The Fantasy Trove

Eldon ordered his roc to descend. The bird dropped gently to the ground and took a few steps to slow its momentum. His chariot, as he’d referred to it to Gloria, was surprisingly graceful despite its large size. Gloria let go of him, before dropping to the ground. It’d felt nice having her hold him. For a small time, he was able to forget about Jessica and his broken heart, but it was time to end the charade.

“What are we doing here?” Gloria asked as Eldon joined her on the ground. “I thought we were going to the Pillar of Earth’s capitol city for some drinks.”

“Okay, my sister is out of earshot,” Eldon said, turning to face the succubus next to him. “You can go do whatever else you want. I’ll tell Shelly that we had a great time together, or something. I’m sure if I smile enough, she’ll buy whatever I tell her.”

“Or something?” Gloria asked, raising one delicate eyebrow. Then her eyebrows drew together in anger. “You think she’s paying me to spend time with you? I’m a succubus, not a whore!”

Eldon backed away from her, holding his hands up, palm out. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just figured that since she set this whole thing up, we could stop pretending and go our separate ways. I appreciate what you said about me back there, but let’s be honest with each other. We’re both doing this as a favor to my sister.”

“I wasn’t pretending back there,” Gloria snapped, flinging her arm out to point behind her. “I really did want to meet Sheldon Lance. Why is that so hard for you to believe?”

He wanted to believe her, but wasn’t sure. He’d lived in his father’s shadow his whole life. He had no idea that anyone would want to meet him because of what he did for a living. Was he really that well known? He felt his ego puff up a bit and couldn’t deny he liked how that made him feel.

“I just assumed—“ he began to tell her, but she cut him off.

“Assumed what? That because I was a succubus, a soul sucking creature, that all I ever do is pretend?” She grabbed the red cap off her head and threw it to the ground in anger. “I thought the son of Lyden Snow would know better than that. Your father always treated the succubae with respect whenever we’ve seen him. Now there’s a man who knows how to treat a woman, and doesn’t make assumptions about them based on what species they are.”

“My father?” he asked. “My father wasn’t around very much, growing up. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know he tried and he loves me, but with all of his wives and responsibilities, his time was stretched pretty thin.” Eldon sighed and tried to gather his thoughts. “You’re right, though. I was raised better than that, and I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t intend to offend you. I know Shelly worries about me, and I haven’t exactly been the best person to be around lately. That’s why she set this whole thing up.” He gestured between them. “I thought I was in love or something. Well, not love. I didn’t know her well enough, but she.... She treated me in a way no one ever has.” He couldn’t help but remember how she’d reacted to his deformity. Instead of ridiculing him, she accepted it and even treated it as a positive thing.

“Because of your cock?” Gloria asked. Eldon’s head snapped up at her words, his eyes wide. “I can read surface thoughts, remember? I’m a succubus?”

He felt his cheeks burn as he realized what he’d just been thinking. She’d seen all of it in his head. Jessica could read surface thoughts also, though she emphatically denied being a succubus.

“I don’t know any succubus by the name of Jessica,” Gloria said next. “Your sister told me about what you consider a deformity, and I still chose to meet you. It’s not that big a deal, really.”

“Because you’re a succubus,” he said with a hint of acid. He was getting tired of having her read his thoughts. It didn’t help that his sister was talking about his twisted penis with strangers. She had no right to talk about that.

“You need to get over your hang-up about me being a succubus,” she chided him. “I can’t control what I am, but I can control how I treat people. You don’t like people thinking something’s wrong with you because you have a different reproductive organ than everybody else. I don’t like people throwing what I am in my face.”

Eldon was speechless for a moment. “You don’t understand,” he said shaking his head and turning away.

“I don’t?” she laughed. Something in her voice made him turn back and look at her. She had her eyebrow arched again and an incredulous look on her face. “You know nothing about me. All you know is what I am, and that’s enough for you to know what I do and don’t understand?”

As Gloria’s words sunk in, Eldon couldn’t stop a soft laugh from bubbling up. Gloria’s face went an angry shade of red as she glared at him.

“I can’t believe this!” She stomped her foot. She bent over, picked up her red hat and brushed it off before putting it back on her head, pulling her blue and blonde ponytail through the back. “You’re right, there’s no sense in continuing this.” She turned to go and already had her leathery black wings out to fly away when Eldon found his voice to stop her.

“I’m not laughing at you,” he told her. “I’m laughing at how foolish I was being.” She stopped with her wings spread wide, but didn’t turn around. Shouldn’t she know what was in his head? “You’re right, of course. I made assumptions that I shouldn’t have. I don’t know anything about you, other than what you are, and I let that rule how I treated you.” Eldon watched as she tucked her wings against her body and turned to face him. She didn’t put them away, however, and he knew he had more work to do. “I’m sorry. You mentioned getting drinks. I can’t think of a better way to get to know who you are. That is, if you’re still willing?”

He held his hand out to her. She looked at it with skepticism. For a moment he was sure she was going to turn away. When she finally stepped forward and took it, he couldn’t hide his relief.

“One condition,” she told him.

“Name it,” he replied. He felt terrible for the way he’d treated her and wanted to make it up to her.

“Make any comments or remarks about me being a succubus, and I’ll make sure all my friends will know.”

Eldon wasn’t sure what her threat meant, but suspected that having the wrath of the succubae would be a bad thing.

*    *    *    *

Eldon’s laughter boomed off the rafters in the tavern. “You’re kidding me!” he gasped, looking at Gloria with shock. “You didn’t really do that, did you?”

Gloria’s smile was broad as it split her lips. “Yeah, and you should have seen her face. Of course, that was before she became the Pillar of Fire, or even met your father.”

“What happened after that?” Eldon asked.

“Well, we were on Earth, so we couldn’t really talk about what we were. I took her under my wing and taught her a trick or twenty. As old as I am, she taught me a thing or two as well.”

“Did you ever meet my grandfather?” He’d heard a lot about the man that at one time ruled over the succubae. He thought he would have gotten along with him and regretted that he’d died before Eldon was born.

“Now there was a man who knew how to please a woman,” Gloria laughed. “Shemhazau was a lot of fun before he disappeared. I was sorry to hear what happened to him.” She took a sip of her wine. “To friends and family,” she toasted, holding her glass up.

“Friends and family,” he parroted, clinking his earthenware mug against her glass. He took a sip of his beer, looking at the woman across from him. Even knowing what she was—he refused to think the word, lest he offend her again—he couldn’t deny her personality was attractive. She wasn’t hard to look at either, but he knew she could look however she wanted.

“What about you?” Gloria asked him. Her cheeks were a bit rosy, but she didn’t sound or act drunk in any way. “I’m sure that living with your sister, there have to be a few embarrassing stories.”

“Shelly?” he asked, trying to think. He couldn’t think of anything as embarrassing as one succubus accidentally seducing another one. “Not really.”

“Oh, come on,” Gloria pressed. “Your sister is quite the good looking woman. You mean to tell me the two of you never....”

“No!” he shot back. “She’s my sister. That’s just plain gross.” The thought of doing anything with his sister didn’t nauseate him, but it didn’t appeal either. As far as he was concerned, Shelly was a human that he fought alongside. She was a companion and a friend. Yes, she was his twin sister, but there were only familial feelings there. Nothing more.

“Sorry,” she said, mollified. “I meant no offense. It wouldn’t bother me in the least if you—okay, okay. Forget I mentioned it.”

“I’m not offended,” he said. The mood had perceptibly changed and he tried to figure out how to get her to smile again. “I don’t get out much, so there isn’t a lot of opportunity for embarrassing situations. Unless you count last week when I got caught kissing a girl while I looked like her boyfriend. He seemed pretty pissed about it, but she didn’t mind too much. She even admitted I was a better kisser!”

He was rewarded by a smile on her lips, though he tried to hide the pang that went through him. Jessica had saved him from that situation before it became violent.

“Well, that doesn’t sound very embarrassing,” Gloria smirked at him. “She thought you were a good kisser, huh? A regular human girl like her likely doesn’t know what a real kiss can be like.”

“Are you implying that I can’t really kiss, or just that she was naive?” he asked, his ego feeling challenged.

She regarded him over the lip of her glass, sipping more at her wine before answering. “Oh, I’m sure you know how to kiss. Any fool can kiss. But not every person can make their partner’s knees weak.” Her voice dropped an octave as she caressed every word. “Can you kiss well enough to fill a woman with desire and need? Can you make her gasp for air, but not want to let go? Can you kiss a woman and make her forget about everything around her? Make her want to rip off her clothing no matter who is around or watching?”

