And from now on, I shall try to work less and blog more!
As they drew nearer, high palms came into view, their dense fronds providing shade to the terraces that overlooked the shimmering water. Behind the palms were various long, low buildings, not constructed of wood, but of bleached white stone. There were armed guards at the perimeter, and they drew back as Lutobi and Vanessa approached, openly leering at Vanessa.A tall man in a loose-fitting cream robe came into view. His black-pebble eyes gleamed from a face that was neither young nor old; but it was a dour, unsmiling face with no warmth.
“I’ll take her from here,” he said curtly to Lutobi. Directing his attention once again to Vanessa, he uttered one word. “Dismount.”
She did so, glad to feel the ground beneath her feet once more, and was gladder still when the metal collar was removed from her neck. She rubbed the chafed skin and cast a dark look at Lutobi, which was wasted as he paid her no further attention and was already moving away with the horses.
“This way,” said the tall man.
He led the way through a wide archway which led to a courtyard with fountains and palms. Turning left, he gave Vanessa a shove through another archway. The floor beneath her feet was paved with white slabs of stone. At the end of the walkway was a door which was thrown open as they approached. A stout woman of middle-age stood there. Her skin was the colour of dark walnut and unlike most other women she wore her hair closely cropped.
“Ahmed.” She gave a slight nod of her head.
“Get her cleaned up,” the tall man said. “Shaker will inspect the new arrivals tomorrow. How many do we have?”
“With this one, ten.”
“Very well.” He nodded, turned, and strode off back down the walkway.
The woman looked unsmilingly at Vanessa. “I am Myar, and you will do as I instruct. Come with me.”
Vanessa glared yet followed. She had little choice. She was led into a small cell-like room with white-washed walls. It contained a narrow window, a bed, and a chest at the base of the bed. The door had a small barred window and locked from the outside. There was also a bucket opposite the bed. What luxurious accommodation, thought Vanessa grimly.
From the chest, Myar retrieved a hairbrush and a grey robe. “Strip,” she said.
Publisher's note: This book is intended for mature audiences as it contains corporal punishment and scenes of a sexual nature.
You can find a complete list of Abigail Armani titles here, And a complete list of the books I've written under the pen name of Lucy Appleby here.
Claimed by Her Master is available for Kindle from Amazon and in a variety of formats from LSF Publications:
No comments:
Post a Comment