Andy decided to eat. There was no reason to assume that the food was drugged or poisoned; the coven could command him or kill him much more directly. Besides, it smelled incredibly good. The main course was a seafood pasta. The tomato-basil-garlic sauce had just a hint of oregano, and was just the right consistency. He knew of several above-average restaurants that couldn't make this dish this well. Andy didn't wolf his food down; somebody had gone to a lot of trouble to make this meal and the least he could do was to appreciate it. After dinner, he rolled himself onto the cot to get some sleep. He would need a clear head to deal with whatever tomorrow would bring. *** Andy stretched lazily, then snapped to full alertness when he recognized his surroundings. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he mumbled to the empty cell. Andy looked at his watch: in a couple of hours, he would be considered missing at work. A glimmer of hope flared that faded quickly when he assessed the chances of his job reporting him as a missing person. It was Friday, and nothing would get done until... he didn't return from his two-week vacation. Andy lay back down on the cot, trying not to become depressed, and wondering what was in store for him. He could only watch and wait. Steven brought Andy's breakfast about a half-hour later. Andy assessed the guy who was obviously a head butler or something: a little smaller than me; and I can probably take him quickly enough to get... Then Andy saw the second, much larger, man waiting outside the door. Steven revealed the pancakes and thick slice of ham on the tray. The coven certainly fed you well. I could be a fat little prisoner at this rate... "Hey, can I get some hot tea in this joint?" Andy kidded Steven. Steven stopped loading the dinner plates onto the tray, and said in that odd (it just seemed so out-of-place coming from him) professional manner of his, "We have a selection available. Do you have a preference, or should I just bring you one of each?" Andy stammered no. He was just kidding when he said it. The large servant carried the dinner tray out of the room, and Steven returned a few minutes later with a pot of hot water, a cup, and six (!) assorted tea bags. "I hope that you will find one to your liking." Curious, Andy studied the young (no more than 25, he guessed) man as he turned to remove the breakfast dishes from his cell. He heard Steven give instructions to someone outside the cell, then the butler reappeared. He was dressed as if he were a waiter in a high-class restaurant: pressed black pants, a crisp, wrinkle-free white shirt, and black bow tie. Andy looked carefully again, paying more attention to the arms under the sleeves, and saw that Steven was in a little better physical shape than earlier thought. Andy decided to try the direct approach. "How long have you been here?" he asked the butler. Steve Hall regarded the new prisoner. The guy didn't look cut out for any of the heavy tasks or security, and he wasn't _that_ good-looking. Maybe this is the guy who can take over my job, Steve thought. He had been the head butler for over two years, after six months of having been trained by the last man to hold the job... and Gina. She had extended his sentence beyond the original year for having made an off-color remark to Danielle. If I can get Gina pissed off at this guy, maybe I'll be training him, and she'll let me go free. If he tries to escape, that'll put him in the doghouse for sure. A little bit of a scare should do the trick... "Four years," he lied. Steve shot a nervous glance at the partially open door. Lowering his voice, he asked, "What are you in here for? I know they granted you clemency, otherwise you'd be dead." Andy said nothing, trying to evaluate Steven's abrupt departure from his normal professional demeanor. "I'm here for third degree harassment. They said they'd let me go soon, though," the butler continued quietly. Andy was suspicious. This could all be a ploy to gain his confidence to trick him into letting his guard down. On the other hand, Steven could be just as much a prisoner of the coven as he was. "I'm here for the same. What do they do?" Andy whispered back, without trying to reveal anything other than his curiosity about the coven. Steve leaned close to Andy. "They... they... make you _do_ things you don't wanna do, and... and... make you _happy_ you did it!" He looked around nervously, his throat working, and continued, "I mean, they _trained_ me to be like, a butler. I was a funk guitar player before I met these..." His voice trailed off as the two men detected footsteps coming down the stairs. "Lissen, one warning," he hissed urgently. "Be careful around _Lia_. Whatever happens, try not to let her get you alone." Steve's mouth opened to say something else, but the sound of heels came closer. The expression on his face changed, and he said, "Enjoy your tea." If Steven's warnings had been just a trick, he was a damned fine actor, Andy thought. There was genuine fear in his face when he mentioned Lia's name. He walked out of the room just as a petite, slender woman walked in. Her shoulder-length black hair and big brown eyes made Andy's heart flutter, but he turned his eyes away from her. After all, that's what had put him there in the first place. