The Tortuous Spell Ch. 02

"I have brought the afflicted girl to see if her spell was merely coincidence in light of finding no confirmed witch's mark on the accused body." The minister stated authoritatively to Gerald. She wondered why the Davis men had been hired at all when the minister was both clearly familiar and enthusiastic regarding the interrogation of presumed witches.

"It's ok, Beth." Mrs. Bishop encouraged her daughter to take the proffered hand of the minister. Elizabeth was glad that Mrs. Bishop had come with her daughter and not the girl's father. The minister led the small child over to where Elizabeth was restrained, just out of her reach as if she were a rabid animal that would attack the girl if given the chance. The large man roughly grabbed Elizabeth's right hand, pulling her towards him and causing her left hand to be pulled towards the ceiling as the rope was pulled taut. He restrained her hand palm up by her wrist with his much larger hand, his grip causing pain to shoot up her arm as he twisted beyond the range of her joint. Her winces were ignored.

"Beth please touch her hand." The minister instructed, nodding at the girl in encouragement. The girl looked up at Elizabeth with her beady dark eyes as she moved her small hand to make contact with Elizabeth's restrained hand. As soon as contact was made the child began to scream, a repeat performance verbatim to the morning prior. The minister pulled the child's hand from Eliabeth's palm and the girl stopped. Elizabeth restrained herself from glaring at the young girl as it would be misconstrued as guilt. "Thank you, Beth, you were very brave. I think it is evident that the witch has afflicted the child." The minister continued, Mrs. Bishop cried out and covered her mouth with her hands in shock at his words. "An effective method of breaking this hex is for the child to scratch the witch until blood is drawn. If her symptoms subside after this, it is proof that the hex has been broken." Elizabeth's heart rate increased substantially with anxiety from the man's words.

"No, please I'm not a witch." Elizabeth couldn't stay silent anymore. Gerald quickly walked over to where she was and pulled the slack from the ropes that restrained her arms until she was hanging tautly from the ceiling and balancing on her tiptoes once again. "Please, the girl is -" She was cut off from Gerald gagging her by tying a piece of cloth around her mouth tightly.

"Quiet, we will perform the investigation without your devilish interference." He lambasted harshly.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Bishop, but the witch will need to be unclothed for this part, would you like to leave?" The minister asked the woman gently. Tears leaked freely down Elizabeth's face and she couldn't help but wish that John were here to protect her from this. She trusted that he would have found a way to save her from this.

"I will stay with my daughter." Mrs. Bishop replied. The minister nodded and walked over to Elizabeth with a short knife in hand. There was nothing she could do, she was thoroughly immobilized. He quickly and efficiently cut the two layers of clothing from her body and she clenched her eyes closed to try and escape the humiliation. Before, when she had been stripped naked, John had done what he could to shield her body from the other men, but now she was alone with them and there were even more witnesses to her shame. She felt the layers of protection that her dress and shift had provided fall in pieces to the cold and grimy stone floor that her bare feet slipped around on in an attempt to keep her balance. Elizabeth heard Mrs. Bishop gasp at the revelation of her nude form, covered in pinpoint scabs and dried rivulets of blood from the minister's previous test with the needle.

"Alright Beth, do not be afraid, this will break her spell over you, you must draw blood." the minister instructed the young girl. It didn't help to keep her eyes closed, it made her anxiety worse, so she opened them to see him guiding the girl closer and stepping back when the child was right in front of Elizabeth. She looked down into her face and saw the girl grinning widely, her back to all other observers in the room. She quickly lashed out with her nails across Elizabeth's exposed ribs and stomach. The gag prevented her from crying out and the tension in the restraining rope prevented her from moving away.

"Again, Beth." the minister encouraged from the other side of the room standing next to the imp's mother. She used her other hand this time and created matching welts on the left side. No blood had yet been drawn, though the girl's nails were surprisingly sharp. She continued this over Elizabeth's legs then moved on to her back, the minister graciously providing one of the chairs so the child could stand on it to better reach Elizabeth's skin. After a few swipes the girl attacked in a rage-filled succession, Elizabeth couldn't feel when one set of scratches ended and the next began. She felt warmth emanating from her newly inflamed skin. The routine took what felt like hours, throuhoughly wearing young Beth out in the process, her movements slowing with the aches in her small arms from swiping out at Elizabeth repeatedly. Finally, the child was interrupted to stop, this time by Gerald.

