Dev captured her eyes with an intense stare. “You are mistaken, Countess. I performed in the circus with the rest of the lords.”
“You are right, of course,” Nefertiti replied. “I remember now. Next time, you should aim to produce a more memorable performance for me.”
Briella gazed at him curiously. She had seen Dev’s eyes flash red for an instant while he was lying to Nefertiti. He had definitely lied, as she knew he had not performed at the circus. A normal person would not be able to lie to the Countess and get away with it. Nefertiti may have mental problems, but she wasn’t stupid. Briella was certain that Dev had used some sort of alien mind trick on the Countess, especially since Nefertiti believed herself to be incapable of making mistakes. That woman would never have claimed a mistake. While Nefertiti began to make a speech about the benefits of Roman friendship, Briella moved next to Dev. “You were not in the circus.”
“Were you disappointed that you didn’t get to see me juggle my loincloth?” Dev asked. “I could arrange a private demonstration for you later.”
“I don’t need a private demonstration.” She may have been a little disappointed in his absence, but she wasn’t about to admit it to him. “I saw what you did just now. You made her believe that you were there.”
“The woman accepted my lie as the truth. I would lie again should the occasion warrant it. The woman does not deserve my honesty.”
“It is not the lie that bothers me,” Briella said. “You convinced her using unnatural means.”
“What are unnatural means?” Dev asked.
Briella sighed, as he was making things more difficult by pretending he did not know what she meant. “Alien mind control. Does that ring a bell?”
He looked at her sternly and irritation was evident in his tone. “After that speech about winged aliens and alien hybrids from Asstrumnia that the Countess just made, you would accuse me of being one? Are you trying to get me killed? I assure you, any accusations of that nature could cause a mob of frightened people to lynch my ass.”
The thought of him being harmed made her feel anxious and panicked, which was disturbing. She could not afford an attachment. “I don’t want you killed, Dev. However, I do think you are a threat to Avenal. I’m the new safety officer, and it is my responsibility to safeguard all residents, including those in the harem, the ladies, and the Countess herself. The alien threat is real and the oracle has always been right.”
“The Countess started a panic about this imaginary alien threat because she wants an excuse to ally with Rome,” Dev said. “No person has seen an Asstrumnian and none of us know if they even have special abilities. Those winged creatures that were described may not even exist.”
“We shouldn’t talk about this here. Meet me outside the falinn in a half hour.”
“You should drop the matter entirely,” Dev said. “It would not be wise to meet with me alone.”
Briella wanted to question him some more, but he was right about the potential for complications. She just needed to convince him to leave Avenal willingly. If he was one of the hybrids, then he could not be trusted. The documents that the Countess had shown her appeared authentic and the oracle had an accuracy rate of over ninety percent. “I expect you to be there.”
Chapter 5: Compelled
Devereux walked away from Briella, not wanting to draw curious eyes. The infuriating female wished to meet with him alone and she seemed uncaring of the inappropriateness of the suggestion. It was absurd to think they could meet alone and maintain a proper distance. He was beginning to fear that he wasn’t immune to this mating bond business after all. He was having urges, and if they were not careful, he would act on them. The lady would probably resist at first, but she would succumb by the time he was done with her. He had already sensed she stayed in a perpetually aroused state, probably from having to go so long without a male’s cock. It was well known that the Countess never allowed her ladies to take pleasure from a male’s body. They were only allowed to indulge during a Mating Period, which occurred every five years. The matings would be arranged by their families and the ladies would not get the privilege of choosing their studs. In some harems, the mistress was not so strict with the ladies, but Nefertiti was too self-absorbed to care about anyone’s pleasure but her own. He sensed that Briella had needs that she could barely control. He could ensure her willingness and her fear for her life would assure her discretion. He could take her body repeatedly, in all areas of the mansion and in hidden corners of the woods. They would have frequent recurring bouts of sexual intercourse. He would ignore the rigid regulations imposed on sexual positions and he would take her like a whore, with her body stretched beneath him or positioned in such a way that he could enter her from behind. If she balked at the idea of surrendering to his deviant ways, he would use persuasive maneuvers. One look would be all it would take to gain her compliance, thanks to his alien nature. She would learn not to fuck with a hybrid.
It was a nice fantasy to hold in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t allow it to ever take hold in reality. Should he start an affair, it would only lead to disaster for both of them. Eventually they would be caught and Nefertiti would execute Briella. He would be evicted from the harem and would have to face his mother’s wrath. If she stayed true to her promise to him, he would have his penis and balls removed by a sharp blade and he would be forced to live the rest of his life as a eunuch.
He joined his uncles and listened to their conversation, trying to get his mind off sex. He thought of the bizarre statue on display and he played the words about it in his mind. Nefertiti had spoken of the oracle when voicing her end of the world theories. He was familiar with the palace oracle. The Queen based many of her decisions on the oracle’s prophesies. However, he did not believe that any alien invasion was in his future, nor did he believe that the Asstrumnians were a threat. He had been learning as much as he could about them, and all sources indicated that the people preferred to stay in their isolated territories. The brief run-in with the three hybrids outside Pembroke was a unique occurrence, unlikely to happen again unless those particular hybrids came back to retrieve Helsina. He didn’t think they would return.
