Tangled Web (9 page)

Visions of the woman’s head splattering against the wall danced in Azurha’s mind. If Varro hadn’t placed a hand of caution on her shoulder, she would have carried them out.

“Lady Azurha, I will send someone to settle Lady Claudia into her rooms. Should I send anyone extra to assist you?” His face pleaded with her to control her temper, and her anger slowly abated.

“No, thank you, Varro. Izana has done well on her own assisting me these last few nights.”

“I require at least three slaves to attend to my needs, however.” Claudia spun around and pranced toward a room on the opposite side of the courtyard.

“It probably requires that many to disguise her deformities,” Azurha muttered under her breath, earning a muffled laugh from Varro.

The steward quickly disguised his reaction with a cough when Claudia turned to glare at him. “I will see how many girls I can spare.” He nodded to both of them and hurried out the door like he sensed the cat fight that was brewing and wanted no part of it.

The two women stared at each other, sizing up the competition and seeking out any weaknesses to exploit. Claudia narrowed her eyes and grinned. “I hope you had fun, Alpirion, because your time is over. Emperor Sergius is a Deizian, and when the time comes, he’ll need a Deizian wife.”

Azurha took a deep breath to steady herself. After all, Claudia was just confirming everything she knew in her mind was true. Even if she somehow managed to live longer than ten days, she’d eventually be forgotten for the woman he would have to marry to produce an heir. “Perhaps, but we both know there’s a difference between duty and pleasure.”

Azurha returned to her room and rubbed her stinging eyes. Doubt chilled her bones like a winter storm, sudden and unrelenting. Would Titus send for her tonight? Was the visit today his way of bidding her farewell?

She cast a glance at her trunk and wondered if she’d made a mistake letting him live.

11

“Would you like me to do your hair, Azurha?” Izana began piling up her dark curls with one hand while reaching for a comb with the other.

“No, I won’t be needing my hair done.” She waved the slave away and peered out into the main room. Claudia’s shrill orders echoed from across the courtyard. “It sounds like she plans on visiting the emperor tonight.”

A disrespectful snort answered. “If the emperor chooses her over you, I weep for the future of the empire.”

“Be careful who you share your thoughts with.” She gave the slave a half-hearted smile. “You can speak freely around me, but I’ve seen slaves’ tongues cut out for comments like that.”

Some of the color drained from Izana’s face. “I understand.” She stood next to Azurha in the doorway. “May I thank you for specifically requesting me to tend to you? I doubt I’d be able attend to her.”

Azurha chuckled. “Why do you think I told Varro I wanted you? Having been in your situation before, I know what it’s like to obey the orders of someone you despise.”

“How did you gain your freedom?”

“My master died without an heir.” Her reply had been given so many times in the last seven years that it had become automatic. Freed slaves were still very rare in the empire, and suspicion always followed her wherever she went. Only those wearing gold jewelry, a symbol of their freedom, were left alone. The rest were captured and resold into slavery.

“So if the emperor died without an heir, I’d be free.”

Azurha’s breath caught when she heard the cold, calculating tone in Izana’s words. Memories of Ramina’s grin as she added the poison to their master’s wine flooded her mind. Would Izana do something like that? Then she lowered her gaze when she remembered she’d nearly done the same thing the night before.

She rubbed her arms, hoping to restore the warmth that fled her skin. “No, you belong to his title, not to him. If he dies without an heir, you’d belong to the next emperor.”

“As would you.”

“I belong to no one.” She’d sooner slit her throat than let another man touch her.

“I pray to the gods every night that the rumors are true, that the emperor will free us slaves.” Izana’s brown eyes grew dreamy. “Do you think he’d let us return to Alpiria, too?”

“Who knows? We’ve already forgotten so much of our ways. Would we be able to survive the frontier if we’ve only known life as a field worker or a household slave? The old ones told me stories of how they would ride for miles, chasing the herds that roamed the blue sands between oases. How would we fare when most of us have never ridden a horse?”

“I suppose you have a point, but on the other hand, Alpiria is not the same as our ancestors left behind. The Deizians are already changing it, making it their own. They’ve covered the land with ports for their airships and brought water where there was none, turning our deserts into farmland. Maybe the transition wouldn’t be so difficult.”

“Maybe, but I have no plans on returning there.” If she survived this, she was going into hiding. Someplace where no one would ever find her. Someplace where she wouldn’t be hunted for her failure, nor her successes.

The familiar click of the lock sounded from the door, and Izana jumped. She made an act of fussing over Azurha’s plain red dress as Varro entered the harem. The steward noted her actions and gave a nod of approval.

