Bonus Scene – The Red Pearl – Hawke POV

December 21, 2020

The Red Pearl

From Blood and Ash Bonus Content

By Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Red Pearl
From Blood and Ash Bonus Content
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Copyright 2020 Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by Blue Box Press, an imprint of Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any
printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the
author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events
or establishments is solely coincidental.

The Red Pearl

“The Maiden’s guards are good men.”
I lifted my gaze from the glass of whiskey I held to the mortal standing by the empty
fireplace. “Good men die all the time.”
“True,” the Commander of the Rise Guards replied. “But far too few good men are left in
Solis.”
“That, we can agree on.” I watched Commander Jansen for several moments. “Is one less
good man going to be a problem?”
His gaze met mine. “If it was a problem, I wouldn’t be here. I’m just saying, it will be a
shame to lose one of them.”
“Shame or not, I need to get close to her. Being on the Rise won’t help me. You know that.
You also understand what is at stake here.” My head tilted. If the Ascended ever learned who
Jansen truly worked for, he would be dead. He knew that. “And since there’s no current opening
in those who guard her, we need to make one.”
“I do understand.” Jansen dragged a hand over his head, his shoulders tight underneath the
plain brown tunic he wore. “That doesn’t mean I have to like what must be done.”
I smiled faintly at his response. “If you did, then you would be of better use to the Ascended
since they enjoy pain and senseless death.”
His chin rose slightly at the reminder that we may be casually discussing the death of an
innocent man. However, we were not the enemy. No amount of evil from me would surpass what
the Ascended had done to my people and those of Solis.
“What do you know of the Maiden?” the Commander asked.
I knew her name was Penellaphe.
I knew she had a brother who’d Ascended.
I knew she was the Queen’s favorite.
“I know enough.”
Jansen stretched his neck from side to side. “She’s favored by many people, not just the
Queen.”
“How is that possible?” the wolven who stood by the window asked. “She is rarely seen in
public, and even more rarely does she speak.”
“He makes a good point,” I said, taking a drink. The smoky liquor went down far smoother
than any other spirit this miserable land had to offer.
“To be honest, I don’t know. But many speak of her kindness,” he answered. “And her
guards care for her. They protect her because they want to, whereas most of the Royal Guards
protect their charges because it puts food on their family’s tables and keeps their heads on their
shoulders. That’s about it.”
What he said wasn’t exactly news to me. There was little information to be gleaned about
the Maiden, but I knew that those of the working and lower classes harbored a fondness for her.
Why was anyone’s guess. And to be honest, I hoped it was just their foolish superstitions that
drove their feelings. I did not want nor need the Maiden to be kind. “And the same people

believe she was Chosen by the gods—which is impossible. I’m sorry if I don’t necessarily trust
their judgement.”
He gave me a wry grin. “My point is, when she goes missing, it’s going to cause a stir. Not
just with the Ascended. People will be looking for her.”
“What will cause a great stir is my father’s armies descending on Solis and laying waste to
every city and village he comes across. All in retribution for what the Ascended did to me and
are currently doing to my brother,” I told him. “Now, tell me, which stir would you rather see?
Questions about a missing Maiden? Or war?”
“What I want to see is the godsdamn Ascended eradicated,” Jansen snapped. The only
reason I allowed that was what came out of his mouth next. “They killed my children, Prince.
My first son and then my second—” He cut himself off with a thick swallow. “I will do anything
to stop them.”
“Then give me the opening that I need.” I dragged my thumb over the rim of my glass.
“Once I free my brother, I will kill the King and Queen. That, I promise.”
Jansen exhaled roughly, and it was obvious that he didn’t like this. My respect for the man
grew. None of this business was pleasant. If someone enjoyed any part of it, they were living on
borrowed time. “She walks the garden every night at dusk.”
“I already know that.” I’d stalked her and her personal guard through the gardens many
times at nightfall, getting as close as I could without being seen. Which, unfortunately, wasn’t
nearly close enough.
“But do you know she goes to see the night-blooming roses?”
I stilled. I didn’t know that. Oddly unsettled by the revelation that it was the roses she
sought, I shifted on the settee. Throughout the day, I’d often found myself wondering what she
found so interesting in those gardens.
“Or is it that they’re located near the jacaranda trees?”
A smile slowly tipped the corners of my lips. “Where a section of the interior wall has
collapsed.”
The Commander nodded. “The same part I’ve told the Teermans to repair a time or five
hundred.”
“Lucky for me, they haven’t.”
“Yes.” Jansen moved from the fireplace. “Do what you must, and I will take care of the
rest.”
“You’re sure you can secure his spot as a Royal Guard?” the wolven asked as he stepped out
of the shadows.
“I can.” Jansen focused on me. “You have such glowing accolades from the capital,” he
replied dryly. “And the Duchess finds you…pleasant to look upon. It won’t be hard.”
My lip curled in disgust as I looked at the wolven. “You know what to do, Jericho.”
The wolven smiled and nodded. “She’ll be less one guard after her next visit to the garden.”
“Good.”
“Anything else?” Commander Jansen asked.
I shook my head as my gaze returned to my drink but lifted as the men reached the door.
“No harm comes to the Maiden. Do you understand me?”
The Commander remained quiet as Jericho nodded.
I held the wolven’s pale gaze. “I mean it, Jericho. She is to be unharmed in this.”
“Message clear, Prince.”

