Kingdom of Lust and Lies

Chapter Twenty Two

It felt right to be working as a healer again, even if she wasn't allowed to use magic. Alayna learned the soldiers injured on the battlefield that could be transported were brought to a building in the city for treatment. Xanth was firm about not allowing her to leave the castle, even with a guard. Instead, he gave her a room on the ground floor where she could treat the non-life-threatening injuries, which didn't require magic. Any potions or salves she needed for pain relief or fighting infections were locked away in a chest, the guard in possession of the only key. It was frustrating to be this limited, but she enjoyed the work far more than being in the kitchens.

She might have enjoyed it more if he didn't make her insert that damned fake cock every day.

There was no shortage of work. Every day brought fresh soldiers who needed a broken bone mended or a wound examined. If this many had minor injuries, Alayna couldn't imagine the number of major injuries the healers dealt with every day. Small wonder Madam Dolanus had been so eager for the help.

When Xanth finished with her that morning, Alayna bathed, took her aphrodisiac potion and inserted the cock as she was instructed. She donned a sturdy work dress, lacing it tightly around her breasts, and pulled her hair back. Once she was ready, she knocked once on the door. Alayna frowned when it opened to reveal Vaughn. Xanth didn't send one of the twins to guard her often, but it was always disconcerting to feel their hungry eyes on her through the day. She hated both of them, but Vaughn the most. Both for what he did to Beckett, Coen and Gryff in the dungeon, but also because Vaughn seemed to delight in fucking her ass as hard as he possibly could. Given the size of his muscles, it was quite hard.

Instead of acknowledging him, she swept out the door, leaving him to follow. She followed the now-familiar path down the stairs, the cock inside her a mild annoyance even as it sent little waves of pleasure through her body. Servants nodded at her as she passed, most of them giving Vaughn a wide berth. She stopped outside her little designated room, surprised to find the door already open.

Even more surprising was the fact Bast was sitting on her examination table.

His hard eyes swept her body as she stepped inside the room. "You've a bit more clothes on since the last time I saw you."

Heat filled her cheeks as she remembered the night Xanth took her while she was suspended from the ceiling, Bast watching her like a hungry wolf. Exactly like he was watching her right now. Alayna tamped down her disappointment. If Bast was here, that meant Beckett had gone back to the fighting. She only rarely saw him on guard duty around the castle and they never dared exchange so much as a glance, but knowing it was near was a comfort.

"Yes, well. It might prove distracting to the patients if I didn't." She began checking her supplies, ensuring everything was well-stocked.

"I prefer you naked and moaning."

Her lips drew into a thin line, the only outward indication that his words bothered her. She cleaned her hands in a basin of water, the strong smell of the soap filling the air. "You have an injury that needs seen to, I take it?"

"Aye. It's swollen and hurts something terrible. I think your gentle hands are just the thing to ease it."

She turned to find him rubbing the front of his breeches. Behind her, Vaughn huffed a laugh. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'll remind you that I'm here to treat injured soldiers. If you have no injury or illness, you may go."

"I'll remember that haughty tone you just took with me in the future. You'll wish you hadn't." He pulled his shirt up, revealing a crooked, bleeding gash in his side. "It's here."

"Remove your shirt, please."

"You first."

She gave him an arch look. He finally relented, though he had to unbuckle his sword belt. It clanked noisily as he dropped it on the floor. She eyed the dagger that slipped halfway out of its sheath. Gods, if she could just get her hands on that without Vaughn seeing her. Bast pulled the shirt over his head, revealing a muscled chest littered with scars. Alayna bent close to examine the wound.

"This looks like it was done with a sword."

"Never seen a sword wound from a war?"

"Not in this one. Most of the injuries I see are from fangs and claws."

"Things get muddled in the heat of battle. Accidents happen."

She pressed her fingers against the edges of the wound. He didn't so much as flinch as she prodded at it as gently as she could, pleased to find no unnatural heat at the edges.

"I asked him for you, you know. Every time I come back." She continued her examination, ignoring him. "He hasn't granted my request yet, but he will. I'll make you scream for me like you did for him."

Alayna straightened and turned to the bottles and jars lining one wall, careful to keep her face impassive. It was common that men in pain would try to say shocking things, especially to their healer. She suspected it had something to do with them feeling vulnerable and needing to protect themselves in some way. She selected a bottle that would flush and clean the wound and turned back.

