Chapter 2

"Can we trust her? Are you sure?" Lauren asked.

We were in Fiorella's van, her driving, me in the passenger seat, and Lauren just behind me. I glanced at Fiorella. Her shoulders were tense. She stared straight ahead.

"Well," I replied, "I think her sister really is missing. So yeah, I believe we can."

We turned off the main boulevard into a maze of twisty streets. We drove in front of an old residence with pale brick walls and square windows climbing up five stories. Fiorella jerked the van around and pulled through a narrow alleyway into a courtyard. It was paved with deep red flagstones. She parked. We got out and followed her toward the building.

"I've never assisted with a Augury before," Lauren went on, "Plus, I'm still not sure this isn't a trap."

"I'm willing to chance it."

We had tried everything else. We had cast locator spells, which showed nothing. We had projected our spirits, searching the ethereal world, to no avail. Fiorella had suggested the augury.

Lauren was right. It was a risk. If this were a trap, the augury could leave me too weak to fight. Plus, Lauren had never assisted in a ritual so complex. A lot could go wrong.

"Is your wellspring having second thoughts?" Fiorella asked.

"She's nervous. She's never done an augury."

"Shouldn't all wellsprings be trained in that?"

"Well, yeah I guess. She's pretty new."

"Hmmm."

"She gets real far on talent."

Fiorella said nothing. The wellsprings in her coven had refused to help, she claimed. They believed that Katia and Ines had betrayed them by running of with Jessica.

I wasn't sure what to think.

The building was divided into large apartments, one per floor. Hers was the third. We climbed creaky old stairs. She unlocked a heavy wooden door, and we entered.

"I'll get the candles," she said, but stopped short. Katia was there, sitting on the couch, waiting.

"She's kidnapped Ines and Jessica," she blurted out when we entered. Fiorella rushed to her, and hugged her.

"Who's kidnapped them?" I asked.

"What did she say?" Lauren asked. Katia was speaking Italian.

"That someone has kidnapped them. Hold on, let me ask."

Katia caught her breath. "A genius loci," she replied, "Well -- I guess -- the genius loci of Milan."

"Huh?" Fiorella said.

"Fuck!" I said, in English.

"What?" Lauren asked.

"Everyone calm down!" I shouted, "Lauren -- please give me a minute. Maybe -- get us some wine or something."

Lauren took a deep breath, then said, "Fine! Where is the kitchen?"

I asked Fiorella. She pointed to an old swinging door. Lauren passed through.

"Now," I said, "What was that again? A 'genius loci' is the ancient spirit of a place, correct?"

"Yes," Katia said.

"So, the spirit of Milan has kidnapped Jess and Ines?"

"Yes. We got together last night. We weren't happy how things left off, so Jess called me and took the train into town and we met. Then she came and took us."

"She took all of you?"

"Yeah, but she let me go."

Fiorella and I looked at each other. I heard Lauren fumbling beyond the door.

"OK, please go on."

"She -- uh -- well" -- she switched to English -- "I know about how Jess can share the recharge. She showed me, with Ines. That" -- she gulped -- "That is what the spirit is doing."

"She's making Jess share the recharge with her?"

"Yeah. That's why she let me go. She said she didn't need me."

"Oh."

Fiorella looked at both of us suspiciously. I decided to tell her.

"If Jess kisses a witch while she is recharging, both girls get some of the power."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The genius loci is, evidently, making Jess do that with her."

"Why?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe she can't recharge normally."

"Genius's are divinities," Fiorella said, "They don't need to recharge. Even if she could, surely Ines's power would mean nothing to her."

"Well," I said, "It feels really good, if nothing else."

Lauren returned with a bottle of wine and some glasses. We passed it around and poured. We drank.

"So what's up?" Lauren asked.

I summarized.

"So what's a genius loci?" she asked, when I finished.

"The guardian spirit of a place, from the old religion."

"Are they powerful."

"They're immortal. Basically, they're gods."

"Really? Like real gods? Like Jupiter and Diana?"

"No, not quite like those, but still, beyond the power of humans. Milan is a rich city; its spirit is surely great."

"So -- What are we going to do?"

"I don't know."

I looked at Fiorella.

"We're going after them, right?"

She turned pale. She sat down and looked at her sister, reaching out.

"It's Ines," Katia said, grasping her hand, "And Jess too. Maybe you don't care about her, but I do."

"It's a goddess," Fiorella replied.

Katia looked at me, pleading. "You're super powerful, right? You can do something!"

I shrugged my shoulders. I had no idea if I could match against the goddess of a city.

"Perhaps she can be reasoned with?" I said.

"Stupid Americans!" Fiorella exclaimed, "This isn't like your dumb TV shows! This is a goddess of the old world. She cannot be reasoned with."

"Perhaps. I'll try anyway. And maybe, if she won't listen, I can beat her. Katia will come, I'm sure. You can stay behind. It's up to you."

She looked at the floor, then at her sister. "I'll go."

"Do you think you can find her again?" I asked Katia.

"Yes. I know exactly where to go."

Then both sisters looked at me.

"This will take all our power," Fiorella said, "We'll need to recharge. Is this wellspring of yours" -- she motioned to Lauren -- "really so great?"

I smiled. I beckoned to Lauren. She came to me.

"Sweetie, would you recharge us? All of us? We'll need the power."

"Yes. Of course. Anything to save Jess."

I smiled. I took the hands of the sisters and gave each a kiss. Katia returned the kiss warmly. Fiorella's face was unyielding, her lips taut.

