Chapter Twenty Five
Sadim
“Ah the memories! I remember one evening in particular. I think it was our third night together. I had been using her body ruthlessly for days, and my fever for her had temporarily cooled. I relaxed on my couch with brandy and a cigar, contemplating my new possession. No artist could have captured the sweet poignancy of that moment, not in its fullness.
She slept naked before my fire, her skin glowing amber in the uncertain light. The flames cast deep shadows across her body, highlighting the marks of my lash in sharp relief. Her ankle was shackled and chained to a ring in the floor. The chain was unnecessary. There was no place for her to run to. Call it an affectation. She was chained because I wanted to see her chained; because I liked the glimmer of steel a
