“Yes, Mistress Denna.”
She hooked his chain to her belt and led him once more through the halls to a square, open to the sky, with pillars supporting arches on all four sides. The center of the square, under the open sky, was white sand, raked in concentric lines around a dark, pitted rock. On the top of the rock was a bell—the one he had heard before. On the tile floor among the columns were people on their knees, bent forward, with their foreheads touching the tile.
The people chanted in unison. “Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours.”
Over and over they chanted the same thing. Denna snapped her fingers, pointing at the floor. Richard kneeled down, imitating the others. Denna kneeled next to him, putting her forehead to the tiles. She started chanting in unison with the others, but stopped when she heard he wasn’t.
“That’s two hours.” She frowned darkly at him. “If I have to remind you again, it’s six.”
“Yes, Mistress Denna.”
He began chanting along. He had to concentrate on a vision of Denna’s braid to be able to say the words without bringing on the pain of the magic. He wasn’t sure how long the chanting lasted, but he thought it was about two hours. His back hurt from bending with his head to the floor. The words never varied. After a time they melted into the sound of gibberish, feeling like mush in his mouth.
The bell rang twice, and the people rose to their feet, going off in different directions. Denna rose. Richard stayed where he was, unsure of what to do. He knew he might get in trouble for staying where he was, but knew if he got up and wasn’t supposed to, the punishment would be much worse. He heard footsteps coming toward them, but didn’t look up.
A woman’s husky voice spoke. “Sister Denna, how good to see you’ve returned. D’Hara has been lonely without you.”
D’Hara! Through the fog of his training, the word ignited his thoughts. Instantly, he brought to mind the vision of Denna’s braid, protecting him.
“Sister Constance. It’s good to be home, and see your face again.”
Richard recognized the ring of sincerity in Denna’s voice. The Agiel touched the back of his neck, taking his breath away. It felt as if a rope were tightening around his throat. By the way it was held, he knew it wasn’t Denna’s.
“And what have we here?” Constance asked.
She took the Agiel away. Coughing in pain, Richard gasped for air. He came to his feet when Denna told him to do so, wishing he could hide behind her. Constance was a good head shorter than Denna, her stout figure dressed in a leather outfit like Denna’s, only brown. Her dull brown hair was done in a braid, too, but didn’t have the fullness of Denna’s. The look of her face made it seem she had just eaten something she didn’t like.
Denna gave his stomach an easy slap with the back of her hand. “My new mate.”
“Mate.” Constance spat the word out as if it tasted bitter. “I swear, Denna, I’ll never understand how you can bear to take a mate. The thought of it gives me a stomach ache. So, the Seeker, I see by his sword. Quite a catch, anyway. It must have been difficult.”
Denna smiled smugly. “He only killed two of my men, before he turned his magic on me.” The look of shock on Constance’s face made Denna laugh. “He’s from Westland.”
Constance’s eyebrows went up. “No!” She peered into Richard’s eyes. “Is he broken?”
“Yes,” Denna said, sighing. “But he still gives me reason to smile. It’s only the morning devotion, and already he’s earned two hours.”
A grin spread on Constance’s face. “Mind if I come along?”
Denna gave her a warm smile. “You know that anything that is mine, is yours also, Constance. In fact, you will be my second.”
Constance seemed pleased, and proud. Richard had to furiously think of Denna’s braid as the edges of the anger burned to get away from him.
Denna leaned closer to her friend. “In fact, for you only, if you wish to borrow him for a night, I would not object.” Constance stiffened with displeasure. Denna laughed. “Never try, never know.”
Constance scowled. “I will have my pleasure from his flesh in other ways. I’ll go change into the red, and meet you there.”
“No… the brown is fine, for now.”
Constance studied her face. “That’s not like you, Denna.”
“I have my reasons. Besides, Master Rahl himself sent me for this one.”
“Master Rahl himself. As you wish, then. After all, he is yours to do with as you will.”
The training room was a simple square with walls and floor of gray granite and a beamed ceiling. On the way in, Constance tripped him. He landed on his face. Before he could stop it, the anger gripped him. She stood over him, pleased with herself, watching him struggle to regain control.
Denna attached a device to him that held his wrists and elbows tightly together behind his back. It was hooked to a rope that ran through a pulley in the ceiling, and was tied off at the wall. She hoisted him up until he had to stand on his toes before she tied the rope off at the wall. The pain in his shoulders was excruciating, making it hard to breathe, and she hadn’t even touched the Agiel to him yet. He was helpless, off balance, and in agony before she even started. His mood sank.
Denna sat in a chair against the wall, telling Constance to enjoy herself. When Denna had trained him, she often had a smile on her face. Constance never smiled once. She went about her work like an ox at a plow, strands of hair coming loose, and in no time her face was covered with a sheen of sweat. She never varied the touch of her Agiel. It was always the same, always hard, harsh, angry. Richard didn’t have to anticipate; there was no pause. She worked with rhythmic timing, never giving him a rest. But she didn’t draw blood. Denna had a constant smile on her face as she sat with the chair leaned against the wall. At last Constance stopped, Richard panting, groaning.
“He can take it well. I haven’t had a workout like this in quite a time. All the pets I’ve gotten lately fold at the first touch.”
The chair came down on its front legs with a clunk. “Maybe I can help, Sister Constance. Let me show you where he doesn’t like it.”
Denna came up behind him and paused, making him flinch in expectation of what didn’t come. Just as he breathed out, the Agiel drove into a tender spot on the right side. He cried out as she held the pressure against him. He couldn’t hold his weight, and the rope pulled his shoulders so hard he thought his arms would come out of their sockets. With a sneer, Denna held the Agiel to him until he started crying.
“Please, Mistress Denna,” he sobbed. “Please.”
She withdrew the Agiel. “See?”
Constance shook her head. “I wish I had your talent, Denna.”
“Here is another place.” She made him scream. “And here, and here too.” She came around and smiled to him. “You don’t mind if I show Constance all your special little places, do you?”
“Please, Mistress Denna, don’t. It hurts too much.”
“There, you see? He doesn’t mind at all.”
She went back to her chair as tears ran down his face. Constance never smiled; she simply went to work, and also had him begging breathlessly. But the way she never varied the pressure, never let up, was worse than Denna. She never gave him a moment to rest. Richard learned to fear her touch more than he feared Denna’s. Denna had an odd compassion at times. Constance never did. When it was beyond a certain point, Denna would tell her to stop, wait a moment, guide her so as not to cripple him. Constance complied with her wishes and let Denna direct the way she wanted him hurt.
“You don’t have to stay, Denna, if you have things to do. I won’t mind.”
Fear and panic raced through his mind. He didn’t want to be left alone with Constance. He knew that Constance wanted to do things to him that Denna didn’t want done. He didn’t know what they were, but he feared
them.
“Another time, I will leave you alone with him… to do things your way, but today, I will stay.”
Richard made sure he showed no sign that he was relieved. Constance went back to work.