16: The Hottest Tea-Party
Chloe stood in the shadows with her eyes downcast, waiting for one of the guests to ask for a drink. She was wearing her uniform, a blue bunny girl costume, as prescribed by her employer. She thought the outfit was super cute by now, but she still hated it. It did little to hide her body and she could feel the eyes of the six men at the poker table piercing her regularly. Her boss was one of them and smiled every time he looked over at her. Chloe hadn't really wanted to take the job in the first place, but since she had to pay the rent and was determined to make everything possible for her little sister, she had little choice. Chloe had even been lucky that her boss hadn't simply thrown her out after she had been forced to overstay her vacation. Admittedly, her stay at the Bondage Hotel had been more pleasant than that of her friends, but it had still been a back-breaking job swimming through the aquarium every day until Kim released her in the evening. To make up for the missed hours, her boss offered Chloe to work an extra shift. At his house. With all his shady friends.
"Bunny, another bottle!" one of them ordered gruffly, waving an empty beer bottle around.
"Right away," Chloe said hurriedly and went into the kitchen with her little silver tray to get a new bottle from the fridge. Chloe placed it on the tray and took it back to the poker table. Her high heels clattered across the parquet floor and resounded in her boss's loft.
"Here my master," she said kindly and without showing her true feelings. Chloe put the tray down on the table and opened the bottle for him.
"Thanks Bunny," he said and tried to reach out to pull her towards him, but Chloe deftly sidestepped him and went back to her dark corner.
"So guys, how about we call it a night," Chloe's boss said, beckoning his employee over, "Bunny, would you be a dear and deal the last few rounds? If I have a good hand, I'll give you tomorrow off."
Chloe immediately turned around and picked up the deck of cards. The chance of a day's paid leave after the long night was certainly a tempting offer.
"But we're not going to cheat, are we?" laughed one of the men, but Chloe just smiled and sat down on the only free stool. She immediately felt everyone's eyes on her breasts, which were almost bouncing out of the blue costume. She shuffled the cards and was about to deal when one of the men put his hand on the deck.
"How about you play with us for the last few rounds, dear?" he asked and suddenly everyone in the room started smiling, except Chloe.
"I'm afraid I don't have the money to play with you," she said apologetically, looking at the huge piles of money in front of the players.
"What, the old bastard doesn't pay you properly?" the man laughed and the others joined in, "You could bet your costume, couldn't you?"
The grin widened and Chloe blushed. No matter how she had imagined the evening, she hadn't expected this. Her boss laughed and said, "Good idea. You win and get a day off and the money, but if we win…" he said, dropping the last one but winking at her. Not exactly reassuring, Chloe thought. She wondered if she should just get up, but she didn't know how her boss would react if she refused. Chloe let her eyes wander across the table. Winning here now would directly pay her upcoming rent. With a little help from her old card tricks, it would be a simple undertaking, even if Ifry wouldn't like to hear it. Chloe cleared her throat and put back on the smile that had been on her lips all evening.
"Agreed," Chloe said simply, shuffled the deck once more and dealt out the cards. The men looked at the cards and began to throw money into the middle in turn until all eyes were on Chloe again. She looked at her hand and grimaced briefly before looking up quickly. Chloe put on a smile, pulled the headband with the bunny ears out of her blonde hair and placed it symbolically on the table.
"I raise, all-in," she said, which earned her a few confused looks, "What, you think I'm going to go bare naked already?"
Her fellow players immediately blushed, even her boss, who was surrounded by beautiful women every day, was not spared. Chloe stretched out her arm for the bottle of beer she had just brought to the groper and took a sip.
"Or do you think my skin is worth that little?" she asked with a pout. The men immediately threw the remaining bills into the round until all the money was in the middle of the table and everyone announced their all-in. They turned over their cards and some of them slapped their foreheads when they saw the others' hands. At the sight of Chloe's cards, however, they couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Looks like you misjudged a bit, Bunny. "A two and a six won't get you that far," said her boss, who had two aces.
"Uhh, I guess that's true," Chloe said worriedly and with a furrowed brow over the jeers of the men, "oh well, let's get it over with."
Chloe placed five cards on the table and turned them over in one motion. Everyone immediately fell silent when they saw that Chloe had a straight flush.
"What…?" Chloe's boss asked, alternately staring at Chloe and her cards.
"Oh ha," Chloe said in surprise and she felt the temperature in the room suddenly drop five degrees as the men scowled at her. Carefully and slowly, she fished the bunny ears out of the pile of money and put them on.
"Congratulations Bunny," her boss said grudgingly and stood up. His friends did the same and left his loft, one by one. Chloe, meanwhile, pretended to be overwhelmed by her victory and stared at the mountain of money. Her boss appeared in the doorway and threw her sports bag at her. She caught it just in time before it hit her head.
"Pack up your winnings and get out," he barked at her gruffly.
There was a knock on Chloe's bedroom door and she sleepily opened one of her eyelids.
"Hey Kim," Chloe said softly, blinking up at her little sister.
"Morning Chloe, I just wanted to say that I'm going to school and then I'm off with Luke… did you work late again last night?"
"Yeah. I don't want to live on the edge of Fahlen Plaza forever."
"Please don't wear yourself out. I can go to work too," Kim said worriedly, but Chloe shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. I made some money last night. I don't have to work overtime anymore, so enjoy your time with Luke. I got today off too, so I'm going to give myself a little time off too."
"Mmh, if you say so," Kim said and was about to close the door, but she hesitated. She seemed to have something on her mind.
" Come on, spit it out," Chloe murmured and smiled encouragingly at her little sister. Kim immediately blushed, but shook her head to collect herself.
"Can I borrow your ropes? Luke and I want to try it out again," she whispered barely audibly. Chloe giggled briefly.
"Of course. The bag's in the closet," she said, starting to yawn loudly as Kim went to the closet to get the bag out. She waved goodbye to her sister and left Chloe's room. Chloe turned around once more before snuggling into her blanket. She let her mind wander and thought about what exactly she wanted to do today. Just sitting around at home was too boring for her. She was just about to give in to sleep again when Kim pulled the front door firmly into the lock and there was a loud rumble. Chloe opened her eyes. She was wide awake now and growled in annoyance. Her blanket flew aside and Chloe let herself slide out of her bed. She closed her eyes and stretched with pleasure.
"What can I do today?" she wondered aloud and opened her eyes. Her mirror showed the young blonde dressed in nothing but her panties and a loose white shirt. She bit her lower lip as she remembered that behind the mirror was the bag with her winnings from last night. Her rent was as good as paid, but what should she do with the rest?
"I can think about that later, but first I want to enjoy my day off… maybe Vanessa has the day off too," she said hopefully and pulled out her cell phone. Vanessa was an old colleague from the Firefly café, where she had worked for a short time. Chloe had really liked it there, but unfortunately the owner hadn't been able to hire her long-term.
