Divine Cruelty (5 page)

But Rachel was only staring at the ceiling, blindly waiting for Helena to do as she had been told. Her fingers flexed and stretched as she revelled in a purgatory of elation and, when she closed her eyes, she decided she was no longer alone with Helena. Instead, she was being served by the glorious brunette that Pearl had presented in the chapel. The fantasy was so delightful it had her shivering.

Helena teased the tip of her tongue against one nipple, exciting the bud of flesh and making it stand firmer. She avoided the nipple ring at first, then used her lips to tug on it gently.

The flesh already felt swollen and unbearably tender but Rachel was happy to suffer the tantalising torment as her moment of climax crept closer. She half wished there was a butt-plug handy, or weights, a vibrator or some other instrument of sadistic torture. But, because Master Vince frowned upon his staff owning their own toys, and because their secret store of contraband wasn't as well stocked as she would have wanted, Rachel knew she would have to do without. If the desire had been so strong she knew she could have coaxed Helena into using her fingers or a fist. But, not wanting to spoil the mood of the moment by having to persuade the servant to do something so strictly forbidden, Rachel decided to simply lay back and enjoy.

She kept her eyes closed as Helena began to gnaw on her nipples, still envisioning the brunette with the distended pussy lips. When unstoppable spasms began to rack her body, shaking violently through her and threatening to force her orgasm, Rachel continued to pretend she was being pleasured by her fantasy lover. Helena started to speak and Rachel didn't know if it was a question about the evening, or the comments of a concerned lover. Not listening to what the servant had to say she told her to be quiet before she spoilt the illusion that Rachel was finding so satisfying.

The first orgasm came in a blistering wave, causing her to writhe frantically on the bed. The delight of having her breasts bound promised to be too much and she clawed frantically at the leather strap in an attempt to staunch the pleasure. Her chains prevented her from tearing the binding away and she sobbed with half-satisfied anguish as her body was buffeted by torrents of agonised delight. Trembling with the effort, and still in a realm where every movement inspired a delicious response, she pushed Helena's face between her thighs and demanded the woman lick. 'Eat me, you bitch!' she growled. 'Eat my cunt. You know you want to.'

Helena devoured her with the greed of a carnivorous animal. She nibbled at Rachel's pussy, tugging on the lips before nuzzling and slurping greedily. She caught the hood piercing between her teeth and, with infinite care, lifted her head back until the clitoris was distended.

Before the first shockwaves of joy had begun to subside, Rachel could feel herself in the throes of a second, stronger orgasm. She clamped hold of Helena's hair, not sure if she was trying to pull her closer or push her away. When a third, more powerful climax erupted she shoved the servant from the bed with a satisfied groan.

The strength of the release was so strong it was all she could do to curl herself into a foetal ball and cry bittersweet tears against the pillow. She wasn't aware of how long she lay like that but her rest was disturbed by Helena stroking gently against her cheek. The affectionate gesture was so soothing Rachel felt a pang of guilt for having used the servant while pretending she was someone else. Familiar with the emotional sways of her life in Master Vince's service, she was quickly able to put the self-recriminations to one side.

'You saw something bad in the cards, didn't you?' Helena whispered.

Rachel brushed the servant's hand away and stared unhappily up. She shook her head as though disagreeing and said, 'I didn't see something bad in the cards. I saw something unimaginably terrible.'

'What was it?'

Rachel shrugged. 'I can't say for sure. I just know it was bad, and I believe it all revolves around Pearl.' Speaking almost to herself she said, 'I don't think Pearl can be trusted.'

Helena placed a horrified hand over her mouth. 'You don't think Pearl can be trusted? But you told the master he could deal with her. You told him she could be trusted!'

'I know what I told him. But I didn't have any other option. I've read the cards and re-read the cards and I know that troubled times are coming. Pearl's arrival heralds a lot of suffering.'

Helena's hands fluttered in her lap like agitated butterflies. 'So, why did you tell the master he could deal with her?'

