The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Light and Shadows 8: Dark Dungeon’s Depths

by J. Darksong & Baltimore Rogers

Ch. 3) Bent and Broken

Sioban let out a tired sigh as she made her way down the hallway towards her bedroom. Another long hard day in the halls of academia had finally come to an end, and miraculously, she’d finished before four in the morning. A file folder in one hand, and a cup of hot cocoa in the other, she was very much looking forward to reaching her bed, and grabbing a few hours of shut-eye before waking up to start the process all over again.

Still, things are actually much easier these days, she thought with a satisfied grin. I really have to thank Lacie Frasier for the help renegotiating my contract—being able to set my own hours and having a teaching assistant around to pick up the slack is making a huge difference. She even tried to get me the same flex schedule that Lacie herself used to have. But we had to back off on that one; the Dean wasn’t biting. I’m still busy, but now it’s manageable. And, even though I did have to miss Eugene’s little dinner party, having help gives me more time for my other... ‘extra-curricular activities’.

She smiled at the thought, pausing outside the guest bedroom. Her permanent house guest sleeping inside right now had certainly had a big impact on her life in such a short time. Indeed, she found the lovely blonde occupying her thoughts lately to the point of obsession. She was totally smitten. And Sioban longed to tell her, to confess her feelings for her so badly she could barely contain it. She just needed to wait for the right time.

She turned to leave, to head back to her own room just across the hall, when she paused, listening. Yes... there it was again. The sound of crying. Opening the door, she crept into the bedroom, finding Katie asleep, lying in the center of her bed, curled up in the fetal position, clutching her pillow tightly, cheeks wet with tears. “Noooo,” she moaned piteously, shaking her head. “Jesss... don’t... don’t go... please...” She shuddered, jerking as the stormy sky outside lit up briefly with a flash of lightning, followed immediately by a peal of thunder. “Don’t... don’t leave me... all alone...”

Sioban felt her heart tear in her chest. Slipping into bed next to Katie, she wrapped her arms around the desperately dreaming girl, clutching her gently but firmly. “Shhh. It’s okay, baby,” she murmured softly, stroking her cheek. “You’re not alone. You’ll never be alone again. I’m right here, sweetie. Just relax. It’s okay. I promise...”

Another peal of thunder sounded, close enough that the windows vibrated, and Katie jerked violently, shuddering, eyes snapping open. “AAAHHHH!” she cried out, thrashing momentarily, even as Sioban gentled her. “Wha... where... I was... where am I?”

“Shhh, Katie, baby, it’s okay,” Sioban said again, kissing her cheek, stroking her hair lightly. “Everything is fine. You were just... having a nightmare. But it’s okay. You’re safe here, sweetie. Perfectly safe.”

“S’ban? I was...” she sniffed loudly, clutching tightly to her beautiful angel. “It was terrible... I was... we were at the funeral, and I was thinking, she’s not dead... Jess wasn’t dead... and we were going to bury her in the ground... and... and... there was a loud crash of thunder... and suddenly I was the one in the coffin... and I couldn’t get out! And Jess was standing there with the other people, and she was putting flowers on my tombstone as they started tossing dirt on me... but I wasn’t dead! And no one could hear me...”

“Oh, baby,” Bonnie murmured softly. “I know... this has been so hard on you. And lately you’ve been so cheerful, so upbeat, that I sometimes forget just how horrible it had been for you. I’m sorry. I should have insisted you stay in my room with me instead of having you stay in a room by yourself.” But Katie shook her head.

“NO... it’s not... fair for you to have to... b-baby me... all the time,” she said shaking as another loud crash of thunder shook the room. “Y-you’re a college professor... you work hard all the t-time... and I’m just d-distracting you! I should j-just... g-grow up... and s-s-top b-being s-so n-needy...” Another crash from outside, and Katie squealed, shutting her eyes tightly, and clutching Sioban to her again tightly. “Goddess! Why did it have to be stormy tonight!” she wailed, breaking down again. “I just... I can’t... it’s... it’s....”

“Katie,” Sioban said loudly, catching her attention. “Katie honey, listen to me, okay? You are not a burden or a bother to me. I love being here for you this way. It makes me happy... not that you’re upset or scared, but that I can be here to help make it all better. I’m your friend, Katie... and nothing is more important to me than making sure you’re all right. Schoolwork can wait. Patrolling the city can wait. Taking care of someone I... lo—l... I care about,” she amended, blushing hotly, “someone who needs me? I can’t think of anything better.” She leaned forward kissing her deftly on the lips, and this time when the lightning flashed and thunder sounded, Katie didn’t flinch.

Sioban smiled. “I assume you slept through storms at night when you were younger, right?” Katie nodded, staring at her with huge blue doe eyes. “How did you get over your fears back then?”

Katie sighed softly, snuggling against her. “My brother... Jimmy... he used to sing to me. I’d get scared at night and run across the hall to his room and jump into bed with him. I wouldn’t have to say a thing, he’d just... he’d hold me against him... like you are... and he’d stroke my hair... and just sing.” She sighed softly, closing her eyes. “I don’t know what it was... if it was the song, or his voice, or just being held... but somehow, it just made everything better. There could have been a tornado or hurricane going on outside, but with Jimmy holding me and singing to me... nothing else mattered...”

