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Gilded in Gold Ch. 01

By: silverangel621



(Hello, everyone. The wonderful AdrianaBelen edited these pervious chapters and will be editing my future Gilded in Gold Chapters. For readers tuning in, I hope you like these edited chapters and to the fans of Gilded in Gold, lol sorry if I brought your hopes up by thinking this is a new installment. Next chapter will be posted soon :)

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Chapter 1

She was creating art with one of the finest tools at her disposal: a live breathing canvas. Tibby softly ran the fat, short bristled brush with bright, glittering pink blush over the pale crest of the woman prostrated before her. She had already darkened the woman's brow with a dark pencil to give contrast against the peachy color of her face. Her eyes were left bare except for some mascara on her lashes, with tiny small water diamonds glued to the ends. The woman's Slavic face already created hollows beneath her cheek, so Tibby had decided to forgo bronzer and a highlighter. Her lips were painted a soft, peachy pink with a dab of gloss on top to give it a soft glossiness without looking too brash.

Tibby had chosen a simple, pale pink dress to compliment both the girl and her makeup. Zena, as Daniel called her, had few attributes except for the innocent look in her eyes so Daniel had sold her to capitalize on that. The other girls usually favored a bolder eye coloring but on Zena, the soft color seemed to be more fitting. She was already one of the top earning girls in their house.

"Alright, I think you're done!" Tibby finished with one last swipe of the brush and sat back to admire her work. Zena slowly stood up and smiled tightly at her, avoiding eye contact. Tibby lowered her own eyes when she saw that the woman's black stare was just to the left of her shoulder.

"You look lovely," Tibby whispered as she got up and handed her the shoes she had picked to go with the ensemble. "Would you like some jewels this time?" Tibby asked, her hand already reaching into one of the jewelry boxes.

"The men seem to like me in them." Without my clothes on.

Tibby didn't need to hear the unspoken words to know that that was what Zena meant, so she merely gulped and nodded. She took out a stand of small, opaque pearls with a water diamond clasp. As Zena stood like a statue, Tibby wound the long strand around her slim, pale neck once and let the rest of it trail over her sternum and halfway down her cleavage. The skintight dress was long-sleeved, with a net back and a neckline to her navel. The skirt skimmed over her narrow hips buts flowed out in a mermaid style.

After Tibby brushed down the nonexistent wrinkles on the skirt, she gingerly held out an old handheld mirror to the older woman.

"Would-would you like to see yourself?"

This time, Zena's smile was bitter, accentuating her canine teeth. "I can't stand to see myself, sweet."

Feeling like a complete idiot, Tibby stepped back and let the taller woman exit, catching the scent of the expensive Le Faure Parfume.

It was almost six, so that meant that her brother would be opening the club pretty soon. Today was only one of the few days that he was ahead of schedule. She usually started at three o'clock to get all the girls ready and finished within an hour into the opening. Two of the usual girls had succumbed to the Aklean disease and the girl who gave her the most trouble was surprisingly absent. Relieved that she wouldn't have to see Alexxa today, Tibby began putting her expensive makeup kit away. Daniel spent over five hundred dollars a month for each girl in makeup alone, not to mention the dresses and the shoes, Tibby was sure he made more than tenfold off of them than what he spent for them every week.

With everything locked away in the room, Tibby closed the door and headed towards her room on the upper floor in the Far East corner, the farthest suite from any of the girls or the various men in the house.

~Tibby, come see me. Now.~

Tibby shivered involuntarily as her brother's voice floated through her head in an eerie echo. Recently, Xerxes Corp. had come out with a new program that allowed for a Psych human to create a barrier and give it to a person of their bloodline. Just a month ago, Tibby had undergone the microscopic implantation surgery to have the program chip inserted in her brain and the barrier had been set up. She was honestly grateful to her brother who had given her such a thing. Being part of a five percent minority that were being herded daily into camps to be picked up by bonded Psychs or captured and killed for gain, Tibby knew that this was something that would keep her safe. But it seems that having a part of her brother essentially live in brain was a total invasion of her privacy. Not that she had any deep dark secrets -- how could she, she had lived her entire life under the close confines of her brother's scrutiny, and for the past five years she had rarely left her suite on the third floor of The Wicked Lady.

Reluctantly, she headed for the service elevator that lead straight down to the underground floor to her brother's office. Daniel was always there until opening time; then he would go out in the ballroom to entertain and watch his numerous, glittery wares. A tall bodyguard stood waiting for her when the wrought iron elevator doors slid open with a chipper ping. Tibby smiled up at Javier, but the stoic man stepped back and motioned for her to continue ahead of him.

The long dark hallway was cold and quiet, eerie 18th century oil lamps flicked over their forms and cast long shadows on the rich, blood red carpet. Sensual portraits by the artist Calvin Copeman decorated the walls in 4 by 3 gilt frames. As they walked, Tibby crossed her arms over herself and began rubbing up and down to ward off the chill.

Finally, they came to the large door leading into her brother's office. Javier leaned passed her and opened the door, giving her a small push and firmly shut the door behind her.

"Daniel?" Tibby called out into the dimly lit room. Looking around, there were books everywhere. Daniel loved books and his love was shown in the floor to ceiling bookshelf that housed books as far back to the 16th century. There were even some books from the 22nd century, before people had gotten rid of paper forms forever. Tibby never understood his penchant for published, leaflet books. Only one wall held a seven foot high fire place with a 150 inch monitor on top. In front of the fireplace was a huge, glass mosaic desk, sans Daniel.

"Daniel, where are you?" Tibby tried again, turning around the room looking for him. Low animal grunts permeated the room from behind a small door in the corner. It was the room Daniel typically used to house his many drinks. Frowning, Tibby hurried to the door and threw it open.

The scene that greeted her almost had her running in the other direction to the bathroom. The muffled grunts she had mistakenly thought coming from an animal were coming from none other than Alexxa, the newest girl to the house. Naked on the ground, kneeling on all fours with her hands bound, Alexxa was gagged with what seemed to be a lace scrap, presumably her own panties. Her brother Daniel was behind her on his knees, fucking her with rough strokes; one hand tangled in her hair, while holding the elastic band of the lace, reining her in like a horse.

But what really made Tibby want to hurl was seeing Daniel gleefully run a long, sharp shard of broken glass down Alexxa's back. Tibby could see the moving butterfly tattoos decorating her once pristine back being grotesquely cut in two. A blue and yellow butterfly tried to escape the attack but one of its wings was attached solely by the tip. Tibby took a step back and heard the crunch of broken glass under her feet. It was then she noticed that the trail of broken glass led to the sadistic and bloody scene in the drink room.

With a sudden vicious movement, Daniel brought Alexxa kneeling up to her knees in front while grinding his cock inside of her. Tibby forced back a dry heave and clenched her fists when she saw that Alexxa was kneeling in more glass with a few small pieces embedded deep in her arms and thighs. What she supposed had once been the neck of a very expensive 21st century wine bottle, was now sticking gruesomely out of Alexxa's vagina, the jagged ends moving back and forward with Daniel's movements.

"C'mon slut, moan for me like a bitch in heat," Daniel growled into Alexxa's ear. Without giving her time to comply, or otherwise he quickly slid the jagged shard against her bouncing breast, making her scream in agony. However, the cut was just a thin line, Tibby noted. After all, business was business and it was stupid to damage the flesh permanently. After a girl became scarred, she was useless.

Tibby half turned away, knowing what this little scene was about. It was all her fault and she couldn't bear to look into Alexxa's eyes to see the anger and accusation that must have been there at that very moment. After a few more minutes of grunting and moaning, Daniel finished with shout and slumped over the girl, unmindful of the glass bits sticking to his own hands and knees. After all, the rest of his body was cushioned by Alexxa's body, Tibby thought bitterly.

Daniel slowly pulled himself out of the abused girl and got to his feet with a small, self-satisfied bounce. Pulling on only a pair of pants, he motioned for Tibby to follow him outside of the room, sparing not a single glance to Alexxa. Daniel put his arm around his sister and Tibby forced herself not to flinch or cringe in revolt. Tibby took a quick look back and felt immediate relief to see that the girl's chest was moving in small increments.

"Well, my little tabby cat, did that make you feel better?"

"That was for my benefit?" Tibby asked cautiously, trying not to infuse any of her feelings in the question.

"Of course, darling. She needed to be punished after she made you cry yesterday. But I think the little slut actually enjoyed that," Daniel chuckled and looked back at the prone girl with an oddly affectionate glance. Tibby forced a laugh that she hoped sounded derogatory, knowing that if he knew what was going on in her head, she too would be punished.

She had learned a long time ago that she was never to offer an opinion on how he treated the girls. If she ever failed to properly appreciate anything he did for her, he made it so that she would. At first, it had been physical abuse, a few slaps and pinches that escalated to punches and kicks when she was old enough to talk back. Eventually, their father had caught Daniel in one of his rages and told him that those kinds of outbursts were plebian and archaic.

When Tibby was 15, she had helped one of the girls give birth and on request of the girl, had tried to sneak the baby into the Saint Teresa's Orphanage Home, but had been caught by Daniel. Initially, he hadn't wanted to believe that she was doing it of her own will and had thrown the still recovering girl to the Scavengers. When Tibby had implored for him to take Melina out of the Barren Lands, he had forced her to watch the footage of what happened to her. Then, at her father's suggestion, Daniel had invaded her mind and projected her in Melina's place as the Scavengers had swarmed all over her body and devoured her.

That day she had been raped by multiple Scavengers as they tore out her tongue and ate her flesh, all in Melina's body. It took 26 minutes and 37 seconds for Melina to die when she finally succeeded in drowning herself in the small pool of blood beneath her. Her torment ended there but Tibby had relived those minutes for the next year and it had taken an additional five years to finally be able to sleep at night. Daniel had eventually taken the experience of what happened to Melina out of Tibby's mind but Tibby still knew that it happened. Although she does not remember having firsthand experience, Tibby knows that just as happened before it can easily happen again.

From then on, she had distanced herself from all the girls, not that they were clamoring for her company. After that incident, none of the girls even dared to look at her wrong, except for Alexxa. Now Alexxa knew.

"You-you said you wanted to see me?" Tibby took a seat opposite his desk as Daniel comfortably leaned a hip against it.

With his hair mussed and his cheeks flushed from his recent play, he looked rakish and charming. He shared Tibby's own golden coloring, with gleaming gold colored hair and light, hazel eyes. Daniel and Tibby could almost be twins, they looked so alike. He was only a few inches taller than her 5'5 stature and was leanly muscled. It was the perfect golden mask that drew in the rich, upper-class Psychs into the Red Lands.

"Yes, I did. I thought you would enjoy that," he said with a wave towards the drink room. Tibby could not look into his eyes as she muttered a yes and nodded. "And, I wanted to ask if you would like to attend the Midnight Gardens this year."

The crackle of the artificial fire in the hearth seemed deafening in the ensuing silence. The Midnight Gardens is an annual event held for two weeks, starting with Halloween and ending with Hale's Day. Two weeks full of every conceived debauchery and depravity, it was also a week where the new girls were introduced and auctioned off in a "Virgin Auction", so named for the girl's first time as paid companion for The Wicked Lady. Tibby thought she was about to take her place in the Virgin Auction.

"God, no, Tibby!" Daniel sprung towards Tibby, causing her to flinch. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pulled her up and into his arms. It was then that Tibby realized that she was crying.

"God, I would never do that to you! Did you really think that I would put you the Virgin Auctions?"

Tibby sniffed and leaned her head back to look her brother in the eye. "But, you said I was going to the Midnight Gardens. What else does a woman do there but ...that?"

He looked pained as he tenderly wiped a tear from her cheek. "Tabby cat, women other than escorts go the Gardens. I want you to go as my beloved sister. I want to show you off in a gorgeous dress and let all the men and see my beautiful sister. The only reason I haven't asked you before is that you had no barriers before." Tibby's hand unconsciously went to the small scar just above her ear hidden by her hairline that was left after her surgery.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked quietly, her eyes downcast.

"Nothing, my love," Cupping her cheek, he placed a kiss on her forehead. "You eat, drink, revel in the glory of the Cross name. You are to be my hostess. Can you do that for me?"

Tibby lifted her chin in a small nod. It did not matter if she wanted to go or not.

"I will of course make it known that you are not to be touched, and you will always stay by my side during the night parties. A guard will be given to you ..." In other words, she was not supposed to cavort with any of the males or females. Even if she had a choice, she would not anyway. Daniel was still outlining his rules and the last bit caught her attention. "... My friends will want to meet you. Just talk and laugh at their stupid jokes and they'll like you."

"Is it important for them to like me?"

"You are a Cross. You represent the name. I mean to bring you further into the business and this will give you an opportunity to dip your feet into the world I live and work in. Don't worry, no matter what you, they will love you."

"Thank you Daniel. Of course, I will try to be my most charming." The wooden tone of her voice was completely lost on him; he beamed at her as if she had just achieved a great accomplishment. In a way, maybe she had. This was the first path towards maybe someday becoming just like him.

"Danny, I've finished with the girls early today so I thought I would turn in early. May I go now?"

Daniel frowned at her and Tibby's heart jolted in her chest. What could she have said to set him off this time? Should she have thanked him for letting her go outside? Some might think that keeping her inside of the Wicked Lady for the past eight years was cruel but Tibby liked the solitude. She had her own rooftop garden just outside her terrace so she never lacked for fresh air and she did not want to make friends with the people that were available and she did not think that nice people would want to be friends with someone like her.

"You just called me Danny. You haven't called me that since we were kids."

Tibby hadn't called him Danny since Melina.

"I've missed calling you Danny," Tibby improvised, hoping like hell her sickly smile could be mistaken for one of affection. "I'm just so happy about this. I want to make you proud of me."

Daniel smiled and kissed her cheek, lingering just a few seconds too long. Looking into eyes so like his own, he ran a thumb across her dry lips.

"Remember all the rules and you will make me proud. Now go, there are dark smudges under your eyes and you should get some rest. I won't be seeing you until we leave for the Gardens in two days. Javier will pack for you."

Stepping away, Tibby took one more glance at Alexxa. "Should I call the medic?"

"No, I'm not finished with her."

Those ominous words urged Tibby to open her mouth in protest but a fleeting image of Melina's body through her eyes stopped her and Tibby nodded. She almost tripped over her feet trying to get to the door and flung it open to Javier and two more of the guards. She slid past them and watched as they filed past her and shut the door firmly in her face.

She quickly ran for the elevator. No matter how thick the walls were, sometimes screams slid past the mortar. She was breathing hard by the time the elevator reached the fourth floor so as soon as she got into the hallway, she slid down the wall and put her face between her knees. That helped to calm her mind and she brought forth a picture of a fantasy. It was more of a memory, but it was so long ago that it seemed like it had been a fantasy.

She was on a farm somewhere, probably in the Onyx Lands, so named for their black mountains, where technology had been outlawed. Some radicals had forsaken the new technology and gone back to the ways of farming and hunting. She and her brother were playing with their mother, a small gentle woman who always had a smile and a hug ready for them. Danny was always pulling on her braids but to make up for that, he would lift her up on his thin shoulders and run all around the yard, making her squeal like one of their pigs. Their mother would reprimand them but a smile would be lurking behind her sparking eyes. Tibby could almost feel the natural breeze, instead of the Jael Corp. imported air and artificial breezes. That breeze carried the scent of farm life: manure, grass, sweat, hay, lavender, mud, vanilla cookies...

Tibby snapped her eyes open and found herself curled on the red carpeted hallway in a fetal position. With the slow movements of an arthritic patient, she unfurled herself and headed towards her suite of rooms. A lone, unadorned door opened to a spiral staircase, at the end was a white painted door carved form genuine cherry wood.

Her suite included a small sitting room that she had decorated with a cream sofa set and yellow pillows with winsome flowers. Off to one side was a desk with her Personal Assistant Computer Technophyte, or PACT, as they called it now, then there was her bedroom, her own haven. High, with numerous plush pillows and gauze drapes that gave it a dreamlike quality, her bed beckoned. But she after what she had seen with Alexxa, she knew she would keep seeing the girl's pained expression every time she closed her eyes.

Grabbing up an old fashioned pencil and a pad of papers, she headed out to what she called her balcony. It was really the rooftop of the building. It had once been a rooftop garden, with a small pool I the middle that had long since dried up. The empty pots and paved pathway winding artfully around to towards the pool always enchanted her. The deserted look suited her fine, reminiscent of her life now.


Gilded in Gold Ch. 02



While the annual event at the Midnight Gardens was hosted by The Wicked Lady, other houses were invited, too. Invitations were based on whether they reached a quota set by The Wicked Lady. Tibby wondered why Daniel's house wanted the completion to thrive but knowing Daniel, their success probably meant his too. The Gardens were located on a small island near France, on what used to be England. In order to salvage the dying land after the Fourth World War, the large mass had been whittled down to a small island privately owned by the leader of the Sky Landers, Neil Portman. Every year, Neil invited his friends and colleagues to the island to enjoy a much needed vacation.

Tibby stepped off the ship, arm in arm with her brother. The woman and men of their house were clothed in shapeless black garbs and veils; they were closely followed and guarded by one of Daniel's personal crew.

A suited woman was there to greet them at the entrance of the portal. She led them to their personal suites on the islands only palace, The Buckingham Palace. There was a small village a few miles from the palace but it was sectioned off for the occasion. As she was being led to her apartments, Tibby only got a glimpse of the numerous people who were decorating the grounds around the Palace and the new arrivals. They were a week early from the opening date, when the Halloween ball would begin with an introductory ceremony for the upper echelon of Psychs. The following day would be the Virgin Auctions, which meant four days for the revelers to enjoy their purchases, with random parties and events. The next few days were filled with various games, ending with the final grand event, a large ball before everyone's departure.

After Daniel saw her into her room, which was connected to his own private suite, he locked her in to prevent any of the guests to happen upon her before he had the chance to put a warning out about her. He still had to purchase the upgrade on her protection barrier so he was waiting for Zerxes Novos himself, the inventor of the transferable barrier.

Ever since the Psych's had gone from a minority to a majority, Psych's had been required by law to project a mind barrier so they couldn't invade each other's minds. The higher a Pysch's level was, the easier it would be to break through the barrier but those few minutes needed to break through would give the other Pysch enough time to run or cause a distraction. Xerxes Novos had created a program that allowed relatives to transfer a barrier they created to their own blood. It became popular among families who had a high level Psych; a 3.5 Psych could have the barrier of a 4.6 level Psych.

It was said that Xerxes had come up with it because of his own situation. He was born a 1.2, while the rest of his siblings were above the 4.0 mark, while his youngest brother was in the top ten of the highest level of Psych's at a 6.8. Tibby had very few interests but the story of Xerxes greatly interested her. He had been a black sheep, supposed to be thrown out into the Low Lands, but his oldest sibling had taken him under his wings. Stephen Novos was one of the High Six, a group of world leaders who suggested rules for society. Tibby was suitably impressed by all of Zerxes Novos' achievements but what interested her was how he had been loved and protected by his own family, a totally foreign thing to her.

Tibby locked the door on her end, and both the hallway her brother's room. Deciding that she might as well enjoy this little trip, she pushed aside the light white curtains to the balcony door and took in the beautiful view of a real ocean. Over three quarters of the world's oceans were still being cleaned up of the toxic waste. This was one of the places that had clean, crystal blue oceans. This was also the only ocean that Tibby had ever seen. She found that she liked the ocean; the rhythmic waves soothed her and the occasional seagull squawking made she smile. At least one good thing came out of this trip.

A knock came at her door and Tibby started up from her chair and looked at the clock inside her room. She had dozed for about an hour or so. When she opened the door, two women quietly came in, one pushing in a rack of glittery new clothes and the other was carrying a large, black box.

"Did my brother send you?" Tibby asked of the women. They wore the insignia of the palace on their biceps and the white and gold colors that seemed to be the theme of the palace.

