Family Secrets - New Orleans Pt. 08

******

Samuel moved his head to the right before being brained in the forehead by a dangling branch as he followed Nimue and Pandora through the swamp. Listening to the bull frogs croaking, their legs propelling them into the water as their footfalls sped along the water-soaked ground. Cicadas hissed high in the trees as the trio moved through that dark swampy forest. Peering up at the night sky knowing four hours remained until dawn. He wasn't about to have Nimue, Pandora, and all the others caught out in the open when that happened, even if he had to go on alone. Enough people were going to die tonight, Samuel didn't need their deaths on his shoulders as well. The alligators hissing as they sensed their unnatural approach.

"This way," Pandora whispered low knowing their approach to the site would have to take a roundabout way given the vast amount of water between it and them. One: she didn't want Samuel to use his magic, that would only alert Labo and her gang to their presence. Two: she wasn't about to go wading through waist high water, tangle with an alligator, nor was she going to deal with the snakes and bugs.

"Hold my hand if your eyes can't see," Nimue said, holding out her hand. Knowing that he wouldn't have the keen eyesight they did to be able to move through the dark swamp without becoming something's snack.

"Mine too," Pandora said, batting her eyes at him while holding out her hand.

"So, the great Herald led through the dark by the hand," Samuel muttered to himself. "How Kelly and Charlotte would laugh at the sight. Although..." His eyes dipping low watching how their asses moved beneath their black cargo pants. "The view isn't all that bad."

"Samuel..." Nimue began to say only to catch him staring at her ass.

"This is as far as we go, per your order," Pandora said, running his hand along her ass before letting go of his wrist so he would know what awaited him once he was done. "It's just ahead," she said, pointing in the direction.

"Right," Samuel nodded. Setting his resolve to see this to the end.

"Samuel," Nimue whispered taking hold of his right bicep as he moved passed. Her tongue rolled in his mouth to tempt him to return to her. Her eyes studied his as she pulled away.

"Come Nimue, we need to meet up with the others," Pandora said, once Samuel was swallowed by the darkness of the night.

******

"Fools! Every last one of you!" Labo growled as she stalked in front of the bonfire. "You had one job to do and that was to bring this pa gen to his knees! Thinking he can command Ma'am Labo!" she seethed as the firelight flickered along her skin eerily.

"But... he's too powerful for us!"

"I don't care! He is only one man! Incompetent idiots, every last one of you!" Labo hissed, staring each and every one of them down. "I've finally unlocked the secrets of this sight, and all you do is give me excuses for your failures!"

"His ward..."

"His ward, his ward... Is that all you can speak about! Huh?! If you were half the witch you claim to be then this northern pa gen wouldn't be that much of a problem..." Labo spun around as she watched and heard the gurgling noise as blood poured out of her sect member's mouths, ears, eyes, and their noses.

"You were warned. You were given the choice to live or die." Samuel's cold, deathly tone drifted through the trees as his magic culled her people. Thuds resounded as one after another fell to their deaths as Samuel forced every ounce of blood out of their bodies. "Yet do you listen?" Labo jumped back as the bonfire roared as Samuel's magic saturated the air. "No! You try to kill me. You tried to turn me into a zombie. Tried and failed."

"You would've been mine if not for those damn vampires!" Labo shouted, quickly throwing up flimsy wards thinking she could protect herself from Samuel's might. "Don't worry though, once I've dealt with you, that family will join you as well as the vampires once I take over the city." Her head jerked back at the maddening laughter that filled the swamp.

"Then you are a fool." Samuel's voice chilled her to the bone. "I've prepared for this day. That family isn't as weak as you think, not anymore. It'll be a cold day in Hell before someone as weak as you able are to get the better of my family," Samuel said, stepping out of the brush. Swatting his right hand across his chest deflecting the fireball into the water. Listening to it hiss as all life seem to flee the area as he stepped... "Stone?" Samuel asked himself as he stepped onto the lay line. "There shouldn't be stone here, not in this place. This isn't..."

"Hmpf!" Samuel grunted as Labo's trap was sprung. Wiggling around, trying to free himself as bony hands sprouted from the ground. The stench of death filled the air as those that had fallen to Labo came to her call.

