The Stone Basin Coven Part 2: The Coven Attacked

It was just after one in the afternoon when I woke up. Tiffany was asleep and I was spooning her. I relished her warmth against my skin. It pained me to leave her and the bed, but nature was calling.

After throwing on the only clothes I had with me, the dress that I chose as my costume's tunic, I made my way to the downstairs bathroom so I wouldn't disturb her, and then proceeded into the kitchen.

Figuring Tiffany would wake up soon I setup and started a pot of coffee. While I waited for it to brew I marveled at how I seemed to know my way around the kitchen, the whole house even. I quickly came to the conclusion that I was subconsciously accessing Tiffany's memories through our bond. It was my only explanation for the ease at which I navigated the rooms that I had never even set foot into before.

Sipping from a cup of coffee I began re-evaluating my life. Yesterday if I had been told what I would have experienced, the scientist in me would have denied the possibility. Magic, mystical bonds, demons, and all that were things of stories and movies, not reality. Now I was so deep in it and I would never want to return to the way I was.

My stomach rumbled and a desire for pancakes made me go to a cabinet. Soon I was mixing the batter.

I've never had a craving for pancakes before in my life, or even knew how to make them. There was only one explanation...

'You're awake aren't you?' I thought.

I knew she was laughing despite not being able to hear it. I was answered by her thought: 'I'll be down shortly, thank you for volunteering to make breakfast, or lunch.'

When Tiffany entered the kitchen I was awestruck. She stood in the doorway in a sapphire blue silk nightgown that barely went below her crotch. I fought to quell the desires I felt rising in me.

She smiled. "Well I see you appreciate this," She waved a hand down her torso before walking over to me and kissing my cheek, "and you did well controlling that appreciation my dear. Oh look you're making my favorite breakfast." She flashed me a knowing smile as she took the plate.

After we had eaten our early afternoon breakfast we sat in silence holding hands and staring lovingly at one another while drinking our coffee.

Tiffany squeezed my hand firmly and finally broke the silence. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. We must teach you all that you should have learned well in advance of the final bonding ceremony. I know you have questions, after all you are someone who lives to find answers."

"Yes I do. Like why me? Why us? What was the meaning of the ceremony you put me through?"

She pulled me from the table and lead me to a sparsely decorated room. There was a pile cushions in the corner as well as two in the middle of the room. I recognized some of the symbols decorating the walls, all represented the elements of earth. "This is our Gaia Room. It's where we commune with Mother Gaia. This is exactly where your story began. But first my story."

She motioned for me to sit on a cushion. I feel a mischievous vibe from Tiffany as I sat cross-legged on the cushion. "I'm about to become a captive audience aren't I? What would Mother Gaia think?"

She laughed as the material formed around me. "You've seen the bonding ceremony garb the Brothers wear, what do you think she would think?" A moment later my body was encased in white from the neck down and my legs were held inseparably crossed with my forearms attached to my thighs.

She sat across from me mirroring my enforced pose when her magical garb assumed the same restraining form as mine. "There now we match." She gave me a smile that turned somber quickly.

"To start with let me explain what happens normally. When a Gaian is no longer able to perform her or his duties, wether it be due to age, injury, or death, they and their partner must leave the coven. The Priestesses and their Brothers pray to Mother Gaia for 24 hours. At the end of the last hour Mother Gaia transports three initiates to the place of the prayers. Much like yourself, the initiates usually do not even know their magical potential. I was an exception, I had known of my magic since I was very young.

The initiates are housed in the former Sister's home and taught the Gaian ways and magics by the Priestesses. When the High Priestess deems them ready, they go to the Gaia Room and pray for Mother Gaia's guidance and blessings in their search for a brother. Once they have a vision of where their potential mate is they leave the valley and will return with them once the first bonding process has been completed. You went through this when I first brought you home, with a few of my pre-casted prep spells delivered by the Brothers who worked with you.

Then the bonded mate undergoes his training by the initiate whom he is bonded to. When the initiate believes their partner is ready they go through the final bonding ceremonies; first the Communal of Brothers to open you to the Brothers' combat gestalt, then the Offerings of the Sisters to impart knowledge, and finally the Bonding of the Brother, where the bond is consecrated and sealed in the presence of the coven.

The first initiate whose mate completes the three sacraments and successfully forms a full bond becomes the newest coven member."

"What happens to the other two initiates? Where are the other two selected with you?"

"Normally they are offered a choice to have their memories removed, or they can join a Wicca coven. Either way if they have already began the bonding process the male stays with them." A tear fell from the corner of her eye and I could feel the sadness in her.

"We were selected last November, the Sister and Brother this house belonged to disappeared a few days before the sealing without a trace. We began training immediately but one of us didn't even get a chance to complete her training, she was found just after the New Year by snowmobilers, officially she was mauled by a 'bear'." I knew she was implying the bear was really a demon.

"The other initiate left town in the spring to find her mate, she had reported in that she bonded with him and would return. We later found our he was found dead a few days later and she was the only suspect the police had. Since she was bonded already she could not start over with a new man and now is cursed to never find fulfillment with another. She was surely innocent but went into hiding and never returned."

She fell silent and her sorrow swept over me, survivor's guilt I've heard it called. "Which left you." I prodded.

"Which left me," she sighed in response, "Mother Gaia had yet to bless me with a vision. Since I was unable to leave town, for personal reasons, I thought maybe Mother Gaia didn't offer any visions because my mate was here already.

I started following a man I've known most of my life, waiting for a sign. He was born to the local Wicca coven so I knew he had potential." More tears rolled down Tiffany's cheeks. "He was found murdered at the base of the obelisk with a note written in his blood; 'There will be more if you continue.' The police were baffled by the meaning of the note but we knew. Any man I would try to bond with would be killed. Andrew was killed because I had shown interest in him as a Brother and the others were killed just to prevent the coven from being whole." She burst into full fledged crying.

She released herself from the bindings of the magic garment and quickly left the room as it was still changing back to the lingerie she was wearing earlier. I waited helplessly for ten minutes until she returned.

Kneeling next to me she kissed me. "I'm sorry Doug, I needed to compose myself before continuing. I didn't want to be crying as I explained how you came to be here with me, that is a happier story."

Tiffany straddled me and sat down on my legs facing me. She wrapped her legs and arms around my torso. The next moment she was bound to me by her magic garment, her head on my shoulder. She leaned into me before continuing.

"As you heard last night, it had been a long time since this coven had been whole when the sealing spell was cast. With each passing year the seal grew a little weaker due to the ceremonies not being properly completed. The High Priestess had a vision that the Demonican could defeat the seal if we did not fully restore it.

