Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 62063 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62063 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Instead, “You’re doing well,” he murmured, to my astonishment, almost too softly to hear. His words had an edge of approval that sent a strange thrill through me.
The belt around my waist made that thrill more intense and more ambiguous. I wriggled instinctively, biting my lips as I felt the hot, lingering soreness from his enormous hand on my backside. Malleus wasn’t having any of that, either: he pulled the velcro tight to keep me immobile. It dug into my skin, as if my new miles meant to deliver a sharp reminder of my complete lack of control. My wrists were cuffed next, fastened securely to the sides of the table. Each restraint felt like a chain linking me irrevocably to the insanity of this place.
“Last one,” Malleus said, looking into my eyes for the first time in what felt like long moments. “Lay your head back, columba.”
I blinked, because for the first time I realized what columba meant. Like French colombe: dove. The helpless, peaceful, white bird. Innocent and…
Easily tamed. Easily broken. Lovely, pure, fragile.
Malleus’ eyes bored into mine, daring me to resist. But I had no fight left in me. I lay my head back against the slightly cushioned headrest, feeling my brow crease deeply. I saw Malleus’ huge hands approach, lower than my face. I whimpered as I felt him fasten the collar around my neck, unyielding webbing against my throat. I felt a wave of some different feeling wash over me: not pleasure, exactly, but a feeling of emotional comfort.
Submission. My breath caught in my throat. Oh, no. The idea that the insane things Malleus had told me—with the prospect of yet more lunacy to come—that those things were actually true about me… I pushed it down. I wasn’t submissive. Submission didn’t feel good. I thought for myself. I did things for myself. I…
“Bene, columba,” he said, stepping back to admire his handiwork. I lay there, fully restrained, my breathing shallow and erratic. The cold air prickled my skin, making me acutely aware of every inch of my naked, exposed body.
Bene, columba. Like, bien, colombe. Well done. Good girl, in whatever-the-hell brand of Latin the Order of Ostia uses.
The door to the exam room swung open with a soft creak, and first a doctor and then a nurse entered. I gave a little cry of surprise at the lack of a knock before the opening of the door that revealed my naked, spread state to the hallway, but no one paid my distress any attention.
Dr. Demetriou, Malleus had said. Her white-coated presence immediately dominated the sterile space. Her eyes, cold and piercing, scanned over me with an almost clinical detachment. She moved with a precision that sent shivers down my spine, each step echoing in the oppressive silence of the room.
By contrast, her nurse seemed meek. She kept her eyes downcast, and I swallowed hard as I noted that the young woman had a leather collar around her neck. I wondered suddenly and involuntarily whether she had any underwear on under her scrubs.
“Good afternoon, Sophia,” the doctor said, her voice monotone and devoid of warmth. “I see you are prepared. Your miles disciplined you?”
I couldn’t respond, my throat constricted by fear and shame. My gaze flickered to Malleus, who stood off to the side with an arrogantly satisfied smile curling his lips. His eyes met mine, and I felt a strange mixture of dread and arousal wash over me.
“That’s right,” Malleus said. “A little extra for her reluctance to take her clothes off, as well as the escape attempt.”
The nurse pulled a stool out from under the counter and positioned it in front of me. Then she stepped back, and Dr. Demetriou sat on the stool and turned to the array of gleaming instruments laid out on the tray. She picked up the speculum, holding it up for me to see. The cold metal glinted under the harsh fluorescent lights, and my heart pounded in my chest.
“This is a speculum,” she said condescendingly, her tone as if speaking to a child. “In case you haven’t seen one before. I’m going to verify your virginity, and then check your responsiveness.”
She put the speculum down and picked up the headlamp. With it on, she looked like an alien or a robot, either of which categories seemed to fit her demeanor better than human did.
The doctor rolled herself a little closer and picked up the speculum again, each of her movements methodical. I trembled all over as I lost sight of what her hands were doing. I tried to raise my head to see more and whimpered at the feeling of complete restraint from the collar.
I felt Dr. Demetriou insert the speculum, and my whimper became a cry of discomfort. The intrusion felt both foreign and uncomfortable. I bit my lip to stifle my embarrassing noises, acutely aware of Malleus’ watchful eyes. The cold metal stretched me, the sensation painful and humiliating.