Chapter 18

Aphronia walked quickly as she made her way through the dark corridors. Her cloak glided through the air as she moved quickly and purposefully through the lair, the swish of her dress caressing her legs as she made long quick strides. Her plan had not gone at all the way she hoped, but she had been able to escape with the knife and had been able to poison those bitches. She had been unsure if their threats had been genuine, but she hoped they enjoyed having their so-called cure fed to them. Now three of them would be normal and thus less of a threat. Now she had to worry about HIM. She had been ordered to attack them with a group of Voguel and instead had gone alone.

She could claim that she feared further losses from them, as they had proven quite able at killing their people. Then she could claim she was sparing their people losses by trying a more subtle approach. She would not tell him of her capture, as that would only enrage him more than he was no doubt already. If she showed submission, subservience, then she could hopefully stay out of his scorn and allow for her to get close enough to strike. The thought of being able to free herself of that fucking monster, sent sparks of pleasure throughout her body.

The problem was that rarely did he ever allow anyone that close to him. He was paranoid and distrusting of anyone, though it was for good reason. There had been many attempts to usurp his power over the centuries and he had not become their ruler idly. He fought tooth and claw to get where he was now, and he would not allow for any weakness. He became even more solitary when his mate had been killed two centuries ago. He had killed everyone who had returned, blaming them for leaving her behind and allowing her life to be extinguished by their enemies. She had watched his rage and blood lust as he tore their people to shreds in retaliation.

A sickening thought filled her mind thinking how she would need to get close to him. The problem would be how to make sure that she could follow through. Perhaps her current predicament would be the perfect means to start the final steps towards his demise and her rise. Still, the thought of what she would have to do made her retch, but she had no other option. She had faked her capitulation for centuries, with him believing it. She was confident she could fake this long enough to get close enough to strike.

As she approached the doorway to the throne room, she took a deep, calming breath. The next few minutes would determine her fate as well as the future of the Voguel. She steeled her emotions behind a mental wall and made her way into the throne room. As she scanned the room, she saw that it would be just her and the master. She was not sure that it was a good thing or a bad thing. Still she could not falter now; her life depended on what she was about to do. The master sat on his throne, lost in thought, and cloaked in darkness. The firelight from the torches on the walls barely reached him on his perch, leaving only the faintest of outlines. It seemed darker in there than she remembered, causing her to wonder if the torches were dimmer or if it was his dark anger affecting the area around him.

She felt his gaze on her as she approached, and she worked to hold back the urge to tremble. The hatred she could feel from his gaze was palpable and only grew as the distance closed between them.

“So, the bitch has returned,” he exclaimed with a snarl. “You dare show your face here after the shit you pulled? What do you have to say to explain yourself?”

Aphronia knelt and replied, “I apologize for my mistake, Master. I was only trying to limit our losses during this engagement. They wiped out Blackheart, his Voguel, as well as the test subjects he had with him. They ended up with minimal injuries, despite Blackheart taking the chemical himself in an extreme dose.

“We do not have those chemicals and it appears that they have gotten stronger and more formidable since then. I was fortunate to get out with my life, but I was able to injure half of those damn Torgal bitches. I needed to take a few days to make sure I was not followed before I returned.”

She could feel his gaze continue to bore into her as she waited for his reply. The anticipation was making her uneasy.

“So, you decided to go ahead and attack them, without consulting me?” He asked, irritation evident in his voice.

She brought her head up to look him in his eyes, hoping to convey the sincerity needed for him to believe her.

“There was no time, sire,” Aphronia answered. “I had only thought of the new means of attack that morning. I figured that I would either succeed, which would make my change okay, or I would fail and none of our Voguel would be lost.”

“Be that as it may, you failed in your mission,” he said with an exasperated sigh. “You have failed me a lot, recently, and it is starting to make me question your usefulness to me...”

