16
Titus stared at the glowing white lines on the globe and grinned. For the first time since his father fell ill, the borders showed no signs of weakness. Whatever magic he’d channeled yesterday held better than the old magic. “Any reports from the frontiers?”
“Just one of interest.” One of his advisors stepped forward and handed him a piece of paper. “It seems every time one of the Barbarians approaches the border, he gets a nasty burn.”
“So the borders are providing more than just a physical barrier now?”
“It appears so, Your Imperial Majesty.”
He scanned over the lengthy description of how a band of barbarians tried attacking the border and the injuries they received when arcs of lightning sparked off it with each blow. “Send a warning to the troops stationed along the borders to be careful.”
“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Titus was tempted to add, “And tell them I’ve improved the safety of the empire,” but he kept that bit to himself. After all, he wasn’t entirely sure he was the one responsible for the new border. If Azurha had infused new magic into him somehow, then she was behind the new defenses. Until he knew the answer, he would keep this information quiet.
Marcus appeared at the edge of the throne room with Galerius, the captain of the Legion. He jerked his head in the direction of the side room before they entered it, indicating he wanted to speak with Titus in private.
As soon as he entered, Marcus shut the door and examined him. “Are you safe?”
“Of course I’m safe. Don’t be ridiculous.”
He looked to Galerius and nodded. “Tell him what happened.”
“A body was found in the ravine behind Rutilius Arculeo’s house last night. An Alpirion, but not one of his household slaves. Rutilius denied knowing him, but the city guard knew him.”
The memory of Azurha’s reaction to the slave who served them last night flashed in his mind. “Who was he?”
“He’s known as Rai. A well-known thief and general criminal for hire. The city guard suspects he’s been trying to break into the assassination business.”
Marcus nodded. “His presence last night seems to confirm the rumors I’ve been hearing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was there to kill you.”
The blood rushed out of his head, and Titus sank into a chair.
“Are you sure you’re feeling well?”
Titus shooed off Marcus, already embarrassed by his reaction. “Did one of the members of the Legion kill him?”
Galerius shook his head. “I asked each one of them about it, but they denied ever seeing him. The only thing of interest was that your concubine was seen crossing the grounds unescorted.”
The chill creeping into his bones almost became overwhelming. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and he didn’t like the picture that they formed. Could Azurha have something to do with Rai’s death? The idea would have seemed preposterous if he hadn’t heard Varro’s story of how she attacked Claudia.
“What’s going through your head right now, Titus?”
He waited until the room stopped spinning before he replied, “Just that I’m very lucky too much wine makes Azurha clumsy.” He recounted the events of the party to the two men. “Do you think she knew what Rai intended?”
“She’d have to know who Rai was.” Marcus rubbed his beard. “Maybe you should be more careful whom you choose to be your consort.”
“Why? She’s done nothing wrong, even based on the speculation that she did know Rai. If anything, I owe her my life.”
“Just be careful that you’re not thinking with your dick.” Marcus turned to Galerius. “I suppose I should let you know what I’ve been hearing.”
“It would be appreciated. Placing more men on patrol than usual has raised a few questions.”
Marcus repeated the same information he’d shared with Titus the day before about the price on the emperor’s head and rumors that the Rabbit had accepted the challenge. The captain laughed when he finished. “Rai may have been trying his hand at the assassination business, but he’s not the Rabbit.”
Titus didn’t share the captain’s ease. “But his presence at the party last night suggests that someone did hire him to kill me, right?”
“Perhaps. But what does his dead body tell us?”
“That someone didn’t want him to succeed.” Titus stood and paced the room. “So, the question remains, is this person friend or foe?”
“Whoever it was, it wasn’t the Rabbit. Rai may have had his throat slit open and a knife sticking out of his heart, but he didn’t have a rabbit’s foot anywhere near him.”
Titus’s stomach knotted at the captain’s description of the body. “I guess the murderer wanted to be thorough.”
Galerius nodded. “If you wish, I’ll have my men be on the lookout for any suspicious characters and have the city guard give me daily reports on anything happening outside the palace walls.”
