Page 107 of Nightshade

“Give me a moment. I need to tell you something important.”

“Tell me, so that I may get on with my afternoon chores. I do not like being in this room with you.”

“Is it the room that troubles you? Or me?”

“Both.”

“I have a confession.” Rough palms gripped her arms, setting off a chime of distress inside her head. “I cannot stop thinking about you. It is unholy the thoughts that come to mind. Wickedly iniquitous thoughts of defiling you.”

A cold and abrasive shock stifled her breath. “Let me go. Now.”

“Why?”

“Because I will not indulge these fantasies with you.”

“But you will fuck my cousin in the undercroft of a holy cathedral? What kind of whore discriminates against a willing cock?”

Lustina cracked her palm against his cheek, kicking his head to the side. Anger exploded inside of her, but when she drew back for a second slap, he caught her wrist.

“How dare you touch me with your filthy hands.” Before she could fight him, he spun her around to the wall and pressed his body against her, smashing her cheek against the stones. “You know I watched him take you like a sire fucking a bitch. How utterly appropriate for you.” Fingernails scraped at her calves as he dragged her skirt up.

“Release me! Now!”

“Tsk, tsk. If you scream, I shall tell the bishop you lured me in here, like Lilith herself. I shall tell him you seduced me to fuck you like a dog. I will be spared and you will burn like your bitch mother.”

A flare of crazed anger beat through her, and she did let out a scream. She reached back to scratch at him, but he pressed into her harder, and the sounds of his shaky breaths in her ear sent a feeling of dread to her gut.

“Relax, Lustina. Your cunt is already warmed for me. I am certain you will not feel any pain. But if you do, I cannot say I’ll be disappointed.”

“Get off of m--!” Her scream was cut short by the palm of his hand, and at the first prod of his tip to a new place where Jericho had not yet been, she wriggled and clawed at the stones for escape.

“On second thought, I would rather not put my cock where my cousin’s has been. This hole will do. I intend to plunder you like a vicious beast.”

“No!” Lustina screamed. Long and hard. She screamed until a dizziness swept over her. And as he wedged his member between her cheeks, prodding that forbidden place, she sobbed.

A crashing sound startled her, and Drystan, it seemed, as he released her. The figure standing in the doorway carried the rage of a thousand men. His hands balled into fists at his sides, spoiling for a fight. Shoulders bunched.

Lustina ran toward Jericho, whose jaw was clenched, the veins in his neck thick with poisonous fury. He didn’t take his eyes off his cousin as he urged her to leave.

“Come with me,” she whispered.

“Go now.”

With a glance toward Drystan, whose face had blanched, she slipped out of the room and heard the click of the door.

A long, painful outcry followed her out of the undercroft, and as she wiped the tears from her cheeks, she did not bother to look back.

35

Farryn

The next morning, I headed down to the kennels, where the sound of gruff commands drew my feet toward the edge of the woods. There, I hid behind a small shed, and caught sight of Van Croix standing before the three dogs, who sat perfectly still, their snouts angled high. He’d placed a slab of meat on each, and paced in front of them, as if daring one to devour the savory treat. Not a single dog moved. I’d have been surprised if they so much as breathed, with how still they kept.

Van Croix snapped his fingers, and all three dogs moved in unison, jerking their heads and catching the meat before it hit the ground. Immediately after, they stood back at attention.

After a few more rounds, I stepped out of my hiding place to approach.

At first, Van Croix only regarded me with a quick glance, which turned into the kind of stare that left me feeling naked and exposed. It was only when he turned his attention back to the dogs that I felt like I could breathe again.