Knowing this I prayed longer and more energetically to Mother Gaia for guidance. Finally she came to me while I was meditating; she told me my Brother would come to Stone Basin this summer. Once I had identified him I was to keep my distance to protect him. I was to forego the bonding until the day of sealing and not train him until after the seal was restored to full strength.

I shared this with the coven and there were doubts if it was real or my imagination, hell I even doubted it myself, but after praying to Mother Gaia themselves, the Priestesses confirmed I truly had the vision.

The day you arrived in town... When I saw you the first time, I just felt it in my soul that it was you."

She kissed the side of my head.

"In the past our coven has shadowed or assisted researchers and amateur investigators, basically to ensure they never discovered the truth. So your mission to investigate the Basin gave the coven a reason to stay close to you without raising the demons' suspicions.

In the meantime I fought against every fiber of my being to not come near you.

Then came the time for us to set the plan in motion to lead you into my arms. The flier for the dance was enchanted to compel you to attend, and then I just waited until you were alone, cast a seduction spell on you to ensure I would get you here to begin the binding spell. I guess the demons had assumed it was too late for me to bond and had ceased following me by then."

"So you've basically creeped on me for the last five months. Not sure if I should be flattered or concerned" I made sure to feel overly humored with my statement.

"I'd settle for both. You'll be a target now, the least trained member of the coven. You are the weakest link for now, you must keep your head on a swivel."

I felt a pit of dread form with that warning. Then I felt the dread was external, it was someone else's fear I felt. "Do you feel that? You better release us!"

Tiffany looked shocked as we untangled ourselves. "What is the matter?"

I didn't answer her as I ran for the front door. I was unsure how to even answer.

As I exited onto the front walk I felt a new spell open to me and cast it. My clothes shifted once more, this time becoming a black bodysuit with orange trim. The bodysuit wasn't padded, yet I could sense it was as resilient as body armor.

I felt surprise from my fellow Brothers that their newest member had opened the battle gestalt and then fear as they realized only six of us were in it. The Brother of Emerald Owl had not joined. I angled my run to the only house that I could not sense a Brother from.

I could see on my approach that the front door handle had been pulled from door itself. I could feel the fear emanating from upstairs as I pushed past the broken door.

"...did you fully restore the seal with an incomplete coven?" The voice was deep yet feminine. "She could not have bonded with anyone, we would have known it!"

The sight before me as I entered through the shattered bedroom door was hard to accept. Emerald Owl was trapped on her own bed, tightened strips from the sheets holding her down to the bed, pressing her naked body against the bare mattress at the ankles, knees, chest and wrists. Her hands were balled into the fabric and there was a band of the sheet was running through her mouth obstructing her ability to speak properly. Her Brother was suspended against the wall similarly by what appeared to be bands of wood.

The 'woman' that stood over Emerald Owl was built like a female body builder, but with what appeared to be bony protrusions along her arms. As she turned toward me I could see the protrusions also ran along her jawline right up to the large pointed ears.

"The researcher? Impossible, she was never near him!" She looked me dead in the eyes with a cold soul stealing stare.

I glanced over my shoulder looking for more of the Brothers. I opened my mind and I could clearly feel the helpless man to my left, but the others I could barely sense. Amongst them one presence glowed like a beacon to me; Tiffany, who was praying desperately. I understood I was within a barrier the others could no longer pass through and she feared for the three of us.

I was alone against a demon with two hostages. The knowledge gifted to me from the Sisters was immediately available; spells, tips, and techniques at my fingertips. I began casting a protection spell and an attack bolt simultaneously.

"How are you a Brother? Never mind, it does not matter since you all will be dead soon!" Her smirk revealed pointed teeth that I was sure could rip a man's throat out. "Don't think I can't tell what you're doing. Let's make it a game; you protect the one of them you want to die last, and they will watch as you and the other die." She held up a glowing orb in each hand. "You can't protect them both at once and you're definitely not strong enough to defeat me in one shot."

She was right on both counts, the attributes of the spells worked best in smaller areas. The protection spell was essentially a two way mirror allowing those inside to cast outward but spells cast from outside were deflected away. I could control its shape and widen it to protect both Emerald Owl and her Brother but in their current situation it would be too thin to withstand an attack. The bolt was the most powerful attack spell I currently knew, but it was weak, and would get even weaker if split for a multi-directional attack.

"Futile choices I know. Mayhap if you sacrifice yourself I will let them live." The evil smile she gave me made me doubt her offer was valid, and from the High Priestess's increased struggles she didn't believe it either.

It was a no-win situation. If we were going to survive I was going to need to think outside the box. I needed to free my fellow Gaian and contain the demon.

Inspiration struck and with a prayer to Mother Gaia I let free the spells.

The demon almost attacked until she realized I cast the protection spell at her and the attack bolt at her captives.

I pictured in my mind the bolt splintering into several smaller ones aimed at the hand, arm, and chest bindings as well as the gags of the older couple. I hoped the mini-bolts were strong enough to free them without causing injury.

The demon roared in anger as she realized my plan to free her prisoners. Just as the protection spell was going to envelope her I tugged at its shape with my mind.

"You fool you just made me all the harder for you to defeat" She launched her attack and was spun around when it reflected back into her. "What is this?"

I charged up another attack bolt in each hand and cast them both at her, they passed through the protection spell and hit her in the chest leaving char marks on her clothing. "I changed the rules bitch!"

Emerald Owl looked on shocked before she and her Brother both began peppering the demon with spells also.

'Brother Sky,' I heard the High Priestess's voice in my head, 'I am temporarily giving you access to the spell that will vanquish the demon. We are both too weak to cast it against such a powerful enemy, brace yourself it takes much spiritual energy to use. We will keep her distracted.'

The spell that popped into my head was more complex than the simple 'think-then-use' spells I had been performing, so I began the hand gestures and a chant required. My forearm began glowing in a white light.

As I reached the end of the spell I looked back at the demon and she looked smaller than when I first came in and the protruding bone structure was less pronounced. "Now, do it now!" yelled Emerald Owl.

While casting the spell I failed to notice that the demon had been physically attacking the protection spell from the inside until I saw it burst. I let loose the white blast and it struck her in the chest. White fire burned outward from the point of impact, when the flames dissipated she was gone.

Somewhere during the fight Emerald Owl and her mate had freed themselves completely from their restraints. Now they stood there holding each other for a moment before they both turned toward me.

"I hope I didn't hurt you when... oof!" The still nude High Priestess had closed the gap between us and wrapped me up in a big hug.

"That was ingenious Doug!" She seemed genuinely happy despite what had occurred. "How did you make the protection spell work in reverse? I thought we were all done for."

