Jemmy’s essence was entwined with Millie’s just as their bodies were very intimately entwined back in her cave. In spirit form, all jumbled and wrapped together, they soared over the mountains and then over a barren plain and then they were over the twinkling lights of a cityport that gleamed in the dusk.

A trail of red mist streaked through the air before them.

“Is this the demons trail?” Jemmy asked. They had left their bodies behind so he didn’t actually say the words. Rather, his thoughts echoed in the ether and Millie could understand them.

“That’s my Del-Del,” Millie’s thoughts echoed back. “He leaves a miasma wherever he goes. Do you see a problem with that, Jemmy? Do you have anything mean to say about him? No one can be as beautiful as you. You can be mean about any creature. Or any woman. We can’t be mean about your looks.”

Her tone was sullen.

“Is this because of what I said about your nose, Millie? Please let it go. I wasn’t serious.”

He felt her essence wrap around him more tightly. “You should be sorry for me. I have to look in the mirror each morning and see a green llama.”

Was she joking, or what was this about?

“Millie… you don’t look like a llama.”

“I look like an alien llama,” she said. He could sense a sardonic laugh in her thoughts. “But we’re out of our bodies now. I might just take yours for myself. How would you like that Jemmy? I get to be the beautiful one and you can be the one to grow our baby and then squeeze him out in nine months time.”

Her cackle echoed through the ether. “Just picture it. I’d stand over you and say: “I’m the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen. Look at me! I have everything. Look at my sweet face, my strong jaw, my kissable lips, my freckled nose and cheeks, my soft doe eyes and my wavy brown hair. Look at my lithe, white body and my manly hose! Now look at you, with a face like a green camel, huffing and hissing and sweating. You look even stupider now you’ve been in labour so long.”

“You’re not serious!” Said Jemmy.

“Not serious? I am. Childbirth is painful. My mother often reminisced about how long she was in labour with me when she was laying a guilt trip.”

Oh gods! Was she serious then? She was unfortunately very serious when she mentioned him, herself and babies in the same sentence, but would she really make them switch bodies?

“Please don’t make us switch bodies, Millie!”

She laughed openly at him. “Jemmy, you’re a dreamer. If I was in your body, I wouldn’t be able to do magic anymore. Ever, So it would never work. Didn’t you know that? I thought two of your friends were witches?”

Jemmy felt some relief. In fact, he felt degradingly grateful that he would be spared that horror at least. “I wouldn’t know anything about it. I’m literally incapable of doing magic.”

“That noise you make when you orgasm must be by magic,” said Millie cackling. “I’ve never heard anything like it. Can’t wait to hear it again.”

Jemmy was afraid to make any kind of retort to that.

“You can of course work real magic by giving me a gorgeous son of my own,” said Millie. “One who I hope has your beautiful eyes. Your freckles. Your voice. One who’ll stay with me forever. I’ve been deprived of male company for most of my life. A shame, because it’s so exciting. I’ll be such a proud and jealous mummy.”

Jemmy had no doubt that she would be. Please gods, don’t let her become pregnant with his child!

A red light grew on the horizon. They floated nearer and the shape of the demon became distinct.

Although his body was far away, Jemmy felt his heart leap at the sight of Tira, her bright green face visible in the streets even this high up, with Larissa by her side and Gloom the imp on her shoulder.

“Let’s watch,” said Millie. “It should be interesting.”

Del-Del the demon swooped down.

“Fly!” Jemmy called down. “A demon is upon you!”

“They can’t hear you,” said Millie. “But we can hear them. We’re here on my magic. I can make the sound one way if I choose.”

Tira looked up and screamed and Larissa drew her sword. Tira gesticulated in the air with her green fingers and suddenly there were six witch girls standing in a row. These all gesticulated in a similar way, and suddenly they grew three times larger in height, width and breadth! Six green giantesses! The imps on their shoulders looked as tiny as mice by comparison. The six all drew glowing rocks the size of small boulders from their leather pouches and flung them at Del-Del, the force of the explosion sending the demon reeling.

“What a sorry excuse for a demon you are,” chorused the six Glooms in their reedy little voices. “Find a raw rookie witch to pick on.”

“Huh. Clever little witch,” said Millie.

“Tira’s the best witch I know,” said Jemmy. “She took out the Infernal Beast himself. You can never measure up to her.”

“Careful, sweet, sexy, squirming puppet boy,” said Millie. “I’m the witch who’s got you in her bed and in her clutches right now. I’m going to punish you for cheek.” She gave her lecherous snigger.

The demon recoiled from the blast of Tira’s magic and swooped back down, but now the giant green girls drew out six identical gold lockets.

“Wait… Where did she get an item like that?” said Millie. “They’re rare!”

The giant Tira’s waved the locket in front of the demon and its burning yellow eyes began to dim and flicker.

