Spell Crook And Handle Pt 03

Note: All characters are 18 years or older, some are way older. I have been fighting a sixty page piece that was supposed to fill this spot, but it won. So I am jumping ahead in the timeline a little and will post the other once I beat it into submission. Working title on it is currently 'The Lost Year'. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment and vote.

*****

Preface: It has been three years since I recovered the Heart of Ashurbanipal. The nightmares that plagued me have been vanquished and are more or less a thing of the past. I have left my posting in Japan for Paris and the promise of safety and the possibility of answers to question as yet unasked. I have taken a small apartment in a fine neighborhood. It has a coffee house, several interesting shops and a bakery. My only constant companion now is my A.I. familiar Feng, a gift from a former lover and dear friend.

Part One: Path of the Inquisitor

I kept the double doors that open onto my balcony open at night. I did this so that when I wake up I can smell the delicious scent of fresh baked bread waft in on the morning breeze. My alarm woke me up promptly at six in the morning. I didn't open my eyes I just took a deep breath and inhaled that glorious smell that makes this apartment worthwhile.

"Goddamn I love the smell of fresh baked bread," I said and reluctantly sat up.

"You have said that for the last three mornings," the sleepy voice said next to me.

"Marie, you are spoiled," I told her. "You grew up in Paris."

"True, but damn it man do you have to praise the morning so fucking enthusiastically?"

"I will get you a cherry muffin and a cup of coffee," I said. "Will that appease that foul mood of yours?"

"MMMMMM, you weren't calling my mood foul last night while you were fucking my brains out." She said as she rolled onto her belly. "My poor pussy is still quite sore mon ami"

"J'adore that fine pussy of yours and you know it," I said as I rose and threw on my clothes from last night. "Remind me I need to go by the laundry and pick up my clean clothes."

Marie just lifted her arm and shot me the bird as I slipped on my shoes. I walked the two flights of stairs down and crossed the street. The sign on the door said closed but I walked in anyway. The bell above the door rang and Veronica, the owner's lovely granddaughter, came out to greet me.

"Bon Jour Louie," she said smiling as she always did. "What can I get you today?"

"Run away with me and I will show you the world," I said as I always did when I greeted the buxom teen.

"Alas Monsieur, if I did, it would break my grand papa's heart. Now, tell me what you really want."

"Well, in that case, I suppose I will have two loves of seed bread, a cherry muffin and three blueberry pastries."

"Cherry you say, that tart must still be warning your bed," Veronica said curtly.

"Are you jealous," I asked and she smiled and winked at me.

She filled my order and I noticed when she turned around that the top two buttons of her blouse were suddenly undone. I could just make out her youthful cleavage as she had intended. I paid for my goods and kissed her hand before I left. I bid her a good day and decided to kick Marie to the curb after breakfast. Things were beginning to look promising with the young Veronica, very promising indeed!

I carried the brown bag containing my bake goods to the coffeehouse and ordered two large coffees to go. Daniel, the middle aged barista, always took good care of me since my advice on women had panned out so well for him. His fiancé was proof that I was a talented matchmaker. He handed me the cardboard holder with my two cups of coffee and a free double shot of expresso. I spotted Tina, his Italian fiancée, and winked at her as I left. I returned to my apartment and found Marie coming out of the bathroom. She was wearing one of my t-shirts and a smile. I handed her the muffin and coffee and I was rewarded with a peck on the cheek.

"Still sniffing around that young girl," Marie asked as she sipped her coffee.

"Yep," I said biting into my pastry. "I think I have made some real progress thanks to you."

"Me, I have never even spoken to her. She is a child. She can't be more than nineteen, hardly a suitable lover for a man like you."

"Doesn't matter," I said. "I am leaving Paris soon anyway."

"Leaving," Marie repeated frowning. "I thought you were going to finish out the summer here?"

"That was the plan, things change," I said as she ran fingers through her wavy blonde hair.

The silence that followed was awkward and tense. I sipped my expresso as her mood worsened even more. I could feel the disappointment smolder into anger and that kindled into a full blown rage. She rose up and began a long ass tirade about men and how they are born to destroy everything and everyone they touch. It ended as all her rants did with her on my lap and hugging me fiercely.

