Without conscious thought I found myself beginning to stand, but I was at least able to do so slowly. The drug might be losing some of its effectiveness.
The Master of the house circled me, his eyes exploring every inch of my body. Finally hetskedand said, “Too bad. Eli was looking forward to whipping Kyris and Jozel,” he sighed.
He clapped his hands, and two guards entered the room carrying some kind of wooden contraption. Hestus ordered them to set it down in the middle of the room. The—table? Frame?—was strange. It had four legs that ran off a thinner middle piece, like a table, but had what looked like wooden shelves off each of the arms. Around each of the arms and around the middle were leather straps with metal buckles. And was that…a blood stain on the middle piece? A sick, helpless rage began to worm its way through the fog of the drugged wine as I realized what the frame was for. Me. It would hold me, completely immobile and at the mercy of whoever the client was that was coming to the House of Eros. I shuddered, stumbling back from the thing, my panic starting to burn through the fog from the drug.
Hestus just nodded at the two men and said, “Get him on the horse.”
When they approached me, I slammed my fist into one of them, but I was off balance. The blow was weak, and I stumbled, the drug still making my arms leaden, giving the other guard the opening to grab my arms. I fought them like a wild creature, but I might as well have been an infant for all the good it did. Being smaller than average really has its disadvantages.
I struggled, finally in desperation resorting to magic to use Air to build a shield and force them away from me. No sooner had the shield started to form than the sudden pain of Suppression hit me, knocking me to the ground as I struggled to breathe.
Master Hestus sighed again, muttering. “Typical.”
Within moments they had wrestled me into place on the horse and strapped me down, my legs cinched painfully tightly to the wooden frame. The middle piece of the horse hit me right above my groin forcing my ass into the air while the straps held my head down. My legs were spread to a painful angle. My neck was strapped to a frame, my arms extended forward, palms out. A leather strap was forced around my head, pulling my skull back at an awkward angle. My still-damp hair hung down around my face.
I glared at Hestus as he made a second perusal.
“Very good,” he said, his hand reaching out to stroke over my skin.
“Bastard,” I growled. “Get your fucking hands off me, or I’ll kill you.”
It was false bravado. He knew I couldn’t do anything in my current state.
“Hmmm…” he sighed, his finger on his lips thoughtfully. “I think we need to do something about that mouth of yours. I won’t have you offending a patron.”
Hestus turned to pick something up from one of the side tables. He gestured to the two thugs who moved to either sideof me. One of them reached down and grabbed my chin in a painful grip. When I saw the metal harness in Hestus’ hands, I clamped my jaws together. The other guard pinched my nose shut, forcing me to breathe through my mouth, but I kept my mouth shut. Hestus again used his Suppression power on me, this time to the point where my vision faded, and things began to go dark. I distantly felt my mouth being pried opened and something cold and metallic forced in. I choked as they forced the metal in my mouth and tightened the final straps around my head. My jaws were forced far apart by the metal, and I couldn’t move my mouth. My jaw ached as the thing in my mouth forced them to stay open.
“There! Perfect!” Hestus exclaimed delightedly. He grabbed my hair and jerked my head up further, so I was looking at myself in the mirrored wall. “Don’t you agree, Hoplite?”
I was on all fours on the horse kneeling in an even more depraved version of the required Mageia submission, my ass lifted, my torso and limbs crisscrossed with leather. In my mouth a metal cage forced my jaws open, my lips stretched painfully around the leather straps that kept it in place. I couldn’t even close my mouth enough to swallow.
A tinkling bell sounded in the room and Hestus released his hold on my hair, allowing my head to drop down to a less painful angle.
“With me,” Hestus commanded the guards. I heard them leave the room, but the door didn’t close completely. I could faintly hear Hestus speaking with someone, but I could only catch pieces of the conversation through the cracked door.
“…not expected… No, my Lord, not to my… three days. I don’t think the Legion will... I must insist you keep him Suppressed at all times…Far too dangerous to endanger…”
I seethed as I lay bound, unable to move anything but my head, and even that was extremely limited in range of motion.
I heard coins changing hands, then the door opened and closed again, completely blocking noise from the hall.
I could just barely make out the sound of footsteps moving across the carpeted floor, and a pair of leather boots came into view. A hand gripped my head, jerking my face up and a familiar voice made me want to vomit.
“You are not who I was expecting, Kataramenos,” Maalik drawled. “But I think this might be even more fun than I had originally planned.”
Chapter 9
Kat
Ihissed as I glared into those eyes I hated, refusing to even flinch when he backhanded me. I felt blood begin to trickle from my mouth where his blow had cut my lip against the metal cage. I had a feeling it was only the first of the blood that would flow tonight.
“Kataramenos,” Maalik growled. “Someday you will learn your place.”
Even though Maalik was my half-brother, just like Vlakas, the two couldn’t have been more dissimilar. Maalik had only ever used his power to help one person: himself.
The tightening grip on my hair made me focus on my tormentor. I could do nothing but glare futilely at Maalik. He just laughed.
“I had planned on fucking the little prince and enjoying his sweet tears, but this could be just as much fun,” he began, circling me.
