The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Moments after being awoken by shouts and explosions, Sarafina and Alondra decided not to go rushing off in their nightgowns. They quickly dressed in comfortable athletic clothes, including black leggings and sports bras to allow freedom of movement. Alondra’s long black hair was already in two braids, while the forty-seven-year-old Sarafina pulled her shoulder-length auburn tresses up into a messy bun.

Neither woman bothered with shoes, as they frequently went barefoot and were quite comfortable without them.

In addition to their respective hypnotic and magical abilities, both women were trained in hand-to-hand combat, with Sarafina an expert in Kung-fu and Alondra an MMA fighter who could box and was skilled in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu.

“Well, we won’t be glamorous when we greet the intruders,” Sarafina remarked with a sigh as she hung her emerald pendant around her neck.

The powerful hypnotist preferred to confront her enemies in fine dresses, tall expensive heels, and exquisite jewelry.

“You always look glamorous and beautiful,” Alondra said playfully.

The sexy Latina witch kissed her lover on the lips.

“Mmmmm, thank you, darling. However, you are the beautiful one in this relationship. I am the one with grey hair. Now let’s go get Ashlyn,” Sarafina replied.

“No need, mother. I am here,” Ashlyn said, striding into the room without knocking and accompanied by four armed guards.

A beautiful, athletic blonde woman of twenty-five, Sarafina’s daughter was clad in only a simple white shift, a huge red garnet hanging between her large breasts on a long slender silver chain. Her long hair was loose and unkempt; her finger and toenails were painted a glittering pink, and she wore silver rings set with large pink spinels on each middle finger.

“Oh good. Where is your Thrall?” Sarafina asked.

“I commanded Helen to get ready for a fight and organize my personal security slave detail,” Ashlyn replied.

“Excellent. Are you ready, my darling?” Sarafina asked, giving her daughter an appraising eye.

“I am always ready. Mother what is going on?” the young woman asked in annoyance.

“We are still trying to ascertain the details, but it appears someone is attacking our home,” Sarafina replied calmly.

Before Ashlyn could reply, the door opened once more, and two men walked inside to join them.

“Ah yes, everyone please just barge into our room,” Alondra said dryly as Sarafina’s Thrall Peter and another man entered.

Sarafina’s thrall bowed slightly.

“Forgive me, Mistress, it appears we are under attack,” the tall, muscular Peter said.

Sarafina sighed and rolled her eyes.

“We know that, dolt. Details,” she said harshly.

The other man who came with Peter spoke up. Wearing black tactical clothing, he was a security team leader and carried an expensive electronic tablet.

He was hypnotically brainwashed to be utterly obedient and loyal to Sarafina and her family.

“Mistress, a group of invaders has breached the compound’s perimeter here. They managed to knock out several security systems and destroyed the communications tower. Your security personnel are engaging the enemy, but we don’t have much information yet,” he said, holding up the tablet.

The display showed a map of Sarafina’s compound, and he indicated a spot near the guards’ barracks.

“This is incredible! Unbelievable!” thundered Viktor, Sarafina’s business partner, as he entered the room.

Alondra rolled her eyes and sighed.

Sarafina put a calming hand on her lover’s arm.

“Who would be bold enough to attack us here? Who would dare?” Viktor continued to bellow in his Russian accent.

A tall and physically intimidating man with blonde hair, Viktor was also a skilled hypnotist.

At least when he was calm.

“That is a great question,” Ashlyn said, looking at her mother.

Sarafina frowned, then groaned as she realized who was likely behind the attack.

“Of course! It is her! It has to be,” she muttered.

“Who?” Ashlyn asked.

“Yes?” Alondra said.

“Who is this ‘her’?” Viktor asked.

All three had spoken at once. Sarafina gave an exaggerated sigh.

“Archdomina Annika Pemberton,” she said.

Ashlyn looked stunned.

“Wait... mother, did you just say the Archdomina? Like, the most powerful hypnotist in the world?” she asked.

“D’yavol,” Viktor muttered.

“I... must admit, I always thought she was only a myth. A legend told to scare children…,” Alondra added.

“She is no myth…and she’s no superhuman boogieman either! Yes, she is powerful, but so am I! She is just a woman, after all. A shriveled-up old bat that hasn’t been seen for decades. I met her a few times as a child; my mother used to deal with her back when she was on the High Conclave, and I wasn’t that impressed. I recall she just barely escaped some battle or fight or something with the authorities. Regardless, she is no serious threat to us,” Sarafina said haughtily.

“Fine, but why would she attack us?” Alondra asked, bewildered.

Sarafina sighed again.

“She wants something that I have. The old crone covets one of the treasures my mother left behind…a flower from the garden of Hypnothea. She wanted to buy it from me, but I turned her down; now it appears the stupid bitch thinks she can just waltz into my home and simply take it!” she said irritably.

“I see…Sarafina, how do you wish to handle this... old woman?” Viktor asked with a frown.

“How else? We crush her and whatever fools and slaves she brought with her.

Tell the guards to eliminate any strangers they come across. No mercy,” she ordered with almost sadistic glee.

“Yes Mistress!” the security team leader replied.

He hurried from the room, speaking into his radio.

“Mother we are wasting time! We need to act too!” Ashlyn said eagerly.

“You are correct, darling. Take your Thrall and a contingent of slaves and greet our guests. Bring me Annika’s head so I can mount it over the front gate,” Sarafina replied with a wicked grin.

Ashlyn nodded eagerly and swept from the room.

The inside of Mistress Sarafina’s mansion was something of a disappointment; both Ophelie and Annika had visited it previously when it was still the residence of High Mistress Catherine.

Sarafina had apparently inherited none of her mother’s sense of taste or sense of aesthetics. The decor was a mishmash of bad taste, clashing styles jammed clumsily together and no doubt meant to serve as a sign of wealth and status. However, to any true art connoisseur, it came across as a collection of expensive junk, a group of random objects placed without much rhyme or reason.

Annika sniffed in disdain as she glanced about the foyer.

“No offense to you, Ophie, but suddenly I envy you for your loss of sight. Poor dear Catherine is probably rolling in her grave over what her daughter has done to her once tasteful home,” she said.

“I strongly disagree,” an unfamiliar voice spoke from across the room.

Annika and her companions turned to face Ashlyn.

The young blonde was standing in the doorway, a smug confident smile on her face.

A group of hypno-slaves stood behind her.

“I personally helped Mother decorate; perhaps it is you who has no taste. If you are unable to see the grand splendor of each piece, then you are a fool, you old bat,” Ashlyn said, her smirk twisting into an evil grin.

