Chapter 15

Starsky hovered between sleep and wakefulness. He dimly remembered seeing Hutch on the cot opposite his own bed and he also thought he remembered the woman bending over his partner and seeing to Hutch's wounds. The memories were distant though, as though seen in a movie through soft focus lenses. The feelings in his body took all his concentration and now that he knew Hutch was once more with him, Starsky's will gave out and he surrendered to the voices in his head and the world behind his closed eyes. Even the quiet sounds of domesticity in the cabin receded until they were background noise as a raven haired, black beauty came into the room and crouched like a panther by the side of his cot.

The girl was black. As black as a moonless night, with skin that felt like the finest velvet. Her short, dark hair clustered in curls around her temples and framed a face with high cheek bones and sultry eyes. Her neck was long and elegant and as he looked further down, Starsky realised that she wore little else other than a tiny white halter neck top and a miniscule white skirt. Her body was toned, muscles showing across the plain of her flat stomach and in her belly button, a small white jewel seemed to be embedded, as if by magic. The jewel drew Starsky's attention and he longed to lick down the length of her body and worry the jewel from its resting place.

All thoughts of Hutch disappeared. The blond was being looked after, right? There was nothing that Starsky could do to help and besides his own body felt sore and heavy and in need of a little T.L.C. The girl leaned down close to his ear and blew gently, raising the hairs across Starsky's body. He let out a shaky sigh and the girl smiled down at him. Slowly, she stood, towering over the low cot as she unzipped the side of her skirt and let it fall to the ground. Her legs were long, slim and Starsky's eyes were drawn to the triangle of neatly trimmed black fuzz between her legs. The girl's eyes never left the handsome brunet as she pulled at the hem of her top and lifted it over her head to reveal small breasts with deep mocha areoles. Without moving her gaze, the woman cupped each, running her own fingers over the nipples until they hardened. Throwing her head back, she nipped at her nipples, playing with them, flicking her thumb over them until she moaned with pleasure and looked down at the brunet on the cot.

'Do you want to play?' she asked huskily.

In answer Starsky reached out his hands to her and she knelt by the side of his bed and softly kissed him on the lips.

Michelle watched the brunet on the bed. His thrashing had slowed somewhat and now he seemed to be resting, although he seemed preoccupied, reaching for an unseen person and moaning low in his throat. That was not the reaction she expected from her teas. Some other power was at work now and the woman closed her eyes, concentrating on the man on the bed. The cabin seemed to recede at Michelle concentrated hard and at first there was silence. She held onto the corner of the table to ground herself as her senses quested outwards, searching, feeling and finding nothing. But then, very far off, Michelle heard a woman's voice. It was seductive, husky and low and seemed to be coming from the bed Starsky occupied. The voice grew louder and Michelle opened her eyes not knowing what she would see. The voice was still there, but there was no other person in the room that she could see. As she watched though, she saw the curly haired cop reach up to an unseen figure. Just like that, Michelle realised what was happening and knew she needed to do something quickly.

From her small store cupboard at the back of the cabin Michelle retrieved a small jar of green powder. It was old and dusty and the cork was dry as a bone. There was no writing on the label but there was a symbol of some sort, faded almost to extinction. She uncorked the jar and placed a spoonful of the powder into a cup to which she added hot water and some honey. The next ingredient would be difficult for her to obtain but as Starsky's body was becoming more aroused, Michelle forced herself on, knowing she needed to act fast. She took a knife from a velvet pouch on the table and muttered some hasty words over the blade. Michelle knelt by the Starsky's side and caught his hand in hers. Carefully, she nicked a small vein in the brunet's wrist and collected a couple of drops of his blood on her knife blade. This she mixed with the tea she had brewed and as Starsky thrust his hips upwards on the bed, moaning softly, Michelle drank down the tea, put the cup to one side and closed her eyes, concentrating on the man in the bed.

