Deceptive Lord (Lords of Bondage) (18 page)

Eden was drilled for over two hours.
Most of those questions had already been asked by Drest and she provided the same answers to the druid as she had to him.
She was exhausted by the time Ninian indicated they were done.
She thought of her companion that had been taken
during the ambush.
“Tell me about Miss Portia Fairley.
Is she alright?”

He spoke softly.
“She is unharmed.”

He refused to provide any further information to her about Portia.
She knew her efforts would be fruitless, but she decided to try to gain some information about her situation.
“When can I go home?
I’ve told you everything I know.
I erred when I asked to come here.
I wish I could take it back and just go home again.”

“You cannot go home.
I’m sorry,” Ninian said.

She wasn’t surprised to get the same answer, but it still troubled her.
“Why not?”

“You know too much about us.”

She didn’t like that answer.
“What will they do with me?”

“You will
stay where you are for now.”
He looked around the room.
“When do you expect Drest to return?”

She told him that she didn’t know when he would come home.
He told her that he preferred to wait at the lodge for him to return.
She wondered why he didn’t just pop out and back in like the others did; his waiting at the lodge was making her suspicious and worried.
She had no idea whether she had passed his little test.
It felt awkward being in the same room with this druid, but at least he didn’t look at her in any kind of lecherous manner.

Drest returned two hours later.
They shared a supper with Ninian,
then
the druid indicated that he wished to speak privately with Drest.
Eden sat anxiously in the den while the two males departed to Drest’s bedchamber.

***

“What did you discover?” Drest asked.
The druid had special abilities and was able to discern whether a person was telling the truth or lying.

Ninian shared the results of his interview.
“I detected no signs of deceit.
She appears to be telling the truth; however, I cannot rule out the possibility that her memories have been manipulated by another.
It is also possible that she has been
programmed; she wouldn’t even be aware of it if she was being used in that manner.
One of our enemies could be using her as a spy.
She could still be a security risk.
I’m recommending that she stay here for further observation.”

“Is there a way to determine whether she has any programming or false memories?”

“I’ll have to speak with some of my colleagues and see if anyone knows of any druids with such skill.
I will also have to make my report to the
King
.
I believe Bran is requesting access to the prisoner.”

Drest knew that t
here could be no good cause for Bran’s involvement.
“For what reason?”

“He wants what you have already tasted.
”

There was no way that he was going to allow Bran anywhere near Eden.
“Hell no.”

Ninian nodded in agreement.
“
She poses too much of a security risk to place her at the Donovan Stronghold, so his request has been denied.”

Bran would have to find another female
if he
was needing
a fuck buddy
.
“She’s a prisoner being held for questioning.
We’ll not get any useful information out of her if she’s being abused.
She’s too fragile.
I also told her that she would not be used
for sexual reasons
.”

“You shouldn’t have told her that; it’s not a promise you can keep.”

Drest looked at him sharply, catching his meaning.
Deep down, he knew that the
chances of a young attractive female being left untouched at Ravenwood was
zilch.
Even if he was able to keep his hands off of her while she stayed at his lodge, he could do nothing to protect her after she left it.
Eventually, the
King
’s family would get their way and place her at the stronghold as a bed slave.

***

Portia Fairley surveyed her new prison cell.
She had been taken from the Donovan stronghold to a fortress manned by druids.
She had been given a comfortable bedchamber for
her use, but she was well aware that she was not a guest.
She would not be allowed to leave and there were guards outside her door.
She wasn’t sure what the druids planned to do with her, although she had heard them referring to her as the sacrificial virgin.
That could not be good.
Some time later, there was a knock at her door and one of the druids entered.
It was Ninian Byrne; she had met him earlier and he seemed to be in charge.

“You will be assisting us
with certain tasks,” he said.

“You plan to sacrifice me, to kill me?

He looked at her calmly.
“You will not be harmed.
However, you must do as we ask.”

She studied his face, but he revealed none of his thoughts.
“Will you release me afterward?”

His eyes touched upon the slave collar around her neck.
“Slaves never leave Asstrumnia.
You will serve us with complete obedience.
You will follow me.”

She followed him down several hallways and eventually came to a large inner chamber.
Inside, there was a
hybrid
female lying on a low table.
She was naked except for a long sheet that was tied around her waist.
There was clearly something under the sheet, as there was a noticeable hump underneath the cloth between her legs.
There was a male standing at the table who
watched
the hybrid female
with
an intent, serious expression.
He was clothed in a hooded robe that obscured much of his face.
He
appeared stiff and formal; he
did not appear affected
much
by her nakedness.
There was another male in the room who was similarly dressed.
He approached them
and lowered his hood, revealing a strikingly perfect visage.
His gray eyes lit with interest, making them glow a violet red color.

