Enslaved (Brides of the Kindred Book 14) (16 page)

Chapter
Fifteen

“I
don’t
like
this outfit,” Trin
muttered for perhaps the fortieth time as she walked carefully down the
colorful gemstone path to Lady Tam-tam’s estate in the sky-high shoes Thrace
had synthesized for her on the Sym-printer. It was an expensive machine that
Trin had invested in on the off chance she ever found herself stuck in deep
space needing a spare part for the ship. In such a dire emergency, it could
save her life and the lives of her crew by simply printing out a replacement
part. But somehow the big Havoc had found a way to make it print dresses and
shoes as well as a new outfit for himself—which covered considerably more than
hers did, she noted resentfully.

Her dress was beautiful but bizarre—a buttery
yellow satin affair that went well with her light brown skin tones. Trin had no
problem with the color—it was the cut that bothered her.

The top of the dress went all the way up to her the
throat almost like a choker and ended right under her ears. But despite the
severe top, the gown wasn’t modest at all—there was a triangular opening cut in
the butter yellow satin which framed her breasts.

A panel of lighter yellow lace stretched across it
but it was thin—nearly see-through. The curves of her breasts and the tight
points of her nipples were clearly visible, pressing against the soft lace as
though they were trying to escape. In fact, they actually
were
. Trin had
already had some trouble with the top panel trying to pull free of its
moorings. It was stretched too tightly across her full breasts and threatening
to come loose at any time.

Below, the dress wasn’t much better. Though it fell
modestly to her ankles, there was a similar triangle framing her pelvis with
another panel of thin lace that did little or nothing to hide her sex.

Perhaps most troubling of all, both panels of lace
were detachable—for what reason Trin didn’t want to imagine. She had wanted to
synthesize some suitable undergarments to go beneath the ludicrous dress but
apparently they weren’t in fashion at the moment. So here she was, on display
and tottering down the gemmed pathway to the Lady Tam-tam’s estate feeling as
naked as if she had no clothing on at all.

“You don’t have to
like
the damn outfit,” Thrace
growled under his breath from his place behind her. “You just have to wear it.”

He himself was wearing only his black and silver
studded pain collar with a leash and a pair of black leather trousers. But they
were
not
the same ones he’d had on when she bought him. These trousers
covered only his thighs and lower legs—the crotch and ass area were completely
missing. However, there was a sort of silky black loin cloth that he wore
belted around his lean waist which mercifully covered both areas. But even with
that cover, he was going to look obscene if he got…aroused—which he
had
when Trin had first come out of the fresher in the ridiculous dress.

“Gods,” he’d muttered, looking her over as she
smoothed down the dress nervously. “Fucking gorgeous.”

“It’s ridiculous.” Trin had been irritated to feel
her cheeks heating under his scrutiny. She’d never had anyone look at her the
way the big Havoc did—as though she was a luscious piece of fruit and he was
dying to take a bite. “Stop staring if the dress is giving you a…a problem.”
She motioned at the tent rising under the black loincloth at his waist.

“It’s not the dress—it’s what’s inside it,” Thrace
had growled. But he had dragged his eyes away and continued packing her things,
which he had miniaturized and now carried in a small black case at his side.

Trin was carrying a small yellow bag that matched
her dress and contained the remote to his pain collar. She also held the end of
his leash—which she had objected to.

“The collar is enough,” she’d pointed out.

“Not in Yonnite high society it’s not,” Thrace
had said. “They like to dominate their males
hard.
You’re going to have
to do the same if you want to fit in.” He grinned at her. “Treat me like dirt,
Mistress—that’s what they’ll be expecting.”

“But I don’t want to do that! And I don’t see how
you can suggest it,” Trin had protested. “How could you stand it if I treated
you like that?”

“I can stand it because I know you don’t
want
to do it—that you don’t mean it.” Thrace had looked at her seriously.
“Look, let’s just do what we have to in order to sell the crystals.”

