“No flight little bird. Still. Calm.” He said in a golden voice like maple syrup. It dripped down my spine and caressed every nerve on its travels. He made little soothing circles with his thumbs at the point where my spinal column started just under my hairline.
“I..I’m cold,” I said weakly just praying my legs didn’t give out and let me crumple to his feet.
“Is it cold in here?” He said not even trying to keep the mockery from his tone. I shivered right on cue and heard his silent laughter vibrate from him.
“I like the colour of your skin when it’s cold. So pale. A frozen doll ready to paint on. The perfect canvas for the colour red, don’t you think?” I frowned at the image he delivered and the memory of my arms covered in blood hit me like a battering wave making me sway. Of course Lucius had me in his hold so I couldn’t fall but the picture of blood so dark it looked like congealed black ink oozing from my white skin, torn at the wrists made me shiver. I looked down and was thankful I still had on my gloves under my long sleeved top. Lucius must have noticed where my focus leaned towards because I felt his breath at my neck before he spoke,
“Let me see them!” This snapped me out of his sticky web of confusion and distraction so that I could take back control. I tugged myself out of his hold taking him off guard long enough to create distance between us.
“What do you want from me?” I snapped without facing him, pulling the cover around me tighter as if it would protect me somehow.
“Everything!” The word echoed around the room and I whirled around to find I was now alone. Heat surged through the room and I heard crackling coming from the middle of the room.
Lucius had vanished and left flames in his place.
The water felt good pounding the last hours away from my skin. After my encounters with Mr Cryptic himself I walked around my room and took in my new surroundings before taking a shower. Like the bathroom I was stood in, the bedroom was nothing like I expected it to be. Given Lucius’ nature I expected blood red walls, black furniture and maybe a pile of skulls in one corner. What I got was ultra modern, urban chic that looked straight out of a catalogue advertising first class hotels.
My room was split into sections, a bed, living space with even a small kitchenette and a bathroom bigger than my bedroom back home. There was a walk in wardrobe that held clothes I had no intention of ever wearing, including what looked like fetish wear in every colour! Umm that was a big no, no. My bed was a queen size made from white painted wood with four twisted trees, one at each corner. All the bark was stripped and they looked like pieces of driftwood sanded smooth. The top branches had gold filigree painted around them where they disappeared into the ceiling. The bed was a work of art. It was then complemented with soft greys, faint silver and light gold with the materials that covered it.
The bed faced a glass wall that led out onto a decked balcony that even had a set of two black wicker chairs and a square table with a glass top. The view outside I had yet to see as it was as black outside as if I had been in a hole underground. The walls were white washed with only a single painting in the whole room. It was a painting of a tiny one storey house with a small glow from one window. It was situated on a mountain top with a raging sea below that was trying to reach it with giant waves fuelled by the storm. It looked like a dire situation to be in for the image behind the window and at that point, I felt that we had a lot in common.
Half of the room was sectioned off by a stone wall holding a glass fireplace which could be seen from all sides of the room. Thanks to Lucius the room was toasty warm and still held a roaring fire. The other side of this wall was the living space that had a rectangular three seater settee and looked more fashionable than comfy. There were two single chairs to match in a white material accessorised with black and silver cushions. The three seater had a throw along the back to match the cushions. On the wall the seating was positioned round, was a huge flat screen TV that was twice the size of Frank’s back home.
The flooring throughout was light, beech wood boards that stopped at the bathroom where black slate took over. The bathroom was sleek lines of carved marble and glass. There was a beautiful free standing black bath with white cast iron dragon style legs. There was a separate room with toilet and bidet. The sinks were square slabs of stone that had been left natural and rough. They sat on top of a black slab of thick wood that also had white cast iron legs in the same design as the tub.
