Interstellar Service and Discipline 02 Fortune's Star Page 11

  “No! Don’t!” Her shouts were cut off by the arm around her throat. Stupid men! She wasn’t in deadly danger -- Amun was! Actually, she wasn’t sure. Amun’s fate was so huge, she couldn’t even sense hers. But, for goodness’ sake, she was only a secretary. The fate of whole worlds rested in Amun’s survival. She didn’t actually matter ... to anybody.

  Tears stung her eyes. Fate, she hated crying. She yanked at the arm that held her. She had to warn them, and this moron was interfering with her job! Temper flared and she dug in her heels. “Let go!” She twisted hard around to face her choker and shouted. “I’m busy!”

  Her attacker caught her by the wrists. His face was exotic in shape, with pin-straight, short-cropped black hair. His almond-shaped eyes were filled with moving darkness. He smiled. “What a terrible shame.” His voice was a frigid wind that sliced through her mind. “I’m afraid you simply must come with me.”

  What? Luxi shivered as her second talent surged within her. Another man with a ghost? She blinked at him; he looked ... odd.

  The man wore a plain, high-collared uniform of gray-green with brass buttons and scarlet trim. A short cape lined in scarlet satin fell from his shoulders to the broad red sash knotted around his waist. A plain sheathed sword and an equally plain sheathed knife as long as her forearm were shoved in his sash by his hip. His knee-high-booted feet rested a full inch above the floor.

  Great glory! He didn’t have a ghost -- he was a ghost. Ice water flooded her veins. She shoved back frantically. “No!”

  The ghost twisted her arms brutally behind her, swinging her around to face the lift door at the top of the stairs. “Yes.”

  Luxi gasped at the pain in her elbows and shoulders, never mind her wrists. Fate, this ghost is strong! Her arms were close to being dislocated.

  “Go.” He shoved her forward and up the stairs at nearly a trot.

  Luxi winced as her toes slammed into the steps before she could lift her feet. “Why are you doing this?”

  “You have an appointment.”

  “An appointment. With who?”

  The ghost shoved her tight up against the silver lift door. He pulled her right arm from her back and slammed her palm against the call box. “With Vincent, my host.”

  “Vincent?” Oh, shit! She was in the hands of Vincent’s ghost. Temper and terror slammed through Luxi in a potent mix. “Oh, hell no, I don’t!” She bucked in his hold, furious and horrified. “I don’t associate with assholes!”

  The lift doors opened.

  “How impolite.” He shoved her into the lift.

  Luxi didn’t quite slam against the wall, and whirled around. “I am not going anywhere with you!” She charged for the open door.

  The ghost caught her around the waist and practically threw her bodily toward the back of the lift. “Yes, you are.”

  That time Luxi did slam into the wall. She barely missed knocking her head, but she still had to gasp for breath.

  The lift doors closed.

  Luxi lunged for the closed door. It was not going to open; she didn’t have the slide key to activate it. “Damn it!” She turned to face the ghost. “You can’t do this!”

  “It is done.” The ghost smiled and walked toward her.

  Luxi scooted back and away from him. “I don’t have a key, I can’t activate the lift.”

  “No need for a key.” Bypassing Luxi completely, the ghost plunged his hand into the menu panel on the door’s right without damaging it in any way. “Electronics respond well to me.” The panel activated and the lift began to proceed. “There, no need for concern.”

  Luxi swallowed. No need for concern? Yeah, right! To everyone and everything, the ghost was exactly that -- a ghost. Except to those with Luxi’s strange little talent. To her, the ghost was as solid as flesh and blood. And dangerous. Those phantom blades on his hip would pass through any normal person while leaving only a cold shiver behind, but they were as deadly to her as true steel.

  She knotted her hands into fists. “But I don’t belong to Vincent!”

  The ghost’s smile broadened. “Vincent? You’re not for him; you’re for me. He’s simply going to provide for your care.”

  Luxi’s mouth fell open. “You? What for?”

  “Those of your kind feed my kind.” The ghost’s eyes narrowed. “Vincent is my host, but there is not enough in him on which to dine properly. On you, I shall feed well.”

