Clarisol overheard him and remarked drily over her shoulder, “That was the old days, Matrim. Your brother is a changed man these days.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning that he’s lost his teeth. He’s decided to settle for a one woman lifestyle, although I admit it probably won’t last. In fact, I’m surprised it’s lasted as long as it has—more than a year now. But I’m sure it’s just another phase he’s going through.”
“Another phase. Lovely. I’m so glad I’m no longer a Sanreal, especially considering this is how our family spends its resources in this realm. Money. Wine. Women. Fast cars. Fast boats. What a waste.”
“Don’t call my Carnal Sin a waste,” she retorted steely before waving a hand loftily into the air. “I’ll have you know this ship was constructed from the profits of our marine engineering firm. So what’s the big deal?”
“Your decadence astounds me,” Tobias grumbled.
Clarisol threw him a crescent grin that reminded me of Felicia’s cartoon smile. “Well, if it makes you feel any worse, daddy promised me a big present when I turned twenty-one, and I told him I wanted a boat.” She flourished her arms into the air. “Next month, once the situation has settled down, I plan to set sail after inviting aboard twenty-one of the hottest girls in the city.”
“Why only twenty-one?” Tobias snarked. “Why not a hundred?”
“Because I plan to celebrate my twenty-first birthday,” she replied without missing a beat. “I’ll be holding auditions to make sure only the prettiest girls are chosen. Then we’ll party for a week out on the ocean.”
“I hope you sink,” Tobias muttered loudly, “with all hands lost.”
Clarisol dropped her arms to her sides, then peeked sidelong at her brother. “Do you want to come along, dear brother? One of them should be willing enough to make a man out of you.” Tobias swore at her, but she shrugged her shoulders, adding coyly, “Why don’t I invite a special guest? Shall I give Giselle a call? I’m sure she’d jump at the opportunity.”
Tobias stopped pushing me and we came to an abrupt stop. “Leave my sister out of your debauchery,” he warned.
Clarisol halted and half turned toward us, then regarded me curiously. “Have you been teaching him big words?”
I shook my head and to my consternation she walked back toward Tobias and I, planting her hands on her svelte hips when she came to a stop.
“Really, Matrim. What am I to do with you? Here I am offering you an opportunity to snag yourself a girlfriend, and this is how you show your gratitude? I feel as though I’ve been slapped with your glove. Does thou challenge me, Matrim Kallum Sanreal Erz Novis?”
“Stop twisting things around, Clarisol.”
She wagged the fingers of her right hand at him. “Let me tell you something, brother dear. I have yet to meet a girl impervious to my techniques.” She planted her hand back on her hip and leaned toward Tobias who stood behind the wheelchair. “Do you think Giselle will be any different?”
“What did you say?” he hissed and started to step around the wheelchair.
“Men enjoy watching their girls being taken by another. The girl-on-girl experience especially drives them wild.” Clarisol smiled lecherously. “Wouldn’t you like to watch as I demonstrate to your nubile fake sister the joys of being a woman?”
Tobias advanced upon her with clenched hands. Fearing what was to come, I reached out and grabbed a hold of his shirt, dragging me and the wheelchair along with him. “Mat, stop. You’re playing into her hands.”
“Cass, let me go. You don’t know what she’s like.”
Clarisol nodded in agreement. “All too true. He’s young and naïve.”
Tobias jutted his chin at Clarisol. “What do you think she’s been doing with our classmates?”
A cold wind blew through me, and my head jerked in the direction of Angela and Felicia watching anxiously behind Clarisol. They averted their eyes shyly when my gaze briefly met theirs. “What…what do you mean?” I asked.
“They’re my pets,” Clarisol said, “so why wouldn’t I enjoy them?”
Swallowing reflexively, I looked at the young woman. “You mean…you mean you—”
Clarisol raised a hand and snapped her fingers. “Girls, hold him.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Felicia and Angela rushed by Clarisol. At first I thought I was their target, but instead they grabbed onto Tobias and pinned him to the corridor wall.
