Amongst Silk and Spice by Camille Oster Read Free Book Online

they employed.
    A little lamp sat in the corner with oil flowing around a wick, along with some grinding stones to light the thing, which Hugo did, sending pale light into the room. It was darkening outside and the brightness of the paper walls was receding, replaced by the light of the little lamp.
    Eloise said nothing as she watched him. She'd tried pleading and she had relatively little to threaten with, but there was a chance that Malik was looking for her.
    Hugo shifted and lay down on his side, bundling his surcoat to support his head, placing himself between her and the door. It didn't matter. As soon as he was asleep, she was going to step across him and slowly open the door, although truthfully she was exhausted. But she would escape first, then hide somewhere he wouldn't find her and sleep.
    His body relaxed as he rested. Eloise could see the form of him as he lay on his side. He was so much larger than Malik, with muscles bulking him out. She supposed a man couldn't be at war for years on end without building muscles like that.
    As he reached out to her, Eloise held her breath, not knowing what his intentions were. Surely he couldn't mean to impose on her—that would be inexcusable. He grabbed her skirt and Eloise tried to shift away, but he gripped the hem and wound it around his hand.
    "If you're going to escape, you're going to have to do it naked. Shouldn't prove hard to find you then," he said, sounding smug and amused.
    Eloise could have spit with her annoyance. Not only was he thwarting her plan, but he was also pulling her skirt up, revealing her legs. He glanced down but made no moves or comments, instead closing his eyes, with the hem of her skirt tightly wrapped around his fist.
    She considered her options, but she had few. She could technically take the gown off, but he was right, running around naked would see her ravished and probably murdered by morning by the Mongol guards in the town. She had nothing to cut the piece off with, other than his sword that he was partially sleeping on. If she managed to slip the dress off without alerting him, the Cathayans were often unwilling to draw attention and trouble to themselves by helping, and who could blame them. The Mongols were ruthless in retribution to any disturbance or sign of subversion.
    She would have to think of another plan. He had bested her this once. Closing her eyes, she let her exhaustion take over as she listened to his breathing slowing, growing deep and constant. She missed Malik, wishing his arms were around her now. She could imagine how distressed he was when she didn't return. But it was also likely that he would have heard that a knight came and stole her off the street. She wasn't sure how he'd react to that, but he might well assume it was her family's action, sending a knight to retrieve her. He would not stand in the way then as he believed that family had the right to impose their will on children, particularly on daughters. It was an issue they disagreed on and had conducted many debates on the subject in the past. The conclusion was therefore that Malik would not stand in the way if her family came to claim her, even if he would miss her dearly, and she him.
    Eloise hated Hugo a little bit more, if that was even possible.

Chapter 8:
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    Hugo didn't know where he was for a moment. Opening his eyes, he sought his hand, which was wrapped in something—her skirt. The material looked like blood in his hand. Somewhere he heard a rooster crowing, but otherwise all was still. Brightness shone through the thin, white walls.
    Eloise was still asleep, lying with her hands under her cheek, her cheeks rosy and her hair golden, snaking around her neck. Her skirt, which he had around his hand, was lifted off her legs, revealing them up to her thigh. Her legs were milky white and slim, pleasing to the eye.
    An image of him mounting her, nestled between those thighs, seeking heat and comfort, flitted through his mind, but he dismissed