The brunette that came in with the clothes smiled and shook her head.

"You must be new here. The Palace provides clothes and accessories for all of their guests here. I'm Mina by the way. Have you had time to check out your closet?" Mina chattered as she led Tibby to sit in front of a vanity mirror.

"I have a closet?"

"Of course you do honey. But those are just normal wear." The other woman chirped up.

Mina chuckled. "Cass, one of those normal clothes cost more than what we make in a month."

Cass continued on as if Mina hadn't spoken. "These clothes are for the ball tonight and the other special occasions in the next two weeks."

"And we're here to dress you and get you ready." Mina finished.

Tibby looked at the clock again, which read four o'clock.

"I thought that the party doesn't start until nine."

"Oh, you sweet, naive girl, it takes that long to get you ready," Cass shook her head despairingly.

"So, what color do you like?" Mina asked without looking at her, already rifling through the rack of clothes.

Before Tibby could answer, Cass spoke up for her.

"Go with the gold. We'll dress her up as the color gold. It's original and simple. It's brilliant!"

"Hmm, she would look lovely in gold. Simple makeup and red lipstick?"

"Yeah, and heavy eyelashes with the tear drops."

"What about jewelry?"

Cass looked away from her black box and looked at Tibby's chest. "I'm guessing you're a thirty four C, honey?"

Tibby could only nod, too fascinated by the two women who seemed to work in tandem. Mina had isolated four dresses, all in black, that she laid out on the bed. Mina took out a small microchip from each of the dresses, put in some code, almost magically, the clothes changes colors to varying shades of gold. Tibby had heard of such material, but never seen it on any of the girls she dressed for the brothel, in her house. Cass meanwhile had littered small, crystal bottles onto the vanity in front of her.

"No jewelry, Mina, so I'm expecting to see some cleavage."

"What?!" Tibby started to get up but Cass held her down and began slathering some flowery cream on her face with a blunt bristled brush. It was disconcerting to be on the other end of the brush, being primped instead of primping.

"I-I don't show a lot of skin. I don't like to."

"How would you know, sweetie? I'll bet you have a hundred pairs of clothes that are all cookie cut like that the outfit you have on here," Cass flicked at the lapel of her cotton shirt with disgust. Tibby looked at Cass's own uniform of a low cut, silk white top and a flowing, gauzy gold skirt. Mina wore a match top but paired it with shiny, metallic gold pants.

"Just a little hint, go with Cass, she knows her stuff. And you'll be saving some time. She always wins arguments." Mina advised.

"Yep, listen to Momma Cass." Cass smirked as she slathered the cream away with an eraser wand.

Tibby took the warning to heart, after many years of being under her brother's foot; it was ingrained in her not to do much protesting. She didn't care one way or the other what she looked like, so whatever she did or did not show mattered nothing to her. But no matter how much she told herself she didn't care, she could not help herself from looking into the mirror with a small thrill of pleasure when she saw what the two ladies had done.

It had taken then three hours to finish with her. Mina had squeezed her into a glittery gold evening gown with a sweetheart bodice and mermaid skirt. It looked like the sequins were minutely rearranging themselves on her body. Cass had decided to forgo the lash tears and instead drew a thick line over her eye lids that that extended into fanciful swirls to her temples. Her lips were the only part of her that wasn't an endless gold; it was a bright red that almost made her lips look bloody and bruised. She wore matching red shoes but they only peeped out when she walked. Mina assured her she looked perfect, ravishing and elegant.

Tibby's hair had been zapped into loose curls that hung down her back and elongated so that it almost hung to her butt. Tibby almost asked how she was supposed to get back her shoulder length hair but she discovered that her hidden vanity actually wanted to keep the long locks. Highlights and lowlights had been added to the golden mass and the lash tears had been intermittently added to the ends of her hair.

During the long and arduous process, Tibby had felt like a Christmas tree, not that she had ever decorated one. The ones she saw on the holograms looked so beautiful but her brother never celebrated Christmas the way people did in the movies. Instead, he had the women in the brothel pose and men would decorate them women instead of a tree. Of course, for the occasion, there was twenty foot plastic tree in the great room already decorated that he had delivered every year.

Mina had wanted to spray her bare arms and chest with a gold glitter, but Cass had scoffed at the idea, complaining that it would be too much glitter. Instead, she had rubbed some pearl lotion all over her, including her face so that she gleamed like the color of a pearl, then attached small champagne colored diamonds in a line from just behind her ears on both sides, going down her neck and across her shoulders to stretch out on her arms and landed at her middle finger.

For the first time in her life, Tibby felt beautiful as she slowly surveyed herself in the mirror. But she didn't want to feel this way; she had no reason to look pretty. The other women that she helped to look pretty did that for the men who would purchase them. Was that what she was doing? After all, her brother had said that he wanted her to represent the face of the Cross family. She was looking pretty for all of his future clients. She was just putting on a golden, glittery front to their dark, dirty business.

"You look lovely," Mina smiled as she twitched the fabric of the skirt to her to her liking.

"I've outdone myself, I truly have," Cass smirked, smug in her talent. Tibby cracked a small smile and Mina laugh wholeheartedly.

"God, you are so self-absorbed," Mina teased.

Cass looked affronted. "I am a master and she is merely the canvas."

"A beautiful canvas," Mina was quickly to defend Tibby and she felt an odd sensation in her chest. After the initial awkward question directed about Tibby's own life that she had gone silent at, Cass and Mina had chattered about their own lives. In the past three hours, the two women had chatted about Cass' husband and kids and Mina's new designs for the Palace and her dating life. They had included Tibby in their conversation, asking her about all the small things in her life. Tibby felt like she knew these kind and amazing women and thought that she could be their friends. She wanted a friend so badly.

"Thank you, both of you. Cass is right, I am a mere canvas and what she did turned me into this," Tibby indicated towards herself. "And your dress is lovely," Tibby addressed Mina, whom she had learned was one of the designers for the Palace events, which offered all the clothes for the events that took place at the Palace. Cass was one of the women who did the makeup and she was also one of the key holders to the Palace Jewels.

Cass preened and Mina waved off her compliment, demurring that it was her, Tibby, who did justice to the dress. Tibby had discovered that where Cass was more self-assured and confident in her worth and abilities, Mina preferred to work in the background quietly and without acknowledgment.

As both of them prepared to leave, Tibby bit her lips from asked them a question that had been burning in her mind.

"Will I see you two again?" she blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer.

"Of course you will, honey. We've been especially selected for you, and trust me, we come at a hefty price," Cass said.

"And we like you. You actually listen to me instead of just talk about yourself," Mina leveled a mock glare as Cass who merely shrugged and grinned.

"What?" she threw up her hands in question. "I have a very interesting life. People need to hear about it."

All three of the women laughed.

A few minutes after the two women left, her door was pushed aside and in came Daniel. The small amounts of happiness she had felt in the past hour all seeped away; she felt like one of his women being assessed. It was not pleasing. Tibby stood perfectly still, trying not to let that dark thought creep up and show up in her face. Daniel couldn't want to sell her could he? He said she was to be the face of their house. But did that entail anything other than posing at these events?

"You look beautiful, sister." Daniel himself didn't look bad either. Forgoing most of the fashion these days, he wore a simple suit in coal black with aramid fabric with red accents, his blonde locks slicked back.

"Thank you, Daniel." If her answer seemed monotone, he didn't comment. Instead, he ran a finger down the length of his breastbone accent, and the red color turned to the same shade of gold as her down. Then, he held out his hand to her, beckoning her towards one of the full mirrors in the room. She had learned long ago never to show any hesitation so she readily placed her hand in his, looking at their clasped hands in small wonder. A gesture of willing trust had turned into one of captivity and fear.

"Would you just look at us? We make quite a striking couple!" Daniel grinned as she held her a little in front of him; surveying them together from top to bottom. Tibby nodded and smiled, wondering where he was going with this. Daniel was never one to go out of his way to compliment.

Daniel brushed his fingers down her neck and shoulders and followed the trial of stones down her arms on each side, until Tibby ended up right in front of her, her arms spread out and supported by Daniel from behind. He affectionately leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head then wrapped his arms around her.

"You look like you belong to me," he whispered into her ear.

"I do," Tibby whispered back.

"It makes me happy looking at you. And I'm sure it'll do more for the men at the party tonight. And more than a few women, too," he chuckled. Tibby could only nod.

"But remember, you belong to me and you always will."

Again, Tibby nodded, not meeting his eye in their reflections.

"Good. Remember that and we won't have any problems." With that veiled threat delivered, he spun her around and to her shock, placed a kiss on her lips. Tibby didn't dare pull away, willing the trembling in her body to disappear. While incestuous relations were still frowned upon to this day and age, it was still common, as long as the parties involved were fully willing and subtle about it. It was a relationship that was denied on paper but fully practiced in real life.

Daniel pulled away and gently smiled at her. He pressed a thumb into her mouth, opening her up for a deeper kiss as this time he let his tongue enter her mouth.

Her first kiss.

Tibby's mind recoiled from the thought and her body suddenly jerked, breaking contact. Instead of a quick retaliation, as she expected, Daniel merely touched own lips and looked quizzically at her. He nodded, as if she had passed some test.

"Come. You are ready." This time, Tibby was more hesitant to take his hand. He noticed; surprisingly he didn't say anything.

Tibby now knew what he intended. He not only wanted her as host, he wanted her in his bed. He wanted sex. And he was dressing her up and taking her to parties to woo her. Tibby clenched the hand that he wasn't holding into a fist, feeling like such a fool. She had taken pleasure at her own sick seduction, she should have known better. She had seen the previous girls, when they had been new, given new clothes and special makeover by her own hand. Afterwards, the girl would have a new party, where she got to pick her own patron for the night.

Trying to breathe calmly, Tibby couldn't help the urge to jump out of one of the sealed windows and just run as far as she could. But where would she go? And how would she survive?

Tibby shook her head, tearing up. That didn't matter. She couldn't just have sex with Daniel, God, she couldn't even kiss again. Already she felt bile just at the back of her throat and she intended to chug down some real water as soon as she found a glass. She had to find a way to escape. What he had done five years ago had taken her body from her. But this new deviance would ravage her body more than anything the Scavengers had done; it would take her mind and twist it until Tibby hardly knew who she was. As of now, she was nothing, she had no interests and she was pleased with that. She was pleased to just float along, unnoticed and unloved. It was better than being noticed at least.

After a series of turns and a ride down the elevator, they came to a large, two story double door, which slid open at their appearance. He let go of her hand, only to wrap his arm around her waist. The door opened to a glittering display of the beginnings of the two weeks of iniquity. Costumes of all kinds surrounded them, women and men writhed on the glass ceiling, their moans and groans joining the cacophony of the conversation on the ground floor and the music played by a live sixty member band. Tibby had no time to wonder at all the displays; she was too busy trying to just breathe in and out.

"Daniel! You bastard, did you already claim a new girl?" A tall, silver haired man, clad in a devil's costume strode towards them.

"Seville, I'd like you to meet my sister. My better half, to be certain," Daniel swept up her hand and kissed it, looking at Seville the entire time. Seville looked from brother to sister with a growing lecherous smile.

"Oh? Is that how it is? Does she need any lessons?" he wiggled his eyes suggestively. Tibby bit her lip from screaming and felt her head spinning. She vaguely heard them both chuckle and then Daniel said something and the other man was suddenly apologizing to her. She tried to smile and waved it off. She had to get away from Daniel; she needed some air and water.

"Daniel, I-I need to use the ladies room." He frowned at her but let her go all the same.

Only her six inch heels kept her from running, but she was relieved when the crowd surrounded her and she lost sight of Daniel. She was free for the moment.

~Tibby, just call me if you need me. I'm headed off to a meeting with some of the other house leaders.~ Daniel's mental command sounded through her head.

Never free, she was never free from for Daniel, not as long as he had access to her mind. She had no idea what to do, how to get herself out of this. The last five years had her so entrenched in Daniel's web that she could no longer see a way out. Blindly stumbling towards a source of air, her hands latched onto a door handle and she pushed with all her might. Thankfully, it was a small balcony that was only occupied by one other person. A man.



Gilded in Gold Ch. 03



"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Tibby blurted out as turned back to the balcony door and jiggled the handle. A dark, swarthy hand covered her shaking ones and stopped her jerky motions.

"Relax."

The low rumble of his voice reverberated from her chest to warm and tangle down her back, sending her into shivers for an altogether different reason. The stranger's arms came around her in what seemed like a hug and Tibby stiffened for a moment. She had been told by Daniel that she was under protection but this man and this place made her realize just how easily he could hurt her or worse. If his number was higher than Daniel's, then it would be so easy to hide away her screams. Pushing got her nowhere; her shaking limbs were useless and couldn't have defended against a baby. But the man just held her, still as a statue as he allowed her small, futile struggles. After a moment, she was forced to let her body slump against him and he held her against the door. Still, he did nothing but hold her and Tibby realized she was getting her first hug from anybody since her mother died.

Absurdly, that fact seemed so very sad to her and she choked out a sob. The man was murmuring some comforting words and began to stroke his warm hands up and down her bare arms, but his actions only prodded at her tears. It felt so very nice to be offered comfort from this man, a man that didn't even know her. That fact made her cry harder until her whole body was wracked with dry heaves. She couldn't cry, she had wasted all her tears eight years ago. She felt the man turn her until she was fully nestled in his arms and he tucked her head under his chin. Tibby closed her eyes for a moment and dreamed that it was her mother who was holding her and she burrowed closer to his warmth. For just a few minutes, she promised herself, she would just stay in his arms for a few minutes then quickly excuse herself and run to her room.

"Are you okay now? Did some guy give you trouble out there?"

Her minutes were up.

Putting her hands to his chest, she pushed and he let her go. Tibby thought it would be prudent to put more distance before she spoke to him.

"I'm-I'm quite sorry about that. I just-I-" Tibby didn't know how to explain her need. How did one tell a stranger that she was so overcome by the comfort in his hug, a stranger's hug that she never wanted to be let go of.

The man across from her grinned and said "How 'bout I save you the trouble of coming up with an excuse and just introduce myself. I'm Ryan Ezekiel, hugger extraordinaire, at your service." He embellished his introduction with an elaborate bow over her hand. Tibby quickly pulled it away but gave him a small polite smile.

The man was very tall, taller than Daniel by at least half a foot. He had dark brown hair that tended to curl and gave him a boyish air. His moss green eyes were fringed with thick lashes that Tibby just knew were naturally his. He was a big man, but not overly muscular like the guards Daniel always surrounded himself with. He was quite lean, looked almost starved but his broad shoulders and easy movements hinted at a healthy diet. His slight accent gave him away to be from the Black Lands, one of the worst ghettos that bordered the Red Lands. The clothes he wore didn't seem to fit him well, probably because they slightly hung off his lean frame.

"You're from the Black Lands," Tibby whispered. While she had been sheltered, she had gotten a basic education and she knew Black Land People didn't have the capacity to hobnob with the crowds that the Midnight Garden produced. The man bared his teeth in what she supposed should have been a smile and put his forefinger to his lips.

"Don't tell anyone that, princess, or I might get thrown out of here on my ass."

Tibby winced at the crude word but stayed where she was. This man -- Mr. Ezekiel- intrigued her for some odd reason. If she was within her right mind, she would be calling for the authorities straight away instead of standing out here alone with him.

Mr. Ezekiel laughed self-depreciatingly and ran a hand through his black hair.

"Do I really look that out of place?" he asked ruefully.

"Ah, um, well you don't really...um, but uh you look..." Tibby gestured towards his nice suit as she hemmed and hawed. For some reason, she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"I'll take that as a yes. And before you run out of here, screaming your head off about a Black Lander crashing the party, I'm here on invitation. I supply for the clubs east of the lower lands."

"What do you supply?" Tibby asked with a frown. It was very uncommon for people to move about form their original homeland

"Anything the club owners want, you could just say I'm the procurer. So you wanna tell me who you are?" He asked, taking a step towards her.

Eyeing him suspiciously, she took a step back, not liking his answer. It left many fields open, he could be merely getting drinks for the club owners to scouting out clubs in the midlands for women.

"Tabitha Cross, from the Wicked Lady," she said hesitatingly, hoping the Cross name would for once do her good.

There was a glint in his eye as he grinned and nodded. "I have business with Daniel Cross. You wouldn't be his sister, would you? Or are you his wife? Or both?"

Tabitha laughed bitterly; even a stranger could tell Daniel's intensions from a mile away and yet she had to be kissed by him before she figured out what Daniel intended to do with her.

"Just his sister, for now," she added the last with more than a hint of bitterness. His eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything, thankfully.

"You wanna dance with me?"

The blunt question took Tibby by surprise and before she could agree or disagree, he grabbed her up and pulled her close to him.

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

Ignoring her, he swung her in the cramped spacing but that didn't seem to hamper him. He began humming and then the music he was humming to in his head was projected into her head. Tibby closed her eyes and gasped when she saw them dancing in the middle of the room behind them, only it was empty save them. She felt that warmth again, when she had been held in his arms, making her momentarily forget Daniel and the Wicked Lady and Melina and everything. It was just like her PACT, only, when she opened her eyes, a handsome man was grinning down at her. Feeling reckless, she smiled back at him as he swung her up in a long swinging arc. Squealing at the sudden movement, she grabbed onto his shoulder and looked down at him with laughing eyes.

"You have a beautiful laugh, Tabitha," he said, still holding her prostrate above him. Absurdly, she wondered where he got the strength.

"Tibby," she corrected automatically.

The music in her head tapered off to slowly allow the chattering of the people behind the wall to invade her senses. He slowly brought her down, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, she jerked away from him.

"I don't do this," she felt it necessary to inform him.

"Then I must be a great dancer if I got you to dance," he quipped, thankfully keeping his distance from her.

"You are," Tibby breathed, finding it difficult to gulp down air. Her palms felt sweaty and her heart was pounding. It must have been the exercise of the dance, but she didn't think she was that out of shape.

"Are you going to let me kiss you now?"

Tibby didn't know whether to be shocked or amused. Going by his grin, she decided to be amused and smiled back at him.

"Dancing to no music and then kissing a stranger seems much too close to a bad reenactment of a cliché, don't you think? How about we go off the beaten path and shake hands instead?" she asked with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Ah, so I only get relegated to a handshake? I guess I'll take it."

Holding his eye, she extended his hand and waited for him to take it. Every instinct in her body was telling her that he was going to try something so she wasn't that surprised when he pulled her to him by her hand. She closed her eyes and tilted her head like the countless women she had seen at the club do and waited for his kiss. She would have liked to be kissed by a man other than her brother at least once in her life. But he had other ideas.

"Look at me," he whispered. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see his face only inches from her, his lips only a breath away, if even that. She felt the warm brush of his breath against her lips as he talked.

"I want a kiss, badly, but you're not ready for it. And I won't take it. You'll have to give it to me, Tibby." He held her a moment longer, and then he was gone.

She looked back at him as he went back to the ballroom with a tip of his head. The Midnight Gardens were going to be interesting at best. Tibby was reluctant to admit it, but she was looking forward to seeing Ryan Ezekiel again. He was the first man who had talked to her ever since she had secluded herself in her room. He even flirted with her. It was an odd sensation, being flirted with. She had felt flustered and rushed and she had felt very unsure of herself. She couldn't decide if she liked it or not but she did know that she would rather deal with Mr. Ezekiel's kiss than her brothers.

"Tibby, there you are. I called for you but you didn't answer." Daniel's angry voice interrupted her reverie. Tibby jerked around, her heart now pounding for an altogether different reason.

"Why didn't you respond to me, Tibby?" Daniel growled, grabbing her arm in a bruising grip. Careful not to flinch or pull away, Tibby scrambled for an excuse. She couldn't tell him that she hadn't heard him; she couldn't explain it herself. Ryan Ezekiel would have to have a higher number than Daniel for that to be possible but he was from the Black Lands, so that was impossible.