“And I’ll continue to follow up on anything I may hear from my sources,” Marcus added. “Between the two of us, we’ll find out who hired Rai.”
“And who killed him?”
Both men froze at his question and exchanged nervous glances. Galerius stepped forward. “That might be more difficult to find out, but we’ll ask around anyway.”
Titus nodded. “I’d feel much better if one of your men came forward and told me he killed Rai.”
“My men are honest, and they’d never take credit for something they didn’t do, Emperor Sergius.” His grin seemed forced. “Don’t worry. The Legion is here to protect you.”
Marcus lingered in the room after Titus dismissed Galerius. “Are you sure you can trust Azurha?”
“She’s a woman. Do you really think her capable of inflicting those kinds of injuries and then tossing the body over a ravine?”
“I think she’s full of surprises, but you have a valid point. Did she ever tell you where she’s from?”
“She doesn’t like to talk about her past.” From what little she’d shared, he understood why. “But she mentioned to me once that she grew up in Phonaesus.”
“Good. I’ll check in with my contacts there, see if anyone knows anything about her.”
“She’s a former slave, Marcus. How would anyone tell her apart from any other Alpirion?”
“How many Alpirions have eyes like hers?” He lowered his voice and closed the space between them. “If she has a past, I’m going to uncover it.”
“Why does everyone suspect her? Is it because she’s an Alpirion? If she was a Deizian like Claudia, would I even be listening to your accusations?”
Marcus winced and looked away. “You’re right, Titus. It’s just that I’ve noticed a change in you since she arrived, and I worry she might be the cause of it.”
“Of course she’s the cause of it. I would be ecstatically happy with her if I didn’t have to deal with the hassle of being emperor. Do any of the changes in my behavior worry you?”
“Only that you refuse to find fault with her.”
Titus rolled his eyes. “Of course she has her faults. She refuses to answer my questions about her life before she came here. She’s stubborn. She seduces me in the most unlikely of places.”
Marcus raised one brow. “Oh really? This, I want to hear about.”
He flashed back on the way she discreetly rode him in front of everyone at the party last night, and his cock stiffened all over again. Had anyone noticed? His lips curled up in a grin. All his life, he’d been the good son, adhering to the ideals of a prince and a future emperor. To do something so spontaneous and reckless belied his nature, but it felt so wickedly good, he almost sprinted to his chambers to have her tight sheath around him once again. “Let’s just say the party was far more entertaining with her present.”
“Details?”
“Since when do we compare notes? Besides, you never told me what happened that night with Sexta.”
Marcus retreated to the door, his cheeks red under the mask of his beard. “I’ll be down at the docks seeing what I can learn.”
“Be careful.”
After his friend left, Titus mulled over their conversation. Azurha’s brief flash of recognition when she saw Rai still haunted him. Did she know him?
One of his advisors interrupted his thoughts, but he made a mental note to ask her about it later tonight. And this time, he wouldn’t let his lust get in the way of answers.
…
Azurha pressed her palm against the gold plate beside the door and waited. Nothing. Just like the harem, the emperor’s private living quarters were nothing more than a fancy jail.
“Still trying to figure out the lock system, Lady Azurha?” Varro appeared behind her and handed her the daily mug of pomrutin tea.
“I was curious how an Elymanian like you can come and go as you please, but the locks ignore me. I thought you needed Deizian blood to use magic.” She gulped the bitter brew that kept her from conceiving Titus’s child and gave the mug back to Varro.
“These are special locks. Only the emperor can decide who has access to his private chambers. Even those with Deizian blood cannot enter unless he allows it.”
She traced the outer rim of the plate and sighed. “He trusts me enough to share his bed, but not enough to allow me to leave his chambers.”
“Perhaps he keeps you here for your own safety. There are some people who are not pleased with your new title.”
The corner of her mouth rose into a sardonic half-smile. “You mean besides Claudia?”
She caught a partial grin from him before he looked away, pretending to inspect the polish of the marble insets on the walls. “She is a trifling matter compared to some of the threats that exist outside the palace walls.” He turned back to her. “I suppose you haven’t heard that an Alpirion assassin was murdered at the party you attended last night.”
