Calliope's Master

by Melinda Barron

  “I was worried you’d fallen asleep,” he said. “I called your name to see if you remembered your manners, but you didn’t answer.”

  “Forgive me, Master. Hello, Sir Silas.”

  “Hello, Calliope. It’s quite a pleasant surprise to find you tied to a tree.”

  She held back a snort that would have angered her Master. “Thank you, Sir.”

  “Calliope?” Her Master gently slapped the leather against her ass. “Where are your manners?”

  “Sir Silas, I’ve angered my Master, and I’m going to be punished. It would please him, and me, if you would watch.”

  He stepped in front of her, and she hazarded a glance in his direction. He and her Master were polar opposites. Where Henry was blond with deep blue eyes and a tall, angular build, Sir Silas was dark with black hair that hung around his broad shoulders. She didn’t get a look at his eyes, but she was sure they were dark.

  “I’d be honored to watch. Thank you, Calliope.”

  Her Master had been lightly spanking her bottom, getting her ready for the belt. The swats started out small but increased in intensity. She knew Henry was going to blister her behind, and she deserved it.

  Sir Silas stepped behind her, and Henry moved her hair just enough to kiss her shoulder.

  “We’re ready to begin.” He slapped both cheeks, the sound of his palm slapping her flesh echoing among the trees.

  “As you wish, Master. Please punish me for my behavior.”

  “Make sure I know you’re feeling it.” When he stepped away from her, the cold seemed to envelop her. But she didn’t have long to feel its effect.

  The belt flew through the air immediately, the sound unmistakable. Calliope cried out as the leather kissed her ass. The sting was harsh, the pain intensifying as it settled into her ass. A second stroke landed and then a third.

  Henry fell into a steady rhythm, striking her ass from first one side and then the other, the sting growing worse with each strike. Calliope cried out, twisting and turning as much as she could. She pulled against the strap, wanting to free herself, but knowing she couldn’t.

  What would Sir Silas think of her movements? She knew many Masters demanded their submissives stay still and silent for whippings. But Henry told her he enjoyed hearing her cry out, liked to see her squirm.

  The belt landed on her ass, her thighs and even lower, almost to her knees. She never counted. Henry didn’t believe in limiting the number of strokes in a whipping, unless he used a single-tail. Even with a crop or cane he spanked until he thought the punishment had run its course.

  He was relentless, striking her ass with the leather without a break. She tried to lose herself in the spanking, but she knew that wasn’t the point of this one. It was meant to remind her that she’d overstepped her bounds. She wasn’t supposed to feel pleasure from it. She remembered the lashes she’d received the first night she’d met Sir Silas. By the tenth one she’d been flying, soaring into space, as her Master demonstrated his dominance over her.

  How she wished that could happen again tonight.

  Her cheeks throbbed as one hard lash of the leather bit into her at the spot where her ass met her thighs. She cried out again. “Master! Forgive me.”

  Several more, hard strikes landed, and then Henry stroked her thigh. “Enough,” he whispered in her ear. “We’ll discuss your behavior further at the hotel tonight.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Henry undid the camera strap, putting one arm around her as her arms fell to her sides. He held her close and kissed her tenderly. “I love you, Calliope. Thank you for your submission.”

  “I love you, Master. Thank you for my whipping. It reminds me that you know best.”

  He kissed her again and then pinched a nipple. She’d forgotten about the cold until he’d done that. The nub seemed frozen in place, and the pinch had hurt almost as much as the belt. Her body ached from the chill as he worked to untie her wrists.

  “Right your clothing so we can go on our tour. I’m sure Sir Silas has better things to do than to spend too much time out here.”

  “Yes, Sir.” He walked back to Sir Silas as she pulled down her bra and sweater. She held in a cry of pain as she pulled up her panties and jeans.

  When she was dressed, she put her hands behind her back and bowed her head.

  “You may come to us, Calliope,” Henry said. “I’m eager to see what this place has to offer.”

  Silas Hope didn’t sound like he was from New England. Instead of the low, drawn-out vowels she’d heard from other residents of this area, his accent was nonexistent. As she followed along behind her Master and his new employer, Calliope wondered about the man’s origins.

  What had made him want to build a resort here? He wasn’t expounding on his reasons. Instead, he was telling Henry where everything would be built. His house would be a little farther back from where she’d just been whipped, connected to the hotel by a walkway. It would be on stilts, so the house itself was up in the trees.

  “Interesting,” Henry said when he’d described the structure. “I’d like to see the plans for that.”

  “I’ll show them to you tonight, at dinner. The house will have three bedrooms and two baths, a living room, dining room, kitchen and, of course, a dungeon. I’ve taken to calling it a playroom, actually, since it will be in the air.”

  Her Master held out his hand. “My camera, my little slut.”

  Calliope reached into the bag Henry had given her before they’d started the tour. She checked the lens as was her custom, then handed the camera to Henry.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Master.”

  A flush crossed Calliope’s face when she realized Sir Silas was staring at her.

  “How long have the two of you been married?”