Eldon shifted in his seat, his pants uncomfortably tight after her pointed questions. Her sultry voice worked up conflicting emotions. Desire for her welled up, while indignation at her assumption that he didn’t know how to please a woman tried to take dominance. Of course he knew how to please a woman! Just because she was a succubus, didn’t mean that he was incapable of....

It dawned on him what she was up to. She’d raised one eyebrow when he thought about her being a succubus, but she hadn’t said anything. He smiled at her, took a sip of his beer and sat back in his seat.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” he said, answering her question with a confident statement. “Come here,” he commanded her.

Her smile broadened as she stood up and walked around the table. When she was right next to where he sat, she raised an eyebrow in question. He patted his leg as he looked her in the eyes. “I don’t want to have to catch you when your knees grow weak.”

“You think so?” she challenged, but sat in his lap. She had a small rear and wriggled it against the bulge pressing against his zipper. He was thankful that he was still in another man’s form. His real phallus wouldn’t fit within the tight confines of the trousers he wore.

“So? Are you going to kiss me, or what?” She wrapped her arms around his neck, but made no other moves.

“Some things shouldn’t be rushed,” he told her. Reaching forward, he picked up her glass of wine. She looked at him, waiting to see where he was going. He kept his mind blank, not wanting to tip her off to what he was planning.

He took a sip of her wine, but didn’t swallow. He wasn’t a fan of the liquid, but enjoyed the way it made his tongue tingle with its tangy flavor. He waited a couple more seconds before swallowing.

“You know, there is such a thing as too much preperat—“ She was cut off as Eldon leaned in and brushed her lips with his. He pulled back, looked her in the eyes and smiled. Before she could speak again, he brought his right hand up to cup her chin and brought her face to his. Her grin turned into a soft moan as their lips met again.

He used his lips to separate hers, but didn’t bring his tongue into play yet. His left arm slipped around her waist, and he pulled her to him. He felt her tongue venture out to tease along his lips, but he didn’t take the bait. She tilted her head some more, allowing him to drop his right hand to her waist. Her arms tightened around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss, but still his tongue remained in his mouth.

Her tongue slid across his teeth, but he didn’t let it pass. When she groaned in frustration, he opened up. She shivered as her muscle entered his mouth and was met with is. For a moment the two instruments battled against each other, both seeking dominance.

He had to admit that she was talented with her mouth. Her lips writhed against his, bringing lascivious thoughts of what else she might be capable of. His cock was growing almost painful, filled with blood and desire for the delicious woman wiggling in his lap. His left hand travelled up her back, his fingers curling into her shirt, pulling them even closer together.

He wanted to lay her down and rip off her clothing. He couldn’t remember the last time he was turned on to this degree. Some portion of his brain that wasn’t overcome with lust knew that they had an audience, but he didn’t care. The other patrons in the tavern were going to see just how good he was at kissing.

...how good he was. He realized he was falling under her spell, allowing her to win, and brought his thoughts back into focus. Clearing his mind, he twisted his tongue around to caress the invading one in his mouth. She moaned again as their bodies rubbed together along with their mouths. He moved his right hand around to her rear, giving the muscles there a firm massage.

His mind started going over thoughts of what he could do with that small rear. He was certain that if he could just get her pants off, he could be within her in seconds, making her moan even more. He didn’t care about their audience. He wanted to feel her. A moan escaped his lips as he imagined what she would feel like, wrapped around his hardness. The look on her face as he slipped in and out of her, bringing them both closer to—

He cut the thought off, sensing himself growing close to losing this battle in more ways than one. Her resulting moan was half frustration, half need.

Both tongues still writhed, still sought some weakness to exploit and gain dominance. It was time for the finishing move.

He was careful as he closed his teeth. Her tongue abandoned the fight, fleeing back into its home safety. He charged after, penetrating her mouth.

Her body convulsed in his lap, a throaty moan escaping her mouth and resonating into him.

“Enough!” she gasped, trying to catch her breath. Her chest heaved as she looked at him with wild eyes. She leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips, another moan escaping her before she could pull back. “We’re getting out of here, now.”

The tavern erupted in cheers and applause as Gloria pulled Eldon up by the wrist and hauled him out.

“I cheated and you still got me off first,” she complained. Before he had a chance to respond, she shoved him up against the wall, plastering her body against his and kissed him with passion. “Argh,” she grunted after a second. “If you don’t get us out of here, I’m going to end up raping you right here.”

He was about to comment that she could do whatever she wanted to, but he noticed a couple passersby, and decided to get out of there. The last thing he needed was for Gaia to get word of this and pass it on to his mother. He knew Gaia saw everything that happened in her domain, but that didn’t mean she paid attention to it all.

“You cheated?” he asked after whistling for his roc. He was having a hard time thinking straight as he watched her small rear swaying before him.

She giggled guiltily and flashed him a smile. “How quickly you forget what I am, Eldon. I cranked up my pheromones and did my best to flood your system with lust. I’ve only ever known one person with enough self control to resist me, but that was ages ago. You’re just full of surprises.”

His bird was waiting for them on the edge of the city, and they clambered onto her back. Gloria sat in front of him. He kept her fire stoked as they flew to his home, both of them on edge, remaining on the precipice, but neither stepping over that ledge.

*    *    *    *

Eldon’s front door slammed open with two bodies entwined, forcing their way in. Gloria’s hands were on his cheeks, their mouths working against and with each other. Eldon grabbed the hem of her shirt, tugging it up and off. There was no bra. Their mouths had to separate momentarily, but the hunger between them could not be denied. As soon as the shirt was free, their passion continued to envelope them.

Eldon’s hands dropped down the succubus’s back to her tiny rear. Cupping a cheek in each hand, he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her pelvis beginning a rhythmic grinding against his. He moaned as wanton lust flooded his system, making him want more. Needing more. His bedroom was too far away, but the couch was right there.

She was light in his arms as he walked over to the furniture. Feeling mischievous, having no doubt that some of his desire was being induced by the succubus’s skills, he dumped her on the couch without warning or preamble.

He laughed as she squealed. Her chest bounced as she landed, but there was a twinkle in her eyes as she smiled up at him. He took a moment to take in her beauty, getting a good look at her chest for the first time. Her nipples were small and hard on top of her grapefruit sized breasts.

“Are you just going to stare, or are you going to come here and take advantage of me?” She asked. She bit her bottom lip in a way that made him want to jump on top of her and ravish her in every way.

Through some unknown reserve he held back, stepping up to the couch. He unbuttoned his pants, and let them slide to the floor, freeing his hard phallus. The man he’d copied would never be a porn star, but it was plenty thick and hard. Veins pulsed along it in time with his heartbeat.

“Why don’t you come here and take care of me first?” He asked. She smiled as she met his eyes, but it faded as she looked down at his manhood.

“That’s a fine specimen,” she said, her voice thoughtful, “but I want to see the real Eldon’s Lance.”

He wilted inside for a moment. He couldn’t do that. She might be a succubus, but he was too self-conscious to show that to her.

“Please!” she pleaded with him. Her hands rubbed up her sides to her mammaries. Cupping her flesh, Eldon could see how firm her breasts were as she massaged them. She met his eyes as she pinched her nipples. “I already know from your mind, Eldon. I’m not afraid.” Her hands dropped to her pants, quickly undoing the fastenings and shoved them down and off. “I want to see it. I want to feel it. I want to have you right here. Mmm,” she moaned as she slipped a finger into her slit. Her labia were small, but it already glistened with her fluids and desire.

That did it. There was something inside him that went nuts when he saw a woman fingering herself. He knew that she was aware of his decision before he changed because of her triumphant smile.

He felt the change in his body as he grew a little taller and a lot fuller in the crotch. His muscles thickened, becoming more defined.

He watched her face for reaction. Her eyes grew wide, her mouth dropping open in an ‘O’. Embarrassed, he covered himself up.

“What are you doing?” she demanded. She blurred as she sat up and grabbed his wrists. She tried to pull his arms away, but he was stronger than her. “Please,” she begged again. “It’s bigger than I thought, but I want it. Please lemme have it?”

“It’s deformed,” he said, shaking his head.

“Deformed? No. It’s beautiful. My mouth is watering, I want to taste it.” She looked up into his eyes. “Please?” she asked again.

His resolve crumbled and he let his hands be pulled aside.

“Thank you,” she said, full of sincerity. He could feel her warm breath on his twisted member. “Mmm,” she moaned, and then leaned forward to lick along its bumpy length.