  Feed? Luxi shook with rage. Anger was good; anger kept the fear away. She bared her teeth at him. “Over my dead body!”

  “If need be.” The ghost chuckled. “But I doubt it will be necessary.” He pulled his hand from the control panel.

  The lift stopped and the lighting flickered. They were between floors.

  The ghost unfastened his cape and dropped it. The cape fluttered briefly, then disappeared altogether. He reached up to tug on the red satin tasseled cord held through his scarlet epaulette. The waist-draping loops passed under and around his right shoulder about three times. Pulled completely free, it looked about four feet long. He focused tightly on Luxi and wrapped one end of the slender satin cord loosely around his wrist, letting the other end dangle, floating around him like a serpent.

  Luxi eyed the phantom rope and backed up against the opposite wall. She clenched her jaw. “I am not going to let you tie my hands.”

  The ghost tilted his head and snorted. “Dear child, this is not for your hands. Remove the robe.”

  “What?” Luxi choked. “No!”

  The ghost pursed his lips and shrugged. “I can choke you to barely conscious and do this with you on the floor, right through your clothes. To me, only your skin is substantial. Or you can stay upright and awake.” His smile returned. “I prefer your cooperation. Choking leaves such nasty bruises on the throat.”

  Luxi licked her lips. If he choked her unconscious, there was no telling what else he’d do. “Just the robe?”

  “I need to see what you have under it.”

  Luxi snorted. “You could have asked! I have a dress on.”

  “How long?”

  Luxi frowned. “To the floor.”

  “Ah.” He nodded. “Then you will need to raise your skirts to above your waist.”

  Raise her skirts? Luxi reeled back against the wall. “Oh, hell no! Forget it!”

  The ghost shrugged. “Very well, choking it is.” He took two long steps toward her and raised his hands.

  Luxi slid and then rolled away from him, but there wasn’t anyplace to go in a lift. His hand caught in her hair. She jerked to a halt. “Ow! Shit!”

  He caught her shoulder and spun her around to face him.

  Luxi screamed and scratched for his eyes.

  He sneered and turned his head away from her clawing fingers, then shoved with the flat of his hand against her breast bone, slamming her breathless against the wall. His hands closed around her throat high up, his thumbs pressing deep into the pulses under her jaw.

  Luxi couldn’t breathe, not in, not out, and her head was getting light fast. She dug her fingers into his hands.

  “One last chance. Cooperate or go to sleep. If we do it this way, you will awaken with a vicious headache -- if I don’t squeeze too hard and kill you accidentally.” His hands loosened.

  Luxi gasped for breath and her pulse slammed in her ears. She glared up at him.

  He raised his brow.

  She held his stare, trying desperately not to give in to the fear howling for her attention. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

  He backed away and smiled. “I am pleased.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Luxi turned away from the archaically uniformed ghost, unfastened her cream-and-gold court robe, and let the heavy silk slide from her arms.

  The ghost tugged the robe from her fingers and tossed it to the far corner of the lift.

  Luxi scowled and bent over to part the bottom half of her pale cream robe and the white silk robe beneath it, then grabbed the sheer shift.

  “All of it.�
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  Luxi lifted her head. “All of what?”

  The ghost leaned back against the wall with his arms folded. “Lift all of your clothing and remove your undergarments.”

  Luxi froze. She wasn’t wearing undergarments. Amun’s idea, of course. The brief flash of annoyance brought back what little was left of her courage. She took in a deep breath, released it, grabbed everything and lifted. She was standing against the wall with her crotch exposed. It was humiliating. Her cheeks filled with heat and she turned away, closing her eyes.

  “No undergarments, and yet, you blush. How interesting.”

  Luxi’s eyes snapped open. He was kneeling right in front of her, looking up at her with his brow raised. She hadn’t heard him move. She rolled her eyes. Of course she hadn’t heard him move. He’s a ghost. They didn’t actually make sounds.

  He snorted, and lowered his gaze, focusing on her crotch. He reached up and caught her above the knees. “Wider. Stand wider.”