“I see,” Sioban replied softly. Settling into bed, nuzzling her lover gently against her, she closed her own eyes, searching her Tear Memories. Ellen Hofstadter, Free Bird, had been the musician in her most recent history, and though Sioban herself had had no real ear or voice for music growing up, since sharing Ellen’s memories, she’d actually developed quite a singing voice.

Staring down at the girl in her arms, she reached back, back in her memories, until she found an old English folk song. As she focused on it she felt an odd sort of resonance, feedback between memories in two different time periods. Then it resolved. This song was actually a favorite of Ellen’s too, but not because she had found the same ancient memory. It turns out that Peter, Paul, and Mary recorded the same song back in the sixties, and Ellen came to know it that way. It’s perfect! thought Sioban, and she opened her mouth, beginning to sing.

Aye, said the little leatherwing bat,
I’ll tell to you the reason that
The reason that I fly by night...
Is because I’ve lost my heart’s delight.

Katie’s eyes opened, and she stared up at Sioban as she sang, completely awestruck. The little redhead had a truly angelic singing voice, a sort of smoky soprano with just the slightest bit of a Yorkshire lilt to it. As the words and music washed over her, she felt herself relaxing, letting Bonnie’s enchanting voice soothe her very soul.

Laaa-li-la and a Diddle-dum-dah.
Looow-li-low and a Diddle-dum-doe.
Laaay-li-lay and a Diddle-dum-daaay! ...
Heeey-li-lay-li-lie-li-low

“I’ve never heard this one before,” said Katie, snuggling in tighter.

Suddenly Sioban tensed up. She doesn’t like it! Arrgh! Of course she doesn’t like it. What was I thinking? “I... I could sing something else?“

Hearing the vulnerability in her protector’s voice, Katie looked up. “No, no, please don’t! I love it. It’s like a lullaby, but kinda grown up too. Y’know, old, but... uh...”

“Timeless?” supplied Sioban.

“Yeah,” said Katie softly, smiling contentedly as she settled back in.

Sioban hugged her closer and wept a little as she continued.

Aye, said the blackbird sittin’ on a chair
Once I courted a lady faire
She proved fickle and turned her back...
And ever since then I’ve dressed in black.

Sioban sighed inwardly, feeling her lover relaxing against her. For an instant she felt a terrible stab of... envy? jealousy? ... at Katie’s twin brother. He had held her this way. He had shared such an experience with her so many times before. It seemed like such a simple thing—singing a few words from a song, holding someone close, serenading your lover. And yet... it was so much more. She wasn’t merely singing to Katie, she was connecting to her, offering her very heart and soul to her, in song. That realization suddenly brought the next verse into a whole different perspective.

Aye, said the woodpecker sittin’ on a fence
Once I courted a handsome wench
She got scared and from me fled...
And ever since then my head’s been red

Humming the chorus, Sioban felt the urge within her grow and swell, the desire to kiss and caress her blonde love, to press her down to the bed and ravish her, to descend into passionate blissful sex, nearly overwhelming. Her voice grew husky as she sang the next verse.

Aye, said the little turtle dove
I’ll tell you how to win her love
Court her night and court her day...
Never give her time to say “Oh, nay!”

Drawing to a close, she simply lay there, holding Katie, humming softly, simply enjoying the moment. Katie lay calm and peaceful in her arms, utterly tranquil and composed, and somewhat aroused, her peaked nipples showing through the thin pink shift covering her ample bosom.

Sioban’s fingers twitched, itching with the desire to tease and rub those hard little nips, and savor the soft sexy moans that such treatment would bring forth. But such a tender moment as this would be spoiled by mere carnal lust. This was a moment of connection between them. This was a moment for confessing one’s heart’s desires.

“Katie,” she said softly, closing her eyes and laying her cheek against the top of Katie’s beautiful blonde head, “I’ve been wanting to say this to you for a long time now. I’m really... really grateful to have you in my life. Everything you’re going through, everything you’re dealing with... I’m just glad to be able to be here for you.” She smiled softly, closing her eyes. “I still remember the first time we met. You were my hero. You saved me from certain death. The Piper... the particle beam... Crashing through that window at GrimTech Labs. I was falling, too stunned to bring out my wings, too hurt to save myself. And you... you swept down from the heavens and caught me. You, my angel, saved me that day... and I don’t just mean saving my life.”

She shivered slightly, thinking back to how it used to be. “I was seriously blowing it as a team leader. It was so frustrating! Patricia had been such a natural leader. She made it look so easy. But I couldn’t do anything right. Tawnya and I... we weren’t getting along. At all. We resented each other. And we were both too stubborn to actually listen, to try and understand what the other was feeling. We both said things... really hurtful things...”

Sioban paused and shook her head. “As I was falling, all I could think about were my regrets, all the things I should have told her, all the things I wouldn’t be able to say or do. I knew that Tawnya would blame herself for how my life had ended... she’d have been living the same horror that you’re going through right now, but with no one to help her... no one to comfort her. But you saved us from all that. You gave us a second chance. You, my sweet, darling, selfless girl, who saw someone in need and just jumped right in, even though we were supposed to be enemies. You, Katie... you always follow your heart, and trust that everything else will work itself out. And you’ve taught me how to do the same.”

