《The Arcanum Series: Familiar》


 Part 1

    The candles were placed, all relevant markings made for the circle, and the bowl placed in the center for the ingredients. Alex looked over the book for the hundredth time to check if he missed anything. The old tome he inherited from his grandfather after the death of his parents was leather bound and printed on vellum. It smelled like old paper, old libraries, well just plain old. But the magic in its pages had proved to be real. He only tried about half of them, and of those he only got a handful of them to work. But they did work, and that only fired Alex''s desire to master them.


    The bespectacled, auburn haired youth had discovered in several places, hand written notes from his grandfather explaining some of the spells as well warnings to never try some of them unless he was desperate or had truly mastered the art. The messages never addressed Alex directly, but rather to whomever now had inherited the book. He had never met him, he had died before Alex was born, and his father never spoke of him. But when the book was delivered by the attorney of Alex''s late father he dove into it, seeing a path of sorts to getting to know the man.


    The circle was complete and every detail from the book was perfect. The final note from his grandpa had warned that only the most powerful could complete the spell, but those who did could have their power multiplied a hundred fold. The spell would summon a familiar. A being to help guide and serve him on his journey to being a wielder of the mystic arts. The familiar had to choose you as well or the ritual was useless. And the being supposedly took the form of whatever creature would best serve its master. Alex was never even allowed to have pets when he was growing up. His mother apparently was uncomfortable with living with a creature denied its freedom.


    The bowl was set, the ingredients prepared and the final stages were underway.


    A tie to bind: Alex picked up the silk tie from his mother''s favorite white robe. He had always loved the soft feeling of the material. When he was afraid or crying he would bury his face into her while she was wrapped in the soft garment and it never failed to make him feel safe and content. He inhaled deeply and held it over the wooden bowl burning the other ingredients of the offering. It would be destroyed in the offering for a spell with astronomically bad chances of succeeding and he would have lost a cherished tie to his mother, but he had to try. He opened his hand and the cord fell into the bowl.


    Windows for a soul: Alex dropped in the Aquamarine gems from his father''s favorite cufflinks. They disappeared under the growing ash developing in the burning bowl.


    A name to command with: Since Alex never had pets he tended to refer to animals he interacted with the same moniker. So why not use that as a name for his familiar? He bent over the bowl and whispered into the smoke, "Sweety."


    And a drop of the essence of the summoner: Alex took the knife and pressed the point into the tip of his left ring finger. Blood pooled around the tip of the blade and a drop fell into the flames.


    "Ouch," he cried and clumsily dropped the blade to the floor of his bedroom. It clattered on the wood as Alex grabbed a kerchief and wrapped it around his bleeding finger. He sucked in through his teeth as watched the smoke rise from the wooden brazier. A lot of smoke. It filled his room and drifted out into the hall.


    "Shit!" He exclaimed as the smoke alarm in the hall screamed in annoyance. Alex dashed out into the hall past his sister''s room and onto the settee next to the banister to swat at the alarm. Alex wasn''t exactly tall, he stood five foot seven and never reached any taller through high-school. His sister Lucy however was almost six foot by the time she was a Senior and was everything athletically he was not. Lucy played every sport through school, and was captain more often than not. School recruiters practically got into brawls to give her scholarships. Even though their parents were well off, Lucy wrote her own ticket. Alex threw himself into scholastic applications, and while he was smart, his teachers called him too much of a dreamer for serious academic pursuits. So as Lucy was about to graduate into a career in physical therapy, Alex was about to start college without even a major in mind to pursue. His parents shipped him off to his sister a couple of weeks before summer''s end to her college, so she could babysit her underachieving brother. Then they had to go and get killed in a car accident.


    As this morose thought chilled his blood, Alex finally managed to dislodge the alarm from the ceiling and sent it clattering to the floor. The plastic disc became abruptly silent as the impact flung the batteries across the hall. Alex hopped off the bench and plopped his butt onto the cushion, sinking his head into his hands and let out a long sad exhale.


    The blood specks on the lenses of his glasses reminded him he was still bleeding. He stood up and walked to the bathroom to put a bandage on his finger and clean off his bloodied glasses. Alex then began his favorite activity, berating himself. What was he thinking? So he got a couple of the tricks to work. Did he really think that made him some sort of wizard or sorcerer? He made a mess of his room and sacrificed some important keepsakes from his parents, just to prove what? To give him what? The hope that he could do something most people can''t? As he left the bathroom he began picking up the pieces of the smoke alarm. The smoke filled his room and permeated everything with a flowery sweet smell. He waved his hand about trying to clear the smoke, while he thought about how he should have opened the window to begin with. As he headed for the window he noticed something in the circle over the bowl.


    Had it worked? It was bigger than he expected. Not huge but not as small as a cat or bird. As he cautiously approached the creature barely visible through the haze he whispered, "Sweety?" Then the creature present stood up.


    "Master!" It said with a musical voice. She stared at him with aquamarine eyes that stood even with his chest. A pale, white haired and very naked, human girl.


    "Wh¡­why¡­why are," Alex stammered, "why are you a girl?" He immediately covered his eyes so fast the smack was sure to leave red marks on his face in the shape of his glasses later. He began to pace back and forth in front of the girl in a panic. "Why are you a girl? You weren''t supposed to be a girl, you were supposed to be an animal of some kind. Some kind of super magical pet. Not a girl. Not a person. A real, flesh and blood¡­ talking¡­".


    "I''m sorry Master," she said as she dropped to her knees, planting her palms on the floor and her face pointed down, "I did not mean to disappoint you. I am only here to serve you. Please, tell me how I can make you happier."


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    As she supplanted herself he slowly dropped his hand to look at her again, and his panicked stammering slowed, "...beautiful¡­ girl."


    And she WAS beautiful, he thought. He looked her over as she straightened up kneeling before him. She had stark white hair that hung to her shoulders in some kind of bob cut. She was petite but still curvy. Tiny waist with defined hips and soft teardrop shaped breasts. Her skin was creamy, pale and hairless except the top of her head. Her face was doll-like and flawless with her large clear blue eyes and long thick lashes, button nose and soft lips. It stayed passive as she spoke showing no emotion but was no less beautiful. Everything he dreamed of when he dreamed of a girl. His every fantasy.


    She also seemed to have no navel. Her stomach was flat and smooth and showed no trace of a belly button. But a being that was created not born wouldn''t, would they?


    He wasn''t sure how long he stared, mesmerized by the beautiful creature, but it finally dawned on Alex that she wasn''t getting any less naked kneeling there. He tried hastily, to penetrate the haze to reach his dresser. He ended up kicking the bowl and knocking over a couple of the candles until ramming his knee into the dresser he was searching for. He yanked open the drawer and pulled out the top t-shirt, rushing back to the naked girl in the dissipating haze. He pulled the shirt over her head and tried as gingerly as he could to help her arms through the holes without touching any other soft, yielding flesh. When he tugged the remaining material down it hung just below the curve of her buttocks and covered her bare flower in the front, but just barely. He thought it would cover more given their height difference, until he realized the humps on her chest and behind prevented it from falling any further. As he stepped back to examine the covering, It turned out Alex had grabbed his old Slayer shirt with the band name and a pentagram on the front. A little on the nose, he thought, but at least she was covered now.


    She looked down at his old shirt, actually turning a little pirouette with her arms slightly out, and looked back up at him at its completion. "You have gifted me garments, Master? Thank you Master. I will cherish them forever." She performed a little curtsy, drawing up the edges of the shirt, threatening to expose what he just attempted to cover.


    He pulled the tips out of her hands to smooth the shirt back down. "No no no," he said quickly, "don''t pull it back up. This needs to stay on for now. And it''s just a loan, till I can get you clothes of your own."


    She grasped onto his hands before he could withdraw them again, gazing deep into his eyes, "I am ready to serve you in any way you desire, Master."


    Lucy unlocked the door, stepped inside and dropped her gym bag on the bench by the front door. She immediately noticed the smoke hanging in the air in the afternoon light. "Alex!" She called but got no response. The smoke filled the house and seemed to be drifting downstairs from Alex''s room.


    The tall, athletic redhead bounded up the stairs in three strides, calling again, "Alex?"


    She turned into her brother''s room to see her brother standing there holding hands with a girl who appeared to be wearing nothing but his t-shirt.


    "What the hell is all this?" She asked, staring daggers at the boy. "Are you trying to burn down my house while playing out some little sex fantasy?" She emphasized ''little'' by looking at the petite, nearly naked girl.


    The girl looked back at Lucy quizzically, "who is this woman, Master?"


    "Master?" Lucy asked Alex, a little loudly for Alex''s taste.


    Alex dropped her hands immediately and walked over to his sibling. He looked at the girl and stated, "Sweety, this is Lucy. Lucy is my sister."


    "Sweety?" Lucy asked, a little quieter this time.


    The girl did another little curtsy, flashing her privates to the both of them, "pleased to meet you, miss Lucy."


    Lucy quickly closed her eyes and pinched the top of her nose, "oh, and she IS naked under YOUR shirt, isn''t she." She stated as she shook her head. "Alexander, what is going on? Did you brainwash some girl into some kind sex doll? Is she drugged? Is she kidnapped? Where did she come from? And why is the house on fire?"


    "No, no," said Alex panicking again, "nothing like that. She is a familiar."


    "Yes, Alex, it does look like you''ve been getting quite familiar with her."


    "No," he rebutted, "a familiar, a magical¡­ like, assistant. Summoned to aid a magician. I created her," he quickly strode to his desk and picked up the book, "from a spell in grandfather''s book he left me." He moved his fingers of one hand quickly using the formation in the book he first mastered. When he brought up his hand in front of his sister it flared with the arcane light he had produced the first few times.


    Lucy staggered back, covering her eyes in the quick flare of brilliance, ¡°shit, Alex. What was that, a flash bomb?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said calmly, ¡°it wasn''t a trick, I''m not lying to you. It was magic. Really, honest to God, magic. Lucy, I can do magic.¡± He said looking directly into his siblings eyes.


    Lucy knew her brother. She could tell when he was lying. She always could. He never had a lot of friends besides her. He never got into trouble so there were never any opportunities for him, really to learn to lie well. As far as she could tell, he certainly believed what he said.


    "Ok, you''re telling me grandpa''s magic book is real, and the spells work, and¡­ you used it to conjure up a magical girlfriend?"


    "Yes¡­no! No, I wasn''t trying to conjure a girl. I thought the familiar was supposed to be like some kind of animal, like a pet." Alex dropped down on his bed holding his head and sighed. "This has gotten all out of hand."


    Lucy looked Sweety over, "well kudos to you Alex, she''s gorgeous. You did a hell of a job."


    "I took the form of what would be most beneficial to my master''s needs." Piped in Sweety. "I am entwined into his soul. I know all of my master''s needs, wants and desires." The last word seemed a little breathier to Lucy, a little too dripping with innuendo in her opinion.


    Lucy looked over at her brother and laughed out a little snort, "oh my god Alex, even the universe knew you needed to finally get a girl."


    "Very funny Luce. Very funny." he sighed again standing up, "what am I going to do? I was not prepared for this."


    "Well, I''m not taking care of her. If you''re going to keep her, you''ll have to clean up after her." Lucy tried to keep a stern face but was already giggling the last few words out.


    "Sweety isn''t a pet Lucy, she''s a person. I''m not ready to take care of a person. I''m not even ready to take care of myself yet."


    "You need not worry about me, Master." Sweety said, taking his hand and putting it on her forehead as she knelt in front of Alex. "It is my purpose to take care of YOUR needs. I love you, Master. I will be for you whatever you desire." The girl then crawled over to the remnants of the summoning circle, giving Alex an uncomfortably good look at her plush bare behind and began to clean up the mess. She extinguished and put away the candles, picked up the bowl and quickly swept up the ash. She then began to make up Alex''s bed.


    "Cool," said Lucy, "she''s a sex doll and a maid. Isn''t that handy."


    "She is NOT a sex doll." Said Alex through gritted teeth.

 Part 2

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 Part 3

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 Part 4

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 Part 5

    Lucy paced back in front of the TV, Biting her knuckle in anxiety. The special report was beginning to repeat the story again. "Once again an incident at Plaza Park has disrupted power over a quarter mile of the city and shut down a concert by DJ Raze. No injuries are reported but authorities suspect the detonation of some kind of electromagnetic pulse weapon."


    The front door clicked and swung open, Lucy saw Alex carrying Sweety in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck with her head on his shoulder, her legs around his waist. He held one arm under her behind and stroked the small of her back with the other hand.


    "Alex," his sister cried and hugged the both of them. "You weren''t in the park, were you?"


    "Yeah," said Alex. He looked at the TV, still covering the story. "That was us." He sat Sweety back on the floor.


    "Is she ok?" She said, now looking the girl over with the eye of a physical therapist.


    "Yes, she''s ok. Just scared."


    Lucy turned to Alex, "what do you mean that was you?"


    "We¡­ we kissed, and.. " he stammered, "and there was this energy between us. Like an explosion." Alex took Sweety to the couch and had her sit down. "But Lucy, something is out there. It came after Sweety. A huge fiery, molten monster. And there was this lady with guns. She was shooting at it. I had to get Sweety out of there."


    "Monsters and gun bunnies, Alex?" Said Lucy. "It sounds like bad anime."


    "Can''t say I remember ever being called a gun bunny." The blonde stood in their living room, arms crossed. "Alexander Angelicos, I presume?"


    "How did you find us?" Asked alex.


    "Oh, I might not have, but you left your door open and I saw you from the street." She pointed at the open door.


    "Alex!" Hissed Lucy as hurried to the door to shut it.


    "Sorry, I may have been distracted." He replied sarcastically. "And who are you?" He redirected toward the blonde.


    "My name is Calief, I''m an investigator, of sorts. I work for the Arcanum Order." She produced a black plastic business card from one of her pouches and handed it to Alex. It was covered in strange symbols, some of which Alex remembered seeing in his grandfather''s book, but no words in english. He looked it over for a second and set it down on the coffee table.


    "And what the hell is an Arcanum Order?" Said Lucy, giving her the stink eye. Calief was at least an inch or two taller than her and built just as solidly. "Lucy by the way." As she extended a hand. "Also, Love the outfit." Her tone changed instantly from hostile to two girlfriends talking.


    "Luccia Angelicos," as she shook her hand, "Alex''s sister. I know. Thank you, and I love your hair."


    "Oh well, I usually wear it up like yours." She said, indicating the pony tail that reached Calief''s mid back.


    Alex wasn''t sure what was happening between these two, whether each was trying to out alpha bitch the other, but they didn''t have time for it. "What is after Sweety?"


    Calief''s eyebrows raised, "you named her Sweety?"


    "I was expecting an animal." He said, he felt for the umpteenth time.


    "Well, someone summoned a hellhound to come after your girlfriend." Calling Sweety his girlfriend got a smile out of Lucy.


    Alex didn''t even argue this time. Maybe she was his girlfriend. Was that really so bad? "What is this, Order of Arcanum? And why is someone after Sweety?"


    "Arcanum Order," she corrected,"it''s a loose coalition of other magic wielding individuals. And it''s not just Sweety. Over a dozen familiars have been snatched from their Arcanists over the last few months."


    "Arcanists?" Injected Lucy.


    "People who wield magic like your brother. The Arcanum has Taboos placed on the summoning of demons. But apparently someone is desperate to get ahold of familiars."


    "And you work as what, like a cop for this order?" Asked Alex.


    "Something like that." Calief smiled, "I, and others like me make sure the bylaws are obeyed and cover up magical incursions on the lower world."


    "Lower world?" Questioned Alex.


    "Here," indicated Calief with a twirl of her fingers, "among all the non-magic wielding folk."


    "Well, that''s insulting." Added Lucy. "So if magic is real, why isn''t everyone using it? Ooo, maybe I need to give granddad''s book a spin."


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    "Not everyone can. You have to have the right amount of angel in your blood. A connection to the divine."


    "Well I''m his older sister, we have the same blood."


    "Blood varies, sister." The magic cop said, "most of the time only a single family member gets access to it."


    Lucy seemed to pout.


    "All well and good, but I have to keep Sweety safe." Said Alex, in that commanding tone again Lucy noticed. When he was protecting her, Lucy noticed how much like dad he sounded. "Can you take me to this Order? I need to talk to them."


    "Loose coalition," she emphasized, "it isn''t like there''s a ''Hogwarts'' they all hang out at."


    "They have to meet somewhere when they discuss bylaws." Mused Alex.


    "There is a place, a neutral ground respected by all arcanists. We could possibly meet with some of them there. But it might take some time to reach out."


    "Thank you. I need to take care of Sweety," he said, taking her hand and wrapping his other arm around her. "You know where to find us. When it''s arranged." He led Sweety to the stairs.


    As they went up to Alex''s room, Lucy walked Calief to the door. "Oh, should we swap numbers for when you get this all arranged?" Asked Lucy.


    "Sorry," Calief replied, "I don''t own a cell phone. I don''t usually need one. But you have my card"


    "You never need to call your friends?"


    "I don''t really have friends, not in the lower world especially. But I know where to find you, Princess." The blonde tapped Lucy on the cheek a couple times with her finger tips, before leaving. Lucy watched her as she strode all the way down the walk, got in a suped up green Mustang and drove away before she closed the door. "At least she has nice taste in cars."


    Alex took Sweety to his room to get changed, especially since it was now her room too, he guessed. He grabbed his night clothes and went to the bathroom to do his preparations. When he returned, theth brushed and dressed, Sweety stood in front of the bed dressed in a fetish maid outfit. Black silk and white lacy ruffles, short crotch level skirt with plunging neckline and even the fishnet stockings with heels. "Ready for bed, Master." She piped cheerfully, as she bounced up and down and made herself ever the more tempting.


    "Let me guess," he said with a tone of defeat. "Lucy picked that out."


    "Miss Lucy said you would like this for night time."


    Alex sighed, "whatever, just take off the shoes. You don''t need them for bed." He flopped onto the bed and rolled to one side with his arm up. Sweety kicked off the heels and crawled to the bed beside him, planting her tush against his crotch. He wrapped his arm around her and had to admit the soft material felt good as he squeezed her against himself. Her head lay on his bicep, her hair as soft as the fabric of the costume. He sniffed the floral sweet smell from her hair and closed his eyes. And he wondered again, did it matter if she loved him only because she had to? He could sleep with her spooning against him for the rest of his life. He now didn''t ever want to not have her snuggled against him when he slept. As he lay there, his awareness of everything else in the world except her falling away from his mind, he asked, "did you have fun tonight, Sweety?"


    "Oh, yes Master. Thank you for showing me how wonderful your world is." She said softly. "I''m sorry for all the trouble that happened because of me, Master." He felt moisture on his arm and Alex realized tears were running down her cheeks. Her hands gripped his hand tighter and he tried to squeeze back reassuringly.


    "It''s ok. I don''t care about that. I won''t let anything bad happen to you Sweety, I promise."


    Lucy yawned as she came downstairs to the kitchen in her lycra booty shorts and sports bra. The sound of her bare feet slapping on the wood made her remember the soft ''pitter pat'' Alex''s magical little girlfriend made as she walked. A pang of jealousy gripped her stomach. Lucy could never think of herself as ''heavy'', but that dainty little doll of a girl made feel like she must sound like a troll stomping across the floor in comparison. Ok that''s enough, she thought, I refuse to start being jealous of my brother''s little sex doll.


    Lucy reached the fridge and grabbed a bottle of juice to slake her thirst. As she drank a bloop, bloop sound began to emanate from the sink. Water began to back flow, filling the bottom of the basin. The water quickly went from clear to murky before a deep black ichor began to pile up on top of the drain.


    "Shit," swore Lucy. She dug under the sink trying to find the plunger. "Don''t be sewage, don''t be sewage."


    As she dug the mound sprouted red eyes and long pointed ears. Then long lanky arms tipped in claws and stumpy legs. As Lucy stood up, the elusive plunger finally in her hands, the creature opened a mouth full of needle-like teeth and screeched at her.


    Lucy embarrassingly screamed like a stereotypical girl but still swung the plunger, sending the thing sailing across the kitchen. It impacted with the stove and splattered back into ichor that oozed down the front of the stove.


    Two more of the creatures were already forming in the sink. Lucy drove the plunger into the sink squashing the little buggers back into oozing muck. She pushed down on the handle, collapsing the cup and holding the plunger on the drain with the suction. The pipes in the ceiling above her groaned and Lucy realized there were more drains than just this one.


    "Shit," she cried, making a beeline to the front door. She pulled out the ball bat she kept in the umbrella stand for ''security'' and headed up the stairs. "Alex!"


    There were already four more in the hall headed for Alex''s room and another one dropped out of the bathroom sink.


    She reached the top floor and brought the bat down on the newest creature to emerge with a splat. She looked back down the hall and saw two already trying to squeeze under Alex''s door. "Alex!" She screamed again.


    Alex was drawn from a dream of floating on a cloud, laying on his back. Sweety was sitting on top of him, a golden light showering off of her, her hands on his chest in a look of pure contentment with his hands on her hips, touching her bare skin. Again a cry of "Alex!" Broke through the haze of dream. He opened his eyes with Sweety still cuddled against his stomach.


    A rotten stench permeated the room. There was something oozing under the door. "What the.." Alex threw a shield against the bottom of the door, but the ooze flowed around it. Alex sat up as the ooze formed into feral creatures. He threw another shield and pinned one against the door. "I¡­ I can''t stop them."


    Sweety leaned against him and held her arm perpendicular to his. She moved her hand in as he did for the beginning of the Luminous and Stallos spells but ended it in a different pattern. "Arcos, Master"


    The second beast began a clumsily run toward the bed screeching, as Alex''s hand performed the new configurations.


    The Plasmos formed but this time it streaked out in a jagged pattern like a bolt of lightning. The energy impacted the thing causing it to pop like an ink filled water balloon. Freed from the shield by Alex casting another spell, the first beast screamed and began its awkward charge.


    The door behind it swung open and Lucy brought the bat down on it with a splat. "They''re coming up out of the drains!" She said urgently, "come on, we gotta go!"


    Alex jumped from the bed, grabbing Sweety by the hand and they dashed for the hall. As they ran down the hall to the stairs they could see that there were dozens of the small creatures now, coming from the bathroom, the kitchen and headed for the stairs.


    "Oh, I hate these little creeps!" Screamed Lucy.


    "Stand back." Said Alex, stepping in front of his sister. He rapidly went through the configuration and released a bolt, clearing out the few who had made it to the stairs and sending the others running for the moment.


    The three made it to the door, getting it open as fast as they could as the monsters were already regrouping and preparing to give chase once more. As they raced from the house, beasties at the heel, the green Mustang roared to a stop in the street. Calief popped out, sitting on the window, "get in the car, hurry!" She leaned across the top of the car and opened fire with one of her massive pistols. Bullets whizzed by the trio as pursuing monsters splattered under the impact of .50 caliber slugs.


    "Hey, hey, hey!" Screamed Lucy as she ran for the muscle car. She opened the door and let Alex and Sweety dive into the back seat. "Are you trying to hit us?"she yelled as she dropped in the seat and closed the door.


    "If I was trying to hit you," spat back the blond, as she dropped back in the driver''s seat, jammed the car into gear and spun out. "I would have hit you."


    The car rocketed down the street leaving the little creatures screeching and howling as they sped away.


    "What the hell were those?" Gasped Lucy, trying to lower her heart rate.


    "Golgotham," answered Calief. She looked over at Lucy. Someone really hates you guys."


    "Gol-what?" Lucy asked.


    "Golgotham," the woman repeated, "shit demons."


    "Oh god, my house," Whined Lucy, "my house is ruined.


    "At least you guys are alive" Calief consoled, as she patted Lucy''s knee just before shifting again.


    "Thanks to you." said Lucy softly. "How did you know we were in trouble?"


    Without taking her eyes off the road, Calief lifted a wrist to reveal a bracelet with a gem that was glowing red. "The card I left you, on your coffee table back there, it detected an incursion."


    "So you have been watching over us." Lucy felt suddenly hot for some reason. Her cheeks burned strangely as she sat in the seat. Her cheeks and other things.


    "I got you your meeting," she directed at Alex in the back seat, "it''s with Master Balthazar. He''s the research chair for the order."


    "Thank you," said Alex, "we appreciate your help Calief."


    Calief smiled at him through the rear view mirror. "You can call me Calie. But you all can''t see one of the masters of the order in your pajamas. We need to make a stop."

 Part 6

    F


    LITERATURE


    Familiar part 6


    No AI


    Literature Text


    An original story by me


    They made a somewhat un-legal stop at a store that may or may not have been technically open. Calie kept watch while they found clothing. That is after she had to get them to stop bickering over who would pick out Sweety''s clothes. Calie managed to end it with, "Alex, do you really feel qualified to choose girl''s clothes?"


    "Just please, stop sexing her up just to get to me." He conceded, before jogging to the guys section.


    Alex was half relieved when he saw his sister, much like himself, made due with jeans and a t-shirt with athletic shoes. This was dashed however, when Sweety appeared also in little pink gym shoes but also knee high white socks, a short plaid schoolgirl skirt and pink midriff tee that proclaimed ''SWEET'' in big silk screened letters.


    "Lucy." He said, exasperated.


    "What? She is decent but still cute." Her smile got even more mischievous, "besides, she picked that out herself."


    "How do I look, Master?"


    "Adorable, Sweety." He said softly to her. He turned to Lucy, "great, you''re rubbing off on her," and took Sweety by the hand.


    "People, we have to go." Said the large blonde, "At least she''s not in a fetish outfit anymore."


