Burning Embers Ch. 11

I'm really sorry for the long delay. Life happened, as it happens to all of us at one time and another, and I had a good swift kick in the teeth. Hopefully I am forgiven and you enjoy this next part. It is also the last in the series. At least for now. I've lost the flow I had when I was writing it and may come back to it later, but for now, no promises.

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They wouldn't tell me what the second trial had been. I had thought both Cora and I were meant to take part together, though I'm not on trial. The room was starting to feel smaller and smaller as I awaited news. Any news would be welcome.

Thio's patience had worn thin and he was spending more time away than with me. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. There were times I still struggled with the bits and pieces I remembered and with what I felt since coming here. Once I opened myself up to my experiences, I was able to enjoy myself. Was it wrong to enjoy myself? I no longer knew.

The door opened and Thio stepped inside. I stopped my worrying, or tried, and sat on the bed. I had been trying my hardest to appear calm around him, though I rarely succeeded.

"The second trial was just barely a success. It seems she does much better when you are not there," Thio informed me, taking his time to unbutton and strip himself of his shirt. He usually just snapped his fingers, but he doesn't now.

"What would it mean, if she were to win the third trial?" I'm not sure I want to know the answer. As soon as I notice my fidgeting, I move my hands under my thighs to control them.

"I'm not sure two out of three will be enough," Thio confessed. He turned away from me and hung his shirt in the wardrobe. His shoulders, once proud, slumped as if he had the weight of the whole dimension on them.

I was too afraid to ask what that meant. It would most likely mean the death of Cora.

Thio grasped my chin and forced my head up. I hadn't even seen him move. "I know what you are thinking. Death is a kindness to the other option. The other option is to return her. Raving mad about demons and hell. She would be committed and in case you don't remember, your people try to brush the crazies under the rug, refusing to deal with mental problems."

I don't remember. The things I remember now are almost all of the times I spent with Cora. Like the vacation we had just after graduation and we couldn't afford to go somewhere warm and tropical, so we spend a week pampering ourselves at a local spa pretending we were somewhere fabulous.

"There is also talk of letting her go. Trying out a contract. Blood has power, even sometimes on people like her."

He wasn't forthcoming with what that meant exactly. Swearing her to silence? Would that stop her? Would she still search for a solution even if she couldn't tell anyone anything more about where she's been and where I am?

"There is one last trial," Thio said, laying down on the bed and pulling me into him. "You might have to participate in that one too, though I've done all I could to prevent it."

Sometimes I wondered why he did the things he did. I knew, deep down, I was kidnapped and brought here to be his toy. There were times that I questioned that and wondered if he really just wanted something more than that.

His hands glided up and down my back softly. We lay on the bed, him on his back and me turned into him. We lay still, not talking further. Eventually I fell asleep to his gentle touches.

When I woke, I was alone in bed though I could hear voices talking low. I was covered in a soft blanket and held it up to cover myself as I sat up. Thio and a demon I had never met before were quietly talking at the table. The room had been rearranged so that the table was further from the bed, giving them a place to talk without disturbing me.

"She's awake," the unknown demon reported. Thio turned in his seat to look toward me.

"Good. Come join us, Ember," Thio said, reaching out a hand for me. He held his hand out as I tossed the blanket aside and stood, naked, and walked to him to place my hand in his. He settled me on his lap so that both legs hung over the same side.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ember," the unknown demon said warmly. "I'm here to deal with this situation."

He didn't offer his name and Thio wasn't inclined to provide it. I was curious as to what kind of demon he could be.

"Thioduhm has offered an interesting alternative to deal with Cora, provided she completes and succeeds in the third and final trial. The solution may apply to you."

"Ember," Thio said, waiting for me to turn my gaze from the demon across from us to him. "What if you could go back home? Forget this place and carry on as if none of this had ever happened?"

What? Would I want that? Maybe at first, but I've come to crave Thio. It was true I'm not always crazy about everything, but I knew I still wanted him. Could I give him up and go back and really forget? Or would a part of me know that I was missing something?

"I-I-I don't know," I stammered.

