A Tragic Affair

Be frightened, I'm adding another chapter, boo! I'm sorry it's been so long with updating but it's been completely crazy at work and I really just haven't had the time. But I've got this chapter now, woo! Thanks to everyone so far who has reviewed and given me such good feedback, I really appreciate it. Anyway, please don't forget to review and tell me what you think of this chapter as well, you guys rock. And thank you for being patient.

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"No!" I gasped, bolting upright in bed. I panted as I looked around, confused as to how I'd ended up there. Then I remembered, I'd found the cypher and spent the rest of the day translating parts of the diary. It was the Romanian word for family but loosely translated it meant 'blood kin.' I hadn't found much beyond a couple of incantations and some potions, all for healing. Around 10 PM Mikey had made me go to my room. "At least lay down." He'd said. But I'd fallen asleep.

Looking around, I could see it was still dark out. I slipped out of bed and shrugged on a robe, noting it was much colder than usual in the house. My door was open a crack and I was about to open it all the way when voices caught my attention. I peaked through the crack and bit my lip to keep from screaming. The Ringmaster was in my house, and he was talking to Mikey! I could hear them clearly even over my pounding heart.

"You're not here to play detective, I want the girl found." The Ringmaster growled. "Look, I'm trying okay! I know she was here earlier today but she bailed. And from the looks of what she left behind she's trying to stop you." "I'll bet you'd love that wouldn't you Michael? Just remember if she succeeds your brother's life is forfeit!" "I KNOW! Don't you think I know that?! Besides, it doesn't matter if she tries a spell or not, she hasn't activated her powers so it won't work!" "How do you know this?" I heard a rustling noise, then Mikey held up a book. "Every witch in her family as to say this oath and sign their name in their own blood. Varla Sylvaria's name is noticeably absent."

The Ringmaster was quiet, seeming to consider this. It scared me, he and Gerard looked exactly alike and there were 150 years between them. I looked over at my picture of Melissa and shivered. This wasn't coincidence, it was fate. I looked back just in time to see The Ringmaster smile. "This is good news. Keep up your search Michael. She can't have gone far." Mikey nodded. "Yes sir." Then, The Ringmaster vanished in a cloud of ashes.

Mikey stood in the hall for a moment, he seemed to be thinking. He then sighed and said, "You can come out Varla." I opened the door and stepped into the hall, wary of him. "Gerard's in trouble." I muttered. He wouldn't look at me as he replied, "I know." "The Ringmaster is stealing his soul." This caught Mikey's attention. He swung around, horror playing across his face. "How do you know?" "I dreamed about it. It was too real to just be a dream. And Moth was there, so it was a message."

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked, leaning against a wall. "Moth is a sensitive, psychic if you want to get technical. Sometimes when he needs to contact someone and has no other way to do it, he sends them dreams. He's done it to me a couple times before when he or Stokes have been in danger." Mikey looked as though he were lost in thought. "What did you dream about?" He asked quietly. I told him, giving him all the details that I could remember and describing everything I'd seen.

"So The Ringmaster is stealing bits of my brother's soul through sex." Mikey concluded. "I believe so, yes." His face contorted into a look of fury and he suddenly slammed his palm into the wall. The force of the impact was enough to make the pictures on the wall shiver but when he kicked the wall a few actually fell. I grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him away from it. "Mikey... MIKE! Stop, this isn't going to help him!"

Mikey shoved me away, then leaned down and scooped a book up off the floor. He thrust it into my hands, saying, "Here, take the oath and sign. You really want to help me and Gerard? Get your powers." I took a look at the book and sighed. "It says it has to be on a full moon, that was last night." "Or near it in cases of urgency." Mikey said, pointing to another entry. I nodded, and read the oath over carefully. I sighed, then nodded. "Okay, come on I'll need your help. I can get the dagger and the pen. Get some candles. Also there's incense in Moth's room, grab the sage and a bowl and meet me out back in ten."

I took the book and went into my room, heading straight to the closet. I had to dress in very specific clothing and thankfully I had it. It took a couple of minutes but I found what I was looking for. A black sleeveless robe with a hood. It was left over from Halloween last year when I'd dressed as Lady Death. It didn't have to be black, actually the book said for it to be in "your signature color" but obviously black IS my signature color. What I didn't like was the clasp in front had broken and the book said I had to be sky clad underneath. In layman's terms, I was gonna be naked and flash Mikey.

But I stripped off my clothes and slipped the robe on, then went out back; book, dagger and fountain pen in hand. Mikey had set up the candles and started burning the incense. I felt myself blushing as he stared at me. I held the robe closed with one hand and placed the other things down on the patio table. He'd grabbed ALOT of candles and lit them so we were bathed in the glow from the candle light. "It's almost midnight, we have to start now." He told me. I nodded and opened the book. I then looked up at him. "Um, no jokes about the nakedness okay?" "Wouldn't dream of it, go on." Mikey replied.

I took a deep breath and held up my arms, the robe falling open. Mikey took the incense and moved it over my body as I spoke. "I, Varla Sylvaria, do here by cleanse myself of my mortal sins and my mortal life. I enter into the unknown with open eyes and a pure heart. I solemnly swear to use my powers for the benefit of others and not my own gain. I understand the only exception is in saving my own life but not at the risk of other lives. My sworn duty will be to protect the innocent and dispel the dark. I accept my position and my duties and will affirm this with my own life blood."

