Seventh Seal - Jacquelyn Faye Page 0,65

led us through the entrance to the store and straight to the office. It was definitely a setup.

The closer we got, the quicker my breaths came. By the time he knocked on the door, I was practically hyperventilating. Nervously, I sipped my coffee as I walked into the dimly lit room.

Jay was sitting at the desk. The door closed behind me and the lock clicked, echoing in the small room. "What's going on?"

Jimmy flipped the switch and Jason smiled. "Hey, Dot."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I took another sip of coffee, letting the liquid heat flow down my throat and warm the chill I felt creeping up my spine.

"Is that coffee?" Jason tilted his head.

"Uh. Yeah?"

"Gosh. I sure could use a sip of that. I am so sleepy."

An actor he wasn't. He sounded like he was reciting lines from a fifth-grade rendition of Romeo and Juliet. But he and Jimmy had gone through all that effort. "Would you care for a sip of my coffee?"

"I sure would. My back hurts, though, Dot. Do you think you could lean over the desk and hand it to me?"

I was trying so hard not to laugh. It was pathetic, yes. But it was also the cutest damn thing I had ever seen in my life. "Why sure, Jason. Let me lean over the desk and hand you this steaming cup of coffee." I pressed my legs against the desk and did just that, straining as I handed over the paper cup.

His fingers wrapped around it.

Jimmy canted, "Ceangail," behind me. His words melted the last bit of chill as the Scots Gaelic rolled off his tongue. It was one of the only spells I'd ever heard him cast. It was similar to the Irish I normally spoke, but the inflections and lilt were a tad bit different. Either way, I didn't care that the mahogany desk morphed, and two wooden circles reached out and bound my wrists to the surface, effectively trapping me. Jimmy's voice was still echoing in my ears and I shivered.

"What are you doing?" I mimicked Jason's superb acting with my plea of fear.

"We caught ourselves an evil witch, Jason. What do you think we should do with her?" Jimmy lightly slapped my butt.

"Gosh, Jimmy. I don't know. Aren't you supposed to stake witches?"

"No. That is vampires, Jason. But maybe we should try it and see if it works. Do you have any long hard pieces of wood we could use?"

The entire scene had turned into an 80's B movie of epic proportions. Even Jimmy had adopted horrible acting skills. I literally had to fight not to giggle. "No! Please, Mister Witchunters, don't impale me on your massive stakes!"

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jimmy put his hands on his hips as he started cackling dramatically. "We will! And you will like it. And be impaled. Upon our wood. We shall drive the evil from you, vile witch!" He stepped forward and lifted my skirt. "I think I shall let the young one teach you the errors of your ways first!"

He walked around the desk and stood beside Jason, who looked confused, horny, and horrified all at once. "Are you sure this is okay?" He whispered the question to Jimmy as he stood.

"Trust me," Jimmy whispered back.

"Famous last words from you. You don't work for her."

Jason looked at me imploringly. I winked to let him know I was totally okay with the situation. He breathed a sigh of relief and walked around the desk.

Jimmy took the seat he had just vacated and scooted a little closer, smiling at me cockily. "She's wearing too many clothes, young Jason. Why don't you divest this saucy trollop of her accoutrements?"

"Trollop? I thought you were a witch hunter, not a pirate?"

"I am Sir Van of Helsing, pirate witch hunter lord. And ye, the accused, shall not speak!" He leaned close to my face and whispered, "S?mhchair," his breath caressing my cheek before leaning back in the high-backed swivel chair.

The office became rather drafty as Jason lifted the hem of my dress off my waist and I heard the snick, snick of scissors.

I opened my mouth to protest, it was one of my favorite dresses after all, but no words escaped. Jimmy's spell had been one of silence and I silently growled in frustration.

Once the back had been bisected, he cut the straps from my shoulders and let the remnants flop to the desk around me. I was completely naked except for the little red pair