“Ah, you must be Ashlyn. I’m afraid you are quite mistaken... in so many many ways. First of all, I stand by my previous statement. Proper decor is not about the wealth you display, but about the synergy between the items. Instead of a foyer, this looks more like a bomb went off at a museum,” Annika stated, causing the blonde’s grin to fade.

“What a lovely description, darling,” Ophelie complemented with a chuckle.

“How dare you enter our home uninvited?” Ashlyn spat, her patience gone.

The blonde was scowling dangerously now, but the Archdomina continued on undeterred.

“As for not being invited... when Sarafina denied my request, she basically invited me to come here and take the flower myself. I believe her words were something to the effect of, ‘Come and take it if you dare. I will see you in hell before I give such a treasure to an old hag like you.’ Not terribly eloquent…but I have decided to accept her challenge,” Annika said with a smirk.

Ashlyn blinked, frowning.

“Wait, you’re the Archdomina?” she asked slowly.

She had assumed that Annika was merely a vanguard, a minion sent in first.

“Oh, that she is, and if ya know what’s good for ya, you’ll step aside and let us be on our way. We’re fixing to have a word or two with yer ma about showing the Archdomina proper respect,” Bridget said, her Irish accent strong as it was when she was riled up.

Ashlyn’s expression hardened.

“I don’t think so,” she growled, pulling off her necklace.

Annika snickered, and Ophelie sighed and shook her head.

“My mother’s not afraid of you, and neither am I! You’re not getting past me…or should I say, us. I will deliver you to Mother alive,” she said, glancing to her side as a dozen slaves armed with stun batons and tasers moved to flank her on both sides.

Annika sighed.

“So very stubborn... just like your dear mother. And just as foolish; do you not know when you are completely outclassed? Step aside, young one. My time is short, and I have more important things to do than spend it facing off with a little girl trying to impress her mommy by taking on a fight she is not remotely ready for,” she said sternly.

“Fuck you! I’ll show you who’s not ready,” Ashlyn spat, holding up her pendant.

Bridget laughed, and Annika sighed again.

“When I am done with you, you won’t even know your own name—what the fuck?” Ashlyn yelped, shocked as her pendant suddenly flew from her hand.

“Forgive me, Nika,” Ophelie said, holding out her hand as the pendant dropped neatly into it.

“Not at all, dear,” Annika replied with a giggle.

“I know you are more than capable of dealing with this insignificant little upstart,” Ophelie continued.

Ashlyn growled, moving forward as if to physically attack.

Ophelie gestured casually.

Stop. Kneel, the Grand Mistress said telepathically to Ashlyn, releasing a tremendous burst of hypnotic energy into Ashlyn’s mind.

Ophelie had learned long ago to read minds, and she could sense a person’s mental defenses, or in Ashlyn’s case the lack of defenses.

It took a powerful and disciplined mind to resist Ophelie’s telepathic hypnotism. Ashlyn’s mind was neither; she looked stunned as she froze, then dropped to her knees.

The dozen slaves behind her did the same, their weak minds also caught in Ophelie’s burst of power.

“That is better; this girl’s insolence is beyond the pale, and more than I can accept! Annika, I know you would simply place her in a trance and leave her here, letting her contemplate the error of her ways as we continued on to deal with her mother, would you not?” asked the blind hypnotist.

Ophelie scowled, glaring at the frightened-looking kneeling blonde as she spoke.

Annika chuckled.

“I would perhaps chide her a bit,” she said.

Ophelie nodded.

“I feel that her punishment should be much harsher. She deserves to suffer for her blatant disrespect of the Archdomina,” she declared.

Annika shook her head ruefully; In truth, she would have simply disregarded the girl’s comments and continued on, as Ophie had suspected. They truly didn’t bother her. The youngster’s offense was nothing compared to the slight that her mother had leveled against her. And if anything, the girl’s response was more the fault of the woman that had raised her than her own. Still, Ophie’s ire had been raised, and she knew from experience that it was better to simply let her vent and have her way than try to dissuade her.

Annika didn’t care about Ashlyn enough to waste energy intervening.

“Very well, my dear. Do your worst,” she said simply, continuing past the kneeling slaves with Bridget in tow.

Ophelie gave Ashlyn a wicked grin.

“But do please be quick, and don’t expend too much energy. We still have a way yet to go,” Annika called over her shoulder.

Ophelie merely nodded, walking forward to stand before the kneeling Ashlyn, towering over her and staring down with her sightless eyes. The blind hypnotist concentrated; she began sending hypnotic power along with her voice into Ashlyn’s mind, her telepathic suggestions quickly taking root.

“Not to worry, dear. This will not take long,” she said, placing a hand gently along the young girl’s right temple.

Ashlyn grunted, struggling to stand; to fight back, to do something, anything, besides just kneeling helplessly and accepting whatever this strange and terrifying woman had planned for her.

“Damn you!” she yelled, twisting her head, trying to pull away from Ophelie.

The blind hypnotist laughed at her, a wicked cackle akin to a classic witch.

“You... fucking bitch! You can’t do this! I won’t submit to you! I won’t give in! You can’t break me,” Ashlyn yelled.

“Break you?” Ophelie replied with a chuckle, standing back.

She shook her head.

“My dear deluded child, I have no intention of ‘breaking you’. I merely intend to watch as you break yourself,” she explained.

“What?” Ashlyn asked, confused.

“Oh you poor stupid girl, you will break yourself; you cannot resist doing so,” Ophelie replied haughtily.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you dried up old skank, but I—oww! Fuck!” she grunted as she suddenly slapped herself hard, across the face.

Eyes wide, she stared down at her own hand, stunned.

“What the bloody hell?” she asked.

Her other hand suddenly moved against her will, slapping her other cheek even harder. Tears leaking from her eyes, Ashlyn glanced up at the old white-haired woman.

“What... what did you do to me?” she whimpered softly, hesitant to raise her voice again.

“Oh my, you are truly dense. I have hypnotized you; your mind is weak and easily influenced. I can implant suggestions in your subconscious with a mere thought. Now, I will teach you some manners. More accurately, I have suggested that you teach yourself some manners,” Ophelie explained with a wicked smile.

Ashlyn turned pale, a look of sheer terror on her face.

“Every time you act, speak, or even think disrespectful thoughts toward myself or the Archdomina or anyone else who is superior, you will immediately discipline yourself,” Ophelie said with satisfaction.

Ashlyn groaned.

“In contrast, when you act or think with respect, you will be rewarded with pleasure…soon you will want nothing more than to be a good girl,” Ophelie went on.

“You... cunt! You…you can’t do…mmm…this…ah!” she complained, only to cry out as her left hand involuntarily moved, pinching her right own nipple and twisting it painfully.

