Chapter Seven Sanctum #2
The Duke pulled away, finally deigning to notice Adan, his eyes widened.
"Look at your shinny new toy, Nox." He eyed her with predatory intent.
"And the king's assassin no less..." Adan saw the desire in his eyes as they trailed up and down her body, stopping at the brand on her cheek.
She had seen that look countless times. It was why she stayed away from the gentry.
They saw her as nothing more than a slave--less than human.
"I'm a lucky man." Lennox's hand tensed in warning at her neck.
"She is rather pretty." His hand rose to touch Adan's face. Before she could flinch away, Lennox had the Duke's wrist in a vice grip. The Dukes face morphed from shock to anguish, Adan smiled softly.
"You know the rules, Duke Larue." Adan saw his fingers tighten and twist the fragile bones of the Duke's wrists.
"Apologies." Lennox let him go instantly, and the Duke rubbed at his wrist.
"I forgot myself. She really is a beauty. The eyes especially."
Adan lifted her chin in the smallest defiance she could muster.
All the while trying to remember herself, and the mask she had to wear.
"There is much fire there, you must have your hands full, Nox."
He smirked, already forgetting the small altercation.
Lennox looked completely at ease, a wicked king, ruling over a bunch of overprivileged, brutish boys. If the Duke was any indication.
"The buy in for the game is fifty thousand, are you in or out, Larue?"
The question was deadpan, and the buy in was steep, but Lennox didn't bat an eye.
That type of wealth turned Adan's stomach.
Yes, she owned and liked nice things, but she worked hard for what she had.
Even if she is a slave. but that kind of money could have been spent wisely--elsewhere.
Currently, her wage was at the discretion and whim of the king, and could be taken from her at any time.
It was rare—very rare for a slave to receive any type of compensation.
She glanced around the room and doubted that any of the collared women in the room were currently being paid.
She inwardly cringed at her own privilege.
"Yes, of course, Nox." He beamed, that boyish grin made Adan want to bash his teeth in. Her fingers began to curl, his sharp nails digging into palm. If she wasn't careful she would draw blood.
"If you'll excuse us." The Duke nodded and leapt aside for his lord.
Adan could feel Lennox staring down at her as he steered her with his hand still at her neck.
Once they were out of ear shot, he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Never find yourself alone with Duke Larue. Do you know what he is?"
"He's a succubus, he can control people's sexual desires with his thoughts." Her eyes darted about the room as she kept her voice low enough for only Lennox to hear.
"Yes, and he will probably try his tricks on you tonight." A waitress walked by with a tray full of champagne. Lennox grabbed two flutes, and handed Adan one. She checked and double checked her metal walls. Had been doing so every fifteen minutes since she left the confines of her room.
"You wanted a reason for him to play tonight... and I was the bait." She huffed as she tried to keep up with his long strides.
"Will it help if I tell you that you look lovely." He slowed, and leaned in. Giving her a sly grin accompanied by a signature wink. When she only returned a scowl, he clinked his glass against hers and continued to set the pace.
Her eyes narrowed, and she swallowed the flute in one swig. She was going to need another drink, and soon. "I don't need anyone to tell me that." Especially you.
Adan might have been ragging inside, but her outer exterior was ice-cold.
Her back impossibly straight, and her narrowed eyes assessing every possible exit.
Anywhere but at him. Lennox led her past the band, towards a guarded door.
The giant, who had to be a Nymph, known for the obscene size and love of gardening.
moved at the sight of his benefactor. He opening the door for Lennox, and Adan was ushered into what had to be his office.
The door closed and the music muted enough for them to easily talk.
This office office had a similar style and layout to that at Hot House, only more spacious.
With enough room for a large dark brown leather sofa against one wall.
Another wall full of books behind his desk, and again a space for another similar abstract painting, filled with cool violets and dark blues and one massive swath of bloodred.
"You understand that when they come in here, I will have to treat you like any other—"
"Whore." She reached for the chilled bottle on the small bar and refilled her champagne glass.
"I'll hold up my end. You just hold up yours."
Not that it mattered if he did. She was still a slave at the end of the day.
Lennox held her very life in her hands. She sunk down into her mental walls, if only to dissociate from her reality.
That for the next few hours, Adan would be Lennox's plaything.
She had got from the kings blood hound to the lords pet and she would have to swallow every ounce of it--without complaint.
