CHAPTER 15

Celia’s mind raced. Tabby knew! She must have seen her and Lauren while they were both entranced. A creeping feeling of dread started in her stomach and slowly clenched at her. Tabby could tell everyone, and then everything would be ruined. She needed to stop her. For a brief moment, she considered trying to bring Tabby in by force. But just like with Lauren, she discarded the idea. Even if Tabby wasn’t a skilled fighter, even if she wasn’t so strong that Celia might have trouble subduing her, she would fight back, and Celia might have to hurt her. Lauren could heal anything she did, but the thought still left a bad taste in her mouth.

“What do you mean?” Play for time to think.

Tabby slowly slinked around the spotless kitchen, trailing her fingers on sleek metal and polished stone. Her smile was warm, sultry, and very satisfied. “Playing dumb, huh?” She purred.

Celia didn’t respond, eyes tracking the beastkin as she traced a circle around the warrior. She didn’t manage to suppress a shuddering gasp at the sudden warmth of fingers trailing down her back. The touch was fire, and it lit fantasies that were getting in the way. She tried to jump forward to shake her off, but Tabby pursued.

Those fantasies were set ablaze as Tabby pressed herself to Celia’s back. Her instincts screamed danger, but of a completely different kind. This was bad. Tabby knew where she was weak, knew where she was inexperienced, and was throwing the equivalent of a battering ram into those openings. Arms slipped around her torso, faint kisses on her neck promising pleasure. She reeled.

“Ta- Tabby…" She tried, struggling to center herself. She was Violet’s champion, and she had a job to do.

She pushed forwards, and stumbled as Tabby let her go without a hint of resistance. Turning around, she caught the flash of interest in Tabby’s smug emerald eyes. That interest turned devilish, and she darted in to kiss Celia. It was brief, merely brushing soft lips against Celia’s own, but it was one strike on top of many, and she couldn’t help but gasp. The cat-girl giggled. “You’re making me want to give you an early taste of this evening.” With that, she spun on her heel toward the door, letting her tail brush across Celia’s face. For a moment, all she could smell was the heady scent of Tabby’s fur, of Tabby’s desire, of Tabby.

The cat-girl was already out the door and sauntering toward the main hall when Celia’s thoughts sputtered back to life again. Her instincts begged for more, screaming for her to pull Tabby back and take her up on the offer, to explore every inch of her body, and the knowledge that she could was dangerous. It wasn’t an abstract. She knew that pleasure was a statement away, and that made it all the harder.

Before she could take a step she felt Violet’s control constrict around her. She was Violet’s champion, and that was a wholly different kind of reward than the simple, albeit enjoyable, pleasure the beastkin would provide. Making love with her wouldn’t further Violet’s goals right now. It would just take her out of the playing field, without anything to show for it. But that was only if the situation remained as it was…

“Tabby!" She called, steel driving her movements towards the cat-girl.

Tabby spun around, looking at Celia with barely disguised interest.

“I don’t want you telling anyone what you saw,” Celia demanded. Breathlessly, she waited for the response. From what she had come to understand of the beastkin, she was still treating Celia as a newcomer, someone to be seduced and played with. New prey. If that held true…

“Yeah? What do I get out of it?” Tabby grinned.

Celia took another step, confidence returning. “Lauren told me about the challenges.” She gestured back at herself with a full smile. “And I want to challenge you, Tabby.”

Tabby’s ears perked up, then flattened slightly against her hair. She stalked slowly forward, one foot in front of the other and looked up at Celia with a smolder in her eye. “Then I’ll set my terms,” she breathed, running a finger along Celia’s neck. Only steel kept her from crumpling, from melting into that touch. “If I win, I get to use you for whatever I want for the rest of the day. I have… ideas,” she laughed. A warm hand captured Celia’s wrist and guided the back of the hand to Tabby’s lips. She placed a single kiss, hot and soft and slow, and steel trembled. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

Celia froze and quickly considered. High risk. She’d be allowing herself into Tabby’s control, and surely she would have some way to subvert Violet’s hold. But. But, but, but. If she won… she stood to gain. She could manipulate it, exploit the chance. The deceit felt bad, but Violet’s plan was more important, and Tabby wouldn’t be harmed. The benefit was overwhelming, but so was the risk. She had to find some way to rig it. “I am,” Celia said with a firm nod.