“I mean... please, Mistress, don’t do this to me…I’m sorry I insulted you. I…oh…oh fuck…,” she moaned.

With her more respectful comment, her errant hand now began massaging and groping her breast through her shift, teasing her nipple to hardness.

A wave of hypnotically-induced pleasure washed over her.

Ophelie simply nodded her approval.

“It seems you are well on your way already,” she stated, holding out the girl’s necklace and depositing it in Ashlyn’s empty right hand.

“Your body has been hypnotically conditioned. Now... that only leaves your mind,” she added.

Ashlyn blinked, stunned to find her right hand raising, dangling her own hypnotic focus before her eyes, as she began to swing it back and forth.

“I told you earlier that I would not be the one to break you, dear.

You will be the one to break yourself of your ill manners,” Ophelie said simply.

“No... no,” Ashlyn whispered as her eyes began to follow the sparkling stone.

She tried desperately to stop, but she could not.

Ophelie’s telepathic suggestions completely overwhelmed her free will.

“I won’t... you can’t make me... hypnotize… myself…,” Ashlyn protested.

Ophelie merely laughed.

“Oh, dear! Haven’t you heard? According to all the so-called ‘experts’, all hypnosis is really ‘self-hypnosis’. Feel free to resist and fight if you wish... you are merely fighting yourself. Sooner or later, you will lose the battle and succumb... and you will then further condition yourself in how to conduct yourself with proper manners and respect for your betters,” she said as she walked from the room.

Walking past the kneeling house slaves, she paused, considering.

“You, you, and you stand up and strip naked. Now!” she said, pointing to three of them in turn, a tall red-haired man and two dark-haired women, all reasonably attractive in their black uniforms.

The three goons scrambled to obey.

“The three of you will go to your Mistress and help her with her reeducation. You will pleasure her until she succumbs, then continue pleasuring her while she is reinforcing the lessons until she passes out. Only then will you rest,” Ophelie ordered them as they quickly disrobed.

“Yes, Grand Mistress,” the nameless slaves intoned in unison, overwhelmed by her power.

Nodding with satisfaction, the elderly Mistress continued down the hallway, hurrying to rejoin her companions. They were easy to find, with the sound of voices guiding her path. Entering a huge living room, she found Bridget standing calmly next to a large circular staircase leading up to the second floor. The Archdomina stood in the center of the room, surrounded by twenty men and women, domestic slaves of Sarafina; they were armed with makeshift weapons of every sort including kitchen knives, golf clubs, and even a candlestick.

At the far end of the room, a young, fit woman with her long black hair shaved off on the sides stood glaring at the intruders with dark brown eyes; she was clad in black fatigues and combat boots. She wore a holstered pistol and several tools on her belt, including a flashlight and a radio.

Annika glanced over and smiled at Ophelie as she entered.

“Oh, hello Ophie. As expected, it seems your Mistress lost her confrontation with my companion; she won’t be coming to join you after all. Would you care to surrender now, and let us pass uncontested? Or do you still prefer to fight?” Annika asked the scowling brunette calmly.

The woman, Ashlyn’s Thrall Helen, sneered in reply.

“You cannot be serious; you know I must do as my Mistress commanded and stop you. You are unarmed and surrounded; you may have managed to get past my Mistress, but I will make sure you suffer before you die. And for the record, I will enjoy it. Slaves, take her now!” Helen replied.

Ophelie frowned, glancing sightlessly again at the scarlet-haired Devoted beside her. Bridget made no move to join Annika as the house slaves closed in on her.

“Why are you not at your Mistress’ side?” Ophie snapped, irritation in her voice.

Ophelie tensed, ready to intervene and telepathically dominate some of Annika’s assailants.

The Irish Devoted chuckled.

“This was her wish, Grand Mistress; The Archdomina told me to stay back. She said that before we faced Mistress Sarafina, she wanted to get ‘warmed up’ dealing with the minions,” Bridget replied, shaking her head.

Ophelie sighed, then nodded and gave a little laugh of her own.

“Nika, Nika, Nika…” she said quietly.

“Frankly, between you and I, I think the Archdomina was getting a wee bit restless; she hates being left out of the fun,” Bridget added.

Ophelie nodded.

“Now that I can believe,” she agreed.

Their conversation ended as the fight began. Annika was outnumbered, unarmed, and completely surrounded.

The smile never left her face.

Rather than fighting, The Archdomina seemed to be performing a beautiful and intricate dance. Demonstrating her mastery of multiple martial arts, the elderly hypnotist made moved with astonishing speed and grace. Hypnotic energy enhancing her exceptional skills, she spun, dodged, ducked, and twirled, dancing lightly on the tips of her toes; her body flowed like water, her movements utterly fluid and hypnotic to witness.

Her attackers never stood a chance. Anyone that came within reach either fell to the floor unconscious or was knocked violently away as if they were a leaf blown by a gust of wind. Annika broke arms and ribs with her hypnotically-powered blows, her attacks devastating despite their beauty. Soon, she stood alone in the center of the room, her opponents all on the floor groaning and semi-conscious, or silent and unmoving.

“Well, that was fun, although not really much of a workout; thank you, dear. Just enough to get the blood flowing,” she said to Helen.

The Archdomina raised her arms above her head and stretched theatrically.

Helen scowled, drawing a pair of thin sharp daggers from behind her back.

“You old wretch! You want to see some blood flowing?” she snarled, before throwing both blades directly at Annika...only to gape in shock as the Archdomina easily caught both blades by their hilts, inches from her chest.

Ophelie chuckled.

“Impressive, Nika. A bit…showy, though. Can we please dispense with this minor convenience and continue on now?” she chided playfully.

Annika smirked in return.

“Says the woman who decided to waste time playing around with a baby hypnotist barely out of diapers,” she retorted.

“You stay out of this, you dusty old cunt! I will deal with you when I am finished with this grey old hag. I am going to—” Helen snapped at Ophelie, drawing another knife and glaring at the dark-skinned hypnotist.

Before she could finish her threat, Helen suddenly found herself pinned against the wall gasping for breath. Annika stood before her, her smile gone and replaced by a dangerous glare. In the blink of an eye, the Archdomina had crossed the distance between them, lashing out with a brutal kick, sending the young Thrall smashing back into the wall.

Without pause Annika had moved forward and extended her leg, her bare foot pressing firmly against Helen’s throat.

“Excuse me, dear,” she said in a low, menacing tone, “but did you just call my friend a ‘dusty old cunt’?”

Helen squirmed, hands pulling and struggling against the foot against her throat to no avail.

“I will have you know, Grand Mistress Ophelie is a very close and dear friend of mine. My sister,” Annika continued icily.

She curled her toes, pressing them against the woman’s carotid artery.

