Morgan Smith smiled and laughed, taking the drink that her boyfriend thrust upon her. She took a swallow and gasped has he yanked her head back for a kiss. He shared the smoke of his specially grown marijuana. She shivered, moaning softly in the small rush of Quintessence he shared with her and smiled as he danced away back into the party.
Quintessence. Raw magic. The binding threads of Reality. Honestly, that was her problem. She was a mage. A mage in one of the best, most fun Traditions around. With her Cabal, she experienced life to its fullest and beyond. She had tried it all. All that she was allowed. Still, there was something missing. Something missing within her. She did not feel complete. It bothered her.
Morgan pushed away the disturbing thoughts. She gulped down the drink, sitting back into the pleasant lassitude as it numbed her body and thoughts. Still, the book that she had found, and hidden a month ago, came unbidden to her mind.
All that she was -allowed- to do...
The book of Demon Summoning.
All that she was -allowed- to do...
The book marked at the page of Summoning an Incubus.
All that she was -allowed- to do...
Forbidden in her Cabal.
All that she was -allowed- to do...
Why the hell couldn't she summon a demon... an Incubus? She was an adult. Wasn't she? And a mage. She knew what she was doing.
"Hey Morgan!!" *flash* Greg took the picture of her. It made her blink in the lights. She smiled at him, thoughts of the book fading from her mind. "Time for your birthday spankings!!"
She laughed and jumped up. "OK!" She striped to her skin, right then and there, to all the clapping and wolf whistles and shouts. "I'm ready! Who's first?" She stood there, naked. Chestnut hair, blue eyes and a slender figure. Her body shows the trail of her wild past... both nipples pierced and several tattoos adorn her form. Her body was strong and toned, breasts small and perky, stomach taunt.
Greg looked her over and MMMmmmmMMMMmmmed at her before her grabbed her for a kiss. Then he sat on the table and pulled her over his knee. "OK everyone! Count with me!!" A chaotic cry rose from the party. At Morgan's impromptu strip, half of the party joined her.
Greg smacked her bottom and she purred. He was drunk. Maybe this time he would keep going - going until she was satisfied. Her body tingled in the hard swats. She could hear the crowd shouting. She looked out to them, feeling like she was moving in slow motion. The crowd was cavorting and her birthday party was quickly turning into an orgy. Most big parties did. Gotta love good old San Francisco.
Suddenly, the delicious spankings stopped. Greg pulled her up, kissing her. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart." He held her close and she could feel his arousal. She was disappointed that he had stopped spanking her, but certainly did not mine the pleasure of Greg pinning her to the table and taking her roughly in his want.
Part of her mind separated from her as she writhed under him and his fierce onslaught. It watched. Yep, same old thing. As pleasant as it was to be held down and fucked, that was all he would do. Not a creative bone in his body. She would have to look for a new playmate. Soon. Someone different. Someone who would push her needs and limits....
The book came back to her mind, and somewhere, it was not a conscious thought, she decided. Once that secret decision was made, Morgan relaxed to totally enjoy herself. It was her birthday party after all.
Morgan stood in her Sanctum and looked around. She read over the spell again and then checked for the third time to see that all was in place. Everything was. There was nothing stopping her now. All the components, all the wards, everything was ready. Shaking, she took a breath. If she crossed this line into the Forbidden Arts, she would never be able to cross back.
She stopped and took a step back, thinking it over. For days she collected the things she needed. Examining herself, she found her mouth dry, her stomach in knots, heart racing. In short, she was frightened and she had never felt more alive in as far as she could remember. Alive and excited like she had not been in years.
Also, she noticed something... her fear was not of what anyone would think if they caught her. It was only a fear of not being strong enough to control the demon she was about to summon. Vaguely, she knew this realization should disturb her but it did not. Her blue eyes sparkled as she pushed away the fear and stepped forward.
It was Time.
She picked up the book and began the Summoning. She was naked, calling out the ritual words as she danced; bending Reality to her Will. She was Summoning an Incubus, a demon who fed upon the energy of sex, sexual acts and sexual perversions. This intrigued her. The Summoning spell was short and to the point.
