The Triple Goddess

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Go back through the door Keira, do it now!” The sound of Pip being serious and calling me Keira was as frightening as Draven’s rage. It was still something I wasn’t used to hearing which went the same for seeing Pip like this.

  “Tell me you’re not going to fight them all!” I said in panic.

  “GO!” She shouted before running full speed right in the centre of where they were all gathered, waiting.

  “PIP NO!” I shouted afraid for my friend’s life. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew that I would never just leave her! If only I could get that mojo back like I did before and destroy these guys the way I did with TV’s. I tried to concentrate hard but nothing was happening and I had to watch in horror as Pip engaged in battle on her own.

  She was aiming for one of the men with her blade held high and the soldier was doing the same. I tensed all over as I waited for the sound of clashing blades and the fear for Pip had me shaking. But then just seconds before the blades would first connect, she dropped down to her knees and skidded before whipping her blade round at such a speed that I saw the man fall before I saw why. But then other men around her fell in the same way as she spun her weapon that fast that no one could get near her. It was like the blade had grown longer than herself and she was using it like the blades on a helicopter. With five guys all now on the ground around her the others started to take a different approach.

  I watched two join forces and use each other’s weight to swing around and I cried out when the legs of one hit her, knocking her down. But she was soon on her feet again and with a running jump, she launched herself at the two. She practically ran up the large body and flipped over but upon righting her frame she sliced upwards, taking the blade through the middle of the man’s chest, splitting him nearly in two pieces. I expected a fountain of blood but there was only vapour powder that came floating out of his centre.

  She then spun again and with an aim to the side she sliced diagonally across another body. Considering it was one against twenty, Pip was kicking ass…or more like slicing her way through it. I watched as she was then ganged up on from three sides and she decided to take another approach. She ran for the side of the roof and was followed all the way but at the last minute she jumped over the side and I gasped as she hung on with one hand to haul herself back up behind them so quickly they didn’t know what had happened. She managed to slice her way through another two at their backs.

  Now with only eleven left I felt like jumping up and down and cheering her on, as I was close to doing backflips. Watching her work her way through these guys was just incredible, she was a force to be reckoned with as she glided fluidly around the space, slicing as she went. Now she was once again using the momentum she got from running and using her body weight and the laws of physics as another weapon. She headed for another guy and used her blade as a pole vault to propel her forward landing with her feet in the guy’s chest. He staggered back and Pip didn’t give him much chance for balance as she stabbed him deeply.

  I still couldn’t believe that in the matter of minutes Pip had killed ten men and I was unable to take my eyes off her or keep the look of awe from my face. She hadn’t even made a sound, a grunt or anything! But then, just as she has got rid of two more standing in her way, everything suddenly changed. The air seems to crackle like an electrical current had just charged the atmosphere and the rest of the men dropped quickly to one knee, holding their weapons pointed upwards. Pip staggered back a bit and I noticed even from where I was stood, she tensed and then turned to me and screamed,

  “KEIRA RUN!” And this time I did as I was told. I turned around and made a grab for the door, only for it to be opened by someone else…

  Malphas.

  Chapter 45

  Maiden Re-made

  I realised that I much preferred getting drugged as opposed to the mother of headaches I now had thanks to being knocked out by the butt of someone’s blade. After opening the door to Malphas I was quickly seized from behind and then the next thing I knew there was pain before blackness overtook all my senses. And now, I just hurt.

  Opening my eyes was no better but I knew it needed to be done. As predicted it just added to the pain and I tried to move my arms to cradle my head, only I soon found that I couldn’t move. I tried again but only heard a rattling and something heavy banging against the bones in my wrists. I knew what I would find but I looked anyway to where my arms were locked. They were pulled taut above my head and my wrists were bound together by double shackles that looked barbaric and crudely made.

  My eyes followed the thick chain links all the way to the iron ring they were attached to and the white marble the ring was embedded in. The same marble slab I seemed to be lying on. Oh dear…this so did not look good for me right now!

  “Oh goodie, you’re awake.” I heard Pip say and my head shot up as far as it was allowed and I frantically looked round. Only when I found her I wanted to cry. Pip was now strung up by her arms dangling down from a massive pillar by the chain that had been wound all the way down the top half of her body as well as her wrists. It looked painful and it also looked like she had received a bit of a beating as well.

  “Oh Pip.” I said gently, referring to the busted lip, black eye and nasty bloody gash on the bottom of her chin which covered her neck in dried blood.

  “What this…Ha, the bastards could barely touch me and they ended up needing their old fart of a master to gain the upper hand…don’t worry Toots, this is nothing.” She said laughing like this was all a big game and the most fun she’d had in years.

  “Anyway, it’s you I am worried about, even if the dress does look good on you, I doubt it is a good sign…though it does look like a Gucci.” She said on a giggle and I looked down to see I was in fact wearing a new dress. It was stark white, fitted tight to my body like a second skin and was almost see through. It was a light material and fell in between my legs making them look like milk. Unfortunately my legs were also chained and it worried me to see them slightly apart and secured to two metal rings at the bottom of the marble.

