Текст книги "Enslaved"

Автор книги: Anderson Evangeline

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Текущая страница: 31 (всего у книги 34 страниц)

It had been so long since she’d experienced pleasure instead of pain between her thighs that Trin felt herself hovering on the edge of coming almost at once. Her clit was throbbing from the way he traced it and her pussy got wetter and wetter as he licked her. But there was something she needed…something missing to push her over the edge…to finally make her come.

“Thrace!” she wailed, pulling his hair. “Thrace, I need…I need…I don’t know what I need!”

“I do.” Looking up briefly, he held up two fingers so that she could see them. “Is this what you want…what you need?”

It wasn’t exactly what she needed but Trin was still afraid to ask for that. She nodded her assent and thrust her hips towards him eagerly.

“Please,” she told him in a half-moan. “Please, yes…”

Thrace entered her smoothly with two long, thick fingers, driving to the end of her channel in one deep thrust.

Trin wailed with pleasure as she felt him pressed against the end of her channel. Then he sucked her clit into his mouth and began teasing it again as he fingerfucked her open pussy, making her moan and writhe all over the bed as her orgasm at last crashed over her.

Oh Goddess, too much…too good! The pleasure peaked inside her, made all the better by his deep penetration, though she couldn’t help wishing there was something thicker inside her.

Something more like his cock, you mean? whispered the judgmental little voice.

Yes, exactly…his shaft inside me, filling me, taking me…Trin thought, still delirious with lust. She was still riding the waves of pleasure and the mean little voice seemed much fainter while she was coming—almost as if it didn’t matter at all.

It shouldn’t matter, she told herself firmly. I should ignore it…banish it forever and never listen to it again! After all, I belong to the Kindred Goddess now—the Mother of All Life—and she approves of love between males and females. Why should I not give in and enjoy the pleasure of Thrace’s touch? The pleasure of letting him fill me…

As if reading her mind, Thrace finally stopped lapping and sucking and looked up from between her thighs.

“Gods, you taste so delicious,” he growled, licking his lips which were wet with her juices. “I could taste you all night, baby.”

“I’d like that,” Trin whispered breathlessly. “But I wish…wish we could do more than just tasting.”

His eyes blazed with interest. “And what exactly is it you want to do?”

“Well, I was thinking…” Trin blushed, unable to make herself go on. After a lifetime of being taught it was wrong to let a male penetrate her, how could she actually ask him to make love to her now? And how would he feel about it if she did ask?

Thrace got up and came to sit beside her on the bed.

“Hey,” he murmured, putting an arm around her. “Do you remember what I told you about how the medicine Commander Sylvan gave me was best for bonded couples?”

“Yes…and?” Trin looked up at him, wondering where he was going with this.

“And so I was thinking, maybe if we renewed our bond it might be more effective. I mean, I don’t know for sure but it might help.”

“Renew our bond? How?” Trin’s breathing was coming faster again and she was very aware of his big, warm body so close to her smaller, naked one.

“The same way we bonded in the first place,” he murmured.

“You mean…” Her heart started to pound. “By letting you penetrate me?”

Slowly, he nodded. “Of course, I know how upset you were last time when we were suddenly in each other’s heads. But if you didn’t like it when we were finished, you could always block me again.”

“I seem to be good at that, don’t I?” Trin asked softly. “It’s the unblocking I have no idea about.”

“Well, this is the way to do it…if you want to.” He cupped her cheek in one hand and looked into her eyes. “If you want to let me in.”

Trin knew he was talking about more than just letting him into her body…his whole heart was in his eyes when he spoke. She knew the courage it must have taken to lay himself bare to her when she had already rejected him once, back when he first came for her at the temple.

She bit her lip, considering…should she do this? Before she’d had no choice in the matter—it was let Thrace penetrate her or die of the passion berry wine. But if she did this now it would be absolutely voluntary and deliberate on her part. She would be asking a male to penetrate her—to fill her with his shaft and thrust deep in her pussy until he bathed her inner cunt with his seed. After everything she’d endured for partaking in this act once, was she really ready to do it again?

Disgusting…a disgrace…blasphemer…sacrilege! howled the voice of guilt inside her. For a moment Trin wanted to shrink away from Thrace’s touch…to go hide and keep her shameful urges to herself.