I could sense Tiffany's frantic approach before I could hear her calling my name. I broke the embrace with the head of the coven and met the woman who had taken my heart as she entered the room. I could feel her relief as she collapsed into my arms. "By the Goddess when I couldn't feel you I thought I lost you already!" She pulled away to look me in the face. "What were you thinking? You're not trained in defense yet!"

"Tiff, he did more than fine, he saved us. Without him your father and I would be dead by now."

Tiffany looked back to me in shock. I was processing my own shock that I felt learning that Emerald Owl was Tiffany's mother. That meant I have had sex...

Tiffany's thoughts interrupted my own, 'Better to not think of it that way my love, it was a ritual only to give you knowledge, nothing more.'

I saw Priestess Golden Moon and her Brother enter the room. They were wearing outfits like mine with the trim in the colors of their name. "No more demons in the house, the others are checking the ward stones, one of them must have been destroyed." The tall dark skinned woman still spoke with the African accent she had in the times when she worked as my assistant, telling me at least some of her life story she shared at the time was true.

I watched as Emerald Owl and her husband's naked bodies became wrapped in green fluid, a second later they were dressed as the rest of us in the black bodysuit. "The demon that attacked us was not strong enough to disrupt a ward stone."

'Everyone be on guard, we have at least one more extremely powerful intruder in the vicinity.' Emerald Owl's voice once more entered my mind, but this time there was more urgency to her tone.

I could 'hear' background noise that I assumed was directed telepathic communication, almost as if you had a bleed over radio signal. The look on Emerald Owl's face showed her grave concern.

'Pink Mountain and Black Deer are under attack at the northwest ward stone, you three Brothers go and assist them, Azure Elm and Magenta River will join you soon.'

The three of us began the chant for the displacement spell, choosing our destination based on knowledge gleaned from our Brothers at the location.

"Doug stop! You're not..." I failed to hear the rest of my Sister's demand as I slipped between locations. Her intent was obvious but the High Priestess commanded I go.

I could feel her seething in anger, partly at me for disobeying her, but mostly at her mother ordering me to go. Seeing what stood before me, I could understand why.

On the edge of the woods there stood a demon that was about eight foot tall with horns resembling those of a ram. His body reminded me of the old disproportioned He-man action figures, broad torso with a small waist and powerful arms and legs.

Sisters Pink Mountain and Black Deer were busy casting on a rock that appeared to be split into large chunks. Their Brothers stood over them repeatedly casting protection spells that the demon would immediately bust through with a physical attack. If there had been only one of them they would be dead already.

A voice broke into my mind. 'Mountain, Deer; maintain the defense of your Sisters. Moon, Sky; we're the distraction. Keep him busy until Azure Elm and Magenta River arrive.'

I immediately fired off two bolts that hit him just in front of the ear.

He slowly turned his head toward me, his glare filled with evil intent. "That was a pitiful excuse for an attack. You are not even worth the effort"

He took one step toward me and swung his arm to backhand me.

I instinctively cast two protection spells which took the brunt of the hit before failing. The impact still sent me flying backwards and knocked the wind out of me.

The demon looming over me was jarred by attacks cast by Brothers Owl and Moon. He turned his attention toward the older men.

As I struggled to get myself up again I realized that Tiffany was right; I shouldn't have come. I was a liability to the others because I could not pull my weight in battle yet.

Despite my apparent uselessness I could not give up. I fired off a few more attacks only to be utterly ignored.

The demon was focusing on attacking the others as the immediate threat and they were holding their own by mixing defense and attack spells. I needed a more powerful attack if I was to help them.

A peculiar sensation washed over me, not unlike the rush of shared knowledge I got when the High Priestess had me use the vanquishing spell. I suddenly knew that with a slight alteration to the spell my magical bolts would be stronger. But there was also another spell that was far more complicated. Like the vanquishing spell, this spell would require a vocal casting and gesticulations. I had no idea what it did but whomever shared this with me must have thought it would make a difference in the battle.

With a wary eye on the demon I began casting the mystery spell. As the final syllable of the spell left my lips I watched for the effect.

At first I feared I had not successfully cast the spell until I noticed the unnerving silence. I looked around and noticed nobody was moving. I stared in disbelief for a moment as I saw the green glow coming from Brother Owl's hand stretched into a short beam. I had slowed time to a near crawl.

The scientific side of me immediately told me it was logistically improbable to affect such a large area, more than likely I had accelerated my own passage in time and I only perceived everything else as slowed.

I wasn't sure how long the spell lasted so I decided it was time to act.

I began casting the stronger attack bolt spell and fired off a quick salvo of five bolts picturing a bolt hitting the demon behind each knee, on each temple, and the last on his forehead.

I watched as his knees buckled and his head snapped back, causing him to tumble in slow motion. Shock showed on the faces of the Brothers as they saw their opponent collapse.

The demon appeared to be rolling onto his hands and knees and looked my way. I wasn't sure if he could see me but the energy that began stretching toward me from his eyes told me he had at least an idea where I was. I moved off to my left, away from the ward stone. The demon looked shocked as he tried to follow my movements proving he could see or sense me. His attack scorched the ground a good ten feet behind me. He could follow my movements, but not fast enough.

As he ever so slowly rose to his feet I fired one of the weaker bolts at him to try to keep his attention. Earlier that same attack he had barely acknowledged, but this time to my surprise the impact with his shoulder almost threw him off balance.

I casually kept moving and hit him with an attack every few steps. I saw him aiming to lead me and I took a few sidesteps before backtracking.

The look of anger he wore slowly morphed into one of confusion. I was mentally patting myself on the back for throwing him off... until the three spots of familiar white flame erupted from his torso and began consuming him.

Understanding the threat had been neutralized had apparently caused me to start decellerating back into natural time.

All of the sudden I felt overwhelmed with stimuli, everything was too bright and too loud. My muscles hurt to the point I howled in pain. I collapsed into Tiffany's arms as she arrived just in time to catch me. I could hear her speak to me but I was too distracted to comprehend the words. A burning sensation had consumed the underside of my left wrist, adding to my condition. I felt the effects of her displacement spell whisking us away just as I blacked out.

The Stone Basin Coven 3: Finding Home

I slowly opened my eyes to see the stone ceiling of the Sanctum. I looked around me, I must have been in a different room than I was in for the bonding ceremonies as the obelisk's base was not protruding from the ceiling.

My head was pounding as I lay nude on the cold stone table. I tried to swing my feet over the side but they hit an invisible barrier.

I propped myself up. "Hello! Tiffany?" I tried to reach out to her with my thoughts but I couldn't feel her. I assumed it was because of the headache.

Golden Moon entered from the door, her dark skin contrasting with her mustard colored gown. "We didna expect you to be awake for a few more hours Brudda Sky!"

