Authors Note: Since it's been a harrowing election week, I couldn't just post chapter 6 alone. This first chapter doesn't exactly warrant a content warning, but it definitely gets spicy, and I figure we all need the palate cleanser that is chapter 7 after *gestures vaguely* all of this. Hope y'all are hanging in there. Thanks for reading!

#####

I'm allowed to have dinner clothed and seated, which only makes me wonder how bad my punishment is going to be after. Arlon's given me an hour to do whatever I need to, so I eat quick before hurrying to the baths to use the facilities and take a quick rinse. I clean the plug in the sink before I ease it back into me with a shiver, both anticipating and dreading what Arlon has planned.

My nerves thrum as I head back into his office, but he's not there. Instead, the door to the dungeon is open and lit. I walk past his desk and head down the stairs, my hand brushing the cold stone wall. Below, the lights are dimmed, and I barely step onto the floor before something falls over my eyes.

"Be still," Arlon says when I jump. "No talking. You aren't allowed to speak until you have formed a proper apology."

I shiver, biting my lip to stop my normal response and nod. He finishes tightening the blindfold around my head, and I realize it's leather, not cloth. My clothes come off shortly after, Arlon's hands are rough and efficient as he strips me. He lifts my spell necklace off last, leaving me with nothing but my cage, the plug and my collar. Heavy metal manacles snap over my wrists, and just like that, I'm trapped.

"Your punishment will start with illusion and evocation tonight," Arlon says, though the way he emphasizes start makes my stomach clench. It's a bit of a jolt to realize that of all the things we've done this week, these will be the first spells he's gotten out of me. Going off how my nerves are already singing, they'll be strong ones, too.

The manacles tug, and I blindly follow, my heart racing. The short chain linking them jingles as my arms are pulled over me and hooked onto something. I'm put on my toes and can't stop a quiet whimper of anticipation. He's certainly not fucking around tonight.

He makes quick work of the ropes around my chest, tying a standard abjuration bind so whatever evocation he's casting can be released safely. The ropes bite against my skin every time I draw a breath in.

"Comfortable?" he asks.

"Yes -" I start, but he grabs my chin and gives me a rough shake.

"What did I say about talking?" The low growl of his warning makes me snap my mouth shut.

He grabs my ankle and folds my leg before resting it against his thigh. A rope weaves around my thigh and shin, tying it so my leg stays bent. He leaves a length of rope free that he uses to cinch me up, stretching my hip as my leg is forced out and up. I hang, half suspended, my right foot planted on the ground. On one foot, I wobble unsteadily, but the ropes and manacles keep me from falling over, though it leaves my ass and thighs dangerously exposed.

Then I feel a hand on my hip even as another tugs at the base of the bulb inside of me. I whimper as it starts to buzz, sending a thrill of pleasure through me. I can't so much as wiggle away as he toys with it, twisting it and tugging it until it almost slips out before letting it settle back in. He moves to my caged cock, fingers playing with my balls before he cups my trapped length.

"I bet you'd like this off, wouldn't you?" he rumbles. I purse my lips and nod, even as my cock throbs. "That's too bad. Rewards are only given to those who earn them. If you hadn't forgotten my lunch, I might have considered. I was feeling so merciful earlier."

I whimper, even though I know it's not true. He made it clear he was going to keep it on the whole week, and I don't doubt that he will. But my cock doesn't know any better, and it aches in protest, trying and failing to swell to length inside of the cage.

Arlon tsks and lets go of me. I hear his footsteps across the stone floor before he comes back. "And since I'm not going to risk ruining the conjuration you're building, I'll just have to loosen your throat up."

Something pushes past my teeth, blunt and long. A phallus, I realize, that slides deep into my mouth, just enough to tickle at the back of my throat. Straps fasten around my head to hold it there, and I groan around the gag. My mouth floods with spit, as if I'm trying to wash it away. It forces me to swallow around the phallus, and I draw in a few deep breaths through my nose.

Arlon's rough fingers cup my chin and force my head up, tilting it one direction and then the other. I can't see him, but I can feel the intensity of his gaze as he examines me. "Four days is all it's taken," he says. "Four days to turn you into a perfectly obedient fuckboy of a conduit. You'd let me do anything to you, wouldn't you?"

