Laresa's World Ch. 25: Ben & Horace

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A low and barely audible sound of appreciation fell from Franklin's lips. "That'll need to be locked up again, someplace safe where only a select few know about it. Even some of the Society members would cave to greed if they saw that bauble," Franklin said, as he reached out to examine the magnificent stone.

"I can create a place in the walls of the Society where only those you wish to tell know how to access it," Laresa explained. "It would be simple."

Ben chewed on his lip. "Perhaps that would be a good decision, but for now, we'll keep it here with us. Right now we are the only ones that know of its existence."

"Do we call forth Horace and ask him if he wants his freedom?" Franklin asked.

Laresa smiled. "There is no need. I know his heart. He has no desires to be free. Keep the stone. . .perhaps one day his heart will change and he will seek out a woman that he cared for deeply and longed to remain forever at her mortal side."

Ben noticed the softness of Laresa's voice and wondered if she secretly hoped to be that woman. A part of him balked against the idea, and he almost demanded she free Horace so that he would never be a part of Laresa's life again, seeing as she had decided to remain a Djinn. Instead though he rolled his shoulders and then sat up straighter when he felt Laresa comforting him with her thoughts. He stared at her, blushed and the whispered, "There is no need for you to read my thoughts anymore Laresa. Please stay out of them."

Laresa blinked, but retreated from the mental connection she'd had with her Master. Once again she was under the powerful command of a Master's wish. Her shoulders sagged at the weight of her decision. Franklin noticed the tension in the room and wanted to ease both his young friend and his new found one's burdens.

"Ben perhaps you should take Laresa out. She doesn't get to experience freedom often, or at least free will. You should take Horace as well." Franklin couldn't help but notice his friend's glare, but knew it was for the best that Ben not get to close to the beautiful creature. Another man, one that was close to Laresa in all ways would keep Ben in check with his emotions.

"Ben, I would like that," Laresa stated, her voice soft, still feeling wounded at having been ordered from her Master's thoughts. "I've experienced free will, Horace however. . . I honestly don't know if he has or hasn't. I would like him to. I'd hate for him to not have that gift; it is a great one. Perhaps if Horace were to experience freedom then he will want it as much as I do. . .did."

Ben sighed, resolved himself to a night out with two Djinn, one not wanted in the least, in Ben's opinion. He rubbed the medallion and called for Horace, who immediately appeared with a frown on his face. "I can feel it!" he growled out, sending a heated glare toward Laresa as well as the mortals in the room. "I felt it as soon as she brought it here. Where is it?" he demanded. He stared hard at Franklin and then down to the clenched fist of the man. "Use it on me and I will make sure I spend my first few minutes of freedom killing you."

"Horace! Enough! Franklin and Master Ben are not going to free you if it is not your desire. The item is here only in case you desire us to use it one day," Laresa told him, her hands clenched in small fists that rested on her hips. "You were called forth, so that you and I may have a night out. A date, I believe is what the mortals call it. With a . . ." She angled her head to search for a word she knew would describe Ben's position.

"A chaperone," Ben muttered.

Laresa grinned. "Yes! That is the word. A chaperone. I need a few hours in my ring Master, then we can go on our date."

Ben nodded his head and watched Laresa's smile fade away. When the mist had cleared he turned to face the glowering features of his other genie. "She thinks highly of you. I hope you know that and you'll not hurt her."

Horace rolled his eyes, still glancing occasionally at Franklin. "I will not hurt her, unless my Masters or Mistresses will it. Even then it would be difficult, but unlike Laresa I would not let my feelings for her interfere with the desires of my possessor."

Franklin stood up, chuckling when Horace took a step back. "Funny, you are strong yet the mere thought of me coming at you with this in my hand makes you weak. Do not worry. Laresa spoke the truth. We'll not force your freedom. That is not the reason behind the Society. We are learning more about the Djinn. Some enjoy their lot in life or the positives for them have outweighed the negatives. For now the diamond will rest within a safe. Should I put Laresa's item in there as well?" Franklin asked, turning all his attention to Ben.

Ben pulled the teardrop from his pocket and studied it. "I could do it now, couldn't I? Free her and end all of this. She could be a woman, the woman she wants to be. Free and live a life that she's only watched from a hungry, disconnected distance."

