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I arch into him, playing my part even as my stomach churns. "What if someone comes?" I ask breathlessly, making it sound like excitement rather than dread.
"Let them watch." His tongue traces my collarbone as his hands grow more insistent. "Let them see that you're mine."
His fingers find bare skin where my dress parts at my thigh, sliding upward with clear intent. I press my palms against his chest, not pushing him away—never that—but guiding him to a stone bench mostly hidden by towering plants with purple fronds.
"Why not here?" I suggest, my voice a practiced purr. "So you can watch my face while I pleasure you."
His eyes darken with lust. "Always so eager to please."
"Only for you, Captain." The lie tastes bitter, but I coat it in honey and let it fall from my lips.
He sits heavily on the bench, pulling me onto his lap so I straddle him. His hands immediately push my dress higher, exposing me to the cool night air. I suppress a shiver that has nothing to do with the temperature.
"I should fuck you right here," he growls, gripping my hips so tightly I know there will be bruises tomorrow. "Make you scream loud enough for the whole palace to hear."
I roll my hips against him, feeling his arousal. "I wouldn't be able to stay quiet anyway."
His laugh is dark as one hand tangles in my hair, yanking my head back to expose my throat. "That's what I like about you, human. Always so?—"
"Captain Drez'kor." A sharp voice cuts through our moment.
I feel his body tense beneath me, his grip tightening painfully in my hair before he releases me. Relief floods through me so intensely I nearly sag against him.
"What?" he snaps, not bothering to adjust my clothing or his own posture.
A demon guard stands at attention a respectful distance away, his eyes carefully averted from my exposed state. I casually tug my dress down, grateful for the interruption even as I maintain my mask of disappointment.
"Urgent message, sir. Commander Vex'thal requests your immediate presence."
The captain curses, shoving me off his lap with enough force that I stumble. I catch myself against the bench, quickly straightening my dress with fingers that tremble slightly with relief.
"This better be important," Drez'kor snarls, adjusting his clothing. He turns to me, grabbing my chin roughly. "Wait in my chambers. Be ready when I return."
"Of course." I lower my eyes submissively. "I'll make sure everything is to your liking."
He grunts, releasing me with a little push before stalking after the messenger. I watch him go, maintaining my posture of eager anticipation until he disappears around the curve of the path.
Only then do I allow myself a single, shuddering breath, my shoulders sagging as the tension drains from my body. The reprieve is temporary—he'll return eventually, probably angrier and more demanding for having been interrupted—but for now, I'm alone.
5
TRINITY
Iwait until Drez'kor's footsteps fade completely before allowing my false smile to crumble. My fingers trace the tender spots on my hips where his grip will leave marks by morning. The garden's beauty feels tainted now, every glowing flower and twisted branch a witness to my degradation.
"Bastard," I whisper to the empty air, wrapping my arms around myself despite the mild evening. The midnight blue fabric feels like a costume now, another prop in this ongoing performance.
A twig snaps.
I whirl around, mask instantly back in place, lips automatically curving into the inviting smile the captain expects.
But it's not Drez'kor.
A tall figure emerges from the shadows between two luminous trees. Gray skin catching the soft glow of the flora around us, those unmistakable red-gold eyes with their vertical slits fixed on me with unsettling intensity.
My breath catches. Vael. The demon from Asmodeus's gathering days ago.
"Interesting performance," he says, his deep voice rumbling through the quiet garden. "Though the finale was interrupted."