The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“Aaaahhhh! God damn, it feels good to be home!” Anthony Rios exclaimed to his two companions as they parked their black SUV in the garage of his mansion. “Vegas is fun and all, but there’s nothing quite like returning home.”

“You can say that again, Tony,” his right-hand man, Diego, replied, nodding. “Can’t wait to get back to my place and see Rachel again.”

“Rachel, eh?” the second man, Javier, chuckled. “After all the time you spent balls deep in that slut back in Vegas, I’m surprised you even have enough energy to THINK about your girlfriend.”

Diego laughed. “Ain’t no pussy in the world good enough to make me forget my baby!”

Anthony merely shook his head. Walking around to the front entrance, he tapped the security code, entering his number... only to frown as the panel flashed red. “Huh. What the fu... let’s try this again,” he muttered, typing in his alarm code. Again, the panel flashed red. “Okay, what the fucking hell!” he growled, slapping the side of the panel.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Tony?” Javier asked.

“My goddamn code ain’t working! I’m locked out!”

“Must be a glitch or something,” Deigo replied with a shrug. “Just use your house key.”

Anthony scowled. “I don’t carry the damn key. I had the damned alarm panel installed so I wouldn’t HAVE to carry the fuckin’ key!” Growling, he hit the doorbell, waiting for someone to come and open it. His impatience grew by the minute as he waited and waited to be let in. “HEY! HEY! WHERE THE FUCK IS EVERYBODY?!?” he yelled, banging loudly on the door.

Just before he could start banging again, the door suddenly open. “Yes, who is—oh! Mr. Rios. Sir,” Kenneth the butler replied, stepping back to allow him to enter.

“Hmph! About time,” he muttered, shoving past the dark-skinned butler. “I was beginning to think you bastards had fallen asleep on the job.” He sighed deeply. “Where the hell is Carmen? I called from the airport to let her know I was back.”

Kenneth nodded simply. “Yes, Mr. Rios. Miss Carmen is waiting for you in the main living room.”

“Huh. Couldn’t be bothered to come and greet me, huh?” Anthony muttered. Walking into the living room, however, he received a major shock. “What?!? WHAT THE FUCK?!?” he yelled.

“Ah, Mr. Anthony Rios,” Zeb said, standing up to greet him. He was dressed only in a large white terrycloth robe. On the couch at his sides sat Carmen, Anthony’s beloved and ‘loyal’ wife, and Tiffani, the upstairs maid. Both of them were completely naked, aside from a small thin circular black and silver metal collar around their necks. Kneeling on the ground before them sat Martha, the downstairs maid, and Janet, the cook. Standing in the far corner, likewise naked, stood Carlos, the groundskeeper, and in the other corner, the Rios family’s chauffeur, Anita. Stepping forward, Zeb extended his arms. “Welcome, welcome... to my humble abode.”

“The fuck?!?” Anthony growled, reaching into his coat pocket—only to freeze as he felt the familiar pressure of a gun barrel poking into his back. Moving slowly, he removed his hand, lifting them both in the air, as did Diego and Javier. “You’re making a big mistake here, pal,” he grunted, as the people behind them pushed them forward into the living room. “I don’t who the fuck you think you are, but—”

“Really? You don’t know me?” Zeb replied eyebrow raised. “You went to such lengths to try and kill me, offered me a quarter of a million dollars, and had your minions shoot me in the head in your own office.” He shook his head dramatically. “Honestly, I’d thought I made more of an impression.”

“Wh... Longbrow?!?” Anthony exclaimed in shock. “No... no fuckin’ way! You’re dead! I saw my guy put two slugs in your fuckin’ head!”

Zeb sighed, sitting back down on the couch, Tiffani and Carmen moving close to snuggle against him again. “You saw what I wished you to see. Perhaps you are not as smart as you think you are?” Anthony growled. “In retrospect, it was obvious that you were attempting a double-cross. That preposterous amount offered to assure that I would accept the job... the small time window and lack of helpful Intel to make sure I wasn’t properly prepared... then calling ahead and warning the target that I was coming for him?” He sighed. “I’d suspected it going in, and Mickey confirmed it when I questioned him later.” He glanced at Anthony. “After all that, did you honestly believe I would simply walk into your office and give you my head on a silver platter without some kind of contingency plan?”

Anthony scowled, glancing to the side as the gunmen behind them stepped forward and around, revealing themselves to be Kenneth, the butler, and Patrick, the head of his security team. Both men nodded to Zeb briefly before turning and walking back down the hallway, departing the room. “Well... looks like you’ve been busy,” he grunted. “How much did it cost you to turn all my people against me, huh?” He glanced from face to face, sneering haughtily. “Well, I hope it was money well spent. ’Cause once you’ve had your fun, I’m going to make sure that you nev—”

“Tace!” Zeb barked suddenly, gesturing at the arrogant mobster. Anthony blinked mouth opening and closing, briefly a look of panic flashing across his face. Zeb grinned. “Ah yes... as I recall, you did not believe my claims about hypnosis... thought it was all just a bunch of silly tricks. Well, hopefully now you are starting to realize the truth.” He glared at the stunned gangster with contempt. “You picked a fight with the wrong person. And this is the penalty.” Glancing to his right, he snapped his fingers.

“Yes, Anthony, dear,” Carmen stated in faux seduction, “I’m afraid it’s true. You see, I belong to Master now,” she stated, kissing Zeb deeply before standing up to walk over to her husband, a small manilla folder in her hands. “He hypnotized me, and now I am His, heart, body, mind, and soul.” She opened the folder, showing him the contents. “And that means, everything I own also belongs to Master. And, as you are probably realizing by now, everything—the house, the cars, the bank accounts, even your business, Rios Construction... all of it is in MY name.” She laughed at the stricken look on Anthony’s face, dancing lightly out of his way as he lunged at her. “Bet you’re regretting transferring everything over to me as a tax dodge now, eh, Tony?”

Unable to speak, Tony fumed silently, shaking his fists in impotent rage. Diego however decided to speak up for him. “Carmen! You fucking bitch! How can you do this shit!?!” he yelled, angry on his friend’s behalf. “After everything Tony’s done for you... you betray him like this? Siding with some fucking nigg—”

“Maledictio doloris et sanguinis!” Zeb barked out angrily, hand pointed at the man speaking. Diego blinked, shuddering slightly as a strange feeling settled over him. He gasped, then gasped again, as a sudden intense pain exploded from within. He doubled over as a spew of bright red blood shot out of his eyes, mouth, and nose. Anthony and Javier jerked away in fear, glancing around anxiously, while all of Zeb’s slaves stood or sat calmly. Zeb himself sighed heavily, feeling somewhat drained. His magical skills were rudimentary, his focus being more on his hypnotism lessons rather than magic. Still, his background on Voodoo had allowed plant an advanced curse on the disrespectful young man. While not lethal or permanent, the horrifying display would accomplish just what he intended—put a palpable fear into the minds of his adversaries.

