Page 109 of A Dance of Water

He was sin beckoning, luring her away from the truth in her heart: she knew she was about to give the vestiges of her freedom and body away.

But she had scant choices left if she wanted to understand her magic. If she wanted to make Az proud.

And if she wanted to make that tempting smirk on her captors’ faces vanish?—

With that thought in mind, she said, "I agree."

Tharen’s eyes dipped to her shaking hands. "Are you sure? Back out while you can."

She nodded, even while her words told a different tale. "No, I am not sure… but let’s get on with it."

It happened quickly then, perhaps attributed to her dazed state.Her finger was pricked. She stuttered out the words of her vow, finger against her chest… "I vow to give you my f-first pleasure. But only if you train me in the way of the mages bytemporarilytaking my sight." She was careful of her word choice lest he turn to trickery, but she still felt as though she missed something.

Her chest burned as she looked down, seeing a small red circle nestled next to the Binding mark. Two marks for pleasure, which would supersede the other?

The mage’s grin turned wolfish. Blood beaded at the tip of his finger as he held it against his chest. "I vow to train you like the mages by temporarily taking your sight, but if and when I deem the endeavor fruitless, my end of the bargain is fulfilled." He paused for effect, and she grew worried. "In exchange, I get to be the first to bring you pleasure." She thought it was over, but then he crowded closer to her as he spoke again… "And anytime you feel desire—no matter who you are with—you will appear before me."

A red mark bloomed over his heart, and all the blood pooled to her feet as the air crackled between them. His hand dropped. Her chest fizzled.

And it was done.

She had bound her pleasure to a beast.

Graves stepped forward, the silk in his hands. She saw the white ribbon for what it was—a blindfold. He moved behind her. She shivered as his bare fingers brushed over her nape, gathering her hair in his hand as he moved it out of the way.

"How do y-you intend to take my s-sight?" Her breaths came fast, fear making her dizzy.

Oh, she had messed up. She had really, really messed up.

The cool silk of the blindfold came over her face, and Graves gently fixed it to cover her eyes completely. She saw nothing but impressions of the glow from the candlelight and shapes.

Fingers pressed against her temples, over the sides of the blindfold.

Tharen mumbled unintelligibly, warmth flowing through her from the spot where his fingers touched her. The impressions of shapes blurred, then left altogether. It was as though she weretrulyblind and not just wearing a covering over her eyes.

Tharen’s touch left her; she did notseeit, but shefeltit.

Oh, no.

No, no, no.

Her head whipped as she tried to find light. But all she could see was utter darkness.

38

SIGHTLESS

LUELLA

It was dark, dark…

Dark.

Luella struggled to breathe.

"I don’t like this." She tugged at her blindfold, fingers curling in silk—but it wouldn’t budge. "T-Tharen? Graves?Help," she pleaded. "I changed my mind."

Over the sound of her pounding heart and ragged breaths, she couldn’t detect either of the males. She felt utterly alone. Like she had been buried alive, left to cry and plead for a savior that would never come.

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