Raven watched her wide-eyed. She didn’t know what to do. Women had never been on her radar; the closest she’d come to a same-sex encounter was when Daagiis had transformed into a hermaphrodite.
Mersta traced Raven’s nose with a light fingertip. Still wearing that gentle smile, she placed another of those feathery kisses on the end. Then she caressed and kissed Raven’s other cheek. Then her chin.
Saazeer’s slave’s lips moved from Raven’s chin to her mouth. Raven closed her eyes and waited.
Kiss. Warm. Moist. Soft.
Raven’s eyes fluttered open to see Mersta’s face floating over hers. With that golden hair, shining bronze skin, and unearthly eyes, it was like looking at an angel. Mersta smiled. Her face drifted down. She kissed Raven again.
Raven didn’t flinch when the warmth of the other woman’s hands covered her breasts. Mersta’s fingers were smooth as silk, nothing like the calloused roughness Raven was used to feeling on her naked skin. The other woman kneaded her flesh, shaping it like clay with an artisan’s care. It was a strange dichotomy of firm handling with a soft touch. Raven gave herself over to the pleasurable sensation.
Wet heat probed between her lips, parting her mouth in instinctive reaction. The tip of Mersta’s tongue teased hers, inviting a careful introduction. The flavor of the other woman was delicate, like dew on a flower petal perhaps. Entranced by this discovery, Raven tentatively stroked her tongue against the other, guiding it in for deeper discovery. Mersta accepted the shy summons, kissing Raven with a painstaking thoroughness that stole her very breath.
One of Mersta’s hands drifted from Raven’s breast, skating lightly over her ribcage and abdomen. Raven whimpered into her mouth as the hand continued down, whispering over the slight rise of her mound and finally arriving to trace over moist folds. Mersta answered the sound with one of her own, a soft moan of comfort.
A tremble took over Raven’s body as long fingernails carefully moved into intimate creases, investigating with a minuteness that left no flesh unexplored. She outright quaked when those same fingernails scraped over the length of her clit, bringing exquisite sensation zinging all the way up her spine. When two of Mersta’s fingers entered her, the alien female unerringly found Raven’s interior hotspot, making her cry out. Her thumb drew intricate patterns over Raven’s swollen clit.
Raven was lost in a hazy realm of gentle but insistent provocation. The climb to bliss was gradual but steady, her body enslaved not by a force or power, but by tender coaxing. When culmination came, its violence was staggering for its power. Mersta mastered her utterly, drawing from Raven’s body long convulsions and cries of unabashed exaltation. Spasm after spasm of rapture tore from her gut. While tender in touching, Mersta proved unmerciful when it came to extracting every mote of pleasure. Raven’s throat went raw from screaming.
At last her body lay sated, unable to summon another orgasm from its depleted stores. Raven lay exhausted, past caring about the avid gazes of the Paatiin surrounding her. Mersta gave her one last lingering kiss and a smile before withdrawing to kneel at the feet of Saazeer.
Her master sighed, his eyes half-lidded. “Lovely. So very lovely. I see the fascination with Alt-Earth women now.”
Daagiis’ voice seemed far away to Raven. “Your promise, esteemed Saazeer.”
Saazeer scowled, his beautiful face turning angry for an instant. “Yes, yes, you selfish bastard.” He motioned to the guards still pinning Raven to the floor. “Let her return to her master.”
Laaruu and the other three seemed almost reluctant to release her, though Raven had little strength to offer any trouble to anyone now. Their eyes remained on her as they stepped back.
Raven found it difficult to move her shaking limbs. It was even more difficult to crawl to Daagiis’ feet and kneel there. She felt as if made of mercury, not solid enough to hold her own shape.
Saazeer continued to pout, managing to look gorgeous as he did so. He told Daagiis, “Don’t think you’re getting anything else back if I can’t have one of these two. The contract is broken and your possessions are mine legally. You will count yourself lucky that is all I will claim.”
Daagiis bowed. “Yes, Esteemed One. You are most generous.”
Raven glanced at Vendeen, who peeked back at her with a sidelong gaze. What she could see of his shoulders, back and ass were welted, but he seemed fine otherwise.