Aloud, he continued nonplussed. “As it should be evident now, I am in charge here. The only—ONLY—reason you all retain your own minds AND bodies, is because I will it.” His eyes narrowed. “But do not, for a moment, fool yourselves into believing my cordiality is infinite. Show such blatant disrespect again, and we are done. Do you understand me?”

“Y-yes! Yes! Gawdd!” Anthony sputtered, suddenly able to talk again.

“Yes, fuck, we got it!” Javier replied as well. “Shit!”

Counting mentally, Zeb nodded, closing his eyes, just as the spell ended, and Diego recovered, groaning as the pain slowly faded and the blood stopped streaming from his orifices. Opening his eyes, focusing his gaze on each of the three men one at a time, he continued. “Now, as was stated before... I have taken over all of your holdings. Your house. Your bank account. Your business.” He crossed his arms. “Think of this as payment for the amount of the job owed to me... with interest.”

Anthony merely scowled. “Yeah, yeah... and I guess my whore wife is the cherry on top,” he muttered. “Fine. Fine. You win. You got your revenge. I’ll admit it... I underestimated you, Longbrow—”

“It is Lonbraj-la,” he stated again, sighing softly, already knowing the effort wasted.

“—Yeah, yeah,” Anthony said dismissively. “My point is, I misjudged you. I thought I had you all figured out. But I underestimated you. Fine. I accept that.” His arrogant smirk reappeared. “But you’re underestimating ME if you think this all ends here. This ain’t over, pal... not by a longshot.”

Zeb merely raised an eyebrow. “Really? You think so?”

“Yeah, I do,” Anthony answered confidently. “I’m down, but I’m not out. As much of a problem as you are, you’re not the only Hypnosis Guy out there, yanno? Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be the one coming home to find some stranger with powers telling you how much you’ve lost?”

Zeb nodded, actually smiling. He hadn’t thought the pompous man beaten, not quite yet, but to rally back with such a taunt despite having nothing left was beyond the pale. It was arrogance and self-assuredness worthy of a True Hypnotist. “I see. And you suppose I will simply allow you to leave here uncontested, to do as you please?”

“Yeah, actually, I do,” Anthony responded coolly. “By your own admission, you don’t kill. Hell, after everything I put you through, I’d have been dead the moment I pulled up to the house if that was what you were after.” He shook his head. “No. This was all about you sending a message... and that effort gets wasted if we’re not allowed to leave here alive.”

“Clever. And you make a very good point,” Zeb conceded. “Very well. I do intend to let you and your two minions leave here shortly, unharmed. Though you’re wrong if you think I haven’t taken your threat into consideration as well.” He glanced to the left, he snapped his fingers again.

“I suppose you were planning to hire someone to take down Master with the money you have set aside in your offshore account?” Tiffani replied, standing up to approach Anthony with a manilla folder of her own. “So sorry to disappoint you... sir,” she said, her expression showing the exact opposite. She showed him a printout of the stated account and the remaining balance. Anthony’s eyes filled with shock. “I don’t think that’s going to work out for you.“

“WHAT THE FUCK!?!” Anthony yelled, losing his composure. “How the hell did you get to that fucking account? That thing is supposed to be completely secure! How did you even KNOW about it?”

Tiffini smirked, handing him the folder before returning back to her Master’s side. “I guess you forgot about the time you brought me into your study for a blowjob while you did a bit of ‘creative financial reconstruction’ on your computer. I only saw the screen for a moment or two... but with Master’s hypnosis, I was able to remember every detail of what I saw. With that, it was easy enough to transfer all of your money back to the main account.” She laughed. “Face it, Sir... you are completely broke.”

“YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!” Anthony screamed, incensed, pulling his gun from inside his jacket. He pointed it at Zeb... but before he could pull the trigger it was shot out of his hand. “AAAAAHHHH! FUCK!” the gangster cried out, clutching his bleeding hand as his gun went clattering to the ground. Motion from the stairway caught his eye, as a naked and collared Sasha emerged from her perch, the barrel of her gun smoking lightly. Sporting a simple smile, she made her way downstairs, walking over to stand directly behind her Master.

“You’re done, Anthony,” Zeb stated, reaching back to caress Sasha briefly before standing up. “You have nothing left. All of your wealth, your resources, have been stripped away. The only thing you have left are your contacts, your business associates.” His smirk turned wicked. “And I rather doubt any of them will be rushing to your aid—considering the fact that the Columbians are going to be after your head...”

For the first time, Anthony looked nervous and unsure. “Wha... what do you mean by that?”

“I had Kenneth and Patrick search the car after escorting you in,” he stated, holding up his cell phone. “Just a moment ago, they informed me of what they found. I’m afraid the money and that supply of drugs you brought back with you has mysteriously... disappeared.”

“No! NO! You can’t... you can’t do this!” Anthony yelled, taking a step forward, only to hesitate as Sasha raised her gun once again. “Do you know what those bastards will do to me if ten million dollars worth of their product just vanishes?”

“Not my problem,” Zen replied with a shrug. “But I do have an out for you.” Smirking, he withdrew a golden pocket watch from the pocket of his robe. “I’m going to hypnotize you and command you to turn yourself into the police. You will then confess all of your crimes, every illegal and immoral act you’ve ever committed. That will happen. You’ll have no control over it.” He smirked. “However, I happen to know that the DEA is more than willing to make a deal for someone willing to give up their partners. After all, the only thing better than taking down one international drug dealing crime lord is a group of international drug dealing crime lords.”

Anthony gritted his teeth. The damned ninja-wizard-hypnotist had him backed into a fucking corner. He had no friends, no one that would help him. The only person who could possibly bail him out from this situation would be his sister... and Viviana would sooner fuck a cactus than help him with anything. For the first time since he was a child, he felt completely and utterly helpless. Trapped. Worse... as much as he hated to admit it, he already knew that he’d take the man’s suggestion and turn snitch if it would get him out of the line of fire. Sighing, he closed his eyes, hanging his head. resigned. He had no choice. He was finished.

Opening his eyes again, he was surprised to find himself staring at a shiny golden object. “Huh?” he muttered, jaw-dropping as the sparkling pocket watch began to sway, back and forth, back and forth, reflexively drawing his gaze.

