Vox Dominus Pt. 19

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"Wow," Maddi said, her voice echoing down the hall. "They really cleaned this place out."

Veronica rattled her cocktail shaker louder, hoping to drown her roommate out or, at the very least, prompt her to take a hint. Of course, it was pointless effort: the redhead's booming voice still breached Veronica's battered haven, rebounding around the increasingly claustrophobic kitchen.

"Seriously, shit's wild." Maddi whistled. "They were only here for an hour and it's like she never even lived here. You gotta check this out."

"Aren't you going to be late for practice?" Veronica shouted back, unable to hide the irritation in her voice. To her satisfaction, she saw Maddi emerge down the hall, dressed in her volleyball uniform and with her duffle bag in tow.

"I'm just saying," she continued. "You all told me Chelsea's mom was intense, but it's fucked up that she can just swoop in and, like, disappear the poor girl like that. We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye."

"It's not goodbye," Veronica maintained, deciding to make her drink a double. "Chelsea's just taking some time off with her mom. She'll be back."

"Uh-huh." Maddi shot Veronica a skeptical look. "I'm sure it'll be like she never left. Till mommy dearest starts feeling left out again, of course."

Veronica gave a forced shrug. "Relax. This might be new to you, but it isn't the first time it's happened. It's all just part of the Chelsea experience." That was true, save for the leaving-the-country-suddenly-and-indefinitely bit, but Veronica had been trying her best not to dwell on that fact.

"Must be why you're taking it so well." Maddi zipped up her jacket. "Whatever, I'm outtie."

Veronica let out a rattled sigh, grateful to finally have the apartment alone to herself. Her relief was cut short, however, when she heard Maddi hesitate halfway out the door, a surprised greeting giving way to a murmured conversation just out of earshot.

"Hey V," Maddi called, sticking her had back into the apartment. "You remember Sophia right?"

"Huh? Um, yeah wh—?" Veronica stopped short, realizing too late what Maddi was really asking.

"Cool, she says y'all gotta talk," Maddi explained, stepping aside to admit a familiar, busty girl into the apartment. "I'm running late, so I'll catch you later."

"Maddi wait—!" Veronica started towards the door, only to freeze when a skinny, bespectacled boy stepped into the room beside Sophia. Veronica had only seen this newcomer in person once, but she instantly recognized his dark eyes, wavy, tousled hair, and cryptic smile.

It was the boy from the talent show: Sebastian. Veronica's stomach twisted with disgust.

"Sorry for showing up out of the blue like this," Sophia apologized. "But we—"

"No." Veronica interrupted, jabbing a finger towards the door. "Get out. Now. Or I start screaming."

"Veronica, please," Sophia pleaded. "I know we didn't exactly get off to a great start together, but can you just hear me out? We want to help."

"I don't care. I have nothing to say to you." Veronica shot a scathing look at Seb. "Especially not with him around."

Seb blinked. "S-sorry, have we met?"

"I was there at the talent show," Veronica spat. "You're the reason everything went to hell. Ever since that stupid little routine of yours, Chelsea's whole life has gone off the rails. And it's all your fault."

"That's not true!" Sophia exclaimed, stepping in between them. "Mast—er, Seb never meant to hurt her. And I never meant to lie to you either. It was just...a weird, messed up situation. But we're trying to fix it now, okay?"

"Fix it?" Veronica's brow furrowed. "How is barging into my apartment supposed to fix things?"

"Because we're trying to save Chelsea," Seb stated. "And we need your help."

Veronica hesitated, thrown. "Save her...what, from her own mother?" she laughed. "Don't you realize how stupid that sounds?"

"C'mon. You know Elise is no good," Sophia shot back. "I only met her for a second and I could tell she was toxic for Chelsea."

Seb nodded. "There's no way she would've wanted this, Veronica. And I doubt you want it either."

Veronica gripped the countertop for balance. All the guilt she had fought to suppress was seeping through the cracks, swirling her own rage back at her in a dizzying spiral. She hated these meddling interlopers, hated the effect their words were having on her. But most of all, she hated...hated...

"It's pointless," Veronica hissed through grit teeth. "Even if I wanted to change things, it doesn't matter. There's nothing I can do."

"But there is," Seb countered. "Sophia and I have a plan to get her back. All we need is for you to tell us where they're staying, and help pull some of her security away."

