A high-pitched scream split the clingy, warm air. Dawn Shadowsbane-Karos pulled crimson lips tight in a grim smile as she loomed over the gaping hole that the naked man?s glistening bowel suddenly spilled freely from. His spine bowed and he released another howl of pain. Shallow cuts danced patterns on the pale skin along his captive legs and arms. The flesh along his torso remained pristine save for the arcing slice across the left side of his belly.
The dragon-elf stretched her left arm across her body as both wings simultaneously curled forward. She brushed her hand over the edge of the wing as she peered down at her slave, red-gold eyes dark with the heat of anger and passion. Slowly, dark drops fell one at a time from the very tip of her right wing claw, to pool near the glossy black stiletto. The spiked shoe and its mate constituted her only covering, and she prowled the cave, drops of moisture glistening along her well-toned frame.
?Scream,? she hissed to the writhing man. ?Scream, while I imagine you are my husband.?
He screwed his eyes shut and allowed himself to comply with her wishes, releasing another blood-curling cry. Dark streaks of soot traced down his cheek, trails created by rivers of tears that fell with each slice from his mistress. His innards slid farther out from his body cavity with each movement and began to slowly creep toward the edge of the table, then over the side.
Dawn?s left arm slid over her stomach as she stepped forward, to take her place next to the man. The hand inched forward, her eyes flashing. Her wings mantled; fingertips brushed a light touch against his cheek. He shrieked again as the claw of her left wing dipped beneath the skin of his right side and delicately split flesh and organs below, forming a cut that mirrored the one on his left side.
A putrid odor billowed toward the ceiling and Dawn tilted her head back. Her eyes closed slowly and she flicked her tongue over her lips as a low growl of satisfaction tumbled from deep within her gut. Pale violet wings spread toward the ceiling, the thinning leather webbing fading to a translucent grey as it was stretched taut. Fresh blood from the new wound fell onto the floor in a steady staccato drip from the edge of her extended wing.
The man?s strength quickly flagged and he was reduced to gasping sobs as his body rocked slightly from one side to the other. His toes curled against the pain and his fingers dug into the leather thongs holding him so securely to frigid marble slab. Her wings slowly drifted toward her body, pulling tighter against her naked back as the tension began to ease from her shoulders.
?Ah, my love,? she murmured, her words drifting to the air and fading slowly away. ?I have always trusted you as no other. We have been partners. And now, I find you have you betrayed me.? She paused in her monologue, allowing a deep sigh to echo through the cavernous space. Her red-gold eyes remained gently shut, closed away from the dim light. ?You will pay for this.? Her voice sharpened, a hint of an edge of steel slicing through the sadness in her tone. ?Because I loved you so, I shall honor you. I will not destroy you unless you attempt to do such to me. I will simply kill you.?
Her eyelids fluttered open and she returned her attention to her evening?s handiwork. Red-gold eyes clouded with heat as she admired what she had done, and she licked suddenly dry lips. ?You are perfect,? she breathed. Her left leg came up as she pushed herself onto the table and straddled the dying slave?s thighs. He gave a feeble moan of protest at the added weight and turned his head from left to right in denial. ?Please, Mistress,? he croaked.
?Hush, darling,? she whispered, leaning forward to press her chest against his gaping cuts. Her hands moved to touch his sides, at the ribcage, and she dug fire red fingernails into tender flesh, piercing him yet again. She licked slowly up his breastbone, her eyes on his face as all he mustered was a weak groan of pain. ?You are beautiful.?
Her hands moved along his ribcage until they met at his chest. She pressed down heavily to allow herself leverage to angle up, and her wings spread halfway to provide her balance. ?Look at me,? she commanded, and rose on her knees over his prone form. His tortured gaze was drawn to her and he stared, wide-eyed, unable to disobey. She sank lower, deliberate and by inches, until their bodies touched. ?You will be my message.? She leaned forward and plunged her fists into the dual slices on his torso. Blood and viscera sprayed from the wounds onto her, and her scream of equal parts pain and pleasure twined with his howl of horror. That howl softened to a dying rasp as the last insult to his body proved to be too much.
The slave fell limp under her and she slid from the table, a cruel chuckle escaping as she assessed the now-corpse. ?Mmm,? she purred. ?At least this won?t harm him.? Dawn reached out her left hand and curled it around the object of her desire. The hand was simultaneously twisted at the wrist and jerked toward her body, quickly pulling flesh from its anchor. The body was ignored once she had acquired her prize, and she turned away from the table and its contents.
?Ita,? she called, her voice raised to echo through the cavern. ?Come.? A plain, short woman garbed in brief silks and enamel collar dashed forward from the wall she clung to and dropped to her knees before the dragon-elf. ?Mistress,? Ita whispered, voice and body shaking with fright after what she had been witness to. Her gaze remained firmly on the floor of the cavern. She remained unmolested and safe, if terrified.
Dawn flung the piece she had so recently pulled from the dead slave at Ita?s feet. ?Take this to the Master. Tell him Mistress Tara and I have talked. Tell him I will come for him.? Her voice was cool as she dictated the message to her husband?s slave. She knew he would smell her scent on the ?present? and know the contents of her discussion with the other woman.