"I haven't repaid you for your kindness Louie," she whispered in my ear.

"I didn't do it for payment," I told her for the umpteenth time. "I did it because I wanted to."

"I owe you my life," she said kissing my cheek.

"If you really want to help," I said and her eyes met mine. "I need two errands ran. I need my laundry and I need you to pick up a parcel at Sal's."

She nodded and laid her head on my shoulder. I held her close until she was ready to get dressed and go out for me. I watched her get dressed and smiled as she stepped out the door. I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god she was going to Sal's for me. The place was being watched night and day now that the Ordo Malleus had arrived. The fucking witch hunters were on my trail and I had to be careful and discreet. I could leave the city easily enough but I had to have the parcel first. I finished my coffee and half a pastry before I hit the shower and washed up.

I dried off after my shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. I paced the floor wondering if they would intercept Marie or not. The waiting was horrific and I absently twisted the platinum and diamond ring on my left hand. It was the ring that I had been given back in the states. The ring was my most prized possession. It held the crystalline core for my digital familiar Feng. The twisting must have alerted her to my dire impatience.

"Louis you are pacing, again," she said as she appeared.

She hovered over the little round table that marked the virtual location of both my living room and my dining room. It was a tiny apartment. Feng appeared weightless as she floated. Her hair was a kind of sapphire cloud around her head and the black skin tight suit clung to her quite nicely. I had personalized every aspect of her appearance to the tiniest detail. I liked the silvery circuit design that covered both sides of her body suit. It accentuated her assets quite nicely. But it was her raw beauty that I had really outdone myself. The heart shaped face with the upswept almond shaped eyes the color of frost, her petite nose and small mouth with their full pouty lips. Her ethnicity was a perfect blend of Irish, Thai and Elf. The pointy ears were a definite giveaway to the latter origins.

"Louis, someone is coming," Feng said as she sat up and regarded the front door.

"I'm back," Marie said as she stepped inside. "No, I wasn't followed."

She walked over to the table and set down the small package wrapped in brown paper. My laundry she was good enough to place in the closet. Feng watched Marie move around the apartment but Marie could not perceive Feng. It was complicated but involved eye drops and an injection at the base of my skull. The only external hardware I possessed to access Feng was my ring. Marie took her seat at the table and finished her meal.

"Thank you," I said and she smiled at me.

"Are you going to show me what I retrieved? I hope it isn't drugs or anything illegal."

"No, it is something I haggled for with that old fart. We went round and round for over a week before he settled on a price. I think in the end it was more about the haggling than the money itself."

I saw the expectant look on her face so I picked up the package and opened it. I methodically removed the wrapping first. The box was made of some sort of dark wood. There was a deep and lustrous texture to it and it was inscribed with an intricate Celtic knot on the lid. A simple silver clasp held it shut and when I opened it Marie let out a gasp of astonishment.

"What is that?" She asked.

"It is an uncut gemstone," I said and she narrowed her eyes at me disapprovingly.

"I can see that but what kind of stone is it?"

"Orakulum," I said. "It is a very rare volcanic mineral."

"Never heard of it," she said. "But it is gorgeous."

"Just wait until I have it cut," I told her and she smiled.

I heard the cock of the pistol's hammer. I shook my head and looked over at the silenced .45. She made a gesture for me to hand over the stone. Again I shook my head and brought the protective spell into my thoughts and focused on it. There are many ways to cast a spell. This particular method was developed by the Hashashin, Middle Eastern assassins. It is where we get the word assassin from. They mastered the art of hanging spells. You could look at it like this. You cast 99% of the spell and hold off on the very last syllable. The number of spells hanging depends upon the skill of the mage. In my case I have ten hanging at any given time. Most of them are defensive, two are killing spells.

"Don't... please..." I said without any hint of emotion.

"You are out of time Louie," she said as she squeezed the trigger.

"Vun," I whispered and the barrier sprung to life.

The bullet smashed into the barrier and disappeared for a millisecond. One millisecond later it reappeared travelling in the opposite direction. It crashed into her skull, her head snapped back and she crumpled, dead before she hit the floor. I sat there unmoving until the police arrived. I had closed the box and slid it beneath my bed. The police arrived and all the questions began. I told them she tried to kill me but something went terribly wrong. They tested my hands for gunshot residue and released me.

