The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

A Spell of Trouble

Part 2 — A String of Deadly Colors

Evelyn sauntered through the “Staff only” door as if she were the owner of the whole town, not just the neon lit comedy club which she had been requested to crash that evening. The sad truth was that disappearances such as the ones she was investigating happened all too often, and there was usually no trail to follow. That was why she couldn’t waste any time here. That was why she couldn’t fail.

She found herself in an empty service corridor with a row of closed doors. The bustle of the club behind her made listening for voices beyond each door tricky, but the issue became moot when she felt more magic being used behind the third door to the right.

Never one for politeness, Evelyn barged through the door and quickly took in the room. The Marvelous Harold was holding the pendant up before the eyes of his assistant and had been in the middle of saying something, but he snapped around in surprise at the intruder.

Evelyn didn’t miss a beat. With a swift gesture of her slender fingers, the pendent flew out of Harold’s grip and landed in the corner of the cramped dressing room. The assistant also snapped out of her reverie and screamed as she scrambled to hide behind a dresser.

Harold had a long pale face partially obscured behind a curled ginger mustache. His blue eyes quickly recovered from the surprise and instead adopted a hostile glare. With a flick of both hands, he suddenly held six small throwing knives between his fingers.

‘Good,’ thought Evelyn. ‘Wouldn’t want it to be too easy now.’ She made blinding sparks erupt from her own hands and rolled into the room, knives flying through the air after her, though poorly aimed as the magician had been dazzled. Heart pumping, Evelyn sent a wave of force around the room at ankle height, causing half the furniture to rock loudly and taking the legs out from under the Marvelous Harold. She scrambled to her feet to face him, but he was already stretching a hand towards her.

Out of his tuxedo sleeve flew an endless length of handkerchief of all colors. It flew through the air and started wrapping around her quicker than she could avoid it. After a couple of moments, she realized it was about to tightly constrict her and bind all her limbs in place. Moments before they tightened all around her she closed her eyes and angrily exhaled. Flames burst out from her in all directions, toasting the handkerchief to a crisp and scorching the carpet in the process. Licks of flames littered the floor, so Evelyn quickly waved her arms in a wide arc and the entire room plummeted in temperature to well below freezing.

Both the magician and the assistant clenched up with the sudden cold as the flames choked to death, their fuel freezing beneath them.

The magician growled in frustration and grabbed a black and white trick wand from a nearby dresser. Evelyn doubted it would do anything harmful, but as a precaution she cast a protective shield around her.

The Marvelous Harold thrust the wand towards Evelyn threateningly and Evelyn tensed, bracing herself. When the wand drooped like a wet fish, she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or smack her hand on her forehead. It was only when she heard the creak behind her that she realized that the wand was the distraction, and something painful was about to happen. She reinforced her protective charm to defend against physical force just in time.

The large wardrobe crashed on top of her and pinned her to the ground, and she grunted in pain even though her spell had taken the lion’s share of the force. Harold was a surprisingly difficult opponent, she had expected him to run out of tricks by now. Even off the stage he was all about misdirection and trickery. Evelyn suddenly decided that she needed to switch tracks if she was going to catch him off guard.

Pretending to be knocked out, she prepared a spell to paralyze the magician, but it needed him to step close enough to her so she could touch him. It was a risk, but as she heard him exhale with relief, she felt her confidence grow.

She kept her eyes closed. Although tempted to reach out carefully with her magic to detect when he was close enough, she knew that could easily give her away. Her other senses would have to do. The floor cracked as he took a nervous step closer. ‘Not yet,’ thought Evelyn. ‘Almost, almost…’

“Is she…?” The assistant gasped through her panicked breaths.

“I don’t know,” Harold replied sharply. “Somebody probably heard—“

Before he could take another step, the door burst open once more.

“Evelyn!” Amber shrieked in dismay.

“Shit, another one!” Harold cursed. He raised his floppy wand, but it shattered in his hand.

Amber was almost as surprised as Harold was. She hadn’t cast a spell so much as willed the wand to disintegrate. Not wanting to lose her momentum though, she took an aggressive step forward and screamed “I’ll kill you!” into Harold’s now terrified face.

The knives that were embedded in the furniture and walls dislodged themselves noisily and hurled towards Harold, who squealed and ducked just in time to avoid them. An improbably massive amount of cards sprang out of his sleeves, bursting into the air and obscuring most of the room.

