Excitement swirled inside her until she thought it would burst out her ears and explode her heart. Her hands were cold, her pulse fast, and she couldn’t stop wondering if anyone was looking at her rear end. For a scientist about to examine the subject of her thesis, she’d sure picked a novel way to go about it.And I’m not scared, I’m just nervous.Except the never-ending maze of corridors, the emotionless faces of the guards and servants escorting her, and the knowledge that she was in the middle of a place that functioned solely to please the emperor-bey: all that left her wondering how she was going to get out again.Okay, I’m scared.Dankyo’s last words became a lifeline. I will be here to escort you back. No matter what happens. Remember, I will never abandon you. Take care.The last two sentences made her eyes all watery.Darn. She sniffed and wiped away the tears. “I am such an idiot,” she muttered. “I can’t be falling for the stupid man, can I?”The guard to her right turned her half-helmeted face toward Sofia.The little scar on the lip.