“Ah.” The sound escaped him before he could stop it. After all the foreplay in the tavern, and then the long flight, he was sensitive and ready for action. His rod thrummed with potent energy as she brought her mouth to his scrotum, kissing the sensitive organ, and then returned to the tip.

Gloria stretched her mouth wide to allow the large head past her lips. He was surprised to see her fit the monster into her slim face. His shock increased as her head continued moving, swallowing more and more of him. He was sure she would stop when he felt the back of her throat. Instead, she started humming and taking him even deeper. Her nose brushed up against his pubic hair. It took all his concentration to keep from exploding right there.

“H-how?” he asked. Looking down at her, he couldn’t see how his cock was able to fit.

Her blue eyes lifted to meet his. He could see the smile in them as she winked. A second later, her throat undulated around his flesh, sending new waves of pleasure through him. It was too much. He felt her fingers digging into his rear as she pulled him tighter to him. He had to lock his knees as he fired strings of semen into her stomach.

Even when he was done, she didn’t let go. Eldon knew she needed to breathe, but she kept him lodged in her mouth. After a few seconds of trying to gather his thoughts, he realized he wasn’t softening.

Gloria pulled her head back, letting him slowly slip from her mouth with a satisfied smile. “I like you like this,” she said. There was still a thick string of saliva connecting her bottom lip to his shaft. She used her right hand to gather it up and return it to her mouth. “Yum! I hope you can return the favor, but right now, I want this thing inside me. I can’t wait to find out what it feels like!”

“You want it?” he growled, ripping his shirt off. He tossed it aside before bending over, grabbing her under her arms and pulling her to her feet. She turned in his arms and pressed her crack against his shaft, sliding herself up and down its length. He moaned, enjoying the feel of her firm globes gliding up and down his schlong.

“You better believe I want it,” she confessed. With her back pressed against him, she snaked her left arm up behind his head and pulled his head down. Their lips met. This time he didn’t hesitate before meeting her tongue with his.  “Damn, you’re good at that!” she gasped.

She moved to the couch, bent over and shook her delectable rump at him. “Stick it in. Please stick it in!” He was more than happy to accept that invitation. Stepping forward, he gripped himself at the base and rubbed the head against her. Heat radiated from where they touched. She was slick with desire, but he tried to tease her before doing what they both so desperately wanted.

She wasn’t willing to wait. As he brought the head into position, she shoved back. Her hole swallowed the first couple inches before he was even aware of what she’d done. She felt like a felt vise sliding up his twisted length. He smiled as he moved his hands to her hips.

“If that’s the way you want to play it....” he trailed off. With one quick motion, he pulled back with his hands and thrust with his hips. She took him to the hilt with little more than a grunt, followed by a long low moan.

“Oh, damn! I’ve never felt anything like that before,” she cried out. Her inner walls constricted around him, massaging every inch of his organ. Even the folds and bumps of his length were compressed by her hot tightness. “Hold on for a second. I need to get used to this.” He waited, relishing the way she fit him like a glove. He couldn’t believe that not only had he fit inside her, but that she was even enjoying his deformity. “Okay,” she said, sounding out of breath, “I think I’ve conformed. Let’s see what you can do.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant by getting conformed, but he understood the rest of it. He pulled back, looking down at where they were joined. Her pussy didn’t seem to want to let go, sliding along his skin while moving around to follow the twisted length of him. Light glistened off his wet cock. Her opening stretched tight around the head when he reversed directions, shoving himself back to the hilt into her.

“Mmm, don’t stop,” she panted as he repeated the process. “Right there. Mmm, you hit all my spots.” She started to move against him, so he picked up his pace. “Mmm, I’m going to cum. Are you ready?”

Being asked if he was ready for her to cum sent a jolt through him. Not only was she not turned off by his cock, but she was about to get off on it!

“Yeah,” he told her. “Give it to me!”

She shuddered as he spoke, her insides rippling around him. Her juices flooded out and around his pole, but what he noticed most was the energy flooding into him. In the heat of his lust, he’d forgotten that she was a succubus, and that she could choose to give energy as well as receive. As new strength flowed into him, he moved his arms under her, lifted her off the ground, turned, and sat back on the couch. The impact drove him deeper into her.

She spun around in a blur without losing their connection. Her eyes grew serious as she looked down at him, her chest still heaving from her climax.

“I think we need to make this a weekly thing,” she told him. “I’ve never felt anything like this before!” As she spoke, she wriggled in his lap, eliciting a soft moan of pleasure from him.

“Just once a week?” he asked with a grin.

“Shut up and fuck me!” she ordered, bending over and kissing him.

Eldon’s hands moved to her breasts, rubbing her tiny nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, while swiveling his hips. A steady clapping noise reverberated through the small house as he sensed her getting close to a next orgasm. He was only moments away from his second climax.

Neither one of them heard the door open over the sounds of their combined moans. Neither one saw the shocked expressions painted on two female faces.

“Sheldon! You’ve got a room to do that in!” Shelly screamed.

“Well, I didn’t expect to see this when I walked in,” Jessica drawled right afterwards.

Eldon froze, shock gripping his system, but Gloria climaxed right then. As her orgasm washed over him, he started firing deep into the succubus, horrified to be caught by the woman he’d been moping over just a few short hours ago.

*    *    *    *

“I’m sorry, Sheldon, but how was I supposed to know you would be in the front room?” Shelly demanded of her brother.

“You’re the one that set us up,” Eldon shot back. He was angrier with himself than he was with his sister, but had to vent. He only wished that Jessica wasn’t standing off to the side with that smirk on her face.

“It’s really not a problem,” Jessica said. Her arms were folded as she regarded the siblings. “We were never official. You can do as you like, Eldon.”

“That’s not—!” He started to protest. Jessica raised one delicate eyebrow, but never lost that smirk. “I mean, I know, but it’s just embarrassing to have my sister walk in on me while I—”

“While you give a succubus one helluva orgasm and fill me full of cum?” Gloria laughed, talking for the first time since they got dressed. By the look on her face, he didn’t know who was enjoying the encounter more; Gloria or Jessica. The twins were red-faced by comparison.

“You’re a succubus?” Jessica’s mien changed faster than anything Eldon had ever seen. He’d forgotten about her dislike of the succubae. Anger now forced storm clouds to cross her eyes. Those storm clouds turned on Eldon. “I can accept you sleeping with another woman, but how could you stoop so low as to sleep with a succubus? They’re worse than prostitutes!”

“Wait, I—“ Eldon began, but Gloria got to her feet, matching Jessica glare for glare.

“Stoop so low? What’s wrong with being a succubus? You know, Shelly told me about you. Told me how you broke Eldon’s heart. How dare you come in here and treat him like that! At least I have enough decency to—“

“Decency?” Jessica cut her off with a sneer. “What does a succubus know about decency? All you care about is your next victim. About whom you can get between your legs and drain of life.”

“Victim!” Gloria choked on the word. “Does Eldon look like a victim to you? Tell her, Eldon. Do you feel weak or victimized?”

Eldon’s heart sank as two sets of angry eyes turned on him. How did things get here? If he told the truth, Jessica would get pissed at him, but he couldn’t lie. Too late he remembered that both women could read surface thoughts.

“That’s how it’s going to be?” Gloria stamped her foot. “I thought better of you, Eldon. I don’t know what her grudge is against my kind, but someone needs to set her straight. Obviously it’s not going to be you.” She turned and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door.

“It’s going to take days to get that stink out of my nose,” Jessica sneered, looking at the closed door.

“I can’t believe you,” Eldon stated. He got to his feet, anger burning in his chest as he finally found his voice. Some of the blame rested with him for not stopping this earlier, but Gloria hadn’t deserved to be treated like that.

“Me?” Jessica asked, turning a confused stare on Eldon. “What’d I do?”

“What—?” Eldon was exasperated. “You storm out of my life without even a backwards glance, and then waltz in and insult the one person that treated me like a human being since you left? What right do you have to berate or choose who I sleep with?”

“I treated you like a human,” Shelly spoke up. Eldon ignored her.

Jessica’s face twisted into one of confusion. “I don’t understand. She’s a succubus. You don’t think she really has feelings, do you? She was faking everything. You can’t trust their kind.”

“That is the most racist thing I’ve ever heard,” Eldon snapped. “I thought only normal humans could be that narrow minded.” He turned to his sister. “And how can you be silent during all this? I thought Gloria was your friend.”

Shelly opened her mouth to speak, but she never got the chance. The front door banged open, drawing everyone’s attention.

