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Raenisa was already there, leaning against the rail and staring forlornly at Caelia. The Young Bear was studiously ignoring her as she spoke to a man I didn’t recognize, his condescending tone causing her frown lines to deepen with each passing minute. He turned, and my mouth dropped open; his resemblance to Zerek was uncanny, with the same chiseled features, though his hair was a red so dark it looked like black cherry juice. This must be the brother he hated, Xavier. Varzorn and Nyana watched them like a pair of lobaros, their eyes lingering on the nobles on the edge of the pack, the ones they could pick off and use however they wished. The emperor wore a scarlet robe lined with gold, his armor made of white scales, and his crown of fiery diamonds. Both were beautiful and polished, but I wasn’t fooled. They were just as deadly as the wolflike lizards that roamed the Black Highlands.
“Theron,” Rhazien greeted his brother with an amused grin that didn’t reach his eyes. For a moment, it was like I was staring at a skull thrown in a river, his body merely a shadow behind him before the image flickered away, replaced by the Beast’s self-satisfied smile. “I look forward to seeing you on the sands today.”
“It seems I’m your favorite performer this week.” Theron drawled, feigning nonchalance as his fingers traced anxious circles on the bare skin of my waist.
“Just preparing for the future,” Rhazien said and Theron narrowed his eyes, drawing me away without responding, though I felt a faint shudder run through him.
The clashing of metal against scales drew my attention, and I turned to the colosseum to see the Vennorin brothers clustered together, Theodas’s gaze locked on Theron as Trevyr whispered something in his ear. Tykas, the lumbering one, looked up excitedly when each new lady arrived, only for his expression to fall once more and turn back to the fight. The air was thick with tension and posturing, their laughs just a touch too loud, their smiles too sharp.
Theron seemed to sense my unease and pulled me closer to him, his hand possessively resting on my waist. He smelled of leather and citrus, like a summer day on the battlefield. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of attraction that I tried to push away. Fucking piercing messing with my head. I’d had to sleep on my hands to avoid touching him, my body hungry for the pleasure he’d given me before.
As we approached the group, I caught snippets of their conversation—talk of alliances, marriages, and betrayals. The nobles were all vying for dominance, and the colosseum seemed to be the perfect backdrop for their power plays, the roar of the crowd covering up their whispers.
Raenisa caught my eye and gave me a small, sad smile as if she was just as uncomfortable as I was in this setting.
As Xavier continued to talk down to Caelia, Theron’s grip on my waist tightened. I knew he was itching for a fight, and dread filled me at the thought of what might happen next.
Theron’s hold on my middle intensified as Xadrian approached. His breath was hot against my ear as he whispered, “Stay close to me. I don’t trust him.”
I nodded, my heart racing as Xadrian sauntered up to us, his smug grin in place as usual, as if he found all of this posturing as ridiculous as I did. Theron stepped forward, his body blocking Xadrian’s view of me.
“Xadrian.”
“Theron,” he drawled. “How lovely to see you again. And who could forget your charming concubine?”
I rolled my eyes as Theron’s grip on me became even tighter. “Keep looking, Darkstar. This one is mine,” he growled, the possessive note in his voice sending a shiver down my spine.
Xadrian raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between us. “Is that so? I didn’t think she belonged to anyone.”
Theron’s jaw clenched as Xadrian sauntered off. I could feel his eyes on me as Theron pulled me even closer, his body radiating heat like a stone in the noonday sun.
I couldn’t handle the tension any longer. “Excuse me,” I muttered, slipping out of Theron’s grasp and making my way to the bathroom. I let out a sigh as I left the pavilion, my shoulders relaxing. Gods, they were awful. Where was the restroom?
I ducked through a likely door before almost backpedaling. The room I entered was dimly lit, the scent of perfume and Areca smoke hanging heavy in the air. I was lost. Shit. The furniture was ornately carved, with silk and velvet cushions strewn about the space. Zija appeared in front of me, her lovely face contorted with anger.
“If it isn’t the little plaything Theron’s been flaunting around acting like she’s a lady,” she sneered. I glanced around the room; the other women wore only scraps of sheer cloth, nothing as sensual and elegant as the sky-blue dress I’d picked out today, still waiting for Kadir’s visit.
I squared my shoulders, not about to let her intimidate me. “I’m not the one pretending to be the governor’s queen and bossing everyone around as if my cunt is made of gold.”
She bristled, her expression turning murderous as the other concubines tittered. “And yet he takes you everywhere. Even with the emperor here.”
I raised a brow. “And that’s my problem, how?”
I turned, ready to leave when I noticed someone in the back of the room. Aella, the Sirin Remnant I’d met on the day Theron chose me, was hunkered in the corner, her eyes wide with fear and a look of defeat on her face. Guilt sank heavily in my stomach when I realized I hadn’t thought of her since I’d tried to steal into the Beast’s suite.
“Aella?” I walked past Zija, ignoring her, as I took in the details of her appearance. Her hair was twisted into a series of intricate braids, with a simple, silvery dress clinging to her curves, so short that a slight breeze would reveal everything. She looked alright physically, but I knew how easily the Elves could fix that with their magic. Her hands trembled and tears pooled in her eyes.
“Aella,” I whispered, my heart swelling with pity for her. “Are you alright?”
She shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. “No.”
“Do you want to stay here?”
Before she could respond, Zija stepped in front of me, her black eyes blazing with fury. “You don’t get to take her,” she spat. “She belongs to Rhazien, even if she’s worthless.”
Aella whimpered, edging away from the fiery concubine, and rage began coursing through me.
“What did you do to her?” I demanded, stepping toward the statuesque Remnant. Her expression faltered for a moment at the look on my face before she sneered.
