500 Miles
Hellfire
By Princess Alexandria
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Warnings: bdsm, sexual situations, violence, profanity, drug use, and noncon all apply to Hellfire, I'll just put this warning in once, but keep it in mind … I think I'm checking to make sure it isn't nc-17, but if you read this and think I still need to work on it please let me know. I'm not trying to sneak past the R rating, I just have trouble classifying my work. This goes for future chapters of hellfire as well.
"She's a monster." Christy whispered.
"Yes she is." Emma glanced down at Christy and Christy let go immediately. She was still on the floor, so she scooted back to her post. "What did she say?"
"That I was full of life." It still didn't sound right to her, but a woman like that probably could tell.
Emma stood taller. "Come." She patted her thigh and started to walk. Christy moved to stand, but then stopped. "What?" Emma turned to glare at her.
"I'm supposed to stay."
"And I'm telling you that I can't leave you here alone and I need to talk with Sebastian."
"Tessa told me to stay."
"I'm not going to argue this. Come or I'll punish you for disobeying and I'll do it here in front of everyone." The tone of voice promised the punishment would be severe if she didn't follow now. Christy glanced around the room and noticed several eyes watching this.
"Yes Mistress. I'm sorry, I don't understand so much." Christy got to her feet and did her best to appear humble and subservient when she wanted to just growl at her lover's double for acting like she was a pet.
Emma took a hold of the ring on her collar and started for the doors Christy came in. "You do realize that now Tessa will have to punish you for disobeying her don't you?" Emma smirked at her and Christy stopped walking for just a moment. The harsh tug got her moving again. "You really couldn't win in that situation. That happens sometimes. Sometimes you have to pick between punishments."
Bitch, Christy thought with venom as they stepped out of the party and into the halls. Would Tessa really punish her? Christy wondered what the dark haired woman might have to do now to keep up appearances.
"Sebastian, I think we need to reconsider our plans for Christy here tonight." Christy cautiously followed Emma into a room, which turned out to be a large office. Tessa turned and stared at her, from where it looked like she was filing something. "I just stopped Selene from killing her during the party. Christy shouldn't be left alone." Emma's voice became suggestive. "I could keep her in my room."
The silence from the three of them told Christy the conversation just went telepathic. She just sighed and clasped her hands behind her back while waiting. Finally someone spoke out loud for her benefit. "Fine you two can work out the details."
"Also I believe Tessa gave Christy very specific instructions to stay by the couch." Emma turned slowly to smirk at Christy. "Obviously she didn't do it."
"Christy." Tessa's voice was commanding. "Come here." Christy hesitantly did what she was told, while wondering what punishment was. What could it be?
Tessa took her by the ring in that collar, the one Christy hated now and lead them out of the room without telling anyone what she'd do. They moved back towards the party. It sounded like the other two were following to see this but Christy didn't dare try to turn her head while Tessa had such a good grip on the collar.
"It looks like we'll be giving them the show they all wanted." Tessa tugged Christy more roughly into the party room and Christy had to work hard to stay on her feet and walk behind her. Tessa didn't really have a choice, did she? Christy didn't think Tessa wanted to punish her, did she?
Part of her felt like running, since this was just the beginning. She wasn't really afraid, not of tonight, but she'd be lying if she didn't acknowledge that she was afraid of how bad it would get here. With Tessa right here escape attempts were guaranteed to fail, because for all the training Christy had in fighting during the past three years, Tessa had so easily captured her when she got here.
Christy's steps slowed as she noticed Tessa was walking them towards the end of the room with the weird torture devices. A sharp tug on her collar kept her moving. She felt several different caresses to her shield as telepaths tried to determine what was happening, but Christy's shield held.
"Kneel here." Tessa spoke in brief commands, clearly not wanting to discuss anything. A light came on for the darkened corner, lighting up the almost stock-like looking thing. It was missing a place to hold her head, but after Christy kneeled, she could feel Tessa pulling chain through the loop in the ankle cuffs.
Christy caught a glance of all the people that stopped what they were doing, some were still in position, mid stroke during sex on tables and facing the stage as they watched what Tessa was doing to her. She forced herself to not look, did her best to not think about the audience.
She'd suffered far worse than this in her life. She would survive the embarrassment, it wouldn't kill her. Christy told herself this as Tessa forced her to bend over the bench and tied her wrists down as well. The feeling of helplessness among so many enemies had her breathing harder in fear. All she had to protect her was Tessa. She couldn't move to protect herself now. It took effort to not pull power, it was a reflex to fear now, but she wasn't supposed to still be able to. Christy caught one dark clad woman watching with a lot of interest, yeah, Selene. She'd probably catch it if Christy let even a little of the death touch her. Death or life, whatever it was she absorbed.
"Don't beg, don't scream, and I wont gag you." Tessa spoke to her while squatting in front of her. Tessa caressed her hair gently, belying the harsh words and situation with the show of tenderness. "I'm going to spank you for your disobedience."
A spanking? Part of Christy wanted to laugh at the idea, but all of this preparation made it more serious. Still it wasn't whipping. She still didn't have to deal with that until the next night.
Tessa moved out of her line of sight, then Christy felt and saw the blindfold being put over her eyes. "Don't think about them, just me." Again Tessa spoke so gently.
"They're trying to get into my head." Christy whispered as yet another volley of telepathic probes bounced off her shield. It was impossible to ignore that.
"But they can't, can they?" Tessa spoke a little louder. "No telepath can touch your mind."
"No, they can't." Christy felt fewer attempts, only one or two even continued to try. As Tessa moved around her body Tessa kept a hand on Christy. The last telepaths gave up and Tessa moved to rest a hand on Christy's lower back.
"Have you ever been spanked before?" Tessa asked, almost casually.