I find myself leaning into his hand, nuzzling his fingers as I nod. He chuckles, and I feel six focuses slide down my fingers, three to each hand. He lets go of me, and my chin drops as far as the collar will allow. I'm left gagged and blind and hanging and trembling as I try to pick out his footsteps over my own thudding heart.

The buzzing of the bulb intensifies. I moan around the gag and realize the longer I'm forced to swallow around it, the less my throat protests it being there. My world narrows down to the bite of the manacles, the rub of the ropes, and Arlon's voice. I'm already floating half out of my body, and he hasn't even hurt me yet.

"From the spells that Olbric has turned in, it appears that you're rather fond of a flogger," Arlon says from somewhere behind me. "Let's see how you like this one."

I barely get out a whimper before it cracks against my back. The tresses are thinner and far more numerous than what Olbric's used on me in the past, and they sting like hell as they snap sharply against my back. I can't stop a grunt as my skin fizzles with pain, but I'm not given time to recover. Another strike lands, and I shout around the gag as the tendrils of it curl around my side.

He sets an agonizingly steady pace. Crack against my thighs. Crack against my ass. Crack against my back. He is relentless, though the strength behind each lash never varies. He's perfectly controlled, perfectly accurate with every strike. I feel the heat spread across my back and ass as he starts to speed up, even as the buzzing of the plug gets stronger.

Then, Arlon changes directions, and I yelp as the flogger lashes up between my legs. It licks across my inner thighs and ass, and for once I'm glad the cage is there to keep the stinging tresses from hitting my cock. I wail miserably, but he doesn't relent. I feel the lines of fire start to rise across the tender flesh there as he cracks the flogger on my thighs over and over.

I don't know how long I endure. When he gets tired of hitting me from behind, he moves on to my chest until my sweat stings the welts he creates.

A strangled little whimper of pain escapes me, and I shake, braced and tense for the next strike. But it never comes. Arlon pulls the focuses off of my fingers even as the bulb inside of me stops buzzing. I gasp in the brief moment of reprieve and hang limp, feeling the manacles dig into my wrists.

"I'm impressed, Dominai," Arlon says, though his voice sounds like it's reaching me through water. Warped and a little garbled. "With just a flogging, you managed to charge all six of them."

I feel the rope around my leg loosen. Arlon sets it down, though it feels like I've forgotten how to use it. My thighs brush together, and I whimper anew at the sting of the hot welts he's left behind. The ropes around my chest go next, and I draw in a deep breath, trying to ground myself for whatever happens next.

The blindfold is unclasped and lifted, though I feel where my tears have built up behind it. I blink and squint at Arlon, but my eyes refuse to focus on him. He cups my cheek and brushes his thumb under my eyes, clearing away what's left of my tears.

"Are you alright, Dominai?" Without thinking, I nod. His white smile is the one thing I can focus on, and it's a relief to see it. "Good. Because we'll move on to enchantment next."

I whimper, but whatever is holding my manacles up releases. Arlon steadies me, though the shackles stay on. He grabs me roughly by the collar and leads me over to a padded rug before he pushes me to my knees. Arlon grabs my shackled hands and puts six more focuses around my fingers before he shoves me onto all fours. I yelp as he grabs the base of the plug and pulls it out of me. I raise my ass up in offering, a low moan escaping around the gag.

"Do you think I'm pulling this out so I can fuck your hole?" he asks. He grabs my hair and forces my cheek to the ground. "You don't deserve my cock. Careless fuckboys don't get a real cock until they earn it."

Then, he's straddling my chest, sitting backwards on top of me. His weight forces my shoulders to the ground, even as he pulls my ass up. Something cold and wet drops onto my hole, and I can't stop a yelp of surprise as the blunt tip of a phallus stretches me. I cry out around the gag as Arlon starts to fuck me with it, plunging deep. Though the plug had stretched me all day, I'm still sore from last night. I shout around the gag, fingers digging into the rug as I take it.

"Only six months in and your ass can take a cock like a trained whore," he hisses as he tugs at my balls. "By the time you've properly apologized, your ass will be too loose to satisfy me."

That rings a genuine wail out of me. All I want is to satisfy him. To make up for whatever it is that I've done wrong. I can't even remember now. My world has narrowed down to Arlon's punishment and the fact that I deserve it. Whatever he does to my body it isn't my concern anymore, because I've earned this. It's his choice to use me whatever way he wants.

