Ensnared (Sorcery and Science Book 5) (23 page)

But there were bigger issues at the moment. Much as Aaron loathed the monotony that was sure to come with the title of emperor, he yearned infinitely more for the power it would bestow. He could change the Selpe Empire, lead it to the realization of its true potential. The thought was utterly intoxicating.

The Advisory Council would side with him. Lord Adrian had already guaranteed that. However, there was still the matter of the rest of the ruling nobles, most of whom seemed positively infatuated with Veronica’s supposed charm.

Speaking of the witch, she would be arriving shortly in Orion aboard her private luxury airship, a gaudy toy adorned with so much gold and diamonds that it was a wonder the thing could lift off the ground. After over a week of flying around the empire on her latest sweet-talking tour, Veronica had finally come to Orion to stalk everyone of any importance, bombarding them with her usual arsenal of compliments and flurry of silly air kisses.

“Aaron, darling, how
are
you doing?” she asked all too cheerfully as she clasped his shoulders with her black-gloved hands.

He tried to remember this was war, and she was the enemy, but it took all he had not to burst out laughing at her ridiculous outfit. She had selected a tight-sleeved peacock blue and green dress cut halfway up her thighs in front, exposing her knee-high, high-heeled shiny black boots, one tied with a blue ribbon, the other with green. The dress fanned out in cascades of heavy fabric, dropping to a long train that slithered across the ground behind her as she walked. From her shoulders rose what could only be described as a semi-dome of stiff, iridescent material, extending up to the base of her head. Her dark hair had been twisted and contorted into some indistinguishable shape and adorned with enough gems, feathers, and decorative combs for a dozen women. On the very top, situated in the nest of hair, was a gold wire-framed hat whose odd shape most resembled antlers. And it was draped with sagging strings of diamonds. Aaron was no stranger to the sways of fashion, but this outfit was outright ridiculous. Even by Orion standards.

“Veronica,” he nodded.

“Oh, you never were one much for conversation, were you?” she commented with a smile, taking his arm.

“No, I’m more of a ‘stab them and they’re dead’ sort of person,” he said drily.

At this, she giggled like a twelve-year-old. “Aaron, you are such a
hoot
. Really you are. Remind me to keep you around when I’m empress. I often find myself in need of a good laugh.”

“Assuming you become empress,” said Aaron.

“Well, that’s not really even a question, is it? Oh, Aaron dear, don’t you see? This whole proceeding is just a formality. What I mean to say is, who is better suited to sit at the head of the Selpe Empire: a refined, level-headed lady trained in the arts of negotiation and social nuances, or a hot-tempered boy whose last bath—forgive me—seems to have been taken in blood?” she posed, plugging her nose as she looked at him. “The choice is clear.”

Aaron didn’t respond, but as he left her at the entrance to the restaurant, he lifted his arm very discreetly and took a sniff. Sure, he’d just been working out, but he did not smell
that
bad. Even so, he would be showering before the gathering of nobles that evening.

* * *

526AX August 23, Orion

“She is nothing but a silly, superficial girl,” Lord Adrian fumed.

“But?” Aaron asked him.

“But she has nonetheless managed to win over the support of half of the Selpe nobility,” he admitted.

It was only two hours until the evening’s gala, when the forty ruling lords and ladies would meet to speak with Aaron and Veronica. It was the first of many social gatherings that would eventually conclude with the selection of the Selpe Empire’s new head. Lord Adrian had come to Aaron’s room fifteen minutes ago to discuss their strategy, but thanks to his incessant pacing he’d done little more than draw lines of scratches into the glossy cherrywood floor.

“The time I have spent working on this, putting all the pieces into place for you to take the throne, and that wretched woman…she…she…”

“She’s just better at it,” Aaron finished for him.

“Well, thank you for that,” grumbled Lord Adrian, running a hand through his silver-grey hair. “Yes, she’s better at it, ok? But she has done nothing else but garner support since Ambrose Selpe was murdered and his sons kidnapped three months ago. I, on the other hand, have had other things on my plate—like actually taking care of my territory. They don’t rule themselves, you know.”

