Loyalty Oath

by Edmund Hughes

  “Makes sense,” said Jack. “So… you know that I’m a vampire, right?”

  The ghost nodded.

  “Do you… think there’s a way for me to live without hurting people?” asked Jack. “To settle down, without turning into a monster?”

  “There’s no need to be so melodramatic,” said the ghost. “Of course there is. Find someone you love and feed off them only when you need to. Perhaps even more than one person, to spread the effects out.”

  “You say that like it’s no big deal,” said Jack. “Like it’s just a simple medical condition instead of an ancient magical curse.”

  “Again, with the melodrama,” said the ghost. “It is what you make of it. Your life and your decisions are what you make of them. There are plenty of horrible people out there who have no supernatural leanings. Murderers, rapists, and liars. You might not be perfect, Jack, but if you listen to your conscience, you will make me proud.”

  It felt so good to hear those words. Jack leaned back against the workshop’s counter, feeling reborn, in a sense. Strengthened by advice that he’d needed and never gotten until now.

  “You should unsummon me for now, I think,” said the ghost. “I’ve enjoyed speaking with you more than words can express. But the staff’s essence is limited. You wouldn’t want to waste it now, when you need it most.”

  “Of course,” said Jack. “Thank you, Gramps. Thank you so much.”

  “I am not your grandfather,” said the ghost. “But, I do speak on his behalf. He sends his love, Jack.”

  The ghostly apparition wavered slightly and then faded out of sight. Jack took his hand off the staff and pressed it over his heart. For some reason, he just couldn’t stop smiling.

  CHAPTER 24

  His hunger led him to investigate the refrigerator next. Most of the food inside had gone bad, and he forced himself through the chore of throwing it out. The food in the freezer, however, was all still perfectly preserved. He pulled out a frozen pizza that Ryoko had purchased for him what seemed like an eon ago and popped it into the oven.

  After eating and drinking a glass of water and a glass of wine, Jack headed up to his room. He wasn’t sure when the next chance he’d get to rest was, given how chaotic his life had been recently. He changed the sheets on his bed and then climbed into it.

  How long it had been since he’d slept in an actual bed, instead of in a tent, a cave, or a jail cell? Long enough to make sleep absolutely irresistible.

  ***

  Jack awoke to the sound of footsteps in the foyer. He sat up, immediately noticing the dimness of the light coming from the window. It was early evening, just dark enough for him to have access to his blood magic. He’d been careful about using his essence since the last time he had fed on Katie, saving it for just such a situation. Whoever had decided to intrude within his home was about to face the consequences of their actions.

  He walked as quietly as he could out onto the balcony overlooking the first floor—and then froze.

  Mira stood just inside the front door, staring at him with an infectiously wide smile on her face. His one-time broodmother slowly shook her head, her expression showcasing the same sense of dreamy disbelief that he was currently in the midst of.

  She wore a white blouse with buttons running from the midriff to the neckline, a third of which were currently undone. It did a great job of showing off the expansive nature of her cleavage, her breasts straining slightly against the fabric and a hint of a maroon bra poking out under one edge of the blouse’s hem.

  Her blonde hair fell loose across her shoulders, straight and glossy. She had on a tight pair of jeans, which, much like her blouse, had clearly been chosen to emphasize the eye-catching curves of her hips and butt. She also wore a stylish pair of brown leather boots, which she’d been in the process of taking off when Jack walked out.

  “Mira,” muttered Jack. He hurried down the stairs and pulled her into a tight hug.

  “My dear, sweet Jack,” whispered Mira, her voice wavering with emotion. “I’ve missed you beyond words.”

  She sniffed, and Jack felt something hot and wet against his shoulder.

  “Are you… crying?” he asked.

  “Apparently so.” She pulled back, smiling through her tears. She had deep blue eyes, flecked with red, as they’d been when he’d met her for the first time what felt like so long ago.

  Jack wiped the tears from her face with his thumb and then gave her a long, gentle kiss. She was back, and the mansion suddenly felt like a home again, even if only for that night. He pressed his forehead against her and held her in a tight embrace, and then he kissed her again.

