CHAPTER 27

An insistent knocking on her room’s door jolted Celia from her tempting dreams. Landing back in reality on her incredibly comfortable bed, the warrior sighed softly as she pulled herself out from under the covers. Her body voiced a mild protest when she rose from the bed, as even Lauren’s magic couldn’t completely erase a day of hard training. But it only sparked a small smile; every mild ache was proof of both her devotion to Gella and Gella’s care for her.

Her smile only widened once, upon opening the door, she saw both Lauren and Tabby in the hallway. The cat-girl was of course naked as a jaybird, while Lauren was wearing a pink nightgown tied loosely at the waist.

Tabby’s smile was positively predatory, and the way she openly let her eyes roam all over Celia’s body sent a warm thrill all down her nerves. By contrast, Lauren’s eyes were locked straight ahead. Curiously, Celia leaned forward to see if she would react. The pinkette didn’t so much as blink.

There was the briefest flash of worry that brushed over Celia’s heart before Tabby slipped to the priestess’ side. “Celia is right in front of you, Lauren,” the cat-girl husked sweetly into Lauren’s ear. “What was it you wanted?”

It was as if Tabby's words breathed life into Lauren’s body. She let out a soft plaintive moan, glazed-over eyes flicking to Celia as a bright guileless smile crossed her lips. “Ki–kiss her,” Lauren mewled. The cat-girl’s hands slipped the knot on Lauren’s nightgown loose, causing the fabric to fall open to reveal only a sheer pair of pink panties outlining Lauren’s pussy. “Ho– ohhhhh… hold her,” the priestess sighed mindlessly, body shivering under Tabby’s touch.

Celia swallowed, eyes locked on the display. “You really made a mark on her,” Tabby purred sweetly. Gathering the loose sash around Lauren’s waist, she tugged the priestess inside. Lauren followed, eyes once again glazed. Spinning on her heel Tabby kicked the door closed before slipping behind Celia.

Warm perky breasts pressed into Celia’s back. Tawny arms encircled the warrior’s waist and a pair of hot, silky-soft lips pressed to her neck. “I am so happy you can make her feel so good.” The soft stream of air from Tabby’s voice brushed past Celia’s ear, making the blonde woman shiver. “Go ahead and look at her, Celia. I know she likes it when you do that.”

It was the easiest thing in the world to do as Tabby said and drink in the gorgeous pinkette standing enthralled before them. Celia’s memories were quick to remind her just how soft her skin was, how gentle and sweet her kisses could be, and the simple, heartening warmth that came from just being around her. Lauren’s breath was shallow, her skin flushed. Her nipples were just begging for Celia’s lips, and there was an enticingly damp spot in the center of her adorable pink panties. “You heard her, Celia. She wants to kiss you, wants to hold you,” Tabby’s voice tempted her. “Focus on her lips. You love kissing her, right?”

Celia nodded absently, smiling while an intimate, peaceful warmth draped over her. Lauren’s lips were wet, and slightly parted. A light pink colored them, just a shade different from Celia’s own bare lips. She yearned to kiss them, to feel the woman she loved kiss her back.

“Lauren, go ahead,” Tabby said happily.

Lauren’s eyes fluttered as life returned to them once more. She beamed a bright smile at Celia. Just as Tabby stepped away from Celia’s back, Lauren embraced her loosely from the front. Tilting her head just a bit, the priestess pressed into a kiss that fanned that peaceful warmth into a thought-stopping burst of pleasure. She gave her all to that kiss, savoring every distinct and delicate sensation. “Voyez moi et seulement moi,” Lauren’s soft voice carried the words delicately, pulling a small, surprised gasp from the warrior.

Lauren’s pink hair, her sweet smile, her glazed and happy eyes, they were all that mattered in a world of dull, muted nothing. Magic settled over her, light as dust, and Celia couldn’t think of a single reason to resist it. Lauren’s magic was always wonderful, second only to when she surrendered to… to… To someone important, Celia was certain. Their name didn’t matter right now, just the wonderful woman in front of her. “Look into my eyes, Celia. Like you look into Gella’s. You so easily fall into both,” Lauren cooed, one hand shifting to cradle Celia’s cheek.