But then Nadiah’s words came back to her, whispering like the fresh, clean smelling breeze that had blown through the trees of the Sacred Grove. “The Goddess approves of love between those she has brought together,” she had said. And hadn’t she clearly brought Trin and Thrace together? They came from two races which did not mix with the opposite sex if at all possible and yet…she loved him as she had never loved anyone else. And the look in his silver-blue eyes spoke of the feelings he had for her as well.

How else could they have come together except by divine intervention? And why else would the Goddess lift the blood curse and send Trin to Thrace to be cured of her wounds if she didn’t intend for them to stay together?

I love him, Trin thought. And being with him…bonding with him is the best way to show it.

She still wasn’t completely sure he would stay, even if they did renew their bond. He had talked about packing and going after she was healed and had also pointed out that she could block him again if she wanted to. So maybe he was just offering to try once more to heal her before he left…

“Sorry.” Thrace’s deep voice broke her train of thought. “I shouldn’t have suggested it. Should’ve known how you’d feel about letting me do that to you again after what you learned about my past.”

“Thrace, no…” Clearly he’d misinterpreted her lengthy silence. “Why would you say that?” she asked softly.

“You saw what happened with my old Master—saw it in that fucking dream.” He sighed. “I thought that was one reason you were pushing me away.”

“I was pushing you away because of the blood curse the high priestess laid on me—not because of your past,” Trin assured him. “It’s a death sentence and I didn’t want to drag you down with me.”

“A death sentence?” His black brows raised in surprised concern. “What are you talking about?”

“It was killing me,” Trin said softly. “It saps your will to live—makes you just want to lay down and die. That’s…” She took a deep breath. “That’s what I’ve been doing these past few weeks. Dying.”

“What?” He took her by the shoulders and looked into her face anxiously. “Baby, is there anything I can do? We have to get you help—have to lift the curse somehow!”

“It’s already been lifted,” Trin assured him quickly. “In the Sacred Grove. I’m okay now. It’s why I finally dared to come and see you.” She looked at him earnestly. “I wanted to say how sorry I was for pushing you away. But I did it for your own good—I was afraid if I died and our bond was strong, I’d take you with me.”

“Baby…” He stroked her cheek, looking into her eyes. “Don’t you know I’d rather die with you than live a single day without you?”

“Don’t, Thrace.” Trin shook her head and looked away from his intense, silver-blue gaze. “I don’t deserve that from you. Not after all I put you through—not after the way I pushed you away.”

“You were doing what you thought you had to do,” he rumbled. “I just misinterpreted it. I thought after you saw my past…”

“That never had anything to do with it,” Trin assured him. “I think it’s horrible what happened to you, but it doesn’t affect how I feel about you. I hope…” She looked down. “I hope you won’t let what I allowed to happen to me at the temple affect how you feel about me either.”

“You might have gone there of your own free will in the first place but you’re not to blame for what they did when you got there,” Thrace growled. “That whole place is completely fucked up—especially the female who runs it!”

“Betina…” Trin sighed. “She truly made me believe I deserved everything that was done to me—even…” She swallowed hard. “Even what happened to Swift and Silk. Not to mention my skin…my hair…” She put a hand to her head. Becca had done her best to trim it into a more attractive shape but it was still much shorter than Trin liked.

“Your hair will grow back,” Thrace said firmly. “Or you could keep it short—makes it easier for me to see your gorgeous face.”

“Not so gorgeous anymore…” Trin put her fingers to one scarred cheek.

“Yes.” Thrace took her hand in his and kissed her palm gently. “Still gorgeous. Still beautiful—always beautiful to me, baby.”

Trin gave him a tremulous smile. “That’s how I feel about you, you know. You’re still the same male I came to care for so deeply and your past doesn’t change that. And it also doesn’t change my desire…” She cleared her throat, feeling the hot blood rush to her cheeks. “My desire to…to give myself to you.”

The pain on his strong features cleared.

“So you want to try it then? Renewing our bond?”

“More than anything,” Trin said softly. “But, well…I don’t really know how to begin.”

“I think I can help with that,” Thrace murmured, pulling her close. He took her mouth in a long, lingering kiss and Trin moaned as his tongue slipped gently between her lips. Goddess, she could taste herself on him! Taste her own secret, feminine flavor still clinging to his lips and it made her hotter than she would have thought possible.

“Thrace,” she whispered softly when the kiss finally broke. “Goddess, I want you so much.”

“How do you want me, Mistress?”

“I’m not really sure,” Trin confessed.

