Free Dare to Defy by Breanna Hayse Page A

coming as a surprise. This was a dream! How could this be?
    Yet, it continued. The vine slashed again across her pale buttocks, leaving a raised welt in its path. Daynel screamed out her protests, barely able to so much as wriggle from the clutches of the punishing plants. A third lash fell across the soft spot of her bottom, the tender crease that rarely came in contact with the saddle. A howl echoed the dream world as the living whip bit into her, and a torrent of tears flooded from her eyes.
    “Baldric! Awaken me!” she begged as the vines began to punish her bottom in earnest, each lash sharp and exact, all the while the single vine that invaded her bottom wiggled and swelled within her, disabling her from clenching her cheeks together.
    In the waking world, Baldric did not respond to her audible pleas, ignoring the whimpers he heard from her bedroll. Instead, he rolled to look at the star-studded sky and thank the gods for their intervention.
    Daynel’s torment continued. She had no sense of time or space as the vines hastened in their duty to both restrain her movement and force her to submit to her discipline. Her cries became muffled as she slumped with exhaustion and she released herself to the power of the gods and their correction. Her mind drifted to the cosmos, a deep sable pierced by pinpoints of starlight. She gazed through the window of her mind, back down through the trees that stood like warriors around her sleeping body. Their shadows wrapped around the light that fell like a subtle ray from the blue-white ghost of the moon, warming her spirit and soothing her pain.
    The man entered through the darkness of the trees, and she watched as the ancient branched soldiers parted and bowed in his presence. He was pure power. From the sharp gaze of his violet eyes to the sturdy footfalls of his steps, he demanded veneration. Unable to meet his eye without wavering, Daynel lowered her face and submitted to him. She felt the vines release their hold upon her, and she slid to her knees before the magnificent creature’s feet. Her desire to worship him was overwhelming, and she fell to her face, her lips upon the booted foot that rested upon the dense grass.
    “Rise, child,” his voice reverberated through the wooded glen. He placed a finger upon her chin to force her eyes to meet his. “Rise and share Sight with me.”
    “Who are you, Master?” Daynel whispered, slowly obeying as the pain from her punished bottom bore down to her legs. He looked down upon her and smiled gently, his white teeth framed by soft, sensuous lips. His eyes held hers as he touched a tear on her cheek.
    “I am He,” he answered simply, reaching down to touch those beautiful lips to her forehead. “Take my hand, little one, and do not be afraid.”
    Any fear that Daynel had within her melted with his touch. His hold was strong, confident, and dared anything to come between them. He hummed quietly to himself, a vaguely familiar tune, as he led her down a narrow path and into a small cave. Where had she heard that song before? He squeezed her hand assuredly as he felt her hesitate, and she followed in silence. The cave opened to a large, enclosed cavern from which dripped hundreds of tiny waterfalls into clear, icy pools that sparkled in the light of glowing gems. Daynel froze mid-step, taken in by the ethereal beauty before her. The walls glowed with unearthly, twinkling light and gem-studded flowers blossomed about the edges of the pools, unleashing a heady scent that made Daynel want to simply drop to her knees and purr.
    “Join me, child,” the man said softly, entering the center of the largest pool. Daynel’s eyes widened as rainbows of color rippled from him as his body, suddenly naked, submerged itself. She gulped and followed, feeling her clothing disappear from her slender form as she timidly reached toward his outstretched hand. He pulled her close to him, pressing her firmly against his smooth, golden chest. Once she