The Fantasy Trove

Shelly looked down at Gloria, trying to reconcile her thoughts. Gloria had been the last one to leave Varun’s demesne. She was an ancient goddess, and despite her claims to the contrary, Shelly suspected that she was one of the Firsts. She knew too much to believe otherwise.

But Gloria had saved them from Poseidon. When talking about it on the way to see their dad, she made it sound like the deaths of the Firsts would have tragic consequences. Why would she take out Varun, knowing what the consequences could be? Why wasn’t she defending herself?

“I told you, you can’t trust a succubus,” Jessica sneered.

Shelly looked at her girlfriend and shook her head. She’d hoped that Jessica had worked past her issues with the succubae, or at least with this one. They never would have made it away from Poseidon with Brooke without Gloria saving them.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Eldon said next to her. He would be taking this the hardest. Shelly wondered what his thoughts were, but knew better than to ask.

She stepped over to her brother, wanting to comfort him, but he pushed her away. She was thankful that the soreness between her legs was gone. She didn’t want to think about the healing she’d gone through a few minutes ago. Not that it had been unpleasant—Jessica was quite talented with her mouth—but that she’d done it next to her brother was embarrassing. That her father was in the car at the same time was mortifying!

She couldn’t remember last night, at least, not after going through the portal back to Earth, but she was fairly certain she hadn’t slept with anyone. Perhaps she’d been hurt while still a sword in her brother’s hands. That was the only thing that made sense. Her legs had formed the blade. Perhaps as Sheldon fought with her, she’d been chipped, and that translated into the pain between her thighs.

“No, I won’t believe it,” Eldon snapped as he moved to Gloria’s side. Gloria appeared shocked at first, then grateful for his support.

Shelly felt bad for him, but didn’t know what to say. She suspected he was falling for the succubus, and didn’t know how she felt about that. Sure, she’d set them up, but it was just supposed to help him get over Jessica. Then she’d gone and fooled around with the woman, messing things up in her own mind. What a mess she’d made of things.

“What’s going on?” Lyden asked from his seat in the car. “And what’s your problem with the succubae?”

Shelly opened her mouth to answer, but couldn’t find any words. Jessica didn’t suffer the same problem.

“The succubae are duplicitous creatures. They’ll tell you whatever it takes to get you in bed, then abandon you. They don’t even take proper care of their children, leaving them for others to raise.” There was undisguised hatred in Jessica’s voice. “And this one hasn’t been honest with any of us. She was the last one to leave Varun’s demesne. She must have been the one to murder the Pillar of Water.”

“I haven’t been honest?” Gloria asked. Her eyes were red from crying, but she stood and glared at Jessica. “Last night is a bit fuzzy, but I have a feeling you know what really happened. Why don’t you tell them what you are?”

Eldon stood next to her, glaring just as hard as the succubus. Gloria put her arm around him, but neither one said anything else, waiting for Jessica to respond.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jessica stepped forward and pointed at Gloria’s chest. “What I do know is that you’re a succubus. You’re a demonic creature that only cares about what or who you can get between your legs. Hell, you were bragging about fucking a Cyclops. Who does that?”

Jessica’s face went white as Lyden spoke. She swallowed several times before looking around the room for help. Shelly felt bad for her, but she didn’t agree with what the woman was saying. Jessica looked to Eldon and Gloria and she seemed to find her backbone.

“Then where was she last night after she forced us to leave? If Gloria was strong enough to win past Poseidon on her own, why did she make us leave? I’ll bet it was because she’s in league with Poseidon and didn’t want us to know. He told us he was next in line to be the Pillar of Water.”

“Next in line?” Becky asked. “What do you mean?”

“There wasn’t time to talk about it,” Brooke spoke up looking at Lyden, “but you wounded Varun when you froze him. We always thought that he kept the water cold so that no one else could do to him what you did, but that wasn’t the case. He was too weak to manage his realm. Poseidon told us that Varun named him as his successor.” She turned to face Jessica. “Poseidon was completely loyal. He would never turn on Varun.”

Coming from Brooke, Jessica couldn’t argue. Who would know better than the mermaid that’d been their captive how loyal Poseidon was?

“I made you leave because I couldn’t unleash my full strength with you there,” Gloria spat. “If you don’t believe me, go back to the tower Brooke was kept in. Oh, wait. You can’t, because it’s no longer there. Poseidon tried to bind me with water, and when I broke free, it decimated the tower.”

“And killed Varun?” Jessica prodded.

“Didn’t she say he was torn to pieces?” Gloria pointed to the front of the car. “Varun was too powerful, even weakened as he was, to be killed by falling debris. It didn’t even wound Poseidon.”

“What happened to Poseidon?” Becky asked. Shelly could tell she was genuinely curious, and not asking out of spite.

Gloria smiled, though it looked almost predatory. “I convinced him to stick his trident somewhere else when reinforcements arrived for him. If mermen sat, they won’t be sitting for a few days after the old sea god gets tired of them. Being goddess of sex has its benefits.”

Shelly shuddered as she remembered being under Gloria’s control. She wasn’t too fond of mermen, but she almost felt sorry for what they must have endured at the end of Poseidon’s ‘trident.’ From the way Gloria grinned, she suspected the succubus didn’t mean his weapon, but something else instead.

“Could the Pillar of Water’s death have anything to do with the attack on us today?” President Louise asked. “I didn’t recognize most of the monsters that attacked us.”

“They weren’t monsters,” Eldon told her. “They were humans pretending to be magical creatures.”

“I’m sorry for calling them monsters,” the President apologized. “I didn’t mean it that way. But if they weren’t from the Shadow World, why did they attack us?”

“Michael Mulhan was behind it,” Shlee stated, joining the conversation. “I recognized his voice before the explosion. If I had to guess, he wanted it to look like creatures from our world did it, to turn the United States against us. It’s why we need to get you in front of a camera as soon as possible. We need to give the public a statement.” Shelly noticed her pull out her phone and make a call.

“So, they’re not related?” Martha asked.

“I have no doubt that the Paladonic Knights would love to kill off the Pillars, but I can’t see them actually taking one out,” Shelly offered. “They’re not as strong as they once were now that they’re operating out in the public instead of the shadows. It’s harder to bribe judges and the police when you actually exist. Too easy to find a paper trail.”

“Don’t they know what killing the Pillars would do?” Martha asked. Shelly thought she understood what the president was asking, but none of them knew exactly what would happen if the Pillars fell. “I mean, if they die, won’t that cause the Outsiders to return and destroy us?”

“The Knights are blind in their hatred,” Becky supplied. “All they care about is the death of all magic. They barely get along with the Daughters of Respite. I think that truce wouldn’t last past the end of the Pillars.”

Martha shook her head. “I know people can be blind when they believe something too strongly. They come up with excuses to deny facts and create their own reality… But this?”

“We don’t really know what will happen if the Pillars fall,” Gloria piped in. “I don’t even think the Pillars know. The instability could create a hole in the fabric of reality, allowing more Outsiders in, or it may just bring the two worlds together into one, or something else entirely.”

“I knew my last opponent in the elections was in the Knight’s pocket book,” Martha said with a shake of her head. “He preached too much hate, and I think that allowed me to win. Despite what some nations think of my great country, we’re not all violent and hateful.”

“So, that begs the question: what do we do now?” Becky asked. “I could talk to Gaia and see if she knows anything.”

Shlee hung up her cell and faced the President. “Ma’am, with your permission, I’d like to get you in front of a camera, making a statement. The sooner we get on top of this, the better.”

“And your career will be made,” President Louise grinned. “I assume you already have it set up with your cameraman?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Frank will meet us. We can go live whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m worried about your safety, Madame President,” Lyden spoke up. “If the P.K.’s attack again, we might not get as lucky as last time.”

“I can handle that,” Gloria spoke up. “With your permission, Madame President, I’ll impersonate you. All you need to do is think what you want said, and I’ll say them. If we’re attacked, you can remain safe in here.”

Martha Louise mulled that over for a minute before nodding. “I don’t like hiding behind others, but you make a good point. If you’re really strong enough to stop Poseidon, then the Paladonic Knights shouldn’t be a problem.” She shook her head a second later and added, “But please don’t turn this report into an orgy. I’m not that high in the polls.”

Lyden looked at his children and the other women in the car. He focused on Jessica, and then Gloria before facing Martha. “If you’ll permit it, Ma’am, I would have my son and Gloria guard you.” Martha nodded and Shelly’s dad looked at Shelly and Jessica. “I want you two to accompany Brooke and Bridgette. Find out what you can about Varun’s death. If we have another Outsider here, I want to know about it immediately. Becky and I will talk to Gaia and see what she knows.”

It had been years since Shelly saw her father in this mode. He was a leader and knew how to take charge of a situation. She could see the brilliance behind his plan as well, as it split Jessica and Gloria apart, while playing to their strengths. Eldon could take the form of a Secret Service agent with a little bit of help, allowing them to blend in. Brooke and Bridgette could search underwater for clues, while Jessica and Shelly could try to talk to Marchosias again. She didn’t look forward to dealing with the demon, but at least he was easy on the eyes.

“The sooner I’m out of here, the better,” Jessica said as the two of them walked to the back of the car. Becky was by the fountain with Bridgette—no, she had changed to Brock. When had he done that again? Becky was casting a spell on him, and as she watched, water from the fountain burbled up and surrounded his lower body. Now he could leave the fountain, though Shelly didn’t know how he would move about. His fishtail wasn’t designed for walking. This didn’t make much sense to Shelly, but knew that Becky wasn’t a frivolous person.

They stopped and dropped Eldon, Gloria, and Martha off, before heading to their next destination.

“I was going to save this until your birthday,” Lyden said to Brock as he stepped back into the car after being gone for a couple minutes, “but it looks like you’ll need it sooner, rather than later.”

Shelly’s jaw dropped as she watched a mechanical set of legs follow after her father. He guided the legs over to where Brock rested in the fountain. Even with the water surrounding him, he’d preferred to stay in the fountain, rather than get anything else wet.

It took some effort for all of them to move Brock into the contraption, and Shelly saw that there was a hole with a harness set for him to put his tail in.

“Awesome! How does it work, Dad?” Brock asked as he got settled in.

“It has three modes: manual, follow, and of course, off.” As Lyden spoke, he pointed to where the control switch was. Shelly could see that it was set to off. “If you just want to follow someone, have them stand in front of you, switch this to follow, and when they start walking the legs will stay behind them by about four to five feet.” Lyden demonstrated as he spoke, and Brock moved around the inside of the Orange Bubble, staying right behind his father. “Off is self-explanatory.”

“I don’t see any controls for manual,” Brock stated, looking around the contraption that encircled his waist. The bubble of water that surrounded him overlapped portions of the machine, but apparently it was waterproof.

“Your fins control it,” Lyden told him. He moved the switch to manual and stepped back. “Imagine your tail fins are feet and try to walk with them.”

Brock lurched forward as the mechanical legs moved. Brock gripped the ring around his waist to steady himself as his tail swung around in the harness. Shelly stifled a laugh as she realized his tail looked like a giant dick, swinging between his metal legs. Jessica must have seen it too, because Shelly noticed her covering her mouth and hiding a smile.

Shelly was conflicted concerning the woman. While she didn’t entirely trust Gloria either, she felt that Jessica’s attitude crossed the line. Shelly knew a number of succubae, and even a couple incubae, and most of them were good people. Angela, as the defacto-ruler of the succubae while also being the Pillar of Fire, led with a compassionate heart. She tried to make sure that none of her subjects took an innocent life.

Even so, there were always a few bad eggs. Every now and then a succubus or incubus went bad, and Angela was forced to send a kobold after them. Had Jessica come into contact with one of them?

She glanced at the woman again and noticed that her hands were clenched beneath folded arms. She was about to go to her and ask what was going on, but the car stopped. Lyden and Becky got out, heading for the portal closest to Gaia’s realm.

Shelly didn’t know where they were, and it didn’t really matter. They didn’t need to drive. The car knew where they needed to go and would get them there safely.

After hugging her father goodbye, Shelly pulled Jessica to the back of the car to talk to her. The area still reeked of sex, but she tried her best to forget about that.

“What’s going on?” Shelly demanded. One way or another, she was going to get some answers. If Jessica refused to tell her anything, then she would refuse to work along with her. Jessica was a skilled fighter, and they would need her skills for this mission, but if Shelly couldn’t rely on her—

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Jessica interrupted Shelly’s thoughts. “It’s just… You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“Then tell me,” Shelly replied, taking the other woman’s hand. “I can’t understand, unless you open up.”

“I know. I’ve been on my own for so long, and meeting your brother, and then you… And then finding out who your father is! I’m so confused.”

Shelly didn’t have a clue what her father had to do with anything, but kept her mouth shut. She knew Jessica was nervous around Lyden Snow. Many people were intimidated by the hero of the Chaos War and the only sanctioned ambassador between the two worlds.

“I’m sorry,” Jessica apologized again. “Can we just forget about it and move on?”

“No,” Shelly said, though she hated herself for it. She really liked this woman, but she didn’t like the way she behaved earlier and needed to understand. If she couldn’t understand Jessica’s racist behavior, then she wouldn’t associate with the woman.

