Page 13 of Her Fallen Angel

"Filthy creature." His lip curls as he shoves me toward marble stairs. "Up. Second door. Clean yourself before you taint my home further."

The bathroom sparkles with precious metals and stone. My hands shake as I strip off my grimy dress, my time in captivity falling away under steaming water. Soap scents the air with foreign flowers. I scrub until my skin turns pink, savoring warmth after the cell's bone-deep chill.

Fresh clothes wait on a hook - a simple gray dress that still feels like silk against my raw skin. In the kitchen, bread and fruit await. My stomach cramps at the sight of real food. I force myself to eat slowly, though hunger claws at me.

"Done making yourself presentable?" Kai's voice cuts through my relief. I follow the voice into an adjoining room where I see him sprawled on a black leather chaise, wings draped carelessly over its sides. "Kneel here."

I sink to my knees beside him, keeping my eyes lowered. The plush carpet cushions my bones, another mercy after those cold, hard floors I've been on.

"Pour." He gestures to a crystal decanter. My hands tremble as I fill his glass with deep red wine. "Good little pet. Already learning obedience."

His fingers catch my chin, forcing my gaze up. Those violet eyes bore into mine, cruel amusement dancing in their depths. "Do you know why I chose you, little flame? Your spirit burns so bright. Breaking it will be..." His thumb traces my lower lip. "Entertaining."

"I won't break." The words slip out before I can stop them.

His laugh holds no warmth. "They all say that. But you'll learn. Pour me more wine and I'll tell you exactly how I plan to extinguish that fire."

I reach for the decanter, focusing on keeping my hands steady as he details my fate with casual cruelty. His wings shiftrestlessly, casting moving shadows across my skin. I hold onto my prayers like a shield, though his words chip away at my resolve.

But I can't let him break me. Not as I kneel next to him all afternoon. Not as I serve him dinner. Not as I do everything he asks, waiting to see how much worse this will all get.

I'm almost surprised when he has me follow him into his room that night, though I should have been expecting it. Only, he doesn't throw me on the bed or order me to strip.

Instead, Kai points to layers of blankets and pillows on the ground at the foot of his bed. "Your bed, pet. Grateful creatures sleep where their masters allow."

The pallet is thick wool stuffed with something soft, leagues better than cell floor. There are blankets and pillows placed on top, all soft and warm. Still, the placement speaks volumes - I'm no better than a dog to him. I sink down, wrapping one of the blankets around my shoulders.

Quietly, I start up my evening ritual of talking to my gods.

"Your nightly prayers amuse me." Kai sprawls across his massive bed, wings spreading over black silk sheets. "What god listens to a slave?"

I close my eyes, letting familiar words fill my mind. My words are quiet, my lips moving on nearly inaudible sounds, but he must still be watching.

"Pathetic." His deep voice cuts through my meditation. "Your gods abandoned you to my mercy."

I continue praying, though his presence above me sends shivers down my spine. The rustle of feathers draws my attention - his wings shift restlessly, casting moving shadows across my upturned face. My words falter as I catch his violet eyes watching me, gleaming with predatory interest in the darkness.

"Such devotion." He props himself on one elbow, black hair spilling over bare shoulders. "Tell me, little flame - does your faith warm you? Does it shield you from the monster above your bed?"

The mockery in his tone should strengthen my resolve. Instead, I find myself distracted by the play of moonlight on battle scars crossing his chest - his now bare chest. My prayers tangle on my tongue.

His dark laugh rumbles through the room. "Already losing focus? Perhaps you need motivation to maintain your piety."

I force my eyes closed, gripping the blanket tighter. The words come faster now, desperate. But I can't block out his presence - the heat radiating from his massive form, the subtle movements of those deadly wings, the weight of his gaze burning into my skin.

"Sleep well, pet." His voice drops lower, filled with cruel promise. "Tomorrow we begin breaking that spirit properly."

I curl tighter into myself, clinging to my prayers even as his steady breathing above me threatens to drown them out.

7

KAI’RIN

Dawn filters through the balcony windows, and her whispered prayers stir me from sleep. I find Aren kneeling at the foot of my bed, dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she murmurs her morning devotions.

Rage burns through my veins. Every prayer she speaks belongs to her old gods, not to me. I watch her for a moment, studying how the sunlight catches the waves in her hair, how her olive skin glows in the morning light.

"Little flame." My voice cuts through her prayers. "You will serve my breakfast. Now."

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