Heather was a wet, squirming mess. Fourteen times now she had to do her dance for incoming guests. At least three times she had seen them pull out cell phones and natter about her to their friends. She suspected that some were arriving forewarned.

Now she faced Brad and wanted to crawl away and die. Or crawl back to Ms. Bendon and beg her to lift the trigger. Or plead with her to just let her cum.

"Good evening," Heather began, her voice in a permanent quaver from her strained arousal.

Brad stared, eyes wide. "Wow, Heather, you look--"

"I'm your dancing harem girl," Heather continued, losing the fight to hold back the words. The sultry cadence of her voice never faltered despite her efforts. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you to help you enjoy the party."

Brad grinned. "Heh, you know, I'd usually take you up on that offer, but I have other plans."

Heather gave him a simple, pleasant smile and looked at Gina. If this had been as little as a week ago, she would not have believed anyone wearing such an outfit could have gotten within fifty feet of the school. Heather thought her own costume was sexy, but Gina's was slutty. As heads turned and eyes stared, Heather could be content that she was no longer the center of attention.

It did not stop Brad's eyes from roaming over Heather's body one more time, a lascivious grin curling his lips. "Still, you look great in that, Heather."

"It feels incredibly sexy on me," Heather said in a lusty voice. Any compliment on her looks was another trigger and received another scripted response. Her pussy rose in wet pleasure, her hips writhing.

"Heh, yeah, it really does. See ya later."

Heather smiled again, then let out a ragged sigh when he and Gina had departed. God, I can't take this much longer, she thought. She combed her trembling fingers through her hair and looked at the clock. Ms. Bendon had required her to remain for an hour past the start of the party. She had another twenty minutes to go.

Jason saw the party live down to every one of his expectations: the music was all recent popular songs that he did not like or did not recognize; it was too crowed and noisy; other students made him the butt of their jokes concerning his presence or his costume; Melinda pestered him to dance with her once just so she "wouldn't feel left out" while claiming in her next breath that she didn't normally go for such "bubbleheaded girlie" things.

He had claimed that he had to watch Diane, who sat content and quiet in a chair nearby, sipping soda from a styrofoam cup. In reality, he simply had to order her to stay there and she would obey. She needed no warden. She was the Harbingers' slave. No one else would be able to command her.

An opening in the crowd allowed Jason to catch a glimpse of Cassie and Ned, now on their third dance. Cassie's moves were not paced to the tempo of the music, and her attempts to correct them were clumsy at best. Ned's dance moves could best be described as a gangly orangutan hyped on caffeine. Other students had backed off to a loose semicircle, laughing and hurling jokes and snide comments.

Neither Cassie nor Ned seemed to care. Jason could almost believe they were having fun.

Jason had never factored "fun" into any of the plans for the evening. He wanted to rail at them for daring to consider acting in anything less than stark seriousness.

The edge of a wing brushed his arm, and he heard a snort. "Does Ned realize how dorky he looks?" Melinda said.

"I don't think he cares," Jason said.

"Like you do, huh?"

Jason gave her a tired look.

"So sorry, Mr. Nerd," she said in an icy voice as she backed away. "Guess you're the only one in the whole fucking school that has to worry about looking stupid."

Jason grasped her arm. "Hey, wait, please." She resisted for a moment before letting him draw her back. "I'm sorry. I just ... I just don't like these things."

"Yeah, well, join the club." She looked around. "I just figured if we're here, we might as well join in."

"That's unlike you."

Melinda shrugged. "I'm supposed to be less whiny and not complain as much, remember? That's supposed to be a sign of maturity."

"Is that what Heather told you?"

"Come on, Jason, it's what everyone in the group thinks."

Jason would not deny that, but nor would he risk obvious agreement.

Melinda folded her arms. "I just want to stop feeling like I'm at this party by myself."

"You're not." Jason looked towards the other dancers, his stomach twisting. "I've never done this. I mean--"

"Like I have? Oh yeah, I'm the great Haven High socialite, uh-huh. You're lucky I could squeeze this relationship on my social calendar."

Jason began to smirk when the wording of her comment reached his brain. He had never heard her use a word like "relationship" to describe them. Now he wasn't sure how to react, or if he should react at all.