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth," she said. "You can look at me, just don't leer. Most guys overreact when they're here for training," Elizabeth continued brightly. The air of precious fragility about her made his heart sing. "I'm here to escort you to your room. Her ladyship wishes to see you as soon as you are cleaned and dressed." "Can I finish my tea?" Andy queried. Elizabeth glanced at her watch, then nodded. He took a sip, then realized that it was just him and her in the cell. There was no sign of anybody else around. She was only a little over five feet tall, and he began to wonder if this was his opportunity. Andy was well fed and rested. He made a very quick escape plan, buying time by dawdling over the tea. He put the cup down, and the tiny woman said, "You will follow me, and you _won't_ try to escape," almost immediately. So much for that idea. He should have acted sooner... Andy watched himself follow the slender woman out of the room. They headed up the steps, onto the first floor, and into the entry hall with its old-fashioned grand staircase. The pair passed within a few tantalizing yards of the unguarded front door. It might as well have been twenty miles to Andy, because his body followed Elizabeth up the steps automatically. "Who is 'her ladyship'?" he asked, hoping to get some more information. While he had no control of his body, his mind was still functioning normally. Their footsteps echoed in the spacious hall. Elizabeth didn't answer, but did slow down to let Andy look at the magnificent view of the entry hall of the mansion as they got to the third floor. After a few seconds, she commanded him to move on. She conducted him to a room on the fourth floor. "This is your room. You should shower, shave, and dress in the clothes that are laid out for you on the bed. I will come get you in an hour, but you are not to leave the room until I come back for you," she explained. An hour later, Elizabeth guided him to the second floor, where they passed through an impressive set of sculpted wooden double doors. The room was large and filled with books in fine oaken shelves. At the far end of the room sat a formidable wooden desk. The high-backed chair behind the desk faced a bay window, with the only sign of occupancy being wisps of smoke rising from the other side. "Thank you, Elizabeth." Andy felt a chill as he recognized the voice that had cut through his agony last night. Gina said, "You may leave us," to Elizabeth, who nodded deferentially, and backed out of the room, leaving Andy feeling _very_ vulnerable. And _very_ alone. "Welcome to Castlereagh, Mr. Davidson. My name is Gina Mansfield, and this is my home." She swiveled the chair around to face him. He swallowed hard, remembering his first encounter with the now-fashionably dressed black-haired woman. She smiled. Poor dear, he's scared to death... "I assure you that our 'last encounter' was atypical of the way I prefer to do things. You and Danielle were so late in arriving that I did not have the time to be more... gentle. Had you been more cooperative, it wouldn't have been so painful." Andy detected a hint of a British accent as she spoke. "Ummm... I can cook real well," he hesitantly offered. "I'm not very good at heavy--" "No-no-no-no," Gina interrupted, shaking her head. "*I* decide what you will do as punishment. If you're a good boy, it won't be painful at all." She regarded him carefully, narrowing her senses to view his inner essence again, as she had briefly done in the cell. So blue, and so very rich. Danielle hadn't seen it, of course, but Gina was very pleased that even Dani had the sense not to kill him. He could be... useful. He was scared, but not defensive right now, so Gina shook herself from her contemplations, and returned to the business at hand. She reached into his unguarded mind gently, finding places to anchor herself. Now it was time for her to speak, or else he would begin to get defensive. "Let me see... You're very intelligent, and can be amazingly detached under extreme pressure. I must tell you that you are the first man to ask questions while being judged. Yes, I did hear you, but I'm afraid I can't answer you telepathically." Andy's jaw dropped a little, causing Gina to smile; her diversionary tactic had worked. "You're also resourceful: escaping isn't beyond you, and it wouldn't be a mad dash for freedom. You've already assessed that you must keep any plans hidden from me in your mind. I am impressed." Gina motioned at one of the two chairs in front of the desk. "Please, sit. I would like to speak with you, because I have something special in mind for your punishment. You may be able to help me with a slight... problem." Andy shifted uneasily in the seat, as all kinds of conjecture flew through his head. "However," Gina resumed, "I think that you deserve some honest answers to your questions before I pronounce sentence." She ordered some tea over an intercom. "Great power is no excuse for shoddy manners, to answer your current question." She picked it from his mind just to... show off. She was not beyond the amusement she got from the expression on his face, and his horrified thoughts. "Ask away, Mr. Davidson." "No, you may not leave," Gina replied to his unspoken question. "A bit of a smartass, aren't you?" Andy got _real_ scared; her voice was flat, giving no clues to her reaction. "But, just to make sure... Mr. Davidson, you will not leave the castle unless you are accompanied by a member of the coven. Do you understand, love?" There wasn't any buzzing noise in Andy's head, he wasn't a disinterested spectator watching his body obey orders. A wave of--desire washed over him. Gina watched Andy get confused by the feeling, and tugged a couple more times on the mental string connected to the pleasure center in his brain. The result was a feeling that wasn't like lust or arousal to Andy; he really hadn't paid any attention to Gina's physical assets since coming in the room, and he was too scared to notice anyway. Andy just felt that doing what she asked would make him so... _happy_. "No, Gina, I won't leave the castle without being accompanied," Andy replied eagerly. Gina pulled on the tether she held, flooding Andy with delight sent by his own body. The pleasure that rushed through him as he acquiesced made his head spin. He sighed in ecstasy, and melted deeper into the chair. "Part of the problem with the young ones is that they just don't use any style with their talent," Gina muttered. She toyed with Andy, keeping him blissfully addled until the tea arrived, then watched the funny expression fade from his face while his eyes slowly refocused. "Yes, it is a pleasant