Merrie knelt on the soggy ground and morosely watched over the nine ragged rectangles in the grass. The rain poured down on the freshly turned earth and it melted before her eyes. The flowing mud connected the graves before it ran down the hill toward the dirt path leading out of the graveyard.
She sighed as she looked at the stone markers. There were no name or dates on them. She knew each of their names and why they arrived in the alley, but she couldn't tell anyone. Instead, she gave money for a simple carving on each one. For Threads and the others who still believed in their gods, it was their divine symbol. For Copper, she picked a rose for the man he lost everything for. Each one was meaningful, but no one would ever know why because she couldn't tell their stories.
The grave digger picked up his shovel and hoisted it over his shoulder. He looked at Nir, standing next to Merrie, and held out his hand mutely.
Nir, tears streaming down her face, turned her red eyes to Merrie helplessly.
Merrie dug into her cloak and pulled out a hundred marks. Holding them in her lips, she handed it to Nir.
Nir took them, briefly shadowing Merrie's face from the rain, before she gingerly stepped around the grave to pay the man.
“Madams,” said the digger while controlling his opinion. He thought Merrie was a freak, an abomination, but a job was a job. Pocketing his money, he turned and headed down. The muck from his boots marked a trail of clods as he trudged back to the tightly packed houses that pressed up against the graveyard.
“It,” sobbed Nir, “it isn't fair.”
Merrie rested her arm on Nir's hip. She leaned into the teenage girl and felt the sobs shaking her body. She had muted Nir's emotions with a spell, but it felt wrong to suppress them completely. Instead, she kept Nir's thoughts from spiraling into despair, if anything to avoid the same fate that Merrie suffered.
Nir lowered herself to her knees and clutched Merrie tightly. She sobbed into Merrie's shoulder. “It just isn't fair.”
Merrie could feel the raw horror dwelling in Nir's mind. There was regret for running away from home, but doubt that she would be welcomed back. She was afraid and didn't know what to do. She clutched to Merrie as her only anchor in life.
“I,” Nir whispered in a broken voice, “I don't know if I can go back there. Not tonight.”
Merrie sighed. She was thinking the same thing. The alley was marked off with the guard wards, in theory to investigate, but she knew no one would look to what happened. Instead, the wards would fade in a few days. A few months later, no one would remember that nine people died in that alley.
But, until then, they had no home. Merrie couldn't bring Nir to the guild and they didn't have enough money for more than a few days in an inn. She could make more if needed, but that would take some time.
She had ways of making the money, not of the guild. She could dominate someone into handing over enough. She knew how to make it subtle enough no one would ever know.
But, she would. And it felt wrong to use dominate that way. She remembered the rush of controlling people at the county fair and Haviston's simple words. It was seductively easy to use power. In the end, it would risk everything she had with both the guild and her very being.
In the corner of her eye, her cloak fluttered up and spun together until it was a snake-like creature staring at her with black eyes. Merrie turned to look at it, putting herself between Nir and her cloak. The despair was rising inside her. Closing her eyes, she focused on calming herself until she felt it stop. The cloak lost its tension and fluttered back to the ground.
Nir sniffed as she looked at Merrie, unaware of the cloak's response. “What do we do? We don't have anywhere to live.”
Merrie knew a place. Even thinking about it brought a pain slashing through her heart, but she forced herself to consider it. There was shelter from the rain and warmth in the mansion, or there was before the battle.
Nir whimpered and started coughing, a wet rattling in her chest. She sobbed between the coughs and held Merrie tightly for balance.
Merrie held herself still, forcing herself to make the decision. When Nir looked up with tears in her eyes, Merrie's heart broke. She loved her master, but he was dead. She couldn't allow Nir to die because of her own despair. She could have Nir wait on the bridge until she made sure it was safe. It wouldn't be an easy life, and Merrie would have to guide her through the repulsion for a while, but it was better than any other choice.
A decision made, Merrie pushed Nir to her feet. The girl hesitated before stand up straight. “Ears?”
Merrie concentrated on her cloak. Twisting part of into a snake-like shape, she formed an impromptu leash and guided the end into Nir's hand. The girl closed her fingers around the icy lead without looking.