“What are you doing?” he yelled at them, overwhelmed by their strength as Simulacra.
“I’m giving you a little demonstration of what I can do,” Clarisol replied. “Starting with the Princess.”
In a panic, I pressed my fingers down upon the depressions in the wheelchair’s ovoid shaped controls. My intention was to run her over, but Clarisol abruptly issued a voice command that resonated with my mind, robbing me of strength for several heartbeats. It left me shivering coldly in its wake and unable to move.
Behind me, Tobias cried out. “No—you’re not allowed to use the Voice.”
“They gave me this ability,” Clarisol replied, “and I intend to use it.”
“It was only intended as a means of self-defense,” he protested. “You’re not supposed to abuse its power.”
The shivers faded and I was able to move again, but Clarisol ordered, “Take your hands away from the controls.”
Her voice wasn’t just in my ears but inside my head as well. It reverberated within my consciousness and subconscious, unleashing a new storm of shivers that ravaged my body, and against my will I moved my hands away from the wheelchair’s controls. Helplessly, I watched Clarisol lean over me.
“That’s right, little boy. There isn’t anyone that I can’t command with the Voice.”
Suddenly, a new and familiar voice sounded in my ears. “Princess, I am making adjustments to neutralize the effect of her voice. Hold on a little longer! I am almost done.”
I feared that whatever Ghost was doing would come too little too late.
Clarisol was leaning over me with hunger in her eyes. “I get to enjoy my pets from head to toes and everything in between.” Her eyes widened then narrowed as she swept her gaze over me, pausing noticeably at my breasts. “My oh my, now that I look at you up close, I can’t deny how delicious you look. Even if ladyboys aren’t my preferred choice, I’m willing to make an exception just for you.” She blinked sharply. “Then again, in a short while you’ll be all lady, and then I’ll make you mine.”
Her voice continued to resound within my mind, disorienting me, and shredding my will apart.
Ghost, whatever you’re going to do—do it now!
A smile bloomed on Clarisol’s face, and then she made her move.
Rendered helpless by her voice, I failed to react to her. Before I knew what was happening, her tongue was inside my mouth, and I realized in horror that I was being subjected to the ancient forbidden art of the French Kiss.
Oh no…this can’t be happening….
My mind blanked out for a second that stretched to infinity, suspending all my thoughts in the process. I was overwhelmed by her sweet taste, the warm softness of her lips, and the sensual ministrations of her tongue upon mine. Her technique was unparalleled and I felt myself melting into a pile of hot goo on the seat of the wheelchair. When time resumed for me, I lay slumped on the seat, empty of thought, while fires raged in my newly acquired girl parts. Leaning over me, Clarisol consumed my vision and her scent made me heady such that I was oblivious to the reactions of my companions.
In those seconds, I had fallen completely under her spell.
She smiled at me with tenderness out of place on her face. “Tell me, Cassidy, was that your first kiss?”
I blinked slowly, recovering a little of my composure with every breath I took, and then noticed that her Voice had no effect on me.
“Ghost?” I whispered.
“I am sorry…I was too late…but I have neutralized the effect she has on you.”
/>
I swallowed hard, tasting Clarisol in my mouth, and then whispered. “Ghost, do it now….”
“Are you certain, Princess?”
“I said now,” I whispered under my breath.
“Now what?” Clarisol asked with a puzzled look. “Who are you talking to?”
The ghost in my ears sighed with regret. “As you wish, my Princess….”
I smiled weakly up at the horrid creature wearing the body of a beautiful girl. “Every princess has her knight.”
“Only in fairy tales, Princess.”
“Ghost may not be much of a knight, but he can be handy to have around.”
Strength returned to my body. A heartbeat later, I launched myself out of the wheelchair and lunged at Clarisol with a scream.
“I’ll kill you!”
With my hands wrapped around her throat, I encircled her body with my legs and our combined weight knocked her down to the floor.
“Die bitch!”