“Just relax,” Zeb spoke, his voice low and deep. “You knew this was coming. Just relax and let it happen. You have no choice.... no chance to resist. Your eyes are locked onto the watching, the golden sparkling watch... watching how it sparkles and gleams... making you feel more and more relaxed by the moment...”

Anthony frowned, suddenly dizzy. As much as he wanted to dismiss this as a bunch of crap, he’d already seen and felt the man’s power. His mind growing hazy, the thought occurred to him to glance away, to turn aside and NOT stare at the hypnotic watch... but his head wouldn’t move, and his eyes were stuck staring straight ahead.

“Yes, just like that,” Zeb continued, focusing his hypnotic energy through the watch. Letting the tension drain out of you... feeling so relaxed... so sleepy...” With an effort, he pushed on, eyes shifting to a golden hue as he pumped even more power through his focus. “Tired... sleepy now... your mind and thoughts drifting... unable to think... unable to resist... only able to obey... obey... and sleep now!”

With satisfaction, he noted not only had Anthony’s eyes slammed closed but also that of his two minions, Diego and Javier, as well. Zeb sagged physically for a moment from the effort; he’d never been particularly adept as mass hypnosis, but it seemed he was improving with practice. Shaking off his fatigue, he gave Anthony his instructions, implanting the suggestions he’d stated earlier. For Diego and Javier, their instructions were much simpler, to go along with Tony, backing up his claims, while offering no real aid. It was tempting to turn them both into mindless slaves and sell them to the slave market, particularly after the racist remarks made earlier.

But no. They’re being punished enough as it is. From their connection to their boss, they’re both looking at major jail time, and any deal Anthony makes with the DEA won’t cover them. He sighed inwardly, his inner beast disapproving. I can be vengeful without being spiteful, he chided himself. Besides, the most important lessons have been thoroughly driven home: Don’t mess around with the True Hypnotist community. And don’t fuck with Lonbraj-la!

“Again.”

Sasha Volkov sighed inwardly, her normally placid expression showing a noticeable taint of irritation. The raven-haired slave was dressed in a light gray karate gi similar to her Master’s, only his was midnight black. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her fingernails and toenails were painted a jet black. At her Master’s preference, she’d begun wearing golden toe rings on the second toes of both feet, though here, sparring in their private gymnasium, she’d left them off.

Obeying her Master’s command, she rose back to her feet, adopting the stance she’d been trained in. At his nod, she began moving as instructed, twisting her arms and legs into different poses, adopting the various katas Master had taught her. They still felt strange and unnatural, though she was slowly becoming more used to them. In the past week, she’d graduated to the point of being able to remember each step without being in a hypnotic trance.

Still, it was obvious that she had a long way to go before she was proficient in her Master’s fighting style.

“Master, I wish you to train me to fight,” she’d asked of him several days ago. “If I am to be your bodyguard, then I need to become a formidable fighter, able to handle anyone who might threaten you.”

Not that she needed much training, in Zeb’s opinion. The ex-KGB sharpshooter was certainly deadly enough with her favored choice of weapons. Still, given that many circumstances didn’t allow weapons to be carried, she had a point in requesting to learn proper hand-to-hand combat as well. And so he’d begun instructing her in the disciplines he himself had mastered, starting with Krav Magra.

Finishing, Sasha stood stock still, barely even breathing, as Zeb examined her stance and position. Finally, his expression broke and he smiled, nodding. “Better. Much better. You seem to have mastered the basic positions.” Taking a few steps back, he adopted a fighting stance, spreading his legs and raising his arms, open-handed. “Now, then, let us see how well you use what you have learned.”

Sasha adopted a fighting stance as well. “Sparring, Master?” she asked for clarification.

Zeb shook his head. “Treat this as if this were a real fight. I will be fighting for real as well, though not at full speed. I want you to get used to how it feels in the moment, against a real opponent.”

“But... I do not wish to hurt you.” she protested.

“Do not worry about that. I’m a big boy,” he said with a smirk. “I can take care of myself.” When she still looked doubtful, his expression hardened. “That is an order, my Thrall,” he stated with force. “Fight me seriously, without pulling your punches. The only stipulation is that you are fighting to disable, to neutralize, not to kill.“

“Understood, Master,” Sasha replied, resuming her fighting stance.

With that, the two began sparring, trading blows in a rapid-fire barrage. Zeb was attacking with Wing Chun kung fu, pelting her with wide arcing kicks and sharp snapping strikes. To his delight, less than half of his strikes hit the mark, the rest being blocked, deflected, or dodged. She even managed to work in a few counters, tossing him over her shoulder a few times, twisting and locking his joints before sending him sprawling. When they separated again after one last sortie, Zeb called a halt, signaling that the fight was over. He sported several welts and bruises, a cut on his chin, a bloody lip, and his left eye was slightly swollen. Sasha sported similar wounds, more of them, though less brutal ones.

“Damn... that was amazing!”

Both fighters turned in surprise to find an audience. Standing in the open doorway, Patty Jamison clapped her hands briskly in amazement. She was dressed in her now usual attire, a tight maroon blouse, black hip-hugging slacks, and her favorite silver strappy sandals. Her fingernails were black, and her toenails were a scarlet red. She also wore a diamond pendant around her neck, and silver toe rings on her middle toe toes on both feet. “Seriously! You guys looked like a kung fu movie out there.”

“Ah, I see you managed to make it,” Zeb said, walking over to greet her. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Good to be back,” Patty replied, grinning. “And it’s good to see you again as well, Sasha,” she added, greeting Zeb’s Thrall.

“A pleasure to see you as well, Mistress Patricia,” she replied.

“What brings you by?” Zeb asked, curious. “I thought you had a job this morning?”

“I’m just returning from it, actually,” the brunette hypnodomme replied, smirking. Slipping out of her sandals, she let out a soft sigh, wiggling her freed toes. “It went a lot easier than I thought. And since I was in the area, I thought I’d stop by now instead of later.”

“Well, my apprentice, it is always a pleasure to have you visit,” Zeb replied grinning. “You’ve been so busy lately, it’s actually a bit of a treat to catch up with you.”

Patty shrugged. “Just trying to catch up with you, Zeb,” she said. “I have to say, between your lessons and all this practical experience, I’m feeling pretty damn good! Oh, speaking of which, I finally managed it,” she said, smiling. “I finally did it!“

“It?”

“Seeing the Unseen,” she clarified. “It happened on my last job. I wasn’t even really trying, or thinking about it, just focusing on my target, when I... well, I sensed someone was nearby. I blinked... and suddenly, POOF, I could see him, there, coming up behind me. It seems Ms. Avena had a bodyguard no one knew about,” she said with a shrug. “At any rate, I ended up catching HIM by surprise, and once he was hypnotized, taking Ms. Avena was a piece of cake.”