  “How did you find me?” asked Jack.

  “Ryoko,” said Mira. “The two of us have kept in touch with each other in your absence.”

  Mira looked over her shoulder, and Jack saw that she wasn’t alone. Ryoko was on her way up the stairs, and she flashed a broad smile when she saw the two of them together. She’d pulled a plain blue dress on over her bikini, and it fluttered slightly in the wind.

  “Really?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “You guys were never all that close, back when we all lived in the mansion together.”

  “It was hard for us to see past our cattiness back then,” said Mira.

  “I was a little intimidated by you, too,” said Ryoko. “Not so much these days, though.”

  Mira flashed a smile at Ryoko, who gave her one back in return. They seemed comfortable, even friendly around each other, and it made Jack realize just how much friction had been between them before.

  “Come on inside,” he said. “Let’s talk in the dining room. There’s still plenty of wine around, and even some food in the freezer.”

  They headed inside. Without being asked, Ryoko fell back into her old role, cooking rice along with some frozen egg rolls, and pouring them each a glass of wine. Mira sat across from Jack at the table, leaning on her elbows and staring at him with starry eyes.

  “I was so worried about you,” she said, softly. “I still am. Ryoko tells me that you’d escaped from the Order when she found you in the middle of the ocean.”

  “It’s a long story,” said Jack. “A very long story. Let’s start with you, instead. How have you been?”

  She flashed a smile at him and brushed a few stray strands of golden hair out of her face.

  “I’ve been well, my sweet Jack,” she said. “I’m sure you have questions about how I’ve been living and the line of morality I’ve been striding. I’ve held to my promise to you and avoided causing any undue trouble.”

  “You have?” Jack raised an eyebrow. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “I am a woman of my word,” said Mira. “I’ve been careful, quiet, and controlled.”

  “That’s good,” said Jack. “How have you been managing to keep yourself fed?”

  She licked her lips and gave him a small shrug. “I’ve spent most of the past few months traveling. I have of course fed and taken on thralls during that time, but I never disturbed anyone from the rhythm of their lives or let any of them grow attached.”

  “So you’ve just been feeding off random people?” asked Jack. “Have you, uh…?”

  “No,” said Mira, guessing his question. “I’ve long since separated the act of feeding from the intimacy that occasionally comes with it. As I’m sure you have as well, dearest Jack.”

  Jack let out a small, slightly uncomfortable-sounding chuckle. If anything, he’d become more consistent in doing the exact opposite, feeding off women from clubs and bars during sex.

  “You said you’ve been traveling,” he said. “Have you been looking for something?”

  “Of course!” said Mira. “I thought that went without saying. I’ve been digging through museums and old libraries, finding every scrap of information I could about your master, Mezolak.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes,” said Mira. She flashed a teasing smile, clearly enjoying his piquing curiosity.

  “W
hat have you found out?” asked Jack.

  “Unfortunately, not much that’s useful to us,” said Mira. “Mezolak is an ancient demon. He’s manifested in physical bodies dozens of times throughout history, but it had been several hundred years since anyone had last heard from him in the Mortal Realm when he possessed your father.”

  “When was the last time?” asked Jack.

  “During the Late Middle Ages,” said Mira. “He was known as the ‘Demon of Navarro’ at the time. He committed several horrific acts of necromancy. Legend has it that his evil magic is part of the reason why people began burying their loved ones deeper underground and locking them within tombs and crypts.”

  “Yeah, that meshes with what he’s been up to lately,” said Jack. “Mira, he’s gotten ahold of Zedekiah’s Scepter, and he’s corrupted it.”

  Mira’s eyebrows furrowed. Ryoko was bringing the food out from the kitchen, and she stood next to the table after setting it down, listening in.

  “That’s… not good,” said Mira. “How in the world did he manage to find it?”

  “I brought it to him,” muttered Jack. “I’m his tool. Any order he gives, I’m forced to obey by the strength of the compulsion. He’s using the scepter to make incarnates, powerful supernatural monsters imprinted with the essence of the people the weapon has been used against in the past.”

