5 comments/ 11903 views/ 14 favorites One Cage to Another Pt. 01 By: CuriousBeauty I started writing this as a small one shot encounter, but as I wrote I discovered there was a bit more to their story. More to come! ***** One of the best things about living in the human realm, Amara decided, was the music. Sure, fae musicians were unrivalled in skill and artistry, but she would take a modern pop band any day over one more round of "so beautiful it drives mortals insane." Amara pushed her hip-length, lilac hair over her shoulder as she bent forward to press "next" on her playlist. The 5'3" faery's hips swayed to the opening strains as she lay back down on her couch, lounging back. She picked up a red bound book and opened it to the dog-eared page, gold eyes flicking down to lose herself in the story. He walked up to the edge of the yard, eyeing the little house with a determined expression. The runaway had done okay for herself, he thought, using her innate gifts and glamours to fool her landlord into believing she was a simple human. She hid her true appearance on the rare occasions she ventured out into public. According to what he had learned, she had a job as a data-entry clerk who worked from home. That was one advantage the Fae had over human magic; theirs didn't interfere with modern technology. If he cast so much as a simple illusion, he could take out a cell phone from fifty paces. It was no matter, though. A well prepped wizard would win against most Fae any day. The man grinned in the twilight, the misting rain gathering on his lips as he set off the spell he had hidden in her home over two weeks ago. The lovely little troublemaker had made one of her infrequent trips out, and forgotten to set her wards as she left. He strode forward towards the front door, the lights inside the house flickering as her wards fell. Inside the house, Amara looked up with confusion in her eyes as her music started malfunctioning. The lights flickered as a set of lyrics eerily repeated themselves. "Darling, I'm hunting you tonight, hunting you tonight, hu-hunting you toni-" and then shut off with a click. "Ugh, " she muttered, rolling over to look at the computer and see what was wrong, but then she froze. Her pale hand, outstretched towards the screen, clenched into a fist as she whispered, "The wards!" as her front door slammed open and in stepped the wizard. He kicked the door shut behind him as he stepped further into the living room, eyeing his prey. She clearly had not been expecting company of any sort, as all she was wearing was a frilly pink night top and a pair of white panties. Panties with the sexiest little matching pink bows, not that she knew the effect it had. She stared up at him from the couch she had been lounging on, her face the perfect mixture of confusion and anger. He drew in one last drag on his cigarette before he tossed it to the floor, crushing the smouldering butt with a boot heel. He shrugged off his damp jacket, dumping it unceremoniously on an arm chair as he takes a step towards her. Amara pressed herself back against the couch, scrambling to get her knees up between her and the stranger. "Get out of here!" she choked out, her pretty face scrunched in anger. "Get out before I-" "Before you what?" the wizard interrupted with a grin. "Is the runaway faery girl going to call the human police for help?" He chuckled as he moved a step to the left, dodging the red book she'd thrown at his head. "I bet you don't even know any offensive spells. You're not a high magic user, trying to hide the way you have been." His smile widened as her eyes narrowed before she jumped over the back of the couch, attempting to bolt for the backdoor. He laughed as he leapt forwards, grabbing a good handful of her hair. She shrieked as he yanked back, hard. His other hand grabbed her shoulder and flipped her back over the couch, pinning her down by the shoulders. "I'm getting paid a lot of money to bring you back. You won't be running from me tonight." Back? Amara froze, except for her frantic breathing. No, she couldn't go back. She had been FREE. For three years! She'd abandoned her duties and her people; nothing good would be waiting for her back at the Seelie Court. The shock of the situation started to fade and Amara came back to herself just as the sound of ripping fabric shredded the air. Cold air and then rough hands hit her breasts, causing her to cry out in pain and anger. She wriggled her body fiercely, getting her hands free. She frantically grabbed at his wrists, trying to force his hands off of her. "Stop! Don't do this-AH!" Her plea got cut off as he pulled a hand free of her slender fingers and slapped her harshly across the face. Amara barely had a moment to blink in shock before he backhanded her hard, leaving her head lolling against the couch cushions. He reached into a pocket of his jeans and brought out a roll of black silken cord, woven through with different colors of thread. He quickly pulled her wrists together. "So small...so slender and frail," he thought as he wrapped the cord around them. "Sellar," her murmured, the cord briefly glowing bright green before returning to its normal black. Amara's fingers flexed slightly as she slowly blinked. Her cheeks glowed red from the touch of her captor's hand and her eyes refocused as she realized her hands were bound. She panicked and tried to free herself when the wizard leaned forward and grabbed her chin, fingernails digging into pale skin as he forced her to look up at him. "If I were you," he breathed, "I'd just sit back and not fight this. I did bring iron cuffs, in case you didn't like the feel of silk on your skin." He gently tapped the cord binding her wrists, smiling at the look of fear on her face at the mention of the cuffs. Iron wouldn't just bind her magic, it would burn her. She had heard the stories, of iron left in contact with a Fae for too long, driving them insane from the pain. The wizard let go of her wrists, her bound hands falling limply to her stomach as he reached up and grabbed a breast, fondling it gently. "It's up to you, little Princess, just how painful this has to be," he said as his fingers found her nipple and pulled tightly. Amara's eyes squeezed shut tightly as she bit her tongue, trying to endure silently. The fingers holding her face up to his fell, trailing down her neck and across the slope of her other breast. His fingers tightened on both nipples as he pinned her down and twisted harshly, earning a squeal of pain before he let go. He straightened up and stroked himself through his jeans, sighing in anticipation. "I'm- I'm not the Princess!" Amara cried out. "You have the wrong Fae! Just let me go, please, and-" she was interrupted with a slap to her right tit, and then one to her left. Tears sprung up in her eyes from the stinging pain. "Don't mince words. You were the Lady's replacement, and acting handmaiden. But you ran off, abandoning your King, your Lady, and your duty." He leaned in, a small grin on his lips. "They are very upset with you." He breathed a cool breath over her red, tender skin. "And they paid me very well to...teach you how lucky you were, and how ungrateful you were to run off and hide." Amara shuddered underneath him, closing her eyes and causing a few tears to roll down her flushed cheeks. The wizard leaned in and kissed her tears, licking his lips slowly afterwards. "So I'm going to have some fun tonight. Maybe you'll even have some, too. I've heard you fae bitches like it rough." "This isn't rough!" Amara cried out angrily as she glared at him through her tears. "This is rape! I don't want any of this!" "Doesn't mean you can't enjoy it," he chuckled at her. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and stretched, pulling it up and over his head, dropping it on the back of the couch. He stretched his left arm and grimaced slightly, but then relaxed at an audible popping sound. "Ahhh. Better." He reaches down and starts to unbutton his jeans, fingers deftly working the brass buttons. Amara stared. Her life had been fairly sheltered; as a sort of Princess-in-waiting, her purity had been protected, in case she should ever be 'promoted' and need to provide legitimate royal heirs. She had never seen this much male before, not up close and pinning her down as he stripped over her. It was disconcerting. He was taller than her, with dark hair and brown eyes that scared her. His lips always seemed to be curved in some sort of laugh or grin at her expense. Broad shoulders led to strong arms, arms that grabbed her and shifted her to a sitting position. One arm wrapped around her, holding her upright as he ducked his head down to her breasts. He nipped gently at one nipple before biting down hard on a soft mound of her flesh. Amara cried out and squirmed helplessly as the wizard started sucking. His free hand crept to her other tit and began pinching and rolling her other nipple. The smell of his hair in her face, the feel of his teeth digging into her skin and leaving bruises, his fingers digging into her skin and twisting her budded nipple...the sensations and the situation drowned her mind out for a few moments. A small whimper followed by a low moan escaped her mouth, as a heat she had never felt before rushed to her pussy. Her hips twisted just a bit underneath him as he let his mouth slide off her breast, his fingers giving one last, teasing twist to her sore nipple. "Well! I was just joking about you enjoying this, but it looks like you are a little slut!" Amara shook her head, trying to speak a few times before managing, "Th-that's not...me. You're doing a, a spell or something!" Her voice rose angrily. "I won't let you do this!" In a surprisingly quick motion, she twisted onto her side and rose up, swinging her elbows into the wizard's cheek. He rocked back, more startled than actually harmed, and Amara rolled onto the ground, trying to get to her feet. The wizard snarled and grabbed at her, tripping her as she stumbled to her feet. He pinned her wrists above her head with one hand and wrapped the other around her neck, and squeezed. Amara choked, kicking weakly at him, and he let go of her throat and used his hand to flip the struggling faery onto her stomach. He let go of her wrists and instead wrapped a handful of her hair around his fist and forced her face to the floor, and started beating her ass with his free hand. One Cage to Another Pt. 02 The first strike brought a scream out as she bucked, trying to get free. The wizard continued his onslaught with a grim expression and Amara's struggles weakened with each hit. She cried quietly, but with the occasional yelp as a a blow landed roughly. After twenty-five heavy-handed smacks, she felt his body rise off hers and move away. Her arms ached as she tried to move her wrists, still above her head where the wizard had left them. She tried to sit up, shakily, but stopped cold as she heard the sound of metal clanking behind her. The iron cuffs...he said he had iron cuffs! He watched as her mouth opened to cry, to beg, to plead with him not to, and he cut her off by popping the ball of a ball gag in between her perfect lips. "Good, you're cooperating now!" he said cheerily, teasing her. The joke made her eyes flash with anger that instantly dulled when he dangled a set of heavy iron cuffs in front of her. "Keep being a good slut, and I'll leave these off." He dropped the manacles to the floor where Amara eyed them. They sat, looking rough and ominous and threatening. He moved behind her and tightened the gag, pulling the strap tight. He gave a gentle tug to make sure it was in place, then yanked her head back forcefully, using the gag, his eyes darkening at her muffled cry of pain. "But if you ever even think of hitting me again, you little bitch, I will slap those cuffs on you and beat that sweet ass till you pass out. You'll wake, chained and in a puddle of cum, and it won't all be mine." He made eye contact with the terrified girl. "You'd sell for quite a bit, pretty as you are. Piss me off enough, and I'll sell you to human slavers instead of sending you back home." Amara whimpered. She had just realized her options only contained futures low on happiness and high in nightmares. She'd spent her life hidden in the Court, her status making her hated and protected. The Lady, who she was supposed to act as a handmaiden towards, hated Amara's existence. No one likes their potential replacement, afterall. So she had escaped, made a quiet life for herself in the human realm. She'd had three years of freedom, and now it was all gone. Torn away by a human monster. Said monster was staring at her with those dark eyes. She had never thought brown eyes could be so frightening, but his were so unreadable. Something about this wizard terrified her..."Good. You understand how this is going to go, then," he