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appeared to wage inside her. “You don’t have to worry that you’ll be forcing me to do anything I don’t want to do.”
    The acid in her voice startled him. There was more to this woman than he first thought. “But there was a time when that wasn’t the case?”
    She lowered her head and moved away from him, creating a wide gulf between them. “I am an Alpirion. When your grandfather defeated my people, my parents were forced into slavery.”
    “Were you born a slave?”
    “I was, but when my master died, I gained my freedom.” Her eyes glowed like blue ice when she leveled her gaze with his, and she held up her arms to show him the golden bracelets that proclaimed her status as a freed slave.
    His arms ached to wrap around her, but he kept his distance. He’d seen how he could destroy a fragile woman by forcing himself on her. His arranged marriage had brought nothing but misery and ultimately caused Lucia’s death. But Azurha’s confession revealed an inner steeliness to her nature he hadn’t expected. “What are your thoughts on freeing the slaves?”
    She gave a half-laugh. “I personally would welcome the idea, but I fear it may cause chaos throughout the empire. The nobles would be without a majority of their workforce, and they may need to trim their excesses to compensate for it.”
    He knew the excesses she spoke of, from the lavish orgies thrown here in the Imperial City of Emona to the grand palaces and airships the provincial governors built to rival his own. “Perhaps it’s time they learned to do what is best for the empire instead of caring only about themselves.”
    She cocked her head to the side and knitted her brows together. “You think your Imperial Will can overcome greed?”
    “I don’t know, but it will be an interesting experiment, don’t you agree?” He gave her a wry grin. His ancestors had imposed their Imperial Will in various ways over the centuries, from sending the army to overthrow the governors to withdrawing the reach of the barrier, exposing their provinces to the Barbarians until the governors yielded. He didn’t relish of idea of using either, hoping he could appeal to their intelligence rather than their baser natures.
    She stretched her legs out and smiled in return. “I believe you are an idealist, Titus. More than just a common man.”
    His gaze strayed to the outlines of her breasts under the sheer silk, and his body’s reaction to them reminded him of his baser desires. “No, I am just a man.”
    “And what do you want?”
    His balls tightened in response to the warm, seductive tone of her voice. “I think that’s obvious.”
    She dragged her veil across his lap. The subtle friction of the silk over his groin felt like the light caress of a hundred fingertips. “But you would probably want something out of the ordinary. Am I right?”
    Blood pounded through every vessel in his body. The need welling up inside him threatened to overcome his better judgment, to question the sudden change in her behavior. “What are you suggesting?”
    A mischievous grin played upon her full lips. “No peeking.”
    She folded the silk veil several times and tied it over his eyes, plunging him into darkness.

5
    Azurha secured the knot behind his head and studied her victim. So far, he seemed to be falling for her seduction as easily as any man. Jobs were always easier to carry out when the target wasn’t expecting death. Strangely, though, she couldn’t bring herself to stare into his bright blue eyes when she finally killed him. The blindfold did little to strengthen her resolve. Why couldn’t she dispose of him as easily as she had her other jobs?
    It wasn’t the kiss that left her hungering for more, although she had to admit that was one reason to keep him alive. The passion in his voice when he spoke of his plans for the empire intrigued her.
    “You’ve blindfolded me, Azurha. Now what do you have in mind?”
    “No peeking,” she repeated. Her voice rose