The Fantasy Trove

“Damn it!” Eldon cursed as his fist connected with the very solid brick wall of the waiting room. It hurt, but the pain receded almost immediately. Thanks to Areth’s sacrifice, his body was locked into its current state of health. He avoided looking at the statue still clutched in his father’s white-knuckled grip.

Could this week get any worse? It started with them getting attacked by a group of Paladonic Knights pretending to be magical creatures, where he was injured in a nasty blast. His girlfriend, Gloria, had healed him, but the things he’d done with his dad and sister in the car with them bothered him. Then he had to save the President of the United States from her own Secret Service. Just when he thought they were safe and flying away in a helicopter, it was shot down. He was hurt beyond anything Gloria could do to heal him this time. It took him a whole week to recover enough to even wake up. His step-mom had sacrificed her life for his health, which weighed heavily on him. Now his sister was kidnapped and in the hands of the Paladonic Knights.

“I know you’re angry, Son, but that’s no reason to use such language,” Lyden disapproved. Despite his words, Eldon knew his father’s heart wasn’t in the rebuke. His heart was shattered at losing his fairy lover.

Does he hate me for that? Eldon feared. It’s my fault she’s dead. I should have died in that crash. Then she wouldn’t have had to sacrifice herself. He had no idea what would make the normally self-centered pixie give up everything for him. He knew she loved his dad, but himself…? Now he had to live with the guilt that her death was his fault. If Mandy were still in the room, he feared what his father might say. What truths hid behind his grief? How much did he blame Eldon?

“No,” Gloria whispered as she folded him in her arms. Part of him wanted to push her away. He was supposed to be a man and be strong. He shouldn’t need to be comforted. But a larger part of him welcomed the loving touch. “It wasn’t your fault. The Knights attacked us. It was their fault for what happened. Areth had more heart in her than any other fairy I’ve ever known. She was one of a kind, but her death wasn’t your fault. Your father doesn’t blame you.”

“But—” he started to respond to her quiet words, but his dad cut him off, having heard Gloria somehow.

“No, Son. Areth—” he paused to swallow. Eldon could see a fresh set of tears well up in his father’s eyes. “Areth did what she did out of love for me. Gloria is right, that she was one of a kind. She’s also right about this not being your fault. I don’t blame you.” Lyden’s voice hardened into something tougher than diamond. “The Knights will pay for this. They took Lisa from me, now Areth, and they’ve kidnapped my daughter and wife. I won’t accept their presence in this world anymore.”

Eldon almost shook at the amount of conviction and hatred in his father’s voice.

“I’ll be at your side, Dad,” Eldon promised. “They need to pay—“

“Do you hear yourselves?” Brooke interrupted. There was shock in her voice as she confronted them. “I agree that they need to pay for what they did, but you’re talking about genocide.”

“It’s them or us,” Lyden replied. He held Areth’s golden statue against his chest as he faced his wife. “I don’t understand why you’re against this? They tortured you the last time they had you and want to kill all of us.”

“I hate them for what they did, but killing them all isn’t the answer,” Brooke stood her ground. “They’re not all evil. Remember Emmet?”

They locked eyes and Eldon grew uncomfortable watching them. He hugged Gloria tighter to him, glad that she wasn’t arguing with him. He looked into her blue eyes and felt lighter. She was always there for him, supporting him when he needed it. She was all powerful, but she didn’t try to intimidate him. She didn’t lord her power over him, and let him be his own person. She could control him if she chose, but she didn’t. She— He stopped as something occurred to him.

“I love you,” he told her in a soft voice.

Her eyes widened in shock. He didn’t think he could surprise her, as she was always privy to his thoughts, but then he realized that he hadn’t thought those words before speaking. He’d reacted to his emotions.

She released him and stepped back, covering her mouth. “Eldon, I… I care for you, I do, but… You have to understand, I—”

The week could get worse, it seemed.

“Don’t,” he told her, feeling his heart break. “Just don’t. I shouldn’t have said it. I don’t know why I did. It was stupid, so just forget it, okay?”

“You don’t understand,” Gloria said and stepped back up to him. “I was once the Goddess of Love. I had thousands that fawned over me. They all loved me, but—”

“But how could I compare to them?” he asked, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He turned away and walked out of the room before she could see the tears forming in his eyes, leaving behind his arguing parents. He kept his mind blank so she wouldn’t see anything from that either.

“Eldon, stop,” he heard Gloria say, but he continued walking down the hallway of the hospital. He felt like he needed to act. He didn’t want to be here in this hospital. He didn’t know what the wait was for, but it rankled. “Eldon, please listen to me.”

He stopped to face her. “Why? You don’t love me. I can accept that. I’m not worthy of your love. I get it. How could my heart match up to the thousands that once fawned over you? There’s nothing for you to explain.”

She slapped him. Her hand moved so fast, he didn’t see it coming until his head snapped to the side. He knew she was strong, but that slap hurt! He wondered if his neck would have snapped if not for Areth’s sacrifice. No, probably not, but by the Pillars, it hurt! The pain took only a few seconds to recede, but it was longer than his fist had hurt from punching the wall.

“That’s not it at all,” Gloria seethed at him. “I care for you more than I’ve cared about a mortal in millennia. You’re strong, optimistic, caring, and so much more than any one woman deserves. Though your current attitude could use some adjusting. I don’t like seeing you as a whiny little snot.” She held up her hand as he tried to interrupt her, and he closed his mouth.

I’ll let her speak, he thought. I was a fool to think she would ever love me. What can she say? I’ll listen to her, and then do everything in my power to forget I ever uttered those stupid words.

“I didn’t bring up what I used to be to make you feel inferior. None of them could compare to you. Thousands of adoring mortals, and combined they meant nothing to me compared to you, but I need you to understand something.” She paused to take a deep breath and looked into his eyes. “There is always that fear in me that people love me for what I am, not who I am. When I was Aphrodite, people fell in love with me because I was the Goddess of Love. My mere presence made men leave their wives, and fathers abandon their children. For a long time, I enjoyed that attention. Sometimes I would make them do terrible things. They would do it too, not because I forced them to with my power, but because they loved me that much. I was a terrible person. I won’t make excuses for who I was then, though I was better as Aphrodite than I was as Lilith.”

“So you can’t love me because you were evil once?” Eldon asked, confused. What was she getting at?

“No,” Gloria shook her head. “I could love you, Eldon. It would be so easy for me to let myself fall for you.”

“But you won’t.” Eldon shook his head. She wasn’t making any sense. She could love him, but wouldn’t? He knew who she had been, and knew many of the stories about her, but that wasn’t who she was now. He loved the woman before him, and didn’t care about her past.

“You’re not letting me finish,” she chided him, but there was no anger in her tone. If anything, her voice had softened. “How do I know you love me for who I am, and it’s not my powers making you love me? Hephaestus was a great man and powerful god, but even he fell under my power after Zeus forced me to marry him. He was a god who could create beauty with his bare hands, but he fell under the spell of my presence.”

“So, because I’m not a god…” he knew that wasn’t what she was driving at, but she was taking too long to get to her point.

She sighed before answering. “You’re better than any god I’ve ever met. Eldon, the reason I stop myself is because I’m afraid. What if the only reason you love me is because I was a love goddess? What might I do, if I allow myself to love you? Would I twist your love into something evil, just because I can? Will I go back to the woman I once was? I don’t want that. You mean a great deal to me, and I don’t want to change who you are.”

Eldon looked at his girlfriend, speechless. That was what she was worried about? A laugh bubbled up in him. Despite all the terrible stuff that’d happened, he couldn’t help but laugh at how silly she was being.

“Women don’t like to be thought of as silly,” Gloria said in a tone that sobered him.

“I’m sorry,” he told her, though he could feel the corners of his lips still turning up. “It’s just that, it strikes me as odd that a Goddess of Love wouldn’t understand love. I mean… If it’s true love, then you won’t want to twist or change me. Love means you want me to be happy. The difference between then and now, is that while they loved you, you didn’t love them.”

A sad look crossed Gloria’s face. “Oh, my dear sweet man,” she said as her hand reached out and cupped his face. He leaned into the touch, thinking he’d won her over. “There are more definitions of love than there are stars in the night sky. A father loves a son differently than he loves his wife. A child loves their parent in a different way than they love their pets. Love can be both selfless and selfish. It can be a thing of true beauty, or cause terrible horrors.”

“Do you see me as a pet?” he asked, losing his smile. “I love you as one man to a woman. A woman that has stolen my heart, not because of what she is, but because she has treated me with respect. You’ve cared for me, helped me, and shown that you’re not the goddess that performed those actions millennia ago. You’re a good woman, Gloria. I know it in my heart.”

She was silent for a long moment. Eldon let her think. She had to see that he was right. How could she not see how wonderful she was? She was the perfect woman in every way, and he didn’t mean her body alone. Her personality, and the actions she’d performed to back up his belief in her were strong testaments of why he would love her.

“You may be right,” she said in a tone that told him she still doubted. He opened his mouth to convince her, but she held up her hand. “I’ll think about it, Eldon. For now, just give me that. I do care about you. More than I probably should. No, don’t say it. I know you love me. I see your arguments in your mind, and they’re good ones, but you don’t understand everything. I’m not human. I never was a mortal. I don’t think like them, but I do care for you, and I want you to be happy.”

He wanted to say more, but held himself back. He couldn’t ask more of her. It still hurt that she would admit to being able to fall in love with him, but refused to let it happen. She’d asked him to give her time, and he would do that. Meanwhile, he would still love her—as if he had a choice—and show her that it was safe.