Jason looked at Melinda's face. Was she blushing? It was hard to tell in the subdued lighting.

"Anyway," Melinda said, flustered. "Yeah, we're both wallflowers. Deal."

Jason's stomach churned, as if he were about to give a speech before the whole school. "Um ... all right, maybe I can--"

Melinda grabbed his arm and hauled him into the throng.

"Wait, Melinda, what about Diane?"

"Diane, stay there until we get back," Melinda called out without stopping. "That's an order. Got it?"

Diane's response of "yes, Mistress" was lost in the din of the crowd.

Richie was doing his best to remain unnoticed. He could be content with the fact that he had to turn down several offers from girls to dance with him. With the last one, he had entertained thoughts far more intimate. His lascivious thoughts had been rewarded by an interested glance, followed by a blush and a flustered look before she scurried away.

Yeah, I gotta be careful about that. The tone of his thought, however, suggested he wanted to be anything but careful.

He was not at fault, so he believed. The energy from the spell was still raging in his head, begging to be used. It only exacerbated his desire for control.

Yeah, don't worry, I'm not gonna be stupid, Richie thought for the benefit of his "conscience."

His thoughts were interrupted by the now contemptuous sound of heels clicking against the floor. With the noise of the party, she was upon him only seconds after he heard her footfalls, too late to consider ducking into the crowd.

"Two weeks, Mr. Gardner," said Terri.

Terri folded her arms under her breasts, pushing them up further and distracting Richie for a few moments. He forced his eyes to her face. "Two weeks for what?" he said, though he could guess.

"Your detention, for failing to report to me after you were done with your last task."

"I tried to find you, but it's really crowded in here, Ms. Hollis."

"Mr. Gardner, just because I happen to be blonde, do not assume that I act as your tiny mind thinks blondes should act."

One of Richie's hands clenched.

Terri smiled and stepped up to Richie. "If anyone is going to be mindless, it will be you. Would you like to spend those two weeks as a mindless slave to my pussy?"

Richie ground his teeth. Power seethed and throbbed in his head, along with the echo of his father's voice: don't do it, unless you really want to fuck things up.

"Or maybe you want a little taste right now of what it would like."

Richie gave her a venomous look, even as his eyes wanted to drift down towards her legs. Terri's smile widened, and she shifted one foot to the side, parting her legs. His gaze centered on her crotch as her hips tilted to one side.

He licked his lips. He could almost smell her. Despite all his gripes about her, she was still a woman, and a sexy one, too. He'd love to have a piece of that. He could lick her all day if ...

Raw power suddenly slammed against Terri's invading thoughts, rejecting her reality. She staggered as if she had run full tilt into a brick wall. In that split second, Richie wanted to push further, to barrel past Terri's defenses in her moment of weakness. He wanted to make her drop to her knees in front of him and suck his cock. He wanted to make her the dumb bitch that she just claimed she wasn't.

He managed to slam the gate shut at the last moment. All his thoughts roiled and churned in his own mind only, conveyed by nothing more than his blistering gaze.

Terri's lips twisted into a humorless smirk. "My, my. Such power you wield. So is that why all your little friends are here? To protect each other from me? The only reason I don't have Heather simpering at my feet is because Laura wanted her tonight, and she outranks me." Her grin widened. "Or have you some daring plan of rescue for your friend? Was that your plan, to build up whatever power you wield so you can rescue the damsel in distress from the evil clutches of the villain?"

Richie said nothing. He cursed himself for revealing too much. He could have pushed her back without such an obvious display of power if he had controlled his anger first.

Terri lowered a finger until it hovered an inch from his chest. "Don't get any ideas tonight, and that goes for you and your friends. Perhaps you forget that Laura and I have a partnership."

Richie clamped his jaw shut until it ached. You don't have SHIT with her, you fucking lying bitch, he thought.

"You cross either of us, and you cross both of us. Anyone who does will become a mindless sex toy. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ms. Hollis," said Richie. You skanky slut, he added in his head.

Terri peered towards the entrance to the auditorium. "I have no more tasks for you. Make sure you bring back what I said to the others."

