Disclaimer & Copyright: This story deals with Adult content like, graphic scenes of violence, sex between two women (graphic), heterosexual activity (not graphic) and other adult themes, any resemblance to any other story is strictly coincidental. I have given song writing credits for songs in the endnotes since none of the songs belong to me.
Warning: This tale is a pure work of fiction and whilst inferences and hints are drawn from other religions it is not to be taken seriously by any means. If this disturbs you then do not read it, is it a romantic horror or a horrific romance? You decide. Comments to Lucienstclare@yahoo.com would be nice.
The Children of Mara
By
Lucien St Clare
Sunday 31st October 1999 - Halloween
A little girl got ready for bed vigorously brushing her teeth her bouncy golden curls moved with her head. She rinsed out her mouth and wiped her face with a towel before making her way to bed. She went to draw the curtains and that was when she saw it.
The big reptilian eyes in the window framed in a face with curling horns long pointed teeth and a snarling mouth. The mouth opened wide as though to swallow her up forcing a loud scream from her mouth.
The creature battered its head against the windows of the house again and again but the building was protected against supernatural attack and warded against an all-out frontal demonic attack. The little girl calmed down when she realized the creature could not get in she stood frozen watching the demonic face moved back.
She thought it had gone but then a dark insidious mist began to gather in her room, seeping through the windows and the cracks in the walls she moved back from the windows towards the door and opened her mouth to scream when she bumped into a solid body behind her.
It was her mother Felicia, she looked different with her long red hair flowing down her back her green eyes flashed like brilliant emeralds then a bright light seemed to surround her and glow in its incandescence reflecting brilliantly off the long white nightgown she wore that seemed to whip around her.
Beside her stood her mother’s companion and friend, Harriet, she looked different, taller, powerful, and more muscular if that was even possible. She wore red leather trousers and a short red leather jacket.
In her hands were two wickedly curving swords which appeared to be on fire. The blades were like blue lasers with orange and yellow licks of flame pouring from the weapons.
The demon materialized and took solid form in the middle of the little girl’s room. Harriet lurched forward immediately and Felicia put her daughter behind her.
“I am Molech and I have come to destroy you and breed on your Marani .” The cadaverous voice thundered Marienne shivered with fear and a cold chill made its way down Felicia’s spine as she prepared to defend her daughter’s life to the death.
“We shall see about that!” a voice shouted from the door of Marienne’s room and then almost miraculously Harriet lunged forward and threw herself at the demon causing the two to fall out of the window of the mansion and onto the ground below so that they landed in a resounding thump as though a meteorite had fallen to the earth.
In the room Felicia allowed her healing light to surround herself and Marienne, so that all the dark insidious imps and the demon’s spiritual minions melted screaming away in pain. It was only after she was sure she had cleansed Marienne’s room of the foul supernatural beasts that Felicia held out her hand.
A bright white light shot out of her rippling along the breaches, mending the windows and healing the cracks in the wood and repairing the wards that had stood for a thousand years.
Outside the battle raged between the demon lord and the woman. The woman plunged her sword deep into the demon and would have pulled out its heart and banished it back to hell but the demon’s talon plunged deep into her flesh causing her to scream out and stagger back in pain. She fell to her knees as the poison wormed its way into her system.
The demon fled into the night it had lost a lot of blood from the battle with the Maranen . It would need to replenish its essence or it would become nothing more than a malevolent spirit feeding on the negative emotions of humans unable to directly enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. The demon fled along the deserted road and found a red car by the side of the road.
Inside the car was a couple, a young man and a young woman. They looked like teenagers on the way to an event. The man had lustful intentions in his heart and he lied to her it was just the opening the demon needed.
“The car has broken down we need to call for help.” The man said silkily.
“Oh please Jonathan I am not falling for that old trick just get the car started so we can get going.”
“The woman sat in the car wearing her make-up whilst the man pretended to fix the car.”
“I am serious Janine.” The young man slipped into the car and put his hand on her thighs and squeezed her knee.
The woman turned to him and gave him a freezing look. “Let go of me.”
“Hey either put out or start walking.” He sneered.
The woman glared at him and got out of the car. “I’d rather take my chances thanks for nothing.” Janine got out of the car and slamming the door she made her way into the night.
The demon materialized at the back of the car feeding of the man’s anger it seeped into the car and materialized beside him in his foul form and ripped the throat of the man draining him of blood and life essence till he was nothing more than a desiccated husk.
The demon effortlessly flung the body to the side of the road it’s face twisted in a grimace of terror and pain. The horrific murder replenished his powers so that he was able to use his glamour to change the appearance of the car and of himself.
He drove down the road stalking and hunting the woman who was walking down the road. It was not long before he found her walking along the deserted highway. He slowed the car to a crawl and wound down the window of the car.
“Hi can I give you a ride? It’s not safe for a woman to be walking alone at night in these parts.”
There was something insidiously evil about him and a veil of dread settled over the woman repulsing her but at the same time she could not face the thought of walking three miles in her stilettos to the nearest bus top.
He was very handsome and he looked rich and powerful. She was about to refuse when he said “Look I just want to make sure you get home alright.”
Janine looked into his eyes and he took control of her will and mind so that she followed him meekly into his car and they drove away into the night. She would never be seen alive again.
At the mansion Harriet was writhing in pain whilst Felicia struggled to free her lover from the poisoned touch of the demon. Eventually Harriet fell into a deep and tortured sleep and Felicia was able to continue drawing out the poison.
When she was satisfied that Harriet was free of all the demon’s bane she went to Marienne’s room and tried to explain what she had just seen.
“Child…there is a truth I must tell you who we are and how the demons came to be. I will start at the beginning it may take a while, it’s a long story.”
“Mother you are scaring me. You know it freaks me out when you speak like that.”
“You should never be scared of the truth baby, only learn to embrace it for one day it may save your life. Are you ready to hear what I have to say?”
“Go on then you know you want to.” The words were sighed she did not want to hear but the urge to hear the truth drove her onwards. She watched with trepidation as her mother opened the book and began to read.
It is written that in the beginning when Anu created the heavens and the earth. The earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep. Then Anu said ”Let there be light” and there was light and Anu saw that the light was good and Anu separated the light from the darkness.
On the second day Anu created the waters, and the sky and the stars and the land.
On the third day Anu created the vegetation and plants yielding seed and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it and Anu saw that it was good and there was evening and there was morning and the third day.
On the fourth day Anu created the seasons and the signs for the seasons and the days and the years.
On the fifth day Anu created the creatures that dwelt in the sea and let the birds fly above the earth across the skies. In the sea Anu created every living creature that moves and every kind which swarms beneath the deep and every winged bird of every kind and Anu saw that it was good and Anu blessed them all saying be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and let birds multiply on the earth and then there was evening and there was morning and then came the sixth day.
On the sixth day Anu created every living creature that lives on the earth every kind of cattle and creeping thing, every kind of monster and wild animals of every kind.
Then Anu said I will make Lulu in my own image according to my likeness they shall have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle and over all the wild animals for the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
So Anu created Lulu. In the image of Anu they were created, male and female they were formed from the dust in the ground and Anu did breathe into their nostrils the breadth of life and the Lulu became living beings and then Anu planted a Garden and there Anu placed the two Lulu which Anu formed one male and one female in the image of Anu.
So Anu told them "Ye are equal so be as one be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; I give you dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth and I have given over to you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit you shall have them for food and have dominion.
And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth everything that has the breath of life I have given every green plant for food and so it was as Anu said.
You may freely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day you eat of it you shall die”.
And it was evening and morning and then the seventh day and on the seventh day Anu so that the work of Anu's hands were good and so Anu rested.’
Marienne fell asleep before her mother Felicia could finish the story.
It had been two nights since the demon attack on their home and though Harriet was healed she still limped. Harriet was sure the demon would not return but when the little girl fell fast asleep in her mother’s arms, she continued to have nightmares of the demon attacking her.”
At the moment she was sleeping on the bed in her mother’s room.
“We must suppress the memory of that night Felicia, they will think her crazy when she starts telling her friends at school that a demon attacked her on Halloween and that her mother’s fought it off. She will never have a normal childhood.”
Tuesday 31st October 2000
It had been a year since Marienne’s first encounter with the supernatural world. Both her mother and Harriet had acted as though nothing had happened. When she had tried to talk to her friends about it they thought she was a freak.
Marienne tried to put it all behind her but as she waited in the record shop for her mother to pick her up, a record came up on the loudspeakers that seemed to speak directly to her describing the hellish nightmare that she went through that night.
“I left alone, my mind was blank
I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind
what did I see? Can I believe that what I saw
that night was real and not just fantasy?
Just what I saw, in my old dreams, were they
Reflections of my warped mind staring back at me?
Because in my dream, it's always there
the evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair
YEAH!
The night was black, was no use holding back
because I just had to see was someone watching me
in the mist, dark figures move and twist
was this all for real or some kind of hell?
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released
As the song played on the loudspeaker she thought she saw a tall man in a long black coat standing in the record shop. She felt a sense of dread the same dread she had felt one year ago that night when she had first seen it the creature in her nightmares.
He seemed to move towards her and a hand touched her shoulder, she jumped and realised it was Harriet. When she looked around again the man had gone together with his evil presence.
All that was left was the powerfully calming presence of her mother’s friend Harriet. Harriet always made her feel safe, she was a calming steady protective presence in her life and she couldn’t help feeling that Harriet had known about the man and her very presence had driven him away.
Friday 31st October 2003
Marienne was in the car with Tim kissing on the back seat of the car at the lover’s lake. It was called lover’s lake because that was where a lot of young people went to make out.
Her boyfriend Tim was sixteen years old and the baddest boy in town. He wore leathers just like Harriet and he rode a motorcycle and all the girls wanted him but Tim had taken her out in his daddy’s car.
Marienne lied shamelessly and told her mother she was going trick or treating with her friend Heather but instead she had decided to hang out with Timothy and they had gone for a hot make out session on Lover’s Lane.
“Close your eyes
Look deep in your soul
Step outside yourself
And let your mind go
Frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die
Close your eyes
And forget your name
Step outside yourself
And let your thoughts drain
As you go insane... go insane
Innate seed
To watch you bleed
A demanding physical need
Desecrated eviscerated
Time perpetuated”
The song came on the radio tickling the edge of her awareness that something was not alright. As the song played Tim got more and more aggressive and outside the car the wind blew viciously the wind started howling eerily through the trees and Marienne felt a melting malevolent presence slowly building up outside the car.
She pushed Tim off her and something pushed her to wind up all the windows of the car whilst ignoring Tim’s whining complaints. She had barely completed the task when a large pair of yellow reptilian eyes seemed to be staring down at them from the front of the car.
Beside her Tim froze in terror as what looked like a gigantic black beastly dog landed on top of the car. She screamed and a bright light came out from her chest pushing out at the glass singeing the beast on the bonnet of the car which howled with rage.
The beast was hurled backwards into the woods and went crashing into a tree. The force of the impact caused the tree to be uprooted. The beast seemed to shake off the hit and lunged forward flying onto the car it ripped off the roof of the car and flung it away. It reached into the car and did the same with Tim; his body was like a rag doll tossed about in the storm.
Marienne shrank back as the beast metamorphosed into a half man half beast creature with a poisonously dripping maw and huge rollicking eyes.
Its tongue reached forward and was about to lick her when suddenly a large leathered fist wrapped itself around the tongue and tugged sharply at the beast which screamed.
Harriet…It was Harriet she always seemed to know where to be and when to be. Marienne shrank back into the car as she watched Harriet fight bravely against impossible odds against the creature.
At the end of the night Harriet ruthlessly stabbed the creature and pulled out its beating heart. She seemed to call down lightening from the very heavens which burned the bloodied beating heart in her hands and the creature’s remains burst into ash as words passed Harriet’s lips.
The next day Harriet managed to convince Timothy Henson that he had in fact been in a horrific accident and the demonic creature and fight that he had witnessed was as a result of a nightmare from concussion. She was not able to convince her daughter though.
Marienne knew too much and had seen too much, she had fallen asleep her head on her Mother’s lap whilst Felicia had stroked her gently to sleep.
Halloween was over and the demons had returned back to their various lairs. So it was safe to carry Marienne back to her room and put her to bed but just in case Harriet checked that the wards around the estate were still in place.
When she returned to the bedroom she shared with her wife she said “I will not always be there every Halloween to protect her from Molech.”
“Molech? Is that the name of the one who hunts our daughter?”
“Yes and he will continue to try until he either succeeds or she is claimed by her Maranen.” Harriet sighed flicking open her cuff links and placing them on the bedside table of the bed she shared with Felicia.
Felicia moved forward towards her lover, her companion, her protector and said “Let me do that.” She gently flicked open the buttons of the white shirt that covered the body she loved.
As the silken blouse parted it revealed the bronze clear complexioned silken skin that belonged to the woman she loved. Her soul mate was a wonderful mixture of soft satin skin and powerful immortal muscle. She dropped a tender skin on her warrior’s skin.
“We have to suppress her powers it is the only way to prevent the demon from finding her.” Harriet said urgently.
“If we do that it will also affect her memory she will forget that she is a daughter of Mara, a Marani. What do we do when she wants to marry a man and….”
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it Felicia but I can no longer continue to risk her safety.” Harriet growled as Felicia’s fingers slid down her lean muscled body drawing a hiss from a now deep breathing Harriet.
Felicia wound her arms around Harriet and kissed her long and deep pulling her down on top of her and on the bed. “Well my lover I trust you to keep us safe, if you think that will work I will just have to trust your judgement.”
Harriet stared down at Felicia in disbelief. “You’re not going to argue with me?”
“No, I have been doing some reading of my own and I found out that as long as she keeps her gift of healing hidden she will not be found.”
“I never thought you would agree with me on this.” Harriet pushed a tendril of hair out of Felicia’s eye tenderly and returned her kiss.
“Harry stop talking and love me.” Felicia moaned.
“Hmmm with pleasure.”
Friday 28th October 2016
The full moon hung high in the sky illuminating the dark streets of Ravendale City, people moved obliviously through the streets and alleys ignorant of what was going on above them on the edge of a roof top staring down at the bright lights of the city.
A tall lean clad figure in a leather duster stood just off the spiralling centre of Centre Point. Centre Point was on Main Street in Ravendale City centre.
Tonight the city was a mad bustling busy metropolis swarming with drunken revellers dressing in a variety of Halloween costumes and party clothes who moved around the City square under the watchful eye of the Ravendale PD, some mounted on horseback others on foot and others yet in strategically placed unmarked cars.
The Halloween spirit was in full swing and the smell of intoxication was mixed with a variety of lust, anger, joy and the effect of too much alcohol coursing through the veins.
