t'Sade's Stories and Blog2024-03-19T02:42:28Zhttps://tsade.com/t'SadeCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseCall the Specialist 8: Finally2024-02-29T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/shadowed-earth/call-the-specialist/chapter-08/Bailey finds herself underneath a thrashing ghost and the sexiest woman she had ever seen. But, for all of Kayla's insistence that the hunter wasn't into humans, it didn't stop Bailey from enjoying Kayla's fingers plunging into her body.
<p>When Bailey felt Kayla's fingers slide into her box, it was everything she dreamed it would. The strong fingers twisted and scissored inside her, teasing against her inner walls as they caressed and probed. Curls of pleasure rose up, a heated flare that danced along her skin.</p>
<p>Blinded by the pair of ghostly buttocks in her face, Kayla hoped that the fingering signaled her to stop. it was hard to tell other than the quivering of Abigail's body above her. Immediately, Bailey closed her eyes and withdrew her tongue from the dripping asshole in front of her. Her attention focused on Kayla's fingers, enjoying every thrust and bump to the exclusion of everything.</p>
<p>It didn't take long for an orgasm to rise up; Bailey had been edging herself for hours since she first stumbled into the diner and realized the idol was there. Now, she was in a threesome with an actual ghost and a hunter and fulfilling a fantasy she never knew she had.</p>
<p>The fingers drove deep.</p>
<p>She let out a squeak and a moan into Abigail's clenching buttocks. Her entire body tensed as the pleasure rose.</p>
<p>But then, without warning, Kayla withdrew.</p>
<p>Bailey whimpered, but then Kayla's breasts pressed down against her chest and she felt the powerful woman resuming her lapping at Abigail's clit. Encouraged, she resumed probing and lapping at the tight pucker in front of her mouth.</p>
<p>She had never rimmed a girl before, but it was her fantasy along with a thousand others. She loved the curve of the ghost's buttocks, the way they tensed every time Bailey burrowed her face deeper into the crevice. The taste was sweet, unsoiled by mortal processes and with a hint of what she guessed with ethereal juices. Reaching up Abigail's body, Bailey blindly sought her breasts and clamped onto them before lapping hard and deep.</p>
<p>The ghost bucked between Bailey and Kayla, her hips trapped by the two mortal bodies. Underneath her, her arms flexed against her cuffs and ground along Bailey's limbs, the forced submission making the obvious excitement of the century-old woman even more intense.</p>
<p>It didn't take long before Kayla pulled back.</p>
<p>Bailey opened her legs, silently begging for the fingers to return.</p>
<p>When the thick digits slid in, three of them squirming and probing, Bailey let out a shudder and stopped licking and groping. She lost herself in the suffocating cold of a thrashing ghost as she focused her world on the deep thrusts the hunter gave her, thrusts that shook her entire body and managed to thump against her clitoris and g-spot at the same time.</p>
<p>Bailey whimpered as Kayla brought her to an orgasm.</p>
<p>But just before the crest, with withdrew.</p>
<p>Bailey whimpered. Abigail was the one supposed to be being denied an orgasm, not her. She released the ghost's tit with one hand and stretched down. She thrust her tongue into the tight pucker to do her duty as she worked her hand down between Abigail's legs, along Kayla, and then up to the heated moisture of the hunter's sex.</p>
<p>Kayla stiffened.</p>
<p>Bailey closed her eyes, silently begging for an exemption to the “no humans” rule.</p>
<p>When Abigail ground down, Bailey remembered to return to her licking and lapping.</p>
<p>Then, thick fingers brushed against her. For a moment, Bailey was sure she was going to be pulled away, but to her surprise, Kayla pulled her panties to the side and let the questing fingers sliding up into the super-heated depths of her body.</p>
<p>That was enough for Bailey. She came hard and fast, screaming into Abigail's ass as she mauled and thrust with both sets of fingers. Soft, ghostly tits with one hand and the wet depths in the other.</p>
<p>Kayla sat up, driving Bailey's fingers deeper into her.</p>
<p>Bailey's legs quivered with anticipation.</p>
<p>When Kayla's fingers returned to her snatch, Bailey stopped focusing on Abigail and rose the waves of pleasure as the two mortal women fingered and touched themselves.</p>
<p>The cycle continued after a few seconds. Licking and pleasuring the ghost before switching to the mortal. Bailey's head swamp with giddiness and lust, lost in a cycle that seemed to be accelerating. She could feel Abigail's juices and Kayla's drool coating her throat and chest. It added to the intimacy as they worked the ghost into a frenzy.</p>
<p>Then, just as Bailey didn't think she could take Abigail's lusts any more, Kayla changed her tactics. She didn't pull her fingers from Bailey's slot but kept them there, pounding hard even as she leaned over to assault Abigail's clitoris.</p>
<p>Unsure at first, but then it was obvious the hunter was pleasing both of them. Bailey then began her own assault, lapping and sucking and thrusting with all her might. She worked her tongue keep and wiggled it inside ghost.</p>
<p>Hot and cold juices splashed against her, soaking her entire body. Her own saliva added to the mess as they worked themselves into a frenzy.</p>
<p>Kayla's cunt clenched down on Bailey's fingers with remarkable force, almost crushing them. A flood of juices poured out from the three fingers deep in the brunette's pussy. It was so hot compared to the cold woman above her, the contrast set Bailey off on yet another orgasms that never seemed to end.</p>
<p>The world grew brilliant as an icy burst smashed against her body. Frost formed instantly along her soaked face, then there was nothing but darkness.</p>
<p>Abigail was gone.</p>
<p>Bailey blinked, her eyes coming back into focus. There was nothing between her and Kayla.</p>
<p>The hunter's face was soaked as her own. Dribbles ran down her cheeks but didn't diminish the look of lust and hunger that Bailey felt herself.</p>
<p>They stared at each other, saying nothing. Even their fingers, still buried inside each other's bodies, remained still.</p>
<p>Then, taking a chance, Bailey reached up with her now free hand, hooked it along the back of Kayla's neck and pulled herself up into a kiss. Their lips smashed together, parting almost instantly as they embraced each other passionately.</p>
<p>Kayla's fingers resumed pumping into Bailey, more forceful and commanding as before. They drove deep and scissored inside the soaked, sore opening before drawing out.</p>
<p>Bailey hooked her leg on Kayla's muscular back and pulled herself up, thrusting. Her tongue explored Kayla's mouth, caressing and teasing. Kayla tasted off strong coffee and pussy, a mixture that was heady and addictive.</p>
<p>Not far away, a car door slammed shut.</p>
<p>Bailey gasped and broke the kiss.</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged. “Gwen was watching us from the window. Now she's pretending she just got here so we can clean up.”</p>
<p>Another slam, probably a trunk and much harder than needed.</p>
<p>“Kayla…?” Bailey started but the moment was gone. It was in Kayla's eyes, the “not human” coming back from the heat of the moment. She sighed and pulled her wet fingers free.</p>
<p>Kayla did the same as she sat back and then off Bailey. She sighed and then sat on the ground next to her. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>Bailey grinned and licked her fingers. Kayla still tasted good. Then she grinned. “Don't be sorry, that was probably the best time I've ever had.”</p>
<p>“I… I just don't—”</p>
<p>Leaning forward, Bailey pressed her finger against Kayla's lips. “You aren't into humans, right?”</p>
<p>A shake.</p>
<p>“Except in the heat of the moment?”</p>
<p>Kayla grinned bashfully. “Maybe a little. Then I start to think about it and… then I'm not.” She twisted her hands together as she spoke.</p>
<p>Bailey rested her palm on Kayla's knuckles. “Well, my first girlfriend was a two drinks lesbian. You are so much better than that. I had a chance to be with someone as wonderful as young and I got to see a real, life ghost and—”</p>
<p>“Dead ghost.”</p>
<p>“Fine,” Bailey said with a grin. “I got to see a real ghost! And banished her with a good licking and lots of fingering.”</p>
<p>A different type of thrill rose inside her, exhilaration of the unknown. She stretched. “Oh, God! I don't think I ever came that hard in my life.”</p>
<p>Another slammed trunk door.</p>
<p>Kayla sighed. “She's going to keep doing that. Do you want to take the master bathroom and clean up? I'll take the guest room.”</p>
<p>Bailey stood up. She reached down to offer Kayla a hand but the hunter was gone. “How the fuck does she do that?”</p>
Call the Specialist 7: Supernatural Consent2024-02-01T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/shadowed-earth/call-the-specialist/chapter-07/With consent given, Kayla starts her unorthodox approach to banishing the ghost.
<p>Consent, it was the most powerful aphrodisiac that Kayla knew. Just hear the ghostly words brought a rush racing through her body even as the last of the adrenaline from the wrestling ebbed. Her limbs quivered but her thoughts turned to the hungry lust that was so hard to sate.</p>
<p>Slowly, Kayla brought the toothy mouth up to hers. She tilted Abigail's head to the side and kissed right along the iron chains that pried the ghost's mouth apart. Kayla may be turned on by the submissive specter in her arms but she wasn't stupid enough to get between her teeth.</p>
<p>The taste of the ghost's lips was a faint hint of dust and mold, but also the tickling aftertaste that was almost impossible to describe. The closest Kayla ever got was a fancy nitrogen-cooled cocktail that she had never gotten the name. It was an acquired taste as she kissed Abigail again, each time more aggressively as she ran her lips along the cool skin of the solidifying woman.</p>
<p>She reached up to stroke her hands along the ghost's sides, reminding the long-dead woman what it felt like to be touched. It would cause her to grow more firm, but also bring little flickers of pleasure that would further anchor her into the world.</p>
<p>Abigail let out an unearthly wail even as she arched her back into Kayla's. Her breath came out in little bursts of fog and snowflakes. Her eyes, the pitch black orbs, were somehow focused on Kayla's face.</p>
<p>“Um,” Bailey said hesitantly. “What do I do?”</p>
<p>Kayla trailed her fingers up along Abigail's chest. The ghost was wearing a dressing gown and her breasts were hidden with only a short lacing holding everything together. She tugged on it before answering. “How would you love a woman?”</p>
<p>“Kiss her. Touch her. What do you like to do to women?”</p>
<p>The lacing came undone and the top of Abigail's dress split open, fading away as much as tearing as it peeled back from two pale breasts tipped in white nipples. Kayla smiled as she ran her fingers around the nearest areola, enjoying how Abigail's body continued to phase in and out around the tip of Kayla;'s finger. The touch was electric and tingling, but both women quickly responded with soft moans of their own.</p>
<p>Bailey sank down opposite of Kayla. She had stripped off her top and her breasts were bared. Kayla couldn't help but notice how they stood up on their own, two perfect mounds that would be begging to be sucked if Kayla wasn't already in the middle of seducing a ghost.</p>
<p>Kayla pulled Abigail into another kiss as she ran her hands down the soft skin of the specter's belly. “Now, remember you want to leave, right?”</p>
<p>Abigail moaned and the house quivered.</p>
<p>“That means you need to tell us before you come. Just say the words and we're going to stop. You have to tell us, right?”</p>
<p>Abigail's eyebrows frowned as she moaned.</p>
<p>“Your orgasm is your going to be your gate. You want it to be the bright, most intense thing in your life. That means we are going to tease you—” Kayla drew her hand down into the valley of the ghost's thighs.</p>
<p>The material of Abigail's dress crumbled under the touch and Kayla only stroked along bare skin and ether. Even the ghost's pubic hair, bright white and parse, seemed to quiver as Kayla worked her way through it before slipping into the slick, cool channel. When her fingertip caressed the hard bump of the ghost's clit, she smiled and circled around it.</p>
<p>A welcoming throb filled Kayla as she rocked her fingertips along the ghost's pleasure, enjoying the little quivers. She realized that she had started a question and then forced her attention back. “You have to tell us if you want to leave. Do you understand, Abigail?”</p>
<p>The ghost whimpered and nodded. She twisted slightly, her arms still bound behind her back and a dribble of drool gathering on the corner of her mouth. She worked the chain in her mouth, but the cold iron kept her deadly teeth pried far apart.</p>
<p>Bailey took a deep breath and ran her hand over Abigail's other breast. Her fingers were ginger at first, but then more aggressive as she ran her fingernails over the ghostly flesh. At the same time, she drew down and kissed Abigail's cheek, ears, and then into the crock of her neck.</p>
<p>Underneath her, the ghost tensed and let out another wail of pleasure. Her hips bucked up against Kayla's fingers as she twisted her head back and forth, moving between Kayla's and Bailey's kisses.</p>
<p>Bailey's fingers joined Kayla's. Together, they worked the slick clitoris until the ghost was writhing with pleasure. Then Kayla reached further down to slid up and down the wet slit before plunging two fingers into the tight channel that hadn't felt a man in centuries.</p>
<p>“C-Close!” gasped the ghost.</p>
<p>Kayla pulled her hand out. Then grabbed Bailey's and pulled her a way.</p>
<p>The two mortals froze as the ghost trembled for a moment and then slumped back.</p>
<p>Abigail blinked at them and worked the chain her mouth. The trembling slowed and then stopped.</p>
<p>“Ready?”</p>
<p>A nod.</p>
<p>Kayla smiled and kissed her again as she returned her hand to the ghost's pussy. With a firm pressure, she slipped her finger back into the tight channel and pumped slowly.</p>
<p>Bailey lowered her head to capture a hard nipple in her mouth. She sucked and moaned before cupping the breast to lavish it with more attention. Using her fingernails to maul the ghost's tit, the young woman slobbered and moaned as she nipped and sucked on the bright white nipple.</p>
<p>Kayla felt a wave of lust fill her as she worked a second finger into Abigail's slit. The soft folds clung to her digits with every stroke. She kept her eyes locked on Abigail's face, trying to keep the wavering expression in focus as she looked for a signs of an orgasm.</p>
<p>Bailey moaned and caressed Abigail's body, stroking and touching everything as she sucked hard on the nipple. Her hips rocked back and forth with her motions, adding to the trembling pile of three women.</p>
<p>Kayla saw the orgasm rising.</p>
<p>She pulled her fingers out of Abigail's snatch.</p>
<p>Bailey was still mauling the tit in her mouth.</p>
<p>Fighting the urge to keep going, Kayla jammed her hand underneath Bailey's chin and pulled her up. The bright nipple popped up as Bailey let out a gasp. Leaning forward, Kayla spoke firmly. “Stop.”</p>
<p>Bailey whimpered, then she tilted her head to capture Kayla's fingers in her mouth.</p>
<p>The touch of hot, living flesh against Kayla's fingertips was intense. She had forgotten what it felt like and the flickering flames inside her own loins rekindled. Moisture gathered as she stared at the younger woman who bobbed up and down as she laved every inch of ghostly juices from Kayla's fingertips.</p>
<p>Kayla's pussy grew hotter as she stared at the young hunger sucking on her finger. It took most of her willpower to pull them out and return to the task at hand. She returned her fingers to Abigail's pussy and resumed pumping with slow, determined strokes.</p>
<p>“Let me,” whispered Bailey as she crawled down. She was completely naked and her bare sex with glistening in the light from the windows. She gently pulled Kayla's fingers away to replace it with her mouth.</p>
<p>Unable to resist, Kayla stared the kneeling beauty as Bailey focused her attention on Abigail's clitoris and opening. It could have been the hours of resisting Bailey's charms, but seeing the young woman enthusiastically delving into helping Abigail made her difficult to resist. The urge to reach out and finger Bailey's bare pussy at the same time as teasing Abigail was difficult to resist.</p>
<p>To force herself to focus on the task, Kayla closed her eyes and lowered herself so she could suck on the ghost's nipple. It was tool to the touch, but the responsive body underneath shivered as the ghost let out a long wail of pleasure.</p>
<p>They continued their oral assault until the ghost's body tensed up.</p>
<p>Knowing that another orgasm was approaching, Kayla pulled away. At the same time, she reached own to grab Kayla by her hair and pulled her free of the ghost's legs.</p>
<p>Soft pants of pleasure rose up. Bailey let out a moan and then lifted her head, pulling Kayla's grip out of her hair so she could suck on the hunter's fingers.</p>
<p>Kayla's pussy drooled by the intense pleasure. She moaned and slowly pumped her fingers in and out of the mortals' mouth, enjoying the heat of the tongue that explored her and the little moans that vibrated through the connections of their bodies.</p>
<p>Bailey shifted her position, coming around without letting Kayla's fingers out of her mouth. She settled down between Abigail's legs with a grin before finally pulling off. Then, with a smile, she dove back to suck on the ghost's clitoris.</p>
<p>Underneath them, Abigail shuddered. “Feels so good…” she moaned. “More, please more.”</p>
<p>Kayla focused her attention on Abigail's nipples and breasts with her fingers while kissing and sucking along the ghost's neck. It was cool but sensitive. Every time she mouthed the icy flesh, Abigail would shuddered and the moans would increase.</p>
<p>It didn't take long for the signs of an orgasm came back.</p>
<p>Kayla reached down and pulled Bailey up by her hair.</p>
<p>The blonde hairs looked almost white in the light. Strands of juices and ethereal fluids coated her face as she smiled broadly. There was a glaze of lust in her eyes as she giggled and then lifted herself up to try capturing Kayla's fingers.</p>
<p>Kayla resisted for a moment, feeling as if she was losing control, but then she let the young hunger suck her fingers in. The pleasure of the hot touch and contrast to the cool flesh she stroked was intoxicating. Her pussy was drooling and her jeans were soaked; she had to take them off soon otherwise she would lose control herself.</p>
<p>Abigail whimpered. “No, come back. M-More, please. More.”</p>
<p>It was the first signs that the ghost was coming around. There was no talk about Jacob or the others, just a need for sex. But it would be a long way before they could finally let the poor specter orgasm.</p>
<p>The rounds grew faster as the ghost's was denied orgasm after orgasm. It didn't take long before only a few seconds were needed before the quivers raced along the ghost's body.</p>
<p>“Please,” whimpered the ghost, her voice coming from everywhere in the room. “I need it.”</p>
<p>Kayla moaned as she pulled Bailey's head. “Let me get down there.”</p>
<p>Bailey worked her jaw and nodded.</p>
<p>Pushing herself up to her knees, Kayla considered just replacing Bailey but the heat of the moment made it hard to decide. She didn't like humans, she told herself as she pulled her shirt and bra off and tossed it aside. The cool air teased her nipples.</p>
<p>It wasn't enough. With a blush and a glance at Abigail's lust-filled face, Kayla pushed herself to her feet and shoved her jeans down. Stepping out, she wore nothing but her black panties.</p>
<p>Below, Bailey stared at her with a glistening face covered in juices and an intense lust burning in her eyes.</p>
<p>Kayla felt beautiful in that moment, as if she was just as special as anyone else. Then she cleared her throat. “Come on, I want a taste.”</p>
<p>Bailey grinned and then rolled over, her short hair brushing against Abigail's thighs.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?”</p>
<p>Bailey grinned as she cupped Abigail's buttocks and pushed them. “There is another place that will get her off down here.”</p>
<p>Kayla stared.</p>
<p>“Never had your ass licked?” Bailey said with a wink, and then she nestled her mouth into the crevice of the ghost's buttocks.</p>
<p>Abigail let out a moan of pleasure as Bailey's tongue began to assault the tiny entrance.</p>
<p>“Oh… fuck,” gasped Kayla. The heat was intoxicating as she straddled Bailey's hips and lowered herself down. Her legs were trembling as she settled into place, pinning Bailey against the ground. With a moan, she slipped two fingers into Abigail's pussy before lowering her mouth to capture the slick clitoris with her lips.</p>
<p>It wasn't long before she felt another orgasm rising up for the ghost. It was both harder and easier to detect Abigail's orgasms from between her legs. Harder because she couldn't see the wavering face or the expression of pleasure but easier because of the flood of juices and the flex of muscles that came.</p>
<p>Kayla pulled away from the sweet, ethereal taste of Abigail's snatch.</p>
<p>With her head buried in the ghost's cheeks, Bailey didn't seem to catch the signs.</p>
<p>Kayla thought of two ways of telling her. She could have reached down and pulled them apart. But instead she leaned back and dropped her hand behind her, sliding her slick finger up Bailey's equality slick thighs before plunging two fingers into the tight, mortal pussy underneath her.</p>
Puppy Mill 2: From the Shadows 128: Choice2024-01-25T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/nine-sisters/puppy-mill/puppy-mill-02/chapter-128/Fifty years later, it was a young woman who approached the Puppy Mill with a longing in her heart and enemies chasing after her.
<p>With a heavy canvas cloth draped over her head, Junko was trapped between a dusty bag of potatoes and a large crate of apples. The smell of sweet fruit and earth mixed with the stifling heat that bore down through the canvas over her head and choked her.</p>
<p>She tugged on her hair, pulling the black and green braids across her face and breathed through it. It wasn't much better, the last chance she had to clean was in a river that smelled of dead fish and rotting leaves.</p>
<p>Making a face, she looked for the edge of the canvas. Catching it, she reached out with her delicate fingers and pulled it back.</p>
<p>The afternoon light bore down on her, blinding her. She flinched but kept her eyes staring out over the edge of the wagon until her vision cleared.</p>
<p>A heavy hand rested on her head. “Just a little more. I can see the edge now. It's just ahead of us.”</p>
<p>The sound of her father's exhausted voice tore at her heart. He was just a merchant, not a warrior, but he had to be both when they ran way from home.</p>
<p>She blinked away the blindness and then peeked up around her. They were on a dirt road leading somewhere. Curious and needing fresh air, she tapped her fingers on the bench next to him in a silent question.</p>
<p>He looked around carefully. She caught sight of his bandage wrapped around his right shoulder. It looked worse than before. The blood had dried into a dark splotch of brown and black, but the edges were green from their dip in the river. It couldn't be healthy but they didn't have much more material than the canvas they needed to hide her.</p>
<p>With a nod, he lifted one leg and straddled the bench. He was a big man, right on the edge of fat and muscular, with a stocky belly and dark hairs. He also had rough, warm hands.</p>
<p>He reached down and pressed his hand firmly over her mouth and nose, clamping down until she felt a strange quivering deep inside her. With his other hand, he scooped her up and pulled her free of their remaining wares.</p>
<p>With a grunt, he swung her back and set her down. His hand lingered over her mouth as his dark green eyes stared into hers.</p>
<p>She trembled in his look.</p>
<p>“Hand over your mouth,” he said, his eyes darkened with pain and sadness.</p>
<p>Junko nodded and reached up with her own hand. She was much smaller than her father, but they had done this many times since they found out about the curse. When he pulled his hand away, she slipped hers over her mouth and clamped it over her lips.</p>
<p>He smiled despite the trouble that boiled inside him.</p>
<p>The horse in front of the wagon made an alarmed noise.</p>
<p>Startled, he turned and grabbed for the reins to regain control.</p>
<p>Junko looked around. Behind them and to the sides was fields and copses of trees. It was a beautiful green expanse compared to rockier terrain of their home in Belkim. Then she looked ahead of her.</p>
<p>It was as if the world had been cleaved down the middle. Healthy, vibrant trees gave way to twisted black limbs dripping with long streamers of moss and mushrooms. A mist clung to the ground, somehow surviving the heat that bore down on her. When she looked, she relaized that the wind was blowing in different direcitons on opposites of the border.</p>
<p>She gasped.</p>
<p>Her father smacked his hand acros her mouth, crushing her fingers against her lips.</p>
<p>Junko froze, unable to turn her eyes as she scanned whatever she could see for the telltale crackle of lighting and the buzz of teleportation.</p>
<p>Her father let out one breath and then another. The golden amulet to Madock, the god of merchants, sparkled in the light before it slid back under his shirt. “Damn. That was close.”</p>
<p>She cringed, unable to speak. With her heart calming down, she leaned into the powerful hand that clamped over her mouth and kissed her father's palm.</p>
<p>He relaxed minutely. After a moment, he released his hand to reach around her. Pulling her close, he kissed the top of her head. “Just be quiet, we're almost there.”</p>
<p>Junko didn't know where they were going. No, she knew, but it was a place that had called to her in her dreams ever since that day in the temple. The day her own uncle had declared their victory had been delivered and her grandmother had cursed Junko's tongue to ensure Junko would never be lost.</p>
<p>The wagon rolled across the line of life and darkness. The air grew instantly cold, frigid compared to the heat of the summer field. Goosebumps prickled along her skin.</p>
<p>A smell of sake wafted past her, a tickle in the back of her throat that reminded her of the days when she sneaked some of her father's drink when he wasn't looking.</p>
<p>He sniffed the air with surprise.</p>
<p>Underneath the whispering scents, there were others of mold, damp, and fungus. To her relief, it didn't smell of dead fish or swamps.</p>
<p>They followed the road for some distance. She expected that the world would grow darker in the lands, but it remained in a state of twilight.</p>
<p>When the wagon came over a hill, she saw the building that had been dancing in her dreams for months: a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a fenced yard and fields of mushrooms. There was nothing else around it but she could see a town about ten kilometers to the side.</p>
<p>Her breath came faster. Why was she drawn here? What caused the dreams to start? More importantly, why did she think she was so sure she would be safe there that she convinced her father to travel across an entire foreign country?</p>
<p>Her father clenched his amulet and whispered a prayer. He was begging Madock to make sure he did the right thing.</p>
<p>Excitement rose up inside Junko. There was something at the building she needed, something she craved.</p>
<p>For the briefest of moments, she felt a tickle in the back of her head but then it was gone.</p>
<p>They continued along, faster than before but still hesitant. They had stumbled into two ambushes from her uncle and only good luck had let them escape, good luck and a watchful eye.</p>
<p>When they got closer, she saw there were people on the porch of the house.</p>
<p>A man in a black shirt and pants stood leaning against a sturdy post. He drank something steaming.</p>
<p>Across from him, a shirtless thriban of terrifying bulk had his arms crossed over his chest.</p>
<p>Something deep inside quivered, a fear as she looked at the powerful-looking monster. There were very few thriban in Belkim and the ones she had heard of had blue and black skins, not the deep gray of the one waiting for her. Their travel across Franome had brought them up against the gray thribans and everyone terrified her.</p>
<p>A flash of movement caught her attention. A child or animal of some sort bounced off the porch and ran across the yard toward a number of small buildings. The mvoement was strange and the pet was low to the ground but sailed with every step.</p>
<p>A flicker of movement and another pet raced across the yard toward a small graveyard.</p>
<p>The first one chased after it, barking clearly echoing across the distance.</p>
<p>Junko wondered what type of creatures this new place would have.</p>
<p>Her father drove the wagon up to the sighn by the opening in the gate. The words were written in a different language that she had only started to learn, but she knew the words for “Puppy” and “Mill.”</p>
<p>She lifted both hands to her mouth and nose, tightening her grip until she could barely make a sound.</p>
<p>Her father got off but gestured for her to stay. “Be safe, be ready to run. Toward that small lake we passed and then into the woods. Remmeber that fence we passed? Head for there and I will find you if I can.”</p>
<p>When he turned around, the man in black wsa strolling up. He had a heavy mug in one hand and his other hand in his pocket.</p>
<p>“Be greeting you. I be Borias, count of these marches.” He had strange way of speaking and his voice sounded almost like the way the air tasted, silky and with a tickle in the back of Junko's throat.</p>
<p>Her father stepped back from him and up to the wagon. “My name is Ito of the family… just use Ito. I don't know why I'm here, only that I've been traveling for a long time and hope to find something my daughter has been looking for.”</p>
<p>Borias gave an easy smile and a shrug. “This be the end of summer and the fair be over. It be quiet for all of winter and we can be helping. You may not be wanting to stay here, but we be taking you to the town? Blood's End is only an hour's drive away and has the local fortress.”</p>
<p>Her father looked at Junko, his face torn. He never understood why she wanted to be here, just as much as she didn't know why the dreams called for her. He was torn, exhausted, and broken. Neither had sleep in a soft bed for weeks and the only comfort they had at night was their shared warmth as they clutched each other.</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I… it needs to be here.”</p>
<p>The thriban grunted. Junko looked up, but the creature had only raised an eyebrow. Teeth peeked up along his lower lip. She noticed that he was very muscular, with white hairs on his dark gray pectorals.</p>
<p>She clenched herself in fear, not wanting to get closer to him.</p>
<p>“N-Not for me, if that isn't a choice, but my daughter needs to be here.”</p>
<p>“Really?” asked Borias but it was a curious question, not a mocking one.</p>
<p>Junko wanted to pay attention but she felt a presence on the other side of the wagon. Hesitantly, she leaned over and looked down.</p>
<p>There was a naked woman on her knees on the ground by the wagon. She had her hands up by her throat with dark hair spilling down her large breasts and erect nipples. Junko started to gasp and then dug her fingers into her mouth to keep herself from making a noise.</p>
<p>The woman reached up and Junko realized that she didn't have hands. She didn't even have forearms. Her limb ended at her elbow.</p>
<p>Heat flickered inside Junko, a curiosity that she had never experienced before. What was it like not to have an arm? Her eyes looked over as the woman began to wiggle her entire body.</p>
<p>The stranger didn't have her other arm either. It ended at the elbow just as her legs terminated at her knees. A dark tail snapped back and forth, shaking like a puppy dog who couldn't control his butt.</p>
<p>Junko started to giggle, then froze. Tears burned her eyes as she looked around sharply in fears that she would see the lightning of her uncle's teleportation.</p>
<p>Heart pounding in her chest, she calmed herself and turned back.</p>
<p>There was another woman kneeling on the ground next to the first.</p>
<p>Startled, Junko jumped and gripped her mouth tighter.</p>
<p>Naked as the first, the second woman's arms ended at her wrists and she had her lower legs tucked underneath, but Junko couldn't see hands or feet. Where the first one was dark brown, the second woman had no color at all. Not even the reflections of the mushrooms that were beginning to shine blue in the shadows. She was utterly colorless.</p>
<p>The second one had pointed ears sticking out through her white hair and a matching tail and bounced back and forth with less excitement than the first one. It was still a movement of joy and happiness.</p>
<p>Looking at the two women, Junko couldn't help but think about how helpless they would have been, how much they couldn't defend themselves. A familiar ache began to grow inside her, one that she had grown to hate every since they fled their home.</p>
<p>The sable one gestured with her chin toward the ground.</p>
<p>Junko shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder toward her father.</p>
<p>Ito was speaking with Borias. “I don't have much money.”</p>
<p>“We not be taking any. Ever since we be reopening the mill fifty years ago, we be taking not a single mark. The mill be free, but selective. We all be having choice.”</p>
<p>“Your father built this place?” Junko's father asked nervously. He had always cherished traditions and Junko knew he was trying to find some common ground to stall.</p>
<p>“No, we five be building it. Many years, rarely be leaving now. This be our home, this be where we stay.”</p>
<p>There was a soft patting next to her. The sable woman was reaching up like a little girl, bouncing on her short little legs as she tapped the bench for Junko to come down.</p>
<p>A longing rose up, a desire to obey. With her stomach fluttering, Junko inched over to the side of the wagon and crawled down. She had to switch hands over her mouth as she did.</p>
<p>Her cloth shoes sank into the soft earth. Heart pounding, she got a better look at the two strange women. They were older than she thought. The sable-haired one had wrinkles around her eyes and smiled like Junko's aunt. The colorless one was younger but the edges of her body grew hazy when Junko stared at her.</p>
<p>Both of them sat back and brought the ends of their arms to their neck. The older one had a leather collar against her throat with a symbol of a rose on it.</p>
<p>Junko's eyes drifted down. She almost made a noise when she saw their bare sexes were hairless and smooth.</p>
<p>As if reading her thoughts, they both spread their legs and settled back to brazenly show their womanhoods to the air. Junko knew that Franome women were more open about their sexuality, but this was more than she had seen in her travels.</p>
