The Decimation of Mae (The Blue Butterfly) (13 page)

“Of course it does.” Was he for real? “Tell me, Master.
Do you have family?”

“We aren’t here to discuss my parentage, lamb. I asked
you a question.”

“And if I choose not to answer?”

He snorted and devoured his drink, the amusement in his
eyes bright and clear. “Would you care to find out?”

The edges of my lips lifted involuntary. “You amuse me as
much as I amuse you.”

“I amuse you?”

I nodded. “Yeah, your dialect, your accent. It makes our
conversations quite entertaining.”

His top teeth sank into his bottom lip as he tried
desperately to hide his reaction to me. I nudged him with my elbow,
endeavouring to find the human side of him, the part of him that could interact
with me in normal banter.

“Oh come on,” I practically pleaded as he stared at me,
his gaze far from angry, apprehensive maybe. “There’s just us here. For one
hour, just us; chat, drink, get insanely drunk, sing rude bloody songs…” I
swallowed when he showed no reaction to my request. “Please.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to get drunk and have some fun one final
time before I die.”

I didn’t miss the fire that slid across his face, but he
managed to bate his anger. He sucked air through his teeth and narrowed his
eyes. He seemed to be struggling with his thoughts, the decisions giving him a
dilemma he couldn’t seem to work out.

“Can I trust you, Mae?”

“Absolutely not.”

His face lit up instantly before he snorted and nodded.
“Go put on something pretty and meet me here within an hour.”

My heart slammed violently against my chest. My brain
struggled to work out what he had just said. “Sorry?”

“You want to get drunk, you want to sing your heart out,
then we go out. We don’t do it here.” He leaned towards me causing the hairs on
my stubborn body to reach for him. “There are cameras here. You need to relax
and get raging drunk without any comeback on either of us. But I need you to
promise me, Mae, you give me your word that you will remain by my side
constantly.” I nodded eagerly, giving him my best smile, the hugest smile I
could muster. 

“I need to make you aware that the consequences will be
dire should you choose to ignore my warning.”

“I promise.” I knew he meant every word. I knew that so
far I hadn’t witnessed the extent of his wrath and if I was truthful, I never
wanted to witness it.

He stiffened when I leant into him and placed a small
kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

He gulped but nodded. “Go, hurry.”

I didn’t need to be told twice.

I laughed at his attempt to dance with me. I had finally
found something this arrogant bastard was crap at – dancing.

He smirked, rolling his hips unnaturally as his eyes
danced over my own moving body. I shook my head and laughed loudly. “Do not
give up your day job,” I shouted to him over the loud throb of the tune
powering around us. “Maybe next time you should kidnap a dance instructor.”

He stared at me, his eyes wide with my sick humour but I
shrugged and winked.

“Bloody hell, Mae.”

I giggled and danced around his body until I was
positioned behind him. Taking his hips in my hands I pushed my front against
him and tried to direct his movements, swaying us both to the beat of the
music. He placed his own hands over mine and looked behind him to watch what
our hips were doing.

“Relax your body,” I encouraged. “Close your eyes.”

“Uhh.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to run off, you can keep
your hands on mine.”

He shrugged then did as I asked, closing his eyes and
trusting me. I’m not sure what emotion his trust in me evoked but I didn’t like
the thrum in my chest as I studied his relaxed face, his whole body loosening
with the interruption of his sight, his surrender to me quite overwhelming.

I swallowed it back and settled my chin on his shoulder
so he could hear me. “Feel the beat, Master.” I tapped the side of his hip in
tune with the heavy beat of the song. He conformed to my instruction, listening
and obeying to what I was telling him. “Let it take over. Allow your body to
absorb it.”

His body relaxed further against mine, his hips finally
moving fluidly. “That’s it. A lot better.”

He smiled. It was a carefree smile, his entire face
untroubled as he concentrated on his body and the beat controlling him. His troubles
and concerns evaporated around us when he succumbed to the music and allowed it
to take him. His backside pressed against my lower stomach, the firm muscles of
his buttocks causing me to briefly forget what I was actually trying to do. The
way he ground back against me generated a deep heat to form between my legs. My
breathing deepened and I closed my own eyes, letting the moment dictate us
both, the sultry rhythm influencing my manipulation while I let myself go for
the very last time.

I opened my eyes and blinked when Master turned in my
arms until he was facing me. His body still moved with mine, but now it was no
longer his backside pressing against me, it was his erection.

He smirked at me when my eyes widened. “You dance skilfully,
lamb.” 

“I had lessons as a child.”

He smiled softly. “And what else did your childhood
contain?”

“Just the usual stuff. Horse riding lessons, piano
lessons and extra maths tutoring. Stuff like that.”

