Chapter 6

Danica put down the wand, satisfied with the design. With the bodies of both wands done, finishing the construction tomorrow would be easy. Finishing the enchantment might be another thing entirely.

Edna appeared in the doorway and tapped the doorjamb. "The girls are abed. Come along now, Celes and Andrea can use some support. It's time for them to unbind my powers, so I can be of more use around here."

"Did you come up with some ideas for your cottage?" Danica asked as she stood.

"I'd say we have it worked out." Edna beckoned, and Danica followed.

The three witches stood around a design drawn on the floor in chalk, studying copies of the spell they were about to cast. Marlena stood off to one side, looking more than a little sleepy.

Edna asked, "Are the three of you ready?"

Ashley looked at each of her sister witches in turn, receiving nods indicating that they had the spell memorized well enough to cast it. "We're ready. Are you?"

"Binding my powers was the hardest thing I ever did," Edna revealed as she moved toward the design on the floor. "I should have bound all my powers, but I couldn't do it. I'm ready."

Edna stepped into the sigil drawn on the floor, and nodded to the three witches surrounding her. The bond between Celes, Andrea, and Ashley revealed itself when they started the spell with no further prompting or signal.

In this hour our powers rise
Remove the bonds, remove the ties
Once imprisoned, now set them free
Return her powers — her mind to see

Golden motes of light winked into existence around Edna, swirling around her in a joyful dance. The greatest concentration of lights whirled about the gray-haired witch's head, glowing ever brighter and settling into her body.

The last of the motes vanished into Edna's body, revealing her smiling face. She stared straight ahead, yet her gaze appeared unfocused on anything before her.

Ashley stepped forward, laying her hand on Edna's shoulder. "Did it work? Are you all right?"

Edna stiffened and gasped. Her eyes snapped shut, and she stumbled back a step. Ashley steadied her, and the rest of the women rushed forward as well. Edna's eyes opened almost immediately, and color rose into her cheeks. She looked over at Ashley and chuckled. "Yes, Dear. I'm fine, and it certainly worked."

Ashley raised her eyebrows and asked, "You had a premonition, didn't you?"

Edna nodded her head and the color in her cheeks deepened. "Yes, and it confirms a lot of what I've been expecting too. Don't bother asking, because you'll all find out soon enough. You all have plans tomorrow night."

Ashley rolled her eyes and smiled. "And here I thought you were cryptic before."

"Don't be sassy. You're not so old that I won't turn you over my knee," Edna warned mockingly.

Marlena yawned, setting off a chain reaction amongst the other women. "Sorry," she apologized before yawning again.

Danica playfully swatted Marlena's bottom and said, "Off to bed with you, or we'll all yawn ourselves to death."

Marlena chuckled and said, "Goodnight," before leaving for her bed.

"I think I should find my bed as well. Odds are that I'll have visions in my dreams tonight. It takes a while to get used to that power, and I don't want to be exhausted when the girls wake up in the morning," Edna revealed.

"I'm going to the baths," Danica announced. "I feel like a long soak."

Celes and Andrea both nodded in agreement. None of them had used the full Agrecian baths in some time, and Danica's mention awakened their desire for the experience.

Danica turned to Ashley and said, "You haven't been to the bath have you? Come with us. I promise you'll enjoy it."

Edna pursed her lips and smiled knowingly. "Go on, Dear," she said to Ashley, and then waved before turning to find her bed.

Ashley's face broke out in a crooked smile. "I have been curious. Some of those rooms don't make sense to me. I assume there's magic involved?"

Danica walked over and took the red-headed witch's hand. "Oh yes, there's certainly magic involved." With a laugh, she tugged Ashley along, and they proceeded to the baths.

Ebonar listened carefully to his Master, now coming to share Zoraster's anger and respect for the Archmage's former slave.

"I had little doubt Danica was involved in that debacle in the desert, and now it is confirmed. That means she was likely present when Meckataur's pawns found misfortune as well."

"What steps should we take?" Ebonar asked.

"For now, provide all of our agents with charms to protect against mental intrusion. While they will provide only limited protection against Danica's mind-witch powers, they may assist in preventing this from being so easy for her in the future. She certainly must have erased Clexis' memory of her, otherwise he would have reported what our other agents divulged — likely far more."