Richie remained in place until Terri was gone, then thrust his fist through a nearby cardboard cutout of a ghost, startling several nearby students.

"What the fuck are you staring at?!" Richie shouted at them. He kicked the cutout and stomped away as it clattered to the floor.

At first, Cassie had agreed to dance with Ned as a means of distracting her from her own anguished thoughts. The image of Stephanie sitting alone in that great void waiting for it to obliterate her from reality was too much to bear.

To her surprise, it became less of a chore and more of a joy. Ned did not know the first thing about dancing, but he didn't seem to care. In response to the barbs from their peers, his movements became even more insane until it was unclear whether they were making fun of him or simply joining in his mirth.

Cassie began laughing at Ned's antics as well, encouraging him even further. She was taking some flak as well, as this was nothing like ballroom dancing. Cassie was only ten when her mother insisted she start taking lessons so she knew how to exhibit the proper poise and grace in front of others.

The thought that her mother would have gone insane to see her daughter like this prompted her to stay for three songs rather than only the one to which she had agreed.

She was grateful to see Jason and Melinda finally venture forth, but her heightened empathy told her more about them than she believed she had a right to know. Melinda had fallen in love with Jason. Hard. Jason's feelings were a jumble, which meant he did not know what he felt.

Cassie still felt reassured. In some ways, they were still typical teenagers with the same problems as everyone else. Cassie's quiet rebellion against her parents added to the illusion of normalcy.

Near the end of the third song, Cassie's steps faltered when she felt a mental tug at the back of her mind. A gap in the crowd allowed her to catch a glimpse of the auditorium entrance.

She rushed over to Ned. "Ned? Ned, stop for a minute!"

Ned stumbled in his attempt to bring his current dance move to an abrupt close, prompting laughter behind him. He growled at them, "Arr, matey, let's see ya bilge rats do better when yer walkin' the plank! Arr!" He turned to Cassie amidst a small spate of applause behind him. "And what may I do fer the foine galley wench?"

"Ned, I just saw Gina arrive," Cassie said. "I think Brad was with her."

Ned dropped back into his normal voice. "Okay, do ya wanna tell Jason 'bout this? He an' her li'l fairy girlfriend jus' sashayed thataways," he said, pointing.

"It's probably too early to do anything yet, but, yes, we should ..." Cassie trailed off. Her eyes widened. "Oh, goodness, did you--?"

"Yeah, I felt it," Ned grumbled. "Crap, I guess we shoulda kept an eye on Richie, too."

Cassie gasped. "I've never felt Richie so angry before!"

"That ain't anger, that's about-to-chew-steel fury."

"I can see it. It's directed at Ms. Hollis! Oh, no, we have to find him before he does something we'll all regret!"

Ned grasped Cassie's shoulders. "Wait, whoa, calm down, babe. I think Richie's gonna keep a lid on it."

"But you heard all his talk about wanting to take Ms. Hollis down. I'm not saying he wants to be mean, just that he sometimes lets his anger get the best of him."

"Well, it looks like the calvary is here, anyway," Ned said as Jason and Melinda rushed up to them. "Ya felt it, too, right?"

"Richie? Yeah," Jason said. "Damn, where the hell is he?"

"Ms. Hollis tried to do something to him!" Melinda said. "I sensed it when it happened, just like I did with Heather. Oh, that bitch! I'm going to be sooo glad when we get to do it to her!"

"Oh, no, not you, too!" Cassie said.

"Cassie, that woman is evil, just like Ms. Bendon. She screws with people just because she can."

Cassie sighed, not knowing how to respond. Half the Harbingers seemed hell-bent on revenge, and the other half tacitly accepted it, with her caught in the middle.

She could see a bit of hypocrisy if she let herself. She accepted Diane as their slave at the same time she spoke out against using Ms. Hollis. Yet the thought that something was wrong with that arrangement was too slippery for her to hold.

"I don't think this is the time or the place to argue about it," Jason said. "We agreed we would do this, and we're doing it only to defend ourselves against Victor."

"So when do we make our move, kemosabe?" Ned asked.

"We're going to need Heather. Is she still at the door greeting people?"

