Hidden Island Chapter 32, part 2 of 4

Hidden Island  
Chapter 32, part 2 of 4  
 
The story sailors told was that they weren't gone. They walked among us still, looking like everyone else. They'd left their homes and way of life behind and faded into the world. Anyone you pass on the street might secretly be one of them. That was their way. They wore names like clothes. If you made friends with a Kami and learned their truth, it would be best to keep their secrets. If you ask them or reveal their identity to anyone else, they would vanish forever and take on a new name elsewhere.  
 
Captain Vex had always felt a kinship with the tales of the Kami. She found comfort in the idea that anyone she met might have a secret legend, that a person could create a new version of themselves whenever needed. She mostly liked the story because it made her feel like less of a fraud.  
 
Her ship was broken, her crew was scattered and shaken, and bodies were waiting to be buried. Her luck had been bound to run out sooner or later. It was said that the sea reveals a person's true self. There was no way she was going to keep up her ruse forever. She'd always known that someday, the truth would come out. She was just angry that she'd survived it.  
 
Every part of her wanted to run. To vanish into some legend like the Kami, to take a new name and become someone else. Again.  
 
This time, there was nowhere to go.  
 
She tried to take a drink from her flask, but it had been long since she had been empty. With a shriek of sudden rage, she hurled it. One of the delicate white cups exploded, falling to the floor in a dozen pieces.  
 
She put her face in her hands and wept again.  
 
Tonya bit her lip and closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the sensation. The client behind her had big hands that nearly encircled her waist. He was driving into her at a delightfully slow but firm pace, drawing her off of his cock like he was trying to be a bit gentle, then pulling her back to him just as slowly but with a delicious impact right at the end. He wasn't bad. Certainly better than most. He's not bad-looking and not wrong with his hands. She liked being touched, and he liked touching. He was one of her regulars; she'd been thrilled when he came in. After the previous two disappointments of the afternoon, she felt like she was about to start crawling the walls.  
 
Today was the first day she could think of that she didn't love her job. Usually, she could get off with nearly every client. Bella said she was gifted. That sensitive spot inside her was extra sensitive in comparison to most women. There was almost always a position where a cock could bump it or rub past it the right way, and within a few minutes, she'd just be rolling through orgasms.  
 
Not today.  
 
She could feel it, that hot, wet tension building inside her, just like it always did. It seemed like she was close a few times, but just like the other night, every time she got close, the tension would slip away, cool a bit, and release just enough not to let her get to that luscious breaking point that she desperately craved.  
 
Her John started to pick up his pace. Her hands clenched in the sheets. She loved it. The steady, driving rhythm. The feeling of fullness. His strong hands and that perfect bumping of that nexus of pleasure tucked a few inches inside her. She had an unspoken theory that some women were just better built for sex than others. It was a private source of pride for her. She might be a poor, uneducated, flat-chested orphan, but she could out-fuck any woman she'd ever met. Well, save for Bella. Someday, she thought she could surpass her teacher, too. After all, sex magic was about sex, and nobody loved sex as much as she did.  
 
She loved her life now. She had a room; she ate every day; fun people surrounded her; Caine and Chance were always around to ensure she was safe; she got paid to do what she loved most and made a pretty good living. A few months ago, Chance told her she was consistently in the top three earners at Mary's, not because she did anything special that cost extra or had high-rolling regulars, but because she put in the hours and racked up the numbers. A quick dip and wash between clients was all she needed before she was out on the floor again. Her co-workers teased her about her love of cocks. She knew it was probably a bit too much when a bunch of whores told her that she was too much of a whore, but she wasn't ashamed. Cocks were proof of the love of the gods. They were all different, but they could all bump that button inside her enough to get her off. She had a regular who came in a very couple of months and was too small to reach that spot, but she still enjoyed being with him because it let her practice getting off by playing with her clit instead. Bella kept telling her that she needed to practice sexual skills individually, but most of the time, she couldn't. That spot inside her was too sensitive, so the only way she could practice external orgasms was if there wasn't any penetration at all. As soon as something was inside her, it took the reins.  
 
Like now, for instance. Her hand was working furiously between her legs. Her head rolled to the side and pressed into the mattress, her breath ragged and full of breathy, demanding moans. The cock inside her was knocking on her pleasure button with every stroke, and her clit was buzzing with electrical joy, but it just wasn't enough. She clenched and writhed and tried, but nothing worked.  
 
She couldn’t climax.
 
With a final thrust, John emptied his lust inside her and held her hips, breathing heavily for another minute. She just lay there, silently tangled in emotional knots, trying to figure out what was wrong with her.  
 
Emptiness bloomed inside her as he withdrew. The gush and drip that she usually enjoyed was without any of the usual aftershocks. There was no satisfaction this time. Her John thanked her and got up from the bed. Her legs pushed out straight. She heard him get dressed but didn't move. He asked if she was alright. She nodded. "You wore me out, sweetheart. I'm just going to rest a bit."  
 
