Vox Dominus

Chapter 11

Pins pricked the back of Sophia's neck as she flicked her mouse over to score another headshot. She turned her character around, scanning the factory for her next target, only to realize that the stare she felt wasn't coming from her game—it was coming from over her laptop screen.

"Are you playing video games right now?" the cute Asian girl (what was her name?), Miki asked, her incredulous expression poking up from her mini-fortress of books and binders at the other side of the study lounge.

"Uh, yeah," Sophia answered, slipping her headphones off. "Sorry, should I...not?"

"You're fine," Seb assured her with a comforting smile. "The 'study' part of 'group study session' is a suggestion, not a rule."

"Miki's just unfamiliar with the concept of being 'ahead' of your homework," Tobias teased his girlfriend.

"Aw shut up," Miki shoved his hand off her shoulder. "You're one to talk. You haven't even touched your reading."

"'Cause I know he'll change the syllabus again!" the sandy-haired boy protested. "It's impossible to keep up!"

Sophia tittered awkwardly, but that didn't seem to ease the atmosphere. She turned to Seb for a cue. He just shrugged. "They're always like this," he explained. "In a couple minutes they'll be all smiles again. Don't worry about it."

"Phew, that's a relief." Sophia pantomimed wiping sweat from her brow. "Wouldn't wanna think I stepped on a land mine or anything." She played it like a joke, but she was honestly relieved. The "study" session had gotten off to a tense start—Seb had tried his best to introduce and ingratiate Sophia to his friends, but Sophia could tell this wasn't the first time they were hearing of her. Miki in particular seemed to have already formed a pretty conclusive picture of Sophia in her head, and had been acting wary of her the whole afternoon. Tobias, meanwhile, had been good-natured enough, but Sophia could detect a sort of wicked curiosity in his gaze, especially whenever she and Seb started talking.

"So...what game are you playing?" Seb asked, leaning over to her side of the couch to get a closer look.

"U-uh, er, just some mindless 2Fort in TF2," she stammered in reply. "It's not like my laptop can run anything new these days. So I stick to the classics."

"'Classic' is right," Seb shook his head. "I remember you trying to get me into that game years ago. I was awful at it."

Sophia laughed. "You always used to get so mad whenever a spy stabbed you."

"I startle easily, okay?" he exclaimed. "I thought it was gonna be a fun, cartoon-y shooter, not a jump-scare machine."

Sophia giggled, glancing over her shoulder at Seb, only to find her body tense as his sparkling eyes met hers.

God, he was so close.

Even now, all it took was that familiar smile of his to send her pulse skipping, propelling forbidden feelings through her veins. She wanted to bring him closer, to grab that wavy hair of his and pull him into a deep, shameless kiss.

But even if she could...even if they were alone and he felt the same as she did...she knew eventually...

"Hey," Miki growled. "If you guys have time to banter, could one of you please help me with this stats problem? It's driving me insane!"

"I could actually use help too," Tobias raised his hand with an abashed smile.

"S-sure," Sophia nodded, quickly breaking away from Seb. In a way, she was grateful for Miki: if she hadn't snuffed out the spark threatening to catch on that couch...

...It was only a matter of time before the

other voice

would.

__________________________________________

Sophia was hiding something. That much was for sure.

Chelsea ran through the conversation again in her head as she watched the sun set through the common area window. It had been almost a week since their dinner date, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that there was an important piecing missing to the awkward Latina's story. It was obvious she was in love with Master, or at least deeply infatuated with him. But it didn't seem like Sophia and Master had ever been a couple, at least not officially. The way she talked about him was too elliptical, too anxious.

So what had stopped them? Master obviously cared enough about Sophia that he had risked erasing Chelsea's memory to keep her safe. It was possible that Master simply didn't find Sophia attractive, that he really did view her as a close friend and nothing else. But...

...If he was in love with Sophia too, and if he was hoping to eventually get together with her...it would help explain why he refused to take Chelsea instead.

"Uh, Chels?" Veronica cleared her throat. "Did you get that last bit?"

"Hm?" Chelsea blinked and returned her attention to her best friend. "Sorry, I zoned out for a second there." The two of them had gathered in the common area of the apartment to go over the minutes of the weekly Delta Sigma house meeting. Chelsea's mother was a big enough donor that her attendance wasn't de facto mandatory, but she still liked to be kept appraised of sorority news and decisions. Enter Veronica's notes, which Chelsea usually absorbed without any trouble. But tonight...well, after another week without cumming, all plans outside of Master were difficult to take seriously.