    They drove outside the city from there, Alex felt lost as the highway twisted higher and higher through peaks covered dense trees. Eventually the road bore signs proclaiming ''Private Drive''. Ahead loomed the spires and turrets of an old manor house built of pure marble. The house was built into the side of the rock hinting it went deeper than the building suggested. The sign on the gate simply said ''Library''.


    The Mustang pulled up into one of only a dozen spots meant to park in. "Not big on visitors?" Asked Alex.


    "This is not a public library, only Arcanists are allowed to enter or even know about it." Said Calie as they walked up the marble steps. Calie opened the large doors that reminded Alex of a castle gate.


    Yet another tall woman, a brunette this time, dressed in a conservative skirt and white button up blouse, and even half glasses on a cord around her neck, addressed them from behind a desk. "Members only are allowed¡­ Oh, Calief." She cut herself off as she saw Calie.


    The room was a large lobby supported by marble pillars with large metal double doors on either side and curved marble stairs wrapping the desk like wings. Behind the desk a marble statue of a roman-ish warrior holding a spear pointed at the spot in front of the desk like he was going to impale anyone returning books late. Behind him was an angel, wings spread wide so their tips touched the top of the stair rails.


    "They''re with me, Gabriella." She answered, taking a hard right and not stopping while she addressed the librarian. "They have a meeting with Master Balthazar." And she shoved open the two metal doors in front of her.


    "G-good to see¡­ you again." She said quietly to an already disappearing Calie.


    The next room was filled with books. They lined the walls to the ceiling up four stories, with catwalks and those rolling ladders attached above the shelves. A maze of free standing shelves filled the center under the balconies. Daylight filtered down from a glass dome at the top of the tower through catwalks crossing from the five balconies above.


    "I have never seen a library so big." Gasped Alex.


    "This is just the modern wing. Everything newer than 1500 AD." Explained Calie as they began ascending the stairs to the next level. "Literature older than that is on the other side. And the Alexandria section is in the basement."


    They reached the next level and crossed one of the catwalks back toward the main building.


    "Alexandria, as in the Library of Alexandria?" Exclaimed Alex.


    "Master Balthazar saved it while the city was burning." Smiled Calie "Arcanists have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."


    Calie passed by the next set of stairs up to push open two doors back into the main building. It was a large room with tables and three college aged men scattered about on them, pouring over books.


    "How did he manage that? That was thousands of years ago." Said Lucy.


    "Because l was there." Said the man who stepped out from behind a set of shelves. He was old, but the kind of old that made it hard to place exactly how old. Could be fifty, could be a hundred, or as he just alluded could be thousands. His face was cragged with age but his hair still jet black. "Calief, tells me you are the Angelicos children. Your grandfather was a member of this order."


    "We''re not children." Snapped Lucy.


    "Of course," came the baritone reply, "my mistake. At my age, my dear, everyone I meet seems like children." He turned to look at Sweety. "And the familiar. Excellent work my boy." He said to Alex. "I can count on one hand the arcanists who have been able to summon a humanoid familiar."


    "Is it that rare?" Asked Alex.


    "Indeed," said Balthazar.


    "I have to report to Master Quan." Said Calie. "I''ll find you guys when you''re done." She took her leave. Alex and Balthazar began to walk down the aisles of shelves already engaged in conversation, Sweety in tow. Lucy watched Calie leave, turned to watch her brother walk off for a minute and turned to follow Calie.


    Lucy hurried to catch the blonde as she reached the front desk and began to enter the door on its right side.


    Again the librarian began to protest, "access to there is restricted I''m afraid."


    Calie turned to look at the redhead almost as if she were working out a puzzle and finally said, "its ok, Gabriella. I think she will be fine." She waved Lucy through the door before her, "come on."


    Marble stairs descended in a gentle curve to the right, the way lit by ancient looking sconces that Lucy noticed were actually lit by modern LED lights. On the stairs they passed yet another woman. She was just barely taller than Lucy, but she was jacked. Muscles coiled on her arms, wide shoulders, and thighs that strained the black fatigues she wore. Her whole outfit in fact screamed covert military. You might even be unsure she was a woman if it weren''t for her breasts. She seemed to have found a way to work out her mammaries as well as the pecs underneath. Her raven black hair was cut short with shaved sides and the bulk of the top flipped over the left side hanging even with her ear. Calie and the woman exchanged only cold stares as they passed. The woman gave Lucy only a quick glance, as if she wasn''t worth her time, and smirked.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Bitch," muttered Calie quietly.


    The stairs ended in a large gymnasium type of room. The floor was padded in the center and racks of weapons, both wooden practice and frighteningly real metal lined the walls in racks. On a raised dais at the head of the room stood an asian woman with a falcon or some other bird of prey on her arm.


    Calie approached and dropped to one knee, one hand on the knee the other in a fist on the mat and her head kept in a bowed position. Lucy, unsure of the protocol for her, did the same.


    "Master Quan." Stated Calie respectfully.


    "Calief," she replied stoically. The unusual pause after she spoke forced Calie to glance up and see that she was looking at Lucy.


    "Oh, um¡­Luccia Angelicos, ma''am." Quickly added Calie.


    "Ah, miss Angelicos. Your brother is the one who has the order in a tizzy over a neophyte managing to summon a familiar." She stroked the neck feathers of the bird and addressed it in that baby tone pet owners sometimes use on their pets. "Nothing special about that is there? Is there Tyrria?"


    "HIS familiar is human." Interjected Lucy, immediately regretting speaking up for some reason. But she had insulted Alex''s abilities and in some way insulted Sweety. And Lucy did like her. Alot. The small girl felt to Lucy like a little sister. "I understand that is a rarity in your world."


    Master Quan sighed, "I never saw the point in a humanoid familiar. Seems like waste having to drag another human around with you. No flight or quadropedialspeed, no natural weapons or defenses, not really useful to an arcanist" She looked down at the still bowing Calie, "fine, report."


    Calie stood, legs straight and hands behind her back and Lucy followed suit. "Whoever is snatching familiars is summoning demons to do it. I¡­" she glanced at Lucy when she paused, "we have already encountered hellhounds and golgotham. Whoever they are desperate to get to get their hands on Sweety."


    The master raised an eyebrow, "Sweety?"


    "He was apparently expecting a cat or bird?" Said Calie, with a confirming look at Lucy, who nodded and bit her lip nervously.


    "No, I like it. It''s kind of adorable." Master Quan actually smiled.


    "Trust me, when you meet her you''ll see that it''s fitting." Replied Calie.


    "Looking forward to it," said the asian woman. She turned to Lucy, "but I am also pleased to meet you Luccia." That same amused smile turned toward Lucy. "I understand you are somewhat of a prodigy in the¡­ physical arts."


    "I''m good at sports." She retorted.


    "Oh, more than good I understand. Tell me, have you ever not been an allstar or MVP?" She kept a questioning eye on the nervous redhead.


    "Not since I have been little."


    "Wonderful," said master Quan, "I would be interested in seeing what you are really capable of." She ended that comment with a knowing glance at Calie. The tall blonde gave a quick nod and turned to stride towards a rack of the wooden weapons.


    Lucy turned back to the lady arcanist, "so guess you are proof women CAN be arcanists too." She pictured herself doing magic like her brother.


    "Yes," smiled Quan at the direction of her questioning. "You see yourself as a powerful spell caster?"


    Lucy was already smiling at the thought. "Well if my brother can do it¡­"


    "Yes I am an arcanist, but my duty in the order is as master of the nephilim."


    "Nephilim?" Asked Lucy, "like, as in half angels?"


    "Like Calief here." She replied. "When you are born with divine blood it can either manifest as arcanum," the woman twirled her hand by her head causing lights to swirl around her, "or nephilim." She then nodded to Calie standing behind her.


    Calie held four short rattan staves, two in each hand and tossed two to Lucy. "Let''s see what Luccia Angelicos is capable of."


    Lucy caught the sticks and twirled them into a fighting grip.


    "Is it all sports, or do you know how to fight too?" Asked the blonde, readying her staves. She swung one at Lucy''s head only to meet one of Lucy''s sticks. Lucy swung with her off hand catching Calie''s other staff in a wooden clack just to spin and bring a foot up at the blonde to be parried on her forearm.


    "Dad had me learning Krav Maga by the time I was in middle school." Grinned Lucy, wiggling her eyebrows at the other woman.


    Back and forth the ladies traded blows. Strikes and parries echoed in the practice chamber, as the two danced with martial prowess.


    "So, you''re an angel?" Said Lucy panting, in what could have been an attempt to distract her.


    "A nephilim," she replied, unnervingly less out of breath than Lucy. "Dad was an arcanist, mom was an angel." She swung at Lucy''s legs but she leapt up and over the pole bringing hers down in retaliation that the blonde just blocked with her off hand staff. "Like it usually works out. Same old story. Guys and their¡­ appetites." Calie pushed back, tossing Lucy to the side forcing her to roll up to her feet.


    "No hunky guy angels in these stories?" Asked Lucy, squaring up again.


    "All angels are feminine." Answered Calie. The two traded blows one after another, high, low, low, high, all ending in parries.


    "Wait, really?" Questioned Lucy, hopping back from the blonde woman. "No guy angels. What about Michael, Lucifer, or Gabriel?"


    Calie laughed, "I think you mean Michelle, and Gabriella. And Lucifer IS a female name, Luccia. You have to consider how things were translated. Languages are never perfect matches. Plus male scholars and misogyny." She closed the distance and set Lucy back on defense. "Angels are love personified, and love is feminine. So all angels are feminine, and all nephilim are female."


    The spar continued for a few more minutes before a quick sweep of the legs brought the defiant redhead to the ground. Calie pounced and placed her sticks on either side of Lucy''s neck. "Not bad. Some more formal training and you could be a force to be reckoned with."


    "Aren''t you charming," spat Lucy, as Calie stood up, offering her a hand. "You must have to beat the guys off with those sticks."


    "I don''t swing that way." Whispered Calie, as she pulled Lucy from the floor and pressed her lips to hers.


    Lucy''s eyes opened wide in shock. Lucy never really dated guys. She fooled around with a few, flirted with them to get something she wanted. She had even jokingly flirted with other girls, even danced with them for fun. She was never a ''relationship'' kind of person. She hadn''t been prepared for the feeling of another woman''s lips on hers. She was even less prepared to realize she was kissing her back. A string of saliva momentarily stretched between their lips as they broke from a kiss that was way more hot and wet than Lucy had anticipated. Lucy was flush and struggling to catch her breath.


    Calie casually turned and walked away toward a door in one of the side walls, "I''m going to take a shower." She stopped as she opened the door. "You''re welcome to join me if you need one as well."


    Lucy looked back at the master who was already exiting through a door behind the dias.


    Alex walked through the library with master Balthazar, talking magic, the history of the order and finally about familiars. The order apparently started thousands of years ago when angels freely interbred with mortals, and down the bloodlines arcanists and nephilim still popped up when the mixing of blood was strong enough.


    "So familiars are angels?" Asked Alex, after fully taking in the lecture he just received from Balthazar.


    "While their progeny, the nephilim can walk the Earth easily, angels can only exist in our realm for a short time when summoned. The exception is if they agree to take mortal form. If the arcanist has a noble cause, a great destiny, or the angel believes in them enough they will become an animal companion and guide for the short time humans generally live. This is to serve and protect that arcanist in their goal or destiny." Spewed the old man, like a college professor giving a lecture.


    "And why do they sometimes become human?" Alex asked with great trepidation. He was genuinely frightened of what the answer might be. Did he do something wrong? He looked at Sweety walking quietly behind them. She was an angel. He could certainly believe that. And now was she trapped in that form, forced to serve his every need?


    "Truthfully, it happens so infrequently we have never really been sure why they sometimes manifest as humans." He said as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He looked at Alex sternly now, almost like he just realized he was there this whole time. "Do you realize the power you are holding right now, my boy?" The way he emphasized boy, made Alex feel insignificant.


    They had walked all the way up the first tower and crossed over somehow when talking. Now they were on the first floor of the other tower in the older section. Most of this library was scrolls and old stone tablets. Old, he thought. Sweety looked young, seemed sweet and innocent, but she was an ancient celestial being. Something that made him seem like an ant in comparison. Trapped as a slave, bound to his will. He had no right to own her. He had seen her individuality emerge last night. She was a person, she could think and make decisions for herself, and he held her captive now.


    A knot grew in his stomach from the guilt, and on cue Sweety took his hand in hers. "Master, you are distraught. Let me help you."


    "Damn it Sweety," he shouted, more forcefully than he had intended. He pulled his hand out of hers with a jerk. "I don''t want to be your master! I never did! I should never have summoned you!"


    He could see the impact of what he said in her face, her eyes streamed tears and he regretted it instantly. "I''m sorry, Master! I never meant to disappoint you!" She bawled. Sweety buried her face in her hands, turned and ran out through the doors to the lobby.


    Alex immediately knew how horrible what he said was. She never ran away from him before. She always tried to be as close to him as possible. What he had said really hurt her badly. He didn''t mean what he said as a rejection of her. Just ownership of her. "Sweety!" He cried as he ran after her. But she was fast, and she was already leaving him far behind.


    Balthazar watched the two flee the library and a smile creaked across his withered face. "Now." He said to a figure hidden among the bookshelves.


    "Alex?" Said Lucy confused, as she and Calie were exiting the training area into the lobby to see Alex dash by them and out the front doors.


    "Sweety!" He screamed after her as she passed the parking lot and into a field beyond still crying uncontrollably.


    The asphalt erupted into four hellhounds as he reached the end of the lot. He was blocked from her by the snarling beasts. Without needing to even think about it anymore, he cast the spell and shoved two of them out of the way. He was still forced to stop and raise his shield as the other two snapped and swiped at him. In the distance, the ground burst beneath the familiar, releasing a brass cage in the shape of a ball that closed around Sweety like a fist. A tall dark muscular woman strode onto the field toward the cage.


    "No!" Screamed Alex as he launched bolts of plasma at her only to have the hounds move between them to block the shots. Bullets suddenly slammed against the hellhounds, driving them back as Lucy and Calie dashed across the parking lot to reach Alex. The woman in black reached the cage and raised an arm sporting a golden bracelet. She placed the opposite hand on the cage and the gem in the bangle flashed as the woman and the cage containing the captured familiar disappeared.


    "Sweety!" Screamed Alex, long and drawn out till he was out of breath and his throat ached.


    Lucy reached her brother and threw her arms around him. He buried his face in his sister''s shoulder and wept in big gasping sobs.


    "Damn it!" Screamed Calie. "That bitch!" She began pacing "I''m sorry Lucy, I''m so sorry Alex. I led you right to them. I was so stupid." The blonde, stoic and serious till now, was on the verge of tears herself.


    "Wasn''t that the bitch from the stairs?" Asked Lucy, her brother still crying in her arms.


    "Azriel," she confirmed. "She''s the right hand of Balthazar, the man I brought you here to see. The man who has obviously been behind this all along."


    "Where does he live?" Came the muffled voice from Lucy''s grasp. She let her brother go, tears gone and rage filling his eyes. "Do you know where to find him, Calie?"


    "I do," she said, reflexively coming to attention.


    "Good," he said, "then we are going to get her back."

 Part 7

    Cue dramatic gear up sequence, thought Lucy, but not out loud. Snark and sarcasm was how she dealt with pain, but she could see the pain her brother was in. She had never seen Alex hurting this bad.


    They had reported the facts to master Quan and she had agreed, after they gathered themselves, to transport them to Balthazar''s sanctum. "The master of research has some things to answer for." She stated.


    Calie grabbed ammo to reload her pistols, handed Lucy a stachel while asking, "you played baseball right?" The bag was full with little glass balls filled with water. "Holy water bombs. It sends most demons back to hell, but you have to pierce the skin, or shell, or whatever it is around them first." Lastly, the blonde handed Lucy a big baseball bat like club covered in metal studs. "And a tetsubo, for up close problems."


    She presented Alex with a blue robe with gold trim and symbols in gold thread etched into it.


    "Nice," smiled master Quan, "you look like a true arcanist now."


    "Would you like a weapon?" Asked Calie.


    Alex wiggled his fingers and white balls of light filled his hands. "Thanks, I got it covered."


    Calie took position in front of the siblings. "Balthazar''s sanctum is on the top floor of a high security high-rise. He''s warded it against transport in and he has lower worlder security on the lower levels." The blonde paced back and forth before them, hands behind her back. "We have to pierce his mundane security, enter his sanctum, get past whatever mystic security he has and save your girlfriend before he does whatever he plans to do with her."


    "Easy," said Alex, with a cold stare that just radiated anger, "he''s been keeping himself alive with them. He''s been stealing their energy to extend his life. If the energy I feel when I kiss Sweety is typical, I can understand how he''s been alive for centuries."


    "Then we have to get going." Said Lucy, amazed at how fast her brother was understanding how things in this magical world worked. "We can''t leave her with him a second longer than we have to."


    She looked up at master Quan and nodded. The asian woman nodded back and went through a complicated dance of motions as air around her filled with light. The light swirled, then the air between them shimmered and tore the universe asunder, revealing a scene of a street in front of an old building in the city inside the tear.


    The trio dashed through the tear in reality to step out into the street in front of Balthazar''s building. After they left, master Quan looked at Tyrria, perched on her arm as if pondering something. She hesitantly leaned in towards the bird of prey and unsurely kissed the bird on the beak. Her look became more confused as nothing happened and the arcanist simply shook her head.


    Two serious looking men in suits stood in front of the entrance to the building. They wore sunglasses, earpieces, the works. Calie pulled the two behind a car on the opposite side of the street.


    ¡°Ok, we need a plan. There has to be another way inside.¡± she said. Lucy looked at her intently but Alex¡¯s eyes were locked on the front doors, fuming with hate.


    He stepped out from behind the car, ¡°we don¡¯t have time for this. She¡¯s scared, she¡¯s in danger and she needs me.¡± He strode toward the doors with more confidence than Lucy had ever seen her brother extrude in his life. His hands weaved the magic and pulled apart violently, sending the two henchmen flying off their feet to collide with the support columns of the building¡¯s overhang. Lucy smiled and ran after her brother.


    ¡°Or directly assaulting the enemy stronghold is an option I guess,¡¯ sighed Calie, rushing to catch up with the two.


    Alex stepped inside the lobby, rows of greek columns lined the polished floor of the building. Six men filed out from behind them down the rows pulling out guns. Alex summoned his shield just as bullets collided with it. Calie and Lucy were dragging the two unconscious guards inside as Alex was being forced back by the impact of the ammunition on his shield. Calie dropped her guard to the side of the door and stepped up beside Alex inside his shield, pulling out one of her heavy pistols. She leaned around the edge of the energy barrier and unloaded a clip at the hired guns. The men were forced to take cover from the hail of .50 caliber rounds. Lucy grabbed the two 9mm pistols the guards had in their jackets before joining them.


    ¡°Start moving forward,¡± snapped Calie to Alex before adding with a hint of venom, ¡°since you threw away our element of surprise.¡± Alex began to walk at the men, now randomly firing snap shots at the advancing arcanist from the cover of the stone columns. Calie looked to Lucy, ¡°follow my lead,¡¯ and began weaving around the pillars as the three moved up on the guards. They fired shots at the guards that attempted to use the sidewall channels to get to them, keeping the mercenaries pinned. They weaved to the sides in front of one column to swoop back to Alex behind another. Alex continued forward, hot lead bouncing off his barrier as the precision shots from the ladies kept the men from advancing on them. Lucy kept half an eye on Calie, watching for changes in her approach. Like a Soccer guard watching the feet of the center with the ball for sudden changes in direction. When they reached the pillars before the squad¡¯s hold out they broke the weaving pattern forcing the side guards to the front of the columns as they came around back.


    Calie cracked hers in the side of the head with the butt of the pistol, sending him crumpling to the floor. Lucy pulled the triggers of her pistols to the sound of disappointing clicks, so she dashed up on the guard as he brought his gun to bear and drove her knee under his chin. There was a resounding crack as the man tumbled backward, sprawled at the feet of the rest of his squad. Calie put a bullet in one of the remaining four before the rest dropped down twitching under an onslaught of Alex¡¯s luminos lightning.


    They stood looking at the elevator doors sitting in the end of the lobby, ¡°going up, I guess?¡± said Lucy just before the doors exploded in fire and molten metal. The hellhound stepped from the wreckage and roared.


    Sweety sat weeping and terrified in the cage, suspended above a diagram etched into the floor. It was similar to the circle her master had used to summon her. She hung on a raised balcony serviced by two sets of curved stairs. Light creeped into the room from cracks in large shuttered windows that lined the lower floor and reached up to where her cage hung. Sweety could see just over the banister to the floor of the next level that there was a corresponding circle on the floor below. On a large ornate wooden table between the circle and what Sweety thought must be the doors out of this room he was preparing a ritual. The man who her master was speaking to in the library. Just before¡­ she thought, as the emotions welled within her once more.. just before Master told her he didn¡¯t want her. The tiny girl was wracked with sobs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall any of the others crying.¡± He said with a partial glance over one shoulder. ¡°But of course they were all beasts. No¡­humanity in them to feel the sting of betrayal. No ability to feel abandonment or loneliness.¡± he turned to look up at her, distracted from his task by this sudden philosophical puzzle. ¡°But worry not my dear, I have a use for you. I have never used a humanoid familiar in the process. Theoretically, the energy you contain will keep me sustained for¡­¡± he paused trying to work out a formula for her potential, ¡°well, a very long time.¡±


    He returned to finalizing the ritual at his work table and Sweety returned to crying uncontrollably, her tears running out of her hands and soaking her pink t-shirt.


    ¡°Scatter!¡± commanded Calie. She flicked her right arm out straight causing flames to wreath her arm from her elbow down, coalescing once again into a sword of golden light. She fired off two shots to the beast¡¯s head to get its attention and flanked right to draw it away from the siblings. The hound leapt at the nephilim but its momentum was cut short by an arc of luminos wrapped around one of its back legs. It crashed to the marble floor, rending huge cracks in the lobby. Alex moved his arm in a widening circle wrapping the demon up in arcs of energy like a cowboy at a rodeo. Lucy charged in, leaping into the air and driving her large club down on the monster¡¯s head with a satisfying crack. Calief ran into the fray, leaping over the hound and dragging her blade across its back, splitting the molten marble open to reveal the raging inferno within.


    ¡°Bombs!¡± screamed Calie at Lucy, breaking the redhead¡¯s focus on continuing to bash its head in.


    Lucy fished into her satchel and withdrew a glass ball filled with water. She slammed it down into the wound inflicted by calie¡¯s sword and it shattered. Steam poured out of the beast¡¯s fissures as the glowing light faded and it crumbled to chunks of rock as it let out an enraged howl. They looked at the broken and melted elevator, and realized the ease at which they defeated the hound was inconsequential because it had achieved its goal of cutting them off from the lift.


    ¡°Stairs, now!¡¯ yelled Calie, bounding to a door on the right of the elevator. The women bounded up the steps two at a time and were leaving the second floor by the time Alex rached the stairwell. He looked up the centerwell to the top floor ten flights up.


    ¡°Screw this noise,¡± he said in not quite a whisper and weaved the magic with his hands once again. Arms at his sides, a flick of his wrists sent him sailing up the center of the stairwell.


    He passed the girls as they were leaving the fourth floor landing. ¡°Cheater,¡± Said Lucy, ¡°you rotten little cheater!¡± She added, continuing to race up the steps.


    ¡°Wait for us at the top Alex,¡± yelled Calie, ¡°do NOT go in by yourself till we catch up!¡±


    Alex landed at the top, and against orders cracked the door open. Inside the woman that took Sweety sat on top of a desk obviously meant for a secretary or receptionist of some sort. In front of her stood two more hounds growling and snapping at the elevator doors.


    ¡°The bitch is back¡± he said as the ladies reached the top floor. ¡°And two more dogs.¡±


    ¡°Azriel,¡± spat Calie. ¡°Leave her to me, you two save the familiar¡±


    Lucy reached the top and panted mildly, ¡°Damn, I guess I¡¯m out of shape.¡±


    ¡°Your shape looks fine to me,¡± said the blonde, running her hand across Lucy¡¯s rear end and causing her to jump slightly as she headed out the door.


    Lucy felt her face warm and turned to her brother looking at her suspiciously. ¡°What was that?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she deflected.


    ¡°Then why are your cheeks as red as your hair?¡±


    ¡°It is nothing,¡± she replied flatly and followed the blonde out the door.


    Calief strode from the stairwell raising both hand cannons to open fire on the dark haired Nephilim. The woman rolled off the desk and took cover behind the thick wood.


    ¡°Ssssssst¡±, hissed Azriel and the hounds sprung to life bounding at Calie. The fairer Nephilim refocused, unloading rounds into the approaching demon dogs.


    Something screamed past Calie¡¯s head. A holy water ball impacted into the open mouth of one of the hellhounds, causing steam to pour out of the beast and it to shatter. Lucy had hit it square in the back of the throat and by passed its shell. The second dog attempted to pounce on the blonde only to be thrown against the wall near the elevator.


    ¡°Go, you two,¡± yelled Calie, rushing Azriel, ¡°save Sweety!¡±


    The Nephilim snapped out her sword again and swung down on the muscular woman. The brunette quickly summoned her sword and blocked Calie¡¯s blade causing golden sparks to shower across the room. Alex and Lucy ran for the large double doors at the end of the floor. The recovered hellhound quickly overtook them, leaping over both their heads to block them from the next room. It opened its smoldering maw and belched out flames that Alex barely had time to raise a shield to stop. Flames roared around the shield making Lucy have to crouch behind her brother to avoid the licking flames.