"Stop, blood has been drawn." Gerald stated unemotionally, walking over to the girl, he quickly grabbed Beth's hand and placed it palm side down over the scratched skin making Elizabeth flinch in pain. He held her hand there on Elizabeth's back for a moment then pulled it away and quickly lifted her from the chair and set her back on the ground. "The girl is free from whatever hex was upon her." He stated. "You may leave now." He said this directly down to the child, looking into her dark eyes intimidatingly. The girl broke eye contact and ran back over to her mother, hiding behind her hip. "Take them home, minister, I will conclude today's interrogation alone." His tone was finite and the minister seemed to acquiesce, pleased with the results of the torture session for the day.

Both females were led out of the cell by the minister, leaving Elizabeth alone with Gerald. He loosened the restraining rope once again and her feet lowered to the floor graciously. The muscles in her calves spasmed at the stressful position they had had to maintain as well as the joints in her arms. Her exposed skin was bright red and throbbing.

"I'm sorry lass." Gerald said as he untied the gag from around her mouth followed by pools of drool that it had caused. She was beyond feeling humiliated at her appearance, she just wanted to sleep and forget. There were no windows in the cell but it had to be late afternoon by now, and she had been allotted minimal sleep and sustenance, with an exuberant amount of stress being placed on her mind and body, she was exhausted.

"The alternative tests the minister proposed were much worse." He continued, as he took a clean cloth and some water from the table and gently dabbed her back, where the worst of the scratches were. She winced out despite his lack of pressure. He had a large bag in the corner of the cell that she only noticed when he walked over and pulled out a small pot from it.

"This will sting at first." He said as he applied some kind of oily salve from the pot with his fingers over the welts. She hissed through her teeth at the pain the salve caused but once it subsided the area was cooler and slightly numb.

"It will stave off infection," He continued as he moved around to the front of her body, applying the gelatinous solution, looking at her naked body only clinically. "And it will help with the pain. Once he was done he pulled the rope from the hook completely and untied her hands, he applied salve to her chafed wrists that had started to bleed in several areas. Once he released her she fell, Gerald catching her before she reached the ground.

"No lass, hold on for just a little longer, I promise you will get to rest." He led her over to sit in one of the wooden chairs at the table, he covered it in a larger piece of her destroyed dress to protect her abused skin from the rough wood grain. He pulled dried meat and bread from his bag as well as a waterskin which he set upon the table for her. She greedily devoured the food, she hadn't realized how hungry and thirsty she had become as there were other distractions that had required her attention. She drank deeply from the waterskin before she realized it was full of pumpkin beer and not water, she didn't mind, it was cold and slightly sweet and felt great in her dry throat.

"Thank you." She said meekly when she had finished. He smiled sadly at her and squeezed her hand comfortingly. He got up again and pulled a rolled up mattress from the bag, this having been what took up most of the room in there. He brought it over to the large table and rolled it out over the top, it was wide enough for one person and the long table allotted plenty of room for it to completely extend. He pulled a thin blanket from the bag and draped it over the mattress.

"Sleep, I will keep watch, no one will bother you again today." He promised, and for some reason she believed him. He often had the same playful glint in his eyes that John did, but there was a kindness there now that promised protection. She didn't have much of a choice anyway, it didn't matter much who she trusted, her fate was sealed. The tests had provided what the minister and the town would see as proof that she was indeed a witch. She climbed up onto the table and laid out on the mattress, wincing at the pressure of laying on her torn skin. Gerald lightly covered her with a thin blanket. She was asleep nearly instantaneously.

She woke feeling expectedly sore, her muscles and skin ached everywhere. She realized it was not what had awoken her, however. She heard the heavy screeching of the cell door closing and her eyes widened fearfully. Her back was to the door of the cell and she stayed completely still to give the illusion that she was still asleep.

