Before she could stop herself, Natalya imagined Evie in that role. Attentive and expecting. Calling her Mistress. Being hers.
Angry with herself, she pushed the thought away.
“Lady of Lust.” Drago approached the throne. He bowed deeply, as he always did. “I would ask for your thoughts.”
“You did well enough,” she said, leaving her frustrated thinking. “But when you start scening with humans, don’t strike the same place more than once. At least not that hard.”
Drago tensed. “I am not ready for humans, Lady.”
“I know. But the only way you will be is by practicing the control needed to interact with them. That starts with not whipping someone in the same place over and over.”
“I understand, Lady.” He lowered his head in respect. “We’ve missed you in the Second Circle. It’s been good to have you here these past few days. How has life been with your Evie?”
Natalya sneered. She could hide the reason for her glowing eyes and more radiant appearance from every other creature in the Court. Not from Drago. He knew the sight of a fiend well-satiated. Even if it had mostly worn off.
“Private, Drago. Do not ask me that again.”
“Apologies, Lady.” He paused, his face hard. “Have you harmed her?”
Drago respected Natalya’s authority because she was his teacher. She had tamed her powers despite the laws of their existence insisting she shouldn’t be able to. If Drago found out she’d slipped, she wasn’t sure what he would do.
“I have not,” Natalya said, voice tight. “But I could have. Much too easily.”
Natalya hadn’t intended for anything to happen in the dance studio. Unlike the first time she and Evie were together, there hadn’t been a purpose for it other than desire. With Natalya, that was no reason at all.
Her entire being was desire. She merely had to smile, wink, or simply be present, and people would salivate over her. They would beg her to bring them pleasure.
It was a disingenuous feeling. It was a fabrication, entirely produced by Natalya’s fiendish presence. It was manipulation. And she’d done it to Evie.
“Do you hate yourself, Lady?” Drago asked. Surprised by the question, Natalya narrowed her eyes.
“We greater fiends were made for a purpose,” Drago continued. “In our home of Sin, it lets us thrive. Here, it drives us to destroy lives. Even given freedom, we must fight to not bring ruin to those around us. These are the lessons you taught me. We are not lesser fiends with the blood of mortals in our veins who can mingle freely with humans. We are beings of pure Sin. Do you hate yourself for that?”
“Do you, Drago?”
“Before I came here, I hated everything. Now I only hate when my agency is lost in favor of my rage. Have you lost your agency, Lady?”
It felt like she had.
Natalya gave Drago a warning look. “You were less talkative when you first pledged this Court. What happened to the violent brute who wanted studenthood?”
Drago’s face was impassive. “He had a good teacher.”
Natalya had taught him to respond to provocation with either a laugh or a retort. Drago was rarely made to laugh anymore. And he noticed things about her almost everyone else would miss. Including her guilt about Evie.
After their first time together, Natalya had noticed Evie’s concern about repeating what they’d done. How someone expecting sex from her frightened her. Natalya told her they wouldn’t do it again until Evie was certain. Such a hollow promise.
Natalya had seen Evie dancing and was so drawn to the confidence she displayed and the hint of want in her eyes that Natalya had seduced her. Natalya had desired her, wanted her,and then had her. She was no better than the monsters Evie had escaped.
In fact, she was worse. She hadmadeEvie want it. She had instilled desire in her by hovering near her for weeks, and then she'd pretended that desire was real. Even their first time was like that. Natalya felt how scared she was and then took her word as genuine when she said she wanted to keep going. But there was nothing genuine about the desire Natalya summoned in others.
Natalya had manipulated her. Seduced her. She’d been so intriguing Natalya had ignored that Evie wasn’t someone to desire. She’d allowed herself to forget. It had just been possessiveness that made Natalya keep her close. Not any thought for her wellbeing.
She quickly pushed down the thoughts that always appeared when she thought of Evie for too long. How calm and relaxed she felt around the woman. How much she admired her bravery. Her strength and her sharp eyes that noticed so much. She dismissed them all. They complicated the hate Natalya felt toward herself.
At the other end of the hall, attention was drawn to the dungeon entrance. Staring was considered rude in the Second Circle, hence the stages. If you wanted a show, there were places your eyes could wander. Now, several people were turning and looking at a newcomer with confusion.
Natalya froze in her seat. The anger that had permeated through her the past week siphoned out, being replaced by shock and fierce protectiveness. It paralyzed her for a moment.
