"Did you feel it? It happened again, didn't it?" Melinda said as she ran up to Jason.

"Yes, Melinda, I think we all did," replied Jason.

"I can still feel something."

"Yes, I think Heather is still talking to--"

"And she's still trying to get into Heather's head!"

Jason sighed. "Melinda, please, calm down."

"But shouldn't we go help her? God, I hope we find a way to get Ms. Hollis fired or something. No way I want her as my teacher!"

"Chrissakes, Melinda, enough with the whining," Richie grumbled. "Givin' me a fuckin' headache."

"Fuck you, Richie, I ... oh, wait, I think Heather got away!"

"News flash, pipsqueak: we'll all tuned to the same channel. Don't hafta give us a freakin' play-by-play."

Jason stepped between Melinda and Richie before she could retort. "Melinda, calm down. Richie helped us this time, or Heather wouldn't have been able to hold up like she did."

Melinda sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes but otherwise subsided.

"Man, that was freaky," Richie said. "It was like I could see what she was seeing, kinda."

"Here she comes!" Diane called out.

Melinda whirled around. "No Aura! Again!"

"And you're not going to ever see one on her from Ms. Hollis," Jason announced.

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner," Heather said, out of breath. "First Ms. Hollis kept me--"

"We know!" Melinda cried.

"And then I had to tell Ned I was okay. I think Cassie's avoiding me."

"Oh, just because you make her feel like she wants to boink you right in the hall whenever she gets close to you. Yeah, can't imagine why she'd avoid you."

Heather looked past her sister to Jason. "What did you mean by what you just said about never seeing an Aura on me?"

Jason was about to reply when he suddenly looked over Heather's shoulder.

Heather glanced behind her, then gave him a perplexed look. "Jason? Something wrong?"

He stared for another few seconds where he thought he had seen a large blur across his vision at the end of the lockers, but nothing appeared to him now. "Huh? Oh, sorry. No, everything's fine."

"So are you getting the same feeling about this that I am?" Heather asked.

"That this has nothing to do with the Darkness, at least not directly? Yeah. I'm almost sure now that Ms. Hollis' Aura is a feint, or an illusion."

"Crap," Richie muttered. "She's fuckin' scammed us."

"Maybe. At the very least it's misdirection. Someone wants us to think the Darkness is behind what's happening to Heather."

"Then how is Ms. Hollis doing it?" Diane asked.

"I almost had it," Jason said. "I could almost understand it. It may not be the Darkness at work, but I was seeing patterns in Heather's mind like I do in Auras."

"And I thought I was close to resisting it completely," Heather said in rising excitement. "I could do it by the end of class when I told her 'no.' God, I've never seen Ms. Hollis so pissed!"

"Well, sucks to her, then," Richie declared.

"No, it'll be sucks to us if she's mad enough to really fuck with me tomorrow!"

Melinda looked stricken. "Well ... well ... isn't that what we're supposed to be taking care of after school? We get Miss Sexpot Bubblehead here all powered up or something?"

Heather smirked. "Oh, yeah, now you're all hot to do it, huh?"

"Oh, shut up, Heather, I just meant--"

"Guys, we can't keep talking about this now," Jason said, gesturing to the thinning crowd of students. "We have to get to class. Let's talk at the house later."

"Before or after the boink-fest?" Melinda said.

"Whenever. Let's get going."

Diane's eyes darted between her comrades as the group started to break up. She waited until Jason headed away before she jogged after him. "Jason, wait, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Jason slowed but didn't stop. "Diane, it'll have to wait until--"

"It's sort of personal. I need to talk to you alone. It's really important."

"Okay, catch me before my lunch period."

Diane smiled. "Thanks."

Seeger waited until he heard no more students milling about in the hall before he stepped out of the unused classroom.

He hated himself. Eavesdropping on a conversation struck him as unethical, despite any claim from Laura that he had the right to do it. That alone was reason enough to avoid it.

Moreover, he had shirked his duty. They were loitering about instead of getting to their next class. He should have stepped up to them and sent them on their way. Yet the more of their conversation he heard above the waning din of the other students, the more bizarre it became, and the more he was compelled to listen.