Sioban opened her eyes again, reaching up to wipe the wetness at the edges. “You might be the girl with the incredible luck, but really I’m the lucky one—lucky to have met you. I’ve wanted to say this to you a thousand times, but, well, the moment just never seemed right. Katie, baby... I... I lo—... Katie?”

Katie sighed, snoring lightly, having drifted off to sleep several minutes ago. Sioban chuckled ruefully, shaking her head. Of course. Well, I’ll just tell her later... when she’s awake to hear and appreciate it. She kissed her love gently on her forehead, and was rewarded with a soft sigh, Katie whispering in her sleep.

“Mmmm... Bonnie...”

Sioban pulled the covers over them, snuggling together. “Goodnight, Kitten,” she said with a yawn, as she and her love fell asleep together.

* * *

I’ve never been a morning person. Given my shadowy power base, and my chosen profession as a costumed crime fighter, I’m just naturally a night person. At home, I tend to sleep late and stay out ’til the ‘wee hours’ of the day. In short, sunlight is NOT my friend. Imagine, then, my indignation at being abruptly, and rudely awoken by my tormentress bright and early at eight o’ clock in the FREAKING morning! And by rudely, I mean by opening every window, turning on every light, and having her attendant unceremoniously dump a bucket of ice cold water over my head.

“AAAAAHHHGGHHH!!! SHHIIIITTTT!! FUCK!” I yelled, leaping up in startled shock, glancing around in alarm. The attendant, a young dark haired woman I’d met a few times before named Cassandra, winced at me in sympathy. From what little I’d managed to overhear in passing, she had played the part of Serpentina’s whipping girl until I’d arrived. Not that she was in any position to actually HELP me or anything... still it was at least a comfort knowing she was a kindred spirit.

“Well, I see you’re finally awake,” my Mistress announced, sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, sipping lightly from an antique china teacup. “And my dear Cassie was kind enough to give you your bath.” Draining the cup, she sat it down with a sigh and stood. “Very well. Let’s get started then, shall we?”

Resigned to my fate, I turned and walked the few steps across the room to her and knelt at her feet. She continued to stare at me, saying nothing, until I pressed my head down at her feet and placed a few loving kisses on her bare toes. “Ah. That’s a good boy,” she crooned, causing that annoyingly routine surge of arousal and happy feelings at being praised. I was beginning to fear I was developing into a split personality—my body, voice, and expressions operating independently of what I genuinely felt was starting to almost seem normal.

“So, slave,” she said, walking slowly around my prone kneeling form, “I have to say I’m a bit... perturbed.” Oh? Perturbed? This would be interesting. “You’ve lasted a lot longer than expected. Granted, I gave you a bit of an advantage,” she said with a grin.

It was all I could do not to groan aloud. Advantage my ass. The only reason I’m cognizant of everything she’d done and is doing to me is that she wanted me to know how screwed I was!

“Still,” she continued after a moment, “you’ve managed to keep your sanity, and your will, intact, despite my best efforts. I started out as an enforcer, you know,” she said casually, running a hand lightly along my head, mussing my hair. Which, I hate, by the way. “I used to break people like you for fun. Tough guys, real macho types. They always laughed in the beginning, not thinking a ‘fucking bitch’ like me could break them. That I was too delicate. But oh, all too soon, the smiles faded, and the laughter stopped. Then the screaming and crying began.“

Had I not just spent the better part of two months experiencing her ‘delicate touch’ for myself, I probably would have felt the same way. The woman who guided my puppet strings was a rare sort of breed. Outwardly, she was a beauty, a dark-haired, long-limbed, curvy beauty, with sparkling jade eyes, and ruby red lips... the kind of girl that could turn the heads of any red-blooded guy—and many a girl—who happened to catch a good look at her. But that was just the outer layer. Inside, she was a devil, a demon, a sadistic vixen who got her jollies from the pain and suffering of others. She was like a beautiful rose, pleasant to sniff and look at from a distance... but get too close and the thorns make their presence felt.

Unfortunately, I was stuck, naked, neck-deep in the middle of the thorn bush.

“So... it occurs to me that I’ve been a bit remiss in your... training,” she said smiling demurely, licking her lips at my involuntary shudder at her word. Training. Or, what the Geneva Convention would call torture. “While I’m pretty sure we’ve covered the entire book on physical torments, we have barely even scratched the surface on the psychological torture. And since you were SO forthcoming in answering all of my questions under the effect of Grimalde’s little serum, I know all of your most deep-seated fears. So, Umbra... I think it’s time you had a chance to face them all... one by one!“

* * *

Devon sat up with a start, glancing around, confused for a moment to her surroundings. Then she sighed, allowing her thudding heartbeat to slow. For a moment, just for a moment, she thought she’d found him, that she’d connected to Jimmy through their dreams again... but if he was dreaming, then he was having one hell of a nightmare. She shuddered inwardly, trying to banish the images from her mind, and pushing back the bedcovers, padded across the motel room to adjoining bathroom, just as the room door opened.

“Ah, you’re awake,” Rose said, easing into the room carrying a large paper bag and a small cardboard drink carrier. “Good timing. I got breakfast.” She paused, frowning slightly, peering into the bathroom at her young partner as she splashed water on her face, noting her pale face and expression. “Another bad dream?” she guessed. Devon sighed, nodding.