Chloe: Hey Vanessa, I haven't heard from you in a while
Vanessa: I could tell you the same thing :D
Vanessa: What's new?
Chloe thought about what to say. Telling Vanessa about her kidnapping was perhaps not the best way to start off
Chloe: Phew, a lot. Not so fun either actually, but that's more something we should discuss in private. Are you free today by any chance? I'd love to take you out for a meal
Vanessa: Mmmh unfortunately today is bad, I have to work now and tonight I already have a date with a friend. I'm sorry
Chloe: Oh no problem, it was a shot in the dark anyway, haha. Then maybe again these days and have fun <3
Vanessa: Thank you, you too <3
Chloe's gaze wandered back to her wardrobe, where the money was.
"Pull yourself together! That's for emergencies, you fool." She reprimanded herself and shook her head.
What could I do today? She thought about it and her favorite hobby immediately popped into Chloe's head: bondage. Unfortunately, Kim had just taken her ropes and restraints with her. So she had to think of an alternative. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and thought about how she could satisfy her lust. Chloe looked at her various bondage costumes, swimsuits and the latex suit she had been given on her first visit to C&T.
"Not enough, but a good start… C&T… the forest."
Chloe began to grin as she remembered what her demonic friend Ifry and the elf Rilliana had told her about the forest. They had tried to paint it as dangerous, but Rilliana was a ridiculously bad liar. Her eyes had shone longingly when she had told them about all the "dangers" that lurked deep and off the beaten track in the forest.
"Rilliana told me I should go into the forest more often."
She threw her shirt on her bed and pulled her favorite spandex suit out of her closet. Chloe held it up to her body briefly and she bit her bottom lip as it grazed her body. The C&T products always made her skin tingle. She sat down on her bed and pulled the suit up her smooth legs. The black fabric felt like silk and clung tightly to her body. Chloe pulled it over her hips and tucked her arms into the sleeves before zipping it up in the back. She was about to grab her car keys and head straight for the woods when she remembered that it was broad daylight and maybe she should put something on over it.
A simple shirt and a pair of jeans should do the trick. She thought about it and hid the spandex suit under her normal clothes.
"Time for a little bondage adventure!"
Chloe drummed on her steering wheel. The cursed forest lay before her again, and she stared nervously at the path into its interior. The idea had sounded good at home, but now that she was so close to actually going back into the forest, she was getting cold feet. What if she got caught by Ifry again and she didn't believe her that she was just trying to have a bit of fun? Chloe shook her head and opened the car door.
"What are they going to do? Put a steel belt on me again? Just because I want to have a bit of fun?" she asked out loud and got out. She grabbed her gym bag and locked her car. Chloe was open to anything the forest might throw at her, except spiders. While Chloe wasn't afraid of them, and some of them were quite cute, she didn't have much desire to hang around in a pit or web until Ifry came and freed her. Chloe shook her head and headed for the forest path. The path meandered between the trees and Chloe thought she recognized the tree that led to Celine's clearing. Or so she thought. But Chloe didn't want to risk actually breaking into the company grounds or falling down another cliff, so she left the path at another point. A slight slope opened up for her and she slid carefully down it. When she reached the bottom, Chloe looked around nervously. She couldn't see the inhabitants of the forest anywhere, nor any other visitors from Leon City. She slipped her shirt over her head and her pants followed suit. Chloe stowed both items of clothing in her sports bag, and she was now standing all alone in the forest in a skin-tight spandex catsuit. Chloe attached a Velcro pocket to her thigh, where she had hidden her cell phone and a small knife in case she fell victim to the spider webs again. The cell phone would automatically text her friends if she couldn't free herself by tonight and send her location.
"Better safe than sorry," she muttered and tied a red cloth around the tree she was standing by. She placed her sports bag underneath and covered it with leaves and branches so that not everyone could see that someone had left their clothes behind.
"So, where are my adventures hiding?" Chloe called out into the empty forest, but no one answered her. Luckily, otherwise she would have made her way back immediately. Chloe walked carefully under the trees, watching her steps carefully. She actually managed to avoid the odd pitfall from the eight-legged beasts. Chloe also kept looking up and occasionally thought she saw the melon-sized spiders.
"How the hell did I survive so many traps when it was night," she muttered, dodging an almost invisible spider web that hung between two trees in front of her, glistening in the light of the sun. She shook her head and continued walking through the forest in search of anything that could satisfy her bondage lust.
"I wonder what Ifry is doing right now?" Chloe wondered aloud to herself, licking her lips as she saw some of the creepers. Perhaps a good place to start.
"She's working in her restaurant," Chloe heard a female voice say above her and she whirled around, scanning the trees.
"Who's there!" shouted Chloe, drawing her knife and covering her body as best she could with her other hand. Although the spandex suit covered everything except her head and hands, she felt extremely defenseless at the moment.
"An angel," the voice said curtly, with a playful undertone, and Chloe thought she saw a figure sitting among the leaves.
"Show yourself! And don't do anything stupid! I… I'm armed!" Chloe shouted and held the knife out towards the leaves, wavering.
"Nope."
"What do you mean, nope?"
"You're armed, why should I come out?" the voice asked and Chloe didn't know the answer, "I think I'll take it off you, then we can have a proper chat!"
All of a sudden, Chloe's alarm bells rang and her body told her to run away. Something powerful was sitting up there in the tree and was about to pounce on her. Chloe stumbled back in panic, whirled around and sprinted off. She jumped over one of the spider holes just in time. All she needed now was to fall into the trap of the eight-legged creatures. She was preparing to land when her wrists were snatched out of the air and she was jerked upwards.
"Hey, let go of me!" Chloe shrieked and looked up, but there was no one there. Startled, she realized that the usually slow tendrils of the creepers had grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. The tendril holding her right hand snaked up to her hand and pushed the knife out of her grasp. It dropped down and stuck vertically in the forest floor. Chloe tried her hardest to free herself from the vines, as these plants were not normally strong, but the creature… the angel seemed to strengthen them. More vines snaked around her body and wrapped around her legs. Her arms were folded behind her head, immobilizing her head so she could only look straight ahead.
"Let go of me, damn it!" Chloe shouted again as she heard wings flapping and the creature landed behind her.
"Aren't you the thief who almost brought about the downfall of my kingdom?" the angel asked and Chloe blinked.
"Please, what?" she asked. The tendrils spun her in the air and she saw a blonde woman in front of her, with a patchy black in her hair. A horn grew from her head and a halo shone above it with a warming light. Chloe recognized her from her last adventure with Celine, even if she had only seen the woman from a distance.
"You're Princess Phaelynia!" she called out and the woman giggled.
"Yaaay, you recognize me! But my real name is actually Phaelyn or Phae, that's what my friends call me!" she said, spinning around to show Chloe her gorgeous baby blue hoodie and white skirt.