Tabby grinned, then froze, expression faltering slightly. She hid it with a smile. “The challenges have all kinds of rules that Mistress puts in our minds.” She sighed wistfully, letting her tail swish. “I guess she hadn’t extended that to include you yet.” She shrugged. “That means that it won’t be enforced, but we can deal with that when we get there. Let’s see…” Her eyes passed over Celia’s figure hungrily.

Celia’s mind worked quickly. Rigging it. She didn’t think Tabby would take well to outright cheating, and might declare herself victor if she caught a hint of it. So she had to stack the odds from the start. She needed a game she knew she could win, one that wouldn’t draw attention. One that let her get Violet water sooner, or whatever she needed. She knew the elf was taking care of Lauren, she trusted her completely. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t want to help.

Lauren had mentioned something. A game that she’d played with Tabby. She cast her mind back to that wonderful trip to New Gyr, back to the intimate moments shared with the pinkette. Chess! That was it. Terrible defense, and overplayed offense, the priestess had said. Celia grinned. “I challenge you to a game of chess.”

“Chess?” Tabby asked, frowning. “Usually the person being challenged gets to pick. I mean, this isn’t official or anything, and it’s your first time…” Tabby grinned. “But I would have put money on you challenging me to a spar.” Emerald light sparked across her arms. “Sure you don’t want to do that instead? I promise I’ll go easy on you!”

Celia wanted to, yes. In other circumstances, she’d agree in a heartbeat. In other circumstances, even losing would be enjoyable, and the fight itself wouldn’t be without its joy. But she couldn’t let that distract her. She had a mission. Though, if she was impatient, all she’d have to do is wait until the beastkin was on their team… That thought let her fight back her urges. She didn’t have to suppress them, her drive to test her mettle or her more base desires. She could put them aside. She could do this. Now, how to explain… “I’ve already seen your body in action, Tabby. I want to see how you think.”

Tabby blinked in surprise. Her cheeks darkened a bit and Celia realized the cat-girl was actually blushing. It was oddly endearing. “I…” The blush vanished, and Tabby’s grin returned in an instant. “How I think, huh? Curious to see what it will take to get me all blank and dreamy like you had Lauren?” She teased.

Celia laughed, covering her nervousness at how right the cat-girl was, and rolled her eyes for effect. “That would require you to sit still for more than five minutes.”

Tabby shook her head playfully. “I can’t promise the impossible, Celia. Race you to my room!” .

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How Tabby managed to find anything in her nest of a room was beyond Celia. Somehow, she did, and it didn’t take her long to unearth a wooden box.

Settling down on a cushion opposite Tabby, Celia watched as the cat-girl plucked the white and black queen pieces, hiding them behind her back. “Left or right?” She asked with a soft smile.

Celia picked her right, which turned out to be the black piece. Tabby would go first. A good position, especially for what she was doing. She could react to Tabby’s strategy.

They quickly assembled the rows of their pieces, and Tabby smiled dreamily. “The last time I played chess, Mistress had a way she enhanced it.” Her sultry smile and flirty tone made it fairly clear what she meant. But it was an interesting thought.

“Given that it was Gella, it had to do with altering your mind?”

Tabby nodded excitedly. “Exactly! Mistress took me into her power and gave me some suggestions about what would happen when I lost pieces.” Her gaze drifted off into the middle distance. “She did the same for Vi, then watched while we played…” She trailed off, one hand cupping her breast. Almost unconsciously, her thumb and forefinger found her nipple and began to slide across it.

Celia watched with rapt attention. It could be a ploy to get Celia off guard, but it felt more honest, caught up in an enticing memory. Part of her wanted to stop the show, pull Tabby close, but again that control Violet had woven so carefully around her tightened. She needed to get Tabby on their side first. And the first step in that was making sure Tabby wouldn’t talk.

