by Donna Raider
##
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.”
“So, my little foray into possession is not so bad,” the old witch glared at her daughter.
“Unless you are the one being p
ossessed,” Leah leaned forward to meet her mother’s gaze.
“We seem to have gotten off the subject,” Mika squeezed her wife’s shoulder. “Do you want to live in the Towers?” she addressed Jezebel.
“Yes, of course,” she responded, “but I have no means of support.”
“Just tell Mrs. Worth, what you need, Mother,” Leah shrugged. “She will take care of it.”
“I will consider your generous offer,” Jezebel fought to keep the disdain from her voice.
“Just let me know and I will make the call,” Leah smiled.
“I am rather tired now,” the old witch sighed. “Would it be possible for you to take me back to the bed and breakfast?” she directed her question to the priest.
“We would be happy to,” Mika stood.
“You can take me,” Jezebel insisted. “My daughter looks as if she could use rest also.”
“I like her to be with me,” Mika grinned. “It won’t take us but five minutes to get you settled in your room; then she can rest all she wants.”
“Surely you aren’t afraid to be alone with me, priest,” Jezebel challenged her. “After all, my daughter has rendered me quite harmless.”
“Take her, darling,” Leah placed her hand on Mika’s arm. “Obviously, she wants to be alone with you. No doubt, she wants to tell you how evil I am.”
Jezebel cast a malignant look toward her daughter but merely nodded her head. “I understand that you don’t trust me, dear, but I am capable of being the mother you always wanted.”
Leah inhaled deeply and walked upstairs.
##
As Mika pulled the car from the driveway, her mother-in-law began to talk. “How long have you known my daughter?” she asked.
“Almost six years,” Mika answered.
“What do you know about her, exactly?”
“All I need to know,” the priest answered evasively. She wondered what the old witch was trying to do.
“You know who she was?” Jezebel said, watching for Mika’s reaction.
“Yes.”
“You are certainly a woman of few words,” Jezebel hissed.
“I don’t play games, Jezebel. If you want to know something, just ask me.” Mika knew the woman was crafty and wasn’t about to volunteer any information.
“You know she was the wicked queen, ruler of all Judah and part of Israel?” Jezebel blurted out. “Even more evil than I.”
“I do.”
“Then you are aware of the atrocities she has committed?” Jezebel’s voice was loud.
“I am.”
Mika was infuriating. The witch fought to maintain control of her temper. “How could you possibly love her?”
“Seriously,” the priest smiled, “have you taken a good look at your daughter. She is everything a person could want. She is gorgeous, brilliant, caring, and considerate. She is a wonderful mother and wife. She is the perfect woman. Why wouldn’t I love her? I am just thankful she loves me.”
Ah , Jezebel thought, a chink in her armor . She truly doesn’t feel worthy of Leah .
“Does she, really love you Priest?” the witch challenged her. “She loved her father, too. She loved him more than anything else at the time. He doted on her, but she didn’t hesitate to have him beheaded to get what she wanted.”
Jezebel watched Mika for any reaction, but she remained the same affable fool.
“I’m not trying to be insulting,” she purred, trying to avoid the dung beetles, “but my daughter is a selfish, self-centered, jealous woman. What makes you think she won’t sacrifice you to get what she wants?”
“Your daughter is not the woman you drove to the brink of insanity with your relentless desire for power.” The priest was tired of sparring with her mother-in-law. “Unlike you, she is not evil. She is truly one of the sweetest, kindest people I have ever met. She is a Christian. I believe she has everything she desires: a wonderful son, the respect and love of our community, and a position as mayor that she enjoys. She is wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, and I love her more than anyone could ever imagine.”
“Humph,” Jezebel growled.
“I believe she has everything her heart desires,” the priest reiterated. “She has her happy ending. Please don’t try to destroy it.”
“What about children?” Jezebel asked furtively.”
“What about them?”
“If you love her as you claim,” the witch smiled malevolently, “surely you want her to bear your children.”
“We have Richie,” Mika smiled. “He’s enough. If Leah wants more children, we will have them. That is entirely up to her.”
“One thing you can count on, Priest,” Jezebel had a moment of truthfulness, “if she truly loves you, she will have your children.”
“Here we are.” Mika jumped out of the car and walked around to open the door for her mother-in-law. She walked her to her room and closed the door behind her. Leah appeared beside Mika and cast the protection spell around the room.