    Alex pushed back on the shield as the hounds breath tried to shove them back. ¡°You know, if you want to tap that,¡± he said staining, as he nodded his head toward Calie fighting azriel, ¡°as your brother I¡¯m in complete support of whatever lifestyle you wish to pursue.¡±


    ¡°One,¡± screamed Lucy over the roaring flames as she began to push on her brother to support him, ¡°my lifestyle is none of your business. Two¡­,¡± her voice suddenly getting quieter, ¡° I¡­may have¡­already¡­done that.¡±


    The arcanist finished his preparations and stepped into the second circle on the lower floor. He raised his hands chanting and forming complex patterns in the air. The mystic circles lit up as energy arced from Sweety in her cage to the floor below her. The arcanist¡¯s circle began to grow in brightness as Sweet screamed.


    Sweety¡¯s scream pierced the thick doors on the other side of the large room and overpowered the sound of the flames. ¡°SWEETY!¡± screamed Alex. He felt her. He felt her pain, her despair, all the turmoil he had caused her with his ill chosen words. The bottom of his stomach dropped away from his body, and rage boiled in the pit it left. Without summoning the first stage of the luminos, Alex converted the shield into an arcos blast and fed all of his hatred into the spell. For himself for hurting Sweety with what he did¡­ and what he didn¡¯t say, for Baltazar for what he planned to do to her, and for this damned dog FOR KEEPING HIM FROM HER! The arc ripped through the torrent of flames and slammed into its open mouth. The molten body of the hound bubbled and swelled, finally exploding under the unfathomable power of the anger charged spell. The heavy wooden doors behind the demon incinerated, blowing chunks of charred and shattered door into the room. The older arcanist turned to see what had so brazenly pierced his inner sanctum.


    Alex was spent. He was tired and drained and his body ached. But he didn¡¯t let his sister see. With all the false strength he could muster, he looked his sister in the eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll handle Balthazar, get Sweety out of here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, not buying the macho bullcrap spilling out of her brother¡¯s mouth. ¡°No Alex. we can do better helping¡­¡±


    ¡°LUCY,¡± he said, drawing on his father¡¯s tone once again causing a shiver down her spine. ¡°Promise me you will get her out of here. Don¡¯t worry about me. You make sure she¡¯s safe first. Promise me!¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she spat back, ¡°then you will promise me, when you get her back you will tell her you love her. You will tell her how you feel.¡± a tear slid down her cheek as she continued. ¡°Don¡¯t push her to the side, Do not question what you have. Just tell her what she means to you. Promise me!¡±


    Her brother nodded and the two entered the shattered doorway.


    Balthazar stood in the circle behind the heavy work table, and Alex knew he was too weak to last long so he had to take the offensive while he could. While Lucy went right as soon as she crossed the threshold to skirt the edge of the room and reach the stairs, Alex went into his kata and shoved the whole table at the ancient arcanist. ¡°Keep away from her you bastard!¡± Balthazar raised a hand as the table sped at him, slowing its approach but still shoving him out of the circle before he managed to make it stop.


    ¡°Insolent whelp,¡± the man said, as he shoved the table to the side with a flick of his wrist, ¡°a neophyte like you has no chance against someone with my command of the mystic arts.¡±


    Balthazar raised his hand and opened it to release his plasmos. Alex got his shield up just in time, but the impact of the elder mystic left cracks visible in the shield. The arcanist¡¯s other hand quickly came up and a flick of a finger sent Alex flying back into the wall next to the destroyed door. ¡®Just keep talking¡¯ thought Alex as he watched Lucy out of the corner of his vision climb the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could. Struggling to his feet as fast as he could, he launched a luminos arc at Balthazar trying to keep his attention on him instead of his sister. The man flicked the strike to the side with a lazy flick of the hand.


    Sweety watched from the cage on the mezzanine. He had come for her. Her master was here, he did care. Her heart swelled but soon bagan falling again as the ancient arcanist flung the young man around like a ragdoll with a superior grasp of the art. She knew her master couldn¡¯t last long, and tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.


    Alex stood up again, muscle and bone aching only to have the man flick a wrist at him again. Blood sprayed from Alex¡¯s chest as a thin line opened up in his skin.


    ¡°Master!¡¯ Sweety screamed.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s concerned for you. How touching.¡± the old man taunted. Alex realized he didn¡¯t see her as a person. She, like the other familiars were things to him, resources, a source of power.


    ¡°She is not an IT!¡± Alex spat back at him. ¡°She is a person.¡±


    ¡°She is nothing more than bottled celestial power.¡± he continued, shooting another bolt at the boy that Alex was able to block with a shield this time. ¡°If you were really one of us you would understand that.¡¯


    ¡°If you can¡¯t understand she¡¯s a person with feelings and needs, then maybe I don¡¯t want to really be one of you.¡± Alex was struggling to keep the shield up under the old man¡¯s energy bolts. ¡°I am going to save her, or you¡¯ll kill me and our connection will be broken and she can go home. Either way she¡¯ll be free.¡±


    The arcanist stopped flicking bolts and fired a constant beam of power into Alex¡¯s shield. The boy strained to keep it up under the attack. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have to kill you to make you incapable of stopping me. And don¡¯t think I¡¯m unaware of your sister attempting to free the familiar. Even if they get away I can always find her again.¡±


    Lucy had made it to the cage, inside sat a wet and haggard Sweety. Her eyes were ringed in a sullen shadow and she looked even paler than usual. The drain had stopped but random arcs still jumped to the circle below. The creep was killing her, and it broke Lucy¡¯s heart to see her like this.


    ¡°Miss Lucy!¡± she whispered excitedly. ¡°Please get me out of here. Master needs me! I have to go to him!¡±


    Lucy looked over the cage; it looked like a foot thick bronze disc with five thick fingers curling up like a hand to close her into it. She didn''t see a lock, but the redhead figured the fingers were large enough, removing one should let Sweety slip out. Lucy raised the tetsubo and began driving it into the hinge at the bottom of one finger. The soft metal dented under the impact of the tempered club, but not by much.


    The girl was still crying, ¡°Please Miss Lucy, please. He needs me.¡± she sobbed over and over again. Lucy pounded the hinge, again and again, and the dent barely grew. Lucy grunted and screamed through gritted teeth, all semblance of stealth lost in her frustration. Sweety sniffed in as her rescuer continued in vain to destroy the cage. The familiar reached out a hand between the bars and touched Lucy gently on the shoulder. Lucy could feel her anger, not diminish, but temper. As if all her white hot rage focused through her muscles. The battle club struck the hinge this time and the brass shattered and tore, the weight of the finger bending and ripping the metal as it fell.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± panted lucy. ¡°Is that what you do for Alex?¡±


    Sweety dropped to the floor and struggled to stand. Still weak and looking like death. Lucy grabbed the tiny girl and held her up. Whatever she had given to Lucy, whatever power she transferred, it had weakened her even more. ¡°We have to get you out of here.¡¯


    ¡°I need to get to Master.¡± she said weakly. ¡°Miss Lucy, he needs me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly transfer more to him in your state.¡± said Lucy in shock, ¡°Sweety it could kill you.¡±


    Sweety gasped and looked over Lucy¡¯s shoulder toward the doors. ¡°Miss Lucy, Calie needs you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to get you to safety. Calie can take care of herself.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lucy, she¡¯s losing. She will not survive.¡±


    A cold weight settled in Lucy¡¯s gut. She had never had real relationships, this woman she had just met brought up feelings she never felt before. Below Alex was taking a beating, his shield barely holding. She lost both her parents less than a month ago, and now she faced losing more people she cared about. The fear gripped her heart so hard she didn¡¯t at first notice she was no longer holding Sweety up. When she realized the small weight of the girl wasn¡¯t there anymore, she looked around. The girl was gone. ¡®Damn, she thought, even at death¡¯s door she was fast¡¯. She looked down, torn between Calie and her brother. She bolted down the stairs. Sweety was going to help Alex, she rationalized, even if it cost her own life. It was Calie that needed her.


    Calief struggled to remain standing. The gash in her thigh was bleeding out onto the floor. She had gotten a few good licks in, the muscular woman was slashed on her forearm and she had given her a cut on her cheek. But the slash on Calie¡¯s bicep and hand, not to mention her thigh, were bleeding far worse than Azriel¡¯s wounds. She tried to brace herself on her sword blade but the angelic weapon bit into the marble floor and slid, cutting a large gash and dropping Calie on her face.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± taunted the gruff voice of Azriel, ¡°I heard you were supposed to be good Calief. But I guess I¡¯m just better.¡± The brunette raised her sword in both hands over her head for the killing blow. So focused on victory she didn¡¯t hear the foot falls coming up behind her. ¡°Your death will taste so sweet, Calief¡±


    Lucy ran as hard as she could, she had never ran so fast in her life. As she approached the back of Calie¡¯s tormentor she slid like she had a thousand times into base playing ball. As she glided between Azriel¡¯s feet on the polished marble floor, Lucy rolled over and slipped parallel to her blonde angel, digging in and popping up on one knee. As she did she grabbed at the golden sword laying in front of Calie¡¯s hand and thrusted up, Azriel¡¯s defenses abandoned for her coup de gras blow, and shoved the sword into her chest right below the woman¡¯s breast bone. The tip jutted out past her spine and suddenly evaporated like the light in a tube of neon when the power is cut.


    ¡°How?¡± Croaked Azriel, as the blood already dribbling from the corners of her mouth began to choke her throat. ¡°You can¡¯t touch¡­.¡± her eyes faded as the wet gurgling sigh escaped her lips and she crumpled to the ground.


    Lucy dropped to the ground beside Calie. She lifted the blonde¡¯s head and cradled her in her arms. ¡°It''s ok. You¡¯re going to be ok.¡± she cooed.


    Calie looked up at Lucy with a smile, ¡°I knew it. I was right about you.¡± she caressed her cheek with a bloody hand, leaving a streak that near perfectly matched Lucy¡¯s hair. ¡°You are so special Lucy.¡±


    ¡°Keep quiet.¡± whispered Lucy, having taken off her shirt and ripping it into strips. ¡°You are going to be fine. You are strong. I¡¯ll get you patched up and we can get out of here.¡± She sat there in just her sports bra, calie¡¯s head on her lap, binding her wounds with the tatters of her t-shirt. ¡°You can¡¯t leave me now, you have a friend now. You don¡¯t have to be alone anymore.¡± The nephilim¡¯s eyes closed and her body went limp. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me.¡± Lucy said softly, sobbing


    The tremendous energy of the arcanist slammed into Alex¡¯s shield. He was down on one knee struggling to keep it at bay. Cracks slowly formed in the energy disc and Alex pushed with all his might not to be shoved back. He strained as hard as he could but his muscles were failing, his magic was failing, and unless Lucy got Sweety out of here he would fail Sweety.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hold out forever neophyte. You don¡¯t have near the experience to face someone with centuries of training. Give up now and I may be merciful,¡± said the arcanist.


    Alex was on the verge of breaking, any second the shield would give way and the blast would destroy him. As long as Sweety was safe though, Alex didn¡¯t care what happened to him.


    ¡°Master.¡± he felt her hand on his shoulder, and his heart jumped into his throat.


    ¡°Sweety, you need to get out of here.¡± He said through gritted teeth. ¡°Lucy was supposed to get you out of here. Lucy!¡± he screamed to his sister, tears spilling down his face. ¡°Lucy, you were supposed to get her away from here!¡±


    ¡°Master, please,¡± she pleaded.


    ¡°How sweet,¡± chuckled Balthazar, ¡°I knew it would never leave without you. You have failed, boy.¡±


    Sweety crawled under his arms to bring her face up to his. ¡°Master, please Master, accept my love.¡±


    ¡°Please Sweety,¡± he begged, ¡°get away, run. I need to save you. I have to protect you¡±


    ¡°Please Master, take my love.¡± She finished in a soft whisper as her lips touched his.


    And once more the world went white.


    The blast wave hurled Balthazar back against the wall to the second level. It shook the building, shattered the discarded work table, blew out all the windows and cracked the marble walls and floor, even spreading cracks out to where Lucy held onto Calie. Lucy found herself screaming as the world around her trembled.


    When the light faded to the point Alex could once again see, his first sensation was the fear that gripped his heart to see that his arms were empty. Sweety wasn¡¯t in them. He looked around, ¡°Sweety?¡± he called searching for her. It wasn¡¯t till he looked up that he saw her, floating above him angelic in a brilliant white, flowing dress. The dress hung in the front and back in two pieces that started at her waist, exposing her thighs and the golden sandals that wrapped up her calves to her knees. Her lips were silver and almost mirror-like, and a gold mask like a half sun covered her eyes. The dress only came up her front to connect behind her neck leaving her back exposed as eight plasma-like arcs of light flowed out from her back. They flowed up above her head and then back down like wings. He followed the energy down and saw that the ends of the energy flowed into him. Only then did he realize that he was no longer tired, his body no longer ached. In fact, he felt better than he ever had before. He felt stronger, and charged in a way, like how he had after their kiss in the park.


    ¡°Do not worry, I am here Master.¡± she said in a strong commanding tone that rang like a bell when she spoke. Gone was her adorable babydoll voice, and he found, as awe inspiring as her new voice was, he missed it.


    Balthazar dug himself out of the chunks of rubble from the damaged wall behind him. Alex could see he was in pain, his right arm hung at an odd angle and a bone stuck out through the skin of his forearm.


    ¡°How,¡± were the first words he could muster at the sight before him, ¡°how can you be able to unlock its full potential? No one has ever accomplished it before.¡±


    ¡°Her!¡± said Alex forcefully. ¡°Because she is a person, not a thing.¡±


    ¡°Insolent whelp, you are still no match for me!¡± Balthazar sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t care how lucky you are with your magic, you still can¡¯t hope to stand against me! I have walked this Earth for thousands of years!¡±


    ¡°Stop it you fool, I don¡¯t want to fight you. You are in no condition.¡±


    The mage screamed and summoned up a plasmos with his one good hand.


    From above him came the musical voice of Sweety, ¡°let¡¯s kick his ass, Master!¡±


    The blast from the arcanist seared across the room and struck a shield Alex didn¡¯t have the time to put up. ¡°I¡¯ve got defense Master, you take offense.¡± said Sweety.


    Alex fired up his plasmos and the energy arced out of his hands and onto the floor like a sink overflowing. He swung the energy overhand and it flowed up the wall behind him, crossed the ceiling to the side of Sweety and slammed down on the broken mezzanine as Balthazar jumped to the side, splitting it open to the floor below and throwing up debris along its path. Balthazar flung bolt after bolt only to have them bounce off the shield or be smacked from the air by Alex¡¯s plasmos. He was wielding the two arcs like his video game character¡¯s whips. Alex then went back on the offensive, cracking the energy whips again and again. The ancient arcanist threw up shields as fast as he could only to have them shatter one after another. He drove the man back until he fell against the wall. Alex was about to order his surrender once again when the damaged wall gave way and Balthazar screamed as he plummeted down the side of the building.


    Sweety floated down, the mask fading away like it was never there and the wings dissipating as he caught her in his arms. The girl giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Oh Master, you do love me! You do!¡± Her sweet girly voice had returned.


    Tears welled up in his eyes, ¡°Of course I love you Sweety. I have loved you from the moment I first saw you. Nothing in the world could mean more to me than you do.¡± he squeezed her with all the strength he had and she drank it up, feeding on his love. ¡°I love you more than anything. I would die for you, I was willing to.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, Master¡± she squeaked, ¡°I wouldn''t survive without you.¡±


    ¡°But you would be free Sweety.¡± he whispered, still not letting her out of his embrace with tears in his eyes ¡° You could go home.¡±


    ¡°Why ever would I want that, Master?¡± she whispered back and nipped him on his ear. ¡°All I want is to love you, and have you love me back. I want to be with you always. Till your days on Earth are done and I carry you to heaven to be together for eternity.¡± She pulled her head back to look at him, her aquamarine eyes glowing and tears once more welling up in them.


    ¡°That¡¯s the most wonderful thing I could ever think of, Sweety. I want to spend eternity with you.¡± He pressed his lips to hers and felt her love once more, bathing the destroyed room in heavenly light.


    They walked out of the sanctum to find Lucy crying on the floor, holding Calie in her lap clutching her to her chest. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡± sobbed Lucy ¡°I was too late.¡±


    Sweety knelt down next to them. ¡°She is not gone, Miss Lucy, I can still feel her.¡± Sweety laid her hands upon Calie and light shone from her body and enveloped them both. The angelic dress faded away, leaving her original T-shirt and schoolgirl skirt.


    Calie¡¯s eyes fluttered open and she gasped as air flooded her lungs. ¡°Lucy?¡± she whispered as she beheld the redhead holding her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lucy nodded, tearfully ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± and gently kissed the blonde¡¯s soft lips.


    ¡°I rekindled her celestial spark. She will be fine, Miss Lucy.¡±


    ¡° We should go.¡± Said Alex. ¡°With what we did to the building, I¡¯m sure the authorities are on the way. Can you walk Calie?¡±


    The blonde wobbled to her feet with the help of Lucy. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± she touched her gold bracelet and the gem glowed blue once again.


    In front of the the air rippled once more as reality tore asunder and a portal opened back to the Library. And they limped through.


    The TV was on again and covering a suspected terrorist attack on a private building in a city hundereds of miles from their home.


    ¡°We do seem to be good at causing a lot of damage.¡± Quipped Lucy, as she nursed the nephilim¡¯s already mostly closed wounds from the couch. She had got the blonde down to her underwear to apply various ointments and bandages. Sweety had cleaned up the house following the golgotham attack in mere hours. Of course, Alex had insisted they help, except Calie since she was injured. But Sweety still outpaced them and did most of it. She even made dinner after, and when everyone was fed the two snuck up to their room while Lucy was tending to Calie.


    ¡°Ouch, I¡¯m fine.¡± whined Calie.


    ¡°Uh uh,¡± countered Lucy. ¡°I¡¯m not having your beautiful skin scared. That scared warrior thing might fly for that Bitch we killed, but I¡¯m keeping you in angelic perfection if I can help it.¡±


    ¡°Aw!¡± cooed Calie, sliding her lips across Lucy¡¯s and kissing her deeply. ¡°Speaking of angels¡­¡± her tone changing as they parted. ¡°You picked up my sword.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± asked Lucy, not following.


    ¡°Lucy, that sword is a piece of my soul. Only an angel or a Nephilim can create one.¡± she looked deeply in redhead¡¯s eyes and became annoyed when she realized the girl was still not getting it. ¡°And only one of those can hold one. Lucy, you are nephilim!¡±


    Lucy shook her head, ¡°no, I¡¯m not like you. I couldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on. You''re physically superior to everyone you¡¯ve ever known. Strong, athletic, graceful,¡± she grasped Lucy¡¯s chin gently and lined their eyes with each other¡¯s, ¡°breathtakingly beautiful.¡± and she kissed her again softly. ¡°You¡¯re a nephilim.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± asked Lucy.


    ¡°I suspected it from the start. I looked into it that first night. Your father wasn¡¯t in the order,¡± she paused, causing Lucy to mime the hurry up motion. ¡°But he was an arcanist. And I suspect, much like Alex and Sweety, your mother was his familiar.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± said Lucy, ¡°No, that can¡¯t be.¡± but she thought about it. Her mom never called her dad by his name, never that she could remember, but she always called him, my love. Every time she addressed him. Like Sweety called Alex Master.


    ¡°Lucy, it makes sense. The chance a car wreck took them both? If he died, she took him to heaven. It''s what they do. It''s what Sweety will eventually do for Alex.¡± she sighed and looked down, sorry for Lucy''s plight. ¡°You still lost both parents because she had to do her duty. And she couldn¡¯t say goodbye to her children because she had to take him.¡±


    After a quiet moment more than Lucy could stand she looked Calie in the eyes, ¡°So what does that mean? I¡¯m a Nephilim, but what does it mean for me?¡±


    ¡°It means you are not even close to your potential. It means,¡± and she kissed the redhead once more, ¡°I start training you tomorrow.¡±


    Lucy looked back with apprehension, and was about to argue, when the house shook. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Calie took hold of her before she stood, and whispered with a smile, ¡°angel sex.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s eyes got wide and she looked up to their room, ¡°oh god Alex, please don¡¯t blow up my house.¡±


    Sweety collapsed on top of Alex spent, literally glowing and oh, so happy. The connection was so much more than just kissing. The petite girl was panting with a smile a mile wide. Waves of energy were still pulsing off of them. Slowly diminishing, but still shaking the furniture in the room with every wave.


    ¡°That was so wonderful, Master.¡± she giggled, ¡°I want to do that all the time.¡±


    There it was again. Master. He understood why she called him that. He now believed she served him because she honestly wanted to. But that title made him feel she was lower than him. That she was beneath him. And Alex felt so differently, he felt she was so much more than him. She was perfection, she was divine. Her calling him that, still left a sour feeling in his stomach.


    ¡°Sweety, I don''t want to be your master.¡± She sat up suddenly and he realized uncomfortably, they were still ¡°entwined¡¯. ¡°Wait,¡± he groaned, ¡°I love you Sweety, I do. I want you. Oh, do I want you so bad. But I just don¡¯t want you to be a slave. I don¡¯t want you as a servant.¡± he pulled her to him, her head rested on his chest and she listened, once again to her favorite music as he spoke. ¡°Honestly Sweety, I¡¯d really rather have you as my wife.¡±


    She sat up again, with slightly less discomfort on Alex. ¡°Your wife?¡± tears were welling up in her eyes ¡°yes!¡± she exclaimed, ¡°yes Alex, I would love to be your wife.¡± she collapsed down on him again, sobbing happy tears.


    She said Alex. She didn¡¯t call him master. She called him Alex. He could feel tears in his eyes as well. She was free. They were free to love each other because they loved each other, not because they had to. She lay there as her tears subsided, listening to him for what seemed an eternity, and then said softly. ¡°We will have such beautiful babies.¡± She raised her head to look into his eyes again, ¡°I could start preparing myself to be fertile for you right away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ok Sweety,¡± he said, happy but apprehensive. ¡°Let¡¯s get married first and worry about that down the line. We have other things to figure out first.¡± She was free but she would never be a normal average girl. And Alex couldn¡¯t possibly be happier.


    Epilogue


    The party was in full spin. Money flowed like water in the form of expensive drinks, food and entertainment. A young auburn haired man in glasses entered the room in an expensive suit with a girl so beautiful, and flawless that she could have been a living doll. She wore a short, sparkly dress resembling something out of a fairy tale, and hung on his arm like he was the very air she breathed.


    A tall blonde in a silky white evening gown wove her way gracefully through the crowd, drawing appreciative looks from most of the men here and more than a couple of the women. She walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. A large built man in a severe suit slipped up behind her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me a lovely thing like you is here alone.¡± he said in a deep voice.


    Across the room near the hor''dourves, a tall, sultry redhead wearing an identical gown in black bumped into another severe suited man.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t see you there.¡± she said flirtingly.


    ¡°It''s fine, babe¡± he almost growled in an identical bass to the other man.


    She turned around to return to the food table when she felt his breath on her bare back.


    ¡°S¡¯ok babe, maybe you can make it up to me.¡± he said in a slimy tone as she felt his hand try to slip around her waist to get at her breast. She spun around, producing a small spherical object from who knows where and smashed it into the side of his head.


    The blonde looked at the man and winked, ¡°who says I¡¯m not here with someone?¡± she saw in his eyes as the lust shifted his pupils momentarily from brown to red. She smiled and Whispered, ¡°The security guys are demons.¡±


    Flesh bubbled and sizzled off the man¡¯s face as the holy water from the Redhead¡¯s bauble ate away his covering. ¡°Yea, got that already.¡±


    The redhead grabbed the man¡¯s arm and hip tossed him into the buffet table. She snapped out her arm materializing a flaming sword of golden light and shoved it into the man.


    The blonde snapped out a similar blade and ran it up into the other man¡¯s gut and out his mouth. Both men erupted into fame and disappeared in scars of ash on the floor and table.


    ¡°Sounds like the party has started, my love.¡± said the doll-like beauty dreamily.


    ¡°Sounds like it.¡± he replied. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t want to miss out. Do we?¡±


    He leaned down to her as she pushed herself up to her tiptoes to bring their faces closer together. Just before their lips touched, she purred happily and whispered, ¡°this is my favorite part.¡±

 Book 2: The Date

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    She entered the club with confidence, she swaggered and swayed where she should for maximum appeal. Her make-up enticing, her tactically dramatic blue pixie cut perfect, and her jewelry over adorned to purposely seem desperate for attention. She had metal in all the spots that made her seem easy, bright hoops in her ears, studs in her nose and tongue, and an overly cute gemstone belly jewel. The walked to the music with a bouncy, perky gait that had her assets jiggling so much that by the time she reached the bar men already had their wallets out to buy her drinks. And she took all of them, drank every neon girly-drink, knocked back every shot, gulped down every beer, whiskey and wine glass. All the while, she scanned the crowd, casual conversation rolling off her tongue, giggles punctuated every joke and pick-up line, she even slurred where she needed to. Everytime she didn''t see the look she was searching for she moved on and struck up the next pointless conversation. Too many confident, capable looks. Too many ''I get what I want thrown at me'' attitudes. And finally while getting hit on another random hedge fund snake, she saw them. Two guys who radiated the ''I''ll never stand a chance with you unless you''re drunk out of your mind'' vibe. In their eyes she saw what she was after, the hunger. They were already devouring her with their eyes. She excused herself from Brad, or Chad, or which ever pointless name he mentioned, and made her way to the restroom. She stumbled and giggled as overtly as she thought necessary as she ''conveniently'' missed the bathroom and fell out the back exit into the alley. She giggled once more for good measure, eyes closed but she could hear them follow her out, smell their lust as they beheld her sprawled out on the wet pavement. The took a little too long drinking her in for her taste, but she guessed she couldn''t blame them. She had gone with the stiletto-heeled thigh-high boots over garters and fishnets, with flippy school girl skirt sans underwear to make access easy. And the sheer mesh off the shoulder blouse/exposed lace bra look that just screamed wet dream to most guys. She knew how to bait her hook, she was a professional after all.


