They passed through a door into what appeared to be a bathing room, sheer black curtains leading the way to a central tub, which looked like it was carvedfrom a single block of glimmering white crystal. Steam rose from the water, a mirror revealing the utter state she was in.
Her neatly braided hair from the offering of light was disheveled and tangled, dried blood coating her shoulder where she’d been marked. The symbols on her belly were as clear as ever, pink lines etched into her pale skin, small punctures from the thorns creating a meandering pattern along her legs and ass. The cilice glimmered, a silvery circle around her upper thigh. Each scar was a reminder of her sins, of the way she’d given in so easily to the beast standing before her.
“Let’s take this off,” Jean-Phillipe said, reaching for the buckle of the cilice, though she quickly jerked backward.
He raised a brow, then knelt before her, grabbing the back of her thigh so she couldn’t shy away again.
“You can’t want pain all the time, can you?”
His voice was soft, his fingers nimble as they unbuckled the cilice and dropped it to the floor in a tinkling clatter. Pinpricks of blood beaded on her skin, and before she could back up, he was licking across the wounds, her core tightening with arousal. She bit her lip hard to stifle a moan as he spun her around, lapping up every bead of blood with his forked tongue and sending an erotic shiver up her spine.
“I deserve it,” she finally said, finding her words as he got to his feet.
“Do you deserve it, or do youenjoyit?”
A question she didn’t want to think about, let alone answer, even if deep down she already knew the truth.
“Both.”
Jean-Phillipe smirked, taking her hand and helping her into the tub as sticky cum dripped from her.
The heated water was an immediate balm on her sore muscles, and she rubbed her wrists where they’d been restrained by the cuffs, eyeing the man warily.
Thedemon.
Goddess, it all felt like a bad dream, but it was too real, too visceral. Could her mind really be making all of this up? Oh, she had let the moon mother down, the fact settling in her stomach like a great weight. For so long, worshipping Celeste had been her greatest joy and devotion, and she’d scorned the one who’d protected her. And for what?
For a beast to fuck her in the forest? For a monster toclaimher?
Right now, he didn’tseemlike a monster, though, kneeling and helping her lean back until her hair was submerged in the water. Without speaking, he reached for a glass vial on the edge of the tub and dripped liquid onto her head, scrubbing up a lather as she breathed in the scent of cinnamon.
He was a bit clumsy, tugging at her hair too hard and forcing a whimper from her throat, his eyes widening for an instant before he continued.
Isabelle almost let her eyes shut,almost, but was determined to stay vigilant even as her body hummed with the pleasure of his touch. He dipped her backinto the water and rinsed her hair before righting her once more.
“When can I go home?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her chest and eyeing him carefully.
The corner of Jean-Phillipe’s mouth quirked into a smile.
“You bound yourself to me. This is your home until I am done with you.”
She sucked in a breath, trying not to let despair overwhelm her. Surely the moon mother would protect her–wayward as she was–and bring her back into the light. She just had to have faith.
“And what am I supposed to do here?”
Jean-Phillipe tilted her chin toward him, studying her face like she was one of the holy paintings within the temple’s walls.
“You will serve us as we see fit, take us whenever we require it without complaint.”
“Both of you?” she asked, swallowing hard to stop the bile from rising in her throat.
“We share everything. Especially our beautiful playthings.”
So, they’d done this before. Of course, she wasn’t the first. There were likely other foolish humans within these walls—their choice of pleasure dolls.
“What’s going to happen to me?” she whispered as he rested his hand on her neck, not squeezing, though the possessive intent was clear.
“Well, that’s entirely up to you, darling.”