"No…" Christy paused before remembering, "No Mistress." Christy felt hyper aware of what she could sense. She could hear the quiet in the room that had been so noisy as they walked in. She could feel the caress of air as it moved through the room. She could feel the warmth of Tessa's hand on her back. She could smell the leather of her cuffs and the cushion under her body. The slight dizziness of the drugs in her blood seemed to tilt the room just a little back and forth.
"It needs to be bare bottom." Tessa's other hand caressed Christy's panty clad rear gently, before fingers caught the edge of the panties and started to pull them down. Christy's fists clenched as she heard the audience make a few comments. "Just me." Tessa spoke again, as if trying to calm a wild horse.
Christy did her best to ignore the offers to help Tessa with this, or the ones to break in her ass another way.
Christy's back tensed when Tessa's hand moved to caress Christy's now exposed flesh, but slowly she relaxed as the caresses just touched her. Christy swallowed hard and tried to ignore how parts of her anatomy were coming alive with Tessa's gentle touch. She felt Tessa's fingers gently caress her rear, felt them slowly run over her side and back. Tessa's hand left her and then the loud smack startled Christy again. She felt a tingle of blood rising to her skin where Tessa struck her. She gasped in shock, from the noise and the suddenness of it, but it didn't hurt. Christy expected pain.
"I'm warming you up." Tessa spoke softly again, no anger motivated this spanking and Tessa almost seemed to read her confusion in her body language. "It will hurt and you will have trouble sitting." Another slap hit her other cheek, it started a volley of hits. The hits moved location, never concentrating on a single spot.
After Christy started to really feel the sting the hits stopped and Tessa was gently caressing her again. Her fingers trailed down to the place her legs met her body and Christy's breath stopped as she felt those fingers gently touch her sex. Wet. She hadn't even realized until Tessa touched her there. Christy's face reddened in embarrassment as she became aware of the throbbing. Her head fell forward and she was so grateful when Tessa didn't say anything or do anything to show she'd noticed.
Christy's breathing came faster as the strikes became harder. Her body flinched with each one, but she kept her mouth clamped shut so she wouldn't whimper when Tessa hit her especially hard. Her head stayed hanging down, her arms strained against the bondage.
The room echoed with the slaps. Tears wet the blindfold, not that she was crying, but it hurt and the tears just leaked out.
"Oh that's a reddened bottom alright." Some heckler's voice got through her haze. It reminded her of the audience she'd forgotten. It had felt like Tessa was the only person here with her. She couldn't see the audience, but she turned her face away from them in shame.
She flinched again when she felt Tessa's hand gently caressing her. The change in types of touches were disorienting, and she started to mentally plead for Tessa to get her out of here, away from the eyes she could feel on her, but Tessa couldn't hear her. For once she wished she could transfer the link she had with her lover to a different telepath completely. "You did very well." Tessa's hand almost seemed to soothe the fire of Christy's skin. A whimper finally escaped her lips as her tense body just let go, her body sagged against the bench.
Tessa's fingers dragged the underwear that had just barely been pulled down back over her sensitive flesh. "I'll take you to bed now." Tessa spoke as Christy felt hands working on the chains that held her ankles.
"I'll bet you will." Someone spoke, and Christy's face burned in humiliation.
"Looks like Shaw's henchwoman knows how to handle an ass." There was laughter. Tessa's motions didn't even seem to indicate she'd heard them. Tessa's hand caressed up Christy's back, and two hands moved to gently squeeze her shoulders, before Christy felt Tessa undoing the chains holding her arms. Those hands that had hit her with such strength were so painfully gentle, so soft and warm.
Christy's muscles ached from pulling on the chains. Tessa seemed to know that, because she took more time to gently rub Christy's shoulders. Everywhere Tessa touched her seemed to hum with want and Christy took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
"Up." Tessa's voice didn't show the warmth her hands did.
Christy reached for the blindfold after she straightened up and was just resting on her knees, but Tessa's hand stopped her. "Leave it on."
Tessa's hands caressed Christy's jaw, which was still clenched. "Thank me." Tessa whispered and Christy felt Tessa's breath on her face.
"Thank you mistress." Christy's voice was choked, raw. The kiss, took her by surprise and Christy groaned as she let Tessa kiss her deeply. Tessa was such a good kisser that Christy leaned closer as Tessa leaned away.
"I'll be damned. Tessa's tamed an Xman." A gruff voice filled the room. Christy's body tensed and she pulled away from the kiss, suddenly reminded of the audience, and then the guilt hit her. She loved Emma, her Emma. She shouldn't have kissed Tessa.
"Come." There was a gentle tug on her arm. "Be careful, you'll be unsteady on your feet." That turned out to be true. Christy wobbled on her heels and was embarrassed again by a squeak of panic as she thought she'd fall. She still couldn't see anything. Another person took her other arm and Christy was lead away by two women. She could smell Emma's subtle perfume and knew it must be a sight, having the White Queen and Tessa leading her out of the room.
"Good idea leaving the blindfold on her Tessa."
"I don't want to talk about this Emma." There was a cold edge to Tessa's voice.
"It really was more merciful to introduce her to this in stages. Don't be mad at me for tricking her."
Christy couldn't bring herself to interrupt, even though they were talking about here in front of her again. She just hung her head down and walked where these women led her.
Her ears caught the hum of a familiar air conditioner and her body tensed. "Not the cold room, please." She whispered. More tears hit the blindfold as she imagined being put in that room now.
"Good ears, but no. I'm taking you to my room." Tessa spoke gently and caressed Christy's lower back. "You won't have to go to the cold room again."
"Should you have told her that?" Emma asked as Christy heard the hum of that room getting weaker. They must have passed it.
"Thank you for helping us up here." Tessa's voice was very businesslike, "but I have it now."
"I bet you do. I heard from a feral that he could smell her arousal. Is that why you were petting her so much? You wanted her ready for you?" Christy gasped as Emma said that. Her embarrassment was complete now.
"Come Christy." A door opened and Tessa's fingers caressed her cheek before grabbing the blindfold to remove it. It was bright as Christy's now live eyes tried to adjust to the light change.
