“I need my husband to make love to me. And then fuck my brains out. And then I will fuck your brains out. If we have time.” “Oh, we have time Zoe,” Havian laughed. “For the first time since we reunited, we have all the time we want.” Laughing, he swept her into his arms and kissed her, molding her body to his as he did. He turned, pressing her back to the barracks wall and grinding into her, wrapping her legs around his w...

“A dance?” Clara exclaimed, stunned. “You must be joking!” She sat at a kitchen table, knife in one hand and a half-peeled apple in the other, staring at her aunt as if the older woman had grown a second head. Ingrud, not stopping as she peeled an apple as well, shook her head. “No. It’s the way of it in Gulder.” She tossed the peel in a bucket of scraps. “We celebrate the sacrifice. When your aunt Helga…” “There is an ar...

The melody, a gentle twanging of oud and qanun and a whistling drone of the nay, rose above the babble of voices that filled the katra. Serving women in bell-bedecked layered skirts and vests moved through the laughing, singing crowd bearing steaming dallahs of coffee and karak chai, and sweetened tamar and laban, and fortified wines. Here and there, one or another of the women spun, laughing as she avoided the groping ha...

I choose you. They may as well have I love you for all Kaydia heard in them. Her arms went around his neck as she pulled him into her, her mouth capturing his in a kiss. A kiss that was not approved by the Council, but what she care? What did he care? He didn’t he didn’t care about that. He chose her. After nearly a decade of fearing that she killed the last person to give a damn about her, it felt good to know that she m...

Quinn hadn't really thought about what sort of living space Scarlet might have. Oh, he'd seen what Shadi had, but that was as much a mask as the blonde wig and the vapid expression. Scarlet was still something of an enigma - although one that he'd enjoy unraveling - and the small building in a nice but nondescript part of the city was a surprising choice. Not the kind of place he'd have guessed a successful and well-paid...

Two days after the attack, they finally reached the river Sarn. The water moved along a gentle current, and trees lined the banks. Orange light reflected off the drifts, filling the stream with glittering brilliance, and darkened by the time they settled their campsite. Aurianna pulled Clara aside, “You can bathe first. We’ll be nearby by. Just, no screaming over snakes this time, yeah?” Embarrassed laughter and acknowled...

It was astonishing how quickly a life of thirty years could fall apart. One single night, one simple mistake, one marriage dissolved. Bianca had her taste of Bruce, and she was satisfied. Or so she thought. But sleeping with Vince when he returned from his trip become a chore, where she counted down the minutes until he finished. Then she was imagining her son-in-law again, seeking some solitary pleasure while her husband...

The dream was a familiar one, to Aurianna. A memory from before Matthias had fallen from grace. Before he sacrificed himself for her. The recollection haunted her for years, feeding her guilt. But it wasn’t all bad. Some parts of it were rather pleasant…With the sun beaming down on her eyes, Aurianna awoke, irritated. “Master?” she called as she sat up, rubbing her eyes, looking for him. Where was he? “Master?” she shoute...

The Eyes of AfodisiaMatthias shifted on his cot, more out of restlessness than anything else. If you overlooked the random beatings handed out by Jeoram.  it was almost comfortable. Almost. For a jail cell. He had a mattress on the floor, with a blanket. He had a privy hole. He got fed twice a day, although the food was worthless to him. They'd even given him reading matter. Scripture.As if he hadn't memorized the entire...

The sound of boots on stone echoed as Aurianna made her way down the dungeon steps. This time of night was cool, but her blood simmered in her veins, growing hotter as she drew closer. She was thankful for the dim torchlight in cells, hiding the rosy blush on her skin. “Matthias? I hope I didn’t wake you.”He was sitting in his usual spot, up against the wall. "No, Ari, you didn't wake me." Crimson eyes glanced up at her....

(Author's Note: This piece features characters from my novel To Betray a Master. Context needed for this scene: Aurianna has a metal prosthetic arm and Matthias used to be a demon) Aurianna’s eyes flickered open as she felt Matthias’ arm move. Resting against his chest, hair damp with sweat, she must have been out a few hours. The dwindling candlestick confirmed her suspicions, and lead her towards a second conclusion. Ma...

Fingers marched likeso many soldiersinto my homeland.Assailing and assaultingand attacking my better sense,until my walls were breached.Torn down, burnt down and defeated.There was no defense against you.There was nothing leftof resistanceor resilience,or refusal.You took paradisefrom atop mefrom within me.Your victory flooded my valley andclaimed my kingdomas yours.