“Emperor Sergius, I’m so glad you accepted my invitation.” Their host, Rutilius Arculeo, approached them with a stiff smile on his face that only wavered into an outright snarl of contempt when he noticed her. “Who is your guest?”
“My consort, Azurha.”
Her breath caught. Consort? When did she get elevated to that? If he didn’t piss off the nobles by bringing his concubine to a Deizian gathering, he definitely would by elevating a former slave to a ti
tle just below Empress.
Rutilius’s reaction was just as she envisioned. He snatched his hand back like he might catch something from being too near her. “If you wanted that kind of entertainment, I would have happily supplied it.”
It would be all too easy to snap his neck. In any other situation, she would have made him pay for his insult. Instead, she bit her tongue and focused on appearing demure while she let his words roll off her like water on glass.
“Be careful what you say, Rutilius.” Titus moved between her and their host. “Insulting her means you insult me.”
Part of her wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to come to her defense, but her heart melted at the sight of the muscle rippling along his jaw and the rigid way his body shielded her.
Rutilius bowed. “Forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty. You are both welcome to my home.” He turned and led them into the central courtyard where a majority of the guests had gathered to escape the intense heat indoors. The stars twinkled overheard, so calm compared to the riotous music playing nearby. “I have prepared a special seat for you.”
Titus glanced at the small sofa draped with purple silk and gave a curt nod. “I appreciate your hospitality.”
“You honor me by your presence.” After another bow, he disappeared into the crowd.
Azurha sat on the smooth clay tiles at the foot of the sofa and studied the faces around her. Did another assassin lurk among them?
“You’re welcome to join me.” Titus patted the place next to him, but she shook her head.
“I don’t wish to cause any more of a disturbance than I already have.”
A sea of disapproving blue eyes glared at her. By now, word would have travelled among the Deizian guests that she had usurped the position coveted by them for their daughters. She turned to Titus and raised a brow.
“Let them pout,” he said. “All I have to do is remember what happened in the carriage, and I’m happy.”
Heat seared her cheeks. Of course everyone there assumed he was fucking her, but the reality of facing them was an entirely different matter. She wondered how many of them would offer their daughters to the harem in the morning.
His warm hand grasped her shoulder. “If I’ve learned anything in the last few days, it’s not to let them control my life.” He began massaging the knots in her upper back with his thumb. “I don’t fear them, and neither should you.”
“I don’t fear for myself. I fear what they might do to you.”
He tilted her chin toward him. “Don’t.”
Azurha leaned back against the sofa and remained silent as a steady stream of guests, both Deizian and Elymanian, approached Titus and shared their congratulations on his forthcoming coronation. Very few took notice of her, and those that did sneered at her like she was a rat in their kitchen. Not that she cared. By mostly ignoring her, they provided her ample opportunity to study them while sipping on a glass of wine.
By the end of the hour, she already had three potential suspects. Like Pontus, they all had ties to the royal family and, therefore, a claim to the throne. And two of them had hired her in the past, although they had never seen her face when the deal was made. Like most of their Deizian counterparts, they preferred to manage things through notes and secrecy. She had gladly played along to protect her anonymity. Now, it doubly worked to her advantage.
She got Titus’s attention and nodded toward one of them. “What do you think of Ulpius Stolo?”
“Second cousin, once removed, and yes, I know he would love to be emperor. But I don’t think he has the balls to hire the Rabbit.”
She almost choked on her wine. Ulpius had hired her two years ago to get rid of an Elymanian radical in his province who was stirring up crowds to overthrow the Deizian regime. She’d cut a hole in his roof and dripped poison into his mouth down a string while he slept. Then she’d tied her trademark rabbit’s foot to the end of the string and dangled it over his head like a pendulum. “Don’t be so naïve, Titus.”
He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “Do you know something I don’t?”
“Just to regard anyone with something to gain from your death with suspicion.”
“If that were the case, I’d have to keep an eye on anyone with royal blood.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her up onto the sofa. “I didn’t ask you to come so you could help me profile suspects. Enjoy the party.”
She looked around the decadent party and saw something entirely different than Titus probably did. Where he saw a lavish feast laid out for the guests, she saw hours of labor from the kitchen slaves. The shiny golden sconces bore the marks of a dozen slaves polishing them before the party. Slaves even played the lively music that encouraged the guests to consume more wine and dance away their drunkenness.
Someone shoved a plate under their noses. “The master of the house had this dish specially commissioned for you, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Azurha followed the brown arm up to its owner, and her breath froze. Rai. If her rival assassin was bearing the plate, the contents were most likely poisoned.
His lips curled up in a sly grin when he recognized her. He probably couldn’t wait to brag in their circles that he’d killed the emperor where the Rabbit had failed. That is, if she let him get that far.
Titus reached for one of the items on the plate, and her reflexes took over. She swung her arm and knocked the contents to the floor. “Oh, no!”