Ita gasped, and looked up at Dawn briefly, but then turned her brown gaze to the ground. ?Forgive me, Mistress!? she bleated. Not daring to look at the dragon-elf again, she snatched the body part and fled from the cavern.
Dawn returned her attention to the marble slab.
The dragon-elf stretched her left arm across her body as both wings simultaneously curled forward. She brushed her hand over the edge of the wing as she peered down at her slave, red-gold eyes dark with the heat of anger and passion. Slowly, dark drops fell one at a time from the very tip of her right wing claw, to pool near the glossy black stiletto. The spiked shoe and its mate constituted her only covering, and she prowled the cave, drops of moisture glistening along her well-toned frame.
?Scream,? she hissed to the writhing man. ?Scream, while I imagine you are my husband.?
He screwed his eyes shut and allowed himself to comply with her wishes, releasing another blood-curling cry. Dark streaks of soot traced down his cheek, trails created by rivers of tears that fell with each slice from his mistress. His innards slid farther out from his body cavity with each movement and began to slowly creep toward the edge of the table, then over the side.
Dawn?s left arm slid over her stomach as she stepped forward, to take her place next to the man. The hand inched forward, her eyes flashing. Her wings mantled; fingertips brushed a light touch against his cheek. He shrieked again as the claw of her left wing dipped beneath the skin of his right side and delicately split flesh and organs below, forming a cut that mirrored the one on his left side.
A putrid odor billowed toward the ceiling and Dawn tilted her head back. Her eyes closed slowly and she flicked her tongue over her lips as a low growl of satisfaction tumbled from deep within her gut. Pale violet wings spread toward the ceiling, the thinning leather webbing fading to a translucent grey as it was stretched taut. Fresh blood from the new wound fell onto the floor in a steady staccato drip from the edge of her extended wing.
The man?s strength quickly flagged and he was reduced to gasping sobs as his body rocked slightly from one side to the other. His toes curled against the pain and his fingers dug into the leather thongs holding him so securely to frigid marble slab. Her wings slowly drifted toward her body, pulling tighter against her naked back as the tension began to ease from her shoulders.
?Ah, my love,? she murmured, her words drifting to the air and fading slowly away. ?I have always trusted you as no other. We have been partners. And now, I find you have you betrayed me.? She paused in her monologue, allowing a deep sigh to echo through the cavernous space. Her red-gold eyes remained gently shut, closed away from the dim light. ?You will pay for this.? Her voice sharpened, a hint of an edge of steel slicing through the sadness in her tone. ?Because I loved you so, I shall honor you. I will not destroy you unless you attempt to do such to me. I will simply kill you.?
Her eyelids fluttered open and she returned her attention to her evening?s handiwork. Red-gold eyes clouded with heat as she admired what she had done, and she licked suddenly dry lips. ?You are perfect,? she breathed. Her left leg came up as she pushed herself onto the table and straddled the dying slave?s thighs. He gave a feeble moan of protest at the added weight and turned his head from left to right in denial. ?Please, Mistress,? he croaked.
?Hush, darling,? she whispered, leaning forward to press her chest against his gaping cuts. Her hands moved to touch his sides, at the ribcage, and she dug fire red fingernails into tender flesh, piercing him yet again. She licked slowly up his breastbone, her eyes on his face as all he mustered was a weak groan of pain. ?You are beautiful.?
Her hands moved along his ribcage until they met at his chest. She pressed down heavily to allow herself leverage to angle up, and her wings spread halfway to provide her balance. ?Look at me,? she commanded, and rose on her knees over his prone form. His tortured gaze was drawn to her and he stared, wide-eyed, unable to disobey. She sank lower, deliberate and by inches, until their bodies touched. ?You will be my message.? She leaned forward and plunged her fists into the dual slices on his torso. Blood and viscera sprayed from the wounds onto her, and her scream of equal parts pain and pleasure twined with his howl of horror. That howl softened to a dying rasp as the last insult to his body proved to be too much.
The slave fell limp under her and she slid from the table, a cruel chuckle escaping as she assessed the now-corpse. ?Mmm,? she purred. ?At least this won?t harm him.? Dawn reached out her left hand and curled it around the object of her desire. The hand was simultaneously twisted at the wrist and jerked toward her body, quickly pulling flesh from its anchor. The body was ignored once she had acquired her prize, and she turned away from the table and its contents.
?Ita,? she called, her voice raised to echo through the cavern. ?Come.? A plain, short woman garbed in brief silks and enamel collar dashed forward from the wall she clung to and dropped to her knees before the dragon-elf. ?Mistress,? Ita whispered, voice and body shaking with fright after what she had been witness to. Her gaze remained firmly on the floor of the cavern. She remained unmolested and safe, if terrified.
Dawn flung the piece she had so recently pulled from the dead slave at Ita?s feet. ?Take this to the Master. Tell him Mistress Tara and I have talked. Tell him I will come for him.? Her voice was cool as she dictated the message to her husband?s slave. She knew he would smell her scent on the ?present? and know the contents of her discussion with the other woman.
Ita gasped, and looked up at Dawn briefly, but then turned her brown gaze to the ground. ?Forgive me, Mistress!? she bleated. Not daring to look at the dragon-elf again, she snatched the body part and fled from the cavern.
Dawn returned her attention to the marble slab.