Rayne moved, her leather duster did not, her hair moved in the fluttering breeze, she sniffed wrinkling her nose; the air was heavy with the smell of hot dogs, pizza, Chinese food and humans. There was one particular scent that was driving her crazy.
It was the scent of a female and there were many females in the crowd each with her own unique scent but this one was different, this was the one that was like her. She savoured the scent, closing her eyes as she memorised it. She was not near enough but she was close.
Rayne leapt from roof to roof with long elegant leaps, her feet moving quickly across the stonework to the rooftop, looking down into the crowds then she stopped suddenly and stood still as a statue waiting, watching, observing.
As she searched her eyes turned amber yellow, an uncontrollable shudder of anticipation ripped through her body as she waited patiently. Then she sighted her, the ash blonde that looked like an Aphrodite in the flesh.
Her hair was swept up in an elegantly careless style, her face was stunning, symmetrical, her curves were to die for Rayne had no idea how she managed to walk on the high stiletto heeled shoes.
Marienne d'Archand had no idea that someone was watching her when she left the club her heels clicking on the stone paved road she walked. There was a light breeze and her hair whipped about her face.
She was ambivalent about her hair, sometimes she considered it a blessing because it was thick luxuriant and easy to manage and other times she considered it a curse because whilst it brought her a lot of attention people also assumed she was the stereotypical dumb blonde because of it but she simply dealt with it, it was a part of her.
Marienne did not see herself as anything more than the average attractive woman who happened to have good genes and looked younger than her twenty seven years.
You would have thought that would be a blessing but she found she still had to show her ID to get into any over twenty-one club. She did not envision any such problems today since she happened to be wearing a short black micro-mini skirt which zipped up on one side and a tight white figure hugging blouse that emphasised her generous curves.
She had been told by one boyfriend that she was voluptuous and a girlfriend described her as a cuddly blonde, she herself didn’t really care, she was happy in her skin.
She would never be model thin but then she had accepted a long time ago that she was never going to be a fashionista. Tonight her clothes were borrowed from her flatmate Betty.
Marienne preferred to think of herself as a staid and sensible medical doctor with a thriving career working in the Ravendale Foundation hospital and was not really a night owl well unless it was in a professional capacity.
Although she lived in the bustling metropolis that was Ravendale she really did not enjoy the whole nightlife scene, she was happier with her nose in a good book curled up at home with a cup of hot chocolate, she was still trying to figure out how she allowed herself to be persuaded to come out tonight.
Disciple of madness, defiler of flesh
Bringer of torment, seeker of death
Spawn of the dark one, the cleaver of souls
Ripped from existence, now your blood goes cold
Bloodshed turns the wheels of my desires
I am the darkness, I am the storm
Unleash unending slaughter and destruction
I am the darkness, I am the storm
This mind of unspeakable horror
These hands of unstoppable pain
My breath gives life to your destruction
Revel in the salt of your remains
When the song came on the loud speakers she shivered. The lyrics made her uneasy as it seemed to trigger an unpleasantly nightmarish memory in her unconsciousness.
The malevolent presence was almost familiar and it terrified her as though it stalked her, knew her, and hunted her. She needed to get out of the club and clear her head perhaps it was just that the tiredness and alcohol caught up with her; she decided to call it a night and slipped away quietly, her friends were all drunk, too drunk to even notice when she left.
Once she got out onto Main Street she looked around hoping to find a place that served sandwiches or a healthy salad but the smell coming from the burger place across from the club made her change her mind, she bit her lower lip and worked determinedly towards it ignoring the inner voice of her conscience that tried to remind her that she was supposed to be on a diet.
She kept hearing her mother, Felicia’s words in her mind almost as though her mother was trying to tell her something to remind her of something the words echoed unceasingly in her head.
Anu created them male and female, Anu created them equal. Anu called the Male Lulu, Adapa and Anu called the Female Lulu, Mara.
Anu said to them “Ye may eat freely of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat, for in the day you eat of it thou shalt die.
Adapa perceived that the beasts of the field did lie with one another so he sought to do the same with Mara and so he sought her that he might know her.
But when he when he wished to lie with her, she took offence at the recumbent posture he demanded. “Why must I lie beneath you?” she asked. “I also was made from dust like you; I am therefore your equal.”
When Adapa tried to compel her obedience by force, Mara, in a rage, uttered the ineffable name of Anu and she rose above the man and was swept away by Anu to another part of the garden where she spent many days weeping by the River which flows out of Eden to water the Garden.
Adapa complained to Anu: “I have been deserted by my helpmate.” Anu knew that Adapa wronged Mara yet did Anu send the angels Celestine, Evangeline and Galadriel to return Mara back to the Lulu Adapa. “Anu has seen your sadness do you return to Adapa or do you wish to die here?”
“How can I die,” Mara asked when I have not disobeyed Anu and eaten of the tree of knowledge.” So the angels left her and told Anu that the Lulu Mara would not come.
Anu knew she spoke truth and Anu did not forget her but sent the three angels back to comfort her and to keep watch over her.
Adapa coupled with the females of all the beasts in search of a mate and none did he find to be a partner to him. So Anu said to the sons of Light it is not good for Adapa to be without a mate.
So Anu caused Adapa to fall into slumber and then took one of his ribs and closed it up and in its place put flesh and Anu made the rib into a woman and brought her to Adapa.
Then did Adapa say “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Heba for out of man this one was taken.
And the man and the woman dwelt in the garden and they were both naked and were not ashamed. Heba submitted to her husband and they dwelt in the garden and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in disobedience to Anu, so Anu clothed them and drove them from the garden.
In the darkness of the night another set of eyes watched the young woman walk alone through the crowded streets. A predator, powerful strong and sure of his omniscient, immortal, invincibility.
The humans were like cattle to him, weak minds, soft bodies he drank their blood and sated his lust on them. He licked his lips appreciatively when he sighted the lone female moving through the crowd. He would enjoy her and dispose of her like he did all his prey.
He was Valerius, the sole surviving son of Molech, born of the demon lord and an unfortunate human female his father referred to with fond regret as Janine, she who had died in childbirth whelping him.
His birth right meant that he was gifted with certain attributes, superhuman strength and speed but he also inherited his mother’s weaknesses.
He like every other demon spawn fed on the negative emotions of humans, fear, pain, sorrow but he also needed to drink human blood to survive and because he was part human he needed to expel waste from his body which came out as sulphuric fumes unlike a full demon who used the blood to give them form to materialise into the human world.
Valerius had already fed taking the lives of three revellers littering their bodies in the streets. His father would no doubt complain but tonight was the night before All Hallows Eve better known as Halloween, the first day of the three days of All Hallows tide and the beginning of the festival of the dead.
It was the weekend of Samhain the pagan festival of when the veil that divided the world of the living and the dead was torn apart. He need not curb his excesses for this night, his powers would begin to grow reaching their high point on Samhain, when he could gorge himself on human gore for the next three days till the rosy hued dawn chased him back to the darkness of his lair for another year.
The hunter and the hunted another immortal, sensed the half demon. Rayne the immortal daughter of Mara, closed her eyes, her nostrils flared as she scented the demon spawn, and his malevolent evil pervaded the night like a heavy cloak of dread.
The enemy was close and he was hunting, he was hunting prey, with a quick turn she sped across the roof with preternatural speed leaping between two skyscrapers she crawled vertically upwards like a preying mantis, quickly and efficiently before jumping down onto a flat roofed building.
Her silhouette was caught momentarily in the moonlight, her long leather coat swirling about her as she executed the leap from the skyscraper to the flat top apartment block in a single bound.
A leap that could not be accomplished by a normal human female but then she was not a normal human female. She was an Immortal, a Maranen, a daughter of Mara the first female daughter of the immortal omniscient, omnipotent god Anu.
She was of the firstborn humans that walked the earth and had not succumbed to the blandishments of the Serpent. Her birthright was immortality, superhuman strength and preternatural speed, the guardian of her race and that of the humans.
She was born to bring death to demons and banish them to the depths of hell. Dar'Raynen Wrath was 6”4 of lean mean sculptured immortal muscle, cold, ruthless, unforgiving, unfeeling and unbending.
She had no purpose in life but the destruction of the demon spawn and their cursed fathers the rebellious sons of light who preferred to rule over man than to be subject to Anu the one who created them all.
A single drunken reveller noticed her but looked away and then back again to make sure his mind was not playing tricks on him. When he looked again he saw nothing just buildings and city lights.
He shook his head slapped it and looked down at the bottle in his hand. He tossed it in the garbage as he tried to dismiss the image from his mind. Even he could not shake the feeling of dread, the feeling that something was out there watching him. He ran.
Rayne melted into the shadows on the rooftops whilst below her an oblivious Marienne entered the Greasy Spoon Burger Bar and joined one of the long queues to order something to eat.
Inside the Greasy Spoon Burger bar, the place was packed with people, a few were sober, most were drunk or high or both. Marienne shook her head as a giddy feeling took hold of her and she started to regret having that last cocktail.
Outside Rayne hunted the demon spawn following the sulphuric trail of his scent and she wondered how the humans did not notice the sickening smell. She moved and another leap landed Rayne landed on the roof over the Greasy Spoon Burger bar overlooking Levi road.
Her eyes frantically scanning the people and alleys, her nose itched and twitched madly seeking out the sensation that had brought her there, but nothing, she fell to one knee and crouched low near the edge of the roof, and waited, her senses attuned to any shift in the creature she was hunting.
He materialised in the burger bar and out of the walls hiding in plain sight all he needed to do was to spirit his prey away. He had planned to abduct her but there were close circuit television cameras everywhere watching every move.
He cursed under his breath, the burger bar had once been a happy hunting ground for demons and serial killers alike since it was not far from an alley way but it was bad for business to be losing so many customers so the owners had installed television cameras and the incidents of crime had fallen drastically.
Inside the burger bar and oblivious to the danger of the resident demon, Marienne had joined the shortest line she could find and now edged closer to the front of the queue as her eyes squinted at the overly bright fluorescent display of food high up behind the counter, it was brilliantly lit up to make the food seem more appetising, yet at the moment everything just seemed to hurt her.
She gasped as she was shunted forward by a drunken tweenie clubber He had a crew cut very military in style which glistened with far too much hair gel, he raised his hands in a form of apology and she felt her stomach protest from the impact of his collision, as she heard the petite young black girl behind the counter call out “next customer please” in her direction.
Marienne composed herself and turned back towards the counter, leaning forward to rest against it, she smiled weakly at the girl behind the counter who returned one of her own
“Can I take your order?” she said brightly to Marienne.
Outside the wind shifted and on the roof top where Rayne was perched waiting silently hunting her prey. She sniffed the air once more, she could smell the strong stench of alcohol and the sweet smell of sex hormones going crazy amongst the revellers, but as hard as she tried she could not find the scent she wanted again he had dematerialised.
Her fist tightened in frustration and she slammed it down on the roof with a curse. Suddenly something tickled at her senses and she smiled ferally.
Her prey had made a mistake he had changed back to his human form to disguise his foul presence, except now his sulphuric scent was even stronger, his human body was unable to prevent it from oozing out of his human pores.
Meanwhile down in the bustling crowded midst of the Halloween revellers, Marienne sat down at one of the empty tables near the window and stared up at the full fat heavy moon that hung like a great big white pearl in the inky black night.
She could feel eyes staring at her, making the skin on the back of her neck prickle, danger, evil, her instincts had never been wrong before. She looked anxiously around and then she noticed him, he was staring at her.
Her senses screamed that he was the one exuding the air of danger but he was so handsome with his spiked up tawny blonde hair and sideburns she pushed the voice back down and squashed it flat as she primed and sat up straight pushing her shoulders back as she sat up straight.
He wore a black velvet suit with a burgundy red shirt. He was extremely handsome with the kind of chiselled but pretty features that looked like they belonged in a fashion magazine or vogue. In fact he looked so out of place the best way to describe him would be as a god amongst mortals.
His eyes arrogantly swept lazily up and down her frame and his face was transformed by a slow and wicked smile. He was absolutely gorgeous and she felt like swooning.
Instead she held her breadth as he made his way slowly over in a circular almost torturous route since it took him almost forever to get to where she sat.
“Anu created Lulu as one being male and female in Anu's image. The male was in the female and the female was in the male for Anu was neither male nor female but Anu was both male and female.
So Anu loved the Lulu and called the sons of heaven and said “Look see what I have made.” Anu loved the Lulu and Anu placed the Lulu above all that was in creation, even above the Annunaki, the shining ones, the sons of Heaven.
A third of the sons of Heaven became enraged that the Lulu be place above them in creation and their rage and pride twisted them so they rebelled against Anu and there was war in the heavens and Anu ordered Mekiel to throw the rebellious ones out of heaven and they fell like lightening to the earth and they took the form of the Dragon and the Serpent.
The three angels reported to Anu the grief and loneliness of Mara and so Anu created for her a soul mate, bone of her bone and flesh of her flesh and Mara called her Maranen which means “beloved protector” and they dwelt together as equals.
Mara and Maranen dwelt in a separate part of the garden from Adapa and Heba. So did the Dragon come to Maranen and the Dragon said “Did Anu say you should not eat of the tree of knowledge?”
Yet Maranen bore much love for Mara, for Mara did not cause Maranen to submit to her but in equal love and peace did they dwell. So did Maranen say to the Dragon “Mara told me Anu did say we should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil for on the day we do so we shall surely die.”
And the Dragon said “You shall not die but you shall become like Anu.”
But Maranen said “Mara told me we are equal and that I should love and obey Anu. I love Mara as I love Anu and in all things I obey Anu and bear much love for Mara so I cannot disobey Anu and eat of the forbidden fruit for then would Mara be angered with me that I disobeyed Anu.”
The Dragon was angry at the Maranen but the Maranen stood firm in her love for Mara. So then did Mara see the Dragon and rebuked the Dragon who went away but Mara and Maranen were together in the garden and they were happy and they did not die for they did not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil but of the tree of life they did eat.
So the Dragon went to the woman Heba, for the woman Heba was not the equal of Mara, and Heba was not the equal of Maranen and was not the equal of Adapa but submitted to him in all things and the Dragon perceived by this that she was weak for Heba wished to be like Anu for Anu was all powerful and did not submit to anyone.
So was the Dragon able to trick her and when Adapa saw that she had knowledge of good and evil, he did not wish to be less than her so when she told him she ate of the fruit Adapa was angry and when she showed him the fruit so did Adapa take the fruit from her hands and eat of it and so were they naked.
When Adapa told Anu that he and Heba had eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge so did Anu drive them from the garden and placed an angel with a burning sword that they might never return.
Yet was Anu’s heart heavy for the fall of the man and the woman.