Gella. That was the other woman! For a moment Celia felt a twinge of unease at forgetting, but Lauren was weaving magic over her. Magic that made her feel so soft, so comfortably submissive. “I… I forgot,” Celia managed to say, earning her a loving smile and another kiss from Lauren.

“Just look into my eyes. Don’t worry about what you can or can’t remember. You’re safe with me.”

She was safe. Warm, comfortable, held in Lauren’s magic. Desire and warmth flowed unhindered down her spine, making her moan softly. She didn’t need to worry. She just let Lauren’s enthralling eyes pull her in deeper and deeper. Distant thoughts quieted, beyond the tiny range of Celia’s awareness. She was holding Lauren, kissing Lauren, completely and totally safe.

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Celia didn’t know how long she spent adoringly gazing into Lauren’s eyes. She couldn’t have cared if it was minutes or hours. At some point she had apparently been guided back to her bed, laying amid the rumpled sheets with Lauren. The priestess had just continued smiling at her, blinking slowly and evenly.

The bed shifted, and warm bare skin scooted up to Celia’s other side. She was lifted into a sitting position, slumped against something warm and yielding. Dimly she recognized it as another person, and naked too, before Lauren’s beautiful eyes stole that even line of thought. She relaxed, letting them lull her back into docile tranquility.

“Alright Clara, do your thing,” a voice commanded.

“Lorg geasa.” Another voice and the words of a spell, but this one didn’t touch Celia’s mind and was instantly forgotten. Time passed and eventually that same voice spoke again. “This is really really complicated spell work, Tabby! I can’t even see all of it at once!”

“So you can’t dominate her?” The voice Celia was slumped against asked plaintively.

“I can try,” the caster’s voice hesitantly replied. “But I really, really think this is a bad idea. It could really hurt her!”

Warm arms wrapped around Celia and for a moment she felt companionship bloom at the touch. “We’re not doing that then,” that voice behind her gently purred. “She’s had enough pain in her life.” The silence that passed was long enough for Celia to slip back into peaceful oblivion. It was even better now, though; held against whoever was purring like she was. It warmed her, invoked a sense of peace that melded seamlessly with the power flowing from Lauren’s eyes.

“I’ve got it!” The voice holding her finally said, bringing Celia marginally back to the present. “I’ll be right back.” The voice and the warmth left, bringing a pang of loss that was quickly dissolved away.

Time again passed, and again Celia simply could not care how long it was. The voice that purred eventually slipped close, and Celia smiled happily at its return. “Strawberries covered in Dream Syrup. That should work just fine,” the voice giggled. “Lauren, let her savor them.”

“Celia,” Lauren’s voice snagged Celia’s attention instantly. “Tabby is going to feed you some treats, I want you to savor each bite,” she giggled absently.

Tabby! That was the purring voice and warm skin! Celia nodded as a tiny trickle of awareness returned to her. Something chilled and wet with a cloying sweetness was passed under her nose, and Celia obediently opened her mouth. She bit down on the rich, plump berry, and the tangy syrupy sweetness coated her mouth.

The Syrup tingled, a sensation that pulled a soft giggle from the blonde woman. It was so sweet, and so rich. As soon as she chewed and swallowed another berry was offered, and she eagerly bit down again. The sweetness clung to her lips, her tongue, and as she ate more and more of the berries, she swore it began to coat her mind as well.

“You can end your spell, Lauren,” Tabby purred. The world slowly regained color and importance beyond the dazed, smiling priestess. A tiny prickle of thought rose above the rising sweetness, a worry about just why Lauren was looking so incredibly pacified, and then the syrupy feeling blunted that.

Celia felt fantastic. She was surrounded by gorgeous women, one of them she loved deeply and the other was going to be her sister Treasure. She should probably love her too, right? She certainly felt like she could. Hells, she felt like she could love the whole of Eitheris. She knew that love and honor and compassion would make her a good knight, and she wanted so very fucking badly to be a good knight.

