by Sarah Hawke
“I doubt the rebels can organize an escape by then, but it’s possible.” His head tilted back and forth as he stretched his neck. “If not…”
“If not, I’ll manage.” I uncrossed my legs and stood. The tingling didn’t go away; it rippled up my thighs and across my hips. “You should get some rest. I’ll try and check on you again before I leave.”
He nodded but didn’t turn. “Just be careful. Speaking with me is risky, for both of us.”
“I know.”
There were a dozen other things I wanted to say and a hundred other feelings I wanted to sort out. But I knew this wasn’t time, and so instead I slipped out of room and crept back to my chambers. Whatever Master Kristoff had prepared for me tonight, I intended to be ready for it.
Chapter Five: Guilt and Envy
Just like I’d anticipated, Astanya wasn’t there I returned. I used the solitude to relax and mentally prepare myself for whatever trials were ahead. When she hadn’t come back by nightfall, however, I started to wonder what was going on. Eventually I stretched out with my telepathy until I found her, and as far as I could tell she was already with Master Kristoff…
Before I could learn anything else, Sharela appeared at my door and beckoned me to follow her to the dressing room. Her two servants stripped me naked the instant I was inside. After giving me a hard scrubbing, one set to braiding my hair while the other applied makeup. By the time they were finished, I was a perfect little avenari doll.
“Arms out,” Mistress Sharela ordered as she finally returned with my outfit for the evening. The top was a string halter with golden tassels that covered my breasts but little else, while the bottom was a flowing, see-through skirt that was far too long—or was, before I stepped into the matching shoes. Master Kristoff typically preferred me barefoot while I was in the estate, but like most men he also enjoyed the shape of my slender calves when I wore heels.
Sharela seemed about as interested in the fitting process as a chef who’d prepared the same dish a thousand times before. She had been so consistently cold since Kristoff had purchased me that I actually wondered where she’d come from. Had she always worked with the Kristoff family? Had she been horribly mistreated over the years? Did she have personal grudge against the faeyn or was she merely embittered by her years of service?
A few months ago, none of those questions would have even occurred to me—or if they had, I wouldn’t have truly cared about the answer. But now I was genuinely curious. I wanted to see the tapestry of her life unfold. I wanted to understand how living in the Empire could corrupt a peasant as easily as a duke. I wanted to understand each and every injustice, no matter how large or small.
I could have gotten the answers from Sharela easily enough. An untrained mind was an open book, as it were, and I had no doubt that I could explore most of her memories without physical contact. I could probably even alter her perception of me and transform her into the sweetest woman I’d ever met.
But I didn’t. I wasn’t entirely sure why.
The entire grooming process took the better part of an hour. Once I was “ready,” Sharela handed me back to the guard. He escorted me across the estate to Kristoff’s bedchamber, and as I walked my thoughts flashed back to all the previous times I’d made this journey. I used to get excited at the prospect of serving him. Just imagining my lips or quim bringing him pleasure had been enough to make my skin tingle and my toes curl.
A small part of me still felt that way. For all his failings—failings I noticed more with each passing day—Master Kristoff wasn’t General Torelius. He wasn’t Aemond or Varyl Darkstone, either. He had provided me with freedoms and opportunities that no other man in the Empire would have considered. I owed much of my growth as an individual and nearly all of my growth as a channeler to his generosity. No matter what happened over the next few days, I told myself I needed to remember that.
“Elara is ready, Your Excellency,” the guard said after he wrapped his knuckles against the door.
“Good,” Master Kristoff replied. His voice was strained and almost breathless. “Send her in.”
The guard opened the door. I slinked inside, fully expecting him to be waiting for me on his bed—
And my mouth immediately dropped open.
In the years since Master Kristoff had purchased me at market, I had only seen him take another woman twice, and both had been before he’d discovered my powers and started training me as a real avenari. I had trouble imagining him with a human noblewoman, let alone another elf slave…and yet here he was right in front of me, thrusting furiously into Astanya with the vigor of man half his age.
She was bent over his desk, her ankles shackled to the wooden legs and her wrists bound tightly behind her back. Her leash had been looped through a buckle on the far side, effectively pinning her cheek against the wood…not that she would have been able to move her head anyway, considering how tightly his left hand was holding her down. She was looking right at me, and her blue eyes glittering in ecstasy.
“Come here,” he ordered between labored breaths. He pointed at the Talishite rug just a few feet away from him. “Get on your knees.”
I obeyed out of pure reflex as my mind continued reeling. Once I’d been still for a few moments, Kristoff resumed his frantic thrusting. He tugged on Astanya’s leash with his right hand, effectively choking her like he’d done so many times with me.
“Who am I?” he asked, leaning his lips down to her ear.
“You are Gabriel Kristoff,” she gasped, “Grand Duke of Glorinfel.”
“What am I?”
“You are my master.”
He smiled tightly as he buried his cock to the hilt. “Who are you?”
“I am no one.”
“What are you?”
“I am your slave, Master,” she managed, her voice barely a croak as he tugged her leash even harder. “I am your loyal elf cunt.”