Jessica dropped her head to look at her hands. Shelly waited, trying to be patient, but her mind continued to travel over the events earlier. Jessica had been cruel to Gloria. No one could say that the two got along perfectly, but there was no call for that kind of behavior.

Jessica sighed and looked up to meet Shelly’s eyes. There were bags under her red-rimmed eyes, telling Shelly that she was fighting back strong emotions. She wanted to pull Jessica into a hug and just ignore the whole thing, but she couldn’t. It hurt her to be this stubborn, but their lives may depend on knowing what was going on.

“My… My mom was a succubus,” Jessica said with a thick voice, full of anger. “I—She was… ugh, I’ve never told anyone this.”

“If your mom was a succubus…” Shelly started to ask. She wanted to be delicate, but wouldn’t that make her a succubus as well?

“My dad wasn’t,” Jessica said in a firm tone. “I’m—I’m a crossbreed. Now do you see why I didn’t want to talk about this?”

Shelly understood immediately. Crossbreeds were illegal and could be very dangerous. When two of the same species mated, there was no problem. The child would be the same as the parent. When different species mated, and there was offspring, there was no telling what the result would be. More often than not, the child could be extremely dangerous.

All of Lyden Snow’s children were crossbreeds. Shelly remembered being watched very closely growing up for any signs that she might be dangerous. The only reason she hadn’t been killed outright was because of who her father was. Gaia had interceded when Sheldon and she were still in the womb, guiding their genetics to help them. As far as she knew, only two of Lyden’s children were deemed dangerous. It was the reason Becky never had more kids of her own. Those two children were something her father and Becky never spoke about.

“That explains some of your abilities,” Shelly said with as much caution as she could put into her voice. “But it doesn’t explain why—“

“Because my mother all but abandoned me,” Jessica snapped. Brooke and Brock were at the front of the car. They both looked back at them, then quickly away. They didn’t have privacy, but the other two were trying to give them some space. “I had to grow up all alone. I never met my father. As far as I know, he doesn’t even know I exist.” Tears blossomed in Jessica’s blue eyes. She gripped Shelly’s hands in her own and looked deep into her eyes.

“My mother wasn’t cruel in the sense that she beat me, but I was an embarrassment to her,” Jessica continued. “She kept me locked away and I never had any visitors. Oh, she made sure I was educated, and fed. She hardly cared whether I was clothed or not, being a succubus. She told me stories of what would happen to me if anyone ever found out what I was. She used scare tactics to control me. She claimed that the world hated me, and that I was kept away for my own protection.”

She took a shuddering breath before continuing. “One day I got out. I was only about ten. I ran into a little goblin girl and we played in the rocks. She was my first friend. That is, until my mom found us. I don’t know what ever happened to that girl, but after that, I was locked away. I only ever saw the sunlight through my window, which was barred closed.

“The next time I got out, I ran. I wasn’t going to risk getting caught again. I wasn’t a danger to anyone, and that goblin girl showed me that people in the outside world could be friendly. I will never go back. I ran to Earth, and spent some time there, but some humans found me hiding in an abandoned warehouse. They thought I was weak and tried to rob me. Of course I defended myself. Mom made sure I knew how to fight. There were… other… issues that arose, and I came back to the Shadow World. I was left in peace, as long as I didn’t bother anyone else.”

“Sounds lonely,” Shelly said as she reached over to grip Jessica’s hand. She felt Jessica stiffen for a moment, then accepted the touch.

“It was,” she responded after a few seconds. “I wasn’t completely alone. The goblin girl showed me that not everyone was bad, but the humans made me wary. I’d make a friend for a night, or a week, but never longer. I never let anyone get too close. My mom’s words still make me worry, but I know I’ll be safe with you. You’re just like me. You’re proof that I’m not evil.”

It almost sounded like Jessica was trying to convince herself. Looking into her blue eyes, Shelly saw pain and anguish. She couldn’t imagine how it would be to grow up like that. To be told you were evil, or that you would be killed if anyone knew what you were. Eldon and she had seen a bit of mistrust from others because they were crossbreeds, but they had Gaia’s blessing. It was part of why they fought so hard to keep people safe. They wanted to prove that they weren’t evil. The fact that their father was a well known hero only made them fight harder. Shelly knew her brother struggled being in their dad’s shadow.

“When I saw your brother fighting those ogres, I saw an opportunity to prove myself again. He looked good in that form. I thought maybe he could keep me warm for a bit, if I helped save him. I didn’t know who he was at the time.” She shook her head, but Shelly felt the grip on her hand tighten. “I didn’t think I would get caught up in all of this. Your father, your siblings, and now the Pillar of Water is dead….”

Shelly’s heart broke. She saw in this other woman something that she might have been, if her father hadn’t been the legendary Lyden Snow, and if her mother hadn’t loved them as much as she had. She opened her mouth to say something, anything to comfort her girlfriend, but Brooke spoke up first.

“I’m truly sorry for what you went through.” Brooke stood and walked back to where the women were sitting on the bed. The redhead looked down at them with sorrow in her eyes. “I once hated the succubae as well. I was taught that they were evil soul sucking creatures. When I found one hanging around the man I cared for, I planned on killing her. Lyden stopped me, and I’m glad he did. We became good friends after that, each of us saving the other’s life multiple times. She turned out to be a good woman, and worthy of love and respect. I have met a few that only cared about what souls they could take while pleasing someone, but I have known many more that were like my friend.”

“I think Gloria is one of the good ones,” Shelly offered. For a moment, she thought Jessica was going to pull her hand away, but she ended up slumping her shoulders and looking at her lap.

“You’re right,” her voice was soft, but Shelly heard it in the silence. “I treated her poorly, and she’s done nothing to deserve it. I guess…. No, nevermind.”

“Please,” Shelly pleaded, squeezing the woman’s hand. She knew Jessica needed to get everything out in the open if she was going to work through her issues. “We’re your friends. I—I hope that I’m more than that by now. You can tell us.” Shelly’s heart hammered in her chest, thundering in her ears as she made that confession. She really liked Jessica. She wouldn’t call it love by any stretch of the imagination, but it was more than simple friendship.

“You are!” Jessica looked up and met Shelly’s eyes. She clasped Shelly’s hand in both of hers and held it between them. Jessica’s eyes shown with unshed tears. Her grip would have been painful, if Shelly didn’t find it so welcome. “I just… I don’t want to hurt you.”

Shelly’s heart dropped. She didn’t know what was behind the hesitation, but was afraid of it.

“If it’s the truth…” she trailed off, trying to sound encouraging.

Jessica looked at Brooke and she got the message. “I’ll go back up front. Sorry to get in the middle of you two.” She squeezed Shelly’s shoulder in comfort before walking away. Brooke was always compassionate to her husband’s children, but right then she felt awkward receiving that compassion from one of her father’s wives, while dealing with her own matters of the heart.

“I like you,” Jessica started in a way that sounded like there was a ‘but’ coming. Shelly let Jessica take a few breaths, waiting the other woman out. “But, I think I still like your brother, also. I hate that that succubus has her fingers in him. I shouldn’t have treated Gloria like I did. I’m… I’m so confused.”

Shelly sat there for a few moments, trying to absorb that. Jessica still liked Eldon? But she’d rejected him. She’d broken his heart. Shelly loved her brother—in the familial sense only—but she felt jealousy at Jessica’s admission. She couldn’t pin it down. Eldon had moved on. Didn’t Shelly deserve to be happy with someone?

“Say something,” Jessica pleaded. The tears flowed from her beautiful blue eyes now. Shelly looked into them, and knew what her answer was.

It took her a moment to speak past the emotion trying to close off her throat. “I’ll let you have him. I don’t want to stand in your way. I know he still likes you. I can see it in the way he looks at you. I—” She had to stop to keep her voice from shaking. Jessica squeezed her hand, and she knew the other woman was about to speak so she hurried on. “I won’t stand in your way when we get back, but I won’t try to break them up, either. He likes Gloria too, and I think she is a good woman, no matter what you think of the succubae.” She had to look away, lest she reveal her emotions.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated the succ—er… Gloria. I was rude, and I can see where she didn’t deserve the way I treated her. The next time I see her, I’ll apologize.” She moved one of her hands and Shelly felt one finger turn her face back. The finger lingered on her chin for a moment before moving to cup her cheek. “Just because I like your brother, doesn’t mean I don’t want you. I meant what I said. I like you… A lot. I—It’s screwed up, I know.”

“Wow, that’s…” Shelly didn’t know how to complete that sentence.

“I’m sorry! Forget I said anything,” Jessica moaned. “I’m sick, and screwed up. I—”

“Would you knock that off,” Shelly snapped, getting exasperated with the woman’s behavior. Her emotions were in flux, and right then she wasn’t sure she could tell up from down without laughing and crying at the same time. Jessica liked her, but liked her brother also. Shelly loved her brother and wanted him to be happy, but she had a right to be happy also, didn’t she?

She didn’t know what made her do it. Maybe it was the fear mixed with hope she saw in Jessica’s eyes, or her own uncertainty roiling in her stomach, but she took her free hand and grabbed the back of Jessica’s dark hair. She pulled the other woman into a kiss, pressing her lips to Jessica’s soft mouth.

Jessica didn’t react at first, unless you count stiffening. Shelly held it for a moment longer before realizing what she’d done. She let go and backed away, tears already forming in her eyes. Before she moved a couple inches, Jessica released her hand and pulled her face back into the kiss. Jessica’s hands kept an iron grip on her cheeks as her tongue slipped between Shelly’s lips.

Despite her rollercoaster emotions, Shelly was quick to respond, meeting the invading tongue with her own. Her arms wrapped around the tanned woman as they fell sideways onto the bed. They rolled to the side, until Jessica ended up on top, gripping Shelly’s wrists and holding them over her head in a vice-like grip. Shelly moaned as she felt the other woman take control and kiss her with renewed passion.

“Ahem,” Brooke’s voice interrupted them.

Shelly came back to reality with a shock, as she remembered her stepmom and half-sibling in the car with them.

“Sorry,” Jessica mumbled, her cheeks burning as red as Shelly’s felt.

“I’m glad you two made up, but I thought you should know we’re almost there,” Brooke stated.

Shelly noticed a slight smirk on the mermaid’s face and her cheeks burned hotter. She sat up, straightening out her clothes and avoided looking at her accomplice.

“Relax, you two. I remember what it’s like to be young. At least I stopped you before anything embarrassing could happen.” She winked at them. Shelly wanted to crawl into the deepest, darkest hole and never come back out.

“Mom, leave them alone,” Brock came to their rescue, but Shelly only felt worse.

Brooke chuckled as she went to one wall of the car, then grew serious. She opened a hidden compartment that Shelly had no clue ever existed. The mermaid hesitated, then reached in and pulled out two long, thin blades. She pulled each one out of its sheath about an inch, then slammed them back in.

Shelly caught a glimpse of blue. She knew what those blades were. They were the blades of a mermaid assassin. Magical, they could cut through almost anything. She wished she would have had one when she saved Jessica from the Myrmidon. The watery blades were instant death to those fire-based creatures. They had one major drawback, however. Their wielder felt their victim’s death. It was supposed to harden an assassin’s willpower. If half the stories Shelly had heard about her stepmom were true, Brooke’s willpower had to be granite.

“I hoped never to wield these again,” Brooke whispered just loud enough for Shelly to hear.

She realized the opportunity she had before her. These weapons were rare. They were only given out when an assassin earned them, and usually recovered on their death. If she could touch one for just a moment, she could become one of those weapons. She didn’t know what that would do to her when she was used to kill, but the opportunity to replicate a magical weapon was too great to pass up.

“Can I see one of those?” she asked as she got to her feet.

Brooke tucked the weapons close to her chest and backed away. “I can’t let you do that,” Brooke pulled further away until Shelly retracted her hand. She understood that Brooke knew enough about the blades, and knew what Shelly was capable of, that if she didn’t want her touching it, it was likely for the best. Even so, she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed at the lost opportunity.

They felt the car stop, and Shelly glanced outside. The sun was setting, but they were nowhere near the Bermuda Triangle, much less underwater. She couldn’t make out much through the distortion between the inside and outside of the Orange Bubble, other than they weren’t in any city.

“We’re not going straight to Varun’s demesne?” she asked, confused. She thought they were going to investigate the Pillar of Water’s murder.

“We can’t,” Brooke stated. “Though, I suppose we should start thinking of it as Poseidon’s demesne if he really took over. We’re too well known there. After the events yesterday, we’ll have to take another route in. That means a different portal.”

“But where?” Jessica asked with a note of nervousness in her voice. “If we have to travel underwater, I won’t make it.”

Brooke regarded them for a couple moments. Shelly didn’t like the frown that crossed her stepmom’s face. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to blindfold the two of you.”

“What?” Jessica spluttered and moved further up the bed, away from the mermaid. “Why? What about your…” she trailed off as she glanced at Brock before adding, “son?”

Shelly didn’t like the idea of being blindfolded either, but she trusted Brooke.

“Brock knows where we’re going already. He helped me build the place. Unfortunately, the place is kept top secret. The only people that know where it is: those that live there and those that helped create it. The fact that I have to take you there will cause more than enough problems.”

