"So," Ember expins from her meditative pose in the pillow pit. "That's what happened." The need burns in her core, but that's how she shattered Liv's vibrator. It can just shut up.

  "She took it personally, huh?" Camellia leans back against the plush pillows. "And you couldn't back down when she challenged you, so now there's this silly bet." Camellia's lips twitch. "I will say one thing, having you here at least isn't boring."

  Ember meets Camellia's gaze. "So, since Maeve's unwilling to help... I'm going to need you. Is that okay?"

  Camellia presses her thumb to her peach-tinted lips and mulls it for a moment, then nods. "Maeve's being unreasonable," she says. "I believe you that you were taking the control training seriously. She wants to make you back down from a point of principle, and I dislike that. So yes, I'll help you." She offers Ember a small smile. "That said, this isn't going to be easy. You were already having control problems before you got into this bet with Maeve, and she's almost certainly going to try and ambush you somehow. She's smart, she'll find a way to catch you by surprise. You have to be ready." Camellia presses her hands to the fts of her thighs. "Are you prepared for that?"

  Ember opens her mouth, then closes it.

  Is she ready...

  "I wouldn't trust that I won't do something stupid," she admits. "Not even with the bet on the line. It'll be another four days of increasing intensity. And that's just... hard to manage even under the best of circumstances."

  Camellia nods. "I think you should tell Ishaza about the bet. She'll almost certainly be willing to give you extra tutoring better than I can if you just reach out."

  "Ishaza?" Ember frowns, thinking back to the strict, businesslike woman she's come to know over the st few days. "I wouldn't expect her to get involved in a bet like this..."

  "Maeve will almost definitely be going to her for lessons on seduction," Camellia says. "It's only reasonable for you to fight back and respond with lessons on control. She adapts the coursework to your vulnerabilities, you've seen that — so if you say you need help with control, she'll almost certainly do her best to support you with extra coursework."

  "Extra coursework." Ember's brow furrows. "I'm not even keeping up with my normal assignments right now. Do you really think it's wise to prod her...?"

  "She didn't say anything about Maeve's coursework being te," Camellia says. "She's more reasonable than she appears. And what's the harm in trying?"

  Ember looks down at her crossed feet. "I..." She sighs. "It's just... difficult. I don't want to look like a fool in front of the one person who can decide if I'm worthy to kindle or not."

  Camellia tilts her head to the side, then nods. "Understandable. But I think Ishaza would say that admitting your weaknesses is a sign of maturity. Do you expect her to fail you for trying to address your control issues?"

  Ember shakes her head. "No, it's just..."

  She feels small in front of her, that's all. Small and insignificant.

  "It's hard to tell what she's thinking," Ember says at st. "She's so professional all the time. I worry that behind the mask she thinks I'm... I don't know. Foolish, maybe."

  "There's a proverb... 'Only a wise woman knows how much of a fool she is.'" Camellia spreads her hands. "Go to her," she says. "She's not an ogre. She wants what's best for you, even if she pys at indifference. She chose you, not any other candidate. Have a little more faith in yourself."

  Ember tilts her head, then nods. "You're right," she says. "I am strong. And I've got to use every advantage I can if I'm going to win this. It's not comfortable dragging Ishaza into this, but I can't afford not to."

  She clenches one hand into a fist and sps it into her other palm. "Me, you, Ishaza. Together we'll beat Maeve. I just know it."

  Camellia ughs. "Gd to see you're all fired up. Alright, get gone. Ishaza's visiting hours today are almost over, so you'd better hurry."

  Ember nods, and gets up. "See you."

  ~*~

  Ishaza's office at the training compound is off a small hallway near the gardens, opposing the second-year dorm. Wide gss windows look out onto the gardens in their gold and garnet, the maple leaves fallen in drifts; and among them is a doorway that passes into a small circur room.

  The door is ajar, so Ember only knocks lightly at the threshold before poking her head in.

