by Donna Raider
Mika and Richie rose as the two women entered the room. Both looked very elegant. Mika could see where her wife inherited her regal posture.
“Gloria Thomas is conducting the services this morning,” the priest smiled at the two women. “Jezebel, my family and I will be attending church right after breakfast. We would love to have you join us.”
“Are you stupid or are you just acting that way?” The old witch shrieked as a multitude of butterflies poured from her lips.
She inhaled deeply trying to gain control of her vicious temper. “Priest,” Jezebel spit out, “I would burst into flames if I set foot inside a church. Even one you lead.” Butterflies and more butterflies. Obviously, she’d crossed the line.
“No problem,” Mika smiled. “You enjoy the morning, and we’ll meet you back here for lunch.”
“You’re just going to leave me alone?” Jezebel asked guardedly.
“Yes, Mother,” Leah sighed. “Please try not to alienate the town’s people.”
##
Jezebel looked around the diner. Most of the town’s people were at church. A few former foot soldiers were eating breakfast. They wouldn’t make very good allies, she thought. Too stupid to follow instructions.
“More coffee?” Ruth cautiously approached the old witch.
“Yes, please,” Jezebel was on her best behavior. She eyed the former wolf as Ruth filled her cup.
“Tell me Ruth,” Jezebel smiled her sweetest smile, “is my daughter well liked now?”
“Very much,” Ruth smiled. “She and Mika are the leaders in our town. Even Samson and Delilah defer to them on everything.”
“The town appears to be thriving,” Jezebel sipped her coffee.
“It is,” Ruth agreed. “The mayor is very careful about whom she allows into our town. She and Legion own all the undeveloped lands. Anyone desiring to open a business or live in our town must meet with her approval. She also requires approval by the city council. Of course, the council always votes with Leah. We all trust her.”
“Does she approve businesses Legion wants in the town?”
“Not usually,” the waitress said. “He keeps trying to bring in smutty businesses, like tattoo parlors, strip clubs, XXX-rated, adult bookstores. That kind of thing.”
“Hum, I am surprised she is so protective,” Jezebel said thoughtfully. “She seldom showed that side of herself when she was queen of Judah.”
“She’s a different person now. Perhaps she has a better influence in her life now.” Ruth smiled knowingly. “She is very wonderful. She is particularly protective of the children. With Richie and the…” Ruth trailed off, not sure if Leah wanted Jezebel to know about the twins. One could never be too careful with the old witch.
“And the…, what,” Jezebel encouraged Ruth to finish her sentence.
“…other children of our town, she works very hard to improve education and provide proper entertainment establishments.”
“Such as?” Jezebel raised a quizzical eyebrow.
“She and Mika have been the driving force behind our bowling teams, bowling alley, roller skating rink, ice skating rink, baseball team, baseball field, church children’s choir. The church, the Town Hall, and the diner are the centers of all our functions. The mayor personally funded the reopening of the library and complete renovation. They were the driving force behind the new women’s shelter.” Ruth explained proudly. “This is a great town in which to raise children.”
“How long has my daughter been married to the priest,” Jezebel asked.
“Four years in June,” Ruth answered.
“Do they get along well?” Jezebel queried.
“Oh, yes!” Ruth said emphatically. “I have never seen two people so much in love. I hope to someday have what they have together.”
“Yet their union has produced no offspring,” Jezebel pouted as if she were disappointed. “I’d rather enjoy being a grandmother.”
Ruth was smart enough to know she was being pumped for information. “Excuse me,” she said politely, “I have other customers to wait on.”
“Of course, dear,” Jezebel stood. “I think I’ll take a walk around your wonderful little town.”
##
“Hello, my beauty,” Legion greeted his former lover as Jezebel entered his shop. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Legion, darling” Jezebel raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t tell me just how powerful my daughter has become.”
“Her power has increased considerably,” Legion smirked, “but nothing compared to yours, my dear.”
“Of course, not,” Jezebel didn’t want to reveal how powerless she was.
