Page 28 of Seasons of War
“Tell me more,” he said.
A deep breath. “My boss ordered me to avoid you, but I came anyway.”
“Fascinating. Why?”
“The Phaedra won this war before it began. I need to be on the right side when Caspador formally enters the war.”
Their kingdom could join the rebellion any day now and the Phaedra knew that. The presence of an officer bearing the seal meant imminent action against the king of Caspador.
Memories raced through her mind, visions of what terrors the future may hold, but she pushed them further and further away. Later, she'd unravel what this meant. Right now, she faced death, and she could not look away.
“Not all captains are created equal,” Miya said, making her voice small and sweet. How she assumed he liked his women. “Still, I didn't expect such a powerful man.” Miya glanced down at the seal on his right arm.
Oh, he liked that, didn't he? He liked being powerful.
Pathetic little bitch.
Despite the way her pandering lit his eyes, he snorted. “Do you think all it takes to ingratiate yourself with me is to liftyour skirt?”
He’d done the lifting, but she wasn’t about to correct him. “I didn’t come here to seduce you, Captain Garrison. I came here to make friends. There isn’t a thing I’m unwilling to do to survive.”
“Enough.” He stood and threw the dress at her. “You’ve made your case.”
Miya didn’t hesitate to pull on the black garment, though she did her best to appear unhurried. She faced him, waiting within arm’s reach. Too close for comfort. She didn't like his temper.
The captain watched her. Finally, he spoke, his voice lowering to a hum. “You're such an effective little tool.”
She’d done all this work to make him see her as a resource, but it still tasted bitter on her tongue.
This was what she needed to survive, though. Or to fight the captain. Stop him from attacking their kingdom.
Stupid.
Thoughts like that ruined her life once already. She wasn’t that naïve girl anymore. Miya needed to look out for herself. No one else would. She'd amassed power, gathering secrets on the most powerful men in Caspador. Once this mark ruined her. Now she ruined all these men with it. And it felt good.
Sure, she helped the kingdom whenever possible. That hopeful girl inside of her never died entirely. If Miya could protect people from Captain Garrison, then she would. However, she was not playing the martyr for a kingdom that showed her exactly what women like her meant to them. She'd suffered enough.
No, Miya took care of herself and those in danger of being marked, or who wanted to escape this life. Her days of trying to save an entire kingdom were behind her. For good.
“A man’s coming soon,” the captain said. “Lance. Get to know him. Show me what you can do.”
“Does Lance have a last name?”
“Supposedly Krowe.”
Miya raised a brow. “Supposedly?”
“Governor Krowe claims Lance is his nephew. He’s coming to help tie up loose ends before choosing a buyer for the estate. Of course, with the Phaedra forcing the incompetent fool to retire, I can only imagine that Governor Krowe feels threatened.”
“I'll get to know this Lance-supposedly-Krowe.” That couldn’t be the only thing the captain wanted from her.
“Yes, you will.”
The captain motioned for her to come closer. She defied every instinct in her body and forced herself to take a rigid step forward. Everything inside of her screamed danger. He seemed volatile. And though he never fought in the war, he was still a trained soldier, still grew up in the academy.
His finger curled toward himself again, and she took another step. His arm captured her around her waist. She brought her forearms up to shield herself, settling her hands against his chest to cover for her reaction.
His rough hands turned tender against her sides. “I take care of what’s mine.” His voice softened, and he ran his fingers down her neck. “A diamond necklace will look lovely on you.”
