Authors: Anya Howard
“What good is it?” They both laughed now and Gina kicked up the grass in front of Gillian, scattering dewy leaves over her knees. “I came here as a prisoner, Gillian, just like Rose. We proved ourselves and won our freedom. In fact, we excelled so well in our rehabilitation that Madam made us Leather Wives. For generations, we served as Dommes and finally we asked for retirementâretirement to Earth, with full knowledge of our enlightenment. But no, Madam could not be so generous. So we decided it was time to stop following the codes of the Leather Wives so rigidly, and devote more time to indulging in the pleasures that go beyond the sexual politics of this place. And how did she reward our choice? By decreeing we are to return to Earth, but expunged of all memory of this place, to suffer mortality as if we had never left. Ignorant, mortal, without a clue of how to claim what we deserve!”
Gina's face glowed pale. Rose patted her quivering shoulder and glared at Gillian, slicing the air with mock strikes of her knife.
“You whores should be the ones left in ignorance,” she hissed.
Gina shook her head and her beauty bloomed again in all its shallow glory. “We are ready to go, Gillian, to face punishment for our self-liberation. For the fates have been kind and have brought us new wisdom from a kindred spirit. We are pledged members of a new Discipleship, and the universeâreal or unrealâwill be opened before us and give us all we ask for.”
Gillian sucked back the unspoken fear these mad words created. She tried to shrug indifferently. “Okay.”
Rose sneered. “But not before you help settle a bet.”
“What bet?”
Rose gestured to her right. “See that space?”
Gillian followed her gesture down the fence and saw between two of the posts a widened spot. It must have taken them hours and the use of stolen tools to spread the iron bars to make a place wide enough that anyone could just crawl right out and into the void beyond.
Gooseflesh popped up over every inch of Gillian's skin and she turned her disbelieving eyes on them.
“No!”
Gina kicked again, but this time Gillian turned quickly and jumped up. She started to run from them, but Gina caught up with her and, leaping on Gillian's back, pulled her down into the flowers. As Gina batted at her with closed fists, Gillian rolled over onto her back. She screamed and kicked at Gina wildly, managing to push her away enough to get to her knees. But at that moment Rose ran up and grabbed Gillian's hair. The point of her knife jabbed Gillian's collarbone. Gina got to her feet, and swatting the leaves and petals from her own hair, bared her teeth as she regarded Gillian.
“Oh, just get up, bitch!”
Rose stood up with Gillian, the knife still pricking Gillian's flesh. Angered, Gillian made a fist and slammed it into the girl's arm. The arm and knife were thrust away and Gillian sprinted past them both toward the woods. They ran after her, and before she reached the first welcoming tree, Gina barreled low and seized her ankles. Gillian spilled to the ground. Gina crawled atop her legs and pelted her back with both fists. Gillian growled and thrashed, trying to turn over, but the next second, the knife blade glinted in front of her face.
Gina straddled her back and yanked her head back by the roots of her hair.
“Bruce seemed to like this blond hair,” Gina grunted. “What say we leave him a souvenir, Rose?”
Rose giggled and kneeled in front of Gillian. She lowered the blade and pressed it to her scalp. Gillian shrieked and closed her eyes just as a missile hurtled toward them from the woods. It pierced Rose's back with an ugly thud. Rose uttered a single cry and the knife fell from her grip. As she fell over, Gillian noticed the spear protruding from the muscles just above Rose's shoulder blade, and looking up, saw Bruce come out of the woods.
Gina let out a shriek more shrill and more wounded than her friend's. As Bruce kicked the knife away, Gina's hands sank about Gillian's throat. He bent immediately and slapped Gina backhanded. She squalled like an animal and leapt up, jumping into him with all her weight. He stumbled back over the fallen Rose, taking Gina with him. She growled and seized his balls.
Gillian got up as Bruce twisted and shoved Gina off. But as he scooted back, Gina flew up on him again and seized his neck. Bruce banged his palms against her ears. She roared in pain, releasing him. Sitting up, Bruce grabbed her shoulders, just as she reached forward and clenched his balls again.
Gillian ran forward and kicked Gina's arm. The hold broke and Gina rose and lunged at Gillian, grabbing a handful of hair and pulling her to the ground. Gillian hit the thighs in front of her and tried to bite the flesh she saw. Gina swooped down to both knees and slapped her face. Gillian shoved back at her with open palms and Gina was rocked back a little. As Gina reclaimed her balance, she spotted the knife and raked the grass for it with her fingers. Gillian got to one knee and slapped her. Gina's head snapped back, but in that moment she snatched up the knife. She caught Gillian by her hair and raised the knife high.
Just as the cold blade swooped toward Gillian's face, her eyes closed and she heard Gina scream like a banshee.
She looked and saw Bruce had subdued the girl by the wrist of her hand that held the weapon.
He yanked Gina to her feet, as she clawed at him with her free hand and kicked back, but he shifted on one foot in time to dodge her heel. Letting go of her hair, he spun Gina around toward him and punched her squarely in the face. The blow was thick and awful and blood spattered out over Gina's hair and the front of her dress. She sank at once. Bruce let her go, twisting the knife out of her grip as her knees sank to the earth. Gina's hands folded over her nose and mouth and she stared up at him with a look of incredulous shock.
“You bastard,” she sobbed, “you broke my nose!”
Bruce sighed and shook his head as three guards emerged from the woods. One of them lowered his spear at Gina while the other attended Rose. Bruce moved toward Gillian and pulled her to her feet. He looked her over and then pointed to the ground.
“That's their knife,” he said to the third man.
The guard seized it and sheathed it in a loop at his belt. He glanced around, and seeing the damaged fence, questioned Gillian, “They were planning to push you out?”
“Yes, sir.”
Bruce brushed the leaves and grass from her hair.
