Verboten Passion (Complete)

The Virgin

The truth to date was that there were very little limits to a high priestess of Raysha’s participation in festivities or sacred sex rituals. As it was Raysha, these things had even become expected of her priestess, to a degree. It was acceptable for her to drink and be merry, to smoke and enjoy it, to spread her love within the Celestial Order. Consistent birthing, servitude, and unquestioned obedience was a woman’s purpose, but as Raysha’s priestess, Quin was afforded privileges unavailable to women in her faith. She could say ‘no’ and abstain outside of ritual. She could make the decision of where and when outside of ritual. The ‘who’ was more limited.

Three young and determined women were deemed as acceptable choices to become the next high priestess of Raysha. They were each ‘blood in’, meaning they were born into the faith with both parents and all grandparents also born into the faith. They had exceptional intelligence and wit. They had exceptional beauty. They were each put through rigid testing of their religious knowledge, life of practice, and overall ability to communicate. Only the most wealthy and old of families could provide their daughters with the proper beauty rituals and education acceptable of a high priestess. Council members Angela and Gregory Bledell pushed their daughter to her limits.. to the brink of physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion with intense prayers that she would rise above her set role as a woman into a role of unwavering and unquestionable power so that she could control herself. “As I did,” Angela would say.

For this purpose, Quin’s faith in Raysha was cruelly tested. She could not have an ounce of doubt. Her senses were deprived to strengthen her will and starve her own desires. Her beauty was constantly judged for what could be improved. Whoever was the most beautiful had been determined the most graced, chosen by Raysha herself. Quin had to be flawless.

As a new high priestess at 18, Quin was taught by her own experiences to fear the loss of her position more than the loss of her life. If she were to fail in carrying out her duties, tragically lose her beauty, choose to have any sort of relations outside of the order, or lose the general respect of her people, she would be replaced and fall back into the role birth had bestowed. As a decade in the role passed, Quin’s biggest concern had been remaining sharp and beautiful to keep Raysha pleased and her congregation satisfied.

Quin was in dangerous territory kissing this white man.

“You don’t understand,” she breathed as he lifted her shirt for better access to her breasts to suck, favoring her right nipple. “I may be the priestess, but the council has rules,” she whispered, her hand on his heart to slow his intensity. His head popped back up.

“I’d take a god’s rules over a human council, wouldn’t you think?”

“I could lose everything.”

“Then you’d walk outside and get it back, look at you,” he gestured in admiration.

“You still don’t get it.. I CAN’T,” she stood to pace, smooth her hair, and get her priorities back on track.

He found her face in his hand bringing her in, nose to nose, his eyes piercing hers in hopes that she’d feel him past the words, “Hey,” he consoled, “Hey, I won’t tell a soul. No one will ever know if you don’t want them too, I swear on it.. Okay?” His fear was palpable despite his words. Quin shook her head from his hands in disbelief of the position she’d been placed in.

“Why did I have to like white boys,” she groaned looking at his pouting face. She grabbed his hands to pull him toward the stairs. She walked first alone to ensure the path was clear and he followed her up, looking back to ensure they weren’t seen. “Only the priestess, her attendant, and her guards are allowed at the top. It’s the most sacred area of the church.”