Chapter 3

Joshua Card leaned against his black Mercedes and watched the two lovers frolicking on the grass by the pool. The young woman was beautiful with an insatiable apatite for sex, but his interest was the man she was presently servicing. Eighteen years ago a movement in the web of power that connected the Seven together alerted him to the return of Calin to the physical world. Moloch seethed with anger. He was the strongest of the six, but Calin was his equal. The dark power that Joshua carried recognized his old nemesis and wanted to engage battle. Joshua however kept a safe distance and searched fruitlessly for the vassal of Calin until today.

Joshua was born in 1643 in Yorkshire, England. He was chosen by Moloch at the age of twenty-eight while studying the dark arts with a powerful wizard in a Romanian village. The young Card surrendered to the leadings of this dark being and developed quickly into a wizard of incredible ability and he soon had a following of acolytes and servants working cities throughout Europe. The persecution of witchcraft killed or drove most of his followers into hiding and he sailed to the New World and a new life.

The years were good to Joshua, and he aged slowly. He was approaching his three hundred and sixtieth birthday and he still resembled a man in his late thirties. The only major change in his body over the centuries was his eyes. The dark power of Moloch made him a creature of the night. His eyes and pupils were enlarged giving him inhuman looks with diminished vision in the daylight. Joshua wore dark shades most of the time to protect him from the bright sunlight and conceal this abnormality.

Practice made Joshua skilled in the use of his power. He could direct his inner vision anywhere within several hundred feet of his body and used this ability when he prowled during the daylight hours. It was with this power that he watched Joe and Angela making love by the pool of her house. He was considering his next move when the man put his hands on the sides of the woman's head and exerted power. Joshua tried to withdraw but it was too late. He could tell that Calin was aware of his presence. Cursing he got into his car and drove away.

An hour later he walked into his hotel room and hung his black trench coat in the closet by the door. Joshua was sitting in an overstuffed easy chair when a nude woman walked out of the bathroom. She was toweling her hair and smiled when she saw Joshua.

"Josh, when did you get back?" She asked. Her voice was soft and soothing.

"A few minutes ago, I found the vassal and it's definitely Calin." Joshua replied as he ogled her luscious body.

"His name is Joe Corbin, and I wish you would quit calling him a vassal. You didn't hurt him did you?" She laid the towel on the sofa and began brushing her hair as she spoke.

Joshua glared at her. "No I didn't hurt him. Calin knows I was there however. I didn't withdraw soon enough when Calin fixed the girl's ruptured vertebrae."

She giggled, "You know, withdrawal isn't an efficient method but it sounds like you enjoyed the intercourse with them."

"Stop with the puns Carrie, this is serious." Joshua looked somewhat fearful. An emotion he hadn't felt in centuries.

"Why did he leave the last time? Maybe you could get him to leave again." Carrie stopped in front of the mirror to admire her body while she looked for a place to plug in her blow drier.

Joshua watched as she cupped her large breasts and gently kissed each nipple. "Not many women can do that." She said proudly.

He shook his head. "Honestly Carrie, your vanity scares me sometimes. But to answer your question, no one knows. The common belief in the council is he became bored with constant struggle between good and evil. He deserted this dimension and left his minions and acolytes to fend for themselves. His human followers are all dead now except for the handful of women in Straggler's Cove."

"He fixed Angela's spine injury for her?" She asked as the hot air blew through her golden hair. "She'll be following him around like a hungry puppy dog. I hope she doesn't go straight on me. I may kill Joe myself."

Joshua started to comment then changed his mind. "How did you find the vas... I mean Joe?"

"Actually, he found me. I was on the jury of his last case and he made a mental connection with me. That made me suspicious but what confirmed my belief was when he took possession of my body during deliberations." She paused and became distracted. "Like you do sometimes only he didn't give me an orgasm." She sighed. "At first I was angry, but he made it up to me later." Carrie looked dreamily out the window of the room. "Joe's a real good lover. You won't hurt him will you?"

"Ok, this isn't getting me anywhere. Bring that delicious body of yours over here and remind me why I keep you around. Your lifestyle here is costing me a bundle." Joshua said as he watched Carrie tie her hair into a ponytail with a long red ribbon.

Carrie took Joshua's hand and let him into the bedroom. "I'll show you why you keep me around." She said as she unzipped his pants.