"What happened?" she recognized John's voice instantly and the tension evaporated from her body. She was mildly annoyed with her body's response to his presence when her mind was still thoroughly conflicted regarding him.

"The minister brought the little girl here, quite a deviling she is," Gerald spat in a low voice, obviously trying to avoid waking Elizabeth, "she of course got on with her stunt and he demanded the girl draw blood from the witch."

"What!" John hissed lowly, in response.

"He had the brat scratch her until blood was drawn, he said this would break the spell. And wouldn't you know it, it just so happened to do the trick." He answered, his tone dripping sarcasm.

"You were supposed to stop them from hurting her." John said accuistorily.

"I did what I could, boy. It was this or dipping her bits in hot oil to bring the devil out. Or mayhap crushing her fingertips until she confessed? I figured the choice was easy, but perhaps you knew better?" Gerald jeered. Elizabeth bit her tongue to prevent from openly wincing at the thought of the forms of torture that were nearly inflicted upon her.

She heard John let out a deep breath in exasperation, she believed he was pacing back and forth from the changing of directions of the sound of his voice. "You're right, I'm sorry. I've sent a message to call in some favors from our friends in the South, but it will take a couple days."

"Get some rest tonight, I will need your help keeping the minister at bay tomorrow, he is a persistent bastard." Gerald said as he rose from the chair he had sat near the door. She heard him open and close the door and assumed she was now alone with John once again. She felt his closeness, although he never made a sound. She felt the blanket gently pull away from her shoulder and the cool air on her exposed back.

"Jesus." she heard him snarl under his breath when he saw the skin on her back. She wanted to sob into his arms until it all went away, but managed to continue to stay still. She felt him gently lift her hair away from her back and drape it above her head on the mattress. She felt something warm gently touch her back and flinched, she realized it was his lips softly kissing the scratches there.

"I'm so sorry, my witch." He said it as if he had known she was awake and a sob racked her body, his affection breaking the dam of her resolve. He quickly moved up onto the table with her and hugged her to his chest. "Shh, Elizabeth, my sweet, shh." he whispered into her ear as she cried. She turned in his arms so she could cling to him, uncaring whether it was stupid of her to trust him or not. She wanted the comfort from him more than she wanted anything right now, more than she had wanted anything before in her life. Her head tucked perfectly under his chin and his arms encircled her tightly pressing her whole body to his, it felt like as long as he was there nothing would ever get to her again. He continued to comfort her with his soft whispering, but let her cry into his chest for a long time. Eventually she stopped, her body shaking occasionally with the attempt to catch her breath and bouts of hiccoughs. His hand gently rubbed over the marred skin of her back, his fingertips following the trajectory of the scabs which were significantly less inflamed now.

"I'm so sorry Elizabeth." He finally spoke, the deep timbre of his voice reverberating in her own chest from her proximity to him. "Are you okay?" he asked again. She didn't want to break the spell of security she felt so she only nodded, hoping to prolong the safe cocoon his arms offered her for as long as possible. She was pressed tightly against his body and realized two things once her mind had relaxed slightly. She was completely naked and she could feel his engorged shaft poking her lower stomach through his breeches. Her body automatically tensed in response and he pulled away his lower half, correctly guessing this was the reason for her reaction.

"Sorry." He murmured. She did not want him to separate from her, his embrace was the only thing that had made her feel safe, not only since this whole thing had begun, but ever. The beer that she had drank earlier that she still felt in her system also helped give her some extra courage.

"No, please don't." She pulled him back to herself, pressing against his body again insistently. His hips thrust in reaction to her sudden movement and he groaned. Her eyes widened in the cave that his chest provided her at her ability to cause such a physical reaction from him. She could feel a wetness spread from her core, readying her body for his, her mind was not yet quite so on board with the idea. She realized she had been cold in the stone cell before with the thin blanket, but his body emanated warmth and she clung to it. However, her side was becoming sore from being in the same position so long and she had to rotate her weight. She pulled back from him slightly and laid on her back, pulling his shoulders to indicate that she wanted him to lie on top of her.

