Chapter 6

Melody knocked on her sister's door but the only answer was a muffled, "Go away! Leave me the fuck alone!" Disregarding her sister's order she opened the door and marched in with Marlin following close behind.

"I told you to leave me the fuck alone!" Malinda screamed and twisted on the bed until she was facing the wall away from them.

"No, we will not, Malinda," Melody stated firmly as she stood up straight looking down at her sister. "We ― I ― want to know how long you have known you had this power and what you have been doing with it."

"It doesn't matter!" Malinda shrieked. "They deserved it! Every God damned fucking one of them!"

"Who deserved it, Malinda?" Melody asked softly.

"The men! The men! Every one of those raping, selfish, merciless bastards!" her sister cried.

"Who hurt you, Malinda?" Marlin knelt beside the bed and put one hand gently on her shoulder. She jerked away from him but he continued reaching until he grasped her again and pulled her over on her back. "Who hurt you so badly you hate all men so deeply?"

"Hates men? How can you say that, Marlin?" Melody gasped. "My God she screws everything on two legs and probably some without legs if they gave her a chance! From what I can see she loves every fucking man on the face of the earth!"

"She didn't love them, Mel," Marlin shook his head as he looked up at her. "She didn't even like them. She didn't make love with any of them; she used them for sex. More than that she drew them in, punished them by having sex with them and then cast them aside. And I doubt if she did it kindly, when she did.

"How many lives did you damage, Malinda?" he asked turning back to the woman on the bed who was now just staring at him blankly. "How many families did you break up trying to satisfy your thirst for revenge? How many chased you and gave until they had nothing more to give and were left with nothing when you casually tossed them away?"

"They deserved it," Malinda whispered. "They all deserved it."

"Who hurt you so bad, Malinda?" Marlin asked again. "Who did this and when?"

"It wasn't Mandy," Melody said shakily from behind him.

"What?" Marlin looked back over his shoulder.

"It wasn't Mandy," Melody stood there white as a sheet staring down at her sister. "It was Maggie, our sister."

Marlin quickly stood up and gathered his love in his arms. "Tell me about it," he commanded softly.

"I was only nine," Melody started listlessly. "Mandy was twelve and Maggie fourteen. She was raped and our niece Tess was the result."

"Did they catch the bastard?" Marlin asked. "Did they know who did it?"

"Oh, we know who did it all right," she laughed humorlessly. "Maggie had no problem picking him out, that's for sure. Dominic Prandle. The Prandles are the largest land owners in the shire. They own just about everything that's worth owning and they sure as hell owned the Shire-rief. He didn't do a God damned thing about it. Just hung his head and refused to look at us when Maggie reported it."

"Was that Tom Binder?" Marlin asked.

"Yep, the same one," she nodded.

"Damn, I liked that old fart," he hissed.

"Nobody around here stands up to the Prandles," Melody shook her head. "They can do pretty much whatever they want."

"Bullshit," he muttered as he released her. Turning around he started pacing back and forth in the room, muttering to himself. Every once in a while he would stop, stare at nothing, scratch his chin and resume pacing. Melody watched him for a moment and then sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at her sister.

"You have been a very bad girl," she said.

"They deserved it!" Malinda protested defensively.

"Some, maybe," Melody partially agreed. "But certainly not all those men deserved what you did to them. Marlin was right, wasn't he? You preyed on them. Setting them up. Sucking them in with your power and then crushing them. Didn't you?"

"You don't know what its like," Malinda responded vehemently. "Having them stare at you night after night. Having them want to do nothing but paw you, rut on you like you were some animal, just some piece of meat to satisfy their lust! Their eyes never leave you: your tits, your ass or legs. Their hands grabbing, fondling ... It's disgusting!"

"Actually I get that pretty much every day and I kind of like it," Melody answered with a quirky smile and looked up at Marlin pacing with fondness. "Not the piece of meat part, but Marlin can't keep his eyes off me nor his hands. It's only fair, I suppose, since I can't keep my hands off of him either."

"Just wait until he finds some new pussy to dip his dick in and drops you like a hot cinder," Malinda hissed.

"Mmm. I suppose it could happen," Melody answered thoughtfully then glanced down at her sister. "But he did a pretty good job of resisting you and you cheated."

"Yeah, well, wait until he finds someone he thinks is pretty," Malinda muttered.

"Oh, he thinks you're pretty, all right," Melody responded. "He admitted he was attracted to you. He said he didn't think he liked you very much but he was certainly attracted to you."