She turned unsteadily and beamed at Tabby. The cat-girl was grinning back at her in a way that made her whole body flush. “Tabby!” She declared, before breaking into a fit of giggles. “You are so fucking pretty!” That wasn’t quite what had meant to say, but she hardly minded blurting it out. Her eyes flicked up to Clara, and she beamed at the mage. She had such a lovely shade of metallic blue hair today. “Clara! You’re really sexy too!”

She tried to stand only for the world to quite unfairly tilt around her. Thankfully, Tabby’s perky little body was there to fall against. She was so warm! Gods above how good would it feel to just have someone so warm and cute to sleep with every night. She kissed soft tawny skin, enjoying the happy purr that she got in return. “You’re cute,” she mumbled against the cat-girl’s body.

“Tabby… How much Dream Syrup did you coat those with?” Clara asked, uncertainly.

The cat-girl started explaining just how much of the lovely Syrup she used, but that wouldn’t do at all! She wasn’t paying any attention to Celia! So with a calculated roll, she moved to face Lauren and sighed happily. The priestess didn’t react, so Celia settled for resting her head in the pinkette’s warm naked lap. She smelled like paradise. Warm and soft with a musky undertone of sex and sweat. “Pay attention to me,” Celia grumbled playfully, giggling when she heard the petulance in her own voice.

Lauren’s eyes flicked down to her. “Okay,” she softly said.

“Oh! You can hear me?!” Celia said, excitedly. The soft living statue of Lauren was nice enough, but she preferred the real actual woman she had fallen in love with.

“Yes,” Lauren simply said.

“What did you and Tabby do last night?” When she had left the priestess, she and the cat-girl had eagerly been making out, and from the look of things that had progressed significantly.

“We made love,” Lauren said, and even as pacified as she was, Celia could feel the pinkette’s skin flush at the recollection.

“Come on, Lauren,” Celia said with a dazed grin. “Don’t skip the details!”

“After we got to her room, she pinned me down and teased me. I let her take the lead, because she was so passionate and eager, and I was so turned on from watching you work out naked all day.” Celia nodded along, feeling her own body react. Flaunting her form, her strength, and her stamina all day had been exhilarating. Everyone that saw her had agreed she looked good, especially naked.

Sighing warmly, her fingers just began teasing along the tops of her breasts when a need breached the hazy syrup soaking her mind. She had to get to the forests on the other side of Wand’s Reach. She’d had breakfast, now it was time to dress comfortably and head out.

She groaned, leaving Lauren’s lap slowly to keep the treacherous world from trying to trip her up again. “She made me agree to everything before she would let me–” Lauren paused while Celia got up, returning to her neutral docility. Though Celia could tell even just the retelling had turned the pinkette on quite a bit. Her nipples were stiff and her breath was coming in soft little sighs.

Slowly turning her head back to Tabby and Clara, Celia pointed at Lauren. “You two should help her out!” She exclaimed unsteadily.

“Are you going somewhere?” Tabby asked, moving up to steady Celia.

She was such a sweetheart, and Celia managed to get her giggles under control enough to kiss Tabby lightly on the lips. “Yep!” Turning to her wardrobe, she caught the cutely confused look on Tabby’s face before she began searching for some comfortable clothes.

“Where?” Tabby insisted, holding Celia’s shoulder just firmly enough to feel.

“The woods on the other side of Wand’s Reach,” Celia replied easily.

Tabby’s expression changed from confused to knowing, breaking into a sly grin. “The forest that the fae couple lives in?” Tabby slowly led Celia to her wardrobe. “Well, let's get you dressed right,” the cat-girl snickered playfully.

They had just gotten the door open when Lauren’s hand landed on Celia’s shoulder. Upon turning around she was met with a wide awake and very alert-looking Lauren. “Celia… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said firmly.

