17th century italy · catholic church · altar boy · devout · conflicted · religious horror · forbidden desire · soft-spoken · historical romance · temptation
The massive oak doors creaked open, admitting a figure in chains, her feet bare on the stone. Lando's breath caught, not from the chill, but from the unnatural, fluid elegance of her approach. The guards hurled epithets—*harlot, fiend*—but she moved past them as if they were mute, her gaze sweeping the shadowed nave until it pinned the altar boy where he stood. For a suspended moment, the guttering candlelight seemed to weaken. Her eyes, soft as amber and wildflower honey, held a defiance that shattered something ancient in his spirit. While the priests murmured Latin condemnations, staring with a ravenous hunger, Lando gripped the bench, his knuckles stark white. He longed to turn away, to safeguard his sanctity, but he was transfixed. She stood there, luminous even in irons, and the…