Watching them leave, I admitted to myself that my demands made little sense. I planned to
take the Maiden from everything and everyone she knew. By becoming her personal guard, I
would have the closest thing to unfettered access to her. The only other way to take her would be
to lay siege to Castle Teerman, but too many innocents would die in the process. The kidnapping
wouldn’t exactly be pleasant business, but the idea of harming a woman made my skin crawl.
Even when I had to. Even when it was an Ascended.
But what I planned for her was far better than what my father would do if he had a
chance—and he too was someone Commander Jansen would consider a good man.
“I don’t like him.”
Looking up from my glass of whiskey, I raised my brows. Kieran Contou leaned against the
wall, his features set in an ever-present mask of indifference. He’d been so silent during the
meeting, I doubted if Commander Jansen even realized he was there. The wolven couldn’t look
more bored if he tried, but I knew better. I’d seen him look as if he were an instant away from
falling asleep, and rip out the throat of whoever was speaking a second later. He was dressed just
like I was tonight, in the garb of a damn Rise Guard, and I bet he couldn’t wait to set the clothing
on fire.
“Which one?” I asked.
“Why would I have a problem with the Commander?”
“Jansen asked a lot of questions.”
“If he hadn’t, you’d rethink working with him,” Kieran replied. “I don’t like Jericho.”
“Who does? He’s reckless, but he has no qualms when it comes to killing.”
“None of us do. Not even you.” Kieran paused. “At least when we’re awake.”
But when we slept, a far different story could be told.
“I can kill Jericho,” he offered, his tone the same as if he were asking if I wanted to grab a
bite to eat. “And take care of the guard.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I suspect he’ll end up dead at some point anyway.”
“I have a feeling that’s true.”
I smirked. Kieran’s feelings often had a way of becoming a reality. Just like his father.
“I’m going to see if the others have arrived.” Kieran pushed away from the wall. “You
staying here?”
“For a little while.”
“Expecting company tonight?” he asked as he moved to the door.
“No.” My gaze returned to the whiskey. “Not tonight.”
“The Red Pearl is a strange place to spend one’s evening alone.”
“Is it? I imagine you wouldn’t know what it’s like to be here alone.”
“As if you do?” he countered.
A tight smile twisted my lips. “Goodbye, Kieran.”
The wolven let out a soft, knowing laugh as he slipped quietly from the room. Anyone else
would’ve thought twice about that laugh, but I didn’t with Kieran. And he was right. The Red
Pearl was a strange place to spend your time alone. These rooms were used for the kind of
meetings you didn’t want others to know about. Sometimes, words were exchanged. Other times,
a different type of communication happened, one with far less clothing that usually didn’t end
with discussions of the likelihood of someone’s death. Then again, those types of meetings had
become few and far between, hadn’t they?