"Ay'isha what is going on? Why am I in this?" I say taping the barrier.

"Address me properly while in da Sanctum Brudda Sky. Title and/or my coven name, dat is proper." She gave off the air of a disappointed teacher.

"I'm sorry Priestess Golden Moon! I... I..."

She gave me a dismissive wave. "No memory loss, dat is good. Head hurts, yes?" I nod. "Typical, time magicks will do dat, and more often much worse. You, you are lucky my young friend, you are much too inasperienced for dat kinda spell. Who teaches you dis Quickening spell? Was it your Sista?"

"Tiff... Umber Sky? I don't know, maybe. After I took a hit from the demon the spell entered my mind, like when the High Priestess had me vanquish the demon in her house."

"No Umber Sky was too far away to share da spell." She said with a frown.

"Then one of the other Sisters or Brothers must have..."

Golden Sun interrupted me. "No only YOUR Sista or a Priestess can share a spell wid you." She looked frustrated. "Tell da true Brudda, no one dere could ave shares da spell with you, you must ave been taught it, traditionally like."

"You want me to say Umber Sky..." The words caught in my throat and I could not finish the sentence.

"As Umber Sky said she did not teach him Quickening, or any other spells yet." Emerald Owl walked in. "He cannot even say a lie theoretically. Which means there was only one way he could have had access to that spell."

"Her divine intervention." Golden Moon said in awe.

"So does that mean I can get out of this fish tank?" I tap the barrier again.

"You are in that 'fish tank' for your protection as well as ours." Emerald Owl let her sadness show. "The demon you fought at the edge of the woods has cursed you. Look at your wrist."

I remembered the pain I had as I transitioned back to normal time and looked at my left wrist. It now bore a tattoo that featured a circular spider web pattern surrounded by a dozen or so outward pointing triangles.

Golden Moon spoke up. "Until we know what dat mark does boy, you must stay in dere, as the High Priestess says 'for your protection and ours', cut off from physical and mental touch. The ahders, dey are looking for what dis curse is so we can remove it."

"I don't think this mark is a curse." I say as I stared at it.

"What makes you tink you know better dan us with your sole day of asperience as a Gaian Brudda?"

"I've seen this emblem before, last summer, it is what brought me here."

Golden Moon looked like she was going to make a comment but was interrupted by Emerald Owl's hand on her shoulder. "Go on, where have you seen this? How did it lead you to our home?"

"The mountain of Watzmann, in the Bavarian Alps, local legend was that there was a cave that was the tomb of a group of ancient mystics. My employer G.A.I.A. sent me there with a map they had come to possess that supposedly led to the cave. I found and explored the cave all the way to the deepest part where it ended in a chamber. The chamber walls were covered with glyphs, and this symbol with twelve similar symbols around it. They all shared the same centerpiece..." I trace the outer ring of the spiderweb pattern, "...but the outside of each had different marks around the outside, triangles, arches, waves, etcetera, alternating in size as they went around, just like this." I add as I indicated to the triangles on my wrist.

"How did dis place... bring you here Brudda?" Golden Moon asked with a much less confrontational tone.

"I researched the glyphs and symbols, ran image recognition programs. The glyphs were a bust, and one of the symbols was a 90 percent match to a road layout in an aerial photo of a town in China founded in the late 1800s, but all the symbols were an 80 percent match to an aerial photo of a geological site that was possibly naturally occurring and far older than the town in China, and one the people that drew them would not likely have even seen in person because it was on a different landmass. That was a mystery my boss Tara Solis could not resist. And I was sent here to Stone Basin to continue my research."

"Sister Umber Sky! Get in here!"

Tiffany entered the room wearing her orange gown with her arms held behind her back in a green sleeve and her lower face and neck covered in some sort of collar and mask combination in the same color. She wouldn't make eye contact with me.

"Why is she restrained? Please don't punish her for my mistakes!" Tiffany looked up at me and I could see the fearful warning in her eyes that I was making matters worse.

Emerald Owl walked over to Tiffany and with a hand on her chin she directed her daughter's gaze to meet her own. "Your Sister's punishment is her own doing, she forgot her place and raised her voice to me. Isn't that right dear?" Tiffany tried to look away but was thwarted by her mother's grip on her chin. "However, with this new development, you may have earned her a reprieve. Do you have documentation of this cave?"

"Yes of course, I have all my notes, sketches, and photos stored on my laptop back at my apartment."

Tiffany and her mother were in a staring contest for a few seconds before Tiffany nodded. In the next instant Tiffany's hands were free and the muzzle was gone. She cast the displacement spell and disappeared, only to return a moment later with my laptop under her arm.

I grimaced when I noticed she hadn't brought the power cable. "Dear you may have to go back for the charger, the battery was almost dead yesterday."

"You still have much to learn yet my Brother, our Sanctum has been able to power all electrical devices wirelessly for decades." She opened the laptop and entered my password without even having to ask for it. "High Priestess you must see this!"

Tiffany made a motion with her hands and the screen was projected on the wall. Emerald Owl and Golden Moon walked over and viewed the images as Tiffany cycled through the files.

Emerald Owl turned to me and had a book in her hand that she hadn't had a moment before. She opened it and turned it toward me. "These are the same glyphs right?" She didn't wait for a response as she turned the book again and began reading.

"I begin this new journal as we have arrived in America and start our pilgrimage through the methods of normal man to the Demonican Gateway. My Sisters and I are bringing as many of our spell books as possible, the rest we left at the straw room. After we have established a new sanctum at the settlement that has been started near the gateway we will return to the straw room to retrieve what has been left behind." She looked up from the book and turned to me. "In relation to this cave, does the straw room mean anything to you Brother Sky?"

"Maybe... it could be slightly mistranslated. The village at the base of Watzmann is Berchtesgaden, that name can be loosely translated as 'hay shed'." A sudden thought crossed my mind. "You can read this language? What does it say in the pictures?"

"It is the written language of Mother Gaia, but I cannot read the writing in your photographs, there is more to it that the camera cannot capture. Golden Moon, If you please."

Golden Moon approached and eyed me with apprehension. "Are you sure he is safe?"

"If this symbol is so prominently featured here, and I am correct about this place, than yes I am sure."

Without further protest, the lesser Priestess waved her hands and I could once more feel Tiffany's presence and thoughts, it made me feel whole again. I leapt off the table before they could change their mind and trap me on it again. Magically I was once more in my Gaian Robe.

Tiffany rushed past Golden Moon and wrapped me in her arms. 'Twice in an hour you made me think you were dead!' Her thought reached me with her mess of emotions. 'Please stay out of trouble for a while, I can't take much more right now.'