“Why does it have to remain a secret?” Shelly asked. She might not be the most privy to all that happened in the Shadow World, but she thought she was trusted enough to know some things. That there were secrets this big she wasn’t trusted with bothered her. Was it that she wasn’t trusted, that this secret was just that big, or something she didn’t understand?

She decided to trust in her stepmom. She went to Eldon’s dresser and grabbed a couple of his shirts. Her shirts would be too small to make a good blindfold.

“Trust me,” Shelly told her girlfriend. “I would trust Brooke with my life, and you can too.” She waited for Jessica to nod before tying the shirt around her head. She made sure her black hair wasn’t in the knot. To make sure it was secured, she held her breath and put her face in front of Jessica’s. When she didn’t react, she pressed her lips firmly against the other woman, and smiled at the way she jumped slightly.

Brooke tied Shelly’s blindfold on, leaving her in darkness. She waited for the mermaid to guide her, and jumped when she spoke in Shelly’s ear. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t use the same trick to make sure you can’t see.”

Shelly’s cheeks burned as she heard the smile in the woman’s voice. A moment later she felt a hand slip into hers and squeezed it, somehow knowing it was Jessica.

“Okay,” Brooke spoke up, “We don’t have to travel far, but keep a hold of my hand. Brock will follow after, and I’ll let you know when it’s safe to remove the blindfolds.”

Brooke grabbed Shelly’s other hand in a firm grip that belied her small frame. She placed one foot forward, testing the floor of the car, then berated herself. She knew the path was clear and would be until they got out of the Orange Bubble. She would have to trust Brooke to watch her footing after that.

“Step out of the car now,” Brooke guided her as she heard Brock’s mechanical legs following them. “Good. Now the path is mostly flat, with only a few turns until we get to the building. I’ll let you know if you need to avoid anything. Okay, Jessica, go ahead and step down. There you go. Now just follow me.”

Brooke guided them a small distance and true to her word, whenever something might slip them up in the slightest, the mermaid warned them.

Shelly had no idea where they were, or if they were even in the same country. The Orange Bubble could travel faster than airplanes, and was infinitely safer. Chances were that if they weren’t still in the U.S., they were in Canada, but there was no way to know for sure. The humidity in the air was tolerable, and not overpowering, and the temperature was somewhere in the eighties.

“We’re entering the building where the portal is. The floor is smooth, but we’ll have to go down a few flights of stairs. Don’t worry Brock, those legs were designed to be able to maneuver in any terrain. Your dad wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be limited to one place anymore.”

Shelly didn’t know what Brooke considered a few flights of stairs, but her legs were tired by the time they were informed that they’d reached their floor. Brooke guided them for a couple more minutes down winding hallways, or what Shelly assumed were winding hallways.

She knew the moment they went through the portal. The solid floor turned to dirt and rock beneath her feet and her ears wanted to pop from the change in pressure, but the blindfold wasn’t taken off right away.

“Who are they?” a deep voice demanded, followed by what Shelly thought sounded like an angry purr.

“I’ve told you about Shelly Lance, and this is Jessica…” Brooke started to answer, but trailed off when she didn’t know Jessica’s last name.

“I’m Jessica Angel,” she replied for herself.

“Yeah, well, what about… By the Pillars, is that Brock? Nice legs man!”

“Thanks Erwin. My dad just got them for me.” There was no doubting the amount of pride in Brock’s voice at his new gift.

“Humph,” the man grunted. “That doesn’t explain why you brought them here, Brooke. This place is supposed to remain hidden. What do you think you’re doing by bringing them here?”

“Varun is dead, Erwin,” Brooke’s voice was solemn.

Shelly itched to take off the blindfold, but she remembered Brooke’s warning to wait. She didn’t like the way this Erwin guy was treating her stepmom but she also sensed a subtle danger about him. She could shift into the form of a shield or sword with a simple thought, and since Jessica was still holding her hand, she would be armed or protected as needed. She was hesitant to do so, not wanting to turn this situation into something more dangerous than it already was.

“Sucks to be him, then.” Erwin’s response to Brooke’s statement shocked her. “Seems we’ve been losing Pillars a fair amount in the last couple decades. That one was a bit too uppity for my tastes anyway. Did your hubby finally do him in?”

“This is serious,” Brooke stated in a tone Shelly knew well. It was the same tone she used when teaching the twins how to fight, and she thought they weren’t trying hard enough. Sheldon had received that tone more than Shelly, and every time, her brother ended up sprawled on the ground, a new bruise forming somewhere. It wasn’t that Brooke was violent, but she didn’t tolerate fools very well. “Remember the amount of chaos that followed the Chaos War? Lysa and Angela did their best, but a lot of bad things happened while they were learning to control their powers.”

“Heh, they should have called that time the Second Chaos War. Volcanoes going off all the time, and windstorms whipping up enough sand to shred an ogre in seconds. Hell, remember that new volcano that suddenly appeared in Egypt about a year after your hubby destroyed that outsider? Baffled scientists, until our world became common knowledge over there.”

“That’s why we’re trying to find out who did it,” Brock piped up. “We don’t want them doing it to any other Pillars.”

“Meh, they could take out the Pillar of Darkness for all I care. He’s not exactly a friendly guy either. And that Pillar of Light? I hear he’s pretty stuffy and won’t see anyone.” The man chuckled, but Shelly couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The Pillars were what allowed them all to live in this world. That’s why they’re called the Pillars! “None of them matter to us down here. It’s not like the water can hurt us after the way you built this place, and as long as Gaia doesn’t find out we’re here, none of the other Pillars will learn of us.” Erwin’s voice gained a hard edge as he continued to speak. “But bringing strangers here is a good way for others to find out about us. You know the rules as well as I do, Brooke. They need to die.”

Shelly didn’t understand what was going on. She was blind, but what the man was saying made no sense. Gaia knew about everything that touched her ground. It didn’t matter whether it was in this realm, or Earth. She didn’t watch everything at once, but to think that there might be something going on under her nose was laughable. Unless… This wasn’t ground under her feet, but something else.

The sounds of blades being drawn broke the momentary silence. Shelly decided to act. She’d seen Jessica fight with a sword and decided that would be the perfect shape to take. Sheldon’s shirt fell away from her eyes as she formed her hand into the hilt and the rest of her body twisted into a sharp, three foot long blade. She had to shift much of her mass out or she would have been too heavy for Jessica to wield. She didn’t know where that mass went, only that it was there for her when she needed to change back. When she formed into things with greater mass, she had to absorb mass from objects around her. She hated doing that, though. It made her feel bloated for days afterwards.

Once she was done, she allowed herself to see from just above the cross guard. It was the most stable place to be able to look around.

They were surrounded. She didn’t recognize any of them, or what they were. Many of them were misshapen, and twisted. Their leader was a tall, dark man with what appeared to be cat ears on his head, and whiskers by his black nose. His fingers looked dangerous with their claws, but it was the twin daggers in his hands that worried Shelly.

A quick glance towards the woman holding her showed that Jessica had removed her blindfold also.

Erwin purred with excitement as he grinned at them. Shelly could tell that he was excited to fight. She didn’t feel as confident in their survival.

“Erwin, put those blades away!” Brooke snapped in a tone that implied he was an idiot, without saying the words. Shelly noticed that the mermaid hadn’t drawn her blades. “Think! I know what the risks are if any of you are found out. If I didn’t think they could be trusted, I wouldn’t have brought them.” She turned to Shelly and Jessica. “And you two! I told you not to take off the blindfolds. I swear you’re almost as bad as your father was when he was a teenager, Shelly.”

“But—” Jessica used Shelly to point at those surrounding them.

“No buts!” Brooke shouted. Brock and even the creatures around them took a step back. Brooke might look like a small woman, but all knew what she was capable of.

Shelly let herself change back, but kept holding Jessica’s hand just in case. Brooke waited until she was fully changed, before turning back to the rest of the crowd.

“Do you really think I would endanger all of you after what I went through to make this place?” Erwin looked sheepish as Brooke berated him, but he didn’t put his blades away. “Erwin…” Brooke placed her hands on her own blades. With as much grace as a frightened cat has, Erwin sheathed his daggers.

“Damn it, Brooke,” Erwin muttered. “I was just making sure. We can’t be too careful. If you vouch for them, we can let them be.” He must have found a bit of his backbone as he looked back up to meet Brooke’s green eyes. “But if they tell about this place, it’s on your head.”

“They won’t tell,” Brooke promised for them.

Shelly wasn’t sure what it was she wasn’t supposed to tell. All she knew was that a bunch of creatures she didn’t recognize were hiding—even from the nearly all-knowing Gaia—and Brooke had somehow helped build this place.

Erwin turned to Brock and held out his hand. “Welcome home, Brock. We’ve missed having your smiling face around for a bit.”

Brock shook it and returned the aforementioned grin. “Glad to be home, Mr. Schrödinger.”

* * * *

Shelly realized she was staring. It couldn’t be, she thought. There’s no way. He should be dead. She thought she’d heard something about the man having committed suicide, but that must have been faked, if this was really Erwin Schrödinger.

“We haven’t had any trouble down here,” Erwin said between bites of his fish. Shelly had a strong stomach, but she felt queasy as she watched the cat-man eat. The ground felt unsteady, but it looked solid enough. “I was sad to hear that Varun had captured you, but you understand why we couldn’t come help.”

“The secrecy of this place is more important than one life,” Brooke agreed as though it hadn’t been her life in the balance. “That’s why we have our rules.”

“Rules that you broke,” Erwin gestured to Shelly and Jessica.

“This place is more important than one life, but not all lives,” Brooke returned. “There may come a time when you have to leave here and return to the world above.”

Shelly hadn’t noticed her surroundings when she’d lost her blindfold, but they were deep underground. What she had at first mistaken for a sky, was a vast array of glowing gray moss on the ceiling above a huge cavern. Houses were built up, some of them built out of the very ground, but she couldn’t tell where they got the materials to do it. There was no vegetation in sight.

“Why should we fight for anyone?” Erwin responded. “If they knew we existed, they’d kill us without a second thought.”

“You’re crossbreeds!” Jessica spluttered, making Shelly jump.

She looked around and realized what should have been obvious from the beginning. It explained why she couldn’t identify most of the creatures around her. She cursed herself for not having caught it. She was too wrapped up in the cat-man’s identity. Erwin Schrödinger. Schrödinger’s cat. Schrödinger was a cat, or at least a cat-man. Was he always that way, or did something happen?

“Yes, most of us are,” Erwin glared at Jessica. “Some of us are just cursed, but Brooke and a few others have gone out of their way to help us. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go around telling anyone about us. We’ve worked hard to keep this place a secret from the Pillars. I’d hate to think what they’d do if they heard even a whisper about us.” While his words seemed casual, his tone conveyed the threat behind them.

“But how do you hide from Gaia?” Shelly asked. It didn’t make any sense.

“This is a floating underground island,” Brooke smiled. “Gaia can only see what’s touching her Earth. Since this chunk of rock isn’t touching her Earth, she can’t see it. It also means that nothing will grow here, without her influence. We’re constantly working to supply this place, while keeping everything secret.”

Something in the mermaid’s voice told Shelly she wasn’t saying everything, but Shelly knew better than to ask. The fact that they were on a floating island explained why she was feeling queasy also. She saw Jessica nodding to Brooke’s words. Shelly wondered if she was going to bring up her heritage, but Jessica remained silent. Shelly didn’t blame her. Sometimes you kept a secret for so long, you continued to keep it when it didn’t matter.

“When Mom comes to visit me, she brings me stuff and I bring it here,” Brock said. “We’re quite the clandestine operation.” He seemed quite proud.

Something else clicked in Shelly’s head. “That’s how you plan on getting into Varun’s, I mean, Poseidon’s demesne. This place is connected there somehow.”

Brooke nodded. “There is a large tunnel with an underground river going from here to the Pillar of Water’s area. We’ll use that to infiltrate Poseidon’s area while you and Jessica talk to Marchosias.”

Shelly tried not to let her shoulders slump. She didn’t know where in the Shadow World they were, but she knew where Marchosias’s island lay, and it was a far distance from the border between Earth and Water. She was exhausted from the lack of sleep last night, followed by the fight for their lives against the Paladonic Knights and Daughters of Respite. Knowing that she would have to travel that distance, then try to get information out of Marchosias didn’t appeal to her.

Jessica must have sensed her emotions, because she reached over and gripped Shelly’s hand. Shelly felt comforted by the gesture and squeezed back, earning herself a smile from her beautiful girlfriend.

“If you think we’re going to embroil ourselves in your affairs just because you created this space for us, you’re wrong.” Erwin pounded the table, making Shelly jump. Unfortunately, his hand struck his fork, and sent it flying into Brooke’s chest. It fell to her lap where she looked at it for a moment. With more calm than Shelly could have mustered, the mermaid picked up the fork, examined the chunks of food still stuck on it, then flung it back at Erwin with lightning speed. The cat-man flinched as it brushed past one of his black pointy ears and embedded itself on the wall behind him.

