A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) (40 page)
Read A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) Online
Authors: Crista McHugh
Her mentor nodded, and she concealed the knife back under her tunic. “Just so we understand each other, Governor.”
She turned to her former mentor. “Although I wonder why you asked for me, I’m even more curious how you cheated death, Cassius.”
“What was the third rule I taught you?”
She closed her eyes and recalled her lessons during her first weeks with him. “Never believe someone is dead until you hear their heart stop beating.”
“And you were gullible enough to believe I was killed by Barbarians.”
“There wasn’t a body for me to examine.” A fist formed in her stomach. She’d been fooled by her mentor. “Why didn’t you contact me to let me know you survived?”
“As much as I’d love to continue this warm reunion,” Pontus interrupted, “I have more important matters to discuss. Shall we talk business?” He poured a glass of wine and sank into one of the cushioned chairs.
She declined the glass of wine Cassius offered her and sat in a chair across from the men. “Why did you summon me here?”
“I have a job for you. It will not be simple. I’d originally wanted Cassius for it, but now he tells me he’s retired from the assassination business.”
Cassius shrugged, holding his palms up long enough for her to notice the violet tinged to them. His tunic was well made, but simple, making him appear to be a typical middle-aged Elymanian plantation owner. “Sometimes a man finds happiness in the simple things in life. Like growing grapes.”
“Pathetic,” Pontus sneered.
“If your hands were smeared with as much blood as mine, you’d grab happiness however you could find it.”
Azurha glanced down at her own hands. She’d lost count of how many people she’d killed over the years. Despite his warning to harden her heart if she wanted to make a career of this, she still felt moments of remorse for the countless faces that stared up at her in death when she was finished with them.
Cassius caught her reaction and gave her a sad smile. He’d once told her he regretted turning her into what she was, but she’d laughed at him then. Being a killer was an improvement over what she had been subjected to as a slave.
She erased any emotion from her face. “What do you have in mind for me, Pontus?”
He leaned back in his chair and took another sip of wine. “First, I need to know what we discuss never leaves this room.”
“We survive on discretion,” Cassius replied.
“True. To reveal what we are would be suicide.” She wound one of her dark curls around her finger while the other hand rested over the hilt of her knife. “Who do you want dead?”
“I’ll get to that. Second, I need to know that you bear no loyalty to the Empire.”
She laughed. “As I’m sure Cassius has told you, I was born an Alpirion slave. I have no love for the Empire. As far as I’m concerned, you Deizians can return to the sun you came from and burn.”
“I told you she would be perfect, Pontus. Why would you doubt me after all these years?”
Her blood chilled. There was more to this meeting than she had first thought. How far did her mentor and the governor go back? “Are we going to talk in riddles, or are you going to tell me what you’re planning?”
Pontus raised a brow at her impertinence. “The latest news from Emona is that Emperor Decius will not live to see the next full moon.”
“If he’s already on his deathbed, why do you want me to hasten him to the afterlife?”
“I’m content to let nature take its course with him. The person I wish for you to kill is his son, Sergius.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Murdering a member of the Imperial family, especially the heir to the throne, is no simple task. No weapons are allowed inside the Emperor’s chambers. That is, if you can find a way to gain entrance at all.”
Cassius steepled his fingers under his chin. “You’re a clever girl, Azurha. I’ve taught you plenty of ways to kill someone without a conventional weapon. And as for gaining access to the palace, Governor Pontus has an idea for that.”
“Oh?”
This should prove interesting
.
“According to tradition, when a new Emperor takes the throne, the provincial governors send gifts of tribute in honor of his coronation. Usually, things like gold, fine linen, or rare spices. But nobles have also been known to make contributions to the new Emperor’s harem.”
Azurha shot up to her feet. After the hell her master had put her through, why would Cassius even consider her for this? “Absolutely not. I refuse to be a sex slave for the Emperor.”
She was almost to the door when Cassius caught her and pressed a blade just under her ribs. “Sit down and hear us through, Rabbit.”
Funny how quickly he could turn on her when it came to business. Every muscle in her body tightened while she weighed her options—kill them or agree to the plan. From what little she’dheard, this plan sounded like madness. She should kill them now before they coerced her into participating in it.
You’ll never find a knot you can’t unravel
.
“Yes, please let me finish. My contribution to his harem is only a ruse to allow you close access to Sergius. From there, you can decide how far you wish to allow the games to proceed, so long as he ends up dead.”
“And then?”
“You will have earned the gratitude of the next Emperor.”
The air rushed out of her lungs. Just as she had suspected—this was far more than just an assassination. This was a political coup that would place Pontus on the throne as a surviving member of
the Imperial Family. “You already know I bear no love for the Empire. Why should I trade one tyrant for another?”
His laughter sounded too musical to be sane. “Because if you don’t kill him, one of the other ruling families will hire someone else to do it. Sergius spent far too much of his youth studying philosophy instead of warcraft. His ideas for what he wishes to accomplish during his reign are interesting at best. Most of us consider them far too radical and fear the Empire will crumble if he imposes them.”
“And how is this a bad thing? If the Empire falls, my people will be free once again.”
“No, amidst the chaos caused by his plans, the lowest among us will be the first to suffer. That includes the slaves. Sergius is weak. From what I’ve seen, his magic is not even strong enough to maintain the barrier against the Barbarians.”
