The man smirked as he tilted the brim up and crossed his arms. Em cringed back, trying to put herself far enough away that he couldn’t touch her.

  It didn’t work.

  With his long legs outstretched, one of them rested against her ankle. And he just followed her when she tried to pull it out of reach.

  “I wanted to see you alone, and I couldn’t get that bastard to give permission.”

  It was the one power Flint had as her guardian. Even the Emperor couldn’t order a private meeting with an unmarried woman if the guardian said no.

  She didn’t know that was happening.

  It must’ve been annoying for Thiago to send letters to and from the March to ask for this meeting.

  She clenched her jaw. So you go behind his back instead?

  “I’m honored that the Sun of the Empire has taken notice of his lowly servant.” She bowed her head. “How can I be of service, your Majesty?”

  “Duchess Waghorn and her black market contacts will be arrested in the next twenty-four hours.”

  Em’s chin snapped up. Eyes wide.

  Thiago laughed and leaned forward, grabbing Em gently by the chin. She cringed, which only made him laugh again.

  “You never would have survived that game.” He rubbed his thumb along her chin. “Your face is too honest.” He ran his eyes down her front. “Your whole being is too honest.”

  She didn’t dare move. Her heart pounded hard in her ears, and her stomach suddenly hurt worse than ever. It hurt enough she felt dizzy.

  “What do you want?”

  “Considering your involvement, I should just arrest you. Can you imagine the look on Flint’s face if I threw his sister in the slimiest, darkest part of my dungeons?”

  Where his victims’ screams could not be heard, Emperor Thiago Cyrin bred death orbs to do his bidding.

  It was a line from the novel. Maybe not word for word, but she recalled the essence with crystal clarity.

  Em shuddered.

  “Yes, I agree. It would be delicious to see that smug bastard break down.”

  “What do you want?” she whispered again. Almost unable to speak through the tightness in her throat.

  Thiago wasn’t quite done playing with her. She closed her eyes and flinched when he used his other hand to wipe away a tear she hadn’t realized was coming.

  Now satisfied he had her properly terrified, he crossed the carriage to sit beside her.

  She didn’t dare move.

  “I’ll make you a deal, Emmaline Grimshaw.”

  “Yes?”

  “Look at me.”

  She did. Chin trembling. He smiled smugly as he ran the back of his fingers along her cheek.

  “I knew you’d be pretty when you grew up. But I think you’re one of the most ravishing women I’ve yet to meet.”

  Pervert. This man was a pervert! Never mind he was lying. She’d seen the sort of women he’d been bringing into his harem.

  No. This wasn’t about how pretty Em was or was not. This was about Flint and Thiago’s imaginary rivalry with her brother.

  She clenched her hands in her skirt. Waiting.

  “Agree to be my concubine, and I’ll not only overlook your connection to Duchess Waghorn but also pay your brother a handsome bride price. Big enough to cover his back taxes and fix even the smallest door handles on his estate. I’ll even recommend the March to my two favorite merchant guilds.”

  Meaning, you’ll get out of the way if I cooperate.

  It was the easiest way out of their troubles she’d yet been handed.

  Especially now that he was, presumably, taking away the azuremere as well. How could they distribute it without the Duchess’s contacts?

  But… Em knew. She knew what kind of life awaited her if she said yes.

  The bowing, the fawning, the unwanted attentions. Children who were taught to hate each other and ignored by their father… and possibly become the source of destruction in the future. It was as though the novel itself or some gods was trying to correct everything she’d changed so far.

  But did she have another choice?

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The dungeon?

  Or this man’s bedroom?

  They both seemed equally horrible. And Flint’s reaction would be the same either way.

  How would he react? Despair? Anger?... Would he hate her?...

  Thiago waited patiently, aware that he’d won before he even started. Enjoying the moment as he watched another tear trail down her cheek.

  No, she did have one more choice.

  She could make it happen if she could buy just a little more time.

  Just a little more time.

  “Can I ha-have a proper engagement period?”

  “Of course. We wouldn’t want anyone suspecting it was an unwanted arrangement. We can hold the ceremony at the end of the Season.”

  The end of the season was about five months away. Yes. That should be plenty of time.

  She’d make it plenty of time.

  He pulled something out of his pocket. A fountain pen and a folded document. She stared at them as he unrolled the document.

  “Just sign here to make it official. Then I’ll send dear old Flint the bride price.”

  Flint can’t save me this time.

  Her hand shook, and her signature was sloppy. Not just from her hand shaking but the rattling of the carriage. Still, it was all he needed to trap her.

  When she was done, and the document was tucked safely away, the pervert grabbed her by the chin.

  “I look forward to our wedding night. But just to give you a taste of what’s coming-”

  He kissed her.

  Then, without waiting for the carriage to stop, he held the hat to his head and jumped out. She had to shut the door quickly behind him.

  Then she sank to the floor and covered her face.

  Her whole body shook with sobs. The pain in her stomach became unbearable, and she started heaving. Glad her stomach was empty, otherwise it would have been a huge mess.

  Loki! Felice?! Where are you?!

  Help me. Someone!

