Fighting Dreams Ch. 02

"Besides, Rex won't let him do any damage because Baylor is the next rotation. And you know what a stickler for rules he is."

That's a small saving grace; if anything runs afoul, Slate will take it to King and it'll be handled.

"Drink up." She presses the red liquid into my hand.

I stare down into it feeling my nerves rising. I don't want to be iced again.... I don't want to not remember it all. I can't take another full pain set. Panic must be showing because she takes my hand and squeezes it.

"Jazzy. You will be okay. This isn't a show. You'll be okay," she promises me the impossible.

As her arms enfold me in a hug, I take a breath, let it out and make myself drink.

It's bitter on the tongue, heavy even with the cranberries' tartness. As it settles in my stomach, the heaviness seems to spread into my limbs, my torso. She guides me down onto the pillow and the last thing I remember is her pressing a kiss to my forehead.

God only knows the things that happen between that moment and when I wake.

When I finally can open my eyes, I am staring into a pair of near silver gray eyes. His hair is long as mine, and dark like the raven. His eyes are thoughtful as for a moment the silence hangs. "Good morning, Jasmine," he greets softly. "You may still be feeling a little unusual. Last night's serum had some anesthetic properties."

Bile rises in my throat, repulsion as he smiles lazily. "Let's see if the enhancer's side effect has worn off quite yet." I watch his hand rise high and come crashing down against my thigh. But even with its loud crack, I never feel the harsh burn that usually accompanies it. There is nothing beyond the pressure of his hand.

He sighs, seeming disappointed. "Not quite then... it is good I called for breakfast to be sent up."

I lick my dry lips and try to press myself up to a sit, but a wave of dizziness drops me back down to the mattress as he tisks. "Stay down, little one. You were an expensive indulgence and I don't want Rex charging me double because you hurt yourself."

"But I have duties I have to attend to..." I protest. I can feel panic starting to grip me; my breaths are short and shallow. But my body won't obey; I can't get up.

Cassius frowns, stroking his fingers through my hair calmingly. "Settle down, slave," he murmurs. "You will feel normal after you eat. You are mine until I say; there is nothing more for you to do than rest."

Under the reassurance, I doze in and out. He enfolds me in the blankets when there is a knock at the door. Breakfast is brought over. There is a clattering of silverware and then he commands me.

"Open."

I obey and am pleasantly surprised by a bite of pastry. There seems to be some sort of vegetables in it as well. I chew it thoroughly, relishing in the small treat of its savory flavor. He feeds me bite by bite, punctuating it by small sips of juice. It is a slow process; I am quickly full but he insists I eat it all.

By the time the food is gone, I am feeling steadier. He allows me to sit up, to use the facilities with help before he puts me back to bed. "I look forward to having you in the future, permanently. Now rest. Your Master will collect you when you are needed."

My body obeys and for a time, I sleep again until a hand at my shoulder rouses me.

"Come, kraljica," Rex says. "You need to bathe."

I follow him and bathe, still feeling hazy. He sits in with me, looking over messages on his phone and commenting. "Cassius was pleased with you," he murmurs. "The downside, however, is that you have slept most of the day."

He looks up as I rinse my hair, examining my body for a moment. "How do you feel?"

"I don't hurt. But I feel sluggish and a little sore, Sir," I reply softly, wringing out the black curls and starting to wash my body. "But nothing unmanageable."

"That's to be anticipated. He was reasonably controlled, given the damage you already had, and his video of it..... Suffice to say he was thorough in his use and his shots. I may have to put it up on the web for viewing. You're always such a pretty little whore when you're heated and it'd be a shame not to share the sight."

Staring into the sudsy water, I feel something hot in my chest. Something like liquid fire that bubbles over before I can stop it.

"Fucker." I snap, cutting him off as I look away. Part of me is angry with him for letting Cassius do it. I may be a slave but I am not one who enjoys the exhibition. Worse yet, I have no idea what they did to me in that video much less who might see it!

Rex stands, his voice flat. "Out and kneel, girl. Now."

I rise and step from the tub without rinsing, no longer giving two fucks if it gets soap on the floor. My hair streams water down onto the tiles; is this not the obedience he desires? Kneeling, I stare at him with loathing.