  Four curved gss windows enclose the room, all tinted coral-pink and fnked by scarlet curtains. The center of the room is taken up by a low, circur table with five scarlet silk pillows around it; a silver carafe of coffee sits on it, along with a vase of preserved cherry blossoms. A spiral staircase winds around the edges of the room, ascending upward to a second floor.

  Ishaza sits at the far side of the circur table, an array of cosmetics and a silver hand mirror id out on the table before her. She holds two tubes of lipstick in her right hand, her gaze flicking back and forth between them. She's wearing another low-cut dress in deep scarlet; the V of it stops just short of her navel, making it the most scandalous piece of clothing Ember's ever seen her wear. How do her breasts not burst out of it...? — bad thought, bad thought. She pushes away the imagined sight of Ishaza's bare breasts and forces her gaze a little higher upward.

  An intricate ruby pendant with many hanging gold talismans decorates the area of bare skin between Ishaza's breasts, and her silver hair falls over her shoulders and makes a striking backdrop to her goat-like horns in the evening air. In the peach-tinted light, her lic skin can almost pass for human.

  "May I come in?", Ember asks.

  Ishaza's gaze tangles with Ember's, and she beckons with her free hand.

  Ember crosses the room, curtseys as deeply and true to form as she can manage, and kneels on the cushion across the table from Ishaza. "Courtesan." She bows low and touches her head to the table. "I come to ask a favor."

  Ishaza raises an eyebrow.

  Ember sits back up. "I need more control training," she confesses. "I know I'm behind in my other csses, but after the incident yesterday, and now with Maeve deciding to tease me — I need to get my act together, and quickly." Her gaze slowly slides down to Ishaza's breasts again. "Please," she says to them. "Help?"

  Ishaza's judgmental eyebrow doesn't budge, but after two or three seconds she speaks.

  "Apply my makeup for me." The order is crisp and firm.

  Ember's blinks, startled — but it does make sense. It would train multiple skills at once, even...

  She bows her head again. "Of course, Courtesan. May I approach?"

  "You may." Ishaza ys down the lipstick tubes she's holding. "The metallic silver lipstick, with accompanying eyeshadow."

  "Yes, Courtesan." Ember walks around the table and kneels on the pillow on Ishaza's right.

  Ishaza turns to present her face, and closes her eyes.

  Right. Okay. She just has to... apply all of these cosmetics fwlessly and gracefully while horny as hell and practically staring down Ishaza's cleavage. Piece of cake.

  Ember pushes away the image of Ishaza at her service doing something completely different, picks up the base foundation, and begins.

  It's a meditative process. Each piece relies on the others to have its full effect. Foundation. Blush. Lip tint. Eyeshadow. Mascara. False shes. She works through it piece by piece, a deep flush on her face as she bends over Ishaza's face and applies product after product. She regutes her breathing, keeps a professional distance. She's merely performing this as an exercise. It's just an exercise. Don't think about how you could just reach out and grab her breasts, you would absolutely be thrown out of the academy.

  A small eternity of staring at Ishaza's high, imperious cheekbones and soft, plush lips ter, Ember finally lowers the eyesh crimper and breathes a sigh of relief.

  She has enough training with her own makeup faces from back at the tavern that the final effect is not bad, if she does say so herself. Every aspect of Ishaza's not inconsiderable natural beauty is refined and heightened by the look.

  "It is done, Courtesan." She presents Ishaza with the hand mirror.

  Ishaza's shes sweep upward, and she fixes her gaze upon her reflection. Ember forces down a small stab of fear. Is her work sufficient...?

  Ishaza examines her full face of makeup, inspecting the left side, then the right. Her calcuting gaze assesses her lips, her shes, the blush and blending of the foundation.

  Ember takes a slow breath, forcing down her fear. Either it’s good enough or it isn’t.

  Ishaza takes fully ten seconds before pronouncing judgment.

  "Acceptable."

  A breath of relief goes through Ember, and she tries not to visibly sag. She's learning. She's learning and doing her best.

  "Now," Ishaza says. "Let us proceed to control drills."

  Ember's stomach falls. She has the sudden sense that she's bitten off more than she can chew.

  "Yes, Courtesan."