Katia and I plopped down on the couch, laying back. She yanked her shorts down. I pulled up my skirt. We both rubbed ourselves through our panties. Fiorella sat down next to me, upright. She held her hands on her knees, then slowly lifted her skirt. She bit her lip and stared at Lauren. I leaned and kissed her again, on the cheek. She ignored me.

Lauren gazed at us. "Who would like to be first?"

"Do Fiorella first," I said. I wanted to watch her melt.

She melted. Lauren started with kisses, leaning into her, caressing her. Her eyes got real big. She gasped as Lauren kissed her neck.

Then down. Lauren undid a button on Fi's blouse. Then another, slowly, looking into her eyes. Soon all the buttons were undone, and Lauren went to work on her nipples.

"Oh my god!" Fioralla exclaimed.

I felt Katia's hands on me. I turned and kissed her, then back to her sister. I leaned and kissed Fiorella. This time, she opened her mouth.

Lauren dropped further, between her legs. Fiorella's panties came down. Lauren went in and licked.

I yanked down my own panties. I tossed them aside and stood on the couch. I straddled Fiorella's face.

"Eat me," I said.

She did. She wrapped her arms around my thighs. She wrapped her lips around my pussy. Her sister scooted close and rubbed my ass. I twisted a bit and touched both their heads. Katia's I stroked gently. Fiorella's I grabbed, yanking her hair and holding her tight to my cunt.

Soon Fiorella was sucking less and panting more. I wasn't surprised. Lauren's power was overwhelming. No witch could hold out long, when Lauren ate her. I kept her face pressed close, though. I wanted my pussy against her mouth when she came.

It happened. Her body went rigid. She jerked. I held her to me, her eyes closed, her mouth opened. Even coming, writhing, and twisting about, she pressed her tongue into my hole.

"Oh fuck!" I groaned. It felt so good.

Fiorella seized up again, one last time. Then she collapsed. She pushed me away from her face.

I plopped down next to her. Lauren came up and they kissed. They kept kissing.

I turned to Katia.

"Wanna go next, sweetie?" I asked.

She grinned. She reached and pulled her panties down. I kissed her and squeezed her nipples. She giggled and kissed me back. Then Lauren came and ate her. She lay back moaning, lost in a world of bliss.

I felt her sister reach around me, from behind. She rubbed my chest. She kissed my neck.

"So -- You like me now?" I asked.

"I like your pussy," she replied.

I smiled. I liked that she liked my pussy.

I sat back and spread my legs. Fiorella dropped down on the floor next to Lauren. She kissed my thighs, licking up my legs. She ran her tongue around the edge of my slit. Then she went in. Her mouth wrapped around my clit. Her tongue pressed in. It probed my hole. She ran it slowly up and down. Then up again. Then around my clit. Sucking, again. I quivered and moaned.

I took Katia's hand. We looked at each other, both hovering on the edge of ecstasy. We were each sitting, leaning back, our legs spread, my skirt pulled up, with such lovely creatures on their knees, eating our cunts.

Katia came. It hit her hard, suddenly. She jerked. Her legs kicked out. She yelped and groaned. She gasped and exhaled. Then she relaxed. Lauren came up, kissing her. They both embraced and laughed.

Fiorella was still eating me.

"Are you ready, my dear?" Lauren asked me.

"Yeah," I said, stroking Fiorella's head, ready to shift to give Lauren access.

Fiorella grabbed me. She looked up at me, with her dark eyes, her mouth pressed to my clit.

"Your wellspring can have you when I'm done," she grunted.

I looked at Lauren. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I guess she's not done."

Fi kept eating my pussy, and Lauren helped me pull off my top. She took a nipple into her mouth. Magic flowed from her lips, through my nipple, and down to my pussy. Waves of pleasure passed back up. I squirmed. I held her head steady against my chest. I rocked my hips, fucking Fiorella's tongue.

The pleasure matched. I felt a weird balance, teetering between Lauren's magic, and Fi's amazing mouth. I hit a plateau, halfway to climax. My body twitched. It lingered. So delicate. I saw Katia watching me, her eyes wide. So lovely. I moaned. My toes curled. I could spend forever this way, just on the edge.

Then it hit me, and the world went away.

I felt my eyes blink, but saw nothing. Then a tingle from down there, my pussy. I felt a mouth on mine. A kiss. A blurry shape resolved into Lauren. Her green eyes! She was smiling.

"Good one?" she asked.

I nodded my head. I wasn't ready for words yet.

"How wonderful," I heard a voice say, Fiorella's. I felt her mouth again. Sensations shot up me.

"Oh! Stop please!" I whimpered. I pulled my knees to my belly.

She stopped. She came up and joined Lauren, kissing me. Then her sister too. Three sets of lips on my face. Three mouths caressing me.

"Shall we pleasure your wellspring?" Fiorella asked.

"Just a second."

I heard wet sounds. I glanced over and saw Katia embrace Lauren, kissing her deeply.

I caught my breath. I relaxed. Then I twitched and curled up. I giggled. I relaxed again.

"Holy crap!" I said.

"What?" Lauren asked, turning to me while rubbing Katia's ass.

"That was good."

Lauren grinned. "Yeah. Looks like!"

I breathed again. Finally, I felt it pass from me, slowly, with little delightful tremors.

I looked at Fi. "Yes, we should indeed pleasure my wellspring."

She smiled. She went and joined her sister, kissing Lauren, who lay back, waiting. I joined them, three girls on one, kissing and sucking every bit of her. She came quickly. She cried out. She laughed and kissed us all.

It was just shy of midday, and the four of us walked north through a grassy piazza. We took a shortcut under an arched passageway, passing into a museum. Crowds of tourists milled about, their faint murmur echoing from the stone walls.

Then out of the museum and into another piazza. We turned a corner, and the Duomo was in front of us.