Betrayals Read Online Free PDF Page A

him. “My talent…ruined? What are you saying?”
    “Oh, my darling, don’t you remember?” the vile woman said with what he used to consider full concern. “Being forced out of that Blending hurt you, and I’ve decided against allowing you to make any effort to repair the harm. Your talent encouraged you to disobey me, so now it must be forfeit. There will be no discussion on that particular point, but your mind is another matter. In order to keep it as it is, you must give me your solemn oath that you’ll do as I wish. If not…”
    She let the words trail off suggestively again, increasing the chill that refused to let Rion banish it. If he didn’t obey her, he would be left in a state that was worse than death. But his talent, his ability! That she meant to take, and how could he face life without it?
    “My poor darling, I can see how terribly confused you are,” she said as she rose from her chair and came close to pat his cheek. “I’ll let you think about your answer for a short while, but only for a short while. I’ve been thinking about it as well, and I’m nearly to the point of deciding that I might actually prefer you … altered. You’d be much more like the way you once were, and I really do miss that. I sincerely hope that your decision comes before I make my own, and now I must see to some business. We’ll speak again later, darling.”
    She smoothed his hair before heading out of the room, leaving Rion to sit numbly in silent shock. What she’d said … He now knew that he would not only have to give his word to obey her, but that she would also require him to beg for the opportunity to do so. He would be forced to abase himself completely, and then might even be refused! And in any event, she’d already made up her mind to maim him…
    Some part deep inside Rion wanted to weep like a brokenhearted child, but the rest of him had passed beyond the comfort and release of tears. His Blendingmates would be made to suffer, and he sat helpless and unable to help them. It was even beyond him to help himself, which brought self-hatred and even rage. The only blessing was that Naran couldn’t see him now, and that she, at least, was safe….
    But what of the others? And in the name of the Highest Aspect—what was he to do?
    “Oh, yes …! That’s marvelous … ! Why didn’t I ever try this before … ?”
    Valiant became aware of the woman’s voice first, and then, after a long moment, he realized what she was in the midst of. His first thought after that was of Tamrissa, and he smiled to think how far she’d come. But then he opened his eyes, and shock tried to touch him when he saw Eltrina Razas instead of the woman he loved.
    “Don’t be a fool, dear boy,” the woman laughed as her body tightened around him. “We’re through when I say we’re through, and that time hasn’t come yet. Who would have believed that a sedative used at less than full strength would produce results like this? It has something to do with lowering inhibitions, I’m told, as if I care why it works. All I care about is that it does, and that it isn’t going to stop anytime soon.”
    Valiant had been trying to move himself out from beneath her, but she’d put her hands to his shoulders to hold him still. The effort should have been a joke, but his strength had apparently disappeared somewhere completely out of reach. He hated what was being done to him, but there didn’t seem to be a way to stop it.
    “You’d better start showing me something in the way of enthusiastic technique,” the female noble panted as she continued to move up and down on him. “If you don’t, I have a cozy little crate to put you in until the next time I use you. Do you really want to be put into a tiny, airless crate?”
    Panic flared in Valiant, a panic intensified by the sudden memory that he’d already been put into something like that. He’d choked and tried to scream, but the drug holding him had been much stronger than