Azurha let his words sink in. The Emperor’s primary duty was to maintain the magical shield that encased the Empire and kept outsiders like the Barbarians from attacking. If Sergius was really as weak as Pontus suggested, perhaps it would be a blessing for everyone if she killed him.
Cassius released her arm and stepped back. “Listen to what he proposes, and you will see Pontus has the stability of the Empire at heart.”
“If you can help me, Azurha, I will make sure you are properly rewarded. You’ll want for nothing the rest of your life.”
The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her mind screamed at her to walk away. “And how long would my life be once I’ve served your purpose?”
“I give you my word that if you succeed, you’ll live to see your grandchildren playing around your ankles.”
The prospect of living a life of leisure overcame her hesitations. This could be her last job, the one that made her rich enough to buy a life of obscurity. “You’ll bear witness to this, Cassius?”
“On my life and honor.”
She snickered. “There’s no honor in you, but I know you jealously guard your life.”
“Then are you agreed to it?” Pontus leaned forward, greed dancing his cool blue eyes.
She settled back into her chair. “Almost, Governor Gurges. Explain your plan to me.”
“As I mentioned before, I offer you as a gift to the harem. As one of his concubines, you will have greater access to the palace in Emona than most members of the Imperial Family. When Sergius summons you to his chambers, you do what you do best.”
She exhaled slowly. She wouldn’t have to become the Emperor’s whore. It was all a cover. “And you think the Emperor will find me suitable to summon to his bed?”
“My dear,
I’d
summon you to my bed if I didn’t know how deadly you were.” Pontus stared at her as if he was picturing her naked. His cold smile made her skin crawl. “Of course, you’ll need appropriate attire for an Imperial concubine, which I will supply, as well as some instruction on how to please the Emperor.”
“Which you will supply, too, I assume?” She ground her teeth together.
“In theory only, naturally, unless you would like hands-on instruction.”
“I’d prefer not.” She turned to her mentor and searched his face. “Why did you choose me? Surely you know other female assassins.”
“Because you’re the one person that could carry it out, Rabbit.”
Could she carry out the guise of pretending to be the Emperor’s whore? Flashbacks of the pain and humiliation she suffered at the hand of her former master filled her mind, of her bleeding wrists bound above her head while he and his friends look their liberties with her. She belonged to no man now and never would.
Anger warmed her blood, and she swallowed the lump of doubt caught in her throat. She could easily kill the next man that tried to take advantage of her. Let them offer her to the Emperor. His blood would stain his sheets before the sun rose.
“When do I leave for Emona?”
Praise For Crista McHugh
A SOUL FOR TROUBLE
“Book one in the Soulbearer trilogy, this fantastical romance is completely different from the myriad of others out there. It’s a great book that pits Trouble against Chaos — two characters that all readers will want to visit again and again!”
— 4 1/2 STARS, RT Book Reviews
THE TEARS OF ELIOS
“The first thing that came to mind upon finishing this book is, ‘Holy Crap! Is that it?!’ I did not want this book to end.”
— Starcrossed Reviews
A WALTZ AT MIDNIGHT
“I love this story! I didn’t expect it to be so entrancing and captivating… A WALTZ AT MIDNIGHT is a great romantic story with engaging characters that I didn’t wish to end… A must read for romance lovers!”
—The Romance Reviews
HEART OF A HUNTRESS
“Warning: you will not want to put this book down once you start.”
— Happily Ever After Reviews
ANGELIC SURRENDER
“The author did such a great job creating my ideal hero that I found myself thinking about him for days.”
— Whipped Cream Reviews
KISS OF TEMPTATION
“As Ms. McHugh moves on with her writing of
The Kavanaugh Foundation
, I found this story even more spell binding than first two books.”
— Literary Nymph Reviews
CAT’S EYES
“…an excellent plot with oodles of action and suspense. I could not put it down.”
— Just Erotic Romance Reviews
“This is a well-paced, enjoyable read complete with action, suspense, humor, and hot sex.”
— Night Owl Reviews
THE ALCHEMY OF DESIRE
“Crista McHugh did an incredible job of drawing me into the world of magic, steampunk, and old west that she created.”
— Wakela Runen’s World
DANNI’S BOY
“What I liked most about this short story is the fact the main characters, Danni and Ryan, are “real” people… highly engaging and enjoyable.”
— Whipped Cream Reviews
PROVOKING THE SPIRIT
“I loved the twists and turns the author threw at me while I was reading and felt my heart racing in my chest numerous times as I was flipping the pages… Overall, this is a fantastic story that’s worth picking up!”
— Night Owl Reviews
Books by Crista McHugh
The Soulbearer Trilogy
A Soul For Trouble
A Soul For Vengeance
(Spring 2013)
Other titles by Crista McHugh
The Alchemy of Desire
“A Waltz at Midnight”
Cat’s Eyes
“Danny’s Boy”
“Provoking the Spirit”
The Tears of Elios
Tangled Web
The Kavanaugh Foundation series:
Heart of a Huntress
, Book 1
Angelic Surrender
, Book 2
“A High Stakes Game”, Book 2.5 (a free read)
Kiss of Temptation
, Book 3
Night of the Huntress
(Print Anthology of Books 1 and 2)
Table of Contents