Chương 65: Chapter 63 - Pleasure Treasure

Kira The Lord Commander let out a long sigh.

"Dame Kira." He dragged the usual chair across the stone floor and set it down outside the containment cell before taking a seat. The scraping sound made her jaw clench.

"Twice in one day," he said, impressed.

"That's a new record."

"Fuck you," she spat. The insult didn't seem to bother him. He folded his hands together and regarded her calmly through the bars.

"You're such a polite girl when you're not enraged. Why do you insist on behaving like this?" Kira crossed her arms and glared at him. The hatred she felt toward the man was immediate and absolute. She wanted him gone. She wanted them all gone. She wanted everyone to stop telling her how to behave while they stood around judging her every mistake. The Lord Commander waited a few moments before continuing.

"There's no question about your skill as a knight. Your dedication to your training is years above where you should be. Your devotion to the church is commendable. Most initiates would kill to have your potential." His expression hardened.

"But your anger, Kira. It makes you worthless to the order." The word struck her oddly. Worthless? Slowly, something in her expression shifted. The fury that had been burning inside her moments ago seemed distant. It was like waking from a dream and struggling to remember what had been so important only moments ago. She looked around the containment chamber, noticing the cracked stone wall and overturned stool. Then her eyes went wide.

"Oh gods." She immediately dropped to one knee.

"Lord Commander, I am so sorry for how I've acted." He studied her for a moment.

"Your anger reached its end. How long have you been down here?" Kira kept her gaze lowered.

"An hour. Maybe two. I… I'm not sure, sir."

"Longer than I thought." He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

"Perhaps your enraged self is still in there, listening and will gain something from this. I've brought a guest today." Kira frowned.

"A guest?" The Lord Commander rose from his chair.

"You are approaching your fourteenth birthday. The church has tolerated these outbursts because of your age and talent, but that patience is not limitless. If you cannot learn to control your anger by the time you turn fifteen, you will be considered a liability." A cold chill ran up Kira's back. The Lord Commander lifted one boot and struck the stone floor twice. The door behind him opened and a woman stepped inside. She appeared older than the Lord Commander but not by much.

Her clothing was expensive, though not noble, and she wore a smile that never seemed to reach her eyes. It was the sort of smile people wore when they knew something unpleasant and enjoyed watching others discover it.

"Mmm," the woman purred as she looked Kira over.

"So this is her."

"Madame Pink," the Lord Commander said, "this is Dame Kira. She has until her fifteenth birthday to learn control. If she fails, the church will sell her to you. Please explain what that means." For the first time, genuine fear crept into Kira's expression. Madame Pink's smile widened.

"Certainly." She approached the bars of the cell and rested one hand against them.

"Dame Kira, I own several brothels in the District of Mal. If the church determines that you are more trouble than you are worth, ownership of you will transfer to me." Kira's eyes opened wide at that revelation. Madame Pink continued speaking, her voice pleasant and conversational, as though discussing the weather rather than a young girl's future. She explained exactly what life in one of her establishments would entail. The men Kira would serve. The expectations placed upon her. The punishments for refusal.

The fact that every hour of every day would belong to someone else. By the time Madame Pink finished, Kira's hands were trembling. She had faced armed criminals and sparred against training partners twice her size. Neither of them had ever frightened her. This did, though. For the first time in her life, Kira understood what it meant to truly be afraid. Chelsea Nothing happened. Chelsea continued staring at Adriane, waiting for something dramatic to occur. A burst of power. A strange sensation. Anything.

Instead, her body simply moved.

"Hello?" her voice asked. The sound startled Chelsea. It was her voice, but not her words. She hadn't said 'Hello.' If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Adriane remained surprisingly calm.

"Hello." Chelsea's hand rose into view. The movement was smooth and deliberate. The fingers flexed once before turning over. For the first time, Chelsea noticed her claws were gone. Well not… gone. They were more like long fingernails instead of… claws. Her hand looked completely human.

"My name is Celeste," her mouth said.

"I can control my body." Chelsea immediately disliked that wording. Celeste rose from the bed without using her hands. Her tail snapped behind her, planted against the floor, and pushed. The movement launched her smoothly to her feet. Chelsea was stunned. She had never even considered using her tail that way.

"You're Adriane Wixx."

"I am," Adriane replied.

"How do you feel about me?" Celeste laughed softly. The sound carried no warmth whatsoever.

"I grew up hearing horror stories about the Wixx. You confirmed those stories quite nicely when you pinned me to a tree for over fifteen minutes."

"The person controlling your body now understands why I did that."

"She also had the privilege of passing out. I didn't. I felt every inch of my skin being peeled off while you pretended to cry and whine. Oh woe is me I'm the fucked up big sister who absolutely has to torture a child while screaming how much you love her. You're fucking sick. And you believe demons are monsters? Look in a mirror. You might not have horns of fangs, but you are more monster than I will ever be. Oh!" Chelsea noticed the word. It felt natural. It was a Chelsea-ism.

Maybe she was rubbing off on Celeste subconsciously?

