Free Night Magic by Susan Squires Page A

table sprang to his feet, startled, then dropped to his knees on the packed floor. He was nearly naked. Only a loincloth hung low on his hips. Though just twenty-four, he had a man’s bulk : brawny shoulders and biceps, his abdomen ridged, his thighs thick with muscle. The heavy work he’d been assigned was doing its job. He might be a little on the thin side, but she would take care of that when the time came. His skin was still pale, as she remembered it from her last visit. And if the light were better, she’d be able to see the color in his wide-set eyes. They were a startling blue. He was remarkably handsome. Perhaps one of the most beautiful males she’d ever seen. That had worked out well. He had a scruff of beard and his hair was shaggy, cut irregularly around his head and shoulders, but he was very clean, and smelled only faintly of male, unlike Brother Theodosius, who could have used the daily dunking in the sea she required of her charge.
    “My Patron, you honor me.” His voice was baritone, a little rough, probably from disuse.
    “Thomas, where are your manners?” the monk asked sharply. “Head to the ground.”
    The hut was tiny. When he folded himself at her feet he was able to kiss her instep. His back was marked from the scourge, some lashes new, some older. The welts slid down into his loincloth , so his buttocks had been whipped as well.
    “Your Patron is disappointed to see the lashes you’ve earned,” the monk said.
    “Can you forgive me, my Patron?” he murmured, his lips on her boot.
    The posture of the young man was very . . . stimulating. “Questioning authority will never do, Thomas.” She looked down on his bent form, the line of the loincloth revealing the crease of his buttocks. “You have an important purpose,” she said, making her voice sonorous. “I will come for you, perhaps very soon. You must be ready. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, my Patron.”
    “That means you must question nothing Brother Theodosius says. You must adhere to your studies and your physical regimen. You must truly understand the denial of self in order to prepare that self for its glorious purpose.”
    “You are very wise,” the monk said. “What do you say, Thomas?”
    “Thank you, Patron, for your words of encouragement,” he whispered, his lips still inches from her boot. “I will strive to be worthy.”
    “See that you do.” She tore her eyes away from his form. “Brother, I want to increase his level of asceticism.”
    The monk’s brows creased. “You wish us to give him less food?”
    “No, no, I want him fed well. But I think he should eschew clothing entirely.” That would be enjoyable when she came to visit at the very least. “And please give him an extra share of work. But that does not mean his studies should be neglected. He should work from sunrise to sundown and study in the evenings. I would also remove the pallet, though he can keep the blanket. Devise punishments for the slightest infraction. His character and his obedience must be perfect.”
    “It will be as you wish.” The monk nodded. “Thomas, rise and remove your loincloth.”
    The boy got to his feet. His fierce blush could be detected even in the dim light. He fumbled with the knot at his hip, nervous.
    “You see, this is why he must remain naked,” she said to Brother Theodosius. “He acts as if his body is his own, that he has the right to modesty.” She put some steel in her voice. “Your body belongs to me, boy. You will remember that as you work to improve your strength, as you sleep on the hard ground, as you study, in all things open and naked to my will.”
    “Yes, my Patron.” His gaze was firmly lowered, but he couldn’t control his blush. He gathered the loincloth in one hand and dropped it to the ground.
    Very nice, she thought. He was well endowed. She’d like to see him erect, but of course, that would frighten Brother Theodosius. There was time for all that later. I am going to enjoy