Page 184 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“The general will see you,” he replies. He must have gotten approval via a mental link.

With a nod, I wait for them to open the doors and stride inside.

A long staircase leads to a lower level. On my way, I encounter more soldiers who ask me for my identity before letting me pass through another set of doors, and then I go down another staircase.

After I repeat the process three times, I finally arrive to the level where the general’s quarters are.

A soldier greets me.

“This way. The general will allow you ten minutes of his precious time. Make sure to state your purpose clearly,” he advises.

I bite back a rude remark since it does not bode well for me to get into conflict with his soldiers before seeing the general. Still, the stringent rules are yet another reminder that this branch of the military does things differently.

The soldier scans his energy signature against another set of doors. As they open, he doesn’t follow me inside, merely inclining his head for me to go in.

There is a large pool in the middle of the room, the water a deep red. The walls in this room are a dark gray, and evenly spaced around the room are statues of the fourteen Primordials.

As I pass by the pool, there are two velvet sofas and a table, and to my surprise, I notice a female lying on one of them, only a red satin sheet covering her naked body. She doesn’t seem surprised to see me as she pops a bite of food in her mouth. She gives me a smile, undulating her body as if she were unashamed of her nakedness.

I gulp down.

That is…something. A bad something.

Although I am aware there are males in Aperion who engage in affairs with courtesans and other lowly females, I’ve never seen someone be so forward about it—particularly a general who should be setting an example.

In the second half of the room, the walls are covered in bookshelves, and in the middle, there is a study with golden carvings of historical Aperite events. Behind the desk, there is another set of locked doors.

Yet the most surprising thing is that the general is not here.

I half turn to question the female when the doors open and the general strides forward. I only get a brief peek inside the other chamber and spot a large bed, which would suggest those are the general’s private rooms.

None of the generals in my branch of the army have personal rooms within the military base. As far as I know, not even Commander Azerius, but that’s most likely because everyone would be too uncomfortable to be around him at all times.

The general stops when he sees me, his eyes narrowed to two slits.

He’s wearing a black satin pair of trousers and a half buttoned shirt.

“Miss An’yan, was it?” he asks in a bored voice.

“Yes, General.”

“I heard you had something to say to me?”

“Yes, I?—”

He makes a motion to stop me. He walks around the study, grabs a glass, and pours himself a drink. He asks me if I would like one, too, and since it’s not polite to decline, I nod.

He hands me a glass, then waits.

I stare down at the blue liquid and the smell of alcohol drifts up my nostrils: Aperitetringos, a strong but expensive Aperite alcoholic beverage. I’ve had it before, but I can’t say I liked it. Now, with his eyes focused on me, I force a sip.

“You were saying?” he continues, a sly smile spreading on his face.

“We’ve been conducting a mission in Anthropa and?—”

He stops me again.

“Last I heard, you were about to be married? To Theron of House of Pyros?”

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