“These decorations all seem to do with death.” Storn was looking around, a puzzled expression on his face. “I don’t understand—why would you have a holiday celebrating something so grim?”
“It’s not grim—not really,” Mia tried to explain. “It’s kind of like…making fun of something that scares you. When you make fun of it, that takes away its power over you. Do you see?”
“I guess so.” Storn nodded and looked around the room. “I like all the costumes,” he commented. “Some are quite elaborate. Though none are as lovely as yours,” he added, giving her a hungry look.
“Oh, thank you,” Mia murmured, feeling another thrill go through her. Part of her felt wrong wearing such a revealing outfit. But another part felt free.
Hank isn’t here, she thought to herself. I can wear anything I want—be anyone I want. He can’t stop me from enjoying myself or make me feel bad about myself ever again!
The thought was a real confidence booster and she held her head high as she walked around the room on Storn’s arm, nodding at the chorus members she already knew and smiling politely when someone new introduced themselves.
It was hard to tell who was who because many of the Kindred seemed to have really gotten into the spirit of the holiday and were wearing very elaborate costumes. Mia nodded at a warrior who was a little shorter than the rest—he was wearing a gold and red dragon mask that covered his entire head and standing in the corner, observing everyone. The dragon-man nodded back without speaking and Mia and Storn moved on.
The encounter didn’t seem surprising because, while most of the members were couples, though there were quite a few Unmated males, who were probably more interested in finding a mate than in actually singing. There were so many, in fact, that Kaylee had plans to have a men’s chorus as well as the mixed one. Mia thought this was an excellent idea—she loved listening to a good men’s chorus and playing for one would be a pleasure, too.
They wandered around the room, shared a cupcake with a green cookie “witch’s finger” that had a slivered almond for a fingernail poking out of it, and had a cup of bloody eyeball punch apiece. Mia was just beginning to think that they had seen most everybody and could reasonably call it a night, when she caught sight of a door marked “Dungeon” in curving, scripted letters.
It was one of the larger instrument storage rooms and the doorway had been hung with long silver streamers, partially obscuring what was going on inside. Just as Mia looked towards it, Kaylee popped her head out through the streamers.
“Oh, there you two are!” she exclaimed and motioned for them. “Come on—come in and explore the dungeon!”
Mia and Storn exchanged a look and Storn shrugged—clearly he didn’t mind if Mia didn’t. She wondered if he had any idea of what was supposed to be going on in the “Dungeon” and if he would be so sanguine if he did. But there didn’t seem to be anything to do but follow Kaylee through the silver streamers, into the darkened room.
Inside, a dim rainbow light was strobing and Mia saw that the large room had been partitioned off into several areas. In one corner she saw a large Kindred warrior sitting on a bench. The warrior had a girl over his knee and he was spanking her bare bottom with a paddle.
“Oh! Oh, Master, please!” the girl was moaning, as she writhed on the big warrior’s lap.
Storn frowned in apparent concern.
“Wait—is he hurting her?” he asked Kaylee. “He is hitting her and yet the scent of her desire is evident, even from here.”
“Oh, no—that’s just the spanking corner!” Kaylee exclaimed. “He’s not really spanking her that hard,” she added. “It’s more of a dominance game—you know?”
A look of understanding passed over Storn’s face.
“Dominance games I understand. Many of the Monstrum Kindred play them with their mates—especially those that are predators rather than prey.”
“Predators and prey?” Mia asked, but Kaylee was already leading them to a different part of the dungeon.
“Here’s the whipping post,” she explained, and Mia saw that a Kindred warrior had his mate’s hands tied above her head to a tall wooden post. He had pulled up her skirt and was spanking her with a flogger while she wiggled and moaned in evident enjoyment.
“This is…interesting,” Mia said weakly. Though Kaylee was her best friend, she’d had no idea that the other woman was so kinky. Apparently being with a man she really loved and trusted had really brought out her naughty side.
“I’m glad you like it.” Kaylee flashed her a grin. “And in the other two corners are restraints where you can cuff your lover up and punish them in other ways,” Kaylee explained. “I think I left Talon around here somewhere…”