by Tana Stone
“I forfeit the game,” he murmured when he pulled his mouth off her for a moment, then licked the stray bits of cream that he’d missed.
With the blindfold covering his cybernetic eye, she could almost imagine he was a normal man, and she ran a hand down the smooth side of his face. “I’m sorry.”
He pulled off the blindfold and gazed up at her, his one real pupil constricting as she watched. “Do not be sorry. I like your game very much.”
She leaned down and kissed him, tasting the bitter sweetness of the cream on his lips and in the back of her throat as his tongue swirled with hers. Then his lips went slack, and he slumped back on the bed. “I’m sorry for this, and sorry I can’t save you.”
Staggering back, Shreya tried to tie her dress back up, her fingers fumbling with the sheer fabric. She swiped at her lips, but she knew she’d ingested some of the cream. She’d barely managed to make a knot with the straps when the door swung open.
“Ready to fly?” Cerise asked, her brightly painted eyes unblinking.
Chapter Thirteen
Giving one final glance to the alien lying motionless on the bed, Shreya nodded. “Perfect timing.”
Cerise stayed in the doorway, looking behind her and waving for Shreya to join her. “Come on. I gave some of your fluffed cream to the door guard, but I’m not sure how long until it wears off.”
Shreya remembered how big the creature was who guarded the door, and she hurried across the room. Her head felt heavy—no doubt from the cream she’d accidentally eaten—but she couldn’t let that slow her. “It will just knock them out, though. It won’t kill them, right?”
The small alien beamed up at her, her bright smile never wavering. “I don’t think it will kill them, but I don’t do this often.”
Shreya saw her shoes tucked in a corner near the door and slipped them on, then grabbed one of the brown cloaks she and Vox had arrived in.
“But you have done it before,” Shreya said, more a statement than a question, since she got the feeling there was a lot more to Cerise than appearances would lead yone to believe.
The alien shrugged one shoulder, her smile flickering briefly. “Sometimes it’s helpful for a client to sleep for a while.”
Shreya thought the little woman had probably developed quite a few tricks to make life more bearable in a bordello on a brutal pleasure planet. “Thanks for helping me.” She put a hand on the tiny alien’s shoulder as the creature morphed into two versions of herself then went back to one. Great, she had double vision. She cursed the effects of the drugged cream, and hoped she hadn’t swallowed too much.
Cerise’s wide smile returned, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Don’t thank me yet. We still have to get downstairs without Zylia catching us.”
Shreya’s stomach tightened as she thought about the fairy madam, and she scanned the circular hallway that ringed the staircase that seemed to be moving on its own. “Is there a back exit?”
“Only through the sewers.”
“Let’s leave that as our back-up plan.”
Cerise giggled, tiptoeing forward, her full skirt swaying silently as she walked, like a bell without a clapper. Shreya followed, also on her toes, holding her breath and lifting the long, draping fabric of her dress as they descended the spiraling stairs. Fear sharpened her mind and dampened the effect of the cream, but she still clutched the bannister tightly.
Light no longer streamed in from above, the towering foyer bathed in shadows instead of sunbeams. It must have been nighttime, although she suspected day and night meant little to the occupants of the pleasure house. Her room hadn’t had windows, and she guessed most of the others didn’t either, so guests would more easily lose track of time.
They passed several heavy doors much like the one to her suite, and occasionally, Shreya heard muffled noises from within that made her cheeks warm—moans of pleasure, screams of release, and the slapping of body against body. She jumped when she heard the crack of a whip, clamping a hand over her own mouth to keep from yelping in surprise.
Cerise turned and put a finger to her lips, giggling again. “A smuggling vessel arrived an hour ago, so most of the girls are busy.”
Shreya wondered what kind of alien smugglers were behind the locked doors, but she also didn’t want to find out. They hurried down the final curve of the stairs to reach the white-marble entrance hall where the massive, black-furred guard sat propped against the arched wall, his hooved feet flopped out and his tail tucked neatly in his lap. The creature breathed heavily, with his maned head lolling to one side.
Shreya’s heart pounded so loudly she was sure it echoed through not only her own ears, but the airy foyer, and she couldn’t help holding her breath as they edged around the guard. Cerise pointed to the narrow opening in the door propped open by a pair of tiny magenta shoes. Eyeing the slim space, Shreya almost told Cerise she couldn’t fit through, but one more look at the sleeping giant made her determined to force her way through.
The small alien’s ruffled skirts contracted as she turned sideways and slipped outside, a pink ruffle the last thing to disappear into the darkness. Sucking in a deep breath, Shreya followed. For once, she was grateful she didn’t have large breasts, although even her C cups were flattened painfully as she squeezed her torso between the stone door and the frame. She tugged hard to get her ass and hips free, finally falling forward and almost landing on the stone walkway.
Shreya thought she heard the beating of wings as Cerise pulled the shoes from the gap in the door, and it closed behind them with a soft thud. The Perogling stepped into the miniature, buckle-up platform shoes, and instantly grew an extra inch. Giving a final, long look at the high, arched door, the alien jerked her head toward an alley that extended off the main path. “This way.”