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Brooke said in a tone that made ice seem hot by comparison. There was no anger on her face, and she appeared perfectly calm, but her green eyes matched her voice. “But if you think that hiding out here will keep you safe while the Pillars are struck down, then you’re a bigger fool than I thought.”

Erwin glared at Brooke, but the effect was ruined as he licked the back of one hand, then used it to wipe at his offended ear. “I learned a long time ago not to meddle in things that I shouldn’t.”

“You couldn’t have known that the cat you were using for your experiments was the favorite of a fairy,” Brooke replied. Her voice warmed, but it was the difference between an Antarctic night and an Antarctic morning. “This concerns you and every other creature living in this world. If the Pillars fall, this world goes with it. Perhaps all of creation.”

“Bah!” Erwin growled and his lips curled, showing sharp fangs. His golden eyes flashed as he met Brooke’s stare. “We heard the same thing during the Chaos War, and look how that turned out. Someone will always come along and save us.”

“There was a prophecy that time,” Brooke stated. Her voice lost whatever warmth it had gained, and if anything, grew harder. She still looked relaxed, but Shelly noticed one hand was close to the blade on her left hip. “And my husband didn’t do it alone. A lot of good creatures died, ensuring this world survived. Lyden wasn’t the only hero.”

“And now we come to the crux of things.” Shelly heard Erwin purr as he spoke, as though he’d caught a mouse he was ready to pounce on. “You need fodder for your armies. You want us to sacrifice ourselves so our betters can live on to fight another day.”

Shelly couldn’t believe the audacity of this man. Brooke had helped create a space where he and other outcasts could survive without being persecuted, and his way of repaying her was to act like this?

“You are the most pompous, egotistical, self-righteous man I have ever met,” Jessica spoke up. Erwin looked away from the mermaid with an expression that said he was shocked anyone would dare interrupt his conversation with Brooke. “She hasn’t asked for your help, you imbecile. She was warning you of what might come.”

“Jessica—” Brooke tried to intervene, but Jessica kept going.

“A Pillar is dead, and the rest are in danger. How can you choose to sit here in your little hole, pretending the outside world doesn’t exist? Hell, you can pretend your balls are the size of watermelons and your cock is as big as your arm, but from where I’m sitting, neither one of them even exists. Pretending whether something is real or not doesn’t make it exist, or mean you can ignore it.”

“My cock and balls are plenty real, girl!” the werecat snarled and jumped to his feet. He reached into his pants and laid his genitals on the table. “That real enough for you?”

Shelly was impressed with the man’s boldness, if not with the material presented. Sheldon’s is bigger, she thought, then shrugged that uncomfortable idea away. Why would she think of him? She’d been with other men who were larger than this guy. Erwin was just a little bigger than average.

“That depends,” Jessica sneered. “Does it bluster and preen itself like its master, or does it actually do something?”

“Jessica!” Brooke snapped, losing her calm demeanor.

Shelly saw Brock trying to hold back his laughter at Jessica’s insult. Shelly found herself struggling not to laugh at the comical way Erwin’s black-furred face turned slack at Jessica’s words. Jessica didn’t look away from the cat-man.

After a couple of tense seconds, Erwin’s lips curled up as he burst out laughing. “By the Pillars, you’ve got a sharp tongue on you, girl. You’re right. I’ve spent so long trying to hide who and what I am. I was once a great scientist, you know that? Then one day a fairy catches up to me. Imagine my surprise in finding out fairies are real! Ends up, one of the strays I’d used to prove a hypothesis had been his favorite. As punishment for my actions, he made me into this. I still remember the way he chuckled as he flew away. That was almost a century ago. Not only did that little sprite curse me, but he made me immortal to boot so I could suffer for all time. I had to fake a suicide to hide what had happened, and that wasn’t easy! He made sure his insult was felt all the time also. When no one is looking at me, I’m a normal human, but the second I’m observed, I become this cat-person. I had to hide what I was, until Brooke found me. It looks like it took someone like you to help me remember my humanity.”

“I didn’t ask for your history, old man,” Jessica said, though she’d lost her anger.

Erwin chuckled some more, then turned to Brooke. “You’ll need some supplies, though you know we don’t have much. It also looks like you’re about dead on your feet. Get some rest. We’ll have the boat prepped and ready for you when you wake up.” He stood and walked to the door, leaving them alone.

“Can we trust him?” Shelly asked as soon as she felt it was safe. Chances were that with those ears, Erwin had exceptional hearing.

“We can trust him to keep his skin whole,” Brooke said. She looked over to Jessica with a shrewd look. “That was a very foolish thing you did. Erwin is their leader here. No matter how much Brock and I have helped them, if he told this community to kill us, they would.”

“Sorry,” Jessica apologized. “I just couldn’t take any more of his self-righteous bullshit.”

They were all silent for a while. Shelly was still trying to understand how this city came to be. The amount of energy required in creating this space, or the floating island, and set up the whole thing was more than she could imagine. Then, for there to be a portal here from Earth… She thought only the Pillars were strong enough to fabricate those. That meant that at least one Pillar knew about this place, but which one? The most likely answer was Aunt Lysa. She was a crossbreed, just as all of Lyden’s children were. Though she wasn’t really the twins’ aunt. She would have been the most likely to sympathize with this group. Were there others strong enough to create portals? What about the Firsts?

If there was a First working with them….

Her thoughts were interrupted by Erwin returning. “I already have food being prepared for you at Brock’s hut. It’s a little crowded in there for the four of you. I have room here if you girls want to stay.” The way Erwin purred as he added that last statement gave Shelly the creeps.

Before she could respond, Brooke spoke up. “That’ll work great, Erwin. But I think the girls should stay at Brock’s place. I think they’d be more comfortable there. If you don’t mind, Brock and I will stay here. It’ll give us the chance to set down more plans for tomorrow and let them rest.”

If Erwin was disappointed, he hid it well.

“Come on!” Brock said cheerfully as his mechanical legs carried him past them. “I’ll show you where I live.”

In all the years she’d known her half-brother/sister, it never occurred to her to wonder where he lived. She’d never had any interest in seeing the home of the sibling that made her uncomfortable to be around.

Now that she knew what to look for, she took in her surroundings once outside. The air was humid, but not cloyingly so. The ground was solid, but she could sense the slight motion as the island rocked on the water. Some of the homes were built out of wood, and because they were underground, they didn’t have to worry about bad weather. More were made from the ground itself, dug out of the very rock they lived on. High overhead, moss gave off a strong grayish white glow that reminded Shelly of an overcast sky.

Brock—wait, now he was Bridgette. She hated when he did that—led them to one of the homes built into the rock. A tall hill rose up, and carved into the side were some steps leading down to a wooden door. Bridgette placed her hand against the door, and a moment later Shelly noticed a gentle glow rise and then fade before the door opened. Even in a place inhabited by those that relied on one another to survive, they still had to lock their doors.

Jessica stopped Bridgette before she could lead them in. “You know, it can be a bit disconcerting when you keep changing genders like that. Why don’t you pick one and stay that way?”

Shelly had often wondered the same thing, but was afraid it would have been rude to ask. Bridgette didn’t seem to mind, though, and smiled.

“Honestly? Because I know it bothers some people and those that it does, deserve to be bothered.” She walked inside as she continued speaking, though her words filled Shelly with guilt. “I used to get teased a lot when I was younger, but Dad showed me that there was nothing wrong with who I am. He taught me that it didn’t matter what my gender was, as long as I was happy with who I was. Some situations work better when I’m a woman, and some work better as a man. I like being Brock around Dad. I think he relates to me better that way, though I know he loves me no matter what. Erwin likes to stare at my breasts when I’m Bridgette, so I usually stay as Brock around him. I decided to be Bridgette now, so it’s just us girls.”

Bridgette showed them her small but cozy home, while Shelly reexamined her feelings towards this sibling. She’d always been uncomfortable around him/her because of her ability to change genders, but how was that any different than the twins’ ability to change shape? It was still the same person inside.

This home made the house she shared with Sheldon look huge. There was a small entryway that doubled as a sitting room, an equally small cooking area, and two smaller rooms attached.

“Mom doesn’t stay here often,” Bridgette told them. “So, I don’t need a lot of room. Since I was always bound to the water, I never left my room.” Shelly poked her head in and saw that the room was nothing more than a pool of water. “There’s an underwater tunnel that leads to the back door, and that’s how I usually come and go. I can’t believe Dad got me these awesome legs!”

“They work well for you!” Shelly told her, deciding to treat her better from now on.

“You two can sleep in here. The bed is a little small, but neither of you are big so you should be fine.” Bridgette showed them Brooke’s room. The bed was big enough that they’d both fit, but small enough that they’d have to cuddle. She didn’t mind that thought at all. In fact, as she looked at the bed, she had to stifle a yawn. The day had been a full one, and she was looking forward to some sleep.

“I’d better get back to Mom,” Bridgette said with a smile at Shelly’s yawn. “Erwin is all right, but I’ve seen the way he looks at my chest when I’m in this form. I swear, if he weren’t half cat and hated getting wet, he’d have tried to get with me a long time ago.”

Shelly laughed at the thought of a cat trying to get with someone who was half a fish.

“He won’t try anything on Brooke while she’s alone with him, will he?” Jessica asked. Shelly appreciated that her girlfriend was concerned about Shelly’s stepmom, but Jessica couldn’t know what Brooke was capable of.

Bridgette laughed before answering. “No, he wouldn’t dare. Mom could kick his ass, and he wouldn’t dare do anything to offend Dad. Everyone knows what Dad did and respects him.” She looked around for a moment before adding, “Sorry there’s not much in the way of accommodations, but help yourselves. I’m sure Mom will come get you in the morning.”

Shelly’s odd sibling left them, though she resolved to become better friends with her in the future.

“You dad seems like a pretty cool guy,” Jessica stated as the door closed behind Bridgette.

“Yeah,” Shelly said, wondering where this was coming from. “Some people don’t like the fact that he has so many wives, or that he has so many powerful friends, but I tend to like him.” She meant to say it light heartedly, but knew she meant it.

“He’s smart, open minded, strong—“

“You’re not crushing on my dad, are you?” Shelly asked, bothered at the concept.

“What?” Jessica asked with wide eyes. “No! Eww. It’s just that you don’t meet many men like that. I can see parts of him in you that make you so wonderful.”

Shelly couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. She knew her dad was awesome, but this was the first time she’d ever been paid a compliment like this.

“I know you’re tired,” Jessica said as Shelly felt her hand rest on her lower back, “but I was kind of hoping I could apologize for my behavior earlier.”

Shelly turned to her and smiled. “You already apologized.” She placed her hand on Jessica’s cheek and looked into her blue eyes. “We all make snap judgments. The hard part is realizing our mistakes and apologizing, which you’ve already done.”

“But I wanted to apologize,” Jessica stressed and used her hand on Shelly’s back to pull them close.

Understanding flooded Shelly as she felt the other woman’s lips brush hers. “Well why didn’t you say so?” Shelly asked as a grin split her lips. She was tired, sure, but sleeping could wait.

Jessica’s arms tightened as Shelly placed hers around the back of the woman’s neck. Their lips were soft as they came back together. There was no urgency in the kiss, no driving passion, but it was filled with tender care. The two women stood there for a moment in each other’s arms, enjoying the security they felt at having one another.

Despite enjoying the slow pace of the kiss, it was Shelly that first opened her mouth to let her tongue explore the other woman’s. Jessica opened to her, and their tongues met in a slow dance, twisting and brushing against the other. Jessica’s mouth was sweet as their bodies pressed together.

Her heart quickened when Jessica lowered her hands to Shelly’s rear, fondling her. Shelly brought her hands between them, moving to the hem of Jessica’s shirt and pulled it up to her neck. Neither one wanted to break the kiss, so she reached around to her back and undid the strap of her bra.

Jessica slipped her arms out of the shirt and bra, though the shirt still hung around her neck. Shelly capitalized on the other woman’s free breasts and took each of the perfect mounds in one hand. Jessica moaned into their shared kiss as Shelly brushed her thumbs her girlfriend’s nipples.

She felt Jessica’s hands slide up her rear to her shirt, and soon her shirt was around her neck and her bra was on the floor.

Shelly had to release her girlfriend’s breasts as Jessica pulled them together again. Her own breasts molded around Jessica’s firm mounds. She wrapped her arms around the slender woman, tightening the press between them. The feeling of bare skin on bare skin sent a shiver through her.

Even though they had fooled around in the Orange Bubble earlier, Shelly felt her crotch slicken with desire. When in the car, it had been a mad rush to get each other off and heal, but this time they could enjoy themselves.

“Come on,” Jessica pulled away and smiled. She grabbed Shelly’s hand and tugged her into the bedroom, while pulling her shirt over her head with the other hand. For the briefest of seconds, Shelly was uncomfortable with the idea of having sex on her stepmom’s bed, but when Jessica turned and gave her dazzling smile, she didn’t care. She could always remove the sheets first, or do it on the carpeted floor. When Jessica bit her bottom lip, reached out and thumbed her right nipple, then pulled her into another kiss, she quit worrying and just enjoyed her girlfriend’s hands on her body. Her thighs grew slick as her pussy leaked out its desires.

