Sisterhood - Temptation Ch. 30

Vera glanced around her once, then shuffled her stool a little closer to lean her elbows onto the tabletop, "I confess it is for somewhat selfish reasons. As you know, there will take place the Rite of Offering, later. All being well, at least. If our girls are chosen, then there may be more than just prestige or personal satisfaction as our reward."

"Our reward?" Katharina found herself hunching closer, meeting Vera over the table, as as a shiver of excited curiosity crept up her back.

"Do you remember Paola?" Vera asked.

"Yes," Katharina nodded. Paola was a senior girl, one of the Seven. Katharina did not remember a great deal about her. She had been present when Katharina had been admitted to the Sisterhood, had spoken to the novices then in some of the first meetings, and she had perhaps been present at one or two other social events since, earlier in the year. Katharina could picture what Paola looked like, at least. Glossy black hair, very slim, with slender features, bright eyes and a long, pointed nose. "One of the Seven Sisters, you mean?"

Vera nodded, "Yes. Though no more. She has retired from the council. Her seat is vacant."

Katharina looked at the shiny folds of Vera's purple gown, pooled on the table beneath her bare chest. She looked up at Vera's face, examined it as she thought about what Vera had just mentioned. Katharina tried to imagine her mentor as one of the Seven Sisters. The thought worried her, indistinctly. Before Katharina could articulate to herself why, Vera resumed speaking.

"Do not worry Katharina, if I am summoned then I will continue to be your mentor. I can promise you that will not change. Indeed, I will have access to some of the Sisterhood's secrets, and you and Ivy and my other students would of course be part of that, at least as far as I am able to share with you." Vera smiled to herself, as if making a vaguely amusing realization, "Some of the Seven have their protegees too."

Katharina's excitement surfaced again. She brightened, "That's... amazing. I did not know about, um, elections to the coven council."

"It has not been generally announced," Vera looked at Katharina pointedly, then waved her hand, "And this is the first time that it has had to occur since the present council formed."

"Of course," Katharina nodded vigorously, "I won't talk about it. Of course."

"No," Vera said matter-of-factly, "Very good. But Katharina in any case we should not talk about these things as if they are decided. There are other candidates. Or there is one, at least. And she is much more eligible."

Katharina found the velocity of her thoughts quickly outpacing her. Already several successive questions had formed in her mind. She tried to note them to herself, pin each down in an explicit formulation and then set them in a reasonable order. But aware that the conversation might move on and leave her questions unresolved if she did not speak up, she instead blurted out the first that occurred to her, before she had fully decided what it was, "Why...? How long has the present council been, um, in place?"

Vera looked up to the ceiling and seemed to think for a moment, "The younger girls took control perhaps nine or ten years ago. Before my time. The council must have come together maybe a year or so after that. It wasn't all at once. Not all of them were there right at the beginning."

Though Vera had not stated it, and indeed she never stated it, there was something subtle in her tone, a slight drop in volume perhaps, that Katharina recognized as an indication that they had strayed onto a topic that Vera did not wish to cover in more detail than was necessary. On occasions, Katharina had noticed that this was because Vera simply did not know enough about it, and disliked talking about things without being sure of them. At other times the reason was unclear.

When it came to the recent history of the Sisterhood, Katharina suspected that Vera did know at least a little more. Vera had been here longer than Katharina, by about three years as Katharina recalled. What Katharina knew about the Sisterhood in recent times was only common knowledge, at least among those like herself who studied it and took an interest. The library records of the old Sisterhood became sparser around the turn of the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, at a time when it had again been driven to greater secrecy by renewed persecution, religious but also political, and the records petered out completely some several decades after that. When Vera spoke of the 'younger girls' having taken over, she was referring to the more recent revival of the Sisterhood, in its present form, by some of the girls who were now among the most senior, though still young. Katharina knew that of the Seven, Marianne, Lisa, and Lauren were among the founders. Perhaps some of the others were too.

Katharina could not decide whether she wished to press the topic further. She discarded it, and her thoughts flitted forward, carried by excitement, "Why is Lena a more eligible candidate?"

Vera's smile curled tighter and she nodded, "Yes. Her. Well done. Had to be, didn't it?"