"Are you really an angel?" Chloe asked incredulously and Phaelyn nodded, "Then what are you doing here in the forest? And why are you working for a company like C&T?"
"Short answer. Because I get really bored when Ifry's not at home! Working for Celine is fun and playing around here is fun too!" said Phaelyn, "You're here because you're bored too, aren't you?"
"Well… yes? Wait, you're living with Ifry? You're THE girlfriend… a demon lives under the same roof as an angel!" said Chloe, astonished.
"Hehe, that's right!" said Phaelyn and, as if by magic, she began to hover to get to Chloe's eye level and looked deep into the blonde's eyes.
"So, you're here to have a good time? Shall we have some fun together? Maybe Ifry will allow you to spend the night with us and we can have some more fun like you did with Celine. Please say yes," the angel said excitedly, bobbing up and down in anticipation. Chloe gulped, the angel seemed very friendly, but still Chloe had the feeling that Phaelyn could pulverize her with a mere thought. And you don't turn down a request like that.
"Um, right? What were you thinking about?" Chloe asked hesitantly, but had to smile when she saw the angel's sparkling eyes.
"Hehe," Phaelyn giggled slyly, "That!"
She turned Chloe back to the front and the blonde frowned when she saw nothing. Then a shimmer between two trees and she turned pale.
"Um, Phaelyn I don't think that…"
"Three, two, one, GO!" the angel interrupted her and the tendrils threw Chloe in a high arc towards the trees. Chloe didn't even have time to raise her hands in front of her face before she was stuck in the spiraling spider web she had just circled. It stretched outwards under her momentum, but held firm and swung back with her. Chloe was now stuck right in the middle of it and looked around nervously for the spiders.
"Yaaay hundred points… Are you alright?" asked Phaelyn worriedly as she saw Chloe's face and guiltily floated over to her.
"No, not really, last time in the forest I didn't exactly have the best experience with the beasts… oh shit." Chloe cursed quietly as her voice faltered and she saw one of the spiders crawling towards her. It was blue in color and had fluffy fur. The spider looked at Chloe intently, but it seemed to be waiting for something.
"Oh, um, you don't have to worry…" Phaelyn said quietly and held out her hand to the spider, which climbed up and sat on her shoulder. Chloe's mouth fell open, but she saw the angel's disappointed face and quickly pulled herself together.
"They obey you?"
"Well, a little, they're super nice, but they still won't do my laundry," Phaelyn said with a shrug.
"Do you want me to get you out of there?" asked Phaelyn, but Chloe shook her head.
"If they're nice, then um… I'll allow them to wrap me up… for once. Ever since I saw a friend wrapped in the threads, I've wondered what it feels like," Chloe said hesitantly and immediately Phaelyn's face lit up anew.
"Yay! You won't regret it! It's super cozy and as soon as Ifry finds us, we're having a slumber party!"
"Wait, find us?" asked Chloe before Phaelyn threw herself against the spider's web, right next to Chloe on the other side so they were looking past each other. The spider hopped off Phaelyn's shoulder at the last moment and immediately began its work. It switched sides and approached the nervous Chloe. A purple liquid dripped from its teeth.
"Phaelyn!" screeched Chloe.
"Stop!" the angel shouted and the spider looked up at her, "Start with me so she can see you're harmless and forgo the anesthetic. I want someone to talk to."
Chloe thought she saw the spider raise her little arms as if to say, okay boss, have it your way, and to her amazement the spider began to wrap around the angel. She put Phaelyn's legs together and let silk shoot out of her butt. She wrapped her bare feet first and worked her way up. Once at her waist, the spider paused and took the angel's hands and pressed them to her side before continuing, giving the angel a slim waist. Her upper body and head followed suit, and in no time all Chloe could see was Phaelyn's mouth and eyes.
"Wow," was all Chloe could say, and Phaelyn grinned.
"Thank you little spider, Chloe, are you ready?" she asked and Chloe swallowed and looked up at the spider who was calmly waiting for Phaelyn's command.
"A… but slowly… please." the blonde mumbled. The spider nodded as if it had understood and crawled to Chloe's side. She could feel the hairs stroking her catsuit and she had to pull herself together not to laugh out loud or scream. She wasn't sure what was appropriate at this point. As with the angel before, the spider worked its way up from the bottom, sticking Chloe's legs together with its sticky, wet threads. Chloe felt the threads dry quickly in the air, becoming tighter as they did so. The spider gently removed her left hand from the web and hastily stuck it to her side. She did the same with her other, wrapping Chloe completely. The threads gave her a perfect hourglass figure and squeezed her gently as if she were lying in a tight sleeping bag. Chloe also felt herself getting pleasantly warm. The spider crawled back up onto Phaelyn's shoulder and looked down at Chloe expectantly.
"Is something wrong?" Chloe asked nervously.
"She's waiting for you to say thank you."
"Ohh, uh, thank you?" said Chloe, watching the spider bow and disappear over the web into the trees. Chloe shook her head, this was probably the strangest bondage adventure she had experienced and she couldn't tell anyone. Not that anyone would believe her.
"Hey Phaelyn?"
"You're welcome to call me Phae."
"He…okay Phae, Ifry told me a lot about herself. That she knows magic and that this forest has been her home for centuries, but nothing about your time together. What were you doing here?"
"Hihi, let me tell you a story about when Ifry and I were enemies…"
Vanessa looked at her watch. Another 20 minutes and she would be free for the day and could spend a relaxing evening with her friend and co-species Ifry. Unlike Ifry, she lived among humans and had adapted to them, but she often missed the conversations she could only have with another demon.
"Hey Vanessa," greeted Vanessa's work colleague, who had just come into the café, "If you want, you can call it a night, I saw that your friend with the cool hair is waiting for you. What was her name? Ifry?"
"Yeah, her name is Ifry. Thank you, you've earned some good points with me," said Vanessa and walked towards the exit, "See you tomorrow Elena.
Elena waved goodbye and Vanessa walked out the door onto the lantern-lit streets of Leon City, where Ifry was already waiting for her, smiling at her with amusement.
"What?" asked Vanessa, hooking her arm in Ifry's and letting her lead her down the street.
"Nothing, I'm just happy to chat with you again," Ifry said, turning down a side alley, earning her a questioning look from Vanessa.
"Not going to your restaurant today?"
"Naa, I have to go home. My girlfriend or some idiot got lost in the woods again, but instead of postponing our meeting, I thought I'd sort it out quickly and we'd have tea at my place. Then I can finally show you my home and Phae and you can get to know each other."
"Phaelyn, mmh?" murmured Vanessa, pulling her lips into her mouth. She didn't want to admit it, but the impending encounter with the angel made her more than a little nervous. An angel was still an angel.
"Ifry maybe we should…", Vanessa was about to start when Ifry interrupted her and lifted her off the ground with ease, "uh Ifry?"
"Hold on tight," Ifry just said and crouched down.