    "Damn," said one of the creeps as he ran his hand up the inside of her thigh.


    Her bare mound was engorged, this both being visibly pleasing and wafting her pheromones, which she knew no guy could resist.


    "Dude," said the other guy cautiously, but she could smell his arousal as well, "you sure we should do this? We could get in big trouble."


    Growing frustrated, she parted her wet lips and moaned quietly with her eyes still closed, "oh, baby," to his stroking of her thigh, and licked her lips.


    "See!" He exclaimed excitedly, "this chick so wants it."


    He was leaning in toward her face and she had to fight laughing at the thought that this asshole was actually going to steal a kiss from her first.


    "Hey!" Came the shout, and she could sense it instantly deflating the arousal of her two companions. Her two suitors quickly got to their feet in fear. She opened an eye to see a man at the entrance to the alley. He was average height, small of build, and wore thick rimmed glasses. His hair was a little long and messy, not in that ''trying to be cool'' but that ''just don''t take care of it'' style.


    "Leave her alone." Said her would-be prince Valiant, in a tone that didn''t convey a lot of confidence.


    "Or what, Romeo," said the one that was previously feeling her up, "what can you do about it?"


    "Well," he replied, holding up his phone with the number already dialed, "I can call the cops." Then he turned it back around and the flash of his camera went off three times. Her ''customers'' went white at this point and ran down the alley, scooting past her ''hero'' against the opposite wall and down the street.


    As the man walked up to her she sat up suddenly and uttered, "damn it!" She knew she would have to start over now, probably a different club.


    The guy was taken aback, not only by her attitude toward what just happened, but the fact that this girl, who was passed out drunk just moments before, now seemed perfectly sober. Still, he led with, "are you ok?"


    "Do I not look ok?" She asked, standing up and adjusting herself.


    "I''m sorry, did," he began, "did you want that to happen just now?"


    "That is my business, isn''t it?" She retorted.


    "Ok, I was just trying to help." He said, placing his hands out in front of himself.


    "Well, thank you but my night is ruined now." She said in a huff and strode past him toward the end of the alley.


    She was already spinning her plans in her head when the next words stopped her in her tracks, "can I at least buy you a coffee, maybe?"


    ''Shit'' she scolded herself. She was so annoyed with him interrupting her hunt, she didn''t even think he might be one of those guys. The ones who go looking for a girl to save hoping she will reward him with sex.


    She breathed in, cramming her annoyance down for now, and turned back to him. She played with the hair over her ear and gave him a shy smile. She knew all the different smiles. "Um, sure. That''d be great."


    The coffee shop was close enough to the club she could still hear the muffled thump of the music. They sat in the booth at what turned out to be a little collage coffee shop, all the drinks were handmade, authentic hipster crafted, and expensive. He paid without a second thought even though she had made sure to order the most expensive drink she could. It was quiet at this time, three young college girls sat at one table with their drinks and laptops that went unattended as the girls seemed more in the mood to chat about boys they had recently been out with. She quickly considered if she could rope them into a menage ''a quatre with her hero here, but quickly doubted it was his speed. The only other patron was the middle aged guy, whose attention was divided between the young girls and the porn on his tablet. His arousal was palatable. She could certainly do the young, innocent but curious college girl, but didn''t have the time or opportunity to change. Not with her not-so-dashing rescuer here.


    "Do you have a name?" He asked, as she set down the drink she''d been sipping while evaluating her options.


    "Oh, Cissera." She spouted. ''Damn it'' She berated herself internally, he''d caught her off guard again and she''d just spilled her real name. No one was supposed to ever get her real name.


    "That is an unusual name," he said, with a look of genuine interest actually. "I mean, it''s beautiful¡­"


    "Trendy parents," she interrupted, trying to laugh it off, "everyone just calls me Sissy."


    "I''m pleased to meet you, Sissy." He smiled, "I''m Mike. I know, it''s boring compared to Cissera, but that''s me."


    "No," she said, trying to find the footing to deploy her legendary charm at last. "I like it. And thank you Mike, I know I was a bit of a bitch a little bit ago, but you did save me." She ran the tip of her boot up his leg as the pitch of her voice dropped, taking a more suggestive tone, "please, can I repay you? Somehow?" She smiled, biting her bottom lip and looking up at him through her eyelashes.


    You would have thought she pulled a knife on him as Mike jumped in the booth and pushed her foot back down to the floor. "No, that won''t be necessary, really. I just wanted to help, I don''t need some kind of reward for doing the right thing." His face returned to a smile and he reached across the table to take Sissy''s hand. "Tell me Cissera, are you in some kind of trouble?"


    ''What the hell?'' She thought. He was attracted to her, she could feel it. But she didn''t smell the lust. He didn''t ooze it like he should be right now. To her he had just smelled¡­ uncomfortable.


    "No," she stated, shaking her head. "I''m fine, Mike. And you don''t have to try the seduction moves," she nodded to his hands, "I practically just threw it at you."


    He quickly pulled his hands back, "I''m sorry Cissera, I''m not trying to bed you. I was just trying to comfort you."


    "I just¡­ it''s just how I need to get by." She confessed, "it''s no big deal." Inside she was screaming as she was spilling her guts after he had asked using her real name. "I don''t need to be comforted, and please, you can call me Sissy." She had to steer him to that and away from her true name, or she was in big trouble.


    "Ok, Sissy," he sighed, "but your actions tell me something is very wrong. That kind of attention seeking usually stems from deeper problems."


    She stared at him for a minute trying to figure him out. She usually understood people in seconds but he was still a blank picture to her. "Are you a shrink or something?"


    "No," he replied, "I did have some psyche courses in college, it comes in handy in what I really do."


    "Which is?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I," he paused, continuing when her eyes widened impatiently, "I help people."


    "Is that actually a job?" She scoffed at his statement.


    "Only kind of." Was his reply, "I don''t need the money, so I spend my time helping people. People in financial trouble, gang trouble, drug addicts, the homeless, you know, anyone in dire straights."


    "You don''t need the money?," she smiled, "so you''re rich?" Rich people she got, the wealthy were easy. Rich guy could be coerced into doing anything in the fear of not being rich anymore.


    "My father is rich," he sighed, now looking down almost in shame, "I let him attach his company''s name on my work for PR, and he lets me pick my causes. It''s a win-win deal, I guess."


    "So, you''re a rich boy, and you go around just helping people." She giggled at this a bit, "so you''re friggin Batman."


    "No," he said, "I''m Not a crime fighter or superhero. I''m just trying to help."


    "Ok, bullshit Mike," she looked him right in the eye, "guys like that do not exist. Guys do not go through life independently wealthy, go around randomly helping people, and not take sex from a girl who offers it like its owed to them somehow. So what is your real deal? What''s the scam?" But as Sissy looked into his eyes, she didn''t see lies, or greed. She saw no lust, no wrath, none of the big seven. His eyes were soft, and giving, and they were full of compassion. And pain, she could now see the hurt. Someone or something had once hurt him and it haunted him. Now she just had to figure out how to use this. Someone like him was rare, and if she could somehow score him she would be set for a long time.


    "No scam," he said, "but you immediately went there and it seemed like you were trying to get yourself assaulted." It was his turn now, to eye her critically, "are you a con artist, Sissy? Do you get men to rape you and then blackmail them for money?"


    "I don''t take money." She argued, but her voice grew quieter, "I do take something from them, but not money."


    They were both quiet as she finished her coffee. She needed to say something before he asked further into her last comment. She had no idea what was wrong tonight. Her charms had failed her, she kept barring herself to him and not in the usual way. She was not going to score this guy, it seemed. She needed to cut her losses. As she sat the mug down she broke the silence, "ok, you have bought me a coffee. You are officially my hero. Are we done? Can I go now?"


    "You seem to be all over the place, Sissy," he began. "First you are angry, then shy, then you try to seduce me, now you are back to being angry with me. How much of you is an act, Cissera?"


    ''Shit, her real name again, and it seemed he wasn''t ready to drop this party. "All of me is an act, ok?" Here she was forced to spill her guts again. Damn rules. "You wouldn''t like the real me. I''m not someone you want to get to know, Mike. I''m dangerous."


    "But I do want to get to know you." Mike said, taking her hand once more. "Don''t you want a connection? Don''t you want love one day?"


    She didn''t know what this sensation was as he held on to her hand. It was scary and unfamiliar, and she felt compelled to answer his questions, real name or not, "I¡­ I don''t know." She stammered. She was never unsure of her lines in her life. "I have never known love in a long while, I''m not even sure what it feels like anymore."


    He gently squeezed her hand, "You have been selling yourself, well effectively, all along and no one has shown you love? What about family, fiends, or parents?"


    "No parents, and as for family they are literally a nightmare."


    "So, abandonment issues, transactional views on intimacy, probably instances of abuse, you are a pop psychology swag bag, Sissy." He tried to deliver this with a charming laugh.


    She pulled her hand out of his and gave him a scathing look. "I''m happy my issues could bring you such enjoyment."


    "No, I didn''t mean to sound that way." He apologized, "I''m sorry. Look it''s late, or early I guess, depending on how you look at it. Let me take you home. And tomorrow, if you will let me, I''ll take you and show you what a life of acceptance looks like. And how one of service can feel."


    "Um, I don''t exactly have a home you can take me to." She said with a sideways glance.


    "Then where do you sleep?" He asked.


    "That usually depends on where I am after the last person." She shrugged, even giving him a wry smile.


    Mike closed his eyes and sighed, "then you will have to come home with me," he said, as he stood up and offered her his hand.


    "Finally," she said, taking his hand, "do you have a big¡­ bed?" She said, making the last word breathy as their faces drifted close, drenching the question in innuendo.


    "I have a guest room," he rebuffed as he turned away from her hot breath hanging between their lips that were inches apart, and led her out of the coffee shop. "but it does have a full size bed."


    "Better than nothing, I guess," she sighed sarcastically.


    He led her to a big truck with four doors and a large cargo bed. It was midnight blue, pretty but not racy red or pretentious black.


    "And here I expected a Prius." She quipped at him.


    "I''m all for saving the planet, but I have to haul things a lot. People and supplies. So a truck is a necessity." He said, as he helped her into the passenger side, "besides, I like my truck." He actually winked at her as he closed the door.


    He lived in a penthouse apartment, it turned out, over one hundred stories in the sky. His place was half the top floor, big kitchen, big central room and three other rooms not counting the bathroom. Which was also huge!


    "Ok, how rich are you?" She asked, wide eyed as she stepped out onto the balcony that was large enough to have its own pool.


    "I only have this place because of my father." He said, seeming almost ashamed of it. "Like I told you I don''t actually earn any money, he owns this place. It''s where he kept my second step mom, before he divorced my first step mom."


    "Ooo," she teased in a schoolgirl tone, "mistresses, adultery. Sounds like daddy could be a client of mine."


    "And what exactly do you do for this clientele? What do you take from them?" He pressed, forcing her to bite her bottom lip in embarrassment or frustration, she was really unsure of which one it was now. She continued to slip up like an amateur ever since Mike entered her life. "You made it clear it wasn''t money."


    "It''s¡­ not important." She attempted to deflect the conversation, "I was just making the joke that as a former mistress pad¡­" she again lowered her voice to a purr, running her hands up his shirt and trying to get her lips close to his, "it might need a new mistress. Couldn''t you use someone to take care of you after you spend all day taking care of others?"


    Her lips were a hair''s breadth from his when he once more pulled away from her in panic. "Sissy," he hissed tearsly, as he pushed her away by her shoulders. "Please, no. I told you that is not what I want from you."


    Sissy screamed through her teeth in frustration and turned away to walk back to the apartment. She didn''t want to let him see her upset, and she was livid. She knew he was attracted to her. She could smell it, damn it! But there was no hunger, no lust in his eyes when he looked at her. Every guy felt lust at the sight of her. Why didn''t he! What was going on? Why did she have no power over him? She wanted to have him in her power, and for some reason she wanted him to take her more than she wanted anyone before to want her.


    He ran to catch up to her after she got inside, reached out and turned her by her shoulder to face him. "I''m sorry, Sissy. I wasn''t trying to hurt your feelings." She quickly regained her composure before he managed to turn her around, she was not going to crumble around him, she refused.


    "It''s fine Mike, that''s just how I''ve always maintained control over situations." She let out a cute practiced sigh and smiled warmly. "You have made your point several times. I''m just acting out of habit I guess. I apologize."


    "Sissy," as he once more looked at her with his warm eyes, and she felt she would be ill. But for some reason she couldn''t turn away, she wanted him to look at her forever, "you don''t need to keep your defenses up with me, it must be exhausting. You are safe here, and there is nothing wrong with being vulnerable sometimes."


    ''Yea, not happening, not if I want to continue existing,'' she thought as she continued to smile at him.


    He took her to one of the other doors in the apartment. Inside was a white four poster queen bed complete with the princess fabric. It connected to a walk-in closet as big as the room itself, but empty, as well as its own door to the bathroom.


    "If this is the guest room, your room must be enormous." She said in awe.


    "Actually, I sleep in the guest room." He admitted, "I don''t really come in here, this was her room."


    She saw the haunted look return, and she finally began to get a tiny peek behind his barriers, "she¡­she did something to you, didn''t she Mike?" She asked, trying to convince herself she only asked because this might finally be her in.


    "It''s not important," he said, putting on the first fake smile she had ever seen on him, "but I figured you might appreciate it." She strode to the bed and ran her hands on the fabrics, which had to be at least three thousand thread count. "There probably aren''t any clothes still in her closet, but I do have some t-shirts you could sleep in if you need."


    "That''s ok," she said looking over her shoulder and giving him a wicked grin, "I always sleep in the nude anyway." This she punctuated with a wink.


    "Oh¡­ I, um¡­I''ll leave you to get¡­ get ready then," he stammered nervously, "good¡­ goodnight, then¡­Sissy." And closed the doors.


    "Nighty night, Mikey." She called through the doors. She turned to see herself in the full length mirror by the door to the bathroom. She saw the smile on her own face. Not one of her arsenal of smiles she used on people, but a genuine, happy, real smile. One she had not seen on herself in forever. She wiped it from her face immediately, and fell back onto the bed and once again growled through her teeth. ''What the hell was wrong with me?'' She asked herself. She had bungled and botched her way through every interaction with him since the alley. They should be lying together naked by now, if not already in possession of what she wanted then damn close to it. How could this have become as screwed up as it has so fast?


    She had to get it together, she stood in front of the mirror and looked herself over. It was wrong from the start, she decided. She was in full on manic-pixie-dream-girl for club hunting, but this was obviously not his thing and she hadn''t had the chance to be anything else because he''d been with her the whole night afterward. It was so obvious that she needed to do sweet, vulnerable, girl next-door to get this back on track. Even though he had already seen her like this, she had admitted to him earlier everything about her was an act. It could still work, if she could get to his heart, she could lead him astray, and she could still pull it off. Sexy-sweet girl next door, she had done it plenty of times before, it was nothing new. "So why am I so nervous right now?" She whispered at her reflection.


    Mike came out of his room the next morning in shorts and a t-shirt, scratching his unruly hair and yawning. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the girl sitting at the kitchen counter. It took him more than a few seconds to register that it was Sissy. She sat demurely on the stool, ankles crossed in modest heeled jelly sandals, and bare-legged in a yellow sundress. Light brown wavy hair cascaded down to her shoulders, flipped over to one side revealing small silver studs in place of the neon hoops in her ears from the night before. In fact the only other piece of jewelry on her now was a silver chain around her neck with a tiny silver heart. She was flipping through one of his magazines and seemed to not notice him right away. When she finally turned to see him and gave him a warm smile, her smokey eyes were now lighty kissed in pink and her lips simply glossed. Even her now manicured nails lost her neon colors for clear polish.


    "Good morning." She said with a musical tone to her voice. "Did you sleep ok?"


    "Isn''t that my question?" He asked, still confused.


    "Can''t I be concerned?" She retorted with a smile.


    "I''m fine, Sissy." He said, "but you. You seem very different."


    "What?" She giggled, "I figured if I''m going to spend the day with you, helping people, I maybe shouldn''t look like you stopped to pick up a hooker on the way."


    "First off, I wouldn''t have said you looked like a hooker before. But you definitely don''t look like it now." He paused, and Sissy was sure he was taking extra time to look at her, "secondly, I know the closet was empty, and you didn''t have a bag or even a purse on you last night."


    "I have my ways," she said coyly.


    "And were you wearing a wig last night then?" He indicated her completely different hairstyle.


    "Mikey!" She feigned indignation, "that is NOT something you ask a girl. Not if you want this date you set up last night to still happen."


    "It¡­it''s not a date," he stuttered, she knew she had him on defense now. This was more like it, she was finally in control.


    She hopped off the stool and minced over to him, stopping a wholesome distance between them and stood with her hands clasped in front of her waist. "Whatever it is, shouldn''t you be getting ready?" He was quiet for a few heartbeats, that made Sissy realize he was still looking her over, "Mike?" She asked, prodding.


    "Oh," he said with a start, "yes. I''ll just go get ready." Before stumbling into the bathroom.


    "Yes!" She whispered as the door closed. That is how things were supposed to go. She felt like she was finally on her game again.


    She went to his room while he showered. The room wasn''t even half the size of the closet in the room he put her in. All it contained was a twin bed with a chest at the end, and a dresser with a small mirror attached. He had jeans and a t-shirt on the end of the bed, so she put the shirt back away and went to the closet. It was only a couple feet deep and contained only a handful of nicer clothes. Sissy picked out a nice polo and placed it on the bed. She shook her head and thought, ''what am I going to do with you, Mike?'' Quickly followed with her wondering why that thought came to mind.


    She could hear the shower still running so she went to the next door. It turned out to be an office. The room was at least twice the size of his bedroom, with a desk and computer and bookshelves containing a hodge-podge of books. The books ranged from home renovation to navigating loans to felony law and other law books. An eclectic collection fitting for a guy trying to help everyone.


    She caught her reflection in the darkened computer monitor and saw the smile from last night again. She shook her head and growled to remove the unpracticed smile to replace it with a polished one. "Control the situation, control."


    She had sat back down at the stool for a few minutes before Mike exited the bathroom in a robe, night clothes in hand, and smiled at Sissy as he passed. She lifted a hand as she smiled back, wiggling her fingers at him. As soon as he entered his room she swept into the bathroom and grabbed a comb. She was standing at his bedroom door by the time he called for her.


    "Sissy?" He turned to find her there already, "did you change out my shirt?"


    She walked up to Mike slowly with her best, doting wife smile. He was already in his jeans, but bare chested. His t-shirts camouflaged the fact that his slight build was actually quite toned. Either Mike worked out or this was from actual work.


    "Yes I did." She said in an authoritative tone, "have you ever considered that if you are going to approach people to help them, you might not want to appear like someone who needs help themselves. She slipped the polo over his head, running her fingers down his abs as she did. He breathed in sharply, "sorry. Looks good though, do you have a routine?"


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    "I don''t really work out," he whispered nervously, from her proximity, "I spend a day or two each week building habitat houses though."


    "Mikey, you really are a saint." She whispered back. She took the comb in her hand and ran it through the unruly mop atop his head. Mike braced himself for another inevitable pass at him, but she simply finished his coif and stepped back. "You were cute Mike, but now I dare say you look handsome." She reached up for his hair again and stopped. She looked away and made herself blush. "I''ll leave and let you finish getting ready."


    "Oh, uh," he stumbled over his own tongue, "yea, I''ll¡­finish up." He watched her leave until she completely disappeared from sight.


    They pulled out of the underground garage in his big blue truck. She had her window down and her brown hair fluttered in the wind. Her eyes were closed and her shiny lips pursed as the wind blew over her face as she smiled. Mike realized several times he was watching her longer than the road. And tried to refocus on driving. He was having a hard time believing this was the same girl from last night. She was so different.


    "So," he said, breaking the silence, "is this the real Sissy? Or is the girl I see before me just another act?"


    "This may be the real Sissy," she said, sliding across the seat and laying her head on his arm. "Do you like her better than easy sexpot Sissy?" A strange feeling bubbled up in her gut. A whining, sick sensation she feared was guilt. Why the hell was she feeling guilty for giving him his dream girl. What was happening? This is what she did. She had never felt ashamed of it before.


    "Kind of," he admitted, "she definitely seems amazing, but I would still really like to meet the really real Sissy."


    "Maybe I don''t really know who she is." She confessed, risking dragging down this mood she spent all morning cultivating. "As far as I know, this is me."


    "I do like this Sissy," he confessed, with a small kiss on top of her head, "but I can''t help feeling you''re still hiding something from me."


    She smiled at his sudden affection. She looked at herself in the rear view and saw her cheeks flush. She wasn''t trying to blush right then and was confused as to why she was.


    They arrived at an inner-city shelter. It had a brass plaque outside the door that read ''Anna Mason Memorial Shelter''. Three men came out to meet Mike. They exchanged greetings, handshakes and back slaps before beginning to unload boxes in the truck bed. Sissy tried to grab one herself but everytime one of the boys came back out they took it from her hands in a grand show of chivalry. So when the last box slipped from her hands she shrugged and walked in.


    Inside was a typical commercial kitchen with its steel counters and ancient cooking equipment. Mike introduced her to a late middle aged woman named Margaret, who apparently ran the shelter. When she asked who mike had brought with Sissy made sure to introduce herself with the right name and said she was here to help.


    Margaret smiled and gave Sissy a hug thanking her. She quickly directed her to the dining hall where they could use help serving lunches to those who were unable to stand in line. Meanwhile she took Mike aside and explained they had an ove that quit working again and he agreed to look at it. When Margaret thought they were out of earshot she asked Mike where he found such a pretty girl. She had that ''mother meeting the new girlfriend for the first time'' tone to her voice. As Sissy left the kitchen she heard Mike answer that it was like heaven sent her to him.


    When she reached the food line, one of the other volunteers serving food remarked what a lovely smile she had. Surprised by the comment Sissy''s face went blank. The lady quickly told her it wasn''t a problem, that they needed more smiles in here. The people could use them. Sissy was completely lost as to which smile she was using considering she wasn''t smiling on purpose. So she decided on her shy smile and stepped up to the table.


    Ok servant girl, she thought, I''ve done this one before. She scooped up a full tray and followed another volunteer with amazing grace. Sissy flowed around the tables setting food in front of people. Women, Men, children, and elderly of both sexes. She got smiles, thank yous and grateful touches to her arm. While she recognized the looks of some, most wore eyes she had never seen. Sad but grateful was as close as she could describe it. Her last plate was set down in front of a man named Roscoe. By the hat and pins he wore he was a Korean war veteran. He looked into her eyes and she could see his appreciation of her looks, but his age was apparently well beyond being able to experience the hunger. Still he told her if he had known someone as pretty as her was waiting at home for him, he could have fought another ten years on her image alone. She gave him a wry smile and kissed his forehead. His eyes lit up with the kind of happiness Sissy had not seen in forever.


    After two more round trips serving food, Sissy was ushered to a room with cots where she and two other ladies made up beds for those who would have to sleep here tonight. The rough cheap fabric was clean, but made her miss those wonderful sheets in Mike''s master bedroom. She found herself wondering how the people here would feel if she snuck some of those in for the cots. She was stopped dead in the middle of finishing a bed when she wondered where that thought had come from. Why should she care if someone else is comfortable when she is? It didn''t make sense. What was happening to her? Was this gambit worth what it seemed to be doing to her?


    "Are you ok?" Asked another lady.


    "Ye¡­yea," Sissy replied, "just a stray thought." As she continued finishing the bed.


    "Mike?" Asked the other.


    "What?" Said Sissy, confused.


    "We all had those stray thoughts, honey" she said before laughing heartily.


    "That man is a Godsend," replied the first, slapping the other woman with a pillowcase, but smiling at Sissy.


    "Yea," said Sissy distantly, "he''s wonderful, isn''t he?" Her thoughts far off, truthfully considering what she had just said.


    She found Mike elbow deep in the oven Margaret complained about.


    "Will it live?" Sissy asked.


    "No," he sighed, pulling out of the oven in frustration. "The wiring is shot. Burnt up. I''ll either need to organize another fund raiser or ask my father for the money."


    "Well you said your dad funded your charities." She said with a smile.


    "Believe me the fundraiser would be easier." Mike replied, wiping his hands off on a rag. "There is a big step between getting my father to agree, And that''s if he finds it worthy, and getting his accountants to let go of the money."


    Sissy looked over Mike''s shirt and took another rag to wipe the dirt off the polo she picked out for him. She sighed, "good thing I chose a dark color."


    "And that''s why I wear t-shirts." He said with a smile.


    Sissy gave him a cute little pout. "I just wanted you to look nice."


    "And I appreciate it." He put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. Sissy found herself floating in his scent. Warm, inviting and more comfortable than she''d ever been. She found she wanted to stay there forever. When he broke it off Sissy stepped back, and adjusted herself, including fixing her hair that did not need fixing. Anything to distract her from those feelings she nearly lost herself in. "So why do you organize the fundraiser? I thought Margaret was in charge."


    "Margaret runs the shelter for me. She was mom''s best friend. This is really mom''s shelter. It''s been mine since she died and it suffered till I became old enough to assume control."


    "How old were you when she died." Asked Sissy, at the same time wondering why she was asking.


    "Eight," he answered, obviously saddened thinking about it.