But, Celia thought suddenly. Maybe this is better? She arched her eyebrow at Tabby and scooted close. “Yeah?” She asked, the curiosity in her voice honest. “What did she do for you?” The warrior leaned in closer, closer, close enough to give Tabby a tiny kiss. “What did she do to you?”

One emerald eye flicked open and regarded Celia carefully, then rolled back with a shuddering gasp as the warrior gently raked her nails down Tabby’s spine. The thin cloth would barely blunt the sensation of silky warm skin, and Celia was certain Tabby could feel every scratch. The beastkin murmured happily, letting herself lean into the contact. “Mmmm, different things. Pawns and promotions were general willpower,” she began while Celia eased her robe off.

“And?” Celia whispered into one twitching ear. The tiny rush of air made the ear flick, and Tabby giggled and nodded.

“Everytime we lost one, we lost a bit of our will to resist,” Tabby sighed dreamily. “Each other, I mean. I’d never want to resist Mistress…”

Celia couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opening. “Did that feel good? Feeling yourself dimmed a little more every time?” She asked while slipping Tabby’s robe off. She remembered feeling that, feeling her fire fade under Lauren’s touch or Aversa’s gaze, and she could only hope that the cat-girl felt even a fraction as good as Celia did when it happened. Even now her flame was chained, controlled by Violet, though it didn’t restrain her enough to stop Celia from trying this plan.

Tabby nodded eagerly. Celia smiled back, slowly pushing the naked cat-girl back onto the pillows, and once again marveled at how effortlessly sexy she was. Even without trying, she practically melted back into a picture of lust, groaning while her hand worked at her breast. The steel of Violet’s control returned, but only slightly. Something to keep her controlled and focused in the face of temptation. Tabby was gorgeous without a doubt, but Celia was on a mission.

Celia’s fingers ran down the tight surface of Tabby's tummy. Sighs melded into giggles and purrs. “She makes it feel so good!” Tabby moaned in time with a particular firm pinch of her nipple. “And every piece was like that… every piece I lost let Vi influence me more.”

Celia nodded along with a knowing smile. “What piece did you like giving up the most, Tabby?”

The warrior watched as heated desire flushed along tawny skin. “They were all so nice, it’s hard to say… Queen made it hard to remember why I didn’t tell my opponent why I was doing things. When she took a Rook, I couldn’t focus as well, and the Knight made me think slower. Those all felt nice. But… Bishop. I… couldn’t control myself as much. It made me less restrained. Hornier.” She licked her lips, and her hand trailed down to her slit.

Celia grabbed the questing hand and brought it to her lips for a light kiss. Tabby struggled, but only barely, and she didn’t say so much as a word in protest. That spoke volumes to Celia. Tabby wanted to play this little game, and Celia was going to give her what she wanted. “Tell me how that made you feel, and you’ll get this hand back." She taunted playfully, surprised by her own inventiveness.

Tabby seemed surprised, maybe at the sudden playful edge, but that dissolved into a bout of purring moans. “Meany,” she murmured, the word utterly devoid of hostility and drenched in playfulness. “Making me remember how fucking horny Violet made me.” She squirmed lightly against the nest of soft pillows.

Celia bit her lip and made a gamble. “Did she turn you into a needy. Little. Pet?” Many beastkin would take offense at pointing out their animal traits, and most despised being called pets. But Tabby wasn’t many or most.

“Ooooh, fuck…” Tabby moaned. Her lithe body bucked, and Celia had to strain to keep her grip as muscles tensed and the scent of Tabby’s desire perfumed the air. Celia grinned. That had worked even better than she’d hoped.

Celia trailed her free hand down from the top of Tabby’s slick pussy, guiding it along the curve of her thigh. “Awww…" She teased, leaning in for a quick kiss which Tabby hungrily accepted. “Do you like that, Tabby? Being a pet?” Before Tabby could even answer, Celia placed a soaked finger between her lips. The cat-girl licked it clean with her faintly textured tongue, and Celia couldn’t help but shudder at the sight.