The potion took effect quickly and as Michelle stood, she saw the bed through different eyes as though a gauze curtain had been stripped away and she could see clearly. Starsky's eyes were open and he was gazing at a tall, naked, beautiful black girl who was kneeling over the brunet like a panther would crouch over a kill. Michelle recognised her immediately.

'Ebony?'

The black woman looked up and snarled. 'He's mine. Hands off.' As though to reinforce her point, Ebony leaned down and claimed Starsky's eager mouth in a hungry kiss, her body rubbing against the brunets as his hips rose up to meet her.

Starsky reacted to the black woman like never before. He'd never met anyone so sensual, so seductive. For her, his body had hardened almost immediately. Now the brunet felt the delightful pressure and almost-pain in his groin and he longed to sink himself into her body. As she kissed him again, hard, all logic as to who she was and where she'd come from floated out of the window and Starsky didn't even question when Michelle suddenly seemed to appear by his bedside. He reached for her even as Ebony kissed him again.

Michelle sank to her knees by the side of the bed with a sigh. So this was how it was to be. No demons, no hexes or spells, just plain old fashioned sex, the subtlest warfare of all. Joining the battle, Michelle delicately licked a trail across Starsky's inner wrist and up to the fine skin at the crease of his elbow. In response he shivered and sighed.

The added sensations bowed Starsky's spine. He had been content... no, scrap that, he'd been deliriously happy when the black woman had showed up. She had the ability to take his mind away from the horrors he'd experienced earlier and from the pains in his body and he'd given himself up to her without a fight. Now, to have Michelle here too was almost more than he could handle. It was every red blooded guy's dream to be seduced by two women at once and he'd dreamed about it before, but now it was coming true and Starsky gladly gave himself up to the sensations running through his overheated body.

Ebony had given up her attention to Starsky's lips and was working her way lower now, whilst Michelle was working at his neck and chest, her delicate mouth worrying gently at his nipple even as Ebony's hand closed around his centre. Starsky groaned and his hands clawed at the bed clothes as he thrust his hips up to meet the black woman's hand, willing her to take him over the edge because his body had reached that place where he was in the throes of so much pleasure that it was almost painful.

'Ohhh yeah' he groaned, burying the side of his face in the pillow. 'Yeah.'

Michelle looked up as Ebony pumped her hand slowly down Starsky's length. The black woman was winning and once she'd conquered Starsky's body, his mind would follow quickly. No one man could survive Ebony's love making and be satisfied with another woman. Michelle had seen men go to their deaths willingly rather than be without her touch for one more night.

Michelle leaned close to Starsky's ear and blew gently. She nibbled at his ear lobe whilst with her other hand she roamed over the brunet's chest, scratching softly at the coarse hairs there. Gently, she held his face and kissed him full on the lips.

'Don't give in' she whispered urgently. 'Fight this, but don't give in.'

In reply, Ebony leaned down and took Starsky's shaft in her mouth, lowering herself slowly until his entire length was embedded. The brunet bucked on the bed, the feeling of being swallowed so erotic that his head felt ready to explode with pleasure. The centre of his body was on fire and he wanted to quench it inside the black woman's body. He longed for release and yet he wanted this moment to last forever. The women had taken him to a place he'd never experienced before and Starsky wanted it to last for an eternity. He embraced the pain/pleasure and let out a low growl and in response Ebony licked at him, flicking her tongue over his sensitive tip.

Michelle watched the battle she was losing. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

'Don't give in' she whispered again. 'Fight. Fight and keep on fighting this, do you hear me?'

Starsky's eyes half opened, but his gaze was glazed on an overdose of sex and he could do nothing other than groan again as Ebony continued her efforts. The black woman stopped just long enough to glare at Michelle.

'I told you he was mine. Did you think you could take him from me so easily?'

In response, Michelle kneeled up by the side of the cot. Other than pushing Ebony out of the way and taking her place, there was little else she could do to help Starsky unless...

