The Education of Alexa Read online

  Alexa proudly walked to the edge of the hot water, untying her robe and pulling it off her slim frame. The candlelight danced off her exposed breasts and thighs, and she took a moment to admire Zafir's sinewy frame, recognizing the base of his manhood as it snaked between his crossed legs. She stepped forward slowly, one foot then the other submerged in the pool. It was warm enough to scald her bare skin, and she looked forward to feeling its heat through her entire body. Her knees, then thighs, then her tender lips burned with the heat, and she began to relax as her buttocks and belly soaked in the heat. It wasn't her first trip into the superheated water, and she loved the way the salt and oil in the pool made her skin glisten and soften.

  She smiled at the irony of how horny she would get in this luxurious water while in the presence of this naked powerful man who claimed her as his, with no sex to extinguish her inner fire. A few hours ago that smile would have been a grimace, but she'd taken the edge off. Still, she had looked forward to finishing herself off with the trusty scroll-roller. Perhaps she was in for something better. The same sexual desire had to burn in Zafir, hadn't it? Their sex had lit the sky on fire, his semen a torch light on her pale skin after he'd brought her to a deep, powerful orgasm. She wasn't embarrassed that she wanted more of the same, but she was a little confused that he didn't seem to. Maybe that's what all the meditating is about, she thought, a distraction from sexual compulsion.

  She shook her head and laid back in the hot water, dropping her curls into the pool and spreading her legs to feel the warmth on her vagina. She pressed the lips with her fingertips, pulling them apart in an attempt to wash away all traces of her earlier sex with Half-beard. Cupping her hand over the opening, she pushed the hot water in and out, feeling the heat well up in her pussy. Her fingers naturally moved to her pubis, encircling her hidden clit in a slow, practiced motion. As she felt her desire rising, she flicked her eyes open and centered their gaze on the naked man in front of her. The first time she'd seen him in this state she was afraid to look directly at his tight skin and slim, muscular frame. Tonight she focused unblinkingly on each element, memorizing it for later pleasure.

  As she rolled her fingers around her clit it began to swell, and she felt herself growing more and more aroused. She wanted to lick his nipples, take them in her mouth while she stroked his long cock and felt the heavy balls under the palm of her hand. She craved the taste of his erection, knowing that it would fulfill her in a way Half-beard's penis never could have, and puzzled over whether she could take the entire length in her throat without gagging. It would be fun to try, and he would definitely enjoy it, that she would make certain.

  Just as she focused her mind on recalling his manhood, Zafir opened his eyes and stood, his penis revealed, swaying from the front of his body and calling to Alexa. He walked away from her, and she observed his muscular buttocks, imprinted with the pattern of the rug he'd been seated on, and this minor reveal amused the girl. We're all human, she thought, even the great Master Zafir. Her gaze followed him as he donned his robe and returned to the side of the pool.

  “I did not summon you,” he stated without hesitation, “you are confused. Come back in a few days, when I might have use of you.”

  “No,” she said defiantly, “I have use of you.”

  The Master froze in place and eyed her naked form, pausing for a moment at her exposed vagina before locking onto her eyes. “Each of the Apprentices in a servant to the Masters. All of the Masters are servants to the Guild. I am servant to only the fire. If you have a use for me, you truly are confused.”

  Alexa stood slowly, a breeze immediately hardening her nipples and giving her skin gooseflesh. Her skin shone reflectively after the oily bath, and droplets of salty water spilled down her frame from her curls. “My use for you is not a matter of servitude. It's purely desire.”

  “Get dressed,” Zafir said as he looked down, “I have something to show you, something that will teach you something about what you desire.”

  The game is on, thought Alexa, realizing she had played this perfectly.