“Yeah. You could say that. Granted, I’m not the most confident in my, ah, powers. I mean they’re helpful and all... but...”

“Well, you made a believer out of me,” Rose replied firmly, rubbing lightly at the small scar on her arm. Six days ago, they’d been checking out a lead, one of Serpentina’s suspected operations, when they’d run into an ambush. Sheer bad luck, they’d slipped in just as a shipment of weapons was arriving, and everyone was alert and on guard.

Devon’s warning vision had caused her react at the last second, pushing them down just as the guard on duty opened fire. They’d managed to make it out and escape to regroup, but it had been a close call. Instead of being perforated by a hail of bullets, all she’d earned from their little adventure was a small scar, a cut from landing on a jagged piece of stone when they’d hit the ground.

Devon smiled slightly. They’d started off a bit cold, and definitely mismatched, but Rose had begun to warm up to her considerably. And while Rose hadn’t exactly welcomed the girl in with open arms, she’d finally shared something of her back-story, her own personal history, a hint at the demons she struggled against, and the reason she was as... ‘emotionally repressed’ as she was. All things considered, including her own recent personal experiences, Devon certainly couldn’t fault Rose for her... aloofness.

“Hey, hey, is that breakfast I smell?” Hugo called out loudly from outside the adjoining door.

And of course, there are some others that I could really do without, Devon groaned inwardly, as a thick white and grey blob formed, pooling up underneath the door. The blob then quickly expanded, blowing up like a balloon, before resolving itself into a human shaped form. The rough contours finally smoothed out, like someone adjusting the resolution on a TV screen, and Hugo Smith, the Malleable Man, walked over to the table, opening the bag, taking out a sausage biscuit, and biting into it, crumbs dropping down onto the floor. “Mmmm... good stuff. What did you get to drink? Not that foo-foo latte, espresso coffee crap, I hope?” he asked, reaching for a coffee cup... only to draw back as Rose slapped his hand away. “Ow! Hey, what gives?“

“How many times do I have to tell you not to ooze into our room like that?” she snapped, glowering at him. “Not only will you blow our cover if anyone happened to walk by the open window,” she said, gesturing, “it’s rude. And, frankly, seeing you re-form that way is disgusting.“

She snatched the coffee cup up out of his reach. “Anyway, this one is mine... black, no sugar, just the way I like it.“

Devon nodded. Yeah. All things considered, I guess she wouldn’t like her coffee sweetened. “Good morning, Hugo,” she offered, grabbing her own coffee, a cream and two sugars and turning to Rose. “What’s on the agenda today?“

“Hey kid,” said Hugo. Then he continued, ignoring the plain fact that Devon’s question had not been directed at him, “Well, I got a call from the Boss just before I came over. By the way, Rose, you gotta stop turning off your phone at night. Anyway, seems the backup promised to us should be arriving shortly.”

“Backup?” Rose asked, perking up. “Really? Who is it? Nelson and Travers? Reich and Simmons?”

“Um, actually, they’re not with the company, per se,” Hugo said slowly, considering. “They’re Supers, though, three of them, part of an independent group searching for Serpentina as well. They actually volunteered to come out and help us find him... said they all had a personal stake in this, too.” He pulled a manila folder from his jacket pocket. “HQ sent over a preliminary file. And anyway, the Boss signed off on this, so it should be fine.”

“Fine? In other words,” Rose replied, scowling, her tone clipped, “they’re a bunch of civilian heroes... mavericks, wanting to swoop in at the last minute to ‘save the day’ and hog all the glory.”

She turned away in disgust. “I don’t care if the Boss cleared this or not, I’m not working with a bunch of untrained showboating vigilantes! It’s bad enough being paired with you,” Devon noticed with a slight smile that she stared directly as Hugo as she made the comment, “let alone with a bunch of strangers! If I can’t work with professionals, I’d rather work alone!“

“Yeah, well, you don’t have a choice this time,” Hugo replied, crossing his arms at his chest. “Orders from above, Ghost Girl. I didn’t invite ’em here, so if you have a problem with it, you can take it up with the Boss yourself.” Grumbling, he slid a hand into the bag, grabbing another sausage biscuit before heading for the door. “Oh, and you should probably decide soon. They’ll be here in half an hour.”

“Shit!” Rose yelled, as soon as the door closed. “Goddammit! I do NOT like these sudden changes! They know that! They know!” Frustrated, and more than a little angry, she paced back and forth for several seconds, muttering softly to herself.

Devon, having witnessed a few such episodes before, and was no longer fazed by them, merely sat still, letting her rather OCD team leader work it out for herself. Ghost Girl hated the unexpected, hated changes to her schedule, to her team. She was a creature of habit, used to doing thing her own way, and at her own pace. That said... she actually was remarkably flexible, able to adapt to changing situations on the field in an instant, and always able to complete her missions, despite her dislike of the situation. Still, she preferred to keep things as simple and routine as possible.

When Devon had judged that Rose had calmed down enough, she walked over and placed a hand on the older woman’s shoulder. “I’m sure it won’t be so bad,” she said hopefully. “I mean, they stuck you with me, and you hated me at first. Now, we’re friends... right?”