Some of what they said made little sense to him. Darkness? Auras? And what were those odd risque comments spoken by the younger Sovert girl?

It was obvious to him now that Heather was having some sort of problem with Terri Hollis, just as Laura had suspected. He had no idea what the circumstances were, but she and her friends were upset about it.

They were the same circle of friends on hand during the altercation between Brad and Richie.

And that odd stain on Heather's jeans ...

And what Richie told him when he had released the boy from detention ...

And the strange puddle on the floor of Terri's classroom ...

Seeger frowned. Something far more serious was happening at Haven High than he had realized, but now he had to decide what to do about it.

Brad glanced at Heather's empty seat as he waited for his next class to start, uttering a short sigh and shuffling his feet.

He had thought it odd that Ms. Hollis would seat her in the front for no apparent reason. Not that it should have mattered to him. He was sure Ms. Hollis had offered some explanation to Heather. Perhaps he dwelled on it only because of the seat into which Heather had been placed.

Brad still did not know what he saw in Gina. She was cute, but not very exciting. He had not noticed her until she had asked him to the party. Now it was all he could think about whenever he looked at her. He anticipated the event with eagerness and was not sure why.

"Hi."

Brad tore his gaze from Heather's seat and looked up. Gina smiled at him.

"Oh, uh, hi," Brad said, his returning smile automatic.

Gina glanced at the empty seat when Brad's eyes darted to it again. "Something wrong, Brad?"

"Huh? Um, no, it's cool." He paused. "I'm looking forward to the party Monday."

"Oh, so am I. I think we'll have a lot of fun."

"So, um, decided what you're gonna wear?"

"Actually, no, I haven't. I suppose I'll need to find a costume of some sort."

Brad smirked. "Well, yeah, that would help. Got any ideas?"

Gina shook her head, then paused and looked thoughtful.

Your sexuality is meant to be seen and offered.

"Perhaps I should wear something sexy."

Brad stared. "Say what?"

"Something sexy. Something revealing so you can see my body."

Brad's eyes flicked over Gina as if imagining her in such an outfit.

"Would you like that, Brad?" Gina asked.

Brad had never considered Gina in that manner, but now it preoccupied his thoughts. His cock hardened with a rapidity that only Heather had managed to elicit. "Oh, hell, yeah."

Gina licked her lips and let out a husky sigh. "We can have sex, too."

Brad's eyes widened. His head snapped back and forth to see if anyone had overheard her. His face betrayed mild disappointment when he saw that no one had. "Shit, are you serious?" Brad whispered.

Your sexuality is meant to be seen and offered.

"Of course," Gina said, her voice quavering from growing excitement. "I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"A-anything?"

"Yes, anything." Gina paused. "That's what I'm supposed to do, isn't it?"

"Wait, what?"

"It's what I'm supposed to do. Offer myself to you. Offer my sexuality."

At the moment that Brad realized something was wrong -- and even a bit creepy -- Gina's words settled over his mind like a fine mist, until everything was glistening with a gentle but persistent lust.

Of course it was right. It was the way it was supposed to be. He had wanted to fuck Gina all along. He felt as if he had done it already, and this would just be a repeat performance.

Brad nodded with a lascivious grin. "Yeah, that'll work," he said in a low voice. "Wear something real sexy. Something we can get off real quick."

"I'm sure I can find something." Gina lifted her dark eyes to the front of the room. "I better get to my seat. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, later." Brad grinned. He stared at Gina's ass as she walked towards her seat. His gaze slid over and past Heather without really seeing her.

She's probably gonna be a better lay than Heather ever was, Brad thought, his erection pulsing in the tight confines of his briefs.

"Jason, I'm really sorry about earlier," Cassie said. "When I wouldn't come by when Heather was there."

Jason closed his locker door. "Cassie, it's okay. You don't need to apologize."

"It's just that Heather got in my head somehow. I already can't stop thinking about later. It would only get worse if--"

"Hey, Cass, chill, okay?" Richie drawled, lounging against the locker next to Jason's. "He said it's cool."

"And Heather wasn't upset about it, either," Jason added.

"See, babe, I toldja," Ned said.

Cassie sighed. "I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

"Ya didn't. Honest injun, Heather understood when I told her."