Morgan finished her dance and Calling. She put the book down and held her breath. This was it. Either it would happen or she had failed. She had crossed the point of no return. Carefully, she watched the center of the Binding circle, waiting.
She felt him before she saw him. The air growing heavy, the energy crackling about the circle. And then he appeared. He was horrifying.... arousing... terrifying..... erotic... fascinating. Her eyes took him in.
He was a tall demonic figure, seeming to have stepped from her worst nightmare. About 6'6" tall, very broad shouldered and muscular. The planes of his face were handsomely sculpted... but that was where his resemblance to a man ended. His skin was black as jet, glistening like obsidian, his wild mane of hair was a brilliant white. His eyes were silver with flickering black flames burning in them, drawing her deeper into his gaze. His gleaming white teeth bared a pair of fangs, obvious when he smiled at her. From his forehead sprouted a pair of small, black horns and on his back were a pair of leather, batlike wings. The nails of his hands were shiny and opalescent and come to wicked, claw-like points. He was wearing a voluminous gown of shimmering silver cloth, almost like a kimono, but slit down the back to accommodate his wings.. It was belted at the waist and open nearly to the waist to expose his broad chest.
Transfixed, she watched this magnificent, terrible demon. He turned, looking around the Binding circle carefully, testing it for weaknesses and finding none. Finally, he turned his gaze back to her for a long moment. Morgan suddenly got a dizzying sense of deja-vu.
"Come to me, my pet." His voice crashed over her, caressing her spine, drawing her to him. She took a full step towards the circle before her survival instinct kicked in and she stopped.
"No." She was so strongly drawn to this demon. She knew it had to be his power.
He laughed loud, shaking her to the core. Then he reached out his hand to touch the edge of the circle and pushed. It held fast. "I have long awaited your rebirth, my pet. You are stronger this time. I have missed you, Morgana."
She paled at his words. What did he mean? He seemed to know her. And she seemed to know him. This did not make sense. "My name is Morgan." The name Morgana had struck a cord within her, too. She had always fancied herself Morgana from the tales of King Arthur
He tsked at her. "Never, ever, tell a demon your name, my pet. I see I have much to teach you this time." He smiled at her, a frightening leer. "You are beautiful as always." His eyes hungrily roamed her naked body.
"Quit calling me your pet!" She was growing annoyed and frightened at his familiarity. And more frightened in the fact that he, and his actions, -were- familiar to her.
"Such fire! Ah, but that is your essence, isn't it." He smiled indulgently. "What shall I do for you, little mage?" He indicated the circle. "Why have you summoned me?"
She stopped. Morgan had no clue what she wanted. She had not thought it would work. She looked at him boldly as her insides quivered, making it seem as if she were considering. Finally, "What will you offer me, Demon?"
He laughed again. "You are quicker witted this time. I know you have no idea what you want." He mused a bit. "What will I offer you? Pleasure? Power? A direction to your life perhaps? What will intrigue you, my pet?" She listened impassively as her mind raced in fear. It was as if he was looking into her heart. "I know. I shall offer you, the Dance of Flames. Appropriate for a Child of Fire."
She frowned. "What is that?" A curiosity blossomed within her.
"The ability to dance within fires, the searing heat lancing through your body, combining and clashing with the pleasures of your heart. It is a gift to one of your dark desires."
His voice was seductive, purring. She fought against. Fought for her very soul. "I can't trust you. You are a demon."
He smiled again, seeming truly pleased with her. "Very good..." He murmured. "Then I shall make you a bargain." She tensed listening. A deal with the devil... "I will allow you to Dance the Flames if you will bring me a virgin sacrifice."
She raised an eyebrow. "A virgin sacrifice."
"Yes." he rubbed his hands together. "Yes, a virgin sacrifice. I feed from the sexual energy of humans. Virgins are pure. I would part take of a virgin's flesh."
"And how are we to make this bargain? I dare not break the binding circle."
"This is a simple trade, Morgana...."
"Morgan..."
"Morgana." He said more definitely and she shrugged. "A virgin sacrifice for the ability to Dance the Flames."
She considered for a long moment. A deal with the Devil... "Agreed."
