The 13th Witch

Drake was editing a recently finished chapter for Kassie while she began work on the next one when he suddenly nodded, then sat up and said, "Beezie is here."  The words no more out of his mouth than Beezie appeared in front of the couch they were sitting on.  As he leaned against the side of the fireplace he grinned at Drake and said, "I thought it best to report this latest development in person.  We have found Waldo.   In the guise of a fortune named Esmeralda.  He is at this very moment finishing giving a tarot reading to one of the doppelgängers we have watching over Katy.  Then he will be be giving Katy a reading.  The doppelgänger will of course stay close to her as Waldo gives Katy her reading.  And should anything untoward happen, Irene's doppelgänger will notify me."

Kassie jumped up from the couch and exclaimed, "Where is he?  We need to get there before he harms Katy, or we lose him!"

Beezie grinned at Kassie and said, "Relax Kassie.  No harm will come to Katy, and we won't lose Waldo.  Besides one doppelgänger inside the tent, and two outside of it, there are also a couple of little flies on the wall in that tent that are my agents.  If we all rush in as ourselves right now and take Waldo down, it is going to give the fair Katy an unnecessary fright, not to mention perhaps cause a big scene in a very public place.  I think it best if we let him finish Katy's reading, then quietly take him inside the tent."

Drake reached up and pulled Kassie back down beside him, then nodded at Beezie and said, "Good thinking on your part my old friend.  The last thing I want is a major battle with Waldo where he currently is."  He paused for a moment then looked at Kassie and said, "I know exactly where he is, and what fortune teller he is impersonating.  He has either done something to the real Esmeralda, or she is one of his followers, and is allowing him to impersonate her right now."  He paused again for a moment, snapped his fingers, and when his cell phone appeared in his hand dialed a number on it, then spoke to the person who answered the phone he had dialed.  "This is Drake.  I want the home address of the fortune teller named Esmeralda at the Renaissance Fair Katy is currently at.  I need the information ASAP."  Drake paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "Thanks, I knew I could count on you."  Then with another grin he disconnected the call, snapped his fingers, and once more his cell phone vanished.  He leaned over and kissed the top of Kassie's head then said, "Being the meticulous creature that I am, I had the people I knew Katy would be coming in contact with on the rest of tour thoroughly checked out as soon as I had her complete itinerary.  Should Waldo manage to escape and shake Beezie's agents, we now have Esmeralda's address, which he will probably return to when he leaves the fairgrounds.  If not, then we also have the bloodstone, and can still track him through that if necessary."

Beezie made a disgusted snorting sound and said, "If Waldo escapes that tent and shakes my agents, said agents are going to wish they had never been born.  As are some doppelgängers.  Besides, now that I have seen Waldo, even in drag, I know who he really is, and have an ace up my sleeve that will guarantee he does not escape me"

Kassie gave a little sigh and said, "Well he has escaped from The Team, as well as many others countless times.  He isn't a true shape shifter, but as you saw today Beezie, he a master of disguises.  He can't really teleport but is a Master Magician who is very adept at creating distractions that allow him to seemingly vanish into thin air when necessary.  Yes, we still have the Bloodstone, but because we had to use such a small amount of reconstituted blood, we don't know if it will work."

Beezie grinned at Kassie and replied, "Don't worry that pretty head of yours Kassie.  Truth is, you aren't going to need that bloodstone, even if it does work."  Then he turned to Drake, winked and said, "Well time for me to get back on the clock.  As soon as he has finished Katy's reading and she is safely away from him, I'll will deliver Waldo to you."  Before Drake could answer, Beezie vanished.

Beezie reappeared in a vacant stall in the men's room at the fairgrounds, then quickly made his way back to Esmeralda's tent.  He joined the doppelgängers loitering by the side of the tent and listened to the drone of Waldo's voice coming from inside the tent as he waited for him to finish Katy's readings.  As he heard Waldo winding up the reading he walked to the front of the tent and was opening the flap as Waldo reached for it to escort Irene and Katy out.  Katy did a little double take as she saw their bus driver, then smiled and said, "Are you going to have a reading done?"