"Yes Christy." Emma's voice was amused. "Tessa is good at getting women to come. Have fun. I'm going to go back to the party and find someone to help me deal with how hot and bothered watching the two of you has made me."
Christy looked away from Emma and caught the eyes of her tormenter and protector. "Come." Tessa spoke gently and closed the door behind them, locking Emma's cruelty outside. Tessa motioned for Christy to sit on the bed, but when Christy attempted it, it hurt.
"Take off your clothes and lay down. I'll take care of you. I know how it burns."
Christy endured sitting long enough to remove the shoes. She only hesitated a moment before removing the ankle cuffs so that she could, then she unlaced the corset. It was too late to be modest around Tessa now. Her teeth gritted a little as she bent to remove the panties, before turning to lay on her stomach. She wasn't sure what taking care of her entailed, but she waited patiently for Tessa to come back from the bathroom.
"Why didn't you try to escape?" Tessa asked gently as she moved to sit on the bed gracefully. Everything this woman did was graceful. The collar was gently removed and set aside.
"Because I can't get out of this body by myself." Christy hated how worn her voice sounded. It wasn't like she screamed, she'd managed not to. "I need Emma's help." Tessa removed the cuffs on her wrists as she spoke.
"Emma's help always comes with a high price. If it's a telepath you need…" Tessa offered. It was sweet.
"It's Emma. In my world," Christy sighed.
"She's your lover. I figured that out. But she isn't here is she? This isn't the woman you know."
"No." Christy moved to hug the pillow to her. "This is the most not my Emma I've found." She felt a wave of pain that she pushed away. "My Emma might have been like this once, but not anymore." Christy hugged the pillow tighter. "But my shield keeps all telepaths but one out, and my double needs to know how to hold herself separate so I can pull out. It takes both of us to separate."
"Raven won't trust Emma."
"I don't even trust this Emma."
"She may have tricked you, but in her own warped way this Emma thought that was a mercy. She wasn't lying. Tomorrow will be hard on you, but maybe now it won't be quite that hard."
Christy didn't say anything to that.
"I want to put something on your skin to try and keep down bruising. It will also help deaden the pain." Christy nodded and Tessa repositioned herself.
"I'm sorry this was necessary." Tessa spoke gently while she put some cool cream on Christy's very rosy cheeks. "But at least it was me that had to discipline you. Emma may claim white is her favorite color, but she likes a nice deep red too." Christy chuckled at Tessa's attempt to break the tension. Her Tessa rarely joked with her.
The caress was soothing. Christy groaned a little in pleasure as Tessa moved her hands over sore, tender muscles in her back as well. "You're so good at this." She felt she had to say something to acknowledge this favor.
"I know how it hurts, and you don't have my discipline. You were pulling on your chains."
That was yet another time Christy had heard it, and she felt she could ask now, now that she'd been there. "You were a slave?" Tessa told her as much, but no details.
"Not all the slaves are owned outright. Sometimes they are bought for a weekend, or lost in a card game for a while." Tessa's caresses were gentle, loving even. That was another question Christy had, but she'd wait. "During these parties now, I usually just observe. Occasionally I have to participate, and that's always been as a slave, until now. That's why Jacqueline was so interested in you, because I'd never shown any interest in a slave before." Christy felt the gentle pressure on her side, asking her to turn over. She did it gingerly. "But Emma was right. If I don't show interest Selene won't have any competition in getting you. I've saved up a good deal of points, nearly what Selene has."
"Points?" Christy felt a shiver at the idea that Selene had a lot of them, because that seemed important.
"Yes. Making dares, bets, doing favors, these are all worth points. It's a game Sebastian created to equalize things for his parties. Even the richest among us is on equal footing with the poorest that way." Tessa's hand moved to caress Christy's ribs. "I never buy, and I'm good at cards."
"Um, Tessa." Christy felt Tessa's hands move to caress her stomach then a little lower. Her body betrayed her by wanting that touch. "Why are you touching me? I have a lover."
"I know." Tessa's hand stopped, resting on Christy's stomach. "But you need to be used to this. If you flinch away from a touch you could find someone else punishing you. I'm training you so you can survive this." Tessa leaned over Christy. "If your lover is anything at all like this Emma, if she's been in the Hellfire club, she'll forgive you anything that happens here. It's survival. We all learned that." Tessa's hand dipped further down and Christy reached down quickly to grab it before Tessa could touch even lower.
"Slave." Tessa spoke that one word with authority.
"Not here. Out there." Christy wasn't a slave here.
"Christy, once you're purchased you are a slave everywhere." Tessa tugged on her hand and Christy let it go. "And you can't tell me that if I'd tried to do that at the party without your being chained up that you wouldn't have reacted the same way. I know, because that's what I did the first time." Tessa moved her hand down Christy's stomach again, letting Christy feel the progress it made towards her sex. "I was whipped and left to hang so that people could touch me without my trying to stop it. That's how I learned to not flinch." Christy was horrified to think Tessa had been through that, but the caress moved lower. "Don't flinch." Tessa whispered to her, her body half leaning over Christy.
Sure fingers moved through Christy's folds and Christy could feel her wetness being explored. She tried to turn away in her shame, but Tessa spoke softly. "No shame, no hiding, just be."
A finger caressed her so intimately. Christy gasped as her body ached. Tessa spoke again, her own voice slightly rough. "You like this. That will help you."
"Tessa." Christy arched into the touch. "Tessa."
"The spanking. I noticed you getting wet."
"Oh God Tessa." Christy's head leaned back, digging into the pillow. "Emma, I'm Emma's. She doesn't share. My Emma doesn't share." She spoke frantically as she felt her body burning for a woman that wasn't her lover.
"Come for me." Tessa stared down at her. "Do it here where I can let you cry afterwards."
The tears started early. Christy gasped for breath and started to try and crawl backwards, away from Tessa. Tessa pressed a strong hand down on her chest, stopping her. "Don't run. Feel me."
