Page 15 of A Vow of Embers

I was struck with the memory of how much I had liked it when he’d called me Lia, the way he had caressed the letters of my name, making it sound like an endearment.

Now we were formal even though I had seen him half-naked.

“Was there something you wanted to say?” His eyes moved pointedly over to the bed and he added, “Or something you wanted to do?”

It was such an insult that it was as if he had slapped me in the face. My entire body burned with fury. “Such an odd question. Are you already planning on going back on your word to Theano?”

“I didn’t say those words.”

My mind raced as I ran back through the meeting. Theano had asked him to promise not to bed me and he’d only said it wouldn’t be a concern. Hadn’t he put it in the contract? He most likely had and was only saying this to deliberately vex me. I didn’t think Theano would have signed it otherwise. “So you were planning on forcing me, then. Despite what you said to the high priestess of the goddess.”

Anger flashed in his eyes. “You should know better than to make that kind of accusation. Locris is still paying the price from your countryman forcing himself on a priestess. I would never, ever do such a thing. I only take eager women to my bed. Which you have been, on more than one occasion.”

I knew my cheeks had to be scarlet with anger, and I could only gasp, unable to speak.

“Nothing like that will ever happen between us again,” he said, that same look of disgust back on his face. He couldn’t have made it clearer that he found me unattractive. “When I offered for the marriage to be in name only, I meant it.”

I desperately wanted to laugh. “As if you have even an ounce of honor.”

“You, a Locrian and a woman, are again questioning my integrity. What would you know of honor?” he shot back.

“More than you. Do you think that only men have honor? In my experience it is men who have the least of it but prize it the most.”

“Careful, princess,” he said through clenched teeth. I saw the way his jaw muscles flexed. “I have struck down men for far less.”

“If you killed me, your little plan wouldn’t succeed, would it?”

He closed his eyes briefly and took in a big breath before opening them again. “Did you ask for this meeting just to berate me? You will have plenty of time for it when you move to the palace.”

Much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I started counting in my head so that I would hold my tongue. I hadn’t come here to fight with him. I had this one chance to get him to sign my contract so that I could protect Quynh and all of Locris.

After I’d convinced myself to stay calm, I said, “I want you to put Quynh on a boat first thing tomorrow morning and guarantee her safe passage to Locris.”

His response was instant. “No. If I do that, I will have no leverage to get you to go through with the wedding.”

The odds had been against him agreeing to it, but I’d had to try. He was right about that as well—if Quynh were safe, I would have refused to marry him. She was the only reason I would do it. Trying to get her to safety was my biggest ask, and now that he’d turned me down, we could move on to the other items on my list.

“Although if you’re so resistant to doing what your father already agreed to, you’re not the only Locrian princess I can marry in two days.”

I understood what he was doing—why he was threatening to marry Quynh. He was trying to hurt me. I still didn’t understand where his anger came from. I hadn’t done anything to him. I hadn’t spent weeks seducing him, in person and in our dreams. I was the wronged party here. A fact that seemed to elude him entirely.

But I couldn’t give in to feeling like a victim and wanting justice for his treachery. I couldn’t fall into his trap.

Instead of yelling at him, I pulled the neckline of my tunic and began to reach for the contract.

His eyes widened and he grabbed my wrist, and before I knew what was happening, he was on his feet and had pulled me out of my chair and flush against him.

I was filled with anger that he was touching me, holding me.

And that feeling was accompanied by the overwhelming urge to kiss him, to feel his mouth hot on mine. He was breathing quickly and my chest moved in and out with his. Every place that his body touched mine made my skin burn.

His eyes drifted down to my lips and I felt my body go pliant. My mind screamed at me to resist but the rest of me did not listen.

I still wanted him.

Chapter Six

My heartbeat pounded in my throat, rendering me momentarily speechless. The desire to kiss him continued to beat through me. A still-functioning part of my brain registered the fact that he was holding me gently. I knew how strong he was. His hold could have been bruising, painful.