Chapter 24 #3
But they wanted Thanor dead too. That much was certain.
And still, he stood beside me, composed as ever.
Was he aware? Did he feel it too—the intent threaded through the noise?
Or was he simply that certain no one would dare try?
Did he trust his piercing to warn him? I didn’t know the full extent of his magic.
His senses were heightened, that much I knew.
Perhaps it was that, combined with a piercing like mine, that gave him this unshakable confidence. I only knew I envied it.
Across the room, Cassara drifted toward her husband.
They spoke in hushed tones, their heads inclined close together.
After a moment Tiberion faced us. Aelia joined them, a slow smirk curving her lips as if she already knew the outcome of a game I hadn’t yet seen unfold.
Then Tiberion rose, his movement drawing the room’s attention with ease.
“Marcus. Decimus. My Lord Imperator—would you care to follow me? A number of fine geldings were delivered to my stables last night. They are set to enter the upcoming races. Bred for chariot sport. The finest Aurexium had to offer me.”
The Imperator stood, handing his goblet to the nearest servant, and motioned for Tiberion to lead the way. Marcus rose as well. As he passed, he gave us a small nod.
Stay . The command didn’t need words.
As soon as the men disappeared through the doors, Severa rose, clasping her hands together as though something delightful had just occurred to her.
“This evening has grown rather dull,” she said lightly. “Time for a bit of excitement.”
There was something unsteady flickering across her beautiful features as she drifted toward me, stopping mere inches away. Her fingers brushed my shoulder before she leaned close.
“The men cannot have all the fun. We ladies would enjoy a demonstration.”
Her voice carried a slow, sensual promise, velvet-soft and edged with something dangerous that made my skin prickle. I glanced at Thanor. His face revealed nothing, a perfect mask.
“Careful, Severa,” Aelia said as she approached. I flinched, my cheek tingling with the echo of pain she’d caused me. “My husband has taken quite a liking to this Bondward,” she said coolly. “Though I fail to see what he finds so captivating.”
I was stunned she would admit such a thing before the Imperator’s wife. Shame didn’t seem to touch her. Only irritation and disgust for her husband’s behavior.
“Is that so?” Severa murmured, studying me with renewed interest. “Hmm. I believe I understand.” Her finger traced slowly down my collarbone, over the hollow at my throat, and lower still.
Her hand stroked the underside of my breast before drifting towards the center.
When she brushed the sensitive peak beneath the silk, humiliation burned through me.
My eyes fell shut, heat creeping across my skin.
“Fetch my cup, Cassara.”
Cassara moved immediately, disappearing briefly before returning with the goblet. Severa nodded to her servant, who stepped forward carrying a small flask.
“A few drops,” she instructed calmly. “Three will do.”
The servant tilted the flask, letting a measured amount fall into the wine.
A pulse of panic climbed my spine.
Severa’s hand slid to the back of my head, fingers tangling in my arranged hair as she tilted my face upward.
“Drink. I will ensure this evening is pleasurable for you.”
I tried to pull back, but Aelia stepped in and pinched my nose, cutting off my breath. Instinct forced my mouth open, and Severa tipped the wine against my lips. The liquid spilled onto my tongue—sweet, richer than any wine I’d tasted before—but beneath it lay something unfamiliar. The drops.
Out of breath, I had no choice but to swallow. They released me, and I bent forward, coughing, dragging air back into my lungs as the warmth of the wine slid down my throat and settled heavily. It was already spreading.
Severa stepped back, granting me space, though it felt calculated rather than kind. Then she returned to me, sliding two fingers beneath my chin, tilting my face upward.
“I would very much like to know what you are hiding beneath this pretty dress,” she said. “And we will find out, won’t we, ladies?”
She glanced toward Aelia and Cassara. They were watching me, smirks tugging at their mouths.
The warmth from the wine was no longer subtle. It pulsed through my veins. The room tilted as I swayed, the marble rushing up to meet me as I dropped to my knees. A dull throbbing began at the back of my head, spreading forward, blurring the edges of the chamber.
“What did you do?” I breathed, my voice unsteady. “What was in the cup?”
My fingers pressed against my stomach as the sensation unfurled through my limbs—heat and lightness intertwined. My body felt distant, warmth pooling beneath my skin in slow waves. I lifted my head from the marble. Aelia was bent low before me, her shadow falling across my face.
“This is what happens when you try to replace me,” she murmured. “You end up on your knees. Disgraced.”