<p>Junko blushed hotly.</p>
<p>The colorless one lifted herself up and then then knelt again, bringing her wrists to her bare throat.</p>
<p>She did it again, and then both of them did it.</p>
<p>With a start, Junko realized they were telling her to do the same thing. She shivered with an intense longing to obey, to be like the two women who smiled at her.</p>
<p>Sable bounced on her hips and repeated the gesture.</p>
<p>Junko looked up with her cheeks burning but she was out of sight of her father. An image of him commanding her to sit thundered through her mind, adding to the quivering heat that tickled her insides.</p>
<p>Slowly, she sank to her knees. Her dress fluttered around her hips as she rested on her knees.</p>
<p>Both tails wagged happily together. As one, the two women brought their wrists up to their throat. This time, they arched their backs and pushed their breasts up.</p>
<p>A hunger filled Junko. She wanted to be like them, they were beautiful.</p>
<p>Shaking, she curled her fingers up and lifted them to the bottom of her chin. Her heart pounded with excitement as her knees slipped further apart to balance herself.</p>
<p>They both beamed.</p>
<p>Junko let out a shuddering gasp. Realizing she had almost made a noise, she reached up to clamp her hand over her mouth but the colorless woman crossed the short distance in a blink and pulled the hand down.</p>
<p>Centimeters away, Junko stared into eyes that were the warmest gray she had ever seen. They glowed faintly and she could almost see a universe of stars beyond.</p>
<p>“I am Merrie,” came a voice of silk and sake. Where Borias had spoke like a dark drink in the air, Merrie's voice was the lightest touch, a stolen sip in the middle of a party, a giggle after sneaking into store room before the sun rose.</p>
<p>The fluttering in Junko's belly grew more intense, a heat that rippled along her body.</p>
<p>“She is Sable.”</p>
<p>The older woman bounced and wiggled her body, her breast and hips quivering excitedly as her tail snapped back and forth. She seemed to be boundless energy, a puppy ready to play.</p>
<p>Merrie stared into her eyes. “What is your name, sister?”</p>
<p>Junko shook her head.</p>
<p>Merrie's eyes grew more intense. “Speak.” Her voice seemed to echo in Junko's head with an intimacy of a lover Junko wished she had instead of Tsukodan's pawing in a barn.</p>
<p>A hungry desire rose up, a begging from the very core of her being to just open her mouth and speak. In the briefest moment, the curse didn't matter anymore and she shook her head.</p>
<p>(Speak,) came a command that she couldn't deny.</p>
<p>“Junko.”</p>
<p>It didn't matter that she whispered in the quietest voice she had. It didn't matter that it was in tiny space between their bodies. A crack of thunder and lightning shot across the sky and the world grew dark.</p>
<p>“W-What?” Her father called out. “Junko, no!”</p>
<p>Junko cringed and clapped her hand over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks as more lighting burst across the sky.</p>
<p>Twenty meters away, a bolt of power slammed into the ground, scorching the earth and kicking up a cloud. When the wind blew it away, there was a man standing there. Hisao of the Natori, her uncle.</p>
<p>More lightning struck the ground, slamming with rapid succession. Each strike left behind another of the clan's warriors, men who were going to take her home and force her into the shrine where she would be chained and never allowed to escape. She was their so-called perfect voice who would surrender to the dark god they worshiped and bring on a dark age.</p>
<p>“Junko!” Her father rushed around the wagon. He flung himself past the two naked women to scoop her off the ground and throw her into the wagon. Face pale, he climbed up after her.</p>
<p>A powerful hand grabbed the reins. It was the thriban. He shook his head.</p>
<p>“Give those to me! We have to run. We have to!” begged her father.</p>
<p>“Ito… why are you running?” Hisao spoke in his low, growling voice. “You can't escape us, just let us take her home. If you want, stay.”</p>
<p>The thriban reached out for Junko.</p>
<p>Ito drew his sword but a sharp look from the monster's yellow eyes stopped him from doing anything besides holding it lightly in his hand.</p>
<p>The thriban turned his hand and held it out, palm up. It was massive, larger than her chest and head. She could easily imagine how easily he could have crushed her skull between his thick fingers.</p>
<p>“Junko,” said the thriban but she didn't know how he knew her name. His voice was lower than she had ever heard before, the rumble of an avalanche pouring down a mountain. “You are welcomed here. We will protect you with our lives, but you must ask.”</p>
<p>She shook her head, grinding her hands over her mouth even though it was too late.</p>
<p>Her heart screamed at her to take the offer. It was the thing that she had dreamed about for months. The reason they risk death, robbery, and insults to reach.</p>
<p>Borias walked past the wagon and toward her uncle. “Be greeting you,” he said in his strange way of speaking. “I be Borias, the count of—”</p>
<p>Hisao curtly interrupted him. “Out of the way, grasslander. We have no interest in killing you today.”</p>
<p>“True, but this be my land and I would be appreciating if you not spilling blood. I be hating to defend myself. There only be fifty of—”</p>
<p>Hisao yanked out his short sword from the sheath. In the same movement, he slashed up and cut Borias from crotch to throat in a single blow. The blade arched high before he flipped it over and drove the point into the space between Borias' neck and collar to pierce his heart.</p>
<p>Junko and Ito both gasped with surprise and fear.</p>
<p>The thriban, on the other hand, didn't seem to be perturbed that his companion had just been killed. “Please? Accept our offer. You will thrive here and we know exactly what you need.”</p>
<p>More lightning struck the ground, summoning more of her family. Soon there were fifty armed men arrayed in front of them.</p>
<p>Junko looked back and forth between her uncle and the thriban. Her voice rose in her throat, a whimper of fear and longing. She wanted to say yes, she wanted it with more than anything else in her heart.</p>
<p>“Well, that be rude.”</p>
<p>She let out a cry as did her father and uncle.</p>
<p>Hisao lurched away from Borias and drew his long sword.</p>
<p>The man in black reached up and pulled the blade out of his neck. Black blood dripped down the length of metal. It splashed to the ground before evaporating in puffs of mist.</p>
<p>“Demon!”</p>
<p>Borias shook his head. Around him, the shadows took on a new life as they stretched across the yard without a light moving above them. Something boiled in the depths.</p>
<p>The thriban sighed and dropped the reins into her lap. “He's going to steal all the kills. Come on, bitch.”</p>
<p>Shaking his hand, he snapped his fingers and strolled toward the attackers. There was something casual about how he moved; he acted as if he was heading to a play or show, not death.</p>
<p>Sable bounded after him, her tail wagging and her bare sex glistening. She barked cheerful.</p>
<p>The air around the thriban shimmered as metal plates appeared in a cloud around him. Then, they rushed toward him, slamming into place with a thud that shook the ground.</p>
<p>In mid-bound, plates of armor crashed into Sable. When she hit the ground, there was a fully armored hound with glowing red eyes. The rose symbol shone on her chest, matched by the one worn by the thriban.</p>
<p>In the distance, something came out of the woods and streaked toward them.</p>
<p>The only person at the mill who wasn't moving was Merrie. The colorless woman sat on the ground near the wheel, her tail wagging back and forth as she watched.</p>
<p>One of the warriors attacked Borias.</p>
<p>The man in black stepped to the side.</p>
<p>A shadow near the warrior's foot burst into a writhing mass of tentacles. It grabbed his leg and hips and yanked down, snapping the man's pelvis before he was bent in half and pulled somewhere impossible.</p>
<p>Junko whimpered. She scrambled around her father and dropped to the ground next to Merrie. She felt safer on the ground, as if someone would protect her. Inching closer, she clutched Merrie's shoulders and her remarkably soft but cool body.</p>
<p>The armored thriban charged forward. A two-handed sword appeared in his hand that he swung and punched into the front ranks of the warriors.</p>
<p>“That's Bass, a paladin,” Merrie said in her low, seductive voice. “Borias is the count of the Shadow Marches and the wolf coming up on us is Tabitha who is visiting for a few years before heading north again. Who are your friends?”</p>
<p>Junko whimpered. “M-My family. They want me back. B-Because I….”</p>
<p>“Because you feel a longing in your heart you can't explain?”</p>
<p>Junko nodded.</p>
<p>“When your father gives you a command, does something pulse inside you? A wish that he would be rougher? Stricter?”</p>
<p>“Y-Yes.”</p>
<p>There was another crack of lightning as more of her family were summoned.</p>
<p>Merrie smiled. “I know. I can see it in your eyes.”</p>
<p>The melee between the strangers and her family had turned brutal. Even though Bass, Sable, and Borias were outnumbered twenty to one, it was a slaughter. Sword and teeth and tentacles tore into a family that was feared across Belkim.</p>
<p>Not far away, the wolf that Merrie had mentioned was rapidly approaching. It was huge, bigger than Junko thought possible. When it leaped over a small pond, she realized how much she underestimated the creature's size.</p>
<p>Hisao stumbled out of the fight. His blade was still dripping black blood. He spun around. His gaze caught Junko's and he stalked toward her.</p>
<p>Merrie stood up on her knees. Up close, Junko could see she was dripping wet and the smell of her sex was just like her voice, sake and silk. She grinned at Junko. “You will always have a choice. Madock sent you to us because we know what you are and how to train you. We've been through this ourselves.”</p>
<p>“You follow Madock?”</p>
<p>The strange dog woman smiled. “Let's say, we have become intimate allies over the years. Make a choice, only you can do. All you have to do is speak.”</p>
<p>“I-I don't know how.”</p>
<p>Merrie winked. “Then present yourself and bark.”</p>
<p>Turning back, she trotted to meet up with Hisao, the famed champion of the family. A naked woman against a killer wearing blessed armor.</p>
<p>Junko whimpered. She looked around and felt the longing rising up. Madock had sent her there, he had blessed her family for many years and he had given her something she needed.</p>
<p>Ahead of her, Hisao slashed at Merrie with incredible speed. His blade sung with the golden energies that could cut through metal and stone.</p>
<p>She hopped to the side casually and circled around him.</p>
<p>He dismissed her but then froze. A shiver of something ran down his back and Junko saw fear in his eyes. Turning away from Junko, he faced Merrie with a scowl and a brandished blade.</p>
<p>Heart pounding, Junko knew what to do. She didn't dare look up to see her father watching her as she carefully knelt on the ground. Trembling, she lifted her bent fingers up over her small breasts and pressed her knuckles to her throat. The touch was electric and felt as natural as if she had been doing it her entire life.</p>
<p>With tears in her eyes, she took a deep breath, arched her back, and let out a single sobbing bark.</p>
<p>The people of Puppy Mill froze, a knowing smile across their face. Then they resumed their slaughter. A wall of swords slashed through the battle. Black tentacles rose up and swallowed men whole. It was chaos and death.</p>
<p>And then the wolf blasted through the yard. It was huge, almost as tall as the house itself. An immense jaw opened up and then chomped down on her uncle's head. There was a wet ripping noise and then the wolf vaulted over the wagon and the house behind it. The impact on the far side shook the earth.</p>
<p>Junko turned back to see Merrie playfully sit down in front of Hisao with her tail wagging back and forth.</p>
<p>Hisao's decapitated corpse dropped to his knees, then Junko's uncle collapsed with a groan.</p>
<p>Merrie's eyes bore into Junko's, pinning her in place. There was a force behind the smile, an intensity that was more loving and powerful than anything Junko had seen in her life.</p>
<p>The warm gaze brought an intense quiver of longing and a rush of unfamiliar heat to her loins. It promised comfort and love and peace.</p>
<p>Junko held her breath as she stared into the warm, gray eyes. The tingle returned, a tickle in the back of her head.</p>
<p>(Welcome to the Puppy Mill,) said the voice of sake and silk inside her head. With it came a wave of emotion that contained all the love and affection in the world.</p>
Call the Specialist 6: Bait2024-01-04T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/shadowed-earth/call-the-specialist/chapter-06/Bailey is sent off to investigate the house on her own, Kayla's comments about using her as bait dancing in her head. What did the hunter have in mind with her and would the ghost get to Bailey first?
<p>Bailey worried her bottom lip as she reached the top of the stairs. The upstairs was a lot creepier at night when she knew there was a ghost haunting the place. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her chest as she peeked into one room.</p>
<p>Sweat prickled her brow as she looked into the ruined rooms. There wasn't a lot of light inside the house and the street lights made everything look like claws and teeth.</p>
<p>Kayla's bait comment worried her. Bailey wondered how much of her enthusiasm was driven by her need to see a real ghost—something that she had dreamed about since she was a little girl—or coming up face-to-face with one of the most gorgeous women she had ever seen. Had she made a mistake thinking with her pussy and a desperation to do something besides watch her plummet into her personal hell of poor decisions?</p>
<p>She scoffed. Walking around a haunted house was probably right up there in the other poor decisions in her life. Though, sleeping in a car in a random spot always seemed more terrifying that the idea that she would be finding a ghost. At least, she knew there was a ghost as opposed to never knowing it was an animal or a rapist coming up in the middle of the night.</p>
<p>Well, it felt safer until she was walking alone in a dark house with the only competent person downstairs.</p>
<p>Bailey stopped at the master bedroom. Looking at the scattered pillows, she felt a blush forming on her cheeks. She still couldn't believe that she was masturbating like a fucking slut when Kayla came into the room. But the unreadable stare made the orgasm so intense, it was like the first time she kissed Alison or the intensity that had lead to the fateful making out that got her kicked out of the house.</p>
<p>But then Kayla didn't even mention it. No sly innuendos, no snide comments. Just nothing. It was much different than her parents. Better, Bailey thought, but she was hoping that Kayla would reciprocate at least some response.</p>
<p>“I guess she really doesn't like humans.”</p>
<p>Bailey shook her head. She had to inspect the rest of the upstairs.</p>
<p>Turning around, she bumped her face into Kayla's sizable breasts.</p>
<p>Adrenaline exploded inside her as she stumbled back. “Jesus Fucking Christ!” as she swung up her left arm to shield herself. Her knees caught the edge of the bed and she tumbled back.</p>
<p>Kayla didn't move from her spot.</p>
<p>“Fuck!” gasped Bailey. “I thought you were the ghost.”</p>
<p>“You are safe up here. She's manifesting in the living room.”</p>
<p>“Living… then why am I up here?”</p>
<p>Kayla finally moved. Stepping forward, she placed one knee on the bed and loomed over Bailey.</p>
<p>A flush of heat and lust flooded the younger woman. She looked up and felt dwarfed by the hunter. Tiny and very vulnerable, two things that always set off her fantasy. Her lips parted as she breathed heavily.</p>
<p>“Everyone responds to fear different,” said Kayla in a low voice that Bailey could almost feel in her chest. “You blocked with your left hand and I needed to know that.”</p>
<p>“Y-You could have asked,” Bailey said as she thought about reaching up to kiss Kayla.</p>
<p>“Most people don't pay attention to details like this.” Bracing herself, Kayla hefted what looked like a chain mail cuff. Without a word, she pried Bailey's left arm from her chest and held it firmly in her grip.</p>
<p>Bailey whimpered softly, one leg rising up as she tried to clamp her thighs together to avoid creating a wet spot in her jeans.</p>
<p>Kayla's hands were sure as she strapped on the cold metal. “This is cold iron. If the ghost tries to bite or claw you, this will prevent you from getting hurt.” Her fingers stroked along Bailey's skin as delicate as a lover as she made sure nothing would pinch when she cinched it shut.</p>
<p>Trembling, Bailey could only stare into Kayla's face as the moment grew more intimate.</p>
<p>“In fact,” Kayla said seemingly aware of Bailey's response, “if things get violent, I want her to bite this rather than anything else. But be careful, some Scorned Women also have claws. I don't have a lot for those because iron over the heart somehow gives them too much warning and they get wary. That makes them think more and that makes it more dangerous for everyone.”</p>
<p>Bailey licked her lips. “So, what else?”</p>
<p>Kayla looked at her and then gave a sudden smile. “Don't mind being bait?”</p>
<p>It didn't take Bailey long to find an answer. “No. This is scary but fun. I think because I trust you… if you are close.”</p>
<p>“Don't put faith in heroes, we will always fail you.”</p>
<p>“You won't fail me,” Bailey said in a whisper.</p>
<p>Kayla's fingers froze, their light touch right against Bailey's shoulder.</p>
<p>It would have taken only a little turn to bring them to her neck, but Bailey didn't want to push. She just stared into Kayla's eyes and wished that the moment would never own.</p>
<p>With a gulp, Kayla pulled back. “She's downstairs in the corner of the living room by the light.”</p>
<p>The moment was broken.</p>
<p>Bailey sighed and wondered if she would ever get laid again by anyone as beautiful. She pushed herself up into a sitting position. “What do I do?”</p>
<p>“Talk to her. Be nice, be wary. There is almost always a drop in temperature when they get angry, that's when you need to be ready.” Kayla held out her hand and helped Bailey to her feet.</p>
<p>“And what will you be doing?”</p>
<p>“Hoping that she focuses on you. The first step is to stop the violence, then we can work at breaking her anchor to this world. But to stop the violence, the Scorned Woman needs to lose her temper. That brings up the memories and may give us a hint to the best way it works.”</p>
<p>Bailey's chest hurt and her muscles felt tight, but the anticipation and excitement slowly eroded to the flickering lust. She decided she'll just masturbate for hours once this was over; tonight would give her material for months.</p>
<p>“Ready?”</p>
<p>Bailey took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think so.”</p>
<p>“You'll do great.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>Together, they headed down the stairs. She noticed that Kayla stepped strangely and her feet made no noise as she did. Somehow, knowing how Kayla had surprised her only made Bailey more in awe of the woman.</p>
<p>At the bottom, Kayla gestured for Bailey to go through the living room while she headed back through the kitchen.</p>
<p>Trembling, Bailey prepared herself to see her first ghost. She stepped into the living room and scanned the room.</p>
<p>The first thing she noticed was streamers of fog that were gathering along the floor. A flickering light in the corner played tricks on her eyes, she could almost imagine there was a woman standing next it.</p>
<p>With a gasp, she realized she was seeing a ghost.</p>
<p>The Scorned Woman tilted her head as she focused an intense stare at Bailey. It was like Kayla's, intense and powerful. The sight of it seemed to connect directly to Bailey's clitoris and she felt the heat rising as she held up her hand.</p>
<p>“H-Hi?”</p>
<p>The ghostly woman stepped through the fake chair. Her body was translucent and flickering, rippling in and out of sight like waves on water. She looked to be very slender, with her white hair in a tight bun. Bailey's eyes flickered down to focus on the long, claw-like fingernails. Trembling, she lifted her eyes.</p>
<p>The ghostly woman had covered half the distance between them. She was only five feet away. The black pits of her eyes seemed to focus directly into Bailey's soul as she tilted her head the other way.</p>
<p>“I-I'm Bailey. W-What's your name?” Bailey was surprised how terrified she was in that moment. Even with her faith in Kayla, there was actual proof of the supernatural in front of her and she was more terrified and aroused than she had ever been in her life.</p>
<p>“Why. Are. You. Here?” The Scorned Woman's mouth didn't quite move in sync with the words that were echoing from every surface.</p>
<p>Bailey gulped. “I'm here to see why you… what is keeping you here.”</p>
<p>“Are you…” The Scorned Woman's body grew more solid as a flickering glow surrounded her. Her mouth worked silently before the words came out, “Jacob's slut?”</p>
<p>Not quite ready to enrage the ghost, Bailey whimpered and glanced around. She spotted Kayla standing near the pizza box. She had something in her hand but Bailey couldn't set it. Their eyes met.</p>
<p>Kayla gave her a thumbs up.</p>
<p>“Shit,” muttered Bailey. “Is Jacob your husband?”</p>
<p>The glow around the ghost grew brighter. “He said, to wait until his chores were through. I waited, waited and waited.” The woman's lips pulled back to reveal a mouth filled with sharp teeth.</p>
<p>She seemed to grow more solid. “But he never came back. I have the letter but I lost it. I can't find his letter. It was on the tree and he said he would come when his chores were through, but he never came back!”</p>
<p>A wave of cold radiated from the ghost.</p>
<p>Bailey whimpered. She clenched her arms as she inched back from the approaching ghost. She could feel her nipples standing up through her shirt.</p>
<p>“I found him. I found him fucking the slut!” The teeth were getting longer. “He was fucking the slut! In and out, out and in!”</p>
<p>The lights flickered violently, then flared once before being extinguished.</p>
<p>“Oh, shit,” whimpered Bailey in the sudden darkness.</p>
<p>Then a blast of ice slammed into her face.</p>
<p>With a scream, Bailey threw her left arm up.</p>
<p>Something powerful clamped down on it. She could feel sharp points digging into her skin through the chain mail. Then sharp burns raked along her shoulder and arm.</p>
<p>“Fuck” screamed Bailey as she fell back. Blinded and terrified, Bailey flailed helplessly as she almost lost control of her bladder. “Kayla! Kayla!”</p>
<p>The ground shook for a moment and then something massive loomed over her.</p>
<p>Bailey cried out as she tried to pull her arm away from the ghost biting it.</p>
<p>There was a flash of Kayla's hands in the light from the window and then the chain mail seemed to burst apart.</p>
<p>“She's going to bite me!” wailed Bailey.</p>
<p>A high-pitched screech filled the room, a sounds that no living being could have made. It was too high and howling, piercing Bailey's ears even as she tried to cover them.</p>
<p>Then something hit the wall.</p>
<p>“Flashlight behind you!” carried Kayla, her voice cracking. At the foot of the stairs and one by the front door!"</p>
<p>Bailey froze, her heart pounding in her chest.</p>
<p>Kayla let out a grunt but she was moving too fast in and out of the light to see what she was doing. It looked like she had a metal chain in her hands but it was caught up with the Scorned Woman's hair that flailed in all directions.</p>
<p>Fear for Kayla broke Bailey's fear. She scrambled for the front door and dropped to her knees. She found a heavy light and flicked it on. Turning around, she shone it into the living room where Kayla wrestled with the ghost.</p>
<p>Despite the ghost being somewhat translucent, she had no trouble throwing herself forward and back, bucking like a bronco. Her frail form picked Kayla completely off the ground before slamming her back.</p>
<p>Kayla had her powerful thighs wrapped around the ghost's waist as she rode the Scorned Woman's back. She had a chain in both hands, the metal coming around the ghost's head. It was jammed between her lips, forcing her teeth apart.</p>
<p>Bailey's hand shook, flashing the light as she watched Kayla struggle.</p>
<p>With a grunt, Kayla twisted the chain tight against the back of the ghost's head.</p>
<p>The ghost dropped to her knees, her claws tearing deep gouges out of the wooden floors to reveal that it was just vinyl planks instead of real floors.</p>
<p>Kayla looped the chain over the ghost's head again, forcing the jaw further apart. Then another loop pried the dripping maw further apart before Kayla tied it off.</p>
<p>Bailey gasped. “Fuck,” she gasped.</p>
<p>Kayla grinned, her eyes burning with an excitement that Bailey couldn't help but feel herself. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a padlock. With a quick click, she bolted the chain into place.</p>
<p>Pulling back, she slammed her entire body into the ghost.</p>
<p>The impact drove the ghost into the ground but her body was crushed against the wood for a moment before she started to think.</p>
<p>“Get the caulk gun,” snapped Kayla as she gestured to a metal, gun-like device on the floor near the pizza box. It had a white tube in it and something oozing out of an opening at the end.</p>
<p>Bailey stumbled and rushed through the kitchen. Her heart pounded in her ears as she grabbed it. It looked like the caulk that her father used to seal a bathroom. “G-Got it!”</p>
<p>“Draw a bit circle around the both of us!”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>Kayla's head snapped to stared at her. Her eyes were dark, almost black. “Obey!” she bellowed in a deep, commanding voice.</p>
<p>The words struck Bailey's pussy with an intense heat that almost ignited into an orgasm. Her panties were creamed in an instant, even before she stumbled forward. “What the fuck…?” she gasped.</p>
<p>It took Bailey a few seconds to figure out how to hold the strange device. It had a trigger. When she pulled it, more of the white stuff oozed out. After a second, she jammed the plastic end into the ground and squeezed.</p>
<p>While she worked, Kayla continued to struggle with the ghost. She managed to somehow grab her arm and pull it out from the floor. Between her thighs, the ghost thrashed violently.</p>
<p>“W-What is going on?” Bailey asked.</p>
<p>“She's trying to escape.” Even though she was being jerked around, Kayla's voice was remarkably calm.</p>
<p>“What is this stuff?”</p>
<p>“Silicon and salt.” Kayla was panting as she pried the other hand up, twisting them back behind the ghost's back and clamping down. “It makes a salt ring to keep her in place. The caulk makes it stick so ghosts can't blow it away.”</p>
<p>The gun spurted, but Bailey just doubled up the line before continuing to move around. It was remarkably easy to smear a large circle. “This is cool.”</p>
<p>“It was At The Real… Gary's idea. His formula didn't work for a couple of jobs, but we found the right combination. Four parts salt, one park caulk. Has to be white though.” Kayla grunted as she pinned the ghost's arm against the small of her back. With white knuckles holding it in place, she fumbled for the other flailing arm.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Getting these claws out of the way.”</p>
<p>Bailey gulped as she continued to leave a salted bead along the floor. It was going to ruin the place but she didn't care any more. Gwen was a terrible person and deserved everything she got.</p>
<p>By the time she finished the salt circle, Kayla had managed to capture the ghost's other arm, twist it back, and cuffed the two together. She panted as she kept the ghost pinned to the ground with her body.</p>
<p>The woman thrashed and kicked. She looked more solid than before. Now, she just wailed as she tried to pry herself up.</p>
<p>Kayla sighed and then smiled. Pushing herself up, she walked away from the ghost who continued to writhe on the floor. She stepped over the calk ring and right up to Bailey.</p>
<p>Bailey had to clamp her thighs together as Kayla loomed over her. But that felt useless as when Kayla grabbed her arm and began to inspect it.</p>
<p>“Did she break the skin?”</p>
<p>The firm, commanding way Kayla just took her limb made the heat and moisture redouble. Bailey glanced at the ghostly woman on the floor, taking in the chain gag and the way her arms were firmly bound behind her back. She looked utterly helpless and Bailey wanted to be in her position at that moment.</p>
<p>“Bailey! Did she break skin?”</p>
<p>“N-No.”</p>
<p>“Good,” Kayla said. She stepped back.</p>
<p>Bailey caught a familiar scent in the air. It was an excited woman but it wasn't her. With a sly glance, she peered down to see that Kayla had a damp patch between her legs.</p>
<p>Kayla blushed and turned her hips away. “She isn't human. This part… always gets me.”</p>
<p>With a giggle fueled by the adrenaline still in her system, Bailey gestured to the ghost. “That's what revs your engine? Terrifying teeth, deadly claws, and having to wrestle a ghost to the ground?”</p>
<p>Kayla's hard nipples were sticking up through her bra and shirt. She cringed and then nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”</p>
<p>Bailey moaned. “I wish a ghost right now.”</p>
<p>“Go for becoming a werewolf. They are much better in bed.”</p>
<p>Another giggle and a flicker of hope.</p>
<p>Kayla grinned and then laughed silently, her shoulders shaking and her tits jiggling.</p>
<p>Knowing that the hunter was a lost cause didn't make the lust go away, but Bailey could see how erotic it was to wrestle the ghost. She joined in and they laughed for a moment.</p>
<p>Then, as the amusement faded, she pointed to the ghost again. “Did you get what you need?”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged and nodded. “Yeah. The Woman's name is Abigail Mars. Jacob Portage was her boyfriend, but he ended up marrying Helen.”</p>
<p>“The slut!” screamed Abigail. The chain obviously didn't silence her as the sound emanated from the walls.</p>
<p>“Abigail didn't take it well, got arrested a few times. He ended up having her committed to a sanatorium for a few years before she got out. She died at thirty here in the house.”</p>
<p>Bailey stared at her.</p>
<p>“The Internet,” Kayla said. “The house is well researched. But everyone assumed that Jacob still had feelings for her and focused on bringing those two together.”</p>
<p>The ghost lifted her head. “He did, I know he did. He loved me.”</p>
<p>“He didn't,” Kayla said in her firm voice. “In fact, he was quite happy until he died at eight-seven. His wife died a few days later. They were both cremated about eighty years ago.”</p>
<p>Bailey looked at the ghost who was now staring at them with black eyes. “What now?”</p>
<p>“The letter is probably what kept her there, it was her hope he would return.”</p>
<p>Abigail cried out, a otherworldly screech that rattled the walls. “He will be back! He will!” She strained at the cuffs as she rolled onto her back and then to her stomach. Her body smashed up against the salt ring and she flinched back with a hiss.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, Gwen burned that. I couldn't find even a scrap of paper, so she doesn't have any anchor. That's what is causing her to be more violent, the hope that Jacob would return has been destroyed. Without a reminder, her mind is cracking and she will spiral into violence and insanity until she fades away.”</p>
<p>Kayla sighed, her face dropping. “It's terrible when that happens. You see the hope fading and then the anger comes back. They lash out without knowing why because they have nothing left, nothing to remind them of what it is like to be human.”</p>
<p>There was something in Kayla's voice that told Bailey that Kayla had experienced it personally. Bailey reached out and rested her hand on the muscular arm. “W-What do we do now?”</p>
<p>“Well, most hunters would just salt the hell out of the house or burn it down.”</p>
<p>“But…?”</p>
<p>“I'd rather give her peace and let her move on. To do that, we have to give her a new anchor, a new reason to feel human. And then use that to release her.” There was something in Kayla's voice, an excitement breaking through the omnipresent seriousness she took everything else.</p>
<p>Bailey shook her head. “E-Excuse me? We are going to give a ghost a new connection to life?”</p>
<p>Kayla grinned at her. It was almost unsettling as the stare that followed.</p>
<p>Bailey felt something quickening inside her heart. The look was intense but it also had something that Kayla hadn't shown before, excitement. “W-What?”</p>
<p>“I think… this is where our two interests are going to coincide. Where other hunters see something to be destroyed, I see is a woman who hasn't had a considerate lover for centuries. I bet she just needs a really good orgasm to let nature take its course.”</p>
<p>Stunned, Bailey could only whimper as a hot liquid flash coursed through her body. She knew what she hard, but she couldn't imagine it was somehow true. “We… are going to fuck a ghost?”</p>
<p>Abigail froze, looking up with pitch-black eyes. “You are going to do what?”</p>
<p>Kayla's grin widened. “Not quite. We're going to edge a ghost by bringing her to the edge of an orgasm and back off until the only thing she can think about is that desperate urge to come.”</p>
<p>“F-Fuck,” whimpered Bailey as she grew wetter. Orgasm denial had been one of her fantasies, not to mention the occasional naughty thought of being bound in a chastity belt or being forced to straddle a vibrator for hours.</p>
<p>“And then, when poor Abigail is truly desperate, completely committed to finally having an orgasm, then… we give to her.”</p>
<p>The ghost whimpered. She scissored her legs together as she stared at them.</p>
<p>Kayla knelt down, her ass jutting out for Bailey's view, and spoke to Abigail. “Do you want to move on?”</p>
<p>Abigail moaned, a wail that rattled the windows. Then she nodded. “I'm so lonely.”</p>
<p>“Then would you mind if me and my friend give you peace?”</p>
<p>“Can a woman do that… to another woman?” Abigail sounded completely surprised.</p>
<p>Bailey snorted and grinned. She was already hot and bothered and she tugged at her clothes. “Oh, I'm going to blow your world away.”</p>
<p>Kayla crawled over the salt ring and then cupped Abigail's head to lift it gently off the floor. “Is that okay with you? Do you want to feel what it is like to be human one last time? All you have to do is say yes and then we'll show you what three women can bump in the middle of the night.”</p>
<p>The ghost's aura turned a faint pink.</p>
<p>“Say the words, Abigail. Give us consent.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yes,” came the low, throaty moan.</p>
Puppy Mill 2: From the Shadows 127: The Throne2023-12-28T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/nine-sisters/puppy-mill/puppy-mill-02/chapter-127/Merrie and Claston rush to join the others as they make a final assault against the throne room. Or, try to as they are stopped before they even breach the gates.