"Fool! Didn't anyone tell you not to go messing with your betters," Labo gloated, her horse laugh filled the air. Laughing in glee as her undead minion's hands inched up his chest. Knowing that soon this boy would be brought to heel, and her plans could finally move forward. "W-what?!" she muttered as electricity sparked all around her.

"Better?! You think you are stronger than the one that is the source of all magic on earth?!" His cobalt eyes glowed brightly as Samuel peered through the flames. Tropical storm force winds whipped the trees, sending animals scurrying for cover as clouds built overhead. Bolts of lightning flashed; thunder exploded vibrating the very air around him. "You think you're stronger than... Me!" Samuel howled as he unleashed the full might of his magic. An azure pillar of light shot upwards, boring a hole through the clouds as it sought out the Heavens. The hands that once clawed at his body soon began to disintegrate unable to withstand the onslaught of the magic pouring off of his body. Thrusting his right hand out in front of him once it was free, his eyes narrowing as his telekinetic grip wrapped around Labo's throat. "You have left me no choice. I had no wish to kill you, yet it seems you overestimate your importance," Samuel said, lifting Labo off the ground.

"You can't... do this... to me!" Labo rasped as her legs kicked as she hovered twenty feet in the air. "I am..." Her body went into convulsions. Her shoes, her clothes, her undergarments were all cut away by some invisible force. Fear. Unrelenting fear burned in her eyes as that same force cut down the middle of her chest. Turning his head as Labo howled, her blood splattering across his cheek as her skin was flayed from her body. "You can't do this... I'm Ma'am Labo..." Blood squirted, her consciousness floated in horrible pain and nothingness. Her mutilated body dangled in the air as if suspended on a meat hook. Her scream rolled along the water's surface as hooked chains flew over her shoulders as the hooks dug into her raw exposed muscles. The ancient forgotten words of the arcane burned along the chain's surface as the metal sprawled out like a hungry vine seeking the lush sun infused ground after so many years in the darkness.

"Hear me Labo," Samuel said, coldly. "If you think your pain will be lifted in your death. You. Are. Wrong. You should never have threatened my family," stepping back as the chains ripped her abdomen open. Her bowels spilled and slid down the moss covered alkary stone. "No. It can't be. It can't exist in this realm. What the hell is it doing here?" Samuel asked himself. Glancing up as a wet thud struck the stone. Knowing the curse was entering the third stage watching her entrails, skin, and blood soaking into the ground to forever tie her to the site. The light of her soul burned in the eye sockets of her bloody skull as piece after piece of her skeleton joined the other parts of her body. Red mist rolled off Samuel's nails, using the blood magic Hekatê instilled into him, as his left hand rose. Raising the souls of those he had killed earlier. "I curse you Labo." The wind picked up, the time between lightning strikes quickened as Samuel's magic began to build to heights he didn't think possible. He was strong, yet as he looked down he knew it was the stone that made it feel like he could reorder the universe with just a thought. "For all eternity you will know the pain you have caused as well as those that have severed you," Samuel said, his voice hard and cold.

Their wails howled and pleaded as their spirits tried to flee, to attack his body, his mind, pleading for him to be merciful as Samuel tied their fates to Labo's. Crushing her skull in his invisible grip, watching the bone raining down onto the ground and into the murky water. The spark of Labo's soul fading to join the rest of her being in her eternal punishment.

"Let your death announce to all what happens when you threaten Hekatê's coven..."

"Very good my Herald," Hekatê said, her voice appearing over him. "You have done one of the tasks I have given you, and you even increased my flock..." Samuel turned his head to the left as he felt something brushing along shoulder. "Impressive. I wasn't thinking you would go down this path. The others never did," she said, her ghostly image appearing at Samuel's right side.

Samuel looked at her quizzically at what she meant by that. Yet it seemed to him Hekatê wasn't going to elaborate on the subject. He had so many questions - namely the very stone he was standing on. It could only have come from her inner sanctum. The question remained: What the hell was it doing there?! This too he knew Hekatê wouldn't answer him on.

"So, my Herald, are you prepared for what is to come next?" Hekatê asked, her ghostly image closed the gap between them. "Are you prepared for what's required to give birth to the seer?" Her translucent lips brushed along Samuel's ear as her hands held onto his arms.

Samuel honestly didn't know what else was involved other than having a very steamy night with Nimue. Something he - and he suspected many men wouldn't have a problem with. "Yes," Samuel answered, because saying no to a goddess... well that could be very bad in so many ways.