Giving the graves one last bow, Merrie headed toward the gate of the graveyard. The cloak tugged when she reached the end of it, but Merrie dug her wrists into the ground and pulled until Nir stumbled after her.
The path down the muddy road was painful. Merrie knew what she had to do, but she didn't want to. Memories of that last night, of her master dying before her, flashed across her head. She shuddered every time she replayed that last look in his eyes before his body burned away in black shadows. It tore her open and she had to cling to the faded memories of sex and the few orders he gave to avoid bursting into tears or work, destroying everything around her.
She felt a presence at the entrance of the grave. Looking up, it was Scorch standing in the middle of the road with his hands behind his back. The rain steamed around him as he waited impatiently. There was a glower etched across his face.
Merrie reached out to read his mind, but there was nothing but anger and determination in his thoughts. But, none of it was directed at either of them and she relaxed. She crawled down the road, the mud sticking to her knees and wrists, before stopping in front of him.
“S-Scorch?” asked Nir.
“No one else came?” His voice was low and bitter.
Nir shook her head. “No.”
“Come on.” He gestured with his chin before turning on his heels.
Nir glanced down. “Ears? Where is he going?”
Scorch was heading for the guild, but Merrie didn't know why. She looked up at Nir helplessly and shrugged.
“S-Should we follow? He hates us, doesn't he?”
Merrie shook her head and started after Scorch. Her wrists splashed in the cold water but she didn't feel the discomfort. A moment later, Nir caught up with her. Merrie wrapped them both in a shade and followed after Scorch.
They walked in silence for almost an hour before they got to the guild house. The building was brightly lit, as always, but most of the whores were inside and away from the rain.
Scorch stopped a few meters from the front door and pointed to it. “There.”
Nir whimpered. “Where? In there?”
“Yes, in there,” he snapped. “There is food and there is warmth. They'll give you a bed to sleep in and a healer to help that cough. I can't make you go through the door, but you need to go in there.”
Nir shook her head. “No, no, I can't. I can't.”
He spun on her, his eyes glowing red. “Why not? You've been hanging around us for months, getting in my way. You know what we do, what I do. What Bitch does. She's,” he gestured down at Merrie, “has been feeding you ever since she showed up. Why is not working for the guild any better!? Besides making sure none of us will find you dead in some alley!?” His voice crackled as he stepped toward her. In his mind, there was an intense flash of protectiveness and affection toward Nir and it surprised Merrie.
Stunned by his sudden outburst, Merrie stared at him in shock.
“Scorch, I can't. I was… my father…” Nir sobbed as she struggled with the words.
“You were raped, that happens.”
Nir gasped and clutched at Merrie's ear.
Scorch pointed angrily to the guild entrance. “That is the safest place to make sure that never happens again. Do you know what happens to people who rape whores? We kill them! Me, Pristine, and Elf. We hunt down people who hurt the guild and make sure they never do it again. If that fucker or his wife shows up, they won't leave the building alive. If you are afraid of them, we,” he smacked his chest and there was a puff of smoke and brimstone, “will be there. This is the guild, we protect our own! But, I can't,” he jerked as he swallowed hard, “legally protect you if you aren't guild.”
Merrie looked at Nir. She could feel the warring emotions in the girl. Scorch was right, the guild would take care of Nir. But, the girl kept picturing herself pinned down on her bed by her own mother as her father raped her. The fear burned brightly.
It would take just a little push to crush the memories. Merrie could make all of Nir's pain go away, but she didn't. She didn't know why at first, but then she thought about the blank part of her life. Merrie had given up her past for her master and now there was nothing before the mill. The only way she could heal Nir was to the same thing, to erase the memories and leave her an empty shell.
Nir sniffed and stepped back, tugging on Merrie's ear. “C-Come on, Ears, we can go somewhere else. You don't have to be here either.” It was a high-pitched, plaintive whine.
Merrie sighed and let Nir pull her away, a little flickering of heat rose inside her as she was dragged away.
“Bitch?” came a new voice, Barrel.
Merrie stopped and then winced as Nir pulled on her ear. She levered her head around to look at the nearly naked man standing just inside the door.
“Are you,” he gulped, “leaving us?”
