Read The Devil's Concubine for Free Online

to plan his battle strategy and choose the place where they would meet and in the meanwhile, time to
    familiarize himself with his prize.

    Perhaps he would woo her--just to please her. She seemed clever. No doubt it
    would not take her long to accept, but he wasn’t certain he would be satisfied with mere acceptance. When he had first come upon her, she had looked at him with frank interest THE DEVIL’S CONCUBINE
    Jaide Fox
    19
    despite her uneasiness. Even with the lust boiling in his own veins, he was certain he hadn’t imagined that.

    The sun had dropped behind the mountains when he reached his palace once
    more. Lighting on the balcony of his own suite, he shifted, examining the stout door that now blocked the entrance critically. Satisfied that was sufficient to cage his little bird, he tried the latch.

    He had to put his shoulder against the stout panel to push it open. Displeased by
    that, he was frowning when he finally stepped inside and turned to examine the hinges.
    “It scrapes the floor,” he muttered to no one in particular.

    Silence greeted that remark and he turned after a moment to study the carpenters,
    who’d frozen in place at his comment. The master carpenter hurried forward. “I will see to that myself, Sire. I will take it down at once and trim just a bit from the bottom and it will swing more easily.”

    Talin, finding he was in a far better mood than when he’d left the palace, merely
    nodded. “See to it that you do. The objective is to protect my beautiful princess--not suffocate your king. I am accustomed to air--and light.” Dismissing the door, he strode about the suite, surveying the shutters that had been placed over the windows. “It will be as dark in here as the dungeon,” he muttered irritably.

    The master carpenter, who’d followed him, looked at the shutters in dismay.
    “Solly said you had ordered that shutters be placed over the windows. Did I
    misunderstand?”

    “Shutters, yes--but there is no light. I have no view!”

    “Bars, perhaps?” the carpenter suggested hesitantly. “They would allow a view
    and still protect the princess.”

    Talin frowned. “I like the idea of feeling caged even less.” He thought it over.
    “And I do not care to make the princess feel a prisoner if it comes to that.”

    The carpenter gaped at him. “Uh--she is not a prisoner?”

    Talin glared at him. “Certainly not! I have decided to keep her.”

    The carpenter’s expression went perfectly blank. After a stunned moment, he
    remembered himself and studied his feet before the king could take exception to his
    obvious confusion over the distinction. “If I may suggest, Sire,” he offered hesitantly,
    “with a little more time I am sure I could come up with a design for the shutters that will serve the purpose and still allow in light and view. I could do the same with the door, if you wish--cut some clever design into the panels?”

    Talin considered it thoughtfully for several moments and finally nodded. “I will
    allow the princess to think of a design that pleases her. Women like to beautify their nests, do they not? It makes them feel--needed.”

    The carpenter frowned, feeling that the king had asked his opinion and wondering
    if he dared express it honestly. Finally, he merely shrugged. “I think it likely, Sire. She will certainly be more comfortable if she makes the place more like what she is familiar with.”

    Talin frowned, but thoughtfully. “An excellent suggestion!” he said finally,
    smiling broadly.

    The carpenter blinked. “It was?” he asked, wondering what he’d suggested.
    THE DEVIL’S CONCUBINE
    Jaide Fox
    20

    “I will send men to gather her cherished belongings and bring them here. Then
    she may arrange things just as she likes and she will be very pleased with my
    thoughtfulness.”

    The carpenter wasn’t convinced. In his experience, once a man had thoroughly
    infuriated a woman by depriving her of her wishes--which he assumed King