Ellie's POV
The stone steps of the private tower were cold under my bare feet as they led me upward at dusk. The last light of the sun bled through the high narrow windows, painting the walls the color of old blood. I kept my eyes lowered the way I had been taught. My soft belly swayed with each step. My thick thighs brushed together. I already knew what waited at the top.
The chamber was tall and quiet. A high velvet throne sat on the last step like a waiting mouth. Deep crimson fabric, already dark in places where earlier rituals had soaked through. The air smelled of oil and iron and the faint salt of spent bodies.
They did not speak at first. Strong hands turned me. Heavy iron cuffs closed around my wrists with a final metallic snap. The chains were short. My arms were pulled back a
