Page 8 of The Emperor’s Concubine (The Thibian Chronicles #1)

CHAPTER 8

“ M ama!” London wailed as Callie held her tight.

“Quiet, baby. We can’t make a sound.” Looking around the corridor, she scrambled down the hall. If she could make it out of the castle to the loading docks, then it was possible she’d be home free.

After the incident in the mechanical garden with Blaze, Callie knew she had to find a way to escape. He would never let her go, and the longer she stayed the stronger her feelings for him became. She wasn’t sure how they’d snuck up on her like that, but one minute all she could think about was getting away and the next she found herself longing for him. She didn’t want to be in love with him. She had her daughter to think about, and she had to get back to Earth to reunite with Paris.

Since that time in the garden, he’d moved her from the harem room to his chambers, making his message clear. Callie didn’t miss the other concubines. They’d all excluded her from conversation and made rude comments when they did speak to her. The thing was, she wasn’t sure if staying in his chambers was preferable. The only perk of her new lodging was that when he wasn’t there, he allowed London to visit.

Once, he’d come back to his room while she and her daughter were playing a game and joined them. It was a little unsettling to her how much she’d enjoyed that, and London for some reason really liked Blaze and he her.

At night, he made Callie’s body sing in ways she didn’t think possible. Each time was so hot, she was sure it couldn’t get any better, but it did.

The most surprising change in Blaze was that he showed her a side of him that made it hard for her to resist. She saw his softer side. Whenever she mentioned something, he’d give it to her. He seemed like an eager puppy at times trying to gain her attention and she didn’t know why, didn’t know if she could trust it or the way he made her feel when they touched.

Callie knew how easy it would be for her to grow comfortable in her situation. That couldn’t happen. As long as Paris remained on Earth, she could never stop trying to get home. The problem was how. She had no idea how to fly on a ship, and she had no means to get back to Earth until she’d overheard two of Blaze’s men.

Ever since he moved her to his chambers, he allowed her to go out to the mechanical garden with London whenever she liked, with an escort of course. Two of his men talked about a trip through a black hole that would take them to the Milky Way. There they would study the inhabitants for an experiment.

That conversation had given her hope, because she knew the only habitable planet in that galaxy was Earth, thanks to Mrs. Crowder’s 6th grade science class. Deciding that she would need to stow away, she set her plan into action.

Only minutes before, she’d made love to Blaze like never before, giving her all, heart and soul, because in her mind it would be their last. It had been so world-shattering he’d drifted off to sleep not too long afterwards. She then snuck out of the room and ran to the servants’ chambers to fetch her daughter. Fortunately Nola was sound asleep. Sweeping up her daughter from her tiny cot, Callie stole off into the night.

She knew the ship was due to leave in the morning, and she’d have to spend the night on it, in some hidden compartment. She turned around another corner and was again relieved to find it empty.

“Sleepy, Mama,” London whined.

“Shh, once we get where we’re going, I promise you can sleep as much as you want.”

When Callie made it to what was supposed to be the loading dock, she came face to face with one large metal door with no handle. Seeing some buttons on the side of the door, she pushed. Nothing. She tried another button and that turned on a light which she immediately turned back off. God, what was the right one to push? There were so many.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps and in a panic she began to press every button she could. To her horror a blaring alarm sounded and orange, red and blue lights flickered on and off. London obviously frightened from the noise began to cry.

“It’s all right, baby.” She tried to soothe London while pushing more buttons. Miraculously the door opened and she sped out.

There were at least twenty spaceships. Which one was she supposed to get on? How could she have been so stupid to come out here without knowing which ship to get on? Now she’d get caught.

The big metal door opened again. Callie turned to see two Thibians race out, followed by a handful of guards. One she recognized as Blaze’s advisor, Radien, and the other, Darus. Both men halted when they spotted her.

Radien stepped forward, signaling for the guards to halt. “What’s going on out here?” he asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s trying to escape. I knew it was a mistake for the king to trust this human.” Darus glared at her and made a move to walk her way.

Radien held him back and looked at Callie. “Is this true? Were you trying to escape?”

What was the point of lying? She’d been caught red-handed. Now she wondered what they’d do to her. “I had to.”

Radien frowned, his forehead crinkled. “But why? Wasn’t Blaze good to you? I haven’t seen him treat any of his concubines as well as he’s treated you and I thought… aren’t you happy here?”

“I can never be happy here.” She wasn’t about to explain herself to anyone.

The slender man looked disappointed for some reason. “I see. Well, of course you know the King won’t be very pleased.”

“What won’t I be very pleased about and what are you doing out here, Calliope? Why did you leave the bed?” Blaze joined the rest of them, his chest still bare.

Darus sidled up to Blaze. “We caught this ungrateful human trying to escape,” the servant said, seeming to take delight in delivering the message.

Callie wanted to knock the snot out of him. Blaze turned to her, the look of hurt evident in his eyes. Her heart ached for him.

“Is that true, Calliope?” he asked softly.

She couldn’t meet his eyes, nor could she answer him. It hurt too much. Oddly enough, London remained silent through this exchange.