Veronica sighed. "I was just saying, camp cleanup was approved as our next community service activity. So we'll be spending the weekend after homecoming picking up garbage at Lakeshore Park. Maddi and I tried to challenge the decision, but we were outvoted, sorry."

Chelsea turned back to the window, thinking. The community service requirement was annoying enough, but at least it wouldn't occur until after her mother was scheduled to arrive for the homecoming game. That meant she still had two weeks to get Master to claim her mind. In a way, it was a relief that Maddi and Veronica's veto had failed—if a different service project had won, who knows how it would've affected her plans?

Veronia arched an eyebrow. "Or did you actually

want

to do park cleanup this year? You don't seem that upset about it."

"Oh," Chelsea blinked. "Well, it's frustrating, but I figured that was how the vote would play out. Lakeshore Park's a tradition—there's no way we were getting out of it two years in a row."

"Then why did you tell Maddi and I to push against it?" Veronica asked.

Chelsea shrugged. "It was worth a shot, right? Please, continue."

"Hm," Veronica turned back to her phone. And Chelsea's mind returned to more pressing matters.

Had Sophia encountered the Vox before?

It was a certainly a possibility, Chelsea mused. Sophia had seemed rather fixated on Master's hypnosis hobby, and the way she described being put into trance wasn't too far off from how Chelsea felt when under his power. But if Sophia did get a taste of the Vox, it was clear that neither she nor Master were aware of what exactly had happened. Plus, that didn't explain how cagey she was about Master's high school talent show and her own involvement therein. There was a piece of history she was keeping close to her sizable chest. And it just might be the one Chelsea needed to complete the picture. Not just about Master and Sophia, but about the Vox, and how she herself might be able to manipulate it to her benefit.

"And...that about covers it," Veronica finished, drawing Chelsea back to the present. "Any, uh, questions?"

"Not really. Thank you." Chelsea paused, a spark of inspiration striking. "Actually, the Greenleaf block party is this weekend, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Veronica answered, a hint of concern in her voice. "Why? Are you going to miss this one too?"

"On the contrary," Chelsea replied. "I was just thinking I might invite someone new along this year. To join the three of us, I mean."

Veronica cocked her head slightly. "Uh, okay. Who is she? Or...he?"

Chelsea smiled disarmingly. She should've known Veronica would be suspicious. As invaluable of a friend as she was, Vernoica could also be protective to a fault. "She's just someone my mother mentioned to me," the blonde breezily lied. "Apparently this girl's father runs some business Mother wants to acquire, so..."

"So she wants us to show a good time to...what's her name?"

"Uh," Chelsea paused as though trying to remember. "Sophia."

Veronica nodded, though the doubt hadn't completely left her eyes. "And your mom thinks giving Sophia some glowing stories to tell daddy will help the acquisition?"

"Well, ideally we would also get Sophia to rush Delta Sig," Chelsea shrugged. "But yes, that's the measure of it."

"Okay," Veronica sighed. "Just please tell me Sophia isn't as lame as your mom's last 'bounty.'"

"I don't know her well enough to promise anything," Chelsea smirked. "But something tells me we're going to have fun."

____________________________________________________

The streetlights were just beginning to flicker on as Seb walked Sophia back to her dorm. The hum of cars and chatter of pedestrians filled the air, yet all she could focus on was the silence hanging between her and her escort. Each footfall of theirs echoed in Sophia's head, another missed opportunity at conversation, another wasted chance to rebuild their fragile relationship. Yet as much as she wanted to speak, the right words wouldn't come. So she quietly marched beside him, biting her tongue so she wouldn't scream in frustration.

Perhaps it was too naïve of her to assume that one conversation over coffee would somehow completely rewrite history between them. But sometimes it felt like nothing was settled at all. There was still a tension in the gaps of their interactions, a crackling energy that constantly threatened to spark into something disastrous. Or delightful. Either way, being alone with Seb was dangerous, for reasons he couldn't know. And yet...something told Sophia he sensed them anyway.

Why else would he be so stiff around her?

"Uh, this is you, right?" Seb asked, nodding to the squat, girls-only dorm building known as Mercy Hill.

