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Authors: Cari Silverwood
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are accepted. Though I no longer need you to help organize the palace security or to find traitors. In compensation for your travels I will allow you to assist your countryman, Henry, in his delivery of arms for my soldiers. I believe he is being well paid by your government. The other matter—Miss White, would you like to see the tomb?”
She gulped a mouthful of pastry and set her glass aside. “Yes, Your Serenity.” Her sore muscles revived at the thought of finally seeing the tomb.
“Then tomorrow you shall do so. May I say how surprised I am, Miss White, at your appearance. Your beauty astonishes me. Dressed as you are, there can be no mistake. Your hand.” He smiled and reached toward her.
Is he flirting? My hand? Oh . She offered the back of her hand, and he drew it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
“But first, you and Dankyo have a dinner to attend tonight at the house of Dimitri Heraklos. You must establish yourself as being, to their suspicious eyes and ears, a true slave before I will risk allowing you to enter the harem. My vizier will direct you to a place of refreshment so you may both bathe and make ready.
“I dismiss you.” He clapped his hands, and servants ran into the room from somewhere behind the throne area. Seconds later, the double doors opened, and the guards and other attendants returned, silent except for the scuffing of their shoes on the tiled floor.
What? They were going to a public dinner with his enemies? Now? Tonight? A whole field of butterflies swarmed, fluttering frantically, into her stomach.
Without a single protest, Dankyo bowed his head. “Thank you, Your Serenity.”
Even as she too bowed, thoughts scampered screaming through her mind. But, but, but… Stop. No!
Yet there was nothing she could do. When an emperor said do this, you did. Maybe her head wouldn’t roll, but clearly she’d never get into the tomb if she refused.
She had to pretend to be Dankyo’s slave in front of the emperor-bey’s direst enemies. Being this up close and personal with them was not on her plan for Byzantium. She rarely swore, but now seemed a great time for it.
She sighed and let her shoulders droop. How hard can this be? I’ll just be very humble. I can do that, can’t I?
As long as they didn’t make her kiss Dankyo’s feet, she could do this.
Ugh. Note to self. Make sure he cleans his feet really, really well.
As they were escorted away, Sofia heard the emperor-bey speak. “Bring Helena and Josephine to the Octagon bedchamber. I have need of their ministrations.”
Whether the ministrations were what she thought or not, another thought bothered her far more than the emperor-bey indulging in hanky panky with two women straight after he’d kissed her hand. Tomorrow she would be alone in the middle of this labyrinthine place.
Grow a spine. Half the parties at University are more dangerous than this place. The emperor-bey will forget you two minutes after you leave his sight. And he probably needs a servant to wipe his bottom and blow his nose.
Besides, everything about Byzantium seemed to zing straight into her blood and pump her awareness to the highest level. With Dankyo and his dark, enticing promises, with the vibrant colors, with the tropical lushness, the clash of armed men, war and weapons, and all that mingled with religious fervor. For a second she shut her eyes and just…breathed. Byzantium was alive like nowhere else she had ever been. She needed to be here. Somewhere in Byzantium was the path to her future.
Dankyo took her by the elbow, and she saw a boy in servant garb hurrying away.
The hard look in Dankyo’s eyes softened, and he seemed to run through something in his head before he spoke. “Sofia, thank you. The men at the airship tried to take over the Princess Kay by force. There was a fight, but they were all killed. All is good.”
“All? No one else was hurt?”
“No. From what Sten told me, he’s a well-trained fighter, and the rest of
She gulped a mouthful of pastry and set her glass aside. “Yes, Your Serenity.” Her sore muscles revived at the thought of finally seeing the tomb.
“Then tomorrow you shall do so. May I say how surprised I am, Miss White, at your appearance. Your beauty astonishes me. Dressed as you are, there can be no mistake. Your hand.” He smiled and reached toward her.
Is he flirting? My hand? Oh . She offered the back of her hand, and he drew it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
“But first, you and Dankyo have a dinner to attend tonight at the house of Dimitri Heraklos. You must establish yourself as being, to their suspicious eyes and ears, a true slave before I will risk allowing you to enter the harem. My vizier will direct you to a place of refreshment so you may both bathe and make ready.
“I dismiss you.” He clapped his hands, and servants ran into the room from somewhere behind the throne area. Seconds later, the double doors opened, and the guards and other attendants returned, silent except for the scuffing of their shoes on the tiled floor.
What? They were going to a public dinner with his enemies? Now? Tonight? A whole field of butterflies swarmed, fluttering frantically, into her stomach.
Without a single protest, Dankyo bowed his head. “Thank you, Your Serenity.”
Even as she too bowed, thoughts scampered screaming through her mind. But, but, but… Stop. No!
Yet there was nothing she could do. When an emperor said do this, you did. Maybe her head wouldn’t roll, but clearly she’d never get into the tomb if she refused.
She had to pretend to be Dankyo’s slave in front of the emperor-bey’s direst enemies. Being this up close and personal with them was not on her plan for Byzantium. She rarely swore, but now seemed a great time for it.
She sighed and let her shoulders droop. How hard can this be? I’ll just be very humble. I can do that, can’t I?
As long as they didn’t make her kiss Dankyo’s feet, she could do this.
Ugh. Note to self. Make sure he cleans his feet really, really well.
As they were escorted away, Sofia heard the emperor-bey speak. “Bring Helena and Josephine to the Octagon bedchamber. I have need of their ministrations.”
Whether the ministrations were what she thought or not, another thought bothered her far more than the emperor-bey indulging in hanky panky with two women straight after he’d kissed her hand. Tomorrow she would be alone in the middle of this labyrinthine place.
Grow a spine. Half the parties at University are more dangerous than this place. The emperor-bey will forget you two minutes after you leave his sight. And he probably needs a servant to wipe his bottom and blow his nose.
Besides, everything about Byzantium seemed to zing straight into her blood and pump her awareness to the highest level. With Dankyo and his dark, enticing promises, with the vibrant colors, with the tropical lushness, the clash of armed men, war and weapons, and all that mingled with religious fervor. For a second she shut her eyes and just…breathed. Byzantium was alive like nowhere else she had ever been. She needed to be here. Somewhere in Byzantium was the path to her future.
Dankyo took her by the elbow, and she saw a boy in servant garb hurrying away.
The hard look in Dankyo’s eyes softened, and he seemed to run through something in his head before he spoke. “Sofia, thank you. The men at the airship tried to take over the Princess Kay by force. There was a fight, but they were all killed. All is good.”
“All? No one else was hurt?”
“No. From what Sten told me, he’s a well-trained fighter, and the rest of
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