Mastah is always good to Sin, even after I spit in his face when we first met. He smiled… He smiled a devilish smile. It was not long before he turned Sin into… This!
I stood before my reflection my arms spread admiring the cool silver piercings adorning my skin. These differed from the earrings they gifted the cows. These were curved pieces of pure silver accenting my body. I ran my hands down the two above my chest, sleek. There were two more just below my chest and the sides of my stomach.
My hands reached around my waist and felt the last two sitting along the bottom of my back. I closed my eyes feeling the shivers shift down my back, reaching all the way to my toes, flexing against the wood floor.
“Mmm…” I moaned, licking my lower lip.
Crash
I jumped, shaking my head and turning to face the front of the stage, the heavy red curtains hiding the row of seats. I gingerly made my way to the center of the curtains and squeeze my head through the thick velvet fabric. The brutes were working and someone had just dropped a barrel.
Mastah wants to change tonight’s show.
“We need an encore to die for my Sin.” He told me. “Strong elderberry for our guests… And plenty of it.”
Thus the barrels, stacked two high and lining the sides of the hall four deep.
Ding
“Idiot!” I snarled.
One brute had just dropped a tall candle stand, a precious thing of silver and gold. Only the best for Sin and her show.
I pulled my head back in closing the curtains.
“I needs ta get dressed.” My smile pressing each ear.
They pushed the leather-bound chest back towards the back of the stage, and I skipped to it. Right on top, the red silken dress from before. I walked with it to the mirror and stepped into it, the deep red bodice, inlaid with gold trimmings. The center of the bodice was solid, the sides cut away, a sheer fabric exposing my sides, showing off my silver handles.
“Sin looks beautiful.” I grinned, bouncing on my toes.
Twirling side to side the dress swung with me.
“Betta dan Grace…” Her name slithering off my tongue. “Sin much betta.”
I took the silken dress and slipped myself into it, seeing the picture of me come alive. Clasping the back of the dress just under my collar I smiled, closing my eyes.
“Mastah.”
I heard his steps shuffle along the floor, his heat right there, but he never raised himself to touch me.
“Sin is ready Mastah. Ready to show you Sin is betta than Grace.”
I slowly turned around, keeping my hands back behind my head, opening my eyes to see him. His red gaze blank, calculating, sinister. I bit my lower lip smirking.
“What does Mastah think?”
“Sin, you should not think this way about your sister.”
“She’s not my sistah.”
His eyes sunk back, stern, a rage rippling down my spine an icy touch.
“Grace plays an important role in your show tonight. A role you cannot play.”
He pressed a finger to my mouth, holding back my response.
“Just as Grace cannot play your role.” His finger drew off my lips. “Sin trusts her Master, yes?”
I nodded.
“Sin.”
I nodded again, “Yes, Mastah.”
“Good, now prepare, it is time.”
Master turned from me and walked to the red curtain sliding through the center, spreading his arms wide, giving me a small glimpse of the crowd.
“Gentlemen! Welcome.”
Master’s words muffled at the closer of the curtain and I put myself in position. Along the floor was an ‘x’ where I should stand at my entrance. Not too far was another ‘x’, near the table of daggers, where Master would stand once the curtain drew back. I could hear better now closer to the curtain, the muffles of men clanking their cups, and Master introducing Sin.
“Tonight is a show you have never seen. A show where your imagination becomes real.”
That made me smile, my face tight, unable to stop. I grabbed my cheeks and bit my lip trying to stop.
“The marvelous Sin will amaze with her beauty, litheness and resilience. And one lucky Magister will have the chance to push Sin even further.”
Master provided the rules, and I smacked myself across my left cheek keeping the right side of my face toward the curtain.
“Now, for the real star, Sin!”
The curtains drew back, the glow of the hall burning bright, illuminating me. Every seat was full, the Magisters of the island with their own slaves by their sides, some in laps. Yet once that curtain opened, all their eyes were on me, every last one. Even the last pair of eyes I wanted to see. Far at the back of the hall was her silver gaze, Grace.
Sister… She wasn’t important, not here not now. It was me with the Magisters turning their attention, stuck on me.
“How many of the Magisters here have seen one of Sin’s shows?”
Three raised their hands, all of which I remembered. I flicked my wrist up and waved dainty fingers and a quick wink.
“Welcome back, tonight will not disappoint.”
Master grinned as I walked to the side table and its silken runner.
“So we are clear for the newcomers. Tonight’s show is very real, there are no illusions to be had. No magic.” Everyone laughed. “No, everything you see is happening.”
I pulled a dagger off the table and walked to the center of the stage handing the blade to Master.
“Thank you Sin.” He showed the blade holdings its edge. “This dagger for instance, it’s quite sharp and has a particular point.”
Master flicked his wrist to the side flinging the dagger across the stage where it struck in the middle of the wooden frame, waving back and forth. The audience gave a short applause while I worked my way to the frame and pulled the dagger from the wood.
“You may have noticed, that is not just a simple piece of wood, I carved it.”
I handed Master the dagger and walked back to the frame.
“I carved it in a way to fit Sin perfectly. So much in fact.”
Master turned to face me and the audience’s eyes followed. I pressed myself against the wood, placing an arm up and behind my head while the other sat on my hip.
“That there is nothing but her body to catch this blade.”
Master flung the dagger again, and it pierced my forearm with swift and clean precision. The slight burn, the shock shivering my spine as the cold blade settled and blood seeped around the wound. When the shivers left me, warmth filled my chest, closing my eyes just for a moment, licking my lips and smiling before opening my eyes again meeting the red gaze smiling back.
The slaves in the audience gasped as did some Magisters. A few leaned in closer, all their eyes wide especially Grace. She covered her mouth, the whites of her eyes telling me all I needed to know.
She can’t do this, only Sin.
Master walked backwards towards the side table.
“Notice, Sin did not even flinch. Notice she is smiling because she loves this.” Master grinned. “Isn’t that right Sin?”
“Yes, Mastah. Sin loves to bleed for Mastah and the Magistahs.”Master walked backwards towards the side table.
Master chuckled grabbing another dagger from the table.
“Yes, my Sin loves to bleed.”
Master threw the dagger just as swift as his words across the stage catching my dress and splitting my right thigh. The cool steel sending shivers up my spine that followed a pulsating warmth. I gasped, my hands closing into a fist. Glancing to my right I saw a slave girl jump from her magisters lap and run away covering her mouth.
Stupid girl.
“Magisters, tonights show is more than watching me deliver these bloody blows, it is about you finding that dark desire within.”
As Master spoke he walked closer to the center of stage, another dagger dangling in his fingertips.
“To feel the warmth of a life, drip out of its shell. To watch that shell want more. And smile.”
With his arms raised and a sinister grin Master flung the third dagger catching the back of my fist, spreading my fingers out and pressing along the wood backing. My head jerked back banging on the wood, my toes stretching out, lifting my body, pulling on the blades sending more warmth through me.
Before easing myself down I gritted my teeth, baring a malicious smirk, biting into my lower lip to draw more blood before lapping it up with my tongue. Master was walking over his face expressionless, flat, dark. He walked past me, behind me his hand settling on my side, and then the other.
It was only then when My heart beating faster and faster. That was when he slides my body sideways, turning me toward the crowd. Wood scrapping against wood until they could all see me fully. They could see the blood dripping from each wound, running down my skin, glistening in the firelight. They could see my shoulders raise with each breath and a smile never leaving my lips.
Across the hall they could see the warmth filling my body as it burned, excitement overflowing within me. Everyone was looking, drawn in, even little Grace was walking closer to see.