Gloria grinned as she saw him make his decision. “Now then,” she said, looking around the hallway, “you’ve been out of commission for half the day, and while I’ve enjoyed our time in my Mens Mundi, what I could really use right now is the real thing.” There was no doubt what she had in mind as she stepped up to him and gripped his crotch.

One part of him knew that she was using this opportunity to distract him from their previous conversation, but another part appreciated it. Since waking up in the hospital bed, things had gone from bad to worse, to heartbreaking, and then went even lower. He could use a pick-me-up while they waited.

He moved his hand to the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss. Her lips were strong against his as his tongue ventured out. She met it with hunger, opening her teeth to his invading muscle. She sucked on his mouth tool as her arms pulled their bodies tighter together. She tasted sweet, as she always did.

He felt his back strike a door, then it was open and they were in a room. Eldon broke the kiss long enough to look around and see that they’d entered a hospital room that was unoccupied by anyone but them.

Their clothes vanished, as though by magic, but Eldon vaguely recalled removing them. Gloria seemed to have a thousand hands roaming his body and making him moan. His flesh tingled as her fingertips glided across his strong muscled body. Her lips moved across his mouth, his neck, his chest, and back up, driving his passion higher.

“I can’t wait to get this between my thighs,” Gloria moaned as the fingers of her right hand slid along his twisted shaft. “But first, I think I’d better make sure it’s ready.”

He couldn’t imagine being any more ready for her. His cock ached, it was so hard. His legs bumped into the back of the hospital bed and he fell back. Luckily the rails were down or that might have hurt.

Gloria gave him a hungry grin, then leaned over his turgid member and took him between her lips. As the warmth of her mouth surrounded him, Eldon entered a euphoric state. Her tongue danced across his sensitive flash, sometimes making him twitch, and other times making him groan in ecstasy. She knew right when to use her teeth, and when to lavish his member with kisses. Her tongue danced across his skin with unimaginable skill.

Lewd sounds echoed around the inside of the small room as Gloria’s head bobbed up and down his pole. She released him and moved her hungry mouth to his scrotum, juggling the delicate balls with her talented tongue. Despite himself, Eldon felt himself quickly approaching climax.

“Not yet!” Gloria ordered, using her thumb to pinch him off at the base. “You must be stressed if you’re ready to blow this fast,” she teased.

“Don’t give me any lip, woman,” Eldon smiled down at her, “unless it’s the lips between your legs. Why don’t you come up here and let me return the favor?”

Gloria laughed at his little remark before moving up his body and pressing the lips on her face against his. Their tongues entwined again for a brief time, before she continued moving up his body, stopping again for a brief moment to let him savor her firm breasts. She turned around before planting her pelvis against his salivating mouth. A moment later he felt her take him back between her teeth, but he concentrated on the meal presented to him.

She was already sopping wet by the time his tongue ventured out to glide along her labia. As always, she tasted sweet and warm. He moved his muscle in random directions, sometimes licking along her slit, and other times diving into her welcoming hole.

He heard her hiss and felt her teeth when he finally moved to her clit, sucking hard and making her legs twitch. After a couple seconds of nibbling and suckling the powerful button, he felt her groan around his prick and shudder in orgasm. She tried to get up, but he locked his arms around her waist and held her down. He was hungry and thirsty, and she had the meal he needed.

“Eldon, I—ungh—that feels great and, uh… ah, all but I want… Mmm, this fat… juicy… Oh… cock in me! Oh, God!” Her hand twisted around his member as she tried to speak around her moans and grunts, but he didn’t let up. He brought his teeth into play, nibbling on her sensitive nubbin. Gloria screeched in protest and pleasure, grinding her pelvis against his devouring mouth while she struggled against his grip. He could feel her fluids dribbling down his chin and he drank from her like a man left too long in the Pillar of Fire's territory.

“Eldon, I—Oh shit!—I really need to—ungh—feel you inside me. Eldon, please!”

Her pleading broke through his thirsty daze and he released her. In a blur, she spun around and he felt her fiery insides envelop his spiral rod. She gripped his cheeks as their eyes met. He felt like she was gazing into his soul, and considering who she was, she might well have been.

“You’re a lot stronger now, my lover,” she cooed to him. She lifted up and then let herself slide back down with a contented sigh. She licked up her juices from along his jaw before speaking again. “No man has ever been able to hold me down like that. It was a unique experience. One that I’ll indulge in again later. Right now, I need that thick cock pounding into my little hole!”

“For you?” he said with a sloppy grin. “Anything!”

He gripped her hips, lifting her up about six inches, then pulled down as he thrust deep inside her. She broke eye contact as her beautiful blue orbs rolled back into her head. Her inner muscles rippled around his girth as he repeated the movement again and again. She matched his pace, allowing him to free his hands to grip her firm, but bouncing, breasts. He pinched her nipples between thumb and forefinger, eliciting more moans from her honeyed mouth.

Her head dropped without warning. Her lips pressed hard against his. Hard enough that he would have bruised if not for his new recovery ability. Her tongue drove into his mouth as he felt her passion overwhelm her. Loud claps echoed off the walls as their bodies collided, drowning out the muffled moans of the two lovers.

He was far from winded as he pulled her off of him, marveling at how light she felt. She groaned in complaint at being empty so suddenly, but he ignored her. With more grace and finesse than he thought himself capable of, he moved behind her and reentered her tight canal. His back was to the door as he ploughed into her, making the hospital bed groan and protest at the rough treatment.

Gloria’s insides felt aflame as his manhood swelled inside her. Without thinking, he wet two fingers and shoved them into her anal cavity, thrusting in time with the rest of his body. Gloria grew wild, thrashing under his pounding, moaning incoherently and whipping her blonde hair about as she came repeatedly.

Sweat beaded on his brow as her foamy cum dripped from his balls. His entire world centered on the two of them. All he could see was the beauty of her smooth back. The way her hair tumbled about as she cried out in bliss became his flag, her moans his anthem. He knew then that he was completely lost to her. He loved this woman with all his being, and suddenly understood her fear about loving him back.

He would do anything for her. She was the other half to his soul. But part of why he loved her was knowing that she wouldn’t abuse his love. She wouldn’t make him do anything he didn’t want to. She…

He realized she’d stopped moving against him, other than little shudders as she buried her face in the bed’s pillow. His climax struck at the same moment, and he could feel his hot ejaculate filling her up. His body was wracked with unadulterated bliss as he emptied inside her, and then he truly was lost to the rest of the world.

That is, until he heard someone clapping. He spun around to see Shlee standing in front of the closed door, a grin splitting her face.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” he stammered as he pulled from his girlfriend and tried to hide himself.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” the reporter giggled. “That was getting pretty hot. I especially enjoyed how you flipped around behind her. And when I saw you slip your fingers into her ass? I almost came from just watching. That has to be hands down, the most powerful fucking I’ve ever watched.”

Eldon’s cheeks burned at her lewd comments. Knowing that they’d been watched for that long…. Why hadn’t Gloria sensed she was there? Or had his girlfriend gotten off on being watched? As he glanced at Gloria, he recalled that she couldn’t read Shlee’s mind. As he looked at the succubus, he saw clothes materialize around her body. What bothered him were what appeared to be tear streaks under her eyes. As soon as he noticed them, they disappeared.

“What are you doing here?” Gloria asked in a cool tone, as though they hadn’t been caught in the middle of an indecent act, in the middle of the hospital, after finding out his sister and step-mother had been kidnapped, and— Gloria interrupted his thoughts as she patted his still flaming cheek. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ve been caught in far more compromising situations than this. There was that time Ares and Hermes were tag teaming me, when my husband walked in and… Oh, my! You’re still hard! But I thought you…” she reached down and rubbed her crotch through her tight white pants. In the dead silence of the room, there was no mistaking the squishing sounds coming from her crotch.

“Damn! He has stamina too and a quick recovery,” Shlee chirped from the door. “Hmm…” She shook herself as Eldon rushed to get dressed. He didn’t understand why he was still rock hard, and Shlee’s hungry gaze made him feel like a piece of meat on the auction block. Considering she was a werewolf, being a piece of meat didn’t appeal to him.

“Why are you here, Shlee?” Eldon asked again, trying to keep his voice from showing his embarrassment.

“You mean besides the excellent show?” If it was possible, her grin grew wider and hungrier. “You’ve really got some nice muscle tone, by the way. Okay, okay! I was sent to get you, because it’s time to go. Considering the amount of noise you two were making, I decided it would be best for me to come get you. Don’t think you wanted your dad walking in and seeing you fill her up like that.”

“We were that loud?” Eldon groaned. Could he get any more embarrassed?

“Anyone within ten feet of that door could hear what was going on in here,” Shlee giggled again. “I had to stop a couple doctors from breaking in, but I doubt your family heard. My hearing is a bit more sensitive than most.”

Eldon finished pulling on his pants, then threw his shirt on as he dashed out the door, forgetting his shoes. He ran to the recovery room, where his dad was talking to one of the president’s Secret Service agents dressed in black tactical gear.

“I’ll be glad to accept whatever help the President is willing to give, but I don’t want her to stick her neck on the line for us. I don’t want her to commit political suicide by supporting us too much.”

The agent grinned behind his shades. Shades? Indoors? Eldon wondered if there were special technology behind them. “You haven’t seen the polls since the helicopter crash and it became public knowledge that Lydonese helped heal the President. The fact that some Paladonic Knights were found with footage claiming it was magical creatures that attacked the President before the attack happened has helped, also. We really owe your son for his help in finding those traitors.”

