These were not that sort of clothing.
Hands trembling with hope, I pulled on the soft undershorts and then the silk pants. An embroidered tunic went over that, then a long vest. On the floor was a pair of leather boots.
“Good, you're dressed,” Vax said as he entered the room.
I turned to smile at him, thinking that we were finally leaving the royal apartments. Maybe he'd take me into the city for breakfast or to a park. And that meant that I'd gotten through to him the night before. Our fight had helped. Progress!
But then I saw what he was holding—a length of golden chain. Fear shot through me.
My collar had a loop on it. All slave collars did. That was where the chain would attach, probably locked in place similarto the cock cage. Maybe it even had the same lock, so he wouldn't need another key. It was a luxurious chain, with small golden rings that wouldn't weigh me down. I'd barely feel it. But it was still a chain.
“What's that for?” I asked breathlessly.
“I want to take you out today.” Vax stepped up to me.
My stare remained on the chain. “Uh-huh.”
“Slaves are chained when they leave the palace.”
I swallowed roughly. I started to tremble. In my mind, I heard a Gashi laugh. And with Gashi laughter would inevitably come pain. It became harder to breathe. I wanted to run. Get to the sea. Breathe it in. Freedom wasn't too far away. I just had to make it to the surface. But I wouldn't be going anywhere if I let them chain me again.
“Zixin,” Vax said. “Zix, look at me.”
I looked up at him. Vax. Not a Gashi. I took a breath.
The King stared back grimly. “I will allow you to say no to this. But I want you to submit. This will prove your loyalty to me more than any amount of sexual deeds. I know what it will cost you, but so does my beast. It will appease him. Seeing you accept a chain for me will break through my anger. I'm sure of it. I'll be able to forgive you. We'll get past this faster. And, Zix, I do want to get past this. I want more than your submission and sex. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Make your choice. We can go on as we were or we can try this.”
My mouth went dry. The collar had nearly made me scream. What would the chain do? Could I handle this? For him, I would. I had to. “Chain me,” I said.
Vaxarion let out an almost rapturous sound and lifted the chain to my neck. I froze. My eyes blinked rapidly, the nictating membranes going crazy. He connected the chain onto the loop with a fastener, then padlocked it closed. Suddenly, it wasn't a game. It was real. I was a slave again.
With the click of the lock, my mind went blank. Just fuzzed out for a second. When it began to work again, I wasn't with Vax anymore. I wasn't in a palace. All that luxury and safety had been replaced by kelp fields and rough stone. I felt the chain pulling down my collar, the heavy baskets of harvested kelp on my back, and the pain of a fresh claw cut on my chest. Laughter came, and I knew I'd be in the cage soon—bait to lure the undersea creatures. The Gashi would wait nearby, and if I was lucky, they'd spear whatever came for me before it got through the bars. Most times, I wasn't that lucky. They liked to watch me squirm. Took delight in my screams. Dinner and entertainment. Only after they had a few laughs, would they kill the creature and have themselves a fine meal.
I saw the monsters again. The things large enough to see a Neraky as a snack. Rows of needle teeth, black eyes without emotion, and massive bodies that could crush metal. I'd rather work in the fields all day than sit in the cage.
First came little sounds, like those of a wounded animal. Then great shudders wracked my body. Screams rose, clawing at my throat. Dark shapes loomed. The Gashi were coming for me. I'd be sliced open and thrown in the cage, my blood the draw for their dinner. I wanted to run, but the chain made thatimpossible. No running for me, and fighting would only make it worse.
But I could scream.
I shrieked and tore at the collar. Yanked at the chain. “No!” I thrashed, shoving the hands away from me. “No, please! No!” I rolled, the chain pulling me down. “Not the cage. Please, don't put me in there. I'll double my harvest tomorrow. I swear. Just not the cage.” I burst into tears as someone strong grabbed me. Restrained me. I was no longer a strong grown man. I was a child again, easily dominated. They'd do what they wanted with me. “Please, no more,” I whispered. Then I just screamed.
Someone held me down. They spoke to me. I couldn't hear him. It didn't matter. I cringed and cried in between ragged screams until my throat went raw. My will was breaking. Soon, I'd be no one. I'd lose all that I was under those chains. They would crush me. My spirit ground to sand. I'd be forced to submit to all their demands. Bait to predators of all kinds. My future stretched before me, every day worse than the last.
Suddenly, the collar slipped away along with the chain. Weightless. Free. I gasped in a breath and shuddered. Was I truly free? Or was this a game? Were they going to toy with me for entertainment?
“Zixin!” someone said. “Zix! Oh, Zix, forgive me. My beautiful Zixin. Shh now, sweetheart. It's all right. No one's going to hurt you. It's me. Vax. I've got you. You're with me now. You're safe.”
He pulled me into an embrace, and I shuddered, my stare fixated on the wall as I tried to process and put my shattered mind back together.
“Zixin.” Warm hands stroked my face. My hair. My chest. “Zix, come back, baby. It's me. It's your Vax. Come back.”
“Vax?” I whispered, my voice rough. I blinked and focused on his face. “Vax, are you crying?”
“No, my sea butterfly. I never cry.” He kissed me gently. Tenderly. “Are you well now?”