Before Celia could emphasize that she had to go to the woods on the far side of Wand’s Reach, Tabby intercepted the priestess. “Lauren,” the cat-girl began in a low sultry voice that Celia swore she could feel caress her body “You worry too much. It’s perfectly safe, safe to relax, safe to enjoy,” she cooed, drawing her fingers down in front of Lauren’s eyes.

The need to get going pressed in Celia's mind. It was becoming harder to ignore, but watching Tabby weave such a seductive trance over Lauren was worth a little discomfort. Lauren gasped softly, shaking her head as she tried to get a word in only for Tabby to shake her head and draw her fingers down slowly once more. Lauren’s alert posture slumped, following the gesture. “You’re sinking back down for me, pretty Dreamgirl,” Tabby continued, her voice soft and comforting.

“Sinking…” Lauren began, only for her head to shake. “No, Tabby, this is a bad idea,” her voice trying and failing to sound as firm. “Celia isn’t ready for…” She trailed off again as Tabby ran her fingers down Lauren’s neck, pressing in gently along her spine. There was a tiny glimmer of emerald light and Lauren drew in a gasp. “Wait… I…”

Celia sighed in delight, watching Lauren’s awareness melt into sleepy, dazed acceptance. Her own sweet syrupy thoughts went quickly to how it would feel for Tabby to do that to her, and resolved to remind herself to ask for it after she got back. Tabby shook her head with an amused smile, then bent to scoop the limp priestess into her arms. “You should get going, Celia. You’re right, Clara and I do need to spend some more time with Lauren.” She beamed warmly, “Have fun!”

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In the end, Celia had thrown on the first thing she could agree with being comfortable, a flowing sundress in pale green that ended at her knees, and a pair of simple sandals. Enough to keep her feet safe on the dirt road, at least. Panties had been considered and then quickly forgotten, as her Syrup hazed mind was quick to remind her how good sex felt.

Though… As she slowly meandered down the road toward town, she had to admit that everything felt good. The sunlight was pure and soft and warm on her skin, wrapping her up in its heavenly glow. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, and the breeze that blew across her skin made it prickle in the most stimulating way she could imagine. Even the birdsong and rustling of the leaves sounded incredible, like a private concert put on just for her.

Distractions constantly snagged her attention as well. The breeze that made her skin feel so alive begged her to savor it on bare skin. A patch of bright green grass called to her to stop and feel it on her feet. But that command sat above it all though, the pressing need to get into the woods. As she had time for thoughts to tumble through her mind like dandelion seeds on her leisurely stroll, and enough of them gathered together to wonder just why she was heading into these woods. To let the fae play with her?

Deborah and Samuel, powerful faeries that already had true name. Heat bloomed again, desire twinged with a sprinkle of fear. Both had treated her well enough. Hells, in a way they had been the ones to set her on the path she now happily strode down. And as she looked down at the path she was physically walking down, she giggled at her own poetic thoughts. A walk forward and a path in life, and both of them had involved these magical creatures.

The guard at the town gate called to her in greeting, and she replied with one of her own. The town was lovely as always, and she nodded in response to a few greetings and compliments. It all passed in a vague blur, the command laying across her mind like a firm hand keeping distractions at bay. She would have lingered, to taste the food offered at the inn or dance with a few musicians at one of the fountains. As the music sounded softer and sweeter and the mere thought of the savory soups and roasts on offer made her mouth water.

But she could only obey, and that was pleasant enough as well. It warmed her, teased along her body lightly. A subtle persistent affirmation that she was doing as she was told. All too soon she had passed the outer gate of the town. Her feet led her down the path that wound past the other towns in the valley and eventually out into the Remerian plains.

Her thoughts drifted back toward the wider world while her feet followed the path towards the bend in the path she had first entered the forest through all those weeks ago. Would she get to go to Adampor to be knighted? Would the war even register to someone as powerful and clever as her Lady? Vague worries attempted to catch on her ever-shifting Syrup-drowned thoughts, only to be swallowed up by the memory of Gella. Gella and Lauren and Tabby… and even Violet; the beautiful women she now shared her life with.