"It will be done, Master."

"We may be able to utilize Meckataur to our advantage here. The Devil already harbors ill will toward Danica for an affront. It should take little to push him into thwarting her attempts to undermine our efforts. I will consider the proper way to present it to the demon."

"Understood, Master."

"How proceeds the work of our rune masters?" Zoraster asked with obvious anticipation in his voice.

"They claim to be near completion of their task, Master," Ebonar replied with a smile.

"Excellent. Excellent. I will contact you again if I have new orders. Until such time, maintain my empire and continue to groom my allies. Send any reports through the message jars."

"It will be done, Master," Ebonar responded and bowed, knowing that the conversation was at an end even before the mirror before him went dark.

A chime sounded, alerting Ebonar to a visitor seeking entrance to his inner sanctum. A quick command word spoken to one of the mirrors in the room revealed who awaited at the magical door.

Waving his hand before the mirror, Ebonar banished its magic, and turned to speak another command word, opening a portal for his visitor.

A dashing, handsome young man stepped through the portal, bowing low before Ebonar. "I believe I have her ear, Master."

Ebonar smiled wickedly and countered, "I would wager it is not her ear that seeks you, but rather her heart and more sundry portions of her anatomy."

Tortfird laughed and doffed his hat. "Indeed, Master."

"Return then, and secure your hold on her ear," Ebonar ordered with a chuckle.

Tortifird stepped back through the portal and Ebonar said, "Godsbane will soon feed again."

Ashley stepped out of the pool, shivering. Her eyes were wide, her nipples stiff as steel, and goose bumps decorated every inch of her lithe form. "That was frigid," she exclaimed.

The other three women chuckled while smoothing water out of their hair. Danica argued, "The water is actually tepid. It just feels like ice water after coming from the steam room and the heated bath. Invigorating, isn't it?"

Ashley covered her stiff, stinging nipples for a moment and shivered. "Shocking is a little closer to what I was thinking."

Celes and Andrea had already turned to walk back into the main room, and Danica beckoned Ashley to follow. "The whole process just seems to open up your pores, and really get you clean. We'll have a good soak, wash our hair, and shave now. Trust me, you'll feel like a new woman afterward."

Ashley smiled and nodded, finding she couldn't keep her eyes off Danica's rounded backside as the older woman walked from the room toward the huge steaming pool that dominated the bath house. Celes and Andrea were already sinking into the water with pleasure-filled sighs when she walked out of the room that housed the two smaller pools.

Ashley's level of arousal had steadily increased ever since all four women had shed their clothing. In addition to the beauty of her bathmates, the subtle sexual banter between the three of them hinted toward something Ashley had not experienced for a very long time. She'd found only one female lover since discovering the desire within her, and now she had hope that she'd found three more — all in one place.

Danica had to fight hard not to touch her aching sex. She sensed every thought and the heat of arousal rolling from Ashley. That meant that the emotions behind those thoughts were intense. She'd planned to share a bed with Celes and Andrea tonight, and now it appeared that there might be four crowding her bed this evening.

She sank into the tub, with Ashley only a few steps behind, and lay back to wet her hair. She knew the Awakening was already hard at work sending a fog of subtle, sexually enticing scents wafting over her bathmates. Once safely in the water, Danica stealthily calmed the heat in her loins with a lingering caress of her folds.

All four women washed their hair, with Celes finishing first. She then reached for her razor to take care of the stubble on her legs and mound. Andrea was not far behind.

"Do you like it shaved like that?" Ashley asked.

"Gods yes," Celes answered. "I don't know how I survived with all that hair down there."

"Mmm hmm," Andrea agreed while lifting her left leg and gliding her razor over it.

"I'm with them," Danica laughed, picking up her own razor.

"I've thought about it, but I'm scared to death I'll end up cutting something. I don't think that would feel too good," Ashley said with a little shiver.

That pushed Danica over the edge. Just hints of the white-hot desire she felt crept into her voice. "If you want to try it, I could shave you."