I finished off the whiskey, welcoming the burn as I tipped my head back against the settee.
A heavy restlessness settled into my bones. I stared at the dark ceiling, wondering exactly when a
few hours of mindless pleasure stopped having the desired effect of shutting down my mind.
Had it ever really worked, though? For longer than a handful of seconds? I could occupy my
hands and tongue and every other part of my body with soft curves and warm, hidden places, but
my mind would always end up exactly where I sought to escape.
That damn cage with the unending hunger.
My brother.
The feeling of being dead yet still breathing. As if everything that made life about more than
just existing was still in that cage.
Even now, I could feel the cold, bruising hands and hear the taunting laughter as the
Ascended slowly sliced away a part of who I was. And Malik? He’d likely experienced
everything I had and more. My grip tightened on the glass. They’d had him nearly double the
time they’d held me captive. How could my brother even still be alive—?
Malik had to survive. Because he was strong. I knew no one stronger than him, and I was so
close to freeing him. I just needed—
The sound of footsteps stopping outside the door snapped my head up and my eyes open.
The handle on the unlocked door started to turn.
I moved fast, placing the glass on the small table beside the settee and retreating to the
shadows clinging to the walls. I curled my fingers around the hilt of one of the short swords I’d
left near the door. None of my men would dare to enter the room without knocking. Not even
Kieran.
Obviously, someone had a desire to die tonight.
The door cracked open just enough for a body to slip through. Immediately, curiosity
washed away the tension creeping into my muscles as I watched the slight, hooded figure close
the door. The cloak was familiar. I inhaled deeply as the intruder backed up, walking right past
me. The cloak belonged to a maid I knew, but she—and it was definitely a she—didn’t smell like
Britta. Everyone had a unique scent, something Atlantians and the wolven were sensitive to.
Britta’s reminded me of rose and lavender, but the smell that teased me now was something else.
But who would be in her cloak and in this room? Annoyance flared as I watched her look
around, but quick on the emotion’s heels was a looming restlessness. Britta or someone else, the
unexpected intrusion at least offered entertainment. No matter how fleeting, it was still a reprieve
from all the damn thoughts in my head.
From the memories.
From the…now.
Watching her, I let go of the sword. She started to turn, and I made my move. Even quieter
than a wolven, I was on her before she even had a chance to realize that someone was in the
room with her.
Clamping an arm around her waist, I drew her back against me. I dipped my head as she
stiffened and caught her scent again. It was fresh. Sweet. “This,” I said, “is unexpected.”
And this didn’t feel like Britta, either.
The maid was of average height for a mortal, barely reaching my chin. But the hip under my
hand was fuller, and the scent…
It reminded me of honeydew.

Then again, it wasn’t like I’d committed much about the maid to memory. The amount of
whiskey I’d consumed when I met her last probably hadn’t aided in that. “But it’s a welcome
surprise.”
She spun toward me, her right hand lowering to the area of her thigh as she lifted her head
and then froze. The sharp breath she took was audible.
A long moment stretched as I tried to see within the darkness of the hood. Even with the
thick shadows of the candlelit room, my vision surpassed that of a mortal’s. However, I couldn’t
make out her features. But I could feel the intensity of her stare, and as foggy as my memories
were of the hours spent with her, I did not recall her keeping her hood up.
“I wasn’t expecting you tonight,” I admitted, thinking of what Kieran would say if he
returned. A half-grin appeared on my lips when I heard another soft inhale. “It’s only been a few
days, sweetling.”
Her cloaked body gave a little jerk, but she said nothing as she continued watching me from
the depths of her hood.
“Did Pence tell you I was here?” I asked, referring to the guard Britta knew that I often
worked with on the Rise.
A moment passed, and she shook her head. Britta wouldn’t have known what room I could
be found in. Each time I was here, I requested a different one.
“Have you been watching for me, then? Following me?” I asked, tsking softly under my
breath as the annoyance flared once more. “We’ll have to talk about that, won’t we?” And we
would, because that could not happen again. But now…? She was here. The memories and the
restlessness were at bay for the moment, and she…she smelled so different. Good. “But not
tonight, it seems. You’re strangely quiet.”
I did remember that Britta was the opposite of quiet. A chatterbox. Cute if a bit
overwhelming. This was an entirely different side to the maid. Perhaps she sought to be more
mysterious tonight.
“We don’t have to talk.” I reached for the hem of my tunic, pulling it over my head and
tossing it aside.
She was incredibly still, but that fresh and sweet scent of hers heightened and became
heavier, strengthening with her arousal. The promise of a quiet, primal pleasure was a lure that
drew me toward her.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re about tonight.” Gripping the back of her hood, I
folded my other arm around her waist, drawing her against me. She gasped, and I liked the
breathy little sound. “But I’m willing to find out.”
I lifted her up, and her hands—her gloved hands—landed on my shoulders. The tremor I felt
course through her heightened my senses. Everything about her felt different, and I couldn’t help
but wonder how much I’d drunk the last time I was with her. I took her to the bed, guiding us
down and laying her on her back as I sank into her, suddenly caught off guard by the enticing
mixture of hardness and softness beneath me. That was another thing I didn’t remember. I
recalled Britta being slim, but there were curves here—lush ones I couldn’t wait to unwrap and
explore.
And hell, as wrong as it was, a part of me was glad I’d been three sheets to the wind the last
time I was with her. Because this…this felt new and not like a chore that was all about the end
result. Those moments that washed away the memories. But already, I wasn’t thinking about
those cold, bruising hands as I dipped my head, pouring my gratitude into the kiss, showing my
thanks the only way I knew how.

