Nikki bit back a gasp. The olive skin of his back and shoulders was covered in scars from what could only be from multiple vicious beatings. When he turned back to her, his bronze eyes were glowing—actually glowing—with anger.
“Not only that, you keep us all in endless chastity.” He nodded between his legs at the metal cage affixed to his equipment. “We are never allowed a sexual release unless you are particularly pleased with the meal—which you never are—or if you want to put on a show for your friends at a banquet. Do you know or even care how demeaning it is to stroke myself off for the amusement of a bunch of rich, heartless females on command?” He glared at her. “I will never do that again—not even if you whip me until I die!”
For a moment, Nikki was speechless. She couldn’t imagine treating anyone the way this man had been treated. Her evil twin really was evil, she realized. Mistress Hellenix clearly had no regard for anyone but herself and if what he was saying was true, she actually enjoyed inflicting pain and humiliation on the slaves she owned.
What a horrible person!
And she’s in charge of my house and my kids while I’m here. I have to get home! Nikki told herself. She was pretty sure that the dominatrix wouldn’t hurt her boys—that would certainly violate the contract the E’lo stones had set up between them when they first switched. But she still didn’t know what effect the other woman might be having on her home. After seeing what she was capable of, she just wanted to get back to Earth before any long-term damage was done.
As for the head chef who was glaring at her with glowing bronze eyes, Nikki wished she could apologize to him and to all the kitchen staff and set them all free. But Malik had said she couldn’t do that. Still, something needed to happen to Mistress Hellenix, Nikki thought resentfully. It wasn’t right that she should get away with all the misery she’d inflicted.
In the meantime though, she had to deal with the matter at hand.
“Well, slave,” she said, trying to make her voice sound strong and arrogant, like the real Hellenix. “I have no plans to whip you this time—your punishment shall be more severe than a simple whipping.”
There was a muffled gasp from some of the other assembled kitchen staff and Nikki heard one of them mutter,
“Now chef’s done it—Mistress is going to chop off his shaft!”
It was a horrific thought but it gave her an idea about how to play this.
“In fact,” she went on, “You will never have to worry about pleasuring yourself for me and my guests ever again—I’ll make sure of that before I send you off to the Mor’bath mines!” There was a meat cleaver lying on a wooden chopping block on the burnished copper countertop beside her. Nikki picked it up and brandished it menacingly as she spoke.
There were more gasps and some murmurs of sympathy and Nikki knew her words had struck home. Good—that should at least keep anyone else from trying to kill her in the short time she had left before she and Malik left for the Pain Banquet and the side trip to Uriel Two. But she still wanted to have a word with the head chef, who was glaring defiantly at her, before she sent him off in the ship that was waiting to carry him away.
“Malik,” she murmured, stepping back to make use of the privacy bubble and speak to him without anyone else hearing. “I want to talk to this man alone for a moment before we send him off.”
“As you wish, Mistress—as long as I’m there with you to be certain of your safety,” he said, frowning. “Even with that cleaver in your hand, I wouldn’t give a fake credit for your chances of survival otherwise. For a Kindred warrior to go against the principals of the Goddess and try to kill a female, he must be deadly certain of his purpose. Either that or he’s accepted that he will spend eternity in one of the Seven Hells for his sins and he hates Mistress Hellenix so much he counts the punishment as worth the crime.”
Nikki shivered at the thought that the man hated her—or the woman he thought she was—so much that he was willing to risk his eternal soul to get rid of her. But it only increased her desire to speak to him.
“All right,” she told Malik. “Is there a place I can speak to him privately?”
“One of the pantries should do. But first, dismiss the other kitchen staff.”
“All right.” Stepping forward, Nikki raised her voice. “Let this slave’s fate be a lesson to the rest of you. Mistress Hellenix does not tolerate disobedience or attempts on her life. Now go about your duties.” She thunked the blade of the cleaver into the wooden chopping block for emphasis and saw most of the slaves wince.
