Page 14 of The Sorcerer of Shadowholde

With a click, she turned the latch and let it swing open, somehow already knowing who would be standing there.

The Praetor’s hand shot to the wood so she couldn’t slam it shut, even if she wanted to. With a sneer, he pushed his way in, locking it before pressing her against the wall.

“Why did the High Consul ask you to dance?” His voice was quiet, but full of the hate and anger she expected.

The Domina had dragged him to their shared room last night when they arrived home from the palace. Vita knew he had wanted to question her then, but he obeyed his wife, who was drunk on wine and gossip.

Amulius held her waist with one hand, fingers digging into her side as the other wrapped around her throat.

With wide eyes and a shaky voice, she responded. “I do not know, sir.”

“Don’t lie, girl. I saw the way he put his hands on you.” His eyes roved over her body as he licked his lips. “Did you let him fuck you in the garden?”

Her employer’s words jolted her, like lightning had struck. Vita shook her head furiously, trying to form sentences, words, anything. She wasn’t an innocent flower, but nothing had happened with the High Consul.

“No, Praetor Amulius, he just… showed me a view of the mountains. That’s all.”

That wasn’tquiteall, but it was the truth. Nothing of a physical nature had transpired between them.

He hummed, clearly not pleased with her response.

The birdsong was just beginning to filter in through her window as he grasped her tunic and dragged it up, slowly revealing her bare legs. Vita squirmed against him, but he restrained her with vicious power. Still sensitive with the afterglow of her orgasm, she quivered as he brushed his fingers up her thigh.

“You could never be the High Consul’s because you belong to me, lovely Vita. Do you understand?”

She nodded, eyes wide with fear, gripping her fingers against the wall behind her.

“Good girl.”

Darkness closed in as he pressed his rough lips against hers, smothering her with a rancorous kiss. He smelled of coffee and muskas he wiped his tongue across her mouth, though she held it shut as tightly as possible.

His hand tangled into her raven hair, and his other held her tunic, fingers dangerously close to her still slick entrance. Vita held her breath, not wanting to open her mouth to him, praying to any Gods listening to make him stop.

Someone must have heard her, because a moment later, he withdrew. His eyes still blazed with lust, though he let the hem of her tunic drop to the ground. A hand returned to her throat.

“You are mine, Vita.”

Amulius was gone as quickly as he had come, though his words rang in her ears.

She slumped to the ground in a heap and tried to focus. One breath in, one breath out. Why couldn’t a power surge come along when she really needed it?

All her life, Vita had wished for control over her magic. A taboo, one that could get her imprisoned if others found out, and yet the surges were exhilarating, producing ice or flames with just her own power. Mariana had tried to help as best as she could, but she was not a mage herself.

As far as she knew, magic was rare, though it would be impossible to identify who possessed it unless they made themselves obvious. Aurora Delphi was the only other she knew for certain who had the curse, though the woman seemed to have deft control over her powers. Perhaps there were more like them out there, more than Vita had originally thought.

There was a rumor that Emperor Numerius was paranoid about threats to his rule, which was why he’d made the edict in the first place. There was an even more controversial rumor that he’d been in love with a sorcerer, one who had broken his heart and forced his act of revenge on all who had magic.

Thoughts of the purge that occurred all those decades ago made Vita sick to her stomach, even though she’d only ever read second-hand accounts. It had started in the capital city and spread to the otherprovinces, mages jailed or killed for using powers that had been legal just weeks ago.

After all these years, Vita still didn’t know what incited her surges, though often it was clearly from moments of intense emotion.

She could have used one just a moment ago; the flame hands would have been perfect for Praetor Amulius. Perhaps even worth whatever punishment she would have received.

What shedidknow was that she needed to see Verian as soon as possible. There was so much to tell him.

Vita let out a deep breath and stood up, trying to put the horrific morning behind her. The sun was coming up, and it was time to start her day.

CHAPTER 7

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