Rose glared at her for a moment, then softened into a wry smile. “Yes. I suppose we are. And for the record, I never hated you. I hated having an untrained, unknown quantity slipped into my carefully ordered equation.” She grinned. “Still, you turned out to be useful now and again, so I guess I can’t complain too much.” She sighed. “Okay. No problem. This will still work, as long as they remember who is in charge of this rescue effort. If they can follow orders, then we’ll get along fine, no matter who they are.“

“Well, here’s the file, MM left it for you,” Devon replied, glancing at it as she picked it up. “Let’s see... hmmm, they’re all young women. Techna, Jette and.... hmmm, Ravenheart.” She smiled. “Kinda cute, and they’re all around my age. Says they’re from River City.” She nodded as Rose took the file, reading through it. They’re flying in from River City, hmmm? Jimmy’s from there. Hugo said they’d volunteered... that they had a ‘personal stake’ in finding him. She frowned slightly. Huh. I wonder if maybe one of them is an old girlfriend... or maybe all of them are!

* * *

Okay. I’m not exactly what you would call a religious person. The whole concept of religion is understandably a bit skewed in my family. My dad, typical Scotsman, was raised in the Scottish Presbyterian ‘Kirk’, though he wouldn’t call himself observant or religious. And my mom... she was raised Methodist by her father growing up, but of course finding out you are the direct descendent and reincarnated embodiment of a ‘pagan’ goddess tends to put that into question. And while some Asian cultures have a thing for praying to one’s ancestors, I just couldn’t find it in me to pray to my own mother! Mom herself always maintained that, “goddess” or not, she and her Sisters were hardly omnipotent... and certainly not omniscient.

“I guess my Sisters and I might be considered ‘divine’,” she’d said to me once, “but even we serve a Higher Power. We serve Destiny, and try to maintain the Great Weave as best we can... but it’s not our Weave. If you want to know who I pray to,” she’d replied with a slight smile, “I call it the ‘One Above All’.“

I’d taken it with a grain of salt at the time. But, as I found myself chained and bound, and locked tightly in a narrow reinforced steel cylinder with just my head sticking out, I found myself praying most fervently to the One Above All, asking for mercy, for deliverance... for death, even, because death itself HAD to be better than this latest torment!

“Yes, yes,” Serpentina crowed gleefully, somehow managing to make herself heard over my mostly incoherent screams. ”This is the kind of reaction I was looking for!“

Face my deepest darkest fears? Hah! She’d certainly made me do that, and in spades. I was deathly afraid of closed in spaces, and now I was locked in one. Ah, but she hadn’t stopped there. I was also blindfolded, robbed of my sight, unable to see a blessed thing. I mean, it might not seem like a major thing to you, but I see in the dark. Literally. Shadows and darkness don’t obscure my vision at all, I can see perfectly well in a pitch black room, all the time, always, everything around me, even in the darkest gloom. The only time I couldn’t see what was happening around me was when my eyes were closed, or now, because I was blindfolded!! So, yeah... bad enough in and of itself, but to be confined and helpless and rendered blind? Traumatic!

But what REALLY had me screaming, the nice little touch that was the icing on this sadistic cake... were the crickets crawling around in my hair!

I’d pretty much forgotten about that, actually. Back when I was a child, maybe three or four, Katie and I were playing outside, near this old, gnarled, really ancient ash tree. We were playing hide and go seek—not exactly easy when you’re psychically connected twins, mind—and I’d decided the perfect hiding spot would be up inside the tree. So I’d grabbed hold and started climbing. It was early spring, the leaves were just starting to bloom, and the bees and other insects were starting to wake up. As I pulled down on a second branch to pull myself up, the branch vibrated, and several small seeds rained down all around me. I hadn’t thought about it at first until one of the ‘seeds’ started moving down my arm... and I noticed that it wasn’t a seed at all, but a small black multi-legged cricket. I screamed, let go of the branch, and dropped to the ground... which was enough to cause the few dozen other crickets in my hair to start moving and hopping around.

My dad had cut my hair the day of that incident—the first time Katie and I no longer looked like identical twins—but I swear I could still feel them crawling around on my skull.

All of these terrors, these traumas, were being visited upon me now, while my devilish Mistress stood by impassively, watching idly, I presume, content to let me scream and yell myself hoarse, until I was too mentally and physically exhausted to resist anything she asked of me. It was a great strategy. And it worked. At this point, I have to admit, I would have done pretty much ANYTHING to get it to stop. Seriously. I couldn’t even fathom anything being worse than what I was already enduring—

And then my Mistress decided to up the ante.

“Your screaming is beginning to grate on my nerves,” she announced, as a soft but tight pressure clamped down across my face. “But don’t worry, Umbra, I have just the way to shut you up.”

As first, as the towel covering me tightened, I thought she planned to smother me, like in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but then cold water began to seep through, onto my face, into my mouth and nose... and my struggles, which had not entirely ceased since I woke up in this position, renewed with a vengeance.

It should be noted that drowning was NOT one of my primal deep-seated fears. I’m an okay swimmer, and Katie and I were introduced to the water at an early age. This experience, however, would definitely add that to the list.

Intellectually, I had some inkling of what ‘waterboarding’ was. I knew there was some debate over whether or not it’s actually ‘torture’. Well, if nothing else, I now knew for certain where I stood on that issue! When the towel finally lifted from my face, I gasped and choked, gagging and spitting up water, coughing brutally for several minutes while my heartbeat thudded in my chest like a kettledrum.

