AJ drew pictures with her words, describing the old Bedouin trader’s skin, tanned to leather by years of heat and desert wind. She had no doubt that she could entertain Sophia for months if she ever shared the story of her Earthly origin. But as pleasant as the Sister seemed to be, she didn’t dare trust the woman with that secret. Shrewd as Sophia was, AJ feared that if she exchanged confidences with the woman, a slip of the tongue might give away her real purpose in coming to Petra.
One afternoon, Dianna came to the garden to get fresh herbs for the evening meal. She brought Sophia a cool drink. The Sister took the opportunity to sit in the shade while she drank it and sent both girls to the rear of the vast garden to pick the herbs.
Dianna began as soon as they were out of earshot.
“Are you all right? I heard you’re still required to wear the device every night. I know it’s horrible at first, but eventually you get used to it. And wearing it does help later when you’re made to do – other things.”
“Yes, I’m all right. What about you?”
Dianna looked around then whispered, “I hate this place more every day! I’d do anything to get away from here.”
“How did you end up in Petra?” She’d been wondering how someone as intelligent as Dianna had been lured into slavery.
“The usual story.” Dianna sighed. “I met a man. He was charming, and I was young. My father forbade me to see him. Said I was naïve and didn’t recognize how evil he was. I refused to listen. Amir professed his love and asked me to run away with him. He said he’d show me the world. I snuck out one night and met him down at the harbor. We got on a boat leaving for Alexandria.”
“At first, it was wonderful. But then…” Dianna’s eyes filled with tears. “He tired of me quickly. Even gave me to the crew one night, so he could watch.”
AJ put her hand over Dianna’s. “How horrible! I’m so sorry.”
Dianna shrugged. “It was good preparation for this place. I had no money, no friends, no way to get away from him. When we docked in Alexandria, he tied me up and tossed me in the back of a wagon with two other women. We came here to Petra, and he handed me over to General Tok. I found out later he was one of Tok’s scouts. Amir collects a bounty for every woman he delivers.”
Dianna gave her a quick hug. “Enough of my sad story. I need to warn you. Your training is nearly completed. Tok usually claims the right to the first night with a new harlot. Be careful. He will be looking for any excuse to send you back to the square for another public Correction. He enjoys the spectacle. It provides free entertainment for his men while reminding the rest of us what is in store if we show any hint of disobedience.”
She’d have to act soon. Over the next few days AJ used any excuse she could to linger in the gardens, hoping to overhear scraps of conversation from the other side of the walls where Tok’s men patrolled.
From bits of gossip she heard in whispered conversations with the other harlots, she learned Tok was preparing to receive special visitors. According to a supervisor who’d been plied with drink by one of the harlots, the men had been working overtime in the mines. A convoy would arrive soon, bearing a huge deposit for the treasury in exchange for tons of rare minerals.
A few nights later, she was summoned to Miriam’s quarters.
“Tonight you will undergo the final phase of your training before taking your place in the Lyceum. I’ve been told General Tok himself will test your readiness. I suggest you use every trick you’ve learned to satisfy him. Now, bend over the bench, pull your gown up, and spread your cheeks for the device.”
Chapter Eleven
Miriam didn’t use the lubricant infused with fiery spices when she prepared the metal probe for insertion. Probably because Tok would also suffer unpleasant consequences if he invaded her nether region.
Her bottom hole had been stretched often enough by now to take the widest part of the tool without discomfort. But the idea of having to submit to such shameful violation from the nasty gnome filled her with revulsion.
Once Miriam worked the device partway in, she added to AJ’s humiliation by ordering her to remain bent over with the implement protruding from her bottom hole while she fetched the paddle. Although AJ had done nothing to deserve punishment, the Sister delivered half a dozen stern whacks to her bare bottom, driving the device in deeper with each stroke.
AJ moaned. The sting of the paddle heightened the stirring she felt inside as the cold hard metal slid in. Guilt and shame poured through her. After weeks of submitting to the defilement without ever fighting back, she’d become a naughty slut, getting wickedly aroused when Miriam spanked her hard then violated her rear passage.
“Tok likes to see a red ass sticking out of that slit in a harlot’s gown.” She stroked AJ’s burning cheeks while fastening the leather straps that held the device in place. AJ suspected the general wasn’t the only one who enjoyed seeing a freshly spanked behind.
Before they left the room, Miriam poured a generous dram of the potent honey liqueur and insisted she drink it.
AJ gasped as it burned its way down her throat. Strong spirits had long been outlawed on Earth due to the volatile effect they had on human behavior. She’d read about the irrational actions their use provoked, and she’d seen firsthand evidence of it on Neodyma. But she’d never experienced the effects herself.
By the time they got to the Great Hall, her head was spinning. She teetered on the high platform sandals, and her steps got even smaller. The tail swished back and forth with every step, rubbing her stinging bottom. The part of her brain still capable of rational thought registered the fact that the intense physical sensations caused wicked images to flood her mind. Images of all the erotic acts she’d watched harlots engaging in.
Maybe it was the effect of the liqueur. Maybe it was because she hadn’t received an injection regulating her biological indexes for nearly two months. Her body was young and healthy and, with all the physical stimulation she’d received, it was pumping out hormones the way women’s bodies had done for thousands of years.
Whether it was the drink or the hormones or the constant stimulation from the device with every step, AJ nearly stumbled in surprise when a surge of raw lust hit her so hard her pussy spasmed.
Throughout her training, AJ had been denied release, told she would be punished severely if she were caught pleasuring herself. The need had grown, building into a desperate craving, ramped up by the spankings and the device.
Not all the men who visited the Lyceum were old and ugly. The younger ones had well-developed bodies, their muscles tight and hard from hours of physical labor. Unlike Elias, they were able to sustain an erection for a long time. She’d watched several sessions where the harlots seemed to take a much pleasure in the act as their masters.
But AJ knew instinctively that none of them would truly satisfy her. Other men might be handsome and well-endowed but they weren’t Kaden. She hungered to feel the wild passion he’d stirred in her.