Yet did Anu send an angel to woo the Woman and she agreed and a great portent arose in the heavens, the Woman, held great love for Anu and their love burned brighter than the light of ten suns and she conceived and was pregnant and crying out in birth pangs in the agony of giving birth.
Then another portent appeared in the heavens a great red dragon that breathed fire, his eyes glowed like fire and burning agates. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child born of the woman.
It’s jaws drawn wide, venom dripping from its fangs as it prepared to devour her child as soon as it was born and she gave birth to a child one who would destroy him but the woman snatched the child away and fled into the wilderness where a place has been prepared for her nourishment.
War broke out in the heavens and the Angels fought against the dragon and he was defeated and he was thrown down and a great voice proclaimed “Rejoice ye heavens for the Devourer has been defeated but woe to the earth and the sea for the devourer has come down to you with great wrath for he knows his time draws short.”
So the dragon pursued the Woman and the child to her place in the wilderness and by his mouth the dragon scorched the earth and tried to kill the woman but was defeated by the Angels and Immortals that Anu set to guard over her and by the work of his claws the dragon ripped apart the mountains and caused a deluge to cover the earth but the earth came to the help of the woman and swallowed the river that the dragon poured from its mouth.
Then the dragon went off to make war on the children of Heba and the children of Mara.”
“Is it hot in here or is it you?.”
“Cute. ” She smiled.
“You know you’re the reason for global warming aren’t you.”
Marienne groaned and they both laughed. “Stop stop.” She said when her laughter eventually subsided and he gave her another warm friendly smile.
“So are we ok? I hope there’s nobody coming to knock me out, I mean you already did that with those killer eyes. ” He held his hands out in a semi-continental shrug of surrender.
She smiled and shook her head. “No.”
“Well in that case may I join you?” He asked silkily sliding into the seat opposite her.
Outside the skies above, Levi Street were beginning to darken with the heavy clouds that foretold that rain was on its way. Rayne watched the people outside the Greasy Spoon Cafe below continue to laugh and enjoy the revelry of Halloween, her nose continued to catch the scents on the wind.
Rayne’s eyes glanced around taking in her surroundings and her attention was momentarily distracted by the sight of a tall red headed woman, she was dressed in tight blue denim jeans which hugged her apple shaped-bottom walking across the square away from the restaurant.
Rayne felt lust tug at her, she ignored it, a legacy of the curse. The only emotions she ever felt were lust and anger. The woman down below carried a container of ice cream and lifted it to her lips to lick at it.
Rayne leaned closer to the edge of the building to sweep the streets one more time and then turned around to leave when she noticed it again. This time it hit her in the solar plexus so hard she staggered back as her senses were almost overwhelmed by feeling and emotion.
She could see colours, red, blue, green, yellow she who had lived for a thousand years in a world of black, white and shades of grey now saw the world light up with neon signs. She could tell the difference between red and green, between blue and yellow.
Everything seemed so much clearer, sharper and brighter. She had not had such a feeling for a long time not since she had first thought she sensed the presence of her soul mate.
She stood for a moment and savoured the overload on her senses. Her soul mate the one she had been searching for, the one she had thought she would never find she was here in Ravendale at Centre Point.
Rayne could barely control her excitement her nipples tightened her clit hardened her eyes turned into a flaming gamboge yellow. She would track her down this night.
She closed her eyes trying to get her sex under control. When she opened her eyes again her gaze became locked on the burger restaurant across from the club and as she looked through the window she saw her prey within her grasp.
“They knew the secrets of the Heavens and sin was great in the earth and they killed many for no reason and they begat giants on the daughters of men.
They exploited the fruitfulness of the earth and everything that the earth produced the great fish, birds of the sky with all that grew on the earth and all kinds of grain and al1 the trees beasts and reptiles all creeping things of the earth and they observed every harsh deed and utterance against male and female, among humans.
Then the two hundred Anakim choose animals on which to perform unnatural acts, including, humans. donkeys, asses, rams, goats, beasts of the field from every animal, from every bird for miscegenation. The outcome of the demonic corruption was violence, perversion, and a brood of monstrous beings.
They begot giants and monsters and, behold, all the earth was corrupted. Behold a destruction is coming, a great flood, and it will destroy all living things and whatever is in the deserts and the seas.”
In the restaurant he held out his hand across the table and said “I’m Val.” she gazed at it consideringly before holding out her own.
“Marienne.” She replied as his large cold hand enveloped hers. He sat back and elegantly crossed his legs.
Outside the burger bar the immortal, Rayne gasped and staggered as she was suddenly inundated by colour. She could see colour, feel the cold, her senses honed as a hunter were enhanced but more importantly she could feel not just anger and lust but love and Jealousy.
A low growl formed in her throat as her gaze remained unbroken on her soul mate as the overwhelming thought that she had to claim her filled her mind and this other who she sensed near her would be nothing more than a distraction.
Inside the burger bar Marienne could not believe how carefree she was being with Val. She had never felt like this before simply struck up a friendship with a strange man.
She felt comfortable with him and even though he did not look more than in his early twenties he had the maturity of a man in his thirties. He also had a fantastic body which even the shirt he wore could not disguise.
“Well Marienne, can I walk you to a Cab or the bus stop?” He asked with a gentle smile.
She stood up and smiled “Yeah you could walk me to the bus stop that would be wonderful”.
Rayne sensed her drawing closer now, could almost taste her as she walked from the restaurant, another low growl emitted from her throat as she saw the male with her, they stood close together.
She could almost feel the unholy malevolent evil surrounding them, she could not strike here, she had to wait till they were far from prying eyes and other human witnesses.
Rayne followed them on the rooftops as they walked back towards the City Square always moving with feline elegance, Rayne kept her scent constantly in her senses, kept her movements within her sights as they turned another corner.
The Immortal Rayne sprang across the distance landing on a roof between two buildings, over-looking the alley they had just entered Rayne scowled when she saw he now had his arm around her unclaimed soulmate.
Val looked around as they walked further into the alley. “Are you sure this is such a great idea” He asked with mock fear in his voice. Marienne grinned up at him as he placed his arm around her, “I am sure you are quite capable of looking after me.” Marienne replied.
“Oh yes but who will look after me?.” he asked wrapping his arm around her waist whilst she wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned down getting closer to her and just as their lips were about to touch, she heard an animal growl and opened her eyes just in time to see Valerius crash against the wall of the alley.
When she opened her eyes she stared in disbelief at a black haired female who stood at over six feet standing in the alley. The woman wore her hair short in a fashionably cut short back and sides.
A black leather bra top that showed off amazing abs and tight black leather trousers. Her full length black leather jacket hung down from her shoulders and flapped noisily in the wind as she stared menacingly in their direction.
Marienne was surprised to see her eyes were a deep purple in colour as they surveyed her almost proprietarily, to her left she could hear Val getting up but she felt almost powerless to break the woman’s gaze.
The sound of clapping could be heard from where Val had fallen and she could not help the gasp that escaped from her lips. It was as though an enchantment had been lifted from her eyes. Val had the appearance of the monster from her darkest nightmares.
His head seemed to almost grow before her eyes and become long and gaunt, skeletal even, an ugly caricature of a man, part man part beast.
His eyes burned an unholy red and a pair of yellow fangs extended from his blackening gums and protruded from his mouth which dripped what she thought of was saliva but as it hit the pavement with a hiss she realised it was some sort of acidic venom.
“How disappointing, I thought you were dead.” Val drawled. His voice guttural and deep was very different from the warm sexy voice it had been before, he dropped his hands to his sides and slowly his fingernails extended to razor sharp looking talons their sharp tips glinted in the pale moonlight.
The leather clad woman moved like a shadow in the night gliding in front of Marienne like a shield protecting her from the evil that stood in front of her and gently shifting her away from danger and behind her.
Marienne could feel the hot breath of the woman warming her neck and vaguely felt a powerful arm on her shoulder pushing her gently against the wall of the deserted alley a fleeting caress on her wrist which she thought she had imagined followed.
The air about the woman seemed to fairly crackle with electricity as the creature that was Val let out a frightening and deafening roar of challenge to her, it’s fangs bared in a raw display of power that made Marienne shiver in dread from the sheer intensity of it.
It was as though someone had dropped her into the middle of a horror movie.
“Come and taste my poison Maranen, I will kill you and fill your mate with my demon seed.” His breath escaped in a long slow hiss.
Marienne’s mind began to race, what was happening, what were they talking about, this was not rational, she had a lot to drink but not enough to be hallucinating like this, someone must have put something in her drink either that or she was in the middle of some sort of nightmare.
She screamed when she saw the alley light up as a ball of lightning seemed to crackle between the hands of the black haired woman with the blue eyes and her eyes fairly burned with the blue fire of unnatural energy.
Then the two of them leapt at each other snarling and growling like two savage primeval creatures. Their movements were so fast they were nothing more than a blur of motion then she saw the woman thrown out of the whirl of their battle almost in slow motion to land at her feet.
Her coat was torn as though it had been slashed. The woman got up in one fluid movement and once more went for the beast. He picked her up in the air and tossed her against the wall like one would a kitten or a defenceless puppy.
There was a huge dent on the wall as some of the bricks crumpled to the alley floor and the woman shook the dust that crumbled down onto her head with a shake of her raven head.
“You should not have interfered Maranen, she is yet unclaimed and now I claim her as mine.” Val said stalking over to the woman lying in the foetal position on the floor.
He aimed a kick at her ribs which she caught lifting him foot, leg and body so that he somersaulted into a collection of dustbins that were propped up against the alley wall.
The woman dived onto him and he barely avoided her fist which crushed the skip leaving an imprint of her fist. He kicked her sending her careening into the wall and grabbing her body by the hair raised his hand so that he could tear her throat with his claws but he did not distracted as he was by the Marani who he sensed was getting ready to escape.
Marienne decided to run. Val looked up and saw her trying to get away from the alley, he dropped the leather clad female and with preternatural movement he covered the distance across the alley in a blur to stand beside her.
“Leaving so soon? I thought we were friends”, He said mockingly grabbing her around the throat and pushing her back against the wall, he opened his mouth to reveal his fangs dripping with venom.
Marienne hit him futilely with her fists but he grasped both her wrists in one strong hand whilst his hands fumbled with her clothing.
His other hand pushed her skirt up to her waist and ripped off her panties in one fluid movement. Marienne struggled helplessly against him when she saw him fumbling with his trousers as his intention became clear, merciful heaven he was going to rape her.
She took a deep breath filling her lungs with air and screamed a bright light bursting from her. The beast dropped her as though burnt and looked in disbelief at his hands. He staggered back with a grunt as he watched his burning hands in horror, smoke rising from his sizzling flesh.
Marienne did not know how that had happened but she was not going to question it. She tried to run from the creature but he grabbed her again and brought her crashing down to the floor of the alley.
The pain surged through Rayne’s body, as her head crashed down on the concrete, she shook her head groggily the bastard was wearing a power amulet of some sort. She had underestimated him.
Marienne choked in his grasp and grabbed at his wrist trying in vain to try to make him let go, her eyes were transfixed by his eyes hypnotised she was held under a spell unable to summon the strength to scream she felt the cold stone against her back, her neck and then she heard a roar.
Val had her where he wanted, her Maranen would soon be dead and he would fuck her, Marani, her chosen mate, and fill her with his demon seed and his kind would reign supreme unchallenged.
His hands fumbled with her clothes and raised her skirt so that he could feel her smooth silken skin beneath his fingers. His cock hardened as it brushed against her naked thighs he was so excited he almost did not hear the roar from where she had fallen, he turned to look and saw her glaring at him with fury in her eyes.
“Impossible!” Val gasped in shock, as the Rayne reached around his neck and tore his amulet of power off whilst at the same time hauling him off the woman and slamming him into the alley wall.
The creature circled them trying to get at Marienne and Rayne moved them both around and out of reach of his razor sharp talons.
“You are slow Valerius, your limbs heavy like a leaden weight.” The woman Rayne spoke with a deep modulated tone like melting dark cocoa calming and tempting with its hypnoticity. Her voice was smoothly beautiful compelling hypnotic - commanding.
It was impossible to stop listening to the dark seductiveness of her voice. It worked its way into the brain and clouded the mind.
Marienne felt slow languorous and drowsy listening to its compelling cadence. She was not alone. Valerius stood still barely moving as though he too was enchanted or ensorcelled.
Valerius shook his head as though to rouse himself from a drugged sleep and then charged at Rayne. Their movements were a blur as they went at each other not stopping until suddenly Rayne was standing still a lump of bloody flesh in her hand. It moved as though still alive.
Val’s eyes stared at Rayne in shock and then down at his chest where there was a gaping hole instead of where his heart should have been. Rayne summoned the elements that would destroy the monster and ensure he would never rise again.
A spark of blue lightening flashed down from her hands and burst into flame in her hands burning the tainted bloodied gore in her fist to ashes cleansing all traces of his gory remains from her flesh. As the blue flame continued to grow in power from her finger tips, her hair lifted as though raised by an eerie wind.
Her body crackled with an incandescent cerulean fire and lightening shot out from her hand into his body burning him where he stood he screamed as he was engulfed by the blue flames till there was nothing left of him but burnt ashes.
Marienne got off the floor on shaky legs and would have collapsed again had the woman not moved with preternatural speed and caught her. She felt relief wash over her even as she got her breath back. She suddenly found herself up against the woman who was now breathing heavily.
She felt almost powerless to resist the allure of those amazingly azure eyes, she was close enough to almost taste the woman’s breadth on her lips.
Slowly she felt her powerful arms wrap around her, and then her stomach lurched as she felt herself being lifted from the floor as the woman leapt upwards and she felt them land on the rooftop.
Before she could catch her breath they were leaping again to the next rooftop and then another, she closed her eyes as the buildings passed her by in a blur as they leapt from building to building until she finally felt solid ground beneath her and she opened her eyes and looked across the roof at the city skyline illuminated by light.
“Who are you? What are you? What was he?” The questions came out at Rayne rapidly not giving her a chance to reply. Rayne felt the wind shift above them and then a flicker of lightning could be seen in the distance and this was followed by the rumble of distant thunder.
Marienne looked up into the violet almost purple eyes and felt herself drowning in them as her mind filled with images, she gasped and shook as a multitude of images flashed in her mind, she tried to make sense of them, she was in a garden the Garden with the woman that stood beside her.
They were kneeling in what could only be described as a paradise. A woman in a white robe was blessing them and behind them there was another presence, a benevolent light and then there were images of war.
Then they were separated torn from the light, she could barely stifle a scream as the pain of the separation filled her mind and then she saw a battle between women and creatures of the kind like the one that had tried to attack her in the alley, there was so much pain and blood and destruction.
The images of death faded from her mind and she was filled with the energy of the white healing light, then she saw a woman lying on a blanket she screamed in pain, but not the pain you experienced through the horror of death, but the pain of child birth, she relaxed and the image filled her mind further and she saw the woman smiling holding the baby and being bathed in the healing white light.