The phallus slides out of me, and I shudder in relief as Arlon's weight lifts. His finger hooks through my collar again, and he drags me off of the rug and onto the cold stone. My knees hit the metal grate built into the floor with a clang. The gag is unbuckled from my face, and Arlon pulls it off, taking the phallus out with it. I cough, spit dripping from my mouth as I blink hard. I look up just in time to see Arlon release his cock.

But he doesn't thrust it into my mouth. Instead, I hear him groan just as something hot hits my chest. I gasp and flinch away, a hard shudder rushing through me as I realize what he's doing.

He's pissing on me. And I deserve it.

I hear him sigh as he shakes his cock off on me before tucking it away again. I can't stop shaking, even as he reaches for a handle on the wall and pulls. I barely have time to register what's happening before a torrent of cold water douses me. I don't even have the strength to scream as the water jolts me unpleasantly back into myself.

When the torrent finally passes, I look up at Arlon through my dripping hair. I see his white grin before it abruptly disappears. His eyes go wide as they meet mine. "Stop," he breathes. "Stop."

I blink and he's in front of me, unlocking the manacles and cupping my face. I'm shivering so hard I feel like I'll fall apart, but his warm hands help hold me together. His mouth moves, but the words don't quite make it into my ears. One hand disappears and a towel is draped around me before he's giving me a gentle shake. "Dom, say something."

I find Arlon's face and blink again as he swims into focus. The caster is gone, and instead, I see a very worried grandmaster in his place. I frown in confusion, but when I find my voice, it comes out rough. "Why'd you stop?"

Arlon looks at me in open shock before he gives an amazed laugh. He pulls me into a tight embrace as he kisses my wet hair. He wraps the towel firmly around me before he picks me up.

I slump against him, and I think I must doze, because the next thing I know, we're back in his rooms. A hot bath has been drawn in his private wash. He's still fully clothed as he carries me into the water. I hiss as it stings my welts, but the fizzle of discomfort helps clear my head a little. I sink in, letting the water rise up to my collar as Arlon settles behind me. His hands are gentle as he strokes over my shoulders and chest, waiting patiently for my senses to come back to me. I tilt my head back against his chest and look up to see him watching me worriedly.

"Why did you stop?" I ask again.

Arlon strokes my cheek as he looks down at me. I don't see the caster or the grandmaster anymore. He's just Arlon now, exposed and vulnerable. He lets out a shuddering sigh. "I am not the type of caster who enjoys breaking people," he says. "I like to test boundaries, push limits, but Dom, I looked at you, and you looked... shattered. I've never felt so cruel."

Words are still slow to come, and I don't know what to say to that anyway. Instead, I let my head fall back against his chest. Arlon lets out a long breath. "I am so sorry," he says, his voice layered with guilt. "I know your history with enchantment. Coupled with the day I put you through today, I pushed you too far. I... let the frustrations of today fuel me." He sighs, and rubs his eyes, that same weariness creeping onto his face again. "We can end your collaring tonight."

That sends a jolt of fear through me, banishing the haze of conspace. "What? No!" I turn around and straddle his waist, my hands tangling in the wet collar of his shirt. "Please, please don't send me away yet."

I can't imagine ending it now. Don't think I could stand it. Arlon looks at me in surprise before he cups my cheek. I lean into his touch, feeling the drop catch up to me as tears well to my eyes.

He guides my lips to his, kissing me gently, almost tenderly. "I'm not going to send you away," he says. He pulls me against his chest with a sigh as the tears spill over.

Arlon just holds me, arms a comfortable weight around me. He talks me through it, whispering gentle reassurance and praise against my ear. I cry myself out, though even after the tears stop, it's some time until my shaking subsides.

When it does, I'm exhausted. The torrent of emotion passes, leaving nothing but confusion behind. When I speak, my voice comes out rough. "I don't want to end this early." I look up at him, meeting his eyes. "Do you?"

His face is so full of longing that I know the answer before he says it. "No," he says. "But Dom, you have to understand... you are both the best and worst kind of conduit for me to have collared. Tonight proves that when you're in the right headspace, you will allow me to do anything to you. And if I'm not careful, I will take advantage of that." He sighs, his fingers stroking through my hair. "I certainly did tonight. I pushed you too deep."