Helen let out a choked gurgle.

“I don’t much care what kind of slurs you throw at me…however, I will not have you insulting her! Do you understand me?” Annika said, her voice becoming louder.

She increased the pressure on Helen’s neck, and the Thrall began to turn purple.

“Nika love, while I appreciate the sentiment, I do not think the girl is... physically able to answer you at the moment…,” Ophelie said quietly, moving to place a hand on the angry Annika’s shoulder.

“What? Oh... oh, yes,” The Archdomina murmured, withdrawing her foot, allowing the girl to breathe again.

Helen slumped against the wall, gasping.

“Hmm... perhaps I may have overdone it a bit,” Annika conceded.

She almost lazily snapped a kick into Helen’s face.

The Thrall slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Annika turned back to face Ophelie, who chuckled.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Oh, I was merely thinking, I didn’t realize you were still quite so flexible. I must have missed that fact earlier when we were together…,” the Haitian woman replied with a grin.

Annika laughed.

“Pilates, yoga, and self-hypnosis,” she responded with a wink, raising her leg again, lifting her foot up over her head, and holding it there for several seconds.

“Well it is quite impressive,” Ophelie replied approvingly.

“My Devoted Maya is an expert trainer, fortunately for me,” Annika said, lowering her leg.

“Perhaps I shall have to take advantage of her expertise as well. Assuming we survive the night. Let us move on; I am anxious to be done and away from this place,” Ophelie said.

Sarafina scowled, pacing back and forth in her bedroom.

“Dammit... what is taking so long?” she growled impatiently.

None of her companions spoke; they had no answer sufficient for the powerful hypnodomme.

“Why haven’t we heard anything from the guards yet? We have over a hundred armed and trained people guarding the property; surely they should have taken care of Pemberton and her little group by now! Even with the communications system down, someone should have reported in!” Sarafina added.

“Easy, my love,” Alondra murmured, finally speaking.

She walked up beside her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders before kissing her gently.

“I’m sure everything is fine. You said it yourself, Archdomina or no, she is still just a woman. It is only a matter of time before she is taken down,” the witch said soothingly.

“Mistress, if I may I believe I can reasonably guess where she is,” Peter chimed in, approaching the pair and presenting his tablet.

Sarafina glared at him.

“Well? Out with it!” she snapped.

“Though word from security is still inconsistent, we do know that the main gate has been breached. The two guards stationed there were found kneeling, deeply hypnotized, and chanting that they obey Archdomina Annika. There is a rough trail of defeated or hypnotized security people forming a path straight toward the center of the compound. It stands to reason Annika and her closest retainers entered the grounds after the initial explosions, which were likely a diversion. Therefore, we can only assume that she and her group are inside the mansion by now, heading here. Our security was insufficient to stop her,” Peter replied meekly.

He was expecting an angry explosion from his Mistress.

It never came.

Sarafina smiled.

“Good. That’s perfect,” she said.

Peter blinked in surprise.

“Mistress? You are pleased that The Archdomina is likely here, inside the house and coming this way?” he asked carefully.

“I am; as I said, that is perfect. I do not wish to sit around in the dark waiting for my minions to deal with her. If she’s in the mansion, then we don’t have to go out and find her. We can simply wait for her to come to us; we are ready, aren’t we love?” Sarafina asked, looking at the Mexican witch.

Alondra laughed, nodding in agreement.

“Yes, we are dear. Your daughter and her thrall are downstairs right now; Viktor is roaming the halls, not to mention our house slaves. Ashlyn and Viktor are smart, skilled hypnotists. Even if she manages to get past them both, she’ll be weakened from facing them and be no match for us,” she said haughtily.

Peter wanted to say more, to remind his Mistress they had no idea how many minions Annika had brought or what allies, but thought better of it.

Sarafina was quick to punish insolence or any questioning of her authority or decisions, and the sadistic Alondra merely encouraged her reckless and overconfident behavior.

“If she reaches us; my mother was one of the most powerful hypnotists in the world, and she would be hard pressed to fight her way through our defenses, even with dozens of hypnotized slaves as fodder. I have doubts this geriatric bitch will be able to do so…but if she does it will be her last mistake,” she said arrogantly.

Peter shifted uncomfortably but remained silent. His Mistress had a propensity for overconfidence, and he was afraid she was underestimating her enemy.

As merely a Thrall, there was simply nothing he could do but wait.

“This way,” Annika said as she and her companions reached the top of a staircase after dispatching a half-dozen more guards along the way with contemptuous ease, leaving them unconscious from either hypnotism or physical blows.

She pointed down a long hallway to the left.

“Catherine’s master bedroom was at the far end of the hall, and I have no doubt that her entitled daughter will have taken it as her own,” she added.

“Lead on, my dear,” Ophelie said.

The group made it only a few steps down the hallway before a door opened ahead of them on the left side of the hallway. A tall, broad-shouldered man with close-cropped blonde hair and a clean-shaven face stepped out to face them. He was dressed all in black, wearing a simple t-shirt, tactical pants, and polished combat boots. A golden chain hung from his left pants pocket, likely connected to a pocket watch, and on his right hand, he wore two gleaming diamond rings on golden bands. His blue eyes appraised Annika with contempt, and his lips twisted into a sneer.

“Ah! So, you have finally arrived,” he said calmly, as he blocked their path.

Annika snorted as if she had been confronted with the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen.

“And you are?” she asked impatiently.

“Zdravstvuyte, damy. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Master Viktor. It is an honor to meet the famed Archdomina in person,” he said, his voice taking on a mocking tone.

Annika rolled her eyes.

She did not reply.

“It will be an even bigger honor to prove my prowess by defeating you,” Viktor added confidently.

Annika sighed.

“So your partner Mistress Sarafina has relegated you to serving as a diversion, hmm? No doubt trying to stall for time in order to make her getaway? Not that it matters. It will take me longer to decide how to deal with you than to actually do it,” she said matter-of-factly.

Viktor’s smile faded.

“Do not take me lightly, Archdomina Pemberton! I am the hypnosis dueling champion in Moscow, for three years running! I have defeated and humiliated many hypnotists; you are simply the next!” he replied indignantly.

“There must not be any female hypnotists in Russia…” Bridget remarked in her Irish accent with a smirk.

Annika and Ophelie chuckled at her comment.

Viktor scowled.

“Silence! I will fuck you in your ass after I finish with your Mistress,” he snapped at Bridget.

The sexy Devoted merely smiled and winked at him.

“Archdomina, you may be impressive an impressive woman, but now you face a true man. Come, let us see who is superior. Feel free to have your two slaves join in if you wish. It makes no difference to me,” Viktor sneered.

