“So what’s the Guard’s next step?”
Polyxia shrugged. “The Greely clan failed, Gestalt is in hiding…so that leaves only one alternative. It’s a risk to the Guard, but they are confident. They are going to attempt to kill you themselves.”
“But I thought the Law declares that they can’t touch us,” Jill said. “Or any supernatural being, for that matter.”
“Ah, we can’t touch you in our true ethereal forms,” Polyxia said. “But if we become flesh, we can do as we please. When we make an effort and take the risk of leaving our immortality behind, the Law no longer applies.”
“Oh my God,” Nikki groaned.
While Saul said nothing, his thoughts closely echoed her exclamation. The idea of trying to fight a being the size of Dominiscus made him very uneasy.
“And that is all,” Polyxia said. “I wish I could be of more help. As for me…when the time comes and they come to Red Creek, I will not be among them.”
“Where will you go?” Jill asked.
“I once owned land in the area now known as Haiti. I believe I will go there. If the Guard does defeat you, they will certainly come looking for me. At this point, I don’t care. I’m so tired.”
“But can’t you—” Jill began, but Polyxia again silenced her with her hand.
Saul looked at that old, withered hand and found it hard to believe that it was capable of such magic. Polyxia was one of the most revered witches in history. She was so respected and powerful that she had the distinction of being the only true mortal to have been allowed into the Guard and to benefit from their powers.
“So do what you will with this information,” Polyxia said, standing up from the couch. “I have to get back before they discover I came here.”
Polyxia walked back to the empty doorway and leaned against the frame. Her small body looked like it might collapse at any moment. She closed her eyes and a soft mist began to form around her feet. Saul had never understood how members of the Guard were able to evaporate and teleport at will; he had always assumed it was simply one of the powers that came with the position.
The mist seemed to form into a puff of white residue that inched up toward Polyxia’s knees. There, it wound around her legs and went cascading back down to her feet. As this happened, the mist at her feet slowly faded.
Polyxia opened her eyes and looked down to the mist at her feet. She closed her eyes once more, seemed to concentrate rather hard, and then opened her eyes again. They were concerned now, in addition to looking extremely tired.
“What is it?” Saul asked.
Polyxia shook her head. “It’s too late. They know. They’re blocking my return. I don’t know how, but I know it’s possible. They’re not letting me back.”
“What can we do to help?” Jill asked.
Polyxia looked to the last remnants of the white mist at her feet as they died out. She then shrugged and looked directly at Jill. “There’s nothing you can do.”
“Are you sure?” Nikki asked.
“Yes, dear.”
“So what will you do now?” Saul asked.
She gave Saul a grin that seemed to knock at least half a century from her wrinkled and tired face. “If you’ll have me,” she said, “I believe I’d like to fight with you when those bastards get here.”
CHAPTER THREE
1
Polyxia’s appearance and her subsequent banishment from the Guard had put something of a kink in Saul’s plans. He was tired beyond belief when he got on the phone shortly after nine o’clock and called Kara. He hated to postpone his plans when he knew that there were countless Rogues roaming in Red Creek, but the fact that an ousted member of the Guard was currently sitting in his living room trumped everything else.
Kara answered on the second ring. She sounded exhausted, too. But there was also an edge to her voice that indicated that she likely wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight regardless of what her body may be demanding.
“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Saul asked, just to be polite.
“No,” Kara said. “I don’t think I will be sleeping much in the near future.”
“Sorry to hear it. I’m actually glad you’re awake. We’ve had some developments and if it’s possible, I need to ask the Marked for help.”
On the other end of the line, Kara let out a nervous chuckle. “I’d have to check with the others. I’m not the official leader or anything, you know.”
“Of course.”
“What’s happened?” she asked.
Saul went on to tell Kara about Polyxia’s visit, the information she had given them, and her subsequent banishment from the Guard.
“So wait,” Kara said once Saul fell silent. “You’re telling me that not only is the Guard really out to destroy your clan, but they now intend to take action and do it themselves?”
“It seems that way. And although I am asking you for your help, I’m afraid you may have no choice in the matter. You’ve seen that Magdeline can be manipulative. She already tried getting rid of the Marked by attempting to trap you all in one place while Rogues were out and about in full force. If the Guard comes to Red Creek to destroy me and Jill, I would assume they’d want the Marked out of the picture as well.”
There was silence on Kara’s end for a moment. Then, with a heavy sigh, she said: “What can we do?”
“I think we need to go out tonight and kill any Rogues that we may have missed. The less distraction we have when the Guard arrives, the better.”
“Got it. I’ll get in touch with the others.”
“Actually,” Saul said, “maybe you should let them sleep. Without Gestalt here to lead the rest of the Rogues, I think the Marked are safer behind closed doors.”
“And me?”
“You’re an excellent fighter,” Saul said. He meant it; Kara’s strength and determination were a continuous source of surprise. “I’d like to have you out there with us tonight. Will you help?”
“Of course,” she agreed. Saul wasn’t certain, but he thought she sounded slightly excited.