“Lydonese?” Lyden asked with a tone Eldon couldn’t decipher.

“Ahem,” the agent looked nervous for a moment, “Yes. Well, the President wanted to consult with you first on that, but after the attacks, she saw an opportunity to give a unifying name to the creatures from your world. I believe it’s her hope that by using your name, a name that’s well respected, it’ll lessen the animosity towards them. We have the term humans, for us, but there was no name to tie everyone from the Shadow World together.”

Lyden looked around the room and noticed his son standing there. When he glanced at Eldon’s bare feet, he felt his face darken again. Gloria chose that moment to walk up and hand him his shoes and socks.

“Sorry it took me a bit to get them,” Shlee piped in next, still wearing her broad grin. The grin looked good on her, but Eldon still didn’t like what was behind it. “These two were sleeping pretty soundly.” Eldon was glad Mandy wasn’t in the room to make that lie impossible to say.

“Well, they’re here now,” Brooke spoke up before Lyden could say anything.

Lyden glanced at her and gave her a slight smile. “Good,” he nodded and turned back to the agent. “If everything is ready, then we should go.”

“There is an armored SUV waiting outside that will get us to our destination,” the agent said. “We can meet our contact who should know where your daughter and wife are being held. After you, Ambassador. I’ve already been informed that the building is secure. We have a free path to the transport.”

They took the stairs instead of the elevator, but it was only two floors and everyone was in perfect shape. When they reached the back of the hospital where the car was waiting, they expected the large black SUV, but not the tiny by comparison vehicle behind it.

“I thought the Knights had the Orange Bubble,” Brock stated. His mechanical legs were anything but stealthy, but Eldon appreciated that his brother could move freely in the world.

“So did I,” Lyden commented. He looked at the car with suspicion.

“It was,” Mandy said as she stepped out of the Orange Bubble. “I’ve been talking with the car, and she explained everything to me.”

Eldon couldn’t stop himself from taking a step back at that news. Before he could even think to respond, Shlee stepped up and started asking questions.

“You can talk to a car? That is so cool. Does the car talk through the speakers, through engine sounds, or what? What does a car even say? I wish I could talk to technology.”

“Whoa!” Mandy held her four hands up to stop her barrage of questions. “It’s not like that. We just understand each other. The Orange Bubble isn’t technology, but a magical creature born from old technology.”

“I never knew it could talk,” Lyden mused as he ran his hand along his old car. “I mean, it makes sense. It holds a portion of Angela’s soul. I knew it could think.”

Mandy faced the car then walked up to Lyden. “She prefers to be thought of as a she, and not an it.” There was no rebuke in Mandy’s tone, but Lyden flinched and jerked his hand away as though slapped. “She cares for you and your family, though. She no longer sees herself as attached to the Pillar of Fire. She’s become her own identity.”

Eldon saw his father’s fists clench and his jaw flex. “Then why didn’t she save them?” Lyden’s voice was cold again. “Why didn’t she get them out of there before those damned Knights kidnapped my wife and daughter?”

If hearing that the Orange Bubble could communicate was a shock, hearing his dad utter a swear word was on a whole other level. Lyden Snow never swore. Even a word as small as ‘damn’ was worse than he would say.

Mandy backed away at the cold vengeance in Eldon’s dad’s voice. She faced the car for a moment, but if it said anything, Eldon couldn’t hear.

“She couldn’t,” Mandy stated after a moment. “There are a lot of things she can do that no ordinary car can, but in the end, she is still in the body of a car. By the time she knew what was going on, it was too late. She came back here and waited for you.” Mandy’s tone conveyed the Orange Bubble’s regret and concern. Eldon saw the effect of her words wash over his father as he rested his head against the car’s metal surface.

Lyden’s lips moved, but Eldon couldn’t hear what his father said. No one moved or spoke as they waited for Lyden to finish. He clutched Areth’s golden statue tight to his chest, and after a moment Eldon saw fresh tears stream down his father’s cheeks.

“He really loves you all,” Gloria whispered into his ear. “I know some people wonder how he could love so many different people. He has so many wives, plus you kids… I know it’s not true, but I’ve heard many from both worlds mutter that he must be a heartless bastard. They figure that he just has the wives for sex, and doesn’t care for his offspring, but there is no denying his love. Your father is a great man. I can see a lot of him in you.”

Eldon didn’t know how to take the compliment and kept his mouth shut. He’d heard some of the same things growing up. People assumed that they understood him, without ever meeting him. All they saw was his public persona. They saw a man with multiple wives, with kids among some of them, and assumed they knew what kind of man he was.

Eldon would be the first to admit his dad wasn’t always around. Lyden Snow was a busy man as the only sanctioned ambassador between the two worlds. He was also the hero of the Chaos War. But he never doubted his father’s love. Never doubted for a moment that Lyden Snow cared for, and loved every member of his family.

“There’s no point in staying here,” Lyden spoke up, breaking into Eldon’s thoughts. His voice was strong, though it had lost its anger. In its place was determination. “The sooner we meet up with this agent, the sooner we can rescue them and put an end to the Paladonic Knights.”

“If you’ll get into the SUV,” the other Secret Service agent stated, “we can head right to her.”

Lyden looked from the black SUV to the Orange Bubble and shook his head. “No, I’ll take my car. If you want to lead the way, we’ll follow.”

Eldon didn’t know if the agent knew about Lyden’s car and what it was capable of—though the previous conversation would have given him only an inkling of what the old Volkswagen Beetle could do—but he didn’t say a word as he got into the passenger seat of the larger vehicle. The first Secret Service agent followed them into the Orange Bubble.

Eldon had to waddle a bit as he ducked into the car. He was still hard and it was uncomfortable to bend over as he entered the large interior.

“Did having Shlee watch us turn you on that much?” Gloria asked him as she followed after.

“No,” he shook his head and looked around to see who might have heard. Shlee met his eyes and smiled. Of course her enhanced hearing would have picked it up. He tried to give her a confident smile as he finished the rest in his head. I don’t know why I’m still like this. It doesn’t make sense. I’m not even that horny. Well, no more than usual, at any rate.

Gloria grimaced, then nodded to his dad. “Think it has something to do with what Areth did to you?”

“You mean I might have a perma-boner?” he asked a bit louder than he meant to. He got a couple of looks from the others in the car and felt his cheeks heating up. He dropped his voice and turned his back on them. “Isn’t that supposed to be dangerous? I recall something about getting ahold of a doctor if you have an erection lasting longer than four hours.”

Gloria glanced at his crotch. Eldon noticed a distinct lack of concern on her face. “For a person like you, I wouldn’t worry about it. Even with as large as you are down there, your body will withstand whatever damage it’ll cause you.”

Eldon felt like a fool. Of course his body could deal with it. He couldn’t be hurt now, after Areth’s sacrifice. Well, he could be hurt, but not permanently. Now that he thought about it, it might not be such a bad thing. Despite himself, he felt his ego rise as he realized that he could go forever, and never grow soft. Of course, that’s assuming it never went down. Maybe it was as simple as Shlee watching them, and that turned him on at some subconscious level. But then again, maybe not.

“If you two are done talking about his magnificent cock,” Shlee muttered to them with a wide grin, “the rest of us are trying to come up with a plan.”

Eldon opened his mouth to say something in response, but shut it a moment later when nothing came to mind.

“There’s not a lot we can decide until we know the layout of their base,” Brooke said to Lyden. “Once we meet up with this undercover agent, we’ll know what we’re in for.”

Eldon glanced out the front windshield. With the dimensional shift between the interior and exterior of the car, his vision was distorted but he was able to make out the SUV’s lights. As he watched, the right light flashed and they turned to follow.

“I hate waiting,” Eldon muttered.

“I remember that about you,” Mandy said at his shoulder. He jumped, not having heard her approach. “Always so impatient. Tell me, Gloria. Does he still dive in head first before he thinks?”

“He has a tendency to think with his head first,” Gloria replied with too much ease for Eldon’s comfort. “And not always the one on his shoulders. That head does some great diving, though.”

“I’m right here, you two,” Eldon groused. “You know you can talk to me directly.”

“I know,” Mandy giggled. “But it’s more fun this way.”

“So Mandy, tell me,” Gloria piped in as though Eldon hadn’t spoken, “did he learn to kiss from you, or is it a natural talent of his?”

“Oh my! I wish I could take credit, but he was always that good. Sometimes he would kiss me, and my knees would just melt!”

“Ugh!” Eldon threw his hands up and walked away. He didn’t mind the complimentary talk, but didn’t appreciate being talked about as though he weren’t there.

Instead of being left alone to his thoughts as he walked back to the bed and sat down, Shlee joined him.

“What do you want?” he asked a bit more sourly than he meant to.

“Well, my excuse is that I just want to talk, but in reality I wanted to see what it would take to get that awesome cock between my thighs, or to get you to kiss me the way they’re talking about it.” Shlee covered her mouth and her eyes opened wide in shock as she realized what she’d just said. “I didn’t mean to say that! It just came out all of a sudden. I mean, I really would like to fuck you, but now isn’t the right time for it, among other things. Oh! Why can’t I control what I say?”

Despite his previous mood, Eldon chuckled. “Relax,” he told her. “I’m not offended. That sort of thing happens whenever Mandy is around. Her mere presence makes everyone say the absolute truth. No one can lie when she’s around. The trick is to speak the truth. You don’t have to say the whole truth, but as long as you don’t try to lie at all, you can speak normally.”

