The Fantasy Trove

Jessica's mother comes clean about her daughter's past. Can Lyden ever forgive her?

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Chapter 17b

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Prodigal Daughter

Eldon sat in the middle of one couch, with Shlee and Mandy on each side. Unfortunately, Jen decided to sit next to Mandy, and she played idly with one large nipple. The areolae on her breasts were easily as large as his hand, and the nub poked out a good half inch. Despite himself, he found her distracting.

“I didn’t realize you were such a breast man,” Shlee licked his ear. “Maybe I should get implants.”

“Don’t you dare,” Eldon tore his eyes away from Jen’s massive chest. He could have sworn he heard the large-breasted woman chuckle. “I like natural breasts. I prefer my women to be real, not fake.”

“They’re one-hundred percent real,” Jen said in a voice that was too loud to be a whisper, but too quiet to be normal conversation.

Shlee smiled at him and darted in to lick his lips. “You know, if any other man said that without Mandy close by, I’d call them a liar.”

“Knock it off, all three of you,” Mandy chided them, though she did it with a smile as she took one of his hands in hers.

Eldon grimaced but turned his attention to the rest of the room. He didn’t like the way Jen looked at him and licked her lips, so he focused on Angela floating above the magma fountain. She was facing his father and mother on another couch, while across from Eldon sat Shelly and Sonia. The other two couples had plenty of room, and Eldon wished Jen would go bother one of them, instead of crowding his couch.

“It seems you have all of our attention, Angela,” Lyden broke into the tense silence. “Please tell us what you can of Jessica.” There wasn’t a hint of warmth in his voice as he spoke, only dim resignation.

Angela’s dark eyes showed renewed tears as she opened her mouth, but her voice was firm as she spoke. “What Jessica told you was incorrect. Yes, I know, Shelly. With Mandy there, she couldn’t lie, but what she said, she thought was the truth.”

“So, she’s not my sister?” Eldon spoke before he could stop the words. He hated how much lighter his chest felt saying those words. He hadn’t realized until this moment how much he was bothered by the situation, even though he’d never had full intercourse with her. By the look on Shelly’s face, she looked even more relieved.

“Depends on how you look at it,” Angela said, then grimaced with a glance at Mandy. “There is no blood relation between you. I’m her mother. I’m a stepmother to my husband’s kids. Forgive me, Lyden, but you’re not her father.”

Eldon watched as the blood drained from his father’s face. At first he thought Lyden would be happy with that news, but then something else occurred to him. Sonia was the first one to speak, her circuitry coming to the same conclusion as Eldon, but faster.

“Was she as old as she claimed to be?” Sonia asked as she squeezed Shelly’s pale hand.

“Yes.” The single word looked like it was pulled from Angela’s throat by tremendous force.

“Then you were unfaithful to the ambassador,” Sonia continued with her cold logic.

Angela fell into the molten lava fountain and wept, but didn’t speak. Being the Pillar of Fire, the lava didn’t hurt her. If anything, it would give her strength.

It was long moments before Lyden asked in a voice that sounded raw with emotion, “When?”

“It…” Angela lifted her head out of the magma and faced her husband and lover. Her face betrayed the pain in her heart as much as her voice did. “It happened after I left you, when I went to spy on TanaVesta. The Outsider was obsessed with sex and pleasure, and forced us to copulate many times. Sometimes it would bring others in, and… and… Oh, Lyden. I wanted to have kids so bad, but I wanted one with you! The Outsider forced me to… to… to get pregnant with another man’s child!”

“Whose child did you carry?” Lyden continued on. His voice sounded like granite, hard and gravelly, but Eldon could hear the cracks in it. His father was devastated.

Eldon understood that she had no choice. From everything he’d ever been told about the Chaos War, the Outsiders were impossible to disobey unless you were either colorblind, or forced to hurt someone you loved. Perhaps she could have resisted under that second stipulation, knowing how much it would hurt her true love, but apparently she couldn’t go against her nature as a succubus.

“That’s not it!” Angela glared at Eldon. Too late he forgot that she could read minds. “It wasn’t my nature that allowed the Outsider to control me, but my love for your father. I was spying on TanaVesta and the Outsider for him. I had to do whatever I could to get information. We—your father and I—hadn’t separated on the best of terms. He killed a man that was very special to me. I understand why he did it. He had no choice, but I was still too angry when I left. I… When he showed up and killed TanaVesta, I was too ashamed to admit everything I’d been through. It wasn’t until after he died killing the last Outsider that I found out I was pregnant. I… I…” she went silent for a moment as fiery tears poured from her eyes.

“You can be a real jerk sometimes,” Shelly glared at him. She looked like she wanted to go and comfort the Pillar of Fire, but Angela was still in the molten pool, and none of them could approach that heat.

Eldon felt a bit betrayed by his sister’s attitude. Hadn’t she wanted answers as well? Jessica was her girlfriend, after all. Now she was on Angela’s side? What had Eldon done to deserve her anger? He hadn’t even voiced the thought. He was getting berated for something he’d thought, but knew better than to say.

“No,” Angela spoke up again. “He has a right to his thoughts. I did everything I could to hide the pregnancy. It’s the reason I didn’t show up to the ceremony to resurrect him. I couldn’t stand the thought of being with all those who had truly loved… Lyden, I never stopped loving you. When I made love to you on top of that pyre, and you awoke, I thought for sure you’d seen me. Seen how grotesque I was with someone else’s child, but you never said anything.”

“Who is Jessica’s father?” Lyden asked again. There were more cracks in his voice, but it remained hard enough to make Angela flinch.

“I did carry a child by you,” the Pillar of Flame whimpered. “Even though I was already pregnant, that time in Gaia’s sanctuary, while you were on that altar, I got pregnant again. I didn’t know it was possible. It’s how I knew you truly loved me. You offered me your seed, and wished to have a child with me. It’s the only way I could have become pregnant by you… At least, that’s what I thought, until I learned you weren’t a generator any more. The child was a stillborn, though. I went into labor with the first child, and it was too hard on our child, the only one conceived out of love.”

“If the other child, I mean Jessica, wasn’t wanted, why didn’t you get rid of her?” Shlee asked. Everyone turned to glare at her and she held her hands up defensively. “I’m not condoning killing babies! I understand when it comes to rape, though, and as far as I’m concerned, she was raped. She could have given it up for adoption, or something.” When the glares continued, she grimaced and added, "You know what I'm getting at."

“I… I was going to pass her off as Lyden’s,” Angela’s admission was ripped from her by Mandy’s talent. “I wanted to present my lover with our child, even if I had to lie about it. I saw how happy he was with all his other children… those that were allowed to live. Even though Jessica wasn’t conceived in love, I hoped to show her love.” Angela shook her fiery head and looked right at Shlee. “No, I couldn’t give her up for adoption. Because of the old laws about interracial couplings, no one would take her, and I… I couldn’t give her up in any fashion. Even though she wasn’t conceived out of love, or by the man I still love with every ounce of my essence, I still wanted a child. I carried her for nine months, and when I gave birth to her and lost the one Lyden gave me, I couldn’t hate her. I loved her.”

“Why didn’t you present her to the Ambassador?” Sonia asked in her cold voice. “It would have saved a lot of heartache.”

“Because I knew almost immediately that she was dangerous,” Angela said. “Jessica’s eyes sparkled like an Outsider’s lights when it possessed someone, even when she was still an infant. I knew it would never work. But I couldn’t kill her, either. She was my child, no matter how dangerous she was. I tried to hide her away. I wanted to raise her to be a force for good. I wanted her to know love and goodness.”

“By locking her away?” Shelly demanded, turning on the Pillar of Fire in anger. Eldon couldn’t help but wonder at his sister’s flip-flopping loyalties. “You kept her a prisoner, and never let her out. The one time she did get away, she made friends with a goblin girl, and you punished her for that. It’s no wonder she’s the way she is. You treated her like a prisoner, and she just wanted to be free.”