She tried to hide it but I could see the memory of her anger driven words with Emerald Owl for sending me into danger. Tiffany actually slapped the High Priestess, her own mother, in the face. Over me. Guilt welled up inside me that I had driven a wedge between mother and daughter.

'We will discuss this later my love. The High Priestess waits patiently to make her point.' She told me telepathically.

Tiffany breaks our hug but takes my hand in an iron grip. I turn my attention to Emerald Owl and her book.

I'm shocked by what I see. The glyphs visible to the naked eye now contained elements that had previously been invisible to me. I noticed that glyphs I thought were identical no longer were.

"I can read it!"

"Yes, now that Mother Gaia's energy once more flows through you." Emerald Owl said with a smile.

"I mean I can read, no wait, I can comprehend the writings!"

"That was knowledge we shared with you in the ceremony. Could you imagine the learning curve if we did not? It would be years before you would be able to read any of the sacred books." She looks at Golden Moon. "Now that I think about it; he has a leg up on past neophyte Brothers, they couldn't read the tomes during their preliminary training."

"Hmm, dat may be da trud Sista. T'will be interesting to see if dat is a benefit to em, or be temptations." Golden Moon turns to the image yet displayed on the wall. "Emerald Owl, shall I go wit Bruda Sky to da cave, see if you are right about it?"

"No I'll take him, it is my responsibility to complete what my predecessors failed to do."

"What is this cave to you? I mean other than it being an old Gaian site, why is it special?"

"Wid your new information, we believe dis place is our lost Sanctum. The one da High Priestess read to you about."

"Because it took so long for our immigrating predecessors to complete this new Sanctum, the only ones who knew the way to it had died or were too frail to travel to the old one as planned. The old Sanctum and all it's contents were effectively lost." Emerald Owl elaborated. "Until now, since you have been there you can cast a displacement to get us there, which will allow us both to take others later. We will finally retrieve our ancient library, our lost history."

I could feel their collective sorrow, and the glimmer of hope shining through. A hope I feared I was about to extinguish.

"But I've been to the deepest part of the cave several times, there were no other cavern chambers, no side passages, there weren't even any man-made artifacts aside from that." I indicate the magically projected image from my laptop.

"Yes, but you were not open to your Gaian side then, for all we know one of those says 'push here to open' and you couldn't read it."

I squeeze Tiffany's hand and she meets my gaze. "Ready for a trip my Sister?"

Suddenly there was an overwhelming tension in the room and Tiffany dropped my hand from her grip. "I... I... can't." She fled the chamber. I reached out to her with my mind to ask what I did and apologize but she was blocking my access.

I went to follow her but Emerald Owl grabbed my arm. "No Doug, Tiff needs to cool off. Leaving town can be sore subject for her."

"But she's upset, and I am her Brother... her soul-mate... I should..."

"It has been a bit of a roller coaster for her emotionally today and she hit her breaking point, if you go near her right now you may be affected by her instability. She knows it, that is why she left so abruptly. She warned you about emotional feedback loops?" I remember Tiffany's warning about our arousal spiraling out of control, though I hadn't understood that other emotions would also be affected the same, but it made sense so I nod my head. "Good! A bit of extra distance may be in order. Ay'isha... Sorry! I know protocol... Golden Moon, will you see to Sister Umber Sky please? Or maybe delegate it to Azure Elm if you think she needs a softer hand."

"Of course High Priestess, we will see to Sista Umber Sky." The Priestess kissed my cheek. "Brudda, I will tell ya Sista that we had to restrain you from following her." She turned and headed for the archway Tiffany disappeared through.

"Okay Doug, do you know how to do this or was your earlier displacement instinctual?"

"I know the spell, but... I knew where to go based on what my Brothers on scene sent me. This is blind, how am I supposed to aim our... landing?"

"Just picture it from your memory dear and cast the spell. Trust in Mother Gaia to not bring us out in solid rock. Picture the entrance, the cave itself may be protected from displacement."

I reached out and took Emerald Owl's offered arm in my own and pictured the cave's entrance. I utter the two word spell.

The sensation of movement ends abruptly and is replaced by buffeting frigid winds and blinding snow.

"Hold on to me!" I yelled hoping Emerald Owl could hear me over the wind. I feared if we got separated she would be lost in the maelstrom.

Praying I landed near where I had pictured I moved forward blindly until I found the stone slope. As I found it I moved my hand left feeling for the edge of the outcropping hiding the entrance hoping it is near. I remember the first forty feet of the cave consists of a switchback that runs parallel to the slope face before turning deeper into the mountain.

I crept along until my hand found the concealed edge of the cave's outer wall. I pulled us in to the partially effective shelter of the cave opening.

With the storm outside, even at the mouth of the cave, it was nearly pitch black. One day being magical and I already broke all three rules of field work; check the weather, dress appropriately, be properly equipped.

I could feel the High Priestess shivering, just as I was. "We better go back."

I started casting the displacement spell once more

A voice screamed into my mind 'Stop!'

Compelled by the telepathic command I fell silent before completing the spell. Through chattering teeth she continued, "We are this close, we must find out."

"I'm sorry High Priestess, I let your enthusiasm push me blindly into this. We are ill prepared and chilled to the bone, not to mention in complete darkness. We need to regroup and do this smart."

"No we stay, we can regroup here." She let go of my arm and began chanting in her spell casting voice and I tried to memorize the words that she uttered. Soon the darkness was being pushed back by a small ball of light that was forming between her outstretched hands. The ball grew as she moved her hands around it. The light sphere also caused the ambient temperature to steadily increase.

When she completed the spell she sighed in relief. "We can dry out with this, but it doesn't last long. After that we will change our robes into something more environmentally suited." She looked away for a few moments before continuing. "You were right of course, I let my enthusiasm color my logic. Our coven has been trying to find our way back here for several generations. I really didn't want to let the opportunity pass as the generation that migrated had."

As the sphere's effect began to wane we changed our now dry robes into warm clothes and boots. "High Priestess what are we to do when this burns out. We will be in the dark again, and I do not know the cave that well."

"Despite what Ay'isha may tell you, you can call me Linda. She is the only one that insists on that old protocol all the time. Now as far as the darkness... we have an app for that."

"Uhhhhh... my phone is in my SUV back at Tiffany's" The older woman gave me a raised eyebrow glance that displayed a bit of sarcastic humor. "Oh you meant spell when you said app, gotcha!"

Looking inward I find an illumination spell that I had learned from the shared knowledge. I realize I need to familiarize myself with the knowledge I have been gifted with. Instinct and recommendations will only take me so far.

"Best in this situation to enchant your own gloved hand. A word of advice, when you use the Illumination spell, don't focus it on your dominant hand. Accidentally blinding yourself because of an itchy eye is no fun, and it keeps your dominant hand free for reflexive casting."