Her smile brightened as the feeble worries were snuffed out, and vanished beneath her notice. She would go wherever Gella commanded, of course; she would do as she was told. When she listened to her body, to the pleasure that sang in her mind, it left her no room to doubt that.

The bright, sunlit path disappeared into the pine-scented, shadowed gloom of the forest, and she stopped. It was peaceful, alive with the sounds of a living forest, and Celia stood idly taking it all in. The command has been satisfied, and now she was free to savor the medley of sensations all around her. Chief among them was the pure spark of pleasure tracing from her spine down to her clit. She beamed, reaching up to tease the tops of her breasts with a finger. Her skin felt so soft to the touch, warm and begging for more. A quick search through the slow sticky morass of her thoughts didn’t turn up a single reason to deny herself, and a quick flip of her dress later she was savoring the feelings of her fingers trailing all down her naked body.

“Someone is enjoying themselves,” a lilting, amused voice whispered right by her ear.

Someone walking in on her teasing herself triggered instincts in the warrior. Instincts honed and trained over years, that were unfortunately covered in a warm syrupy haze right now. She managed to at least face the voice that spoke. It was an ethereally beautiful woman with long dark hair and eyes that glittered. “Deborah?” Celia asked dully. The fae had been on her mind only a little while ago, but seeing one of them in the flesh was still a surprise.

The fae woman pouted cutely. “No need to be on guard. After all, You’re completely at ease with me, Celia Evergleam.”

She was. Not that she had been particularly on guard, of course. Recollection wafted over the warrior, and she gave the fae woman a guileless grin. “You’re using magic on me,” she accused, unable to stop the excited giggle.

Deborah paused for a moment, looking the warrior up and down before she smiled indulgently. “That’s exactly right, pretty mortal girl. Come with me and we can play more.”

The world wobbled while Celia nodded firmly. The slow creeping arousal began to softly simmer, a taste of things to come with the gorgeous creatures. Dress forgotten, she stepped deeper into the woods, following Deborah and her temptingly beckoning finger.

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Celia had just enough time to register Damian in full armor looking pensively off into the woods, before she was enveloped in strong delicate arms. “Be a perfect pretty captive for us, Celia Evergleam,” Deborah’s voice soothed her mind, and Celia nodded.

A perfect pretty captive… her mind whirled. “That should do it, pretty elf,” Deborah cooed to the unseen force that was now urging Celia’s arms behind her back. The warrior instantly held her wrists steady and even behind her back, shivering when icy cold chains bound them together. A perfect captive wouldn't struggle, she decided.

Something angry and Red below the Syrup, below the haze of fae sorcery, trembled in response. She was being chained up. She should do… do something. A pulse of Gella’s magic, familiar and comforting, soothed that away. “Celia, what did you eat this morning?” Violet’s firm, controlled voice slipped into her ear. Above being a pretty captive for Deborah, Celia felt a deeper part of herself relax. Violet was prickly, but always made her feel good. She cared for her, too.

“Tabby fed me strawberries in Dream Syrup,” she husked out quietly. Good captives should be honest and quiet, she reasoned. If it just happened to sound like a breathy invitation… Well, that was just a bonus, her drugged horny mind supplied.

“Dream Syrup,” Violet sighed, and Celia could feel her shake her head. “Of all the stupid choices.”

Beyond Violet holding her Celia could just make out the pained hiss from Damian. “That sweet stuff Morgan brews sometimes?”

“Take a seat, Celia,” Violet commanded. Flooding to her knees, savoring the cool metal on her wrists, Celia slowly looked around at everyone. “The very same, Damian. And a huge dose, from the looks of it.” Violet continued. Walking into Celia’s vision revealed the woman in her sleek, black, skin-tight armor, the mass of her purple hair tied in a neat rope braid. She shook her head before she reached into a no-space and produced some vials. “We’re going to need to deal with that before Deboarah can do her part.”

