”
“Wonderful, now point me in the direction of the exit and I will be eternally grateful. Let me gut the oaf beside me and I’ll consider offering my soul to you.”
“Why you little....” Andrija made a move for her.
Dijana twisted quickly and thrust her leg out. The instant she came into contact with his cheek and sent his head flying back, she smiled wide. “You were saying?”
Laughter erupted from the red robed man as he took a step toward her. Andrija got to his feet and put his hand out to her as he gave her a piercing stare. She snarled and snapped her jaws at it. He yanked his hand back quickly and began to curse in their ancient tongue. She merely smiled at him as she got to her feet. “The feeling is mutual, beast.”
“What is your name, young one?” the red robed man asked.
“Dijana of Sabian, daughter of Pelersa.” She dusted her backside off and rolled her eyes when her chains rattled. “Or, you could just call me painted whore for the day. This is ridiculous. What kind of a man thinks that having women wrapped in chains and barely dressed is attractive? I wish to cover myself. This is humiliating. No, beyond humiliating. I am a living, breathing person, not an object to be adorned with enough gold to feed the poor for years to come. Allow me to wear something or strip down and join me. I don’t like being the only one in the room with nothing more than the king’s gold on.”
The red robed man closed the distance between them and touched her cheek lightly. A spark jolted through her as his skin brushed past hers. She gasped.
“You are not pleased with how your body looks?”
Looking up at him, she wondered how tall he truly was. She wasn’t exactly short for a woman, yet this man seemed to tower over even her. The muscles in his neck worked and her inner thighs tightened. “I never once said that I wasn’t pleased with myself. It should be my choice whom I allow to view me in this state, not that I would ever purposely wear an outfit this preposterous. And that veil ... pfffftttt ... why should I cover my face? Is he covering his? I think not. And really, he has me wearing almost nothing at all. What is the point of covering my face? I can see the purpose only if he puts a hood over his wife’s face while he takes her.” Shrugging, Dijana nodded. “I could see her begging for the veil. If he looks as horrible as he is rumored to be, it may be necessary.”
“I take it that you do not care for the king.”
“Gee, was it that obvious?”
The man chuckled. “Would you like to share why you do not like the king?”
“Why should I care for a man who has not cared for me or my people? It’s his continued tardiness that has left outside armies raiding and pillaging my village and that of those near me.”
The man looked taken aback by her revelation. “This cannot be true. If it were then you would not be standing before me now.”
Not wanting to be annoyed by both men in the room, Dijana took a deep calming breath. “And what leads you to that assumption?”
“You are a fine specimen. The first a warrior would want to take for his own, to use, to sate his needs and....”
Her breathing grew shallow as he spoke. Something about him called to her on a level she didn’t want to explore. Doing her best to hold herself together, she put a hand on her hip and tipped her head to the side. “Did I ever once claim that the outsiders haven’t tried the very things you’ve stated?”
His face turned to stone. “Tell me exactly which armies have come and describe the men who have ... who....” He looked as though he wanted to kill something. “Dared to touch you.”
Dijana grinned. “I can take you to the men who tried to touch me.”
The red robed man’s brows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, that the men who dared to think they could lay a hand on me are buried just outside of my village.”
Relief washed over his face, making him appear slightly less agitated. “It is good to know that one of the guards in your village came to your aid and prevented them from taking you.”
Tipping her head back, Dijana burst into laughter. “Oh, you are just like every other man I know. The first thing you assume is that a big strong man came to my aid. The guards that are stationed in my village spend their days and nights at the whorehouse. If one approaches you, it’s not to help. It is so that he may bury his serpent in you as well only to later claim that you offered yourself to him.”
A tick began on the red robed man’s hard jaw. “Then how did you escape the others?”
For a gorgeous man, you’re rather narrow-minded.
“Not all women sit around all day waiting for the king to call them before him in hopes they’ll be his queen. Some of us actually need to protect ourselves and those that we love.” Thinking of her sister brought unshed tears to the surface. Dijana blinked them away, hoping no one noticed them. Looking up, she found Andrija staring at her with warm eyes.
“Perhaps you should speak with the king on these matters. Sabian is on the border and word does not always travel back to us on matters such as this.” He cast a wary glance at the red robed man.