"What?"
The demoness spread her powerful wings and pushed herself off the ground forcefully. Vanessa immediately clung to her shoulder and shrieked in surprise as the wind rushed past her ears. Ifry had taken to the air and was hurtling towards the forest at breakneck speed.
The story of Phaelyn had mesmerized Chloe, so she didn't notice that it was already dark in the forest. Only when the angel had finished the story did she realize that she could barely see anything, only Phaelyn's spun-in figure.
"Wow… Phae, I had no idea… I'm sorry I just threatened you with a knife."
"It's all good," Phaelyn said cheerfully, wriggling in her cocoon. The whole web began to shake and the vibration passed to Chloe, giving her a pleasant tingling sensation. The spider had done a great job. Chloe didn't know how she could get out of here without help. The threads stuck tightly to her body and rendered her limbs useless. If she still had her knife in her pocket, she might have been able to free herself, but as it was still stuck in the ground, that wasn't an option. Chloe wasn't sure she even wanted to get out either. The threads warmed and squeezed her tightly, she felt safe. Just as she had learned with her friend Summer and just as it should be.
"Finally, another nice bondage adventure," she murmured and relaxed, closing her eyes.
"Mh? Are there any unpleasant ones?" Phae asked, drawing her eyebrows together.
"Well… a few…" Chloe said, but was interrupted when a loud crack echoed through the forest behind her. Chloe immediately felt a cold shiver run down the back of her neck as she realized how vulnerable she actually was. Caught defenseless in a spider's web. Anyone who happened to be passing by could have simply taken her. Chloe looked at the angel, who had turned his gaze behind her and was grinning broadly. Phaelyn noticed her blonde friend's nervous face and cleared her throat.
"Don't worry, we're saved, haha," she said encouragingly and a familiar voice began to speak behind Chloe. It didn't cheer Chloe up at all, though.
"Well, well, well. Did the little blonde fall into a trap again when she tried to break into my house?"
"Breaking in? I work for you," said Phaelyn, confused.
"Not you Phae, I mean your new friend there," said Celine, pointing to the bundle next to the angel.
"I thought a week in the chastity belt was enough for you, Chloe. Now how about this becomes a slightly longer-term garment? Maybe with a bit more metal in the chest area? Maybe with extra chains and shackles?"
Chloe immediately turned pale. She had joked about it in her apartment, but now she didn't feel like it at all.
"Well Ms. Celine, um, I didn't really want to break into your house," she said and swallowed when Celine laughed, unimpressed.
"Hahaha, sure. Didn't you say something similar to Ifry when she rescued you?"
"It's true, Celine. I caught her. Chloe wanted to have a nice bondage adventure!" the angel defended Chloe, "And I invited her to a sleepover party!"
"Did you? So-so."
Phaelyn gave Chloe a brief, slightly panicked and prompting look when Celine didn't seem to believe her.
"Yes, she did!" exclaimed Chloe quickly, "I needed something to take my mind off things, so I thought why not go into the woods and hang out with Phaelyn and Ifry for a bit."
"Hanging out, you are indeed doing that right now," Celine said, giggling at her own joke, "Alright then, I'll take your two words for it. I'd better take you to Ifry's now before the spiders get hungry."
"I thought they were harmless!" exclaimed Chloe immediately.
"Well, maybe for Phaelyn, but for you…" said Celine, amused.
"Celine! Don't scare Chloe like that!" Phaelyn intervened again and looked down at the magician angrily.
"Haha, all right, come on, I'll help you down," said Celine, raising her hands to fish the two blondes out of the net with her magic. They floated a hand's breadth above the ground, facing towards the canopy.
"Um, what next?" asked Chloe hopefully. She was enjoying the mummification, but slowly she wanted to be able to move again.
"Don't feel pressured," Celine said, turning away from Chloe so that she couldn't see her wide grin. She walked in the direction of Ifry and Phaelyn's home. Hovering behind her was a happily fidgeting angel and an excited blonde who didn't quite know what she'd just gotten herself into.
"This is incredible!" exclaimed Vanessa, clutching Ifry's shoulder. The black-haired demoness held her friend tightly in her arms as they flew over the trees of the cursed forest. The waitress was thrilled when the wind blew through her red hair again after such a long time. A feeling of freedom that she had forgotten for decades. Vanessa smiled broadly and she barely managed to pull her gaze away from the trees to look at her friend.
"You're so incredibly fast!"
"Ha! You should go for a ride with Phae. She's a rocket compared to me," declared Ifry, "Now hold on tight Vanessa. I want to land."
Ifry slowed the beating of her wings and they slowly lost altitude. The treetops rose above them, obscuring Vanessa's view of the forest. Dust kicked up as Ifry finally landed in front of her house and she carefully set Vanessa down. The redhead lost the strength in her legs for a moment, but Ifry supported her.
"Careful Vanessa," Ifry laughed and Vanessa looked at her with wide and grateful eyes.
"Thank you Ifry."
"For what? That's…"
"No, it's not a given… flying… I miss it," Vanessa murmured. Ifry nodded to her and opened the door to her beautiful log cabin. It was dark, which meant that her beloved was not at home.
"As expected, Phae seems to be in the forest or with our neighbors. Would you like to take a seat? I'll just go and get her," Ifry explained and took a step to the side so that Vanessa could enter.
"Yeah, no problem," said Vanessa and entered the spacious hut. When they heard footsteps on the forest path, they both turned around and saw another red-haired woman walking up the forest path towards the hut.
"Phae is here," Celine announced and Ifry recognized two cocoons flying behind the powerful sorceress. Ifry recognized the bright blue eyes of her Phaelyn, but she had trouble recognizing the second pair.
"Good evening, Mrs. Neighbor," Ifry said nervously and with an almost forced smile. She pointed to the second cocoon, "Is that Rilliana?"
Celine smiled in amusement at the demoness's stiffness and said, "Well, that's Phaelyn's overnight guest."
She let the cocoons float past her and Ifry caught them with her magic. Celine gave the angel in her silken prison a quick wink and waved goodbye.
"When you're done with those two, I'd like the silk. Good evening then," said the sorceress and turned to leave.
"Um sure… good evening," Ifry said, thinking for a moment before taking a step towards Celine, "Hey um… Celine… do you want to come in too? I was just about to make my old friend Vanessa and I some tea."
Celine stood rooted to the spot, turned around and looked the demoness up and down.
"So, among… friends?" Celine asked and Ifry nodded.
"Among friends."
Celine's lips broke into a soft smile, telling Ifry that the sorceress was indeed pleased to have been invited. Celine entered the hut as Ifry escorted her in, and the demoness noticed her lover's wide grin as Phaelyn breezed past her.
"Ifry's blushing! Ifry's blushing!" laughed Phaelyn in a childish singsong, giggling at the sight of her girlfriend's now even redder cheeks, "Ifry is mmmMMMPH!"