There, she thought to herself as the kitchens staff began to silently disperse. That should get the point across. Also, appearing to speak about herself in the third person was a nice, villainous touch, she thought.
“Come, slave.” Malik took the head chef by the arm and led him through a side door, into a room filled with boxes and cans with labels that made no sense to Nikki.
Channa scum, read one and another said, fillip tails. A third read simply, tongue paste. Was it paste you smeared on your own tongue or paste made of the ground up tongues of some unknown creature? Also, did it have anything to do with the tongue oil she had bathed in when she first appeared in Mistress Hellenix’s house?
Nikki decided she didn’t want to know. Looking at the containers filled with strange foods, she put a hand to her stomach. Ugh! Presumably these were ingredients for future dinners. She just hoped she wasn’t the one to eat them.
“Now then,” Malik said, after making certain the door was firmly fastened. “What is it you wish to say to this slave, Mistress?”
Nikki stepped towards the huge slave with his glowing bronze eyes but she hardly knew where to begin.
“What’s your name?” she asked at last, tilting her chin up to look him fully in the face. He and Malik were both so tall she felt a little like a kid between two adults. Yet, she was the one in charge here, she reminded herself sternly.
The slave looked surprised.
“Why do you ask me now, when you’re about to send me to my doom?” he demanded. “You bought me five years ago and you’ve never given a damn for anything but my cooking skills and the size of my shaft. Do you want to know what to put on my death record when the mines kill me?”
“Just answer the question,” Malik growled. “We have limited time.”
“Tell me your name, please,” Nikki said gently, using manners even though Malik had warned her not to.
The slave looked even more surprised but at last he answered.
“I am called Dark,” he said warily. “Though I still don’t know why you wish to know.”
“So I can speak to you as a person instead of a slave,” Nikki told him. “Look, I want you to know you’re not really going to those awful mines, wherever they are. You’re going to be given a small ship and you can go your own way—anywhere you want. So you’re going to be okay.”
“What?” Dark blinked, clearly not believing her. “What lies are you telling me? And why are you bothering to tell them?”
“No lies,” Nikki said quickly. “Look, I’m not who you think I am.” She cast a glance at Malik. “I think I can tell him—after all, he’s going away. It’s not like he can tell anyone else.”
He shrugged. “As you wish, Nicole.”
“Nicole?” Dark frowned. “Who is Nicole?”
“I am—I’m not Mistress Hellenix. She and I got switched by some shiny purple M&Ms…” Nikki shook her head, realizing how crazy that sounded. “Anyway, look—it’s a long story but the main thing is, I’m not mad at you for trying to poison me because I understand why you did it. Mistress Hellenix has abused you horribly and if it was up to me, I’d set all the other slaves free along with you. But I can’t because that would violate the contract,” she finished in a rush.
“What?” Dark looked truly startled now. “What are you saying? How can this be?”
“She speaks the truth, Brother,” Malik growled. “There is ancient magic at work here. Nicole comes from an
other world called ‘Earth’ and has been thrust into our Mistress’s life by chance or the will of the Goddess—I’m not sure which yet. She is sending you on your way in a gesture of good faith and trusting you not to betray her.”
“Of course I won’t.” Dark still looked stunned. “Poisoning a female was the hardest and most loathsome thing I have ever done in my life. I only did it because some of my staff were saying they wished themselves dead rather than living under the rule of such a cruel Mistress any longer.”
“Oh dear…” Nikki bit her lip. “I wish I could do something for them.”
“You cannot reveal yourself to everyone, Mistress,” Malik growled. “You would not be safe if it was known that a kind, gentle female had taken Mistress Hellenix’s place.”
“I suppose. But maybe we can at least get the hurt slaves medical attention and maybe give them extra rations or something?” she suggested.
Malik nodded. “I’ll see to it.”
Dark was looking back and forth between them, the uncertainty on his face turning to amazement.