Next to Annika, Ophelie stiffened.

“Did you say slaves?” she asked, her voice flat and indignant.

“Indeed,” Viktor answered, arrogantly, oblivious to the very real danger the three women posed.

“Which slaves are you referring to, Viktor?” Annika asked casually.

“I refer to the elderly Negress and the Irish strumpet accompanying you, of course. Do not play games with me. It matters not how many adversaries I face; the results shall be the same,” Viktor replied confidently.

“Is he for real? He sounds like a comic-book villain,” Bridget said, rolling her eyes.

“Nika, go. I shall handle this... person,” Ophelie said quietly, nodding at Viktor with an expression of distaste.

“Are you certain?” Annika asked barely discernible concern in her voice.

“Yes, I am. You and Bridget continue on and deal with Sarafina. She is the reason why we are here. This fool is just another minor diversion, and not worth your time,” Ophelie replied.

Viktor’s face turned red with anger.

“Very well, Ophie, he’s all yours. Come along, Bridget,” she said, continuing down the hall toward Viktor.

Bridget blew Viktor a kiss.

“Nice meeting you. You have my pity,” she said with a chuckle.

“Do you honestly believe I will simply allow you to pass me? I have challenged you, Archdomina, and I will not accept one of your slaves serving as a substitute for—,” Viktor began angrily.

“Enough,” Annika cut him off icily.

Viktor blinked in surprise; Annika and Bridget had vanished.

Ophelie smirked.

Viktor spun around to find the Archdomina and her Devoted now standing behind him.

“Ophelie, go ahead and indulge yourself. Make him suffer before you finish with him, then come and join us,” Annika said pleasantly.

“How dare you? Come back here now!” Viktor exclaimed, still trying to figure out how they had gotten past him in the blink of an eye.

Annika and Bridget ignored him and continued on their way as if on a leisurely stroll.

“Nyet! This will not stand! I am Master Viktor, and you will respect me, whore!” he protested angrily.

The two women continued to ignore him as they kept moving.

Viktor was about to go after them, but he turned back as Ophelie moved up behind him.

“You will pay for calling her a whore,” the Grand Mistress promised coldly.

“Have it your way, crone. I shall deal with you first, then,” he said arrogantly, holding up his pocket watch.

Ophelie shook her head.

“Ah, I see. At first, I believed that you were simply a bigot; an ignorant, misogynistic, racist who wasn’t aware of his own limitations. Now, however, I realize you are simply a fool. Allow me to clear up your confusion. First, I am no slave; I am Grand Mistress Ophelie Guillaume, second only to the Archdomina herself. Second, I am quite familiar with you, Master Viktor. Your penchant for sadism and petty cruelty is well known. And third, Nika asked me to make sure you suffer. To simply hypnotize you instantly would end this confrontation far too soon for my tastes. So, Master, do you think yourself capable of fighting a little old lady one-on-one?” Ophelie asked, adopting a ready stance.

A smile spread across the blonde man’s face.

“Indeed. You are mistaken if you believe my contempt for you is based on the color of your skin; it is simply your overall inferiority. I shall enjoy putting you in your proper place both mentally… and physically. You shall beg me to hypnotize you to end your suffering,” he replied arrogantly.

Viktor assumed a fighting stance, lowering his watch and drawing a large serrated combat knife.

Grand Mistress Ophelie merely nodded, gesturing with her hand.

“One of us will indeed be begging, that much is true. Master Viktor, let us see what you can do,” she replied calmly.

“How are you holding up? Is your arm okay? I know... that is a stupid question; it is obviously not okay, you were just shot... but I mean... is it causing you a lot of pain? Do you need to stop and rest a bit?,” Shari asked quietly as she and Riley made their way carefully into Sarafina’s mansion.

Riley smiled at the normally stoic woman’s concern for her well-being.

“Shari, I am fine, I promise. It hurts a bit, but I have had worse,” she replied, flexing her arm gently.

Her self-hypnosis had suppressed most of the pain.

Shari nodded, letting out a sigh.

“Alright; I just…wanted to be sure,” she said quietly.

She blushed, slightly perturbed. The sexy Devoted was quite beautiful and charming, but they were still relative strangers. It was a bit surprising just how deeply they had connected, almost as if having their respective Mistresses reconnect and bond had caused them to bond as well. Whatever the reason, she found herself feeling very concerned about her companion, nearly to the point of distraction.

Her inner musings were cut short as the sounds of voices in the nearby room caught their attention.

The two women exchanged a nod and made their way carefully forward. Shari’s practiced steps made no sound and Riley moved completely silently on bare feet.

Blades in hand, they cautiously peered into the mansion’s main living room.

Shari and Riley both gaped in amazement at the sight before them.

Several naked men and women knelt on the floor surrounding a young blonde woman, herself down on all fours and dressed only in a thin, torn white shift. She was obviously hypnotized, staring vacantly ahead, chanting loudly as a male slave took her roughly from behind while two female slaves attended to her, one worshipping her feet while the other did the same and suckled at her breasts.

Drawing cautiously closer to the spectacle, the two could hear the entranced blonde’s words.

“I will... show proper... respect,” she panted, sweating, her body writhing in obviously hypnotically-enhanced pleasure as she was fucked from behind.

“I will... r-respect... my elders. I will be a good girl,” she said, moaning loudly, eyes rolling back into her head as she orgasmed hard.

She shuddered, taking a deep breath before starting the chant again.

“I will... show proper respect. I will... respect my elders. I will... will be... a good... girl… mmmm… ah…,” she said in a monotone voice as the others continued to pleasure her.

Shari and Riley both chuckled.

“Well, this must be Ashlyn… It is obvious that our Mistresses have come this way,” Riley mused aloud, sliding her blade back into their sheath.

“I would say so, yes,” Shari replied, shaking her head.

She put away her own weapons.

“This is definitely the Grand Mistress’s style. They can’t be too far ahead of us, we must catch up,” she added.

Riley nodded in agreement, and the pair hurried past several silent, kneeling slaves and down the huge home’s main hallway.

Mistress Sarafina glanced up as the door to her bedroom opened and Annika strode confidently inside.

“Well, well, you managed to actually make it. Apologies, I will be with you in a moment…I am…almost there…yes, YES!” she cried out in ecstasy.

Sarafina’s lover Alondra knelt before her, licking her pussy vigorously.

The hypnotist trembled as a powerful orgasm rippled through her.

“Mmm… ah… thank you, my love. I needed that. Now we can greet our guests properly,” Sarafina said, rising to her feet and pulling up her leggings.

Smirking, Alondra rose and stood beside her.

“Welcome, Archdomina. It is…moderately interesting to finally meet you,” Sarafina said, looking the grey-haired hypnotist over.

