Page 56 of City of the Lost
Her mouth parted in surprise and then clamped down in fury. “I don’t need to try, Miss Bastion, because I haveyouto do that for me. You and my favored Shedim, who succeeded in getting himself captured and needed a neph to come save him.” Her tone dripped with disgust. She turned her head to survey Azren’s profile. “Haven’t I taught you better, pet? Don’t you know by now that failure isnotan option?”
He remained stoic.
“Valance, dear. It’s time for you to leave us.”
Valance gathered me closer. “I’ll drop Miss Bastion home.”
“You misunderstand. It’s time foryouto leave. Miss Bastion stays.”
Valance had anticipated that she’d make me stay and watch the punishment, but he put on a good show groaning and sighing. “Oh, come on. Dinner reservations ...” His tone was affected, light. But the undertone was desperate, and if I could hear it then there was no way Elora couldn’t.
“You’ll get your plaything back soon enough, but this is business, not pleasure.” She flicked her wrist. “Go.”
Valance vanished. Azren tensed, and then slowly, imperceptibly relaxed. He was affecting nonchalance, and calm just like Valance. Did they think it would soothe the Draconi liege?
Elora strode toward me, her boots clipping on the ground. She grasped my chin in a biting grip and jerked my head up. Her demeanor shifted completely, nostrils flaring.
“What did they do to him? What did they do to my Shedim?”
Oh, fuck, that hurt enough to bruise. “They were whipping him, and I stopped them.”
Her eyes widened, and she released me abruptly, spinning to face Azren. She studied him warily.
“Did they hurt you, pet?”
“No, my liege.”
“And what did they say to you?”
“I cannot recall, my liege.”
She walked to him and stood in front of him, peering into his face. After several long seconds, she whispered softly, “You remember nothing?”
“No, my liege.”
“A shame.” She didn’t sound sorry. “But you understand that your failure cannot go unpunished.”
“Yes, my liege.”
She pressed a hand to his chest, leaned in, and kissed him. Azren’s fingers twitched, but that was the only movement he made. She pulled back, her emerald eyes sparking dangerously. “Would you rather be kissing someone else?” There was a manic edge to that tone.
“No, my liege.”
This time when she kissed him, he kissed her back, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her roughly toward him. Blood roared in my ears, and my eyes grew hot. I looked away, unable to watch him with her, unable to bear the twist of the knife in my chest. Finally, she pulled away, gazing up at him in triumph.
She walked over to the wall and unhooked a barbed whip. It unfurled with a crack, and the tiny barbs on it were suddenly visible. Oh, God. Heck no.
She strolled back to Azren. “Turn around and take off your shirt.”
He did as instructed and his shirt melted away at will. She reached out and ran a hand across his shoulders and down his spine. His muscles shifted beneath her fingers and my stomach roiled. There was intimacy in that touch, ownership. The manner in which she trailed her fingers over his skin, pausing here and there to watch the play of sinew, spoke of familiarity. Valance had said Azren was her pet, but it now made sense what kind of pet he was. My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms. She stepped back and raised her arm, ready to bring the whip down.
They’d warned me to remain unmoved. To not react, but there was no stalling my heart, no stopping the instinctive cry that erupted from my lips.
“No!” The word was an explosion.
She froze.
Azren was a statue. Shoulders so still, it was obvious he was holding his breath.
