Chapter 57

The next day, Anna went sightseeing around St. Petersburg with Wilhelm and Kurt until they were due at the Manor, or Pomest’ye, as they called it in Russia. Anna was taken upstairs to a large room where the other Elder-Mistresses were getting ready for the Funeral Gathering. She stood near the door, watching them. They were so elegant. So beautiful. And so aloof.

“You are Anna?” a Japanese woman asked her. “I am Sakue. It is wonderful to meet you, sister.”

Anna smiled shyly. “Hi.”

The other women noticed her and introduced themselves. Raissa from Brazil, Creda from the United Kingdom, Madison from Australia, Halima from Egypt, Bisala from India, Yalda from Iran, and Irina from Russia.

Anna felt out of place amongst the confident Half-Immortals. Other women bustled around the room, aiding them in their preparations. Anna remained quiet, listening to their gossip while she readied herself. They seemed to find Anna’s demeanor intriguing, unsure how to handle her shyness. When they asked about her marriage, they seemed very surprised that she still missed Alex.

“Aren’t there other interesting men around you?” Creda asked. “Why would you want to settle for just one man, when you can have any you want?”

“I loved Alex,” Anna said softly. “My heart aches every time I think about him.”

Yalda tilted her head. “You are so different from us. Perhaps it is we who are missing out. That kind of love sounds wonderful.”

“And painful,” Halima said coolly. “Do you regret it?”

“Regret what?” Anna stepped into a white gown that a slave girl held out for her.

“Regret marrying. The hurt?”

Anna shook her head. “Alex was the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.” She sighed. “I’m fortunate to have been with him for the short time I had. Sometimes, yes, I regret it, but only because of the pain of losing him.”

“He was very handsome. I remember him.” Irina smiled. “He came with his father to visit sometimes. A very good lover.”

Anna looked away. She didn’t want to think about other women being with Alex. Yes, she knew it happened. Obviously. But she wanted to remember Alex as hers and hers alone. She didn’t want to share her memories.

The girl helping her adjusted her dress and finished her hair.

“You arrived in St. Petersburg with an American Elder, but are now with the German Elder?” Irina asked. “I didn’t think Americans shared.”

“They are both my Master,” Anna answered quietly.

“Both? How can you have two Masters?” Irina asked.

“I—?”

“Did I hear you are a slave?” Halima asked, her gold-threaded braids catching the overhead light as she gazed disapprovingly at Anna.

“You’re not slaves?”

“Immortals are not slaves,” Halima snapped. She glanced at Madison, who watched Anna with an expression of disdain on her face. “That is an insult.”

“I highly doubt she did it on purpose, Halima,” Yalda scolded.

Anna drew her brows together in confusion. “But... you have Masters.”

“Of course,” Madison said in a haughty voice. “But we serve them willingly. By our own choice. We are not like the other girls who are mindless bodies for sex.”

“She is hardly mindless, Maddy,” Sakue said. “She has a depth of emotion we could never hope to have. I envy her.” Sakue smiled kindly at Anna.

Anna bit her lip, trying to understand why the women were so harsh, then smiled at the Japanese Elder-Mistress, thankful for a bit of kindness.

Madison rolled her eyes. “Why would you want to be subject to such human emotion?”

“Why would you not?” Sakue asked with an arched brow. “It might be nice to feel love for once instead of just watching it.”

Anna’s lips parted. “You don’t feel love?”

“There’s no need,” Irina said, shaking her head. “Why waste the energy? You certainly do not seem to have benefited from it. An excellent example of why we stay how we are.” She studied Anna carefully. “You are not like us, and yet you claim to be one of us. Why?”

Anna’s eyes widened. “I never... claimed to be. I didn’t even know until... until I met Alex. He told me.”

“How could you not know?” Creda asked. “How can you be so... human ?”

Tears filled her eyes and Anna turned away. She stared at the floor, wishing she could disappear into it. She didn’t belong among her own kind. She almost wished she was back in Devin’s Manor, but she would miss Kurt and Wilhelm terribly.

Disgust mixed with sympathy filled the room and Anna was at a complete loss. She had no idea what to do. She sat down on a couch in the corner, hands clasped in her lap, head down. The other women chatted with one another again and Anna was forgotten.

A few minutes later, someone sat next to her. She glanced sideways to see Sakue smiling at her, a sympathetic look on her face. “They just do not understand, Anna. Do not be ashamed of who you are.” She put her hand on Anna’s and squeezed. “I was honest when I said I envy you. I would like to know what it is to love a man and to be loved back.” She sighed. “Well, I suppose we all know what it is like to be loved, but we do not know how to return the emotion.”

The Elder-Mistresses were escorted from their dressing room, through the Manor, and into the expansive Great Hall of Vlad’s Manor. It was similar to Devin’s Hall, with the emblematic eagle nestled in one corner and the prominent platform at the front. Yet, this space felt older.