The angel was silenced as the demoness used her magic to pull the cobwebs over Phaelyn's mouth. The threads pressed deep into her cheeks, giving her a Cleave Gag. Ifry grinned mischievously when she saw the blush on her lover's face.
"Who's blushing now?" she asked, sticking her tongue out at her. Phaelyn was so embarrassed that she closed her eyes, hoping she would disappear into the ground. Ifry let the cocoons fly to the ceiling with a flick of her hand. They were now clinging to a beam by their feet, and Ifry bent down to study the eyes of their overnight visitor.
"Sorry, we haven't been introduced yet. My name is Celine," Celine said, extending her hand to Vanessa. The red-haired demoness was startled out of the stupor she had fallen into when she discovered the two bodies under the spider silk. Vanessa shook her head briefly and took the hand.
"My name is Vanessa," the demoness said.
"Pleased to meet another well-meaning demoness," Celine said, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Eh, what?" asked Vanessa in a panic, but Celine just winked at her and sat down on the sofa, crossing her legs. Vanessa was just about to ask Celine how she knew she was a demon when Ifry cried out, "CHLOE! Is that you?"
"Hehe, absolutely right, Ifry," Chloe announced with a broad smile and Vanessa's eyes widened when she heard Chloe's voice. She began to cough and she glanced nervously at Ifry, who was using magic in the presence of a mere mortal, and Celine, who had just called her a demon. Chloe, however, didn't seem to have heard and already seemed familiar with magic.
"Wait… Chloe knows?" Vanessa asked, confused, and Ifry nodded.
"Yup, since the last time she tried to break into Celine's property without permission. I thought we had an agreement, Chloe? Wasn't the last time in the chastity belt enough for you?" asked Ifry, putting her hands sternly on her hips.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just slow down, Ifry. I was just out for a fun day in the woods and that's when I ran into Phaelynia…I mean, Phaelyn," the blonde explained before her smile faded and she put on a pout, "Do you really think I'd do that again?"
Ifry sensed that Chloe had been up to something again, but it had nothing to do with Celine.
"Mmmmh, no, not at all. I just want to save you from another punishment from Celine. I felt really sorry for you with that steel between your legs. I would have felt obliged to free you. Well, whatever. Ladies, some tea?" Ifry asked and went into the kitchen while Celine smiled mischievously.
"Would you really go against my word?" the sorceress asked with a menacing yet playful undertone that sent a shiver down the spine of everyone in the hut and made Ifry blush.
"Well… yes! She is my friend after all! It's my duty to help her."
"Hoooo?" said Celine aloud. In her head, she imagined herself donning the red witch's robes once again and Chloe sitting in a cage next to her. Ifry stood in front of her with shining armor and was there to set her free. Celine giggled. Vanessa looked at her curiously.
"What's so funny?"
Celine just shook her head and said, "Naa, just had an idea for a little game."
That didn't necessarily answer Vanessa's question, but she let the subject rest when she saw Chloe's big grin.
"What?" she asked the blonde.
"Hehe, I was just wondering how you found out Ifry wasn't like you and me?" asked Chloe as Ifry returned with the tea and Vanessa quickly picked up the cup and drank from the boiling hot beverage to buy herself a little time to answer.
"Um… Let's just say it came out of the blue… I just… I bumped into Ifry when she was in her demon form," Vanessa lied, trying to hide her true nature from Chloe.
"Come on, let's get you down first," Ifry said before Chloe could ask if the tea hadn't been too hot. The demoness carefully cut the silk at the side and pulled her friend out of the cocoon. Celine watched the action carefully and sipped her tea. She didn't know why the new demoness was pretending to be someone else, and it was none of her business. She also seemed to have adapted to the humans in Leon City, her barely noticeable magic was proof of that. While the two demonesses and Chloe began to talk and report on the latest gossip from Leon City, Celine turned to Phaelyn. The angel had a dreamy gleam in her eye that the sorceress knew well from her own charges. If the angel had been a catgirl like Trisha, she would certainly have started purring. She must be overjoyed right now. Ifry stood up and stroked Phae's silk-clad body.
"Hey, you want out too?" she asked softly and the angel nodded slightly. Ifry preferred to ask, as normally too many people scared her, but that didn't seem to apply to Chloe and Celine at least. Ifry had noticed, however, that Vanessa and Phaelyn occasionally exchanged a nervous glance and then quickly looked away. The warming silk seemed to reassure the angel, though, holding her close like a cozy blanket.
"Come, sit down," Ifry said, offering her thighs to her friend. Phaelyn didn't need to be told twice and sat down on Ifry's lap with a dreamy look on her face. The demoness reached around Phaelyn to place a cup of hot tea in her hand, which the angel gratefully accepted. Phaelyn sipped the drink and licked her lips before smiling a smile that Celine knew only too well. The sorceress saw immediately that the angel was up to mischief.
"The tea tastes awful, Ifry, how can you serve that to our guests?" she said loudly, interrupting the lively conversation, which made Chloe and Vanessa both look at Phaelyn in confusion.
"I didn't think such disrespect would be tolerated in your house," Celine said with a raised eyebrow.
"It won't," Ifry said, whispering in Phaelyn's ear, " You usually like the tea. What's…"
Chloe immediately interrupted Ifry when she realized what the angel was getting at.
"I think so too, Ifry. If you're serving this to your guests in the restaurant, I seriously wonder how you've kept it afloat for so long."
Celine covered her mouth to hide her smirk, and Ifry opened her mouth in irritation before her expression brightened a second later.
"Big words for a subordinate of the red witch. Didn't your mistress teach you enough manners? Perhaps I should tutor you a little?"
Chloe and Phaelyn both started grinning, while Ifry and Celine gave them both stern looks. Vanessa had her eyebrows drawn together, trying to comprehend what just happened.
"I assume we're thinking the same thing?" asked Ifry to Celine robe and she nodded in agreement.
"That assumption is correct!" said Celine, raising her hands towards Chloe and Phaelyn. An invisible force grabbed both blondes and lifted them into the air with ease. They squealed in surprise and started to wriggle, but Celine's magic held them in place and pressed their arms to their bodies as if a giant had seized them.
"What's going on?" asked Vanessa anxiously as the sorceress disappeared into the bedroom with the blondes and Ifry calmly set the table. Ifry paused and smiled reassuringly at Vanessa.
"Don't worry about it. It's a little game between us. Phae and Chloe like it when you punish them a little. I didn't think they'd be so keen that they'd undermine the tea party, though. I hope you're okay with us continuing the evening like this?"
"I don't even know what you're up to yet!"
"Ha, yeah, you'll see. Come on," Ifry said, taking Vanessa by the hand before leading the demoness into the bedroom. Vanessa stood rooted to the spot in the doorway when she saw the mighty angel standing naked in front of her. She immediately yanked her hand out of Ifry's and covered her eyes and face, but everyone could see that her face was beginning to glow with embarrassment.