His fingers hook in my collar and pull it so that we are eye to eye. Anger is palpable on his expression. "What is the consequence for being disrespectful in my house, girl?"

"Depends on your mood," I grit out holding his gaze.

Rex stares at me, his jaw ticking with his pulse. "And that's strike three," he growls, dragging me back into the room, across the floor to a large steel cage. Dropping me, he nudges me with his toe. "In. Now."

Though I hate him, I obey. I know what happens if I don't; there's another cage in his basement and then he'll leave me in the dark. Better the devil you know The ceiling is barely three feet and the space under is long enough for my body as I lay down in that dark space and glare at him.

He closes the door and padlocks it, crouching low to stare into my eyes. "You are going to cool your heels in there, kraljica, until I decide to let you out. But make no mistake, you'll pay for the disrespect later."

I hear a beep from near my ankle and then he leaves me to marinate in silence.

Being left alone is the worst part of this. I never quite know who's going to come traipsing in next. Sometimes it's his sister and her toy who take over the bed above me for their forceful fucking. Others it's the girls fetching various things who look down on me with pity.

My temper cools slowly, and then I curl into a ball to rest inside the cramped space as my knees ache.

I hate being confined like this. The walls seem to press in on me; if it weren't for the small mercy of being able to see around the room, the thudding of my heart might break to panic. Don't think of it. Not right now... just breathe... and listen.

As I lay there, tracing patterns in the carpet, I can hear him on the phone. For some time, I think he's working. But then I hear something interesting.

"...she's not going to him at all... Yeah... From you to Devon this time, then up the line skipping Reg. Yeah. Mhm. Everyone is three instead of two; he thinks she's enough of a risk; he doesn't want the lower grunts messing it up. Figured I'd save you the drive, since Bay already ordered the delivery for tomorrow...."

He seems to pace the room, his voice fading in and out. "How the fuck Reg kept her in line this long is beyond me. She's going to need a lot of work to be...."

I can't hear as he shifts away once more, strain though I might. It's only as he comes back close that I catch a little more. "...King put out the rules, take it up with him. I wouldn't risk it unless-" He tapers off as the caller says something. "Hm?"

"Fucking hell. Really? Jesus fucking christ. It's a miracle he didn't dissociate her completely," he muses. "Still. It's not going to be pretty to bring her out of it."

"Yeah. Yeah. Got it. I'll be there. Just have M in the box. I'll take care of the rest."

They talk for longer, but I lose the rest of their words. My body aches inside the small space. I want out. I want to know what the hell was going on. I've never heard of them changing a rotation; not even in extreme cases. But now they have? Why?

What would they stand to gain from it? Am I really in this deep? I think, staring at the carpet outside my bars. Does Regulus hate me this much? The upper five are among the worst but with Black in the mix, I will be under the ruthless ones. The ones who enjoyed breaking people, who take and use with a hedonistic delight.

The ones Reg tried to keep me away from.

At least Slate is next... and Slate is fair. Resting my cheek on my arm, I sigh. I'd been around him often; he and Regulus were close. But unlike here, I wouldn't have companionship from the sound of things. I wonder if I'll see M there...

Forgotten until dusk, I cool my heels with thoughts of what is coming and conspiracies as to why it must be so. My mind tumbles the recent developments; no tears are shed even as my heart aches. As much as I dislike him, I miss Reg's familiar routine and touch. It keeps the nightmares at bay.

When dusk comes, I am finally freed.

Rex makes me crawl beside him, down to the study. His posture is brooding; he pours over documents and books while I kneel beside his desk. Occasionally, he pets me but it seems more for thought's sake than any true attention. Time passes around us at a drag.

He stays there for hours.

I fetch him water four times in that span before returning to my ornamental place. There is not a word spoken between us otherwise.

Finally when his phone rings, he dismisses me to sleep.

It is well after three in the morning. With little food and less water, I pause only to slake my thirst from the bathroom sink before going to my place at the foot of the bed. If I were allowed to eat or be in the kitchen, he would have fed me. But no, this is probably part of my punishment too.

I'm nested into the blankets at the foot of his bed easily, and Emelia locks on the little anklet tether in Rex's place.