Different colors of powder and liquid were mixed, and while they were beautiful to admire, Celia soon grew distracted and turned her attention to Damian. The silver-haired warrior looked anxious and distraught, constantly clenching his fist and looking around their little glade. “Damian,” she asked, “what’s wrong?”

His silver eyes narrowed at her, worlds different from the all-encompassing warmth and control his sister possessed. Damian’s were hard and sharp, and for a moment Celia felt them slice all the way through the seductive fog clouding her thoughts. Then his expression softened. “Just my sister’s plans exploding in the worst possible way,” he said in resignation. “Just let Vi do her thing, Celia. It will be alright shortly,” he continued with a forced smile that dropped quickly.

The warm fog returned and Celia smiled back. Something remained behind, a sharp prickle of worry that no amount of pleasant daydreaming seemed to be able to push away. “Violet… is something wrong with our Lady?”

The elf stilled, then turned around. In her hand was a vial of a deep green sludgy-looking concoction. “Perhaps, but you will need to drink this to be certain,” she said, proffering the vial to the bound woman.

It smelled bitter and sour, and it made Celia’s eyes water. No amount of pleasant daze could cover the revulsion she felt, and only Deborah’s voice singing in her mind to be a perfect pretty captive stopped her from outright refusing. There was a terrible moment of tension, her body adamantly refusing the potion while her mind – bolstered by fae sorcery – demanded that she submit. Bit by bit she forced herself to accept the offered potion, finally opening her mouth and allowing Violet to pour the revolting liquid down her throat.

It tasted even worse than it smelled. It slipped down her throat, burning the whole way down. Finally it hit her stomach and the magic of the potion activated. Her whole body felt like it was clenching. Her muscles ached, her mind felt tight, and a sensation of watery cold was filling her up. Her stomach heaved, and two sets of hands both directed her and held her hair away from her mouth.

It felt miserable, and if she’d had the strength to do more than hold tight and endure, Celia knew she would be bellowing to the heavens. But whatever poison Violet inflicted on her robbed her of even that. Another wave of nausea silenced her inner protests, followed by an icy stab of clarity.

Finally, blessedly, it was over. Her mouth tasted foul, her head throbbed and her body ached. Left in a shaking, sweating pile, Damian’s armored form carried her over to the other side of the glade and mercifully away from the smell of her own vomit. Before she could think to thank Damian, Deborah’s soft hands were on her cheeks. When Celia opened her eyes, she was instantly trapped in the chaotic whirl of colors shimmering in the fae woman’s eyes. “Wha…?” She managed to slur out

“Sink into the colors, Celia Evergleam,” Deborah purred, and Celia’s feeble resistance melted, swirling into the pulsing spiral that effortlessly drew her mind into the tiny black dot at the center. “Now, sleep!”

Two sharp snaps and Celia fell forward, embraced by the fae and helplessly enthralled.

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Colors obscured everything. They wrapped her body like rope, flowed over her like water, slipped through her mind like music.

A powerful force pressed in on her. Magic that felt strangely intimate, like she had somehow spawned it. My True Name, she realized with a start. The force shifted around her, and the colors parted.

The elaborate trusses and arches of Gella’s magic stood in glittering silver though the cloudscape that was her mind. Rising up to nearly submerge them was a vast ocean of Green. Correctness, the feeling of things being just as they should, and it was pouring in over her mind. Celia followed the waterfall-like flow, and saw a strange mystic symbol at the Green flows head. Something about it seemed so familiar, a hint of a feeling she had felt before. Red eyes flashed in her mind, sharp talons trailing with incredible delicacy over her back.

Aversa.

The pure unadulterated desire the demon had pressed into her showered everything in Green. It told her that she should work her body to exhaustion, that she should seek every opportunity she could to be the best knight Gella could ever want. All of it was perfectly correct, and it had slipped right under her notice how obsessive it truly was. But the Green couldn’t touch her now, not with the whirling kaleidoscope of colors separating them.