The police photographed the scene, took the body away and in the end it was a terrible tragedy. I packed up my few belongings and prepared to move into a small hotel. It was now just a matter of time. My name on a police report would generate attention, attention I did not need or want. I couldn't leave without looking suspicious so I had to change my plans. I would have to get creative. My trip to Antwerp to have the stone cut would be cancelled. I would cut the stone myself, with a little help.

"Feng, I want you to discreetly look up everything there is to know about cutting gemstones."

"Yes Louis, it will be done. I will require a day or two at the most."

"Good, that will give me time to prep the second half of this endeavor."

Feng vanished and I snuck out the building via a nearby roof. The group of reporters was just going to have to work a bit harder for that on camera interview. I paid cash for my hotel room and check in under the name Johan Schmidt, the German equivalent of John Smith. It wasn't in the best part of town but it served my purposes well enough.

I put my clothing away and placed my precious box in a nice secure location even the witch hunters would never locate. I began my research with the manufacturing plants closest to my current location and worked outward from there. I had very specific needs and I was able to cross off potential sites fairly quickly. Paris was eliminated within the hour. It was close to midnight before I found what I had sought. Now the hard part began, I had to crack their security. That would take precious time I didn't have. The Ordo Malleus was actively seeking me and they would not be idle. The attempted murder placed me in the city and under scrutiny until the investigation was finished.

I needed to get some rest and recuperate before the hounds were at the door. I placed the wards on the windows and the front door before I lay down to sleep. The wards would keep my presence at the hotel hidden from magical detection or intrusion. It had taken nearly a year to hone those skills to an effective level. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I used astral projection and sought out a willing plaything to feed from. They were like twinkling stars in a night sky. Those dreamers who were in a state of sexual arousal and I was the moth drawn to their flame. I sought the brightest and hottest flame to throw myself at. I rose up above the rooftop and looked down. I rotated slowly seeking, searching, hunting for my prey.

There she was! A scintillating spark of white hot lust and I willed myself by her side. I entered her dream and was struck at its simple beauty. I guessed it was a rural home beside a lake with an orchard of apple trees nearby. She was standing on the dock at the edge of the lake. Her back was to me and my attention was torn between her long mane of ebony hair that kissed that round ass of hers or the fierce hunger in her eyes as she looked over her shoulder at me. She was tall, slender and stacked like nobody's business. This pretty young thing was wearing a tres chic micro bikini that hid little of that luscious body beneath. Her eyes were a blue bordering on violet that accentuated her heart shaped face, high cheek bones and full kissable mouth. She embodied the stuff of dreams.

"Who are you," she asked her voice as pleasing at the rest of her.

"I came for you," I told her as I approached.

"Have you now and what makes you think I want you?" She asked and I sniffed the air.

"You smell like a bitch in heat," I said watching her reaction carefully.

"Do I now? Should I get down on all fours and bark for you? Or are you going to take me by force?"

I regarded her for a long time as she turned to face me. Damn, her tits were distracting! She must be at least a double D or larger and her nipples were hard little pebbles pressing against the black material of her bikini. We walked towards one another and the closer we got the stronger her scent. There was a fire in her eyes and it screamed challenge and yet her body language howled submission. We stopped when we were within arm's length and I waited.

"You didn't answer my question," she said licking her lips.

"Here is my answer woman," I said as I stepped forward, grabbed her by her hair and pulled her into a hungry kiss.

I snatched just a tiny amount of her life. It is the same way a wine connoisseur swishes his glass, sniffs the contents and only then takes a taste. She tasted of peaches and cream. There was a purity underlying her erotic persona. Could she be a virgin? Was this all an act in her dream? Is that why she wanted me to take charge? Very well, I would be gentle. I pulled her into my arms and let her body mold to mine. The kiss deepened and her eyes slowly closed as she yielded to me. I felt her body tremble as I broke our kiss.

"I will mark you as mine," I told her and she just nodded.

