"Coming to the stage: she is the cosmic wonder, she is your breakfast, lunch and dinner, she is the goddess that will make all your ails mo betta! Empty those pockets for Miss Josephine Monroe!" the dj said over the speaker. All eyes fell upon the 250lb beauty in a short, Blue Goddess dress. Like all Blue Goddesses, her makeup was done to perfection: long lashes, arched brows and fake mole on her left cheek. Her plump red lips blew kisses as she winked, her hair in a tight ponytail showing the beauty of her face. Her thigh high boots and elbow gloves glowed in the dark as she pranced around the pole, building up her dance as the beat of the music intensified.
Lance was always tranced by her beauty. He fought the urge to blink as he didn’t want to lose a moment watching the sway of her hips. He remained motionless, and the cigarette burnt down to his fingers. Miss Josephine finished her dance to a standing ovation from the entire room. She blushed, thanking everyone humbly for allowing her to share her spirit with them. Making her way to the door, she walked by Lance who's aura vibrated a little bit higher in her presence.
"You look beautiful tonight Miss J, as always."
"Well I can say the same about you, from the ankle up," she replied laughing. Standing about 5'8, her voice was soft and almost childlike which for him, added to beauty to her personality.
"What the fuck happened to your shoes?"
"I gave them to some guy who robbed me."
Josephine nearly choked from laughter as the very thought of a Black Knight getting robbed was absurd. "Please don't tell me it was a sheeple."
"It was a sheeple."
"Do you want to tell me the real reason why you don't have shoes on?" she asked, using her Blue Goddess gift of empathy to hone in on his energy. She held out her hand and motioned for him to follow her, and he took it gladly. She led him to her suite which was just two doors down from Chrissy and Bibi's suites. She opened the door and their noses were teased by the scent of apple cinnamon air fresheners.
Large leafed plants were growing in over-sized pots stationed at every corner of the room. A large cheetah statue stood tall against the left wall, jungle paintings encased in large gold frames hung on the walls and a large leopard skin rug lie in the middle of the floor.
Her vanity was black, and blue lights hung above it with pictures of her and the other Blue Goddesses posted around it. She threw her gloves over the plush chair near her canopy bed and unzipped her boots. Lance looked around, enjoying the scenery, but more so the sight of the woman in front of him.
"Can you unzip me?" she asked, moving her ponytail out of the way. He took his time, eyeing the woman from behind, liking what he saw more and more.
"I think you could use a chakral massage. It will make you feel better," she said, leading him to the bathroom. She began filling the tub with water and Lance began to disrobe. Josephine filled the tub with herbs and crystals; lighting candles corresponding to the colors of the chakra. She began pulling off her latex dress, but Lance grabbed her hand from behind.
"Let me help you," he said, sliding the dress off slowly. Josephine took a deep breath as his hands caressed her arms as he peeled the dress off. The feel of his breath upon the back of her neck ushered in an arousal which traveled down her spine as the feel of his nakedness on her bareback was comforting. The sexual tension was undeniable and welcomed by both parties; hesitation in their hearts keeping their bodies from reacting.
"I'd like you to join me," he said, in that soft seductive voice which often got him what he wanted. She turned to him, caressing his face and smiled.
"That's not what you need right now. Get in the tub," she said, winking.
"As you command mistress," he said, almost in shock of her rejection. She walked over to her closet and put on her Blue Goddess gown, sitting at the edge of the tub.
"Tell me what’s bothering you." Lance sighed, leaning his head back staring at the leopard print paint on the walls. He began telling her about the events at the Batallica Hotel and the situation with Vera.
"So apparently she saw a picture of you and I together and went ballistic on me right there in the middle of the restaurant! She thought I was cheating on her with you which is impossible because were aren’t fucking dating--"
Josephine cracked up laughing in the middle of his sentance.
"And you don’t want me," he finished.
There was an awkward silence which neither knew how to break.