She kept her face from betraying any knowledge of Rai. “That’s horrible. Hopefully it didn’t occur while Titus was there or the Legion may have some explaining to do.”
Varro’s expression darkened. “Both the Legion and the city guard are looking into the murder. Until then, I suggest you appreciate your current circumstances.”
Her pulse jumped. She refused to look away, though. To do so would be an admission of guilt, and Varro was canny enough to read it. “You don’t think I have anything to do with it? I’m just a simple woman.”
“There’s nothing simple about you, Lady Azurha.” His eyes narrowed, and he moved between her and the door. The locks clicked when he pressed his hand against the plate, the sound grating on her already frazzled nerves. “I’ll send Izana to tend to you later this afternoon.”
He slipped through the doors, and the locks clicked back into place.
Azurha sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled it. Although he never said anything, Varro suspected her of hiding something. How much longer did she have before he discovered who she truly was? And then what would happen? As it was, she only had a week left until Pontus realized that she’d failed to complete the job he hired her for. Then what would he do? Hire another assassin to kill both her and Titus?
She paced in front of the door as her mind played out every scenario. Last night told her that she wasn’t the only one hired to assassinate Titus. Bile filled her throat at her lack of self-control. She shouldn’t have sliced Rai’s throat before she’d gotten the name of his employer. Of course, that would’ve required some form of torture, and she might have been discovered. All Rai had to do was scream, and she’d have a dozen members of the Legion swarming around her. No, she did the best she could last night.
But her stomach still churned at the thought of the next assassin. Yes, there would be another, and next time, she might not recognize him.
Sweat prickled her skin, and she retreated to the courtyard to let the morning breeze bathe her in its coolness. Part of her wanted to break free and investigate the rumors of the price on Titus’s head. Would her reputation as the Rabbit work in her favor? Or would her new title of Imperial Consort close more mouths and have her contacts reaching for their knives? She scanned the roof and wondered if her escape would be worth it.
A soft mewing sound to her left caught her attention, and she tensed. In all the mornings she’d spent in Titus’s chambers, she’d never heard something like that. She searched through the foliage until she found a small crate hidden behind some bushes. A small lyger cub stared back at her and swatted the bars.
“You don’t like being a prisoner, either, huh?” She unlocked the crate and scooped the green and yellow striped cub up into her hands. Its purr rippled up her arms and into her chest, awakening a new surge of protective feelings. This cub was too small to be taken away from its mother. Its brief life reminded her too much of the fate of the thousands of slaves in the empire, bought and sold before they could remember their parents.
She scratched behind its ears, and the purr amplified. “I have a feeling you and I are going to be good friends.”
17
Titus rubbed his temples as he retreated to his private chambers. He’d made the mistake of presiding over the Senate this morning, and their petty squabbles made him all the more determined to reform the empire. To his list of plans for his reign, he added imposing an agenda to the Senate meetings and making the senators stick to it.
As soon as he entered his chambers, his mind turned to the one woman who both soothed his soul and aroused his senses. But after this morning’s discussion with Captain Galerius and Marcus, he steeled his mind against his desire for her. He needed answers.
“Azurha, where are you?”
“In the courtyard.”
She sat by the fountain, playing with the small lyger cub that one of his provincial governors had given him for a coronation gift. She dangled a string in front of it and snatched it out of the reach of its paws when it pounced. Her laughter echoed off the marble walls. Scooping the cub up into her arms, she cradled it like a baby and murmured something to it in her native language.
His gut clenched like someone had punched him, and his thoughts turned to imagining her holding her child the same way. Despite her hard exterior, he caught glimpses of the fragile woman underneath from time to time, like this. He shouldn’t think such things about her, not when she refused to open up to him, not when she may know something about the murdered assassin from last night.
“He has to be the most adorable creature in the palace.” She carried the cub to him. “What do you plan to do with him?”
“Probably give him to the menagerie so he can be trained for the shows in the Coliseum.”
Azurha frowned and walked away, but not before he heard the loud purring coming from the cub. “I like him.”