"I-I just needed to catch my breath, Daniel," she stuttered, hoping to placate him.

Daniel thrust her arm away from him and ran a hard hand down his face. Tibby gulped, feeling the muscles in her throat struggle to move. When he was in this mood, his actions were unpredictable. Glaring at her, then at her arm where he had grabbed her, he cursed.

"Come on in, I want to introduce you to my friends," he declared and pulled her along after him.

Daniel was trying to go slow with her, he truly was. Tibby was the love of his life and he wanted to stamp every symbol of his ownership onto her pearlescent skin. He couldn't get angry at her for ignoring him; he had after all kissed her for the first time today. Absurdly pleased when he felt that he was her first kiss, he had happily let her go. He should have kept her with him, explained himself better. It was just another mistake in a line of mistakes he had made trying to get her to be his.

Ever since he was a boy, he had always noticed Tibby and been drawn to her delicate yet fierce nature. His biggest mistake had been with that Melina girl but he couldn't be faulted for that. Stephen Cross, his father had urged him to do that and teach her a lesson. That day he had realized just how easily it would be for Tibby to seek asylum at the orphanage and be taken to the human camps. Nothing could ever take her away from him. He went a little bit crazy when he found out that she left his protection of her own volition. But Tibby was carrying her depression too far. He had generously taken the memory away, but on the good advice of his father, he made sure that Tibby knew what had happened. What was going to happen if she ever ran away from him or gave away something of his again.

The feel of her hand crushed in his comforted him somewhat, but he would feel easier if his mental stamp was on her. That way he would be privy to her every thought; not only that but every other man and woman would sense him when they approached her and know she belonged to him.

Brother and sister arrived at a small group of men and Daniel quickly made the introductions. They were all owners of nearby houses that he had known for years. The only one among the small group that he had met recently was Ryan Ezekiel. He was a man of all affairs, and a good man to have around when the authorities were sniffing around. Rumored to have been sent to the Black Lands, the man had killed his way out of there. Now he traveled around the different areas on a supposed Neutral Visa. Daniel was working on trying to get a visa from him so he could travel to the midlands to scout for more girls.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Ezekiel," Tibby said politely and Daniel proudly looked on. She was the perfect host, gracious and beautifully cool.

Ezekiel took her extended hand, but unlike the other men, he bent low over her hand and kissed it. What angered Daniel was that Tibby didn't pull away immediately; instead he noticed a hint of a smile playing around her lips. A genuine smile. These days he only got a forced smile form her, if any at all. He knew she thought she was fooling him but every time he saw it, he wanted to lash out at her. He owned her and wanted everything from her. However, this absolute stranger was poaching on his property and making her smile.

Daniel had enough and jerked Tibby's hand away from Ezekiel himself. He endured the other man's knowing smirk with clenched fists and tight lips. But Tibby's frown placated him somewhat. If he hadn't seen her distaste, no matter how belated it was, he would have had to teach her a small lesson later tonight.

"Excuse me, guys, but I think I should go take my sister out for a spin on the dance floor." Daniel smiled widely when Tabitha almost pulled him onto the middle of the dance floor. Holding her close, he twirled her into the crowd of other dancers.

"Do you know that man, Mr. Ezekiel well?"

Daniel had hoped that they could talk more about them but he supposed he should do the brotherly thing and warn her off that man.

"He's working on getting me a visa," Daniel boasted, but not too loudly lest the other revelers overhear. "He's a nobody, no one you need to concern yourself with. He's a lackey for us owners."

"Oh. That's great," Tibby said absently. She let Daniel lead her around blindly, hardly paying any attention to what she was doing. The moment she had touched Mr. Ezekiel, she felt something different in him - something darker. His touch had frightened and the mental; caress he sent out to her had felt more threatening than comforting. Before, she felt at ease with him but this time she hadn't recognized the man that stood before her. He seemed bigger, not as starved looking like before. His moves were as sinuous as a snake and she was a little mouse waiting for him to strike. Maybe adventure wasn't what she needed at the Midnight Gardens. She vowed to lay low for the duration of the event and avoid Mr. Ezekiel. Daniel was an evil she knew; Mr. Ezekiel could possibly be something worse.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Xerxes Novos made no attempt to pretend that he wasn't looking at Tabitha Cross as she danced with her brother. The other men who noticed ribbed him about gutter trash like him wanting a princess like her. If only they knew who he was. The persona of Ryan Ezekiel served him well for this mission. It would open the doors he needed and get him into places that his real name never could.

Tabitha kept glancing at him throughout her dance and as the night progressed, he kept feeling her stare on him; he would smirk back at her anytime he caught her eye, which usually sent to her scurrying in the opposite direction from him.

~You let her feel you. I felt her fear. ~

Xerxes bared his teeth in a savage grin and took a drink of the champagne. Elijah Novos was part of a small number of people whose number was above the 6.5 mark; he was also his brother. Elijah was projecting Ryan's image onto Xerxes and was hiding his Sky Land origins so he could blend in with the Red Landers.

~Then I did good. ~

Xerxes had no compunction about scaring that bitch. His younger brother's frustrated sigh reverberated through his mind.

~She expected the charming, comforting Ryan Ezekiel, not the I'll-bite-your-hand-off normal you.~

Xerxes brushed his comment away and put up a block against him. He felt a persistent knocking, but with the new program that he was working on, it merely caused him a mild headache instead of the full out brain seizure Elijah's actions should have caused. It was still in the prototype area; he wanted to perfect it so that a person wouldn't feel anything at all. It would take him some time, but it was possible and the lure of more credits would speed up the process.

It was going on to midnight and the Virgin Auctions began. The different houses began parading their women and men out into the middle of the dance floor for potential buyers to pursue. Their masters had them disrobe one by one. If a potential buyer wanted to see how hot they got, they were forced to masturbate or fellatiate them. Xerxes watched all of this with a disinterested eye, casually sipping his champagne. It tasted like horse piss and he had to put up with these second rate accommodations until he got what he came here for. He only had thirteen more days to find what he was looking for and steal it away.

"Ezekiel, I've got a job for you." Daniel Cross came up behind him and slapped him on the shoulder. Xerxes looked at him coolly until the other man took his hand away with a sly look.

"What do you want, Cross?" Ryan's persona was supposed to be charming and sly but Xerxes was getting impatient. He found being blunt in his business got him what he wanted faster.

"I like a man who gets straight to the point."

"Then get to the point." Xerxes knew what Cross wanted. It was what every one of the owners wanted when they heard he had managed to get a Neutral Visa. Those were issued only by the government and especially selected private companies. Xerxes' company hadn't been approved to distribute Neutral Visa's but that didn't mean that Xerxes didn't know how to make one. Neutral Visa's allowed their carrier to travel between the three different levels of lands, and like the name implied, their number became a neutral for the duration of their travels. They were immune to mental attacks, but it had a limit of the amount of attacks it could take before the shield cracked. And it needed constant recharging. A person could only travel to a different level for a day before going back to neutral lands for a recharge.

"I think you already know what I want. I'm willing to give you twenty million credits." Daniel didn't blink as he named the staggering amount. In this day and age, ten million was a drop in the bucket, but only for Sky Landers. However, it was almost unheard of amount for Red Landers to possess.

"Don't insult me, Cross, its worth more than twice that," Xerxes lied smoothly. That was true for genuine Visas. The one that he made came apart after a few days and was probably only worth a million, if that.

"I'll bump it up to thirty," Daniel continued doggedly.

"Fifty," Xerxes stated, his tone letting Daniel know that the other man wouldn't budge.

"How the hell do you expect to draw in customers when your asking price is that high?" Daniel asked, his eyes narrowed. He wondered where this little shit had gotten the balls to bargain with a Red Lander.

"I haven't had problems. If you can't meet my price, then I'm just wasting my time with you."

Daniel narrowed his eyes but nodded his head.

"Fine. But I want a trial run on it before I buy it."

Xerxes fought hard not to smirk gleefully; he had this bastard right where he wanted him. He would have what he wanted before Daniel needed to use the Visa.

"Good. I'll need a map of your mind before I begin, then you'll need to be there for a few sessions as I add it into your walls."

Daniel nodded and held out the keycard to Xerxes, which he took. Xerxes was very tempted to just slit his throat when the other man was sleeping but that wouldn't get him what he wanted. By the time he was done fucking with Daniel's brain, he'd be a drooling vegetable.



Gilded in Gold Ch. 04



The revelers of the Midnight Garden were well into their parties and activities but Tibby mostly kept out of it. Not that she really had a choice. Daniel only let her out for the less raunchy parties but she didn't mind. Whenever Cass and Mina had their hours off, they would hang out in her room and Tibby got to know the two women better. She much preferred their company over the other people at the parties.

For the first time since she could remember, she had friends. She knew that Cass had a younger sister she was taking care of, was dating a police officer from the main city named Marina, and loved pineapples. Fresh fruit was a luxury but Tibby had only asked Daniel for some to be delivered to her room so the three women could enjoy the rare treat with honey. Mina was married with three children, she had mind bonded with her husband when both of them had been in the wombs of their mothers, and she was deathly afraid of drowning.

Tibby didn't really have anything to say back to them, well nothing she would ever want to talk about. When Mina asked her personal questions and Tibby had no answers, Cass usually filled in the silence with some juicy tidbit on one of the guests. But there was little she knew about the one man that had taken up permanent residence in Tibby's head.

"So, have you seen that Ezekiel guy again?" Cass asked for the seventeenth time, wiggling her eyebrows.

Tibby flushed. She had told them everything about her encounter with Mr. Ezekiel, everything but that strange feeling she had gotten off of him when she'd met him for the second time.

"Of course not, I've stayed in this room since the first night." Tibby speared a tomato and chewed on it longer than necessary just so she could avoid any further explanations. Not that she hadn't wanted to see him, hoping to catch a glimpse the few times she had left her room to see Daniel or have a private dinner with him.

"Well don't seek him out, he's dangerous," Mina finally spoke up. Every time the subject of Ryan Ezekiel came up, Mina had stayed surprisingly quiet and this was the first time she had anything to say on the subject.

"Why the hell not? I saw the man this morning and daay-um, I swear I'd proposition him into a threesome if my girlfriend let me." Tibby knew Cass was only joking since she knew Cass had never had any desire to be with a man. In her words she was a "golden lesbian."

"Wait, where did you see him?" The question slipped out before Tibby realized what she had said reeked of an interest she should not be feeling.

For once Cass looked sheepish and reluctant to divulge that information. Borrowing her chop stick, Cass took a mouthful of her spaghetti and chomped noisily.

"Tibby, dear, please stay away from him. He's dangerous," Mina reiterated.

"Why, what have you heard of him?" Tibby already knew he dabbled into illegal things, but her family made a business of it. Who was she to cast stones?

"Not much," she hedged, "But all the men he had dealings with are just a little bit afraid of him. I've heard that no one can get a read on him and his mental barriers are impassible."

"Well that just means he's got enough money to buy the latest net from Xerxes Corp," Cass pointed out.

"His barriers have never been seen. It's just a smokescreen." Every Psych could feel and see another Psych's shields, a tangible maze of walls and wires in their mind.

Cass frowned at Mina, looking affronted. "How would you know? I didn't even know that!"

"I was talking to Mistress Kadara. You know she has that security company that tried to hack into barriers right?" Both Cass and Tibby nodded. "Well, she was telling her daughter while I was doing her hair that she tried to break in but she couldn't even enter his mind to communicate."

Tibby just nodded, wondering what all that meant. Being a full human, she had the bare minimum knowledge of barriers and Daniel hadn't expanded that further than what she needed to know to survive. By the awed look on Cass's face, Tibby took that to mean that is was a big deal but she didn't think that qualified Ryan Ezekiel as a dangerous man.

"Okay, that is weird. But that can't mean he's a bad guy," Cass cried, unknowingly echoing Tibby's thoughts.

"Don't you think he's trying to hide something? He has the security of an Elite and he's clearly from the Badlands. My advice is to just steer clear of that whole mess."

Cass let the subject drop and said something about another guest but Tibby didn't hear a word of it. What Mina said made her think about what he had to hide. Again she remembered that feeling she had had of him when her brother introduced them. It was like meeting another person. The first man she had met had been warm, teasing and brazen. While not exactly safe, Tibby had felt comfortable around him. But the man she met the second time was cold and disturbing. Safety was the farthest thing from her mind when she looked into his eyes. It seemed like they were two different men but that was impossible. No one could inhabit the mind of another person, not even if the vehicle was a human. Tibby decided she was just being silly. Mr. Ezekiel had probably just acted standoffish because her brother was there.

~Tibby, come see me now.~

She jolted at the invasion of her brother's voice. Both Cass and Mina stopped their conversation and looked at her with a frown.

Mina reached out towards Tibby. "Hey, you okay?"

Forcing a smile, Tibby shook her head and merely said that her brother wanted to see her. Mina began to clear up their plates and Cass gathered up their bags. It was like clockwork. Every evening, Tibby's brother would call her just when she was having dinner with them. They knew enough about Daniel both from Tibby and previous visits that they rarely protested.

"We'll see you tomorrow 'kay?" Cass hugged Tibby with one arm as she ushered them to the door. Tibby smiled and hugged Mina before closing the door.

Pushing away from the door, she reluctantly made her way across the room to the adjoining door. It was usually left locked on Daniel's side unless he called for her. As an extra precaution, she also locked it on her side even knowing that Daniel had the key to override the lock. It made her sleep easier at night even if it was futile.

She found Daniel with his usual contingent of guards stationed around the room at various points. Daniel himself sat in a chain in the middle of the room and the very man that had been on her mind stood beside him with his PACT. A larger projection of a maze of nerves was set on the blank wall in front of Ezekiel. Mr. Ezekiel didn't even glance up from his PACT, making her just a little miffed. Daniel noticed the way she hesitated to take her seat and frowned slightly.

"Ezekiel's here to work on the Visa. Sit down."

Like a well-trained dog, she sat down on the sofa across from Daniel. Usually, these daily visits were conducted with just Daniel and the guards. He'd talk to her about his day, ask her about hers and generally act like a loving and caring brother. If Daniel hadn't kissed her, she might have naively thought that. But with that kiss, everything Daniel did for her came under a dark shadow of suspicion. He had her sit next to him on the sofa and held her hand, occasionally playing with her hair. If she tied it up, he'd roughly rip the pins out and play with her hair anyway. They could have looked like a married couple to any outsider. Thankfully, he didn't try to kiss her again.

"Stay still, I need a better read on your walls," Ezekiel commanded.

It was only then she noticed the silver sensor tabs that were attached to either sides of Daniel's forehead. The pulsed with a low blue light every time Ezekiel typed something in his PACT.

"Should I come back at a better time?" Tibby asked, fidgeting with her hands.

"No. Your brother asked me to look at your Mental Map. He told me it was malfunctioning the first day here. Something about you not responding to him?" Ezekiel smirked as he said the last. Tibby wanted to say that it was his entire fault, that he somehow blocked Daniel's call. But then Daniel would know that she had been alone with the man for some time, and then more questions would ensue. So she merely nodded, fully intending to lay the blame on Ezekiel if she got him alone.

"There, the sensors are set to do a complete scan but you need to stay as still as possible. Meanwhile, why don't I take Tibby to her room to look at her walls?" Ezekiel addressed her brother as he tucked his PACT under his arm. The projection still stayed on the wall, showing a blue and red brain with a percentage on the side.

"Why can't you do it here?" Daniel groused.

"The sensors I put on her are going interfere with yours if there's such a close proximity between the two," Ezekiel explained in a condescending tone. "I'm hardly taking her to the ends of the Earth, Cross. If you feel like I'm such a danger to her, send a guard with her."

With a quick motion of his hands, Daniel called forth one of his goons.

"He'll be watching you like a hawk, Ezekiel. She's the most precious thing in my world," Daniel said while looking directly at Tibby. The possessive words made the blood pumping through her veins run ice cold.

"How touching," Ezekiel mocked. "I'll be very gentle with her." Tibby's eyes darted to Ezekiel. His tone somehow implied the exact opposite but maybe it was only her. Daniel just nodded his head and Tibby stood to go. Ezekiel and the guard followed behind her, Ezekiel making sure to close the door behind them.

Tibby stopped in the middle of the room, consumed by nerves. She didn't know how to deal with Ezekiel.

"Um, where do you want me?"

"There is fine." Ezekiel absentmindedly gestured to the sofa next to Tibby as he began setting up his equipment. He took out two sensors and walked over to her. She kept her eyes lowered while he pushed back her hair and pressed the sensors to her forehead. She felt his fingers smooth her hair behind her ear and her eyes snapped open. The touch was gone so quickly, she half thought she imagined it.

"It was all your fault. You did something to interfere with Daniel's signal," Tibby murmured, hoping her words didn't reach the guard. He stood leaning up against the far wall.

"So I did," Ezekiel admitted with no small amount of barely restrained glee.

"Then why are you going to look over my Mental Map?"

Ezekiel bared his teeth in what she supposed could have been mistaken for a smile.

"How else was I going to get you alone?"

Tibby inhaled sharply, not sure she should be feeling pleased. This man scared her. At first he had seemed comforting but then there'd been an aura of menace around him. She didn't know which persona to trust, which one was the real Ezekiel.

"You-" Ezekiel interrupted her, placing a finger over her lips. A moment later, she heard a thud and turned to glance at where the guard had been. He lay slumped on the floor in an unconscious heap.

"Don't worry, he won't remember a thing. When he wakes up, all he'll remember is me working diligently to fix the many kinks on your walls."

"How did you do that? You can't invade someone's mind like that!" Daniel himself had paid for top-notch shields for his guards so they couldn't be easily overpowered. But it seemed like Ezekiel hadn't even broken a sweat.

"If you say so, Tibby. Just like I can't interfere with Daniel's signals, right?" Ezekiel caged her in, his arms on either side of head, his movements like that of a predator closing in on his prey.

Tibby gulped as she looked at him, her eyes wide with fear.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

His smile was mocking. "I'm Ryan Ezekiel, love. You know this."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I-I felt something. When Daniel introduced us, you felt different, like a completely different man. How can that be?" Tibby's voice trembled as she gave voice to her impossible fears. How could one man feel like two completely different people? She had never heard of such things.

"Tell me Tibby, how did meeting me the second time make you feel?"

Darting her tongue out in a quick swipe over her suddenly dry lips, she pressed herself deeper into the plush cushions. Ezekiel raised his brow and leaned in closer.

"Scared."

"And?"

"Frightened."

"And?"

"Terrified."

Ezekiel chuckled. "I never knew you were a thesaurus," he teased.

Tibby tentatively smiled back, feeling at ease with him just a bit. He almost seemed like the Ryan Ezekiel she'd met on the balcony except for the slight fear he still inspired in her.

"Hunted. I felt like I was being hunted by you. Like you were tracking my every move, just waiting to pounce," she admitted.

"Really?" Ezekiel seemed pleased. "Would it be so bad to be captured by me?"

Shyly, she lowered her lashes and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm already the captive of one man." Never in a million years would Tibby imply to anyone she was less than pleased to be with Daniel but this man could drag the darkest secrets out of her. In no way did she trust him, but neither could she resist him. "How could you be any different?"

"But I am different." Tibby felt Ezekiel's stubble scrape over the sensitive skin of the right side of her face. He rested his lips over the burning crest of her cheek. "I wouldn't cage you in with threats and keep you locked away in a room to wither away."

"You'd let me go free?" But suddenly Tibby didn't want to free, at least not from this man. The dark menace was oddly titillating her. It was the feeling one got when petting a dangerous tiger, feeling all that feral power under one's fingertips and seeing how far you could touch it until it snapped and leaped on you.

His low chuckling sounded in her ear.

"I'd never be as foolish to do that. I'd keep you locked up in a gilded cage, displayed for my pleasure. But don't worry, I'll let you out to play, of course. I want to see how sweet you can taste, how intoxicating your surrender will be. I'll brand you with my scent, my touch until you know you're mine without needing any kind of cage. You won't be my captive, you'll be my obsession."