Shelly stripped off her shirt and they both removed their pants before falling to the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. Shelly ended up on her back with Jessica’s right leg between her thighs, pressed up against her moist slit.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?” Jessica said, sending a thrill through Shelly at the compliment.

“You’re a sweet talker,” she replied and then moaned as Jessica pressed her thigh hard against the juncture of Shelly’s thighs. “But I like it,” she finished and pulled Jessica’s face down to hers. Shelly ground her snatch against the other woman’s leg. Her hips lifted and fell as her crotch slid across Jessica’s naked thigh. Every motion sent sensations of bliss through her, radiating up from her clit and blossoming into her stomach and chest.

Jessica pulled her head away, then dropped it to nuzzle into Shelly’s neck. She felt her teeth graze her sensitive skin, though she didn’t bite, sending another thrill through her. Jessica moved her leg away, causing Shelly to groan in frustration. She was getting close! A couple more seconds and she would have cum.

Jessica’s mouth trailed down Shelly’s collarbone, but it was the woman’s hand against her moist sex that made Shelly gasp. She felt one finger slide in, easily slipping between her damp folds. She gasped again when Jessica’s lips brushed across one stiff nipple. Shelly gripped the sheets as waves of pleasure washed over her. She tossed her head from side to side as she soaked Jessica’s hand.

It took her a few breaths to regain her senses. She tried to sit up, but Jessica pressed her back down.

“I want to return the favor,” Shelly moaned, wanting to press her lips against every inch of this fantastic woman.

“Maybe when I’m done apologizing,” Jessica grinned. “Besides, I’m enjoying myself.

Shelly decided to let her have her way. Besides, it wasn’t like she wasn’t enjoying Jessica’s ‘apology.’

Jessica dropped her head down and trailed kisses across Shelly’s flat stomach to her right hip, and then her thigh. She felt hot breath pass her vulva before Jessica nipped lightly on the inside of her other thigh. She jumped, but it turned into a moan as she felt a tongue slide along her thigh, back towards her hungry heated pussy. Jessica used her mouth to open Shelly’s petals. She felt her tongue poking at her hole, lapping up her juices. Jessica moved her muscle around in a random pattern, keeping Shelly on edge, but not sending her over that proverbial cliff. Her clit felt ignored as Jessica continued to focus on her opening. She tried to shift her hips to let the woman know what she wanted, but Jessica seemed to anticipate her movements, moving perfectly in time to keep from touching that magical button.

Just when she thought she was going to lose her mind, Jessica shifted up and sucked hard on her clit. At the same time, Shelly felt fingers penetrate her again and rub along the top wall of her burning canal. This didn’t just tip her over the edge, but launched her off it. Her body shuddered as she screamed in rapture. She was no longer in control of her body, but she couldn’t think clearly enough to care. Her entire world centered on the tingling in her skin, the fluttering in her stomach, the curling of her toes as she thrashed around on the bed, and the feeling of those fingers still pumping into her, stretching out her blissful orgasm.

“Okay!” Shelly croaked as she reached down and pulled the fingers out of her. “By the Pillars, I’ve never had an orgasm like that before!”

“Am I forgiven?” Jessica asked with an impish grin crossing her face.

“I already told you that you were,” Shelly sighed in exasperation. “Now get up and, so I can return the favor!”

She tried to pull Jessica up, but she was a bit weak after that powerful climax. Jessica didn’t resist, though, lithely moving up Shelly’s body until they could kiss. Shelly tasted her own juices on the other woman’s lips. It increased her hunger, and she reached down to grab Jessica’s firm butt cheeks. This time the kiss was filled with passion. It was almost scary how much Shelly desired this woman. Any fear she might have had was pressed to the background, however, as Shelly needed to please this woman.

With a growl, Shelly rolled them over, almost knocking Jessica off the small bed in her haste. They readjusted, this time with the black haired beauty on her back.

Shelly dove for her perfect breasts, lavishing the nipples with her tongue as she lowered her right hand to Jessica’s cunt. It was soaked, the viscous liquid pouring from her swollen petals. She slipped three fingers into her, before she was aware of her desire to do so. Jessica bucked against the invading digits, moaning in rapture. The sound of her moans went through Shelly like a lightning bolt, fueling her desires and driving her on.

She lowered herself down Jessica’s fit body without removing her fingers. She didn’t have the patience to tease as Jessica had, and attacked the nubbin at the juncture at the top of her inner labia. Jessica jerked as Shelly brought her over the top, ramming her fingers into her well saturated pussy.

Shelly wished she had a large cock to ram her the way she was pounding her fingers into Jessica. Her insides felt empty. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a thick piece of meat thrusting into her, but for some reason she thought it hadn’t been that long ago. Hell, she’d even accept Erwin’s average penis right then. If Brock walked in right then, she didn’t know if she could keep herself off of him. She was so horny right that moment, the fact that it was her brother only slightly bothered her.

She was just debating on going to get him, when Jessica got her attention again by pulling her back up and into a kiss. She wrapped her legs around Shelly’s thighs, giving her whole body a strong hug. Despite none of her erogenous zones being stimulated, Shelly felt another climax crash through her. She couldn’t remember ever being this aroused. What was it about this woman that turned her on so much?

“Get some rest,” Jessica whispered as she tucked Shelly under the covers. Shelly still felt empty inside, but after three powerful orgasms, exhaustion won out. Maybe she could talk to Erwin before they left tomorrow. She had no doubt he would be happy to fill her holes.

Jessica walked to the door of the small room and looked back, but Shelly barely noticed as her eyelids drooped and sleep overtook her. She thought Jessica might have left, but when she woke the next morning, her girlfriend was holding her tight. Warmth spread through the twin as she remembered their shared bliss, but not much else from last night’s coupling.

Eldon’s body ached as consciousness forced itself on him. His head felt as though an ogre was using it to play a game of table tennis. He was losing. A groan escaped him as his eyes opened. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this hung-over, but he couldn’t remember drinking last night either.

“Five more minutes,” Gloria muttered next to him.

Eldon looked around, trying to get his bearings. They were in the Orange Bubble, the curtains drawn tight but letting in some light. Gloria lay next to him in bed, stark naked. So was he. He couldn’t remember sleeping with her last night.... For that matter, he couldn’t remember much of anything after going through the undersea portal into Earth.

“My head hurts,” Shelly groaned. Her head popped up from the floor at the foot of the bed. Eldon looked away from his sister as he realized she was also naked. The twins had seen each other naked plenty of times before, but for some reason, Eldon’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Jessica popped up next, right beside Shelly, looking as embarrassed as Eldon felt. “What happened last night?”

“Ugh,” Gloria moaned and covered her head with a pillow. “Even succubae need their beauty sleep.”

“When did you make it back?” Brooke asked, poking her head out of the fountain. “I thought you stayed behind to fight Poseidon. Do you kids have any coffee in here? I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

“I could use some coffee as well,” Bridgette said behind her mother and rubbed her eyes. Neither of them seemed to be bothered by the fact that they were topless. The inappropriate thought that there were thousands of people out there that would love to see the supermodel naked, and here he was wishing he could just duck his head under the covers and wish the day away.

“Poseidon was a pushover,” Gloria stated with a grunt. She tossed the pillow aside and sat up. Despite her comment about needing beauty sleep, Eldon thought she looked delightful. She smiled at him and patted his cheek. “Thank you, sweety. Every girl likes to hear that first thing in the morning.”

He felt his cheeks burn hotter, having forgotten that as a succubus, she could read his mind. Hopefully she wouldn’t read too deep and know what her fantastic body was making him think.

“That’s nice too,” she told him with a wink and a smile, making his cheeks darken and his manhood harden.

“I want to know why we’re all naked. I should have gotten dressed before going to sleep,” Shelly muttered. She groaned as she wrapped a blanket around her and walked to one of the armoires by the bed. “And why am I so sore?”

“Swimming can take a lot out of you,” Jessica offered. She must have forgotten that Shelly did very little swimming yesterday. Eldon’s head hurt too much to point that out. All of him hurt to much.

He moved to the armoire that housed his clothing and dressed while trying to maintain some small shred of decency. The inside of the car was spacious, but there were a lot of people in here, and he was the only male. Part of him wished Bridgette would change. There was too much estrogen floating around.

Brooke stepped out of the fountain and Eldon noticed an odd look cross her face. “I’m pretty sore everywhere too.” She gave Bridgette a glance, and then shook her head. “I really need that coffee.”

“So…” Shelly said as she pulled her pants on, finishing getting dressed. She was looking at Gloria in a way that made Eldon nervous. “Aphrodite, huh?”

“That was a long time ago,” she said evenly. “I’m a different person now.”

“And Lilly?” Shelly pressed.

“Leave her alone,” Eldon snapped, feeling his anger rise as his sister attacked his girlfriend. “She saved us yesterday, and you’re treating her like she’s the bad guy.” He’d made the mistake of not coming to her defense once before. He wouldn’t do that again.

Shelly gave him a sad look that he recognized. It was the same look she gave him when she thought he was being foolish. Well, he wasn’t being stupid. She was. Every time he started liking a girl, she interfered. She’d done it with Jessica, and now she was doing it with Gloria.

Gloria’s hand on his shoulder stopped his mental tirade.

“Thank you, Eldon, but I’m a big girl.” There was only a slight tone of rebuke in her voice, but it hit him hard. She gave his cheek a soft kiss which mollified him a little. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I think your sister should ask what’s really on her mind.”

Shelly glared, and Eldon heard Jessica mutter, “Rude to read minds,” as though she had any room to speak.

“What was all that talk about the Firsts?” Shelly asked.

“I haven’t heard of them either,” Brooke piped up, though she seemed in a better mood than Shelly.

“I’m not surprised,” Gloria said. “They try to keep that a secret. Very few know of them.”

“They?” Jessica asked, arching one eyebrow. “So you’re not one of them?”

Gloria looked at her lap and shook her head. “The Firsts were the first beings created, along with the creation of the universe. Or maybe they’re part of the universe itself. They were here before time began. Chronos, the true inventor of time, gathered the Firsts together and created the Earth. They also forced out the Outsiders who thrived on chaos. They brought order to existence.”

“Outsiders? You mean the things our dad fought during the Chaos War?” Eldon asked.

“Yes. They’re always trying to find their way back. They’re jealous of the order that was created, and want to destroy it.” Gloria looked at him as though she was afraid what he might think of all of this.

“What does it mean to be a First, other than being old?” Jessica asked.

“Being old isn’t so bad,” Gloria responded. “It means that they’re unkillable. I don’t mean they’re immortal in the normal sense. Vampires are immortal, but can be killed a number of ways. The Firsts can’t be killed.”

“But Poseidon said that TanaVesta was a First, and Dad killed her. He also said that Varun was dying from what Dad did to him,” Shelly stated.

“Yes, and that worries me.” Gloria sounded afraid. She hadn’t sounded like that when she faced Poseidon yesterday, but she did now. “During the Chaos War, the Outsider tried to kill the Pillars of this world to make it unstable. If enough of the Firsts fall, reality would crumble and everyone would die.”

“How many Firsts are there?” Eldon asked. He sat next to Gloria and gave her a smile. He wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. It’s not like it mattered to him how old she was. As a person who could change his appearance at will, he knew the value of who a person was rather than what they looked like. And it’s not like she’s one of them.

She smiled back at him and rested her head on his shoulder. “No one knows how many there are. There aren’t many, though. All of the original Pillars and Chronos are all I know for sure.”

“If they’re so secretive, how do you know about them?” Jessica demanded. “And if they’re supposedly unkillable, why keep their existence a secret?”

Gloria’s eyes narrowed as she lifted her head from Eldon’s shoulder. He glared at the girl he once cared for, not liking her attitude, but he remembered Gloria’s admonition that she could care for herself and kept his mouth shut.

“For the same reason I can’t read your mind,” Gloria said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were lightning. “Everyone wants to have their own secrets. When you’re that old and hold that much power, you don’t want everyone to know. If people know you’re unkillable, some of them will take that as a challenge and try to kill you. Doesn’t make for a peaceful existence.”

“But they can be killed,” Bridgette said from the fountain. Eldon had all but forgotten she was there. “Dad could do it. But, wait… I thought all of the Pillars’ strength and power came from their mantles. If they’re as strong as you say, then why did they need the mantles to create the Shadow World?”

Gloria was silent for a moment. Eldon knew she was trying to figure out how to answer that question. “Lysa,” she said after a few moments. “Look at your sister. She’s had the Mantle of Air for over twenty years, but she still can’t control it perfectly. Whenever she’s around, the wind blows, no matter how hard she tries to control it. Yes, the Firsts are incredibly powerful. Creating the Shadow World required both power and precision. When they made our reality, all they needed was power. When they made the Shadow World, they were splitting off a portion of reality for us to survive in. It required precision to keep from destroying Earth in the process. They hammered out the universe, but needed a scalpel to create a separate reality within their universe. For one of the Firsts, the mantle changes a nuke into an extremely sharp scalpel. It also absorbs some of their strength so that they don’t stand out as much, and can blend in. That excess power is what Lysa and Angela now wield as the Pillars of Air and Fire.”

“Will that power run out?” Shelly asked, alarmed. “What happens when their mantles run dry? Will the Shadow World collapse?”

