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Cassia could only conclude from this that she was not the Empress’s intended candidate for the throne, after all.
“It is not I whom you spent five years grooming for the throne,” Cassia said.
The Empress’s smile deepened. “Solia will be a queen after my own heart.”
Cassia felt one destiny lift off of her, even as she sensed another waiting to ambush Solia.
No. No, they could not let this happen.
“Your Imperial Majesty,” Cassia said carefully, “I left Tenebra in the hands of Lord Flavian, a more honorable man than the present king. I have ensured he will take the throne in a matter of weeks by peaceful means.”
“Of course you would take such pains to care for your people in your absence. Not knowing that your sister lived, you would do the best you could for Tenebra under the circumstances.” The Empress waved a dismissive hand. “How fortunate that a poor substitute like Flavian will no longer be necessary, do you not agree?”
With those pleasant, implacable words, Her Imperial Majesty made her position clear on Cassia and Lio’s master plan for the future of Tenebra.
But Lio persevered. “As you are aware, Your Imperial Majesty, we Hesperines must uphold our new treaty with the nobles of Tenebra who visited Orthros during the recent Solstice Summit. These Allied Lords favor Flavian, one of their own, for the throne. The Hesperines are in a position to negotiate with him and ensure he deals fairly with the Empire. With him as king, we can prevent any danger to your people that might arise from ending isolation. Orthros can act as both your portal and your ward while the Empire establishes contact on your terms.”
“We appreciate that our Empire was never far from the Hesperines’ thoughts while Orthros faced the prospect of Flavian’s kingship. How glad we are that you will find yourselves in a much improved position under Solia’s reign. With a Hesperine’s sister ruling Tenebra, are not the possibilities marvelous?”
“A circumstance Orthros never dreamed of in our long history with Tenebra,” Lio said smoothly, but Cassia felt his tension, a silent protest.
“I am under the impression Solia has not imagined this outcome, either,” said Cassia.
“She is devoted to you,” the Empress replied. “She would never place herself above you, the sister she regards as her queen. But we know that your greatest desire is to be removed from the line of succession, and in this, we can assist you. We trust that we have Orthros’s full support in return.”
Cassia’s next argument died in her throat. If they told the Empress no again, it would be a refusal Her Imperial Majesty did not wish to hear.
Cassia had once more escaped becoming the Queen of Tenebra. But she had failed to realize how deeply her sister was in danger of meeting that fate.
“What have I done?” The words slipped from Cassia’s mouth as soon as she was alone with Lio.
He closed the doors of their guest room behind them, shutting out the Golden Shield on the terrace and all that had happened in the orchard beyond.
When he said nothing, she looked up. His reflective eyes caught the light, glowing at her like blue jewels. Moving with the grace only an immortal possessed, he spun her around and pressed her against the door.
He brought his mouth down on hers. His lips scathed her, his beard raking her skin as his tongue stroked rough and warm into her. His magic, his presence, hummed all around her and within her.
Her thoughts melted away. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sagging between his long, firm body and the wood carvings at her back.
Then he was lifting his head, and she was drawing a breath, blinking up at the sight of his sharp, extended fangs.
“This is what you’ve done,” he said. “You’ve chosen us.”
She pulled his mouth back to hers. Her blood pounded with only one truth. My Grace. Mine.
For that moment, she let herself forget everything beyond the grip of his hand on her hip and the trail of heat his mouth made down her neck.
“Cassia.” His voice was velvet against her throat and in her mind. “You’ve chosen me. Over a throne. Not once, but twice. Do you have any idea what that does to me?”
She ran her hand through his hair, holding him closer to feel the tips of his fangs prick her. “Show me.”
“I will. Every night for the rest of eternity.” He placed a slow bite upon the surface of her skin, a foretaste.
She shivered, longing to stay here against this door for an hour with no concern in the world but satisfying their Craving.
Lio pulled his mouth away, although he held her there with his body for one moment more. “As long as we’re together, we can find a solution to everything else.”
“We have to. If the Empress sent Solia to Tenebra, it would be little better than exiling her from her friends and family in the Empire and Orthros. I just got her back. I cannot lose her again.”