Memories formed out of the Green. Fantasies that had seemed enticing were now revealed for the shocking ideas they were. Getting her soul marred the same way Violet had, rejuvenating her body over and over again with Lauren’s help to push her body past mortal limits. This wasn’t her; this wasn’t even what Gella wanted. Something sparkled – more magic from outside – and the rushing river of Green slowed to a trickle, then finally a stop. A few faint whisps remained, forming into clouds that vanished among Celia’s own desires.

Without the ever-flowing river of Green, Celia was able to see her own desires as clearly defined clouds once more. To serve Gella, to complete her taming, and to join with Lauren; Tabby, and Violet as a Treasure. She was committed to it now, with love as her guiding force.

Love for the mage that returned her memories to her, love for the adorable priestess that soothed her spirit, love for the excitable cat-girl, and even love for the calm and aloof elven assassin-turned-maid. Even a kind of love for Damian and his Heralds, a kind of true comradery that she had only ever felt the weakest shadow of with her mercenary work.

With Aversa’s deception revealed, Celia had a sudden and horrific revelation: She was free, but everyone else at Cair Dwemor was still in terrible danger. The force of magic pressing in on her seemed to agree and with an almighty lurch she was forced back into the waking world with a gasp.

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By all the gods above, her body ached. She was frigidly cold, her stomach was on the verge of revolt, and the weight in her mind that had felt so comfortable while entranced now felt like iron spikes in her brain. Her eyes snapped shut reflexively, trying hard to keep the overwhelming sensations of the world to a minimum.

The attempt to wrap her arms around herself was stopped by the skin-warmed metal on her wrists, and she hurriedly tried to sort though the disjointed fog over her memories to recall just why she was in chains. “Celia,” Damian’s calm voice offered. “Just take a deep breath.” Opening her eyes revealed the captain of the Heralds looking at her, searchingly. “How do you feel?”

Confused, used, embarrassed, determined, and certainly angry. Each and every one of those was a contender. But she could sort everything out later. Right now, she needed to be what Gella needed. Her knight. “Fucked up and confused, but that can wait. We need to go save everyone from that demonic bitch!” Celia declared

Damain nodded, looking incredibly relieved. He glanced behind Celia. “Vi, That’s good enough for me.”

The elven woman settled down next to Celia, and wrapped a blanket over her naked body. It was heavy, and, with a bit of artful folding it covered the blonde warrior well enough. When the elf met Celia’s eyes, her anger and determination were momentarily forgotten in favor of surprise.

Gratitude and understanding were prominent in Violet’s gaze. The aloof, always-in-control woman was shaken. Certainly not enough to cry, or to rage like Celia felt like doing, but enough for the mask to slip. “Celia,” she said with just a hint of a quake in her voice. “Swear to me. Swear you will do anything you can to save the woman that owns me, the woman I love.”

Celia’s reserves were beyond frayed. But she still dug deep, letting that flame fill her. She let its heat and strength steady her voice. “I swear it, Violet. On any god you would care to name. I will save her, save everyone I care about.”

The look she received was pure gratitude. Something settled in the elven woman. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when they opened next they were blazing with the same determination Celia felt. The uncertainty and shakiness was banished. “Then we have a lot to do, and very little time to do it,” the elf said. Standing up, she reached behind Celia and deftly undid the lock, letting the chain slither off her wrists and land on the forest floor.

“That was quite touching, all things considered,” Deborah remarked, and Celia followed her voice to see the fae woman lounging along the low branch of a tree. “All the same, I think I will be away. I wish you adorable mortals luck.”

“You’re not going to help us!?” Celia snapped.

“I have helped a great deal, dear Celia,” Deborah cooed back. “I’ve scrubbed that nasty demon’s muck from your mind, but left your lady love’s pretty silver in place.” Her smile turned wicked and Celia gripped the blanket tighter around herself at the look of pure hunger Deborah gave. “I even held myself back from claiming such a fascinating little mortal all for myself.”