“Is that what she told you?” Angela asked, rising up out of the magma, she spread her fiery wings and glared at Shelly. “I pampered her as a child. I did what I could to keep her separated from anyone who didn’t have special glasses that protected them from the Outsider’s influence. I gave her everything I could spare. One of my kobolds slipped one day, and the glasses fell from his face. They were never meant to fit a creature like that. Jessica took advantage of that, and ordered the kobold to take her out of this volcano. He became her unwilling slave.”

Eldon had heard that the Pillar of Fire had a hot temper, and he could literally feel the heat of that temper from where he was sitting. Part of him wanted to go comfort and protect his sister, and part of him felt she deserved it for her attitude earlier.

“Yes, she met a young goblin girl of about thirteen,” Angela continued. “Jessica became enraged that the girl could be free, while she was kept safe in here. She ordered the girl to mutilate herself. I arrived just in time to stop the poor child from cutting off her own hand. After that, I was a lot more careful with her. I was able to heal most of the goblin girl’s wounds, but her mind was never right after that.”

“Oh.” That single word from Eldon’s sister hung in the air for long seconds.

“Damn it, Angela,” Lyden’s curse broke the silence. The fact that Lyden Snow swore was shock enough, but his next words spoke volumes about how angry he was, and how hard he was working to keep it in check until now. “Why won’t you fucking tell me who her father is?”

“Because I’m not entirely certain,” Angela sank back into the lava, her ire at Shelly’s question fleeing before Lyden’s wrath. “There are two possibilities. Either it’s Marchosias, or King Aeacus, ruler of the myrmidons. Both were forced to copulate with me and TanaVesta, though it’s anyone’s guess how much they were forced. Marchosias respects you, my love, but he’s never forgotten being humiliated by you. King Aeacus despises you, and enjoyed brutalizing me.” Angela shivered, but her eyes never left Lyden’s gray gaze.

He stared at her for some moments, neither of them speaking. No one else dared break the silence, either taking in what they’d heard, or afraid of what might happen if they spoke. The atmosphere was like a powder keg, ready to ignite within the Pillar of Fire’s demesne.

For Eldon’s part, he didn’t know what to think. On the one hand, he hadn’t tried to have sex with a biological sister. On the other hand, Jessica wasn’t the woman he’d thought she was. He glanced to Shelly, and saw her crying into the android’s shoulder. This had to be much worse on her.

The sound of footsteps made him look back to his dad as the older man walked in the last direction he expected to see his father go.

Lyden Snow moved with grim determination to the chambers where he’d been raped, beaten, and abused by TanaVesta; to the chambers that Angela now used for her own.

Eldon stood and took a step to follow, but hands gripped him, stopping him.

“This isn’t for you,” Mandy whispered. “Let them work it out together.”

“Your dad needs to work this out on his own,” Shlee added in. “I know you love your father, but I don’t think this is a situation where he wants his kids around.”

Eldon saw the truth in their words, but his heart ached to see his strong father walking with his shoulders hunched.

“He wants you to follow him,” Sonia said to Angela.

“I know,” Angela said from what sounded like a million miles away. “I can hear it in his thoughts. He’s torn. He thinks that by going into that room, he can face it all at once. I wanted to talk to him in there, so that he might better understand what I suffered before he killed the old Pillar of Fire. Now… Now I think that might have been a mistake, but he’s waiting for me.”

Lyden Snow sat on the edge of a very large, and very plush flame-shaped bed. If his heart weren’t in his stomach, he would have thought the decorations were tacky. Instead, the stylized torches lighting the walls, and the orange and red carpeting were a great metaphor for his relationship with the woman that introduced him into this magical world.

The bed wasn’t the one TanaVesta raped him on repeatedly. Sometimes in his nightmares, he could still feel her sharp teeth as she bit chunks out of his flesh. She enjoyed the torture so much, she would orgasm, and he would heal immediately. Well, his body healed, his mind was another matter. The decorations were changed as well, but it was still this room. A different coat of paint couldn’t hide him from the suffering he’d experienced here. Had it only lasted a couple days? That was over twenty years ago, and yet he remembered it as clearly as if it’d happened yesterday.

Just being in this room made him feel like he needed a shower.

“I’m sorry, Lyden,” Angela’s soft voice reached his ears. “Sometimes I forget how much she affected you.”

“You remember how I used to be terrified of water?” Lyden asked without looking up. “I could barely get into a bathtub without freaking out. It took me being submerged in an ocean and Brooke getting kidnapped for me to get over it. Perhaps this is what I needed to get over what TanaVesta did to me.”

He heard Angela approach him, but he still didn’t look up. When she spoke, her soft voice sounded right above him. “I received similar treatment by her and others while here. I’m not trying to claim my experience was the same as yours. She didn’t eat whole chunks of my flesh, though she did like to bite. Your pain is your own, though I can see it in your mind and heart. It took me a couple years before I could come back into this room. Even so, it was only last year that I could actually sleep in here without having nightmares.”

“Is that why you wanted to talk in here?” Lyden demanded, feeling his anger rise again. He looked up to meet her eyes and flinched at the pity and fear he saw there. She’d never looked at him like that before. Her hair was no longer wreathed in flames, but he could see the Mantle of Fire burning behind her eyes. “You wanted me to get over myself?”

“No!” she pleaded and dropped to her knees before him. He was still seated, and this brought her head lower than his. “I thought that if you were in here, you might be able to understand better what I went through while spying on TanaVesta. I didn’t want to have that conversation out there where everyone else could hear.” Burning tears slipped from her eyes again as she begged him to understand. “I love you, Lyden. I’ve always loved you. I never wanted to hurt you. I—”

“Jessica,” he spat, cutting her off. He’d avoided her name since Angela had entered the room, not wanting to bring that subject back up, but his anger got the better of him. He was angry at feeling betrayed. Angry at the way the Outsiders were still affecting his life over two decades later. Angry at himself for breaking down and swearing in front of his kids. Angry at losing his wives so close to each other, and even about losing Lisa before the Chaos War. Angry at the Paladonic Knights, Daughters of Respite, and the rest of the cruelty and unfairness of the world.

At first when he thought he had another daughter, he wasn’t sure how to feel. She was talented and intelligent, which any father would be proud of, but she was dating his other daughter. He wasn’t into incest, and he saw what it did to Shelly’s heart when Jessica abandoned them. He couldn’t understand why she had done it. What were her motives?

Then he found out that she wasn’t his daughter. The child that he’d gotten on Angela had died in childbirth. A child he didn’t even know she’d carried. Jessica belonged to one of his enemies… and one of the women he loved. She’d lied to him, and kept Jessica a secret.

“I never lied,” Angela said, pulling Lyden from his thoughts. He realized his head was buried in her soft bosom as he sobbed. When had that happened? He tried to pull away, but her arms were wrapped around him, holding him tight to her beating heart. Somehow she managed to keep her flames from harming him. “But I did keep her a secret from you. For that, I’m sorry. I can never explain to you just how sorry I truly am for hurting you. I never wanted you to find out, because I was afraid of how it might hurt you, but I couldn’t kill her either, Lyden. No matter who her father was, she’s still my daughter. I saw the pain Becky suffered when her children were pronounced dangerous. I couldn’t do it.”

“She’s dangerous,” Lyden muttered. He felt Angela shaking against him, but she didn’t argue. He understood her pain. Becky’s children were killed because they were dangerous. Becky was pregnant when she died. No one other than the Pillars and himself knew that Becky’s previous pregnancies were terminated early. So much death, and so much loss…. “Do you know what she’s after?”

He felt her lips press against the top of his head before she answered. “No. I wasn’t as close to her as I should have been. Maybe if I’d been there for her more, it would have been different. I wanted to show her love, but I was too busy as the Pillar. Maybe if I’d spent less time controlling this power and supporting this reality….”

“What…” he found his throat tightening on the question, but she read his mind.