said, as an easy-going smile graced his face. It was a smile that could charm girls into giving him their kisses, phone numbers, and even more. Unfortunately it was wasted on Amara as he picked her up and pulled her into a sitting position. She winced as her sore, red ass was pressed down onto her feet and ankles. Her body shook as she cried, tears soaking into the silk of the gag's binding cloth. The wizard leaned back and relaxed into the couch, kicking his boots off. The thuds startled Amara, who closed her eyes and flinched. The wizard reached forward and trailed and finger down her face, running his thumb over her bottom lip. "How rude of me. You've got that lovely shoe rack over there, and I didn't even use it. I bet I tracked dirt through your carpet." He ruffled the hair on top of her head as he got to his feet, picking his boots up and putting them away properly. "By the way, my name is Kiernan O'Ryan. Tonight though, you can call me whatever you want." He chuckled at her look of disbelief. He thought she was worried about her carpet? Or that she cared about his name? And how the hell was she supposed to call him anything? He'd gagged her! Nothing was getting out of her mouth, except for the damn drool the gag was causing. Kiernan's eyes focused on the the line of spit that trailed from between her bottom lip and the ball gag. He sighed heavily, color rising in his cheeks. "Such a pretty toy to play with," he murmured, doing a hip shrug and sliding his jeans off. He stroked his very obvious erection through the black cloth of his boxer-briefs, looking down at Amara with a possessiveness that frightened her. He knelt down and forced her legs apart at the knee, sliding one hand up her slender thigh. "But is the toy ready to be played with?" He pressed two fingers to the damp spot on her white panties, a grin like a shark painting his face as she turned her head away, a furious blush rising up in her cheeks to join the flush left from his earlier punishments. "Oh, yes. You've been LOVING this," he whispered, rubbing his fingers in a gentle circle. Amara made muffled sounds of protest as her hips twitched helplessly. Part of her wanted to thrust forward, to press against those maddening fingers. The rest of her was screaming to pull away, to stop this violation. The wizard's earlier lessons had left their mark, both figuratively and literally, and Amara struggled to remain still, scared of moving and risking his anger. "Soaked right through your panties, you slut," he breathed, and he pulled the wet fabric aside and shoved two fingers into her hot, slick cunt. Amara gasped, her eyes flying open in shock as his shut tight, relishing in the scent and heat and wetness of his captive. "I've bet you've never felt this before," his fingers pumping in and out of her as he slides his thumb over her clitoris. A loud, muffled moan rewards his effort as Amara's eyes fall shut, her hair flying as she shook her head desperately. "This shouldn't feel this amazing," she thought. She was being raped, punished for running away...but it seemed like every touch from this wizard gave her pleasure, even while he was hurting her. She had never experienced anything like this in her 20 years. That pleasurable heat was building up again, and she moaned while his fingers played her most sensitive parts. The whimpers got higher pitched as her breathing quickened, and then there was a loud cry, loud even through the gag. Her back arched as her eyes squeezed shut, her first orgasm tightening her entire body to a perfect tautness. One Cage to Another Pt. 03 O'Ryan waited until the last tremble moved through her limbs before he pulled his hand free and glanced at it. He had intended to lick her cum from his fingers, sure it would be pure and sweet, but he paused. A slight sheen of blood covered his fingers, and he looked down at her thighs. Slick with her cum and adorned with pale red smears of blood. "You're a virgin?" he voiced, sounding astonished. A frown began to form on his face. "I thought you were some Seelie bitch the King chose...but you have gold eyes... You're a WyldFae...a virgin WyldFae." A slow grin spreads over his features. "Oh, they have no idea what a gift they just gave me." Amara's head was spinning. She had just had the most physically thrilling experience of her life, while being raped, and this wizard was blathering on about...what? She trembled as he reached forward and yanked the shreds of her shirt off of her lithe body, using the rags to wipe his hand clean. He reached between her thighs and wiped them, cleaning with one hand while raising her chin up with the other. He waited until her eyes, frightened and wary, flickered over to him, and he smiled. "You, my little runaway, are staying with me. I'll return the Seelie's payment. You are worth much more." His smile widened into a grin at her continued confusion. "See, neither Court has made an official claim to your power. If they had, this wouldn't be possible. But by leaving you untouched, in all senses of the word, they left your power open for others to claim. And I know the spell for this. All you need is some candles, the right runes, and a pure source of Wyld magic...like a runaway virgin." He balled up the shirt and threw it away, taking a moment to wash his hands in the kitchen. He came back into the living room, Amara still shakily sitting where he had left her. He leaned in and kissed her nose, snorting a bit as she flinched. He dropped to one knee, stroking his cock through his underwear with one hand, and her hair with the other. "I'm going to bind you to me, and your magic will be opened to my control. By owning you, I can use magic that few other wizards can." He smiled. "It's a good thing your body enjoys what I've been doing, because you're going to want to like this, too. If I'm keeping you around, I'm going to play with you a lot, little pet." Amara whimpered through the gag as Kiernan got to his feet and went to his coat, rummaging in the pockets. He turned around, pulling a vinyl glove onto one hand and holding a small bottle in the other. She didn't have much time to wonder about what was in the bottle before he grabbed her hair and pulled her forward with it. "Ass up, Princess. Yes, that's it. Keep your face on the floor." He reached down and moved her hair so that he could see her face. It was beautiful, with her lips stretched around the ball gag, tear stains on her cheeks, and fear in her shining golden eyes. "We're going to celebrate this happy turn of fortune's wheel for me. You'll need some preperation for how I like to celebrate, however." Amara trembled, not understanding his meaning. She heard the bottle pop open, and the sound of oil being rubbed on a glove. Then she started as she felt several cold drops of oil hit her upturned ass, right on her most exposed spot. She tensed her body up and tried to move away, her begging muffled by the gag into incoherent crying. Kiernan raised his glove hand and landed a heavy smack on her ass, smearing the oil across the reddened skin. Amara yelped, then went limp, sobbing as the wizard glared at her. "If you keep struggling, then I have to keep hitting you. The more I hit you with this hand, the less oil there is for that tight ass of yours." He dug his fingers into the sensitive skin and Amara choked back a sob and remained still, letting him slap her ass again without pulling away. "Now stop being stupid. You'll probably like this anyway, considering what else I've done to you. Pain sluts are so much fun," he says, and he slid his gloved middle finger straight into her ass in one smooth motion, all the way to the last knuckle. She screamed, teeth sinking deep into the gag as her virgin ass was so quickly violated. Kiernan grinned, his eyes dark and intense as Amara whined softly while he slowly withdrew his finger. He leaned in, breathing hot and heavy against her delicately pointed ear. The tip of his middle finger still just inside her ass, gently swirling, occupied her mind as he whispered "I bet we can fit in two," and shoved his index and middle finger in together. He pinned Amara down as she uncontrollably tried to pull away, her cries muffled and choked as he starts fucking her ass with both fingers. Amara struggled weakly, her yelps and cries mixing with the sound of his fingers abusing her asshole. As she stopped struggling, his hand found his cock and began to stroke it, his breathing harsh as he listened and watched Amara succumb. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't fight. She had never felt so exposed in her whole life, so completely powerless. But she'd also never felt this sort of pleasure. Her hips moved against the wizard's hand, taking the fingers in and demanding more from him. Kiernan stretched his thumb forward, and with two fingers buried deeply in her ass, pressed down hard on the faery's clit. Amara cried out wordlessly, her body tensing up, her ass clenching impossibly tightly on the intruding fingers. Kiernan gave a gentle stroke to her clitoris and she moaned, her entire body shuddering as he slid his fingers out. He stands up and removes the glove as she collapses to the carpet, breathing raggedly. The wizard's cock was still rock hard, but he slowed down his strokes and then came to a stop, staring intently at Amara. He moved into the kitchen, throwing away the glove, and came back into the living room, drinking a large glass of ice water. He gazes down at Amara, a deeply satisfied expression on his face. Creamy, pale skin marred with red and purple, marks from his hands, his mouth. That wild lilac hair lying in tangled waves around her curves, and those slender wrists, bound with his magic. Her body made helpless by pleasures he had forced her to feel. He pulled her up into a sitting position and set her between his knees as he settled back onto the couch. He let her lean against his leg when he let go of her to hold his drink. He was in an exceptionally good mood, he could grant the poor pet a minute to rest. One Cage to Another Pt. 04 Amara slowly started to come down from the high of that last orgasm. She took stock: her jaws ached, her legs were weak, and her ass was so sore...her ass! She had let him...he had made her cum from fingering her ass. Her entire body jerked from the realization, and she felt the wizard's hand gently cup her face as her eyes flew open, dazed gold meeting steady dark brown. "There you are! Had a bit too much fun, did you?" he asked with a chuckle. Amara tried to look away but his grip tightened on her cheek, so she reluctantly turned her eyes back to his. "Do you want a break from the anal play?" She blinked, her eyes frightened as a confused, inquisitive sound made its way out around the gag. He was asking...? What kind of rapist asked if their victim wanted a break? She took so long with her befuddled thoughts that it began to annoy the wizard. Kiernan frowned at her. "I asked if you wanted a break. Don't misunderstand, I am still going to fuck that ass." Amara made a small, choked sound. "But if you want, we can take a break from it for a little while." She felt like her ass was on fire. Yes, he had used that oil, but he had also used two fingers, and he had not done so gently. She almost felt like she could still feel the tip of his middle finger, moving in slow circles just inside her ass, one of the most intense sensations she had ever experienced. And then the way he had just slammed his index finger in as well, the roughness of his thrusts and the way she had felt completely stretched out. She nodded, hesitantly. She did not think her body could handle anymore violations there . His erection was impressively large, and Amara honestly did not believe he would ever be able to "celebrate" the way he seemed to want to. He smiled and leaned back against the couch, draining the last of his water. He sucked an ice cube into his mouth and crunched down, staring at Amara. "Well, if you want a break, all you have to do is ask!" He chuckled, watching Amara's brow furrow. How could she ask for anything? He had gagged her, didn't that mean he didn't want to hear her? He brought her attention back to him with a soft tap to her forehead. "No, see, when you want something...kiss me." He grinned widely as Amara's perplexion turned into embarrassment. "That's right, little pet. Kiss your Master, and I'll leave your ass alone for a little bit." Amara closed her eyes, trying to cry quietly. Sobbing with the gag on made breathing incredibly hard. She couldn't believe this...didn't want to believe this. Why did he have to keep humiliating her? What was the point of it- was he just that big of a bastard? She felt like she had escaped one cage only to trapped in another. In the Court, there were people above her, people she obeyed, but no one called themselves her Master. And no one had demeaned