sensation, isn't it?" Gina rhetorically asked. "That, Mr. Davidson, is the way I prefer to do business." Andy took a deep breath, reluctantly pushing the head rush aside. This question couldn't wait, not after what she had just done. "Ms. Mansfield, are you a witch?" Gina sputtered in her tea. "You certainly are direct," she said as she regained her composure. "Calm down, I won't hurt you for asking an astute question. You'll find I am not given to capricious fits of malice." He wasn't easily broken, and that was very promising. Even if he had asked in such a rude fashion. "The answer is a good deal more complex than yes or no." She leveled her crystalline black eyes at him. "In terms of bell, book, candle, spells, and all that, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. However, I am over seven hundred years old." Gina stood up and made a mock model's turn. "I am remarkably well preserved and--" She paused briefly as Andy's next thought virtually jumped at her. "Why thank you, Mr. Davidson. I am flattered." Gina sat down and fixed him with a _very_ knowing look. Andy blushed; he realized that she had read the loose thought. "_Maybe_ you'll find out," she replied playfully. Between his fear and embarrassment, the only thoughts she got were not conducive to starting a conversation, and he was definitely too intimidated to speak. Gina decided to answer his questions from the night before. "Yes, I am the leader of the coven. I am the only one of us who can read minds. We sit and judge the actions of those who are--less than chivalrous." She felt Andy's outrage approach the boiling point, and interrupted him before he opened his mouth. "Before you judge me too harshly, I have managed to do some good in the world." She stopped and poured herself some more tea, then resumed with, "Did you ever wonder what happened to Jack the Ripper? *I* know." The Coven Crime... And Punishment (continued) An involuntary chill ran down Andy's spine. The tone of Gina's "*I* know" explained more than the words did. "Naturally, after seven hundred years, I have accumulated a great deal of wealth. That is from whence all you see comes. Castlereagh, as I have named it, is mine, as is the land it sits on," Gina finished. "Can you be killed?" Andy asked, figuring that it would be useless to try and hide the thought. Besides, she'd know before anyone could act. Gina thought for a minute. She had never had occasion to find out in seven hundred years. "I don't think so," she answered uncertainly. "To this point, each time I've died, I seem to wake up in another body. The rest of the coven is quite mortal, however, and Danielle is only twenty- five." Gina paused, mouth upturned in a wry smile. "You're attracted to her; she's never very deep in your thoughts." Andy blushed again. "Each time I am reborn, it is my duty to find and train the women who have the power dormant within. There are twelve other women in the coven, and it is not a static group; they are free to leave at any time, but they can never come back." Gina cocked her head. He remembered that there were only twelve votes cast last night. What a mind for minutiae, she mused. "You have a very good memory. We have a novice-in-training who will be one of us soon." Andy's mind was reeling, overwhelmed with the implications and the images that came to mind as Gina explained more about the coven, and her "self-appointed mission." His eyes started to glaze over when she started to discuss sacrifice rituals, and he really wasn't paying attention to her. Gina decided it was time for a break. "I suppose we'd better stop for lunch. I can see that you're beginning to struggle with my answers. I have no scientific explanation for what I do, Mr. Davidson. I only know that I am. Would you care to join me for lunch in the sun room? It's a much nicer place than your holding cell." He was jolted back to alertness by her quick change in subject, and the hungry feeling he started to get. Gina offered Andy her arm, and led him to the sun room. After lunch, they returned to the library. Gina settled into her chair behind the desk, and continued her speculation of her origin, which she had briefly touched on during lunch. "I think it's because I was supposed to be a sacrificial virgin, except that the high council took... liberties before the ritual. Don't you think it rather ironic that the ceremony designed to increase their arcane power begat the instrument of their death?" Andy was afraid of this woman, this thing that had taught him what "agony" meant... Gina heard his thoughts very clearly, but she didn't need to be a mind reader to see how afraid of her he was. Fear was not the ideal motivating force for what she had in mind. "You have little to fear from me, Mr. Davidson. As I said, you may be of use to me with a problem I have." Andy fidgeted. Gina decided to approach Andy from a more vulnerable point. She shifted position in her chair and leaned forward. "You have a crush on Danielle," she stated. The sudden change of subject startled him. Andy was embarrassed yet again, and blushed once more. Bingo, Gina thought. She waited for him to talk about the young coven initiate. "I find her very attractive, physically. I don't know why. Is it something she did to me?" Gina shook her head with certainty. "I guess there's something really..." He broke off the statement. "Sexy." Gina finished with the word Andy had hesitated to say. "Her image is very strong in your mind, and as I said earlier, it's not buried very deeply at all. It looks like a crush to me, and I have seen many and been the object of quite a few myself." Gina lit another cigarette. "She, however, does not feel the same about you. I fear that Danielle is quite the playgirl." Andy's disappointment rattled around his heart, reflected in his face, and Gina decided to give him some hope back. "No, that is not a wedding band she wears; that is the band of the coven, to answer your long-standing question." She played the game of drawing Andrew