I lean into his touch and swallow the lump in my throat. "Did I do something wrong?" I ask. My grip on everything that happened is still blurry. Stopping never even registered as an option, but if it had, would I have done it? I still don't know.

"No - no, of course not," Arlon says and presses a kiss to my forehead. He takes my hand and pulls the forgotten focuses off of my fingers with an amazed laugh. "Gods be damned, you manage to charge these, too. I don't think you understand what a feat it is to charge twelve focuses in a session without ever reaching climax."

I flush even as I take one of the focuses and roll it between my fingers. I can feel it's enchantment, and a strong one at that. Arlon sighs and says, "You really are an incredible kind of wizard. You experience everything so acutely. You trust implicitly, and your desire to please is deeper ingrained than your own self-preservation. I've learned this about you this week, and yet in the heat of it, I felt like I was casting with Garrett, and not a wizard still in his first year. You... are truly beautiful in your submission, but the moment I got a good look at your face, I knew I'd gone too far with you."

It's a bit of a jolt to realize that he's right. It's only as I start to come up that I realize how deep in it I was. I truly would have let him do anything. A shiver of unease rushes through me. "I kept thinking that I deserved it," I say after a moment. "I... think I forgot I could stop."

Arlon tightens his embrace on me. It's only when I feel a shiver run through him that I realize how shaken he is by this. "It sounds like I untethered you from reality. That's a dangerous place for a conduit to be," he says. "I could have seriously hurt you if I hadn't realized it."

"You didn't hurt me," I promise. I pull away from him so I can get a good look at his face. I read the guilt and worry there, and all I want to do is see it gone. Maybe it's part of that desire to please, but I don't like seeing him look so upset.

I feel bold as I lean forward and catch his lips in a kiss, feeling the scruff of his beard. Arlon sighs as he returns it. When I finally pull back, I know I'm red to the tips of my ears. "Thank you for looking out for me when I didn't have the sense to."

Arlon looks at me, head tilted with something like amusement. At least the guilt and worry have faded. "Are you sure you want to finish this week?" he asks. "I would never blame you for wanting to stop."

I'm shaking my head before he's even finished talking. "I don't want to stop." He sighs, and it sounds a little like relief. "Arlon, I trust you. I can't imagine stopping this now. Even once this week is over... it's going to be hard." My grin is lopsided as I say, "You're my kind of caster."

He looks at me in surprise before he starts to laugh. It starts soft, but grows to a full belly laugh that makes the water around us ripple. He pulls me into a tight embrace and tugs the collar down just a little before he plants his lips on my neck and sucks hard. I yelp, feeling a bruise pop up instantly. "And you are my kind of conduit, Dominai," he says. "We will finish this week, and we will talk about what comes after it is over. I promise that I will take care of you."

I smile and let my eyes side closed. "I know you will."

###

The next morning, I wake up in Arlon's bed, so hot I can hardly stand it. I kick my leg out from under the blanket but Arlon's heavy arm tightens around my waist, pulling me snugly against his chest. He's like sleeping with a godsdamn furnace, but there's no escaping now. Behind me, his breathing is still low and steady, and it makes me shiver as it brushes my neck.

I manage to wiggle part way out from under the covers, and the cool air is a relief. The sun is just starting to turn the sky outside of Arlon's window gold, but it's enough to see the map of welts he left on my skin. He'd spent a good amount of time tending to me last night. The salve he used certainly helped, but some of the lines are still raised and red. My wrists and knees are sporting some rather pretty colors as well. Feeling how sore I am today makes me all the more grateful Arlon stopped when he did.

I realize I'm not going anywhere, so I doze until he starts to stir. He yawns before pressing a kiss against the back of my neck. "How are you feeling?" he asks quietly.

"Comfortable," I mutter. "Sore, but nothing too bad."

"Good," Arlon says. "And how's your head?"

"Haven't had any complaints yet," I smirk and am rewarded with Arlon's snort. "But it's fine. I'm fine. The drop last night was... rough, but I'm alright."

His arms tighten a little around my waist, almost protective. "You're sure?"

I roll so I can look at him. I want him to see how sure I am. "Positive," I promise. After a full night's rest, I'm even more certain I want to finish out the rest of the week. I had some time to sort through everything.

