Page 165 of Insolence
Is our bond the goddess’s price for my life? Does she perhaps have plans for me yet?
Tiss slumps against me, none the wiser to the ordeal her passion just put me through. “I love you so much, El.”
Finally,finallycontent, her fingers twirl in my hair. I’m damn near completely drained. Bone-weary. And somehow still alive by a fraying thread.
“Elodie,” I correct softly. Lift a hand that feels like a brick to cup her hip. “I love you too, sweetheart. More than I ever thought possible.”
Chapter 47
Itissa
Morday, the 12th of Emberglow
Approximately 1.5 Months Ago
When we were together, we had a rule we adhered to as if it was sacred text: we never discussed the details of my marital bed.
“When we’re together, Itissa, you belong to me and me alone.”
Elodie wheezed. “Youwhat?”
“You heard me perfectly well. He’s dead, priestess.”
My hand fell, landing on the tabletop with a dullthud. She slumped back in her chair.
A vague thrill ran up my spine as her gaze laid me bare. “For fuck’s sake, Tiss.”
“What?” I shrugged. “I promise I didn’t do it on purpose.”
A dark chuckle fell out of her. “You don’t seem all that sorry about it.”
“That’s because I’mnot. If I could go back and do it over again, I wouldn’t change a damn thing. And please. Don’t be so above it all and pretend that you’re not angry I beat you to it. I know you’reseething.”
“I’m not angry. Certainly not ‘seething.’”
“Annoyed, then. But if you knew what it was like having to spread my legs for that bastard week after week, year after year, you wouldn’t be so shocked. If you knew how it felt smothering beneath him, his hot breath in my ear…” I gagged as memories surfaced, my hand going to my mouth. “The vulgarities he whispered like they were honeyed words. Gods, I hated that man.” With bile burning the back of my throat, I met her eyes and said, “It was an accident, but hedeservedwhat he got.”
Intent on using me as an incubator for his unborn heirs, Illiam cared nothing for my pleasure, taking only what he wanted—by force if necessary. Heirs I failed to conceive after long years of trying. And rather than risk exposing myself, I simply had to let him have his way.
Elodie’s face contorted with rage. “All right,” she growled. “NowI’m fucking angry.”
I reached across the table to squeeze her hands. “Over the past few years, I grew convinced that my failure to conceive was rooted in my preoccupation with staying submissive. Always giving over to his control.” I scoffed. “I was socarefulnever to overpower him or show any type of emotion. I kept myself under such tight control that I was never able to just…letgo.So I finally said, ‘Fuck it, I’ve got nothing to lose,’ and got on top.”
“But you still had your wards up.”
“Of course.” I released her hands to lean back in my chair. “For all the good it did. I even fed beforehand, believe it or not, just to be safe.”
“Oh?” A cunning look flashed in her eyes, one corner of her mouth twitching in a way that might be imperceptible to anybody else. “So your, ah… littlearrangementis still working out then?”
“You don’t need to be so smug about it.” I couldn’t blame her, though. After all, it was Elodie who suggested hiring a pair of girls from Spurnwater Academy after Illiam and I were wed.
As a demun myself—and Spurnwater girls are all Vampires—we were able to feed off each other with no ill effects. Not carelessly or excessively. The risk of getting caught by other staff was too great. But if I needed something to tide me over until I could see Elodie again…
“After all of that, I still don’t believe I’m pregnant.” I plucked at the front of my rumpled blouse. “Not that it matters one iota now.”
“How can you know that?” Elodie’s eyes flicked to my midsection. “I’m assuming this happened… recently.”
“Oh, I’m fairly certain.” I hesitated, gazing at her fingers laced together on the tabletop, her perfect oval nails trimmed tidily to the quick and buffed to a sheen. “I mean, never saynever, but he didn’t… you know…finish. And I did. For the first time with him. Ever.”