“What did Nefertiti’s sister wish to speak with you about?” Carrick asked.
“Her job as safety officer is going to her head. She thinks I am some sort of threat to Avenal. She wants to speak with me further about it. She plans to meet with me alone,” Dev said.
“That Avenal sister is a problem,” Carrick said. “She has no right to ask personal questions of any member of the Queen’s family. Do not meet with her. Let Caspar and I meet with her instead.”
“I’ll meet with her,” Dev said. “She’s not going to stop hounding me until I do. Let me handle the matter on my own.”
“Very well, but we will have a talk with her if she dares to attack your character.”
***
A half hour later, Dev met Briella outside the falinn. “For someone promoted to safety officer, you’re not using good judgment. We shouldn’t be meeting here.”
Briella didn’t waste time arguing with him. He was actually right about this meeting being a bad idea. She knew she wasn’t being cautious and her judgment was lacking. Even knowing this, she persisted in meeting with him alone. She wanted to get him alone, needed to get him alone. It wasn’t purely for sexual reasons. What she needed to discuss with him had to remain private. She gestured for him to follow her and she led him to a small room down the hallway. She let him inside and closed the door behind her. “We will not be disturbed here. I agree with you that talk of hybrids should be done without an audience, especially since you may very well fall into that hybrid category. If you are a hybrid, then you would endanger us all. I ask that you leave voluntarily.”
“So you would rather pass this danger along to a poor unsuspecting territory?”
“My responsibility is to Avenal, not to all of Flourda.” Briella walked deeper into the room. “You admit that
you are dangerous?”
Dev followed her. “I may be dangerous. Perhaps you are a fool to have invited me here, especially if you are convinced that I am one of those alien creatures that ravish females. Is that not what the Countess said, that hybrid beasts would ravage the land? And you invited one to meet with you alone. What was your intention?”
She could not picture him as one of those ravaging beasts. She had felt it would be safe to meet with him alone, but now she was starting to have doubts. “I thought we could have a rational conversation about it and you would agree to leave Avenal.”
“And if I do not, what will you do then?”
She hadn’t thought that far ahead, as she had assumed he would listen to her and comply. “I’ll continue to monitor the situation. I’ll have to monitor it extremely closely and very regularly. You really wouldn’t like it.”
“You may need me around if the hybrid aliens actually invade. I could offer you more protection than a Roman army. The Romans would exact a heavy price for their protection, likely enslavement.”
“You could very well side with the hybrids.” She knew that allying with the Asstrumnians could provide him with some benefits that the Flourdans would not grant, such as wealth and land.
He crossed his arms and looked at her with unwavering directness. “I am as Flourdan as you.”
“Flourdans cannot control people with their minds.” She paced around the room, feeling agitated and anxious. She had witnessed the male manipulating Nefertiti with his mind more than once, the last being his successful attempt to convince her that he had performed at the circus. It may seem like a minor feat, but to her, the implications were troubling. Small events tended to escalate into larger ones. Just look at Nefertiti herself, going from a woman with sexual peculiarities to a murderous monster. Dev could start out doing minor hybrid tricks, and in hardly any amount of time, he could easily wind up taking complete control of the harem. He could command others to do his bidding and none of them would even know that he was the one pulling the strings. Would things really be worse if he was in control of things? She pushed that wayward thought far from her conscious mind. She couldn’t afford to let her mind take that path, the path to betrayal and destruction. She had a responsibility to the house of Avenal and an Avenal needed to be the one in control. That person by rights was Nefertiti. “Tell me the truth about yourself. I need to know what you are capable of doing. I need you to show me what you can do and explain how it is not dangerous.”
The look in his eyes seemed to promise her that she would regret pushing the issue with him. “This will be the end of it and you will have to stop pursuing this line of questioning. If you do not, you will pay a price. This harassment has to end.”
She knew she could not agree to his demand. She had a job to do and would do it regardless. “You do not make the rules here.”
He stared into her eyes and his own eyes flashed red. “You will stop asking questions about alien hybrids. You will not ask for more private meetings to discuss your concerns. Do you understand and agree to this?”
She was caught in his red gaze and it seemed to penetrate her brain. She could feel him in her head, taking over her thoughts. She didn’t want to agree to any of his suggestions and she wanted to tell him to go to hell, but she couldn’t form the words. Instead, the wrong words came out of her mouth. “I understand and I agree.” After speaking the words, she felt the overwhelming urge to believe the words. She had to agree with anything he suggested. He was dominant, much stronger than her and of a race more powerful than her own. Her survival depended on recognizing the wisdom of submitting to him, the more dominant species. In the long ago past, the hybrids had asserted their control of the human population and made them their slaves. They would do so again – soon. It was coming and they all knew it.
“Very good,” Dev replied. “Tell me what you know about the Countess.”
She couldn’t betray any confidences and maintain her advisor status. She was not a traitor to her kind. He could assert his dominance over her and even use torture and she would not give up critical knowledge. She felt him tug at her mind hard and once more, words fell out of her mouth without heed. “She’s wretched and everyone hates her, except for Valor and Harlotta. The rest of us cannot admit to our hatred or she’ll have us all killed.”