“I see,” he said with comprehension. “Radien, if you don’t mind taking the child back to Nola, she looks rather tired. Calliope and I need to have a talk.”

Callie shivered. What did he mean to do to her? Would he beat her? Would he send her back to the harem room? Was there an underlying threat in his words concerning London? Would he get rid of her? That thought chilled her to the bone.

When he turned, he didn’t wait to see if she would follow or not, but she knew she had no choice. Not a word was spoken until they made it back to his bedroom.

“Have a seat.” Blaze gestured to the bed.

Callie sat down, uncertainty hitting her. She watched as he walked back and forth, not speaking. The waiting was killing her. “What will you do to me?”

He ignored her question and kept making circles around the room, a look of deep concentration on his face.

“Please, would you just say something? If I’m in trouble, can’t you just get it over with?”

He turned to her then, and her mouth fell open. Blaze looked like he wanted to cry. “What do you think I should do to you?”

Callie shrugged. She’d expected him to yell and rage at her, but this was not the reaction she’d expected and it was unnerving. “I don’t know.”

“There’s only one thing left to do. I figured that you were trying to stow away on the ship headed for Earth in the morning. If you really want to go, you have my blessing. I’m not going to keep you if you don’t want to be here.”

Callie didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly hadn’t been this. Was she dreaming? Or was it some kind of trick? “And you’d allow me to take London with me?” she asked cautiously.

“There could be no other way. You’re free.”

She should have been elated, but she wasn’t. In fact, she was sad. That he would let her go so easily disturbed her more than she wanted to admit. “Why?” she couldn’t help asking.

Lifting one blond brow, he looked at her questioningly. “You can ask that after you just tried to escape? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Yes. It was… I mean is, but you were so adamant that you wouldn’t let me go. Why the change of heart?”

He clenched and unclenched his fists at his side. “You won’t let me have my dignity, will you? Fine, but get ready to laugh. I love you. I think I have from the moment I set eyes on you. I’ve tried so hard to fight it, but I can’t do that any longer. I have my pride though, and I’m not going to keep you here if you don’t love me back. Now laugh. I’m sure that’s what you want to do.”

Callie was stunned. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his chest. “Do you mean it?”

“Do you want to rub it in? I’ll allow you your victory, but don’t push it. Yes, I love you. Why aren’t you laughing?” he asked tightly.

“Because I love you too. I think I’ve loved you almost from the beginning as well.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her long and hard, taking her breath away. When he lifted his head, a tear escaped his eye. “You have no idea how I’ve longed to hear those words from your lips. Why did you never say anything?”

“You have a harem full of women waiting to do your bidding. What was I supposed to do? I was just one of many.”

“That’s not true. None of the other women even existed for me when you came into my life. I’ve thought of no one but you. Please say you’ll stay with me. Be my Queen.”

“I’m just a slave. Can you do that?”

“I’m the King. I can do what I want. Just say yes.”

She found his revelation overwhelming. Her need to get back to Earth to get her daughter conflicted with her longing to stay with Blaze. She burst into tears. It would be hard to leave him, but her child came first.

“‘Why are you crying, my flower? All you have to do is say yes. If you’re worried about London, I’ll raise her as if she were my own. She’ll be a princess, with all the luxuries she can dream of.”

“I love you so much, but I can’t stay with you.”

He gripped her shoulders and gave her a bewildered look. “What do you mean you can’t stay with me? If I love you and you feel the same, what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that London isn’t my only child. When we were taken by the Adieaens, my other daughter was at home with a sitter.”

“You have another child?”

“London has a twin. Her name is Paris. She’s too young to be without me. I can’t just leave her there to fend for herself.”

“So that’s the reason you were trying to escape?”

She nodded with a sniff.

“We’ve wasted so much time. If only you’d told me, we could have done something sooner. Just tell me exactly where on Earth she’s located and we’ll find her.”

“You would do that for me?” She was touched, her heart feeling like it would overflow with love for him.

“Yes. We’ll find her and bring her back. I will love London and Paris as my daughters. How could I not when they’re a part of you?”

“Oh, Blaze, I don’t know what to say. I never thought things could turn out like this.” Though she’d never get over the way she’d been taken from her home, Callie realized that if she hadn’t been, she wouldn’t have met Blaze. Things happened for a reason, and she was happy he was now in her life.

“Neither did I, but I’m glad.”

“Of course you know you’ll have to get rid of your harem. I don’t want to share you.”

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. “Consider it done.”

“But don’t sell them off. They’re living beings with feelings.”

“My flower, we’ll handle it however you see fit. I’ll find them suitable husbands if that’s what would please you.”

She mulled it over in her head. That was probably the best solution. Callie couldn’t stomach slave trading. “I think that’s a great idea. Besides, if they’re occupied with their own men, they’ll leave mine alone.”

“You’re getting very possessive, Calliope,” he said with a wide smile on his face.

“Of course I am. You belong to me!”

The Thibian Chronicles will continue with book 2: The General’s Bride.