The Fantasy Trove

“Shelly, Jessica, wake up!”

Years of training and instinct kicked in. Shelly moved before her eyes were open. She rolled off the bed and hit the floor, looking for the source of the threat. Brooke stood at the foot of the bed and was the one who spoke. Bridgette stood by the door, a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other.

“What’s going on?” Jessica asked with a yawn as she sat up, stretching her arms. Shelly watched as she blinked sleep from her eyes and looked around. Neither woman had redressed after their tryst last night. Jessica’s breasts stood perfect on her chest, her nipples hard and proud in the cool underground air, except for a hickey or two that belied what had happened. The blanket they’d used to sleep with puddled around her waist, hiding the hickeys lower down. Shelly wondered if they shouldn’t have been healed afterwards, but knew there were more important things to worry about.

“Erwin was missing when we got up this morning,” Brooke said with a cautious tone. “He didn’t leave a note to explain his absence and I don’t trust his agreeing to help us last night. He’s a wily man and tends to do things the way he wants. Sometimes I feel he’s more cat than human anymore.”

Shelly relaxed as Brooke spoke. If she had enough time to explain this much, they weren’t in immediate danger. She searched for and found her shirt on the floor where it had been tossed. Her cheeks burned as she felt Brooke’s eyes on her. Brooke had never been one to be judgmental, but the simple fact that her step-mom knew what they’d done last night was mortifying. At least her half-sibling was in her female guise. Having Brock gawk at her would have been mortifying.

“So, you’re afraid he’s setting a trap for us?” Shelly asked to distract herself from her embarrassment.

“It’s no secret that most of those living here don’t like the Pillars, or some of their rules. It’s not too far of a stretch to think he—or some of those here—may have had something to do with Varun’s death.” Brooke joined her daughter at the door, giving them a modicum of privacy.

They dressed, the movement and action waking them up, if the worry about their situation hadn’t.

Brooke glanced into the room and saw that they were clothed. “Get your stuff, and we’ll get out of here. The sooner we’re away, the better I’ll feel.”

They didn’t have much to grab. Shelly hid a yawn behind her own hand, wondering what time it was. She shared a couple of red-cheeked glances with Jessica as they left Bridgette’s home. Her sibling was going to have to wash those sheets if she ever came back.

“Why don’t we leave via Bridgette’s room?” Jessica asked as they slinked down the well-lit streets. “She has that back door entrance under the water, doesn’t she?”

Shelly felt her cheeks burn hotter as her girlfriend mentioned, “back door.” She shook herself to get rid of the thought. She was thinking like Sheldon, and that would only get them in trouble.

“It’s the most obvious way to leave,” Brooke said. She peeked around a corner, then waved them forward. Shelly suspected it was still early in the morning, too early for most people to be awake. “We’ll sneak out another route and swim to the border.”

“Swim?” Jessica asked as her face darkened. “I can’t hold my breath forever.”

“We only have to go underwater for a moment,” Bridgette stated. “Mom or I can pull you along, and then we can stay above the surface until we get to Marchosias’s island.”

Silence fell as they continued sneaking through the underground city. Bridgette’s mechanical legs made plenty of noise, but it didn’t carry far. Shelly worried about what Erwin Schrödinger might be doing right then. He hadn’t been the most pleasant host last night, and she knew his scruples weren’t the highest. The man had put a cat in a box and left it alone to starve in the name of science. Despite the tense situation, and her dark thoughts, Shelly giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Bridgette asked.

“Sorry,” Shelly felt her cheeks heat as Jessica smiled at her. “I just had the thought that until we know exactly what Erwin is doing, he’s both setting up a trap, and not setting a trap for us.”

Brooke shook her head, but Shelly noticed a smile touch her lips. Bridgette looked between them confused. “I don’t get it.”

Brooke leaned over and whispered in her ear low enough that Shelly couldn’t hear. Bridgette’s gray eyes grew wide, then a look of horror crossed her face. “Erwin did that to a cat? No wonder the fairy cursed him!”

No one else commented, and they moved to the edge of the floating island without incident. “Edge” was the perfect word to describe the drop-off to the water about five meters below. If there were waves in the water, Shelly couldn’t see them.

“What about your legs?” Shelly asked her half-sister. “Are they waterproof?”

Bridgette grinned as she patted her mechanical limbs. “Yeah, Dad thought of everything. It even has built in boosters, places to store weapons, and I can even fly for short distances.”

Shelly didn’t want to admit it, but she was a bit jealous. She understood that Dad hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Bridgette as he did his other children, because he could no longer change forms, but Shelly had never received such a gift from her father. She wouldn’t give up a moment of the time she’d spent with him, but she couldn’t smother the spark of jealousy that her sister had something so cool.

“Is it safe to jump?” Jessica asked while looking over the edge.

“There are no jagged rocks and the water is plenty deep.” Brooke stripped off her clothes as she spoke. “The water will be cold, though not as cold as last time. Shelly, Jessica, let us go first. Give us a couple seconds to get out of the way, then come down.”

The two women nodded. A second later, Brooke and Bridgette leapt over the edge. There was no wind to carry sound, but Shelly barely heard them splash when they hit.

“You ready for this?” Jessica asked as she gripped Shelly’s hand. Shelly smiled before leaning in and giving her girlfriend a soft peck on the lips. Jessica returned her smile as Shelly pulled away.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” Shelly admitted before she knew the words were out of her mouth. Jessica’s eyes widened at her admission, and she thought to pull them back, but knew that they were true. Rarely had she ever gone into a dangerous situation with someone other than her brother. Sheldon could be foolish and brash at times, but he was brave and Shelly trusted him implicitly. Jessica was also brave and knew how to fight. Jessica was on a very short list of people that Shelly trusted at her back, or to wield her. Last night’s confession about her past only solidified Shelly’s trust.

Shelly saw tears form in Jessica’s eyes, but she didn’t understand what would have caused them.

“Thank you,” Jessica’s voice was full of suppressed emotion. Before Shelly could react, Jessica pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged back, not sure her words warranted this much reaction, but enjoying the contact anyway.

“Come on!” Bridgette’s voice reached them a moment later, and Shelly realized they were holding up the mission. “We said wait a few seconds, not all day!”

“We’d better get going,” she said, pulling away a bit but grabbing the other woman’s hand.

“Um, yeah,” Jessica nodded and tucked a strand of her black hair behind one ear. She glanced over the edge again. “Do we really need to get naked again?”

Shelly took a moment to consider. She kept her grip on Jessica’s hand as she came to a decision. Jessica gasped as Shelly changed form, taking on the shape of her favorite swimsuit. She slid under the other woman’s clothes, hugging her body tightly.

It only took a moment to shift most of her mass away and form the one-piece swimsuit. She enjoyed the intimacy this afforded her as she was able to snuggle her entire body around Jessica. Just for fun, Shelly allowed her fabric body to ripple across the other woman’s skin.

“Oh, this could get naughty,” Jessica giggled.

“I think Brooke stripped so that her clothes didn’t interfere with her becoming a mermaid. You’d better jump before she gets upset,” Shelly laughed as she made her thin form vibrate to make noise.

“I’m not going to be able to do much thinking when you talk,” Jessica replied, pinching Shelly’s fabric between her fingers. She stood next to the edge and looked down.

“Perhaps I should just hum then,” Shelly laughed as Jessica shivered. She started humming, and realized that she was really having an effect on her girlfriend when Jessica started growing moist. Before she could comment, Jessica leapt off the ledge and they were weightless for a moment. If Shelly still had a stomach, it would have been in her throat at the unexpected launch. As promised, the water was cold when they struck, though not as cold as it could have been. She felt Jessica’s body stiffen against the low temperature, and thickened her form to offer as much warmth as possible.

“I could get used to having clothing like this,” Jessica thanked her.

“About time you two showed up,” Bridgette commented. Shelly wondered how her half-sister knew that she was already here and not still up above.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Brooke piped up before Shelly could ask. “With Bridgette’s booster powered legs, I recommend we all grab on and save our energy.”

She followed suit with her own words, and Jessica gripped the hard metal on Bridgette’s opposite side, which hovered just above the water.

“Do I really need to say the words?” Bridgette moaned before they started moving.

“It was your dad’s idea,” Brooke replied. “He was the one that helped program them. Just say them and we can be on our way.”

“Fine.” Bridgette heaved a hearty sigh that even Shelly had to admit did wonderful things for her chest. “Go, go, Gadget Boosters.”

Shelly didn’t understand what Bridgette meant, but before she could even think to wonder, the water around them bubbled as they were propelled forward at a powerful rate. This trip was going to be shorter than she’d originally thought at the pace they were cutting through the water. The only difficult part came when they had to travel underwater through a cave, but it lasted less than a minute before they powered back up and continued on their way.

*    *    *    *

Despite the speed at which they cut through the water, it took them hours to reach Marchosias’s island. By the time they stopped, Shelly had a headache from the sound of Bridgette’s rockets and the water constantly beating at her cloth body. She never knew a swimsuit could get a headache, but her mood was foul when Jessica walked onto land and Shelly changed back with all her own clothes intact.

“What other fun things can you become?” Jessica whispered in Shelly’s ear.

“Be good, and maybe I’ll show you,” Shelly forced a smile and gave her a peck on the cheek.

She looked around and saw that Brooke and Bridgette were knee deep in the waves, bent over something.

“Thank you,” Brooke said to whatever was in the water. “If you learn anything else, please get word to me, but don’t get in trouble with Poseidon. He’s got a big heart, but he also has a terrible anger.”

Shelly made out tentacles as it flipped and dove under the water when she approached them. Brooke looked up and from the look on her face, Shelly didn’t think she’d received good news.

“It seems not everyone is happy with Poseidon taking over. There’s been a fair amount of infighting.”

“You mean there’s civil war?” Shelly asked, aghast at the very notion. One of the best things about living in the Shadow World was the absence of war, with the exception of the Chaos War before she was born. Oh, there were fights and skirmishes between the elemental borders from time to time, but the genius in the landscape of the Shadow World kept those down to a minimum. While not every faction or race got along, they knew better than to battle amongst themselves. Even Aeacus didn’t actively fight against the Pillar of Fire, though he’d made his hatred of her clear over the last couple decades. Wars were a human thing. The idea of a civil war in the Shadow World was… unthinkable!

“A civil war implies only two sides,” Brooke shook her head. “This sounds more like complete chaos. No one seems to know who really killed Varun, but they’re blaming each other. Poseidon has the largest power base, but he’s nowhere near in control of his realm.”

“Are we going to leave him in power?” Jessica asked with a frown. “Didn’t he try to kill us? I’ll bet he’s the one that killed Varun. Didn’t he say he was next in line to take over? My guess is he grew impatient and offed the stupid seahorse. With us having been there, it offered him an opportunity I’ll bet he couldn’t pass up.”

Shelly watched a series of emotions play across Brooke’s pretty features before she settled on anger. “Varun may have had his problems, but he was worthy of respect. I won’t have you disrespecting him.”

Jessica looked like she’d been slapped. Shelly saw her recover quickly and straighten her shoulders as she faced off against the assassin turned supermodel.

“Why would you defend him? Didn’t he kidnap you twice and have you tortured? Didn’t he try to kill your husband? Why would you defend a monster like that?” Jessica demanded.

Shelly didn’t see Brooke move. One moment the mermaid was standing in the water, the next she was standing over Jessica’s prone form with one of her shimmering blue blades at Jessica’s neck.

“Yes, he did all that, but he wasn’t to blame for most of it,” Brooke snarled at the prone woman.

“Wasn’t to blame?” Jessica tried to ask, but Brooke talked over her.

“When he had me taken and tortured the first time, he was under the Outsider’s influence. I love Lyden for all I’m worth, but my husband grievously wounded and insulted Varun. Can you really blame the previous Pillar of Water for wanting revenge? Before the Chaos war, Varun was one of the wisest among the Pillars. Creatures from every realm came to him for advice. Calling him a seahorse would be like calling a human an ape. No, I didn’t love Varun for what he did to me, but I don’t blame him either. This world is weaker now because of his death. Three of the six Pillars are relatively new to their power. The other three have to shoulder that extra weight until Lysa, Angela, and now Poseidon can completely control their strength. This world is on the verge of crumbling. You heard what Gloria told us about the Firsts. Whoever, or whatever killed Varun has placed us all in danger.”

Shelly saw tears drip from Brooke’s eyes onto Jessica’s cheeks. Jessica’s throat swallowed, but she didn’t blink as she met Brooke’s glare.

“Maybe it should crumble,” Jessica said, shocking them all. “How much trouble and misunderstanding has occurred because the two worlds were separate? Both sides won’t get along until they’re forced to.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Shelly said through numb lips.

“What you’re talking about is the death of thousands on both sides by the time it settled down, if it ever did,” Brooke spoke next. “Tensions are already thick between both worlds. How many innocents would die? How many children would lose their lives or their parents, because you’re not happy with the way things are?”

“It wouldn’t go that far,” Jessica said, though she’d lost some of her heat. “You and… your husband, or Shelly and her brother would stop them before it got that far.”

“What do you think we’re trying to do?” Brooke demanded. She hesitated another moment, then pushed herself away from Jessica. “We’re trying to stop the violence now, before it gets that far. If the two worlds combine, there will be no stopping the violence. That’s hoping that the worlds don’t collapse altogether, killing us all. The original six Pillars separated this world from Earth, but they’re still tied together. Collapse one, and they both might fall.”

Jessica didn’t get up right away. She touched her throat where a trickle of blood seeped from a shallow cut.

Shelly was torn. On the one hand, she wanted to run to her girlfriend and comfort her. On the other hand, she agreed with Brooke, if not necessarily her methods. No matter how much Brooke might have respected Varun, there was no reason for her to attack Jessica like that. She chose to comfort her girlfriend, but Jessica glared at her, and Shelly stepped back instead. She knew she should have backed Jessica up from the beginning, but the thought of the two worlds crumbling sent a shiver of terror through her.

“Has anyone else noticed that it’s not raining?” Bridgette spoke into the tense silence.

