BloodStar

Chapter 53: Crucifixion

Cardinal Ricard gave Pope Peter a disgusted scowl and said, “Your joke is not humorous but blasphemous. Surely this is not why you have kept us up so late.”

Xenia stepped forward and faced Cardinal Ricard with her veil covering her eyes, “But Cardinal, you haven’t even seen what I’m capable of. Sit still, right there, and I’ll give you a small demonstration.”

Xenia silently Bloodbent Peter forcing him to climb atop the cross leaning at an angle against the wall. He laid with his arms outstretched to the sides of the cross and his ankles together at the bottom. Xenia made sure to give Peter an expression of admiration and respect; however, internally he was fearful of what came next. He knew Xenia was just as sadistic as she was beautiful.

She paced before Peter on the cross and said, “Your Lord died on the cross for your sins. He was staked to it. And then he rose. Now, allow me to use Pope Peter as an example for the rest of you.”

Some of the congregation tried to make a run for it; however, they found themselves immobilized completely.

They couldn’t help but wonder just what was happening as they thought, “Who is Lady Elizabeth Innocente? A monster?”

As she forced them to stay and watch, Xenia walked over to Peter who had laid himself out on the cross. She threw her dress over her leg and grabbed one of the short knives on her garter. Then she ran her hand across Peter’s chest and said, “So far I’ve only been pleasure for you, but make no mistake, my true passion is pain.”

She then took the short knife and stabbed it directly into Peter’s right wrist. The blade thrust through the full length of his wrist and into the underlying wood effectively pinning his right wrist to the cross.

Xenia did nothing to stop his bleeding as she walked around to his other wrist. She grabbed another knife from her garter and impaled his left wrist pinning him to the cross by both wrists.

She looked back to her audience and said, “Don’t look so terrified. This is literally the basis of your religion. Cheer up!”

She then took out two more knives and crouched by his ankles. Peter was gritting his teeth and moaning in pain as she looked up at him and said, “Oh honey. If you think the wrists are painful, you just wait. The ankle is a much more compact anatomical structure. I missed your bones entirely on your wrists, but I am afraid these two knives right here are going to have to go straight through your bone to pin you.”

She wasted no time taking the next knife and using all of her strength to force it through his ankle and into the wood. Peter cried at the top of his lungs as blood ran from his wrists and ankle. His cry reached a new peak as she slammed the subsequent knife through his other ankle.

She stood to admire her handiwork as she put her hand to her chin and smiled. She then turned to face her audience once more and said, “A perfect recreation don’t you think?”

The Cardinals spared no expense in lashing out at her with the most senior, Cardinal Ricard saying, “If you are a God as you say then be a merciful one and put him out of his misery. This is uncalled for! Pope Gregory and St. Michael will have your head for this!”

Xenia’s smile and laughter was evident below her veil. She reached for the last knife and said, “You are quite right. Allow me to put this earthly Holiness out of his misery.”

She climbed atop Peter on the cross and wrapped her legs around his torso facing him. The weight of her body clinging to him put even more pressure on his wounds causing even more pain. She caressed his face, “Are you ready? Ready for your first of many deaths?”

Peter was unsure of what she meant. Xenia licked the blade in her hand and then suddenly began to stab him time after time repeatedly in quick succession in his chest and abdomen. It was a violent display as five stab wounds turned to ten. Blood flung from her blade each time she stabbed into him and pulled it out in rapid succession. The stabs quickly turned from ten to twenty… and finally twenty to thirty until Peter’s head slumped over and his blood covered both Xenia’s dress and the floor below. There could be no question that he was definitively dead.

Xenia clung to him with her legs wrapped around his torso still. She tossed the knife to the ground and began to slowly lick Peter’s wounds as she tasted his blood and moaned in pleasure.

Cardinal Ricard called out to her, “You are a freak!”

She then leaned back and performed a backwards handstand dismount as she flipped to her feet in front of Ricard. She smiled at Ricard with a frenzied look. Peter’s blood covered her mouth from tasting his wounds adding to her crazed appearance.

She walked around Peter yanking the knives from his wrists and ankles allowing him to fall to the ground. She stood over his dead body and said, “Now watch this. Witness the reason you would be wise to worship me under my generous rule.”

She faced an open palm at Peter’s body and gathered an intense and massive amount of ki. The immobilized audience could only look on helplessly as they assumed the worst. They had just seen their Pope die before their eyes at the hands of a monster, and now they were prepared to see his body blown to pieces by a powerful ki blast.

However, instead of launching an attack at Peter’s body, she softly infused his body full of warm, healing ki. The onlookers were confused. They watched as Peter’s wounds healed, his skin color bounced back to life, and then unbelievably… his eyes opened.

Peter stood up and pat his body down with his hands. He couldn’t believe it himself. He looked to Xenia with a shocked, incredulous face and lay on the ground in terror as he looked up at Xenia.

The thought was not lost on him that he may have recovered to full power with a full tank of ki to attack her with. However, maybe the only thing didn’t surprise him was that she had given him his life back but left his ki reserves at rock bottom. He was on par with the lowliest of ki soldiers at the moment.

Cardinal Ricard yelled to Xenia, “You are no God. You are a vicious and sadistic devil who has great powers in necromancy. No more. No less. Who are you?!!!”

Xenia tilted her head in thought, “Devil? I’m certainly hot enough, aren’t I?” She then tore the veil from her head and face revealing her identity and said, “And I have quite the reputation for being evil, don’t I?”

She gave a devious smile at the people before her who gawked in silence. Their entire world view had been flipped on its head.

Cardinal Ricard stuttered, “But.. But… But you’re dead! This can’t be! YOU’RE DEAD!”

Xenia struck a pose with her hand to her chest and laughed, “The fear in your voice gives me chills of delight. The only people dead are those who oppose me. Does that include you Cardinal Ricard?”

Ricard trembled at the sight of his empire’s worst enemy. He was stricken with panic. She had invaded their lands, killed and revived Pope Peter, and taken a number of high-ranking members of society hostage tonight.

He looked to her and exclaimed, “This explains Peter’s behavior. You are controlling him, aren’t you? You will pay for this. You will pay dearly for this.”

Xenia forced him to his knees, and she crouched down in front of him and lifted his chin with her finger to force him to look her in the eyes, “You and your country… so arrogant and blind. It was you who attacked my ally the United States. It was you who nearly killed me. And now it is you proclaiming that I will be the one to pay.” She paused and clenched her jaw in anger, “I have paid enough. This will be your payback!”

She stood and yelled, “Who here has the courage to serve under my rule! I release you from my bloodbending to step forward if you would serve me.”

Only one of the ten stepped forward. Xenia walked over to the man and praised him, “There is at least one smart boy in the group after all. What is your name?”

The man nervously said, “John R. Vand.”

Xenia gasped, “Founder of Vand Industries? You have your hand in banking, agriculture, technology, and more do you not? You will be quite useful to me. Step aside, John.”

She then looked to the remainder of the group and said, “Last call. Before you die an oh so painful death.” She paused for an awkward ten seconds before saying, “Very well. Let’s start with you.” She pointed to Duchess Innocente and walked over to her as she forced the Duchess to stand while forcing the others to kneel on the floor.

“Any ideas for your death? Or would you prefer I use my own creativity?” Xenia caressed her body with both hands as she stood before her lusting to kill her. The anticipation turned Xenia on like no other.

Duchess Carmen Innocente said, “I passionately serve my empire. I die in the Holy Light.”

Xenia licked her lips and said, “Passionately? You want your death to be passionate? I like that idea.”