"Tessa." Christy felt her body shaking and knew. "TESSA." She called. "Please Tessa, NO."
"You have to do it. Do it for me." Tessa's fingers moved so insistently, so perfectly. "Raven." Tessa called out and the passion in her voice proved too much for Christy.
"TESSA…. Oh God Tessa." Tears streamed down her face as she screamed out her lover's name. Her body shook violently as she came. Christy felt like it wasn't her screaming out. When she fell to the bed spent she felt like she was an observer as her body whispered. "I love you Tessa."
"I'm so sorry it has to be this way Raven." Tessa pulled her closer and whispered to her. "I'm doing all that I can." There was a roar in her ears and Christy found herself able to move again. She laid there, stunned.
The tears started to fall, and Tessa held her as she cried.
………………….
"Ugh." Christy moved her arm to cover her eyes.
"You need some hair of the dog that bit you." Emma's voice filled the room and Christy's eyes popped open, the light stinging them. "I brought it." The pounding in Christy's head didn't cover up the guilt she felt at being found in the bed she'd just shared with Tessa.
Emma smirked at her and swept her cloak out of her way so she could sit on the bed. "So, now that our Xman is not so innocent, you can tell me. You like it don't you? The spankings. Those were never my thing, but you like it."
"Don't torment her Emma." Tessa's voice drew Christy's eyes to the bathroom. Tessa's hair was impeccable again and she was dressed in her black again, or still. Christy didn't remember all of the night. Did she ever touch Tessa back?
"It looks like she's been crying." Emma grabbed Christy's chin and Christy yanked it out of Emma's grasp angrily. "Oh child, don't become all willful now."
"I'm three years older than you. Stop calling me child." Actually if she thought about it there were more years, if she was counting from her real age and not her double.
"And how would you know that?" Emma moved to stand with her arms crossed in front of her as Christy tossed the sheets off and started to look for her own clothes, or whatever served as clothes here.
"Emma, your age is a matter of public record." Tessa answered for Christy.
"Well I believe its good I dropped by, given her grumpiness. That simply wont do."
"Christy, go ahead and take a shower." Tessa stood staring at Emma as she said that. Christy found her corset and grabbed it as she moved in that direction. "There are new panties in there for you."
"I imagine the last pair was too wet to put back on." Emma teased. Christy turned to glare at the woman. "Is that right dear? Was it too wet?" Christy just stared and Emma's face reddened a little. "I want an answer. Are you actually just a little slut?"
"No."
"So the underwear?" Emma glanced around the room. "It wouldn't happen to be around here would it Tessa."
"You didn't want to buy me. I don't see its any of your business."
Emma's irritating smirk faded and she took a step towards Christy. "Kneel" Emma commanded with a hint of a growl. It was probably a mistake to challenge her, but Christy turned obviously to Tessa.
Tessa had to repeat the order. "Kneel." Then Christy did it, with as much grace as she could manage while naked.
"You broke her last night, didn't you?" Emma's white boots entered Christy's view of the floor. "New slaves always rebel after they're broken for the first time. They try to get their power and pride back. Do you remember that Tessa?"
"I forget nothing Emma."
"That's right." Emma squatted down in front of Christy and spoke to her. "Eyes to me." It felt like a command you might teach a dog.
Christy complied, but slowly. Emma's sky blue eyes stared into hers and Christy felt the brush of a mind again, but she didn't let it in. "You are public domain. If I so desire I could take you back to my room right now and teach you your place. I am the White Queen and you are nothing but a slave."
"You aren't a real queen. You're just playing games and dress up. You rule nothing." Christy spoke clearly.
"Oh, to be so naive. You're words wound me." Emma mocked her by putting a hand over her chest, pretending to be struck. The hand darting out towards her face startled her, but Christy's arm came up to block it. "Don't defend yourself dear, you've lost that right." Christy looked past Emma to see Tessa's expression. When Emma moved to hit her again, Christy let her, and fell off balance. It wasn't hard and wouldn't bruise. It was a show of power and nothing else.
"I am the White Queen, and I may not have a country, but I do rule you." Christy's thoughts screamed, you are not My Queen. But she just pushed herself back into position and kneeled semi-obediently. "Tessa, I think we should shave her for tonight, don't you?"
"I'll prepare her for it." Tessa spoke and Christy felt an embarrassed flush.
"I can…"
"I didn't say you could speak." Tessa moved to her side. "Stand up."
Christy stood and waited. Tessa's hand moved slowly enough to not startle her as Tessa ran her hand through the short hairs being discussed. They were hardly wild or unruly, her double wasn't neglecting herself. The thought of being bare there was embarrassing. Christy, in her own form didn't have to worry about things like this, but her double might not like being shaved, it might be a reminder of what happened here.
"Come." Tessa started walking towards the bathroom. Christy followed and could feel that Emma was following as well. That made it worse. Tessa would have done it matter of fact and tried, perhaps, to minimize the embarrassment. Emma would mock her the entire time.
"Have you ever shaved?"
"Completely, no." Christy moved to the counter Tessa set a towel on and with a sigh and moment to try and prepare herself she moved to sit on it. "I don't like how it looks. It looks like a child."
"Oh, Tessa tell me, have you grown out yet?"
Tessa moved Christy's legs further apart and Christy looked away from both women, her face red as she was so exposed. "Enough that Christy won't feel like I'm too young to sleep with." It was said with no real inflection. "Don't move."
Emma stood behind Tessa's kneeling form to watch her work. Christy closed her eyes so she couldn't see it, but she could feel Tessa pulling gently on her hairs and trimming them short. She could practically feel the eyes on her and she could feel Tessa's breath.
"You are well formed." Emma spoke softly, "and opening like a flower." Christy's face reddened even more. "aroused dear?"