  Jack purposely kept the fact that he’d seen Mezolak make one of her to himself, not wanting to darken the mood if it could be avoided. Mira had a pensive expression on her face, and after a moment, she nodded to him.

  “We are not helpless,” said Mira. “This is a problem with solutions that we can discover and pursue.”

  “I agree,” said Ryoko. “Jack, you aren’t alone anymore. We’ll help you however we can.”

  Jack nodded. He ate a few bites of the food Ryoko had brought out and took a sip of his wine.

  “I have a plan,” he said. “My grandfather’s staff had a hidden message in it, left solely for me. It told me of an old friend of Peter’s named Xepher and showed me where to find him. Xepher should be able to help me break free of Mezolak’s hold.”

  “Xepher,” repeated Mira. “I’ve heard that name mentioned before in some of my research. Yes, I like this idea. It will also force Mezolak to search for you if he wishes to find you.”

  “Exactly.” Jack only took a few more bites of his food. The others had already finished eating, and he wasn’t really all that hungry. “For now, though, we should rest. It’s not a plan we can act on tonight.”

  “Resting sounds good.” Mira had a wicked smile on her face as she reached out to take Jack’s hand into hers. “Shall we head upstairs to bed then, my sweet?”

  Ryoko cleared her throat very deliberately and loudly. She set a hand on Jack’s shoulder and moved to stand close, next to him.

  “Jack…” she said. “I thought we could talk for a minute before heading to sleep. You know… alone. With each other.”

  “Ah, yes, I’m sure you’re very interested in ‘talking’ with him,” said Mira. “I’ve heard the two of you ‘talking’ before. You can be surprisingly vocal.”

  Ryoko’s cheeks turned bright red, and she squeezed her fingers into Jack’s shoulders.

  “The two of us were in a relationship before we all left the mansion,” said Ryoko. “You and him were just friends. He should spend tonight with me.”

  “I was his broodmother,” said Mira. “Ironically enough, he is now my broodfather, technically speaking. It’s as strong of a bond as any intimate relationship. The choice is, of course, Jack’s to make, Ryoko.”

  Both women stared at him expectantly.

  “I thought the two of you said you were getting along better with each other now,” said Jack.

  “We are,” said Ryoko. “It’s just—”

  “We’re all adults,” said Mira. “There will be no hard feelings regardless of what choice you make here, my sweet Jack.”

  Jack considered for a moment and then nodded.

  “You’re right about that,” he said.

  He stood up and gently began tugging them both toward the stairs.

  “Sir!” said Ryoko. “I mean… Jack.”

  “I have a king-size bed,” he said. “More than big enough for all three of us.”

  Ryoko had an embarrassed and somewhat reluctant expression on her face. Mira was smirking and seemed more than a little intrigued.

  “Oh, I like this idea,” she said. “I would have suggested it myself if I thought your former maid would have gone for it.”

  “I—I—” Ryoko shook her head slightly.

  Jack stepped in close to her, cupped her cheek, and gave her a tender kiss.

  “Come up to my room, Ryoko,” he said. “Please?”

  Ryoko looked back and forth between Jack and Mira. Mira was polite, taking a step back and looking away to make her presence seem less threatening in Ryoko’s eyes.

  “Okay,” she said. “But I would like it if… you could be with me first?”

  Mira rolled her eyes. “I guess I could concede that much.”

  Both women looked at Jack expectantly. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, pumping blood with the force of a fire hydrant through all of his body, particularly one rapidly stiffening place.

  “Follow me,” he said.

  CHAPTER 25

  It was tense as he led them into his room, and he knew that he was the one who had to own up to it. He thanked his earlier self for having the foresight to change the sheets on his bed, and stood looking back and forth between two beautiful women in front of it.

  He kissed Ryoko with soft tenderness, letting his thumb slide against her cheek as they parted. He tried to give a similar kiss to Mira, but she didn’t let him have that much control, kissing him back roughly and melding against him for a brief, but intense embrace.

