“Yes, show them in,” a deep voice said.
The servant exited, then bowed. “You may go in.”
Nex swept past the man, slapped him on the shoulder, and said, “Thanks.”
The guy was still grimacing when Rath and I walked by. He closed the door behind us.
Do not gawk. Do not gawk. Do not gawk, I chanted in my mind as I glanced around.
One look was all I allowed myself. The study was more like a library, with a desk at one end, a fireplace at the other, and a horde of books lining the shelves between. Dark wood, moss-green velvet, and marble-topped tables. The hardwood floor was covered by precisely placed area rugs, woven with intricate designs, and every piece of wood was carved, even the ceiling beams. Yep, I got all that in one glance. Then I saw him.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
I knew the Emperor was Varraen and that he had purple hair—it's the reason the shade is called royal purple. But that was all I knew about him. That meager description failed to impart his masculine beauty. The sheer perfection of his face. The lines of his powerful body. The Corrupter was beautiful in an almost feminine way, but the Emperor . . . he was the apex of masculine handsomeness. The absolute tippy top of Mt. Good Looking. His face was what every male face wished it could be. A nose not too wide or too long, just right. Blunt tip to go with his square jaw. High cheekbones. Deep purple brows arching over eyes the color of ancient gold.
His hair wasn't just purple either. It flowed in a wavy river over his broad shoulders, lightening as it went until it became lavender. A hint of his sculpted chest peeped through the V of his tunic—a surprisingly simple, black tunic—but with the way the material clung to him, I could easily imagine what the rest of him looked like. Then he stood up.
“Dear Goddess,” I whimpered.
A little line appeared between the Emperor's brows as his stare settled on my face. He came around his massive desk and cocked his head at me. But I couldn't process the quizzical look he gave me. I was too fascinated by his height—a good foot taller than Varraen were supposed to get. The man was enormous in the best possible way. I would have happily climbed that mountain of a man or worshiped at his feet.
“Oh, shit! Am I supposed to kneel?” I blurted.
The Emperor of Varr burst into laughter, his hair dancing around him as his face became even more handsome.
“No, you don't have to kneel,” Rath said. “Your Imperial Majesty, this is Ember . . .” He looked at me. “Uh, what's your surname?”
“I'm Ember Aldritch of Fress, Your Imperial Majesticness.” I bowed. “It's a great honor to meet you.”
The Emperor chuckled again and took my hand to shake it. “It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ember Aldritch.” Then he looked at Rath and Nex. “Although, I'm not surewhyI'm meeting you.”
“Sire, this man, thishuman, was at the village we were just summoned to,” Rath said.
“He has magic!” Nex blurted.
Grimacing, Rath shook his head.
“Magic?” The Emperor stopped smiling. “What kind of magic?”
“All of them, Your Majesty,” Rath said. “All but Spirit, we think.”
“You think? You don't know if he has Spirit?”
“He did not display any Spirit Magic.”
“But he used all the other elements?”
“Yes, Sire,” Nex said. “And he turned the Corrupter into a statue!”
“Could you let me finish my report, Nex?” Rath growled.
“A statue?” The Emperor went still. “Are you saying he's dead?”
“No, Your Imperial Majesty,” Rath said. “I was engaged in combat with the Corrupter when Ember stepped in and assisted me. Afterward, he told me that he sensed I would die without his aid.”
“He what?” Nex gaped from Rath to me. “You saved Rath's life?”
I shrugged. “It was just a feeling. I was probably wrong.”