  It was hard to tell the difference between the marble I was lay on and the silk I wore and even though it was low cut to my chest it was longer on my arms, reminding me of one of Pip’s medieval dresses. I felt a bit like lady Guinevere being readied for the slaughter or in this case, the sacrifice. My hair was loose and cascaded down my sides to my waist in blonde waves that looked golden in the many huge candelabras that hung down from the vastness of the high ceilings.

  When I started to look round and take in my surrounding at greater depth, it looked like we were in some kind of grand hall and I was sure I had seen something similar. Until then it hit me, I had been in something similar and if I remembered correctly, that night didn’t exactly go so well for me then either. I looked back at Pip and unbelievably she winked at me. I followed that pillar to the next and then on as far as I could see. I looked up and saw the domed roof and the same symbols that decorated the soldiers’ breast plates, also decorated the Temple I was lay in.

  “So I am going to take a wild stab at the obvious and say that this doesn’t bode well for us…does it?” I asked, rattling my chains to add emphasis.

  “Don’t worry sexy Toot, I will ‘hang’ around.” I couldn’t believe she could joke at a time like this!

  “Ha, ha Pip, way to go on making light of things.”

  “Hey, I am just glad I got the chance to ‘hang out’ with ya before you went and left me with his highness, lover King.” At this point I just couldn’t help but laugh and I think if there was ever a girl that knew how to help me keep my sanity it would forever be my crazy friend Pip!

  “So what are we going to do now, I gather this was NOT in the escape plan?”

  “Err that would be a no again, rather that or I missed a biggy in the brief of operation ‘save skinny arse’…maybe I was in the loo.” She winked at me again and I couldn’t believe I actually laughed again.

  “I bet Draven was mad.�
�� I said thinking that if Draven could see me here laughing about this then he would want to shake some rational thoughts into me.

  “Yeah, well that is a bit of an understatement considering he destroyed Luc’s pretty rooftop garden.” I coughed, although I shouldn’t have been surprised, I did think he would have destroyed something.

  “I am glad that was all he destroyed.”

  “Oh, I didn’t say that was all, but that was where he started. What was surprising is that Lucius was the only one that managed to calm him down enough to get him to see reason and then we formed a plan. Only that kind of went to shit when we walked into the fan.”

  “Yeah, you can say that again.” I then shook my head and said a pleaded ‘don’t’ when she began to repeat herself.

  “So…is there a new plan?” I asked, being hopeful.

  “Umm, I can’t say I for sure, considering I am not there and all, but I did manage to smash my phone so that should help.” I almost refrained from asking, as I was dreading the answer to that one but, it’s me, so of course I did.

  “And how will that help Pip?” I asked not helping to keep the exasperation from my question.

  “Ah, have faith dear Tootie sweet, for I came prepared.” Ok, I so didn’t have the time or the patience for Pip code.

  “Please elaborate my friend.” I said feeling like I could so use a frustrated eye rub right about now.

  “Aw, you’re no fun at guessing games. Ok well, my phone has a tracking device in it so now that it’s down they will not only know where we are but that we are also in a spot of bother.” She said the last part in a posh English accent you would likely hear in Harrods, London.

  “Oh my god, that’s great news…so they should be hear any minute then…right?” This time she didn’t look so positive.

  “In theory yes…I just hope they locked onto my signal quick enough, I didn’t know where you were until I got here myself and there would have been no signal until we got on the roof, so I don’t know…but fingers crossed eh?” Fingers crossed...! Was she kidding?

  “I think we are going to need a little more than just a few crossed fingers here Pip.” I said, being negative and not being able to help myself but I mean who could really blame me, this month wasn’t exactly one of my luckiest so far.

  “Is someone being a negative nelly… um?” I rolled my eyes and decided to keep quiet on that one, but with my silence came the sound of enormous doors being opened. I turned my head to the side and regretted it instantly. Malphas was cutting the distance between us with long strides and the sound of his heeled shoes tapping on the marble floor was like a ticking clock. He was being followed by the two women I saw in the woods that day and the face of the old Crone was enough to make me want to gag.

  She wore a long black robe that I was sad to say didn’t hide her hideous face. The pregnant woman wore a long red velvet dress that was tight to her swollen belly and was in the same style as the medieval dress I had been put in. It matched her hair that was plaited to one side and was as long as mine, reaching to her waist. It was strange to see but it looked like we could have all been related, seeing as my own sister was a red headed beauty and if the old bird hadn’t been about a million years old, she too could have been a descendent, given that her hair was also the same as ours, only now it was a dirty grey colour with strands of startling white.

  As they came closer I also saw a small army of the same soldiers that had been on the rooftop all marching behind their leader. Pip made a snarling sound, which was ignored as they made their way to the end of the Temple room. Malphas then made a gesture with his arms spread wide and this was the cue for the soldiers to separate and two rows of three men came to rest along the Temple walls, situated behind the massive pillars that spanned the full circumference of the room.