“Well, how about this…” He stroked her cheek. “Last time I was in charge—I had to be since you were drugged out of your mind on the third drink of passion berry wine. How about if this time, you call the shots?”

“How do I do that?” Trin asked.

“You be in charge—take control.” He spread his arms. “Do whatever you want with me.”

Trin bit her lip. “And…you don’t mind? I mean after…” She didn’t want to bring up his past again since he was obviously so sensitive about it, but she also didn’t want to bring back any bad memories as she had when she had almost penetrated him with the heart stone phallus on Yonnie Six.

“I know what you’re asking but no, I don’t mind,” Thrace rumbled. “You’re nothing like my old master was—he tried to force my love. You won my heart without even trying—just by being you.”

“Oh, Thrace…” Trin didn’t know what to say.

“It will be a pleasure to serve you, Mistress.” He gave her a lazy grin. “In any way you desire.”

“Well, then…” Trin eyed him, considering her options. “For starters, I think you have too many clothes on,” she pronounced.

“You want me to disrobe, my lady?” he murmured, his fingers going to the buttons of his deep red shirt.

“No. I want to do it.” Getting up on her knees, Trin pushed his hands aside and began unbuttoning the shirt herself, just as she’d wanted to earlier. She couldn’t stop the desire that rose in her as his broad, muscular chest was revealed.

“Gods, I love your little hands on me,” he growled hoarsely as she finished unbuttoning the shirt and tugged it out of his waistband. “Love how soft they are and the contrast of our skin.”

Trin liked it too and she also liked the feeling that she was allowed to do anything she wanted with him. She was used to being in charge as a captain of a ship but she’d never taken sexual charge in the bedroom before. And the fact that Thrace was such a big, powerful male who was completely under her control, ready to do anything she asked of him, made her feel safe and sexy and confident in a way she never had before.

As she pulled the shirt off his broad shoulders, his warm spicy scent filled her senses, making her long to bury her face in his neck and breathe him in. Well, aren’t you in charge? whispered a little voice in her head. Why shouldn’t you? Do what you want—whatever feels good.

“I love the way you smell!” she murmured, pressing her face to his strong throat and taking a deep breath. “Is that your bonding scent again?”

“Sure as hell is, baby,” he murmured. “I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my life as to bond you to me.”

“A bond is forever though, right?” Trin risked a glance at him.

“It can be.” His voice was low and guarded. “If you want it to be.”

I want it to be! The words hovered on her lips but she lacked the courage to let them slip out. Instead, she leaned forward and licked a long line from his collar bone to just under his ear.

Thrace groaned deep in his throat and shivered under her oral assault.

“Gods, baby—you don’t know what that does to me!”

“I know what it does to me,” Trin told him. “You were driving me crazy the whole time you were healing me.”

“You like my tongue on your body? Between your legs?” His eyes were blazing but his voice was a soft, lazy drawl.

“You know I do.” Trin was tugging at his trousers now. She’d gotten his belt unbuckled but the front fastening of the black leather pants was eluding her. Frustrated, she gave up trying to pop the trousers open and simply slipped her hand inside instead.

“Gods.” Thrace stiffened when she grasped his rock hard shaft in her hand. Trin enjoyed the sensation of power it gave her to caress his long, thick cock and feel it throb in her palm as she wrapped her fingers around it and stroked. His skin was surprisingly soft and hot, and she loved the feel of him thrusting against her hand.

“Easy, baby,” Thrace groaned as she continued to stroke him. “You keep that up and you’ll make me come in my trousers instead…”

“Instead of inside me, where you belong,” Trin finished for him, smiling a little.

“Exactly,” he growled. “Which is where I want to be—where I need to be. But not until you’re ready.”

Trin could feel how wet and hot her pussy was getting and she knew she was already ready—but she wanted to explore him a little more first. She’d always felt guilty about wanting to touch his big, muscular body before but now she intended to throw caution to the winds and do whatever she wanted.

“First let’s get these off,” she murmured, tugging at his trousers again. Thrace helped her and soon he was as naked as she was, sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs spread and his hard shaft rising from between his thighs.

Trin got off the bed and sat between his legs as he had when he pleasured her with his tongue earlier.

“Mistress?” Thrace was clearly surprised by her actions.

“I want to touch you and learn you,” Trin explained a little shyly. “I…I was never able to before but now…I want to know you the way you know me. I want to taste you. Is that all right?”