Rai swooped down to pick up the scattered food and glared at her.
She gave him a smirk before turning to Titus. “I’m so sorry. All the wine has made me a bit clumsy.”
His brows furrowed. If she didn’t risk incriminating herself, she would have told him exactly what Rai was. “It’s quite all right, Azurha. I’m sure the cooks can prepare another dish.”
She watched Rai weave his way through the crowd to the kitchens. If she let him get away, she wouldn’t learn who’d hired him. “I think I need a bit of fresh air to sober me.” When Titus started to rise, she pushed her hands against his chest. “No need for you to come with me. There are still many more people that wish to speak to you, I’m sure.”
By the time she made it to the back of the room, she’d lost sight of Rai, but she refused to give up that quickly. She stepped out onto the grounds and searched the area between the kitchen and slave quarters. Every hair stood up on the back of her neck, and she sharpened her senses. Rai hadn’t left the grounds. He was waiting for her.
A faint grunt broke the silence a split second before she saw the flash of metal coming toward her. Her shoulder stung as she rolled to the side. A thin red line appeared across its surface, and blood trickled down her arm. A knife sank into the plastered wall behind her with a thud. Ahead, a figure darted between the buildings.
Azurha grabbed the knife and charged after him. Now it was personal. “Playing hide and seek, Rai?” she whispered into the darkness.
“Going soft in your old age, Azurha?”
She turned in the direction of the voice and crept closer, hugging the building to stay concealed by the shadows. At this time of night, hearing became the sharpest sense, not vision. “Who sent you?”
“You know we can’t share that.”
Her muscles tensed. She was right on top of him. She took a deep breath and charged around the corner.
Rai raised another knife, but she kicked it from his hands. He scrambled away, reaching back for another weapon when another of her kicks sent him sprawling to the ground.
Azurha pulled him up by his hair and pressed her knife against his neck. “Are you going to tell me?”
“I adhere to the code, unlike some people.”
Fury reddened her vision, and she sliced through his throat. “Wrong answer.”
Rai collapsed in a heap. His blood pooled around him like fresh lava from a volcano. Even in death, he continued to leer at her, mocking her weakness.
Her heart hammered in her ears, making it nearly impossible to hear if anyone had witnessed her actions. She plunged the knife into Rai’s chest and grabbed his tunic, taking care not to get any blood on her clothes. Leaving the body out in the open would cause an uproar once someone discovered it. She dragged it to the edge of the cliff and shoved him into the ravine below. No one would find him until morning.
The cut on her shoulder had stopped bleeding by the time she reached the main building of the villa. She licked her hand and scrubbed away the streaks of dried blood before adjusting her dress to cover the wound. When she stepped into the light, she hoped she looked like nothing had happened, even though her pulse still raced. She fixed a smile on her face to mask her anxiety and returned to Titus.
15
Titus watched Azurha bolt for the back of the courtyard like someone had set fire to her dress. Her behavior puzzled him. Knocking over the plate seemed completely out of character for her, and despite her excuse, she’d hardly had enough wine to explain why she’d done it. The only clue he had was the spark of recognition on her face when she saw the slave.
Jealousy curled in his stomach. Was he an old lover? Someone she’d known before she gained her freedom? He rose from the sofa to follow her, but a familiar voice called to him from his left.
“Sergius, how good to see you again.”
He inwardly groaned and sat back down as Atius Cotta, his former father-in-law, approached him. “Good to see you again, too, Atius,” he lied.
Atius gave him a false grin and stood next to the sofa, rocking on his feet while his eyes flickered between Titus and the back wall of the courtyard. “Interesting company you keep these days.”
“It’s been over two years since Lucia died. I’ve more than observed the standard mourning period.” Titus swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. He didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“Agreed, but I wonder what she’d think about you replacing her with an Alpirion.”
“I’m not replacing her with Azurha. My relationship with her is very different from the one I had with Lucia. There are no political ties this time.”
“On the contrary, this is far more political than your marriage to my daughter ever was. You should be choosing your Empress, not consorting with an Alpirion whore that Pontus gave you.” Atius’s face had turned a mottled shade of red by the time he finished his speech, but his ire seemed mild compared to the anger boiling up inside Titus.
He jumped to his feet and came inches away from his former father in law. “If you insult her, you insult me. Azurha may not be the woman everyone would like me to associate with, but she is the woman I want by my side while I shape the empire into something better. I will choose a wife eventually. Until then, let me hold onto what little joy I’ve found.”
Atius’s mouth hung open like a fish, and the music barely masked the stunned silence of the onlookers. Anyone Titus made eye contact with quickly looked away. A surge of satisfaction filled him as he reclined on the sofa. Nobody questioned him now. He’d made it clear he wouldn’t back down, wouldn’t be intimidated, and wouldn’t let anyone tell him what to do. He was the emperor now, not a shy young man who preferred the company of books over people, and he finally felt ready to rule.
