“What if I don’t want magic?” There is no way I will enter that temple.
“You might not yet be married to my son, but you are now a member of my empire. And everyone in my empire does as I command,” he says, his tone stern but not angry.
“And if I don’t get light?” I ask.
“You will. The gods have told me it is time for the prophecy to be fulfilled.”
“I am not worthy of being part of the prophecy,” I lower my eyes.
“The gods are the only ones who can determine that.”
I face the emperor. “What if I die in the temple?”
“We’ll send in someone else until we find the woman who can match my son.” He smiles, but the words are clearly a threat.
“Then I better not die.” I smile back, knowing the only way to save myself is to make sure he’s dead first.
When the music ends, I curtsy, then leave the dance floor to find my ladies. Antonia and Genevieve are dancing with very handsome, well-dressed men. Charlotte and Katherine are watching, occasionally leaning over to whisper something to one another.
I join them, and they throw a barrage of questions at me about my dance with the emperor. I indulge them and tell them how kind and graceful he was.
A handsome, young member of the Night Legion approaches, and he bows when he reaches us. “Lady Katherine, would you honor me with a dance?”
His face is red, and he holds his hand out expectantly. He’s nervous.
Katherine bats her lashes and giggles. “I would love to dance with you, but I hurt my ankle in the garden yesterday. Charlotte is perfectly healthy, though.”
He moves his hand toward Charlotte. “Lady Charlotte?”
Her cheeks turn deep crimson, and she accepts his hand and the two of them get swept onto the dance floor.
I move closer to Katherine so I can whisper. “Did you leave the message?”
“Yes.”
“We have a new problem, though,” I say.
“I can see that.”
“He said the gods made him immortal to save him after he drank the poison,” I say.
She looks over at me, eyes wide. “He didn’t even go to the temple?”
I shake my head.
Her face pales. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
“He also knows there’s a spy in his court,” I say. “Maybe more than one.”
“We’re going to have to be more careful,” she warns.
“Yes.”
“They want you to kill him,” she says.
“What?” It’s what I want, but Lee warned me against it. “What changed?”
“They don’t think they can get close enough. They need you to do it. And fast.”