With a furious snarl, Amber unleashed flames from her hands and the cards erupted into a smoky inferno.

The disintegrating cards landed everywhere, quickly spreading the fire, and in the smoky confusion, Amber couldn’t see a thing as she rushed to Evelyn’s aid.

“I’m fine!” Evelyn snapped. “I almost had him!”

“I’m sorry!” Amber squeaked. “I thought he’d killed you.”

As Amber struggled to lift the heavy wardrobe, Evelyn coughed as smoked snaked around the floor. “Amber! Watch out!”

Harold had produced more of the colorful tied string of handkerchiefs, and with Amber distracted, had positioned himself behind her. He whipped the handkerchief over her head and pulled it tight around her neck, an angry grimace on his face. Amber’s shriek of shock was cut short by the sudden constriction of her airway, and she desperately clawed at her neck to try and relieve the pressure that was terrifyingly choking the life out of her. She frantically tried to think of a spell that she could use in that situation, but panic was clouding her mind, and the sudden lack of air was already making her vision spotty.

Evelyn growled in frustration as the wardrobe kept her pinned. Quickly realizing that Amber would need her help, she took a deep, calming breath, and started to channel her magic.

As Amber’s vision began to blur and her lungs screamed for air, the room seemed to spin. She felt her knees buckle, the fight draining out of her as darkness crept into the edges of her sight. Her hands, once fiercely battling the constricting handkerchief, now fell limply by her side. With one last desperate gasp, Amber’s world went black, her consciousness slipping away.

Evelyn, meanwhile, had been rapidly addressing her own situation. With magic pulsing through her muscles, increasing her strength three fold, she heaved the wardrobe and herself off the floor.

Her body moving with a power and urgency that belied her earlier feigned unconsciousness. She squared her shoulders, and the wardrobe was thrown violently into the wall behind her, splintering with an almighty crack that shook the room. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of burning fabric, but Evelyn’s focus was razor-sharp. Her apprentice was in danger.

She lunged at Harold, her hand shooting out like a striking serpent. Her fingers grasped the handkerchief and yanked it free from around Amber’s neck. Harold, caught off guard by Evelyn’s sudden strength, stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear.

“Stand down, so we can talk!” Evelyn insisted.

“Never!” Harold shook his head frantically.

Even realizing his position was precarious, Harold wasn’t quite ready to concede defeat. His eyes, wild with a mix of fear and defiance, darted around the room, calculating his next move. He knew he couldn’t overpower Evelyn with magic alone — she was clearly his superior in that realm. But perhaps, he thought, he could outmaneuver her with a trick he had up his sleeve.

With a swift movement that spoke of desperation more than confidence, Harold reached into the folds of his tattered tuxedo and produced a slender, gleaming dagger. The blade caught the dim light of the room, casting eerie shadows on his determined face. Evelyn’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the shift in his strategy. He wasn’t pulling any punches, so neither should she.

Harold’s arm tensed, and with a grunt of effort, he hurled the dagger directly at the prone figure of Amber.

Evelyn’s heart leaped into her throat. Time seemed to slow as she launched herself towards Amber, her instincts and years of training taking over.

With a grace and speed that belied the urgency of the situation, Evelyn summoned a barrier of force just in time. The dagger clinked angrily against it, spinning away to embed itself in the floor with a metallic thud. Amber remained unharmed, blissfully unaware of the danger that had just passed over her.

But the distraction had served its purpose. Harold seized the moment to dart towards the door. His footsteps were quick and light, the fear of capture lending him a speed he didn’t know he possessed. He glanced back once, his eyes locking with Evelyn’s fierce gaze, and then he was gone, slipping into the smoke-filled corridor like a shadow fleeing the light.

Evelyn didn’t give chase. Her priority was the safety of her apprentice and the bewildered assistant. “Coward,” she muttered under her breath before turning back to the room. “Oh, hells.” She groaned as she observed the chaotic mess of charred furniture and smoldering debris.

With a deep, steadying breath, Evelyn raised her hands, her fingers weaving through the air in a complex pattern. She whispered an incantation, her voice steady and clear despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

A gentle, purifying breeze began to fill the room, emanating from the very center of the chaos. It swept through the space, extinguishing the flames with a hiss and a sputter. The smoke started to dissipate, revealing the scorched remains of what had been the magician’s dressing room.

