Chapter 31
thirty-one
EVEREST
The next morning, I’m able to put my words into action. Rathyn is nervous, not that he tells me. He won’t admit it, but I can see it in the way his tail twists tightly around his thigh, the way his ears flutter. I touch his chest and peer up at him.
“I can do this. I promise.”
“They will expect humiliation. I do not want to do this.”
“I can take it. And I know you won’t mean it. Plus, you can make it up to me later.”
“I will. I will…grovel.”
I snort. “Who taught you that word?”
“Quilliyn.”
“He’s a smart guy.” Then my mind turns to the other missing Vyastil. “Have you heard any news about Cielo?”
He shakes his head. “But I did make it clear that he was not involved. Hopefully, what Quilliyn can offer will be enough to secure his release.”
I lean against Rathyn’s chest and wrap my arms around him and squeeze. “He has to be okay.”
His hands brush through my hair, and he tugs me away.
There is a promise in his eyes. “He will be. I vow it. Now we must prepare you. They await.”
He stands me in front of the mirror as he adorns me—bigger rings in my nipples that feel heavy but don’t hurt. The chain is larger and longer, and he fastens a thin collar around my neck that attaches to the same chain, leaving a trailing lead which he can wrap around his hand.
He leaves me mostly naked save for a sheer robe. He looks me up and down. My reflection is a lot like those other companions I saw on my first trip to Erethar.
But I think we need more, and an idea hits me. “Wait here.”
He makes a noise of protest, but he doesn’t follow me as I dart to the nightstand and come back with my prize. I hold the cock cage and the key in my hand.
“Companions do not wear these. I do not know that the tribunal will understand.”
“No, but if you explain…” I say patiently, opening up the cage and sliding my cock inside. I take his wrist and manipulate his fingers into closing it, and then press the key into his palm. “They’ll understand. You don’t even let me pleasure myself unless it’s to feed you cum.”
Understanding flares in his eyes, he swallows heavily as he twists the key, and the lock clicks. It’s tight and uncomfortable, and I feel very exposed, but it’s for him.
It’s all for him.
Taking the key back from him, I wrap the chain around his neck and fasten it. “This is yours.” I bring his hand to my caged cock and let the weight of it rest in his palm. “And this is yours.”
He leans in and kisses me, long tongue swirling around mine, piercings clinking against my teeth. If only we had time to give me more. I would have done it for him.
But I think this will be enough.
He stands back, then grabs some of the earlier adornments and wraps them around the cage to give it a little bling. I feel very trussed up and very naked, but there’s no point in fighting it.
This needs to happen, and if it means he gets to keep his position—maybe make change within—it’ll all be worth it.
“Come,” he says, and he takes me by the lead. He doesn’t tug, but I follow as though he did, and he takes me into the corridor, then down the hall to the portal.
There are Vyastil there—eyes on me, looking surprised. It makes sense. They’ve never seen me like this, my head tipped down, walking quietly behind Rathyn. I can hear them speaking, and I hear Rathyn answering before the portal opens, and Rathyn gives the lead a very small tug.
“Head down, mouth shut. Be obedient.” Then the voice in my head says, “I love you, my Everest.”
I do my absolute best not to smile. I swallow and school my face, making sure to be the companion they expect me to be.
“I’m doing it for you. For us.”
“I know. One day, we can be different.”
But it’s not going to happen right now. It can’t. Major things need to change before we do.
He told me what they expected of a normal human companion. It made me roll my eyes, but I’m doing it.
I stare at the cold stone beneath my feet as I walk, hearing the click of Rathyn’s claws as we move toward a large wooden door with swirls on it.
There is a guard outside of it, but I only look for a second before turning my gaze away. Rathyn does nothing to reassure me, and I do nothing to give away that this whole thing is fucking weird.
I just bite my tongue and watch as a bell rings and the door is pushed open. And that’s when I see it, the panel of Vyastil, watching as we approach. I really try to feel bad about myself. I hope it shows.
I hear Eissa begin to speak in their language, but I don’t look. It’s only when he switches to English that I peer up at him through my lashes.
“Everest Hale. We have been told that Rathyn has disciplined you, and you see the error in your ways.”
I say nothing until Rathyn pets me gently along the back of the neck. “You may speak.”
I nod solemnly. “I do.”
I hear a scoff and see Jyrion leaning forward, his eyes on me. “You cannot be trusted. Prove it.” He must be speaking English for my benefit.
I blink up at him briefly and then turn my gaze back to the floor.
