A
nkerita was grabbed, arms and feet and carried bodily over to the table. The men held her down and tied her to ropes at each corner, spreading her out across the cold marble.
“It seems fitting,” said Fantasia, “that we use your own knife to dispatch you.” She brushed the blade across her palm, and a stream of blood gushed. “By Hades, that’s sharp. Bring me a bandage, somebody.”
Praed rushed to a first-aid kit on the wall. Fantasia sucked at the wound. “Put those plastic stiches across first,” she said, “and a big plaster should hold the cut closed.”
Once she was patched up, Fantasia laid the Book on the end of the slab, between Ankerita’s stretched legs. “Leave us,” she commanded her men. “If anyone even glances at what is about to happen, they will be dealt with.”
“You sure you will be okay alone with her?”
“Yes, Mr Praed. Go and wait in the outer office.”
The men departed, casting backward glances at the helpless girl on the slab.
“Let us begin.” Fantasia slipped the straps on her shoulders and the silk garment slithered to the floor.
Even in her frightened state, Ankerita was impressed at the perfectly honed body. Evil is definitely the way to go if you want to be really fit, she mused stupidly. Fantasia started to read the words of a ritual, but Ankerita noticed that the bandage around her hand was starting to show signs of dark blood seeping through.
As the words of power and arcane gestures went on, Ankerita realised the enchantment was actually working on her. She felt her own body change under the influence and could no longer thing clearly. Her terror was slowly replaced by a strange euphoria, of warmth... and desire.
Fantasia repeated the incantation for the third time:
“I call to the mighty bringer of light, Lucifer. Spirits of the abyss, hear my call, most powerful one, and all my thoughts do resonate through the universe. Take thine enemy, take her, smite her, break her, scorn her in the night. From the mighty depths of Hell, cast your darkness on her life. O Lucifer, o shining star, Prince of light and darkness, touch her, burn her and accept this woman’s life’s blood as tribute to your colossal power. With that blood you will grant me new life, and unending control over the parasites that inhabit your world. So it shall be!”
The candles guttered, and in Ankerita’s vision appeared a face of pure evil. Fantasia’s face, still hauntingly handsome, was twisted by the darkness around them. The woman raised the knife. “We could have been more,” she muttered. “Such a shame for us to end like this.”
“It is all wrong.” Ankerita fought the spell, and snapped back into the present. She shouted. “Someone, help me!”
“Leave her!” Danny sprinted across the room, and twisted the knife out of Fantasia’s grip. It skittered away. “I’m not being party to murder. We never agreed it would go this far.”
“Sorry ma’am.” Praed panted up, closely by Jones. The two men quickly wrestled Danny to the floor. “He took us by surprise.”
“I told you to watch him.” Fantasia hastily pulled up her dress and smoothed the material irritably. “I thought he would try to intervene. I saw it in his aura. Hold him, while I finish my work here. Damn you, man, I’ve got to redo the chants. Look away, damn you all.”
Jones handed the knife back. He deliberately stared at Fantasia’s body. She scowled and shooed him away. “Tie the man up, or something. Just don’t let him break my concentration again. I will deal with you all, later.” She sighed, controlling herself, and a smile flickered over her face. “And Mr Keech, don’t expect to get a good report on your next one-to-one... All of you, out!”
Jones sniggered, and he and Praed dragged Danny back to the office. Fantasia reopened the book, and began the incantations again. “Damn them all. I have to restart from the very beginning, or the ritual won’t work.”
Ankerita scowled, and struggled with her bonds. The rope was soft, but too strong for her. The words from the book began again, and slowly, she felt the previous euphoria return. She tried to fight it, but she and the Book were linked, and its power swamped her. Time seemed to stand still. She drifted on memories and visions, only vaguely aware of the awesome woman, now naked again.
And then the words stopped. Elegant fingers reached towards her.
“And so you give me new life.”
Fantasia raised the knife above the helpless girl, and plunged it downwards. Ankerita gave a long cry of mixed pain and rapture, and Fantasia sank to the floor, struggling for breath.