His words were a threat, clear and simple. They should have had Tibby running and screaming from the room to Daniel. Fear should have had her heart pounding, and her hands should be pushing his away. Instead a wicked longing to be laid out for this man's pleasure licked up her spine.

"No..." Tibby put her hands out to his shoulder, exerting little pressure. Her nails dug into the tense muscles there.

"Yesss," he hissed, his lips at the corner of her mouth.

"You're not good for me," Tibby protested; more for her benefit that his. Maybe reminding herself why she shouldn't be thinking about kissing him, feeling his lips force hers open would actually stop her from having these dangerous thoughts.

"Yes, I'm very, very bad for you. I'd corrupt you, ruin you," he promised wickedly.

"Ruin me..." Tibby didn't mean for the words to sound like an invitation, but he took them as such.

"My pleasure," Ezekiel suddenly pushed her down on the sofa and straddled her hips before blanketing her with his lean body. It was done so fast, so smooth; she didn't even have time to squeal. Tibby couldn't breathe, not because he was heavy but for the first time she felt the hard contours of man on top of her. Her whole body seemed to pulse under him, quivering like a tuning fork. She remembered the Scavengers, and how they swarmed over her body ravenous in their unholy desire to taste her flesh. But this -- this felt like nothing she had ever experienced. She could barely think beyond the next place where Ezekiel might put his lips. He brushed them gently over the hills and dips on her face, the touch butterfly soft.

"What are you doing?" Tibby's words came out on a puff of air.

"Breaking my promise," Ezekiel growled against her lips just before he kissed her. She gasped, unwittingly giving him the very opening he was looking for her. His tongue invaded her mouth like a conquering marauder, but it enticed her tongue to a lover's waltz. It was hot and slippery, his tongue rough. Every inch of her mouth was minutely explored, her teeth caressed. He breathed the air form her lungs, making her light headed. She feared she would pass out until he gave her his own breath.

His hands roamed down her sides, stopping at her waist. The tips of his fingers teased the small expanse of stomach that was exposed from her shirt. Tibby's hand jerked to his when she felt his touch, having never felt another's naked touch on that part of her body. She held his wrist immobile but she didn't fool herself into thinking that he stayed still because of her. It was done on his own will.

"Kiss me back." Ezekiel's lips briefly left hers to usher that command before he fit them back over hers. Tentatively, she pushed into his mouth and found his tongue. He let her explore, letting her decide what she liked. She sipped form his mouth sucking little kisses, her moans captured in his mouth. With her free hand, she cupped his jaw, rubbing her thumb over the stubble there. His jaw moved under her fingers as he slanted his head to get a better angle. Tibby became lost in his kiss, feeling all her control being taken from her. She was more than willing to give it away. She didn't want to think about Daniel or her future at his side. With this one kiss, Ezekiel made her forget her first kiss and this replaced that memory. This was her first kiss.

Being completely engrossed in Ezekiel, it was like a splash of cold water on her face when he jerked away and pulled her to a sitting position all in the same move. She gasped in a great lungful of air. Ezekiel sprang back to a respectable distance and Tibby dimly registered her forgotten guard waking up. He didn't even notice that he had been on the floor, merely got up and leaned back against the wall like before.

The door was shoved open and two other guards stood in the doorway.

"The PACT completed the scan. Mr. Cross asked if you fixed his sister's shields," one of them grumbled.

Ezekiel nodded and left Tibby sitting dazed and confused on the sofa. As he passed her, he winked at her. Tibby quickly touched the back of her hands to her enflamed cheeks, knowing if Daniel saw her now he'd know exactly what had happened. How could she be so foolish, so reckless? Daniel made sure she'd learned from her past transgression and the devil only knew what'd he'd do to her if he found out what she'd let Ezekiel do to her.

"Did you fix her?" Daniel's voice reached her through the open door.

"I think you might have bought a faulty shield, probably a knock off of the ones Xerxes Corp produces. The underlying structure is good, but I'll have to tear down the rest and fill in the faulty programming." That was Ezekiel's voice and Tibby knew he was lying. That meant they would spend more time together. Tibby touched her swollen lips, imagining more of those kisses. Should she allow this to go on? The only thing she had to look forward to was a life as Daniel's sexual plaything. She didn't have a hope of escaping it, but for these few days she could have a man with her of her own choosing. It was that thought that decided it for her.

Yes, she would take whatever pleasure she could with Ryan Ezekiel and tattoo those memories to her brain. And when she was in bed with Daniel, for she knew that was her inevitable future, she'd call upon those memories and relive each stolen moment.



Gilded in Gold Ch. 05



Xerxes stormed into his quarters, his body shaking in barely leashed fury. He'd half expected what he found today, but having his worst fears confirmed just added to all his problems. How that little shit had gotten his hands on the latest net his company produced, he didn't know. It wasn't even out yet, and only a few select people had been given a beta version of the powerful net.

As soon as he was behind closed doors, he went straight to his bedroom. It had been turned into his own, private office, with a multitude of large screens set up on one wall. He quickly uploaded what he could remember of Daniel's Mental Map structure, laying out the outlying layer before trying to fill in the maze-like intricacies that made up his security. Although he hated to admit it, Daniel had been smart enough to create a bunch of dead ends in his net that drained the power of any intruders while they looked for an opening. But Xerxes was not only was the very creator of the net, he had his powerful brother at his fingertips.

However, there was only so much that he could do with his limited access. Throughout the whole session, he had been monitored by Daniel's goons. The key, literally, was in Tibby. While quickly exploring Daniel's net, he'd found that the maze had an underlying pattern and had quickly figured out a system to figure out where the dead ends were. Though the pattern stayed the same, the walls would constantly move making it seem as if it were a constantly changing maze. It was a brilliant plan, and only a handful of men he knew were capable of making truly moving and changing walls; his brother Eli was one of them and Xerxes had been the man who'd invented that kind of wall. Daniel's was more primitive, it was as though he's gotten the bare skeletons of his program's blueprints and tried to knock off Xerxes' sophisticated design. All he needed now was a structure key, and Tibby would be the perfect mold to make it from.

While he'd been kissing her, he'd gently probed inside her mind. Her maps were a mirror of Daniels. He'd timed the changing walls and they changed at the exact time Daniel's did. He just needed access to her walls, which couldn't be too difficult getting from the malleable and impressionable girl. He snorted in disgust; the girl had been like a bitch in heat.

Right, like that was a turn off for you. Eli's mocking voice filled his head, but Xerxes choose to ignore him.

I won't need you to baby sit me tonight. The girl seems comfortable enough with me. And since she can sense both of us, there's no need to expend your energy. Xerxes hoped that his brusque tone would get his brother to shut up about things he didn't understand.

Bull-fucking-shit! Eli snorted.

Don't curse. It was almost automatic, his reprimand. Ever since his brother had gotten out of seclusion and been handed over to Xerxes' custody, Eli had tried pushing the boundaries of all his rules. One of his more colorful stunts had been to have a bunch of strippers brought to the penthouse during one of Xerxes' corporate parties.

Eli's powers were unstable at best; hence his imprisonment in a Counsel controlled facility. Their parents had committed Eli when he'd barely been five years old and he'd only been allowed limited visits from his siblings. Xerxes had bonded with his youngest brother, being the other outsider in the family. He'd worked hard to build a program to help Eli control his powers, since he hadn't yet found a human to channel his excess strength to. About a year ago, Xerxes had finally made a breakthrough and connected Eli to him, seeing as how his powers were already on the low spectrum of the of scale. He might as well be a weak human, for all the mental capacities he had.

~Okay, you need to get yourself out of your pity party. I'm gonna act like your little fan boy and point out you single handedly built up Xerxes Corp. and made huge innovations in Mental Maps and their shields. ~

Xerxes cracked a smile at Eli's tirade. ~You're the best fan boy I've had, Eli.~

~Ha! That's because I'm your brother. Anyway, stop pretending you don't want me there with you tonight because I'm exerting myself. You just wanna bone her, and before you say it bone is not a curse word.~

Xerxes cracked a smile as he shook his head. The Palace was having a costume ball tonight, and it was going to give him the perfect opportunity to romance the Cross girl. And if it entailed some "boning", he'd be more than happy to break his three month dry spell.

~Seriously, man, call her by her name. That's what you're gonna be calling out when you fuck her.~

Just to appease his brother, Xerxes said her name out loud. Tibby, there happy? ~

~Nope, but I know you will be tonight. Just...go easy on her yeah? She seems nice.~

Xerxes frowned. ~She's the sister of the man holding our sister imprisoned.~

~That doesn't automatically make her the villain.~

Xerxes snorted, clearly disagreeing and heard Eli's long, drawn out sigh flow through his head. Lacking the patience to deal with his brother, Xerxes set up the block that would only allow Eli to see into his mind but wouldn't allow him to interfere.

A beep sounded on his PACT, indicating an incoming message. The face of one of his closest and trusted personal guards appeared, and he nodded for her to continue.

"You certainly moved fast," Cassidy, better known as Cass, smirked at him. "She was all blushes and dreamy sighs when we went to dress her."

When Xerxes had decided to go after his sister alone, his eldest brother had refused to let him go into another territory without a few guards. He'd picked Cass and two other men to follow him, positioning them at advantageous places within the Palace workforce for his convenience. So far, Cass's position as Tibby's personal designer was paying off well.

Xerxes nodded. "Did you learn anything new about her?"

"Not much. She did ask Mina a few veiled questions about sex. If ever there was a girl ready to be ravished, it's her."

Xerxes savagely grinned, showing his sharp canines. "Good."

"Oh, by the way, the dress she's wearing has a touch zip going down her front, it's a green vine that ends in a pink and yellow flower at her waist," Cass said with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows. "She's going as Mother Nature, so I suggest you go as something to compliment her."

"Thanks for the tip," Xerxes said absentmindedly as he walked to his closet in search of a suit. There was no goddamn way he was dressing up like a silly kid for a costume ball.

"Oh, I know you well enough by now but please don't be one of those guys that are too cool for costumed balls," Cass frowned up at him from the transparent screen.

Xerxes sat the screen up on a small table beside the closet doors, and then pulled out a plain black suit made of organic fabric.

"What's a better compliment to Mother Nature than man?" He said as he shrugged out of his current suit.

Cass just rolled her eyes. "Man also destroyed Mother Nature. Don't you think that's a little too on the nose?"

"I think it's prophetic," Xerxes defended.

Cass shook her head. "You would. Just make it good for her; I think she might be a virgin." With that, her image shuttered off to be replaced by the PACT's blank screen.

Great. Now both his brother and his employee were on Tibby's side. They didn't understand the gravity of the situation, the utter hell his sister had been going through for the past few months. She'd sent out low frequency signals undetectable to more powerful Psychs, that only he'd been able to discern. He'd only felt a fraction of her pain and her humiliation and that was more than enough of what he himself could take. Tibby was just in the way, and as in all wars, there were always a few innocent casualties.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Although it was a costume ball, which should imply some sort of a costume, Tibby saw more than a few men and women completely nude. One couple in particular caught her attention, and she'd been hard pressed not to laugh. A tall, skinny man and a woman that could have been his more feminine twin stood arm in arm, both with a small fig leaf on their privates. It hadn't been a particularly big leaf, but it hid all the pertinent appendages. Daniel had later told her that the man had had himself cloned, except he had it made with two x chromosomes. Tibby didn't know much about cloning other than that it was illegal but enough money could make the authorities turn a blind eye.

The ball itself was magnificent and yet simple. Gilded mirrors went on uninterrupted throughout the room, with mirrors on the floor as well the ceilings. Floating faux candles provided the only light, sometimes dimming and sometimes illuminating particular areas of the ball room. Classical music intercepted with the more modern techno and metallic music blasted from unseen speakers. From the silver and swirling ceilings, drops of what looked like glistening tears fell from the mirrors only to completely disappear just a few inches from the partygoer's heads. At first, she'd been afraid to step onto the swirling silver lake that was the floor, which looked like it was liquid mercury, fearing she'd fall through and drown. But it was as sturdy as wood, and Tibby had delighted in causing small ripples with the tips of her shoes.

The real decorations were the people themselves and the costumes they adorned. Tibby had seen a beautiful woman dressed as Icarus, with moving feathered wings in a flowing white feathered gown with gold accents. Another man had dressed as the devil, with a moving tail and a demonic face that could only come from hell. Daniel had dressed simply, as the beloved Prince Carter, who'd died fifty years ago in the Central Axinion War. Tibby was dressed as Mother Nature, at Cass's insistence. The fabric was little more than gauze and she'd at first adamantly refused to wear something so revealing and formfitting. Mina had added some faux flowers and vines to cover all her private areas, tastefully revealing only a teasing glimpse of skin here and there. The flowers would alternately bloom, then wither away and leave hologram petals at her feet only to blossom once again.

Daniel had certainly been pleased with her appearance but she couldn't care less. There was only one man she wanted to see but there had been no hint of the mysterious Ryan Ezekiel. Daniel had escorted her through the huge ballroom, even taken her out into the middle for a few dances but no matter how many times she craned and twisted her neck in vain attempts to catch sight of him, she saw nothing. While they'd danced, she saw a few couples openly copulating right next to them, some turning the dance moves into a sensual love play while others butchered the timeless waltz into a vulgar display of carnality.

Tibby had implored Daniel to let her rest her tired feet, and he'd grudgingly left her with two body guards. Wanting to get away from the raucous voices, she'd escaped into a balcony, closely followed by the guards. Thankfully, they stopped at the doors, and let her go out onto the balcony. Perversely, she'd hoped her second foray onto a balcony would again meet her up with Ryan Ezekiel. Gingerly, she stepped onto the stone railing, and leaned her upper body on the top of the balustrade and tipped her head up the artificial night sky.

Hundreds of years ago, the atmosphere had been disintegrated and humans had been forced to release a toxic gas that protected them from the sun, but it was hazardous to them. The Cadeon Tech Corp had instituted a shield to go under the toxic gas that protected the humans. The gas above it was an opaque mixture of grey and green most of the time, so the shield projected images of stars and moons at night, while it showed the sun during the day. Tibby wondered if what she saw was a genuine testament to what her ancestors had seen hundreds of years ago.

Just as she was about to give up and go back to the ballroom to tell Daniel she wanted to back to her room, she felt two warm arms cage her in.

Ryan.

"I half expected you to come as Rapunzel," he whispered near her ear, his breath disturbing the wispy curls of hair there.

"Why, were you hoping to climb my hair?" She turned her face towards him, wondering what his costume would be. He wore no mask, and from what she could see, he wore a simple albeit expensive looking suit. "What are you supposed to be?"

He grinned down at her. "I thought I'd come as me, since you have trouble discerning me from this something else you feel."

Turning fully within his arms, she leaned back as far as she could without injuring her spine. "Are you saying Ryan Ezekiel is just a mask?"

Tibby watched his face as he looked at her. One of those floating candles wandered into their little enclave, and for a moment she saw another face. The devil she saw earlier had nothing on this new face. She gasped and blinked, but the face in front of her was back to the way she was familiar with. Surely it was a trick of the light, her fanciful thoughts twisting perfectly harmless things and turning them monstrous.

"The girl I see walking in her brother's shadow, a puppet to his whims ... that's just a mask isn't it?" Tibby made to turn her face away from his probing gaze, but his rough hands on her jaw turned her back. His calloused fingers bit into her skin, turning the skin white.

"Who are you, Tibby? What do you like?"

Tibby didn't like where his questions were going. She wrenched her face away from his grasp. "For some odd reason I happen to like you," she retorted.

Her words made him laugh, mocking in his amusement. "There's nothing about me a good girl like you should like, but then again that's the appeal, no?"

Tibby angrily pushed away from him, taking a few paces to the left of him. "What do you want? Do you want me to like you or not? I do not have time for your games," Tibby yelled in frustration.

Back in her room when she'd been getting dressed, she'd seen how her time was dwindling. Daniel was ever more attentive, spending more and more time with her, touching her with long, lingering caresses. At dinner with his clients, he'd openly maul her and the slightest flinch or hesitation on her part would earn her an excruciating headache, thanks to Daniel. She had no freewill to even react like she would like.

Ezekiel stalked her, until the Palace walls were to her back. "What do you want, Tibby?" He grabbed her around the waist, pushing his hard body against her and crushing the flowers on her dress.

Tibby closed her eyes, utterly defeated. "I don't know. I don't know what I like," she cried. "Daniel never gave me the chance."

"Okay, we'll start out small. What color do you like?"

Tibby smiled, caught off guard by his sudden switch to a much lighter subject. If they didn't talk about Daniel, he simply did not exist.

She thought about the question for a moment, and then answered. "I like white."

Clearly, he wasn't expecting that, assuming by the look of his bemused expression. "White?"

Tibby nodded tipping her head up. "Mmmhmm. White. It's all the colors mixed together."

"So it is. What else?" Ezekiel murmured, leaning in to brush his lips over the cool crest of her check.

"I like strawberries. Their sweet and tart taste reminds me of summers at my grandfather's farm." Tibby close her eyes, thinking back to those sweet and innocent childhood memories.

Ezekiel took his warm lips away and she wanted to protest. "You lived in the Onyx Lands?"

Tibby nodded, looping her hands around his neck. "Can I call you Ryan?"

"Kiss me," Ezekiel said instead. Tibby pursed her lips and felt him press his lips against hers. It was soft and gentle, everything Ezekiel wasn't. He inhaled and sucked the breath from her very lungs, then breathed back warm air inside her, melting her frozen insides.

"Now you can call me Ryan," he breathed against her lips.

"Ryan," she whispered, his name just a puff of air "Take me away from here." Tibby meant more than just this balcony. She wanted him to take her away from Daniel but she could never outright ask that of him. He barely knew her. He wouldn't risk his life for her. Daniel would hunt him to the ground for what he had already done, and that was just one kiss.

Ezekiel pulled his face way then pulled her towards the edge of the balcony. He jumped up on top of the balustrade, facing her.

He put a finger to his lips. "Don't scream."

Then he just disappeared over the edge, falling into the darkness. Tibby muffled her helpless scream and looked frantically over the edge. She saw to her relief Ezekiel standing a few feet underneath her grinning.

"What the hell?! I almost had a heart attack!" Tibby whisper-shouted, clutching at her dry throat.

Ezekiel chuckled. "At least you didn't scream. C'mon. Jump. I'll catch you." He loosely held his arms out, beckoning her with his fingers.

"Are you crazy?"

He grinned and nodded.

Looking back at the closed doors, she saw no shadows coming towards the balcony. "What about the guards?"

He shrugged. "They'll think you're just star gazing, even if they find you gone. Don't worry, your brother won't find out."

Biting her lip in indecision, Tibby eventually stepped onto the railing. "Are you ever going to tell me how you do that?"

"Do what?"

Tibby narrowed her eyes at him. She climbed onto the stone ledge and swung her legs outwards, keeping a firm grip on the stone with her hands. It was a one story drop, but Ezekiel seemed to be none the less for wear.

"Manipulate their memories and change their perception of time and events."

"If I reveal all my secrets, I'd unravel love. Now jump."

The rough stone bit into her palms as she squeezed it one last time before pushing herself away and jumping. It had seemed like forever since she'd been able to make any decisions in her life. Even if this was a huge mistake, it would be her mistake. She was making the conscious decision to fall.

Surprisingly strong arms caught her, and then slowly slid her down his body.

"Now what?"

Ezekiel touched his nose to hers. "Now we run."

Bemused, she pulled back. "What?" But he didn't answer her, merely took her hand and took off in the opposite direction the Palace walls.

A central computer took care of all the security on the Palace, so there was no need for physical security. Since the sensors could identify them, their presence on the grounds didn't sound the alarm. The wet grass tickled her feet, wetting the edges of her gown. Laughing in abandon, Tibby ran after Ezekiel as they cut a wide swath on through the grass, heading for a shadowy destination. She didn't know or care how long they ran. The twists and turns they took around the extensive Palace gardens were lost on her, all of it a blur and the only beacon was the man who was leading her away from Daniel.

