Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“Well, yes…” She nodded, feeling breathless all of a sudden from the intense eye contact.
“You have no need to fear,” Sirex rumbled. “Just stay here in the room while I’m gone. When I get back we’ll try again to think of a way to get to the Emperor.”
Phoebe’s heart skipped a beat as his burning red gaze held hers. When he looked at her like this, she wanted nothing more than to submit. But she couldn’t—not this time.
“Sir, if I stay in the room, I think we’ll be missing a golden opportunity,” she pointed out. “All the men are going to be out of the palace—this is the perfect time for me to poke around and see if I can get into the Emperor’s rooms somehow.”
His face darkened.
“I don’t like you risking yourself! Don’t you remember what Y’sfer said about the penalty for attempting to see the Emperor without Thruck?”
“But Thruck will be out on the hunt with you,” Phoebe pointed out. “No one will know.”
“Unless one of the servants catches you and turns you in.” He shook his head. “No, I don’t want you taking a chance when I’m not here to protect you.”
Phoebe bristled.
“I’m a trained agent—you trained me yourself! You know I can handle myself in a combat situation.”
“You can handle yourself when you’re armed and when there aren’t too many assailants. But what happens if a group of male servants catch you?” Sirex demanded. “You’ve seen how they treat women on this planet.”
“Yes, but—”
“Enough!” he growled. “As the senior agent on this case I am ordering you to stay in the room and wait for me until I get back.”
Phoebe felt a mixture of emotions. As always, when he gave her an order, she was tempted to go into submissive head-space and just melt. But she was also still angry that he was downplaying her abilities.
Sirex seemed to sense her mutinous thoughts.
“Phoebe, I won’t go if you won’t agree to stay here while I’m gone,” he said sternly. “Will you stay?”
Phoebe sighed.
“Yes, Sir,” she said at last. “I’ll stay here and wait for you.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Now let me finish getting dressed so I can go to the hunt.”
“Of course,” Phoebe murmured.
But despite his words, Sirex held her eyes with his a little longer. He seemed to be searching for something in her gaze, she thought. She couldn’t tell if he found it or not—he turned away abruptly and went to get the rest of his clothing.
Phoebe stood there for a moment, not sure what to say. Then she remembered she was still wearing nothing but a sheet draped around herself. It was a good thing Kat had packed her more clothing—even if it was the weird outfits made of long strips of fabric and beads and feathers that the women wore here. Maybe she could go without the harness completely since she was just staying in the room.
But even as she busied herself finding something to wear, she couldn’t help thinking of all the things she and Sirex had done together the night before…and wishing she could remember them, since it was clear she was never going to get a chance to do them again.
25
SIREX
The high, shrieking calls of the gallumphers reached Sirex’s ears long before he saw the stables. But he barely heard them, he was so preoccupied thinking of Phoebe.
So she had forgotten everything they had done the night before—or at least, she claimed to have forgotten. Sirex had his doubts. Maybe she actually remembered but regretted it—especially her words about wanting to submit to him.
She seems to remember what the other woman, Be’ti’ta, said to her well enough, he thought. Maybe she’s decided she doesn’t want me because I’m a Broken One.
As he strode through the palace grounds, it seemed more and more likely that this must be so. After all, hadn’t she begged him to forget everything that had happened between them and to never speak of it again? It didn’t seem to Sirex that she would ask that if she had feelings for him.
Still, he couldn’t forget the sweet way she had kissed him and whispered, “I love you,” the night before. Or the way she had nestled naked and trusting in his arms and had fallen asleep with her head pillowed on his chest…
Stop it! he told himself harshly. Just forget it—forget any of it ever happened. Because it’s never going to happen again. You went too far yesterday—it wasn’t right. Now it’s time to get back on track and complete this mission.
Though how he was going to manage that when he was off riding in the hunt instead of meeting with the Emperor, he didn’t know. He—
“Well hello, my good fellow! And how are you this fine morning? Slept well, I hope?”
The voice was unmistakably Lord Thruck’s. Looking up, Sirex saw that he had come to the stables—a series of buildings with extremely tall roofs and rounded doorways that had to be at least two stories high. Coming towards him was the enormous Trollox. There was a sunny smile on the sane head, which had been the one to greet him. The mad head was staring off into the distance, looking at nothing in particular and drooling, as usual.