Ashley paused in the process of picking up her razor to shave her legs. Her breath caught in her throat, and she nodded with a smile.

Danica's resulting smile was sultry and suggestive. She moved over slightly and gestured for Ashley to join them in the shallow spot of the pool where they shaved.

Though she was a bit nervous and still unsure of whether she truly understood the signals from the other three women, Ashley moved quickly through the water to the spot Danica had indicated. She spun around and sat down on the step beneath the water, her eyes widening when she saw the barely concealed desire in Danica's eyes.

Danica put her hand behind Ashley's knee, and then slid it sensually down to the woman's ankle. She pulled the razor over Ashley's leg with quick, precise strokes, leaving it baby smooth. After repeating the process with the other leg, she pushed gently on Ashley's knees, urging the redheaded witch to part her legs.

Ashley did so slowly, feeling wetness that had nothing to do with the water between her legs. The sensation only grew stronger when Danica moved forward a moment later.

Every touch of Danica's fingers sent shivers up and down Ashley's spine. She had to fight the urge to gasp out in pleasure, and didn't even realize she was staring at Danica the whole time. Celes and Andrea, who were now both done shaving, noticed Ashley's intent stare, however. The look they shared spoke volumes, without a single word passing between them. They didn't possess Danica's mental powers, but they knew what Ashley was thinking nonetheless.

Danica finished shaving Ashley's sex, and moved back to evaluate her work. She gently manipulated Ashley's labia, ensuring she'd not missed anything. Looking directly into Ashley's eyes, she ran her fingers in a slow caress over the woman's nether lips, asking, "What do you think?"

The touch and Danica's look were impossible to resist. Ashley shuddered and a short, choked off gasp escaped her. "It feels wonderful," she said in a small voice.

"Being bare, or my fingers?" Danica asked sultrily.

"Both," Ashley replied.

Andrea let out an excited moan and moved closer. Celes sloshed through the water right behind the blonde witch, her passions as high as the other women. She moved to the opposite side of Ashley that Andrea had chosen.

"I can do better," Danica said with a crooked grin, and leaned down to slip her head between Ashley's legs.

A warbling cry of pleasure bubbled from Ashley's lips as Danica's tongue washed over her. Andrea and Celes immediately reached out to caress Ashley's body, moving closer when Ashley returned the touches with her own.

Ashley floated in a perfect state of bliss. The three women tantalized her with their fingers, lips, and tongues. It felt as if no part of her body went untouched, Danica even moving to suckle her toes at one point. Ashley breathed heavily as her body gently undulated beneath their touches. Small sounds of pleasure escaped her, echoed by her three new lovers.

Celes, Andrea, and Danica were no less excited, reveling in the feeling of the redheaded witch's skin beneath their fingers and tongues. When Danica moved back to Ashley's sex, drawing a sharp gasp from the woman by suckling her clit hard, Andrea and Celes both engulfed one of Ashley's stiff pink nipples between their lips.

Ashley gasped and bucked beneath the three knowledgeable women, her pleasure mounting toward a crescendo. "Oh yes, that feels so good," she moaned, before a particularly sharp wave of pleasure shot through her and caused her to suck in a huge breath of air. She trembled, her body stiffening, and felt the unmistakable tickle in her sex that signaled how close she was to climax.

A moment later, it washed over her.

A soft, high-pitched cry of release burst from Ashley's lips, as she arched her back in release. Danica moaned as Ashley's creamy wetness washed over her tongue, and she lapped more enthusiastically for the bittersweet treat. Andrea and Celes moaned around their sister witch's nipples, their hands having crept down between their own legs as Ashley came.

When Ashley caught her breath, each woman leaned over to kiss her in turn. "Oh, I'd hoped for this," Ashley moaned. "Thank the gods I wasn't imagining things. I'd have rubbed myself raw the moment I got in bed otherwise."

"Speaking of bed..." Danica said suggestively and stood up to step out of the pool. The other three women followed, and once they all toweled dry, they moved quickly to Danica's room.

There, they fell into the bed to share a night of their bodies entwined, and uncountable orgasms.

Meckataur felt the touch of Kazz'akel's mind from across the miles. I have discovered three, my Lord and evil Master, the demon's thoughts echoed in Meckataur's mind.