Beezie gave Katy his most charming grin and replied, "I most certainly am. I'm hoping there is something in my future concerning a beautiful woman I've recently met."

Katy blushed most becomingly as she ducked her head and exited the tent.  The false face of Esmeralda blanched beneath the makeup as Beezie's grin turned upon it.  Irene exited the tent behind Katy and hurried her off under the pretense of needing to use the Ladies Room.  Katy did not hear Beezie's dark laughing voice saying, "Hello Donny.  Or should I say Waldo?  Or should I say Esmeralda?  You are indeed a man of many faces.  But the soul has no face, and it's time to pay the Devil his due."  The ace card that Beezie spoke to Kassie about was the fact that Waldo, who real name was Donny Graham, had long ago sold his soul to Beezie via one of minions when Donny was just a teenager.  Donny had managed to drop off the radar so to speak, but Beezie hadn't been concerned when he learned of that because he knew that sooner or later, the Devil always collects what is due to him.  But, Beezie owed his old poker pal an even bigger debt.  One that could never be truly be repaid.  

As Donny, aka Waldo, aka Esmeralda, backed away from him Beezie grinned a truly wicked grin, reached out and grabbed his shoulder and said, "Come Donny, I have a friend who wants to meet you."  Before Waldo could even blink once, they both vanished from the tent.  As Drake sat making a notation in red on the chapter he was editing they, reappeared in front of the couch he and Kassie were sitting on.  Kassie looked up in stunned surprise as they materialized in front of them and exclaimed, "That's Waldo?"

Beezie grinned and replied, "Yes, and no.  Actually, this is Donny Graham.  Donny, once sold his soul to a minion of mine.  I was in no hurry to collect what was owed to me, and didn't realize dear Donny had become Waldo.  People mistakenly think I keep track of every soul owed to me, which is ludicrous because once the contract is signed, all I really have to do is wait for them to die, and what is owed to me, comes to me.  Donny, or Waldo as he is now known, has been busily trying to cheat me out of what is rightfully mine by prolonging his sorry ass existence indefinitely."

Drake gave a cold dark chuckle that sent a chill down Waldo's spine, then said, "Well if you insist my old friend, I will send you his soul when I get through with him.  What's left of it anyway."

Beezie gave an even darker chuckle and replied, "Nah, I've seen what's left of them when you get through.  It wouldn't be worth having.  Besides, hell would look like paradise to him by the time you get through.  And what fun is that for me?"  Beezie paused for a moment, looked at the watch on his wrist then grinned and said, "I hate to rush off, but I've got a tour bus schedule to keep you know.  Would love to stay and watch the fun, but can't keep those nice tourists waiting!"  Then with a wink and another grin, he was gone.

As Waldo stood there trying to gather his wits Drake grinned and said to Kassie, "Beezie is having WAY too much fun driving that damn tour bus."  At that moment Waldo suddenly reached into the long sleeve of his dress, pulled out a small double barrel derringer and shot Drake.  Then turned the gun on Kassie.  Before he could pull the trigger though Kassie vanished from in front of his eyes.  She reappeared behind him wielding a large cast iron skillet.  After raising the skillet above her head, she brought it down on Waldo's head with a resounding thud.  As Waldo dropped to the floor unconscious Drake put his hand up to his mouth, belched once slightly, then spat a small piece of mangled silver metal into his hand, and mumbled, "Damn I hate burping bullets."  Then he looked at Kassie standing over Waldo's unconscious form and with one eyebrow raised said, "A skillet?"

Kassie shrugged her pale shoulders and said, "Well it worked didn't it?"  Then she reached down and picked up the little derringer that had fallen out of Waldo's hand as he fell to the floor.

Drake laughed and said, "Point taken my dear.  It did work."  Then he rose from the couch, walked to the coffee table and stood beside Kassie.  Both remained looking down at Waldo's unconscious form for a moment.  Then Drake leaned over and rolled Waldo onto his back.  Waldo groaned as he was rolled onto his back, and after a moment opened his eyes.  As he stared up at Drake, the vampyre gave a wide fang bared grin, dropped the piece of mangled silver metal on Waldo's check, and said, "Silver bullets are for werewolves Waldo. I am many things, none of them good, but I am not a werewolf.  Perhaps you have a wooden stake tucked up one of those sleeves you would like to try driving through my heart?"