"Until the top of the hour, so she told me," said Cassie. "I saw Gina arrive with Brad. But even if I hadn't seen her, I can sense her."

"Would you know if she left here with Victor?"

"Yes, I think so."

"We gotta nail 'im here!" Ned said.

"No, we are not 'nailing' anybody," Jason said in irritation. "We're freeing Gina and keeping the Book from Victor. Cassie, do you think you'll be ready soon to help Gina break away from him?"

Cassie had not expected the question and took a moment to respond. "I-I don't know. I have to give Stephanie a chance to help Gina. Or rather, the new Gina."

"Huh?" Melinda said, perplexed.

"Gina's resistance has a problem. She has no identity, no memories, nothing to hold on to. Stephanie was going to try to help her with that. I set it up so they can talk to each other. But, Jason, what about Richie? Should we go and--"

"Wait, there he is!" Melinda cried.

Richie burst out of the crowd. "Guys, if you're gonna take that bitch Hollis down, you're gonna have to do it real soon."

"What now?" Melinda piped. "Shit, what the hell did you do to her?"

"Nothing, pipsqueak. Not yet, anyway."

"But she tried to control you! Didn't you fight back?"

"What the fuck, Melinda? First you're pissed I did something and now you're pissed I didn't? Yeah, I kicked her sorry ass out of my head, but I didn't do anything else. But she's starting to get suspicious now."

Jason looked at his watch. "We're going to have to wait at least another fifteen minutes. We better stick together from this point on. Is Ms. Hollis done with you for the evening, Richie?"

"Yeah, the skank's done with me," Richie grunted.

"Jason, I can go tell Heather that we'll need her as soon as she's done," Cassie said.

"Okay, thanks, Cassie," said Jason. "Meet us over by the soda table."

Cassie nodded and headed away, but faltered and shuddered to a stop. She gasped as her pussy throbbed for a few more seconds before her sudden, phantom orgasm faded. Did Heather just cum? No, that wasn't from her, it ... oh my ...

"Something wrong, babe?" Ned called out.

Cassie shook her head and continued onward, though her cheeks were faintly pink.

Debby could not recall feeling more embarrassed. Her cheeks flaming, she pulled her hand out from under her panties, plucking a few tissues from her purse with her free hand.

She tried to tell herself that she was not used to so much raw sexual emotion coming at her with no way to block it. Pleasure had risen and retreated in Debby's pussy in sync with Heather, leaving her squirming and wet with unsatisfied need. After the fifteenth time it had become unbearable, and she had to finish it herself.

And still her pussy ached from Heather's unrequited lust.

She finally realized the true extent of the corruption at the school. She wanted to withdraw her daughter and home-school her for the remainder of her high school years, but she expected that Susan would never go for it. Susan was making friends again (the right friends this time), and ceased to be so self-centered. Debby did not want to risk spoiling her daughter's recovery.

Debby felt that some of the fault lay with her, that she had let Susan go down the wrong path. She was determined not to make the same mistake with the Harbingers. Despite what she had told Jason, she could not stop being a mother, and a mother had a responsibility to protect her children.

No one was in more need of protecting than Diane.

Debby understood her better now. Without the fog of Victor's forced reality, she could see things the other Harbingers could not.

Debby suspected that Diane's submissive tendencies were not quite this powerful before the Harbingers. With so many dominant personalities around her, she had little reason to break out of the mold. Victor had only to exploit that vulnerability and push her into the role of a full slave.

Freeing Diane would not be enough. She would require counseling if she wanted to avoid falling into the same trap again. Debby felt she was the only one of the Harbingers that had a chance of helping Diane without dominating her.

Cassie emerged from the crowd near the entrance and shuddered to a stop. At the door of the auditorium was Victor Mann.

Cassie had edged backwards when Victor saw her and smiled. Cassie's heart thumped, and she felt guilty that she had almost left Heather to face him alone. She mustered her courage and strode forward.

She arrived in time to hear the tail end of Heather's programmed spiel. "Very kind of you, Heather, but I have pledged not to interfere with Laura's little projects here at the school," replied Victor in a smooth and assured voice. "While I can guess what Laura would like me to say to trigger you, I have other business to conduct tonight." His eyes shifted to Cassie. "I am sure you know what."