She froze. She couldn't leave the guild. She was happier than she had been in a long time. The sex and pleasure was one thing, but the feeling of being home was another. Even though she rarely entered the guild hall herself, there was someone waiting for her.
Sari's words came back. Eventually she would leave, flow away like the shadows, but she never thought it was Nir.
Nir tugged harder. “Please, Ears, let's go.”
Scorch grabbed Nir's other arm. “Don't be an idiot! You're sick girl. You need—”
“Scorch!” interrupted Kirin as the guild mistress came out into the rain. She was wearing her black corset and nothing else. She had a glass of wine in her hand.
He snatched his hand back, leaving a red mark on Nir's arm.
“What are you doing?” snapped Kirin.
“She need shelter. And food.”
“Yes, but no one will ever be forced to join the guild, you know that.”
The tension on Nir's arm relaxed.
Scorched sighed. “She's an idiot.”
“Yes, and your heart means well. Go inside, please.”
Scorch's jaw tightened.
Kirin raised an eyebrow.
He bowed as shimmers of heat rose around him. “Yes, guild mistress. I'll be in my room.” Without another word, he shoved himself past the gathered people and disappeared from sight.
With a delicate sigh, Kirin turned to Nir. “So, you're Bitch's bitch.”
Nir blushed. “Um, not really. I mean, we haven't done… anything.”
Kirin's presence washed over Merrie as she smiled brilliantly. “There is more to life than sex.”
Nir flushed. “Um, you're naked.”
“No, I'm wearing a corset. But, if that bothers you, let me… Elfie?”
Elf came up with a black, full-length jacket. Slipping it over Kirin's shoulders, he reached over and hooked it on her breasts. With a giggle, he patted it down over Kirin's ass before stepping back. The jacket was open to the air, but Kirin's naked cock was only visible for those looking at her head on.
“Better?”
Nir blushed hotly. “Not really.”
“Well, best you're going to get from me. I find clothing to be uncomfortable. Have you eaten?”
Nir stared at the sudden question. “N-Not since yesterday.”
Kirin favored Nir with a bright smile. “Then, why don't we talk over dinner?”
The girl's eyes opened wide. “In there? I-I can't.”
Kirin caught the girl's arm. “Of course not. There is a lovely Melkuth place down the street. Life is a lot easier if you have something warm in your tummy, don't you think?”
Nir's stomach growled.
With a smile, the guild mistress turned to Merrie. “Coming with us?”
Merrie thought about her master's grave and Nir's reluctance to enter the guild. She shook her head and took a step back.
Sadness flashed across Kirin's face. She released Nir and walked over to Merrie, her bare feet tapping lightly on the cobblestones. Kneeling down, with one knee on each side of Merrie's head, she crouched over her. “We won't make her enter, you know that? Legally or morally.”
Merrie nodded. She lifted her eyes from Kirin's immense cock to look up at the blue-gold eyes. She could smell the perfume on Kirin's skin, the unique smell made only for her.
Kirin cupped Merrie's chin and searched her face for a long time.
“You have to do something, don't you? And you might not come back.”
Merrie thought about the mansion. It scared her, but she had to go back. She didn't know what was there or if she could handle it. She struggled to make a noise, a sound to explain it. But, there was nothing she could say. She reached up and kissed Kirin on the lips.
The woman smiled and kissed her back. “Be safe, Lost Alpha,” she whispered. “We'll take good care of her. For twenty-four hours, we can give her the shelter of the guild without requiring her to enter. No more. But, even if you take longer, I'll take care of her for you.”
Kirin kissed Merrie on the lips and stood up. She hooked her arm around Nir and guided the young woman down the street. There was a warmth between them, some of it due to Kirin's magic, but also Nir's crumbling resistance. Months of being with Merrie showed that the guild wasn't evil and no one had ever even tried to hurt Merrie or Scorch.
Glancing to her side, Merrie noticed that some of the guild were watching her. Elf, Barrel, and Pristine were all on the side of the door. Barrel had tears running down his face and Elf was patting Barrel on the hand. Pristine just looked sick, as if the idea of Merrie leaving was making her ill.
Merrie could never leave the guild, no matter what Sari or Kirin said. It was her home, but she had to do something first. Taking a deep breath, she blew them a kiss and turned away from the guild. She walked alone down the street and into the darkness, her other home.