Good. She didn’t have the strength to avenge him.
Saazeer stretched luxuriously on his couch, looking like an exotic jungle cat just waking from a nap. “We are having dinner with our host tonight.”
To his credit, Daagiis kept his tone even. “Would that be the Gilothean Drek Hanos?”
“Yes, so take extra of your antidote. That’s one vile creature you don’t want to succumb to addiction to. Give some to your Raven as well unless your other slave’s presence has branded her. Obviously, I am telling you that you and your darlings will attend. Laaruu, have Daagiis’ belongings been brought in?”
The security head bowed. “A room is prepared here for his use.”
“Very good. I will see you in two hours, Daagiis.”
Daagiis bowed again, his nose nearly reaching his knees. Raven was too wasted to be amused. “My appreciation, esteemed Saazeer.”
Laaruu jerked his head and started for the opening they’d entered the room through. “Follow me.”
Daagiis did so, calling back without looking at Raven or Vendeen. “Come, my darlings.”
Raven rose clumsily on shaking legs, ignoring Mersta’s titter. She saw Vendeen moved awkwardly as well. They kept their heads down, trailing behind Daagiis and Laaruu. Raven forced her feet to move as fast as they would, which was nowhere near fast enough to escape. She didn’t breathe normally again until they were well down the hallway, leaving the room where Saazeer and his wickedly talented ‘darlings’ held court far behind them.
Chapter 17
As they moved down the midnight blue-draped corridor of what seemed to Raven to be a vast mansion, laughter from a great many people sounded from ahead.
Daagiis said, “It sounds as if Saazeer brought his entire household.”
“Along with friends and their entourages.” Laaruu sighed as if the mere thought of the numbers exhausted him. Since he was Saazeer’s head of security, Raven thought it was perhaps the case.
He continued with, “You should stop and greet them.”
Daagiis didn’t sound put out in the least. “Of course. It would be unseemly not to.”
Raven felt disgruntled by yet another batch of people to have to endure the stares and comments of. She was ready to be alone with Daagiis and Vendeen. If she was forced to perform more sex games with more of Daagiis’ perverted race…
Thuds of approaching boots, beating with the precision of military marching, put Raven on alert. They approached no languid bunch of Paatiin after all. She peered through the thick fall of her hair to see what was coming.
She saw Laaruu tense. His hand moved, and though his back was to her, Raven knew he’d reached beneath his robes to grip some weapon.
He told Daagiis in a low voice, “It sounds like our host has decided to pay Saazeer a visit.” He spoke to one of their escorts in his own language, who in turn spoke into a small round jewel set in a bracelet. A quick glance assured Raven all the Paatiin wore those wristbands.
Daagiis also spoke quietly. “You do not trust this Hanos?”
Laaruu snorted. “No one with good sense does. With the exception of myself and Saazeer, who is too well known, we offer him none of our real names. Speak only if you must for propriety’s sake.”
“I should tell you that he knows my name, though not the face I wear right now. He hates me most greatly,” Daagiis told Laaruu. “It could be he identified my ship.”
Laaruu said nothing. Raven peeked over at Vendeen, who had gone noticeably tense. His head bowed far down, letting his golden hair swing loose, helping the muzzle conceal his features. His aura was one of b
eing on full alert.
Raven readied herself for whatever might happen in the next few minutes. She doublechecked the accessibility of the blades holstered in Daagiis’ belt. For his part, the face-changer had also placed a hand upon one of his knives in a casual manner. She was glad to see he was ready to draw at a moment’s notice.
The footsteps came closer and a group of men hove into view as they rounded the corner. They wore armored uniforms much like the one Raven had put on for her fight for freedom with Vendeen. That did not concern her so much. She reasoned the exposed throats would allow her to kill the soldiers just fine. In her need to protect Vendeen, the thought of murder gave her little pause.
Everyone halted and stared across the few feet that separated the two groups. Raven’s quick glance showed the other bunch consisted of a mix of Paatiin, Gilothean, and other humanoid creatures. The man at the head of the uniformed group took one step forward. Laaruu did the same.
The obvious leader of the soldiers smiled mockingly. “Good afternoon, Laaruu. Is esteemed Saazeer up for a quick consultation?”