The walls were constructed of enormous gray stones, mirroring the stone-tiled floor, adorned with plush red carpets. Three huge iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each bearing an array of hundreds of lit candles that cast a warm, flickering glow over the room. High above, windows allowed streams of golden sunlight from the setting sun to cascade in, while iron sconces on the walls were being lit by men in black robes.

The scent of Vitaly’s burning Elder robe filled the room.

The Elder-Mistresses moved through the hall with poise and confidence. Some of the Elders even bowed their heads as they passed by. Anna lagged behind, uncertain what to expect or what was expected of her. She knew this was an important event, and that the Elder-Mistresses were an integral part of the rituals that were to take place, but no one had told her what to do or expect. Yes, she’d seen them at Alex’s Funeral Gathering, but she’d been too consumed by her own grief to pay any attention to what they’d done there.

She focused her gaze on the floor in front of her as she walked a few steps behind Sakue, hoping to follow her lead. Sensing Devin’s heavy gaze, she risked a glance in his direction. His subtle gesture, a slight upward jerk of the chin, was a prompt for her to raise her head. She complied, and though his frown persisted, he nodded in apparent approval.

Oh, she just wanted to run away and hide. She didn’t belong here. She should be with the common slave girls. She was no Elder-Mistress. She was a Half-Immortal sex slave. If only Devin had told her she would be participating in... whatever was going on.

The other Mistresses had talked about it. They speculated on who would be chosen. Chosen for what, Anna didn’t know, but Irina was certain she would be the one. After all, this was her country.

Anna watched as the women took their places around the edge of the platform and kneeled with their hands in prayer position. When Anna assumed the same position, they all bowed as one, with Anna a split second behind them. She could feel Devin’s anger as she stared at the floor and trembled. Her heart pounded in fear, desperately trying to understand what was going on.

Sakue touched her arm lightly and she looked to see the other women sitting up. Anna followed suit and put her hands on her thighs as the others had. A man began speaking in Russian, and Anna stared at the diamonds sparkling on the backs of her hands.

She had donned her customary diamonds, except for her necklace—Devin hadn’t returned it yet. All the Mistresses were dressed in white, each in a style reflective of her own culture.

Irina’s headdress resembled a Russian crown, an intricately elaborate and stunning creation that outshone anything Anna had ever seen. It gleamed like the summer sun dancing upon San Francisco Bay.

In contrast, Anna’s entire ensemble was painfully simple compared to the other Elder-Mistresses. She saw her foolishness in believing Devin had been excessively generous with her jewelry. If the jewels were a measure of their an Elder-Mistress’ care and her Master’s affection, Anna was severely neglected.

Not that she cared about having less sparkle than the others; it was more about the stark realization of the disparities in their relationships with their Masters. But then again, Anna was a slave—that was the fundamental difference.

Patya, the Immortal, came and stood before them. He pointed at Irina and Halima, and they stood and followed him to where Vlad was kneeling, naked, in the center of the platform. His chest heaved, and he looked dazed. Peter stood to one side, watching him. He met Anna’s eyes and smiled tenderly at her. Anna smiled back.

The two Mistresses undressed and kneeled next to Vlad. They began kissing him and stroking his body and cock, which quickly hardened and stood erect. Each of the women took turns sucking on him until he groaned in what almost sounded like pain. His cock was purple and throbbing. His hands were clenched into fists, his face red, and veins stood out in his neck.

Patya kneeled in front of him and wrapped his hand around Vlad’s cock, making him groan loudly. The Immortal stroked him a few times and then nodded to an Elder standing nearby, holding a piercing gun. The Mistresses stood aside as two other Elders came to stand next to him, holding his arms to the side. Another Elder kneeled behind him and held his hair in his fist and put another hand under his jaw. He whispered something in Vlad’s ear, and Vlad nodded and closed his eyes.

The Elder with the gun kneeled and took Vlad’s cock in his hand and pressed the gun to the side. She heard two clicks and Vlad grunted, but otherwise made no sound. Another Elder took the gun and pierced the other side, and then a third Elder pierced the underside of Vlad’s cock. Vlad was visibly shaking, his jaw clenched so tightly Anna feared he would break his teeth. The third Elder put his hand on Vlad’s shoulder and Vlad opened his eyes, watering in pain.

The Mistresses returned and began kissing him again. Vlad kissed them with a fervor and pushed Irina down on the floor. He kissed her deeply as Halima moved to lie down with her hip next to Irina’s head.

Without ceremony, Vlad pushed himself into Irina, and an expression of relief crossed his face. He spread Halima’s legs, lifting Irina’s head to lie back on Halima’s thigh. He kissed Irina once more and then buried his mouth into Halima’s pussy, eating with a fervor Anna wouldn’t have expected after being in so much pain.

Anna wondered what was going on when she saw Patya kneel behind Vlad, his huge cock golden in the candlelight. He positioned himself at Vlad’s asshole and pressed in with one thrust. Vlad grunted in Halima’s pussy and his knuckles whitened, but he made no other noise.