Shelly blinked a couple times as she tried to understand what Bridgette was getting at. Why was she talking about the rain? There were more important things to worry about. A moment later, her heart sunk as she realized what the lack of rain meant. It always rained in the Pillar of Water’s demesne. Looking up, Shelly saw that there were clouds in the sky, but they were white and fluffy. What did this mean?

Silence fell as they all looked at one another. Did the lack of rain mean that Poseidon hadn’t taken over as the Pillar of Water? Or was he changing things up now that he was in charge? Or was he too occupied with fighting for his position to properly manage his realm?

“I don’t think now is the time to sit here and argue,” Shelly said. All eyes turned on her and she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

Jessica grimaced as though swallowing something sour, then dropped her head. “You’re right. We have other things to worry about.”

Brooke looked out over the water before walking over to her daughter. “We’ll go see what we can find out. You two go talk to Marchosias and see what he has to say. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but he can be dangerous. Watch yourselves around him.”

“We’ve dealt with him before,” Jessica said in a derisive tone. “I think we can handle him.”

Shelly saw Brooke’s eyebrow rise in a way that she knew meant danger. No matter how Brooke might look on the outside, or what most of the world saw her as, Shelly knew she was a dangerous woman. She moved to her girlfriend. “We’ll be careful,” she said in a rush. “If we’re lucky, he’ll only be an illusion again. If not… well, we’ll be careful no matter what.”

“See that you do.” Brooke turned her back on them. Shelly felt Jessica tense next to her and she reached down to grab the other woman’s hand. Jessica looked at her for a moment before pulling her hand away and walking up the beach.

Shelly moved to follow, but Brooke’s voice stopped her. “Watch her, Shelly. I can see what she means to you, but there’s a darkness inside her. I won’t tell you whom to care for, but be careful with her.”

“Then don’t tell me,” Shelly spat before she could think better of it. When she saw the shock and anger on the assassin’s face, she moderated her tone. “She told me how she was treated by her own mother. I can’t say I understand what she went through, but I know we can trust her. She’s saved our lives more than once, and helped rescue you.”

“Don’t talk to my mom that way,” Bridgette—no, now it was Brock in the mechanical legs—stated as he stepped forward. “She’s not the one that wants to destroy our world.”

“Jessica doesn’t want that either,” Shelly spun to face her half-brother. “Not really. She’s just been hurt and doesn’t know how to deal with a family that loves and cares for each other.”

“I think there is more to it than that,” Brooke told her in even tones. “All I’m telling you is: be careful. You haven’t known her that long.”

Shelly felt her anger boil up from her stomach and she wanted to scream. How could Brooke understand? Brooke knew Shelly’s dad for most of his life. Lyden Snow had had a hard childhood—partially due to Brooke’s actions—but he came out all right. Shelly had no doubt the woman loved her father, but she couldn’t understand the pain and torment Jessica had gone through with her mother. It was nothing like what Lyden had gone through. She couldn’t understand the feelings Shelly held for the other woman. She wouldn’t call it love, but she cared deeply for Jessica.

Brooke continued to look at her, waiting. What was she waiting for? Did she expect Shelly to leave her girlfriend? Did she expect Shelly to blow up and throw a tantrum? Shelly was well beyond that stage in her life….

Or was she? Wasn’t she in a small way throwing a tantrum internally instead of exploding outward? Why was she getting so defensive? Brooke hadn’t asked her to leave Jessica, but to be careful.

“Did your dad ever tell you about when I followed Angela and him into this world?” Brooke asked and Shelly shook her head. “I suspected what Angela was. Of course, this is before she became the Pillar of Fire. I loved your father even then, though I’d never told him. All I knew about Angela was that she was a succubus. Like Jessica, I didn’t trust her kind. She was a soul sucking demonic creature aligned with Fire, and she was in the company of the man I’d spent my whole life protecting. I followed them into this world, sure that Angela was luring him here to kill him. I almost killed Angela that day.”

Brooke paused, and when she didn’t continue, Shelly asked, “What does that have to do with me or Jessica? She’s already promised to give the succubae a chance like you did with Angela.”

Brooke frowned. Shelly realized her tone was a bit inappropriate, but she refused to apologize.

“I didn’t tell you that story for Jessica’s benefit.” Brooke’s green eyes flashed with irritation as she spoke. “I mentioned it because things aren’t always what you think they are. You of all people should understand that, living in this world and with your ability to change shapes. You’re right that Jessica has helped us. Yes, she helped save me from Varun’s prison. But what do you really know about her? Why did she do those things? Our family has a stake in protecting both worlds. What’s her cause?”

Shelly opened her mouth to argue, but realized she had nothing to say. The truth was, she didn’t know a whole lot about Jessica. Jessica wasn’t a bad person, she was sure of that. Her own words and thoughts from when she’d first met Jessica came back to her. She’d gotten between Sheldon and Jessica because she didn’t trust the woman. But Jessica had proven herself since then. Just as Angela had proven herself to Brooke.

“Help her,” Brooke said in tones that were softer than Shelly expected after her earlier comments. She straightened her shoulders and turned to her son. “Come on, Brock. We have a ways to go yet, and a lot of people to talk to.”

Brock met her eyes before turning to follow his mother. Shelly watched them go and disappear beneath the waves. After a few moments passed, she realized she was staring at the calm surface of the water. She’d never seen the Pillar of Water’s demesne so calm. Of course, this hadn’t been her favorite tourist destination in the past either. If Poseidon kept things this way, it might become a favored destination for tourists, assuming no one tried to see Marchosias or the Cyclopes.

In her mind, she saw towels set out on the dry sand as a human child built a sandcastle with the help of a grindylow. Out in the water, a merman served patrons at a floating bar. Orcs and goblins played volleyball while a centaur refereed. She added Jessica and herself lying back under an umbrella, sipping some frozen drink and enjoying the peaceful scene.

The image popped and shattered as she heard someone approach from behind. A sense of loss swept over her as she realized the picture would never become reality. Even if the Pillar of Water allowed humans to come to this beach, it was too dangerous with the Cyclopes nearby. That’s assuming any of the races she’d pictured actually got along with each other when this was all over.

“It’s beautiful,” Jessica said next to her. For a moment, Shelly thought she was reading her mind. Then she saw Jessica looking out over the water with—were those tears in her eyes? Jessica blinked and faced her. “I’m sorry about my outburst earlier. It’s just… It’s just that everyone thinks this world is so great that they forget about the bad stuff. The Pillars rule with an iron fist. If you go against them, you die, or get locked away. They don’t understand what it’s like to be one of us. How could they with all that power?”

Shelly almost pointed out that Angela hadn’t always had that kind of power, but buried the thought. No sense in starting another argument centered on a succubus. Instead, she took another tact. “What about all the death and chaos that would result if the two worlds collided, instead of being destroyed?” She was careful to keep her voice calm as she spoke.

Jessica was silent for a long moment before she finally responded. “It would be bad for a while. I won’t deny that, but it would force everyone to get along. Those from this world would see that humans aren’t so dangerous, and vice versa.”

This time it was Shelly that remained silent. Humans were dangerous, and so were a great many creatures from here. Hadn’t she killed her fair share of ogres, mer-people, myrmidons, and others? Her vision of a peaceful beach seemed further away than ever before.

“Come on,” Shelly said as she turned and headed up the beach. “We still need to talk to Marchosias and see if he knows what’s going on.”

She sensed, more than saw, Jessica follow after her as they headed for the cave that acted as the long way to Marchosias’s home.

“Are you mad at me?” Jessica asked in sullen tones as they stepped into the dimly lit cave.

Shelly searched her feelings before answering. “I’m not mad,” she said with all honesty. “I’m just confused.”

“About?” Jessica asked when Shelly didn’t continue. The black haired woman reached for Shelly’s hand, and she decided to accept the touch.

“This world is my home. I grew up here. I understand that what you went through was terrible, but you have to see that it’s not all bad. Like that goblin girl you played with the first time you escaped. The humans think all goblins are bad—and I’ll admit that many of them can be—but that girl was your friend. Look at the friends you’ve made since you escaped the last time.”

“You mean your brother?” Jessica asked with a touch of acid. “I thought he was a decent guy, but ever since he got with that harlot, nothing I say or do is good enough for him. Brooke seems to have something shoved up her ass whenever I talk. Bridgette—or Brock, depending on whichever identity crisis is in control at the time—hangs on her mother’s apron strings like a lifeline. You’re the only good thing that’s happened to me since I met you, and even you were cruel to me at first.”

Jessica’s words sent Shelly into turmoil. On the one hand, if Jessica had treated Gloria better from the beginning, then Sheldon wouldn’t struggle so much with her. It didn’t help that Jessica had walked away from him, hurting his ego. That was partially Shelly’s fault also, adding guilt to her defensive emotions. She was also defensive for her half-sibling. Her half-brother/sister couldn’t help the fact that he was dependent on his mother. Hated by both worlds for being a half-breed, Brooke was his/her only comfort. At least Sheldon and Shelly had each other. She felt guilty for the way she’d mistrusted Jessica at first, but also elated that Jessica thought she was one of the good things in this world.

In short, she was a mess and she knew it. She didn’t have an answer for Jessica, and kept her mouth shut as they walked. Her throbbing headache didn’t add to her mood in a positive way.

As they passed the Cyclopes, the thought occurred to Shelly that she ought to see what she could do about getting a sample from one of them. Sheldon had his ogre form, but that was dangerous to anyone else around. Would a Cyclops be any safer? They were supposed to be much smarter, if not quite as strong. She imagined her brother’s strong hands gripping her as a sword or a spear, his powerful grip holding her body as he wielded her in whatever form. His fingers caressing her metal blade or—

Her cheeks burned as she realized where those thoughts were going. What was wrong with her? Sheldon was her brother! Ever since escaping from Poseidon though, she’d seen him in a different light, and she didn’t like it. Maybe it was time for them to move apart and live their own lives. She wasn’t completely useless on her own, and besides, she had Jessica with her now. She squeezed the other woman’s hand as they moved deeper into the cave.

The first sign that things weren’t as they should be was the flickering globes of light that Marchosias also used as traps. The last time they walked this path, the globes had hung in the air, lighting their way with a soft glow. Now they lay on the rock floor, flickering as though they were losing power and about to go out. The second sign was more ominous. Marchosias’s door hung open on its hinges.

Shelly changed into her sword form, shifting most of her mass outward. Jessica carried her into the room, point first.

The place was a disaster. Shelly remembered it being stuffy and somewhat clustered before, but now it looked light a tornado had come through. The chairs were on their sides, and the previously organized stacks of items were spread everywhere. The lights in here flickered as they had in the cave, and Marchosias was nowhere to be found.

“What happened?” Jessica asked as she walked around the room.

“I’m not sure,” Shelly vibrated to speak. Jessica almost dropped her in shock, but tightened her grip before it was too late. “I don’t see any blood and nothing looks broken. Did whatever it was that killed Varun attack Marchosias?”

“I doubt it,” Jessica replied. She walked to the doorway that led to the long closet where the potions had resided earlier. “Whatever was big enough to tear Varun apart couldn’t fit inside this area.”

“That’s assuming that what killed the previous Pillar of Water was big,” a baritone voice stated behind them. Jessica spun around and pointed Shelly at the demon Marchosias in his human form.

If she was in a form that breathed, her lungs would have halted at the sight of the man. He was gorgeous! No, he was beyond gorgeous. With his long brown hair flowing across his broad shoulders, and his dark, deep set eyes set within his chiseled face, he was the embodiment of beauty. He had something in his arms, but Shelly had a hard time taking her attention away from his face. Shelly couldn’t remember being this affected by him the last time they were here, and she suspected that it was because the last time, he hadn’t really been here. It had been an illusion.

“Do… do you know what killed him?” Jessica asked. By the tremor in her voice, Shelly suspected that she was being affected by the demon’s charisma as well.

“No,” he stated in a flat tone as his brows drew together. “What I do know is that I let your gang borrow a couple potions, you went down to rescue that damned mermaid, and the fucking Pillar of Water was torn apart.”

“You think we had anything to do with that?” Shelly demanded, shock at the accusation and his vulgarity pulling her from the stupor his perfection put her in. No man or creature had a right to be that… flawless!

“I did,” he continued to look at them. Shelly finally noticed what was in his hands. Marchosias held a sword with a dull gray blade. She thought she should know about that sword, but couldn’t think of how. If only his beauty and her headache weren’t such a distraction. “Then I listened to your little conversation on the beach.”

“I thought you knew everything that happened in your area,” Jessica said. Shelly realized she was backing up to the door. She changed back into her normal form. She was more vulnerable this way, but if Marchosias had intended to attack, he could have done so before notifying them of his presence.

“Precisely,” Marchosias hissed. “Under the waves isn’t my area. If it happens on my island, I know. What did happen while you were down there?”

Shelly faced the beautiful man. His lips looked so kissable! She had to shake that thought away before she could speak. “We went down to rescue Brooke like we said, and—“

“Yes, yes. I figured that much out when I saw the tart standing on my beach. I mean what happened to Varun?”

“We don’t know!” Shelly almost shouted. “Poseidon attacked us, and we fled. It was chaotic, and I can’t remember very much after Gloria made us leave. She stayed behind to shield us. When we woke back up on Earth, Gloria was with us.”

“Lily wouldn’t do something like that,” Marchosias spat. “She couldn’t. She’s not strong enough, and she knows better. Think, girl! What else happened? You had to have seen something.”

Shelly remembered him calling Gloria, Lily, before, and wondered how old her brother’s girlfriend was.

“How do you know Gloria didn’t do it, if you couldn’t see what happened?” Jessica asked. Shelly noted a steely look in her eyes. The same look she always got when attacking the succubae race.

“I already told you. She couldn’t and wouldn’t do it. I’ve known her a long time. Longer than I’ve known any of you. Now quit acting like you don’t know what’s going on and answer my questions!”

Shelly realized the demon was furious and forced herself to take a step away. Even in his anger, he was breathtaking. In a one on two fight, she knew they would lose.

“We don’t know what’s going on!” She protested. She knew that Gloria was once Aphrodite, and very powerful in her own right. If what Marchosias said was true, and she wasn’t strong enough to kill Varun, what had?