“What I wouldn’t give to have her follow me on an interview with a couple senators,” Shlee grimaced. “So, if I say something like: ‘you’re really cute,’ I don’t have to add that I wonder what your cum tastes like? Shit!”

“Try something smaller,” he offered her. “This bed is soft. See? I didn’t add that I would love to screw Gloria and you later, if the opportunity presents.” He smiled at her as her eyes grew wide and glanced at the bulge in his pants. “Yes, I added that last part on purpose. I thought it might make you more comfortable, and less embarrassed about letting your statements earlier slip.” He shook his head and looked away.

“And you dated her at one point?” Shlee asked in wonder. “I wonder what it would be like to have that many hands roaming your body at once. Dang it! I can’t even have personal thoughts? How did you handle the honesty thing in your relationship?”

Eldon chuckled again as she went all over the place with her statements. “It wasn’t that bad, really,” he told her. “Deep down, I’m an honest guy. Wasn’t too bad, as long as I thought before I spoke. Her dad didn’t like me much before he passed away, though.”

“Was her dad really a Paladonic Knight? How does that work, because she’s obviously not human?” Shlee’s eyes grew wide in wonder.

“Emmet was a healer for the Knights,” Eldon told her. “My dad knows the story better, but they became good friends after the Chaos war. Emmet actually helped back then, and that’s when he got Mandy’s mom pregnant. She’s the last living elf. It was during a mission to the Pillar of Darkness’s demesne.”

Shlee shuddered next to him. “I hate that place. My dad took me there once. I met a vampire, which was interesting, but werewolves and vampires don’t normally get along. I like the light, but sometimes I go back to visit.” She clamped her teeth shut, and Eldon wondered what she’d been about to say.

He nodded to what she’d said, and they sat in silence for a bit. He noticed his girlfriend give him a smile, before turning and whispering something to Mandy. Mandy glanced at them, gave a small smile and nodded before replying. He didn’t know whether to be worried about whatever they were gossiping about, or just thankful that he didn’t have to hear it. Gloria winking at him didn’t help him relax any.

“So, what happened between you two?” Eldon glanced back to Shlee and saw her indicating Mandy. “I mean, if honesty wasn’t an issue between you two, why did you separate?”

Eldon felt himself stiffen, even as he clamped his mouth shut. If he didn’t try to speak, he wouldn’t have to say it. He couldn’t say it. The experience was too horrific.

“That bad, huh?” Shlee patted him on the shoulder. He flinched away from her touch and she jerked her hand away as though burned. He could see that his reaction hurt her, but he refused to speak. It was the only way he knew for certain would stop him from telling her the truth.

“He still refuses to talk about it, huh?” Mandy stated as she walked over to them. “It was embarrassing, I’ll admit, but it wasn’t his fault.”

“Embarrassing?!” Eldon demanded before he could stop himself. Everyone in the car looked to him, and he clamped his hand over his mouth before anything else could slip out.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Shlee offered in a sympathetic tone.

“I don’t see why he doesn’t,” Mandy replied without any concern. “Gloria has already seen the whole thing in his mind, and his parents know.”

“I don’t know either,” Brock piped up, but no one looked at him.

Eldon glared at Gloria. Of course she knew. She had access to all his thoughts. It never bothered him before. While dating Mandy, he had no problems having no secrets. Afterwards….

“It wasn’t your fault, Eldon,” Mandy pressed. “It’s high time you got over it.”

“Get over it?” he demanded, anger flaring up. “All those people dead because of what I did.”

“What we did,” Mandy corrected him. “I’m not saying to forget about them, but it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t control it, and it wasn’t—“

“We should have known better,” Eldon interrupted her. “You should have told me that you were… you were…” he tried to stop his mouth from finishing that sentence, but it was impossible with Mandy right in front of him, “you were on the rag.”

“I’m confused,” Shlee said and stood up. “I don’t think I should be a part of this.”

“You asked,” Mandy said with more than a little heat in her voice. “He may be hung up on it, but I’ll tell you what happened.” She took a deep breath and ignored Eldon shaking his head. “We were hiding from my dad in Gaia’s capital city. He didn’t like Eldon and me dating, but I enjoyed being with him, even despite his deformity, which he usually kept hidden from me. He was in the guise of a human, and we went into a hotel, deciding to have some fun. I thought I was past my period, and he went down on me. The next thing I knew, I was looking at my clone munching my own box.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Shlee offered in a weak voice. “Even sounds kind of hot.”

“That’s not the whole story,” Eldon told her without looking away from Mandy. “When I changed into her, I also took on her ability. Normally, her ability is stuck to whatever room she’s in. Sometimes it can be fun to walk down a street and see someone suddenly spout something they didn’t mean to admit. Suddenly having two of us, or rather two of her, in the same room increased that ability exponentially. Remember how I said you don’t have to say the whole truth, as long as you don’t lie? That wasn’t the case then.”

“So people in a larger area had to start telling the truth?” Brock joined the conversation. “I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

Brooke placed her hand on his thick arm and shook her head. From the look on Shlee’s eyes, she was catching on to the problem.

Mandy was the one to reply. “They didn’t just have to speak the truth, and it wasn’t just a slightly bigger area. The entire city suddenly had to tell every little dark secret it had. It wasn’t a matter of just saying whatever was in their head at that moment. They told whoever was around them their darkest secrets. People grew furious with one another. Lovers admitted to infidelity. Theft was revealed. Enmity that’d been buried for centuries was reignited like a bonfire. Creatures attacked one another in anger and hatred. No one could control themselves.”

“I don’t remember hearing about any of this,” Brock said with confusion.

“Gaia helped us bury the incident,” Lyden told his son. “We were supposed to make sure they broke up afterwards, but they did that themselves.”

“We didn’t break up,” Mandy spat. “He dumped me. I loved him, and he walked away.”

Eldon couldn’t have hurt worse from her words if she’d slapped him. After his conversation with Gloria earlier, Mandy’s words struck directly to his heart. Now everyone knew his most painful memory, his biggest failing, his deepest, darkest secret.

“I didn’t have a choice,” he told her. “I couldn’t chance something like that happening again.”

“You can only say it because you believe it,” Mandy sneered. “You could have chosen not to ever change into my form again. Only your first transformation is uncontrolled. It was your choice to leave me.”

Eldon had nothing to say in response. She was right, though he still felt like he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for all those deaths. So many lives snuffed out because of his carelessness. He couldn’t be sure if he’d lost control because he’d changed genders—something he never tested out—or because he couldn’t control her powers. It was his first time becoming a woman, and it hadn’t been comfortable.

“I know it’s none of my business, but I can’t stop myself from telling you that you’re an idiot, Eldon.” Shlee’s words tore at the wound in his heart and he turned away from her. “That wasn’t your fault. You can’t blame yourself for what other people did. You didn’t make them carry those secrets. You didn’t make them lie for years before that incident. It wasn’t your fault, and you’re an idiot for thinking it was for so long.”

“I may not have been responsible for the secrets they kept, but I am responsible for them spilling those secrets.” He couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice. “All those deaths because I couldn’t keep my cock in my pants.”

“More like your tongue out of my pussy,” Mandy replied, then grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. Shlee’s right, though. The whole thing was an accident. You can’t blame yourself because of what other people did.”

Eldon wanted to believe them. He wanted to think that those deaths weren’t on his hands. How much easier would his conscience rest if he wasn’t to blame for what had happened?

No matter how much he wanted to believe, he couldn’t. They believed it, or they wouldn’t be able to say it with Mandy in the car, but that didn’t make it the truth. It was the one major flaw in Mandy’s ability. If someone believed something, they could say it, even if it wasn’t the truth. They just had to believe that their words were true.

He was spared from talking further as the Orange Bubble stopped.

The air swirled around Shelly as hands flung her into the cell. Striking the back wall would have hurt a lot less if she could have shifted into a shield. Her metal surface would have clattered against the cement floor instead of her shoulder. Instead, nausea swamped her as she attempted the change. She felt too weak to crawl to a corner and vomit. It took most of her strength just to turn her head and spew what little remained in her stomach.

“You need to stop pushing yourself so hard,” Jessica soothed her.

“I have to at least try,” Shelly panted. “If I don’t push myself, they’ll break me.”

“Do you know what’s causing your problems with transforming?” Becky asked as she leaned over Shelly. The older woman was covering her mouth with one hand. Shelly’s vomit gathered itself up, pulling away from her mouth and the floor, and then flew towards the bars of their cage. A moment before the ball of bile struck, it fell apart and hit the floor.

“Probably the same thing affecting your magic,” Jessica said before Shelly could respond.

Shelly knew that wasn’t true, but she was too tired to argue. Whatever was affecting her had happened while on Marchosias’s island. She recalled that strange dream, with that creepy old man. Ever since waking up, holding any form other than her own was difficult, if not impossible. Then there were the voices. Or maybe it was only one voice? Something fought her when she changed, and she always ended up emptying her stomach.

It was her fault they were captured. Jessica had needed a weapon, but when she tried to shift, everything went wrong. How they knew where to set up their trap as Becky was dropping them off at the nearest portal, Shelly didn’t know. The Knights were well prepared for them.

“Were you able to find out what time it is?” Jessica asked as she helped Shelly sit up.

This again? she wondered, but didn’t say out loud. “No. Late, I think. I didn’t see any clocks or windows, but I saw a lot of people yawning as they hauled me away.”