"Good," Hekatê purred softly, "I shall toil away waiting for that night..."

"Son of a..." Samuel bit down on his lip as Hekatê slipped her hand into his pants. He had known for a while of her desire, the constant touching and the few things she had done in his sleep that he never told anyone made him highly suspicious of what awaited him on that night.

"Yes, my Herald, enjoy it," Hekatê cooed sweetly, softly biting his chin as Samuel melted in the palm of her hand. "Enjoy what's about to happen to us, to the world, to my coven," her red eyes glowed beneath the hood of her cloak as her palm ran up and down Samuel's length. A teasing laugh taunted Samuel as Hekatê disappeared as he neared his apex.

Sighing as he peered down his chest. Noting how his bulge strained his jeans, praying that no one saw that. He didn't want to think of what Aarrin and the others - namely Nimue and Ambrose - would do to him if they knew their goddess had jacked him off... almost.

"Samuel?" Nimue called to him, her voice weak. Her legs wobbled; her knees felt like rubber at what she had just felt. Her silver eyes quivered as she stared at the man chosen for her by the very goddess she had just felt on the material plane. Never once in all of their lore have any one of them actually felt their goddess on the same plane as them. If Seipowe had need to speak to them she would speak into their minds. Her eyes glance to her mother seeing the same awe on her face as she held at the moment. Then there was the sheer volume of magic they felt filling the area, and what they had seen as they listened to the woman's screams. How her pride in Samuel swelled as she drained the last of Labo's men dry, his blood dripped down her chin as she looked to the clearing when she heard it. She knew if those of her house sensed or saw Samuel relenting in what Seipowe commanded they would all turn on him - even her. She might be falling for him, but she was a priestess of Seipowe, her first duty was to her goddess.

Samuel's azure aura rolled like liquid fire along his body as her silver eyes gazed at that being that was the earthly channel for the old ways. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands as she bit down the sensations the waves of his magic caused as it brushed along her body. However, the moment those glowing cobalt eyes of his peered over his right shoulder. She knew he was hurting; she knew while he did as Seipowe ordered that didn't mean he enjoyed killing her. Samuel wasn't that cold, that heartless.

"Sammy!" Pandora giggled mimicking what his sister called him as she fell from the sky. Her arms outstretched as she soared past her sister and mother once she leapt from the tallest branch, from the tallest tree closest to him. "That was so... amazing!" she cried out in laughter as her momentum spun them around. Her blue eyes gazed at her sister as she held Samuel close to her. Giving her hand two small flicks to tell Nimue to go ahead of them. Knowing that would give her time to get in place before they arrived. Nuzzling into his neck as she felt his arms around her. For a split second as her womanly body caressed his in that embrace, she felt she was the only one in his strange... and arousing world. "Samuel?"

"Hmm?" Samuel muttered. Knowing the feeling of Pandora's breasts wasn't helping to quiet his manhood. "Well Samuel, here you are, brought home because of your father's illness. Learned that you're a witch, your mother transferred her soul into Kelly's child, did the same for your father. Got your own sister pregnant, destroyed one coven only to do so once again," he thought to himself as he gazed at the scene he had caused. "Oh yeah, you got yourself shot and then turned into a vampire! Idiot. Although, the perks aren't that bad."

Pandora's lip dragged across her left fang as she felt that hard cock pressing against her. How it called to her to touch it, to caress it, to love it until it covered her in a shower of hot, sticky rope. "Let me take care of it, you will won't you?" Pandora asked, her sinful words tickled his ear as her thigh slyly rubbed his rod. "You'll take care of me and the pussy that needs this," she whispered trying to keep her lewdness as hidden as she could in front of her house members.

"Umm... like right now? Wow. Didn't know you were into that kind of thing."

"Shhh you!" Pandora playfully slapped his shoulder. "You won't leave me wanting now will you?" she asked again. Knowing that look her mother was giving her.

"Herald?" Ambrose called to him to draw his attention away from her eldest daughter. Hoping her daughter's forwardness wasn't going to harm his relationship to Nimue.

"She's nosy," Pandora huffed wiggling her nose at her mother. Her eyes glinted mischievously as fingers ran up his cock, giving it a loving squeeze as she moved it to a more, less noticeable spot.