Marchosias’s dark eyes bore into her and she took another step back. It took more effort than she cared to admit, but she broke the gaze first and looked around for anything that could help them. The room was still a disaster, but nothing looked promising. Obviously Marchosias wasn’t hurt, so he probably wasn’t attacked. Why was the area in such disarray? “You’re moving.” The words were out of her mouth before she knew they were in her head.

“I’m not moving. I’m being evicted!” His mouth twisted as he spoke, lengthening as his teeth grew larger. “Poseidon thinks I had something to do with Varun’s death. Since he’s the new Pillar of Water, I have a choice: fight him, or leave. I have no intention of killing the new Pillar, so I’m going. I won’t add more chaos to whatever is going on down there.”

Shelly wondered if the demon was really strong enough to take on a Pillar, even a new one, in his own domain. Something told her now wasn’t the time to ask or test him.

“We didn’t kill the Pillar,” Shelly said in as calm a voice as she could muster. “We don’t know who did. We’re trying to find out.”

He was in full wolf form now, with a snake for a tail. The sword was gone, but she noted a dull gray sheen to his pelt. Whatever it was about that sword that tugged at her memory told her to be extra careful.

“I’m terribly sorry to hear that,” the wolf demon grinned at them. At least she was no longer distracted by his beauty. “I’m sure if I offer your two corpses up to Poseidon, he’ll allow me to stay. It’s nothing personal, you understand, but I have grown accustomed to this home over the centuries, and I was loathe to start imbuing a new place with my power.”

Shelly felt Jessica’s hand grab the back of her shirt, and she shifted back into a sword. Marchosias leaped at them. Shelly felt disoriented for a moment as Jessica swung her at the demon’s head. Marchosias twisted in midair somehow, avoiding the blow, and landed back on his feet. The snake tail hissed at them, snapping in their direction, but was too far away to be dangerous.

The wolf’s yellow eyes watched them as it started to pace. Drool dripped from its bared gray fangs as it growled. Jessica turned to keep Shelly between them. Shelly didn’t know how powerful Marchosias was, only that her father respected him. If he was confident enough to think he could best Poseidon, then the two women were in trouble. Was her father the answer to getting them safely out of here?

Before she could ask, Jessica spoke as though reading her mind. “I’m sure Ambassador Snow wouldn’t appreciate you killing his daughter. I thought the two of you had a truce?”

Marchosias’s tongue licked out around his sharp teeth before he answered in a voice that was much deeper and rougher than his humanoid voice had been. “Ha! Your father isn’t the man he once was.” Shelly knew Marchosias was talking directly to her. He stopped pacing and sat on his haunches, eyes wary, but otherwise seeming relaxed. “Oh, I know his secret. He couldn’t hide that from me when he came to visit after his resurrection. Without the sword he stole from me, he can’t hurt me. He might whine to Gaia, but I’m perfectly within my rights to kill you. After all, I didn’t invite you in here. You just walked in. You’re intruders. And after I deliver you to Poseidon, I’ll be free to stay. I respect your father, but he is no threat to me.”

Shelly realized that Jessica had dropped her guard a bit as the demon spoke. She was about to warn her girlfriend, when the demon launched himself at them again. Jessica tried to get Shelly’s sword form up in time, but Marchosias was faster. They were knocked to the ground under the wolf’s weight. Jessica managed to get Shelly between the monster’s teeth before they bit down on her throat.

Shelly felt the demon’s tongue lick across her blade, lathering her metallic surface in saliva. A few minutes earlier the thought of his tongue on her would have made her shiver in delight. Now she was holding back panic.

He pressed harder against them and Shelly felt her edge bite into his flesh. As his blood seeped around her, Shelly’s world shattered.

*    *    *    *

“Hey young lady.” Shelly didn’t recognize the voice that spoke. “Hey! You want to wake up now? You’re cute and all, but this is my space. I don’t appreciate door-to-door salesmen or freeloaders.”

Shelly opened her eyes and saw an attractive older man leaning over her. His long gray hair hung from his head, and familiar gray eyes seemed to pierce her to her core.

“Where am I?” she asked. She had to roll to her side before she could sit up. They were on a small island with a hut and a palm tree leaning over it. Waves lapped against the sandy beach beneath an ivory white sky. It wasn’t the island she’d been on a few moments before.

“How is it that an attractive young woman shows up on my doorstep, literally out in the middle of nowhere, and she doesn’t know where she is?”

Shelly tried to think, but her head felt like it had been used as a bowling ball by a couple of golems. “Jessica!” she yelled as the thought came to her. She was in trouble.

“Your name is Jessica?” The old man asked. “No need to shout, I’m right here. Nice to meet you, Jessica. I’m—“

“No,” she interrupted as she got to her feet. “My name is Shelly. I’m… Jessica is my girlfriend. She was in trouble.”

“Girlfriend?” The man arched one eyebrow with a lecherous grin. “Nice! Lesbians!” he paused and looked at her with a shrewd look. “I hope you’re into men, because it’s been a long time… and did I mention how attractive you are?”

“I’m not—you did, but… I… wait, what? No.” The old man was confusing her. She needed to get back to Jessica, but she didn’t know where she was or how she’d gotten here.

“No?” he asked with a pout.

“Aah!” Shelly threw her hands in the air and walked away from the man. She saw dolphins jumping out in the water. She had to be in Water’s domain still, but she didn’t recognize this island. Could she convince one of those dolphins to take her back to Marchosias’s island? Was it already too late? If only she had her brother’s ability, she could change into a dolphin, or something else that could swim. Of course, then she would also need to know where she was in order to get back to Marchosias’s island.

“Wow. The youth today have changed since I was alive. There’s no more respect for the elderly.”

The man’s voice stopped her in her tracks. Since he was alive? Was she dead? This didn’t seem like either Heaven or Hell to her, but she’d never really believed in either anyway. Was the man undead? There was sunlight, so he couldn’t be a vampire. Unfortunately, vampires weren’t the only creatures that were undead, and many of them didn’t fear sunlight.

She spun around to face him. There was still something about him that was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She was sure she’d never met him before. She decided to keep a careful eye on him.

“My girlfriend is in danger. I need to get back to her.” She tried to keep her voice calm, but she didn’t like the way he leered when she said girlfriend. “Do you know how I can get off this island and get back to her? The demon, Marchosias, was trying to kill us, and suddenly I wound up here.”

At the demon’s name, the old man grew serious. “That old demon? Why would he want to kill you?”

“You know who he is?” she asked with rising hope in her voice, though it shouldn’t surprise her. If the old man had lived here long, then he would know of the powerful demon that shared Water’s domain. Shelly wished she knew of any other islands in Varun’s—no, it was Poseidon’s—demesne.

“I know him all right.” The man shook his shaggy head. “He’s usually a good guy, but if he’s trying to kill your friend, then she’s in trouble. Did you say she was as good looking as you?”

Shelly got the impression that this man’s mind only worked down one track, and he wasn’t her type. She could play along though, if it got her off this island.

“Better looking. She’s the daughter of a succubus, and absolutely stunning.” Jessica wouldn’t appreciate her giving away that secret, but Shelly would deal with that later.

“A succubus, huh?” the man’s grin showed pearly white teeth. “Been a very long time since I’ve been with one of them.” His gray eyes grew distant for a while, then focused back on her. “Well? What are you waiting around here for? You need to get back to that woman!”

Shelly opened her mouth to retort, but her stomach cramped hard enough to double her over. Her insides felt as though they were twisting into knots. She realized she was face first in the sand and the old man was talking to her, but she couldn’t think or hear past the pain.

Something large grabbed her feet and yanked. She was ripped through the air as the island disappeared below her. The old man stared in astonishment. Everything grew dark as the world vanished.

*    *    *    *

“Shelly, wake up!” She felt something warm and moist press against her lips. “Please! I need you to be okay. I… I need you, Shelly. Don’t leave me.”

Shelly groaned as she opened her eyes. Her body felt stiff, but at least the pain was gone. It took her a moment to focus on the woman leaning over her. Tears dripped from Jessica’s blue eyes onto Shelly’s face.

“What…?” she started to ask. Memories crashed into her with the force of a tidal wave. She sat up too fast, slamming her head into Jessica’s and making them both cry out. Shelly dropped back to the floor and rolled onto her side, holding her forehead. “Marchosias?” she gasped past her sudden renewed headache.

“He fled, I think,” Jessica moaned next to her.

Shelly sat back up—with a lot more care this time—and looked at her girlfriend. “Fled? Why would he flee?”

Jessica returned her look with bloodshot eyes. She was silent for a moment, making Shelly wonder if she was going to answer. When she did, it wasn’t what Shelly expected to hear. “When he bit down on you, I got worried. I saw blood, and thought it was yours. It was stupid, I know. You were a sword, so how could you bleed?” Jessica shook her head, then groaned. Shelly saw a large lump already formed on her head. “I don’t know why, but he pulled away after that, and vanished. I… I don’t know where he went.”

Shelly moved to Jessica’s side and hugged her. “Sorry about your head,” she whispered, not sure of what else to say. “I’m glad you’re all right. I was so worried about you.”

“You were worried about me?” Jessica laughed as she hugged Shelly back. “I thought for sure that I’d lost you. After Marchosias left, you changed back, but wouldn’t wake up. Your heartbeat was weak, and you were barely breathing. What happened?”

Shelly felt her eyes brimming with tears as she tried to think of an answer. That island felt like a dream now. The details grew foggy as she tried to recall them. “I don’t know,” she admitted after a few seconds. “I went far away… somehow… but now I’m back. I don’t know what happened.”

“You, um, changed shapes right before he ran away.” Jessica sounded hesitant as she spoke. “You became a different sword. I—I dropped you because I wasn’t expecting it. I was afraid I’d hurt you.”

A different sword? Why would she become a different sword? There were plenty that she could become, though only a couple forms she used regularly. She recalled the blade Marchosias had held in his human form, and how his coat had taken on a dull sheen when he’d transformed. She’d never changed without meaning to in the past, so what happened?

“What did I look like in the other form?” She asked, almost afraid of the answer. “The other sword, I mean.”

Jessica pulled back and looked into Shelly’s eyes. “It looked old. Not as pretty as you are now.” Jessica cracked a half smile.

“Flatterer,” Shelly accused, though she couldn’t hide her smile at the compliment.

“Your blade was dull gray and thin. It was curved like an old Japanese blade. In the hilt was a round pearl.”

“A round pearl?” Shelly asked, feeling snarky for some reason. Something tickled her memory, but she still couldn’t place it. As far as she knew, she’d never heard of a sword with a dull gray blade. “Are you sure it wasn’t square like most pearls?”

“If you’re feeling good enough to make jokes, then you’re feeling good enough to give me a kiss for saving your life,” Jessica teased back.

“I thought you were already kissing me when I woke up.” Shelly winked at her girlfriend, feeling a lot lighter. Something still bothered her, but for that moment, they were safe. Except… “Shouldn’t we get out of here? Won’t Marchosias come back?”

“The way he high-tailed it out of here?” Jessica shook her head and her smile widened. “You didn’t see his face before he vanished with his snake-tail between his legs. I doubt he’ll be back any time soon. You scared him good with whatever it was you did to him.”

Shelly didn’t think she’d done anything to scare him away, but she glowed inside, thinking that Jessica found her important.

“I’m still waiting on that kiss,” Jessica smirked.

“Get over here,” Shelly grinned and sat up enough to pull Jessica down and into a kiss.

*    *    *    *

*    *    *    *

Lyden stood waiting with his wife, Becky, at his side. Gaia’s waiting area was different from the first time he’d come here. It always was, depending on who was waiting. There was no opening to the outside to let a dragon in, and only two rooms off the entrance. One for each of them.

This was Gaia’s realm, and her home, and it was under her complete control. A lesson he wouldn’t forget. Gaia was an ally, but she was also the Pillar of Earth. He couldn’t allow himself to forget that she had her own agenda.

“Are we going to talk about what you almost did?” Becky asked him. He knew from her tone that she was still upset with him. Not that he could blame her, but what was he supposed to do? His children were dying!

“No,” he told her in a soft voice. “Not here.” He knew Gaia was listening to everything they said. He knew he would have to talk with her about it eventually, but was surprised she’d waited this long to bring it up.

“It’s not like I don’t understand,” she told him, though he wondered if that were true. They didn’t have any kids together. Not living at any rate. Instead, Becky tended to look after all his kids as though she were a secondary mother. He knew she loved them all, but… well, they weren’t her’s. She refused to try again, after.… No! He wouldn’t think of them. It hurt too much to remember their deaths.

He didn’t respond, so she continued. “They were hurt. I get that, but sometimes I think you act too fast. There were other options.”

“I’m worried about everything else going on right now,” he told her, trying to change the subject. He really didn’t want to think about the twins, bleeding and hurt, or what they had to do to recover. It was one thing for him to do it, but his kids? Sure, they were old enough to do adult things, but it didn’t mean he wanted to think about it, much less be in the same area.

“Who could kill a Pillar?” Becky responded, though she gave him a look that let him know she knew what he was doing.

“As far as I know, either an Outsider, or me before I died.”

Becky shuddered next to him. “I hope another one of those beasts haven’t come here.”

“What if—?” Lyden began, but Becky cut him off.

“No. You killed it, my love. You need to stop worrying about that.”

Lyden wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that every bit of the Outsider had been pulled into him before he was shot through the heart, killing them both. What if something escaped? What if he missed a small part of it? They could all be in serious danger.

“I’m glad to see the twins have found someone to care about.” Now it was Becky changing the subject, but Lyden wasn’t going to argue. He didn’t like worrying about the Outsiders. “Gloria seems like a decent sort, and seems to really care for Sheldon.”

“I worry that she may be too old for him,” Lyden replied, then felt his cheeks burn as Becky scoffed.

“Too old? Angela is over two-hundred, and Brooke is over a hundred-fifty. Not to mention Gaia, who is as old as the Earth.”

“Fine, you’ve proved your point,” he conceded. He really didn’t have room to talk, though Gaia and he weren’t really a thing. In fact, they hadn’t been together since his resurrection, but there were reasons for that.