    "I''m sorry mike," she said, "I didn¡¯t mean to¡­"


    "Its ok," he said with a smile, "Believe it or not I love sharing her memory."


    "Why did she die?" She continued.


    "Multiple Sclerosis," he said, "ultimately cruel for her. She was a dancer."


    "Aw," moaned Sissy sarcastically but smiling, "mommy was a ballerina?"


    This time it was Mike''s turn to laugh, "um, no." He smiled, "exotic. Mom was a stripper. Dad met her when he and a business client sealed a deal in her club. They hit it off and he went back for weeks just to see her. He finally promised to rescue her and she''d never have to dance for anyone but him again. The shelter was a gift from my father. She had spent time in city run shelters in her life. Building a good one was her crusade. And now it''s mine. One moment, one meeting changed her life. That''s why I believe everyone deserves that chance. I''ve made that my mission in life"


    "Wait," she said, "so when we first met last night, when I looked like some hooker or stripper¡­" she eyed him suspiciously.


    "No!" He almost shrieked, " Sissy I promise I was not at the club trolling for my own stripper wife. I saw you in trouble and wanted to help, that''s all. Even though you didn''t actually need my protection, I still felt, and still feel you need my help. I''m here for you, Sissy."


    "Thank you Mike, I do appreciate it," she replied but found she couldn''t stop blinking. The corners of her eyes were sticky then suddenly wet.


    "You don''t have to cry, but if you need to that''s fine." Said Mike.


    "I''m not trying to," she said, voice cracking as she tried to wipe the liquid from beneath her eyes.


    Mike once more wrapped his arms around her as she cried into his shirt, frustrated as to why she couldn''t control this feeling, or understand why crying into his arms felt so good at the same time.


    By the time Margaret found them again Sissy had regained her composure. And while Mike explained the situation with the oven she was internally berating herself for losing control of herself like that. At this rate if she succeeded, if she got what she wanted, what would be left of her? Would she just be a blubbering mess? She hadn''t seemed to be able to control herself since Mike entered her life. Was it worth continuing, or should she just run while she could? Or could she at this point? Why did leaving and never seeing Mike again now fill her with fear?


    "Hey, did Agnes come in today?" Mike asked Margaret. "I didn''t see her."


    "Nope," Margaret shook her head, "she didn''t come in yesterday either."


    "Ok," he said, "make a to-go meal, and we''ll take it to her. I know where she lives."


    They were in his truck again in minutes and driving deeper into the inner city. Agnes, it turned out, lived in a tiny house sandwiched between two warehouses. What remained of whatever yard she had previously had was lost to scrap and trash from the surrounding business. Inside the house was really just two rooms and a bathroom. The cough could be heard from the front door, Mike was into the bedroom before Sissy realized what she was hearing. The elderly lady was in her bed tissues littered the blanket and floor around the bed. Fuzzy cotton ball of hair sticking up.


    "Agnes, how long have you been sick?" Asked Mike.


    "Just a¡­.couple¡­ days." Agnes replied between pauses to cough.


    "Did you eat anything yesterday?" He pushed.


    "I''m sure I did¡­. I can''t rem¡­.member. but I must¡­.have." she coughed out.


    "Well we have some food for you. But that cough is horrible. I have some medicine in my truck, I go get it and then you can eat." He put his hands under Sissy''s chin and spoke quietly, "I''ll be right back, just keep an eye on her please." She nodded and he left out the front.


    Sissy looked around the two rooms. A lifetime tapestry woven from letters, cards and knickknacks. She never had paused to reflect on the lives that passed in her existence. Each had its own hopes and dreams, some were long while others were cut short.


    "Aren''t you a pretty little thing." Her voice came again, this time directed at Sissy.


    "So they tell me." Sissy replied with an uncomfortable smile.


    "Are you Michael''s girl?" The uncomfortable prying continued.


    "I don''t know. I think I''m trying to be, maybe." Sissy answered, with surprising honesty. "In truth, I''m not sure if he wants me." Maybe it was easy to confide in her because with her age she wouldn''t hold her secrets long. Or maybe it was just that it felt good being honest for once. Sissy had built her existence on telling lies.


    "My word," Agnes piped, "how could he not sweety, look at you."


    "I don''t think Mike is the kind of guy that worries about looks." Sissy said with a sad chuckle, "and that''s all I really have."


    "What''s that?" Asked Mike as hebentered the room.


    "Your silly girl here thinks all she has going is her looks." Tattled Agnes, to which Sissy gave her a stern look.


    Mike took her chin in his hand and looked in her eyes, this for some reason seemed to affect the strength in her knees, strangely enough. "Sissy, you are so much more than your looks. There is a beautiful soul in there, I know it."


    He then immediately turned to sit on the edge of the bed to open the medicine, leaving Sissy to mutter quietly, "no Mike, there really isn''t, believe me."


    Mike gave Agnes a healthy dose and opened the container to spoon feed her by hand.


    "I can feed myself, Michael." She half heartedly complained.


    "How am I to come to your rescue it you don''t let me?" He replied.


    By the time Agenes was full her cough had become much more infrequent.


    He closed the container and Sissy took it from him. "I''ll put this away." She smiled at him, before turning and walking to the kitchen half of the other room. Inside the fridge was so bare it would have been less sad if it had been empty. She put the leftovers inside and closed the door. She heard the conversation before she reached the room.


    "No Agnes, you''re sick, you need to stay in bed." Mike was saying.


    As Sissy entered the room Agnes pointed up at her and said, "not with me, silly boy. With her."


    "I''m sorry, what?" She asked, confused.


    "Agnes wants us to dance." Sighed Mike. "You don''t have to."


    Agnes had a pleading look on her face. "Oh, but we have no music," said Sissy.


    It was Agnes'' turn to smile, "but I do." She said pulling out a music box.


    "I guess we dance," Sissy said, biting her lower lip and holding out a hand to Mike.


    He took her hand and stood up, "I guess we do."


    Agnes wound the box tight and released the spring. A tinkling melody poured out of the box. "It''s a waltz." Said Mike. "Do you waltz?"


    "Do you?" She countered.


    He parried with, "Agnes taught me."


    Sissy sprouted a big smile and held her arm out for Mike to grasp and put her hand on his shoulder. He placed his on her waist and they were off. It had been so long since Sissy needed to waltz to accomplish her goals. She moved around Mike gracefully, although he was a little bit clunky, Agnes taught him well. Agnes watched mesmerized, as she hoped this would help him romance Sissy, but she had not seen someone move with such beauty as her since Agnes was a little girl. It was having the opposite effect. Mike couldn''t take his eyes away from Sissy. She glowed, she sparkled and moved like she was the music. She seemed absolutely magical, from her grace to her beauty, he couldn''t believe she could be real. She was a dream or a fantasy, his heart couldn''t reconcile her and a living breathing girl. When the music ended they kept going for at least a minute before they realized it stopped. Agnes smiled so big she shed tears down her cheeks.


    "That is your prettiest smile yet." Whispered Mike as he continued to be lost in her eyes.


    "What smile?" She asked, trapped in his eyes as well. But at his question she looked away to the vanity in Agnes'' bedroom and saw it again. That strange smile she didn''t know, never practiced and never planned. This time she didn''t banish it away, instead looking back to him. She rode it out, it was obviously more effective than any from her arsenal, and he liked it more. And so did she, it made her feel happy and warm. Or was it how she felt that made the smile? Was she looking at it backward? Her smile faltered in her confusion and the spell was broken.


    "Are you alright?" He asked.


    "Oh, I''m fine, just tired I think." She smiled weakly.


    "Thank you," cried Agnes, " I have not seen anything so beautiful since I was very young." She took his hand and placed it in Sissy''s. "You hold on to her Michael, I mean it. I have not seen so strong a love in a long, long time."


    "I plan to," said Mike as he looked into her eyes, but she looked away. She feigned embarrassment but what was surging through Sissy was fear.


    The sun was beginning its dive toward sunset as they drove back to the part of the city where Mike''s apartment resided. Sissy was quiet, staring out the window. It wasn''t possible, she thought. It couldn''t be love. She made people fall for her for sure, but desire, attraction, even lust, especially lust, but not actual love. And it wasn''t just him, she wasn''t supposed to even be able to feel love, not anymore. Not real, actual¡­ warm, honest, sincere, true¡­love. It had to be something else.


    "Hey," he said, breaking the silence, "we have one more stop to make. Is that alright?"


    She gave an awkward smile and nodded.


    "Thanks, it''s going to be business, not as fun as waltzing in a bedroom, but it needs to be done." He patted her knee and her stomach fluttered so much it made her ill. "I''m doing free repairs on a low rent apartment complex as a charity service and I have to meet with the owner. Just a courtesy."


    The office building was dark except for two sets of windows on the fourth floor. The lobby was cold and poorly lit on the way to the elevators. Sissy had a bad feeling from this place. On the fourth floor, they were greeted by a receptionist that Sissy sure was hired for more after hours duties than business hours. She should know, she''d played that part before too. She buzzed them in, smiling at Mike in a way that made Sissy want to rip her throat out.


    The man behind the desk oozed greed. He stank of it. Say what you will about the evils of lust, lust could at least be appealing. The stench of greed was always nauseating.


    "Mister Mason, and guest I see." As the gravely baritone voice welcomed them, she could already feel his attention on her, drinking her in. This usually fed her needs, but right now Sissy just wanted to hide behind Mike.


    "Mr. Danfield, the city has given my organization the authorization to move ahead with our project at your property at Greenway place."


    "I''m not sure how this is supposed to work out Mr. Mason. My property is up to code and I have the inspection notes for the past five years to prove it." The man said with an indignant tone.


    "Mr. Danfield, I don''t understand your hesitancy, these renovations are at no cost to you, and they will only increase the value of your property when they are finished." Mike was getting upset. After his cold responses to all her advances, She was finding this passionate Mike all the more appealing.


    "My apologies Mr Mason, but my building inspector tells me there is nothing wrong with the building." The smirk on his face was enough to tell Sissy that his favorable report was due to the right amount of money to his inspector.


    Mike dropped a stack of papers on his desk, "these complaints from the tenants say different, but besides their opinions when my inspector goes through the building we will have a definitive idea of just what needs to be done." Sissy smiled the smile of a mom whose son just scored the big goal.


    "I told you Mr Mason, I have my own inspector¡­" Danfield began.


    "The city wants an independent assessment. I''ll be talking to them tomorrow and setting up the date for the inspection. This was a courtesy meeting Mr Danfield, things will be proceeding no matter what you feel." He turned sharply and took Sissy''s hand "good day Mr Danfield!" And stode out with Sissy in tow.


    As the elevator doors closed Sissy found herself breathing heavily.


    "I''m sorry you had to see that," Mike said to her.


    "Are you kidding Mike? That was so hot. You positively have me squirming. I loved the passion you showed there." She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed herself against him. Then she remembered his issues with ''intimacy'' and stepped back. "Sorry, I know that bothers you."


    Mike smiled at her, "It''s alright Sissy, I didn''t mind that." He looked back at the descending numbers and his smile widened. "Was it really hot?"


    Sissy''s smile widened as well, "are you kidding? It''s taking all my will right now not to rip all your clothes off."


    Danfield sat at his desk furious, when the door to hisboffice opened again. "Our Mr Mason can cause us great trouble if his inspector finds our operation in the basement." He sighed and rubbed at his eyes as if weighing his options before he spoke again, "make sure he cannot make that call to the inspector tomorrow."


    The large man turned with a nod and left the room again.


    Sissy was positively giddy on the ride back to the apartment. His behavior at the meeting was proof he could not only feel passion, but deeply. She kept stealing glances at him the whole trip and smiling, once or twice outright giggling. She realized when they finally entered the parking structure her fear was gone. She had just been so happy to see Mike like that she hadn''t been worrying about the weird changes she had been experiencing. Was it because she wasn''t concerned now with what she had to do? Because she was just enjoying being with him, not trying to ensnare him? There was no guilt, no dread. If she could just exist like this forever, and not worry about that, now unsavory to her, act she had to perform. If only that were the case.


    They were both still smiling and laughing so much when he unlocked his front door Sissy was inspired to jibe him just a little further. She held up her arms and said "don''t you want to carry me across the threshold?" Mike''s face looked like a deer in headlights at this, "I''m sorry Mike," she backpedaled, "I was just joking."


    Suddenly the corners of his mouth turned up again and he snatched her off her feet, walking through the door and to the couch to ultimately flop down with her on his lap. "Like that?"


    She looked into his eyes and gently touched his cheek as the sky outside the glass wall of the patio lit up and thunder rolled "just like that." She let out a deep sigh, "well I guess this date is over." Still looking into his eyes. "Do I just leave, or do you take me somewhere? Like the coffee shop?"


    "You don''t have to go." He said, "I''m not kicking you out. You can stay as long as you like Sissy. Besides, we''re not done." He moved her off his lap to the couch next to him.


    "What is left in our deal?" She asked. "I spent the day with you helping people and now its done."


    "Closure," he said. "Did you enjoy it?"


    She thought back on the day, talking with the people at the mission, dancing in Agnes'' Bedroom, seeing Mike passionate, powerful and manly in the office of that sleazeball. "Yes, yes I did."


    "Then that could be your everyday. What is stopping you?"


    That question brought back down the hammer of reality on her existence. "Mike," she said, sadness coating her words, "I can''t. There are things I just have to do. My life literally depends on it. And these things don''t mesh with this nice girl you want me to be. Even if¡­ I want to be her too." Her eyes were tearing up at this point. "Beautiful as this has been, it has to end tonight." Sissy stood up but Mike retained hold on her hand.


    "You don''t have to leave tonight. I mean it''s going to rain any second, you can sleep one more night here and this can end tomorrow instead." She could see the sadness in his eyes, she felt his heart breaking, even though she could not be this girl he fell for.


    "Alright" she said, "but only if you lie with me and hold me all night." She pulled him in the direction of the master bedroom but he hesitated.


    "I¡­I don''t go in there." He said, the fear visible in his eyes. "I had all her stuff removed, but¡­but it still feels like her."


    Sissy sat back down, curious as to what she did, and furious that someone would hurt him. "What did she do mike?" He was silent and seemed to refuse to look at her. "It''s ok, if you don''t want to talk about it."


    "She was an heiress." He said finally speaking up. "After my mom died my father tried to repeat their story. But the first one was a mess. She kind of looked like my mom but was nothing like her. When he realized his mistake he began the divorce immediately. And met number two. She was from a rich family but they had cut her off. Apparently her party lifestyle brought too much embarrassment and cost them too much. So she was desperate for money and played my father like a fiddle, pretending to be everything my mom was. But he wasnstupid either. He put her in an ironclad prenup. So to make sure she got everything she wanted she needed an heir from her loins. But turns out I was a bit of a miracle. My dad was practically sterile and couldn''t give her a baby. So she came up with a master plan. She brought me here one night while my father was on a business trip. She said it would be a fun weekend, just us two. I was fifteen and she was only eight years older than me. I was beginning to notice girls but she was my step-mom and I had no interest when she started trying to ''make me a man''. So she doped me. She still had some party drugs stashed here and slipped me one." Mike breathed in deep and exhaled, Sissy knew where this was headed and despite things she had done that were arguably worse, this sickened her. Teenage boys had no resistance to lust, so she didn''t prey on them, and Mike wasn''t even interested then, as a teenage boy. It was despicable. "So she kept me doped for two days. Conscious but unable to move. I felt everything though, she used my hormonal reactions to make sure we¡­copulated, I guess is the best term, as much as we could in those two days. She needed an heir and this way a paternity test would hit spot on. When my father came back I told him. He was furious, I had never seen him strike a woman but he did her at least twice. He had her arrested and divorced her, leaving her nothing. He also was golf buddies with the DA, she got the maximum, in fact she''s still in prison. My father makes sure her parole hearings are impossible fights."


    "Thankfully she didn''t get a baby from that" said Sissy, shocked at this tale.


    "She did get pregnant." Said Mike softly. "But she lost it the first couple months in prison."


    "Oh, Mike," weeped Sissy, wrapping her arms around him. "I''m so sorry for every pass I made at you."


    "It''s ok, Sissy," he said, hugging her back, "I''m touched you wanted to. I''m sorry if made you feel that I wasn''t tempted. Believe me I was."


    She broke the hug smiling and wiping the tears away. She took his hand and asked, "do you trust me?"


    "I do," he said, cautiously.


    "Good, then let me help you take that room back from that bitch." He let her pull him up from the couch, and they walked to the room. He was nervous but she smiled that new smile she never practiced at him, "trust me, you''re just going to hold me all night. I promise, no tricks, no seductions."


    A before they made it to the door the lights went out in the apartment.


    "Must be the storm." Said Mike, "just let me check the hall."


    When Mike opened the door, the gun was the first thing he saw. The big man silhouetted in the light from the hall removed his hat. Sissy could smell the wrath pouring off the man. This was a killer. Murder soaked his soul. When he spoke it was in a charming tone, "my apologies, but you represent a large problem to my employer." He looked at Sissy, "I''m just sorry such a lovely dame, such as yourself, had to be wrapped up in this unpleasantness."


    Sissy didn''t fear this man, she could deal with him before he could blink, but the gun was pointed at Mike, and she wouldn''t risk him.


    The brute waved the gun, "now we will be taking a short stroll to that lovely balcony of yours."


    Mike nodded and walked to the patio doors, he wrapped his arms around Sissy and kept himself between her and the hitman. The idiot was protecting her, her idiot. Her Mike. It was undeniable to herself how she felt about him. She didn''t want to lose him. She would have to do something.


    As they exited to the outside Mike was still trying to save her, "you don''t have to involve her," he began, "she just a party girl, she wouldn''t say a word to anyone that might get her in trouble. You can let her go and just deal with me."


    "Sorry, but no." Was his reply, "I regret her involvement, but I have standards as a professional. Now, up against the railing please."


    "Please don''t hurt him." Sissy found herself pleading. She tried to get around him to face the man but Mike continued to keep himself between her and the gun. He was willing to die to protect her, her who he had just met yesterday. "Please, Mike is no threat to anyone. You must have the wrong guy."


    The assailant shoved Mike against the rail. "Believe me I have the right guy." He confirmed.


    "Please," she pulled out her biggest gun. "I can do things for you that you couldn''t imagine." She poured on the heat of her look. She smoldered with intensity, she driped sex, and her pheromones drifted out with all her might. "Anything you desire, just please don''t hurt him."


    She smelled his arousal, hell she could smell Mike''s as a collateral effect from his proximity. She knew Mike must be getting uncomfortable with how much she was pushing it. But she had his gaze, and he was practically drooling.


    "Woah, she is something else," he said off-handed to Mike, "I will definitely have to have fun with you after¡­"


    This last statement made Mike furious, he lunged at the larger man. As Mike grabbed at the man it broke the hold she had on his lust. His wrath flared again, "but business before pleasure." And he shoved Mike with all his might, sending him toppling over the railing.


    "Mike!" Sissy screamed as she lashed out with her hands grabbing his ankle. But the weight of the falling Mike pulled her over as well.


    "Damn, a waste of a fine piece of ass," casually remarked the brute.


    As the ground rushed up at them, Sissy crawled over Mike to get next to his face. "Mike grab on to me!" He was confused. What good would that do? "Hold on to me tight, please!" Mike wrapped his arms around her, satisfied that at least he would die with her in his arms.


    As the ground approached Sissy''s body was wreathed in flames. The appearance he had known burned away and two large wings unfolded behind her. Mike gripped tighter as the sudden jerk of deceleration shook his body violently. Mike was forced to close his eyes as the whip of a sudden turn compressed his insides painfully. He wasn''t aware of where he was now till they hit the ground and rolled to a stop. Mike scrambled to his feet as he watched the wings fold as she stood, and could see her in her entirety at last.


    She stood on silver cloven hooves that were poking out of red silky hairs to her mid-calf. Her skin was deathly pale, almost white and her fingers ended in black talons. The bat-like wings sprouted from her hips like she had another set of shoulder blades for them. Long blood red hair hung over her naked breasts from her head, which now has two small horns poking out of the hairline above her forehead. Her lips were blood red and he could see her elongated canines in her mouth. Her eyes were red around the pupils and seemed to glow with their own light. But aside from the new inhuman features, her face, her body were both still undeniably Sissy.


    His eyes were wide as he looked at her, speechless and frozen. "Mike," she began, as tears streamed down her face, "Mike, I¡­ I''m sorry."


    The wings once more whipped open, and in one powerful downward thrust, rocketed her once again into the sky. The rushing air peeled the tears from her cheeks and slowly as she streaked back up the building, her crying was replaced with a scream of rage.


    The thug looked over the edge and to his surprise did not see bodies laying on the sidewalk. He wondered where they could have landed for a moment, but gave up. No one could have survived the fall. He turned to walk back to the elevator. He made it only half a dozen steps when something wrapped around his neck, white hot and searing the flesh of his throat. Suddenly he was violently jerked back, slamming into the railing. The demonic visage perched on the railing looked down, keeping the flaming whip pulled taught around his neck.


    "You!" It screamed, "you ruined everything! EVERYTHING!" It pulled him to his feet by the whip, and continued till he was face to face with it, tips of his toes barely touching the concrete. His eyes were wide in fear, and he gasped and croaked trying in vain to speak with his throat constricted. It eyed him maliciously, "my stock and trade is usually the sin of lust. But maybe just this once, I should see if the sin of wrath will do."


    Once more with a powerful beat of wings, she shot into the sky, hauling the brute up with her by the whip. As they pierced the clouds the rain began to fall in buckets.


    Mike ran out onto the patio as the rain hammered down. He looked about with no sign of her or the goon. He ran to the railing and scanned the lightning streaked sky and shouted, "SISSY!" Again and again, till his voice gave out, "SISSY!"


    The goon''s body lay crumpled in a barely human heap in an alley far across the city. The woman walked up to it with her trench coat collar pulled up against the storm. Her red hair fell out of it in front as she squatted down to examine the body. She ran her fingers along the burn wound on his neck in lines like coiled wire. Then she stood and scanned the sky.


    Far away from both the alley and the apartment, on top of a gothic church, she sat. Face buried in her arms that sat on her knees, and wept. She wept hot tears pouring from a broken heart, that steamed when they hit the metal dome of the roof, never stopping even in the rain.


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 Book 2: The Heart of the Demon

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    She sat in the bar, long blonde curls to her mid-back, make-up flashy and full of glitter, and decked out in bright gold jewelry. She wore a tiny pink mini-dress and heels that looked like they shouldn''t logically be able to be walked in. The man sat down across from her, reeking of nervous sweat and awkward arousal. "Are you Monique then? From the app?"


    "You bet, sugar." She delivered in her best southern bell drawl with accompanying smile. "You must be Charlie."


    He was solidly middle aged, hair thinning, stomach thickening, but a decent build that said he was at one point some form of athletic. "That''s me," he smiled in his used car salesman delivery.


    He ordered drinks for them as the country music played through the bar. She giggled and smiled and played with the hoops in her ears. But she wasn''t really here. Her heart kept pulling her elsewhere. It had been this way for the past week, when she had found prey she was too distracted. She''d miss a cue, use the wrong phrase, and just make so many stupid mistakes and ruin making sure her mark transgressed and sealed the deal. They would get spooked, have second thoughts, or just blow her off. She was running out of time. The hit man was useless to her, although she managed to rev him up before the fall, when she confronted him after he was too terrified of her to be fed on. It seemed to her that Mike had broken her. Her heart ached too much to manipulate someone else''s. At this rate she would be pushed out by this world and back to hell.


    "Whoa doll, easy." The drinks had come and she had downed three shots of the tequila he ordered before he picked up his second.


    "Sorry sugar, I guess I''m just excited." She teased. "Ready to get to the main event, maybe."


    "Ok," he said cautiously, "I think we should get to know each other a little first."


    ''Shit'' she thought, she pushed too fast and now he''s suspicious.


    "Excuse me," said a voice she immediately recognized and it made her heart flutter and her stomach sink at the same time. "If I may, I need to talk to the lady."


    "Mike!" She hissed, "not now, please."


    "Sissy, I need to talk to you," He pleaded, and she struggled to keep her heart from melting. "Please will you just talk to me."


    "Sissy?" asked Charlie, confused, "is this your brother, darlin?"


    "No," replied Mike, not taking his eyes off her, "Sissy is her name."


    "Mike," she pleaded, covering her eyes, "please, you''re killing me Mike."


    "You told me you were Monique," he bellowed, "and what happened to your southern accent?" She just then realized she hadn''t kept up her accent since Mike arrived. Charlie stood up, knocking his chair over behind him. "Is this some kind of con? What are you two trying to pull over on me?"


    Mike noticed the pale circle on his ring finger, "sir, why don''t you go home to your wife. Don''t you think she would appreciate your attention more?"


    Charlie''s face reddened like a lobster, "how dare you son, you know nothing of my wife."


    Mike stood up to face the enraged man, "you''re right, I don''t. But I can assume since you married her, at one time you loved her. So don''t you think it would be better to spend time rediscovering why you loved her before, than throwing your affections at some random new young girl?"


    The men stared at each other as Charlie kept attempting to argue, but he found he had no footing to continue. He sputtered and made random sounds and after three or four false starts, he stomped off fuming.


    Mike looked back to the table to find Sissy gone.


    Sissy tottered down the street outside the bar. She was caught by the arm and turned to once again be face to face with Mike.


    "Sissy, please." He begged. "Talk to me."


    "Why are you even here Mike?" She whined, "you''ve seen what I am. Why don''t you just run away and try to forget what you saw?"


    "I don''t want to forget you." He replied, "I''ve spent the last week searching every club and every bar in this city for you."