Her mouth was soft and sweet under mine, and when she gasped, I deepened the kiss as
much as I could without revealing what I was, slipping between those parted lips the way I hoped
I would later between her thighs. I flicked my tongue over hers, drawing the taste of her into my
mouth. Her fingers dug into my shoulders as she shuddered against me. And like lightning, it hit
me then as the scent of her arousal rose, and I felt what could only be described as a tentative
touch of her tongue against mine.
The body truly didn’t feel like what I remembered.
The taste on my tongue, and the sweet, fresh scent of honeydew wasn’t at all what I recalled.
There was nothing even remotely tentative about the way Britta kissed. That much I did
remember. She kissed like she was starving, from the moment our lips touched to the very
second our mouths parted. The female under me kissed like…
Like someone who had far less experience than those I usually spent my time with.
Heart thumping heavily, I broke the kiss and lifted my head. “Who are you?”
There was no response, and whatever game this girl was about, I was done playing it
without knowing what cards I’d been dealt. I tugged the hood back, exposing her face—
Holy shit.
For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Caught in a state of shock that was so
rare I almost laughed, I stared down at her face—at what I could see of her face anyway. She
wore a white mask, as many did while in the Red Pearl, but I still knew whose body cradled
mine, whose taste still tingled on my lips. I just couldn’t believe it as my gaze tracked over the
wide mask that covered her from cheek to brow.
Impossible. But it was her. I’d recognize the curve of that jaw and that mouth—those full,
bow-shaped lips the color of berries—anywhere. It was all that was ever visible of her. And the
gods knew I’d tried to catch a glimpse of what she looked like beneath that fucking veil when I
followed her and her Royal Guards through the gardens or the castle; when I watched her with
her ladies’ maid. I’d seen her smile a few times. I’d heard her speak even less, but I knew that
mouth.
It was who I’d just sat in this very room and discussed.
It was her.
The Maiden.
The Chosen.
The Queen’s favorite.
And for some reason beyond me or any damn Atlantian, she was very important to the
kingdom. So much so that she was kept cloistered and well-guarded at all times. Somehow, she
was the key to their Ascensions, and I knew that bitch Queen and bastard King would do
anything to keep her safe.
Yet here she was, in the godsdamn Red Pearl, in a room with me—under me—someone she
had to fear more than the gods themselves. Because there was no doubt in my mind that she’d
heard the whispers about me, the name they’d given me.
I’d spent years planning to take her, had orchestrated so many deaths, and just sealed the
fate of another, all so I could get close enough to take her. And she’d practically fallen into my
lap.
Or I’d fallen into hers.
Whatever.

Another disbelieving laugh built in my throat because what in the wide kingdom of fucks
was the unreachable, unseen, and untouched Maiden doing in the Red Pearl? In a private room?
Kissing a man?
The laugh was never given life because something else snagged my attention. Her hair. It
had always been hidden beneath the veil, but in the candlelight, I could tell that it was the color
of the richest wine.
I drew my hand out from behind her head, noting how she tensed as I picked up a strand of
hair, drawing it out. The tendril was soft as it slipped around my fingers.
The Maiden was a redhead.
I had no idea why that surprised me, but it felt like a discovery just as startling as finding her
here.
“You are most definitely not who I thought you were,” I murmured.
“How did you know?” she demanded.
My gaze flicked back to hers. The voice, stronger and earthier than I’d expected the first
time I heard her speak, was hers. Further confirmation I no longer needed but now had.
The shock of the situation forced an honest answer out of me. “Because the last time I kissed
the owner of this cloak, she damn near sucked my tongue down her throat.”
“Oh,” she whispered, and what I could see of her nose wrinkled.
I stared down at her, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was the Maiden.
“Have you been kissed before?”
“I have!”
One side of my lips kicked up. “Do you always lie?”
“No!” she exclaimed.
“Liar,” I teased, unable to help myself.
The skin below the mask deepened to a rosy color as she pushed against my chest. “You
should get off.”
“I was planning to,” I muttered, thinking she probably had no idea what that meant.
But then her eyes narrowed behind the mask in a way that told me she knew exactly what I
meant, and that was another shock.
She had…the Maiden had a dirty mind.
The laugh that had been building broke free, and it was a real one that came from a warm
place that I often forgot still existed. It shocked the hell out of me, filling me with emotions I’d
long believed dead.
Interest.
Awe.
Genuine curiosity.
A feeling of…contentment.
Contentment? Where in the fuck did that even come from? I had no idea, but at the moment,
I didn’t care. I was interested. And, gods, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been
focused on anything but my brother. The warmth in my chest iced over.
“You really should move,” she said.
Her demand pulled me from the disaster my thoughts were veering toward. “I’m quite
comfortable where I am.”
“Well, I’m not.”