“Did you enjoy those particular lessons? It sounds like
your childhood was ruled by many different classes and dictations.”

“Not at all. My parents appreciated the many opportunities
open to Connie and myself. I happen to be grateful for the many possibilities
they encouraged.”

He watched me, his eyes soft but intense. “You were close
to your sister?”

Just the mention of my beautiful sister ached something
deep within me. “Yes, we were very close.”

“That would be due to the fact she was your twin?”

I blinked at his knowledge, anxiety curling in my stomach
when I wondered what else he was privy to. “I suppose, but we were complete
opposites. I think that’s why we got on so well.”

He nodded and smiled, sliding his hands across my lower
back to pull me further in. I put it down to the rise in the music volume,
making it difficult for him to hear my answers. I had drank quite a few
cocktails which had loosened my tongue along with my inhibitions. This was to
be a last for me and I both needed and wanted to enjoy it.

“I gather you were the outgoing one.” He laughed. I
jumped as his hand slid over my bottom, his fingers resting against one arse cheek.

“However did you guess that?”

He shook his head and smiled but then his smile
disappeared. “You must miss her.”

“I do, very much. I lost half of myself when…”

When I didn’t finish my sentence he nodded, as if aware
of the pain inside me when I spoke of her. I wasn’t sure how much he knew of
Connie’s death. I didn’t want him to know if he didn’t already.

Our bodies still moved to the music as Master spun us
round, his hands now moving round to hold my hips the way I had held his.
“Mae…”

I lifted my eyes to his when his words seemed to get
stuck in his throat.

“It’s okay. Ask.”

Wariness crossed his handsome face, darkening his eyes as
he studied me intently. I knew he was trying to read my mood as the
conversation steered into dangerous ground. “I take it Connie was very close to
your father.”

His statement told me exactly how much information he had
gained, the rest of it I wasn’t so sure. “How much do you know?”

He held my eyes, showing me that he had no guilt over the
knowledge. “A little. The reason she took her own life I mainly guessed, but
it’s quite common knowledge that it was due to the fact she lost herself with
the death of your father.”

I nodded sadly, tears pricking my eyes as my past once
more found a way to hurt me. “Yes.” It was all I could answer with but he
already knew there was nothing more I could tell him.

“You refrained from following her. Were you never tempted
to take the route your family took?”

“My parents didn’t die on purpose,” I snapped.

“I know, Mae. Calm down, I’m just asking if you ever
wanted to take your own life like your sister did. That is all.”

I locked eyes with him, making him see me as I answered
him honestly. “All the damn time. I tried many times but I’m Mae Swift, I
struggle to even do that right. Many bodge jobs brought on the wrath of social
services and numerous therapists. You have no idea how many times I tried to
take the same way out as Connie, yet here I am. Waiting for the end with you.”

He narrowed his eyes, his pupils darkening to onyx, the
heat behind them blazing. “You need to understand that when the time comes, you
won’t be with me, Mae. You will be in the care of your new Master.”

“What?” I reared back causing his hands to drop from me.
“How soon?”

He didn’t answer as he took hold of my hand and led me
back over to our booth in the corner. He nodded to the waitress to bring us
more drinks before he urged me into the seat and slid in beside me, trapping me
securely between him and the wall.

He turned in the seat to face me. “A month. It all
depends on how your progression goes.”

“Progression? What progression?”

He sighed, pausing when the waitress brought our refills.
“I have absolutely no idea why I’m telling you this, lamb.” He hesitated and
for a moment and I thought he might have changed his mind about being open but
he carried on. “You and other stock are due for auction before six weeks’ time.”

I swallowed back the nausea that threatened to make a
fool out of me in the middle of the club. “Other stock?”

“Yes, I told you before; there are others under my
guidance.”

I stared at him, gauging his mood and weighing up how far
I could go with him. “Are the… others in the house with us?”

He blinked at me, his eyes fixed intensely on me so he
could read me. I had nothing to hide, he could interpret my reactions whichever
way he wanted to. “Just one other. I only take on two per course.”

“Course?”

He nodded. “Yes. That’s what I do in a certain way. Provide
education to subjects that are somewhat… taboo.”

“You teach slavery.”

He smiled wickedly, his eyes glistening in the many
different coloured lights bouncing around us. “In a way but I prefer to call it
‘pain acceptance’.”

“What the…” I ran my tongue over the inside of my cheek
to put a stop on the flurry of swear words that were threatening to erupt. I leaned
forward, shuffling my bottom round so I could face him. “Forgive me for being
so… inquisitive, Master but…”

He nodded when I paused and bit into my lip. I wanted the
answers to so many questions but I was also wary of how he would interpret my
probing. “Go on. We’re here not as teacher and pupil. I’ve brought you because
it was your request. Although you think I’m a monster, Mae, you may also not be
aware that monsters have hearts like the rest of the animals on this planet.”

