“What you want is far from love,” Jerico said. He tried to match her gaze, but to his shame could not. Her eyes were so lustful, so yearning. He had prepared himself for pain and torture, but this…

Jerico shook his head. No, she only offered a different type of torture, one of temptation and mockery.

“I am not some pet of yours,” Jerico said. “Now bury that dagger in my throat or leave me be.”

Tessanna laughed. Her hands trickled down his chest, tickling the sides of his abdomen before sliding into his pants.

“Stop it,” Jerico said, his jaw trembling.

“You say Ashhur will take you,” she said, her lustful gaze turning dark and hateful. “Will he always forgive you? Even if you betray, even if you soil his name and dirty your spirit?”

“Ashhur is my light, I will not fear what I cannot see,” Jerico said, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. He felt his gut churning, hating the way his body responded to her touch. Her hands shifted lower.

“Ashhur is my light,” he prayed. “Ashhur is my light, I will not fear.”

“Light,” Tessanna said, her other hand tracing tip of her dagger along his neck. “Light fails, paladin. It leaves you cold and alone, telling you to be happy even though you feel nothing but hate and sadness and despair. That light? You pray to that light?”

She grabbed his scrotum and pulled, snarling as her lips curled. Jerico screamed at the tremendous pain. Her hand twisted, and he screamed more. His breaths came in shallow gasps. Her touch was ice, her grip like stone. Her face scarred with torment and pain, she jerked again, her other hand clutching his face and forcing him to look her in the eye.

“You should have been there,” she said. “Been there when he raped me, all the while with a prayer to Ashhur on his lips. I’ve seen the falseness of your kind. I’ve seen your light. It fucked me, Jerico, and whatever it takes I’ll fuck you too.”