her with terms like slut or whore or pet. Like she was an animal. "Pet. I'm waiting," the wizard said, in a tone that let her know he was just about done waiting. Amara unfolded her legs to rise up and closed her eyes, choking back a sob as she gently pressed the ball in her gag to the wizard's lips. O'Ryan smiled and patted Amara's head, as if she were a dog that had performed a trick well. "Not so bad, now was it?" he asked as Amara started to slump to the ground, her shame burning in her face. He reached out and grabbed her by the upper arms. "Nuh-uh! Up we go!" he sang out, pulling Amara to her feet. He took a moment to enjoy the sight as her knees shook while she tried to support herself. "C'mon, step out of the panties...good..." he encouraged her, his gaze following the slip of white and pink fabric as it slid down her legs to puddle around her slender ankles. He slid a knee in-between her legs and shoved them apart, then yanked her forward towards himself. "Now I'm going to fuck that wet cunt," he said as he held Amara up, rubbing the head of his cock against her slick opening. She moaned and tried to support herself, to keep from sliding down onto his waiting length. Kiernan reached down and pinched one nipple, twisting it. Amara whined and looked at him with a pleading expression in her eyes. He could see the conflicting emotions in her mind: fear, shame, anger, desire, confusion. "I said we'd take a break from your ass. You've got two other holes to fuck as well," he laughed as Amara shook her head frantically. "Don't look so frightened. You're dripping wet, it shouldn't be too painful. Your body wants this." He let go of her arms, leaving her to support her entire weight by herself. Her legs buckled and she slipped down, slick, tight wetness wrapping around his cock. He moved his hand to her shoulders and pressed down, forcing her to stretch, to take in most of his cock in the first go. "So fucking tight," he grunted, resting in her for a moment, then thrusting upwards. Amara began crying from the pain and the intrusion, from being stretched so much so quickly. Her body clenched around him and forced a gasp from his throat. His fingers dug deep into her arms and shoulders as he started to fuck her faster, thrusting his hips upwards and shoving her body down onto him at the same time. The pain was killing Amara. Every thrust felt like a lightning strike to her innermost self, while her breasts and ass hurt with every bounce. There was a large, violet bruise forming on her right breast where he had bitten her, and every time his cock slammed into her, it felt like he was biting her tit all over again. Kiernan was not being gentle, she was sure her thighs would be bruised after this was over. But as she cried into her gag, the pain turned into something else. A coil of heat and eagerness unspooled in her center. She began to crave the next moment his cock would fuck her. The combination of the pain and the blooming pleasure made it impossible to form coherent thoughts. Her cries became moans as her hips ground down against his, her cunt tightening around his cock while her body reached for something she barely knew about or understood. "FUCK." Kiernan groaned, lifting the rutting faery off of his twitching dick and laying her out on the couch. He had only meant to fuck her a little bit, he hadn't expected her body to react positively quite so quickly as it had.. She was obviously a sexual masochist, although he'd place good money she had no idea what that meant, he mused. Perhaps it went further than physical enjoyment? A naturally submissive toy could be fun. It would certainly be easier on him if she realized that she enjoyed his attentions and decided not to fight him. She blinked up at him, her eyes hazy and unfocused, hips giving one last vain thrust before she whimpered, her pussy empty and desperate. Amara lay on the couch, her breathing heavy. That feeling, she had been so close to it! That amazing pleasure, the one that took her out of this awful experience, even if only for a few moments. But Kiernan had pulled her off before she could reach that point and now she ached with need. Why hadn't he finished? He had been close, too, she had felt it. Why did he deny himself? She did not understand what had happened and bitterly cursed her censored upbringing. She had a feeling that if she had any experience with these passions, it would have been easier for her to counter him, to fight back. How could she defend herself against an assault like this if he kept overwhelming her body, turning it traitor against her? "That was close," he muttered as he took a deep breath and ran a hand through his dark, mussed curls. "Wait here." He rose to his feet, then laughed under his breath. "Not like you can move anyways, huh?" he smacked her hip on his way to his coat. He grabbed the coat and vanished down the hallway, his footfalls heavy. Amara closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. Wearing this gag was going to kill her; her lungs felt starved. A sudden shiver ran over her exposed skin as she heard the wizard's voice rise in a chant. The lights flickered off and on, and she cursed, silently and wearily. He was using magic again. Magic she had no idea how to fight. She opened her tired eyes as Kiernan walked back into the room, wiping chalk dust off his hands. Amara winced as he reached down and grabbed her, half-carrying and half-dragging her down the hall. She tried to get her feet under her, to stand, but her legs were uncooperative, and the wizard moved with a sense of determination that had no patience for her pleasure-weakened limbs. He shoved her towards the bed and she stumbled, falling onto it as Kiernan made a hand gesture while muttering "Cerrar." Amara felt a circle of energy snap closed around her, the bed, and Kiernan. She flung her head from side to side, eyes wide in fear. She felt more trapped than she ever had back at Court. The bedside lamp and overhead light flashed white and then sparked out. Her work computer whirred and then made a crackling sound, and the light on her alarm clock faded to black, leaving the room in darkness. A firm "Ahora, inicio!" filled the air, and suddenly there was light. A ring of floating candles, each with a set of runic characters chalked on and glowing white. Kiernan took a calming breath, letting the magic flow out of his hands, into the candles, fulfilling the circle. He looked over and smiled at Amara, who had struggled into a sitting position. Candlelight looked lovely on her bruised and marked skin. The contrast between her natural, pale cream coloration and the bright red marks of his hands was very fetching, at least in his opinion. He knelt onto the bed and reached for her. She flinched and closed her eyes, but didn't move. He deftly undid the buckle holding the gag in place, and gave a soft tug. The ball popped out of her mouth, surprising her. He set the gag aside and reached for her, gently grasping her chin as she whimpered from the pain in her jaws. Her eyes teared up as she felt the drool she had been trying to hold in spill over her bottom lip. Kiernan reached out and ran a rough thumb over her chin, wiping the slick mess away. "I don't think we need that anymore, do we? You've learned who's in charged here?" Amara nodded, her eyes downcast and shoulders shaking. Kiernan frowned and forced her chin up. Frightened gold eyes met angry brown ones. "I asked you a question. How do you think slaves should answer questions from their Masters?" his voice stern, his stare unforgiving. Amara looked panicked for a moment, her shellshocked mind unable to understand what he wanted. But then she blinked and the panic left, replaced by shame. She cleared her throat and looked down while whispering, "Y-you're in charge, Master," her voice rough from crying and screaming, thick with tears. The wizard smiled and chucked her under the chin. "Good to see you're a quick learner. This will make your new life easier for you. I'm not a very patient teacher." He moved away from her and off the bed, reaching down to grab something on the floor. He stood back up holding a small bottle as he walked to the foot of the bed, and then pointed at the mattress in front of him. "Come." He reached down and started stroking his cock, which had gone soft while he had been preparing and working his magic. While Amara awkwardly crawled to the foot of the bed, he opened the bottle and poured a honey-like substance onto the head of his cock. He closed the bottle and dropped it out of sight while Amara looked on apprehensively. "Now...lie down, on your back." He rubbed the substance all around the tip of his dick, watching as Amara struggled to lie down in the correct position. Once she had gotten there, he reached down with his clean hand and grabbed a fistful of hair. He used it to pull her body toward himself, till her head was hanging off the edge of the mattress. "Open your mouth. I need to get hard again, and I'm not jacking off when you have a perfectly good set of lips and a throat." "Not...not that, please." Amara whispered, her voice breaking. "Please, I've never...I don't know how! I'll choke!" Kiernan grunted in displeasure at her hesitance and gave a sharp tug to her hair, making her yelp. She was going to have to learn to stop worrying about her comfort and focus on his needs and desires, he thought. "I've already thought of that. A new toy like you wouldn't know how to suck cock properly yet," he said, his dark eyes boring into her light ones. "What I put on my cock will numb your throat so I can fuck your pretty little face." She whimpered, her lips trembling. "Now OPEN." Amara closed her eyes and squeezed her lips tight. Kiernan muttered a curse under his breath and his expression darkened with anger. He twisted his hand in her hair till his knuckles were digging into her scalp, and growled audibly as the little faery groaned in pain but refused to cede to him. So there would be resistance to iron flat after all. He placed the palm of his hand over her mouth, his rough and callused skin brushing her lips while his thumb and forefinger pinched her pert nose shut. Her eyes flew open just as he pressed down roughly, grinding his palm into her face. His grip in her hair and on her face kept her head completely still as her body thrashed weakly, panicking at the lack of air. He counted to fifteen, glaring down at her as her struggles weakened, and her eyes flicked up to his, tears pouring out. He removed his hand, her mouth flying open, gasping hoarsely. He slipped the head of his cock between her bruised lips, and all she could taste was overwhelming tartness. Her lips and tongue began to tingle, and she heard Kiernan say, "If I feel teeth on my dick, accident or not, you will be the sorriest little faery in any of the realms." The wizard closed his eyes and pushed more of his cock into her mouth. He was half-erect, so it wasn't too much to handle just yet, the tip just touching the back of her throat. He leaned forward and began fondling her breasts again, his fingers rough and cruel. Amara moaned as he flicked her tender nipples, and her tongue, partially numb from the wizard's cream, pushed against his cock. He grunted and she could feel the flesh in her mouth begin to lengthen and harden. Kiernan grasped the back of her head to hold her in place, and began thrusting his hips forward, sliding his cock into her throat. She gagged slightly, drool pooling in her mouth and running in thin lines down her jaw as his cock slid in and out of her mouth, crushing her lips with his roughness. He leaned forward to bite her breast and she screamed, the sound gagged around his engorged dick, her throat convulsing around him. The wizard grunted and yanked himself backward, leaving behind strings of drool and pre-cum to decorate her swollen lips. Kiernan used her hair to pull her upright, causing the gasping faery to nearly pass out from the head rush after being upside down and face fucked. The wizard flipped her onto her stomach, her bound hands thrown out in front of her, and yanked her up by the hips. He let out a throaty chuckle at the sight that greeted him, a sopping wet cunt. "You're wet again? From me fucking your face?" He laughed as he spread her thighs apart. "Once you accept your new life, you'll be one happy little faery. I'll give you all the beatings and fuckings you need." He shuddered as he shoved his cock into her slick heat, and slowly began rocking his hips back and forth, taking her from behind. "Mmmm so fucking tight," he whispered. "And so hot. You're meant to be fucked like this," he groaned loudly, his fingers digging into her hips. Amara moaned, her quivering legs barely able to hold her ass up. That heat was building again, that pleasure that would take her to the mindless place. She closed her eyes and let