“NO!! No! No! No!” Erika grabbed her hair with her eyes wide as she watched Xenia enter her citadel victorious with Jacek and Karasu in tow by way of her bloodbending. She then threw the mobile monitor on to the ground shattering the glass screen.
“They were so close though! She cheated! All of those lives. Murdered!” She was breathing heavy as she spiraled deeper into an anxiety attack.
“How do we keep underestimating her!? No one thought she would defeat Pope Gregory. She did. No one thought she could face off against both Karasu AND Jacek, both with ki stones. But she just did!! Why are we making the same mistakes over and over again?!!” Erika pounded the table in front of her. The leaders surrounding her had never seen her like this.
Jarek eyed the congregation present and calmly addressed her, “Erika.”
Erika spun her head flinging her crazed hair to look at Jarek, “What?!”
He then cleared this throat, “Cursecraft requires a sense of calmness and serenity to be most effective. I think it would be wise to maintain level heads, so that we may form a plan going forward. We can even take into consideration our chronic underestimation of Xenia.”
Erika shed a tear as she failed to take Jarek’s advice, “I will gain my calmness and my serenity back when I make landfall in the United States as part of the team to get him back. This time… I will come along to ensure Xenia’s defeat!”
Jarek slammed the table gathering everyone’s attention including Erika’s as the room went silent. He then spoke with a stern voice, “Erika! Don’t forget that Jacek is my son. I understand how you feel. But, Jacek is a grown man. He is one of the world’s foremost ki users. He is a master strategist. He just went toe-to-toe with our sworn enemy and nearly won! He can take care of himself in our absence. He will need our help, but in the meantime he can take care of himself. We cannot simply rush in to our deaths. That would be of no help.”
Jarek’s words sobered Erika, and she bowed her head, “I understand Jarek. Forgive me.”
Jarek straightened his shirt and replied, “There is nothing to forgive. Now. May I propose a component of my plan?”
Everyone at the table nodded, and Jarek turned to Vega, “Bring it.”
Vega nodded and stood from the table to retrieve a long slender metal case with two combination locks present on the side. He placed the case in front of Jarek and took his seat again.
Jarek began to twirl the numbers on the locks as he said, “What I have here was retrieved by General Magnus during our visit to the BloodStar Empire. Something of this nature has never been outside of BloodStar hands, so we must care for it with utmost attention for our own safety.”
The locks clicked as he finished speaking, and he flipped the case up. Everyone at the table waited in immense anticipation to see what Jarek had to show them.
He reached into the case and pulled out a long matte silver spear with a razor-sharp end. He held it up to the light and said, “General Magnus successfully stole two void daggers. Then, he and I successfully forged the two void daggers together into a single spear. This spear.”
Erika eyed the spear with reverence as she muttered to herself, “A spear made of void material?”
Another member crossed his arms and said, “A spear? Why a spear?”
Vega took the opportunity to answer this question, “It was decided that Jarek is the most likely to use this weapon. After him, Jacek during an escape. And last, myself. We all three are master spearman. Furthermore, the spear offers power, range, and accuracy in the right hands. And lastly, Xenia won’t recognize it as a void weapon.”
Everyone present nodded their heads in complete agreement.
Jarek put the spear back in the case and locked it, “Before we continue though. I will ask. Are we all in agreement that this situation is beyond diplomacy?”
A collective, “Aye” was heard from the table, and Jarek nodded his head, “Very well. Then we shall initiate our operation without warning and without negotiations.”
Jarek turned to Erika and smiled, “Master Sage.” She looked to him at attention, and he smiled at her, “I think it’s time we got our hands dirty. You will be accompanying me and Vega on this mission.”
Erika nodded with a serious expression, “Oh Master Heraklinos, I was coming with or without your consent. That bitch is mine!”
__________________
Jacek patiently waited for Xenia to return from her preparations for the grand dinner ball she was hosting this evening to celebrate her victory. She had left him to shower and clean up after healing his wounds but only just enough as to leave his ki at rock bottom.
Jacek looked around her quarters as he sat on the front room couch. The room had recently been upgraded to include the luxury and refinement befitting of a woman of her status. He was impressed at the detail a craftsman or more likely a team of craftsmen likely worked their absolute finest hours on in order to ensure their employer did not kill them.
He stood as he continued to look around the room and adjacent bedrooms and bathrooms thinking to himself, “I can’t believe she left me to my own devices. No restraints of any kind on my movements. No restraints on my ki although I know she knows it will take me some time to recover. No guards to watch over me. It surely is all a test.”
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He walked through another living room area with a massive TV and a mini bar and kitchenette, “If I continue to defy her, she will probably torture me. She will probably make my life a living hell. I will also likely lose any freedoms she may extend to me.”
As he continued surveying the huge living quarters he thought, “But if I play along with her… I have to go all-in. Or she will know I’m not committed. I would likely have to follow orders which include killing various soldiers which if they are her own I would not mind. But going along with her games would also include the risk of getting her pregnant and giving her an heir which she so desperately wants. And I’ve become strong enough to make that a great likelihood.”
He sighed as he threw himself into a huge love seat with plush cushions as he melted away into the pillows slowly, “But even if I give her an heir, we will have nine months to kill her. And I know help is on the way. Jarek and Erika are undoubtedly working overtime this very instant. They are probably en route in fact.”
He stood back up and wondered into Xenia’s master bedroom. He admired the master bed which measured twice the size of a King-sized bed. He also quite liked the mood lighting and ambience of the room. He strolled through her master bedroom and into the master restroom where he was met with the opulence of a black and white marble surfaced bathroom from floor to ceiling.
