Tangled Web by Crista McHugh Read Free Book Online Page A

his desire, and he pulled away from Azurha. Although she’d been dead for over two years, he still felt obligated to mourn her. Not because he loved her, but because he felt guilty for the way their arranged marriage had deprived her of true happiness.
    Perhaps I should remember that before giving in to my baser nature .
    It was bad enough that he felt the need to lull Azurha to sleep using his magic last night. He doubted she would have had a restful night’s sleep after everything that happened between them, even if he had let her return to the harem. She had been sent to pleasure him, and he wouldn’t deny that she was quite skilled in that respect. But until he knew the reason behind the conflicted emotions he’d witnessed play out across her face all evening, he preferred not to let things spiral out of control.
    He rolled out of bed and grabbed his robe. The longer he stayed in bed next to Azurha, the more intense the battle between reason and lust became. He retreated from the bedroom and all its conflicting emotions and sought peace in his bathing chambers.
    Varro stood by the large pool with a towel and knowing smile. “Good morning, Emperor Sergius. Sleep well?”
    “Almost too well.” He removed the robe and sank into the warm water of the tepidarium pool. A brief bath in the morning always cleansed the sleep from his brain. He swam across the pool and let the fatigue fade from his muscles.
    “I took the liberty of heating the caldarium and the tepidarium in the harem for the young lady, Emperor Sergius. She will be properly attended during her bath this evening.”
    The thought of Azurha standing naked while slaves smeared perfumed oil over her skin aroused the desire that he fought so desperately to control. He jumped out of the tepidarium pool and plunged into the icy water of the frigidarium pool nearby. Maybe if he physically doused his flaming skin, he’d clear his mind as well. By the time he resurfaced, he’d pushed her out of his mind.
    “Feeling refreshed?” Varro handed him the towel when he climbed out of the pool.
    Goosebumps pebbled his skin, but he finally felt ready to face the day. He nodded to the servant and began drying off. “How much time do I have before the vultures start descending on me?”
    Varro laughed. “If by vultures you mean your advisors, then I say maybe half an hour. The cracks in the barrier have them more anxious than a room of first time fathers.”
    “I’ll address the barrier first thing this morning.” He hoped he could summon enough magic to repair the damage. If he’d known his father’s death would come so soon, he would have spent more time learning to harness his magic efficiently rather than reading. Instead, the daily reinforcement of the barrier left him more exhausted than several hours of combat training in the gymnasium. He only hoped it would become easier as the days went on. The nobility’s reaction to his plans for the empire was the least of his problems if the barrier fell.
    “Very good, Emperor Sergius.” Varro held out a fresh tunic and helped him dress. “I’ll go wake the young lady and return her to the harem.”
    “No, wait.” The peaceful expression on her face while she slept seemed so different from the emotions that played upon it last night. Her life as a slave still haunted her. “Let her sleep. When she awakens, then you can take her back to the harem.”
    The servant cocked a brow but said nothing. Apparently, this wasn’t the way Imperial concubines were normally treated. “Will there be anything else?”
    “Not at the moment.” His thoughts had already drifted to what he’d like to do with her tonight, but he refused to dwell on them. He pressed his hand against the gold plate by the door, and a tingle of magic flowed down his arms. The locks clicked open, and the long corridor to the throne room stretched before him. He took a deep breath and proceeded toward it.
    As soon as he crossed the threshold, his