“It’s not often I come here and find you two fighting,” a deep voice intoned. A solid man with brown and gray hair stepped through the door a moment after Gloria. The succubus looked bothered and not happy about being back in the room. The man looked tired.

He’s getting old, Eldon thought.

“I ran into this young lady outside. I thought I taught you how to treat women better that that, son.” Lyden Snow’s gray eyes looked grave as he stared at his children.

“Son?” Jessica whispered. Eldon saw that her face had changed from its dark complexion to sheet white. He wondered what it must be like for someone to meet the legendary Lyden Snow like this. Eldon had grown up with Lyden as his father and had a different view of the man.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t intimidated when his dad was angry with him.

“I’m sorry for my children’s behavior, Master,” Eldon’s and Shelly’s mom said entering the room. It was getting crowded in their small house again. “Shall I punish them for you?”

“No, love,” Lyden turned to one of his wives. His smile was filled with love as he looked at her. That smile vanished as he looked around the room. “There are more important things right now.”

Eldon watched as his father closed his eyes, took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Eldon had never seen his father this shaken before. He even noticed that Lyden’s hand was shaking.

“What’s wrong, Dad?” Shelly asked, concern in her voice and eyes.

Their dad opened his eyes, and Eldon saw tears forming in them. If anything, this struck Eldon to his core. He’d seen his father cry before, but only when the situation was dire.

“Brooke has been kidnapped,” he said, his voice cracking.

“Who took her?” Eldon asked, stepping forward. “Why haven’t you gone after her yet?” Brooke was another one of his father’s wives. She was also a mermaid. “What about Brock or Bridget?” Brock, or Bridget, was Brooke’s child with their father. He, or she, was one person able to switch genders. Eldon usually got a headache when he thought about that sibling and his, or her, issues.

“Brooke was visiting him when she was taken. He’s staying as Brock for the moment, trying to deal with it. I was hoping you could help him get Brooke back.” Lyden walked over to the couch—that Eldon had just had sex on—and sat down. Eldon glanced at Gloria and saw her blushing at him. He also saw Jessica glaring at them.

Damned women who can read minds, he thought, knowing both of them would pick up on the thought.

“Who took her?” Shelly pressed.

Their dad just shook his head, unable to speak. It was their mom who answered. When she spoke, her voice was filled with acid and poison. “Varun took her. He left Brock with the message that if Master enters the Pillar of Water’s domain, she’ll be killed.”

“What did he say he wanted in order to get her back?” Eldon asked. He knew Varun held a grudge for the way Lyden had defeated the Pillar of Water during the Chaos War. The Pillar had remained paranoid after Brooke saved him from the previous Pillar of Fire, and ended up fighting on the Outsider’s side during the war. Lyden went toe-to-toe with the Pillar and left Varun frozen in a block of ice, but alive. Very little was heard from the Pillar of Water after that. Apparently the large seahorse finally decided to strike.

“Nothing,” Lyden croaked. “He wants me to know that she is under his protection, and that he can kill her at any moment. He wants me to suffer.” Lyden was human now. He no longer held the power and strength that allowed him to take on a Pillar of this world and survive.

“Master and I thought you could go in and save her,” Sheila said. “Brock is waiting for you on the border.”

“Pardon me,” Jessica piped up, speaking out loud for the first time since Lyden showed up, “But this looks like a family issue. I—”

“I would like to help, if you’ll let me,” Gloria spoke up, cutting Jessica short. “I know how to fight, and would like to offer my aid to the savior of the Chaos War.”

“I’m no savior,” Lyden said in a soft tone. Despite how famous and important his father was, Eldon knew he was also humble. He hated being treated as anything other than a normal person. “Your help will be appreciated. I would go myself, but I can’t risk Varun killing her outright, and I have a meeting with the U.N. about continued relations with the Shadow World coming up.”

“I was about to say,” Jessica piped in with a glare for Gloria, “that I would like to help.”

Eldon knew it was a lie, and that the only reason she was willing to help, was that she didn’t want to be shown up by a succubus. Gloria’s nod to him let him know that he was right. Could they read each other’s minds? Gloria shook her head slightly. He really was going to have to watch his thoughts around these women.

Sheila glanced between the other two women. From the look on her face, Eldon knew his mother was picking up on the tension as well. He didn't expect Shelly to step forward and take Jessica’s hand in hers. He remembered the two coming in together, and wondered if something had happened between them. For a moment, he felt the rare bit of jealousy enter him, but he shoved it aside. Jessica wasn’t his, and from her behavior towards Gloria, he wasn't sure he wanted her.

Jessica turned a hurt eye on him, while Gloria smiled smugly. If these two women were coming along, then he was going to get himself into some serious trouble.

“Dad,” Eldon spoke up, “I want to save Brooke, but I think Shelly and I can do it alone. Or rather, with Brock’s help. I don’t want to put these women in any danger they don’t need to be in.” He knew both women would know the real reason for him not wanting them to come along, but didn’t care.

Lyden shook his head, though. “I’m glad to see you being a gentleman, son, but no. If you’re going into Varun’s demesne, you’ll need all the help you can get. All I will say is: be careful. If he finds out what you’re up to, he may kill Brooke right then. I hate to say it, but you’re going to need Marchosias’s help as well.”

Eldon groaned inside. He was stuck going into battle with two women who despised each other, and could read his mind. This mission was going to be interesting. Marchosias and Varun were the least of his worries.

“Shelly, wake up!”

Shelly jumped out of bed, wondering what was happening. Were they under attack? She’d been having an odd dream about . . . something. She felt it was important, but couldn’t get her sleep fuddled mind to remember.

“What’s going on?” she yelled as she dressed. Mentally she went over all the weapons she could change into if needed, as well as defensive objects. She wanted to be prepared for whatever awaited her outside her room.

“Just get out here,” a familiar voice called. A voice she knew very well, in a tone she dreaded.

“Mom?” she asked as she stepped out. “What’s going on?”

She wasn’t prepared to see the common room of the house she shared with her brother full of people. Their house was small, and it seemed even smaller with everyone in it.

“Your brother ditched me to have fun and do perverted things,” Areth stated. Her fists were on her hips as she fluttered around the room. Shelly had never seen her angry before. When had she shown up?

Shelly’s eyes were drawn to the other person in the room, besides her mother and foolish brother. It was the girl that’d helped them yesterday with the ogres. Or she had set that trap for them. Shelly hadn’t decided yet. What was her brother doing with the woman? Her brother could be so dense sometimes! At least he had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Everyone calm down,” another voice rang through the room. It was Aunt Lysa. She had a hard time controlling air currents around herself in small places, so she was probably staying outside and only projecting her voice. As crowded as the room was, Shelly was glad for the consideration. “Areth, I didn’t bring Sheila here to punish Sheldon.”

“Why not?” the fairy pouted. “It would be a lot more entertaining. Ooh! I know. I can punish him! Please!”

Shelly noticed her idiot brother glance at the fairy in fear. The tiny woman could be quite chaotic, and there was no telling what the fairy might consider as punishment.

“No,” Shelly’s mom said quietly. “There are more important things to discuss.” Despite her words, she was glaring at Eldon.

“Drat!” the fairy kicked open air.

Shelly was confused about everything going on, and was still tired and ornery after being woken up so rudely. “Will someone please tell me why I had to wake up, just to find out my brother was being an jackass?”

“Hey!” Eldon protested. “Thanks for having my back, Shells!” Sarcasm and indignation filled his voice.

“This sounds like a family affair,” Jessica spoke up for the first time since Shelly had come out of her room. “I should go.”

“Stay where you are, girl,” Shelly’s mother commanded. It was odd to see Sheila Lance be domineering. She acted like a completely docile slave around their dad, but when he wasn’t around, she had a way of taking charge.

Jessica obeyed and sat back down. Her eyes dropped to the folded hands in her lap.

“For better or worse, you’re a part of this now,” Lysa’s disembodied voice said. “I know I asked you to watch over him. I didn’t ask you to get into his pants.”

The woman’s cheeks burned bright red, even through her dark complexion.

“What’s the big deal?” Shelly asked. “We’re old enough to be with who we want.”

“Oh, now you have my back,” Eldon muttered.

“Besides,” Shelly added just to spite him, “it’s not like she’s the first woman he’s been with.”

“And there you go again,” her brother shook his head. Shelly noticed that he was looking everywhere, except at Areth or Jessica. Just how far into the act had they been caught? She wondered briefly what form he’d taken to be with her, before deciding she really didn’t want to know.

“That’s not the point,” Lysa said. “He is our father’s son, and has every right to be with who he wants.”

