Claudia woke slowly, coming up from unconsciousness in fuzzy stages. She first felt that her throat hurt. She tried clearing it but gasped when pain shot through her neck. The pain in her throat cascaded down her chest and out to her arms, and Claudia realized that her arms were spread out above her, a leather cuff on each wrist. She became aware that she was leaning forward slightly so that her weight rested on a pillow below her chest, and she was standing on the balls of her feet. When she tried to stand upright, Claudia felt a leather strap that had been tied around her waist, holding her in place against the pillow. Struggling against the cuffs that held her arms out, she tried to call out for help, but all that came out was a whimper. A strip of silk had been tied around her face, gagging her. Fear rose up from the pit of her stomach, and she flailed wildly, trying to free herself from the straps that bound her, but the more she struggled, the tighter the cuffs on her wrist got, so after a few minutes of useless fighting, she slumped out of breath against the pillow. Forcing herself to be calm, she took stock of her surroundings. She was upstairs in Artie's office, and the cuffs were attached to a pipe on the ceiling. She had on a short loose skirt, but her panties, shirt and bra were gone, and she was barefoot. Experimentally, she tried working her left wrist to free herself from the leather cuff, but the more she worked the tighter the cuff got, and she had to stop when her fingers began tingling from lack of circulation. The cuff loosened slightly, and Claudia flexed her hand when she felt her fingers return to normal.
She was still trying to work out her means of escape when she heard a soft footstep behind her. Claudia froze, not knowing who was in the room with her. She tried calling out for Artie, but she only produced a soft muffle around her gag. She gasped when she felt a rough hand on her shoulder, and the cuffs tightened when she instinctively pulled away, drawing a yelp of pain.
"Oh, my pet," Artie softly whispered in Claudia's right ear, making her shudder. "Why do you tremble so?" He gently trailed a finger down her outstretched arm. "Are you afraid, darling?" Claudia didn't move. Artie raised his hand and brandished the whip, a black piece of sleek braided leather. He trailed the handle gently down her arms and across her chest, the whip gleaming slightly. When he gently brushed the side of her face with the whip, Artie chuckled softly as Claudia pulled away in fear. He reached back and grabbed a handful of her hair again, tilting her head up so she would have to face him. "Are you afraid now, my dearest?"
Claudia looked into Artie's eyes, but Artie was gone. All she saw was the sick madness of the Marquis, and she nodded her head, a single tear streaming down her face. Artie gently wiped the moisture away and whispered, "That's good, because you should be."
Artie pulled away from Claudia and stepped behind her. Her trembling stopped after a few minutes, but her fear came roaring back when she felt Artie gently stroking her back with the tip of the whip. She shook as he lightly trailed kisses down her back, his whiskers tickling her. When he had made her skin as sensitive as he could, he stepped back and raised his arm. For a moment Artie struggled, his arm not wanting to come down. Claudia's fear bloomed into terror when she heard Artie whisper, "Forgive me." With a cry of guilt and self-damnation, Artie struck Claudia with the Marquis's whip.
Claudia had expected it to be painful, but she had no idea it would feel like this. The whip cut into her back, leaving a trail of white-hot fiery pain in its wake. She cried out, the agony burning deeper until it scorched her very soul. The whip hit her again, slicing through her skin and wounding her very essence. Artie lashed her a third time, a fourth, a fifth, more, and with each strike Claudia felt herself fading away, her consciousness consumed by fire and torment.
"Artie, stop!"
When Artie whirled around and saw Leena, he lunged at her, his face a mask of rage and insanity. He got two steps towards her when she fired her Tesla, bluish lightning throwing him back against the wall. Artie slumped down to the floor, and when he got back up to attack Leena, she smiled.
"Uh uh. Not today, my friend." She reached for the large can of neutralizer she had brought from downstairs, took off the lid, and doused Artie with purple goo.
The effect was instantaneous. The room exploded in white light, knocking Artie and Leena back against separate walls. The whip jerked, and balls of white energy flew from its tip to rest in Claudia. The energy rushed to the leather cuffs, releasing them, and Claudia slumped against the pillow unconscious. Leena projected her awareness into Claudia, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she felt that Claudia's soul was back in one piece.
Artie stirred, moaning on the floor. Leena rushed over to him and helped him sit up. Artie opened his eyes, blinking away the neutralizer that covered his lids. He looked at Leena, confused.
"See, Artie? I told you I could save you both."
Artie shook his head in puzzlement, and when he glanced over and saw Claudia, the weight of what he had done hit him. He stood up and hesitantly walked to her, retching at the sight of so much blood. He reached behind her head and gently untied her gag. When he raised her head to look at her, she jerked away from him.
"Claudia, baby, it's me. It's me, Artie," he whispered, stroking the side of her face. She looked up at him, and when she saw that it was Artie looking at her, the real and true Artie, her Artie, she gave him a weak smile. She licked her lips and croaked, "You okay, old man?"
Artie moaned and sunk to his knees. After what I've done to you, I'll never be okay again. He looked up at Claudia and shook his head. "Claudia, I-I don't even know what to say." He reached up to her but didn't touch her, feeling like a penitent worshiper seeking forgiveness. "Look what I've done..."
Her chin quivered, and tears began pouring down her face. "Just tell me that you love me, Artie. Please, just tell me that."
Artie looked down at his hands, remembering the feel of the whip as he struck her. Gazing back up at Claudia, he said, "With these hands, I nearly took your life. I'm not worthy of loving you."
Leena walked up to Artie and put a hand on his shoulder. She gently touched Claudia, avoiding the many cuts on her back. "I have a way to fix this." She reached into her pocket and brought out the little box she had taken from the shelf at the B&B.
When she handed the box to Artie, he saw an inscription on the bottom written in Greek. "Thee unto me," he translated, and looked up at Leena.
"Open it."
Artie removed the lid and took out a needle, long and cruel. He raised an eyebrow at Leena. "Is this what I think it is?"
Leena smiled sadly. "Yes, it's the Panacea Needle. Mrs. Frederic has me keep it at the Bed and Breakfast in case of emergency." She looked at Artie and asked, "Do you think you can take it?"
Artie slowly let out a breath and nodded grimly. "You've given me a shot at redemption," he said quietly, putting the needle back in the box and closing the lid. "For that, I can take anything."
