Page 6 of Archlord of Exile

A part of Inez wanted to lean into his embrace. Her heart had missed him. He was a bastard, a monster, an archlord. The system that raised him into power subjected her into servitude. She should have hated him. She wanted to hate him. But that didn’t change their past. That didn’t change the nights they spent together, talking and dancing and laughing. That didn’t change the moment he had bound himself to her, making them partners instead of archlord and star-maid.

Rylec kneeled at her feet. “I tether myself to you, Inez. Willingly. Desperately.”

She clutched his face, everything a blur through the tears. She wanted to scream with joy, but the servants outside Rylec’s door would talk. “I love you, Rylec.”

Inez hadn’t let that memory resurface in years. She hadn’t entertained any thoughts of Rylec actually. When he didn’t return to her with Soriya in his arms, she feared him dead. But now that one memory returned and dragged dozens of others with it. Most of Inez’s life had been terrible, all except her year of happiness, filled with love and laughter and Rylec.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice a rumble in her ear.

Her stomach fluttered, but she didn’t reply. She traced her hand gently down his side, almost like a caress. Rylec’s breath hitched. He still felt something for her, then. But whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to let her go.

Inez refused to be a star-maid ever again.

She grabbed the hilt of a dagger at his waist and pressed the blade to his throat.

Rylec stiffened. “There’s no need for that, Nez.”

“Isn’t there? You just blew a hole in the engine.”

“Nearthe engine.”

Like that made a difference. Inez pressed until she drew a thin line of pale blood.

Rylec’s lip flicked. Was hesmiling? “The engineers on board will fix it within a day and theParadisewill be on its way—”

Another explosion rippled through the ship, knocking them all off their feet again. The dagger went flying from Inez’s hand. She nearly slammed face-first into the floor but caught herself at the last moment. The cuff snapped off. She frowned at it. Anti-magic cuffs didn’t just snap off. Had he put it on wrong? Intentionally? She rubbed at her wrist as the warmth of his magic brushed under her skin, but she didn’t pull on the power. Not yet.

Inez pushed onto her knees and glared at Rylec, sprawled beside her. “And what was that?”

“A… miscalculation.”

Gods, Inez wanted to throttle him. “What’s your plan now, smartass?”

The alarm cut out suddenly, the silence momentary before a robotic voice said, “Please follow the exit signs to the nearest escape pod terminal…”

“Don’t fret, wife.” Magic wrapped around the both of them and they levitated to their feet. “We’ll take one of theParadise’s escape pods.”

Like she planned on going with him. “If you think you can maneuver me and my charges down a hallway swarmed with panicking people, you’d be wrong.”

“Hmm. Decent point.” He flicked a glance at her charges, huddling together on the far side of the ruined cabin. “You’re free to go.”

“What?”

Rylec shrugged. “What a pity they died in the explosion.”

Inez shuffled, putting her body between her star-husband and her charges. “You’re not killing them.”

“I didn’t say I was. They can stay here for all I care.” Rylec held out a hand and his dagger flew from the floor to his grasp. “Who knows? Maybe theywilldie in an explosion.”

Inez twitched. She couldn’t help it. Even if she somehow escaped this encounter, she’d need a year of therapy to make sense of it. “I thought you were here to retrieve meandmy charges.”

“I am. But the empress only cares about you.”

Inez went cold. No, no, no. If she still had hold of Rylec’s dagger, she’d have dropped it. Not the empress. Never again. Smooth hands trailed down her body, each touch wringing a scream of agonizing pain from her throat. Slitted, kaleidoscope eyes met hers over an innocent smile. Inez nearly puked at the memory.

Inez would rather launch herself from the airlock than encounter Empress Calanthe of Sollir ever again. What had happened toherRylec? The male she loved would never return her to that monster. When the cuff snapped off easily, she hoped he hadn’t changed. But her Rylec was gone. “And why in the world would I go with you? You plan on handing me over to the empress.”

Those dark eyes slide back to her charges. “I’m not entirely opposed to their murders.”

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