Part 10 (1/2)
I crossed the floor to look at her. She sat Indian style, like Ursula, naked, but for a charm around her neck, which I recognized as her witch's key. Her palms lay flat upon her knees, her posture impeccably straight, her long black hair off her shoulders, mimicking Ursula's, gathered and tied in the back, exposing her neck to the nervous flicker of candlelight at her feet.
She inhaled deeply, and my eyes took in her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Firm and faultless they were, still she had nothing over Ursula. Her skin, like her sister's, glistened in the highlights of her curves, mellowed like mocha in the shadows. Her belly, flat and tight, tapered in soft departure to a sweet retreat, clean, smooth and hairless.
”I thought for a minute....” I turned and gestured toward Ursula. ”I thought you were she and she”
”Forget it,” she said. ”I don't need you thinking with your p.e.n.i.s tonight.”
”What are you doing?”
”Meditating.”
”In the nude? I thought that came later.”
She rocked her head back and leveled her eyes at me the way she does when she does not want to explain, but knows she has to.
”Tony. Understand this. We all have it in us.”
”Have what?”
”The energy.”
”Energy?”
”Yes. Energy. It is the power of life and the fuel behind magick. It is in us all. The most potential is a mix of static and kinetic compressed in layers and stored in neuron capacitors throughout our bodies.”
”You mean like the static discharge you get when you rub your feet on carpet and touch a doork.n.o.b?”
”Something like that, but that's not all. It is just a small part of it. There is more to energy than the electrical equation. When we want to draw it out for a specific task, such as our coven ceremony, we must make sure we don't introduce unnecessary filters or obstacles. And since we emit energy through every inch of our bodies, it is imperative we perform this ceremony completely nude and void of external interferences. Do you understand?”
I gave her a half-a.s.s shrug. ”I guess so.”
”All right then. Have you eaten?”
”No, as a matter of fact, I thought I might”
”Good. You can eat when we're done.”
”Huh?”
”I need you focused, Tony. I cannot have you burping and farting and whatever else you do after eating. Now go shower.”
”I have to shower?”
”Tony.” She planted her hands on her hips like she does when she's standing. Only it looked funny now because she was sitting crossed-legged, buck-naked on the floor. ”Do you have to give me such grief?”
”No, I was just saying....”
”Please shower. Use the soap in the dish on the sink. It is all-natural. Wash in the hottest water you can stand. It will open your pours. Then rinse thoroughly in the coldest water you can stand to close them up again. You hear?”
”Yeah, I hear.” I started toward the bathroom.
”And no shampoo. No cream rinse, no deodorant, cologne, nothing. Don't even towel off. As soon as you finish showering, come straight out here. Okay?”
”All right, I will. Sheesh.”
I went into the bathroom and shut the door. Three yellow candles burned atop the vanity, but I found myself flipping the light switch out of habit just the same. The light did not come on. Lilith had thrown the main breaker in the bas.e.m.e.nt. She is a stickler for ambiance you know.
After getting the shower to just the right temperature, I stripped down and hopped into the tub with Lilith's all-natural soapthe stinky d.a.m.n thing. I don't know where she got it, but I sure hoped she would pitch it after the night's ceremony. It smelled like burnt rubber and peat moss. Worse yet, it lathered like old sea foam after a winter's stormfluffy but thin with bubbles rimmed in a brownish looking sludge. It made me glad I had not eaten after all.
I washed myself well, making a point to clean especially good behind the ears, back of the neck, etc., expecting Lilith might want to check my work later.
Once done, I set the shower valves to cold like Lilith said. I knew she would not ask me about it. She could hear me yelp, as the cold nearly stopped my heart and stole my breath away. I crawled out of the tub feeling like a frozen fish stick. Desperate, I reached for a towel and found that Lilith had surrept.i.tiously removed them while I was showering.
”Lilith!”
She opened the door and came in. ”You ready?”
I crossed my arms at my chest and began to s.h.i.+ver. ”I need a towel. I'm freezing.”
”Nonsense. You'll be fine. Come on. We have to get started.”
She hooked my elbow and led me out into the living room. I saw Ursula there, standing by the bookcase, her posture casual, uninhibited by her nudity. It struck me odd how reserved she is in daily life, her dress markedly conservative compared to Lilith's, her demeanor bashful. Yet her att.i.tude for all manner of witchcraft proved undeniably open-minded. I would stake half of Carlos' fortune and say that if it were not for the nature of what we were doing, Ursula would be mortified if I saw her without clothes.
I still had my arms folded to my chest, but I gave her a wave with fluttering fingers and smiled at her rea.s.suringly. ”You okay?” I asked.
She smiled back. ”Aye.” She pointed curiously. ”Art thou injured?”
”What?”
Lilith leaned into me and whispered. ”I think she's talking about your frightened turtle.”
”My what?”
She stepped back and looked down at my obviously very cold appendage. ”Little Tony?”
”Oh, G.o.d. Please, what the h.e.l.l. I just took a freezing cold shower. Lilith, tell her.”
”Forget it,” she said. ”She's marrying Spinelli. She'll figure it out. Come on. Let's get started.” She picked up a carafe-sized bottle of yellowish liquid and handed it to Ursula. ”You do me,” she said.
”Aye, 'tis with pleasure, sister.”
”Wait,” I said. ”What is that?”
”Olive oil,” Lilith answered. ”It's part of the cleansing ceremony.”
”Is she going to drink it?”
Both laughed at that. ”No, silly. The anointment process is part of the cleansing ceremony. She's going to dress me in it.”
”Dress you?”