“Please…” boomed the giant witch girls. “We should not be fighting… we should be friends.”

Del-Del gave a low, growly sound and took off into the air, flying away into the distance.

“Oh, Del-Del, you great soft article,” said Millie. “Falling for a simple friendship spell! Never mind. I have a lot more tricks up my sleeve. I’m bored with this. Come back to bed, Jemmy.”

At Millie’s will, they were hurled back through the ether, over city, plane and mountains and then they were back in their entangled bodies. Millie’s livid green face was pressed against Jemmy’s so that she was breathing down his nostrils. Her cold arms were tight around him. The inevitable arousal at the closeness of a woman’s body flared up within him like a fever. Her brown eyes gleamed. “Now I get to punish you, sweet-face.”

00O00

When Tira, Larissa and Gloom arrived at the Traveller’s Rest to meet Vixen, the bar room was full of different people and humanoid creatures talking, laughing, drinking and smoking. The sound of raucous voices mingled with the scrape of chairs on the floor and a haze of tobacco smoke filled the air.

Vixen the assassin sat at a table. She was clad from head to toe in black cloth.

“Good, you made it,” she said. “Come one. I’ll take you to the Council. They can help if anyone can.”

“Off again,” grumbled Gloom. “I definitely trust her not to lead us into a trap.”

Vixen led them through the winding streets, constantly ducking in and out of the shadows. The night was lit by twinkling lights of ships sailing out of the cityport. Soon they arrived at a house and Vixen opened the door.

“The Council’s here?” said Gloom. “It doesn’t look any different to any other house.”

“That’s part of why it’s well hidden,” said Vixen.

The door swung inwards. In the house was a room with a round table and a fireplace with a fire crackling merrily in the grate. A disembodied voice rang out, giving Larissa a start.

“Please be seated.”

Wide-eyed, Tira sat down. She was the only one who did, but when she did so, the wall with the fireplace shimmered and disappeared, leaving a long hallway ending in an iron door. Two burly men in leather armour armed with halberds stood on either side of the door.

Vixen strode up to them and the others followed. “We seek an audience with the Council,” said Vixen.

“The Council is in session,” said one of the guards.

“For the past week? Don’t be a fool,” said Vixen. She unsheathed a curved blade. “One last chance…”

“This could get ugly,” muttered Gloom.

“No!” said Tira and Larissa together.

“No need for that,” said Tira, glaring at Vixen and running to stand between her and the guards. She took out her golden locket and waved it in front of them, her blue eyes opening wide as she gazed at each of them. The locket seemed to glow with a light of its own, creating a splash of yellow light on her green chin.

“We should not be fighting. We should be friends. Please just let us in,” said Tira slowly and deliberately.

“Ma’am, yes Ma’am!” said one of the guards.

“Right away,” said the other, unlocking the iron door with a large key.

They motley group went through the door and down a short passage that led to a vast circular room with carved oak chairs standing around a bare, stone floor. But the room was empty except for one throne like chair at the far end of the great room.

A strange figure sat on the chair. A dark haired lady wrapped in purple robes and wearing a flawless mannequin mask. Larissa remembered the strange fortune teller from earlier that day. Was this some kind of weird Ctharae fashion?

Vixen stepped to one side and indicated that Larissa should go forth.

The masked lady shifted on the seat. “How dare you intrude on my solitude?”

“Solitude?” said Gloom. “Isn’t there supposed to be some sort of meeting going on here? It certainly doesn’t look that way to me.”

“The others councillors are all on a pleasure cruise,” said the lady. “Though one, Lord Shinva has regrettably passed away. If you didn’t already know, I am Lady Penthea, the first noble of Ctharae. At the moment, I am the only one running things. I’ve only got one pair of hands and as usual, everything’s in disarray.” Penthea sighed.

“You do look really busy,” said Gloom.

“My Lady, we have come to ask your assistance,” said Larissa. “It is of the utmost importance that we leave through the old North Gate…”

“I don’t know your business, and I’m sure I don’t want to,” said Lady Penthea tersely.

“Your spell, Mistress,” muttered Gloom. But Tira had run up to Penthea and knelt before her, clutching the masked woman’s pale hands in her green ones.

“Mistress! What are you doing?” Demanded Gloom, hopping from one foot to the other.

“P-please… Someone I love dearly is in danger,” said Tira, her voice quivering. “W-We’re desperate.”

“Poor Mistress,” said Gloom.

“Mm,” said Vixen, watching the scene dispassionately with cold eyes.

Larissa strode forward to kneel beside Tira and put an arm around the girl’s skinny waist. “We come to you in supplication,” she said.

Tira reached up and touched the cheek of Penthea’s mask. Penthea stared through the eye holes of the mask. Her blue eyes were bright and piercing.

