I don’t really know exhaustion in the corporeal sense anymore. But every single one of my joints seems to ache from the muscles being wound up so tightly by his kisses and caresses last night. I roll over with a groan. Despite myself, my hand slides down my side, smoothing over the swell of my stomach; it slips under the top of my shorts, and lands between my legs to touch myself in the one place I so desperately wanted Ilryth’s hand to be last night.
Rubbing slowly, gently, my middle finger rolls over the most sensitive spot on my body. My lips part and a soundless sigh of delight escapes them. In my mind, Ilryth is still next to me. He’s waking me with these delicate caresses. His lower half is no longer scaled, but possesses all the desired parts of a human man.
I imagine him leaning over to me and biting my earlobe. He’ll whisper the details of everything he wishes to do to me straight into my mind, penetrating my thoughts. My left hand slides down my front, groping my breast over my corset as the images playing before my mind’s eyes grow more and more vivid.
Last night was merely the appetizer. The temptation. The proof that our bodies will respond to each other. All I want now is to explore just how far we can go. Just how deeply we can know each other.
My lower abdomen is knotting. My toes are curling. Release isn’t far. I’ve had enough practice getting myself there over the years and this fantasy is sweeter than any I’ve ever come up with before because it’s tangible. It’s almost possible and that—
“Your Holiness, are you awake?” Ventris’s voice is a bucket of cold water being dumped on me.
I rip my hand from my shorts, the other releasing my chest and pushing off the bed. I try to smooth my hair away from my face, attempting to tame it on instinct, even though in my current form that’s absolutely unnecessary. I’ve managed to catch my breath and banish the fantasies by the time he arrives up the tunnel with his guards.
“Ah, good morning. You seem to have slept well last night.”
“Excuse me?” I panic, wondering if there’s any sign of Ilryth in the room. Perhaps there’s some siren sense where Ventris just knows the lines we’ve crossed. What will that mean for Ilryth?
“You are in your bed this morning, rather than on the balcony,” he says casually. “It’s good to see that you are getting the rest you need to ensure that you remain focused on learning the hymns of the old ones.”
I relax some. “Yes, of course. Meditating before the Abyss has been quite taxing on the mind and body.”
“Speaking of anointments.” He motions and another set of guards emerges with a familiar face.
“Lucia.” I push away from the bed with a smile, gliding through the room.
“It’s good to see you again, Your Holiness.” The end of her tail curves back and she dips her head. Even though the two of us weren’t exactly the best of friends, she made a kind enough impression on me. And in Ventris’s realm, I’ll take any friendly faces I can get.
“Lucia was one of the best students during her time in the Duchy of Faith. She’ll be taking care of your anointments these next few days as it becomes improper for myself or Ilryth to do so.”
I remember what Ilryth told me last night, that there would be some markings he wouldn’t be the one to do. I hide my lingering disappointment that it’s not him administering these markings to my more sensitive areas. Another fantasy attempts to creep up and I refuse to let it here and now. Those are best savored privately. And, if someone other than Ilryth is going to make those markings, I’d much rather Lucia than a stranger or, worse, Ventris.
“Thank you for being mindful of my modesty,” I say as if modesty has ever been something that’s meant all that much to me.
“Do you need anything else of us?” Ventris asks Lucia.
She shakes her head. “No, Your Grace, I have all I need.”
“I will leave you to it, then.” Ventris leads the four guards from the room.
Lucia folds her hands in front of her, waiting until they’re gone. Her fingers lace and unlace, betraying discomfort. “Please forgive me, Your Holiness, but I’m finally going to have to ask you to remove everything.”
“Just Victoria is fine,” I remind her. “We’re not strangers.”
“It is only right that I show you the utmost respect as the shepherd. Anything less would be an affront to Lord Ventris’s good training of all the acolytes of Lord Krokan.”
She’s afraid he’s listening. “I don’t think he can hear in here. Ilryth said this room has protections.”
Lucia’s eyes widen slightly. She glances over her shoulder in the direction Ventris left.
“If you’re nervous, we can speak like this.” I close the gap between us and rest my hand on her shoulder.
She nods. “That’s good to know, Victoria.” I smile at her use of my name. “But you should refrain from touching me. We are getting close to your offering, so it is even more important now.”
“Right.” My smile falls and I release her. “Should I undress?”
“If you don’t mind.” Lucia averts her eyes, despite her being about to see me in the very state of undress that she’s offering me modesty about.
I reach around to the back of my corset, hooking the knot and untying it. Tugging at the Xs that line my back, I get enough slack that I can slot out the small knobs from their hooks in the front. I pull it off me and hang onto it for an extra second. The last of my clothes, carefully tailored to fit my needs. Quality over quantity.