A dimly lit barn house soon came into view and Ezekiel ran in that direction. Tibby gulped in a lungful of air and burst out in front of him, now leading him towards the barn. Lights hidden along the grass light up to illuminate their way, but it seemed like she was trying to outrun their revealing light.

She collided heavily with the old, wooden door but she welcomed the jarring impact to her body. She hadn't felt anything in such a long time.

Ezekiel pulled her away, and then tried the knob of the door. She wondered why he didn't just tell the computer to open the door. Ezekiel shoved his shoulder against the door numerous times, until it finally gave way with a long, drawn out groan. The inside remained dark; it seems as though the computer wasn't connected to this dilapidated building. Ezekiel shoved it open and peered in, checking for any threats. When he found none, he beckoned her in.




Gilded in Gold Ch. 05



It reminded her of the barn on her grandfather's farm and she could almost smell the musty scent of wet hay and the pungent odor of cow and horse droppings. Ezekiel came to a ladder that led up to a second level, where hay would have been stored. Without needing any more direction, she grabbed a handful of her skirt and hiked it up gingerly as she climbed the rickety ladder. Ezekiel kept his hands on her hips to steady her as he followed her up.

The landing was small and a few pieces of hay littered the rotting wood. A part of the roof had caved in and offered a jagged window to the night sky. There wasn't enough space to be able to comfortably stand up, so she crawled to the space underneath the skylight.

Ezekiel moved beside her and lay down, stretching his arm out. She looked down at him for a moment, and then rested her head against his arm. Curling her body into his, she brought up her hand to rest on his chest, smoothing down the fabric.

"I can tell you something else I like."

"What?"

"Kissing in barns." Tibby guided his head down to hers, for the first time initiating a kiss. Ezekiel seemed to understand her need for control now, and let her do as she pleased. She sucked at his tongue, sliding hers against his in a wet, slick kiss. So absorbed in the kiss, she almost didn't notice when he changed the angle and maneuvered her to a sitting position as he straddled her thighs. His hands freely roamed her body, rubbing up her sides.

Tibby broke the kiss, looking up at him in wonder. Ezekiel held her gaze as he slowly traced one of the vine patterns going down her bodice to just below her pelvis, surprising her since even she had forgotten where the touch zip was located. Inch by inch, her slightly golden skin was revealed to his gaze, the swells of her breast pushing at the parted fabric until it peeled down to pool at her waist.

He crawled over her, pushing her down again to lie like a virgin sacrifice, lit only by the pale silver light of an illusionary moon and so ready to take the pleasure Ezekiel offered.



Gilded in Gold Ch. 06



Her back arched in a bow, strung by Ezekiel's masterful touch. Tibby panted, struggling to hold onto any coherent thought. He mouthed her nipple, flicking the distended nub that seemed to have a direct connection to the secret place between her thighs. She scissored them together in a desperate attempt to feel any kind of friction. She felt Ezekiel smile around her nipple. He slid his big hands down her sides, taking her dress and sliding the fabric down her thighs and off her in one swift flick.

She gasped as cool air met the heated flesh of her nether lips. Ezekiel maneuvered his legs between hers until her legs were spread wide apart, open to his perusal. Little whimpers of distress escaped her lips, and her hands flew to his head trying to push him away. For some reason, having even part of the dress cover her had somehow convinced her she was in control. Now, without even the barest covering she felt too vulnerable. Ezekiel was dressed from head to toe while she, in a few touches was left absolutely bare.

Ezekiel clamped his teeth around her nipple, making soothing sounds until she marginally settled down. He laid his body more firmly over her, protecting her from the chill and providing a cover that lulled her into a temporary sense of safety.

"Do you want to know what I like?" Ezekiel mumbled around her nipple.

Tibby shook her head, then nodded. She didn't know if she was saying whether she didn't know or if that she wanted to know what he liked. But he seemed to understand her conflicting answer.

"I like you going wild," he said as he pulled away and rose up to his knees, "beneath me, as I..." Ezekiel gripped her thighs and pulled her towards him until the apex of her thighs fit snugly to the growing bulge in his pants. He shrugged off his coat then slowly unbuttoned his white shirt with one hand, the other rubbing a spot at the crease where her thighs met her hips.

"As you what?" Tibby's voice was hushed. Ezekiel looked like a pagan god as he striped himself, revealing the smooth muscles beneath. His chest was hairless and unmarked. As the shirt parted, Tibby spied a dark treasure trail starting at his navel, disappearing into the waistband of his pants. The lower part of her body was shadowed, and she was thankful for at least that much.

The darkness gave her enough courage to be rendezvousing with an almost stranger completely in the nude inside this abandoned building.

"As I-," Ezekiel bunched up his shirt and lifted her hips, then placed the small bundle underneath her. This new position tilted her hips in an irresistible offer. She would have squirmed away but he held her firmly.

"As I," he continued, "lick..." He lowered his head and licked around her navel. "Bite..." He moved down to her hairless pussy, nibbling on the skin. His teeth opened against her sensitive and swollen labia lips before gently clamping down. Tibby's leg jerked involuntary but Ezekiel's hands held down each of her ankles to the cool wooden floor.

"Ryan," Tibby keened, grounding her head against the floor and bit the back of her hand to stifle another moan.

"And suck." Ezekiel's tongue probed beneath her hood, seeking out that small pearl. He rested his tongue against it, feeling it pulse. He sucked it in his mouth and this time Tibby did scream. He chuckled around her clit, but still kept his mouth clamped on it. He mouthed the sensitive flesh, licking up her slick creaminess.

Tibby thought she was going to go out of her mind when Ezekiel stiffened his tongue and rimmed her opening. He poked it inside her and Tibby clamped her thighs around his head. All of her senses were focused entirely on that magical mouth and tongue. The sensation of the rough wood abrading her back, the chilly air coasting over her sweat sheered skin, the slick fabric of Ezekiel's pants sliding under her thighs -- it was all multiplied tenfold until she thought her whole body was one bit pulsating nerve ending. Just one more touch and she'd shatter into a million pieces.

"Ryan, please -- please, I need, oh God please!" She didn't know what she was pleading for. Ezekiel's lips curved against her slick skin and Tibby just knew he was smiling. He sucked at her clit, flicking it with the tip of his tongue faster and faster. Her thighs tensed, and she half sat up as her orgasm crashed through her body. It started as a small tingle at her pussy but spread like a wildfire through her body until she was burning from the inside out. Even the tips of her fingers tingled. Ezekiel bit down hard on her clit, sending her down another turbulent orgasm, the pain just adding to her pleasure.

When she recovered, Ezekiel's face was hovering above hers. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. The pungent odor of her juices invaded her nostrils but it was strangely arousing. Ezekiel kissed her, sharing her taste with her and she moaned at the unfamiliar taste. Wrapping her arms around his neck like a vise, she sucked at his tongue and lapped up the remnants of her release from the hot cavern of his mouth.

It was a shocking bolt to her satiated body when Ezekiel knifed up, his eyes narrowed but unseeing. After a moment, he scrambled away from her and reached for his clothes.

"C'mon, get dressed. Your brother is looking for you."

Panic suffused her whole body and she frantically grabbed at the crumpled mess of her gown. She pulled the dress over her still quivering body, her hands shaking so badly the shirt slipped twice over her hips before she got to the bodice. An angry sob escaped her kiss swollen lips when she couldn't remember how to reactive the touch zip. Strong hands captured her wrists and shook her. She looked up at Ezekiel.

"Calm down. We have time to get back. Trust me, okay?"

Tibby was too paralyzed with fear to speak so she nodded. Ryan gathered up her bodice and pulled it over her chest, but not without a lingering glance at her breasts. He flicked a finger against one of her nipples, making her gasp before he dropped a quick kiss on her shoulder. He held the two edges of the cloth together then traced horizontal lines across the fabric which re-zipped the fabric. In no time, her dress looked exactly like it had when she'd first worn it. But her face on the other hand was surely sporting evidence from her love play. She knew her lips were swollen and red but there was no remedy for that other than time. Time she did not have.

Ezekiel led her back the ballroom, but this time she was distracted for an altogether different reason. They entered the Palace from a small servant's entrance and Tibby dimly wondered how Ezekiel knew his way around. They reached the ballroom but before they could enter, Ezekiel pulled her back into his arms.

"We're going to continue this and next time I'll have you screaming on my dick," he warned before taking her lips in a rough kiss. He then pushed her into the ballroom, making her stumble before he caught her footing.

"Tibby!"

Tibby turned to see Daniel hurrying towards her. When he reached her, he grabbed her arms hard enough to bruise.

"Were have you been? And where are your guards?" he demanded.

Tibby opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her game was up. Daniel would find out exactly what she had been doing and she'd be punished. She looked around in a futile attempt to find a friendly face, maybe Ezekiel's but he had disappeared. To her surprise, her two guards almost magically appeared behind her as if they'd been there the whole time. One of them was shaking his head and looked a bit dazed if he'd just come out of a deep sleep.

She turned back to Daniel, who looked only slightly mollified.

"Never mind, the dinner is starting and I thought I'd escort you."

Tibby nodded and let Daniel take her arm. It all felt so surreal. It felt like any moment Daniel would turn on her and attack her. The ghost of Ezekiel's touch still lingered on her skin, and it felt so wrong to be touched by Daniel now. She touched her lips, which still felt swollen but Daniel didn't comment.

He led her to the dining room that was across the ballroom. It was similarly designed like the ballroom, with the exception of a gigantic crystal table in the middle. Various foods graced the table, from many cultures. In the middle of the table, six women posed artfully on a dessert platter, their own skin covered with bits and pieces of sweets. They giggled and twittered when a few men hooted and howled at them. Daniel sat her down at a chair next to him, before taking his own seat. A bell sounded, quieting the hundred or so guests.

Tibby looked to the head of the table and a debonair man in a dark blue suit, a black fedora and a cane stood up and smiled at the people sitting at the table. A screen behind him projected his image for those farther down the table.

"I hope everyone is enjoying their night tonight." His voice boomed around the room and many of the guests cheered. "We only have seven more days left in the Midnight Gardens. Tomorrow we hit the iconic Maze Meet event, and I can say I already have my blindfold on hand." That comment set off a round of laughter and Tibby looked to Daniel for explanation.

He leaned towards her so he could be heard above the crowd. "That's Lucien Wolfe. He owns the Palace."

"What's the Maze Meet event?"

"Nothing you need to be concerned with," Daniel said as he leaned forward and kissed her.

She firmly pressed her lips closed but Daniel dug his nails in her jaw until she was forced to grant him entry. His tongue felt sickening as it invade her mouth and filled her with his wet saliva in sloppy kiss. When he pulled away, she wiped off the excess saliva with the back of her hand. She looked around to see if anyone had seen and her eyes caught Ezekiel's blank face a few chairs down from her on the opposite side. Her gaze skittered away, not wanting to see the disgust that was probably in his face.

Daniel mostly ignored her for the rest of the dinner, except for the possessive hand he kept glued to her thigh. Every so often, he'd try to inch his hand to between her thighs and she'd shift in her seat. Then his hand would go back to its former position burning a hole through her dress.

Tibby tried to ignore Ezekiel but his boisterous voice and laughter drew her to him always. A blonde woman sat at his left and a slender man sat to his left. The woman was covertly flirting with Ezekiel. Tibby clenched her fork, imagining how the silver tines would look gouging out the slut's eyes. Very pretty, she decided after she saw the blonde force a sloppy kiss on Ezekiel's neck. Daniel's leech-like hands were momentarily forgotten as she gave herself over to the fantasy of storming over and across table to rake her nails down the slut's face.

For however long Tibby had Ezekiel, he would be hers exclusively and she'd tell him that the next time they met.

"Daniel, my man. You never introduced me to your beautiful sister." Tibby forced herself to look away and looked up behind her to see Lucien Wolfe. He grinned down at her just like his namesake. Daniel stood up and she followed, standing a bit behind him.

"Lucien, meet my beautiful sister Tabitha," Daniel said with a stiff smile.

Lucien stepped forward and took Tabitha's lax hand, bringing it his lips for a kiss.

"Beautiful doesn't do her justice, Daniel." Tibby blushed at Lucien's compliment. He was very handsome, with sharp blade-like features and piecing grey-white eyes.

"Thank you. I can't guess what your costume is but it suits you," Tibby said as she reclaimed her hand.

Lucien grinned down at her. "I'm a gangster from the prohibition era. Will you be attending the Maze tomorrow evening, Tabitha?"

"Tibby," she corrected automatically. "And I don't even know what the Maze event is."

If possible, her answer seemed to make Lucien even more pleased. "Oh, a complete novice, Daniel, you sly dog, you've been keeping this gem all to yourself. Why don't you let me chaperone her through the event tomorrow?"

It was posed as a question but Tibby heard the clear command. She looked back at Daniel, who was grinding his teeth.

"I don't think Tibby would like the Maze. She's a very private person and she's easily shocked."

Lucien laughed, but the sound held little mirth. Tibby shivered. "Come now Daniel, Who better than me to show Tibby her first time at the Maze? And you'll be busy at the Coronation meeting."

Tibby looked between the two men, the lone audience to their staring match. She didn't know why Daniel was so hesitant to stamp his claim on her in front of this man. He could have just told him that she wasn't allowed to go.

"Lucien, Cross," Ezekiel appeared in front of them and stepped between the two men. "Should I be calling for seconds and a pair of rapiers?" he said on a laugh.

Lucien was the first to break from the stare and looked over to Ezekiel.

"Ryan, where have you been, you bastard? I've got some business with you." Lucien clapped Ezekiel's shoulder.

"I was taking a breath of fresh air," Ezekiel said as he stared straight at her.

Lucien smirked. "Fresh air, huh? Where you taking anything else?" he asked, his tone heavy with innuendo.

Ezekiel just smiled coolly. He turned to Daniel.

"Cross, I'll work with your sister's Mental Map tomorrow but after I'm done she'll need to go into a cryosleep for a few hours so her neural nerves can mold to her new walls. It'll be painful otherwise."

Daniel threw a triumphant glance at Lucien and nodded. "Of course and I imagine it'll take the whole day?" Ezekiel nodded. "Good, good. Well then, Lucien, maybe you can give Tibby a tour of the Palace after she recovers."

"I'll hold you to that," Lucien said evenly. He turned to Tibby and gave a slight bow. "Tibby, it was a pleasure. I do hope you'll allow me a dance after dinner. I have to go mingle with my other guests."

Tibby nodded and offered him a smile. He said his goodbyes to the other two men and moved on to a group of men clad in green and red.

"Tibby, why don't you finish your dinner? Ezekiel and I have to discuss some things." Daniel nodded at her seat and Tibby sat down. She watched as Daniel and Ezekiel walked out of the room, wondering what Daniel wanted to say to him. She wondered if Ezekiel really would be spending the next day with her, and if so what would happen. He'd warned her about what he wanted to do to her, but knowing that she'd have sex with him the next time they met was a bit disconcerting. The only two experiences with sex she'd had had been an hour ago and the other had been with the Scavengers.

While she might not have physically been abused by the Scavengers, she'd mentally been there. She thanked God she did not have the memories but some scars were too deep. Sex was something to be enjoyed and her outlook for sex was colored by her past and her impending future with Daniel. The only bright middle she had was the time with Ezekiel.

Mina was happily married but she seemed reluctant to talk about sex. Cass was more open but Tibby didn't know if Cass had ever had sex with a man. She'd ask both of them when they came to her room later in the night to take her dress and take notes if she had to.

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"You're playing a dangerous game, Novos."

Xerxes glanced away from the vision of Tibby dancing with her asshole brother. She truly looked like a goddess, embodying nature in a way that paid homage to its natural beauty while also putting it to shame. Her tangy taste lingered on his taste buds and he was hungry for more.

"Lucien," Xerxes acknowledged impatiently. He looked back out into the ballroom but colorful couples blocked his view.

"You could have told me you were here. When I saw you looking at that Cross girl, I thought for sure I was imagining things. So what brings you to my neck of the woods? After all, I'm not exactly known to for keeping good company."

"The shit you're mired in can hardly be called any kind of company. And I already suspect you know why I'm here. How did you know it was me?" Xerxes asked, truly curious. He'd thought his projected image was foolproof.

"Your arrogance," Lucien smirked. Xerxes raised an eyebrow and Lucien sobered up. "You're brother warned me you were coming but I didn't know it was you until I saw you looking at Tibby like that. I didn't even know it was possible to project another's image onto oneself." Lucien was fishing for details and Xerxes knew it.

"It's not, not officially. It's still a work in progress. What do you want?" Xerxes asked a bit abruptly. Lucien might have watched him looking at Tibby, but he had also seen how Lucien watched Tibby as well. It had enraged him at the time. It was hard to remember that Tibby was just a means to an end when he could still feel the vise of her thighs closing around his head and her musky woman's perfume invading his senses. How sweetly passionate she'd been...

"I have a gift for you."

Xerxes looked at Lucien sharply. Lucien was a ruthless businessman, not unlike himself. He'd never give a gift away for free.

"What do you want?"

"I want the new net you've been working on. The word is going around in the underworld that you invented moving walls."

"And where'd you hear this?" Xerxes tried to keep his anger out of his voice but failed. Lucien grinned, knowing he'd gotten to him. The new net was relatively new and in its initial trial stage. No one was supposed to know about but is a low lying snake like Lucien knew about it, Xerxes needed to tighten up his security. There was already a leak since Daniel knew about the moving walls he needed to reevaluate his team and the security as well.

"Don't worry, Novos. I just have very good ears in all the right places, paid a pretty penny for it, too. Anyway, do you want your gift?"

"Show me first," Xerxes gritted out.

Lucien nodded and gestured towards the exit. Xerxes followed Lucien to his private rooms, which were in a completely separate wing from the Midnight Garden guests. Xerxes waited for Lucien to open the door and he walked inside. The room was lavishly decorated in muted tones of cobalt and brown but his attention was on the beautiful woman with dark blue hair and green eyes that were a mirror of his.

"Gianna?"

Gianna jerked her head towards the voice that sounded so familiar to her and glanced up at the strange man. He looked familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Eli?"

"No, Xerxes."

Crying out, Gianna flew at her brother and hugged him to her. "I knew it. I knew you'd come and save me. Oh god, Xerxes, the things that bastard did to me...Tell me he'll pay. Tell me you're going to fucking murder him and shove his dick up his ass," Gianna cried into his neck, feeling safe for once in the past few months. Xerxes made soothing sounds and comforted her. While growing up, Xerxes had never been one to hug or kiss but his sister needed him right now in that capacity. While they hadn't been particularly close, he still loved her and they'd recently begun to spend more time together after Eli had come home. They'd almost been like a family and Xerxes had finally felt a sense of belonging up until Gianna had disappeared.

"I only have her for the night before I have to turn her over back to Daniel." Lucien's voice cut through the reunion. "I can buy her again for the next few nights but you know what it'll cost."

Xerxes looked back at Lucien and nodded. He held out his hand and Lucien took it. Between Psychs, irrefutable contracts could be drawn up. If unfulfilled, whatever repayment each Psych devised for the other would be extracted. Unsurprisingly, Lucien choose death if Xerxes didn't live up to his promise. Likewise, Xerxes put in the death clause for Lucien.

He gripped Lucien's hand in a crushing grip when he would have pulled away. "Don't touch my sister."




Gilded in Gold Ch. 06



Lucien bared his teeth. "I won't. A certain blonde wetted my appetites." He licked his bared teeth.

A nerve twitched in Xerxes jaw but he said nothing as he released Lucien's hand. He took a moment's pleasure when he saw the other man wince and shake out his hand. If he showed how much he was affected by the mere thought of Lucien placing his filthy hands on Tibby, he'd be forced to examine his growing attachment to her. She was the enemy and the lines were clearly drawn. He couldn't be swept into thinking that he was wrongfully manipulating her. He needed her to free his sister. It was for a good cause.