Waldo gazed up at the fanged creature grinning down at him, and came to the conclusion that even if he had a wooden stake up his sleeve, trying to drive it through that creature's heart would be useless.  Drake then leaned over, grabbed Waldo by the neckline of his dress, and yanked him to his feet.  Waldo let out a cry of pain and clutched his head.  Drake gave a cheerful grin, then shook Waldo a little.  Waldo screamed in pain as he clutched his head, and exclaimed, "You bloodsucking bastard!"

Drake grinned again and replied, "What an unkind thing to call me.  Even if it is true."  Then he began to drag Waldo towards the wall next to the fireplace.  Drake tapped thrice on a brick above the fireplace, pressed it, then tapped twice more.  A portion of the wall next to the fireplace swung inward, revealing a winding staircase.  Drake looked over at Kassie, winked, then said, "You are welcome to come with us my dear.  Though I know you don't like dungeons, and what I'm about to do to Waldo in that dungeon, may upset your delicate constitution."

Kassie thought about it for a moment, then replied, "My constitution is hardly delicate, but I don't think I want to see what you are going to do to Waldo in the dungeon.  And does this mean there is going be another head on a stake?"

As Drake started dragging Waldo towards the winding staircase he grinned and replied, "Yes dear, that is exactly what it means."  Waldo didn't need a crystal ball or deck of tarot cards to know they were discussing his head being a put on a stake, and began to struggle wildly.  Drake reached up and cuffed the side of Waldo's aching head and as Waldo shrieked in pain said, "Stop struggling you little sleaze ball, or I'll drag you by your feet all the way down that staircase."

Kassie nodded at Waldo and said, "He means it Waldo.  I suggest you go quietly to your doom, unless you just want to be dragged down that staircase feet first."  Waldo decided damned if he was going quietly to his doom, reached into his other sleeve and pulled out a small wooden stake, then with a wild scream, drove it through Drake's heart.  Drake let out of a cry of mortal agony, and clutched his chest with his free hand.  Then he grinned, pulled the wooden stake out, and said to Waldo, "Silly rabbit, tricks like that are for kids.  But I know the perfect place to put this stake when we get down in the dungeon."  He slipped the stake into his shirt pocket, cuffed Waldo's head again, then shoved him to the floor.  He began whistling a cheerful tune as he picked up Waldo's feet and began dragging him down the winding staircase.  Kassie shook her head sadly as she heard the thump thump noise Waldo's head was making as they descended the winding staircase, and muttered, "He should have gone quietly to his doom."

After tapping the brick above the fireplace four times, and watching the doorway close, Kassie went back over to the couch and sat down on it.  She snapped her fingers once, then hit the speed dial button on the cell phone that appeared in her hand.  After a few seconds she said, "Well Boss, you can take Waldo's name off the most wanted list now."  She listened for a few seconds then replied, "Drake is taking him down to the dungeon even as we speak. And before you ask, I really don't think either of us wants to know what he going to do to him when he gets him to the dungeon.  File that under the 'There are some things best left unknown' category.  He did mention he knew the perfect place to put the stake Waldo drove through his heart."  Kassie listened again for a few seconds then replied, "Yes I meant Waldo drove it through Drake's heart.  No, Drake isn't the least bit injured."  Kassie paused for a few seconds, then said, "Yes, but in Drake's case there are certain rules that have to followed when preparing the stake for it to do any harm to him.  And to be perfectly honest, as powerful and Omnipotent as he's become, I'm not sure even if a person followed all the rules, it would do him any harm at this point."  Kassie listened again for a few minutes, then said, "I'll call or send you an email when Drake returns from the dungeon, but trust me, Waldo is no longer going to present a threat to anyone.  As to how we found him, well let's just say with a little help from an old friend of Drake's.  Now I have to get back to work on this story, I have a publisher breathing down my neck for it." After ending the call Kassie laid the cell phone on the coffee table, picked up her laptop, and went back to work on her story.

