Chained Read online

  “That’s Krispy Kreme donut.” This time Maggie did laugh. “And I’d think you could get it right by now. After all, you’ve inhaled several dozen since we got back to the Mother Ship.”

  “Only because you sent me to fetch them and they smelled so good I couldn’t help myself,” Kor protested, going back to stand by her bed.

  “That’s an understatement. You liked them so much, the first few times you came back with one of those huge dozen donut boxes with only one left for me,” she complained.

  “You’re right—I should be careful I don’t get fat.” Kor patted his muscular abs where there wasn’t a spare ounce of flesh. “You might not love me anymore.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” Maggie reached up for his shirt. “Come here, you.”

  This time it was her turn to pull Kor into a kiss but when they finally broke contact, she remembered that she was supposed to be saying goodbye to Donald. Looking at the doorway to her room, she saw that it was empty.

  “Oh dear—he must have slipped away.” Maggie put a hand to her face. “Probably he thought we were showing off to make him feel bad.”

  Kor frowned. “Weren’t we?”

  “You—” Maggie pretended to hit him and he dodged away, laughing.

  “Just kidding, sweetheart. I forgot he was there too. Certainly is a tiny little fellow, isn’t he? About the size of that slave that belonged to Lady Pope’nose—you know, the one you said couldn’t carry you because of all the cuplakes you ate?”

  “Cupcakes,” Maggie corrected him. “You eat those by the dozen too—Lauren says she can’t keep the chocolate coconut cream ones in stock because of you.”

  “They're really good,” Kor admitted. “But what was the name of that slave? I should remember—he was always the one she brought with her when she wanted to gloat over me.”

  “I think it was Jonas. But Kor…” Maggie bit her lip and took his large hand in both of hers. “Listen, there’s something that’s been bothering me—something I want to ask you.”

  “What? Ask me anything,” he murmured.

  “It’s just…” Maggie took a deep breath. “You never exactly told me what you did to Lady Pope’nose. You just said she got what she deserved. I mean, she was a horrible person but I just…I need to know…did you…”

  “Did I kill her?” Kor asked directly.

  “Exactly.” Maggie nodded earnestly. “I mean, I would understand if you did. But I just want to know.”

  Kor shook his head. “No, I didn’t kill her. I took her with me when I went to the Flesh Bazaar to find you.”

  “You did?” Maggie looked at him, surprised. “But…I never saw her anywhere.”

  “You were too busy coming all over my fingers, to think about anything else, as I recall.” Kor’s deep voice came out in a lustful growl.

  “Kor…” Maggie’s cheeks got hot. “Stop trying to distract me and tell me what you did to her.”

  He shrugged. “All right, I don’t mind telling…I sold her.”

  “You what?” Maggie looked at him wide-eyed. “Seriously?”

  He nodded gravely. “Seriously. I’m afraid she didn’t fetch a very big price—not even a fourth as much as I paid for you. Actually, it’s a wonder I found anyone to buy her at all.”

  “But who…who did buy her? Oh my God, is she somewhere being someone’s sex slave?” Maggie didn’t know whether to feel horrified or delighted at the thought of the tables being turned so neatly on the nasty Lady Pope’nose.

  Kor snorted. “Hardly. In the end I had to sell her as a fresher maid because she was saying such awful things and causing such a scene nobody wanted her as anything else.”

  Maggie frowned. “A fresher maid? What’s that?”

  “You know—someone who cleans the fresher after others use it? What’s your word for it—the bathroom?”

  “Oh my God.” Maggie put a hand to her mouth. “You sold her to someone who was going to make her scrub toilets?”

  Kor nodded. “The merchant who bought her owns a large all you can eat restaurant which serves Dihoria food. Unfortunately, though the cuisine is delicious, it also gives most people, ah…how do I put this nicely?” He frowned. “Oh yes, intestinal difficulties. Meaning that almost as soon as they eat the food, they need to um, expel it.”

  Maggie shook her head. “You’re kidding me—right? You have to be kidding.”

  “I’m afraid not.” Kor grinned. “He told me that he has a fresher pot—or toilet, I guess you call it—for every seat in the restaurant. Just so none of his customers have to wait. With such a large amount of usage, his freshers get pretty messy and he’s constantly looking for good slaves to clean them. I assured him that Lady Pope'nose would be the perfect fresher maid—with a few modifications, of course.”

  “Oh, Kor—no! You didn’t tell him to give her another breast or cat whiskers or something. did you?” Maggie protested.

  “Of course not. I just recommended a mute collar—so he wouldn’t have to hear her complain.” Kor raised an eyebrow. “So you see, I really did give her what she deserved. Don’t you think?”

  Maggie thought about it as she played with his hand, lacing their fingers together. “I hate to say it but yes. Yes, I think you did.”

  “Good. I wouldn’t want you to be upset about her fate. After all, if it wasn’t for Lady Pope’nose, we never would have gotten together in the first place.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that.” Maggie gave a secret little smile. “I think the Goddess would have found another way to get us together. You know…oh, Kor!” she broke off.

  “What? What is it?” He looked at her anxiously.

  “Look—your hand.” She indicated his right hand which she had been holding. “Look at it—the last black mark is gone!”

  Kor held up his hand and turned it back and forth, examining it.

  “You’re right. I wonder what happened?”

  “Who knows?” Maggie smiled. “Maybe it just finally rubbed off.”

  “Maybe…” Kor looked troubled for a moment and then shrugged. “Well, I’m glad it’s gone. It’s not a reminder I wanted to keep.”

  “I know a good reminder you can keep.” Maggie pulled him down for another kiss.

  “Mmm, excellent reminder, blondie.” Kor ran his hand through her curls and cupped her cheek, kissing her back. “I love you, you know that?”

  Maggie grinned and kissed him again. “I know.”

  The End

  Epilogue

  The superheated surface of the Black Planet was filled with demons—spirits or pure evil which were the only creatures that could survive such extreme conditions. They writhed upon the surface, struggling for freedom, hungering for the life force of living creatures. Yet only a few of the strongest had managed to break free of the planet’s surface and find other places to feed.

  One of these was Ur, a demon of renown who had nurtured his own host and trained the body to his will over many patient years. Unfortunately, he had been cast out at the last moment, forced to return to the Black Planet and its writhing mass of dark souls, defeated.

  Or maybe not…

  “I tell you, my brothers,” he hissed as they gathered round him in a swirling frenzy. “I have found the perfect hosts. Creatures strong enough to bear us for the entire natural lifespan of their bodies.”

  “Impossible,” spat one of the other legion of spirits. “No host is that strong. None can withstand our presence more than a few days before they die. It is most vexing…”

  “Not impossible at all, but we must be crafty. We must find a way to bring the fumes and corruption of our planet to them. Only then, after breathing our dust and taking the mark of the shadow stone,, may they be possessed.”

  “How is it to be done?” another demon demanded. “Most of us are trapped here without physical bodies. How can we get the corruption of our world to these new hosts?”

  “Leave that to me. There is one I have Indwelled before, very briefly.