Xerxes growled when he realized it sounded as if he were convincing himself. He looked back at his sister, taking in the anger and hurt coming off her. She'd been through so much and he couldn't waver from his set course just for a pair of trusting, gold eyes.

"I have a promised dance to claim. I'll be seeing you, Novos," Lucien bowed out of the room and Xerxes stomped down the urge to go protect Tibby.

That was an amusing thought, one predator protecting the prey from another predator.

But when he'd talked to Tibby, she'd seemed so vulnerable yet so strong. She was trying so hard to survive and as a survivalist himself, he had to respect that. He'd seen red when Daniel had forced that kiss on her and he'd been halfway out of his seat until Tibby looked at him. She had looked away in shame. He reigned in his anger, but kept watch over her for the rest of the night. Daniel hadn't tried anything with her but he still hated the sight of him sitting next to Tibby. He had been alternating between feeling jealous of Tibby and disgust with himself. If Tibby had been anyone else, he'd have pursued her like his past women, but she wasn't. He shouldn't be yearning for Tibby past a basic male desire when her brother had been bringing so much pain to Xerxes' own sister.

"What do you have planned?" Gianna pulled him out of his quagmire of thoughts as she pulled him to sit next to her on a settee.

"Don't worry," Xerxes assured, "You'll be free of that bastard in just a few days. Do you want to talk to Eli?" Gianna nodded excitedly and Xerxes pulled back in the body and let Eli come to the forefront. He dimly listened to his siblings' converse, knowing Eli would be better suited to put Gianna at ease. But that just left him free to expend useless energy trying not to think of Tibby and the way she moaned so sweetly underneath him.



Gilded in Gold Ch. 07-08



I'm so sorry, guys, I uploaded this like a week ago and it kept getting rejected because of stupid formatting reasons so if this gets rejected a fourth time for the same damn reason, I'm going off the bloody wall. (mini rant, ignore me) 

Hello, you wonderful people. So thanks to my editor, this chapter came out sooner than I intended. Edited by the lovely AdrianaBelen, btw. 

To new readers, read the previous installments. Also, I'm trying to get the edited versions of ch.1-6 to replace the ones already posted without deleting any of the lovely and helpful comments. As always comment and rate, I eat them up like strawberries. 

By Night, My Love Ch. 3 will be posted after I post up the mm pirate story. Its turning out a bit long at 10,000 plus words so I was wondering if you guys want me to just upload the whole thing or upload it in two installments. Let me know via comments 

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Ch. 7 

"What's the Maze Meet?" 

Cass and Mina looked at each other uncomfortably, passing a silent message to each other. 

Tibby frowned at them. "Oh, c'mon. It's not like I'm going to sneak out and go to the thing anyway." Well, maybe not. Actually...definitely. She'd been cooped in her room the whole day. Ezekiel had come but Daniel had accompanied him as well. He had pretended to tinker with her walls, at least she thought so. Everything had been so technical and professional, his hand not even brushing her skin even once. It was almost as if last night hadn't happened. She'd tried to talk to him but he ignored her silent pleas. 

"Actually, that's exactly what we think. And this is not an event for a sweet girl like you," Cass warned. 

"Would you prefer I ask one of the guests what the event is all about? Maybe my friend Lucien Wolf? After all, he did offer to escort me around the place." Tibby hadn't told them that Daniel forbade her anyway. 

"You play dirty. Please stay away from Lucien." Mina, ever the worrier, said. 

"Yes, yes, every man I meet is bad for me, stay away from all of them. I know, I know. Now can I please know what the event is? I'm dying of curiosity here," Tibby pleaded. 

"It's...well, it's sort of like a chase through the maze," Cass hedged, but she was clearly leaving something out. Tibby rolled her hand in a motion for her to continue. 

With a resigned sigh, Mina explained. "Everyone is blindfolded. The players send out hints about themselves. Since you have a MentalMap, you'll be able to receive these messages but as a human you won't be able to send one back. Which means you can't say no if you want to refuse a man's-" 

"Or woman's," Cass added, and Mina glared at her. "What?" Cass looked offended, throwing her arms up. "That's I how met my girlfriend." 

"You met her at a Maze Meet? But I thought only the guests were allowed to participate." Tibby interjected. 

Cass snorted. "Where do you think they got the idea of a debauched game like this? We simple people have an annual event like this but nothing on the scale as the Midnight Gardens." 

"And this game is a bit different. You don't exactly say no once you do get caught," Mina continued. 

"And what exactly, hypothetically, can't I say no to?" Now that she knew what it was, she had no intention of going but that didn't mean she couldn't tease Mina a bit. 

"Tibby!" Mina gasped. "You said you wouldn't you go!" 

Cass chuckled. "Pfft, you really think she is going to be staying in here when lover boy Ezekiel is going to be attending?" 

Tibby perked up at that bit of information. He hadn't told her he'd be going. Maybe she needed to rethink not going. 

"Oh, god Cass, I can see the wheels turning in Tibby's head. Tibby, I expressly forbid you from going." 

That made Tibby smile, reminding her so much of her mother. "At the risk of sounding like a hormonal teen...You're not the boss of me, you can't tell me what to do." 

Unwillingly, Mina laughed. "Yes, but Daniel is, and imagine how many guards he'll put on you if I even hint at what you're thinking." 

"Now who's playing dirty?" Tibby pouted. 

A beep sounded and Cass looked down at her PACT, frowning as she read the message. 

"Mina, we have to get going. Boss is calling. And Tibby, for the first time in my life, I'm going to back up Mina here and tell you to glue your ass to that seat for tonight. There will be other fun nights before this thing is over." 

The thought of the event coming to an end reminded Tibby that soon, she would be going back to her gilded cage above her brother's lucrative brothel. Her face fell. She made friends here; not only that, she met a man that she was just getting to know, a man who kissed her like she was the only woman on Earth. She didn't want this event to end, but for her friends, she put on a smile and saw them out. 

She waited for fifteen minutes before she went about her plan. She hadn't intended on staying in her room in the first place. Since Daniel would be far away, and most of the guests would be at the Maze Meet, she'd thought to take advantage of the temporary lull in activity and explore around the Palace. 

Taking out the preassembled outfit of comfy black pants and a shirt, she hesitated before pushing that aside for a dress. After all, she reasoned, if anyone found her wandering around they would just assume that she was lost or a hiding player from the Maze Meet. Not that she had any intention of being found out. Mina had sounded adamant that the players were serious in their game, and that "no" was not an answer, everything was part of the game. She had to admit she was more than curious to see the intricacies in the event. She'd seen a small balcony that overlooked the gardens were the large, life size maze was. All she had to do was find that balcony and then she'd get to appease her curiosity. 

She quickly took out a black dress, simple but elegant in design. The event was to start in an hour, so she made herself a relaxing bath, soaking in the soothing bubbles. She tried not to think what would happen if she did see Ezekiel. Though the water was warm, she felt herself shivering as she thought about Ezekiel's parting promise - no threat. Was she ready for that? 

Shifting through the bubbles, making nonsensical patterns she decided it really didn't matter. She'd never see him after this and it was her one chance at rebellion. So yes, yes she was ready. Feeling her skin begin to prune, she got up and wrapped herself in a towel. 

Noticing the time, she hurried into her dress. She used one of the one of personal beauty tools to dry and straighten her hair in less than five minutes before putting on the cursory lipstick swipe and sneaked out of her room. 

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"I told you she'd fall for the bait. I guess her momma never told her curiosity killed the cat." 

Xerxes looked at the dual image of Tibby sneaking out of her room and Cass's smug face. 

"Good work. Keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't step a foot into the maze. She's a foolish girl, but she doesn't deserve the animals at the maze descending on her."

"And where will you be in the meantime?" 

"In the wolf's den," he replied enigmatically. 

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Daniel had called a meeting with all the brothel house heads, with Lucien overseeing it. The only reason Xerxes had been allowed in the meeting was because he had promised quite a few of the heads Neutral Visas. He sent a questioning glance at Lucien, who just shrugged. Taking a seat beside the man, he signaled for one of the servers to serve him a drink, noticing Lucien was already nursing a half empty glass already making his way to another. 

"Where's Cross?" he asked Lucien when he looked around and saw only Daniel was missing from this tableau. 

"Damn if I know. I've been waiting for ten minutes. I've got a golden haired vixen pegged to wear my blindfold before the night is out," Lucien sneered. 

"Tibby won't be at the maze," Xerxes lied. 

Lucien smirked. "I wasn't talking about our little Tibby, but now that I know she will be there I guess I'll have to adjust my plans." At Xerxes glower, Lucien laughed. "That distinctive defensive tone was a bit too adamant. Better work on your skills, Ezekiel." 

"Thanks. After all, I don't have the years of skill at lying like you do," Xerxes smiled coolly. 

Lucien raised his drink and nodded. "Touché." 

The door opened to the conference room and Daniel walked in with one of his prostitutes in tow. His men closed the door behind him and he took his place at the head of the table. 

"Gentlemen, gentlewoman," Daniel acknowledged the lone female brothel owner in the room with a charming smile and nod. "I'm glad you all could make it tonight. Let us move past the pleasantries and get down to business, shall we?" 

With approving murmurs from the crowd, Daniel continued. "Please, welcome Nicole." The woman beside him looked blankly out at the crowd. She wore a skintight dress molded onto every dip and curve of her body, almost sheer in cover. 

"She's a fairly new acquisition." Daniel brought his hand up and caressed her face as he spoke. "So beautiful, so fragile," he murmured as his hands slid around her throat and slowly began to squeeze. Nicole remained stoic as ever. "And you would think she'd be untouchable as a Skylander." 

Xerxes swung his gaze from the girl to Daniel. So Gianna wasn't the only girl Cross had taken from the Sky Lands. He already knew how Daniel had enslaved Gianna. She'd told him that she'd been hooked on a new drug called Consume when she'd been out partying at the clubs. Her addiction had led her to her downfall. When Daniel had hooked his claws into her, she'd been too far gone to even think about what she was doing and her walls had been easily broken into. The contract she was in with Daniel was illegal but there wasn't exactly a police force in the Red Lands. 

"Are you here to hawk that new drug of yours? What's it called again?" Francesca, one of the owners asked. Xerxes could see the calculating gleam in her eye; she very well knew what the drug was. 

One of the other men piped up "Consume, I think it's called. It's all the rage at the high end clubs." 

"So it is." Daniel tried to sound modest, but anyone could hear the pride in his tone. "Consume is a very fun drug without all those nasty adverse side effects. Except of course, it does make a great deterrent on walls. That's why gentlemen and woman, I need your help distributing the drug into Sky Land and other territories of the like." 

"You managed to get this one from the Sky Lands all by yourself. So why bring these people in when you'll have to share in the profits?" Xerxes cut in. While some parts of this plan made sense, in the end it would just create more competition for Daniel. 

"One man can't make the world go around, Ezekiel."

"But I'm guessing the money you'll get selling your drugs will?" Xerxes asked disbelievingly. It just seemed too simple. Daniel wasn't smart enough to manufacture the kind of caliber that Consume was described to be. The profits of selling the drugs to his competitors couldn't measure up to the projected loss he'd have to take once the other brothels brought in their newer prostitutes. 

"What can I say, I'm a greedy man."

Xerxes narrowed his eyes. "And where do I come into this this?" 

Daniel clapped his hands and smiled. It was a bit offending, as if he was a small child and he'd finally stumbled onto an obvious answer. "Very good, I'm glad you asked that. As incentive for distributing my drugs, for a price of course, I'm willing to rent out a few Neutral Visas. I'm sure you can make temporary Visas as well as you can permanent Visas." 

Xerxes forced a smile. His character would be foaming at the mouth for a contract like this and not many men in his client could afford this. But if Daniel had enough money for about a dozen Visas, even if they were temporary ones, then he was definitely doing this at a loss. But the other occupants in the room were blinded by their greed to question this generosity from Daniel. 

"If we get caught, we'll be permanently imprisoned," Francesca, the lone voice of doubt reasoned. Some of the sail went out of the other exited men, who looked to Daniel for reassurance. 

"Hence, the Visa. Just imagine what else you can do after getting the drugs there. It takes maybe an hour to deliver the drugs to a club of your choice. A Visa lasts you two, maybe three days. Now I'm not a very creative person, but I'm sure you intelligent men can think up some things you'd like to do within that generous time frame." 

Daniel was playing these men like a pro, bombarding them with all the glittery remunerations first that went hand in hand with the risky dangers. Only the men were being placed into forgetting all about that. Even Francesca was hard pressed not to look excited by the idea. 

They began to negotiate the price of the drug with Cross, but Xerxes tuned it out; preferring to gauge how Lucien took it. 

"Oh, stop looking at me like that. I won't lower myself to buying drugs from Cross to trick gullible and weak Psychs into my clubs," Lucien sneered. 

When he saw Xerxes' disbelieving look, his sneer slipped. "Well, to be completely honest, I'd be a fool not to sample Cross's product. At least I'll know what I'll be up against when it spreads." 

"Selfless as ever," Xerxes said offhandedly, but Lucien took offense. 

"I don't think I have to remind you just how selfless I'm being, keeping a certain lady locked in my bedchambers," Lucien gritted through clenched teeth. 

Xerxes's PACT buzzed and he quickly glanced at it. He saw an image of Tibby getting dangerously close to the Maze. Without a word, he got up and left Lucien. The man was too desperate for his new innovation to go back on his word right now. 

But before he could make his exit, Daniel caught up with him. 

"Ezekiel," He beamed, clapping his shoulder like long lost comrades "I hope my surprise wasn't too shocking, but then the best things about surprises are," Daniel said with a sly smile. 

"And you're just full of them aren't you?" Xerxes said with a saccharine smile. "I'm very glad for the contract. Thank you." It grated on his very soul to be saying that to Cross but sacrifices had to be made in the face of war. 

"Good, good. We'll negotiate the price tomorrow. I bet you're anxious to join the Maze Meet?" 

At that, Xerxes managed the first genuine grin of the night. "There's a surprise waiting for me there and I can't wait to unwrap her." 

"Then go, go!" Daniel pushed him towards the door, positively jolly. He was probably still running on the high of his successful meeting. "That pussy won't stay empty if you don't stay here any longer." 

He just nodded and quickly exited the room, heading for the garden area with a single mindedness he couldn't afford right now. He pushed away all thoughts of Cross to focus on Tibby. But his dormant brother was having none of that. 

~Xerxes, I don' like this. Cross is up to something and there was something off about that Nicole girl.~ 

~Eli, I'll be able to handle Cross after I finish with Tibby.~ 

He could almost feel his brother's abrupt rage at the mention of Tibby. 

~That's another thing, I don't approve of what you want to do with Tibby. She's innocent.~

Xerxes snorted out loud. ~And since when have I ever needed your permission, Eli?~

~When you lost your sense of morality, hanging out with these degenerates has messed up your head, man.~

~You make a very convincing argument-~

He could almost feel Eli's annoyance as he interrupted him. ~Yeah, cut the bullshit sarcasm. But don't lower yourself to Cross's level.~

Getting tired of his brother's righteous drivel, Xerxes cut off his connection that allowed him to hear Eli. He was still in the background helping with his image projection but he would not be able to talk and act through Xerxes' body.

Why couldn't his brother understand that this had to be done? It wasn't unlike what Cross had done to their sister. Only, Tibby would have to merely spread her legs for one man while Gianna had been whored out to men that were normally beneath her.

Growling in frustration, he continued on his path in search of Tibby. It was always the same. He'd always been the one to dirty his hands for the advancement of the Novos name, and as always he was blamed and ostracized for those very actions. He'd practically had to buy his way back into his family after they'd thrown him out of the family house when they'd discovered that Red Land Psychs had a higher range than he.

Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he finally spotted Tibby from a frosted window. She stood perched on the very edge of the Maze, peering over the neatly trimmed hedge spying on the cavorting adults. He quickly found an entrance and tried to sneak up behind her as quietly as possible. He took out the blindfold he'd purposefully placed in his breast pocket for this very reason.

One minute she was peering over the hedge at the numerous men and women chasing each other, the next minute a flimsy cloth obscured her vision. Her terrified scream was muffled by his large hand, the fingers digging into her cheeks painfully. He banded an arm around her waist and swung her down, pressing her against the hedge as he caged in on her front.

"Why spy on the party when you can play?"

Tibby gasped and pushed against his chest. She quickly pulled off the blindfold, and then threw it at him. He caught the fluttering cloth and crumpled it in his fist.

"What did I tell you about giving me heart attacks? It's pounding out of my heart!"

He raised a brow. "Yeah? Let me feel," he teased.

Tibby laughingly slapped away his hand as it reach for her breast. "Oh no, you don't get to play doctor after you played kidnapper."

He nodded he her towards the shrieks and grunts coming just over the hedge. "Enjoying the view?"

Blushing a very becoming pink, visible even under the floating romantic lighting dispersed all around the Maze, she averted her gaze to her feet.

"I just exploring when I wandered into the gardens. I had no intention of joining in, that'd be crazy."

Xerxes tipped her face up by her chin. "Just because this game adds more spontaneity with having sex doesn't make it crazy, just stupid. There's a certain appeal to that, though, isn't there?" 

Her large hazel eyes blinked up him. "What's appealing about being stupid?"

Xerxes shrugged. "It gives you a freedom that the right state of mind doesn't allow." 

Tibby pushed away his hand, taking a few steps away from him. She glanced up from under her lashes at him coquettishly. 

"Are you saying you want me to play this game? Do you want to chase me?" 

He put on his most charming and, what he hoped was harmless, smile on his face, he stalked her. "I'd rather you chase me."

Taking her off guard with that comment, he lunged and caught her up in his arm. He cut her off mid squeak and kissed her. She quickly gave into his hot advances, pressing her body along his. Moving her hands into his hair, she raked her nails down his neck and across his shoulder. Xerxes felt an unwilling shiver crawl down his spine and an overwhelming need to capture those hands. He wanted to tie her hands with the blindfold, have her completely at his mercy underneath him. The need to just take consumed him. He wanted her absolutely helpless, to give him all control. 

Tibby's hands traveled down his arms, taking a moment to squeeze his biceps. Her hands sneaked back to his, twining her fingers with his. It was almost as if she were bound like in his fantasies. In a sudden jerk, she snatched the blindfold away from his grasp and jumped out of the embrace. He fisted his hands to keep from seizing her back. 




Gilded in Gold Ch. 07-08



"Close your eyes," she told him. With a sardonic look, he never the less complied. He heard the whisper of her skirt as she moved closer to him, the slight hesitation of her steps. 

"I want to play," Tibby whispered into his ear as she slipped his own blind fold over his eyes and turned him around with a push to his back. She began to count down from a hundred and Xerxes lifted the blind fold, turned and saw she actually had both her hands over her eyes. 

Deciding to indulge her, he moved away from her with the perfect destination in mind. He sent out signals to her as she finally finished her count and began to hunt him. He wasn't worried she'd run into any other men since he'd warded off this area for her seduction tonight. As she rounded the corner, Xerxes hid behind the thick column of the gazebo entrance. Sending out one last signal, he waited to capture his prey. 



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Author's note: please read important updates!!!!

Yah, double dose! I'd originally planned this scene within ch. 7 but it just got too long so I moved it on over to 8. Edited by the fantastic AdrianaBelen. Comment and rate :)

The updated lineup will probably be the pirate mm I promised, then By Night, My Love, a continuation of The Dark in Your Blue Eyes (since I've gotten great feedback on that), and the last chapter for Sweet Submissive. So see, comments do influence what I write or not, so yah comment people. 

p.s. kudos to all who actually take the time to read my long author's notes :D

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Ch. 8 

For a man with a blindfold on, Ezekiel moved pretty fast. He kept sending out little hints that lead her to a beautiful and secluded gazebo, lit only by the generated moon in the sky. Although he hadn't directly said he was in the shadowy gazebo, a sixth sense told her he was waiting for her there. Hesitating a bit on the threshold, she took a deep breath and ducked inside. 