“And Jessica seems nice enough, once you get past her dislike of succubae.”

“Dislike?” he arched one eyebrow at her. “I don’t think ‘dislike’ is the right word.” He paused as he considered his daughter’s girlfriend. There was something about her that bothered him. He figured it was her hatred of the succubae, while he still loved Angela. He wasn’t able to be with the Pillar of Fire as much as he’d like. He felt bad, but with his duties between both worlds, none of his wives got the attention they deserved. Neither did his kids, but he still tried when he could.

“I’m not as old as the Earth,” Gaia stated as she rose up out of the ground. “I’m older than dirt.”

Lyden struggled to hold back his chuckle as Becky’s cheeks grew heated.

“Thank you for seeing us,” Lyden stated, aware that he wasn’t able to hide his mirth from his tone. Becky’s jab to his side let him know that she noticed. The truth was that they’d waited hours for Gaia to show. It was about time she presented herself.

“I apologize for the wait,” she smirked at him. “You should have refreshed yourselves while you waited.”

Lyden glanced at the two rooms adjoining this one. One had his name above the door, and the other one had Becky’s. He knew why she wanted him to go in there. Only the owner of the room could enter, and it would have separated the pair. Of course, Gaia could enter also, and he knew she would try to seduce him. Despite being older than dirt, she was an attractive woman. Dark, earthy skin, wide hips, and a healthy bust added to her sex appeal. Even as he looked at her, he felt himself growing hard in his pants.

“I’m afraid the reason we’re here is most urgent,” Lyden said though his throat had gone dry.

“Varun’s murder,” Gaia stated with a small frown. “The strain of supporting this world is becoming worse.”

“Lysa and Angela are trying their best,” Becky said in defense of the other Pillars.

“I didn’t say they weren’t,” Gaia rebuked Becky. “They were the best choice we had at the time, but it may take centuries before they’re strong enough to pull their full weight.”

“Is it that, or because they’re not a First?” Lyden said, stepping between Gaia and Becky. They were in the Orange Bubble when Gloria told them about the Firsts. It was a gamble bringing that up with Gaia, but he needed to know. By the look on the Pillar of Earth’s face, she hadn’t known that they knew.

Gaia regarded them for a long moment before she spoke. “How do you know that term?”

Lyden thought it was a good sign that she didn’t deny it. Or kill them outright. Or did it mean she was going to destroy them after this conversation?

“It doesn’t matter,” Lyden held his ground—no pun intended—despite Gaia’s glare. “There are bigger concerns. Besides, you know we can keep your secrets.”

Gaia’s thick lips thinned as she regarded them. “But you don’t trust me with all of your secrets.”

“Are you implying that we have all of yours?” Lyden shot back. Becky gripped his arm in warning. Gaia was arguably the most powerful of the Pillars, and here he was provoking her.

Gaia burst out laughing a second later, and Lyden relaxed. “No, Lyden Snow. You will never have all of a woman’s secrets.” For some reason, he suspected she was looking past him at Becky. “So, you know of the Firsts. Yes, I am one, among others. It may be that your daughter and wife will never be strong enough to match who they replaced. Poseidon was powerful before he took up the mantle of Water, but the other two are doing a better job of supporting their realm than he is. I wasn’t lying when I said that it may take them centuries to master their respective mantles. I believe they can do it, or I wouldn’t have let Angela remain, much less chosen your daughter for Air.”

Lyden shuddered at the finality in her tone. He had no doubt that she could destroy either one if she chose.

“Do you know who killed Varun?” Becky spoke up, coming to stand by Lyden’s side.

“If I knew that, they would be dead,” Gaia said with that same note of finality. Lyden noticed the strain in the corners of her eyes. Half the Pillars were relatively new, and the original half had to pick up their slack in holding this world together.

“We’re sorry to have bothered you,” Lyden said, realizing that coming here had been a waste of time. Gaia could see everything that touched the Earth if she chose to focus on it. If it floated in the water, or up in the air, however, she was blind to it. It had been foolish to think Gaia might have seen Varun’s murderer.

“It was no bother,” Gaia grinned. Lyden didn’t like the hunger behind that grin.

“If there is anything you know—” Becky began, but Lyden cut her off.

“I can see you’re busy. We won’t take up any more of your concentration.” He really didn’t like that gleam in Gaia’s brown eyes. Except… her eyes dimmed as she melted into the ground.

“There’s no need to rush,” Gaia said as Lyden felt her arms wrap around his chest from behind. Where was Becky? Her voice was soft and sultry as she spoke into his ear. “Why don’t you stay and rest?” She didn’t hold him tight, but there was no doubt that Lyden wasn’t getting away from her. Her finger tips stroked his chest as she continued to speak. “It’s been a long time, Generator. I could use a recharge.”

“I—I’m no longer a Generator,” He told her. Despite his worry and concern, he could feel his arousal rising. Angela may control the fires of passion, but Mother Earth could control earthy desires. He needed to get out of here before it was too late.

“Hmm? That’s too bad. No one has been able to power me up like you used to.” Despite her words, she didn’t let go.

“Pardon me, Pillar,” Becky came to his rescue, “but if you don’t know who killed Varun, then we should get going. We need to find out who did it, and put a stop to them.”

“Becky… Dear, Becky. I haven’t forgotten about my favored apprentice.” Lyden turned his head to look at his wife. Love and pride flooded him as he noticed no fear in her gaze as she looked back at him. He saw concern etch the lines around her eyes, but she wasn’t afraid. As he looked at her, a clone, or copy, of Gaia formed behind Becky and enfolded her in the Pillar’s arms. “Do you remember the spell I taught you that will drive a man wild with lust?” Becky nodded but didn’t speak. By the increased worry in her eyes, Lyden knew he was in trouble. Gaia placed her hands on Becky’s cheek and turned her face. “Remember how powerless you were to stop me when I used it on you?”

“Why are you doing this?” Becky gasped. The gasp turned into a moan as Gaia kissed her. To his horror, Lyden watched as Becky tried to fight against the kiss for a couple seconds, before melting into the Pillar’s embrace and kissing her back.

“There’s no point in resisting.” Gaia’s warm breath tickled his neck. Lyden hadn’t known that the Pillar of Earth could make multiple copies of herself. Unfortunately, with the way she started to nibble on his neck, he began to wonder what it would be like to screw duplicates of her. Would she feel each copy differently, or would everything be multiplied? He knew firsthand how talented she was in bed. Duplicate that, and…. He felt her hands dip into his pants, freeing his cock. It used to change size and shape according to whomever he was with, but that had changed after his death. It was still a member to make him proud as it pointed towards his wife and Gaia-clone.

“I can’t… I don’t…” Lyden tried to think through the lust haze that was crowding his thoughts. They were here for something important. “I’m not…” Gaia’s fingers stroked his length. She knew how to use her hands and he couldn’t stop the moan that escaped him at her expert touch. “Not… Generator… Ahh. I, um… Oh, yeah. That feels… No. Can’t power you.” His words were only slightly less jumbled than his thoughts.

“I know,” Gaia whispered as she walked around to face him. She never let go of his manhood, but Lyden knew he couldn’t escape her even if she had. “But it has been too loooong since I’ve had this fine specimen between my thighs, or between my lips. I miss your taste, your feel, your excitement.” As she drawled the word ‘long’ she stroked him faster, making him whimper with need and delight. “I’ve had many lovers over the millennia, Lyden Snow, but far too few that were as talented as you, and none within a couple centuries.” She dropped to her knees in front of him, but kept her eyes locked on his. He couldn’t look away from those beautiful, lust-filled brown orbs, but he knew when her clothes evaporated. “I’m sorry to resort to this, but I need a break from the stress. You have no idea how hard it can be to control and support this world with three new Pillars. I had hoped you would come to me willingly. Your wives didn’t need to know. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me, but I need this more than you can know.” Her fingertips grazed his sensitive flesh making him need more contact. “I think that your wife needs a bit also.”

Before he had a chance to process her words or even respond, she leaned forward and took his girth between her lips. His knees would have buckled at the bliss her tongue delivered as she bathed the rim of his rod, if they hadn’t been locked. Her eyes were still riveted on his, adding an air of lewdness as she took his cock deeper into her mouth and down her throat.

Movement to his left drew his attention, allowing him to break eye contact with the Earth vixen making him moan in pleasure. The Gaia-clone led a completely nude Becky over to him. His Gaia moved over to his right as the other two dropped to their knees with Becky in the middle. His Gaia released him from her moist mouth and licked along his length. The three women began to share his member between them, with Becky swallowing the tip, his Gaia licking his rod, and the Gaia-clone bathing his scrotum with her talented tongue.

The bliss was too much and he felt himself careening towards his culmination. Instead, he cried out in shock when the Gaia on his right pinched him off at the base and pulled him away from the other two.

“I have uses for this,” Gaia told him. “You want to please me, don’t you?” Lyden nodded. His libido was in overdrive. He would do whatever she wanted, if it meant more of that exquisite ecstasy. He knew that this wasn’t what he wanted a moment ago, but couldn’t figure out why. There was something he needed to hide. What was it? It was important, but it couldn’t be as important as pleasing these three women. Could it?

Gaia stood and used his prick to guide him over to a couch. She had him lie down, then straddled his waist. The Gaia-clone and Becky followed after, the former planting her wet coochy on his face. She tasted like a fresh mountain stream, the soft grass that made up her pubic hair tickled his chin. The two Gaia’s faced each other, while Becky got on all fours between them. Her tongue joined his as he licked and nibbled the clone’s clit.

He felt Gaia’s weight settle around his hips as he slipped inside her tight canal. Becky moaned into Gaia-clone’s cunt, making Lyden suspect that Original-Gaia was licking her sweet pussy.

Gaia-clone rocked her hips against the two sucking and licking mouths, moaning loudly. They were rewarded with a warm gush of water a moment later as she came. Lyden continued to drive his tongue into her hole while he let Becky work her clit, lengthening the duration of her climax.

“Enough,” Gaia-clone groaned and pulled away from them.

Lyden noticed the clone melting back into the floor before Becky grabbed his face and shoved her tongue into his mouth. She kissed him frantically, her moans reaching a fevered pitch as Original-Gaia continued to munch on her box and ride his stiff prick.

Lyden brought one hand to Becky’s over-large nipple, thumbing it and making her squeal. His other hand moved to Gaia’s hip, picking up her pace as his cock turned her insides into a frothy mess. Gaia’s poon was tight and warm as she rocked her body on top of him. His thick hardness bumped against her deepest recesses, making them both shudder and moan in heaven.

Once again he felt himself getting close, but Becky and Gaia reached theirs first. Becky had to move her lips away from his, leaving his mouth feeling empty and naked. Her lips were next to his ear, though, and he enjoyed the sounds of her cumming.

Gaia’s sweet cunny gripped him as his crotch was soaked in her juices. He wanted to fire off deep inside, to fill her womb with his seed, but she pulled off him before he could.

Becky’s weight settled on him, and he felt Gaia’s hand guide him into her wet and ready hole. He pumped with abandon, both of them grunting and panting as he tried to reach his climax. He was so close. His entire world centered on the explosion that was being prepared in his balls.

“I’ve adjusted her monthly cycle, Lyden,” Gaia’s words whispered into his brain. “She’s fertile right now. Don’t you want to get her pregnant? I know she wants to carry your child. She hides it well, but I know what’s in her heart. She’s afraid, but I won’t let this child be harmed. She’s suffered enough. Fill her with your seed, Lyden. Sow her womb with your cum, and plant a new child within her.”

The words soaked into him, but he knew he shouldn’t. Becky was afraid to have any more children with him. He’d already lost two children. He couldn’t do that to her again. He wouldn’t!

“Oh Lyden! You’re making me cum again. Fuck me, Lyden. Fuck me!”

Before he could do more than moan, he felt Becky’s tiny twat tighten around him. His toes curled as electricity flooded his nervous system. He tried to lift her off him, but his muscles couldn’t function beyond the joy wracking his body and mind. He filled her insides with his potent seed, no longer capable of choosing when to procreate. He had no doubts that Gaia was right, and Becky would end up pregnant from this.

“Rest and sleep, you two,” Gaia muttered to them. “You’ll need it. When you wake up, I’ll have someone help you with your mission. I know just the one.” Becky was already snoring softly on top of him, his softening prick still ensconced within her. “Thank you for the stress relief, Lyden.”

He sensed, more than saw, Gaia moving away from him as a deep lethargy overtook him.

“I don’t know who is trying to kill the Pillars this time, but I know you can find them before it’s too late.” She moved away from him before turning to face him with a serious look in her eyes. “You should have trusted me with your secret. Get your rest. Eldon needs you right now. He’s dying.”

Before Lyden could think to respond, the heavy weight of sleep overtook him.

Eldon stepped out of the Orange Bubble and looked around. “Where are we?” he asked Shlee as she stepped out after Gloria, but before the President.

They stood next to what appeared to be an abandoned factory in an abandoned part of some business district. Not exactly the type of place Eldon would have picked for a Presidential Conference.

“This is a place known only to a few,” Shlee responded, not answering his question. “Hopefully my aunt will be here already, setting up. Frank will be a few more minutes before he can catch up to that amazing car.”

That amazing car sped away to drop off its other passengers. Eldon panicked for the slightest moment, feeling alone despite the three women with him. It was rare when the twins were separated for any length of time. He relaxed a second later. She would be safe, and how much safer could he be with an ancient goddess and a werewolf at his side?

“Your aunt?” Gloria asked with a look of concern. Eldon didn’t understand why the succubus was concerned, unless she’d read something from someone else’s mind.

“Aunt Miranda,” Shlee replied.

Eldon remembered hearing something about a werewolf named Miranda once. Something his father told him during one of his stories. As a kid, Eldon loved hearing about his father’s adventures. As an adult—and hearing them for the hundredth time—they grew stale. What was it about that name? Miranda wasn’t the most common name around. Shlee Olsen…

Eldon felt the blood drain from his face as he finally recalled where he knew that name. “Miranda Olsen?” he demanded. He grabbed Shlee’s shoulder and spun her around to face him. “Agent Miranda Olsen?” His voice rose as he spoke, fear and anger mixing in equal amounts. “As in the woman that repeatedly tried to kill my dad? The woman that belongs to the Daughters of Respite and wants to kill every living thing from the Shadow World?”