Once the immediate danger was over, Evelyn turned her attention to Amber and Harold’s assistant. She checked Amber’s pulse, relieved to find it both strong and steady. The assistant was still conscious and slowly calming down after being huddled on the corner, her eyes blinking with confusion and fear. Evelyn offered her a reassuring smile, though her mind was still racing, readying a spell in case Harold’s retreat was another trick.

A glint of light caught Evelyn’s eye, and she followed it to find the source in the corner of the room. It was the pendant Harold had been using on stage. Evelyn picked it up carefully by the chain, and could feel a subtle current of magic pulsing softly from it, making her skin and mind tingle. Harold had been using it on his assistant just before Evelyn had burst in, so it was very likely a tool of manipulation he had been using on the victims of the disappearances. Fire flickered in her free hand as she prepared a spell to incinerate the dangerous item, but a sound of protest stopped her.

“Don’t destroy it!”

Evelyn turned to see Harold’s assistant picking herself up in the corner of the charred room. She was a petite yet striking figure, even amidst the chaos, her delicate features accentuated by the dim light filtering through the dissipating smoke. Her long black hair, sleek and shimmering, cascaded down her back, gently swaying as she stepped forward nervously. Her eyes, dark and wide with an earnest plea, were fixed on Evelyn and the pendant in her hand.

She was clad in a sparkling silver leotard that hugged her slender body, each movement causing the tiny sequins to dance and reflect the light in a myriad of tiny stars. Despite the distress of the situation, there was a certain grace and poise about her, a quiet strength that belied her diminutive stature.

“Why the hell not?” Evelyn said as her eyes drank in the assistant’s slender form. She assured herself that she was checking for hidden weapons, not admiring the sexy skintight outfit clinging to flawless olive skin.

The assistant’s lips parted slightly, her voice a soft yet insistent whisper. “Because you can use it to catch him.” Her hands reached out tentatively, not to take the pendant but to emphasize her plea. Her expression was a complex tapestry of fear, hope, and desperation, clearly indicating that the pendant held more significance to her than just a tool of manipulation.

Evelyn, taken aback by the unexpected intervention, hesitated. She looked at her, trying to read the truth in her eyes. The air in the room seemed to grow heavy with unspoken words and secrets, as Evelyn weighed the decision in her hands.

But suddenly she heard a growing commotion coming from the front of the comedy club. It was only a matter of time before the staff discovered the little altercation that she had, kinda, well, started.

“My name is Keiko.” The assistant said urgently. “You can trust me, but we need to get away from here!”

Making her decision quickly, Evelyn gripped the pendant tightly and let the flame flicker out of her other hand. She then pocketed the gem and ran to Amber’s side. “Help me get her up and I’ll mask us all so we can slip out.”

Covered by an aura of concealment, Evelyn, Keiko, and the still dazed Amber made their way through the dimly lit corridors. The chaotic sounds of the club receded as they found a less conspicuous fire exit, a red sign glowing like a beacon in the murky backstage.

Pushing the door open, they were greeted by the quiet of a narrow alley, the raucous energy of the club replaced by the distant hum of the city. Amber leaned heavily against Evelyn, her steps unsteady but gaining strength with each passing moment.

Keiko glanced around nervously, her eyes reflecting the flickering lights of the city. “We should move quickly,” she whispered, echoing Evelyn’s thoughts. “I don’t know if he’ll try to attack you again, but I know he doesn’t want to let me escape his control.”

A few blocks away from the club, they emerged onto a busier street, blending into the sparse late-night crowd. The concealment spell was still in place, a subtle shimmer in the air around them. Tweaking her spell slightly, Evelyn flagged down a passing cab with a practiced air, ensuring their masked presence remained undetected to everyone but the driver.

The cab driver, oblivious to the night’s dramatic events, drove them towards the outskirts of the city. The bright lights and towering buildings gave way to quieter, more residential areas. Amber’s consciousness was fully returning now, her eyes clearing as she looked between Evelyn and Keiko before bowing her head in intense guilt.

Evelyn broke the silence as the city lights faded into the distance. “We have a safe house not far from here. We’ll be able to recover, talk, and figure things out there.” Her voice was calm, but the undercurrent of urgency was unmistakable.

On the other side of the passenger seat, Amber sat silently drowning in shame. Her first mission for the coven… Her mentor in danger… Her moment to prove herself… And she had failed miserably.

As the cab trundled through a sleepy suburbia, the three women in the back sat in tense silence. They would be at the safe house soon, and then they could figure out how to track down Harold and save his latest round of victims before it was too late.