As Kassie went to work on her story, Drake was going to work on Waldo.  The vampyre was still whistling a cheerful tune as he began to slowly turn the crank of the rack Waldo was tied to.  Just before Waldo's bones began to pop from their sockets Drake stopped turning the crank, then looked down at Waldo and said, "Remember how you loved to cause your victims immeasurable pain Waldo?"  As Waldo tried to scream around the ball gag in his mouth Drake continued, "Well I can't say I really enjoy this, but before I pop your head on a stake, I do want you to feel the kind of immeasurable pain you caused your victims.  I want you to feel it physically, first.  Then I want you to feel it down to your very soul.  We'll get around to the deep down soul searing kind of pain, just before I pop your head on a stake.  And by the way Waldo, Katy has the powers of a true witch.  Just like her friend did, and just like Kassie does.  Kassie could have gently awakened those powers in Katy's friend, and taught her to use them.  And one day soon, she will awaken those powers in Katy and teach her how to use them.  Perhaps I shall turn your head on the stake it will be on, so that you can see it happen.  But right now Waldo, I want you to feel the same kind of pain that Katy's friend felt, and that you have caused so many others."

As Drake turned the cranks on the rack a couple of more notches, Waldo bit down on the ball in absolute agony.  Waldo could feel nothing but searing pain in every fiber of his being.  His mind was trying frantically to shut down and turn the pain off.  And as he lay there with the Dark Lord of the vampyres gazing down at him, he knew what his victims had felt when had caused them so much pain.  The cobalt blue eyes of the vampyre, were just as merciless as his own eyes had once been.  Though Drake's were not backlit by the same spark of perverse joy his had once been.  Then the vampyre said in a soft voice as cold as ice, "Do you remember Waldo, how you liked to watch for hours as your victims screamed in agony?  Well I do not care to hear your pathetic screams, but you will remain in this kind of utter agony, for the rest of eternity."  Then Drake stared hard into the windows of Waldo's soul.  Waldo felt a searing agony in his soul that caused him to nearly bite the ball gag in half.  As his mind and soul screamed in silent agony, Drake's soft voice said, "The last head I popped on a stake was one of my own kind, so I did not have to perform the distasteful ritual I am going to have to with you.  However, the bad taste you will leave in my mouth will be worth it, because I did promise your last victim I would avenge her painful death at your hands."

Drake leaned over Waldo's pain racked form, then with a grimace, sank his fangs into Waldo's throat.  The vampyre's face crinkled in disgust at what was running through his fangs, but he kept those fangs firmly sank in Waldo's throat.  When Waldo's heart stopped beating, he removed his fangs from his throat, then yanked the ball gag out of the his mouth.  Then the Dark Lord of the undead held up one of his own wrists, ran a nail along the vein in it, then held that bleeding wrist over Waldo's open mouth.  When Waldo's eyelids began to twitch Drake stopped the flow of blood.  He opened one of Waldo's eyes, gazed into it for a moment, then nodded to himself.  After closing Waldo's eye, he vanished from the dungeon.  Kassie was still working on her newest chapter when he reappeared in the living room by the fireplace.  Kassie paused her typing, looked up at him and asked, "Is it over?"

Drake shook his head once and said, "Well my beloved, it's never really going to be over now for Waldo.  But, I need to let him set for a bit before I complete the ritual."  Then he grinned and said, "While he is setting, I need to get rid of the bad taste he left in my mouth. And I know the perfect way to do that.  So be a dear, save what you are working on, and get your ass in bed."

Kassie grinned back at him, hit the save button, sat the laptop on the coffee table, then vanished.  Drake grinned as looked into the bedroom and saw her reappear sans clothes in their bed.  As he strode towards the bedroom he took his shirt off and tossed it on the floor.  When he reached the bed, he placed one hand on the bedpost and steadied himself while he reached down and pulled his right boot off.  Then he winked at Kassie, changed hands, and removed his other boot. Once he had removed his socks and pants, he joined Kassie in the bed. Kassie put her arms around him and went to kiss him, but Drake pulled back and shook his head, then said softly, "No my beloved witch, I do not want to kiss you until all traces of Waldo have been washed from my mouth."  

Kassie looked a bit taken aback and said, "Well go gargle with some mouthwash or something."

