Descent Into Darkness (26 page)

Part 5

Destin
ies

CHAPTER LII – Late Arrival

Better late than never – a phrase oft
en used but never quite as fitting as now. It was a bizarre sight that greeted Amber as she rounded the corner and entered the gymnasium.

There, on her knees, with Raven holding her head harshly back, was Jade. She had been so determined and appeared so skilled but Raven offered an altogether different challenge to that of Red and that challenge had been lost. Beyond them and the smashed door, Amber could see Mela, her back arched uncomfortably in her bindings. The servant, Dan, was frantically tapping at a console.

The real shock came from the sight of Katarina on the treadmill however. It wasn’t the sight of her body though it was a sight to behold, it was rather how she was tethered by her breasts and clearly running along a precipice of exhaustion.

The rage in Amber grew. Amber had declared her love for Katarina, who was tough but looked ready to give up, the consequences of which would clearly be severe.

An explosion of adrenalin flushed away the pain in her knee and Amber sprinted across the room, snatching up a heavy fire extinguisher and screaming in fury as she went. The stiletto heels of her boots rapped out on the floor but, with her back to the door, Raven had no time to process the sound, let alone react. The red cylinder cracked into the base of her neck. Raven couldn’t even curse her own carelessness as her world went instantly black.

== ~ ==

Although the scream shocked her, Jade immediately knew it was Amber. But instead of feeling relief, Jade’s heart sank - she didn’t want Amber to be taken too.

The intense pull on her scalp suddenly released and Jade collapsed forward. Able to breathe again, she stayed on all fours, panting in air. She crouched there, chest heaving as her body recovered from the vicious assault.

The rush of air past her told of Amber’s immediate priorities and quickly Dan was pushed aside. Katarina gave one final stumble, legs succumbing to the strain and unwilling to support her anymore. A cry, anguished and needy, gurgled from her throat as the pull on her breasts only part-held her fall.

A chill sped down Amber’s spine. She could do this. Desperately pleading, “Kat, hang on!” she quickly navigated familiar menus. Almost immediately finding the command she needed, Amber punched the mouse and the treadmill finally slowed, and then stopped.

Thrusting away from the console, Amber launched herself toward the suspended Katarina. It was too much though for her knee, which refused to support the effort her heart demanded.

“Help Kat,” she yelled, pointing as she crashed back against the computer.

Dan sprinted across the room to cradle the distressed girl in safe, strong arms as she sobbed. A recovering Jade and a limping Amber arrived at Katarina’s side simultaneously and began a frenzy of activity to free her from her chain.

== ~ ==

It wasn’t quick and it certainly wasn’t easy but eventually, the trio got the weeping Katarina unhooked. They carefully sat her down on the edge, a moment to allow her abused body to start the process of recovery.

The flood of relief that surged through Amber found an outlet in her own tears. They streamed down now as she cradled Katarina in her arms, rocking her gently back and forth.

A gentle kiss on her cheek and Katarina’s eyes opened with a smile, so rare since entering the manor. They were finally together. Nothing would wrench them apart. Amber would care for her, nurse her back to health. Katarina’s arms wrapped slowly around the woman who had saved her.

When Katarina’s smiled dropped, Amber stretched back, looking quizzically at the woman she had saved. Their eyes met. “Where’s Raven?” As they looked round in unison, they realised as one that Raven had gone.

CHAPTER LIII –
The Hunt

Head pounding and vision starred, basic survival instinct forced Raven up. While everyone else in the room was preoccupied with saving Katarina, Raven lurched out, to save herself.

This was her time, not
theirs
and the thought of what she’d fought so hard for being snatched away spurred her on. It wasn’t easy. Barely able to focus still and with the drumbeat of hurt in her head intensifying with each movement, her attempts at speed just zig-zagged her along the corridor, crashing into walls and chairs. Eventually, bruised even more now than she had been, she made it to the side door Jade and Mela had come into the house through. Fumbling at the keypad, she punched in the code, unlatched the lock and passed outside.

Past the stone bench where the access code had been secreted and then over the formal lawn, Raven headed for the river and, just beyond the tree line on the far bank, the manor’s closest boundary.

Her head felt so light - she’d lost a lot of blood and her nose was still bleeding. She needed time and distance to gather her senses. But her sight still fogged, her blundering run came to an end as she fell headlong over the sundial.

== ~ ==

A trail of blood pointed the way and with Mela freed from her hogtie, the four women and Dan set out to track the flight of the Raven. They knew she was still dangerous and not one of the women was near to being as fit as they needed to be, in mind or body. Each clash, each retribution, each punishment, had taken its toll on them. Yet they had to track her if there was to be any hope of finally purging themselves of the cancerous malevolence that was Mistress Raven.