Jason stuffed the rest of his book-bag into his locker and closed it. He turned to Ned and Cassie. "How about you two sit with us for lunch today?"

"What?" Ned said in mock shock. "An' rob us of our lunchtime make-out session?"

Richie snorted and smirked.

"Oh, we do not!" Cassie said, blushing furiously, though the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. "We just like to have the private time, but I want to hear what the rest of you talked about earlier. Melinda told me you think Ms. Hollis' Aura is fake?"

"Either that or we're being distracted by circumstantial evidence," said Jason. "We'll tell you all about it."

They started away from the lockers. They were only a few strides down the hall when Diane ran towards them. "Jason! Jason, wait!"

Jason stopped, the others with him. "Oh, I forgot, Diane wants to talk to me about something."

Diane rushed to a stop. "Do you have a minute, Jason?" She glanced at her fellow Harbingers. "Um, alone?"

"I'll catch up with you," Jason said to the others.

"Yeah, we'll check out the Mystery Meat of the Day," Richie said.

"Likely served with the Sauce That Time Fergot," Ned chimed.

"You know, I do have to eat it, too," Cassie admonished as they headed away.

Diane waited until they were gone. She took a step closer to Jason. "I'm sorry, this won't take more than a minute."

"Not a problem, Diane," said Jason. "What's up?"

"Well, it's about the Book."

Jason tried not to react, though he did let out a slow sigh through his nose. He wondered when the others might start asking for it again. "What about it?" he asked in as neutral a voice as he could muster.

"I'm a little worried about it."

"Worried about it? How?"

"Well, how do you know it's safe?"

Jason thought about the pendant fragment in his pocket. He had meant to slip it on in the bathroom between periods just for a moment to see if he could sense that the Book was safe, but he was afraid he would start hearing that voice again. "Well, for one thing, we're the only ones that know where it is, besides Mrs. Radson."

"But your mother is the only one there to stop anyone from going in and taking it."

"Yes, but I don't think anyone is going to do that, not if what Heather's vision suggests is true."

"But if someone did try, your mother would succumb easily."

"But ... well ... yes, I guess that's true, but--"

"Wouldn't it be a lot safer if it was in sight all the time?"

Jason paused, his lips parting as if he intended to speak. His eyes twitched.

"Think about it, Jason," Diane said in a softer voice. "If you had it all the time, you'd know it was safe."

Jason hesitated. He struggled to say something, the words having to be forced from his brain to his mouth. "But ... Diane, we know someone is after it. If I have it with me all the time, then--"

"Then you would know it was safe."

Jason opened his mouth, then closed it again without saying a word.

"All I'm concerned about is the safety of that Book."

Jason nodded. He understood that now. Perhaps he had been suspicious earlier, but it made sense that Diane's overriding concern was the safety of the Book.

"It's not safe unattended," said Diane. "It's better to carry it with you all the time. That's really the proper thing to do, isn't it?"

Diane wanted the Book to be safe. It was obvious to Jason that she had given this much thought. He should listen to her. It was only proper to do so.

He nodded once.

Diane smiled. "I'd feel better knowing it was safe with you, Jason. Carrying it with you all the time is really the only way to do that."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Jason said.

"It has to be kept safe."

"Yes, of course," Jason said with rising confidence in his voice.

"Thank you, Jason," Diane said in a more cheerful voice. "Thanks for listening to me."

Jason smiled. "Of course. And thanks for giving me the advice, it makes a lot of sense."

"I knew there was some phoney-baloney goin' on around here," Ned muttered. "An' I don't mean lunch."

Cassie lowered her fork. "Goodness, isn't anyone else frightened by the thought that there is some power at work here other than the Darkness?"

"Ya know, I don't so much think we got a new player here as we do a new weapon."

"I don't follow you."

"Look, do ya think something like that Dark Smoke of the Sith we saw at Melissa's jamboree would play second fiddle to some other power? Nah, I think the Darkness is still the Grand Poobah of Evil in this town, but she's got a few new tricks up her sleeve."

"So you're saying that Ms. Hollis' Aura is real but she's not using the Darkness against Heather? Does that even make sense?"

