Deceptive Lord (Lords of Bondage) (12 page)

“She’s not a thrall,” Drest said.
“I don’t know what you heard, but I’m
not into whateve
r it is that you two are into.”

“She is enthralled, is she not?” Brett asked.
“How else would you control her?
Brendan and I make sure we have all of our pelts enthralled.
It’s
better that way, so you do not have to use force when you have need for them.
It’s more humane, and I suggest you have yours enthralled as well.
If you do not have the ability, I could enthrall her for you.
That way, she will obey your commands without question.
She’ll also stay alive longer that way.
Humans lack the intelligence and common sense to make good decisions; they are evolutionarily closer to animals than we are
and
most of them
are as dumb as rats.
”

Drest stared after them as the
y
sauntered away.
It sounded to him like they were keeping human slaves
.
If they were abducting human females with the sole intention of enslaving them, it would be crossing a line.
Generally, the only slaves in Asstrumnia were captives of war.
Females taken during battles, ambushes, or raids were eligible for enslavement.
It was the price a country or tribe paid for waging war against them, but they didn’t just go around randomly kidnapping women.
H
e wondered if the
King
knew about it.
Perhaps the
King
even approved of it.

A few minutes later, Brennus returned and admitted to feeling irritated that the
King
had not actually
sent for him.
“What did my brothers speak to you about?
T
heir behavior was suspicious.
”

“They told me they were keeping human females and enthralling them.
Did you know about that?”

Brennus shook his head.
“It does not surprise me.
If they are abducting humans, there could be consequences.
We’ll have to find out where they are keeping them.”

“Does the
King
know about this?”
Drest wondered if they should inform the
King
, but if the
King
was involved in the abductions, it would be best to investigate the matter quietly.

“My father is certainly capable of
abducting and
enslaving humans.
I
know he is extremely prejudiced against anyone not Asstrumnian.
I also know that
his
bed
servants have complained lately of a certain lack of attention, so my father and brothers must be getting attended
via
alternative means.
I’ll ponder the matter some more.
In the meantime, keep your human away from the other Donovans.
I don’t trust my family not to take her, mark or no mark.”

Drest
was not sure how to handle the situation.
The taking of human slaves was not outlawed by their people, although the Asstrumnians
seldom
engaged in it.
He would have to monitor the situation and gain more information before
he
decided whether to
broach the subject with their
H
igh
King
.

CHAPTER
EIGHT

Drest tried to limit the time he spent with Eden to allay the suspicion that he was getting overly attached
.
He
knew their concerns were unfounded
, but he did not want anyone to attempt to separate them
.
He kept her under close guard and well hidden, as he was worried that Brett and Brendan would attempt to steal her.
If they touched her, he would end up killing them, which would destroy the relationship he had with the
King
.
A week passed without incident
,
then
Boadacea appeared in his home to tell him that a dronusfly swarm would pass through Ravenwood that night.

“You must
take shelter at the Donovan stronghold for safety.
You should not stay outside the walls,” Boadacea said.

“I’ve been through plenty of swarms, Boadacea.
We’ll be fine here.”

“You must leave with me.
I fear for you.”
S
he appeared to be authentically worried.

Multiple times, he indicated his intent to remain at the lodge.
He did not feel that it was necessary to leave.
As long as everyone stayed inside the lodge, they would be safe from the insects.
Boadacea transported back to Donovan, but claimed she would return before the swarm hit.

***

Late that night, Brennus and Boadacea arrived to offer their assistance.
T
hey prepared the lodge for the coming killer insect swarm, ensuring that all of the windows were boarded and all openings were sealed.
Brennus passed out
small green objects that Eden had never before seen.
He explained that they were laser guns, that they would fire a laser beam when a trigger was pulled, and that it was the only weapon known to quickly destroy a dronusfly.
He placed one of the guns in her hand and showed her how to use it; he also cautioned that if used improperly, she could accidentally
turn the rest of them to ash.
She did not feel comfortable handling such a weapon, but she took it after they all insisted.
An hour later, she heard a deafening roaring sound that reminded her of a tornado.
The house shook and she heard the sound of breaking glass.
Brennus ran in the direction of the sound and hollered that they had a breach.
Drest told Boadacea and Eden to remain in the inner room, where they would be safe.
He then joined Brennus to help him secure the outer area that had been breached by a few dronusflies.
Eden was worried for them.
“Will they be alright?”

“It’s practically over,” Boadacea said.
“The swarm has passed and all they have to do is kill what remains.
It will not take long since they have those laser guns.”

Eden nodded and felt relieved.
Suddenly, Boadacea wrapped her arms around her and transported them outside the lodge.
Eden panicked as she saw some of the humongous insects flying in circles
a few feet over their heads.
“What are you doing?
We should be inside the house.”

