How embarrassing!
She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
As Biyu peeled her soaking clothes off her body, she pulled out the two scrolls she had pilfered from the library. Relief surged through her as she peeled back the damp scrolls to find that the ink hadn’t spread and ruined the spells and writings within. She placed them beneath her pillow for now and began the tedious task of undressing and washing herself. Once she was clear of mud and dirt and dressed in a clean night robe, she crawled into bed and sank into the pillows.
Her knee ached horribly and there was a giant budding bruise on her kneecap and the surrounding area. She was surprised it hadn’t broken on collision, but maybe it hadbounced off Nikator’s leg and then hit the ground, dulling the impact.
The events of the day crashed onto her and she groaned again. She had gotten caught. She should have been tossed in the mage towers and the fact that she wasn’t must have meant that he believed her lies. But still, why would he allow her this little freedom? Why hadn’t he immediately told the emperor that she had tried to flee? Even though it was a much smaller offense than plotting treason, escaping from her imprisonment, or attempting to, was a big ordeal in and of itself. Enough to get her tossed in the towers or dungeons as punishment.
Her head swam with why he would do such a thing, but she couldn’t think of anything that would benefit him. Unless he wanted to blackmail her and use her somehow? But … but he hadn’t said anything to her about that.
She yanked the covers up to her chin and frowned at the ceiling of her canopied bed. She didn’t understand that vicious man one bit. One second he was glaring at her with all the loathing in the world, and the next he was straddling her and putting her knife up to his own throat.
Remembering the feel of those powerful thighs bracing her sides set something in her belly ablaze, and she tossed on the bed, burying her face in the pillow.
Stupid, she chastised, her mortification growing.Don’t think like that!
Sleep didn’t come to her easily, but when her eyelids finally began to droop, her last thoughts were the memories of Nikator holding her as they crashed over the ledge, the feel of his strong, steady arms on her body. And how nice it had felt to be … held in such a manner.
But the moment was shattered with another memory, this one horrifying. With Nikator standing above her, sapphire eyes glinting, and his sword dripping with blood.
“Do you, too, wish to resist His Majesty’s claim to that wretched throne?”
Biyu awoke earlier than usual,her body sore and tender; she rolled over in bed to stare at the sunlight filtering through the cracks in the shutters. She had dreamed of the night before, but it had warped into her own death scene, where Nikator had stabbed her through the heart. She hadn’t even awoken from that, and was back in the library, and the scene unfolded the same way again. It was horrendous.
Pushing herself into a sitting position, she gave the area a quick perusal. Ever since the incident with Chao, the disgusting guard who had pleasured himself in front of her, she had been on high alert, terrified of something similar happening again. But thankfully, he hadn’t done anything other than make a few snide, crude remarks whenever he saw her.
After she checked on the black and blue bruise on her knee, washed her face, and stretched out her sore muscles, she threw her shutters open to allow the early morning light to spill into the room. She breathed in the floral scent pervading the air from the gardens below, and pulled her bench over to her vanity. Grasping the wide-toothed comb sitting messily atop the vanity surface among the rest of her trinkets, jewels, and hairpins, she began brushing her hair absentmindedly.
Her thoughts traveled to the scrolls. She had to read them and see if there was anything useful in them for Yat-sen. Hopefully there was some lethal spell inside that he could use. She had no desire to go sneaking into that library again, and now that Nikator had caught her, she was sure he would be suspicious of her every move. There was no way he would let heroff the hook like last night if she trespassed again. Once could be accidental. Twice was treason.
She slid hairpins into her hair and styled it as best as she could. It wasn’t as expertly done as the maidservants would do it, but it would hold until they came to room.
Biyu moved her bench back to the window sill, wincing with every step she took, and ran her hand over Jade’s head; she was still peacefully curled up at the end of the mattress, her eyes lazily peeling open and then shutting closed again whenever Biyu moved. Her cat was becoming lazier by the day and judging by her size … someone was feeding her a few too many times.
Since it was earlier than she usually woke up, she went over to her door, intent on telling the guards to bring a maidservant here with her breakfast. When she pulled it open, the words died at her lips.
Nikator was leaning on the opposite wall of her room; his muscular arms were crossed over his chest and he was staring at the end of the corridor with a faraway look on his achingly beautiful, sculpted face. But the instant his glare shifted to her, whatever beauty she had momentarily admired disintegrated. He had changed since last night and donned black leathers uncustomary to the Huo army; maybe something from the lands he came from. His red hair contrasted deeply with his pale skin, sapphire eyes, and dark clothes.
She noted the sword strapped to his hip and inched back, her hand still grasping the door handle. Why was he here? Her guards were noticeable not present.
“What are you doing here?” Biyu asked, her voice coming out shriller than she meant. She cleared her throat, hating how unstable, howscaredshe sounded. “And where are my guards?”
His gaze slowly raked over her figure, a single dark red eyebrow notching up high. “Do you normally greet your guards in your night robes?”
Biyu’s face warmed and she tried slamming the door, but Nikator stepped forward and grabbed the center of it, shoving it open until he was a foot away from her. She backed away. “W-what are you doing?”
“Where are you running?”
“Away from you.” She stared pointedly at him; he was in her bedchambers at this point, or at least in the threshold of it. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“You’re not supposed to be traipsing through the halls unguarded, and yet you were. I think neither of us cares much for rules.”
A frown twisted her lips. “Why are you here? And where are my guards?”
“They’ve been dismissed.”
“Dismissed?” She stared at him incredulously. He couldn’t just … just dismiss all of her guards, could he? Surely he meant they still had their jobs, just elsewhere in the palace. There was no way they were released from their duty.
