Kyle’s face stayed calm. “I'll look for them, domina.”
She looked at him, her eyes blazing. “You know what will happen if you don’t find them.”
“Yes, domina.”
He left then, and of course, came back empty-handed. She shot to her feet, brandishing the whip. “Take off your tunic and face the wall.”
He obeyed and braced his hands against the wall, slowly exhaling.
Gaius rose then, prying the whip out of her hand. “Allow me, dear, you should not do this in your condition.”
Kyle’s heart sank, but he held tight.
Gaius ran his hand down his back. “Impressive collection... he’s giving you grief?”
Seraphina shrugged. “He’s been spoiled, but he’s learning.”
Gaius pursed his lips and swung the whip. He hit way harder than Seraphina and Kyle’s skin broke, his blood flowing down his back. He moaned against the searing pain but stood all the way until all five lashes fell and tore his back apart.
Seraphina watched, slightly concerned, and Gaius flung the whip at Kyle’s feet. “Bring this back clean.”
He picked it up with trembling hands, and Gaius smiled at Seraphina. “This is how you beat up slaves, dear, but I know you don’t have my strength.”
They laughed, and Kyle left the garden, his hand barely holding the whip slippery with blood, when the world turned and Sixtus caught him before he blanked out, the world dark.
Kyle woke in his room, his back covered in a thin gauze, a single oil lamp burning next to him, and he sat up, panicked.
Lis was there, her voice filled with concern. “Hey... calm down...“
“What happened?”
“You passed out...”
Her tears flowed, and he struggled to stay still. “How long?”
“A couple of hours... Domina knows, Sixtus told them. I think she’s concerned that you’ll scar even more...”
He swallowed, vaguely nauseous, the pain making him shiver.
“Lie down, Kyle, please...”
He reluctantly did so, his eyes shutting. She cried, and he had to soothe her. “This is nothing, Lis... leave it.”
“Nothing? Look at your back...”
What to tell her?That a single whip could not do the damage that one could do with tiny claws of metal? That he’d howled for three days on end when Lucius had beaten the skin off his back? That sometimes he could not walk after days of being raped over and over again?
He just reached for her hand. “Just stay out of trouble... alright?”
She smiled feebly and stroked his hand. He fell asleep then, his dreams churning like dark masses.
Marius got the news weeks later when the mail arrived, and he wordlessly handed the letter to Clavius.
“Oh, my! I’ll be an uncle!”
Marius smiled. “I guess congratulations are in order...”
“For you, you stud!”