Her fingers brushed my cheek, almost tender, before she moved toward one of the curtained alcoves. Cassara followed without hesitation. Severa remained only a moment longer before facing Thanor.
“You. Pick her up.”
He pushed away from the wall. Coldness radiated from him, his expression unreadable. My vision blurred as I looked up at him from the floor, still kneeling.
“Thanor… please,” I whispered.
If he heard the plea, he gave no sign. He bent and slid one arm beneath my legs, the other around my back, lifting me effortlessly against his chest. My head fell against his shoulder, his steady strength grounding me even as warmth and dizziness coiled through my body.
He carried me to one of the sofas behind the curtains and lowered me onto the cushions.
Through the haze clouding my sight, I saw Cassara drawing the curtains closed around us, sealing the space in silk.
A room within a room. Aelia and Cassara settled opposite me, lounging with cups of wine in hand, laughing.
Thanor straightened, moving to step back.
“Ah, ah,” Severa cut in smoothly. “Our champion may be in need of some relief, don’t you think, ladies?”
Fear coiled through me despite the heat spreading beneath my skin.
“No,” Aelia said. “I have a better idea.”
Severa tilted her head. “Very well. Since you were slighted by the girl, you may determine the rules of this little game.” She joined the others, leaving Aelia to rise and approach me alone.
“My husband gave you three gifts,” she said. “A rose. Earrings and a necklace. Did he not? Your fellow Bondward told me everything—the one with the pale hair.”
The words swam around me. My skin burned beneath the silk of my dress. Every brush of fabric felt amplified, unbearable. The air thickened. She seized a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back until my gaze met hers. Pain tore the breath from my lungs as the strands tightened in her grip.
“Must I repeat myself? Three gifts, did he not?”
I could barely draw breath. I nodded weakly.
“Be gentle with her, Aelia,” Severa said lazily. “My tonic is potent. The strongest aphrodisiac in Valystria.”
Aphrodisiac . Goddess help me.
“Three gifts,” Aelia repeated, her fingers loosening in my hair. “He favors you because you seem pure.” Her lips curved. “Well then, let us see how quickly purity fades. He will not want you once this beast has laid his hands upon you.”
Her gaze flicked toward Thanor. Oh no. My eyes squeezed shut, mortification rushing through me.
“For the three gifts he offered you in his pathetic attempt to please you, our champion will bring you to three peaks. Let us see if that satisfies you… you won’t be so pure after this.” She glanced back at Severa. “What do you think? Are you pleased with my rules?”
“Oh, how delightful,” Severa replied, clapping, almost childlike in her delight. “Most wicked, Aelia. I approve.”
She rose and approached Thanor with an odd and assessing look on her face, her hands gliding over his arm, lingering against his chest as she leaned close to whisper.
“Such brute strength. You need not be gentle. The tonic has made her pliable. You cannot harm her. Our intention is to taint her, and you seem well suited to the task.”
She withdrew and eased gracefully onto the sofa, arranging herself comfortably. Then she spoke the word that seemed to still the air around us.
“Proceed.”
Thanor’s steps were heavy as he came toward me. Through the haze, I lifted my eyes to his, pleading without words. Yet despite my fear, the attraction I had fought for so long surged beneath the tonic. His nearness hardened my nipples beneath the silk, his gaze alone igniting heat low in my belly.
My skin felt too tight, too warm, every nerve heightened. An aching throb pulsed between my thighs, insistent and humiliating. I pressed my legs together, seeking friction, relief—anything. It was useless. A desperate whimper escaped me.
He watched the movement, and beneath the cold mask I saw it—the fire he barely contained. He bent over me, lowering his mouth to my ear.
“This moment will not be for their entertainment. And you will not be tainted by this.”
His hand slid to my throat, applying the slightest pressure. A breath tore from me as my head tipped back, my spine arching instinctively toward him, craving contact.
“Your pleasure is not theirs. It’s mine. Your purity? Mine. And when you fall apart beneath me… your surrender is mine.”
His mouth moved to my neck, teeth grazing, lips pressing. A broken moan slipped from me as sensation burst behind my closed eyelids like scattered stars. His hand moved over my breast, squeezing roughly through the silk. My body trembled, straining against the fabric.
“More,” I begged, the word barely coherent.
“Champion,” Severa’s voice drifted lazily through the curtained space, “our Bondward seems overdressed, don’t you think?”
Thanor stilled.