He left feeling proud. She stayed where she was, feeling frustrated and confused.  
 
"Get out!" Belita snapped as the door to her cabin opened.  
 
Bella froze, the words she tried to say dying on her lips as a cold, clammy fear gripped her heart. She gave the Captain a fast nod and closed the door. The heavy thud of the wood hitting the frame jolted her. She leaned against the wall momentarily, forcing her heart and breath to slow. She looked down at her shaking hands. What was that? What was Belita doing? Why was she angry? Bella took a few deeper breaths. Why had she reacted like that?  
 
The Captain was her friend and hurting. Why was she so... scared?  
 
On slightly wobbly legs, she walked across the ship, down the gangplank, and through the bustling camp to the infirmary. She felt like she was floating. She was moving but wasn't feeling her feet hit the ground. Everything felt distant and automatic. She found Doctor Kalfou talking to Danica North. The First Mate was buttoning her shirt back up and nodding.  
 
Whatever she was saying cut off as she saw Bella. She tapped Doctor Kalfou on the arm and gestured. The Doctor's eyes found her and went wide. She walked over slowly. "What happened?"  
 
There was a hollow rushing in Bella's ears. She hadn't noticed it, but through the fog in her head, she realized she wasn't hearing anything. Noticing that helped drag her back to coherency. The Doctor had said something, but she didn't know what. She felt like she couldn't speak. All she could do was shake her head.  
 
The Doctor said something to Danica, who nodded and ran into the camp, but Bella didn't register. She felt strange. Distant. Not able to think. She wanted to ask for help but didn't know what to ask. She let the Doctor lead her to a crate covered in a blanket and let herself be sat down. The Doctor checked her neck and eyes, ran her fingers through her hair, and seemed deeply concerned. Bella wanted to reassure her. She smiled. It was all she could manage.  
 
Danica came running back with Jack, who rushed up and practically threw herself to her knees before Bella. Their hands clasped. Jack snapped her head back and forth between Bella and the Doctor, chattering. Bella's brows furrowed. Jack. She wanted to say...  
 
"Jack!" Bella forced out, pushing herself off the crate and into Jack's arms. They held each other on their knees, Jack petting Bella's hair and whispering reassurances to her. Bella sobbed.  
 
Danica and Doctor Kalfou waited. "What happened?" Danica asked.  
 
"Do not know, I," Doctor Kalfou shook her head, worried.  
 
"She was white as a ghost," Danica said, her concern plain on her face.  
 
"Saw it last night during the attack," Doctor Kalfou nodded. "She came into the infirmary and looked just like that, pale and unresponsive. Miss Hunter managed to get through to her, and then I kept her focused at the time, but whatever it was, it was not dealt with."  
 
"It's just her," Jack said quietly. "She used to wake up screaming and slip into that fugue. She needs to be held until she comes back."  
 
Doctor Kalfou took a small breath of surprise and understanding.  
 
"Night terrors. Right," Danica nodded. I had a crewman who used to get them. The Captain's old first mate before I managed to cure them. It seems weird during the day, though."  
 
"No," Doctor Kalfou shook her head. "For Miss Fortuna, her nightmares are a symptom. As is this dissociative state."  
 
Danica was confused. "A symptom of what?"  
 
"Miss Hunter, did Miss Fortuna... survive something terrible?" the Doctor asked.  
 
Jack slowly nodded. "Lots of things. She's N'madi. Her childhood was one long string of horror and survival."  
 
"The Purges," Doctor Kalfou said, her voice full of flint.  
 
Jack nodded again, still holding Bella tightly.  
 
"The Witch Purges On the Mainland?" Danica asked. Doctor Kalfou nodded. Danica looked sick. "I've heard stories. I thought they had to be exaggerated. It all sounded like stuff the Skinsails might do. Whole caravans of people were rounded up and burned. People were branded, imprisoned, and hung just because there were Witches in their families. Bella survived that?"  
 
"She lost almost everyone she'd ever known," Jack said. "I think she lived through three different slaughters and a few other close calls. Her mother saved her, over and over again."  
 
"Four," Bella muttered quietly. She unburied her face from the crook of Jack's neck and gave her a weak smile. "But that was a long time ago. It doesn't matter now."  
 
Jack nodded and helped her to her feet.  
 
"Sorry to cause such a fuss," Bella said, wiping her eyes. "I don't know what came over me. I guess last night hit me harder than I thought."  
 
"Sit," Doctor Kalfou said firmly.  
 
"No, it's alright," Bella said, smoothing her skirt. "You have more important things to do, and I need to go find my Familiar."  
 
Doctor Kalfou clapped once, loudly. Bella grabbed Jack in a death grip and buried her face in Jack's shoulder, closing her eyes tightly. Jack put her arms around her again and glared at the Doctor. Then Bella slowly relaxed, let go, and looked at her shaking hands.  
 
