Empire of Seduction

beacon calling out to her. The courtyard was a sea of carriages, servants bustling to assist the nobles who st

ren had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving her to face the emperor's court alone. She felt a shiver run d

le over the sound of her own heartbeat. She felt their eyes on her

ke a warm summer breeze on a lazy afternoon. She elegantly t

d sharper ambitions, approaching her. The woman's jeweled tiara caught th

eth, like a predator baring its fangs. "The orphan turned cou

yet, I'm sure the truth is far less entertaining than the rumors," she said, her

chips in a winter's night. "Perhaps," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "But I do hope you'l

eaving Mariel's face. "I'll keep that in

d secret in a crowded room. She turned sharply, but there was no one there -

his dark eyes wide with fear as he whispered his warning.

irled around her, like a vortex pulling her down into its depths. She knew sh

es scanning the crowd for any sign of danger, her heart