"Well, you will have time to think on it, as the third trial is about to start and your presence is required," the demon informed me as he stood up from his chair.

I turned back to face Thio. His face unreadable. Would he really give me up? Could he let me walk away?

My thoughts swirled around in my brain as we stepped through the door. What was on the other side jarred me. I looked around in confusion. It seemed like something vaguely familiar, though I couldn't seem to comprehend it. There were demons and their humans seated all around the stage. There were four podiums on one side and one on the other. There was a demon standing at the one, waiting for me, I presumed.

I was still naked. Goody.

Thio led me to the steps before the stage and waited, hand on my arm to keep me steady. A few moments passed before we were joined by another demon, who escorted Cora to the stage. Thio turned me to him, pressed his thumb to my forehead and I felt something happened. I was momentarily stunned as I tried to figure out what he had done.

Together, we were led up the steps and took our place at two podiums. Thio placed my hands on the podium to make sure I was steady before he turned and walked back down the steps. The remaining two stood empty still.

From the opposite side of the stage, two demons entered the room from a door like the one I came through and stepped up on to the stage and took their places at the empty podiums.

"Welcome to the third and final trial. We have two teams, the demons and the humans. I will ask you questions and for every right answer you gain a point. If you answer and it's wrong, you are subject to punishments. Punishments that will start small and get bigger and harsher the more you miss. Good luck."

"First question. What is the name for the monetary unit used in Thailand?"

Cora and I looked blankly and each other as the other team buzzed and answered.

"Correct! Next question. Which American writer wrote the poem "The Raven"?

"Edgar Allan Poe," I called out after my buzzer lit up. And all of a sudden I knew what Thio had done. He returned to me the things I knew from my previous life.

"Correct! Next Question. Who was the shortest player to ever play in the NBA?"

Cora hit her buzzer and answered with Charles Barkley. It was our first wrong answer.

"Incorrect. You two have the option to answer if you know it, or pass," the host said to the demons. They passed.

"Our first punishment is up for the humans. Gentlemen!" The host's voice rang out and we all turned to look behind us to see two demons hop up on stage.

The demons were carrying straps of some sort. They instructed us to place our hands behind our heads and we complied. Well, I did right away and Cora hesitated until the host spoke of the punishment being doubled up. They kicked our legs apart, spreading us wide to strap on a device. It was pushed up into my folds, right against my clit. They strapped it into place and then tightened the straps so that it stayed put.

They told us we could turn back to the podium and continue. The demons walked to the host and deposited two small remotes into his hands and then continued off stage.

"First punishment starts now," the host announced and the audience cheered. Then we both felt it. Vibrations. Not so bad at first, but right up against my clit and I knew this would be a problem. We waited for it to stop, but the host grinned and put the remotes down on his podium.

"Next question," the host continued.

We struggled. At first it was easier to try and ignore. We got two answers right and lost the race to the buzzer. The demons were up in points. Then we lost two more answers. Which upped the vibrations.

I was panting with effort. I couldn't help the shifting of my legs to try and get relief from the stimulation. For the most part, I was able to tune out the audience, but once in a while I could hear them laugh and see them point to us as we struggled.

Then the demons answered incorrectly. During the set up, we were allowed a reprieve. I let out a sigh of relief as, for the moment, the vibrations stopped. I could feel wetness run down my legs and could feel a desperate need to come.

Two human women came up on stage, naked, and fell to their knees. They started sucking and licking their cock and balls. I was speechless. This seemed far better than the punishment we got. It wasn't until they were fully hard did the women back away and same two demons stepped up to take their place. They placed two straps on them. One around their balls and one just under the head of their cocks. They strapped a thin band around their waist which connected the bands with wires. The demons passed off two more remotes to the host.

"Punishment for the demons starts now," the host announced.

The demons grunted as the remotes were turned on. I was glad I was mistaken. I watched them both turn back to the podium and we were set to answer more questions.

We lost twice more. The first resulted in nipple clamps. The next added weights to them. As we both twisted and turned to try and find relief from the vibrations, it tugged our nipples. We both ended up bend over, leaning over the podium on our elbows to try and stabilize our breasts, though unsuccessfully.