<p>They reappeared outside the gates of the royal palace and in the middle of a battle. The marble gates had been knocked town and twisted, the metal still smoking from some attack. A hundred meters away, Bass and Sable fought against two Loyals that were hammering them with streaks of green weapons and killing spells.</p>
<p>Natis and Borias were on the other side of the gate, back to back. Three angelic bears with golden claws and wings were battling against another Loyal and a squad of Resolutes.</p>
<p>The smell of scorched air choked Merrie as she instantly wrapped herself spells before extending her defenses toward Claston.</p>
<p>The prince stepped up. “Holy shit,” he muttered.</p>
<p>The palace had been carved directly into the World Tree, a kilometer tall mystic plant that was the seat of Franome's power. Until a few decades ago, there was only one in the known world. Now, Emberka had one which triggered the war between the two countries as each one waged war against the symbol of leadership.</p>
<p>Merrie's eyes drifted to the side where millions of tons of broken branches as tall as a ten story building had crashed into the ground. The sap from the World Tree glowed weakly as it poured out on the ground among the rubble of the buildings underneath it.</p>
<p>Her ears flattened against her head. Then she shook her head. She would give penance later, she had to do her duty.</p>
<p>Claston strode forward.</p>
<p>Side doors of the palace opened up and squads of Resolutes in their heavy armor rushed out with weapons raised.</p>
<p>The price held up his hand. As he did, his Presence exploded out from him. It slammed into Merrie with the absolute realization that a declaration was about to be given and she must answer. She could have ignored it, but she had never seen anyone use nothing but their voice and raw authority in such a way.</p>
<p>“I demand Hastir!” he bellowed, his voice cutting through the din of battle and the screech of magic.</p>
<p>Spells fizzled and the warriors stopped. Even the Loyals in mid-strike froze in a flash of oath magic and geasa. All of them had taken the Royal Geas among others and the single phrase was enough to stop them.</p>
<p>Bass stepped back and lowered his weapon.</p>
<p>(What are you doing?) Merrie asked as she bounded after him as a Bel Dark.</p>
<p>“Not a fucking clue, but I do know that if they kill… my gods, that paladin is huge!”</p>
<p>(Bass.)</p>
<p>“And the armored dog.”</p>
<p>(Sable, his alpha.)</p>
<p>“I thought she was naked and didn't have any legs.”</p>
<p>Merrie sent an image of Sable transforming into her armored hound form, and then a dizzying array of images of the alpha's combat abilities.</p>
<p>Claston made a grunting noise.</p>
<p>Natis, blood running down the side of his face, limped up. “My lord prince! What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>The prince gestured toward the front door where he was heading. “If the Loyals kill you out here, you have no chance of succeeding. I'm just making sure that if someone kills us, it's going to be that infernal pretending to be my sister.”</p>
<p>Bass and Sable flanked Claston on the other side. The thriban looked at Merrie and nodded. “Good girl.”</p>
<p>Merrie shivered with pleasure. She barked happily and then moved so she walked between Borias and Claston. Her body moved with silence as they approached the double door to the palace which swung up.</p>
<p>As they passed through the threshold, the tiles beneath them began to glow brightly. A soft voice that dug directly into Merrie's thoughts began to whisper, “The Grand Entrance has been opened. Prince Claston Pador, Duke Natis, and convicted criminals Bassimar Sarmo, Borias Kivas, and Merrie Golddother have arrived. One other unidentified woman of threat. The Grand Entrance has been opened. Prince Claston Pador, Duke…” The announcement repeated a few times before it faded. Merrie remembered it from the first time she had arrived at the palace, sadly after severely damaging the World Tree the first time.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The floor of the hallways began to glow. Ripples of power radiated from the door that just opened, coursing down the length of the hall and past the furthest door. A soft voice spoke up from nowhere, echoing down the hall in a whisper. “The Sun Crest Door has opened. Eight knights, two strangers, one unnatural creature. The Sun Crest Door has opened. Eight knights, two strangers, one unnatural creature. The Sun—” The voice continued and Merrie shivered at the sound of it. It was just at the edge of her hearing and it felt like the words were burrowing into her head.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>They walked straight down the center of the palace, past richly decorated rooms trimmed in gold, crystal, and platinum. Magic hummed around them, centuries of wards built to protect the palace from any and all attacks.</p>
<p>Merrie noticed pictures of the queen, a statuesque woman with a hard look that came even through the paintings. There was something lean and feral in her posture, something that years of brutal battles had forged.</p>
<p>She looked both regal and terrifying at the same time.</p>
<p>Merrie shivered before she realized there was suggestion magic all around her. She switched her focus to see more of the infernal's touch around her. There were compulsions and suggestions everywhere, almost painted onto the decorations of the new queen.</p>
<p>With a gasp, she looked over her companions and saw they were were all beginning to come underneath the control of the influence.</p>
<p>Merrie didn't have time to analyze the spells to determine their purpose. Instead, she quickly spun through a spell to shield them from the suggestions.</p>
<p>The whispered voice rose up. “Alert, Merrie Golddother is initiating—”</p>
<p>Merrie twisted the magic hard and plunged a repulsion spell along the strands into a tight weave that fused the two spells together. She directed it toward the wards that were watching her.</p>
<p>The whispered voice grew silent.</p>
<p>With a burst of power, she draped her companions with the spell.</p>
<p>As one, they straightened with a gasp. Their eyes, which had slowly glazed over, came into focus as they looked around.</p>
<p>Borias cleared his throat. He leaned over and whispered into Merrie's large, black ear. “You?”</p>
<p>Merrie sent a quiet pulse of affirmative.</p>
<p>“Good girl,” he whispered and kissed her furry ear.</p>
<p>She sighed with pleasure.</p>
<p>They reached the door to the throne room and it swung one.</p>
<p>The whispered voice rose up again. “Visitors to the Throne Room. Announcing Prince Claston Pador and five guests. No detected threats.”</p>
<p>The throne room was easily a hundred meters long and just as wide. Thin, elegant spires rose up in two lines that framed the carpet that led to the wood and gold throne at the far end.</p>
<p>There were close to a hundred Resolutes standing at attention on both sides of the carpet. Twenty Loyals, each one standing straight but with the air around them warping from their activated defenses marked the distance between Claston and his sister.</p>
<p>Beyond the warriors and on floors above them, she could sense the rest of the royal court was present. Over eight hundred people of title, their families, and double that in servants. The room was packed with a storm of nervous energy from the bystanders and clear threat from the army before them.</p>
<p>Bass chuckled with amusement.</p>
<p>Claston had a smile on his face, but he groaned. “We are going to die, aren't we?”</p>
<p>“I don't plan on dying today, my prince,” Bass said.</p>
<p>“She knew we were coming,” Natis said.</p>
<p>“She be planning, right? Infernal of mark. What we be doing now has been planned for years. She be having contingencies for everything we be doing.”</p>
<p>“Then why are we hear?”</p>
<p>“Because, no plan be surviving the enemy.” Borias gave a grim smile.</p>
<p>Bass laughed, his booming voice cutting through the din of gossip and whispers. There wasn't even a hint of fear or nervousness inside him, nor would there be, he was a paladin sent to the front lines to give hope to his allies.</p>
<p>The silence that filled the hall, they walked up to the throne.</p>
<p>Merrie got her first look at Queen Pitia. She was stunningly beautiful, a grand weapon filled with cold, hard thoughts and a body that would have caused almost anyone to drop to their knees to beg to have a chance at her pussy.</p>
<p>Then Pitia stood up. Her movements were as graceful and purposeful as an enchanted sword. There was little wasted movement and no hesitation or anything to mar the smooth gesture.</p>
<p>No, Merrie decided, they wouldn't drop to their knees as she lifted her eyes to stare up at the almost three-meter tall queen that towered above her. Her breasts were huge as her were hips. The golden gown that clung to her body left little hint that she was nothing but a woman, but somehow the delicate-looking material also covered her with a sense of regal bearing.</p>
<p>Merrie's pussy grew wet as she stared at the towering queen.</p>
<p>Bass grunted. “Claston, were you the runt of your family?” Merrie didn't need telepathy to know that he was thinking about fucking her, as was Sable.</p>
<p>“My brother dear. So good to see you.” Pitia's voice was silk over a blade, a smoothness that hummed with suggestion magic. It was low and husky and utterly feminine. She had the voice of someone who had never submitted in her life, a dominate from the day she was born. It teased Merrie, demanding to dig into her thoughts. Only the spell against compulsions kept it at bay.</p>
<p>Merrie's cunt grew even wetter until it was dribbling down her thighs and matting into her fur.</p>
<p>Claston tensed. “I'm here.”</p>
<p>A woman in blood-red armor decorated with intricate carvings and feathers moved to next to the throne. She had a spear with a long, curved blade at the end, a bardiche. It crackled with power not unlike the Loyal's weapons.</p>
<p>“Right on schedule,” said the queen, dragging Merrie's attention back to the royal.</p>
<p>“Then you know what I'm going to do.”</p>
<p>Pitia smiled, her painted red lips curling into a look that would have melted Merrie's heart. The humor never reached the cruel eyes that focused on him. “You have to say it.”</p>
<p>“Hastir. I'm here to claim the throne as the rightful ruler.”</p>
<p>She pretended to be shocked but the smile never left. “You are coming in with an army of murderers and killers and think you have a chance. What is your plan? How do you think you'll succeed.”</p>
<p>Claston's demeanor cracked for a moment, then he shook his head. “At this point, only an idea and a pair of balls.”</p>
<p>“Then I'm going to have to rip them off of you.” Her smile never missed. She stretched and Merrie found herself staring at the hard-muscles that rippled underneath the royal's dress. “Very well, your claim.”</p>
<p>“You are not Pitia. You are not the true daughter of Pador.”</p>
<p>“The Test of Blood says otherwise.”</p>
<p>Around her, Merrie felt tiny ripples of resistance of the Royal Geas. About a third of the Loyals all knew that it was true, but they had sworn to keep Franome's secrets. There were others, servants, Resolutes, and others that had known Queen Vikia's secret. Merrie focused on the nearest one, a Resolute.</p>
<p>Claston balled his hands into fists. “The test is flawed.”</p>
<p>The queen's eyes flickered to Merrie and then to the Resolute.</p>
<p>The Resolute suddenly turned and broke ranks, pulling back and out of sight.</p>
<p>Pitia turned back. “Then shall we prove again how wrong you were, little brother.”</p>
<p>“Y… Yes.”</p>
<p>Merrie found another one, a servant near the throne. It was an older man holding himself with his chin high while he waited for orders.</p>
<p>There was a flash of the infernal compulsion.</p>
<p>A Loyal next to the servant reached over and slapped their hand against his back. There was a brief poof of dust as he was disintegrated.</p>
<p>Merrie whimpered and looked back at the queen.</p>
<p>Pitia caught her gaze and smiled even more.</p>
<p>A shiver of fear ran down Merrie's back as she tried to find some other way of revealing the secret.</p>
<p>(What just happened?) asked Sable, her voice blending with Bass'.</p>
<p>Merrie sent a brief image of what she had tried.</p>
<p>The queen shrugged. Turning around, she gestured casually to one of the Loyals. The infernal oath binding them rose up even as she spoke. “Find the old king and make sure he is safe. We need him, one last time.”</p>
<p>Claston's eyes widened. “What did you just do.”</p>
<p>Pitia stepped closer, towering over him. His head barely came up to her sizable breasts. “You're the last two, brother dear. It's only you and the king and then there is no one else who believes I'm not queen.”</p>
<p>Infernal magic rose up from around her, a choking cloud of a suggestion spell.</p>
<p>“But you knew that, didn't you? Did you get to your father before me?”</p>
<p>It spread out away from the queen, turning her words into a steadfast reality for anyone.</p>
<p>Merrie whimpered and rapidly crafted a spell to dispel it. She had seen enough of the infernal's power to know the right patterns.</p>
<p>The suggestion had slammed into the thoughts of the front ranks of the bystanders, the Resolutes and Loyals, before Merrie could dispel it.</p>
<p>The suggestion fell apart, but it had already seeped into the consciousness of the nearest warriors.</p>
<p>Merrie's ears flattened against her head.</p>
<p>The Queen smiled.</p>
<p>Merrie tried to find another to alter the geas, but the queen sent them away. Frustrated, she sent a pulse to her companions what was happening.</p>
<p>(You need to wait until she's distracted,) Sable and Bass projected.</p>
<p>There was a crack of thunder as the Loyal appeared next to the queen. His green armor, decorated with whorls and patterns of leaves, had been streaked with blood and soot. “My queen, assassins have killed the king.”</p>
<p>The Loyal held up a decapitated head, blood dripping from the top. It was the king's, his face twisted in agony and pain.</p>
<p>Another suggestion blossomed from the infernal. “Your plans succeeded then, brother. You have betrayed the country, didn't you.”</p>
<p>Claston ground his teeth together.</p>
<p>Frantic, Merrie blew away the suggestion but her spell almost didn't make it. The infernal had changed it, or somehow knew that Merrie would be able to do it. There were slight changes that made it stronger.</p>
<p>Despair flooded her. The infernal had planned this and anticipated Merrie's abilities.</p>
<p>She frowned as she concentrated, trying to figure out how to get around the infernal. Attack was out of the question, not with so many Loyals poised to kill them. The only thing she had different was chaos.</p>
<p>Her ears perked up before she tried to flattened them. In the back of her mind, she prepared a new spell but adding the chaos and pseudo-intelligence into it, something that would tear apart a suggestion.</p>
<p>The queen chuckled. “But, there is enough to prove you are wrong.” She turned and picked up the head of her father from the Loyal's hand. With her other, she snapped her fingers and two Loyals dragged a marble font in front of her.</p>
<p>Raising the head above her head. Her suggestion burst out of her, faster and stronger than before. “I shall prove myself again before this court. I am the daughter of King Radail Otain!”</p>
<p>The room grew hush as she grabbed the still-warm skull of the king with one hand, dwarfing the corpse's entire head, and crushed it. Her knuckles cracked as bright blood poured out from her fingers and splashed into the font. It splattered loudly against the inside of the surface but nothing else happened; he wasn't a Pador.</p>
<p>She took one perfectly trimmed fingernail and drew it along her palm. A bright droplet of blood formed for a moment before dripping into place.</p>
<p>Merrie felt the queen's power rising up. Hidden underneath the dress, an infernal mark was awakening as her blood splashed down.</p>
<p>Two streams of gold and blue mist poured out of the bowl, spreading out in rippling brilliance before it faded. “Gold for blood, blue for the crown.”</p>
<p>The surrounding audience repeated the phrase.</p>
<p>The queen held out her still dripping hands apart, one that had the crushed head and her other almost untouched with the other. “Satisfied?”</p>
<p>The prince shook his head. His lips were pressed into a thin line and a bead of sweat formed on his brow. He was scared about what he was going to do next.</p>
<p>Merrie wanted to reach out, but she knew there were too many watching, too many people who would claim she had some influence on the results. She was helpless to do anything.</p>
<p>Energy gathered around her, suffusing her body with her helplessness.</p>
<p>Claston smiled. “No. I want to prove something myself.” He leaned forward and said a word of power.</p>
<p>All the blood in the font disappeared in a flash and the golden glow faded.</p>
<p>“Suit yourself, it won't change the answer. It is your father and I am your queen.” She held the king's crushed head over the font and squeezed again. More blood splashed down into the bowl.</p>
<p>Claston stared at her as he pulled out a knife and cut his palm. Trembling, he held his hand out and clenched his hand tightly.</p>
<p>Two droplets of blood splashed down.</p>
<p>A blue mist rose up and poured out of the bowl but there was no gold.</p>
<p>He let out a shuddering sigh.</p>
<p>For the first time, the queen looked startled.</p>
<p>Claston sniffed before he stared at her with determination. “My sisters and I are not, nor never have, had the blood of Otain in our veins. We are Pador but we are not the king's children. There are people around us that know it is true, but it has been a secret of this kingdom my entire life.”</p>
<p>Around her, hundreds of Royal Geasa flared to life in the stunned silence.</p>
<p>The queen stepped back, her beautiful tensing as she glanced around.</p>
<p>Merrie felt the oath magic around her crackling to life as so many tried to speak out the secret they knew. Seizing on the point, she opened her mouth and spoke as loudly as she could. “Do you swear loyalty to Franome, the crown—”</p>
<p>The queen stepped back. “Loyals! Silence her, now!”</p>
<p>Merrie tried to belt out the words but spells slammed into her from all angels. Her throat seized up as the air was sucked out of her lungs. Her lips grew numb and her body froze in paralysis. The individual spells ripped through her body in waves of agony as they all fought to silence her in a dozen different ways.</p>
<p>Claston turned. “Merrie!”</p>
<p>“This is done!” snapped the queen. “I have proven time again.”</p>
<p>Her suggestion rolled away from her but Merrie was unable to stop it.</p>
<p>“I am the queen of Franome and my rule is now absolute!”</p>
<p>Her beautiful voice boomed across the room as the infernal suggestion crashed into the bystanders like waves at a beach.</p>
<p>Claston and Borias tried to grab Merrie but then fell back choking. There was no air around her body, only a vacuum that allowed no sound to escape her throat.</p>
<p>She thrashed and tried to transform to escape, but other spells pinned her form in place.</p>
<p>Merrie sent out a mental cry for help, but even more silenced her mind.</p>
<p>She was helpless and in agony.</p>
<p>Her body ignited into the pleasure of her suffering, flooding her senses but there was no magic to fuel. It only gathered as she watched the minds of almost everyone in the hall became utterly convinced Pitia's words were true.</p>
<p>The queen pointed direct at Claston. “You are an impostor to the crown. I order your immediate death. Loyals!”</p>
<p>Claston only had time to gasp before a wave of killing magic rolled toward him.</p>
<p>Bass and Sable threw themselves in front of him, blocking with their bodies. The crackling force tore through their armor, renting it and spraying blood everywhere.</p>
<p>Borias and Natis backed up against the prince, shields forming around.</p>
<p>And then there was a Loyal in front of her. A green gauntlet snapped forward and caught Merrie by her throat. With impossible strength, she was torn from the ground and swung around.</p>
<p>“Loyal Alestri says stop!” bellowed the Loyal who had almost killed Merrie more than once. Her voice rolled away from her in a field of Presence, another compulsion and suggestion that slammed into the minds of everyone around her.</p>
<p>The grip dug into Merrie's throat, crushing it as the Loyal shook her around.</p>
<p>“Alestri,” moaned Claston with despair. “Not you too.”</p>
<p>Merrie could see her fighting the Royal Geas, but there was also a new oath that branded her mind. She had sworn loyalty to the queen and the infernal compulsion had dug into her mind.</p>
<p>Desperate, Merrie tried to transform again but a shock from the Loyal stunned her. It tore into her mind and body, setting off little bursts of pleasure as she was rattled like a child's toy.</p>
<p>“Like you, Loyal Alestri swore loyalty to Franome, the crown, and the land, for the rest of our days! Loyal Alestri swore to protect it with my will, my pride, my power, and my life!” Her mechanical voice boomed throughout the hall.</p>
<p>With every word, she shook Merrie more violently. Merrie's joints and bones cracked under the stress, waves of agony rolling over her.</p>
<p>Then Merrie felt a wave of oath magic rising up as the Royal Geas in everyone began to respond to Alestri's reaffirmation. In their hearts, they were reliving their own memories of taking the oath.</p>
<p>“Loyal Alestri swore to keep its secrets until the end of time!”</p>
<p>“Stop that Loyal!” screamed the queen. She raised her hand and brought it down, her fingernails becoming black claws that raked Merrie's back and peeled away the skin and scrape against bone.</p>
<p>The pain flooded through Merrie, fueling her. She felt the raw power gathering inside her, a burning need to desire. And then… anticipation. A command that was coming, one that would cause her even more agony but she desperately wanted to obey.</p>
<p>Alestri slammed Merrie down and then lifted Merrie's shuddering body to her armored helm. “Show Loyal Alestri,” she growled at Merrie.</p>
<p>Then Merrie saw it. Alestri wasn't saying the geas to remind anyone, she was trying to violate it. The oath was in the process of ripping her body apart, but she didn't have orifices for her organs to liquefy. They were burning and boiling inside her armor, gathering in pressure as the Loyal kept herself moving by sheer will alone.</p>
<p>It was too late for Merrie to stop it, but she knew what to do. With all the determination she could muster, she reached out and opened herself to bond with the Loyal.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Alestri gripped the manacles holding her in place tightly as agony ripped through her body. She ground her teeth against the metal rod that had already been fused into her mouth to keep her affixed to the help.</p>
<p>The surgeon clicked his tongue as he used his flensing knife to peel away her skin in long strips. Blood filled the air as he systemically stripped away her skin, peeling it away and tossing it aside like her old life.</p>
<p>“You are going to be beautiful,” he whispered as he worked his way up her thighs. Time had no meaning anymore, only the increasing waves of pain and suffering.</p>
<p>He stopped at her sex long enough to switch blades. He was going to remove everything from her. With his tongue stuck between his teeth, he began to cut away her labia.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Alestri's memories crashed into Merrie but they were all infused with pain and agony. The armor bonded to her body never fight right, it never stopped hurting, but she had sworn loyalty and she would obey.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“You are no longer assigned to Prince Claston,” announced Jillthin one more. She was the captain of the Loyals and demanded absolute obedience.</p>
<p>“Loyal Alestri does not understand. The prince needs protection.”</p>
<p>“Not anymore.”</p>
<p>That was the first time she felt the quiver of the Royal Geas. There was something wrong in the orders given her, something that felt wrong as if the person she obeyed no longer had only the country in her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Do you understand?”</p>
<p>“Loyal Alestri obeys.”</p>
<p>“Good. You have an audience with the queen in an hour.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“You owe your allegiance to her, Alestri. She is the queen and you must serve her.”</p>
<p>For the second time in a short order, Alestri thought there was something wrong. But it couldn't be. She bowed. “Loyal Alestri serves.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Then it came down to a single moment, when Alestri heard the queen order the prince's death. She couldn't stop anymore and she teleported over.</p>
<p>Alestri's mind was wracked with agony, old and new. She had thousands of spells at her disposal and most of them were used to protect herself from the attacks from the other Loyals. They were hammering her with brutal speed and force. She knew exactly how many seconds she had before she succumbed to their attacks but no clue to what was happening with her insides. She was dying.</p>
<p>Merrie reached out and took her pain, pulling it into herself. The purest agony from a thousand cuts, from armor that never sealed over stripped away skin and nerves that were as raw for years crashed into Merrie's thoughts. Her entire world grew white with pain before Merrie channeled deeper into herself, the place where alphas took abuse and converted into servitude.</p>
<p>Shuddering, she reached into her new master's powers and injected herself.</p>
<p>Spells surged with force as they were boosted. The ground underneath them melted from the raw force as defenses crackled into place. The air around them warped violently as force shields, repulsion fields, and other powers blossomed into brutal destruction.</p>
<p>(Just say the words. Say them with all your heart.)</p>
<p>Alestri spoke again, powering her words with her Presence boosted by her connection to Merrie. It became an overwhelming force that could not be ignored. “Loyal Alestri swore to guard the Royal Family from all harm, inside and out!”</p>
<p>The voice that escaped her throat was no longer mechanical, it was a mixture of Alestri's voice and Merrie's, sake and shadows and the hardest metal. It boomed through the hall and shattered the windows.</p>
<p>“We swore to serve until released by the Royal family!”</p>
<p>There was a powerful jolt. The woman in red near the throne had pierced Alestri's chest and impaled her heart on the cutting blade. Alestri's blood ignited into brilliance as she was burned out form the inside.</p>
<p>Alestri refused to give up. She spoke in a voice that had changed again, a third one finally joining in with a force that no one would ever be able to remember, Parn's. “We swear to take this oath as guidance, to forever know what to do but to retain our will to make our choices!”</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>The attacks stopped and spells sputtered away.</p>
<p>Then, as one, everyone with the Royal Geas in the room and beyond, everyone who had made the oath in sound of Alestri's and Merrie's and Parn's voice, spoke. “I swear.”</p>
<p>And the unyielding bonds of the Royal Geas shattered, taking along with it the infernal compulsions.</p>
<p>It wouldn't last long. The woman in red twisted her weapon hard, cutting through Alestri's heart before yanking down to cut through the green armor like paper.</p>
<p>Death swallowed Merrie's thoughts in a wave of agony as the Loyal expired, dropping Merrie to the ground as her armor shattered from the force of her violation. The spell that gave everyone release was too late for her as she exploded in a shower of magic and blood.</p>
<p>Merrie slumped to the ground, panting for breath to regain enough of her senses to transform to heal herself. She did, slowly at first and then into a blur until her physical wounds were repaired.</p>
<p>In her head, Alestri's agony echoed inside her mind. There was so much of it, beating against her insides as she relived year after year of painful service.</p>
<p>The queen took a deep breath. Her gown had been covered with blood. “Well, that was disappointing.” She didn't seem bothered at all by the turn of events.</p>
<p>Claston groaned and got back to his feet. “I think I've proven my point. You are the false queen and not worthy of the crown.”</p>
<p>Pitia smiled. “No, brother dear, but I still have Pador blood inside me and I demand Hastir in return.”</p>
<p>Merrie groaned. The infernal had contingencies already planned for losing.</p>
<p>The woman who killed Alestri stepped back and slammed the butt of her weapon against the ground. She looked to familiar to Merrie.</p>
<p>As Merrie realized that, she felt infernal marks responding on both the woman and the queen. They were not at the end. She fluttered and stared at the other woman, trying to pierce the familiarity.</p>
<p>Claston scoffed. “You are an impostor and not my sister. Why would I?”</p>
<p>“Because, you know that I've been queen for years now. Years of my people and my influence. You can't just remove me and pretend nothing remained behind. You have to prove that you are the one true king of this country and I have no intent in just walking away. You have to earn that crown and I still have Hastir's Clause on my side.”</p>
<p>With a frown, Claston turned slightly.</p>
<p>Natis gave him an unhappy nod.</p>
<p>The queen's smile grew wider.</p>
<p>Merrie continued to stare at the other woman. She had a drawn face, hard like the queens. She had been forced into a weapon and there was a grace that Merrie had associated with the infernals.</p>
<p>Even as she struggled, she could feel the power growing inside the two women. Every second Merrie tried to grasp onto the memory fueled their strength.</p>
<p>The woman in red looked at her and smiled cruelly. She tightened her grip on the weapon.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“At least tell Bass… Borias… Tabitha…” Every name was an agony to pull out. She felt herself dissolving into darkness as the compulsion fueled her magic. “Cinthia…”</p>
<p>There was one more. She knew there was another name but she had forgotten it. She strained against the spell, tasting her black blood on her tongue as she fought with tears and magic. She didn't know why, but the last name was important.</p>
<p>Her thoughts slid away and she almost dissolved instantly.</p>
<p>With a start, Merrie realized they had forgotten someone. “Fir! What happened to Fir!?”</p>
<p>She only had a chance to see a surprised look on both Claston and Natis' face before her willpower crumbled and the compulsion forced her to dissolve into darkness. The overwhelming urge to rush to Franome City slammed into her and she flowed for the door.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Merrie let out a soft cry as she realized who she was looking at. The young trainer at the Puppy Mill who had disappeared. She remembered how she kept forgetting Fir during the fight in Blood County, as if someone was stealing her away.</p>
<p>The infernal marks glowed brightly underneath the queen's clothes and along Fir's side. The horrid color of red seeped through the fabric.</p>
<p>The queen let out a moan. “I demand we fight with champions.”</p>
<p>Claston looked over and pointed to Merrie. “Then I choose her.”</p>
<p>“You always do.”</p>
<p>Doubt flashed across Claston's face as another mark activated on both women, the infernal sign for planning. It glowed just as brilliantly as the one for memory.</p>
<p>“Then, brother dear, I choose the forgotten friend of your companions, the former trainer of the Puppy Mill, Fir.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Fir stood up and worked her skirt down, giving Borias a sheepish look. “I can bid on her, right?”</p>
<p>“Of course. She be forty-two. Late enough that most people spent their money and everyone be waiting for Merrie here.” He rested his head on Merrie's ear. The shiver of pleasure brought a smile to Merrie's lips.</p>
<p>“About how much do you think she'll cost?”</p>
<p>Licker's tail wagged faster.</p>
<p>Borias shrugged. “Small tits but she be eighteen. A lot of years of pleasure. I be saying about fifteen thousand.”</p>
<p>“I-I have that! It was for school, but I can't go anymore. Not with my brother joining the army. And my ma and pa said I could,” she glanced down at Licker, “buy whatever I wanted.”</p>
<p>“Well, just in case someone bids higher, use this.” Borias dug into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. It had the seal of a bank on it. It was also thick and didn't flop as he handed it to Fir.</p>
<p>Fir stared at Borias in shock. “What is this?”</p>
<p>“You be opening it and find out.”</p>
<p>With trembling fingers, Fir broke the seal. She opened it and pulled out a thick stack of hundred mark bills. “My gods. There is ten thousand marks in here!”</p>
<p>“Only be having eight, but if you take good care of Licker, then the money be yours.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There was nothing Merrie could do as Bass, Sable, and Borias all felt an intense wave of guilt. It was palatable just as the reddish hellfire that gathered around queen and her champion. The infernal mark had activated fully and Merrie felt a power comparable to her own raging before her.</p>
<p>Claston looked helplessly.</p>
<p>Pitia grinned. “Go ahead, King. Back out now and show this country your fear. I may not be queen, but you will never hold the crown if you do.”</p>
<p>The prince-turned-king flinched. He looked helplessly at Merrie.</p>
<p>Swamped with guilt and despair, Merrie sent a pulse of agreement. They were still trapped. (I will fight for you.)</p>
<p>Claston stepped back. “Champion verses champion then. For the crown of this country.”</p>
<p>Pitia shook her head. The smile never left her face as she backed further away to make space. “You always make this mistake. It will be your last, you know.”</p>
<p>Everyone moved away from the two champions. Soon, they had fifty meters clear on all sides. Merrie knew it wasn't going to be enough.</p>
<p>The guilt continued to tear into her. She had forgotten Fir so many times because of magic, but after the geas forced her back to the city, the young woman had been cast off forever.</p>
<p>It was Merrie's fault. She should have remembered.</p>
<p>Realizing that her thoughts were going down a familiar path, one that had led to depression, despair, and eventually the deaths of thousands, Merrie tore herself away. She shook her head to clear the tears.</p>
