Chapter Seven Sanctum #3
She walked across the room barefoot. Stopping at her master's chair, and dropped to her knees, her head hung low in submission.
Ashburn's slave was no where inside so Adan assumed she was under the table.
The sleek dark haired beauty stood behind Yarrow who reminding Adan of a bird of prey.
Adan whirled around, busying herself with the drinks she was commanded to pour.
She was thankful for the small task, it kept her hands busy while her mind whirled.
The men started rambling, but Adan could hear nothing but the roaring in her head.
She forced herself to make the drink, she reached for whisky this time, she would need something stronger than champagne.
She quickly downed a shot before making his drink.
She added ice and an orange peel in each and took a deep breath before turning around.
The rest of the woman had made there way to their respective owners.
Some with their heads resting on a knee in subjection.
Adan kept her eyes on the table and walked over to Lennox's side.
She would kill every last one of them if he expected that of her.
She reached his side and placed the tumbler in front of him.
Lennox's arm darted out, his fingers curling around her hips, and quickly pulled her into his lap.
The movement did not go unnoticed by the other men. Their own slaves at their feet, with the exception of Yarrow. It killed Adan not to look into their faces to see their expressions.
"You were always a bold one, Nox." Yarrow murmured over his cards. He tossed a gold coin in the middle of the pot, his buy in already waiting and ready.
"She's not a regular whore." His hand wrapped around and cupped Adan's chin, lifting her head up.
She couldn't wrench herself free if she tried.
His hard chest right behind her. His other hand on her hip and then snaked around her middle.
Lennox dragged his fingers from her chin to her neck and kept them there.
She was frozen in place, there was nowhere to go.
The whole position had her squeezing her thighs together, while her ass was pressed firmly between Lennox's wide legs.
She suddenly wondered if the floor would have been the better option.
His hand moved again and a finger pointedly rubbed at her tattoo and curled around her cheek.
His fingers trailed over her skin and his thumb brushed her collar, a small reminder.
Play the game.
Adan arched her spine, digging her ass into Lennox's groin. The hand around her middle tightened in delightful surprise.
"A whore and an assassin." The Duke mussed, assessing Adan. She watched him as she dropped her head back into the crook of Lennox's shoulder. He moved his hand from her neck and reached for his drink.
"Not a whore... not technically." Yarrow, chimed in, "Adan Byrd was meant to be a courtesan—if the heart brand had been filled in with red ink she would have. But instead she has the blade of an assassin over her unfilled heart. That alone would make her unique indeed.
It should come as no surprise that our Head of House has made her his pet."
He eyed Adan critically over steepled fingers.
The Duke and Ashburn snickered while Adan bit her tongue.
Lennox coughed and adjusted her on his lap so that he could keep one hand on her and one hand on his drink.
"What could a slave do to make such a life change? I've never heard of a whore being anything other than a whore?" The brown haired pretty boy asked, looking directly at Adan.
She could feel his burning gaze, so she lifted her gaze and opened her mouth.
"I had to change." She said with a petulant tilt of her head and shrug of her shoulders.
She wasn't about to tell that story, especially here, especially in front of them.
Her life story was not about to be used like some party anecdote, and this was the last thing Adan would call a party.
"Isn't it obvious, Ashburn. She's as unique as a Phoenix."
The Duke laughed, elbowing Yarrow on the ribs to his right.
Adan froze. She never knew how to take a compliment.
Phoenix were majestic creatures, with the power to save a life and have wings of pure fire.
She was already tired of having everyone's eyes on her--talking about her.
Couldn't they just play their game, and get on with whatever Lords and Dukes talk about.
Lennox needed to bring up Captain Jax, that was why they were there in the first place, was it not?
To try and find out something--anything.
"The Phoenixes are long gone." Lennox leaned over, reaching for his cards, pulling them close, but Adan could still make out his hand.
He handed them to her, for her to hold. So he could keep holding her.
His thumb and delectable fingers started making sweeping motions against her ribs and she fought to preen into him.
"But you're right, Larue, my pet is very rare indeed."
He squeezed her middle in emphasis, and she bit her lip to keep her squeak inside.
The sounds of gagging covered any noise Adan might have made.
Judging by the Dukes face, his slave was currently busy attending to him.
"Isn't that why the king has commanded you to look for Captain Jax. Rumour has it that he is on the hunt for more Phoenixes."