“What makes her dangerous? She has Outsider in her somehow, or at least its powers. She can transport things to some outside place. In the case of people or creatures, when they come back, she has some control over them. That’s the least of it, though. When she’s in the other world, if the time changes to midnight while there, something else takes over. I didn’t know that when I sent her to that world in an attempt to give her some fun. That was before the incident with the goblin girl. She changed, with her hair going white and her personality becoming truly evil. So many people died that night.”

They were silent for a long while. Neither one wanted to speak. Lyden enjoyed being in Angela’s arms once again. He didn’t come here enough. Between his duties as an ambassador, and her duties as a Pillar and being tied to her demesne, they didn’t spend nearly enough time together. With her growing distant over the last year, it’d become worse.

“I miss talking with Brooke,” Angela spoke up. Lyden couldn’t help but chuckle at that statement.

“You two almost killed each other after I followed you here,” he said back to her. “I never understood what made you reconcile and become friends.”

“It was you, of course,” Angela laughed. “Oh, we didn’t become friends at first, but we both understood that the other cared about you, and wanted what was best for you. It gave us a common ground to start with. After TanaVesta imprisoned you, I saw how far she was willing to go to keep you safe. She almost died to get you free. I think that’s when I started to admire her.”

“You were both too good for me,” he tried to compliment her.

She let go of him and pulled away, turning her back on him. “Don’t be that way. How can you say that?” her voice was thick with emotion. He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away at his touch. “After what I hid from you? After everything, how can you say that? I never wanted to hurt you, but it seems that’s all I’ve ever done. I left you right after saving you from TanaVesta. I left you again after you were forced to kill your dad, the man I looked up to as a father. Then I did it again when I accepted the Mantle of Fire. I hid Jessica from you, and hid the fact that our child had died in me. I’m a terrible person. If anything, it’s me who doesn’t deserve you.”

“I think you’re forgetting something,” he told her, trying to force his voice to be hard.

She spun around to face him, her black hair turning to flame again in her anguish as she backed away from him. “What? How I cheated on you? How I had sex with your enemies? Is there anything else I missed?”

“Yes,” he told her, meeting her chocolaty-brown eyes as he got to his feet. He closed the distance between them in two steps and gripped her shoulders. He wasn’t as strong as he once was as a full-blown generator, but he still had some extra strength above that of most humans, and he refused to let her pull away again. “You’re forgetting a few things. You’re forgetting that I love you. You’re forgetting how you cared for me after we first met—”

“You mean after I caused you to get into an accident and end up in the hospital?” she interrupted.

“And how you split your soul and imbued my car with it after you had the Cyclopes repair it,” he grinned at her. “You literally nursed me back to health. Even though you were mad at me for killing Shemhazau, you still chose to spy on TanaVesta for me. Shemhazau isn’t dead, by the way. He’s in Shelly’s head.”

“What?” Angela tried to take a step back again, but Lyden held onto her. “But… how?”

“I don’t understand it all either, but I’ve spoken to him in Shelly’s Mens Mundi.” Lyden met her eyes for a moment, then glanced back over his shoulder at the bed. Somehow he managed to keep his mind blank as he came to a decision. “Angela, Pillar of Fire, heck, Pillar of my heart! I love you. I understand why you did what you did. I won’t lie and say it didn’t hurt. I wish you would have trusted me more, but it doesn’t change the fact that I love you. I think you might be right on this room, also. I think we should make some new memories in here.”

He closed the small gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. Because she hadn’t seen his thoughts, she was caught off guard. For a moment she tried to wriggle away, but he moved his arms around her, tightening the hug. He knew that if she truly wanted, she was more powerful than him, and could get away. He also knew that she knew how much that would hurt him.

“Damn you, Lyden Snow,” she gasped as he moved his lips to her neck. “That’s playing dirty,” she responded to his thoughts.

“Language, my love,” he chuckled. “You want dirty?” He pictured her as he’d seen her the first time in his office, when he worked for Sheila. She’d walked in with blue hair, and heavy eyeshadow. She looked like some punk babe as she walked up to Thomas, his coworker. Lyden was the only person able to see her, and Sheila was upset with him for staring at the beautiful woman, instead of working.

“Flatterer,” she chided him, reading his thoughts. She was once again that young woman, with her blue hair and matching eyes. She pulled his face back to hers and lifted him into her arms. “You were right that I could have stopped you at any time, but I never could resist you.” Her fiery wings spread from her back as she launched them into the air. She only went a small distance before landing at the bed and laying him on it. “I truly don’t deserve you, but I’ll be damned if I’m ever willing to give you up. Don’t grimace at me because of my language. I’m part demon, remember? And just so we’re clear, I’m going to fuck every bad memory you have of this room right out of your head.” She grabbed at his crotch and worked to unzip his pants. “Both heads, in fact!”

His penis, even though it no longer held the shape-changing magic it once had, sprang out as she freed it. Her talented hands soon brought it to full mast, and when her lips brushed the sensitive underside, he solidified into a rod as hard as diamond. Her tongue slipped out as her head dropped to his scrotum. She took his sensitive eggs between her soft lips, sucking them in and washing them with her talented mouth.

Lyden propped himself up on his elbows to look down at her. At some point, her clothes had disappeared, and the jewelry in her nipples glinted as she moved her head. Her eyes lifted to meet his. With a lewd sucking pop, she released his left nut and gave him a sultry look. Her fist pumped him a couple more times before she spoke. “I’m surprised you wanted me in this form, instead of my original black-girl body.”

She was speaking of the body she was born with, that of a nineteen-year-old slave, and the one she usually used as the Pillar of Fire. He generally preferred her natural body, but he had his reasons.

“This was the body I knew when two brave women saved me from a homicidal dragon. I figured it fit the motif of making better memories.”

Her eyes became shrewd as she looked at him. “You always were the thinker, Lyden, though I must be losing my touch if you have enough brain power left up there when I’m down here.”

“Call it maturity,” he grinned. “Now why don’t you flip your body around so I can make out with your other set of lips?”

“Oh… you’re mature, all right,” she gave him a couple squeezes to emphasize her point. She kissed the tip of his prick and then moved up onto the bed and lowered herself onto his hungry face.

She had a piercing at her clit, but he ignored that as he ran his tongue along the outsides of her slender labia. He felt her nipple piercings press against his abdomen a moment before she swallowed his thick end into her moist and hot mouth.

If there was one thing that could be said about Angela, it was that she was always hot, her status as the Pillar of Fire notwithstanding. She moaned as she ground herself against his mouth and chin, all while sucking him deeper into her throat. She didn’t have to worry about breathing, but Lyden did. Thankfully she knew when to lift up to allow him to catch a couple breaths before mashing her sopping coochy back onto his thirsty lips.

He shoved his tongue as far into her as he could, wishing he could transform his tongue as he once had. He seemed to be doing all right though, as it only took him a couple moments before her fluids were dribbling down his cheeks and chin, pooling at the base of his neck. Her nectar was sweet and mouthwatering when she had her first orgasm.

He felt power and strength flood into him as his weakened ability as a generator kicked in. The aches and pains he became accustomed to being in his fifties slipped away, and he felt like a teenager once again. He nibbled on her piercing, growling as he whipped his head back and forth to stimulate her.

Angela moaned and hummed around his shaft, sending vibrations into him that translated into true bliss. Despite himself, he felt his climax coming on much quicker than usual, firing off deep into her throat, and straight into her belly.

Confused, he lifted her up a bit so he could speak. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into me. You’d think I’d last much longer at my age.”

He felt every inch of her throat as she lifted away from him. “Heh, I think I might have had something to do with that,” she teased him. “Your thought of feeling like a teenager gave me wicked ideas. Don’t worry, Love. I’m not done with you, or this yet. I just figured we’d get one out of the way, and then you can really last.”

