Butcouldshe stop it? Lucy didn’t think so. Mistress Shin’dara was in charge here and she was a dangerous Twainer. Objecting to her cruelty wouldn’t do any good and would lose them any chance of getting thedimriel.It might also get herself and T’zaren killed. So she held her tongue, even though she wasdyingto jump up and object to the horrible things Mistress Shin’dara was doing.
It seemed to take forever but at last every single guard had been branded and the long, brutal ceremony was over. Lucy breathed an internal sigh of relief. Maybe now the Twainer would have had her fill of cruelty and would be in a good enough mood to make a deal for thedimriel. Then she and T’zaren could get the hell out of this horrible place!
But what Mistress Shin’dara said next, put an end to all her hopes.
“Well, wasn’t that fun?” the Twainer said, turning to her with a cruel smile twitching on her lips. “And now, it’syourturn.”
FORTY
LUCY
“What?” Lucy stared at her in horror.
“I said, it’syourturn. Here.” Shin’dara picked a red-hot branding iron out of the brass barrel and tried to hand it to Lucy.
Lucy refused to take it.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, trying to keep her voice polite but firm. “Surely you aren’t insinuating that I should brandmymanservant withyourinitial?”
“What I’minsinuatingis that the male you have with you isn’t your manservant at all andyouare not a trueDom’mesque!”Mistress Shin’dara snapped, glaring angrily at Lucy.
Uh-oh…The shit was hitting the fan now, but Lucy still strove to keep her composure.
“I beg your pardon, Mistress Shin’dara,” she said coolly. “But just because I don’t abuse my manservant doesn’t mean I’m not a trueDom’mesque. After all, your Other Half, Lady Twa’linda, is aDom’mesqueandshenever mistreated her guards or staff.”
But mentioning the Twainer’s Light Face seemed to be the exact wrong thing to do.
“Howdareyou say her name?” Mistress Shin’dara snarled. “She was no trueDom’mesque!Why, she allowed every one of her male staff and guards topenetrateher! Disgusting!”
“Well, I agree that it was a very, er, strange way to manage her people,” Lucy said, trying to calm the other woman down. “I mean, I certainly wouldn’t do it myself—”
“Because a trueDom’mesquenever allows a male to penetrate her!” Mistress Shin’dara snapped. “Just as a trueDom’mesquemarks her property. If you really are what you say you are, you’ll prove yourself by marking your manservant as your own!”
“I’mnotgoing to brand T’zaren just to please you!” Lucy said, glaring at the other woman.
“Well, you must mark him in some way or I refuse to deal with you!” Mistress Shin’dara insisted. “Guards, get ready to throw this fakeDom’mesqueout of my stronghold!”
“No, wait!” Lucy protested as several of the assembled guards took a step towards her. “There’s, uh, no need to be hasty!” She didn’t want toburnT’zaren and inflict a permanent brand on him, but she didn’t want to lose thedimrieleither. What in the hell was she supposed to do? It was an impossible choice!
“Bite me.”
“Excuse me?” Both Lucy and Mistress Shin’dara stared at the big Monstrum who had risen to his full height and was looming over them both.
“I said, you must bite me,Dom’mesque,” he repeated, looking down at Lucy. “The bite of a Stri’vor male’s trueS’renthawill mark his skin permanently.” He shrugged his broad, bare shoulders. “So bite me and mark me as your own.”
Lucy remembered now that he had offered to let her bite him before, on the trip over here. Was this truly part of his culture or was he just putting on a show for Mistress Shin’dara? And would the cruel Twainer accept his alternative?
“Well…” Shin’dara put down the branding iron she’d been holding and looked at the big Monstrum thoughtfully. “Isupposeif the marks are painful and permanent, that would be an acceptable solution.”
Lucy swallowed.
“I’m not going to take achunkout of him, if that’s what you’re hoping,” she said.
“Just leave a permanent mark,” Mistress Shin’dara snapped. “Thatwill be almost as good as a brand.”
“Um, well…” Lucy looked up at the big Monstrum uncertainly. It seemed that the evil Twainer would accept this substitution. The question was, could she do it? She didn’t want to cause T’zaren pain. But then again, he had told her that his people considered it an honor for a male to accept pain for the sake of his chosen female. So maybe it would be all right in this case.
“Well?”Shin’dara demanded, glaring at her.