Blasted bowtie.

I loosen the ends of the silk band, huffing under my breath. This whole formal fuss is already getting on my nerves, and it'll only go downhill from here. This night will be a drag with only the nightcap promising any sort of pleasure.

The door squeaks behind me and I turn my head. Jori gazes at me through the gap.

"Is it safe?"

My forehead wrinkles. "Safe to do what?"

"To talk to you."

I roll my eyes. "I'm not some kind of lunatic who randomly attacks people."

"No, you are only the most powerful mage on the planet, known for his temper and short fuse, grudge bearing, revengeful—"

"Stop it, I'm not that bad." I smirk. It's good that most of my subjects are scared shitless of me. "Now come on in and close the door."

He does what he's being told.

I turn back to the mirror and refocus on the two ends in my hand. A few twists and turns and the whole construct falls apart. "Damn it." I tear the band off my neck to start over.

Jori frowns. "What in Genessa's name are you doing?"

"Tying my bowtie."

"You know, we do have servants for that."

I scoff. "I've lived twenty-six earth cycles without needing a woman to clean up after me, so I'm not gonna start now." My mother would turn in her grave if I asked a stableboy to clean my boots.

"Suit yourself, though your utter refusal to use slaves for domestic tasks is just silly." He cocks his head. "And why are you going all out for this Blood Bond? Your best dress clothes, bowtie, shoes other than your beloved riding boots. Who are you trying to impress?"

"Nobody. I haven't been participating in any formal celebrations lately, and I thought I'd dress the part, so that people don't forget who's in charge."

"So it has nothing to do with Celia? You're not trying to make the Countess jealous?"

"Nope. Celia and I have mutually agreed to part ways. No hard feelings." Having constantly a second woman in the bed who could give my lover better orgasms than I could bruised my ego. Besides, I don't like to share.

"And there I thought you two would tie the knot and have a bunch of cute little babies."

I snort. "And have more of his lordship running around the palace. No, thank you, one is plenty."

"Man, Rohan really rubs you the wrong way."

He has no idea. Just like any noble, Rohan is arrogant, conceited, and so full of himself that he honestly believes his shit doesn't stink. "Rohan is still a child who has no idea how the world works."

"You should still watch out. He's a backstabber and after your title."

"Don't you think I know that." With one last pull to straighten it, I finally tame the bowtie. I tilt my head. Not bad, considering that my last brush with formal attire was five years ago for my coronation. "Rohan will have to learn that things don't always go his way." If not, he is free to challenge me.

And die.

It would be my pleasure to crush him with my magic.

I walk over to the cart by the fireplace and pour myself a pepper snaps. The sharp liquid burns my throat and I shudder. I lift the bottle. "Want one?"

"Sure."

Jori joins me and drops onto the couch, stretching out his hands and leaning toward the fire for some warmth. The last few evenings have been brutally cold. I set the glass next to him on the table. He won't touch it; he never drinks. I down another shot, sucking the air through gritted teeth. Not sure why I see the need to calm my nerves, but ever since I condemned the Elowen girl, I've been on edge. How will it feel to be privy to every single one of her thoughts, have her so exposed and vulnerable?

I sit down next to Jori and stare into the fire. The wood crackles and the heat threatens to choke me. If I hadn't spent this past hour fixing the bowtie, I'd tear the collar of the dress shirt right open. It's too tight and suffocating.

Relax.

Taking a deep breath, I focus on the flow of energy pulsing in my blood. The gift of the gods, emitting strength and power, releases some of the tension.

Jori eyes the glass with the snaps but as expected, doesn't go for the drink. "So if you aren't trying to make Celia jealous, why even pick an Elowen girl?"

I shrug. "She'll be my fun challenge over the next few months." Someone to keep me occupied in those hours I'm not training with the soldiers.

Jori arches a brow. "A challenge? Are you planning to make her a proper concubine?"

"What else would I make her?"

"C'mon, Talon, she is an Elowen. If you want to bed her, she is in no position to complain."

"Well, as you should know, I don't do that." Forcing sex only leads to weeping and begging, which ruins intimacy for me.

"I heard she is stunning."

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. "Personally, I don't really like the way Elowen look. They are so light that they always remind me of ghosts."

The muscle in his jaw jumps; it's no secret that he has a fable for Elowen slaves. "Then why bind her to you?"

"I had to do something when she talked back to me. Short of killing her, I found the punishment fitting."

"I don't know. A blood bond is sacred and was never meant by the gods as a means of control."

"Elowen are non-magical and condemned. The goddess won't take issue if I have a little bit of fun, playing around in a girl's head."

"I hope so."

I lean over and pick up his glass, finishing the drink for him. The burn of the snaps has spread to my stomach and sweat is about to pour out of every pore. "We should go. The ceremony—"

The door is torn open. Marques, the guard personally assigned to me, pants on the threshold. "Chieftain, the Elowen girl, she is gone."

My brows crumble. "What do you mean, she's gone?"

"She slipped out of the bathing chamber and disappeared. We searched the whole palace but can't find her."

That makes absolutely no sense. "How could she have left the grounds undetected?" Soldiers patrol the walls day and night. Not even a mouse could escape the Stye.

"I don't know, your highness, but we looked everywhere."

I click my tongue. "Search the palace and the grounds again. I'll take a horse and comb through the forest."

Jori meets my gaze. "Do you want me to come with you?"

I shake my head. "I can recapture my own slave." And once I find her, I'll teach her that running away should never be an option. She just sealed her own doom.

Author question: First impressions of Talon. How do you like him (and how do you like his sidekick Jori)?