"Why the hell is the angel naked!" she hissed through her hands and the others grinned widely.
"All part of the game, Vanessa, don't worry," Ifry said placatingly, rubbing her back gently.
"But… but…",
"Celine, there are our catsuits in the closet, could you…", Ifry said to Celine's robe and the sorceress nodded in agreement before conjuring Phaelyn's latex catsuit to her body with a sweeping motion of her hand. The white garment immediately clung to her skin and the angel tried in vain to suppress a groan.
"Wow," said Chloe, who was kneeling on the floor next to her and unconsciously opened her mouth as the white latex adorned Phaelyn's body. The angel had already been beautiful before. Chloe would have even said perfect, but the latex seemed to flatter her body even more and enhance her beauty. Chloe looked towards the door and saw Ifry and Vanessa, who was now slowly taking her hands away from her eyes and regaining her composure.
"What kind of game is this, please?" Vanessa asked in a whisper, nervously eyeing the handcuffs Celine conjured in her hand and cuffing the angel's hands behind her back. The demoness wondered what she had gotten herself into, but, like Chloe, she couldn't help but marvel at the angel's new garb.
"Well, after centuries on earth, you have to come up with a few new games here and there, don't you think?" asked Ifry, leading Vanessa into the bedroom. She grabbed Chloe by the back of her neck and pulled the drooling human away from Phaelyn.
"'Still! How can you have fun with handcuffs?"
"Here, let me show you," Ifry said, pushing Chloe face-first onto the bed. She was kneeling on the floor, so Chloe had to show the two women her ass, still covered in spandex. Ifry also summoned handcuffs in her hands and held them up menacingly. Meanwhile, Vanessa had drawn her eyebrows together again and her gaze shifted nervously from Ifry to the handcuffs and finally to Chloe. The young blonde was trembling.
"Ifry, I think Chloe's scared," Vanessa murmured worriedly. Ifry shook his head.
"Don't worry, she wishes she was, otherwise she would have already said she didn't want this. Or Chloe?"
Chloe looked back at the two women and nodded eagerly, but she chewed nervously on her lower lip.
"What's wrong?" asked Ifry, smirking as Chloe wiggled her butt invitingly.
"I want one of those fancy suits too!" Chloe demanded, grinning cheekily. Vanessa stared speechlessly at her former colleague and Ifry laughed out loud.
"Haha, I see, I see. Let me check what Celine can do. Vanessa, could you take care of this for so long?" said Ifry, placing the handcuffs in Vanessa's hands and walking over to Celine, who was in the process of tying Phaelyn up with ropes. Vanessa looked after her nervously and saw that Celine was now also dressed in a white catsuit. She summoned black ropes from her hands and applied a complicated upper body bondage to the angel.
"Come on, before Ifry comes back and punishes you too," Chloe urged Vanessa and wiggled her bottom again.
"You're enjoying this?" Vanessa asked irritably, holding up the handcuffs as if they were poisonous.
"Don't you?"
"Well… not necessarily… I"
Vanessa winced as Ifry put her hand on her shoulder. She had now also changed her clothes with her magic and was also wearing a latex catsuit, only in black.
"Vanessa, you don't have to be scared," Ifry said amusedly, looking down at Chloe, "Celine says she'll conjure your suit for you, but it would cost you something."
"The steel belt?" asked Chloe nervously, looking past Ifry to Celine who laughed and shook her head.
"No, no, don't worry about it."
"Mmmh, alright," Chloe mumbled and the next moment her body was covered in latex from the neck down. Celine smiled amusedly and made a twisting motion with her hand as if she were closing a lock. Chloe wondered what that meant when she heard a click in her neck.
"Oh Celine, come on! I have to work tomorrow!" whined Chloe.
"At least you'll get a lot of tips now."
"Uh-huh… thanks," Chloe muttered sarcastically and squealed when Ifry slapped her on the butt.
"Quiet now, or I'll have to gag you, Chloe!" threatened Ifry, stroking Vanessa's shoulder encouragingly.
"Come on, Vanessa, put the handcuffs on her."
"How can you have fun in handcuffs?" the redhead asked in a slightly trembling voice so that only Ifry could hear.
"Chloe wants you to put the handcuffs on her, Vanessa. She trusts you not to hurt her and as strange as it sounds, she likes it."
"She's right, Vanessa. Please tie me up. You don't have to be afraid," Chloe said, starting to wiggle her butt again. She presented her wrists and waited. Vanessa hesitated for just a second before opening the shackles of the handcuffs and letting them snap around Chloe's wrist. The click was like music to Chloe's ears and she tested how tight her restraints were.
"See? It wasn't so bad after all. What are you feeling right now?" Ifry asked Vanessa.
"Um… excitement?"
"And excitement isn't a bad thing, is it? Would you like to go one step further now?"
Vanessa looked at Ifry uncertainly before swallowing and nodding.
"Then maybe you should put on something decent. Celine?"
The sorceress breathed an annoyed sigh. She was about to tickle Phaelyn with a long feather and glanced at Vanessa.
"Wait, I don't have to…" Vanessa was about to start when Celine raised her hand. Her clothes immediately disappeared and a black catsuit appeared in its place. Vanessa's breath was immediately taken away as the rubber pressed against every fiber of her body and she gasped in shock.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't have any more in your size at home," Celine said with a shrug and turned back to her angel, who was now only standing with one leg on the floor. Phaelyn saw that Celine was smiling slyly and she would have told her friends immediately if Celine hadn't already put a ball gag in her mouth. The feather came dangerously close to her bare heel and in an instant they heard Phaelyn's stifled giggles through the gag.
"Are you all right?" Ifry asked anxiously and Vanessa nodded hurriedly.
"Yeah… Yeah just a bit tight and sudden," Vanessa said and breathed out in relief. At least she was spared having to strip naked in front of the others.
"Good, that's exactly how it has to be. Shall we get started then?" asked Ifry, handing Vanessa a table tennis bat. She herself waved it back and forth as if she had to measure the air resistance.
"Uh?"
"Chloe insulted my tee, we told you we had to educate these two," Ifry said, taking a swing. The bat slapped Chloe's bottom and she drew in a surprised breath.
"One!" she said, wiggling her butt again. Vanessa stared at Ifry and Chloe in shock.
"Didn't that hurt?"
"I should hope so. Otherwise this cheeky piece won't learn anything!" Ifry said and took another swing.
SMACK.
"Two!"
"IFRY!"
"It's all good, Vanessa. Chloe knows her safeword," Ifry said.
"Her… safeword?" asked Vanessa thoughtfully, looking down at Chloe's ass.
"Show her, Vanessa."
"But why, she didn't hurt me," Vanessa said, rubbing the edge of her ping pong paddle.
