Page 6 of Demon Bound

Her eyes snapped open. One of Nirlan’s guests had followed her out into the dark hallway. It was the young noble who’d complimented her earlier.

“Of course,” she said. “I’m fine. Thank you. Just getting some air.”

He smiled, moving closer. “You’re not one for social events, I take it?”

“Oh, I am. I just, ah…” She didn’t fit in at these events. She didn’t know how to relate to the kinds of things that were important to Nirlan: business deals, rumors about wars brewing in faraway lands, the latest fashions from Ardani or Ysura, gossip about which notables were at odds with whom. The rest of the people here had gone to elite schools all across the continent to learn about these things and connect with other people like themselves. Raiya had spent her childhood running through town unsupervised, swimming in rivers, and reading whatever affordable secondhand books she’d managed to find. When she’d gotten older, most of her time had been spent trying to scrape together enough coin to live on.

“You don’t get many visitors so far north, do you? Meeting so many people must be overwhelming.”

She wondered if Nirlan would be angry at her for agreeing. She had no doubt that anything she said here would get back to him. “A bit, I suppose.”

The man stood in front of her, putting her back to the wall. She saw his eyes flick briefly to her breasts, hidden beneath her dress. “How did a bastard like Nirlan get a woman like you to marry him?”

She smiled half-heartedly. “You think too highly of me, lord.”

“Not at all.” He leaned in, resting a hand against the wall above her shoulder. She stiffened. She could smell alcohol on his breath.

She tried to sidle out from under him. “I should be getting back.”

He put a hand on her waist, holding her still as he leaned even closer. “Stay here a moment.”

“My lord, I really should get back to my husband.” She tried to push him back, but he dove in, pushing her roughly against the wall as he forced his mouth over hers. His unwelcome lips may as well have been a brand burning her skin. For a moment, she was so shocked that she couldn’t move.

“Raiya,”came a sharp voice.

The noble unhurriedly dislodged himself from her. Raiya glared at him, then turned to look at Nirlan, who stood in the doorway.

“Your wife is drunk,” the man said, smirking.

“Get out,” Nirlan said.

“Come on. Don’t be that way. You knew what you were doing when you married a commoner. You can hardly complain when you got exactly the sort of woman you bargained for.”

Nirlan rapidly approached them, looking close to violence.“Get out.”

The noble raised his hands, backing away. “Apologies for the misunderstanding.” He bowed, winked at Raiya, and then left.

Nirlan turned to Raiya. He looked furious. Apoplectic.

“I didn’t do anything. He forced himself upon me,” Raiya said.

There was a tense moment of silence, and he just looked at her with hatred, seething.

Raiya instinctively took a step back. She flinched when Nirlan reached toward her, but he only grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into the room. As soon as they entered, his expression smoothed over, but his grip on her wrist was still painfully tight.

He waited until after the last visitors had left before he punished her, but not a moment longer. He stood in the middle of the parlor with his foot tapping, waiting until the servants had left and they were alone. It didn’t take long. The servants in the household were as adept at judging his moods as Raiya was. They all knew to avoid him when he was like this.

“I didn’t see you trying to stop him,” he said.

“I did try. You’re reacting exactly as he wanted you to, Nirlan. He did it just to upset you. This is a petty men’s quarrel. Don’t—”

He slapped her, his hand swinging so hard and fast that she didn’t realize it was coming until after it had happened. She bent over, pressing a hand to her face in shock as her eyes reflexively teared up. It had been a while since he’d hurt her physically, but she remembered this feeling very well. The shock. The betrayal. The humiliation. They all hurt much worse than the slap itself.

“You let him make a fool of me. I suppose I should be grateful that you at least waited until you were out of sight, rather than letting him fondle you in front of the whole room.”

She focused on wiping the startled tears from her cheeks. Whatever she said, it would only anger him further.

“Useless,” he spat.

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