Horace growled. "You'd do that to her?" Ben was silent as was Franklin. "Give me her item," Horace offered, "you know I won't use it on her."

"No, you'd hide it someplace far and wide and thus we'd never find it again if Laresa did want to gain her freedom," Ben answered back. "Franklin has a safe. We'll use it. In the meantime though, continue resting. Laresa, you and myself will be going out tonight. Laresa wants you to experience the night life of Chicago with us, so you know what it is like to be human."

"Ben, he's got a good idea. You can simply wish him to keep the jewel in his possession at all times. It would be safe," Franklin stated.

"Yes, but what if we lose Horace?" Ben asked.

Franklin thought a moment. "Horace can Ben make a wish that would act as a final wish to you if we had need of it?"

Horace thought a moment and nodded his head. "Yes, Master's friend. Master could wish for something to be carried out at a specific time in the future. It's been done before, but rarely."

"Well, having a Djinn hold the key item would certainly be the safest way to protect it. You're sure though Franklin?"

Franklin shrugged his shoulders. "My home could easily be broken into, destroyed by fire. . .just about anything could go wrong. But if you were to wish for the amber to be returned to you upon Horace's freedom, or transfer to another Master, or Mistress."

Ben looked over to Horace. "I wish for you to keep Laresa's element and if you are taken from me, or if you seek your freedom, the element is to be returned to me upon our termination of Master and . . ."

"Slave," Horace offered, his gaze steely and full of loathing.

"If that is how you see it, then why stay?" Franklin asked.

"I stay because there are worse things than being a slave. Your wish, Master will be fulfilled, upon our parting, if and when that occurs. I need but see the element you speak of," Horace answered with a toothy grin.

Ben felt uneasy with the wish he'd made, but knew deep down that Horace would keep the jewel safe. After all, Ben told himself, Horace wouldn't use it. He wanted Laresa to stay put as a Djinn. He pulled the amber teardrop from his pocket and placed it in Horace's hand. "I'm trusting you under the rules of the Djinn."

Horace nodded his head. "Which I have always followed," Horace answered back. He curled his hand around the teardrop, held it tight for a moment, then released his fist. "It is done, Master."

Ben stared down at an empty palm, then sighed. "Go back to your home, Horace. I will call you when it is time."

Ben watched the genie fade. "I hope that wasn't a mistake," he told Franklin. He knew he trusted his friend, so he said nothing as he left the room, giving Franklin his privacy. Franklin after all was more a father figure to him than a friend. The older man had taken to Ben and Ben to him. They'd met when Ben's father had passed away from cancer and his mother had moved back to the city where her family lived. Ben grew up next door, then as he matured into an adult Franklin began to share with him tales of the Djinn, eventually bringing him into the Society, just as he would have had Franklin and Abby's son lived.

He made his way up the stairs to his own bedroom and lay down, after removing his shoes. His fingers caressed Laresa's ring, but he refused to call her forth. He closed his eyes and released the hold he had on the gold bauble, letting his hands rest on his stomach. In time the excitement of the day brought a heaviness to his eyes and Ben drifted asleep. Dreams of Laresa filled his senses.

Laresa felt a gentle pull on her subconscious as she slept. She rolled to her side, tucked a hand under her cheek and sighed into the air that surrounded her home. "Laresa," a voice filled her ears and she turned again, resting on her stomach. Another sigh fell from her lips.

"Laresa," the voice called out, more firmly than before.

"Horace?" she whispered back, slowly opening her eyes. Laresa rose up and sat on her knees, her legs tucked under her. She looked around, and saw a faded image of her former lover appearing in her ring. "How did you?" she asked, reaching out to touch him, but all she touched was air. She studied his face and saw it contort. "You are hiding something, my friend. How have you learned this trick?"

"It isn't a trick, my sweet morsel of sin."

"Can I do it?" Laresa asked.

Horace smiled. "No. You can try, but you will fail."

Laresa frowned, closed her eyes and concentrated on Horace's medallion, his face, his personality, even his power. Yet when she opened her eyes she was still in her ring and he was chuckling at her. "Laresa, you're home is lovely. I have longed to see it since the first moment we loved. Do you remember?" Horace asked.

Laresa smiled, the frustration on her face melting away as she recalled the time she and Horace had first met and soon later became lovers. He'd taught her so much, given her great memories and then she'd been ripped from his life and he from hers. "I remember," she whispered.