“Where do we stand?” Aaron asked him.

“You have the support of the Council. Well, assuming that stubborn old bat Rosalind doesn’t abstain, as she’s been threatening to do. But I think you’ll get her. As for King River, who knows what he will vote. He doesn’t much like you—and he’s quite upset with the both of us at the moment—but from the way he speaks of Veronica, he dislikes her even more. So, I think you’ll get his vote too,” he replied. “As for the other nobles, the way it stands now you’re sure to get Rowe, Meadows, and
Crimson
. Their lands all border the Avans, and consequently understand the need for a strong ruling hand, not some wishy-washy missy who will invite Sarah Avan over for tea and biscuits.”

That was exactly the sort of thing Veronica would do. The two ladies would probably spend the entirety of their meeting comparing ridiculous hats. Aaron chuckled at the image.

Lord Adrian met the chuckle with a hard look. He obviously didn’t think it was the least bit funny. “You’ll also get Kempton,” he said. “He’s still quite upset about the attack on his capital city of Decia, but he’s pleased with the swift response you initiated against the Revs. The other twenty-five are still up in the air. Veronica has been working her charms on them, but I think you may still come out on top. News of the capture of Jason Chanz is beginning to reach my colleagues’ ears, and they are impressed. He was supposed to be uncatchable. I’m already working on making them think this was your doing.”

“It
was
my doing.”

“Yes, of course. We just need to make sure everyone knows it. They all live in fear of Jason Chanz. They will support an emperor who has proven himself both strong and cunning. You will need to convince them that you are one such man.”

“Thank you for your support, Lord Adrian. Now, I should start readying myself for tonight.”

Lord Adrian nodded. “As should I.” He turned and walked out of the room.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Aaron crossed his living room and passed into the bathroom. He stepped out of his sport shoes and walked barefoot across the cool marble surface. Rows of tiny square tiles in three shades of blue covered the walls, punctuated by a border of jet blue tiles at eye level.

He passed the hot tub, large enough to comfortably seat four. Set atop a low platform, the tub was the central point of the bathroom. A neatly folded pale blue towel was draped over the two layers of steps that led up to it. Aaron had lived many exhilarating moments in that tub—but not today. His destination was the shower. He had no intention of suffering hours of Veronica’s snide comments and upturned nose. That evening, no one would be able to fault either his appearance or smell. Perhaps, when this was all over, his beloved would join him for a dip in the tub. As he stripped out of his bodysuit and turned on the hot water, he smiled at the thought.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

~
The Prisoner ~

526AX November 4, Orion

SOFT FOOTSTEPS CREPT up behind Isis. Hands brushed past her shoulders, trying to lock her into a tight hold. She grabbed her assailant’s arm and flipped him over her shoulder. A loud smack told her that his back had hit the floor. Her foot found his chest, and she tore the blindfold from her eyes to find Aaron lying on the mat. He winked at her and pushed off his hands to jump up, but she kept her foot in place. He smacked against the mat a second time.

“This isn’t really working,” he commented, rubbing his head. “I think you need more than just a blindfold.”

“You’re the one who insisted that I spar with you,” Isis replied.

She released her foot and stepped back, but Aaron didn’t stand up. He shifted his weight to lean on one arm and rolled onto his side. As he looked up at her, a wide grin spread across his face. He licked the blood from his lips, which were still dripping from his last attempt to sneak up on her. His eyes shone with equal amounts of amusement and exhilaration. Trust a Diamond Edge to get a high off of being back-flopped.

“Yes, I did,” he agreed, extending his free hand up toward her.

Sighing, Isis grabbed a hold of his hand to pull him up. She released it as soon as he was on his feet, but it was not soon enough to avoid the squeeze he gave her before walking over to the weapon stands at the edge of the mat. He selected a coil of white rope, then returned to her.