With our gloves acting as torches we made our way forward. I let the High Priestess, Linda, set the pace and we were moving slow. Slow enough for my mind to wander back on Tiffany's issue with leaving town.

It had been mentioned earlier by her that she could not leave town for personal reasons. The only things I could think of that would fit this statement were if she had a medical condition that required treatment regularly, a psychosomatic phobia of leaving town, or legal trouble such as probation or parole.

"It is far more complicated than that Doug."

I'm sure I looked like a dear in the headlights, Emerald Owl must have been talking to me and I had been too distracted to notice. I had no idea what she was talking about, or how to respond to it.

She gave me an apologetic smile as I struggled to admit my poor attentiveness. "You didn't miss any conversation, I was responding to your mental ruminations. Even without the telepathic ability granted me as a Priestess to communicate to the coven, I'm also naturally a passive telepath, what some may call mind reading. I sense others thoughts but cannot influence others or project my own. An ability I have put to good use as a psychiatrist, but I do have to constantly suppress my ability in crowds. Since it was just the two of us, I relaxed my psychic guards, allowing me to overhear your thoughts."

She lowered herself to the cave floor and sat cross-legged. She indicated that I should join her as she began the same spell she used to make the mini sun that dried us out a little while ago, except it seemed shorter with a smaller ball of energy.

I assumed the same pose next to her and she let out a slight sigh. "I was going to let Tiffany tell you in her own time... but circumstances have changed and since she was too young to know the whole story first hand I will tell you."

'And you're not sure she can handle it after the emotional outburst earlier.' I think to myself.

"Yeah, pretty much." She placed her hand on my knee. "Sorry I'll try to curb my telepathy a little more. Though we didn't know it at the time it started 24 years ago yesterday..."

"The day before Tiffany and I were born."

"Today is your 24th birthday also?" Linda was genuinely surprised by this and I felt a sense of wonder in her as I nod my head. "Well anyway our coven was preparing for the sealing ritual and the High Priestess at the time recommended Jack and I sit out because of my being nine months pregnant. But with a week until the due date, I thought we would be fine." I held back on verbalizing the anticipated next words and allowed her to continue. "I was of course wrong. My water broke as we began the last stanza of the spell.

We completed the ritual and Jack immediately displaced us home and changed our Gaian robes back to street clothes before loading me into the car and driving me to the hospital. Little Tiffy was born three hours later, a healthy baby."

She looked to the ceiling for a moment before she continued. "Just a few months after Tiffy turned four Jack's mother called to tell him their next door neighbor, who was his best friend growing up back east, and his wife died in a car accident. We decided to kill two birds with one stone and get in a quick visit while attending the funeral.

As you know the nearest commercial airport is a two hour drive away, so we were driving down the mountain on our way there when Tiffy started complaining about feeling sick. I first thought she was just car sick, but I turned around to check on her a few moments later she was unconscious and her lips were turning blue.

Of course we went into a controlled panic, Jack pulled off the road long enough for me jump into the back to tend to her while he turned the car around to head to the hospital.

I was about to perform rescue breathing when her color returned and she snapped awake. We figured that she must have swallowed the obstruction and decided to return to our journey.

We were barely back on the road when she began complaining about feeling sick again. We immediately stopped. I had a theory and I took her from the car and walked back toward town. As we got closer and she started to become more cheerful. I turned back and as We approached the car her condition worsened. Just a few feet past the car her head lulled and she passed out again.

I had Jack retrieve Tiffy and I's bags and told him to go on the trip. Of course he wanted to stay but I told him if I was right Tiffy problem was mystic in nature and she would be fine as long as we stayed behind. He wasn't happy about it but he trusted my judgement and went to the funeral.

I went straight to the High Priestess and after I explained what happened and we began testing my theory. By displacing around we determined Tiffy could only travel about 15 miles in any direction from the Demonican Gate before feeling ill. It was not hard to make the connection as to why she was tied there. In the following years we tried to free her from it, but in the end all we managed to do was prematurely jump-start her own natural connection to Gaia's magic.

We had to teach her about Gaia, and the disciplines of magic much earlier than usual. Most Gaian children never learn of their heritage unless they begin to tap into their abilities.

Due to this there was the social ramifications; she couldn't go on school field trips out of town, shopping with friends to the big area malls and outlets were not possible. She couldn't even go to her prom because it was too far away."

I could feel the guilt rolling off my future mother-in-law. She blamed herself for Tiffany's situation. I could see she was only guilty of hubris and ignorance of the coming fate.

"While all of her friends went off to college she was limited to online courses.

Seeing the others enjoy their freedom and taking it for granted even, while she was essentially a prisoner, it has taken an emotional toll on her and she refuses to speak about it."

"How did she, did you all for that matter, explain her apparent unwillingness to leave town?"

"A touch of truth in a white lie, we claimed she had a medical condition that prevented her from dramatically changing elevations because her body couldn't adjust the air pressure fast enough to cope. We even got a doctor to sign off on it, he was also a Wicca and understood the whole situation."

"And I twisted the knife in that lifetime of disappointment. I'm such a dick!"

"You didn't know. She knows you didn't know, but it still hurt her that you wanted to bring her and she had to refuse.

Anyway when she appeared before us at the Initiate Summoning Ceremony I was both proud of her and scared for her. I knew she was going to have a disadvantage compared to the other two Initiates in finding a Brother. As it ended up the other two, well..."

"Tiffany told me about them, and how she felt the pressure to complete the coven when it was down to just her. I can guess you felt that pressure also."

"Yes I feared she would never achieve her goal. Privately in prayer to Mother Gaia I questioned her choice of placing my daughter in this position with such a limitation after already sending me a warning that we needed to seal the gateway with a full coven or all would be lost. She never answered me but fortunately Mother Gaia did have a plan."

Linda reached out and snuffed the ball of light and looked in the direction we were going to travel. I could sense the hope rising in Linda, "Maybe... just maybe we will finally find a way in the tomes left here to untether Tiffany."

An ulterior motive for Linda to find the lost sanctum, and now also for me to do so, to free my beloved Sister and soul-mate.

We resumed our trek with a renewed enthusiasm.

At the apparent end of the cave I was awed by the new details I could see, all was the same yet different. Linda was even more awestruck than I. I could just make out tears welling up at the corner of her eyes.

I read aloud the writing that had eluded me on my previous trips; " 'Fellow children of Gaia, the Coven of the Mountain Valley has moved from this land. If you seek sanctuary announce yourself and your coven to this Sanctum. If Mother Gaia wills it she will grant you access.' Coven of the Mountain Valley... is that us?"