  “Almost three years,” her Master replied as he trained his lens on a large boulder. “We’ve been together for four. I was afraid I’d lose her to someone else if I didn’t put a ring on her finger and a collar around her neck.”

  Calliope fingered the small piece of black leather that demonstrated her Master’s ownership. She had different ones for different occasions, and she never went without a collar, even when she bathed.

  “I have to say I loved watching her take your belt. I’ve never tried letting a sub be vocal like that. I rather enjoyed it.”

  Her Master’s chuckle made Calliope’s clit tingle with need. “I had to soundproof one of the rooms in our loft. If not, the neighbors would be calling the cops every time I took a belt, crop, or whip to her ass, which is quite often.”

  Her Master spoke again. “One of the harshest punishments for my little slut is making her stand still and be quiet. She’s very shy around people she doesn’t know, but when we’re alone together she’s very vocal. Her noises make me very hard.”

  “I could see how that would happen.”

  Calliope’s gaze cut to her Master, who placed his hand on his crotch and shifted his cock. He was indeed hard.

  “When we get back to the car I’ll have her suck you off, if you like. I love watching her suck other men. It takes her out of her comfort zone.”

  “I’d be happy to lend her my cock, so she can show her submissiveness.” Both men laughed, and they started to walk toward an area with very tall grass. She fell in behind them, mentally preparing herself for getting down on her knees in front of Silas Hope and taking his cock in her mouth while her Master watched.

  “Tell me again what you have in mind for your photographs,” Henry said.

  “Augstown has been abandoned for more than one hundred and fifty years,” Silas said. “It was an original settlement starting around 1635. During the witch trials the population expanded, and it was a nice farming settlement for a while. Then it steadily died out until the mid-1800s. Actually, I’ll have to check my dates. It may be more like the early 1800s. One of the things I’d like for you to do is photograph the graveyard that’s here. There’s very little written histo
rical background on Augstown. I’m hoping taking photos of the cemetery will help provide some.”

  “Calliope can do that. She’s quite an accomplished photographer herself.” Henry clapped Silas on the shoulder. “And we come as team, professionally.”

  “Good to hear.” They stopped at the edge of the foliage, and Calliope stepped up next to her Master. He clasped her hand, squeezing it gently. It was something he did quite a bit when she was going to do something for him that she wouldn’t do otherwise—like suck off Silas Hope.

  The touch reminded her that she belonged to Henry, that she was his submissive and watching her was what he wanted.

  “What’s in there?” Henry asked, cocking his head toward the grass. It was knee-deep on him, thigh-deep on her.

  “That’s where the original town was, or at least the heart of it,” Silas said. “We haven’t cleared off a lot of the foliage yet, but we’ve walked it off, as in measuring it loosely. There are outlines of four buildings in there, with some remains being higher than others. It’s a little treacherous for walking because you never know what you’re going to run across.”

  “Hmm.” Calliope could tell from the way Henry focused on the patch of overgrown land that he wanted to explore. His adventurous spirit was one of the first things that had attracted her to him.

  “I’d like to go inside.” He waved his hand over the weeds. “You have snakes up here?”

  “Not in this cold,” Silas replied. “But I’d advise against going inside. I just signed for the land, and I haven’t had a chance to get someone out here to clean up this patch yet. I want someone who will do a good job. It’s one of the first things I wanted you to take photos of—revealing the original structures.”

  Henry’s short nod made Calliope smile. He was going to ignore Silas’ warning. “What’s the bigger structure in the back?”

  “It’s the church,” Silas said. “Most of it has survived, and the graveyard is in the back of it. We can skirt around this area and go to the church, that way Calliope can see the cemetery.”

  “I’m going to go through. You two can go around, and I’ll meet you back there.”

  Henry put a foot out at the same time Silas put a hand on his arm. “It’s not a good idea. I had a friend almost break his leg falling over something sticking out of the ground. He still walks with a bit of a limp. I’d rather we went around.”

  “And I’d like to take some photos of all this before it’s disturbed. Surely you can understand that.” When Silas didn’t say anything, Henry cocked his head. “I’ll be very careful, and I’d appreciate it if you’d escort Calliope to the church. I’ll meet you there.”

  She could tell that Silas wasn’t happy with the arrangement, but he nodded. Henry turned to her and tipped her face up.

  “Be good for Sir Silas and obey him until we’re back together.” He kissed her gently. “I love you.”

  “Yes, Master, I’ll be good.” She leaned over and brushed her lips against his crotch. When they were alone, it was the standard way she said hello or goodbye, a reminder that she served him. She knew he would want her to do it now with Sir Silas watching. “I love you too.”

  “Watch your step, Henry,” Silas said as he put his hand on her elbow and guided her to the left of the brush.

  “I will. And take care of my girl.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  She’d only taken a few steps when Henry called out her name. “Just because I’m not around doesn’t let you off the hook for work. Take out a camera and see what you can find while you’re walking. It will help me plan out our work when we start.”

  “Yes, Master.” She reached into the bag for an SLR, taking the cap off the lens when she had it out of the bag. “I’ll follow your lead, Sir Silas.”