Then came the lighting round for finishing part one. The demons answered less questions right than we did. Which gave us a nice point bonus and passed the punishment on to them. Thank god, because I was too far on edge and didn't know how much more I could take.

The demons were fitted with huge butt plugs. They were bend over their podiums and grunted as the plugs were slowly pushed into place. They were shaking and sweating by the time they were allowed to stand up. Wires were connected to their straps and more grunts escaped as the plugs in their asses started to vibrate.

The audience loved it. And apparently so did the host.

We made it through another round of questions. We managed to answer correctly and even catch up the demons. Then we lost the lightning round. I wasn't sure what more they could do to us.

I stared at the machine they brought on stage. One for me, one for Cora. The podium was lowered partially down into the stage. The two demons strapped my arms down on top of the podium, forcing my back into a table top position. A spreader bar was placed between my legs and the machine was positioned behind me. I stared over my shoulder as a large dildo was hooked up to the machine and placed behind me. They moved it until the dildo was fully pushed inside me. Cora got the same treatment. Then the machines came to life.

I gasped. It started off slow, stretching my insides out to accommodate the girth. Then it started to speed up. I moaned as my body was overwhelmed with sensations.

Have I said we hadn't been allowed to come yet? Every time I got close, the vibrator stopped. I assumed this would stop too.

"We have one last round. It's been close! Closer than any of us have anticipated. Round three, first question."

I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. The demons lost three questions in a row. Only because I wasn't capable of speech at the moment and I assumed Cora was in the same boat. I didn't even open my eyes to see what they received. I only heard the audience cheer.

We won the lightning round. And the game. When everything stopped, I blinked to try and understand. How had we won? Was it all a trick?

"Since the demon team refused the punishment from the lightning round, points were taken away," the host announced. Wait, we could refuse a punishment? Why didn't I know that?

We were released from the podium and allowed to stand up. We were motioned to the middle of the stage.

"As winners of the game, they win the right to finally receive the pleasure denied them all game long."

Uh oh. What did that mean? I sneaked a glance at Cora and I could see her pale at what that might mean. The two demons were escorted off the stage and the podiums all disappeared down beneath the stage.

"The losing team will be denied pleasure, starting now, for the next three days. Good luck!" The audience cheered and laughed as they left the room.

Thio hopped up on stage and stood next to me. He smiled down at me as demons rushed around the stage.

"Good job," Thio said, caressing my back.

"Can we leave now," I asked. His smile brightened, but not in a way I thought I would like.

"No, now comes the pleasure part. The part the audience was waiting for."

I could hear Cora audibly gulp. The demons swarmed us and Thio stepped back. We were strapped up. In the confusion of straps and people, I let out a gasp as my feet suddenly left the ground. The straps let the demons position us any which way they wanted.

I was tilted back to face the ceiling. The straps attached to my ankles and thighs were pulled apart and back slightly, showing the audience in front of me everything I had. The straps from my pelvis had been removed, but the not the nipple clamps.

Then Thio stepped between my legs. The room around me disappeared. All I saw was him. I saw him hold his hand up and point up. I was raised until my pussy was the perfect height for his mouth. He smiled wickedly at me before his lips attached to my clit and sucked. He sucked hard and I screamed out my first orgasm.

Fingers slowly entered me, much slower than I wanted. The machine had stretched me out, readying me for a real cock. I wanted him. I wanted him inside me.

"Please, Thio. I need your cock," I gasped as his lips tormented my flesh. He looked up at me and shook his head and continued to lap at my folds. His fingers stroked my insides and I was unprepared for my second orgasm. I drenched his hand.

And then his fingers left my pussy and ventured down. It hadn't been my favorite when he first started, but I enjoyed anal now. I tried to wiggle my hips toward him, forcing him into action faster. It didn't work. His slick fingers circled my asshole, teasing me with sensations. Then he used both hands to tilt my hips up further, allowing the straps in place to tighten and hold me into my new position. Then his tongue touched me. I was so close to my third orgasm. I needed more.

