The torches in the underground chamber cast flickering shadows, wrapping the stone walls in dancing gold and bck. I stood just inside the doorway, arms crossed, pretending I wasn’t nervous as hell.

  Then Mistress Ashara stepped forward, and my throat went dry.

  She didn’t walk, she glided, like a bde cutting through silk, sharp and effortless.

  Her bck leather bodysuit clung to her curves like it had been painted on, every movement smooth, confident, controlled. The high slit along her thighs revealed just enough toned skin to be distracting, and the deep V of her neckline was entirely unnecessary.

  She knew exactly what she was doing.

  A slow, deliberate tap-tap-tap of her riding crop against her gloved palm pulled my gaze to her hands, long fingers, perfectly manicured, a dagger’s grace in human form.

  Gods, she was hot.

  It was a problem.

  I forced my expression into something neutral, fighting the heat rising under my colr.

  “I am here to become a rogue,” I reminded myself. Not to get distracted by my terrifyingly attractive mentor.

  Ashara smirked, like she could read my thoughts. Probably could.

  I fshed my best cocky grin, ready to show Ashara what I was made of. She thought she could break me? Please. I’d survived griffons, panthers, and one very pissed-off innkeeper’s daughter. This? This was nothing.

  Or so I thought, right up until she tossed a bundle of fabric at my chest.

  I caught it reflexively, my grin faltering as I unfolded the absolute joke of an outfit. A sleeveless tunic that looked like it had been hacked from someone’s bedsheet and shorts so tight they might as well have been painted on. I stared at them. Then at her. Then back at the outfit. My lips parted in protest, but before I could say a single word, she was already tapping her riding crop against her palm.

  Smirk in pce. Dangerous glint in her eye.

  “Strip, Samuel.” The command rolled off her tongue like silk wrapped around steel. “Or I’ll do it for you.”

  My throat went dry. Was that a threat? A promise? An inevitability?

  I debated, very briefly, the consequences of defiance. The crop tapped once against her leather-cd thigh, a silent reminder that she did not wait for slow learners.

  Right. Fine.

  Reluctantly, I peeled off my tunic, the cool air nipping at my bare skin like tiny daggers. Then came my pants. The moment the fabric pooled around my ankles, Ashara’s gaze raked over me, assessing. Not in a lustful way, more like a cat watching a particurly amusing mouse. The kind that was about to get eaten.

  The new tunic barely covered anything, the hem lifting scandalously every time I moved. And the shorts? Gods, they clung to my hips like a second skin. I tugged at them in frustration, but it was useless, every shift of my weight only made things worse.

  Ashara tilted her head, feigning curiosity. “Oh, don’t be shy.” The purr in her voice made my skin prickle with heat in all the wrong pces.

  I scowled. “This is humiliating.”

  She arched a brow, stepping closer until the scent of spiced leather and something intoxicatingly feminine curled around me. “You’ll be exposed one way or another before the day is over.”

  The way she said it made my stomach do something I wasn’t prepared to acknowledge.

  I swallowed hard. Gods, this woman was impossible.

  Ashara led me deeper into the chamber, where the obstacle course loomed like a death trap designed by a sadist. Spiked pendulums, spinning logs, teetering ptforms, and pits of thorny vines, I could already feel the bruises forming.

  She strode ahead, hips swaying, a walking contradiction of grace and lethality. My eyes trailed her because of course they did, the sleek bck leather hugging every curve, the high slit in her bodysuit revealing fshes of toned thigh with every step.

  I swallowed, forcing my gaze higher, but that didn’t help.

  She turned, catching me staring. Smirking.

  “Like what you see?” she asked, twirling her crop between her fingers.

  I scoffed, crossing my arms, pretending I wasn’t flustered. “I was studying your movement.”

  “Mm.” She tapped the crop against my chest, slow, deliberate. “Try to keep up, then.”

  And then she moved.

  Fast.

  One second she was in front of me, the next she was weaving through swinging axes, vaulting over gaps, slipping between death traps like she was made of liquid shadow.

  It was unfair how smooth she was.

  When she nded lightly on the other side, she flicked a stray strand of hair from her face, not even winded. “That is how a rogue moves,” she purred. “Silent. Controlled. Efficient.”

  I scoffed, rolling my shoulders as if I hadn’t just watched her make this whole thing look ridiculously easy.