“There now. Nice and quiet again,” Mistress cooed in my ear, her hand gently, almost lovingly, caressing my flushed cheek. “See? Your Mistress is merciful. For all your power, all you strength, you would be remarkably easy to kill right now. Just a cup or two of water—” she said as the towel suddenly descended once more, and the water poured forth, cutting off my scream as water filled my mouth, “—and the great and powerful Umbra, the man who dared to defy me,” she added with a edge to her tone, “would be no more.” Once again, the towel lifted, and I choked and gagged for several more seconds.

“So... wouldn’t you agree?” she taunted me, hissing in my ear. “Am I not merciful? Am I not a generous and forgiving Mistress to even allow you to draw breath?” I panted, still gasping, stunned, shell-shocked. On some level I knew she was talking to me, but I was too frazzled, too shattered, to make sense of her words. “Answer me slave!” She yelled, suddenly, making me cringe, her tone of disapproval triggering my programmed response all too keenly. The towel returned, and I thrashed the few centimeters of room I could manage, convinced that this was it, that my time was over, that this time the water wouldn’t recede, this time the air would never come back, this time I would indeed drown and die... but yet again, at the last possible second, the towel drew back, allowing me to cough out the water and gulp down precious air.

“I said answer me!” she demanded again and again, wanting an acknowledgement from me, words that I was incapable of speaking had I even had the strength left to utter them. Again and again I was nearly drowned, again and again brought to the brink, all the other traumas I was enduring taking a back seat to this new one. Finally, panting, half dead, my belly bloated from all the water I’d swallowed, she spoke again, demanding... and with what remained of my strength I uttered a loud cry... nonsensical, gibberish, but a response.

“Good,” Serpentina said, grinning savagely, apparently satisfied. “That is what I thought.” She walked a few steps away, her high heels clicking loudly on the stone floor. “Well, I’m bored now. I have other matters that require my attention, and I’ve wasted more than enough time on a simple slave. Release him, get him cleaned up, and take him back to his cell,” she barked dismissively to whomever else was in the room, and soft feminine hands began tending to me as I collapsed into the warm, safe, comforting embrace of darkness once more...

* * *

Tawnya Parkinson stretched as she made her way down the runway of the private airport, twisting her neck slightly to pop her vertebrae. Her Master’s private jet had made great time to Austin, but she was still a bit sore from the previous night’s ‘activities’. She smiled slightly at the thought; Katie Frasier had promised to give her one hell of a send off on her first official remote solo mission, and she’d certainly done that and more. It’s actually a good thing she stayed back in River City. If she’d flown down here with me, I’d be so worn out I wouldn’t be in any shape to help in the search for her brother. She patted the carryon bag clutched underneath her arm for reassurance; she’d spent most of the flight reviewing the Intel Eugene and Nigel had given her about the current situation, and the team she was about to meet up with.

A three man team, lead by the senior agent, code named ‘Ghost Girl’. A bit of a hard case, according to Katie’s dad, but a good competent operative. Well, that’s fine. She can’t possibly be more of a tight ass that Sioban was during my training, and I survived her. She glanced back as the other two members of their team emerged.

Besides, it’s not as if we’re here to plan a garden party or anything. We’re here to help rescue Katie’s brother Jimmy, and take down that psycho snake bitch before she can make another move against my family! She scowled at the thought. Sureshot was a monster, an evil soulless being who would have gladly killed all of them—Robbie and Justine included—and not even batted an eye over it. But as bad as he was, the one who had hired him was even worse.

All I want is five minutes alone with her, she thought grimly, slamming her fist into her palm. Just five little minutes alone...

“Oh, man,” Jette said cheerfully, coming up next to her, “your boss really knows how to travel in style! That private jet of his is something else! I usually get airsick when I fly, but that Gulfstream flies so smoothly I barely even noticed we were moving!”

Tawnya grinned. “Yeah. She is one sweet ride. Any other time I would have begged into the cockpit to ride up front with the pilot. I LOVE flying; it’s absolutely my favorite thing EVER! And Nigel says that if I keep doing well in school, he’ll pull some strings with a friend of his to see if I can do a summer internship at NASA in Virginia!”

Julie was confused. “Um, don’t you mean like Houston or Florida or something? What does NASA do in Virginia?”

“Oh girl, you have no idea! The hottest fighter squadrons in the Air Force and the biggest aeronautics research center in NASA share the same base in, uh, I think Hampton.“

No more enlightened than before, Julie replied. “Sounds like... fun... I guess.”

Tawnya sighed wistfully, then shook her head. “Sorry... I’m getting carried away. We need to stay focused and remember why we’re here.” She glanced around. “Where’s Megan?”

“Here I am!” a muffled voice called out from the rear, eyes barely visible amid a backpack and several large bags. “Sorry! Had to make sure... all my equipment... made it... safe and sound... whew!” she panted, shaking her head. “I didn’t realize I’d brought so much stuff.”

“Yeah,” Jette quipped, walking back to give her a hand, lifting the heavy stack of luggage easily with her superior strength, “everything but the kitchen sink. Oops... no, I was mistaken, I think you’ve got that packed away in one of the other bags on that side.”