The Demon grinned wide, baring his fangs. "Agreed, upon my Demon Sword." He laughed and pulled out two items from his robe. One was a black opal ring and the other was a tiny sphere. "I will leave these items behind. Bring my sacrifice here and bind her. Hold the ring as you summon me again. I will know it is you and will come."
"And the sphere?"
"That is your half of our bargain. It will give you the ability to Dance the Flames. After I take my sacrifice, I will tell you what to do with it."
"Swear that it will not harm me." She looked him in the eyes.
His eyes narrowed. "Yes, you are quicker this time. I approve." He stood tall. "I swear upon my Demon Sword that I will keep my end of the bargain and that the sphere will do exactly as I have said it will. It will give you the ability to Dance the Flames."
Morgan nodded. "So it is written. So it is done." She looked at him. "What do I call you, Demon?"
"You will call me Lord Tenebras, my pet." Then, he was gone. Only the ring and the small glass sphere remained in the Binding circle.
"Lord Tenebras." She whispered, the name striking her heart. She knew this name. But how? Carefully, she checked the area and increased the wards of her sanctum. Then, she magically removed the items from the Binding circle, not quite ready to release it.... just in case.
Two days later, she was ready. The sacrifice was bound, spread eagle to one side of the Binding circle. Shelley was her name. A young woman, 18 years old. She was beautiful with dark hair and dark eyes. Morgan had dressed her in a white robe. Appropriate, she thought. Kidnapping this little lovely had been so easy. First, checking for her virginity with magic and then quietly speaking with her, dulling her mind to docilely follow. She was a college student, one of the new freshmen in town, with few friends and family far away. The perfect sacrifice.
She checked the girl's bonds, keeping her sleeping. Morgan paused, looking the young woman over and licked her lips. She had to admit the dark perversion of wanting to watch Lord Tenebras rape this girl. Morgan figured that after the demon was done, she could erase the girl's memory and send her on her way. Morgan's mind spun with the black erotic thoughts of the girl's fear as the Demon 'part took of her flesh.'
Morgan again performed the Summoning Ritual, holding the demon's ring this time. He joined her almost immediately. Again she was terrified and draw to this demon.
He turned to her. "Greetings my pet. Come to me."
She resisted him, smiling... though her smile did not reach her eyes. She pointed to the sacrifice, hoping it would distracted the demon from her. She stood back, shaking. How she had wanted to go to him.... to be held by him.... touched.... Morgana shook her head, trying to clear it of the demons power. She watched him examine the girl. "Do you approve?" Her voice was a whisper.
"Oh yes, Morgana. You always did have a talent for choosing my play toys." He looked to her, eyes burning. "You may stay and watch. Or you may go." He chuckled low, vibrating her to the base of her spine as he saw her sit off to one side. "I knew you'd stay. You love to watch me at work." He turned to the unconscious woman. "Awaken her." He commanded.
Morgan silently awoke the girl and jerked as Shelley opened her eyes and began to scream in terror. It was like nothing Morgan had ever seen. Lord Tenebras hovered over the panicked woman, delicately opening her robe. Shelley thrashed, frantically pulling at the bonds. Morgan could feel the girl's fear from where she sat, unable to control her own trembling.
Morgana opened her eyes again when the screaming ceased and were no more sounds of a struggle or of the demon enjoying himself. She was curled up in a ball in the corner where she had fled to, tears on her face. She shook violently as she looked up, wanting to retch at the sight of Shelley's bloodied, broken, raped body. There was so much blood splattered about the room. Lord Tenebras looked at her, eyes glowing. He smiled, frightfully sated.
"Come pet, it is time for your reward. You have done well." His voice caressed her mind and body, gently pushing at the horror.
"No. No. Go away! You killed her! You...." Morgan's voice trailed off as she looked to the body again.
Lord Tenebras flicked his hand, the body instantly turning to ash. His presence could be felt throughout the room. It was overwhelming. "Now, now Morgana, a bargain is a bargain. I fully enjoyed myself upon the sacrifice you brought me. What? Did you think I would simply fuck her and that would be that?" He looked upon her as she stood up on trembling legs. "Ahhhh... you did, didn't you. I would fuck her and you would erase it. No. I am a demon. I told you what I would do... part take of her flesh. And it was delicious." He leered at her and smacked his lips together in a very satisfied manner.
