deadly night shade 3

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The Mysterious Message
“So, does he have a forked tongue?” Ravenwater teased.

Windfire glared at him, “I didn’t find out.”

“Really? From the way he was looking at you…” Shadowstorm shook her head.

“What about it?” Windfire asked.

“He lusted something, let me tell you,” Emberstrike said with a sheepish grin.

“Oh grow up,” Windfire rolled her eyes. “And even if he and I did kiss, it wouldn’t be anybody’s business.”

“You had to have kissed him,” Frostgem said quietly.

“Why would I have had to have kissed him?” Windfire was abashed, and making her own case worse.

“Well, three reasons,” Frostgem said quietly. “First, he looked damn good, sorry, I had to admit it, second, you’re getting defensive over a little fun teasing, and lastly, your lip gloss is smeared.”

“Huh?” Windfire asked, desperately looking for any reflective surface. “So I kissed his cheek a few times and lips once…”

“He called you his fiancé,” Emberstrike remembered.

“Yeah, you’d figure after betraying a girl’s coven and leaving her to writhe in pain he’d get the hint that you were broken up,” Shadowstorm said dryly.

“Oh, by the goddess,” Windfire rolled her eyes. “If he betrayed us, he’d be dead.”

“Somebody named Roy and Rich left you this, too,” Ravenwater placed a case for a ring on the table.

“Who?” Windfire asked, trying to understand. She read the note on the outside of the box which was clearly addressed to: Windfire. Inside was a poorly written note that was probably rushed in the making.

Windfire, our master is reluctant to tell you anything but we know the truth behind the mask. He’s still in love with you and we want to prove it. We’ll show up tomorrow to come get you. We know this sounds crazy, but just go with it. We know if we hurt you, Master will kill us in more painful ways we could imagine, so don’t worry. ~Rich and Roy. P.S. If he didn’t tell you, he watches you quite a lot and tries to hide it. It’s romantic in a way but really creepy. We’ll explain everything tomorrow.

“Do you think he’s starting his own coven or warlocks?” Windfire asked.

“Shade? No way,” Ravenwater shook his head.

“Shade would rather drool over you himself, without having to worry about how sexy his acolytes find you,” Shadowstorm said quietly.

“You are all making him out to be some sort of pervert,” Windfire was slightly amused at their point of view.

“He perverted magic and took your virginity, so there’s two counts,”

Emberstrike said just loud enough to be kicked beneath the kitchen table.

“You and Shade did what?” Frostgem gasped, covering her mouth.

“We’re adults, come on…” Shadowstorm muttered.

“You’re not a virgin anymore, though…” Frostgem said, surprised.

“No, didn’t you hear? Night Shade and I had sex when he was in the middle of transforming into a master of darkness,” Windfire said quickly.

“You still call him Night Shade?” Ravenwater shook his head. “That is amazing.”

“I fell in love with a man who became a warlock. That is a personal problem, so why has it become a family discussion?” Windfire grumbled as she stood from the table.

“Because you and him are the two most screwed over star-crossed lovers that ever existed,” Emberstrike said, trying not to laugh at all of the ironies of the relationship between her cousin and their former blood witch.

“Okay, get some lives, grow up and forget about me and Shade," Windfire said as she stood.

“Think she’s upset?” Frostgem asked.

“No, more like frustrated,” Shadowstorm replied.

---

Shade smiled a crooked smile as he stared obsessively into the scrying cauldron. He hadn’t seen much of the conversation, just enough to know that Windfire still wanted him and she wasn’t trying to fool him when she was crying on his shoulder earlier that day. He sighed dreamily as his scrying liquid followed his beloved to her bedroom.

She was beautifully breath-taking in the light of the evening as it shone through her bedroom window. She slowly undressed, leaving him stammering and bright red, yet unable to take his eyes from her. She slid into a small nightgown that left little to the imagination and clung to her tempting curves.