Before he could think of something to say to the hot little minx, she’d taken him back in her mouth and worked all her considerable magic to get him hard again. Considering she was a succubus of considerable power, it only took her a few seconds.

Lyden didn’t let those seconds go to waste. He placed his arms around her slim waist, and rubbed her soaked hole with his fingers as he sucked on her clit bar. As soon as his fingers were slippery enough, he plugged two into her puckered back hole, and sucked hard on her clit.

Angela grunted, but continued to suck and massage his turgid member. He almost felt like he was getting younger and bigger, such were her talents. She truly knew how to give head. Part of him knew it was his love for her, and hers for him that made it feel so divine. Another part knew that it was because she truly enjoyed doing it for him, as he enjoyed tasting her. The last part of him didn’t care about any of that, and just wallowed in ecstasy.

He used his tongue to lick along her burning slit as he pumped his fingers into her sphincter. He got a good rhythm going. Lick from piercing to hole and pull his fingers out, then return to her clit as he shoved them back in. Her hips matched his pace as her moans, groans, cries, and grunts rose in pitch.

He felt the confines of her throat bob up and down as she worked to keep him hard. She didn’t have to try too hard, though, as the magic of her presence ensured that he wasn’t going soft again any time soon. He could feel her tongue lashing around his length as she twisted and turned her head to different angles as her neck made love to his cock.

Her body went into gentle spasms as her second orgasm flowed from the stimulus of her lower two holes, up through her stomach, making her nipples harden and tingle, until it exploded from her in a long, drawn out moan. Even the meat lodged in her esophagus wasn’t enough to muffle the sound.

Lyden truly felt like a teenager then, as her power flowed into him. It still wasn’t what it once had been, but he felt more alive than he had in years.

“Okay…” Angela panted as she slurped off his pole. Saliva dripped from his length, along his balls, and onto the sheets as she turned to face him. “I want your fat cock as far up inside my hungry pussy as it’ll go. Your tongue and fingers were nice, but I want this.” She finished facing him, reached between their groins, and aimed his sword for her sheath.

“Then take it,” he grinned at her and thrust his hips hard. A loud smack resounded in the room as he drove all the way to the hilt into her, and their pelvises connected. The familiar tingle that only occurred with Angela’s juices were felt along his entire schlong as her fluids mixed with her saliva, lubricating his pistoning member.

He smiled as her blue eyes rolled back into her pretty skull. Her blue hair whipped back and forth as she moaned, “Yes, yes, yes,” with each thrust.

He pulled her chest down to his waiting lips, taking the barbell in her left nipple between his teeth, while thumbing the other one. His right hand dropped to her tight rump, kneading the firm flesh as she bounced on top of him.

Her velvety insides quivered as he expended his strength, thrusting as hard and as fast as he could. Part of him knew he should be winded. Even in the past on the few occasions that they were able to get together, he couldn’t put this much energy into it. But she felt so good, so right, as her cunt hugged his cock, sliding around his length until the head was all that was left inside her, only to drive back in until it impacted against her cervix.

They cried out in bliss as their bodies slapped together, again and again. He switched nipples and hands, and this time he slipped his fingers back into her anal passage.

“Ungh,” Angela grunted as she pulled his head tighter into her breast. “You’re really enjoying… oh… ah… my back door, today. Oh, yeah, just like that, love. Oh, I’m gonna cum again!”

This time her convulsions were anything but gentle, as her body locked up in rigid spasms. Lyden felt like he could take on the world as her orgasm lasted an easy two minutes. Lyden didn’t let up, but continued to pound up into her, leaving hickeys on her breasts, and a sloppy puddle underneath them.

As she came out of her euphoria, Angela pulled away from him. She got a funny look in her eyes that Lyden couldn’t identify, but smiled as she lifted off him. His slick rod felt cold, despite the heat in the room after being buried in her burning quim.

“I want you to take me from behind, Stud,” she informed him. “Shove your prick into my butt, and make me your bitch, now and forever.” She got onto all fours and wiggled her delicious rump.

Lyden chuckled, despite her vulgarity. It really had been a long time since they spoke like this to one another, and he found it refreshing.

“You’re going to feel it,” he told her as he moved behind her, “but not until you beg for it.”

“A Pillar never begs,” she teased and backed into him.

He lifted his tip so that he only slid along her crack.

“Pillar or not, any woman who would choose to be vulgar, instead of being proper should have to beg for it.” He knew it was a ludicrous line, but they both smiled. They were being anything but proper.

“Never,” she giggled and wriggled against him.

He moved his hips, making sure to rub against her sensitive spots. “Are you so sure?”

“I… mmm… Yeah, I won’t beg, even though I want to feel you in me again,” she panted and moaned. “My pussy feels so empty now. My ass wants to feel you inside.”

“Then beg,” he stopped rubbing the length of his shaft against her and pulled back enough to rub the tip against her puckered rosebud. She groaned again and tried to impale herself, but Lyden was faster and aimed away in time. “Beg,” he commanded.

“But—” she whined.

“Beg!” he repeated.

“Ungh… I want you, Lyden. I want to feel your cock in my ass, splitting me in two. I want to feel you fill my bowels with the only cock that has ever truly satisfied me. I want to feel you thrusting in me, making me cum again and again. Please, Lyden. I need you. I want you. Please!”

He pointed his member back to his target, and slipped inside. Being a succubus, her substance was always malleable, so he didn’t have to worry about tearing her in two as she’d said. Her warm hole accepted him in, the sphincter gliding and squeezing his shaft as he pressed forward.

“Yeeeessssssss,” she moaned as her face dropped onto the bed. He watched as she gripped one breast in her left hand, and her other hand slipped two fingers into her empty cunny. “I love how thick you cock is, my love. I may be a Pillar, but it’s your pillar I love ploughing into me.”

Lyden smiled at the cheesiness of her speech as her glutes met his pelvis and he started to withdraw. “I love you, Angela. More than I think you’ll ever understand. For being such a good and obedient girl, I have a question for you.” He was careful not to think the question as he slid back into her.

“Quit teasing me,” she complained as her fingers picked up speed, squelching as she slipped them in and out of her coochy. “Please, Lyden. I know you love me. You don’t have to prove it. But right now I really need your cock pounding into me. I begged you for it, now give it to me.”

He continued his slow pace, though her words and actions were having an effect on him. He wanted to cum again, but he wanted something else just a little bit more.

“Tell me something, Love, and I’ll give you what you want, and more.” He tried to keep his voice calm and smooth, but he knew that his own bliss was seeping into it.

“What? Anything. Just please, fuck me!” she begged.

He gave her rump a playful smack. “Uh-uh. Language.” Angela groaned in frustration, and Lyden decided that he’d toyed with her long enough. “What would happen if I decided I wanted to get you pregnant, but instead I ejaculated in your back door?”

Knowing how she would respond to that question, he picked up his pace. She opened her mouth in shock, but it turned into a long moan as he sped up even more. After a few seconds, she finally gained enough control to answer.

“Uh… Noth…ing… Even I, ungh, can’t get pregnant… from… Oh, God, that feels great!” she tried to respond.

He thought about that for a moment. Any other woman, and he wouldn’t have done it, but he knew that a succubus’s essence was always clean. In one quick movement, he pulled his rod from her butt and slammed it into her pussy, joining her slippery fingers already there.

He leaned over her, supporting his torso on his wrist and allowing that hand to slip under her breasts, playing with the nipple. He used his other hand to stop her from taking her fingers out of her tight cunt. His hips thrust with all the speed and strength he could muster as he told her, “Then when I cum, I’m going to make you pregnant. I want to have a child with you, Angela. I want to raise a child of our own together. I’m sorry for what you suffered, but we will make a child out of love, and this time it will live.”

“Are… you… sure?” she tried to ask. Lyden pinched her nipple and forced her fingers deeper into her stuffed cunt.