They are susceptible to your powers? Meckataur enquired of his demonic slave.

The Fey females are weak, Master. They will come if I so command.

Bring them to me before the time of power, Meckataur commanded.

It will be done, Kazz'akel acknowledged.

With the portal to the abyss throw wide open through the blood of virgin Fey, all will be within my grasp, Meckataur thought, and opened his maw wide to laugh wickedly toward the ceiling of his hellish home.

Danica awoke with her arm draped over Ashley's bottom. The witch's head rested on Danica's breast. Letting out a quiet sigh, Danica let her eyes close again, remembering the night before — and more than a little of the wee hours of the morning as well.

The knock on the door shocked her back into reality, and she realized it was a previous knock that had awakened her the first time.

"Danica?" Marlena said from the other side of the door.

"I'll be up in a minute or two," Danica groaned, realizing it was morning and they'd need to start on breakfast soon.

When Danica looked down, she saw a sleepy-eyed Ashley looking back up at her with a smile.

"I think it was worth being tired all day," Ashley muttered in languid tones.

"Mmm hmm," Danica moaned, and the two women shifted to kiss before sitting up.

"Go away," Danica faintly heard Celes grumbling from across the hall. Ashley laughed, having apparently heard it too. Ashley stretched and said, "At least we'll all be moving slowly."

As Danica moved, she realized that the sticky remnants of the previous night's marathon lovemaking still covered her. "I've got to wash at least a little. I really need a bath."

"Isn't that what got us in that condition in the first place?"

Danica laughed. "True. We should get cleaned up and dressed. We have to get breakfast going soon."

After a quick wash, the two redheads pulled on fresh clothing and walked out into the hall. Ashley's face turned bright red when she saw Edna outside the door upon exiting.

Edna waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Oh, don't be silly, Ashley. Not only do I know, I saw the whole thing in my premonition. I wasn't always old, you know? You're hardly the first to realize that women are pretty, and better smelling than most men."

Ashley's eyes and mouth both opened wide in surprise as her face flushed with color.

"You'll get used to it around here," Danica laughed.

The rest of the women met them at the hall, and they all proceeded to the kitchen to start the morning meal.

"Don't forget, you all have plans this evening at nightfall," Edna reminded them as they approached the kitchen.

"What about the girls? They certainly won't be asleep by then," Marlena questioned.

"They'll be coming too. We're all supposed to be there. I suspected it, but my premonition confirmed it," Edna explained.

"And I suppose you're still not going to tell us what you saw?" Danica asked in mock snappish tones.

Edna just laughed and walked into the kitchen without comment.

Camilla lounged next to Ebonar as he listened to yet another report confirming Danica's presence in Osiron, without revealing any reason for her to be there.

"I tried to warn Zoraster that she was dangerous, but he wouldn't listen to me. He paid for it with his life. I hope you're not so foolish," Camilla remarked in bored tones.

"Mind your tongue, Camilla," Ebonar warned. He then smiled, seeing the flash of light that heralded a new arrival.

"Indeed," Zoraster snarled.

Camilla turned in surprise, not believing what she heard. Upon seeing Zoraster, her eyes rolled up in her head and she slumped in her chair.

Zoraster walked up to the unconscious woman and lifted her head using her hair as a handle. "I would think someone who has escaped death by my hand would be unsurprised to discover I have done the same." Letting her head drop down again, he growled, "I would also expect her to be more appreciative."

"Shall I have her punished, Master?"

The Archmage laughed. "Oh, she will be punished. I do believe her punishment can serve to strengthen our position, however. To counter Danica, we need a weapon that can meet her powers — and those of her allies — on an even plane."

"This sounds promising," Ebonar responded with dark mirth in his voice.

"Indeed. We will remind Camilla of her place, forge a weapon that will be a thorn in Danica's side, and gain yet another tool in the complicated dance with Meckataur." Zoraster swept his robe in a grand gesture as he turned. "Come, my protegee, allow me to explain the sweet irony of this exquisite punishment."

Ebonar followed his Master from the room, leaving the unconscious Camilla unaware that her fate walked with them.