“How did she take your return from the dead?” Legion giggled.
“Very calmly,” Jezebel mused, “almost as if she weren’t at all surprised.”
“She probably thinks she is stronger than you,” Legion sneered. “It’s about time she got her comeuppance.”
“What did you think of her little surprise?” the imp watched the witch closely to gauge her response to his question.
“Which one?” Jezebel shrugged nonchalantly.
“You don’t know, do you?” He began to circle the witch like a tiger closing in on wounded prey.
“Of course, I know, you, idiot,” Jezebel railed. Butterflies filled the shop. She slapped her hand over her mouth.
“What the…?” Legion started giggling uncontrollably. “She is stronger than you. She has cast a spell on you. Butterflies. Did she strip you of your powers too?”
Jezebel glared at the wretched little man. If she had possessed her powers, she would have turned him into a stinkbug.
“Tell me what happened?” Legion became serious. He hadn’t counted on losing his strongest ally
Jezebel told him what had happened. “I want my powers back, Legion. You can help me, dear.”
Legion dragged his hand down his face. “I’m not sure I can return your powers,” he said slowly. “Her magic appears to be irreversible.”
“I can’t live with these stupid butterflies coming out of my mouth,” Jezebel screamed at him. “All magic is reversible, you fool.”
The air was thick with butterflies. Legion ran to prop open the door to his shop, allowing the insects to go outside.
“I may have a potion that will work to reverse it,” Legion began digging through drawers and shelves searching for a way to reverse Leah’s spell. “Ah, here it is,” he beamed, pulling out a tin box with multiple chambers in it. Each chamber held a different object
“Finally,” Jezebel huffed. “Get on with it.”
Legion dropped a ball of something that looked like black wax into a beaker, then covered it with a liquid from his shelve of potions. The mixture in the beaker began to sizzle and produce a foul odor.
“Here, drink this,” Legion shoved the putrid smelling potion in front of Jezebel.
“Are you out of your mind?” Jezebel raved. “I am not drinking anything that smells like shi…” A continuous ribbon of Butterflies flew from her mouth.
“Drink it!” Legion demanded in a loud voice. “Or do you want to beautify the world with lepidopterans for the rest of your miserable life?”
Jezebel snatched the beaker from his hand and gulped down the rancid liquid, gagging and gasping for breath.
“That was vile,” she gasped. “Give me a shot of bourbon.”
Legion started to pour a finger of scotch into a shot glass when the witch grabbed the bottle and chug-a-lugged it. The fire from the liquor burned all the way down to her stomach. Although it was somewhat better, the aftertaste of the potion still lingered in her mouth.
“Oh! My! God!” Jezebel was still trying to catch her breath. Between the disgusting potion and scalding liquor, she felt as if someone had poured kerosene down her throat. She hoped no one struck a match.
“Thank you, Legion,” she inhaled deeply. “You are a true friend. I knew I could count on you.”
“We have to stick together,” Legion
grimaced. “Leah is powerful. It will take both of us to defeat her. She doesn’t simply have magic. She is magic.”
“She is magic,” Jezebel looked as if someone had slapped her.
“She is with child,” Legion blurted out.
“What?” Jezebel glared at her consort in evil. “A child?”
“Yes,” Legion nodded. “It is due in June.”
“I must stay here and ingratiate myself to her,” the old witch plotted. “When she tells me, I’ll act surprised and pleased. I’ll convince her I want to be a part of the child’s life. Leah has always thought I loved her as she loves that boy, Richie. I will show her she is right.”
“Yes,” Legion hissed. “Earn her trust.”
“Love has always been her downfall,” Jezebel bared her teeth, “She is a fool. What the hell?” Jezebel gasped as black insects fell from her lips. “What have you done to me? You stupid pathetic excuse for a man.” Black insects piled up all around her.
Legion picked up one of the nasty looking things and inspected it. “Dung beetles,” he choked. “I don’t understand.”
