CHAPTER TWELVE

Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

W here is the Weeper?”

StarDrifter did not even glance at Ba’al’uz as he closed the door to his chamber, then threw himself full-length on the bed. “Stars…I am exhausted.”

“Where is the Weeper?”

“In Salome’s chamber.”

“But—”

StarDrifter rolled over, lacing his hands behind his head. “She was too alert, Ba’al’uz. Too nervy. I need to wait a night or two more, I think. Allow her to relax. It matters not a night or two more. Be assured. I will take it eventually.”

Ba’al’uz took a deep breath, calming himself down. StarDrifter was right. A night or two would not matter.

“You did sleep with her.”

A salacious grin on StarDrifter’s face was all the answer Ba’al’uz needed.

“And you think she’ll want you back?”

StarDrifter laughed softly. “Oh, she’ll want me back.”

Salome lay curled up in her bed, damp sheets twisted about her body. Her servant had come in earlier with her usual morning glass of tea, but Salome had snarled so viciously at her that the servant had dropped the glass and run.

All Salome wanted was to lie, and think.

Dear gods, what she’d done last night had been so dangerous. Taking an Icarii lover.

The risk was…incalculable.

No matter what she’d said to StarDrifter (and he had known, curse him), Salome had never taken an Icarii to her bed before. Many had made their interest known. One had even used the same gesture of seduction to her that StarDrifter had used.

But Salome had resisted easily.

An Icarii lover had murdered her grandmother.

An Icarii lover had caused her mother to die of grief.

No cursed Icarii lover was going to cause her death.

Yet, last night, she had been unable to resist StarDrifter. Salome had no idea why. She didn’t particularly like him and thought his beauty overstated. She loathed his arrogance and his discernible contempt of her.

She had heard all the stories about the SunSoars and the women they destroyed.

She was strong enough to resist him, surely?

Yet she hadn’t. He’d teased her, tempted her, danced before her, and then flung out his hand in that damned imperious gesture.

And Salome had simply capitulated.

No. She had not just “simply capitulated”; that made it sound far too innocent. Salome had cast aside her entire world for him. If she’d been given a choice at that moment between succeeding in placing Ezra on the throne and ruling through him, or having StarDrifter for one night, she would have cast aside every one of her carefully nurtured ambitions for that one night with StarDrifter.

Why? Why? Gods, he threatened her entire world. Even as lost in the throes of lust as she had been, Salome had remembered, throughout their protracted, sweaty, exhausting coupling, not to allow him to view her back. She hadn’t even allowed him to caress it.

She hoped he hadn’t noticed.

Salome lay in her bed for hours, the day warming outside, lost in her thoughts, terrified of the consequences, but knowing that she would allow him back.

Just for one more night, perhaps.

She’d be careful.

He’d never know.