“Thank you!” Eldon said.

“But he shouldn’t have ditched one of his chaperones. Especially not Areth on Earth,” Lysa continued.

Shelly now understood. Areth tended to get herself into trouble when she went to Earth alone. She had too much fun tormenting the mortals—a fairy’s lifespan was infinite, as long as they didn’t get themselves killed. Areth called it entertainment. No one else did. If she had come right back, instead of staying on. . . .

“Wait! You went to Earth?” Shelly demanded of her brother. “What were you thinking? Lysa told us to stay put. Do you still have ogre brain between your ears?”

Shelly saw Jessica mouth the words, “Ogre brain,” in confusion.

“That brings us to the problem,” her mom said. “After you two almost fell into that trap yesterday, Lysa checked into things. It seems visitors to this world have been coming under a lot more attacks lately.”

“Areth,” Lysa spoke up, “I sent you to watch over the twins and protect them. Not to go gallivanting to Earth.”

“But I was bored! And it’s been so long since I got to go there. I was keeping an eye on him,” Areth protested. “I was keeping him out of trouble.”

Jessica snorted for some reason, but didn’t look up. What happened while they were away?

“While my daughter remained unprotected,” Sheila said. Areth blanched away from the heat in her tone.

“If you’d already sent her to watch over him,” Jessica started to ask, “why did you send me too?”

“Because a fairy isn’t the most trustworthy babysitter,” Eldon answered her question.

“I didn’t send her to babysit you,” Lysa said. “But we’re getting far from the point. I think someone is behind these attacks. So far, Shelly and Sheldon are the only ones that a trap was set for. While visitors were attacked, some of them were able to escape. Only with the twins, did the force escalate.”

The Pillar of Air let her words sink in. Someone had targeted them. She looked to Jessica. Had the woman really just happened to be in the area when those other ogres appeared, or had she somehow brought them? She couldn’t read the woman’s expression. But why would she help them, if she was the one to set the trap?

“So, I’m not in trouble?” Eldon asked into the silence.

“You’re in trouble, alright,” their mom told him. “Not only did you leave Areth alone on Earth, but you left your sister unprotected. What would have happened if someone attacked her while you were gone?”

“I can defend myself!” Shelly said, filled with indignation. She’d warded off her brother when he turned into an ogre yesterday, hadn’t she?

She was ignored.

“I want the three of you to see what you can find out about whoever is instigating these attacks,” Lysa said.

“Is that wise?” Shelly asked, giving Jessica a pointed look.

“I think she can be trusted,” Lysa said. “If she’d meant you harm, she would have let the ogres have you.”

“Unless she wants you to think that way,” Shelly said.

“Jessica’s a good person!” Eldon nearly shouted. “She . . . she . . .” His cheeks turned bright red, and he looked down at his lap. No, not his lap, at his crotch.

No, she thought. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have shown her that! Would he? If she’d seen that, and not gone running, no wonder he was defending her. Oh, Sheldon. You foolish, foolish, man.

Shelly watched as Jessica reached out and grabbed Eldon’s hand. He looked at her gratefully, then at everyone else, and his cheeks burned brighter.

“Anybody who is willing to protect my children, has my gratitude,” Sheila said.

Jessica was winning everyone over to her side, Shelly realized. She was going to have to watch her even closer.

“Okay, then,” Shelly said. She smiled at Jessica, hoping it didn’t look as fake as it felt. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. “If everyone else says you’re okay, then I’ll accept that. Please forgive me for being so rude.”

“I understand,” Jessica replied. “If I were in your shoes, I’d be worried too. You don’t know me, so naturally you’d be suspicious.” She turned to Sheila then. “But I don’t know about putting my neck on the line for whatever is going on. I saw someone who needed help yesterday, and I helped. It was a split moment decision. You’re asking me to risk myself, for what?”

“You’re right,” Lysa’s voice said. “We don’t know what’s going on, or why. You have no reason to help us in this. If what the twins told me is true, however, we could use your skill. The choice is yours.”

“Please,” Shelly read Eldon’s lips.

“I’m sorry,” Jessica said as she let go of Sheldon’s hand. Shelly thought she heard true regret in her tone. “I like you, Eldon. You seem like a really nice guy, and an amazing . . . .” Her gaze dropped to Eldon’s crotch.

He did show her! Shelly thought. And apparently she didn’t have a problem with the grotesque thing.

“But I’m not willing to risk my life for something like this,” Jessica continued. “You’re connected to some really powerful people, and I prefer to keep my head down. I’m sorry.”

Shelly watched as her brother’s heart broke. If she hadn’t liked Jessica before, she loathed the woman now. But she was conflicted at the same time. If Jessica really had been the one to set the trap, wouldn’t it be in her best interest to be a part of the investigation? Or did she have something more nefarious in mind?

“Please leave,” Shelly found herself saying as she pointed to the door. Her tone was incongruous with her words, but she didn’t care. She wanted Jessica out of her house.

“I understand,” Jessica said. She stood up and gave one more apologetic look to Eldon. Then she turned and walked out.

“You could have been nicer to her, dear,” her mom chided her softly.

“Look at Eldon’s face and tell me that again,” Shelly growled at her mother. Sheila looked at her son, then back to Shelly and shook her head. Eldon just stared at the door. This wasn’t the first time his heart had been broken, and she knew he would get over it. The best thing to do, would be to find another girl for him.

“Well, it’s not ideal,” Lysa said, “But I guess I’ll have to rely on you two. At least I know you will always have each other’s backs. Let’s try to figure out how to find whoever is causing these attacks.”

“I could help!” Areth piped up. The tiny woman bounced around the room in her excitement, waiving her arms.

“No!” Shelly and Eldon said at the same time.

*    *    *    *

“We’ve already tried this plan,” Shelly complained. She had transformed herself into a large backpack, and was resting against her brother’s back. He was wearing a baseball cap, and a bright shirt that read, ‘I <3 magic.’ He was using someone else’s form, and they had just come through one of the portals the normal humans used to visit the Shadow World.

“If you’ve got any better ideas, then let’s hear it,” Eldon snapped at her. “Otherwise shut up and act like a backpack.”

His words stung her, but she understood where they were coming from. He still hadn’t forgiven her for driving Jessica away a week ago. Shelly had tried to get him to go to a club, or to meet someone else, but he refused to listen to her. She was starting to get desperate and had hatched a plan.

Hopefully it wouldn’t backfire.

“Excuse me,” someone asked Eldon. He turned to look at the woman. Shelly adjusted where her eyes were. Well, not her real eyes, but rather what part of her she was looking through. When she took the form of an inanimate object, she was capable of looking in multiple directions at once. That’s why she was so good at watching her brother’s back. “Could you help me? This is my first time coming here.”

The woman was attractive, with long blonde hair pulled through the back of a red baseball cap. She stood almost as tall as Sheldon was in this form, which was only slightly smaller than his true form. Shelly didn’t recognize her.

“Sure,” Eldon said, his voice tired. “I’m not from around here, but I know a thing or two about this place.” Shelly winced as he spoke. He sounded like he was rehearsing his lie, instead of believing it. There was no emotion in his voice. They were trying to act as tourists. They needed to see if they could trigger an attack, but after a week of trying, there had been nothing. No tourists had been attacked in the last week, at all.

“I understand there is a beautiful beach between the Earth and Water areas. Do you know how I can get there? My name is Gloria, by the way. Nice to meet you,” the woman held out her hand.

Eldon looked confused for a moment as he shook her hand. “You came through the wrong portal, if that’s where you wanted to go,” he told her. “Right now we’re closer to the border between Earth and Fire. It’ll take you days to travel there by normal means.”

“Damn it!” the woman stomped her foot. “Now I don’t have an excuse to wear this bikini I got. What am I going to do?”

“Offer to take her for a tour,” Shelly whispered to her brother.

He shrugged his shoulders in a way that told her to be quiet.

“I have plans, or I’d offer to show you around,” Eldon told her. He turned to walk away.

Shelly saw confusion in the girl’s eyes. She really hadn’t expected to be dismissed like that.

“Well, would you mind if I tagged along anyway?” she asked.

“Say yes,” Shelly whispered to him. “She wants to spend time with you.”

“It might be dangerous,” he whispered back. Then a moment later, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

He sighed, and turned to face the woman. “You can drop the act,” he told her. “I know what you are. Did my sister put you up to this?”

Her blue eyes opened in shock for a moment, before she started laughing. “What gave me away? I thought I played the part of the lost girl just right.”