<p>“You abandoned me,” Fir said in a low, hoarse voice that plucked at Merrie's guilt. “I was all alone after the fight. I couldn't find you, but she found my. My queen. She took me away and no one came to save me.”</p>
<p>(I couldn't.)</p>
<p>Fir held her weapon by her side as she circled around Merrie. “You could. You were always the special one. The Omega, the Lost Alpha. Everyone told stories about how you were changing the world but when it came down to me, nothing. Nothing!” screamed Fir.</p>
<p>Merrie backed away and watched carefully, waiting for the attack even as she bolstered her combat spells. She didn't have a weapon, she had tooth and magic.</p>
<p>“You killed a goddess but you couldn't save one girl,” Fir said. Her infernal marks were pulsating, beating with words that she had planned to say for a decade. The guilt of those listening also fed into the girl who had become an infernal. The pulse of her marks lit up along her sides, glowing underneath her arm and beneath her armor.</p>
<p>(I was vulnerable to compulsions.) It was an empty excuse, Merrie shouldn't have forgotten a friend and ally.</p>
<p>“I waited for you!” The blade flashed, cutting through the air.</p>
<p>Merrie jerked back, barely able to move fast enough to keep from getting sliced open.</p>
<p>“Days! Months! Waiting for that paladin to come burst in and saving me. But it never happened!”</p>
<p>Another attack, this one closer.</p>
<p>Merrie stumbled. She was exhausted from her ordeals and her thoughts were fuzzy from bonding so many times in less than a day. Dith's overwhelming senses plucked at the edges of her vision. Alestri's pain still echoed along her nerves.</p>
<p>“Do you know what my queen did? She broke me like the bitches at the mill. But it wasn't cocks and pussy and licking, it was pain. Pain and loneliness and terror! She beat me into submission, forced me to knee and obey!” More spells flashed around Fir, defenses fueled by the activated infernal marks.</p>
<p>The ground underneath her rumbled and cracked with her increased power. Energy crackled along the haft of her weapon. When she tightened her grip, the crackling grew louder and small bursts of light clung to her knuckles.</p>
<p>Merrie felt the attack with anticipation.</p>
<p>There was a crack of speed.</p>
<p>Even with the forewarning, it was faster than she thought possible. Energy scraped along her senses as she threw herself to the side and melted into liquid darkness.</p>
<p>Fir's spear slammed into the ground and a burst of brilliance exploded from the impact. The light ignited Merrie's form and shredded it.</p>
<p>With a scream, Merrie transformed and rolled away.</p>
<p>Fir swung at her with wide sweeps that pushed Merrie back. Streaks of light followed the curve of the blade, a light so brilliant it burned Merrie's skin like sunlight.</p>
<p>Merrie gathered the darkness to attack.</p>
<p>Fir drove her bardiche into the ground, setting off a burst of light that shredded Merrie's summon and disrupted her spell. Without hesitating, she surged forward and brought her weapon down in an overhead attack.</p>
<p>Struggling, Merrie sent a pulse of lust to try stopping her.</p>
<p>The blade cut into her side, slicing away her skin before the flash of light punched into her very being in an explosion of brilliance and agony.</p>
<p>Fir laughed. “Don't bother with that crap! I spent years planning on killing you. I'm not going to let you turn me into a slut, not anymore.” Fir let out a growl and then attacked.</p>
<p>Merrie parried but the weapon flashed with sunlight, peeling away her skin in a blast of smoke and sake. She fell back and then threw herself further way as the blade crashed into the ground.</p>
<p>Even the near miss set off a sunburst which hurt just as much. There was no way to escape the attacks, not being so close to her opponent.</p>
<p>Merrie threw a command out, a compulsion.</p>
<p>Fir laughed. “That won't work either. I had them claw away everything that brought me pleasure, everything that made me submit. Nothing you could use to seduce me.”</p>
<p>With a skip, Fir launched a blistering array of attacks. Each one that missed Merrie hit the ground in bursts of light that hurt as much as when the blade cut into her skin.</p>
<p>A psionic blast bounced off a mental shield forged in agony.</p>
<p>Shadows were blasted apart by light.</p>
<p>Compulsions sputtered.</p>
<p>Every spell that Merrie had was cast easily aside. Fir had trained to fight one being, Merrie.</p>
<p>Merrie switched to physical attacks, but despite the long weapon, the power that poured through Fir allowed her opponent to move faster than her. For the one bite she managed to graze against Fir's leg left her bloody and black in dozens of cuts and rents.</p>
<p>They broke apart, both of them leaving smears of blood along the ground but there was far more black and crimson on the files.</p>
<p>Panting, Merrie struggled to find something, anything, she could use.</p>
<p>Her opponent spun her weapon and waited. There was a grim smile on her face. “I'm in hurry. You won't abandon your prince to the queen and you are useless without someone to boost. Alone, you were always going to lose.”</p>
<p>Merrie whimpered as she looked around for anything that would help her. Her companions were to the side, but they weren't watching the fight. They were talking to themselves.</p>
<p>Worried that they were trying to establish a plan, Merrie returned back. There was going to be no help for her. Despair and frustration darkened her thoughts. All she had left was exhausted self and most of her weapons were useless.</p>
<p>She wasn't quite helpless though. She still had powers that Pitia may not have planned for: Kivas, Rakin, and Parn.</p>
<p>Merrie mentally inspected herself. She was damaged and exhausted. But she dug deeper into her mind, burrowing through thoughts and emotions.</p>
<p>Compassion. She wasn't putting everything into the fight because of her guilt. Fir was a friend and Merrie couldn't bring herself to kill her.</p>
<p>The armor on Fir's body smoldered with the burning light. She chuckled and reached up to snap off the buckles. The heavy leather fell to the side, peeling off her body.</p>
<p>At the sight of Fir's scars, Merrie almost lost it. Countless scratches and twisted skin. Her breasts had been clawed off, ripped from her muscular body and then allowed to scar. She wore the years on her body and it had warped into an armor.</p>
<p>She had three infernal marks on each side of her body with the seventh right above her belly button. They were all glowing, but Merrie knew that they weren't the same as Pitia's. Fir shared long-term planning, betrayal, memory, and revenge. There were three others that she didn't know.</p>
<p>Fir tapped the butt of her weapon against the ground. A sparks of sunlight rose as the mark on her belly flashed. Light, Merrie's fatal flaw.</p>
<p>She smiled at Merrie. “Goodbye.”</p>
<p>Grabbing her weapon, she charged forward.</p>
<p>With a snap, Merrie gathered up all her guilt, regret, and fear and shoved it aside. She would find penance later, but she had to win for more than herself, she had to win for the kingdom she served. And if that meant she would suffer for the rest of her life, then she would.</p>
<p>Immediately, the marks of betrayal and memories dulled.</p>
<p>Anger burst inside her and she growled. With a surge, Merrie launched herself at Fir. She had no intent other to strike as fast and hard, to win. The rage and fury were no longer hampered by her guilt.</p>
<p>There was a brief flash of surprise in Fir's eyes, then Merrie slammed into her with a concussive blast that tore apart the ground and launched her aside.</p>
<p>She drew on the memory of Dith's bonding as she sprinted after Fir. The spells infused into her opponent blossomed around her, the mystical patterns laid bare as Merrie scanned them while running.</p>
<p>Fir smashed against one of the pillars and another rune activated along her right side: pain. The more she hurt, the more power she had. The more Merrie suffered, Fir also gained power.</p>
<p>Merrie traveled the remaining distance in a flash.</p>
<p>Fir snapped her weapon in front of her, slamming the butt into the ground to brace it. The entire weapon glowed brilliantly, disrupting any shadows Merrie would have summoned.</p>
<p>Merrie had something else in mind. She thrust herself past the light that ripped away her skin and opened her jaw to lunge for Fir's throat.</p>
<p>The bardiche spun around and caught her jaw.</p>
<p>Merrie tried to bite through it, but couldn't.</p>
<p>Brilliance exploded inside her mouth, burning away the hound's tongue and jaw in an instant.</p>
<p>Merrie planted her feet against Fir's chest and launched.</p>
<p>Fir swung forward to catch her, but Merrie had thrown herself straight up.</p>
<p>With a howl, she focused on the fury how Pitia had corrupted Fir and the need to win at all costs. Her body twisted into her dragon hound form. With a snap of wings, she sailed up and over before channel all of her emotions through the fire energies still patterned after Scorch.</p>
<p>White-hot flames jetted out of her maw, igniting stone, marble, and warrior.</p>
<p>Fir let out a bellow of pain as she dodged away from the killing heat.</p>
<p>Merrie landed in the middle of the inferno and then jumped off again.</p>
<p>The tiles she had just stood on shattered from Fir's blow.</p>
<p>Beating her wings, Merrie flew straight up and over.</p>
<p>Fir jumped to the second and then the third floor, covering the distance in a zigzag to outrace her to the ceiling. Her weapon burned brilliant with the full fury of the sun as it came around.</p>
<p>The sharp edge caught Merrie's chest and sliced into flesh and bone. Her wing tore in a burst of pain that boosted both alpha and infernal.</p>
<p>Then she was falling.</p>
<p>Fir landed on her chest and drove the bardiche into Merrie's throat. The force rocketed them into the floor of the throne room and into the solid rock underneath.</p>
<p>Merrie froze as the humming blade twisted violent, slashing open her throat and snapping the spine that kept her head in.</p>
<p>The pain was gone, severed from her body. She stared up into the eyes of the furious warrior.</p>
<p>Fir snarled as she twisted hard the other way, ripping Merrie's throat open and severing her head. With a shudder, she activated her weapon and sunlight burst inside Merrie's body.</p>
<p>Unprotected, the black mist of her core evaporated in a second. She felt the heat searing her heart, clawing into the very core of her being as the triple beat pounded across all of her senses.</p>
<p>She had lost.</p>
<p>With all her powers, she had failed. Her hound form faded away leaving her naked and helpless. The flickering of power couldn't power spells though, her body was crumbling.</p>
<p>Fir smiled. “You were always going to lose,” she panted. Blood dripped down from her brow and she had hundreds of cuts and bruises. Her scarred, tortured body shuddered with her effort.</p>
<p>The sadness faded away into determination. Her heart still struggled to beat, the triple slowing down but it still moved in her chest.</p>
<p>All she had to do was keep moving. Keep moving with her throat being severed by the collar containing Kivas. To never give up even as her body was burned away by the sunlight every morning in that grove so many years ago.</p>
<p>(No,) she projected weakly.</p>
<p>“You have no more shadows, no more magic. There is nothing to help, nothing to do but die.”</p>
<p>Merrie focused her memories on her journey into the abyss and the demons that had devoured her. She forced herself to remember every single time she managed to reform her body in the sunlight after she had died the first time.</p>
<p>Fir's infernal marks for memory dulled. Merrie wasn't suffering from guilt or forgetting, she was finding a new strength.</p>
<p>And then it was clear.</p>
<p>(To have shadows, you must have light.)</p>
<p>Fir frowned and her other runes started to flicker. Merrie felt confusion rippling through the well-researched plans and contingencies. Her hands gripped her weapon tightly.</p>
<p>Merrie managed to get a smile even as her mind was fading. (And from the bright of lights, comes the darkest of shadows.)</p>
<p>She thrust her consciousness into her being for the one thing she couldn't use, the spark of Olume, the god of light. It was the only thing that kept her alive but she needed more from the former god. She needed to do something impossible.</p>
<p>Fir's eyes widened. “No!”</p>
<p>She forced all of her energy into her weapon and Merrie's body shredded under the force of the sun forming in her chest.</p>
<p>Merrie opened her mouth but no noise would come out, but it didn't matter. She opened herself up and then reached out for the spark. Words formed in her head and her mouth at the same time.</p>
<p>“Then Merrie merged with the spark of Olume.” It wasn't her voice that spoke, it was her goddess. Parn had spoke through her and said a single sentence that came with the force full of reality.</p>
<p>The world stopped.</p>
<p>Her body reformed with quicksilver and dark and light. Naked and glorious, with no transformations or bonds holding her back.</p>
<p>No goddess showed up, no gods interrupted. Just a moment where Merrie saw the world as it really wants. Every mote of energy, every atom, everything that touched light and beyond.</p>
<p>She experience Fir's agonies in perfect clarity. She saw how she had been corrupted by powers, twisting and squeezing until there was nothing left. Even her soul had been stained by the onslaught.</p>
<p>Sadness flooded Merrie in that moment. She hoped there would be guidance, but Parn's presence had already withdrawn.</p>
<p>All that was left was to end the fight.</p>
<p>She reached up, her breasts heaving and the severed ends of her arms sliding through the blood and rubble.</p>
<p>Fir's body was froze in the moment of time.</p>
<p>Merrie kissed her lips. “I'm sorry. I will never forget you again, I swear with all my might.”</p>
<p>Then she ripped Fir's throat out with her teeth. Flesh and bone disintegrated as Merrie reached beyond the physical form to the spirit that had been darkened and twisted by torture and pain. She shattered it before reaching for the very core, the tarnish soul of a woman.</p>
<p>It would have been easy to bite down and erase Fir from existence entirely. She had the power in that moment to make it as if Fir never lived.</p>
<p>Instead, she licked the delicate soul and let the light pour out of her. It bathed all that was left of Fir in divine power, buffing away the tarnish and polishing it until it shone. Fir would die in that moment, but her soul would live into the next life without the taint of the infernals or any of her pain.</p>
<p>With a smile, Merrie pulled back.</p>
<p>The soul slid away, to go wherever soul went before their next lives.</p>
<p>The world resumed with a lurch.</p>
<p>Fir's head bounced off the ground before it burned away. Her body slumped over Merrie's pale form before it also disintegrated.</p>
<p>Merrie pulled herself up in the silence of the throne room. Around her, among the destruction, flames, and blood, she saw the world again.</p>
<p>Pitia stood near the throne, her hand clutching the handle as she stared in shock.</p>
<p>Claston was only a few feet away from her. He wasn't looking at Merrie and she could feel the determination as the prince faced his impostor of a sister.</p>
<p>Bass and Sable flanked him.</p>
<p>Behind, Borias and Natis were speaking tensely and Merrie could see shadow magic gathering around Borias.</p>
<p>Pitia recovered first. She reached down and funneled an intense amount of energy into a gem. Behind her, a gateway opened up between the worlds, a contingency plan.</p>
<p>“Stop!” yelled Claston, his Presence radiating away from him as the desire to remain flooded the room.</p>
<p>Pitia froze for just a moment.</p>
<p>Bass held up his hand. He strained as he added his own presence and desire for her to remain in place. “Please, stay long enough.”</p>
<p>“Why?” said the tall woman. “There is no reason.”</p>
<p>Claston stepped toward her. “I need answers. Why? Why are you doing this?”</p>
<p>Pitia looked around, her eyes flickering as her runes glowed with plans already falling into place. “No, I not going to tell you. Even I'm not that foolish.”</p>
<p>Anticipation crawled along Merrie's thoughts. She stepped sideways and reappearing next to Borias and Natis.</p>
<p>Natis held Claston's sword between them, the point sparkling with energy. “Witness me and boost him,” he said in a cracked whisper.</p>
<p>Merrie felt energy crackling around them. They hadn't wasted Merrie's fight simply watching. They were making a plan of their own. She drew her senses through the summoning spell that Borias was framing in his mind.</p>
<p>He was going to summon the Lord of Shadows.</p>
<p>Merrie almost reached out to bond with him to boost his powers to nearly unlimited levels, but hesitated. With Dith's senses and the memory of the god's power in her head, she saw that he was more than capable of doing it on his own. It would hurt and he might fail, but he didn't need her help.</p>
<p>Inside, the Royal Geas was satisfied. She had done her part to save the country and Borias would ensure that Franome would be safe in the future. There was nothing for her to do.</p>
<p>She was done.</p>
<p>A sense of contentment and happily flooded through her. She smiled and let it wash over her. With tail wagging slowly, she gestured to the two. (I will witness.)</p>
<p>Natis sighed and gulped. He looked at Borias and sighed. “I'm proud of you and I am honored to accept and grant you domain over Blood County, to be known as the Shadows Marches in light of what has happened. You are now the Count of Franome and charged with protecting us from invasion and danger. I have no doubt you shall do it.”</p>
<p>Borias nodded. Tears ran down his face as he stared at the count.</p>
<p>To the side, Claston and Bass were both straining their raw presence to keep Pitia in place, but it wasn't going to last long.</p>
<p>Borias looked at her. “Ready be helping?”</p>
<p>Merrie smiled at him and sent him a wave of encouragement. (I've fought my battle, this is yours.)</p>
<p>He did a double take. “Be serious? This be going to hurt!”</p>
<p>Merrie nodded. (Finish up, we have a puppy mill to reopen.)</p>
<p>Borias gave her a pained smile. “I be liking you in gray again. But I be spanking you when this is done.”</p>
<p>Merrie glanced down with surprise. The darkness was gone and yet it wasn't. Her body had become gray again, as if all color had been leached out of her leaving only sparks of light that defied color. She smiled and wagged her faintly glowing tail.</p>
<p>The promise of spanking sounded good.</p>
<p>Natis sighed. “Not everything is sex.”</p>
<p>“No, but it be giving me hope.”</p>
<p>The old man sighed. “Then, it is your turn. Borias Kivas, Count of the Shadow Marches…” Natis reached down and wrapped Borias' hands around the hilt of the sword and then angled the tip of the blade back until it was touching Natis throat.</p>
<p>Next to Merrie, an old man walked up. He was gray and not entirely there. The name welled up in her thoughts, the Reaper of Accepting a Good Death. He gave Merrie a nod.</p>
<p>She sent the reaper a wave of welcome and then turned to focus on Natis' final words.</p>
<p>“I surrender my life to you willing, to welcome death in your hands. Thank you for the gift you have given.” His words were strong, as was the jerk he gave as he drove the tip of the blade up into his throat and into his skull.</p>
<p>Necromantic energies burst out of Natis, an invisible storm that fluttered the dust at their feet before it poured into Borias. His long dormant powers activated, gathering it up much like Merrie enhancements and drew the raw power of a sacrifice into his heart.</p>
<p>For the shortest of moments, it stormed inside him, but then darkened into the purest of shadows. His eyes became two black voids as he lifted his hand and released his spell. “Lord of Shadows, come to your Consort! Feed upon the beast who betrayed our oaths and threaten our realm!”</p>
<p>His voice echoed across the realms, piercing the veil and spreading out in a wave of power that swept across the country.</p>
<p>Pitia's infernal marks exploded into reddish light. She let out a cry and spun around to throw herself into the gate she had formed.</p>
<p>The pitch tentacle of the Lord of Shadows punched into her stomach and out her back. The air before her tore in half and living shadows poured in. Tentacles slammed into the infernal, crushing her against the ground as the impossible shape of the Lord of Shadows crawled into the throne room.</p>
<p>(<strong>I accept, Star of Darkness,</strong>) boomed the thought of the powerful and alien being.</p>
<p>Pitia lashed out, her fingernails glowed as they cut through the Lord's tentacles and shattered claws, but there were always more as they pinned her again into the ground.</p>
<p>The shadow kin poured out form the rent around the Lord in a wave of darkness. They fell upon Pitia, tearing and biting and ripping.</p>
<p>Borias groaned and sank down.</p>
<p>Merrie caught him with her body and prevented him from falling.</p>
<p>He recovered and stood up.</p>
<p>She looked directly at him and felt a sense of peace. (Good boy.)</p>
<p>Borias came in a single burst of pleasure and pride.</p>
<p>His shocked look caused her to giggle. Tail wagging, she lead him toward the rent in reality. (Come on, we're done.)</p>
<p>Borias stumbled. “Not be over.”</p>
<p>The Lord of Shadows dragged Pitia's corpse toward the opening. Blood streaked along the floor and the shadow kin followed after it like a hunk of bloody meat being dragged across a yard.</p>
<p>(For us, yes. We have served Franome, but we should probably leave it to the others to clean up and heal. We cause entirely too much destruction with our presence, it's our nature.)</p>
<p>“Aye. I not be sure I can be closing this gate,” Borias said as he looked at the three-story tall rent in reality. Beyond it, the shadows boiled and raged outside, at least what was visible around the bulk of the Lord of Shadows still reaching across.</p>
<p>(We can.)</p>
<p>Together, they limped toward the gate.</p>
<p>As they passed Bass, the armored paladin turned an focused on her. There was a moment of silence and then he nodded. “Go, we are needed here.”</p>
<p>Sable sent wave of intense love and lust. (We'll return home when we're done, be safe until we meet again. It may be days or years, but I'm going to hump your face the moment I see you again.)</p>
<p>Merrie barked happily.</p>
<p>Claston was focused on talking to two Loyals. He was already working to get everything cleaned up, but he kept glancing at the gate.</p>
<p>Merrie sent a pulse of affection. (Be a good king, but we're going to take our shadows with us.)</p>
<p>He tensed, the muscles of his shoulders tightening. He wanted to look at her, but he remembered his mother's words. The king had to show he was worth of respect and had no favorites.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Queen Vikia turned back to Merrie. “The Royal Family does not associate with the Whore's Guild, do you understand?”</p>
<p>Confused at the queen's orders, Merrie glanced over at Kirin who was polishing off the second bottle.</p>
<p>“Even if,” Vikia's voice grew tense, “they have the gall to chug a bottle of thousand year old wine with the grace of a drunken teenager.”</p>
<p>Kirin lowered the bottle and licked the black wine from her lips. She gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. On her belly, the infernal rune for wine glowed brightly, pulsing with a rapid beat.</p>
<p>“And, while I appreciate you considering my son to be bonded to you—”</p>
<p>Merrie cringed at the tense words directed at her.</p>
<p>“—it would not be in his, yours, or his betrothed's best interest to let a naked slut join that part of his life. And I don't trust him to do the right thing and say no, which is why I refuse to let him go to you. The Crown must remain free of any obligation that doesn't further this country's greatness.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Claston's shoulders slumped and he nodded without turning away from the Loyals.</p>
<p>Merrie turned and finished crawling over the threshold of the rip in reality. As she did, she called to the shadows around her to follow and took her family home.</p>
Call the Specialist 5: Early Evening2023-12-07T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/shadowed-earth/call-the-specialist/chapter-05/Kayla passes the time with Bailey as they wait for the Scorned Woman to manifest.
<p>Kayla sat in the dining room on one of the two chairs that survived the last attack. She had a piece of cool pizza on the paper plate in front of her, the toppings picked off to leave only the crust and sauce behind.</p>
<p>Bailey, on the other hand, devoured her third piece as if it was her last meal. Her hunger worried Kayla, it was obvious that the young woman had spent more than a few days in her car and wasn't eating nearly enough.</p>
<p>Kayla didn't want to ask questions, but she admitted she was curious of the circumstances that chased Bailey into living from her car. She guessed it had something to do with Bailey's obvious lust for women and her father's disapproval.</p>
<p>In the back of her head, Kayla thought that Bailey's libido would be useful on how she planned on defeating the ghost. It was an unconventional approach, but it depended a lot on how the ghost responded since Kayla was unable to find an anchor to break.</p>
<p>Swallowing the last piece of her slice, Bailey smiled. “Oh, that tastes good.” She was obviously an omnivore judging from the deep dish, deluxe pizza she ordered.</p>
<p>“I'm glad.”</p>
<p>Bailey gestured to Kayla's piece. “You didn't like it? Should I have eaten—”</p>
<p>“I don't eat much while working.” Kayla looked around. It was dark, but she didn't see any signs of the ghost. But, things quickly changed and she was on edge for the first signs of a haunting.</p>
<p>“With your looks, I'm surprised you just don't eat fish and chicken all the time. You look like you are solid muscles.”</p>
<p>The tone set Kayla on edge for a moment but then it quickly faded. It was obvious Bailey was trying to be nice. No, judging from how Bailey licked her lips, she was being appreciative.</p>
<p>Kayla retreated into not thinking about the young woman's attraction and shrugged while she toyed with the edge of the plate. “I don't do much besides work. I just exercise to keep in shape.”</p>
<p>The blond frowned. “With a business like yours? You probably spend all day with a hammer or a shovel in your hand, right?”</p>
<p>It took a minute, then Kayla let a smile flash across her face. “No, I work in a call center. Ten hour shifts, starting at six in the morning.”</p>
<p>“A call.. you mean where they call customer support? But your van, it's filled with tools.”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged with a wry smile. “I found its easier to hide being a hunter when you have an excuse to carry weapons out in plain sight. That way, you don't have any surprises from police when they pull you over. No one thinks to stop a handyman. Not to mention, if someone stumbles onto a secret cache, there are a lot of questions.”</p>
<p>Bailey giggled and pushed her short hair past her ear. “I guess that is why you don't have a phone number on your van?”</p>
<p>Surprised, Kayla smiled. “You noticed.”</p>
<p>“No city either. I bet that makes it also easier to hide in plain sight.”</p>
<p>Delighted that the young woman was observant, Kayla nodded. “No customized plates like the @TheRealHunter either. Nothing to stand out. Even my business cards only have the company name on them.”</p>
<p>Bailey stared for a moment, a smirk grew before she giggled.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You don't have to say the ‘at’ sign, you know.”</p>
<p>Kayla blinked. “What?”</p>
<p>“You said ‘at the real hunter’,” Bailey said while giggling.</p>
<p>Kayla's cheeks grew warm. She looked away. “It's just how I think.”</p>
<p>“No, no, I'm sorry.” Bailey said, obviously struggling not to laugh. “I don't mean to. I mean, people say ‘O M G’ so why not 'at?'”</p>
<p>Kayla looked away again, humiliation filling her thoughts. She didn't like people mentioning how she said the wrong things on occasion; it was easier to work off a script or just do whatever her body wanted.</p>
<p>In the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. Tilting her head slightly, she looked into the living room. The furthest light was flickering faintly and the fabric near it were stirring. She could almost see a haze gathering.</p>
<p>It was the ghost.</p>
<p>Kayla's excitement rose as she looked away. It took a lot of effort for most supernatural creatures to manifest, which meant that they probably had about twenty or so minutes before the ghost was able to do more than drop the temperature.</p>
<p>Bailey frowned. “I-I'm sorry, Kayla. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just been really hard for me lately, with my dad kicking me out of the house and my parents trying to sabotage every job I get.”</p>
<p>Kayla looked up. “What do you mean?” she said as her call center voice came back.</p>
<p>Bailey stopped. “Please don't do that. I'm sorry, I swear I didn't mean to upset you.”</p>
<p>“Don't do what?”</p>
<p>“That voice, that's your fake one isn't it? You used it on the home owner and on the guy at the diner.”</p>
<p>Kayla hesitated but then nodded. Bailey was turning out to be rather observant.</p>
<p>Bailey reached out and rested her hand on Kayla's. “I'm really sorry. I really didn't mean to laugh. It just surprised me.”</p>
<p>“It's… I'm not okay right now but I'll survive. I've never been good with humans. Interactions are easier over the phone since I have a script. Beyond that, I don't really do much besides hunting.”</p>
<p>Bailey's eyes shimmered for a moment. She stroked the back of Kayla's hand with one finger. “I promise I'll do better.”</p>
<p>There was an uncomfortable silence.</p>
<p>Then Bailey asked, “Different topic. What about your mother?”</p>
<p>“She died when I was eight.”</p>
<p>“Your father?”</p>
<p>“He died when I was twenty-six.”</p>
<p>“I'm sorry.”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged. “It is what it is. I couldn't imagine being rejected like your parents. My mother accepted me for everything I was, including my way of thinking.”</p>
<p>Bailey sighed. “I wish I had that. I mean, it was my fault I got kicked out. I got sloppy, got horny, and forgot I was supposed to be hiding who I am.”</p>
<p>“That you like girls?”</p>
<p>Bailey's head lifted. Her smile softened as her eyes grew unfocused for a moment. “Yeah, that's it. I always knew I liked girls, but my parents were throwing every boy they could find at me. All they care about is who I married and when I could produce babies.”</p>
<p>Bailey sighed and her face dropped.</p>
<p>Neither said anything for a long moment.</p>
<p>Kayla watched the flickering get more obvious. Reaching down, she rested her hand on her canvas tool bag. Her baton handle stuck out; it was made form cold iron and was a good defense against ghosts. However the baton was also an aggressive weapon. As much as Kayla enjoyed the rush of a killing attack, she wasn't going to be the one who started the violence. She had other items in the bag to start with.</p>
<p>A thrill rose inside her. The first signs of a haunting were the best foreplay she could imagine. It was the anticipation of not knowing if it was going to be a drawn out fight, a brutal brawl, or something entirely new.</p>
<p>She noticed that Bailey was lost in her thoughts again. Needing her to be aware, Kayla spoke quietly, “Do you know what to expect from the ghost?”</p>
<p>Bailey flinched. “Not… really. I mean, you hear about walking around and feeling spirits, but I don't know how that works.”</p>
<p>“Well, a good start is to pay attention. Usually they want to talk or interact. It can get ugly quickly, but what they say may help you figure out what pins them to this world. Any word, any phrase, you never know.”</p>
<p>“Any luck finding anything in the back yard.”</p>
<p>Kayla shook her head. “I'm hoping she will reveal an anchor. If not, then we'll have to do it the hard way.”</p>
<p>“Iron, salt, and blood?” Bailey looked excited.</p>
<p>Kayla chuckled. “I might have also use you as bait.”</p>
<p>It wasn't really a “might” though, judging from the flicker in the corner. She was going to use Bailey as bait and to focus the attention of the ghost, but that required Kayla to make sure the young woman would be properly protected. It wouldn't be good to have another death on her hands.</p>
<p>She stood up. “Why don't we look around the house?”</p>
<p>Bailey wiped her hands on her shirt before standing up. “What do I need to do?”</p>
<p>“Just go upstairs. If you see a ghost, just call out.”</p>
<p>In the corner of the living room, Kayla made out the shifting outline of the Scorned Woman. Upstairs would keep Bailey away.</p>
<p>Bailey looked frightened for a moment. “Just upstairs? By myself?”</p>
<p>“You'll be safe, I promise.”</p>
<p>Bailey was a little less enthusiastic as she headed out of the room. The house creaked slightly as she made her way up the stairs.</p>
<p>Kayla waited a second and then dug into her bag. She pulled out a caulk gun and a custom-made tube filled with silicon and rock salt. A few chains, iron cuffs, and other items were set down around the pizza box.</p>
<p>Finally she pulled out one of her favorite pieces of armor, a bracer. It was a series of iron chains that were tied together with thinner wire binding them into a cuff that went from the wrist to the elbow. It had a strap holding everything together. The entire thing had saved her limbs more than once since it was designed like chain mail to absorb a claw or bite.</p>
<p>She looked into the corner and saw the ghost had almost manifested. She had about five minutes left. Just enough time to find out how Bailey handled surprises and if she would be useful as bait.</p>
<p>With a grim smile on her lips, she headed up the stairs. An earlier investigation of the house gave her a map of the floorboard and steps that would creak so she could avoid them and move in silence.</p>
Puppy Mill 2: From the Shadows 126: Font of Knowledge2023-11-30T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/nine-sisters/puppy-mill/puppy-mill-02/chapter-126/Merrie heads back to the manor to find Claston and hopefully something that would help her against the upcoming battle with the queen.
