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Chapter 13
“Camille, Camille, wake up!”
I struggled out of slumber, still exhausted and hurting badly. My back burned, and I was sleeping on my stomach on the pallet, covered by extra blankets. I’d taken a fever by the time Hanna got me away from him.
She’d done all she could—used her strongest medicines and salves—but I’d been so strained by Hyto’s abuse that I could barely move without crying out. Every place on my body hurt. And the fever, I suspected, came from my injuries.
When she brought me back to the cave, I told Hanna about my queasiness, and she helped me as I vomited as much as I could, then pressed a cup of tea into my hands. A few sips helped calm the knots in my stomach, and the fever began to subside.
“You’re a skilled herbal woman.”
She nodded, looking pale. Something had happened—I could sense it, but I couldn’t pinpoint what. “I grew herbs and helped out my village as a midwife when . . . when I had a home.” Then, she put me to bed and stroked my hair until I fell into an uneasy slumber.>My mind was strong, my will stronger. But torture had a way of driving the best person mad. And what Hyto was doing was torture. I slipped into the flimsy skirt and followed Hanna to the table, draping a blanket around my shoulder against the chill.
“I prepared food that might be easier on your stomach—soft bread and soup, and a baked apple.”
I ate, quickly, then used the restroom—as it was—and turned to her. “Each time, my chances of returning lessen. Please, if I don’t come back, hide my bones and give them to my loved ones. Because they will be here. They will rip that monster to shreds. And I want them to have what’s left of me.”
She pressed her lips together, but nodded, and mutely stood back, waiting for me to exit the chamber.
“I’m ready.” I sucked in a deep breath and we headed back to the chamber of horrors, where Hyto was waiting for me.
This time, Hyto met us at the entrance to the chamber. The moment Hanna handed me over and left, there was no standing on ceremony. He caught me around the neck, his hair through the loop on my collar, yanked, hard, and I went down on my hands and knees.
“Good little bitch. Let’s take a walk.” And forward he strode, his hair still through the loop on my collar. He moved faster than I could keep up so that I half-crawled, was half-dragged along the rough, rocky floor. Before we’d gone five yards the abrasions were burning on my hands and knees and shins. The skirt was already ripped. Would I be punished for that, too?
As we reached the throne, he sat down and yanked me to kneel at his feet. He turned his booted foot up so that I was facing the bottom of it. “Lick.”
“Yes, Master.” Shaking, I leaned forward and grimaced as I pressed my tongue to the bottom of his boots.
Hyto gave me a quick, sharp tap to the forehead with his foot and I fell backward. He laughed, roughly. “I’m bored. Amuse me.”
“What do you want me to do?” I couldn’t help it—I almost snarled, but I caught myself before the surliness came through.
He eyed me for a moment, and then, his gaze never leaving mine, he reached down and parted his robe. From between the folds of material, his pale, thick cock sprang up. “Blow me.”
I pressed my lips together, my stomach lurching. Of course he’d use sex against me—when throughout history hadn’t men used sex as a weapon against the women of their enemies? Abuse the wife, hurt the husband. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Reaching inside, deep into my core, I sought for strength from the Moon Mother.
He’ll never take my passion away from me. I’ll give him what he wants on the surface, but he’ll never have my heart. Never have my soul. Never have my joy or my desire. It’s all a sham. All a play. All a nightmare and I’ll wake up soon.
Close your eyes, my daughter. I am with you. The Moon Mother echoed deep in my heart, and a resigned sense of strength rose up within my soul.
“Yes, Master.” I crawled forward, dreading the scent of his musk, hating the sight of his body, but the minute I leaned forward and placed my lips over the tip of his cock, the world began to swirl around me.
The wild moon, rising high, ripped me out of my body. I was racing with the Moon Mother, free over the early morn, and we were on the hunt. It was just she and I, and I let my head fall back as I let out a violent scream, reverberating through the air, ripping through my pain and anger and fury.
We raced then, chasing after the hounds.
I want to rip, to hunt, to tear to shreds, to kill . . .
Soon enough, you will have your chance. You are a daughter of the Hunt; you are one of my chosen. I cannot always protect you, but I can cushion some of the pain.
We raced over hill and dale, into the sky, my Lady and I. We rooted out animals hiding in the forest, we ripped trees from their roots and sent them flying like a tornado. We crossed the heavens and I let out my anger and aggression on the clouds, sending them spinning as I whirled through the sky, feeling like a shooting star. Dizzy with the chaos and mayhem, I let out a wild shriek and dove through cloud bank and star stream.
And then, when I’d spent my anger, my Lady held me in her arms, rocking me, letting me cry . . . and then . . . I spiraled down, down, a helix, a vortex, a ribbon of color, and reentered my body.
“No wonder Iampaatar claimed you.” Hyto was staring down at me, his hands tangled in my hair as I opened my eyes and pulled away from him. A terrible taste filled my mouth, and I started to cough, swallowing quickly before I spit out his cum and got in trouble.
Breathing hard, he leaned forward. “I might keep you alive for a while, just for this. You know what you’re doing.”