“Take these bitches directly to the prison,” he said to the guards, “and have them locked in solitary. Have a physician sent for Domme Rose. I take all responsibility for any questions that will, doubtlessly, arise.”
The third looked at the fence. “I shall send others immediately to have that repaired.” He regarded Gillian a moment. “You will escort her home?”
“Yes. And if you see the Warden before I do, make sure he is reminded that Madam's instructions were that I take whatever precautions I deem necessary for her safety.”
“Of course. If not for your vigilance, God knows what these lunatics might have done.” He looked at the guard beside Rose and said, “Let's get them out of here.”
Gina was ordered to her feet. Then her guard directed her into the woods after his companions who carried Rose.
Gillian's heart began to beat steadily again as she watched them depart. She looked at Bruce, who stood surveying the fence with his hands on his hips. Her heart quickened again, this time not from dread but from having to face the fact she was but a duty to him. Soon the face she had dreamed of kissing and of pressing to her breasts would turn away from her again.
As he kneeled at the fence to inspect the damage, she knew it was more than just lust she felt for him. It was his stalwart personality and unwavering principles that had captivated her, made her desire him so dearly. These things are what had saved her from Rose and Gina, and overshadowed even the Warden's virile appeal. Even if she were only a duty to him, he took his duties as seriously as the other guards. That he sought to guard and protect all the women of Nemi spoke of a chivalry that was real, a virtue few men of her time possessed. It crowned his other, splendid qualities.
Oh, God, it's no wonder I love him.
The unexpected thought caught the breath in her lungs.
She struggled to forget the tormenting thought and came up behind him.
“Thank you.”
He looked up at her and the smile that greeted her was the old one she knew so well, boastful and boyishly vulnerable at once.
“You're welcome,” he said. He stood up and she was overcome with shyness so that she laughed lightly.
“You have known them a while, haven't you?”
His voice was guarded, “Yes.” He smiled tightly and went on, “I feel ashamed to admit to my own stupidity, but I did get involved with them. I was especially knocked over by Gina. That's what I get for opening my heart to the wrong person.”
Gillian felt a pang of envy. No wonder he had talked so threateningly to Gina the night before. The woman had wounded him. It pained a little, knowing his protectiveness had been tinged somewhat by a relationship gone sour.
But she smiled and hugged herself. “Well, yes, but I suppose we're all guilty of that.”
The humor faded in his eyes suddenly and a flash of pain crossed his face. When it passed, he drew a deep breath and looked at her in a way that made her feel as exposed as she had been while on the Rapture Pillar.
“You speak without permission, Disciple Gillian. Isn't it bad enough to have ignored my warning about them?”
She blinked, astonished by the abrupt change of his tone. She felt humbled, but could not stop the tears that sprang to her eyes. All the sadness she had known when he disappeared out of her life before now came spilling back.
“Why did you run off without a word to me?” she demanded. “You have no idea how I wanted to see you again! How many times I bugged your friends, asking them when you would be back, where you were! Don't you knowâ” She choked back the next words. They were all charges without reason, for he owed her nothing, not a thing, especially when she had been too shy to reveal her true self to him back on Earth.
She quickly wiped away the tear that rolled down her cheek and stared at him, hating her audacity, her selfishness. “Oh, God, this is stupid! I am so sorry. I have no right, none whatsoever, not when I was too damned shy, too damned ashamed to let you know how I felt!”
He was silent, regarding her in a way she could not read. She wished he would laugh or shake his head at her sappy admission. But he only studied her face, his hands set on his hips, and slowly his brow grew stern and his brown eyes reproachful.
“You will also use unsuitable language? You obviously have no concept of the word âobey', Disciple.”
Bruce took her by the arm and turned about and led her away to the edge of the woods. They walked along the boundary until at last they came upon a small rock bench. He leaned her over and set her hands against the smooth seat. Gillian's heart pumped with growing apprehension.
“Put your legs together,” he said and when she did so, he flipped up the hem of her dress. She gasped sharply, but he peeled down her panties without hesitation and unbuckled the belt at his waist.
He patted her buttocks. At her shudder, he bent forward and said into her ear, “You will hold on to that bench without moving, or the next time that these panties come down will be right before I bind you to the Pillar you slept on last night.”
Gillian weakened with emotion, and just as she thought she would fall over from her abashment, he raised his hand and brought the belt down across her buttocks. She flinched from the singular pain and he dealt another stroke.
He touched her smarting buttocks, then strolled his fingers to the cleft between her thighs. He brushed her nether hair for a moment or two and then parted her thighs. With a finger, he entered her pussy. Her hips strained against the impetuous need he incited and her clit fluttered wildly. He drew out and stroked her buttocks once more. She blushed painfully, and he came to stand beside her again, with his feet planted firmly on the ground, and lifted the belt.
He spanked her more strongly now, so that her butt was soon raw. Her hips jiggled under the snapping leather and her wails echoed all about them. She looked back at him tearfully, hoping he would have mercy.
“You will not look back or close your eyes,” he commanded and punished her all the harder.
Her head snapped forward and she stared straight ahead as her flesh quivered under the belt's loud, stinging strokes. But her clit beat as soundly as his chastising hand. To her further embarrassment, her thighs grew slick from the moisture flooding from her pussy.
Gillian was breathless when at last he stopped. He touched her backside again. The chastened flesh throbbed.
“Good,” he said. “Now you will listen to me, Gillian, and take my words to heart unless you want me to spank you again. You were wrong in what you said. I am the one who is to blame. I should have ordered you to tell me your feelings. But I was too ashamed, too embarrassed to show you the nature of my desireâhow I wanted to take you and chastise you with my kisses, scold you with my desire! To punish you thoroughly at every opportunity and delight in delivering that punishment.