Cassie said nothing. No words would come to her, and her throat was suddenly too dry.

"I do hope that Jason does not need another demonstration to convince him to yield the Book. I tire of such things, as I truly have no quibble with any of you."

Cassie realized she had to say something, or Victor might interpret the silence as disrespect or outright rebellion. "I'm sorry, Doctor Mann, I can't really speak on that subject since I don't directly control the Book."

Victor smiled as Heather gave Cassie an anxious look. "A splendidly politically correct answer. I applaud you. Very well, I will not spar with you. Please bring this back to Jason: He has a deadline of midnight tonight to give me the Book and the pendant. Because he has seen fit to delay so long, he has forfeited the right to do so on neutral ground. He must come to the old church at the east edge of town."

Heather's eyes widened. Cassie swallowed hard but otherwise kept her gaze level with Victor's.

"He is also to come alone. Anyone with him will be turned into obedient sex slaves and used without respite until daybreak. And if the Book is not returned to me, Cassie, then you, Heather, her sister Melinda, and Diane will be turned into sex toys for very likely the rest of your lives. You will certainly want to remain that way, since -- as I am sure Melinda has told you by now -- it can be a bit traumatic to come out of it when you have not been properly prepared to accept it as a way of life."

Grief blurred Cassie's eyes for a moment. Victor's words had confirmed how total the transformation was. Anyone taken into complete slavery by Victor could not be freed, as they had nothing to which to return. She understood New Gina's plight now.

"I will tell him," Cassie said, blinking away a tear.

"There is no reason to fear," said Victor. "I assure you, if Jason follows my instructions, he will leave the old church unscathed and untouched, and you will never see me again."

Cassie stepped to the side as Victor walked past. Heather came alongside her after Victor had disappeared into the crowd. "This is really going to screw everything up, isn't it?"

Cassie looked at the clock and forced herself back to an even emotional keel. "No, it means we have to move fast. Heather, as soon as your time is up, please go to Ms. Bendon and ask her to release you for tonight."

Heather sighed. "I don't know if I can. She wants something from me and I'm not quite sure what it is."

"Please, Heather, try. I hate asking this. I know how humiliating this is for you, but--"

Heather shrugged. She tried to look nonchalant and failed. "I'm getting used to it. I'm going to get a lot more from her in a week."

"Heather, after this is over, if we have any energy left, we can try to get you free from her."

"No, Cassie, please. Don't try to save me, okay?"

"We're not just going to let--!"

"Yes, you are!" Heather cried. "Please, Cassie, d-don't argue with me. In fact, I want you to promise me you won't try to free me from Ms. Bendon."

Cassie stared, stunned. "I can't promise that!"

"You have to. Please."

Cassie wanted to protest again until she saw -- and felt -- Heather's fear. The idea itself of rescue frightened her. Cassie could only guess that Ms. Bendon had threatened retaliation, but she was certain Heather would offer no explanation if asked.

She hated how this situation was forcing her to make more horrible compromises against her own sense of morality. "All right, I promise," she said in a small voice.

"Thank you." She looked up at the clock. "Ten minutes to go. If I have to dance one more time, I'm going to scream."

Heather turned away and headed back to the door. Cassie quelled a sob and plunged back into the crowd.

In a corner of the auditorium within sight of the entrance, a small lounge area had been set up for the faculty members that were attending the party. Laura sat with one leg crossed over the other, sipping a cup of coffee. As she lifted the cup to her lips, she peered through the steam at the confrontation between Victor, Heather, and Cassie.

She watched as Victor and Cassie left and Heather greeted another set of students at the door. Her lips curled into a sly smile as Heather began to dance for them.

She heard the chair next to her slide against the floor. Her attention remained undisturbed.

"Laura, I need to talk to you," said Terri.

"Talk," Laura said, her eyes still on Heather.

"Actually, this is more of a warning."

Laura raised an eyebrow, but still did not turn her head. "Oh?"

"If you are planning on crossing me tonight, you'd better reconsider it."