"I think I figured out what happened. Why I didn't stop," I say. Enchantment has always been tricky for me, but this morning, something clicked. He waits for me to continue, his fingers gentle as they stroke through my hair. "You called it my desire to please," I say, even as I feel my face get hot. "And I think it played a big part. I... hated feeling like I had disappointed you. The deeper I got, the more I was willing to do to make it up to you."
"You didn't disappoint me," Arlon says, and even though he made that clear last night, the extra assurance is nice to hear. "Gods know I was looking for an excuse to take you downstairs, and it still took four whole days for you to forget one of the orders I put on you. But that's the thing, Dom - I expect my conduits to fail eventually. It's part of my casting style.

"There are times where I'll set my conduit up for failure just so I get an excuse to punish them. It's part of the game for me - when you succeed, I reward you, and when you fail, I punish you." He chuckles and adds, "Either way, I come out the winner. And I'm always proud of my conduit, whether that's because they've succeeded at something they were meant to fail, or endured whatever bullshit I decide to put them through." He cups my cheek, his thumb stroking under my lip. "I'm always proud."

I lean into his hand with a sigh. As strange as it is to admit, last night was good for me. It was a hard lesson, but I'm starting to understand my limits with enchantment a little better. Not to mention, so much of my nerves around casting come from the thought of screwing up. Of hurting my conduit. But last night, Arlon showed that even if I'm casting, I have permission to stop. It's... a relief to know I have that same out.

"Thank you," I murmur. "For... all of this."

Arlon smile at me and leans forward to press a kiss to my forehead. "Today and tomorrow are the last days you'll have the cage. Day seven, I've made sure to take off to give you my undivided attention."

I shiver at the implication. "Yes, sir."

#

Arlon allows me clothes, and we grab breakfast before we head to his office. The stack of letters I brought are still on his desk, but he picks out the letter from Cairish and holds it out to me. "I think Olbric will want to see this," he says. "Will you take it to him?"

My heart does a little somersault in my chest. I can't stop a smile. "Yes, sir."

I go to grab the letter, but Arlon pulls it away. "You're allowed to speak, but no casting. You still belong to me, for now," he says before he hands the letter over. "But be sure to tell Olbric that he's allowed to keep you warm for me. Be back before lunch."

I shiver as I take the letter, realizing this is part of Arlon's way of making last night up to me. "Yes, sir." I try not to hurry out of his office, but this is the longest I've gone without talking to Olbric since he was kidnapped by Diran. I make my way up to the evocation tower, hoping I can catch him. He's not usually an early riser, so there's a chance he might still be getting up.

I'm just in time though. He's about to close his door but stops when he sees me. "You're free!" he crows, and I smile as I throw my arms around him. He catches me and gives me a little spin. His kiss steals my breath away.

"Not quite," I say and pull my robe down enough so he can see the collar.

"Oh look at that. He's given you a little color," Olbric teases and brushes a finger over the bruise Arlon left on my neck last night. "Can only imagine what the rest of you looks like."

I swat his hand away with a grin. "A few welts and bruises, but nothing too bad," I say. "It's been a busy week."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I met the king yesterday," I say.

"Fucking hell!"

"And I have this for you," I say and hold out the opened letter for him.

Olbric groans the second he sees it. "Goddamnit, of course you do," he says with a sigh. His eyes skim the letter, and he makes a sound of disgust. "Blah blah blah, 'corruption of my son's eternal soul, God weeps at the magic you weave, the punishment for kidnapping is death.' He's gotten so dramatic."

"Sounds pretty serious," I say.

"He sure likes to think so," Olbric mutters. He opens his door again, and I follow him into his room. He tosses the letter onto his desk as I take a seat on the edge of his bed.

"You want to talk about it?" I ask. I've noticed that Olbric doesn't talk about home often, and it seems like there's a pretty good reason for it.

"What's there to talk about?" Olbric asks as he comes to flop onto his bed next to me. "My father has created a narrative that I've been kidnapped and am being used for magic by the Crux instead of admitting to himself that I came here of my own volition."

"I mean... it sounds like there's a lot to talk about there."

Olbric gives a snort of a laugh. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going home, and he certainly wouldn't dare come and try to fetch me," he says.

"Why not?"

"With the threats he's made against Arlon and the Crux, Straetham would have to intervene," Olbric says. "He'd never get across the moat. For all intents and purposes, I'm a ward of the Kingdom."

I turn to look at him, propping my head up on my hand. "Sounds like he's got a pretty big issue with magic," I say.

