Don't Call Me Kitten! Read online

  “Greetings bright eyes, the spirit of eagle is strong in you. No don’t get up” The being made a halting sign by raising her hand. “We will have many times in the future to get to know you more. You must return home soon and calm your sister’s worry. For now it is enough that we meet.”

  “But how...what is all this...am I dreaming? Have I spun out from too much adrenalin?”

  The being laughed at her notion. “I assure you this is very real but take a moment to look at the joggers.”

  Helena could see what the being meant. The humans were there but compared with the abundance of life she now saw they seemed almost dull. They were almost black and white when contrasted with the color of the winged Feya.

  “Which is more real? Your reality or ours?”

  Helena’s scientific mind was struggling for some kind of explanation that would make sense of what she was seeing “I guess it all depends on your perception”

  The being seemed pleased. “Exactly. You bright eyes have stared death in the face and stood your ground. You sacrificed your beauty to keep true to yourself. Such bravery and tenacity pleases us greatly so we have decided to grant the boon of being able to see us. We would befriend you if you would allow.”

  “I’m honored but a little amazed that I would come to your attention. I’m nobody of any importance.”

  “Your boss keeps an african violet on top of his filing cabinet. The micro-fairies that tend it saw everything. And you’re wrong. You are of immense importance. You are the condor’s mate. He waits for you even now. You have already seen him but you didn’t know him. One day you will free him. When that time comes we will consider an alliance with your friends.”

  Petrov kept an african violet? There were creatures called micro-fairies? She had a mate who was a bird? Her mind spun. These beings were seeking an alliance. She couldn’t see a problem with that at least. She could only sense goodness and power emanating from the being in front of her. Although her scientific mind laughed at her putting much store in her intuition. She thought it might be best to be honest though. “I don’t have any friends I’d think you’d want to know, no one that special, a few classmates but that’s it.” Helena winced at how that sounded. Sure there was Levi, her only true confidant over the last few years, but he was heading back to his country next month and she got a sense that this being was after a longer term alliance than that. “Okay, that sounds awful but really, with my ties to the Mafia, I didn’t want anyone extra in my life to put at risk.”

  “It is true that you have a lonely time ahead of you but that will eventually change. We would be glad if you would count us as your friends. The Mafia, as you call them, can’t hurt us. You will have a little free time each Sunday afternoon, I believe. Come visit us then. Mostly we avoid your concrete jungle but you will find us here or in places like it. We are not as fixed by time or place as you are. Wherever life is strong and vibrant you will find us.”

  “I would be very pleased to get to know you but maybe after I have worked with the Mafia for a bit you might not want to know me. I can imagine that some of what they might ask me to do may sully my soul.”

  “There is a way. Hold yourself apart from the life you must now lead. Do as they ask but no more. Witness your actions as though you were a player on a stage. You will keep your spirit strong that way. You will know when you can help others along the way. We will show you ways to protect your soul and balance yourself, if you wish.” As if pulling it from thin air the being took a small object into her hand, then it vanished just before reappearing around Helena’s neck. “Whatever may be we will be watching out for you. If you have need of us simply touch this pendant. It is made from the essence of the birch tree behind you. Think of me and I will come.”

  “But who are you? I don’t even know your name.”

  “Ah yes, I remember, names are important to your kind. You can call me Eadaoin.” And then she vanished.

  2

  Some years later, several months before the present day...

  It was a busy Saturday night at the club, made even more so by one of their regular staff being down with the flu. That left the rest of them multitasking between their usual jobs and signing clients in for the night. A client at the bar indicated his glass was empty by turning it upside down.

  “Same as before?” Helena was already reaching for the Stolichnaya to refill his glass.

  “Maybe something with a bit more kick. How about it kitten?” He made his intention to solicit her clear by piling a small wad of cash on the counter.

  Helena’s eyes steeled. Barely contained fury boiled in her gut. Her lightning reflexes had her hand lashing out to grab him by the collar, yanking him nearly halfway over the bar until he was barely a breath away. The fact that his face was turning all sorts of colors as he struggled to breathe did nothing to quell her anger. “I...am...not...your...kitten! The general staff here are not your playthings. Or are you such an imbecile that you can’t tell the difference between the staff and the pros? Now leave or do I need to throw you out?” Releasing him she moved away in disgust.

  One of the male bouncers came over to check on her. “Everything all right?”

  “Fine, he’s just leaving.” Although she had to wonder whether Ivan was checking on her or the client. Just then her phone rang.

  “Hello?” The international dial tone peaked her curiosity. “Who is this?” She wasn’t about to state her name until she assessed the threat. Call her cautious but life had taught her to be.

  “Hello Helena. My name is Andrew McCullum. I work for the Australian Government. You might say I’m ringing on behalf of your sister.”