“Mistress Sarafina,” Annika replied calmly, nodding.

“I trust you didn’t harm Ashlyn,” Sarafina inquired casually.

Annika snickered.

“That depends on your definition of ‘harm’. She upset the Grand Mistress and is paying the price as we speak,” she said.

Sarafina laughed.

“The ‘Grand Mistress’? Whoever she is, she will suffer after I have dealt with you,” she replied haughtily, not appearing too concerned for her daughter.

“I would not count on that, dear,” Annika replied flatly.

Sarafina’e eyes narrowed dangerously.

“I suppose I should welcome you into my home, except that as you’ve already barged in uninvited, it is a bit late for that now,” she said sarcastically.

Annika smirked in response.

“Well, you did tell me to come and face you…if I dared. I have decided to accept your challenge,” she said.

“You are a fool to have actually come,” Sarafina retorted.

Alondra tensed.

“Sarafina, you are a spoiled, disrespectful, tedious little brat… but out of respect for your mother, I will give you one last chance. Give me the Flower of Hypnothea, and my people and I will depart peacefully. Otherwise, I will crush you. I am The Archdomina, and you will respect me or be punished,” Annika said icily.

Sudden laughter from Alondra caused Annika to shift her gaze to her.

“Oh my. So dramatic! So arrogant. Do you really believe you can crush my dear Sarafina so easily? Not with me at her side,” the Mexican witch declared.

“Ah, you must be her pet witch, Alondra,” Annika replied, causing the other woman to scowl at her.

“I am no pet; I am her partner, and you are about to find out that you should respect us,” Alondra snapped.

Annika gave a mocking laugh.

“As you wish, dear. Facing you both at once makes things a little more interesting. But only a little…,” she replied dismissively.

“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” a male voice interjected.

Sarafina’s thrall, Peter, stepped into the room from the balcony entrance.

He held a Beretta nine-millimeter pistol in his left hand, and a Ka-Bar combat knife in the right. A former Marine and Sarafina’s hypnotized loyal servant, he walked over to join his Mistress and her lover beside the bed.

“A male Thrall will not be of much-added interest, I am afraid,” Annika said with unconcealed disdain.

“I may not be a hypnotist or a witch, but I assure you I will provide a challenge,” the man replied, adopting a combat-ready stance.

Annika sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Anyone else?” she asked, a bored expression on her face.

“You didn’t truly expect me to be alone, did you? It was foolish of you to face me all on your own,” Sarafina replied with satisfaction.

“My silly dear Sarafina, who said I was on my own?” Annika replied with a wink.

Bridget stepped into the room from behind her.

The beautiful Irish Devoted casually tossed aside the boots she had just removed.

“I am quite confident enough in my abilities, but unlike you, I am also wise enough to know the difference between confidence and arrogance. I am not too proud to have assistance from my allies and servants. Are you ready, my Devoted One?” Annika asked, glancing at Bridget.

“Aye, my Archdomina; it will be my pleasure to assist you. I’ll make sure the male doesnae trouble you,” the Devoted said with a smirk in her lilting Irish accent.

“Thank you, dear,” Annika replied with an appreciative nod.

Peter growled indignantly and took a step toward Bridget, raising his pistol.

“Arrogant cunt,” Sarafina said angrily.

Annika eyed her with utter contempt.

“Shall we then? Let us see which of us will come out on top this night,” she said with an eager smile.

“Chertova suka!” Viktor growled, stumbling back and feeling his nose.

Broken.

To say the fight had not gone as expected would be an extreme understatement.

The petite, dark-skinned woman had seemed frail and insignificant at first glance as if a stiff wind would unsteady her. In reality, her small physique was that of an athlete and a master martial artist.

She had dodged Viktor’s opening assault with a calm and infuriating nonchalance, the woman moving out of range of his strikes with an almost unbelievable ease.

Scowling, Viktor redoubled his efforts, slashing again and again with his knife, making contact only with the air, which only added to his fury.

Viktor was used to having the upper hand in any confrontation, be it physical or mental. With his impressive physique, he could overwhelm his opponents physically, taking great delight in playing with them as a cat would a mouse.

However, this so-called ‘Grand Mistress’ was confounding him, rendering his impressive physical skills almost useless.

After nearly ten minutes, the best he had managed was a minor cut along her left forearm, which in return had cost him a savage snap kick to the chin that had somehow lifted him off his feet. Ophelie had followed the kick up by knocking the knife from his hand with an open-handed strike, a look of contempt on her face.

Ophelie had then begun to fight in earnest, still gracefully dodging Viktor’s strikes and punishing him with impossibly strong blows of her own.

For Ophelie, it was easy to read her opponent; after a few exchanges she had discerned his fighting style as a mix of Krav Magra, Aikido, and some Muay Thai kickboxing. He clearly preferred getting close to his adversary to either grapple or use short but swift and brutal strikes as well as slashes of his blade.

Viktor was a very skilled and talented fighter.

His technique was excellent, and he moved with precision and focus.

He was an expert combatant.

Ophelie was simply better.

A true master of her movements, she utilized a combination of Ken Po Karate, Judo, and Tae Kwon Do to stay out of his range, dodging or deflecting his blows and peppering him with quick but powerful strikes and kicks at every opening. As the fight drew on, Viktor found himself battered and bruised all over; he was growing tired while his opponent stood virtually untouched and breathing normally. A failed attempt at an arm lock resulted in a punishing open-handed strike to his chin, causing him to spit out blood... and a broken tooth. Incensed, he drew back, snarling at his elderly opponent in pure hatred.

“Proklyataya shlyukha! That is it!” he seethed, raising his pocket watch again, holding it up, and channeling his energy through it.

Ophelie merely smirked.

“This ends now! Enough play! I will break your mind and your will, and make you crawl to me and kneel at my feet as you belong! Then I will kill you!” Viktor continued angrily.

Ophelie frowned.

“So you are going to hypnotize me, then?” she asked, head tilted slightly.

“Da, crone,” Viktor replied, channeling hypnotic power through his golden watch.

“You cannot beat me physically, so now you will try another method,” Ophelie said with disdain.

Viktor’s arrogant smile returned.

“Indeed. You can already feel it, can’t you? The very sight of my watch is drawing you in... drawing your gaze. You cannot look away. You do not wish to look away! My power, my strength, it overwhelms you…draws you in, and makes you feel weak... so very weak. Helpless to resist…” he said in a powerful voice.

His grin widened as he noted the old woman’s gaze following his watch.