"He told you that?" her sister gasped.

"It doesn't do much good to lie to a truth-teller," Melody smirked. "Besides I don't think Marlin ever really lies. He's pretty good at not telling you everything but he never outright lies."

"He knows you're a witch?" Malinda gasped again.

"Sure. From the first day we met. I told him right up front but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He knew I had some kind of Talent even if he didn't know what it was," Melody continued.

"How? That's impossible! He's just some silly little census taker!"

"Actually I believe he told you he tells everybody he's a census taker but what he does in something different." She paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Mmm, I suppose you could call that a lie but then again it would depend on how he actually says it. Anyway, he's not a census taker."

"Then what the hell is he?" Malinda demanded.

"Marlin," Melody tried to get his attention. "Marlin!"

"What?" he pulled up short breaking out of his deliberations for the moment. "What is it, dear?"

"I'm going to tell Malinda what you really are doing here," she said. "Is that all right?"

"Oh, sure. If you think we should," he nodded and then started pacing and muttering again.

"What do you mean, 'What he's really doing here?'" Malinda asked suspiciously.

"Well, he does work for the Empire," Melody started. "But as I said before he's not a census taker. In fact he's a scout for the Talent Agency..."

"No!" Malinda screamed and backed up in her bed until she was pressed against the wall. "Get him away from me!"

"What?" Marlin jumped startled out of his musings.

"I don't think you're a useless parasite anymore, darling," Melody said dryly. "Now you're more like a scary monster."

"This is better?" he asked. She shrugged.

"He's going to send me to live with those freaks and fiends!" Malinda blubbered.

"Mmm, that would certainly take care of more than one problem," he teased but relented when Melody gave him a scathing look. "But unfortunately your Talent doesn't come up to the level that would require recruitment in the Agency. However the ... er, uniqueness of your Talent might tweak their interest if they found out about it regardless of it's relative strength so I'd be careful of who found out about, it if I were you."

"So you are going to hold it over my head to get what you want, aren't you?" Malinda demanded.

"That would be a marvelous idea," he smiled brightly. "Unfortunately I doubt Melody would let me get away with it. You wouldn't would you, sweetie?"

"Not a chance, buster," Melody chuckled.

"Well, if you ever change your mind..."

"He's telling the truth?" Malinda asked her sister anxiously.

"Every word," Melody nodded. "Including that he thinks it's a 'marvelous' idea," she continued looking at him with narrowed eyes. "But if he says he won't then he won't."

"He's hasn't actually said he wouldn't," Malinda pointed out. "He just said you wouldn't let him get away with it."

"Too true, sister," Melody smirked. "I can see you're beginning to see what it takes to handle my man here. Okay, Mr. Cranson, give her your word."

"I will if you want," he agreed. "But I think you should keep it as at least an option here. Malinda seems to have the morals of a predator. Would it be all that bad to have something to keep her in check? How about if I promise not to hold her Talent over her head if she promises not to use it to prey on men anymore?"

"Mmm, another good point," Melody nodded. "Malinda, from what we've heard so far it sounds like you've been an evil bitch. If Marlin were to promise not to threaten you with exposure would you promise not to use what you have to entrap men?"

"But I can't help it!" Malinda wailed. "I can't control it! If I see a man I want or just want to ... lure him in it just happens! I can't stop it."

"A Talent that can't be controlled?" Marlin mused and scratched his cheek. "I've never heard of that. My guess is you never tried before. If that's the case then we can probably help you work on that."

"You'd do that for me?" Malinda blinked. "You really think I can control it?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," he nodded. "Besides I'd be doing this for your sister's sake. I can't have you getting me excited every time I need to get undressed to take a bath or take my shirt off to cut the grass. I'd have to do something with it and Melody may not live through it," he continued completely deadpanned.

"You think pretty highly of yourself don't you Mr..." Malinda's eyes blazed.

"Mandy," Melody interrupted taking her arm. "He's teasing you," she said glancing at him trying to frown. Then she added just as dryly, "I think I'd live through it. He's the one that might have a problem."

Marlin snorted.

"How about we do this," she continued. "Marlin promises to help you control your Talent and won't threaten to turn you in to the Agency if you promise to really try to control it and not use it to entrap men any longer. Marlin... ?"

"I promise," he nodded.

"Mandy... ?"

"I'll try," Malinda answered. When Melody narrowed her eyes she quickly continued, "Okay, okay. I promise."

