Bonded

Chapter 4

Sarah stoked Joshua's organ watching it as it throbbed in her hand. She failed to hear the light sound of crunching hay behind her, before someone spoke.

"Well what do we have here?" A silky voice asked from the entrance to the loft.

Sarah and Joshua looked towards the entrance quickly. Sarah felt the blood drain from her face and she gasped in horror. Standing at the entrance to the loft was an all too familiar woman. The woman had pale skin and a black cloak covering most of her midnight black dress. Her lips were the color of blood, her hair a long mass of midnight black and a deep set of green eyes, which resembled emeralds. Sarah knew this woman and did everything she could to avoid her at the Covent.

"Sister Lilith," Sarah whispered in terror, "I...I..." She stammered letting go of Joshua's erection.

"That is Deputy Headmistress to you, child." Lilith said in a soft voice. Sarah heard harshness in that voice.

"Deputy Headmistress." Sarah repeated.

"I did not know you had it in you, girl." Lilith said smiling wickedly, "Your mother will not be pleased."

Joshua hastily stood up struggling to pull up his breeches. Sarah stood quickly, blushing deeply. She pushed down her skirt and looked around for her panties. When she looked in the corner, she noticed that her panties were missing. Then she felt her heart drop as she heard Lilith Chuckle. Looking up at her, Sarah saw her underwear hanging from Lilith's finger.

"Are you missing something, Child." Lilith asked then to Sarah surprise. Lilith pressed the underwear against her nose and breathed in Sarah's scent.

"Give them back to me, Deputy Headmistress." Sarah whispered too stunned to move.

"Oh, no my sweet smelling young woman," Lilith replied pulling the panties away from her face. "You can go back to the Covent like the w***e that you are." The wicked smile stayed on her face.

'The young girl smells so sweet.' Lilith thought, 'I will break her heart and soul.'

Sarah blushed looking down at her feet and felt a tear run down her cheek. Lilith's words had stung as if she had slapped her.

"Give them back to her," Joshua shouted stepping towards Lilith with clenched fist, "You foul creature."

"Really boy," Lilith spat, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Give them back or else." Joshua repeated through gritted teeth and held up his fist.

'The boy means to fight me.' Lilith though amused by the situation.

"Don't do something you will regret later, boy." Lilith stepped forward and with lightning speed grabbing Joshua under the chin.

Joshua caught completely unaware by her speed could do nothing. Lilith dug her long fingernails into his chin and stared at him with her deep green eyes. Sarah glanced over and saw that Lilith had drawn blood with her fingernails. Joshua felt fear course though his body as Lilith stared into his eyes.

'This woman is truly evil.' Joshua though his muscles frozen in fear.

"Please Deputy Headmistress," Sarah whispered placing a hand on Lilith's arm, "Joshua did not mean anything, I will do as you ordered. I will go back to the Covent."

Lilith laughed as she pushed Joshua to the ground. He hit the ground hard. "Don't get up, boy." Lilith ordered in a menacing voice.

Joshua angered and embarrassed, started to get up, but them felt an invisible force hit him in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. Sarah cried out as Joshua grunts in pain falling to his knees. It felt like a kicked by a horse. He could not understand what hit him. Sarah tried to reach out for Joshua, but Lilith grabbed her by the upper arm in a vice like grip. Lilith yanked Sarah across the loft to the entrance.

"S...Sar...Sarah," Joshua cried out trying to catch his breath and stand back up.

"Joshua," Sarah cried with tears in her eyes, "Let me go, you evil woman!" Sarah desperately tries to pull away.

Lilith having enough of this slapped Sarah across the face. The sound of the slap made a satisfying ring in Lilith's ears. "Shut up you stupid girl," Lilith said angrily, "Or I will kill this boy where he stands."

Sarah felt the sting of the sharp slap across her cheek. A warm taste of copper filled her mouth as Lilith dragged her from the barn. Sobbing from the pain her cheek and the punishment Joshua received. She obediently listened and walked out with Lilith. She looked up to see the cart in front of the barn with Jason and Thomas sitting in the front with heads bowed.

"Get in and sit down." Lilith hissed pushing Sarah onto the cart.

Sarah stumbled onto the cart and sat in the far corner away from Lilith. She felt trapped like a rabbit and trembled in fear. Lilith was not a woman to cross she could be deadly. All the servants avoided her except Mathew who was her personal servant.

"Take us back to the Covent," Lilith commanded.

The cart jerked forward as it moved heading for the front gates. Sarah kept her head down and hugged her knees to her chest. She wanted to make herself as small as possible.