the head rush and the sensation of his cock moving inside of her pussy lift her away. She could feel every inch of him inside her, his skin incredibly soft against her walls, stark in contrast to the hardness of his erection. Amara threw her hips backwards, meeting Kiernan's furious thrusts. He grunted, his breathing becoming labored. He leaned forward, continuing to fuck his new toy, and brushed the hair off her neck. He kissed the nape and murmured "Reclamo," before biting down hard. The ring of candles burned bright enough to light the entire room as a wordless scream tore from Amara's throat, her body reaching her climax. In the midst of her passion, Kiernan found his, his cock slammed deep into her, cum splashing all over the inside of her cunt. Amara collapsed to the bed and the wizard moved down with her, releasing her neck from his teeth and closing his eyes as she shuddered around him. Aftershocks were still setting off little bouts of clenching in her pussy, and he enjoyed the feeling. She was wrapped so tightly around him, he wasn't sure he'd be able to pull out just yet anyway. After a few minutes he breathed deeply and slid out, then leaned over to look at his handiwork. He trailed a hand lazily over her hip, noting the marks blooming from where his fingertips had dug into her soft skin. He lifted the hair off her neck, and smiled with satisfaction at the glowing white symbol, shining where a bruise ought to have formed. It had worked. He had just gained control of Wyld fae magic, and a gorgeous piece of ass to accompany it. He stroked her hair and marveled at the tangles and knots that had formed during his assault on her. "We'll do something about that..." he whispered to her unconscious form. He gave a few seconds thought to using magic to wake her and go again. He still wanted that ass wrapped around his cock. As he got up and started to get dressed, he decided against it. He needed his energy for the clean up and the move. He'd save her ass for another night. After all, he had all of her nights from now on. ***** ~ So here's the fourth installment. Hope you all enjoy it! I tried to keep in mind the helpful comments about adding more details, but let me know if I still haven't hit that metaphorical sweet spot between "too much" and "not enough" The fifth is started and should be submitted soon! ~ One Cage to Another Pt. 05 Amara slowly rose out of unconsciousness, her thoughts coming togther in gentle drifts. Her body ached fiercely, and as she stretched to relieve it, she was brought up short. She blinked her eyes open and looked down at her ankles, which were bound together. Thick leather cuffs on each ankle, joined together. The cuffs had metal bands bearing some sort of...runes? Runes. She didn't know any runic magic. Suddenly, all the memories of what had happened crashed back into her memories. Last night. The wizard. The spell! He had said something about a binding spell! Amara jerked her whole body, trying to sit upright and only succeeding in falling over. She twisted her neck to see her hands bound behind her at the wrists, bearing cuffs similar to those on her ankles. "No...no no no," she whispered, yanking in futility at her wrists. The door opened and her eyes flew over, startled and angry. Kiernan walked in, carrying a plate of food. "You slept late," he commented, sitting at his chair and eyeing her. "It's almost noon." Across the room, Amara struggled into an upright sitting position, avoiding eye contact with the wizard. In addition to the cuffs, she had on new clothes...sort of. A frilly black thong and a pink mesh negligee did not count as clothing by her standards. She also noticed her hair had been washed, brushed, and neatly plaited. He had bathed her...and dressed her? While she was asleep? She almost felt more violated by that than what had happened while she was awake. ...And where had she awakened? The room was unfamiliar to her, and a new wave of fear clenched her stomach as she realized he had taken her somewhere else. Now if she escaped, she wouldn't be familiar with the environment, and that would make getting to safety harder. The room itself was nice, decorated in soothing, cool tones. Dark greens, soft greys, and rich brown leather filled the space. The wizard was sitting in a dark brown leather chair and regarded her with a thoughtful expression on his face as her eyes flicked around, looking for another door or a window. A mirror would do, even, despite how much she hated using them to travel. "You won't find it easy to leave here," he said suddenly, setting the plate of food on the dark end table next to him. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, putting his chin in his hands. "I decided to put you in the most secure room of my house, which happened to be my study. I had to pack up some of the more...dangerous magical items while you were asleep. There's only one entrance, and trying to enter or leave a wizard's study without his permission is pretty risky." He raised an eyebrow at her, dark eyes grinning. "Some of us are actually smart enough to keep our wards up. It would have been much harder to grab you if you hadn't been so careless, you know." He chuckled as her lips pursed into a frown, golden eyes narrowed in anger at his teasing. One time. She forgot to re-set the wards one single time, and it had ruined everything. "You are a soulless bastard," she spat at him. "Where is this place?" "See...that sort of attitude is really uncalled for. It certainly doesn't deserve an answer to any questions." He leaned back in the chair, lifting a piece of fruit from the plate and slipping it into his mouth. Amara's eyes track the slice of orange as it moves, and then fixate on the plate while Kiernan chews slowly. How long had she been asleep for? She felt absolutely ravenous, but she couldn't have been out for too long, right? "You haven't done anything to earn answers." Amara snorted indelicately, and the wizard noticed she was still working her wrists and ankles, albeit slowly and unobtrusively. Her fingers, soft and uncalloused, were bent to her wrists, gently running over the surface of the cuffs, searching for any weakness. "I'm not going to "earn" a damn thing from you. Last night was just...you surprised me." She pulled her eyes away from the plate of food and glared directly into his. "I am not some stupid little faery girl you can play with. I survived on my own for three years in the human realm, with NO knowledge of how things worked here. I'll figure you out, just like I did every other awful thing I've dealt with, and then I'll be gone, off somewhere that no filthy human can find me." Her eyes bored into his, golden irises shining with hate. "You could make things easier on yourself and let me go now. I'll be nice and just leave without hurting you, and you won't have to be laughed at by the other wizards after they find out you got your ass handed to you." Kiernan listened to her diatribe with a steady frown. "Do you not remember what happened the other night?" he said, voice low. "I spent only an hour or so with you, and had you calling me Master." He raised one eyebrow as her cheeks flamed red but her eyes hold onto her rage. "You surprised me. I wasn't prepared for anyone to come after me, and certainly not a wizard. I guess the Court's usual retrieval team couldn't cut it out here, so they decided to hire a human to find me." Amara shrugged her shoulder, flipping the nicely braided hair off of it, shaking her bangs out of her eyes. "Now I know what you are. I'll be free in under a day." "You've spent three days here already." Kiernan said calmly. Amara jumped slightly, the anger leaving her eyes for disbelief. "After you passed out during our little playtime, I placed a sleeping charm on you. It made things simpler. I just took it off about thirty minutes ago, which is why you finally woke up. " "Made things simpler? What sort of things? Putting me in this ridiculous outfit?" Amara snapped. "Well, yes. And dealing with that mess your hair was. I finally had to look up a recipe for a detangling potion," he said, sounding annoyed. "Also, transporting you here. No, I'm not telling you where you are, but it's no where near your house. Which I torched, by the way. I took out what valuables I could find; mostly some jewelry and what looks like a few spell components." "You're lying," she whispered, shoulders slumped slightly. He had set her house on fire? All of her clothes, her books, her music...everything that had been hers, that she had earned... "You're lying to mess with my head." "Nope," he said, picking up another morsel of fruit and tossing it into his mouth. "Naturally, your landlord was informed of the fire, but no one knew where you were. There are people looking for you, though." Amara blinked, taken aback for a moment before he continued. "Yeah, I broke into your landlord's house and it turns out the old fool hadn't deposited this month's rent from their tenants yet. I tore the office up a bit, took the money orders and shredded the checks, then left. You're a suspect for arson, breaking and entering, and grand larceny." He grinned as Amara's lips parted in shock. "I told you I had things to do that were simpler to accomplish with you fast asleep. Your home is gone, all your possessions destroyed, and the human police believe you're a criminal. Oh, and I had those cuffs custom made for you. You have such slender little wrists and ankles, I was worried you might slide out of off-the-rack items. Can't have that, can we?" He chuckled. Amara's head spun as she slumped back, looking down at the hardwood floor. This...this would make things a lot harder. She would have to create a new disguise, new fake papers, everything. Starting from scratch was a daunting task, one that overwhelmed her for a moment. Kiernan bit into an apple, watching as her head snapped up at the crunching sound. Her eyes went to the plate and then focused firmly on the ground as he swallowed. She winced, a sharp pain in her stomach letting her know that her earlier hunger was serious. She hadn't missed one or two meals, she had missed three days of meals. She didn't want to believe that she had been asleep for that long, but...there was the ring of truth to the wizard's words. She could barely keep herself from staring at his brunch, her hunger was so intense. And, she thought sourly, glancing at the pale mounds of breast that showed underneath her see-through affair, the bruising on her skin was clearly healing. The marks looked days old, not from last night. She gave a vicious yank to her bound wrists, cursing in one of the pixie tongues as the cuffs stayed flush with her skin, not giving an inch. "They're charmed, too," she heard his amused voice call out. "See those runes? They have several uses. Like right now, your strength has been chained. You're physically no stronger than a normal human girl your size." He smiled as Amara twisted her neck, looking at the runes carved into the metal plates on her ankle cuffs with a fierce anger lighting her face as she whipped her head around and glared at him. "And I already took care of your magic, so I didn't need to worry about that, which was great because those particular runes ought to be made when the metal is still hot and malleable. Changing the nature of the metal to bind something as strong as magic is diffi-" "My magic? What do you mean, took care of?" Amara interrupted loudly. Kiernan raised an eyebrow, Lord and Lady she was beginning to hate that fucking eyebrow, and she closed her eyes, reaching forth towards her inner wellspring of Wyld magic to call on, only to cry out, her eyes flying open as she fell over, breathing heavily. She had tried to touch that fount of power, only to be painfully denied. It felt like a punch to her heart, and as she lay there trying to catch her breath, she had an image form in her mind. A core of light, shades of color forever shifting, caged in by dark green flames. She opened her eyes and looked over at the wizard, and saw the same evergreen colored flames dancing in his eyes for a moment before they returned to their regular dark brown. "What did you do!" she shrieked, throwing herself upright and struggling to her feet. Amara wobbled, bound ankles throwing her balance off, and she fell sideways into the wall, panting heavily and glaring at him. "What did you do to me?!" "Exactly what I said I would." Kiernan responded calmly, his eyes lighting on her heaving breasts, nipples just visible through the sheer fabric. "But of course, you were a bit distracted when I changed plans. Originally I was going to take you to the Court, but after I found out how valuable you could be to me, I decided to keep you for myself. I bound your magic to my control." He smiled at her. "Which means that you can't access it anymore. With those cuffs on, and