I have barely closed my eyes when it strikes.

The door crashes open as boot falls fill the room. Startled awake, I cry out as hands seize my throat and drag me through the halls. "No!" The harder I fight, the faster my air is lost. My vision turns to faded black; I wake only as my back hits the hard surface of the trucks flooring and above me he laughs coldly. "Oh no no kitten; your Master sent me to fetch you back. And I intend to enjoy the experience."

I hear the click of the cuffs; their cold steel as I jerk against the steel frame of the truck but they're locked tight. The crackling electricity of his stick doesn't bode well and I can only watch in horror as he places it just above my sex. "No! Please!" I scream...

And then I startle awake to stare around the room as my heart races. Too close. Too soon. Unsettled by the vivid vision, I curl up into a ball and take a few slowing breaths. How long has it been since I dreamed of that day? Safe. I'm safe still. It's okay. He can't get me here.

"Jazzy?" Emily's voice breaks the silence; I see her peek over the edge of the bed. Her dark eyes are wide in the darkness. "Are you okay?"

I'd forgotten that Rex kept her there tonight. I push my lips into a thin smile. "Bad dream..." I murmur back. "Nothing to worry about."

She doesn't seem convinced. But as I lay back down on my nest of blankets, she says nothing else.

But as I lay there, I don't sleep the rest of the night.

Emelia lets me free for morning duties, and then after breakfast is served, I find myself sent with Rex to the study. He works, I sit at his feet, silent and dozing. The exhaustion of the previous night makes me lax; his stroking fingers nearly put me to sleep. But a sharp tap to my cheek when my head starts to nod ensures I have no rest.

It's almost noon when he sets aside his work.

"Strip, girl, and don't make me say it twice," he snaps.

With my heart in my mouth, I do as he commands, and pull the black silks off my body so that I stand in nothing but my skin. Rolling the material, I set it aside and return to my knees at his side.

My eyes stare into the floor; his tone has me on edge.

"Slaton's on his way to pick you up," he states. "But there's still the matter of your disrespect to settle."

"Bend over that chair with your legs spread wide," he orders, pointing to the thick chair in the corner. "Grip the seat if you need balance, but don't move."

Anxiety coils in my belly as I crawl to the seat and take the position he demands. This position is the worst of them; exposed in all senses and able to be fucked or whipped at whim. And with no coloration to my bruises, there is no reason why he can't whip me to his will.

But instead he chooses to do something worse as the door tentatively opens.

"Ah Lilly my sweet girl... crawl over to that naughty slut in the corner and put your knees between her feet."

There's a second's pause, then a harsh crack of a hand hitting flesh and her whimper of pain before I hear her shifting quickly to where he's ordered her. Her pale knees are visible between my feet, I can feel the heat coming off her torso.

"You know that slaves get punished, Lilly," he says. "But you also should know that if you run? You'll end up exactly like her. Bruised. Masterless. A fucking free for all to anyone who wants the trouble of housing her after the Ten are through... but first, that girl has to be punished by each and every master of the House."

"You're going to watch so that you never even dream of doing this without seeing her miserable face," he warns.

The dread has settled in my belly; I don't look down where she knees but rather at the wall in front of me through the slats of the wood backing. Some part of me wants to look, to see what is coming, but I know that if I move from this position, he'll tie me into it and I'll double whatever he has in mind.

His hand grabs my hair, pulling back. "Left or right."

"Right," I gasp.

He lets go, and then I hear the first thwap a moment before I feel the sting burn through me. My hands tighten on the chair, but stay put.

Another slaps my side quickly when I say nothing, making me hiss. "Count them, girl."

I grit my teeth, but make the word come out. "One."

The next one makes me whimper as he tags the side of my breast. "Two!"

On and on he uses that crop on my skin. I count my way through the strokes, voice cracking as they start to come faster and faster. My knuckles are white against the wood; he's torturing just that right side. The longer I endure, the more the sweat beads on my skin, dripping down my legs.

He tortures my ass with that crop, then leaves lines down my calves, my ribs, even my nipple. I take them with as little movement as I can, but I can't help but flinch as the pain begins to grow even if my feet never move.

