Page 13 of The Sorcerer of Shadowholde

“Y-Yes, High Consul, you are right.”

“I trust you can find your way back.”

His words caused Vita’s heart to sink even further, the excitement of the evening vanished. He looked away, eyes watching the mountains like a sentinel. He said no more as she stepped backwards, then turned and hurried towards the palace, her mind racing.

Why was she acting so surprised? He was the High Consul of Shadowholde, the leader of the city, and she was a mere servant. It was foolish to think the dance had meant anything. This wasn’t one of her fairy stories.

Shame filled Vita as she entered the palace, reluctant to find Amulius after all that had transpired.

CHAPTER 6

Vita

VITA AWOKE EARLY THE next morning, lying in her bed as she blinked her eyes open.

The High Consul.

He was the first thing on her mind as she woke, and the last she had thought about as she fell asleep late last night.

The cart ride home had been strained, the Praetor’s normal lascivious smile replaced with a fierce glare. Domina Amulius seemed not to notice, tittering on about what each guest had worn and how terrible the décor had been. Typical.

The entire ride, Vita’s head swam with thoughts of the High Consul.Renatus.

The brush of his fingers against her cheek, the depth of his gaze, that smirk, not lewd like Amulius, but full of secrets.

What had she done to offend him?

Vita was not typically someone who had trouble catching—and holding—the attention of a man. It had taken years, but she’d mastered that coquettish gaze, bespeaking propriety with an undercurrent of somethingsensual.

For one, it was fun. Flirting was fun, new partners were fun. There was a thrill in catching the eye of an attractive person, knowing she had the power to get what she wanted from them. Nothing nefarious, of course, just a kiss or a romantic evening. If she desired something serious, she was certain she could get that as well. More than one suitor had come calling after a night with her.

There was also the fact that it got her out of trouble on more than one occasion. Bat your eyelashes and you could have a man eating out of the palm of your hand. It was the privilege of being pretty and knowing how to use it. Wield it like a sword.

A privilege that had helped her on more than one occasion.

Not that she wastryingto catch the High Consul’s attention. She just didn’t realize what she had done wrong, had thought she was being perfectly polite.

Dawn was near as Vita tiptoed out of bed to grab one of her journals. She had some time before she needed to start her morning duties, before the sun rose over the misty hills, and after last night she had an interesting idea for a scene. With the correct journal in hand, she returned to bed with her quill, placing the inkpot on the side table, ready to write.

The handsome princeps, leading the fair maiden through the rose garden. His lips on hers, gentle, but passionate. He takes her to the ground as the dew-soaked grass seeps through her dress. His icy fingers teasing their way up her thighs and back down as he pulls her undergarments away. His mouth, planting kisses on her private area while his tongue lashes out…

Vita scribbled furiously, a heat welling in her core, though it wasn’t from a surge of power. No, this heat was something she knew well. Something she understood.

A satisfied smile curled her lips as she finished the scene, that simple seed blossoming into a tangle of roses. Vita set the journal on the table and bit her lip as she reached beneath her underclothes.

She thought of High Consul Renatus, picturing his lips mere inches from hers as she brushed her fingers against her entrance, body already flooding with pleasure. Eyes closed, she tried to remember the sharpness of his jaw, the curve of his nose, the luxury of his lips. She wondered how he would taste, how he would feel pressed against her, his mouth on hers.

Vita stretched a finger in with a whimper, then another, as visions of the High Consul flooded her mind. Rubbing rhythmically, she found herself already close to release, the pressure on her clit dotting her vision. What would it be like to have him on top of her, shrouding her, becoming one with her? She gasped at the electric current that shot out from her center.

The waves of pleasure came over her quicker than she expected, an explosion of white light flashing as her whole body tensed with a stifled moan.

It took a few minutes for her breathing to return to normal.

Obviously, last night had affected her more than she wished to admit. Her heart tugged at the fact that she would very likely never see him again.

Renatus.

Vita startled as a knock echoed at her door. It was still dark outside, too early for her normal morning duties. She hid the journal under her pillow and slipped out of bed, aware of how bare she was in only her ivory underclothes. Not quite see-through, but definitely too sheer for polite company. She grabbed a simple tunic, throwing it on before padding to the door.

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