THE REALM OF SODOM. . .
~
Tenebra, the Great Mother of Sodom, was seated on the Jaguar Throne, dressed in her usual scarlet robe that draped elegantly over the imposing ebony seat.
She slightly drummed her long, black fingernails on the armrests, battling to keep her anger at bay. But, when the twin doors of the throne room burst open and a couple of guards dragged Theia, the high priestess in, Tenebra lost it.
"Do you know what you've done?!" She roared at Theia who was being manhandled to the ground by the royal guards. "Sending the boon out there? Away from the protection of the Central Coven? Do you realize we are doomed if the opposing witches get their hands on it? Not to mention the WITCH HUNTERS?! Why. . . why would you do something as irresponsible as this?"
Theia was too weak to move her flaccid body. She remained kneeling but managed to drag her head up to stare at Tenebra squarely.
"What difference are you from those people?" She shot back breathlessly. "You would readily sacrifice an innocent child. One that you held in your arms the day she was born. I understand you'd do anything to gain more powers but this isn't right. What happened to your conscience? She's a witch just like everyone of us—"
"Do you think I'm doing this for myself alone?" Tenebra snapped aggressively. "This is for the future of the Central Coven. Don't you see what we've accomplished? We do not beg for things anymore, they are given to us. With a snap of our fingers, the rest of the covens quiver in fear. And it's all thanks to my 'lack of conscience.'"
Her voice rose a notch as she slammed her hand on the armrest shaped like a Jaguar's head. "Our plans have been in place for decades, and what did you do? You went out of your way to ruin it!"
Theia chuckled obnoxiously. "Well, I'm glad I did. . ." Her voice skyrocketed without control. "If it meant protecting a fellow sister from a tyrant like YOU!"
"How dare you speak to the Great Mother in such manner. . .?" Teuta, the Great Mother's right-hand witch, snarled.
She stretched her hand to attack Theia with sorcery, but stopped midway when Tenebra lifted a dismissive hand.
Tenebra took in a deep breath, letting it wash through her before her voice came through again, low and dangerous. "Where is the boon?"
"I don't know," Theia coughed. "And even if I did, I will never tell you."
Tenebra rose from her throne, descending the stairs with the grace of a queen. When she reached where Theia was kneeling, she lowered herself to her level.
"In time, Theia," she said in a voice surprisingly calm, "you will come to realize that what you have done is not in the interest of the boon. Its fate was determined even before it was born and there's nothing you can do to change that. Sending it out there is giving it a fate far worse than being sacrificed."
"Well. . ." Theia hissed. "I'll take my chances with that, Tenebra."
That did it for Tenebra's patience. Without anymore word, she lunged her hand forward and grabbed Theia's jaw in a savage grip. Her nails dug into her flesh, so deeply that blood began to drip onto the floor.
"You foolish woman," she said through gritted teeth. "The only reason your head isn't on a spike for treason is not that you're my only sister, but because I gave Mother my word to keep you safe. But, believe me, Theia, this is your last strike."
Tenebra lifted Theia's chin, holding her gaze squarely. "Stay still or it will hurt." Then firmly, she gripped Theia's head with her free hand and spoke a spell. "REVELA!"
Immediately as the word left Tenebra's lips, Theia's head jerked backwards, so sharply her neck almost snapped. She drew in a sharp breath as her eyes rolled back into her head.
Tenebra knew that the only way to get what she wanted from Theia was to take it straight from her memory.
But, after a few minutes of scouring her mind, she withdrew her hand and stared at Theia.
Appalled.
"What have you done?"
Theia forced a ragged laugh out of her dry throat. "Do you take me for a fool? I knew you'd do that. That's why I erased her image from my memory and that of all the maids and guards who have seen her. You will never know what she looks like or where to find her."
Tenebra squeezed her eyes tight, mentally counting to ten while Theia's annoying laughter continued to ring in her ears.
"Take her away! Bind her in the power-suppressing shackles and throw her into the dungeon," she finally instructed the guards.