Carrie lay on the bed and Joshua knelt between her legs for a moment admiring her perfectly shaped body. He leaned forward and kissed her long and deep. Their tongues met and he sent a signal to the pleasure center of her brain giving causing a massive orgasm as he pushed his length into her hot throbbing sex.

Later as Carrie slept quietly beside him, Joshua gently stroked the soft flesh of her exposed neck and whispered. "Moloch cries for your blood Carrie, and soon he shall have it. But for now, I need you alive. Sleep well my lovely, it is nighttime and we must feed."

Carrie heard the room door close and cautiously opened her eyes to see if Josh was gone. The icy cold manner of the whispered statement chilled and scared her. He intended her for one of his blood feasts. She felt betrayed, she served him loyally, and for payment he planned to kill her. She quickly dressed and collected her clothes. There was only one person who could keep her safe. She had to find Joe.

The loud buzzer that served as Joe's doorbell woke him from a deep sleep. He glanced at his alarm clock and saw it was one o'clock in the morning. Half asleep he made his way to the intercom and pushed the talk button. "Yes?"

A familiar voice answered. "Joe, let me in. I need to talk to you."

Joe pushed the door release and said. "Come on up Carrie."

Carrie was standing at the top of the steps when Joe opened the door. She was distraught and a look of sheer terror was on her face. When she saw Joe she rushed past him and closed the door with a slam.

"What's wrong Carrie? You look terrified." He asked surprised.

Carrie took a few moments to calm down and then spoke, "May I stay with you tonight? I'm in trouble Joe! You've got to help me."

He led Carrie to the sofa and they both sat down. "Sure I'd be glad to help anyway I can, but you need to tell me what's happened."

"Josh is going to kill me." She burst into tears. "You've got to stop him. You're the only one who can."

"Have you called the police?" He asked. "If he threatened you we need to call them."

Carrie gave him a look of disbelief. "You really don't know who Joshua Card is, do you?" She sighed. "Ok, I guess it's time for honesty. I didn't just happen to be waiting on that corner that day after the verdict in the Martin case. I recognized you when you visited my body in the jury room. Joshua Card is the vassal of Moloch. He wanted me to find a weakness in you he could exploit. Calin can't remain in this physical world without a suitable vassal and Joshua would like to send Calin back to the nether world. He discovered that I am fond of you and he considers that betrayal. If you don't protect me he will feed me to Moloch."

"Calin will help you, but you must sever your ties with Joshua Card and Moloch." Joe paused and nodded in the affirmative as he listened to his inner voice. "Will you let me into you mind and remove his tag of darkness?"

"Yes, please hurry." Carrie said apprehensively. "He probably already knows I'm here."

Joe touched the side of her head with the fingertips of his right hand. He was inundated with information, most of which was useless. Calin guided him through the tangle of neural pathways until they reached a black orb pulsing slowly. He focused on the orb and for a moment he was looking at a dead body that looked oddly familiar. A black robed creature was licking copious amounts of blood from its gnarled hands. He was in the presence of a monster of pure evil. Joe sent a burst of energy into the orb and he heard the creature roar from anger as it disappeared. He knew Carrie's connection to Moloch was broken and he withdrew.

"The connection is broken Carrie." Joe paused then continued, "You are no longer a tool under Joshua's control."

"I need a place to stay. I'm scared to go back to my house. Oh God, it's not my house anymore. It belongs to Joshua." She started crying hysterically. "I'm sorry for misleading you. If you want me to leave I'll understand. Can you forgive me?"

"Calm down Carrie, It's alright. I'm not angry with you." Joe wrapped his arms around her in a big hug as she sobbed on his shoulder. "Carrie you can stay here as long as you need. But how would you like to live in the wilderness for a while. I know just the person to heal the damage Moloch had done to you."

Carrie looked at him. "You mean Straggler's Cove don't you. You want to stay with your coven. They can't protect me only you can."

Joe was shocked she knew about the coven in Straggler's Cove. "This will protect you from the wrath of my enemies."

Joe dropped a gold necklace into her palm. Attached to it was a crystal the same size and shape of an almond. "This is the Light of Calin. It will protect you from the dark powers of Moloch. If darkness approaches it will flash with a brilliance that will destroy any evil that assails you. Joshua will either leave or die."

"I knew you would help." She looked at the beautiful crystal. "It really is lovely."

"Never take it off unless you are with me. It will only work if you are wearing it." Joe put the chain around her neck and fastened the catch in place.