“I can already feel my seed building up,” he told her. As he spoke, she started to shake. He could feel her body reacting to his words as much as his body. She wanted this as much as she wanted him, and he was going to give it to her. “It’s going to be potent, my love. In a few seconds, it’s going to pump into you, filling your womb. What you do with it is your choice. I hope you’ll have a child with me.”

“Yes, Lyden,” she gasped. He felt her fingers between his phallus and her inner lining pump harder in counterpoint to his thrusts. “Yes, please. I want to carry our child. I know how much you love your children. I want to see you love our child just as much.”

“Here it comes,” he whispered, unable to get any volume from his throat as he approached his second climax. He gave one final thrust, seating himself as deep into her as he could go, and let loose with what felt like a fire hydrant’s worth of jism.

“Oh, YES!” Angela screamed as she collapsed completely onto the bed. Lyden followed her, unwilling to allow any of his seed to slip from her. “I… feel it, my… Oh, it’s so warm! I can feel your love in it. Oh, Lyden… Lyden!”

It took him a moment to realize that her shaking wasn’t entirely due to having one last powerful orgasm. Tears… Tears that weren’t fiery streamed from her swollen eyes and wet the blankets.

Lyden was confused. He thought it was something that she wanted. If he’d known it would have hurt her, he never would have offered. It’d been meant as a way to say he understood why she’d done what she did, and offer them a path forward together. He hadn’t expected her to break down crying.

He would have thought they were tears of joy, except that she kept muttering, “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. Forgive me, Lyden. I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern and fear filling him at once. He tried to brush her blue hair back from her face, but she turned away from him.

“I was selfish,” she told him. “I’m always so selfish. I knew how you felt, but manipulated you into what I wanted.”

“That’s not true,” he tried to console her. “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It wasn’t fair that I had children with my other wives, but not you. I figured now was the best—”

“Not that, Lyden,” she sobbed louder. “I’m happy about that, but I did something else. I feel even guiltier now, because you’ve given me such a great gift, and I took something else from you.”

“What… What do you mean?” Lyden asked, his stomach weighing as heavy as lead.

“There,” she flung her arm out and pointed to one wall without looking at him. “Look in the mirror.”

Lyden’s excitement a moment ago now felt empty and hollow as he moved to the edge of the massive bed and slipped off. He walked to the mirror she’d pointed at, and gasped.

“Angela…. What have you done?”

Everyone heads to the Pillar of Fire’s demesne to get answers on who Jessica is. Will their worst fears be realized, or is something else afoot?

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Chapter 17a

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Prodigal Daughter

The sharp tones of Eldon’s cellphone ringing startled him awake.

“Wha—?” He rubbed his eyes and sat up. Mandy groaned and rolled away from him, but Shlee whimpered and cuddled up closer. They were together on the floor at the foot of the bed. Sonia and Shelly were near the front of the car, sleeping by the fountain. His mom and dad had the bed and didn’t seem to notice Eldon’s phone ringing.

By the time he pulled it from the glove compartment where he’d placed it after calling the president yesterday, he’d missed the call. He didn’t recognize the number. Putting the phone back, he turned back to his girlfriends when it dinged to let him know he had a voicemail.

He looked out the front windshield, rubbing his eyes again to get rid of a few crusties. With the magical spacial difference between the interior and exterior of the car, the view was distorted, but not enough that he couldn’t make out the sun rising out over the horizon. They were on land after traveling through the Atlantic Ocean all night. Eldon didn’t know if they were travelling across Africa to get to Egypt, or if they’d entered the Mediterranean and were in Egypt now. Either way, it explained why he had cell phone service.

He glanced at Shlee and Mandy, the former being held in the latter’s four arms, and decided that looked more enjoyable than listening to the voicemail.

Unfortunately, just as he took a step towards them and a bit more sleep, his phone rang again.

“Who’s calling at this hour?” his mom demanded with an angry groan.

Eldon rushed back to his phone before it could wake her or anyone else up more.

“Hello?” he asked in a quiet voice as he sat in the passenger seat. Despite all the changes that’d happened to the Orange Bubble, it still had its original front seats, steering wheel, and dashboard. The speedometer was pegged; no telling how fast they were going.

“Is this Sheldon Lance?” a female voice asked from the other end. Before he could answer, it continued, “Of course it is, sorry. I just listened to your voicemail greeting a few seconds ago.”

“I prefer Eldon. Who is this?” he responded, still keeping his voice low.

“It’s me, I—” the voice cut off, an unmistakable sound of disappointment filling the other end. “I guess I can understand why you don’t remember me. It was just that one kiss, but it was one helluva kiss! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Or about you.”

“A kiss?” Eldon asked, trying to figure out who this was, but coming up blank.

“I tried to see you when you were in the hospital, but they wouldn’t let me in,” she continued as though she hadn’t heard him. “Then I tried to get your attention as you left. I thought you might have looked at me, but you just got into your car. By the way, how did you all fit in there? Is it like a clown car or is it magical, like you and that kiss?”

“Who are you?” Eldon asked again. This time his voice rose a little as he tried to get a straight answer from her. He remembered some strange redhead yelling for him as he left the hospital, but there were more important things on his mind then. How had she gotten his number? Hadn’t Sonia said her name was… “Megan?” the word slipped from his mouth before he could think better of it.

“You do remember me!” she squealed loud enough that he had to pull the phone away from his ear. “I told Bobby you would. He didn’t believe me when I dumped his stupid jealous ass.”

“Um, yeah…” Eldon grimaced as he tried to think of a polite way to get her off the phone. “So—”

“So I know you’re a busy man and all, what with your father being who he is, but I was wondering if we could get together sometime?” She was like a runaway bull, not even letting him get in a word.

“I’m in Egypt right now, and about to go to the Shadow World—” he tried again, but she interrupted.

“Oh, I would love to visit the Shadow World. I can’t afford a plane ticket to Egypt, but I can get to the nearest portal here in New York. How do I find you once I’m there?” Runaway bull? No, she was a freaking freight train.

“You’re not going to win this one, Lover,” Shlee whispered next to him right before licking his neck.

He jumped, not having heard her approach. She was like a stalking wolf when she wanted to be.

“I know,” he whispered and covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “But she doesn’t listen to me!”

“Tell her you have two girlfriends already,” Mandy stated as she came up next to Shlee. Both women were fully dressed, but they were beautiful with their hair slightly tousled. “The truth is usually best, anyway. Despite how you were raised, most women don’t like sharing.” She covered her mouth with her two left hands as she yawned.

“Hello? Are you there?” there was fear in Megan’s voice as she asked. “Is the reception terrible in Egypt?”

Eldon swallowed, worried that he was about to break her heart, but it was better this way. He didn’t know why he was worried about a woman he didn’t know, even if she claimed to know him. Perhaps he was getting too soft.

“Look, Megan, I already have two girlfriends, and I, uh…” this time he trailed off, surprised he even got that much out.

“Oh…” she sounded speechless for the first time since he answered his phone. It didn’t last long. “The four-armed woman, and Shlee Olsen, right? I mean, I knew about your dad and his wives, so it kind of makes sense. That also explains why you’re so damned good at kissing! You must get a lot of practice. They’re both pretty hot, so I can understand why you wouldn’t want to be seen with someone like me.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he told her before he could stop the words from escaping his mouth. He glared at Mandy, blaming her for the truth slipping from his tongue, but his lips weren’t done yet. “You’re pretty hot and sexy too.” He cringed as he realized what he’d just said, but couldn’t take it back. She had looked pretty hot in that miniskirt outside the hospital.

“Way to go, Casanova.” Shlee poked him in the arm.

“Really? You think so?” The hope and joy in her voice made the rock in his stomach heavier. “Well, I guess I can deal with you having two other girlfriends. I mean, it’s not like they’re not hot, too. I’m not into women, normally, understand, but if it means getting a better crack at those lips of yours, I could put up with it. Unless… of course, your women aren’t forced into that kind of relationship. What am I saying? You’re a guy. Why wouldn’t you take them at the same time?”