  Luxi shivered under his cool fingers and parted her legs.

  He unwrapped the cord from his wrist and carefully folded the entire length in half. The twisted satin cord looked a lot longer this close, and about as slender as her finger.

  Luxi frowned. “What are you going to do with that?”

  He glanced up and a smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “Bind you.” He leaned forward and passed the folded cord behind her, bringing it up to her waist, then took the tasseled ends and passed them through the loop at the other end. He brought the loose ends up, then passed them down, under the double cord around her waist, against her skin, then through the resulting loop at the bottom, and pulled the knot snug. His fingers tugged at the cords binding her waist, loosening it just a bit.

  Luxi didn’t get it. The cords weren’t even tight around her. “You’re tying my waist?”

  “No.” He leaned back, keeping hold of the cord’s ends. “Turn around.”

  Luxi turned around, totally confused.

  The ghost brought his hands around and passed the cords between her legs. “I am binding your cunt.” He slid the ends under the cords around her waist and pulled.

  Luxi gasped. The cords slid up between the plump outer lips of her pussy to press against her clit, and continued back and up the division of her ass cheeks to the cords around her waist. “But why?”

  The ghost tugged the cords snug, but not tight. “I need your climax to feed.” He slid two fingers along the snug cords, brushing her intimately.

  She shivered in sheer revulsion. “What has that got to do with a rope?”

  He set two fingers right over her clit. “The binding will stimulate a swift rise, so that you will be ready for swift release when I take you.” Holding that one spot between his fingertips, he tugged the cords free. “Turn back around, slowly.”

  Luxi turned around and stared down at the top of the ghost’s head. She seriously doubted anything would get her hot enough to enjoy anything he did to her. “You’re going to rape me.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes.” The ghost made a knot where his fingers marked. “I feed on pleasure, terror, or death.” He looked up at her. “Which would you prefer?”

  Luxi turned away. I’d prefer to be home and asleep. But home was gone. She took a shaky breath. I don’t think Leto and Amun are going to get me out of this one. She closed her eyes. As long as I’m breathing, there’s a way out. I just have to be ready for the opportunity when it comes.

  The ghost made a second knot about three inches further down. “Death delivers the entire essence all at once, but of course, the servant is no more. Death is wasteful in one with gifts as plentiful as yours.” He set his hands on her thighs. “Turn back around.”

  Luxi turned around and stared at the wall. At least I’m more valuable alive than dead.

  The ghost brought the cords to the front and passed it between her legs. “Terror delivers a scanty amount and tends to render the servant incapable of functioning independently. It eventually destroys the mind.” He pushed the tasseled ends up under the cords knotted around her waist. “Pleasure’s release gives the largest essence without destroying the servant’s mind, or the servant.”

  Luxi hunched her shoulders, chilled. It was like he was reciting a menu, or something.

  “However, inducing pleasure in a reluctant servant curbs the will.” He drew the cord snug. “Your will could benefit from curbing. You will live longer.” He tugged.

  Luxi’s head came up and she inhaled sharply. The small knot put pressure right on top of her clit, and the other knot pressured the sensitive spot just beyond her body’s entrance, just under her anus.

  The ghost slid his fingers down along the cords and under, parting her intimate curls and pressing on each of the knots.

  Luxi’s clit pulsed in confused interest. She shivered and the hair stood on the back of her neck.

  “Perfect placement.” He chuckled softly. He slid both his hands under her and gently finger-tugged the cords apart, framing her clit between them, then pressing the twin cords between her tender folds. “By the time we arrive, you will be more than ready for me.”

  Luxi closed her eyes tight and bit back her humiliated moan. Glory, what a sadistic asshole!

  “When I thrust into you between the cords, I will be squeezed as though you were a virgin.” He slid a finger under the cords at her tailbone, loosened it a touch and knotted the ends swiftly. “And you are bound.” He stepped back. “Very nice.” He sighed. “Too bad there really isn’t time for other pleasures. You may drop your skirts.”

  Luxi hastily dropped her skirts. She had no interest in what the ghost considered “other pleasures.”