Nearing the door, Dan ducked into a small passageway that led down to his quarters. “Please, wait here, Miss Katarina,” he beseeched, heading off to retrieve clothing for her. Nodding, Amber waited with her while Jade and Mela pressed on.

Ideally they would have stayed together but time was of the essence. The trail was fresh and they had to get after Raven before they lost her completely. Running across the lawn, Jade and Mela caught sight of a figure ahead, picking its way through the formal garden that ended at a steep bank above the river. Mela was the faster, her muscles revelling in the ability to stretch after their tight bondage and she pulled ahead, starting to circle round the edge of the garden to head off their quarry.

Jade plunged straight through, ignoring even the snag of a hawthorn bush as it tore at the thick latex of her catsuit and gouged her thigh. She could see Raven running down the central path, heading straight for the river bank.

It would be close, but if Raven made the river, it would be doubly difficult to stop her. Jade wasn’t a strong swimmer and she was unsure of Mela’s ability. Mind wandering, Jade missed the stone in the path. Landing on it, her ankle twisted and she hopped forward, wincing with each step.

Cursing, she wouldn’t make it now, Raven was too far ahead. It was all down to Mela. A personal battle to break free of the bewitchment that Raven imposed.

== ~ ==

Her lungs felt free and the fresh air was a welcome change from the manor which felt oppressive and stale now, as if mirroring the rule of Mistress Raven. Mela pushed herself on, looping round, keeping an occasional watch on the two women racing through the formal garden. There was scarcely time to think, certainly none to question her actions and as Raven emerged and primed herself to leap into the river, Mela dived forward, thumping into her.

Momentum alone would have taken her there but the spring her emotions summoned managed to propel Mela forward with the force of a thousand lashes. It was a tackle that professional rugby players would have been proud of. It knocked the wind clean from Raven, negating her strength as she thudded into the grassy bank.

Down they tumbled, Mela tenaciously clinging to Raven’s waist. When they plunged into the river her arms remained locked there, even as memories of the accident that had killed her brother flashed back and she saw the long buried memory of
that
riverbank for the first time since the crash.

The river was fast. It wasn’t long before the current tore Raven from her grasp. Clawing at the water, Mela broke the surface and she saw the bedraggled and mud splattered Raven break the shallow surface just in front of her, facing away. Mela thanked fate for that, she still couldn’t handle that look.

Snatching up a rock from the river bed, Mela waded the two paces to the woman. She seemed dazed from the surprise of the tumble and the shocking cold of the river. There was no pause this time, no second thoughts and as she swung the stone down, Mela knew she had exorcised her principal demon.

CHAPTER LIV – Nighty Night

Jade looked down to the river
. Mela was standing thigh deep in the water, holding an unconscious Raven above the surface by her matted and muddy hair.

It was a satisfactory end to two turbulent hours, two hours which had physically and mentally sucked its participants dry. Amber and Katarina, now dressed, soon joined her and, in unison, they erupted into a round of applause. “Great tackle!” shouted Amber, whistling loudly in extravagant celebration and punching the air.

The tension seemed to wash away as the cleansing motion of the current plucked at Raven as if trying to rid her of filth. There was no way Mela was letting go and as Katarina and Jade waded out to help her, she finally broke into a victorious smile.

Amber stayed on top of the bank, protecting her knee. Looking down with a wicked glint in her eye, she watched the river tugging at Raven’s muddy dress. “Well I guess that little black dresses really
are
the dress for all occasions.” The laugh swept all lingering tension aside.

Raven was soon manhandled to the shallows and the trio started to haul her up the bank, gathering more dirt to further soil her usually pristine appearance. “The bitch weighs a ton,” observed Mela, easing her hold to allow the other two to take the strain.

“Just stop here a minute.” Katarina paused on the bank. She bent slowly, scooping up a clod of sodden earth. After savouring the moment and with vengeful zeal, she smeared it over Raven’s expressionless face. To Katarina, it was a precious moment indeed.

== ~ ==

Raven came round in an unfamiliar position. Standing, cold damp air slid past exposed skin, breaking her out in goose bumps. Her first realisation was that she was naked, and her second was that both her wrists and ankles were splayed out wide between unforgiving chains.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, unsuccessfully trying to blink aside stray hair. She could feel the mud plastered dry on her face and was reminded of her bloodied nose by a throbbing pain and a nagging urge to sneeze.

Her vision clearing, she looked upon the quartet of captors. Three were in functional catsuits, the fourth in oversize jeans and t-shirt, a comfort long-craved. Raven screamed her frustration, hurling her body against the chains and spewing abuse.