“I think you do,” Celia continued. “I think you adore being a pet, a good pet. For Gella, for Vi, for Lauren… for me.” She watched Tabby’s lust-fogged eyes, her face a mask of confidence. She might be pushing it, but with Tabby as she was…

Withdrawing her fingers with a wet pop, Celia smiled at the cat-girl and kissed her again. “A soft pretty kitty,” she added. Then she blew into Tabby’s ear, releasing the beastkin’s hand as she did, which immediately went to her toying with her slick folds. “For all of us to play with, right?” That got a faint nod. Celia nodded back, silently exulting. This was going smoothly.

“Can you be a good kitty and fall into a trance for me?” She asked, keeping her voice low, seductive.

Tabby’s eyes slipped open, and despite the very warm body in her arms Celia felt a chill go down her spine. Tabby’s emerald eyes had sharpened, and were looking at her with smug amusement. “Mmmm. That, Celia, was a very, very good attempt.”

Before Celia could say another word, Tabby rolled over her, pressing the warrior pressed into the pillows. Powerful but gentle hands pressed into Celia’s shoulders. She needed to escape. She needed to get Violet’s help. She needed to do anything but succumb to the vision of loveliness currently straddling her. But Violet’s control was no help. It urged her to move, to resist, but it was urging a body frozen by shock, and already heady with lust. Tabby leaned in close… and broke into delighted giggles.

“You should see your face, Celia!” Tabby managed between hastily drawn breaths. “You looked so surprised!” She continued laughing, and the urgency faded slightly. Tabby was all smiles and giggles. That didn’t seem like she was angry… “It’d have worked, too, but I’m not letting you get out of what I’m planning that easily!”

“Yeah yeah,” Celia grumbled with a smile, though internally she sighed in relief. So that was why she’d resisted.

The giggles and laughter subsided and Tabby curled up close with Celia. “I’m so glad you’re getting into the swing of things, though. First Lauren, then me. Going to try it with Violet next?”

Celia raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Tabby brought her head down, nudging Celia’s nose with her own. “You don’t need to play dumb, silly. First I saw you get Lauren all spacey, and I thought you were going to go after Violet next. You didn’t want me telling her, so you did the whole challenge thing.” She glanced at the chessboard. “Though that seems to have been abandoned,” she giggled.

Celia suddenly felt very silly. Tabby hadn’t seen her hand Lauren off to Violet. She had seen her and Lauren in the living room together. That should have been obvious. If Tabby had thought she was witnessing something related to Violet’s plan, she wouldn't have so brazenly announced it to Celia, right? The cat-girl was flighty, but she wasn’t that foolish.

Celia flushed, which made Tabby giggle, and she curled up into Celia’s lap. She lay there for a moment before cracking one eye open. “But since I was so rude to interrupt you, I’ll let you pet me instead.”

Celia rolled her eyes, but obliged, letting herself untense. She let her hands wander, idly rubbing along Tabby’s smooth back. The cat-girl gave a content little mewl, so Celia knew she was doing it right. “Mmmm. Thank you.” There was a comfortable silence, moments Celia used to carefully think over her next move. Tabby’s… whatever it was… was still planned for tonight. Lauren obviously had some idea as to what it was, so as soon as Violet finished converting the pinkette, she could ask. The smart move right now was to bide her time, keep Tabby distracted, and regroup when she had the chance.

Thankfully, getting Tabby distracted and occupied wasn’t exactly difficult. As if echoing her thoughts, the beastkin let out a happy murmur. “I really am glad you’re getting more comfortable here, Celia. You even stopped carrying your blade around.”

Celia winced. She had managed to ignore it, but the reminder hurt. Her blade was still in Aversa’s clutches and as of yet she had little idea how to retrieve it. Tabby tensed for a moment, then shifted, giving Celia a compassionate look. “I get it. It’s something that helps you feel safe.”

