Page 28 of Nocturn

I tried to remain as still as possible.

“Fine,” he said gruffly.

I let out a sharp breath. “We will have to leave as close to Nocturn as possible. I cannot risk him finding me.”

“Ah, I see. Because even if they don’t find you, they must wait until the next Nocturn,” Renata murmured. I only nodded.

“You will have to find a way to escape. Eyes will be on you at all times.” Liadan frowned.

“How will I know when to meet you?”

“I will find a way to get a missive to you stating where we can meet.” Renata’s eyes brightened with her words.

“How will I know when I see the Articles? What does it even look like? A scroll, a book, what?”

Liadan and Renata shared a look.

“We do not know,” Renata said slowly, a slight sheepishness in her tone. “But we had word it may be in the Archives.”

“That is not much information at all.”

“It is all we have,” Liadan retorted to my complaint.

“Comforting.”

Frustration leaked into my tone. There was no set plan for something that could have no margin for failure.

“Well, you have to remember, we were going to kill you first.” Renata crossed her arms. “Besides that, now I have to teach you as much as I can about pleasure before you are returned to Cassiel Draven.” Her lip curled into a sneer.

“Cassiel?” I whispered.

“For such an ancient creature, he is incredibly high-strung. You should be safe from him feeding on you. His Highness only feeds on bluebloods.”

“Dinnae say his given name so freely.” Liadan said to me. “I have seen him rip some poor sod’s spine out for doing it.”

Renata walked away toward the chest near the exit. It creaked as she opened it. A dull knock came from the door.

“Is everything all right in there?” Egan’s voice echoed through the sill.

Liadan lay back near the edge of the bed, draping himself as if spent. The door creaked open and Egan poked his head in. I perched on the edge of the bed avoiding his gaze. Renata slapped a thick flesh-colored item in her hand.

“It is said Lord Draven has the largest cock across all Sycarious,” she said to Egan and waved the item at him. “I have to teach her how to pleasure something closer to him in size too.”

A flush worked over Egan’s face, and he backed away, mumbling as he shut the door.

“He’s a virile male with other urges.” Renata mimicked biting. “Since you will be in an ideal position serving His Highness, you must know how to handle him,” she said pointedly. She neared and looked toward the door, then leaned closer. “It’ll be hard since he’s so inhuman.” A look of disgust crossed her face.

I wished that were true. That his presence did not cause my pulse to race.

“But we’re counting on you,” Renata announced, brandishing the flesh-colored length. After being so close to Lord Draven’s member, this seemed a poor example. It did not have flesh at the base.

“Except without the knot.” She rolled her eyes, shaking the phallus shape as if she’d heard my thought. “Touch it. It is only rubber.”

Saints, how would I survive this without combusting?

I glided my hand up it. She was wrong. This was not like his member, not even close. It did not have veins running down the sides. Nor was it as silky smooth or pulsing with warmth.

How had I ended up like this?