City of the Sleeping Gods Read online

  “I need some air,” she said as she started for the doors. She looked over her shoulder at the three men. “Aren’t you coming?”

  They looked at each other, and then Edric said, “You’re quite bossy even for a lady of nobility.”

  Obviously, none of them ever had a woman tell them what to do. She grinned. This is going to be fun.

  “I usually get what I want,” she said.

  Andreas inclined his head, a little flash of humor in his dark eyes. “And what does the lady want?”

  She made a point to look at each of them. “You have to follow me to the garden, to find out.”

  Ezekiel was the first one to eagerly step forward. He wriggled his eyebrows at Andreas and Edric. The other two quickly followed suit, until they were all outside in the garden, where it was quieter and more private.

  Once they had all come together, she pointedly asked, “Were you serious about your little wager?”

  Edric shook his head. “Of course not. We were only joking.”

  “As men tend to do around each other,” Andreas added.

  Ezekiel slapped Andreas on the back. “Exactly, right.”

  The wraith turned and glared at the sorcerer. It was obvious these men were not the best of friends. They were more like combatants.

  Sophia was certain her soul was in one of these men, likely in the two she’d been drawn to for so much of her life. She decided to hold a little contest of her own in an attempt to figure out which of them had her soul. And have some fun while she was at it.

  “That’s too bad, as I was hoping for a challenge myself.”

  The three men glanced at one another, and then Edric stepped forward. “What do you propose, my lady?”

  “I will refuse all other suitors and allow only the three of you to court me. From the three of you, I will pick one winner. The one who can best sway my heart.”

  They all perked up, puffing out chests and adjusting confident stances. It was meant to buy her time, and she felt a little bad about pitting them against each other, but by the looks on their faces, they clearly liked the contest. All eager for it, actually. She imagined there was a history of rivalry between them all since birth, according to the various stories they’d told her, which she found fascinating.

  “Do you agree?” she asked.

  “Agreed,” they all said one by one.

  “There are rules, of course,” she said.

  “Name them,” Andreas responded, with a confident lift of his chin.

  “I will spend one day with each of you, but only after two o’clock each day.”

  “Why two o’clock?” Ezekiel asked. “Doesn’t give us much time to woo you properly.”

  She couldn’t tell them it was because that was when her training with Grindel ended every day. She understood that they wanted to know why, but she needed to keep her cards close and play coy. Besides, as far as she could tell, men loved a woman who played coy. It was all part of the game.

  “My reasons are my own. A woman needs her secrets.”

  “This is true,” Ezekiel said, “Makes it more tantalizing to discover those secrets.” His playful grin made her belly tighten a little.

  “I’ll meet with Ezekiel first.”

  His grin broadened and he looked at the other two men tauntingly.

  “Then with Edric, and then Andreas.”

  Frowning, Edric stepped toward her. “Surely, you wish to start with the best first.”

  “Are you saying you’re a better man than I, Edric?” Ezekiel got in his face. “Do you wish to test that theory?” He flexed his fingers, and his skin started to glow. Edric’s hand went to his waist where his sword would normally be fastened.

  As fascinating as it would be to watch the sorcerer and the commander battle for her hand, Sophia didn’t have time for their childish posturing.

  “Stop,” she said, then she looked at Edric. “I’ll make you go last if you don’t stand down.”

  He did, and took a step away from Ezekiel. Although Andreas didn’t appear too happy to be going last, he held his tongue, which she was grateful for. She didn’t have time right now to prevent them from killing each other.

  On the other hand, Ezekiel was grinning ear to ear, obviously reveling in the other two men’s discomfort at being put in their place. “You’ve made a wise decision, Sophia.”

  Edric gave him a lethal stare. “I’d quit while I was ahead, Zeke.”

  Ezekiel’s grin faded, but only a little.

  She shook her head, questioning her decision to conduct this contest. Maybe it was not worth the hassle. But as she looked into each of their faces, she saw something in each of them that she desired.

  “I’ll meet each of you here in the garden at two each day. On Wednesdays, I will take time to reflect and be alone.”

  “But Sophia,” Andreas protested, “would it not be wiser to spend the day off with your current favorite. Give us more time and opportunity to win your favor.”

  The other two nodded in agreement.

  “I’m the prize, am I not?” She looked at each of them, and they nodded. “Then I’m the one making the rules. If you don’t like the rules, you can easily be dismissed from the contest.”

  Ezekiel pressed his lips together, stopping him from sounding another protest.

  Oh, they were adorable looking so admonished and humble in front of her. She could barely contain herself. To have three powerful yet vastly different young men at her fingertips. It was more than she could’ve ever hoped for. She hoped she could pull the ruse off in time. The oracles’ words filled her head again.

  In two harvest moons…

  As the men bickered among themselves, each trying to convince the other that they were more worthy of her attention, Sophia silently and quickly dissolved into the shadows. When they looked up and noticed that she had disappeared, she smirked from the nearby darkness at the astonished looks upon their handsome faces. Perhaps she would have fun with this whole dating thing after all.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sophia

  Sophia was actually a bit nervous for her first date. She’d faced grimms and minotaurs, pixies and even the fae, so it was stupid to be so nervous to face one simple man. Despite all that, butterflies had definitely settled in her belly. She took a steadying breath and focused on finding the missing piece of her soul. And to do that, she had to go on the date.

