A Tale of Revenge Ch. 07

His mouth trailed down her neck, devouring her skin and leaving a blazing trail of sensitized flesh behind it. Her back was arched towards him, offering her breasts up to his mouth. She moaned openly as his mouth closed over her aching nipple. His teeth scraped the sensitive skin and she squirmed as much as her bonds would allow. His clever fingers found her slit again and began to stroke her plump lips, pulling more whimpers and gasps from her, while his other hand held her ass firmly, grasping it as he held her on his lap. She felt assaulted with his touch, like he was coming at her all at once and she had no way to stop him. The dangerous tension in her core seemed to emanate outwards as she pulled at the ropes, his fingers swirling over her clit and his teeth biting down on her nipple. She whimpered in delight and building passion. She bit her lip to keep from calling out his name.

His caresses gained in intensity. Her eyes met his and he held her gaze. Seated astride him she was directly level with his face, which was turned towards hers. Her breath caught. The intimacy of his gaze was more alarming than her bonds had been. She found she couldn't look away. His hand between her legs grew bolder, his touch more firm. He held her eyes as he sank two fingers inside her slowly so that she could feel every moment of the penetration. His thumb ran teasing circles around her sensitive nub, sending shivers up her back. His other fingers slid back, teasing the puckered hole there. Anna's breath caught, her mind suddenly very focused on his fingers as he gently pressed against that forbidden place. And yet she did not want him to stop.

He held her there, his fingers agonizingly slow as they entered her before moving in and out. It was overwhelming how her body reacted, how the sensations running throughout her seemed to intensify beyond what she thought possible. And yet she still couldn't look away or close her eyes as the pressure rose in her chest. Some emotion clawed at her lungs as her breathing picked up again, his skillful fingers pushing her towards the edge. And still his eyes didn't leave hers. When the peak came, it felt like her lips were going numb, her fingers tingled and her entire body was wracked with a wave of pleasure that dragged on and on. She was sure she would tumble from his lap as her muscles shook with release but he held her firmly with his other arm, wringing every last moment of pleasure from her body. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she felt suddenly overwhelmed, a lump rising in her throat, the pleasure edging into pain. And throughout it all their eyes were locked on each other, tethering her to the earth though her body soared much higher.

And then his eyes slid past hers, focusing just behind her. His face hardened imperceptibly to someone who was not so close nor looking so intently. All at once the spell was broken, his hand was gone, and she crashed back down to earth. He was still looking past her and she thought to turn her head and see what had caught his attention. Instead her head hung down in front of her, shielding her view with curtains of hair. Then her body moved, with a will that was not hers, until her bent forehead was resting on his shoulder. She tried move again and found herself locked tight through no choice of her own. A chill ran up her spine as fear washed over her.

"Imonesh," his voice was more cavernous and godly than ever. "To what do I owe this interruption?"

"Tisk, tisk, Leo," a godly female voice came from behind Anna. Something about it made her heart pound in fear. "Don't be such a prat. I came to play." Anna could hear the other god moving as she spoke, coming nearer. "After all, you are visiting near my realm. You can't blame a girl for wondering what's brought you to this part of the world."

Leonid's hands were on Anna's thighs, holding her firmly. As her heartbeat climbed, his thumbs began drawing small circles on her skin. She assumed it was meant to comfort her but it did little to help as the other voice drew closer. She desperately wanted to look over her shoulder to see the threat but he was somehow keeping her head immobile. She had enough freedom to yank at her ties and couldn't quite suppress a whimper when she felt just as securely bound as ever.

"This one seems so deliciously frightened." The goddess was right behind her now. Anna gasped as fingernails made contact with her bare back and started tracing lightly over her flesh. They were sharp and the gentleness was laced with threat.

"And I have given you the impression that I want your company." Leonid's voice felt huge from where Anna sat, head bowed towards his chest.

The goddess's nails raked across Anna's skin harder, making her flinch and gasp. Being trapped between two gods was making her miserably aware of how precarious her position as a mortal was. She tugged uselessly at the ropes. It no longer felt good. She no longer wanted to be at his mercy as long as he let this woman touch her.