They didn’t speak until they were in the car. “She suspects about the babies,” Leah said softly. “We must get her out of here as quickly as possible. She scares me.”
“I thought you were resting,” Leah leaned over to kiss her gently. She clutched her shirt in her fist and pulled Mika hard against her lips. “I love you,” Leah declared, when she let her go to catch her breath. Leah wanted to drive away any insecurities Mika might have because of her mother’s warnings.
“She does give a whole new meaning to evil,” Mika frowned. “It was all I could do not to throttle her. When I think of that viper having her fangs in you as a child, it makes me sick to my stomach.”
Mika pulled the car into their driveway and walked around to open the door for her wife. Once they were in the house, she pulled Leah gently into her arms and held her, stroking her hair and back. She closed her eyes trying to drive away the thought of the evil witch and the things she had done to a young Leah.
When Mika opened her eyes, she was surprised to find her wife had transported them to their bedroom. With a flick of her wrist, their clothes were on the floor, and Leah was pulling her toward their bed. They slid beneath the covers, and she held Leah tightly, kissing her softly, longingly.
Leah snuggled into her warmth. Mika’s arms provided a safe harbor from any dangers that might be awaiting her. Right now, all she wanted was for Mika to make love to her.
##
Later, Mika lay on her back, waiting as her heart rate returned to normal.
Leah leaned on her elbow, tracing patterns on Mika’s breasts. “Your ride with my mother upset you, didn’t it?” she asked softly.
“Yes. You can’t even begin to believe the things she said,” Mika exhaled sharply.
“Yes, I would,” Leah smiled. “I was in the back seat. I never trust her. I was curious why she wanted you alone. I knew she was up to something. I wanted to be sure you were okay.”
“Good,” Mika laughed, “I won’t have to repeat the vile things that came out of her mouth. Where were the butterflies?”
“She was very careful to phrase everything she said in a nice tone,” Leah sighed. “She’s very smart and adaptable.
“Do you ever worry?” Leah asked.
“About what?” Mika frowned.
“That I might turn on you. That I don’t love you as much as I profess.” Her face was drawn and full of fear.
“Never,” Mika answered. “The way you love me. The things you do to me.” Her voice dropped to that low sensuous sound she made when overcome with her desire for Leah. “The things you let me do to you.” Mika smiled. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you love me as much as I love and adore you.”
“Are you sleepy?” Leah began placing small kisses on Mika’s lips and face.
“No,” Mika said hoarsely.
“Then let me do some things that will convince you even more of my love for you.” Leah smiled mischievously.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Mika whispered.
##
Legion looked up as Jezebel stepped into his shop.
Ah, lovey,” he smirked, “to what do I owe…”
“Cut the crap, Legion,” she waved her hand at him as if to destroy him, but nothing happened. “You have the pleasure of my presence because I’m spewing dung beetles. For your sake, I hope you’ve found a solution to the mess you’ve made.”
“Aren’t you demanding for one without powers?” he sneered.
“You know as well as I do, I will regain my powers. Leah’s baby will make that possible; the witch swept through the shop. “Now about these beetles?”
“You’re in luck. It just so happens I have a solution.” Legion reached under the counter and produced a small vial of potion. “This will end your spewing of insects.”
The witch drank the potion and waited. “You miserable little cretin,” she shrieked. She was delighted to see nothing fall from her mouth.
“Legion, I do believe you have finally done something right,” she said sarcastically. “Now, I need a meeting with Him.”
“Do you think that’s wise?” Legion frowned. “You have no powers. He may destroy you.”
“I have something to offer him,” she smiled evilly. “Something that I may offer to the highest bidder: a pure, magic baby in exchange for power and ruling at his side.”
Legion shuttered, even he had no desire to engage Him in a bargaining session. “I will try to arrange a meeting. He isn’t always responsive.”
“He can find me in the Cross Towers in New York,” Jezebel grinned. “It seems I have friends in high places that can get me an apartment there.”
##
Leah had been surprised that her mother had been so civil to everyone. She hoped Jezebel had changed, but in her heart, she knew better. Even Emily’s constant goading hadn’t elicited a verbal retaliation from her mother.
The mayor watched as Richie showed his Grandmother how to bowl. Mika knelt to lace her wife’s bowling shoes, and Leah absent-mindedly stroked her soft, wavy hair. She turned her eyes to Mika to find her watching her face questioningly. “What’s wrong?” Mika said softly, tying the last shoe.