out, urging him verbally to talk more about himself. She read the thoughts and some of the images, but kept silent, believing that he would be more comfortable the more--human--she seemed. He eventually opened up, and Gina listened calmly; yes, he would do just fine, he and his pretty blue aura. Steven delivered a mid-afternoon sweet. His eyes flitted nervously around the library, resting on Andrew and then her. The boy still hasn't learned how to be discreet with his thoughts... Gina called his name as he turned to go. The young man stopped and turned around slowly. "I have decided that you shall be our major domo for another year, starting today. You are so very good at it, I'd just hate to have to train another on short notice." Steven bowed and said, "Yes, Mistress Gina," before leaving the room. "What was that all about?" Andy blurted out, hoping to actually ask a question before Gina could answer it. So he _had_ picked up on it. "Steven has been a very good major domo. He was hoping that you would be the one to replace him, so he tried to encourage your desperation this morning, which would facilitate his release," Gina explained. "Although you may conceal your thoughts, others are not so... intelligent. But, as you can see, now I have a year to find a new major domo. I have other plans for you." Andy wasn't sure what she had planned, and he desperately wanted to find out. Whatever it was, he was sure that he wasn't going to like it. "You might be surprised, Andrew. You may never want to leave the coven," Gina replied, then quickly steered the conversation away from the subject of punishment. She asked Andy some more questions about himself, while he tried to get more information out of her about the coven. She was a little evasive about the specifics of the power, trying to keep him from getting scared again. The careful verbal probing lasted into the late afternoon. Gina looked at her watch; it was close to five. Danielle should be arriving soon. Time to make sure of Andrew's loyalty. "Stand up," she said. Andrew didn't move. We don't have time for this, she thought. "Stand up," she reiterated, any pretense of subtle persuasion gone. Andy stood up with a jerk, a marionette on strings. "Follow me," Gina ordered, walking out from behind her desk. She ignored his mental questions and positioned him in the middle of the library. "Now, take off your clothes." It was a request--he was shocked into inaction, not entirely believing what she had just said. Somewhere in the back of Andrew's mind, Gina could sense the curious hope that would prove to be his undoing. "Andrew," she said, more softly, "just relax. I won't hurt you." A pause. Gina waited, then gently invaded his brain. "Think about... Danielle. How her skin would feel against yours'... Yes, like that. Imagine her lips... They can't kiss you through your shirt." She enhanced his senses, then linked them with his thoughts. He took his sports shirt off in a big hurry. "Can you smell her?" Gina whispered. "She's so warm..." She watched the bulge grow in his pants. Andy stepped out of the confines of his trousers. "Take out your cock. Let me see it," Gina commanded, but her voice had a soft, gentle edge. "I'm inside your head now, Andrew," she purred, waiting for a protest. "I want you to masturbate for me." Gina deftly manipulated Andrew's thoughts, and he complied, but he was still a little resistant. "Show me how hard and big it gets. You want to do it... you must... it feels sooo goood, doesn't it? But you can't come. Not until I tell you to." His hand rubbed along his still-lengthening cock in smooth, steady strokes. He circled the base with his thumb and forefinger, making the head twitch. "Make yourself feel good. I command you to play with yourself for me," Gina continued, then frowned. "You're stalling. Pay more attention to the sensitive spots on it." Andy _had_ been stalling, trying to keep himself from the verge of ejaculation. He did not want to test the limits of Gina's power. The way she had said it left him little doubt that she could bottle up his orgasm. And he hated blue balls. His fingers began to tease the glans and its edge, sending a twitch through his nuts. The wave of sensation hit the rest of his body, and he stopped momentarily. Andy was jacking off in front of a woman he barely knew, in the large, stately library of her castle. Somehow, that failed to stop him. The compulsion to pleasure himself manually was growing, fed by the sensations that placed him on his orgasmic climb. And by Gina. "Doesn't it feel ready?" Gina purred. "You're ready for Danielle... so ready..." The pressure in his balls grew. "Stroke yourself for her." Andy continued masturbating, swaying as he sent himself past the point of no return. Nothing happened. "Stop." His hand dropped to his side as his cock twitched expectantly, and it began to hurt. Andy fought the forces of reproductive biology, and made the ache a little duller. Gina watched the battle from inside Andy's head, amused by his valiant attempts to deaden his orgasm. Good effort, but... Gina played some with his senses and perceptions, and Andy's hand went back to work. "You're fighting me for control, aren't you? But I still want to see how you make yourself come. You can not resist... Show me... Stroke your cock for me... You still will not be able to come." The dull ache quickly blossomed into a sharp pain. Andy grimaced, fighting the urges Gina had implanted in him, but the pain was too distracting. "_I_ will decide when you will come, Andrew," Gina calmly said, showing little emotion. She had returned to the edge of her desk, and sat watching him as she got another smoke. "But I can make it better. Would you like me to?" Andy nodded frantically, eyes pleading, unable to speak. Gina turned the pain off by building a very strong wall around it in Andrew's mind, shielding it from his senses even as he continued his self- stimulation. Let's see... Pain--off, and ejaculatory reflex lock--on. That should