The security head’s voice answered with a coldness that had Raven raising an eyebrow. “Indeed he is, esteemed Hanos. He is in the congress room.”
“Excellent.”
Raven peered through her hair at Vendeen’s despised captor, mentor, and enemy. The power behind the abductions on her Earth and the greatest threat to her master demanded her attention.
Drek Hanos, though older than Vendeen, looked every bit as hale and hearty as his nemesis. His shoulders were wide and strong, his chest deep beneath a shimmery green shirt over which he had thrown on a long black coat that made Raven think of Victorian gentlemen. His sheet of silver hair was a bright spill against the midnight dark of his coat. His trousers were cut to show his meaty thighs to advantage. Hanos’ boots came up to just below his knees, and shone like copper pennies though Raven was sure the man couldn’t be wearing metal boots. That would be too damned heavy to go around tromping in.
As in the picture hanging in Vendeen’s office, Hanos wasn’t handsome. His features were too brutish to be anything but nearly primitive. His brow was so heavy that the man’s cultured voice was an utter surprise. He looked more suited for grunts and growls. Also at odds with the primitive exterior was the heavy waft of expensive cologne that emanated from him. It was like opening a fashion magazine with all the sample fragrance inserts.
Either Hanos had complete faith in his contingent of soldiers to keep him safe or he felt confidence in his own fighting abilities. Raven could see no sign of protective armor on the man, though he wore two pistols, several knives, and an actual sword in an ornate beaded scabbard. He looked like a Cro-Magnon man playing steampunk pirate.
Raven almost missed the man lurking behind Hanos, smirking at their little group over the criminal kingpin’s shoulder. Yet when Raven did see him, all the air left her lungs in a silent hiss. It was Taambaa. The vicious bastard was right there.
In the few moments that followed her recognizing him, Raven lost all track of the conversation between Hanos and Laaruu. Hatred burned steady and bright, and she actually twitched as her body tried to lunge at him. However, self-preservation held her still.
Taambaa was a face-changer, but much like Daagiis usually retained the features of Douglas Bringer, so Taambaa kept his Joshua Wills aspect. His deep red hair was longer than it had been on Earth, curling just beneath his chin. He wore an armored one piece much like the one Raven had donned for her fight with Vendeen. His eyes continually shifted color. They moved through a rainbow of hues within seconds. It was as if he couldn’t decide what color he wanted, so he used them all. Yet the sharp-featured face along with the slender and agile frame was exactly the same as when he’d been Wills on Raven’s Earth.
After her initial shock, Raven suddenly realized that Taambaa would most likely recognize her too if he got a look at her. She ducked her head down as far as she could, making sure her hair hung thick all about her face. Strangely enough, she was relieved to be naked. With tits and pussy to stare at, maybe no one would be interested in getting a look at her features.
Damn it, if Taambaa was running around the place, she’d need a muzzle too.
She couldn’t run away and hide, not that she would leave Vendeen with Hanos standing right there with all those armed men anyway. Raven drew a deep, steadying breath and attended to the conversation between Laaruu and Hanos.
Vendeen’s nemesis said, “You had a small ship dock here just an hour ago. I thought your entire entourage had arrived?”
“As did I, but Saazeer failed to inform me we would have latecomers. They were unavoidably detained. Did you scan the ship?”
“Of course.”
Laaruu feigned polite disinterest. “And was all acceptable?”
“The vessel was registered to a ‘Daagiis’. That name has come up in the past as someone I prefer to keep at a distance.”
To Raven’s shock, Laaruu convulsed with explosive laughter. She peeked up just enough to see he actually bent double with the force of it. Hanos stared at him, seeming just as stunned as she felt.
It took a few seconds for the security head to recover. When he did, Raven could still hear the hilarity in his voice. “Your pardon. Preferring to keep Daagiis at a distance … oh my. I assure you, the esteemed Saazeer shares that sentiment.”
“And yet his ship is docked at the quarters I have generously offered to the esteemed Saazeer.”