I stared at him. “So you admit you’re a monster?”

He laughed loudly, his whole face lighting up. “I’ve
never denied the fact, my darling.”

His endearment seemed to slither around me until it crept
into my heart forbiddingly. I shouldn’t allow him to use his manipulation,
because of course that’s all it was. But the way he was, the way his own unique
personality demanded that I pay attention didn’t allow me to do anything else
but let him inside.

“I always thought monsters didn’t possess empathy.”

His eyes narrowed when he caught the bitter tone in my
voice. “And just how many monsters have you come across, Mae?”

“I’m quite sure more than you have.”

“And you know that for a fact do you? You never question
or inquire of other people’s lives. You just assume, Mae Swift and that is
where you make your first downfall. You should never presume but always read
the truths from the lies.”

“Your lies drown the truth, Master. How do you expect me
to decipher between the two?”

He leaned even further until his face was directly in
front of mine, the alcohol on his breath mixing with my own as we created our
own unique cocktail of air. “I have never lied to you.” His truth hit me
forcefully. He was correct, he had never lied to me but that still didn’t make him
an honest person; far from it. “If anyone here is untruthful then that would be
you, lamb. You are never honest with yourself, never mind with me.”

“Really?”  I downed my fresh drink, savouring the heat
that hit my belly and the fluffiness that curled around my brain. I’d had far
too many drinks and in the company that I had, I knew it could be a dangerous
thing. “And where are my dishonesties, Master? I can’t recall lying to you.”

He watched me for a while, his face impassive but his
eyes suddenly sad and painful. “You tell me you’re not scared of death, Mae. That
you are waiting expectantly for it. But I see the truth, I see how very scared
you are, how you wish life had been different. You won’t accept this life you
were given. You blame God, others, maybe even your parents for how your life has
turned out.”

“You arrogant bas…” I took a calming breath when his face
darkened with my outburst and turned to him angrily. “You know nothing about
me, Master. If you did, you would know that right at the moment death takes me
I will be applauding along with every other damn person on this planet.”

I flinched when his palm slid over my cheek. I didn’t
realise a tear had fallen until he wiped it away with his thumb. He removed his
hand and looked down at his fingers as he gently slid the drop between his
thumb and forefinger. “You see, lamb. This little drop of your pain tells me
that although it’s singular, it’s very potent. It contains every single ounce
of despair that is churning up inside you. It tells me you fight against the
pain when you should be accepting it and letting other tears follow. Holding
onto grief is suicide. It never soothes, it tears you apart until you become
twisted, morphed into a slice of horror that even the devil would refuse to
condone.”

“No.” Grieving helped nothing but pain, the only thing it
helped was self-pity and heartache and I for one would stubbornly refuse to
allow it to overrule me.

He sighed and shook his head. “Great night out, lamb. You
are the life of the party.”

My eyes widened on him before the laughter burst from my
mouth. “Well, you’re just the perfect date, Master. You haven’t even fed me.” I
nudged him with my elbow and winked, grateful for his change of conversation.

He slapped his hand on his chest and smiled widely. “Well
forgive me, my darling. How very rude of me. What would you like?”

I giggled and smirked at him. “Do you know what I really
fancy?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Chips with tons and tons of salt and vinegar to
eat on the walk back to your house.”

“My house?”

“Yeah, why are we going somewhere else?”

He leaned back in the seat and smiled at me. “No. If you
had the choice of going anywhere before you die, where would you like to go?”

“That’s easy.” I smiled sadly, pulling in a fortifying
breath as I stared at the remainder of pink liquid in the bottom of my glass.
“The beach.”

“Any beach?” His stare triggered goose bumps to flare
over my skin. It was too searching, his desire to see inside of me simply
terrifying. There was only ever me that knew what happened inside my head and I
refused to let anyone else see that part of me.

“Yes. It was just something I always did with my parents
and Connie. We would visit the beach regularly.” I shrugged as heat flamed my cheeks.
“It’s just me, something…”

“I understand.” His smile was soft but it gave away another
side of him, one I thought he didn’t possess. “Come on.” He slid out of the
booth and held out his hand for me. “Let’s fill that belly with greasy chips.”

“You don’t like chips?” I asked as I placed my hand in
his.

“No. I find them too heavy.”

I rolled my eyes at him, laughing. “Have you ever lived?
You’re way too serious.”

We crossed the dance floor as we made our way out of the
building. Just as I was about to step off the wooden floor, a random man took
hold of my waist and swung me around to him. He smiled widely as he started to
press against me and sway in time to the music. My hand dropped from Master’s
as he pulled me further against him.