Tawnya grinned, barely resisting the urge to laugh. She didn’t know these two women that well so far, but they seemed pretty cool. She was actually a bit surprised when Nigel told her that they’d volunteered to go to Texas with her and help with the search.

After spending a few hours in their company, however, they were comfortable enough to laugh and crack jokes with like old friends. “Okay, gang, let’s reign it in,” she said after a moment, taking charge. “We’re supposed to meet up with the leader of the search team at the front gate. They’re probably already waiting for us. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

The dark skinned Amazon nodded, her expression growing serious. “You got it, ‘Boss Lady’,” Jette said, taking the bulk of Techna’s equipment. “I assume your boss gave you the rundown on our new teammates. What do we know about the people we’ll be working with?”

“Not a lot,” Tawnya admitted. “I read through the file on the flight over, but it’s not really that in depth. Rose Contreras, aka Ghost Girl, and Hugo Smith, aka Malleable Man. Two members of Eugene Frasier’s private security force. Used to be badged Supers, but gave it up for, um, ‘personal reasons’? Now, they’re basically paid mercenaries,” she said with a slight frown, “heroes for hire. They were assigned to look after Jimmy while Eugene was facing his brother, to protect him from any assassination attempts, like the team sent to protect Katie. And, unfortunately, it seems they were about as effective in protecting him as Katie’s bodyguards were protecting her.”

True, Katie’s shadowy protectors had a legitimate reason for being a bit lax in their protection, considering the bimbo epidemic that had swept the entire city, turning most of the population into sex-obsessed, lust crazed pleasure seekers. Unfortunately, that lapse allowed an assassin to get a shot at their friend, the end result being the death of Katie’s dearest love, and the shattering of Katie’s heart. Even now, weeks later, she was just now really beginning to put the pieces of her life back together, thanks to her and Sioban’s help and support.

“Anyway, they’re Rose Contreras, code name ‘Ghost Girl’, and Hugo Smith, code name ‘Malleable Man’.”

“Odd names,” said Julie, “What are their powers?”

“According to the briefing, she can make herself basically insubstantial, to the point of being both invisible and immaterial. That means that she can phase through solid objects too!”

Julie let out a low whistle.

“Impressive,” said Megan.

“And Smith is a shape shifter. He’s completely fluid, but apparently not particularly fast at it.”

“Still nothing to sneeze at,” replied Julie.

“And that leads to the third member of the team,” Tawnya continued, “Devon McKinley. She’s a college student from Utah. She’s not actually a part of their mercenary group, and not much is known about her, other than she’s apparently Jimmy’s girlfriend.”

Megan stiffened visibly at that revelation, but didn’t say anything. Tawnya and Julie couldn’t help but notice though, and gave each other a knowing glance that said Someone’s carrying a bit of a torch.

Tawnya continued, “And she’s the reason we’re all here in Texas. Presumably, she gets these ‘psychic visions’, flashes of the future, that lead her to believe that Jimmy was taken somewhere in this city. And apparently she was correct, as Eugene Frasier recently managed to confirm that his son was somewhere here in Austin.”

“Right, thanks to his recently rebuilt DNA tracking system,” Megan replied, digging into the backpack she still carried, pulling out a small flat screen tablet. “I downloaded the program onto my Kindle before the flight, and by accessing his satellite we’ll be able to track his biometric signal to within a fifty yard radius. Likewise, the thermal imaging program I installed will let us determine how many hostiles are in the area with him when we find him. Of course, we still need to know what part of Austin to focus on in order to confirm his presence.”

“Good. The more Intel we have going in, the better,” Tawnya agreed. “Still, Austin is a big place. So what you’re telling me is that we need to try and narrow down the field a bit to know exactly where to concentrate the search. I’m hoping the other half of this team can provide some answers there.”

“Heh. You’ve got a point there,” Julie admitted. “So, what’s the game plan here, anyway? With us here, there are what? Six of us? The rest of your boss’s people are still back in Salt Lake City, right? Where they’d been focusing the search? It’ll take them at least another day or so before they can join up with us and help us search! This city has, like eight hundred thousand people in it, and it’s sprawled out all over the place! Are we just supposed to wander around aimlessly checking every person one by one until we find him or our fortune teller gets a new vision?”

As they left the terminal, Megan sighed. “Yeah, if we’re relying on pure blind luck, we should have brought Katie with us.”

“Well, we’re not actually relying on luck,” a short, dark-haired woman replied archly, stepping out from behind a pillar to greet them. “We DO happen to have plan in the works, a method of searching, and a list of guidelines and parameters to follow. I was lead to believe you three ladies would be able to assist in that.“

Blushing slightly, Tawnya stepped forward. “Yeah. We sure hope so. You must be Rose?” She extended a hand.

The woman wrinkled her nose a bit, but shook the proffered hand. “I am. And are you, ah, Tonya?”

“It’s Taw-NEYE-a. Tawnya Parkinson, code name Ravenheart.”

“Tawnya. Of course it is.” Rose muttered under her breath.

Tawnya had taken flak her whole life about her “weird name”, so she was used to making a joke about it. She looked over at Julie and Megan for help and they smiled back. They knew the play, since Tawnya had done it on them when they meet back in River City.