As Katharina made to reply, there was a sharp wooden scraping sound from somewhere above and behind Vera. Katharina noticed the heavy leather curtain across the archway swooshing open. The girls at the larger table nearby turned their heads, then broke into smiles and laughter, raising their glasses at the open archway and clapping their hands. Katharina watched a woman cast the curtain away behind her and take two strides into the room. The woman stood and held her hands clasped together, rubbing them and clapping excitedly in response to the girls applauding her.

Katharina recognized Fereshteh, one of the three women that she had met together with Ivy and Lia much earlier than evening. She recalled Fereshteh's extremely revealing dress, and how she had watched the curves and muscles of Fereshteh's bare back as they had walked together through the throng of the Great Hall. Now, Fereshteh was completely naked. Her skin was a deep tan brown all over her body, ruddy at the cheeks, and bright with a fading sheen of sweat across her shoulders and around her neck. Her figure was subtly muscular. Her thighs and her biceps especially had a firm thickness to them that Katharina remembered having found very attractive when they had first met. But she saw now also a looser and heavier thickness around Fereshteh's hips and her stomach that had before been obscured by the dress.

Fereshteh tossed back her long brown hair, raised her arm and waved vigorously, the movement of her arm slinging her large bust back and forth across her chest. More of the surrounding tables joined the welcome toast. Katharina hunched her shoulders as the sound of cheers and shrieks rang in her ears.

Fereshteh put her flattened palm to her mouth and bent at the knees to stoop and blow kisses at several of the nearest girls. The chorus of cries was for a moment sustained and then finally abated as Fereshteh turned away and looked around her.

Fereshteh's eyes found Katharina almost immediately. It took only a splitsecond before a warm smile of recognition lifted Fereshteh's face. Katharina waved and smiled back.

Fereshteh turned then to Vera, who had swiveled around on her stool to observe Fereshteh's entrance. On seeing Vera, Fereshteh's smile widened. She opened her mouth and gave a shrill squeal of excitement, then sprang forward and leaped into Vera's lap, swinging her legs apart to straddle her, and clasping her arms around Vera's neck.

"My love, my love, my love," Fereshteh gasped. She thrust her mouth at Vera and pressed their faces together for a disorderly kiss. Her lips writhed across Vera's mouth and cheeks, and her hand wandered up the back of Vera's neck to grab a bunch of Vera's hair.

Vera murmured and twisted in her seat, seemed to be trying to position herself more comfortably beneath the weight of Fereshteh's body, or to say something. There was a long moment in which Katharina was left watching, afraid to look elsewhere in case she met the gaze of other girls watching her watch. Then Fereshteh finally threw her head back and took a deep breath. She tossed her hair aside and nuzzled her forehead against Vera's, laughing quietly.

"You know," Vera smiled, her lips smeared pink, "I thought you might be coming back in here to take a break."

"So did I," Fereshteh chuckled, "Until I saw you love." She reached down through the space between her body and Vera's, and fumbled, biting her lip in concentration, "Fuck me. Come on. Just quick."

"Ah Katharina, do forgive me, I'm afr-" Vera's apology was cut off as Fereshteh kissed her once more, closing her eyes and sealing her lips around Vera's as she began slowly lifting and grinding her hips into Vera's lap.

Fereshteh mumbled something as she took a gasp of breath from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes opened and she looked over Vera's shoulder across at Katharina. Fereshteh's eyelids twitched in a brief, playful wink, then she extended one arm over the table to take Katharina's hand. Unsure how to react, Katharina let her hand be lifted upright palm to palm with Fereshteh's, fingers interlocking.

Held in place and unable to get up, Katharina watched Fereshteh squirm, her eyes fluttering closed and her cheeks flushing with heat. Katharina felt the blotching of embarrassment on her own face and on her neck, yet despite the awkwardness she felt also an insistent stiffening between her legs as her dick strained up against the underside of her tightly clasped thighs.

Fereshteh seemed to slow for a moment and settle into a more leisurely rocking motion, but then the little gusts of breath blowing from her nostrils began to quicken and she writhed once more with urgency. With her free arm she clasped Vera tight about the shoulders, pressing their bodies together, groaning against Vera's mouth. Her fingers suddenly tensed and squeezed, crushing Katharina's hand in a surprisingly powerful grip as her body shuddered, twitched, then slackened.