"Yes, I did Vanessa. I blew up the tea party with Phae," Chloe said, giving her an encouraging look.
"Yes, but…"
"And I was never sick when I worked with you."
"But… I was working a double shift when you…"
Vanessa's eyes suddenly lit up and she looked down at Chloe who was sticking her tongue out at her.
" Smack her. She deserves it," Ifry whispered in Vanessa's ear and she didn't need to be told twice.
SMACK.
"AAAH! Three!"
SMACK.
"Four!"
SMACK.
SMACK.
Chloe moaned loudly as Vanessa gave her two quick spanks and her ass began to burn.
"Six, haaa," Chloe said, burying her face in the bed. Vanessa was about to lash out again when Ifry grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, "She just lied, Vanessa, she was really sick."
"But why?" asked Vanessa. She was visibly confused and Ifry put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"You'll figure it out. You just enjoyed it too, didn't you?"
Vanessa didn't know what to say to that and twirled the bat in her hand before striking out again.
SMACK.
SMACK.
SMACK.
SMACK.
SMACK.
SMACK.
"Twelve," Chloe mumbled into the comforter, breathing in and out deeply. Now it was Ifry's turn to look at her in horror.
"You're right… it's fun… besides, I wanted to make it a dozen," Vanessa said and began to giggle.
"Haha, I understand. Let's try something different though," Ifry said, taking the ping pong paddle from Vanessa's hand, "I want you to caress Chloe's body. Feel her skin under the latex."
"What…?" Vanessa asked, blushing. She glanced at Chloe's bottom, which was undoubtedly red under the latex.
"C… can I Chloe?" she asked, stuttering, and Chloe nodded. Vanessa's hands slowly approached Chloe. As her fingers settled on Chloe's back, Vanessa could feel that Chloe was still trembling slightly, but she seemed to calm down almost immediately as Vanessa carefully began to stroke her former work colleague.
"You see it's all good," Ifry encouraged her, guiding her hands to Chloe's bruised bottom. Chloe moaned softly, but she seemed to enjoy the touch.
"Very good… keep it up and you'll make an excellent teammate," Ifry said, stroking Vanessa's back. The red-haired woman blushed, but she didn't let Ifry put her off and continued to stroke Chloe. Ifry sensed that both women were enjoying the touch and smiled contentedly. She had the feeling that the two of them were getting on more than well.
What an excellent, disastrous tea party. Ifry thought and pulled Chloe and Vanessa onto the bed so that they were a little more comfortable.
Ifry had her eyes closed and was listening to the quiet breathing of Chloe and Vanessa sleeping arm in arm next to her. She turned her head and opened one of her eyes a crack. Celine and Phaelyn were lying in a guest bed, and the sorceress was gently stroking the angel's head. Ifry hadn't thought her friend could sleep with anyone but her, but apparently Phaelyn seemed to trust Celine completely. Celine seemed to sense that Ifry was watching her and looked up from the angel.
"It was a lot of fun today. Thank you for inviting me," Celine said quietly so as not to wake any of her charges.
"You're welcome," Ifry said, "Next time we should get Rilliana and Trisha to join us."
"Yes, they would have loved it. And Phaelyn probably would too."
"She really likes you a lot. Phae she… she sometimes has trouble falling asleep, but with you…" Ifry noted and Celine nodded, "It's already late, so if you want, you can sleep here."
"Thank you… I didn't want to wake that little angel either," Celine said, wiping a strand of hair from Phaelyn's face, which tickled the angel's nose.
"We'd better get some sleep now too," Ifry said, turning away from Celine to lie down more comfortably, "Good night, Celine."
"Good night… Ifry."
Surprised, Ifry turned her head towards Celine as she addressed the demoness by name for the first time. She began to smile before closing her eyes.
This could be a beautiful friendship.
"I AM FLESH AND I AM BONE
RISE UP, TING TING, LIKE GLITTER AND GOLD
I'VE GOT FIRE IN MY SOUL
RISE UP, TING TING, LIKE GLITTER"
Chloe winced as she realized that the music wasn't coming from her dream. Her cell phone rang loudly and she fumbled for her bedside table, where it usually lay. But it wasn't there. Not even her bedside table was there and she opened her eyes sleepily when she felt movement in her bed. She knew immediately that she wasn't at home when she saw two women dressed in latex lying on top of her. Ifry and Vanessa stirred a little, but they didn't seem to be bothered by the cell phone music. Apparently they were very sound sleepers. Chloe shook her head and tried to locate her cell phone. She heard it buzzing under a pile of clothes next to the bed. She crawled to the edge of the bed, but her friends were lying heavily on top of her and the latex seemed to be sticking to the sheets. She strained to reach for the pile of laundry.
"Come on, just one more little bit!"
RISE UP, TING TING, LIKE GLITTER"
"Come ooooon!" growled Chloe through her teeth and suddenly something stirred under the pile of clothes. Her cell phone shot out of it and landed in her hand. She stared at her hand in irritation.
Did I just cast a spell? She asked herself and looked up when she heard a throat clearing. Celine looked at her angrily. She covered Phaelyn's ears, who was still sleeping peacefully and drooling on Celine's lap.
"Sorry," Chloe whispered, finally managing to free herself from Ifry and Vanessa's embrace. She walked out of the bedroom, a little disappointed that she couldn't do magic after all, and finally answered the call.
"Yes?"
"Finally! Chloe, I've been trying to reach you non-stop!" her work colleague Katarina said in a panic, "You didn't show up for your shift!"
"Why? I had yesterday off. Our boss gave me the day off."
"He said he'd written to you saying he'd taken it back. Something about a card game where he said you cheated."
"What? I didn't cheat!" Chloe lied.
"He and his business partners see it differently. He said if you're not at work with your sports bag right away, something bad will happen," said Katarina. Chloe exhaled in annoyance.
"Yeah… tell him I'm coming," Chloe said bitterly and hung up.
"Are you all right?" asked a voice from the door and Chloe whirled around. Vanessa and Celine were standing in the doorway, looking at Chloe sympathetically.
"Yes… no I… I don't know. I won some money from some idiots and I need to get home fast.
"Oh, nothing easier than that," the sorceress said, yawning loudly before raising her hand.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you going to teleport me there now?"
" Na, not without preparation and when I'm tired. I wanted your cell phone," Celine said, swiping Chloe's phone with her magic.
Chloe stared nervously out of the window. It was a brief departure from Ifry and the very sleepy Phaelyn, but a very heartfelt one nonetheless. The angel had even lent her some of her favorite clothes, so Chloe didn't have to run through the streets in a latex catsuit. Meanwhile, Celine had called the elf Rilliana, who had then collected Chloe and Vanessa in the parking lot. She drove the two women safely into town and dropped them off outside Chloe's apartment.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?" the elf asked Vanessa.
" No problem, I live nearby," said Vanessa, waving to the elf, while Chloe searched feverishly in her sports bag for her key. Rilliana had found them in the forest and handed them to her in the car.