“Yes well, Daagiis is not a name you should speak to my employer. Much bad blood exists between the two. Their dispute resulted in the esteemed Saazeer seizing all Daagiis’ properties, including the ship that was employed to bring our stragglers here.”
After a few beats, Hanos said, “I see.”
Those two words and the way he spoke them told Raven Hanos remained suspicious. She thought there might be trouble.
She took a chance, raising her head slightly and peering through the slight gaps in her thick hair to see how Hanos reacted. His black eyes had narrowed, and he looked from Laaruu to Daagiis and back again. To her surprise, he did not bother to look at Vendeen, slump shouldered behind Daagiis.
Finally, Hanos shrugged. “I will not hold you and your – friends up any longer, Laaruu.” Now he looked at Vendeen and Raven stiffened. However, he only glanced at the bowed head for a moment. Pulling a disgusted face, he averted his eyes from Vendeen’s nakedness. Apparently, it bothered him to see a male of his kind subordinated and enslaved to the Paatiin.
His gaze lingered more speculatively on Raven, but that didn’t keep her from relaxing. As long as Hanos wasn’t looking at Vendeen, she felt much better about the situation.
One side of the enemy’s mouth lifted in an appreciative leer. “Now that is a lovely specimen.” He turned to Taambaa, who was also looking at Raven. “If you had brought that back, I would have paid you double.”
Raven ducked her head again, putting her chin to her chest. Damn it, if Taambaa got a good look and recognized her, they were in deep shit.
The nasally voice she remembered from Earth made her grind her teeth. “I am sure I can find plenty of such quality during the next corralling of mares next month.”
Next month? Son of a bitch, he was going back that soon to get more victims? Raven’s fists clenched so hard, her nails dug into her palms. She was going to stop the bastard, and she was going to make it as painful as possible for him.
Hanos’ tone turned bland. “Will I see you at tonight’s banquet, Laaruu?”
“I look forward to it.”
Hanos and his troops moved past. Raven was thankful for the Paatiin standing between her and Taambaa as he walked by. She didn’t trust herself not to grab the man and beat him to a pulp. Her arms actually hurt with the pent-up need to unleash her fury.
Laaruu resumed leading them to their room. Daagiis shot a glance over his shoulder at her and Vendeen, checking on their well-being and probably making sure they didn’t go sprinting after Hano
s and Taambaa with vengeance on their agendas. With Laaruu’s back turned, Raven dared to give Daagiis a meaningful look. He winked at her and turned his attention to the room they were entering.
Raven dared to lift her head a bit more to take her surroundings in. They appeared to be in some sort of a common room, larger than the one Saazeer had occupied. It was filled with at least two dozen Paatiin and their slaves. Most were Gilotheans, making Raven wonder how the Paatiin avoided becoming addicted to their pets. Did they all take the antidote?
Many of the Paatiin wore the robes Raven was becoming accustomed to seeing them in. Thinking about it, she could understand the sensibility of looser clothing. After all, should they shift into bigger or smaller versions of themselves, it would necessitate only loosening or tightening the ties about their waists. A few wore gowns or blouses and trousers, but they were in the minority.
All of the slaves were naked. Some wore jewelry, from simple chains around necks and waists to complicated adornments that hung heavily from heads, necks, shoulders, and wrists. They knelt at their masters’ feet, quiet and heads bowed as the Paatiin talked amongst themselves. Occasionally, one would get attention from a slaveholder, and the Gilothean would look up and bask in the offering of consideration. They all appeared to be quite content.
Raven’s group made their way into the room so Daagiis could acknowledge and be acknowledged. Raven was quite aware of the attention she and Vendeen were getting. Vendeen’s muzzle made him stand out in this crowd, and Paatiin masters and Gilothean slaves alike looked at him with mild rebuke.
However they seemed much more interested in Raven. She stood out being neither of the other two races though she was more or less similar to them.
A hand waved in the air from the longest piece of seating Raven had ever seen. The couch or bench or whatever it was supposed to be stretched half the length of the ballroom-sized hall. Its burgundy-colored seat cushions billowed, looking soft and sinfully snuggly. Even the back of the thing, a done in velvety black, looked alluring as a place to lean back and relax. Raven entertained a brief wish that she could wallow all over the lounge.
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