breezeshadow | Mmmm, mind control

The meat on the bone suddenly smelled far more tantalizing; but even as her mouth watered, Kaki bared her teeth, her wings swinging down so the claws were facing the healer. "I want my CHILD--"

"And the League feels such a search would be fruitless." The closed hand shifted slightly, something within her fist being readjusted.

And then, just as Kaki sent her wings in a feint blow toward the healer, did she realize what was wrong. The healer wasn't scared; she had nothing but fatigue, a professionally blank mind, nothing that Kaki could latch onto and spread, seeding the nightmares Kaki needed to distract her and thus let her escape.

Then something jabbed her shoulder, and ice cold flowed up her arm, toward her heart, then out...

She knew that feeling. All succubi did, after they came of age, and were given their insignia. She could still remember trembling before her matron as she explained what the substance did, how it would feel, how she would be conscious during everything but like she was in a dream, sluggish and under forces not of her own...

"You daemon!" This time as she swung her wings it was a purposeful attack, hoping to send the claw ripping into the other succubus. But the healer deftly dodged her, scrambling back and sweeping her wings out of harms' reach, throwing the silver needle aside. And then finally Kaki could feel her mind: apologetic, but not guilty.

"I am following orders, Kaki." Already the healer's voice sounded too loud in Kaki's head, reverberating. She could feel her own thoughts becoming sluggish and strange, unimportant, not her own. "They want you to get better. And then they want to talk to you. Kaki. Eat."

She could not ignore the command; it was so powerful in her head that it became her own thought, her own desire; Kaki begged her body to move and rip apart that healer, that traitor, but instead she was pulling her wings back, picking up the bone, and ripping into the meat. It tasted more delicious than it ever should, making just want to eat more, rip apart the bone, get the marrow within...

And in the back of her mind, she screamed, tried to get her body to at least stop eating food which was not to be hers... But soon the meal was completed, and she looked back up at the healer, who had brought over a bowl of water, and a thick wool blanket, setting both in front of her.

This time there was no physical command; she drank the water while barely wanting to, and wrapped the blanket around her, fitting her wings through the holes so she could wrap them around it, pushing the fabric close to her frail body.

"I will bring over more food later. If I give you too much you will become ill." The healer knelt down beside her, taking her face and looking into her eyes quickly, not long enough to be a challenge. "You need real sleep, Kaki. The serum will only be lasting a few hours. When you wake up, please cooperate. I do not want to use it again."

Her head felt heavy, suddenly, the urge to sleep sweeping through her mind. And as Kaki curled up, pulling the blanket over her eyes with one claw, she tried to curse the healer, to tell her no she would do nothing, nothing but find her child...

But she slept before she could even bare one fang.

So much horrible stuff happens in this story. So. Much.

From the short story I am considering publishing.