“You did,” he told her. “But Gloria is a pretty old name. Not many people are called that these days. At least, not as young as you appear to be. The real tip-off was when I shook your hand, though. That’s when I knew you were a succubus. You’ll want to ply your trade with someone else. Just be careful not to take too much from them. I’m not really human, anyway.”

“But maybe I really wanted to meet you, Eldon.” Shelly felt him stiffen as she used his name. He hadn’t given it to her, and Shelly knew that he was trying to figure out how she knew it was him. He wasn’t in his true form, and every time they’d attempted this, he’d taken on a new persona.

“Shelly!” he growled. “What are you playing at?”

Darn it! He figured it out. Shelly changed back into her true form and stepped away from him. “All you’ve done for the past week is mope about,” she complained. “Can you blame me for trying to get you to move on?”

“But a succubus?” he demanded.

“Eldon, don’t be rude. She’s right there.”

“It’s okay, Shelly. I’m not ashamed of what I am,” Gloria said.

“She came highly recommended by Angela,” Shelly said. “And you really could use the release.”

“Angela? When did you have time to talk to—nevermind! Haven’t you caused enough stress in my love life lately?” He turned back to face Gloria, “I’m sorry she wasted your time. You don’t have to stick around. I’m going home. This mission was a bust, anyway.”

“It wasn’t a waste of time,” Gloria said. “Really. I’ve always wanted to meet you. The Pillar of Fire just gave me an excuse.”

“Why, because I’m Lyden’s son?” he snapped at her.

“No,” she laughed, her voice coming out in musical tones. “Because you’re Sheldon Lance. Already your prowess as a fighter has made a name in this world. The Pillar of Fire speaks highly of you. She once told me that if she had any children of her own, she hoped they would be as strong as you are.”

Shelly could see that Eldon was taken aback by the praise. He really hadn’t expected to hear that about their step-mom. Even Shelly was surprised. Angela rarely spoke of her feelings, much less anything to do with her husband’s children. It was whispered that she was jealous of the wives of Lyden Snow that he’d been willing to have children with. Especially Sheila and Brooke.

“I couldn’t do it without my sister,” he told Gloria.

Shelly was surprised to hear her brother include her in the praise. Maybe he wasn’t as mad at her as she thought.

“Yes, I’ve heard you two are quite the pair,” Gloria continued. “Listen, I understand that you’re going through a rough patch, but I would really like to get to know you better. This plan to seduce you was foolish, and I’m sorry about that. Can we start over?”

Sheldon looked at her curiously for a moment. Then he shrugged his shoulders and held his hand out to her. “Hi, I’m Sheldon. Nice to meet you.”

Gloria giggled as she took his hand. “Hi Sheldon. I’m a succubus named Gloria. I’m so glad I finally got the chance to meet you. Would you like to go out for some drinks? I know this great place in Gaia’s city where they serve the best wine. But don’t let me drink too much, or I won’t be held responsible for my actions!”

Eldon glanced at Shelly. “Go ahead,” she told her brother, trying not to smile. “I can get home on my own.”

“Are you sure?” Sheldon asked her. “I don’t want mom getting mad at me again.” She could tell that he actually wanted to go. It was the first sign of life she’d seen in him for a week.

“Go!” she laughed. She took a moment to change into a giant bear trap, and then back again to show she could handle herself. “Just don’t do anything foolish!”

He rolled his eyes at her before turning to face Gloria. “Shall we?” he offered the succubus his arm. “My chariot is just over here.”

Shelly watched them walk away, with a smile on her face. Her brother was going to be just fine. He was even starting to act like his cocky self again. A roc flew down from the sky to his call and picked them up. There were a few other visitors that had come through at the same time they had, though they’d separated after coming through the portal. Most of them gaped as the massive bird dropped to the ground. Ancient legends said that rocs were big enough to carry away an elephant. The truth was they were big enough to carry away an elephant in each claw.

Shelly decided to walk for a while before calling for her bird. It was seldom that she had time alone, and she decided to enjoy it. Besides, if Eldon hit it off well enough with Gloria, he’d want the house to himself.

*    *    *    *

“Help!” someone screamed, pulling Shelly from her thoughts. She’d been walking for about an hour, when she heard the scream.

She was in a hilly area of Gaia’s domain, and started running. Had a visitor been attacked after all? If so, she wasn’t equipped to take out whatever was causing the problem on her own.

She rounded the bend of a hill, and stared in confusion. “No way,” she muttered to herself. “It couldn’t be.”

But there was no denying what was before her. Jessica was being attacked by a myrmidon. She slashed at it with one of her daggers, but the creature made up entirely of red ants only laughed at her. The thing looked human in shape, except for two large mandibles sticking out of its mouth. As Shelly watched, the monster opened its maw. It began to glow a split moment before a gout of flame bellowed out of it.

Jessica blurred as she tried to dodge it, but some of it caught her left calf, and she went down. Shelly could see that the burn was bad, and she wasn’t getting back onto that leg anytime soon. The next attack would take her out.

“Son of a, mother trucking, piece of, DANG it!” Shelly swore as bad as she ever did. She ran for the prostrate woman, trying to think of what she could become to fight off the monster. From what she knew, only magical weapons and water could kill them. She was magical, but not enough to take out one of them. And of course, there was no water here.

“I’d better not regret this,” she muttered as she dove for Jessica. She changed shape in midair, and landed with a clang on top of the woman.

Just in time, too. Searing hot fire washed over Shelly as the myrmidon blew its flame at her. Her metal surface heated up, but it wasn’t enough to melt her. Only make her uncomfortable.

“What the. . . .” Jessica muttered, likely shocked to find a large metal kite shield over her.

“I hope you have some way of defeating that thing,” Shelly told the woman, “because I don’t.”

“Shelly?” Jessica asked, then shook her head. “Nevermind. If you can keep it off me, I can get rid of it. The thing attacked out of the blue. I didn’t have time to defend myself properly.”

“Less talking, more fighting,” Shelly scolded as the ant monster blew a second gout of flame across her metal surface. The heat was starting to move beyond uncomfortable and into pain territory.

“Right!” Jessica said. “Just protect me, and move when I tell you to.” She closed her eyes, and Shelly recognized the chanting sounds of magic being prepared. Normally only humans used magic in this way, but apparently whatever Jessica was, she used it too. Shelly knew the woman wasn’t human. No human could move as fast as she could.

“Any time now,” Shelly groaned as sweat broke out on her surface. No, that wasn’t sweat! She was starting to melt.

“Now,” Jessica said. Shelly didn’t wait another moment, before shrinking down. Jessica let go of the spell she’d prepared. A column of water sprang from her hands, slamming into the force of fire, and drove it back.

Shelly heard the Myrmidon growl as he tried to push his attack. Jessica grunted as the flame moved closer to her, but she rallied her strength and the water pushed back at the myrmidon.

Unfortunately for the monster, it had to breathe to perform its attack. As soon as it ran out of breath, the water swamped over the monster. Shelly heard it sizzle and scream as it died.

“Thank you,” Jessica groaned. Shelly watched her eyes roll up into her head as she passed out. Agony coursed its way across her back, and Shelly soon followed the other woman into oblivion.

*    *    *    *

Something changed in Shelly, bringing her awake. Her back felt numb. There was no pain. There was no sensation at all.

“What. . . ?” she groaned, opening her eyes. She was lying on her stomach and could hear someone singsong chanting over her. Someone was casting a spell on her!

Panic drove her muscles to do what they’d been too weak to do a moment before, as she shoved herself away from . . . “Jessica?” She was on her knees, hands held out in front of her.

“I’m trying to heal your back,” the tanned woman said, her voice weak and strained. “You were badly burned. When I woke up, you were groaning, and your pulse was weak. I—“ she paused and tipped forward, catching herself before she hit the ground with one hand.

Shelly remembered the searing pain of the Myrmidon’s fire pouring across her metal back. She also remembered melting. Her back was still numb. She reached behind her and felt bare skin. Looking down, she realized she was completely naked.

“Sorry,” Jessica murmured. “What’s left of your clothes are right there. I needed to know how bad the burns were, and quite frankly, there isn’t enough left to be worn anyway.”

Shelly looked to the pile of burnt rags, and had to agree with Jessica. If that was the remains of her clothing, how bad had her burns been?

“Why would you heal me?” Shelly asked, still suspicious of the other woman.

Jessica actually laughed. There was no mirth in it, just bitter recrimination.

“You saved my life. I don’t care what you think of me, but that means something in my book.”