"You know she can hear us right now?" Celeste asked with a smirk.

"That's good to know," Adriane replied calmly, not letting the words get to her. Celeste folded her arms.

"Chelsea is an ignorant child who has been wandering blindly through situations she doesn't understand. She doesn't know the history of the Wixx. She doesn't know what your family has done to demons. She doesn't know how many of my kind died because of your sire's ambitions and blind hatred. She doesn't know the innocent children you have massacred" Adriane's expression hardened slightly. Celeste noticed and smiled. It was not a Chelsea smile.

"She thinks being a demon in the Wixx family is some cute charming little adventure." Her eyes narrowed.

"She doesn't understand what would happen if my people learn their demon princess is living under a Wixx roof. Wars have started over much less." For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Celeste turned away entirely. Her gaze landed on the tiny treasure chest sitting on the desk. The strange object sat exactly where Chelsea had left it. Without asking permission, Celeste crossed the room. Chelsea watched with growing curiosity as her body picked up the miniature chest.

Celeste turned it over in her hands, inspecting every side.

"Huh. Never had one before." Celeste mumbled. Then, to Chelsea's horror, Celeste opened the front of her skirt, dropped the tiny treasure chest into her undergarments, and patted the front of her waist. Chelsea was horrified. Adriane on the other hand didn't move a muscle. She simply watched Celeste. Celeste ignored her completely. She crossed back toward Adriane and sat down on the bed. Again, she used her tail in ways Chelsea had never imagined.

The appendage curled beneath her and shifted her weight effortlessly. Chelsea suddenly felt like she'd been given a third arm and never bothered learning how to use it.

"Interesting," Adriane said.

"What is?"

"The tail thing." Celeste looked genuinely confused.

"What about it?"

"Chelsea doesn't do any of that."

"Of course she doesn't." The disdain in her voice was very evident.

"She's had my tail for less than a month." Before Adriane could reply, control suddenly snapped back. Chelsea nearly fell off the bed.

"Oh!" Title Earned: With Multiple Personalities Chelsea stared at the notification. Then she brightened.

"Hey, free title!"

"Chels?" Adriane asked.

"Yep. I'm back." Adriane let out a breath.

"You heard all of that?"

"Every word." Chelsea immediately stood and tried using her tail to push herself upward. Nothing happened. She nearly tipped over.

"How did she do that?" Adriane laughed.

"That's what you're focused on?"

"Adriane, she turned my tail into a chair, a spring, and a third leg."

"Oh!" Chelsea reached into her skirt and retrieved the little treasure chest. She swore she saw it open a bit before snapping shut. She set it down on the bed next to her.

"She was kind of awful to you." Chelsea said quietly.

"I'm sorry." Chelsea leaned back and sighed.

"I was hoping she'd be nice."

"She's a demon. They aren't really nice." Chelsea thought for a moment. Then she shrugged.

"I still want to be friends with her." Adriane stared at her.

"Why?"

"Because if I spent my whole life trapped in somebody else's head, I'd probably be grumpy too." Adriane opened her mouth.

"So what is this thing?" Chelsea grabbed the treasure chest and held it up. Everyone seems to know what it is but me. Adriane's face went slightly pink as it was held up towards her.

"It's a… Larvae."

"A larvae? It's just a little wooden treasure chest." Chelsea argued looking the little box over.

"It's a mimic larvae." Adriane finished.

"You probably didn't have mimics. They are monsters that hide in plain sight. They can change their form to look like mundane objects. But they actually want to attract people for food so they appear as treasure chests, usually."

"Ok, why does everyone keep acting weird around it?" She looked down at the little box. It was kind of cute now that she knew it was a tiny baby monster.

"It's like a little venus human trap."

"Mimic larvae don't grow their teeth for years. So…They are basically just a giant tongue and eyes on the inside." Adriane finished the last bit quietly. Chelsea stared at her and finally shrugged.

"Ok, and? Why is everyone so weird?"

"Many women use them as… um…"

"Oh my gods!" Chelsea finally got it.

"They are used as sex toys!?" She yelled.

"No, no, no." She started petting the little box.

"Nothing like that will ever happen to you little guy… Or girl."

"It's perfectly fine." Adriane said.

"It's actually something they can grow off o…"

"Adriane! It's a baby! That's disgusting!" She held the little creature closer and stroked it's little… head?"

"I'm going to call you… wait. How do I tell if it's male or female?" She looked up at Adriane. A shrug is all Chelsea got in return.

"Fine… genderless name it is. Umm Velvety? No that's stupid. Goldie Locks?" She laughed.

"No. Chestity? Sounds like a stripper. And too feminine." Then Chelsea burst out laughing.

"Looty Call? Nooo." She tilted her head, staring at the little box. Looty Call Wixx?" She looked up at Adriane.

"Can you adopt it?"

"I'm not adopting that thing." Adriane replied with mild disgust on her face.

"Fine. An honorary Wixx it is. Looty Wixx for short." The lid to the box opened a fraction of an inch before shutting again quickly.

"Looty Call Wixx." She whispered while petting it's lid.