Atius gathered his composure and walked away with his head held high as if he hadn’t just been harshly dismissed by the emperor. The music returned, and a rumble of voices formed a fog around him that blocked out any criticisms of his behavior that might have been uttered.
Titus sat on his sofa, wondering if he should try to find Azurha so they could leave or if he should stay and firmly imprint his presence as emperor among those present. Before he reached a decision, she appeared on the edge of the courtyard. Her chest rose and fell like she’d just run across the grounds, and her cheeks were stained the same color as her deep pink dress. She returned to him and sat on the edge of the sofa.
“You look flushed.” He brushed a stray curl out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Are you well?”
“Just still embarrassed about knocking over that plate in front of everyone.”
“Are you sure? You appear breathless.”
She waved him away. “I’m fine.” She took a deep breath as if to prove her point. “I felt the need to apologize to the chef, that’s all.”
Her flimsy excuse didn’t match her flushed skin. “You weren’t meeting with an old lover, were you?” Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. Jealousy rose into his throat. “I couldn’t help but notice that you recognized the slave serving us.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Titus. You’re the only lover ever I’ve had, and you’re the only one I want.” She straddled his waist, spreading her stola out around them so the soft flesh of her ass lay against his thighs. “How should I prove it to you?”
Under the cover of her skirts, she discreetly bunched his tunic around his waist.
He looked around the room to see if anyone noticed the seduction that was occurring in front of them. He pulled her closer to him and caught her ear lobe between his teeth “Azurha, stop before we get caught.”
“Scared?” She rose ever so slightly and enveloped the head of his fully aroused cock between her slick folds. “Does it please you to know you’re the only man that can do this to me?”
She rocked back and forth, tempting him with her sex but not allowing him access to the place he craved.
He grabbed her hips to try and force her down, but she resisted. “What are you trying to prove, Azurha?” he whispered through clenched teeth and cast another glance around the room.
“That you’re the only man I’d allow to do this.”
She impaled herself on him so quickly, he almost came right then. Amusement lit her eyes as she watched him fight to stay in control. He managed to hold back the orgasm building up inside him until she squeezed her walls around him, threatening to send him over the edge again.
“By the gods, Azurha, we’re in a public place.”
“We’re not the only ones engaged in this behavior, and I bet I can make you come without anyone knowing. That is, of course, if you can keep from making that funny face you always do.”
The mere idea of fucking her in front of everyone there aroused him more than he imagined, and he leaned forward, changing his angle of penetration. She inhaled sharply and then gave him a satisfied grin. “Do you like that?”
“Very much.” She gave him another squeeze and rocked ever so slightly with her hips. “You?”
He closed his eyes and savored the waves of bliss that rolled through him from her almost imperceptible movements. “This is positively depraved.”
“But you’re enjoying it, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
He opened his eyes to find her watching him with a huge grin. The blackness of her pupils nearly blocked out the deep blue-green rims as she alternated the squeezes with the subtle friction. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and her face tightened. Her breath quickened. The scent of her perfume rose from her flushed skin. Her bottom lip trembled. But through it all, her gaze remained locked with his, intensifying every sensation shared between them.
The rocking became faster, more erratic. She whispered his name and clung tighter to him. Her eyes never wavered as she came closer to her own release. When her mouth opened into a perfect “O,” he quickly smothered her cries of pleasure with his mouth before they escaped.
A whimper rose from her throat as she shattered around him. He followed quickly, concentrating on their dancing tongues to keep from shouting to all the guests how much he loved being inside her, how he could never get enough of her, how he wanted to fuck her all night long and didn’t care if they watched.
As his consciousness returned from the heights of ecstasy, he slowly remembered the party around him. A quick survey of the room told him no one had even noticed that he and Azurha had just come right in front of them. Or if they had noticed, they didn’t care to acknowledge it.
She gave him a wicked grin. “Enjoy that?”
He pressed his lips against the soft curve of her neck. The taste of salt mingled with the sweetness of her flesh, making him hunger for more of her. “Why don’t we continue this back at the palace?”
“Who says we have to wait until we get back? I distinctly remember what happened in the carriage earlier this evening.”
“By the gods, Azurha, you tempt me to madness sometimes.” The growl in his voice surprised him. She brought out the primitive beast in him, but he’d suffer that consequence as long as she continued to welcome him inside her.
He caught her mouth again, enjoying the warmth of it while his tongue explored its recesses. He nibbled on her bottom lip before he pulled away. “Let’s go before I lose all self-control, toss you back on the sofa, remove your dress, and properly make love to you in front of everyone.”
She chuckled and raised her hips enough to release his cock from inside her. “I wonder if they’d cheer or be horrified.”
“I don’t give a damn.” But as they left, he felt the heat of a hundred eyes boring into his back. The guests may not have known everything that happened between them tonight, but they knew now that she was firmly a part of his life, whether they liked it or not.