<p>Traveling alone in the shadows was faster and easier than before. She used the darkness to transform repeatedly, healing herself up incrementally as she switched between hound forms until she was almost up to full speed.</p>
<p>The morale boost and knowing Claston was safe had given her strength. An orgasm would have helped more, but she doubted she would have time to find anything willing to fuck her.</p>
<p>She slipped out of the collar and left it behind before racing along the city's shadows. The imprint of the destruction had already started to shape in the shadows and she could see the memory of buildings standing and destroyed superimposed over each other.</p>
<p>Her thoughts and grief began to seep into her thoughts. She had just lost good friends and hurt ones who were trying to help her. Along the way, she hurt and killed so many people that she didn't think she could ever forgive herself.</p>
<p>Merrie came to a halt, surrounded by the darkness that had once personified her despair and depression. Sorrow welled up around her and she could feel the shadows thickening around her.</p>
<p>“No,” she whispered. She didn't have time to grieve but she knew it would happen sooner or later. There would also be time for penance for the destruction she had inflicted. There would be consequences, but she would just have to face them once she did what she had to.</p>
<p>With a sniff, she resumed her journey to the manor.</p>
<p>When she reached her destination, she entered into the warded area and then stepped through from the shadows. Unlike before at the guild, there was little resistance and she found herself standing in front of a well-maintained fence surrounding the place that had been her home.</p>
<p>Inside, she could see that the gardens had been replaced with rock and statues instead of the overgrown trees from the day she had first arrived.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>And then she could see her new home. It was a two-story mansion behind a eroded cast-iron fence. The mansion used to be painted white, but now the paint was peeling and a few of the columns at the main entrance had crumbled. The entire top floor had broken windows, some of them boarded up but others had tattered curtains fluttering in the breeze.</p>
<p>It used to have a brick drive, but weeds and even a few trees had grown through the cracks. It was now a foot path barely wide enough for the wagon. The former gardens were overrun in a thick snarl of weeds, vines, and trees.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Scanning the wards, she could tell as soon as she passed through the fence, someone would be alerted. But her shade was still draped around the building and the shadows still kept it secret.</p>
<p>Hoping it was just Claston inside but also knowing they were dealing with an infernal of betrayal, Merrie melted into darkness and then flowed past the gates. Her body slid along the surface as she crossed over the garden she had tried to bring to life and up to the door.</p>
<p>Inside, a few lanterns lit up the entry hall. The debris and garbage had long since been cleaned out and almost every surface shone from being polished and dusted. She smiled to herself, someone had brought the manor into its glory.</p>
<p>Curious, she started toward her bedroom but hesitated. If Claston was there, did he removed the old cage that she used for a bed. It had been broken when there was a rush to get her before she used her collar on herself.</p>
<p>The room still held so many memories of her, so much pain and joy. It was where her first master, Kine, had learned to bring her pleasure.</p>
<p>Steeling herself, she continued down the path and slipped into the room.</p>
<p>Merrie didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't a normal, decorated room. The cage was gone, the old wardrobe in the back had been replaced. Where the old bed stood was a set of tables and chairs. Opposite, someone had set up a writing desk.</p>
<p>She reformed into physical form but left little trace as she padded into the room. The memories were there, but not the physical remains. A pang of sadness for her former life flooded her.</p>
<p>Wiping her face, she melted once again in darkness and explored the rest of the wing. Repairs and redecorating had completely erased any signs of Kine.</p>
<p>She stopped briefly at the spot where she had first bonded. Nothing would ever mark the spot but she could never forget it.</p>
<p>Then she zipped across the manor to the kitchen and dining area. There were more signs of life and she could hear someone cooking. Slowly, she flickered along the dark places until she saw a single man humming to himself as he prepared a meal.</p>
<p>It was Boz, Claston's personal servant:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You'll get used to it, sire," said a bored-sounded older man. The second man was dressed in a black suit just one step from being made of pure Shadow. His shoes shimmered even in the dim light and he had a black tie neatly pressed against the line of buttons. He reached out for the door and took the handle; Merrie noticed he wore black kidskin gloves.</p>
<p>She recognized the younger man. It was one of the princes of Franome, Claston Pador. He was third in line for the throne behind his two sisters, Dinneia and Pitia.</p>
<p>“If we never use this thing, why do we keep it?”</p>
<p>The older man closed the door behind him. “Tradition,” came the bored response. “We are also here because the Royal Family is the balance on the opposite side of the courts. Where they must follow the laws by the letter, the crown is the force that provides change when the letter no longer fits the crime.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Time had changed the old man. He no longer had hair on his head but he remained neatly shaved. His body retained the prim attitude from before, straight back and wearing gloves.</p>
<p>Hopeful, Merrie rushed through the rest of the kitchen area before making her way up the stairs. Along one wing that Rimmy had used for her personal quarters, she finally found the man she was looking for: Claston Pador, the Prince of Franome.</p>
<p>The handsome man sat at a desk, reading some papers. He didn't have the long life of Merrie and Bass and she could see ten years of age had weathered him. A bit of gray colored his hair but his beard was neatly trimmed and he retained the fitness that he did from before. She couldn't see new scars on his body nor did he seem in pain, so she guessed he had continued to work out while hiding in the manor.</p>
<p>She thought about her own attempts to exercise. It was one of her first uses of a spell, to create a timekeeper and use it to track how long it took to move from one side of the manor to the other. Back then, it was filled with debris of Kine's and Rimmy's stolen loot and she was only a shadow of the woman she had become.</p>
<p>Her tail wagged slowly and she smiled. Feeling playful, she reformed as a naked woman and reached out for him.</p>
<p>The Red Door flashed across her mind, presenting the family tree of Kivas once again. Stunned, Merrie watched as the path raced away from Kivas to a side family, forgotten but no less important as it married into royalty and then fell out. It came down to a single node burning in her brain: Claston. His mother was a Kivas, a woman named Gwen Ticar, but the father was unimportant to the family tree and was just a faded line into the distance. There were two other nodes from the same mother: Dinneia and Pitia.</p>
<p>Stunned, Merrie sat back. (You're a Kivas?)</p>
<p>Claston jumped with a yelp of surprise. He flung himself to the side as he scrambled to regain his wits.</p>
<p>Reflexively, Merrie presented herself: back arched, tits thrust out, wrists at her neck, and tail wagging. It was what he expected her to be doing when he finally focused on her. A thrill of pleasure raced along her veins as she watched him.</p>
<p>“M-Merrie!?”</p>
<p>Downstairs, she heard Boz racing for the stairs. She looked at Claston and barked happily, moving her entire body back and forth with her wagging tail.</p>
<p>Claston clutched his heart and gave a nervous laugh. “H-How did you get here?”</p>
<p>(Through the shadows, of course.)</p>
<p>“N-No, I mean from Abbinkey. You were in prison for life.”</p>
<p>(I had to leave when the prison was closed.)</p>
<p>Boz reached the door. He had a narrow sword that glowed with enchantments. It was obvious he knew how to use it, but it was also wasn't his forte judging from how he held it. He stopped as he caught sight of Merrie.</p>
<p>Claston shook his head and gripped the side of his bed but missed. His fingers caught a blanket over his foot chest and pulled it down, revealing gleaming black bars of Merrie's old cage.</p>
<p>Merrie stared at it for a moment and then smiled broadly. It brought a familiar lust but also a quiet joy, like a memento of a different life. (You kept it.)</p>
<p>“Yes, I mean Boz fixed it because I… how are you here!?”</p>
<p>Merrie decided to trust the prince with almost everything except the meetings of the gods and Rakin's concerns. She gathered up up her memories from when she last same him and projected it into his thoughts.</p>
<p>Claston shuddered for a moment and then swayed.</p>
<p>Boz's sword clattered to the ground as Claston's man rushed up to catch him. Then, without a word, he led Claston to the bed and sat him down.</p>
<p>With a groan, Claston lifted his hand from his lap to look down at the tent in his suit pants. Then he shook his head. “T-That's a lot of sex.”</p>
<p>Merrie's ears flattened. (Sorry. I filtered out most of the demons and gang-bangs. And the dying repeatedly.)</p>
<p>“No, no, that's fine. I don't need those details.” He groaned again. Then he gave her a hard stare. “You killed Kivas and then escaped Abbinkey by yourself?”</p>
<p>(Tore him apart and fed him to demons, but yes.) It wasn't entirely true, but it was for the memories she gave him.</p>
<p>He groaned. “And all I've been doing is hiding here like a damn coward.”</p>
<p>Boz stepped back. “You aren't coward, sire. You survived two assassination attempts.”</p>
<p>Claston glared at the older man. “Yes, from my sister.”</p>
<p>“Rumored but not confirmed.”</p>
<p>“I know it's her. She's trying to make sure I can't use the Hastir Clause.”</p>
<p>Merrie cocked her head in confusion.</p>
<p>“Sire, she has proven herself with the Test of Blood. Why would she think you would overthrow her?”</p>
<p>(Excuse me? What is the Hastir Clause?)</p>
<p>Claston waved his hand. “One of my great, great, great uncles tried to take over the throne like a hundred times. It caused so much trouble that the councils declared that royalty could only make a single, formal attempt at regaining the throne before they were exiled for life.” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “No one really liked Hastir, but it also means that even though I know that woman isn't my sister, I only have one chance to prove it.”</p>
<p>“The Test of Blood has—”</p>
<p>“I know!” snapped Claston. “But I know it.” He thumped his head. “I know that she is her.”</p>
<p>“It has been decades of war for her, she's change. Sire, one cannot be in a battle for twenty years without that warping everything including her spirit!”</p>
<p>Claston surged to his feet. “She isn't my sister!”</p>
<p>“Just because she became—”</p>
<p>“I don't give a fuck about the crown!”</p>
<p>Merrie could tell that it was an old argument. Claston's anger rose too quickly but she couldn't easily penetrate his mental shields. As a prince, he had been trained to avoid mental intrusions. Across from him, Boz continued to remain steadfast as he spoke, a quiet voice that never wavered.</p>
<p>Boz took a deep breath. “Sire, you have to accept that Pitia is the true queen of this country.”</p>
<p>There was a barely perceptible flicker of magic from inside Boz.</p>
<p>Merrie cocked her head as she stared at him.</p>
<p>Claston groaned and walked around the bed. “I know you keep saying that, but I was saying she wasn't real the second she showed up.”</p>
<p>“Twenty years, sire. You have also drastically changed. You are no longer the brash young man who was content to drink and sleep away his life in his private quarters in the palace.”</p>
<p>No flicker, no triggering of energy.</p>
<p>Merrie felt a tugging, a rising pressure to pay attention. Her tail slowed to a stop and her ears perked up as she continued to watch.</p>
<p>“And what about now? I'm just suppose to cower in the manor for the rest of the life? Trade a broken tree for a broken home?”</p>
<p>“At least until you calm down to present yourself in society, sire.”</p>
<p>The prince groaned and glared at his man. “I will never accept her as my sister.”</p>
<p>“But that doesn't stop the fact that she is your kin,” Boz said calmly but oath magic flickered inside him.</p>
<p>Merrie's ears perked up. It was the Royal Geas responding to his thoughts, but in a subtle way. She focused her attention on the magic, delving into the old pattern.</p>
<p>Boz had accepted the oath in his youth. He had grown around the oath, naturally obeying it without needing to corrective action. He knew the right things to say. No, he knew the right things to think to avoid triggering it.</p>
<p>Merrie had a sudden theory. Her tail began to wag. (What is the Test of Blood?)</p>
<p>Claston groaned. “It's this stupid bucket… bowl… fountain made out of gold on a stone pedestal.”</p>
<p>“Font, sire. It—”</p>
<p>“I don't fucking care.” Claston let out his breath. “If you toss the crown in it and you bleed into the bowl, it starts to glow which says you are of Pador blood.”</p>
<p>“It also confirmed the paternity or maternity if two people bleed into it. It has been used many times over the centuries to identify true parentage.”</p>
<p>Claston walked over to his desk and grabbed his chair. He pulled it over next to Merrie and sat down heavily. One hand dropped to stroke her ear.</p>
<p>Merrie's tail wagged faster as she leaned into his fingers and thigh.</p>
<p>“So, mother was dead so dad and that woman bled into the bowl and it glowed and proved that she was the rightful queen.”</p>
<p>Another flicker of the Royal Geas. Boz knew something but was either unwilling to tell or couldn't. Merrie thought back to the Royal Geas.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Do you swear loyalty to Franome, the crown, and the land, for the rest of our days?</p>
<p>Do you swear to protect it with your will, your pride, your power, and your life?</p>
<p>Do you swear to keep its secrets until the end of time?</p>
<p>Do you swear to guard the Royal Family from all harm, inside and out?</p>
<p>Do you swear to serve until released by the Royal family?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Secrets. Boz had a secret, but the geas would not allow him to reveal it. Something that was important that even he knew was critical to the conversation.</p>
<p>Merrie looked at Claston but kept her senses focused on Boz. (Who is Gwen Ticar?)</p>
<p>The Royal Geas buzzed Boz and she could feel him start with surprise.</p>
<p>“Gwenny?” Claston asked with a frown. “She's my mother's hand maiden from a lot of years ago. She became the head nanny when Dinny was born and she helped raised my sisters and me.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “I remember she used to say that she changed our nappies and that was why we couldn't ever be royalty.”</p>
<p>Memories flicked across his mind. He sighed. “She died of a heart attack when I was… seven or so? I missed her so much, she always treated me as a son she had never had.”</p>
<p>That was the answer Merrie had been looking for. (Did you know she was a Kivas?)</p>
<p>“What? No, she was so sweet. She wasn't a criminal.”</p>
<p>(She had three children, two daughters and a son.)</p>
<p>Claston pulled his hand away. “No, no she didn't.”</p>
<p>A few meters away, Boz was suddenly struggling with his Royal Geas. With her attention on him, she could hear him groan underneath his breath but that triggered the oath in a different way; he couldn't show signs that there was a secret there.</p>
<p>Using her senses, Merrie reached out for the Royal Geas. With Dith's powers still influencing her abilities, she found it easy to work her way into the ancient oath and see how it had been woven together. It was an ancient oath, simple at its core.</p>
<p>And she knew how to change it.</p>
<p>The last few years had let her see there was another way. With everything else, she knew that she could change the oath just like Parn changed her.</p>
<p>Steeling herself, she reached out. (Do you—)</p>
<p>She stopped with the realization she couldn't use telepathy. It had to be spoken. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Do you swear loyalty to Franome, the crown, and the land, for the rest of our days?”</p>
<p>Boz looked at her in confusion, but she felt the oath rising up. It knew the words that he had said.</p>
<p>“Do you swear to protect it with your will, your pride, your power, and your life?”</p>
<p>“What you doing?” asked Claston.</p>
<p>Her voice ached from speaking, the hoarseness of barely using her throat caused it to burn but she couldn't stop. “Do you swear to keep its secrets until the end of time?”</p>
<p>Boz stared at her. He started to shake his head and fear prickled his senses. But the oath was responding, rising up to her words that stirred it.</p>
<p>Merrie whimpered but forced herself to keep talking. “Do you swear to guard the Royal Family from all harm, inside and out? Do you swear to serve until released by the Royal family?”</p>
<p>“Please s-stop,” Boz said in a broken voice. “Don't do this.”</p>
<p>Merrie had reached the end of the Royal Geas, the final words that sealed so many lives into bondage and took away their free will. All it needed was a single thrust of will and it would seal once again.</p>
<p>She looked directly at him. “Do you swear…” Her voice started to change, to take on a different timbre as if she was speaking with two voices. “… to take this oath as guidance, to forever know what to do but to retain your will to make that choice?”</p>
<p>The air around them beat with a rippling presence. It was something more powerful than even her own abilities.</p>
<p>With tears in his eyes, Boz's mouth worked for a moment. “I swear,” he whispered.</p>
<p>Energy poured through her, coming from nowhere she could sense, but it reached out for the geas and washed over it, changing it like petals turning in a fall wind.</p>
<p>Then, it was gone.</p>
<p>Boz started to fall.</p>
<p>Merrie and Claston reached him at the same time, catching him before he hit the ground. Unable to get him to the bed, they lowered him until he was safely sitting on the ground.</p>
<p>Claston stared at Merrie with a new emotion, fear. “W-What was that?”</p>
<p>Merrie regarded him. “You are Kivas.”</p>
<p>Claston shook his head empathically. “No, I'm not. I am Pador by my mother and Otain by my father.”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “No,” she said as her voice cracked again. “You are Pador by your father's blood but Kivas by your mother. Your mother's name is Gwen Ticar and your father is—”</p>
<p>Claston shook his head. “No—”</p>
<p>“Your father is Queen Vikia Pador.”</p>
<p>Tears ran down his cheeks. “No!”</p>
<p>Boz groaned. He looked up from the floor with tears in his eyes. “I'm sorry, sire, but she's right.”</p>
<p>Scrambling back, Claston shook his head. “No, that can't be. Vikia is my mother. She's always been my mother.”</p>
<p>Boz reached out and caught Merrie's shoulder. He had a strong grip and Merrie helped him into a sitting position. He held his stomach and looked at her with a strange sense of wonder and fear. “I can still feel it. I'm telling the secret but… but….”</p>
<p>Merrie leaned over and kissed him. (You have a choice now, just like me.)</p>
<p>The old man stiffened. “That's how you left Abbinkey.”</p>
<p>(I never stopped serving this country. I am fulfilling my oath to crown, country, and family like I always have. Just as I did when I summoned the shadow land, just as when I went to Abbinkey, and just as I am here.)</p>
<p>“How can you say that!” Claston bellowed. He shoved the pile of letters from his desk. “Just like that, I have criminal blood!?”</p>
<p>Merrie's eyes caught the letters with the compulsions. Picking herself up, she crawled over to them. (Kivas is not evil. He was chaos and he resists all restrictions, but there are hundreds of thousands that have his blood inside him. Good people, like Rendi and Borias. Others who are not.)</p>
<p>Claston started to say something but stopped, his face growing slack. Then he held his head as he sat down heavily, missing the chair and slamming into the ground. “Pitia isn't my sister. The queen is not my sister!”</p>
<p>Merrie sent a pulse of raw shadow to destroy the letters before she turned back.</p>
<p>“The Test of Blood… oh, damn it, that stupid prophecy, isn't it?”</p>
<p>It was Merrie's turn to be surprised. (Prophecy?)</p>
<p>Claston waved his hand casually. “There is some rule that a bloodline can only have one prophecy on it, so most of the royal families have some bullshit little one with an obscure bit of crap that keeps a god or some mage from putting something nastier on the family.”</p>
<p>Boz stood up, his movements slow as he straightened his outfit. “The line of succession has been broken, sire. A man has been celebrated across our land as our queen.”</p>
<p>Claston groaned. “Shit. Fuck, shit, damn the gods. She.. he…?”</p>
<p>“She was your mother, sire.”</p>
<p>“She knew it, why did she break it?”</p>
<p>Boz shrugged. “Because she was a woman. She was happy that way and her parents knew that it would break the succession, but they would rather have their daughter happy than rule a kingdom forever.”</p>
<p>Claston sighed. Then he glared. “Why didn't you tell me?”</p>
<p>“I swore to keep Franome's secrets until the end of days. I'm sorry, sire, you know what the Royal Geas would do to me.” Even while talking about the threat of his organs bursting out of his orifice, Boz's voice never rose above a respectful tone.</p>
<p>“So, why did her saying the Royal Geas change that? And what was that last part?”</p>
<p>Merrie flinched and looked up. (I can manipulate oath magic.)</p>
<p>Claston stared at her hard, then he shook his head. “No one can change oath magic. That is why we use it.”</p>
<p>Merrie cleared her throat. “Then why can I talk? How did I leave Abbinkey? Why isn't the Justice Geas stopping me from using my powers? How can I tell you the secret your mother has kept from you for your entire life?”</p>
<p>He flinched with each question. Then he held up his hand. “No, I accept. So Pitia really isn't my sister?”</p>
<p>(No.)</p>
<p>“No, sire.”</p>
<p>Claston sighed. “If she isn't my sister than she would have to claim to the throne. I could use Hastir's, if I could prove it. How would I—”</p>
<p>(We are dealing with an infernal that gains power from ruining plans. Every minute you strategize, you give them power to use against us.)</p>
<p>“I believe the young lady is saying that you need to plunge heedlessly into action.” Boz said in a dry voice. “So, if you continue as normal, you will be immune from the devil's influence.”</p>
<p>Claston glared at Boz. Then he shrugged and grin. “Anyone else helping us?”</p>
<p>“Bass, Sable, Borias, and Natis are heading toward the front door to the palace to give me time to talk to you.”</p>
<p>“Then we've already planned too far ahead.” He stood up from the chair and held out his hand. “My sword, please.”</p>
<p>Boz walked over to the sword and picked it up. Carefully wiping it down with a cloth from his pocket, he handed it hilt first to the prince.</p>
<p>Claston took it and then slid it into a sheath that appeared at his belt. “Let's go.”</p>
<p>“Sire?”</p>
<p>“You, Boz, stay.”</p>
<p>Boz favored him with a hard luck.</p>
<p>“I'd tell you to get in the cage, but if I'm going to do something stupid and brash, I don't want want you to be hurt. You've been a loyal servant, a lying sack of shit, and one of my best friends. So, let me do this.”</p>
<p>As he spoke, Claston's natural Presence began to fill the room. His growing confidence surrounded her much like Bass' cheer and hope did earlier. He smiled as he reached down to scratch Merrie's ears.</p>
<p>“Come on, let's risk everything because a naked girl told me just told me to do it.”</p>
Call the Specialist 4: House Flipper2023-11-09T06:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/shadowed-earth/call-the-specialist/chapter-04/Bailey finds out more about the house they are going to investigate. But she quickly finds that Kayla is difficult to resist, even when the hunter isn't trying to seduce her.
<p>Bailey was more excited than she could imagine. She never expected to stumble into a famous ghost hunter in a diner of all places, but Kayla was gorgeous. No picture could have done her justice.</p>
<p>The ghost hunter had thick curls of brunette hair loose around her face that almost reached the of of her large breasts that strained the fabric of her button-down short. The gap between the buttons revealed a plain black bra cupping tits that would spill out of the young lesbian's hands.</p>
<p>Kayla didn't smile, just always had a semi-serious look on her face. She also had a tendency to stare for long periods of time, waiting.</p>
<p>But looking into the dark blue eyes felt like being dangled over the ocean, a pool that Bailey wanted to dive into and drown herself. But even when Kayla gave a hard stare back to a question, it wasn't discomfort that cause Bailey to squirm but a hunger that made her cunt squishy and a heat to flutter in her chest.</p>
<p>That woman could dominate a werewolf with nothing more than a look.</p>
<p>Bailey had managed to get her libido underneath control by focusing on her meal. Hot food, sweet syrup, and a bit of forbidden pie. It had been days since she enjoyed any of that and she didn't want to miss it.</p>
<p>But, all good things came to an end and she finally finished with an indelicate burp.</p>
<p>“Ready to go?” asked Kayla. Her voice was a strange timber of steady monotone and an almost sing-song tone to it. It was a stark difference to the airy, almost ditsy, voice she used with Clark when he tried to steal the money.</p>
<p>Bailey nodded sheepishly and then squeezed out from the bench. Standing up, she made sure she had her canvas bag with her laptop.</p>
<p>Then Kayla stood up.</p>
<p>Bailey had to look up as the hunter straightened. And up even more. With every inch, her pussy grew wetter as she stared at the towering woman who was rumored to be one of the best ghost hunters in the country.</p>
<p>She glanced down and found herself face-to-face with Kayla's magnificent tits. From close up, she could see the slightly bumps of her nipples through the material and Bailey desperately wanted to rip open the shirt and bra to see if they were tiny little bumps or big puffy nipples.</p>
<p>Kayla didn't seem to register anything. She looked back and then bent over the table, giving Bailey a view of her ass.</p>
<p>The world spun as the young woman looked down at the hard muscles visible through the blue jeans that stretched over an ass that looked harder than rock.</p>
<p>When Kayla stood up, she had a cowboy hat which she dropped on top of her head.</p>
<p>Bailey almost came at the casual cowgirl vibe the hunter gave as she followed after Kayla. She was honest about wanting to see a real ghost, but after seeing Kayla up close, there was also the very real desire to be seduced and dominated by her.</p>
<p>The only thing that startled Bailey was Kayla's vehicle. She expected the ghost hunter to travel in a big ass pickup truck, not a white panel van with “Kayla's General Services” in a very plain, functional design. It looked like any other service truck running around town, thought there was no phone number or city listed.</p>
<p>Kayla stopped at the rear of her van. “Phone number?”</p>
<p>“Oh, um…” Bailey stammered for a moment. Then she gave her number.</p>
<p>Kayla leaned against the van and entered it. Bailey saw that her contact was listed as “Bailey from Appleton Wi”.</p>
<p>“Um, Bailey Jones.”</p>
<p>Kayla changed the entry to “Bailey Jones from Appleton Wisconsin” before dialing the number.</p>
<p>Bailey's phone rang. She started to answer it but Kayla hung up.</p>
<p>“Do you know where to go?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, north side near….” Her mind blanked.</p>
<p>“I'll send you the address. Make sure you want to follow me.”</p>
<p>The image of Kayla's large hands wrapping ropes around Bailey's trembling body brought a rush of lust and excitement. She knew that the hunter would be rough and powerful, as dominating as the stare that seemed to connect Bailey's eyes directly to her clit.</p>
<p>Kayla cocked her head, then got into her van.</p>
<p>A second later, a text message popped up with an address.</p>
<p>Bailey watched the van drive away and then scrambled for her phone. She made a contact for Kayla with a few Xs and Os and a peach symbol. Then she brought up a map for the address and followed in her own car.</p>
<p>The Rotten Apple House was a large Victorian house at the end of a street. It was a bright, clean white with a sign still standing near the mailbox for the siding company. Bright flowers danced in the gardens and the driveway looked as black as pitch.</p>
<p>Kayla's van had stopped behind a fancy sedan and the gorgeous hunter was talking to a slender woman wearing a black suit.</p>
<p>Before that morning, the power suit would have gotten Bailey's engines rumbling. After Kayla, though, she wondered if she would find anyone else as attractive. There was something about the tall woman and her incredibly firm-looking ass that made Bailey want to do everything she had read about in dirty stories.</p>
<p>Bailey tried her best to look put together before getting out and joining the conversation.</p>
<p>Kayla had one hand on her pocket and the other pointing to the front door. “You said you just got rid of the contents?”</p>
<p>The woman made a face. “It was all covered in bugs and spider eggs. The leather was rotten and the wood had termite damage. Nothing I could resell. I just had the entire contents hauled out.”</p>
<p>“Which dump?”</p>
<p>“No,” said the raven-haired home owner. “The dump wouldn't take it and I wasn't going to risk my moving truck. I had the guys drag it into the back and burn everything.” A pause. “I had a permit of course.”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged. She was half a foot taller than the other woman. Then she turned to Kayla. “Gwen, this is Bailey. Bailey, Gwen. Bailey is going to help me.”</p>
<p>Up close, Gwen was exactly what Bailey wished she could be: slender, elegant, and beautiful. She had a wide smile and eyes that sparkled. If she wasn't standing next to Kayla, Bailey's horny thoughts would have been all over her.</p>
<p>Gwen gave Bailey a hard look. “I'm not paying more than ten. I'm losing enough money on this house as it is.”</p>
<p>“I'll deal with paying Bailey,” Kayla said, her voice moving into the cheerful ditz tone.</p>
<p>An image of Kayla between Bailey's legs flashed through Bailey's thoughts. She blushed and tried to tamp it down. Why was she so fucking horny? It had been days and she couldn't exactly masturbate in the car, but still, how did Kayla bring that out so quickly.</p>
<p>Gwen made a worried hum.</p>
<p>Kayla gave her a smile. “How do I prove I got rid of the ghost?”</p>
<p>“Survive the night, as far as I'm concerned. I'll give you two thousand now, three if you made it until morning, and the other five if I don't see the ghost in a week. Deal?”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged. “Why not? Need a contract?”</p>
<p>Gwen scoffed. “Like there is legal precedent for hiring a ghost hunter. I didn't believe any of this shit, other than those people kept paying me a hundred dollars a night while I was working through financing. Everything was fine until they started getting blood on the new floors.”</p>
<p>“There won't be any blood.”</p>
<p>“There better not,” Gwen snapped back. “You ruin my floor and I'll be suing you, your girlfriend's ass, and your company out of existence.”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged again. She looked around and then shrugged a third time. “When can we come back for the night?”</p>
<p>“Just start now. The ghost, or whatever it is, doesn't show up until night but I'm still trying to get a replacement contractor. You'll have the entire place to do whatever shit you have to do. Just clean up after, don't ruin the beds or furniture, or I'm not paying you.” Gwen's voice got shriller.</p>
<p>Kayla blinked once and then stared at the dark-haired woman.</p>
<p>Gwen started to say something but the sound died in her voice.</p>
<p>Kayla held her stare.</p>
<p>“I-I… should probably… I'm going,” said the home owner. Her tone had turned into a defeated discomfort. “I need to go.”</p>
<p>Bailey almost flooded her panties as she watched Gwen drive off in a rush. There was nothing fake about Kayla but there was something otherworldly about how she could dominate the space with just a look.</p>
<p>As soon as the roar of the engine faded, Kayla turned to Bailey. “You need sleep.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You've been sleeping in your car, right?”</p>
<p>“Y-Yes,” Bailey said with a blush.</p>
<p>“I bet you haven't slept through the night for days. Nor were you sleeping in comfort. We're going to be up all night, so I need you to awake and aware.” She dug into her pocket and pulled out a pair of twenties. “When you get up, order pizza. Something hearty, plenty of salt and protein. No Chinese or pasta or heavy sauce. If you are a vegetarian, double up on the protein.”</p>
<p>Bailey took the money from the remarkably cool hand.</p>
<p>Kayla strode to the back of her van. Pulling it open, she reached out and grabbed a shovel.</p>
<p>Bailey peeked inside. There was a narrow cot on one side with comfortable-looking blankets neatly underneath. On the other side was an array of tools ranging from hammers, screwdrivers, machetes, garden shears, and even a handful of saws. A dozen toolboxes were all clipped into place. There was also coils of chains and ropes hanging from hooks near the back.</p>
<p>Except for the array of gardening and murder tools, the van looked more comfortable than even Bailey's old bedroom. Maybe Kayla would let Bailey borrow the van until she got on her feet.</p>
<p>Kayla grabbed a rake and shoved both underneath her arm before closing the door.</p>
<p>Bailey gulped. “What are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Scorned Women usually have something of their lover that anchors them to the house. Since she started hurting people after Gwen burned the contents, I suspect that she burned that anchor. If I can find it, or at least parts of it, it would make it a lot easier to break whatever is holding her to the house.”</p>
<p>“If you can't?”</p>
<p>“Then we're going to be using iron, salt, and a lot of blood. Now get some sleep, you look exhausted.”</p>
<p>Bailey didn't think she could sleep right away, but she didn't want to tell Kayla that. Deciding that she would just close her eyes, she gathered up her bag and headed inside.</p>
<p>The house was in the middle of a remodel. The living room floor had been painted and was a brilliant white, except where brown smears stained the walls and darker stains marred the polished wooden floors.</p>
<p>It took a moment to register that she was looking at blood stains.</p>
<p>Bailey stared at a moment, wondering what she would feel like when she came up to death. She expected to feel disgust or grief, but her heavy breathing and rapid heartbeats felt more like the thrill of having a beautiful woman's lips against her nipples than the cold sweat of terror.</p>
<p>She gulped as she inspected the room. Delicately arranged decorations had been upended and tossed around, marking places where someone had been thrown into an antique chair and more smears of blood near the brick fireplace. But, the damage also revealed that the inside of the chair was bright wood and the brick was only a few inches thick.</p>
<p>She moved into the kitchen and looked at the long scratch marks that dug into the side of the refrigerator. The black surface of the electric stone was cracked and dried blood had pooled inside the appliance.</p>
<p>The cabinets looked old and weathered but the damage showed they were just as fake as the chair. Bailey scoffed as she tugged on a cabinet door and it fell off the hinge, shattering into pieces.</p>
<p>“God, what a cheap-ass bitch.”</p>
<p>She had never seen what a house flipper did, but seeing how much effort Gwen put into pretending that the house was good made her sick. She wondered if the ghost could just take a bite out of the flipper before Kayla got rid of her.</p>
<p>Bailey made her way upstairs and into the bedrooms. One was completely shredded, the mattress torn apart and springs scattered everywhere. The drywall was bashed in, showing the old wallpaper that the woman had just painted over.</p>
<p>The only bed still intact was the master bedroom. Set in a gorgeous, large room, it was up against the back wall of the house.</p>
<p>Seeing it and the artfully arranged pillows, Bailey realized she was more tired than she thought. It looked comfortable, despite everything being fake and plastic.</p>
<p>She toyed with the strap of her bag for a moment and then set it down. She'll just close her eyes for a little bit, then she would see Kayla in action.</p>
<p>Bailey crawled over the bed, but before she could flip over and dug into the pillows, she caught movement through the window. Curious, she leaned over and looked outside.</p>
<p>Kayla was digging into a large, brown circle in the back yard. Hunks of dirt flew to the side as she slammed the blade deep and then levered it out.</p>
<p>While Bailey had been exploring the house, Kayla had stripped out of her cotton shirt and was wearing only her black bra, jeans, and a pair of heavy boots. Sweat dripped down her well-defined body and Bailey could see the flex of muscles with every movement.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck me stupid,” gasped Bailey as she stared at the goddess in the back yard. It didn't matter that Kayla wasn't into her, Bailey couldn't help but pant as a heat bubbled inside her. She moaned as she dug into her pants, fumbling with her zipper until she could shove her hand into the opening and dig her fingers into her wetness.</p>
<p>Fighting the confines of her jeans, Bailey tried to imagine Kayla's dominating presence in a more erotic situation. The hunter's large hands cupping her breasts, the feel of her hard muscles prying the younger woman's thighs apart.</p>
<p>Bailey was sure that Kayla was the type who would dive in to eat, just shove her way and lap and swirl. Probably while staring into Bailey's eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck…” moaned Bailey as she rolled over onto her back, sinking into the pillows. She squeezed her eyes tightly close as she fingered herself until her wrist hurt. Then, she shoved her jeans and panties off to give her access to reach deeper.</p>
<p>With one knee hooked on a pillow, she fingered herself roughly as she imagined it was Kayla using her, fucking her, owning her. She wanted to feel those hard fingers driving deep as the older woman licked… no Kayla would be a biter. A powerful biter that took charge.</p>
<p>After days of being unable to find relief, Bailey easily lost herself in fantasies as she soaked the blankets and pillows with her excitement. Her fingers drove into her, curling up to press against her most sensitive spots as she worked herself into an orgasm.</p>
<p>Her eyes fluttered opened.</p>
<p>Kayla was standing in the door, staring at her.</p>
<p>A flash of lust exploded inside Bailey as she stared back, unsure of what Kayla would do. Her hand never stopped as she fingered herself.</p>
<p>Kayla made no effort to move, either further into the room or away. She just watched with her unreadable eyes.</p>
<p>Somehow, being watched made the knife edge of pleasure even sharper. Bailey couldn't take her eyes away as she found herself pounding her fingers deep into her cunt, splashing with every stroke as she brought herself to an orgasm.</p>
<p>A scream ripped out of her throat. It beat against the walls as she cried out while still staring back at Kayla. Even as the pleasure tore through her senses, she was unable to even close her eyes or look away.</p>
<p>Slumping back, she managed to blink and catch her breath.</p>
<p>When she opened her eyes again, Kayla was gone. It was as if the hunter was a ghost herself, not even making a noise as she escaped.</p>
<p>A small part of Bailey wondered if she had just seen the ghost haunting the house, but then a wave of exhaustion tugged her into sleep.</p>
<p>With one knee hooked on a pillow and the air tickling against her soaked thighs, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.</p>
Puppy Mill 2: From the Shadows 125: Aftermath2023-11-02T05:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/nine-sisters/puppy-mill/puppy-mill-02/chapter-125/With crippling loses, the Whore's Guild has to face a near defeat at the hands of Loyals. Even with their success, they are no longer to finding how out to defeat the queen.
