Part 1
With my mangled face, I preferred to watch her from the shadows. Aconita was a hunter of the vilest beasts imaginable, men. Keeping my distances was a must, initially. If I wanted to join her, it was not as prey. I thought it was a miracle that she came back to town two years ago.
She had left for Valentia after our badger incident that almost cost me my life. It had been my idea to sneak into the colosseum to see the caged animals from closer. I did not expect her to free one of them. I was to bear those marks forever and I did so gladly. They were the proof that I was once close to her. When she came back, I saw her behaviour was as hot-headed as ever, only she had picked up a habit in Valentia, murder.
Usually, she was good at hiding bodies and slipping away at the right time. But soon enough, she killed the wrong person, some son of a senator. His family demanded more money than Aconita’s father was able to pay. None of her other relatives were ready to pay for her reckless behaviour, even if her victims deserved it.
That is how she ended up in my office. As a state interrogator, I avoided keeping servants around. Most often, they were spies sent by my father to get dirt on the other senators.
This time it was a murderer he had sent my way. One he did not know my connections to, since he was gone to war for the year Aconita and I frequented. In fact, he had been gone for most of my teenager hood.
I had her wait a little. From my weakened nerves, both my heart and life were going to be gambled in this meeting.
My foot was not even through the doorway that I heard,
“He won’t treat you like one.” That was Brutus, one of father’s guards.
“Like what?” I made my entrance.
“A gift!” exclaimed that honeyed voice of mine Aconita. No, she wasn’t mine yet.
Her bottom lip was bleeding, and her chin showed the early signs of bruising. Could it be that this brute had a death wish?
“Who would dare—”
“Your father bought me as your new domestic.”
A woman in her situation would be afraid. Frighten at the presence of the imposing guard, my interrogation tools spread half hazardly and that awfully scarred face of mine.
Maybe it was that she planned on killing me, had no sense of danger, or put on a front. Knowing her, it was probably a little of all three.
“Apparently you’re sick in the head,” she noted.
I laughed. Had she heard of my reputation? Maybe she recognized me, but I couldn’t ask with this keen-eared idiot beside her.
“Who told you so?” My eyes followed her hand rise pointing at Brutus. “Did you hit her as well?” I turned to him.
“She doesn’t know her place,” he accused showing he didn’t know his.
“What have you done?”
It appeared he did not understand I had asked him since he gave Aconita a harsh nudge, prompting her to pick up a bloody nail from the floor.
“I only said that this room needs to be cleaned.” She gazed at me with a tight smile.
“See, she does know her place,” I told Brutus. “She is already worried about the cleanliness of this office.”
She glanced at the mess on my desk. The tip of her tongue slid out over the juicy wound. Our eyes met and I could feel even more blood rush to my ridged cheeks, where two sets of claws had swiped. Brutus had to be rid of, now.
“Leave us,” I ordered him.
“But your father said—” started the brainless guard.
“I do not care for the words of your Dominus. That man should know that by now.”
Her hand clutched to the hem of her short, thin yellow tunic. Had they woken her from her sleep? How rude. My windowless office was always lit up by candlelight. It was to make it hard to keep track of time during interrogation. But since I lived there to avoid my father I never knew what time it was until I had gone outside.
“Do tell him I am grateful for his gift,” I finished as I closed the door on his glare towards Aconita.
Oh, I had everything ready for her. A feathered bed, all sorts of new toys, but also figs, prunes, olives, and soft silk ropes to keep myself from harm.
“What now?” she crossed her arms.
I took one of the red ropes from my belt.
“Wrists … your wrists show them to me.”
She had no hesitation in putting them forward. She didn’t try to move, yet. She must have had a trick up her sleeve that or she recognized me. Her eyes followed my hands as I wrapped her wrists, careful to keep the ropes straight. I missed those warm brown eyes. With the wrap tied, the rest of the rope was left as a lead.
“Are you planning on interrogating me?” Her hands started to sweat onto mine.
“Yes.” I had to learn what happened to her after all these years.
“Then why did you make it comfortable?” She inspected her restraints.
I had made sure I could fit my fingers in the holes in between her wrists for her utmost comfort. I slowly pulled her to the backroom by the lead.
The soft bed had a strong metal frame with anchors at the foot and head. She stared at me and smiled awkwardly before pushing my left shoulder hard. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I had been drawn into her worried gaze, resulting in me loosening my grip on the rope. She had forced me to put my weight on my left leg while sweeping her own inside my right calf, aiming my head at the pointed end of the decorated metal frame with her joined hands. I put a stop to her vicious attempt, having us fall onto the bed with a pivot.
Oh, to have her underneath me. No, I could not. To have her fully, she needed to want me as well.
“How did you?” she whispered under her breath.
I knew she had received formal training. We used to have the same teacher. That was how we had met.
