Game of Temptation Read Free Page B

of roots. The elf who held him was
not huge, but he stood there, unmoved.
    "I am well, Orrin." She focused on
Orrin, trying to block out any effect the prince had on her. It helped a little
to gather her wits, and for the moment, any little help is something she will
exploit with all her might. "After we obtain the essence from Imreal, go
to my father. I have…diplomatic obligations to be finished here."
    Orrin's eyes narrowed. "Forgive me,
princess, I cannot leave you. Your father has carged me with your well-being.
It is my first duty."
    "No, Orrin. Your first duty is to
ensure that your king lives. He will not die if you bring him the essence of
Imreal and news that I am well. If you do not do this, I will have no choice
but to charge you with treason. I will return, Orrin. Alive and well. This I
promise in the name of my father."
    Orrin tensed and for a while, he said
nothing. Then he bowed, stiffly. "I will await your return."
    With the steel in her, Alethi turned to the
Prince, only to have the steel shatter as if it were frozen and hammered by a
blacksmith. She could not speak as he looked at her. Something about his look
beckoned her inner desires, making her recall the intimate moments when she was
held to the wall of the cave, helpless under his manipulations. She gathered
herself and took a deep breath replacing it with thoughts of her father, her
mother and Orrin.
    "Are we waiting for anything
else?" she asked as haughtily as she could.
    "I was, but perhaps, I would see it
over the course of our…as you call it, diplomatic dealings." A smile
spread across his face as he led them toward Imreal.
    Alethi looked everywhere but him. Behind
her, Orrin was worry personified. He walked like a man about to lose his child
to a rabid lion and there was nothing he could do about it. Watching him had
become too painful and she resolved to look at her surroundings. Anything to
distract her from his lingering scent.
    The further into Rehanathi they went, the
larger the trees became until they seem to dwarf the very towers of the castle.
Every branch was a walkway a five-column army could march across. Plants she
had never seen before reflected her skin with iridescent leaves while others
moved about her as if curious about the intruder walking in their home.
    As the curtain of leaves parted, Imreal
stood before her, more regal and beautiful than anything she had ever seen. The
structure was built on precious stones, light shining from within. Gold and
silver threads snaked swiftly across its surface. Flora of different colors
framed the massive structure and clear, crystalline water flowed around it from
nowhere she could see.
    A dagger in front of her face cut short her
appreciation. Her eyes traced it to the arm that held it and up to Arun's face.
"Where?" was all she could say without betraying the sudden tightness
she felt in her throat.
    "The golden bowl sitting on top of the
water. That's where you place a drop of elfin blood."
    Alethi took the dagger without touching the
prince's skin, afraid of what the contact might do to her. It annoyed her to be
tentative and unsure around him, but she had no choice if she wanted to retain
the respect of everyone there.
    "Alethi!"
    Alethi turned to see Orrin with a sudden
sense of urgency. "Yes?"
    "Take the vial in my boot. It has the
king's blood. You do not have to shed yours," he said.
    "You brought my father's blood?"
Alethi asked curious. "Why? There is no need. My father's blood flows in
me. The Imreal will know elfin blood no matter how small the trace. It is but a
small wound."
    Orrin's face suddenly etched with horror,
his skin tinged slightly green. "Are you ill, Orrin?" she asked.
    "By the gods…forgive me, my
princess."
    Alethi's mind spun and she felt herself stop
breathing until she remembered and forced herself to inhale. He could not mean
to say…
    "Your," Orrin swallowed and looked
at her with obvious struggle, "father…he had been barren. He needed an
heir to