“You asked if we love each other and I can’t be silent anymore,” Charn said.
All this time, the big bodyslave had been hunched over with a fist pressed to his lips, as though he was trying not to say anything. But now he sat upright and the words spilled out of him.
“I hate her so much!” he cried passionately. “She tricked my former Mistress—whom I loved—into selling me to her, just because she wanted an impressive male specimen to act as her bodyslave. She makes me sleep in a tiny, cramped cage and she uses the pain collar she put on me to shock me continuously for the least infractions! She only feeds me bland protein paste and no real food because she doesn’t want me to have any pleasure at all. And worst of all, she takes me to social functions where she knows my lovely former Mistress will be in attendance and makes me service her where the love of my life will see it!”
During this speech, Mistress Tatterass’s poison-green eyes had been growing wider and wider. Now they narrowed as she glared at the big bodyslave.
“Charn!” she exclaimed. “Trab!”
“Arrrrgghh!” The big bodyslave contorted at once and then fell off the chair, his muscular body writhing and contorting on the floor in agony.
“My God!” Em exclaimed, looking in concern. “Is he having some kind of a seizure?”
“No. Most likely the pain collar he is wearing is voice controlled,” Rarev said darkly. “She spoke the pain word which activated it and now the poor bastard is in agony. Excuse me, will you?”
“What?” What are you going to do? I mean, where are you going?” Em demanded.
For the big Monstrum had stooped and was working his fingers under the thick lip of the heavy crystal dome that covered them. With a grunt of effort, he actually began to lift the thing, though Em thought it must weigh an ungodly amount. How strong was he, anyway?
“I’m going…to stop this,” Rarev growled, grunting with effort as he raised the dome. “Stay here please…I’ll return…shortly.”
He ducked under the crystal dome, which remained raised when he released it, and stalked over to the dome containing Mistress Tatterass and the hapless Charn.
The Mining Director and the panel of judges had been standing around in shocked silence, as though they weren’t sure what to do. When the Mining Director turned and saw Rarev, his purple eyes widened.
“Oh! Chief Commander Rarev! What are you doing here? How did you get out of your vessel?”
“Never mind that. I’m stopping this, since you don’t seem to know how to,” Rarev growled. “Raise the dome,” he added, nodding at the crystal dome covering the Yonnite Mistress and her bodyslave. “Or do I have to do it myself?”
“Oh, well…” The Director made a motion and the crystal dome rose. When it did, Rarev was face-to-face with Mistress Tatterass. She had an angry, defiant look on her face and Charn was still writhing at her feet in agony.
“End his pain,” Rarev said, his voice dropping to a menacing growl. “Now.”
“No!” Mistress Tatterass said sharply. “He lost me the mining contract—he deserves to be punished!”
“You lost it yourself when you admitted what a heartless monster you are,” Rarev growled. “Let him go now!”
She smirked at him, a cruel smile spreading over her wide red mouth.
“I’m not afraid of you! You can’t touch me—you Kindred are all the same. None of you will hurt a woman!”
Rarev glared at her, his golden eyes blazing.
“It is against the way of my kind to hurt or kill women but I swear by the Goddess, if you were a male I’d tear you limb from limb. However, since you are not male, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”
He knelt beside the hapless Charn, who was still gasping and scrabbling at the thick black collar around his throat.
“Be easy, Brother,” he said in a low voice. “I’m going to free you.”
“If you touch that collar, you’ll have to endure the same agony Charn is!” Mistress Tatterass exclaimed. “You don’t dare—”
But Rarev had already seized the thick black collar and worked two fingers under it, pulling it away from Charn’s throat. Even from where she was, Em could see a look of extreme pain pass over his leonine features. His golden eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth, the muscles at the side of his jaw growing tense.
Despite the pain that must be coursing through him, he didn’t let go of the collar. Instead, he made a fist with his other hand and Em gasped when she saw four long, razor-sharp claws pop out of his knuckles, just where his fingers met the main part of his hand. She hadn’t even known the big Monstrum had claws, since his hands looked so human—other than being covered in that ultra-soft, velvety fur, of course.