  By the time Zafir had walked her back down the 244 steps to ground level, Alexa wasn't so certain of herself. Where is he taking me? She wondered, and doubted very seriously tonight was going to end the way she wanted. However, the bishop did not exit the Spire, as she expected, instead turning into an inner chamber manned by a rather serious-looking guard. Instead of the laughable old Half-beard, this guard was a well-muscled, tattooed young man with a nasty looking scimitar and a fearsome stare. He eyed Alexa carefully, and she was immediately thankful that she hadn't bumped into him on the night of her ascendance to Zafir's chamber. Still, one look at him told her that this man would not have stood for Half-beard's buffoonery, and she imagined him discovering Visandra's assault and dispatching justice on the spot, slicing through the old guard's midsection with his scimitar and spitting on his fat, ugly corpse. Still not as satisfying as burning him alive by his cock, she thought, a real missed opportunity.

  Once in the inner chamber she was surprised, but not shocked, to find yet more stairs, headed down into some sort of sub-basement. After 46 steps (she had grown accustomed to counting the stairs everywhere she went) they emerged into a large chamber with another guard and even more stairs down. Instead of winding in a circular staircase as the rest of the Spire's stairs did, these followed an irregular path and counted around 100, she estimated, as some of the steps were half-steps or stone. A damp chill was in the air as she followed the bishop underground, and the smell of mildew permeated stone that became progressively more mossy as they descended. More importantly, she now heard unpleasant sounds echoing off the stones, sounds like men moaning and grunting. A horrible shriek echoed so loudly it startled Alexa, and she slipped down two stairs, caught by Zafir. He turned to her and spoke. “Are you prepared to learn?”

  “Yes, Master,” she said, projecting confidence over a layer of pure fright, “I am your Apprentice.”

  “We shall see,” he replied slowly, and Alexa realized he may be just as afraid of this revelation as she was, but for different reasons. He thinks I'll hate him when I see this, she thought, I don't know if I ever can. With that, he led her into a large underground chamber that seemed backlit by natural light. As Alexa's eyes focused, she realized the far end of the room opened into a cave over the ocean, and quickly recalled that she hadn't dreamt of her shipwreck since the night of the Inferno. Now the smell of salty ocean air filtered through the moss and dank of the chamber, and she was no longer at a loss for considering their location. They were at the north end of the island which the Spire was constructed over, and all the way down at the base. She hadn't considered this a likelihood, but it made sense, since the town existed before the building of the Spire, and they certainly would have had a means to reach the ocean from that corner of the island. Alexa was thankful for this information and it inspired her to find out more of the island's history. If nothing else, her curiosity was being satiated tonight.

  Zafir took her arm and faced her into the darkness, away from the natural light of the cave. “This is what you must see. Sol Invictus!” He waved his right hand to the darkness and a flash of firelight cut across the rock floor, burning a horizontal flame. The fire remained alight and revealed a series of wrought iron cages, a primitive jail filled with filthy, unkempt prisoners. The incarcerated group yelled and cursed at the bright firelight, and Alexa saw in their eyes anger, hunger, blindness, and insanity. These were not common criminals – they were kept in a jail in the city – these were something else entirely. Political prisoners, enemies of the faith, the disappeared, the missing . . . Alexa felt she didn't need an explanation, but still awaited Zafir's words. He quickly obliged. “You look around, and you see what I am fighting against every day. Men and women who would see the Spire dismantled, our faith destroyed. Some have practiced evil magic under my protection, others have sold secrets to our enemies, still others have directly defied the Guild by speaking out against us.”r />
  She eyed the injured and infirm, trying to imagine this collection of rabble as a threat to anything other than common decency. Her eyes rested on one tall, muscular bearded blonde man and believed that yes, he might be able to win a few to his cause. I wonder what his cause is? She thought, immediately thankful that Zafir's powers did not include mind-reading. The blonde man locked onto her gaze, causing her to turn her gaze back towards the cave mouth. Just as she did, a massive wave crashed against the rocks below, a fine sea spray cascading through the chamber. Zafir erupted in anger, shouting a command and exploding the blonde man's cell in flame. The prisoner took a spell-casting stance and millions of droplets of water in the air rushed to his cell, forming a fine column of water that protected him from the flames but resulted in a searing steam bath across the cells. The others dropped to ground-level, avoiding the heated air, and Zafir angrily shouted “Enough!” The blonde man stood tall but did not strike back, and calm returned to the dank chamber.

