“If you leave your body again,I’ll see to it that you’ll never return,” she replied, smilingmaliciously. She uttered an incantation and sent a blast of negativepsychic energy toward Toemeka.
Toemeka threw up a golden shieldof vibrating Light. The energy crashed against it and dissipated.Inwardly she still felt the strength of Michio’s inner presence andlove.
“You’ve manipulated andblinded Cadmus,” Seetva said. “I’m not weak like him.”
Toemeka inwardly strengthened hershield against Seetva’s psychic attack. “You can’t control me.”
Seetva smiled maliciously. “We’llsee.” Her face turned into a skull and her body became a skeletoncovered in a black hooded robe. She reached out with boney hands andsent out a stream of fire. The fire burnt through the shield andToemeka screamed as psychic flames seared through her. The intensepain caused her to lose contact with Michio. She curled up in agony.
The door swung open, slammingagainst the wall, and Cadmus charged into the room. The pain liftedas Seetva switched back into her usual luscious form. “Seetva,what’re you doing?!” Cadmus demanded, his nostrils flared andface was red with anger.
“The job you’re too weak todo. We captured Toemeka so we could control her and draw Michio andErling to us. Instead she controls you.”
Cadmus advanced on Seetva. “Shedoesn’t control me and you have no right to be here. If you everattack her again, psychically or physically, I’ll kill you. Anddon’t be so foolish as to think I won’t feel it if you try toinvade her mind again. I thought you understood me when I caught youdrugging her.”
“I understood you all right andwhat I saw was that this woman has blinded you. Your feelings for herhave you in emotional bondage. It’s clouding your vision. You’reno longer working to become ruler of Jaipar.”
“I’m still working for it,but in my own way. I’ll decide how the woman is to be handled, notyou.”
“I’ll tell King Zanton you’reno longer working with us.”
“You’re blinded by jealousy.Toemeka has real beauty and yours is only on the surface. You thinkevery man should worship you and you hate that I’m not under yourspell. It galls you that I could find another woman more attractive.Be content making King Zanton your puppet. He knows what you are anddespises you for it, but is too caught under your spell to breakaway. I’m sure he realizes Toemeka’s potential after meeting heron Jaipar. I’m going to train her to be an enchantress, so itdoesn’t serve my purpose for you to terrify her and turn her into azombie.”
Seetva’s eyes stared at him,like daggers ready to strike. “You’ll never succeed in turningher to your dark purpose without taking complete control over her.There’s too much Light in her. Moreover, she has powerful guardiansin the psychic worlds. Never threaten me again or I’ll summondemons from the underworld.”
“Your magic doesn’t impressme, witch. You’ve only touched the surface of real power; youcertainly don’t have the ability to control it.” Cadmus snappedhis wrist and an arrow of negative energy shot toward her. Sheblocked it with a field of vibrating power. Cadmus continued to hurlarrows of energy until they broke through Seetva’s defense fieldand nailed her against a wall. “Do you want to test my power bycontinuing to fight me?” Cadmus demanded.
Seetva sent arrows flying in alldirections. The room sizzled with negative energy. “It’s foolishfor us to fight,” Seetva said. “Our powers should be used tofight our enemies, not each other.” A black fog swirled around herand she vanished.
Cadmus sat on the bed besideToemeka and she jerked back, feeling the aftereffects of the magicsurrounding him. “Don’t be frightened,” he said. “It’s overnow. I wanted to give Seetva a demonstration of my power, so she’llleave you alone.” His voice softened. “Did she hurt you?”
Toemeka let her breathing returnto normal before she replied. “I feel inwardly scorched. I’m notsafe here. She’ll kill me next time.”
“She wouldn’t dare.”
“Of course she dares. Pleasesend her away, I beg you.”
He stared into spacethoughtfully. “I still have use for her. I’ll need her dark powerwhen Michio comes for you.” His eyes became cold and hard. Heseized her upper arms, yanking her toward him. Toemeka cried out inpain at this new jarring of her fractured ribs. “Is Seetva right?”he asked. “Do you have power over me? Are you trying to manipulateme?”
An inner warning put her on highalert. She knew any show of strength or defiance would only anger himmore. He wanted her weak. She didn’t try to hide her fear of himand began to tremble again. “I — I only asked you to make Seetvaleave because I’m terrified of her. She’s a powerful sorceress.She changed into a skeleton and it felt like my whole body was onfire when she attacked me.”
He slackened his grip on her armsand his dark facial expression lightened. She felt him try to enterher mind and she barely had the energy to block him. Inwardly, Michiobathed her in a shower of healing Light and love, giving her thestrength she needed to block Cadmus from scanning her mind.
Cadmus frowned thoughtfully.“Seetva’s right; you’re being protected. My guess is it’sMichio or perhaps Master Bakka. Is it possible they’re thatstrong?”
She remained silent. He brushed astrand of hair out of her face.
“I don’t doubt that you’reterrified of Seetva. But I’ve never met a woman who wasn’tcunning to some degree. Moreover, you’re a Coalition undercoveroperative and not the innocent woman you appear to be. Despite that,there’s something pure and untarnished in your nature that draws meto you.” His mouth covered hers in a bruising kiss. When she triedto twist away, he held her tighter and thrust his tongue into hermouth. Repulsed she pushed against his shoulders. “Don’t fightme. Let me make love to you this once.” He kissed her again.
She wrenched her mouth from his.“No, please.” Overwhelmed, she burst into tears, feeling as ifher world was being destroyed and her with it.
His eyes darkened, then clearedand he drew her gently to his chest. She gradually regained somecomposure and stopped crying. He released her and handed her atissue. She wiped