  They walked for some ways and she stopped to photograph trees or rock outcroppings. The ground was uneven and as she walked she wondered what her Master was finding. She understood Sir Silas’ trepidation of him going into the overgrown area by himself.

  “How did you and Henry meet?”

  Calliope stopped and focused on a long piece of wood lying on the ground. After she’d captured the image, she lifted her gaze to Sir Silas. “At a photography show in Denver. A mutual friend had an exhibition at a museum, and we were looking at the same photograph. I said something about the woman in the picture being beautiful, and he said…”

  She started to walk, going past her host.

  “He said?”

  What was she doing? She’d never told anyone what Henry had said. “He said I was as beautiful.” There, that was partially the truth. He’d also told her that he wanted to own her, he wanted her to be his, to serve him in all things.

  “He was right. You’re very lovely.”

  “Thank you, Sir Silas.” She smiled at him as she took a step, almost tripping over the wood she’d just photographed. He clasped her arm and kept her upright. “Thank you, again.”

  “I’ll tell you the same thing I just told your Master. Watch your step.”

  “Of course.” They walked a little farther, and she clicked off a few more photos. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  “Depends on your definition of being from around here.” He chuckled. “I was born in Salem, but soon afterward my father joined the navy. We lived all over the world when I was young, until he retired and moved here. When I graduated from high school, I joined the navy. I served for ten years, and I’ve been out for three years now.”

  They came to the end of the weedy patch, and he pointed to the east. “And you? Have you always lived in Denver?”

  “Yes, well not in Denver proper. I grew up in Aurora and only moved to LoDo when Henry and I married.”

  “LoDo?”

  “The Lower Downtown Historic District. Master bought a good portion of a building to use as a loft and a studio.”

  “Very trendy area, I’m sure.”

  She couldn’t tell if he was being judgmental or if he was asking a question.

  “Yes, it is. I like it very much. Lots of things are within walking distance, and Master and I travel a lot. He likes being in a building where the access is controlled for that very reason. He thinks it lessens the chances of our being broken into.”

  Sir Silas nodded his agreement. “Is this the loft with the soundproof dungeon?”

  Heat made her face flush, and Calliope studied the ground as she walked. “It is.”

  “Henry’s lucky to have found a sub like you. I’ve yet to find my match.”

  “I wasn’t submissive before I met Henry.” What was she doing? She didn’t want to talk about this with him. This was something private, only to be shared with her Master.

  “You think that, but Henry knew how to bring it out of you. I’m sure you dreamed about being tied up, or whipped, before you met him. Admit it.”

  She shook her head furiously. “No.”

  “Liar.”

  Calliope came to a full stop. “How dare you.” Then she remembered her Master’s command to obey Sir Silas. “Forgive me, but—”

  “Apology accepted, but don’t go any further with it.” He flashed her a look that told her if she were his sub, she would be on her knees right now. “First time submissives always think they could only submit to their Masters. But if the two of you divorced for some reason, you would miss being submissive and seek another Master.”

  “Never. I love Henry too much for that.”

  There was an uneasy silence. “I think we’ve crossed into a place we shouldn’t be. We’ll change the subject. Tell me how you got into photography.”

  Calliope launched into her story, about how she’d taken photographs in high school for the yearbook and newspaper. She went through her college years, talking about her dreams of traveling the world to take photographs. But that dream didn’t come true until she met Henry.

  And then it seemed they’d come full circle, back to her relationship with Henry, and how her life had changed, both pe
rsonally and professionally, when they’d met.

  They were coming around the edge of the overgrown area now and in the distance she could see the church. Henry was walking around, looking down. Calliope thought he was probably in the cemetery examining the gravestones.

  “I think you’re going to have a good time in here, Calliope,” he called out as they drew near. “This is going to be the job of a lifetime. I’ve never documented something that’s died then come back to life.”

  “What did you see in the brush, Master?”

  “Lots of bricks and things sticking out of the ground. I can see how your friend lost his footing, Silas. It was hard to find things to take photos of while I was trying to watch where I was putting my feet.” He chuckled. “But, I also found lots of things that I’d like to set up shots with that will make some interesting studies. This is going to be great.”

  Calliope loved it when her Master found a new site. He always acted like a little kid at Christmas, opening present after present, his excitement bursting out of him like rays of sunshine, exactly as it was right now.

  “What’s farther back?” He pointed to the land that stretched off behind the dilapidated church.

  “Lots of land,” Silas said. “Not sure what it was all used for. We’ve only explored a little bit of it. Once again, when we start clearing the land we’ll get a better sense of what’s there, obviously. We could take a trek out there now, see if we find anything interesting.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Henry looked at her and winked, and then she gasped as a look of extreme pain passed over his face. One minute he was there and the next he was gone. A loud thud filled the air and Calliope gasped.

  “Master?”

  “Henry!” Sir Silas rushed past her. She watched him sidestep a few of the larger tombstones before he knelt down.

  Calliope hurried to his side, bile rising in her stomach as she looked down. Her Master lay on his stomach, both arms above his head.

  Silas pulled a cell phone from his pocket and tossed it to her.

  “Call 9-1-1. Tell them we’re at the Augstown cemetery and we need medical assistance.”