“We need something to use against the king.” Jonas’s brow furrowed. “Something that holds value for him that can help shift some power to our rebels. Something that will give us a chance to hurt him, to slow him down so we’ll have the chance to stop him completely.” He was quiet for a moment, but then his brown eyes met hers. “I know just the thing.”
She stared at him for a moment. “What?”
“Not what. Who. Princess Cleiona.”
“Her again? What about her this time?”
“No, listen. I don’t think she’ll always be an asset to the king, but she is now, particularly when it comes to his new grasp on Auranos. If she wasn’t worth something to him, something very important, she’d already be dead. That makes her valuable to us.” His lips thinned. “After what I’ve seen here today, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to free our people from his tyranny.”
“You mean to assassinate the princess to send a message to the king,” Lysandra said, her voice breathless.
“Jonas . . .” Brion looked uneasy at the suggestion. “Are you sure you want to do something like that?”
“I’m not planning to assassinate her.” Jonas met each of their gazes in turn. “I’m planning to kidnap her.”
CHAPTER 9
KING GAIUS
THE SANCTUARY
The king sensed her presence before she came into view in the stark, windowless room, which had now become familiar territory to him. “You’ve kept me waiting far too long.”
He didn’t try to keep the edge of impatience from his voice.
“Apologies, your majesty,” she soothed. “Please tell me I was worth the wait.”
He swiveled on his heels to let his gaze sweep over her. She wore a gown that seemed spun from pure gold. Perfect skin, long golden hair, eyes like flawless sapphires. She was the most stunning woman he’d ever seen, without exception.
His last mistress had been a mortal witch. This one was an immortal goddess. Or as close to it as he’d ever known.
“Beautiful Melenia,” he said. “I could wait an eternity to be blessed with just one more dream about you.”
It felt unseemly to lie to a near-goddess, but women always responded to such silvery words.
“But this is more than just a dream. So much more.” A smile played on her lush mouth and his gaze lingered there for a moment. Tonight, however, his need for information trumped anything else he might desire from this ethereal creature.
“I know you’re real. That what you say to me is real. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t consider doing what you’ve asked of me.”
“Of course not.” Melenia slowly slid her hand up his arm, then across his chest. “And you’ve done so well with my road, my king. But . . . there’s a problem.”
“Problem?”
“Time grows short. You must move more quickly to complete it.”
A rope of frustration tightened within him, but he didn’t let it show on his face. “The road is being built with mortal hands, as many as I can gather. It’s being constructed as quickly as possible.”
Something flashed in her blue eyes, something unpleasant, but then it disappeared and a smile flickered on her lips again. “Of course it is. I have received some progress reports from Xanthus as well. But the man rarely sleeps, so it is sometimes difficult to connect with him. It’s a good thing that I trust him implicitly.”
Xanthus. The engineer responsible for mapping out the road and for leading the construction. He was essential to the process, skilled, smart, and dedicated.
Dedicated to Melenia.
Xanthus was an exiled Watcher whom this beautiful immortal had at her command. The earth magic he still possessed after two decades of living in the mortal world was integral to the Imperial Road in ways that Melenia had yet to share.
“Apologies for my impatience,” Melenia said softly, “but I’ve already waited so long. And now that everything is beginning to align and I see the proof of our actions, I know there is only a small window of opportunity for us to get what we want.”
“Proof. What proof do you have?”
“Signs, my king. Incredible signs that all is aligning as it needs to. Pieces clicking into place exactly as they should. Words spoken at just the right time; connections made; whispers overheard by eager ears.” Her smile grew to compensate for her cryptic words. “What might seem like a series of coincidences is but perfect timing to an immortal. A sign that all is as it should be.”
Her beautiful smile didn’t begin to temper his frustration. “I need more, Melenia. Tell me more.”