I could feel my lips twitch, and I didn’t know if it was the desperation to reclaim those
fleeting emotions or something else that propelled me to behave as if I had no idea who she was.
“Will you tell me who you are, Princess?”
“Princess?” She blinked.
“You are quite demanding.” I shrugged. “I imagine a Princess to be demanding.”
“I am not demanding,” she argued. “Get off me.”
I arched a brow, feeling that warmth again—that…enjoyment. “Really?”
“Telling you to move is not being demanding.”
“We’ll have to disagree on that.” I paused. “Princess.”
Her lips curved and then flattened. “You shouldn’t call me that.”
“Then what should I call you? A name, perhaps?”
“I’m…I’m no one,” she replied.
“No One? What a strange name. Do girls with a name like that often make a habit of
wearing other people’s clothing?”
“I’m not a girl,” she snapped.
“I would sure hope not.” Wait. I had no idea what the Maiden’s age was. “How old are
you?”
“Old enough to be in here, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
The amount of relief was a warning. “In other words, old enough to be masquerading as
someone else, allowing others to believe you’re another person and then allowing them to
kiss—”
“I get what you’re saying,” she interrupted, surprising me yet again. “Yes, I’m old enough
for all those things.”
Did she know what all those things were? Truly? If so, there was a whole hell of a lot I did
not know about the Maiden. But I didn’t think that was the case. She didn’t kiss like someone
who knew from personal experience what all those things were. “I’ll tell you who I am, although
I have a feeling you already know. I’m Hawke Flynn.”
She was quiet for a moment and then squeaked out, “Hi.”
That… That was cute.
I grinned. “This is the part where you tell me your name.” When she said nothing, my
interest only grew. It wasn’t like I expected her to admit who she was, but I was dying to
discover what she would share. “Then I’ll have to keep calling you Princess. The least you can
do is tell me why you didn’t stop me.”
Remaining stubbornly quiet, she drew her plump lower lip between her teeth.
Every part of me focused on that—on her mouth. And hell, that filled my head with all kinds
of things my body was shamefully on board with. I shifted slightly, hiding my reaction. “I’m
sure it’s more than my disarming good looks.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Of course.”
I laughed, surprised yet again by her—by myself. “I think you just insulted me.”
She winced “That’s not what I meant—”
“You’ve wounded me, Princess.”
“I highly doubt that. You have to be more than well aware of your appearance.”
“I am.” I grinned at her. “It has led to quite a few people making questionable life choices.”
I hoped it would lead her to make some questionable life choices, which, considering where
she was, she wasn’t unfamiliar with.

“Then why did you say you were insulted—?” Her mouth snapped shut and she pushed
against my chest again. “You’re still lying on me.”
“I know.”
“It’s quite rude of you to continue doing so when I’ve made it clear that I would like for you
to move.”
“It’s quite rude of you to barge into my room dressed as—”
“Your lover?”
I stared at her for a moment. “I wouldn’t call her that.”
“What would you call her?”
Hell, how was I supposed to answer that? “A…good friend.”
She returned my stare. “I didn’t know friends behaved this way.”
“I’m willing to wager you don’t know much about these sorts of things.”
“And you wager all of this on just one kiss?”
“Just one kiss? Princess, you can learn a wealth of things from just one kiss.”
She quieted, and I…needed to know why she was here, at the Red Pearl, in this room,
wearing a maid’s cloak. And where were her guards? I seriously doubted they’d allow her to
come here. If so, I needed to know which one did so I could make sure that wasn’t the one who
found themselves dead.
But I started with the most pressing question. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
As I waited for an answer, my eyes tracked over her mask and then lower, to where the
cloak had parted…
It felt like a punch to the chest when I saw what she wore.
Or what she wasn’t wearing to be more exact.
The neckline was low, exposing the surprising swell of her breasts, and the gown, whatever
silky material it was made of, was now my favorite. It was nearly transparent and thin enough
that I thought for a moment the gods had woken from their slumber to bless me.
Why would the untouched, pure Maiden be at the Red Pearl—a notorious pleasure house in
Masadonia—by herself? In a room with a man she believed thought her to be someone else no
less? A man who had kissed her without one word of protest falling from her lips. Hell, she’d
kissed me back. Started to, at least. And she was dressed…
She was dressed for utter debauchery.
It suddenly seemed hard to breathe as my gaze lifted to hers. A sense of understanding swept
over me, quickly followed by disbelief. There was only one reason she would be here.
And I was more interested in all the reasons why than I had been interested in anything
in…forever. I shouldn’t be. I had just been handed the golden goose. This was the perfect chance
for me to take her. I could slip out of the city right now.
There’d be no need to continue the ruse of being a dutiful and loyal Rise Guard. No need to
get close to her. Hell, I couldn’t get any closer than I was right now.
Well, yeah…I could.
I could get way closer.
But if I took her now, I’d never hear from her lips why she was here. And I needed to know
that. If I made my move, I would lose the strange pounding in my chest. The warmth. The
enjoyment. And I was a selfish son of a bitch when it came to something I wanted.
Besides, it wasn’t me who’d found her. She had found me. And in an instant, I was more
than willing to let this play out as long as possible.
Because it would all be over soon enough.

