Part VIII -- Topping From Below
Despite the troubling prospect of it all, Besand continued to nurture his new relationship with Suzy. Dalia was gone nearly every evening now. Besand kept meaning to talk to her about it, but he never got around to it. He didn't find much comfort in any of his older consorts either. It seemed that Suzy always captured the majority of his thoughts. She represented something very new and exciting. He really couldn't remember feeling this way about anything since his introduction to immortality many years ago. Everything after that night was so alive and so vibrant. Smells, colors, and sounds were enchanting, and each night was an adventure unlike the previous as he pursued different human beings. These humans seemed more alive than ever through his vampire eyes, more seductive and fluid. Over the years, Besand supposed he had become used to all these things and perhaps somewhat jaded. Suzy awakened all of these feelings again.
The contradiction was driving him mad. This beautiful creature was making him feel so new, yet at the same time every evening the thirst for her blood grew to the point of driving pain in his throat. She was a forbidden fruit denied to him by his own self for what, a passing feeling? Even if it was true love, her mortal years would seem a blink to Besand. He had to convince her that she wanted to join him in immortality, and doing so would mean revealing himself to her. That was risking all they had and everything he felt for a terrible rejection of his true self. That was intolerable.
He was going to meet Suzy again tonight to dine at a nice restaurant, then the theatre. He debated the merits of telling her all of this tonight. Sophia made the choice for him. "Besand, I have to talk to you," she said.
"Not tonight, Sophia, I'm going out with Suzy."
"Dammit Besand, you're always going out with Suzy, and you haven't even sampled her yet." Besand glared.
"I'm sorry," Sophia said, "And I'm sorry you will have to cancel your date tonight. It's about Dalia."
"Dalia?"
"Yes Dalia," Sophia said somewhat angrily. "You're pupil, slave, whatever. The woman you are supposed to be looking out after!"
"What about her?"
"I don't know what angers me more, Besand. The fact that you don't know what she's doing, or that you seem so absolutely clueless about anything since you've met that little blonde girl!"
Besand waited. Sophia gestured with her hand, indicating that someone should step forward. A woman, slightly shorter than Sophia stepped forward with her head bowed. She curtsied in front of him. Besand waved his hand indicating she should forget the formalities. Then he asked for her identity.
"I am Julie, humble servant to Lady Sophia," she said quietly.
Besand followed Julie's glance at Sophia. "Tell him," Sophia indicated.
"Marcus keeps a secret dungeon," Julie began, "as you may know. Several of the younger members attend his um 'sessions'."
"I'm sure many of the others do as well," Besand commented. "Continue."
"Dalia came to him soon after her punishment before the Circle. She told him the pain excited her. 'The tears bring me ecstasy that is indescribable,' she told him. 'Hurt me Marcus.' She held his attention so tightly that I don't believe he was aware of anything else around him. He was so enthralled that dawn could have broken, and he would have felt nothing but the tips of Dalia's nails against his cheek. "She came to him, not every, but many nights. She let him hurt her, torture her, and fuck her, all the while, crying orgasmic yells so convincing that it brought me to the brink of excitement and enslaved my lust to her as well. It wasn't long before she was his favorite, Besand. She above all others captured him, and to her did he finally yield to his more secret desire.
"One evening, she came to the dungeon. Marcus had called upon all of his pupils and those of us who visited him regularly. He told us all to strip naked and kneel next to one another in a large circle. Slowly, methodically, he connected our wrists together with leather cuffs bonded with small, steel chains. He invited Dalia to the middle.
"He swore us to secrecy indicating that any who disobeyed him would not only be punished severely, but killed in a most violent manner. He then knelt before Dalia and clasped her knees with his hands. 'Dalia,' he said, 'I worship you. In pain you find deliverance, suffering strength. How I long to learn those virtues. You must instruct me, Dalia. Teach me to find pride in humility and defiance in the face of authority. Break me, Dalia.'
"She had him. Behind his cruelty and domineering, Marcus was afraid and weak. He felt crushed by Dalia's immense strength and after failing to tame her as he tamed all of us, he yielded to her. With her hand, she pushed his head to her feet and instructed him to clean her shoes with his tongue. I adored her at that moment, and we all lowered our heads in reverence. Then, I alone looked up. She saw me, and smiled. Her eyes..." Julie stopped.
Besand could barely speak. His throat was closed with emotion. He managed, "What, Julie, what about her eyes?"
"They were ablaze with triumph, victory. Her smile, more evil than anything I have ever seen." Julie began pleading hysterically. "She is yours, Master, can you protect me from her? Can you compel such evil? She will surely kill me. Sophia forced me to tell."
Besand nodded and urged her to continue. Julie hesitated, but with Sophia's comforting touch she spoke. "Marcus usually feeds us with human slaves that his minions have gathered. Dalia instructed that one be brought to her. In the meantime, she lashed Marcus to a rack and beat him mercilessly with his whip. She made him beg her to stop, and then she would laugh at him and at his weakness. She asked him if that's how a master vampire was to beg for his pitifully small life. I was so afraid.
"They brought the slave to Dalia. He was tall blond man of no more than 23, well built, and very muscular. He was afraid, trembling slightly before the vampire mistress. Dalia smiled. She tore his clothes from his body, licking him into an erection. Marcus strained to watch as she excited the slave to near climax. Then she handed the slave the whip. 'You know this eve you are to die. However, do what I ask and I shall allow you the most powerful orgasm you have ever experienced, and if it satisfies me, show you mercy. Either way, you will die a most happy mortal.' He responded, 'Tell me what I must do, Madam.' The corners of her mouth rose exposing her bare fangs. She cupped Marcus' balls in her hands extracting a slight groan. 'Beat this man before you until he begs you to stop.'
"Marcus looked horrified. He was about to be dominated by a mortal. He never felt more ashamed, and swore not to beg anything of him. Surely she would stop. But the whip was interwoven with threads of pure silver. I know, for I have felt its sting against my cold skin. He could not take the pain as it burned the flesh on his back. He pleaded for the slave to stop.
