The Sorceress (31 page)

“Stop daydreaming. Help me with this!” Eris broke into her thoughts.

“Sure.” She shot a longing glance at the open door.

On her knees, Jen held the skirt of the gown open, allowing Eris to step easily into the circle of soft fabric. Jen rose and pulled up the bodice, carefully zipping the back. “Beautiful,” she murmured, trying to infuse delight into her tone.

Eris glared at Jen, her cold blue eyes seeming to inform Jen that she didn't need her pathetic approval. Eris waltzed over to the floor length mirror and stared at her image.

Then something freaky happened. Behind Eris's reflection, there was an image of a child's bedroom. A very elaborately decorated little girl's room. Incongruous to the frilly décor was an old brown wooden box.

Eris gasped. “My jewels!” she screamed.

Quick as a flash, the scenery in the mirror disappeared. And something else started disappearing. Jen covered her mouth and gawked at Eris in shock.

Eris's fingers blurred and looked distorted. Jen rubbed her eyes, trying to sharpen her vision, which she was certain had begun to fail her. Then unbelievably, one by one, Eris's fingers started evaporating right before Jen's very eyes.

Eris held up her fingerless hands and howled; the sound long and discordant like an annoying alarm.

Heavy hooves could be heard stampeding down the hallway.
Boozer!
Jen wanted to cry. There'd be no escaping with that big oaf around.

Boozer galloped into the wardrobe room, his ugly face contorted in confoundedness. “What's wrong, goddess?”

In silent response, Eris held up her arms. Her hands were gone, they'd completely disappeared. Jen had never seen such a frightful sight. She wanted to yell her head off, but she kept her wits about her.

“Don't worry, goddess, you'll grow back another pair,” Boozer told Eris and then put an arm around her. While the monster was comforting Eris, Jen took creeping steps toward the door, acknowledging the sad fact that even if she made it out of the house unharmed, she doubted if her mental status would remain intact. She'd seen too many bizarre things in a short period of time to remain sane. But her survival instincts pushed her forward.

Until Eris said, “Bite her for me, Boozer! Your teeth are stronger than mine.”

Jen froze. “Wh-what? Bite who?”

Eris looked at Jen with venomous eyes. “Stop sniveling. I have to feed.” She turned her gaze on Boozer. “Don't be greedy. Just break the skin.”

“No!” Jen shouted. She bolted from the room, arms propelling as she powered down the long hall. But she didn't get far. Boozer grabbed her by the back of her collar; his claws deliberately digging into the flesh of her neck as he jerked her into his hairy grasp.

“This should be done in private. Xavier has been an amused spectator, spying on me when he's in a trance state, but I refuse to grant him an audience to my weakness while he's fully awake. Take the governess to the cellar.”

“No!” Jen kicked out her legs and swung her arms, fighting for release. But Boozer contained her easily, covered her mouth with his hand, and tightened his grip around her waist, cutting off her circulation and making it difficult for her to breathe.

In the dreary cellar, the air was saturated with an awful odor that Jen couldn't identify. Boozer uncovered her mouth.

“Please! Please, don't hurt me,” she choked out.

Ignoring her plea, his features hardened and knotted, mutating further his hideous face. He made a roaring sound as he drew back his enormous hand and slammed it hard against her face.

The sound of the slap echoed. Jen could feel the heat of pain emanating from her cheek into her tormentor's calloused palm. The blast of heat must have compounded his desire to do more harm.

Using clawed fingers, the beast mauled her, etching four red lines into her cheek.

“Help me! Somebody, please help me!” she cried out, a shaky hand protectively covering the injured side of her face.

Boozer growled a low and deadly warning. Fearful of what he'd do next, she trembled violently, teeth chattering as she struggled to quiet herself down. As she shuddered and whimpered helplessly, the creature peeled her hand away from her face.

Her eyes went wild as he straightened out her arm and then pressed his hairy nostrils against her skin, inhaling her scent the way an animal sniffs its food.