Veronica's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I can do that?"

"Just a hunch," Sophia answered. "If you're as tight with the family as you say, you probably at least have some guesses about where Elise's suite is."

"And," Seb added. "If you call and say Chelsea left something here, Elise might send someone to come get it. Which is a long shot, sure, but having even one less guard to deal with would be a big help."

Veronica sipped her drink, taking a moment to reconsider her guests. What they were proposing sounded flimsy, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. It still didn't explain how exactly they planned to make Elise surrender, nor why they seemed so convinced of their ability to do so. Unless...

"So." Veronica set her glass down and rubbed her temples. "Let's say I actually go through with this, and you manage to reach Chelsea. Then what?"

Her guests exchanged a look. "Then we convince Elise to let her go," Sophia answered.

Veronica arched an eyebrow, unamused by the pathetic attempt at evasion. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Well..." Sophia shot another glance at Seb, apparently asking for some kind of approval.

"We'd rather play this close to the chest," he answered. "No offense, but we still don't trust you completely."

"Funny," Veronica scoffed. "Because I don't trust you either. And I won't until you tell me exactly how you plan to talk Elise down. Otherwise, you're just wasting my time."

The ultimatum hung in the air for a perilous moment. Then Seb sighed. "If that's what it takes, I'll tell you. But I can't promise you'll believe me."

Veronica crossed her arms. "This should be good," she said wryly, even as her heart raced. She already had a guess as to what Seb intended for Elise, but she dared not consider its implications. It was an impossible notion, one she had been trying to discard ever since the talent show. And yet, it would explain everything, including the taste of fear sticking to her tongue.

Seb swallowed, his eyes roaming the ceiling for a moment before he spoke again. "There's no way of saying this without sounding kinda insane, but...I can hypnotize people. Even if they don't want me to. And I can make them do things they normally wouldn't do."

Veronica's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Instead, she looked to Sophia, who shrugged.

"It's true," she concurred. "He hypnotized me into being his slave last night. Although," she added, leaning against his arm, "I did kinda ask him to do that."

Veronica shut her eyes, struggling to restart her breathing. "A-and that's what you plan to do to Elise? Make her your—your slave?"

"Uh...sort of?" Seb rubbed the back of his neck. "I dunno if I'd be able to do something that extreme, but I should be able to at least convince her to let Chelsea stay."

It was insane. All of this was insane. Veronica knew that what Seb was saying was impossible, that hypnotism didn't work the way he described. But if that was the case...why did he and Sophia seem so earnest? What else could they possibly have up their sleeves to make them so confident?

Why weren't they scared like she was?

Seb cleared his throat. "If you don't believe me, I can give you a little demonstration."

"No!" Veronica shouted, so loudly and suddenly it caused the other two to jump. She clamped her mouth shut, embarrassed to have revealed how believable Seb's words really were. "I-I just need to know," she forced herself to continue. "Did you...hypnotize Chelsea to be your...your..."

Seb met her eyes, then shook his head. "I've hypnotized her before, but...well, it's complicated." He sighed. "Long story short, I haven't put any ideas in her head she didn't ask for. If anything, she's been the one pushing for more drastic changes, not me."

"But you still could if you wanted to," Veronica insisted. "If I help you now, how do I know you won't make her your—your slave in the future?"

"I...guess you can't really." Seb shrugged. "Though the fact that I'm not forcing you to cooperate is hopefully a good sign?"

A tingling shiver trickled through Veronica's nerves. She wasn't sure if Seb intended that as a threat or not, but the gleam in his eye still unnerved her.

As if sensing her trepidation, Sophia stepped in with a gentle smile. "None of us really know how all of this is gonna shake out. But all Master and I want is for Chelsea to be happy. That's gotta be better than what Elise is offering, right?"

Despite herself, Veronica nodded, her pulse finally settling. The thought of working with Seb and his "slave" was revolting, but it was the only way she could stop Elise from taking Chelsea away. Besides, if Seb was being truthful about his abilities, there was little Veronica could do to stop him. And if he was lying, well...Elise would see to it that he got what he deserved.