Before Celia could ask, Tabby rolled to her feet, grabbing a wooden box from a chest of drawers against the wall. The cat-girl knelt, holding the box reverently. “This is that for me.” Tabby opened it.

Inside was a collar. Not a circlet of metal like Celia’s bracelet, but a full leather collar, inlaid with metal. The design was elegant, crafted with care that was obvious even to her untrained eye. The leather was a light cream, about an inch and a half wide, and studded with… she frowned. That metal from the kitchen again. “Is that some kind of silver?” Celia asked curiously.

Tabby shook her head, smiling wide. “Mistress told me it was a magically sensitive metal, much more rare than gold, and one most people didn’t know about.” Her finger ran delicately along the collar, and Celia couldn’t help but smile at the beastkin’s look of fondness. The collar turned in her hands, and the name Tabitha came into view, inscribed with what looked like ink in a delicate flowing script. Gella’s handwriting.

“She gave this to me. My own collar,” she breathed. “I don’t like to wear it too much. I don’t usually need to. But when I need to feel like I’m safe and right where I belong, I do.”

“Is it magic?” Celia asked, the seed of an idea sprouting. “I mean, does it make you feel all…" She trailed off. Calling Tabby a little pet had seemed so right and natural just moments ago, but it felt almost insulting right now.

Tabby shook her head. “No. I mean, yes, but only because what she did to me was. And she put things in my head, making it better, making me feel more like a pet, but that’s not actually magic, and that’s not it either. It’s more…” It was her turn to trail off. She fiddled with her hands, like she was trying to shape the right words. “It’s just like your sword, I guess. It makes me feel safe.”

Celia smiled. “I get it. Thank you for showing this to me.” She wrapped her arms around Tabby in a comfortable hug, but her mind was elsewhere, wondering how to fit this new information into Violet’s plan.

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“Given the circumstances, I can forgive you for the delay, Celia.” The elf’s voice was calm. After spending a few more moments with Tabby, the cat-girl had dressed – as much as she ever did – and left to finish setting up whatever she was planning. Celia had quickly gathered water and glasses and hurried to Violet’s room, finding the elven woman waiting with mild curiosity. The warrior gave a quick explanation of what transpired, which Violet took with a few careful nods.

“Drink this, Lauren,” Violet commanded the spellbound priestess. Lauren had been sitting in one of Violet’s chairs, looking exactly like a pretty doll. Her eyes were glazed, fixed towards the distance, and only the slow breathing and blinking marked her as a living girl. As soon as Violet gave the order, she smoothly and mechanically took the glass and drained it.

Celia watched uneasily. Lauren was so sweet and bright. Even when she’d been in trance, there were still aspects of her, hints of her warmth. Seeing her act so lifeless felt wrong. The unpleasant feeling didn’t go away, and Celia abruptly turned to Violet. “Ma’am, can we bring her out of it now?”

Violet arched her eyebrow at the request, but Celia held her gaze. This was bordering on defiance, she knew, but she didn’t want to see her friend like that, even for the game. Eventually Violet nodded. “I have done enough, and my words should have set in,” she remarked, then knelt down and whispered a few words into Lauren’s ear.

The priestesses' eyes fluttered in a way that made Celia’s heart skip a beat, then stretched. Her pink-rimmed eyes sharpened, again full of life and light, and focused on Celia with that warm smile that filled the warrior’s heart. “Hello, Celia!" She said cheerfully.

A spike of guilt, small but noticeable, wormed its way into Celia’s stomach. She looked down, avoiding those bright and happy eyes. “I’m sorry, Lauren. For tricking you,” she managed. It had been her duty, yes, and Violet had been the one to order it, but it still felt like a betrayal.

“None of that now, my knight,” Violet interjected with gentleness uncommon for her. Fingers lifted Celia’s chin, and the blond warrior’s eyes were guided to Lauren’s, then to Violet’s, both of which were soothingly free of blame. “This is just a game.”

Lauren chimed in. “You made a clever move is all! I don’t mind. Miss Violet is always so wonderful to me.” Celia sighed, giving the priestess a grateful smile. That… it helped.