But when the leather slaps my delicate sex, I can't help but scream as my knees close My hips twist away from that bite as its swelling flush sets in, but he's having none of it. His arm hooks under my hips and it slaps again and again and again and again right over those lips until my knees are buckling and tears are leaking down my cheeks.

"What the count?" he snaps and in the haze of my pain, I have no idea. I try to think back to the numbers I cried last, but it does me no good. His grip drags me so that my torso is supported by the wooden seat of the chair while his hand swats hard against my ass.

"Can't even count, can you, bitch? You had one job and you failed at that. You don't even deserve a master."

The tears have broken free and I can't stop them as he continues to abuse the flesh of my rear, and legs. I can feel the throbbing lines on my flesh; each stroke rips out a cry between sobs.

The girl behind me lets out a quiet whimper of fear as a particularly hard strike makes my body arch only to be forced back down as his grip shifts from my hair to my neck. He gives me no mercy, only a thrashing that breaks any rebellion I had left.

Shuddering under his hand, I let go and simply sob against the chair as I grip it for my life.

"Turn your head and open your mouth, kraljica" he orders coldly.

Without a thought, I do exactly as he's commanded. He forces the ring gag in between my teeth and buckles the strap tight against my cheeks. Next, he forces his cock into my mouth, past that ring to the hilt. Even as my body tries to reject it, his grip holds me hostage.

I can hear Lilly's gasp from between my feet as she watches him fuck my mouth with wide eyes.

Short thrusts slap his sack against my chin; he doesn't give me air until my body is struggling against him, and even then it's barely a gasp before he's back to thrusting. I can feel the scrape of it against my tongue and the bump against my throat.

There's no mercy; he uses me as nothing more than a sleeve for his cock until my mouth is filled by his cum in jets. I lick what I can with my tongue and swallow, desperate not to taste more of that leather tongue.

Spittle hangs off in threads as he finally withdraws. Panting for air, tears streaming down my cheeks, I watch him warily but dare not move.

"Lilly. Send Emelia to clean up this mess and package it for shipment to Slaton. Then get your ass upstairs to my bed."

"Yes Master," she answers shakily before fleeing the room.

I'd forgotten she was there until he said her name.

He shoves the door shut behind her with a clack of the latch, then crosses back over to crouch in front of me. "Your defiance put you here," he murmurs, his hand stroking across my burning cheek. "If only you could behave, kraljica, you might not find yourself in this mess. Thinking before you act will save you so much misery."

He stands, looking at the clock as he unbuckles the gag and collects it from my mouth, ignoring the drool that seeps from it. "If you don't want to end up back over that chair, you will stay put until Emelia comes."

Hearing that door click shut, left alone in my debasement... I silently let the tears flow once more.

It is either chance or design that I am given enough time to collect myself before she arrives, carrying several items in a basket and with a list. "Follow me on your knees."

I crawl after her through the house, up the stairs carefully and then into the bathroom. I feel her fingers take my collar. Then, she nudges me into the shower, and turns the water on. It's cold and shocks me back to reality, while also soothing the burning throb that the crop left behind. I simply stand under it, letting her do what she needs to do before I'm pulled out from under it and toweled dry.

Then it's onto the bench, where she takes a brush to my hair and then tightly french braids it before rolling it into a bun and pinning it in place. A full body rub down once more with the towel and then she rubs a white powder to my skin.

When she returns, she has a rubbery suit in her hand, the zipper going down the back opened wide. "Take your time, and pull it on bit by bit," she warns.

Stepping into the contraption, I feel it grip around my feet until I work them through the holes, then my calves... I have to roll each inch a little higher up my body. When it's over my belly, I slide in my arms and then she helps me work it up over my chest, shoulders, and neck. The zipper seals the latex around my frame. The heavy thick leather collar that she locks in place then ensures that zipper is beyond my reach as the pressure around my body starts to get hot.

She looks at the time. "Follow me downstairs, quickly."

When we've reached the room, I freeze as I see the square metal flooring and the single pole of restraints that rises up from it. Not the box! Making an impatient sound, she hooks her finger in the O ring at my neck and pulls me to it anyway.

"Get on your knees and put your back up against it," she orders. "Or I'll have to get Rex, Jazzy. We don't have time for this and I'm not going to be whipped for you."