“Yes... that’s it. You cannot look away. You can only stare... only drift, sinking into relaxation…feeling your resistance fade… along with your thoughts… feeling yourself becoming tired.. weary... sleepy… listening to my words and relaxing more and more as you continue to follow the watch… back and forth… relaxing deeper and deeper…” Viktor went on in a soothing, practiced monotone.

His watch continued to swing rhythmically.

Ophelie yawned.

“Mmmm, yes… I am sleepy—from boredom,” she said with a chuckle.

Viktor blinked in surprise.

“I must give you some minor credit; while your induction is dry and uninspired, your actual power is real, and I believe you can at least hypnotize normals. I could indeed feel your energy pushing against my own…although unfortunately for you, my power is far superior to your rudimentary abilities,” Ophelie went on calmly.

Viktor growled.

“No! You will not resist me!” he said, redoubling his effort and pouring more of his hypnotic energy into his watch, his face reddening.

Ophelie sighed.

“Imbecile…,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“You... you will submit to me! You cannot look away from my watch…listen to my words and—,” Viktor continued stubbornly.

“You are an ignorant fool,” Ophelie cut in.

She waved her hand and telekinetically snatched the watch from the stunned Russian hypnotist’s hand, bringing it to her own, just as she had done with Ashlyn’s pendant.

“I had hoped you would at least be able to discern the obvious, but it seems I must tell you outright. Incredibly, it has somehow escaped your attention that I am blind,” she said pointedly, gesturing to her eyes.

Viktor looked dumbfounded.

“And while I can indeed feel your hypnotic power, your subpar induction is even less effective since I cannot see your focus, dolt,” Ophelie chided.

“What? Blind? No... that... that is impossible! The way you move, the way you fight... there is no way you would be able to maneuver so freely without sight!” he protested.

Ophelie smiled.

“Oh, there are ways. When one loses their sight, their other senses increase to compensate. Further, I have been blessed by the Goddess and trained and honed my talents over the years. I have indeed lost my sight, yet I now ‘see’ the world more clearly than most,” she said, taking a step toward the humiliated Russian hypnotist.

She dropped his watch to the floor.

“Irrelevant! You will still—,” Viktor began.

“Silence peasant! You will look into my eyes!” Ophelie commanded.

“Wh... what?” Viktor stammered, confused and off guard.

Reflexively staring into the sightless white orbs, he felt a strange tingle run through his body.

“You said... you were blind!” he protested.

He found his gaze riveted to Ophelie’s eyes.

Ophelie chuckled darkly, as she channeled immense power into her sightless gaze.

“Fool, I am as blind as a bat! However, just because I have lost my ability to see does not mean my eyes no longer function! Look deeply, Viktor... and stare into your own doom!” the Grand Mistress said dramatically.

Sensing danger, the big blonde hypnotist attempted to avert his gaze, to look away from this dangerous woman he had clearly underestimated.

He was too late.

He found himself frozen in place, unable to move, his body refusing to obey. His eyes widened as Ophelie’s eerie white orbs began to glow with a bright shimmering yellow light and her long white hair began to writhe as if it had become living serpents. Viktor had no idea what was happening; he was utterly unable to move, even to speak. He could only stare in shock and terror as the full force of the aged hypnotist’s power slammed into him, altering not only his mind but his body as well. He managed a final, strangled gasp as his skin hardened and his body transformed into stone.

Ophelie sighed deeply, exhausted from the expenditure.

“Do svidaniya, Viktor,” she said wearily, moving slowly down the hallway past the newly created statue, intending to rejoin her companions.

She did not make it far; she winced and doubled over as a coughing fit took her. Wiping her mouth, she was perturbed to find her hand wet with blood.

Damn it! It seems I pushed myself too hard, she mused sullenly, forcing her racing heart to slow and taking a deep breath.

I am no spring chicken after all... and I’ve only made it thus far thanks to the extra energy Nika granted me through our bonding…, she added after she’d recovered a bit. Sighing heavily, she sat down on the floor and closed her eyes, resting with her back against the wall. I think I have just reached my limit. Forgive me, Nika... but I will be of no further use to you this evening. I just hope you and the others can finish what was begun on my behalf… she lamented silently.

“Mistress!”

The familiar voice and presence stirred her to action. Ophelie opened her eyes and turned just as Shari and Riley reached the second-floor landing.

Shari went immediately to her side.

“Mistress! What happened? Are you injured? What can I do?” the assassin-slave asked, panic in her voice.

“Easy, my Most Loyal. I am still among the living. And I am fine, just a few minor cuts and scrapes. Mostly, I am just tired. I seem to have exhausted myself dealing with an annoying peasant,” Ophelie replied with a chuckle.

“I would think so, Grand Mistress; I have heard of the Medusa’s Gaze, but I have never seen it in used,” Riley remarked, looking at the stone statue formerly known as Master Viktor.

“If you are lucky child, you never will. It is a very dangerous and taxing technique. There are far better ways to take down an adversary... and had I not let my temper get the better of me, I would have used a different one. I could have hypnotized him easily, but I allowed him to annoy me,” Ophelie said, frowning.

She turned her sightless eyes to the young Devoted.

“Tell me, girl... are you well? Your arm... it seems that you’ve been injured,” Ophelie asked.

“Just a flesh wound, Grand Mistress; I am fine. With your permission, we should rejoin with the Archdomina,” Riley replied respectfully.

“Indeed, she just down at the end of the hall with Bridget, dealing with Sarafina. Now help me up, we must go support her,” Ophelie replied.

“Yes Mistress,” Shari replied.

After getting Ophelie on her feet, Shari took a moment to remove her boots, “All right. Let’s end this once and for all,” she said, leading the way down the hall.

“It will be difficult for you to do anything as a rodent! Exstare vermin!” Alondra said, gesturing at Annika and unleashing a transformation spell.

The Archdomina laughed, waving the magic away as if it were an annoying cobweb.

“Silly little witch; your magic is no match The Power of True Hypnotism in the hands of a genuine master of the art,” Annika said.

She had long ago hypnotically tuned her mind and body to resist hostile magic.

Alondra looked dumbfounded.

“No…,” she said, suddenly terrified.

“Yes, I am afraid so witch…now look into my eyes!” Annika said in a powerful voice.

Her eyes began to glow with eerie blue-green light, forming two lances of energy that shot out and struck Alondra’s eyes.

“Oh mierda…,” Alondra gasped.

She felt tremendous hypnotic energy flow into her mind and course throughout her body. Alondra tried to look away, but it was too late.

“It is you who is vermin, you pathetic woman. Now become the worthless rat you really are!” Annika said in a loud voice that reverberated with power.

A stunned Sarafina watched in horror as her lover sprouted hair all over her body and began to shrink, transforming into a small brown rat.