Violet nodded in satisfaction. “Now Celia, we have a new member of our team.” She gestured to Lauren, who rose and dipped in a curtsy with exaggerated flair. “What would be her best use?”

“First and foremost, she has knowledge of the other team’s plans,” Celia answered promptly. “Tabby is planning something tonight.”

“Very good, Celia.” Violet’s simple praise brought a content smile and bloom of warmth along the warrior’s body, though the elf was smirking for some reason.

“So, Lauren, what is this mysterious thing Tabby has planned?”

The priestess frowned, then shrugged. “Well, it was supposed to be a surprise. But Tabby is planning a big sexy fun party with us and all the Heralds. She wants to get you mingling with everyone.”

Celia blinked. A party? That sounded almost comically tame by Tabby’s standards. The Heralds were all decent people, and she could consider most of them at the very least acquaintances, but she could hardly see why that needed to be kept a secret. Or why Tabby would be so mischievous about it.

Her confusion must have been obvious because Violet sighed. “An orgy, Celia. Tabby is planning an orgy.”

That did little to alleviate Celia’s confusion. She had heard the term, but only in passing. “I don’t know what that is?” She admitted.

Lauren put a finger to her lip thoughtfully. “It’s kind of like a party, but it’s sex. That’s the main theme, and everyone participating agrees beforehand to share their bodies.”

Practical and succinct. The explanation was clear, and she understood what it meant. And yet it did nothing at all to stop her mind from suddenly spinning. Sharing her body, with not just the beautiful women of the manor, but all of the Heralds?! “Ma’am, does this work into your plans?” She asked with sudden panic.

Violet nodded, sending a jolt of cold certainty through Celia. She was going to participate, then. She needed to. “If nothing else, it will keep Tabby distracted for the night.” She paused, regarding the warrior. “Devote some thought to it, Celia. If you see a chance to get Tabby under control, take it.”

“I don’t suppose you have any ideas that might help, Ma’am?” She would have thought it would be easy, but Tabby had seemed moments away from slipping before, then bounced right back as if nothing happened.

“Well, Celia, what do you have at your disposal?” Violet asked pointedly.

Celia frowned. Wasn’t she going to tell her the plan… she shook her head, feeling an edge of steel pare away the thought. No. She had to consider the question. Taking a seat on the bed, Celia rested her chin in her hand and pondered. She had her own martial skills, and an incredibly lacking understanding of trance. Lauren had been easy to persuade, but doing so had nearly put her under as well, and Tabby was far more mercurial than the priestess. Especially if she had this sex party, this orgy to plan. That’s what she said had broken her out of trance, after all. Would it be better to try and take her before? But that gave her a way to resist, and more than that, anyone she’d told would wonder and Violet’s plan would be exposed for sure. Celia sighed and buried her face in her palms.

“What’s got you all frustrated, Celia?” Lauren nudged her, and she looked up. The soft smile was nice, yeah, and it helped ground her, but it was still a difficult situation.

“I just can’t think of a way I have on my own to get Tabby on our side.”

Lauren giggled, and Celia frowned and turned to her, but there was nothing mocking in her expression. “You don’t need to think about what you have on your own, Celia. We’re all here to support you.” She said it with utter conviction, a confidence that took Celia aback. She had worked with people before, of course. Mercenaries would often be hired in groups, and the Ravenswood Company had been something of a team. But she realized she hadn’t even thought of them, not once, since she’d gotten to the manor. And that wasn’t spellwork, if she could think about it now, right? Which meant… those teams, such as they were, didn’t mean much to her. They were alliances of efficiency and convenience.

This group, these women… Enslaved they may be, but they were still themselves, and were more of a family than Celia could remember having. And more than that, she was being trusted. Trusted to work something out. Relied on by a team that knew more than her meager reputation and sales pitch. That knew her.

“What’s the hug for?” Lauren asked, and Celia realized she had grabbed the priestess in a hug at some point. But instead of releasing her, she just held on.