As he mentally gawked at the lavishness, he continued to think, “Maybe I should play along with Xenia in that regard. I can build our relationship, earn her trust, and give her exactly what she is looking for. In time, she may reward me by allowing my ki to grow back to full strength. She may allow me free-range. When the time comes, I could facilitate an entire plan with my comrades to take her down.
He continued to stroll the large bathroom with his hand up to his chin, “Xenia is a powerful woman. A woman with powerful urges. One of those urges will likely involve me overpowering her in the bedroom eventually. She would likely give me my ki back against her better judgment if I can get that far.”
He turned the corner back into the master bedroom, and was met with a welcoming voice, “So what do you think of my travel accommodations?”
He jumped at the sound of her voice, “Xenia. I- I- I uh um… I was simply showing myself around. It is quite lovely. Lots of surfaces.”
Xenia furrowed her brow with a half-smile and replied, “Yes. Lots of surfaces.”
Jacek overcame his initial shock at her unexpected arrival and finally took note of her. She was wearing her all-black leather military outfit complete with her gloves and boots; however, her gloves and chest were soiled with dried blood, and a streak of blood ran across her face.
She pushed passed him sliding by as she pushed her big boobs up against him and sarcastically said, “Don’t mind me Jacek, I can squeeze by just fine.”
He jumped aside embarrassed and asked, “How were the dinner preparations? Bloody I presume?”
She smiled as she sat down to remove her boots, “A little bloody, yes. Can you tell? I like to get a little messy when preparing dinner. Especially tonight.” She stood after removing her boots and walked up to him as she pulled her gloves off one after the other and said, “Sure, we are celebrating my victory. But in all honesty, I want it to be perfect, so I can impress a handsome man I have my eyes on.”
They stood very close together and Jacek asked, “Is that so? Who is the lucky guy?”
She opened her mouth slightly teasing a kiss but then turned away, “I’m hoping I make it clear to him how badly I want him by the end of the night.”
She retreated into her closet and said, “Did you see the tuxedo I laid out for you in your room?”
Jacek scratched his head and looked around; however, he saw no tuxedo. She stepped out of the closet with a few buttons taken down and laughed, “You didn’t think this was your room did you? No, Jacek. Your room is down the hall. You have made your intentions with me very clear.”
Jacek was a bit taken aback and awkwardly stepped out of her master bedroom and stepped down the hallway to his room. As he entered, he immediately saw a bespoke tuxedo of the world’s finest quality materials laying on the bed. He picked it up and smiled, “I have no doubt this is tailored to fit me like a glove.” He chuckled to himself that Xenia had planned so far out in advance.
He quickly changed into the tuxedo, and just as he thought, the suit fit his chiseled muscles like a glove. He stood in front of the mirror putting the final touches on his bow tie when he saw Xenia enter the room from behind.
She stood in the doorway wearing a skintight black shiny dress that fit and hugged every curve of her body. The dress had long sleeves which encompassed her hands and fingers like a connected glove, and the dress was floor length with a trailing train of several feet behind her. Her hair was masterfully braided in an intricate design, and she wore a necklace with no less than five diamonds on it which were all larger than any diamonds Jacek had ever laid eyes on in his life.
He was stunned into silence and thought to himself, “How can a woman this beautiful be so evil?” He gulped and reminded himself, “I am here to play along with her and eventually to kill her. Not to lust over or fall for her.”
She smiled at him, “You clean up well Jacek. Down to the perfectly tied bow tie.” She blushed and looked down, “I’m afraid I can’t say the same of myself.”
He shook his head, “You are beautiful Xenia. Your sight alone stunned me into complete speechlessness.”
“Thanks.” She looked back up at him and turned around, “But this zipper, I can never get.”
Jacek looked to her flawless back to see a zipper halted halfway up. He walked over to her and grabbed the zipper with one hand and used the other hand to hold the material down to zip against. He began to gently zip her up.
Without looking back, she said, “I know what you’re thinking Jacek. Jarek is probably furious. Erika misses you. I’m the world’s greatest evil in your eyes. But regardless of what you think, this is happening. You are more than just my prisoner; you are my spoil of war. You are mine. This is happening. Whether you choose the easy way or you choose the hard way is up to you.”
She looked back over her right shoulder with her eyes pushed in to the corner of her vision to see him without fully turning her head back.
Without saying a word, Jacek leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. She was caught off guard by his bold action and softly gasped at the maneuver.
She kissed him back intimately putting her hand up to his cheek softly. After nearly a minute of kissing, Jacek broke the kissing off to Xenia’s disappoint as she chased his lips for a moment trying to steal another kiss.
She then said, “A kiss. I think I like that answer best, Jacek.” She eyed him as she wiped her lips off with her gloved hand and said, “I hope there is more where that came from?”
He smiled at her, “That is entirely up to you and how you behave tonight.”
She took his hands and placed them on her stomach bringing him to hug her and let out a whimpered moan, “Oh Jacek. Do you want a bad girl or good girl? Just tell me, so I can make it happen.”
He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “You know the answer to that Xenia. If I wanted a good girl, I’d go be with Erika.”
She smiled with her eyes closed in utter delight at his words, “Good. I’m the best at being bad. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He quickly replied, “And don’t say I didn’t warn you. Bad girls get punished.”
She turned with an open mouth feigning shock and grabbed his arm, “We had better make our way to the dinner. One more word out of you, and I am afraid we wouldn’t be able to make it.”
He walked in stride with her out of her quarters with her arm around his, “You are quite right. Let’s not spoil our appetite for dessert.”
She smiled and hugged his arm even harder as she thought to herself, “What has gotten into him? He’s so in to me! He craves me!”