Chained (Brides of the Kindred) Read Online Free PDF

looked at
her.
    “Just…don’t hurt him any more,” she begged,
turning back to Lady Pope’nose. “I can’t stand to see that. We don’t treat our,
uh, slaves this way back home. I’m not used to it.”
    “So I see,” Lady Pope’nose murmured dryly.
“Apparently you come from one of those misguided societies where they believe
in being lenient with their slaves. More’s the pity.” She sighed and shook her
head. “Well, I suppose everyone must have their own view.”
    “Yes, well…” Maggie wanted to say that in
her view, torturing helpless people was brutal and sadistic but she still
didn’t have the documents she had come for. Reluctantly, she decided to hold
her tongue.
    “I was hoping to have him broken by now,”
Lady Pope’nose mused, still looking at the bound man. “I’m going off-planet to
a retreat at the Lo’thian spa
tomorrow morning quite early. It would have been quite a mark of status to have
such a dangerous prisoner as my personal body-slave.” She frowned. “That is not
to be, I see. I shall have to pick another slave or maybe just make use of the
slaves they have at the spa.”
    Seriously? A spa? Was the sadistic Lady
Pope’nose going to take time off of her busy schedule of torture and
persecution for a spa weekend? Maggie felt hysterical laughter bubbling up in
her throat and swallowed it down with difficulty.
    “You’re going to a spa?” she asked,
instead.
    “Not just any spa,” Lady Pope’nose
assured her with a superior smile. “The Lo’thian spa. They specialize in
very particular treatments for the relaxation and pleasure of their guests.
It’s lovely, I hear. I’ve never been before because I’m always so busy. But
this year I decided to make time and go.” She smiled brightly. “Of
course, I don’t want you to worry, my dear Lady Jor’don. I’m certain we can
finish our deal before I have to leave tomorrow.” She turned to the prisoner.
“And then you will be singing a different tune. Once you’re fitted with
the Hurkon collar, you’ll beg to kiss my foot and call me ‘Mistress.’
Just wait and see.”
    He didn’t answer in words. Instead, a low,
menacing growl rose from his thick throat. The sound made the hairs on the back
of Maggie’s neck stand on end. Was Lady Pope’nose crazy, trying to tame a man
like this? Clearly he would rather die—or kill—than submit. Unless the Hurkon
collar thingy was even worse than the pain collar he had on now…The minute the
question entered her head, she had to ask it.
    “Why is the Hurkon collar so effective?”
she asked, turning to Lady Pope’nose. “I mean, I’ve never seen it in action—how
is it different from what you’ve got on him now?”
    Lady Pope’nose put a hand to her narrow
chest. “Oh, my dear—a Hurkon collar is vastly superior to anything else
on the market today. Why, it’s actually sentient. It feeds on the
pain of the prisoner so it’s constantly coming up with new and different ways
to cause distress. In fact, I’m told that even if the slave behaves himself, it
still gives out periodic shocks when it gets hungry.” She tittered, as
though she found the idea amusing. “Keeps the slave on his toes, don’t you
know. Also there’s a switch on the remote that’s capable of knocking out a rebellious
slave—a failsafe or ‘kill switch’ as it’s called. Very useful for security
reasons, I’m sure you’ll agree.”
    “Of course,” Maggie agreed dully. Inside
she felt sick. What kind of horrible torture device had she just delivered to
this sadistic bitch? How could the Kindred have let her do this? She sent up a
silent prayer that Jonas would never find the remote. She couldn’t bear
the thought of the chained man being tortured with an even worse device than
the one he already wore.
    “Well…” Lady Pope’nose sighed. “I supposed
we should go. I’ll just let the thirst work on this miscreant a little longer
and come check him after I finish at the