“Who ordered the attack on Pembroke?”
This she could not say; it would be an unforgiveable breach. “Nefertiti ordered the keep burned to hurt Amalie’s chances of being Chancellor.”
“Who assisted the Countess in the endeavor?”
She couldn’t control her mouth or her words. Still she tried, but his power over her was too strong. “Harlotta, Valor, and some members of our eunuch army. I was present as well. I didn’t wish to be, but I didn’t stop it from happening.”
“Who are her Roman friends?”
She paused in thought. This information was unknown to her. “I don’t know. She doesn’t share that material with me.”
“Who would know that information?”
“Audra and Harlotta.” She felt him release his hold on her mind and her thoughts became more clear and controllable. She was consumed with panic and rage as she stared into his hybrid eyes. Despite all her previous statements about his dangerous hybrid abilities, she had not known that he could be that formidable. She thought she was exaggerating things in her mind to give her a believable excuse to remove him from Avenal. At that time, his real danger to her lay in his ability to arouse her jealousy and lust. Now she realized that he was actually a legitimate threat, a creature who could easily make her his slave. She couldn’t allow him to ever gain the upper hand in the household. “You bastard. How dare you question me on the Countess’s private business? You made me betray confidences.”
Chapter 6: Control
Devereux was amazed that it had worked, that he could get someone to reveal information to him against his or her will. Perhaps it would not be such a bad thing to embrace his hybrid side. Unfortunately, it would not be as useful if the target was aware of his actions. “Should I perform another demonstration for you?”
She looked at him nervously. “I’m afraid that I will have to go to the Countess about this. People need to be forewarned.”
He gave her a warning look. If necessary, he would silence her. He couldn’t afford for others to voice suspicions regarding his parentage and he had no intention of revealing his hybrid identity. “Do not try it. The Countess will not believe you and I am not going to admit to it. How do you know that you didn’t just leak the information on your own? You cannot prove I had anything to do with it. I but asked you some questions and you answered. Besides, I told you not to discuss the alien hybrids.”
“That part didn’t work for you then.” She gave a nervous laugh and crossed her arms as if to shield herself from his view. “You tried to command me and failed. Perhaps you should try again; maybe this time it will work.”
She would regret making such an offer to him, as she was a convenient guinea pig with which he could utilize to sharpen his emerging hybrid skills. He wouldn’t waste the opportunity. He stared into her eyes again with an intensity of focus. “You will not discuss alien hybrids and you will not discuss me at all with the Countess.” He debated whether to try more. He could compel her to speak, but could he compel other actions as well? It was worth exploring. “Will you do whatever I ask of you, regardless of your own personal wishes?”
“Yes.”
He was curious as to how this thing worked. “Why would you obey me?”
Her expression was flat. “I recognize your dominance and I have no wish to challenge it.”
She recognized his dominance. The very statement was so anti-Flourdan that it caught him by surprise. He didn’t even possess full hybrid DNA, and since he had had no training in the use of his abilities, he was employing his skills in a haphazard manner. If he was this effective with him not knowing what he was doing, what would it be like once
he acquired complete mastery? He wondered how long she would “recognize his dominance.” When the effects wore off, she would be incensed, especially when she realized she had uttered such outrageous words. “You will cease challenging me in the future, since you recognize my dominance. Can you manage to do that?”
“Yes.”
It couldn’t be that easy for him to gain control of her. “For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
He had a gut feeling that the effects would be temporary. He would need to test the duration in case he ever had need to use it in any life threatening situations. “I want you to continue to obey me. You will throw all of the possessions that you carry on your person out the window.” He was surprised when she slid her advisor’s robe off her body, but he made no move to stop her. He had not expected her to take his words so literally. He had thought she would empty out her pockets and throw some trinkets outside, but he supposed that her garments were technically included as her possessions. He barely had time to take note of her undergarment before she removed that as well. She wasn’t wearing anything else. The sight of her nude body left him stunned for a minute. This wasn’t wise and things could quickly get out of control. She turned around and walked toward the window with her clothes in her hands. He should have stopped her before she reached her destination, but he didn’t. He watched her as she cast her clothing outside, absorbed by the sight of her perfectly shaped naked bottom. She turned around and walked back toward him, giving him an unrestricted view of her full round breasts, flat stomach, and curvy hips. He took special note of the area between her legs, which looked warm and inviting. He watched her eyes, knowing that she would soon lose that glassy expression and would be furious with him. He was supposed to be proving he was not dangerous to her, that he was not a threat. This latest demonstration was doing the opposite. He was violating her, and although it was interesting to know that he could assert such control of a person, he would have to deal with her knowing of his capabilities. She would respond in anger and try to gain the upper hand, which could put him at risk if she revealed her knowledge of him. If necessary, he would be forced to silence her by intimidation and fear. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him and he regretted exposing himself to her to such a degree that he had to worry about her silence. He didn’t have to wait long before awareness dawned in her clear blue eyes.
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