He opened his tin box and inspected its contents. “I may have made a slight mistake, lovey,” he grimaced. “I meant to use the cleansing wax, but I picked up a dung ball instead.”
Jezebel went berserk. She threw everything she could get her hands on, cursing and ranting. “You made me drink the feces of a dung beetle. You better find a way to fix this, you imbecile,” she screamed. The shop quickly filled with dung beetles. Knee deep in the filthy insects, she kicked her way out of the shop.
She looked at her watch. She had thirty minutes to come up with a plan to rid herself of the dung beetles. If Leah had absorbed her magic, her child would be incredibly powerful. With a power like that, Jezebel could rule the world. Leah had always been a disappointment to her. Her daughter had it all; beauty, power, position, charisma, but she had never truly been pure evil. Jezebel had been forced to push her every step of the way. Jezebel was well versed in turning good to evil.
“Son of a …,” dung beetles spewed out of her mouth. You better find a way to fix this,” she hissed at Legion.”
Jezebel returned to her room and waited for her daughter. She had to speak nicely, or her daughter would know she had been to see Legion.
##
A soft knock on the door notified Jezebel of the arrival of her next victim. She waited until Leah knocked again. “Mother, are you okay?”
“Darling,” Jezebel opened the door yawning. “The room is very comfortable. I must have fallen asleep.”
Leah examined her mother’s face and found no hint of the expected sarcasm.
“I’m glad you’re comfortable with your room. Would you like to join us for lunch?”
“I would like that very much,” Jezebel smiled.
“As Jezebel and Leah approached the booth, Mika and Richie stood. “Please sit by me, Grandmother?” Richie’s invitation was warm and sincere.
Leah sat down across from her mother and Mika slid in beside her wife. Leah placed her hand on her wife’s leg.
“What do you recommend for lunch, Master Richie?” Jezebel turned her most charming smile toward her adopted grandson.
“Naomi has cooked turkey and cornbread dressing,” the boy sniffed the air, taking in the delectable aroma of the freshly cooked meal.
“Ah, yes. I believe that is a favorite Southern dish,” Jezebel grinned. “Let’s try it. I’m sure I’ll enjoy something new and different.”
“Then you should join us at home for dinner tonight,” the boy said excitedly. “Mika is going to teach me to make a wonderful American dish, Chicken Tetrazzini. Everyone thinks it’s Italian but it orginated in San Francisco.”
“I would like that,” Jezebel raised an eyebrow. “So, you cook too, priest?”
“She is a fabulous cook,” Leah volunteered. “She continually surprises Richie and me with new and delicious dishes.”
“Mika says women love men who can cook,” Richie laughed. “I want a wife just like Mom, so Mika is teaching me how to be the kind of man a woman like her would marry.”
“I noticed you have gained a little weight, dear,” Jezebel addressed her daughter sweetly, “No, doubt the result of your wife’s cooking.”
“Yes,” Leah smiled. “I can certainly blame any weight gain on my wife.” Her hand moved gently on Mika’s leg, and the blonde jumped slightly as a small electrical current traversed her body.
Jezebel knew by the way Leah avoided discussing the pending birth of her child; she didn’t trust her. She might be more difficult to win over than anticipated. I’ll just have to try harder, the old witch thought.
“Honey, Richie and I need to lock the church,” the priest kissed her wife quickly. “We won’t be long. Do you mind driving your mother to our home? Richie and I can walk home.”
As soon as Mika and Richie were out of sight of the two women, the priest cautioned her son again, against letting Jezebel know that they were expecting babies. “Your mother doesn’t trust her,” she added. “Your mother is the most powerful witch in existence; her babies would be invaluable to evil practitioners. Jezebel is evil.”
“I caught on to that pretty quickly,” Richie nodded. “Don’t worry, Mika. I won’t say anything that might endanger our babies. I’m concerned about Mom being alone with her. Let’s hurry home.”
##
“That was the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” Jezebel blotted her lips and carefully folded her napkin before laying it on the table. “It seems you do bring more to the table than just a pretty face.”