  “Right,” I muttered, eyeing the first ptform. “How hard can it be?”

  Her smirk widened. “Oh, I am going to enjoy this.”

  I took a deep breath, focused on my footing, and pushed forward.

  Three steps in, I immediately regretted everything.

  I stepped onto a tilting ptform that shifted violently, throwing me off bance. My arms filed, my tunic rode up, and for a solid, horrifying moment...

  I full-mooned the entire chamber.

  Ashara’s slow, taunting cp echoed through the room as I crashed to the ground with a graceless thud.

  I groaned, the cool stone pressing against my back, staring at the ceiling as my pride broke into a thousand tiny pieces.

  “Graceful,” Ashara mused, stepping closer. “Truly, I am in awe.”

  I forced my head up just enough to gre at her. “You—”

  Crack.

  The riding crop nded sharply across my exposed thigh, making me jolt.

  “Less talking, more moving,” she said sweetly.

  I exhaled sharply through my nose. This woman was going to kill me.

  I rolled onto my side, bracing myself to stand. “Fine. One fluke. One misstep. I got this.”

  Ashara arched a brow. “Oh? By all means, Samuel. Enlighten me.”

  I gritted my teeth, shoved down the sting in my pride and on my skin, and forced myself back onto my feet.

  This was only the beginning.

  The torches in the underground chamber flickered like restless spirits, casting jagged shadows across the cold stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and polished leather, a mix that curled in my lungs and made my nostrils fre. I wasn’t nervous. Not yet. But the moment Mistress Ashara stepped behind me, the slow, deliberate tap-tap-tap of her crop against her palm, my bravado shrank like a kicked puppy.

  My cocky grin from earlier? Dead and buried.

  Because this? This was not fun.

  I shifted uncomfortably, the ridiculous outfit she had forced me into a constant reminder of my humiliation. The sleeveless tunic barely covered my ribs, riding up whenever I moved. The shorts? An affront to decency. Tight enough to make me question whether they were actually meant for training or just Ashara’s personal amusement. Judging by her smirk, I had my answer.

  But I wasn’t here to make fashion statements. I was here to prove myself.

  I took a deep breath, the cool air biting at my exposed skin, and focused on the obstacle course ahead.

  The first axe swung, a monstrous steel pendulum, its bde glinting like a predator’s tooth. I dodged it easily, a small victory that sent a surge of confidence through me. Maybe I wasn’t as useless as she thought.

  Next came the bance beam. It stretched over a pit of thorny vines, each one writhing like hungry fingers. I stepped onto the slick wood, heart pounding against my ribs.

  Halfway across, my foot slipped.

  Time slowed as I pinwheeled my arms, scrambling to correct myself.

  I did not correct myself.

  I tumbled hard, crashing into the vines with a thud that rattled my spine. The thorns bit into my skin like teeth, sharp and possessive.

  And then they moved.

  My breath hitched. What.

  The vines coiled around me, rough and unyielding, creeping up my legs, wrapping around my waist like sentient serpents. I struggled, instinct, panic, sheer stubbornness, but the more I fought, the tighter they squeezed.

  A low, amused hum broke through my haze of oh-gods-get-them-off.

  Ashara.

  She knelt beside me, crop resting against her thigh, watching me struggle like a particurly amusing pet. Her smirk was a knife’s edge, sharp and precise.

  “If you stop, you die,” she purred, her voice smooth as silk.

  I growled through clenched teeth, squirming against the vines. “Oh yeah? Bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

  Her crop tapped against my thigh. Slow. Deliberate. Sliding up.

  It grazed my hip, my stomach, my cheek. My jaw locked, a fresh wave of heat crawling under my skin.

  “You’re moving with fear, Samuel,” she murmured, tilting her head. “A rogue must move with confidence.”

  I opened my mouth, a retort ready, something clever, something to distract from the fact that I was absolutely and undeniably trapped...

  Snap.

  The crop cracked against my thigh, just light enough to sting.

  My breath hitched.

  Not from pain, but from the way her smirk deepened.

  Gods, she enjoyed this.

  Before I could gather a single rebellious thought, she twirled a dagger between her fingers and... slice.

  The vines went limp.

  I crashed to the ground in an undignified heap, my body still tingling from the phantom pressure.