'This is not happening.' Sarah thought, 'This is all a nightmare.'

"When we get back," Lilith explained loud enough for the servant to hear. "They are going to pay dearly for letting you out of there sight." Lilith smiled seeing the effect it had on Sarah and the servants. Sarah hugged herself tightly, letting out a low cry and the servants trembled in their seats.

"No, Please." Sarah sobbed looking up at Lilith, "It was not their fault. I told them to stay. Punish me, not them." At that point, she knew this was no nightmare.

"Oh dear child," Lilith said, "You will watch as they are punished." Lilith smiled showing her bright white teeth.

The ride back to the Covent from Salem was quiet, except for Lilith humming. Sarah sobbed into her hands quietly. What seemed like a harmless visit to Salem, turned into something awful? Sarah thought that the worse part was still to come. Sarah felt her cheek. It felt warm and swollen when she touched it. She flinched in pain. Lilith smiled down at her. She enjoyed seeing the young woman in pain.

'If I was the headmistress," Lilith thought, but did not finish the sentence for fear of someone listening to her thoughts.

The ride, which seemed to take forever getting to Salem turned into a relative short trip back to the Covent. Once they were through the gates of Covent. Lilith ordered the servants to take the supplies to the Quartermaster.

"You will then come back to this courtyard and wait." Lilith ordered.

Lilith grabbed Sarah roughly by the arm. Sarah tried to be as small as possible and shrink away from Lilith's grip. Lilith half-dragged Sarah off the cart as the servants pulled the cart towards the Quartermaster stores. The other sisters stood in the courtyard watching with smiles on their faces. Lilith led Sarah into the fort and down the passageway. She knew Lilith was taking her to the Headmistresses rooms.

"Sit down here, whore." Lilith commanded, roughly pushing Sarah onto a stone beach.

Sarah slumped down onto the stone bench and cried into her hands. Lilith walked into the Headmistresses rooms and closed the door. Servants scurried past, not stopping to talk or even look as Sarah. A long time pasted as Sarah hugged herself and rocked. She looked with tear-stained cheeks as the door opened. Her mother looked down with sorrow in her eyes.

"What did I tell you about people?" Celestia spoke sitting down next to her daughter, "Men in particular."

"Jos...Joshua is kind," sobbed Sarah, "He would not hurt me."

"Dear child," Celestia said softly running her hand through Sarah's hair. "You don't know anything about the evils of men in the world." She explained, "If Lilith had not intervened. He would have taken advantage of you, you would be with child, and he would move onto the next pretty girl."

"No," Sarah replied shaking her head, "Joshua is a good man. He would never do that to me. Lilith threatened to kill him"

'Would he take advantage of me?' Sarah thought about what her mom had said.

"Hold your tongue, girl." Lilith hissed, looking down at Sarah with distaste.

'What a pathetic excuse for a woman.' Lilith thought.

"Now, now," Celestia said softly holding up her hand to silence Lilith. "It has been a long day for everyone and the day is far from over." She looked down at Sarah, "As your punishment for disobeying me. You must watch as Jason and Thomas are whipped."

"No," Sarah cried, "It was not their fault. I ordered them to leave. Punish me instead."

"You must learn dear child. You caused this punishment by not following the rules. You must answer for it." Celestia explained softly and then looked up at Lilith, "Are they in the courtyard?"

"They should be by now." Lilith responded, "I instructed them to be there after unloading the cart."

"Let us get this over with." Celestia sighed, stood, and helped Sarah to her feet.

Sarah stepped forward behind her mom and Lilith as if on strings. She had a feeling of foreboding as if this will happen soon. Her vision blurred and she saw herself wearing a white robe as Celestia and Lilith led her down the hallway towards somewhere evil. It was a fleeting vision. She had no time to understand the visions significant.

Her feet moved slowly and she kept her head down watching her feet as they stepped on the stone floor. She felt the warmth of the sun on her head as they walked into the courtyard. Sarah looked up and saw Jason and Thomas tied to a post with their arms tied above their heads. Sarah noticed that all the servants and the sisters stood in the courtyard. The entire courtyard was silence as they walked in.

Celestia, Sarah, and Lilith stopped in the middle of the group. Celestia looked around to ensure everyone was watching.

'Good,' Celestia thought, 'this will ensure she stays and never wants to leave again. I need just two more days.'

"Today we shall punish two servants for disobeying a direct order to protect my daughter." Celestia spoke in an authoritative voice that rung throughout the open courtyard. She pointed at the servants tied to the post. "They allowed my daughter to be seduced by a simple town's person. If the Deputy Headmistress had not been there this simple boy would have defiled her."

