Legend of the Gypsy Queen Skull: The Devil's Triangle - Book 1 by otis duane Page A

spell
casting, fortune telling and communicating with the dead, they were
received with mixed feelings. To some, they were blessed shamanic
miracle workers, while others viewed them as doing the work of the
evil one.
    As time passed, the Dorian coven grew weary
of the Law of Three . It was a phenomenon they’d come to
learn all too well. The law stated whatever energy one puts into
the universe would eventually return to them threefold. Many
Dorian witches and their patrons suffered unspeakable tragedies
until the coven forbade the use of their black magic
altogether.
    Generations of Dorians thereafter worked
exclusively in the white light of their magic and became
exceptionally powerful. So great was their reputation that people
traveled from all corners of the ancient world to seek their help.
Word of their profound magical powers was so widespread that the
Dorians eventually even weaved their way into Greek lore
itself.
    ~*~
    According to the legend, in the eighth
century BC, Zelia Dorian, who at the time was the coven’s
matriarch, was sitting against a pine tree when a crow began to
circle overhead. The ebony bird squawked as he lazily spiraled down
toward her, magically morphing into a black cat just as he landed
next to her.
    “Oh my goodness!” Zelia blurted out,
recoiling some.
    The cat, crouching down, swished his long
white-tipped tail back and forth as he intently watched her.
    If it would have been anyone else sitting
there, they would’ve run away screaming, but not Zelia. A master
witch of her caliber knew better. She understood the mystical
creature was there for a reason. What that reason was would have to
wait though. For now the crouching cat never once broke eye contact
as he cautiously slinked his way over to her. Taking a deep breath,
she smiled and sweetly greeted him.
    “Well hello there, my little friend.”
    Upon hearing her soft tone, he blinked his
eyes and replied with a deep, throaty meow.
    “Mrrrow.”
    Taking a couple of more steps toward her,
the large black cat brushed up against her leg as she reached down
and stroked his back.
    After a few more drive-by rubbings, he began
to purr loudly and flopped over onto his back, allowing her to
scratch his underbelly.
    Soon, the two of them became fast
friends.
    ~*~
    “Soooo, you hungry?” Zelia asked him, as she
dug around in her knapsack looking for a treat for him. He seemed
to want to help in the search by curiously poking his head into the
sack as well.
    “Let’s see. Aw, here it is,” she said,
pulling out a bundle of cloth. Wrapped inside it was a wedge of
Muenster cheese, a rare delicacy given to her by a foreigner from
Gaul, whom she’d recently healed.
    Breaking off a small chunk of it, she held
it in her fingers as her furry new companion inspected it with a
few discerning sniffs. Giving it a few good licks with his coarse
tongue, he then sunk his teeth into it and quickly devoured it.
    “Mrrrow,” he said, looking up to Zelia for
more.
    “Hmmmm, so what shall I call you?” she asked
herself, feeding him another couple of wedges as she pet him.
    Much to her amusement, he lifted his head
and meowed for even more of the cheese. Seeing how it was smeared
all over his whiskers she giggled and snapped her fingers.
    “That’s it! Muenster Cheese... How’s that
sound?”
    Her new friend responded with a hearty purr
and licked his chops clean as she smiled and scratched his
head.
    ~*~
    Afterwards, he groomed himself and then
curled up in her lap and soon they both drifted off into a peaceful
morning slumber.
    ~*~
    A couple of hours later, Zelia awoke to see
Muenster sitting a few feet away, watching her with his intense
yellow eyes. Looking curiously at him for a moment, she then panned
down to her lap to see a dead mouse sitting there. Although a
little startled at first by his gift, she knew it was given with
good intentions and could only grin back at him.
    “Why, thank you. But I was thinking more of
a pear for lunch,” she