The Sorceress (32 page)

“Yeah, all that campaigning sounds brutal.” She darted an eye at her arm and flinched. It took every ounce of restraint not to shout,
You wanna see brutal? I'll show you brutal, pal!
But she said instead, “When will you be back?”

“That's the thing… I'm not sure. The press has noted my absence. With the election so close…”

“Ethan needs—”

Eris waved her hand and Boozer materialized, tramping into the room with his menacing eyes focused on Jen.

“Okay, well, I'll handle things here,” Jen blurted, her voice suddenly pleasant.

“Oh, make sure the nanny agency faxes over the privacy forms that Eris signed. Catherine doesn't want her staff involved in any aspect of Ethan's care. It's a private matter.”

“Maybe you or Ms. Provost should call them; I doubt if the agency I work for would be willing to trust me with any private documents.” The new nanny from hell certainly hadn't come through the agency and perhaps a call from the senator or Ms. Provost, requesting paperwork, would alert them that something was amiss.

“You're right. I'll call the agency and I'll check in with you later tonight.”

“Good. Okay.” She hung up with confidence that the calvary would be arriving soon.

Ethan clapped his little hands, sarcastically applauding her performance. “Very convincing, but my opinion doesn't matter. Did you persuade my father to stay where he is?”

“Yes.”

Ethan nodded. “When is he returning?”

“I'm not sure. He didn't say.”

“She can't be trusted,” Eris interrupted. She pointed a wellformed
accusing finger at Jen. “The next time your employer makes contact, be sure that I speak with him before you disconnect.”

“Okay.” She cradled her injured arm. Her eyes roved worriedly over the mangled flesh.

Ethan wrinkled his nose. “That wound looks pretty nasty. It should be treated before it becomes infected.”

Unconcerned, Eris shrugged.

“Didn't you purport to have healing skills in that slave life of yours?”

“That's what I told those fools on the plantation. But I know nothing about healing humans nor do I care about their injuries. My one concern is keeping this mortal body intact.” She stared at her hands, checking to make sure they were undamaged.

“She's no good to you if her blood is tainted.”

“What should I do?”

“You're going to have to close that wound.”

“How?”

“I don't know. We can look up the instructions for administering sutures on the internet. If I'm correct, we may need to acquire the intestines of a cat, which we don't have. Can Boozer be trusted to make a quick run outdoors to find us a stray?”

“He's naked. And he looks too peculiar to run around chasing stray cats in the light of day.”

“Good point,” Ethan agreed and began stroking his chin in thought.

No, no, no!
Jen was horrified. Instinct told her to get herself to the closest hospital before she ended up with gangrene, but these cads were without mercy and completely unreasonable. She couldn't rely on them to get her proper medical care. Thinking it best to treat the bite wound herself and before Ethan started
working on her poor arm with a needle and a string of cat guts, she blurted, “Uh…it's only a surface wound. It doesn't need stitches.” She shook her head emphatically. “Some peroxide and a sturdy bandage and I'll be fine.”

The three demented beings eyed her warily. Jen worked her mouth into a reassuring smile and nodded her head for extra emphasis.

A
ll three ghouls accompanied her to her bedroom where she retrieved a first aid kit from a closet inside her personal bathroom. Wincing in pain, she administered to the bloody gash right above her wrist. Boozer kept watch. Hulking over her, the beast breathed down her neck, while Eris and Ethan conspired in whispery voices outside the open bathroom door.

With no clue what was in store for her next, she lingered inside the bathroom, trying to maintain self-control as a fur-covered dick pulsed against her spine. Hot beastly breath raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck, and a fountain of saliva spilled onto her shoulder.

Biting down on her lip, it was all she could do not to break down and wail. Her eyes swept the bathroom and landed on the skylight. Frantically, she calculated a getaway.
How can I get up there without a ladder?

“What's taking so long?” Ethan asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“I'm almost done,” she said gaily…too gaily for someone being held captive by a phallus that was as deadly as a dagger.

Boozer was unaware of the incongruity of her tone and her dire circumstances. His mental capacities were limited at best, but the little brain power he possessed was momentarily disabled due to his primal hunger for sex.

But Ethan's mind was sharp. His suspensions were triggered by Jen's unreasonably cheery tone. The boy took hasty steps to the doorway of the bathroom. Checking on her, his face darkened with mistrust. He eyed her arm, which was properly decorated with white gauze and adhesive tape.

But needing a reason to linger a while, she leaned close to the mirror above the sink. Scowling, she ran her fingers over her cheek and grimaced at the fiery lacerations Boozer had slashed across her cheek.

The boy studied her face. “You'll survive. Your cheek doesn't require emergency attention. Let's go.”

“Where? Can't I stay here—in my room?” she asked in a withering tone.

“Eris is having problems again. She needs you.”

“NO!” With her arms outstretched behind her, she clung to the sides of the sink.

“Get her, Boozer,” Ethan said calmly, and then left the bathroom.

Hoisted over Boozer's hairy shoulder, Jen was carried, kicking and screaming, to one of the guest rooms that Eris had claimed as her own.

Gawking at her hands, which were now fingerless, Eris did not present a pretty picture.

“Bite her.” She sighed and wearily cupped her face with her fingerless palms.

“Not again. I can't take anymore,” Jen shrieked, terror-stricken by the prospect of enriching Eris's life with her blood.

