Page 32 of A Darkside Interlude

So they’d done what? Stripped her, bathed her, primped her up and wrapped her in this fucking robe. She wore no shoes, not even slippers, and she was naked underneath the robe.

An unpleasant sensation crawled down the back of her neck. What else had they done to her? Her body had been violated.

The shock of that realization threatened to bring tears to her eyes, but Mari refused to cry. Instead, she closed her eyes, held her chin up and unfastened the belt of her robe, letting the garment slip over her shoulders and drop to the floor.

She wouldn’t give them any reason to sedate her or punish her. So what if she was naked? She was proud of her body. If she refused to feel humiliated, then they couldn’t use her nakedness against her.

Mari stood with her skin bare, the cool air raising goosebumps on her skin. She opened her eyes and stared straight ahead as the attendant slowly walked around her, inspecting every inch of her body.

“Acceptable,” she said at last. She pressed another button on her device and a wardrobe opened. A porter-bot emerged, emitting a soft mechanical whine as it rolled toward them.

A white garment was draped over one of its rails. Impossibly tall silver heels sat on its main shelf.

Fuck-me heels.

The irony of the situation didn’t escape Mari. She’d lost one pair of fuck-me heels and found another.

“Get dressed,” snapped the attendant. “Then you will sit here and not move until the Master arrives. Do you understand?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t disappoint me now, girl.” The attendant slid her the silver wand—the device that controlled the shock-collar—into her coat. “If you make a good impression on the Master, you might just earn yourself some special privileges.”

“Uh, huh.” Mari took the white garment from the porter-bot and held it up. It was a dress, made from some silky, barely-there stretchy fabric.

“Put it on.”

The dress was open at the front. Mari slid her arms into the long sleeves and fastened the collar, which concealed her neck. A barely visible zipper ran from neck to knee. As she slowly drew it closed, she realized they’d removed all the hair from her nether regions.

Creeps.

Of course, the dress fit perfectly, hugging her curves and leaving little to the imagination. The outline of her nipples was clearly visible, and the garment narrowed at her knees, forcing her to stand in a slightly awkward position.

Nice taste, asshole.

Mari swiped the silver heels from the porter-bot and dropped them on the blue carpet. She slid her feet into them and stood. Suddenly, she was about six inches taller than the attendant. “What do you think?” She produced her most charming smile.

“Do not change anything. This is exactly what he wants.”

Mari took a step forward and stumbled. “Oh!” She put out a hand and grabbed the woman’s shoulder. “Sorry.” She faked a nervous laugh. “Guess I’m not used to these new heels.”

As she righted herself, the attendant stepped back. “You’d better get used to them, because you’ll be wearing them a lot.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Mari fought to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

“Go and sit on the sofa with your legs crossed, right over left. Do not move until he gives you permission. Remember, you are being watched at all times.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Mari kept the sweet smile on her face as she slid the item she’d stolen—the shock collar’s control wand—up her sleeve. What these people didn’t know was that she was used to being watched, and she was well versed in the art of distraction.

All she had to do now was engineer a miracle. The wishful part of her secretly hoped for a Tall, Dark, and Brutal miracle, but she quickly quashed that thought.

Life in the Dust Alleys had long ago taught her that wishful thinking could dull even the most finely honed survival instincts.

Chapter Fifteen

“Are you sure this is the place, boy?” Iskar glanced out the viewport of the glider and saw nothing but a slightly run-down eating establishment. Its name was printed across the windows in incomprehensible human-language characters. Inside, empty tables were arranged around a central serving counter.

The place seemed deserted, but as Iskar narrowed his eyes, staring into the deep shadows at the rear, he saw movement.

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