"Its not that Lance, I just --"
"You don’t have to explain yourself. I’ve made enough women upset tonight."
"And I wish that bitch would've said that shit here at the Palace. I would've stuck my trident up her bony ass."
"She might have liked that. Trust me," he said, bringing laughter back into the conversation.
"I'm tired J. I'm tired of going home to a cold bed. Perhaps the thrill is over. I want something deeper than this shit."
"Well, once you make up your mind, you will send that vibration out and the universe will begin pushing you together. But you have a lot to let go of. Starting with tonight. Are you willing to let the night go?"
"Yes."
"You know the routine. Lay down," she said, as Lance completely submerged himself in the tub. Josephine began to swirl the water around, singing as she allowed her energy to massage Lance's chakras. The feeling almost orgasmic in nature, causing him to moan as he began to release the tension and negative energy. The water began turning black as Josephine continued to stir the water which funneled the negative energy out of him.
As the ritual finished, he began to float to the top feeling much lighter than he did when he sank. Josephine's eyes traveled up and down Lance's impeccable body. His abs, tight and tense, his arms defined, legs perfectly sculpted, his manhood lacking none of the girth of rumor even when limp.
She wanted him, he could feel it, and the feeling was mutual. He opened his eyes to see her staring at the area below his waist and he laughed, snapping her out of it. He sat up, leaning over the tub, staring into her eyes as she stared back, and she began to cry. Confused, he stood up to embrace her but she walked out of the room, holding her head down.
"Hey, Josephine, what’s wrong? Did I do something?"
"No. It’s not you. I need you to leave."
"Ok. I’ll go. But I don't want to," he said sincerely. Josephine broke down even harder, smearing mascara over her face.
"Come on now, you’re much too beautiful to be crying. Besides, you're a Dakini in one of the most powerful Orders of Man. You are boundless," he said. Josephine looked up at him and nodded, while he grabbed her face gently and kissed her. It was the softest kiss he had ever given, and meant every part of it.
"I took some of your pain. You're always so well put together. I would've never thought you were just as broken as me. I love you Lance, but shit I need a cigarette," she said laughing her tears away.
"You don’t smoke J."
"I do now."
"I love you to Josephine. I always have. But yeah, I think a cigarette would be great. Have one with me," he said, handing her one. They two sat quiet, staring at each other, puffing one cigarette after another. He stood up, still naked and stretched his arms; looking out the window to see a cab pulling out front.
"I took your pain because you Knights don't function well with block chakras and heavy hearts. I can take it. Don’t worry about me, but you should probably talk to Rex about the situation. It could get bad," she said.
"Yeah you're right. I'm regretting that shit like the plague, but I'm going man up and get it over with. I would like to see you tomorrow."
"I’ll be here," she said, as he bent over and kissed her cheek. He headed for the door when she laughed.
"Aren't you forgetting your clothes?"
"No. Burn them. I'm letting this night go remember? Nah, I'm going to get some of Cesare's clothes from Mila's suite. Luckily my brother wears the same size 13 shoe," he said. He opened the door and peeked his head around the corner making sure no one was in the h
all. He ran to Mila's suite at the end of the hall and went in for Cesare's clothes.
Lance went rummaging through Cesare's side of the closet pulling out one of his sleeveless Magia hoodies and pants. Quickly dressing himself, he walked down the hall, smiling as he was much lighter in spirits after Josephine's chakral massage only to be grabbed and slammed into the wall.
"And just to think, I thought you were the Borgia that had sense! You disappointed me tonight boy. You have the whole god damn sheeple world looking down upon us but that's just the fucking icing on the cake!"
"Rex please, let me explain," Lance started to say when Rufus tightened his grip around his collar.
"Oh, I'll let you explain, before the whole of the Council because that's where this shit is going! Why in the fuck would you do this fucking god damned bullshit to me?! I'm seriously about 16 seconds from making you a shit stain under my boot, but I took a vow not to kill any of you sons of bitches for the sake of this bullshit ass universe. Getting chased by god damn helicopters and shit. And then, I had to take a fuck ass cab to get here just so I could find you and fuck you up before the Cossacks had a chance!" he shouted.