Zeb smiled at that. He was proud of her. But he was also proud of himself as well. Before him, Patty had been completely untrained, a total newbie. That she could actually learn and master such an advanced technique meant that anyone with the ability could learn. Even more impressive were her confidence and maturity. She had come quite a long way from the girl he’d run into in the park all those weeks ago.

Hmmm. Maybe... maybe it’s time, he considered. Maybe it’s time to share the rest of my knowledge with her... and show her the book...

“So, um,” Patty began, glancing down slightly, blushing, “can I ask you... what is probably a silly question?”

“Of course,” Zeb replied.

“Um,” she said, blushing even deeper. “Is it... strange that I seem to have developed a love of having people worship my feet?” Zeb and Sasha both burst into laughter. “H-hey! It was a serious question!” she grumbled, irked.

Zeb shook his head. “Sorry. I did not mean to belittle the question. It’s actually a very valid one. And to answer... no, it is not strange at all. A majority of hypnodommes take great delight in having their slaves or others they have dominated worship their feet.”

“And some Hypnotists, like a certain Master, also have a fondness for the feet of attractive young women as well,” Sasha added, a small smile creasing her lips.

Zeb smirked, rolling his eyes. “As well as certain slaves who were hypnotized and deeply conditioned to both worshipping and having her own feet worshipped,” Sasha said nothing, but her cheeks went a deep pink. “Also, a great number of hypnodommes prefer to go barefoot whenever possible. Doing so actually increases one’s hypnotic power.” He sighed softly. “It is actually one of the tenets of Hypnothea,”

“Hypnothea?”

“She is revered as a goddess,” Zeb informed her. “Specifically, THE goddess of hypnosis. It is said that the power we utilize comes from her.”

Patty glanced at him. “And... you believe in this... goddess?” she asked, dubiously.

“I... do not personally worship her, if that is what you are asking,” he said with a wry grin. “It is rather hard to give one’s devotion to a goddess that preaches men are weaker and inferior to women, and that we all belong in service at their feet. But yes, I do believe in her... as I do of the many other gods and goddesses in this world. And I believe that she empowers those that she finds favor in.”

Patty considered that. It seemed ridiculous to her, on the surface. A goddess with magical powers that bestowed the gift of hypnosis on her chosen ones? No way. And yet... how many other things had she experienced these past few months that seemed impossible? Not only did True Hypnosis exist, but there were also those with psychic abilities and real actual magic! So... who’s to say gods and goddesses weren’t real as well?

“At any rate,” Zeb continued, regaining her attention, “since you have apparently gotten the hang of using your Sight, I suppose it is time to teach you about a completely different kind of vision.” He sighed softly. “Specifically, the Master Gaze... or for you, I should say, the ‘Mistress Gaze’.”

Patty blinked. “Wait... the Mistress Gaze? You mentioned that before a while back. Didn’t you say that it was dangerous and that you shouldn’t ever use it?”

“That is... partially true,” he conceded. “There are, in fact, five different Gazes that a True Hypnotist can utilize, all with varying degrees of use, power, and danger. The bottom line is, using any gaze at all damages your eyes. The human eye is not meant to focus and project energy that way, and doing it repeatedly will cause irreparable damage. However, used sparingly, and only in emergencies, the damage is usually minimal.” He sighed. “Besides, it is a very important tool for your arsenal, and there are many other hypnotists out there that do use it. It would be best if you too were familiar with the technique.”

He gestured to his thrall, and Sasha walked over to stand with them. “For now, I will demonstrate on Sasha, and show you what it is like. Use your Sight to see precisely what is happening, and how... but do not stare directly into my eyes yourself,” he added with a smirk. “The idea is to teach you the technique, not render you a mindlessly obedient slave.”

Sasha took her place before her Master. her expression stoic as usual, despite her excitement. In truth, she enjoyed being hypnotized by her Master. She was his slave and surrendering her will to him this way only further proved her devotion to him. Plus... it simply aroused her. Whether it was a natural development of her submissive nature, or a command Master had given her, it was undeniably true. Being hypnotized got her hot.

“Now watch carefully,” Zeb instructed Patty as he narrowed his eyes, staring deeply into Sasha’s clear grey gaze. I am focusing on my target, gathering and building my energy... and my will.” He paused a moment, glancing sidelong at Patty. “It is also important to focus on your will... to know instinctively what it is you want. You are basically pressing your will directly into your subject... without words or gestures, or thought. The Master... er, Mistress Gaze, entrances a person without the need for an induction. You simply stare their mind into submission.” He returned his glance back to Sasha. “Now... observe,” he stated as he unleashed his power, his eyes flashing a bright amber color.

Sasha managed a small gasp before going stiff, her mind shutting down as her thoughts froze as if her brain had been put on pause. Had a portion of her mind still been active, she might have felt a bit of disappointment. The normal hypnosis allowed her a slow gentle fall into a trance, causing her arousal to slowly build and build. Going under instantly, she wasn’t even aware enough to appreciate her own submission.

Snap!

Blinking, Sasha frowned slightly, feeling a moment of disorientation before returning to full awareness again. Oh. Right... Master was demonstrating his hypnotic gaze for Mistress Patricia. Nodding to herself, she focused back on the conversation between the two hypnotists.

“...able to See how your power built, and how it flowed,” Patty said, slowly. “But I’m still not sure I can do that myself.”

Zeb merely gestured at Sasha. “Well, give it a try and see. Sasha, you will allow Mistress Patricia to practice on you,” he commanded, and the raven-haired slave nodded. “You know what it feels like when you channel your hypnotic energy. Just focus on that, remember what you Saw when you watched me, and try and do the same.”

The next several hours were spent with Patty practicing the Mistress Gaze. Alas, though she was quick to pick up most techniques, this one seemed to be giving her trouble. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable visit. The two friends talked and caught up, had a wonderful lunch prepared by Janet, the cook, took a nice refreshing swim in Zeb’s Olympic sized indoor pool, and both blew off some steam with Zeb fucking Anita and Martha, while Patricia took advantage of the offer and fucked Kenneth while Carmen ate her ass, and Tiffani sucked on her toes. Lounging together, totally sated, Patty remarked that their lives had certainly changed for the better in such a short time.

“This house is rather nice,” Zeb mused, indulging himself by rubbing and caressing Patty’s bare feet resting in his lap. “I wouldn’t recommend taking the path I used to obtain it,” he added with a smirk, “but you should upgrade to one yourself. I think it is about time.”