“Um, but I’m not looking for another…” he trailed off as a thought struck him. “Wait, you’re only interested in me because of my kissing skill? You do realize how dangerous it is to be around me or my family, right? My stepmom just died, and another one sacrificed herself to heal me after I was shot down in a helicopter. It’s not safe to be with me.”

“Well, not just how deliciously you kissed me at the club, but I’ve seen you in the news lately,” Megan said with an uncertain smile in her voice. “Shlee Olsen has done a number of stories on you, and I have to admit they paint you in a pretty good light. You’re brave, smart, and willing to protect those you care about. Pretty good qualities in any man.”

“Hold on,” Eldon blinked a few times as he tried to wrap his mind around her speech. He covered the mouthpiece with his thumb and glared at Shlee, “You’ve been doing stories on me?” he hissed at her.

“Of course,” Shlee shrugged. If he didn’t know her better, he would have said her smile was innocent. “I have to keep my cover with the station, and right now you’re hot stuff. And I’m not just talking about your perpetual boner, or that rocking body, or how brave, smart, and willing you are to protect those you care about.” She finished her diatribe with a quick lick of his cheek.

He doubled his glare at the werewolf as he put the phone back to his ear. “Sorry about that. I just had to confirm something. So, you know about me from some kiss, and from what the media is saying about me? You know you can’t trust the news, right?”

Shlee gave him a dirty look and another poke, but he ignored it.

“That wasn’t just some kiss!” Megan tittered on the other end. “But, I understand about the news not always giving the whole story. I also know that you could have beat up my stupid ex, instead of trying to avoid violence. And anyone who can have more than one girlfriend can’t have jealousy issues, unlike Bobby. I can’t believe that a bad person could kiss like you did. There was so much passion, and yet there was tenderness also. Even though you didn’t know me, I could tell in that single kiss what kind of a person you are.”

“Okay,” he replied, unsure how he felt about her comments. He was flattered on one level, but he still didn’t really know who she was. If he were honest with himself, he was a bit creeped out by her. “But I’m not… I mean, I have two girlfriends, and my life is pretty hectic, not to mention dangerous. I don’t want to—”

“I know it’s not because I’m human,” she interrupted. “I mean, you’re dating Shlee Olsen. It’s obvious she’s brave, but she doesn’t look like the type that can really defend herself. I don’t know. I may be wrong, but from the way she’s described you in her reports, you end up protecting her a lot. On the other hand, I know a dozen types of martial arts. I am a top marksman with multiple guns, and even a bow and arrow.”

“Um, okay,” he responded. Why was she telling him all that? He hadn’t asked for her resume. And she definitely didn’t know about Shlee. When he got a chance, he was going to ask Brooke how she dealt with stalkers.

“I grew up in Texas, and you don’t mess with Texas,” She told him as though that answered everything. “Especially not the daughter of a Texan sheriff, who also happened to play as a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys before that. Daddy believed that a woman shouldn’t rely on a man to protect her, but should know how to stand on her own. He taught me how to shoot, fight, spit, swear, and everything else a big girl should know. Except, that is, how to find a decent man who can handle me. I think you’re that man.”

Eldon pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it, as though he had no idea what it was. Was this girl for real? She seemed like a stalker, but one that could do some serious damage. She’d make a good ally, and a bad enemy. If she’s not crazy.

Shlee’s snickering pulled him out of his thoughts. Of course she’d find this situation funny. Mandy was also grinning, though he suspected she was enjoying his end of things, not able to hear as well as Shlee could.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought through his next response. Placing the phone to his ear, he took a deep breath before telling her, “Megan, I truly appreciate you taking the time to call me. I have your number now, and I’m about to head into the Shadow World to talk to the Pillar of Fire, so I’ll have to call you back. I meant what I said about not looking for any more girlfriends, but you seem like an interesting person, and I know our cause could always use more capable people like you. Maybe the four of us could talk—Shlee, Mandy my other girlfriend, you, and I—when I get back?”

“That was quite diplomatically handled, Son,” Lyden complimented his son.

“You don’t understand women, Master,” Sheila informed her husband. “His words were kind, but he either just slapped her in the face, or gave her exactly what she wanted.”

Eldon‘s heart sank again as he wondered if he’d just made an enemy. That was the last thing he needed. The silence on the other end didn’t make him feel any better.

“I see…” Megan said after a few more seconds of silence passed. “I understand that you’re a busy man, what with saving the president and protecting both worlds. I want you to know that I don’t have any problems with the Lydonese. I’m not prejudiced like Bobby is. In fact, I’ll prove that to you. Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me, Sheldon Lance. I can’t wait to see you again.”

Eldon opened his mouth but had nothing to say. It wouldn’t have mattered, though, as she hung up on him.

“He appears to have your luck with women, Master,” Sheila stated.

Eldon looked at his dad and mom, confused. Her words seemed like a blessing, but her tone made it sound like a curse. His father didn’t have trouble with women. All his wives loved and trusted him. Lyden Snow didn’t have any problems with women at all.

“I guess now is the perfect time to bring this up, then,” Lyden groaned as he sat on the edge of the fountain. “I haven’t told you kids this. And Shlee? I expect this to be off the record. I don’t want any of what I’m about to tell you, to end up in the news. Understood?”

“Yes, Mister Snow,” Shlee nodded. “You can trust my discretion. Nothing will be told that you need kept silent.” If Mandy hadn’t been in the car, Eldon would have doubted her honesty because of how solemn she looked. Such a change from when she was laughing or glaring at Eldon a moment ago.

“What’s going on, Dad?” Shelly asked.

“Relations between Ambassador Snow and the Pillar of Fire have been cool as of late. No pun intended,” Sonia informed them.

Lyden shook his head with a groan. “Figures the government would know about that.”

Sonia either didn’t notice his annoyed tone, or she didn’t care. “After your resurrection, you would take the time to visit the Pillar of Fire at least once a month. However, over the last year, you have been to see her only twice.”

“I didn’t realize how closely the U.S. government was keeping track of all my movements,” Lyden stated with an edge to his tone. “Does it also count my calories and measure how much I piss?”

“Your caloric intake is not considered important, and a little less than half a gallon on average.” Eldon coughed as he heard Sonia’s words. The android noticed the angry look in the older man’s eyes as she hastened to add, “You are considered a person of interest. My words weren’t intended to cause you pain or anger. The only reason I have the stat on your urination is because that is the average for a healthy male, aged fifty-two. I meant no disrespect. It looked like your news was painful to speak, so I hoped to alleviate that pain, and speak it myself.”

Lyden visibly pulled himself together before giving Sonia a nod. “I see. Well, in the future, I prefer to speak my own words, even if they’re painful. I appreciate the thought behind your actions.”

Eldon saw his sister reach out and squeeze Sonia’s hand in comfort. Sonia smiled back at her as they sat on the bed.

“Well, as she said, things haven’t been all hot and fiery between Angela and me lately,” Lyden spoke as he stared at the floor. “She’s always been one to hold her secrets close, and whenever possible, I’ve tried to let her have them. About a year ago, she started growing distant. I didn’t think about it at the time, as she always had a good reason to not have me visit. Her responsibilities as the Pillar of Fire keep her busy, and even when things were great, we weren’t always able to spend a lot of time together. With Jessica’s news, I wonder about that now. Could it have started when Jessica escaped from her? Why did Angela feel the need to keep her existence a secret from me?”

Eldon noticed a tear run down his father’s cheek and slip from his chin.

“We’ll ask her together, Dad,” Shelly offered him.

He nodded and stood up, walking to the front of the car and taking the driver’s seat. Sheila touched her son’s shoulder, and he got up from the passenger seat, letting his parents take the front.

Eldon walked over to the fountain and saw Areth’s statue sitting there. He was surprised, as his father hadn’t let it out of his grasp since her sacrifice to restore him. Her golden form stood four inches tall, and there was a smile on her gentle features.

