"Do you have any idea, what had you done, stupid girl?" the vampiress asked sternly, grabbing her maid by the braid.

"But that mutt wanted to betray us and stay with that elf! Someone should stop her! I thought..."

"You are here not for thinking!" Dame Athanasia interrupted her. "I could just talk to Livonna and she would listen to me! And you ruined all the plan, stupid jealous vixen! Three weeks of preparation down the drain!" she pulled orcess hair, making her scream and turn her face to the wall. "Stand still!" she raised the girl's skirt. Wolffang sobbed in fear. She knew very well what is going to happen.

Dame Athanasia raised her umbrella.

"And now try to finally remember! Never spoil my plans! Never do anything without my permission if that affects my plans even indirectly! Stop competing with your partners! And never hurt feeling of any of them this way ever again! Is that clear?" she said in low stern voice, accentuating every word by a hard stroke of her umbrella on the girl's bottom.

Wolffang wept in pain and nodded, begging for mercy. She never saw her mistress so angry. By the time the punishment was finished, the orcess's bottom was bruised badly.

"Take her to our lair," Dame Athanasia said to Kajira, who suddenly appeared from the shadows. "And if Livonna will return before me, try to stop her from killing Wolffang. I don't want to loose any of you," she whispered in the witch's ear and walked away, covering from the sunlight under her umbrella.