Free Blood of the Sorceress by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page A

his eyes, laid his head back and ignored Sid’s attempts to draw him into humor. “I’ll try to explain, though I’m not entirely sure myself what’s making me feel this way. But...take last night for example. Everyone was raving about those steaks that Gus grilled for us.”
    “They really were amazing, God protect my heart from my love of red meat.” Sid crossed himself, then looked at Demetrius again and tipped his head to one side. “You didn’t like them?”
    “I didn’t see what there was to like. They tasted just like everything else. No better, no worse. As far as I can see, the only real variations in food are the differences in texture. Some is mushy, some is chewy, some is crisp, some is crumbly. But it all tastes the same. Some is a little bit sweet, some a little salty, but that’s about it.” He looked at Sid, saw the absolute disbelief in his eyes, the way his mouth gaped open. “Isn’t it?”
    Sid snapped his jaw shut. “No, boss. It isn’t.”
    Demetrius sat up, put his feet down on either side of the chaise and rubbed his chin. “And what about the sex?”
    Sid coughed, reached for Demetrius’s glass and helped himself to a sip of soda liberally spiked with vodka. He made a face. “Gawd, that’s strong. How many of these have you had?”
    “Six. And I feel nothing. No different. I’ve seen the way others react to large quantities of alcohol, but not me. I have a feeling this is all connected. So tell me about the sex, Sid. And be honest. What does it...what does it feel like?”
    Sid set the glass down, his face going completely serious. “Haven’t you had sex, boss?”
    “Numerous times. I should have asked, what is it supposed to feel like?”
    “Amazing. Incredible. Like nothing else can feel, so there’s nothing to compare it to. It’s like...” Sid searched his mind for a comparison, then snapped his fingers when he got one. “It’s like an earthquake in your crotch. A really good earthquake. Isn’t it like that for you?”
    “No earthquake. More like a bump, like hitting a pot hole in the limo.”
    “Oh.”
    “I wanted a life of sheer pleasure,” Demetrius said, thinking aloud. “But I’m beginning to think there’s a price to be paid for the gifts I’ve already received. I think I might be incapable of experiencing the pleasure all around me. It’s as if the curse lives on.”
    “The curse?” Sid got up. “Come on, Mr. D. There’s no curse.”
    “I know perfectly well Gus told you about me. Where I come from.”
    Sid was silent for a long moment, which never happened. Then at last he admitted, “He told me where you said you come from.”
    “I was imprisoned in a dimension of darkness and sensory deprivation. By whom, or for what crime, I have no idea. I had no form, no shape, no physicality. Only consciousness, endless consciousness. And the knowledge that one day I would escape—”
    “With the help of three witches,” Sid whispered.
    Demetrius nodded.
    “Frankly, sir, I thought Gus was a little crazy. Harmless crazy, but still, completely nuts, you know?” Sid drew a circle around one ear with a forefinger. “If you believe it, too, though—well, that scares me.”
    Demetrius searched Sid’s face. “Why would my insanity be any more frightening than Gus’s?”
    “’Cause you’re not Gus.” Sid shrugged and averted his eyes.
    Demetrius heaved a deep sigh and got to his feet, noticing that Sid took a step closer to the French doors that led back inside the mansion. “What was it you came to tell me?”
    “Oh. Right. Well, there’s a man who keeps calling. A priest.”
    Demetrius felt a frisson of fury race up his spine, and the thought that accompanied it was, I detest priests. But he didn’t know why he should feel that way. “What does he want?”
    “He refuses to tell me. Says he can only talk to you, but that he has information you need.” Sid shrugged. “I figure he’s going to try to save your soul and change your sinful