“Really?” she replied, smirking. “Do you happen to know of any rich people in the neighborhood that I could hypnotize into giving me their mansions?” she teased. In response, Zeb slid her over a small notepad. “Huh? What is... whoa. Really? You have an actual list?!?” she exclaimed. “Zeb, I was just kidding!”

“I know,” he replied with a smirk, “but I’m not. You are a hypnodomme. If you want something, it is within your right to take it. Obviously, there are consequences to any such action that you take, but a clever hypnodomme should be able to handle herself.” He sighed again, playing idly with her toes, making her squirm lightly. “All of the women on that list are clients of mine at the spa. And all of them are... less than cordial to pretty much everyone around them. Arrogant, self-important, snotty, and entitled.” He shrugged. “There is always a chance that someone else might have made one or more of them their slaves already, so there is that... but, again, if you want, you have the option.”

Patty nodded at that, closing her eyes, enjoying the sensation as well as the offer. “Mmmm... thanks, Zeb. I’ll definitely think on it.”

Six a.m. came, and Zeb’s eyes opened as he stirred awake.

At exactly 6:00:30 a.m. he felt a gentle suction enveloping his cock, stroking him gently to stiffness. Smirking, he glanced down at the mass of blonde hair lightly teasing his crotch as the slave girl attending him worked him tenderly, and lovingly to an erection. He was still learning the names and faces of his myriad of slaves, but Tiffani’s blonde curly locks always managed to stand out. A creature of habit, he’d spent extensive time hypnotizing and programming his slaves to adjust to his schedule, including his normal waking schedule... and preferred method of waking. Sighing softly, he lay back, enjoying the blonde maid’s ministrations, letting her drive him to an enjoyable finish before slipping out of bed. “Nicely done, slave,” he said kindly, caressing her hair lightly. “I’m off to shower. Please prepare my clothing for the day.”

“Yes, Master,” she replied with a bow. “Right away.”

After a nice hot shower and shave, he took a moment to admire himself in the mirror. In the past week, all of the wounds he’d taken had healed cleanly, with only the slightest of dimpling remaining as scars on the two deepest gouges. His back had completely healed, and he was thankfully back to full fighting strength again. Returning to his bedroom, he mentally scrolled through his itinerary, pleased to recall that he had no clients at the spa, thus wasn’t needed there at all today. Indeed, he only had three clients scheduled for the entire week—all early tomorrow—before the spa closed down for construction work. Since taking over, and letting Tricia run the day-to-day operations, The Lotus had gained immense popularity, and word had spread like wildfire, leading him to the decision of expanding to better handle the increased demand.

And, as luck would have it, having recently acquired ownership of a construction company as well, he was in the perfect position to see that renovation come to fruition.

Dressing, he went downstairs to a quick breakfast of steamed rice and fish, his usual staple, then moved to his study. Carmen was sitting in her usual reclining waiting for him, her laptop already open and running. “Good morning, Master,” she greeted him cordially, smiling gently before turning her attention back to the screen before her. Zeb walked over, caressing her lightly as he peered over her shoulder, getting a soft moan for his troubles.

“How is everything looking this morning?” he asked.

“Everything looks great so far,” she reported cheerfully. “All of your accounts seem to be growing, the broker has been reporting positive gains across the board, and the stock market is on the rise.”

Zeb grinned at that. The lovely former housewife had studied economics in college before getting swept up by Anthony. While she hadn’t had any need or desire to use her learning—or even a chance, really, with Anthony insisting that taking care of the money was ‘a man’s job’—she discovered that she was actually rather good at money management. Most of all, she was happy to find a role for herself in the household. As Anthony’s wife, she’d naturally taken on the role as the head of the household, but now that Anthony was gone, she’d struggled to find some way to serve her new Master. Everyone else had a job—maid, butler, security guard, cook... but she had had no job, no role. No purpose.

But now, she had found her purpose. And she was determined to use it for her Master’s benefit.

“Have you been keeping track of the news as well, my housewife slave?” Zeb asked. Carmen preened slightly at the term of affection.

“Yes, Master. If you’re wondering about the indictment, it’s set to conclude today,” she replied. “It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point, but my soon-to-be ex-husband will no longer be a problem for anyone. He’s either going to be going away for the rest of his life or into protective custody so deep he’ll likely be packed into a crate next to the Ark of the Covenant.”

Zeb chuckled at that. After releasing him from his trance, Anthony Rios had done as programmed, driving back down to the closest police station to turn himself in. The former crime lord had confessed to a litany of crimes, so much so that the local DA was hard-pressed to find a specific charge to indict him on. With so many of his crimes being federal ones, he had wisely chosen to turn him over to a federal prosecutor working with the DEA, with the drug trafficking being the most severe of the crimes. And looking at the amount of time he’d be serving, and facing the ire of his Columbian partners, he’d chosen to cut a deal, turning on his former friends in order to save himself.

It had taken a bit of doing to separate Rios from his wife for the investigation, however. As he’d expected, the police had arrived at the front gate of the mansion in full force after Rios had been arrested, carrying warrants to search the property. Carmen met with the lead investigator to protest, stating that she and her husband were estranged, that the house, property, and assets were all in her name, and thus had no bearing on their investigation. A flimsy excuse, but after a brief conversation with Carmen’s new ‘chief advisor’, the investigators had miraculously decided to leave her in peace and focus their attention directly on Anthony himself.

Opening his own laptop, Zeb brought up the program and contacted Gene, checking to see if there were any interesting jobs in the works. In the aftermath of his conflict with Anthony Rios, his reputation had improved any more, as well as helping to improve the status of other True Hypnotists as well. Word had spread about Rios’ double-cross, and his subsequent punishment, once again emphasizing the fact that hypnotists were not to be trifled with.

“I have to say, hermano, you really brought the thunder,” Gene replied with a chuckle. “Not only did you get the guy arrested, but you also took everything the guy owned—even his wife! Your bank account must be filled to overflowing after all that. Yeah, people are going to be talking about this for a while.”

Zeb shrugged. “Cleaning out his bank account was for shorting me on my fee. That was simply pay owed, plus interest. The rest, though... that was an object lesson. He disrespected me, and he paid the price.”

Gene smirked. “Yeah, about that... it’s just a rumor, but I heard that Mr. Rios had a bit of ‘trouble’ there in prison awaiting trial... to the point where the guards had to lock him up in solitary for his own safety. You wouldn’t know anything about THAT, would you?”