Annika had hypnotized her mind so deeply and completely that she convinced it to force Alondra’s body to change.

“You fucking cunt!” Sarafina snarled.

Annika smirked.

“The Gaze of Change is wonderful, isn’t it? Alondra is much better as a rat; she really is a pet now,” she said with satisfaction.

In reply, Sarafina took a deep breath and focused on her foe; she raised her emerald pendant, swinging it smoothly back and forth with practiced ease.

The enormous gem sparkled brilliantly, reflecting the light into Annika’s eyes in a dazzling display.

“Follow the beautiful gem, Annika…relax and listen to my voice…,” she began an induction.

Most normals and many hypnotists would be in grave danger from Sarafina’s hypnotic power.

Annika could feel it radiating from her along with a mild urge to follow the swinging pendant; she could tell Sarafina was a competent, even skilled hypnotist.

The Archdomina also knew she was not in any real danger.

Sarafina had no idea she never had a chance; she had never believed in the legends of The Archdomina’s power, so she did not know just how overmatched she was.

Annika smiled and allowed Sarafina to continue her induction for a moment, then casually raised her hand.

“Sleep now Sarafina!” the Archdomina said firmly.

She gave a loud snap and released tremendous hypnotic power into her opponent.

“Following the beautiful gem back and forth—,” Sarafina was saying.

She went silent as the unbelievably strong hypnotic energy hit her with enough force to send her stumbling back a step.

Sarafina whimpered, a stunned expression on her face; in that instant, she realized she had utterly underestimated Annika Pemberton. Her eyes went wide for a few seconds before slamming shut. Her head nodded forward and her pendant slipped from her grasp and fell to the carpet.

Annika smirked; she had been tempted to beat the younger woman senseless and hypnotize her slowly with her pendant but had decided not to allow Sarafina’s delusional farce to continue even a moment longer.

Glancing over, she smiled to see Bridget standing calmly with a smile on her face; she had Peter hypnotized and on his knees.

The Devoted had defeated him in hand-to-hand combat in less than thirty seconds, swiftly closing the distance between them and disarming him before he could fire his pistol. Using hypnotic blows to drop him to his knees, she then performed a butterfly induction that quickly entranced him.

“Well done, my dear. That was a bit anticlimactic,” Annika said, looking at the hypnotized Sarafina with disdain.

“Were you expecting more? Sarafina is a mid-tier hypnotist at best,” Bridget replied with a shrug.

“No, you are right; I was hoping for more of a challenge, but in truth, this is exactly what I expected. Sarafina here is not, and never will be on the same level as Liliana, Casey, or Peggy,” Annika replied with a sigh.

“Ah, so you have already finished the tacky little brat, have you?” asked Ophelie from behind her.

Annika turned to see her dear friend entering the room, leaning on Riley as she walked.

Shari had come in silently first, blades drawn and ready to assist Annika and Bridget.

“Indeed, she was exactly the threat I was expecting; she overestimated her own abilities while not respecting mine enough. How are you, my darling?” Annika asked in reply.

“I am fine, I just used perhaps a bit too much energy dispatching Viktor. If anything, I am more concerned for your Devoted One; she has a notable wound on her arm,” Ophelie said.

“The Grand Mistress is tired, and has a cut on her arm that needs tending, and Riley was… shot. In the arm, a through and through. Forgive me, Archdomina. She was injured on my watch. I should have been more alert,” Shari interjected, hanging her head in shame.

Riley shook her head emphatically.

“No, the fault was my own; I was a bit overconfident as we made our way back to the mansion. It is not a serious wound. Please, tend to Grand Mistress Ophelie. I am fine,” she said stoically.

Annika nodded.

“Alright then, if you are certain it can wait. Let’s get Ophie settled on Sarafina’s bed. Bridget, Riley, and Shari can deal with the rest of Sarafina’s guards and bring the compound under our control. Bridget, please bring Ashlyn in here when you are finished pacifying the rest of Sarafina’s people. I will bandage Ophie’s arm and set Sarafina and Peter to serving her every need while I go to the garden; I have a draught to brew,” Annika said in a voice that brooked no argument.

“Yes, Archdomina,” Riley said.

“Of course, Mistress,” Bridget added, pulling a first-aid kit from the backpack she wore and handing it to Annika.

Both Devoted bowed respectfully.

Shari looked at Ophelie, who nodded.

“Go, do as Annika commands. I will be fine here; this room feels a shade less tacky than the rest of the house,” the blind Grand Mistress said with a chuckle.

“Yes, Mistress,” Shari replied dutifully.

She helped Ophelie onto the bed and covered her with the expensive comforter, then joined Riley and Bridget as they left the room, on their way to take control of Sarafina’s compound.

“We succeeded, my oldest friend,” Annika said when they had gone.

“Only because of your endless stubbornness,” Ophelie sniffed with mock disapproval.

The Grand Mistress smiled.

“Thank you for this, Annika. Truly. I can never repay you,” she said solemnly.

Annika smiled as well as she began to bandage her friend’s arm.

“There is no need to thank nor repay me, Ophie. You are part of my family. Now stop fidgeting so I can do this properly! You must be getting slow in your old age, getting cut like this by a ridiculous thug,” she chided playfully.

“That thug is now a permanent part of the decor, you old bat! You are always giving everyone orders, even me! You think you are in charge of everything!” Ophelie cackled.

“For a while longer, yes I am. With you by my side, assisting my…or should I say meddling? Either way, our first task after we heal your illness will be to decide what to do with this property…,” Annika replied as she finished applying the bandage.

“I’d be inclined to offer it to someone we would like the loyalty of in the coming months; I am sure the turmoil in the True Hypnotism community is only just getting started. I am guessing it will be chaos much like back in nineteen-eighty-two, when ‘Supreme Mistress’ Nicolette challenged you,” Ophelie replied.

Annika nodded.

“Ah, I have not thought about that in years! I think you may be right, and I fear it will be even more widespread; times have changed,” she said.

Ophelie nodded.

“We will deal with whatever happens together, with Hypnothea’s guidance. All these ambitious young hypnotists had best mind their manners, or they will regret it. The more things change, the more they stay the same,” the Grand Mistress replied confidently.

Archdomina Annika smiled.

“Well said. Rest now, darling Ophie. I will make sure Sarafina and her Thrall are deeply and irrevocably in our power, then go prepare your cure,” she said, kissing her friend’s forehead.

“Yes, Archdomina Annika,” Ophelie said seriously.

She couldn’t hold her expression for long and broke into a big grin.

The grin quickly became a laugh; Annika joined her, and soon the two powerful hypnotic women were both cackling loudly.

The Archdomina and The Grand Mistress would soon be ready to face their next challenge, and they would do it together.