“And he likes you.” He reached around her to pet it, but the young lyger growled and swiped its claws at his hand. He jerked back and examined the scratches on his skin.
“Bad kitty!” Azurha set the cub on the ground and rubbed her fingers over the welts. “At least you’re not bleeding.”
“I suppose I should have expected that. He reminds me too much of you.”
She dropped his hand, and her aqua eyes flashed. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It’s no different from the way you withdraw every time I ask you about your past.”
“You are not hurting me, if that is what you are worried about. I wouldn’t willingly lie with you every night if I didn’t find pleasure in your arms.” Her voice lost its hard edge as she said the last five words.
His resolve melted a little, and he had to restrain himself from wrapping her in his arms and kissing those pouting lips. “Tell me about Rai.”
“Who?”
He didn’t miss the way her shoulders tightened. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know the slave that offered me the dish you knocked over.”
She gave him a strangled laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Azurha, answer me.”
Her back faced him in reply. Once again, she refused to tell him what he wanted to know, and his temper flared. He was emperor. No one else would dare refuse his command but her. Why should he allow that? He grabbed her arm and spun her around. “What are you hiding?”
Her mouth hardened into a thin line. “Who says I’m hiding anything?”
“Did you know they found him dead in the ravine behind Arculeo’s house?”
“And you think I had something to do with it?” She wilted and rubbed her breasts against his chest. Her seductive smile made his balls ache. “I’m just a woman, Titus. Your woman.”
His hand tightened around her arm to the point she yelped. He didn’t mean to hurt her, but he refused to be swayed by her games. “Why won’t you answer me? I want to trust you, despite everyone telling me I shouldn’t.”
“But you don’t trust me, not completely.” Her eyes flickered to the door and then remained fixed on him in a challenge. “You keep me locked away like the cub, a possession to show off in front of others and to entertain you behind closed doors, never realizing that you’re holding me prisoner.”
He released her and backed away, shock dulling the heat in his groin. Did she really think that? “If you wish to leave, you can. I won’t stop you.”
Her lips parted, and a soft gasp broke the silence. She focused on the door, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.
He silently cursed himself for losing his temper. He hadn’t meant the last part. If she tried to leave, he’d do everything in his power to convince her to stay. How could he sleep at night without her body intertwined with his? His stomach twisted in knots as he waited for her answer.
“I’ll stay for now.” She turned and disappeared behind the curtains that lined the door to his bedroom, followed by the lyger cub.
Was that an invitation? His feet remained plastered to the floor while he analyzed her erratic behavior. First, she tried to seduce him, then she complained about being a prisoner only to go to his bed when he told her she could leave. What was he to think about it all? Yes, she would stay with him, but the “for now” part haunted him. Had he misinterpreted her affections?
To add salt to the wound, he still hadn’t learned anything about Rai from her. She knew something—of that, he was certain—but it looked like he needed to try a different approach. Perhaps she wasn’t the only one who could use sex as manipulation.
…
Azurha punched one of the pillows on the bed and cursed. Why was Titus acting this way? What made matters worse was that he didn’t seem to believe her when she told him she didn’t know Rai. She saw the suspicion darkening his face when he questioned her. It was only a matter of time before he learned the truth and ordered an elaborate form of execution for her.
Maybe it was time to come clean, to tell him about her and Pontus and the plot she now refused to participate in. Maybe he’d show her mercy and kill her right then. The coldness in his voice when he said he wouldn’t stop her if she left hurt worse than a dagger in her heart. Death would be kinder than having to live with his hatred.
The lyger cub curled around her ankles, purring loudly. Its affection helped to dull some of the ache pulsating deep inside her. Where had she lost control of the situation and herself? Was it the first time she saw him, when his face had filled with disgust at the idea of having a harem? Was it during the many times they made love? Or during the quiet moments when she lay next to him and listened to his plans for the empire?
It didn’t matter now, though. She’d lost her heart, but she wouldn’t lose her wits when she needed them the most. She needed to find out who hired Rai and kill him. Then she’d murder anyone else that tried to harm Titus. Killing was what she did best. She’d only been fooling herself to think she could be an Imperial Consort, or even more laughably, Titus’s wife.