  Worry clenched Helena’s gut. Her sister’s mail-order marriage had been a total disaster. The aging guy who’d seemed gentle and amiable at first had turned out to be a total brute once he had a ring on her finger. Fortunately he’d recently keeled over but she knew her sister was struggling financially. The bastard hadn’t left her anything, giving it all to his grandkids from a previous marriage instead. To top it all her sister had up and lost her job in the last week. “Is she alright?”

  “She’s fine. Although I haven’t met her personally. I’m based in Canberra. A good friend of her new boss rang me wondering if we could help you migrate out here and join her. He seems to think she’s had a hard time of late and has trust issues. To be honest though there is something else.”

  Helena’s suspicious side kicked in. “And what would that be Mr McCullum?”

  “Andrew please. If you’re going to come out here you’ll need to get familiar with our customs. Unless you are trying to kowtow to me or you really dislike me don’t call me Mr.”

  Odd people these Australians but who was she to call them on it. As the guy at the bar had quickly found out there were certain names she didn’t like to be called either. “Fair enough Andrew but you still haven’t enlightened me to the other reason you want me there.”

  “I know this is going to be a stretch to believe but we want you for your research into non-coding genetics. I don’t know if you’ve heard of a scientist by the curiously singular name of Jnarn?”

  Had she heard of him, the man was a goddamn genius. “Yeah I’ve heard about him.” She tried to sound casual but rising interest coursed through her veins. “He’s based in Japan. He and his adopted daughter Kitsuneko Abe have been doing some intriguing work on using retroviruses to see if they can repair genetic damage.”

  “Well they’re both moving to Australia, not coincidentally to the same small town where your sister just got her new job as the local veterinarian. There’s a move afoot to build a state of the art genetics research facility for them. Sorry I can’t tell you anymore than that. We'd rather keep the town off the radar as much as possible. Whatever you decide it would be better for the world if you kept all this to yourself. So...you interested?”

  Better for the world eh? That sounded a bit melodramatic but she wasn’t exactly going to turn down a chance to be with
her sister again, get the Mafia finally off her back and work with one of the world’s most renowned researchers in her rather specialist bleeding edge field of science.“Yeah, of course. But...”

  “Ah yes, we know about your debt to the Mafia. We’ll deal with all that for you. Leave the logistics and paperwork to us. It might take a several weeks arrange. You have no idea how slow the wheels of bureaucracy can sometimes run. Just be ready to get on a plane at a moment’s notice. Once we’ve sent you the necessary documentation have a bag packed and near you at all times. Anything else you need to bring with you we can arrange to have sent over.”

  Okay, that was surprising. Not just that they knew so much about her situation but that even knowing about her connection with the Mafia they still wanted her and were prepared to go into bat for her. “I have a few research notes and reference materials I suppose but other than that I can travel light.” She noticed Kristina the club’s supervisor starting to frown in her direction. Kristina and her got on but she didn’t want to abuse that friendship by slacking off and expecting to get off lightly. “Ah, got to go but count me in.”

  “Good, good. I’ll let Simon know though knowing him he probably already knew you’d agree. I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.” He hung up.

  No pleasantries, no formal goodbyes...if this level of informality was typically Australian it might take a bit of getting use to. She’d make sure to visit the library in the morning and start researching their culture and slang. She needed to know a bit more than what she’d gleaned from her late night phone conversations with her sister. She never liked going into anything unprepared. Who the hell Simon was, well that was a mystery maybe Anya could explain later. At least her sister had a job. She let the weight of that particular worry slip from her shoulders. Noticing newbie looking clients at reception she went to intercept them.

  The couple at the front desk looked to be in their early forties. To her fairy enhanced eyesight they seemed to have more color than the rest of the people in the club but they had a smell of “tourist” about them. Tourist was the derogatory term the club used for ordinary people who dared to peek inside their door, whether for the thrill or just plain curiosity. Usually they were easily shocked and the club didn’t need the notoriety with the media or the law that would come from mainstreamers griping about what they saw here. Certainly not the kinds of activities most of the clients here participated in.

  The fact the couple smiled shyly at her had her dampening her usual approach to such encounters. “You do know where you are don’t you?”

  The guy looked a bit worried, like a swarm of bouncers were about to descend upon him at any moment.

  The woman seemed more relaxed, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. It was easy to see who had steered them here. She gave Helena her best pleading look. “Please don’t turn us away. We so want to see inside.”

  “If you’re just voyeurs I suggest you go home and watch a film.”

  The man coughed nervously. “Ah, no. We were wondering if we might use your dungeon for a bit. You have one of those here don’t you?”

  Helena rolled her eyes. “Yes we have rooms like that here but let’s be frank shall we? What you might see on the way to those dungeons would probably burn your eyeballs. None of us want either of you suffering from post traumatic distress afterwards then telling all your friends and acquaintances what disgusting things happen here.”

  The woman blanched. “We don’t want anyone we know knowing we were here. We won’t tell a living soul.”

  Helena was running out of polite tactics to try on this couple. “Look, please go home. Go buy some toys off the internet. Explore your kinks in the safety of your own home. Just the entrance fee for getting in here will set you back a pretty penny.” She eyed the man meaningfully. “Go spend that money on your wife.”

