I’d spent the ride from the healing house into the city shutting off my emotions. If what Augustus had said was correct, the best thing for me to do was to keep my heart and emotions tightly under wraps.
This went against everything I’d been thinking. I’d come all this way to learn how to wield the magic I contained. Now the prospect of shutting it off to protect it seemed almost futile. But this was the way it was. I’d driven myself almost into enemy hands, and now I no longer knew who the enemy was.
Go, Mae.
Right then, as I stepped down onto the road by the carriage, I wished more than I ever had before that I’d never got on that plane. If I’d stayed in Queens, never met Tristan Prince then maybe all this wouldn’t be happening.
But then who was to say we wouldn’t have found one another anyway. Maybe that was the point.
Or, maybe, and this was more than likely the case, I knew nothing and never would.
“Only speak when you are spoken to.” The Mage shot me a shrewd glance.
“That won’t be a problem,” I assured her.
“Mae.” I hesitated at the softness in her tone, turning almost unwillingly. “He’s been looking for you a long time. Don’t be too surprised by what you find.”
My stomach tightened, made all the worse by finding a bright-blue pair of eyes settled at me from a few feet away. If Augustus’ words were true and he was just setting my magic free, why the hell was he looking at me like that? Like he was partially disappointed in me.
For a moment, I ignored The Mage and gazed at him. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and then he dipped his face down, adjusting his breastplate on his armour.
The Mage grasped my elbow, her hand cool against my skin. If she thought I was going to run, where exactly did she think I was going? Scotland by myself? Yes of course…
My legs quaked as we walked up the steps, but I kept going, dragging in a deep breath of air and forcing my spine upright. The doors swept open, revealing a wide entrance paved with marble. A heavy smell of jasmine hung in the air, intoxicating and sweet. My own skin still smelt of the rose oil, my hair of sandalwood that had been applied to the dried and frizzed red strands.
I looked like a queen, but I knew I entered as a slave, a prize to the Emperor.
I cast a look sideways, catching Augustus snatching a glance at me, his skin paler than our march through the sun drenched Mediterranean allowed. He nodded, just lightly as though trying to pass me a message. Yeah well, I didn’t want messages from him. I forced myself to stand up taller still.
I would not allow any man to trick me or coerce me. Not again.
A glimmering clip slipped out of my hair as we walked, and I paused to bend and grab it. Augustus was too quick, already kneeling at my feet.
His pressed it into my hand, a quick motion, and I revolted myself at the way my stomach squeezed at his passing touch.
“I’m sorry, little one.” His apology was brief, his eyes bright.
“That’s enough,” snapped the Mage, and we pushed on down the corridors until we got to a double set of doors. Two centurions stood guard, their armour gleaming. Without a word they opened the doors. With no expectations, I stared open mouthed as the doorway opened into a light and airy atrium. The air filled with the babble of running water and bird chatter. Swathes of light illuminated by gold furnishings made the room appear more like heaven than the lair of my enemy.
The Mage kept walking me forward until I stood under a glass domed roof. Her cool touch pushed me up onto a circular dais.
I was up for inspection.
My heart hammered so loud it was a miracle the whole place couldn’t hear it.
Augustus slouched near the back of a large plush couch, his eyes hooded, his attention anywhere apart from on me. Or so it seemed until the odd flash of blue landed swiftly in my direction.
What did he care anyway? Bloody bastard, he’d done his job. Shame for him I’d spent the last few hours undoing all the good work he’d put in.
As much as it hurt, I refused to open my mind to thoughts of Tristram, although his last cry of my name echoed deep in my heart.
A slap of feet on marble told me my inspection was up. Do not tremble. Do not tremble, I told myself.
I did. It was impossible not to.
With my head down, I refused to look at the approaching crowd. More than one person clacked over the marble, but only one continued to stand alongside where I was raised.
Tanned muscular legs ended in sandals. Above the knee was white material not dissimilar to the white I was wearing… I refused to look higher than that.
“This is she?” The voice was soft, deep and rolling. I wanted to look up but didn’t.
The Mage stepped forward. “Yes. We searched far and wide; her power is extraordinary but limited.”
“But she has what I need?”
I remembered why I’d chosen to be vegetarian after seeing scared animals at a farmer’s market once as a child.
“She has. Whether she is the one we have been waiting for, only time will tell.”
A sliver of ice lodged itself in my heart. How much time? How long had they been waiting?
“Look up.” The soft voice commanded and even though I fought it as hard as I could, almost gritting my teeth with the effort, my eyes automatically rose.
The Emperor, with gold laurel leaves in his dark hair was beautiful. Eyes of sea grey; a face that would make the gods weep, tanned and dark; his stormy eyes were