almost do it... "Is that better?" Gina cooed. Andy sighed yes, very happily. Gina could detect no analytical thought going on in his mind. He was completely open to her. "Now, think of Danielle again. Put her in your favorite fantasies... Yes, like that." He groaned loudly, stroking the most sensitive places on his dick. Each touch sent another piece of his mind far away. "How would you like to see her?" Gina whispered from the desk. Gina had found a very easy way to Andrew's inner self; he could be easily manipulated through sexual fantasy. Much easier than many she'd encountered, which made him all the more appealing as a training aid. She was particularly struck by his flights of fantasy: the images he'd selected to arouse himself were not the standard ones she'd seen thousands of times in this situation. It had been fifteen minutes, and Andrew still hadn't visualized Danielle underneath him, calling him the greatest lover she'd ever had. His cock was not a third limb in his fantasy, either. Clearly, Andrew did not think of sex as an athletic competition. She watched his mind display pictures of Danielle in outfits ranging from formal evening wear to more revealing attire, but never naked. Gina probed a little deeper. This was civilized enough that there had to be something more--delicious--under that R-rated veneer. She found what she was looking for. "My, we _do_ have some creative fantasies," Gina remarked. An image of Danielle filled Andy's mind: perched seductively against a door, her reflective eyes on fire for him, fishnet stockings visible to the thigh. He beat off faster, sending stronger thrills through his soul, spurred on by visions of Danielle. "Think of her at the center of your favorite fantasy," Gina whispered. "Play with her in your mind. Let her turn you on... a slave to your most powerful, darkest desires." Andy began to drool. Gina raised her eyebrows as another image came out of the deeper recesses of Andy's mind. She stopped monitoring. Enough is enough, she decided, after all, there needs to be _some_ mystery in life. "Andrew." The crisply spoken sound of his name brought him back to reality in a snap. "I can put you there. Do you see her, ready for your command? Now, can you feel her nails in your back? Can you feel her insides respond to your every twitch?" As Gina spoke it, Andy experienced it. To the last sensory detail. He panted loudly and his ears rung. "You like this, don't you? _I_ can make you feel like this, whenever you want." His attention had been drawn to Gina, still sitting fully clothed on the desk, because he desperately wanted what she was offering. "When you _need_ to release, Gina will be there," she cooed. "Your loving, sweet Gina... I will give you _all_ you desire," she crooned. "Give in... such ec-sss-tasssyyyy... Surrender to your pleasure... your mistress Gina... your mistress... Gina controls your pleasure... Her will... such pleasure... ecstasy... from Gina..." Andy swayed drunkenly, and his eyes had closed. He was completely under her spell. "Just say yes... to Gina... release... mistress... freedom... Gina... ecstasy... come... mistress... Gina... yes... pleasure... mistress... dream... love... Gina.... mistress... come..." Andy's mind edited her quiet, seductive discourse into a stream of alluring phrases that repeated themselves. "Yes, Mistress Gina," Andy moaned, mind fogged, legs weak. His body seemed to hum. He saw Danielle's mouth in front of his, open and inviting and the humming increased in pitch. Suddenly, Gina's face replaced Danielle's in his mind's eye. She had a warm, feminine knowing smile that called to him. Then he saw Gina's body: she was lying on her side, beckoning, waiting for him. His mistress awaited. She would grant him ecstasies beyond imagination. Andy craved her touch and silken voice; he _needed_ them. "Mistress," he begged the one woman in the universe that could free him from the increasing strain. Gina felt the urge growing in her. Just a sample, she kept reminding herself. He belongs to Danielle. For now. His desire for her should make it possible for both of them to learn their hidden mysteries. She felt a slight chill of anticipation. His aura had increased in intensity. "You are ready for me, Andrew. Stop masturbating, and come here," she commanded. He obeyed instantly. "Yes, Mistress Gina," Andy replied, walking over to her slowly, enthralled. Gina stood up and ran her tongue slowly, hungrily, over her lips. She lightly rested her arms on Andy's shoulders. His body was shaking slightly. Gina pursed her lips playfully. "Your body consumes itself, Andrew. The sexual tension and energy feed on you. Only _I_ can set you free. But only if you are mine. Are you mine, Andrew?" Andy would have done _anything_ for her at that point; the shakes were becoming tremors, and his vision was blurry. "Yes, Mistress Gina. I am yours," he answered from deep within his soul, voice quaking. Gina opened her mouth and leaned to his face, filling what was left of his sight. She pulled back after a few seconds (minutes?) The near-convulsions had stopped and he no longer felt ill. Andy blinked, unaccustomed to his again-clear vision. He looked down and saw that his penis was still fully erect. Andrew had been absolutely sumptuous, but a little taste was all she could afford to have right now. There were more important matters to attend. "Come for your mistress," Gina purred. She pulled forcefully on the mental tether she held while simultaneously releasing his ejaculatory reflex control. Somehow, Andy sensed the fibrillations of a woman's orgasm around his cock; nothing touched it, there was nothing physically _there_. Gina was sitting on the edge of the desk, several feet away. He grunted, and his hips bucked mightily at the air. Volley after volley of burning white fluid shot from the tip of Andy's cock. His eyes bulged and involuntary noises came from his throat and mouth. Small puddles of white fluid were everywhere on the wood floor and he couldn't