"Yes, though we have not functionally used that name since before I was even born. Would you care to try to open it?"

I nod and 'announce' myself in a loud, but hopefully respectful voice. "I am Brother Umber Sky from the Coven of the Mountain Valley and I seek..."

I was interrupted when the symbol on the wall that matched the mark on my wrist glowed with a golden light, a second later the area to the left of all thirteen symbols folded away without a trace of the lost material.

Linda looked at me, her fear of the unknown waged an internal war with her desire to recklessly rush through the newly formed opening. "We've finally returned. I never dared believe until this evening it was even possible. Come Doug, let us step into the past."

The chamber we entered was lit, sufficiently warm, and very similar to the bonding room back home. At the center of room was the stone table with a red marble inverted obelisk above it, except this obelisk was suspended from an ornate arch instead of from the ceiling.

'Home' a concept I haven't held for quite some time, since my grandmother passed and I sold the house I grew up in. Globe hopping from one discovery to the next, sleeping at an G.A.I.A. owned apartment when not on assignment. But now, Stone Basin and its Gaian coven is home to me.

The opening behind us resealed into a wall. In that instant our warm outer wear instantly became our colored robes.

We explored each chamber of each level, soon we had seen more of this Sanctum then what I have seen of the one at home, however we never stayed for more than a few moments in any one chamber until we found the library.

Linda opened a few of the books before returning them to their place. "They are intact! I feared that without proper maintenance that time would have destroyed them." The look of happiness shifted to one of confusion as she points to the end of the chamber. "The layout of this Sanctum has been virtually identical to our own... except that door! I do not know where that one goes."

"That is the only true door I've seen since the door to the cavern." I observed as we approached the door.

"True just like at home it's all archways." As Linda touched the door previously invisible markings appeared on it.

At eye level there appeared the symbol of our coven but each pair of triangles around the outside were colored; the tallest orange triangle at top with the smaller orange one to the left, and then a white pair to the right, followed by blue, red, gray, light blue, and lastly green. Below it was a phrase written in Mother Gaia's language: 'This portal shall open when the blood of the fourteen once more walks as one.'

"What does that mean?" I reach out to the door to point at the phrase. At my touch the triangles glow brightly and the door slides into the floor revealing the room behind. "I guess they walk as one again."

We walk through the entryway and find ourselves in a room similar to the bonding room, a large round chamber with a vaulted ceiling. The big differences was that there was no bonding table or obelisk. In front of us there was a plinth, and beyond that the recurring insignia on the floor. The web pattern was apparently gold inlaid into the floor, the fourteen triangles, also inlaid, were made of red marble.

"Here rests the first Coven of the Mountain Valley, their charge to defend Mother Gaia's Earth from Rogitax the Flayer has passed to the next. They rest knowing they did their part for all of mankind." Linda read aloud from the plinth's engraving just before she knelt before it, seemingly praying for a moment. "I never imagined that the lost Sanctum was the original predecessors' tomb also."

The legend I was sent to investigate was real, the tomb was here all along! Somehow the Gaian of old became stories of mystics that the locals shared down through time.

I began walking around the outside of the tomb. Due to the lack of any form of visual recording equipment, I tried committing as much of my observations to memory as possible. The triangles were actually part of a larger rectangular cover stone that included the Gaian name of the entombed, Sister Gray Goose was the first I saw (I wondered if Gaia knew there would one day be a alcohol by that name), Brother and Sister Turquoise Hawk, Brother and Priestess Jade Boulder.

The set of graves at the opposite side from the door brought me up short when I saw the names; High Brother and High Priestess Umber Sky. "Tiffany is named after the first High Priestess of the coven!"

Linda had been making her way around the other side of the tomb chamber but immediately rushed to the graves I stood over. "I've never heard of Gaia reusing old names, but then again I only really know the modern names of our own coven, the generation that first settled in Stone Basin, and the Priestesses from the other covens."

Linda dropped to her knees and began praying silently, I was about to join her when she stood back up. "Let's grab a couple of books and head home." She headed toward the door.

"Is that wise to take those ancient books out into that weather?"

She turned and gave me a amused grin. "My dear boy we have been able to displace since we entered the sanctum." She closed the distance between us and tugged on the collar of my robe with one hand and the halter strap of her gown with the other hand. "The sanctum forced us into our robes, showing us it accepted us as members of the coven it was created for. From that point we have been excluded from the protection wards that prevent displacement and attack spells."

Still holding my robe's collar she tugged me back through the open door.

Just after we passed through the doorway the stone door began to rise back to its former position.

Leaving me stand in the middle of the library, Linda began gathering books and handing them to me. I soon had almost a dozen books resting on my outstretched arms and Linda had two large books under her arm. "Okay this is a good start." She grabs my arm and casts the displacement spell.

As the sensation of movement passed I opened my eyes. For a moment I thought we hadn't moved, at least until I noticed most of these shelfs were empty. The books in my arms levitated away and landed on various shelves.

Linda hugged me, "Go home son, you and Tiffy stay home tomorrow, or I guess it is today. You have had a busy day and earned a rest."

Suddenly I was standing in Tiffany's kitchen and my floor length robe was gone, once more I wore the dress that I had used as a Roman tunic.

I thought about jeans, a t-shirt, and shoes as I cast the clothing spell. I watched as the dress refashioned itself into the clothes I imagined.

I could feel Tiffany's amusement at my decision and knew she was near.

I followed my feelings to the Gaia Room were she sat cross-legged. A lone candle before her strained to illuminate the parts of the room not lit by the little bit of light coming from the door.

"I've been trying all night to center myself, minimize my fears and anger." She offered as I knelt beside her.

"Sorry for my contributions to those issues..."

She placed a hand on my thigh. "I know it's mostly not your fault."

"Mostly?"

"Well when you went to fight the demon at the ward stone you were following the orders of the High Priestess, something you are now hard-wired to do. When you left with Mom to go to the suspected lost sanctum, well you are a knowledge seeker, you don't like leaving a puzzle unsolved. I can respect that."

"And I asked you to come with, not knowing you are unable to physically leave town." I turned away ashamed. "I'm really sorry, I..."

A wave of guilt welled from her. "No that one is on me. I know Mom told you, but she should not have had to. I didn't expect it to be an issue yet and just couldn't find the courage."

She gave me a stern look that I could sense she didn't fully mean. "But when you ran out to face the first demon, that one was all you." Her glare softened. "But I'm glad you did. How did you even know? Nobody else sensed anything and the demoness had cast a barrier to block all telepathic communications before she cast the physical barrier."

