Page 186 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“And who’s going to believe you, Minerva? You who’s already broken rule after rule? You who’s run away from her betrothed?”

Pure rage flows through me at his words, but not only at him, at myself too. Because heisright. I did break the rules. Yet I know that Commander Azerius is a fair man. If I tell him…

I squeeze my eyes shut—the only part of my body I can move. To tell him, I’ll have to make it out of here first.Withmy virtue intact.

“You’re wrong,” I tell him in an even voice. Despite the fact that I am seething, I need to keep my wits about me.

“Am I now?” He smirks.

“Oh, yes. So very wrong.”

He stops in front of me, his hand reaching out to touch me. My first instinct is to flinch, but I’m frozen to the spot as he touches my cheek.

“You won’t be able to take my maidenhead,” I say as I look him straight in the eye. “It’s already gone.”

Shock briefly flitters across his features before he schools them.

“You’re a poor liar.”

“Not lying,” I counter. “If you know so much, then you should also know I’ve been living on Anthropa for the past few months, among humans.” He stares at me intently, so I add, “Human males.”

“Youlie,” he accuses.

“Do I? You might want to marry me for some political gain, but you would likely have to accept that you will never know if your firstborn is yours.”

“You whore,” he thunders, his mouth drawn up in a sneer. “I think I will find out for myself if you’re lying or not,” he adds in a cruel voice. Before I can react, he grabs my belt and rips it from my body.

“Stop!” I yell, panic unlike any other coursing through me. “I said stop!”

A sneer paints his face as he grabs onto the top of my bodice. The material tears, a loud noise that permeates the air, though it barely registers through the gaze of fear that’s taken over me.

I’m so helpless I cannot do anything but watch as he pulls at my dress until the top of my breasts is laid bare. The cold of the air hits my skin, making me both shiver and internally recoil from his touch.

Seconds trickle by as I realize the enormity of what is about to happen. He’s going to taint me with his touch and I can only stand by and witness my own defilement.

One more pull of the material and my entire chest will be completely naked.

He reaches for me, and I summon all the strength I can muster to fight against his power.

A series of loud bangs reverberate outside the main room. Shortly, the doors open as soldiers yell, “Demon!”

Leotar stops right before he’s about to touch me, his expression one of disbelief.

“What?” he barks out.

“He’s… he’s…” the soldier stammers.

Yet before he can enunciate clearly what he wanted to say, a shrilly wail of pain echoes through the room.

A heavy, almost intoxicating presence fills the space.

“Impossible,” Leotar mutters.

I cannot see behind me, yet as Leotar shoves me to the side and out of the way, his control over my body ceases.

I stumble to the ground, breathing hard from the excess adrenaline running through my veins. Lifting my gaze up, I watch, almost dazedly, as a dark figure shrouded in a dark gray smoke enters the room. Only the shape of his body is visible, tall, lean, and muscular. Black tendrils flicker around his body.

“You… it cannot be,” Leotar gasps. “The Sons of Tenebreis are locked in Tartareia!”

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