them. She never saw others’ emotions on their faces.
How sad it must be, living in darkness. It must be so frightening not to know what the world looked like.
“I’m sorry to have assumed. I…forgive me, sir.” She fiddled with her fingers in her lap.
“Now, don’t get me wrong. If you want me, you will have me. All of me. Whenever you want. However much you want. By Apollo, the things I’d do to you.” He grinned at the color that flushed her cheeks. Oh, precious thing. She was too good to be true. “But I didn’t buy you for that. I don’t buy my companions. I don’t need to pay people to play games with me.”
“If not for that, then why?”
“You’re here to be my religious advisor. I am in need one of one. The last one had no temperament for the role, I’m afraid.”
Kema was still smiling proudly as she folded her arms behind her head. “He means to say he drove the poor old man away. He said he would either ‘take to the madhouse or jump off a balcony’ if he had to try to talk sense into our dear Nero one more time.”
Hope laughed humorlessly. It wasn’t what Nero expected. He looked over at the girl curiously. “What’s funny?”
“You are not in need of a religious advisor, Cardinal.”
“I am too! I told you the other one quit.”
“Are you devout, Cardinal?” It was clear Hope suspected the opposite.
He blinked. “Well…no. That’s why I need an advisor. I want you to change that.”
“Mmhm. If that were so, you would not take on a ranked priestess of Hera for any such thing.” Hope turned to him, and he was surprised to see both ire and amusement in her expression. Not only that—there was a superiority there. From a slave girl. Fascinating. “You would take on a priest of Apollo, your patron god. You’re lying to me.”
“I am not!”
Kema went to open her mouth. Nero glared at her, silencing her. No. That was his scheme and secret to tell. Not hers. Kema shook her head, clearly disapproving, but shrugged and let him have his way.
Hope shut her eyes for a moment. “You are. And that’s fine. You’re allowed your secrets.” Some of the tension finally left her shoulders. “You do not intend to rape me, then?”
Nero snorted. “No wonder you look ready to climb out the window. No, sweetheart. Not on my agenda, sorry. Not unless you want me to.”
“First, no, that’s vile. And second—that’s an impossibility.”
“How so?”
“A woman cannot be willingly raped. The two states cancel each other out.”
“See, you’d think that. You really would. But women are strange creatures, I’ve learned. Their needs can be…eh…complicated.” He crossed his legs at the ankles. He was grinning, enjoying this greatly. It wasn’t how he expected it to go—he had figured she would have leapt into his arms and kissed him in gratitude for saving her from a life of holy servitude. But this was fine too.
“Regardless. No, thank you.” She paused. “Am I to refer to you as master?”
“Not unless you’re one of the previously mentioned women.” He snickered at her look of horror and shrugged. “Oh, well. Better luck next time. No, sweetheart. Call me whatever you like. Nero suits me fine. It is my name.”
“But you are the Cardinal of the South Wind, and you own me.”
“If you feel like you need a title, then fine. Call me by one. Make up a new one if you want. I’m sure you’re very creative.” He couldn’t help it. He scooted on the bench over to her, trapping her between him and the door. She stiffened a little, but not nearly as badly as before. Good. She’d get used to him. It might take some time, but he’d get there. “Otherwise, you can call me Nero with all the disdain you clearly have for me.”
He was an impatient man. A very impatient man. But he would wait for her. For at least an hour or two. That was about how long he expected it would take to win her over.
“It is not disdain. Forgive me.” Something in her seemed to unfold. It was as though he watched a curtain pull away from her face. Her hands twisted in her lap briefly before letting go. “I have never been in control of my own life. I find I still rail against it from time to time.”
“It’s all right. I understand.” He reached out and stroked his hand over her chocolate-colored hair.