Page 54 of Sands of Atonement

His lips curved up, but they didn’t meet his dark eyes. “You are not in a position to be asking anything, Eshe.”

“I see it outside my window. It’s small—I can make sure I’m not using it when you or your men are. It’s what I want, and in return, I’ll make sure not to sneak around your business or question your people. It’ll keep me busy, so it’s an advantage to you.”

Ezra was quiet. His gaze lowered to my lips, to my neck, and to my half-opened chest. The air tilted warm once more.

Fire sprang from within me, and my chest rose and fell quickly.

Ezra stilled. “No, I’m afraid that’s not an option for you. But I will do something for you in return.”

I met his eyes.

“I’ll release you from this hold.”

My eyes fell back to the window. I couldn’t look at him for another second. He was infuriating. Worse than my brothers ever were. I was defeated and humiliated.

“Just leave,” I whispered.

I heard Ezra approach me. A knife slashed through the ripped cloth, causing my wrists to fall, and my shoulders dropped, instantly burning.

I wrapped my arms around my legs and kept my gaze from him. I heard his footsteps as he neared my door.

“I expect you to behave yourself here, Eshe.”

Chapter 14

Ezra

I was tempted to throw Eshe into a harem to get her out of my sight, but for reasons I didn’t understand, I wanted to keep her here. That meant that she had to obey my wishes the same as every other man and woman in my vicinity—in my country. It wasn’t difficult, and I was a pretty reasonable person as long as one didn’t push my boundaries. Which Eshe had already done more times than anyone who’d survived to tell it.

My patience was a thin rope that Eshe seemed to be cutting at relentlessly. I might have felt a tinge of guilt after what I did to Eshe last night, knowing how much she hated feeling confined and tied to the point of panic, but she wasn’t in any real danger from it. I knew that that was going to be what controlled her.

Casimir and I sat in one of our shared quarters in the palace. We were near the fireplace on low cushions, playing a game of chess. I could tell something was weighing on his mind, but I wasn’t ready to dive into a debate with him. He always needed something from me.

He placed the bishop next to my pawn. I sat back to give myself a second chance to look from his perspective. What was he getting at?

“I heard the Atrove has been seen around the city walls,” Casimir muttered while twisting one of my dead pawns around his fingers.

I cleared my throat. “Is that so?”

“You haven’t heard?” Surprise lingered in Casimir’s voice.

“It’s not unusual. I’m sure they’re just passing by.” I moved my pawn two squares up. “We don’t want to rattle them more than they already are. Make sure none of your men are bothering them, and we should be fine.”

Casimir nodded. “It’s a bit unnerving. I sense the tension in the city rising.”

I remained quiet as he moved his bishop once again. My teeth gritted. He was bringing me into a corner of the board.

Bastard.

“There’s even been tension inside these palace walls,” he continued, twirling the pawn and darting his eyes at me.

I responded with a mmm, not really taking much interest in this conversation as much as the king I was going to take from him.

“The tension with Eshe?” he blurted out. I glanced up and moved my queen closer to his without breaking eye contact.

He had my attention now. “What about her, Casimir?”

“Did something happen with her? She seems more on edge today.”