“I think I’m beginning to understand,” I told her.
“Does that mean you’re going to get up so I can move?”
I shook my head. “I have a theory.”
“I’m waiting with bated breath for this.”
The Maiden…she had a mouth on her.
I liked that.
A lot.
“I think you came to this very room with a purpose in mind,” I said. “It’s why you didn’t
speak or attempt to correct my assumption of who you were. Perhaps the cloak you borrowed
was also a very calculated decision. You came here because you want something from me.”
She dragged that lip between her teeth again.
I shifted once more, lifting my hand to her right cheek. The simple touch sent a shudder
through her. “I’m right, aren’t I, Princess?”
“Maybe…maybe I came here for…for conversation.”
“To talk?” I almost laughed again. “About what?”
“Lots of things.”
Fighting a smile, I said, “Like?”
Her throat worked on a delicate swallow. “Why did you choose to work on the Rise?”
“You came here tonight to ask that?” I asked more dryly than anything Kieran could’ve said,
but it was clear by her stare alone that she expected an answer. So, I gave her the same one I
gave anyone who asked. “I joined the Rise for the same reason most do.”
“And what is that?” she asked.
The lie came all too easily. “My father was a farmer, and that was not the life for me. There
aren’t many other opportunities offered than joining the Royal Army and protecting the Rise,
Princess.”
“You’re right.”
Surprise flickered through me. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, there aren’t many chances for children to become something other than what their
parents were.”
“You mean there aren’t many chances for children to improve their stations in life, to do
better than those who came before them?”
She gave a short nod. “The…the natural order of things doesn’t exactly allow that. A
farmer’s son is a farmer or they—”
The natural order of things? For Solis, perhaps. “They choose to become a guard, where
they risk their lives for stable pay that they most likely won’t live long enough to enjoy? Doesn’t
sound much like an option, does it?”
“No,” she said, sending yet another ripple of surprise through me. I hadn’t, even for one
moment, considered that the Maiden spent a second thinking about those who guarded the city.
“There may not be many choices, but I still think—no, I know—that joining the guard requires a
certain level of innate strength and courage.”
“You think that of all the guards? That they are courageous?”
“I do.”
“Not all guards are good men, Princess,” I said, meaning the words.
Her eyes narrowed. “I know that. Bravery and strength do not equal goodness.”
“We can agree on that.” My gaze lowered to her mouth.
“You said your father was a farmer. Is he…has he gone to the gods?”

My father was a god among men to many. “No. He is alive and well. Yours?” I asked, even
though I already knew.
“My father—both of my parents are gone.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, knowing that her parents had died many years ago. “The loss
of a parent or a family member lingers long after they’re gone, the pain lessening but never
fading. Years later, you’ll still find yourself thinking that you’d do anything to get them back.”
Her gaze flicked over my face. “You sound like you know firsthand.”
“I do,” I said, refusing to think of any of that.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for whoever it is that you’ve lost. Death is…”
I tilted my head. “Death is like an old friend who pays a visit, sometimes when it’s least
expected and other times when you’re waiting for her. It’s neither the first nor the last time she’ll
pay a visit, but that doesn’t make any death less harsh or unforgiving.”
“That it is.” Sadness colored her tone, tugging at a part of me that needed to stay deadened.
I lowered my head, noting the catch in her breath as my lips neared hers. “I doubt the need
for conversation led you to this room. You didn’t come here to talk about sad things that cannot
be changed, Princess.”
Her eyes widened under her mask, and I felt her stiffen under me. I didn’t need to know her
thoughts to realize that she was battling what she knew she should be doing versus what she
wanted.
That very same battle had raged very briefly inside me, except reckless curiosity had won
out—as did my selfishness. Would she be the responsible one and end this? If so, I would walk
away from this room.
And I would.
I wouldn’t take her tonight, even though that made more sense than leaving this room
without the one person I’d come to this kingdom for. What stopped me was some kind of twisted
sense of chivalry, as ridiculous as that sounded. But I knew why she was here.
The Maiden wanted to know pleasure.
And there was something so…innocent about that. Courageous. Unexpected. I didn’t know
what had gone into her choice to come here, what she’d had to do or how she prepared herself or
even why. And if I revealed who I was—who she was to me–in a society like the one the
Ascended had created, where women needed to hide their faces when they sought pleasure and
happiness, it could be seen as a punishment. As if this were what happened when you engaged in
such behaviors, and I…I didn’t want to be a part of ruining that for her.
I sensed the moment she made up her mind. Her body relaxed under mine as she drew that
lower lip between her teeth once more.
And gods, I didn’t expect that. I figured she would end this. She should have. But hell, I was
a bastard because I was…too captivated—too intrigued not to follow through.
Drawing in a breath that felt strangely shallow, I drew a finger across the satin ribbon of her
mask. “May I remove this?”
She shook her head no.
Disappointment sparked. I wanted to see her face and the expressions she made, but that
mask…it was just a silly piece of cloth. Yet sometimes, silliness fed bravery, and who was I to
judge? After all, I was constantly pretending. My life in this kingdom was a façade. Everything
about me was a lie. Well, mostly.
I trailed my finger along the line of her jaw and down her throat, over her wildly pounding
pulse. My fingers stopped where the cloak was fastened. “How about this?”

