Page 15 of Seas and Scepters

"Miss Selene?Begging your pardon, but there's a gentleman downstairs asking for you specifically."

My heart lurched."The same gentleman from last night?"

"Aye, miss.Seems quite eager to see you again, if I may say so."

I stared at my reflection in the looking-glass, seeing a stranger's face looking back at me.The pale skin, the too-bright eyes, the reddened lips still slightly swollen from last night's kisses.This wasn't who I was supposed to be.I was a predator, a creature of power and ancient magic.I wasn't supposed to feel this flutter of anticipation at seeing him again.

"Tell him I'll be down shortly," I said.

Thomas nodded and disappeared, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.This was it—another opportunity to complete my mission.I could take him somewhere private, away from the brothel's protective atmosphere.I could find a way to get him alone by the water, where I might still have enough of my old power to give me an advantage.

Instead, I found myself reaching for my finest gown—a confection of emerald silk that Madam Lydia insisted brought out my eyes.My hands shook slightly as I fastened the tiny pearl buttons, nerves and anticipation warring within me.

When I descended the stairs, I found Eirik waiting in the private parlor that Madam Lydia reserved for her most distinguished clients.He was dressed more casually than the night before, in dark wool and leather that made him look younger, less burdened by the weight of the crown.

His face lit up when he saw me, and the genuine pleasure in his expression made my breath catch.

"You came back," I said, unable to keep the surprise from my voice.

"I couldn't stay away," he replied, his voice rough with honesty."I tried.I told myself it was foolish, that I was asking for trouble, but..."He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to touch my cheek with infinite gentleness."I couldn't stop thinking about you."

The contact sent warmth spiraling through me, and I fought the urge to lean into his touch.This was dangerous—more dangerous than I had anticipated.Every moment in his presence made it harder to remember who I was, what I was supposed to do.

"Shall we go somewhere more private?"I asked, proud that my voice remained steady.

His smile was answer enough.

We spent the afternoon in the same chamber as the night before, but this time our encounter was different.Less urgent, more exploratory.We made love slowly, taking our time to draw out every sensation.Afterward, instead of the typical post-coital silence I had observed between the other girls and their clients, Eirik wanted to talk.

"Tell me about your family," he said, his fingers combing through my hair as I lay against his chest."The ones who cast you out."

I had prepared for this question, crafting a story close enough to the truth to feel authentic."My father is powerful.A ruler of sorts.He had very specific expectations for my future, and when I couldn't meet them, he decided I was no longer worthy of his name."

"What kind of expectations?"Eirik's voice was gentle, but I could hear the underlying anger on my behalf.

"He wanted me to prove my worth through..."I chose my words carefully."Through acts of loyalty.When I failed to complete a crucial task, he stripped me of my birthright and exiled me."

It was the truth, albeit edited for human understanding.Eirik's arms tightened around me.

"No father should cast out his own child," he said fiercely."Whatever he asked you to do, if it was so against your nature that you couldn't complete it, then he was wrong to demand it."

The irony of his words was like a knife to my heart.If only he knew that my failure had been in not taking a life—specifically, his life.That my father had cast me out not for having too much conscience, but for not being ruthless enough.

"What about you?"I asked, desperate to turn the conversation away from dangerous territory."Tell me about your life before this."

His laugh was bitter."Before this?I'm not sure there was a 'before.'I've been groomed for duty since I could walk.Trained to fight, to rule, to marry advantageously for the good of the kingdom."His hand found the scarred side of his face."Though this complicated things considerably."

"How did it happen?"I asked, though I suspected I already knew.

"An old curse," he said quietly."Protection that comes at a price.My bloodline made a bargain long ago—we would be safe from certain supernatural threats, but each heir would bear a visible mark of that protection."

I went very still.A bargain for protection from supernatural threats.From creatures like me.

"What kind of threats?"I whispered.

His arm tightened around me almost protectively."Sea creatures.Sirens, specifically.My ancestors were maritime traders, and they lost too many ships, too many men to the songs that rise from the deep places.So they made a deal with something ancient and powerful, trading beauty for safety."

My heart stopped beating for several seconds.He was protected from siren song—that was why my voice had failed to enthrall him.And the mark on his face, the scarring that made him feel like a monster, was actually a sign of his immunity to creatures like me.

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