“I am not a doll you can just play with as you wish,” Isis told him as he wrapped the rope around her hands, binding them together.

Aaron finished the job with a tight knot. “Of course not. You are a marvelous woman and a superb fighter.” He looked up from the knot and met her eyes with a warm smile free from his usual flourish of overdone confidence. “You just need someone to remind you of that.”

Isis hadn’t done much of anything since her return to Orion. For the past two months, she’d gone through the motions—done everything that was expected of her to fulfill Davin’s end of the deal. She’d been Aaron’s date at more parties than she could count, flashing hundreds of fake smiles at hundreds of members of the Selpe aristocracy. She’d stood silently beside Aaron, holding to his arm like a piece of Elition eye candy as he boasted to them of his triumph, the capture of the world’s deadliest assassin.

She hadn’t trained. She hadn’t socialized. She hadn’t even seen Ariella since the day of her arrival. She had eaten little and slept less. When she looked into the mirror, she saw only a ghost—a pale, thin ghost who would soon waste away into nothingness. Forget the blindfolds and the ropes. In another few weeks, Aaron would be able to blow her over with a simple sneeze.

“I don’t want to fight,” she told him. There was no fight left in her.

He set his hands on her shoulders. “You can do this.”

The blindfold fell over her eyes, blacking out the world. Isis heard Aaron’s bare feet track back several paces, then begin to circle around her. He was well-trained, moving more quietly than any human she had ever met. His steps would have been silent to human ears. Unfortunately, she couldn’t help but hear him, nor could she simply stand there and not fight, much as she wanted to.

She turned slowly, tracking the sound of his movements. For years, it had been drilled into her until it was instinct. Her heart rate picked up, anxiety racing in her veins. She was blind and bound. She was vulnerable.

Isis turned quickly to meet a rustle of movement, and just barely sidestepped Aaron in time. She heard him turn to stay facing her. Before he could move again, she lifted her bound hands, gouging him hard. She felt her thumb meet his collarbone, and he stumbled back.

“Good,” he grunted.

In a few awkward movements of her bound hands, Isis managed to pull the blindfold off her eyes. Aaron was doubled up, his face contorted with pain.

“Are you all right?” she asked, stepping forward. She hadn’t heard the bone break, but she had to be sure. It would be a lot more than her own life on the line if something happened to him.

“Fine,” he said, straightening slowly. He untied the white rope, his fingers lingering at her wrists. “See? I knew you could do it.” Smiling, he brushed the hair from her face. “There’s life left in you yet.”

“I should be going,” she said, looking away from his intense stare.

Aaron caught her arm as she moved away. “Wait.” He held to her until she met his eyes again. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For hurting you,” he replied.

Isis said nothing. She watched as he returned everything they’d used to the racks. She didn’t move until he tugged her forward.

“Hit me,” he said, standing before her. “Tell me you want to kill me.” His voice wavered. “Tell me you hate me. I deserve it all.”

Isis took a deep breath. The offer was tempting. “No.”

“No? Aren’t you angry?”

She shook her head. “I’m not anything right now. Not anymore. I’m just…numb.”

“I thought this would make me happy,” he said. “But it feels so empty. So completely hollow.”

“I have done everything you’ve asked,” she protested. “You cannot kill—”

He held up his hand. “I won’t hurt them. No one will,” he promised, cupping his hands around hers. “It’s not your fault. I can’t make you love me.”

“Then let me go,” she pleaded.

He stared at her for so long that Isis almost dared to hope he was considering it. “No,” he finally said. “I cannot. The thought of
him
with you…it makes me murderous,” he growled. “I am a horrible, selfish man. I want you all for myself. I’m sorry.”

She raised her hand to strike him—then froze. The eyes of a dozen Diamond Edges glared down on her from the windows looking over the gym. If she struck him now, she could hardly claim it was just training. Aaron followed her gaze up to the viewing area.

“Thanks to you, Jason will never forgive me for what I have done,” Isis said, lowering her hand.