"Don't forsake my presence so quickly. We can still wring some fun out of her." The nails on her back dug further, painfully scratching her skin. She gave a soft cry and began squirming in earnest though her head remained firmly in place. Leonid's hands held her more securely.

Then something very strange happened. Anna could still feel that the goddess was hurting her, she could even feel the pressure on her skin and she knew it hurt, but somehow she suddenly felt wrapped up in a comforting blanket inside her own head. Everything taking place around her and to her felt very distant and unimportant. Her body still reacted to the pain, she could hear the noises her own mouth was making as the goddess drew thin lines of red down her spine, but it all seemed like it was happening to someone else. Had she finally gone mad? Is this what it felt like?

Leonid was saying something but again Anna was finding it hard to care. This strange scene, her bound body trapped between the two deities as they traded barbs over her bowed head, seemed unimportant to her. She was still rational, she knew she should care, but there was this lovely warm feeling of comfort that she decided she much preferred to focus on.

Imonesh's nails were raking her skin now. Her body was twisting in pain and she called out louder. The goddess's hand came to her upper back, between the tops of her shoulder blades. Her claws started pushing painfully into Anna's skin. Anna shrieked as the goddess pushed past her skin and into the flesh of her back. She sobbed into Leonid's shoulder, her body writhing in the tight ropes around her limbs. And still Anna was curled up inside her own mind, pleasantly removed from the pain her body was experiencing.

"You seem to think boundaries don't apply to you," the goddess was saying. "You're wrong." With that she withdrew her hand, leaving five rivulets of blood flowing down Anna's back.

The ropes disappeared and Anna's body collapsed against Leonid's for the briefest moment before he pushed her off of his lap and onto the ground as if she were no more than a sack of grain. Her face was still turned away from them, covered in her hair so she couldn't see the face of her tormentor. She sobbed raggedly, her breath harsh in her throat.

"Well now that you've ruined my entertainment for the night we can stop with—" Leonid's voice was cut off suddenly and the forest around her disappeared. Anna's hands no longer rested on forest floor but on the wood of her room at the inn.

The comforting barrier in her mind had also vanished and she was fully and completely aware of the pain in her body. Whimpering slightly she lifted her hand and touched the sticky mess at her back. Pain shot through the fresh cuts when her fingertips brushed it. She stifled a sob and made her way back towards the tub on shaky legs. She sank into the cooled water, letting it wash the blood away.

Something worse than the pain was clawing at her insides. She tried to ignore it. She had no business feeling this way. She was a fool to have even considered him more than he was. He owned her. He could do with her whatever he pleased, including letting that psychotic woman attack her, all the while sitting there, holding her down, letting her fight the binds he'd placed on her so tenderly. And she had said she trusted him and she had believed it. The thought made her want to vomit.

Anna tried to push it down again, but the emotion would not be denied. It crept up her chest, like slinking vines writhing inside her ribcage. Her throat tightened and her eyes burned. She pulled her legs into her chest, hugging them as she let the tears slip down her cheeks into the water of the bath.

She felt betrayed.

*

The next morning she met Dev downstairs in the inn. The innkeeper served them a hot breakfast and they ate silently. Dev could sense something was wrong. It wasn't hard. Anna looked like she'd barely slept, her mouth was drawn in a tight line and she kept looking off, deep in thought with her brows knit together. Dev had traveled with Anna just long enough to know that it was probably magic related and she would refuse to talk about it.

Over the past several weeks Dev was constantly aware that there were things going on around this girl that he was not privy to. She would go to sleep in one mood and wake up in a completely different. Sometimes she was well rested, sometimes exhausted. He had heard her once at night, in the throes of a nightmare much like he suffered, but his attempts to wake her resulted in an unconscious use of magic on her part and he had decided to leave well enough alone after that. Even the simplest attempts to inquire after her well being were all but ignored and Dev had learned it was just another thing he couldn't talk about, like her magic, her inexplicable skill with weapons, even her ability to read the small book she seemed to constantly consult.