"I ain't sayin' nuthin' like that til I know more. I'm jus' sayin' that this could be something like 'hey, look over there!' while the real thing is goin' down somewhere else. I'm thinkin' we should be lookin' more inta what Richie saw at the church and what Heather and Melinda heard from their mother. This thing with Heather could be designed ta do jus' what it's doin': tyin' us up in twisty little passages of logic, all alike."

Cassie sighed. "This is all so confusing. Richie, you haven't really said anything, do you have ... Richie?"

Richie was staring off into the distance. "Did you hear that?"

Cassie exchanged a look with Ned. "Hear what?"

"I thought I just heard Diane say something."

"She's not here, dude," said Ned.

Richie frowned. "I know that. But I swear it was like she was right in front of me." He looked around. "Hey, where the fuck is Jason?"

"He was talking to Diane, but ... oh, here he comes," Cassie said.

Jason jogged over to them. "Sorry about that. Let me go grab some lunch and I'll be right back."

Richie's hand flicked out and grabbed his arm. Jason nearly fell over in his surprise, and Cassie gasped. Ned raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Jason said.

Richie narrowed his eyes and scrutinized his friend. "You okay?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno, I just ... " Richie trailed off, aware of the others staring at him. He let go of Jason's arm. "Forget it. See ya in a bit."

Jason nodded once, his gaze lingering on his friend for another second before he left.

Richie glanced at the others, glowering. "Fuck, we're all gonna be jumping at the freakin' shadows on the wall before long."

Laura peered at Seeger over her folded hands, elbows resting on the sides of her chair. "Is that all you heard, Seymour?"

"Isn't that enough?" Seeger said, scowling. "I have already proven your suspicions that Terri Hollis is making inappropriate advances on Miss Sovert. Or if not outright advances, she is certainly asking things of the girl that are making her upset and her friends angry."

"Yes, and thank you for that," Laura said. "But did you hear anything else? Anything unusual?"

Seeger had not told her about their talk concerning Darkness or Auras. He remained silent as he considered his options.

Laura leaned forward, transferring her elbows from the hand rests to the desk. "I want to know about anything unusual going on in this school, Seymour," Laura said in a faintly admonishing tone. "Anything at all."

Seeger wondered if she suspected that he had more information. Yet he had dismissed their talk as nonsense, and convinced himself that Laura could not be interested in such things. "I am sure I heard nothing else of consequence."

Laura paused, weighing Seeger's words. "I will be the judge of that, if you didn't mind."

"Perhaps if you gave me some idea of what you were talking about, I could provide more information! Good heavens, Laura, I already feel like I don't know what's going on with the students, don't make yourself into as much of an enigma as them!"

Laura considered for a moment. "Very well. I suspect that some of the students have been organizing secret clubs or organizations here in the school."

Seeger frowned. "And why should this be a concern so long as they are abiding by the school rules?"

"But that's just it. I am not sure that they are."

Seeger could not shake the feeling that Laura was on a fishing expedition. "Do you have proof of this? Or is this another one you wish to keep to yourself until either the 'appropriate time' or until I get so frustrated that I wheedle it out of you anyway?"

Laura raised an eyebrow. "A little tense, Seymour?"

"Only because I feel everyone around me is trying to make life hard for me here."

"Times are trying here at Haven High, I know. I trust you will continue to persevere."

Seeger decided to wrest the conversation back to the original topic before he had to bear any more useless platitudes. "Now that you have some confirmation of Terri's inappropriate behavior, may I ask what you intend to do next?"

"I will speak with her, and hear her side of it."

"Do you wish me to attend that meeting?"

"No, I will handle it."

Seeger had guessed that would be the answer. He wished he knew how Laura had become this way. Her typically insular nature had deteriorated into secretiveness. He suspected blatant deception as well, but he had no proof of such an accusation. He kept that thought buried in his mind, lest he succumb to the same paranoia that he felt was behind Richie Gardner's lurid claims.

"Very well," said Seeger in a tired voice. "Is there anything you wish me to do?"

"Keep your eyes and ears open. Let me know if anything unusual happens." She paused and leveled her gaze at him. "Or if you happen to remember anything else you overheard earlier this morning."

