“You are correct, Your Eminence.” For the first time, Ksee looked hesitant, a little wary.
Somewhere far away, it made Anniliese grimly happy.Tell them what you hid from me, you bitch.
Ksee cleared her throat. “Anniliese is Royal born. She is the only heir of House Hareth. In Onita, it has become customary—as a precaution, nothing more—to garb our well-bred girls in a small piece ofdeistair, just in the grim chance that they somehow have magic.”
“You suppress magic in girls, High Priestess?”
“Not me, specifically, Your Eminence,” Ksee said diplomatically. “I am simply familiar with the practice and advise it to many families who can afford it.”
Kol’s eyebrows twitched, as if he were fighting off a frown. “Why not just allow the wealthy and well-bred girls to keep their powers and remain in society? Why make the two options only suppression or the temple?”
“You have been gone for many millennia, Holy One. We understand your questions about the world we have created.” Shawth bowed his head, his voice smooth, but Anniliese didn’t miss his note of annoyance.
“Without the temple, girls with magic tend to be wild. Untamed. Reckless. And a reckless girl cannot be a good wife. Cannot be a good mother.” Shawth sighed. “Without appropriate precautions, Onita would simply be overrun.”
“Well, we certainly can’t have that now, can we?” Kol turned away from Anniliese and Shawth, his voice almost bored.
Panic washed over Shawth’s bulbous face, as if he felt the impending dismissal. His eyes darted between Kol and Anniliese, and some grim corner within Anniliese felt a sick jolt of glee at his desperation.
His watery blue gaze latched on to her, all traces of her amusement snuffing out.
“Uxosilis also quite useful for…other things.”
Kol stopped. “Such as?”
Shawth smiled broadly, prowling toward Anniliese with a predator’s intent. “Not only do we have near-perfect servants,” he said, “we now also have women who can’t say no.”
The room was silent. Kol spun slowly to face Shawth and Anniliese, his face an unreadable mask of cool indifference.
“Thatisinteresting,” drawled the god, his burning gaze flickering between the lord and Anniliese.
Shawth stepped out of her vision, a new current of fear racing through her. A meaty, sweaty hand brushed her bare arm, sweeping her unbound hair across her back.
“Did you know,” Shawth began, “that our sweet Anniliese here once propositioned herself to me just to see her family advance in station? I’m sure it was her father’s idea, but the thought hasn’t left my mind since.” His foul breath ghosted across her cheek.
Inside her caged mind, she gagged.
“Maybe this is our chance to sample something delicate. Only the best for His Excellence, of course.”
Everything inside Anniliese recoiled and revolted. She’d never fought theuxosilhard; she’d seen it in action before and knew it was useless.
Now she threw herself against the walls of her mental prison, her bound and conscious mind crying and begging and screaming.
Not this; just let me be a servant; that’s all I want to do; not this, not this, not this?—
“Just a moment, Lord Shawth.”
Shawth pulled back from Anniliese. “Your Eminence?”
Kol’s red-gold eyes were fixed on Anniliese, seeing too much. He wore a casual smirk, but she could almost feel the way he glimpsed below her muted and closed surface, studying the terrified girl beneath.
“I command you to answer me honestly, Anniliese. Ignore all past orders you’ve been given. Have you ever truly wished to share a bed with this man?”
Anniliese gasped as the hold over her flesh released just slightly, the command granting back some of her autonomy. She was still caged, locked away from herself, but for the moment her body at least felt like it was partway hers.
She clutched her thin white robes, hands shaking. “No. I haven’t.”
She was proud of herself. Shock and horror and fear still coursed freely through her, but at least her voice had sounded strong and unwavering.
