Chapter 38

38

Cassius

A thin dusting of ash drifted down from the hearth, but Ella didn't come out. Fury rippled through me. Did she really think she could hide, even now?

I pounded on the stonework. "I know you're in there. Come out before I drag you."

There was a moment of silence, followed by a resigned, " Damn it ."

A plume of cinders and ashes billowed out, and I stepped aside as an absolutely filthy woman dropped into the hearth. Her face and uniform were coated with soot, and the rag wrapped around her dark hair was a disheveled mess. I barely recognized her.

"What the hell were you thinking, breaking into that garden?" I rumbled.

Rather than answer, she glared silently back at me with her teeth bared, like some sort of vengeful fire sprite summoned from the hearth—beautiful yet vicious, and likely to leave you burned. There was something so spirited yet pathetic about her. I'd never seen a more miserable creature. My rage slipped from my grasp.

She squared her shoulders and matched my steely gaze. "To find out what was so important that you had to conceal it in a magically warded tower."

Unbridled anger coursed through me. "Are you insane? Your recklessness may have cost you your life."

I tasted her fear as her heart quickened. There was more to this story than she was letting on, and I'd get to the bottom of it—but not here, not now.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

How could I not? The soot and ash couldn't cover the sweet scent of her skin, like lilies after a morning rain. It was intoxicating and beguiling—not to mention the rapid flutter of her heartbeat, which I'd heard the moment I stepped into the room.

I moved closer, unable to stay away. "I'm a predator. I'd scent you anywhere."

She swallowed, and my gaze tracked the way her throat moved. I hadn't fed from the source in over a century, but by the Fates, it was all I could do not to sink my fangs into her every time she drew near.

She slipped away from my touch and took a step back toward the door. "If you knew it was me, then why did you send your men away? Why did you tell them to search for him ?"

Because I was a fool. An idiot, drunk on her beauty. And her fire.

I should have executed her on the spot or let my soldiers drag her back to the Triad kicking and screaming—though the truth was, had any of them laid a finger on her, I would have ripped out their throats.

Clearly, the woman had made me insane.

"I like to have options, and if any of those soldiers or the Triad had seen you, I would have been obligated to execute you." She opened her mouth, but I silenced her with my finger. "No more questions. You're not out of this yet, so if you want to live to the end of the day, do exactly as I say."

She nodded.

Fucking Fates. What the hell was I going to do with her?

I grabbed an embroidered blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped her in it. "You're a dust cloud. Try to keep covered. And be still."

With a single motion, I heaved her over my shoulder like a sack. She gasped, then tried to wriggle free. I slapped my hand on her ass, forcing myself not to linger. "Settle down. If any guards see us, they'll assume I'm playing some kind of game with my prey."

"A sick game," she muttered, not an ounce of fear in her voice.

I shrugged. Maybe, but the idea of playing games with her made heat rise within me. I shoved the thought aside.

I opened the door and checked the hall. My guards had followed my orders, and the corridor was clear for the moment.

"Well, get on with it," she whispered. "It's not comfortable up here."

Fates be damned, the fool girl actually trusted me. Was that what had stopped me from revealing her location? Or was it that I actually felt something for the mortal?

Impossible. A gorgeous woman could make a fool of any man, and by all evidence, I was that fool.

"Let's go—and keep it quiet."

As I headed to the right, she wiggled frantically and whispered, "That's back the way I came."

Apparently, she wasn't completely trusting. Good.

"If I were going to hand you over, I would have hauled you back to the Triad by your hair. There's a faster route to my chambers this way. Now be quiet and keep your face covered by the blanket. This isn't a flawless plan." If someone saw us and my out-of-character behavior drew suspicion, I didn't want them knowing the identity of the woman over my shoulder.

I strode silently through the castle, listening carefully before turning any corners. By the time we neared my chambers, my frustration had reached a boiling point. Right before reaching the corridor to my quarters, I stashed her in a small closet. "Stay here while I get rid of the guards at my door."

She nodded, and I retreated, rounding the corner and striding up to the posted guards. "There's been an intruder, and I need everyone at the ready. Report to the captain and see what you can do to help with the search. Send word the moment there's a lead."

They saluted and hurried off. As soon as they disappeared down the hall, I summoned Ella forward and shoved her into my room.

She let out an unsteady breath and burst into a fit of coughing as soon as the door clicked shut. Once she'd recovered her breath, she turned to me, her expression melting into relief. "Thank y?—"

"Have you lost your mind?" I snarled, stalking toward her. "What were you thinking?"

Her eyes widened, and she backed away. "I—" she stammered. "I told you. I was just exploring."

"Liar." I crowded her back against the wall. The thrum of her heart was undeniable, and it took everything I had to keep my gaze from the soft curve of her neck. "What gave you the idea to go sneaking in there? How did you even know how to get in?"

"There are stories," she whispered, her voice depleted of oxygen.

"What stories?"

She resisted my question, but I stared her down until she finally broke. "I heard that there were mages imprisoned here."

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. The bloody irony of it. I leaned closer, the sweet scent of her muddling my mind and awakening inexplicable urges. "And do you believe such fairytales, Ella?"

"I believe what I saw, which was three humans with magic being kept in an off-limits and magically fortified wing of your castle."