Gloria shook her head again. “Not very likely. At least, not for a few hundred years. And even then, four of the six Pillars should be able to support the Shadow World. The reason it was dangerous before, was because an Outsider was there, actively trying to tear apart that world. Of course, the way the worlds are working together now means that maybe there won’t be a need to have two different worlds within a century or two.”

“The Daughters of Respite and the Paladonic Knights are still out there, preaching their hate,” Brooke spoke up. “They may be weakened now, but I know firsthand how much they want us destroyed.”

“There will always be those out there that hate,” Gloria soothed her. “Both sides have proven that time and—“

“You still haven’t said how you know so much,” Jessica interrupted.

Gloria stared at her for a long moment before a grin split her lips. “And you haven’t told them everything about you, either. What did Marchosias call you? The prodigal daughter? We all have some secrets. As Aphrodite, I could make you spill them all. I could make you love me and become my willing and devoted disciple, but I won’t.” Jessica’s face went white at the threat. “I won’t force someone to do something against their will.”

“You’re right,” Shelly moved to Jessica’s side and took her hand. Eldon hadn’t realized how close the two had become until this moment. For a second he grew jealous. Had his sister drove a wedge between them because she wanted Jessica? He’d never thought of his sister as devious, but now he wondered.

“No,” Gloria muttered next to him, quiet enough so only he could hear. “Your sister truly cares about you and wants you to be happy.”

He felt guilty for a moment, both for suspecting his sister of something, and for being relieved that his girlfriend could read Shelly’s mind enough to soothe him.

Gloria’s arm slipped around his waist and hugged him.

“For better or worse, we’re all tied up in this now,” Gloria said. “We’re on the same team. We need to be able to trust each other, but forcing someone to reveal their secrets won’t allow that to happen.”

For a moment, it looked to Eldon like Jessica was going to argue. She opened her mouth, ready to say something, closed it, opened it again, then nodded. “Fine, but don’t expect me to trust you completely.”

Gloria smiled, but didn’t take the bait.

“Where are we?” Bridgette asked. She was confined to the fountain and couldn’t look out the window.

“We’re back on land,” Aunt Brooke stated as she pulled a curtain aside. “Not sure where though. Wish I could remember what happened after we got in here last night. We’re still moving, so the Orange Bubble must know where we need to be.”

“How can a car know where we need to be?” Jessica asked.

Eldon was used to the car and its mysterious ways. It held a portion of the Pillar of Fire’s soul, from before she was the Pillar. It could act on its own and often did. Gloria didn’t seem surprised by the statement, though, so Eldon figured she could sense the portion of soul in the car, or the Pillar of Fire had told her about it already.

“It’s more than just a portion,” Gloria said to him while his sister started explaining to Jessica. “After over twenty years, it’s gained its own identity. I think Angela and the car are still linked, but not as much as they once were.”

Eldon nodded, accepting what she was saying. He lived in a world where magic and mystery were commonplace. Why not a car that was a living entity all on its own?

Eldon’s phone gave a short ring, and he heard Shelly’s buzz a second later. He moved to the nightstand where his phone rested and picked it up. He had a text message from an unknown number. His forehead crinkled as he read it.

“Does yours say the same thing?” Shelly asked him.

“What does it say?” Brooke asked and looked over Shelly’s shoulder.

Eldon hit the link in his message, and waited for the video to start streaming.

“…Ambassador Snow will be addressing the United Nations on that in Washington,” a female news reporter stated in the live feed. “As attacks from magical creatures increase, fears have risen about whether the Shadow World is truly as peaceful as the Pillars would have us believe.” The woman stood outside of a large white building, and Eldon couldn’t deny he thought she looked beautiful with her long strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.

“I could look like her for you if you want,” Gloria whispered in his ear.

Eldon immediately felt shame for his thoughts.

“Don’t feel bad,” Gloria told him with a peck to his cheek. “Looks aren’t the most important thing to most of us succubae. Besides, I understand you’re a man and your eyes will wonder. I know what you feel for me.”

“And as Aphrodite?” He couldn’t help but ask. “She was quite the jealous woman from what I remember being taught.”

“I’m not her, anymore,” Gloria said with a hurt tone.

“You’re right,” he told her, forcing himself to meet her eyes. “You’re Gloria. One helluva kisser, and my perfect girlfriend.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and turned his attention back to his phone and the news report.

“Many are suggesting that the United Nations should set up border patrols like we do along our borders here in the US,” an older gentleman back in the studio said. “Have you heard anything on that where you are, Shlee?”

The camera returned to the attractive woman, who held her earpiece in while listening to the guy in the studio. “You’re right Mark. I spoke with some protesters earlier today about that. They agreed with the D.O.R. and P.K. groups, saying that we need to impose greater sanctions against the creatures from the other world.”

Eldon knew who the D.O.R. and P.K. groups were; the Daughters of Respite and the Paladonic Knights.

The attractive reporter was still talking. “Here is a clip from an interview with one of the protesters earlier today.”

The scene changed, and now the woman was talking with a man in his mid-forties. He had short cropped gray hair and looked to be in good physical shape, despite wearing shabby clothing.

Gloria tensed next to him and he glanced her way.

“That’s Michael Mulhan,” she told them. “He’s the Paladonic Knights’ head of propaganda. If he’s in front of the camera, you know the damned P.K.’s are behind the unrest.”

“Magic is an unholy thing,” Michael was telling the reporter. “The Bible speaks about how it is evil to use powers from the devil. Anything from that world is unnatural and should be destroyed, not treated as though they have some sort of rights in our world. This world belongs to the humans, not the monsters.”

“What about those that say that God is the Pillar of Light and resides in the Shadow World?” Shlee asked.

The man sneered as he answered. “A trick of the Devil. God is not some magical being existing in that realm of sin. They call it the Shadow World for a reason, and it’s not because it’s always dark there. It is the world from which all mankind’s nightmares reside.” Michael laughed at his own joke, but Shlee didn’t.

The screen flashed back to the present with Shlee standing in front of the government building.

“As you can see, the protesters are firm in their beliefs. They stated that they don’t believe that Ambassador Snow should be here, talking to the United Nations, much less our own president.”

“Thank you, Shlee Olsen,” the male reporter back in the studio stated as the camera cut back to him. “Keep an eye on that crowd and keep us informed, but stay safe.”

The camera angle changed, showing the group a familiar face, while keeping the male reporter in the frame. “In our studio we have a representative from Ambassador Snow’s camp, to give us the other side of the story. Becky Snow, one of Ambassador Lyden Snow’s wives, is here with us.” He turned to face one of the twins’ stepmoms to address her. “Mrs. Snow, what can you tell us about the meeting your husband is going into, today?”

Becky had aged well over the last twenty-two years. Her brown hair didn’t show a hint of gray, though she was also in her mid-forties. There were fine lines around her mouth and eyes, but she looked like she was in her early thirties. Eldon had once heard his sister mention that Gaia kept her looking young. Eldon didn’t know if it was true, but she looked good for her age.

“I can’t comment on everything, Mark,” Becky stated with a genuine smile. She wasn’t the most attractive of his dad’s wives, but had an inner beauty that made her glow anyway. “What I can say, is that my husband is meeting with the world leaders about the increased attacks in both worlds. While a few humans have been attacked in the Shadow World, there have been many more magical creatures attacked in this one. Lyden wants to find a peaceful solution for all of us to coexist.”

“You heard the interview with the protesters,” Mark replied as though he were reading from a script, instead of listening to Becky. “What would you say to them?”

Becky’s grin grew hungry as she looked at the host. “That human history is full of people making claims that others shouldn’t exist, simply because they were different. Hitler did it during World War II, trying to build up his Aryan race, while decimating the Jews. The Ku Klux Klan has tried for decades to subjugate others, for no other reason than their skin color. All of them have one thing in common: they’re racists. No good has ever come from one group of people trying to put themselves above another. In fact, a lot of good has come from when humanity works together.”

“But there is the key word: humanity,” Mark offered an apologetic smile that Eldon could see was false. “Creatures from your world aren’t human. They’re something else, and most of them are dangerous to us.”

Becky gave her head a sad shake. “Mark, you’re making the same mistake many of them do. This is my world. I was born here in the United States. I’m one-hundred percent human. Many of them were also born in this world, but left when humanity became too violent for them to coexist with us millennia ago. And you’re wrong again, when you say most of them are dangerous to us. Most of them are peaceful. Yes, some are dangerous, but then again, the same can be said about humans. Most humans are peaceful, but some of us are dangerous. Judging all because of a few makes us no better than the racists I mentioned earlier.”

“Yes, but doesn’t humanity have a right to protect itself against those that mean us harm?” Mark pressed. It was obvious to Eldon that the man had his own agenda to push.

By the look in Becky’s brown eyes, she saw it too. “Every living creature, whether human or magical, has the right to defend itself. They don’t, however, have the right to attack someone, or something, because they’re different.”

“Well, I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today,” Mark almost cut Becky off. “I want to thank you for coming on today and giving us your controversial view.”

“Thank you for having me.” The creases at the corners of Becky’s lips deepened as she forced a smile. It was a look Eldon and his sister knew all too well from when she taught them. Growing up, Becky had been their main teacher, instead of attending any sort of official school. She had a huge heart, but had little tolerance for idiots. She never had any kids of her own, and treated all of Lyden’s children as though they were hers.

Just before the camera pulled off of her, he saw her pull out a phone. A moment later, Shelly and he received a text. It read, “Hurry and get here. Your father is in trouble.” It was from the same number as earlier. It had to be Becky’s phone, though it wasn’t from the number they had stored for her.

Eldon had to catch his balance as the Orange Bubble picked up speed. He didn’t know how far away they were, but doubted it would take long for them to arrive with Lyden Snow in danger. Eldon often wondered if the Orange Bubble loved him as much as Angela did.

“What do you think is going on? What have I missed while I was captured?” Brooke asked. Bridgette and her were looking at Shelly’s phone along with Jessica. Eldon Wondered if he stunk, with all of the other woman looking at Shelly’s phone.

“You smell good to me,” Gloria nuzzled against his neck. “In fact, you smell like sex….” She trailed off, then shook her head. “Nevermind. We can fool around later. Let’s go save your father.”

Eldon wondered at her odd statement, but brushed it aside. If Dad was in trouble, they needed to hurry. Once, Lyden Snow had been a man with powers and abilities all his own. After dying at the end of the Chaos War, he was brought back, but lost all of his powers. For all intents and purposes, he was human and therefore vulnerable.

Shelly talked to Brooke as they rode. None of them really knew what was going on, and despite repeated texts to Becky, she didn’t respond.

They must not have been far from Washington D.C., because it only took about fifteen minutes before the car stopped. They looked at one another, not sure what to expect when they stepped out.

Eldon went first, with his sister on his heels. The first thing he noticed was the noise. Two large groups of protesters were facing off against each other, shouting their own ideologies. The group on the left carried signs saying such things as, “Magic is evil,” and, “Go home, devils,” and, “Suck my blood and you’ll suck the end of my shotgun.”

On the right were opposing protesters with signs that read, “End the hate,” and, “Peace before pride,” and, “The worlds are big enough to share.”

Eldon noticed Shlee Olsen standing between them, taping another segment. She noticed them stepping out of the Orange Bubble and signaled her cameraman to quit filming. They must have looked like a bunch of clowns getting out of the small orange Volkswagen Beatle. Gloria, Brooke, and Jessica came after Shelly. Bridgette had to remain in the fountain, unable to leave.

“I’m glad you came,” Shlee grinned at Eldon as she walked up to the group.

Eldon looked around, figuring she must mean someone else, but the other women were giving him odd looks. When he turned back to face the reporter, her hand was out, waiting to be shaken.

Eldon took it, noting her powerful grip.

“I wasn’t sure if you were in this world and would get my message, but I had to try. Did you pick up Becky along the way?” She spoke fast, though keeping her voice from carrying too far. Eldon had to focus his hearing to hear her over the protesters.

“We thought Becky sent that message,” Shelly said, recovering from the shock of this woman first. “What’s going on?”

Shlee looked over her shoulders at the protesters, and Eldon noticed that Michael was still among them, glaring at the group. He didn’t know if the Paladonic Knight knew who they were, but wouldn’t doubt it. He should have thought to put on a disguise, but it was too late now.

“It’s not safe out here. Follow me.” She turned back to her camera man again, who was giving her an odd look. “Frank, I’m going to interview these people, but not on camera. These are Lyden’s kids, and—“

“I know her,” Frank pointed to Brooke with a wide grin. “Well, I mean everyone knows who Brooke Snow is: supermodel extraordinaire and one of Lyden’s wives. Man, that guy is so lucky having so many beautiful women.” His eyes were large and star struck as he gazed at Brooke. “Listen, I want you to know that I agree with the peaceful group. If the Shadow World holds creatures as beautiful as you, then they can’t all be bad.”

“Frank!” Shlee snapped. “Where’s your professionalism?”

“It’s okay,” Brooke said with a small smile and shook his hand. “I’m glad to know there are people like you in this world. But you should know that even beauty can hide evil.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Frank was almost drooling on himself. Eldon was half certain that if Brooke said the moon was square and made out of silicon, he would agree with her.

