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“You don’t have to stay, De
Fear and panic raced through his mind. He didn’t want to be left alone with Constance. He knew that Constance wanted to do things to him that De
“Another time, I will leave you alone with him… to do things your way, but today I will stay.”
Richard made sure he showed no sign that he was relieved. Constance went back to work.
After a while longer, when she was behind him, Constance grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back, hard. Richard knew very well what it meant to have his head pulled back in this ma
De
Constance gritted her teeth as she looked at him, pulling his head back harder. “Why not? Surely you’ve done it?”
“Yes, I just don’t want you to, that’s all. Master Rahl hasn’t talked to him yet. I don’t want to take any chances.”
A grin came to Constance’s face. “De
“I told you, Master Rahl wants to talk to him.”
“After that?”
De
Constance nodded and released his hair. “Don’t you think you have gotten off easy.” She scowled at him. “Sooner or later, you and I will be alone, and then I will take my pleasure from you.”
“Yes, Mistress Constance,” he whispered hoarsely.
After they were finished training him, they went to lunch. Richard followed behind, the chain hooked to De
The afternoon was spent at devotions, and after that, several hours of training. De
“I wish a bath,” she said. She showed him the room adjoining hers. It was small—empty of everything except a rope holding the binding device from the ceiling, and a bathing tub in the corner. She told him the room was for training if he needed it on the spot and she didn’t want blood in her room, and for when she wanted to leave him hanging all night. She promised him he would be spending a great deal of time in the little room.
She had him drag the tub to the foot of her bed. He took the bucket from the tub and was instructed where to go for hot water. He was to speak to no one, even if spoken to, and he was to run, there and back, so her bathwater wouldn’t get cold before the tub was filled. She told him that if he didn’t follow her instructions exactly while out of her sight, the pain of the magic would take him down, and if she had to come looking for him, he would be very sorry he had disappointed her. He swore his solemn oath to do as she commanded. The place where the hot water came from, a hot spring in a pool surrounded by white marble seats, was a goodly distance. He was sweating and exhausted by the time he had the tub filled.
While she sat soaking in the tub Richard scrubbed her back, brushed her hair out, and helped her wash it.
De
Richard didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t want to say anything bad about her friend, but lying would get him punished, too. “I am… afraid of her, Mistress De
De
“No, Mistress De
“Good. You should be afraid of her. She hates men. Every time she kills one, she cries out the name of the man who first broke her, Rastin. Remember I told you about the man who broke me, took me for his mate, and that later I killed him? Before he broke me, he was Constance’s trainer. His name was Rastin. It was he who broke her. Constance is the one who told me how I could kill him. I would do anything for her. And because I killed the man she hated so, she would do anything for me.”
“Yes, Mistress De
“I suggest you be very attentive to your duties. If you are, and you do not earn too much time, I will remain when she is training you. You see? You see how lucky you are to have a kind mistress?”
“Yes, Mistress De
“Get me a towel, and lay my nightclothes on the table by the bed.”
Richard helped towel her hair dry. De
“Go blow out the lamp on the table over there.” He went immediately and blew out the flame. “Bring me the Agiel, my love.”
Richard flinched. He hated it when she had him fetch the Agiel—touching it hurt. Fearing the result of hesitation more, he gritted his teeth and snatched it up, holding it in the open palms of his hands. The pain of it vibrated in his elbows and shoulders. He could hardly wait for her to take it. She had propped up the pillows against the headboard and was sitting up a little, watching him. He let out a deep breath when she picked it out of his hand.
“Mistress De
“It does, same as you. It hurts me to touch it because it is the one used to train me.”
His eyes opened wide. “You mean, the whole time you hold it, it hurts you? The whole time you are training me?”
She nodded, rolling it in her fingers, looking away from his eyes for a second. She gave him a little frown and smile. “There is rarely a time I am without pain, of one kind or another. That is one reason the training of a Mord-Sith takes years—to learn to handle the pain. I guess it’s also why only women are Mord-Sith—men are too weak. The chain around my wrist allows me to let it hang—it doesn’t hurt when it hangs by the chain. But while I use it on someone, it causes constant pain.”
“I never knew.” Richard’s insides knotted in anguish. “I’m sorry, Mistress De
“Pain can bring pleasure all its own, my love. That’s one of the things I’m teaching you. And it’s time for another lesson.” Her eyes glided up and down him. “Enough talk.”
Richard recognized the look in her eyes, the quickening of her breathing. “But, Mistress De
A small smile came to one side of her mouth. “I like your sweat.”