“Did they say what they wanted from us?” Becky asked next as Jessica stood and started pacing their cell. “Or did you hear anything about how they’re dampening my magic?”

Shelly shook her head. “They’re Paladonic Knights,” she said with as much scorn as she could muster. “They want us dead. I heard them mention calling my dad. They laughed about it, as though we were some sort of joke.”

“Your dad laughed that we were captured?” Jessica stopped her pacing and stared at her.

“No,” she shook her head again. “The guards laughed about us. Made some comment about running a pound for stray animals that they wanted to put down.”

“We have to get out of here,” Jessica whined. “Soon. Now. At midnight…. We—we just have to get out of here.”

Becky turned away from Jessica and met Shelly’s eyes. “If your dad knows you’re here, then all we have to do is wait. He’ll come for us.”

“Does he know where here is?” Shelly asked, hating the way her voice trembled on the question. “And even if he does, I heard them say they were ready for him this time. They said it wouldn’t be like last time, and they’d finally get their revenge for their fallen comrades.”

Shelly felt the older woman pull her into a tight embrace. Becky shook, and Shelly realized that she was just as afraid as the other two. This wasn’t the first time Becky was captured by the P.K.’s, though she didn’t know much about that event. Her dad liked to brag and tell stories, but he rarely ever spoke about his time as a prisoner of the Knights. Whatever had happened, she knew it still haunted him to this day. Becky must have remembered her treatment by them as well.

Shelly thought about pointing out that there wasn’t much her dad could do. He was no longer the Generator. For all intents and purposes, he was a normal human. He wasn’t exactly weak, but he was literally powerless.

“He knows the President,” Jessica spoke up as though reading her mind. “I can’t see her letting us stay here very long. We can’t stay long. We have to get out of here soon. Before it’s too late.” Shelly ignored her as she went back to her litany.

“Do you know what she’s babbling about?” Becky whispered in her ear.

“No,” Shelly whispered back. “All I know is she hates being on Earth when the time changes to midnight. No problem if it’s one minute past, but she hasn’t told me why.” Something tickled Shelly’s thoughts about that, but she couldn’t pin it down. She was too tired.

“No…” Jessica muttered from where she paced. “I can’t do that. I won’t. They’re my… But I’m not… No.”

Shelly started wondering if her girlfriend had cracked. Jessica was usually so strong and confident. To see her like this now scared Shelly more than when the P.K.’s captured them. She pulled away from Becky and forced herself to her feet. It took more effort to stand than it should have, and a few unlady-like grunts, but she managed to make it to her feet. Her head swam as she stood and her shoulder throbbed. For a moment she thought she saw someone standing to her right. She faced the new person, but the spot was empty. She shook her head at her foolishness, but that was a mistake. She had to throw her arm out to catch herself as dizziness tried to swamp her.

“Are you okay?” Jessica rushed to her side.

“Yeah,” Shelly tried to wave her off, be her girlfriend continued to fuss over her. “Just got a bit dizzy. I hope they feed us soon.” She glanced at where her stomach’s contents painted the floor. “Or maybe not.”

“You need to rest,” Jessica chided her.

“And you need to calm down,” Shelly shot back. “You’re wound tighter than a Cyclops with sand in its eye.”

“Cyclops! Ha. That’s a good one,” a male voice called from outside their cage. “You fuck many of them in that evil world of yours? I always assumed they had terrible depth perception. Go for your cunt and get your armpit instead. Am I right? ‘Course, I heard all women from that place were sluts. What does it take to get a little action, huh? I’ll bet you’ve never had a human like me before.”

Shelly faced the large man as anger boiled up in her. Jessica stopped her before she could speak.

“Don’t. He’s trying to rile you up. He wants an excuse to come in here and beat on us.”

Shelly wanted to ask how the woman could know that, but stopped. Of course. It was obvious. All she had to do was think instead of react, and she would have seen the same thing. If only she wasn’t so worn down. Was she getting sick?

“Heh. Too bad,” the man scoffed. “I guess you don’t want a real man between your legs.” He grabbed his crotch through his pants and shook it at them.

“A real man wouldn’t need to taunt three defenseless ladies,” Becky replied in a calm tone. “You might be surprised what a little respect would get you.”

“Respect for three evil sluts? What on God’s green Earth would make me think to give you respect?”

“The Pillar of Light doesn’t like you using his name like that,” Becky said as though talking to a little child.

“Your Pillar of Light doesn’t concern me,” the man cleared his throat and spat at Becky. He must have terrible experience spitting, as most of it dribbled down his stubbled chin. “But you’ll be meeting the maker soon enough. As soon as your foolish husband comes to save you…. Oops. I’ve said too much.” By the way he smiled and covered his mouth, Shelly knew he’d said exactly what he’d meant to and he chortled.

“What do you have planned?” Shelly demanded. She stepped closer to the bars, but Jessica stopped her before she could get too close.

“Oh, I really shouldn’t say,” the man grinned at her. “But maybe if you said please?”

She knew he was taunting her again and refused to give in. “I’ll say please when you marry a harpy,” she replied.

“Oh? You’ve met my wife?” He cackled at his own joke. Despite herself, Shelly felt sorrow for any woman married to this man. His laughter went on far beyond what his joke warranted. When it finally wound down, the three women were giving him incredulous looks. “You know… Because she’s just an evil woman. She’s not really a harpy. I couldn’t debase myself that much. Oh, come on. That was hilarious.”

Imbecile, Shelly thought. Jessica squeezed her shoulder and faced the man.

“If women are so evil, why are we still alive?” Jessica asked with a sneer.

The man spat again. This time the spittle traveled further than his chin, landing on his armored vest. “The Grand Meister has a trap laid out for the Betrayer. When he shows up for you, we’ll be ready. We learned from his last visit. His dragon form won’t catch us by surprise this time. We’ve been practicing on dragons.” This last part he said as though imparting a great secret.

Shelly almost snapped that her dad couldn’t change forms anymore, but stopped herself. It wasn’t widely advertised that Lyden Snow was no longer a Generator. It would be better for their enemies to over think things, than know everything.

The man licked his lips before looking to his left and right, then leaned in closer. “Is it true what they say about his wives?” The women looked between themselves, not sure what the bastard was asking. “You know… That they know a thousand ways to please a man, and will do anything for a good fuck.”

Shelly almost choked on hearing that statement. She knew her dad had a crazy reputation, but didn’t know that his wives did also.

“Only a thousand?” Becky asked as though insulted. “I haven’t really counted, but I’m sure it’s a lot more than that. Of course, it takes a real man to give a good fuck.”

What the heck was Becky doing? She couldn’t seriously be coming onto this slime-ball. But as she watched, Becky sauntered up to the bars, almost close enough to touch them, and started chanting. Shelly didn’t know a lot of magic, but recognized a spell being cast.

“Well, I can assure you, I know how to give a good fuck. Especially for three little sluts.”

Shelly saw confusion on Becky’s face, but it was quickly masked. She put one finger in the side of her mouth and swayed her hips as she looked the guard over.

“If you think you’re good enough, why don’t you see if you can satisfy us?” Becky purred. “Show these little girls what you’re capable of, and maybe they’ll want to join in.”

Shelly realized what the woman was doing, and decided to join in on the act, though her stomach churned at the thought of this man touching her. She cupped her breasts through her clothes and shook them. She didn’t know why men liked it when women did this, but there was no mistaking the gleam in the guard’s eyes as she jiggled her flesh.

The creep licked his lips again, and Shelly knew he was getting excited. She wanted to throw up.

“I’ll bet a big knight like you would know all sorts of tricks to take care of three dumb sluts like us,” Jessica joined in.

It was pathetic the way the man started bouncing on his toes as he scanned the hallways. “Damn straight I do,” the man was almost cumming in his pants by the look on his face. “The shift changes at midnight. I hope you’re ready for me then.”

Before anyone could respond, the man turned and charged down the way he’d come.

“Damn it!” Becky swore at the same time Jessica cursed, “Fuck!”

Shelly understood their statements, though it was a surprise to hear Becky use profanity. Her dad wasn’t the biggest fan of using such language, and all his wives respected that. If the man had come in then, they could have overwhelmed him and escaped. Midnight was also the time Jessica feared, though none of them knew why.

“We need to get out of here sooner,” Jessica whined as she paced their cell.

“I don’t understand why it didn’t work,” Becky stared at her hands.

“What was that spell supposed to do?” Shelly asked.

“I know I got it right.” Becky shook her head and looked up to Shelly. “It was supposed to drive his libido into overdrive so he couldn’t think straight. I’ve felt it firsthand, so I know how hard it can be to think when under its influence.”

“It seemed to work for the most part,” Shelly offered, remembering the hungry grin on the guard’s face as he’d left.

“No, it should have driven him wild with lust,” Becky refuted Shelly’s statement. “Somehow he resisted. My magic is weaker than it should be. I can barely cast any spells at all, and nothing seems to go through those bars.”

“I don’t think he had enough brain cells to resist any spell, much less that one,” Shelly offered. “Do you think he had some kind of protection? Like the Daughters of Respite?”

Becky seemed to consider that for a moment before shaking her head. “No, I didn’t even feel the spell take effect. It’s as though magic stopped working. The two groups must be working together, though they’ve rarely trusted one another in the past.”

“Is that even possible?” Jessica asked. “Completely stopping magic, that is.”

“I don’t see why not,” Becky offered. “I mean, the Daughters are able to make themselves all but immune. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that the Knights might be able to block magic in a certain area.”