He sighed as she once again frowned at the far wall, looking through it really. The sound caught her attention and she flicked her eyes towards him. She looked down at her food. If he didn't know better he'd think she looked embarrassed. Dev shook his head, no matter what there was always this strange barrier between them, her secrets a constant wall around her.

They packed up and left in uncomfortable silence. Anna seemed to grow more sullen as they rode out of the town towards the house she assured him the last sell-sword had been for the past week. He tried to ignore it but her hunched shoulders and far off frowns were wearing on his patience. Finally he drew up his horse, halting sharply and causing her to jerk out of her morose daze.

"Alright, out with it." Dev said sharply, more sharply than he had intended.

"What?" Anna snapped back, her dark eyes flashing at him.

"Out with whatever it is that has you sunk under these rain clouds." Dev's tone lightened. He wasn't really angry, just tense. "We're about to confront the last of these men before the capital and you are millions of miles away. Can you please focus a bit? At least for my sake?"

Anna opened her mouth as if to snap back at him but closed it again. Her brow drew even further together, something he hadn't thought possible. But she nodded, setting her eyes forward and kicking her horse into a trot.

Dev sighed and kicked his horse up next to hers. He looked at her again.

"Can't you tell me what's got you so glum?" he said gently, trying to coax her again.

Anna looked over at him. Her face softened and for a moment Dev could see the girl underneath it all. The scared, emotionally exhausted girl who was desperate for some amount of comfort as she navigated this miserable mission. He had caught a glimpse of her a few times these past few weeks. It helped remind him she wasn't just some rampaging demon of vengeful justice. But her face closed again and she shook her head.

Dev gave up, giving her one more sideways look. She is just a girl, he reminded himself. It was easy to forget.

*

An hour later he was no longer so sure.

They had ridden up to the house and left the horses at the tree line, covering the ground to the house quickly. Anna assured him no one would see them coming. Magic, he decided when she didn't say anymore and he followed her. The sounds of sex had drifted through the window as they approached. A woman's gasping cry had sounded out and within an instant Anna had thrown herself at the door, breaking the wood into splinters with the force of her movement. Dev had hurried after her.

Now here they stood, Anna with her hands outstretched, dangling a man in thin air by some invisible force. He was grasping at ghostly fingers at his neck and his legs kicked uselessly, tangled up in his pants, which had been shoved to his ankles for his previous activities. A woman lay on the cabin's wooden table, her mouth and eyes wide with shock as she watched the man twist in the air. The man made gurgling sounds as he struggled to breathe. Dev turned to look at Anna and there it was, the face, the vengeful spirit. But this time it was angry. She was losing control. It took everything he had not to throw himself from the house and run as fast as he could. He couldn't believe that he had wanted magic for himself once he'd learned of her powers. To possess whatever was inside her did seem to be more of a curse than anything else. Her power was devastating when unleashed.

Luckily, the woman on the table had more of a vested interest in Anna's actions. Before he could react, she had gotten off the table and thrown herself at Anna, knocking her to the ground. The anger in Anna's face flickered with confusion and the man fell to the ground in a heap.

Dev lunged at the woman and pulled her off of Anna.

"Witch!" the woman shrieked over and over as she tried to claw her way back to Anna.

Anna, for her part, stayed on the ground for a full moment, staring at the woman she had thought she was saving. Dev held the woman's upper arms with some difficulty as she wrestled against him, her bosom spilling from her undone laces, her face red and furious as she continued to screech insults at Anna.

The man coughed and stumbled to his feet, disoriented. Only then did Anna right herself. The man turned to look at her and suddenly her body felt swept away by a wave of power. There he was, in her village, standing over her sister who was desperately trying to crawl away. The man laughed, grabbing June's ankle and dragged her back, settling himself between her legs. "Oh no sweetheart," he said in mocking tones, "you're going to stay and entertain me and some of the men. But I'll take you now before it gets too messy."

With a jolt Anna was back in the cabin staring into the bewildered eyes of the soldier as he hoisted his pants up. But his confusion was clearing and he made for his sword, hung on a nail on the wall.

