Page 79 of Vows of Sacrifice

My cheeks were on fire. Can we really know the size of a man’s penis by the size of his hand? I wondered inwardly.

“I think that for tonight, your husband will take the lead. The most important thing is to trust him and not hesitate to tell him how you’re feeling or ask him to be gentle with you if you feel he’s, er . . . he’s a bit too passionate,” Luanda explained. “First, he’ll caress various parts of your body. Above all, relax and let yourself be carried away by the sensations. Avoid thinking. A head that thinks is a head that does not enjoy, believe my experience.”

This avalanche of words rushed through my mind.

“You can also touch his body,” intervened Marione. “Men like it too.”

I put a hand to my heart. It almost burst out of my chest when I heard that sentence. I had to admit that I longed to touch Dovah’s face, his square chin, or his muscular torso. Sometimes, I even caught myself inhaling his particular scent; distinctive, warm, and spicy.

“At a certain point, caresses will no longer be enough for you,” Luanda continued. “Your body and his will demand more. That’s when he’ll penetrate you and break the barrier of virginity. If it’s painful, don’t hesitate to tell him, your husband will act in such a way as to make you forget it.”

She squeezed my hand briefly before releasing it.

“We have your wedding night outfit with us. You’re going to take a bath, put on this very special outfit we’ve prepared for you, and experience a unique moment with your husband!” she assured me with a broad, maternal smile.

Suddenly, I wondered exactly how big Dovah’s hands were.

12

DOVAH

“Pour me a drink. No, not your bubbly stuff, something stronger.”

My brother Paivrin shot me a surprised look, to which I responded with a darker look, but he complied, handing me his homemade liqueur. My wife was talking about sex with her chambermaids; chambermaids who had sent me to prepare a bath so they could be alone with her. I wanted to be alone with her too. I would have preferred that she asked me questions instead!

I let out a long sigh before running an agitated hand through the mass of my messy hair. No, of course not. I knew for a fact that she was more comfortable discussing this with her followers.

“Nervous?” suggested Kynnen with a smirk.

I bared my teeth in response, and Morgana immediately imitated me in her defense. I felt the fire of my power burning in my irises, and the she-wolf whimpered in submission and laid down at my brother’s feet.

“Hey!” he said reproachfully.

“What?”

“Don’t take it out on Morgana.”

“She started it.”

To comfort her, my brother affectionately stroked the top of her head.

“Ignore him, you know he’s the most temperamental of us all.”

I beg your pardon? Since when was I the most temperamental of the Patriarchs? And Tylbis, then?

“Really, I can’t wait for you to come face to face with your flame,” I grumbled, before turning to Paivrin. “Is there any way of getting hot water to fill the tub in the cottage?”

“I’ll ask Grimson.”

“Let him get help from the two soldiers I’ve brought with us,” I added.

Paivrin nodded and left the room to ask his servant to heat the water. I stayed a little longer with my brothers, until Ashana’s bath was ready so she could enjoy it fully before I returned.

“It’s a good thing we’re almost all together,” I began, more seriously. “I have something important to tell you. Ashana pointed out to me that there are no creatures of the Abyss in Muvaria, and I’d like to know the reason, given that they’re present everywhere else.”

Paivrin looked stunned when he heard this.

“Are you sure?”

---