“Has Emperor Sergius sent for me?” Claudia appeared from her room in a dress Azurha envied. Rows of intricate embroidery made from thin metallic threads adorned her stola and palla, and heavy golden earrings hung from her ears, swaying as she crossed the courtyard.

“No.” Varro’s grimace cut deeper lines into his forehead, and he ran his finger along the neck of his tunic like it was too tight. “He sent for Lady Azurha.”

Azurha’s expression of shock must have mirrored her competition’s. Why would Titus want her when he could have the Deizian beauty?

Claudia smoothed out her face and gave him a cold smile. “I think I misunderstood you. Did you tell me that Emperor Sergius prefers the company of a slave over me?”

To his credit, Varro kept any emotion from showing. “No, Lady Claudia. You heard me say that he sent for Lady Azurha, and nothing more.” He turned to Azurha, his expression begging to her to follow him before the Deizian concubine caused more trouble.

Azurha nodded and took the veil Izana held out for her. The swaths of gold contrasted nicely with the deep red of her dress, but lacked the transparency she normally preferred. With her peripheral vision obscured, her other senses heightened to warn her of an attack. An angered Deizian could still use magic as well as a calm one as long as she had a conduit, and there was plenty of bronze in the harem. Azurha had no desire to feel the force of Claudia’s wrath.

Once they were safely in the hallway, Varro exhaled. “That went better than I thought.”

“Better?” Azurha cocked an eye brow and waited for him to elaborate.

“Yes. There was no hair pulling.”

Her laughter echoed off the marble walls. “Did you really think I would stoop to such a thing, Varro?”

“Not you.” He waited a few steps before he added, “You shouldn’t appear so surprised that the emperor sent for you.”

“He probably wants to tell me in person that he’s grown tired of me and wishes to enjoy the company of someone from his own race.”

“You underestimate your value.” Varro pressed his hand against the golden plate outside of the Imperial chambers and held the door open for her.

…

Titus held the necklace up to the light, admiring the way the lamps reflected off the facets of the deep green emerald set in the center of the pendant. He’d searched the imperial vault for over an hour until he found something that would be suitable for Azurha. He wanted to find something that would imitate her unusually colored eyes, but so far, the only thing he’d ever seen that had come close was the sea.

He lowered the gift back into its box and closed the lid. He would wait until they were alone and relaxed before he gave it to her. Then, once she put it on, he would ask her to wear it when he made love to her. He could almost picture the heavy golden pendant nestled between her full breasts.

His cock hardened at the thought of her naked. He’d be doing well if he lasted ten minutes in her company without removing her clothes and tasting every inch of her delectable flesh.

He sank into a chair and threaded his fingers through his hair. What was happening to him? Ever since Pontus left her in his chambers, he hadn’t been able to keep her from his mind for more than a few hours. And the longer she stayed with him, the shorter that time grew. He already witnessed his growing addiction to her today when took her in the harem. Would he soon need her by midmorning?

Varro’s voice filtered through the door. Titus rose from his seat and smoothed his hair out. No need for anyone to witness his continued downward spiral into depravity.

Azurha stepped into his chambers and removed the yellow palla from her face and hair. Unlike the previous night, she didn’t wear her hair up in an Elymanian fashion. Her glossy black curls flowed around her shoulders and down her back, swaying around her hips with each step.

His mouth went dry. As much as he told himself he would wait until after dinner to touch her, he needed to run his fingers through the silky strands. He brushed a lock back from her face. The scent of jasmine danced around him. The blood rushed to his groin, and he bit back a groan. Resisting her was becoming futile.

She licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak, but his lips covered hers before she had a chance to get a word out. She tensed in his arms at first, then slowly relaxed into the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth, eager to savor its sweet warmth. In response to each stroke, her reaction became bolder, more aggressive, until she had him backing toward the bed.

He broke the kiss long enough to catch his breath. “Azurha, I keep trying to tell myself to be patient, but when you—”

“I know.” She unwound his toga and pulled his tunic over his head. “Dinner can wait.”

He helped her out of her dress and tossed her onto the mattress. “I couldn’t agree more.” Right now, he only hungered for certain things—the sensation of her tight sex around his cock, her long legs around his waist, and her slender arms around his neck while he pounded into her over and over again. Food paled in comparison.

Unless, of course, he was licking it off her flesh.

Titus hovered over her, soaking in the radiance of her smile. He didn’t think it could be any brighter until he slid into her.

“Mmm.” She closed her eyes and threw her head back, exposing the arch of her graceful neck to him. “More.”

“Greedy, are we?” He placed a trail of nips and kisses from her collarbone to her jaw. “What if I want to take my time?”

