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“I am not hurt. I am only as sore as I want to be.”

Damon traces a finger down Lyr’s back, over the scars there, down and down and rubs over his asshole.

Lyr flinches.

“You sure?”

“I’ll recover,” Lyr gasps. “Just a little sensitive.”

“You’ve done that before?”

“I have, yes.”

“And you’ve sucked before. I can tell.”

Lyr nods against Damon’s chest.

“Jareleezi?”

“For the rituals. She brought slaves to do it. Guards sometimes.”

“Lyr, I…”

Damon can’t finish his statement, but Lyr knows what he means. “Don’t. She’s not here. She’s not with me when I’m with you.” As he says that something lights in his heart at the thought it could really be true.

“You like it if I am rough with you. If I call you slave and use you cruelly. Is that because of her? You were her slave. Do you like to be called so because of what she did to you? Did she make you want cruel pleasures?”

Lyr rests his head against Damon’s wide shoulder. “How could I know? There isn’t another me who was never used by Jareleezi that I can compare myself to.”

“But what if the things she did shaped your desires?”

“And if they did what should I do? Deny myself pleasure because of her? Especially when…” Lyr lifts his head and looks up at Damon, “because you like it too, don’t you? You like to call me slave and take your pleasure roughly.”

“I do,” Damon says, darkly. “I have always had such tastes.”

“Then let us not let her be a part of that.”

Damon nods. He runs a hand over Lyr’s bare chest where the runes are still glowing though far more softly.

“You must not let anyone know you have these. Keep them hidden.”

“I know. I do.”

“They link you to Jareleezi. There are people in the Rose Palace, scholars who would know what they meant. Who would be able to read this strange language. If they knew about these they’d take you apart to discover what they mean.”

Lyr says, “I have something to tell you about that.”

“What?”

“About Jareleezi. I spoke to Opeth. She told me something. But you must promise me. You will not be the one to go after her. And no one will ever bring her to Azuria.”

“I can promise you that I will not chase her. Although I would love to take her to pieces for you.”

“Don’t. You must not go near her.”

“If you wish. And I cannot promise what the empire will do. But I swear to you, you will never have to see her again. I will die to keep you away from her. I only wish I had taken you from her sooner.”

“You didn’t know I existed.”