He moved fast as she approached him. He snaked one arm around her waist and thrust his knee between her thighs, grinding it hard against her pussy. The action drove the fake cock deeper inside her, making her gasp.

A knowing smirk curved his lips. "So he's got you wearing that thing? What say you take that out and I'll give you the real thing?"

"No touching!" Vaughn yelled, taking a menacing step forward.

Bast released her, holding his hands up, palms out. "We could take her together, you know. You on one end, me on the other. No one would disturb us."

Alayna retreated, taking a moment to right her dress and her composure. She turned to look at Vaughn, her shoulders tensing when she saw the contemplative look in his eyes.

"Master Xanth says no."

"And you do everything Master Xanth says, don't you?"

"Yes."

Bast scoffed. "Very well, then. Get on with it, woman, I've places to be."

Her face an expressionless mask, Alayna went back to work tending to his wound, though she was very aware of every movement he made. He continued trying to get a reaction out of her, telling her all the things he was going to do to her when Xanth finally granted his request. Alayna blocked him out.

She was halfway through stitching his wound when he said, "You ought be nicer to me. I know all about that lordling you're so fond of, the one Xanth convinced to work for him. He's a damn good fighter, but accidents can happen any time."

She didn't think, didn't stop to reason out her actions. Alayna plunged two fingers inside his gaping wound, digging them in deep. Bast's roar of pain filled the small room.

"Listen to me very carefully," she said calmly. "I don't care how long it takes, one day you'll find yourself on my table again. If anything, and I do mean anything, happens to him, you'll find yourself a victim of your own accident, no matter how minor the wound."

While he twisted in pain, Alayna used the toe of her boot to slide the dagger the dagger the rest of the way out of its sheath and under the table.

"Little bitch!" He lifted a hand to strike her.

Another menacing step forward from Vaughn had him lowering his hand, expression twisted in pain and fury. She removed her fingers from his wound and turned to the wash basin, cleaning his blood from her hands.

"You'll regret that, you stupid whore. Get over here and finish stitching me."

"Stitch it yourself," Alayna said as she lathered soap on her hands. "We're finished here."

She didn't turn as he slid off the table, confident that Vaughn would carry out his master's orders that no harm would come to her. She could hear him picking up his shirt and sword belt over his low grumbling. Alayna didn't dare look to see if he spotted the dagger under the table.

She didn't know if Xanth would side with his precious pet or his valuable commander, but she would tell him what happened here today. How he'd touched her without permission and the threats he made, both against her and Beckett. Perhaps it would delay Bast's request to have her.

Once he was gone and her hands were clean, she turned to Vaughn. "Will you ask one of the servants to fetch clean water- "

A flurry of activity interrupted her. She looked to the door, half expecting Bast to come storming back in. Instead, four guards supporting a litter squeezed into the room, carefully placing their load on the examination table.

"What's this?" She tried to peer around them to see the wounded soldier on the litter.

A healer she'd never seen before stepped inside, lugging a heavy-looking chest. "M'lady, pardon the interruption. Master Xanth said you may want to tend to this one yourself."

She pushed past one of the soldiers to get a better look at the man, heart leaping into her throat when she realized it was Coen lying there, his face drawn and pale.

"What happened to him?" Most of his clothing had been cut away, replaced by a layer of bandages along his left side.

"One of those damn war machines exploded," the healer said as she hefted the chest onto the side table. "He's stable, but the bandages need to be soaked and changed to prevent infection and minimize scarring."

Coen had once joked that he was such a good fighter in the pits because he didn't want a bunch of scars marring his beautiful body. Once he was secured on the table, the soldiers filed out to make space in the small room.

"Is anything to be done about the scarring?" It was such a stupid question, such a trivial concern, but the idea of Coen being permanently marked because he'd come to save her twisted her stomach.

"Master Xanth ordered Madam Dolanus herself to see to any scarring once he's healed. He has... ah, plans for him, I believe."

That twisting sensation intensified. Whatever Xanth had planned for him couldn't be good.

The healer began unpacking rolls of bandages from the chest, as well as jars of liquid. Alayna moved to Coen's side, tenderly stroking his rich brown hair from his drawn face. Gods, what pain he must have been in before the healers got to him. And what of Beckett? Had he been nearby when the machine exploded?

