Page 96 of Firebird
“It was,” he agreed on a sigh. “As a final insult, he gave all of theplebs twenty-five denarii and threw a festival where he furnished the bread and meat in the forum, showing what a gracious emperor he was.”
Igniculus truly was a monster.
A sharp memory invaded my mind. One of the man who’d told me about my village so long ago.
“I was told that it was dragon madness that caused the attack on my village.”
Julian’s hand stopped stroking, spreading warmly on my back. “The Romans attacked in half-skin?” he asked gently.
“They did.” I remembered the carnivorous gleam in their eyes. “We hadn’t done anything against the emperor. Our village was so small and far away from other Roman provinces. It never made sense to me why they’d come in and simply murdered everyone.”
He wrapped both of his arms around me and hugged me close, pressing his mouth to the crown of my head. “I’m sorry, Malina. It sounds as if they were taken over by the bloodlust.” He squeezed me again, whispering almost to himself, “Thank the gods you escaped.”
“I used to curse the gods for letting me escape.”
He rolled us both onto our sides, facing each other. Propping himself on one elbow, he cupped my face with the other. “Why would you do so?”
I scoffed. “Really, Julian? To be the only one of my village, of my family, to survive that nightmare? I thought perhaps the gods had spared me for a reason. And when I was able to help the Celts in battle, I believed perhaps the gods had set me there for that purpose.” After all, my bunica had always told me as much. That I could save the people. “But then the Celts were defeated.”
“By me,” he added sourly.
“By you. And I was taken into captivity.”
“By me.”
“Yes.” I scowled.
“So you believed your purpose was for naught. That the gods had abandoned you.”
I didn’t answer, because that’s exactly how I felt.
He trailed his fingers down my throat and lifted the coin I still wore around my neck. I’d removed my slave collar for the night but I never removed the coin he’d given me.
“Youwerespared by the gods for a purpose.”
“What?” I huffed. “To be your lover?”
“To be my wife.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “To be my partner in this infernal world. To be my helpmate as we crush the Roman Empire and build a new one.”
My heart catapulted faster, blood humming wildly through my veins. “You truly want all of that.”
“To build a new Rome? I’ve told you so.”
I pulled away so I could see his eyes better, then shook my head shyly. “Not that.”
His widening smile made my belly turn over. “For you to be my wife?”
“I saw a rather beautiful Roman lady at your party. She seemed rather fond of the position.”
His chuckle made me angry. “You’re jealous.”
Shoving him away, I turned over and threw off the covers. Before I could extricate myself from his bed, he had me around the waist and hauled me back to him, laughing fully now.
“Stop it,” I demanded. “Let me go.”
“No. Never,” he murmured into my ear as I half-heartedly struggled to get free. He pinned my arms and squeezed me closer. “That woman is a dim, dying light compared to you.Gods,Malina. You were so fucking beautiful tonight, it hurt my heart to even look at you. And yet, I couldn’t look away.”
He sucked in a breath, nuzzling into my neck. I couldn’t help but tip my head at an angle so he had more access. He growled.