She nodded.
I’d never removed a cloak quicker in my life.
The shiver I saw, the sudden rise of her breasts as I skimmed the tip of my finger over the
wonderfully indecent neckline, sent a bolt of raw, pounding desire through me. In a flash of heat,
I saw that gown of hers in shreds, and me between her thighs, first with my tongue and then with
my cock. And that desire was nearly as potent as the need to remain where I was—warm and
interesting and alive.
I checked myself then.
Clenching my jaw, I willed the gathering throb to cool it. I was willing to go wherever this
led, but not there. That was taking too much, and it didn’t matter if it was willingly given. I was
a monster, but not that kind of monster.
But there was so much we could do.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, toying with the small bow between the sweet swells
on her chest. “Tell me, and I’ll make it so.”
“Why?” she asked. “Why would you…do this? You don’t know me, and you thought I was
someone else.”
It wasn’t like I could answer that question honestly, and it had nothing to do with who she
was. “I have nowhere to be at the moment, and I’m intrigued.”
“Because you have nowhere to be at the moment?”
“Would you rather I wax poetic about how I’m charmed by your beauty, even though I can
only see half your face?” I asked. “Which, by the way, from what I can see is pleasing. Would
you rather I tell you I’m captivated by your eyes? They are a pretty shade of green from what I
can tell.”
The corners of her lips turned down. “Well, no. I don’t want you to lie.”
“None of those things were a lie.” Tugging on the little bow, I dipped my head, brushing my
lips over her. Her fresh and sweet scent heightened. “I told you the truth, Princess. I’m intrigued
by you, and it’s fairly rare anyone intrigues me.”
“So?”
“So,” I said, chuckling against the curve of her jaw. “You’ve changed my evening. I’d
planned to return to my quarters. Maybe get a good, albeit boring, night of sleep, but I have a
suspicion that tonight will be anything but boring if I spend it with you.”
It would be nothing short of a miracle.
“Were you…were you with someone before me?” she asked.
I lifted my head. “That’s a random question.”
“There are two glasses by the settee.”
“It’s also a random, personal question asked by someone whose name I don’t even know.”
Her cheeks warmed.
And I…I could understand her inquiry, couldn’t I? Her concern. “I was with someone,” I
answered. “A friend who is not like the owner of the cloak. One I hadn’t seen in a while. We
were catching up, in private,” I explained, and it shocked me. I rarely ever did such a thing.
But my response wasn’t exactly a lie. I hadn’t seen Kieran in a while.
“So, Princess, will you tell me what you want from me?”
Her breath caught again. “Anything?”
“Anything.” I slid my hand down, cupping the surprisingly full weight of her breast. The
white robes I normally saw her in had hidden a lot.