Zeb merely shrugged. When implanting the commands to confess within Anthony Rios and his cronies, he’d remembered as well the rather obvious racial slants they’d used. Although a bit petty and vindictive, he’d given all three men an impulse to confess, loudly and often, to anyone within earshot, that they all very much enjoyed having sex with young underaged girls. It was a bit contradictory, really—that among such hardened criminals, drug dealers, murderers, and thieves, rapists and child molesters were viewed as reprehensible and unforgivable fiends. Needless to say, Anthony and his men had received a less than friendly reception once the word got out. Name-calling hurts, Zeb thought smugly. Now they all know just how badly a few choice words can affect you.

Choosing to pass on any immediate jobs posted, Zeb was about to log out, when Gene mentioned a personal request. “It’s from an acquaintance of yours, a Mistress Delilah Van Dressen. She accepted a job out of town over in Vale, Oregon, that seems a bit much, and is requesting your help.”

“Mistress Delilah, hmm?” Zeb mused, recalling his first run-in with the lovely talented thief. “Did she mention when the job takes place?”

“It needs completion by the end of the week,” he replied, “so you still have four more days to decide.”

“You can tell her, I accept,” Zeb stated, nodding. “I’ll contact her later for the specifics, just tell her that she’ll owe me one for this.” Chuckling, Gene agreed to pass on the message.

A few hours later, after a nice lunch, and a quick swim to cool off, Tiffani arrived with three men following closely behind. “Greetings, Master. Mr. Han and his students have arrived for your three p.m.", she announced. Rising, Zeb walked over, shaking the man’s hand.

“Ah, perfect timing, Mr. Han,” he said cordially. “I hope you are doing well this day.”

“And I, you, Mr. Clark,” the Chinese man replied back, nodding slightly. “As you can see, I brought a few of my students with me. Hu and Feng, my two best and brightest.”

Zeb’s grin turned slightly wicked. “I would hope so, Mr. Han. I am very much looking forward to an energetic workout.” Leading the men back to the gym, he removed his shirt, and kicked off his shoes, nodding as his visitors removed their footwear as well before stepping onto the mats. “So... same rules as before?” Zeb asked casually. “Three-on-one, full contact, with the selected weapon of your choice,” he said, gesturing to the rack of wooden swords, staves, and batons on the far wall.

Li Han nodded. “And same wager as before?” he inquired as his students both selected heavy wooden batons. “Ten thousand dollars if I or my students succeed in knocking you off your feet?”

Zeb nodded, dancing lightly in place, moving and twisting his arms and legs, limbering up. “Exactly. Of course, you will be paid the normal amount for your time, regardless.”

Hu muttered softly in Chinese, shaking his head, and his companion, Feng, chuckled aloud. Zeb glanced back at them, frowning slightly. “Bù, wǒ méiyǒu fēng.” he said in Mandarin, causing both students to gape in shock. “Bùyào bèi wàibiǎo suǒ míhuò. Wǒ shì yīgè bǐ wǒ kàn qǐlái gèng hǎo de zhànshì.” he added with a smirk. No, I am not crazy. Don’t be fooled by appearance. I’m a much better fighter than I appear.

Li sighed, shaking his head. “Forgive them for the slight,” he said, apologizing. “They are young and foolish. They see you as simply another rich man getting in over his head.” Li chuckled. “They do not know your true nature.”

Unlike Zeb himself, Li Han was a mentalist. Having no hypnotic powers of his own, he in turn utilized a number of psychic abilities, including levitation, telekinesis, and limited mind control. Though less potent, his abilities covered a wider range, including the ability to enhance his physical abilities far beyond the human norm. Having met via Gene on the contact board, he and Li stuck up a conversation and formed a fast friendship. Among other shared hobbies, both men shared a love of fighting, often debating on which martial art was superior. Over the past couple of weeks, they’d had played out this contest, with the two combatants gaining a growing respect for each other and their abilities. And while Li was adept enough to score quite a few solid hits on his companion, he had, to his chagrin, been unable to knock Zeb off his feet once.

Hence Zeb’s offer to bring in additional fighters.

“It only makes sense, really,” he’d stated at the time. “No disrespect to you, Li, but my training was specifically tailored for fighting multiple opponents at once. This may be mere sparring for you, but for me, it is a way to hone my edge and better prepare for my mercenary jobs,”

Taking their places, Zeb bowed to Han and his students, then slipped into a fighting stance. In an instant they began, fists and feet flying in a strangely acrobatic dance. Han’s strikes moved like lightning, faster than the human eye could follow, targeting Zeb’s vital spots, his heart, kidneys, neck, head, and knees, any of which would have been a stunning, possibly disabling blow. Yet, Zeb was able to keep up, his mind and body loose and fluid, and relaxed. Not quite a battle trance, Zeb had given control of his actions over to his training, reacting by reflex and instinct rather than planned action, letting muscle memory move him faster and more accurately than any trained fighter could.

The newest addition was the two other fighters, striking and attacking from the sides and/or from behind, as the opportunities arose. His third eye open, senses active, Zeb’s awareness ranged three hundred and sixty degrees—he was not about to be taken by surprise. Still, reacting to threats at such speeds coming from three locations at once brought a welcome tension to the match, pushing his reactions to their limits. Not since his training sessions with Shari had he been pushed this hard.

Ten minutes in and the first student had been disarmed of his weapon. Another two minutes, the second one was disarmed. Combat became easier then, though no less taxing. Without their weapons, the two students were forced to move in closer to make their attacks, allowing Zeb to counter more effectively. Three more minutes in, and Feng let out a cry as he collapsed, his legs no longer able to hold him up. Gasping, panting, he lay on the ground, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, only to dodge to the side as Hu was thrown, landing hard on the floor beside him.

“Gāisǐ!! Duōme diūliǎn a!” Hu growled, slamming a fist down on the mat. Huffing, he sat up, moving to his knees, considering. He knew very well about the wager, the ten thousand dollar prize for knocking this man off his feet. It had seemed ridiculous, an easy way to earn a quick paycheck. Yet this stranger had managed to completely humiliate him!

No! I won’t be beaten so easily, he fumed silently, as he watched his mentor and the client still fighting. The goal was simply to knock him off his feet, right? Very well. Let’s see how he dodges this! he thought to himself, as he suddenly leaped forward, diving at Zeb’s legs from behind.

Zeb sensed the man coming an instant before the impact. Again, his actions were instinct, reflex, without conscious control. Watching idly, he had time to wonder at the young man’s motive, trying such a risky and potentially dangerous move, even as his body took steps to avoid him. Planting both feet firmly, Zeb pushed upwards springing up and arching his back as he leaped, flipping backward as a surprised Hu rocketed through the position he had just occupied. Unfortunately for him, his mentor, Li, had been standing directly in front of Zeb, hands raised to strike, Surprised, the Chinese master likewise reacted instinctively, lashing out telekinetically, instantly stopping the hapless student’s forward impact, and slamming him into an invisible wall.

