Marius had already delivered a flimsy excuse for a nightdress to her quarters, along with a note explaining how she should present herself to him. Numbly, she changed into the outfit before wrapping herself in a robe and making her way to the royal suite. Two guards flanked the entrance. One of them opened the door for her while muttering something to his partner that made the other man laugh. She didn’t hear the remark, or particularly care. As the door shut behind her, she scanned past the oversize bed and the lavish wood furnishings to the balcony at the far end of the room—a possible exit point if things got out of hand.
On bare feet, she padded to the balcony doors and opened them a crack, peeking outside as the cool night breeze tickled her cheeks. The drop from the second-story suite didn’t seem too far, especially with a thick carpet of grass to cushion her fall. With that in mind, she backed away and prepared for her husband’s arrival.
She shed her robe and knelt on the cold tile at the foot of his bed, just as he’d ordered her to do. She didn’t know how long he kept her waiting there, but by the time she heard his voice in the hallway, she’d lost some of the feeling in her knees.
The bedroom door opened and shut again. Soft footsteps clicked across the floor, soon stopping to the left of her, where the rustle of fabric punctuated the silence. When she glanced to the side, she saw Marius shrug out of his suit jacket and toss it onto a nearby ottoman. Under the glow of a single moonbeam, he watched her the way a spider might regard a ladybug caught in its web, his lips curving up as he unknotted his tie and flicked open the buttons of his shirt. After peeling it off, he stood over her wearing a linen undershirt and trousers—much more than the lacy fabric that barely covered her thighs. It was another way of flaunting his power.
“Stand up,” he commanded.
She obeyed, clasping both hands behind her back.
He took his time as he inspected her, pacing while his grin widened. “I didn’t think I had any use for you, Cassy, but maybe I was wrong. You seem to have found the quickest way to my heart.”
When he touched the strap at her shoulder and began to push it down, Cassia curled her fingers around the slim device she had tucked beneath her thong. In a smooth motion she’d rehearsed a hundred times in her mind, she whirled behind him and hooked an arm around his neck. Less than a heartbeat later, she stood with one hand clasped over his mouth and the other holding a laser blade to his throat.
His pulse throbbed against her fingertips as he froze in place, bent backward and breathing hard through his nose. He didn’t move or speak, and to keep it that way, Cassia made sure he knew she wasn’t the delicate princess he remembered. Starting with his undershirt collar, she dragged the laser blade in a slow trail leading to his navel. The fabric sizzled as it flayed apart, filling the air with the stench of burnt linen and exposing the famed contours of his abdominal muscles.
“I do know the quickest way to your heart,” she murmured in his ear. “It’s through your chest with this laser blade. And unless you’d like a demonstration, you’re going to keep that pretty mouth shut. Nod if you understand.”
His chin dipped.
“Good,” she said. “We’re going to the washroom, nice and slow.” She tapped the blade against his jaw, barely nicking him. “Don’t move too fast, or you’ll slit your own throat.”
Together they shuffled toward the adjoining bathroom. Her intention was to knock him unconscious, then scale down the balcony and steal a shuttle in hopes of returning before he woke up. With any luck, she might be able to drag his body into the craft and hold him hostage until he surrendered his missiles.
She was halfway to her destination when a tall, shadowy figure pushed open the balcony doors and nearly gave her a heart attack. But then the man turned his face to the moonlight, illuminating a familiar crooked nose, and Cassia released a breath.
“It’s about damned time,” she hissed, lowering her laser blade as General Jordan raised his pistol at Marius.
Jordan remained as stoic as ever. “There were a few complications. Besides, I figured you wouldn’t be able to get him alone until now.” When Cassia stepped out from behind Marius, the general caught a glimpse of her flimsy nightdress and did a double take. At once, he looked away, shifting his gaze all over the room as if torn between averting his eyes and keeping the prisoner within sight.
Cassia strode to the bed to retrieve her robe. “I hope you brought some friends this time.”
Jordan cleared his throat. “Our ride will be here soon.”
“Let’s make a quiet exit.” She pulled the lapels tightly over her chest and knotted the belt tie. “I don’t want anyone to notice he’s gone until morning.”