"Chelsea and her mother are staying in the penthouse of the Bell Tower Hotel," Veronica revealed. "I can confirm that there are only two guards watching them right now, but I can't call and pull them away." Veronica clenched her fists, waiting for a flash of light, a sonic blast, a searing headache, or whatever form Seb's hypno powers took. But to her surprise, he didn't seem intent on forcing her compliance. Instead, he just seemed perplexed.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Oh. Um." Veronica blinked. "W-well...if this goes bad, Elise will be looking for whoever led you to her. And if she finds out it was me..."

"Ah," Seb nodded. "Okay. We'll make it work."

"Thanks Veronica," Sophia chimed in, flashing a thumbs-up as she and Seb headed towards the door. "Don't worry, Chelsea will be back before you know it."

Veronica didn't trust herself to say anything else, so she watched numbly as her two ex-antagonists exited. When she was alone, she drained the last of her drink, recalling that Chelsea had once labeled Seb "her way out."

As much as it sickened Veronica to admit it...

...She hoped her friend was right.

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Seb had never actually seen the Bell Tower in person, though breathless talk of its accommodations had passed his ears once or twice. And as he and Sophia stepped out of their ride and beheld the fabled building up close, Seb finally understood the reason for its reputation.

The luxury hotel loomed proudly overhead, an elegant tower of steel and glass that dwarfed the pine grove surrounding it. Golden light radiated from every side of the imposing structure, filtering through the darkened branches and suffusing the night air with a warm, effervescent glow. The effect was no doubt intended to be inviting, but Seb felt oddly naked as he walked up the front lot, unable to escape the eyes of those who might be watching above.

The ominous quiet was interrupted by a startled yelp from Sophia, followed by a hissed curse. "Ugh, I hate these heels," she groaned. "It's like trying to walk on two toothpicks."

Seb offered his arm for support, which his slave gladly took. "I didn't say you had to wear them," he pointed out.

"You said we should look nice, and these are the fanciest shoes I own. I just don't usually have an excuse to wear them."

"It's a shame," Seb quipped, taking the opportunity to appreciate the spectacle. While he lacked the eye to appraise the true worth of her shoes, he enjoyed the way they accentuated her legs and caused her hips to sway with every step, her gait at once purposeful, yet playful. It helped that her lavender dress hugged her buxom figure with such loving care, a glittering necklace dangling above her deep, enticing cleavage. By the time his eyes roamed back up to meet hers, Sophia was blushing.

"Damn," she exhaled. "Stop looking me like that or we'll never make it out of the parking lot." Her grip on his arm tightened, and Seb chuckled. But the tense silence that had enveloped them during the car ride returned in an instant, its grip tightening as they walked up the steps towards the main entrance.

"What do you think the odds are that Veronica ratted us out?" Seb muttered. "Could be we're walking into a trap right now."

"I doubt it. I think she really does care about Chelsea, and wants to help her. It just sucks that she hates our guts too."

"Fair points. Still," he cast a loaded glance at her, "this is the last chance to back out."

"Yeah right." Sophia drew a deep breath and straightened. "It took me forever to get all this on. No way am I letting it go to waste."

"Well said." Seb managed a smirk as he pushed the glimmering door open.

The interior of the hotel was as intimidating as its façade, the polished floors and towering ceiling threatening to swallow the two interlopers as they passed the reception desk and a seating area dotted with guests. Seb didn't recognize any of them as part of Elise's retinue, but who knew how many eyes she really had? So he tried his best to appear like he belonged. Granted, his black suit probably wasn't expensive enough for him to blend is as a regular, but paired with Sophia, he could probably pass for an uppity student stretching to make a fancy night out for his beau. At least, that was one of the reasons behind their costuming.

Fortunately, they reached the elevators without a problem, and Seb allowed himself a sigh of relief as the doors closed behind them. He turned and faced his slave, who was already posing with her back arched against the wall, her head titled low and her tits pushed out in an inviting display.

The carriage hummed to life and began rising.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," she answered.

He closed the distance and grasped her with greedy fistfuls, his lips pressing against hers as their tongues intertwined. The Vox roared to life inside him, his cock stiffening against Sophia's soft stomach. He pulled her closer and she moaned, her fingers cascading through his hair and down his neck, fanning the flames even further. The fatigue that had hampered him since daylight eased, power and energy reinvigorating his aching muscles.

The elevator slowed. The couple broke off their embrace, but their eyes still held each other as a digitized voice announced their arrival.

There was no going back now.