“Yes, you are,” he said. “Now take your reward.”
Kristoff threw back his head as he spent himself inside her. Astanya gasped in delight even as she struggled for breath. Her eyes closed and her back arched as a climax washed over her, and I knew from experience that she wasn’t feigning. I could feel his magic coursing through her, enhancing her pleasure and conditioning her to enjoy submission. He had done exactly the same thing with me not so long ago. I could still remember whimpering in terror as he penetrated me for the first time…but I could also remember the waves of ecstasy wash over me as he reached into my mind and broke my resistance.
“Thank you, Master,” Astanya whispered. “Please…take me again.”
Kristoff grunted as he leaned up and slipped out of her. He allowed himself a moment to catch his breath before he released his hold on her leash and pulled it free of the buckle so she could stand again. Once she was upright, he spun her around to face him. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, and I watched as his seed slowly trickled down her thighs.
“Later, my dear,” he said, smiling. “Retire to the antechamber. I will call for you when I’m ready again.”
“Yes, my lord,” Astanya replied obediently. She flashed me a coy smile, then sauntered across the room and vanished into the adjacent chamber.
“Such a marvelous girl,” he said. “Young and eager to please.”
He grunted again before he shuffled over in front of me. I didn’t need to read his mind to know what he wanted; I leaned forward and took his rapidly-wilting cock into my mouth. The taste of his seed was so familiar it was almost comforting.
“She was a gift, if you can believe it,” Kristoff said. He gave me a few more seconds to clean him off before he pulled away and paced over to one of the wall cabinets. “A noble from Rivani sent her along with his regards. I immediately assumed she was a spy, of course. Duchess Zarene steadfastly supports the Covenant, and she was the one who hired mercenaries to capture you outside the Infintium.”
I nodded idly and as I cleaned my lips with my tongue. “I remember. You
recognized the leather in their armor.”
“Cured thacedon hide. It’s almost impossible to find outside the Basin.” He smiled approvingly as he poured himself a drink. I couldn’t help but notice the size of the glass and the number of empty bottles in the cabinet. Master Kristoff had always enjoyed his liquor, but his consumption seemed like it had increased fivefold since I’d returned. “Zarene knew I was assembling the Quorum, and she knew that you were one of my most vital tools. She failed to take you away, and I assumed that Astanya was her ironic riposte.”
My eyes flicked over to the antechamber door. “But you don’t believe that anymore?”
“No. I pierced her mind and rummaged around for the truth. She’s exactly what she seems.” Kristoff took a sip from the glass and winced as it burned on its way down. “Apparently the noble who sent her was hoping to gain the Quorum’s favor. Zarene detests him, and so he wanted to throw his lot in with the rest of us.”
“An interesting coincidence,” I murmured.
“Sometimes fortuitous things actually do happen, even in Sanctum.” He stared back down at me. “Astanya kept me company while you were gone. And she will continue to do so until you prove yourself to me again.”
“My lord?” I asked.
Kristoff smiled and ran his fingers through my hair. “I know you’re upset, my dear. I can feel it inside you. You had a rough time in the Vale, and now you’ve returned to find that I’ve replaced you.”
“I…I just want to make you happy, Master.”
“I know,” he whispered. “And you will…the moment you complete your mission in the Imperial Palace.”
I didn’t gasp or inhale sharply, but an epiphany struck me nonetheless. I finally understood why Astanya was really here. I finally understood why he’d locked me in my chambers and disrupted my normal routine. I finally understood why he’d wanted me to watch him fuck another woman.
Control.
The realization dislodged an old memory from the deep recesses of my mind. Master Kristoff had been speaking with one of his friends in Stormcrest before the fall, and I’d overheard them from the next room. Kristoff had reminded his friends that there were many ways to ensure obedience among his slaves. There were millions of them across the Empire, far too many to fit with specialized enchanted collars. Most slaves could be brought in line with threats or intimidation, he’d argued, but with avenari in particular he recommended a different approach.
You have to break them, body and soul, he’d said. With the females especially, you need to convince them that you are their protector. Once they see you as their savior, they will beg you to crawl between their legs.
That was what this was about. Kristoff feared that his control over me might have been waning, and he knew how difficult it would be to seduce Emperor Lucian and acquire the information he wanted. But instead of whipping or intimidating me like one of his thuggish peers, he had decided to use guilt. I knew from experience how effective the tactic could be, because he’d been completely right all those years ago. He had broken me, body and soul. And I had begged for him to crawl between my legs almost every night, just like Astanya did now.
“I know you’re terrified,” Kristoff said into the silence as he slowly paced around behind me. “I know you’re not convinced you can do this. Lucian will be a challenge unlike anything you’ve faced before.”
“I will make you proud, Master,” I whispered. “I swear.”
“I’ve no doubt that you’ll try. I’m just not convinced you have it in you to succeed.” He placed his hands upon my shoulders and crouched down so his head rested atop mine. “And I’m not sure you appreciate the risk I’m taking in giving you another chance.”
I frowned. “Master?”