Seeger's jaw tightened. He nodded and headed out.

Laura let go an exasperated sigh once Seeger had vacated the office, letting her hands fall to the desk with a thump. Either Seeger was lying to her, or the Harbingers had no idea what was going on. It made no sense. Victor had flaunted his power with Diane, and Terri was doing something to Heather. How could the Harbingers not see the taint of the Darkness and trace it back to Victor?

"Marcie."

There was a sudden scramble just outside the office door. It opened a moment later, and Marcie slipped halfway into the room, clinging to the door frame like a pole dancer. "Yes, Ms. Bendon?" she asked in a husky voice, wide-eyed as she awaited a command.

"Send a note to Terri Hollis that I wish to see her as soon as possible after last class."

A tiny sigh of delight breezed past Marcie's lips as her pussy grew hot. "Mmm, yes, right away, Ms. Bendon."

She ducked back out of the room and to her desk, her sex throbbing in gentle reward as she set about her task.

Richie thrust his hands into his pockets as he strolled over to Jason. He leaned against the lockers, his shoulder thumping against them and rattling them hard. His book-bag swung around and bumped a locker door shut.

"Hey! Watch where yer swingin' that thing, fuckhead," a boy piped as he opened it again.

Richie glanced over his shoulder and smirked at the diminutive freshman. "Talk to the butt, chump." He swung his book-bag into the same locker and again slammed the door shut. The student fumed but said nothing.

"You really shouldn't do that, you know," Jason commented.

"Yeah, and we shouldn't be going to an orgy after school, but we are anyway," Richie drawled. "Weird world, ain't it?"

"Maybe we shouldn't advertise that."

Richie snorted. "Yeah, right, like someone here will believe either of us could score like that."

Jason closed his locker and faced his friend. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

If Jason's voice had been the least bit admonishing or accusing, Richie would have told him to fuck off. Instead, he gave his friend a lopsided grin. "Got that right, nerd-man."

"You realize that we're doing this just to help Heather."

"Shit, Jason, why don't you just admit you like it too, huh?"

Jason sighed. "That's beside the point."

"Bullshit. If Heather was doing something like making us all do homework, you wouldn't be so ... oh, wait, never mind, you would like that."

Jason frowned. "I get your point."

"About time you do."

"I just don't want to enjoy it too much, if that makes any sense. And we're not going to have a convenient place to do it after this week."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Even more reason to enjoy it while it lasts. Come on, you get to fuck your girlfriend for Chrissakes. And her sister! Hey, maybe you'll get to fuck ... uh ..."

"No," Jason declared. "Don't even think about it."

Richie looked past Jason. "Hey, that's cool, okay."

"Well, no, it isn't. Look, it's not just that I feel bad about what Melissa made me do with her, it's more that I might want to do it again if ... ow!"

Jason heard the gasp behind him just after Richie kicked him in the shin. He turned and blanched.

"Um, hi," Cassie said. Her arms tightened around her books, and she drew back a half-step. "Um ... can I talk to you for a moment?" Her eyes slid over to Richie. "Alone?"

Richie smirked. "Popular guy with the gals today, huh? I'll catch you on the bus."

Jason bent down to rub his shin. "Cassie, I'm sorry, I didn't--"

Cassie waved her hand. "Please, this is hard enough for me to talk to you about, let me do it while I still have the courage."

Jason straightened up. "Something wrong?"

"I-I don't know. That girl I mentioned to you. Stephanie Fowler."

"Oh, yes. You said maybe it was really--"

"No, it's really Fowler. I talked to her again today. She said her name was Fowler."

Jason tilted his head. Cassie was trembling.

"I have to talk to you about this now because I don't know what kind of state I will be in this afternoon. Remember when I mentioned a teacher named Phelps? Stephanie had told me that was one of her teachers. And you said she was from the same time period as that girl. And ... well ... I don't know a lot about past fashion, Jason, but let me describe what she was wearing ..."

Jason nodded. "That sounds like it could be from the eighties, yes. I mean, it's not appropriate for school in any era, but ..."

He trailed off. Cassie was shaking.

