“Oh!” exclaims Mabon as his eyes light up with avarice. “Can I have that pop star, Taylor?”
Rhydian sighs. “No. No mixed sex relations with humans, remember? We littered this world with enough half-breeds last time we were here.”
Mabon’s eyes dim for a moment, then he gasps in excitement. “I’ll take a Hollywood hunk then. Watch all those muscles gleam and strain while I ride his cock.”
“Fine,” says Rhydian in a tone of complete acceptance.
That’s interesting. Not only do fey appear to be super on the rainbow spectrum of sexuality. It appears there is no shame about choosing to bottom. Not if Mabon is anything to go by. So Dyfri’s predicament must be all about the perceived weakness of being forced. And my lowly status of pet is more about being owned, thansubmitting.
I have no idea how I can use this. But all and any information is good. It might come in handy one day, and if not, the more I understand about my captors, the better.
“Did you actually want something?’ growls Rhydian to his brother.
Mabon waves a hand, and a chair slides across the floor towards him. He sprawls down into it. I watch his mouth move, but no sounds come out. I look around the room. Oh my god, the bastard has put a silence spell or something on me. I can’t hear a thing except for my own breathing. It is freaky and disconcerting.
My gaze flicks up to Rhydian and Mabon, who are clearly having a conversation. Nothing. Not even any muffled sounds. I suck in a shaky breath. Please god, let this be temporary. They just want a private conversation and then they will return me to normal. I couldn’t live like this forever.
Okay, deep breaths. Don’t freak out. It is actually flattering if I think about it. If I truly was merely a dumb pet, it wouldn’t matter what I overhear. So clearly they think more of me. I’m a person who it is dangerous to give information to, and that’s something.
But it is also frustrating. Listening and learning was my whole plan of escape. Be clever and figure stuff out. It’s not going to work if they keep doing this to me.
I fight my rising panic. I will figure something out. If my captors keep moving the pieces on the board, then I need to keep moving too. I am clever and I’m not going to be purely a victim. If I can help it. I may be a fly caught in a spider’s web, but I’m not ready to accept my fate.
Not yet.
Rhydian could decide to devour me and then there would be no hope at all. Nothing I could do. I’m not so arrogant as to deny this. I’m not an idiot. I can see the truth. All the power is his. My existence depends on his good will.
Oh god. I really am in so much shit.
Chapter eight
“What are you doing?” asks Rhydian.
Startled, I look up at him. What had I been doing? Oh, yes. Humming a tune and dancing my fingers over my lap while imagining they were people at a ball. I slipped out of a kneeling position to a cross-legged one, hours ago and Rhydian never reprimanded me for it.
“Um…nothing?” I try.
Rhydian’s eyes narrow. Maybe if he thinks I’m crazy, he will let me go? Or more likely, euthanize me like the pet he thinks I am.
“I was just bored,” I clarify.
He frowns. Come on, Mabon left hours and hours ago. Rhydian returned my hearing as soon as he did, but listening to him do paperwork is hardly scintillating. There were two brief interludes where servants brought us delicious food. First a flavourful soup, and then a plate of cold meats. But that is all that happened. All day. It can’t be surprising that I’m bored.
Rhydian sighs. “Come. Let’s leave.”
He shuffles away his papers and I haul myself to my feet. I stifle a groan, but I do have to rub my ass. A soft noisehas me looking up. Rhydian is smirking at me. Bastard. I’d like to see him sitting on the hard floor all frigging day.
He picks up my leash and I scurry after him before I can be yanked. My muscles protest, but I will live.
He walks quicker than I’m sure is necessary, and I swear he is doing it just to be annoying. But on the plus side, we reach his rooms in no time at all. The doors swing shut behind us. He drops my leash.
“Go bathe,” he orders without looking at me.
A pink haired woman appears from nowhere and unlocks the door to what I’ve come to think of as my bathroom.
A good long soak in the luxurious sunken bath sounds wonderful. I hurry into the bathroom. The pink-haired servant helps me with my clothes because I still don’t have a clue.
As soon as I am naked, I step into the water and moan in bliss. And now my brain decides to work. Bathing up until now has been a morning activity. I don’t know what time it is, but it’s dark and long after dinner. Has Rhydian sent me to clean up because he is going to do something to me?