Larue bit out between pants. His friends paid him no mind, as if this was a normal occurrence.
Adan focused on Lennox's cards to hide her shock, that wasn't supposed to be public knowledge-- the info he gave about the king, not him receiving public fellatio.
She dropped her head against his chest, and curling into his neck to hide her expression.
He smelled so good, like dying embers and winter wind.
"Apparently, he'd run through his stock of ash and needs it to be replenished."
The Duke finished. Running a manicured hand through his blonde, fluffy hair.
"Of course, they were all whipped out, the last remaining--and royal family slaughtered over twenty-some-odd years ago now."
"You mean the Fueurs?" Adan wasn't breathing.
"The last Phoenix house. Rumour has it that the king murdered them, just like he did the Dragons. Apparently saved the youngest heir, Inara for last. The Draguuns were also slaughtered in similar fashion, two hundred and fifty years ago."
Lennox swept his hand down her back to her ass and then her thighs in a possessive sweep, only to move it back up again.
Ashburn snapped his fingers and his slave snapped up, heading towards the bar.
She returned with a drink and dropped to her knees.
Her head bowed as she held up the glass for him.
Her one palm flat on the bottom and the other cupping around the glass. She stayed perfectly still and waited.
"That's different, the Dragons were a threat to the realm. They were too powerful. With their mind reading and their shift—"
"Everyone can shift—"
"Not just wings, Ashburn. Dragons could do a full shift."
"So can Wolves, you imbecile, and the king." Chided Lennox, he pulled two cards from Adan's hands and picked up a two more. Handing them to her to rearrange the hand.
"There is a huge difference between an eagle and a Dragon." Lennox smirked as if Yarrow had just told a joke. "The point is Dragons were the top of the food chain, and now they're not."
"Phoenixes were once a top predator, too." Lennox nodded for Adan to throw down his cards.
"They were easily leashed and killed for their Ash."
Ashburn laughed, the sounds grating against Adan's every nerve.
He drank from his glass and then placed it back into his slaves out waiting hands.
"You cannot have the power of life and then be shocked that people want to steal it from you."
No. Adan wanted to rip out Ashburn's spine from his mouth.
Lennox's fingers trailed on the skin of her outer thigh, curling in closer and closer to her apex.
She tensed. He was doing it to distract her.
He would rather her anger poised at him, then at them.
If she exploded at him, he could handle her.
But if she lost control on one of his retinue she would have to suffer their form of punishment.
"What about the rumours of the Captain? That he might know where to find a living Phoenix?"
Lennox's hand moved to Adan's waist, his knuckles brushing underneath her breast.
She damned her body at the involuntary arch.
She rolled her face away from his neck—if only to catch a breath, and rested back in the crook of his shoulder
"Rumour has it that he found a ship filled with runaways. Someone is helping the last surviving members of Fire House flee Lymia."
For the second time tonight, Adan froze.
"Of course no ship was found, it's just a rumour—speculation and hearsay. But you know how the king gets when he wants something. There is no stopping him. Let's not even bring up that demon spawn of his. Gods help up the day he becomes king."
"Careful, Yarrow. You almost sound treasonous." Ashburn teased.
"Am I not among friends?" His grin was anything but friendly.
"I heard a rumour that he was to be seen here, tonight." Laughed the Duke, "of course that would be preposterous because he would need an invitation." He eyed Lennox expectantly.
He shrugged, "I wanted to see if he would take the bait. I'll be informed if he decides to show."
Lennox Hollow was completely at ease. A man like Jax would stick out like a sore thumb in this type of establishment.
Not unless he took a long bath and found a suit.
Lennox picked up new cards, and tossed down a few gold coins to buy into the new round.
Then handed them back to Adan to handle, while he handled her.
"She really is magnificent." The Duke eyed Adan again. "You must tell me how you were allowed to collar the kings slave." The covetous look Larue gave Adan made her spine tingle and her blood run cold. Even pressed up against Lennox's burning body she couldn't hide the shiver.
Adan half expected Lennox to pull out her temporary transfer papers.
Only he moved his hand up her stomach, her chest, stopping to squeeze and taunt her nipple.
She was too late to stop the tiny gasp that escaped her lips and blush burned down her neck.
The taut bud pebbled between his fingers and Adan tried and failed not to crush the cards in her hands.