Boozer flung her onto the bed and flopped down beside her. “Same spot as before?” His roughened voice was jarring. Boozer sounded as if sandpaper was trapped in his throat, making each word come out croaked and scratchy.

“Ethan, help me. Please,” she beseeched the child. Boozer
locked a hand around he neck to silence her. Jen kicked and twisted, her eyes bulging.

“What are you trying to do, kill her?” he sternly addressed Boozer. With a grunt of dissatisfaction, Boozer released Jen's neck.

Eris inhaled noisily; her features tight with indignation. “You don't call the shots, little man! Boozer belongs to me. He is such an obedient servant, he burst through the portal of hell, carrying me protectively in his arms—”

“How very touching,” Ethan interrupted, rolling his eyes.

“Boozer will not listen to you or anyone else.”

Taking a wide stance, Ethan folded his arms. “He needs to listen to someone who has sound judgment.”

“And that would be you?”

“Absolutely. As usual, Wicked One, you're not using your head. Your last visit to earth lasted how long?” He looked toward the ceiling. “It took only a few weeks for your recklessness to send you back to the Dark Realm. Eris, I know you need your limbs but your thoughtless behavior could result in terrible consequences.”

“Such as…”

“Such as bringing the authorities to our door.” Ethan's brow creased with concern. “You let that brute murder the cook… perhaps we can cover that up, but if he starts a killing spree right here in this house…well, my plan to destroy my parents goes right down the tubes because law enforcement will most definitely get involved.”

“I am a goddess! I don't answer to your law enforcement. And I don't care about your plan. I'm only concerned about myself…I'm losing my hands!” Her eyes aflame with fury, she shouted at Boozer. “Rip off that bandage. Reopen her wound.”

Murmuring incoherently, Jen wept bitterly as Boozer stabbed a sharp claw beneath the gauze that covered the nasty gash in her lower arm.

“No…never mind, don't bother with the old wound,” Eris groused. “That stream of blood is deficient… I need blood from a stream with a longer-lasting time span. Bite her somewhere else. Do it now!”

Boozer grabbed Jen's good arm and began sniffing up and down, his signature ritual before brutally ripping into her flesh.

Ethan clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Such idiocy! I'm shocked by your ignorance. It doesn't matter where he bites her; it's all the same blood.”

“I'm not an idiot,” Eris protested. “I'm frantic and I can't think straight. You've always claimed to be such a wise old soul, so what do you think I should do?”

Boozer paused. Instead of biting, he ran his roughened lips over Jen's arm, warming her flesh with his hot breath while he impatiently waited for Eris and the boy to reach an agreement.

“Obviously, a few ounces of her blood are not beneficial for very long.”

“Tell me something I don't know.”

Arms folded, he took a few moments to mull over her words. “I could do some research on the computer if you'd like. There's a wealth of information on the internet. I spend endless hours doing online exploring.”

Eris fixed a fiery gaze on the boy. “I don't have time for you to spend endless hours looking for a solution on that stupid machine.”

“Stupid! I'll have you know that it was through computer technology that I was able to bring you and that barbarian here.”

She held up her wrists, which hung limp from the complete loss of her hands. “My fingers…my palms. Gone! Are you satisfied,
Xavier?” Her voice was shrill with accusation and rage.

“Calm down. Your lifeline is right here.” He pointed to Jen and gave her a wink, which under the circumstances was a cruel thing to do.

Petrified, Jen shook her head repeatedly. “I'm not her lifeline! I gave blood already. Leave me alone. Please!” She appealed to Eris. “Goddess…ma'am, I'd help you if I could. But I don't think my blood's gonna work for you. Could be because I'm B-positive. Maybe you need another blood type,” Jen rationalized. Her mind raced to find a drawn-out explanation to support her claim. She was willing to go to great lengths to prevent another dreadful encounter with Boozer's choppers and Eris's blood-sucking lips.

“She has a point,” Ethan agreed.

Jen exhaled. There was hope. It was a pity that she was such a gutless girl, willing to allow an innocent victim to be lured inside the lion's den to save her own hide. She felt so sorry for the unsuspecting stranger that she made a fervent vow to escape and get help while the three demons were distracted with violating the unfortunate captive.

“The only other mortal in this house is you, little man,” Eris threatened. “Are you offering a taste of your blood?”

Her safety was on the line. Holding her breath in anticipation, Jen waited for Ethan to respond—to do the right thing and contribute his own blood. When the boy issued a wicked chuckle, any hope she'd held was instantly dashed.

“Wicked One, Wicked One…” He paused and regarded Eris with devilish amusement. “I'd gladly offer my blood, but I'm not a healthy mortal. As you can see, I'm quite frail. The loss of blood could be my ruination. You need me healthy and alive to execute your diabolical plan.”

“You served your purpose. I don't need you.”

“You'll need my family's resources to venture out into a world that requires hard cash to make it from one day to the next.”

“I have valuables in Roanoke.”

“You'll never get to Roanoke without money. You've lost your ability to flit about, traveling as a stream of mist.”

“I realize that,” she said, frowning down at her feet that had started losing toes. “Shut up, Xavier!”

Eris was losing extremities at an astonishing rate and her predicament did not bode well for Jen.

“All this jabbering is a waste of time. No more talk; I need blood!”

Three pairs of eyes settled on Jen.

Arching a brow, the boy looked at Jen. “Until we can figure out why Eris keeps losing her limbs, you're going to have to tough it out.”

“What do you mean?” Jen squeaked, but she knew exactly what he meant.