He felt his heart breaking again as he reached for her. He still didn’t understand why she would give up everything, not to save his life, but to restore his body. He’d always thought she was selfish and self-centered. Her sacrifice made him question it all.

His fingers wrapped around her slim form and he cried out in shock, dropping her into the fountain.

“What’s wrong?” Mandy asked. She reached in with one of her hands and pulled Areth’s statue from the water.

Shlee came over to him and sniffed at his hand.

“I… I don’t know,” he stared at his appendage, then to the statue. “I picked her up, and I thought… I felt…” He shook his head, unable to form the words he wanted. There had been something there when he gripped her. He didn’t feel her presence or hear her voice, but there was a shock. His hand felt stiff, but as he formed a fist, his fingers moved with ease. The weirdest part was that she felt unnaturally warm. “Let me see her again,” he told Mandy.

She looked between them for a moment before carefully handing the wet idol across. He steeled himself, but when he took her, all he felt was her warmth. She wasn’t hot, but definitely warmer than the rest of the car’s interior.

The car shuddered, almost making Eldon drop Areth again.

“What?” Mandy asked.

“I think we’re there,” Lyden said as he got up from his seat. He didn’t sound certain, though. As Eldon looked past him, he could see that they were still moving.

“No….” Mandy said as she looked around the car. “No way…. Are you sure?”

“What’s she talking about?” Shlee asked him.

Eldon shrugged his shoulders, uncertain. Then he remembered Mandy having a conversation with the Orange Bubble outside the hospital. He stood up and almost fell back down. His knees felt like rubber beneath him and he had to set the statue back on the edge of the fountain.

“It did?” Mandy asked the car.

“What’s going on?” Shelly asked, finally getting out of bed. Sonia was right there with her. Shelly may have claimed to only want a friend for now, but the two women were acting like there was more to their relationship as they stood next to each other, staring at the four-armed woman.

“We had someone else in the car for a moment,” Mandy stated even as she shook her head. “The car was worried because of what happened when the Knights took Shelly, Becky, and Jessica. Whomever it was, they’re gone now.”

Eldon looked at the statue again and his stomach twisted. He sat back down and gripped Areth again. The car shuddered again, but this time Mandy looked right at him.

“I—I think it’s Areth,” he said in a whisper, unable to get much volume to his voice.

Lyden moved with lightning speed, faster than any human could. He pulled the statue from Eldon’s loose grip.

“Areth? Are you there?” Lyden panted. “Arethusa? Answer me!”

“It’s gone,” Mandy stated in a strained voice.

Shock and despair crawled across Lyden’s face as a new set of tears formed in his eyes.  Eldon had thought that his father was holding up well after the near back-to-back losses of Areth and Becky, but as he looked into the face of anguish, he realized his father was masking his feelings. How much more pain must he be in because of what Jessica said?

“May I, Dad?” he asked, holding out his hands.

Lyden looked at him as though seeing him for the first time. “The golden glow,” he said in a voice just above a whisper. Then louder, “The golden glow! We love you son! She loved you! It must be your touch.”

Eldon accepted the weight of the statue into his hands, waiting for the car to shudder again.

It didn’t.

They looked to Mandy, but she shook her head. “I’m sorry, but the car says it’s just us.”

Eldon’s vision grew blurry as he pulled the statue to his chest. “Come on,” he muttered under his breath. “Live, Areth. Come back to us.” The statue still felt warm, but that was all he could sense.

The car lurched and everyone looked at him, full of expectation.

“I—I don’t know,” he told them.

“No,” Mandy said into the loud silence that followed his statement. “We’re actually at our destination this time. We just went through the portal to the Shadow World.” She paused for a moment, cocking her head as though listening to something only she could hear. Which, Eldon realized, was exactly what she was doing. “Someone is waiting for us in the tunnel outside. The car says it’s a friend.”

Eldon handed the fairy back and looked away as his father kissed her golden head. Lyden whispered something but Eldon couldn’t hear it. He felt defeated, and the loss of the fairy was sharp in his chest all over again. Was there nothing he could do properly? It seemed like this day was nothing but failures and misunderstandings.

The inside of the car felt too full all of a sudden. He moved to leave, curious as to who was waiting for them.

“No, Master, she must stay here,” Sheila’s voice reached Eldon’s ears. He turned to see something that couldn’t be more alien to him than if the sky was orange and an ogre started reading Shakespeare. His mother was confronting his father, stopping him from doing something. Her hand was on his chest, blocking him from following Eldon out.

“But what if—” he pleaded back.

“No,” she said a little more firm. She stepped closer to him and brushed his lips with her own. “She is a water fairy. Taking her into the Pillar of Fire’s demesne would only cause her pain. Leave her by the fountain, Master. She will be happier there.”

For a moment Eldon thought his dad was going to order her to move, but then his eyes softened. “You’re talking about her as though she’s still alive.” He placed his left hand on Sheila’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, my love.”

Lyden stepped away and placed Areth on the edge of the fountain. When he turned back around, Sheila was frowning at him. He chuckled and shook his head. When he spoke again, his voice was firm and commanding. “I won’t forget that you defied me, Slave. Your punishment will be most severe for that.”

“Yes, Master,” Sheila bowed her head, but Eldon saw the smile that split her lips.

“Your parents are weird,” Shlee muttered as she stepped past him. Sonia and Shelly were already outside, and Mandy was right behind the werewolf.

“Yeah, but they love each other,” Eldon smiled and followed them out to give his parents a moment of privacy.

“Hot damn!” came a voice he recognized. “Is that bulge in your pants because you knew I was out here waiting for you?”

“Jen? Jennifer?” Eldon asked with a groan. “Did you come here to personally escort us?”

“Heh, heh,” she gave him a dirty chuckle. “Yeah, I’ll be your escort.” Her tone left little doubt to the fact that she was thinking of a different kind of escort. That laugh did wonderful things to her massive bosom. Eldon knew magic had to be involved with the size of her breasts, but the one time he’d gotten up enough courage to ask his father, he was told they were one-hundred percent real. “Normally when I play that role, I charge a bill an hour, but for you, big guy—and from the looks of it, I do mean big—I’m at your mercy.”

“Ha, ha, Jen,” Shelly mocked. “As you can see, he’s not that easy to embarrass anymore.”

“Is that really you, Shelly?” Jen spun on her. “Wow, you’re looking pretty hot also! Your dad really had some good genes to pass on.” She spun back around to face Eldon. “Now I understand that bulge, being surrounded by this many great looking women has to have you horny twenty-four/seven!”

“I’m his sister!” Shelly stated, her cheeks going deep red.

“So?” Jen winked at Eldon before turning back to Shelly. “If I had a sister as hot as you, I’d be trying to get into your pants, and Sheldon knows how hard I’ve tried to get into his pants.”

“You never seem to change, Jen,” Sheila laughed as she led Lyden from the car. “Quit teasing the kids before Sonia takes offense and shoots you with a laser or something.”

Eldon glanced at Sonia and noticed that the android looked angry as Shelly gripped her hand, keeping her back.

“Can you blame me?” Jen laughed back. “Oh, the fun I could have with these two. All the teasing, the licking, the sucking, the fu—”

“Jen,” Lyden’s voice cut through Jen’s playful banter.

“You always were a stiff one,” Jen smiled. “Of course, that’s one of the things I love about you. I still get wet every time I think about how stiff you were when you took my virginity.”

“One of the things you love, huh?” Eldon smirked, thinking that for once he might have gotten the better of the salacious woman with Mandy around.

Jen turned on him, but the embarrassed look he hoped for was missing. Instead, she was grinning from ear to ear. “I know all about Mandy’s ability. Old Angie filled me in before she sent me to collect you. As such, know that I stopped on my way down here, and shoved three fingers up my little quim and fantasized about having that thick cock of yours ramming me from behind while I sucked off your wonderful father. Ha! I can still embarrass you!”