"Is he a friend?"

She looked away from Coen to the healer. "Yes. A very dear one."

The woman reached out and gently squeezed her arm. "He'll be just fine. The field healers tended to him well. And he looks the tough sort."

"He is." Alayna smiled.

"I'll leave you to it. Send a servant if you need more bandages."

Alayna nodded and the woman left, closing the door behind her. She set to work immediately, her thoughts only on alleviating his pain and watching for any signs of fever. The hours dragged on, Vaughn a silent but menacing presence behind her.

Late into the afternoon, Coen began to stir. She sat by his side, dabbing the bandages with cool water. "Shh, it's all right. You're safe."

"Alayna." His voice came out raspy and strained. She tipped a water skin to his lips, and he drank gratefully.

She studied his face, looking for any signs of pain. The dazed look in his eyes told her he was firmly under the influence of the pain relief potion.

"Get you out."

She tensed, very aware that Vaughn was listening to their every word. "Yes, you'll get out soon, I promise. Just as soon as the bandages come off. They'll even tend to your scarring- "

"No." He gripped her hand firmly. "Get you out. Garreth in the forest. Gryff talks to him. A plan- "

"Sh." She placed a finger over his lips. Garreth, the mysterious archer with more than a hint of magic about him, hadn't been with the three when they were captured. If he somehow were in the Greenfrost and Gryff was communicating with him, Vaughn would take that information straight to Xanth. "Don't try to talk. You need rest."

He settled down a little, his eyes going heavy-lidded. "We'll kill him for you."

She turned to look over her shoulder at Vaughn, his eyes narrowed on the two of them. He pushed his large frame off the wall he'd been leaning against.

"He doesn't know what he's saying. He's delirious- "

"Need to talk to Master Xanth." He started for the door.

Many thoughts ran through Alayna's head in a short amount of time. Vaughn couldn't be allowed to leave this room, not with what he'd just heard. Xanth would kill all three of them, then send someone after Garreth.

As Vaughn stepped toward the door, Alayna did the only thing she could do. She reached for the dagger hidden beneath the table.

All her years of training, of studying human anatomy, played through her mind as she stared at his exposed back. He never turned around, deeming her not a threat.

He was wrong. Healers also made some of the best killers.

Alayna's eyes fixed on the back of his head, right where his skull met his spine. She would only get one chance at this, one chance at silencing him forever. 

As he neared the door, she came up being him. Alayna held the dagger at an angle in one hand so it wouldn't get caught on bone. She called to mind the things he likely did to her friends in the dungeon, the pain he put them through, the things he certainly did to her. She put all of that rage into the force with which she slammed the blade into the back of his neck, using the heel of her free hand to drive it deeper, then yanked in a downward motion with both hands.

He never had a chance to make a sound as his big body tilted forward, knocking over the chest with the bandages and jars. It hit the floor a second before he did, clanging loudly on the stone floor. Expressionless, Alayna watched the life fade from his eyes.

She left the blade where it was, lodged deeply in his neck, and stepped over him, out into the hallway. She made it all of ten steps before running into a cluster of soldiers.

"Call your master. Tell him I've killed one of his lackeys."

They gaped at her, clearly confused. She motioned to the open doorway, where Vaughn's body was partially visible. Curses followed soon after, then a shuffling foot as two of them seized her arms while the third took off down the hallway at a sprint. Xanth appeared much faster than she thought, his long stride eating up the distance between them.

His hands clenched at his sides, as if he were struggling with the urge to strike her. Soldiers moved past them, into the room. One of them confirmed Vaughn was dead.

He spoke through clenched teeth, his eyes never leaving hers. "Take her to her room and lock her in."

Two soldiers grabbed her, escorting her brusquely down the hall. Alayna didn't try to fight the little smirk forming at her lips.

Damn his consequences. Would he kill her? No, he'd taken every opportunity to tell her how valuable she was to him. Would he kill her friends? Also no. Not when Beckett and Coen were winning victories for him in war, not when Gryff did such a good job keeping the monster population in the Greenfrost under control. Strap her to the machine? Inflict further sexual torment on her? Been there.

She could handle whatever he did and would come out stronger for it.