“You really are a different female,” he murmured hoarsely. Dropping to his knees, he took Nikki’s hand and pressed his forehead to it. “I beg you will forgive me for my attempt on your life, Nicole of Earth. I will always remember your kindness to me, even after I tried to kill you in such a shameful manner.”
“Oh, it’s all right. You can get up now.” Nikki knew she was supposed to get used to men bowing and kneeling to her but she was still working up to the whole “receiving obeisance” part of the Mistress job.
“Thank you.” Dark rose smoothly to tower over her again.
“Well, I guess we’d better get you on your way,” Nikki said brightly. “Malik, is the ship that’s taking him away all ready to go?”
“Yes, it is, Mistress. But you cannot send him on his way just yet,” Malik rumbled.
“I can’t? Did I forget something?” Nikki frowned.
“His pain collar and cuffs must come off. As must his chastity cage.” Malik nodded between the other male’s legs at the silver mesh cage that enclosed his genitals. “It will respond only to your touch. If you send him away without taking it off, you’re dooming him to a life of unwanted celibacy.”
“Oh dear. I guess…guess we can’t have that.” Nikki cleared her throat uncomfortably, looking at the sizable silver package that stuck out from the fly of Dark’s tight black leather trousers. “Um, how do I open it?” she asked Malik.
“There should be a smooth area in the back of it which responds to your fingerprint—just as my pain collar did,” Malik said.
“Okay. Let’s do the collar and cuffs first, though,” Nikki said. She wanted to work her way up to the challenge of getting the chastity cage off.
Don’t you mean work your way down? whispered a little voice in her head but she pushed it away.
Dark bent low obligingly, since there was no other way she could have reached him, and Nikki felt around the back of his thick, black pain collar until she found the smooth spot that took her fingerprint. After the collar fell off, she did the same for the cuffs.
Then it was time to do that chastity cage.
“Um, I’m sorry about this,” Nikki muttered as he spread his legs and she felt around the back of the silver cage. She could feel the heat of his skin right through the thin metal and she felt like she was doing something wrong—cheating somehow. The feeling wasn’t helped by the stony look that Malik was giving her as Dark thrust out his hips to help her gain access.
She could feel her cheeks getting hot. God, this was embarrassing! She did not want to be feeling up some strange guy’s junk! Where was that smooth spot? Would this ever be over?
At last she found the spot and pressed her right index finger to it. The cage split in two right down the middle and fell off to either side. Abruptly, Nikki found herself cupping Dark’s cock and balls in her hands, as though she was about to give him a hand job. And somehow she felt frozen to the spot—unable to move.
“Gods,” Dark murmured, his bronze eyes going half-lidded. “Your hands are so soft, Nicole of Earth!”
And to Nikki’s horror, his impressive shaft, which had been soft while enclosed in the cage, twitched and began to grow.
“Back off,” Malik growled behind her. “Nicole is spoken for.”
This was news to Nikki—was he talking about her soon-to-be ex or was the big Kindred laying a claim on her himself? Either way, it broke the paralysis that had somehow gripped her and she was able to pull her hands away from Dark’s growing shaft.
“Um, sorry,” she muttered and cleared her throat. “Well, I guess you’re all ready to go now.”
“Yes.” Dark looked at her seriously as he tucked himself away and fastened his trousers. “I never thought I’d leave this place alive. Thank you again, Nicole of Earth.”
“You’re welcome.” Nikki smiled up at him. “I wish you all the best. And, uh, I’ll take care of your people here as much as I can without breaking the contract between Mistress Hellenix and myself.”
His face darkened. “That female deserves nothing but torment. But I will not speak of her again.”
“That is probably for the best,” Malik said dryly. “Come, Brother—let’s get you to the ship.”
* * * * *
As they took the back way out of the kitchens and towards the docking entrance, Malik tried not to think about the sight of Nicole’s small hands cupping the other male’s shaft.
Why had he gotten so jealous?