She gasped as her mind cleared bringing her back to the present and all she could see was the face of the black-haired woman with the burning indigo eyes before hers.
Dimly she could feel the rain beginning to pour down around them. She looked up as the skies opened with a vengeance and they were engulfed in a torrential downpour.
The images were confusing but she was sure only of one thing she was the woman giving birth and holding the baby and the woman she had seen in the garden was the woman standing before her.
Only she could not tell whether the vision was of the past or of the future. One thing shed did know was that they had met before somewhere but she was unable to put her finger on it.
The rain poured down harder on both of them now, it was making her make-up run and causing her blouse to stick to her skin. She should have felt cold and embarrassed but instead she reached out with her hand and touched the woman’s face.
“Domina” Rayne whispered.
Marienne couldn’t explain it but she felt very attracted to the woman standing before her. She had never been attracted to a member of the same sex as her before but now she felt inexorably drawn to the woman who now stood in front her. The woman turned her head and kissed Marienne’s hand.
Her lips kissed along Marienne’s wrist, and then she moved into her arms and they were wrapped around her like a long lost lovers embrace, she was crushed against the body of the tall dark woman.
Marienne pressed her lips against the leather clad ebony haired woman, Her tongue brushing against hers and she felt an almost electric sensation as they kissed, the rain began to fall harder on them but she did not care.
Her hands ran along Rayne’s back, Marienne’s touch made her wince slightly as she touched the wounds on her back which Val had inflicted in their struggle.
Suddenly the tender kisses became more frantic more intense and the Raven-haired woman tore her flimsy white blouse so that the buttons went flying across the rooftop revealing the lacy white bra she wore underneath.
The front clasp of her bra followed the same fate as her blouse and she moaned as her now erect nipples were drawn into the black haired woman’s hot mouth.
Marienne moaned arching her body instinctively into the burning caress she gripped her face with both hands as they greedily spread hot kisses on her skin alternately sucking her nipples and then taking her aching swollen breast into her mouth almost covering the entire globe in her mouth.
Marienne whimpered as her arousal overwhelmed her, unable to stop herself as her loins swelled with need. Her labia were heavy, her clit tautened begging to be touched she longed to be filled and taken.
She felt large hands grip her now bare bottom because Val had ripped her panties off earlier in the alley. She felt wanton, yet free as though she was coming home as though she had longed for this all her life.
In a show of inhuman strength she was lifted up as though she was no lighter than a feather her legs on either side of her rescuer’s powerful neck, she felt her warm tongue caress her aching centre from the top of her clit to the warm moist opening of her glistening slit.
Marienne gasped as her centre stirred in heat as pleasure like she had never known seemed to race up every single nerve in her body, her femininity was devoured and tortured and teased and worshipped.
She knew this was the wildest thing she had ever done and she did not care, she made no demure as the woman lowered her down her body and instinctively she seemed to know what to do next.
Marienne slowly wrapped her legs around her rescuer’s leather clad body. After the show of amazing strength Marienne felt completely safe with her and knew she would not let her fall.
Her arms went to her neck and held on to it and she was drawn into a deep searching kiss. Their tongues duelled exploring each other’s mouths.
Another flash of lightning illuminated their figures on the roof top. Marienne gripped her neck tighter with her arms as the dark-haired stranger reached down with the other to unzip the side zip on her skirt.
The zip slid down easily and the skirt opened loosely making it form an almost single piece of clothing and it fell to the floor, one hand wrapped around her waist and Marienne felt the other slide down over her bottom caressing the curves before long fingers slid slickly into her hot moist depths.
Her mouth filled with a gasp of pleasure as she felt herself being penetrated. Marienne pressed her body tighter against the leather clad body as fingers slid slickly in and out of her and her womanly parts rubbed against the tautly corded muscles of the woman’s abdomen.
Vaguely Marienne registered the feel of the leather trousers the other woman wore between her legs as the rain continued to slash down around them in heavy torrents.
She clung desperately to her lover, lost in her, in her kiss, lost in her pleasure and lost most completely in the moment. Marienne’s her eyes closed and she moaned in ecstasy as she was held inexorably captive in the stranger’s powerful hands and against the leather clad body.
Every movement she made drove her just a little crazy, whether it was the insane stimulation of her clit or the impossibly long questing fingers sliding in and out of her just served to send her head spinning.
Marienne had had sex before, but never like this, she could feel the rain washing over her and it just made the sensation even more intense, she sobbed and moaned she was so close.
Then her legs started trembling as the beginnings of a powerful orgasm fairly began to ripple through her and she threw her head back and a feeling seemed to come over her like the calm before the storm, she could feel herself hovering over the edge of a precipice she had never been before.
She heard the woman whisper “Domina rendigo me” She was speaking an ancient language which she recognised as Latin from her medical studies.
At first she did not understand what she was saying and then she heard the words again in English as they came out in a sibilant hiss of need and pleading.
“Take me Mistress.”
Marienne stiffened as she felt a tingling in her throat and when she opened her eyes she struggled for breath and two white tubes came out of her throat like antennae.
She was mortified. The first time she had been close to an orgasm they had come out and her lover had been disgusted.
Ever since she made sure not to orgasm, now as she tried to stop them by holding them in the leather clad woman refused and continued to stoke her orgasm.
“Domina rendigo Me.” She whispered more urgently.
Marienne felt herself fall back helplessly under her spell her bones were like liquid and then she understood what she wanted. She leaned forward and bit her sinking the white tubes into the strongly corded neck and then her head exploded as her orgasm tore through her body.
She dimly heard the woman holding her scream, felt her release what to her sounded like a howl of exultation and then they leapt up into the night as her body shuddered again and again uncontrollably as orgasm after orgasm tore through her body, tears fell freely from her eyes as they were joined not just physically but emotionally and spiritually their joining was bathed in a pure white light.
She felt surrounded in pure unconditional love and the feeling was so intense as it combined with another orgasm she cried from its loss as it began to fade away and then she screamed as one last orgasm tore through her body and the whole sky above them lit up with an almighty lightening flash and she finally passed out.
The last thing she remembered was looking into the most amazing blue eyes ever, she felt powerless to do anything as her body still pulsed with pleasure from the intensity of their lovemaking.
She dimly registered that she was no longer on the rooftop but was now snuggled up somewhere warm and dry. She turned her head slightly to find the raven-haired woman by her side watching her, unable to hold her eyes open any longer and she let herself relax and turn over into the warm embrace of her new found lover and closed her eyes as the rain continued to splash down against the window pane.
Another had stood watching the couple on the roof. He had watched the leather clad guardian carry the unconscious naked woman into the night.
He had arrived to0 late to save his son Val but Molech knew tonight the children of Mara had won the battle. They had killed one of the demon horde and saved the life bearer.
The sky darkened above him and he moved down to the alley way where the confrontation had first begun. He thought to find a clue as to which of the Children of Mara had rescued her so he could hunt them down.
He found nothing to give him a clue but then he saw her driving license on the floor. It had fallen out of her purse in the struggle. It would give a clue as to where she lived.
He would use her as bait to kill her Guardian and birth another son on the light bearer to replace the one he had lost. As long as a child of his remained on earth he could never be banished to the abyss.
He got up and went to warn the others disappearing into the night in a whirling black mist of smoking vapours.
In another place, in another time, a pair of red eyes shone brightly in the darkness, White fangs could be seen, as a white skinned face was suddenly illuminated by the striking of a match and the lighting of a cigarette, a deep breath could be heard as the nicotine was drawn deep into his lungs.
“So they return, and now they are here.” The voice was deep and strong hypnotic, another mouthful of cigarette smoke was exhaled, the tip of the cigarette glowed brightly for a moment and his hand reached to bedside table and picked up a cellular phone, the screen flickered to life.
He keyed in his 4 digit pin code and the artificial sound of the phone played Sympathy for the devil, and then fell silent, he pressed several buttons and the phone began to dial, placing the phone to his ear, he heard it ringing softly until a man’s voice answered
“Hello Enki,”, he pulled another lungful of smoke from his cigarette before stubbing it out in an ashtray next the bed before speaking “They are not dead, another lives and has found a mate.”
“Enlil, the Children of Mara hunt the Anakim, take your son Molech and leave London.”
“No this one is young I can feel it and her mate has not quickened yet. There is still time to destroy the Guardian and give her to Molech as a mate.”
“As you wish Enlil you will always do as you want despite my advice.”
The full moon continued to shine brightly over the city, as the festivities of all hallows eve were enjoyed by those under the moons glow seemingly oblivious to the coming storm that would tear the city apart in a reign of blood and power.
Meanwhile after the epic battle with Valerius, Rayne could not believe she was finally there with her, her very own soulmate. She was the sexiest woman she had ever seen.
Rayne turned her face into the woman’s body and nuzzled her neck enjoying her warmth and her scent. The woman moaned beneath her touch and Rayne slid her fingers down her gently flaring hips and sliding her hands through her moist damp curls at her center.
Unable to resist Rayne continued to touch her and stroke her titillating the woman’s clit watching the expression on her face when she moaned helplessly.
Marienne’s eyes fluttered open and she felt the black haired woman’s tongue lick at her neck teasing the opening on her neck with her tongue. She moaned helplessly as she found herself held tightly in a fierce embrace and the woman’s fingers slid slowly and surely inside her whilst her palm cupped her mons.
Behind her Marienne could feel her rescuer’s breasts pressed against her back and her womanhood against her bottom. It was almost as though her brain short-circuited and then she felt her breasts being fondled and her nipples being rolled between the nimble fingers and felt her neck being sprayed with butterfly kisses.
It was not as intense as their first time, instead it was tender and gentle slowly building up between them. When the woman slowly rolled her unto her back, her blue eyes were intense and burning brilliantly.
“Take me Domina.” She whispered against Marienne’s ears and once more Marienne felt her neck muscles pulse and the Raven haired woman moved closer and allowed the white tubes from Marianne’s neck to sink into her flesh.
Rayne moaned as the tubes sank slowly into her neck and then Marienne felt her orgasm take over her rippling over her till she exploded into a ball of burning energy.
When she came down it was to find the black-haired lover had collapsed on top of her. She was not heavy and Marienne enjoyed having her weight on top of her. She even felt slightly bereft when she removed her fingers from inside her. She settled back into a deep languorous sleep.
Saturday 29th October 2016
When she woke up the black haired woman was still fast asleep and she noticed it was noon. They’d made love all night past the dawn and on into the late morning and she did not even know her name. She felt like such a slut.
The woman was beautiful, her hair was jet-black and cut fashionably short and with striking good looks she could have been a supermodel or a movie star then off course she could also have been a professional athlete with the way her body was toned like someone who worked out often or at least was no stranger to physical exertion.
Her body was so different from Marienne’s bounteous curves. She had small pert perfectly shaped breasts with big brown nipples, her abs appeared to be sculpted by an artist. She could count them all and trace out their outline with her fingers.
Her legs were long and powerful and everything was covered by an even tanned tone and skin. She was a contrast to Marianne’s pale skin and generous curves yet she was beautifully lean and elegantly graceful all at once.
“Who are you?” Marienne finally asked when they were both replete and sated.
Rayne blinked at her and smiled slowly “Ye have spent the better part of the night making love wi’ me and now ye ask me my name?”
Marienne blushed “You didn’t exactly give me a chance to accept or refuse did you.”
Rayne grinned again “I am Rayne and ye are my Domina, I have waited thousands of years for ye.”
Marienne traced the muscles on her arms tentatively marvelling at the strength beneath the skin as it rippled beneath her skin. “You’re very strong.”
“Of course all Maranen are very strong.” She said proudly.
“What is a Maranen?”
Rayne frowned and then replied “I am a Maranen and so are you.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“We are children of Mara; we are as Adam and Eve before the fall. We serve God, protect the Innocent and Defend the Faith. We are different, we are Maranen.”
“Different like your superhuman strength and my freaky white tubes that come out of my neck when I am close to an orgasm different?”
Rayne smiled “They are not freaky white tubes they are your sendrils and nothing to be ashamed of. In fact it is because you have sendrils that the son of Molech was hunting you.” Rayne reached out and stroked her skin her fingers reverently caressed her neck.
“Your sendrils come out when you are sexually aroused and when you are ready to mate your sendrils take my blood which your body uses to fertilise the eggs which are kept in your body and if we mate when your body is ovulating then you will carry our babe.”
“Are you telling me that I can get pregnant from having sex with you? A woman”
“Aye if tis meant to be.”
Marienne laughed a short sharp sarcastic burst. “Rayne I am infertile. I am unable to have children trust me it was one of the reasons for my divorce.” She said bitterly.
“How do you know you are infertile did you bite your husband with your sendrils?”
“Never, I was too scared to even let him see them.”
Rayne shrugged “Well that’s why you didn’t get pregnant.”
“So you’re saying after not being able to get pregnant with a man I am going to get pregnant with you a woman?! I’m not even gay!”
Rayne leaned back against the bed and watched Marienne a satisfied smile on her face. Marienne could not believe it no it was not possible the woman was crazy.
The events of last night were the results of too much alcohol may be someone had spiked her drinks she started to look around for her clothes.
“You are crazy and I am going home.”
“I canna let ye do that.”
“Excuse me?”
“Ye have made me thine, you have taken my essence, touched my mind, you have loved me, claimed me and bound me to you, tis my duty to protect ye and I do not think it advisable for ye to return to ye’re abode.”
“Well I am going home and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”
“Very well then I shall come wi' ye.” Rayne smiled “At least allow me ta see ye safely home.”
Marienne’s eyes narrowed as she considered her options. On the one hand Rayne did not seem like the type to harm her. If she wanted to harm her she could have done so anytime last night. She sighed “Very well then.”
“In the meantime,” Rayne wriggled her eyebrows suggestively and Marienne felt an urge to succumb to the temptation in those blue eyes.
“She’s insatiable.” Marienne thought
“Only for ye.”
Marienne gasped as she heard the words in her mind. It was like an intimate caress and she knew the thought was not hers but she was not quite sure where it came from.
She looked into Rayne’s passion filled cerulean orbs and felt as though she was almost compelled forward into her arms.
“Come to Me”
The words flashed through her mind and like a command and she found herself moving forwards and into Rayne’s arms. She sat astride her thighs and arched backwards as Rayne grasped each of her white globes in her hands and proceeded to fervently worship her body with hot kisses.
“Are you reading my mind?”
“None but Anu might read minds. I am only mind speaking my words to your mind. You may do the same to me if you wish.”
Marienne took a deep breath and thought “Touch me.”