<p>Merrie's mind and body burned with agony. She tried to move but she was trapped in some sort of box with her head at the bottom and her hips up over her head. She blinked and stared at her bare pussy and bandaged tail.</p>
<p>A headache pulsed inside her, one that seemed to come from deep inside her spirit. She had hurt something in the combat.</p>
<p>A barrel.</p>
<p>She was in a barrel that smelled of whiskey. She smiled as twisted and shifted. Gingerly, she tried to melt her form into a liquid shadow and was relieved that the magic obeyed. She reformed on her knees and lifted her head.</p>
<p>The top wasn't attached. It lifted up and she saw that someone had put her in the guild master's room. She lowered herself and peered around.</p>
<p>Pristine was naked on the desk. The papers had been scattered across the floor. Blood dripped off the edges.</p>
<p>Borias knelt over her, his hand glowing with yellow-green power as he tried to repair her stomach. Merrie watched as he dredged his own strength to keep going, but the exhaustion was clear.</p>
<p>For a moment, she wanted to reach out and boost him but something twinged inside her. She had hurt herself with so many close connections. She remembered Dith and her ears drooped as she turned around.</p>
<p>Dith and Cloud were on the large bed in the corner of the room. They were shivering as they held onto each other. Sable and Bass were on with them, using their own healing energies but Merrie could tell that Sable's powers were also trying to heal the physilogical damage from the battle.</p>
<p>Merrie's thoughts grew dark. She hurt Dith when she forced the bond, maybe forever.</p>
<p>Sable reached out of rher, her thoughts compassion and caring. (Look at them.)</p>
<p>Merrie peeked at them, then she let her senses shift until she was seeing their thoughts.</p>
<p>There was a bond between the two. It wasn't the same connection as an alpha to a master, but something weaker but no less intimate. Merrie could see her own energies in the connection.</p>
<p>(Somehow, when you brought the two together for a gestalt, they remained connected. They are comforting each other inside it.)</p>
<p>Merrie stared in shock and then crawled out of her barrel. A naked human, she got up on the bed and reached out to feel the warmth of love that radiated between the two.</p>
<p>Sable kissed her shoulder. (They are going to pull through. Though, they are going to be closer than a married couple now. We might have to give them some suggestions on how to have a relationship when you can reach their thoughts.) There was an exhausted amusement in her thoughts.</p>
<p>Merrie whimpered. (I hurt her.)</p>
<p>(She'll forgive you.)</p>
<p>But would Parn?</p>
<p>Bass leaned over to press his lips on one of Merrie's ears. The touch was rough but it brought a little shiver of pleasure. “Good girl,” he whispered in a rumble.</p>
<p>The pleasure grew stronger. Merrie wagged her tail, but then winced at the pain. She was still injured.</p>
<p>“You may have noticed we didn't bother healing you.” Bass chuckled. “Just chucked your ass in a dark spot and let you recover.”</p>
<p>(Good thing I'm hard to kill.)</p>
<p>“It was close. I have never heard of three Loyals ever dying in a single fight before. We have made a lot of enemies today.”</p>
<p>(No,) Merrie sighed. (A long time ago. That compulsion was the same energy as the traps from before. I think they want me.)</p>
<p>(Why?) Sable was distracted as she licked gently at Cloud's wound. Her saliva sparkled yellow-green as it healed the tiny scratches.</p>
<p>Merrie glanced back for the last person she expected to see. Natis sat at a small desk, paging through things. Like Merrie, he had no healing power so he obviously intended to keep out of the way. She thought about something he said and then turned back. (Blood County. It's a weak spot between the worlds, a place where Infernals could establish a permanent base as part of an invasion on the realm.)</p>
<p>“A threat to the kingdom. If you were killed, the shadows would spread out and maybe weaken their defenses.”</p>
<p>Merrie nodded. (But why now?)</p>
<p>“Why not just have Natis summon angels to make a fortress?”</p>
<p>The duke interrupted. “Because it is comingling against the negative planes: shadows, infernal, abyssal, and some others but nothing my powers can tap. It's a weakness that requires a guard, in this case, the Lord of Shadows.” He got up and moved to the bed. “Which is why Borias shouldn't be here.”</p>
<p>Bass frowned. “Borias?”</p>
<p>Merrie sent a condensed memory to the others to bring them up to speed.</p>
<p>Bass coughed and Sable stared.</p>
<p>The thriban stared at Natis for a long count. “You are going to make him a count?”</p>
<p>“Well, your title was stripped,” Natis snapped. “Besides, Borias has some affinity toward shadows and that makes him an appropriate… ambassador in case Merrie is killed.”</p>
<p>He turned and called out toward Borias. “And you should have stayed!”</p>
<p>“Be quiet now,” Borias said. “I be healing.”</p>
<p>Bass rested his hand on Natis' shoulder. “My lord duke, if Borias wasn't supporting us, we would have all died in that Loyal attack. You know that.”</p>
<p>Natis' lips pressed into a thin line.</p>
<p>“Pristine!” yelled a voice from the entrance. Merrie started to gather spells but then she recognized Barrel's voice. Pristine was his sister. The slender whore was followed by a muscular man who remained close as Barrel ran over to the table. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Pristine groaned. She pressed her hand against her chest and then hissed. Looking down, she stared at the flattened area where her breast used to be.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I not be saving it.” Borias looked exhausted and tired. He leaned back and shook his head. “You be having so much shock, I had to be choosing.”</p>
<p>Pristine groaned and tried to sit up. Barrel and Borias helped her.</p>
<p>As they did, Barrel looked at Borias and there was a flash of lust. “And who are you?”</p>
<p>The mercenary behind Barrel cleared his throat.</p>
<p>Pristine gestured with her chin toward the mercenary. “Who's that?”</p>
<p>Barrel sighed happily and wiggled his ass toward the muscular man. “Guardian. He says he gets a hundred thousand to save my ass until the end of the week. I'm betting I'll have him in mine by the end of tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“I'm right here,” came the annoyed response but Merrie could tell the mercenary was tempted.</p>
<p>“Now for long,” Barrel cooed.</p>
<p>Pristine smacked her brother. “Does it bother you that your sister was almost killed?”</p>
<p>Barrel nodded, tears in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Don't hug me, everything hurts. Thanks to Borias here.”</p>
<p>Barrel's eyes widened. “The Butcher that made auntie so happy?”</p>
<p>Borias blushed and got off the table. He backed away and then came to the bed. “How long we be having?”</p>
<p>Bass shook his head. “It's been only a half hour, but there are more Loyals. If we don't get moving, they are going to attack again. I think we need to find a better place, but at least we know what we have to do.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Natis said, “and Borias should be sent back to Blood County immediately. No one knows and he's safe there.”</p>
<p>“No, I not be going,” Borias said firmly. “My oath says I need be here. I be here.”</p>
<p>Natis glared at him. “I will have you arrested.”</p>
<p>“How? Be going to the queen?”</p>
<p>“That's suicide!”</p>
<p>Bass held out his hand. “Maybe not a bad idea.”</p>
<p>“Are you insane?” Natis' face darkened. “We were slaughtered just now and you want to take on the rest of the Loyals? The queen will have all of us executed on sight!”</p>
<p>Bass pointed out one of the windows. “There is a city that has been destroyed. You heard what Sable picked up? Tens of thousands dead, riots, shattered buildings. There is no way the queen is going to have all of her forces gathered in the throne room. Her people are out doing the royal thing because that is where they are needed.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah,” Barrel said. “Guards, Loyals, Resolutes, they are everywhere. Thick and Handsome over here has been on his toes trying to keep me away, but no one has time to blame us.”</p>
<p>Merrie thought about the oblivion flame from Scorch's sacrifice. She was responsible for the deaths, but the Royal Geas wasn't even quivering with a response. She couldn't imagine that would have been acceptable. Not like she would slaughter every man, woman, and child—"</p>
<p>The geas hummed in her mind.</p>
<p>Merrie flinched and whimpered.</p>
<p>Sable stared at her in shock. (Did you just test your Royal Geas?)</p>
<p>Merrie nodded. (How can the geas be happy with what I did.)</p>
<p>(The greater good. You are fighting for country, not the people. Trust me, there is a reason the oath doesn't include anything about the people. There will be deaths, of friends and lovers, if you have to save what is precious to you.)</p>
<p>Merrie's ears drooped.</p>
<p>Sable leaned into her. (I'm sorry. You are doing the right thing.)</p>
<p>Natis held up his hand. “What do we do when we confront the queen?”</p>
<p>“She's Infernal or at least got a devil working with her. We do everything we can to disrupt the plans. That's how devils works, they have seven runes that they gain the power when someone suffers. Haviston said that Diffy had innocence, blood, fatherhood, and long-term planning.”</p>
<p>Natis sighed. “Plus impulsiveness and fire, but it wasn't Diffy that did this. I know her energy. Though, some of you are definitely demonstrating impulsive decisions.”</p>
<p>“Then we have another devil involved. One who takes the long view of the world, decades or even centuries ahead of place.” Bass reached out to scratch Sable's ears. “That means if we give the devil a chance, they are going to come up with a new plan that screws us.”</p>
<p>Dith opened her eyes. “The infernal marks are for plans, contingencies, memory, betrayal, blood, revenge, and fire.” Her voice was cracked and broken. “I could see it in the spell.”</p>
<p>Merrie whimpered and inched closer. (I'm sorry.)</p>
<p>Dith winced.</p>
<p>Merrie jerked back.</p>
<p>“No, just give me time. My head and heart aches but…,” She turned to look at Cloud. “… something is different.”</p>
<p>Cloud smiled but kept her eyes closed.</p>
<p>(Then we need to move now? Go to the queen?)</p>
<p>Natis groaned. “Any plan we made is going to have troubles. That's how infernals gain their powers, by having things go wrong. Forget something? Our opponent gains power. Have a contingency fail? We lose even more.”</p>
<p>(Like having the shadow manor occupied?) Merrie asked with frustration. (No wonder there was someone there, that would gave helped the queen. But how did she find it?)</p>
<p>Dith groaned. “The queen isn't there, the prince is.”</p>
<p>Merrie flinched. (Claston?)</p>
<p>Giving a pained smile, Dith pushed herself up further into a sitting position. “He thought the queen was trying to kill him. I didn't know anywhere else to hide him, I figured a nearly impossible to find manor was the perfect place.”</p>
<p>Merrie smiled and her tail began to wag.</p>
<p>Dith gave her a hard look. “No long term plans.”</p>
<p>“Right, be keeping all ideas short and stupid?” Borias said.</p>
<p>Bass crawled off the bed. “Then Natis and I are going to make a lot of noise heading to the front door. See you there and pray to Talus and whatever gods we follow that we'll succeed.”</p>
<p>Sable barked, her entire ass wiggling with her excitement. She jumped off the bed.</p>
<p>Natis groaned and levered to his feet. “This is not a plan.”</p>
<p>“No plans!” announced the paladin, his good mood flooding the room in a palatable wave of Presence. “Come on, old man, you're bait again.”</p>
<p>Dith looked at them. “H-How can you be doing this? You were almost killed less than an hour ago.”</p>
<p>Bass beamed and slammed a fist against his chest. Sparkling energy burst around him as plate armor formed in the air around him. With a powerful crash, they slammed into place.</p>
<p>In mid-jump, Sable transformed into the armored hound. She hit the ground with a thud and a metallic bark.</p>
<p>“Because we're fucking paladins,” he announced proudly. “The gods give us power to bring joy to others, improve morale in the down-trodden, and bring the light to—”</p>
<p>(We aren't paladins of light anymore,) Sable said slyly.</p>
<p>“—make everyone cum so we can keep the orgy going.” He bowed. “Thank you, but now we're going to make ourselves very loud and annoying and slowly so this guild ceases to be a target and our Merrie can see if we can find a weapon to save the day.”</p>
<p>In the stunned silence, he grabbed Borias and Natis and shoved them toward the door.</p>
<p>As he passed Pristine, he pointed at her. “You, stay.”</p>
<p>“I'm not a dog!” snapped the still-naked and injured woman.</p>
<p>“No, your brother is.”</p>
<p>Pristine turned and gasped. “Get off his lap, Barrel!”</p>
<p>And then they were gone.</p>
<p>Merrie sat on the bed and looked back at Dith. She cocked her head to the side. She had to admit, the sudden surge of amusement and joy from Bass gave her the strength and confidence to keep going. (He has been a new man since Talus accepted him. Thank you, I must now serve my country,) she sent and then pulled herself into the shadows.</p>
Call the Specialist 3: Killing Time2023-10-12T05:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/shadowed-earth/call-the-specialist/chapter-03/Kayla kills some time at Dilly's Diner as she waits for the home owner to get back to her. While she wait, she meets one of the most interesting woman.
<p>Kayla sat in the corner of Dilly's Diner, rocking her empty coffee mug back and forth as she stared at the Formica top of the table. Her thoughts were drifting as she recalled previous hunts. It had been a long time since she had been excited for a hunt. Like the call center, very little pushed her limits recently and she didn't how or where to find something to break her malaise.</p>
<p>It would be different if she was like @TheRealHunter who had the charisma and charm to run his own business related to ghost hunting. He didn't mind the newcomers with their glassy-eyed stares and occasional gasps. They were excited about everything; she wasn't.</p>
<p>For the countless time, she wondered if she would ever find someone that excited her as much as staring into the haunting eyes of an apparition in the mirror or thrashing the icy-cold grip of a ghost trying to strangle her.</p>
<p>She smiled to herself as she tried to focus on the sensations of having the claws squeezing her throat, crushing down until the cartilage began to crack and black spots swam across her vision.</p>
<p>Underneath the diner table, she clenched her thighs together. She had masturbated to that memory so many times it no longer thrilled her like it used to, but she still remembered the rush when she first broke free.</p>
<p>“Still with us, hon?” asked the waitress. Her name tag said her name was Mabel. She was an older woman, maybe in her fifties, with a more honest smile than Tony and an easy of a life-long service worker.</p>
<p>Kayla blinked and then nodded. “Time for another order?”</p>
<p>Mabel's eyes flickered down to the stack of fives on the edge of the table. Kayla didn't order much, but she had been putting a five down every hour she had waited ever since she showed up at midnight.</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged and pulled out another five.</p>
<p>“Order something, please?” asked the woman with a pleading tone. “You've only been drinking black coffee for the last four hours.”</p>
<p>Kayla shrugged and checked her phone. She only had another hour to kill before eight, then she could head over to the home owner. “I've done worse and for longer.”</p>
<p>“Pie? We have apple? Banana cream?”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “Sure, a piece of banana cream and another coffee.”</p>
<p>Mabel took the order and walked back, but not after giving Kayla another look. There was concern and something else.</p>
<p>Kayla ignored the look. Instead, she unlocked her phone and checked the social network. It was the only thing that vaguely seemed interesting, though it was pretty dead after midnight. Fortunately, the world was getting up and she had to scroll through a few posts in idle amusement.</p>
<p>A man and woman in the booth behind her got up to leave. The muscles in her back tensed as she focused on her phone but let her peripheral vision drift to watch them.</p>
<p>As the man walked past, he casually reached out for the stack of five dollars.</p>
<p>Kayla slammed her fist down on the back of his hand, crushing it against the table with a bang that caused everyone to jump. She heard something crunch underneath.</p>
<p>“You bitch!” he bellowed as he tried to pull his hand free. She noticed that his fingers were digging into the bills at the same time.</p>
<p>Kayla slowly looked at him with an impassive look. “Good morning,” she said in her best call center voice. “This money is for Mabel, my waitress, and you appear to be taking it. May I help you?”</p>
<p>“I'm not trying to steal your damn money!” he said as he reached down to rescue his hand. He tugged at it.</p>
<p>Kayla only had to lean slightly to keep him pinned. “You say that,” she said in her cheerful yet dead voice, “but there should be no reason your hand would be over Mabel's tips when you passed. If you were to relax your hand, I'll be glad to let up.”</p>
<p>The door to the diner rang out. A young woman, maybe in her early twenties, came in with wet blonde hair and a canvas bag over her shoulder. She looked at the drama before heading to the opposite end of the restaurant.</p>
<p>Mabel came up. “Is there is something wrong?”</p>
<p>“N-Nothing!” belted the man. He tugged at his hand.</p>
<p>Kayla sighed. She relaxed her hand to grab his wrist and then forcibly turned it over. A handful of crushed five dollar bills tumbled out of his grip. Two of them remained in his grip, caught between his fingers.</p>
<p>Mabel cringed. “I'm sure it was just a mistake.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah, you fucking bitch, it was—”</p>
<p>Kayla tightened her grip on his wrist, squeezing down until he stopped bellowing. Then, still in her false cheerfulness, she looked directly into his fear-stricken eyes and said, “I'm sorry. I'm sure a mistake was made.”</p>
<p>She released his hand.</p>
<p>He lurched forward, dropped the bills, and then rushed out of the room. His companion ran after him, her cheeks red.</p>
<p>Mabel gave Kayla a hard look. “That was excessive.”</p>
<p>“It wasn't his money,” she said, her voice returning to her more comfortable tone. She sighed and pushed her phone to the side to make way for her pie and coffee.</p>
<p>Mabel only tsked and then set down her meal. Wiping her hands on her apron, she headed over to the newcomer.</p>
<p>As Kayla dug into her meal, she listened to the two speak.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Bailey.”</p>
<p>“Morning, Mabe. Think I could get some breakfast?”</p>
<p>“Talked to your father?”</p>
<p>“Won't answer his phone. I tried.” A pause. “I swear, I called. Do you want to see my call history?”</p>
<p>“No, hon. I'm sorry. Willing to take out the garbage and do dishes? Scott isn't in for a few hours, so it would be helping me.”</p>
<p>Bailey nodded. “Of course, nothing else to do.”</p>
<p>“A girl like you should be in school.” Apparently Mabel had opinions on a lot of people.</p>
<p>“A girl like me used to go to a college that doesn't approve of her choices. So, I'm stuck until I can find a job.”</p>
<p>The conversation drifted off and Kayla stopped paying attention. At least until the hairs on the back of her head rose up. She peeked up from her phone to see Bailey staring at her.</p>
<p>As they met eyes, the young woman looked away.</p>
<p>Kayla returned to her phone, but it was only a few seconds before the feeling came back. She glanced up to see Bailey staring at her again, a strange look of curiosity on the blonde's expression.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Kayla set her phone down again and took a bite of the pie. It was too sweet and bland at the same time, but she needed the energy.</p>
<p>As she ate, she saw Bailey approach.</p>
<p>“E-Excuse me? Are you Kayla Summers?”</p>
<p>A prickle of fear and concern flooded through the ghost hunter. She tensed as she struggled with her response, then slowly lifted her eyes to stare at Bailey.</p>
<p>Bailey looked terrified, nervous, and excited at the same time. “I-I think I saw you before, in an article from <em>Ghost Hunters International.</em> You are Kayla, the one who banished the Ice Horse up in Minnesota?”</p>
<p>Kayla said nothing, just stared at her as she waited. Usually people gave up after a few moments.</p>
<p>Bailey cleared her throat. “I follow your account on the hunter net, I'm @LezSpecterGirl.” The name didn't register a bell.</p>
<p>“I… I've been following you since you joined the net,” she said again. She clutched her belt as she glanced around and then back to Kayla.</p>
<p>Kayla stared at her as she struggled with a sudden feeling of exposure. No one had ever recognized her in public before. There were barely any pictures associated with her passion. Most of them were from the early days, back when she was more vocal about hunting down beasts during her weekends.</p>
<p>Bailey worried her lip. She had a heart-shaped face that did little to hide her emotions. The hesitation and fear was there, a reminder of the days when Kayla saw the world as new.</p>
<p>Kayla looked over to the car that Bailey came in. It was packed full of clothes and supplies. Judging from the underwear peeking out underneath a laundry basket, it looked like she had shoved everything in the sedan in a hurry.</p>
<p>“Bailey!” snapped Mabel in a loud whisper. “Don't upset the customers. I can't keep helping you if you upset Scott!”</p>
<p>Bailey jumped and then blushed. “S-Sorry, I thought I—”</p>
<p>Making a decision, Kayla interrupted her. “Sit.”</p>
<p>Both of the women looked at her in surprise.</p>
<p>“W-What?” asked Bailey.</p>
<p>“Sit and order breakfast. My treat.”</p>
<p>Mabel held out her hand. “Sorry, she normally isn't—”</p>
<p>Kayla turned her stare to Mabel. “My treat.”</p>
<p>Bailey blushed as she sat down, her eyes lingering on Kayla's pie for a moment.</p>
<p>“Your usual, Bailey?” asked Mabel with an annoyed tone. She didn't look back at Kayla.</p>
<p>Bailey peeked at Kayla who shrugged. Then she looked up bashfully. “Stack of pancakes, some sausage, and a glass of OJ?”</p>
<p>Kayla held up her finger. “And another slice of banana pie.”</p>
<p>Mabel noted the order with pursed lips and then strode away.</p>
<p>The young woman stared at her and then turned back. “Thank you. I promise, I'll pay you back—”</p>
<p>“No, you won't.”</p>
<p>“No, I—”</p>
<p>Kayla gave her a hard look. When Bailey stopped talking and blushed, Kayla spoke. “You don't have a lot of money and I said I would treat you. There will be no paying back or talking about giving me money. You are just to enjoy your breakfast.”</p>
<p>Looking nervous, Bailey looked at Kayla again and her expression softened. “Why?”</p>
<p>“You ever pick up a hitchhiker in the middle of the night? Say a woman in a white dress who needs a ride home?”</p>
<p>“Um…?”</p>
<p>“You just help. Don't try to take advantage of her, don't ask for money, and don't try to have sex with her. You just listen and drive her home.”</p>
<p>“I…” Bailey's cheeks blushed hotly. She was obviously clinging to the thought of having sex with the woman in white. A lesbian, Kayla decided, or at least bi and horny.</p>
<p>Kayla looked up the ceiling. “It's only happened thrice for me. The first and last time, I don't remember letting her out of the car. She was just gone.”</p>
<p>“And the second?”</p>
<p>“She was upset and just needed to talk to a stranger.”</p>
<p>The blush grew hotter. “Did she try to seduce you?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>Bailey squirmed. “Was she pretty?”</p>
<p>“Didn't matter. Humans aren't my thing. We just talked until morning and then I took her home, beat the shit out of her cheating husband, and then dropped her off to a motel to cool off.”</p>
<p>Bailey snorted and then ducked her head. She was still blushing.</p>
<p>Kayla smiled to herself. It was a fun night. Jennifer still called on occasion, just to talk and invited her to dinner but Kayla never came back.</p>
<p>“That doesn't really answer the question.”</p>
<p>With a shrug, Kayla pushed the pie over to Bailey. “You just help. Sounds like you have a lot of crap going on and I have the money to treat you. So, you are like the hitchhiker right now. I'm just helping.”</p>
<p>“And you won't try to have sex with me?” Bailey's cheeks blushed. There was a longing in her voice, a desire that the answer was anything but what Kayla had to give.</p>
<p>“You're human.”</p>
<p>Bailey looked disappointed before she looked away.</p>
<p>Food arrived. Bailey dug into it as if she hadn't had a hot meal in days.</p>
<p>Kayla watched impassively. There was a rawness to the young woman, not to mention a few hungers judging from how her eyes peeked up at Kayla and her blush kept returning. If Kayla was into women, it would have been hard to resist a star-struck fan with pretty green eyes like Bailey's.</p>
<p>Soon, the food was gone.</p>
<p>Bailey sighed. “Thank you. It's been… a while.”</p>
<p>“No problem.” Kayla fished out forty more dollars and dropped them on the pile. Then caught Mabel's attention before she tapped the money.</p>
<p>The old woman nodded in acknowledgment.</p>
<p>Turning her phone over, Kayla looked at the time. “I need to go soon. Are you going to be okay?”</p>
<p>“Where are you going?”</p>
<p>“A house on the north side of town. It's suppose to be haunted—”</p>
<p>“Oh, Rotten Apple Lane?” That was one of the names gives on the social networks. Everyone came up with pithy sounded names for hauntings but for Kayla, it was just 202 Apple Lane North.</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Can I come?”</p>
<p>Startled, Kayla stared at her.</p>
<p>“I've always wanted to actual go to a haunted house. I mean a real one, not like the ones they have on the TV shows or by the corn mazes. If you are going there, that means they needed a specialist.”</p>
<p>“People got killed in there.”</p>
<p>Bailey glanced at her car. “So?”</p>
<p>“@TheRealHunter lost his foot.”</p>
<p>“Gary also said you were the best at Scorned Lovers.” Kayla vaguely remembered @TheRealHunter giving his real name, but she always preferred his handle.</p>
<p>Kayla hesitated. “Listen, I'm not a great person to be around. I creep people out already, I'm somewhat of a psychopath, and I'd probably just use you as bait.”</p>
<p>Bailey shrugged before licking off her fingers.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“What else am I going to do? Wash dishes for the rest of my life? Try to get a job when my damn family sqawks at every church meeting? Half the places I apply won't even let me in the door because my parents called them first. Even Allison won't even look at me now and I thought were were f-forever.”</p>
<p>Kayla didn't know who Allison was, but the look in the young woman's eyes suggested it was a previous lover.</p>
<p>Bailey's voice cracked. She sniffed. “It's just a matter of time before I'm living underneath a bridge and everyone knows it. Then one bad winter and I'll be a frozen Popsicle.”</p>
<p>She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I'm fucked, so if I can have a chance to spend a few hours with a famous idol, then at least I'll have good memories of an adventure when I'm freezing to death. If the only way to do it is for you to tie me up and use me as bait, then it still better than what I have in my future.”</p>
<p>Kayla hesitated longer. There was something about Bailey that stirred something inside Kayla. It wasn't sexual desire but something else, a flame that reminded her over the old days.</p>
<p>She shrugged. “If you still want it when you finish eating, then I'll take you along. I'll try to keep you save and probably with all your limbs intact, but no promises.”</p>
<p>Bailey looked frightened for a moment.</p>
<p>Kayla got ready to leave.</p>
<p>Then the young woman began to bolt down her food with a smile.</p>
Puppy Mill 2: From the Shadows 124: The Whore's Guild2023-10-05T05:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/nine-sisters/puppy-mill/puppy-mill-02/chapter-124/Unsure of where to go, the group heads to their second choice to start finding out what is going on, the Whore's Guild.