  “Silence Imp!” Malphas hissed as he passed the growling Pip and I tensed at the anger that I was mentally directing at Malphas for hurting my friend. I pulled against my restraints bring his attention back round to me and the evil grin I received at the sight of my struggles only told me that it was a pointless act and one he enjoyed watching. I turned away from him and directed my sight at the domed roof that had a large section painted gold at the very top and I was stunned to see it moving like trapped liquid beneath a curved glass panel.

  I jumped when I felt a cold finger travel the length of my cheek.

  “So soft and so obviously touched by the Gods. You will be my heaven on earth tonight child but first, I must make you pure once again. For to be my Maiden, we need to restore your innocence.” I looked up into a pair of cloudy eyes that reminded me of someone with icy cataracts. The tiny black dot in the middle made me shiver under his touch as they scanned the length of my body.

  His frost white hair hung down straight as a pin and his high forehead and pointed features gave him an elf like quality, with his beady eyes looking down his beak nose. His skin had a bluish hue and appeared almost transparent across his slender frame. He wore a half cloak that covered his shoulders and half of his chest but finished in an arch that went longer at the back to the floor. His pointed hood was pushed back and the material of the cloak was thick black brocade with patterns of thorns and the different moon cycles in a darker satin finish. Underneath it all he wore a pair of wide legged trousers that had a large wrap around flap of material that tied to his side making it look like a skirt. To this was added a tight black top which, like his solders, was covering his chest in a metal breast plate.

  He moved slightly back and turned to motion his female companions forward. He definitely looked like he was ready for a ritual and my anxiety doubled when I saw both women coming closer each of them holding a tray.

  “I told you my dear, that I would be seeing you again and how much I was looking forward to it but first, let’s see how well you co-operate.” He took a wicked looking knife with a curved tip, off the tray the old woman was holding and brought it to him as he approached me.

  “I want you to offer your blood to me.” He said in a hoarse voice and I took one look at the blade in his hand that had a golden bird’s foot around the base and started to shake my head.

  “I am not going to do that.” I said bravely and I surprised myself with how strong and steady my voice sounded. He smiled at me like he knew this was coming and nodded his head at some of his soldiers.

  “I thought that is what you might say, so it is lucky for me then that I have a bargaining tool.” He looked over at Pip and even though I knew what I might find, I still looked towards her. She was now faced with a colossal axe’s blade held firmly to her neck and I could see the bloody line it was forming.

  “NO!” I screamed out and Malphas motioned for the blade to be lowered.

  “Toots don’t listen to him, he can’t kill me…he can’t…” She was then silenced by one of the men with a punch to the face. Her head cracked to the side and a spatter of blood hit the floor.

  “NO STOP IT! PIP!” I screamed, pulling madly against my chains.

  Malphas leaned down putting his lips at my ear.

  “Do you know there is only one way to kill an Imp?” He whispered and my eyes desperately sought out for any sign of life from the lively crackerjack Pip I knew so well. She was hanging limp with blood oozing in a long drip from her open mouth and I felt the tears start to mist my eyes.

  “You have to tear off their head or in this case an axe will do the job quite nicely.” I screamed and started to shake with the thought. I couldn’t let that happen, not to my friend. So with tears now streaming down the sides to my hairline I turned to face the bastard that was holding all the power and said with gritted teeth,

  “I offer my blood to you.” As soon as I said the words I heard a mighty scream from Pip and just before I turned towards her, I saw Malphas’ sadistic grin.

  “Good girl.” He praised and I couldn’t help snapping back at him,

  “I didn’t do it for you!” But he just laughed before swiftly bringing the knife
to my flesh.

  “I think we will start somewhere already tainted.” He said as he moved the blade from the top of my breast to my scarred arms. I tensed and then cried out as I felt the searing pain slice into my skin. I tried not to look but failed when I felt him moving something under my arm. He placed a small copper bowl underneath the open skin and used it to collect my blood. He then removed it and held it over his shoulder without letting go of my arm. It was then taken from him by the redhead and she backed away, bowing her head as she went.

  “Now it is time to see if Draven’s essence is strong in you.” Malphas then dipped his face to my cut and started to lick the blood trickling down like crimson rain. He then made a humming noise before letting me go.

  “Ah, I see he has used your body well… his power is strong and well rooted inside your blood stream, the cleansing should take well.” I didn’t know about any cleansing but I wished that Draven’s power would show up so I could crack some heads like I did flat screens.

  Malphas moved away from me and walked over to the waiting redhead and made quick work of slicing her arm as well. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard her hum in pleasure. I didn’t think I had received the same treatment as her, I thought dryly.

  He did the same thing as with me and collected up her blood in the same bowl before kissing her deeply on the lips. I shivered in repulsion at the sight and thought about kissing those sadistic thin lips.

  “With the mothering full moon’s blood mixed with heaven’s essence of the waxing moon, my Holy Maiden will be born into virtuous rebirth and will become my innocent sent from the Gods to complete the ritual.” Malphas’ hoarse voice boomed out and echoed around the Temple before he came to my side once more. He swirled the blood around the bowl with one hand, which flashed me back to that night he did the same to the brandy glass in the back of his Limo.

  With his free hand he then gave me a startled scream by ripping up the skirt of my dress and exposing my naked legs and womanly core.