I was faintly aware of yelling as a commotion broke out behind me, but my concentration was almost entirely dedicated to the task of throttling Clarisol. At first she laughed but quickly realized she was in dire straits and began struggling in earnest. I applied every ounce of strength I possessed into my hands, metaphorically diverting power from all unnecessary systems for I would not be denied crushing the life out of her.
Unfortunately, Fate had other ideas.
A sensation akin to overheating swept through me, and a heartbeat later my body began to tremble violently, quickly succumbing to a vicious seizure. I couldn’t see straight, and struggled for air as I shook spasmodically for several seconds before collapsing helplessly atop of Clarisol. Part of me was surprised to feel the girl twitching violently beneath me as though whatever had affected me had also incapacitated her.
Someone hooked a foot under my right flank, then used it to roll me off Clarisol’s body. Landing on the floor and helpless as a ragdoll, I looked up to see Shirohime standing astride over me, holding in her right hand something that resembled a magic wand crossed with a stun baton.
“Why can’t you learn to play nice,” she muttered.
Down the corridor behind her, the sounds of a struggle abated before Tobias yelled out, “What did you do to him? Cass—Cass, can you hear me?”
“Tobias, calm down,” Angela appealed to him.
“Jeezes, can’t you see he’s fine?” Felicia added.
Above me, Shirohime exhaled heavily as she brushed aside errant locks of her snow blond hair. “It always helps to be prepared,” she remarked flatly. “That degenerate suspected you might get free so she gave me this extendable shock-wand for such an eventuality. It’s designed to take down Simulacra so it’s fairly harmless on humans. Unfortunately, it only works a few times before running out of juice.” Shirohime waved the baton-sized wand about. “Do you promise to behave, Kassius?”
My chest shuddered as I took gulping breaths of air, then I swallowed twice to open up my throat and free my voice. “Frek you, bitch.”
The girl’s shoulder’s slumped in disappointment yet she peered down at me with contempt in her eyes. “You know…I really don’t like you.” She held up the shock-wand for me to see. “That was minimum setting.” She twisted something at the base of the wand, and I heard it thrum softly. “This is maximum.”
“No, stop—!” Tobias cried out and then I heard a new struggle breakout complete with a great deal of huffing, puffing, and grunting, and the sound of bodies hitting corridor walls. However, in the distance and drawing nearer was the sound of running footsteps, most probably the security guards at the boarding ramp coming to investigate the violent commotion.
“Tobias, stop it. They’ll hurt you,” Angela warned him while breathing hard.
Someone hit a wall hard and the air whooshed out of their lungs.
“Stay down, Felicia,” Tobias yelled at her.
Recovering her breath, I heard Felicia growl, “Gah—that does it! I’m going all out!”
“No, Feli—stop!”
“I ain’t holding back anymore!”
“Felicia, the guards—!”
“You handle the guards, Angie. I’m taking rich boy down!”
“Damn it, Felicia,” Angela whined in despair.
Standing over me, Shirohime had turned to look down the corridor where the altercation was taking place. “No, we can’t have that,” she told herself and then rushed away from me in the blink of an eye.
With the effects of the shock-wand having dissipated a little, I was able to push myself up on my elbows and bear witness to the scuffle’s finishing act.
Shirohime moved with unnatural grace and stabbed Felicia with the shock-wand while the girl was distracted pummeling Tobias. She jerked a number of times as though caught in a lightning strike, then collapsed to the floor with a loud thud. Before Felicia hit the ground, Shirohime had already turned upon Angela who was busy pleading with the guards to stay back. She went down as quickly as Felicia, her body contorting wildly before slumping bonelessly to the floor.
However, Shirohime wasn’t done.
Leaping over Angela’s body, she stabbed one guard in the neck, keeping the shock-wand pressed into him as he fell, then moved with practiced ease to avoid the second guard’s attempt to subdue her. The large man had pulled out a shock-wand of his own, and as he advanced upon her, Shirohime avoided the device by kicking his arm away, exposing her black panties in the process and leaving him open to her counter attack. With a two-handed grip on the shock-wand’s hilt, she buried it into the man’s sternum though in reality the extendable wand contracted under the force of the impact like a trick knife. The guard performed a macabre dance on his feet under the influence of Shirohime’s wand, then sagged against the wall behind him, sliding unconscious to the floor moments later.