Her dark haired lover moved forwards and caressed her cheek. It was almost as though they were caught in the spell of a maelstrom. As soon as Rayne touched her, Marienne buried her fingers into Rayne’s thick black luxuriant hair, they proceeded to enjoy another several hours of tender lovemaking followed by kissing and cuddling and holding each other.
“Rayne I have to go home apart from anything else I have work tomorrow.”
“Ye are my life mate you do not need to work it is my duty to provide for ye.”
“Excuuuuuse Me!” Marienne said in disbelief. “It’s one thing to have to deal with chauvinism from a man but from a woman?”
“I am not being chauvinistic but very realistic Domina. Ye will be vulnerable when ye are carrying our babe and it is my job to provide for ye and to keep ye safe so ye do not come to any harm. Therefore it is not advisable for ye to work at such time.”
“First of all I am not pregnant. I did biology in school you know and even I know that is not how to make babies and secondly I am not gay so this whole conversation is academic I have no intention of being your anything.”
Rayne’s shrugged “We are joined by Anu and now that our souls have been awakened our bodies and minds will require to be in constant communion with each other else we shall both run mad and be greatly unhappy.”
Whilst Rayne fixed her a sandwich she took the opportunity to have a bath. The bathroom was very large with a huge bathtub in its centre. It reminded her of Italian renaissance opulence. There was marble everywhere and cherubim and skylights it was all a little over the top for her.
She looked guiltily at the bath. In her little two bedroom apartment she had a shower but she was always a bath person but her apartment did not have space for one.
Before she knew it she was soaking in the bath and sniffing the different bath salts and bath oils and trying to decide on which scent she preferred.
Marienne decided to just luxuriate in the bath after all she was the one who wanted to go home Rayne was the one who wanted her to stay and it was early evening.
When she came out of the bathroom she noticed that Rayne had put some clothes out for her on the bed. It looked like a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The clothes were actually a good fit and she thought to herself just as well because she could not for the life of her remember where her clothes were from last night.
When she went into the kitchen it was to find Rayne nonchalantly fixing up a sandwich and a glass of wine.
“Do you happen to know what happened to my clothes and bag last night?”
“I retrieved your bag and keys as for your clothes well let us say they were er lost to our passion.” Rayne replied setting the plate before her with a flourish.
“Hmm this is good.” Marienne did not know why but she felt extremely comfortable with Rayne. She was no longer dressed in the leather trousers of last night instead she wore a pair of sweatpants and a V-necked sweater with her baseball cap turned backwards. She also seemed to have bathed and put on her make-up because Marienne could smell her perfume from where she sat.
It was fresh and clean and light, sporty; it was not the type of perfume she would have expected. She expected something like CK One or some other well-known unisex cologne but what she wore was exclusive and powerful with underlying tones of femininity as well.
Marienne found it very sexy. She also found the arrogant knowing smile on her face to be disconcerting, as though Rayne could read her very thoughts.
“Rayne?”
“Yes Domina.”
“Please don’t call me that you make me sound like some sort of dungeon mistress. My name is Marienne, Marienne d’Archand.”
Rayne nodded her head in a gesture that reminded Marienne of the character Teac in Stargate. “I am Rayne.”
“Just Rayne?”
“Dar'Rayne Wrath .”
The underground was open but Rayne insisted on driving her home. She also insisted on coming up to her flat to make sure she was alright. When she got upstairs she found the front door open.
Rayne put her behind her and drew a long sword from out of her leather coat. She was therefore relieved to get a cheery call from her Flatmate Betty Crane.
Betty Crane was a cheerful buxom redhead who rented out the flat from Marienne. She had worked as a nurse in the same hospital as Marienne and the two of them were best of friends. Betty was fun and outgoing and the same age as Marienne unlike Marienne though Betty was gay and out and proud of it.
So when she saw Rayne she licked her lips lasciviously and said “Well hello and what have we here?”
Marienne was not quite sure how she managed it but Betty did not seem to notice the sword the black haired woman held in her hands and the weapon disappeared swiftly.
“I am Rayne, Marienne’s lover.” Rayne gave her a wide grin.
Betty blinked in shock. “I had no idea you were gay?”
“I’m not.” She replied and turned around to face Rayne. “You cannot go around telling everyone I am your lover just because we had sex once.”
“As I recall we had sex more than once. In fact I believe we had sex several times last night and all day today too.” Rayne drawled a self-satisfied smirk played about her sensuous lips.
Marienne blushed glared at Rayne and went into her room and slammed the door angrily behind her. When she came back out it was to find Betty fussing around Rayne and when she was not fussing over her she was flirting with her and Marienne felt irrationally angry.
She had no rights to Rayne as she had just explained to Betty she was not gay and she was not dating Rayne.
“She is just being friendly Domina you have nothing to fear.”
Rayne’s words slipped into her mind and with it came a calming feeling.
The evening went surprisingly well Betty invited them to watch a movie with her and Marienne found herself curling into Rayne’s body and falling asleep on her shoulder. She faintly remembered Rayne carrying her to her bedroom during the night.
Sunday 30th October 2016
She did not know when Rayne left but it must have been just before dawn. The insatiable woman woke her up for another round of lovemaking before disappearing into the night leaving her strangely bereft.
She found herself thinking of Rayne at the oddest times of the day as she did her ward rounds. It had been a busy morning she was glad she had not been on duty last night.
The number of incidences on ER increased during the weekends due to alcohol related violence and it increased exponentially during public holidays. Marienne was a surgeon but on busy days she had been known to come down and help on the Emergency ward.
Today however things were rather quiet by the time she had arrived, well as quiet as they could be. She had scrubbed down and gotten straight to work.
Now as she did her ward rounds discussing with the house doctors and checking on the follow ups she felt a strange presence that never seemed to leave her. As if someone was always hovering just outside her line of vision.
Her ward round finished she went to the common room for a well-deserved break and a nice cup of tea. She was relaxing with the other doctors when her cell phone rang and she heard a voice she did not recognise on the phone.
“You are in great danger is Wrath with you?”
“Who is this and how did you get my number?”
“Meet me at the coffee shop opposite the Yan Yang Laundrette on the corner of Baker Street.”
The person dropped the phone and Marienne shrugged and dropped the phone. She was a doctor from a middle class background, she paid her taxes and lived a normal life and didn’t sell drugs and she most certainly was not going to meet anybody at Baker Street.
Her phone rang again and Marienne winced when she realised it was her mother, Felicia.
“Sweetheart you do remember that you are having dinner with Harriet and I tonight?”
“Yes mother.”
“Will you be bringing anyone over?”
“Well actually now that you mention it Betty will be coming with me.”
“I spoke to Betty today she will be bringing her own date. Darling I meant would you be bringing a significant other?”
“No.”
“Excellent. Harriet’s nephew Barty will be coming over you can pair up with him. You remember Barty such a dear boy. He’s an Accountant you know works with one of those big financial companies in the city.
He is a widower and he has two little children already they are such little terrors but if you ask me they are just missing a mother’s touch and...”
“Mother I don’t need you to find me a husband one unsuccessful marriage was quite enough.”
“Yes well darling just meet him first before you change your mind.”
She’d barely finished her conversation with her mother when her phone rang and Betty called her to say she would meet her at her mother’s. She was just thinking that her phone was blowing up when she got a text message from Rayne.
She had put her phone number on Rayne’s cell phone whilst they were cuddling. It was strange but just seeing the message seemed to brighten her day. She could not explain the attraction and the feeling she had for the other woman.
Just as her shift was coming to an end they brought in a teenage boy who needed surgery. His operation was due to take place in two days’ time but she always liked to meet her patients before she operated on them. She did not need to but she found it seemed to calm the patients. It also enabled her to do the actual healing.
Marienne had discovered at the age of thirteen that she had the power to heal. During her years of puberty the power had been unreliable but as an adult she had found herself more able to control it.
Her healing power took the form of a bright white light so often she had to do her healing where she wouldn’t be under so much scrutiny and she could not release all the power needed at the same time so she usually used little spurts by meeting with her patients beforehand so that the amount of healing power she would expend during the operation was smaller.
The young man whose name was Simon Bale had worried brown eyes and a head of strawberry blonde hair. Although he was pale he hid his nervousness well behind a cocky smile.
He flirted shamelessly with her and since she saw nothing in it she indulged him. After she left his room her telephone went off again. It was the caller who wanted her to go and meet him at Baker Street. She ignored it and went home.
She was running late so she ran into the shower glad to be off early. She was owed an extra day after covering for a colleague otherwise she would not normally get off so early.
She dashed into the shower and decided to wash and blow dry her hair. Her mother was a perfectionist so she decided to paint her nails as well and before she knew it she was running almost an hour late. Her mother was going to kill her. She put on the last of her make-up and got the keys of her Volkswagen beetle.
The little car was the last of its kind and manufactured in Brazil she had but it at a garage sale at the Brazilian embassy. The car was painted red with little black spots and came with the licence plate Ladybug.
The alternator was temperamental so the car did not always start immediately, it was prone to overheating in traffic and occasionally it even backfired. However she had fallen in love with Gertie, as she had called her car.
It was small, petrol efficient and even more importantly was excellent at handling and easy to park in the city. She checked her clothing once more in the mirror.
Her purple and green Laura Ashley dress looked elegant was not creased. The white winter cashmere winter coat she wore over it kept her warm because the heating in the car was not working.
She had bought the coat from a Second hand shop on Chauncey road. It was very seventies chic but the lines were classic and ageless. She slung her stilettos into the car. She would drive in her slippers until she got to her mother’s.
She groaned when she saw the traffic on the ring road around Ravendale City. Fortunately the transport police appeared to have the traffic under control and soon she was singing along to Bernadine Buzabe and the White stripes on the radio.
Ordinarily when going to her parents she usually felt depressed and gloomy at the grilling she would get from her mother about her love life and when she was going to marry and settle down. However today she was excited, happy even as though it felt right that she should be going there.
She drove down to the family home which was a six bedroom manor in the depths of the English countryside. She parked her car and stepped in just in time to meet up with Betty and her date.
“Rayne what are you doing here?”
“I appear to be Betty’s date for the evening.” She drawled.
Marienne could not believe the disappointment she felt but she hardly got a chance to acknowledge the feeling when she was enveloped in Chanel Number Five as her mother gave her a fierce hug. This was followed by two discreet kisses from Harriet, her mother’s companion.
Harriet gave Betty a welcoming kiss but Marienne was completely unprepared for the ferocious scowl that she gave Rayne. She was fairly bristling with anger.
“You! I thought you were dead.”
“The rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”
“What are you doing here?” Harriet said sharply.
“I am here with my Domina.” Rayne said looking at Marienne.
Harriet seemed to calm down and a smile lit up her mother’s face and if she did not know better, Marienne could have sworn that her mother’s companion looked like a light bulb had gone off in her head. However the expression was soon gone and they were ushering them into the manor.
It was bitterly cold outside and the warm welcoming mansion was a great relief. Harriet took her coat and gave it to Jeeves the butler who collected everyone else’s coat and disappeared with a wink and then putting an arm around her led her into the drawing room.
There her mother introduced her to Barty the accountant. He looked like a very serious man. His hair was thinning on top and he had a pasty white face and the soft body of a man used to working behind a desk. She could not help comparing him to the sculptured curves and beautifully toned muscles of Rayne.
Most of the conversation in the drawing room was about the traffic and being typically English the atrocious weather. It had rained and snowed by turns on their journey down and Barty had even encountered some fog on his own journey.
The aperitifs were served and as the alcohol warmed them up the atmosphere relaxed. This was mainly due to her mother’s warm character though because she noticed that Harriet was unusually quiet and she kept a wary eye on Rayne.
Marienne had never been so tactile in front of her parents not even when she was married. She couldn’t stop touching Rayne, she had to be near her and Betty kept frowning at her.
She ignored her frown and actually expected her mother to say something but she did not instead a mysterious smile played about Felicia’s lips.
Jeeves came to announce that dinner was served and Rayne escorted her mother into the dining room. Barty surprisingly enough seemed to have taken a fancy to Betty and he escorted her into the dining room whilst Harriet escorted Marienne in. Somehow she found herself seated next to Rayne.
As usual Mrs Edmunds Harriet’s Chef had done a sterling job.
Dinner was served by James, Jeeves son and protégé. The young man had ambitions of becoming a butler in a prestigious household like his father and actually went to butler training school before doing work experience with her parents.
His qualifications were excellent and as he had told Marienne on the phone of one of her many trips to see her parents some butlers earned as much as a million dollars a year depending on who they worked for and that was what he was aiming for.
He was dressed smartly in a bow tie with tails and his hair was slicked back as he served each course with elegant grace and old world charm. The food itself was delicious and extremely well prepared.
Everything from the starter of Scottish scallops which tasted as though they were fresh from the sea itself wrapped in Italian pancetta and served with little balls of black pudding and green pea puree.
Their main course was a favourite of Harriet’s, tender melting off the bone Oxtail and Turbot fresh from the sea served on a bed of garlic and cabbage Mash.
As always her patriotic mother insisted on serving English alcohol with their meals so their starter had been accompanied by a flat non-sparkling cider and their main course had been washed down with a lovely bottle of English claret.
By the time desert of suet pudding with golden syrup and custard was served Marienne was glad her dress did not have a waist especially as she saw Betty discreetly adjusting the waistline of her skirt.
The only drink her mother allowed on her dinner table that was not English was Champagne which flowed as they all relaxed discussing the economy and Harriet’s favourite topic politics.
This meant that the discussion got surprisingly heated between Barty the Republican and Harriet the Democrat with Rayne and Betty defending the “Rent is to damn high party” and Rayne wanting to reform the “Surprise Party” and Felicia interjecting her own special brand of humour into the discussion.
“Well anyone who is interested in shortening their lifespan with a cigarette or a cigar is free to come and join me in my study, the non- smokers can retire to the drawing room with Felicia and we’ll join you later.”
The only takers on her offer were Betty and Rayne everyone else retired to the drawing room where her mother Felicia served them with sherry. Betty and Rayne got on surprisingly well with Harriet who enjoyed their company and after a cigarette each for Betty and Rayne and a cigar for Harriet during which they had an interesting analysis of the stock market the three of them decided to join Felicia, Barty and Marienne once they were done.
“Well Felicia I know I promised to stay but well I am worried about the children in this weather. I think I shall be going home.” Barty smiled at Felicia.
The accountant had opened up in the warm welcoming atmosphere with the good food and wine flowing freely and everyone joking and talking Barty had turned out to be a very nice man when he stopped taking himself seriously.
“You can’t be thinking of driving back to Ravendale city in this weather.” Felicia said shocked.
“Well Betty is spending the night with her brother he lives about five minutes away and my children are actually staying at the cottage which is about five miles from here.
They are over on exeat weekends and I wanted to spend some time with them. They are in boarding school and I rarely get to see them.” He smiled shyly.
