basts_tail

This is from a different point of view - its supporting scenes that relate to Ceridywn's imprisonment.

1818, Somewhere in Turkey

Honor and the Beast

She sat composedly in the chair, studying their host. The good doctor sat talking with his guests, kindred gathered from around the country. Politely he offered them refreshment, carafes of blood.

He approached her, knowing that she had certain tastes to fulfill, offering her a glass. It was not poured from one of the carafes, but brought in specially for her. Taking it, she sniffed the aroma as though it were a fine wine, and then took a sip. Beautiful. The taste of arousal and fear, the girl’s scent permeated her and she finished it.

Later they took their leave, and Honor agreed to return the following week.

~

“Good evening Lady. Perhaps you would like some more refreshment?”

“Who is the young lady?”

“She is one of my herd. I have many samples of her, including if you would like to feed directly.”

“Samples?”

He leads me past the glasses, sniffing each one and describing them to me. The blood of her courses, her blood while under the influence of the kiss, the arousal, nightmare of fear and pain. Finally I chose and sipped the drink.

“How do you do this, when it is not this blood?”

“I have inserted a tube into their veins, and open it, so the blood flows into a cup.”

I frown slightly. “You do not use the kiss?”

“Rarely. If I, or one of my colleagues wishes to feed directly. It is pointless in my research to use the kiss when I am seeking to further blood manipulation and management in mortals.”

I leave that night, but the image stays with me, of a girl chained to a table, with a catheter holding a vein open as her life drains into a glass.

~

The next time we visit the doctor, there is a group. I have fed, and so have no need, but the others would like some refreshment. He says he will have one of them brought up from below.

Moments pass, and into the room a burly looking man brings a girl. Young, naked, scars from the doctor’s experiments are on her, although she is clean. Some healed puncture marks. The doctor explains to them that they are allowed to feed however they see fit, but there is one rule – do not kill her. She struggles slightly to get away, and he catches her eyes and orders one word – submit. She does so.

He takes her arm, leads her to the table and lays her down on it. The kindred congregate around her, one takes her arm above her head, another feeds from a breast, and the third parts her legs. She gasps as the kiss triggers, as I watch from obfuscate, the child lying wantonly in their grasp. She looses consciousness and they withdraw. The burly man removes the body from the room.

~

I visit again. This time the doctor only has one glass, and a look of expectation. There is a meeting going on, but he will be with me soon, he tells me, and says here is a gift – the blood of my usual girl, but that which will only be spilt once, and can never be repaired.

I taste it, and arousal, pain, and something so so fresh washes over my tongue. I ask with a dreadful certainty what he has done, and he smiles and says softly, “I give you the blood of her virginity.”

He turns away, and the fear and horror of her rape is apparent in the taste.

I ask one of the men if I can see her, and have her brought to my room. The doctor consents, thinking I am finally falling for his tricks. The girl is brought in, only semi conscious, bloody. She is laid on my bed, and I clean the dirt off her, and study her. Slowly I lower my mouth, keeping my fangs retracted, and begin to lick gently, slowly removing the blood from her body. My mouth travels across her arm, over her collarbone, and down. The nipple puckers and peaks under my tongue and she stirs slightly. Hour after hour, cleaning the blood off. After reaching her belly, I move to her feet, and proceed to clean the blood from her legs, first one, then the other. She begins to tremble under my mouth, and whimpers, so I stop and whisper softly till she calms down, and then go back to my task. Finally she is clean, shaking, and I hold her stroking till unconsciousness claims her. I go to the wash stand, and wash the taste from my mouth. Going to the door, I leave, telling the man to take her back. My course is clear now.

~

The girl with no name wakes on the floor of her cell. The door is locked, but she is clean, and briefly she remembers a dream, of lying in a comfortable room, her body aching with pleasure, and a woman’s mouth on her….

~

The Doctor crosses the carriage yard and goes under the archway. He senses a sudden danger, but is not fast enough to evade it, as the slim female form plants the stake into his chest. He drops like a stone, and Honor carries him to the wagon, puts him in the casket. She orders the servants to leave, and unlocks the doors to the cells. Standing in one doorway, she looks at the girl, still unconscious on the floor.

Take her, whispers in her mind.
No. She deserves a life free of us. There is still hope for this one.
The Honorable Mekhet moves silently away.

If it were not such a conflict of interest i would write Honor as my next kindred.