The icy blast of water that struck her abdomen momentarily staunched her bile, sucking breath away. It didn’t last long. A second blast to her chest brought stunned silence again. As she started up for the third time, the warning came. “Brace yourself, this one’ll hurt.” Concise and matter of fact.

She wouldn’t be told what to do, not here, not by
them
. The insults cascaded again, the language making even Amber cringe. Another torrent of water struck Raven squarely in the face, choking off her abuse and causing her to gag even before the pain to her nose fully registered.

The cycle continued. Each pause brought new levels of cursing and each blast shut them up. The mud was methodically cleaned and the filth from her mouth gradually abated.

The hose was stowed back on the reel on the wall. “Would you like to do the honours?” Jade smiled, offering Katarina the chance to fit the collar around Raven’s neck.

“This is your place, Mistress Jade, she was only ever a squatter.” Katarina pressed the offering back, smiling at the unnecessary courtesy she’d been shown.

Taking the collar, Jade paused. This was one of life’s ‘moments’. She stepped forward, the poignancy heavy, to stand barely inches from the woman who still flailed against secure steel chains.

The spit that greeted Jade’s approach was ignored and she stood impassively. The woman before her had engineered her removal and was ultimately responsible murdering the man she had loved.

Raven bucked and jagged and the unyielding chains danced. Jade slowly closed the steel collar around her neck, snapping it shut with an echoing finality that was marked by a single word, “Mine.”

== ~ ==

Never offered a chance to lash out, let alone free herself, they steered the still protesting woman to her former bedroom. Ankle was chained across to ankle, wrist chained to wrist and all were welded to chain that ran to her collar. Raven had to shuffle after them as they pulled on it, howling her abuse and promising a particularly violent revenge.

It was Amber that was the first to tire of it, snatching the ball gag from Jade’s belt and shoving it in hard. The force split Raven’s lip. Raven gasped and with opportunity there the gag was crammed deeper then padlocked tightly in place, finally silencing the spitting venom of the cobra they now controlled.

== ~ ==

Raven would herself have been proud of what they planned for her that night but she was in no mood for gracious congratulations, particularly when she saw Red caged to the left of her bed.

They hadn’t been long but in that time Dan had been busy. The room that now greeted Raven was markedly different to the one she’d slept in the night before when her perverse world had been perfection.

The ornate drapes had gone, replaced by those of an earlier owner and the bedclothes were less self-celebrating, more austere. Jade recognised the décor – it was just how she had left the room when it had been hers, even familiar ornaments were scattered around, clearly kept safe by caring staff.

“Thank you Dan, and please thank all who helped you.” With a deep bow, the waiting servant retreated back into the dressing area before exiting down the stairs to the rear.

Raven meanwhile held no such respect and growled through her gag, bucking and kicking out pointlessly at everything in range. Slowly but surely she was manoeuvred toward the waiting cage, a sight which sent her almost wild.

It was hopeless though and the four women gradually stuffed their unwilling captive into the small metal cage, slamming the door against her butt, Mela leaning against it to force her in further.

The clunk of the lock only added to Raven’s frenzy, kicking and flailing, throwing herself against the bars. It was sweet music to the ears of her captors.

As Amber and Katarina retreated hand in hand, Jade looked first at the bed, and then at Mela.

== ~ ==

The feeling could only be described as surreal. Mela looked at the cage to the right of the bed. Folded within it was her former Mistress, wild with hatred and throwing herself relentlessly against the bars. It would be a noisy night and yet one all except Raven would savour.

Mela looked at the woman sprawling contentedly across the bed and, once she’d taken the offered hand, was drawn in to lie beside Jade.

Caged for the first time and with no control, Raven’s fears had her thrashing like a feral cat. She was only shocked still when Jade pressed the button to test the efficacy of the shock collar wrapped around Raven’s neck. The wild rattling and thumping on the cage soon resumed.

“May I?” asked Mela carefully and was handed the remote control. She looked at it, taking it all in. It was as if she had the power of her destiny back in her hands and she cupped it like a long sought treasure.

Taking a breath, Mela shifted the remote from hand to hand, examining it, committing the entire detail of it to memory. Momentarily, she hesitated, listening to the gagged profanities spewing from her former Mistress.

Then Mela pressed. A wail came from the woman in cage. It was sweetness itself and Mela’s finger remained firmly in place while she drank thirstily on the sounds.

She released her pressure and a new turmoil of noise and bile erupted from the floor beside the bed. The kiss on her cheek offered encouragement and the warmth of the eyes she looked into provided the foundation. So she pressed again, delighting in the instant silence from the cage. Yes it would be a long night but one where the victors would celebrate their spoils and two new relationships would be consummated.