“The greatest powers lie in death

  Death is used to serve Life

  Life controls Nature

  Nature responds to Sacrifice

  Sacrifice requires Blood

  Blood is Power

  Power lies in Death”

  -Powers of the Maji, Final Stanza

  In a forest gde where time refused to move, six women danced around a fountain of blood and a Tas’ashuran in the form of a beautiful woman in white sitting atop a throne of bck marble. The seventh was quietly yet enthusiastically servicing the spirit with her lips and her tongue. The spirit known as Lilith to others of her kind was soothed by the actions of her minion, though she took little sexual pleasure from her efforts. She spent time in this timeless space musing upon her newest minion, her potential vessel.

  If Lilith were to compare it in terms a human would understand she would liken Emily to broccoli, nutritious yet not very tasty. Her kind have naturally been drawn to women like Sarah Chase. Venial, immoral, ambitious, her type has always been easy to draw, to tempt, to take over. But they never st long, and their deaths oftentimes take their Tas’ashuri to death along with them. The ‘woman’ servicing her was proof of that.

  She was once Marie Antoinette and her fall was just as spectacur as her rise. Her spirit has promised much and delivered much to the young woman. Too much. So much in fact that she could not extract herself when the guillotine fell. Lilith happened to be close enough to collect the melded spirit before it passed into the great beyond in return for her service. Marie served her, in addition to her other ‘duties’, as a constant reminder to remain cautious.

  She collected her fallen sisters like trophies, each one a lesson of one stripe or another. Five of the seven dancers in her Gde were the strongest of these spirits. The other two dancers were different. Those two were the ancestors of her current host, and capturing those souls took much effort. Those two women were among the greatest of her collection and a testament to her skill.

  Many Borden women have contracted with one of her kind; not many had allowed themselves to be captured. They either ensved their Tas' ashurani or died, taking the spirit with them. Their greatest gift y in their ability to resist temptation. They never reach for more power than they believe they can handle no matter the pressure applied.

  A typical Borden is a study in contradiction. They are influential but never politically powerful. They have riches yet are never counted among the wealthy of their day. The Borden name always seems to be mentioned in history books but they never seem to have fame in their lifetime. Lilith respected their subtlety as much as their iron will.

  Taking another Borden was a risk, an unnecessary one if her sisters were to council her. Of course she was the st of her kind both alive and free; she craved a challenge just as much as she longed to operate once again in the world of matter. If anyone could take another Borden, much less one with a witch hunter mate, it was her. And this one was proving to be just as formidable as any in her bloodline.

  Emily’s actions were perplexing for one such as her. Her power, though small for now, was easily enough to completely dominate the town in which she resided. Yet she made no moves to do so, not even subtle ones as far as she could tell. It was not ziness; she wasn't just having slumber parties with her bestie. She was learning, absorbing both power and knowledge from Lilith. She did not mind so much, for Lilith had never felt more present in the world of matter than she did with Emily. Their power grew in lockstep. But she was a Borden, better to be cautious lest she end up like all her kind before her. Luckily she had a source of information, of insight into her newest minion, her newest potential vessel.

  While stroking Marie’s head as though she were a beloved pet she called out. “Agnes, approach the throne.” Agnes obeyed with no hint of anxiety, as if she had nothing to hide at all. She was in all ways the perfect servant. We will see, Lilith thought as Agnes knelt a foot away from Marie's naked ass. Marie continued her ministrations, focused on the task of pleasing her Mistress to the exclusion of all other concerns. Lilith smiled at Agnes' bowed head, pleased by the obsequience shown by such a powerful minion. “Child, your daughter moves in ways that sometimes leave me puzzled. She does not go forth and conquer as many with power have. As you did for a time. She has learned to shield all but her strongest thoughts from me even though she should be an open book. I need inspiration. Tell me of your daughter.”

  Unshaken, Agnes replied. “Emily was always cautious, even as a child. She seeks understanding and never moves without possessing as much knowledge as possible. She knows of your great power and is grateful for her transformation, grateful to you. Her goal is to not disappoint you when she moves to carry out your will.”

  “And does she know of my ultimate goal?”

  “I do not believe so, my Mistress. I suspect she knows there is a cost for your aid, but not what the price will ultimately be.”

  “So you did not speak of it to her? During your…little visit after the ceremony?”

  A bead of sweat formed at Agnes' temple yet her voice remained smooth. “I did not, my Mistress. I only wished to see my daughter again. I…missed her. I did stress to her that it was important for her to learn well so as to please you.”