“I am Taran Brady.
You must be Portia.”

She nodded, temporarily stunned
by his masculine beauty.
“Are you a priest?”

“No.
I am the protégé of the Bloodletter.”

“Who is the Bloodletter?”

He gestured toward the male standing at the table.
“Ciaran Ward.
He is an expert at divination.
He can read signs and tell the future, that sort of thing.
He is performing a ritual right now.”

Ninian
said some words in greeting to Ciaran, but some of them were in a language Portia couldn’t understand.
He then gestured for her to follow him into the room.
As she neared the table, she wondered at the rapturous look on the female’s face.
When the lady on the table began to keen and moan, Portia began to suspect that the lady was in the throes of passion.

“The lady on the table is a druidess named Fiona
Kavanaugh,” Ninian said.

“What is wrong with her?”
Portia asked.

Taran smiled humorously.
“You cannot be that innocent, can you?
There is nothing wrong with the lady.
She is being pleasured.”

She looked again at that suspicious lump between Fiona’s legs.
“Is there a man under the sheet?”

“I’m not sure you would call him a man, but he is male.
His name is Peter.
There is a hole in the
middle of the
table, you see, and
Peter is able to fit his head and shoulders through it.”

“What is he doing to her?”

He laughed lightly.
“You will soon find out for yourself, but I will tell you now.
Peter is using his tongue to give her a little death.
Ciaran will watch the way she convulses and will read the signs as she comes.
This method is similar to one
that the druids have used for centuries, but in those days, the sacrifice was stabbed through the back and killed.
This new method was taught to us by the winged hybrids.
Instead of watching death throes, one watches for orgasmic jerks and movements.
It is less bloody and certainly more entertaining.”

She watched as the lady on the table calmed and stopped moving.
Moments later, Peter emerged from underneath the table and she was
shocked to see that the male was a winged hybrid.
Although larger than most human females, he was smaller than the other winged hybrids that she had seen on the road.
This one was not bald, but had long black hair.
His naked body was covered by elaborate tattoos.
As he stretched to his full height, his black wings with silver spots became more visible.
He sported a gigantic erection
that looked as if it could tear a human female apart.
Portia involuntarily took a few steps backward and sidled up close to Taran.
The winged hybrid noticed her and smiled smugly.

“Do not let me frighten you, young lady.
I apologize for my state.”
Peter gestured toward his genital region.
“It is a side effect of the job,
you see.
But I cannot complain, as I enjoy the taste.
Our kind feed off the nectar of females.”

“Thank you, Peter.”
Ninian gestured
toward a
female
standing near the entrance so she would know to
enter the room
.
“Allow the slave to tend to your needs.”

As the slave came closer, Portia was shocked to recognize her as the woman abducted by winged hybrids at the Eros Arena.
It was the governor’s woman and she was now serving as a slave in this place.
The glassy look in her eyes suggested that she had been entranced.
She took Peter’s arm and led him out of the room.
It was rather obvious how she would serve him.

The lady lying on the table stood and pulled on a robe to cover her nakedness.
She turned her eyes toward Portia.
“This must be my replacement, but I see that she is a human.”

“We needed a virgin and they are rather thin on the ground these days.”
Ninian
took Portia’s arm and guided her close to the table.
“This is Portia Fairley.
She is a Flourdan that was captured in an ambush.
She will serve in your place when she is ready.”

Portia could not imagine taking on that kind of task, even if she was a slave.
“Why must I take her place?”

“Fiona is to be mated soon, so she will no longer be able to participate in this ritual,” Ninian said.

“I cannot take her place.
I will not do it,” Portia said.

Ninian frowned.
“Make no mistake, you will do this.
Every time you refuse to do it, a person will be killed.
That is what will happen if we have to use the old method of human sacrifice.
You should also know that
if human sacrifices are used,
we will sacrifice captives of war; some of these are Flourdans.
It is really not so bad.
Your virginity will be preserved, which is more than what most slaves can hope for.
It is also a painless process.”

She shuddered at the thought of a winged alien’s face between her legs.
“I cannot let that thing touch me.”

“Peter will not be working on you directly.
His protégé will have the task of pleasuring you at the table.”

Her eyes widened and she glanced at Taran, as he was the one who had earlier claimed to be a protégé.
Taran smiled in answer and winked at her.
She let out a surprised yelp and looked away from him.
The other male removed his hood and approached her.

“I am Ciaran.”

She noted that he was nearly as handsome as Taran.
She felt mortified when she realized that she would be expected to lie about naked on the table while this male watched her orgasm.
She wondered what would happen to her if she failed to achieve
the proper response.
She was a virgin, after all, and she had been sheltered more than most
females.
She had spent most of her life in complete isolation from
males.
She had not had any
physical
experience with males, human or non-human.
“I cannot do this.”