Morgana was pale with the memory of feeling the girl's pain/fear and the demon's lust/pleasure. She fought for control, growing stronger. She fought against the power of the demon... but with the body gone and his voice in her head... it was hard. She would banish him. She would never call him again. Never. This would all be a just bad dream. She stumbled to her work table, ignoring the demon as best she could.
"It is time for your reward, my pet."
"NO! I don't want anything from you! Nothing!!" She grabbed at the Book of Summoning and froze... or, better said, was frozen in place. She could not move. The demon's power reached through the Binding Circle to hold her in place.
"No, my pet. A deal is a deal. You have earned the Dance of Flames. And I always reward good behavior." Morgana frantically tried to break the demon's hold upon her as she stared at the small globe that the demon had given her on their first meeting. To her horror, the globe rolled across the table, straight to her, and then over the edge to shatter at her feet.
Instantly, flames engulfed her, licking up her body. She screamed as the demon let her go, free to move, writhing in pain... knowing she was about to die, burned to death. Then, to her surprise, the pain ceased, replaced by an incredible pleasure. She brought her hand up to her face to look at it, pain lanced through her at the motion... and then was replaced with pleasure. Over and over that happened, each movement bringing a delicious pain and then an intense pleasure. She moved, swaying her body to the pain and the pleasure. She had never felt anything like it. Dancing in the flames, her moans of pain mixed with her orgasmic gasps of pleasure. She danced the Edge for an Eternity.
"Pet... it is time to control it." Morgan wanted to ignore the voice. "Now. You must Master the Dance or it will consume you!" The voice sliced through her mind, forcing her to obey. Reluctantly, she forced the flames from her body until they were gone. She collapsed to the floor, drenched in sweat, body tingling from her dance. She craved the feel of the flames again...
"Did you like your reward, Morgana?" The woman nodded. "I knew you would." The demon sat upon a throne, watching her on the floor. She wondered where it came from. "Do you see what I could give you? The power? The pleasure? I always reward my servants when they perform well..... just as I punish them when they fail me."
Morgan looked at him. "What do you want with me?"
"You've always been my favorite. I want you by my side, in my service... to be who you really are. And, I have missed you, my pet." He looked at her and pulled a scroll from his robe and floated it over her .... right through the binding circle. Morgan knew he could escape and kill her at anytime. She was at his mercy. And yet, he did neither.
"What is this?" She asked as she opened it.
"Our contract. It is the same contract that I have you sign to bind you to me each lifetime that we meet."
Morgan scanned the document, her eyes widening as she looked at the signatures at the bottom... all in her handwriting, all with the first name "Morgana," - all a different date - spanning hundreds.... no, thousands of years. She read the contract. If she signed it, it would bind her to the demon totally. She would be his slave... to do whatever he required of her... and she was to bear him a child during this lifetime. In return, the Demon would care for her, give her money, power, teach her the black arts and should she face death, he would come across the void to save her if he could.
"I have to think about this." Her heart pounded in her chest. She wanted this. She could feel it in her soul. Vaguely, somewhere in her mind, a part of her screamed out a futile warning.
"No. Either you will bind yourself to me now... or never." The demon stared at her. "This is a one time shot, Morgana. You have a choice. Come to me now or never see me again. You will keep the Dance of Flames to remember me by, no matter what your choice is."
The thought of never seeing the Demon again ripped into her. She was drawn to him so strongly. She felt ... whole... complete... when he was near. He had rewarded her with the Dance of Flames. Shelley's bloodied form surfaced in her mind briefly but was washed away as the memory of the Dance flooded to her. She looked at Lord Tenebras. He sat impassively - frightening, intriguing, powerful.
"Morgana, we are so good together. You know it."
She looked at him for a long moment. There was a sense of calm, quiet acceptance. She had already crossed the line into the Forbidden Arts. If her Cabal discovered her experiments, she would be punished... killed, her Avatar shredded. She needed protection and... she wanted more. That first taste of power was an enticing one. Finally, she nodded. It made sense to her. "Yes."
Lord Tenebras watched her carefully. "And you do this of your own free will?"