  After training, she plucked herself up from the ground and then headed for the meeting point. She made a stop first at the cabin, so she could wash. She would have to change later though, as she couldn’t ride Haris and climb through a drainage tunnel in a dress. If she showed up in her usual manner of dress—frayed leather pants, suede jerkin over a not so white shirt—Ezekiel would certainly have a ton of questions she didn’t need or want to answer. Once she was through her secret tunnel under the wall, she put on one of the simple yet elegant frocks she’d stolen from the Oxford estate and then stashed her other clothes in a bag, hiding them just inside the tunnel.

  When she arrived at the garden, Ezekiel was already there, looking dashing and handsome in his dark green, doublet embroidered vest, and pressed, black trousers. He dressed like nobility, and she wondered if he was from an aristocratic family. He had strong magic, a must in order to be a sorcerer, so she assumed he must be of noble birth. To her surprise, her body ached like it had the night before, though not as powerful, which was odd as she was convinced either Andreas or Edric held a piece of her soul since she’d always been drawn to them over the years. Not Ezekiel. It seemed strange for her body to react this way. Maybe it was just good, ole fashioned attraction and desire. The sorcerer was definitely alluring. Although she had nothing to compare it to, as she was still a maiden.

  The moment she stepped onto the cobblestone path, he turned toward her and grinned. That made the ache in her body quicken just a bit more. He had a devastating smile.

  He inclined his head. “Good day, my lady.”

  She nod
ded. “It is a good day, but you can stop with the ‘my lady.’ I’m just Sophia.”

  “All right, Sophia, what would you like to do for our date?” He held out his arm for her to slip a hand through the crook of his elbow.

  She gave him a wry smile. “Impress me.”

  His eyebrows lifted, and then he chuckled. “Challenge accepted.”

  He led her through the city pointing out various shops, vendors, and establishments that he liked to visit. There was the tailor where he got all his clothes made, and he offered to have any type of dress she wanted made for her. He showed her the inn where he said the best food and brandy was served. Sophia didn’t know what brandy was, but she didn’t want to appear foolish and ask in case it was something well known to ladies of high society. Then he stopped at a small vendor on Market Street and bought her two honey cakes, much to her delight. He must’ve noticed she had a sweet tooth by all the pastries she’d eaten at the ball. She was sure it was just a coincidence that he’d chosen honey cakes, which were her absolute favorite. Surely, he couldn’t have known that about her.

  Eventually, they walked through market square and past all the shops to a lesser attended part of the city, to a secret, locked gate in the wall. To unlock it, Ezekiel held out his hands, spoke quiet words, and magic glowed along his skin. Within seconds the lock disengaged, and the gate swung open. She had to tamp down the urge to ask him to teach her that spell. He couldn’t know she possessed magic.

  She gaped at him. “Impressive.”

  “I aim to please.” He gestured to the open passage. “Shall we?”

  Sophia went through, Ezekiel behind her, and then they were out of the high city walls and walking lazily toward the Witch Woods on the king’s road that ran right through the trees, neatly splitting the woods in half. She was a bit hesitant, yet, curious about what he was up to.

  He quirked an eyebrow, obviously mistaking her curiosity for fear. “Are you afraid of the forest?”

  “Not at all. If anything I’m astonished that you aren’t afraid.” She walked a little ahead of him, eager to be back among familiar territory.

  He had to take longer strides to catch up to her, and then they were side by side strolling through the picturesque pathway through the trees. As they walked, Ezekiel pointed out some interesting flora and fauna of the area, like monkshood and hemlock, both she’d used for herbal medicines. When he pointed to a snapping turtle plant, she had to press her lips together to stop from telling him about the time she nearly lost a finger to the carnivorous plant while saving a sprite from imminent death.

  “You seem very familiar with the woods. I can’t imagine you get all that from books,” she asked.

  Ezekiel ran his hand over the fuzzy leaves of a velvet bush. “I come out here as often as I can. There’s always been something here that I’ve been drawn to. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been sneaking out of the city to walk through the woods. I’m surprised Howard survived my childhood with all my exploits.”

  She was surprised at his confession. The forest was large, certainly, but Sophia thought for sure she would’ve run across this handsome, young man in her woods at some point. He was definitely not someone she would’ve overlooked.

  “Who’s Howard? Your brother?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “My butler. I have no siblings.”

  His eyes turned sad, and a lump formed in her throat. She hadn’t meant to make him melancholy. She squeezed his arm gently to soothe him.

  He gave her a soft smile. “Tell me more about you, Sophia. You seem quite at home here in the woods. Most women would be clutching skin off my arm by now,” he said.

  “I have a feeling that was your plan.” She feigned annoyance then quickly added a smile.

  He gave her a wicked sly look that made her belly clench. “Maybe.”

  She chuckled. “I am not most women.”

  “That’s obvious.” He touched her hand, and a soft buzz of pleasure vibrated over her skin.

  “Do you bring all the ladies you’re courting out to the dark and dangerous woods?” she asked.