  “How do you keep them from escaping?” Alexa asked. Seeing the battle, she had realized that the blonde prisoner was a Mariner, who commanded the power of the water. She had intense curiosity about how he could be kept so close to his native element without casting an incantation and swimming out the cave opening to freedom.

  “The bars are strong, the prisoners are weak, and we rest under the Spire, so those who use magic are weakened by its power. Above there are Masters who practice protection spells strong enough to prevent even the strongest spell-casting from a dissident. They live here until they die, and then they are cast into the sea.” Zafir's eyes searched for a reaction from the young girl, who showed no emotion at this finality. “Now come, girl,” he began, “there is something else you must see.”

  Retreating to the stairs the bishop led his Apprentice down a darkened corridor, stopping abruptly and pushing open what sounded like a heavy wooden door. He calmly took her hand and walked into a pitch black room, shutting the door behind them with a heavy thud. She reached out and felt nothing, searching the air for Zafir's hands or his robes, or anything that identified his location. Without warning he moved against her, pushing his tongue deep inside her mouth. It was awkward to angle her mouth to his in the utter darkness, and she clumsily pushed against his teeth and lips before giving up and driving her mouth onto his neck, sucking and licking his collarbone and pushing her body against his.

  She reached for his waist, fumbling in the darkness to find his belt, and he pushed her hands away forcefully. Alexa felt his hands at her waist, untying her robe, and she pushed her shoulders back to allow him the thick garment to fall to the ground. She didn't fight his advances, longing for his touch on her body. Now we’re getting somewhere, she thought. Standing naked in the blackness, Alexa trusted that whatever happened next she would enjoy. Long seconds passed before she felt him take her by the wrists and raise both of her hands to the ceiling. In an instant she felt a heavy strap wrap around her wrists, then a tugging as she raised from the ground. Alexa's arms struggled with her weight as her mind reeled, unable to calculate where she was or how high she dangled from the ground. Nervously she called out to her lover. “Master, this hurts.”

  “Do you prefer if I release you?” His voice echoed in the darkness.

  “No, Master. I want only to please you with my body. Does my pain give you pleasure?” She asked, insistently.

  “You do not yet know pain,” came the dark reply, “but you will.” A leathery crack echoed through the air and the young Apprentice felt stinging pain sharply across her breasts. She yelped loudly with shock and hurt. She spun slowly from her wrists, her legs dangling and her equilibrium completely defeated, and another crack sounded, landing across her ribcage and wrapping around to her right nipple, which felt like it might explode with the assault. She cried out again.

  “Master?” Alexa felt betrayed. She didn't understand what was happening. Gods, he couldn't know about tonight? He couldn't suspect me of cheating on him with a murdered man? Another crack landed on her backside, and her muscular ass clenched at the cutting sensation of the lash. The next spun her around and landed across her upper thighs, just below her labia, and Alexa thanked the heavens for small favors. “Why won’t you take me?” She asked as she began sobbing, tears torrenting down her face. She couldn't see her body, but the wounds felt like they were on fire, and she thought she felt blood oozing from open cuts. Another crack across her breasts, spraying her tears in a fine mist. Yet another on her backside, wrapping to her lower stomach. She felt so wounded by his violent attack, beaten and humiliated, and for what? Finally his voice came from the darkness.

  “Do you pledge to be mine?” He asked in a deadly tone.

  “I am yours, Master.” The lashes felt like hot pokers on her skin, her arms had lost feeling from her body weight, and she was fast running out of tears, but she would play his game.

  “Do you pity the wretched scoundrels in the dungeon?”