Laura paused to take a long sip of her coffee before she finally turned her head towards Terri. "I would appreciate it if you would exclude me from your paranoid fantasies."

Terri glared. "I am not paranoid. The Harbingers are planning something, and I would not put it past you to be collaborating with them."

Laura sighed. "You assume that I consider you a threat."

"Don't insult me, Laura."

Laura smiled. "You're the one that chose to interpret it as a comment about your competence, dear."

"Regardless, I have no intention of letting you renege on our deal."

"So that's what this is about? Really, Terri, the Harbingers are the last people I would use against you, were I so inclined." She took another sip of coffee.

"Well, make sure you are not so inclined, then. But this still does not absolve the Harbingers. They are planning something."

"Oh, I am sure they are," said Laura in a bored voice. "They're always planning some silly thing or another. Not that they succeed at it."

"Are you saying they've never been able to thwart your plans?"

"Yes, I can safely say that they have never thwarted my plans."

Terri nodded slowly. "Very well. I'll try not to worry about it."

"Good for you."

Terri frowned, then bolted from her seat and was gone.

Laura finished the last of her coffee and crushed the paper cup in her fist. "Stupid girl," she muttered. She looked towards Heather again and smirked. She supposed there was a grain of truth in what Terri had said. She was not using the Harbingers against Terri, but she was enabling them.

Or would enable them, if Heather did what Laura wanted of her.

Laura stood and strode over to the auditorium entrance just as the latest arrivals left Heather behind. She found Heather a panting, horny, wet mess as she had wished. Heather turned at Laura's approach, eyes glistening.

"Five more minutes, my sweet little harem girl," Laura cooed, stroking Heather's cheek. "Then come find me backstage."

Heather whimpered and trembled at Laura's touch, her pussy rising once more until Laura's hand dropped away.

"You're almost there. You have another five minutes to make it the rest of the way if you want to help your friends tonight."

"Dammit," Jason muttered.

"Ya know, I kinda expected this," Ned said. "An' I think it proves I was right, that the dude's 'fraid of us."

"We can't let him do this!" Melinda cried. "Cassie, can't you break Gina free now? Maybe it will force Victor to--"

"I need time to prepare," Cassie said. "And I'm going to be needed to help all of you with Ms. Hollis. I won't be able to do anything until we get that far."

"Yeah, Melinda, remember how she kinda conked out on us when she was communin' with her," Ned said.

"But then we won't have her if we go against Victor!" Melinda said.

"Cassie will be fightin' him in Gina's noggin. He's gonna hafta deal with that and us at the same time."

Cassie shuddered. "I don't even know how I'm going to fight him. I'm hoping Gina will do most of the fighting herself."

"Look, enough with all the fucking talk," Richie said. "Let's just go nail the bitch now!"

"We need all of us to make sure we pull this off," Jason said.

"We need to get Ms. Hollis alone," Cassie said.

Jason nodded. "I know. I'll go find Mr. Seeger."

"Seeger?!" Richie cried. "What the fuck is he gonna do?"

"He's the only one that could get Ms. Hollis to leave the auditorium."

"Like Ms. Bendon's gonna let him do that."

"She will. Heather told me she, um, has an arrangement with Ms. Bendon."

"Uh, dude?" Ned said. "Ain't that like sayin' the chickens have an arrangement with the fox?"

"It makes sense, Ned, when you think about it," said Jason. "Ms. Bendon works only for herself. She's willing to let us take Ms. Hollis out of the way for her."

"Crap, that really sticks in my craw now that we gotta be helpin' the Principal of Darkness at the same time."

"Heather's time is almost up. Let me go find Seeger and arrange things with him. Everybody wait here."

Heather's ears were ringing as she stepped backstage after passing in front of one of the stereo speakers, and thus did not hear the slide of the curtain drawn closed behind her. She was startled when she turned her head and saw Laura suddenly standing behind her.

Laura slipped a hand around Heather's side and cupped one of her breasts through the costume. Heather rewarded with a shudder and a ragged sigh through parted lips.

