Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Taking a deep breath, Vaya met my gaze. “I’ve heard those brave words before and then seen the bodies thrown on the fire at dawn.”
I took a moment to let that sink in, terrify me, and then push it out of my mind. Warders didn’t die on trash heaps. We died in our homes with our hearths or in battle. None of us had our throats slit like lambs to the slaughter.
“Now, please,” he begged. “Tell me what kind of demon you are so I can help make the last moments of your life bearable.”
“And how would you do that?” I asked him.
“I have enchantments, spells, I’ve learned what can separate tracker demons from their bodies, and darshul demons can astrally project too far so that the tether to the body is broken and I have tonics I keep in the floor that––”
“It’s okay,” I assured him, my voice soft, soothing. “I’m not gonna die today. Mark my words.”
But he didn’t look like he believed me.
SIX
An hour later they came for me, and when I rose out of the water, I did feel healed, and the bruises were gone. I also smelled like jasmine and oranges and the scent clung to me.
One of the men took a step toward the bath, and from the way he was looking at Vaya, it was clear he wanted to ravage him.
“Oh no,” Jaro snapped at the man, stepping in front of him. “If you lay hands on the incubus, he may or may not lose his ability to heal, and the baron does not want that. The baroness, her ladies in waiting, the bruises he gives them all, as well as his children…no, no, no. He needs Vaya to heal them all. What would those at court say?”
The man turned to Jaro. “You’re telling me he abuses them all?”
Jaro snorted. “He doesn’t rape his kids, you sick bastard, but his lady, all those who attend her, even her sister and cousins—of course.” He gestured at Vaya. “Why do you think he’s so important and no one gets to fuck him?”
The man muttered and headed for the door, but then stopped suddenly and pointed at me. “And him?”
Jaro scoffed. “If there’s anything left of him after the baron is done, he’ll let you have a taste before we kill him. Though I’ll tell you, I think Farren wants some of this one too. He’s volunteered to bind him this evening, and sometimes the baron lets him go first.”
I didn’t show a trace of fear; it would only encourage them.
They took me to be shaved then, outside, where they wouldn’t have to clean my hair off the floors.
“If you fight,” Farren began, “I’ll cut your throat and drain your blood, and the baron will have to enjoy that instead of your body.”
And it occurred to me that many would have taken that option.
“But I’ll take you first and shove my razor inside you when I’m done.”
He was a sadist, so I had no doubt he’d follow through on his threat.
I sat there and let him shave me and I was surprised at how deftly, and carefully, he used the straight razor. My beard and mustache were gone quickly, and when Farren was looking at me afterward, it seemed like he was deciding something.
“The baron likes boys, and men who look like boys, so I’m tempted to take a razor to all the hair on you.”
“No,” Jaro chimed in before he dumped a pitcher of ice-cold water over my head to make sure all the hair was off me. “He’s pretty enough with the hair on his face gone. The baron breaks stallions as well as geldings.”
Farren nodded.
Once Jaro was certain I would pass inspection, he threw me several cloths to dry myself off and then he led me to a small room, locked the door on the way out, and left me alone.
Gazing at myself in the mirror above a chest of drawers, I didn’t recognize the face staring back at me. I looked younger without my beard and mustache, if only by a few years. Thirty-two maybe instead of thirty-six. Not a boy, not at all, no matter how much the baron might want one.
My mind started racing. Even if Raphael found me, if the baron had already raped me, would he want me anymore? And yes, I would have been forced, but would that matter to an angel? Would he rather I fought to the death? We’d never discussed anything so revolting, so I had no compass to guide me. Until then, all I could do was wait and watch and look for the opening I needed to escape. At least if I ran, I’d know that no harm would come to Vaya, and I could return with help and rescue him.
I was brought dinner. Cheese and meats, fruit and bread. I was literally having a charcuterie plate in hell. The attire they brought me was ridiculous—a silk robe that fell to the floor. The only good thing about it was that I could move in it. I had used the time to take a sliver of wood out of the windowsill. It came up easily with a little prying with the butter knife. I knew better than to think they’d let me keep any utensils, but I used it quickly and got my little wooden stake sharp enough to do damage.