"Ufff, my love my love," Fereshteh blew a long sigh and leaned back in Vera's arms. She nodded over her shoulder at the archway, "Can we go back in there? Just for a little while? You and me."

"My dear," Vera expelled a quiet purring laugh, "That is very sorely tempting. I would love to, and we most certainly will, a little later. But for now, I must attend to my students."

"Aww," Fereshteh pined, fluttering her eyelids, "You sure?"

"I mean, it's, uh, okay if..." Katharina croaked.

"No no, I'm joking. Katja," Fereshteh looked up and smiled at her warmly. Her fingers lifted one by one and released Katharina's aching hand, "You have a very good teacher."

Katharina swallowed, felt her voice catch in her throat.

"You are really too lovely my dear," Vera set her hands on Fereshteh's hips, "Rest assured that I will not be able to resist you for too long."

Fereshteh sighed, lifted one leg and then the other, and staggered to her feet. Katharina looked away too late and caught a clear glimpse of the glistening wetness coating the folds of Fereshteh's pussy between her spread legs, framed in a clump of short, wiry black hairs.

Fereshteh slid her legs together and stood upright. She lowered her eyelids and smiled again at Vera, then at Katharina, "Well. Then I will be at the bar whenever the temptation becomes overwhelming," she raised her hand and wriggled her fingers in farewell as she turned away, "For either of you."

Katharina saw the back of Vera's head, facing away from her. Vera's shoulders were rising and falling in a slow, controlled rhythm. Unsure when it might be appropriate to attempt to resume conversation, Katharina preferred instead to turn away and watch Fereshteh walking among the tables towards the bar counter.

She couldn't tell whether Fereshteh's slow swaying gait was deliberately seductive or simply necessitated by her meandering route among the tables and around the other girls who crossed her path. Fereshteh's broad, heavy buttocks swung across her hips as she moved. She did not turn to look over her shoulder, and Katharina caught only glimpses of the contented smile on her face as she bent to speak or blow kisses at some of the girls she passed. Then she slipped among the thicker throng of girls in front of the counter, and was gone.

There was the sound of a slow intake of breath. Vera held up her hand, "One moment Katharina. My apologies."

"Um, of course, no, it's fine," Katharina mumbled. She nodded, though Vera was still facing away.

Vera sighed once more and then turned, swiveling on the seat of her stool. She drew her gown closed about her chest and shook her head briskly, "She is more experienced. She has admirers, many of whom will do anything for her, though she is quite sparing in calling upon their loyalty."

"Fereshteh?" Katharina looked out across the crowd to the point where she had seen Fereshteh slip out of sight. She frowned, "I can imagine that she is popular. She is very confident, and... really attractive."

Vera smiled, "I meant Lena. You asked why she is a better candidate."

"Oh," Katharina recalled suddenly what they had been talking about before they had been interrupted.

"But good Goddess that woman is delightful too," Vera continued, "I have you to thank for finding her, don't I?"

"Oh, well, I mean, we met, earlier. But it was Ivy and Lia mostly. I, uh, spent some time with her friend." Katharina wondered then about Mutia, "Did you meet her two friends? Were they with her?"

"Yes," Vera nodded, "We arrived at the North Wing together."

"With Lia?" Katharina asked, "She came along with you?"

"I did not bring Lia with me, no," Vera waved her hand casually, "It just happened that I was entering the North Wing at the same time as Lia arrived with those three women. Those three very lovely women."

Katharina had wondered earlier about the veracity of Lia's hurried and not entirely coherent account of her time since becoming separated from her and Ivy. But Vera seemed now to be confirming at least the kernel of it. "So Lia did quite well then, I suppose."

"Indeed she did," Vera smiled to herself, glancing upwards as if recalling, "She is surprisingly resourceful, despite appearances. But although I suspect Fereshteh might be quite drawn by the idea of being offered, I think she will not want to stay here without her friends."

"You wanted to find girls who will be offered," Katharina nodded.

"Well," Vera inclined her head, and smiled at Katharina, "It wouldn't hurt our cause, so to speak."