"Are you all nice and wet for me now?" Laura purred. Her hand slid off Heather's breast and over her belly. "Are you all hot and horny?" She draped her hand over Heather's mound. Heather shivered as Laura whispered into her ear, "Are you ready to give yourself completely to me?"

Heather's pussy rose, strained, and stayed. She whimpered, her weakened legs bending at the knees. Laura reached under Heather's costume and hooked her fingers under the panties. Heather gasped and trembled as the fabric peeled away from her soaked mound, the heady aroma of her own arousal rising to her nose and making her squirm with need.

Laura let the panties drop down Heather's legs and fall around her ankles. She stepped back, smiling as Heather sank first to her knees, then to all fours, panting hard. Her hips writhed in a mad, futile dance to coax her pussy towards orgasm.

Laura turned on her heel, her crisp steps carrying her towards the other end of the backstage area. She sat down upon a stool, leveled her gaze at Heather, and waited.

Heather spread her knees apart in a vain effort to relieve the pressure. Only a flimsy curtain stood between her and the rest of the auditorium. Anyone that walked in would have a view of Heather's wet pussy swelling between her thighs. If it were a guy -- any guy -- she would have begged for him to fuck her.

Heather wanted to stand up. She wanted go to her Mistress on her own feet. But that would mean doing it on her own terms. That was not what Laura wanted of her slave.

Heather crawled forward on her hands and knees, kicking her panties free of her ankles. Each movement made her strain at the edge of orgasm again.

"Better," Laura said in a husky voice. "Oh, so much better."

Heather wasn't being controlled, save for her pussy; Laura was letting her do this of her own will.

"A slave has to have devotion, you see," Laura said. Heather heard a creak from the floorboards under the stool, then a slide of clothing against skin. "Oh, I can take your mind and program devotion into you, but that's more work than I want to do."

Heather was shaking when she reached the foot of the stool. Her pussy pulsed with her pounding heart in a mockery of orgasm.

She heard something fall softly to the floor. "Not that I don't like controlling you. I'll make you do and feel all sorts of interesting things." Heather heard another gentle fall. "Now, slave, look up."

Heather lifted her eyes. Laura's damp pussy beckoned.

"You have something to beg of me now. Make sure it's the right thing."

Heather shuddered. She stared at Laura's glistening folds. "P-please, Mistress," Heather said in a strained, shaky voice. "Please let your slave lick your pussy."

"And what of your own poor, needy cunt, slave?"

"I ... i-it doesn't matter, Mistress," Heather said, voice and body both shaking.

"Very good," Laura said. "That's right. It's not your pleasure that's important, it's mine. Yes, slave, of course you may lick me."

Heather drew herself up on her knees as Laura spread her legs. Heather leaned forward, moving slowly but with no hesitation, until her tongue and lips touched Laura's wet flesh.

Heather felt something like a mild electric shock spark through her body as she began to lick Laura's clit. She moaned into Laura's mound as her body flushed hot. Her tongue invaded deeper, lapping hard and fast, drawing out more of Laura's wetness and sliding up over her clit.

Laura let out a slow, lusty moan. "God, you really are so good at this. Now you live for the privilege of tasting my pussy."

Tendrils of Darkness slithered into Heather's mind. Whatever resistance she could offer vanished in light of the needs of her fellow Harbingers and her sister's safety. Dark power shaped her desires until she no longer sought escape. She had surrendered herself to Laura's control, and now she had no way out on her own.

She had finally given Laura what she wanted.

Laura smiled through the growing pleasure and molded Heather's desires further. Thinking about Laura's pussy would make her horny, and thinking about it too long without the real thing to lick would drive her to near climax without ever cumming. Now Heather licked and sucked with wild, panting enthusiasm, her hips squirming with need that would be unbearable if she were not focused on tending to her Mistress.

Laura tossed her head back and gasped. She gripped the stool and moaned as her pussy throbbed. She panted as Heather kept licking, drawing out her orgasm until she finally commanded, "Stop!"

Heather drew back, shuddered, and cried out. Her pussy gushed as sweet orgasmic pleasure crashed over her body and fogged her mind. Laura slipped further inside Heather's psyche but did not take everything. She did not want a mindless puppet. She wanted Heather to know she was enslaved. She wanted Heather to remember that she had submitted to it herself.