    "Why? Why would you try to find me? I saw your face. I told you you didn''t want to know the real me. And you proved me right that night." She was beginning to cry.


    "Sissy, no, it''s not like that. Yes I was shocked, but Sissy, until that moment I didn''t know something like you actually existed. I don''t fear you. Sissy, I love you. " He wrapped his arms around her as she cried.


    "How?" Her question was muffled in his shirt. "How can you love something like me? I''m not worth your love, Mike."


    "Sissy, love is not something you have to be worthy of and it''s not something you have to prove. Love is a gift. It''s something you give someone because you want to. When someone gives it to you, you have two choices: you can accept it or not. You just have to decide which would make you happier."


    "Where did you learn that?" She said with a big wet sniff into his shirt. "It seems like I''ve heard that before."


    "It''s something my mom told me." He said quietly.


    She shuddered in a half chuckle, half sob. She lifted her head, and looked at his shirt. "Oh, Mike I''m sorry." It was smeared in make-up and glitter, and wet with tears and snot.


    He shrugged with a smile, "like I''m ever worried about how I look."


    "I am." She said with a chuckle. As she pulled out the hanky that she knew he kept in his back pocket and wiped at the mess. "I want you to look nice."


    "So you do still love me?" he asked softly.


    She stopped fussing over his shirt but kept her eyes on the mess, not daring to look him in the eye, "of course I love you Mike. That is the whole problem."


    "Why is it a problem?" He pushed.


    She shook her head, "can we not discuss this, now?"


    "Then please Sissy," he said, tilting her head up to face him, "come home, and we can talk about it. You can tell me all about what you are, and I can tell you all about how I haven''t been able to get you out of my mind since I met you. About how much I need you."


    She smiled and nodded softly. He put his arm around her shoulders and she lay her head on his shoulder, and they walked to his truck.


    "And you can get changed," he interjected as they walked, "I am having such a hard time taking bimbo Sissy seriously."


    She slapped him lightly on his ribs, but smiled, "hey, this is a thing for some guys."


    She rode in the truck, and it felt like it did the day they spent together a week ago. Safe, familiar and comforting, it felt like home to someone who had never known home. She ran her hand along the dash and closed her eyes.


    "Did you actually miss my dorky truck?" He asked.


    "Don''t call her dorky," she said, smiling without opening her eyes. When she opened them she saw herself in the side mirror. "Shit, I see what you mean." Her perfectly crafted look for old Charlie was ruined. Her make-up was smeared and ran down her face in streaks and her hair had fizzled. "Ugh!"


    Flames rippled up her body from her feet, and as they passed her whole look changed. The flash startled Mike a little, as he swerved in his lane.


    "Sorry" said the new girl who sat in his passenger seat. New, but really not new, she looked just as she did on the last day they were together. Mike realized the club girl, this girl-next-door, the country bar bimbo, even the thing that saved his life, the details may have changed, different hair, clothes, and affectations, but they were all recognizably Sissy. Like different parts played by the same incredibly talented actress.


    "It''s ok, I was just surprised." He said with a smile, "honestly that was amazing. Is that how you are able to look so different all the time?"


    "It''s just something in my bag of tricks." She said, shrugging, "it helps me to have maximum appeal to a mark."


    He looked at the same girl he lost that night and said, "I think I liked your red hair better on you." As he brushed the light brown hair over her ear.


    "Really?" She raised an eyebrow in skeptical consideration, but bright embers glowed at her roots and traveled down each strand changing it to the bright demon red as it flowed.


    "Yea, now that is beautiful." He smiled.


    She looked at Mike and just felt happy, like a week ago. She knew this couldn''t be. They couldn''t go on like this, but for now, until they got back to his apartment, she could just forget why they couldn''t be and just enjoy this. She reached over and took his free hand and squeezed. He squeezed back and she slid across the old fashioned seat next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.


    "I missed you so much," he whispered. "I''ve been looking for you non-stop since you disappeared."


    She smiled at this and then a thought hit her. She sat up and looked at him, "non-stop? Mike, what about the shelter? Your projects? What about the people who depend on you?"


    Mike smiled at her obvious concerns for the people he helped, and the fact that she didn''t realize how much she cared when she said it. "It''s ok, I talked to Margaret, she''s had it covered. I called her the next morning and told her you had run away upset and that I had to find you."


    "And she was ok with it?" She asked, taken aback by Margaret''s apparent attitude.


    "Well yes considering her exact words were ''you better''. She told me more or less that I couldn''t come back unless I found you."


    "But she only met me once."


    "You make quite an impression." He said with a big grin, "everyone there liked you. I got a call two days ago telling me Agnes made it into the shelter and was asking where you were."


    Sissy was on the verge of crying. But they didn''t know, she told herself. Mike may be blinded to her reality by love, but the rest of them were just not aware of the real her.


    The wheels screeched as they dipped into the parking structure.


    Once upstairs he unlocked the door and ushered her inside, locking it behind her. She stood in his entryway and it too felt like home, she knew for every logical reason it should not, but it did. She walked into the main room and peered into the master bedroom. The door was open and it was never left open. What was stranger was the bed was rumpled and unmade.


    She suddenly felt herself snatched off her feet as Mike carried her to the couch. Once again he sat down with her in his lap. Groaning, she pushed his arms away and stood up, sitting next to him on the couch instead. "As much as I want to just sit in your lap and snuggle forever, we have to talk, Mike. About us, about me, what I am and what it means for us."


    "You''re a succubus, I know." He said bluntly, "I don''t care. It doesn''t matter to me."


    She sighed as she looked up, searching for footing in this conversation. "Mike, it should. This brings a lot of problems for us."


    "Hey," he said, taking her hands and smiling at her again, "Darren Stevens and Major Healey did ok with unnatural girls, so can I."


    "Mike, that was TV," she said with a stern look.


    "You know TV?" He asked.


    "I''m not an animal, I''m not on the hunt twenty four-seven. When I am between feedings I can do anything I want. Watch TV, go to movies. I actually like to go to libraries and just read sometimes."


    Mike liked considering the thought of a demon in a library just reading, but knew this conversation needed to continue. "So you need to suck the vitality out of men to survive?" He replied, "fine I volunteer."


    "No Mike," she began, having to close her eyes to stay calm at his remark. "First off ''vitality'' was just a misogynistic way back then to refer to sperm. Eww! And second that is not what I take. I don''t live off of cum." She noted his look of disappointment but decided to move on. "I take souls Mike. And they don''t survive it. Don''t you see, I kill people Mike. And I use the souls of those who commit sins in the name of lust to remain your world"


    "How long does it last you?" He asked, more serious now.


    "A week, maybe two." She replied. "Depends on how heinous the sin was. Rape will last longer than adultery or abuse. Sins against children, even longer."


    This raised an eyebrow from him. Her eyes shifted to their top corners in embarrassment, "I¡­can pass for a highschooler...if I have to¡­"


    This had the effect of garnering an incredulous look as Mike took in the curve of her assets.


    "Hey, I''ve pulled it off before." She crossed her arms in a pout. "The point is I can''t stay in your world unless I do this. And I can''t believe you would be ok with what I would require to do to stay with you."


    He put his hand on top of hers, his eyes once again full of warmth and compassion and driving her crazy, "I can learn to live with it, if I have to. If it means you can stay with me."


    "No Mike, you can''t." She sobbed, "you''re too good a person to live with the knowledge I''m out there hurting people, even bad people." She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "And that''s not the worst part. Mike I haven''t been able to feed this whole week. Every time I have had the chance I think about you. And knowing what you would think hurts me, and I mess it up. I''m weak Mike, I''m distracted, and I''m off my game. You''ve shattered me, Mike! And I''m running out of time."


    "So can''t you just return home and then come back here again?"


    "Oh Mike, you don''t understand. That isn''t home. It''s not just the souls of the damned that are tortured in hell. We are too, especially the succubi. We were changed the least, physically. And we remind them of what they were once, too. Every type of demon is preyed on by others. But all of the others despise us because we get to come to your world most often. The arch demons make sure we suffer as long as they feel like it, before they will decide to send us back to your world, for hundreds of years sometimes. That''s why we are desperate to take souls and stay here. It''s hell for us there too.¡±


    She grew quiet as if all this was draining her. Then she spoke up again, her voice breaking, ¡°We used to be angels. Did you know that? Then came the war, and the angels who rebelled were cast down and became demons. But it just wasn¡¯t the rebels, those of us who didn¡¯t fight were cast down as well. We weren¡¯t warriors, we weren¡¯t soldiers. Angels like me, like I was, we made love. We wove it between two mortals. And because some of us chose not to fight we were punished too. In fact we got it the worst. We were stripped of the ability to feel love or pleasure. But they left us pain, all the pain. And we were left with the knowledge of what we were, but I can¡¯t remember it. Because if I could remember, I could remember being happy, and that memory¡­would be a pleasure.¡±


    Sissy was weeping again by this point. Mike pulled her to him and held her till the shaking stopped. "I''ll fix this Sissy, I promise. I will find a way to fix this. I won''t lose you."


    When the tears once more dried up, she wiped them on his shirt tail, it was ruined already anyway, and looked to the bedroom again. Mike noticed and said, "I''ve been sleeping in there the last few nights." When she looked at him surprised, he continued, "well days, I guess. I''ve been out till nearly dawn and sleeping until noon, just to get up and start looking again. I guess I felt I needed to take the room back like you said. No panic attacks so far, but it still doesn''t feel right. But I don''t think it''s because of her, I think it''s because¡­well, because you aren''t there with me, truthfully. It was like I could feel the empty space where you should be."


    He leaned down and kissed her lightly on her lips. She returned his kiss and for the first time she could feel it from him. She felt his love but also his arousal, his desire for her finally emanating from him, the embers of lust starting to burn finally for her. She could finally do it. She just needed to pull him astray and she''d have a soul at last to use to stay here. But she knew she wouldn''t. She couldn''t. She knew now she cared for him too much to do that. She loved him too much. "Mike," she whispered when their lips finally parted, "Mike, what are you doing?"


    He stood up and once again picked her up in his arms. "You promised that night to lie with me, until morning. No tricks, no seductions, are you still willing to do that?"


    She smiled and bit her bottom lip as she nodded. She knew she couldn''t possibly have more tears left at this point, but once more they dripped down her cheeks as he carried her to the big four poster bed. He laid her down and removed her sandals before walking around the bed and kicking off his boots. He pulled the dirty rag of a shirt over his head, tossed it to the floor and crawled up next to her. He cradled his body next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist and held her against him. And they laid there, it may have been an hour, or two or maybe an eternity, but she heard his breath, slow and regular, and felt it blowing, warm on her ear. And it felt good. All of it, it felt wonderful. She was not supposed to be able to feel pleasure, but there it was. And she was happy. She shouldn''t be happy. Not just because of what she was, but because she knew this would never work. Why did she have to be happy when she knew this would have to end eventually? In a way it made it even more torture.


    She wasn''t sure if he was still awake or asleep but she could still feel his desire for her. And she felt her anger stir deep inside, knowing he couldn''t quench that desire. Because of her. Because of what she did to him. Damn her! She wanted to get her claws on his ex-step-mother more than she did that goon when he tried to kill them. She wanted to take it away, remove his hurt, and give back what he had lost.


    Then she had the thought, why can''t I? She was a succubus, she was a master of lust, a master of desire. That bitch stole something from him, why couldn''t she give it back to him?


    She gently moved his arm from around her and slid out of the bed. She heard him breathe in sharply before a tired voice asked, "Sissy, is something wrong?"


    "Mike?" She began, standing next to the bed, "Mike, I know what she did to you, your step-mom. I know you told me how she took something from you. Something that should have been beautiful, and fulfilling, and amazing, and she made it ugly, and degrading, and traumatic. I know that I promised you no tricks, no seductions, and I promise that''s not what this is. I just need to know if you trust me. If you trust me I want to try to give you something, to give something back to you. I promise I''m not stealing your soul, you have done nothing wrong, you''re in no danger." She slipped the sundress off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Then she began to crawl back into the bed, "do you trust me, Mike?"


    His eyes were absorbed by her, her beauty drew him in like a whirlpool. As she put her knee in the bed he said, "no, wait."


    She was panicking now. Was she wrong? She could still feel the desire she had felt before, if anything it seemed stronger now. Was he still afraid of her? "I''m sorry Mike, I don''t want to make you uncomfortable. If you are afraid¡­"


    "No Sissy," he interrupted, "I do trust you, and I do want you to, but I want it to be you. Not an image, not a lie, the real you."


    "Mike?" She said confused, "why? I can be any kind of girl you want, any look in a woman you like, why would you want me to look like a monster?"


    "Sissy, you are not a monster." Mike said softly, "I told you, when I saw you that night, I was not afraid. I just had no idea something like you really existed. Sissy, when I saw you that night I thought you were the most beautiful thing I''ve ever seen. Please, show it to me again, show me the real you."


    She bit her lower lip and nodded as she took a step back. She didn''t really understand, but it was what he wanted.


    Once again fire rose up her body as her appearance changed. Silver cloven hooves clicked on the polished wood floor. Her arms were behind her back with her folded wings, and she cast her gaze at the floor. He may have asked for this but she was still nervous he would be repulsed, "Mike¡­are you sure this is wa¡­" she found herself silenced when he was suddenly across the distance between them, his lips pressed hers in a passionate kiss. A kiss she gladfully returned. Their mouths parted and their tongues played against each other. At least until hers touched the back of his throat, and he separated from her with a slight choking sound.


    "Sorry," she said breathless, the pale white skin of her cheeks taking on an embarrassed blush, "I kind of forgot that I have the advantage there." She parted her lips as her forked tongue rolled out of her mouth past her long canines and hung three inches below her chin.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Wow!" He said wide eyed.


    She smiled at his reaction and whispered, "trust me when I say I can do some mind blowing things with it too," then she resumed their kiss, taking care how she used her tongue this time.


    As they kissed she unfastened his jeans and he slid them down his legs.


    "Lie down," she said, as the kiss ended. He sat down on the mattress and swung his legs up, laying back against the pillows. She crawled up on top of him as she unfolded her wings. She smelled his desire burning like an inferno, even though, if she had wanted to, she could have just looked down and seen he was ready for her as she straddled him. She put her hands on either side of his head and leaned down to kiss him once more.


    She was soft and warm, and she guided him where she needed to. She showed him how to best please her, but she also let him explore her body where he wanted. Her hair, her skin, they were softer than anything Mike could remember ever touching. Even the red hairs of her hooves were silky smooth. He ran his fingers across her horns, and she bit down gently on his wrist with her fangs to show him pain could be pleasurable too, if done right. She used the soft beat of her wings to keep her rhythm smooth and steady as she rocked up and down on him. She even leaned in and tickled his lips with her forked tongue.


    It was not like any of the countless sex Sissy had experienced before. For the first time ever that she could remember, she could feel every touch, every caress, each and every kiss. And she could feel pleasure. She could feel every glorious instance of it. And when they climaxed together, the pleasure filled her to overflowing, and she felt as if it would go on forever. When it finally ebbed, she put her head on his chest and they lay there entwined throughout the rest of the night, she listened to his heartbeat, and finally felt the love she couldn''t remember from when she was an angel.


    She was not in the bed when Mike awoke. He threw back on his jeans and hurried out of the bedroom. In the main room he found her. Sissy looked human once more and was on the couch watching TV, wearing nothing but one of his t-shirts. The form she now took appeared mostly the same as her true form, just minus the demonic bits. The only tweak seemed to be that her eyes were blue instead of red. She sat cross-legged with a bowl in her lap, moving a spoon up and down between it and her mouth.


    He rushed around the front and sat next to her pulling her head to the side to kiss her deeply.


    "Are you ok, Mike?" She asked around a full mouth.


    "Sorry, I woke up and you weren''t there, and I was afraid you left. And what are you eating?" He asked as he tasted his own lips after their kiss.


    She had poured a big bowl of fruity cereal and topped it with chocolate milk. "It''s sooo good, Mike." She gushed.


    "Haven''t you had cereal before?" He asked.


    "Not that I could taste." She replied matter-of-factly. "No pleasure, remember? Taste would be a pleasure, Mike."


    "Right," he said, feeling stupid, "I''m sorry, Sissy. I forgot."


    She smiled lovingly at him, "it''s ok. I don''t understand what it is you''ve done to me Mike, but I have never felt so good. So thank you." And she returned his passionate kiss.


    He glanced at the TV, "what are you watching?"


    "Oh, the Kardashians," she said.


    "You like this stuff?" He asked in a tone of disbelief.


    "Are you kidding?" She answered wide eyed, "lust, greed, sloth, wrath, these kinds of people are a smorgasbord for my kind. I tell you over half of this cast has an express ticket waiting."


    Mike laughed, "well yea, I guess I get it."


    So they watched and laughed as she finished her bowl. Mike had no tolerance for trash TV before, but seeing it through Sissy''s eyes suddenly seemed to make it more enjoyable.


    He turned the set off as the show ended and Mike stood up. "How about a shower?" He asked, more than suggestively. But just as she was reaching up his phone rang. Mike grabbed it off the counter, "hello?" As he spoke she heard his tone change, "I see¡­" and "how bad?" and then, "how much time?" Finally "ok, I''ll be there as soon as I can." And hung up.


    Mike turned to look at Sissy, "my father''s doctor, he just told me he''s taken a bad turn." He stepped over to Sissy and went to one knee. "I know we are dealing with your problem, but I need to go see him."


    "Mike!" She said, surprised he felt he had to ask, "absolutely, you need to see him." She stood up and pulled him to his feet, "go! Get changed."


    "You don''t have to go with me," he said caringly.


    "And not get to meet your father?" She smiled mischievously, "yea, I don''t think so." She shoved him toward his room, and he hurried off. "And wear something nice!" She yelled after him.


    Sissy took her bowl to the kitchen, but as she reached the sink a sharp stab of pain lanced her lower abdomen. The bowl tumbled into the sink as she clutched at the spot and had to grab the counter to steady herself and not fall over.


    Mike reappeared at the sound of the bowl shattering. He rushed to Sissy, "are you alright?"


    She straightened up quickly and gave an embarrassed laugh, "I''m fine, I was just clumsy and dropped your bowl. I''m sorry Mike, I think I broke it"


    "It''s ok, I can get more bowls, I just need to know you''re ok." He said softly as he hugged her close.


    She closed her eyes and just enjoyed him for a moment before replying, "I''m fine. Go get ready." But as he returned to his bedroom Sissy knew what that pain meant. The tether of her last soul had just run out.


    Mike reappeared minutes later in slacks and an actual dress shirt. Sissy was already in a different look. She was dressed in moderate black heels, a pleated gray skirt that hung at her knees with a ruffled light blue blouse. She had kept her hair red, because she knew Mike liked it. But muted to a more natural hue and she had put it in a long braid that hung over her right shoulder. Her make-up was stylish but somewhat conservative and she had topped the whole look off with some thin silver framed glasses to compliment Mike''s own thick frames.


    "Is this ok? She asked, turning a little pirouette. She again had the silver studs in her ears and the silver heart necklace from her girl-next-door look.


    He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before responding, "remove that," pointing at the necklace.


    "Oh." She gasped, "you don''t like it?" As it disappeared in a flash of flame.


    He guided her to his room where he opened the chest in front of his bed. And after digging a moment, returned with an identical necklace except this one had a heart cut diamond in it.


    "I want you to wear this." He said clasping it where the one she created had been. "I noticed how the one you wore on that first night looked like it."


    "Mike, it''s beautiful!" She gasped.


    "It was my mom''s," he said with a smile, "in fact it was the first gift my father ever bought her."


    "Mike! Should I be wearing it then?" She asked. "Won''t your dad notice?"


    "Yes," he grinned, "I want him to. He''ll know the second he sees you, how I feel about you."


    They drove to a gated property outside the city. The house was huge, and swarmed with servants. When they entered Sissy was being pulled along by Mike as she kept slowing down to look at everything.


    "How rich is your dad again?" She whispered in his ear.


    "He owns thirty percent of all the property in the city." Then he shrugged, "although that''s just what he owns in this city."


    They were led to a room in a side wing, "I assumed we were going to a hospital when we left." She said quietly.


    "Anything a hospital can do for my father he can buy and have here. Including doctors." Replied Mike as they entered the room. An older man lay on a medical bed surrounded by machines, but also desks and computers. People with lab coats swirled around people in business wear who brought the man Papers to look over and sign. It was at once his office, medical ward and his bedroom.


    A woman in her late forties approached Mike and they exchanged hugs. "Rachel, this is Sissy. Sissy this is Rachel, my father''s fourth wife."


    "Pleased to meet you, Rachel." Said Sissy as the woman clasped her hand over both of Sissy''s.


    "It''s not as glamorous as it sounds." She laughed, mildly. "I''m just a business decision really. No one will ever replace Michael''s mother. The other two were tactical marriages when he thought he needed clout. When he realized he didn¡¯t he married me to keep the vultures away. I was his secretary long before Micheal was born." Sissy heard the words but she could also hear a tinge of disappointment in her voice.


    Rachel went to the bedside and Sissy watched from behind Mike as she whispered in his ear. She saw his eyes as he listened to her and saw something only Sissy could see. She whispered into Mike''s ear, "purely a business decision huh, don''t count on it."


    Mike looked back with an expression that conveyed disbelief but then smiled, realizing Sissy would know better than anyone.


    Rachel indicated Mike and Sissy with a nod and his father''s face brightened. They walked up, Sissy still mostly trying to remain hidden behind Mike. But Mike reached his arm around her waist and pushed her up to his side by her butt. She was a little embarrassed by his choice of where to shove her by, but she also had to admit she was a little turned on by how quickly Mike was taking to being comfortable with his intimacy towards her.


    "Micheal, it''s good to see you son¡­" he paused as Sissy came into view and she realized Mike was spot on in that the first thing he saw was what was around her neck. But he quickly looked her over next and sprouted a big smile. "Well, what is this beautiful thing that you have brought me, Micheal?"


    "Dad, this is Sissy. Sissy I''d like for you to meet Jonathan Mason, my father." John took Sissy''s hand and pulled it to his lips to kiss it.


    "A pleasure to meet you, my dear. You must be something extra special to be able to get my boy to wear decent clothes instead of his normal rags."


    Sissy smiled as Mike squeezed her with the arm he had around her and said, "you have no idea how special."


    His eyes were once more in the silver heart, "oh, I think I do." Came his sing-song reply.


    "What happened Dad?" Mike asked, bringing the tone to more seriousness.


    "Oh," he said in a tone to blow off all concern. "These doctors are all paranoid just because my ticker had a little hiccup last night. But I feel fine."


    "Doctor Patel said it was more than a hiccup." Countered Mike. And as the two argued Sissy evaluated John with everything she could sense that doctors would never be able to.


    It wasn''t until she finished she realized she had daddy''s attention. "Michael," John said, turning his attention back to Mike as he spoke. "Why don''t you find doctor Patel. I''m sure he can tell you the details better. Besides, I''d like a word with your lady here, alone."


    Sissy had a wide-eyed expression of concern, but Mike just said, "ok, but be nice." As he walked away to find the doctor he called back, "and I meant that to both of you." This gave Sissy a smile at least.


    As he left she realized she had his father''s full attention. "He seems happy." The older man said. He was a little older than she expected, Mike was in his twenties but his father was comfortably settled into the sixties.


    "He deserves to be." She answered, throwing her shy smile to bolster her nice girl look.


    "I was worried he would never be able to get close to anyone." She could see the guilt rising in his eyes. "I take it he told you what happened to him?" Sissy nodded, and she could see the man visibly breaking, "what that woman did to him, what that woman I brought into his life put him through is the biggest regret of my life. I''ve done some reprehensible things building my business. No one builds an empire and keeps their hands clean. But my talent I''m most proud of is my judgment of character. I know people, I can see through them from the start." he looked at Sissy with a side eye, "and my gut tells me you share that talent. You''ve been reading me since you walked in."


    "I do know people," she admitted, "and I knew what a wonderful man your son was from the moment we met."


    "Twice though this ability failed me. The first I was just trying to replicate my Annabelle, and the second I let my head get in the way. I thought good breeding would make a difference. When I found out what she did I had her locked up, and I made sure to block every chance she had to get out. To keep her as far from Michael as I could. But her sentence is up in a couple months, no parole hearings, just up. And now, here I am a sick old man and I can''t protect him from her."


    The tough old buzzard was actually tearing up. Sussy put her hand on his, "he''s ok. He doesn''t fear her anymore. What she took from him, I gave him back. She''ll have no power over him."


    He smiled at her, "how did you two meet? If I may pry."


    Sissy saw no reason to lie, "at a nightclub. Or, outside it really. I had drunk too much and Mike kept some creeps from having their way with me. He''s my hero."


    John chuckled, "so you''re not quite the good girl you pretend to be."


    "I am for him." And it was her turn to laugh, "I love your son, but I feel like he''s managed to break the bad girl, and leave some soft simpering doe eyed girl in her place. I''m just disgusted with what I''ve become sometimes, but I would hate to disappoint him."


    "Just like his mom. She took a vicious financial pirate, and had me considering who might be hurt by the deals I made. And eventually she didn''t even need to prompt me, I could just feel what she would think of me sometimes if she found out."


    They both laughed for a few moments, but his mood soon fell, "Doctor Patel will tell him the truth, my heart stopped a couple times last night. I don''t have too much longer. I have made some terrible choices getting where I am now. And now I fear where I''ll end up because of it. But I can at least be confident Micheal will be fine." He tapped her hand with his, bringing back the ache in her gut from knowing this world will soon pull Mike and her apart. "I did questionable things just to build all this," he motioned around the room, "but if I know he''ll be ok, I couldn''t give a damn now if it all falls down behind me."