He groaned low in his throat. “Gods, to hear you talk like that…hell yes, it’s all right!” He gave her another lazy smile. “You’re in charge here, Mistress—do whatever pleases you.”

Trin returned his smile and then pressed closer, getting between his thighs so she could grasp the hot, hard shaft in her hand again.

He was so long and thick there was no way she could wrap her fingers all the way around him but she delighted in trying. She also took pleasure in the low moans that came from his broad chest when she stroked the petal-soft skin of his shaft up and down in a slow, leisurely pumping motion. How could he be so hard and so silky soft at the same time—like a bar of hot iron covered in velvet? It was a mystery she longed to solve.

Experimentally, she leaned forward and rubbed her cheek against his shaft. His bonding scent was strong here—dark and spicy and entirely masculine. It filled her senses and made her want him even more—made her feel like she would die if she didn’t have him in her soon. But there was still one more thing she wanted to try before she was ready to make love.

The thick shaft of his cock ended in a broad, flaring head with a small slit at its crown. That’s where it comes from—his seed, Trin thought. When he fills me with himself and pumps me full of his cum. The thought gave her a deep, pulling ache in her lower pelvis—the desire to be filled completely by her man. First, though, she wanted to taste him as he had tasted her.

There was a small pearly droplet at the small slit in the head of his cock. Trin put out her tongue and lapped it up. It was salty and delicious and it tasted like his bonding scent smelled—she loved it. And she wanted more.

Thrace jerked a little and moaned her name as she dared to take the entire broad plum-shaped head between her lips. He was too big to get much more into her mouth but Trin didn’t mind. She liked the sensation of being filled by him, even in this manner which her people would have considered especially degrading.

But nothing is wrong or degrading when done by people who truly love each other, she told herself firmly. And this feels good—feels right. I love him and I want to show him how much.

Pulling back, she started at the base of his cock and dragged her tongue upwards, caressing his throbbing length, tasting the salty essence of his manhood and loving every second of it.

“Gods…baby…Mistress…” Thrace’s hands were fisted on his thighs and she could feel the tension in his big body as he fought to hold still while she tasted him. When she looked up, she saw that his silver-blue eyes were half-lidded with lust and trained on her with a focused intensity that made her pussy throb with need.

“Does it feel good?” Trin asked, delighting in teasing him a little. “Do you like to watch while I taste you?”

“Couldn’t stop watching if I knew it’d make me go blind,” he rumbled. “You don’t know what you do to me!”

“I know what I want to do.” Deliberately, she took another long, slow taste of his hard shaft, holding his eyes with hers the entire time. “I want to push you down on the bed and ride you—the way you had me ride you when you saved me from the passion berry wine.”

Thrace groaned again.

“Yes, Mistress—your will is my pleasure.”

“Good, then lay on the bed on your back,” Trin directed.

Thrace did as she directed, lying in the center of the bed with his legs spread.

“Now what?” he murmured.

“Now this.” Trin got on the bed beside him and straddled his lean hips, opening her legs wide to do so. Thrace watched her every move, his eyes hungry and hot.

“Gods, look how hot and wet your little pussy is, Mistress,” he murmured. “Can’t wait to feel you sinking down on me. Do you feel ready?”

“More ready than I’ve ever been for anything in my life,” Trin assured him. His large size might have worried her but he’d done a good job preparing her to take him—licking and tasting her so thoroughly before they began. She knew that though it might be a tight fit, it wouldn’t hurt her to have her pussy stretched by his thick shaft.

Still, when she grasped his shaft and rubbed the broad head of his cock against her slick inner petals, she couldn’t help feeling just a little shiver of uncertainty. The last time they’d done this, she was half out of her mind with lust from the passion berry wine. This time it was a conscious decision on her part and she was much more aware of what was going to happen—what they were about to do.

Look at you with your legs spread wide for his big shaft, rubbing the head against your bare, open pussy! Can’t believe you’re going to willingly spread your cunt for him and let him in…let him all the way inside you to thrust and fuck and fill you with his cum…

Trin barely heard the guilty little voice anymore. She was too focused on fitting the wide head of his cock to the entrance of her pussy. He was wet and slick with her juices and she could feel her clit throbbing from the way his bare skin rubbed against hers.

Goddess…feels so good…need him so much…

Slowly, she began to slide him into her pussy.