"Yes." The echo of the hundreds of times these simple words have been spoken vibrated through the room.
"Then sign and date the contract in your blood. Sign it with your True Name."
Morgana knelt upon the floor as she took a knife, paper and a quill pen from the table. Silently, she sliced open her palm and let the blood well up and drop to the paper, puddling there. She dabbed the quill pen into the blood and added her private, True name, "Morgana Blackwell," to the scroll and dated it. She looked at the contract, watching the blood dry, heedless of her still bleeding palm.
"Come to me, my pet." The Demon watched her with hungry eyes. "Bring me the scroll and kneel at my feet."
Morgana rose in a fluid motion and walked silently to the Demon, right through the Binding Circle, breaking it. She handed him the scroll and paused as he took her bloody hand and licked it. She gasped at the burn and then looked at her palm. He had healed it. She dropped to her knees at his feet at the nod of his head. Her heart was pounding. She knew she was frightened but, oddly, there was a sense of rightness, too.
Lord Tenebras slipped his hand into his robe again and pulled out a small sphere. Morgana looked at it, marveling at the dancing flames within. "What is it?"
"Master."
Morgana looked up at him and swallowed. "What is it, Master?"
"A Soul Sphere." He turned from it to look at her. "Your Soul Sphere."
Her eyes widen a little. She did not understand but knew it was important. The Demon smiled that awful smile and casually handed it to her. As Morgana reached for it, she felt her entire Being cry out. Then, in the instant she touched the sphere, she was locked to it and memories of every life she lived came crashing down upon her.
In that single instant, Morgana knew and understood everything about herself... In that one single moment of clarity, she reached an Epiphany.
... Her mind raced back thousands of years to that first Ritual and the Warlock that had betrayed her. She had wanted power and eagerly agreed to the Warlock's terms. She did not know that he was offering her soul to the Demon for power. She believed his lies because she was blinded by her own ambition. Then, the Ritual, the Calling of the Demon ... of Lord Tenebras. The Demon accepted her soul, tearing it from her body... and then, seeing her Potential, bound half of her Avatar into the Soul Sphere, allowing the rest to return to her body. He had killed the Warlock without a thought and offered her the same contract then that she had just signed... And thus began the cycle of her slavery to this Demon, lifetime after lifetime...
She was drawn to him because he held a part of her Soul. She would never feel complete unless she was near him, bound to him. Each reincarnation, she watched as she bound herself to the Demon, reliving the moment of her Dark Epiphany, when she finally understood who and what she was.
And, she relived each death... each and every painful death as was her Destiny as the Servant of a Demon...
... Heart torn out in an occult ritual....
... Fed to feral beasts for the pleasure of an audience...
... Burned to death as a witch....
... Drowned by the Servant of Another...
... Bleeding to death as the Demon's spawn clawed and ripped it's way out of her swollen belly...
... Stoned to death...
... Brutally raped and tortured by a Nephandi Cabal...
... Killed in a struggle with another Mage...
... Ripped to shreds by a man beast....
... Tortured in the Inquisition...
... Strangled in the pleasure camps of Nazi Germany...
On and on, they washed over her. She could not stop it. She saw every life she lived, every death and every life to come. What the Demon did not know, was the each time he reunited the her Avatar, a small piece was returned to her. Each time, she would grow stronger... until one day, she would be stronger enough to break the cycle.
There was an incredible pain as Lord Tenebras took the Soul Sphere from her hand, watching as Morgana sobbed at his feet. He lifted her chin to look into her eyes but already, the memories of the Epiphany were fading like a dream. She tried desperately to cling to them as the Demon lifted her up into his lap and placed his hand upon her thigh. She screamed at the searing burn, suddenly smelling the stench of burning flesh. Morgana looked down at her thigh as he removed his hand, a large, black gothic "T" burned into her leg.
"My mark. So all who encounter you who know me will know you as mine." His voice caressed through her mind and body as she helplessly sobbed.
As the last moments of the Epiphany faded, she knew that one day she would be freed of this Demon. One lifetime, she would rise up and strike him dead... but, this was not the lifetime. For this lifetime, she could do nothing but obey. She was his slave.