“Oh, I know what you’re thinking,” said Tawnya, tongue in cheek, “Why Tawnya? Why couldn’t she have a normal name? You know, like Lashondra...“

“Or Shawnique...” piped Julie.

“Or Dontrelle!” offered Megan.

“But no, I got stuck with ‘Tawnya’,” she said, breathing a heavy sigh, “I guess it’s just my cross to bear.”

Rose couldn’t help but grin at their theatrics. “Damn,” she said, “I think I’m gonna like you in spite of myself.”

Tawnya grinned back. “That sounds fine to me, Rose. Oh, let me introduce my friends, Megan Tanner, code name Techna, and Julie Simmons, code name Jette.”

Megan offered her hand and said, “Sorry about that ‘blind luck’ thing earlier. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Suddenly the smile left Rose’s face. She glanced at the outstretched hand and grunted, turning and walking towards the exit. “I see. Well, come along and meet the rest of our ‘team’. Time and short, and we need to get moving.”

The three newcomers glanced at one another. “Well... isn’t SHE Miss Warm-and-Fuzzy,” said Megan.

“Megan,” Jette whispered back, “Did you have to remind her?”

“Sorry,” she whispered back as she hustled to catch up to the others following Rose across the parking lot.

“Yeah, well, just remember why we’re here,” Tawnya murmured back. “It’s to find Katie’s brother, not to make friends and influence people. If her little group turns out not to know what they’re doing, then we’ll just go our own way.”

Exiting the terminal, they found a black Pathfinder SUV waiting for them, with a tall blonde man and a shorter woman with long, dark hair talking to each other. Rose opened the truck with her remote key and gestured to the back. “You can stow your gear there. Not sure if you’re hungry, whether your ‘luxury jet’ served you ‘luncheon’ or whatever,” she said with an obvious sneer, “but the rest of us have been waiting here for you since before noon. We’re a bit hungry, so we’re stopping off at Jack In The Box on the way back to the motel.”

“Geez, Contreras,” Hugo groaned, shaking his head. “Two minutes and you’re already being a hardcase?” Stepping forward, he extended a hand. “Ladies, good to meet ya. Name’s Smith. Hugo Smith. You know, like ‘Bond, James Bond’,” he said in a faux British accent. Bowing politely, he took each woman’s hand in turn, kissing the back of it gallantly. “I must say, it’s a delight to meet you all. Have heard good things about you... and frankly, after being around these two for so long, you three lovely ladies are like a breath of fresh air.”

Devon sighed, rolling her eyes. “Do yourselves a favor and ignore him. Trust me, you’ll be better off in the long run.” She smiled, stepping into view. “Hello, I’m Devon. You must be Tawnya, Julie and Megan. It’s good to have you on board.”

Megan and Jette replied back, each shaking her hand. Tawnya, however, stood frozen in utter and complete shock. In fact, staring at Devon, gaping at the girl, practically reeling in her boots, a single recurring thought kept running rampant through her mind. Sk... sk... Skuld?!? The Goddess Skuld? Here? Now?!? As holders of one of Brunhilda’s Tears, she also held Brunhilda’s memories, as well as the memories of the previous Bearers of the Left Tear. Some of the memories were faint, some so strong and vivid that remembering was akin to reliving the experience all over again. But of their original patron’s memories, few were as strong, powerful, and vivid—or as painful—as the memory of her Maker, her Mistress, the Norn Goddess Skuld. And this person, this... Devon, standing before them, was the perfect spitting image of their Goddess!

It’s not her! Tawnya told herself fervently, heartbeat racing in near panic. Can’t be. It can’t! She... she just looks like her. No. Just a coincidence. It’s not Skuld! It’s not! It’s not! C’mon T-Baby... keep it together... don’t lose it in front of everyone!

Devon blinked, completely unaware of the reason for her discomfort. “Um... okay... Did I say something wrong, then?” she asked, frowning slightly, her outstretched hand lowering slowly.

“Oh... um, sorry. You just, ah... caught me off guard there a moment,” Tawnya said hastily, straining herself to smile, and practically forcing herself to shake Devon’s outstretched hand. “Sorry. You, ah, um.... look like... someone I know... back home,” she finished lamely, blushing bright red. “And yes, it’s Tawnya. Good to, um, meet you... Devon, was it?”

“Good. We all know each other now,” Rose snapped, walking over to the driver’s side, sliding in. “Now load up, or I swear I’m leaving you all here!”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am,” Devon said with a grin and mock salute. Turning aside to the dark skinned angel, she whispered, “Don’t let Rose bother you too much. She’s really cool, she just... takes a while to warm up to strangers. She doesn’t deal well with change. By the end of the day, I bet you’ll be good friends!” She slid into the front seat and closed the door, muttering, “If you haven’t killed each other.”

As Julie tossed their bags into the cargo space, Megan winced. “Jeez, be careful,” she muttered.

“Okay, ladies,” said Hugo, “second or third row?”

“I, ah, I’d like to stay close to my stuff,” said Megan.

“I’ll join you!” said Julie quickly following her into the back.

Climbing into the second row after Hugo, Tawnya mused about what Devon had said. Best buds or killing each other by the end of the day? I’d definitely say it’s toss-up. And you don’t need to see the future to figure that out...