I involuntarily shiver at the memory of the feeling. "I felt an overwhelming... dread. Once I realized it wasn't from myself, I just knew someone was in imminent danger nearby. I hadn't know where exactly until I used the battle gestalt spell and I could sense the other five Brothers. Process of elimination and deductive reasoning told me where to go."

"We will have to recruit a test subject to determine for sure, but I think you're empathic. Some Gaian descended have mental abilities..."

"Like your mother's passive telepathy?" She gave a surprised look so I elaborated. "She explained it when she answered the unspoken questions I was mulling about in my head about you not being able to come with."

She laughed. "So she let her shielding down with you. Yes like her telepathy."

Tiffany stood up, at the same time the lights came on by themselves and the candle's flame went out. "But all that can wait, I have something to show you. Come."

She walks out and I feel compelled to follow her, not that I needed to be commanded to. My eyes transfixed on her wonderful ass straining the spandex of her leggings while she ascended the stairs. She must have felt my attention as she put a little extra wiggle in her step the rest of the way up.

She lead me past the door to the bedroom we were in the previous night and went to the next door down the hall. "Close your eyes, no peeking!" After I obeyed I heard the door open and Tiffany pulled me into the room. "Okay."

The room was made into an office, my office judging by my degrees and certifications hanging on the walls. I took notice that the various books and equipment lining the shelves or hanging from hooks were all mine, but much of it I had left at my G.A.I.A. apartment in New York.

Tiffany felt my confusion at this and answered my unasked question. "We weren't just doing nothing while you were gone. I gathered the stuff from your rental here and Dad got your belongings in New York while I guided him using video chat on our phones as to what was yours and what was to be left there." She wrapped an arm around me. "I think I got everything just right."

"It looks perfect, just as I would have set it up."

She drops her arm and grabs my hand. "Wait until you see what else I have for you!" She leads me from the room and across the hall.

She swings the door open to reveal another bedroom, larger than the others I've seen, a king sized four poster bed centered on the far wall dominated the room. The pillars were decorated with carving of vines.

There was a nightstand on each side of the bed. My eyes were drawn to the one on the right, or more specifically to my most prized posessions resting atop of it. A pair of pictures, One of my parents with me on the day I was born, the only picture I had of them. The other was of my grandmother and I on the day I graduated college, the last day I saw her alive. She passed two weeks later in her sleep while I was still in New York interviewing for jobs.

"I figured for now you'd like to keep them close, then maybe they can eventually find their way to the living room wall."

I fought back the tears that threatened to escape. "Thank you. Normally I'd say you don't know how much it means to me, but I know you really do."

She pulled me into a hug and gave me a passionate kiss.

Abruptly I was pulled away by something that had wrapped around my waist. Before I could react I was flat on my back on the bed and the something that had grabbed me by the waist had released its hold on my waist and had split to wrap my right wrist and both ankles.

At this point I could see the objects restraining me were actually the decorative vine pattern from the posts come to life. Tiffany's calm observance of my situation told me I had nothing to fear, so when the vines from the other two posts of the bed joined in to make me helpless I did not resist.

The clothes I had created reverted back to the dress. More vines descended on me and sliced the dress to scraps. "I don't want to see that damn thing again, it's all you've worn since we met." She gave me a playful smile

Tiffany left my field of vision for a moment and returned to climb onto the bed nude. She smiled down at me as she straddled me, sliding her butt up against my already stiffening cock. She made a little dance out of raising herself up high enough then imbedding my member into her very slowly. I was still in awe at how much greater the sensation of entering a woman you were magically bonded to was over encounters I've had with any normal woman.

She ran her hands down my chest. "My dear Brother, I want you so much right now but there is one more ritual we should do sooner rather than later."

Suddenly she had an ornate stiletto dagger in her hand. She turned it blade down and took a two handed grip on the pommel above my chest.

At this I began struggling.

"Be still!" She commanded and my physical resistance stopped despite my fear.

She drove the blade into the point where my neck and chest meet above the collarbone, but there was no pain nor blood when she withdrew it.

"Ethereal blade, cuts into your soul, not your body." She said with an evil grin. "Maybe I should have told you that first."

As I looked down I could barely see the glowing green dot where the stiletto pierced my essence. I quickly understood which ritual we were performing, and that Tiffany was taking liberties with it. Normally the Brother is not restrained for it.

Knowing what we were doing alleviated my fears and told me my part in it.

"I am the Brother, I am the bearer of Mother Gaia's elements." Tiffany gave me a smile in response to my words. She placed her index finger over the green glow and dragged a line of glowing green energy down to my left hip. "Fire." She moves her finger up and across my body to my right side just under my pectoral. "Air." Her finger traced another line to the left side of my chest. "Water." Another line of light was drawn to my right hip. "Earth." Finally she closed the pattern by bringing the final line to the knife wound. "Spirit.

As I looked down at my chest I could see the slightly mishapen pentagram glowing green.

Motion above me drew my eyes to Tiffany preparing to drive the ethereal blade into her own chest. A moment later the deed was done and she had a glowing blue hole in her chest.

"I am the Sister, I am the bearer of Mother Gaia's aether." Tiffany extracted the glowing energy and began drawing it digonally downward and to her right, but as she crossed her inside of her breast she swept to her left creating an arc to her left hip. "Compassion." She next traced an upward arc, that after passing her navel, descended to her right hip. "Faith." One more arc was created mirroring the first, returning to the wound. "Spirit." The final pattern on her torso resembled a three lobed celtic knot.

Tiffany lowered her finger to my wound for the next part of the ritual. "I offer myself to be my Sister's conduit to the elements." She draws out some of the green energy and draws a small pentagram on her chest at the center of the celtic knot.

She moves her finger to her own wound in prepartion of her part. "I offer myself to be my Brother's conduit to the aether." Extracting the blue energy she draws a smaller version on of the celtic knot within my pentagram.

With the formalities complete she begins gyrating her hips, and mentally encouraging me to buck my hips. The arousal loop had started quickly and my mind barely acknowledged the blue and green energy painted on our chests had become blindingly bright.

Once we achieved our simultaneous orgasm I felt a new power flow through me, the elements and the aether mixed. I would have not thought it possible but I felt even more connected to the woman who lay physically exhausted on my chest.

I could sense her mind adrift in euphoria and I was there with her, but not as lost in it as she was.

I nudged her mind to release me. She shifted her position slightly allowing my cock to slip from her and placing her head on my shoulder. "No. You're not leaving this bed until I decide, and I've decided I am keeping you here for as long as I want. No running anywhere for you mister." Her mumbles were barely understandable, but her mind conveyed the intent clear as day.

As Tiffany began snoring softly I accepted the fact that I was not to be freed anytime soon, and if I sensed her intentions right I would be spending most of the next day helplessly restained and used by her.

And I was fine with that.

30.10.17