her so gently as of late. The spanking aside.
General Zamek peered up and down the street, as if making certain they were alone. He guided Layla closer to Betsy and the commander. “I’m sure Ambassador Merokk already told you what happened in the courtroom,” Zamek said, keeping his voice low. “I’ve decided to spare Layla’s life, but I am not certain it’s ever been done—I can’t recall a time when a warrior didn’t fulfill his retribution rights—so I’m making her my slave, officially, in hopes that the authorities don’t become suspicious of my true intentions and attempt to take Layla away from me, and taking her home. I only wish to keep her safe.”
Though they’d argued about the whole slave thing, Layla was starting to come around to Zamek’s point of view. She didn’t like the manacles or the tracker, but he truly was doing this for her benefit. The prospect of being taken away from him by Kall authorities struck fear into her heart.
Safe. She felt safe with him.
Betsy’s expression softened. “So… what are your true intentions with Layla?”
Commander Edek shot her another sharp look, then sighed.
Zamek caught Layla’s eyes. “As I said, I wish to keep her safe. And one day, if I can convince the stubborn human to say yes, as well as convince the Sumlin District council to approve the license, I intend to make her my wife.”
All the air rushed from Layla’s lungs. His wife. His wife. Happiness swelled inside her, knowing that her time as his slave might not last forever. But frustration soon followed, because he ought to have mentioned his entire plan to her earlier. She might not have argued so much about becoming his mistress. Knowing he wished to eventually make her his wife changed everything.
“Wife?” Betsy said, her eyes going wide. A smile soon overtook her features and Layla found herself grinning back, even if she was still reeling from the shock of this news.
“Why didn’t you tell me all this while we were aboard the Tammusha, General Zamek?” she muttered under her breath.
Zamek opened his mouth to reply, but approaching voices apparently made him think twice. “We must leave now,” he whispered, “but I will contact you soon, Commander Edek. There’s something I wish to discuss with you, and I’m sure Betsy and Layla would like to spend time together.”
“Of course, General,” the commander replied with a nod. He glanced over his shoulder at the approaching Kall, a group of five warriors, and started to guide Betsy away.
Betsy looked back and mouthed goodbye with a brief smile before turning around to disappear down the street with her husband.
Before Layla could finish processing all that had just happened, Zamek grasped her hair and dug his fingers into the back of her neck as he roughly urged her up the ramp of the airship. The warriors passed by just as they reached the door. While she didn’t appreciate all the manhandling, she knew Zamek didn’t have much of a choice.
Once they found their seats in the airship, it took all her self-control not to smile at him—he wanted to marry her!—or pepper him with questions. Conscious of the pilot, she kept her gaze low and took on the appearance of a miserable slave. When she shifted her hands in her lap, she winced at the pain of the manacles digging into her flesh. She hoped it didn’t take long to reach Zamek’s house, as she yearned to rub the soreness out of her wrists.
The airship ascended into the sky and they were off, passing over the town and eventually, farms and vineyards.
Sumlin District. I’m in Sumlin District.
And General Zamek wants to marry me and Betsy’s here and I saw her and ohmygodohmygod this feels like the moons and the stars are all trying to shine at once.
Happy thoughts rushed her, and she lowered her head farther, allowing her hair to conceal her face in case she accidentally smiled.
Her pulse quickened when the airship landed with a soft thud, and she peeked up to see a huge stone house that looked like something out of a fairytale. Well, to be more specific, it looked like a medieval castle, complete with four towers and several parapet walks. All it was missing was a drawbridge and a moat.
Zamek exchanged a few pleasantries with the pilot before guiding Layla off the airship, though his grip on her neck this time was much gentler. His expression darkened as the cargo hatch lifted, and he paused as