"Yep," Sophia nodded, brushing past Seb for the door. "Thanks, uh, thanks for walking me. Goodn—"

"W-wait." Seb's hand brushed her shoulder, causing Sophia's body to freeze and ignite simultaneously. "I...I want to apologize," he said.

Sophia turned, confused. "Um. About what?"

Seb took a breath. His eyes flitting to the lengthening shadows on the ground, before rising to meet hers. A familiar mixture of hope and regret rippled in those dark pools. "About how weird this afternoon was. I should've known things would be a little tense with Miki and Tobias, and I should've done something to help. Or at least warned you ahead of time."

"I-it's okay," Sophia hurriedly assured him. "It's not like you have any control over how they act."

"The thing is..." Seb exhaled heavily. "I kinda do. When I was first getting to know them, I...told them about what happened. I was drunk and...not as kind to you as I should've been. I'm sorry."

Sophia absorbed this, her own gaze falling. So even now, the aftershocks of her mistakes weren't over. "That's okay, I get it," she said, even as Seb's words pricked her heart. "Things were messy. I don't—"

"I-it was shitty of me," Seb blurted out. "We don't have to dance around it—I made it seem like our problems were all your fault. But that's not the truth. And I should've been more proactive in telling them that but..." He ran a hand through his hair. "It was just complicated, you know?"

"Yeah." She knew. All too well.

"But I hope..." Seb hesitated. "I hope you still want to spend time with me. And with my friends." He added with a faltering smile. "I've...really missed you."

"I..."

A breeze blew Sophia's voice into the rustling trees, stealing her words away. She tried to force her tightening throat to speak, to tell Seb the truth. She wanted to tell him that she had missed him too. More than he could know. She wanted to say that she was ready. That she wanted to be his. That she wouldn't leave him again. That she wanted to fall, away from all the fears and doubts, away from the past and into his arms. He had given her a feeling of safe, sensual bliss that she had spent her freshman year desperately chasing. But no party hookup or short-lived fling could capture what she had experienced. Nothing else could compete with how she felt when that crystal was in front of her eyes, and his voice was inside her thoughts.

But as she forced her lips open, the

other voice

inside her spoke first.

"LEAVE ME ALONE,"

it echoed inside her.

And just like that, an icy feeling of guilt and rejection washed over her. "T-today was fun," she managed to utter over the numbness closing around her throat. "I-I'll text you later."

"Uh, okay." Seb blinked, caught off-guard

Sophia hurried into the dorm, pulled by a force she could never explain. It was as though the polarity inside her had shifted, and the attraction she had felt was replaced by an equally strong repulsion. She didn't know why. She just knew she couldn't be near him a second longer. It felt wrong. Oppressive. Immoral.

So once again, she was left alone in her room, a strange mixture of shame, guilt, and frustrated arousal thrumming inside her. With a heavy sigh she set her bag down. Lay back on the bed. And unzipped her pants.

She teased herself at first, running her fingers over her striped panties, her other hand reaching beneath her shirt to fondle her breasts. To coax her body and mind into that fantastical realm, the place where she wasn't a lonely slut staining her bedsheets again. A place without the other voice, a version of reality where she hadn't run from Seb, but had instead grabbed Seb's hand, pulled him into her room, thrown him on the bed, and proved to him that she was ready to be his. A place where she could feel his hands on her tits, his hips between her thighs, his cock deep in her aching pussy. His voice in her head.

If only. If only he would speak to her with those soothing words again. And replace her stupid thoughts with his own.

___________________________________________________

Well, Seb reasoned, that could've gone worse. She could've laughed in his face. Could've shut him down completely. Could've rightfully held him accountable for what he had said and done. So, all in all, it wasn't a disaster.

But it sure didn't feel that way.

A bushel of thorns had been growing in Seb's gut the entire walk back to his dorm, until it felt like its painful tendrils had spread through his chest and neck. He had known being with Sophia again wouldn't be easy. That it would take more than a few friendly chats to get back to where they once were. But he hadn't expected how...anxious she would be around him.

Nor how much that would hurt.

The carpeted halls were quiet in the Cole Quad dormitory. Seb made his way to his room in a worried haze, past the doors laden with arts-and-crafts nameplates and meme-filled white boards, the silence only causing his thoughts to buzz louder.