Danica sat the second wand down, satisfied with her work. The strain of casting the preparatory enchantments in her tired state convinced her not to attempt the final enchantment today. Looking at the intricately carved wands with their rose colored crystal tips, Danica knew Marlena would love them.

Celes flipped through the designs for the girls' toys, which Danica had also finished during breaks while working on the wands. She paused with surprise when she saw one of them. "Good heavens, Danica. Is this a toy, or a weapon?" She turned the drawing toward Danica.

Danica smiled and let out a tired chuckle. "That one is for Damika. Zoraster made her as a toy for that man with the monstrous cock."

"The one that nearly killed you?" Celes asked, remembering that event from early in Zoraster's indoctrination of Danica.

Danica nodded and continued, "She'd barely notice anything smaller. Of all of them, she has the least chance of living a normal life. The way Zoraster modified her body, it will be nearly impossible for her."

"Maybe we can find some way to fix it," Celes suggested.

"I hope so," Danica concurred.

"Are you going to try to enchant those wands tonight?"

Danica shook her head in the negative. "I'm too tired, and it's getting late. I'd never finish them before whatever Edna has planned for us tonight."

"I don't think it's Edna's idea, actually, but you're right."

"And you're right too," Edna said to Celes. She walked in the room and continued, "It's almost time. The girls are getting dressed."

"Do we need to do anything special?" Danica asked.

"No, all you need to do is be there. There will be magic tonight, but none of us will be working it." Turning back toward the door, Edna added, "We'll all meet in front of the manor. I'll know where to go from there. Odds are, so will you."

As Edna vanished from the doorway, Danica turned to Celes and asked, "Do you feel a pull to be outside?"

Celes nodded. "Andrea and I talked about it. We assumed it had something to do with our powers, but if you're feeling it too..."

"I wonder if we'll have time to ask Marlena," Danica said as she stood up. "That would be the real test. You don't get any more urban than Marlena. We may as well get going."

Kazz'akel winced as the Demon Lord's voice thundered in his mind, Where are the Fey?

They do not enter reverie as usual, mighty Meckataur. While their minds are conscious, taking the three without alerting the others will be nearly impossible.

Failure will not be tolerated. I will have the untouched female Fey I require, or your torment will exceed that of any mortal. You will bring them before the time of power, by whatever means necessary.

It will be done, Master. As Meckataur's voice faded from his mind, Kazz'akel turned to the others and announced, "If they do not rest, we take them."

The other two demons drooled in anticipation, their bloodlust overwhelming the sense of self-preservation. Kazz'akel, more intelligent than the other two put together, knew that even Fey lacking magic could do them great harm.

He was not immune to the hunger of his fellow demons, however, and could almost taste the blood of the elves on his forked tongue as well.

Edna walked out herding the girls, who talked excitedly. One by one, the clones ceased talking as they stepped out into the moonlit night. Standing in the grass awaiting them, Celes and Danica shared a surprised glance upon witnessing the scene. When they turned to Andrea and Ashley, they noticed their thoughts were not unique.

The girls moved into a circular group, looking around with serene, awe-filled expressions. Edna walked past the clones toward the rest of the women, smiling beatifically.

"Okay, what is that all about?" Celes asked.

Edna chuckled. "I told you they have a place in this night. I know you've all felt a calling, and they do too. Now that they stand beneath the moon, even their short attention spans can't ignore that calling." Edna turned her face toward the moon and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she declared, "It's time. Come."

Edna walked to the west, and the entire group of women followed. Danica glanced back and noticed that the girls were following without prompting, walking silently in a tight group. Shaking her head in amazement as she looked forward once more, Danica noticed that they were walking toward a small stand of trees. Having visited nearly every corner of the valley, Danica knew that the center of the woodlet had a spring-fed pool housed in a clearing. Somehow, she knew that was where they were bound.

Edna confirmed Danica's guess when she instructed everyone to gather around the pool and join hands in a semicircle. The moon peeked over the edge of the canopy above as soon as all their hands were joined. They all heard the giggling at the same time.