Horace grinned. "Laresa, I cannot be with you, not in the real sense, not here, but I want to watch you. I've always wanted to see you in your home, surrounded by the beauty of the amber as you seek out your own pleasure."

"You mean. . ." Laresa felt her cheeks grow warm as Horace's eyes gazed into her violet ones. She licked her lips, feeling a rush of power wash over her as she decided to tease her genie lover. Her fingers slipped to the small vest she'd changed into upon reentering her home. She flicked her fingers and the tiny jeweled snap popped free. The vest parted, the swells of her breasts exposed to Horace's hungry stare.

She glanced up at him, licked her lips and then wet her fingers. She dragged the moist tips of her long digits over first one areola then the other, pushing her vest fully open as she did. Horace's groan could easily be heard as she eased the flimsy garment from her creamy flesh. With a gentle laugh, she tossed her head, letting her silvery hair flutter against her shoulders. Another growl filled her home as Horace commanded her to quicken her movements.

"You are in my home, my friend. You must wait," she chastised him. His nostrils flared, but still he hovered in the air, watching her experienced hands cup her generous bosom.

Laresa pushed her breasts together, lifted them high and bent her head down. Her tongue snaked out and she licked the tips, bringing her nipples to diamond hard points. The wet muscle swirled around first one areola, forcing the ridges to peak in anticipation for more attention, then she swept it around the matching rosy surface. When she lifted her head, both peaks were slick from her tender assault. She gazed at Horace and watched him appear slightly more solid than before. "Careful, I will learn your trick," she giggled and then laughed when he cursed and slowly faded to the misty image he was before.

"Get on with it woman," he ordered.

She again giggled and found herself feeling at ease for the first time in a long time as she taunted her friend and sometimes enemy. She slipped to the floor, moving gracefully, her eyes remaining fixed on the man before her. Her hands slid down her torso to rest on her hips. She pushed the gauzy material of her pants down, letting her snakelike movements ease the gossamer fabric from her hips, ass, thighs and then down her legs they followed, eventually pooling at her slippered feet. Laresa stepped free of the material, ran one hand down her left leg, stopping at her foot, where she eased it free of the soft fabric that hugged her toes. The other leg was treated to the same sensual move, eventually leaving Laresa nude before her ghostly lover.

"Beautiful, my amber jewel," Horace whispered in her ear.

Laresa jumped, spinning around and grinning wide. "You came," she cried with glee, throwing her arms around Horace and pressing her lips to his. A warmth enveloped her, one so great it brought a gasp of shock from deep within her. She leaned back, suddenly afraid of Horace and as she read his face she knew he too was frightened.

"No!" he screamed, immediately disappearing from her home.

Laresa's lips shook and her body trembled as the warmth continued to poor over her. She clenched her stomach, not from pain, but from despair and loss of self. Tears flowed from her eyes as she felt her world crushing in around her. "Master!" she cried out, begging for Ben to call for her. No answer came as her eyes rolled back and her world became one of utter darkness.

Ben sat up, clenching his right hand and crying out as an intense fire seemed to consume him. He opened his eyes and stared at the ring that felt as if it were burning his skin and marking him. "Oh my God," he whispered as he took in the appearance of Laresa's home. It glowed a bright white. Heat radiated from it, running up his arm and into his spine, consuming him. So intense was the pain, he thought he would die; then just as quickly as that sweltering pain appeared it took the same path out and exploded from the tips of his fingers. He covered his eyes shielding them from the overwhelming brightness that suddenly filled his room.

The walls shook as did the house, but all this was lost to Ben as he stared at the woman before him. Slim arms clutched a perfectly formed stomach, smooth and well-toned. He gawked, not quite believing what he was seeing, or who he was gazing upon. The woman before him lifted her head and a pair of violet eyes looked back at him. Her lips trembled and a whispered word, one full of disbelief and horror left her lips, "Master?"

Ben blinked, slipped from his bed, taking the blanket with him. He wrapped it around Laresa, still not quite believing what had happened, or why. "How?" he asked, shaking his head as he helped her to stand. He lifted her up in his arms, carrying her to a chair where he sat and held her close to his chest. His fingers stroked her hair. He felt her trembling and whispered words of comfort against her silvery-blonde and white locks. The sound of his bedroom door opening up brought his eyes to those of his friend and his friend's wife.