The shower I stood in had had me thinking twice before getting in. It was the focal point of the room and was strangely positioned in the centre with clear glass walls. It looked more like a clear cage that was made to put bodies on show rather than be used to get clean. I spent more time watching the door than what I was putting on my skin. I think I ended up using shampoo on my body and body wash on my hair. Thankfully though, nobody had come in while I was in there and I think it was only when I had finished and stood at the sinks that I finally was able to breathe naturally.
I looked at myself in the mirrored wall and noticed my damaged body was already starting to show signs of healing. It was as if it had happened over a week ago not a day. The bursting around my eye had changed from blue and purple to an insipid green colour. The split on my lip had gone altogether along with any marks that had been around my neck like some sadistic necklace. My ribs still ached when I stretched in a certain way but the bruising there had gone down as well. What did they give me?
After towelling myself dry and wrapping my hair up in one lush fluffy towel I wrapped a dry one around my body and walked back into the main room to find I had a guest.
Pip was back and wearing a lot less than the last time I saw her. She had on a pair of pants that looked like they were made of latex and I could not even begin to imagine how she got the skin tight material on her legs. She had a white studded belt the same thickness as the length of her hand. It pulled in her tiny waist and rested over more delicate areas. The only other item added to this outfit was an emerald green leopard print scarf that was draped around her neck and barely covered her little breasts. Her green hair was done up on the very top of her head in one massive twisted curl and then hung down on one side in sea green waves with electric blue tips. At the start of the giant curl was a pretty bow that matched her scarf. Her makeup was just as outrageous as her clothes, or lack of. She had blue feather eyelashes with longer purple ones at the sides. I wondered if they annoyed her as much as they looked like they would with keep tickling her eyebrows?
Her eyelids had a thick line in blue that flicked out at the end and on her left eye she had a black scroll pattern around the edge and down her cheek. In between her lips she was sucking on a blue lollypop that she popped out of her mouth to wave at me.
“Hey girlfriend, I’m your date tonight or am I an escort and Lucius is your date…? Ooops, I can’t remember that bit but I’m here to help you get ready and take you down. But you’re nowhere near ready…this isn’t good. Master doesn’t like to be kept waiting….God that sounded so clichéd didn’t it? Master doesn’t like to be kept waiting!” She said this last part in a deep, spooky voice that sounded like she was trying to imitate Frankenstein.
“Anyway, you need to get your cute little heinie ready and I’m just the Imp to help. Besides, Lucius gave me some rules for how he wants you to look, sooo…just think of me as your ‘STYLE ENFORCER’. He he, this is going to be so much fun!” She said and I laughed at the way her voice got all deep and she stood like a superhero with legs apart and hands on hips when she said ‘Style Enforcer’ and I tried not to notice her flashing a boob at me when she did it. Then it hit me and alarm took the place of amusement.
She was going to help me get ready? Oh no, this was so not good!
“I’m not wearing this!” I said walking out of the wardrobe that had a load of nightmares hanging up like Goth ghosts!
“Toots!” Pip said jumping up from the couch and she hit mute on the remote. I glanced at the screen and noticed another cartoon.
/> “Err…Dangermouse…really?” She looked back at the screen and then back at me.
“Not a fan, eh? Anyway I watch it mainly for Penfold.” I snorted out my laugh, was she serious…? Ooops from the looks of things, yes she was.
“You know Penfold is the real hero don’t you?”
“Ummm, I thought that was Dangermouse.” Now it was her turn to snort.
“Oh hell no! Ernest Penfold may just be a humble little hamster, but he’s the one that had to put up with the cocky little mouse’s shit! One day he will get the credit he deserves. You’re wearing it, come on, time to go.” She moved to grab my hand but I stepped back.