The two women ran down the close passageway, the buildings on either side not even an arm’s length apart, their shoes pattering on the stone that occasionally gave way to dirt. Although it was dark, a trio of moons hung in the sky and weak light shone down, illuminating the ground enough for them to step over cracks and dodge bits of stray debris.
The spicy aroma of the pleasure house no longer filled Shreya’s nose. Now it was the stench of rotten food, stale booze, and urine that made her put a hand over her mouth as they ran, fighting the urge to gag. Even on an alien world, neglect and debauchery carried the same smells.
They didn’t sound so different, either. Despite the late hour, the faint, tinny notes of a horn drifted from an open window followed by a peal of laughter. Somewhere a bottle shattered and voices were raised. Behind them, someone stumbled out of a doorway, and shouted for them to stop and show him their tits.
Cerise never slowed, her pace impressive for one with such short legs, and soon, sweat beaded on Shreya’s brow, in spite of the cool night air. After making several more turns and winding down even narrower passageways, Cerise stopped, one hand on her tiny waist as she drew in sharp breaths. “If Zylia is on our trail, I think we lost her.”
Shreya instinctively glanced up at the night sky as she rested her hands on her knees. No beautiful yet terrifying fairy hovered above them, and she hoped the sound of wings she thought she’d heard as they made their escape had only been her imagination. “Should I ask what she would do to us if she caught us?”
Cerise shook her head without answering, her profile tight in the light of the moons, and the only sound that of their labored breathing.
That’s okay, Shreya thought. Probably better she didn’t know.
“Do you know where the ships are kept?” Shreya knew whatever sense of direction she’d had about the alien city had been lost as soon as they’d started twisting and turning through the alleyways.
“On the other side, but we can’t go through the main streets. Zylia has lots of spies. We need to stick to the alleys and try not to be seen.”
Shreya studied the little woman’s tense face. “This isn’t the first time you’ve tried to escape, is it?”
After a beat, Cerise shook her head. “I’ve spent a month in Zylia’s dungeon before.”
Shreya swallowed hard, her skin going cold, despite the heavy cloak. That was exactly what she hadn’t wanted to know, not that she was shocked a creature that traded off the forced sex labor of others would have something so barbaric.
“How long have you been on Lymora III?” she asked, as the alien started walking, and she fell in step next to her.
Cerise bobbled her head. “I don’t know. Zylia doesn’t allow us to mark time, but at least ten rotations.”
Shreya guessed that rotations were the planet’s rotation around their sun, or suns. She had no idea how long that was, but from Cerise’s expression, it was long enough.
“Don’t worry.” She squeezed the creature’s arm. “This time we won’t get caught.”
“I can’t go back.” Cerise’s voice had lost its high, chirpy quality. “She’ll kill me this time.”
Goose pimples formed on Shreya’s arms, more from fear than cold, and she rubbed them briskly with her hands. “That’s not going to happen. We’re both going to get off this planet, and I’m going to take you back to the Boat with me.”
“What’s the Boat?”
“It’s a space station where a lot of aliens live, including a bunch of my friends. There are no pleasure houses and no one is forced to do anything. Plus, they have cool holographic technology so you can recreate almost any setting you can imagine.”
Cerise let out a sigh. “No pleasure planets? What do the males do?”
“Either they’re mated or they manage to keep it in their pants.”
Cerise giggled. “The males from Gondorba would have a hard time with that since they do not wear pants.”
“Charming,” Shreya said.
“They seem to think so, since they decorate their sex organs with all sorts of ornaments and paint.”
Now Shreya laughed. “Of course they do. And they walk around with this dressed-up thing hanging out?”
Cerise’s head bobbed up and down. “I wouldn’t say it hangs, though. They usually aren’t very large.”
“That explains the cock costumes.”
Cerise giggled again. “You are funny. And nice. I think you are the nicest client we’ve ever had at the house. That’s why I wanted to help you. And because you looked so scared of the big alien with the robot eye.”
Shreya’s mind went to Vox, and she hoped he was still sleeping peacefully and dreaming of licking whipped cream off her. “He’s complicated.”
“But you were his prisoner, weren’t you? He brought you to Lymora III against your will?”
“Absolutely,” Shreya said, “but he wasn’t mistreating me, even though he could have.”
Cerise picked up her pace, as a pair of tall aliens spilled out of a doorway behind them, laughing and staggering. Shreya matched her, and soon the two women were almost jogging.
“So you did not hate him?” Cerise asked between breaths.
Shreya thought for a moment. She certainly didn’t hate Vox. What did she feel about him? Sympathy certainly, since she knew the torment he’d been through. Curiosity, because she wanted to know more about him, and how he’d managed to retain scraps of his former Drexian self, despite all the Kronock brainwashing and experiments. And something else. There was something she felt when he touched her. Something she didn’t want to admit to anyone, because it would make her sound crazy. Having feelings for the alien who abducted you was nuts, and getting turned on by the way he touched you was even crazier. No, she was going to keep that to herself.
“I don’t hate him, but I’m glad to get away,” she finally said, which was the truth. She knew when it came down to it, he was controlled by the Kronock, and they would force him to either turn her over to their labs, or get her knocked up. And she wanted no part of either of those options.