"Are you sure?" He asked, resisting her pulling hands like an unmovable statue.

She nodded, now able to see his face and the thick stubble that was not there the day before, it made him look somehow more temptingly dangerous. "I want to feel your weight on me, please." Her voice was raspy with desire.

He groaned deeply. "Elizabeth, you'll be the death of me." He resisted her pull on his shoulders and stared down at her for a moment.

"Please" she asked again.

He moved to the center of the mattress, holding his weight over her. She greedily pulled him down on top of herself, wrapping her legs around his waist. The pressure from his body suddenly falling on her own caused a sweet soreness in her skin and muscles, but it was nothing compared to the soreness that compelled her from her needy core. The doubts of her mind had been completely overshadowed by the desires of her body. She felt pleasure shoot up her spine from the contact of his chest over her exposed breasts and his hardened covered groin over her naked slick folds.

Any restraint he had been holding over his body was extinguished by her actions. His lips crashed down over her own, claiming her mouth violently. His hands moved up her ribs and over her breasts, pinching her nipples between his fingers between both of their bodies. She felt electricity shoot to her groin and threw her head back moaning out. He attacked her suddenly exposed neck with his mouth, kissing her repeatedly down to her collarbones. Her hands moved along his body on their own accord, matching his carnal hunger with her own. She pulled his shirt free from his pants and her hands moved up his back, feeling the bunching muscles with her fingertips and scoring them gently with her nails. He thrust his pelvis into her own again and she groaned and tightened her legs around his waist, crossing her ankles behind his back. Her hands moved to his narrow hips and pulled him into herself so the only space between them was the thin layer of his clothing.

"Please, John." she whimpered, her arousal causing her discomfort.

"You don't know what it does to me to hear my name on your lips, my witch." he whispered into her ear, nipping her earlobe and the side of her neck. His mouth felt like it was everywhere all at once.

"Show me." she gasped.

He groaned, sounding as if he was in deep pain. "Are you sure, Elizabeth?" It seemed to agonize him to ask her, but he held steady waiting for her answer.

"Yes, please John, take me. I need you." she begged. She was completely sure when she said it, she needed this from him, she needed the safety and comfort that only he could give her. His fingers moved to her soft slick core, expertly finding the center of her pleasure. Her back arched as his fingers glided up and down over and around that bundle of sensation. Her hands moved to the fastenings on his breeches, pulling at the laces there. She was finally able to get her hand inside the fabric and felt his hard length in her hand. He stilled at the sensation of her hand on him. He was so large, she was too far gone in lust to feel intimidated, she wanted to be connected to his body completely in a way she had never felt before. She moved her hand up and down his length pulling him free of his clothing. She placed the head of his shaft at her entrance and he grabbed her wrist, his teeth were clenched in concentration. She pressed her head back into the mattress, feeling crazed from the pleasure of his teasing touch. Finally he pressed into her slowly and her hands clenched his backside, her nails leaving crescents in the skin there.

"Yes, John, please." she hissed. He sunk into her inch by delicious inch, filling her past the point she believed was possible. The stretch was both at once painful and delectable as he finally sunk completely into her. He stayed still for a moment as she adjusted to the invasion. Then he began to move. She clung on to him as he thrust into her deeply, increasing his speed gradually. He watched her with heavy lidded bright green eyes and she couldn't look away, alternating between grabbing his back and his biceps, attempting to hold on to him as he moved. His pelvis made contact with that cluster of nerves that was so sensitive with every thrust he made, it was almost too much to handle. She felt something building inside of her that she both wanted to chase and run from.

He was now moving quickly, slamming his body against hers with delicious force. His thumb moved down and rubbed against her making her clench her eyes and arch her back as he impaled her body repeatedly. Finally she felt the burst of sensation that had been building inside her, shooting from her groin up her spine contracting every muscle along the way. He thrust his hips into her deeply several times then she felt him hold himself completely inside of her and release his seed, gripping her shoulders tightly.