“I lied,” he said softly behind her.
Azurha jumped out of the bed. Her feelings for him were distracting her. Before she met him, she’d never allow someone to sneak up on her like that. All signs she should retire from the assassin business before someone ended her life prematurely. She gathered her composure and replied without looking at him, “About what?”
“I’d try to stop you.” His arms encircled her waist, and his warm breath brushed against her ear. “Are you not happy here?”
How should I answer? With the whole truth?
“I am happy with you, but when you’re away, I resent being kept behind a locked door.”
“Why?”
The one word almost floored her. No one had ever asked why she felt the way she did about things. She didn’t even know the answer. After a few stumbling attempts at an explanation, she said, “Because I was born a slave, and I value my freedom more than anything. Being confined to your chambers reminds me of a time when I couldn’t leave my master’s property without his permission.”
“Do you want to leave?” His embrace tightened around her, sending little waves of anticipation to her womb. If he continued to touch her, she might just throw him to the bed and beg him to soothe the ache building between her legs.
“Yes and no.” She pushed his arms away and stepped back. “I know I shouldn’t stay.”
“Why?”
She spun around on her heel. The pained expression on his face nearly took her breath away. The gods save her, she didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. “Because the longer I stay, the more painful it will become when I have to leave.”
“Who says you have to leave?”
“Damn it, Titus, stop living in your dream world and face reality!” Her cheeks flamed, and her eyes stung from her frustration. “This will all end one day when you have to kneel before your duty. I know what I am and what your Deizian nobles think of me. What’s bothering me more is that you’re letting their whispers taint your impression of me.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve stood up for you when they insulted you for being an Alpirion.”
“But not when they suggest I had something to do with a murdered man?”
His jaw tightened. “I know what I saw, Azurha.”
“And you automatically thought the worst?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but the click of the locks interrupted them. The look on his face told her this wouldn’t be the end of their conversation. He strode out of the room with such cold determination that she worried about the health of the person entering the chambers. Varro’s muffled voice came through the curtains, and she allowed her knees to melt as she collapsed on the bed. He was a friend, not a foe, and Titus was safe with him.
It irked her how much Titus had changed in the last couple of days. He seemed more on edge, more suspicious. And although he was the same once she got him into bed, these dead-on accusations unnerved her. How much longer did she have before he discovered the truth? Maybe she should further the argument so he wouldn’t be blindsided by it. Maybe he’d get so infuriated that he’d strike out and kill her.
Bitterness mixed with remorse as she thought that. Like he could actually kill her. Many men had tried over the years, and she only had a couple of scars to show for their attempts. Besides, she wouldn’t wish the guilt of her murder staining his conscience. He was honorable enough that it would destroy his spirit.
The voices grew louder, and Azurha forced herself to stand and mask her pain. They would not catch her in a moment of weakness.
Titus entered first, watching her like a lyger tamer, on guard in case she attacked. Varro followed, carrying a small wooden box. “This was left at the palace gate for you, Lady Azurha.”
“For me?” Her gut twisted into a knot. She slowly approached the box, checking for any signs of a mark from whoever sent it. “No one knows I’m here.”
“Far more people know about you than you realize.” The sharpness when Varro spoke rattled her concentration. “You don’t appear in public as the emperor’s consort and expect to remain anonymous.”
“Open it.” Titus crossed his arms and kept his distance from her, looking every inch an emperor and not the lover she’d come to know.
Her hand trembled as she reached for the box. Why did something so simple terrify her? Memories of the time she and Cassius created a box that shot vaporized acid into the face of the person who opened it nagged at the back of her mind. Not every gift was safe.
“What are you waiting for?”
“I am hesitant to accept a gift when I do not know who sent it, Titus. It’s a lesson you’d do well to learn.” She took the box and studied the outside, searching for any type of triggering device. When she found none, she took a deep breath and flipped the latch back. The lid creaked open, so out of tune with the hammering of her heart.
Her throat closed, blocking the air from her lungs. Inside the box, a pair of lifeless eyes surrounded by bloodstained white fur stared back at her. This wasn’t a gift. It was a warning.