"You have no clue what you saw," I snarled. "And that doesn't explain how you knew to look there. That area is invisible. How did you find it?"

Her heart quickened, but her tone remained steady, as if she weren't terrified of the monster before her. "It didn't add up. The northern wall is unlike all the other walls in the castle. When I went to investigate why, I noticed a bird disappear out of thin air. That's how I knew."

She was smarter than most, but fuck, if she'd come to these conclusions, others might, too. "I should execute you for setting foot in there."

Her expression hardened, and she raised her chin. "Will you? Because if so, get it over with."

"Fuck." I turned away, taking a spot by the window. "I told you I would never hurt you. I keep my word." The very idea was repellant.

"If what I've done is so bad, why spare me?"

I glanced back at her. I couldn't tell her the truth. Hell, I couldn't accept it myself.

I chose a more palatable explanation. "Because it would fuck me over. I've clearly favored you and even made you my personal attendant. If they'd caught you there, it would've cast suspicion on me . The Triad would have assumed you were spying on my behalf."

It was the truth, but it wasn't the real reason, the unspeakable reason that gnawed at my heart.

A little of the brightness faded from her eyes. Good. Let her think I was a selfish bastard.

"Who are the Triad?" Ella asked.

I cursed myself again. How much of a fool was I? I should've never mentioned their name—not in front of a mortal. "They're none of your business. If you want to keep that pretty head of yours, you'll forget everything you saw. You'll forget their name. You'll forget everything that happened in that garden."

She dropped the blanket from her shoulders and walked toward me, undeterred. "Are they mages?"

Anger and concern for her dueled inside, each pushing me closer to the edge. "Didn't you hear a word I said?" Mortals were forbidden to know about them. Even among my kind, the Triad were no more than a rumor. Only the most powerful knew the truth.

"Are they your prisoners?" she pressed. "Are you stealing their magic?"

"Did they look like fucking prisoners?" I growled.

She met my gaze head-on. "Why did they drink your blood? Are they sick? The woman said it was the blood tithe, but I thought the tithe was meant for humans."

My jaw strained.

"Who are they, Cassius?"

I closed the distance between us and gripped her chin, needing her to understand the magnitude of the shitstorm she was in. "They're people with the power to kill you. They won't stop until they find out who was spying on them. Do you understand? You're still in danger, even now. Even here in this room."

Her eyes flicked across my face as if trying to peel back the mask I wore. "Then what am I going to do?"

For all her relentless determination, fear and desperation thrummed in her voice. It was buried but there. She was terrified, and I wasn't helping matters.

"Go hide in my fireplace. You're already dressed for it, and they won't be able to scent you out."

She gaped at me, and then the corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile at the feeble joke. "I think I'll pass. As it is, I'll be hacking up soot and cinders for a month."

I foolishly wiped a smudge of ash from her cheek. "I should start calling you Cinders if you're going to keep climbing up chimneys. Better yet, Cinderella. I like the ring of that."

My hand dropped away as I studied her, as if seeing her anew. It had been another joke, but there was something delightful about the way it rolled off my tongue. Cinderella. Somehow, with her fine features and hair, it suited her. Ella was a farm girl. A scullery maid. But Cinderella—there was almost a timeless elegance to it.

She shook her head and looked away. "Ella is just fine."

"Ella or Cinderella, you need to clean up. Use my bath. And wash that hideous dye out of your hair. If anyone caught a glimpse of you, they'll be looking for someone with dark hair." I preferred it silver, but I didn't mention that.

She looked back at the bathing chamber, then raised her eyebrows. "Your bath? With hot water?"

"I assume even peasant girls know how to bathe. You're filthy, and you need to wash."

The thought of bathing her myself instantly stiffened me. I'd always preferred the shower, but the image of her bare in my tub, dipping beneath the water, might make me change my mind.

I had to stop thinking this way. The seer's prophecy wasn't to be ignored.

She crossed her arms. "Are you implying that I smell?"

The corner of my lips turned up, and I leaned close. "Your scent is intoxicating and unforgettable, and it drives me wild. That's what I meant."

Her eyes widened, and her confident demeanor wavered as her pulse quickened. "Oh. Um, what about my clothes? They aren't exactly fresh."

"I'll find you something else to wear—something suitable to your station." Needing to put some distance between us before I did something I'd regret later, I turned her toward the bath and gave her a little shove. "Hurry now, little Cinderella. My guards may return with a message, and I don't need a sooty servant standing in the middle of my chambers."

She headed to the washroom but paused at the door and looked back. "Don't come in."

I lifted my eyebrows. "What kind of prince do you think I am?"

"One who's used to taking what he wants."

I dug my fingers into my palm. Fates be damned, I wanted her, even sweaty and covered with soot. I wanted to bathe her luxurious skin and show her what true pleasure was like. She was right, I could take whatever I wanted. Normally, I did. But with her, I didn't dare. That was a disaster waiting to happen. The headstrong woman had already caused me a world of trouble, and I suspected the fallout was only beginning.

"I'm leaving," I said, my voice thick with restrained desire. "I'll lock the door behind me."

"Is that to keep others out or to keep me in?"

"Both."