“Frank?” Shlee asked, indicating the man should move out of their way. “Frank?” she had to repeat herself before the man blinked and looked away from Brooke.

“Oh, right!” he spluttered and looked around. “I’ll, uh, get some shots of the protestors and, uh, whatnot for use later as stock footage. It was really an honor to meet you, Mrs. Snow. An honor!”

Shlee pushed him out of the way, and they followed her towards the government building. “Sorry about that. Frank is a nice guy, but he tends to be a bit of a pervert.”

“A bit?” Gloria chuckled.

Eldon remembered that she could read the minds of those around them, and he was tired of being left in the dark.

“What’s going on?” he asked his girlfriend, mentally requesting her to look into Shlee’s mind. They fell back a bit, letting the other women in front of them.

“Not sure,” Gloria said. Eldon looked at her, confused, and saw that she looked concerned. “I can’t get a read on her. There are too many minds around here that I can’t read. I don’t like when I get blocked like this.”

“Like Jessica?” he asked. The woman turned and frowned at him. Too late he remembered she could read minds too. Why was it that the women could read minds, but he was always left wondering? It wouldn’t surprise him to learn that Shelly could as well. There were too many times she seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. It would be just like her to hide something like that from him. He sometimes wondered if all women could read minds, and some of them kept it a secret as a conspiracy against men.

“Would you relax?” Gloria chided him. “There’s no conspiracy. No, your sister can’t read minds. You wear your thoughts on your pretty face, and that’s why she can read you. She cares about you, and knows you pretty well. Not every mind can be read. Some are magically blocked, and some are able to keep their thoughts to themselves.”

“Magically blocked? Like the D.O.R.?” he asked, growing worried. The D.O.R. were immune to almost all magic. They were women who were supernaturally gifted, but the gift was somehow blocked in them, and they were raised to believe they were normal humans. From a young age, they were taught to hate anything from the Shadow World, and worse, taught to kill it. Only their highest ranking members knew the truth about what they were.

Was Jessica a D.O.R. agent? He tried to think back, and couldn’t remember her performing any magic, besides reading minds. She was a gifted fighter, and knew how to kill ogres.

“If you don’t stop that, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack.” Gloria flicked his ear with one finger, making it sting a little. “She has magic, and has used it on your sister. No, I’m not going to tell you the details, other than she was hurt and Jessica healed her. No, I can’t read Jessica’s mind. That was in Shelly’s.” Gloria paused as Eldon realized he was being an idiot, and changed his thoughts around. “If you keep thinking like that, I’m going to have to pull you into a closet and rip your clothes off. You could give Frank a few lessons in imagination!”

Eldon smiled, though her comment about giving Frank a few lessons bothered him a bit. Not that he expected someone to have clean thoughts about Brooke. She was a beautiful woman with her long red hair and green eyes. Eldon knew she was well over a hundred and sixty, but she looked to be in her late twenties. No, for some reason he felt a bit possessive over her, and considering it was his stepmom, that bothered him.

They reached the entryway into the large white government building, and were stopped by security guards.

Shlee showed them something and they were let through. “The press can get in almost anywhere.” She grinned at them.

Eldon was about to ask what was going on, but Gloria’s hand on his arm stopped him. He glanced back at the guards, but they were no help.

They travelled down a few hallways and up a flight of stairs, before halting outside an unadorned white door.

“Your father is inside,” Shlee said in solemn tones that set Eldon’s nerves on edge. He was about to demand answers, when she opened the door.

“Lyden!” Brooke squealed and charged into the room.

“You’re safe!” Eldon heard his father exclaim. The relief in his voice spoke volumes about the love he had for this woman. He heard the same tones whenever he spoke to any of his wives.

Eldon felt a pang of jealousy strike him that he couldn’t explain. He’d never lusted after any of his stepmoms before, and generally considered his father to be a lucky man to have the love of so many beautiful women. He shoved the feeling down with a confused vengeance.

Gloria’s arm slipped around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I love happy endings,” she declared.

Shlee sniffed and gave him an odd look. “Don’t get happy too quick. I meant what I said about your father being in danger. Everyone get in the room.”

“Wait a minute,” Shelly demanded as Eldon moved to the room. “How do we know we can trust you? For all we know, you could be the danger.”

Eldon stopped. For a split second, he mentally chewed his sister out for always being suspicious of every pretty woman.

“She’s safe,” Gloria spoke into his ear, and Eldon nodded. He trusted his girlfriend.

“I wouldn’t have sent you that text if all I wanted to do was hurt your father,” Shlee growled. She literally growled.

“Unless you wanted to off us all together,” Shelly argued. Eldon noticed that Jessica was trying to pull her into the room, but his sister could be bullish when she wanted to be.

“Fine, stay out here,” Shlee snarled, and sniffed again. “Becky should be here soon, so send her in when she arrives.” She charged into the room followed by Gloria and Eldon.

“She can be trusted,” Lyden called to his daughter.

Eldon knew better than to look back at his sister. If she decided to stay stubborn, looking at her would only make her dig her heels in deeper.

The room they entered was large, and there was another woman with them. The woman had long black hair and dark brown skin boasting of Hispanic descent. She had shocking blue eyes. Those eyes regarded them with a level of intelligence that intimidated Eldon. She was tall, almost as tall as their father.

“Everyone, this is President Martha Louise,” Lyden stated, indicating the woman. Brooke hung on his arm like she was never going to let go.

“President?” Eldon asked. “As in…”

“As in President of these United States,” she said with pride. Spending so little time on Earth, Eldon rarely paid much attention to politics. “It’s nice to finally meet the twins that have been keeping our citizens safe.” She held out her hand and Eldon shook it, noticing her delicate grip.

“Safe?” Eldon asked. He was used to dealing with the Pillars, so meeting this president wouldn’t have been a big deal, other than it was the last thing he expected to be doing at the moment. Between Shlee’s warnings, and the tension he could feel in the air, the word ‘safe’ didn’t mean much to him.

“Ahem,” Lyden broke in. “I’ve been telling President Louise about the ogres you slew a few weeks ago.”

A few weeks? Eldon wondered. That was only a week ago by his timeline. Once again, the way time changed between the realms had thrown him off.

“Jessica helped us,” Eldon pointed to her. He noticed that the woman was white faced and staring at his father. He recalled that her reaction was about the same the last time she’d met him. Eldon couldn’t deny that his father could be an imposing figure. His fame from saving both worlds during the Chaos War, coupled with the stories of him coming back to life, and then all of the hard work he’d put into bringing the two worlds closer together, didn’t make him an easy person to approach. Eldon knew he had a big heart though, and wasn’t as scary as some of the stories made him out to be.

“You have quite the talented children, Ambassador Snow,” the President stated with a smile, shaking Shelly’s and then Jessica’s hands. Jessica flinched when the woman took her hand, but didn’t say anything. “I see they even brought the beautiful Brooke back to us.”

“They were pretty impressive and made a good team,” Brooke agreed. Such praise coming from the woman that had once been a trained assassin said a lot.

Gloria elbowed Eldon, making him grunt. “Madame President,” he spoke up, “This is Gloria. She’s a… uh—” Eldon didn’t know how the President of the United States would take meeting a succubus, much less Aphrodite herself.

“I’m a succubus, Madame President,” Gloria said with a smile.

The president didn’t hesitate as she took Gloria’s hand, and her smile seemed genuine. “I don’t mind saying that I envy you. I haven’t been with anyone since my late husband. What must it be like to be so open sexually?”

Eldon gasped at Martha’s blunt statement. He was shocked that this woman would ask such a question, but Gloria just laughed. “Sometimes it can be just as frustrating,” she said. “It’s hard to find a man that can hit all the right spots. Harder still, to find a man that actually knows what he’s doing!” She gave Eldon a not-so-chaste kiss, making him blush, but his pants to tighten.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Shlee pressed her ear against it, and then nodded. She opened the door and Becky stood there, wide-eyed.

“Brooke?” she said first, and then looked around the room. “Lyden? Kids? Oh, thank goodness you’re all safe! I got this text message saying—”

“We got it too,” Shelly said. Eldon was still trying to catch his breath after that kiss.

“I sent that text,” Shlee said after glancing outside and closing the door. “After I interviewed some of the protesters, I overheard them talking about a plot to kill the President and Ambassador.”

Eldon was wondering what his dad was doing in a room, alone with the President. She was attractive enough for an older woman, but Eldon suspected that his dad didn’t sleep with just anyone. If both their lives were in danger, it would be easier to guard them together.

Then again, it would also be easier to take them out together. Where was the Secret Service? Shouldn’t they be just outside the door?

“How did you get our numbers?” Shelly asked. Apparently she still didn’t trust the woman.

“I gave them to her,” Lyden said. “I know her, and her father owes me a favor.”

“Who—?” Eldon started to ask who her father was, but another knock on the door interrupted him.

“Are you expecting anyone else?” Shlee asked as she pressed her ear to the door.

“No,” Lyden and the President both stated at once.

Everyone exchanged glances, but Shlee waved them back from the door.

“Eldon, grab my neck,” Shelly ordered him.

He knew what she had in mind, and grabbed the back of her neck. A moment later, she changed forms into a large shield. He handed the shield to Brooke and muttered, “Protect them.”

Brooke took Lyden’s daughter from him. Shelly had changed into a shield big enough to protect three people if they huddled together. The President, Lyden, Brooke, and Becky crowded together. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best his sister could do. If Brooke still had a weapon, she could fight alongside them, but Eldon suspected she was still recovering from her captivity. For that matter, he was still pretty sore from his exertions yesterday.

Eldon thought back to all the forms he could take, but discarded most of them. The ogre would be big and strong enough to handle most anything, but it was too dumb and dangerous to use around friends. The Merman would be pointless out of water, and most of the rest depended on what the threat would be. Without knowing that, it was hard to decide.

After a moment’s more indecision, he changed into the body builder. It wouldn’t do him much good if they had guns, but he was strong enough for close combat, and large enough to block some potential damage against Gloria and Jessica standing by his sides. It was his best bet against regular humans, which was the most likely result, considering who had made the threats.

“You’re such a gentleman,” Gloria whispered, “but it’s not likely they can hurt me.” He remembered her golden girdle, and the way Poseidon’s trident had deflected off it yesterday. Realizing that she could read minds, he wondered if she could sense the threat. “No, their minds are blocked also. It’s so damned annoying.”

For once, he was glad that Jessica didn’t try and insult Gloria for reading minds.

Shlee glanced at the room, saw that they were all ready, and opened the door. He suspected she could have kept it shut, and whoever was out there out, but it was better to face the threat than hide from it.

Eldon relaxed as he saw a kobold come into the room. It had to be reinforcements from Angela. Kobolds were part of her security force, just as golems belonged to Gaia. An elf followed after the kobold and Eldon knew they were in trouble. Elves were all but extinct. There was only one full-blooded elf left in either world, and that was a female.

Eldon took another look and saw that the kobold was really a man in a mask and body suit. These were imposters. Good imposters, but not perfect. Only humans would have to pretend.

“Death to the President!” one of them shouted in a voice he thought he recognized. It sounded mechanical, as though coming from a speaker.

“Kill the Ambassador!” another screamed as more fake creatures entered the room.

They didn’t seem to be carrying any weapons, which was good, since Eldon didn’t have any either.

A large wolf appeared out of nowhere, and Eldon thought this was a masterful disguise, until it ripped into one of the costumed humans. The man went down screaming, until the beast ripped out the man’s throat. The wolf had strawberry blonde fur.

He didn’t have any more time to think on it, as the man in the kobold costume attacked him, swinging what looked like an authentic claw at his face. Eldon ducked the blow, then brought his fist up and under the man’s jaw. His attacker flew back into those still coming into the room, slowing them for a second.

Gloria transformed into a small dragon. Well, a small dragon in dragon terms. She was easily twice the size of any of their attackers. She bit into the man dressed as an elf and ripped his arm off with her claws.

Jessica dodged an attack from a brutish looking woman that Eldon suspected was supposed to look like a goblin, but the skin color was all wrong. Too many greens and not enough boils. Jessica spun around, delivering a kick to the woman’s jaw hard enough to snap her neck.

Eldon wished that he could change into a goblin or kobold. Either would be beneficial in this fight.

The werewolf dispatched another guy by first hamstringing him, then tearing half his face off with her teeth.

The bodies started to pile up, as more attackers entered the room, only to fall to the defenders. Where was the Secret Service during this attack? Shouldn’t they be here protecting the President? He didn’t have much time to think about it, as a scrawny man slashed at him with a knife. It was the first weapon Eldon had seen, and it almost opened him from chest to neck. He stepped back in time, but the guy spun around and his heel connected with Eldon’s temple. The man had some martial arts training and was fast.

Eldon stumbled back as the room spun around him. He didn’t see the fist coming until it connected with his teeth. Blood filled his mouth, and he reflexively swallowed. Too late, he realized his mistake as he felt himself shrinking down and changing.

His vision cleared as the man backed off, watching in horror as Eldon changed into his doppelganger. Blood dripped from his assailant’s hand, where he’d cut it on Eldon’s teeth. Eldon’s hand was fine, but he took a moment to spit one of his teeth out.