stop, he wouldn't stop there was so much it felt so good he just kept cumming and more white... "You are _mine_, Andrew Davidson," Gina said, "to do with as I please. Do you understand?" He lay sprawled in the chair, still undressed, too exhausted to move or speak. She smiled as the weak thought floated to her. "That's a good boy. Danielle should be here soon." Gina narrowed her vision, studying his life essence. Still blue, with lively iridescent black sparkles, even after the flare that had accompanied his orgasm. Andy moved his head to give her a questioning look. He wants to know what I'm looking at... She grinned. "Your life essence is delicious; and it's so pretty," she said. "I like to look at you as only _we_ can. Yes, I think you'll do just fine." Gina felt him try to formulate another question, but she interrupted him before his head cleared enough for him to ask any really tough questions. "Who am I, Andrew?" "You are my Mistress Gina," Andy replied lazily, but honestly, and he was rewarded with a rush of pleasure that made his head spin and Gina smiled and he felt wonderful and... Nobody else was in the room when Andy came to his senses. It was seven-thirty by his watch; the sun was low in the sky. Andy was _still_ naked. He looked for his clothes, but they were no longer in the library. The room was comfortably warm, even to his naked body. He decided to stay there, since he didn't want to go traipsing about the castle in the buff. Andy had no idea how Gina had done it, but now he understood why all the men in the castle were so happy to serve her. She didn't rule by fear; her control was based on reward. And Gina's reward could get to be _very_ addictive. She had seduced him into complete, willing submission, aided by his own fantasies. She had been able to do it in an inappropriate setting; that was testimony to the irresistible nature of her powers. Andy shuddered at the thought of her doing it to him in public. He had beat off in front of her, at her command. The worst part was that the futile resistance he had put up had been too brief to even be considered token before she overwhelmed it. The bottom line was that Andy had happily assented to being Gina's slave. Any control he had over his own actions was subject to her caprice. She also had said that his life essence was "delicious and so pretty." Andy guessed that she had taken some of his it: he didn't feel any different, but worried about any lingering effects of her theft. At least it hadn't hurt. He wouldn't have even suspected that anything had happened if Gina hadn't said something. He hoped to remember enough to ask her what she meant by "so pretty." Andy started to look for a mirror to see how many years Gina had taken off of his life when voices in the hall sent him back to the seat in embarrassed silence. He didn't want any curious passers-by to see him. The voices came nearer. "You're late again, and I do not wish to listen to your excuses any more," the slightly British female voice said. Gina was obviously unhappy with someone. The library door began to open and Andy scrunched into the chair to hide himself as best he could. Had Gina forgotten that he was in there with no clothes on? "Come in the library, and close the door behind you. We have to talk. NOW." "God, Gina, you sound just like my mother," Danielle grumbled. Panic set in as Andy heard the library door close. Gina smiled less-than- innocently at him as she crossed to her side of the desk. No, Andrew, I hadn't forgotten about you... "You!!!" Danielle gasped in surprise. Andy's whole body blushed and he wanted to disappear. Gina ignored the silent pleas he sent her as Danielle sat down in the chair next to his, looked at him, and giggled. Andy wanted to die. "No you don't," Gina said lightly, answering his thought while she smiled at Andy's obvious discomfort. Andy turned away from Danielle. "Don't be so _shy_, Andrew," Gina smugly exaggerated. Andy's brain was still open to her, so Gina decided to have a little fun. "Let Danielle _see_ you. Show yourself to her. Face her, and don't hide _anything_." Andy turned the chair so that Danielle could look at him, put his arms on the armrests, and opened his legs so she could see _all_ of him. Danielle giggled some more. Gina rewarded him by releasing a torrent of sexual bliss through his whole body. Gina could find no trace of embarrassment in his system after that. Oh, he's *so* responsive to me... "Well, fun is fun, but I have to speak to you about your... lapses," Gina said to Danielle, and the room cooled by ten degrees. "I _said_ I was sorry," Danielle replied with aggravation. There was a momentary silence. "Is that all you're going to say? I mean, I've got a date at ten," she resumed, looking at her watch. Danielle fished out a cigarette and went to light it, but stopped. Andrew was there; why not? She held the lighter in front of him and commanded, "Light it for me, my naked servant." There was a mocking grin on her face as Andy complied. Some days the power was so much fun... "Look at you," Gina disgustedly began, "wasting your power on meaningless humiliations. Danielle, the power is a gift, one that brings certain responsibilities. It should be used judiciously, for it can demand a price in return." Danielle looked positively bored as Gina lectured. "A 'date at ten,' here, 'light my cigarette, my naked servant,' there--when will you grow out of your playing stage? I worry that your penchant for self-gratification will destroy you, and possibly us." "Come _on_ Gina, you can't tell me that you've never used your power to get laid by a cute guy in the past seven hundred years," Danielle countered. She looked around the library. "You've certainly never wanted for creature comforts. How much of this expensive shit does the coven really need, hunh? Or is it because of... self-gratification?" She smiled, smug and self-satisfied at having turned Gina's complaint back at her. "I won't say that I've avoided the trappings of wealth