The soft clank of the scissors being set aside had Christy looking down at Tessa again. That woman's pale skin was beautiful and her face so close to Christy's sex that it had Christy gasping just a little.
"Definitely aroused. How do you do it Tessa? Your first slave actually really wants you."
"I'm not cruel." Tessa stood up and held a hand out to help Christy off the counter. "Shower then I'll finish."
Christy just nodded and eagerly moved to the shower and away from that embarrassment, if only for a little while.
"You still act like a slave as a master. Kneeling in front of her dear, you shouldn't do that." Emma spoke to Tessa and Christy found the shampoo with one hand as she listened in.
"It does no harm. She knows her place better than most would in her situation."
"She talks back."
"Only in here. It is too tiring to be a slave at all times. I give her some freedom here."
Christy had to listen in hard and as she scrubbed her hair, which still felt oddly short to her, she found out she could still enhance her hearing. It was a small shapeshift. Christy lowered her shield and started sucking in power while she was able to. She wasn't alone, but the women were outside of her stall.
"Has she said anything?" Emma spoke more quietly and Christy just smiled a little, relieved that she'd found a way to be more than merely a tiny step above human in this reality.
"I believe her. I believe she isn't Raven, not really. In which case, she has nothing to tell us. Nothing she can say to protect herself."
"Sebastian told me about your theory." Emma spoke while Christy quickly tried to rinse her hair so she could hear easier. "It seems far fetched."
"I've seen Raven's work and she isn't sloppy. She wouldn't fall through a door she was listening at. This woman doesn't strike me as that sloppy either. When she saw her reflection that first moment I saw shock in her eyes Emma. She didn't know what she looked like."
Christy put an arm in front of her and focused on just a little more, just a layer of skin over it, as if this body were the frame for another. It was an idea that came to her in her sleep, that she wished she could take the whipping for her double, so Raven wouldn't be scarred if the person doing it to her was too violent. She watched as her arm became just a little thicker.
It didn't take too much water for that, it wasn't a third arm. Christy smiled slowly and let the arm go back to normal. It would be hard to maintain it, it took a lot of concentration, but any minute she had that up instead of Raven's skin was a minute less torture her double had to experience helplessly.
"What is taking you so long?" Emma yelled out.
"I'm debating about turning to water and going down the drain."
"Lovely escape plan dear. Get out here." Emma lowered her voice. "She is an interesting one. It would be a shame to break her completely."
"I don't plan to."
"You better bid more than the others then, because from what I hear everyone else wants her to become a shell of what she was."
"I'll do my best."
"We have a few hours until the party. Would you like to play chess while Christy recovers from the experience of being shaved?" Christy rinsed the soap from her body as she thought about the fact that Emma had to know she'd just volunteered to lose points to Tessa, because Tessa was unbeatable.
She wasn't as nervous about the shaving as she stepped out of the shower. Despite being a bitch, Emma might be trying to help.
Her hair was slicked back as it dried and Christy moved to sit on the counter again. Tessa pulled a chair over to sit between her legs and Christy tried to look somewhere else. Emma smirked at her, so Christy didn't look over there.
"Watch her. Watch what she's doing to you." Emma ordered softly. Christy watched as Tessa applied shaving cream to Christy's pubic area, it felt cold, which made this harder to ignore.
Tessa took a razor and slowly, methodically, ran it over Christy's flesh. There was a bowl of water sitting on the closed toilet, and Tessa rinsed the razor off after each pass. Tessa's hands held Christy intimately as she shaved her.
"Could you hand me the Witch Hazel Emma?" Tessa spoke as she gently patted Christy with a towel, removing the last of the shaving cream. Christy's breath was a little fast as she felt the warmth and fullness that begged to be filled in her own body.
"Let me do it." Emma spoke and Christy turned her wide eyes to the mischievous grin the blonde was giving her and the bottle in her hand. "I want to double check your work anyhow."
"Christy, stay still." Tessa ordered as she stood up and Tessa's eyes stared into Christy's. If they could talk telepathically Christy imagined Tessa was telling her to behave.
"You certainly are pretty." Where Emma was looking gave little doubt to what was supposedly pretty. Christy blushed.
"Thank you." Her own lover had said that to her before, but it was just weird here.
Emma's bottle lay forgotten as Emma sat on the chair and ran a hand over the newly shaved skin. Christy's hands clenched and she stared with wide eyes as Emma ran a finger lower. "Wet, that's what I thought." Christy groaned as she felt a finger run along her sex. "So it isn't just Tessa, then is it dear." The sudden intrusion had Christy sucking in a shocked breath.
"Emma." She whimpered as the finger moved in and out slowly.
"Don't beg dear. You only get pleasure if your master wills it." The finger came out and Christy just stared into those blue eyes. "I don't will it now." Emma spoke a little coldly. "You get nothing for free from me. I don't doubt Tessa was content to just pleasure you, that's normally her role here, but that isn't how a true master behaves."
The not so veiled complaint about Tessa had Christy feeling defensive. Her eyes narrowed just a little and Emma laughed. The White Queen opened the bottle and poured some of the contents on her hands. The soft petting motion over the shaved area was less sexual than before. "When you are whipped tonight, you'll be bare back, which will mean bare front as well. You're panties are all that you'll be allowed to keep, so do try not to get them too wet."
"I don't like pain." Christy objected to the constant suggestion.
"And I didn't say you could talk." Emma's eyes were cold for just a moment. "But I'll forgive you this time, since Tessa explained your partial freedom in her rooms." Emma's eyes stared into her. "If you were my slave you'd have pleasured me then slept on a blanket in the corner of the room."
Christy started to open her mouth to respond to that, but Tessa shook her head, so she closed it. Her voice was softer as she decided she just had to say something. "Some of the others here chose to be here. They decided to give up their freedom. Do you see how that's different than me? I just decided I didn't want to die, and this is what I have to do to live…" Christy took a shaky breath. "There could be a time when I chose death over rape, because really those are the only choices opened to me."