The servants gasped in shock and dismay. The sisters stood stoned face as Celestia let the sentence hang in the air. Sarah sobbed loudly. Her body trembled as tears ran down her cheeks.

"As punishment they will each receive ten lashings from the Deputy Headmistress. My daughter will watch for her punishment in this crime. We must all learn that there are consequences for you actions." Celestia explained as if teaching a lesson. "Let this all be a lesson to you. You will obey the orders of the sisters and me. You have a good life here, but if you disobey me." Celestia nodded towards Lilith to proceed.

Lilith who had been bored by the speech, now felt excited. She walked towards the two servants and picked a whip off the ground called the cat-of-nine tails. The whip with nine leather straps attached to a handle had a piece of metal embedded in the tip of each tail. Sarah tried to look away. She knew what those tails could do. Sarah had overhead servants on many occasions telling horror stories about that whip and what Lilith could do with it.

"You must watch my daughter." Celestia ordered harshly as she forced Sarah to watch by grabbing her chin and lifting up her head.

"You girl, come over here." Lilith said pointing to a girl with red hair.

'Oh no,' Sarah thought speechless, 'Not daisy, leave her alone.'

"You will count out the lashing." Lilith ordered looking back at Sarah with a satisfied smile. She saw Sarah pale. Lilith knew how much Sarah cared for the girl. A servant pushed Daisy towards the center and little girl stood fright.

"If you fail to count a lashing, I will keep lashing them till you get the count right." Lilith instructed, "Do you understand?"

"Yes Deputy Headmistress." Daisy replied in a small voice.

"Good," Lilith purred, "You are a good girl."

Lilith turned towards Jason and brought the whip back. With a small flick of the wrist, the tails struck Jason in the back. The loud crack and the Jason crying out in horror, caused Sarah to jump. Sarah's mouth dropped open as nine diagonally marks cut across Jason's back.

"One," Daisy said in a loud voice.

Sarah stood, frozen in place as silent tears ran down her cheeks for the men. Lilith took slick pleasure in whipping the two men. She laughed loudly as each man screamed in pain. They pulled at their bonds and tried to anticipate when the next blow would come. Lilith, being a master at delivering pain, let them anticipate the blows, but she struck when they did not expect it.

Sarah glanced at Daisy who was staring at the two men. Her voice becoming unemotional as each blow stuck. Sarah noticed that Daisy did not flinch as each blow landed. The girl looked pale and in shock as she counted.

Sarah did not know how long it lasted, but when it was over the two men's backs looked shredded to ribbons as they hung from their bonds, unconscious. Celestia nodded and two servants walked towards Jason and Thomas. They untied the bonds and carried the unconscious men into the fort.

Lilith walked up to Sarah. Sarah saw that the servant's blood splattered all over her dress. Sarah swallowed feeling sick and revolted at the pleasurable smile on Lilith's face. She did what she could to hold back the bile that rose in her throat. She swallowed hard hoping that would help hold it back. Lilith took a finger and traced a bloody streak across Sarah's cheek over the same spot where Lilith had smacked her.

"Their blood is on your hands." Lilith said cruelly.

Speechless, Sarah felt empty and ashamed for the harm she had caused Jason and Thomas. Her knees gave out and she fell to the ground crying. She remembered how nice Jason and Thomas were. They were always friendly to her and she enjoyed talking to them. They found unique flowers for her and always brought her favorite flowers. She had abused their good nature and for what?

'So I could be with the man I love?' Sarah thought, 'I'm a fool. I shall never leave the Covent again. She was right about the world.'

"Daisy," Sarah heard her mom say sadly, "Take my daughter back to her room."

Sarah stood on wobbly legs and Daisy took Sarah's hand. Daisy led Sarah away towards her room. Everything was a blur and Sarah felt like she was in a daze.

Lilith watch in satisfaction as Daisy led Sarah away.

'I will destroy her.' Lilith thought.

"Did you need to go that far, Lilith." Celestia asked.

"The blood on her cheek was the icing on the cake. Now I want to eat my cake." Lilith replied.

"Be careful that you do not push her too far." Celestia explained, "She is not like the last one."

As Lilith opened her mouth to retort, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning her head in a bored look, she saw Sister Dana looking at her.

"He has been brought as you requested." Dana said.

"Good," Lilith replied with a smile, "The real fun begins tonight."

'She will wish that we never found her.' Lilith thought watching Sarah stumbled into the fort.