The Rebellious Slave Ch. 03

What the hell happened? Kara thought, carefully clenching and unclenching her fists in an almost hypnotic, post-tantrum trance—it seemed she'd scraped her knuckles on the stone, but it was still too dark to see the damage. How could I have done all those things...how did he...I don't... Still lying on the ground, Kara remembered Lord Arlington's smug face—right before he'd licked a tear from his finger—and revulsion swept through her. Fucking bastard!

As hot tears poured down her face, Kara sat up on her haunches and reached behind her, hoping to feel the welts along her back and assess the extent of her injuries. She was prepared for the worst, but as she patted herself down, confusion and then shock finally washed over her. The welts were raised and angry, but the skin was largely intact and the wounds would heal quickly, probably within the week and all without leaving a scar. Kara was certain there had been blood and lots of it, but where was it all now? Almost frantically, she traced the welts crisscrossing her back and thighs, counting them off one-by-one to make sure she hadn't missed any. All ten were quickly accounted for and as before, none of them were serious. But that didn't make any sense.

How...? Kara thought, incredulous—she could still vividly remember the brutality of Lord Arlington's whip as it had marred her flesh, leaving behind nothing but streaks of torturous fire. And yet, there was hardly any damage. How could I have been so wrong about everything?

Kara wasn't sure why her memories weren't lining up with reality, but it was terrifying. Her mind felt like it belonged to someone else and she was only borrowing it, flipping through a stranger's photo album without any of the context. That was already disorienting enough, never mind all the violence adding further confusion to her thoughts. Lord Arlington had done so many vicious, unforgivable things to her that evening—raping her ass, whipping her to tears, and then finally...piercing her, as if to mark her like some sort of animal. Of all the tortures she'd endured at his hands, those piercings were by far the worst. They felt raw and primal, like the gaping wounds left behind in a gazelle after a lion has finished with it. Though Kara could feel herself shudder at the thought of them, she knew she should probably make sure they'd been properly managed. Being careful not to agitate the wounds too terribly, she gently ran her hands over her breasts and then her sex. Her fingers brushed her clit and almost instantly, her stomach dropped.

Wait a minute... Kara thought, running her hands through her folds one more time, because she needed to be absolutely certain. Oh my god, I can't believe it...he only pierced the hood... Now, Kara finally understood.

Lord Arlington is the man they bring in when pain isn't an effective interrogation technique, Alyssa had warned her. He's a mind fucker; he fucks with minds. So why hadn't she listened?

Fuck! Kara thought, and the rage swelling up inside of her was so completely and utterly cold, she honestly wasn't sure she would survive it. What the hell is wrong with me? The knifework, the rape, the whipping, the piercings...all of it seemed so trivial now. Arlington didn't even cut me—he only cut my clothes—and the whip didn't leave any permanent scars. Even the burning from the ginger had faded long ago. As for the rest, both nipple and clit piercings were common in Callihistra and plenty of women got them by choice. Bastard! Kara thought, so angry she could hardly think straight with all the blood pounding in her ears. Bastard, bastard, bastard!

Under any other circumstances, Kara could have easily managed the violence Arlington had inflicted upon her. As a military medic, she'd often suffered much worse with hardly even a groan to show for her efforts. And yet...and yet, Arlington had brought her to tears. Not with pain—there'd been hardly any pain—but with the sheer force of his terrifying presence. Lord Arlington had used the sound of his whip to unsettle her, grinning whenever she became disturbed and making her look at him while he hurt her. Then he had intimidated her, using her uncertainty and helplessness as tools which would intensify every new torture, making his treatment of her seem far worse than it actually was. Arlington had tricked Kara into lowering her pain tolerance, until getting her to cave was as simple as inserting a needle through her flesh. Fear was his weapon and he wielded it as artfully as a surgeon with a scalpel.

He's good, Kara thought; she hated to admit it, but as far as Arlington was concerned, it was the truth. He's really, really good. How long was I with him? An hour, maybe two?

Sitting back on her haunches, Kara immediately began to plot her escape. She had to get out of here and she had to get out fast, before Arlington completely destroyed her. Already, he had begun the process of breaking her down and the longer she stayed with him, the more obvious her weaknesses would become. Kara was a confident woman, but she wasn't unrealistic, either. Arlington was a master manipulator and while she could hang on to her dignity for a while yet, she was only human. Once she wandered past the point of no return, there was no telling what would become of her.

Kara wouldn't be able to get out on her own, that much was certain. The tracking implant would make a stealthy escape impossible and she could not remove the device herself. She would need to hire someone to do the job for her and hadn't the means to either contact or pay a professional "unslaver." Until Kara figured out how, any attempt at escape would be pointless...no, it would be worse than pointless, it would be detrimental to her survival. Because if she made an attempt and failed, there was no telling what Arlington would do to punish her. He might even kill her, depending on his temperament. Then, there was also the matter of orientation. Kara hadn't the slightest idea where in Isleydor she was located. If she did escape, it would be to Nardia, but how would she get there if she didn't know where she was starting? It seemed like the best course of action would be to hold out long enough to get her bearings and then try and contact an outsider. It wasn't much of a plan, but at least it was something.

Alright... Kara thought, finally starting to calm down. But in the meantime, how do I keep my weaknesses secret from that...that fucking lunatic!?

Resisting at every turn would be pointless, Kara realized. As much as she appreciated Alyssa's advice, if she fought Arlington with too much enthusiasm and was subsequently punished for it, she wouldn't last very long. Instead, she would have to pick and choose her battles carefully, so as to remain confident and in control. Arlington was always looking into her eyes for clues on how she responded to particular pains and fears, and she'd have to put a stop to that. Outright closing her eyes wouldn't work, since he'd forcibly keep them open if he had to. Kara would have to learn to maintain a straight face at all times, no matter how badly he insulted and humiliated and hurt her. It would be hard, but she had to try. Kara would also have to relent to him and obey his stupid speech restrictions. The gag wasn't a minor obstacle, but a huge one. If she intended to contact an unslaver, she'd need to be able to talk, to get the word out somehow. Kara had friends in Nardia, perhaps they would pay her way out. Even if it was expensive, she'd figure it out. Her parents weren't wealthy, but they certainly weren't poor, either.

Other than that, Kara had to try and keep herself fit and sane. First on the agenda would be a nice, long sleep. Stretching out on the warm stone, Kara rested her arm under her head to form a pillow and closed her eyes tight shut. She was exhausted and it wasn't long before she fell into oblivion.