“All right.” Trin had nodded reluctantly. “I
understand. I know you want to get this over and done with as much as I do so
you can be free again. But Thrace,
you really don’t have to do this. If you want to leave I’ll take the pain
collar off and drop you at the nearest station or anywhere you want.”

“I
don’t
want to leave—I’m fucking well
going to see this through,” he’d growled. “So do what you have to do and don’t
worry about me—I’ve been through worse.”

His eyes shifted away as he spoke and it was on the
tip of her tongue to ask what he meant.
When
had he been through worse
and what were the details? If her first guess about him had been correct, she
might have assumed he was talking about his treatment at the hands of his old
master or mistress. But they’d established that wasn’t true. He had never been
a slave—he’d been off freedom fighting to keep the Lud’oms from taking over his
home planet. So what was he talking about?

Somehow Trin had managed to stifle the question.
There was a foreboding look in the big Havoc’s piercing eyes that told her he
wasn’t ready to talk about that time in his life. Besides a few dark, cryptic
hints, his past was sealed. And since they were going to part ways as soon as they
did this deal with lady Malroth, she would probably never find out…

“At least the scenery is pretty,” she remarked,
looking around as they walked down the winding gemstone path. Despite the
path’s shiny rainbow appearance, the rest of the park grounds were surprisingly
unmanicured. Long, slender trees without leaves raised their naked branches to
the sky and there were clumps of itch-grass growing at intervals between them.
The estate was set in the foothills of a large range of rusty reddish-brown mountains
with the mansion in the middle perched on the first gentle slope that led up
the steep face of the nearest peak.

Trin liked the natural, wild look of the parklands
surrounding the big rambling white and brown house. It reminded her a little of
the pastures where she let Swift and Silk out to run. She wondered briefly if
Lady Tam-tam kept any kind of domestic animals for riding here. It had been a
long time since she’d been on horseback and she would welcome the chance to go
out galloping—on whatever mount she could find.

“Look sharp—we have company,” Thrace hissed from behind her.

Trin dragged her eyes from the lovely rustic
scenery and saw Lady Malroth tottering down the path towards them. Her heels
were even higher that Trin’s, if that was possible, and her hair was
definitely
higher. It was twisted up into a fantastical pink swirl that towered three feet
above her head at least and matched her bright pink dress. Behind her walked a
broad shouldered, muscular slave who was quite short. He was barely as tall as
she was but his muscular physique still made him imposing. He had a stern,
watchful look on his face as he stalked along behind his mistress.

“There you are!” Lady Malroth managed to totter a
little quicker. Her eyes flickered over Trin’s dress which was very similar to
her own bright pink one and then scanned Thrace’s broad form with approval.
“And I see that this time you are perfectly accessorized—
excellent.”

“I’m glad you approve,” Trin said, trying to keep
her voice neutral. “I have the crystals with me so if you’d like to find
someplace private to work out the deal—”

“Deal? Before we’ve even been to the first
reception?” Lady Malroth sounded offended. “I couldn’t possibly!”

“So…you want us…I mean
me
to be seen at the
reception with you before we can deal?” Trin asked, trying to keep the
irritation out of her voice. “Why?”

“Because I’m sponsoring you! It was the only way to
get your name on the guest list. It would look very odd for me to put myself
out like that and then you not even show up to the first reception. So yes, you
must
come.”

“All right.” Trin suppressed a sigh. “I’ll be
there. With my slave, of course.” She gave a gentle tug on the black leather
leash she was holding and Thrace
bowed respectfully.

“As my lady wishes,” he rumbled, playing the part
of the perfect body-slave to a T.

