“We’re upping the ante on your training tonight,” he leaned down to whisper into my ear.
“I want to leave.” I tried pulling away from his grip again, but I couldn’t. I closed my eyes, focusing on my breaths.
Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale.
I blinked, fully opening my eyes again. I was still colorful. Shit. Why wasn’t my Token working?
Suns. I hated this about myself, hated that I didn’t have control, hated that I couldn’t get overthatnight. And being here… there was no way this was helping.
It was doing the opposite. Any bravado I had on the notion of training fully left me now.
“No,” Cash said. “I thought telling you about turning your Token into a desire would be enough, but clearly you aren’t any closer to getting over your fear of being touched.”
I was about to open my mouth to say something, say anything, when Cash continued—“King Elion expects to see your Token by the end of the Vargothi, which means tomorrow’s your last night before you need to be able to show him something.” His grip tightened around my arm, his tone turning serious. “And I’d rather meet Dahes in Hell than disappoint King Elion because you can’t control your Token. So like it or not, we’re staying here until you get over your fear.”
“I promise being here isn’t helping,” I gritted out through my teeth, my jaw aching from clenching it too hard.
A chorus of moans echoed in my ears. The entire room felt sticky and wrong. The smell alone was…
I closed my eyes again. I didn’t want to look, didn’t want to see.
Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale.
I wasn’t in Moriann. Dahes wasn’t trying to touch me again. I was safe.
“Not yet, convict, but it will,” Cash said, as he accepted a drink from Laxin. “This is exactly the place you need to be. You’re too stiff. Relax. Have a drink.” I realized then that Laxin was holding one out for me too.
“Realize that sex can be fucking blissful,” Cash added as I stared daggers at Laxin’s extended hand.
He took me to a brothel.
I was fairly certain I might have been the only girl wearing clothes, but I didn’t want to look around the room too long to confirm the theory.
Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale.
“Bring her this way,” Laxin said, finally drawing his hand back when I refused to take the drink. “I got us a private sectional.”
“Let’s go, convict,” Cash crooned in my ear, his hand never moving from my arm.
Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale.
Cash dragged me through the room, my other arm kept rubbing against sticky bodies, as he followed Laxin through another door. Then another. And another.
Everything was dimly lit, the sconces were too small, only casting shadows over the place, but I didn’t need more light to be able to see all the naked bodies. People were bouncing, moaning, being thrown against walls. Some were on their knees. Sucking. Kissing. Biting.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I couldn’t be here.
Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale.
Cash finally let go of my arm, only to push down on my shoulder until I fell onto a leather sofa.
I immediately straightened my back, wanting to be as far away from the leather as I could, imagining the material wrapping around my arms and trapping me.
“If you think about leaving, we’ll make it worse for you,” Laxin drawled as Cash took the seat next to me. Laxin was already lounging in a matching leather chair across from us. There was a small wooden table between the two with a singular candle lit and a bowl filled with grapes.
“We’re only making you watch, convict,” Cash said to my right.