    She could still smell the faint echo of the greed that built his kingdom, but she could tell it no longer held him in its grip. "You loved your wife, and love your son more than anything in this world. And that love has reshaped you into a man who need not fear judgment." Sissy stood and lightly kissed his cheek, whispering, "I assure you John, you have no need to fear."


    Mike returned and smiled at the tender image of his father getting a sweet kiss from a demoness, "I''m gone for a few minutes and you''re making a move on my girl?"


    "I wish," he smiled, and gave his son a proud look, "you did good son. I dare say you may have out done me."


    "I know," Mike replied, wrapping himself around Sissy and kissing her hair. "Doctor Patel told me of the incidents last night. They are doing everything they can, he estimates you might make it another year, maybe a little more."


    "Long enough to see a wedding," said, raising an eyebrow, "maybe even a grandkid if I''m lucky?"


    Sissy had to bury her face in Mike''s shirt to hide the pained expression. "Maybe, dad," said Mike, holding tighter to Sissy. "we''ll just have to see."


    "We should go," said Mike as he broke off from Sissy to give his father a hug. "You hang on."


    "And you come and see me more often." His dad replied, "especially if you bring this pretty little thing with you."


    As they walked away Sissy suddenly turned back to the bed, "oh, and the mission needs a new oven. Make sure it''s top of the line and make sure your cronies fork up for it." She pointed at him before continuing, "I mean it."


    "You got it," the old man replied with a smile.


    They took two more steps before she whipped around again, "and before it''s too late, tell Rachel she is more than just a business arrangement to you. Understand John?"


    "Yes ma''am." John nodded, "I will"


    "Good," she said before turning back and leaving, with Mike attempting to keep from laughing out loud at this girl giving his father commands.


    John looked over at a balding man in a drab suit, "order an oven, top of the line."


    "Sir, commercial ovens can be¡­" the man began.


    "Buy it! Today!" Commanded John. "I don''t give a damn what it costs if it just might happen to get me some grandkids."


    They were wrapped in each other''s arms and she had her head on his shoulder and as they walked through the mansion''s big entryway back to the front doors. Her time was almost up. And she was out of options.


    "I heard what you told him," Mike said softly, "was it true."


    "Your dad is a good guy." She replied, not lifting her head, "most men in his position are irredeemable assholes, whose friends and family are either interchangeable assets or status symbols and vicarious ways to carry on their wants. But your dad really loves you. I don¡¯t think my bosses will get their hands on him."


    Mike once again kissed the top of her head as they passed through the doors. As they descended the steps, Sissy cried out in pain and Mike had to hold her up to keep her from tumbling down the stairs. And while she was doubled over, to Mike''s eyes Sissy''s existence seemed to stutter. She seemed to disappear, then reappear in her true form, then disappear again before returning again in human guise. But dozens of times in the blink of an eye before stopping.


    "Sissy!" He cried. He picked her up and ran down the remaining steps to his truck. "What happened?" He asked as he loaded her into the passenger seat.


    She looked at him with teary eyes full of pain but also sadness as well. "I''m out of time, Mike."


    He climbed in and drove off in a hurry. It took him a few moments to realize there was nowhere to rush her to that could help. So he slowed down.


    "Did this happen earlier, when the bowl broke?" The realization dawned on him, she was never clumsy. She always moved with an unearthly grace unless she meant to.


    "I''m sorry, Mike. I wanted to tell you but I didn''t want to keep you from seeing your father." She cried as she leaned against the window. "My last soul slipped away this morning. I don''t have anything to hold me here anymore. Your world is beginning to try and push me out."


    "How long do you have?" He asked.


    "Not long, it will come and go at first." She sat up, the pain having gone away for the moment, ,"Right now I am like a splinter you only notice when you brush against it. But soon this world will escalate to scratching and clawing at me to remove it."


    "We have to do something Sissy, I can''t lose you." Mike was in a panic. He looked over at the woman he loved and made the first decision that came to his mind. "You can take mine. If you need a soul Sissy I would give mine to you."


    "What?" She screamed, "Mike no! I won''t do it!" She slid over to him and buried herself into his side. "I won''t damn you to hell just for my sake. Besides, it wouldn''t last and I would be back in the same situation and you would''ve wasted it. So no, Mike! Please don''t ask that of me again!"


    "Ok, ok," he said softly, now rubbing her back with his free hand, "I''m sorry, but there has to be something we can do."


    They drove in silence, there wasn''t really a destination, but soon the neighborhood began to look familiar.


    "What about Danfield?" Mike asked out of the blue.


    "What?" Sissy looked up at him, not really sure where he was going.


    "Danfield, the man I met with that last night. You seemed to really not like him so I figured, he must not be a very good person."


    "He was a slimeball." She said bluntly. "He reeked of greed so he was probably super corrupt. Why?"


    "So you can sense other sins?" He asked.


    "Yes, all seven of the classics." She replied, looking up at him still confused. "But I can only take a soul that sins in lust Mike. I could not use the killer that night because he was too rooted in wrath."


    "Which brings me to point two. Danfield is the one I would bet sent that guy. If anyone deserves damnation, it''s him." Said Mike, his casualty on the subject beginning to frighten her.


    "Again Mike, greed. I can''t do anything with that either."


    "But you can take any soul that sins in lust though, right?"


    "Mike," she began, and he could hear her in her tone that it was he she didn''t think could deal with it.


    "Sissy," he interrupted, "I will not lose you. You said it yourself, we are running out of time, even if we had an idea of another way, we might not have the time to do it. I''ll deal with it. You need to do what you need to do. Let me justify it. Just this once at least." It wasn''t until Mike put the truck in park that she realized they had stopped. She looked out the windshield at the dark building down the street, with the same two lit windows.


    "Oh, Mike¡­" she said, worried.


    The elevator opened to let the woman out into the reception area. Black stiletto-heeled boots clicked in the tile, and the black leather skirt above them was so tight it creaked when she walked. She clutched a manilla envelope to her tight white blouse when she stepped up to the desk. The extensively rebuilt blonde receptionist looked up at her to see dark scarlet lips in a frown and smokey eye makeup behind librarian style half glasses with a neck chain that dangled from the sides. Her raven black hair was tied in a severe bun at the back of her head.


    "I''m sorry, do you have an appointment?" She asked in an attempt a cheery tone that warbled slightly in fear.


    "I''m here representing the Mason Foundation," Sissy could smell the stink of Danfield''s lust on her. Mike said he saw a ring on Danfield''s hand, and his receptionist was proof then, that adultery was in his wheelhouse already. "I have urgent business with Mr. Danfield."


    "Do you have an appointment?" The woman was clumsily trying to bar her access to him.


    "If I don''t see him tonight, then there will be no way to avoid this going to litigation." Sissy gave her a predatory smile, "unless your boss is good with injunctions, audits and federal investigations."


    The receptionist was in a nervous sweat as she pushed the intercom button. "I''ll be another minute, Barbara. Then I''ll be ready for you to take my dictation."


    Sissy could feel the double entendre through the device. Damn it, she thought. If she had waited she could have let Barb do all the dirty work. But it was too late now and time was running out.


    "Um¡­Mr. Danfield, you have an emergency meeting waiting for you." Quivered the receptionist, "she is using words like litigation, injunction and audit."


    The line was silent for over a minute when he finally replied, "send her in."


    She saw his face instantly shift from displeased to surprised as she walked in. Sissy turned and locked the door behind her, and she could feel his eyes on her butt. She would normally be pleased she was getting this kind of reaction, she could smell his arousal was at full mast from across the room. She had done this so many times with men as vile as Danfield, but now she felt like she had tar bubbling in her stomach. She had to do this or she might never see Mike again. Just now thinking of Mike made it worse. Sin was her business, her stock and trade, but she felt doing this would be cheating on Mike as much as it would be Danfield cheating on his wife. But again, she had no choice.


    She turned gracefully to face him and sauntered over to the desk, "Mr. Danfield," she lowered her voice to a husky purr, and spoke in breathy exhalations, "I have been sent by some greatful business associates of yours." She let the envelope drop out of her hands to the floor to reach up and undo her bun, letting her long dark hair tumble down over her shoulders. "I have been paid to give you the full service experience, up to and including," as she stopped in front of the desk she pulled apart the halves of her tight white blouse, sending buttons flying and exposing her cleavage. She licked her dark, shiny lips and peered over her half glasses, "the happy ending."


    She could hear him breathing so hard he was on the verge of hyperventilating. Sissy fought to shove down her revulsion and guilt, she needed to continue. Everything was counting on this.


    Danfield squirmed uncomfortably in his chair as he felt as if his pants were trying to cut him in half. He had paid a fortune to give Barbara the proportions he liked, but this dame had it all in spades, and she looked like she achieved it naturally. He stood up awkwardly and practically waddled towards her.


    "Oooo," he croaked out in his gravelly voice, "and which of my ''associates'' do I get to thank for this gorgeous vision before me?"


    Sissy had to fight another wave of nausea as he neared her. His lust was palatable but his greed was just as strong still. The two intermingled horrifically, as if he didn''t just want to ravish her, but he wanted to possess her. Keep her as his own like a possession. Was this the fate that had befallen Barb, had befallen his own wife? Did he keep the women in his life like property?


    As she was trying to steel herself against the repulsive act she was about to perform, Sissy became aware of Barbara''s voice on the other side of the door. "I''m sorry, Mr. Danfield is in a meeting¡­" and Barb screamed an instant before the lock between the doors exploded into the office.


    Danfield''s arousal disappeared at the gunshot that echoed in the room, only to have it painfully return at the sight of the woman that entered the room. The red haired woman was at least six foot tall, dressed in tight black tactical gear and a trench coat, that conjured up images for him of the broad from the Avengers movies, adding to his painful re-masting.


    Mike sat in the truck after Sissy got out and walked the block to the building. He was sick to his stomach, especially after he saw the form she took for her seduction of Danfield. He couldn''t drive the image of his hands all over her, having his way with her. Mike''s heart pounded and his breathing was erratic. He kept telling himself, "this is what she does. This is what she is. She had to do this. If she didn''t she couldn''t stay here and he would never see her again." Over and over he tried to convince himself.


    But his heart refused to listen. In his mind all he could picture was her, HIS Sissy, up there with that creep, that asshole. The man who tried to have them killed. Not only was he about to violate her but he was dangerous. He wasn''t even sure he could harm her, he never did ask, but it didn''t stop Mike from fearing he would. He realized Sissy was right, he couldn''t handle it. He jerked open the door of the truck and stepped into the street, just as he heard the gunshots.


    The red head leveled an enormous handgun at the woman in Danfield''s office. He watched as his new whore hissed and burst into flames! When the flash cleared she had become a monster with wings and horns and glowing red eyes. Danfield screamed, "HOLY CRAP!" and fell to the floor like a toad.


    Sissy instinctively assumed her true form when the scent of the nephilim reached her nose. She folded her wings and dashed to the side as the half-angel opened fire. Sissy reached the nearest wall and stepped up onto the vertical surface with ease. She ran along the wall as bullets slammed into the drywall behind her. Sissy passed behind Danfield''s desk and dove through his window as glass fragments filled the air. The woman in black walked to the broken window and looked out into the street, eyes following the fleeing succubus.


    Danfield had risen to his knees at this point, "that was amazing, can I offer you¡­"


    The woman unloaded the last three shots in her magazine into the top of his desk, silencing the man instantly. The woman jettisoned the empty magazine and traded it out on her belt, "don''t think just because I saved your ass from a demon that I give a damn what happens to a sleazebag like you." She punctuated her statement by slamming the new magazine into the gun. "But if you want my advice, if hell has taken this kind of interest in you, you might want to re-evaluate some of your life choices." She added as she exited the office.


    Two of Danfield''s goons, having heard the gunshots, finally stepped out of the elevator just to receive a bullet each in the thigh. She stepped past men laying on the ground clutching a leg. She gave a small smirk as the doors of the elevator closed.


    Mike was about to dash to the building when the gunshot stopped him in his tracks. One, then more in rapid succession, and finally a pale shape crashed through the lit window and streaked toward the ground. Her wings unfolded and she swept level with the street, just ten feet off the ground. Mike jumped back in the cab and turned over the engine. He threw the truck into gear just as Sissy came streaking overhead. Mike slammed down on the accelerator sending the tires into a spin and screeched off after the succubus. The truck pulled up under her as Mike let off the gas to keep pace. Sissy floated down and grabbed onto the rollbar between the cab and bed. Her hooves touched down in the bed just as Mike sped through a red light. Sissy held onto the bar tight as the truck swerved one way and back to avoid another car crossing the intersection. As the horn from the other car blared, Mike pushed the button opening the back window. Sissy slipped in head first and collapsed on her side in the back seat.


    Mike made a quick turn into a different street and slowed down, attempting to avoid attention.


    From the back seat he heard Sissy sobbing, "I didn¡¯t get it, Mike. I''m sorry, I didn''t get it." She said weakly.


    He reached back to place a comforting hand in her, "It''s ok, It''s fine Sissy." He said softly as once again Sissy began to stutter.


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 Book 2: A Soul for a Demon

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    Mike parked the truck and hurried to the back door. Sissy was lying across the back seat, wings draped to the floor board.


    "Sissy," he whispered, "Sissy, we''re home. I''m going to carry you upstairs but I need you to turn human for a little bit."


    "I''m trying Mike," she said weakly, "I''ve been trying. I''m sorry, but I don''t think I can." Then with an exhale, she passed out.


    Mike''s blood ran cold, she was getting worse. Time was up and he feared he was going to lose her. Mike reached behind the seat for the moving blanket he kept there. He carefully folded her wings around her body and wrapped her up in the blanket. Mike lifted her in his arms and carried her to the elevator in the parking structure. The doors opened just before he arrived, and out stepped Mrs. Milton, from the 12th floor. Mike smiled nervously and nodded as he passed her. "She overdid it a little tonight it seems. Even fell in the fountain on fourth street." He lifted up the blanket clad girl for emphasis.


    She nodded and smiled back but afterward seemed to stare at one end of the blanket. Mike looked over to see the blanket had fallen off Sissy''s feet. Silver hooves and red fur were visible poking out the end.


    "Oh," said Mike, and put on a big smile, "awesome boots, right? If you want I can ask where she got them for you when she wakes up," just as the elevator closed.


    Mike sighed with relief as the elevator began to rise.


    "I was born with them," came a muffled voice from the blanket. Mike looked down to see a red eye peeking out from the folds, then it winked at him.


    He tugged with the arm under her back and the material fell away from her face. Her eyelids looked heavy and half closed, but she smiled up at him. He lifted her up and tenderly kissed her lips, then rested his forehead against her horns. "Great, now your neighbors are going to think I''m a lush." She teased weakly.


    When they entered the penthouse, he placed her carefully on the couch. "Do you need a drink? Or some trash TV?" He asked with a smile.


    She shook her head lightly and touched his arm. "I just want to spend all of my last moments with you before I''m gone."


    "I won''t let you go," he said, "helping people is what I do. It''s what I''ve always done." Tears were beginning to form on his cheeks, "I couldn''t save my mom. Sissy, I won''t lose you."


    "Mike, I¡­" Sissy cried out in pain and once more began to stutter in and out of existence.


    "No, no, no, no, no," Mike picked her back up into his arms. To him she felt like that buzzing when your arm falls asleep. But all over and he didn''t have the feeling as much as she was the feeling. "Please. Please Sissy, stay with me. Please Cissera, don''t go." He whispered. While she was in this state, rapidly switching between being here and not, she seemed to weigh almost nothing. But soon the stutter slowed, her weight increased and with a sigh she passed out once again. But she was still here. Mike breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down with her cradled in his lap.


    Sissy awoke, unsure of what time had passed. She was on Mike''s lap, but his attention was on the smartphone in his hand. His brow was furled and he scrolled furiously with his thumb. She reached up a hand and touched his cheek.


    "Hey," Sissy said softly, looking up at him with a weak, dreamy expression.


    "Hey," he responded, quickly putting down the phone and running his fingers through her hair. "You''re awake. You had two more instances while you were out."


    She nodded, "they will accelerate rapidly from this point until I can''t fight them. What were you doing?"


    "Digging online for anything on demonology, succubi, and trans-dimensionalism. I think I spent about six hundred dollars on books and most were either new age mysticism bullshit, or academically too general, and taking in what you''ve told me, completely wrong."


    Sissy could not hold back a weak laugh, "Mike, you are not going to find real mystic texts online. The Order hoards them all."


    "The Order?" Mike asked.


    "The Arcanum Order," Sissy continued, "a coalition of magic wielders that hold a kind of self appointed place in this world as the law."


    "Wait, so not only are demons real, but wizards too?" Said Mike, "and these wizards have books that actually might help?"


    "Mike no." She said, "they''re actively trying to send things like me back. Mike, they are never going to help me."


    "But if they know how to save you," he said, his voice cracking, "I have to try to get that out of them."


    She pulled his face down to her and kissed him, "I love you you big dummy, but what happened at Danfield''s was one of their nephilim hunters. She nearly killed me then. You''ll never get close to one of them."


    "So nephilim," questioned Mike, "like half angels?"


    "You already know what succubi and nephilim are. How is that, Mike?" She asked as she eyed him sideways.


    Mike looked a little sheepish, "I¡­ may have played D&D."


    Sissy laughed, "oh! So you were a geek, Mike." After she controlled her outburst she added, "they surprisingly get a lot of stuff right. Talk about dedication to research. You''d probably get more out of your Monster Manuals than that crap online."


    "Hey, it''s a fun game." Mike said, his ego sufficiently bruised.


    "As much fun as what we did last night?" She managed to purr the question suggestively, even in her weakened state.


    "I can''t truthfully say that anything in my life was ever better than what we did last night." Mike held her close, once again touching his head to her two horns.


    After several minutes of just holding each other, she said softly, "you need to just let me go, Mike." She looked up into his eyes, trying to summon the strength to convince him to do something she didn''t really want to do herself. "It hurts too much, I can''t take it. The next time it happens just let it take me."


    "No," he said, "Sissy, I don''t want to go on without you.


    "Mike, please." She pleaded, "I don''t want to lose you either but, this¡­ us, it''s just not possible." She began tearing up once again, "you will move on without me with some sweet, real girl and," she shook with sobs, her voice breaking, "And I can only hope a few hundred years of torture can make me forget how much I love you Mike."


    "Sissy, I don''t think I can." He began, tears leaking from his eyes, "No one will ever have my heart like you do. I don''t want just some nice girl. I want you, you are everything I never knew I wanted."


    Sissy gave a sharp intake of breath, "Mike it''s starting again, just let me go. Please."


    Mike closed his eyes as she began to once more stutter into non-existence. He squeezed his eyes shut and held her tightly to him, until he could not stand it anymore and whispered, "stay with me Cissera, don''t go."


    Sissy, who had been trying to relax and let herself slip away from this world, gave a cry of pain as she was suddenly fighting again to remain in it.


    "Damn it Mike!" She said, weeping, as the incident finally wound to an end "You can''t keep using my true name just to keep me here. It won''t last."


    "I''m so sorry Sissy," he apologized softly, "I tried. I tried to just let go, but I just couldn''t bear it. I''m sorry."


    "It''s ok, Mike," she said, running her hand down his cheek. "I''m afraid to let go too." She kissed him, and then laid her head on his chest. "Actually, now I could use that drink." She smiled up at him.


    "As you wish," he quipped, as he stood and laid her back on the couch.


    He was making his way to the kitchen area when the front door burst in. A tall red haired woman strode into the apartment in a trench coat over black tactical gear. She pulled out a huge handgun and leveled it at Sissy.


    Mike ran back to the main area and positioned himself behind the couch between Sissy and the woman. "No, don''t, please! Just leave her alone!"


    "Sir, please get out of the way. You don¡¯t know what you are dealing with." She said calmly and flatly.


    "Yes I do." Said Mike now matching her calm as well. "I know exactly what she is and I don''t care."


    "Mike, please be careful," Sissy said before pulling herself up on the back of the couch to face the nephilim. "Please don''t hurt him, I''m right here, just leave him alone."


    Mike moved to keep himself between both women. "She isn''t a threat, she hasn''t fed in too long, and she''s getting pushed out already."


    "Mike, is it?" The tall woman began, "she''s just using you, Mike. She''ll steal your soul the first chance she gets. It''s what they do, especially if she is on the verge of being starved out already."


    "No, she won''t!" He stated firmly, "I know because¡­ I already offered my soul to her, willingly. She won''t take it."


    "Then she''s not really starved out." The woman said matter-of-factly, "and this is a trick of some kind."


    "Mike, let her." Sissy said, suddenly.


    "Sissy, what are you saying?" Mike replied, her statement garnering shock from both of the other people in the room. He took hold of her to steady her on the couch.


    "Mike, it will be quicker, and it will hurt less." Sissy pleaded with tears in her eyes.


    "Mike, I''ve only been sent back once in my time here, it has never hurt this much, please Mike, let her kill¡­" Sissy screamed suddenly and Mike felt her wrenched from his hands. She flew across the coffee table and seemed to land against something in mid-air. Like a wall that Mike couldn''t see. All around her it seemed like the very air was tearing in dozens of spots like cat scratches on a couch, and a sickly red light poured forth from the holes. Everywhere Sissy touched the openings, sparks like when a hot wire touches metal shot out around her. And Sissy screamed louder than he had ever heard her, "Mike! Please! Let her kill me, please!"


    "Sissy!" Mike screamed back, trying to reach her. He tried to get to her, to pull her down, but attempting to get close to her, to the sparks or the red rips was like trying to approach an open furnace.


    The woman was visibly in shock, she holstered her gun and lifted her hand to feel the heat radiate from the fissures. And the demon, she didn''t take his soul, even when freely offered and she was begging to be killed, to protect this guy, it seemed?


    "Mike, right?" She asked, as she turned his head, "my name is Lucy. I believe you Mike. This is obviously no trick. Now, I''ve only seen one Succubus starved out, and she just faded away eventually. It was nothing like this. This is big. This is beyond me. I''m going to have to call in backup, but It''s someone I know we can trust, please try not to worry." Mike nodded and she stepped away. A scorching wind had begun to blow out of the tears in the air and Lucy stepped into the hall to hear.


    Mike looked at Sissy, her eyes were closed and tears ran down her cheeks, but those were near immediately boiled away by the hot wind from the rips, and still she just mouthed the word, ''please'' over and over again as the force held her upright against the slashes in the air.


    "That''s right, I''m out of my depth here," Lucy spoke into the phone, "but it''s bad. I need your help Alex."


    Minutes later, after Lucy had gone back in the room and talked with Mike, another rip formed in mid-air across the room. Mike could see into this one what looked like rows of shelves lined with books, like a library. Two people stepped through before it closed behind them. The first was a man that looked barely drinking age, an inch or two shorter than Mike, in blue and gold robes, wire rimmed glasses and a book in his hands. The other was a small girl in a frilly white dress. She only came up to the other man''s chest, her skin and hair were china doll white and her eyes were clear blue like gemstones.


    "Mike this is my brother Alex," started Lucy over the roar of the wind, "and this is Sweety, his familiar and my adorable little sister-in-law. Alex, Sweety, this is Mike. And that," she indicated the succubus in the middle of the disturbance that you could not possibly miss in the center of the room, "is Sissy."


    Alex examined what was happening, he had to put one hand up in front of him to dampen the glare from all the different light sources. "Our world is trying to push her out, but I''ve never seen an incursion give it so much trouble." Alex also had to shout over the wind. "For some reason it seems hell is pushing back, trying to keep her from entering, and that strain between her world and our world is tearing the fabric of the universe. It''s a cascading cross rift of a magnitude I''ve never seen. Lucy, this is bad."


    Mike noticed that the little doll-like girl had let go of Alex''s hand and began to walk toward Sissy.


    Alex however, was busy looking at his sister, "if she doesn''t leave this world it could irreparably damage the veil between the worlds. I''m sorry Lucy, but we may have to just kill her to protect the fabric of reality."


    "What!" Screamed Mike, overhearing the plan to kill Sissy. He turned his attention back to Alex. "If hell is keeping her out, and you kill her, where does she go?"


    Alex looked down, avoiding looking Mike in the eye, "if our world keeps expelling her and hell won''t accept her back, then she will be pushed between the worlds and be cast off into oblivion. She''ll just cease to exist Mike."


    "No!" Screamed Mike, "you are not going to make the woman I love cease to exist!"


    "Yes!" The shout turned out to be from Sissy herself. "Mike, if the tear gets worse, you''ll definitely be hurt. Let Lucy kill me. It''s ok." As Sissy continued to scream in pain as she thrashed against the tear.


    "Alex!" Came the almost inaudible cry over the howling wind.


    "You had better fix this magic man, I refuse to lose her." Mike pointed to Sissy, and noticed the little lady had stepped up on the coffee table. Her hair and dress were rippling in the fierce wind but she was seemingly oblivious to the scorching heat. She was attempting to put her hand on the lower part of Sissy''s stomach.


    Alex and Lucy had turned away to have a heated discussion, and it was apparent Lucy wasn''t keen on killing Sissy either.


    "Alex!" Came the muted cry again.


    "Um, dude," said Mike as he put a hand on Alex''s shoulder, "I think your¡­wife? Wants your attention."


    Alex immediately looked and saw where his familiar had gotten to.


    "Sweety!" Alex shouted, then made some complex movements with his fingers. A glowing orange latticework disk popped up over the rips behind Sissy. The wind and sparks died away and the heat was mostly blocked. "What is it? What''s wrong?" He asked, as he ran up to her.


    "My love, I can feel her spark." Said Sweety, as Mike took this opportunity to run up to Sissy and hold her hands.