"Good," Melody nodded once. "Then I think you should lie here for a while and think about what you've done in the past and what you want to do in the future. A little introspection will be good for you."

"You sound more like Mother than Mother ever did," Malinda grumped. "When did you grow so old?"

"We all grow up, Mandy," Melody smiled patting her arm. "Now is my time and soon it will be yours."

"Why you..." Malinda huffed as Melody jumped up and grabbing Marlin's arm pulled him towards the door. "We'll see you when you're ready." Closing the door behind them she tugged him to a stop and leaned up against his chest.

"Lord, she's a mess," she sighed. "Do you really think you can help her control herself?"

"I think so," he stroked her hair. "If she wants to control it."

Melody sighed and looked up and him. "Do you mind? I really don't feel like doing much else but I'd like to lie down and have your arms wrapped around me."

"That sounds like another marvelous idea to me," he smiled causing her to giggle and slap him lightly on the chest. Arm in arm they strolled off to their bedroom.

They were both sitting down to dinner when Malinda peeked around the corner and then entered the kitchen looking down at the floor sheepishly. Marlin pointed to the open chair with a plate and silverware already waiting for her.

"Feeling better?" Melody asked her sister.

"A little," Malinda admitted reluctantly. "About some things anyway. Not so much about others."

"That's to be expected," Marlin nodded.

"Did you really mean what you said, about helping me control myself?" Malinda continued.

"Sure," he nodded again. "If you really want to control it I think it will be fairly easy to help you do it."

"How?" both sisters asked at the same time and then giggled.

"Well," he stared and put down his fork. "First I think you should try to project on me again. Go ahead, do it now. Don't worry. I'll try not to come across the table and attack you."

"It doesn't work that way," Malinda blushed. "I really can't just turn it off and on like a light switch."

"Okay. Let's see if we can't induce it," Marlin grinned. Reaching under the table he started tickling the inside of Melody's thigh causing her to squirm. "What's this? No panties?" he chuckled and she gasped even if he hadn't reached up far enough to actually tell. Malinda's eyes blazed and suddenly he felt a wave of almost overwhelming lust for his lover's sister sweep over him.

"Oh, yes," he gasped. "That's it."

"Malinda!" Melody exclaimed sharply.

"No, love. That's exactly what I wanted," he panted. "I just wish I'd, ah, adjusted myself before I started playing this game.

"Now, Malinda," he said looking at her. "Close your eyes. Look inside of yourself until you can feel where this is coming from. Can you feel it?" Malinda bit her lip and nodded slightly. "Okay. Now try to stop it. Imagine using your hands to squeeze it off or at least reduce it somehow." Malinda bit her lip again and the feelings started decreasing until he was feeling only minor discomfort and then it finally stopped.

"Good girl!" he grinned as her eyes popped open. "You see, you can control it. The more you do it the easier it will get. At some time you'll be about to even stop it from happening at all unless you want it to."

"That was a dirty trick," Malinda frowned but suddenly looked thoughtful. "But I was able to control it, wasn't I?"

"And how did you know I wasn't wearing panties," Melody demanded then looked over at her sister. "He never got up far enough to know for sure."

"You haven't worn panties with a dress since I've lived here," he sniggered.

"True," Melody replied and shrugged. "I'll give you that one."

"Melody, you slut!" Malinda gasped with a smirk.

"Only for him, Mandy," Melody assured her. "Besides I do so wear them. When we go into town I always have my panties on especially if I'm wearing a dress."

"Also true," Marlin agreed. "So I'll give you that one."

"You'd better," Melody laughed and reached under the table to grab his still rock-hard cock. "What's this? Is she still 'pinging' you?"

"No," he admitted sheepishly. "It just takes a little while for it to ... settle down. Of course what you're doing isn't helping and add to that the fact that what both of you are wearing would make a granite statue stand tall and proud."

"Sorry," Malinda looked ashamed. "I'll try to dress a little less provocatively from now on. This is just normally what I wear."

"Don't change on my account," Marlin shook his head. "Wear what makes you feel comfortable. While I do appreciate the view I'll try to save my lecherous looks for Melody's backside."

"Right where they belong," Melody laughed again as she released him.

"Yes, dear," he smiled at her but then turned back towards Malinda. "There is one thing I think we should talk about though. When we first met. When you, ah, found us in the living room you expressed a desire for a drink; a beer or vodka to be exact. I take it you like a drink now and then?"