Emma sat back and the teasing twinkle in her eyes faded. "You're all ready to get dressed." Christy watched Emma stand up and hand Tessa the bottle. "I'll set up the chess board while you tend to your slave."
Tessa held out a hand to help her down. "You've managed to render the White Queen silent."
"I've been in a relationship with an Emma for two years. I've learned a few things." Christy sighed. "She gets caught up in the games and forgets there are people involved sometimes. She doesn't usually do that to me though."
"Two years?" Tessa moved to lace up Christy's corset. "That might be a record for her."
"It was in my world."
"It's hard to imagine you with Emma." Tessa spoke as she tied off the corset.
"Because Raven's your lover." Christy spoke quietly and stared into Tessa's eyes.
"She's not." Tessa handed Christy her underwear. Christy could see how Emma might think Tessa was more servant than Master in this strange relationship, but it didn't lessen the dark haired woman in Christy's eyes.
"She's not?" Christy thought she had it all figured out.
"No, she's not." Tessa moved to the door. "Finish getting ready before you come out."
…………………….
Christy finished her hair and then stepped out to see Tessa and Emma sitting across from each other with a chess board between them. She moved to Tessa's side and waited for some idea of what she was supposed to do.
"Do you play chess?" Tessa asked her as she moved a piece.
"No." Her Emma offered to teach her once, but they ended up making love instead. Her lover had made the mistake of saying something about taking the Queen, so Christy did.
"Go ahead and sit in the chair. I'll explain as we play." Tessa gave her a slight smile. Christy moved to sit but she didn't miss the look Emma gave Tessa, the one that said she shouldn't spoil the slave.
It was interesting to see the difference in the way the women played. Tessa didn't appear to take any time considering her moves, but when she explained why she moved the way she did to Christy it was well thought out. Emma seemed to be irritated that Tessa was playing her and teaching at the same time. Emma thought out each move carefully before picking up her piece to move it.
Emma moved a piece then turned to look at Christy. "There should be a larger crowd tonight. Word has gotten out that you are being whipped."
Christy's lips tightened just a little, but she forced herself to focus on what Tessa was doing as Tessa moved another piece.
"Since Tessa had to discipline you yesterday, someone else will be taking the whip." Christy turned to look at Emma then. She could see the rest of the comment in those familiar eyes. She wondered if she'd orchestrated things so that she could be the one with the whip tonight. "To avoid complaints about Tessa not sharing a public domain slave, I'll be taking you to my room afterwards as well. I hope you have stamina, lots of stamina."
Christy's eyes became a little troubled as she considered what Emma meant. It might be a ploy to scare, but Emma might actually expect Christy to have sex with her.
Sex, not make love.
Christy had trouble concentrating for the rest of the chess game, but Tessa won of course.
………………
Christy was lead into the party early, but there was still a decent size crowd. Tessa held onto her collar as she walked Christy towards Emma, who looked a little more naked without her cloak. The cloak was draped over a chair. "Tessa, you can leave her with me and get the rope."
"Of course Emma." Tessa nodded just a little and she caressed Christy's shoulder gently as she passed.
"We still have a little longer." Emma moved forward and held out a pill and a glass of water for her. "So it isn't as sharp. It fuzzes the edges of reality, making it more bearable."
"I need to be able to concentrate." Christy hadn't told Emma about her powers. No one put a collar on her today because of it getting in the way of the whip, so she didn't have to hide it. "But thank you." It was an attempt to be nice after all.
Emma studied her carefully. "I was told you didn't have much in the way of powers."
"And I'm not Raven." Christy gave Emma a small smile. She felt strangely energized as she waited for this. This was a battle she could win, unlike the larger one she was losing. In this one small battle she could protect her double.
She'd been carefully pulling power in for hours, careful because she didn't know how easily this version of herself got glowing eyes. They weren't glowing yet.
Christy did take the glass of water from Emma and started to drink it. She needed water, and she'd been drinking as much of it as she could today.
"Mistress?" A voice interrupted the way Emma was watching her with a little curiosity and respect. Christy turned to see another woman dressed as a slave standing there waiting for Emma to acknowledge her. Her eyes narrowed and flashed just once in irritation. The woman looked nervously at her and that's when Christy realized that she wasn't playing slave very well in that moment.
Emma laughed. "Yes?" Emma moved a hand out to caress the new girl's cheek gently and Christy saw the glance in her direction, as well the small smile on Emma's face when she did that.
"Master Sebastian would like to tell you that he's created a bet based on at what lash she'll cry."
"Tell that bastard it isn't gonna happen." Christy spoke coldly, interrupting their conversation.
"I'm going to have to give you two more lashes for that disrespect." Emma said casually and then turned back to the new girl. "I'll find a suitable observer to let him know if and when she cries." The brunette slave in white walked away. Why was she in white? Did the colors mean anything? Christy looked down at her own black outfit again and thought about how it seemed like Tessa was her main… master.
"Did you notice how she called me Mistress?" Emma stepped closer and started to unlace Christy's corset. "Did that upset you? Are you a possessive slave?" Christy found herself being forced to look up into Emma's eyes. "Answer."
"I don't…" Christy sighed. If she said it bothered her this Emma might just make it worse. "I don't know how you can deal with this place. Are you high all the time?"
"Two more lashes." Emma spoke coldly and then pulled the corset away. Christy's jaw clenched as she heard a few people whooping, clearing watching this as her body was exposed for the room. The darkened corner wasn't dark enough. "Turn around and step up to the cross." Christy saw Tessa standing by the cross with rope in her hand. "Shoes off." Christy took a deep calming breath and leaned down, fully aware of eyes on her barely covered butt as she undid her shoes.
"Hey, the cross is an X, it should make her feel right at home." Someone called out.
"There is no one here but us. We are all that matter." Tessa spoke softly as she took one of Christy's arms to tie it to the frame. She looped the rope through the ring on Christy's cuff.