“He did say they were ready for Dad,” Shelly realized with horror. “If they have magic blocked or weakened everywhere…”

“Then whoever comes to rescue us will be in some serious trouble.” Cold dread wormed through Shelly’s bones. “They’ll be expecting magic to work, and when it doesn’t…”

“All the more reason we need to get out of here, now!” Jessica was panting in her desire to leave.

“What happens at midnight?” Becky asked with narrowed eyes. “Do your glass slippers come off and your carriage turn back into a pumpkin?”

“What are you talking about?” Jessica asked with a perplexed look on her face. Shelly realized that with Jessica’s childhood, she probably had no idea who Cinderella was.

“We’ll just have to wait until the guard returns,” Becky said, ignoring Jessica’s confusion. She glanced around their cell and grimaced. “Never thought I’d find a man like that so attractive after so many years with your father.”

It was Shelly’s turn to be confused. What was Becky talking about? The man was a pig and a slob. There was nothing attractive about him!

“Yeah,” Jessica piped in, rubbing her ear for some reason, “I can’t wait to see what was making that bulge in his pants. It looked good to me.”

Shelly glanced between the two women, perplexed by their change in behavior. Had they been drugged somehow? Some invisible gas getting pumped into the room, perhaps? Or had Becky’s spell backfired? She checked herself, and felt no desire except for escape within her. Certainly no attraction to that guard, or any desire to do anything with him.

“I’ll bet he knows how to please three women at once,” Becky replied as she smiled at Shelly.

She could tell that the smile was strained, but couldn’t figure out what was going on. Why were they saying things that Shelly knew they didn’t feel? The guard wasn’t around. There was no reason to keep up the pretense…. Unless there was.

Shelly cursed as she realized that their cell might be bugged, or that a camera could be watching them right that moment. She itched to look around. Was someone sitting in a control room, watching and listening to them? Their cell wasn’t well lit, but with modern technology, that didn’t mean a camera couldn’t see them. She tried to remember what they’d talked about. Had they already said too much?

“Um… yeah. I’ll bet he’s, uh, got a nice piece of meat in his pants.” Shelly cursed at her terrible acting. She’d done fine when there was someone right there, but having to fake it with her step-mom and girlfriend made it a lot harder.

“I think we should decide who gets him first,” Becky said, waving the other women to her. “No sense in fighting.”

Shelly squatted down next to the shorter woman and saw her tracing something on the floor. No mark was left behind, but she got the hint. As Jessica joined them, they made plans, while loudly making lewd comments about what they were going to do to the guard when he finally came back.

Despite herself, Shelly started to get turned on as they planned. The thought of a nice stiff prick plowing into her rapidly dampening pussy was distracting her from coming up with an escape plan. It’d been a long time since a man had pleased her, hadn’t it? Then she recalled who they were pretending to be interested in. She couldn’t suppress a shudder as she imagined him doing the things they were saying. Her libido dropped, and she was able to focus on their plans again.

“I hope you ladies are ready to do all those things you’ve been talking about,” she heard a key scrape in the lock behind her as the guard spoke.

She stood and looked at her fellow captives. Jessica and Becky gave her a smile before the latter stepped forward.

“Oh, we are,” Shelly’s step-mom assured him. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and started to lift up.

Shelly’s attention was drawn to her girlfriend. Something seemed off about her. In the dim light, she couldn’t be certain, but she thought she saw a shimmer surround her. Jessica groaned and held her stomach.

“That’s right, bitch,” the guard laughed in Jessica’s direction. “You’re so horny, I don’t even have to touch you to make you start moaning. I’ll bet your cunt’s already soaked and ready for my fat cock, you slutty bitch.”

Shelly was disgusted by the man’s behavior, but worried over her girlfriend as well. That hadn’t been a sexy moan, but a pained groan. This wasn’t part of the plan. Was whatever Jessica was worried about at midnight have something to do with her groaning?

“I want you first, big boy,” Becky said to the guard as he stepped through the bars.

He turned to say something to her, but before he could utter another word, or close the bars, Becky struck. Her right palm slammed into his armored chest. She followed up with a jab at his throat, but her first blow had knocked him back a step, and her second barely hit.

Shelly was concerned for Jessica, but knew that their plan was in trouble if Becky fought alone. She didn’t know how well her step-mom could fight, but she suspected the filthy guard knew a fair amount.

Shelly launched herself at the man’s back as he turned to face the short older woman. She had experienced a number of fights and battles, but always from the weapon’s point of view, and never as the fighter. Landing on the man’s broad back, she tried to punch and kick, but felt like a baby wailing against an adult.

“Stupid whores,” the guard bellowed. He reached back and grabbed a handful of Shelly’s hair. With a powerful tug, he pulled her from his back and she landed on the hard ground, knocking the breath from her. “I’ll teach you the proper place for a woman.”

Shelly rolled to her feet, her side on fire again. She faced the man in time to see him knock Becky to the ground. Where was Jessica? She was the fighter. Becky and Shelly were supposed to distract the guard, so Jessica could take him out. Another glance in her direction showed she was on the floor, doubled over in pain. She wasn’t screaming, but the sounds coming from her throat sounded inhuman. Shelly couldn’t be certain in the dim light, but it almost looked like the woman’s hair was turning white.

A glance back at the guard showed him ready and confident. Beyond him, the door to their cage stood open. It might as well be a solid wall for all the good it did them. Shelly moved, trying to get behind the man, but he turned to keep them in his sight, backing closer to the door. She stopped, not wanting him to get any ideas about locking them back up.

Thus far, the guard hadn’t pulled any weapons, and a quick glance showed he didn’t have any on him. He must have disarmed before coming to them. If she could transform, they might still stand a chance. If only magic wasn’t weakened. If only she was still able to transform! Something was wrong with her ability though, and couldn’t figure out what it was.

She remembered watching her brother train to fight, and recalled a few of her own lessons as a kid. She knew the moment Becky tried to strike by the way her feet moved. Shelly launched herself at the guard, jumping and kicking. If they struck at the same time, maybe one of their attacks would get through.

The man twisted at the last moment, avoiding Becky’s fist and grabbing Shelly’s ankle. Shelly found herself pulled through the air as she slammed into Becky and they both went down in a heap. As far as escape plans went, this one wasn’t happening.

“Oh, yeah,” the guard chortled. “I like to watch a little girl-on-girl action. Hopefully it’s better than your fighting skills.”

Shelly pulled away from Becky and tried to regain her feet. Her head swam, but she focused on the vulgar man. She had to take him down. They had to escape and get out before a rescue was sent for them. A rescue that she knew would depend on magic, and thus end up failing.

Becky tried to get to her feet next to Shelly, but fell back, clutching her head. Jessica was still on the floor, her hair seemed to glow a soft white. Is that what she’d been afraid of happening at midnight? A little pain and a dye job? It didn’t seem right, though. Was whatever was suppressing magic affecting her differently? She didn’t want to be insensitive to her girlfriend’s plight, but they were in some serious trouble without Jessica’s help. Shelly would have to ask her later. Right now, she needed to get them out of here.

“Wouldn’t you rather suck my cock than fight me?” The man laughed. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem beating uppity women, but I think we’d both enjoy a good fucking a lot more.”

“I’d love to,” Shelly sneered, “but I’d hate to take that job away from your mother.”

The man growled and charged at her. She managed to dodge his first blow, but didn’t see his knee coming for her gut. Air fled her lungs as she doubled over. His thick fist connected with the back of her head a moment later, making the world flash white as she struggled to remain conscious.

“You’re not doing so well,” a new male voice offered. Shelly tried to find the source of the newcomer, but her eyes wanted to roll back in her head instead of focus. She felt hands pulling at her shirt, removing it from her. She tried to fight back, but a hand slapped her face, making the world spin again. “If you don’t get up, he’s going to rape you. You know that, right?”

The voice was calm and reasoned. It was one she’d heard before, but she couldn’t think.

“I…” she trailed off as her bra was torn from her.

“You want this, slut?” the guard laughed. “Here, take it!” Something bumped against her lips. She tried to pull away, but the guard gripped her hair, and yanked her back. “Suck it, bitch!”

She opened her mouth to protest, but his filthy meat bumped the back of her throat first. She gagged, and even though she thought she’d emptied her stomach earlier, bile rose and spewed from her mouth and nose.

“You stupid, fucking, bitch!” the guard screeched and slammed her head down.

“Now’s your chance, young lady,” the other voice stated. “Stand up. Fight him.”

“I… can’t,” she muttered as she rolled onto her stomach. Her head throbbed and her throat burned. She couldn’t focus on anything. She worked to get her hands under her naked torso, but felt too weak to push herself up.

“I guess I’ll have to do this. Mind if I borrow your body for a moment?”

Shelly tried to respond, but something… She didn’t know how to explain it. It felt like her body twisted and compacted, while the world grew bigger around her. Her eyes focused, and she saw the guard swiping vomit from his crotch. Jessica and Becky were still down, one groaning in pain, the other motionless.

Shelly’s arms moved on their own, finding strength she didn’t know they had and pushing her body up. Her lips moved, and she heard her voice, but had no idea what she was going to say, until it was said.

“Hey, dipshit. Your cock is so small, you could use it to floss with.”

The guard looked at her, shocked for a moment, before his face turned crimson. “You’ll pay for that, you fucking cunt!”

“Your insults are about as original as your prick. Small and pointless.”

The man roared as he charged her. Shelly wanted to scramble out of the guard’s way, but she couldn’t move. Her body refused to obey her will. The guard was fast, not that he’d been that far away from her anyway. She quailed, knowing that when he struck her, it was going to hurt. After her insults, he wasn’t going to be kind to her body.