my binding spell completed, you're utterly helpless." Amara ground her teeth together. Utterly helpless? This bastard talked like some sort of cheesy villain, mocking his victims and trying to sound smarter than he was. Amara slid to the ground, her legs stretched in front of her as she stared angrily at the ankle cuffs. He'd had these specially made because she was so small, huh? For once in her life, Amara gave thanks for her petite stature and slender limbs as she bucked her hips up, slipping her bound wrists over the curves of her ass and then down her thighs. She rolled onto her back as she tucked her feet in tightly, pulling her wrists over her ankles as Kiernan cursed and jumped up from his chair. Amara rolled onto her side and jumped up, still bound but with her hands now in front of her, which opened up more options. Options like snatching a heavy crystal vase off a nearby table and raising it over her head as Kiernan crossed the room. "I don't need to be stronger than a human to beat your skull flat," she threatened, and brought the vase down hard as he leapt at her. Kiernan, having sidestepped at the last moment, grabbed the metal bar with the clips binding her cuffs together and swung upwards, slamming her hands against the wall above her head. Her fingers flew open as she cursed, the vase dropping to the ground and shattering. "Good thing I kept my shoes on," the wizard muttered, crunching and grinding the shards under his soles as he stepped in front of Amara, still pinning her wrists to the wall over her head. "Did you honestly think it would be that easy? Have you ever even been in a physical fight before?" he demanded, pressing her back into the wall with the length of his body, his face close to hers. She hissed at him like an angry cat, tears welling up in her eyes as she cursed and tried to bring her knees up sharply. Kiernan sighed and slid a foot forward and stepped on the short metal bar between her ankle cuffs, pinning her delicate feet in place. She glared at him and he frowned at her, then widened his eyes. "You haven't, have you. You've always just used your magic to get away," his voice sounding amused. "Oh just shut the hell UP," Amara shouted. She would rather have him beat her than keep laughing at her. Then she took advantage of his closeness, and slammed her head forward into his face. She was rewarded with the sounds of crunching cartilage and snapping bone, quickly followed by Kiernan shouting in pain and cursing. He flung her away from him, his hands going to his broken and bleeding nose as Amara hit the ground with a thud, breath flying out of her in an ungraceful whoofing noise. Luckily for her, the wizard hadn't simply dropped her into the pile of crystal shards at his feet . She pushed herself backward with her feet until her back came to a wall, and she slowly rose to her feet, panting short breaths as she cast her eyes around, looking for some sort of weapon. Unfortunately, Kiernan seemed to have removed most things that she could have used for violence. There was a heavy, dark wooden table, his chair, a few smaller end tables scattered about, and books. Three out of four walls were lined with books. Amara started to shuffle her feet in the direction of a particularly large volume, intending to hit Kiernan over the head with it while he was distracted with his broken nose, when her eyes lit on his chair, and the coat draped over the back of it. Sticking out of a pocket was a battered looking wooden rod, about three to four inches in circumference. She heard Kiernan's voice, sounding muffled because of the blood pouring from his nose, and hopped quickly towards his chair, snatching the rod and holding it up to look at it. Amara smiled and tightened her grip on it as she eyed the runes carved into the wood. Sure, she couldn't use this weapon the way the wizard did, a physical focus to channel his arcane magic through. But a heavy stick would work just fine to swing into his skull over and over. Amara turned and started to shuffle towards the wizard, who had one hand cupping his nose and glowing yellow while he muttered the words to a healing evocation under his breath. She started to raise the rod, grasped tightly in both hands, when a loud growling sound reverberated through the room. "What the fu-" Amara started then ended with a yelp as a large gray blur slammed into her knees, knocking her off balance and sending her crashing to the floor. The rod flew out of her hands and rolled a couple feet away and she cursed, rolling onto her stomach and stretching out her bound hands towards it. The growling got louder, something hot and heavy landed on her back, and she felt sharp pinpricks dig into the skin of her shoulders and back. She twisted her head around and gasped audibly at the sight of a large, dark furred cat digging its claws into her skin and baring its teeth at her as the growling continued and grew in volume. "Ah. Thanks, Mullido," Kiernan said, and Amara turned her head to look back at the wizard. He wiped his bloody hand off on a clean part of his shirt and then looked at her steadily, nose healed. "That would be my familiar sitting on you. He doesn't take kindly to people touching my things without my permission." Amara stared at him, dumbfounded, as he walked over and picked up his weapon, gently thudding it into the palm of his hand as he looked down at her. With every passing second Amara's anger grew. She had been knocked down by a damn cat? Kiernan noted the growing anger in her eyes and laughed. "Mullido weighs about thirty pounds and hunts his own food. You haven't eaten in three days and you're tied up. Just be happy the furry bastard didn't bite you. He has a temper sometimes." The cat ceased its growling and chattered at Kiernan, ending in an indignant meow before hopping off of Amara, his long, fluffy tail swishing as he walked off, vanishing into a shadowed corner of the room. "...You live alone, with a billion books, have house decorations like crystal vases, and you have a kitty cat." Amara said flatly, pushing herself up on her elbows. "I've been kidnapped and raped by someone's fucking grandmother. Lord and Lady, kill me no-OW!" her mocking was cut short as Kiernan leaned down and snatched her braid, yanking it up sharply. "Stop, ow! That fucking hurts!" she shouted, trying to scramble to her feet to relieve the pain as Kiernan keeps pulling upwards. A hard slap to her right cheek stopped her cursing. She shook her head and looked up into the wizard's eyes, and tried to shrink back from the anger she saw there. "You know, today was supposed to be a fairly easy day for you." He spoke quietly and calmly while wrapping her braid around his wrist, and then started walking toward the door. "During our first meeting, you became so compliant so easily. All it took was a couple orgasms and some beating." Amara's angry protests fall quiet as he yanks the door open and pulls her out into a hallway, her feet struggling to stay under her as he stepped quickly down the hallway, dragging her along the rug lining the floor. "I expected after all that, and your long nap, that you'd be even more subdued. I was going to make sure you understood your new place, and let you eat from my hand." He opened another door and stepped inside, his free hand flicking on a light switch. "Sadly for you, my familiar isn't the only one with a temper." A dim glow lit the room as he dragged her to the center and reached up, stretching her arms far above her head. Amara let out a small whine as she stood on tip toe, the strain in her wrists, shoulders, and back sharp and aching. There was a clicking noise as he clipped her wrists to a bar, and he stepped away toward a wall decorated with various items. He froze as Amara spat at him. Her aim was good, and she had landed it smack dab in the back of his messy curls. "Starvation would be preferable to eating anything you gave me," she snapped out as he slowly turned around, his dark eyes warm with anger. "We can see if that's true," he said lowly as he grabbed a small towel from a drawer and scrubbed at the back of his head. Amara's feet ached and she slipped off of her toes, wincing as her wrists took on most of her weight. Kiernan eyed her while her eyes were closed, and then said "I'll be back in just a moment." He dropped the towel into a wicker bin by the door and Amara heard the sound of a lock clicking shut as he left. She opened her eyes and frantically looked around the room for a couple of minutes. The lighting was dim, but that wasn't a problem for her. Fae could see exceptionally well in the dark. The problem was that the room, while filled with a large variety of items, didn't seem to offer anything helpful. The walls were lined with an assortment of objects she couldn't even begin to think about. The floor was concrete, cold and rough against her feet as she tried to rise back onto her toes, her wrists screaming at her. The lock clicked again and Amara bit her tongue, holding back a startled yelp as Kiernan stepped back in. His hair was dripping wet, rivulets of water running down his shirtless torso. He'd taken a few moments for a brief scrub and rinse, cleaning the blood from his face and the spittle from his hair. Amara's eyes focused on him as he closed the door and stepped closer to her and she tried to pull away, unable to move from her tenuous position. His skin was pale, though not as light as hers, and marred with some scars. He had a solid build to match those broad shoulders, and a dark dusting of hair on his chest trailed down his torso towards his pants. He looked up, checking to see that her wrists were bound properly to the bar above her head. One Cage to Another Pt. 05 "So, just so you know, you have no one to blame but yourself for this. If you had just behaved and accepted your new lot, you could have had a relatively pleasant day." The wizard spoke quietly, knowing she could hear every word. He lowered his gaze to meet her angry, fearful one. "But I will have you eating out of my hand. I will have obedience and politeness from you, even if I have to beat out that attitude of yours." He went to a wall and took something down, then turned back towards her. Amara gulped slightly, swallowing a whimper as he held up a large leather paddle. "You responded beautifully to just my hand the other night. I wonder how quickly your behavior will change after I start disciplining you with this." His voice remained low and quiet the entire time, but flowed with an intensity that scared Amara. "First, though..." he stepped in close and Amara squeezed her eyes shut in fear as she felt him untie the strings around her neck, the sheer pink top falling to the ground. "Mhmm... The bruises I left the other night haven't even had a chance to fade yet. Your skin is so lovely when covered in my marks," he whispered in her ear, making her shudder. His hand slid down around her waist and travelled to her hips, one finger hooked around the black thong he had dressed her in. She winced as he touched the purple and yellow bruises left from his fingertips when he had taken her. "Still a bit sore, pet? That's alright. When I've finished, your whole body will be so sore that you won't even notice these." He dug his fingers into the bruises, smirking as she whimpered slightly. Her legs gave way again, leaving her hanging from just her wrists as he roughly pulled the panties down, letting them fall around her ankles. He grabbed her braid and pulled it up and out of the way, then swung the leather paddle. It landed solidly on her round ass, earning him a choked scream as her body rocked, sharp pain rocketing down her arms and up from her ass as she strained to pull free. He pulled the paddle back and reached out, trailing his finger nails over the bright red skin as Amara fought her bonds, desperate not to get hit again. "You threatened me, insulted me, broke my property, broke my nose, and spat in my hair," the wizard said, sending the paddle flying at her ass again, the leather slapping into her right where the curve of her ass cheeks met the rise of her thighs. Amara cried out in pain, cursing as she started to cry. "That's five things to be punished for. How long do you think you'll last before you're begging me to stop? " Amara opened her eyes when Kiernan stepped in front of her, meeting his gaze when he raised her chin up with the paddle. "Well? " Amara took a trembling breath and Kiernan grinned widely as she opened her mouth, the amusement gone in a flash and leaving his eyes dark and angry as she says "Go jump off a bridge. I hope the trolls eat you," her voice thick with tears but steady with anger. "You're going to be difficult after all," he snapped, raising the paddle. "Fine, then. When you're ready to behave, just apologize," and then he swung the paddle at her exposed breasts. Amara shrieked, thrashing helplessly as he started to land blow after blow, moving around her body in a circle. Over and over, the smack of the leather biting into her skin mixed with the sound of her cursing, crying, and screaming. Kiernan remained silent the entire time, his breathing the only audible sound from him as he swung his arm again and again. After fifteen minutes he stopped and took a minute for himself, drinking deeply from a water bottle as he stared at Amara, hanging from her wrists and sobbing. Her perfect skin was colored all over from his punishment, an angry red flaring brightly from every strike. He stepped forward and stroked her braid slowly and softly. She was all cream and lavender and red, and it was a breathtaking sight. