Page 2 of Kiss of Seduction (Court of Chains #1)

Evie knew he was lying by his tone and by his smile.

He was never this polite to people unless he was sure they wouldn’t live long enough to talk about it.

When Natalya seemed to believe him, Evie couldn’t help but feel pity for her, though it wasn’t much.

The Court of Chains had a bloody reputation. They weren’t exactly saints.

“However,” Varro said warmly. Evie cringed and looked down.

“It’s near dawn, and you have a long journey ahead of you.

Louisiana is far from Chicago, and I cannot guarantee your safety in my territory, especially not during these dark autumn days.

I insist you stay here while we take our rest. You’ll leave with an escort when night falls. ”

Natalya narrowed her eyes. “King Varro, I’m sure we will—”

“I insist ,” Varro said with a little more steel in his voice. To refuse him would risk angering him. It seemed Natalya didn’t want to take that chance.

“Very well. We’ll stay until last light.”

“Perfect.” Varro flashed a smile. It echoed on Stefano’s face as well as Natalya’s, though her entourage seemed less at ease.

“Oh, and I’ve been a terrible host,” Varro said. “I haven’t offered you anything to eat. Though I don’t know what your companions would prefer.”

“We don’t require anything,” Natalya said, but Varro ignored her. He turned to Dominic sitting behind him.

“Any suggestions, Mr. Fane? I trust a warlock’s opinion when it comes to satiating guests like these.”

Dominic’s eyes left Natalya for the first time since she’d entered the parlor, moving to the lineup of humans at one end of the room. His eyes stopped on Evie. He smiled, making Evie lower her head even more than she already was.

“For such esteemed guests, King, I suggest showing off your most delectable treasure,” Dominic said. His voice was weaselly, matching his demeanor. A coveting man. He’d requested Evie several times since he arrived at the estate a few weeks before. So far, Varro had always refused him.

“Excellent suggestion.” Varro gestured Evie over. “Evelyn! Come here, girl.”

Pushing down her fear and putting on the mask of Evelyn, the doting slave, Evie approached Varro.

“My King,” she said, kneeling by going on all fours and touching the floor with her forehead.

“Evelyn is a truly unique part of our collection. And she’s something to look at.” Varro gave Natalya as lethal a smile as she’d sent him earlier. Natalya stared at the King, completely ignoring Evie. She didn’t look pleased.

“Really, I don’t need—”

“Mr. Fane told me about your type ,” Varro said. Natalya’s hands clenched into fists at the interruption. “Sexual energy is the thing, yes? Evelyn is an expert at that. Dance, girl.”

Varro snapped his fingers, and Evie dutifully got to her feet. She went to the pole that had been set up for the entertainment as Widor’s Piano Quartet started playing. A favorite of Varro’s. She’d danced to it many times.

Slowly and sensually, as she knew Varro liked, she moved around the pole. She pressed against it, her skin clinging to the cold metal. She wore almost nothing, just a red thong and matching see-through bra.

She had been dressed to look as good as possible.

Evie was lean with round hips, a slim waist, and full breasts, and since Varro enjoyed seeing her dance so much, she was more toned than when she was procured for him a year ago.

Her pale skin was covered in freckles, and her face had been done up with makeup to accentuate her green eyes and long, wavy red hair.

It was really strawberry blonde, but she had to dye it.

Had it been a shift at the Love Light, she might have felt good about the performance. In front of Varro and these strangers, she felt nothing at all.

“Evelyn is one of my most prized possessions,” Varro said. “Tastes like a dream, though I suspect none of your company would need a sample.”

“You’re quite right,” Natalya said tightly.

She was still looking straight at Varro, ignoring the performance, even as Evie transitioned into some of her more impressive maneuvers. Climbing up the pole, spinning to the music, and making her legs go into a split. Natalya’s companions certainly weren’t too shy to stare.

“She’s a Seraphic.” Varro spoke as though Evie was an item on display, which she might as well be.

“There’s supposedly angelic blood in her, introduced two or three generations back, I would guess.

Makes her taste truly exquisite. Gives the blood a kick, so to speak.

It also makes her less susceptible to enthralling, though Stefano and I have practiced with her enough that we can do it with ease.

Read her information for yourself. Evelyn, show her. ”

Evie obeyed, lowering herself to stand on the floor. She raised her arm over her head so they could see the tattoo on her ribs. She knew what it read. Four lines of black text listing her purpose and value.