I kissed her neck slowly and she whimpered as my lips pressed against her flesh. I made a fist in her hair and drew her head back exposing her neck completely. I could see the vein running alone the side and bit lightly to gauge her reaction. She moaned and lifted one leg to wrap about my waist. I lowered my free hand to her ass cheek and caressed it.

"OH..." she gasped.

I dug my nails into her cheek and her cry was louder this time. I lowered my lips to her covered nipple and she arched her back bringing them within easier reach. I suckled her nipple through the material and her trembling increased.

"Are you going to cum just from this?" I asked and she nodded once. "Expose them for me."

The nameless girl reached up and tugged the bikini from her tits revealing her large dark areole and iron hard nipples. My mouth watered and I bit lightly at her sensitive flesh and her orgasm was my reward. Another tiny chunk of her life flowed into me and the dark magic took hold completely now. She was mine and she knew it. I feasted on her tit flesh as she moaned and begged for more.

"Fuck me... please fuck me," she pleaded. "I need to feel you inside of me!"

"No," I said and she frowned. "There is so much to do before then. I want to become acquainted with every inch of your body."

"It feels so intense," she whimpered.

I kissed my way down to her belly. I tapped her leg and she lowered it to the dock. I dropped to a kneeling position and pulled the small bit of material covering her sex. I smiled up at her as I pulled her clam shaped pussy apart. She was soaked and the scent of her hunger was overpowering. I buried my tongue between those lips and tasted her secret self. The girl cried out and dug her fingers into my hair. She clung on as my tongue invaded her sex to its core. I had long since mastered the snake tongue technique and she was powerless to resist it.

"Oh my god," she cried out. "It is going so deep! How can you do that?"

I ignored her words for now and focused on pushing her over the edge a second time. The undulating action was working far faster than I would have thought possible. Her juices ran freely now and she was grinding her hips against my face. Her cries echoed off the surface of the lake and beyond. I could feel the sudden shift in her body and knew she was on the verge.

"So close... so fucking close! Fuck me with your tongue!"

I drank a little larger chunk of her essence as she climaxed for me. Her knees gave out and I withdrew my tongue quickly as she crumpled to the dock. She was panting and shaking as her sweat covered body shivered in delight.

"Have you ever sucked a cock before?" I asked and she shook her head. "You're a virgin aren't you?"

"Uh huh," she managed. "I am only eighteen for crying out loud."

"Good enough for me," I said as I rolled her onto her back. "This is going to be epic!"

I parted her legs and positioned her just right. I took my erection in hand and teased her with the tip. She growled but lay there too weak to complain. I eased just the head inside of her and she gasped. Then I slowly fed her the rest until she was impaled completely. Her eyes were wide and she bit her lip as I began to move. She met my gaze as I thrust into nice and slow, for now. I wanted her to enjoy her first time. I began grunting each time I slid inside of her, her pussy was so damn tight! I watched her reactions carefully and it didn't take her long to recover from the shock of her first penetration.

"Faster," she said. "Fuck me faster..."

"Okay," I said as I stopped, rolled her onto her belly and got her up on her knees. "Here comes faster."

I grabbed her ass cheeks and hammered her faster. It wasn't as fast as I could go but a decent pace. She cried out in surprise as her breasts swung with my rhythm. The girl grabbed one of her tits and teased the nipple as I rammed into her harder now as well.

"Je-sus... I wasn't expecting that," she yelped.

"I have barely begun," I told her as I slowly ramped up both the power and speed of my hips.

"Oh shit... oh shit..." she repeated as her third orgasm began to crest. "I am going to cum again!"

"Relax and go with the flow," I ordered her. "I have a secret up my sleeve."

"Unnn unnnn unnnn I can't wait," she groaned.

I timed my thrusts with her orgasm and when it hit I slammed into her and held on. Her scream lasted for a long time and a good sized piece of her life fed me. The dark magic was boiling in her veins now. I could almost see its aura surrounding her.

"Fuck me... fuck me more! I need your cock lover! Give it to me!"

We were entering dangerous territory. If I continued I could put her in a coma or worse. There was a reason the witch hunters were after me. I had lost control six times since I left Japan. One didn't survive and the other five were still hospitalized. I tried to fight the hunger but it was as much a part of me as breathing. So I tried a different tack that might dissuade her and help me slow down.