and power," Gina evenly replied. "However, I have _never_ jeopardized the secret of the coven, and therefore, its existence, by my selfish actions." "Well I haven't either! I mean, I've followed the rules! I even brought him in," Danielle shot back, indicating Andy. "I was gonna let him go 'cause he spent so much money on me, but no, he had to be brought to the coven." Gina was starting to get on her nerves. What good was the power if she couldn't use it as she pleased? "That is not true," Gina calmly said, ignoring Andrew's desperate mental pleas. "Even if I put aside your petty personal uses of the power, there remains the matter of your irresponsibility. I am _most_ disturbed by your uncaring public use of the power. You know how upset I was about that cab driver; you said that he was old and didn't have much left. Fine. I let it go because you promised that you would be more careful. Today," she sighed in exasperation, "I read about this bouncer in the paper. How many times do I need to tell you to _finish your food?_" Danielle made a face. "He tasted *gross*. I mean, even you wouldn't have finished him. It was all gray and slimy," she said defensively. Finish? Food? Gray and slimy? What was all gray and slimy? Andy mentally redirected the question to Gina, and her eyes rested on him briefly in a glance that clearly said, "Not now." Gina looked at Danielle and shook her head. "No matter how--gross, I would have forced myself to finish him, or left him alive enough to commit suicide in the river or somewhere where he wouldn't be found." An extremely cold chill ran down Andy's spine, but he saw that even Danielle had been stunned by Gina's matter-of-fact statement. Gina resumed, "Miss Gray, I've tried to tell you how powerful we are, and how our secret _must_ be kept. It galls me no end that such a dilettante happens to be the most powerful initiate I've seen in several of my lifetimes. Did you know that you have come close to frying poor Mr. Davidson's brain on several occasions?" No, _Andy_ didn't know that. "What the fuck am I in the middle of?" he worried silently. Gina continued her lecture, paying Andy's confusion no mind. "I've tried to communicate to you how powerful you, specifically, are, but you've ignored me. I have made repeated offers to teach you more, but you've always been too busy, dating and all that." Gina sighed. "I suppose it was my fault for encouraging you to get rid of your husband- -" Andy shuddered visibly, causing both women to look at him with annoyed expressions. "But it was the only way you would be able to realize your potential." Danielle shook her head in disbelief and pouted, remaining silent while Gina continued. "You have a good heart, even if you are somewhat the coquette. You just need some discipline and training. As of this moment, you have no option." Gina reclined in her chair and lit a cigarette. Danielle mirrored her actions. Danielle ignored Andy this time, lighting her own. "Mr. Davidson has a crush on you," Gina started. He blushed again, his entire body going red for both women to see. The flattered expression on Danielle's face abruptly changed when Gina finished with, "Therefore, I have decided that he shall be your training aid. In addition, you are now responsible for his health and well-being." Danielle couldn't believe what Gina had just said. "Him??!!?? Oh, _please_," Danielle snorted derisively. "I don't think so." Noticing the extremely hurt look on Andy's face and in his posture, she added, "I mean- -he's not really my type." That was an understatement. She hoped that Gina wasn't going to make her date Andy. Her anxiety grew exponentially. Who the hell did Gina think... "Exactly." Gina crushed out her cigarette. "Now, both of you need to be disciplined for your lapses in judgment. _You_ also need to learn more about the extent of your powers. There are certain limits to our powers, which I'm sure has never occurred to you. The two items dovetail perfectly in my mind." She stood up. "I am the leader of the coven by birthright, and my seven hundred years of accumulated experience makes me wise in these matters. It is my right, more importantly, my duty to discipline the other sisters as I see fit. Is that clear?" Defeated, Danielle bowed her head, and said, "Yes, your ladyship," feeling like she had when her mother caught her losing her virginity. Properly chastised, and thoroughly unrepentant. She looked at Andy and suppressed the urge to make him do something _really_ stupid. "Can he be dressed? I don't have to look at--_that_, do I?" Gina nodded and requested some clothes for Andy via the intercom. He dressed rapidly, in silence. Danielle waited impatiently, unhappy, but she knew that it would not be good for her to demonstrate her displeasure in front of Gina. She glanced at her watch; at least she could still keep her scheduled date. "Come along," Danielle said listlessly. "I've gotta get you home and call Chris to tell him that I'll be late." They left the castle, and Danielle was not pleased at all. The Coven Houseboy Once they were alone in the car, away from Gina, Dani turned to Andy. He may have a crush on her, but she didn't have to play along or encourage it. "Look, I don't want this any more than you do. And you can forget about any fantasies you have. I am _not_ going to change my lifestyle or plans just because of you. Understand?" She wasn't using her power, but Andy mumbled yes, very quietly. Danielle sensed that he was still hurting from her earlier reaction in the library. She picked up his hand and patted his thigh sympathetically. Dani really didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Really, I'll try and do whatever Gina wants me to. With any luck, we can get you released quick, and we'll both have our regular lives back soon." Dani fervently hoped that was true. His presence could really cramp her style. She drove home without another word while she tried to figure out how to salvage her evening. "When I bring a man friend