EVELYN A. - O-NEG SERAPHIC - LANGUAGES: ENGLISH - SPECIAL SKILLS: DANCING

For the past year, those words were all she’d been. All she was allowed to be. She’d seen what happened if you tried to fight the fate written on your skin. If you stepped out of line, disobeyed, or fought back, they took you away, and you either returned with fresh scars or not at all.

“A Seraphic? How unusual.” Natalya read over the information. As she finished, she looked up, and her partially scarlet eyes found Evie’s.

A strange surge of pure sensation rushed through Evie’s body as their eyes met, producing gooseflesh on her arms and legs.

Her emotions heightened, and her senses grew more alert.

The effect flowed through her in a breath, starting in her chest and stomach before rushing into her limbs like flames under her skin.

Shocked, Evie stepped back, grabbing the pole to steady herself. She looked away from Natalya, daring only a glance back when she turned away from Evie. The vampires laughed.

“I think she likes you, Natalya,” Varro said. Evie lowered her head.

“Most do.” Natalya put on a forced smile. Her eyes were redder than they’d been a moment ago. Maybe a response to whatever horrible thing she had just done.

Evie’s body had become a doll over the past twelve months. An unfeeling plaything that was passed around, to be used whichever way her owners saw fit. Not feeling anything was how she survived it. With a glance, Natalya had pulled her out of that state.

The thought of feeling all the terror and pain she had in the beginning was beyond horrifying. What kind of vicious being was this woman?

“Evelyn,” Varro said sternly, his black eyes narrowed. “Get back to it.”

Evie returned to her routine, but she was distracted.

She kept glancing at Natalya, who was engaged in conversation with Varro.

Evie forced herself to look away, finding Natalya’s companions still staring at her.

Evie had assumed they did so with want at first, but looking at them now, they were far from happy.

The siblings—Diana and Cassius—looked outright angry while Flea was doing a strange mimicry of her movements, though it looked like he was doing it to annoy Stefano, not to mock her.

She looked away from them, focusing on her twirls and spins. Watching these strangers who would be gone in less than a day was distracting. She should pay attention to her dancing. Shut off everything else, like she always did.

But her eyes kept drifting back to Natalya. What the hell was she?

Evie’s hand slipped on the pole, and she lost her grip.

She slid down a foot before she managed to slow the drop, but it didn’t save her from slamming into the floor, landing on her knees.

She cried out, stifling the sound immediately.

They only wanted you to scream when it didn’t bother their conversation.

Everyone turned to her at the sound, but Natalya was the only one who looked concerned. Their eyes met again, sending horrible feeling through Evie’s body. Natalya’s scarlet irises, with only dots of violet remaining, drilled into her head.

It didn’t shock her like it had the first time. Instead, it sent a flow of sensory fire through her, making her nerves come alive. Evie quickly lowered her eyes. That gaze was frightening and powerful, and she wanted nothing to do with it.

She stayed kneeling and pressed her forehead against the floor. Maybe they would ignore her. Maybe they would just go back to their conversation. Maybe they would be merciful and send her back to her chamber cell so she could sleep.

Evie knew it was pointless to hope for such blessings.

Natalya watched Evelyn press her head to the floor as if the act of submission could somehow hide the fear emanating from her.

Natalya couldn’t smell fear as powerfully as vampires could, but she could sense it and other emotions with far more nuance.

While others would only see the woman’s obvious fear, Natalya knew she had caused it.

She hated knowing that. Almost as much as she hated Varro for organizing this little performance.

“She’s strange today,” Stefano said, looking at Evelyn. His voice was thicker than before. “She’s more afraid than usual.”

“With guests like these, it’s a wise enough response.” Varro smiled at Natalya, and she returned it. It felt stiff on her face.

“You can dismiss the girl. I don’t want her to distract from our conversation.” If nothing else, she could at least draw attention away from the poor woman. Natalya didn’t like how hungrily Stefano was looking at her.

“Nonsense.” Varro nodded at Stefano, who got to his feet and approached Evelyn. “She’s here for you, Natalya. I don’t want to be a poor host and not offer refreshments for my guests. We can always make things more exciting.”

Stefano tapped Evelyn on the shoulder. Without hesitation, as though she’d done it a hundred times before, she pulled down her underwear and got on her hands and knees as Stefano started undoing his belt.