Thrace held perfectly still while she did it—seeming to know she needed to take him in at her own pace. Trin was grateful for that. She liked being in charge this time—it felt good and empowering to choose exactly how fast and how deep she took him…though of course what she wanted was to take him all the way.

When she felt him breach her entrance and the broad head slid into her, she moaned breathlessly.

“Gods, look at that…love to see me going into you,” Thrace said hoarsely. “Love to see your pussy wrapped around my cock.”

“I love it too,” Trin admitted. “But I want more.”

Lowering herself further, she let another thick inch slip up into her pussy. She was tight inside and he was so big but she could feel her inner walls stretching to accommodate him.

“Slowly, baby,” Thrace cautioned. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

“I won’t…” Trin relaxed a little more, letting over half of his thick cock slide inside her. “Just want to feel you…all the way…inside me.” As she said the last words, she let herself all the way down, taking the rest of his long shaft all the way into her pussy.

Both of them groaned when he bottomed out inside her, the wide head of his cock kissing the mouth of her womb.

“Gods, you look so good on top of me, Mistress!” Thrace groaned. “Look between your legs and see how hot it is—my cock all the way inside you to the root.”

Trin looked down as he said and thought it was the most erotic sight she’d ever seen—the thick shaft buried so deep in her little cunt which was stretched wide to accommodate him.

Wrong, whispered the little voice. Bad! Look at you—all spread out around him! Why he’s probably leaking precum deep inside your pussy right now! It’s wrong and it’s not safe—you don’t even have any kind of contraception.

Trin knew the thought should bother her but at the moment it seemed like a remote possibility—a problem she could deal with later. Besides, she kind of liked the idea of taking a risk with Thrace, as irresponsible as that might sound. It made her even hotter, knowing that his bare cock was filling her unprotected pussy, knowing that he would spurt his seed deep in her fertile cunt and she had no choice but to spread her legs wider and take it.

“Mmm, baby,” Thrace murmured, breaking into her illicit thoughts. “You feel ready to move now? Or do you need a little more time to get adjusted?”

“I…I think I’m ready.” Experimentally, Trin raised herself up so that several inches of his thick cock slid out of her pussy. Then she lowered herself back down, moaning as she felt him thrust up hard inside her again. “Oh…” she gasped.

“That’s right, baby…” Thrace was still lying still though she could feel the tension in every part of his big body as she braced herself on his broad chest and continued to rise and fall. “That’s right—fuck yourself on me…fuck your sweet pussy on my cock. Take me as deep as you can so I can come inside you.”

“That…that’s what I want,” Trin assured him breathlessly. “But Thrace, I need…need more. Need your help.”

“Like this you mean, baby?” Gripping her hips in his big hands, he drew back until only the head of his cock was inside her and thrust back firmly.

“Yes—yes, please!” Trin begged softly. “Oh Goddess, Thrace please!”

“You like to feel my cock inside you?” he growled, picking up the pace some. “Like to feel me filling you up?”

“I do!” she admitted, her voice almost a wail. “Part of me still thinks I shouldn’t but it feels so good, so right.”

“Feels right to me too, baby,” he groaned. “Feels like I belong in you…like you were meant for me. Like we were meant for each other.”

“I…I feel the same way,” Trin admitted, gasping a little for breath. Already she could feel the wave of pleasure building inside her again, rising like a tidal wave over her head, ready to crash down and fill her to overflowing with intense sensations. She just needed a little something more to help send her over the edge…

Without thinking about it, she let her fingers drift down to caress her wet, open folds. But before she could really get started, Thrace’s big hand was pushing hers aside.

“Let me, Mistress,” he growled. “Let me pleasure you while I fill you up.”

Trin moaned as she felt the broad pad of his thumb begin to circle the throbbing bud of her clit. Goddess, how did he know just how to touch her to make her hot? How did he know just how to make her come?

“You like that, baby?” he asked softly, rubbing lightly around her swollen clit. “Feels good when I pet your sweet little pussy while we fuck?”

“Yes…yes,” Trin admitted, unable to help herself. Her hips were rolling in time with his now, catching his rhythm as he thrust into her, helping his shaft get even deeper into her pussy with each stroke. The pleasure inside her was growing exponentially and she knew she couldn’t hold out much longer. “Thrace…” she gasped, rocking against him. “Going to…going to come soon. Can’t help it.”

“Don’t want you to help it, baby,” he growled, his eyes flashing. “Want to feel that sweet, soft little cunt of yours clenching all around me when you come…want to feel you sucking the seed right out of me when you finally let go.”