“Belonged to the Daughters of Respite,” a strong female voice called from the building. “I haven’t worked for them in decades.” The woman that exited the factory was tall and broad shouldered. She had thick hair that looked black except where the sun reflected brown highlights. She had a small nose and a slightly pointed chin with a few freckles on her cheeks. Dad had always described her as the plainest looking woman he’d ever known, though she looked more handsome than anything else.

“Thank you for letting us use your place, Aunt Miranda,” Shlee said as she hugged the older woman.

Eldon couldn’t put an age to Miranda’s face, though he knew she had to be in her forties or fifties based on what he knew of her. Eldon wished he had a weapon on him right then. Despite her words, he didn’t trust her.

“It’s not every day I get the President of the United States come to pay a visit,” Miranda said with a smile. She turned to face Eldon and Gloria. The smile didn’t slip. “You look just like your father, though the hair color is darker. You have the same eyes. Those eyes used to give me nightmares, but that was a long time ago also.”

Eldon felt Gloria’s arm slip around him. “I believe her.” Eldon looked at her, raising one eyebrow, asking if she could read her mind. “No, but I think I understand her.” She spoke low enough that Eldon was sure only he could hear, until Shlee spoke up.

“Aunt Miranda was kidnapped as a girl and taught that all magical creatures were evil, never knowing that she was a werewolf until my dad rescued her. She’s been invaluable in slowing down and weakening the D.O.R..”

Eldon remembered Lyden mentioning that Shlee’s dad owed him a favor. Had Lyden helped save this woman? Eldon couldn’t remember hearing that story.

“There’s no sense in waiting out here,” President Louise said. She marched towards the factory and disappeared inside.

“Wait!” Eldon tried to stop her. He was supposed to help protect her. He appreciated a leader who wasn’t afraid to take charge or move forward, but if she got hurt while he was supposed to be protecting her, his dad would kill him.

Eldon ran after her, with Gloria chuckling for some reason behind. When he entered the factory, he came to a dead stop. He wasn’t prepared for what he saw. He expected to see concrete columns, hanging chains, broken glass, and other items one might expect to find in an abandoned factory. He didn’t expect to find the President sitting on a couch with a large holographic screen showing the news on mute. Carpet covered the floor and Eldon could see partitions set up to separate out rooms. This was someone’s home.

“Is that what the building looked like after we left?” Martha Louise asked. “We were rushed out of there so fast, I didn’t get a good look at it.” The news feed on the holographic television was showing a burning building. Not just any burning building, but the one they’d been in.

Something tickled the back of Eldon’s mind, a question he wanted answered. “Where was your secret service?”

Martha looked at him with an odd expression for a couple seconds before responding. “They should have been right outside the door. They know they can trust your father. Didn’t you see them when you came in?”

“No one was guarding your door when I brought them to you, Ma’am,” Shlee said.

Martha’s eyebrows pressed together as she took that in. “I didn’t think about it before, but we should have had some warning before that attack. They shouldn’t have made it past my men. Does that mean they were in on it?” She shook her head a moment later. “No, I can’t believe that. I’ve known Anderson since I was a governor. He’s a loyal man. Oh, God I hope he’s not dead.”

“I can’t tell you much,” Shlee offered, “but I didn’t smell any violence before we entered. I didn’t even think about the fact that the Secret Service men were missing when we entered. Good thinking, Eldon.”

Eldon felt warmed by the compliment, all the more so because it came from a beautiful woman.

“You do like her,” Gloria whispered into his ear. “I’ll have to remember that.” He jumped as she spoke, but calmed when he felt her lips brush his neck. Thank goodness Gloria wasn’t the jealous type!

Despite Gloria having whispered the words, the look on Shlee’s face said she heard. It must be werewolf hearing or something. Eldon couldn’t tell if she was pleased, or upset by what Gloria said.

“So, either Anderson betrayed me, or—“

“Or something else,” Miranda cut the President off. “I know all too well not to ask too many questions when there’s not enough information to be had.”

“If you’ve been helping bring down the Daughters,” Eldon asked, still not trusting this woman, “why didn’t you know that attack was coming?”

Miranda bared her teeth at him, and Shlee glared, but he knew he had a valid question. “I haven’t been on the inside since my brother rescued me,” she snarled. “I’ve been helping by telling the authorities about how they operate, and where their secret bases were. I meant were because they aren’t there anymore. From what I overheard, this was an operation by the Paladonic Knights, though I can tell from the news that they’re spinning it a different way. They’re claiming it was a bunch of evil monsters that attacked. I’m afraid the security footage supports them.” She turned to her niece before continuing. “Shlee, you need to get the President in front of this. Right now they don’t know if she’s alive or dead. They’re still sifting through the rubble. The Vice President is calling for all the local non-humans to be locked up until they can get a handle on what’s going on.”

“Just waiting on Frank to show up with the camera,” Shlee responded. “I’ve already talked to the station. They’re ready to roll as soon as he gets here.”

As if on cue, they heard tires crunch on the gravel outside. Shlee went out to meet her cameraman.

Eldon noticed Miranda looking at him. Considering she was a werewolf, the only way he could think to describe her look was hungry. He tried not to flinch when she walked over to him.

“I never had the opportunity to apologize to your father,” Miranda said as she held her hand out. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but believe me when I say we’re on the same side.”

Eldon hesitated for a moment, then decided to take the proffered hand. “He told us about how you tried to kill him multiple times.” She gave him a sharp grin, showing fangs—actual fangs!—as her grip tightened. Eldon met her grip with his own strong squeeze. “He mentioned that you hated all magical creatures with a fanaticism only the brainwashed exhibit.”

Miranda’s hand tightened, growing painful, but he didn’t flinch. “I was brainwashed. From the time I was a child, I was told that werewolves killed my whole family. It wasn’t until my brother rescued me that I learned the truth. The Daughters of Respite murdered my parents. My entire life became a lie.” She reached to her side with her free hand and pulled up her shirt, revealing a dull pink scar across her otherwise smooth stomach. “When your father gave me this scar, he took away some of my immunity to magic. I didn’t know it at the time, but on the next full moon, I changed. That was after Joey kidnapped me. He didn’t speak to me for quite a while, and I thought he was getting ready to eat me. I guess he knew I wouldn’t listen. After that first night as a werewolf, I wanted to kill myself. I’d become what I hated, or so I thought. It took years before Joey convinced me that I was always a werewolf, and that he was my brother.”

As she spoke, her hand tightened until Eldon was sure the bones in his hand were going to break. He stood his ground, even when Miranda’s brown eyes started turning golden and he was certain her hand was becoming a paw. He remained silent, not sure how to respond to her unexpected history.

“I’m glad to see you getting along,” Shlee said as she entered the factory. Her tone dripped with sarcasm as she sniffed the air.

Miranda’s eyes returned to brown and her fangs retracted before she turned to her niece and released Eldon’s hand.

“I think the best place to do this will be right here on the couch,” Miranda offered as she approached Frank. “If you put the camera here, the lighting will show the President’s face in a strong profile. Shlee, you can sit here, and no one will know we’re in an old factory.”

Gloria took Eldon’s throbbing hand and pressed her lips against his knuckles. The pain from Miranda’s grip fled before Gloria’s tender care. He pulled the succubus into a hug, pressing his lips against the top of her head. He felt embarrassed for being grateful for the kindness. He preferred to act tough, but he knew Gloria would see through it.

By the time Gloria pulled out of his arms, Miranda had everyone in their places. Shlee had a mic attached to her chest and was facing into the camera. The original plan had called for Gloria to impersonate the President, but that seemed overkill now, out in the middle of nowhere. If there was an assassin out there with Martha in their sights, they would see through the ruse. It would also mean that Miranda wasn’t being honest. It was nearly impossible to follow the Orange Bubble, unless someone inside the car willed it, or they knew what its destination was. Either scenario was unlikely.

“Thank you, Mark,” Shlee stated with an air of professionalism. “Earlier today I was with the President, setting up an interview when we were attacked.” She paused to listen to something from the speaker in her ear. “No, the attack was not executed by creatures from the Shadow World. It was perpetrated by humans in costume.” Pause. “Ambassador Lyden Snow and his children protected the President and me, neutralizing the attackers. Before the explosion, their masks were ripped off. It was humans that attacked us.” Pause. “I don’t know who was behind it.”

Eldon knew she was lying, but didn’t know why. She hadn’t been there to interview Martha, but understood that there had to be a reason for her to be in the room with the President of the United States. But why wouldn’t she tell them that the Paladonic Knights were behind the attack? This could put a nail in their coffin if she admitted it. Or was she trying to play the middle? He knew that she had an identity to protect, and if she came on too strong against humanity, it may hurt her fake identity as a news reporter.

“There’s no proof,” Gloria said next to him. “If she made that claim, without proof, the P.K.’s would just deny it and their attorneys would roast her for libel. There needs to be evidence or she would lose credibility. Right now she needs as much credibility as she can keep.”

He knew his girlfriend couldn’t read Shlee’s mind, but had read his questions from his mind. He already knew that Gloria was an intelligent woman. Compared to her, he must appear to be an imbecile.

“Not an imbecile,” she chided him. “But you’re just so cute!” Her shoulders shook with silent laughter as his cheeks burned. “The truth is, you’re not a normal mortal. You’re refreshing in a way I haven’t seen in centuries. You’re brave, strong, incredibly good looking, and not nearly as foolish as your sister would have you believe. Besides, I’ve had millennia to watch and understand human behavior.”

Eldon’s cheeks burned hotter, and he decided to turn back to the news reporter. He saw that President Louise was speaking. “…times of hardship like this that we need to come together as a nation. This wasn’t an attack on me, but my policies and the American way of life. This country was founded by immigrants and people coming from all walks of life to live on this great soil. This attack is nothing more than a cowardly show of racism. I am not daunted in the clear duty I have before me, nor is my belief that our two worlds can get along.”

“What about the attacks that have occurred in the Shadow World on Humans?” Shlee asked. Eldon wanted to charge forward and scream at her for pointing that out. All that comment could do was hurt their standing. Then he remembered what he’d thought about Shlee having to take the middle ground. She was doing her job as a news reporter, regardless of what her personal feelings were. She was digging for the facts, rather than spouting opinion.

“Ambassador Snow and I were discussing that very thing before the attack,” the President responded. She gave Shlee a shrewd look, which turned to one of respect. Eldon suspected that she’d realized what Shlee was doing also. “He’s created a task force to combat the threat from that end, and was asking for my approval to recruit humans into that task force.”

Shlee paused for a moment before responding to Martha’s words. “Such a move would help create peace between the two worlds, but only if magical creatures came here to do the same. Madame President, are you proposing that the two worlds work together in an ongoing peace initiative?”

Eldon realized his jaw was hanging open. If what the President was saying was true—and he had no reason to doubt her—it would mean unprecedented access for both worlds to have access to the other. On the one hand, creatures from the Shadow World have been visiting Earth for centuries, though most of humanity was oblivious to that fact. On the other hand, it was illegal for a human to travel to the Shadow World until shortly after the Chaos War. Becky and Lyden Snow had worked hard to allow the two worlds to comingle in peace. A unified protective force from both worlds would go far to make that happen.

Martha gave an easy laugh. “At this point, Ms. Olsen, I’m not proposing anything. You know what it’s like trying to get a bill passed as law. It could be years before anything happens. Right now I’m putting the thought out there for the public. If it’s something the public wants, then they should write their congressional member and let them know.”

Shlee touched the piece in her ear and listened to Mark back in the studio. “I’m being told we’re low on time, Madame President. Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

Martha Louise looked directly into the camera as her face became stone. “I am not afraid of those that attacked me today. I want to be clear on this point. Neither I, nor the American public, will bow down to terrorists and their ilk. Cowardly acts that have to hide behind costumes to press their own agenda will not sway me. We will find out who was behind this attack and bring the cowards to justice.”

Frank turned the camera to Shlee who was grinning from ear to ear. “You heard it here first. Our President has a backbone made of granite and a determination just as hard. If you were behind that attack, and you’re watching this, I’d start running now.” She glanced at the President and smiled wider, if that were possible. “Of course, since the President of the United States of America, Ambassador Snow—the hero of the Chaos War—along with his children, and I were the victims of that attack, I’m not sure the moon is far enough away for you to escape. This is Shlee Olsen, signing off after an exclusive interview with President Martha Louise. Back to you Mark.”

“Aaand, we’re off,” Frank said from behind the camera. “Damn, Shlee! Remind me never to piss you off.” He turned to the President and tripped over himself as he tried to bow and hold his left hand out to shake while saluting with his right. “It’s such an honor to meet you, Ma’am. An honor!”

Martha stood and took his hand, while somehow managing to smile in a way that didn’t insult Frank for his awkward behavior, and at the same time put him at ease.

Shlee and Miranda cocked their heads towards the door at the same time, making Eldon tense. He’d already experienced the werewolves’ acute sense of hearing.

“Someone’s here,” Miranda said as she moved to the doorway.

“Really?” Frank asked, oblivious that he was only one of two humans in the room. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“It should be my secret service finally arriving,” Martha said. “I’m surprised it took them this long.” Outside, he was just able to make out the sound of helicopter rotors steadily thumping the air.

Before Eldon had a chance to wonder how the Secret Service knew where to find their President, Gloria leaned in and informed him. “She has a GPS locator embedded in her skull. As long as she’s alive, and somewhere their satellites can see, they’ll know where she is.”

Eldon’s mind filled in the rest. The Orange Bubble must have shielded her from the satellites, and they’d moved far enough away in a short period of time that it took them awhile to pinpoint her.

“If I know how they’re going to react, we all might want to get on the floor, facing down. They tend to get a little overzealous in their desire to keep me safe.” As she spoke, Martha followed her own advice and laid face first on the floor with her hands over her head.