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, a small smile blooming on his face as she whimpered and turned her head away. "Not done yet? You're only making this harder on yourself, you know," as he stepped back and, without preamble, began beating her again. Her breath caught in her throat, Amara tried to cry out and choked as the leather found her again. She was going to break, she knew it. She had never suffered anything as physically painful as this. She couldn't even feel her hands anymore, she couldn't even focus on one specific part of her that hurt the most. Kiernan was careful to never hit a spot twice in a row until he had made a full circuit around her, and her body showed it. Dark red marks flowered on her breasts, her hips, her legs and back, simply everywhere. He even ducked down to the floor and tucked her feet up, resting her knees on his thigh as he brushed the paddle over the bare, sensitive soles of her feet before delivering a quick slap to each, grinning as her voice cracked during the loudest scream yet. He stood upright, letting her feet fall to the floor, eliciting another broken scream of pain. He began spanking her ass again, enjoying the way the abused fleshed jumped and jiggled with every smack of the paddle when he became aware that her cries were forming actual words. "Stop...please, stop. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, just stop, please...I'm sorry," every word choked out between sobs as she hung limply from her wrists, tears rolling down her face and splashing down onto her tender breasts. "I can't, no more, I'm sorry, please!" Kiernan rested the paddle against her ass as he listened, then pulled on her braid until her neck craned back so he could see her face. Tears left silvery trails down her flushed cheeks as she kept crying and whispering for him to stop hurting her. He let go of her braid and her head fell forward as he stepped around, dragging the paddle across her red and sensitive skin. He stood in front of her and slid his fingers up her thighs, the anger completely gone from his face as he found the wetness he had been searching for. Amara's crying increased in volume as he slid a finger inside of her and pulled it out, slowly licking the taste of her from it. "You're sorry, huh?" he asked, cupping her chin and holding her face up. "We went over this yesterday. How are you supposed to address me?" Amara squeezed her eyes shut as she whispered "Please, please don't...please just stop..." "Wrong," Kiernan said, frowning. "But I think we're done with this part of your punishment. You taste like you've started to enjoy it." Amara tried protest but fell silent as he stared into her eyes, her cheeks red from exertion and embarrassment while the wizard slid his hand back down to her sex, one finger gently sliding into her lips and brushing over her clitoris. Amara let out a tiny moan, and her crying intensified as he lifted the finger up and gently drug it across her lips, painting them with her own arousal. "I'll have you apologizing properly in just a little bit," as he reached up and unlatched her wrists, catching her before her limp body can hit the cold concrete. One Cage to Another Pt. 06 ~ This chapter has some background and setting and introduces a couple of new characters. No sex this round, but more is coming! ;) ~ ***** Kiernan eyed Amara as he laid her out on the table, his eyes filled with lust as they traveled up her body. "Just beautiful..." he murmured as he reached down and massaged her hands. Her fingers slowly uncurled as he rubbed life back into them, and Amara closed her eyes, not wanting to watch what was about to happen. A crashing sound echoed through the house and her eyes jerked open as Kiernan looked upwards, anger and surprise having twisted his face into something unpleasant. "Who the fuck could pass the wards?!" He threw Amara's hands back down to her lap and rolled his eyes, then strode towards the door as indistinct shouting began to drift down the hall. It became progressively louder and as Kiernan swung the door open, a sour look on his face, she could clearly hear the intruder's words. "Your stupid wizard dick is going to get us killed!" the voice boomed as its owner came to a stop in front of Kiernan, eyes wild and panicked. "Mark, I'm a bit busy here," Kiernan snapped as he tilted his head towards the table where Amara lay, exhausted and bewildered. "What are you going on about?" Mark grabbed Kiernan's shoulders and shook him. "I almost got killed because of you, you bastard!" he shouted, then looked over at Amara and rolled his eyes "Gods dammit Kiernan, you can fuck like kinky weirdos later. If we're not DEAD." He let go of Kiernan and moved towards the door. "We need to talk now, man. Upstairs." He stepped outside and Kiernan looked after him for a moment, an intense frown on his face, before he walked back to Amara and looked down at her. Amara closed her eyes tightly as the wizard's hand drifted down to brush her cheek. "Will you be good and lie still for a few minutes, or do I need to hang you from the ceiling again?" Kiernan asked, his voice low. "I-I'll be still..." Amara whispered as his fingers brushed her bangs from her face. The wizard's frown deepened, then he smoothed his face out. "Behave yourself, and we'll see if your obedience improves my attitude when I get back from dealing with Mark's idiocy." He gently touched her lips and then spun and left the room quickly. Amara heard the door's locks snick shut and she curled into a ball as tears leaked from beneath her closed lashes. A couple doors down the hall, Kiernan entered his study and jumped to the side as Mullido sped out, gray tail bushed out to an insane frizz. He sighed and looked up to see his friend Mark pacing back and forth. "Okay. Now that you interrupted my day, how, exactly, is my dick going to get us killed?" Mark glanced down at the shards of the smashed crystal vase and looked up at Kiernan with an eyebrow raised before he sighed and plopped into a chair. "Yesterday, three fae assassins attacked me at my house. They tracked me from the diner where we had lunch and I gave you the cuffs you ordered." His expression turned tired. "They were sent because of the girl, that's all I managed to get out of them. One escaped, and I made my way here as fast as I could and remain undetected." He shot Kiernan a dirty look. "Do you have to live in the middle of fucking nowhere?" "I value my privacy," Kiernan snapped before he shook his head. "Why would they send assassins because of the girl? I returned their money, they're no worse off than before." "They found out you did that binding spell on her, you moron." Mark put his forehead in his hands and sighed heavily as Kiernan flipped a hand with irritation. "Oh so what. She was just a Wyldfae, it's not like I kidnapped the actual Lady," he scoffed. "I could see them getting mad if I bound her, but she has the actual power of the Summer Court. This one has Wyldmagic, yeah, but not-" "She isn't just some random orphan fae they took in to raise, Kiernan!" Mark shouted. Kiernan took a step back as Mark rose to his feet and began his pacing again. "After you told me your plans, and I gave you those cuffs, I did some research in my library. Remember the last Quelling?" "It was nineteen years ago. The northern Kingdom of the White Sun finally managed to confine their rebelling Fae to the Wastes. There haven't been regular sightings of them in the human realm ever since." Kiernan replied as he tilted his head. "What the hell has this got to do with my new pet?" "She's a person, not a cat," Mark said flatly as he shook his head. "Anyway. Her mother, a willow dryad, died during the Quelling. She and her sibling were both taken in, one by each Court. That's how each Court gained their "In Waiting" back up plan." "So the issue is I broke the matched set? That's ridiculous. They don't have to be siblings for it to be balanced." Kiernan poured himself two fingers of brandy, and tilted the bottle at mark, who shook his head. Kiernan shrugged and topped the bottle then leaned against the wall. Mark slowed as he paced along one bookshelf and started to peer intently at the titles. "They can just find another Wyld orphan and use them." "They weren't chosen because they were siblings, Kiernan. And they aren't orphans." He selected a large tome and began flicking through it, eyes narrowed as he searched for something. "They were chosen because of who their father is." Kiernan rose to his feet as Mark stepped quickly towards the table and set the dusty volume down. He flipped one more page, and then looked up at Kiernan as the paper fell and settled. Kiernan glanced over, then froze as Mark pointed to a painted figure. He looked warily up at Mark, who nodded once, then sighed as Kiernan paled. His hand shook a bit as he raised the glass and drained it and the crystal made a chiming sound as his hand shook when he set it down. "I TOLD you that your dick was going to get us killed," Mark said almost smugly as Kiernan began cursing under his breath. "Look, I came here and let you know what was happening. I'm going to head out to my safe space before anymore assassins come after me looking for you." He patted Kiernan on the shoulder as he moved towards the door and Kiernan followed slowly, his face a mask. Mark headed up the stairs and towards the broken front door as Kiernan went back down the hall to the concrete room. Amara slowly stopped crying and took a few minutes to lie there, her aching body needing the break. After a bit she sat up and winced at the pain her stiff muscles cramped with. She glanced around the room warily, then looked down at her wrists, frowning. She brought them closer and studied them, specifically how they were bound together. A metal double-ended hook clasp connected her wrists, and a similar one bound her ankles. Amara looked up at the ceiling, then at the door, and made her decision. She twisted her wrist, using her thumb to snap open one of the hooks on her wrist. Next she freed her ankles, and then started to study the cuffs themselves. She could not see a seam or a meeting of any sort, and cursed all wizards as she swung her legs over the edge of the table. Her feet hit the floor and she bit back a cry of pain as her body weight rested on her sore feet. She grasped the table for a moment to steady herself as her eyes moved over the room, then lit on the leather paddle she had so recently come to hate. The bruised faery slowly limped over and snatched the paddle up, then leaned against the wall by the door while her body trembled from exertion and adrenaline. As she waited, her mind started to drift. Her breathing slowed as she remembered the wet heat between her legs as the paddle had swung, smacking against her skin over and over again. The intensity of the wizard's eyes as he stared at her hungrily. Amara's eyes closed as her grip on the paddle's handle loosened. She ached all over, but the ache in her core was deeper and different, needier. She jerked, her eyes snapped open as the lock clicked and the door opened. She tightened her grip on the paddle and threw her whole body upward into the swing. The paddle connected with Kiernan's face and cracked him squarely across his eyes and cheeks. Amara ducked under his arms as he clutched as his face and shouted curses while she made her way toward the stairs. She climbed them as quickly as she could, one hand pulling herself along by the railing, the other gripped desperately on the handle of the paddle. She made the top and swung the door shut behind her and the lock clicked shut. A moment later the door shuddered as Kiernan slammed into it and started to shout again. "Dammit! Just stop and listen to me, it's not wha-MARK! Don't let the bitch leave the house!" He slammed into the door again as Amara flicked her eyes from side to side, then limped quickly to the right, the paddle held up in trembling hands like a baseball bat. Her guess was rewarded with the sight of a window, and she shambled towards it and escape. There was an organic crunching sound from around