The Siege of Shadows: Book one

Let it Burn (48)*

The sounds of revelry echoed down the grand hall, the laughter of drunken nobles weaving through the thick, heady air of the Imbolc festival. The heat of too many bodies pressed together in the ballroom made the space feel suffocating, the wine flowing freely and the flickering light from the torches dancing on the stone walls like fireflies. My pulse thudded in my ears as Kael dragged me roughly through the crowd, his grip on my wrist unyielding, pulling me away from the safety of the noise, the masks of courtly grace, and the drunken laughter that only highlighted my shame.

Every step felt like a lash against my skin, his touch an unrelenting brand. My heart hammered in my chest as I replayed the scene at the feast, the public spectacle he'd made of me. His fingers had worked their way into me, the grapes—his own private fruit—pulled from my body, offered up for the whole court to witness. His mouth between my legs in front of everyone. I burned at the memory, at the taste of the grapes, at the way they'd spilled from me as though I were nothing more than a plaything for their amusement.

My chest twisted with a mess of emotions—anger, humiliation, confusion. I hated that I had no say in any of it. I hated that my body had betrayed me, responding to him, a dark ache blooming inside me. I wanted to scream, to rage at him, but the tight grip of his hand on my wrist held me in check. I couldn't say a word. I wouldn't be allowed to speak until we reached his room.

My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I wouldn't let them fall. Not in front of him. I wasn't weak. I wouldn't let him see how badly he'd hurt me.

We reached the door to Kael's chambers with the sound of the revelry still lingering in the distance, like a mockery of my own turmoil. He shoved the door open with a force that rattled the hinges, dragging me inside. His grip finally loosened, but his eyes—dark and cold—never left me.

"Quiet," he muttered, his voice low, the command carrying a weight that made my gut twist. His eyes flickered to the door, as if reminding me that there were ears everywhere. "Do you understand why I did it?"

I crossed my arms tightly across my chest, biting down the sharp retort that wanted to spill from my lips. "You didn't make a scene," I spat, my voice thick with anger and humiliation. "You made me a fucking spectacle."

Kael's expression darkened, but he didn't raise his voice. Instead, he stepped closer, his presence like a storm rolling in. "You defied me. In front of the entire court. And if I hadn't made you submit, the King would have. Do you think he would have spared you?" His voice dropped, turning cold. "What he would've done to you makes what I did seem merciful."

My stomach lurched, the weight of his words sinking in. I wanted to scream that he didn't get to control me like that, but the truth of what he said held me in place. I wasn't stupid. I knew the King. His punishments were cruel, far worse than anything Kael would ever do to me. I would be broken in ways I couldn't even imagine.

The silence between us stretched, thick and suffocating. My body burned with the urge to fight him, but I stood still, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I wouldn't give in. Not to him.

Kael took another step, closing the distance between us, his cold gaze never wavering. "You will remember your place when we're in public," he said, each word punctuated with a chilling finality. "Outside these walls, you will be silent. Obedient. Always ready to serve your master." His voice was ice, cutting through the air with a sharpness that made my teeth grind.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides, the words burning like acid in my chest. "I'm not your slave," I ground out, my voice low but unwavering.

Kael's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in that familiar way that made him look even more imposing. "No," he said, the word a bitter rasp. "But you'll act like the brainless, spineless little concubine you are outside these chambers." His tone turned darker, colder. "When we're in public, you will be silent. You will serve me. And if you defy me again..." His gaze hardened. "I'll punish you. You know that."