How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days (The Embraced #1)

Luciana threw the grape at her, and with one last giggle Tatiana vanished.

Sighing, Luciana retrieved the fallen grape and set it back on the table. Her gaze lingered on the piece of bread that she’d shared with Leo. It was as close as she’d ever gotten to an actual kiss from him.

She ran her fingers over the three pebbles, pausing on the one decorated with the number two. This means the two will become one, he’d said.

How could she become one with Leo? Tears stung her eyes. She did want him to touch her. She wanted a real husband and a home with him. She wanted to feel safe enough that she could invite her sisters to come see her and her children. But how could she ever have a baby if Leo couldn’t touch her? How could she ever lie in his arms and kiss him? Would she have to wait for a drought? What if one never came?

Would she have to live the rest of her life like the ghosts of her mother and sister, existing but not able to experience the real joys of life? Waking in the arms of the man she loved. Holding his babies against her breast. Celebrating life’s milestones surrounded by those she loved.

How could she even tell him she was in love with him? It would only cause him more torment since he couldn’t touch her. And if he tried to touch her and accidentally hurt her, he would blame himself and suffer for it. How could she do that to him?

With a sigh, she realized it was best to keep her distance and not tell him she loved him. It would be one more secret that she had to keep.

Are your spies, by any chance, dead?

She shivered. He was far too clever. She would have to be very careful from now on and guard her secrets closely.

The smell of smoke crept through the open windows of the tower. The funeral had begun. She sent a prayer to Luna and Lessa that the goddesses look over the bereaved families and keep her father safe.

A while later, Tatiana appeared.

“Did you find the jailers?” Luciana asked.

Tatiana shook her head. “They’ve already moved on to the Realm of the Heavens.”

Luciana’s shoulders drooped as she sat in a chair at the table. “I thought they would stay with their families for a while.”

Tatiana shrugged. “Most people do move on right away. The only ghosts I know here, besides me, are Mama and Christopher. Mama stayed behind to be with Papa and me. And Christopher doesn’t want to leave his mother.”

“Did you see him?”

Tatiana nodded. “He was so surprised to see me. And really sad that I’d died. But now he seems happy to have more company.”

“He told me there were more ghosts in the catacombs.”

Tatiana shuddered. “I’m never going there. Mama warned me not to. Christopher told me the ghosts there are mean and vicious. They were bad people when they were alive, and now they refuse to move on to the Realm of the Heavens for fear they’ll be punished.”

Luciana grimaced. Growing up, her worst fear had always been the possibility of being trapped with evil ghosts. “It sounds like a horrible place.”

Tatiana nodded. “There were four bodies at the funeral. The first two assassins were burned, too. I didn’t see their ghosts. I thought maybe they had moved on, but Christopher thinks they went to the catacombs.”

A shiver ran down Luciana’s back. She couldn’t ask her sister or Christopher to venture into such a horrid place. “Then we have no way of figuring out who the last assassin is. We’ll have to rely on Leo to catch him.”

*

“Why don’t we just lock the damned priest up in the dungeon?” Nevis asked as he and Leo crossed the drawbridge, headed for the keep and the funeral feast.

“We have no proof he’s an assassin,” Leo replied. “And if the news gets out that we’ve imprisoned one of the king’s precious priests, he could label us heretics.”

Nevis grimaced. “I’d rather not be burned at the stake.”

“Exactly.” Leo sighed. “Uncle Fred is always looking for a reason to be rid of me. I’d rather not give him one.”

“He’s a royal pain in the ass,” Nevis grumbled. “No offense.”

“None taken. Besides, we can’t actually be sure Father Rune is the assassin. We were wrong about the first one, Willem. But then we were right about the second one. Dax was a new guard just like we suspected.”

“I heard it was awesome how you chased him down.” Nevis made a sour face. “All the excitement happened while I was gone.”

“You had some excitement, too, when you rescued Willem’s family.”

Nevis scoffed. “Not really. We dressed up like a gang of thieves and planned an elaborate attack, but the king’s men took one look at us and ran away. We spent most of our time bringing Willem’s family here, because the children wanted to stop every five minutes to take a piss. And the baby kept crying. I’d rather fight a horde of elves than endure that again.”

“You’ll probably get your wish.”

“Felt a bit sorry for the widow, though,” Nevis mumbled. “She came all this way just to find out her husband had been murdered.”

“The duke said he’d take care of the widow and children,” Leo said as they passed through the north gate into the courtyard.

“That’s good.” Nevis motioned toward the gallows at the south side of the courtyard. “So they finished building it. Hopefully, we’ll be hanging that damned priest soon.”

“If he’s truly the assassin.” Leo smiled to himself as he recalled how Ana had stood on the platform, yelling at everyone that he wasn’t a Beast. Now whenever he saw the gallows, he would no longer think of death. Because of Ana, he would think of courage and loyalty. And desire. By the Light, he wanted her something fierce.

Beside him, Nevis asked, “Where the hell is Brody? He could verify if the priest is guilty.”

Leo winced. “He’s not here.”

“Where did he go?”