Heather's climax faded, leaving her drained, aching, and obedient.

Laura stood and picked up her panties and jeans. "You may go now, slave, and help your friends. I have no further obligations for you tonight."

Heather slowly stood. She gave Laura a look devoid of any lingering defiance. "Thank you, Mistress."

"New Gina" sat in the doorway of the Dreamverse, her legs crossed under her, her gaze rapt. The words of the girl from the past had enchanted her, every story from Stephanie's life riveting and captivating.

Finally, Stephanie sighed and leaned against her own doorway, folding her arms. "I can't believe this isn't boring you silly."

Gina blinked, as if coming out of a spell. "Why would I find it boring?"

"My life was not real exciting," said Stephanie. She sighed and glanced back at the void beyond her cell. It had encroached upon her cage again, the bars appearing like gauze. "The only thing great about it was that it was my life, that I actually had one."

Gina stood up. "And I never had one. That's what makes anything from your life special to me."

Stephanie managed a tiny smile. "I'm glad my boring life finally served a purpose, then."

Gina tilted her head as she gazed at Stephanie with a curious look.

"What?" Stephanie asked.

"You're acting different from when I saw you before. I mean, when the real Gina saw you. You seem more ... well, more mature."

"Presence works in odd ways."

"Huh? Presence?"

"It's how I manifested outside my body. Usually only dead people can do it. Well, the spirits of dead people that is. It has to do with the lines of energy that run under Haven. I can sort of project a piece of myself along them. Well, used to, anyway. It has limitations. The only part of me I could send came from my memories, and they all stopped at sixteen."

"Used to?" Gina asked.

"I gave a lot of my power to Cassie." Stephanie paused. She turned her head as if to look at the void again but stopped herself. "I'm not going to need it anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Stephanie shook her head. "It really doesn't matter."

Gina clung to the frame of her door. "I'm not going to see you again after tonight, am I?"

Stephanie's eyes were liquid. "No, Gina, you're not. No one will."

Gina swallowed. "I don't know if I can do this without you."

"I've just shown you what a real life can be like. I never thought my life was all that great, but you seem to think it's the coolest thing. Gina -- the real Gina -- can have all that. You won't need me anymore if you can get free of Victor."

"I have to offer something better than what Victor is offering her," Gina said. "She knows only what I've shown her, and I've had to keep that hidden."

"Cassie will help you," Stephanie said. "You have to trust that she will. That's why I called out to her and gave her my power."

Gina wrapped her arms about herself. "Stephanie, I'm scared. I'm scared I won't be able to stand up to Victor's presence. I'm scared that I'll just be snuffed out."

Stephanie shuddered. Her eyes grew misty.

"I wish you could be with me," Gina said. "I wish you could stand alongside me when I ... Stephanie, what's wrong?"

Stephanie sniffled. "N-Nothing, I'm fine. Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself."

"I am worried about myself, which is why I want all the help I can get. I won't get a second chance at this."

Stephanie stared back into her cell, a place she had no choice but to call home for twenty-one years. Existence with only one purpose: to stop Victor from doing this again. Nothing remained for her if that was achieved, and living on was pointless if it failed. Either way, she faced her end.

Her eyes strained as she peered into the void, trying to find something that was once hers beyond the emptiness. She found nothing. Yet what everyone called "Lydia" was once a body that belonged to her. She felt as horrified abandoning it -- even as it became no more than an empty husk -- as she did staying and letting it carry her into death.

Stephanie turned to face Gina again. Streaks of tears shone on her face. She stepped forward and across the threshold, leaving her prison for the first time in over two decades. A ragged sigh of equal parts exhilaration and relief could barely express her feelings.

Stephanie crossed the gap. The "floor" was like soft pillows against her bare feet. The pastels that swirled about the Dreamverse hurt her eyes at first, as her incarceration had left her bereft of such things as color and light. Her cautious walk became a dash as she crossed the threshold into Gina's mind and into Gina's tight embrace.

"Oh God, thank you," Gina cried. "You have no idea what this means to me."

"Actually, I think I do," said Stephanie, her eyes blurring with tears.

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