Angelique's Revenge Part 17

Date: 2/17/98
From: AngeliqueBouchard

Angelique and Nicholas sat in a dim room, only lit by a fireplace and black candles spread throughout the house. Nicholas smiled, gloating to himself over the eventful night some 20 years ago. He thought for a moment about Angelique's question, had he possessed Paul Stoddard or merely cast a spell to appear as he did? The answer was much more complicated than a simple yes or no.

"Neither," Nicholas said, for possession connotes being used against your will. I had Paul Stoddard's full consent to use his body."

"Do explain," Angelique encouraged, her eyes wide with excitement.

"That night Paul Stoddard decided to leave his wife was a very special evening. The spells were cast, the offering made, all that remained was for a child to be conceived. That child was to be set apart, she would grow up to be mine and used for the master's purpose. I was displeased with Paul for choosing to leave that night. I would not permit him to interfere with my plans. I met him at the train station and struck up a conversation. He told me of his woes, his doomed marriage, his bitterness towards the Collins family. I offered him a deal, I would make him a very rich man in exchange for the use of his body for one night. He thought I was joking of course, so I demonstrated my powers. I wish you could have seen his face when I turned some mere pebbles into diamonds. He gladly consented. I returned to Collinwood in his body and spent the night with his wife."

"Then you are Victoria Collins' father?" Angelique asked.

"No," Nicholas replied, "for creatures such as we can not bear children. I simply used Paul Stoddard's body. After he left for New York the next day I upheld my part of the bargain. Unfortunately, he had regrets years later. He decided to return to his family. I couldn't take the chance of him revealing to anyone the events of that night, so I had to dispose of him."

Angelique looked at Nicholas with eager anticipation. "You have intrigued me, Nicholas. What is going to become of Victoria Collins?"

"Well now that Victoria is of age, I will sweep her off her feet and she will marry me. We will then conceive a very special child together whom I will instruct in the black arts and train him to be very powerful indeed."

"But Nicholas, you just pointed out that you couldn't have children," Angelique said.

"Ohh, but this is the best part of the plan. It has pleased the master to make me into a mortal man for one night, Victoria's wedding night." Nicholas snickered.

"Tell me, what will become of your child?" Angelique asked.

"He will grow up to be a powerful political figure, one day he will be president. Can you image, Angelique? The wars, the destruction of more mortals than the world has ever seen! Only we who have the master's favor will be spared."

Angelique could barely comprehend what Nicholas was saying. She had been so caught up in her hunger for revenge she had totally forgotten the outside world. "Why the Collins family? Are they special?"

"Their name is special. It has influence. The rich are powerful, are they not? And also the Collins family is not exactly adverse to supernatural influence," Nicholas explained.

"And where do I fit into this plan?" The most important question for Angelique was this.

Nicholas smiled. "Your plan for the demise of Laura Collins is more important than you realize. You see, she plans to return to her master, Ra, very soon and to take David and her new daughter with her. It is vital to the master that David Collins live. He will be the member of the Collins family to first become involved in the political world. He will make the name, 'Collins', a well known name and achieve great success. You will need to dispose of Laura by the time of the next new moon, which is exactly ten days from tonight. This is when she plans to leave this world."

"And if I am successful?" Angelique inquired.

"If you are successful you will continue to dwell in this body and take over the identity of Angelique Collins. But it is very important not to kill your namesake until Laura is dead and you speak to the master personally."

"Well Nicholas, you certainly know how to entice me," Angelique said with a sensuous look in her eyes. "I know the first thing I want to do with this body," she whispered as she slowly removed her clothes.

*********************

Gerard materialized inside Collinwood. He was there to fulfill his command from Laura, to kill Angelique Collins, tonight.

TO BE CONTINUED