“My slave was right, Jen. You never change. In fact, you look no older than you did after the Chaos War.” Lyden stepped up to her and looked closer.

“About time you noticed my young girlish figure,” Jen cackled. “Angie helped me convince old Marchosias to help convert me to a succubus. Let me tell you, that man knows how to screw! But he’ll never compare to you.”

Eldon knew her words had to be the truth with Mandy right there, but he didn’t want to hear any more of that.

“The Pillar of Fire sent you to meet us?” Eldon asked.

“I didn’t send word ahead to her,” Lyden said before Jen could respond.

“She’s always watching you and your family.” Jen’s grin doubled in size. “She’s quite the voyeur.” Her grin vanished and she grew serious. “She saw what happened at the Knight’s compound. There was plenty of fire for her to see through. When she felt your car coming to Egypt, she knew you were finally coming to see her. You hurt her Lyden, by waiting so long.”

Lyden’s voice was sad but strong as he spoke. “It couldn’t be helped. Jessica’s actions have affected us all, and my children deserved to be here when we spoke to Angela. Besides, it’s not like she’s wanted to see me very much lately, either.”

“And what about Angela hiding the fact that we have a sister?” Eldon snapped. “Did she consider how much that would hurt us? Or Dad?”

“You don’t know of what you speak, Sheldon,” Jen told him. There was a fire burning behind her eyes, literally, that made him take a step away from her. “Do not bad-mouth my mistress. You have no idea how she suffers as the Pillar of Fire, nor do you understand anything about Jessica.”

“What do you know?” Lyden stepped forward, his voice demanding.

“That’s not for me to say,” Jen turned to look at the older man. Her face softened before a mischievous grin split her features. Her shirt melted away, leaving her topless. She hefted one heavy breast and licked her lips with hunger and desire. “But I’d be more than willing to let you try and torture it out of me.”

“Another time, maybe, Jen. I would prefer to talk to Angela as soon as possible,” Lyden informed her, though his eyes were locked on her massive bosom. She had to use magic to keep them from sagging.

“You sure?” Jen giggled and started to suckle the nipple of the breast she held. Her lips pulled back to show that she held the nub between her teeth, before closing them and pulling away with an audible pop. “Oh, fine. You’ve gotten stodgy as you’ve grown older. Are all your wives fucking your sense of humor out…” the twinkle left her eyes as she trailed off. “Forgive me, Lyden. I shouldn’t have said that. Becky was a great woman, and even Areth will be missed.”

“Even Areth?” Eldon snapped. “What do you mean by that? Areth was a great woman! She may have been annoying at times, but she cared more than her little size belied.”

“I meant no offense,” Jen said, backing away from his anger with her hands up. She was still topless, and Eldon felt his anger cooling as she apologized. “I’m sorry about the way I said that. The few times I met her, she brought a smile to my face. She was the only person I know who could match me in pervertedness.”

“Thank you for your kind words,” Lyden responded in a stiff tone, playing the diplomat. “Their loss weighs heavily on us all, and tempers are short. Jessica’s actions have complicated issues, and I would like to talk to the Pillar of Fire to find out what she’ll tell us.”

Jen grimaced before nodding. “I told her I wouldn’t be able to delay you long. Once your mind is made up, it’s as stiff and hard as your magical penis at driving for its goal.” She turned and headed for a tunnel leading out of the magma-heated cave they were standing in. Eldon realized sweat was dripping from his forehead and running down his back as he followed after. “Angela is waiting in her chambers for us. I know she wanted a little more time to make herself presentable for your arrival. Since Poseidon took over as the Pillar of Water, she’s been under a greater strain to maintain this world and its reality. I’m sure you understand no harm will come to your car.”

“She was upset that my dad took so long to arrive, but wanted you to delay us a little more?” Shelly demanded.

“As I said, she’s tired,” Jen said in a strained voice without turning to face them. “She takes her duties seriously, and wanted some time to freshen up before you saw her.”

“She’s a succubus,” Eldon mentioned. “She can look any way she wants to.”

“Unless all her power is being used to support this world,” Jen shot back.

“Then we shouldn’t delay any more,” Sonia broke in, placing her hand on Shelly’s shoulder. “There is still much to do, and we should be about it.”

They continued to follow the Pillar of Fire’s head of security. The cave they travelled through led up, and Eldon was glad he was in such good shape. He was still sweating, but his breathing was even as they entered a large antechamber.

“Lyden, the Pillar awaits you in her chambers,” Jen turned to face them. Her breasts swung from her movement, catching Eldon’s gaze before he could look away. Jen caught him looking and winked before turning back to Lyden. “She wanted to talk to you alone first.”

“No,” Lyden said, granite in his voice. “She knows I will not enter that room. Too many bad memories.”

“That was over twenty years ago,” a new voice broke in. Everyone looked to see a beautiful dark-skinned woman clad in fire and nothing else float into the room. Wings of flame sprouted from her back and carried her to them, over the magma fountain. “You once feared water like that. I know TanaVesta hurt you in there, my love, but she can’t hurt you anymore. Allow my love to heal those wounds.”

“She didn’t just hurt me,” Lyden growled. “She violated me. She ate my flesh, then raped me to heal me so she could do it again. I was forced to get over my fear of water to save Brooke, but I don’t have any reason to go into that room.”

“Not even if it’s for me?” Angela raised one fiery eyebrow, as her thick lips turned up in a soft smile. “I know your pain. I was forced to do much the same when I was under her control. I was hoping to talk to you about that in private, before…” She trailed off and descended to the marble floor, her head drooping and her flames dimming. Her wings disappeared. She took a deep breath before lifting her head and looking them all in the eyes. “I know why you are here. I know the secret that I’ve kept from you has caused you pain, though I hoped she would never get out, much less contact any of you.”

“So it’s all true?” Shelly demanded, her face going red with rage.

Mandy and Shlee stepped up next to Eldon, each taking an arm to comfort him. He felt his own anger rise at Angela’s confession, but his girlfriends’ presence grounded him. He gripped their hands, then turned to give each one a peck on the cheek to show his appreciation and love. When he turned back to Angela, he was surprised to see fiery tears sizzling on her dark cheeks.

“Sit down, and I will reveal everything,” Angela waved to some couches set around a fountain burbling with molten lava. “Not everything you’ve heard is true, and I can only hope you don’t judge me too harshly for what’s been done.”

As you might have noticed, we’ve added a new author to the blog, Jimmy Borther. Please go read his story, Will Stealer. He is looking for beta readers for his story. Not to steal from him, but I would also appreciate some beta readers. If you’re interested, write a comment below as constructive criticism and leave your email.

Okay, now to address the elephant in the room. Yes, there has been a HUGE gap between chapters. For that, I can only ask for your patience. No, this story isn’t dead. I already have a number of chapters written, and they’re waiting for edits. This year has been hell for getting any writing done. My usual pattern is to write three-four chapters ahead. As I finish one chapter, I go back and fix the obvious mistakes, then move onto the next. When Garbonzo has the time, he reviews the chapter, and sends me the fixes he’s found. I apply those fixes and tweaks, then go back over it again, taking what I’ve done in later chapters to make sure there are no discrepancies. This process takes a long time—I know—but it helps ensure that the whole story is more polished. Unfortunately, life, work, family, etc. get in the way of pumping these out in a timely fashion. This is why I’m asking for beta readers. It’s my hope that they might help speed things up. Jimmy had a great idea about that, and I’m going to piggyback off of it. If I accept you as a beta reader, it means I expect you to read a chapter, find mistakes, plot holes, bad grammar, or get story ideas. Then send me the chapter back with your recommendations. Yes, you will get to read a chapter ahead of everyone else, but I won’t send the next chapter to you, until you’ve sent the previous one to me. Again, let me state that this story is not dead. I already have a third book planned.

Thank you for your concerns, and also thank you for reading my stories.

-Zerg Rush