I tied her hands to the frame, pulling her further up on the bed. I hesitated to tell her the truth. I had been her unwanted audience for years and knew her tactics.
She clenched her legs closed. Oh no, that wasn’t what I meant. I wasn’t forcing myself on her. As actions speak more than words, I tied her legs shut. It was a slow progress starting at the hips over her tunic, but I still had to move to the ankles quick before she could strangle me with her legs. Not too quick. That would hurt her. As soon as I started to wrap her legs together, she became talkative again.
“Why are you doing this?” She frowned in confusion.
“My father, he intended for you to murder me. I’m just taking precautions.” I hoped this clarified the situation.
She gasped as the rope grazed behind her knees. That was something I did not know. I tickled the area. She burst into laughing.
“I think I found one of your weak spots,” I mumbled to myself.
“Don’t be so giddy about it,” she spat out.
Oops, my grin must have slipped out again. I chuckled. She had a bashful glare.
“Did I hurt your pride?” her frown sunk deeper. I couldn’t stop my nervous laugher. “I’m not trying to insult you.” She raised a brow. “I swear. I am very confident in your abilities to fulfill my father’s plot. This is why I’m doing all this.” I raised her legs to show her all the diamonds knotted with the wine-red silk.
Her expression changed.
“It is pretty but—”
“You would rather have me dead? I hope to change your mind.”
“Why are you so gentle?”
Wasn’t it obvious? My breath hitched. Did she think I was going to kill her? I didn’t think she could have forgotten me. “I assure you Nita, I don’t want to harm you just—”
What did I want? I feared my tongue would gain her hatred.
“Just what? How do you know my nickname?”
“I love you.” Oh no, I didn’t mean to say it out loud. “I-I-I mean—”
“Love? Do we know each other?”
“Yes!”
“But I don’t remember—”
“It was before I got these scars.”
“You are quite disfigured.” Fear flashed in her eyes. “Did I do this to you?”
“Not intentionally.” It now became one of relief. “I hope.” How many other men had she disfigured?
“Then you must be.” Her eyes pointed at the old bite mark on my neck. “Dolly? I thought you were dead. You bled so much.”
She did remember me. It’s true, death almost fell upon me but, by the gods I was still alive. My survival of the badger’s attack was for her. So one day we could be reunited. I had been too shy to show myself to her afterwards, but here she was. She had been sent by father as a domestic. A smart move since she had murdered all the men who had approached her in the past. Those hands, small and supple, had known blood, blades and death.
“You seem lost in thought.” She wiggled her fingers under mine. “Are you planning your revenge?”
“On whom?”
“Me.”
“Why would I? I told you I do not intend any harm upon you.”
“It was my fault you almost died. I freed that beast. If I didn’t, you’d—”
“I love these marks. They are proof. I did at least one good thing for you.” I was the one who put myself between my lover and this starved beast.
“Well, now that I know who you are, I won’t kill you. There is no need to tie me up like this.”
Now my laugh was truly sincere. I stood up and paced.
“Aconita, I know how deceitful you can be.” Lulling her preys into a false sense of security was her modus operandum. “But I have already fallen for you, all of you. You do not need to attempt to seduce me.” Could she even make herself blush on command, or was it real? “In fact, I should be the one to do so.”
She glanced up at the rope trapping her limbs.
“You have a bad start.”
I bent down to hold her bruised chin, sinking into her eyes once again. She turned her head.
“You don’t need to look at me like that, Dolly.”
She was growing tense.
“Do you hate me?”
“I should, I really should.” She sighed. “Maybe if my hands were free, I would pull you in for a kiss. You know, for old time’s sake.”
Then I couldn’t resist and land my hands beside her head, slowly approaching mine.
“No need for arms. I’ll do it willingly.” I licked the blood from her chin. “Please Nita, may I lay my lips upon yours?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I pray you it is your consent I am after. I want all of you, not just strategic pleasantries.”
I knew part of my top lip had been bitten badly by the badger. I hoped she didn’t find it unappealing. She tasted her wound and gulped. Her breath hitched from my lips, hovering near hers.
“What kind of torture is this?”
“None but the one you put upon yourself by not answering.”
“What if I say no?”
“Then I will leave. And instruct one of my trusted subordinates to untie you.”
“What if I say yes?”
“Then I will show you all the pleasure I am capable of giving you. Hopefully make you fall for me again.”
“This should be an easy decision.”
“It should.”
“Kiss me once and I’ll think about it.”
I gave her a light kiss. Her eyes batted as I pulled away.
“Again,” she whispered.
I kissed longer, those iron-rich lips taunting me. Her hands clung to her lead. Her eyes were getting feverish.
“You said you’ll make me fall for you?”
“At least, I will make you beg to allow you to open your legs for me. So, what do you say?”
“I hate you.” She glared. I knew she didn’t mean it. “Do your worse.”
“Oh, it will be my best.”