Menacing shadows lurked from every direction and she hesitantly called out for Ezekiel. Her answer came in a swift kiss on the nape of her neck. Whirling around, she saw more shadows. A hard tug at the back of dress loosened her bodice and her hands flew up to the neck to preserve her modesty. Moving in a continuous circle, she tried to pin point exactly where her mischievous lover was. Getting a little dizzy, she almost toppled over when Ezekiel appeared in front of her and kissed her. Forgetting her drooping bodice, she clutched at his shoulders. 

"Mina said I can't say no," She breathed into his mouth while her hands were busy shoving his jacket off his shoulders. 

"Technically you caught me and I have no intention of saying no." 

Grinning, Tibby trailed kisses down his neck, unbuttoning his shirt and placing a kiss on every inch of revealed flesh. "Brought down by a technicality, am I?" 

Tibby yelped when Ezekiel's leg wound around hers and tripped her onto her back. He wrapped his arms tightly around her so that she was only slightly jostled when she fell. The brunt of the fall fell on Ezekiel's hands and knees. 

"Brought down by your gullibility," he corrected. "I'd never leave something so important on something so unreliable." There was a hint of something...something she couldn't quite put a finger on. His words held a darker, deeper meaning and Tibby wondered if her own naiveté and her desperation was leading her down a path that darker than the one she was on. 

But he gave her no further time to think; probably having noticed the inkling of uncertainly creeping in her eyes, he kissed her. Tibby concentrated all her being into that kiss, banishing all her doubts and worries to the back of mind. Ezekiel wasted no time pulling down the gauzy straps of her dress. Unlike last time, she helped him, this time urged by her reckless resolve. 

He licked a path down her sternum, completely bypassing her neglected breasts. Swirling his tongue into her navel, he pointed his tongue and dipped it into the cusp. She'd never known that place was sensitive but it seemed there was a direct connection of nerves from her belly button to those fluttering butterflies that signaled her undoing. Hooking his fingers around her dress and panties, he swept them from her body and flung them away. Tibby tented her legs and dug her heels into the cool cement, curling her toes. 

So that's what they meant by a toe-curling sensation. 

Ezekiel moved down her stomach and licked along the crease where her thighs met her hips, teasingly dipping into where they met at a v at the core of her body. But he didn't penetrate, just lapped at the surface of her skin. 

It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe, to think, to even feel anything beyond what Ezekiel granted her. Spreading her arms out, she searched for anything to grab onto but all she was met with was his long forgotten jacket. 

Ezekiel's surprisingly soft lips moved down her thigh, mapping every line of claimed territory on her body. 

"Turn over," his husky voice commanded. 

Gracelessly, she flipped onto her stomach. A hot flush worked its way down her face to her neck when she realized he was probably getting quite an eyeful of her buttocks. Warm hands settled at her hips, his thumbs resting on the slight indents right above her tempting cheeks. 

An embarrassing squeak left her lips when she felt the molten heat of his mouth seal over the back of her knee, the flesh there surprisingly sensitive. He bit the delicate tendons gently, and then laved away the small wound with loving strokes. Her leg jerked when he moved those clever lips up towards back of her thigh. The chill air brushed over her dampened skin, raising tiny goose bumps all over her body. 

Keening loudly, she moaned for him to do something, anything. His dark chuckle against her thigh told her that he heard her plea and he was choosing to ignore it. Moving up to her buttocks, he nipped at the edge. His tongue traced nonsensical patterns into her plump flesh. 

"Stop...Stop teasing me!" Tibby wailed. She wanted him inside her already. 

"I'm at your command, love," Ezekiel promised as he flipped her onto her back and mounted her. He'd lost his shirt in the past few minutes but his pants still hung onto his narrow hips. 

Curling her legs around his waist, she shifted onto one elbow and stared at him. Strong, defined muscles bunched and moved under his hot skin. With tentative fingers, she trailed her fingers down his sharp collarbone, catching the tip of his nipple with her nail. Her eyes devoured him as her hands curled and clawed down his ridged abs. Ezekiel sucked in a harsh breath, his nostrils flared. 

She looked into his dark eyes where only a small glint of white was visible, the rest of his face thrown in shadows as she moved her hand down to the buttons on his pants. Her hands fumbled at the opening and he shoved them down his hips to bunch at his knees. Still keeping eye contact, Tibby closed her hand around his thick length. A flutter of fear jumped inside her. It was so big, so thick. It would be impossible to fit that thing inside of her. 

Looking down, she tentatively moved her hand up and down the angry looking cock. Thick purple veins ran up the length to the slightly pink mushroom head leaking copious amounts of whitish fluid. Scooping some up on her finger, she brought the liquid to her lips. 

A slightly sweet and bitter taste burst on her tongue. He groaned above her and she quickly removed her fingers, fearing she'd done something wrong. 

"I..." 

Ezekiel quieted her and dropped himself over her body. 

"I'm scared. Feel," Tibby brought up his hand over her beating heart. Her whole body was trembling and sweating. 

Ezekiel guided her other hand to his own chest, sealing her hand over his beating heart. 

"Breathe for me," he whispered. He took her lips in a kiss, their tongues sliding in a wet and dirty dance. It was sloppy and messy and fast. She moaned into his mouth, placing her tongue into his mouth. 

Ezekiel finally managed to lose his pants and he was just as naked as Tibby. This was it, she was losing her virginity. Tibby broke the kiss, gulping in a lungful of air. She felt his blunt head nudge at her hot opening, the tip of his spongy head splitting open her lips. Panting, she waited for him to thrust. 

Ezekiel moved his hips in small forward thrusts, getting her used to his thickness. Her wetness enveloped him and the excess ran down her pussy and coated her thighs. The head of his cock slipped inside her, moving to rest on her maidenhead. 

The pressure increased inside of her uncomfortably. A slight burning sensation radiated outward from her pussy and she struggled to not cry out. She shoved her fist into her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut. With a sudden thrust, Ezekiel shoved into her until half of his cock disappeared into her wet warmth. Tibby groaned against her fist as he continued to rock inside her until the tip touched at her cervix. 

It felt like she was being ripped apart. A burning pain ripped across her body. Ezekiel kissed her cheek, licking away the wayward tears she never knew she'd cried. 

"It's okay, just relax. God, you feel so good, you're beautiful," he murmured into her hair. His chest vibrated soothingly against her tense body. He continued to mummer sweet nothings until Tibby felt her body relax under his. 

Urging his lips closer to her, she pressed a closed mouthed kiss against him. Ezekiel slowly slid his cock out of her, rasping against her abused tissues. It still hurt, but not as much as before. He looked down at her, as if asking permission; she nodded for him to continue. He thrust in and out of her in a slow rhythm, letting her get used to his invasion. A small tingle sparked when the head of his caught a particular bundle of nerves and she arched her hips into her thrust. That new angle brought her clit in contact to his pubic bone and she gasped. Rubbing up against him with his every trust, she felt every nerve in her body come alive to the waves of pleasure crashing through her. 

Stars burst behind her eyelids. Her hands scrabbled frantically against his shoulders until he grabbed them and held them above her head. She was grateful for that makeshift restraint, finding she liked something to pull against. It gave her something to hold onto, letting her know no matter how far she fell, the hard tug at her wrists would always ground her. 

Tibby screamed when she felt a fiery burn consume her lower half, spreading like brushfire along her nerves and burning everything in its wake. The pleasure was almost unbearable. A myriad of colors shattered the black canvas of her mind. She continued to fall into her climax, her interior muscles milking Ezekiel's cock. 

From a distance, she heard his groans as he followed her over the edge and came inside her. A hot liquid splashed against her cervix, filling her up with his release. His heavy weight dropped down to her flushed body, keeping her grounded in reality. 

Everything was fuzzy; the muted sounds of the night buzzed in her ear. Tibby blinked open her eyes and saw Ezekiel lying beside her. Her head rested on his outstretched arm, his other placed reassuringly over her stomach. His head was bent over her shoulder, nibbling at her skin. 

Tibby turned her face into the crook of Ezekiel's arm, inhaling deeply his musky scent. Her heartbeat was just settling down into a normal rate, the sweat cooling uncomfortably on her skin when Ezekiel broke the silence. 

"Marry me." 

Tibby shook her head slightly; trying to clear the post-sex haziness hat seemed to be clouding her mind. She doubted she'd heard that right. 

"What?" 

A soft smile tipped his lip. "I'm asking you to marry and come away with me."

"You can't be serious. I- we- why?" Tibby finally settled on one of the questions running around in her confused and sex-addled brain. 

A hard mask came over his face. "I want you. I'm probably half in love with you. And I hate how your brother looks at you, like you belong to him. I want you to belong to me." 

"I-I don't know what to say." This was just meant to be a temporary escape but Ezekiel was offering her so much more. He was offering her freedom. 

"You don't know the risk, the danger," Tibby despaired, tears creeping into her eyes. "You're being reckless. You have no idea what Daniel is capable of. He's done terrible, terrible things!" Tibby yelled at him. She sat up and shoved away from him, suddenly angry at Ezekiel. It was cruel of him to dangle hope in front of her when it was futile. 

"Dammit, Tibby I care about you. I can take care of myself and I don't need you to worry about me," he snapped at her back but she was too busy searching for her clothes. 

Nothing in her life was ever perfect. Just this once, she'd thought to secret away a perfect memory but Ezekiel just had to go and ruin it. Finally locating the jumbled mess of her dress, she hurried into the wrinkled mess. She didn't even bother with the black panties, she was so upset. 

"I've lived with Daniel my entire life," she said blandly as she got up, noticing Ezekiel too, was decently dressed again. "If you knew him the way I do, you'll know why I have to be worried for you. Doing this," Tibby gestured to the space between them "was a huge risk. You can't care for me at all and you certainly can't marry me."

"Then tell me why you did this? If you're so worried, why risk it?" he challenged. Tibby looked away, the night sounds becoming magnified in the silence. 

He closed the distance between them, catching hold of her shoulder and bringing her attention back to him. 

"Why risk it when you know what your brother is capable of?" he whispered lowly. "Is it because you were just looking for a temporary escape? A memory to see you through his groping? His rape?" 

Tibby silently nodded her head, avoiding his gaze. "But..."

She gulped, gathering spit into her dry mouth and swallowing it down her parched throat. "But if I didn't care for you, then Daniel couldn't hurt you if he found out. But now..." 

"Now you care for me. It might not be love but it's something." 

Tibby nodded again, unable to give voice to her feelings. As if actually saying it out loud would make it irrevocable. 

"Then marry me," Ezekiel pleaded, touching his forehead down to her. She shook her head as silent sobs wracked her body. "Marry me. I can give you everything you want, the freedom you crave. I can tell by the way you flinch away from Daniel's touch that you want to escape." 

"I don't having anything or anyone to escape to," Tibby cried. "Freedom? What is freedom? I'll still be lonely." 

"No, no," he denied vehemently. "You'll have me. You'll have my love. Let me protect you for once. Give me the opportunity to make you smile without Daniel lurking over your shoulder. Let me love you."

Against all sanity, Tibby felt the word "yes" clambering through all her doubts and fears from the small, hidden place deep inside her heart.; the places that hoarded all of her childhood dreams, a knight in shining armor. 

"Say yes," he urged, kissing her. Tibby tipped her head in a nod, submitting herself to him. 

Ezekiel smiled widely at her compliance. "I want to hear you say yes, love." 

It was almost indiscernible; the sounds of the faraway reveler overpowering her answer but Ezekiel heard it none the less. 

"Yes." 

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~That was some grade A acting.~

Xerxes ignored Eli's sneering comment as he looked down at Tibby. His walls had been weakened when he'd been... Just the thought made his dick rise again but now wasn't the time for that. He had to get Tibby to think they were getting married. There were only two more days before the Midnight Gardens ended. 

"Yes?" He grinned widely, almost tasting the victory. 

"Yes," she whispered again shyly. She went up on her tip toes and brushed an achingly sweet kiss against his lips. He felt something lurch against his chest but he determinately stamped it down. Now wasn't the time for any self doubts. 

"Marry me now."

Tibby bit her lip indecisively but nodded her head anyways. Marriages were a mental vow between two partners but that was only for Psychs. As a human, it would only be one sided. He would have open access to her mind while the same would be denied to her. Even with equally powered partners, a lot of trust was shared between the two. All she had to ask herself was if she trusted him. 

"I-I trust you. I think I'm in love with you, too."

Xerxes knew she wasn't. She was just caught up in his web of lies, confusing her lust with romance. The situation with her brother was blinding her to the greater danger he posed to her. 

He probed into her mind and felt her opening up to him. Quickly drawing up the same slave contract that in a different light closely mirrored that of a marriage contract, he bonded himself to her. It was almost funny how the dictates of the long outlawed slavery bindings could be spun easily into marriage vows. Between loving couples, it was a show of how much each trusted the other to take care of them. Since Tibby was just a human, she wouldn't be able to tell, let alone feel the difference. To her, shed feel his presence presiding over her walls. 

Eli raged against his mind, screaming at him that there were other ways. But Xerxes had already binded Tibby to himself, without returning the favor. 

Tibby gasped as she felt him invading every corner of her mind, displacing Daniel as the primary guardian in her life. 

"We're married?" 

Ezekiel nodded as Tibby threw herself at him and hugged him tight. 

"You'll take me away from Daniel? You'll-you'll protect me?" 

You bastard. You didn't have to do this to her. 

For a moment, Xerxes thought it was Eli speaking against him, but it was a deeper tone. All his reasoning for doing this to her was beaten down by a sudden sense of guilt. He didn't want to feel anything for this girl. He hated how he found he could breathe easier when he was with her but at the same time couldn't choke down a breath when she turned that innocent smile on him. Hated how she made him feel vulnerable. 

"Yes," he lied, his voice monotone. "Yes, I'll..." But he couldn't finish his lie. He didn't have to as Tibby showered his face with small, sweet kisses, her tears smearing onto his cold skin. He closed his eyes against her affection, holding back the little boy inside him who craved such comfort. Not even his mother had held him with the same, all-encompassing feeling of security that Tibby did. It was ridiculous that a girl who couldn't even protect herself against her abusive brother, who needed protection from him made him feel safe for the very first time in his life. 

He was a man; he didn't need to feel safe. Utterly disgusted with his maudlin emotions, he forced a leer onto his face and took Tibby's mouth in a decidedly untamed kiss. All the anger he felt at himself, he put into that kiss. His teeth smashed against her lips, cutting into her fragile flesh and drawing blood. She began to struggle in his arms so he loosened his hold. Murmuring apologies for his roughness against her cut lip, he licked away the blood. 

He kissed her again, this time gentler and more like the loving husband he was supposed to be. Why that thought left a vile taste in his mouth...well, he chose to ignore that. 

"Let me get you back to your room," he finally separated his mouth from hers, their lips slick with their shared saliva. He groaned in lust when she licked away the taste of them from her red lips. She beamed up at him and followed him as he led her back to her room. 

Tibby stayed silent through their walk, almost in a daze. He could feel her conflicting feelings of confusion and hope and a small budding of light that he dared not look at too closely. He'd thought she had mistaken her shallow feeling for love but what if he was wrong. What if she did love him? He'd be a monster if that were true. He still was a monster to have done this to her. But the thought of Gianna strengthened his resolve. 




Gilded in Gold Ch. 07-08



"I'll see you tomorrow?" Tibby asked hopefully. 

With a start, he noticed they were at her door. "Of course, I hate leaving you now, but soon I'll have you in my bed every single night. We'll talk. " 

Tibby smiled before closing the door. But before it was fully closed, she flung it open and kissed him one last time. Knowing it would be the last time he'd ever kiss her, Xerxes let all the hidden feelings for her bloom. He showed her the gentleness he should have shown her from her beginning, letting her taste his vulnerability. He was so flawed, marred by his numerous sins and for this one moment her touch forgave him.

Tibby pushed herself away, looking reluctant but ducked back into her bedroom and shut the door. 

Dazed, victory in hand Xerxes walked back to his room. He now had the outlying map of Tibby's and by extension Daniel's Mental Map. He was already in the process of uploading the data to his PACT, connecting it to the layout he had of Gianna's map. He took out his PACT and put in the premade virus to eat away the slave contract on Gianna's mind. It wouldn't completely erase the contract but it would sever the bond between her and Daniel. The only thing left to do was to completely crush Daniel's walls, which he would do after he took down Daniel's operation. 

Trying not to think of the long golden hair and soothing fingers running over his flesh, he immersed himself in Daniel's destruction. After barricading himself in his room, he let Eli back into his mind to aid in creating a program to break down Daniel's walls. The virus would be an exact replica of his walls, matching up his own and destroying them. Tomorrow, he would load that to his Mental Map. They worked quietly through the night, Eli only speaking to him once throughout the long hours. 

~You're despicable. You don't even deserve what Tibby gave you.~ 

He couldn't agree more.



Gilded in Gold Ch. 09



Thank you all for being so patient with me, I truly appreciate it! As promised, here is Ch. 9! Don't worry, Ch. 10 will be here soon enough. As always, leave your wonderful feedback...

*****

Tibby hummed to herself as she stretched out her sore limbs along the satin sheets, the touch sending sinuous shivers up her calves, through her thighs creating a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. It was a poor mirror of Ezekiel's touch on her body last night. She inhaled uncomfortably as she felt a slight twinge at her core, the swollen muscles protesting any movement. Tibby spread her arms to her side and stared up at the painted ceiling, deciding she liked the slight pain. It reminded her she had finally let go and lived last night. 

She'd gotten married! 

Giggling, she rolled onto her stomach and groaned, any slight movement sent another arch of pain throughout her lower body. Not caring, she hugged a fluffy pillow to herself and buried her face in it. Relishing in joy, she let the pillow take and hide her happiness. 

She almost couldn't come to terms with finally having sex for the first time in her life, let alone getting married. But she was in love and her body became this giddy mess of hormones, capable of making sounds - mainly squealing whenever Ezekiel's smoldering face came to mind. 

She was married! 

That wonderful thought went over and under in Tibby's mind until she just had to scream into her pillow again, her body an inadequate vessel to contain her joy. Smiling widely, she turned her face towards the artificial beam of sunlight wafting from her balcony. For once in a long time, the warmth didn't just sit on top of her skin, it penetrated deep within. 

A knock at her door shook her out of her musings. Sitting up with great care, she reached for the robe she kept at the end of her bed. Shrugging on the silky pink material over her nude body, she called for the door to open. Mina's face appeared around the door. 

"Are you decent?" Mina asked, her face marred with lines of worry. 

Tibby finished belting her robe and smiled at Mina. "I am now, I thought you had work to do this morning?" 

Mina looked behind her before she slipped into the room. Tibby frowned at her cautious antics, becoming worried herself as Mina's eyes kept shifting everywhere instead of facing her. 

"Mina? What's wrong?" 

She frantically shook her head, bringing her finger to her lips. Mina grabbed Tibby's arm and dragged her towards the open balcony doors. She closed the doors immediately behind Tibby as she whirled around to face her. 

"Mina? Are you alright?" 

Mina's audible swallow and pale, clammy skin indicated said she was not. "What did you do last night?" 

Taken aback by the sudden and invasive question, Tibby merely blinked. Digging her fingers into Tibby's shoulders, Mina shook her hard. 

"Tibby! What. Did.You. Do?" 

Pushing Mina's hands away from herself, Tibby backed away form her frantic friend until the stone balustrade caught her back. 

"I-I stayed in." 

The lie slipped effortlessly from her lips. 

Mina glared at her, crossing her arms under her chest. 

"I'm not stupid Tibby. Those marks on your neck and cheeks don't come from rubbing your face against the pillow." 