Drake laughed, then said with an evil grin, "No dear I have something better than mouthwash right here."  With that said, he slid down between Kassie's legs and plunged his tongue in her.  Her moan of pleasure as his tongue slid deep inside her was music to his ears.  And the sweet taste of her was just what he needed to wash the taste of Waldo from his mouth and soul.  He closed his eyes, and let her juices saturate his tongue.  Then moaned with pleasure himself as they flowed more freely and ran down his throat.  He had tasted those who were even worse than Waldo, but nothing tasted as sweet to him as his beloved witch.  His hands moved up her body, and when they reached her breasts he gently tweaked her nipples to make the juices flow even more freely.   He drank from her until the taste of Waldo was washed from his mouth, then moved up her body, and sank his fangs into her throat. After taking a small drink, he retracted his fangs, then kissed her soundly. As he rolled off her he said, "As much as I would like to plunge something else into you until you screamed with pleasure, I have a ritual to complete.  I'll be back to finish what I started with you, when Waldo head is on a stake." Then he vanished.

As Kassie was sitting up in the bed, Drake reappeared by the rack in the dungeon.  He studied Waldo carefully for a few moments, opening one of eyes and peering into again, and placing his hand on Waldo's forehead to feel how cool the skin was to the touch.  He was having to hurry this ritual along to be finished in time for the midnight tour, but was still satisfied the end result would be what he wanted.  Waldo's wig had fallen off as as Drake dragged him feet first down the staircase, but his Esmeralda mask was still in place.  Drake grabbed the edge of the latex mask and peeled it from Waldo's face.  Small pieces of padding he had used to fill out his cheeks and change the shape of his still clung to his skin.  Drake picked those off, snapped his fingers, and cleaned Waldo's face up with the wet washcloth that had appeared in his hand. Once his face was clean, Drake snapped his fingers again, and the washcloth vanished.  Then he gave Waldo a cheerful grin and said, "This next part is going to be messy, so we will move you to a special room I have for that."  Having said that, he reached down and pushed a small button under the rack.  A section of the floor containing the rack began to slowly descend.  The section of the floor came to rest in a small tiled room with a large drain in the center of the floor under the rack.  

With a  snap of his fingers, Drake produced a scalpel. He used the scalpel first to remove Waldo's eyelids, and was satisfied with the way his mouth clenched down on the ball gag as he cut them away.  After Waldo's eyelids were removed, he placed the scalpel on the table snapped his fingers again, and produced a pair pliers from thin air.  He laid those on the table, and with another snap of fingers produced a metal device to hold Waldo's mouth open.  He jerked the ball gag out, shoved the metal device in, and as Waldo began to scream, grabbed his tongue with the pliers with one hand, and used the scalpel with the other to remove Waldo's tongue.  Blood began to gush from Waldo's now silent mouth, and Drake once more ran a nail along his wrist and let his blood flow into and mix with the blood gushing from the base of what was left of Waldo's tongue. Within a few seconds the blood stopped flowing from that wound.  Once more he snapped his fingers, then used the towel that appeared in his hand to soak up some of the blood that had filled Waldo's mouth.  He tossed the bloody towel into the air when he was done, and it vanished with a snap of his fingers.  Then he reached into he shirt pocket and produced a small vial of green liquid.  He opened the vial, then poured the liquid into Waldo's mouth.  After he emptied the liquid from the vial into Waldo's mouth he removed the metal device keeping it open, snapped his fingers again, and began to sew Waldo's lips shut with the needle and thread that had appeared in his hand.

After he had Waldo's lip sewn shut Drake looked down at him and said, "Now for the really messy part.  This is where I remove your head, so I can pop it on a stake. Normally, if you cut off a vampyre's head, even it will die.  But, did you know cockroaches can live for weeks without a head?  Isn't that fascinating?  It took me many years of trial and error to perfect the technique I now use to make the heads of my enemies into guardians of my grounds.  You are neither vampyre or cockroach of course, but even after I remove your head from your body, your brain will live on for as long as I do.  Which will be for all eternity if I have any say in the matter.  Your perpetually open eyes will be among many others that watch over my castle.  I see everything they see, and hear everything they hear."  Drake reached under the rack and unsheathed a sword that rested in specially built bracket under it.  As he held it up he said, "This Waldo is the Balisarda Sword.  Crafted by the sorceress Falerina for Rogero, it will cut through even the most heavily enchanted substance.  Any sword would remove your head of course, but I have found that for some strange reason, this sword works best for finalizing this ritual.  We need your neck stretched just a wee bit more though before I make the final cut so to speak."  