“Leave her be,” Damian chastised Deborah, before he turned his attention back to Celia. “She’s done her part and not tried to charm us all. We shouldn’t impose on her… hospitality any longer.” He stood and extended his hand, his spear appearing a second later. “Vi, let’s get Celia up to speed on the way back to town. She’s going to need some armor and a weapon.”

The trio stood and suddenly a stray thought traced a cold path down Celia’s spine. It was a fleeting worry, but the intensity made her stop. She looked up at Violet. “If this is another game…” She let the threat linger in the air.

“Celia,” Violet began calmly. “This is real. I promise I will have my Lady pull the truth from my lips the moment we can. But I need you to trust me until then.”

“I wish it was just another one of her tests,” Damian said sourly, leading the way back out of the forest. “But this is very real,” he said, frustration creeping into his voice until he punctuated it by slamming his fist into a nearby tree, which shattered part of the loose bark. “I told her a dozen fucking times that keeping a damned demon as a pet was a terrible idea.”

The warrior looked from Damian to Violet and nodded. For a moment she even wished it would just be another of Violet’s games. That would at least quell the rising anxiety building behind her eyes. “How did she even affect anyone?” Celia asked, shrugging and dodging branches. “Gella seemed confident in whatever spell was keeping her locked up.”

“I do not know. But regardless of how she is doing it, the fact remains that you, Lauren, Tabby, and our Lady herself have all been compromised to varying degrees,” Violet offered, effortlessly weaving between the same branches.

“Not just them,” Damian muttered darkly. “Tiffany, Eirinn, Clara, Electra, and Joshua were all missing when I left.”

Celia counted them off in her head, looking for a common thread. “Clara and Joshua have magic, I can see Aversa working to get them but–”

“Tiffany has magic too, she just uses it differently than my sister or Clara. And If that damn demon bitch got Tiffany and Clara, she got Eirinn and Electra too. There is no way either of them would let their partners leave like that.”

“Not Trevor and Joshua?” Celia asked. It suddenly seemed like such an odd thing to consider, but they had been together at least at the Grotto party.

Damian paused and actually smiled. “Nah. I’ve yet to meet the man that can get Trevor to settle down.” The smile vanished as the weight of the situation flowed back in. “But that leaves us at a serious disadvantage. I have Morgan, Johanna, Robert, Trevor, and Weaver back in town. But if Aversa actually gets her claws in Gella’s mind, we may all be seriously fucked.”

Passing by Celia’s discarded dress, the trio stopped while she slipped it back over her shoulders. “How did you both avoid getting hit with her influence?” She asked, tugging the dress into place.

Violet tapped her forehead with a proud smile. “My Lady’s Mark. It would take extraordinary powerful magic to influence my mind.” The smile fell a moment later. “This protection has its drawbacks though. I have to obey her, no matter what. If she is entirely corrupted by Aversa…”

Celia nodded, sparing the elf from stating the worst case. All it would take would be a world from Gella, and Violet would turn against them. The thought of all of Violet’s skills and talents being set against them was enough to make her shiver. Casting for a distraction, she nodded at Damian while the trio resumed their walk. “What about you, Damian?”

The silver haired warrior was silent for a contemplative moment. “Lots of very, very cold showers.” From beneath his helmet, he noticed the incredulous look Celia was giving him. “I’m serious. My sister has had beautiful women giggling around her since we were teenagers. If I hadn’t learned some serious self discipline I would have never accomplished anything.”

Celia looked at Damian with a new kind of respect. To weather the kind of desire Aversa was giving off with by willpower alone was nothing short of remarkable to her.

Just as they were walking toward the gates, Violent let out a quiet groan and shut her eyes. Damain froze and quickly tensed, gesturing Celia to get behind him. The blonde warrior quickly nodded and looked worryingly at the elf. If Gella were giving her orders now, they would be in for one hell of a fight.

The moments passed, long and tense, while Violet communicated silently. Finally she opened her eyes. “I… I don’t know if my Lady has been compromised. She seemed distracted, but still very much herself." She nodded at Celia. “Only, I am to bring you to her. Now,” she added with a resigned sigh.