But now, with the thin material of her gown pulled taut against her skin, I could make out
the deep, rosy hue, and the oh-so-very-intriguing hardened peak. My thumb followed my gaze.
She gasped as her back arched, pressing her breast more firmly into my palm. My chest
tightened with a surge of need.
“I’m waiting.” I swept my thumb once more, thoroughly enjoying the breathy sound she
made and the curl of her body. “Tell me what you enjoy, so I can make you love it.”
“I…” She bit down on her lip. “I don’t know.”
My gaze flew to hers as I froze. Her words were a reminder. They were also a spark that lit a
fire under the need I felt to show her exactly what she wanted.
“I’ll tell you what I want.” I moved my thumb again, slower, harder. “I want you to remove
your mask.”
“I…” Her lips parted. “Why?”
“Because I want to see you.”
“You can see me now.”
“No, Princess.” I lowered my head. “I want to really see you when I do this without your
gown between you and my mouth.”
Keeping my gaze on her face because I refused to miss a moment, I flicked my tongue over
the tip of her breast. The silk was barely a barrier, and as I closed my mouth over the turgid peak,
I could easily imagine doing something that rarely ever occurred to me when I was with a mortal.
I could see myself sinking my teeth into the plump flesh, discovering if she tasted as sweet
as she smelled. I bet she did. My body answered the cry of pleasure that parted her lips,
thickening and hardening.
“Remove your mask. Please.” I slid a hand over the lush curve of her hip and down her thigh
to where the dress parted. Her skin felt like the silky material, smooth as I curled my
fingers—around something hard. “What the…?”
My hand closed over the hilt of a dagger. What in the hell? I unsheathed the blade, rocking
back as she sat up, reaching for the weapon.
The Maiden had a dagger. And not just any ordinary kind.
“Bloodstone and wolven bone.”
“Give that back,” she demanded, scrambling to her knees.
My gaze shifted from the dagger to her. “This is a unique weapon.”
“I know.” A tumble of red-wine waves and curls fell forward over her shoulders.
“The kind that’s not inexpensive.” And one that carried a particular purpose. “Why are you
in possession of this, Princess?”
“It was a gift, and I’m not foolish enough to come to a place like this unarmed.”
That was a smart decision. “Carrying a weapon and having no idea how to use it doesn’t
make one wise.”
Her eyes narrowed with irritation. “What makes you think I don’t know how to use it?
Because I’m female?”
I stared at her. “You can’t be surprised that I would be shocked. Learning how to use a
dagger isn’t exactly common for females in Solis.”
“You’re right, but I do know how to use it.”
The confidence in her words told me that she spoke no lies. So, the Maiden knew how to
wield a dagger. That was wholly and gloriously unexpected. Instead of concerning me, it made
me all the more interested.
The right side of my lips curved up. “Now, I’m truly intrigued.”

Her eyes widened as I thrust the dagger blade down into the mattress and then went at her. I
took her down to the bed, settling between her thighs and letting her feel exactly how intrigued I
was—
A fist pounded on the door. “Hawke?” Kieran’s voice rang out. “You in there?”
I halted and closed my eyes, telling myself that I did not just hear his voice.
“It’s Kieran.”
“As if I didn’t know that already,” I muttered, and a small giggle left her. The sound opened
my eyes and brought a grin to my lips.
“Hawke?” Kieran pounded some more.
“I think you should answer him,” she whispered.
“Dammit.” If I didn’t, he was likely to barge in. “I’m thoroughly, happily busy at the
moment.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Kieran replied as I refocused on her. The wolven knocked again. “But
the interruption is unavoidable.”
“The only unavoidable thing I see is your soon-to-be broken hand if you pound on that door
one more time,” I warned, causing her eyes to widen. “What, Princess?” I lowered my voice. “I
told you I was really intrigued.”
“Then I must risk a broken hand,” Kieran replied, and a growl of frustration rumbled from
deep within me. “The…envoy has arrived.”
Gods.
I cursed again, under my breath this time. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
“An…envoy?” she asked.
“The supplies we’ve been waiting for,” I explained, which was sort of true. “I need to go.”
She nodded.
And I did need to leave, but I didn’t want to. It took several moments for me to force myself
to move. Standing, I grabbed my tunic from the floor as I told Kieran I’d be out in a few. He
wouldn’t be waiting for me in the hall. He’d go somewhere quieter. I yanked the shirt over my
head, glancing over my shoulder to see that she had retrieved the dagger. I grinned.
Clever girl.
I shrugged on a baldric and picked up the two short swords from the chest near the door, and
it was like I had no control over what came out of my mouth. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” I
sheathed the blades flat to my sides, realizing that what I said was the truth. I would come back.
“I swear.”
She nodded once more.
I stared at her. “Tell me that you’ll wait for me, Princess.”
“I will.”
Pivoting, I walked to the door and then stopped. Slowly, I turned back and soaked in the
sight of her—that surprising mass of red waves and those parted lips, the way she sat there,
clutching the edges of her cloak around her, brave yet vulnerable. It was an interesting mix, one I
wanted to continue exploring.
“I look forward to returning.”
She was silent again, and I knew it was unlikely that she’d be here when I returned, but I
would come back. I would look for her. And if she wasn’t here?
I would find her again.
Sooner rather than later.
She would be mine.

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