Sophia was first out the doors, exactly as planned. Seb followed close behind, and spied the same two guards that had escorted him earlier that day, now seated outside an ornate set of double doors. The sound of the elevator had no doubt given away Seb and Sophia's approach, but the suited men still seemed caught off-balance, one of them fumbling to silence the video on his phone as the couple drew near. More than likely, the hired muscle hadn't expected the night to be anything but an uneventful bore. Hopefully, they still believed that would be the case.

"Penthouse is off limit, kids," the taller and balder of the pair began, squinting at the new arrivals. "Wait, aren't you...?"

"Sorry we're late," Sophia chirped, sauntering close to the two men. "Is Chelsea mad? We sent her a text but—ooh!" She stumbled forward, grasping the bald guard's arm and pressing herself against it. "Sorry, new heels," she explained, gazing up at him with a giggle. He stiffened, his eyes darting between the girl on his arm and his befuddled companion.

That was Seb's cue. Fortunately, the Vox was already primed and ready. "We're her best friends," he explained, layering his voice with as much power as he could spare. "Mrs. Jaeger said we could come say goodbye before they left. I think that's pretty nice, don't you?"

The bald guard nodded drowsily. "Yeah...nice," he agreed, his eyes still locked on Sophia's subtly swaying body. Unfortunately, the other guard didn't seem quite as receptive to the Vox's advances: his expression narrowed with confusion, as though he were hearing a language he was once fluent in, but had since forgotten.

"H-hold on..." he put up an uncertain hand. "Mrs. Jaeger didn't mention any...visitors."

"Are you sure?" Seb pressed, locking eyes with those of his quarry. "She's been running you ragged all day—isn't it possible she mentioned something and it slipped your mind?"

"It's...possible," the faltering suit acknowledged. "But I should still...check..."

"Oh, please don't bother her." Sophia mewled, reaching with a free hand to squeeze the reluctant guard's arm. "We don't want to cause Mrs. Jaeger any trouble, we're just here to see Chelsea."

"What's the point of bothering Mrs. Jaeger over something this trivial?" Seb agreed. "Wouldn't it just prove to her that you weren't listening before?"

"Y-yes...it would..." the resistant guard nodded.

"So wouldn't it be easier to just let us say our goodbyes and be done with it?"

"Yes, it would," he repeated, more certain this time.

"In fact, since we'll be in there with them, you can probably take a breather. I bet you've been working hard today haven't you?" The logic didn't make total sense, but Seb had to force the issue now or never.

Fortunately, Sophia picked up her cue. "A break sounds really nice right now doesn't it?" she said dreamily, goading the bald guard into responding.

"Yeah, it does," he nodded, leading his partner to do the same.

"And while you're downstairs, could you grab me a sparkling water?" she added. "I promise I'll be really, really thankful."

The bald guard grinned, his gaze lingering on Sophia as she released her grip and set him towards the elevators. "Sparkling water," he repeated. "Sure thing."

"We're really grateful for your understanding." Seb smiled, stepping towards the door and holding his hand out for the room key. "These kind of things are just part of the job, aren't they?"

"Y-yeah," the suit nodded, relinquishing the entry card and drifting towards the elevators, even as his head seemed to lag behind his feet. "Just part of the job..." He stepped inside and the doors closed soon after, leaving Seb and Sophia alone outside the penthouse suite.

"Phew," Sophia exhaled, rubbing drowsiness from her eyes. "We did it. Think I got caught a little in the cross-fire there, though."

"Sorry," Seb sighed, taking a step towards the door. "I'm not sure how to keep the Vox from...whoa..." he staggered, his leg almost buckling underneath him.

"You okay?" His slave rushed to his side. "Maybe we should take a sec to let you rest before—"

"There's no time." Seb grit his teeth, fighting the heaviness in his limbs as he straightened. "We have to do this now before anyone notices something's up."

"Alright..." Sophia demurred, though her concerned pout remained. "Just pace yourself, okay?"

Seb nodded, and turned his attention to the penthouse entrance. He pictured what was waiting for him inside: Elise, his imposing adversary. She had humiliated him and stolen one of his most prized possessions: a slave whose devotion was so boundless even her Master had struggled to accept it. But he wasn't running anymore. Chelsea had offered herself to him, and he would claim every inch of her, from those playful, smirking lips to her graceful, pale legs and plump, poised breasts. The Vox rallied in his chest, power surging and blood quickening with every heartbeat.