  “Truly? Are you…,” Lilith paused as a wave of pleasure swept through her, Marie's efforts finally bearing fruit. Her orgasm gave her an intense surge of power, stronger than normal due to the bond she shared with a living Borden. She grabbed a fistful of hair and pressed her face to her sex, riding Marie's skillful tongue as her back arched far past the point where a human would break. Then with a long, lustful scream Lilith brought her thighs together leaving Marie's head crushed between them, an explosion of blood and brain matter covering her thighs. The body fell to the grass with a meaty thump before fading away along with all evidence of her actions save for a few auburn hairs that did not escape her grasp. Lilith tossed them over her shoulder carelessly to be carried away by a sudden wind. “Pardon, Marie has always been too skillful for her own good,” said Lilith as she regained her composure. “Now, are you certain she knows nothing of what I pn for her?”

  “I cannot be certain Mistress,” said Agnes with no hint of distress, as if such dispys were commonpce. “I know only that I did not speak of such pns with her.”

  “Hmmm,” Lilith replied with some suspicion. “And what of the amulet child? What did you tell her about that?”

  “N-nothing my Mistress,” she said, her composure cracking.

  “Liar,” she said with a sweet smile, as if the betrayal were a succulent dessert. Agnes knew that smile, what it meant. Pleasure maybe, and only at first. Then, inevitable pain. Always pain. She bowed low enough for her forehead to touch the clearing’s floor, sure that her next words would be screams though not sure which kind. Lilith rose from her throne to stand beside Agnes. The dancers paused in their motions and focused on their Mistress and her victim, expecting blood and torture, longing for the sight of someone else in pain.

  She softly stroked Agnes' vulva beneath the diaphanous white dress she wore. “Judging from your reaction, I can roughly acertain what you told her.” Lilith circled Agnes' clitoris with a finger tip. “Let. Me. Guess.” She punctuated her words with three soft flicks before returning to her vulva. “You told her that she could use that amulet to defeat me.” Lilith smmed two fingers into her minion. Agnes, trying to endure in silence, suddenly gasped both from the pleasure and the revetion. She did not dare move. “I am correct, am I not?” Lilith added another finger, only she began using her nails to shred the inside of her vaginal cavity.

  “Y-y-yes…my Mis..my mi-mistress,” Agnes spoke through her tears, doing her best to keep still and failing by inches.

  Then Lilith stopped moving but did not withdraw her hand. “Do not worry sweet child. I am not angry. You are a Borden. You will fight until you cease to exist. It is in your nature as blood is in mine. I expect this. I expect any of your bloodline to do likewise. You will be punished of course but I am not angry.” She withdrew her hand from Agnes' pussy only to pierce her stomach with a knife hand. She reached through her rib cage and gripped her heart before she continued speaking. “I do believe it is rather amusing that you believe that amulet will help her. It did nothing at all for you.”

  Agnes fought for any air she could drag into her lungs. She did not need to breathe, nor was there even air in the Gde, only a force of habit from when she was alive. But she could feel pain. And at that moment her entire world was pain. She saw Lilith’s lips moving but could make no sense of the words. Then the pain stopped as if it never was. She must have crushed my heart. Hopefully this death will be enough, she didn't seem to be as angry as usual. She would be born again in the fountain of blood in minutes as mortals counted time. Marie was probably already back dancing in the circle as she floated in limbo. Please let the Mistress be done. I can't endure pain as well as the Tas’ashurani.

  Her wish was not granted. Agnes died three more times before Lilith was satisfied, each time with an increasingly creepy smile as she made each murder more gruesome. The audience, aroused by the torture, broke out into a spontaneous daisy chain. They formed a tight circle around the Mistress and the traitor; each time her blood spttered onto the body of a spectator they trembled or moaned or screamed in explosive orgasms. Lilith, overwhelmed by the energy being generated from all involved, grew distracted. She lost interest in the interrogation, confident that the amulet was no real threat as she had defeated its protection before. Besides, there were more important things to focus upon.

  In all of Lilith's long existence she never had occasion to subdue one with a witch hunter bloodline, even tangentially. Add that to the potency of the Borden bloodline, and the feeling was a rush unlike she'd ever known. It made her…less careful than she would be normally. If she were thinking normally she would have realized there was more than one Borden in that clearing. That her difficulty in handling newfound power had been noticed. That the elder was more dangerous than the younger. Elizabeth Borden started the daisy chain that ultimately ended all questions in favor of debauchery. Agnes was not forced to speak more, was not forced to disclose the extra lessons she had given to Emmie and Nat through the amulet. She was determined to protect her daughter from this fate. Lilith will pay. Emily will rid the world of the st Tas’ashurani. And God willing, I will soon serve Emily forever. Thanks for the save, great grandmother.