“When can you be here?”
“I’m already heading for the door.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Saul ended the call. He was a bit bemused to find the three women in the room looking at him, expectation and eagerness obvious in their eyes. Even Polyxia, weary and weighted by age, looked like she was ready to go out into the night and face whatever was waiting for them there.
“What did she say?” Nikki asked.
“She’ll help.”
“We have to act quickly,” Polyxia spoke up. “I can sense them—the Guard. They’re getting ready. They have to combine their power in order to make the transition to mortality. I imagine they would do it before arriving here so they won’t have to waste any time once they step into Red Creek.”
“Then let’s get going,” Jill said, standing to her feet and stretching her back.
They were all tired but as they walked out of the door and back out to continue their fight, none of them complained.
Somewhere in the distance, a woman’s waling scream echoed with a ghostly finality. It served as a firing shot to the race that was this night – a race that, if lost, would mean death for all of those involved.
2
Polyxia was right. The Guard was getting ready to descend upon Red Creek in their mortal forms. The only exception was Magdeline. Several hours after Polyxia’s evaporation attempt had failed and the Guard grew wise to where she was and, likely, what she was doing, Magdeline had teleported herself to the small town of Keysville, a little burg twenty miles to the east of Red Creek. The moment she set foot in the town, she began the enchantment that would transform her into a mortal being.
Magdeline found her way to the Keysville Lodge at the far end of town just as the painful part of the transformation hit. A woman at a counter in the lodge’s small office spoke briefly with her. Magdeline paid with cash – a resource the Guard had in excess, from all currencies all ove
r the world – got her key, and checked into her room.
It was shortly after eleven o’ clock when Magdeline closed the hotel room’s door behind her. She immediately stripped off her clothes and went to the bed. She lay down on her back and let the enchantment take hold.
Magdeline had only done this once since taking on the form of an immortal, way back when Greece was still being founded. It hurt like hell; her body felt like it was stung by countless hornets as her indestructible skin softened and transformed, becoming the weak flesh of a mortal.
The process took two hours. If she’d wanted to become purely mortal, it would have taken almost an entire day. However, all she needed to accomplish her current goal was the tangibility of a human form. She wanted to keep her powers and as much of her magic as she could.
When the process was complete, Magdeline walked into the small bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled at what she saw. Despite the weakness of human flesh, there was something beautiful about it. She marveled at the way her perfect body looked in this skin. She ran a hand along the curve of her jaw, across her ample breasts and to the thin thatch of hair between her legs. Her own touch ignited a fire there that she had not felt in some time. She considered taking care of it herself right then and there, but knew that doing so would hardly satisfy her.
Magdeline had come to Red Creek earlier than the rest for the sole purpose of testing her immortal powers out in her mortal form. She was pretty sure her magic was all intact; she could feel it inside herself, like a living being. And now that it was encased in a human form, it wanted to play.
Magdeline got dressed in the plain clothes she had worn while she teleported: a simple black blouse and a skirt that did delicious things to her backside. She primped in front of the mirror for a moment, thankful that her faultless appearance didn’t call for make-up. She then left her room and headed to the office. The woman that had checked her in looked up and the amazement on her face was clear to see. This pleased Magdeline to no end, as it was proof positive that the human shell was suited her well even after all these millennia.
“I need a drink,” Magdeline said. “Is there a good bar in town?”
The woman looked at her watch and frowned. “There are two in town, but the only one that will be open this late is The Black Rock. And you might want to hurry because they’ll call last call in about forty minutes. They may have already called it.”
The cashier gave her directions and Magdeline headed back out. She looked around the parking lot and found a plain little car that wouldn’t draw attention. She knew it would be locked. Magdeline smiled and placed her hand over the lock on the driver’s door; with a simple thought (up) the knob lock on the inside popped up.
Magdeline got behind the wheel and did the same trick over the ignition. Start, she thought. Drive.
The motor turned over and the car shifted itself into Drive. Magdeline had never driven a car. Neither did she plan to learn how to do so now. The enchantment she had placed on the human vehicle would do just fine in taking care of that for her.
Magdeline followed the clerk’s directions and reached the Black Rock fifteen minutes later. She parked the car and nearly got out before she saw that, thankfully, she wasn’t going to have to actually go inside the measly excuse for a bar and be attacked by the reek of male pheromones after all. A man had just come out of the Black Rock; he paused on the sidewalk and looked around a bit. Magdeline watched as he walked forward, toward her. He didn’t seem too drunk – good. Using her seductive powers on a man that was shitfaced drunk was pointless. Any woman could have a drunken man groveling at her feet without much effort. But a man with his inhibitions still intact was a bit harder to break. The fact that this man looked to be in his late forties and in decent shape also pleased her—but that was for her own selfish reasons.
Magdeline stepped out of the car and headed towards the Black Rock’s front door. She kept her eyes on the man that was approaching and when he met her glance, she looked away as if she were bashful.
She looked back up and smiled as they crossed paths. “Have they called last call yet?” she asked.
