wardrobe unlocked and pulled them open.
What he found was clothing. A lot of it. Rich fabrics, top to bottom, inside and out, everything he could need and amazingly all in his size. Clearly, Hanna had gone to great trouble to be prepared for him. Vejhon shut the doors and turned his back on the finery. Oh, he’d need it eventually if he was going to get out of there, but at the moment he didn’t feel like dressing up for the bitch like some pretty, well-behaved doll.
Like Najir. The clothes were similar to what he’d seen on the other slave.
Man. Other man. Vejhon was no slave and refused to refer to himself that way. She said it was inevitable and that he’d have to accept it? Well, fine. Let the inevitable find him. He wasn’t going to make it easy. So he decided to head over to the bed and, after pulling everything back and inspecting it sternly, he chose to lie down. Or to be more honest, his body decided for him. Between his draining ordeal and the drawing heat of his bath, he was asleep before his head hit the pillows.
“Good morning, Master Drakoulous.”
Hanna drew to a halt and turned with perfect poise and posture to face her greeter. She felt Najir come to a stop behind her, the tension rippling through his body a force of energy she could almost taste. However, she trusted Najir not to show any outward signs of his hostile emotions as the Baron of Majum House approached them.
“Good morning, Baron,” she returned, smiling pleasantly as she exchanged politeness with the enemy of her House. The Feuds were ended, and she would obey the law, but she knew Majum would not. The man had murdered her parents and countless others. He had a taste for it and a talent for it and people like that didn’t just stop. Neither did they let go of lifelong grudges and feelings of vendetta.
“How do you find your new toy, my dear? I must say, I hope he was worth the bid. As envious as I am, no mere flesh is worth such a price.” The Baron walked up so that he was close enough for her senses to absorb the smaller details about him. It might not deceive her, but it always amazed her that such handsomeness and appearance of refinement could be grown over so foul a soil.
“Oh, he was worth the price,” she assured him, meeting his dark eyes with all her honest pleasure pouring out of her. “He was worth the price and so much more. Najir has been amply rewarded for his keen eye and quick bidding on my behalf.”
“I’ll bet he was,” the Baron said, his air unsuccessful in hiding his sudden stiffening. “Perhaps now that you have a new confection, you will consider selling the old. He’s getting a bit long in years, isn’t he?”
“Najir?” She laughed as though it were the most ridiculous concept on the planet. “Najir is as fit and fine as the day I bought him.”
“Out from under me as well, if I recall,” he said with a chuckle that sounded as forced as it was.
“The perils of an open auction I am afraid, Baron,” was her sweetly polite reply. “No, Baron, Najir will make a fine match to the new slave. I plan them to be the finest pair of studs ever seen, the envy of every woman in High City.”
The Baron’s false smile faded as he stepped a little closer and lowered his voice for her ears alone. “Tell me, Hanna, why do you persist in baiting me? You know I will find a way to wound you.” He raised his voice again. “I am curious why I have not seen your brother Kaino around in so many months. He is sorely missed at all the clubs.”
Hanna felt the strike go through her chest, her heart pounding hard from the pain of it as she narrowed eyes on the Baron. She wondered if he realized how very hard she resisted the instinctual urge she had to rip his throat out. The Baron knew very well that Kaino had gone off on a journey to “find himself.” The idea had been that he would travel the world and see how others lived and thrived. Other cultures had always fascinated him. However, despite
What he found was clothing. A lot of it. Rich fabrics, top to bottom, inside and out, everything he could need and amazingly all in his size. Clearly, Hanna had gone to great trouble to be prepared for him. Vejhon shut the doors and turned his back on the finery. Oh, he’d need it eventually if he was going to get out of there, but at the moment he didn’t feel like dressing up for the bitch like some pretty, well-behaved doll.
Like Najir. The clothes were similar to what he’d seen on the other slave.
Man. Other man. Vejhon was no slave and refused to refer to himself that way. She said it was inevitable and that he’d have to accept it? Well, fine. Let the inevitable find him. He wasn’t going to make it easy. So he decided to head over to the bed and, after pulling everything back and inspecting it sternly, he chose to lie down. Or to be more honest, his body decided for him. Between his draining ordeal and the drawing heat of his bath, he was asleep before his head hit the pillows.
“Good morning, Master Drakoulous.”
Hanna drew to a halt and turned with perfect poise and posture to face her greeter. She felt Najir come to a stop behind her, the tension rippling through his body a force of energy she could almost taste. However, she trusted Najir not to show any outward signs of his hostile emotions as the Baron of Majum House approached them.
“Good morning, Baron,” she returned, smiling pleasantly as she exchanged politeness with the enemy of her House. The Feuds were ended, and she would obey the law, but she knew Majum would not. The man had murdered her parents and countless others. He had a taste for it and a talent for it and people like that didn’t just stop. Neither did they let go of lifelong grudges and feelings of vendetta.
“How do you find your new toy, my dear? I must say, I hope he was worth the bid. As envious as I am, no mere flesh is worth such a price.” The Baron walked up so that he was close enough for her senses to absorb the smaller details about him. It might not deceive her, but it always amazed her that such handsomeness and appearance of refinement could be grown over so foul a soil.
“Oh, he was worth the price,” she assured him, meeting his dark eyes with all her honest pleasure pouring out of her. “He was worth the price and so much more. Najir has been amply rewarded for his keen eye and quick bidding on my behalf.”
“I’ll bet he was,” the Baron said, his air unsuccessful in hiding his sudden stiffening. “Perhaps now that you have a new confection, you will consider selling the old. He’s getting a bit long in years, isn’t he?”
“Najir?” She laughed as though it were the most ridiculous concept on the planet. “Najir is as fit and fine as the day I bought him.”
“Out from under me as well, if I recall,” he said with a chuckle that sounded as forced as it was.
“The perils of an open auction I am afraid, Baron,” was her sweetly polite reply. “No, Baron, Najir will make a fine match to the new slave. I plan them to be the finest pair of studs ever seen, the envy of every woman in High City.”
The Baron’s false smile faded as he stepped a little closer and lowered his voice for her ears alone. “Tell me, Hanna, why do you persist in baiting me? You know I will find a way to wound you.” He raised his voice again. “I am curious why I have not seen your brother Kaino around in so many months. He is sorely missed at all the clubs.”
Hanna felt the strike go through her chest, her heart pounding hard from the pain of it as she narrowed eyes on the Baron. She wondered if he realized how very hard she resisted the instinctual urge she had to rip his throat out. The Baron knew very well that Kaino had gone off on a journey to “find himself.” The idea had been that he would travel the world and see how others lived and thrived. Other cultures had always fascinated him. However, despite
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