Page 28 of The Shadowbound King

Nude men and women romped in lush forests. In some panels, the subjects thrust gourds and other objects into various…orifices.

Cheeks heating, I yanked my gaze from the brightly colored artwork. I was no stranger to naked bodies. As a healer, I’d nursed dozens of knights in Nordlinga. And I’d spent my entire life in castles. Large or small, privacy was difficult to come by in such places. More than once, I’d stumbled across couples enjoying themselves. But most people tried to be discreet.

That didn’t appear to be the case in the Embervale.

Ginhad continued speaking as if nothing were amiss. “So, as I mentioned, feasting is big around here. Mealtimes tend to go on for hours.” He glanced at my feet. “We’ll need to get you some comfortable shoes.”

Wariness drifted through me. “How many hours?”

He hummed. “Kind of hard to predict. Sometimes, people break into smaller groups, and the main feast winds down early.”

“Smaller groups?” I was starting to feel like a parrot repeating his statements.

“Yeah. Some people prefer more privacy, especially when they want to get, um, creative.”

The wariness increased. I eyed the next door, which depicted a naked woman reclining on the forest floor. Four nude men surrounded her, their mouths on various parts of her body. Red and gold leaves tumbled through the air.

Without warning, the door swung open. A man sauntered out, a pair of boots dangling from the fingers of one hand. His long hair was piled on top of his head, revealing his tapered ears. His clothing, if it could be called that, consisted of what appeared to be several leather belts. They crisscrossed his chest and waist, various buckles holding them in place. Another belt descended from the straps across his chest, eventually ending in a metal ring that circled his flaccid cock.

I pressed a hand over my mouth, a breathless “oh!” slipping around my palm.

“Ginhad!” the man exclaimed, delight spreading over his features. “We wondered where you went.” The man looked at me. His brown eyes warmed as he swept a gaze down my body. He sauntered forward. “Hello.”

“Goodbye,” Ginhad said, rushing forward. He gripped the man’s arm and spun him around.

“Hey!” The man looked over his shoulder. “At least introduce me.”

“No. Now, shoo.” After a few more seconds of tussling, Ginhad slapped the man’s bare ass, shoved him through the door, and yanked it shut.

“I liked that!” the man called through the door.

Ginhad kept his hand on the knob for a few more seconds, as if he waited to see if the man would attempt to exit again. When the door stayed closed, he straightened slowly and released a shaky sigh.

I lowered my hand. “I assume he wasn’t sewing in there.”

“Definitely not.” Ginhad came to me and took my elbow. Hurrying me down the corridor, he spoke under his breath. “As I’m sure you noticed, Lord Lerendyl has a needledick, not needlepoint.”

My shock lingered as we navigated more corridors and staircases. When we’d put a decent amount of distance between us and Lord Lerendyl and his buckles, I looked at Ginhad. “Is that the sort of thing I should expect at your feasts?”

He stopped, his green eyes guarded. “If I say yes, are you going to run down the corridor screaming?”

“I’m not really one for running and screaming. At least not simultaneously.”

Ginhad’s lips twitched. Then his expression turned serious. “They’re notmyfeasts. And, no, not every evening ends in harnesses and bare bottoms. But the Embervale is a lusty place. Almost everyone here has awere. That’s a lot of animal instinct cooped up in one place.”

“Because no one can leave.”

He made a strangled sound, and I braced for him to saythrow rug. Instead, he glanced around and then lowered his voice. “That’s mostly true, yes. Only the strongest among us can enter the Edelfen.”

I’dentered it. Then again, I’d been tethered to Rane the whole time. Had he…protected me? If so, he hadn’t done it because he cared about my safety.

I want to hurt you a great deal.

A shiver coursed through me. Ginhad must have misinterpreted its source, because he took my hand.

“No one in the Embervale will force you to do anything against your will.” He gave me a meaningful look.“No one.”

He meant Rane and King Andrin. Relief swept me. A second later, it died a swift death. Maybe I was free from unwanted advances, but I wasn’tfree. The collar’s weight reminded me that every breath I drew depended on Andrin’s will—not mine.

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