“Oh by the dark God…” Shade clutched the kettle with all of his might, trying to fight the urge to teleport into her bedroom and tempt her. Even if he was a little hasty and rough he knew it wouldn’t be unwanted. She loves him and wants him as badly as he wants her. What stood in the way of his obsession; his warlock mind that he was slowly, but surely becoming.

The human mindset Shade had was one of a loving, creative, passionate man who was dedicated to Windfire with his entire being. Shade’s warlock mind, however, was his murderous intent that was enemy with the white witches, but only let them live until he could be the one to kill them when they’re at their strongest.

Shade drooled as Windfire began brushing her hair out again, more carefully. He could practically smell her scent when he leaned closer to the cauldron. He wanted to taste her, both side of him were lusting hungrily after her. Somehow black lace barely covering her and being held together by the rayon woke his deepest thoughts. “This isn’t fair…” he was blushing and panting, his breaths shallow and nervous.

He could just see Windfire’s eager eyes undressing him when he saved her again from another demon that had somehow crossed over from the nether world onto the mortal plane. He loved that look and he wanted to be the only man to make her look and feel like that, at the same time he wanted to be the man to end her rein as the high priestess of her coven.

Windfire lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was angered because her cousins wouldn’t let her forget about Shade for a single second, not that she wanted to. She was frustrated that she couldn’t help Shade with his problems ad struggle because he wouldn’t let her. She wasn’t upset that he wouldn’t let her help; it was that she felt powerless; knowing that if the warlock in Shade took over when she was alone with him she would definitely die.

“Shade…my Deadly Night Shade…” she said dreamily, remembering his handsome features. When Shade heard her voice like a clear bell he paid more attention to her than his own perverse thoughts. “I love you so much, Shade. If you’d let me help you I know we could stop the warlock from taking over and dominating your mind.”

“She really wants to help me on my terms,” Shade was open-mouthed and in awe.

“And by the blessing of the Goddess, I have to admit that you make a very sexy warlock,” she blushed instantly, hiding her own face in embarrassment, even though she thought she was alone.

“Sexy…” Shade flushed red as well, liking the effect his new self was having on her. Mindlessly, he began fiddling with the engagement ring that had been tainted by his dark powers. Its diamond was a blood red stone that was mounted on a jagged black band. “I’ll give you sexy,” he said with his wicked smirk.

Windfire shifted her weight ad stretched, still sprawled out on her bed. God did he want to caress and hold her! She finally stood up, her hair slightly messy from laying on her back and her nightgown clinging tightly to her. Shade bit his bottom lip, “You’ll be mine again, Windy. I’m going to fight this damned curse I got myself into and I’m going to…” Shade stopped speaking when his acute ears sensed that he was in the company of the two acolytes who adopted him without his consent, as well as moved in onto the two bedrooms on the bottom floor of his house.

“Stop being a wussy and tell her,” Rich said quickly.

Shade stared at the man for a long while, “Look, stay the hell out of my life and why the hell are you in my house still?”

“Hey, misery loves company and you’re just making yourself miserable so we volunteer to be your company,” Rich replied.

Shade rolled his eyes, “Do I get no peace from anything?”

“I can see why she arouses you so easily,” Roy blushed, staring into the scrying liquid.

Shade kicked the kettle which disrupted the scrying, making the liquid useless green goo. “Leave me to peace.”

“Not while you’re making yourself miserable,” Rich objected.

“You have no loyalties to me,” Shade reminded them.

“You’re the most powerful person on the mortal plane,” Roy muttered.

“We see it better to be on your good side,” Rich added.

“Fine, I’m tired of arguing,” Shade growled.

“Are we your subjects?” Roy’s eyes twinkled.

“Do an initiation that will please me and yes,” Shade exhaled sharply, not believing the words coming out of his mouth.