“No,” the man said. “But it’s coming any minute now.”
Magdeline noticed the way he was looking at her. He wasn’t staring at her in a purely lustful way; he was taking in her beauty like someone might take in a sunset on the beach. But she knew that it would only take a few seconds for that to change.
“Damn,” she groaned. “Is there anywhere else in town to get a few drinks?”
“No. The only other bar shuts down at ten.”
“That’s a shame. I was looking to get loose tonight. It’s been one of those weeks.”
As Magdeline finished that statement, she pulled her natural talents to the surface. She knew that the man was already beyond interested, but it took more than just bored lust to make a man leap at every suggestive phrase. Men didn’t like feeling stupid and rejected, after all.
As if she had hit a switch, the man’s face filled with an expectant joy. He grinned shyly at her and took a step closer. “I’ve got a few beers back at my place,” he said. “Some pretty good whiskey, too.”
“That’s pretty forward of you, isn’t it?” she asked in a flirtatious way. Ah, she had forgotten how fun it could be to make a man feel as if he were in control, only to obliterate him later.
“Sorry. I couldn’t help it. I was just taking a shot.”
“That’s very brave of you. And bravery should always be rewarded, I say.”
He smiled at her again. “Great. Come on, then. I’ll drive.”
Magdeline followed the man to a red pickup truck sitting at the far end of the bar’s lot. He opened the door for her and she caught him looking at her ass as she climbed in. She said nothing, only smiled at him.
The man got behind the wheel of the truck and pulled out into the street. The town of Keysville was very much like Red Creek; there were trees and back roads winding to nowhere in particular. They were off of the main stretch and etching their way through the back roads in less than three minutes. The man drove them slowly, taking not-so-casual glances at her as he wound through the night.
When they were ten minutes away from the bar, Magdeline leaned closer to him and, feigning discomfort said, “Is there somewhere you can pull over really quick? Like off of the road?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah…just I need to tell you something. I want to talk.”
He was nearly giddy as he sped the truck up and came to a thin gravel road off to the side. He pulled the truck into it, just off of the road, and stopped the truck.
“What is it?” he asked.
“No. Off of the road,” she said. “Pull up further so we can’t see the road.”
“I can’t. This is someone’s drive way.”
She leaned towards him and stared at him with a piercing stare. She chewed at her bottom lip and said, “If you do it, I’ll let you take off my underwear.”
He needed no further prompting. He drove further into the gravel driveway, killing the headlights. A house sat in the murky gloom ahead of them, a good hundred yards or so away.
“This is far enough,” she said. “Now…what’s your name?”
He stopped the truck again and threw it into park. “Ricky,” he said.
“Ricky…” she mimed, grinning. “Well, Ricky, tonight is your lucky night.”
“It’s looking that way,” Ricky replied.
She giggled at him and then slid around in the seat so that her back was against the passenger door. She spread her legs apart and cocked her knees up at an upward angle. “Now,” she said, “as I promised…take off my underwear.”
Ricky slid towards her and ran his hand up her thigh, underneath her skirt. As he reached the fork of her legs, he looked at her like a man that had just struck gold.
“You aren’t wearing any,” he said.
“I told you,” she said, taking his hand and pressing it forward unt
il two of his fingers were inside her. “This is your lucky night.”
He slid his fingers deeper in and tried to kiss her. She wouldn’t let his mouth touch hers. Instead, she smiled at him, allowing their lips to come within an inch or so of one another and then backing her head away. She moved in tandem with his fingers for a few moments and then she pulled his arm back. When his fingers slipped out, her body clenched – as if begging for more. Magdeline had forgotten how demanding human senses could be. She wanted to let him ravage her, wanted him to push her against the side of the truck had fuck her until she was sore.
But she was too good for that…too pristine.
Magdeline sat forward and pushed Ricky back against the driver’s side door. He looked a bit taken aback at her strength, finding himself unable to move during the brief moments her arms had pressed against him. The feeling of unease quickly faded, replaced by an uncontrollable excitement as Magdeline slowly unbuttoned his pants. Seeing him watching her, she moved even closer and pressed her chest to his face.
“Take my shirt off, Ricky.”
Ricky eagerly did as she asked. She was not wearing a bra, either. He buried his face between her breasts, kissing, licking, and sucking. She couldn’t help but look at his eyes as he did this; he was enamored. He was like a little pre-teen boy discovering a naked woman in his dad’s Playboy for the first time. His hands groped madly and his breathing became instantly labored.
Magdeline smiled and freed his manhood. He was of average size, his cock so hard that it felt like a stone in her hands. Magdeline chuckled quietly, thinking that she hadn’t actually felt a man’s penis in nearly three hundred years; now that she had it in her hand, she found herself wanting to do too many different things with it. Her mouth ached to taste the clear fluid at its tip, and her sex was positively on fire. After a moment of consideration, she hitched a leg up and straddled her companion, pulling her skirt up. Her perfectly sculpted ass pressed against the bottom of the steering wheel. She positioned him with her hand and sat down slowly, inserting him inside of her.
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