The Dresden Files/Codex Alera is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

The Dungeon below Raith Tower in the middle of Chicago featured black marble hallways set-off by wall sconces with flaming fire features.

Harold shuffled forward. He'd tried to escape in the elevator, but Thomas had clipped some ankle shackles in place. He'd grown at least a foot, both in height and in stature. Muscles bulged, shredding parts of his shirt.

I guided him to an oak cross I had situated in one corner. It had vinyl cushions so the victim wouldn't chafe against the wood.

"You know the position, darling," I said, guiding him to the cross.

He growled but stood dutifully in front of the cross as Thomas uncuffed him and shackled him back onto the wood of the cross.

"Such a good boy," I said, caressing his cheek. He snarled, snapping at me.

"No!" I said, striking him soundly. "That is not how you treat me."

He snorted, roaring a bit, and I wondered if his language ability was completely gone or he was just playing.

"So," I said after Thomas had secured him to the cross. He was almost as big as it was. I think if he tried, he could probably tear the apparatus apart.

Once he was secure, I patted his cheek again. "Now, boy, I'm going to go get changed. You sit here and think about the proper way to behave, and we'll see what we can do, okay?"

He made a "Rarrg, Rarrg," sound that I couldn't understand.

We had a beautiful lounge area in the back where I had various costumes and outfits available for role play. Thomas and I walked down the length of the Dungeon; my heels clicked on the black marble.

"Been awhile since we've been down here."

"Well, with him acting like that, I didn't want him loose in my Penthouse.

"Yeah, what gives? When I left you, he didn't look or act like that."

I sighed, selecting a leather bustier from the closet. "We returned Murphy to 'herself,' and she kicked us out of the house."

"Not happy with feeling the old pain?"

"I guess not. 'Harold' didn't take it too well. I don't know if this is due to anger, or if this is part of his condition."

"He just suffered ten years under the Domination of the Queen of Air and Darkness. You think she'd have warned us a little."

"Let me see if I can get ahold of Mal. She might shed some light on it."

Maalshira, can you hear me?

As I waited for a reply, Thomas helped me into the corset, boots, and gloves. I sat in a pouf at the vanity, and he pulled my hair up into a high pony, running some product through it to make it nice, straight, and black as midnight. I put on some blood-red lipstick, fixed my mascara, and blotted.

Yes, Lady. What has happened?

Harold has changed into a regular Orc-Hulk? Know anything about that?

No words came for awhile. "Pour some of the Sauvignon?"

Thomas nodded and poured two glasses.

We were worried that might happen if he became agitated, or…well, horny.

It's happened.

We are caught up at the moment, Lady. I can attend to thee in the morn, but thou will need to abide tonight on thy own.

I can handle him.

Use the Force, Lady.

I chuckled at that, finishing my glass. "Well, shall we?"

Thomas nodded. "You know she always fantasized about being on her own cross."

"Exactly. I'm hoping once we give him a release, he'll return to normal."

Thomas shrugged. "Probably could have done that without having to tie him up first, but I'm sure he'll enjoy it."

We walked out into the Dungeon. I put a cigarette into a long holder and sipped elegantly on the tip, letting the smoke waft out my nostrils. He was turned away from us, so could only hear our approach.

Thomas had donned a leather affair too, with skin-tight pants, patent leather boots, and biker gloves. He wore leather armbands on his biceps, otherwise, his torso was bare.

I wore latex over the knee boots with a matching corset and bodysuit. My fingernails peeked out of long latex opera gloves, and I'd rolled up a pair of fishnet stockings on my legs, held up by a garter and belts.

His eyes widened as he saw us. I took out a riding crop and placed it under the orc's chin, lifting his head.

"Do I meet with your approval, worm?"

He rawred in response.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak in worm tongue. I said, do I meet with your approval?" On the last word, I struck him hard across the face with the crop.

He roared but nodded-snuffling and snorting.

"You know, darling, you have entirely too many clothes on." I walked around him, breathing in his ear. "Do you wish to be naked, boy?"

He nodded vigorously.

"What was that, worm?" I said, lifting his chin with my crop again.

"Rawr raga Rawr Rawr."

"Ugh, so tedious. You are going to need to learn control darling, or you're going to be stuck as an orc most of the time." I nodded to Thomas, who took out a knife and stripped him out of his clothes.

After the last shred of fabric fell away, I took a long gaze of him, smoking on my cigarette. "Hmmm." I glanced down. "You are a healthy boy, aren't you?"

Placing my crop under his erect cock, I let it slide back and forth. He moaned softly.

"Does that feel good, darling?"

He nodded a bit, eyes darting back and forth between us.

I stepped up to him, taking his member in my hand. It was as large as the rest of him. I stroked him a bit, then twisted it viciously.

He howled in pain and rage.

"Who am I, darling?"

He rawled and roared a bit, gargling on the words.

"Who?"

Again he rawred, his mouth falling open in pain.

"Use your words, darling."

"L-A-R-A," He gargled, his mouth trying to form the word.

"Excellent, pet."

That's when I took the first lick of his spirit. Inhaling, I let it fill me with his strength. There was so much of it, I think I could have drunk all night long, but I resisted. I nodded at Thomas, and he took a lick too, breathing in Harold's spirit, letting it fill him.

Our eyes glazed silver as we continued on with the experience.

Several hours later, Harold had been returned to as normal as we could get him. He hung limp, sated, exhausted. We'd skimmed a bit of his life essence, but used the pain and ecstasy to bring his mind back online and his body back to normal.

I sat naked on a red cushioned recliner near the cross. Harold snored softly, hanging by the padded ropes.