  I barely had time to suck in a breath before her boot nudged against my ribs.

  “Again,” she said smoothly. Like I had a choice.

  I groaned, pressing my forehead to the cold stone floor.

  I had many regrets in life.

  Signing up for this?

  It was rapidly climbing the list.

  I hauled myself up, my entire body screaming in protest, but the burn in my muscles wasn’t the only thing keeping me moving. The way Ashara watched me, her lips quirked, her gaze knowing, it did something to me. I was too proud to admit how much.

  I was done with caution. Done with hesitation.

  I barreled forward, dodging the first few obstacles with a speed that surprised even me. Ashara wanted agility? I’d give her agility.

  My heart hammered, adrenaline and something darker coursing through my veins.

  But then, the floor shifted.

  I had just enough time to register the sharp click of a pressure pte beneath my foot before...

  The Punishment Gauntlet activated.

  Crack.

  The first paddle smmed against my shoulder, sharp and sudden. I yelped, twisting away on instinct, but there was no escape.

  Another paddle caught me across the stomach, the impact sending a ripple of heat through my skin.

  And then, one nded squarely across my ass.

  My body jerked, heat rushing to pces it should not be rushing to.

  I stumbled, filed, dodged, but the enchanted paddles were relentless.

  And Ashara was watching.

  Enjoying.

  “Pain is a teacher, Samuel,” she purred, her voice silky, teasing, merciless.

  “Yeah?” I shot back, breathless, flushed in more ways than one. “Then I think I’m valedictorian.”

  She ughed. Low. Sultry.

  Gods, I hated how much I liked that sound.

  By the time I staggered out the other side, panting, flushed, and barely able to stand, I felt raw.

  Ashara’s voice purred through the chamber, wrapping around me like silk.

  “Pain is a teacher, Samuel. Learn quickly, or keep suffering.”

  Her crop traced zy circles in the air as she watched me crumble.

  I made it through the final stretch on sheer stubbornness alone, my body screaming, my mind still somewhere in that gauntlet, trying to process.

  By the time I colpsed at the end, I was wrecked.

  Every muscle ached. My body throbbed.

  And Ashara?

  She crouched beside me, gloved fingers gripping my chin, forcing me to look up.

  “A rogue does not simply dodge and run,” she murmured, voice velvet-soft but sharp as a bde. “He must be clever. He must use his words. If your feet fail, your tongue should save you.”

  I swallowed, her breath ghosting over my lips.

  She released me slowly, like she was savoring the moment, stepping back.

  “You have the agility of a drunk mule,” she mused, eyes flicking over me. “But…”

  I winced. “But?”

  She leaned down, lips brushing my ear...

  “You do have one thing.”

  My breath hitched. “And that is?”

  “Stubbornness.”

  She ughed softly, twirling her crop.

  “Rest. Tomorrow, we do it all again.”

  I groaned, rolling onto my back.

  I was sore. Humiliated.

  And still very, very aware of the heat lingering in my body.

  Gods.

  I hated her.

  I wanted her.

  I was so, so screwed.

  The underground chamber was quiet now, the only sound my ragged breathing and the faint echo of Ashara’s ughter still lingering in my ears. I stood there, my body a map of bruises and sore spots, the ridiculous outfit she’d forced me to wear now bunched in my hands.

  The tunic was a joke, the shorts an insult. I tossed them onto a bench, grabbing my clothes with a mixture of relief and dread. Every movement was a fresh reminder of the day’s humiliations.

  Pulling on my tunic was like being wrapped in a warm hug, except the fabric brushed against my sore muscles, making me wince.

  My ass throbbed, a constant reminder of the punishment gauntlet. I could still feel the sting of those paddles, the heat rising to my face at the memory.

  I gritted my teeth, yanking on my pants with a hiss. Determination burned in my gut, mixing with the humiliation. I wasn’t going to let this break me.

  The chamber was empty when I turned around. Ashara was gone, as if she’d vanished into the shadows. I wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t the type for goodbyes. I limped out, the cool mountain air spping me in the face.

  The streets of Ashbourne were alive with the sounds of merchants and the ctter of wagons, but I barely noticed. My mind was still in that chamber, repying every stumble, every crack of the paddle.