Looking straight at Ebony, Michelle reached out her right hand, palm outwards and summoned all her power from deep within her core. She imagined Ebony inside a clear bubble from which the woman could not escape and softly she began to chant.

'Leave him alone and let him be, powers of goodness come to me.

Protect this man and all around. Powers of goodness now abound.

By all up high, the worlds and wise, by oceans wide and deep blue skies

By day and night, and powers three this is my will, so might it be!'

There was a crackle of electricity in the air over the bed and Ebony was flung back from her ministrations. The black woman screamed in fury as she struggled to get back to Starsky's side, but Michelle was still chanting, her face serene and her hand still outstretched, bespelling the black woman to retreat. On the bed, Starsky's body sagged back against the mattress but he still groaned, still thrust his hips up towards the hand that was no longer there.

'No...don't stop...need...oh gods I need to...'

Ebony laughed a mirthless laugh. 'He still needs me. He still craves my touch. Your spell may keep me away, but it's me he wants and he'll sink down into madness until he gets what he needs.'

Michelle let down her hand. In truth she knew that Ebony was right, unless she could break the black spell right now. She had vowed that she would not violate her patient. That wasn't in her nature and yet Starsky was panting heavily, his centre swollen and turgid as he clawed at the sheets and thrashed his head on the pillow.

'Don't go...don't stop...shit...noooo.'

In desperation and ignoring Ebony's words, Michelle did the only thing she could still think to do. She reached out and grasped Starsky's manhood in her left hand. The skin felt soft as satin, the flesh hard as polished marble beneath her hand and as she grasped him, Starsky let out a groan of pain/pleasure. The brunet was so close to climax that it took no more than a couple of strokes of her hand before Starsky's body exploded and he spilled himself onto the bed with a scream of satisfaction. His cock twitched as tremors ran up his spine and then there was blessed relief and he sank back onto the bed, satiated.

From the side, Ebony shrieked her anger and as Michelle carefully covered Starsky's body with a sheet, the brunet opened his eyes and smiled.

'That was... t'riffic' he whispered quietly.

Michelle smiled at him. 'Rest' she said softly. 'Rest and sleep.'

He nodded tiredly. 'Where's...'

In a flash Ebony was at his side, caressing her hand down the side of his face. Starsky smiled up at her as she leaned in close.

'Did you think you could escape me so easily Mon Cher?'

Starsky's eyes opened wide, Ebony's voice somehow altering as she spoke. Now, before his eyes, the woman's features seemed to melt like hot wax and reform before him so that he was looking up into the blacker than black eyes of Papa Noir. The witch doctor grinned evilly.

'I have tasted your body Mon Cher. I will have you again.'

Starsky backed up the bed in horror, his mouth open but his voice somehow paralysed. By his side, Michelle raised her hand again.

'Be gone' she commanded. 'Be gone and don't return.'

'I will always be with him' Papa spat. In the wink of an eye, the witch doctor disappeared leaving nothing but a maniacal laugh to fade behind him. Starsky stared shakily at the place where the witch doctor had been.

'It was him...all along?'

'He's lured many lovers that way, but I've cast a protection spell that should be difficult for him to break for the moment. Rest. You need rest and sleep. Here, drink this.' Michelle held out a cup of herbal tea.

'I don't want it. I... Oh fuck, that was him all along and...' the brunet's pulse raced as he recalled the pleasure he'd felt at Ebony/Papa's touch.

Michelle felt for the man. She'd seen Papa Noir's work before and she knew how Starsky must be feeling right now. He wouldn't...couldn't rest unless...

'Storms within and storms without
Storms above and storms below,
In your centre only stillness
Its my will, and it is so.'

The spell for sleep acted quickly. Michelle cradled Starsky's head as he fought not to close his eyes, but the magic was powerful and the brunet was still weak from his injuries and his time with Ebony. Slowly, his protestations ceased and his thick black lashes closed over the troubled, horror filled indigo pools and sleep claimed him whilst Michelle held him close and wondered how she was going to save these two men.