in, you will not speak, or touch, or even get close to them, or me. Do you understand?" Andy nodded in rhythm to the loud droning buzz in his ears. "You may not leave the house unless I give you specific instructions to. You will also call me Mistress Danielle from now on. You are my slave, and I demand the proper respect." Danielle threw about her commands as she bustled around the house, trying to get ready for her date. Chris wasn't home when she called. "Damn! He's probably already left." She paused. "No television, no stereo, no radio for you either; you will only sleep in the living room until I decide otherwise." "Yes, Mistress Danielle," Andy replied obediently. She breezed out of the one-story ranch home. It was nicely furnished, not at all extravagant like he had assumed it would be. He noted her restraint, and hoped that she would be as restrained in dealing with him, because Danielle was _definitely_ not happy to have him around. Andy sat down on the sofa in the quiet house to await her return and next instructions. The noise of the key in the lock woke him up from a light slumber. It was after three. "You will see and hear no one but me," came Danielle's voice from outside. "And you're incredibly hot for me, Chris," she giggled, her voice a little thick. The pair walked in and Danielle saw Andy. It was time he learned his place. Chris followed her in, waited for her to shut and lock the door, then wrapped his arms around her and they kissed. And kissed. And kissed, his hands fondling her ass, then pulling her to him, grinding at her. Andy turned away, unwilling to watch, but unable to keep from hearing the muffled moans that came from the locked mouths. "Chris, let's go to the bedroom," she lewdly suggested. She walked in front of Andy, undid her blouse, and half-removed her bra, revealing a breast. To the enthralled Chris, it probably looked like she was just giving him a little bit of a tease with a partial view. He growled something macho, and took a heavy step towards her. He was big, well-muscled, and handsome. His butt had no noticeable sag through his (predictably) tight jeans. Danielle smiled and licked her lips suggestively, pursing her lips in a tiny kiss at him before she turned and headed for the bedroom, weaving slightly. Andy watched Chris eagerly follow her with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The bedroom door closed behind them, only to open a few seconds later. "Andy," Danielle called from the hall, "don't masturbate. I wouldn't want Chris to get--distracted." He heard her take a step, then pause. "Oh, and stay out of the hall. If you need to go, use the one in the basement, and don't flush. G'night!" she said brightly before closing the door again. That ought to fix him, she thought as she turned her complete attentions to her Christopher toy. This was far worse than any punishment Andy could have imagined. He listened to Danielle's moans of pleasure, muted only slightly by the bedroom door, and the creaking of the bedsprings. Danielle would cry out from time to time, "Chriss!!! Oh yesss!!! Unnhh!!!! Do it baby, I'm gonna come..." and the squeaking noises got louder. Then there was silence for a little while. Andy's cock ached in his pants. Then a grunting, "Ohh, yeaahhh... baby, I'm gonna fuck you good," in a low, male (Neanderthal) voice. More squeaks, answered by Danielle's moans again. High pitched gasps interspersed with an occasional male pant filled the hallway. And Andy listened, too horny to go back to sleep, too distraught to think about anything else. Danielle's vocal response to Chris' efforts assured that he would stay awake, hard, and frustrated. He tried to escape to the basement, but he couldn't sleep there; Danielle had commanded that Andy only sleep in the living room. Tears flowed, but no sound came out; she had taken that away, too. He went back upstairs as the sun was rising, to find the hallway quiet. Andy finally went to sleep, hurting more inside than he ever had before, feeling so hopelessly--empty. Danielle gently rocked the sleeping Andy. He opened his eyes and she smiled at him. "Wake up, sleepyhead," she chirped. Andy looked around the living room quickly, nervously. Danielle's smile grew. "No, he's gone. I sent him away after he--served his purpose." The memory of Chris' big, thick cock sent an echo of last night's thrills through her. She recovered from her reverie enough to realize that Andy was staring at her plush blue robe. Dani regretted having teased Andy the night before, but she _had_ been a little tipsy. "Yes, I'm sure you'd like to see what's underneath. In your dreams, my little male chauvinist piggie." She looked at him strangely when he didn't say anything. "Oh, I forgot. You can speak now." Danielle smiled wolfishly as that reminded her just how much control she had over Andy. He was her _COMPLETE_ slave. "Kneel, say good morning to your mistress, and kiss her feet. This is how I shall be greeted in the mornings when I arise alone." The buzzing noise made Andy drop to his knees, and he said, "Good morning, Mistress Danielle." He prostrated himself at her feet, and kissed them as she had bade him. She responded with, "Good morning, my little piggie. You may rise." Danielle smiled sweetly, then pulled a cigarette from her robe. Andy grabbed the lighter on the living room table and lit it for her before she made him do it, hoping she'd cut him a break somewhere. "Thank you." She yawned. "Make me some coffee, then fix break... no, lunch. I like seafood, and be creative." Danielle made Andy jump through hoops all day. He cleaned her house and did her laundry while she lived a life of leisure. She would interrupt him to light her cigarettes. She especially enjoyed summoning him from the basement for that, brutally pulling at Andy with her power if he showed the slightest hesitation. Late in the afternoon, she left the house for a while, which gave him a chance to catch his breath. She returned an hour and a half later, while [END]