At the last moment, she moved, but it wasn’t by her command. Whoever or whatever had control of her, knew what it was doing. She stepped to the left, her right hand lashed out and struck the man’s shoulder. He stumbled a couple steps past, then spun and faced her again.

Hmm. The reflexes of this body aren’t what I’m used to, that other voice said. It sounded like it was coming from within her. Then she recognized it.

“You’re that old man!” she exclaimed, remembering the creepy old man after the fight with Marchosias. She heard her voice as she spoke, but it didn’t come from her throat.

Watch who you’re calling creepy, the voice chided her. I’m the dashing hero trying to save the damsel in distress.

“Save away!” she yelled as she noticed the guard coming at them again.

Her savior wasn’t fast enough to dodge this time, and she felt the impact as the guard slammed into her. Her body twisted and they tumbled to the floor. Somehow she ended on top, with one of the guard’s arms locked between her ribs and side, and the other under her knee. This left her right hand free. Her hand jabbed, knuckles first, at his throat. Her hand hurt from the impact of the blow, but from the bulge in the guard’s eyes as he struggled to get free, it’d collapsed his windpipe. Shelly’s body rolled away and to its feet.

“I’d leave you with a thought on the proper way to treat women, but I don’t think you have enough space left between your ears to keep ahold of it.”

The guard’s face darkened as he clutched at his ruined throat. He tried to crawl towards the still open doorway, but Shelly’s foot connected with his head. With a sickening snap, the vulgar man’s neck broke, and he fell to the ground.

“Damn, this body is weak,” whoever had control of her complained as they hopped on one foot, while holding the foot that’d killed the guard. “You need to work out more, young lady. I’m all for skinny chicks, but I like them with a bit of muscle too.”

“Shelly?” Becky moaned as she sat up, holding her head.

Shelly’s body stopped hopping as control was shoved back onto her. She almost toppled over, but got her injured foot underneath her in time. It hurt to put weight on it, but not enough to stop her from going to her step-mom.

“Are you okay?” she asked as she helped Becky to her feet.

“Just a little dizzy. Who were you talking to?” Becky asked. She held her head but spared a glance at Shelly, then looked around. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Shelly replied to both questions. “I think we need to get out of here. If anyone was listening to that fight…”

She didn’t have to say more. They moved to Jessica, and found her lying on her back, chuckling. “I did it. I stopped her. Heh, heh. I finally stopped her.”

“What’s she talking about?” Becky asked, worry filling her pretty but bruised features.

“No idea,” Shelly shook her head. She bent over Jessica and lightly slapped her. “Come on! We need to go.”

Jessica’s eyes focused on her. The woman’s hair had returned to its normal jet black color, though Shelly thought she noticed fangs before her girlfriend nodded and got to her feet.

Shelly found her shirt, or what was left of it. It was torn up, but covered the important bits. The remnants of her bra were useless. Becky searched the guard’s corpse, but it didn’t look like he had anything useful.

“What happened to you?” Shelly asked as they stepped out of their cage.

“I…” Jessica shook her head.

“We really could have used your skills,” Becky chided her. “We were counting on you doing the fighting.”

Shelly saw that she was going to end up with a black eye, if that bruise forming on the older woman’s face was any indication. The Pillars wouldn’t be enough to stop her dad from killing everyone in this place if he saw her like this. From the way her body ached, she suspected she didn’t look much better.

“I’m sorry,” Jessica said, full of contrition. “When he showed up, my body hurt. It felt like something was trying to rip its way out of me, using claws of fire.”

“You mentioned stopping a ‘her,’” Shelly offered.

Jessica snapped her head to look at her. Was that fear? It was gone a moment later, making Shelly wonder if she’d imagined it in the dim light of the hallway.

“Quiet,” Becky hushed them as they approached a corner. They heard voices coming down that way. The words were too indistinct to make out. Becky peeked around the corner, and then faced them. “Only one guard. He’s watching a holographic show. I think he was too absorbed in it to notice our fight. If we’re careful… Where’s Jessica?”

Shelly looked to her right, where her girlfriend was a moment before. The spot was empty. Fear pulsed in her as she moved past Becky and looked around the corner. Jessica was on her hands and knees, crawling to where the guard was sitting at his desk. All he had to do was glance to his right and he’d see her. As Becky had stated, a holographic show was playing before him, and he was oblivious to the rest of the world.

She wanted to scream, to stop her girlfriend, but she didn’t dare make a noise. What was Jessica thinking? She almost screamed when Becky placed her hand on Shelly’s injured shoulder and peaked around her. In the time it took Shelly to calm down and realize she wasn’t about to be stabbed, and then to look back at Jessica, her girlfriend had reached the guard. She towered behind where the guard sat.

Shelly held her breath, not even daring to breathe. She knew Jessica was strong, and a talented fighter, but she was also weaponless. Of course, Shelly was weaponless when she killed the other guard. She’d spent so much of her life fighting as a weapon, that she forgot that people could be deadly with their naked hands. Her foot still throbbed from kicking that bastard so hard. She was often sore after a fight, but at least as a sword, shield, spear, or whatever, she was made of stronger stuff.

If Jessica made any noise, Shelly couldn’t hear it over the holographic show. She stood behind the man for a moment, her eyes transfixed on what was on display. Shelly couldn’t make it out from her vantage point, but she could see that it had grabbed Jessica’s full attention.

“Why doesn’t she strike?” Becky whispered.

Shelly shrugged her shoulders. It didn’t make any sense to her either. One quick movement and it would be over. They could escape before her dad or anyone else arrived.

But Jessica remained frozen. Shelly ground her teeth in frustration. She didn’t dare go after her girlfriend, but didn’t know what she was doing, either.

“No!” Jessica gasped.

That single word was clearly audible. The guard jumped and spun, falling out of his chair as he reached for something on his hip. Shelly moved to get to her, but Becky gripped her shoulder and held her back. Her instinct was wasted as Jessica blurred into movement. The guard grunted and struck the floor.

Shelly pulled out of Becky’s grip and ran down the short hallway. As she rounded the desk, she saw the guard on the floor, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Jessica pulled a pistol from his hip, and checked to make sure it was loaded.

“What were you doing?” Shelly hissed at her girlfriend. She was upset, but not enough to yell like she wanted to. They didn’t know if anyone else was around, and it wouldn’t do to call a bunch of guards down on them.

“We’re in trouble,” Jessica said and pointed to the holographic display. “Or rather, they are.”

Shelly looked as Becky came up next to her. What she’d thought was a television broadcast was a security feed. She recognized most of the people she saw, but that’s not what made her heart skip with terror.

The security feed showed the inside of the Orange Bubble. She had no idea how the Paladonic Knights had managed to get a camera into the Orange Bubble, unless they did it after capturing them. But then, how did it get back to her dad? The car was untraceable and had an intelligence of its own. It wouldn’t allow anything to harm Lyden Snow, or any of his family. Did it know that there was hidden camera inside it somewhere?

Her brother moved into view of the camera, and she let out another gasp. He’d changed since she’d left him in the hospital. Not only was he whole and healthy, but there was a glow to him now. She didn’t know what it meant, but Areth’s plan to help him must have succeeded. She looked at the image, trying to spot the fairy, but she wasn’t in the viewable area. Shelly wished she knew how to move the camera, but there were no controls.

“We’re about fifteen minutes away,” she heard her father say. The camera turned to him, telling her that it was mounted on someone. It had to be well hidden to not be observed by anyone in the car. The volume was low, but this close they could hear without any problems. “Does everyone know what they need to do?”

Shelly searched the area, frantic to find some way to warn him that they were being watched. She had no doubt that this display was appearing before many other Knights in the area. They would know what Lyden’s plans were, and know how to disrupt them. Without any magic to aid them, her father, brother, and the rest of her family and friends would die.

“We’ve been over the plan numerous times, dear,” Brooke said from her spot on the fountain. Brock was next to her in his mechanical legs. “I still think you need to stay back here. You’re not…” Brooke looked ashamed for a moment before forcing the words out. “You’re not the Generator anymore, and can’t fight them. If you die, they win.”

Lyden’s face grew hard. No, not hard, exactly. Diamonds were soft by comparison. She’d never seen that look in his eyes before. Her father was beyond angry. She felt her knees grow weak, almost pitying anyone who stood in his way.

“They have my daughter and one of my wives, not to mention Shelly’s girlfriend,” Lyden said with a voice full of anger, sorrow, rage, and determination. “They have gone too far this time. They will pay. I won’t lose anyone else!”

“I understand how you feel,” a four-armed woman spoke up. Shelly recognized her immediately. Mandy was with them. She remembered when Eldon and her had dated. Shelly spent many hours away, to be outside the girl’s influence. It wasn’t that Shelly was dishonest, but having no choice but to speak the truth was terrible. “But the world can’t lose you, Mr. Snow. You’re too important to the people of the Shadow World.”

“They can go to hell for all I care,” Lyden spat. He walked over to the fountain near Brooke and picked up a small golden statue. Tears formed in his eyes as he spoke. “I won’t lose anyone else. I lost Lisa years ago to them, and thought I’d bloodied their nose enough to teach them a lesson. Their actions recently have shown that they can’t be taught. They are a cancer of hatred in the world. For too long, we have been content to let them grow, thinking they were ineffective. This last attack only means one thing. War. It is not a war I am willing to lose. I will not lose anyone else! No one! Am I clear?”