“About your slave,” Lady Malroth said. “I was
actually just coming to warn you—when you meet Lady Tam-tam you have to
remember she’s a little, well…
different.
She has these ideas about males
and females and how they ought to interact and well…let’s just say she’s
eccentric. Also, she’s a
terrible
voyeur. So what you need to keep in
mind is—”

“Ah, my children—how lovely to see you all here on
the rainbow path to enlightenment.” The soft, fruity voice appeared to be
coming from behind a prickly yanda bush. Its spiny leaves rustled and then an
older woman with snow white hair arranged in a rather messy bun on top of her
head emerged from behind it.

“Lady Tam-tam!” Lady Malroth looked confused and
distressed—doubtless she was wondering how much the other woman had heard of
what she was saying to Trin.

“Lady Malroth.” Lady Tam-tam inclined her head
gracefully. She was wearing a simple flowing brown dress that covered her
everywhere and comfortable looking flat shoes, Trin saw enviously. Either she
was too old to care about fashion or she was simply wearing what was
comfortable here at her own estate. Either way, Trin envied her—she really
missed her own black flight jumpsuit and worn boots.

“May I present Lady Trin—my protégé,” Lady Malroth
said formally. “I sponsored her because I thought she could benefit from the
wonderful effects of staying at Dreaming Hills.” She nodded at the rambling
brown and white mansion. “This is her first time celebrating
Landra-Rey
.”

“Ah, lovely—it’s wonderful to see young people
interested in the celebration.” Lady Tam-tam smiled encouragingly at Trin.
“It’s considered outmoded in Opulex now but we do love our traditions here at
Dreaming Hills.”

“I’m very gratified to be here, my lady.” Trin
inclined her head.

“And who, may I ask is this?” Lady Tam-tam nodded
at Thrace
who had been standing silently behind Trin with his head bowed.

Suddenly Trin remembered that she was supposed to
be playing the harsh mistress and treating him horribly.

“This worthless male is my body slave,” she said,
making her voice icy with distain. “On your knees, Thrace! Make your obeisance before
the Lady Tam-tam.”

At once Thrace fell to his knees before the
old lady.

“My lady,” he murmured, his head bowed low.

“Lower!” Trin demanded, nudging him with her foot.
“The Lady Tam-tam demands your greatest respect!”

“Oh, no, no, no!” Lady Tam-tam looked positively
aghast as Thrace
crouched even lower. “What are you doing to this poor male?”

“I’m…treating him like the slave he is,” Trin said
uncertainly. Behind Lady Tam-tam’s back she could see Lady Malroth making wide
gestures with her hands and shaking her head but she had no idea what the other
woman wanted her to do.

“And what’s this—a pain collar around his throat?”
Lady Tam-tam glared at the black leather and silver spiked collar. She looked
up at Trin, her mild blue eyes flashing. “How can you use such an inhuman
device? Do you not know what the
Landra-Rey
Celebration is all about?”

“Well, I…” Trin faltered.

“It’s about the love bond between a slave and a
mistress. He ought to serve you out of adoration and devotion—not because
you’ll shock him silly if he doesn’t make the proper obeisance!” She looked
angrily at Lady Malroth. “How could you bring such a cold hearted girl to my
house? Clearly she understands nothing about
Landra-Rey!
Here at
Dreaming Hills, we have only loving couples in attendance—it’s not like the
rest of that horrid Yonnie Six high society and I won’t have anyone here that
doesn’t understand that.”

Lady Malroth looked mortified.

“Lady Tam-tam, I assure you—” she began.

“No!” the older mistress exclaimed. “I want none of
your assurances! You and this awful girl can leave—
at once!”

Trin’s heart sank. How could things have gone bad
so quickly? They’d barely gotten here and already they were being thrown
out—along with the outraged Lady Malroth! She would never agree to buy the
crystals now and what’s more, she was influential enough that she could
probably ensure no other mistress of Yonnie Six would ever deal with Trin again
either. Slowly, she began to back away from the angry older woman.

“I…I’m sorry,” she said as Lady Malroth glared
daggers at her. “I never meant to offend.”

“Well, you
did.
So just
go,”
Lady
Tam-tam snapped.