Page 127 of Taken By the Lord of the Nocturne Court

“Where shall I put these, my Lord?” One of the servants asks, presenting him with a box of old soap and shampoo bottles which I don’t have the heart to admit are pretty much worthless.

“You can put them in the main wagon, just make sure they don’t spill over the other items,” Kyran says as if all of my belongings were precious. I love him so much.

“Lord,” Mom scoffs, shaking her head.

I square my shoulders. “Now you have a problem with myhusband’stitle?”

She wags her finger at me. “The only Lord you need is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!”

At my side, Kyran stands straighter. “Who is he?”

I swear, this entire trip is worth the expression of utter bewilderment on my mom’s face.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny. Be a darling and practice your atheism off my property,” she says with a disgusted sneer.

Kyran lifts his chin, pulling me a little closer, and his protectiveness makes my heart melt. “I don’t know what that means, but I could easily take on this lord of yours in a duel.”

I snort and turn my face into Kyran’s shoulder, because I might disintegrate from sheer amusement.

“You can’t duel Jesus Christ!” My mother raises her voice, all serious, which makes the exchange even more surreal. “I am done here! I don’t care if you ever come back,” she yells and walks into the house, slamming the door.

Which is extra awkward because one of the elven servants is still inside, and looks at us through the window, unsure what to do.

Moments later, Mom opens the door for him, but in a way that allows her to remain unseen, and slams it right behind him.

Kyran hums and wraps me in his arms, affectionate as ever. “She’s certainly… a character. But she was the one to mention the local lord. I did not start it.”

I stroke his chest with a grin. “You did not.” I give him a kiss in front of the spying neighbors and turn to the carriage.

Flap is inside, in a large cage, and I want to reassure him that we’re almost done, but Kyran pulls on my arm.

“I have something special for you.”

I love being showered with his thoughtful gifts, so I grin with excitement.

He leads me to the large trunk at the back of our carriage with a satisfied smile, as if he’s particularly proud of himself. He lifts the lid, revealing… a chained and gagged man.

My instinct is to step back, but as I stare at the bruised face, recognition seeps into my bones, and now I realize why Kyran was asking about my old teacher last week. The teacher who I seduced, yet who shouldn’t have gone for it with a vulnerable sixteen-year-old. He should have helped me instead of abusing his power.

I swallow in disbelief, but a little satisfaction still curls inside my stomach. It’s not like the cops can trace an abduction into the Nightmare Realm.

“I… um…” No appropriate words come to me, and I’m not sure what kind of reaction he expects.

“Do you like it, husband?” Kyran asks as Mr. Trevisse flinches, attempting to free himself despite the chains holding him in place. When he peers up at me with bloodshot eyes, Kyran smacks the bastard’s thigh with the elegant cane he’s holding. “I wasn’t sure how to present him to you, so I asked Sabine for her opinion, and we decided that I shouldn’t kill him without you.”

“K-kill him?” I ask wide-eyed, and my heart speeds up. Mr. Trevisse makes even more muffled noises. Maybe it’s the morbidity of the Nocturne Court rubbing off on me, but I kinda enjoy seeing him suffer. He deserves it for what he put me through. But does he deserve todie?

“Well… yes. He hurt you.” Kyran strokes my shoulder, so gallant in his black outfit and cape. He’s like a cat bringing me a half-dead mouse and asking for approval.

It’s so sweet of him that he thinks I deserve to be avenged.

But as I meet my ex-teacher’s eyes and see the pathetic piece of trash that he is, the desire for murder just isn’t there. But he does deserve punishment.

I turn to look up into Kyran’s dark eyes. “Can we not? I’d like to keep him in our dungeon. For four years. So he can find out how I felt.”

I am disappointing my husband, who slowly lowers the cane and tightens his lips before exhaling. “Of course, my love. We shall administer whatever torture you desire,” he ends up saying and slams the trunk shut before Mr. Trevisse can sneak in another whine.

I do like seeing him cry.