“We won’t disappoint, we swear!” Rich said happily as he left Shade to peace.
Windfire roused early the next morning like her intuition told her to. She made coffee, downed a cup and waited on the porch in her night gown and robe for the two promised acolytes’ appearance. She wasn’t waiting for long when two men appeared, one of them shorter with fair hair and eyes and the other a little heavier and taller than the other with medium blonde hair.

“Roy and Rich?” Windfire asked.

“Windfire?” they chorused.

“Would you like to come in?” she asked.

“Let’s tell you the plan while Shade’s out and about,” Rich suggested instead.

“Go ahead,” Windfire said quietly.

“Firstly, you’re more striking in real life,” Roy said shyly.

“Ahem,” Rich cleared his throat to command the discussion again, “We’re going to pretend to want to offer you as a virgin sacrifice to the dark god, and Shade is obviously going to stop us. That will give you and him some alone time and you another shot at talking some sense into him.”

“You said about him watching me or something creepy yet romantic?”

“He has a kettle that he uses to spy o you using a scrying goo and he’ll just watch you for hours,” Roy explained.

“He does?” Windfire blushed, remembering her confessions to herself from the previous night.

“Come with us and we’ll show you,” Rich offered.

“Is walking really efficient?” Windfire asked.

“No, we ported here in the ally over there,” Roy said sheepishly.

“Well then, let’s go,” Windfire smiled.

“Dressed in that?” Rich asked, noting the short and tight nightgown she was wearing with a see-through robe covering her.

“You’re right, Shade won’t go for me being covered,” she removed the robe and set it inside the door before standing again.

“That outfit is strategic?” Roy asked, trying his best to keep eye contact with Windfire.

“Shade is a sex addict,” Windfire said with a wink and a smirk.

“More than I ever wanted to know about Master Shade, but alright,” Roy said, gripping Windfire’s hand nervously. They wound up in the parlor of Shade’s home. “Come with me,” Roy said, leading her up the stairs. He lead her to the top where Shade’s bedroom (too familiar for her façade of stoic masks’ liking) sat, bearing evidence of Shade’s undying obsession with her.
She inspected the night stand which held several black candles and no lighter (not needed since he could conjure fire) with a small black book and his half smoked pack of cigarettes. On his work desk where his published book was composed and where his Grimoire of the Soulless was perched, glaring at her white aura.

“You are something,” Rich said with a smile.

“Why?”

“You have no problem with going through your ex boyfriend’s possessions,” Rich shrugged.

“He calls me his fiancé, right?” she looked at them and got two nods, “Then I guess to him we never broke up.”

“The kettle is in the closet,” Roy said quickly, trying not to fall for her beauty and charm. Windfire nodded and opened the closet that indeed was filled with green goo.

“That’s used in scrying in black magic.” Windfire shook her head and closed the closet door. “Don’t virgin sacrifices wear white?” she asked.

“We’ve got you a gown and we hope you like it and it fits,” Rich said, holding up a small white night gown.

“Alright, let me change and I’ll walk downstairs,” she said with a grin. They nodded and left her alone to change into the pseudo sacrificial gown. 
Curiosity drove her to start to read Shade’s journal. She touched her fingertips along the spine of the book and stopped when she saw into the past.

Shade was crying desperately, sobbing and barely breathing as he scribbled in the beginning of the book. She almost cried herself, feeling the emotions Shade was trying to sort through. He was scared to death of the power he woke, scared to death of hurting Windfire and embracing the ability to help her in battle.

“He felt useless and that’s why he did it…” she shook her head, trying to not cry. She folded her small black nightgown over her arm, handing it to Rich as she stepped onto the landing at the foot of the stairs. “Let’s pretend to sacrifice me, eh?” she said with a grin.

The two warlocks watched her for a moment, afraid to speak. “Right,” Rich finally said, opening the basement door.

“Don’t freak out, this is all an illusion. Your fiancé doesn’t have any demonic hobbies—other than the summoning and elemental ones,” Roy said quickly.

Windfire laughed, “You two are funny.”

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deadly night shade 5