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Shiran smiled. "You'll see."
Chapter 46
Wraythe
The chairs were reserved for the patrons. The wall space was packed, but we found a spot. By the time the lights went down, Eladehl was halfway through the bottle of bourbon, but I had no idea how much Cayden had chugged first. As the spotlight glowed to life, I could make out the faces of the students above, innocently curious still, and the last of the patrons were rushing for their seats.
And then a single woman stepped into the light. The crimson hair made it clear who'd been picked as the example of Temptation. That was Amerlee. Her ivory skin glowed from within. Her hair looked like flames promising to burn. Her body was the second most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my entire life: full, round breasts; lush, curvaceous hips; and the black lace that spanned her entire pelvis, sending swirls down her thighs and over her hips that drew the eye to a single strip of short red hair between her legs.
She paused, turning for the inspection of the crowd, and then a dark-skinned woman moved to join her. It took a moment to recognize Shalsa. Her face had been painted in shimmering colors. Her body had streaks of it across her skin like a reverse version of lace. She also wore a wig of hair two shades darker than Amerlee's. In the stark lighting, they looked like opposite versions of perfection.
Then Shalsa knelt and began to pleasure her partner, not caring about the props set up around the display area. Her pink tongue flicked through Amerlee's folds for everyone in attendance to see. Beside me, Eladehl sighed, sounding disappointed.
"Loses something when it's my partner's mom," he grumbled.
"Not her mom," I reminded him.
"Might as well be."
But the next pair to make their way onto the stage was two men. That caught his interest. The man and woman who followed caught mine. This man was larger, and his woman was smaller, reminding me of myself with Nari. For the first time, I understood what she meant about making her feel dainty and beautiful. Watching the guy manhandle that woman like she desired was amazingly erotic. Enough that I had to reach down and adjust myself, not caring if half the world could see that my ring had failed.
From there, it only got worse. More and more people moved onto the circular mat, stepping into the spotlight to show all the various types of physical pleasure. Bodies began to merge into a mass. Partners fucked one person and kissed or sucked another. Visions of Nari sitting on me, with Ela behind her and Talin in her mouth made the ache in my pants almost unbearable.
And then Cayden finally appeared. Eladehl was right, the man did have something to show off. His dick was hard and waving before him as he moved to the large X at the side. A woman stepped up to strap his arms and legs to each bar, and then she revealed a cat o’ nine tails that must've hung on the back side. The crack as it met his flesh carried over the moaning of the lovers around him, and Cayden's cock bobbed in approval.
Eladehl let out a delirious moan.
"Seems I should've bought you a whip for the holiday, hm?" I asked, refusing to take my eyes from the scene.
He chuckled once. "Flogger, Wraythe. But no, I'd never use that on Nari."
"Bet Talin would like it."
From the corner of my eye, I saw his head snap over. "And that wouldn't bother you?"
"Look, we both know that you want more. I don't get it, but I don't have to. I just need to know enough to keep things from getting out of hand. Just don't hurt our girl."
"Promise," he said softly.
After that, he refused to peel his eyes away from Cayden. I wasn't sure if it was knowing he'd have the man before the night was over, or if Eladehl really was that drawn to the gasps and flinches the man made under the lash. When the woman put a gag in Cayden's mouth, Ela groaned again. Something about the power of that dominance called to him in a way I would never understand.
It was as if he needed to see the man hurt. For a moment, I almost called off the liaison tonight, but I remembered Shiran's offer to help me understand where I fit into this. Because the truth was that right now, I didn't feel like this was a good idea.
By the time the show was done, Eladehl was ready to get the guy alone. I, however, was the one feeling anxious, and that wasn't a feeling I was used to. Still, this was my best friend, and I was only here to protect him. My job wasn't to tell him what he was allowed to like, because temptation was too varied for that. I just needed to stand beside him as he gave in.
But I had a feeling that Cayden wouldn't expect the monster he'd just summoned. For as long as I'd known him, Eladehl had been carrying a cruelty inside him. Normally, it was a lash of his words that cut the deepest, but once - just once - I'd seen him come close to breaking. Never for himself, but the day he and I had become best friends, he'd turned more than just his wit on the bullies trying to destroy me.
He'd used his fists. Worse than that, his feet. He'd aimed for the places that wouldn't show, and that made it even more terrifying. My best friend didn't lose control. He used it, focusing his violence for the most effect, aiming it perfectly. And yet the moment I'd breathed his name, he'd stopped as if nothing had ever happened, turning it all off like a switch had been flipped.
Which made me wonder what would happen if his rage ever escaped his own grasp.
* * *
An hour later, I tapped lightly on the door with the only chrome handle on our hall. It wasn't exactly "halfway down" from us like Shiran had said. More like at the other end completely. Considering that most Priests of the Body were spread across two halls, well, half the population of the Path of the Body lived "close."
But the door opened quickly and Shiran invited both of us in. Unlike an official session, this felt more relaxed, as if I didn't need to either be invisible or pretend that Cayden's guardian was. The man told Eladehl that Cayden was in his room, and he was welcome to head in, then caught my arm in a gesture to wait. Slightly drunk, Eladehl knew the way, so I let him go, watching my friend swagger with his beautiful arrogance.
"Look," Shiran said, keeping his voice down, "Cay's got a thing for rough. I meanrough. The rule is that I know his safe word, and when I say stop, it all stops. You good with that?"