"Jason, what is it I've been seeing?" Cassie demanded. "I mean ... it can't possibly be someone from 1984. I only see people from the present! I mean, I don't see them, not when I'm awake, I only sense them in my head at night."

Jason was at a complete loss, but he assumed that Cassie needed to hear something. "There has to be some sort of logical explanation for this, Cassie. It might be another illusion. Something else to unnerve us."

Cassie let out a shaky sigh. "Well, it's doing a very good job!"

"What does this girl talk to you about?"

"That's what's really bizarre. It's like someone is forcing her to experiment sexually in ways that are starting to make her uncomfortable. Each time she talks to me, she's further along. And her clothing gets more ... well, slutty."

"And you don't feel anything from this?"

"Other than really rattled, no. It's not making me want to do the same thing."

Jason nodded. "All right, so then this might be a harmless illusion, other than what it's doing to you psychologically."

Cassie sighed in relief. "Do you really think it could be just that?"

"It's a possibility," Jason said. "I don't know for sure. But it doesn't sound like it's dangerous."

"I just want to make sure I'm not going crazy! Or that my power is not taking some sort of bizarre twist!"

Jason could not outright lie to her as much as perhaps she wished he would. "Cassie, I can't tell you for sure about the latter, but I can pretty much safely agree with the former."

"I can live with that for now," said Cassie. "I guess we better get outside and talk to the others, and ... and make sure we can all show up at the meeting house."

Cassie turned away before Jason could respond, as if unable to make eye contact with him.

"You wanted to see me, Laura?"

Laura looked up. Terri stood with her feet just on the other side of the threshold. She held on to the door frame and leaned into the room.

"Come in and sit down," Laura said in a crisp voice. "And close the door behind you, this is not for anyone else's ears."

Terri sighed and failed to suppress a small, brief frown. She flounced into the room and threw the door closed behind her. She stopped short of the chair, leaning her hands on the back. "Will this be quick, Laura? I have a few things I need to do this afternoon."

"Terri, sit down."

Terri raised an eyebrow and paused before taking her seat, as if wishing to show some small measure of defiance. "Is there something wrong?"

Laura folded her hands. "Unfortunately, yes, if what I have been hearing about you is true."

"I suppose that depends on what you have heard," Terri said. Her tone was neutral, though her eyes were wary.

"Realize that what I am about to say I do not say lightly and not without some proof. It has come to my attention that you are acting in an inappropriate manner towards one of the students."

Laura studied Terri's face. Terri crossed one leg over the other and folded her arms. She cast an amused look at Laura. "I do hope you have not given credence to any particular boasts by barely post-pubescent boys who seem to have nothing better to do than fantasize about their attractive female teachers."

Laura allowed herself a small, humorless smile. "You seem to have a high opinion of yourself in that regard."

Terri returned the smile, just as devoid of amusement. "I only relay what I hear."

"As must I. And what I have heard is that you are making inappropriate advances, perhaps of a sexual nature, on a student named Heather Sovert."

Terri's eyes widened for a fleeting moment. Her voice was taut when she spoke again. "And just what gave you that silly idea?"

"I am not at liberty to reveal my sources right now, Terri," said Laura in a grave voice. "But I am taking this accusation very seriously."

Terri's lips pursed. She had no idea who the informant could be. She was sure that Victor was the only one that knew what she was doing, or that she even had any sort of power over the students. Victor would never do such a thing to her, just like he would never shortchange her on her power.

And she did have that power. She kept the entire class unaware of her machinations. Yet Heather -- one person -- resisted when an entire class did not, but was it enough to run to the Principal?

Terri cast a lofty gaze at Laura. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"It is my understanding that you are coercing her somehow."

"I told you, Laura, I do not--"

"That you are influencing her in some way to do what you want her to do."

Terri fell silent and narrowed her eyes.

The corners of Laura's mouth twitched upwards. "That you are messing with her head in some way."

Suspicion burned and seared into anger in Terri's eyes. She bolted out of her seat. "I don't need to listen to this."

"I think you do."

"No, I don't! Not unless you can offer any sort of proof or tell me who made this ridiculous claim. Until then, you don't have a case, and I have the resources to sue this school into the ground if you try to get me fired."

She whirled around and marched for the door.