Shelly’s cheek burned in shame. She had treated this woman with nothing but scorn and suspicion. When she could have walked away and left her alone, she’d spent her last remaining strength trying to heal her. She’d been wrong about Jessica from the start.

“How’s your leg?” Shelly asked, in way of an apology. Words wouldn’t make up for how she’d acted, but maybe actions could.

“Hurts like hell when I think about it,” Jessica grimaced.

“Why don’t you heal it, and I’ll get us out of here?” Shelly asked. She could call her roc at any time.

“I can’t,” Jessica gasped. “I can only heal others with my magic. It works by transferring healing energy from the caster to the wounded, allowing that person to recover. I can’t transfer it from myself, to myself.”

“Are you telling me that, because you healed me, you’ll recover slower?” Shelly demanded. “Why would you do that?”

“You saved my life!” Jessica gasped. “I owed you that, at least.

“Is there no way to heal you then? I’m afraid I don’t know how to use that kind of magic,” Shelly told her. She was beginning to feel like the worst sort of person. She was going to have to change the way she treated Jessica.

When Jessica didn’t answer the question right away, Shelly looked up to meet her eyes. She was trying to decide something, Shelly saw in her gaze.

“No,” Jessica said after a few uncomfortable seconds. “There’s no way.”

Shelly didn’t have to read minds to know that was a lie. “You don’t want to tell me what it is, do you?” Shelly sucked in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “I know I’ve treated you poorly. Okay, less than poorly. I’ve been a royal bitch. All you’ve done is try to help, and I suspected you of being a bad person. If there is a way to heal you, please let me know. As long as I don’t have to slay a dragon right now, I think I’m willing to try.”

Jessica chuckled. This time there was some mirth in it. “You think you’re willing to try? You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“Try me,” Shelly told her, feeling sure of herself. She had a lot of making up to do for this woman.

Jessica regarded her in silence for a few moments, before shaking her head. “You’re not going to like it.” Shelly just stared at her, waiting. “Fine,” she sighed after a few more seconds ticked by. “Sex. Sex is the only way for me to heal, short of finding another healer. I’m sorry, but we’ll just have to go find a healer. I can last that long.”

“Are you a succubus?” Shelly asked. She’d meant it as an innocent question, but Jessica glared at her.

“I am not!” she nearly shouted.

“Okay, sorry,” Shelly quickly offered. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just curious. I don’t have any problems with them. In fact, I know a few and am good friends with—“

“Well I’m not, okay? Please, just drop it?” Jessica pleaded with her, cutting Shelly off.

Shelly nodded, and then got to her feet. Her back still felt numb and too smooth to be normal skin. She couldn’t see her hind side, and was afraid of what she might see if she did.

“Would it finish healing me as well, without taking any more from you?” she asked.

“I can work it that way,” Jessica said. “But don’t worry about it. Your brother mentioned you had a couple rocs at your disposal. If you’d be willing to take me to a healer, I can be out of your hair.”

“I’ve got another idea,” she told Jessica. “If I support you, do you think you could walk?”

“I don’t think either of us are in a position to walk,” Jessica told her.

“I know this area,” Shelly replied. “Just around that hill is a natural spring that fairies like to play in. I’m certain it can help us both. The fairies have made it magical. Well, that, or the spring was magical to begin with, and so the fairies like it.”

“Can’t you call your roc to get us there?” Jessica asked. She pulled her wounded leg around, and Shelly saw how bad it was. The flame had cauterized it, even as it burned away the flesh and much of the meat around her foot.

“They get pretty upset when I have them take me such short distances,” Shelly replied. “Please, let me help you. We’ll get to the spring and get you walking on your own in no time.

Jessica tried to protest again, but Shelly refused to hear it. She was weaker than she thought, but she forced it away as she got under Jessica, and they started walking.

“How’s Eldon?” Jessica asked.

Shelly didn’t know how to answer at first. She didn’t want to tell this woman that he’d done nothing but mope about after she’d left, but she didn’t want to lie to her again either.

“He misses you,” Shelly said.

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Jessica said, then grunted when her injured leg bumped against Shelly’s naked calf. “He knew me for less than an hour.”

“Well, you seem to have made an impression on him,” Shelly admitted. She closed her mouth so she wouldn’t give anymore away. Eldon would never forgive her if she made him out to seem weak and hopeless over a girl he barely knew. “Here we are.”

A large evergreen tree stood proud on the inside curve of a water-filled crescent shaped depression. At their approach, fairies went zinging off in all directions. They really were a nervous group. Areth was the only one Shelly knew of that didn’t act that way, but she was a special case. No one could ever steal her maidenhead and make her a prisoner to them.

“This will heal me?” Jessica asked, doubt in her voice.

“It’ll help,” Shelly told her. “You’re going to want to get all the way in, though. We should strip these clothes off you, before we get in.”

Jessica still looked skeptical, but she let Shelly remove her clothing. Shelly dove in first, and came up gasping in delight at how the warm water felt on her naked body.

Jessica slipped in more carefully, but dunked her head completely under.

“I should have warned you,” Shelly said as Jessica’s head cleared the surface. “Don’t drink the water.”

“What?” Jessica asked, trying to spit out what was already in her mouth. “Why?”

“You know about the Fountain of Youth?” Shelly asked, trying to keep her face straight.

“I thought that was a myth!” Jessica exclaimed.

“As far as I know, it is,” Shelly said, and couldn’t hold back any longer. She burst out laughing, until Jessica started splashing her.

“I didn’t think you knew how to make a joke!” Jessica stated when they tried to catch their breaths.

“I only joke around with those I want to consider as a friend,” Shelly said back solemnly. “I’m truly sorry for the way I treated you. Forgive me?”

“You saved my life back there,” Jessica said. “Of course I do.”

“You’ve saved mine twice,” Shelly replied.

“But the second time wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t tried to save mine.”

“Look, we can argue about that until we’re blue in the face, or we can work on getting you healed,” Shelly said.

“I thought this spring was supposed to heal me,” Jessica said. “My leg isn’t throbbing as much, but I don’t think it’s healing me.”

Shelly swam over to where the roots of the large tree dove down into the water, and retrieved a small bag.

“This should help both of us,” Shelly said.

“What is it?” Jessica asked. “Some kind of magical wand of healing, or soothing balm?”

“No,” Shelly said with a smile. “It’s soap.”

“Magical healing soap?” Jessica asked, arching one eyebrow. Shelly had to admit she was an attractive woman.

“Nope. Regular soap.” Shelly wrinkled her nose for effect. “And you stink.”

Jessica laughed as she bobbed in the water. “That can happen when you fight for your life, then have to hobble around a hill to get to a hidden spring.”

“Turn around and I’ll wash your back,” Shelly told her. Jessica swam to the side and held on as Shelly lathered up her hands. This was a spot Shelly only came to when she wanted to relax. It was peaceful, when the fairies stayed away, and secluded on all sides by hills.

She left the soap in her hands, enjoying its fragrant scent, and gently scrubbed the other woman’s back. Jessica had smooth skin, but Shelly could feel firm muscle underneath. She was tempted to ask what the other woman was, but didn’t want to be rude.

“That feels good,” Jessica said as Shelly worked on a knot in her back.

“Hop up onto this rock, and I’ll get your legs,” Shelly told her.

“If this is the treatment I get after risking my life, I ought to do it more often,” Jessica joked.

“This isn’t because of what you did for me,” Shelly told her solemnly as she washed one shapely calf. “I’m doing this because I owe you.”

“Mmm, I hate to argue while you’re doing that, but you owe me nothing,” Jessica crooned as Shelly dug her knuckles into her good leg.

“I owe you for the way I treated you,” Shelly had to force the words out. She didn’t usually apologize; she so rarely had any reason to. “You saved my brother, and I treated you like the enemy. And then the next morning, I treated you even worse.”

“I understand. You look after him, don’t you? How is your brother?” Jessica asked again as Shelly started massaging her thighs.

Hopefully knocking the bottom out of Gloria, Shelly thought. It wasn’t that she didn’t want her brother with Jessica, but that he needed to get over his infatuation with a girl he’d just met. “He’s doing fine,” she lied.

“That’s good,” Jessica said. For some reason she had on a slight frown. Shelly figured it was because of her damaged left leg, and decided to speed things up. “What are you doing?” Jessica demanded as Shelly placed her hand on the wounded woman’s crotch.

“Trying to heal you,” Shelly told her. “Now that we’re cleaned up, I figured—“

“Figured I’d just lie down with you?” Jessica interrupted. “I accept your apology, but you don’t have to do that.”