the corner and Amara turned toward it, then let out a small squeak as something large, furred, and on all fours leapt into the hallway with her. The beast rose to stand straight, threw its head up to point to the ceiling, and howled. "Quemar!" Amara pivoted, eyes wide as the sound of the stairwell door crashing open hit her pointed ears. Kiernan rounded the corner, clearly pissed off. His face was badly bruised, with two black eyes and blood trickling from his nose. Amara backed up as he stalked toward her, then let out a yelp as strong, furry arms encircled her around the waist from behind. The werewolf picked her up easily as she dropped the paddle in surprise then started to yell wordlessly and shove at his arms. Kiernan closed in and reached for Amara, his intent to grab her hands and talk to her. Amara began to scream and flailed as panic and fear lent her strength, and landed a kick from one delicate foot in Kiernan's gut. He doubled over and groaned as she continued to struggle, and he backed up even though her strength was fading and threw his hands up. "Take her to the bathroom and run her a bath, would you? I don't need her to break my nose again," he said to Mark as he stood back up, a wince on his discolored face. "What were you expecting, Kiernan? Her dad is the fucking HuntsKing. You're lucky she only managed to hit you a few times." He shifted his grip on Amara and pinned her arms down as she went limp, his words echoed in her head. Her father was the leader of the Wyld Hunt? Mark and Kiernan's words faded to dull buzz that she ignored as she tried to digest this information. She'd been told that she had been found on a battlefield, that the Summer King had taken her in as a friend for his own daughter. Of course, as the years went by it had become clear what her true role was; a replacement if the real Lady died. Someone had to bear the power of the role, or the balance between the Courts would tip. Weakness and discord couldn't be afforded, not if the fae were to survive. Humanities numbers had decided the war long ago. But the Fae kept their Hills within the Wastes of the North, and humans had left them alone. Rumours had been whispered that there were Fae who refused to cede the world to humans, who wanted to fight back and reclaim the ancient kingdoms. But those had to be dreams of madness, Amara thought to herself. Defeating humanity now would be impossible. As for her father...the werewolf had to be mistaken. If her parents hadn't died in the battle, why would they have left her there? While Amara's pretty head spun with thoughts, Kiernan started the taps running and then left the bathroom after telling Mark to meet him outside. He stood outside the bathroom door and Amara blinked, her head lifted up as she noticed his absence. Mark set her down on the edge of the tub and clumsily gathered several towels and a robe from the closet and set them nearby. Amara watched him mistrustfully as he turned the taps off and growled lowly, irritated with the difficulty of the task with his claws. Steam rose up and filled the air as he looked at Amara pointedly and gestured to the tub. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned up at him as he shrugged. The shrug lengthened and continued and Amara winced and looked away as fur vanished and limbs popped and shortened. She slowly opened her eyes as Mark wrapped a towel around his human waist and sighed heavily as she glared at him. "Look. The situation has...changed, if you would." Mark started, his voice tinged with awkwardness. "You should take a bath and relax...clean up, whatever. After that, Kiernan said he'll have dinner ready, and you two need to talk." Amara made a noise of disbelief and Mark raised his hands. "Look, he's an ass and probably deserves it, but try not to hit him again, alright? This situation is bad for both of you." He exited the bathroom and shut the door behind him, letting the lock click shut. He looked over at Kiernan and shook his head as the two moved away. "You just couldn't do the job and return her. You just haaaad to keep her. Now you've pissed off the Summer Court and the HuntsKing in one move." Kiernan groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Hope the sex was worth it, dude, because the WyldHunt is going to run you down." "The Hunt hasn't been seen in human realms for over seventy years," Kiernan muttered, and his shoulders tightened as Mark laughed. "They haven't had a reason to break the treaties and hunt beyond their borders. But someone kidnapping the HuntsKing's daughter and stealing her magic? They're going to kill you, unless you can wizard your way out of this fuck up." He waved a hand at Kiernan and stepped outside to shift into his wolf form and lope off. He disappeared into the forest of evergreens and Kiernan shut the front door, then leaned against it and sighed heavily. Inside the bathroom, Amara hugged herself and stared at the door warily, then glanced at the steam as it rose from the hot water in the tub. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, then unbraided her hair. She moved slowly, her exertion and bruises having sapped what little strength the cuffs allowed her, and lowered herself into the water. An audible moan escaped her lips as she sank into the steaming warmth, golden eyes half-opened and dazed at the relief provided by the bath. Her hair spread out around her like the petals of a flower as she relaxed and leaned forward. Her chin rested on the edge of the basin as her eyes moved lazily over the gleaming white marble tiled wall, then popped open as her reflection smiled at her. The water splashed slightly as she jerked back, face filled with shock as the faery in the reflection raised her hand. "Amaranth, I found you! We've all been searching." The reflection smiled again. "I'm your sister, Snowdrop." One Cage to Another Pt. 07 ~ So here we go again! We get to see a bit more of Amara's backbone, and the two of them get a visit from some not-so-friendly elves. ~ Amara blinked once, slowly, and tilted her head as she stared hard at the girl shining in the wall. There were differences, but not many. The girl, Snowdrop, her hair was a rich, dark plum hue and fell in loose ringlets, not soaked to the scalp. Her eyes, unlike Amara's warm gold, were the blue of sea ice. "...Sister," Amara said flatly, with a frown. "Yes, sisters. Twins, actually. Our mother was killed and our father made a deal with both Courts. One of us to the Seelie, one to the Unseelie. One for Summer, one for Winter. So the balance would be kept and we would be taken care of. The Hunt is no place for young children." Snowdrop's smile faded. "When the wizard returned the money, with a note that only said the job could not be completed, it alarmed the Seelie King. He sent scouts, and they discovered your burnt home. But things didn't seem right, so they kept searching. They overheard the wizard and the beast of the moon speak of you, and of your binding." "Is my name actually Amaranth?" Amara asked, stressing the last syllable. "I've only ever been called Amara..." Snowdrop closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Yes, but does that matter right this moment?" she responded, her tone cold as her eyes when she opened them. "I...sorry, no," Amara murmured as she looked down for a moment. Then she stiffened, raised her head and moved closer to the wall. "Is anyone doing anything about this?" she demanded fiercely. "Summer's first attempt did not work," Snowdrop said softly, and Amara's face took on a fallen expression. "Sister, do not give up hope yet. The King has sent another team. The beast was not as careful as he thought, and led the scout straight to the wizard's home. I've been scrying every surface in that place since I was told of your location." "He kept me in the study, there's no mirrors or anything really reflective in there," Amara said lowly. "And he has the house well warded. Had I not already declared my allegiance to Winter and begun my training, I would not have had the power to slip through and speak with you." Snowdrop's voice took on an urgent tone. "Amaranth, listen. Did you complete the binding?" "...Did I complete it? I haven't done anything, no. He did something but-" "If you haven't performed your part, given him your mark, then the binding isn't complete!" "What?" Amara sat straight up, eyes wide. "But I...I tried to use my magic. I can't, it's like he caged it, locked it away. I can still feel it but I can't call on it!" Her voice broke as her situation bore down on her. "There's a second part of the ritual," Snowdrop said quickly. "Right now, he can keep you from using your magic, but he cannot use it himself You are not just a- a magical battery. You're also the conductor. Without you completing the spell, he cannot use you to guide the Wyld magic-" "Which means he needs me to work with him," Amara said slowly. Her anger flared up and she said "I don't care how much he hits me, I will NEVER let him use my magic! He's awful!" Snowdrop shook her head. "No, Amaranth, the Summer Court will not accept the risk you pose if left bound to him. A human wizard able to control our magic? It's too dangerous, and unnatural. He could use you against us." She paused and frowned. "You said that he's...he's been hitting you?" her voice reminiscent of the sound ice makes just before it breaks. Amara's fierce expression faded and her eyes fell. "He...yes," she answered, her voice small. A flicker of anger danced in Snowdrops cool eyes. "Sister, you cannot give in to him. There may yet be a way to reverse the binding and free you. There are people searching the Histories, but they have to find it befo-" her voice faded to silence even as the image kept speaking. Amara shook her head desperately and wiped at the steam that started to gather on the marble and obscure her sister's face. Water droplets ran down the wall from her hand, but Snowdrop was gone, and the bathroom door slammed open and a furious Kiernan stomped into the room. Amara yelped and ducked into the water, only her eyes peered up as she hugged herself. "I know someone was here!" Kiernan thundered. "How long were you talking to them? Who was it?" He strode forward and leaned down, his knuckles white from his grip. "Dammit! What did you tell them?" Amara closed her eyes and flinched away at first, but at the last question she sat up, turned toward Kiernan, and glared at him. "Until these come off," she said slowly, holding up one cuffed wrist, "I'm not telling you a single. Fucking. Thing." Her voice started quietly but grew firmer as Kiernan's face turned red. "If the 'situation has changed', as your friend said, then prove it." Kiernan snarled and spun, then paced the room as Amara watched him angrily. "What, not going to beat the answers out of me, like you wanted to do with my attitude?" she mocked. Instead of the fear it would have normally inspired, the knowledge that the Summer Court knew where she was gave her courage. And that she had family that was alive...She started to wonder why she had been misled but shoved the thought away. A more pressing concern was the cuffs that kept her weak. With them off, she would heal more quickly. "Oh, you insufferable bi-" Kiernan caught himself, and grit his teeth. "Fine," he spat. "Get out of the tub." "Fuck off," she responded flatly, keeping one arm crossed over her chest. "Gods dammit, I can't unlock them if they're soaking wet. It's a blood seal," he snapped at her while dark curls fell into his angry eyes. Amara frowned, then said "Then you leave, and I'll get dried and come out," she replied, clearly prepared to sit in the tub till the end of times. Kiernan threw his hands up in frustration and stalked out of the room. Amara listened as he muttered unpleasant things about her, faeries in general, his friend the werewolf, and basically everyone that ever existed. She waited until his voice faded while he walked off to a different part of the house, then rose out of the tub. Water ran down her body and from her hair in streams and steam rose up in lazy spirals from her skin. The wizard returned to the kitchen, where he had been fixing a simple meal before his wards discovered the breach and alerted him. "Stupid Mark. Three days of peace, but then he shows up and leads them straight here," he muttered as he moved through the kitchen, and the cabinets slammed shut in his wake. Evening had started to arrive, and he absentmindedly raised a hand and made a simple gesture. Candles flared to life throughout the house, and in back in the bathroom Amara, who had wrapped herself in the bathrobe Mark had set out with the towels, jumped as shadows flickered in the dim candlelight. She stepped out into the hall and looked around nervously. The robe was oversized for her petite body and made her look frail as her fingers finished the