Eris made an impatient sound. Jen glanced at her, using saddened
eyes to beg for compassion. With her mouth tight, Eris glared down at Jen with cold-hearted contempt. Jen dropped her gaze in dismay.

“Hurry.” Eris spat. “Bite her before I begin losing my feet as well as my hands.”

Before Jen could emit another plea, Boozer attacked. He bit into her arm with such ferocity, Jen swooned. Her legs gave out and her body sagged to the floor as unbearable pain exploded through her.

Boozer didn't try to hold her upright. Crouching, he joined her on the floor, his teeth still attached to her flesh as he pulled her limp body closer.

The agonizing sensation of teeth embedded in her flesh left her woozy, but unfortunately, she remained conscious. Adding to her suffering, the monster sank his teeth even deeper and began sucking out blood.

Jen couldn't comprehend if the vicious assault had rendered her crippled or if the shock of it all had overwhelmed her, but as much as she'd chosen to fight for her life, she was powerless to keep her torso upright. She slumped over, her head drooping feebly on Boozer's shoulder as the cad slurped blood from the gash he'd made into her arm.

“Enough!” Eris shouted. “She's mine!”

With the snarling resentment of a wild animal being forced to relinquish the prey, Boozer begrudgingly raised Jen's wounded arm up to Eris's waiting lips.

Wanting to know what was going on, Jen hazarded an upward glance and instantly regretted her curiosity.

Wearing the ball gown, Eris looked a frightful, macabre mess as she licked her lips and then hungrily latched onto Jen's arm. Her mouth sealed around the open wound as she suctioned out streams of blood.

Shouting strident pleas for mercy, Jen jerked and twisted to no avail. Her weakened body was held inside Boozer's vise-like grip.

Eris stopped sucking momentarily and observed the area at her wrists where hands should have been. Lips pursed in dissatisfaction, she resumed feeding. Slowly now and despite Jen's shrieks for her to please stop, Eris sucked unhurriedly—daintily as if she were taking sweet sips from a glass of wine.

Finally, Jen became quiet, her screams replaced by quiet murmurs as a peaceful darkness fell upon her with the gentleness of soft blanket, escorting her to merciful oblivion.

Oblivion was replaced with dreams. Very pleasant dreams. In one happy scenario, she played with the old family dog. In the dream state, Pogo was alive and vibrant. He didn't seem cranky or sickly.

Running and leaping, Pogo chased a Frisbee and actually caught it, exhibiting the clear sightedness and vigor of a frisky puppy. In another dream, she sat in a classroom paying rapt attention to the professor's lecture. Then she raised her hand, waving enthusiastically. With a twinkle of delight in his eyes, the professor nodded, encouraging Jen to enlighten the class with her vast knowledge. In her dream world, she didn't need to cheat her way through the semester.

The distant ringing of a telephone dragged her from sweet peace. She opened her eyes to pitch-black darkness. And pain. Everything hurt—especially her arm.
Why?

Gingerly, she stroked the area that throbbed. With a squeaky yelp, she retracted her hand.
What in the name of God?
Against her will and her better judgment, her fingers returned to the injury. At the touch of the bloody open wound, horrific memories flooded her mind.

At the same time, there was a creak. Her heart skipped several beats. Then footsteps were heard overhead. She tried to orient
herself to the surroundings, but the distinctive sound of Ethan's wheezing sent her scooting backward, blindly trying to find a place to hide. On her knees, she scampered beneath a wooden structure and prayed that she wouldn't be detected.

A door opened, followed by the click of a switch. Bathed in light, Jen squinted and shielded her eyes. She trembled with dread as footsteps descended.

“Come from under that table, nanny,” Ethan said, announcing his agitation with increased wheezing.

Holding on to the leg of the table, Jen shook her head; refusing to leave her place of refuge.

“My father is on the telephone. He wants to speak with you. On your feet now—get up, nanny!”

“Please don't make me face those monsters again. Look what they did to me.” She held out her arm.