  Please.

  ***

  Loki had been avoiding the child.

  After all, he could claim his reward at any time now. And once he did… he’d never see the child again.

  Or, if he saw the child again, they wouldn't know each other.

  The choice was made easier when the child abruptly gave up her childhood. Making her boring to the god of mischief and tricks. So he wandered off. Only occasionally thinking about her and grudgingly checking on her.

  He resented this odd attachment.

  It had happened many times before, but it still surprised him.

  Along with the attachment was the dread.

  The child would die. Whether now, tomorrow, or next year, it didn’t matter when. She’d die… and he’d live on.

  That’s why he demanded the reward he wanted. Because he couldn’t bear to see it again.

  Not again.

  So he distanced himself.

  Ironically, he couldn’t think about his reward without thinking about the child he was leaving behind. It made him angry, and he dragged his feet. There was no rush. He could wait until after the child’s death.

  When the pain was at its worst…

  The child was the one living person he’d made himself known to.

  That made her his high priestess. Even if she didn’t know it.

  That was why the prayer hit him like a falling piano. It was so hard that he stumbled out of the VR circle and into a wall.

  He yanked the headpiece off, momentarily disoriented. The echo of her pain and anguish pierced him to the center.

  He cursed and vanished.

  Reappearing instantly near the child’s carriage, hiding in the nearest shadows of the tree-lined lane.

  Grimly, he took in the sights and sounds, his figure morphing in and out of a formless blob as he considered what form to take. Finally, he settled on a human man in servant garb. Then he casually leaped onto the moving carriage.

  The child was passed out on the floor. Face streaked with tears. And even in her sleep, she huddled around her stomach.

  “I knew you’d make yourself sick again,” he murmured.

  That’s what happens when a being denies their nature and pushes themselves to be what they are not. The child should never have given up on being a child.

  He gently scooped her into his arms and sat down. An action that was more difficult now that she was so much bigger.

  He held her against his chest as the carriage continued its slow path back to the main Palace.

  The thing about undefined power was it looked and felt immense.

  Full of potential.

  However, without form and without purpose, it was simply a pool of unusable energy. Seeping away when full. Leaving the owner unable to harness it completely.

  He couldn’t even ease the child’s physical pain. Much less discern what had caused her distress.

  So, he had to wait.

  When they reached the Palace, he demanded that her carriage be brought out. And, pretending to be her servant, he carried her to the new carriage and sent word to her brother that she was going home.

  During that time, she didn’t even stir. Causing concern and whispers among the other servants.

  That might be troublesome later, but he could do nothing about it for now.

  The new maid, Annie, was like a fly buzzing around him as soon as he carried the child indoors. He wanted to hiss at her and tie her shoelaces together. But… Well, she was more qualified for getting the child into her nightshirt.

  So reluctantly, he went outside and morphed himself into a squirrel. Then waited impatiently on a ledge outside the child’s window as Annie fussed the child awake.

  The child said nothing but accepted a cup of honey water. Soon after, the smell of chamomile tea seeped out the window.

  Still, he waited.

  And still, the child said nothing. She barely acknowledged the serving woman at all.

  Buzzing, buzzing, buzzing.

  Go away!

  When she went to bed, Annie didn’t know why her dress laces were so hard to untie. Forcing her to find help and endure the gasps and giggles of the other girl. “How on earth did you do this?!”

  Finally, the woman left. And Loki slipped inside.

  Em hadn’t laid down. Instead, she stared straight ahead, hands in her lap. Back cradled by a mound of pillows.

  Loki squirmed his way onto her lap and under her hands. She looked down.

  “Where have you been?”

  Her voice was hoarse enough to break his heart. He squirmed more, urging her hand to begin a slow stroke down his silky back.

  “Todd’s a better squirrel than you.”

  He stuck his tongue out at her. “I assure you, I’ve been changing into a squirrel longer than that little beast.”

  Em’s laugh was half-hearted. But it was a laugh. Something inside him relaxed.

  If she could still laugh, then she wasn’t broken.

  “What happened, little human?”

  Immediately, her face crumpled. Haltingly, she told him.

  He hissed under his breath and pulled back his lips in a snarl. Baring squirrel teeth wasn’t as impressive as fangs, but he wasn’t trying to scare anyone.

  He might consider biting someone, though.

  If he did, he’d start with the human Emperor. And end with Em herself. Stupid girl! If she’d just followed his advice and stopped worrying…! Stopped pushing herself so hard… She would never have been in the middle of this mess.

  Tiredly, he leaned his head into her hand.

  “What do I do, Loki?”

  “Sounds as though you’ve already decided.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “I was hoping you’d have other suggestions.”

  He twisted his head to look up at her. Letting a small sigh rattle out of him.

  Humans were so stupid. Even the gods who were full of hate and malice knew that the surest way forward was to follow your intuition. They didn’t sit and doubt themselves constantly. Did I make the right choice? Is this course of action really the best one? Even though I was so sure…?

  Well, he was one to talk.

  He’d been following his intuition for thousands upon thousands of years. And he still had no core.

  Maybe gods were just as stupid.