eyes and released a pent up breath. It had been a long second day in the three-day Rite of the Phoenix, a day she looked forward to only slightly less than the third and final day. Today, she had pushed the males almost beyond their endurance. She was surprised they hadn’t decided to withdraw their application.
The Phoenix Cycle would be much worse.
As she prepared to leave the chamber, Wan’er came forth with a nonplussed expression.
“My lady,” her handmaiden said haltingly, “it appears you have one final applicant.”
“What?” Rain responded reflexively. She heard her handmaiden perfectly well, but the words didn’t make a lick of sense.
Wan’er shifted a bit nervously, as if indecisive about how to break some bad news. “Your final applicant is waiting in the antechamber.” She bit her lower lip and blurted, “It is my lord Valerius.”
Rain’s eyebrows shot up in shock. Surely she had not heard correctly.
“Shall I show him in and prepare him for the test?” Wan’er asked tentatively, uncertain of her lady’s mood.
Without answering her handmaiden, Rain marched angrily to the antechamber and threw apart the double doors.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded of the warrior leaning against the back wall. She braced herself against the welcome sight of him in full health. She’d been on tender hooks all the previous day, wondering whether she’d been able to heal him completely, whether she should have checked on him. She could barely concentrate on the first day’s tests, she’d been so distracted. But now that he appeared fully recovered, her anger overrode all concern.
He straightened from the wall and stood tall and alert before her. “Applying to Serve you, Healer.”
“I will not allow it,” Rain retorted immediately. “We have had this conversation and that was my final word.”
“I don’t believe you can disallow an application,” Valerius said quietly, slowly, as if giving her time for the words to sink in. “I can fail the tests, but I have every right to apply.”
“Well, you are disqualified,” Rain pushed back. “You missed the first day of the Rite. That is an automatic fail.”
Wan’er cleared her throat behind her, interjecting awkwardly, “Actually, my lady, the Protector does not need to attend the first day since he is one of the Elite and, therefore, already proven in his strength and vitality.”
Rain turned toward her traitorous handmaiden with a sharp glare.
Wan’er bowed her head at the force of Rain’s displeasure, but did not back down. “Shall I prepare him for the test?” she repeated the offer, all but taking the decision out of Rain’s hands.
Rain turned back toward the warrior with narrowed eyes. “You will fail,” she assured him ominously. Then, as if she couldn’t bear to be in their presence a moment longer, she spun on her heel and retreated to the inner chamber to await Wan’er’s preparations.
The handmaiden sighed exhaustedly and led Valerius to the Rite Enclosure.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she muttered as she closed the double doors behind them.
Ten minutes later, Valerius stood with legs spread wide, all but nude, save a thin towel that Wan’er had given him to wrap around his waist, between two thick steel poles that extended from the floor, his hands cuffed to the handle bars on top of the poles, his ankles secured to the bottom. Thus restrained, he awaited alone in the silence and dimness of the Rite Enclosure for the Healer to begin her trials.
Valerius closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
He’d promised himself a long, long time ago that he would never let himself be tied down, never be vulnerable and helpless again. Yet here he was. Exposed. Powerless. At the mercy of someone else.
The only saving grace was that in this instance, he chose his fate. He chose to be here, to submit himself to Rain.
He did not know what the trials involved, but he was certain he could pass any test for pain and
The Phoenix Cycle would be much worse.
As she prepared to leave the chamber, Wan’er came forth with a nonplussed expression.
“My lady,” her handmaiden said haltingly, “it appears you have one final applicant.”
“What?” Rain responded reflexively. She heard her handmaiden perfectly well, but the words didn’t make a lick of sense.
Wan’er shifted a bit nervously, as if indecisive about how to break some bad news. “Your final applicant is waiting in the antechamber.” She bit her lower lip and blurted, “It is my lord Valerius.”
Rain’s eyebrows shot up in shock. Surely she had not heard correctly.
“Shall I show him in and prepare him for the test?” Wan’er asked tentatively, uncertain of her lady’s mood.
Without answering her handmaiden, Rain marched angrily to the antechamber and threw apart the double doors.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded of the warrior leaning against the back wall. She braced herself against the welcome sight of him in full health. She’d been on tender hooks all the previous day, wondering whether she’d been able to heal him completely, whether she should have checked on him. She could barely concentrate on the first day’s tests, she’d been so distracted. But now that he appeared fully recovered, her anger overrode all concern.
He straightened from the wall and stood tall and alert before her. “Applying to Serve you, Healer.”
“I will not allow it,” Rain retorted immediately. “We have had this conversation and that was my final word.”
“I don’t believe you can disallow an application,” Valerius said quietly, slowly, as if giving her time for the words to sink in. “I can fail the tests, but I have every right to apply.”
“Well, you are disqualified,” Rain pushed back. “You missed the first day of the Rite. That is an automatic fail.”
Wan’er cleared her throat behind her, interjecting awkwardly, “Actually, my lady, the Protector does not need to attend the first day since he is one of the Elite and, therefore, already proven in his strength and vitality.”
Rain turned toward her traitorous handmaiden with a sharp glare.
Wan’er bowed her head at the force of Rain’s displeasure, but did not back down. “Shall I prepare him for the test?” she repeated the offer, all but taking the decision out of Rain’s hands.
Rain turned back toward the warrior with narrowed eyes. “You will fail,” she assured him ominously. Then, as if she couldn’t bear to be in their presence a moment longer, she spun on her heel and retreated to the inner chamber to await Wan’er’s preparations.
The handmaiden sighed exhaustedly and led Valerius to the Rite Enclosure.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she muttered as she closed the double doors behind them.
Ten minutes later, Valerius stood with legs spread wide, all but nude, save a thin towel that Wan’er had given him to wrap around his waist, between two thick steel poles that extended from the floor, his hands cuffed to the handle bars on top of the poles, his ankles secured to the bottom. Thus restrained, he awaited alone in the silence and dimness of the Rite Enclosure for the Healer to begin her trials.
Valerius closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
He’d promised himself a long, long time ago that he would never let himself be tied down, never be vulnerable and helpless again. Yet here he was. Exposed. Powerless. At the mercy of someone else.
The only saving grace was that in this instance, he chose his fate. He chose to be here, to submit himself to Rain.
He did not know what the trials involved, but he was certain he could pass any test for pain and
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