If they’re so zealous about her safety, where were they during the attack? Eldon wondered. For once, Gloria didn’t have an answer for his thoughts.

“United States Secret Service!” someone screamed. “Everyone get down on the floor and place your hands on your head!” Apparently they weren’t looking inside to see that everyone was already doing just that. “Anyone still standing after the count of three will be shot. One! Two! Three!”

Men clad in black body armor stormed into the abandoned factory, rifles up and ready. The men and women that entered shouted back and forth, calling out to one another to let them know they had found multiple people and so far no hostiles.

“They’re getting their filthy boots on my rugs,” Miranda complained, but she was ignored.

Somebody grabbed Eldon by his wrists and pressed their knee into his back. He grunted, but put up with the treatment. Overzealous indeed! Frank cried out as he was similarly manhandled, but he was the only one.

“I’ve got the POTUS,” one yelled from where President Louise lay.

After a few moments of lying there, he was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to be let up, or if the knee in his back was trying to become one with his spine.

“Let them up,” Martha’s voice broke into the other’s shouting with its level of command. “Sergeant, I want these people treated with the utmost respect. I would be dead if not for them.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the same voice that had yelled the warning in the beginning stated.

As Eldon felt the knee pull away from his back, he couldn’t help but notice that she hadn’t mentioned that she should have been dead because the Secret Service had abandoned her.

He took a step over to Gloria and helped her to her feet. It wasn’t lost on him that if they’d wanted to, they could have decimated this entire group in a matter of moments. Between two werewolves, an ancient Greek goddess, and him, the Secret Service didn’t stand a chance. The idea of their two worlds working together to bring about a greater peace appealed to him even more right then.

“How do they know it’s really her?” Eldon couldn’t help but ask his girlfriend as she brushed herself off. Her clothing was immaculate of course, but she went through the motions anyway for appearances. “It could be someone impersonating her.”

“You mean, besides the GPS tracker?” Gloria asked, and Eldon felt foolish. “They challenged her when they first entered, asking her for her authentication response. She gave the correct answer. It was all done while the others shouted so you couldn’t hear.”

“I’m just glad they waited until after the interview to arrive,” Shlee grinned as she joined them. “Could you imagine that happening on live television? I mean, the ratings would have been great, but I don’t think being face down with my hands behind my head and a knee in my back would help my image.”

Eldon couldn’t stop from chuckling at Shlee’s cavalier attitude. So far today, they were attacked and nearly blown to bits, made their escape, then found out that the Shadow World may be falling apart and under attack. Shlee had had her career making interview with the President of the United States, then been treated like a criminal by the very people that should have been protecting the President in the first place. The fact that she could smile with such ease spoke volumes about her character.

“She’s also rather cute,” Gloria poked him in the ribs. Eldon’s cheeks burned again at her jibe, but when Shlee gave him an appraising look, he wished the explosion earlier would have killed him to save him from this embarrassment.

“Ma’am,” Eldon heard the head agent call out to Martha. “We found some intel before the attack earlier, describing their plans for the attempted assassination. It appears to have been perpetrated by the Paladonic Knights in an attempt to discredit those from the Shadow World.”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Martha replied in a calm tone, as though she hadn’t just been told that her secret service had known about the attack before it happened. “Please get this information before congress as soon as possible. I intend to label the Paladonic Knights as terrorists as soon as possible.”

“As soon as we get you to safety, Ma’am, I’ll make sure it happens.”

Eldon sensed the change in Gloria’s mood before she called out, “Madame President? If I could talk to you for a quick moment?”

“Please call me Martha,” the President smiled. That smile faltered for a moment as she noticed Gloria’s serious face, but it returned immediately. “After all, you helped save my life today. I’d like to think we’re all friends by this point.”

“What’s wrong?” Eldon whispered loud enough that only Gloria, Shlee, and Miranda could hear.

“Be ready,” Gloria muttered as she walked over to the President.

Eldon glanced at Shlee and heard her growl and saw her nails lengthen a bit.

“Wow, what a day, huh?” Frank asked, oblivious to the tension in the room, or Shlee’s subtle transformation. “I just got a text from the boss. Seems she wants to talk to us as soon as we get back. I can’t believe we just got an exclusive interview with the President! Do you realize what this means for us?”

Eldon ignored the man, focusing on Gloria. As she walked up to the men surrounding the President, they tensed and formed a wall around Martha. Eldon wished his sister was there. She could change into a weapon for him. He changed into the martial artist that’d attacked him earlier, losing a bit of height in the process, but gaining muscle memory. None of the Secret Service was looking at him, focused on the woman walking up to them.

Gloria didn’t slow. As she walked up to the wall of humans, she waved her hand dismissively. All but one man moved away. Eldon remembered escaping from Poseidon, and the way his girlfriend had used her powers at that point. He’d become totally and helplessly devoted to her smallest whim. It was still difficult for him to believe that Gloria was actually Aphrodite, but the boost to his ego was tremendous.

As he watched her exercise her power over Martha’s protectors, he was surprised anyone could resist.

“What are you guys doing?” the lone man asked, lifting his rifle and pointing it at Gloria. “The President needs to be protected!”

Eldon wasn’t worried about Gloria being hurt. If Poseidon couldn’t stop her, this man didn’t stand a chance.

“Curious that you resisted my power,” Gloria said. Eldon heard a smile in her tone, but it was a cold smile. “Also curious that the Secret Service wasn’t around to protect her before the attack.”

“What’s going on?” Martha asked as she backed away from the lone man.

“We were ordered away, Mistress,” one of the other men intoned. His voice conveyed his devotion to Gloria as he bowed to her. “We were told that she’d slipped into another room, and we were moved to keep her safe. Only when we arrived at the new location, there was a large explosion where we’d left, and the President wasn’t where we were told she’d be.”

“Who gave that order?” Gloria asked her sycophant.

“Shut up!” The single guard shouted. Everyone turned to look at him, and he realized he was caught. He started to chuckle.

Eldon tensed, ready to leap forward if the man decided to attack. Gloria held her hand up to him without looking back.

“You’re all sheep! Don’t you see that?” the man cackled. He pointed his rifle at Martha. “She’s being controlled by the monsters from the Shadow World. She’s setting our country up to be handed over to the evil in that world. Can’t you all see that? She needs to be killed before they come here and kill us all!”

Thunder rebounded through the factory as the man fired his rifle at the President. A female scream rent the air. Eldon charged forward, ready to either tackle the guard or render first aid, but he stopped a moment later, confused. The guard was on the floor, a massive strawberry blonde wolf on his back with her teeth pressed against his neck. Martha sat on the floor a small distance away, her eyes wide as she stared in shock at the woman lying on the floor between her and the Secret Service agent.

Blood pooled beneath Miranda and seeped around her fingers as she held her hand to her side. “Shit, that stings. Thank goodness they weren’t using silver.”

“See!” the guard screamed and kept going, despite Shlee’s warning growl. “They’re protecting her. That proves what I’m saying!”

Eldon moved to Miranda’s side, ignoring the man’s rants. She waved him away, grunted, then held up the bullet. “I’ll heal quick enough,” she told Eldon. “My kind has a high metabolism.”

He moved to Martha next, offering her his hand.

“The American people are in your debt,” Martha said as she faced the women that’d just saved her life.

Eldon felt useless as he looked around. He was by no means a misogynist, but he should have done more than just stand there. Even Frank… Eldon couldn’t stop from chuckling as he looked at where Frank lay face down on the floor, a puddle of urine under his waist from where he’d wet himself before passing out. It was a good thing he wasn’t on the carpet, or Miranda would have been upset with him.

“Eldon, will you come replace Shlee so she can change back before her cameraman wakes up and sees her?” Gloria asked him.

Of course, he thought, trying to put on a smile, now that the action is over, I can be helpful. I need to find a better body to emulate.

“I like your real body well enough,” Gloria told him with a smile, “and I’ll be more than happy to prove it later. You’ve been a big help in the past. Don’t get down on yourself because others were faster this time.”

Eldon felt chastised as he replaced Shlee on the guard’s back. The man tried to fight him off, but Eldon gripped the man’s wrists, changing himself into the body builder and almost doubling his weight. The man didn’t stand a chance against Eldon’s size. Of course, the fact that Eldon had accidently dislocated the man’s shoulder may have taken some of the fight out of him.

“Thanks, cutie,” Shlee said as she changed next to him. She gave him a peck on the cheek before going back and retrieving her clothes. Eldon tried not to look, but her ass was almost as nice as Gloria’s. From the way Gloria smiled, he knew she’d seen his thoughts.

Gloria waited until Shlee was fully dressed, before releasing her spell on the other Secret Service agents.

“What happened?” one of them asked. He took in the blood on Miranda’s shirt, the guard under Eldon—though he gave Eldon a double-take because of his size—and the President standing next to Gloria, before barking out orders. “Someone cuff Bartlett. Unless I miss my guess, he was our mole. Someone else, find out how long before we can get the POTUS out of here.”

Eldon backed away as one of the armored men took control of Bartlett. He saw Gloria talking with the President and went to help Shlee wake Frank up. Miranda joined them after waving off medical attention. They all pretended not to notice Frank’s ‘accident,’ though the stench of urine was strong in the air. He didn’t want to think what the werewolves’ sensitive noses were suffering.

“Go get changed in the van and I’ll be there in a bit to go to the station,” Shlee told her cameraman and he shuffled off, red-faced. She turned to face Eldon and held her hand out. He took it, impressed with her firm grip. “Call me sometime,” she said with a broad smile. When she pulled her hand back, Eldon felt a slip of paper remain. Before he could think to respond, she followed her cameraman out.

Eldon stood stunned for a moment. He pocketed the piece of paper without looking at it. Shlee knew he was seeing Gloria, so why would she give him her number? He realized he was still in his body builder form and reverted to normal. It couldn’t be due to his looks, though he thought his true form was attractive. He could look like anyone, though. He hadn’t been any help during this last attempt at the President’s life. Why would she act like that?

“Next time you talk to your dad, tell him thanks,” Miranda said to him, breaking him out of his thoughts. He nodded to her, not sure what Miranda would be thanking Lyden Snow for. She was no longer holding her side making Eldon suspect she’d already healed from her gunshot wound. Miranda walked away from him, and he stood there trying to get his thoughts in order.

The secret service hauled their traitor from the factory, while maintaining a protective wall around Martha Louise.

He didn’t realize that Gloria was standing beside him until she spoke, making him jump. “That actually worked out pretty well.”

“What?” Eldon asked, thinking she was talking about the piece of paper in his pocket. It only took him a moment to realize she meant the ordeal with the President. “Oh, right. Umm, so… Shlee gave me her number.” There wasn’t a chance he was going to keep that a secret from her.

“I know. I think she’s pretty cute. You going to call her?”

Eldon’s heart dropped in his chest. “Call her? Umm, but I thought you and I… I mean, I thought we were… You and me, or…” he trailed off, realizing he was sounding like an idiot.

Gloria’s laughter was like a soothing balm on his frayed nerves. “We are! Don’t think for a minute I’m willing to give you up. You’re too much fun, brave, cute, and have the best cock I’ve ever had the pleasure of pleasing. But I know your father, and I know men. Yes, I can get jealous at times, but you’ve already proven yourself to be trustworthy. I’m not telling you that you can sleep with whomever you want—my man has to have standards—but Shlee is pretty hot. From the way she was looking at you I suspect that she’s more than a little wolf in the sack, too, if you know what I mean.” She winked at him. Before he had the opportunity to even blush, she grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled him into a ferocious kiss. If he weren’t already accustomed to the magic of her firm lips, his knees would have buckled.

Somehow he rallied his senses, wrapped his arms around her, and gave as good as he got. Their tongues met as he opened up to her, tasting her sweet breath. For half a moment, her body pressed against his felt like a second skin. His body grew flush with arousal. He allowed his hands to drop to Gloria’s strong glutes and pulled her tighter to him. He heard a moan escape between her lips. Desire and lust suffused him as he gripped the hem of her shirt, ready to pull it off her if he could, rip it from her body if he couldn’t.

“Ahem,” a voice broke into his thoughts, shattering the web of desire Gloria had cast on him. “While I may no longer be a Daughter of Respite, I still hold some of the morals I was raised with,” Miranda spoke in disapproving tones. “I won’t have my home—or what it is at any rate—fouled by lewd behavior. If you’re going to act like teenagers, go do it somewhere else.”

Eldon heard Gloria giggle, sounding exactly like a teenager. Eldon found the laugh infectious, and when Miranda glared, he laughed harder.

A male throat cleared its voice. Eldon turned to see one of the Secret Service agents standing in the entryway to the factory. Beyond him, Eldon heard the steady thumping thrum of helicopter rotors.

“The POTUS requests you join her on the bird,” he told them.

Eldon glanced at Gloria, wondering what Martha could want from them. Did she suspect her life was still in danger? Gloria shrugged. Apparently she couldn’t read Martha’s mind from here, or the Secret Service agent didn’t know.

They followed the agent out. Wind buffeted them as they approached the helicopter. An agent inside held his hand out to Eldon, who took it and felt himself hauled in. Gloria joined him a moment later. The noise was terrible, drowning out anything that might have been said. They were shown to a couple of free seats sitting across from the President. A helmet with speakers over the ears was presented to him, and Eldon gladly donned it. The earpieces blocked out all external noises.

Martha’s lips moved a split second before he heard her voice. “Mike, will you please put the three of us on a separate channel?” He heard some faint popping before she continued. “Excellent, now we can talk.”

Eldon wasn’t sure about the smile that spread across Martha’s face, or the way Gloria gripped his hand.

“After today’s events, I’m going to put some supernaturals into my guard,” Martha informed them. “It will go a long way to laying the groundwork for having others in our military and police forces.”

“Supernaturals?” Eldon asked, not liking that term.

“Supernaturals. Meta-humans. Mutants. I don’t know of a good term to use,” she replied. “Even faerie creatures or non-humans might come across as some sort of slander. Can you think of a good term to use?”