The man didn’t take long to get over his shock, and came back at Eldon with a vengeance. Eldon saw every move coming before it landed and blocked or dodged them. He waited until he saw an opening, and lashed out, striking the man’s wrist as he overextended himself. His knife dropped to the floor, as Eldon stepped into the man’s reach, delivered two quick blows to his chest, then jabbed at his throat, crushing his windpipe. The man fell to the ground, gasping for air but unable to breathe.

Since he was no longer a threat, Eldon turned to find someone else, but their attackers were all down.

“I didn’t want to do this,” the same male voice he recognized earlier sounded, “but you leave me no choice.” Eldon realized it was coming from many places at once.

He dropped down to examine the man he’d just taken down, then swore and stepped back.

“Get away from them!” he yelled as he ran for where Gloria stood. “Get back! Get back!”

Attached to the man was a speaker. Below the speaker was a vest wired with explosives.

He tackled Gloria to the ground at the same time the world exploded.

* * * *

“He’s not responding,” Gloria’s voice floated to him out of the darkness.

Something stung his left cheek and he opened his eyes. Gloria leaned over him, worry thick in her eyes.

“Oh, thank goodness!” he heard his father say from somewhere nearby. “I thought we lost you!”

“Gloria…” he croaked as he reached for her cheek. “Jessica? Shelly?”

He saw Gloria grimace before she answered. “Jessica is seeing to your sister. She took the brunt of the blast, saving those behind her. Shlee is recovering by the fountain, her metabolism is amazing.” She shook her head and a tear leaked from one eye. “Why didn’t you just drop to the ground? Why did you have to try and protect me?”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Eldon said, confused by the woman’s behavior.

“That little blast couldn’t have hurt me,” she said. “I have an impervious golden girdle. They couldn’t hurt me, but you… you—” She choked off and hugged him.

Eldon didn’t understand why she was making such a fuss over him. He was alive, though he hurt, and it appeared that everyone else was as well, but it sounded like Shelly was hurt also.

He tried to sit up, and only then did he feel the real pain. His whole body hurt. His back felt like hamburger, and he couldn’t get his legs to move right.

“What—?” He asked, trying to block out the pain and get a look at himself, but Gloria refused to let go.

“Lyden, no!” Brooke stated with a tone that meant business.

“Damn it, they’re my children!” If his father was swearing, then he had to be upset. If he was that upset, how bad were Shelly and him? “I can help them.”

“You can’t, Lyden. There has to be another way,” Brooke argued.

“There is,” Gloria spoke up. “I will take care of your son, Ambassador Snow.” She pulled away enough for Eldon to get a look at himself.

At first he looked fine, until he saw his left arm, or what was left of it. A tourniquet was tied above the stump below his elbow. He realized they were in the Orange Bubble, and his blood was soaking into the carpet from his lacerated backside. His right leg looked wrong, as though it had two knees. It took his mind a moment to realize that it was busted below where his real knee was. He couldn’t remember ever being this messed up before.

He heard a moan, or a groan from the bed, but couldn’t see up there, and suspected that was where his sister was being tended to. He didn’t know how bad her injuries were, and hoped she was okay.

“Is he strong enough for that?” Lyden asked. Eldon couldn’t remember ever hearing so much fear in his father’s voice. Was he really that hurt? From the agony along his back, he wasn’t in good shape.

“Go see to the President,” Gloria ordered. “She’s pretty shaken up after that assassination attempt. You’ll want to make sure she’s in front of a camera soon, to show she’s still alive. I’ll take care of your son. Becky needs you too.”

Eldon heard something in her voice that refused to be ignored. Lyden and Brooke stood and walked to the front of the car, where Eldon guessed the President sat. They were almost in a zombie-like state as they left.

“Now, my foolish savior,” Gloria addressed him, “it’s time I took care of you, and this time I don’t think anyone will be interrupting us.”

Eldon groaned as she gently picked him up and carried him to the bed. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to pull these pants off you, past that leg,” she stated and produced a pair of scissors out of nowhere. She proceeded to cut off his clothing. If she thought he was going to be aroused by any of this, she didn’t understand the amount of pain he was in.

“You’re right,” she said in soft tones, like a mother taking care of a sick child. “But I can make you forget about the pain.” She gripped his phallus when it came free and looked him in the eyes. “There is no pain. Only the pleasure of my touch. Nothing else matters, but letting me take care of you.” As she spoke, her words soaked into Eldon’s mind and body, blotting out the pain, replacing it with a satisfying sensation radiating out from where she gripped him. His mind fuzzed, and his whole world focused on the beautiful woman before him. “That’s better, isn’t it? You like when I move my hand along your shaft. Mmm, I like the way it feels in my hand. So hard. So strong. I like its shape, almost like a corkscrew. I can’t wait to feel this deep inside me again.”

She leaned in and kissed him, but her hand never stopped its momentum. He felt her other hand slip around his scrotum, gently fondling the sensitive nodes inside. Her tongue licked around his lips, and he opened to her, moaning at the bliss she was imparting to him. He brought his right hand up and cupped her naked breast. He couldn’t remember when she’d gotten naked, but didn’t care as her one hand did a pleasurable motion around the head of his penis.

He lost himself in her touch, letting go of who and what he was. All that mattered was her touch, her taste, her smell. She was everything to him, and he was nothing without her.

“That’s right,” Gloria moved her mouth to his ear. “I know what you like. I know what you want to feel. You like my hand, don’t you?” Eldon nodded. “I’ll bet you would enjoy my pussy even more. Mmm, I know I want to feel you deep inside of me.” She lifted up her pelvis, straddled him, and rubbed the tip of his cock against her sopping wet slit. “Mmm, yeah. It’s a good thing I have a magical pussy, or this monster would never fit,” she cooed into his ear, and right into his brain.

He was under her spell so deep, he couldn’t think for himself. All he knew was her body making him feel good, and her voice saturating his senses. He knew he wanted to thrust himself up into her, but didn’t, letting her be in complete control.

“Are you ready, Eldon?” The use of his name allowed a small portion of him to wake up, but it was overwhelmed with desire for this sensual woman. “Mmm, I know I am. Can you feel how wet I am? There’s an itch inside me that I think only one thing will scratch. Will you scratch it for me, Eldon?”

He nodded, unwilling to let this woman down. He would do anything for her, especially if she continued to feel this divine.

She shifted her weight, and he felt her outer folds slip around his head. His rod started to tingle where her juices were soaking into his skin. He regained enough self-control to remember his hand on her grapefruit sized breast, and used his thumb on her small nipple, making her giggle. The sensation did wonders for where they were connected, and he slid into her a couple centimeters.

“Mmm, you like my tiny nipples, don’t you, Eldon?” she moaned and slipped around him some more. “You are quite the talented kisser. Why don’t you kiss my nipple?”

Eldon latched onto the rubbery nub as she fed it to him, tonguing it and using his teeth to lightly stimulate the sensitive flesh.

Every time she used his name, Eldon found himself grounded again within his body. Her spell lightened slightly, but the joy of her body soon swept him away again.

“Mmm, you’re getting pretty deep, Eldon. Yes, use your mouth just like that. You really know how to please a woman, don’t you? Oh, yes!” Gloria’s pelvis pressed against his, as she was fully impaled on him. Eldon could feel her inner muscles contracting around his invading tool, making him moan into her perfect breast. She rocked her hips, using his strange cock to stretch and stir around her insides. “Oh, Eldon! Mmm, that feels so good. Yes, just like that. I’m going to cum, Eldon. I’m going to cum all over your fat cock. Do you want me to cum, Eldon? Do you want to feel my cum leaking around your fat meat in my little pussy, Eldon? I feel so stuffed, I don’t know if my cum can escape around your fat cock, Eldon.”

Eldon’s mind returned to him more and more. He felt his orgasm approaching and let go of her nipple to look at her beautiful face, contorted in bliss. He sensed the pain that she was shielding him from, but it felt distant, as though it belonged to someone else.

“Cum on my cock,” he told her. “Squeeze it with your tiny pussy, and milk my cum out. You’re so tight and wet. It’s feels like a fire inside you, you feel so good. I’ll scratch your itch whenever you want. I want you to cum. Cum on my fat cock.”

“Mmm, I love fucking your perfect cock,” she moaned. “Oh! Yes, yes, yes, YES!” She shuddered and his cock felt like it was being compressed in a vice. Strength flowed through him, almost washing his mind away again, but he held on, as his climax struck, and he pumped her overflowing cunny full of his impotent seed. Despite her protestations that nothing would be able to leak out, his crotch was soaked in their combined juices.

His awareness travelled through his body as he came down from his climax, and he noticed his left hand and right leg tingled. He looked at his left hand in awe, noting the pink color of the new flesh. As he watched, the hand started to turn purple, and he hurried to undo the tourniquet.

“Ah, it looks like Jessica is done with your sister,” Gloria said with a satisfied grin.

Eldon looked around, confused, and realized that the two were naked and on his right, coming out of a sixty-nine position with Shelly on top. Her back showed fresh new pink skin, matching the same color as his hand. His cheeks burned as he rolled off the bed, embarrassed to have seen his sister in such a compromising position, and wondering if she’d noticed him and Gloria going at it. He hoped not!

Eldon hurried to get dressed with a new set of clothes. It wasn’t until he was pulling his shirt over his head that he remembered that there were other people in the car.

“That’s a nice bone you have between your legs,” Shlee grinned at him. “Maybe one day you’ll let me gnaw on it?” She was no longer in her wolf form, and had one of Shelly’s robes draped around her shoulders. There was still a feral look in her eyes, and he grew even more uncomfortable when she looked at his crotch and licked her lips. “Yum.”

“I’m glad to see you’re better, Son,” Lyden addressed him from the front seat. “How is your sister?”

“I’m good, Dad,” she said. From the tone of her voice, Eldon suspected she was just as embarrassed as he was.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Lyden stated. Eldon didn’t know how the man kept his calm. The situation in the back of the car couldn’t be counted as ordinary by any stretch of the imagination, but Lyden acted as though it never even happened. He’d often felt grateful towards his father, but never more so than at that point. The events in the back of the Orange Bubble were the last thing he wanted to discuss with his father.

“He’s doing it for you,” Gloria whispered into his ear. “He knows how embarrassed you both are, and is choosing to ignore it, rather than make an issue of it and make things worse.”

“Thank you,” he told her, knowing that she would pick up all the meanings he meant with those two words. He was surprised to see her blush as he projected his emotions to her.

“Thank you, in all the same ways.” She gave his cheek a peck, then moved to his ear. “Your mind is a lot stronger than most mortals. I wonder if you could handle me completely letting go? I was half afraid you wouldn’t return mentally, but I couldn’t risk losing you.”

It was Eldon’s turn to blush. If she had held back with her power, and things felt that great, he would go mad with bliss if she let her powers free.

“While you two are flirting, I’m missing the story of the century,” Shlee muttered. Eldon had forgotten that she was a reporter. “Madame President, will you at least let me get an exclusive with you?”

“An exclusive?” Martha Louise asked, shocked. “You just saved my life. An exclusive is the least I can offer.”

“I hate to ask,” she continued, looking around at everyone, “but would you please keep my identity a secret? The station would fire me on the spot if they knew I was a lycanthrope.”

“Why do it?” Shelly asked. “There are a lot of other things you could be doing.”

“Because it allows me to keep my ear to the ground,” she replied with a wolfish smile. “I like to picture myself as a female Superman, only, you know… a woman, and instead of flying, I can turn into a vicious beast, but I still have my secret identity.”

“Just don’t try to hide behind a pair of glasses,” Eldon smirked. “You look too much like your other self to get away with it.”

Shlee’s jaw dropped in shock at his teasing, before she grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him.

“If you don’t stop flirting with her,” Gloria chided him quietly, “I’m going to have to take you both in the back and do at least half of the things she was thinking about while we were fucking.”

It was Eldon’s turn to gape, though no one else knew why. Gloria chuckled until someone’s phone rang.

“Hello?” Becky answered her cell phone. A second later her face bleached of all color and she looked at Brooke. She didn’t say anything for a long moment after hanging up. When she finally did, they understood her demeanor. “Varun is dead. Someone, or something, tore him to pieces.”

Despite himself, Eldon looked at Gloria. He noticed Shelly, Brooke, Bridgette, and Jessica looking at her as well. She was the last one to leave Varun’s demesne. She was the only one among them that was possibly strong enough to murder the Pillar of Water, and she’d come out of her battle with Poseidon unscathed.

“Oh, hell, this isn’t good,” Gloria said as she turned a hurt look on Eldon.

He wanted to tell her he didn’t believe she was guilty. He wanted to pull her into his arms and forget about the battles in Varun’s demesne. He couldn’t believe she was capable of doing something like that. He wouldn’t believe it.

Images of her turning into a shark and killing those mermen guards flashed behind his eyes, as well as her as a dragon, killing the assassins. Finally, he remembered the amount of power she held as she squared off against Poseidon.

“I told you, you can’t trust a succubus,” Jessica sneered.

Eldon’s heart broke as Gloria fell to her knees, looking guilty as charged.