“Well Barty if you must go then you must, Jeeves will see you out but don’t forget to pop in on Harriet on your way out. Betty it is always a pleasure to have you over.”
She kissed Betty on the cheeks and gave Barty a hug and he and Betty took their leave and went leaving Rayne, Marienne and Felicia alone in the drawing room.
Felicia took one look at the way her daughter was sitting comfortably in Rayne’s lap and sighed.
“I thought Rayne was Betty’s date?” She asked pointedly and Marienne blushed almost wanting to leap off Rayne’s lap but Rayne only wrapped her arm around her mid-riff proprietarily and returned a lazy smile to Felicia.
“You thought wrong Marani.” Rayne replied calmly.
A strange look passed between the two of them almost as though Rayne was throwing down a challenge.
“Dar’Raynen Wrath, you are either very brave or very stupid in coming here.” Harriet’s said from the doorway as she entered the room her voice was hard with recognition and Marienne worked out that this was not the first time her parents were meeting Rayne.
“Mother I take it you know Rayne.”
“Oh yes I know Rayne very well. She kidnapped me.” Felicia replied giving Rayne a pointed look.
Rayne scowled “I apologised already.”
“Only because Mara herself made you do so.”
“You kidnapped my mother? Why?” Marienne asked horrified.
“Yes I too would like to know why you kidnapped my Domina.” Harriet folded her arms across her chest menacingly her eyes blazing fury.”
“I am waiting for your answer Rayne and it had better be good.” Harriet turned to face Rayne.
Rayne’s lips tightened “I do not have to explain myself to you.”
“I believe you do after all I am Marienne’s Dominum and you will at one stage or the other need my permission to marry and be joined in the way of our people.”
Rayne closed her eyes. “I thought Felicia was my Domina but I was mistaken.”
“How could you think that when you knew she was already bonded to me. You knew she was my Domina!” Harriet’s possessive and proprietary tone did not surprise Marienne.
She knew that Harriet was deeply in love with her mother and considered her as a daughter. At the moment thought the older woman fairly bristled with outrage like she was about to explode.
Marienne had seen Harriet battle the demons of her very own nightmares and give her blood sweat and tears to protect her. Marienne could never be angry at the older woman and her heart went out to her even as Felicia placed a gentling hand on Harriet’s arm, the gesture seemed to calm her.
“Harriet, you know what it is like before you find your Domina, your soulmate. We are taught that Anu has given each of her children one soulmate, one Domina.
We are taught that the way to recognise them is that when they are near we will be able to see colour and once we are mated we will be able to see the world as it should be with emotions and feelings other than anger and lust.
Our senses will be opened and we will be able to taste food and feel cold, warmth texture. Mating will cease to be an empty physical release and will be spiritual as well as intellectual a meeting of minds and bodies.
We are taught that we will nourish each other and our hearts and minds will become one co-equal and immortal.
I have lived for so long in the black and white world with no colour and no love no emotion nor feeling for over a thousand years. I have seen the world only in shades of grey or as black and white.
The past millennia, has been a long slog of duty, hunting, stalking and killing demonlords, demonspawn and obliterating demon hordes with no relief from a world empty of feeling or knowing any other emotion but lust and anger.
I have fought so many of the Anakim, defending the innocent from those they call the Annunaki, the sons of Heaven, protecting the humans, watching as other Marani and Maranen found each other and lived in joyful marital bliss whilst I became soul weary and contemplating either death by my own hand or to fall in service to the Dragon just to get relief from the never-ending nothingness.
The day I met you I was ready to end it all and then I met you Felicia. I could see colour, I could feel emotion other than lust and anger. It was such a sweet feeling I lost my head. I knew that Harriet is your Maranen and your Dominum, and believe me I tried to fight my need.
I honestly thought you were the one and that is why I kidnapped you. I did not know you were pregnant with Marienne and that it was her presence in your womb that I was reacting to.”
“Wait a minute if you kidnapped my mother before I was born that makes you... how old are you Rayne?” Marienne jumped on her feet to face her lover.
“I am an ancient almost two thousand years. I am older than even your mother and Harriet. I regret to say that it was in my mind to kill Harriet and take your mother but Mara, our immortal mother from whom we are all descended came and rescued your Dominum and told me to wait for you. I promised Mara I would wait till you have experienced something of life.”
“But if you are so old how is it that you have not aged and they have?”
Rayne smiled. “They have been protecting you from me and all the other Anakim who would take you from them. They are merely cloaked in a glamour that makes them appear to be what they are not.
It is like the demon spawn you met the other night. When you unconsciously used your healing light his glamour spell wore off and you were able to see him as the demon he truly was.”
“Mother is this true?”
Felicia sighed. “Yes it is true, we needed to be able to blend in. It would have looked extremely suspicious if at five hundred and sixty five we still looked in our mid-twenties.”
“You are five hundred and sixty five years old?” Marienne asked incredulously.
“Well yes Harriet is two hundred years older than me and aside from the fact that we are immortal the children of Mara do not age like humans.
“Haven’t you noticed that your friends comment on how young you look?” Felicia interrupted.
“Well yes but I put it down to good genes.”
“I distinctly remember Mara telling you that you were to let her mature as an ancient before you wooed her.” Harriet interrupted as she felt all her protective hackles rise at the thought that her daughter was now officially not far from leaving home.
“And I had every intention of doing so. Blessed Mara sent me out on a mission to Afghanistan to bring down Molech. I was hunting him but he fled here to Ravendale with his son Valerius.
I fought Valerius here in Ravendale when he found your daughter. She was about to be defiled by Molech’s son. I killed him and took her I couldn’t help myself.” Rayne finished defiantly.
The use of the last two sentences did not leave Harriet in any doubt about their relationship and Harriet’s anger fairly mottled her face and she turned red with rage in fact Puce would be a better description of the expression on her face.
Rayne crossed her arms about her chest and stuck her chin out defiantly. “Even now Molech hunts her his scent is all over her apartment. I put wards and signs there but Marienne will not listen to me when I say her flat is no longer safe for her.”
“Would you stop talking about me as if I were not here and tell me what is going on.” Marienne finally spoke confused now.
“It’s a long story.” Rayne said with a negligent wave of her hand.
“Well make it short. I do not have all night I do have surgery tomorrow at ten am.”
“Perhaps I should be the one to tell it. You remember when you were a little girl I used to read to you, and tell you those stories about the Garden of Eden,” Felicia started.
“Wow this is going to be a long story.” Marienne said sarcastically.
Felicia glared at her daughter and Marienne subsided quietly, Felicia having got the attention of her errant offspring continued her story.
“Do you remember the stories I used to tell you from the Book of the Maranen after you would get your nightmares?”
Marienne shook her head “No.”
“How in our religion we believe that the Creator, Anu made man and woman and he made them equal. The first man was called Adapa or as you would know him Adam and the woman was called Mara. Well Adam tried to dominate Mara and she left in a rage. The Creator Anu made another woman Heba whom you know as Eve the mother of the living.”
“Yes I remember,” Marienne interrupted “They were tempted and they became sinners yadda yada ya etc.”
Felicia frowned but continued her story “Before Anu created Heba, Anu sent three sons of Heaven to retrieve Mara, who declared her love for Anu, but refused to return to Adapa due to his violence towards her but instead continued to weep. The three Anakim threatened her with death but she did not know what death was.
Since she had not eaten from the tree of knowledge she did not know the difference between good and evil either. However she had eaten from the tree of life. She was innocent and in her heart was good though but she was lonely so Anu decided since Adapa had a mate that Mara too should have a mate.
Anu put Mara to sleep just like Adapa had been put to sleep and from her ribs created Maranen her soul mate and they lived happily in the garden.
Now in those days the tempter decided to play on her weakness she refused to be tempted and remained in the garden. In Jewish folklore she is referred to as “Lilith” she was sort of demonised they wanted to show what would happen if women did not obey their husbands and her story as far as the Jews were concerned stopped there.
However to better understand the politics of it all I need to put things in context for you. Well before that there had been a war in heaven because of the creation of Adapa and Mara whom Anu the creator set above all his creations including the sons of heaven whom we call the Anakim or the Annunaki, the sons of heaven, and their children the Nephilim.
They fought a battle with the Angels and were cast out of heaven by the leader of the angels Mekiel who cast down them down to the earth and the sea.
The sons of heaven are not human and to spite Anu, their leader decided to corrupt creation beginning with Adapa and Heba. He tricked Heba into partaking of the forbidden fruit telling her she would become knowledgeable like Anu and the equal of Adapa and not have to submit to Adapa.
Adapa not wanting to be inferior to Heba also partook of the forbidden fruit and it resulted in fatal consequences to their DNA. It says they were stripped naked.
The book of Jubilees says that when they realised that they were naked as in they had been stripped of power they decided to clothe themselves the imagery used in the ancient books is that they used fig leaves but that is really a euphemism for trying to replace their immortality which was stolen from them.
Anu was furious with the rebellious Anakim, and drove them from the garden with the prophecy that the children of Heba and Mara would eventually banish them to the abyss where they would be destroyed.
The abyss is a place where Anu is not present. The Annunakim are jealouse of the Marani and humans because despite our various sins we still bask in the presence of Anu.
The abyss is a place without the presence of Anu. So having been banished from heaven Anu’s home, the closest they can ever get to Anu again is earth.
Once Anu pronounced their doom they tried to stop it and in order to forestall this they tried to corrupt creation so that the promise of redemption of the children of Heba and Mara would not be fulfilled.
They tried to poison the Saviour’s bloodline and created monsters by merging their DNA with all sorts of animals to create Dragons, Ogres, goblins, trolls, Vampires, Werewolves, Elves by doing this they polluted creation. Anu became angry with them and sent a deluge to destroy the earth.
However despite the deluge some still managed to escape. Anu then decided that until the one promised from the race of Heba came, a race of superhuman beings would fight the fallen Annunaki and the seeds of their corruption.
The children of Adapa and Heba were touched by sin and Anu had already decided they would only live one hundred and twenty years.
However Mara had not yet fallen at the time Anu made the decision to destroy the fallen and the Marani were as man before their fall, gifted with incredible strength, speed, intelligence, immortality and most importantly were utterly obedient to the will of Anu.
So Anu created a soulmate for Mara from her ribs and ensured her soul mate Maranen could have children with Mara. Anu did not want Mara’s bloodline to be corrupted by the children of Adapa.
So Anu decided once a Maranen or Marani have children with any descendants of Adapa or Heba the child would never inherit Marani powers.
The children of Mara came forth as warriors they were to serve Anu, defend the faith and protect the innocent. They built the mighty city of Atlantis in which they served Anu on earth however one day the Anakim stole into the city and corrupted the Children of Mara with a “taint” that caused the city to sink beneath the ocean in one single night.
The Maranen now “tainted” were fated never to feel neither cold nor heat, fated never to enjoy colour nor to feel the emotional and spiritual release until they were born again and once more bonded with their Marani soulmate.
Anu separated the Marani from the Maranen and scattered them so that all the Marani and Maranen were doomed to seek each other out. The Marani never coming into their full powers till they were joined to their soul mates and the Maranen emotionally crippled till they were joined with their Marani mate.
However because their sin was not one of disobedience, they never chose to disobey Anu but were instead corrupted by the Annunaki, Anu never withdrew their powers of immortality and although they fell prey to their own failings they retained the discipline to fight the fallen.
The children of Mara, await redemption from the Saviour to wipe out the corruption of the fallen ones. Today the Maranen and Marani are immortal unless of course you cut off their heads.
They are no longer born joined but born separated always seeking each other till they are joined back to what they were in the great city of Atlantis when they existed as the immortal servants of Anu.
You do not have a father Marienne, because well biologically I guess Harriet would be your father. I am sorry I lied to you all these years but well it is a difficult concept to understand and explain.
The truth is that I am Harriet’s Domina ,” Felicia struggled to explain herself.
“I am your Marani , the word means lifebearer in the ancient tongue but birthmother might be a better term to explain it. Harriet is your Maranen, life giver, she gave her blood essence to give you life, she is your other mother and my, our Dominum.
As for the fallen ones they hunt the Marani because only the Marani can give them living demon children who cannot be exiled back to the lake of burning fire.
The daughters of Eve labour in vain to give birth to sons of the fallen and all die in childbirth as they struggle to bring the child into the world. In most instances they are ripped apart by their demon spawn as they claw their way out of the womb.
The irony is that we Marani have the ability to gentle the demon spawn, self-heal and therefore birth sons for the fallen hence when they scent us they hunt us and the Maranen like Harriet and Rayne protect us.”
“Are you saying I do not have a father and Harriet is my my...”
“Yes Marienne what Felicia is trying to say is that I am your biological mother.
Marienne was in her room reeling from the myriad of revelations that her mother and her lover had revealed to her in the drawing room earlier that evening, her mother had given her a book well several actually. One was her journal, the other was Harriet’s journal and the final one was the most intriguing.
It was bound in leather and appeared to be very ancient and her mother told her it contained everything she needed to know. The English seemed to be written in an old medieval style and to be quite honest she was not up to reading it tonight.
She was restless unable to read and unable to sleep she needed something but she did not know what it was. It was as though she felt an indescribable, indefinable loss she knew what she was missing but she did not. It almost hovered on the edge of her consciousness just out of her grasp but she did not know what it was.
Marienne took her clothes and changed into her nightgown. A present from her mother when she had been married to Brian and they came to visit. She had loved it, Brian hated the see through teddy he preferred her in a t-shirt and boxer shorts.
Naturally it was only after they had gotten divorced that he came out and told her that he was gay and preferred men. Now however she could indulge in her femininity and be the woman she’d always wanted to be without worrying about what he thought.
She sat down at her dressing table and was just about to take off her make-up when she heard an insistent knocking on her window pane. She frowned and went to the window.
She thought she saw the face of a blonde man but she could not be sure. She did not know how that was possible since she was on the third floor of a 6 bedroom mansion.
However when she went to the window she did not see anyone. All she saw was a lot of snow which covered the windows so she was unable to see outside.
She shrugged and pulled the wooden shutters to cover the windows. Sometimes the wind got so strong it could blow the windows inwards. The shutters protected the windows from shattering and blowing in broken glass but more importantly they kept the rooms in the stone built manor warm.
She closed the wooden shutters and went to the fireplace, which was burning merrily. It was an electric fire which Harriet had insisted using to replace the old fashioned ancient fireplaces that came with the manor. It looked like a real fireplace but it gave off a lot more heat and was a lot safer.
She turned round and jumped barely holding in a scream when she found Rayne lying in her bed naked and looking extremely sexy. Marienne placed a hand on her chest.
“Rayne you scared me how did you get in here?”