Carrie looked into his eyes. "I'm sure I would like it in Straggler's Cove, but I would rather stay here with you. I know lots of ways to show my appreciation and I'm willing to bet Angela will want to play with us too."

"Speaking of Angela, why don't you come on into my bedroom?" Joe walked across the room and opened the door for Carrie.

There was movement under the bedcovers when Joe turned on the light. "What's going on? Who was at the door?" Angela asked as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

Carrie smiled at the sight of Angela sitting in the bed nude from the waist up looking a bewildered little girl. "I see you and Joe are becoming inseparable. Do you mind if I join you tonight?"

Joe watched as Carrie removed her clothes and climbed into the bed with Angela.

The two women kissed and ran their hands over each other's bodies. They were soon writhing in sexual ecstasy. It was like late night cable programming with a twist. He could join in if he wanted.

Calin's voice interrupted Joe's enjoyment of the erotic sight. "Joe, Joshua Card is very old and his life is sustained by drinking living blood. That's what you saw when you removed the tag from Carrie's mind. He was feeding on the blood of one of his victims."

Joe was chilled at the thought. "He kills people and drinks their blood. Like a vampire?"

"Moloch is the truth behind that legend. He is my counterpart and thrives in the presence of suffering, anguish, pain, and death. Joshua's life is replenished when he allows Moloch to maim and mutilate unwary humans." Calin answered. "Joshua can't hurt you, but you should be wary. His master has a plan or he wouldn't be here."

"What about Carrie? Can I trust her?" Joe asked.

"Yes, the link to Joshua is broken, but you need to stay close to her for a while. I'm sure he will seek revenge for her change of heart." Calin paused, "when you face him remember, he is no threat unless you allow the fear to control you."

The next morning Joe woke to the smell of breakfast cooking in his apartment. The two girls, wearing only aprons, were chatting happily in the kitchen. Joe sat down at the table and watched as the scantily clad women prepared the food. Their beautifully shaped buns and most of their feminine treasures were visible.

"Yes, dad knows about him, I think he's hoping I'm finally going to be able to provide the family an heir." Angela said while she was frying some bacon.

"I don't mind sharing him with you Angela, but you can't have all of him without a fight." Carrie glanced at Angela and continued, "I don't want to lose you either."

Angela stopped and looked at Carrie. "You know, you could move in with me. There's plenty of space in the summerhouse and dad has always enjoyed watching our midnight swims in the pool. So he won't mind if you are there as long as we show some boobs and ass every now and then."

"Could I get a cup of coffee?" Joe interrupted their dialogue.

Carrie looked at him like she was watching an animal in the zoo. "Sure, the cups are in the cabinet and the coffee is over there in the pot. I surprised you don't know where everything is located. I mean this is your apartment, isn't it?"

Joe chuckled at the jab. "After all I've done for you girls, I thought I'd get more respect than this."

Carrie turned to face him and the apron twisted to fully expose one of her breasts. She quickly moved the apron back into place and said. "If you wanted respect, maybe you shouldn't have become a lawyer."

Angela laughed and gave Carrie a high-five then they continued working with the food and talking, completely ignoring Joe at the table. Finally accepting the fact that he wasn't going to be served, he got up and fixed himself a cup of coffee. He turned and faced the women and leaned against the counter. From this angle he could see the bounce and jiggle of their breasts as they worked. He watched for a while and then returned to his place at the table hot and bothered.

"Well, that's done." Angela said as she removed the apron and carried two plates of food over to the table.

Carrie laughed, "I don't think we would have managed this wonderful breakfast without Mr. Corbin's help. Do you agree Angela?" Carrie hung her apron on the back of her chair and placed a large plate of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and biscuits in front of Joe.

"Absolutely Carrie, I especially appreciated his lecherous ogling of our bodies." Angela studied Joe for a moment. "You know, I don't think he realizes he's a little over dressed this morning."

Carrie placed her hands on her sexy hips and said, "Mr. Corbin would you please have the common decency to get undressed before you come to the table."

Joe stood and removed his robe and shorts revealing his throbbing erection to the smirking girls. He sat down and said, "There, now may I eat this wonderful breakfast before it gets cold?"

"Wow that looks delicious. I think I'll have dessert first." Angela slipped under the table.