"Would those resources come from Victor Mann by any chance?" Laura's voice rang out.

Terri's hand was on the doorknob when she stopped and turned. "What?"

Laura stood up, her lips curling into a sly smile. "I overheard you and Victor speaking in the hall earlier this week. I heard you mention Miss Sovert's name, and some ... interesting comments."

Terri folded her arms and stepped forward. "What the hell is this? Some sort of lame attempt at blackmail?"

Laura stepped out from behind her desk and rested her backside against the edge, crossing one ankle over the other in a very Nyssa-like gesture. "Not blackmail. And most assuredly not lame. I want you to be honest with me, so I will be honest with you. You are not the only one in this room with apparent designs on Heather Sovert."

Terri's eyebrows rose. "I beg your pardon? I mean, who says I even have--"

Laura held up a finger and shook her head. "What did I just say?"

Terri frowned. "I won't have you treating me as if I were some whiny freshman student."

"Then don't act like one," Laura snapped, though her smile did not falter. "Come now, Terri. This mysterious Victor Mann shows up out of the blue one day, you speak with him about a girl at this school, and then you start making moves on that same girl a short while later. You have some sort of power or ability, and you are exercising it over Heather Sovert. If you wish to continue along such lines, you will do so only with my blessing. And at a price."

Terri was at a loss for words for a moment, too stunned by these revelations. Finally, she leveled her gaze at Laura. "That's assuming that I even buy this fantastic idea of yours that I can somehow control minds. It sounds more like a Halloween story than reality."

Laura smiled. "Terri, have you ever taken a close look at my receptionist?"

Terri paused at the sudden turn in the conversation. "Why?"

"Marcie," Laura called out.

Terri heard the door open behind her and side-stepped out of the way. "Yes, Ms. Bendon?" said Marcie's ever-eager and ever-husky voice.

"Come here."

Marcie let out a sultry sigh of anticipation as she scurried into the room and stood before her Mistress, looking at her with adoring and wistful eyes. "Yes, Ms. Bendon, what may I do for you?"

"Marcie, what's the biggest compliment I can give you?" Laura asked.

Marcie shivered. "When you tell me I've been a good little girl," she breathed, her thighs quivering.

Terri's mouth dropped open.

"Do you think you've been good enough for that, Marcie?"

"Oh, I hope so, Ms. Bendon! I try so hard for you!"

"Good God," Terri murmured.

"And how do you know you enjoy obeying me?"

"Because I get wet when you command me and I cum when I obey you."

Laura smiled. "Then you've been a good little girl, Marcie."

"Ohhh! Uhhnng! Mmmm!"

Marcie squirmed and writhed, then collapsed against her Mistress, panting and gasping as her pussy throbbed in an all-consuming orgasm. She shook like a leaf, gasping for air as her climax overwhelmed her. Laura let go, and Marcie pooled to the floor as her mind sank into near catatonic bliss.

Laura stepped away from her slave and smiled at Terri. "She'll take a few minutes to recover. Unfortunately, she'll likely be quite useless to me as a receptionist for the rest of the day. She was always so scatterbrained to begin with and this hasn't helped it any."

Terri stared at Marcie for a few more seconds before lifting her eyes to Laura. "How did you do it? I've never seen an enslavement that complete since ..."

Laura raised a smug eyebrow.

Terri's lips twisted into a sly smile, and she shook her head. "Oh no. One secret to a customer. You already got one in exchange for one. We're even."

"Be that as it may, we are still faced with a dilemma: what to do with our conflicting mutual interest. Forgive me if this sounds exceedingly petty, but I saw her first."

Terri drew herself up straight and tossed her head back. "I doubt you wish to go against Victor. I can assure you that you would not last long against him."

"At least now we're getting somewhere. I knew that there was more to Victor than he let on."

Terri frowned. "You tricked me into telling you that."

"Stop being melodramatic. I had suspected something was wrong with this picture and you only confirmed it. I am not interested in sparring with him. I am not even sure what he is after, but he does not appear to be in my way. Yet. However, you are."

"I am not giving her up!" Terri cried. "Not after all this work!"

"All this work? Sounds like you've been at her quite a bit. You probably have her calling you 'Mistress' by now, don't you?"