Lance stood quiet, taking the verbal beat down from Rufus feeling deserving of every word. Rufus released him, putting his hands on his hips attempting to calm himself.
"In your own defense, it looks like you were set up. I couldn't see how everything played out, but it involves Solon."
"That's almost a relief."
"Relief my ass! Now I'm going to have to spray wash my boots later on because they're be covered in Alchemist ass shit after they go up their backsides! Come on, we have to fix this fuckery."
Lance shook his head, as Rufus continued to fuss out the door, relieved that the events of the night weren't just a result of his own actions. Rufus walked to the parking lot looking around for a Magia Challenger but didn't see any.
"Where's your car?"
Lance pointed at the windowless Maserati full of bullet holes.
"What the in the fuck man?!" Rufus shouted, laughing as Lance looked away.
"It’s all good, lets head back to the Temple. And don't cry about it, just buy a new one."
***
Meanwhile, Cornelius crept his way through the morgue that held Alexia's body. His long Rubedo robes swishing behind him, the cold air cooling his scalp created a soft frost on his shiny black hair; his lungs adjusting to the temperature with long deep breaths.
He reached the back storage room where the wall was full of individual freezer beds. Moving his hand along the outside of them, the waited for the tingle of acknowledgment that the body was near.
Opening the middle right door, and pulled out the bed and a dead Alexia Sokolov lay; lifeless, blue and toe tagged Jane Doe. Cornelius reached in his robe and pulled out a small vial, pouring a green potion into her mouth. After a few minutes Alexia took a deep breath, her body began shaking uncontrollably, her eyes blinking fast as the spark of life returned.
She began crying and screaming, like a new born whose spirit is shocked into being. The commotion in the room caused the two guards viewing the monitors to run down the hall, excited that there was finally some action in the dead building. Cornelius throwing a robe over the naked woman guided her to sit up after her resurrection, heard the loud and clumsy guards coming down the hall.
"What is going on? How did you get down here!?" one guard asked.
"You need to come with us sir," the other said, paying no mind to the recently deceased woman sitting up.
"Your beating hearts sound good to me," she said, turning towards them.
"What the fuck? She was dead, how did --" the guard began to say, when Cornelius began to transmutate their uniforms into a black slime. The guards began to scream, attempting to pull and shake the slime off, but it seemed to have a mind of its own. The slime consumed them, their bodies began to melt as it ate away at them. Alexia watched, not sure what it was she was seeing, and hadn't regained all of her senses yet.
The beating hearts called out to her as an insatiable hunger overcame her. Hopping off the table, she fell to the floor but began crawling to them. She squished through the remnants of the guards, searching through the thick black slime for their hearts and began eating them. Cornelius stared hard with his hands pressed together watching as Alexis licked the blood off her fingers.
"Release me," voice from within one of the freezers whispered. Cornelius, who hated to be taunted, turned as the sigils upon his skin activated. He projected the sigil for steel on the freezer doors, and they began to melt; revealing six bodies stored within. He lowered his gaze watching for movement; the sound of Alexis squishing about the guards’ corpses in the background. The corpses lay still and he questioned his reality for a moment.
He shifted his eyes as the sound of something sawing through the metal wall to the left. Just as he turned his head, as an Oathbreaker made its way through; barely missing his face, affixing itself into the adjacent wall. Clyde Barron III and Bruce Brasian kicked through the door they created, startled to see the most powerful Alchemist in the world standing in the morgue.
"Cornelius Agrippa. What the hell brings you off the mountain? Why are you here?"
"Minding my business."
"Is that right? Do you usually party with sheeple cannibals or just this one?"
"Go about your business and leave mine. I will warn you only once Warlock."
"Bruce, was he just threatening me? Oh, the mighty Alchemist just threatened me!"