“Thus far, we’ve managed to keep your true identity hidden. Even Darkstone didn’t realize that you were a fellow channeler. But sooner or later, that secret will come out. I’ve known that from the beginning.”
He slowly and gently pulled my brown hair back. The pale skin on my neckline was practically glowing in the mirror.
“Once that day comes, I’m dead,” Kristoff told me. “A dozen Inquisitors will show up at my door, and I’ll be dragged to the gallows in a heartbeat…or worse.”
“That won’t happen,” I assured him. “I’m always very careful.”
“I know you are, but still…” He smiled into the mirror, and the warmth of his breath made my skin crawl. “Zarene knew you were important, and she’s hundreds of miles away. Torelius knows too, and he was almost willing to steal you just to find out why. Eventually, someone will press hard enough and figure out what’s really going on.”
I heard the faint scraping of steel on leather, and a moment later his right hand appeared in front of me holding a knife. It took every ounce of willpower I could muster to remain still.
“My father always told me that it’s vital to press your advantage,” Kristoff whispered, “but it’s equally important to know when to cut your losses.”
His left hand abruptly clutched my hair, and his right pressed the cold steel against my throat. For a split second I feared he might go through with it. My body completely locked up, and I stared into the mirror and watched my green eyes widen in terror…
“You really would let me do it, wouldn’t you?” he asked, his lips resting near my ear.
“I am yours, Master,” I mumbled. “Now and forever.”
Kristoff smiled as he looked at us in the mirror, and he pressed the knife against me hard enough that a small trickle of blood ran down the length of my neck and between my breasts. “I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “I care about you, Elara. I always have. I want to protect you, but I need to be certain that you understand the risks. I need you understand what’s at stake.”
“I do, my lord,” I assured him. “I’m so sorry I failed you.”
“I know you are. That’s why you’re still here.” He stared at us for another few seconds before he finally grunted and tossed the knife aside. “Just remember your place and your purpose, and nothing will stand against us.”
He kissed my cheek before he stood and returned to his drink. The instant he was facing the other direction, I closed my eyes and let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. The terror shuddered through my body actually sickened me; fear was precisely the response he was hoping to evoke. And now that I could see the truth so clearly, I remembered all the other times he’d tried something similar—albeit less drastic—to ensure my obedience. This was bondage of the mind rather than the body, and it was every bit as effective.
“Now that that’s settled,” Kristoff said, downing the rest of his glass, “it’s time to focus on the task at hand. Like I told you earlier, Emperor Lucian will pose a new challenge for you. Every other noble you’ve dealt with already wanted to stick their cock in you. Lucian will be ambivalent at best or outright hostile at worst. You’ll have to convince him that you’re worth his time.”
I swallowed heavily and forced myself to glance away from the mirror. The thin stream of blood on my pale skin was oddly memorizing. “As long as I can get close to him, I shouldn’t have a problem. He’s not a channeler.”
“You can’t afford to treat magic as a crutch. After Korvale, this should be even more obvious. Before you can do anything, he needs to desire you. He needs to yearn for you.”
Kristoff grunted softly. “There’s an old saying: ‘the greatest desire is that which is denied.’ A man like Lucian has never been denied anything, which will make you all the more irresistible to him.”
I shook my head. “How can I deny him? He’s the Emperor.”
“First you need to understand what’s like to want something and not get it. Tonight will be that demonstration.” He glanced back over his shoulder and snapped his fingers. “Astanya?”
The antechamber door opened, and the other woman stepped back into the room almost immediately. She had obviously cleaned up some, though her dress was still in shambles. Her e
yeshadow and lipstick remained smeared as well, which I knew from experience was something Master Kristoff—and many other Sanctum nobles—seemed to love.
“My lord?” she prompted.
“Come here,” he beckoned. “Get on your knees.”
Astanya glanced between me and the discarded knife as she sauntered across the room. I could see the concern flicker across her face, but the moment she sank to her knees in front of him an eager smile lit up her face. She coiled her fingers around his cock and gently kissed the tip.
“I’m grateful to serve, Master,” she proclaimed. “How do you wish to have me?”
“We’ll see where the night takes us,” Kristoff said, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.
And so I watched. I watched as another woman brought his cock back to life with her tongue and mouth. I watched as he threw her onto her back and took her as forcefully as I’d ever seen. I watched as he kissed her lips while he spent himself deep inside her.
Every motion, every action, was designed to inspire envy…but instead they only summoned rage. Astanya spent much of the night shackled to the desk or bed or even floor, but those weren’t the bonds keeping her in place. The mental restraints were just as real and just as powerful. I made a promise to myself that before I fled this place with Larric, I would find a way to break them.
No matter the cost.
Chapter Six: Castigation
The next three days were an indecipherable blur of sex, castigation, and self-reflection. Master Kristoff continued trying to instruct me in the art of “longing desire,” mostly by forcing me to watch him take Astanya in nearly every way imaginable. She spent almost every minute of every evening on her back or her knees, and by the time he was finished with her she would either be filled with or covered by his seed. He never allowed me to touch him or myself during any of the festivities. Release, he insisted, would only be allowed once I’d proven myself and earned his favor once more.