Shocked by what he’d witnessed, Tobias rested against a corridor wall, breathing hard while staring at Shirohime.
“Class Rep…why?”
Instead of acknowledging him, Shirohime studied the shock-wand in her hand and remarked, “One discharge left.” Then she casually tossed the device up the corridor…to where I lay on the floor.
The shock-wand landed between my breasts, bounced once, then rolled to a stop on my midriff.
The wand’s effect at maximum output was beyond anything I’d experienced thus far.
I thrashed so violently I believed my joints would dislocate, and my conscious thoughts were swept away in agony before I could utter a single scream. A heartbeat later all my senses shut down. Enveloped in darkness and bereft of the sense of touch and smell, my mind floated freely in a void of utter silence. Before long, I felt myself slipping away into the void as though my awareness was crumbling apart, and I was reminded of that time in the deserted plaza floating in Limbo.
Little did I know back then of the waking nightmare that awaited me.
Chapter 12.
- I -
When I woke up, I realized three important things.
The first was that I wasn’t dead.
The second was that Simulacra don’t dream.
The third was that I was lying supine on something firm yet quite comfortable, and I could feel clothes upon my skin, probably blankets or bedsheets.
When I opened my eyes, it took me a while to blink away the bleariness. At first I believed the lights were too bright, but then realized they were actually dimmed down. My body ached all over, so with a modicum of discomfort, I slowly turned my head on the pillow, I looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling, and an unfamiliar bedroom. Seconds went by before my memory caught up with me, and I wondered if this was a cabin aboard the Carnal Sin.
It was then that my gaze fell upon a boy on the cusp of manhood sitting quietly on a chair to the right of me and beside the bed. He sat with his head bowed and body hunched over, and from the sound of his breathing I sensed he was awake though he appeared to be sleeping.
“…Mat…?”
He raised his head, locks
of fair hair sliding across his forehead, his eyes quickly focusing on me with concern written on his face.
“Cass…you’re awake.”
I frowned at the obviousness of his statement, then chose to leave it aside when I noticed the bruising on his face and his split lip. “Mat, your face—?”
My voice broke and Tobias quickly reached over to the bedside table, pouring me a glass of water from a pitcher. Then to my surprise he helped me sit up on the bed, going so far as to arrange the pillows behind me to support me better. The gesture confused me, and made my feelings flutter about as I wondered why he was being so attentive.
I drank the cool water from the glass he handed me, regarding him thoughtfully for a heartbeat or two over the rim before asking, “How long was I out?”
“A couple of hours,” he replied with a heavy tone. After visibly hesitating, he cautiously asked, “How do you feel?”
I stretched my senses, then flexed my Simulacrum muscles cautiously before gently testing out my limb movements. “I’m sore. But I can move.”
Tobias nodded faintly almost to himself and his gaze drifted away.
I watched him touch his lip. “Does it hurt?”
He blinked quickly, then smiled weakly as he gently shook his head. “Not much. Don’t worry about it. Felicia landed a few good hits. I guess taking on a couple girls who are trained Simulacra wasn’t such a good idea.”
I sipped a little more of the water, then lowered the glass to my lap resting under the bed sheets. “It’s my fault. All of it.”
His stared at me mouth agape, but soon closed it and shook his head strongly. “No. It’s not your fault, Cass.” He sighed heavily and I watched his shoulders rise and fall. “I get it now. You’re a victim. All of this is my family’s fault. I don’t know all the details because Clarisol won’t tell me, but I’m going to find out the truth. I’ll find it out from my brother, Simon. But it’s clear that you’ve been dragged into my family’s business without your consent.”
He fell quiet for a moment, and then broke his silence when his eyes met mine.
“I’m sorry about what I said to you in the cafeteria. I’m sorry about burning your uniform”—he took a quick breath—“and I’m sorry for slapping you.”
Gun Princess Royale: Awakening the Princess, Book One Page 35