At the allusion to the rite of offering, Katharina's thoughts flowed quickly from one association to another and she suddenly recalled something that she had put to the back of her mind, having been preoccupied since with the task of finding a date to bring to the North Wing. She wanted to mention again the painting that she had discovered, and in particular the fact that Lena had seemed perhaps to see some additional significance or curiosity in it that Vera had not.

Thinking back to her abortive detour to Vera's apartments with Emmie, Katharina thought first to ask where Vera had moved the painting to. She opened her mouth to speak but then realized that she would be inadvertently revealing that she had been in Vera's chambers again without her knowledge, and had noticed that the painting had moved. She was unsure whether this mattered. Perhaps it didn't. But then she pictured Emmie's discarded bra draped over the back of one of Vera's chairs, and decided against speaking whatever question she had been about to formulate.

She thought next of the reason she had wanted to see the painting again. The photograph that she had found and that had seemed very familiar but that she had been unable to place until she had realized that it was the same or almost the same figure that was depicted seven times in the painting. She opened her mouth again, but this time realized that in order to explain what she he had noticed, she would have to reveal that she had been in Anna's chambers too, and worse, had examined Anna's belongings. This prospect felt somehow even more distressing, and so she let her mouth fall closed again.

Aware that her hesitant gaping expression probably appeared distinctly awkward, Katharina looked away from Vera's expectant face and examined the room again, seeking something else, something entirely trivial, to remark on. She was very relieved when only a moment later the heavy curtain just behind Vera flapped aside once more.

There was a ruffle and a murmur, and the heads of the girls nearest the archway turned as they had before. Somme of them raised their glasses and others clapped their hands, but the applause quickly faltered as some of the others hushed their companions, giggling awkwardly and looking away.

The girl who strode into the room was naked, just as Fereshteh had been. And again it was the girl's body and her figure that Katharina recognized first. Louise's thick, strong limbs, the soft curve of her stomach, and her heavy, unrestrained bust were unmistakable. With most of the girls nearby seated on low stools, Louise stood even taller over them than usual.

Louise raised her arms and set her hands behind her head to pull tight the little band of elastic that held her bright blonde hair back in a ponytail. Then she narrowed her eyes and flashed a sly, self-confident smirk at some of the girls who had begun to applaud her, as if daring them to look back at her. The few still looking, with their hands on their glasses, turned away or hurried to speak to their neighbors.

Satisfied, Louise made to stride forward into the room. As she took her first step, she happened to turn to the side and notice Katharina, and then Vera. Just as Fereshteh had done, Louise smiled and tensed with excitement. But unlike Fereshteh, she seemed quickly to check herself. Her smile faded back to a cool smirk, and she walked carefully over to lean forward and plant her hands on Vera's shoulders.

Vera leaned her head back and looked up at Louise's dangling breasts, swaying just behind her as Louise began massaging her. Vera smiled in recognition, "Louise. My dear."

Louise's smile warmed. There was a purr in her throat as she kneaded harder at Vera's shoulders. She looked across at Katharina, "Can I do anything for the two of you?"

"You're going straight back to work?" Katharina chuckled.

Louise arched one eyebrow and grinned at Katharina, "How do you mean 'back'? Back from what?"

Vera took Louise's wrists and lifted her hands gently away. She spun round on her stool to face Louise. "Louise," Vera clasped her hands, "You gorgeous creature. You are looking absolutely ravishing. Don't tease poor Katharina."

"Okay," Louise's tongue darted out between her lips and she winked at Katharina. Turning to Vera again, she repeated, "So? Can I do anything for you?"

Vera hesitated. Katharina noticed a sly, mirthful growl in Vera's voice when she responded, "I suspect you can."

Louise's eyes narrowed, scrying Vera's face. She said nothing, but her pose shifted subtly. For a moment Katharina was sure that Louise was about to leap forward and plump herself down in Vera's lap just as Fereshteh had done. But then after a pause Louise straightened her back and sighed, "Well. You know where to find me. Should I send you over something to drink?"

"That is very thoughtful of you," Vera held up her arms and took Louise's hands in hers, held them simply for a moment, then let go again, "But Katharina and I must be off. We are going to brave the testing chamber."

"Okay," Louise flashed her smirk again at Katharina, "Well, enjoy yourselves."

Louise spun gracefully on her toes and strode away, weaving quickly among the tables, easing her big shoulders briskly but politely past each girl who stood in her way.