"Tessa dear, Sebastian wants someone watching for her to break. There are apparently bets on it." Emma's hand took Christy's other and Christy swore she heard a sigh. "Lovely pastimes we have here. Too bad I'm disqualified from betting, seeing as how I control the whip."
"I found out that Selene has a high opinion of Christy. She's bet a considerable amount on Christy lasting five lashes." Tessa spoke softly while squatting down to bind Christy's foot. "It might be better if she didn't last that long." It was a comment for Christy, that was certain.
"Our little slave thinks she can endure it all without breaking."
"That is impossible. The body starts to tear from pain, and from there it only takes a little more to turn it into sobs."
"I remember you didn't cry Tessa."
"I have a very disciplined mind. It's part of my mutation. Raven does not have that." Tessa stood up before Emma did, and Christy tugged lightly on her arms, she tried to close her legs. She was not able to move more than an inch.
"She says she is not Raven." Emma started to slowly run her hands over Christy's exposed back. In a stupid move of trust, Christy chose that time to push her power out a little, to create her protective layer of skin. "Oh my." She could hear the amusement in Emma's voice. "You should see if you can bet on her Tessa. We can get someone else to watch her."
"And how long should I say she can last."
"Christy thinks she can last the entire time."
Tessa walked around the cross so that she could look into Christy's eyes. "This will be much worse than the spanking."
"How many lashes do I need to do?"
"Emma?" Tessa asked.
"She's up to ten. That's twice what Selene thinks she'll last."
"Ten?"
"She's was a bad girl, and there were witnesses."
"Ten Christy." Tessa stared into Christy's eyes. "If you can't last I won't have enough points to challenge Selene for you." Tessa just studied her face. "I'm going to go make that bet, Emma. See if you can find someone that hasn't bet. You may end up having to pull the slaves into this."
"A mighty Xman." Someone was speaking. Christy could see Selene giving her a thoughtful look as the cross was wheeled out to the center of the stage. "Raven, has been acquired for our entertainment."
"It's show time girl." Emma spoke softy as she stepped away from the cross. Christy moved her hands enough to grab the rope she was being hung by in her hands. She stared into the face of a well muscled brunette man and a woman that could be his twin. Both were dressed as slaves and were there to see when it became too much for her. Christy took a deep breath and thought about her home world, about the laughing men that liked to torture women and what she'd been able to do to them, then, nearly powerless Christy had been a force to fear. She could do this. She could do this.
The first slash of the whip jerked her body forward and felt like fire as the feeling hit her a moment later. Christy gritted her teeth and sucked in more power. What she'd been doing wasn't enough. She concentrated on the thin layer of skin she'd created to protect her and tried something new, she tried to make yet another layer under that, one that was tougher. This was a new way to use her powers, she was used to being able to shape shift entirely, but all she could do was a quarter inch outside of the body now. Anything more would take more water and might be noticed. The second lash didn't hurt quite as much, but it did still hurt. Her own true form felt pain as well, she was just better able to deaden it.
Christy stared ahead at the red Christmas ornament hanging from the wreath, without really seeing it. She didn't acknowledging the slaves in front of her. Emma was moving the whip across her back quickly and far too skillfully for Christy to believe she hadn't done it before. A criss cross pattern seemed to exist by the time the third lash hit.
Christy absorbed her tears into her body with her powers.
"How many has that been Raven?" Emma's voice was loud and Christy ignored the shouts with wrong answers.
"Five Mistress." Her voice was rough. She swallowed and did her best to hold the protection over her back up. Mystique would be proud of her, too bad she didn't know.
"Slaves?"
"She's not crying Mistress." The twins even spoke at the same time.
"You aren't hitting her hard enough." A cold voice rose from the crowd. Christy couldn't see what was happening, but she could recognize Selene's voice and her irritation.
"I'm hitting her just as hard as I whip any slave." Emma's voice got colder.
"Sebastian." Selene protested.
"I'm sure Emma isn't pulling her whip, but Emma… hit her harder for the next five."
"Do you hear that slave?" Emma moved closer, her voice soft and yet dangerous.
"Yes Mistress."
"Will that break you?"
"No Mistress." Christy's voice got a little deeper as she claimed that. Christy's hands were sweating from the water she was having trouble holding to her form, so she readjusted her hold on the ropes. She took a deep breath and pulled harder on her power.
There was a clack of footsteps on the stage and Selene moved to stand in front of the two slaves to stare into her eyes.
"I can feel you pulling power into your body." Selene whispered.
Her body flinched as Emma hit her again, this time she had to clamp her jaw closed to keep the scream inside. Her muscles tensed and water started to drip down her arms. She could feel her back doing the same. Her breasts were pressed tight to the cross, but she could feel a trickle of water running between them.
She had to pull more power or she'd loose her water, her protective layer. She could hear the whoosh of another strike coming and she slammed her shield down, pulling fast, trying hard to keep her back covered.
"Like the sun." Selene spoke in a harsh whisper and Christy gasped as the lash hit her, at the same time she felt another attack. It felt like someone had reached into her body with an ice cold knife. "Tasty. You aren't a true predator, but you've so much potential." Selene whispered softly into her ear.
Christy closed her shield and clamped her jaw shut. Selene had now idea how much of a predator she really was. Her eyes moved up to glare at Selene defiantly. Why wasn't anyone forcing the woman back? "Trouble dear?"
"Monster." Christy whispered, her voice raw. Selene just laughed. The next lash had Christy's body jerking violently into the cross. Emma was strong. The sting after that lash told Christy she hadn't protected her double well enough. It wasn't the muted pain she had in the extra layer of flesh, it was sharp, radiating, breathtaking pain.
Could a body scar from this? Christy could imagine the pain of a constant reminder like that and didn't want to leave Raven with that.
With a sucked in breath Christy raised her head and glared at Selene with eyes that started to burn. She lowered her shield, trying to get more power before Emma moved to give her that next lash. Her body shook as Selene feasted on her, but she just gripped the rope so tightly her fingers went white and pulled more.