“Hold!” Zeb called out, moving over to the boy as he crumpled, slumping to the ground. Li and Feng moved in as well, examining him, letting out a small sigh of relief to find Hu alive and well, merely unconscious. “I think perhaps we should call the match,” Zeb replied with a sigh. “Your student should get checked out. Besides, despite how it ended, I did indeed get the work out that I wished.”

Li shook his head. “You are much too generous,” he stated, frowning at his hapless student, “and far too forgiving. The boy clearly tried to ambush you. Had his tackle connected, you could have been seriously injured. That is NOT the kind of action that I teach my students.”

“True,” Zeb conceded, “but it did make the fight more realistic. In true combat, the only rules are victory and defeat. I need to be prepared for anything I may come across, and anyone I might be facing.” He sighed softly, nodding to himself. “Again, Li, I thank you very much for indulging me. I know how busy you are at your dojo, and appreciate these sessions more than you know.”

“Bah! Think nothing of it,” the older man replied dismissively. “I owe you for helping my daughter. Besides, this is fun for me as well,” he added with a grin. “It is nice to face someone as skilled as you. Just as I am helping you to hone your edge, you likewise help me to sharpen my own skills.” Both men bowed to each other, then shook hands. “Well, Zebediah, if we are truly done for the day, I should be off. Feng, help this foolish fool up so that we may depart,” he barked at his other student, he grabbed the stunned half-awake Hu and helped him to his feet.

“Thank you again, Li,” Zeb replied, grinning. “Let’s do this again next week. Oh, and if you’re free, let’s have dinner on Saturday! It’s been a while since we had a conversation without fists flying.”

“Mmmmmm... wonderful,” Zeb breathed softly, sitting up, stretching, and twisting lightly. “Excellent. That was absolutely wonderful,” he said again, reaching up to slide a large terrycloth robe over his naked form. “You really are good at massage, Dana,” he stated to the scantily clad woman beside him. “I’m very glad I hired you to work at my spa.”

“Thank you, Master,” the entranced masseuse replied simply. As part of his expansion of the Lotus, he had been interviewing various local talent, picking the best and brightest. Dana had stood out among them, not only for her talent and skill but for her beauty. Zeb had actually been debating on whether to hire her, or whether to keep her and add her to his mansion staff. In the end, he’d decided to split the difference—hire her on at the spa, and simply bring her to the mansion whenever he desired her company or her services.

Dismissing her, he strode down the hallways heading towards his living room, only to pause, frowning. Glancing around, his eyes narrowed, staring straight ahead and to the left. “Visitors,” he said softly, nodding. Counting silently in his head, he waited for several seconds, then strode boldly forward down the hall and into the room. As he’s suspected, two strangers were waiting for him when he arrived, glancing up at his approach.

Both of the strangers were women; beautiful and dressed in a sexy fashion. The taller of the two was obviously mixed heritage; Asian-European, possibly German. Her shoulder-length dark hair had several bright streaks of green that accentuated her slightly exotic look. She was dressed in a deep emerald green top, short sleeved, with a low cut to expose her fit and trim tummy, sporting a diamond navel piercing. She also wore tight, form fitting leather pants that showed off the curve of her hips and tone of her legs, ending in a pair of platform sandals showing off her lovely bare feet. And seeming to keep with her all-green theme, the delicate hottie was sporting bright green paint on both her fingernails and toenails; a gold and emerald toe ring on her right middle toe completed her outfit.

The shorter of the pair was a fair-skinned Caucasian, sporting a vibrant pink pixie haircut. Dressed similarly to her companion, she wore a tight low cut blouse of white and pink stripes, as well as tight white leather pants, both of which showed off her ample and sexy curves. Her cork wedge platform sandals added to her height, but not much, leaving her at barely five foot three. And like her partner, she had painted her fingernails and toenails in her signature color, a vivid and radiant pink that suited her perfectly. She wore a single golden toe ring with a small but glittering pink garnet on her right second toe.

“Zebediah Clark?” the taller of the two asked casually with a raised eyebrow.

Momentarily charmed by their lovely appearance, Zeb merely nodded. “Ah, two unexpected but lovely ladies. It’s so nice to have visitors,” he commented idly, walking over to sit in a white leather recliner across from them, “even when they do arrive unannounced and uninvited. If I had know you were coming, I would have dressed more appropriately. Please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the couch behind them. Without comment, they both sat. “So... what brings a True Hypnotist and her... colleague?” he hazarded, gesturing at the pink-haired girl, “to my humble abode?”

The Asian woman raised an eyebrow again, her expression otherwise unchanged. “Hypnotist? Who said anything about being a hypnotist?” she asked innocently.

Zeb chuckled darkly. “Oh come now. You show up in my home, unannounced, somehow bypassing my very well-trained security without raising an alarm?” He shook a finger lightly. “Either you are both skilled hypnotists, or ninja... and pardon me, but I somehow doubt you are hiding a kodachi or kunai blades in your current outfit.”

The pink-haired girl chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But really your so-called ‘crack security’? They weren’t really that hard to get by. Really poorly trained, if you ask me,” she began haughtily.

click-click

The pink-haired woman froze, glancing slowly back to see a sexy black-haired woman clad in a black and silver skintight bodysuit standing behind them, a pair of matching Sig Sauer P226 pistols in her hands. “Not all of them,” Zeb replied smoothly. “Sasha is very well trained... so I would suggest neither of you do anything stupid or make any sudden moves.” He leant forward, fingers steepled. “Now then... perhaps you’d like to explain what you are doing here in my home?”

The pink-haired woman glanced at her partner, chagrined. The bodyguard’s approach had been seamless and perfect, completely undetectable. And seated as they were, they’d given up their mobility advantage.

Unlike her partner, the Asian hypnotist looked unconcerned, even vaguely amused.

“First of all, Master Clark, if you knew who we were, you would not have your pet pointing weapons at us. Second of all, if you knew who my sister was, you would be apologizing. Be that as it may, I will let it slide, since you clearly don’t know who we are, nor did I expect you to. Now, it appears you are as cunning and capable as your reputation proclaims. My name is Mistress Jayde, and this is my partner, Dazzle. We are here on behalf of Arthur Winston.“

Zeb frowned, blinking. He felt his anger rising at Jayde’s comments, but he let it fade quickly.

He knew she was likely testing him, trying to rile him and get him to lose his composure.

She failed.

Zeb was far too disciplined for such amateur games.