Terri's eyes burned, and she said nothing in reply.

"She's resisting you, isn't she?" said Laura.

"And what business is that of yours?"

"Because I may know something about it. You see, there are some students at this school that have some sort of power themselves. It lets them resist attempts at control. Heather is one of them."

"You're lying."

Laura raised an eyebrow. "Am I?"

"Victor would have warned me about that if he knew. And he would know, since ... well, never mind, I've already told you enough."

"Perhaps he did know and chose not to tell you."

Terri again remained silent. She did not like where the conversation was going. She wanted to tell Laura again that Victor would never do that, but her confidence in her own words had flagged.

"What Victor does or doesn't know is beside the point," said Laura, sparing Terri any further dangerous introspection on Victor. "Now you know that you've been fighting an uphill battle."

"I have gotten to her!" Terri snapped. "I just haven't managed to do it completely."

Laura smiled. "Then it sounds like you need help." She glanced behind her, where Marcie moaned and trembled in sexual delight that only now began to wane. "You've already seen what I can do. Marcie took time, but that was because I started with nothing. You've already primed Heather, so it should be easier for me."

Terri clenched her jaw and let a noisy sigh escape through her nose. "And just what do you want for this help? What's this 'price' you alluded to earlier?"

"First tell me how far you intended to go with Heather. What's the goal?"

Terri smiled. "An utterly loyal slave. A slave who acts as such because she believes it's what she always was and always should be." She glanced at Marcie and smirked. "No offense, Laura, but Marcie strikes me as more a hyperactive sycophant than a true slave."

Laura chuckled. "She satisfies a need. Really, she was useless otherwise. Not very much intelligence or common sense. Which is why I am most interested in Heather. I want someone that is more passive, a gentle sort of submission, someone who sees her enslavement as a duty as much as a joy." She grinned. "And someone who would look wonderful in black fishnets and a little French maid outfit."

Some of Terri's smile faded. "I could give you that if she wasn't being so difficult," she muttered.

"Then let me help. We can share her. I get her half the time, you get her half the time. Say, alternating weeks, perhaps."

Terri should have told Laura that Heather was intended for Victor. She stopped herself, reconsidered her words, and smiled again. "All right. What do you propose we do?"

"Find an excuse to assign her detention this Friday," Laura said. "However flimsy the reason, I will support it and assign her detention to you. That will let you get her alone where you -- and I -- can concentrate on her."

"Why Friday? Why not tomorrow, or even this afternoon?"

"I need time to procure something for Heather for the Halloween party. Something she could model for us."

Terri's lips curled into a small smirk. "I'm not partial to the whole French maid thing myself."

"A harem outfit perhaps? Or exotic dancer?"

Terri's smile turned wicked. "Oh, yes, that's much better."

"Then do we have a deal?"

Terri still wanted Heather for herself. She convinced herself that Victor had set her up to fail. He was not interested in Heather anyway, so she was Terri's to take, use, and bargain over.

And perhaps she could treat this as an alliance of convenience, and scheme for a way to have Heather for herself once she had received Laura's help.

"All right, you've got a deal," Terri said.

Laura smiled. "Very good. Oh, and just because I'm curious, what exactly have you done to her so far?"

Victor would have frowned on her revealing details about his power, but she explained what she had done to Heather anyway.

"Interesting," Laura said. "You change her concept of reality rather than outright control her."

"Something like that, yes."

"In that case, I would like to suggest something for you to try on Friday as a way to prepare her ..."

Terri raised an eyebrow as she listened to Laura's scheme. "And this would accomplish what exactly?"

"Think about it. It would let us extract a lot of personal information from her. It would let us find out what turns her on, what weaknesses she has. Personally, I would have started with that."

"And if she resists it like the other attempts?"

"You're a clever girl, Terri," Laura said in a silky voice. "I'm sure you'll come up with something."

Feedback

Did you like this story? Hate it? Printed it and lined the birdcage with it?

Please take a moment to send me some comments about this story. Your comments may remain anonymous if you prefer, or you can include an email address in your comments if you wish a reply.

Since this is a multi-part story, you may wait until the last chapter to send feedback about the story as a whole if you wish.