  “I pity all who fail to see the power of the Spire, the way of fire, for they are lost for eternity.”

  “Would you set them free?” He snarled.

  “Only death will set them free.”

  “Death will come soon enough for them,” the bishop declared, “but I have other plans for you.” With that she felt his hands on her thighs, lifting her, and the pressure on her arms subsided. Her legs rested on his strong shoulders, his hands balancing her back, and Zafir's mouth wrapped around the lips of her vagina, sucking them while his tongue plunged deep inside her slit. She arched her back to angle his mouth on her clit and realized that despite the pain she had felt moments earlier, her pussy was soaking wet. Could it be that I was turned on by my own beating? Alexa couldn't fathom it, but her body was responding so strongly to his hands and his tongue now, it was impossible to deny. She was completely in his grasp, and she let herself go, grinding her clit on his mouth with such ferocity she thought she might bloody his lip. He pulled her close, massaging her ass with one hand while balancing her in the air with the other, and she could feel her orgasm swelling as her body began heating up.

  Zafir's tongue expertly licked up and down her slit, massaging the inner folds of her vagina while he applied suction to her clit. Once in a while his tongue would snake into her dripping hole and taste her inside, then he would use that moisture to lubricate her outer lips and clit. Finally, when she began to tense, her strong legs wrapped around his head, the bishop tightened the suction on her clit and began quickly lapping back and forth against her sex button. The feeling was almost too intense, and she began to buck wildly, nearly knocking the tall man off-balance as her legs tightened around his head. “No, no, no,” she moaned, “I'm – no!” Her body shook and she came hard and long against his face, her body rocking, arms fighting against the bonds above her as the all-consuming pleasure flushed over her. Then, silence in the pitch black room. “Master?”

  “You have not learned from me. I expect more from you.” The words accurately portrayed his disgust with Alexa. The Master had expected another flame-fueled orgasm, and instead she delivered what any whore or handmaiden could. He huffed in the darkness, then said words that hung in the air, and Alexa's ears, from that moment on. “Find your own way out. If you can.”

  She was stung, her skin hot from the sex and beating, her mind numb from the disorienting darkness and combination of physical and psychological gymnastics her body had performed. She barely registered the sound of him leaving, but glimpsed a slice of dim light as the heavy door slid open, then shut again. Alexa hated him in that moment. Earlier in the evening she had used a man for sex, assaulted him, and left him dead and bloated . . . and now she'd been abused, used, and left for dead herself. The difference? She had hated Half-beard and rejoiced in his murder, while she believed Master Zafir might one day love her. He was cruel, and she hurt in every way she could.

  Minutes passed before she even thought about a solution; perhaps she was stalling in hopes he would return. She evaluated her opt
ions: she could not give up, although she was certain he'd have her taken away by a guard eventually, while solving this dilemma on her own would make him think his bullshit “lesson” had been learned. It was a no-win situation for the young Apprentice.

  She felt foolish for thinking being an Apprentice was a position of power. The only power was true power, and Zafir clearly knew that, living atop the Spire and using his fire magic to frighten and punish his followers. Fuck, she thought, if I learn anything from this, he's going to take credit. With a flourish of anger and a phrase, the leather straps binding her wrists exploded in a ball of fire and lit the dark room, burning through quickly. She fell to the floor and reflected for a moment on the physics of the fire magic – it could warm her chilled bones, as it did now, but it would not burn her, even if it coated her skin and flowed through her hair. As her eyes adjusted to the now dim light, she looked around the room. It was deeper than she'd expected, and filled with what appeared to be torture devices. Whips, chains, straps, all sorts of binding and trapping equipment, blades . . . she imagined the injuries that had been sustained in this room, and took a moment to look over her own. Her body was covered in red stripes, and her right breast, stomach, and thighs were cut, red flesh peeking out from her tight skin. She ran her fingers over her raw, injured wrists and decided her next course of action.