“Thank you.” Mika bowed her head as if embarrassed by the compliment.
“I thought we would have dessert in the family room,” Leah started gathering the dishes.
“I’ll do the dishes,” Richie insisted. “I’m certain you and Grandmother have a lot to discuss.”
Mika followed her wife and mother-in-law into the family room. She sat down in her usual place on the sofa and gently pulled her wife down beside her. As always, Leah snuggled into Mika’s side when she placed her arm around Leah’s shoulders. Jezebel settled in the armchair across from them.
“Tell me about New York,” the priest engaged Jezebel.
“Where do you live?”
“Manhattan,” Jezebel was intentionally vague. Without her powers, she wasn’t certain she could retain her uptown address. She wasn’t at all certain how she would manage anything. In New York, she had taken over the body of a wealthy socialite and lived like a queen. With her powers gone, she was certain the socialite had regained possession of her body.
“Are you familiar with Cross Towers?” Mika asked cautiously.
“Yes,” Jezebel nodded. “One of the most elite apartment buildings in New York. “There’s never a vacancy, and they have a long waiting list.”
“Would you like to live there, Mother?” Leah asked.
“Who wouldn’t?” Jezebel snorted, “Stupid girl, I just told you…” she gritted her teeth together to stop the dung beetles from escaping her lips. Clasping her hand over her mouth, she dove for the powder room. Locking the door behind her, she spit the vile insects into the commode, but not before swallowing several of them. Legion is going to pay dearly for this, she thought. She flushed the beetles down the commode and rinsed out her mouth.
“Mother, are you okay?” Leah knocked on the door.
“I’m fine,” Jezebel walked out. “Must have been something I ate.” Jezebel loathed dealing with idiots. Mika and Leah certainly fell into that category. If she was to earn their trust, she was going to have to dumb down her exchanges with them and be more tolerant of their insidious questions. She took her seat in the armchair and smiled at the couple.
“Mom made some delicious apple turnovers,” Richie entered the room carrying dessert and coffee. “I can’t stay for dessert, Mom,” he smiled as he placed the tray on the coffee table, “band practice.” He dutifully kissed his grandmother’s cheek and hugged his
mother and Mika. “Don’t forget; I am staying at Emily’s tonight.”
“What a delightful young man,” Jezebel smiled her sincerest smile. “You have done a wonderful job of raising him, darling.”
“Thankfully, Mika came along at the perfect time in Richie’s life,” Leah looked proudly up at her wife. “He was just beginning to get into sports about which I knew nothing. Fortunately, Mika is quite the athlete.”
“You’re very kind, darling,” the priest kissed her wife briefly. “I may have taught him sports, but you had already instilled his excellent morals and manners in him.”
Jezebel almost gagged at the sweetness between her daughter and her wife. She closed her eyes to shut out the happiness she saw in their eyes.
“As I was saying,” Leah returned her attention to her mother, “We could get you an apartment in the Cross Towers if you would like to live there. Mika and I are close friends with the lady who manages the Towers.”
“That would be nice,” Jezebel’s smile hid the rage she was feeling. “Or you could simply return my powers, and I can take care of myself.”
“Um, I can’t do that,” Leah frowned. “Once powers are stripped, they can’t be returned. I’m assuming that however you were surviving in New York was either illegal or immoral.”
“And how would you describe your little tornado that blew the Occupy trash into the bay?” Jezebel said calmly, trying to control herself.
“Yes,” Leah grimaced. “I’m afraid I did lose my temper, but they had kidnapped our son. They got what they deserved.”
“I must say, that was an impressive display of your powers, dear,” Jezebel said with sincere admiration. “I was also impressed by your ability to conjure the knights to provide security for your little entourage during the performances at Radio City Music Hall. Only in the insanity that is New York could you have gotten away with that.”
“That is just one of the many nice things about this country,” Leah grinned. “They don’t question anything. They are so afraid someone will accuse them of being ‘politically incorrect.’ So much so that the government and subversives get away with murder.”