“Just being your wonderful self, Lauren,” Celia said with renewed confidence. The pinkette cocked her head, but quickly shrugged her confusion off with a smile. “I have a powerful priestess and a very skilled assassin on my team.” She looked to Lauren, who nodded eagerly, and then to Violet who simply smiled. “Violet, you can’t use active magic, right? Lauren said something to that effect.” After an answering nod, she continued. “Lauren, I don’t suppose you have any spells like the one Gella used on me? The one that made me a puppet, ceannas?” In the corner of her eye, Vi tensed for just a moment. Did she have history with the spell? Regardless, it was useful, and…

She frowned. Had she really gone from viewing mind magic with fear and disdain to planning how to use it on someone she considered a friend? It was in service to Violet, yes, and she was positive Tabby wouldn’t be harmed in the least. Her own experience and the formless yet steely authority in her mind agreed on that. That was important… but something to ponder later.

“Nope,” Lauren chirped. “I have spells to heal and protect, and basic utility ones like all priests have. I might be able to use one of those to imitate Gella’s voice, but that would only work once before she caught on. So I guess it’s an option if you have one specific thing you need her to do?”

Celia nodded and turned to Violet. “That potion you coat your needles with, does it work if you drink it?”

Violet nodded, smirking. “Yes, though I haven’t just used a single kind. But I must warn you, Tabitha’s abilities as a monk allow her to heal at a furious rate, approaching true regeneration, and that applies to toxins as well. The amount of dazeweed or torpor drops it would take to make her agreeable for any useful amount of time is uncomfortably close to the amount it would take to kill her.”

Celia shivered in disgust at that. “You don’t have anything that would work?”

Violet shook her head. “I haven’t found anything that both worked safely on her and was useful. Alcohol seems to be burned away slower than other things, if that helps, but she can hold her liquor more than anyone else here but Lauren.”

“Lauren?” She repeated incredulously, but the priestess just smiled shyly. Wouldn’t have pegged her as the type. She grinned at that, but then frowned again as her mind returned to the problem at hand. It seemed she would need to keep her eyes open for an opportunity. She turned to Lauren, and it was her turn to smile sheepishly. “So, you’re going to Tabby’s party too, right?”

Lauren nodded, and before Celia’s mind could slide off into fantasies, the priestess continued. “There are some spells I cast to keep everything safe and fun. Spells to stop conception, mostly, and making sure everyone gets enough water. That sort of thing.”

Celia raised an eyebrow. “A party held by Tabby, with sex as the main theme, and you’re making sure everyone is staying safe. You’re so responsible.”

Lauren gave a happy smile and a nod, seemingly having missed the sarcasm. “Of course. Someone has to be.”

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By the time the sun was setting, it was clear that what Tabby was planning was no mere party. Two entire wagons had arrived from Wand’s Reach, and after being inspected by Violet, each was allowed to unload near the barracks. Celia watched, trying to appear uninterested, as several large kegs were taken off, followed by crates and… a parade of women?

They were gorgeous, without exception. A willowy dark-skinned human with a runner’s body led the pack, followed by a fair skinned dwarf with long pleated red hair, and what looked like another cat-beastkin with midnight dark skin. The first two wore light flowing dresses, while the cat-girl surprised Celia by wearing actual breeches and a shirt. She’d been getting too used to Tabby, she supposed.

And following them, a few men slipped down as well, tall and well-muscled and laughing together. They had short-cropped dark hair, which raised questions. Some variety was to be expected in a city like New Gyr, but Wand’s Reach wasn’t exactly a center of commerce… As if to underscore her point, another man followed, slender and pale with brown, almost black hair. His ears slanted slightly. Part-elf, then. More questions.

Before Celia could ruminate too much on them, though, a rush of wind blew past her, and resolved itself into a green blur that pounced the other cat-girl. “Selene!” Tabby laughed, and Celia turned a watching eye onto the new factor. A friend of Tabby’s, then. Maybe a concern for the plan.

