CHAPTER#48

"I used some dried tea leaves for their caffeine. I thought that would act as a fairly good stimulant. Black salt from a volcano, hard stuff to come by, but I have plenty. A couple other minor additives, and then your semen from yesterday."

Mike felt his throat tighten. "My... my semen? You made me drink my semen?" He fought the urge to gag.

"You should know by now that semen is more than just cells and fluid. Human semen contains a bit of your life force, which is easily replenished. Your semen, however, is dramatically stronger than that of an ordinary human. Since you are feeling drained by the doll, I figured why not use your own life force to bolster your spiritual energy?" Zel beamed. "And it looks like it's working!"

"Ugh." Mike stared at his shoes. He guessed there was no helping it now. "Well, thanks. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Zel said. "You can repay me later by helping me replenish my stock." She winked at him. "Oh, and don't forget these!" She handed him a few of her special granola bars. "Eat them if you start feeling hungry!"

"Yeah. Thanks." He pocketed the bars, promising himself that he would hold off unless absolutely necessary. Walking back outside, he saw that Jenny now stood on the fountain's edge, face turned up toward Naia. He couldn't hear what Naia was telling her, but the doll kept nodding emphatically in agreement.

"Hey. You look better." Naia threw a sly grin at him.

"Yeah. Zel made me a potion." Mike's lips tightened at the memory. "I don't feel nearly as depleted."

"I feel the same way when I drink it too." Naia licked her lips mischievously.

"You knew about this?"

"Zel and I sat up for a while talking about all sorts of things." Naia winked at him. "You know us girls. Pillow fights, freezing each other's bras, talking about boys."

"Prank calling the neighbors, showing people your tits on the internet, ordering pizzas for people you don't like. And apparently discussing the restorative properties of my spunk."

"We were just comparing notes." Naia gave him a mock pout. "I mean, if you're going to bring strange girls home, we're gonna talk about your junk."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I suppose that's fair." He looked down at Jenny. She stood patiently on the edge of the fountain. If he didn't know any better, he would think a child had left her there. "You're not talking about my junk with Jenny, are you?"

"That's actually a sore subject," Naia whispered. "The whole 'not having a body' issue."

"Oh." That made sense. Jenny had been a young woman when she had been accused of adultery then burned at the stake for being a witch some centuries ago. "I'll tone it down a bit."

"You're so considerate." Naia kissed his cheek. "So what next?"

"We wait for Beth to get here. I'm not entirely certain how I'm going to break it to her, but I'm afraid we're going to need to borrow her body. Jenny said that she's been through the Labyrinth, and it would be easier to guide me while inside a body. I suggested using mine, but then I would be in the doll, and not much use. That, and apparently she can't use mine."

"That would be the soul exchange," Naia whispered. "Anyone who tries to boot you out ends up going against that chunk of my soul."

"Like in the Dreamscape," Mike said, remembering how he had found Naia hidden inside his own psyche.

"Exactly," Naia said. "It's your secret weapon."

"I'll have to remember that." Mike crossed to the other side of the fountain. "Well, I guess I'd better get ready. I'm not sure when Beth is getting here, but she said she was coming early."

"Good luck." Naia waved at Mike, and he walked back inside. He grabbed the dagger from where he had hidden it, then sat on the couch with Jenny. The doll sat with him, kicking its legs on the edge of the cushion. Mike watched the doll, wary of any sudden changes in behavior. Their talk had been relatively brief, Jenny communicating through pictures in his mind more than anything else. While it was clear that she hadn't yet forgiven him for giving her away, it sounded like she was just as ready to give him a second chance.

Mike slid the dagger out of the sheath, inspecting it for the first time. He expected a magic dagger capable of cutting through most anything to be lots of things, but boring wasn't one of them. The dagger had a small groove in the middle, the hilt a simple T shape. The handle had been wrapped in leather that looked old. He wondered if it would glow in his hands if orcs came near. Or was it trolls? He was having trouble keeping his thoughts straight. He swung it experimentally. Could he actually use it on a living creature?

The doorbell rang, the sound echoing through the house. Taking a deep breath, Mike looked out the window. He couldn't see who was at the door, but he could see that the woman in white was missing from his front yard. Shit.

"Please be Beth, please be Beth," he whispered under his breath. Mike answered the door, the dagger clenched tightly behind his back. Beth stood on the porch, a bag over one shoulder and a handful of files in the other. There was no sign of the woman in white, but Mike felt the cold feeling in his gut intensify. Leaning out the door, he looked all around, wondering where she could have gone. Cecilia appeared briefly by her swing, shrugging. She had no idea either.

"Come in, quickly." He pulled Beth inside by her wrist, shutting the door behind her. Letting out a deep breath, he rubbed his face, pondering. "Did you happen to see anybody else out front?"

"No. Should I have?" The question didn't seem to faze Beth at all, which meant she must be telling the truth. It suddenly occurred to Mike that the snake woman out front could just as easily cast a spell to blend in, or even become invisible. Rubbing his face with the palms of his hand, he sighed. The anxious feeling in his gut was still there, and he was convinced that if he looked at one of the windows, he would see the witch staring back in. His mind filled with visions of the front yard, teeming in snakes. It had never actually occurred to him that inviting Beth over meant putting her life in danger.