Mikey had finished by this time, and I let my right arm fall to the side, extending my left to him. He took the dagger and made a quick, clean cut on the inside of my arm. Deep enough to bleed plenty but not so deep as to need stitches. He plucked the bowl off the table and used it to gather the blood. It felt weird that I was doing this, but I had to remind myself this was to save my friends. Save his brother...

I looked up at Mikey just as a wave of dizziness hit me right between the eyes. It wasn't blood loss, I knew this feeling. It was the same one I had walking into a haunted house, letting Moth cleanse my aura, having deja vu... It was magic. I shook my head to clear it. Mikey was bandaging my arm and I couldn't remember him moving. I was still enveloped in the sensation, and I knew what to do.

I picked up the fountain pen and dipped the tip in the blood. I signed my name, saying, "I am dedicated, so I am sworn. I am Varla Sylvaria, and I am a witch." I felt the dizziness intensify, and I also felt as if I'd been wrapped in the warmest fuzziest blanket in the world. Everything looked brighter to me. Mikey was staring at me like he was seeing a ghost or a holy vision. Maybe both. "You're glowing!" He exclaimed, stepping closer. I looked at my hands and realized he was right, there was a silver glow around me. I felt completely and utterly calm, like the entire world was at peace even though I knew it wasn't.

Mikey was in front of me again, and I smiled at him. "Do not despair Michael, we will save your brother." I whispered. A tear slid down his cheek and he asked, "How?" "I do not know the way, but we can find it together." I held my arms out to him, and Mikey rushed forward, hugging me. He started to sink to his knees and I helped him to ease down as he sobbed into my shoulder. I stroked his hair and shushed him, saying, "This is a heavy burden you have been carrying for too long. Let me help you." He sniffed a bit as he lifted his head to look at me.

No words passed between us, and his lips met mine gingerly. As though he were afraid to hurt me with his kiss. His hand slid into my hair and cradled my head as the kiss deepened. Mikey was laying me down, kissing me. I could feel his hand between my legs and it made me shiver. I could hear the voice of reason in the back of my head. I didn't really know Mikey, I shouldn't sleep with him. But it wasn't true. I did know him, I'd looked into his soul and seen a lost little boy. He needed the kind of comfort that went beyond a pat on the back or a hug. And I could give it to him.

We broke the kiss at the first hitching of breath. Oxygen is very important. Mikey kissed his way down my chest until his lips were over my heart, and he trailed from there to one of my breasts. I was undoing the buttons on his shirt and gasped when his teeth grazed my nipple. He sucked on it idly while his hands continued to explore my body. I'd finally gotten his shirt undone and slipped it down his shoulders, and he removed it himself.

He watched me as I placed my hands against his chest, caressing his torso. "Are you sure?" He whispered. "Yes... Come, help me with this." I replied, reaching for the catch on his jeans. He was already hard and i could feel he wasn't going to hold out. We got his pants off rather quickly (thankfully he hadn't worn shoes or socks) and he was nude. When I saw his cock I breathed a slight sigh of relief, he was average which pleased me. I know many women say they like big dicks but most well endowed men have no idea how to use the equipment they have. Mikey kissed my neck as he slid the robe off of me, interrupting my thoughts. His breathing ragged against my flesh.

I gasped as his fingers teased the sensitive folds of my labia, then groaned when one was hesitantly inserted into me. Mikey was shivering, his nerves seeming to get the better of him. "I can't... I can't hold on. Please..." I pulled Mikey into a kiss, my way of saying it was okay. He kissed back and spread my legs apart, then gingerly entered me. I cried out as he did this, it'd been a long time since I'd been with anyone, so the initial pain was unavoidable.

Mikey was gasping now as well, the reason becoming apparent as he said, "God, you're so wet..." He slowly withdrew, then thrust into me again. I bit my lip to stifle another cry, my eyes closing tight as he began to work out a rhythm. It didn't hurt so much now. Actually it felt pretty good. I moved my hips against his, experimentally bucking upwards. Mikey moaned loudly and I felt his lips on my breast again. I opened my eyes as my hands moved shakily of their own accord. One fisted into his hair while the other grabbed his shoulder.

He was breathing hard against my skin as he moaned, "Oh... Oh fuck... Varla, this feels... so good." "I know, I know baby..." I sighed, gasping once again as he thrust deeper. I shuddered as he moved faster, our lips colliding and kissing as were were caught up in the passion and the pleasure of it. It was when we shared another nerve searing kiss that I realized I was close. I was moving against him as hard as he was thrusting into me, and when the orgasm hit, every muscle in my body seized up. I was vaguely aware Mikey had done the same thing as he came hard inside me.

For a moment that seemed to stretch on into eternity, everything was wonderful. There was no danger, no Parade, no Ringmaster, it was all okay. We slowly came down from the high, trying to catch our breath. Mikey carefully slid out of me, falling to the side a bit. I lay there and looked at him, the warm feeling subsiding. He was breathing deeply, and finally he got to his feet and helped me up. He picked a dead leaf out of my hair and smiled his first genuine smile since I'd met him. "You're amazing," he whispered, then kissed my forehead. I smiled back and took his hand. "Come on, I don't know about you but I need a shower." We extinguished the candles and incense, picked up our clothes and went back inside.