Eldon glanced at Gloria, seeing the point. Throughout human history, magical creatures were painted as the bad guys. No matter what term was used, at some point, it was a term of hatred or fear. If creatures from the Shadow World were ever going to rise up out of that fear, they would have to take a new title. They needed a name that would inspire hope. A name that wouldn’t carry with it centuries of hatred, fear, and prejudice. A name that could encompass all creatures, without singling out any one race. There was only one name he could think of that met those requirements.

“What about Lydonites? Or would Lydonese be more proper?” he asked, unsure of how to phrase the term.

If he’d expected immediate approval, he was in for a letdown. “While I respect what you’re thinking, I’m not sure your father would approve,” Martha said inter her microphone. “He doesn’t strike me as the glory hungry type.”

“But that’s part of what makes it the perfect term,” Eldon defended his idea. “While I know that there was more than one hero of the Chaos War, Lyden Snow was the one to ultimately defeat the Outsiders and save both realms. He gave his life, though Gaia brought him back. He’s well respected in both realms. We could come up with a gibberish name, but that won’t hold any weight behind it. My dad’s name will.”

“Not everyone on Earth respects him,” Martha said as though Eldon were a little child on the edge of a temper tantrum. “There are many here who hate him, and not just the P.K.’s and D.O.R.’s, though them more than most. Those groups hate that they had to come into the light because of what Lyden did. Many others believe their propaganda and view him as only slightly less evil than the antichrist, while others believe he is the antichrist.”

Eldon wanted to argue further, but didn’t know what else to say. He knew that his term was the right one, but didn’t know how to convince the American President.

“I think Eldon’s right,” Gloria said after a few tense seconds. Eldon gave her a grateful smile, happy she came to his rescue. “While I know a few groups from my world would hate to be lumped under that name, most would welcome it. I understand what you’re saying, Martha, but I don’t think we can let a few opinions sway us. I honestly believe that the majority of humanity doesn’t hate us.”

“Not hating you is a far cry from loving you,” Martha said, but nodded in defeat. “Sometimes the politician in me wins out, and I forget to see the bigger picture, past all the votes. You’re right, of course. Many fear those from your world—the Lydonese we’ll call them. It sounds smoother—but my campaign team can help spin it into a word for strength.”

“Not too much strength,” Eldon piped up. “We don’t want to appear too strong and have them hate us for that.”

Martha let out a genuine laugh as she appraised Eldon.

“You have a good head on your shoulders, Eldon,” Martha told him. “I see that your prowess for fighting goes beyond the skill of your hands.” For some reason she winked at him. Despite himself, he missed the innuendo for an uncomfortable moment. It was too hard to believe that Martha Louise, the President of the United States of America, the prim and proper woman that led a country that some considered prudish—though others considered too liberal—would make a lewd joke. Even one as subtle as that. When he felt his cheeks start to burn in understanding, Martha’s grin grew. “You are a refreshing young man! Sometimes I forget how innocent youth can be. Anyway, we’re getting off track. I need some Lydonese in my Secret Service. If nothing else, today proved that.”

Eldon didn’t know how to react to Martha’s teasing. On the one hand, she was a fair bit older than him and a powerful woman in her own right. Then again, Gloria—or Aphrodite or whatever other name she once held—was much older than anyone else he knew well and had the power of a god.

Both of them were attractive. Gloria, with her long golden blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes was nothing short of gorgeous. Martha also had blue eyes, but they were set in a darker Latino face, and the wrinkles around her eyes said her life hadn’t been easy. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and much of her beauty came from her maturity.

He realized that he’d missed something in the conversation that had continued while he was lost in thought. He racked his brain to try and think of what he’d missed, but to no avail. As the two other women looked at him, waiting, he was forced to admit that either he wasn’t paying attention, or play along. He knew Gloria would know the truth from his thoughts, but he didn’t want to look like more of an innocent child in front of the President. “Yeah, sounds good,” he said, unsure of what he was agreeing with.

His stomach flopped when Martha’s eyes lit up as though he’d given her the world. “I’m so glad to hear that. You have no idea how tough it can be to rule a country. Especially in times like these with magic and monsters—both human and Lydonese—roaming the worlds. Any chance I could convince you both to be the first Lydonese to join the Secret Service?”

Eldon was impressed with how simple she made the new term sound as though it had been around for years. He was shocked at her request, though he realized he shouldn’t have been.

“I’ll have to think on it,” he told her, honored by her offer but unsure of it. “I enjoy what I do now, defending the humans that come to the Shadow World. If I ever grow bored and you’re still in office, then maybe I will.” He didn’t add out loud that he didn’t know what his sister would do if he took her up on the offer. For some reason, the thought of abandoning Shelly to work for Martha made him feel awful. Shelly could transform into almost any object, but she needed him to wield her. Or was he deceiving himself? He could change into almost any form he wanted, but he was weaponless. He could pick up any weapon he chose, though, just like anyone else could wield Shelly. That thought didn’t make him feel any better and he decided to abandon it. He chalked his feelings up to the fact that the twins had spent their whole lives together. They’d rarely been apart for more than a couple months.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Martha grinned as though he had agreed to do it on the spot. “Now then, we have a long flight ahead of us, and I think we should get some rest.” That grin was way too wide for Eldon’s comfort.

Only then did it occur to Eldon that he had no idea where they were going. His dad told him to watch over and protect the President. She should be safe now, right? Shouldn’t he be trying to get back to the Shadow World and finding out how he could help there? Shelly was with Jessica, so she had someone to help her, and Brooke was more than capable of taking care of herself as long as she wasn’t taken by surprise, but would it be enough? Jessica was a good fighter, but there was too much about her that Eldon didn’t know. He’d really liked her once, but didn’t like how she’d treated Gloria.

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Gloria told him through her headset. “For now, get some rest.”

Eldon wondered about the smile and the twinkle in her eyes as she said that, but knew it for some good advice. He didn’t think he could get any sleep. He was too wound up with the day’s events, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t relax. He let his head fall back, and concentrated on relaxing each of his muscle groups. Starting with his feet and working his way up to his calves and thighs, Eldon relaxed. He decided now would be a great time to meditate. He never fell asleep when meditating, but he always felt refreshed afterwards.

He was snoring before he could relax his arms.

* * * *

Eldon found himself in a white marbled room, with marbled columns supporting a white roof far overhead. A breeze blew across his naked skin. There were no walls, and outside he could see green rolling hills dotted with ripe olive trees. The sound of burbling water drew his attention to a statue of a naked woman pouring water into a shallow pool. The statue looked familiar, yet not familiar. The bottom of the pool consisted of small tiles in a mosaic. He stepped closer, trying to determine what the mosaic was. The image coalesced into men and women coupling. The ripples along the water’s surface made it look like they were moving. In fact, the sound of the water pouring from the naked statue almost sounded like moaning.

His twisted manhood grew hard as he continued to look into the pool.

“I see you like my Mens Mundi,” Gloria’s voice startled him out of his trance. He jumped and spun around to face the woman. His cheeks burned in embarrassment as she giggled. She looked different here. She wore a white flowing toga. Her blonde hair was wavy, and her skin slightly more tanned. She also looked more mature, though not older. Looking at her now, he recognized the statue. There were still subtle differences, such as the statue having fuller hips and a larger bust, but he knew it was her. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that the statue was Aphrodite, while the woman before him was Gloria.

“Dad told me that he once had a place like this,” Eldon spoke up as soon as he thought he could control his voice enough not to squeak. “A dream world where he could create whatever he wanted and pull his friends in. It also helped him and others heal.”

Gloria gave him a dazzling smile that struck like a lightning bolt down to his toes. His cock was already hard, but it grew harder as she stepped forward and slipped the shoulder strap of her toga off. Her breasts came into view and he felt his mouth water.

“I rarely bring anyone here.” As she spoke, she continued to approach him, the toga slipping from her soft curves. Within a couple steps, she was naked and ravishing. “Only when I can’t have any privacy in the real world and wish to share something important.”

“Yeah?” Eldon’s mouth had gone dry at some point, and he worked to moisten it. His hormones were going into overdrive, and it was clouding his thinking. Before him was the Greek Goddess of Love and Lust. He wanted to grab her in his powerful arms and make love to her, but somehow he resisted.

“Yes,” she purred as she finally reached him. She placed one delicate hand on his chest and brushed her lips against his. When she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’ve known many men in my life, but rarely have I met any with your willpower, Eldon Lance.” Her free hand slid around his waist to his back, and gripped one buttock. She pulled him tightly to her, his twisted cock compressed against her smooth stomach. He allowed his arms to move around her, but resisted the powerful urges coursing through him. “Shall I tell you a secret? Marchosias almost gave it away, but I would be willing to tell you.”

He could smell her sweet breath and wanted to kiss her again. The aborted kiss in the factory came to mind. Right then he needed to continue it. His right hand went to the back of her head, fingers digging into her hair as he pulled her face back to his. He felt her hips press against him with hunger, and he moaned as her tongue came out to meet his. He didn’t know how long the kiss lasted, and he didn’t care. He was lost in her touch, in her scent, and in her taste. She was quite literally divine.

When she pulled away from him, he felt lost and naked. Or rather, even more naked than his lack of clothing could account for. When he looked at her, he saw her still smiling, though there was a hint of curiosity to it now. Somewhere, deep inside, Eldon’s mind came back to him, though not fully.

“How are you able to resist me, so?” she asked him, playfully biting at her bottom lip. He wanted to take that lip back in his mouth and bite it for her. “No mortal man has ever resisted me this well. I can feel your desire burning inside you. You know I won’t stop you from having your way with me. What holds you back?”

What was holding him back? He didn’t know. Her words came to him through a fog, and it took his mind a moment to comprehend them. “You’re using your power to seduce me,” he said and took a step away from her. His legs felt like water as he moved, not understanding his own reasons for stepping away.

“Yes I am,” she replied without any apology in her voice. She let her hands roam across her lithe body, before putting the index finger of her right hand between her teeth. “I was created to seduce men. I seduced Adam, the first homo-sapien, and I thought he had willpower. You are something else. Tell me, why do you resist? Can’t you tell I want you?” Her left hand dipped between her legs, and he could hear the squelch of her juices as she slipped her fingers inside.

“Not…” he trailed off as the thought escaped him. He chased after it like a lifeline. He wanted her. His rod ached to slip between her thighs and replace her fingers. Why was he resisting? “Not like this,” he said. “I want you… as you…” The pressure on his mind vanished in an instant as Gloria’s eyes grew wide. He knew he should be furious with her, but couldn’t summon up the anger. “You’ve never had to use your abilities on me before. Why?”

She stared at him for a couple seconds before responding. “I’m so sorry. I thought… I mean, as tired as you were today, I thought you would need the enticement.” She stopped and shook her head. “That’s not entirely true. When I’m in my Mens Mundi, my baser instincts come out. I told you before that I was created to seduce men. You already know that I was once Aphrodite, but that wasn’t my first name.”

As she spoke, Eldon could see tears forming in her eyes. He stepped up to her, closing the distance with speed. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a hug. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he told her, meaning it. He hadn’t told her everything about his past. He hadn’t told her about that one, terrifying incident, years ago when he’d… No! he broke off the thought, unwilling to even think of it.

“But I want you to know,” she told him as her tears wet his neck. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Eldon. Oh, sure, there have been plenty of strong, brave men over the millennia, but all of them had a major flaw. It wasn’t always the same flaw. Some were just after sex, or some were cruel. Others couldn’t tell the difference between my ass and my armpit. All of them had something wrong with them, and I easily moved on.”

“I’m not perfect,” he told her, trying to pull away, but she tightened the hug, refusing to let him go.

“I didn’t say you were perfect,” she replied, pulling her head back to look him in the eyes. Her blue eyes captivated his soul, and he knew her words were utter truth. “No one is perfect, but you accept me for who I am. What I am. You don’t judge me. You’ve proven that you’re after more than sex with me. You care about those around you, but aren’t afraid to fight when you must. Do you know how many men out there would have a problem if they knew their woman could read every thought they had? But that doesn’t bother you. You even use it to your advantage. You have no idea how wonderful you are.”

“I’m not perfect,” he repeated, unsure of how to respond. No one had ever praised him the way she was, and he didn’t know how to take it. As for having no issues with his thoughts not being entirely his own, there were reason in his past for that. Reasons he didn’t want to think about.

“Why?” she demanded with ferocity but no anger as she reached between them and grabbed his still firm prick. “Because you have this wonderful cock? Because this is different from every other man’s piece of meat?”

It took him a moment to realize she wasn’t responding to his thoughts, but his words instead. “You don’t know everything about me,” he told her, trying to push her away. Her grip on him tightened and he abandoned the idea of getting away from her. Unless he wanted to lose his rod, he was staying right here. “You don’t know some of the things I’ve done. There’s a reason half-breeds are considered dangerous.”

“You don’t know my past either. Besides, I know Gaia worked on your mother’s womb while you were still in her. She made sure you wouldn’t be a monster.”

“There are those that are born monsters,” he told her, feeling his heart sink with each word, “and then there are those that make themselves into monsters.” He knew she could read his mind and see his memories. See the bloodshed and death that he’d caused.

“I was once Lilith,” Gloria said. “I was created to seduce Adam, and turn him away from the Pillar of Light. All evil, all pain and death from that act forward is my fault. I seduced Adam, and made him eat that stupid apple. I may not have brought evil into the world, but I was the one that made it blossom.”

Eldon looked at her, confused for a moment. He understood her words, if not what she meant by them. Unbidden, he started to laugh. Her eyes darkened, but he knew she understood what was in his mind. Her hand slapping his face caught him by surprise. He heard the slap and his head turned from the blow, before he felt the pain. At least she’d finally released his cock.

“I tell you my deepest, darkest secret and you laugh at me?” Anger and hurt warred for dominance in her voice. “I guess you’re not the man I thought you were.”

Eldon rubbed his jaw, trying to understand where he went wrong. She should be able to see his thoughts, and understand why he laughed.… Unless…

“You can’t read my mind here, can you?” he asked her, already knowing she couldn’t.

“No,” she admitted. “It’s another reason I don’t bring many here. Why? What are you thinking?”