"Challenge accepted." His eyes glittered and darkened.
She swallowed the contents in one gulp, again.
"You should slow down." She refilled her glass again and placed the bottle back in into the ice chiller.
"And a good slave would ask their lord and master if they would like something to drink." He smirked.
Adan almost tossed the contents of her flute on his expensive suit, but she could be wicked—thrived off it.
She dropped her hand to her side, cradling the flute with carelessness.
She popped her hip while lilting her head, letting her long honey blonde hair fall around her hips.
Made those normally fierce eyes into a doe-eyed doll, vacant of any thought.
She swayed her hips with every step towards Lennox, who seemed not to be breathing.
She reached out, fiddling with the button of his dinner jacket.
She played demur, tilting her head back, bearing her neck to him, lifting her kohl covered lashes last.
They were a short breath away from each other.
She parted her lips, "would you like me to deliver it to you on my knees, Sir?"
Lennox actually looked shocked, for all of a second, before he winked at her. "Keep that up, and we might actually pull this off." He slapped her ass, causing Adan to jump and shriek before growling in his direction.
A knock on the door had Adan stepping away from Lennox. His scent of cedar embars lingering on her nose. Only for Lennox positions himself beside her with a hand on the small of her back.
"Enter."
Two new males, followed by the Duke, sauntered into Lennox's office.
They were beautiful, like most beings in Lymia.
They were also all adorned in jewels and finery, like most of the gentry.
The first male had glowing black skin, and his black curls shorn short.
He wore a white suit with silver thread lining.
The male between him and the Duke had brown hair, that looked completely unkept.
Adan was sure that he spent hours in front of the mirror accomplishing the look.
"Gentleman." Lennox said, by way of greeting, Adan made a point of keeping back.
This was his show. He wanted her to be silent, and observe, so she would.
She would play the feigning doll. The pretty toy that's dressed up and paraded for these gentlemen's amusement.
For her freedom, she would do just about anything.
The thought should have scared her more than it already did.
"Nox, it's been almost a month since you've called one of your games. Too busy with your other holdings?" Asked the brunette pretty boy.
"I'm a busy man, Ashburn."
"I wasn't aware whores were allowed." Ashburn eyed Adan with a predatory smoulder.
Was every man Lennox associates with a total piece of shit? She ignored the males altogether. She wasn't outright asked a question anyway.
"Please, by all means." Lennox waved at the door, and it opened on a phantom wind.
"Who could say no to a little decoration."
The massive guard blocking the entryway allowed in three women.
All of them all had collars like Adan's, and all of them equally stunning.
It was clear to her that these women were waiting like dogs until their masters called.
One drew Adan's eye when she immediate dropped to her knees to crawl towards her master.
Her open mouth gag forced her leave a trail of drool in her wake.
Her eyes were downcast so Adan could not determine what colour they might be.
She wore a skin tight black dress that was doing nothing to hide her cleavage.
She stopped at Ashburn's feet, and the other two followed.
The stunning black haired beauty with hazel almond eyes walked on her own two feet and stopped just behind her dark skinned master.
The last had Adan clenching her fists. She was an ethereal blonde, who could have been Adan sister.
Her blushing cherub cheeks, lush lips and full hips exuded lust.
She bit her lip to keep from gasping at the sight of her open back dress.
Someone had forced her wings out, and then severed bone and tissue from the stem.
She would never be able to regrow them, and the small numbs would never dissipate.
There would always be a constant reminder of her castration.
She was gorgeous but her eyes were hollow, like a beaten dog.
It came as no surprise when she came to stand close to the Duke.
"Since when do you make allowances?" The dark-haired one's eyes narrowed.
"Well It's my club, I can do whatever I want, when I want, Yarrow." Lennox took Adan by the wrist and moved towards the card table in the middle of the room, with four adjoining plush leather armchairs. "Please, gentlemen, sit."
Lennox stepped in close, brushing Adan's hair off her shoulder, placing his large hand on her bare shoulder. His head dipped to whisper to her, his lips brushing the arch of her ear. She did not fake the rushing shiver down her spine. "Pour us a glass, love, and then come join the game."
And then he was gone, heading towards the table, with the already seated men.
"Come." The Duke snapped, pointing to the floor at his feet.
Not even looking towards the broken doll.