  He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “No, I don’t bring anyone out here, and for the record, I’m not courting any other ladies.”

  Coyly, she pulled away and stepped onto a shale rock bed along the edge of the stream. “I love it here as well. My… tutor has made sure I know as much about the woods as I can possibly know.”

  “He sounds like a task master.”

  “Oh he is, most definitely. Sometimes he’ll push me so hard that I can’t hold my arms up any longer. Sometimes, I’ll be sore for days.” Off his confused look, she added, “From carrying so many books of course.”

  Feeling light and free, Sophia spun on her heel, then jumped off the rocks, landing silently on the ground. She remembered herself too late. Without even speaking, she was giving too much of herself away.

  Ezekiel watched her with an amused arch of his eyebrow.

  “My tutor demanded I had extensive dance lessons as well,” she said in way of an explanation of her stealth in the forest. “He insisted I have a graceful and sturdy body as well as a sharp mind.”

  He gave her a look that told her he appreciated the way she moved and how her dress fit snug across her breasts and hips. “He definitely succeeded in that regard.”

  She blushed.

  He grabbed her hand. “I want to show you something.” He pulled her off the path and to a dark stretch of trees. “Watch.”

  He rubbed the palms of his hands together, and then slowly pulled them apart. A soft blue glow developed between them, enveloping his hands. When he held them up, a gust of wind rushed past. Instantly, thousands of glowing lights spiraled into the air. They were pixies spinning about, leaving trails of glowing dust in their wake. All the colors of a rainbow coiled into the air above Sophia’s head.

  She held onto Ezekiel’s arm and watched the spectacle in awe. She’d never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Not even a glowing hive of fairies could compete. And he’d created it for her.

  “This place is so beautiful and shouldn’t be feared,” he said, then locked eyes with her.

  She thought he spoke about her, not just the woods. He could truly see her, and she liked being seen.

  Sophia reached up and placed her hand to his cheek. She was drawn to him. As her fingers touched his skin, warmth spread through her, her body brimming with crackling energy that snaked through her very core.

  He placed his hand on top of hers, his fingers strong and rough, and he leaned into her. Gently, softly, he brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was feathery light, and she barely felt it on her mouth.

  But she felt it everywhere else in her body. Her thighs warmed. Her back arched, her entire essence aching to be closer to him, every ounce of her needing more.

  He pulled back and then tucked a stray hair of hers back behind her ear. “I have so much more to show you.”

  She smiled, wrapped a hand around his arm, and let him lead her back through the woods to the city. She was surprised by her reaction to him. She thought dating Ezekiel would be a bit of fun mixed in with her real mission to find the piece of her soul. But the more her body responded to his touches, to his looks, she realized that the game just got way more complicated.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ezekiel

  Later that night, Ezekiel fell back onto his big four-poster bed, shirtless and happy. He had a wonderful day and evening with Sophia. He’d originally joined in on the little wager simply because he liked her feisty personality and because he wanted to irk Andreas and Edric. He would jump on any opportunity to annoy those two.

  But she’d surprised him. Impressed him. Enchanted him, even.

  When he’d arrived home at the estate, his butler Howard, had even commented on Ezekiel’s uncharacteristic smile on his face, and just the fact that he came home and not to the castle to work on one of his spells said something.

  From the moment Ezekiel had firs
t touched her, something shifted inside him, and he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Where spells and desires to leave Nighthelm normally took residence in his head, now there were images of Sophia. He could still taste her on his lips when he licked them.

  Although the kiss had been soft and quick, it had jolted him. He’d kissed other young women over the years—several in fact—but it had never felt like that. Like the room wouldn’t stop spinning. He wasn’t sure he wanted it to.

  He stared up at the high, painted ceiling of his bedroom, a goofy grin on his face. He couldn’t stop smiling as he thought of the way she’d looked at him when he’d performed magic. Like he was the most magical thing she’d ever seen.

  After they had returned to the city, Ezekiel took Sophia to another of his favorite places—the Metropolis, which was a museum holding every piece of lore on Nighthelm and the surrounding kingdoms. Over the years, he’d spent a good chunk of his life poring over books about the royal family and all the noble families. His family, Wickham, even had a volume about their lineage. On nights he couldn’t sleep at home, that was where he went. It helped him battle the nightmares. Helped keep the images of his family’s massacre at bay.

  Sophia had seemed honestly interested in everything inside the museum. She’d asked a lot of questions and stayed riveted when he’d answered. Not once did he see boredom in her beautiful eyes. Other women he’d brought to the Metropolis would often start to ask when they could leave within fifteen minutes of getting there. But not Sophia. They had stayed in the building, wandering from floor to floor, looking at artifacts and art, for over an hour.

  He’d never met another person who was as thirsty for knowledge as Sophia seemed to be. She almost rivaled him for needing to know more about everything. Every question she asked just enamored him more and more. When she questioned him about Nighthelm history and the oracles and lighting up when he was able to answer a few of them— though, not all, as some of her questions were obscure even for him—he was sure he’d found his intellectual equal. He could imagine many days and nights—oh yes, plenty of long lovely nights—sharing everything he knew.