  The man bristled a bit. He obviously had a little bit of backbone. “It’s because of my wife that I’m here. Rosa read that book, fifty colors of black and blue or something. She’s been wanting to try all kinds of different things since. I don’t know how to give her what she wants. I thought we might come here and learn a bit.”

  Helena sighed. Black and blue indeed. The man had a sense of humor it seemed. His plight touched some deeply hidden soft center in her heart. He wasn’t some asshole trying to get his jollies. Instead he was genuinely trying to understand and meet his wife’s needs even if those needs were based on a stereotyped portrayal that appalled most in the lifestyle. The woman’s pleading eyes cinched the deal. She turned to Ivan who’d come over to give her backup if she indicated she wanted them turfed out the door. “Is there a dungeon vacant Ivan.”

  Ivan raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised she even considering letting them in. “I believe number five is vacant.”

  Helena nodded and returned her attention to the couple. “If you’re that serious here’s the deal. Since you don’t have membership here payment for the use of the dungeon is up front.” She placed their standard invoice in front of him. She noticed he blanched. “Cash only. You’ll both sign non-disclosure and liability indemnity agreements. You’ll also each sign a contract that very specifically details what your comfort zone is regarding what happens to you here.” She placed the required paperwork in front of each of them along with a pen. “You will each wear a blindfold going through to the dungeon.” When the man looked like he might argue about that she gave him one of her well honed glares. “That isn’t negotiable. I need to protect those here who may not wished to be seen by Joe Public. We’ll see how you perform in the dungeon, whether you are both the real deal and from there we will see how much we decide to trust you. Finally, I will be your dungeon monitor”

  The girl cocked her head to the side inquisitively. “I know I’m showing my ignorance but what’s a dungeon monitor?”

  At least the woman was honest, that earned her some respect. “Communication is just about gospel here. Ask as many questions as you need to but ask permission to do so. While you’re here Rosa you will address me as Mistress and your husband Dimitri as Sir. Structure and protocol are nearly as important here as communication. Personally I think some of it is overly formal but many members here expect it and would complain if it wasn’t enforced. It’s a kind of uniform that get’s them into a role as soon as they put it on. It helps to distance what is happening here from their mundane lives.

  A dungeon monitor is a person who supervises activities within the club to ensure protocol is adhered to and nobody is subjected to anything without their express permission. If someone uses their safe word, wanting things to stop, we step in and ensure it stops. A DM is also a kind of on-site consultant. They offer advice and expect that advice to be followed. In here DMs are the law. So stay on the right side of me.”

  Helena led her blindfolded charges through to dungeon number 5. It was like leading a couple of vulnerable children across a busy intersection. The screams, groans and the odd crack of a whip would no doubt either set the scene or scare the shit out of them.

  Before closing the door behind them she changed the sign on it to show the room was now in use. A quick glance to the top left corner of the room confirmed that the security camera was in operation. If things got out of hand there’d be more than her here to handle it but the couple didn’t need to know they were being watched. The video footage was only ever used if clients tried to blackmail the club or fellow clients. Its use was covered by the agreements they had both signed but it was unlikely they had read that bit. She removed Rosa’s blindfold and waited while the woman removed her husband’s. They both looked around the room, just like tourists seeing a new sight. The club’s usual residents didn’t call newbies tourists for no reason.

  Dimitri winced as he picked up one rather vicious looking flogger then turned to look worriedly at his wife. “You really sure you want me to use something like this on you? I know we’ve paid a lot to be here but if you’ve changed your mind we can leave. I don’t want you to feel yo
u’ve been backed into a corner by your own curiosity.”

  Helena watched their interchange impassively. She wouldn’t intervene unnecessarily. They really had to decide for themselves if they were going to go ahead with this little exploration. To Dimitri’s credit he seemed genuinely concerned for his wife’s well being as well as her pleasure. It was a real novelty for Helena to see a man who cared. A wash of regret had her wondering why all weren’t like that. Why did it have to be her father who had been a bastard? Her mother had deserved someone more. Someone like the partner Rosa had. The role she played in their safety now demanded that she let go of that regret. Taking a deep breath then releasing it, as the feya had taught her, she eased her tension and returned her attention to matters at hand.

  Rosa nuzzled up to Dimitri. “Please Dimitri, um I mean Sir, we may never get this opportunity again. Let’s play but maybe something a little less intimidating to start with.” She looked over her shoulder to Helena. “Maybe mistress would have a suggestion.”

  Helena liked the woman’s courage and common sense. “Beginners usually start with spanking. Why don’t you go and bend over that bench there. Your Sir can give you six of his best. Let’s see how you go with that first.”

  Rosa quickly positioned herself.

  “Not so quick. First you need to tell me your safe word and secondly you need to strip or you won’t feel much. I know its probably a bit embarrassing having me here but think of me as just an object in the room. I’m like a safety belt, only here if you need me.”