Olbric sighs. "That's the thing - so long as no one he knows is casting, he loves it," he says. "The hypocrisy is astounding."

"Ah. So he just has a problem with how it's made."

"Precisely," Olbric mutters. "And it's not just him. Most of my countrymen are like this. We follow a very different religion than you all have on this part of the continent and sex is... complicated."

"How so?"

"So, it's forbidden unless you're married and definitely forbidden if you happen to have the same parts," Olbric says. "I think the greatest insult to my father is the thought of me being fucked by a man. Jokes on him though - even outside of casting, it's my preference."

I lean over and kiss him to try and wipe the scowl off of his face. "I'm sorry," I say. "My da had... similar hangups. He spanked my ass red when I was caught in some innocent fondling with the herdsman's boy, though I'm not sure what pissed him off more - the fact that it was with another boy, or that I was daring to touch someone in public. In Airedale, you kept anything intimate quiet, quick and behind closed doors."

"That sounds incredibly boring."

"And now you know what losing my virginity was like," I snort. "I honestly think my hometown would have their hairs collectively curled if they knew what I was up to here. Fortunately, none of them have any clue how magic is made outside of rumor."

Olbric sighs and rolls onto his side to look at me. "Wish my father didn't know," he mutters. "Would make things a lot easier."

"I'm guessing magic doesn't come from his side of the family?"

Olbric's grin is lopsided. "God, no. My ama carries it," he says. "She was never allowed to study it, but she encouraged me to leave for Straetham. I sure as hell wasn't going to study it in Cairish."

"What's studying magic like there?" I ask, even though I'm not sure I want to know.

Olbric sighs. "Because it's so taboo, there's no institute like the Crux. There's no real source of magiline save for what you can find on the black markets, so prostitution becomes common enough," he mutters. "On top of that, if you are outed as practicing magic, you guarantee that any title you held is forfeit, you become a disgrace to your family, etcetera, etcetera. I think that's why my father chooses to believe I was coerced."

I scoot a little closer and cup his cheek. "I'm sorry," I say quietly. Me and my da had our problems, but I can't imagine being estranged like this.

Olbric turns and kisses my palm. "It is what it is," he says through a sigh. "I've been at the Crux for nearly four years, and I don't have plans to leave any time soon. Let my father rant and rave and send angry letters until he drops."

He speaks blithely, but I can see real hurt behind his eyes. I lean forward to catch his lips and feel him relax. My fingers tangle in his long hair as I deepen it, holding him a little closer. He's breathless when I pull away, and when he smiles at me, the hurt has retreated.

"I know it doesn't mean much," I say, "but I'm real glad you're here."

Olbric chuckles as he brushes my hair from my face. "Coming from you, that means everything." Then he lets out a groan and flops onto his back again. "But damn do I wish you weren't still collared. I've missed you."

I give a small laugh. "About that," I say. "Arlon said no casting, but he, ah, gave permission for you to keep me warm for him. His words."

Olbric turns to look at me slow, one dark eyebrow raising. "Oh has he now?" he says, a smirk spreading over his face. "How very generous of him."

His hand slides up my under my shirt, and I yelp and flinch away. "Why the fuck are your hands ice!"

"Because it's cold outside, you dolt," he laughs before he thrusts both of them up under my shirt. I move to roll off the bed with a yelp, but he grabs me. I try my best to flail out of his grip.

Ever since Galiva fixed my arm, we're close to matched in strength, but he's got the advantage of leverage as he wrestles my arms over my head. I pant as I grin up at him. At least with both of his hands holding me down, he can't put his ice cubes on me.

"You do look rather dashing in a collar," Olbric says as he straddles my waist. "Maybe someday you'll let me put one on you."

I chuckle and tilt my head up so he can get a good look at it. "I don't know, Arlon may have ruined me to being collared by anyone else," I tease.

"That sounds like a challenge," Olbric growls.

I bite back a groan at the heat in his voice. My hips roll to grind against him even as my cock throbs in the tight confines of the cage. "Of what - who can debauch me the most? I promise you, Arlon's winning."

It's enough to goad him on, and he catches my lips in a bruising kiss. His hips grind against me before he shifts, moving his legs between mine and spreading mine open with his knees. Even fully clothed, it sends a jolt of anticipation to my groin. "Just wait until I get my chance," he purrs. "God, how I'd love to walk you around on a leash in front of the Crux. But I wouldn't keep you in a cage - I'm not that cruel. I'd let everyone in the towers see how hot you get when you're stripped naked in front of them."

