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And yet, in each evening that followed, she found herself a traitor to her own touch.
It was shameful and dirty and, above all, strange. For every time she began by thinking of Jaspar. Of his kind eyes and his warm touch. Of his big body—so soft but so strong. Of him laying a flower in her hair, but rather than pulling away, of him pressing forward against her back. Of him taking her around the waist and running a furry finger delicately against her breasts. Of him running that finger down her body, with him being the one giving her these sensations.
Of him kissing her.
Of him wanting her.
And of her wanting him in return.
And yet, each time, as the feelings built stronger, her mind wandered. For each time, the surging, shaking sensation finishing with the same strange flash—of the woman atop the plinth, licking the slick of pleasure from her fingers.
And with Teigra wondering, just for a moment, what that must have tasted like.
40
AURELIUS
“Oh, what a charming story,” hissed Aurelius, his knuckles straining against the clay mug of grape juice outside the Storming Stallion.
The ancient cow had been prattling on about the old days for an entire fucking hour—about predecessors of the king and long-gone relatives that no one could possibly care about. It was like she had an allergy to speaking about the present occupants of the palace. Of speaking about the prince—what his weaknesses were, where he went to be alone, whether there were any regular guests he had. Of giving him something, anything that might help him with this wretched game!
It had been over a month of this torture.
The wrestling school? The Ardoralia? They had been just the first sips of failure in the great deluge he would guzzle.
At every official engagement, it was the same story. For the most part, the prince wouldn’t even be there. And on the rare occasions he was, the two of them would lock eyes, or steal a few moments to talk.
And there were sparks.
And there were butterflies.
And there was that most delicious conflict in his eyes!
But then he would break away, or Zosime and her goons would find Aurelius, dragging him away and showing him the rough justice he now expected from this stinking backwater.
He sipped the juice through pursed lips, cursing Securia. She had been right—the help here didn’t talk. Aurelius had spent the last four weeks sleazing and flirting and trying to bribe every palace guard and domestic servant he could find, in every drink house and brothel across town. And nothing seemed to loosen their damn lips.
And that Fabulosa snake? With her stupid little riddles? He cursed her just as hard.
He had done the full rounds now, going to every one of the rough pubs in town on a Tuesday night—where one could logically find the heaviest drinkers. Places with fighters and farmers, where there was as much vomit on the ground as hay.
And the prince was nowhere to be seen.
I just have to find a way to get the prince alone! Away from his fighters. Away from his damn sister. And this... ? thought Aurelius, leaning against the crumbling wall of the rank wine den, this time I am onto something. This old bag has worked at the palace since before King Selkus took the throne. She knows something useful. She has to! And before this night is out, I will get it from her.
“You know,” he said in a silken voice, “when I attended the Ardoralia, I just couldn’t bring myself to give my light coin to any of the maidens there. For none was beautiful enough to warrant it.”
“Oh yes?” the old cleaner croaked, swaying a little.
Aurelius clutched her free hand, placing the light wooden stater against her rough palm. “But I don’t need to hold it anymore, Talia, for I have finally found the one woman in all of this polity who is worthy of my worship!”
She looked at it breathlessly, the ghost of long-faded romance haunting her face.
“But no!” he said, turning away dramatically. “I am a fool. For someone as lovely as you must surely have the eye of another. I am sure that even Crown Prince Calix can’t keep his hands away from you.”
“What? Calix?” she snorted. “Hardly. You didn’t hear it from me, but I’ve heard that he’s—”
Without warning, her face went as white as a midday cloud. She stumbled, dropping her cup and running away into the night.