"Herald, may I have a word with you?" Ambrose asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Go, don't worry, I'll always will take care of it," Pandora whispered before turning Samuel around and pushing him towards her mother.

"Sure..."

"Tell me Herald," Ambrose said, looping her arm around his, shooting her daughter a look over his shoulder as she led Samuel out of the swamp. "Do you always speak with Seipowe here on this plane?" she said, shooting her daughter a coy smirk over her shoulder as her hips swayed.

"Not always, more like half and half," Samuel said, slyly looking around as members of her house moved in around him as much as the land would allow as they walked back to the cars. Wondering where Nimue had run off to.

"But you do speak with her on this plane, yes?" Ambrose asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Speak... I guess you can call it that," Samuel said, tilting his head to the side. "She normally tends to speak in here," he said, tapping his forehead with his finger.

"Ah, so has Seipowe actually spoken aloud to you?" Ambrose asked, moving closer to Samuel as the land narrowed.

"A few times," Samuel admitted.

"Oh?" Her eyes darted quickly over to him. Knowing if even an ounce of what he said was true, and she had no reason not to trust his word given what she had felt in that clearing. Then he along with the seer once she was born (in all their history the seer has always been women. Why? No one could say,) needed to be protected always. They couldn't lose this chance to actually hear Seipowe's words. Her mind raced knowing one of their house had to be with him always, not to watch him, to protect him from himself and the outside world. Samuel was far too important to let go traipsing around. "Samuel..."

"Yeah." Samuel peered out the corner of his eye at Ambrose as he felt her left hip brush against his. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end. Wondering just whose eyes were burning holes in his back.

"Would you," her silver eyes flickered over to him, "mind if I inform the others like me of what has happened here. Your fight will stay within the house, it's what I felt that I wish to share with the other priests and priestesses."

"Sure, knock yourself out," Samuel said, wondering why she was asking he figured she would regardless if he agreed or not.

"Thank you, Herald. I have a few more if you don't mind," Ambrose said, her pink lips curved into a smile.

"Okay," Samuel replied wondering how much further it was to the road. He hated relying on anyone - namely to see - yet due to the cost of the spell his magic was almost tapped, or was it due to that stone or a combination of both? Samuel couldn't say. So, him casting a simple werelight to see would be out of the question.

"Have you been to her realm?" Ambrose asked, knowing how many of them have tried to enter it, yet they were always denied such pleasures of seeing into their goddess's realm.

"All the time, why?" Samuel asked, inquisitively. Pondering on where all her questions were going to lead.

"Truly?" Ambrose asked, her shock apparent on her face as she looked at him.

"Yeah, why would I lie about it?"

"Not saying you would," slyly brushing the side of her left breast against Samuel's arm, "it's just no one here or around the world for that matter has ever stepped foot there. I would like, if you wouldn't mind, for you to sit down with one of my order so we can inscribe how that realm appears to you. Would that be alright with you?" Ambrose asked, seeing her husband slightly behind Samuel nodding his support.

"Sure... I guess," Samuel answered, scratching his head, pondering on why a few lanes and a lamp post would be the talk of the town. The only things that remained the same in her realm was the library, her inner sanctum, and that crossroad, everything else was subject to her whim.

"Thank you, Herald. I know with your insight, our people will come to know our goddess better than they ever have before," Ambrose said, sweetly. Flashing Samuel a smile, the tips of her fangs peeking below her upper lip. "Now before we go," she said, stopping their advance a few meters from the edge of the swamp. Holding out her hand to the young woman as she gingerly carried a chalice in her hands towards them. "I thought maybe you would be hungry from your duties to Seipowe," Ambrose said, her index and middle slid beside the stem of the cup feeling the glass resting against the palm of her hand as she presented it to him. "Please, allow me," pressing the rim of the chalice to his lips. Slowly increasing the angle as Samuel drank his fill. Her silver eyes studied the young man, feeling his strength growing with each drop that he swallowed. Wondering just how powerful he would become once his blood had undergone the conversion. If it was as powerful, or more, as what she felt in that clearing then she feared the world wouldn't be safe from those that harmed his family. Smiling inwardly knowing that they would now too benefit from that power. After all, Samuel was about to become her son. "Done?" Ambrose asked, pulling the chalice away from his lips. Her fingers skimmed along the glass surface as she handed it back to the young woman. Who scurried off into the darkness now that her task was completed.