Drake took his free hand and gave the crank on the rack another slight turn.  For a second he thought Waldo was going to bust a stitch trying to scream as the rack stretched his neck and bones.  He heard a couple of popping sounds as some bones separated from their sockets.  When he was satisfied Waldo's neck was stretched just right, he put both hands on the sword, and as he raised it chanted some words in a long forgotten language. Then as he began chanting more words, he brought the sword down in one lightning swift movement.  He had been careful of how he brought the sword down because he did not want to cleave completely through the rack, which the sword would have easily done.  He raised the sword back up, and as he watched the blood dripping from it, continued the ancient chant.  Once the chant was complete he let go of the sword with one hand, snapped his fingers, the carefully cleaned the sword off with the cloth that appeared in his hand.  Once the sword was clean the cloth vanished, and he replaced the sword in its sheath beneath the rack.  He unbuckled the strap that had been holding Waldo's head, grabbed the head by its hair, then vanished from the room.

After he finished popping Waldo's head on a stake Drake, he returned to the room below the dungeon to dispose of the rest of the body.  As he was burying Waldo's remains in a very deep hole in the dark woods surrounding his estate the rack and room were being thoroughly washed and rinsed by the high powered water jets installed in that room.  Once the wash and rinse cycle was finished high powered blowers came on to dry the rack.  When the blowers finished their job the section of the floor containing the rack rose and returned to the dungeon.  After disposing of Waldo's remains, Drake returned to his and Kassie's living quarters and sat back down next to her on the couch. Kassie finished the sentence she was writing, saved her work, closed the laptop, then looked over at Drake and asked.  "Is it finished?"

Drake nodded his head once, then grinned and said, "Why don't you give Doug another call and tell him Waldo is taken care of now."

Kassie raised one eyebrow, started to say something about his use of the term again, then decided it would be a moot point.  Instead, she reached over, picked up the cell phone and hit The Boss's speed dial button.  When he answered she said, "Drake is here with me now, and said to give you a call and let you know Waldo is taken care of."  After a brief pause she laughed and said, "I'll convey your thanks."  She turned her head towards Drake and said, "The Boss says to tell you he truly appreciates your help in this matter."

Drake grinned back at Kassie, took the phone from her hand and said, "Hello Doug.  I appreciate the sentiment, but since taking care of Waldo helps insure Kassie's safety, no thanks are necessary." Drake paused, then gave a dark chuckle and said, "I won't say taking care of Waldo was a pleasure, but it was a necessary evil.  Now if you will excuse me, Kassie and I need to get ready for our dinner guests."  Drake listened for a moment then chuckled and said, "Well yes, but I feed them really well first, and do them no harm at all."  Having said that, Drake hit the end call button, then handed the phone back to Kassie.  "We need to get ready for out dinner guests my dear.  A couple of them are big fans of yours that are really looking forward to having dinner with you."  Then he grinned and said, "I must say, having you here with me for these dinner parties is helping to increase the revenue this castle makes.  Not to mention your fans are some very tasty people."

Kassie shook her head ruefully as she leaned over and placed the laptop on the coffee table, then said, "Sometimes, I almost feel guilty for luring them into your lair."

As rose from the couch Drake simply chuckled and replied, "Why feel guilty?  Your fans love being lured to my lair because they long to be bitten by a real vampyre.  I'm simply giving them a nice tour of the castle, a really excellent dinner, and what they long for."

Kassie leaned over, kissed him softly, then said, "I know.  And since you do them no harm, I guess there is nothing to feel guilty about."  Then she turned and went into the bedroom to change into an appropriate dinner gown.  Drake watched her for a moment with a lecherous grin, then rose from the couch, and followed her into the bedroom.