Part 11 (2/2)

Maggie felt a twinge of unease. ”What are you talking about? What do you mean by that?”

But Kor only shook his head. ”Never mind, my lady. Let's just get you back to the room and treat your wounds. I'll inform the front desk that my mistress is tired and resting before the Grand Banquet tonight. We'll just have to go to the pool early tomorrow morning.”

With that, he led the way out of the woods, refusing to answer any more questions, no matter how often Maggie asked.

”d.a.m.n!” Xandra the swamp witch clenched her too-long fingers into fists at her sides as she glared down into the pale blue concoction in her cauldron. They weren't going to the Remembrance Pool! But it was necessary-they must if the seed of memory was to be planted. Without it, Therron would never return and she would never have her revenge.

She paced beside the cauldron for a moment, watching as the other patrons of the spa walked in a leisurely manner to and fro. Suddenly she stopped and nodded once, sharply to herself.

”Oh, you'll go to the pool, my darlings,” she muttered, reaching for a gla.s.s jar of something dark and viscous. It slid with oily ease as she poured it into the mixture in the cauldron, turning the water a dark, cloudy gray. ”You'll go whether you want to or not-and there the seed will be planted!”

Chapter Twelve.

”Are you serious? I can't wear this.”

Kor gave a long suffering sigh. ”What's wrong with this one? You've already rejected the first five-we're running out of options and the Grand Banquet starts within the hour.”

”What's wrong with it?” Maggie gestured to herself. ”What's wrong with it?”

She was wearing a white lace gown with a deep V neck and a matching slit up the center of the skirt. The two met in the middle with a black diamond design which emphasized her waist. It showed a lot of leg-as well as the white lace panties that went with it-but at least it covered her b.r.e.a.s.t.s completely, which seemed to be important to her.

Honestly, Kor thought she looked good enough to eat. Just watching her full hips sway and seeing the outline of her tight little nipples behind the delicate white lace was making his black leather slave pants uncomfortably tight. But Maggie was unaccountably shy about her body and not very happy about wearing the Yonnie Six clothing that fas.h.i.+on-minded Lady Pope'nose had packed for herself.

”Yes,” he said, still trying to understand her problem. ”What's wrong?”

”The same thing that's wrong with all the others-they're too tight and even if they weren't, they're completely obscene.” Maggie glared at him, as though he had personally designed the gowns they were going through.

”It's not too tight,” Kor tried to tell her. ”It's stretchy-see? It hugs your curves perfectly, Mistress.”

”Maybe I don't want my curves hugged.” Maggie crossed her arms over her chest protectively and looked down. ”Maybe I'm wis.h.i.+ng for a nice baggy pair of sweatpants and a night in watching trashy TV shows. Can't we just skip the banquet tonight and do that? Do they have cable up here? I'd commit murder for a Pretty Lying Lovelies marathon and a big bowl of b.u.t.tered popcorn.”

”I don't know what either of those things is but I do know you can't miss the banquet after skipping the pool,” Kor said firmly. ”Not only would all the other mistresses talk, but the Sensorians who run this place would begin demanding that you pay up. And I don't think you'd like the way they extract late payments here. I'll give you a hint-they find pain just as delicious as pleasure.”

Maggie s.h.i.+vered and took a deep breath. ”All right, fine,” she said at last. ”I guess this one is as good as any. I might as well wear it.”

”You look beautiful, you know,” Kor murmured, taking her hand. ”The dress looks like it was made for you.”

”Um...thank you.” She blushed bright pink as she always seemed to do when given a compliment, and looked away.

Kor frowned. Was she really so unused to being complimented on her beauty? But how could that be? She was gorgeous with her blonde curls and her big eyes...Suddenly he realized he still didn't know their color.

”Here,” he said, slipping off her oculars.

”What are you...hey, I need those,” Maggie protested at once.

”I know. But I've been wondering since I first saw you in my dreams what color your eyes are.” He stepped closer and tilted her chin up so he could study her face.

His nearness seemed to embarra.s.s her because she blushed an even deeper pink and looked down.”

”Look at me, Maggie,” he commanded softly. ”Let me see you.”

Reluctantly, she raised her eyes to his.

”Blue,” Kor murmured, studying them closely. ”They're so dark I thought they might be brown or even black but they're midnight blue. f.u.c.king gorgeous, blondie.”

”Don't call me that,” she whispered, but there was no fight in her voice and she didn't look away from his gaze.

”Don't call you what?” he asked, deliberately misunderstanding her. ”Gorgeous? I can't help it-you are. And that white lace dress is perfect on you. You'll be the most beautiful mistress at the banquet.”

”Only I'm not really a mistress.” Her voice was soft and breathless.

”Tonight you are,” Kor corrected her gently. ”And I'm your slave. Listen, Maggie, you should know that we might have to...act in certain ways in order to avoid suspicion.”

Her big blue eyes went wide. ”What ways?”

”Never mind.” Kor was sorry he'd said anything but he hadn't wanted her to be completely surprised. ”Just follow my lead and do what all the other mistresses do.”

”But...but what are you going to do to me?” She looked frightened.

”Nothing you don't want me to,” Kor promised. He cupped her cheek. ”Look, I know we haven't known each other very long but it feels like we have.”

”Because of the dreams,” Maggie whispered.

He nodded. ”Because of the dreams.”

”What caused them? Why did we have them?”

Kor shook his head. ”I don't know. But what I do know-what I want you to know is that I would never hurt you-all right? In fact, my whole agenda tonight is about protecting you...about not arousing suspicion.”

”All right.” She nodded. ”I...I trust you, Kor. But...after the banquet we'll find the night porter and bribe him so I can make the call, right?”

”Is that all you care about?” he asked roughly. ”Getting away from here? Going our separate ways?”

Maggie looked confused. ”Of course not but I thought-I mean, you want to go too, right? You want to get away and live your life as a free man, away from Lady Pope'nose and everyone like her, don't you?”

”Of course I do.” Kor sighed. ”Here, let me check your back one more time.”

She turned obediently and stood quietly while he examined the two long scratches she'd gotten in the forbidden part of the Dreaming Wood. They weren't as deep as he had feared and they were no longer bleeding which was good. Kor had found a first aid kit and covered them with wound knitting salve that worked quickly. He was glad to see that both of the scratches were almost healed-they should be closed enough for Maggie to safely visit the Remembrance pool tomorrow if they had to make an appearance before they could get away and...

Go our separate ways. It was exactly what he had said to Maggie-exactly what they ought to do. So why was he still so reluctant to let this little female go? I barely know her, he told himself, running one finger gently along her back, tracing a line between the two scratches. Why should I care where she goes?

But the fact was, he did care. A h.e.l.l of a lot.

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