Aria's/Lysara's POV

I threw myself against the cross. The leather pouch fitted to the cross behind me cushioned my slam, but not the pain sizzling through me.

My eyes watered, covered in a fog of blurry moisture, and I stared at the red patch on my skin, the imprint of the whip. His voice rose around me, tender and soft, just as his hand caressed my thighs. “Breathe in and out, Lysara. Take in the pain, savor it, and control it, just like I have always told you. Don't let it rule you. Rule ...