Shelly’s gray eyes met Jessica’s blue orbs for a moment as she considered. “You’re a beautiful woman,” she said after a moment. “Both of us could use the healing, though you more than me. I really don’t mind.”

“You don’t mind?” Jessica demanded, anger lacing her voice. “I’m not a piece of meat that fucks anything on two legs, just because I don’t mind.”

Shelly flinched at the other woman’s expletive. Like her father, she didn’t find much use in swearing.

“I misspoke,” Shelly tried to soothe her. “I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t spread my legs for just anyone either. This is a special case, though. I didn’t want you to think that I would have a problem being with a woman. That’s what I meant by, ‘I don’t mind.’ I’m bisexual.”

She really is beautiful, Shelly thought. No wonder Sheldon fell for her. Especially if he saw those breasts. He always was a tit man. And look how hard her nipples are. Those breasts actually made Shelly a tad jealous, though she’d never admit it.

“Who said I swing both ways?” Jessica asked, arching one dark eyebrow.

Shelly blinked in confusion. “I didn’t even think of that,” she mumbled. “I just thought. . . . I mean, the way you talked earlier. . . .” Shelly pulled away from the edge of the pool, but Jessica reached out and grabbed her hand.

“I’m into girls too, but I prefer cock,” Jessica told her. She heaved a sigh, doing wonders for that awesome chest of hers, and then grinned ruefully. “Seeing as there’s no cock here—unless you can convince one of those male fairies to join us? No?—and you are quite beautiful as well. As long as you don’t think this makes us a couple, I would like to get this leg healed up.”

“Deal,” Shelly told her. “Now scoot over here to the edge. That’s good. Just lie back and let me take care of you first.”

As Jessica followed Shelly’s directions, Lyden’s daughter moved between the other’s legs, careful of the damaged calf. Jessica’s crotch was well trimmed, a small patch of black hair in the shape of a small heart sat a couple inches above the moist cleft.

Shelly knew what she liked to have done to her, and slowly licked her way up one smooth thigh, until she got to the outer labia. She used her teeth, and gently nibbled on the soft flesh. Shelly slipped her tongue out and tasted her for the first time. With the tip of her tongue, she started at the bottom of the slit and teased her way up to the top, stopping short of the sensitive nub. She returned to the bottom and repeated the process, applying a bit more pressure. She still avoided the clit, and did it again. After a couple minutes of slowly applying more pressure, Shelly felt Jessica’s fingers dig into her hair, as she forced her mouth against the woman’s slit. Shelly knew this was the moment to strike.

She sucked hard on Jessica’s clitoris, flicking her tongue across it and was rewarded a moment later as her chin was soaked and Jessica cried out in passion. Sensation returned to the dead nerve endings in Shelly’s back. At first she felt pain as everything came alive, but that soon subsided and everything felt normal again.

She backed away from the other woman, a smile on her face. As she moved, she noticed that Jessica’s leg was healed as well. Shelly stared at it, uncomprehending. Despite Jessica claiming she wasn’t a succubus, she still had some doubts. But in order for a succubus to be healed or to gain energy, they have to get someone else off. It doesn’t work if only they reach an orgasm. That was part of the reason she’d wanted to please Jessica first. If she was a succubus, it would have become apparent, but that didn’t happen. Now she was even more confused than she had been before.

“How?” Shelly asked, unsure how to phrase the question.

“I told you, I can heal through sex,” Jessica told her.

“Yes, but I figured it was like—“ she paused for a moment. She didn’t want to piss the woman off by calling her a succubus again. “Like how it worked for my dad. He healed others when he got off, but that didn’t heal him. He had to get his partner off to heal himself.” Talking about her father like that made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t know how else to bring it up and not piss off Jessica.

“I’m not sure,” Jessica replied. “That’s just the way it’s always worked for me. If either my partner or I reach orgasm, we both recover. Of course, I don’t often get injured, and I’m not a slut, so I don’t have a lot of experience with it.”

“I’m not going to complain,” Shelly said, knowing her next words would sound like she was, “but couldn’t you have just masturbated and healed yourself?”

“Ha! I wish!” Jessica laughed. “If that worked, I’d spend all day, every day, locked up in a room and never come out. I can’t get myself off. Doesn’t matter how hard I try, or how horny I get, I can’t do it by myself.”

“That has to suck!” Shelly felt for her. Shelly wasn’t one to be horny all the time like her brother seemed to be, but there were times when she needed a little satisfaction. She knew she was attractive, but she didn’t chase after any boyfriends or girlfriends. Her life was too hectic to put someone else through that.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I haven’t had an orgasm for quite some time. I was already getting a bit desperate when I saw your brother fighting those ogres. Then we were interrupted before he could return the favor to me that night.” Jessica sighed with a satisfied grin. “You’re quite talented, too. I haven’t cum that hard in a long time!”

Shelly didn’t want to think about what Jessica and her brother had been doing. She still felt good about the compliment. She was also soaking wet between her legs, not counting the water she was in.

“I’m glad I could help,” Shelly said. She was beginning to wonder if she was going to have to finish herself off. Jessica seemed perfectly happy to bask in the aftereffects of her own climax.

“Help?” Jessica asked. “Oh, you more than helped! But now I think it’s your turn.” Jessica slid over on the rocky outcrop she was sitting on, and patted next to her. “I can’t wait to get a taste of you and see if I can make you feel half as good as you made me feel.”

Shelly couldn’t help but blush at all the compliments she was getting. Jessica was a knockout, and had one of the best bodies she’d ever seen, especially with her dark coloring. Shelly knew she was hot, but felt a bit intimidated by Jessica. Except that she kept complimenting Shelly.

With a glow in her cheeks, Shelly pulled herself out of the water. Before she could get comfortable, Jessica grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss. Caught by surprise and pulled off balance, Shelly fell on top of Jessica. She recovered in no time, and returned the kiss. Their tongues met, and then curved around each other as Shelly felt Jessica release her head with one hand, only to grope her right breast a moment later. Shelly enjoyed having her chest played with, especially the sensitive nipples. She moaned as Jessica’s thumb rubbed circles around the areola.

She had to break the kiss to gasp for air. Jessica used that moment to kiss along her cheek, down her jaw, tickle across her neck and to her chest. Jessica nudged her body slightly, and Shelly rolled onto her back. The dark skinned woman’s lips never left Shelly’s goose-bump flecked skin, and as she got comfortable, another moan escaped her as Jessica’s tongue twirled around her left nipple. She almost had a small orgasm when she felt teeth brush against the nub at the tip of her breast.

“You like when I play with your breasts, don’t you?” Jessica asked her.

“Yes,” Shelly gasped. She could feel her juices leaking out of her and running down her crack. Jessica had let go of her right breast and Shelly could feel her fingers tracing up her inner thigh.

“Mmm, I like it too. You have great tits. But there’s somewhere else I think you want my mouth.” As she spoke, she placed her open hand against Shelly’s soaked pussy, making her shudder with desire. “Mmm, I can’t wait to taste you. You’re already so wet.”

“Yes,” Shelly moaned again as she felt a finger brush up against her hole. That finger pulled away too soon. She arched her back to bring it closer, but Jessica wasn’t done teasing her.

Jessica’s body moved down, trailing kisses in her wake, until Shelly could feel the woman’s hot breath on her ready hole. She gasped when she felt a tongue run between her inner and outer labia. She moaned when that same tongue toyed around the edges of her leaking hole. And she cried out in ecstasy when Jessica finally stuck her tongue all the way inside her. Even though the object was small, it felt wonderful as Jessica lapped at her pussy.

Shelly grabbed onto her nipples, pinching and rolling the sensitive nubs between her fingers and arching her back again.

“You have the best looking and tasting pussy I've ever had,” Jessica said.

Before Shelly could respond, Jessica dropped her head back down. Instead of going for her slit again, she attacked Shelly’s sensitive clit, while slipping two fingers inside.

Shelly’s stomach leapt into her throat as her whole body convulsed. Every inch of her being was filled to overflowing with pure bliss. Jessica kept working on her, but Shelly lost all track of anything other than the pleasure radiating through her body.

When she finally came down from her peak, it took her a moment to catch her breath.

“I didn't know you were a squirter,” Jessica said. Shelly flushed red as she looked at her lover’s dripping face. She tried to stammer an apology, but Jessica cut her off. “Thank you. I quite enjoyed that!”

This time it was Shelly that pulled Jessica into a kiss. She had no words to say to the other woman, and let actions speak for themselves as those perfect mammaries filled her hands. It would be a while before they left the spring. The watching fairies didn't mind.

Especially one in particular.