Page 62 of Kiss of Seduction (Court of Chains #1)

Any risk connected to this plan was completely worth it for the look of utter shock on Natalya’s face. Her mouth actually dropped open, even though it was only briefly.

Evie had almost chickened out on the way to the Second Circle, but she toughed out the anxiety and walked into the dungeon with her head held high.

Unlike last time, not a lot of people had looked at her.

A few appreciative glances but nothing more, and Evie was used to that.

She’d worn less while performing for worse crowds.

But that was before she’d walked up to Natalya and stunned her into silence. Now they had the attention of the room.

Perfect .

“What are you doing here?” Natalya said. Her eyes were a little wide.

Evie shrugged. Then decided to provoke further and twirled a strand of her hair. “Got bored. And lonely.”

If Evie’s outfit and mannerisms didn’t clearly communicate her intentions with coming to the Second Circle, her flirtatious tone certainly did.

It was a tone easily adopted in Natalya’s carnal hall of Lust. And though Natalya was trying to hide it, Evie noticed how her gaze lingered on other parts of her body than just her face.

The game was afoot. Natalya was leering at the bait. Now Evie needed to hook in the catch. And she knew there were things Natalya would let her get away with only outside the domain of Lust.

She had walked deep into a den of sin and desire. And Evie was feeling naughty.

“You’re forgetting yourself.” Natalya’s lips made a minuscule twitch of amusement . “There are protocols down here, and you should address me with the appropriate respect. And with an appropriate tone.”

A warning. A chance to change course. Evie continued heading for doom.

“Cool place.” Evie made a show of looking around. “Looks pretty bland, though. Going with leather and steel is such a cliché.”

Natalya’s eyes narrowed, and her mouth tensed. People were looking. A lot of people were looking.

“You’re being rude, darling.” Natalya’s voice was low. “That’s very unwise down here.”

Hooked .

Evie crossed her arms, jutting out her chin. “What are you going to do about it?”

Silence. Deafening silence. It made it much harder to sell the cocky persona Evie had put on. It was made almost impossible when Natalya, very slowly, rose from her seat. Her long, black satin dress hugged her like it was a liquid.

“I don’t think I heard you right.” Natalya’s voice was dark with warning.

Evie took a deep breath. She’d practiced what she was going to say before coming down here. She’d thought it was silly in the moment. Now she was thankful she’d done it.

“I asked what you were going to do about it. Natalya .”

Someone in the crowd snickered. Red flames rose in Natalya’s pupils as she stepped closer to Evie.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked quietly.

“I have an idea.” Evie had predicted this question too. “I know how keen you are on respect and such. Figured I’d test the rigidity of your principles.”

In a moment of daring, Evie inspected her nails with feigned interest. “I’m finding them quite lax, to be honest.”

The words had an effect. A few slivers of scarlet appeared in Natalya’s violet eyes at Evie’s blatant impertinence. Then they faded, and her expression changed to one that was threateningly gleeful. A Cheshire smile that promised madness and delightful horrors.

“It is true I consider politeness a virtue. You seem to have lost your manners.” She grabbed the hem of Evie’s corset, pulling slowly until she was forced to step closer to Natalya.

She was radiating heat. “Some discipline might ensure they’re not as easily misplaced in the future.

And punishments make for wonderful reminders. ”

Evie raised an eyebrow. Then she rolled her eyes. With exaggeration and clearly on purpose.

Natalya snaked a hand to Evie’s neck, moving so fast it made her yelp in surprise. Natalya squeezed, and the intensity of the touch was just sharp enough to be unpleasant.

“I’m going to give you a choice.” Natalya smiled, and it promised disaster. “You may take your punishment in one of the private rooms or on one of my stages. When you let me know which you’d prefer, you better be polite. Otherwise, I’ll choose for you, and you won’t like what I pick.”

Evie froze, eventually snapping out of her stupor enough to look behind her at the rest of the hall. At the stages holding all kinds of equipment, made to bring pleasure and pain. At the crowd of people who she’d personally ensured was watching with keen interest.

“What’s the matter, darling ?” Natalya tightened her grip. “You got everyone’s attention. Don’t you want to give them a show?”

Evie did not . She was mortified just thinking about it.

From what Lily had told her, Natalya could be very creative with her punishments. Evie knew there wouldn’t be pain, but there were still untold things she didn’t want to have happen in front of an audience.