“You have lost a loved one? Tell me… what do you love about them?”

Tira blurted out before Larissa could speak, her high voice ringing throughout the cavernous hall: “He’s brave, and kind, and he saved me from execution when he had no reason to trust a strange witch who was locked in a cell.”

“And you refused to threaten him with magical pain as I advised,” said Gloom. “Just left it up to him whether he’d save your life. But by all means ignore me, I’m used to it.”

“I’d never threaten him!” Said Tira, glaring at the imp. “I trusted in his good heart when I first saw him.”

Larissa patted her on the arm.

“Whaat?” Vixen interjected. “Are you a simpleton, young witch?”

Tira glared at her. “Jemmy was always there for me, because that’s the kind of guy he is. I wanna be there for him.”

Penthea rapped her long fingernails on the cheek of her mask. “I can help, to an extent,” she said. “The North Gate is wizard locked. It is enchanted to open to those who know a rhyme. This is what I know. “I bid thee portals, open wide.””

“Is that it?” said Gloom. “Some security measure.”

Penthea turned her masked face to him. “It’s not the only part of the rhyme, as should be obvious. The second line was known to Lord Shinva, but he has passed away.”

Tira drew a sharp intake of breath.

“So what use is that?” demanded Gloom.

“It may yet be possible to commune with him,” said Penthea. “One of you is a witch, is she not?”

Tira sniffed and nodded. “Whatever it takes.”

Penthea continued: “The third line is known to the noble, Xanthas, but he is… missing.”

“Great. That narrows things down,” said Gloom.

00O00

After they exited the Council Building, Vixen departed into the night. Tira, Larissa and Gloom went to the Blue Lobster inn near the docks to meet up with the musicians. The place was smaller than the Travellers Rest and the musicians had a table to themselves.

Jehu looked up as they arrived and beamed. “Ah! My friends. Sit, and join us.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” said Gloom, jumping onto the table.

The musicians had a spread, including such Ctharae delicacies and liverbeans and skunkbear toes fried in batter.

Tira and Larissa sat down. Tira beamed at Jehu and gently touched his arm.

“How is your quest going?” asked Jehu.

“We have to find two fallen nobles,” said Larissa. “Though how is another question.”

“Yeah, one dead, one a beggar, nothing’s ever easy,” said Gloom through a mouthful of skunkbear toes.”

A young lady musician with wide, dreamy eyes spoke up. “They’re crippled, but not gone. They can still be found. There is talk of an old beggar in the wastelands beyond the river. It was rumoured that he was a noble once. Look to the wastelands.”

“Wow. The pieces of the puzzle fall together,” said Gloom.

“I thank you for your help,” said Larissa. “We are on a quest to save Jemmy, my sweet husband from a kidnapper as yet unknown.”

Tira suddenly let out a long juddering sigh.

“Are you alright, Miss?” asked Jehu.

Larissa put a hand on the witch-girl’s shoulder. “It has been a hard day for us all.”

“It has,” said Tira, “but sorry, I really need to rest. I’m not feeling well at all.” She touched Jehu’s arm. “Please can you come with me?”

“I’ll go with you,” said Larissa, standing up.

“No, please don’t let me spoil your dinner, Larissa,” said Tira.

“She wants him to take her, isn’t it obvious?” said Gloom.

“Oh, very well,” said Larissa. Tira must have her reasons.

Tira and Jehu linked arms and left the parlour.

In Coltbridge, would you be concerned for her honour or for his, if they were alone in the same room?” said Gloom.

00O00

Jehu led Tira into the tiny attic bedroom above the inn. He lit a candle and offered the green girl to sit down. She plumped on the bed and smiled at him, although she had a strained look. The candlenight lit up her pale gold hair and shone off her prettily formed nose and cheekbones. “Thank you, Jehu… sorry… But I’m getting ill with worry… my dear friend’s lost…”

She eyes, blue as fragments of a fresh spring sky, shone with tears in the candlelight.

“Of course that’s upsetting,” said Jehu.

“And there’s more… I can’t say it in front of Larissa. Or even Gloom. And I couldn’t tell Jemmy…”

She compressed her dark purplish lips.

“What couldn’t you tell him?” asked Jehu.

“That I love him” said Tira, her voice quivering. “But he only loved me as a friend… and he’s married to Larissa, so I can never say. I don’t ever wanna spoil things between them or make them feel uncomfortable.”

He put his arms around her, feeling aroused at her closeness as she leaned against him, her hair tickling his cheek.

“Sorry. Dunno why I’m burdening you with this. Gotta tell someone.” She swallowed.

“Who can explain love?” said Jehu smoothly. “You’re doing the right thing.”

Tira sniffed and nodded. Two little mice, one pink and one a rich, warm apricot peeked out from under her collar. “This is Pinky and this is Goldie,” said Tira. “My familiars.”