Franklin and Abby stood gaping at Ben, a look of shock clearly evident on their faces. Ben shook his head. "I don't know," he whispered. "She just appeared. The ring," he lifted his hand, "it's cold. I don't think. . ." his words died in his throat as Abby walked passed Franklin and slowly bent down, in front of Ben and Laresa.

"Laresa," Abby whispered, reaching out to touch the woman's cheek. "She's freezing," she said as she leaned in and kissed Laresa's forehead. "Get her into bed, then tell us what happened."

Ben rose, carrying Laresa to his bed, which Franklin had quickly readied. He laid her down, then covered her with the thick quilts that Abby's home was known for. Laresa rolled to her side and Ben sat down, caressed her hair as he explained how he'd woken up from a dream, one that he would later relate to the others, when suddenly his hand was on fire, then his entire body felt as if it were about to spontaneously combust. Just as quickly though it all disappeared, light shot out from his fingers and Laresa was there, in the flesh, naked and trembling. "But how?" Franklin asked. "You gave Horace the jewel. How did she gain her freedom?"

Ben shook his head. "I don't know. Horace should though." He reached up and stroked the medallion. Immediately the smoke rose from it and Horace appeared. He stared at Ben, refusing to gaze upon the frightened woman in the bed, who had curled herself into a tighter ball as soon as he appeared.

"What happened?" Ben asked, then noted Horace refusing to answer him. "Horace, your free will is revoked. As your Master you will stand before me and answer the questions I put forth to you. You will answer them honestly and without trickery. Understood?"

Horace's eyes grew slanted, but he said nothing as he nodded his head in forced agreement. "What happened?" Ben demanded again, this time his voice more forceful.

"I visited Laresa, using the power of the teardrop to gaze upon her in her home. It was perfectly harmless," he told them.

"Harmless!?" Ben shouted, then calmed when he saw Laresa wince.

"It was harmless," the soft words came from the woman on the bed. "But I goaded him. Teased him with the lust I knew he had for me. He appeared in my home as a mist. I could not touch him nor would he tell me what secret trick he used to gain entrance into my home. He had the gem?" she asked as she sat up and turned to Ben. "You gave it to him?"

Ben frowned. "Yes, we felt it safe. There was a standing wish that if he and I were to separate then the teardrop would return to me. But this. . .I don't understand how he got into your ring."

Horace muttered and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "The teardrop gave me a channel to Laresa. One that I used to watch her sleep. As she slept I became hungry for her. It is easy to do. Look at her Master; she is a goddess!" Ben blushed, but said nothing about Horace's assessment.

"So you watched her and then she teased you, as women do sometimes and then what?" Abby asked as she rested on the other side of Laresa, and held her hand.

"She tempted me and so I appeared in a solid form, ready to take her and give her body and mine what it desired," Horace admitted.

"As soon as he touched me, I was surrounded by heat, scorching and burning heat. I pulled away. He disappeared, but it was too late. Even if I hadn't touched him. . .I think it would have happened. I am nothing now. I am useless and have no worth," Laresa turned and buried her head in Abby's bosom. Tears fell soaking the old woman's blouse and whispered words of comfort fell on deaf ears.

Horace stared out the window, refusing to bend to Laresa's suffering. Franklin sat down in the chair Ben had occupied earlier and buried his head in his hands and Ben sat there transfixed with the shape of his fingers tightly clenched in fists. Only the sound of Laresa's weeping and Abby's words filled the room, the others said nothing, lost in their own thoughts.

"Laresa," Abby's voice came across a bit stronger than before, bringing the others out of their musings. "Laresa," she repeated, this time gaining the woman's attention. "There is no way to return you and so you must accept this life. It may not be the time you wanted or the way you wanted to gain your freedom, but you have it, so now you have to take the necessary steps to live in our world. No more of this whimpering. Sit up, girl. You're a strong woman, with or without your Djinn powers."

Laresa moved, wiping at her cheeks, and sniffling. A grumbling sound replaced her cries and she pressed her hand to her stomach. Abby chuckled, wiping her own teary eyes and then stroking Laresa's hair. "I believe that is a hungry growl. Probably the first time you've been hungry since you became a Djinn. Horace rustle up this girl some food," Abby ordered.