“No, please,” she said quickly. “Not the stages. A room, please. Natal—I mean, Mistress, I would like a private room. Please.”

The words stumbled out rapidly. Evie couldn’t recall ever saying ‘please’ so many times in such a brief timespan. And she’d almost messed up. She’d only just caught herself from being rude again by not referring to Natalya properly.

“Would you look at that?” Natalya mused. “Your manners weren’t lost at all. You just needed a little incentive to find them.”

Light laughter rolled through the crowd, and Evie’s cheeks felt hot.

“Drago!” Natalya yelled. She was still looking at Evie. Still holding onto her neck as Drago dutifully walked over.

“Yes, Lady,” he said.

“Can you oversee the Second Circle for a few hours?”

Hours!?

“Of course, Lady.” Drago glanced at Evie, and he actually looked sympathetic. A truly horrifying reaction.

“Excellent.” Natalya started pulling Evie towards a hallway lined with black doors. “I need to make sure sweet Evie remembers her manners in the future. I have a feeling she’ll need a good, long lesson.”

Faint laughter could be heard as Natalya led Evie away from the main room. She sighed in relief at being away from the crowd. Then she tensed back up as she realized she was alone with a very annoyed, very strong Natalya.

“Where are we going?” Evie’s voice trembled as she spoke.

“Patience is a true virtue, darling. One you are clearly also lacking.” Natalya pulled her close, making Evie stumble. “You just keep finding ways to dig your grave deeper, don’t you?”

Natalya picked up a small bag from a side cabinet before heading further down the hallway. The bag rattled.

“Natalya, please. I was just—”

“You are insisting on annoying me tonight.” She leaned close to Evie’s ear, her voice near a snarl.

“If you refer to me as anything other than Mistress again, I won’t just be annoyed.

The stages are still available. I’ll have you on every one of them until you’re screaming loudly enough that the people in the club above can hear you. ”

Evie gulped. She thought she’d experienced most facets that made up ‘Mistress Natalya,’ but she had obviously still been in the shallow part of the pool. Her own damn mouth had thrown her into the deep end, and it was like she’d forgotten how to swim.

She needed to curse out Lily the next time she saw her.

Natalya led her into a room, and Evie was surprised about the interior. She’d expected something fitting Natalya’s threatening tone. Something dungeon-like, with stone walls and chains affixed to the floor.

They were in a room with red walls and a huge circular bed in the center. Around it, facing the bed, were leather couches and chairs, all in black to match the bedsheets.

It was a beautiful room. Just like Natalya, it was a beauty filled with dark promises, as Evie was quickly reminded of when the door slammed shut.

They were alone. Evie was in a closed room with an angry succubus who could produce pleasure so intense it made people go mad.

“Why did you feel the need to be so rude in front of my subjects?” Natalya wasn’t smiling anymore. She hadn’t been smiling for a while. Her eyes were hard, and her hand had yet to release Evie’s neck.

“I…” Evie swallowed. Why had she ever thought this was a good idea? “I wanted to… I wanted you to—”

“You wanted to force my hand. You want me to fuck you. You want me to make you fall apart. A desperate little thing, aren’t you?”

Evie looked up at Natalya, wide-eyed and breathing heavily. Natalya squeezed her harder, making her whimper.

“Aren’t you desperate for me to bring you pleasure?”

“Y-yes, Mistress.”

She hovered her hand over Evie’s chest. “You want me to touch you here?”

Evie nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

She lowered her hand until it was just over Evie’s mound. “Here?”

“Yes. Please, Mistress.”

“It’s too late for begging, darling. It won’t get you anywhere.” Natalya leaned close to her ear. “Kneel on the bed.”

Natalya let her go, and the absence of her intense touch made Evie gasp. She took a second to just breathe, resting on the fact that she really had made a terrible decision tonight, before obeying the command.

She got on the bed, watching as Natalya pulled bundles of red rope from the bag she’d brought. She approached the bed with the lethal grace of a predator cat.

“It was a fine play. Being rude like that,” Natalya said, undoing the green corset. Her eyes never left Evie’s. “But you are new to this game. I invented the rules. You want me to touch you. To kiss you. To make you come by fucking you with my mouth.”

Natalya removed the corset, and her fingertips brushed over Evie’s skin. They produced nothing but warmth.

“I won’t,” Natalya said, eyes glittering with strange energy. Irritation, definitely. But maybe excitement too. “I’ll just watch you unravel instead.”