Chapter 31 Chapter 31

Chapter 31 Chapter 31


"Stand," Nyxios commanded, rising from his chair with fluid grace. His fingers trailed across Patrina's cheek before he stepped back, watching as she struggled to her feet after so long on hands and knees. Her legs trembled, pins and needles shooting through her calves. "Now you'll dress properly for our outing."

Patrina's stomach knotted. "Outing?"

"Did you think your discipline would only be private?" Nyxios gestured toward the table where something lay folded beside the implements she'd noticed earlier. "Put that on. Keep the ears and tail."

The "outfit" made Patrina's breath catch in her throat. A brown leather top that would barely cover her breasts, leaving her midriff entirely exposed. The matching bottoms were little more than a skirt split at the back to accommodate the tail still belted around her waist. Paw-like slippers completed the outfit. The fabric was butter-soft against her fingers, clearly expensive despite its scandalous design.

"I can't wear this in public," she protested, holding the garments away from her body as if they might bite.

"Yes, yes. Human prudity. It covers what must be covered. Unless you prefer to parade through Limdrion in what you're wearing now."  Nyxios's voice remained gentle but left no room for argument. "

Patrina glanced down at her thin undergarments, now stained with food and water from her undignified breakfast. The choice was no choice at all. With burning cheeks, she turned her back to Nyxios and slipped into the revealing outfit, acutely aware of his eyes on her skin.

When she faced him again, his appreciative gaze traveled from her slippered feet that looked like dog paws to the dog ears still perched atop her head. He nodded once, satisfied, then selected something else from the table. It was a thin silver chain that he attached to her collar with a soft click.

"A leash," he explained unnecessarily, the chain cool against her skin as it dangled from her throat.

Patrina gasped, stepping backward only to be stopped by the gentle tug of the chain. "This is too much!"

“It is not. The whole of Limdrion needs to know you’re protected by me. If you get lost or escape again…I don’t want to think what could happen. This will warn the whole city. Who’d dare challenge me? Now, we have one final touch."

From a hook on the wall, he retrieved a wooden placard suspended on a leather cord. Words had been burned into the surface in elegant script: "I'm a bad human who ran away." He hung it around her neck, adjusting it to rest just below her collar.

Humiliation burned through Patrina with such intensity she thought she might combust.

"Perfect," Nyxios declared. "Now everyone will understand why you're being disciplined." He gave the lead a gentle tug. "Come. We're going for a walk.”

Patrina had no choice but to follow as he led her from the tower, down the spiral staircase, and through the main halls of House Keltos. Servants paused in their duties to stare, some hiding smiles behind their hands, others openly gaping at her state of dress and the sign proclaiming her transgression.

Ziska passed them in a corridor, her amber eyes widening before she broke into a toothy grin. "Enjoy your walk, Patrina!" she called, her bangles jingling as she waved.

Patrina kept her eyes fixed on the floor, focusing on placing one foot in front of the other. She told herself it was just clothing, just temporary humiliation, but the burning in her cheeks suggested otherwise. By the time they reached the mansion's main entrance, she wanted nothing more than to sink through the floor and disappear.

"Head up," Nyxios instructed, his finger beneath her chin forcing her gaze to meet his. "A companion of House Keltos should walk proudly."

"There's nothing proud about this," Patrina whispered in a hiss.

He chuckled. "But you should be proud that you look magnificent as my dog."

They went out onto the streets of Limdrion. The morning air was cool against Patrina's exposed skin, raising goosebumps along her arms and legs. She kept her eyes fixed on the wooden boardwalk, unable to bear the stares she felt from every direction.

The boardwalks of Limdrion bustled with morning activity. Dark elves moved with their characteristic grace along the wooden pathways, conducting business, shopping, or simply enjoying the cool air that rose from the canals below. All activity seemed to pause as Nyxios emerged with his leashed human in tow.

Nyxios walked unhurriedly, occasionally greeting passersby as though nothing were unusual about their situation. The silver chain hung loosely between them, more symbolic than restrictive, yet Patrina felt its weight as keenly.

"Is that the human?" she heard someone whisper as they passed.

“Wait until House Meltos hears about this! They need to be humbled now and again!”

A group of dark elf women paused their conversation to stare openly, one leaning to murmur to her friend, "Keltos's new pet tried to run. How delicious."

A group of young dark elves laughed as they approached. One called out, "Did she bite your furniture, Lord Nyxios? Or merely soil your carpets?"

"Neither, thankfully," Nyxios replied with a good-natured smile. "Though she did lead me on quite a chase through the marshlands."

"The marshlands?" another exclaimed. "Bold little thing, isn't she?"

"Bold, yes. Smart at navigating? No." Nyxios tugged the leash, drawing Patrina closer to his side and hugged her with one arm, "But she's learning."

The dark elves chuckled, their eyes lingering on Patrina's dog-ears, the ridiculous tail, the sign proclaiming her transgression. One of them, a female with silver-streaked hair, stepped forward, examining Patrina's collar.