“Well it wasn’t easy if that is what you are asking, your mothers have placed some very strong wards on the doorway to your room. Come to me Domina.” Rayne commanded imperiously.”
Marienne found herself moving towards the bed and then stopped herself. “There can only be one reason why you are here and I am guessing that is sex.”
“Ye want me as much as I want ye.” Rayne replied beckoning her forward with her hand. “Ye feel restless unable ta resist. Ye should’na fight the craving Domina. Come to me and I will give ye all ye want.”
“The craving?”
“Come and I will tell ye all.” Rayne replied.
Her brilliant blue eyes were like burning orbs of fire and Marienne found herself unable to resist almost as though she was being compelled towards the large King size four poster bed.
She got to the edge of the bed and once she was in Rayne’s vicinity the dark haired woman pulled her into her powerful embrace. When Rayne took her into her arms it was almost as though she was coming home.
This was what she had been missing, Rayne kissed her and she was lost in the kiss as their tongues duelled with each other exploring their mouths.
She moved forward pinning Rayne’s body down on the bed with her own. She wanted the woman beneath her so badly her body shook with the passion of it.
Her hands seemed to move with their own accord tangling with Rayne’s hair, touching her well-muscled body, blessed with the right amount of curves. Her skin was like satin, smooth perfect warm.
She straddled her dark lover and teased her making sure her breasts brushed across Rayne’s face but tantalisingly moving away every time Rayne tried to suckle on her nipples.
She was enjoying being the one to take the lead in their lovemaking. Eventually she surrendered wanting the feel of her lover’s hot mouth on her heated flesh.
She sighed helplessly as she felt Rayne’s mouth on her and her hands caressed her thighs, her bottom and her back, neither did she complain when Rayne rolled them over and began to kiss her belly and kissed her open thighs whilst her fingers continued their delicious torture as they rolled her engorged nipples in her nimble fingers.
“Rayne don’t tease me please” She gasped as she moved Rayne’s head between her legs. She arched her body into Rayne’s questing mouth and gave her body over to the delicious pleasure. Her throat began to tingle as her sendrils began to come out of her neck.
“Rayne please,” she murmured grasping her lover’s hair and head luxuriating in the feel of her hair in her hands. Finally Rayne heeded her pleas and her tongue came down on her engorged bud and began a most intimate caress till she was moaning with pleasure her body consumed with passion.
“Come inside me ooh baby please come inside me.”
Rayne fulfilled her wishes and demands and she moaned as Rayne’s long slick fingers slipped into her hot waiting depths and covered her body. She pulled the other woman back into a deep kiss. She could see Rayne’s neck, see her veins pulsing in her neck hear her own blood pounding in her head.
Her sendrils were fully out now, the white translucent tubes dripping with fluid unable to resist she sank her sendrils into Rayne’s neck, she heard Rayne scream beneath her and then her orgasm simply exploded across her senses, Rayne was there with her all the way meeting her almost in a spiritual connection and her body shuddered convulsively as she came powerfully into her orgasm.
Her sendrils withdrew almost immediately and Rayne collapsed on top of her breathlessly. Marienne stroked her back gently waiting for her to get her breadth back.
“I love ye Domina.”
“No you just love making love to me.”
“I love that also little one but I love ye.”
“You barely know me.”
“I know all I need to know and I think I have been blessed indeed.”
Marienne sighed as she felt another kiss on her forehead. She lay in Rayne’s arms as they cuddled enjoying their moment of intimacy, Rayne’s lazy caresses seemed to fill a deep void in her. She had never had a lover who liked the after sex embrace which she loved so much.
She cuddled up against Rayne and just enjoyed being touched and caressed. Her tongue flicked at Rayne’s nipple and she heard her groan beneath her touch. They made love all night long taking it in turns to explore each other’s bodies till they fell asleep.
Monday 31st October 2016 All Hallows Eve (Halloween)
In the morning they shared a shower together and went down to breakfast together.
“Did you get a chance to read the book I gave you last night?”
“Not really I had other things on my mind.” She answered her mother’s question and dropped a kiss on her forehead. She gave Harriet a warm hug disarming the other woman completely.
Harriet had always spoiled her as a child and she had continued a very good relationship with her as an adult. Now that she knew the reason she had always felt so close to her was because she was in fact her mother she felt strangely more at ease.
Harriet continued to brood over Marienne’s relationship with Rayne but not for long. Marienne always seemed to have a way of bringing her Harriet out of her moods and by the time they had breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with a strawberry tart and a glass of sparkling cider everyone seemed to be in good spirits once more.
“Rayne could I see you in my study please?” Harriet said quietly and Felicia looked concerned as did Marienne but Harriet smiled down at her. “There are a few things we need to discuss privately.”
Once in her study Rayne stood warily watching Harriet knowing that as another Maranen she could easily attack her for daring to cross into her own territory. Maranen were extremely territorial.
“You said Molech was hunting her. How did he find her?”
“I don’t know. I was out hunting Molech’s son myself but was led to his spawn, Valerius. I came across them quite by chance. Molech was definitely there I am sure of it.
But his son’s scent confused me and naturally when I caught Marienne’s scent, and I began to see in colour and feel I completely lost my focus and simply went after her. I arrived and stopped him before he could do her any harm.”
“I take it you eliminated the Demon spawn.”
“Yes I did and then I took her with me for I sensed Molech not far away. I did not think I had enough strength to fight him and protect her. I do not think she will be safe at her apartment so I took her to my place. He would not dare to go there.”
“He would not dare to come here either.”
“But you know your daughter, she will not stay here. She holds her job at the hospital in high regard and you do know Marani are driven by their powers as we are. She will be driven by the urge to heal, to heal the land, to heal animals, to heal people. She will wish to return to the hospital.”
Harriet sighed “I will try to get her to stay here.”
“She will not stay and we both know it. She has an operation tomorrow on a young man. She has already started healing him. If Molech hunts her he will try to snatch her at the hospital or her apartment. Her friend will not be safe there either. He will try to use her as a bargaining tool.”
“We will accompany her to the hospital.” Harriet said thoughtfully.
“That has always been my plan.”
“As her sire I must ask about your intentions towards my daughter.”
Rayne grinned “I have waited too long for Marienne for my intentions to be anything other than honourable.”
“In that case I need only ask when you will be performing the commitment ceremony. I do not want a bastard for a grand-daughter.”
“Nor will you have one.”
“So when do we meet your parents?”
“They were both murdered by Molech and Marduk on the orders of Enlil himself.”
“My daughter did not sign up to be a widow either I hope you are not going after Enlil.”
“I am going after Molech he has an unhealthy obsession with your daughter and I intend to end him.”
“You have found your soul mate it should be enough Maranen.”
“You know it does not work like that. He hunts her. He has caught her scent as I have and he will try to mate her and whelp his demon spawn on her but I will kill him before he touches her or die trying.”
“Very well go with Anu and if you need anything let me know.” Harriet answered. The two shook hands as they came to an understanding and Rayne left Harriet’s study and made her way upstairs to the room she would be sharing with Marienne.
The younger woman was in a state of dishabille, her innocent looking pink baby dolls and pink fluffy slippers almost incongruous in the dark luxury of their bedroom.
Marienne’s last conversation with Felicia involved the older woman begging her to stay at the mansion rather than move back to her apartment that and a list of instructions which had left Marienne feeling like a scolded little girl.
“Dammit Rayne, it’s like being in a prison.” Marienne complained when all Rayne did was laugh.
“They are my parent’s they are not supposed to take your side. It’s not funny.” She expostulated.
“You know you’re gorgeous even when you are angry.”
“Stop trying to distract me, I have no option but to leave.”
Rayne’s smile faded “Get it into your beautiful head you are not going anywhere without me. I forbid it!”
“You forbid it?! I think you are being singularly bloody-minded and paranoid that so called attack was nothing more than coincidence you are seeing things that are not there. If I want to go to work at the Foundation Hospital I shall!”
She expected further anger when she questioned Rayne’s emotional state instead a slow humourless smile spread across her features. “If that is what you truly intend to do then I shall have to change your mind.”
Rayne murmured the last words and Marienne somehow found herself enveloped in Rayne’s arms, she was still angry with her parent’s over protective attitude so she took it out on Rayne and slapped her shoulders with her hands.
Rayne nuzzled her neck with her lips and gently kneaded Marienne’s buttocks causing the smaller woman to moan helplessly. “You can’t do this to me Rayne? You know I find it hard to resist you.”
A wicked grin split the Maranen's face “I can do what I like Marienne,” Rayne muttered against her lips. It was the lightest touch and yet it sent shuddering sensations through her body.
The tip of her tongue touched Marienne’s tracing their outline in a slow and sensual caress, their sensitive movements triggered desire in the very heart of her.
She instinctively moved her body towards Rayne’s, she only had to touch her and she melted, she moaned against Rayne’s lips. She should never have let the black-haired woman near her.
“Marienne,” Rayne muttered possessively as her hand moved up to cup her breast through the thin material she wore. Marienne drew in a sharp breath of arousal and whimpered. Why was she so weak? She felt the zip of her baby doll being urged slowly but determinedly down and she wanted to refuse but all sane reasoning had fled.
She knew she had a good reason to refuse but as the soft material was pushed gently from her shoulders, with each movement and each erotic stroke the reason she should be refusing seemed to get further and further away from her.
Her white quivering globes of soft feminine flesh exposed to Rayne’s hungry dark-eyed gaze in all their naked blazing glory, their pink tips erect and begging to kissed and suckled on.
Rayne pushed her gently down onto the soft leather sofa and then knelt in front of her as her mouth assaulted her breasts. Marienne grasped the black head closer to her bosom her fingers luxuriating in the feel of her thick black hair as she ran her fingers through the luxurious thickness of it.
Although Rayne had kissed her like this before for some reason her enjoyment was the greater for the anger that thundered through her and she wanted to die from the sheer exquisite rapture of her tongue ravaging her body.
“I know why you’re doing this Rayne,” She managed to get out “and it’s not going to work I won’t be...”
Marienne found herself effectively silenced by Rayne’s marauding mouth, warm, moist and hungry as they devoured hers lustily giving away her inner torment letting Marienne know in no uncertain terms what Rayne was feeling.
Rayne’s mouth left hers to burn a trail of blazing hot kisses down her throat, her tongue lingering on the base of Marienne’s throat for a moment teasing at the fluttering pulse at its base before once more returning to dwell on and devour the aching fullness of her breasts.
When Rayne’s fingers eased inside the white lace of her panties she was totally beyond all rational thought and arched her body instinctively into the intimate caress and she whimpered helplessly as she sobbed out her lover’s name.
As the children of Mara made love and life, the fallen one Molech brooded in his study. He had drank his fill of blood and fucked his fill of women but nothing could take away the loss of power when his son Valerius had been vanquished and returned to hell taking a piece of him back to the abyss.
It had made him vulnerable, for nothing, no flesh anchored him to this world which made him vulnerable, he could now be vanquished and banished to the abyss, a place totally absent of the presence of Anu, a place he had no interest in going to.
Whilst Valerius had been immortal he was still half human. Molech had been fond of his mother but he had sacrificed her for his own selfishness. He had known when Janine became filled with his spawn that she was doomed that she would never survive the birth but he needed a son to anchor him to the world and he willingly sacrificed her for his own selfish needs.
However the thought of spawning a child on a Marani like the one his son had found a real daughter of Mara, a strong minded woman with the power of blood of the ancients flowing through her veins, to drink from her veins the essence of Anu, drink blood from veins pulsating with the unpolluted power of the immortal would elevate him above even Enlil himself.
He would surpass his half-brother Marduk and the first thing he would do to that demon spawn was send him back to hell. He would be invincible and unvanquishable for Marani were immortal well unless they were beheaded but he would ensure that would not happen.
Molech had his minions scouring the city looking for her and he was sure she would turn up soon. It was as though she had fallen off the face of the earth and disappeared.
He was not surprised that her Maranen had spirited her away. It was what he would have done what he intended to do when he captured her whether she willed it or not.
However Marani were stubborn and therefore vulnerable, it was their gentle and loving nature, they always felt the calling to heal, to heal people, to heal the land and their Maranen who were charged to protect them were incredibly uxorious when it came to their charges and would do anything for them.
He knew that sooner or later she would be drawn to heal some animal or some human or prevent some disaster and when she did all he had to do was follow her healing light and he would find her.
Since she had dropped her driving license that night he had managed to track her down to her apartment. It was warded and charmed bespelled by the best but he need not enter he need only lie in wait for her and snatch her as she tried to enter but she was not there.
His investigations revealed that she worked at the foundation hospital and he was willing to bet that she had already made an attachment there. A friend, a patient someone Marani could not help themselves their hearts bled for the mortals. It was their only weakness.
A few days had passed since the death of Valerius and now that Halloween was almost over Molech knew his powers would wane by the 1st of November the feast of All Saints when the ancestral guardian spirits of earth closed the veil between the realm of the living and the dead.
Molech dissolved and dressed in a long white coat and reconstituted himself at the Ravendale foundation hospital, moving like the immortal eerie creature he was, floating on air looking for prey that he could use as bait.
He made his way to the Intensive Care Unit he knew he could always find prey there. There were lots of beautiful new-born infants, weak helpless female children that he could snatch and groom to whelp children on and uncircumcised, unbaptized, unblessed, unprotected vulnerable male children who could be sacrificed to increase his powers.
The hospital had no religious affiliation so there were no wards, no charms, no religious tokens and no talismans nothing to stop him from enacting his evil.
Molech waited for the couple watching the little boy in one of the cribs to leave and then he would suck the innocence out of them and replace it with his evil, he could possess the child it would be his minion and an anchor to the earth. They would be totally his.
As he was about to materialise in the ICU, a little boy was being pushed in a wheel chair and behind him a cheerful female nurse was laughing cheerily. Their happy joyful emotions were like a needling irritating annoyance.
The demon lord could hear the nurse’s blood pumping through her veins hear her breathing. The boy was diseased and discouraged but the nurse’s cheerfulness had driven that emotion away leaving nothing for him to feed on.
He turned away from them in palpable disgust and would have left the hospital altogether, but then Molech felt something almost imperceptible.
A leftover, it was the touch of a Marani, he was the one, the bait the one who could bring her back to the hospital. She had touched him, healed him partially but she had not finished the work she would be back to heal him. She could not resist she was Marani and when she returned he would be waiting.
He materialised outside room 511, the room in the hospital where the young man was staying. The touch of the Marani who had been healing him was everywhere.
He opened the door and stepped into the room planting a charming smile on his face and let his glamour surround him so that he looked handsome beautiful and endearing. Humans were disarmed by surface beauty rarely looking beyond the obvious and he did not think this naïve young man would be any different.
“Hello…I’m Dr Lech…but you can call me Mo if you want.” The demon lord flashed all thirty two of his teeth in a sinister welcoming grin which made Simon feel uneasy.
