The Devil's Touch

'Will you tell me the truth if I ask you something, Mr. Giddon?'

'Call me Norman. Certainly, my dear. We have nothing to hide.'

'You worship Satan?'

'Yes, we do, dear.'

'And you really believe in what you're doing? I mean, this is not just a game to you people?'

'My dear, it is not a game to us. I can be quite adamant on that.'

'And if I stay for a time, find I don't like it here—I can leave? Your people won't try to stop me?'

'You may leave anytime you wish, darling.'

'All right,' she said. She drank the rest of her cup of sweet juice. She looked at the cup. It had been refilled— somehow. 'I'll stay for a little while. Then I really must be getting back home.'

'Of course, you do. Well, you just wander about a bit; get acquainted. As you can see, there are many more like you and Jon here this evening. Many of your own age group. Socialize—just think of this as a club meeting.' He licked his lips at the sight of her young breasts, pushing against the fabric of the blouse. Soon, dear, he thought. Very soon.

At Balon's house, Janet had put Little Sam to bed an hour before and had busied herself preparing a potion and a lust perfume. The potion would be given to Nydia; Janet would wear the perfume. The potion would not kill Nydia—under the rules of the game she could not be killed—but it would knock her out for a time. Long enough for Janet to carry through her plan. The potion would kill a pure mortal, but Nydia was half witch—even if she did reject that side of her—and the dark side of her would throw off the deadly effects.

For her heady perfume, Janet mixed carefully measured portions of lavender, aloeswood, jasmine. She added patchouli oil and allowed that to rest for a few moments. Then she added musk, civet, ambergris, and clove.

She found Sam's hairbrush and carefully removed a few of his hairs. She cut them into tiny pieces and mixed them into the perfume, along with a strand of her own hair.

She added three drops of her own blood.

She recited the Devil's chant as she waited for the perfume to ferment.

I come from the place of my Master,

The Prince Of Darkness.

He lives in the northernmost corner

That is void of light.

I am but a traveler in his Service.

I am his child of Darkness, and

I seek his wisdom and cunning to

Aid me in my endeavor.

For it is all in his behalf.

Oh, Prince of Darkness,

Help me.

The house began to stink of sulphur; the rain hammered on the roof, as if suddenly alive, a thousand demons screaming and flailing the air with fists of watery silver.

Janet cupped her breasts with her hands and gently squeezed, imagining Sam's hands on her body. She shivered in sexual anticipation as the wind and rain built in fury, pounding the home.

'Are you here?' Janet whispered.

The returning whisper came to her in a breath of stinking air.

Janet's smile was of the darkest evil. 'Prince of the lower firmament, giver of light to the worlds beyond, I hear you and I will obey.'

The perfume began to boil and steam in its glass container. Janet stood up and quickly stripped naked. She dipped her hand into the boiling mixture and it did not burn her.

She rubbed the mixture on her body, lingering long at her breasts and pubic area.

The wind pushed a tentacle of darkness into the house. The mist wound around Janet's ankle and traveled upward, to gather at her lower belly. Its touch was almost a caress.

The wind spoke to the young woman.

'I will do my best,' she replied.

The mist snaked its way out of the house. The rain and wind abated in their furious assault. The tiny demons that seemed to possess each raindrop slipped back into the nether worlds.

Janet dressed in clean clothes, then poured the knockout portion into the glass of tomato juice she had prepared for Nydia. She knew Nydia liked a glass of juice each night before retiring.

On her way back to the den, she passed Little Sam's room, illuminated by a tiny night-light. The girl hissed her anger and fear at what was taking place.

Two halos of light had encircled the bed upon which the small child slept peacefully. The halos met in the center of the bed. One of the halos was pure white, clean-looking and brilliant. The other halo was dark and ominous appearing, with ragged edges and a filthy appearance. The halos seemed to be battling each other for control.

And the halo that was purest appeared to be just barely hanging on.

Janet tried to enter the room. A force prevented her from doing so, blocking her entrance with an invisible field.