As the guards dragged her away, Theia yelled as loud as her drained voice could allow her. "You'll never find her, Tenebra! NEVER!"
When the doors finally closed behind them, Tenebra turned to her right-hand witch. "Teuta! Take the Sniffer and our most powerful witches. Find the boon and bring it back home before anyone else gets their hands on it."
"As you wish, Great Mother," Teuta responded with a bow.
"I'd like to join the quest, Great mother," Venda, who had been silent throughout the exchange between her mother and her aunt, spoke from where she stood.
Venda was Tenebra's daughter, the sole heir to the Panther throne and the next Great Mother of Sodom.
Apart from the power of the boon, the only other thing Tenebra cared about was her daughter.
"No, Venda," Tenebra disagreed as she marched back to her seat. "This mission will be dangerous. Your safety can not be put at risk."
Venda breathed sharply. "Mother, I've always been under your aegis since I was a child. The witches are beginning to question my competence. Allow me to prove that I'm worthy to hold the Panther throne."
Tenebra didn't like the idea of sending her only daughter away from the solid defense of the Central Coven. She knew she'd made countless enemies over the years who would want nothing but to hurt the only person she valued.
But her daughter was right.
She wasn't a child anymore. If she was going to leave the responsibility of Sodom to her after she stepped down, Venda had to prove herself to the Coven.
So even though it was a difficult decision to make, Tenebra turned to Teuta. "Take Venda with you."
The throne room doors swung shut behind Venda and Teuta as the two women hurried down the dimly lit corridor with the palace guards in tow.
Unbeknownst to them, one of the guards sneaked a Niattera (an ancient mystic bug with the ability to record the spoken word) into the hand of an inconspicuous woman in a black-hooded robe.
Clutching the Niattera in her hand, the woman moved through the darkness and stole away to a secret corner. Her eyes darted back and forth to make sure she was alone before she unfurled her fingers and set the creature free.
She chanted a spell and the Niattera gave a faint shimmer and then fizzled into thin air.
* * * *
SOMEWHERE IN THE WITCH-HUNTING SOCIETY. . .
~
Deep in the hallowed halls of the witch-hunting society, a man strode towards a room with an immobile Niattera, clutched in his hand.
As the man swung open the door, Edgar, the leader of the Witch-hunting Society, was seen humping his lover, Phoenix, like he had been starving for ages.
"Oh, Edgar!" Phoenix moaned his name out of pure pleasure. Her upper body was splayed on the mattress, her boobs grinding its plush surface as Edgar wrecked her honeypot from behind. "Yes. . . Yes. . . Right there."
A smirk tilted the corner of Edgar's mouth as he continued thrusting. . . Deep, hard, fast. . . all the while smacking her butt. "You like that, don't you?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Even as their privacy was invaded, they didn't flutter for a moment. The other man didn't seem bothered either. In fact, he appeared to be used to it.
"Lord Edgar! Lady Phoenix!" He said in a calm voice. "I apologize for the intrusion, but I bring urgent news from Sodom."
Now THAT caught their attention.
Edgar's brow furrowed as he reluctantly withdrew his shaft and turned to the other man. Royally naked.
"I trust it's good news, Finn?"
"The boon has escaped Sodom," Finn responded succinctly. "Apparently, the High Priestess of the Central Coven assisted in its escape and has refused to disclose its location. The Central Coven is in utter chaos as we speak."
Edgar's face lit up. "The boon has escaped?! Well, isn't that news?" His gaze veered to his lover who was now reclining on the bed, propped up on her elbows and watching him lustfully. "Phoenix, honey, how's our magic-extracting device coming along?"
Phoenix flashed her beautiful, pearly teeth at him. "You mean, the 'Siphon'?" A muffled laughter filled with pride hummed deep in her throat. "Well, it will be fully operational within a few days."
"Perfect!" Edgar returned her smile before joining her in bed. "Now all we need to do is find that boon."