'The suffering would be just as bad regardless of whether he traded with Pearl or not,' Rachel said tiredly. She didn't like answering the servant's questions because they made her realise she hadn't thought everything through before deciding how best to deal with the situation. At the time she had remembered the adage, "keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer," but that no longer seemed like a sensible way forward. Disliking the fear of error, she glared angrily at Helena and said, 'Don't you go telling anyone what I've done.'

'Of course not,' Helena assured her. She looked set to place a reassuring hand on Rachel's bare leg, then seemed to think better of such unsolicited intimacy. 'I'd never tell anyone what you've done. But how are you planning to rectify the situation?'

Rachel considered her reply carefully, thinking back to the plan that had seemed so clear earlier in the evening. 'We have to let the master work with Pearl for now,' she said, trying to inject her words with conviction. 'When the time is right, when the cards say the troubles have passed, I can read the tarocco for the master and tell him to end his association with Pearl.' She exercised a tight smile, hoping it looked more convincing than it felt.

'What suffering have you seen?'

Embarrassed, because she didn't have an answer, Rachel looked away. 'I can't say,' she admitted.

'Who would it affect?'

Rachel shrugged. 'Me. You. Everyone. All of us.' She was guessing, not sure whom the suffering was meant for, only knowing the tarocco had told her it would be bad.

'And, when is it meant to begin?'

Rachel frowned because she knew the answer to that one. 'It's meant to begin soon,' she said solemnly. 'It's meant to begin very soon.'

Helena was momentarily silenced. When she glanced up from her study of Rachel's legs her frown was a deep crease along the centre of her brow. 'You said you plan to get rid of Pearl once the cards say it's safe to get rid of her. Do you think it will be that easy?'

Rachel hesitated before answering and didn't get the chance to reply. A knock at the door made them both start guiltily. Helena glanced nervously at Rachel, her eyes wide with the fear of discovery.

'Answer it,' Rachel snapped, trying to sound braver than she felt.

Unable to contain her dread, Helena cowered on the bed and shook her head.

The knock came again, louder this time and more insistent. Rachel snatched the discarded leather strap and pushed it beneath her pillow before stamping towards the door. She opened it to find O'Mara standing in the hallway.

The mousy blonde was unintimidated by Rachel's threatening frown or her brazen nudity. She fixed her with a scornful sneer and said, 'The master wants you in his study. He wants you and your servant slut in there now.'

Rachel turned to Helena. Solemnly she said, 'I think the bad times are just about to begin.'

CHAPTER FOUR

Master Bernard stood to one side of the roaring fire. There was a balloon of brandy in his hand and, although he made a pretence of sniffing its bouquet, his attention was obviously fixed on the two naked women.

Rachel recognised Pearl's brunette alongside Master Bernard's ebony companion. They had both been stripped nude and knelt with their heads on the stone floor and their backsides facing the fire. Protruding from the anus of each woman was a thick church candle. Both wicks had been lit and, from beneath the sputtering flames, occasional dribbles of molten wax slid down the broad lengths. The scalding rivulets pooled around each woman's sphincter, inspiring shivers and muted moans.

Rachel was familiar with Master Vince's favourite torment and knew he often had slaves kneeling in front of the fire regardless of whether he was entertaining guests, or alone and only amusing himself. His greatest pleasure seemed to come when the candle had dwindled to a stub and he was ignoring a slave's pained cries or pleas for mercy. Occasionally, to add a wicked twist to the diversion, he would leave the candle unlit and allow the slave to be tortured by molten wax that came only from her imagination.

'This is boring,' Pearl declared. She shared a table with Master Vince and spoke between greedy swigs from her brandy balloon. Their table was set back from the fire and furnished with one of the many ornate chess sets that decorated the room. In an arrogant pose she lazed with one leg crossed over the other displaying the bare flesh of an upper thigh. 'The protracted torment of stock is never any fun,' she proclaimed. 'Not when it can be done more quickly and more cruelly.'

Master Vince raised an eyebrow.