Patya began great long thrusts in and out of Vlad’s body. His biceps bulged as he held himself above Vlad. He moved to hold Vlad’s chest so he wouldn’t move. Every movement pushed Vlad’s cock in and out of Irina and Anna could see Halima’s dark, wet pussy when he was pulled backward.

The movements continued for what seemed like an eternity. Anna watched in fascination as Vlad leaned his head back and Irina pushed his mouth back onto Halima and held him there. Patya’s movements quickened and suddenly he roared and stiffened as he came. Vlad let out a primal scream, his back arching and face looking almost straight up, despite Irina’s hand in his hair.

They stayed in that position for a long time, until Patya relaxed and slowly slid out of Vlad, kneeling behind him with his head sagging for a moment. Vlad resumed his feast on Halima and thrust in and out of Irina until both women cried out their release.

Patya stood and spoke loudly in Russian. He pulled Vlad to his feet and seemed to make some sort of declaration, to which everyone in the room applauded.

Vlad spoke for a few minutes, and then motioned for Peter to come forward. Peter removed his robe and kneeled in front of Vlad. Vlad’s still hard cock disappeared slowly into Peter, who stiffened and panted but didn’t cry out. Peter’s cock was hard, and Anna licked her lips as she watched it bob up and down with his movements. Vlad released himself with a cry into Peter, and then stood and pulled Peter to his feet. He put his arm around Peter and made a declaration. Applause filled the room again. Vlad grinned and put his hands in the air. He motioned to the Elder-Mistresses and then around the room. He shouted and the other men shouted and cheered.

Anna stared, frozen in shock, as the room broke out into a great orgy. The only women in the room were the Elder-Mistresses, but that didn’t seem to matter. The men seemed to like each other as much as they liked women. Anna turned to look at Sakue but just saw her disappearing into the crowd. Anna felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Peter standing next to her.

“Peter . . .” She sighed in relief. “What?—?”

He shrugged. “It is how these things always end. Bonding and brotherhood and the like.” He pulled her close and kissed her. “I want you, though.” Peter kissed her and pulled her to the floor.

He kissed his way down to her breasts and her eyes fluttered open long enough to see Kurt watch for a moment, then turn away, hurt on his face. Tears stung her eyes, but she wiped them away quickly and pushed the emotion aside. The only thing she was good at as an Elder-Mistress was sex. It was the one duty she knew and could perform well. She clutched at Peter’s hair and sighed as he made love to her.

“I didn’t think I’d get another night with you.” Anna and Peter lay in his new bedroom at his uncle’s Manor. She traced his bare chest along his pectorals and then lightly ran her fingertips over his nipples, turning them hard and dark. He’d brought her here after they’d made love on the floor of the Hall. Everyone else had been occupied, and he told her he wanted to be alone with her again. One last night.

“Me either.” Peter shivered under her touch. He caught her hand and pulled her on top of him, her hands propping up her chin on his chest. He put his hand behind his head and smiled. “I wish you didn’t have to go back.”

Anna smiled sadly. “I’m sure Dariya’s happy,” she said, changing the subject. She didn’t want to leave either. She’d been with him for so long, it hurt to think about not being with him every day.

His smile was wry. “Yeah. She is.”

“I’m going to miss dancing with you.”

“I’m going to miss everything about you, Anna. I wish... God, I wish things were different.”

“I’ve thought that so many times about so many things. It never does any good.” She spoke softly, but the bitterness still came through.

“Don’t be bitter. It will just make you miserable, and you’ve had enough misery.” He smiled. “At least you can see Wilhelm and Kurt again.”

Her heart twisted at the mention of Kurt’s name. The hurt on his face last night still haunted her. He had told her he didn’t want to share her with anyone. But that was a long time ago. Did he still feel that way? He had sent her over to be with his father their first night together, so what did that mean? She had her duties. Devin would never allow her to stop. Surely Kurt knew that.

“You like him, don’t you?”

Peter’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “What?”

“Kurt. You like him.”

“I think I hurt him last night.”

“It takes a while to get used to the sexual aspects of The Brotherhood.” He smiled. “It’s not easy being in love with an Elder-Mistress.”

“Peter, you shouldn’t?—?”

Someone knocked hard on his door. Peter called out in Russian and the door opened. Wilhelm stepped inside, a frown on his face.

“Wilhelm!” Anna bit her lip as her cheeks grew hot. She didn’t know why she was embarrassed to be caught in bed with Peter, but she was.

“We need to leave soon,” he said in English, his voice gruff. He nodded to Peter. “Will you please bring her down to the entrance when she is dressed?”

“Yes, sir.”

Wilhelm turned and left the room without another word, closing the door behind him.

Anna looked at Peter. “He’s upset with me. What did I do?”

“I doubt he’s upset with you,” he said, but didn’t look especially confident.