  The ghost strode back to the lift’s panel and thrust his hand in.

  The lights flickered and the lift proceeded.

  Luxi bent over to tug the under-robe and shift back into order. The cords and knots shifted against her clit, drawing forth a warm curl of interest. She froze. It felt as though a pair of fingers gently squeezed her clit and rubbed it at the same time. Her nipples tingled in reaction. Oh, shit, the stupid thing actually works!

  She had to take a breath before she could continue. If this idea had belonged to anyone other than the ghost, she might have found the binding entertaining ... but there was nothing entertaining about the fate he had planned for her. Rape and draining ...

  Fate! There has to be a way out of this! Keeping her back to him, she straightened slowly and opened to her talent for viewing the possibilities. Strands of synchronicity and decision stretched within her mind’s eye.

  “What are you doing?”

  Luxi froze. He could sense that? She took a breath and scanned down her lines as fast as she could. “I’m contemplating my future.” It was the absolute truth.

  He chuckled. “You future will be long, if you are obedient.”

  Luxi looked at the lift wall but focused on her talent. The strands showed her a juncture, a decision that shifted away from the ghost and Vincent’s future. Good. She let her talent fall back to a soft hum that would let her know when it was time, but no more.

  It was all a matter of waiting for that opportunity to arrive. She just hoped she spotted the turning point in enough time to use it. She also hoped nothing happened to close that opportunity off. Too many strands of decision and potential surrounded it. One wrong move and that option would dissolve.

  That meant continuing exactly as she had been, antagonistic, but not too much. She did not want him to choke her unconscious or pull out those phantom blades. She needed to be upright and in one piece to make a good escape. It was a delicate balance. She didn’t want the ghost to think she had any hope left. But she didn’t want him to think she’d given in entirely, either.

  She pulled back her foot and kicked, striking the wall with the ball of her foot. The impact made a nice satisfying metallic bang. She released a breath. It didn’t do any good whatsoever, but it made her feel a whole lot better.

  The ghost laughed.
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br />   Within her, a strand of possibility pulled away and dissolved, strengthening her path toward escape.

  “Come here.” The ghost’s voice was chill and commanding.

  Warily, Luxi approached.

  “Do not fight and all will be well.” He slid his hand under her hair and caught a handful at the base of her neck. He tugged for good measure.

  Luxi winced. Asshole.

  “Remember, no one can see me, but you. Walk slowly and do not look into anyone’s face.” He pulled his hand from the lift panel.

  The lift stopped

  Luxi glanced toward the pile of cream silk in the corner. “My robe!”

  “No.”

  The doors opened onto a dark hallway.

  “Go.”

  Luxi stepped out into darkness.

  A hum echoed around her and lights flickered into being around them, revealing a filthy, disused cross hallway. To the left and to the right, the hallway continued in darkness. The walls were plain steel painted with broad bands of metallic brown. They were somewhere in the Bronze district.

  Luxi trembled. No one would even think to look down here for her.

  The ghost turned her toward the left. “Walk.”

  Luxi walked. The ghost fell into step with her, his fingers snug in her hair, but not pinching. Around them, the lights bloomed into being, only to shut down as they passed. “Are you doing that, with the lights?”

  “Yes.” He snorted. “I do not need light, but I have no desire to have you fall and harm yourself.”

  “Oh.” If she wanted to go back to the lift, it would be a run in the dark -- chased by a ghost that didn’t need light to see. Not a good plan. Her hands bunched the sides of her robe. “Where are you taking me?”

  “Someplace secure.”

  Luxi grimaced. That answer was so not helpful. She took a steadying breath. Okay, what’s down here on Bronze? The lower-income housing and cheap motels were supposed to be in Bronze. She was pretty sure she remembered reading about some kind of shopping district, too, so sooner or later, they would come to a populated area ...

  Her talent shimmered within her. Luxi bit her lip to hide her smile. That was where her chance of escape was, somewhere in a populated area. Her best guess was the shopping district. Was there anything else down here? Yes, as a matter of fact -- direct access to privately docked ships.