The lash burned and a squeak escaped her lips before she could stop it. Her eyes teared. Christy desperately focused on keeping those tears from falling, or Selene would own her. She told Tessa she could do this, she had to do it.
"Oh so close. Is she giving it to you better now?" Selene's voice rose. "How many more lashes do you get slave?"
Christy had to swallow hard. Her breath was coming in pants and she tried to calm her racing heart. "Three," It pained her to add the rest. "Mistress."
"Can you do three?" Selene moved closer.
"Yes Mistress." She didn't flinch as the woman moved to push some of the wet clinging hair out of her face, even though she wanted to jerk away.
"We will see." Selene turned abruptly. "Sebastian, I want the last two lashes." Her voice rose in a demand.
"It is my night." Emma's voice rose to protest.
"I will give you tomorrow night," Christy could still see Selene out of the corner of her eye. "I'm sure you can agree that tomorrow night will be eventful as well." Selene turned to grin wickedly at Emma. "Two lashes for a night. I won't even use my full strength and it isn't like she'll be able to do much tonight for you anyhow."
"Emma." Tessa's voice wasn't as loud, but it was closer, from the sounds of it next to Emma. Christy heard it easily. "Give her the two lashes." Christy's eyes fell to the slaves in front of her and the sympathy in their eyes. "And take Raven tomorrow night." That made it sound like tomorrow night would be its own level of hell, if Tessa was willing to let Selene whip her so that Selene didn't have her tomorrow night.
Tessa was trusting Christy not to cry. Christy's back straightened a little, as much as it could and she took a deep breath.
"My last one then." Emma warned, agreeing to the arrangement. Christy took another deep breath and gritted her teeth. She heard the whip move through the air and she felt the sting. It wasn't as bad as the last one. "But if she's useless to me tomorrow night as well, you'll never touch her again." Emma spoke coldly as Christy recovered from the hit.
She could hear the footsteps across the stage and Selene took her new post. Christy's eyes hardened and burned brighter. She ignored the siphoning of her power she felt going on and held on tight to the ropes, she focused on her back, trying to make the under layer of her two fold protective skin stronger.
"Well, you are an Xman, I should mark you as such." Selene spoke casually, with a hint of laughter in her voice. Christy heard the whip moving through the air and she knew this was the worst one yet even before it landed.
She screamed. She tried not to, but the shock of that much pain was too much. Her body shook and clenched. She felt the tears filling her eyes and she pulled desperately on her powers as she gasped and panted, as the pain took almost all of her awareness, she managed to pull the tears into her body. She could see the slaves staring into her glowing eyes, waiting for a tear to fall.
She did her best to unclench her jaw and give them a snarl. Vultures, waiting for her to break, well they'd all be waiting until hell froze over, because she wasn't going to.
"Thank you Mistress." She growled out between her teeth, it wasn't anything more than a comment to the room that she was still unbroken. She felt the lasting horrible pain and mentally apologized to Raven for not being strong enough to protect her. That one had gotten past her protection. She had to keep her mind away from that, because she felt tears threaten to fall because of her guilt about her failure.
"Oh, you're welcome slave. One more." Selene's voice was like honey, and that's when she knew this next one would be the worst probably anyone had received.
"Remember Selene, if she's useless to me, you won't get be touching her again." Emma warned and Christy didn't turn to see where the blonde was.
Christy took a shaky breath and focuses on what she wanted to cover her back, focused on the path she knew that last lash would take and she reformed the protection. It wouldn't be enough, she knew that, but it was something.
The whoosh in the air, the tension, had Christy's body trying to arch away from it before it landed, but she was tied, trapped. A knife couldn't possibly have hurt as much as it slashed across her shoulder blade and down to exit on her lower back. An X. Christy muffled her scream as much as she could, she ignored the leech sucking on her powers as she pulled enough in to make her eyes glow and absorbed the water on her face, arms, all that was falling, so that it wouldn't seem like more than sweat.
Her voice was rough, weak. "Thank you Mistress." She said between clenched jaws and her body weakened. Her grip failed. She fell and little and was hanging by her cuffs. Her shield came up, protecting her from Selene's occasional feedings off of her power.
"She did not cry." The twins spoke again as one. "Mistress."
"I guess you are stronger than I thought." Selene's voice was a harsh whisper in her ear. "But you are also delicious. What I did to you would have killed three normal mutants, you hold so much life." Christy didn't dare respond, she was trying to ignore the pain of Selene's hand resting on her back. It hurt. Christy could feel muscles spasming in her back, painfully rebelling against her spread eagle pose and the treatment it got.
Selene went quiet for a moment and Christy felt the brush of a mind against her shield, but she held it strong. The Black Queen turned and marched away, seemingly surprised. Christy barely paid attention to the click of heels on the stage. She tried to regain her footing and was so weak she could barely do it.
This didn't feel like much of a victory. Her tormenters weren't in pain, just her.
The twins rolled her cross off to the side of the stage and left here there. Christy barely raised her head, but she saw Tessa looking at her from across the room. Tessa had a group of people around her but she gave Christy a small nod.
"Now come the admirers." Emma's voice was soft. "People who want to touch your soaked skin and revel in the pain they know you felt." Emma finally turned a little to look into Christy's face. "Don't flinch and it will all be over soon enough. They can touch you anywhere they want, but they can't take off the panties. They can't strike you or damage you. You can't speak. If someone breaks the rules you can't remind them of the rules."
"I can't move." Christy whispered. "Stay with me?" She hated feeling helpless and she stared at Emma with wide, desperate eyes.
"I'll be around, but I do have business to attend to." Christy's head hung down again as Emma said that. She felt the tears that had threatened to fall making a come back. With a grimace she tugged at an arm, wishing she could wipe her eyes as a wet drop fell across her cheek and splashed on the cross.
……………..