I settled on the only words that left my lips.
“This isn’t what you think.”
Silence.
Then—
A deep, smooth voice laced with amusement.
“Isn’t it?”
I swallowed hard.
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken.” The man’s voice carried a lazy kind of menace. “It’s quite obvious that you’re somewhere you don’t belong.”
A pause.
Then, almost idly?—
“And there’s a penalty for spying.”
My pulse roared.
“Is there?” I forced my voice to stay steady. “And what might that be?”
The answer came swiftly.
“Twenty lashes.”
I fought the instinct to step back.
There was no talking my way out of this.
There was only one thing left to do.
I had to fight.
Slowly—deliberately?—
I turned around.
Chapter 20
Roman
If Raul Costa thought his parties were unique, he had best borrow a page from history.
As a Timeborne, I had seen true depravity.
I had served under Emperor Severus in ancient Rome, where indulgence knew no limits. His gatherings were feasts and rituals, where sacred rites and profane desires were freely exchanged.
Compared to those nights in the palace of Severus, Raul Costa’s masquerade was nothing more than a pale imitation.
I had seen it all before—naked bodies, half-naked bodies, fire swallowers, snake dancers.
But none of it stirred me.
It only tormented me, reminding me of everything I longed for.
