Chapter 26 #2
“What were you thinking?” he hissed at me. “You just drugged him, didn’t you?”
There was no use in lying to Zafir. Somehow, he knew. “I had to do something,” I protested. “If he can keep me out of prison…”
“I was just in there, working very hard to do that very thing,” he snapped. “You aren’t helping things! Now they’ll never trust you.”
“They might not find out,” I said stubbornly. “How could they?”
As Zafir gave me a withering stare, a woman’s raised voice came from the chamber Zafir had just left, along with several men’s voices, all sounding increasingly tense. Before I could turn to look, there was an almighty CRASH and Julian came flying, back-first, through the massive window behind me.
I screamed and ran forward several paces. Zafir put his arm around me and pivoted to block me from the broken glass showering around us while there were several shouts and yells of surprise from the chamber. Julian hit the wall and slid down to crumple on the floor.
Julian looked back through the broken window and murmured with a lovestruck expression, “What a woman!”
Zafir and I peeked inside.
Azora, the tzar’s intimidating wife, was on her feet and stalking toward Julian. Several of the Parliament members flapped their hands at the tzar, urging him to intervene, but he shook his head and laughed. “My wife can handle herself just fine. I’m more worried for him than I am for her.”
Azora stepped through the shattered window, crunching shards of glass beneath her boots as she did so, and grabbed Julian by his lapels.
She lifted him to his feet then slammed him up against the wall again and jammed her arm against his throat.
“Flirt with me again, and I’ll kick you off a cliff instead of just through a window,” she snarled. “Do I make myself clear?”
Julian’s mouth flapped open and closed, but he didn’t say a word to her and nodded vigorously.
His eyes were dilated to their full extent, and he had a sappy puppy-dog expression on his face that slowly morphed into puckered lips as he leaned forward.
Azora’s upper lip curled in disgust. She shoved him down, then stalked away.
Tarquin went after her, shooting a wink at Julian as he passed. “Find your own ball of rage. That wild woman’s all mine.”
Julian’s father scurried over. “Julian! What came over you? Are you all right?”
“He’s exhibiting symptoms of having been in contact with an infatuation elixir,” Zafir said, stepping forward. “I happen to have an antidote.” He rummaged in his cloak, withdrew a small vial, and handed it over.
“How could he have been in contact with an infatuation elixir?” Rogan asked as he helped his son drink.
Zafir didn’t look at me. He crouched next to Julian and lifted his eyelid to peer at his pupils. “They can take up to a full day to take effect,” he lied smoothly. “Did he go out last night? Was he at any parties?”
“He’s always at parties,” his father grumbled, offering the rest of the antidote back.
Zafir motioned for Rogan to keep it. “With that many parties and entertaining as many women as he does, I suggest he keep it on him at all times.”
“I love her,” Julian groaned, looking in the direction Azora had disappeared.
Rogan looked embarrassed as he turned to the Parliament members, who were all open-mouthed and gathered on the other side of the shattered window, staring through with wide eyes. “Please accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of my son. He’s never flirted with a married woman before.”
“That you know of,” Zafir pointed out, a slightly smug look on his face. “I suggest that you keep him away from all women for the next day until he recovers and gets a good night’s rest. Best make it a week of no parties for good measure.”
“I hope you get better soon, Julian,” I told him politely, but he let out a heartbroken moan and didn’t look at me.
“Zafir, I’ll come by this evening with our decision about the girl,” one of the old Parliament members said as we all dispersed. Servants had already begun to clean up the glass and measure the window for a replacement.
“You’re lucky I was there to cover for you,” Zafir sighed as we went back to his quarters. “That act alone could have landed you in a prison cell for life.”
“You know I’m going there anyway,” I said flatly. “What does it matter if another crime is added on?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Zafir said roughly. He led me back to his chambers, but when we finally reached the doors, I couldn’t go in. I held back, staring at the chain around my wrist, then checked up and down the corridor to make sure we were alone.
“What?” Zafir asked after unlocking his door and holding it open.
“Let me go,” I whispered. “Please.”
His brow furrowed. “Will you run?”
“Yes.”
“Then I can’t let you go.” He tried to pull on the chain to bring me inside, but I resisted.
“You can’t keep me locked up forever,” I told him, hot tears pooling in my eyes so my vision swam.
I blinked and looked away from Zafir. I didn’t want him to see the pathetic mess I really was.
If I really was a strong, confident woman, I would’ve found a way out of this disaster. I wouldn’t have been trapped here.
But I was, and I couldn’t see any way out. I wanted to run, but to where?
“I don’t want you to leave,” Zafir said quietly, reaching out to catch my waist. “Stay with me.”
“They’ll make you undo the spell when they come take me to prison, anyway.” I pulled at the vow bond, feeling like I was the one about to break instead of the chain. “Take it off.”
“Will you stay?”
If only it was as simple as deciding I wanted to stay with Zafir. I had to help Nadia and in order to do that, I had to stay out of prison. “I don’t know.”
Pain flickered in his expression.
“Wouldn’t you rather I stay because I want to and not because you forced me to?”
Zafir’s hold on my waist tightened. “I want you to be safe.”
“Keeping me chained is almost the same as using an elixir,” I argued. “I’m not free to make my own decisions.”
Slowly, Zafir released me and ran his hand along the length of the chain, murmuring words so that the chain dissolved into nothingness.
I was free.
If I wanted to, I could finally run. I would be able to stowaway or steal the money for passage. I could do it, and Zafir wouldn’t be able to stop me. I could finally start making my way back to my sister.
The temptation must have shown in my eyes because Zafir hooked a finger under my chin and pulled my face around so he could lock eyes with me.
“Stay,” Zafir begged me in a voice barely louder than a whisper. “Please.”
I still felt just as afraid of the unknown as I had been as a young girl, always faking an air of indifference and competence so Nadia didn’t have to worry. Now, even if Zafir truly cared about me, there was nothing he could do to prevent the inevitable. Nothing…except possibly comfort me.
Zafir waited a few seconds for me to run, but when I didn’t, he drew me into a hug. “We can find a way to save you and Nadia, but only if you don’t leave. Please, don’t leave me.”
How desperately I wanted to be comforted and protected. I didn’t want to think for myself. I just wanted to be safe. I clung to him, breathing in his intoxicating, dangerous scent that I loved so much. If I was going to break, I wanted Zafir to hold me through it all.
“I’ll stay.”