"Are you all right, Chloe?" asked Vanessa.
"Yes… yes, I've got the key. I really enjoyed it, Vanessa. Let's do it again sometime!" said Chloe hurriedly, waving goodbye to Vanessa before disappearing into her apartment. Chloe immediately rushed to her wardrobe and opened it. She reached for the sports bag inside and froze.
"Why is it so heavy?" Chloe asked, unzipping the bag. It revealed hundreds of ropes and restraints of all kinds, but not the money that was supposed to be in the bag. Chloe closed her eyes.
"Oh Kim…" Chloe mumbled and slapped her hand to her forehead. She pulled out her cell phone to call her sister when there was a knock. Chloe sighed and stood up. Maybe it was Kim, who had forgotten her key. She opened her apartment door and froze as the groper from poker night stood in front of her.
"Hey Bunny, did you miss me?" he asked, pushing his way through the door before Chloe could react, "Where's the money?"
"Ha funny story, there was a bit of a mix-up and…" she didn't get any further as he grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her into her bedroom. Chloe struggled, but his hand was like a vice around her arm and didn't let go until he threw her roughly onto her bed. A quick glance in her sports bag told him that the money wasn't there.
"Where's the money?" he asked again, grabbing a handful of ropes from the bag.
"I don't have it right now, but if you give me a little time, then… HEY!"
The man didn't seem to want to listen and pushed her down on her bed.
"The boss is extremely disappointed in you and hereby gives you your notice." He said and pulled Chloe's hands behind her back. She couldn't resist his football-sized hands and began to whimper as he tied her wrists behind her back. With another rope he tied her legs crossed and pulled her roughly to her bottom, where he then joined the two bindings together and tied her in a hogtie so tight that Chloe feared that if he pulled any harder he would break her back. Had she not been given the sky blue hoodie by Phaelyn and still had the catsuit on underneath, she would no doubt have suffered deep marks on her skin.
"Why are you doing it so tightly! How am I supposed to go and get the money like this?"
"Not at all. The boss said that if you can't hand over the money immediately, I should make an example of you. I'm supposed to tell you that you're fired."
"Please what?" Chloe asked, struggling to look after the man. He just gave her the middle finger and left her apartment.
Vanessa stepped out onto the street after grabbing a small breakfast from a bakery. She smiled with amusement as she thought about the previous night. She had really enjoyed doing something with Ifry and Chloe again. And Phaelyn hadn't been too bad for an angel either. Celine had also been so incredibly kind to give her this suit. Vanessa lifted her shirt and peeked into the neckline, where she could clearly see the black latex.
"Haaa. I want to do this again, maybe alone with Chloe? We were going to meet up again anyway," Vanessa mumbled and looked up as an ambulance drove past her with its siren blaring. Vanessa looked after it nervously.
"Please don't turn left… please don't turn left," she mumbled as he drove towards the intersection. It turned left. Straight towards Fahlen Plaza, where Chloe lived.
"Oh shit…," Vanessa muttered, throwing her breakfast on the ground and starting to run back. She turned at the same intersection and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw an inferno of flames engulfing Chloe's apartment building. The fire department was already moving people to safety, but Vanessa couldn't see her friend's bright blonde hair anywhere. She skidded to a halt in front of the barricade.
"Careful, lady, please take a step back!" one of the firefighters shouted to Vanessa, blocking her way.
"CHLOE DENVERS? WHERE IS SHE?",
The fireman saw the desperation in her eyes and turned a little away from her to pull out his radio.
"Hey guys, have you checked Denvers?"
"We can't get any higher, the flames are everywhere!" came back through the radio and the fireman gritted his teeth, "We've got to get out of here before we get trapped ourselves."
The firefighter turned back to Vanessa, who had jumped over the barrier at that moment and was running past him.
"Hey, wait!" he shouted after her as Vanessa stormed into the house. The heat was omnipresent and the flames seemed to be reaching for Vanessa. She dodged the other firefighters trying to pull her out and ran up the stairs to Chloe's door. She threw herself against it with strength and blew it off its hinges. Flames immediately flew towards her and she screamed in horror, shielding her eyes, but only her normal clothes had come off and were now hanging in tatters down her body. Vanessa scrambled to her feet and ran into Chloe's bedroom, where she saw the blonde lying on her bed. She was unconscious and had her hands and feet bound. Vanessa could see that she had loosened the ropes and almost freed herself, but had lost consciousness just before she succeeded.
"Chloe! Wake up!" shouted Vanessa, shaking Chloe, who only moaned, "If you can hear me, hold on to me, Chloe!"
Vanessa lifted Chloe into her arms and carried her back through her apartment and into the hallway. The flames engulfed both of their clothes, and Vanessa picked up speed as she felt Chloe weaken. She ran through the house with her in her arms, down the stairs, through the front door, where she tripped and fell into the street. The firefighters were there immediately to help them and pull them to safety. Just in time, because the next moment the house collapsed behind them, flames shooting up and engulfing the last remnants of Chloe and Kim's home.
… "If you need anything else, just let me know, okay?" Phoebe the detective said, breaking away from her embrace with Kim. The young woman shushed loudly and nodded before wiping away a tear.
"If you can find whoever did this, I'll be fine," Kim said, waving goodbye.
"I'll see what I can do…, see you in a few days," Phoebe said, watching Kim get into the car with her boyfriend Luke. He started the car and drove her towards the forest with the few clothes Phoebe had given her.
"You know you're welcome to stay with us? I'm sure my father won't mind," Luke said as they crossed the bridge, but Kim shook her head.
"I don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger if the guys come back. Besides, you already have a target on your backs anyway, with Caitlyn in the house as a cop."
"I have a good alarm system for that."
"Haha, I know, honey, but I don't think we should rush things either. So much has happened in the past few months. My abduction, both of our abductions, now my home and…" Kim fell silent and shook her head, "No, that would be going too fast now. I hope you understand."
"Of course Kim," Luke said, finally arriving at the parking lot by the cursed forest after the long drive, "I'll see you at school tomorrow then?"
Kim nodded, gave her boyfriend a kiss and got out of the car with her moving box. In it were the few memories of her home that had survived the fire.
Rilliana drove Kim to the clearing and parked her car in the parking lot in front of Celine's house.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked Kim, who shook her head.
"No, everything's fine. Thanks for letting me stay here."
"Hey, no problem. Celine has so much space that one or two more people won't matter," Rilliana said, squeezing her shoulder. Kim nodded and got out. Next to the main house was a small hut that had been uninhabited until now. Celine had told Kim that she could live there for as long as she wanted.
"I'll, um, settle in then," said Kim and waved to Rilliana, who nodded her encouragement. Kim walked the short distance to her new home and opened the door. Her sister stood in the hallway and smiled at Kim.
"Welcome home Kim."