“Winston? The proprietor of the large fancy club downtown, The Spiral?” he asked, gesturing at Sasha. She backed away, lowering her weapons.

“Yes, as if you didn’t know that. Arthur has been impressed with your recent accomplishments, and asked us to extend you a formal invitation,” Jayde replied, holding out a golden engraved envelope. Frowning, Zeb extended a hand.

Dazzle twitched a finger, and the envelope floated from Jayde’s hand into Zeb’s.

He kept his expression neutral, though he was vaguely unsettled.

Hmph. A mentalist; just wonderful, he thought.

Mentalists were problematic at best; their power was extremely difficult to resist, bordering on impossible for normals. True, his Gram Gram’s training had included resisting mentalist attacks, nevertheless, dealing with them was taxing and draining even under the best of circumstances.

Sighing inwardly, he opened the envelope to find a hand-written invitation from Arthur Winston; the offer appeared completely genuine.

“An invitation from Arthur Winston,” he mused aloud, sighing. “Better late than never, I suppose. Seeing as I never received one during the Spiral’s Grand Opening,” he added with a touch of petulance.

“An oversight for which Mr. Winston would like to apologize,” Dazzle replied smoothly. “He is hopeful that you will allow him to make up for that by becoming a member now.”

“That, and you could have attended the grand opening as a guest like any verified hypnotist. If you are referring to being invited into the tournament, then forgive me if I say you might have found the competition, ‘stiff’,” Jayde said with a wink.

Zeb blinked, frowning at the haughty woman’s assertation for a moment before chuckling softly. “Indeed. I did notice a decided lack of male representation at the tournament. And true, I’m not really one for tournaments or public competitions. I much prefer events where the stakes are a bit more... substantial... before I give my all.” He gave her a wry smirk. “That said, while I doubt I would have won, I assure you, I would have definitely given a memorable performance.” Reading over the invitation, he nodded idly. “Hmmm... a VIP membership, eh?”

“Yes, and there is more,” Jayde added, regaining Zeb’s attention. “He would also like to hire you for a job,” she stated, taking out a second envelope. “He’s having some... difficulty... with a hypnotist that has been conspiring with his enemies to cause him trouble recently. He needs someone with your collection of skills to solve this problem for him, and he would like to offer you a chance to do so.”

Zeb accepted the envelope, reading over the details.

“Upon the successful completion of this mission, Arthur is prepared to offer you a position as a member of his staff.” she finished.

This time it was Zeb who raised an eyebrow. “A staff position? Hmmm... I think not. I’m afraid I enjoy being my own boss too much to work under someone else.” He paused, frowning. “That said, I am considering this job offer. However, I have a question. From what I read here, this Mistress Ramona suspected of working for a Master Jonathon Creel... she has a security detail of at least twenty, all armed and trained. Difficult, but not impossible. Arthur Winston has a number of talented hypnotists already on his staff, including you, I would assume,” he stated. “Three or four of you would have no trouble handling Mistress Ramona and her goons yourselves. So... why ask me?”

Jayde smiled, nodding. The man was astute. “A very good question. Truth be told, I was of the same opinion, that Dazzle and I could handle one upstart hypnodomme... and just for the record, she and I are independent contractors, not part of Arthur’s permanent staff. We are very good, to be crystal clear. In any case, Mistress Ramona is a very cautious, and powerful woman. She is resourceful as well; she has somehow managed to get a list of all of the hypnotists currently on Arthur’s payroll, as well as descriptions of each of them. If any of us get within a mile of her office, she is likely go to ground. The last time she did, it took six weeks for her to show up again.” She sighed heavily. “Arthur wants her dealt with soon before she puts her next scheme into motion, whatever it is,“

“And so, he is requesting a specialist,” Zeb concluded, nodding. “Very well, I accept,” he said confidently.

Jayde snorted.

Now it was Zeb’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“You have something else to say?” he asked casually.

“I do; some friendly advice, one hypnotist to another. Don’t be too impressed with yourself, Master Zeb. You have accomplished a fair amount in your short career as a hypnotist, but it is insignificant compared to what a lot of the veterans in the community have achieved. You have talent and skill, but you haven’t truly been tested yet. That is what this really is; a test. Arthur wants to see how you do against a really powerful hypnodomme. Ramona will be the biggest challenge you have faced yet.” She held up a hand as Zeb started to reply. “Before you get your panties in a bunch, let me finish; I am speaking from experience. There is always someone better, or who is at least having a better day than you. If you get cocky, you are going to end up Ramona’s bitch,” Jayde replied, her eyes unblinking as she stared him down.

Zeb was silent, expression carved from stone.

They stared at one another for a handful of heartbeats.

Then he smiled.

“Mistress Jayde, I appreciate the advice. I realize I am both inexperienced and playing from behind as a male in a woman’s world. However, I would respectfully suggest you not underestimate me,” Zeb replied calmly.

Jayde laughed.

“I don’t underestimate anyone, Master Zeb. A lesson I learned the hard way when I crossed a little firecracker named Lady Casey. I am not ashamed to admit I am one of countless people who have gotten very acquainted with her feet. Dazzle here ran afoul of her wife, Mistress Alexandria with similar results. My point is simply to be careful. Going against normals is one thing; going against hypnotists is quite another,” she said.

Zeb grinned at the mention of Lady Casey.

There was just something... intoxicating about the brunette known as Tiny Tough.

I am not certain being at her feet would BE a punishment, he mused silently.

“Again, I appreciate the advice, Mistress Jayde,” he said aloud. “For what its worth, I have faced other hypnotists before. Admittedly not top-tier, but neither were they weak. And though I have only been a part of the hypnotist community a short time, I have been trained by one of the most... thorough and strict hypnodommes you could ever imagine.” He chuckled ruefully. “I am cautious, but I am confident I can handle this ‘test’,” Zeb replied.

“I am sure you can. I dislike Ramona immensely, so tell her hello for me before you put your cock into her mouth,” Jayde replied with a grin.

Zeb smirked.

“I would like a bit more information about Mistress Ramona’s compound, this office building that she keeps, as well as whatever you can dig up on her security force.” He chuckled softly. “Twenty armed guards and a powerful hypnodomme. Should be an interesting job.”

“We can provide that information; I assume you have a business email address you can give us.” Dazzle replied with a nod. “I can tell you right now that she is originally from New York, and she placed first in their local dueling tournament twice. She also has Jonathon Creel as an ally, so her resources are substantial; she might even have another hypnotist or a witch on her staff. She will certainly be a challenge.”

Zeb nodded, grinning. “Then I’m definitely looking forward to this. One thing you’ll learn about me, ladies, is that I love a challenge.”