<p>The Whore's Guild was a bright and cheerful building that appeared to stand tall on the corner of the block. It looked small and pretty, a delicate place for the first profession. In reality, the guild owned all the buildings on the block and the ones that faced it. It was sprawling campus of apartments, stores, and services.</p>
<p>Fucking was serious business.</p>
<p>The guild also didn't encourage customers to come up to the main doors. The hall itself was a place of safety away from having to put on a show, where tired sluts washed out the taste of cum and cunt from their mouths with beer and the company of their peers.</p>
<p>Merrie forced open a small narrow of shadows across the street in one of the alleys. She stepped through with her senses active, scanning around while looking for danger. Feeling none, she relaxed her powers and then tugged on her leash for the others to follow.</p>
<p>One by one, they came through and she sealed the opening shut.</p>
<p>A sharp pang of fear rose up.</p>
<p>Bristling and ready for combat, she spun a round for an attack but only saw Borias clutching the wall, his face pale and his heart pounding. In her mind, she could see that the realization that he was inside the city had finally struck. (Borias, it's okay. It's okay.)</p>
<p>He nodded but tears ran down his cheeks. His fingernails dug into the brick wall behind him.</p>
<p>Merrie inched forward and then sat back on her heels to lift herself up and press her wrist against his hip. (You aren't going to die. The geas is just telling you that you shouldn't be there, but it can't hurt you.)</p>
<p>With a sob, he slowly sank to his knees next to her and clutched her tightly.</p>
<p>Natis breathed heavily as he leaned against his staff. “What is going on with him?”</p>
<p>Bass answered as he watched with concern. “He thought he would never return because of a geas. We bribed one of the Oath Master in Abbinkey to suppress the Justice Geas and he did it by changing it into a geas that prevented him from ever returning to Franome City.”</p>
<p>“Then why aren't his organs bursting?”</p>
<p>Merrie glared at the older duke. Then she noticed the others looking at her expectantly.</p>
<p>(Merrie?) asked Sable, her thoughts filled with concern. She and Bass both believe Merrie when she said the geas wouldn't stop Borias, but they were still both shocked when they saw it with their own eyes. (How? How did you break that geas?)</p>
<p>Merrie focused on Borias. She moved her wrist over to his heart. She could feel it beating rapidly. Opening herself up, she projected love and calm toward him until his thoughts and body slowed.</p>
<p>(There you go. Nothing terrible had happened. Nothing is going to.)</p>
<p>He looked at her, his eyes shimmering. “I… I not really be believing it be true.”</p>
<p>(You didn't believe me?) she asked wryly. (We pretty much shared our lives together in that bed.)</p>
<p>Borias chuckled. He leaned forward and kissed her. “Something about being told and about me be feeling it real. I be trusting you with my life, but that doesn't mean something be going wrong. Even the greatest bitch in the world be occasionally wrong.”</p>
<p>She smiled and kissed him back. (Thank you for trusting me then.)</p>
<p>“With my life. I be trusting you with my life.”</p>
<p>They kissed again before Borias stood up again. He straightened his outfit and then regarded the others. “Be sorry about that. I not be returning for many years and got emotional.”</p>
<p>Natis pointed directly at Borias. There was a scowl on his face. “Why aren't you dead?”</p>
<p>Borias held up his hands. “Not be asking, please.”</p>
<p>“No, Boy, I'm going to ask. If you had a geas on you that prevented you, why are not you not dead?”</p>
<p>Borias repeated himself.</p>
<p>Natis shook his head in denial. His grip tightened on his staff. “There are too many mysteries going on and adding one more to the fire is just going to burn us even more. It's bad enough that you want to use me as bait and things are already not going our way. So, tell me, why aren't you dead?”</p>
<p>Bass dropped one heavy hand on the duke's shoulder. “Let's trust them on this.”</p>
<p>Natis jerked away. “No. Bass, right now, all I want to do is march straight up the front door of palace and present myself for the queen's oath. Knowing that this isn't my idea and that a spell is forcing me to think this way is putting me on edge.”</p>
<p>“Been trying to dispel it?”</p>
<p>Natis glared at him.</p>
<p>Borias chuckled. “You be hoping what broke the geas would break the compulsion?”</p>
<p>“Of course. I'm not going to risk my… our lives unnecessarily. This entire thing is because of the compulsions and oaths we made.”</p>
<p>Bass chuckled. “Oh, duke, you have no idea what it is like to have restrictions. I spent years trying to keep those promises.”</p>
<p>“Well, fallen knight, I don't gain power by that conflict. This isn't enjoyable.” The duke's eyes bore into her. “What did you do to break it? How did you break one of the most powerful geasa known?”</p>
<p>Merrie shook her head. In her gut, she knew that Parn wouldn't want Natis to know about her abilities with oath magic. His compulsion and ignorance had to remain in place.</p>
<p>Bass cocked his head and then shrugged. “We are all allies here, Duke. I swear on Talus and on my honor, we are all united against the queen. Have no doubt, if the same thing that freed Borias from his geas would have broken your compulsion, then they would have used it also for you.”</p>
<p>Natis sighed. “I don't like this. Things have started going wrong and we've only been in the city for twenty minutes.”</p>
<p>Bass chuckled and clapped his shoulder. “Adventure! Now, you put on that old man disguise that is so hard to break and we stroll on up to the Whore's Guild and get some answers.”</p>
<p>“I hate paladins. You are always so cheerful.”</p>
<p>“Well, if you need to get laid…?” Bass said with a grin, his Presence radiating from in a wave of calm that brought a surge of pleasure to Merrie.</p>
<p>Natis pointed at him. “Stop doing either of those. I have no interest in sex and I'm going to let you corrupt me. Nor do I want to deal with that… smile of yours right now.”</p>
<p>The paladin's Presence faded but the amusement remained.</p>
<p>As the other spoke, Merrie crawled forward and peered out at the semi-crowded street. With a start, she realized she had brought them to the same alley she had waited at before entering the guild the first time.</p>
<p>Two very different places of her life. Years ago, she was teetering on the edge of her life, falling further into a pit of despair that she couldn't escape. Now, she had survived her trials, gained and lost many masters, and found the balance of her life and powers.</p>
<p>Her tail wagged slowly as she regarded the street. No one stood out as waiting for her, but she didn't want to scan their minds either. Even with the manor being taken over and the Natis' compulsion, they weren't in a situation of life and death.</p>
<p>Bass crouched near her, the smell of his sweat and musk teasing her. “Sable doesn't detect any hostile thoughts, but you are better than her. Sense anything?”</p>
<p>Merrie shook her head. (I'm not scanning.)</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>She looked at him, trying to find a way of explaining it. Then, there was only one word he would understand. (Faith.)</p>
<p>Yellow eyes stared at her for a moment and then he grunted. He reached out and patted her head. “You did good for Borias. Something I could never do. Good girl.”</p>
<p>She shivered with the phrase that always brought a thrill of pleasure. Somehow, with everything that had happened to her, that phrase always brought her joy.</p>
<p>He grinned and stood up. His armor crumbled away from his body as he released his defenses, leaving only a broad-shouldered thriban standing next to his naked bitch. Reaching down, he ran his fingers through Sable's hair. “Come on. No one is dying today, so let's not scare anyone by coming in with drawn swords and combat spells.”</p>
<p>They headed across the street.</p>
<p>There were two guild members at the door, hanging around and chatting. Even after years, she knew that they were discretely guarding and watching for trouble. She didn't know either of them, but no doubt one of them would be capable in combat.</p>
<p>The first was a slender woman with long white hair tightly bound in ribbons. More ribbons wrapped around her body from throat to toes, with red at the top and violet at the bottom. A pair of thin orange strands wrapped around her small breasts, barely covering the hard nipples that peeked out from the gaps. Greens and blues hung off her hips and delved between her legs.</p>
<p>The other whore was a young fat woman with a beautiful smile. Compared to her brightly colored companion, she was somber with a white sundress that accented her small breasts and wide hips. She was demonstrating a dance that caused people in the streets to stumble as they found themselves watching her swirling hips.</p>
<p>In a flash, the Kivas family tree came rushing across Merrie's mind. She followed it as it ran down the blood line from Kivas through mother and father for eighteen generations until it stopped at the woman in front of her: Peggy Duvin. Her father was a Kivas but they had lost the family name two generations before. Peggy had a sister by her father but with a different mother according to the little line that faded away.</p>
<p>Merrie smiled and projected back to Borias. (The young woman is your cousin. She's a Kivas by blood.)</p>
<p>Borias stumbled.</p>
<p>Bass stopped and turned. “You okay?”</p>
<p>Merrie smirked. She flicked her ears and barked.</p>
<p>Stepping forward a few steps, Borias reached down and smacked her ass. “Not be surprising me like that.”</p>
<p>She grinned and wiggled her tail. She sent out a teasing wave of affection. (You never know, it might be useful to know that. You haven't met many family recently, right?)</p>
<p>“Red or white door?”</p>
<p>(Red, but never to Abbinkey.)</p>
<p>The woman in ribbons stepped down as they approached. “Excuse me, this building is for guild members only. If you want—”</p>
<p>Bass tapped his chest and a symbol of Talus appeared.</p>
<p>“—oh, a follower of Talus is always welcomed in our doors,” she said with a bow. “I'm Cloud and this is Piggy. Are… the rest of your companions also followers?”</p>
<p>Piggy, also known as Peggy Kivas, did a little curtsy that reveal a generous view of her thigh and one nipple.</p>
<p>Bass looked back and gestured down to Merrie and Sable. “My pets.” Then his hand pointed to Borias and Natis, who had wrapped himself in a disguise that forced the eye to look away. It was a compulsion, something normally Merrie would have been vulnerable but she ignored it before focusing on Borias. “And that young man is a trusted companion. I vouch for him.”</p>
<p>Cloud's eyes glanced down at Merrie. Slowly, her lips pressed together in disapproval and Merrie couldn't help but feel the pity and disgust of the two amputated women on their knees next to him. “I'm… not sure. I'm going to have to ask Guild Master Dith about this.”</p>
<p>Merrie cocked her head.</p>
<p>Bass also seemed confused. “Dith? Monk's girl? I thought he was guild master.”</p>
<p>Peggy gestured up. “Not for a few years.” She had a western accent. “How long has it been since you've been here?”</p>
<p>Bass shrugged. “Not for a few years apparently. May I enter then?”</p>
<p>“Talus fuck my ass! I see Bitchy!” screamed a man from inside the building. Merrie smiled at Elf's voice, remembering his face as clearly as his high-pitched, effeminate voice. There was a rise of cries of annoyance and pain as people were thrown aside as a buzzing rapidly grew louder.</p>
<p>Bass and Sable stepped away from Merrie, one in each direction and leaving her completely exposed.</p>
<p>Merrie grinned and wagged her tail. Pulling herself up, she presented herself.</p>
<p>A large, nearly naked man came flying out of the door. His strap-on wings buzzed loudly as he swooped down and slammed into her, knocking both Piggy and Cloud aside. The impact threw both of them into the street.</p>
<p>Merrie transformed into a Bel Dark hound to bounce off the street and then back into her naked form before they landed with Elf on his back and her straddling his belly.</p>
<p>He squealed loudly and began to kiss her face, shoulders, and everything else he could reach while kicking his feet happily around. He was naked except for a leather thong and there was wine and beer dripping from his large belly and hairy chest.</p>
<p>Merrie yelped and kissed him back, licking him almost as much as planting her lips. Her tail ached as she wagged it with her joy of seeing an old friend. They squeezed and touched and played with each other until the excitement died down.</p>
<p>When he rolled to the side and let her slide off his belly, she got back on her knees and looked around.</p>
<p>The street was frozen as everyone stared in shock.</p>
<p>Elf hugged her again. “I missed you so much! What happened? Where were you? What happened? Are you still guild? Are you hungry? Come inside!”</p>
<p>Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her leash and tugged her toward the door. “Come on, Pristine and Scorch going to squeal!”</p>
<p>Tail wagging, Merrie pranced past an annoyed looking Cloud and up the stairs. (Borias, make sure your cousin is okay?)</p>
<p>“Not be match-making!” he called from behind her.</p>
<p>(Well, then don't fuck her,) Merrie sent with a smile. (You managed it with Haviston.)</p>
<p>“Bad girl!” came the annoyed but amused yell.</p>
<p>Inside the guild, Merrie could instantly see a line of knocked over people, tables, and cases from where Elf had noticed Merrie from across the large hall that made up the bottom floor clear to the front door. Brightly dressed folks were standing up and gathering themselves while others had already returned to various games of pleasure and chance.</p>
<p>She took a deep breath and drank in the smells of sex and humanity. Even though she didn't recognize anyone at first, the smells of whores had layered itself into the building for centuries. It was distinct, like a rich soup that could never be duplicated again. Her pussy grew wet with the memories of her time in there.</p>
<p>Elf tugged her leash and dragged her by the throat. “Pristine! Scorch! I found Bitch! I found Bitch!”</p>
<p>Pristine stood primly next to a couch, wearing a long slender dress that slung to her hips and breasts. Her dress was a dusky blue, the garter that a slit up the side exposed was pitch black. The only shock of color was her white, painted lips. She looked like a high-class escort ready to go out for a party.</p>
<p>Scorch, on the other hand, was a rough-looking man with ash-white hair and smoldering eyes. He wore a simple shirt unbuttoned to expose his hair chest and well-defined muscles. The years had given him a salt-and-pepper beard and chest but the smell of smoke still surrounded him.</p>
<p>Pristine knelt down to hug Merrie. “I missed you,” she said. She had a new perfume, something flowery with a hint of spice.</p>
<p>Merrie leaned into her. (I missed all of you too.)</p>
<p>Scorch shuddered and put down his beer. “Forgot how strange it is to have you in my head. Welcome back, I guess. Your voice is beautiful as always.”</p>
<p>Merrie sent him a sharp pulse of playful lust.</p>
<p>His cock grew hard in his pants almost instantly and he shuddered again. “I didn't miss that in the slightest,” he said with a grumble. “You know I'm married.”</p>
<p>(Is she still with the guild?)</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>(Well, then—) she sent another pulse.</p>
<p>He groaned and squirmed.</p>
<p>Merrie wagged her tail and smiled. She was happier than she thought she would be returning to one of her old homes.</p>
<p>Bass came up with the others. “Pristine. Scorch.”</p>
<p>Scorch scrambled to his feet, his own lust prickling his thoughts. “Sir Paladin.”</p>
<p>Pristine was also attracted to the paladin and hints of memories came leaking out. Both Pristine and Scorch had spent time with Bass and Sable, though Pristine was the only one who found Sable as attractive as the alpha's master.</p>
<p>Bass pulled both of them into a tight hug.</p>
<p>Elf threw himself in from behind.</p>
<p>Bass reached out to embrace all three. His muscles bunched as he pulled the heavyset man around with little effort.</p>
<p>Pristine closed her eyes and hugged him back, whispering something in his ear. Then, she opened and stared directly at Borias. With a gasp, she pushed away from Bass and walked around his bulk. “Are you the Butcher?”</p>
<p>Borias paled.</p>
<p>“The Butcher of Silk? The Muffin Man?” She gave him a hesitant smile and held out her bare hands. “You were the one who found all those spit muffins all those years back.”</p>
<p>“Um?” He looked uncomfortable. His eyes glanced toward the door leading out, obviously judging how fast he could run away.</p>
<p>Pristine bowed. “I'm sorry. I was only following orders that night.”</p>
<p>The mage stopped and slowly turned his attention back to her.</p>
<p>Her words had caught attention and there were a few people heading toward him, staring at him as if he was a ghost.</p>
<p>“Um… I be knowing you?”</p>
<p>“I was a Resolute then. That was before I left to join here.”</p>
<p>He stepped back from her, an old wound breaking open. “You be the one who arrested me?”</p>
<p>“No, that was Jillthin, our captain. She's a Loyal now. But… I was on the team that night. I'm sorry. I knew that she was there willingly, but we had orders.”</p>
<p>Borias closed his eyes and held up his hand. “No, I know my mistake.”</p>
<p>“She was consenting. Updated her will and filed notice also. There wasn't a mistake. You should have never been arrested.”</p>
<p>“Aye, but her family be rich and angry. I be making….” His voice trailed off as one of the other whores reached him and then pulled him into a tight hug. “Um, hi?”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” whispered the new woman.</p>
<p>Bass chuckled and rested a hand on Scorch's back before sliding it down to his ass.</p>
<p>Scorch shook his head and leaned into Bass. “Every time that bitch comes into our lives,” he muttered. “Every single fucking time.”</p>
<p>Elf chuckled and then circled around to grab Scorch's other ass cheek. “Yeah, isn't she pretty?”</p>
<p>Borias held his hands up and then hugged the woman embracing him. He was clearly uncomfortable at the sudden attention but Merrie could see something waking up in him, an old power that he had not felt in many years. It coursed through his body, flooding him with a pleasure that set off a thrill of ecstasy along Merrie's veins.</p>
<p>“My mother went to you. After so many years of being unhappy, she finally went to you and she was so happy that week. I never saw her smile as much as she did that night she left. You finally gave her what she wanted, what she really needed.”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Y-Yes,” sobbed the woman. “Yes! Thank you.”</p>
<p>Another one reached him. “Are you back?” There was lust in her voice. “Are you going to start again?”</p>
<p>Spit muffins. Merrie had felt their thoughts before, the women who wanted the erotic release of death. It was Borias' power that drew them, calling to them like a siren.</p>
<p>She smiled at a sudden thought. With her tail wagging, she sent out a private, questing thought to him. (If you could bring the Puppy Mill back, would you?)</p>
<p>Borias frowned as he looked at her.</p>
<p>(But consenting. What if you could find the women who wanted to be broken and trained, to be cropped and sold? You find the spit muffins, why not puppies?)</p>
<p>It took a moment as his mind spun furiously, fantasies rising up as the power inside him awoken even more. In the room around her, she could sense others responding to hidden desires. Most of them wouldn't ever go through with it, but he was teasing their desires with his presence just as she did with her influence over submissives. A smile grew as his eyes shimmered. “Aye, I would.”</p>
<p>(When this is all over, let's do that. Let's call it home again.)</p>
<p>A tear ran down his cheeks. “Be a good idea.”</p>
<p>The idea felt right, both for the sexual submission but also the one thing Parn asked: free will. No more kidnapping, no more capture, just finding the men and women who wanted it deep inside. The Puppy Mill would be reborn, properly this time.</p>
<p>“Doggy,” said a new voice. Merrie looked up to see a young woman in her twenties coming down the large set of stairs in the middle of the room. She wore a mini-skirt and nothing else to cover her lithe body. She had the symbol of the guild on a ribbon wrapped around her throat. Her piercing eyes seemed to bore directly into Merrie's soul.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>As Merrie looked, a young child came up to her. She ignored the little girl until she felt a tiny hand grabbing her tail and pulling. Jumping, Merrie peered over her shoulder at the girl.</p>
<p>The girl smiled broadly as she stared down at Merrie's pale tail.</p>
<p>Merrie frowned and wrapped the shade tighter around herself but the girl continued to tug lightly on her rear. Merrie squirmed uncomfortably and pulled it free.</p>
<p>The girl stared up at her and Merrie was briefly caught in her intense gaze. She felt exposed in the girl's eyes and realized her shade wasn't powerful enough to protect herself from the young one.</p>
<p>Pushing back her fear, Merrie smiled at her and cocked her head.</p>
<p>The girl giggled and clapped her hands. “Doggy!”</p>
<p>Next to the girl, a woman turned around and sighed. She grabbed the girl's arm. “There aren't any dogs here, Dith. This is a festival. No one in the right mind would bring a—”</p>
<p>“Doggy!” The girl pointed directly at Merrie, but the woman didn't even look at the nearly naked bitch.</p>
<p>“Come on! Let's find your brother.”</p>
<p>Dith waved as she was pulled back.</p>
<p>Merrie got into a begging position, cocked her head, and waved back. She smiled broadly until the girl was out of sight.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The decades had been good on the young woman. She was now well in the majority and obvious in charge of the entire guild.</p>
<p>Merrie smiled and got into her begging position, wagging her tail. (Guild Mistress.)</p>
<p>Dith stepped off the stairs and walked over. As she did, the room grew hushed. “Looks like we've had some surprise, but honored, guests arriving.”</p>
<p>Cloud stepped up, her face still scowling. One white ribbon hung from her fingers.</p>
<p>Dith held up her hand. “Everyone!”</p>
<p>The rest of the room silenced.</p>
<p>“This is Bitch. She is, and always will be, welcomed in this house. She is not guild nor will I will ever ask her to be. The reasons are not for you to ask why, but Kirin, my father, and I have offered her everything we have to offer for as long as this building stands.”</p>
<p>Cloud sighed and shook her head.</p>
<p>Dith turned, her eyes raking over the others. At Borias, one eyebrow lifted and she pointed at him and the women hugging him. “We should talk before that… goes any further.”</p>
<p>Borias looked down at the three women who were crowding him and then shrugged.</p>
<p>Then Dith turned and looked directly at Natis who everyone had been ignoring. Despite the repulsion spell, her eyes were unwavering just as Merrie remembered. “And I think you would be far better in a private room, sir. I have amenities that even a… duke would appreciate.”</p>
<p>Natis looked shocked.</p>
<p>“Come, my office is on the third floor and we probably have many things to talk about.” She gestured to Elf, Pristine, Scorch, and Cloud to join her.</p>
<p>“Find me,” whispered one of the women to Borias with a stroke along his crotch. Then they peeled away to let the others follow Dith up to Dith's private quarters.</p>
<p>Bass thumped a hand on Borias' shoulder. “So… glad to be back?”</p>
<p>Borias sniffed and wiped tears from his eyes. “I not be thinking this would happen. It feels… good.”</p>
<p>“Like when I could start serving Talus.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Borias smiled. “Like being able to myself again.” His eyes flickered toward Dith's taut buttocks. “Though, I might be more careful next time.”</p>
<p>Dith turned to him. “Don't worry. This guild isn't about saying no, but giving protections.” She scanned the building. “Cloud, why don't you tell Piggy to find someone to guard with her. We don't want to leave the door empty and you might be a while.”</p>
<p>“Of course, Mistress.”</p>
<p>“She not be there,” Borias said.</p>
<p>Cloud's gaze snapped toward him.</p>
<p>“No, she be leaving when we go inside. She be a cousin, so I want to be talking but she be heading…” he turned to orient himself and then pointed to the south. “… that way. I think she had somewhere to go.”</p>
<p>Cloud shook her head, the ribbons fluttering around her. “Her mum is picking her up here in an hour and she isn't working today. She would have said something.”</p>
<p>Dith hummed for a moment. “Problem?” She looked at Bass and Merrie. “We should be careful or….” Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened.</p>
<p>A flash of concern and worry burst from the young woman. Immediately, Merrie and Sable tensed as it rolled along their senses. Bass lifted his hand to his chest as he froze.</p>
<p>Pristine and Scorch responded almost as fast. “Mistress?”</p>
<p>Dith paled. “I have a bad idea. Do you remember….” Her voice faded as her eyes flickered. Then she turned to Elf. “Where is Klang?”</p>
<p>“Meat Market,” said the large man.</p>
<p>“Screamer?”</p>
<p>“Sister's birthday party on the north side.”</p>
<p>“Digger?”</p>
<p>Elf gestured up to the side. “Marking room, getting a new sterility rune. His disease-proof was also—”</p>
<p>Dith silence him with a finger. Then she looked. “One of you… um, start with Bitch. Come with me.”</p>
<p>“Mistress?” Scorch said as his body began to smoke more. “Danger?”</p>
<p>Dith frowned. “I don't know but I need to check something. There was….”</p>
<p>“Mistress, you need to learn to finish sentences, we aren't mind readers.” He looked at the Bitch. “Most of us can't read your minds.”</p>
<p>Dith gestured for Merrie. “The rest of you stay here and be alert. Elf, find Piggy and see if she's okay.”</p>
<p>Merrie took a deep breath and concentrated on the Kivas family tree. Finding Piggy's entry, she sent out a single wide-range pulse to find the same woman. In a flash, it radiated out like a ripple on a lake. A moment later, it came back. (Six blocks south, two and a half blocks east.)</p>
<p>Elf landed on the ground and stared at her. He leaned over and patted her head. “Good bitch!”</p>
<p>“Elf!” snapped Dith.</p>
<p>“Sowwie!” Then he took off with his wings buzzing. Shooting up in the air, he circled once and then flew out of a window near the top.</p>
<p>“Bitch, come. Others….” Dith waved her hands and then hurried up to the second floor.</p>
<p>With concern rippling along her senses, Merrie gathered her power as she followed after. (What is going on?)</p>
<p>“Maybe nothing. It was just after the queen had taken charge of the palace. A number of our members had their usual clients, but I noticed they came home with a strange compulsion.”</p>
<p>Merrie's concern turned to fear.</p>
<p>Dith shook her head. “Beautiful work, dense, tight, and even dad couldn't dispel it. But it wouldn't trigger. It was just sitting there, waiting for something. We ran out of money before we could ever figure out what it was for.”</p>
<p>The guild mistress led Merrie down a hallway, her worry causing her to break into a jog.</p>
<p>Merrie bounded after her. (Piggy had one? And you think we triggered it?)</p>
<p>Dith nodded. “It is one of the few magics I can't read and I don't know why. If it was triggered by one of you approaches, then the one in Digger would response and I would have a chance to read it before it does anything.”</p>
<p>Merrie found it harder to keep up but she kept in her physical form. Sweat prickled her skin. (I might be able to help, but you have to trust me.)</p>
<p>Despite her concern, Dith stopped. “What?”</p>
<p>(You can see through magic, right? Read patterns? I should be able to boost that.)</p>
<p>A flush of excitement and lust burst from the young woman's thoughts. “You mean bonding?”</p>
<p>Merrie wagged her tail and smiled grimly. (Temporarily. It's overwhelming, but that's what I can do, I can make you more… you.)</p>
<p>Dith blushed. “I-I never… I don't know. I mean, I heard Kirin talking like it was something life-changing.”</p>
<p>(I promise you, you won't hurt, but it might be more intense than you expected.) She smiled. (You are younger than anyone I've done before.)</p>
<p>Dith smiled grimly. “Taking a virginity? Looking for a little age play?”</p>
<p>Merrie flattened her ears.</p>
<p>The guild mistress only took a moment and stood up. “Yes. I made a promise to risk everything for my guild. Even if this is just nothing, then I can at least prove it.”</p>
<p>She let out a shuddering breath. “How does it work?”</p>
<p>(Touch me and let yourself go.)</p>
<p>“How to break it? I don't think I could handle having an alpha.”</p>
<p>(I will break it, I promise. I cannot remain an alpha to anyone anymore.)</p>
<p>Dith looked around nervously. Then she got up and started walking slowly in the direction of the marking rooms. “Give me a second.”</p>
<p>(I will never force you to do this.)</p>
<p>She said nothing as they headed to the room. Then, just as they were about to enter the door, Dith reached down and pressed her hand against the back of Merrie's neck. “Do it.”</p>
<p>Merrie reached into herself to the part of her body that Parn had blessed, the core of being that needed others. It rose up, a spectral lead that formed almost immediately. The gray shimmering wrapped up Dith's arm and plunged into her heart.</p>
<p>Dith let out a soft whimper.</p>
<p>And then their souls connected.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Her father sat at the guild master table, his face buried in his hands and the typical strip of cloth that covered his eyes dangling in his thumbs. His shoulders heaved as he quietly sobbed to himself.</p>
<p>Dith brushed her fingers along the archway lock, sealing it shut. “Daddy?”</p>
<p>Monk shook his head. “I can't do this, baby girl. I thought I could, but I can't.”</p>
<p>Dith carried the tray over. She had just gotten fresh sterility marks on her inner thigh earlier that day and they stung. “It's just accounting. You've been doing that for years.”</p>
<p>He peeked through fingers and she saw two points of brilliance where his eyes used to be. Where others would just see two empty sockets, she saw the raw power that had gathered behind the cloth and gave him a way of seeing the weave of magic.</p>
<p>Benefits of being skull-fucked by a god of knowledge, Kirin always said.</p>
<p>“No, not accounting. The guild. The guilt, the people.” He pulled his hands away and let the cloth drop to the ground. “Kirin always made it so easy, I wasn't suppose to be in charge. It was something else, I was going to retire when she did, take your mother and head up to papa's home.”</p>
<p>Dith set down the tray and came around to hug him. “Then retire. We'll have a vote.”</p>
<p>“And then what?”</p>
<p>“Then you let go. We don't know why Kirin died that day, but you know that she did something to save all those people from that explosion.”</p>
<p>He snorted. “What, you don't think Bitch was trying to escape.”</p>
<p>Dith thought back to the naked woman she had met as a little girl. “No, it isn't in her soul. She would have never hurt anyone like that. It isn't.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Merrie felt a pang of sadness slam into her. Her own identity was remaining strong under the onslaught of Dith's memories. The rush of a young life was nothing compared to Rakin's centuries or the other lives she had bonded with. It filled with so much potential.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Months later, Elf bounced happily at the top of the stairs, his wings buzzing as he held the results of the election.</p>
<p>Dith held her father's hand and smiled. Whoever won would take good control of the guild, she was confident of it. Maybe she would offer to help with accounting after he left. After all, she was better at numbers and investments than him.</p>
<p>“Just tell us!” snapped Scorch near the front. He had his arms around Nir's belly, their sixth child. Nir, a former beggar, was no longer an active member of the guild but she had lifetime benefits as a former member and the spouse of one of the guild's protectors.</p>
<p>Elf landed on the ground. “Scorchy-poo, you didn't let me join you last time, so you have to wait.” He pointed with every word, much to everyone's amusement except Scorch.</p>
<p>“That was my anniversary date, you damn pixie!”</p>
<p>“You didn't invite me,” Elf said with a giggle.</p>
<p>“Elf,” Monk said. “Please? We need to gang-bang the new guild master and I'm up past my bedtime. And you know I have to be the last one.”</p>
<p>“Dith won,” Elf said with a wave, and then pointed at Scorch. “I want to be with you this time, do you hear? It's my time, my time.”</p>
<p>Dith froze. She won? She wasn't even on the ticket.</p>
<p>“Elf!” snapped Scorch. “What did you say?”</p>
<p>“I want you to fuck me in—”</p>
<p>“No, you stupid pixie, what about Dith!?” Scorch's face had darkened with annoyance.</p>
<p>Elf shrugged. “She won. Three hundred and nineteen votes, all write-ins.”</p>
<p>Dith's ears were burning as she realized they were applauding her. She looked at her dad.</p>
<p>Monk shook his head. “I voted for Barrel, I swear.”</p>
<p>Pristine leaned over and kissed Dith on the shoulder. “I wrote you in.”</p>
<p>“W-Why?” Dith asked, her head spinning.</p>
<p>“Because you are perfect for the job. Everyone knows it. You have a good head on your shoulders, a mind for the future, and we know that you would give everything to make sure you succeed.” The protector gently pushed Dith. “You're going to be the greatest mistress we have ever had, I just know it.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Merrie's eyes burned with tears. She looked up to see that Dith had stopped in the door with tears of her own.</p>
<p>“K-Kirin sacrificed herself for everyone,” she said in a quiet, broken voice. In the intimacy of the bond, Merrie saw that Dith had found Merrie's memories of the meeting with the reapers and Kirin's unhesitating acceptance. (She didn't even hesitate,) came the mental words in Dith's voice.</p>
<p>(No,) Merrie said. (She was a good friend and a good person until the very end.)</p>
<p>Dith let out a sob and wiped the tears from her eyes. (I can't ever be as good as her.)</p>
<p>(You can, that is why we are here. Remember?)</p>
<p>“Y-Yes.” She pushed open the door and entered the room filled with massage tables. Catching sight of a muscular man sitting in a chair with someone drawing on his arm, she took a deep breath and then stared.</p>
<p>The world exploded in front of Merrie, every piece of furniture peeling away as they both looked at Digger with senses Merrie didn't even know was possible. She could see his spirit inside his physical shell and the soul buried inside. Magic crackled along his body, enhancing his strength and stamina. He was known for being able to fuck for hours without weakening or slowing down.</p>
<p>Inside his head, like a small tick, was the compulsion Dith was looking for. It was a perfectly innocuous piece of magic that would have been nearly impossible to detect. But even with Dith being able to analyze Digger's power, she couldn't see into the spell.</p>