“Ok, let’s try this again, in terms you will understand. I am Penfold and I am telling the mouse NO!” I said folding my arms in determination. Pip smiled a grin so big her piercings flashed silver from the reflection of the fire. From what she was wearing or not wearing, I could now get a good look at her extensive tattoos. I realised that the sleeve she had covering one arm also travelled down the same side of her torso. It was beautiful and the artist in me recognised the masterpiece. It was the sea, the earth and the sky. Each section looked as though it had been painted on. The sky on her forearm had stormy clouds of purple and grey with a V shape of tiny birds flying past. Then there was a thick black ring that created a band of ancient text and riddles of symbols I didn’t even try to understand. Her upper arm was the earth and started at the other side of the band. It was the forest with lush greens of all shades, mints, limes, teals and olives, all of which entwined together in perfect swirls. Then there was another band, thicker this time that curled around her shoulder and snaked off under her ribs. The last stage was the ocean. It came up from her waist in great waves that burst into white foam and spray out to her bones. It reached the black band and as she turned I could see a ship getting swallowed by the dangerous dark waters. It reminded me too much like the only painting in my room and I had a feeling I would find out why all this seemed relevant.
I realised as she lifted her hands in the air dramatically that the whole tattoo made up one long picture from the deepest depths to the highest possible place left.
“Am I the mouse?” She asked me pulling my attention back from the beauty of such painted skin.
“No, Lucius is the mouse, you’re Agent 57!” Her face beamed at me like I was her new worshipped hero!
“You do watch it! Ok, Ok, you are like the coolest friend ever, I knew the Electus wouldn’t be some boring ass twit that thinks her shit don’t stink…You’re actually cool and you like cartoons and you think that I am Agent 57! I think I love you.” She said with a frighteningly serious face.
“I don’t do girls, sorry!” I said weakly not wanting to offend her.
“Me neither, but for you Toots, I would way make an exception. But the man I own, known as Adam, would be mad and he is a bit over the top possessive, so I think we should just be friends ‘cause he might lose it and then rip you apart or something. But I still love you. And by the way, you are so wearing that!” I looked down and shivered at what my body was covered in.
I turned to face the glass walls that covered two sides of the room and saw an entirely different me looking back. I found myself wearing a dress made of black lace so fine that it showed most of my skin underneath. I had on a black lacy underwear set that I was also instructed to put on and you could see every one of my curves as it pushed my breasts together like they were old friends getting re-acquainted. The dress was cut across my shoulders but I might as well been just in my bra and knickers for the good it did me. It went down to my feet and was cut up in four slits to the tops of my legs. My feet were also encased in black lace in the form of ankle boots that looked like a tube of the material had been cut at the front and then pealed back like skin from fruit. They were lined with plush red velvet that was so soft I didn’t even notice the high pointed heel or the way my feet were forced into the unnatural position only comfortable for ballerinas. The stiff red curls around my ankle were the only flashes of colour. That was unless you could count my blush that matched them.
I couldn’t even be comfortable that the dress had full length sleeves reaching down to my knuckles as the black lace was a pattern so big that there were too many parts that ended up being sheer see through. My scars were only slightly covered in a black gauze and the pattern of black roses with curved deadly looking thorns was the thickest in the places I didn’t need to hide. Like at my cuffs which flared out over my hands not my wrists, or like the strip across my collar bone not my ample cleavage. Even on my legs the pattern only got thicker at the bottom and faded as it got higher up my legs. My most private parts were left on show under a black sheen.
“Look Pip, if you’re really my friend and you care about me then you have to know that if I walk out of here looking this naked then you are going to have a hyperventilating mess on your hands. I have a major issue showing not only lots of skin but skin in certain places…if you know what I mean.” At this she looked down to the V of my legs and I shook my head, not even showing that part of me was as bad as showing my scars off to the world! No matter how much I had looked I didn’t find one pair of gloves in the whole room and the ones I had been wearing had somehow vanished along with the rest of my clothes.
“Ok look, I have an idea. Lucius only said you have to wear the dress but he didn’t say we couldn’t add to it.” I smiled at where her mind was leading to, that was until she came out of the wardrobe carrying a thick black leather corset that had more laces than a boot camp!