Subconsciously, Tibby touched her fingers to her burning cheeks, trying to cover her guilty face. 

"You were with Mr. Ryan Ezekiel last night." Tibby nodded. "You had sex with him." Again, Tibby nodded. "You-You-" 

"Married him," Tibby finished. 

Gasping, Mina fell back against the closed doors. 

"Right. Married. Is that what he told you?" 

Becoming exasperated with Mina's absurd behavior, Tibby began to get defensive. 

"What is wrong with you this morning? I don't understand why your acting this way." 

She crossed her arms in front of her as if to defend herself from the feelings Mina's words were inspiring in her. 

Looking conflicted, Mina refused to meet Tibby's eyes. "N-nothing. Nothing is wrong," 

She stuttered out, her demeanor softening as she leaned heavily against the wall behind her. Tibby walked forward and took Mina's hands in a gentle hold, trying to get her friend to look at her again. 

"Mina, I think I might know what you're so concerned about." 

Mina shook her head but Tibby tightened her hands around Mina's in order to get her to listen. 

"Yes, I do know. I've only known Ezekiel a few days and you think I can't trust him so easily. But what I feel for him supersedes any doubt I might have." 

"Oh, Tibby," Mina looked heartbroken, "That's an incredibly dangerous thing to say, let alone feel. You have no idea the amount of power you've just given a complete stranger." 

Tibby smiled sadly. "I know, but for the longest time I haven't felt anything until Ryan Ezekiel came along. Not fear, sadness, happiness or excitement. But I've felt it all with him. I love him because of that." 

Despite Tibby's impassioned speech, Mina still looked unconvinced. Her expression now reeked of pity and it just frustrated Tibby further. 

"Mina, I don't need your approval," Tibby snapped petulantly. She'd thought to have at least one person in her corner giving her the support she needed since her brother certainly wasn't to give her his blessing. 

"Have you read about those lights that used to have a wire attached that needed to be plugged into a wall to make it light up? Well, I felt like that for a long time, broken and unlit." 

"No, no Tibby," Mina reached for Tibby's hand. "Don't let your life revolve around a man you think you know. Ryan Ezekiel is-" 

Before she could finish, they heard the beep signaling the opening of Tibby's door. Tibby knew it was Daniel without him saying a word. For a moment she was scared that he'd overheard her conversation with Mina. Sparing Mina a suspicious look, she clutched at her robe and peered her head through the balcony door. 

"Daniel?" She gazed at him as innocently as possible, although her trembling hands gave her away. 

Daniel snapped wide and frantic eyes towards her, striding towards her with determination. Tibby squeaked and backed into Mina just as he reached her and grabbed her arm. He pushed her back into the room and almost flung her towards the closet. 

"Get dressed!" he yelled. 

Mina stood still, staring at them like a deer caught in headlights. Daniel paid her no mind. "Get her packed," he commanded and Mina scurried to comply. 

"Daniel, what is going on?" Tibby dared to ask. 

Daniel was nothing but calm and collected at all times, knowing that he could be angry on the inside but still maintain a cool demeanor is what provoked fear into Tibby. Seeing him frantic like this was so out of character Tibby knew immediately something was very, horribly wrong. 

Daniel did a full circle, his wild eyes darting from wall to wall. His body was tensed and he huddled closer to himself as if he was closed into a box. 

"Get dressed. You have to get dressed. Pack. We have to leave here, right now," he voiced in a rushed whisper but Tibby heard nonetheless. 

For the first time in years, Tibby felt an inkling of concern for her brother rise to the surface, fighting against all her fear and repulsion of him. She could vaguely remember him like this when they were kids. He'd been deathly afraid of horses after one had almost trampled on him. She once found him hidden in the barn loft buried under a mound of hay. She hadn't said a word as he mumbled about his ordeal, she simply held him and slept with him for the next week until the nightmares subsided. 

"Danny?" 

Tibby inched her way closer to Daniel's huddled back, his outstretched fingers twitching with nerves. 

He flinched when her fingers made contact with his back but didn't pull away. Feeling emboldened, she pressed her hand more firmly against his back and rubbed up and down. "Danny please, just explain what's happening. You're scaring me." 

Suddenly, Daniel turned into her and clutched her into his arms. Tibby gasped as he nearly crushed her, laboring her breathing. Mina started towards them but Tibby frantically shook her head. Daniel was in a fragile state right now and she knew under normal circumstances he'd never live it through having broken down in front of a stranger - a servant no less. He could easily lash out and hurt Mina in this state. 

Tibby mouthed for Mina to leave, but she refused, shaking her head in protest, Tibby silently pleaded. Conflicted, Mina's eyes darted from the door to the Tibby and Daniel. After a few seconds, her PACT rang and with a frustrated sigh, Mina discreetly let herself out of the room to see who had alerted her. 

Turning her attention back to Daniel, Tibby concentrated on breathing in and out as Daniel's hold was beginning to set bruises into her soft skin. Her hands hovered above his shoulders, not knowing whether she should place them around him or not. 

"Danny, please talk to me," she begged. 

Daniel shook his head against her shoulder. "Can't, can't... not protected. Walls - down, gone, it's all gone. Everything - everything gone, Tibby," his voice broke as he stifled a cry against her skin. She could feel the wetness of his mouth as he breathed hotly against her neck. His hold was beginning to get uncomfortable for her and she tried in vain to extract herself from his hold. 

"Daniel...Daniel," Tibby raised her voice just a bit as she pushed against his shoulder. 

Her brother finally raised his head and looked directly at her, his eyes were glazed over and bloodshot. Looking down at her, he took in the way he was clinging to her. Her robe had fallen open to reveal the lacy camisole beneath; his pupils dilated at the tantalizing sight. In an instant he swooped in and kissed Tibby, catching her off guard, not knowing what his intentions are, his wet lips smacking obscenely against hers. Tibby screeched as she violently turned her face away and slapped Daniel. Her hand connected with a crisp blow to his cheek, he finally let her go. 

Tibby quickly backed away until the edge of the bed caught the back of her knees. Clutching the edges of her robe close to her chest, saving herself from Daniel's lecherous gaze, her breath ragged as she waited for her brother to make a move. Glaring down to the floor as he wiped his mouth clean of the blood oozing where Tibby struck him. 

Just as quickly he had burst into the room, Daniel strode to the door and flung it wide as he called loudly for his guards. With her heart beating wildly, Tibby cried frantically for Ezekiel through their bond even knowing that it was impossible. He could communicate with her but it was only a one way bond being that she is a non-psych. She held firmly on to the hope that her distress would communicate itself despite the one way bond. 

She'd seen first hand what happened when the girls in the house fought back when Daniel called for his guards. It was called the "Free For All Trial" in their house. Daniel would his guards take a girl and "try them out" essentially mentally breaking them down. Nothing was off limits, they could do whatever for however long Daniel wanted as he watched over them. Tibby didn't think she was above such punishment just because Daniel was her brother. She did however, feel as though he'd want to keep her pure for himself. But then again she'd never physically lashed out at him before. 

As Daniel's group of thugs filled the room, he began barking out orders for them. Tibby almost sagged to the floor in relief when his commands penetrated through the buzzing in her ears. 

"Pack everything, right now. Bring only the essentials. Serge, round up the girls and put them in the hold of our ship. Time is of the essence. If everything isn't on the ship in an hour, I'll have your fucking head mounted on my breakfast plate!" Daniel was on a mission and his men were quick to comply. One of them flung open Tibby's closet and roughly grabbed the custom dresses Cass and Mina had made for her. She bit her lip to stifle a cry when she saw the fabric rip. 

"Tibby, I'm not going to say it again, get dressed or I'll drag you out of here in your robe!" Daniel commanded coldly. Gone was the frightened boy who'd tricked her into feeling sympathy for him and there stood in front of her the tyrant she knew so well. 

Outwardly she tried to convey a calm appearance as she moved gingerly towards her closet to get dressed, hands trembling as they touched upon the handles. She needed to get word to Ezekiel what was happening without Daniel knowing. How she was going to do that she had absolutely no idea. The only ones she could depend on were Mina and Cass. Unfortunately, Mina seemed to have something against Ezekiel and Cass was nowhere to be seen at this time. Some friend she was, didn't even know where the only two people who had been nice enough to befriend were most of the time. 

She glanced over her shoulder to see the men haphazardly heap all her personal belongings into a compactor, not even bothering to place them in the right position. A compactor only worked to preserve a large quantity of things in a small space if they were carefully placed in the designated compartment. The way the men were going at it, all her things were going to be ruined. 

Tibby mentally chastised herself for her inane thoughts. She couldn't seem to concentrate on anything important right now, like getting a message to Ezekiel. Tibby had to stop this. Ezekiel had risked so much by marrying her and here she was worrying about the insignificant clothes all bought with Daniel's blood money. 

"Tibby!" 

Daniel snapped, catching her staring at his men. Tibby quickly lowered her head and hurried into the bathroom with the clothes she'd blindly taken out of her closet and shut the door with a bang. With Daniel's state of mind he wouldn't think twice about ordering her to dress right there in full view of his men. With hurried and shaky movements, she put on the loose blouse and a pair of shorts. Not even a few seconds after she'd buttoned the snap, Daniel kicked open the door narrowly missing her. 

Her scream was cut off midway as he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. He began leading her out of the room as his men followed with her compactor. 

"Danny, wait, I have to get my PACT," Tibby blurted out as she pointed towards her PACT set up on the bedside table. He hesitated before nodding once and letting go of her hand. Running towards her PACT, mindfully keeping her back to Daniel as she grabbed the device and pretended to drop it. She heard Daniel growl in impatience. She quickly scanned her eyes around the desk searching for any kind of instrument to write with but found nothing. 

With time running out, growing incredibly desperate Tibby hastily bites down on the soft pad of her forefinger with her incisors, creating a shallow cut, quickly writing the coordinates of "-------" on the inside of the desk. She tried to hide her actions as she fumbled to pick up her PACT with her other hand before she was roughly snatched away by Daniel. 

Stealing one last glance at her hurried message was not reassuring; a few of the numbers were mangled together and the final number was only halfway done in trail of swiped blood. She hoped to god Ryan found her. She knew he was the kind of man who wouldn't stop until he found her. 

__________________________________________________

A lone woman watched the Cross' and their group fly away. She watched the whole thing; had forced herself to watch the whole thing even as her hands clenched at her sides and her teeth clenched in fury. Mina started when she felt a hand at her shoulder. She turned with a jerk, only to frown in consternation when she saw it was just Cass. 

"I was worried that you'd be too soft for this job. I was right, wasn't I?" Cass crossed her arms in front of her. 

Mirroring Cass, Mina tipped her nose up and gazed the taller woman down. "I didn't say anything a good friend wouldn't have said." 

Snorting, Cass rolled her eyes. "This was a job, Tibby was a-" 

"A casualty?" Mina cut in. "Cass, do you have any idea what he did to her?" 

Cass' eyes were devoid of any emotion as she nodded. 

"Then you know what can happen to her if he decides to keep her," Mina hissed. 

Cass shrugged as if that didn't concern her, perhaps it didn't. Cass' lack of emotional responses had been one of the things that had led Mina to break up with her years before when they'd were young, naive cadets barely out of the academy and in love. At least she had been in love; what Cass had been feeling was still a mystery to her even after a decade of knowing her. 

"As soon as the compound is raided, she'll go to a correctional facility. She'll be relatively safe there if she keeps her head down. I highly doubt Xerxes is going to bother with her anymore after. It'll be like they never fucked and when she gets out she can meet a nice little man and fall in love and have little babies," Cass sneered. 

Mina knew the last part was a dig at her; before they's broken up Mina had pushed for Cass to settle down. 

"Fuck you," Mina growled quietly. Cass smirked at the rare utterance and continued on as if Mina hadn't just cursed at her. 

"The idiot left coordinates in the room, it'll be easy to find her." 

Mina felt her heart stutter at that bit of information and turned away from her former lover. Even though she knew better, she had held out the small hope that Xerxes wouldn't be able to find them. But he was the kind of man that wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. And he wanted Daniel's demise. She wholeheartedly feared that Tibby would be one of the casualties. 

__________________________________________________

When they got back, the whole compound had been shut down for the first time since Tibby remembered it opening. The girls had been happy for the reprieve but it worried her. Daniel had the look of a caged in animal that had been cornered. He was liable to lash out at any minute. His violence towards the girls had escalated and on more than occasion she's seen a few girl's who had to be carried away from one of Daniel's encounters. She once made the mistake of confronting Daniel after the first time and as a result she was left with a scar on her thigh. Walking to her bedroom, where most of her time was spent, she lay in wait, hoping that a knock would manifest at the door and she'd see Ezekiel on the other side. 

For the past week Daniel had secluded himself inside the basement lair. Everything was eerily quiet all around the compound, even the girls were getting antsy. Tibby herself had forgone food just to avoid coming down from her room and braving the lower floors. Unfortunately, after two days of water and toothpaste, her belly was rumbling for food. 

It was late at night so she hoped most of the guards were either asleep or with Daniel. The kitchens were thankfully on the ground floor and not the basement but she hurried throughout the pantry anyway. They were almost empty; she had to make a note for the housekeeper to stock up soon. As she loaded her plate, she heard the hushed voices of three men. She recognized all three but only one of them surprised her. Two men were guards, that she knew, but the lower, rough voice of her father surprised her. He rarely visited her and Daniel. The last time she could remember him visiting them was hazy and as she tried to remember, a sharp pain went through her brain. She muffled her gasp on her arm as she heard them walking away. Instinctively, she knew they were heading for the basement. 

Her food forgotten, she followed after them. Staying in the shadows, she kept hushed voices within earshot. Not once did they look back. As they entered Daniel's lair, Tibby sped up and knelt down by the door. Daniel liked for the girl's screams to travel whenever he brought them down to punish them so the was were not soundproof. For once she thanked god for that. 




Gilded in Gold Ch. 09



Pressing her ears close to the door, she struggled to hear their conversation. 

"You're a fucking imbecile," Stephen growled without any preamble. 

"I don't even know how he did it. I-I can feel it! Eating... away at everything...all I've worked hard for..." Daniel's voice broke as he buried his face in his hands in abject misery. Tibby heard her father snort in disgust. 

"Like I said, an imbecile." Stephen sounded unconcerned and Tibby could hear the clinking of glass and ice. She guessed he must have been drinking. 

"What do I do now?" 

"Now you fucking go to jail and rot. You are useless to me." 

"But-" 

"You let the virus do its work. Once the maps are down, take a few of the Consume pills...The powder works faster." 

A few of the words were incomprehensible but what Tibby did manage to hear was confusing. Pills, powder, what kind of drug were they talking about? 

"But-this will-" 

Tibby couldn't hold out any longer, she had to see what was going on. Cracking the door open just enough so that she could see a sliver of Daniel and her father talking in the sitting area, the guards were suspiciously gone. 

In a matter of second, Stephen pulled out a laser gun on Daniel, aiming directly at his forehead. Tibby stifled her horrified gasp behind her hands. Her heartbeat stuttered to a stop as she watched helpless from the shadows as Stephen slowly and methodically pulled back the trigger. 

"I could just kill you now and spare myself the trouble." Tibby couldn't see her father's eyes but his steady hands and nonchalant pose revealed the apathy he had for his son. "But then they'll have to look into who murdered you and I'd rather just let those idiots think you're a low pimp." 

Daniel grabbed the muzzle and pressed it to his forehead. "Then do it!" he shouted, looking up at his father with angry eyes. "It's better than having to feel every bit of mind being minutely stripped away from you," he despaired. 

Scoffing, Stephen put the safety back on and pulled the gun from Daniel's hold. "Don't be an idiot. Traces of your psyche will still linger if I kill you. This virus is doing a better job of it than any cleaner I've employed. Maybe I should find this Ezekiel man and employ him," Stephen smirked. 

Daniel said something, probably about how his father wanted to hire the man killing off Daniel's brain but it was all a distant buzz to Tibby. From what she gathered, Ezekiel was responsible for whatever was going on with Daniel. Deciding not to push her luck, she crept away from the door and blindly walked back to her room. 

What did this all mean? What did Ezekiel do to Daniel? Was she a part of his plan? She didn't want to doubt his love for her, especially when his accusers were her shady brother and father. Maybe they were mistaken and Ezekiel had nothing to do with what they were accusing him of. 

As Tibby crawled into her bed, she mentally chastised herself for even momentarily doubting Ezekiel. He loved her and she loved him. So what if they'd only known each other for a few days, it was enough for her to know he'd protect her from Daniel. He would find her and take her away from this hell. Eventually falling asleep with that thought on the forefront, her mind still held a small kernel of doubt that lurked in the background. 

When she woke in the middle of the night to a loud knocking on her door, the man outside was the farthest thing from Ryan Ezekiel.



Gilded in Gold Ch. 01



There was a stone bench that offered a magnificent view of the barren fields beyond the city limit. She folded herself on the dirty bench, and began sketching random shapes. Whenever she drew something, she did not have it preplanned in mind. She just watched the pathway of the pencil strokes, and used the little bits of powered lead that came off the pencil to shade in whatever she drew.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you okay?"

Gianna barely heard the whispered words of the girl she knew as Zena. She had been here the longest, and Gianna saw that she tended to mother the girls when they were alone.

"Nothing that bastard can do to me can break me." She hated the croak in her voice. Her throat was dry and her lips were split; her mouth tasted like shit and she didn't want to think about why. Thankfully, Zena seemed attuned to her needs; she brought her a glass of water which Gianna gulped down in one swallow.

"I told you not to talk to the Cross girl, Alexxa. Now will you listen?" Zena helped the newest girl sit up in her bed. After the night had ended, which was at five for them, Alexxa had been delivered to their rooms half unconscious and bleeding. A medic had been called and he had used a laser scanner to fix any internal injuries then patch her outer wounds. The only thing Zena was worried about was the mental scars that this girl would have. Unlike her and many of the other girls, Alexxa was here under a slave contract. Slave contracts had been sparse for the past fifty years but here in the ghettos, it was still thriving. But this girl was something special. The aura of power she gave off was unmistakably of those Psychs in the Sky Lands and her mental barriers were the strongest that Zena had ever come up against.

"Yeah, don't mention that bitch to me. She was the fucking cause. That bastard actually did this for her!" Alexxa ranted, her voice rising with her anger. "She fucking laughed!"

With a Gallic shrug that said, "What can you do?" Zena stood and headed to her own bed.

"Just do what you're told and you'll survive here. Do your time, and then get released."

Gianna's harsh laughter made Zena turn around to look at the girl. She was a beautiful girl, with dark hair down to her waist and eerie silver eyes with shifting shades. Heavily lashed eyes with full lips that needed no lipstick, she could have been one of those models on the Holovid e Motion Casts. The girl was just shy of six feet and she was no lightweight with those intriguing curves. Zena preferred women over men and never had she felt this pull of desire that she had for this incredibly brash and beautiful girl.

"I'm never getting released."

Zena nodded and got into her bed. She had learned in her business never to get too involved and the way to do that was no never delve into each other's pasts. She was already having uncomfortable feelings for this girl and she needed more. It was best that he distance herself from this girl.

Alexxa looked up at the ceiling, trying not to play the "what if" game. What if she had never sneaked into that club? What if she had never left her boyfriend to go dancing with a handsome, blonde man? What if she hadn't decided to take a ride on the wild side for once in her life and taken those shots? What if, what if, what if.... There was no use. Here she was a level 5 Psych under a slave contract to a lowly Red Lander. She once again tried to reach out to her brother, but her mental capabilities were half best at this point. Daniel made sure to keep her pumped with the drugs so to inhibit her powers. If she had been of a lesser mind, she would have been reduced to that of a stupid human. As it was, her powers were merely blurred, like a person's sight was under water. Sluggish, slow, but it still worked. She felt a faint touch, a whisper of her name and she smiled. He was coming for her. He would make them pay for what they had done to her; especially Daniel and his bitch of a sister.