Page 124 of Heir of Illusion

“I expected to see your brother here,” he whispers.

The mention of Bel sends a sharp stab of sadness through my heart. “He left. It’s for the best.”

I nearly jump when something warm touches me under the table. Peering down, I subtly lift the tablecloth that covers my lap to find Thorne’s bare hand slipping underneath the slit in my gown. His thumb rubs tiny circles against my thigh, causing my core to clench.

I glare at him, but he doesn’t acknowledge me as he chuckles at something Griffen says. With his other hand he brings his glass to his mouth and takes a sip of his wine. My breath hitches as his tongue darts out to catch a wayward drop clinging to his upper lip.

“Mmm, delicious,” he murmurs.

Everyone in the room carries on with their meal, completely unaware of the inappropriate behavior happening beneath the veil of the white tablecloth. I squirm in my seat as I cross my legs in an attempt to dislodge him. Thorne’s grip tightens, stilling my movements. He keeps his focus on the others, but I spot the faint curve of his lips. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me. My breasts feel heavier as my nipples harden into points. Clearly my body remembers how much it enjoyed his touch.

“There’s a matter we need to discuss,” Baylor announces loudly.

The gentle scraping of silverware against porcelain comes to a halt as everyone turns to the king, but his attention is reserved solely for the God next to me.

“I have a proposal.”

“I’m flattered,” Thorne replies, one brow arching. “But I believe you’re already engaged.”

A cold chuckle forces its way out of Baylor’s mouth, but his eyes are unamused. He keeps his gaze on Thorne as he snags my hand and brings it to his lips. “True,” he whispers against my skin, sending a wave of revulsion through me. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that Iverson will soon be my wife.”

Thorne’s fingers curl into my flesh, possessive but not painful. Tingles skate over my skin, making me shiver.

Baylor lifts a brow. “Cold, pet?”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. Finally, the king releases my hand, and his attention returns to Thorne. “My proposal for you is of a different nature.”

There’s no warmth in the God of Death’s voice when he responds, “I’m listening.”

“We expect to find thealmanovaany day now,” Baylor explains, leaning back in his chair. “The city is closed off, and my soldiers are going door to door. It will be returned to us shortly.”

“I believe we’ve heard that line before,” Fia speaks up, her gaze narrowing on the king. “Didn’t you assure Killian that the sword would be found weeks ago?”

A muscle ticks along Baylor’s jaw. “The task has proven more difficult than we originally anticipated. But we’re confident that will be changing soon.”

“For the sake of your pantries, I hope that’s true,” she warns, referring to the second shipment of grain that will be withheld if we can’t follow through on our end of the bargain.

“Once the sword is in your possession,” Baylor carries on, ignoring Fia as he addresses Thorne. “I want you to do something with it. You see, I’ve got a prisoner who has proved rather difficult to kill, but I believe thealmanovacould take care of that.”

“Forgive me,” Griffen chimes in, “but wasn’t the blade in your possession for many years? Why didn’t you take care of this problem before?”

His upper lip curls. “Circumstances prevented me.”

Baylor doesn’t elaborate any further, raising several questions in my mind.

“So, you want me to use the sword to kill your prisoner?” Thorne asks directly.

“I do.”

The God’s eyes turn hard. “And what do I get in return?”

Baylor crosses his arms, his lips twisting into a thin smile. “I’m assuming my gratitude wouldn’t be enough?”

Thorne shakes his head. “But there is something of yours I’d be interested in.”

Baylor’s eyes flash red as they dart to me, narrowing into slits. “Do tell.”

“I’ll kill your prisoner,” Thorne agrees, surprising me, “ifyou remove Lady Iverson’s collar.”

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