  The public baths were a blur. I just wanted to wash the sweat and shame off, to let the hot water soak into my muscles. It didn’t help much, but it was better than nothing. By the time I stumbled out, the sun was setting, casting long shadows over the cobblestones. The Crooked Nail was calling me, its sign creaking in the wind.

  Inside, the warmth hit me like a punch to the chest. The fire roared, casting flickering shadows over the wooden walls. The scent of stew and ale filled the air, making my stomach growl. I spotted Maple behind the bar, her golden eyes catching mine as she poured a tankard of ale. She knew me too well.

  “Well, well,” she drawled, setting the ale down with a knowing smile. “First day with Ashara?” Her lips twitched, and she slid a pouch of ice onto the stool in front of me. “You’ll want that.”

  I groaned, lowering myself onto the stool. The ice was a relief against my sore muscles, but it didn’t fix the humiliation. “She’s a sadist,” I muttered, reaching for the ale. “A damn spanking gauntlet? Who does that?”

  Maple snorted, barely holding back ughter. “Aww, poor thing,” she teased, tousling my hair like I was some stray kitten. “Did the big, bad master assassin hurt you?”

  I gred at her, but her grin was infectious. “Shut up,” I said, taking a long swig of ale. It burned down my throat, warming me from the inside out.

  She slid a steaming bowl of stew in front of me, the aroma hitting me like a punch to the gut. I dug in without hesitation, the fvors exploding in my mouth. It was like a hug in a bowl.

  “I swear she enjoys making people suffer,” I muttered between bites. “My ass has been personally introduced to every single one of those paddles.”

  Maple ughed, a rich, melodic sound that made me pause. “Oh, Samuel,” she said, leaning on the counter. “You’re just mad because she’s better at this than you are.”

  I scowled, but she just kept grinning. “You’re just saying that because you’re in love with her,” I shot back, trying to sound nonchant.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Maybe a little. But mostly because she’s good at what she does.” She leaned in, her voice dropping. “And so are you, even if you don’t know it yet.”

  I rolled my eyes, but her words stuck. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was better than I thought. I took another bite of stew, the warmth spreading through me. The Crooked Nail was my safe haven, a pce where I could just be Samuel, not some failed rogue trying to prove himself.

  As I ate, the weight of the day started to lift. The aches were still there, but they didn’t feel as bad. Maple’s teasing and the warmth of the fire soothed me, reminding me that tomorrow was a new day. And I’d be back in that chamber, ready to face whatever Ashara threw at me.

  I pushed the bowl away, feeling almost human again. “Thanks, Maple,” I said, tossing a few coins on the counter. “I owe you one.”

  She smiled, pocketing the coins with a wink. “You owe me several, but who’s counting?”

  Shaking my head, I turned toward the stairs, exhaustion settling deep in my bones. Halfway up, a familiar figure brushed past me, the cloaked woman from st night.

  I recognized her instantly. The same long brunette hair peeked out from beneath her hood, the same graceful stride, the same lingering scent of spice and flowers. My step faltered as she passed me, my fingers brushing the wooden railing for bance.

  She paused just long enough at the top of the stairs, tilting her head toward me. Beneath the hood, I caught the faintest glint of mischief in her eyes, a deep, smoldering brown that was impossible to forget. The same eyes that had locked onto mine the night before, moments before she’d grinned, winked, and disappeared into the room beside mine.

  My lips parted, but before I could say anything, she was gone, slipping into her room with the ease of someone who had done this a thousand times before.

  I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair. Who was she?

  I climbed the rest of the stairs, the question swirling in my mind, a distraction I wasn’t sure I wanted to shake.

  Inside my room, the fire was already lit, casting a warm glow over the wooden walls. I unbuckled my belt, kicked off my boots, and colpsed onto the bed, wincing as my body protested. Every inch of me ached, but exhaustion barely dulled the simmering curiosity in my gut.

  I knew I’d be back in that chamber tomorrow, but right now, my mind wasn’t on Ashara.

  As I let my eyes drift shut, muffled moans and the rhythmic thumping of a headboard from the next room made me crack one eye open.

  A slow, tired grin stretched across my face.

  “At least someone’s having fun,” I muttered, voice hoarse.

  Tomorrow was another day. And I had a feeling this mystery woman was going to be a problem.

  A very distracting, very beautiful problem.

  AnnouncementComments? 12 chapters left in this lil novel, then the next one begins.