  It went on like that for a minute, as an odd, back and forth, cycling of make-outs between both women. Jack was so turned on that he half expected to rip a tear in the front of his track pants. He could see Ryoko slowly growing more comfortable, which was good. Mira, on the other hand, looked as ready to go as he was. She looked like she was only just holding back the impulse to throw the idea of sharing out the window, push him down on the bed, and ride his brains out.

  He kissed Ryoko again and felt her rising to the occasion. She could see the way he was looking at Mira, despite his earlier promise to make sure she went first. It wasn’t enough to just have his body. She wanted to have his attention, too.

  Jack groped Ryoko’s butt through her dress as he kissed her, and she lifted her arms up. He slowly pulled the dress up and over her head. Ryoko’s reflex, upon being undressed, was to cover herself, even though she was still wearing her bikini from earlier. Jack flashed a cheeky grin at her.

  “I was hoping I’d get the chance to take this off you,” he said, as his fingers took hold of the string tie of her bikini.

  “You…” Ryoko was blushing, and a guilty, lewd smile stole onto her mouth. “You can do more than just take it off me.”

  Jack pulled the tie, and the bikini top fell away. Ryoko’s breasts weren’t small as much as compact, two modest mounds of cute, feminine perfection. Jack kissed her again, feeling his arousal as an almost painful thing. If he didn’t get started soon, by the time he did, he’d be hard enough to risk poking an eye out.

  Mira cleared her throat. Jack pulled back from Ryoko somewhat reluctantly, and turned to face her. Double the women might have meant double the fun, but it also meant double the work. It almost felt like sexual juggling, and he didn’t want to think about how complicated things would get once they moved past the foreplay.

  Mira took his arms by the wrists and pulled his hands onto her still clothed breasts. She brought her own hand in between his legs, where she began to gently massage and caress. The smile she gave him was almost condescending. She knew what her advantages were. Feeling her big, soft breasts in his hands made Jack’s imagination run wild, a
nd the way she touched and teased him with her fingers felt so good that it posed a risk of ending the fun early.

  He looked over at Ryoko, who was sitting on the bed, waiting for him. She’d have to wait just a little longer, if his lower half had any say about it. Jack pulled Mira into a tight, horny embrace, kissing her deeply and pawing at her like a beast.

  She had more clothes to take off than Ryoko, but he still somehow managed to undress her faster. It helped that Mira did the cliched, feminine side-to-side hip wiggle to help him get her jeans off. He pulled her blouse up and over her head, and then all but broke her bra as he tore it off. She took her panties off on her own, and Ryoko had already done the same with the bottom half of her bikini.

  Jack felt an odd, excited tremor in his breathing as he looked at them. Mira, with her big breasts and borderline voluptuous hips and butt. Ryoko, so innocent and girlish and lewd. The two women moved to either side of him, helping him with what he’d just done to them. V-neck came up, pants went down, and his shaft snapped loose from his boxers with cartoonish enthusiasm.

  He still hesitated, taking in the scene as Ryoko and Mira both sat on the bed, looking at him expectantly. He’d promised Ryoko that she could go first, but the way Mira was sitting was just unfair. She had her legs chastely crossed, and held one arm over her breasts, as though she was daring him to double down if he wanted unobstructed access to the full package.

  “It’s rude to just stare, dearest Jack,” said Mira. “Especially when you’re keeping not one, but two ladies waiting.”

  “Oh, trust me,” said Jack. “I’m going to do far more than just stare.”

  He took a step forward, letting his shaft hang in front of both women at approximately face level. Mira touched it first, though only with a single finger, running it up and down his length as though taking a survey of its hardness.

  Ryoko gave Mira a tiny, petty scowl and wrapped her whole hand around Jack’s shaft. She stared up at him with wide eyes as she began stroking, eager to please. Jack ran a hand through her hair, knowing that he could only let her keep touching him like that for a few more seconds if he didn’t want the threesome to come to a premature and underwhelming end.