Boadacea
unexpectedly
grabbed Eden’s gun out of her hands and flung it across the ground.
Eden watched the gun sail through the air in shock.
When she turned around, Boadacea had
produced a
serrated
knife
.
She grabbed Eden by her tunic and pulled her close.
With two strokes of the knife, she
cut the tunic from Eden’s body
and
threw the pieces onto the ground.
Eden started running toward
the house, thinking Boadacea was trying to kill her.
She couldn’t see in the darkness, but she could hear the buzzing sounds of the insects flying overhead.
Within seconds, she found herself grasped in Boadacea’s arms; the woman had transported herself in order to catch her prey.
A minute
and a sour stomach
later, Eden opened her eyes to find herself in a mossy green field.

“I’ve returned you to Flourda,” Boadacea stated.
“I’m uncertain where the Avenal lands are, and I’m not sure where in Flourda we are, but I believe you can safely find your way home.
You do not belong in Asstrumnia.
”

Eden wrapped her arms around her chest, freezing without the tunic.
She at least had on some sort of undertunic
and trousers
, so she was not left naked.
“I didn’t ask to be taken back to Flourda.
Take me back to Drest.”

Boadacea gazed at her with pity.
“He doesn’t love you.
You do not belong with him; I did this for your own good.
Forget about him and move on with your life, which is with your Countess Nefertiti, not with Drest.
You should stay with your own kind.
I’m sorry.”

Eden opened her mouth to reply, but Boadacea had already transported.
She turned around, surveying the endless greenery.
She screamed in
frustration.
She did not wish to return to Avenal, where she was considered a possession of the
countess
.
She paced around the field until she grew tired, then she sat down and waited.
Perhaps Drest would return for her; perhaps Boadacea would change her mind and retrieve her.
She waited and waited and waited.
Eventually, a villager found her
and alerted a noblewoman.
The noblewoman arrived, discovered her identity, and announced that she would return her with all haste to Nefertiti.
Eden found herself loaded in a horse drawn carriage.
Days later, she found herself back in Avenal.

“We thought you were dead!
What happened to you, Eden
?” her
half-sister Briella asked.
“W
here have you been all this time?”

Eden was touched by the concern in her sister’s
voice
and she was comforted by her embrace.
However, she didn’t feel she was ready to answer anyone’s questions
, so she stayed silent while tears streamed from her eyes.

“She’s probably been through hell,” Lady Audra Talbot said.
“What is important is that she is home.
There’ll be plenty of time for her to tell us her story later.”
She turned toward Eden and spoke gently.
“Are those trousers that you are wearing?
Poor child.
We’ll get you cleaned and changed,
then
when you have rested, we’ll take you to see the
countess
.”

Eden was numb and she stayed silent while the ladies attended to her.
Soon, she was dressed in Flourdan robes and she was taken to Nefertiti’s suite.
Nefertiti did not appear overjoyed to see her; she eyed Eden with curiosity and bafflement.

“Where have you been, sister?” Nefertiti asked.
“Were you kidnapped by some fiend, or did you run away?
I was told that you ended up in a field in the middle of nowhere.
Explain yourself.”

Eden did not know what to say, but she knew that she did not wish to discuss her time with the Asstrumnians.
“I don’t know what happened.
I think I must have hit my head; my memory fails me.”

“I don’t know if I believe this amnesia story,” Nefertiti said.
“I think you let yourself get captured by Romans, and when they tired of you, they dumped you in a field.
You’re too embarrassed to admit it.
Am I correct?”

“I’m not sure what happened,” Eden lied.
It would do no good to talk about what really happened.
Telling Nefertiti about the Asstrumnians would feel too much like a betrayal and she would not do that to Drest.
She did not think that the
countess
believed her story; maybe Nefertiti did not care what had really happened to her, as she did not press to know more.

Eden tried to adjust to being back in Avenal, but she wasn’t happy.
She missed Drest and thought about getting back to him somehow.
Only, she knew that it was impossible.
She would not even be able to find Asstrumnia, and even if she could discover the location, it would be impossible to get there without traversing through enemy Roman occupied territories.
A lone woman would never make it that far.
She had to find some way of forgetting him.

The days passed slowly
.
On one particularly bad day, the
countess
told Eden tha
t she would have to take Markus Honeybone Agrippa, a half-Roman,
as her huxor and live in Rome.
That was completely unacceptable to her, as the man kept
multiple male lovers and he despised females.
She
had refused to accept the match, but the
countess
ignored her concerns and started making arrangements for the mating ceremony.
Apparently
while Eden had been in Asstrumnia, the
countess
had accidentally strangled
one of
her
concubines
to death
during bondage sex
.
The
countess
had blamed the incident on Advisor Triniti, claiming she had provided improper instruction.
She had locked Triniti in the tower and had demanded
an instructor
be hired that possessed proper credentials.
She wanted someone who was licensed and certified
in the erotic arts
, preferably someone
with
an expertise in bondage games.
It had been determined that
Eros, a Roman City, would be the most likely city to contain the needed expert.
When the opportunity came to travel to Eros,
Eden
took it.
She was feeling miserable and trapped inside Avenal.