"I went to the east, deep into croc territory." Gyn said. "I was transformed and had to suppress my telepathic abilities, as I couldn't contact anyone for fear of being discovered."
"WHY?" I almost screamed at her, terror seizing my heart at the thought at what would have happened to her if she had been found out! "What was so important that you risked your life to go there?"
We were now in Gyn's quarters in Tr'skel's family residence. She had apparently travelled to the citadel by horse-beast, as her luggage consisted of a large set of leather saddlebags that were on the floor near the door. She crossed the room and rummaged around inside one to find her phone, a device she almost never carried when in the demon realm. She switched it on and scrolled through her photographs, then held it out to me with the screen showing.
"Linz'carn," I said, looking at an image of what looked like a wall fresco, badly faded by time. But it was quite clearly the same girl that represented the Pleasure imp part of my nature when Merek'mes had used his healing abilities with me!
"You know who this is?" Gyn said in obvious astonishment. "How?"
"I have a feeling you're about to tell me how I know her." I replied sharply. "Continue, please."
She looked at me with a slightly hurt expression, but I was in no mood to feel sorry for her. We were nowhere near reconciled yet!
"I first met Tor when he came to live with us, when he and Tel were training at Tr'skel's citadel. But his family home was in the east of the Demon Realm as it was then. When we mated, and his training was completed, we went to live there." Gyn continued. "Linz'carn was part of the household, a family slave."
"I'm not following you." I said, then moved to a chair and sat down, tired now from the exertions of the previous night. She followed me and sat down opposite me.
"The eastern slavers always referred to Linz and her kind as 'Pleasure imps', because of their small stature and deeply sexual nature." Gyn continued. Tor's father, also Tor, purchased her at auction for an exorbitant sum, to save her from a life as a brothel slave, which was where she was headed otherwise."
"So carn aren't really 'Pleasure imps' at all?" I asked, getting interested now.
"Linz told us that she was actually a princess of the Kingdom of the gal, an island far across the eastern sea," she replied, "and that she was in fact a vel. 'carn' is apparently a designation that the eastern slavers made up!"
"So how did she end up in the Demon Realm?" I inquired.
"Shipwrecked when her vessel was blown off course in a storm, as she said was how all Pleasure imps came to our realm." Gyn answered. "She had the misfortune to be found on a beach by scavengers, who sold her to slavers."
"Why didn't Tor's father send her home?" I asked.
"The eastern sea is extremely dangerous for shipping." Gyn replied. "Demon sailors have always stayed inshore in that region, so there were no suitable vessels to attempt to take her home. She had no idea what course we would have needed to set, in any case."
"So, she became part of the household, and..." I said, knowing what was coming next!
"My lover, and eventually, my bonded slave." she answered, a tear forming in the corners of each of her eyes.
"So, you were mated with Tor, but had a Mistress-slave bond with Linz too?" I asked, trying not to smile! "I'm sure Tor was delighted!" I said sarcastically.
She actually grinned sheepishly! "That's NOT how I'd put it!" she said. "It was a source of deep discord in our relationship."
"You don't say!" I replied. "But you still thought it was a good idea to use her as some sort of template when you transformed me?"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" she replied, obviously shocked. "And how do you know who she was, anyway?"
"It's not my turn yet!" I replied.
She was silent for a moment, looking at me intently, trying to read me. Despite my earlier outburst at the observation tower, I was deliberately being distant towards her. She had so far offered explanation without any sign of remorse.
"Tor and I quarrelled a lot about my bond with Linz, that is true." she continued. "He found it difficult to accept that I was melded with him, yet had a similar...connection with someone else."
"Sounds strangely familiar." I said. I saw anger flash in her eyes for a moment, her body stiffening, then she slumped a little in her chair.
"Melding should provide a demon couple with security in each other." she said. "An absolute certainty that no number of other sexual partners can possibly weaken the couple's love for each other. This has become even more important now that we are immortal."
"But the Master-slave bond undermines that security." I said. "One of the partners is basically in love with two demons at once, I understand that. But as you apparently are well aware, once the bond is formed, it is as unbreakable as melding! I can't be without Tel any more than I can be without you."
She smiled at me, making my heart fill up!
"I was too stubborn to accept that." she replied. "I tried to force you to choose, even though I knew that it's not possible for you to do that, any more than it was for me when Tor tried to make me do the same thing. And I am truly sorry, my beloved Linzi."
"I believe you, baby." I replied, smiling at her now. "So, how did you and Tor sort things out?"
"We didn't." she replied, the sadness showing on her face. "Tor went off to war with Tel, and my mother asked me to come home. My parents were implacably opposed to slavery of any kind, so Linz stayed with Tor's family. When the croc overran Tor's home and took over the eastern region, Linz disappeared. I never saw her again. And then I lost Tor..."
She was crying freely now. I went to her and took her in my arms soothing her, stroking her hair.
"How did you endure such pain, beloved?" I asked, crying with her now, hugging her tight.
"Tel was a constant source of support and inspiration to me, giving me the will to endure, to help give the sacrifices of the Great Cataclysm meaning by helping to ensure that such a thing never happens again." she replied. "Then, centuries later, in the Hu-man Realm, I met a man, a quite impressive young man..."
"...nearly ran me over, more like!" I said. "But I somehow reminded you of Linz, even as a man?"
"You walked out in front of my car without looking!" she replied. "But, yes." she said. "When you smiled at me that day, I saw her in you, felt her in you, somehow. I can't really explain it. It didn't even consciously occur to me, it was only...afterwards."