Instead of answering right away, he stepped forward and kissed her. He kept the kiss short, not even waiting for her to recover from the shock before pulling away. “I’m thinking of how foolish you’re acting to think that would bother me,” he told her with sincere bluntness. “You said it yourself. You were created to do that. You might as well be upset that you can breathe. You were created to do that as well.”

“But all that death, and the—“

He cut her off. “None of that matters. You couldn’t have known what would happen. You did what you were meant to do. It’s how you’ve lived afterwards that matters. Trust me, I know that lesson all too well. You’re not a bad person. I don’t care who you were. I care about who you are. I’m honored that you told me, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. You’re a wonderful woman. That’s who you are now.”

She stared at him for a few moments, her jaw slightly slack. “I could love you,” he heard her whisper in awe.

He realized that it was only fair that he reveal his secret. He opened his mouth to do so, but never had the chance.

“This place is beautiful!” Martha’s voice echoed around the open area.

“What are you doing here?” Eldon blurted before he could think better of it.

“Did you forget already?” she asked, appearing uncertain. “I’m sorry. I thought… I mean, you agreed and everything. Maybe I was deceiving myself. I’m so embarrassed now. I—I should go.”

Eldon noticed what she was wearing, and it threw him mentally off-balance. She was in a light pink negligée that covered the important bits, but left little to the imagination. He recalled agreeing to something on the chopper earlier, but not knowing what it had been.

“This was the other reason I tried to seduce you,” Gloria whispered in his ear. “I knew you hadn’t known what you were agreeing to, but also knew how badly she needed a good fucking.”

He flinched at her expletive, remembering how many times he’d gotten in trouble by his dad or mom whenever he cursed. He also wondered for a brief moment if she was reading his mind, but knew better. Gloria was an intelligent woman, and was most likely responding to his physical cues more than anything else.

“You want me to... um… have sex with her?” he asked Gloria, not wanting to use the same term she’d used.

“No, I want us to have sex with her. I know how much you’ve been cautious about being with anyone else, and I figured I’d have you so horny, you wouldn’t care. I also wanted to make it clear to you that I am okay with you being with other women.”

While he didn’t appreciate being manipulated, he could understand what she’d been doing.

“Besides,” Gloria continued, “she’s so sexually frustrated, it was driving me nuts. All those pent up thoughts in her head. You’d think the President of the United States could get laid with ease, but she has an image to maintain. Your father told her about the Mens Mundi, and she saw her opportunity. I’m sorry I tried to trick you.”

Eldon understood. Martha had mentioned that she was widowed. More than one politician’s career was destroyed because of an inappropriate fling. He knew that a typical woman’s sexual drive strengthened as she grew older, and wondered when the last time the President had been with a man. If her thoughts were enough to bother Gloria, then she must be frustrated indeed.

Besides, as he watched Martha walking away, her firm ass swaying as she moved, he couldn’t deny that the thought appealed to him.

He took a moment to press his lips against Gloria’s, then stepped towards Martha. He was in front of her at the speed of thought, covering the distance before he knew what he was doing. He was shocked at the sudden speed, but not as much as Martha was as she bumped into his naked body. He recovered quickly, knowing he had to change her mood and turn this situation around. Eldon thought her shock doubled as he leaned in and kissed her.

Her lips were stiff for a long moment, refusing to open up to him. When he realized she wasn’t going to kiss him back, he stepped away, once again confused. She wrapped her arms around her body, trying to cover up her near nudity.

“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I wasn’t thinking when you arrived. Gloria and I were talking, and I forgot about what I’d agreed to.”

“You don’t have to. I won’t force you to do it.” It was weird to hear petulance in this powerful woman’s voice.

“Force me?” Eldon stifled a laugh. “You’re a beautiful woman. You don’t have to force me. Look at me! I want to do it.”

Eldon looked down at his manhood, and realized that it was standing fully upright in all its twisted glory. For once, he wasn’t embarrassed about it. For the first time in his life, Eldon didn’t feel an overwhelming need to cover up and hide his deformity. It was part of who he was. Thanks to Gloria, he could accept that.

“My Lord, that thing is huge,” Martha muttered. “It… Is it always like that?”

“Only when he has a nearly half-naked beautiful woman before him,” Gloria said as she joined them. Martha’s wide eyes were locked on his rod. Gloria dropped to her knees and pulled Martha with her. “You should see how it tastes.” Gloria gripped Martha’s right wrist and moved the hand towards his member.

“May I?” she asked with trepidation.

“Please do,” he told her with an inviting grin.

He felt the mature woman grip him, and moaned. The sound made her jump, and she finally looked away to look up at him. Eldon nodded for her to continue. With almost painful slowness, her head inched forward until he felt her warm breath on the tip. He struggled to wrap his mind around the fact that this was the President on her knees before him. He knew she was no virgin, but she acted as though this was her first time with a man. Had it really been that long for her?

He heard her gulp as she stared at his one-eyed snake. With sudden ferocity, she lunged forward. He felt the head compress between her lips, then keep going until he struck the back of her throat. He was about to compliment how good she felt, but her hands on his ass, pulling him deeper into her mouth and down her throat distracted him. Only one other had ever been able to successfully deep-throat him. In truth, very few had ever seen him naked in his natural form, but Gloria was a succubus, capable of changing her body. Martha was a human… Wasn’t she? Either way, he had to readjust his image of her again, as she took him deeper into her throat.

“I’m surprised you have that much control over your body here,” Gloria said to Martha. “Have you ever been in a Mens Mundi before?”

Eldon almost groaned as the hot older woman pulled her dark lips away from him. He left her mouth with an audible pop and a gasp from Martha. His rod felt naked in the open air.

“This is my first time,” Martha said with a grin. Some of her saliva still connected her bottom lip to the tip of him, and it quivered as she spoke. “Ambassador Snow explained everything to me. I tried to get him to show me, but he says he can no longer use his.” She shook her head sadly, and Eldon wondered if his dad had ever slept with the President. That thought bothered him some, and he shook it from his head. He didn’t like to think about who his father slept with, much less the fact that he may have slept with the woman on her knees before him. Besides, Martha acted as though she hadn’t had a cock in years.

“You seem to be a natural at it,” Eldon complimented her as he ran his fingers through her black hair.

“Thank you!” She beamed back up at him. “It’s good to know I haven’t lost my technique. My husband used to like this thing where I… um… Ah, hell, I don’t know how to describe it. Especially not when I’d rather show you!”

If Eldon had thought she was enthusiastic before, or acting like a virgin, he was wrong. In one quick swallow, she had him past her tonsils as her nose pressed against his pelvis. He groaned as she started to alternate between humming and swallowing. He felt her tongue slip out—a feat that would have been impossible with his girth in the real world—and bathe his scrotum.

“Ahh, the Trojan Tickler,” Gloria grinned. “I haven’t seen many human woman who could pull that off. It helps that you don’t have to breathe here. Were you a succubus in a past life?”

Martha shook her head, which only added to his pleasure, making Eldon moan again. She couldn’t compare to Gloria, but her skill was still phenomenal! Her tongue was warm and wet as it slipped around his sack. Her tight throat undulated around his rod, massaging his twisted length. Normally he wouldn’t be able to last long with this much pleasure, but he found he could delay his climax with a simple thought.

Gloria walked around behind him, still naked. He felt her breasts press into his back as her lips brushed his neck. Her arms slipped around his waist. Her right hand slipped through Martha’s hair, joining Eldon’s, and her left hand joined Martha’s tongue in fondling his scrotum.

“Impressive willpower, indeed,” Gloria whispered to him, then nibbled on his earlobe. “I’ve rarely known a mortal that could withstand the Trojan Tickler, while another woman held him from behind. I’m going to keep around you for a long time, Eldon Lance.”

Eldon wasn’t sure what she meant by keeping him around for a long time. He also wasn’t sure how he felt about the statement. On the one hand, it was nice to have his sexual prowess recognized by the Goddess of Love and Lust, but on the other hand, he was more than the sum of his skills in bed. Especially considering he still felt like he was cheating in her Mens Mundi.

He was distracted by his thoughts as Martha pulled her face away from him. His cock stood hard and proud as saliva dripped down its length. She gripped him at the base and slid her hand up around the curves of his twisted member to the bulbous tip.

Gloria moved away from his back and dropped down next to Martha. “Are you ready to take this monster between your legs?”

“Ready?” Martha asked with a shudder. “No, but I’m sure as hell going to try!”

Eldon stood transfixed by the site before him. His girlfriend was quickly bringing the President of the United States—arguably one of the most powerful people in the world—to a powerful orgasm. Sure enough, after a few more seconds, Martha threw her head to the side and moaned low and deep in her throat as her entire body shuddered.

“I think she’s ready now, Eldon,” Gloria said to him. “Hurry, while she’s still soaking my hand.”

Eldon didn’t need to be told twice. He dropped to his knees between Martha’s spread legs and pressed the head of his phallus against her rose petals. Gloria removed her hand and Eldon pressed forward, watching while the older woman’s labia stretched as his head slipped inside.

“Oh, fuck, that’s huge!” Martha gasped as she placed a hand against his chest to stop him. She was still enjoying the aftershocks of her orgasm, but Eldon knew to hold back a moment.

Eldon brought his thumb down and applied pressure to her clit, which was sticking far out from its sheathe. The woman gasped again as he rubbed the sensitive nub, and her pussy swallowed another centimeter of his prick.

Gloria wasn’t sitting on the sidelines watching. She latched onto one stiff nipple with her teeth, and rolled the other one between her fingers.

“This may not be the Presidential staff,” Eldon smirked as the woman tried to get used to his size, “but I think we can get things done with it.”

Gloria rolled her eyes at his dry humor, but he didn’t care. Martha was on fire, and he couldn’t wait to fit more of himself inside her tiny box. He pulled out the barest fraction, noticing her glistening juices on him, then slid in a few more centimeters.

“Oh God! You’re going to split me in two, young man!” Martha was panting heavily but she met his eyes. Her gaze was full of hunger, not pain. He felt her heels dig into his buttocks, trying to pull him into her more. “Do it! I can take it. I will take it. Fuck me Eldon. Make this old woman feel like a virgin again with that thing.”

Eldon felt his lips spread to match Martha’s hungry smile. “As you wish, Madam President,” he intoned as he pulled back, and then drove his hips forward. Martha screamed as her vagina took most of him inside.

“Again,” she panted when she caught her breath. “I want to feel that in my throat. Do it—dios mío!” she cursed in Spanish as he drove into her again. He didn’t pause before pulling back, and driving forward again and again. When he felt his balls resting against her rear, he paused and looked down. Her cunt gripped his twisted cock like a velvet vice. If they weren’t in a dream world, he doubted she would be able to take all of him into her smaller frame, but was thankful he could feel so much of her. “I wanted to feel that in my throat, but I think you’re poking my skull!”

Eldon didn’t say anything. Instead, he let his hips press against hers, then moved so that he was rubbing her large clit while his rod moved inside her. Martha’s eyes rolled back in her head as the succubus and he brought her to another orgasm.

Realizing that he was being rude to his other partner, he reached his left hand to Gloria’s pussy as she was bent over the President, and slipped a couple fingers inside. She moaned her thanks into Martha’s tit, then started grinding against his hand. His hand was soaked within seconds as she got herself off on his digits.

Eldon was in heaven. He had two beautiful and horny women to please, and he had every intention of wearing them out. Could you wear someone out while they were dreaming? He didn’t know, but he was going to try.

As Martha lowered from her latest climax, he pulled out of her. She whimpered, but it turned into a moan as he planted his lips against her sex. She was stretched wide, and he was able to stick his tongue deep inside her. A second later her pussy closed as she must have willed it to shrink, and it strangled his tongue. If she can modify her body, then so can I, he reasoned. With a simple thought, his tongue grew in length, licking along her sopping insides. Her womanly scent filled his nose as he enjoyed her taste.

Eldon gripped her thighs in his thick arms and twisted their bodies without losing contact between their lips. Martha knew what he was trying to do and went along with it until she was sitting on his face. His elongated tongue licked deep inside her along her cervix, making her writhe and moan. His hands roamed up her slim body, finding her breasts and one saliva slickened nipple. It didn’t take long before his tongue was drenched and gripped in her tight, spasming muscles, and her fluids ran along his cheeks.

“Mmm, that feels great,” Eldon heard Gloria intone as he felt her slide onto his rigid manhood. He moaned into Martha’s coochy at how wonderful Gloria’s rippling insides felt. Her hips swiveled as she impaled herself on him, sinking onto his twisted length.

Eldon released one of Martha’s breasts and brought it to Gloria’s clit, finding it with his thumb. “Yes! Mmm, just like that.” Her hands rested on his chest, her thumbs rubbing his nipples. She lifted off him a bit, then slammed down. He delighted in the friction this caused along his girth, and when she did it again, he lifted up to meet her.

Eldon wondered if life could be any more perfect? His tongue was deep into Martha, licking her deepest and most intimate parts, while Gloria rode him like a prize bull. He was in pleasure heaven. Even as Martha’s fingers in his hair gripped his scalp painfully as she came again, or the strength with which Gloria slammed her hips down against him, he couldn’t imagine anything more blissful.

As Gloria cried out in ecstasy, he decided it was time to cum. He brought both hands to Gloria’s hips as he jackhammered into her from below. He allowed his culmination to come slowly, building in intensity, until it blasted out of him, flooding Gloria’s hot cavity with his even hotter spunk. His muscles locked up, even his tongue still inside Martha’s quivering form, as utter paradise flooded his system. The entire world seemed to shake and shudder around him as all three of them came.

It took him a moment to realize that the shaking wasn’t from his imagination as the ground smacked into the back of his skull. Pain lanced through him as the women got off him.

“Something’s wrong,” Gloria said, even as his seed dribbled down her legs. She waved her hand and Eldon felt something rip at his belly button, sending him back to his real body.

Opening his eyes, Eldon saw a flashing red light and felt weightless as sirens sounded in his headset. The cabin of the helicopter was filled with thick oily smoke. His life had gone from perfect, to hell in a matter of seconds as he looked out the window and saw the ground coming up to meet them.