"Already turning purple," she observed. "Despite her defiance, she's accepting you. How thrilling for you, Nyxios."

Patrina felt her cheeks burn hotter. Was her body's betrayal so obvious to everyone? Could they all see what she was trying so desperately to deny?

Another called out, "Did she not appreciate your hospitality, Lord Nyxios?"

Nyxios answered with a good-natured shrug. "She's still learning our ways. A brilliant mind requires creative teaching methods."

This drew appreciative laughter from the onlookers. Patrina's face burned hotter, the humiliation crawling across her skin like fire. Yet beneath the shame, she felt something else: a strange, unwanted pride in being displayed as Nyxios's possession. The collar at her throat warmed slightly.

They reached a busy market square where stalls lined the boardwalks, selling everything from exotic fruits to finely crafted weapons. Nyxios paused at one selling toys and games, examining a leather ball with apparent interest.

"Perhaps next time we'll play fetch," he suggested, loud enough for nearby shoppers to hear. "Would you like that, Patrina? To chase a ball for your master's amusement?"

She crossed her arms over her exposed midriff, glaring up at him. "I am not amused."

"You're not meant to be," he replied softly, close enough that only she could hear. "This is discipline, not entertainment. At least, not for you." He selected a painted wooden puzzle box from the display and paid for it. "This, however, might amuse you during your confinement. You seem to enjoy challenges."

Before she could respond, he tugged the lead again, guiding her toward a shop with a glittering display in its window. Inside, glass cases housed jewelry more exquisite than any Patrina had seen at the Collegiate Alliance. It had necklaces of silver and gemstone, rings set with stones that seemed to shift colors in the light, earrings that appeared to be made of solidified moonlight.

The jewelry shop was small but elegant, its windows displaying intricate pieces of silver and gold set with gems of deep blues and purples. A bell chimed softly as they entered. The shopkeeper was an older dark elf with elaborate silver braids. He looked up from his workbench. His eyes widened at the sight of Patrina before a smile stretched across his face.

"Ah, Lord Nyxios," he greeted, setting aside the piece he'd been crafting. "I have your order ready." His gaze shifted to Patrina, taking in her outfit, the tail, the ears, and the sign. A smile touched his thin lips. "I see your human is learning the cost of disobedience."

"Slowly," Nyxios agreed, "but I have patience. Is my commission ready?"

As the shop owner disappeared to retrieve whatever Nyxios had ordered, Patrina asked, "Do all dark elves enjoy humiliating those they claim to care for? Or is it just you?"

"Humiliation is relative," Nyxios replied, seeming genuinely interested in her question. "What humans find shameful, we often see as necessary structure. The collar, the lead; these are symbols of protection as much as ownership. Humans only need to realize that they are best cared for and loved by us. But we are feared by them. All I am trying to do is build your trust."

"They're symbols of control," Patrina countered in a whisper. "Your entire society is built on domination."

The shop owner returned in time to hear her words, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

The shopkeeper's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Spirited, isn't she?"

"She's exceptional in many ways," Nyxios seemed more proud than displeased by her outburst. He quickly glanced at the work before tucking it into his pocket before Patrina was able to look over his shoulder.

"I wish you luck in her training. Looks like she’s a little stubborn," the shop owner said.

"The worthiest companions always are,” Nyxios answered and paid the old elf who nodded.

Outside once more, they walked in silence for several minutes. The boardwalks were less crowded.

"You think me cruel," Nyxios said finally, his voice different. It was softer, more sincere than she had heard before. "But there are worse things in this world than a collar and temporary humiliation."

Patrina glanced at him, surprised by the shift in his tone.

"I need you to understand why I must protect you," he continued, guiding her toward a quieter stretch of boardwalk that overlooked a particularly beautiful section of canal. "There are dangers worse than marsh lizards. Some of them are here in Limdrion."

He stopped, turning to face her fully. His purple eyes held none of their usual amusement or condescension, only intense concern.

"When I found you in that canal, when I realized what you were, I almost lost you then. I couldn’t bare it."

He paused, his fingers brushing the collar at her throat. "There are so many ways I could have lost you. There are those in this city who would have treated you far differently than I have. Houses where humans are truly nothing more than pets or decorations. Where magic breaks their minds rather than revealing their hidden desires. It is considered a criminal act, but some dark elves only care about improving their bloodline. Not making a true spouse.”

The sincerity in his voice caught Patrina off guard. She searched his face for any sign of manipulation or deception but found only raw honesty.

His hand moved to cup her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. "I will never let that happen to you. I would die before I could hurt you like that."

"Why do you care?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because from the moment I pulled you from that water, you became mine to protect." His hand cupped her face. "My little human. My companion. My Patrina."

The collar warmed against her skin, another shade of purple blooming across its surface. Patrina told herself it was just the magic responding to proximity, not to the unwanted flutter in her chest at his words.

But deep down, she knew the truth was more complicated, just like the dark elf who held her lead in his gentle, unyielding grasp.