Rapture of Witches

Chapter Twenty: Evil Comes Out at Night

Ilorian and I walked back into the dining room, the table was already cleared with only tiny bowls of fruit and homemade whip cream taking its place. Lilith still held the look of defiance, her eyes glared towards the both of us, flickering between the both of us before grumbling a few words under her breath; of course, she spoke them out loud. "Was showing her the book wise?"

"Yes, honey, it was wise. Do not question my actions, you know I don't like that." Ilorian spoke calmly, but his eyes brewed a storm that made her look away. "Gavriila, I was thinking, perhaps we should have that party."

"Really? When?"

"Tomorrow night, send a message to everyone in a two state radius, have them come. Make the soldiers help you decorate the house, get the cooks and maids, make sure everything is perfect. Lilith, I will entrust you'll get the girls dresses."

Hesitation came upon the mother of all evil, the first woman to ever walk this earth and divorce the man she was destined to be with. "Yes, I can make their dresses from scratch."

"Perfect, Lilith, perfect. If you need me, I will be in the study. Gavriila, place Jupiter in the room next to yours, staying in that attic will only give her a cold." Ilorian spoke his last orders before leaving the room, without him around I finally felt the true tension, mainly from Lilith.

She wore Antonio's body like a perfect suit, I can only wonder what would it be like if she wore this Jupiter's body, would her essence be able to be contained in Jupiter's skin or would she be even more powerful with witch magic lingering? "Ilorian told you about his visions, how you hold heavenly fire. Have you ever developed heavenly fire?" She walked around the table, her strides now longer and height deemed intimidating.
Lilith stood before me, rough long fingers reached out to tug back the short greasy locks from my face. "How powerful are you, Jupiter?"

I tried not to cower away, the mark would not allow me to show fear. "You don't have to worry, I don't have my magic. The mark is not going to last for the night, can I hold it now?"

"No, let it fester and when you are on the brink of madness, I will find a way for the blade to be near but out of your hands. Best to clean up and rest, tomorrow night will be very very bloody." She gripped my chin, a pinch away from ripping it off, lips pulled into a snarl and eyes forming into a blood color hue that pushed out the normal white and dark brown.

"I'll take you to the room, Jupiter." Gavriila intervenes, literally squeezing between us with a soft gaze and light smile. She ushered me out towards the stair case, her urgency held fear- mainly for my own life, but considering Ilorian needs me for some plan of his; it's Lilith that will lose her head. "You'll stay here."

I paused at the threshold, the walls were still painted yellow, bed untouched and furniture holding a few cobwebs; Maxine's room. I can still remember her crying on my shoulder about her father arriving at our doorstep. I can still feel her joyous and always sunny attitude in these four walls, her teddy bear since childhood rest in the middle of the bed. I grabbed it, took a good sniff that made my eyes flutter close to regain the time when she lost this bear, Athena and I did a tracking spell together; such magic was difficult for little girls, it nearly took all night and Maxine's tears to retrieve it from some mud hole.

"What mother said isn't true, usually no one dies in the party, at least not if a demon desires something he should not; gold or someone's mate." Gavriila sat down on the edge of the bed, ignoring my moment of peace that managed to ease the throbbing pain on my arm. "I know you hate us, but some point in time we will be allies." She looked me over, her smile waned from the site of my finger clutching right upon the bear. "You're immortal, Jupiter, no matter if you're in another body or not. It's best to let go of the past and soon."