Page 93 of Devour
We are fully naked, pressed up against each other. The bare skin of his chest touching my back.
Certainly, I’m terrified, but I should also be disgusted. My heart rattles in my chest. My mind twists through all the possibilities, trying to understand my current reality.
A dozen Drak warriors stand at attention near the edge of the pool, looking at us. Behind them, a half-naked, dripping-wet man clings to a woman but watches with interest.
“You’re here,” one of the soldiers says. His voice is low, annoyed. “How convenient.” The other warriors eye us suspiciously.
I notice the water rushing around me before I understand what’s happening. I’m shifted to the side as my Dread slowly stands.
Water pours off of his body, like the cascade itself. His curved muscles like stone.
I push farther away from his naked form, but my eyes stick to one particular body part. My eyes widen.
He is… large. And erect.
One side of my Dread’s lip curls up. “That a problem?” There is a hint of threat in his rumbling voice.
I cannot see the other warrior’s face, only his eyes, but even those hold just enough of a glint to make his displeasure clear. He shifts his weight from foot to foot. “There’s been a disturbance.”
“Oh? And you thought I had something to do with it, did you?” My Dread crosses his arms.
My cheeks are hot, but I cannot seem to make myself look away from the two men facing off. There are many soldiers, but it’s clear only one is in charge.
The man’s eyes flash to me, but my Dread steps sideways, blocking me from view. Now, I press my eyes closed, rather than stare at his behind. A few more words are exchanged, but I tune them out.
A soft melody plays in my mind to the sound of the rushing cascade.
Water rises and falls over my breasts, and I peak to find my Dread approaching the bank, leaving me alone. My dress swishes in the disturbed water so I grab it, and I set it against the stone barrier behind me.
My disrobed Dread talks animatedly with the intimidating man at the bank, but they are too far to hear.
Minutes later, the band of warriors leave, and my Dread returns, his expression blank. “They won’t bother us for now,” he says, sinking down to sit beside me. “But you need to be more careful than that. What were you trying to do?”
Escape, I don’t tell him.
“Never mind, don’t answer that.” He runs a hand over his face. I stare at his lips. His nose. The shape of his cheeks. I rarely get to see his bare face. “I know this is not the reality you wanted, but it’s the one you have. The world is cruel, and this place is no different. I cannot protect you from your own rebellion.”
But you did. You did protect me from the consequences of my rebellion.
I don’t dare say the words.
I look up at him through my lashes, examining him anew. Is he different than I thought?
He is still a warrior who gathers desperate refugees and herds them to their death. He is a monster with shadows at his fingertips and fangs in his mouth. He must drink blood—they all do.
But what does all of this mean?
Why did he fight for me then avoid me? Why did he protect me tonight and then tell me to just accept my fate?
Tears stream down my cheeks. I don’t even remember starting to cry. I don’t even know if I feel sad right now.
I’m just so confused.
Without a word, my Dread lifts me into his arms and carries me out of the water.
I’m shocked still. My body is laid bare. His skin is warm and his arms tight around my legs and underarms. I curl into him because I don’t know what else to do.
We pass a few other disrobed men and women, but I do my best to shut it all out.