"I guess that seals the deal regarding going back into his body?" Thomas said, also seated in a matching Master chair.

"He's not even remotely what I had been. I can't see how can you?"

Thomas shook his head.

My phone chimed. I glanced down. It was Murphy.

"Hello, darling," I said.

"I'm downstairs. Can I come up?"

I blinked. "Oh, we are not in the Penthouse…"

"Where are you then?"

"Put Jerry on."

Murphy apparently handed her phone over to Jerry. "Miss Murphy is invited to the Dungeon. Can you make the arrangements?"

"Of course, Miss Raith."

"Wonderful, darling."

I hung up the phone.

Sighing, I stood up and took a white satin robe from a hook near the chair.

Thomas looked up at me, inquisitively. "Murphy," I said, nodding my chin at his black robe.

He put it on, grinning. "You're going to have a lot of explaining to do."

The elevator opened, and Murphy walked into the Dungeon. Her eyes boggled a bit at the bars, the equipment, the implements, and toys. She wore one of my old t-shirts and a pair of sweats. Her platinum hair had been caught in twin pigtails that streamed to both sides of her head.

"I see you three have had some fun."

I shrugged. "Apparently, when he gets angry, he gets a bit Orc."

She blinked. "He transforms?"

I nodded. "I don't know if he'll be able to control it, but I'd worry a bit about him getting agitated or angry from now on.

She snorted.

Considering the events of the evening, I should have been exhausted, but since we'd slaked out thirst a bit with Harold, Thomas and I weren't fatigued in the slightest.

"So, have you come to a decision?" Murphy said.

"About your past?"

She nodded.

"Look, if I left you in that state, especially permanently, you realize eventually you'd be hooked on drugs or at someone's mercy, don't you?"

"Would that be different from what we have now?"

"Someone who doesn't love you, darling."

She nodded, falling into a large divan near our chairs. She looked over at Harold, who continued to snore.

"Then I guess I should be returned to normal."

I stood up and walked over to her. "There's no reason to give it all up."

"I look ridiculous, Lara. I'm not me anymore. If I can't be the new me, I might as well go back to being the old."

"I guess neither of us is who we once were."

"Speaking of…" she looked at me. "Smoking? Naked? Dungeon? Is there anything left of the Harry Dresden I fell in love with?"

That hurt more than a little. Was there? I'd just spent the last several hours torturing my former body. Yes, it had been a BDSM scenario, but the old Harry would never have even imagined all the things the new Lara could, and had, performed.

The old Lara had been sex on wheels. She hadn't cared, much, for the mind behind her playthings. People, humans, existed to be her toys or food. If she wasn't drawing amusement, sustenance, or both from them, she simply didn't care if they even existed. I hoped I'd never fall that low, but considering what I had just done, I didn't think I was far from it.

"Yes, Murph, it's still me in here. Somewhere."

She nodded, and I could see tears beading in the corner of her eyes. "All I wanted was to be with you."

"That's all I've ever wanted," I said, tears in my eyes as well.

I gathered her in my arms, and we held each other for awhile.

Harold's head rolled a bit, and one of his eyes slid open. The other had swollen shut at some point. He grinned, and blood seeped from his mouth and onto his chest. "Hi, Murphy."

"Hi, yourself."

He struggled a bit, then looked at me. "Can you?" He nodded toward his shackles.

I looked at Thomas, who shrugged and unlocked the wizard. He rubbed his wrists and ankles as he stood facing us. Apparently, half-orcs were willing and raring to go more than other creatures. His cock stood up stiff and proud.

"Jesus, look at that thing!" Murphy said.

"Yeah, but I worry he might injure you, darling." I kissed the side of her head.

She nodded as Thomas handed him a robe. He put it on. Even with the return to his half-orc state, the robe only came to just below his knees.

"So what have you decided?" Harold said.

"I suppose I'll have you put me back the way I was. I feel ridiculous in this porn-star body without the mind to match.

"You know, there's no reason you couldn't be Karrie most of the time, and only return to being Karrin some of the time.

She shrugged and sighed. "You don't know what it's like, though. I have to relive all the shit that's happened to me all over again. Every time you two fuck with my brain, it's like I'm reliving that nightmare again.

Does thou still need mine assistance? Maalshiira's voice came into my mind. It sounded different somehow, panicked, thready.

He's back to normal. You sound different, though. Are you okay?

No.

Panic threaded through my body as my heart started to pound. What's happened?

It's a long discussion.

I'm with Thomas, Harold, and Murphy.

I will wait.

"Perhaps we can find a happy medium?" Harold said, taking her hand in his. She looked at me, and I nodded. Rising, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Possibly," she said.

"You know," Thomas said. "You should talk to Mab. Maybe she could make you the same as him somehow. He's quite animalistic when faced with frustration."

I giggled at that thought.

"A Half-Orc, former Special Operations, porn-star, pole dancer that knows martial arts and fifteen ways to kill you with a pencil?" Murphy said.

"Hey, if you can't beat them.." I said. I got up and gathered my clothing.

"We'll let you know," Harry said, putting his arm over Murphy's shoulder and walking toward the elevator.

Thomas put his arm around me, and we watched them leave. I needed a cigarette. And coffee. Like a gallon. Did Starbucks deliver?

"Think they'll be alright?" he said.

"They'll be as alright as they can be, given the situation."

He turned me, both hands on my shoulders. "And you?"

"Jury is still out on that. Sounds like Mal needs my help."

"Uh-oh. Need backup?"

"Maybe, I'll let you know."

He gave me a hug, and I walked toward the elevator.