“She certainly is uninhibited. Sometimes I worry she would break down the barracks door if we didn’t let her have one of us every so often.” Damian’s smooth voice coming from behind made Celia jump, and she tensed slightly. In the absence of Gella, her brother was… not an enemy, per-se, but a third factor. Something to be wary of.

“Nervous about tonight?” He asked, and, grateful for the distraction, Celia nodded. “Yeah. When Tabby came to me with the idea, I was more than a little surprised.” He moved into Celia’s line of sight. “Not at her suggesting it, but at her insistence it was for you. You know you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to tonight, right?” He smiled in a disarming way, and Celia found herself smiling back.

“Thank you,” she said earnestly. Violet’s game was one thing, but this whole party idea was another. She took a breath to calm herself. She at least vaguely knew the guests from Cair Dwemor, if not those from Wand’s Reach. With that in mind, she gestured to the two wagons. “Who are they?”

Damian followed her hand with his gaze and chuckled. “Well the other cat-girl is Selene, if Tabby’s gleeful scream at her friend didn’t give it away.” They both watched for a moment as the two cat-girls stopped showering each other affection, then and walked toward the barracks with their tails entwined. “Her very good friend,” he clarified with another chuckle. “The others are some of the people that my sister has helped over the years.” His chuckle faded, and Celia frowned at the touch of solemnity that replaced it.

“Helped?” Celia asked, not liking the odd change of expression.

The silver haired warrior shrugged. “When someone’s mind goes bad, it’s not always possible to heal them completely. Even though it’s what she specializes in, sometimes even with Lauren’s help my sister can’t always put them back the way they were.” He kept his eyes trained on the slender elfin man. “She treats them right. Good accommodations, people looking after them, and they get to enjoy themselves like this.” With a shake of his head he turned back to Celia. “Anyways. I’m glad you’re joining us tonight.” With that he headed off toward the barracks.

She had barely made it ten feet when Tabby suddenly stood in front of her in a rush of green with a wide grin. “You ready for the surprise now?”

Celia nodded, hoping she was convincing enough. She didn’t know how Tabby would react if her surprise was spoiled, but it probably wasn’t ideal.

“I’m going to show you what it’s really like to experience yourself here!" She announced triumphantly. “Mistress and Lauren have already touched your mind, but Lauren isn’t the best example for touching your body. I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s great, but…” Her eyes glinted. “She’s not who you go to if you want it rough. And believe me. That’s not a problem with everyone here.”

Everyone? Everyone here, all touching her body? Even with the comforting explanation Lauren had given her earlier, the idea made her wince. “Ta… Tabby,” she murmured. The slight stutter was entirely genuine, as much as the warrior hated how much weakness it gave away. “How does that all…” She gestured vaguely toward the barracks.

The enthusiasm on Tabby’s face faded, replaced with a look of concern. “You have had sex before, right, Celia?”

Celia nodded, the memory of it warming her despite how long ago it was.

Long ago?

Tabby’s warm hand landed on Celia’s shoulder, shaking her from her thoughts. “I want you to be comfortable, Celia.” She said it easily, and Celia found herself trusting it. “This way, you get all the fun without having to worry!”

“You’ll be with me the whole time?” It came out so plantitive and soft. She was wholly out of her element here, relying on skills that didn’t quite map, while this seemed to be Tabby’s specialty. Violet’s instruction pushed against her mind, giving it structure and support. She could make this work, and have Tabby there to guide her. And within reach, for when the time came.

“If that’s what you need,” Tabby agreed instantly. “If it helps, just think of this like another way to work out that beautiful body of yours. It’s great exercise!” She nodded toward the barracks, which now had a fair number of people milling around. “Lauren should be here soon to cast the safety spells, and then we can begin.” She gave Celia a departing hug and went to go join the crowd.

Celia took a moment to compose herself. She could do this. Lauren would be there. Tabby would be there. She had no doubt Violet would slip in somehow. Violet’s mission was on the line, and she would be a good knight, and would not fail. With a final nod, she walked toward the crowd.