I laughed, despite the tears fogging my vision. “What more can you do to me? You can’t kill me—I’m the source of your newfound power. Probably the very last free priestess, which means you’llneverhave another chance like this,” I said, gaining confidence with every spoken word. Enough that I dared stalk toward him in my temper. “I can heal any damage you do to my body because I no longer have anything to hide. So go ahead. You can’t hurt me,elite.”
For the space of several breaths, there was nothing. Only the quiet sounds of a one-sided power struggle.
And then, “That you think so is oddly… refreshing. The opinion of a sheltered, naive little girl, of course, but refreshing nevertheless. And tempting as it might be to teach you the errors in your thinking, I’m due at General Tilcot’s manse at the top of the hour.” He paused then, fidgeting with a golden button at his wrist, shaking his head as if amused by my passion. “Let me offer you some advice, given that I’m in something of a celebratory mood. Go out of your way to behave yourself in the company of these men. Under no circumstances are you to draw attention to yourself, do you understand me?”
I laughed, sneering. “Will my bad behavior reflect poorly on you?” I cooed, lightheaded with the rush of being near such a villain. The deadly push and pull I wasn’t sure I’d survive. Wasn’t sure I could muster the effort to care, given all I’d lost.
One large, rough hand settled on the back of my neck, and I was made to still as he caught my gaze in the bottomless, inky swirl of dark eyes. He said, “Yes,” in such a way that saw my snide retort whither on my tongue. Held rapt and attentive. “Owning a priestess is a privilege. One that can be taken away without impacting my status as an asset to the empire.”
It was my turn to grin, and I let him see the savage point of my teeth. “So Icanbe rid of you, then? I can break this infernal bond and—”
“You mistake me,” he said, and closed what little distance there was between us. Chest to chest, looming above me in a way that made me feel tiny. Fragile and insignificant. “I don’t need to bein possessionof my priestess to be an asset to the empire. That is, to use your power to kill rebel scum.” He cupped the back of my neck and let a rough thumb skate over my cheek, beneath my eye before his fingers tangled in the fine hairs at my nape. “They can hide any embarrassing assets away in the capital. Locked away in a cell, where no one will ever think to wonder after your health. Where it doesn’t matter that you’re bound to me, or that I have no intention of sharing that sweet little pussy with a garrison of my men.” His fingers grew tight with warning. “There are things you’ve never thought to be terrified of, Mila. Horrible things that would see you begging to take my cock. To please me in any way your pretty little head can dream up, for nothing at all, except the promise that you’ll remain inmycare. Soyes,Mila.Your bad behavior will reflect poorly on me, butyouwill pay the higher price.” He released me, then. Took a quick breath and stepped back, raking one hand through thick, dark hair. “But there’s only one way to break this bond.”
“A-and what’s”—I cleared my throat—”What’s that?”
He shrugged, dark eyes glittering and heavy with warning. “You’ll have to die.”
2
Ahard lump of bile rose to the back of my throat as the reality of his words sank in.
Knowing just what he’d stolen from me with three bands of gold.
My life. My power.Everythingthat I was…
… all tied to Captain Asher Rawlings.
Forever.
A fragile whisper spilled over my lips. Helpless denial of a thing Iknewto be true. “You’re lying.”
Some complicated emotion flicked across his brow, but he shrugged. Held himself in tight control before I could make sense of it. “Perhaps. But are you so willing to take the risk?”
Incredulous, I swallowed around the lump strangling my voice, and said, “You expect blind trust?”
He smirked, closing the distance between us once more. Flexing his influence to force me still, just because he could, the captain adjusted the vulgar scraps of black silk hanging from my shoulders. Knucklesalmostbrushing my nipples when he said simply, “I expect obedience from my pet, and know just how to extract it, don’t I?”
My cheeks grew warm at little more than the reminder of what he’d done to me. What he’d made me do, bent over his desk.
Naked.
Spread—a feast to his depraved whims.
Nothing between us but rough fingers and whispered promises of things I couldn’t even begin to imagine until he was forcing me to learn.
To feel and obey.
Tormented by the heart-rending pain of the most intimate of betrayals—that of my own body dancing to the commands of another.
A predator who craved a feast of my fear and anguish.
Disgust made me bold when I might have been bashful, and though my voice trembled, I said, “You’re a monster.”
He made no effort to deny it. Merely sent his fingers to tangle in my hair, pulling me close before he pressed his lips to my scalp. Inhaling, he took a breath that whispered against my skin.
Possessive. Taking far,fartoo many liberties for his intent to be mistaken for anything but the ravenous, greedy thing it was.
And then I felt it.