She sat down. "I think something's wrong."  
 
Doctor Kalfou nodded. "Trauma sometimes leaves behind emotional echoes. They can come back in other times of stress."  
 
"Like nightmares," Danica said, starting to understand.  
 
"Or suddenly finding yourself in a room full of blood and screams," Doctor Kalfou said gently.  
 
"What happened this time?" Jack asked.  
 
Bella looked a little sheepish. "The Captain yelled at me."  
 
Jack felt herself getting angry. "Bitch," she said through clenched teeth.  
 
"Why?" Danica asked, confused. "That's not like her."  
 
"I went into her cabin. I didn't know she was in there. I must have interrupted her. She told me to leave, so I did," Bella's brows narrowed in thought. "I couldn't see much. My eyes hadn't adjusted. I think she was... sitting on the floor. I don't think she was doing very well."  
 
Danica sighed and rubbed her temples. "Dammit. I got this." She walked off toward the shore.  
 
"Always worried about everyone except yourself," Jack smiled sadly. She sat down next to  
 
Bella on the crate and squeezed her hand.  
 
"I'm alright, really," Bella insisted.  
 
"For now," Doctor Kalfou said.  
 
"Well, yeah. That's the way it always is. I must avoid the things that set me off," Bella shrugged. "I've gotten pretty good at it. I'm just feeling a little raw after last night."  
 
"You do not have to live like this," Doctor Kalfou said, kneeling before her.  
 
"It's not like a wound you can stitch up. It's just who I am," Bella shrugged.  
 
"No," the Doctor said. "It is what was done to you. It is like a wound. It can be stitched up. It is not who you have to be."  
 
Jack looked back and forth between Bella and the Doctor, hopeful and surprised. Bella looked troubled. "How?"  
 
"We would start just by talking," Doctor Kalfou said gently.  
 
"I don't like to talk about it," Bella said.  
 
The Doctor nodded. "That is why it keeps returning."  
 
"You think it will stop if I talk about it?" Bella laughed. "I've talked about it before. It's still here."  
 
"What happens if you let someone who doesn't know what they are doing stitch a wound?"  
 
Doctor Kalfou asked.  
 
"Infection? Torn stitches. Big scars?" Jack answered.  
 
"It gets worse," Bella said, sounding resigned. "Alright. I'll try it. When?"  
 
"Tonight," Doctor Kalfou said. "Once the day's work is done. After we eat, until then, be very gentle with yourself, and if you feel strange at all, come find me."  
 
Jack gave Bella a reassuring smile. " I have a little time until the Captain talks to the crew.  
 
How about we go find your awful monkey?"  
 
Bella nodded. She wasn't feeling better but was good at faking it.  
 
Caine leaned in the doorway after the client left. Tonya was face down on the bed, naked, her legs spread wide, his thick, warm seed leaking out of her.  
 
He was painfully hard. The sight of her sent all kinds of impulses racing through him. He'd been living in the brothel for years, seen many of the girls in similar states, and never had those thoughts. He'd even seen Tonya like this before and not had those thoughts. He always figured if anyone's sexuality wasn't aimed at him specifically, he didn't need to be thinking about them sexually, no matter what the situation was. Even when the men and women who worked at Mary's had shown interest in him, he knew better than to get involved. It had been a long time since he'd been a soldier, but he still had strong feelings about fraternization. He never should have agreed to have sex with Tonya. He knew it was going to have repercussions. He didn't expect them to be this soon or this... strange.  
 
"'Is'sat you Caine?" Tonya said quietly without turning over to look.  
 
"Yeah," he answered.  
 
"Enjoying the view?" she asked. None of her usual joy was present.  
 
He sighed. "Something's wrong."  
 
"I've noticed," she said flatly, still not moving.  
 
"Any idea what it is?" Caine asked.  
 
"No, but I hate it," Tonya growled.  
 
"It's not a lot of fun on this end either," Caine agreed.  
 
"What?" Tonya asked, finally rolling over. "What do you mean your end?"  
 
"I keep feeling these... feelings. Impulses. I don't know where they're coming from. Also, I'm tired," Caine tried to explain. He wasn't the best with words under any circumstances, which was even worse than usual.  
 
"Me too," Tonya said with a slight frown. "What kind of feelings?"  
 
Caine sighed. He knew she was going to ask but hoped she wouldn't. "Sex... stuff. Can we not talk about it?"  
 
"Sex stuff is my favorite subject," she said with a half-smile. Her heart wasn't in it, though.  
 
"It isn't mine," Caine shook his head. "I don't have a problem with it, but I'm not the best at talking about it. I don't know where to begin, so I'd rather not."  
 
"About me?" Tonya asked, surprised and a little flattered.  
 
"Caine nodded. "Mostly."  
 
"Want another go?" Tonya raised an eyebrow in teasing invitation and spread her knees wider.  
 
 
 
To be continued