Page 20 of The Sorcerer of Shadowholde

He glanced over at her, his vicious glare softening ever so slightly.

“Why shouldn’t I punish him and the other?”

Punish? What didthatmean?

“Please! Put him down!” Vita’s voice shrilled through the pub, shaky with desperation.

She slid under the arm that held Drusus and looked up at the High Consul, standing her ground between them. Both of her hands pressed against his chest, her eyes pleading.

“Don’t do this, don’t hurt them.”

The High Consul growled, then roughly dropped Drusus to the floor. The guard slumped to his hands and knees as Verian rushed over to check on him.

Vita froze, the High Consul glaring down at her.

“It’s time for you to go home,darling.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the table. She was more than happy to follow, anything to get him away from her friends, but Verian rushed to her side, placing a hand on the High Consul’s shoulder.

“Please, sir, I can take Vita home.”

The High Consul spun around, a vicious snarl on his lips. He glared at Verian as if he were a dog roaming the streets.

“Keep your hands off me, soldier. I am your ruler, and you would do well to remember that. Touch me again, and you will be punished in a way that I promise will not be enjoyable for you.”

Vita just shook her head, willing him to stay behind. She would be fine. The High Consul wouldn’t hurt her. Would he?

He dragged her towards the door, but not before glancing at someone in the tavern. She recognized him, the man from Aonalia, the one with auburn hair and red eyes who’d given her an odd smile from across the feast table. He must be one of the High Consul’s servants.

Had he been spying on her?

Verian stood at the door to the tavern as the High Consul whisked her away into the night, as forlorn as a flower wilting on a stifling summer day.

They walked through the empty streets in silence, and the High Consul had no trouble getting them through the gate, the two young guards hurriedly opening it for them. He still clutched Vita’s arm as they walked down the road to the Praetor’s villa, though dropped it as it became obvious she wasn’t going anywhere.

“How are you feeling, darling?”

His words cut through the dark night like the tinkling of a song. Back to the melodious brightness she remembered from Aonalia, not the hissing hatred from tonight.

If he wanted the truth, she’d give it to him. “I’m confused. Why did you do that back there? Those are… my friends. They wouldn’t hurt me, or force me to do anything I didn’t want.”

The High Consul glanced sidelong at her, but kept his head forward. “Oh, so you wanted to put yourself between them? Let them use you like a common meretrix?”

Vita scoffed. The words were vulgar, but the idea? The idea was something that set every nerve in her body on fire. Still, he had no business speaking to her that way, High Consul or not.

“What Iwantis not any of your concern,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as they walked. The ales were to be blamed for what she said next. “And neither iswhoI let use me.”

The High Consul growled,actually growled, and Vita had to stifle a giggle. Perhaps shedidhave his attention in some way, though she still wasn’t certain if that was what she wanted. He’d come all the way to the tavern for her, after all, had sent a spy to watch her. But what exactly did he expect?

The villa was dark as they approached, a good sign that no one was awake. Her head was starting to clear, though the daze of drink was still very much present.

“I can make it my concern, you know.”

Vita turned to face him as they arrived at her window, not sure what to make of that. She didn’t understand his game, toying with her like a cat playing with a mouse. What right did he have to be possessive of her?

Even as she studied him, trying to understand, an image of Verian’s face refused to fade from her mind, the dejected look he’d given her as she’d walked off with the High Consul.

“Thank you for escorting me,” she said without looking at him, sliding the window open as quietly as possible.

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