<p>Merrie recognized it in an instant. It had the same energy pattern as the compulsion spell in Natis' letter. The neat, ordered spells had been crafted with a care that was supernatural.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Merrie had to be careful to explore the weave of magic to get to the inner layers. As far as she could tell, the first ones were holding the inner one in place. It was a trap of some sort, one that could be triggered by any of the other ones failing. Remove the repulsion and it would fall apart. Sense something specific, it would open. Even an outside command could drive it to fall apart.</p>
<p>The inner most layer was too protected by the others. She only got a taste of the power. The foulness clung to the tip of her tongue, staining it with something poisonous. She tasted it with a frown, trying to remember where she had felt that same type of energy before.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It was an Infernal trap like the one that had almost destroyed the Puppy Mill. A layered spell with an outer shell to repulse anyone looking for it and inner layers that would activate on certain triggers.</p>
<p>Merrie opened herself and then thrust herself into Dith's power, creating a channel that magnified the spell with rapid succession as the intensity grew in less than a heartbeat to powers far beyond what the young woman would probably ever experience in her life.</p>
<p>Dith let out a gasp as her senses plunged into the compulsion spell and pierced each layer at the same time. She didn't unravel the magic as much as see it in its entirety in a glorious detail. Every ripple of power clear down to how the magic was woven into reality was exposed.</p>
<p>Their minds organized the spell, separating each one into the individual layers to reveal its purpose.</p>
<p>The outer was a repulsion spell, something to prevent anyone from investigating it. But Merrie had become immune them and Dith was always able to pierce those veils.</p>
<p>The second was a trigger, a tripwire that would respond to anyone using telepathy nearby. It was a relatively common one, but it was the exact same sensory magic that was on the spell so many years ago.</p>
<p>The third was another trigger, this one that had been attuned to shadow magic. There were only two beings in their group that were capable of using it, Borias and herself. However, they hadn't used shadows magic.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Merrie transformed into a Bel Dark hound to bounce off the street and then back into her naked form before they landed with Elf on his back and her straddling his belly.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The fourth was the third and final sensory trigger. It was dense and tightly woven, an obvious effort that would have taken someone years to perfect. It only triggered on a single thing: an alpha's bond.</p>
<p>Finally, the compulsion at the center would drive Digger to report what had happened to the nearest person loyal to the royal family with a specific keyword: city guards, Resolutes, Loyals, or anyone else who had made an oath.</p>
<p>There was only one person for the spell, only a single person that was the target: Merrie.</p>
<p>Dith dropped to her knees as she clutched the door frame. Her body was shaking as an orgasm tore through her, the power of the boosting hammering against her sexuality even as they tore apart the spell.</p>
<p>A thin line of drool escaped her lip.</p>
<p>“Guild Mistress!” Digger and the marker were both rushing over to her.</p>
<p>Dith held up her hand. “Back!”</p>
<p>With a sob, she pawed at the door frame but caught Merrie's shoulder instead.</p>
<p>(Grip!) Merrie slammed an order into her.</p>
<p>Dith clamped down on Merrie's hair.</p>
<p>Knowing that Piggy was already telling the guards about Merrie, she ignored Digger and transformed into her Bel Dark hound. The increased weight and height forced Dith to her feet.</p>
<p>Next to her, Digger's compulsion activated through the three triggers. It was a sudden flash as his eyes tightened. She could tell that he was suddenly looking for a way to report his findings.</p>
<p>Merrie looked at him and then sent a single pulse of pleasure that would trigger an orgasm so hard it would knock him back.</p>
<p>With a groan, Digger collapsed.</p>
<p>Dith turned. “W-We have to tell the others!” She was sobbing as she tried to pull herself out of the overwhelming intensity. (Tell them to cockroach!) her thoughts finished where the body couldn't.</p>
<p>Plucked from Dith's memory, Merrie knew exactly what it was. It was one of the guild's emergency plans when they were in danger of an immediate attack. (Use me to tell the others.)</p>
<p>Then Merrie directed a thought to Sable and Borias. (Natis was the bait, but they are looking for me. We're about to be attacked.)</p>
<p>Sable was already moving, her alpha nature anticipating what was happening. There was a deafening bang of metal plates crashing into each other as armor slammed into place around paladin and alpha.</p>
<p>“Holy fuck!” screamed Scorch.</p>
<p>Dith whimpered. “H-How?”</p>
<p>Merrie sank into her thoughts, merging her thoughts until she was speaking in both of their voices. (Tell me who tell.)</p>
<p>Dith's thoughts were incoherent, but Merrie brought structure to them. A plan rose up in memories, organized meticulously by a woman who could see everything.</p>
<p>Merrie took charge, sending out a wave of telepathy to focus only on the protectors of the guild. (Immediate attack, cockroach.)</p>
<p>“You need to get—”</p>
<p>Ignoring the bond, Merrie gathered up her power in a single surge and then sent out a second wave of telepathic command. It spread out across the entire city in a growing wave of intense power.</p>
<p>To the guild members, an order to stop all jobs and marks and to escape at all costs. Everyone, even ones at home or relaxing.</p>
<p>To the guardians who had made the contracts with the whore's guild, the identity and location of every guild member who was risk. A promise of a ten thousand mark bonus for every guild member who survived the next week was promised, the amount already deducted from the emergency fund.</p>
<p>Months ago, Dith had an idea to use Cloud's family contacts with an assassins guild to use them as protectors. Merrie reached out with one thought and thrust into Cloud's mind. She sent the idea as a compressed memory.</p>
<p>On the other side of the guild hall, Cloud swayed under the onslaught but she knew they didn't have chance. (Yes.)</p>
<p>Merrie plucked the words that needed to be said from her mind and then sent out another wave of telepathy to connect to the assassins that Cloud knew with the right words and phrases to create a contract with Dith's authority.</p>
<p>The final command was directed to everyone in the campus, a suggestion of a path every one should take to escape using the plans from Dith's head. It would also keep everyone calm to avoid panic.</p>
<p>It took less than five seconds.</p>
<p>Dith gasped as she started to collapse. Her connection started to crumble with her young mind struggling.</p>
<p>Merrie snapped their bond, grabbed her leg and threw her over her back. As a hound, she bounded back down the hallway to where the protectors were herding the rapidly leaving guild members from the main hall.</p>
<p>Sable, as a steel-clad hound with glowing eyes, looked at her. (You are terrifying, you know that?)</p>
<p>Merrie stopped and shook Dith off. She directed her thoughts to Cloud and Pristine. (Protect her.)</p>
<p>“How soon—?” started Bass.</p>
<p>A wave of danger and warning rippled through Sable and Merrie.</p>
<p>One of the windows shattered as Elf came flying in. He was bloody and broken, one wing barely able to keep up. He had exposed bone on his left hand and a fairy wand dangling uselessly from one shard of broken bone. He reached out. “Watch—”</p>
<p>The entire top of the hall exploded down in a shower of stone, wood, and glass.</p>
<p>A streak of green shot down from high above, cutting through Elf before slamming into the ground with a booming crack.</p>
<p>Bisected, Elf's corpse fell apart in a shower of guts. They spilled across the green armored figure standing in the middle of the room, but each one disintegrated before they got within a meter of the crackling field that surrounded the Loyal, one of the country's most powerful warriors. The figure had a two-handed sword in their hand that had moved to fast there wasn't even a droplet of Elf's blood on it.</p>
<p>An explosion to the right of the Loyal blew a hole in the ground as a second Loyal wielding a pair of iron rods appeared in a cloud of sparkling spoke.</p>
<p>A third Loyal buzzed into place, teleporting with a screech that shook the ground and kicked off eddies of dust. The third warrior wielded a one-handed shield but their other hand crackled with combat spells.</p>
<p>“Oh fuck,” Scorch said.</p>
<p>(Strategy?) Merrie asked Sable as she brought up her combat spells. The spells were so ingrained that they flashed through her as they enhanced her strength, speed, and defenses.</p>
<p>(Establish mental network,) came the dual-toned voice of Sable and Bass.</p>
<p>Merrie reached out for the others, but there was a high-pitched buzzing from one of the Loyals and the connection broke.</p>
<p>(One-on-one is good, but not group,) said the paladin as he adapted. “Fine. The Mill against two-handed. Guild against single sword. Bitch takes on the third.”</p>
<p>Merrie didn't wait for an acknowledgment. She surged forward, hammering against the ground as she launched herself off the second floor toward the ground. Attacking her opponent wouldn't work, but she hit the ground ten meters to the side.</p>
<p>The Loyal was already there in an explosion of a teleport. Their dual rods came down.</p>
<p>Merrie flickered her shape to avoid the blow.</p>
<p>The rods hit the ground which exploded, picking her up and throwing her back.</p>
<p>Merrie flipped and felt the Loyal teleporting to catch her before she hit the ground. She melted into shadows and then launched herself toward the wall.</p>
<p>There was an older man trying to get to the door. He died in a shower of blood as the Loyal slammed into her, the magical energies cutting into Merrie's form in a flash of light and flame.</p>
<p>She snapped out with a bolt of raw power that slammed into the armor but didn't pierce the thousand spells that protected the Loyal. With a burst of power, she ripped herself across the realm and into the Shadows.</p>
<p>When the Loyal exploded into view, she wasn't surprised but at least she had more room to maneuver. Tentacles of darkness speared toward the Loyal as she transformed into the Bel Dark and charged forward between the reaching darkness.</p>
<p>One rod caught her shoulder. It exploded with a force that shattered her bone but she managed to chomp down on the arm before she was thrown away.</p>
<p>Agony tore through her jaw while she ground down, using her magically enhanced power to tear through the green metal as much as corroding the protection spells that layered through the strange material.</p>
<p>The Loyal jammed their other rod between their bodies and ignited it. The force ripped her free and threw her back across the shadowy imitation of the guild hall.</p>
<p>She caught herself by transforming into liquid darkness and shooting to the side before reforming. Through the images and flashes, she could see the other two Loyals were still fighting in the other realm.</p>
<p>Merrie growled and one tooth cracked off with a spark of pain. She embraced it and let her agony fuel her power as much as her growing anger and the logic that was already planning on her next attack.</p>
<p>Gathering up the shadows as a basic, she created a corrosion spell and granted it a simplistic intelligence. Fueling it with power to ensure it would continue to attack, she charged for the Loyal.</p>
<p>The Loyal spun around and caught her in the side. There was a terrible sound as her body was blast out of the shadows, back into reality, and then punched through the front wall of the guild hall.</p>
<p>She slammed into the far side of the street against the wall above a dress shop and launched herself back across. Her body shimmered as it became the dragon hound and she flew straight for the Loyal that was coming through the hole they had just formed.</p>
<p>A wall of a thousand swords pierced the area before her; it was Sable's Thousand Swords attack. The intense power of holy magic burst out as Bass smited their Loyal.</p>
<p>Merrie saw hunks of green armor on the ground from one of the attacks but then she was upon her opponent. With her raw power, she threw them back into the shadows and bite down hard. Her broken tooth ground into the metal but the other fangs punctured into the green metal.</p>
<p>The two rods slammed into her back, hammering her down.</p>
<p>Whimpering, she held on with all her might as she transferred the corrosion spell into the rents of the armor. She knew that it wouldn't be able to seep underneath the Loyal's armor because it was bonded to their bodies, but even a few points may give it enough time to burrow and tear from the inside.</p>
<p>A second set of blows ripped her off.</p>
<p>Merrie slammed into the ground. The force dazed her as did the flurry of strikes that slammed out of the shadows again and hammered her into the ground of the guild. Her vision blurred as she tried to pull away but the Loyal had switched to alternating attacks, giving her no quarter to transform.</p>
<p>She lashed out and twisted, struggling to concentrate to form another intelligent corrosion spell.</p>
<p>Across from her, only a few meters away, the guild protectors were struggling against their Loyal who was steadily going after Pristine. Even with the spells that shielded her, Merrie could feel rage and anger radiating from the Loyal.</p>
<p>Scorch threw gout after gout of fire at the Loyal but his attacks weren't powerful enough to get through the armor.</p>
<p>Cloud was surrounded by a rippling cloud of colors. Ribbons moved around like snakes as they snapped forward, exploding in a series of different energies. She saw fire, cold, poison, and an array of others that were nipping away at the Loyal.</p>
<p>Unable to attack herself, Pristine was blocking and parrying with a black whip that stood up against the blurred attacks of the Loyal. Her body was covered in countless cuts and her dress had long since been abandoned and almost every surface of her naked form was covered in her own blood.</p>
<p>The only non-combatant, Dith was cowering behind Pristine. Her eyes were focused on the Loyal and she had many cuts of her own, but Pristine's defenses were more for her than saving Pristine.</p>
<p>The Loyal attacking Merrie suddenly stepped back. Turning around, they disappeared in a burst of flame and concussion.</p>
<p>Merrie surged to her feet, her body shimmering as she shape-changed repeatedly to heal some of her damage. Her eyes scanned her surroundings for her opponent.</p>
<p>The teleporter burst across from the room and then brought down their rods against the ground, setting off an explosion that buckled the ground with a sudden crater that radiated from the blow.</p>
<p>Cloud lost her footing. Two of her ribbons snapped out to catch her.</p>
<p>The Loyal cut them and then spun around with the blade aimed for Cloud's neck.</p>
<p>Scorch dropped to his knees and slammed his hands together. A sphere of fire shot out from his palms and slammed into the Loyal, spoiling the killing blow.</p>
<p>Merrie's Loyal appeared behind him, rods raised.</p>
<p>With a start, she realized what was going to happen. Merrie kicked off, throwing everything she could to block the blow.</p>
<p>Two rods came down on either side of Scorch's neck, shattering his collar and tearing through his body to rip his arms from his body. The two rods hit the ground and exploded.</p>
<p>Scorch's body shot up into the air, spraying blood everywhere in a fountain as he flew across the battlefield.</p>
<p>Rage and despair slammed into Merrie. With tears in her eyes, she used it to fuel her power and accelerated into a blur. Right at the point of impact, she transformed into the mass she could imagine, one of the shadow kin. Her black tentacles and claws tore through the worlds and she yanked her opponent into the Shadows.</p>
<p>In the few seconds since they were last there, more creatures of darkness had arrived. They howled as they were drawn to a black star in the battlefield. It was Borias, he was summoning them to help and they were answering.</p>
<p>Merrie felt a grim determination as she used her new form to tear and claw and rip at the Loyal. Even as she was, she created more corrosion spells to spear into the rents and burn their way the Loyal from the inside.</p>
<p>Still strong, the Loyal hammered her with blows that even her shadow kin form couldn't resist for long. Explosion after explore blew away her claws and tentacles. She felt a large rent rip from her chest, exposing the brief flash of divine light before the shadows surged to wrap around it in a tighter knot of purest darkness.</p>
<p>When she saw the Loyal using the double blow that would fire her back into reality, Merrie took a risk and grabbed the Loyal's chest with every appendage she still had. With all her might, she steeled herself.</p>
<p>The double explosion deafened her. She felt the side of the building smash against her spine, stone and wood shattering on her form with the force that threw her back. She landed on the ground on the next street over from the guild. Rubble surrounded her from the gaping hole that traced her flight from the guild hall.</p>
<p>Merrie growled. She was losing. The Loyal had obviously trained against her skills and most of her talents were useless to do anything but stall.</p>
<p>A flash of divine magic and another thousand swords speared the air. Then Sable's armored form flew after them in a streak of rose and white.</p>
<p>When she saw Borias sprint after Sable, Merrie's heart almost broke. He was hurt and bleeding but his hands were still glowing with a shield and healing magic as he raced to bring her back into the fight.</p>
<p>Merrie's Loyal exploded on the other street. The armored helm turned and looked at her, a face unreadable inside the armor. They hefted their rods.</p>
<p>With a whimper, Merrie backed away. Her wrist caught something blood. She tried to scramble over it, but a tiny gasp of pain caught her attention. With a start, she looked over to see Scorch's eyes staring at her. He was still alive, barely, but she could see a Reaper approaching.</p>
<p>(Wait,) she sent to the gray old man.</p>
<p>He wouldn't. Death waits for no one.</p>
<p>“P-Please….” groaned Scorch. “Any… thing.”</p>
<p>Merrie looked up at the Loyal who stormed toward her, then to Scorch's death. The Reaper was moving slower than she expected, as if he was giving her just a few seconds before taking her friend.</p>
<p>Desperate, she reached out and opened her bond to Scorch.</p>
<p>Agony ripped through her mind and body, mimicking his broken form along her own. She didn't have time to steel herself against it and lost her own identity as his memories ripped through her suffering.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Scorch leaned against the head of the bed, happier than he had ever been in his life. Who knew an old man with no joy left could find anyone that would bring even the smallest light to his dreary life.</p>
<p>Nir, his beautiful wife, curled up against him as she cradled her swollen belly with one hand and his arm with the other. Her white gown was covered in soot, “daddy's love” she always told the girls.</p>
<p>His three daughters were arrayed out on the bed, snoring and sprawled out over tangled limbs. Even though they started with heavy blankets to push back the cold, they had thrown them aside once he crawled into bed.</p>
<p>Outside, the snow fell down. It was midwinter and they had survived another year. By unspoken decision, they didn't celebrate the winter holidays. Instead, they cherished the day everyone died in an alley that Nir called home. It was an surprise attack with Franome's battle with Emberka, but one that the city held off. But no one cared about the beggars who had died that night, no one but Nir and Bitch.</p>
<p>He reached over and stroked his hand through Nir's hair, pushing it away from her face. It had been a long time since he saw the pain in her eyes. Like him, she had found the one a million that would make her happy.</p>
<p>“I promise you,” he whispered. “I will protect you for the rest of my life. No matter what it takes, I will make sure you are all safe.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Scorch's thoughts were already fading. (Use me. Whatever I have, everything I can, but save my family.)</p>
<p>Countless memories of Scorch with the rest of the guild flashed through Merrie's eyes. They were his family as much as Nir, decades of friendship that had only grown through trials, flame, and smoke.</p>
<p>With tears in her eyes, Merrie accepted his power. She surrendered herself to his fading will and felt her body shaping to what he needed.</p>
<p>The Loyal brought down both rods to smash her out of existence.</p>
<p>Merrie snapped forward, her body becoming a snake of fire. Her teeth punched into the green armor as an intense flame burst out of her throat and into the torn green armor. White-hot, it melted metal and burst through defensive magics.</p>
<p>The rods smashed against her spine but she doggedly clung to her opponents body as the flames continued to jet out of her throat.</p>
<p>Scorch coughed up blood. Then he opened himself up more to her, feeding more of his power to her. She felt all of energy being sucked into the flame as it grew hotter and more intense. Then, she felt his consciousnesses burn away leaving only his spirit behind.</p>
<p>Instead of fading, his will kept her focused. An energy Merrie had never felt before surged through her body as he began to sacrifice the core of his being, all of his memories and identity to feed her fires.</p>
<p>She wanted to pull way, to stop, but he wouldn't let her. She sobbed with what he was doing. The flames in her mouth grew into a jet of pure flame, so bright that it ceased to have color except for the air it ignited around her.</p>
<p>The Loyal continued to attack her, slamming into her again and again. Her bones shattered underneath the attack and the rod began to pulverize her body. Every blow was agony, but she was caught in Scorch's final sacrifice and she wasn't going to waste it.</p>
<p>Too quickly, the fragile spirit of the mortal burned away leaving only the bright mote of his soul left. She had only seen hints of it, but never felt it right inside her mind. Only her recent bonding with Dith told her how precious it was and how fragile.</p>
<p>Her thoughts had transcended beyond pain and agony. Like her singularity orgasms, she was caught as the force of his will became her entire existence.</p>
<p>The last of Scorch burned away into a searing jet. With his final thoughts, she tried to thank you. There was no mind left, only will and love.</p>
<p>Scorch's soul ignited into flames with the last of his emotions. It burst out of her mouth in an explosion of colorless flames that ignited the world around her. Oblivion ripped at her insides as the jet finally cut through the Loyal and exploded out from her in a beam of death and destruction.</p>
<p>In an instant, a straight line from her ceased to exist from her throat to hundreds of kilometers out of the city. She felt more than could sense the flames as they disintegrated buildings, people, and centuries of history in an instant.</p>
<p>With a start, she jerked her head up and away to avoid killing others. In the millisecond that the oblivion flame continued to surge out of her throat, the beam of raw power cut through the top of the World Tree and sliced into the the Royal Palace.</p>
<p>Then it snuffed out with the last of Scorch's soul. There was nothing left, not for this life or the next.</p>
<p>The gray reaper held out his hands and then disappeared. There was nothing left to take.</p>
<p>Merrie stared at the reaper, and then to the movement as half of the world tree fell away and crashed to the ground. The impact toppled buildings before kicking up a concussion wave that traveled toward her with terrifying speed.</p>
<p>Unable to grieve Scorch's sacrifice, she sent out a pulse of warning. Her body reformed into the Bel Dark hound and she charged forward, leaving a trail of fire behind her as she rejoined the fight.</p>
<p>In the seconds it took her to reach the guild hall, she knew she was in her last dredges of power. Even flickering her body through different shapes couldn't heal enough to take on one of the other Loyals.</p>
<p>She had to boost someone else to help them fight.</p>
<p>Merrie swore she wouldn't let anyone else sacrifice themselves like Scorch did. With tears in her eyes, she covered the distance in a flash.</p>
<p>She ignored the Puppy Mill fighters. It was obvious that even a Loyal couldn't take on Bass, Sable, Natis, and Borias at the same time. The air was thick with angels and swords and raw power.</p>
<p>That left only Pristine or Cloud.</p>
<p>In the moment she had, Merrie picked the best choice. She slammed into Dith and bonded to the young woman almost instantly.</p>
<p>Fear and terror rose up as Merrie cradled her and brought her out of the fight.</p>
<p>(Pristine!) snapped Dith. (Boost her.)</p>
<p>Merrie spun her around and sent out a single powerful command to the guild mistress. (Analyze!) At the same time, she boosted Dith to the limits of her ability and beyond.</p>
<p>The thousands of spells that were layered into the Loyal armor were laid bare in front of Merrie. With Dith's ability to see magic, they were able to identify every protection, every combat, and every killing blow. Each spell was lacquered on to the others, merging them into a terrible force that was almost impossible to separate or dispel. It was their strength and power.</p>
<p>Dith's mind began to crack under the onslaught of information.</p>
<p>(Find a weakness,) Merrie sent as she helped. (Find something we can attack.)</p>
<p>Dith managed to dredge up some strength as she imagined Kirin would have done and then they were barreling through spells after spells, mentally separating them as they searched for something that would allow a killing blow.</p>
<p>The world around them grew slower as the air warped around them. Raw power surged through Dith as she shook at the growing pain.</p>
<p>The Loyal was Jillthin, Pristine's old captain. The anger was palatable, but it also was disrupting the magic. Loyals were about stoic obedience to the crown and country. The tiny repercussions caused quivers along spells, tiny spots of weakness that would be impossible to catch. They would form and disappear quickly with no pattern that could ever be communicated.</p>
<p>Exhausted, Merrie realized that even if she could find a weakness, she couldn't attack it. A whimper escaped her throat.</p>
<p>Dith also whimpered. The bond was warping her. Merrie only had seconds before she had to break it before it permanently injured the young woman.</p>
<p>Merrie tried to reach for Pristine, but Jillthin's attacks were keeping her too tightly contained. It was using up all of the protector's speed and concentration to parry the blows.</p>
<p>With no other choice, Merrie reached out for Cloud. (I need—)</p>
<p>(Do it!) snapped the woman. There was rage and anger, but also a desperation to win at all costs.</p>
<p>Merrie dug into her very being and drew out a second bond. She had only done it once before, the gestalt spell, to defeat an armor and now she needed it again.</p>
<p>A pain that went beyond her physical form sapped her strength, weakening her as she realized she was pushing her limits just as Scorch did.</p>
<p>She couldn't give up, not after her friends had sacrificed their lives for her.</p>
<p>Merrie threw out the leash and allowed her soul to be bring the two into connection.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“You are failure,” said Hir, the hooded woman who led the assassin's guild. Cloud had never seen her without the hood or the black mask that covered her face. She was a shapeless leader, one that spoke only in whispers and answered in knives.</p>
<p>Cloud bowed her head, one knee on the ground and the other underneath her arm. Blood dripped to the ground as she held the head of the shadow dancer that had tried to kill Cloud only an hour before.</p>
<p>“This is not for me,” Cloud said. She had been thinking about it for years but never had the courage to say anything until she had been poisoned. The sharp agony still burned along her limbs and she struggled to keep her fingers locked on the hair to prevent the head from falling.</p>
<p>“You are given one boon.”</p>
<p>“Let me go safely. I will not harm this guild, but I cannot serve.”</p>
<p>Hir leaned forward. “That is two. Choose one, safety or not to serve.”</p>
<p>Cloud lifted her head and looked directly into the eyes of the woman. “Let me go, Mother.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Cloud's senses snapped along Dith's observations. Ribbons snapped out to attack the weakest points of the Loyal's armor. Ice and fire magic disrupted defenses, striping them away layer by layer.</p>
<p>“Hurry!” gasped Pristine. There were deep cuts covering her body. In the fight, one of the blows had cut into her breast and it was flailing long with the few shreds of skin keeping it together. She had one hand on her belly where Jillthin had almost disemboweled her.</p>
<p>Merrie brought Dith and Cloud closer together, fusing their powers.</p>
<p>Ribbons snaked out, smashing against spell and armor. The steady beat became a hum and more ribbons appeared, each one attacking in a blur of brilliant collar.</p>
<p>In Dith's vision, the thousand layers were stripped away with desperate efficiency. Energy sparked and popped as Cloud chose the elemental powers of her ribbons to inflict the most damage.</p>
<p>A soul-deep agony rippled through the connection from Dith. (I-I can't hold on!)</p>
<p>(Few more seconds,) Cloud begged. (Just one, please?)</p>
<p>Dith's eyes rolled up in the back of her head as she collapsed. The last spell's weakness hovered in the mental connection.</p>
<p>Cloud flung one white ribbon against it, shattering the final spell. “Strike!”</p>
<p>Pristine spun around and yanked the handle off her whip to reveal a stiletto with a black blade. She took Jillthin's blow to the shoulder as she slammed the point up into her former captain's throat and up into her brain.</p>
<p>There was a thump as Cloud collapsed.</p>
<p>Pristine and Jillthin sank to their knees.</p>
<p>Gasping, Pristine gasped, “You were always wrong,” before she collapsed.</p>
<p>Jillthin's body fell on top of her, the green armor crumbling away to reveal a woman with no more skin, just raw muscle and organs that spilled out without the shell of her mystical armor.</p>
<p>To the side, a burst of brilliant white exploded as the third Loyal was blasted out of existence.</p>
<p>Merrie's shadowed form ignited into fire as she was throw into oblivion herself from the light.</p>
Call the Specialist 2: Life on the Road2023-09-14T05:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/shadowed-earth/call-the-specialist/chapter-02/Homeless, Bailey struggles to get her life back on track after her parents kicked her out of the house for loving women.
<p>Bailey groaned in discomfort as she woke up. Every part of her body ached as she stretched. Her feet smacked against the firewall of her car and her fingers bumped along the steering wheel before she remembered she had fallen asleep in her car.</p>
<p>The vestiges of her sleep and nightmare blew away in an instant as she froze, hoping that she didn't accidentally hit the horn again.</p>
<p>After a moment, she forced open her eyes and rubbed the crud from her fingers as she tried to orient herself.</p>
<p>A roar of plane above her shook the car.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, by the airport.” It was a shitty place to park, mainly because the farmers and homeowners didn't like “vagabonds” but she had to keep moving to avoid the cops which meant risking a new place every night.</p>
<p>With a yawn, she looked around. It was barely light, maybe six in the morning. The tractors were already out but otherwise it was a peaceful day with wisps of mist rolling along the ground.</p>
<p>Her bladder decided to wake up.</p>
<p>“Shit, shit, I'm moving,” she muttered as she fumbled for her keys from the cup holder and then got her car started. It was a shitty sedan with rusted side panels and a motor that grumbled, but it was also her only shelter for the last few weeks.</p>
<p>It still stung to get kicked out of her parents' house. She knew they would respond poorly, but she thought she had been balancing being a closeted lesbian and her parents' perceptions of being good girl for over a year.</p>
<p>But, a few stolen kisses between study sessions led into groping and heavy petting. So, they were both biting back moans as they had fingers in just about every crevice and hole they could find.</p>
<p>It was just her lucky that just as Bailey had her head underneath Allison's skirt and her mouth pressed to a very wet slit that her father came in to announce pizza.</p>
<p>That was when Bailey learned that there was no graceful way of extricating herself from a pair of clenching thighs, wipe the juices off her face, and still protest her innocence.</p>
<p>Now Bailey was living out of her car while her parents tried to find the title and Allison was throwing Bailey under the bus in hopes of keeping her own reputation sterling.</p>
<p>Thoughts underneath a storm cloud, she turned around in a nearby parking lot and headed north. There was a YMCA that still honored her membership. She didn't know how long it would last, but until her parents stopped paying for it, the membership meant a clean shower and a chance to make herself presentable. Then she could head over to Dilly's Diner for a cheap meal in exchange for washing dishes for an hour.</p>
Tier Changes2023-09-12T05:00:00Zhttps://tsade.com/blog/2023/09/12/tier-changes/To handle some of the changes needed by my subscription platforms, I'm rearranging my tiers (and bumping up the prices for new subscribers).
<p>To handle some of the changes needed by <a href="https://patreon.com/tsade">Patreon</a> and <a href="https://subscribestar.adult/tsade">SubscribeStar</a>, I'm rearranging my tiers (and bumping up the prices for new subscribers). The biggest change is that I'm splitting my monthly batch of (8-10k words into two batches of 4-5k words each). This is so I can focus one on being “sweet” (D. Sadie) and one being “sharp” (t'Sade).</p>
<h2>Sweet Words ($1/month)</h2>
<ul>
<li>Access to all the finished content on my sweet websites: <a href="https://dsadie.com">https://dsadie.com</a>, <a href="https://ddancer.com">https://ddancer.com</a>, and <a href="https://katiesebastian.com">https://katiesebastian.com</a></li>
<li>A batch (4-5k words) worth of sweet stories (or chapters) every month</li>
</ul>
<h2>Sharp Words ($2/month)</h2>
<ul>
<li>Everything in the <em>Sweet Words</em> tier</li>
<li>Access to all finished dark stories on <a href="https://tsade.com">https://tsade.com</a></li>
<li>A second batch (4-5k words) worth of darker stories or chapters every month</li>
</ul>
<h2>Sly Suggestions ($5/month)</h2>
<ul>
<li>Everything in the <em>Sweet Words</em> tier</li>
<li>Everything in the <em>Sharp Words</em> tier</li>
<li>Access to works in progress</li>
<li>Votes at <a href="https://discuss.tsade.com">https://discuss.tsade.com</a> for both sweet and sharp content</li>
</ul>