Rathyn’s voice is low and hollow when he says, “My companion is well-trained. He realizes the error of his ways and has learned his lesson. He is here today, leashed. Is that not enough?”
“And you achieved obedience so quickly? I do not believe it with someone so…wild.”
“Let him prove it,” Eissa says, and a Vyastil I don’t recognize nods.
Rathyn returns the gesture and then points to the floor. I don’t even let myself second-guess it, just sink to my knees and stare up at him.
“What are you?” he asks, his eyes meeting mine.
“Your companion.”
He nods. “And who do you serve?”
“You.”
Rathyn turns his gaze back to the panel, but I just look at him, unable to tear my gaze away.
“Human,” Jyrion sneers, and I turn my gaze to the floor. Apparently, you’re not supposed to look at princes. It’s an easy task. I don’t want to see his annoying face anyway. “Kneel at my feet.”
I am viscerally repulsed by his request, and it takes me probably a moment too long to obey. But this is for Rathyn. This is for us. I stand and walk three steps, then drop to my knees in front of him.
He kneels down and reaches out, and I hear Rathyn make a growling hiss, but Jyrion doesn’t stop. He grips me by the cage and squeezes. The metal holds, and I’m grateful that I can’t feel his touch.
“What is this?”
“His cage,” Rathyn says, his voice still full of anger at Jyrion having the nerve to be this close. “His cum is mine. He does not release for anyone but me. Including himself.”
Someone in the room laughs. “We all know how they love to tug on their little penises. Can you really not pleasure yourself?”
I say nothing, and then Rathyn says, “He cannot.”
The Vyastil laughs again. “Prove it.”
Rathyn says something rapid and angry in Eretharian, and the room erupts into the song of their language. It goes on for a long moment, and eventually Jyrion lets me go, and Rathyn takes his place.
“Do it,” he tells me.
My throat burns with humiliation, but I take my cock in the cage and lift it. It doesn’t get hard as I tug. It doesn’t so much as twitch as I stroke my balls.
After what feels like forever, he tugs on the leash. “Enough.”
I drop it, and it thuds back between my legs.
“I have satisfied your request,” Rathyn says. He pulls me to my feet, but I don’t glance up. There’s not a chance I could handle the look on Jyrion’s face, and I don’t want to know what Eissa is thinking when he sees me like this.
I respected him, but now, how can I ever look him in the eye again?
They switch back into Eretharian once more, and I listen to the ebb and flow of words. For a moment, I feel panicked. Did it not work? Was I not believable?
Was I not good enough?
Then suddenly, there’s movement beside me, and in my periphery, I see a long, blue hand touch Rathyn’s wrist, and the tracker falls off. My breath leaves me in a rush as he resumes holding my lead.
“You are released,” Eissa says.
Jyrion scoffs. “We will be watching you. Your service to my family has been long and loyal, but humans are corrupt. We all know this.”
I bristle but do my best not to show it on my face as Rathyn responds in his language. The conversation goes on for a few more minutes, then he places a hand on the back of my neck.
“Come, human. We will return to The Foundry, and you will resume your duties.”
I say nothing as I follow him, reminding myself with each step that he doesn’t mean it. Each step means I’m closer to home, closer to myself, and closer to the monster I love.
We walk the same path back to the portal, but before we get there, Rathyn is stopped again. I freeze, terrified.
Did they realize it was all a farce?
“This way,” a familiar voice says. It’s Eissa.
Rathyn leads me along down a short corridor and into a dimly lit room. The door shuts heavily behind us, and then Rathyn releases me.
I don’t know what to do.
Is this a test?
“Breathe easy, Everest,” Eissa says.
I look at Rathyn, who inclines his head. “He knows you are VySytheh. Remember, he is the one who gave me guidance.”
“I advised Rathyn to send you away,” Eissa says, “but I understand why he made the choice he did.”
“The choice we did,” I correct, reaching for Rathyn’s hand.
There’s something wistful in Eissa’s eyes, but it doesn’t linger. “I wanted to inform you both that Cielo has been tried and convicted.”
“What?” I nearly shout.
Rathyn hushes me. “What is the sentence?”
“Banishment,” Eissa says. “He will be returned through the portal and banned from living in The Foundry or occupying a position with the Vyastil.”
I look at them both. “He can’t live with us?”
“I’m afraid not,” Eissa says, shaking his head.
Despite having a Plan B, I’m still furious. “When is he being sent through?”
“Soon. So, if you have human friends who can help him…”
“I do,” I tell him quickly. I look over at Rathyn. “We are going to help, right?”
“Yes,” Rathyn says. “Cielo is my friend.”