From his place by the fireside, Master Bernard flicked his gaze in Pearl's direction. His attention lingered lasciviously over the exposed stretch of her inner thigh and his grin grew broader. The obvious swelling at the front of his pants twitched like a divining rod.

Rachel suppressed a pang of sudden jealousy and her dislike for Pearl briefly intensified. Wilfully remembering her place, forcing herself to be unmoved by Master Bernard's interest in the domineering slave trader, Rachel remained framed in the doorway.

'How would you suggest we entertain ourselves with the slaves?' Master Vince asked Pearl. 'What would you suggest we do that isn't boring?'

'I did suggest we should use them for sport,' she reminded him. Her tone was acidic with impatience. 'But I suggested that twenty minutes ago, and you said you wanted your favourite here before...'

'Rachel's here,' Master Vince broke in, glancing towards the door. 'She's here and she's ready to meet any challenge you care to propose.'

Pearl shot a disparaging sneer in Rachel's direction. She made no attempt to mask her blatant contempt. 'That one wouldn't last two minutes against any of my stock.'

'You do Rachel a dishonour. I think you're underestimating her abilities.'

Pearl shook her head. 'I saw her reading your tarot cards this evening. I believe she thinks too highly of herself. You've let her retain a sense of humanity and self-worth.' With obvious authority, she added, 'Humanity and self-worth are the first things you need to remove from your stock if you want to get the best service from them.'

Master Vince sipped at his brandy. 'I have no idea what you're talking about,' he smiled honestly. 'Would you care to enlighten me?'

Sighing with exasperation, Pearl snapped her fingers and pointed into the shadows of the hall. The remainder of the three women she had brought with her, a pair of strawberry blondes who looked similar enough to be siblings, both rushed from their places at the wall. They had not been allowed to dress after being stripped in the chapel and both wore only hold-up stockings and extremely high heels. Neither seemed troubled by their nudity as they approached Master Vince's table. They appeared almost pleased to be summoned and unmindful that their bared breasts and neatly trimmed pubic curls were on display.

Their swollen pussy lips contrasted grotesquely with their otherwise perfect figures and Rachel was shocked to find herself admiring the way the distended flesh glistened in the glow of naked flames. Smears of viscous wetness glinted from their labia like polished silver.

The pair presented themselves expectantly at Master Vince's table with their hands held behind their backs. Attentive expressions and eager-to-please smiles illuminated both their faces.

'These two are so well trained they're beyond shame,' Pearl explained. 'They're sisters but, if you thought it would be entertaining, I could get either to lick the other's cunt.'

Rachel shivered.

Beside her, Helena clutched her arm. Nodding in Pearl's direction, she whispered, 'That bitch is evil. I'll bet she's the devil you saw in the tarocco.'

Trying to concentrate on what was being said, Rachel cautioned her servant to be quiet. She had seen cruelty and depravity before, but never anything as callous as Pearl's disregard for her stock.

Master Vince remained unmoved. 'I've watched bitches eating pussy before,' he said indolently. 'And I couldn't care less if they're sisters. I thought you were going to show me how you'd removed their humanity? I thought you were going to show me how you'd exorcised their sense of self-worth.'

A flicker of resentment shone in Pearl's eye but it was gone in a blink. Glancing toward Master Bernard she barked, 'Finish your brandy, then put the glass on the floor.'

Rachel held her breath, shocked to hear a woman hurling orders at Master Bernard. She expected him to ignore the command, or rebuke Pearl for treating him like one of her stock. Instead, Master Bernard obligingly drained the contents of his balloon, then placed the empty glass in front of the two kneeling slaves. All the time he continued gracing Pearl with his curious, quizzical gaze.

'You,' Pearl said, pointing at the nearest blonde. 'Without using your hands, and without using your mouth or your cunt, put one of these chess pieces in that glass.' She pointed from the chess set to the brandy balloon but her stern gaze never left the blonde's. 'Do it quickly,' she barked. 'Don't knock any of the other pieces over, and don't break the glass.'