Aphronia’s stomach tightened in fear, as those who are not useful to the master are usually killed. She had to fix this situation, and fast, or she would not live to walk out of this chamber.

“I know, master, and I am truly sorry for my failures,” she replied contritely. “I did not expect their responses to our plans, and I know that it is not an excuse for failure.”

He leaned forward and asked, “What do you plan to do to correct this failure on your part, Aphronia?”

Fighting back her fears and disgust, she rose to stand and pulled the clasp holding her cloak together. The dark cloth fell to the floor at her feet, revealing a blood red dress. Its thin straps and plunging neckline would entice any man, but for her master it would not be enough. Despite the way it hugged her breasts and hips, he would not be swayed. She grabbed the straps and pulled them over her shoulders, until only her breasts were holding the thin material up. She ran her hands from her shoulders to her breasts and brushed the dress past the swell of her bosom, allowing it to fall further.

Pushing the dress down her hips, it passed the last bit of resistance to gravity and the dress fell to the floor. She stood proudly, pushing her chest out and standing with legs apart. She stared straight ahead and waited to hear what his reply would be. She was proud of her body, especially after all these years. The effect of the curse over the centuries had kept her relatively young looking. There was only a slight sag to her breasts and, though they were not exceptionally large, were still prominent on her chest. She had very few blemishes or wrinkles, though there were scars from battles she had walked away from.

“Just what am I supposed to do with this, Aphronia?” he asked with a slight gesture of his left hand.

“Whatever you choose, sire, as is your right,” she replied, her eyes still looking forward. “I offer myself in recompense for my failures, in the hope to repay you for your patience.”

The dark figure got up from the throne and stepped down. He slowly, but purposefully, approached the naked woman. She continued to look in front of her as he slowly walked around her. She could feel his eyes on her, and she tried not to show her disgust or revulsion. When he once again stood before her, she began counting the seconds, waiting for him to say something. When she felt like the anticipation was getting to be too much, he finally broke the awkward silence.

“So, you are giving yourself to me?” He asked softly, which was uncharacteristic of his usual tone and demeanor.

Aphronia nodded, “Yes, master. I hope that, through this, I may once again earn your favor and trust.”

“I see,” he replied in that soft, unnerving tone. “What if I want to beat you until your body is covered in bleeding welts? Or, I could skin you alive and leave you to be eaten by a pack of wolves or a Tora? Maybe I will turn you into the stress relief for our soldiers?”

She shivered at the thought of the situations he had come up with and replied, “You could, if you wished it to be so, sire.”

He studied her for a moment and then turned to sit back atop his throne.

“Put your clothes back on and leave me. I have much to think about and cannot make this choice lightly. I will have you return tomorrow to receive my answer.”

She knelt in fealty, collecting her dress as well, before rising again. She quickly donned her dress and cloak and left the room. When she was out of the throne room, she let her confidence falter and pressed herself against a nearby wall. She felt sick and foolish for the gamble she had just taken. She only hoped that it would pay off, else, she would be in trouble far worse than she had ever been in before.

Our three day stay in the cave was uneventful. Janet was ready to return to duty, once we were certain that she and the baby were okay. Elsie and Irenia were frustrated that they would still have to rest, as both wished to contribute. Janet got them to promise to behave if I stayed in the back and kept them distracted during the trip. Both women got big grins on their faces and suddenly I was wishing there were Tora nearby, as it seemed less dangerous than they did at the moment.

We broke camp after a quick morning meal and set off back on our original path. Over the next few days, Elsie and Irenia decided to take as much of me they could, without hampering their recovery. I found them to be quite insatiable and, in turn, my meals had become larger in response. After another week of travel, both ladies were healthy enough to return to our rotation, but it seemed that the group had decided I was better served as stress relief. It was a testament to my newfound stamina, because, had I been a normal man, I do not think I would have survived the next few weeks. To make matters worse, they were just as enhanced as me which even furthered my exhaustion.