I shudder, heat flooding me, but Olbric is nowhere near done. He nips down my neck, focusing on the skin just around the collar. "Because nothing gets you heated more than being used, isn't that right, Dom? I could mount you in a pillory in the yard, a ring in your mouth so anyone could fuck it, let your cock hang down for anyone to play with. Everything that Arlon's denied you this week, I'd let you have. You'll cum until you're dry, but your hole? That would only be for me."

"Fucking hell, Olbric," I gasp. "Remind me - why aren't you trying for enchantment?"

"After I check off transmutation, who's to say I'm not?" he purrs. "But do you want to know why I chose transmutation first?"

I shudder and arch under him, my face flushed. "Why's that?"

Olbric's grin is downright obscene. He leans in and nips at my ear lobe before he whispers, "Because with transmutation, I can use you like the fucktoy you've always wanted to be. I can use you for decoration, use you as furniture, use you whatever way I like."

I barely bite back a moan. "You're filthy."

"And you love it, don't you?" he says before he nips at my neck.

I shudder, and suddenly the next few days can't pass fast enough. "Yes, sir," I gasp before realizing what I've said. I blink and look up at Olbric to see him grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, now that's something I could get used to," he says, and I flush hot red. "He's put you in it deep this week, hasn't he?"

My face somehow gets even hotter as I nod. "I've been a key turn away from cuming for the past five days. It doesn't take much to get me there," I admit.

For a second, I see something like a scowl on his face, but it's gone so fast I think I must have imagined it. Olbric adjusts his grip, grabbing both of my wrists with one of his hands. He reaches down to toy with the cage through my trousers. "Interesting that the cage makes you even more submissive. I haven't considered conjuration because I can't go more than a couple of days in a cage before I get downright testy."

"You would, you addict," I tease and am rewarded with Olbric tickling me until I shriek. "No! I take it back! Have mercy!"

Olbric chuckles and catches my lips again before he finally releases my hands. That doesn't mean he's finished with me, though. He half strips me before mapping out my welts with his tongue. A finger through the ring of my collar keeps me compliant, though I'm not too eager to get away. He leaves me panting, my cock leaking even though he's not so much as grazed my cage.

Eventually, I find myself kneeling on the floor in front of him as he sits on the edge of his bed. His hair's come loose and he blows a strand out of his face as he grins down at me. He seems to consider something before he releases his cock from the slit in his trousers and hooks a finger through my collar.

"Arlon said I should keep you warm," he says. "So let's see how well he's trained your mouth this week."

Olbric pulls me forward, and I wrap my lips around his cock. I'm a little surprised how easy I can take him. He's sizable, but he's got nothing on Arlon. I draw him in deep, tongue working down his length as I suck and bob obediently. Arlon's gotten me used to not using my hands, so I inch myself down until he's fully seated. My throat quivers around him, just shy of gagging, but I stave it off.

Olbric's grip on my hair tightens, and I hear his pleasured groan. "Goddamn, Dom," he mutters. "You've always been good, but fuck."

I grin around his length before retreating only to swallow him again. Olbric moans, but doesn't force me, letting me set the pace. I take my time to tease him, rolling my tongue around the tip before swallowing him to the root, letting my throat do the rest.

It's his undoing. Olbric grips my hair, and I feel his cock swell before he cums. I shudder and swallow what he gives me, realizing I like the taste of him better than I like Arlon. I decide to keep that fact to myself as I suck him clean before pulling away.

Olbric runs a hand through his loose hair as he grins at me. "Fucking hell, what day are you getting the collar off?"

I chuckle and glide up between his legs to kiss him hard, letting him get a taste of himself. Olbric gasps as he returns the kiss before I feel him shudder. When I pull away, he's got a little bit of haze behind his eyes, and I feel a thrill of satisfaction. I thought that might get him. It sure as hell got me when Arlon did it.

"You're definitely learning," Olbric says with a small laugh and wipes the flush from his own face.

"We'll see," I say. "I've definitely learned a lot about conduiting. We'll see how well I can translate it to casting."

Olbric grins and flops back on his bed. "I literally can't wait to find out."