It was clear Sophia still didn't trust him, or at least didn't feel comfortable around him. Even when they were laughing and reminiscing, Seb could sense an unspoken hurt behind it all. The two of them could act like the good old days were back, but he could see the shadows in her glances, hear the hidden hesitations in her voice.

Who could blame her, really? What had actually been resolved in the past few weeks? Even if they were on speaking terms again, they weren't really speaking to each other. They were still communicating through past versions of themselves, the Sophia and Seb that existed before the barrier of childhood friendship had been breached, before their true feelings had spilled out and drowned what they had spent their whole lives nurturing. It was those feelings that stopped Seb from moving forward; those feelings that caused him to flinch and avoid telling her what he really wanted. What he hoped they both secretly desired.

Though...maybe that was for the best. Even if she did want to be with him...even if they could safely bridge the gap between friends and lovers...

How would he ever explain the Vox to her?

Even now, he could feel it stirring inside him, those painful thorns deepening its ire. Thanks to Chelsea's escalating flirtations, the Vox had become increasingly surly throughout the week. And that was before today's encounter with Sophia. Seb needed an outlet. And fast.

"Oh, hey," Ben nodded to Seb as he entered their cluttered room. The gregarious roommate was reclined on his bed, laptop on his stomach, a picture of relaxation Seb couldn't help but envy.

"Hey," Seb offered a friendly wave before, plopping down in his desk chair. "You, uh, got any plans tonight?" he asked as casually as he could muster.

"Mm. Think Nat and I might get dinner and hang out. You?"

"N-nothing at the moment," Seb tried to brush away his frustration. "What about Saturday? Know of any good parties we could hit up?"

"Uh, I think I'm actually hanging with Nat again," Ben smiled sheepishly. "Sorry bro, it's just...you know..."

Seb nodded, the already noxious envy inside him curdling over. God, what he wouldn't give to just have a relaxing, romantic weekend with Sophia. Instead, here he was trying to exhaust the domineering monster inside himself, just so he wouldn't hurt her. "B-but there are still parties going on, right?" he forced himself to ask, desperate though it may have sounded.

"Sure." Ben seemed puzzled at first, then grinned. "Why? Hoping to get another at-bat?"

"Something like that," Seb admitted, rubbing his neck.

"Well..." Ben thought for a moment then snapped his fingers. "Oh! That's right. The Greenleaf Ct. block party is happening on Saturday. It's where three frat houses put on a super-rager that takes up practically the whole street. If you're looking to score, that's probably where the best odds are."

"Greenleaf...gotcha." Seb nodded. He was a little miffed at having to wait another day, but maybe that was for the best. He could take the night to lick his wounds and prepare.

Then, tomorrow night, he would strike.

________________________________________________

Sophia tapped her foot nervously outside of the Brooks Place apartment building, watching the Saturday night throngs pass on the sidewalk. She had texted Chelsea to let her know she was here, but the blonde was taking forever to buzz her in. Which meant all Sophia could do was wait, dressed in a tight tube-top and jean-skirt, feeling incredibly out of place in front of the intimidating tower. She could see the lobby through the glass doors, with its polished floors, white-leather sofas, and reception staff that Sophia swore kept shooting glances her direction. She quickly looked away, wishing she had her headphones to block out the rest of the world.

"Hey, sorry about that," Chelsea's voice reached her as the door clicked open, revealing the queen bee clad in a loose-fitting t-shirt and a pair of perfectly ass-hugging yoga pants. "I was drying my hair. Didn't see your text."

"No problem. Thanks for having me," Sophia quickly uttered as her host ushered her inside. "Am I, uh, over-dressed?" she added, glancing between Chelsea's attire and her own.

"Pff. What, you think this is what I'm wearing out? This is my pre-gaming outfit. We're not leaving for another two hours."

"T-two hours?" Sophia stammered, struggling to keep up as Chelsea strode on. "Wait, then why—"

"So you could get to know the girls, of course," Chelsea answered, stopping in front of a bank of elevators. "Plus, the drinks we have upstairs are way better than whatever garbage they're serving at the party. Trust me."

"Um. Okay." Sophia nodded, trying to stop her head from spinning. Chelsea hadn't mentioned anything about other girls when she had invited Sophia. Now there was no way Sophia would be able to talk freely about Seb...or hypnosis. Was that intentional? Had Chelsea not spoken to him like she had promised?