Ethan snorted. “That's nothing.” He made a dismissive,
tsking
sound.

“Please.”

He shrugged. “Can't help you. Eris needs your blood.”

“Why?”

“Female trouble,” he said sarcastically. “I don't know. She's extremely vain. Has something to do with the appearance of her hands and her feet.”

Jen recalled the horror of witnessing Eris's vanishing hands and resisted the urge to sprint up the stairs, burst through the front door like a cartoon character, leaving behind a cut-out impression of her body as a testament of her absolute fear.

“That Boozer is a wacko, a real basket case.” The boy shook his head. “Did you know he was a serial killer in his previous life…and a rapist?”

Jen shook her head mournfully while frantically considering escape options.

“In case you haven't noticed, he's hung like a horse. If that fiend has his way, he'll skewer you.”

Jen uttered a sound of sharp anxiety.

“I told him you were saving yourself for marriage…” Ethan gave a wheezing chuckle. Jen groaned. Ethan's sense of humor was cruel and obnoxious. “You're safe from the fiend for now,” he went on. “But if you don't get yourself up those stairs right this minute, I'm turning you over to Boozer so he can satisfy his hunger.”

“No!” She held up her hand; the motion sent pulses of pain up and down her arm. Wincing, she lowered her arm, and then circled a comforting finger around the open wound.

“Come upstairs and speak to my father,” he said impatiently. “I can't stay down in this smelly cellar much longer. The odor is stifling; it's making me wheeze.” He immediately began the heavy wheezing that usually preceded an episode. “If I become incapacitated,” he rasped. “I can't promise that I'll have the strength to protect you.”

Using her good arm, Jen pushed herself up and rose to her feet. Sadly, she trailed the young agent of the devil and slowly ascended the cellar stairs.

“Tell my father that Eris has come with high recommendations from the agency. Tell him she has lots of experience with autistic children.”

At the top of the stairs, Eris stood. Miraculously, her feet and hands were attached. Crusted blood—Jen's blood—trimmed the square neckline of Catherine's Halloween costume. Eris looked Bride of Frankenstein frightful; except for her hair. It wasn't sticking out like she'd been electrocuted.

Amazingly, Eris's hair looked fantastic with the heavy coils fashioned into a perfect upsweep. Her body was perfection— toned, slender, and strong. Her mean expression couldn't hide
the beauty that she possessed. But the wicked woman's physical attributes were overshadowed by the pure evil that she emanated.

“I've spoken to your employer—introduced myself. He seems satisfied but requested to speak with you.” She glided over to nearby phone in the dining area. “Tell him that I'm making remarkable progress with Xavier…I mean, Ethan.” Eris's expression soured when she spoke the demon child's given name. “Don't add any unnecessary details. Keep the chitchat to a minimum.”

“Hi, Senator Provost.” Jen sounded distressed and hoped to God he could hear her silent plea for help.

“How's it going, Jen?” he said brightly, a stark contrast to his dark mood earlier. “Everything going okay?” He sounded bubbly and had paid no attention to Jen's anguished tone. “The new nanny sounds like a real gem. Lucky for us, huh?”

“Uh…yeah,” she said, a bit more upbeat after Eris shot her a hateful glare. Then she added, “I guess…” attempting to infuse some doubt in the senator's mind.

“Good…good. Glad things are working out. She told me about her success with autistic children.”

“Oh, she told you about the work she does?” Jen said, speaking slowly… softly… her tone filled with warning, hoping that the senator would read between the lines… hear her inner scream.

“She's a very impressive woman.”

Ohmigod! Don't you hear the terror in my voice?
She wanted to shake her fist and shout, but with two pairs of evil eyes on her, Jen could not express her frustration. All she could do was breathe out a heavy sigh of disappointment.

Proving to not have a shred of clairvoyance or even paternal instincts, the senator continued. “Listen, they've amped up Catherine's schedule. She's going to be making additional campaign stops. Her agenda is really brutal…”