The car was silent for a moment, before Eldon spoke up. “You won’t dad. I’ll make sure to bring them all home. I won’t let you down. But that’s no reason for you to join the fight. Stay here. Coordinate from here. Let us be your hands and eyes. You can’t run the fight from the middle of it.”

“When the Outsiders threatened our existence, I didn’t stay back then,” Lyden faced his son. Shelly was surprised to see Sheldon keep gazes with their father. She didn’t know if she could have in the same situation. “I went out and killed them. I fought. I won’t stay behind this time, either.”

“That was different,” Sheldon held his ground. “You had your powers then. You don’t now. I understand how you feel, Dad. They have my sister, my step-mom, and Jessica. If even one hair on their head is hurt, I’ll destroy them all myself.”

“How will you do that?” Lyden demanded. “You can’t change anymore. You’re locked into that one form.”

What did he mean by that? Shelly wondered, but had no way to ask. Did it have something to do with his glow? Had they both lost their ability to transform at the same time? All questions she would have to ask after they escaped.

“Because I had a great man teach me the importance of fighting for what’s right from the time I was a little kid,” Sheldon grinned. “Because I’ve trained for this my whole life. My form isn’t what’s important. What you helped teach me is.”

Eldon’s words seemed to get through to their father, and he bowed his head. He cradled the statue in his hands, and wept. “I won’t lose anyone else, Son. You hear me? Don’t you dare die out there. None of you can, or I… I can’t lose anyone else. I just can’t.”

Brooke folded him into her arms and held her husband.

The camera turned away from them, and focused on a man Shelly didn’t know. He was dressed in black tactical gear and looked right into the camera. “All of our forces are ready to move on your word, Commander. Just give the order.”

“As soon as this car stops, we move,” an unknown female voice responded. Shelly knew that whoever had control of the camera was the speaker. Whoever it was, they were a spy. It explained how a camera was able to get into the Orange Bubble. It had been carried in. And because of whoever she was, the Paladonic Knights knew her father’s plan and were waiting for them.

“We need to go,” Becky stated, making Shelly jump. “They have no idea what they’re about to get into.”

“Did the guard have a cell phone?” Shelly asked. “Maybe we can warn them?”

“No,” Jessica said after searching his pockets. “Just this I.D. badge, keys, and some gum. Want some?” She was already putting a piece of gum in her mouth.

“No, thanks. Any idea on how to get out of here?” She asked. Both women looked at her like she was an idiot. Of course they didn’t know how to get out of here. “Well, in that case, I say we try that door over there and see where it leads.”

They looked at where she pointed. Becky shrugged and they started in that direction. Unfortunately, that door opened onto a closet. The next one opened onto a hallway that looked similar to the one they’d just left.

“Aren’t these places supposed to have fire exits clearly listed?” Becky complained. “How are the guards supposed to know where to go in case of an emergency?”

“I rather doubt the fire marshals ever get down to investigate this place,” Shelly replied as they headed for a third doorway. This one opened onto a stairwell.

“He mentioned me,” Jessica said as she took the stairs in front of Shelly. Becky brought up the rear. “He was worried about me also.”

Shelly felt her gut twist. She remembered Jessica’s words about still liking Sheldon. She debated for only a moment before responding. “With Mandy there, he had to be telling the truth. He must still care for you.” Those words cost her more than she would ever admit.

“What do you mean?” Jessica asked.

“Mandy has a way of forcing those around her to be absolutely honest,” Becky responded. “I felt bad for her parents, before her dad died. Do you have any idea how often we tell children little lies as they grow up? Quite often it’s to protect them and shelter them from a world that they’re not ready for. Mandy never got that. She grew up fast. Sometimes we wish for the truth, but all too often, a little lie is easier to deal with.”

No one spoke as they topped the stairs and saw a sign reading, “B4.” They had four more flights of stairs until the ground level. Shelly was worn out and her foot and shoulder throbbed, but her dad was right. They couldn’t lose anyone. With a determined sigh, she placed her foot on the next step and continued climbing.

*    *    *    *

Shelly’s legs felt like rubber as they reached the door marked with a simple “1.” This door had a window in it. Jessica looked out, followed by Becky. It was all Shelly could do to stay on her feet. She wasn’t used to this much activity. If only she could have changed forms and been carried. At the least, it would have offered them another weapon, or even a shield. With the block on magic and her broken ability, that was impossible.

“Two guards walking this way,” Jessica reported. “If they come through the door, I’ll take them out. I have an idea on how to get out of here.”

Shelly stifled a groan as she moved behind the door. Her body ached. She needed to get some rest, but getting out of here alive was the top priority.

Sure enough, a couple moments later the door opened, and a well-armed guard walked through. Jessica waited for the second one to step into the stairwell before springing her attack. She moved with a liquid grace that would have saved them a lot of pain had she been able to act in their cell. Both guards wore heavy black vests with helmets, but Jessica knew where to strike. She jabbed the second guard in the throat, cutting off any warning or yells he might make, before gripping the first one’s helmet and snapping the neck. By this point, the second guard through the door was on the floor, gasping for breath. Jessica kicked his helmet with the heel of her foot, then slammed her foot down on his exposed neck. He shook twice, then went still.

Shelly shuddered at the ease with which Jessica killed the two. She was strong and graceful in her movements, but also calm. There seemed to be no emotion in her eyes as she killed. Shelly had never noticed it before, having been preoccupied as a weapon every other time they’d fought together. It sent a chill down her spine.

Jessica must have seen something in her look as she dragged the bodies away from the door. “It’s either them, or us,” she said and put a hand on Shelly’s shoulder. “If they weren’t the scum of the Earth, I might regret their deaths, but they chose to be what they are. I won’t shed a tear for Paladonic Knights. They deserve this and so much more.”

“You’ve dealt with them before,” Shelly realized out loud.

Jessica looked at her for a moment, before shaking her head. “Help me get them undressed. Like I said before. I have a plan to get us out of here. We’re walking out the front door.”

Looking at the guards, the plan became apparent. Becky was too short to pretend to be either one, but Shelly and Jessica were about the right height, if not necessarily the right build. With the added weight of the armored vest, pants, and helmet, Shelly didn’t think she’d make it far before collapsing, but she was determined to try.

“Remember,” Becky warned them as they looked out the doorway, “you can’t speak. All of the Knights are men. If they realize you’re women…” She didn’t need to finish that statement.

Shelly tucked a strand of Jessica’s hair back into her helmet and stepped back to look at her.

“How do I look?” Jessica asked, holding her arms out to her side and turning around.

“You’re too beautiful to pass as a man with the tinted visor up,” Shelly replied.

“We’ll both have to have our visors down, in that case,” Jessica grinned.

Shelly returned the grin at the unsaid compliment. She took a deep breath and came to a decision. “Look, Jessica,” she began to say. “If we don’t make it out of this—“

She was cut off as Jessica leaned in and kissed her. There was just enough of an opening in their helmets for their lips to touch, but not get passionate. After a moment, Jessica pulled back.

“Don’t say it,” Jessica told her. “We’ll make it out of here, and you can tell me then. We’ll make it out of here together.”

Shelly wanted to say something sweet back, but her eyes brimmed with tears, and she choked on her emotions. After a moment, she just nodded, and they turned to Becky who was smiling as she watched them.

“You two remind me of a younger me with Lisa,” she said, then shook her head. “Right. We need to get out of here. I’ll pretend to be your prisoner. It won’t work well, but if there is any talking needed, let me do it. I hope you both know how to walk like men.”

At Becky’s words, Shelly realized how foolish this plan was. It would never work. She had no idea how to walk like a man. They would get caught as soon as they walked through that door. This was suicide. It—

The door opened and Jessica led Becky out into a well-lit hallway. The walls were white with false lighting overhead. The floor was a checkered white and black.

Shelly remained frozen for another second, then dashed out to catch up. No one was immediately around them. She tried to think about how a man walked, but couldn’t pull it up.

“Think about how your brother walks,” Jessica whispered. “Just swagger like him.”

Shelly had no problem pulling up a mental image of her brother strutting around. There was a cockiness to it, which seemed to come naturally to him. She tried to emulate his movements, incorporating them into her own. Her movements were hampered by her clothing, and she felt claustrophobic in the helmet, but she tried her best.

“Less hips and more shoulders,” Becky offered.

Shelly did as instructed, and though she felt like a fool, she got nods of approval from both women.

As they approached a corner, they froze. Men were running through a cross-hallway, heading to their right. They had their rifles in their hands and looked ready to use them.

The last one stopped and looked at them. He had some sort of rank on his shoulder that looked bigger than what either woman was wearing.

“You two! What are you doing with the Betrayer’s bitch?” the man demanded.

Becky was the first to react. “It won’t work! Just because your Grand Meister thinks that seeing me will make him grow angry and do something stupid. My husband is smarter than that! He’ll know it’s a trap.”

“Shut up and know your place, woman!” the man snapped at her before turning to Jessica and Shelly. “Well, if it’s the Grand Meister’s orders, you’d best be about it! Come on. It looks like the Betrayer will show up to the east. I know just the spot to take her where he’ll be sure to see.”

Shelly looked to Jessica, but couldn’t see her face through the tinted visor. They had no choice but to follow, or give up the ruse.

She wondered why they called her father the Betrayer, but didn’t have time to ask. He’d never betrayed anyone, so far as she knew.

They followed the man down the hallway and through a set of double doors into the late night air.

They were just in time to see chaos erupt. Their rescue had arrived before they could stop it.