“I…I want that too. I want your seed in me—want you to fill me up,” Trin admitted in a low, breathless voice.

A part of her still whispered that it was wrong to want this—wrong to take a male deep in her body and then beg him to fill her with his cum. But Trin was past caring, past listening to the voice of her guilt ever again. She needed Thrace inside her—needed it like she needed her next breath of air—and there was no better way to show him how she felt, how much she loved him, than to accept everything he had to give.

His eyes were half-lidded with lust as he thrust up into her.

“You want to feel me coming in you, Mistress? Want me to shoot my seed deep in your pussy?” he growled.

“Yes, Goddess, yes!” Trin begged. And at that moment, the wave of pleasure that had been building suddenly crashed over her, making her cry out and clench tight around him. She gasped, her nipples tightening to hard little points, her pussy throbbing hard around him. Coming…oh Goddess, coming so hard…

Thrace allowed her orgasm to trigger his own. With a low groan, he gripped her hips and thrust in deep—so deep it was as though he was trying to find her heart with each stroke. Trin felt him swell even thicker for a moment and she wondered how she could stand it. Goddess, so big inside me! Then he was pulsing inside her, filling her open pussy with spurt after spurt of his seed, marking her as his, tying them together forever as they renewed their bond at last.

“Gods, baby, love you…love you so damn much,” she heard him send through their newly re-forged link.

“I love you too!” she sent back without hesitation. And then fatigue overwhelmed her and she let herself collapse on his chest.

* * * * *

Trin lay on top of him, her breathing short and ragged. There was a light sheen of sweat on her creamy brown skin and his as well—they had been working hard, earning their pleasure. And their bond had been renewed. Thrace could feel her in the back of his head as light and soft as the fluttering of bird’s wings. It filled him with joy he could barely contain but at the moment, he was almost as tired as she was.

Trin shifted against him and settled again. Thrace was still halfway inside her and she was making soft little sounds as she rested against his chest.

“Baby? You okay?”

“There’s just one thing that bothers me.” Her voice was muffled against his chest.

“What is it?” Thrace asked gently. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, the slaver told me when I bought you that Havoc don’t bond because it cuts their lifespan in half. Did I just steal half your life?”

“No, of course not!” Thrace murmured. “You only shortened it a little and you lengthened your own life considerably. Your lifespan and mine will average out so that we both live much longer than average lives.”

“Oh, Thrace, I can’t believe you’d give up so much for me!” She sounded so upset he began to get concerned.

“Don’t worry, baby,” he murmured. “I’d rather spend a single solar month with you than five hundred cycles with anyone else. Now that our bond is strong and open to communication, I’m not worried about it—you shouldn’t be either.”

“I can’t help it.” She pressed closer to his chest as though she never wanted to let anything come between them. Thrace felt the same way but he could feel her anxiety through their newly re-forged link which made him worry about her.

“Baby…” He brushed her long hair out of the way so he could see her face, see if she was really upset…and froze.

“Trin,” he said softly. “Your face…”

“What? What’s wrong with my face?” She looked up at him, putting a hand to her cheek.

“Not just your face—your arm too…and your hair.” He stared at her with wonder. How could he have missed it before?

“What? What are you talking about?” She sat all the way up. His half hard shaft slipped from her but Thrace barely noticed.

“Go look—look in the viewer,” he urged her.

There was one hanging just inside the fresher door. Trin hurried to get there and he followed at a more leisurely pace, wanting to see her reaction.

She stood just inside the doorway staring at herself in the silvery, reflective surface of the viewer with wide, surprised eyes.

“The scars,” she whispered, touching her cheeks and arms as though she couldn’t believe it. “They’re gone. And my hair—it’s long again. Like it was before that horrible Betina made me chop it off!”

“The bonding worked,” Thrace murmured, coming to stand behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders.

“It’s not just the bonding—that doesn’t explain my hair.” She put up a hand to touch her long, silky black locks. “The Goddess did this, Thrace—the Goddess of the Kindred. You know…” She looked up at him, suddenly shy. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you but when I went to the Sacred Grove, I spoke to one of their priestesses—one called Nadiah. And…I know this sounds strange, but the Goddess spoke through her to me.”

“Not nearly as strange as hearing her speak to you right from the empty air,” Thrace rumbled.

Trin’s eyes widened. “The Goddess spoke to you too?”