His tongue touched me softly at first. Barely a whisper of pressure. His hands slid up and his thumb found my clit as his tongue swirled and lapped at me. Then his fingers pushed inside me, finally going where I needed him to.

I chanted his name as his fingers and thumb drove me crazy. Closer and closer to orgasm. Then I screamed as I came. I cried out when he stepped away from me. I needed more, I wasn't close to done.

Then the room came back to me. The audience was no longer in the stands but closer, those who fit around us were on the stage. Some massaging engorged cocks, some rubbing their clits. Some had their humans sucking and licking at their flesh. And then I saw Cora.

Cora mirrored me. And the host was between her legs, lapping at her. She was crying and moaning with pleasure. She was beautiful. I watched as she was slowly turned. From her facing the ceiling to her facing the floor. The host moved around her and stood behind her. He took a paddle from a demon off the to side and started to spank her. She cried and moaned still. Her moaning louder than her cries.

"She's alright. We had a break through after the second trial," Thio whispered in my ear. I hadn't seen him move. His hands came up to play with my breasts and nipples, still in clamps, though he had removed the weights.

"Her parents are really religious and she locked down her real needs in fear of their disapproval. She needs the pleasure that comes from pain, though she doesn't require it to be extreme pain. Surprisingly, she's much like you, enjoys and hates the pain but now craves the pleasure that comes from it."

Then his fingers removed the clamps and I screamed out as blood rushed back into the tips. He massaged my breasts as I came back down. I felt the need in me rise again.

"Please, Thio. I need you," I begged.

He gave. He pushed my back up until I was standing and came around to stand in front of me. Lifting my legs, he wrapped them around his hips and slowly entered me. He started off slow and calm, not heeding my pleads for more. He tormented me with his slow pace until I was frantic. Then he started moving faster. I clung to him. My arms around his neck, my lips tasting everything I could reach. His neck, his chin, his mouth when he let me have it.

Thio slammed his hips into me and yet it wasn't enough. I needed something I couldn't name. I fought him when he slipped out of me and tried to step away.

"Shh, Ember," Thio admonished me.

He slipped behind me and I felt his cock at my ass. He guided his cock, slowly, into my ass. It burned as it stretched me out. I was panting with effort as he slowly sank into me. When he was fully inside, he waited for my body to adjust before thrusting. His hands came up to my breasts and the straps adjusted my legs. My feet left the ground again and I felt myself sink onto his cock a little more as my weight settled. My legs were spread wide before me and my back rested against his chest.

"This is what you need. I will always know what you need," Thio growled. And he started thrusting.

It was what I needed. The burning sensation was mild now, enjoyable without pain until it finally faded altogether. His fingers pinched and pulled my nipples and his teeth scraped my jaw and neck. And I still wasn't able to orgasm again.

"Remember, I know what you need," Thio warned as a hand left my breast and moved down to my pelvis.

His hand rested over my folds, slowly playing with my spread flesh. I let my head fall back onto his shoulder. Then I felt him slap my pussy. I cried out at the pain and then moaned at the pleasure.

His hips slammed into me in rhythm to his hand slapping down onto my clit. I exploded with pleasure. His cock didn't stop but his hand gently caressed my swollen folds. Soon I heard him start to grunt as his pace increased and the rhythm became erratic. His grunts in my ear were loud as he came.

We were both breathing hard. I heard the sound of his fingers snapping and the straps were gone and I was cradled in his arms against his chest.

"Now we can go," Thio said as he stepped down from the stage, leaving Cora behind.

The door opened to our room. We slept.

When I woke next, Cora and Thio were at the table, waiting for me just like the unnamed demon earlier. I scrambled out of bed towards them. Thio reached for me and I sat in his lap.

"We need to talk about what comes out of this now," Thio said. "We had a break through with the second trial. Cora doesn't wish to discuss it. You have two options. You can return with her to your life. You both will be bound by a blood contract. You will be unable to talk about your time here. You can move on and live your life. Or you can stay. You don't have to choose the same option as the other."