“Cute,” said Jehu. “I used to keep hundreds of mice when I was a boy.”

At that moment a bat flew in through the window. It didn’t startle Jehu. It was obviously one of the witch’s familiars.

“Oh, hey sweetheart!” said Tira, her green face splitting in a grin.

The bat alighted in her green hands, looking to Jehu a bit like a black frog as it clutched at her thumb.

“Ready for your supper or breakfast?” said Tira. She took out a tiny potion bottle from her pocket and dripped a few drops into the tiny creature’s mouth. Its mouth moved to drink the potion up. “Good boy!” said Tira beaming.

She turned to Jehu. “This is Vesper.” Then the witch cocked her head as if the bat was making a sound, though Jehu couldn’t hear anything. “Ah… so Baldy’s gonna follow that demon and find where it came from? Yes, it might give us a clue.”

Tira turned to Jehu. “There was an act of love I could do for Jemmy. I made a pair of moon amulets. We’re connected by my magic. I can follow and trace him, even if he is concealed by another magic user. I know the direction he was taken. We were attacked by a demon tonight, and just in case there’s a connection, I’ve traced that, too.”

“Magic… so mysterious,” said Jehu.

Tira smiled. “You do magic too. The way you dance. It’s your special type of magic.”

“We danced together,” said Jehu.

Tira leaned close to him and her cold breath tickled his face. “We did.”

They embraced, her firm breasts mashing against his chest. Jehu’s heart beat faster.

“Don’t leave me…” whispered Tira. “Please… I don’t wanna be alone tonight. I’ve just shared my dearest secret with you.” Sparkling tears trickled down her green cheeks. Jehu felt aroused at her closeness as he gazed into her blue eyes. That night, they made more than music together.

00O00

To punish Jemmy, for his cheek, Millie forced him to lie face down awkwardly on the bed over her green legs while she slapped him hard on the bottom. He was degradingly grateful that the punishment was nothing worse than that.

“You must show me some respect, naughty puppet boy,” she crowed. “Mummy’s magic is the best. Don’t you forget it.”

After Millie had satisfied herself with punishing Jemmy for his cheek, she was breathing hard, her breasts were rising and falling and her green skin was gleaming with a sheen of perspiration. The musty, witchy stench she gave off was worse than ever. A cloying smell that never really went away. She insisted on washing naked together and on scrubbing and pawing at him all over with her bare hands. She showed him a small pearl handled mirror. Jemmy felt some relief to see that the puppet paint on his face had washed off.

“Your sweet widdle face is like a canvas I can paint on,” she said in a mock baby voice. “Better keep it fresh.”

She plastered a thick, pink mud on his face that had an unpleasantly bitter taste when it got in his mouth. She showed him his reflection in the mirror again. “A special beauty mask. My pretty puppet boy will stay perfect.”

After that, she dragged him back to her bedchamber where the air was so heavy with her stench he would never forget it. He had to stop himself flinching as she pressed her naked body against his. Did she want more sex? He hoped not. The idea made him feel a bit queasy and he was already sore from all the intercourse they had had that day.

He missed his family and friends. He thought how they must be worrying about him and wished he could be back with them. What would Larissa be going through? And Tira would also be worried sick. Tears sprang into his eyes. He tried to stop them, but couldn’t.

Millie stared at him her eyes wide. “Why are you crying? Not that it matters. You look very pretty when you do. Who’d have thought anyone could cry prettily?”

She gathered up a crystal vial from a draw in the bedside table and held it under his eyes to catch his tears, then held it up to the light of the ghostly blue tapers in the room. “Male tears. Yum.”

“I – I miss my mother and sister,” said Jemmy, choosing his words carefully. Hopefully he could avoid enraging her. “My sister Mylar…”

“Oh I’ve seen Mylar,” said Millie. “A gorgeous girl. When I was little, I’d have loved to have her looks. Oh well… Our child will be beautiful.”

Suppressing a shudder, Jemmy quickly changed the topic. “Um… do you have familiars, Millie?”

“You saw Del-Del. I had a ginger cat. Name was ‘Red,’ but he died. I don’t want any more animals of any kind now, I’ve decided.”

At that moment, Jemmy noticed a bat in the corner of the bedroom. This was not one of Millie’s familiars… but Tira had bats as familiars! He felt a wild hope seize him. Could the bat be Tira’s eyes and ears? He had to distract Millie somehow, in case she noticed.

“Let’s make love,” he said, putting his arms around her clammy green body and tilting his head to kiss her full on the mouth. Her eyes went wide with surprise, then she shoved him over so that she was on top and pressing her face into his. He put his arms around her, intent on keeping her from looking up. Her heart was beating faster as she shoved her tongue into his mouth. He had to remind himself, anything to distract her…