Joe was chewing a mouthful of eggs when he felt something warm and wet slide over his hard cock. He almost choked on the food when he realized what Angela was doing. He swallowed quickly as the feeling of intense pleasure began to flood his senses. He grabbed her head as he climaxed. The intensely sexual emotion flowed into Angela and she thrashed violently under the table from her own orgasm. She collapsed unconscious on the floor when Joe relaxed and released her from his hold. It took Joe a moment to collect himself, and then he pulled Angela from under the table.

"You've really got to learn to control yourself Joe." Carrie said as helped Angela into a chair. "She's probably ruined. There's no way I can give her an orgasm like that one."

"My God, Joe!" Angela said as she stared at her plate of food. "What did you do to me?"

Carrie shook her head in disbelief. "He doesn't have a clue, Angela. He looks as bewildered as you do." A look of fear crossed her face. "Joe, Joshua Card knows about Angela. He knows she's my friend and your lover. She could be in danger too."

"Does he know about my family in Straggler's Cove?" Joe's face paled at the thought of his family.

"Joshua knows the coven is close by, but not the exact location. My next assignment was to get you to take me to meet the members of your cult. If he decides to find them, it won't take him long." Carried sighed, "I guess you better warn them. He may already have turned one of your followers. Joshua can be very persuasive."

"It will take several hours just to get up to the cabin, I better get started." Joe got up from the table and headed to the bedroom.

"Wait!" Carrie ordered. "Don't you have someone up there you can communicate with mentally? Someone you've slept with maybe? Joshua uses sex to create a very strong bond."

"I've slept with most all of them and fourteen of them are my daughters." Joe considered quietly for a moment. "Becky would probably be the best choice."

Joe came back into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Angela still looked a little dazed but she seemed to be recovering as she ate the food.

"Who is Joshua Card?" Angela asked. "Why would he want to hurt me?"

"Oh yes, I need to take care of that for you." Joe waved his hand in her direction and a crystal pendant like Carrie's appeared around her neck and the multifaceted stone lay sparkling in the morning sun between her soft breasts.

Angela looked down at the crystal in surprise. "How did you do that? This is getting scary." She looked at Carrie for reassurance.

"I'll explain it to you this afternoon. It isn't real complicated but it is hard to believe." Carrie tried to speak in a reassuring tone.

A few minutes later Joe spoke. "Ok, I know what to do. I'm going to be gone for about a day and a half. It takes awhile to get the entire coven together, but I'll return as soon as I can." Joe stood and with a wave of his hand he was fully dressed. He closed his eyes and disappeared with a small snap.

Angela gasped, "Carrie I'm really scared. What's going on?"

As they put the leftover food into the refrigerator and started putting the dirty dishes into the washer, Carrie explained to Angela the relationship between Joe and Calin. When they were finished they went into the bedroom where their clothes were tossed helter-skelter around the small room. Angela began to pick up the clothing and straightening the bedcovers.

Carrie walked up behind Angela and reached around her petite body. She felt the young girl's nipples harden against her palms as she massaged the soft flesh of Angela's pert breasts. They climbed onto the bed and were soon lost in the consuming passion enjoyed by lovers during sex.

Later as Carrie watched her partner sleep peacefully beside her she tried to remember what it was like to be that young. She and Josh had celebrated her one hundred and twenty-third birthday two months earlier. He gave her a beautiful set of ruby earrings in gold settings. For a moment she missed Josh, but then the icy cold promise of death in his voice yesterday made her realize she couldn't go back. She hoped she would age with grace after breaking her connection to Moloch.

Angela slowly opened her eyes and saw Carrie looking at her. "I must have fallen asleep." She paused. "Are you Ok? You look worried."

"Have you lived in Pine Ridge all your life Angela?" Carrie asked suddenly missing all the friends and family members she had out lived over the years.

"All except for college, I attended Tennessee Technical University in Cookeville." Angela smiled, "I graduated two years ago and sometimes I wish I could go back. Life was less complicated there. I wasn't always standing in Daddy's shadow."

Carrie gently caressed her lover's breast and watched the puffy areola harden from the stimulation. "How old were you when you realized you were gay?"

"I was nineteen and in my second year of college. I was dating a boy from Memphis. He wanted to sleep with me, but I couldn't do it. He eventually broke up with me because of my frigidity. It was very humiliating. Later that year I met Sharon, and she helped me admit my homosexuality. I still miss her sometimes, because she was my first love I guess." Angela snuggled closer to Carrie's warm body and laid her head on her shoulder. "What about you? How old were you?"