“Oh, I want to have a word with him but I do not wish to do so wearing this. This is not who I am. I
am no man’s painted whore. I’ve spent my life preventing others from turning me into this very thing. Why the king, sworn to protect, would purposely do this to me is a question I wish answered personally.”
“Speak with him. It matters not what you wear. He will want to hear all that you have to say. And he will want to thank the men who have aided you. While it makes sense that you would present yourself as powerful, it is not necessary within these walls. You are safe here. You...”
“You dare think me untruthful in regards to protecting myself and that of my sisterhood?”
“It is most honorable that you should want to present yourself in a manner....”
Dijana let a slow, deadly smile move over her face as she took a tiny step toward Andrija. “This is your last warning. Beyond this, I cannot be held responsible for what comes of you.”
Andrija laughed, the sound mocking, a challenge. One she would not only rise to but win. He shook his head and glanced toward the red robed man who nodded slightly, appearing amused.
Outraged, Dijana lifted her hand and pointed it toward Andrija. She let her magic flow through her veins and directed it toward him. “Vect
MresupinM.” Instantly, Andrija lifted off the ground and was thrust backwards. Falling, he hit the floor with a thump. She watched as he struggled to get up. “If you were one of the invading army’s men, I would use this opportunity to crush your airway or take your heart from your chest. Be very happy that you’re not one. Also, I do not sense that you would take a woman against her will. That cannot be said for all in the room presently.” Dijana let her magic drop and Andrija got to his feet quickly.
He gave her a rather stunned look and glanced behind her toward the red robed man. “We were told that the Sabian Antistitas perished years ago.”
Dijana stood tall and nodded. “For the most part that’s true. All priestesses that were old enough to practice were slaughtered. Those of us who were too young to be part of it yet where kept hidden away.”
The red robed man drew in a sharp breath. “Tell me who the Sacerdos is.”
Turning toward him, Dijana bit her lower lip, not willing to reveal herself to him just yet. “Why? So you can offer our high priestess over to a king that cares nothing for her or her people? We work, healing the sick of the land and fighting the evil that walks among us. We have had to teach ourselves how to do it all. There’s been no one to follow, no one to instruct us. No warriors to stand by our side and keep harm from coming to us. We do this in secrecy, afraid that if the outsiders’ armies don’t kill us, the king and his men will. You are most welcome to turn me over to him. I will not reveal the rest of my sisterhood, nor will I give him the Sacerdos’ name. And dependant upon my mood, I may or may not allow him to live. I will eagerly sacrifice myself for the greater good.”
The man looked over to Andrija and arched a dark eyebrow. “This changes everything.”
“Yes, it does.”
Dijana let her gaze run down the length of the red robed man while his attention was on Andrija. She wanted to touch him, run her hands over his chiseled body to see if it was as well-crafted as it appeared to be. He had the body of a warrior and that was what she had always dreamed of bedding, not some whiny king who sat on a throne all day deciding the fates of others.
Glancing up, she found the man staring at her with a smug look upon his face. “Do you like what you see?”
She stood straight, refusing to let him get the better of her in her moment of weakness. “As a matter of fact, I do. If I wasn’t in such a hurry to get away from this palace, I would entertain the idea of letting you bed me.”
“Letting me bed you?” He looked at Andrija again. “You brought a priestess here who is not even a virgin?”
“I--I....” Andrija stammered.
“I never said that I wasn’t a virgin. I simply said that I’d think about letting you bed me. There is a big difference. No man has slid his serpent into my body before. I’m a virgin by choice. No man has piqued my interest enough to allow him entrance to me. Standing next to the two of you is testing my limits. Andrija may be a pain in the backside but he’s not bad on the eyes. It’s all I can do to stop thinking about the both of you driving your hard serpents into me at the same time. Maybe it’s the outfit or lack thereof. Perhaps if you dressed me I wouldn’t feel the need to think such thoughts.”
The red robed man grabbed hold of her arms and shook her hard. Shockwaves of tingling sensations moved throughout her, caressing her, slinking over the apex of her thighs. “Let me never hear you speak of wanting any man but I to enter you!”
She tried to break his hold on her, but he was too strong. The feral look in his eyes left her wanting to both leap on him and run. “You have no claim on me. I belong to no man.”
“That is where you are wrong.” Bending down, he put his face dangerously close to hers. The need to press her lips to his was great. She held back. “I claim you, Dijana of Sabian.”