Danica knew she should feel threatened, considering she had just heard strange voices coming from the undergrowth ahead. Contrary to that natural reaction, she instead felt peaceful.

"Hello," Edna greeted the unseen visitors.

"Hello," responded a voice that sounded familiar to Danica. Three distinctive giggles followed the word.

Danica's eyes widened when the three nymphs stepped out of the undergrowth. "Xanica?"

The redheaded nymph giggled and nodded her head. Now that she was fully grown, Danica noticed something distinctive about the nymph, beyond her red hair. Xanica's sister nymphs were archetypical of their kind, willowy with subdued, attractive curves. Xanica, on the other hand, had Danica's hefty bosom and hips, giving her more of an hourglass shape.

"You know them?" Edna asked, her tone revealing that the question was largely academic.

"The Mistress says these are from you," Xanica effervesced, touching her hair, breasts, and hips.

"The Mistress sent us because we have shared," Xara added.

"The Mistress likes you," Xaqua giggled.

"Yes," Danica answered Edna's question, her face filling with color. Feeling eyes upon her, Danica turned toward Celes and saw the woman smiling coyly at her.

Celes tightened her lips and turned back toward the nymphs with laughter in her eyes.

"You're here to prepare us for something, aren't you?" Edna asked.

All three nymphs nodded. "Come. Sit," Xanica instructed. She sat down on the edge of the pool, dangling her legs in the pool at the center of the clearing. Her sister nymphs did the same simultaneously.

The clones broke from the circle of hands first, moving toward the pool without even the slightest hesitation. Each kicked their shoes off as they moved forward. Edna moved next, leaving three witches and two redheaded magic users feeling quite self-conscious.

Danica noticed that they all stepped forward in perfect synchronization, on the same foot. A few steps later, everyone's legs dangled in the pool as the moon edged over the clearing.

The three nymphs kicked their legs slowly in the water once everyone else sat down next to the pool. The nature entities softly sang a song in words none around the pool recognized — yet somehow they all knew them as well. The language brought to mind the sound of the wind through the trees, the bubbling of water over rocky stream beds, and golden sunlight. The surface of the pool turned luminescent from the light of the moon above, the glow steadily increasing as the volume of the singing nymphs increased.

Xanica's deeper voice provided an earthy counterpoint to the falsetto of the other two nymphs. The music resonated within the women surrounding the pool, and they joined in the joyful song. Above the surface of the pool, faint rainbow patterns of dancing light appeared. These slowly coalesced until they were recognizable as man-shaped.

One by one, Danica, Marlena, and the three newly joined witches ceased to sing. The images above the pool were now recognizable, and the women were simply too choked up to continue. The still rainbow-colored images were transparent, but were unmistakably the women's mothers.

The nymphs, Edna, and the clones finished the song, and Danica's mother immediately moved toward her daughter. "I'm so proud of you, Danica."

"M-mom?" Danica questioned, her voice faltering and tears filling her eyes.

Marlena's mother moved toward her daughter as well. "You've grown into such a beautiful woman, Marlena."

For the first time this night, Edna looked surprised. The three witch's mothers moved forward to greet their daughters, who were better prepared for the visitation after experiencing it before. Ashley's mother turned toward Edna and smiled. "Thank you so much for taking such good care of my daughter. She's become a beautiful, intelligent woman of purpose. I can see your confusion. Don't worry, everything will be answered in just a moment."

All of the spirits standing upon the water of the pool turned toward the nymphs, who stood, pulled their legs from the water, and turned toward the woods behind them. Two women in gossamer gowns parted the undergrowth and stepped into the clearing before the nymphs.

Danica felt her breath catch. Not only was she looking at her mother, but now she knew she sat in the presence of divinity as well. The overwhelming sense of awe infusing her from the two women revealed their true nature, despite their common appearance. The one appeared to be an elf, albeit one even more exotic and alien than typical for the race. The other woman possessed a curvy, motherly figure and a plain beauty that was striking in its simplicity.

The two deities — Gaeaye the Earth Mother and the Mistress of the nymphs — turned toward each other and smiled. Though only the nymphs truly understood the significance of the action, everyone around the pool somehow recognized how momentous the occasion was when the two divine beings joined hands.