They reached a widening in the passageway, with hulking bins lined against one side, festering trash spilling out of the tops and making Shreya want to gag. She held a hand over her nose as they kept to the far side of the alley. When they’d almost cleared the putrid bins, two massive creatures stepped out from behind the last one and blocked their path.
“Xakden.” Cerise’s whisper was so soft Shreya barely heard it.
Xakden? That word sounded familiar. She looked away from the enormous beasts for a moment and saw the terrified expression on her companion’s face. Hadn’t Vox said something about the Xakden when they’d arrived?
She returned her attention to the towering creatures, with horns that curved out of their foreheads and around to the backs of their heads. They were covered with what looked like a layer of brown fuzz, and their arms were thick and hung unusually long by their sides. But what made her mouth go dry was the enormous shape swelling down one side of each of their pant legs.
One of the Xakden took a deep breath through its wet snout. “I can smell their fear, can’t you?”
The other grunted in reply, one mitt-sized hand stroking himself through his pants. “And their juices. I want to fuck the big one first. She’ll last longer.”
The first Xakden jerked his pants down, revealing a cock so massive and thick it made Shreya think of a television program she’d once watched on anacondas. Of course, anacondas didn’t have a sharp spike at one end like these monsters apparently did. Vox had not been exaggerating when he said they would split you in two.
Shreya turned to tell Cerise to run, but was pushed roughly to the ground before the words left her lips. She tried to scream for help, but the wind had been knocked out of her, and all she could was gasp for air and hope she died quickly.
Chapter Fourteen
The room was spinning, as Vox woke and found himself on the floor. His shoulder ached, and he assumed he’d rolled off the bed and crashed onto the hard floor. Grasping his throbbing arm, he sat up, blinking to bring the room back into focus.
Where was Shreya? The last thing he remembered he’d been sucking something sweet and creamy off her bare breast. His breath quickened at the memory. She’d covered her own breast in the substance and offered it to him as part of a game. Vox never thought he’d have enjoyed a game as much as he’d liked that one, although he couldn’t remember much past that point. His last memory was the feel of her hard nipple between his lips and wanting to taste more of her. Then nothing. Had they…?
Glancing down, he saw he was still wearing pants. He scoured the suite with his gaze. The bed was barely rumpled, and the domed plates remained untouched on the low table. His stomach roiled, as he realized one more thing. Shreya was gone.
Vox pulled himself up, a wave of nausea rising as he stood. Had the cream he’d eaten been bad? His head pounded and his tongue felt thick as he attempted to swallow. Had it been poisoned?
He shook his head. Shreya wouldn’t have poisoned him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Hadn’t her game proven that? Would she have told him to lick food off her if she didn’t want him?
Spotting the empty plate on the bed, he frowned. Unless her game had been a ruse meant to distract him. Anger flashed through him. Had she betrayed him? Her absence seemed to prove that, although a small part of him hoped she might have been taken against her will. But who would have done that? No one knew they were there except…
Vox stumbled to the door, and pressed his palm to the surface before yanking it open. He scanned the hall that opened onto the spiraling staircase. Empty. The pink-haired alien who’d been so attentive was nowhere in sight.
“Zylia,” he bellowed, his voice echoing through the building and making him press a hand to his temple.
Within moments, the fairy madam appeared from below, her wings fluttering so fast he couldn’t see them behind her as she hovered in front of him. Although she smiled, the warmth didn’t reach her eyes. “How may I assist Vox of Kronock?”
“My female is gone.” He gestured toward his empty suite. “Did you take her?”
The beautiful fairy flipped he
r lavender hair off one shoulder. “Why would I take your human? I have every room in my house filled with a creature schooled in the arts of pleasure. Your little thing looked like she was too timid to spread her legs.”
Vox bristled at the description of his mate. “Then maybe the attendant knows where she went. The one with the pink hair.”
Zylia’s smile hardened. “Cerise?” She raised her voice and called for the woman again. “Cerise! Come here at once.”
No response, although several doors on the hall opened, and brightly painted females in various stages of undress leaned out.
Zylia’s smile vanished, and she flew down the circular stairwell so quickly, it took Vox a moment to realize she was gone. He leaned over the gilded railing, peering down to the foyer where he heard Zylia screaming.
“You let them escape, you big oaf!”
Vox took the stairs two at a time as he ran down, ignoring the stares from the occupants of even more open doors at each landing of the spiral staircase. When he reached the dimly lit entry hall, the huge guard was lumbering to his feet and holding his furry head.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said, his voice gruff.
Zylia flew around him, her arms waving as her wings hummed. “You were tricked, you fool.”
The creature looked down. “Sorry, Zylia.”
“Did you see anything?” Vox asked.
The guard shook his head without meeting Vox’s gaze. “Cerise heard something and asked me to check outside, then she gave me something sweet as a thank you. She always thanks me.”
If the alien wasn’t covered with black fur, Vox thought he might have been blushing. Clearly, he’d also been fooled by a female he cared about.
“I need to go after my mate,” Vox said.
Zylia waved for the guard to open the door. “If you find them, bring me back the other one. I’ll make it worth your while.”