“No, you are destined to the claim only the high....”
The red robed man put his hand up, silencing Andrija instantly.
Her mouth dropped open. “You don’t have the power to claim me, only the king can do that.”
“And who, exactly, do you think I am?”
She gulped. “No, you can’t be ... you’re not ... no.”
A wolfish grin spread over his face. “I can and I am, King Jakov, and as king I can and did claim you as my mate.”
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. This couldn’t be happening. She wasn’t supposed to be selected to be the queen. She had no desire to be married, and thought better of Marocioton beast’s dung than she did of the king. Considering the two-headed beasts were known to excrete remains bigger than a horse that wasn’t saying much.
“No, I refuse your claim. Take one of the others. They’re all dying to let you bed them until they carry your child. Take one of them. They’ll listen to your every order and bend at your every whim. I am not like that. I am a handful; ask my mother. She was so desperate to rid herself of me that she told the guards where I was hiding. She actually went to them and pulled them to me, squawking the entire time about destiny, fate. Oh, I believe I was chosen all right. Chosen to slit your throat.”
He raked his hot gaze over her. “You wish death upon me and I wish me upon you. I believe part of you wished to come to me. Somewhere in there you wanted to know what I looked like, if I am what they claim I am and if I can truly give you the world by merely sinking deep within your silken depths. That is why you came to me. Is it not?”
Heat flared through her and slick cream originated from her core. “Pfft. Trust me, they had to drag me here. I should have used my power and destroyed them as I have done to so many others. I foolishly thought I could merely blend in and leave, not once risking my people’s secret. I never dreamed you would select me over one of the endless women willing to give up all they have ever hoped and dreamed of for the honor of being had by you. Please. No, you do not want me and I certainly do not want you.”
“I take what I want, Dijana, and I am taking you.”
Instantly, Dijana brought her magic up, ready to strike out against him. “Remove your hands from me before they melt away before your very eyes. You should feel special. The last man who refused to release me found his flesh pulling back from his body as I glared at him. I have not lived as long as I have untouched by man to allow the one that I despise the most to have me. No part of your pampered backside wishes to spend its life with me. No. I am nothing more than a challenge--a woman who dares to defy you when no man would think to. That is all I am to you. If it is a challenge you seek, it is a challenge you shall receive. I would face execution rather than allow you to touch me another second.”
It was a horrible lie. The feel of his strong hands on her made her want to lie down and allow him to touch her, take her, claim her fully, but he was the king. The heartless barbarian she’d spent her life despising.
Arching a dark b
row, he pulled her closer to him. His warm breath skated over her as he leaned down to meet her eye to eye. “If you feel the need to harm me, to punish me for all that you believe I have done to wrong you and your people then I will not stop you.”
Do it! Rid Braluse of him.
As Dijana’s mind encouraged her to cause him pain, her body refused to listen. She glared at him, wishing seven types of death upon him. None came to be. The longer she stood there, staring at him, soaking him in, feeling the slight buzz of his essence moving around her, the harder it became to envision any sort of death for him. Suddenly, the very thought of hurting him made her stomach turn. Looking away, she did her best not to look pathetic. “I want nothing to do with you.”
Brushing his hand lightly over her cheek, the king left her eyes fluttering and her breathing ragged. Jakov kissed her cheek lightly. The moment his warm lips touched her sensitive skin, shivers of delight tore through her body. The need to turn into the kiss, make her lips the target was great. Somehow, she held true and didn’t give in.
“Am I to believe that you do not wish me to fuck you?” Jakov asked softly.
Fuck? It was such a crude way to refer to the practice of copulating that she’d only ever heard the warriors saying it to the brothel whores. Images of Jakov’s sweat-covered body riding hers flooded her mind. She knew what sex was; she and her sister had sneaked enough peeks through the cracks in the brothel windows to know what a man and woman did.
Prior to arriving at the palace, the idea of a man sinking his serpent into her and doing what she’d seen done so many times before had turned her stomach. Now, as she stood before Jakov that faded away.
Chapter Two
Jakov watched as the golden-haired beauty before him bit her lower lip. Her tongue darted out and left a tempting line of wetness over her rose-colored lips. The urge to taste of her flesh was too great to resist. He swept his lips over hers gently, savoring the sweet perfection and moaning softly before clamping down and claiming them with force. The feel was glorious.