I must not let this mortal woman confuse my purpose.
13
Lila
It seemed I still had a job at least, and I’d be going to the Isle of Thorns. I’d never been there, but I knew it was a little island city just west of here, in the middle of the Dark River. It had a palace to rival this one.
I sat on the edge of the desk, disturbed that my skin still felt hot where his fingertips had brushed against my thigh. That little point of contact was seared into my memory. Addictive. Angels were deeply addictive.
So it would be important to remember that they’d been ripping out people’s lungs.
The door swung open, and Lord Sourial leaned against the frame, his hazel eyes twinkling, a curl falling over them. The rings on his fingers glinted as he took a sip of wine.
“What happens next?” I asked.
He stretched his arms, giving me a complete view of his chest, as though he liked my eyes on him. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”
He turned into the hallway again, and I followed. I took in the hall as we walked. The vaulted ceiling soared high above us, and torchlight wavered over dark stone.
Sourial cast a glance over his shoulder, shooting me a look that dripped with pure sex.
I looked down, feeling myself blush. He was trying to beguile me, and I had to remember I was here for Alice. “Do you have servants?”
“Of course.”
“Where are they?” I asked.
“How should I know?” He sipped his wine. “Serving, here and there.”
Not very helpful. “How well do you know the count?”
“Very well. We’ve been through many wars together.” He led me to a narrow set of stairs—clearly they’d been made for mortals long ago, and he hardly fit in them. His shoulders brushed on either side of the wall as he walked, and darkness enveloped us.
The stairs seemed to climb upward forever, chilly beneath my bare feet.
“Why did he execute that man outside?” I asked.
“You have a lot of questions. Can’t you just appreciate the experience of being personally escorted to your room by a lord?”
“The execution was a memorable experience. I was curious about it.”
“The count killed him because he was one of the Free Men. And the Free Men don’t believe we belong here. Most of them are aristocrats, angry that they lost power. They’re growing in numbers. They need to be defeated.” He flashed me an easy smile, light dancing in his eyes. “I suppose we will have to kill every last one of them. And frankly, I wouldn’t mind a good battle.”
The stairwell opened up into a new hall—this one with light slanting in through towering windows onto the flagstones.
Sourial stopped walking at an arched black door.
He opened it, revealing a large room with vaulted ceilings. It was a hexagonal shape, with stone walls. From three sides of the room, tall windows let in the morning light. Rays beamed over a circular oak table in the center.
Most importantly, the table had been set for lunch. My mouth watered as I crossed to it. Steam curled off a steak pie with gravy and roast potatoes. And set around those were bowls of fruit, fresh bread and cheese, and oh my heavens what had I done to deserve this.
“What’s this?” I asked, stunned.
“Your room.” He pointed at another doorway that opened in one of the walls. “The bathroom is there in case you want to freshen up.”
My jaw dropped. I don’t know why I was surprised—I mean it was a castle. “Are you bloody serious?”
“What?”
“I just can’t believe I’ll be staying here. I’ve never lived in a place with an indoor bathroom before.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Are all the details of your life this disturbing?”
“You have no idea.” I stared at the table, my stomach rumbling sharply. I grabbed a bunch of grapes, and the tangy juice exploded in my mouth. Grapes. I’d only ever had them once, when they happened to arrive on a ship I’d been pilfering from. I’d never forgotten the taste. A trickle of the juice ran down my chin, and I wiped it off, then licked my finger.
When I looked up, I found Sourial staring at me with a disconcerting intensity. I’d expected to see disgust at my table manners. Instead, he was giving me a deeply sexual look, desire flickering in his eyes. “Enjoying yourself?” he purred, voice smooth as whiskey.
My breath shallowed, and I turned away from him. On the other side of the room, a bed lay nestled into an alcove of books, covered in a silky crimson blanket.
Two different emotions pulled me in either direction: one was joy, and the other was frustration. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was pure gold, I was sure. The sheets probably cost a fortune. And I’d grown up around kids who starved to death, mums who died of exhaustion.
I had a million questions ready to spill from my tongue, but the most pressing one was— Why me? Why give me a room like this, fit for a queen? I was just a thief—nothing more, nothing less. I didn’t matter.
I leaned against the column that rose from the center of the room, feeling the cold stone against my bare back.
Sourial crossed to a wardrobe that stood in the arched alcove next to the bed. “Eat, bathe, and then you’ll find whatever clothing you need in here. I’ll come back for you later.” His gaze trailed up and down my body, and I felt my chest flushing.
He stalked closer to me. “I can hear your heart racing, you know, when I look at you.”
I stood against the column, staring at him. How could I not stare? “Don’t misinterpret it.”
He moved closer still, and held his wineglass up to me—more of a golden goblet, really. “Take a sip. You’ve never tasted anything so good.” His voice somehow promised pain and pleasure in one—silky smooth, but with an edge beneath it.
I looked into his eyes over the rim of the chalice—hazel, shot through with the deepest gold. His scent was musky and seductive. I wondered what he looked like when his wings were out.
Never before had I wanted to drink something more. So I took it from his hands, and I drank, letting the deliciously ripe wine roll over my tongue. He was right. I’d never tasted anything so amazing. I closed my eyes, taking another sip, pleasure sliding over my tongue.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw him staring at me, his irises dimmed to the black of a night sky—sinful and seductive.
Don’t let him enchant you, Lila.
I handed the chalice back and pulled my gaze away from him, catching my breath. “Lord Sourial? Do you know why I was chosen?”
“You want something from me,” he murmured. “Answers. What do I get in return? Information is currency.”
I nodded. “Knowledge is power.”
“So what will you give me?” His smooth voice caressed me.
I already knew what he wanted. “A kiss?”
His dark eyes flashed with gold, and he was so close to me now, I could feel the heat pouring off him. As soon as his hand touched the side of my face, I felt the erotic pleasure of an angel’s touch.
Mesmerized, I found my breath hitching. His gaze trailed down my body like a sensual caress, taking in everything. I felt as if he could see right through the tattered material I wore.