"Sounded like a threat to me," Bruce answered in a deep voice. Cornelius sighed, flipping his hair and rolling his eyes as if he were completely annoyed with his new company.
"Bruce, grab the body. Load it up in the van," Clyde ordered, not taking his eyes off of Cornelius. The squishing sounds of Alexis eating the organs of the guards disgusted Clyde and it was clear on his face. She looked up at him with a mix of blood and the tar-like substance all over her face and he threw a balled up napkin at her.
"That's the nastiest shit I've seen in a while."
"Then it should be familiar to you, seeing as though you Warlocks are the trash of the Hidden World. You were born and bred in pig stables feeding on slop. I bet you’ve never even seen one of these before," Cornelius said, holding up a silver spoon.
"Oathbreaker! Confine our enemy and strip him of life!" Clyde shouted as it released itself from the wall, flying towards Cornelius's head. It opened up, clasping around his neck and began to spin. Alexis attempted to crawl away as Clyde's warpath often left none alive. Cornelius laughed as his sigils began to glow.
"That tickles," he said, transmutating the Oathbreaker into a necklace.
"Here me! It is your master which commands you! Do not be weakened by your enemy as you have within you the divine fire! You are the blade of protection, forged and sealed by the five elements which bestows the honor of death to your enemies. I command you to dominate and subdue. Kill the spell and kill the man!" Clyde began to chant, using all of his power to break the transmutation of the Oathbreaker; returning it to its original form.
Cornelius grinned as the Oathbreaker found its way back to Clyde, only for him to boomerang towards the smug looking Alchemist. Cornelius leaned back, throwing his robe forward, catching the Oathbreaker like a dove in a net.
He opened his robe and a gang of black ravens flew out attacking Clyde. He screamed in anger, his face reddened and veins protruded in his neck as he caught one of the ravens shaking it until the ravens formed a spiral, recreating the shape of the Oathbreaker. Bruce walked through the walk, throwing Clyde a Besom Bomb which he threw and ran laughing.
"This is not the end of me Cornelius Agrippa. You Alchemists will pay for defiling the Oathbreaker!" he shouted, as Bruce sped down the street. Cornelius shrugged, turning towards Alexis who was still cowering on the floor
"Can you walk?"
"I believe so," she said, attempting to stand. Her legs wobbled, but she didn't fall while walking towards him
. Cornelius opened a portal to Castle Panchrest in the lower levels of the Castle to Solon's dungeon. They walked down the long, medieval hall, heavy with the scent of ethanol until they reached the last cell. The stone walled cells were only large enough for one adult; 5 foot wide on each side, giving no room to do anything more than stand.
The thick iron bars on the outside were rusted and squeaked as they were opened. Solon stood watching a small, young woman, naked and bound crying and shaking; a prisoner of Ordo Magnum Opus. Solon removed her blindfold and she crawled away from him screaming.
"Please no more!"
"Shh. No need to yell. I haven’t come for that. See, my dick is limp," Solon said calmly.
Still frightened she opened her eyes, seeing herself standing behind Cornelius smiling.
"What is going on!?" she shouted, crying as she staring into her own eyes.
"Alexia, there are many wonders in this world by which the likes of you sheeple kind will never understand. For centuries you sheeple have killed us, persecuted us, and convinced yourselves that you are the superior beings of this world. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yet, there are those of you seek information from us, to be used on us, and I can’t allow that to happen. Your brother, Modest, is like me --"
"A magician. Yes I know," she answered. Solon smiled.
"You know who Modest is, but does he know who you are? What you are?"
"What do you mean?"
"Please, do not play coy with me woman, I haven't the patience. Tell me everything that your people know of Ordo Magnum Opus."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, tearing up even harder.
"This is a bit pointless. We are wasting our time. Dosos, are you ready to return to your old self?"
Knights of Enmity: Lancelot the Lady Killer (Civic Duties Book 1) Page 3