When she had finished I was feeling a little better with what she had done. I now had on a tight leather corset that tied at the back all the way down to the curve of my behind. The front also went down in a V shape that hid my lacy briefs well. The only thing that felt more on show was my bust thanks to the corset now setting them up like a shelf under my chin, although pushing them higher to the thicker pattern managed to hide them a little better. She had done my hair in a strange knotted plait with lengths of black ribbon that gave a startling contrast to the gold in my hair. This was positioned to one side and the ribbons curled down past the point that had been wound around the end of the plait to keep it in place.
She had also done my make-up and every time I fidgeted she would pull down on my plait like the rope from a bell tower. So long as she didn’t get it in her head to start swinging from it like an overzealous monk doing his own interpretation of rock music! I don’t think my hair would survive without a year’s worth of split ends.
I ended up looking like a doe eyed pet as the dark shadowing made my eyes look huge. The smoky effect made my eye colour stand out as being more stormy grey than blue and combined with my pale skin, made them stand out like a glass window keeping out the raging storm behind them. My lips matched the red velvet on my shoes and soon the flush of my cheeks whenever anyone would see me. But no matter how I looked I couldn’t keep my worried eyes from finding my scars that seemed to stand out even more under the thin veil of black mist.
“Ah here we are, I think these will do.” She said holding up some thick satin ribbon in long strips.
“I took these off another outfit I found in there. Hold out your arms.” I fisted my hands twice before stretching my fingers out in a nervous manner.
“Come on little Tot, I have seen far worse in my years…hell, I have done much worse so gimme gimme,” she said holding out her hands ready to restrain my wrists. I closed my eyes before handing over my past to someone other than Draven to see.
She moved the long sleeves up over my elbow and started to tie the ribbon into a knot at the top then she wound the thick ribbon around and around my arm until she got two ends the same length at the wrist. She tied a pretty bow tight so it wouldn’t move and did exactly the same with my other arm. I looked down at her handy work and when I saw my arms completely covered in black satin I looked up and must have given her a beaming smile. She smiled sweetly back but I couldn’t help pulling her shoulders to me
in a heart-warming embrace. She laughed and hugged me back.
“Thank you Pip,” I whispered and she patted my back.
“Oh, you’re welcome Toots, I had fun dressing a real doll. Come, we are running late and Lucius gets antsy.” I flinched at the name and she dropped her smile.
“He won’t hurt you, you know that right? He… well he…ah hell Toots, he likes you ok, even if he is a dick douche bag about it! Don’t be afraid, ok…I will take care of you.” I nodded my head and started to follow her out when I released something about Pip and couldn’t help but ask because all the time she was wrapping my arms up like gothic bandages she never once asked about them and morbid curiosity got the better of me.
“Pip…don’t you want to know what happened?” She stopped dead by the door and turned so slowly I thought I might have offended her in some way.
“I know why already, Keira.” She paused as if to confide something more and this time didn’t look at me when she said,
“It’s one of the reasons I respect you so much.”
Chapter 10
Master for My Sins.
Pip led me down a series of hallways that were all carved cold stone that dripped with damp in some places. All the while I could hear a faint rushing of water that sounded as though I was on the other side of a waterfall. However, in some areas it got so loud that I couldn’t hear Pip when she spoke. Whenever I started to lag behind she would grab my hand and pull me along like the doll she had called me. I bumped into her when she stopped abruptly. I saw that we had turned a corner and through a small arch way that lead to an open balcony. That’s when I gasped.
The great hall was exactly as it sounded…One great big almighty hall! It was as if someone had converted a church into a Goth club! The walls were covered in rippling red material that was well over twenty five feet high. They were lit up by lights at the bottom angled upwards and this made the silky material shimmer like liquid causing it to resemble blood coating the walls. The whole thing added a warm yet freaky red glow to the room. Oh yes, this place was definitely freaky alright! The room was a strange mix of old world elegance and a sadist’s palace, actually the more I thought about it maybe I was more right with that last one, given who this place belonged to. There were two staircases that went down from the balcony we were stood on into the centre of the room.