Anna threw up her hands. Black cords surged from her outstretched palms towards the man. In an instant he was bound, the cords around his arms and legs, gripping him tightly to a chair.

"Witch!" the woman Dev was still restraining screamed at her display of power. Dev had to wrap his arms around her torso and arms to keep her from launching herself at Anna again.

Anna was less interested in the woman than she was in the man, who had seemed to settle down very quickly, perhaps too quickly for her comfort. She walked toward him, her head cocked to the side as she gave him a malicious smile.

"So ready?" she hissed. "You seem unsurprised to see me."

The man glared at her but stayed silent.

"Well this won't do, will it?" Anna said again. The ropes grew, winding themselves around his chest over and over again. She reached out her hand, relishing how his eyes widened at her magic, and clenched her fingers into a fist. The ropes, following the same movement as her finger, tightened unbearably around the man's chest, squeezing the air from his lungs. She watched as he struggled desperately to draw breath and then she relaxed her fingers. Anna was dimly aware of the woman behind her sobbing and screaming at her to stop.

The man gasped and regained his breath but continued to stare at her stonily. Twice more she squeezed his body until he broke.

"I knew you were coming," he gasped. His breath sounded rough against his throat.

"How?" she said, keeping the twinge of fear she felt out of her voice. She had made sure that the men she had encountered up until this point would not be able to speak of her, Dev or what had transpired. They should not be able to spread the word about her.

"I knew someone was coming," he began again. "Men have been dropping off the map. Two executed in tiny villages they should have been able to take care of with one hand tied behind their back, a few others found wandering about, no money, nothing on them, eyes hollowed out and such. The news has spread." The man spat at her feet. "I just didn't know it was some cunt witch."

Anna clenched her fist again and the man let out a strangled sound as the ropes squeezed him again. The woman behind her was sobbing again.

Anna relaxed his ropes. "You should keep a civil tongue in your head while addressing those in a position of power over you and those you care about." Anna turned slowly towards the woman. For the first time, the woman got the full force of Anna's glare and it quieted her some. Absentmindedly, Anna almost admired the woman for attacking her and continuing to call out. She looked properly scared but still defiant.

"What are you to him?" Anna asked. Something about this woman's behavior irked her.

"His wife, you bitch!" she cried out, renewing her struggles. Dev held on.

"And do you know, gentlewoman, what your husband does for a living?" Anna inquired, a hint of mocking in her voice.

"He is a man of the sword." The woman sniffed, so she didn't like it, but she could tolerate it if he brought home money and took care of her. Anna moved towards her.

"Get away from her!" the man called out. Anna whipped around towards him, a terrible look on her face.

"How does it feel?" She hissed, "how does it feel to have those you love in the clutches of someone who would do them harm?" Anna moved towards the woman again, watching the man struggle uselessly. She turned back to the woman. "Should I do to her what you did to my family? To my—"

"Shut up!" the man screamed, desperation in his voice. "Stop your jabbering you stupid, bloody cunt. You came here for me; get it over with and leave us in peace."

Anna stiffened. "You will never be at peace again." She promised him. She looked at the woman whose sobs filled the sun-lit cabin. The small room still stank of sex; the woman cried piteously, tears falling on her exposed breasts. Her husband had barely pulled his pants up. Dev held the woman, but for the first time Anna noticed he wasn't looking at their target, he was looking at her, with fear in his eyes.

Her eyes jerked to Dev's face again and his gaze faltered. It was definitely fear. He looked down at the woman in his grip and then back at Anna. He thought she was going to hurt the woman. Anna shook her head at him, pulling herself together. She was letting this man get to her and was losing control. It was time to take it back. She took a deep breath and stood in front of the woman who sobbed at her closeness. The woman shrank away from her, trying to retreat into Dev's body.

"Your husband employs more weapons than just his sword. His cock is one of the favorite tools of his trade."

"Stop!" the man called out from behind Anna. She ignored him. He continued shouting, trying to speak to his wife, to drown out Anna's words. She pushed the sound of his words away, leaving her inside a bubble of silence with his wife.

"He raped my sister and so many others. He would leave you here and go toy with helpless women as a gratuity for his work."