damp braid of her hair. Kiernan walked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward her, a covered silver tray in his hands. "This conversation needs to happen in private," he said, "Both of us are in danger. We'll talk in the study." He stepped past her and toward the broken basement door. "N-no," Amara stammered, then in a stronger voice when Kiernan turned to glower at her, "I'm not going anywhere with these still on." She held out her left arm and shook the oversized sleeve back to reveal her hand and wrist. Kiernan opened his mouth to snap at her and she glared at him. "If you hadn't decided to starve me for three days and then hit me a million times, maybe I'd be up to using the stairs." She dropped her glare and looked away. "...I don't think I can make it down them without falling. I feel like I'm about to fall over right now," her voice low. Kiernan stared at her, then rolled his eyes and set the tray down. "I could just give you a revitalizing potion to get your energy back u-" "NO. You want to know who I was talking to, what I told them? I want to have these damned cuffs off." She met his eyes and frowned in an attempt to look stern. "This is not how I imagined my evening would go," Kiernan muttered as he pulled a knife out of his back pocket, flipped the blade out, and then sliced the pad of his thumb open. Blood welled up darkly in the candlelight as he brushed his thumb against one of the runed metal bands on the cuff. It shone a bright, vivid green and Amara winced then turned her eyes away. Kiernan tapped the shining metal and the light winked out as a seam appeared on the cuff, and Kiernan tugged it off, shoving it in a pocket. "Am I supposed to apologize for not being eager to be your slave?" Amara snarked as Kiernan repeated the process on her right wrist, then moved to an ankle. "If you'd just accepted being mine, we could have had some fun, at least, before Mark showed up to ruin everything," Kiernan muttered as he worked on the last cuff. "We do not have the same idea of 'fun'," the faery snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. "That's not what your body thinks," Kiernan said slyly, then grinned as a furious blush colored Amara's cheeks at his reminder of her body's betrayal. "Listen, you arrogant, insane son of a-" Amara's belligerent insults were cut off. The front door, so recently broken by Mark and repaired by Kiernan while she bathed, crashed open. The candles' flames flared up then burned a low angry red. Kiernan grabbed the collar of the robe Amara wore and yanked hard. She cried out in surprise as she jerked to the side and hit the wall, then slumped to the floor. The wizard flung his hand out and yelled "Espejo!", and a swirling green orb appeared where Amara had been standing. It lengthened and flattened into an shining silver oval, just as a blast of green-white flames hurled down the hall. The magical fire slammed into Kiernan's spell, then seemed to vanish, sucked into the wizard's floating mirror. Amara stared, wide-eyed, as Kiernan flexed his fingers and the flames reappeared and stormed out of the mirror, hurtling toward a slender elfin figure at the end of the hall. A scream rent the air as the assassin's magic consumed its own caster and Kiernan cracked his knuckles, his shoulders tense. "That...that was aimed at me," Amara whispered. "I thought they were trying to kill YOU. Snowdrop said-" "Snowdrop? Who the hell is that? " Kiernan snapped, then shouted "I know there are two of you still out there! You bastards always work in a set of three!" "She, she said she was my sister, that Summer was sending a team..." she responded with a shaking voice. "They sent the team to kill YOU. Me, they want dead for the insult of stealing you. You, the King wants you dead because you're a liability," he said as two shadowy figures moved into the dim red light of the hall. Kiernan raised his right hand and dark green magic danced and glowed around his fingers. "Get to the study and lock the door. They won't be able to reach you there." The figures advanced, and wore hooded cloaks of white with green trim. "Our king has an offer to make you, wizard," one said as he reached up to lower his hood. "He will forgive the insult you dealt ." The assassin looked calmly at Kiernan, then at Amara. "Give her to us so that we can erase the threat, and you will be allowed to live." His hair was silver and tied back in a set of intricate braids that gleamed like blood in the warning light of the candles. "She's of no use to me dead," Kiernan said bluntly while he made a fist, the magic gathered tightly around his hand. "She will not be allowed to live while so-bonded to you," the assassin's voice was cold as Amara shrank back against the wall. "The spell is irreversible," Kiernan's voice was flat. "And I'm not letting you kill her." "I told you, there is no reasoning with humans," the other assassin murmured. "He would rather risk death than forgo the power she will give him. We need to kill them both." Amara stood up and bolted for the basement door, only to trip on the too-large robe and hit the ground hard. The elf who removed his hood spun and took aim, then let loose another volley of those same green flames that had just burned his comrade alive. Amara screamed, rolled, and barely missed being burnt to death. The flames plowed into the floorboards where she had been moments before, and burned brightly. One end of the robe's belt caught the flames, which spread quickly. Amara screamed and rolled around trying to put them out. Kiernan snarled "Trampa!" and threw his fist open. The glowing magic left his hand and reappeared under the feet of the assassin who had attacked Amara. The elf cursed and tried to jump away, but the green glow had spread to his legs, and then his waist, and he was ensnared and unable to move. Kiernan gripped his fist tight and growled "Devorar," and the elf began to scream as the green glow brightened while it spread over his body and devoured him. Kiernan grinned as he turned from the pile of green ashes to face the next assassin, then his face froze at how close the elf was. Red and green light from the candles and the flames danced over the blade he had drawn and aimed at Kiernan's throat. The wizard shouted "Shit!" while he raised his arm to a defensive position. The hooded elf leapt into the air, faster than the human, but was denied the killing blow as Amara sprung up from the floor and slammed into him with her shoulder with a wordless shout. The assassin and the faery girl hit the wall in a tangle of limbs and cloak. Amara had stripped the burning robe off and looked up to see the elf about to stab Kiernan. She had jumped without a second thought, and now regretted her impulse as the assassin snarled and wrapped his hands around her neck. "Stupid little fool!" He squeezed, his thumbs pressed into her throat. "We will not let the humans use you against us!" Amara gasped as he pinned her to the floor and strangled her. "And I won't let you kill her," Kiernan snarled from behind the assassin. The wizard's boot landed solidly against the elf's head, and the hands around Amara's throat slid free. She choked in breath after breath and her chest heaved as she rolled away, tears on her cheeks as she touched her neck where a bruise started to form. The assassin shook his head and reached for his blade when Kiernan shouted "Rayo!" with his index and middle fingers of his right hand pointed at the elf's back. A bolt of evergreen lightning shot from his fingers and scorched a hole through the assassin's body. It left a smoking, charred hole in his torso and he fell flat to the ground, lifeless. Kiernan looked over at the naked Amara, who held her throat and stared around at the chaotic destruction of the hallway, disbelief and shock etched in her eyes. She slowly looked up at Kiernan and whispered "That's what my sister was trying to tell me...she's trying to find a way to reverse the spell before...before the Seelie Court kills me." "Bad news, that, since it can't be done," Kiernan said, then stepped away and picked up the tray. On his way past the smouldering robe he snapped his fingers, and the embers fell dark. "But it isn't complete yet!" Amara protested as she rose to her feet. "I know that means you can't use my magic yet, I just have to tell them-" "They won't care," Kiernan said flatly. "To them, as long as you're alive, there's a chance that I'll subdue you and you'll complete the spell. They believe you aren't strong enough to resist." "That is INSANE. Of course I'm not going to finish it! You're monster now, you would be even worse with Wyld magic at your use!" "I'm not entirely horrible. I mean, I did save you from being burned to death," he pointed at calmly as he moved through the debris toward the stairwell. "Only so you could force me to be some- some insipid sex toy and steal my magic!" she shouted, outraged. "Minor detail," Kiernan called over his shoulder as he descended. Amara followed hesitantly. The dim red light of the candle flames made the basement appear shadowy and dark, and she already disliked the idea of returning downstairs. "Besides, I need your cooperation now. I have a plan to get the Seelie King to back off and let us live." He walked quickly down the hall and opened the door to his study. Amara eyed him mistrustfully, then suddenly seemed to become aware of her nudity. She flushed, crossed her arms over her chest and turned to the side. Kiernan sighed and vanished into the study. He stepped back out a few moments later with a dark green silk robe, trimmed in dove gray, in his hands. "Try not to get this one set on fire. It was expensive." Amara reached out and took the offered garment, a wary expression on her face as she turned from him to put it on. Kiernan paused to enjoy the view. The contrast of the rough, dark silk against her smooth, pale skin was mesmerizing. Her accelerated healing had come into play, and now even the darkest bruises left from earlier had healed. He watched as she tugged the fabric up over the curves of her ass, past her tiny waist, and onto her delicate shoulders. He coughed as she tugged her braid free and then hurriedly tied the robe closed and turned around, then followed Kiernan into the study. He shut the door and locked it; the handle glowed briefly before the light faded. He sat down in his leather chair and took the lid off the tray. "The bowl is yours," he said as he picked up sandwich: roast beef, pepper jack cheese, spicy mustard, pumpernickel bread. "I...alright," she responded quietly before she picked up the bowl and the silver fork next to it. She sat down on the couch and curled her legs up underneath her, and eyed Kiernan. "So...this plan, where we don't die. What is it?" her voice uncertain. "We get an audience with your father, the HuntsKing." Kiernan said, then took a large bite of his sandwich. He chewed, swallowed, and let out a groan of satisfaction as he took another bite. Amara pursed her lips in impatience and poked at her food, then took a bite. It was a fruit salad, and it tasted fresh. Her stomach cramped as she swallowed, then began to hastily eat. After a couple of minutes, Kiernan set his remaining bit of sandwich down and poured himself another few fingers of whiskey. He took a sip and looked at Amara. This robe was also far too large, and it only emphasized the difference between her petite, slender form and his taller, stockier build. "We convince your father that you coming with me was voluntary," he continued and took another sip. "Get him to believe we are in this together...a sort of elopement, if you would. Perhaps he will step in and persuade the Summer King that you and I aren't a threat. You being kidnapped and manipulated, possibly used against them, they can't accept that risk. But if you tell them the binding was willingly done, out of affection, maybe they won't see it as a threat. You'd be exiled, of course, but we both get to live." He finished his drink and set it down, then clapped his hands. "So! We go talk to your daddy, convince him we're lovers, he'll use his influence to protect his daughter, and no one dies! How's that sound?" Amara set her empty bowl on the table and finished the grape she had been eating. She looked down at the floor for a moment or two, then raised her gaze to meet Kiernan's. "It sounds...completely stupid," she said quietly. "Your plan all hinges on one thing; me lying and saying that I went with you on my own." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You assaulted me, molested me, kidnapped me, and beat me. You're a cruel bastard and I obviously don't love you." The scorn in her voice was almost palpable. "You're a wizard, you should know that if a faery knowingly speaks an untruth, we lose our immortality, and our magic. Your plan needs me to lie, and I can not lie."