Malik had no idea. All he knew was that for a moment, when he saw Nicole touching another male intimately, a red haze had come over his vision and he had wanted with all his might to kill the other Kindred who was trying to take his female.
But she’s not yours, he reminded himself sternly. Why should you act like that—feel like that? How many times have you seen Mistress Hellenix touch another slave intimately—or let another slave touch her while she made you watch? And you never went into a jealous rage over that!
Yes, but Mistress Hellenix was not Nicole, no matter how much they might look alike. Which shouldn’t make any difference—he had no claim to either female. But for some reason, he felt possessive of the Earth woman in the way he never had of his true Mistress. And watching her treat Dark with kindness and respect that his old Mistress had never shown anyone in her life, just reinforced his feeling that Nicole was different—special—in a way that made him want her even more.
Put the wanting out of your mind, Malik lectured himself. You remember what the Time Warden said when he gave you the device—all will be changed after you use it. There is no point in starting a relationship with a female—no matter how beautiful and kind she is—knowing that you will certainly lose her for good so soon.
But he couldn’t seem to help himself. Watching Nicole with the other Kindred had stirred something in him—a possessive protectiveness that he could neither ignore or deny.
“Well, that’s that. He’s off.” Nicole’s soft voice, so unlike Mistress Hellenix’s strident tones, broke into his musings and he looked up to see that the ship had taken off. Dark was headed for a new life, far from the hell of slavery he had been enduring for the past five cycles since he had been captured and sold. “I hope he has a good life now—I wonder how he got taken by Mistress Hellenix in the first place?”
“He told me briefly—if you would like to know?” Malik raised an eyebrow at her and she nodded.
“Yes, please. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would end up as a slave.”
“He is not—he was kidnapped.”
He told her how Dark had explained he had been taken from a restaurant on another world where he had been both owner and head chef. He’d had the misfortune to cook for a Yonnite ambassador, who loved his cuisine. She had waited until closing time and then caught him coming out the back door after locking up. His younger brother, who was with him at the time, had almost been kidnapped as well but Dark had roared at him t
o run and the younger male had gotten away—just barely.
“Don’t worry about the little one,” the ambassador had told her guards as they held the struggling Dark. “This is the one I really want. Strip down his trousers and let’s have a look at his shaft. It doesn’t matter how talented a male is—if he has a small shaft, he’s of no use to anyone.”
“Let me go!” Dark had struggled in vain against the two huge guards but soon enough they had his trousers down around his ankles and his shaft exposed.
Unfortunately for Dark, he was Kindred which meant he was well endowed by the Goddess, as were all Kindred males. When she saw the size of his shaft, the Yonnite ambassador’s eyes had widened.
“Well, well—you cook like an angel and you’re hung like a devil! Won’t you fetch a pretty price at the Flesh Bazaar!”
“You can’t do this! You can’t just take me away like this!” Dark had protested. “You don’t fucking own me!”
“Now, I do.” The Yonnite ambassador had given him an arch smile. “Come, slave—let’s get you back to my ship.”
Shortly after that Mistress Hellenix had bought Dark at auction and he had been toiling in her kitchens—trying to please she who was un-pleasable—every night since. Malik sympathized with the male—after all, he too had spent cycles of his life trying to please their cruel, heartless Mistress. But at least he was here by choice—sacrificing himself for a cause he believed in—the cause of restoring his home world.
It had been a hard life but Dark was free of it now. Despite the blinding moment of jealousy when he had seen Nicole’s hands on him, Malik sincerely wished the other Kindred well.
“Wow—that’s some story,” Nicole breathed. “I’m glad he’s off and out of this place!”
“Yes, he’s off,” Malik murmured. “Goddess-speed, Brother,” he added, looking up in to the vastness of space. “And may you find your way home.”
“Why did you keep calling him ‘Brother?’” Nicole asked him. “Is that a Kindred thing? You’re not in any way related, are you?”
Twisted: Brides of the Kindred 23 Page 17