Now the Dragon was very cunning and more cunning than any other creature that dwelt in the garden for the dragon had been cast down to the earth.
Now he went to the one known as Mara and said to her “Did Anu say you shall not eat of the fruit of the knowledge” and Mara did answer the serpent thus “Anu said we may eat of the fruit of life but not of knowledge for on the day that we do so we shall die.”
“You will not die for Anu knows that on the day you do your eyes shall be open and you will be like Anu knowing good from evil.”
Then did Mara reply “I discern your meaning serpent for I am not weak willed as you think. What you ask is the same as that Lulu Adapa.
He wanted me to choose between obedience to him or to Anu and I chose Anu. Now you ask whether I should choose obedience to you or obedience to Anu. I will choose as I have chosen before and chose obedience to Anu and I chose then as I choose now.”
Then the Dragon was angry and slunk away and resolved to change his appearance. This time he appeared beautiful in all his raiment. His hair was long and heavy, his eyes were beautiful and his face handsome.
He approached the woman Heba in the garden thinking surely this one cannot be as strong-willed as the other and he said to her “Did Anu say you shall not eat from the tree of knowledge.”
And Eve replied “No Anu did not say so. Adapa said we may not eat of the tree of knowledge nor shall we touch it for on the day we do so we shall die.”
And the Dragon replied her with sweet words “You shall not die for Adapa knows that on the day you do your eyes shall be open and you will be like Anu knowing good from evil.”
And thus he continued to entice her with blandishments and she looked and saw the fruit was good for food and she ate it and she took some to her husband.
“What is this that you have done? I told you not to eat from the tree of knowledge and you have disobeyed me.”
“Adapa, you said if I ate from the tree I shall die yet here I am not dead. You should eat some it is good. The Dragon says it will make me strong like a God like Anu.”
Adapa in his pride did not wish to be inferior to his wife so he took the fruit and he ate it. Then their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed leaves to cover their nakedness.
And so it is that those born in the image of Eve mature earlier than those born in the image of Adapa.
Then they heard Anu walking in the garden and passing of Anu was like the evening breeze and Adapa and Heba hid in the garden from Anu and Anu called to the Lulu. “Adapa come out.”
Adapa said “I cannot come out for I am naked.”
Anu asked him “Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten the forbidden fruit of which I commanded you not to eat?”
“The woman whom you gave to be with me, it was she who gave me the fruit and I ate.” So did Adapa answer Anu.
Then Anu asked the woman “What have you done?” And the woman said “The Dragon tricked me and I ate the fruit.”
Anu cursed the Dragon to be forever subject to all Lulu and thereby be crushed under the heel of the off spring of the woman and Anu cursed the woman to bring her offspring into the world in pain and suffering and Anu cursed the man to toil all the days of his life with no relief then Anu drove them from the Garden.
Anu put a flaming Angel to guard the tree of life that they may not eat of it and live forever and so Mara remained in the Garden by the side of the river which flowed out of Eden and she was comforted by her mate Maran and in peace did they dwell there. In time they bore two female children Marani and Maranen.”
“How are you feeling today?” He asked as he adjusted his doctor’s coat and ran a hand through his hair.
The Marani had tried to heal him but Molech could still feel the boy’s pain, disappointment and discouragement and he fed off it. The negative feelings were like an addictive drug, it was one of the reasons he loved being in hospitals.
However before his power could manifest himself the Marani stood in the door of the room but she had not yet opened it for she seemed to be having a conversation with someone behind her.
Her presence alone was like a bright light dissipating his evil so violently that he could not hold on to the glamour that made him look human. They fact that the young man was now shrinking away from him in terror let him know that he had been exposed.
The Marani’s light burned brightly from within and it seemed to be amplified by her mate the Maranen who followed behind her. Molech knew he could not remain in the room.
The Maranen would sense him and destroy him he needed to set a trap for her. He cursed under his breathe and dissolved in a fine mist before the children of Mara could enter the boy’s hospital room.
“Simon how are you doing this evening?” Marienne asked cheerfully.
Simon was not sure if he should tell her that something evil had appeared in his room, something that looked like a man then turned into a monster from a nightmare and that it had disappeared just as quickly, was it a ghost? Perhaps the hospital was haunted? Who would believe him?
He decided he needed time to process what he had seen, maybe it was the drugs they were giving him, shaken he said “Actually I was feeling awful before you came in but now I feel as though a light weight has literally been taken off.”
“That’s good to hear. Now I am going to examine you to see how you are doing and this should not hurt at all.” Marienne said taking his hand in her and let her healing light flow into the young man.
“This is my friend Rayne she is visiting the hospital.” She said pointing to the woman who now stood behind her.
Rayne seemed to exude a special confidence, the beautiful woman gave him a brilliant smile and Simon fell in love all over again. “Hi,” He said shyly. He had a crush on Dr D’Archand, she was his favourite doctor, she always had kind words for him and a way of making him laugh.
Marienne had a smile at his response and took Simon’s hand in hers reassuringly. Rayne happened to be holding her hand as she started channelling a little of her power into the young man, instead of having to force her healing light from within it was as though Rayne was like a super battery charger.
The power flowed out of her in a surge destroying the cancer cells and rejuvenating his organs to the point where his body was even being repaired at the very level of his DNA.
Marienne raised her eyebrow when she realised what was happening but did not comment. Simon however did “Wow!” He gasped as the feeling of love and warmth and heat gave him a high that had his head spinning.
“I have that effect on most people.” Rayne replied arrogantly.
“Are you a doctor too?” Simon asked incredulously. Rayne was wearing her leather trousers and leather duster. She looked more like a super model or a glamorous rockstar than a doctor.
“Nope I am Dr D’Archand’s friend we were supposed to go out for breakfast but she was worried about you and wanted to check up on you first. Was someone here before we got here?”
Her question was so out of the blue that it made Simon suspicious so that he chose his words carefully because the man had walked in and then disappeared.
Yet how could Rayne have known someone was there with him? Did she see him when she walked in? Did she see him turn into a monster? He answered truthfully “Yeah Dr Mo Lech he said he wanted to check up on me but I dreaded the thought of him touching me and he just made me really depressed.”
“What did he look like?” Rayne leaned forward.
“He had….he…I can’t remember I just know I did not want him anywhere near me.”
“Well he won’t be coming anywhere near you anytime soon.” Rayne smiled “You’re gonna be okay kiddo.”
When they left Simon’s hospital room Rayne took her hand and kissed. “Marienne I do not wish for you to panic but the demon is in the hospital. He was in Simon’s room.I will hunt him if you need me you need only mind speak and I will come to you.”
Rayne went to look for the demon but he was elusive a master at hiding himself. He was not a demon spawn so did not exude the sulphuric smell which would have made it easier to track him.
Normally she would have simply followed a trail of despair and hopelessness but these were emotions that were often in a hospital so it would be even harder to find him and even worse she knew he was feeding on the despair and hopelessness of the humans by the time the moon was full he would be almost invincibl.
As the visiting hours came to a close and people started leaving the hospital, there was a nasty accident and eleven bodies and ten struggling injured souls were rushed into the hospital. The inflow of pain and the scent of fresh blood was like a power boost for Molech.
His power grew and grew till he could not contain it. He began to drain bodies in the E.R dry and suck out their essence till they were an emaciated husk as his human form began to disintegrate and fall off his body like grey ash revealing in flesh what his incorporeal form really looked like.
His muscular body was powerful; his scarlet red skin glistened in the artificial light. His horns were long black and curling his human legs became hooves like that of a goat just like his bestial goatish face.
He erupted into the emergency ward and a guttural earth shaking roar exploded from his powerful jaws causing the inhabitants to scream in horror and scatter in utter panic. Everywhere there was chaos fear and catastrophic confusion.
People scrambled to get out of his way trampling each other, killing each other in unbelievable instances of desperation.
He went through the wall like it did not exist in a cloud of dust and debris to the main ward and ripped off the door with a roar. He brushed one of the male nurses aside like a pesky fly sending him crashing into the door.
Outside the hospital the moon hung full and heavy and Felicia felt a moment of sheer dread. She threw off the disguise that hid her powers and let her inner light flow as she mind spoke to her wife.
“Harriet, Marienne is in danger.”
“I know I am on my way to pick you up.”
When they got to the hospital they were prevented by an invisible barrier they were too late. The barrier would be there until dawn.
Inside the hospital Molech advanced towards Marienne and picking her up he pinned her against the wall. His breathe was disgusting and fetid. His jaws dripped acidic saliva that burned off the sleeve of her white doctor’s coat.
His penis was long red angry and pulsating the ends forked. He reached out his hands which ended in black curling talons and shredded her house coat and silk blouse exposing her breasts.
“Let go of me!” Marienne bravely continued to struggle against the immeasurable strength wishing she had not told Rayne to leave. She had expended a lot of energy on the other patients whilst healing them and was too exhausted to bring forth another burst of light to repulse the demon. She was vulnerable and he knew it.
The demon’s long black tongue progressed towards her but before he could touch her a force seemed to crash into him making him drop her and then to her utter relief Rayne was there.
The battle looked like it was heavily in favour of the eight foot tall muscular demon. Marienne winced when he slammed the dark haired woman into the floor so hard that the floor tiles cracked.
He pummelled her body hard into the ground pounding her into the earth expending all his energy till he was breathing hard. Rayne lay still and unmoving as the demon stood up and started to walk towards Marienne.
Marienne thought Rayne dead but to her shock and surprise the dark haired Maranen’s hand shot out and slapped the demon’s ankle hard causing him to lose his balance as his hoof came down so that he fell thunderously flat on his face.
Rayne got up her face was bloodied bruised and battered but her cerulean eyes were defiant and determined. She pulled out a long slim wicked looking sword and charged the demon.
They fought like two titans crashing into walls slamming each other into windows. The terrific struggle resulted in splintered tables and chairs, shattered glass, destroyed equipment. Rayne moved with a preternatural speed countering each blow of the demon blocking it and hitting him back as hard as it hit her.
The battle was like a nightmare come to life and the onlookers found themselves cheering on the spunky female fighter in her black leathers who against all the odds was holding her own against the demonic entity from the netherworld.
People were not sure if it was indeed a demon or a person in a very good Halloween costume and then in the distance a bell seemed to sound it rang twelve times and on the twelfth stroke Rayne struck stabbing the demon plunging her hand right into the demon’s body and pulled out the demon’s beating heart.
It pulsated in her hand still beating and she confronted him with the evidence and spoke the ancient words that all Maranen had spoken since the beginning of time and banished Molech back to the abyss from which he had escaped, out of the sight and presence of Anu.
A flash of lightening seemed to stream down from the heavens and burn the bloody bleeding heart cleaning all trace of the gore as though it had never been.
He screamed at the sight of it then he growled and roared and raged finally bursting into a pile of Ashes which appeared to be swept away by an invisible maelstrom.
Rayne sank to her knees breathing hard. Marienne ran to her quickly and hugged her tightly.
As they held each other Marienne’s healing light now recharged by Rayne’s nearness erupted from the two of them like a blue flame sweeping the evil and destruction before it in an iridescent flash of light.
Any who had been touched by the demon was restored all diseases, all illnesses were cured, despair, discouragement loss all was vanquished in that single moment every memory of the existence of Molech was wiped from their minds.
Outside the barrier fell as though blown out and all the broken furniture, tables, glass everything was repaired and everything was restored as thought nothing had happened. The humans moved around them as though nothing had happened.
The only evidence of the titanic struggle between good and evil was Rayne’s battered face and Marienne’s torn blouse. Marani could not heal themselves only humans it was the punishment the Marani bore for the “taint” of their own sins.
The glass doors of the hospital opened and Felicia and Harriet rushed in and saw their daughter on the floor of the hospital in Rayne’s arms.
“Are you alright?” Felicia asked worriedly.
“I am now.” Marienne helped Rayne up and they made their way to her office. Marienne cleaned up Rayne’s face and gave her a local anaesthetic whilst she stitched up her face.
“What happened?”
“Molech.” Rayne as usual was economical with her words.
“You also created a safe zone.” Felicia said wryly “And in so doing the two of you healed almost all the patients in the hospital. I am not sure if you were supposed to do that.”
Rayne shrugged “Perhaps we were perhaps we were not, but now Marienne believes in what we have been trying to tell her.”
“That I am a member of an immortal female race in an unceasing battle with the demon hordes of hell till all the human race mortal and immortal is redeemed by the Saviour? After tonight I believe it.”
“So you were listening to me.” Felicia clapped.
“But you don’t believe I am your soulmate and that I love you.”
Marienne wound her arms around her dark lover’s neck. After she had seen the way Rayne had put her life on the line for her she could not doubt it but she did not say that, what she said was “You might have to take me home to convince me of that my love.” Marienne finished softly and kissed Rayne gently on her lips causing the dark haired woman to moan helplessly.
“I guess that is our cue to leave.” Felicia said but Harriet did not go instead she cleared her throat and folded her arms across her ample bosom and cleared her throat.
Felicia pulled her wife out of the room and shut the door behind her saying “Just give them this moment we can bully Rayne later when it is time for the bonding ceremony.”
The End
Dominum means “Mistress” used to describe a female who is a protector of a Marani.
Domina means “Mistress” used to describe a female who is lifebearer and a descendant of Mara.
Marani can be used in the plural to describe all the children of Mara (since all are female) or it can be used to describe lifebearers and birthmothers.
Passage taken from The Book of Galadriel (one of the sons of light sent to watch and protect Mara)
Descendants of Mara the first woman the Marani is the life bearer or birthmother and is capable of birthing demons who have corporeal form and are as strong as Maranen whilst retaining their demonic powers. Marani have incredible powers of healing but if overly used can be exhausting and even kill them. However their powers can be recharged when married to a Maranen or in proximity or touching distance of a Maranen.
Protectors of the daughters of Mara aka the Marani and a blessed with superhuman, speed and strength they give their essence to the Marani to create young. They are able to recharge the powers of the Marani but do not have the power to heal like the Marani. They are descendants of Maranen Mara’s first spouse.
The Book of Origens – Origens was a Maranen.
(Lyrics by Steve Harris – from the song Season of the Beast as Performed by Iron Maiden)
(Taken from Seasons in the Abyss - Lyrics and Music by Araya/Hanneman performed by Slayer)
Cleaver of Souls. SongwritersCHANCE GABRIEL GARNETTE, DUSTIN MICHAEL BOLTJES, EVAN THOMAS LINGER, NATHAN CORD GARNETTE, SCOTT W HEDRICK Performed by Skeleton Witch
Passage taken from The Book of Glory – the ancient book of Marani Queens.
The Book of the Prophet Jaynen – A Maranen Consort to a Marani Queen.