She laughed and clenched the walls of her sex around him.

A ripple of pleasure shot up from tip of his cock straight to his head, and he had to fight from coming right then and there. He focused on the way her teal eyes sparkled with amusement, the mingling scents of jasmine and sandalwood and sex, the salty taste of her skin as he retreated away from her mouth. Anything to keep his mind on the exquisite heat and friction he experienced every time he reentered her.

“Titus, are you trying to drive me insane?”

He chuckled and caught the dark tip of her breast in his mouth. He sucked gently at first, causing her to moan. As he increased his pressure, her cries became louder. She rocked her hips, urging him to move faster.

But he resisted. He’d already had her fast and rough earlier today. Tonight was all about drawing out each sensation. He searched her face, studying her reaction to each stroke, each caress, and what he saw pleased him beyond words. Her moans and smiles encouraged him to go deeper and close the space between them. The glow that radiated from her eyes spoke of the genuine bliss she experienced with him, and he only hoped his face mirrored hers.

Her body stiffened under him, a sign he’d come to recognize as her approaching climax. A cry broke free from her lips. She dug her nails into his shoulders and buried her face against his neck. A series of spasms rocked her body and penetrated his defenses. He exploded inside her. The intensity of his orgasm blurred his vision, and the tingling warmth he’d experienced when she kissed him that morning flowed over him like the water of the tepidarium. Instead of feeling drained, he felt ready to take on the world, completely invincible.

Azurha’s lips trembled as she lifted her face, and he stilled them with a kiss. Her vulnerability awoke every protective urge inside him. If he had his way, she’d never leave the protective walls of the palace. He rolled over, taking her with him, and wrapped his arms around her as if he could shield her from everything evil in the world.

Titus held her until the cool evening breeze bathed their skin and turned her nipples into hard pebbles against his chest. “I suppose we should put our clothes back on and eat something before we fall asleep and wake up blue from the cold.”

She peered at him through heavy lids. “I don’t care, as long as I’m in your arms.”

His chest tightened.

“What’s wrong?” She cupped his face in her hands. Worry wrinkled the smooth contours of her face.

“I—” His tongue became heavy and clumsy. Would she think he was crazy if he told her what he felt? What if this was all an act?

“You don’t have to say it.” She turned her head to the side, and a chill formed between them that went deeper than the weather outside. “I don’t blame you for wanting her over me.”

“What are you talking about?” He sat up and lifted her chin so she faced him, but she jerked away and pulled the sheet around her shoulders.

“You have another concubine, a Deizian.” She blew a stray curl out of her face. “She’s very beautiful. You don’t have to make a show about letting me go. I understand. I’ll just return to the harem now so you can send for her.”

Her speech stunned him long enough for her to get to the edge of his bedroom before his laughter stopped her. “You think I’d prefer Claudia over you?”

“Why not? She’s much more suitable for an emperor than a former slave.”

He buried his face in a pillow to muffle his laughter. When he finally gained control of himself, she stood in front of him with her arms crossed and a slightly perturbed expression on her face.

“You don’t have to mock me, Titus.”

“I’m not. I just think it funny you believe you’re inferior to her.” He grabbed her wrist and yanked her back into the bed to lie next to him. “She can rot in the harem, as far as I’m concerned. You’re the only woman I want.”

Her lips parted, surprise evident on her face. Did she really believe that she was that undesirable?

She swallowed and laced her fingers through his. “Do you really mean that, Titus? You could have any woman in the empire. Why me?”

“Maybe because I see something in you that most people don’t.”

“What?” Her eyes widened, and she held her breath.

He wished he could ease her fears, to reassure her that he wouldn’t discard her like a well-worn piece of clothing. But how could he verbalize all the emotions swirling inside him and not sound like a babbling fool? When words failed him once again, he turned to action. He stood, lifted her off his bed, and carried her to the main room where his gift waited for her.

…

I’ve pushed him too far now.

Azurha lay helplessly in his arms as Titus carried her out of his bed and toward the door. He laid her on the cushions and knelt beside her. “Azurha, I’m not the best with words, despite my fondness of them. I’ll never be the skilled orator my father was. But believe me when I say I’ve become very fond of you and will not dispose of you any time soon. Maybe never.”

“You say that now, but I know you have your obligations to the empire.” She grazed her fingers along his jaw, trying to commit its strong angle to her memory. “In some ways, you’re more of a slave than I ever was. Your life is not your own, and there’s no hope for freedom for you.”

His eyes narrowed, and he distanced himself from her reach. “I’m the emperor. My Will—”