    "How?" asked Alex. "Demons don''t have a divine spark."


    Sweety looked over at Mike, who was up on his tiptoes trying to kiss Sissy. "His love. It has begun to reignite her spark. It is small and weak, like a pinpoint really. But I can sense it."


    Mike listened to the babydoll voice of Alex''s wife, trying to follow what she was inferring. "What does that mean?"


    "You gave your love to her and she accepted it. And that began to rekindle her divine spark. It is where angels, like me, create love from, and how arcanists, like my Alex make magic." Explained Sweety.


    "You did do this to me," laughed Sissy, further aggravating the pain she was in, "I was right."


    "It''s why hell won''t let her through, even though this world won''t let her stay." Alex explained further. "She can''t stay here because she doesn''t possess a soul, she can''t go to hell because she has her spark again, and she can''t go to heaven because, well, she is still a demon. Sissy seems to be an anomaly, a paradox the universe cannot seem to reconcile."


    "Then you have to help her, please. I''ll do anything. I offered her my soul but she refuses to take it." Said Mike, burying his face in her hands.


    "No Mike," Sissy cried, both tears of pain and sorrow, "I keep telling you I won''t take it, I won''t do that to you."


    "Sissy we have to do something," Mike pleaded, shedding more than a tear or two himself.


    Alex noticed Sweety staring at him, eyes wide and she kept raising her thin and white little eyebrows at him. It was the look she gave him when she was ahead of the point and waiting for Alex to catch up.


    "She has a spark!" Alex shouted finally. "Mike, you were willing to give up your soul for her, are you still willing to go that far?''


    "No, I''ll not take it," objected Sissy once more, her voice fading as she weakened.


    "No Sissy," he''ll not lose it," smiled Alex, "I am going to bind your spark to it. Mike will be your anchor in this world, as I am Sweety''s." He turned to Mike, "Are you ready to have a succubus bound to your soul for all eternity?"


    Mike smiled up at Sissy, "if it will save her, absolutely."


    Alex grabbed a scrap of paper and began to write, "Luce, I need you to find these ingredients," Alex tore off the paper that contained the ingredients. It was the spell he will never forget, that gave him the greatest love he had ever known. He handed it to Lucy. The nephilim nodded and raced off to the elevator. "Mike, I need some things from you. Sweety will take care of Sissy."


    Mike reluctantly left the succubus''s side and went to Alex, as Alex looked to Sweety, "Sweety, can you help her pain?"


    "I will try, my love." She smiled at him and with a nod stepped up to Sissy.


    Alex looked at Mike, "I need you to find two things, two things you have a genuine attachment to. A tie that binds, something in the order of a cord or string-like object that means something to you on an emotional level. And something to serve as windows to a soul, also with a personal connection to you. Think about it while Lucy gets her list. Have what you need by the time she gets back."


    "I think I already know what I need for both objects." Said Mike confidently.


    Sweety placed her hands on Sissy''s belly just below where her navel would be, if she had one, "we were sisters once," Sweety began as her aquamarine eyes began to glow, followed by a white light in her palms, "what you were before you became what you are, I was before becoming Alex''s familiar. But I think you will like being bound to Mike, this is the best existence I can imagine, we live in their love and it fills and sustains us." Sissy could feel a warm sensation spread through her body to mute some pains and chase other pains away. The warmth particularly concentrated where Sweety''s hands were, but deep inside, in the place a mortal woman would have a womb.


    "What is that I feel below your hands?" Sissy asked.


    "That is your divine spark. It is reacting to mine right now." Replied Sweety, "if you can feel it, then that is a good sign. It shows that the love Mike has given you is strong."


    "That''s where this¡­ spark is?" Asked Sissy, confused as to how this could be a coincidence.


    "Where else would you think love is created?" Replied the little angel girl. "Love and life are linked on a cosmic level. That is why this placement corresponds between humans and angels."


    Sweety looked behind Sissy, the rips were getting bigger. "Alex the rift is degrading more."


    Lucy ran into the apartment just then. "Got all of it," as she set down a bag, out of breath.


    Alex finished the markings on the floor and began removing the items from the bag. As he set about preparing them, Sweety looked up into Sissy''s eyes. "You said you could feel your spark, I need you to put your hands on either side of it." Sissy did as she instructed. "Now focus on drawing it out into your hands."


    "What?" Said Sissy, "no! I don''t want to remove it if it''s Mike''s love! I don''t want to stop loving him! Or have him lose his love for me!"


    "You won''t lose anything, sister." Smiled Sweety, "But you need to bind it to Mike''s soul."


    Sissy focused on the warm light deep inside her, and slowly a pinpoint of light passed out of her belly and hovered between her hands. Two arcs of light poured off the point, like the plasma in those novelty balls you touch and get lightning. These two lights flowed off her spark and into the bowl below. "Am I losing it?" She cried.


    "No sister, this is normal," Sweety reassured her.


    Alex finished the ingredients and lit the bowl. He looked at Mike, "a tie to bind!"


    Mike stepped up to Sissy and removed the silver necklace that she hadn''t taken off since he gave it to her.


    "Mike! That was your mother''s." Sissy argued.


    "Yes," said Mike as he touched her cheek, "and now it will bind us together forever. I think that mom would approve." He placed the necklace in the burning bowl. "Besides, I can always buy you a new one."


    "Windows for a soul." Said Alex next.


    Mike removed his glasses, and dropped them in the bowl.


    "Not your dorky glasses." Said Sissy, "I liked those on you."


    "I can get more glasses, Sissy. As long as I can see you, I''m happy." Mike responded in a slightly annoyed tone at the continuing complaints.


    "A name to command with." Continued Alex, "speak her name into the bowl. Her real name, Mike."


    Mike bent down to the burning bowl and whispered into the smoke, "Cissera."


    "And a drop of blood from the summoner."


    Said Alex as he pulled a dagger out of his robes and took Mike''s left hand, "Brace yourself, Mike."


    "Oh, my blood? I thought you were the summoner." Said Mike.


    Alex pushed the tip of the dagger into the ring finger of Mike''s left hand, "we''re not binding her to me, Mike."


    Mike clenched his jaw as Alex squeezed a drop of blood into the bowl. As the smoke poured out from the bowl, Alex noticed the smell was different, even though he used the same ingredients for the spell. Sweety''s smoke had been sweet and flowery, a smell she still emanated naturally to this day. This time the smell was like cedar wood and sulfur, kind of like a struck match. It seemed each smell was unique to the familiar.


    Sissy began to worry, what would this do to her? Would she end up a sweet and compliant little pet, like Sweety seemed to be to Alex? Would she lose herself in this bond to Mike? She loved Mike, she couldn''t deny it, but would she just end up some plaything for him just to remain here? And still, at the same time, she wondered if it might be worth it to her if she got to stay with him forever?


    The bowl continued to billow, and in the smoke, the arcs of light moved up and out of the bowl. They moved up Mike and began to wrap around him, flowing into and out of him as they seemed to tangle him up. At the same time, Sissy''s spark began to drift back towards her. Passing through her belly and into her body. Suddenly Sissy''s back arched and they both felt a jolt of energy between them. The arcs flared into a blinding white light. Mike who had been holding on to Sissy''s hands, felt her begin to fall. He caught her under her arms in the blinding light and kept her from hitting the floor or the coffee table. As the light dispersed, the rips in reality could be seen closing up, becoming thin red after images before fading completely. The crisis had passed.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Mike held Sissy up, she hung limply in his arms, her eyes closed and her breathing steady. He placed an arm under her knees and scooped her up, walking to the couch to sit down with her in his lap. He caressed her cheek lightly and ran his fingers through her hair.


    "Sissy?" He whispered, "Sissy, are you alright?"


    Sissy''s eyes fluttered open, she looked at Mike and a big smile spread across her face, "hello, master." She purred.


    Mike looked at Alex questioningly who was wide eyed at this as well. A giggle that sounded like a little silver bell from Sweety set Sissy off in a fit of laughter as well.


    She slapped Mike in the shoulder, "Jeez Mike, it was a joke. Calm down."


    Mike breathed a sigh of relief and kissed the succubus in his lap. "Thank God. I didn''t want you as some kind of slave."


    "Yea right, I could smell your arousal when I called you that." She whispered in his ear. "Don''t get too used to that."


    "To be fair, that happens every time you just look at me," Mike countered.


    She smiled and pressed her lips to his.


    "So that was a joke?" Asked Alex, "you weren''t forced to call him that?"


    Sweety put her hand in Alex''s, "I was never forced to call you master, my love." She said with a shy little smile, "the spell doesn''t force obedience. A familiar serves because we want to. Because we believe in you. Because¡­ I love you¡­master." She gave Alex a warm smile and put her head on his chest to listen to her most favorite music, "I only stopped because you asked me to, Alex."


    "I love you too, Sweety." He whispered, kissing the top of her head as she listened to his heartbeat. "And I do love to hear you say my name more than calling me master."


    "Are you alright, miss Lucy?" Sweety noticed Alex''s sister was wiping a tear from her eye.


    "Yea," she shrugged, "all this lovey-dovey is making me miss Calie, I guess."


    "She is investigating rumors of a demon cult in Bahrain," said Alex, giving his sister a big hug. Sweety of course, made it a group hug, attempting to wrap her little arms around the both of them. "Why don''t we give these two some time alone and see how Calie¡¯s doing?"


    Lucy nodded with a smile, having to fight another tear trying to escape. She then walked over to the newly-bounds and handed them a black business card to Mike, "keep in touch," she looked to Sissy, "and if any of your old acquaintances come and find you looking for trouble, we''re here for you."


    Sissy stood up to give Lucy a hug and had to fall into her as her legs wobbled, trying to give out on her. She fell into the tall, fellow redhead, but got the hug anyway, "thank you," she told Lucy, "you''ve given me a true chance to have happiness." Sissy looked over at Alex, holding Sweety from behind, "all of you, thank you."


    Sweety hugged both women and looked up into Sissy''s eyes, "you and Mike are bound together forever, till the day he passes from this world, and you carry his soul to heaven, to be with each other for eternity."


    "Won''t that be funny," Sissy couldn''t help picturing the saints and angels when a succubus brings Mike to the gates of heaven.


    Sweety smiled back at her, "you are in for many changes, sister." Before returning to Alex.


    "Just be good." Said Alex with a smile.


    "I will," she said as she released Lucy. Flames rolled up her body as she fell into Mike''s lap. She now wore her true-self-minus-demon-parts form, dressed in black leather short shorts and tube top and looked in Mike''s eyes, "I have the best example I could ever ask for." And once again locked lips with the man she loved.


    "We''d better go before the sex starts," quipped Lucy, waving her family away.


    Sissy broke the kiss and said with a wink, "better hurry then."


    Alex made his motions with his hands and once again the air ripped open, this time wafting the smell of exotic spices and the sound of middle eastern music before they stepped through. Everyone waved goodbye and the tear closed.


    She kissed him one more time and stood up, pulling him to his feet. "Come on," she said, beginning to drag him toward the bedroom, "we haven''t had sex since yesterday."


    Sissy could feel his trepidations through this new link of theirs. She touched his cheek, "oh Mike I''m sorry. I didn''t even think¡­"


    He took her hand in his and kissed it, "it''s ok, Sissy. You are not her. You want to sleep with me because you love me, I know that."


    "I do, Mike," she kissed him softly, " so, so much."


    "Ok," he said mildly hesitant, "is this going to be a regular thing?"


    She turned to look him in the eye and to run her hands up his chest to rest them on his shoulders, "you bound yourself to a succubus. One that can now feel the sex she''s having with you," she kissed him lovingly, "and who loves you with all her heart. So yea, I think you need to get used to this."


    She returned to pulling him to the bed, "and we need to move your stuff in here because you will be sleeping beside me every night," she stopped at the big bed and kissed him again, "and if you will be ok with it, we will be making love every night," another kiss, "if not more," yet another kiss, and she began pulling his shirt up to remove it. "You have quite a job ahead of you, lover."


    Mike sighed in both fear and excitement. But he picked her up by her bottom in both hands and fell into the bed, with her wrapping herself around him with a squeal.


    It was almost a week later, they were in Mike''s truck, driving home for the night after a day building habitat houses.


    Well, Mike and the other volunteers did the actual building, Sissy kept people motivated by bringing ice tea and lemonade to whichever team got their next wall up fastest. It helped that she spent the day in daisy dukes, a tied off red flannel and high heeled cowboy boots. Her once again red hair, as she found herself migrating to red more often because Mike seemed to prefer it, fell to her mid-back in two braided pigtails. She even sported a fancy tramp stamp on her back and a Betty Page tattoo in her thigh as it excited some of the worker guys. Needless to say, work moved at a brisk pace. A few of the ladies helping build gave Sissy some dirty looks. Her response was to say if they were to pick up the pace and give the boys a run for their money, then she''d bring them drinks too. She punctuated this by pursing her lips and giving a wink before strutting off.


    The whole thing seemed like a game by the time the day ended. One of the guys asked Mike as he opened the door to his truck how he found a girl like her. Sissy pointed at one of the other ladies that had been helping, she had tied her shirt up like Sissy as the heat of the day wore on, "you just go talk to her. Heather is single, by the way."


    They drove off with Mike commenting, "you are going to get Jake slapped when he goes to talk to her."


    "Don''t be too sure," she sang into his ear while she played with his hair, "she was checking him out while the second floor south wall was going up. "I could smell her¡­interest in him." Sissy giggled and played with Mike''s thigh, "also all that tension kind of got me going."


    Mike let out a chuckle, "am I even going to be able to get a shower when we get back without you turning me and our bathroom into your personal waterpark?"


    She tapped her lips with a finger thoughtfully, "ummmm, no," and giggled, "that''s the disadvantage of being with a succubus, Mike. Or is that the advantage?"


    Mike sighed dreamily and said, "both." He looked down at her thigh just then. "Nice ink by the way, I didn''t know you could do tattoos too."


    "Oh yea," she said, extending her leg and turning it back and forth. "You never got my clothes off that first night when we met or you would have seen several." She looked at her ink herself contemplatively, "do you think it''s in bad taste to wear a tattoo of yourself though?"


    "What are you trying to say? That you were Betty Page?" Mike replied in a joking tone.


    Sissy just raised an eyebrow and nodded with a smile.


    Mike slammed on the brakes, getting annoyed honks that continued as the cars were forced to go around.


    "Mike!" Sissy screamed, "what the hell!"


    But Mike was focused on her revelation, "you were Betty Page? You were THE Betty Page?"


    "Um yea." She replied, "Mike, shouldn''t we be moving¡­"


    Mike looked at the face on her thigh and back up to Sissy several times. He then googled a photo of Betty and held his phone next to her head. She sighed and rolled her eyes, but then struck the same facial expression as the photo and fluttered her eyelashes. Different hair and make-up, but the face in the photo was undeniably also Sissy''s.


    "O my god, I''m soul bound to Betty Page¡­"


    There was a tap at the window and Sissy rolled it down to see the cop standing there. "I''m sorry, officer," she began immediately, "I just sprung it on him that I was pregnant, we''ll get moving right now, I promise."


    "Oh," the policeman responded, "well congratulations, but yes please keep driving." And he tipped his hat as he walked away.


    Sissy looked at a still stunned Mike, "Mike will you drive?"


    This jolted Mike out of his shock and he put the truck back in gear.


    "I''m sorry, I forget sometimes you are centuries old." Said Mike, "I just never thought about you having been anyone famous in that time. My mom was obsessed with Betty. She danced under the name Anastasia, but she supposedly wore a lot of Betty inspired costumes."


    At the next stop light, Sissy made Mike look at her and moved her finger around her face, "Mike, look at me, I am not Betty Page, I am Sissy, just your Sissy. Betty was just someone I made up when they were snapping pictures of me. It was a choice way to hunt at the time, I just didn''t know she''d get so famous." She let him go back to looking at the road.


    "Wow," he said finally, a little way down the road, "that makes the devil costume spread pretty ironic."


    She tried not to but Sissy couldn''t help giggling at the comment, "yea, the photographer couldn''t understand why I couldn''t keep from laughing during the shoot."


    They chuckled for a bit as they drove, but Sissy began to worry how this would affect his feelings toward her in the long run.


    But Mike finally looked over at her with a big smile on his face and she felt the love from him just rush at her, "Cissera, you just keep getting more amazing to me."


    Sissy bit her lower lip, slid in the seat up against him and just smiled her new favorite smile, her real one. The smile she now smiled when she was actually happy.


    "Were you anyone else famous?" Mike finally asked.


    "A few," she said nervously, "but I refuse to tell you who while you''re driving!"


    "Mata Hari? Really?" He said over burgers Mike had picked up on the way home.


    Sissy nodded, while eating in bliss. Sissy was a fiend for french fries apparently. "I don''t know who the five guys who made these fries are but they are the best."


    She then realized his question was still hanging, "yes, but to be fair not just me. There were several of us, kind of sharing the name. War zones are great hunting grounds for us. So me and some of my sisters were there and we kind of decided to help out the war effort. Pissed some of the different wrath demons that hang around wars to all hell. So we passed information around that we squeezed out of some lusty boys and wrecked a lot of carefully laid out wrath demon plans. And it''s hard to catch a spy that can change her appearance every time she turns a corner."


    "So Betty Page the spy?" Mike said, fantasizing it in his head.


    "I was not Betty yet," Sissy scolded, "I vas mostly ze french whore." She added in an impeccable french accent. And Mike could only sit there and stare, as his arousal wafted at Sissy. "Oh cherie, you like zat?" She abandoned her meal to get up and sway over to Mike, flaring into a period perfect french prostitute outfit from the forties, She dropped in his lap adding, "I guess I shall ''ave to uze ze accent more often, hmmm?"


    He looked into her eyes, "you are so unimaginably beautiful, I can''t stand it." She smiled at his love that she could feel pouring out into her, "I just can''t understand how I am ever worthy of you."


    She widened her eyes in surprise at this, "Mike, you are more worthy than I could ever express. You loved me, when I couldn''t do anything for you that I was actually good for. Even when you saw what I really am, you gave your love to me. No one else in this world would have done that. No one in all of history I ever met would have dared to try to actually love me, in order to give me this chance you have given me." She placed his hand on her belly, "I feel your love Mike, flowing into me, feeding my spark. I feel it growing Mike. And I am starting to remember. I can remember the joy of heaven, being an angel and being surrounded by love. But even all the love in heaven pales to what you give me every minute of every day." Sissy pressed her lips to his to kiss him passionately.


    "Sissy, you do so much more for me than mere sex. You make my heart so full, you are actually kind, nurturing, and it is easy now to tell you were an angel of love."


    Mike picked her up from his lap and carried her to the bed, their meal forgotten.


    They laid in bed spooning in the afterglow, breathless and happy. He could feel the velvety softness of her wings folded against her back rubbing on his stomach. And the silky hairs around her hooves tickling his shins.


    He thought back to how they met weeks ago, "Do you miss it," Mike asked, "your old life?


    "Trolling for lowlifes willing to commit sins of rape and adultry in the throws of lust just so I can take their souls and stay here?" She said, dripping with sarcasm, "that would be, no."


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean that." He said kissing the back of her neck. "The life though. The bars, the clubs, and parties, do you miss that?" She turned around to look at him and her eyes lit his face in red, "I mean, I live a pretty boring life. Are you ok with that?"


    "I''m part of that life now, are you saying I''m boring?" She asked teasingly.


    "No! God no!" He gasped, "Sissy you are so much more than I can even handle sometimes." This brought a smile to the demoness'' lips, "but you, you''ve lived such a wild life. Besides the sex, is my life enough for you?"


    "Clubs and bars and such were exciting," she began thinking back, "but if I have you I have all I need, Mike."


    He pulled her tight as he kissed her lips then rested his head against her horns. She purred and took his hand placing it on her bare breast, "ok." He said smiling, "before round two begins. Tomorrow is Saturday, and I have no obligations. What if you use that magic talent of yours to get dolled up, you help make sure I look nice, and I take you out? Dinner, movies, dancing? Whatever this sexy demoness would find fun. What do you say?"


    She kissed him lightly and placed her cheek against his, "that sounds wonderful, my love." He felt her tongue tickle the back of his ear, "but right now, I really need you inside me again, if you are up for it."


    Mike nodded, but he wondered how he would survive this relationship.


    They arrived at the restaurant and Mike could swear the whole place stopped. She made sure he looked nice, with a dress shirt and even a tie. But she was stunning as usual. Hair and make-up straight out of a Hollywood premiere, red silky evening gown, split up both thighs, and held up over her neck by a thin string with nothing resembling a back of the dress. Mike could even see the crack of her butt peeking over the top. The way she walked on the way to their table had to have got some of the guys here in trouble, because it was impossible not to watch her pass. She absolutely rotated on every joint as she walked.


    After they sat and the maitre d left, Mike asked, "was that on purpose?"


    Sissy smiled at him through half lidded eyes, reached across the table and touched the thumb of her long gloved hands to his lip, "always. I have to mark my territory." She punctuated this by pushing his glasses back on his nose with a finger. She then giggled, adding, "gotta let the other bitches know they don''t stand a chance of taking you away from me."


    "They don''t stand a chance anyway," he replied, as he grabbed her retreating hand and kissed her fingers.


    "Ooo steak and potato please." She purred at the waiter, when he arrived.


    "Same," said Mike as he handed him the menus back. "And a bottle of champagne with strawberries, please." He added as the man left.


    "Mike, you know I don''t get drunk." She smiled, coyly. "It would be no use trying to liquor me up."


    "Obviously," he replied, "but have you had any since you''ve been able to taste?"


    Sissy''s eyes got wide and she smiled even bigger.


    They ate and talked, one of Sissy''s feet kept leaving her heels and playing with Mike''s leg through the whole thing. But he just smiled, he did not jump at her touch as he did before. He welcomed the feel of her now, he was reassured by it. He loved her and she loved him back, and that''s all that mattered to him.


    They left after dessert, Mike had jokingly ordered devils food, and Sissy ended up absolutely adoring the taste of it.


    They drove to a club next, not one of the thumping dance orgy clubs like he had found her outside of, but an elegant high society style club. The music was orchestral and the place decorated like a palace. Cocktail servers weaved between the patrons with practiced grace carrying complimentary drinks, these clubs had memberships that covered everything automatically, and served from trays that Sissy kept snatching glasses from and downing them in one or two goes. This was after finishing the whole bottle and the strawberries at the restaurant. Mike had one glass he merely sipped at, all during dinner. But Sissy tipped back the drinks while spinning through the crowd with a grace that made the cocktail servers look like clumsy clods. She reached the edge of the dance floor and spun back to face Mike. She placed her latest empty glass on another passing tray and held up her hands to him. He clasped one of her hands in his and put the other and the other on the small of her back. Sissy took the hand on her back and moved it down to rest on her butt before putting her hand on his shoulder with a wink.


    And they spun off onto the dance floor, "I warn you I''m not very good outside the waltz Agnes taught me." Mike whispered in her ear."


    "Aw, baby." She whispered back, "you weren''t spectacular at the waltz either. But I don''t care, as long as you are bad at it with me." she said, putting her head on his chest. And then she heard it. The music in his heartbeat Sweety had talked about. It was the most beautiful music she had ever heard, because it was the music of their love. A melody that played only for her.


    The next dance was a fast paced, up tempo samba. Sissy spun away from Mike, hips shaking and her whole body gyrating. Mike did his best to keep up but she literally danced circles around him. Sissy out classed Mike''s abilities so bad in fact, the Sissy''s moves graduated from a samba to her rubbing against him in a manner a tad too provocative for the club management''s taste.


    Sissy finished by twirling to a stop with her hind end against Mike''s front end, still gyrating furiously, and her arms crossed behind his head. Mike wrapped his arms around her midsection and began kissing her neck.


    A measly little man in what Sissy could see was a roughly worn down tuxedo, approached them on the dance floor. "Sir," he began, huffing away, "I''m not exactly sure who you both are but that is not the type of dancing we practice at this club."


    Mike finished a kiss of Sissy''s neck and looked up at the man unfazed, "I happen to be Mike Mason, and since my father has not only a been member of this club for forty years, and he happens to own this building," Mike paused with a big smile on his face, "then I think the lady that is soon to be his daughter-in-law, will dance as she damn well pleases."


    The man walked quickly away in a red faced panic attack, and Mike''s sudden commanding tone and attitude reved Sissy up so much that it took a moment for her ears to catch up with her libido and realize exactly what Mike had said to the man.


    She turned to Mike having not noticed one of his hands had left her waist and fished out a black box that he now held in front of her. "Sissy, I don''t know how much closer two people bound at the soul could become, but if we are to travel our life together for the rest of eternity, I''d like to make it official, I''d like us to do so as equals. Marry me Sissy, please."


    Sissy''s heart felt as if it had stopped. The flow of Mike''s love right now felt like a tsunami in comparison to all the time before it. She couldn''t seem to breathe. "Mike," she whispered, "are you sure?"


    With a smile, Mike opened the box. Inside was a silver ring, and on it a heart cut diamond the size of the heart on the necklace he burned in the bowl to bind her to him. "Never more sure of anything in my life.


    She closed her eyes as the tears rushed down her cheeks, and nodded as she held out her hand for him to slip the ring on to. The whole club erupted into applause.


    "Sissy, I love you more than anything. Thank you for saving me." He whispered under the roar as he held her tight.


    "You were the one who saved me from oblivion. How did I save you?" She asked around the tears.


    "Before you I only planned to spend my life hiding away in charity, serving and helping others to make up for what happened to me, and prevent it happening to others. Now, you have given me something to actually live a life for. Thank you, you saved me, my angel from hell."


    The buzzer sounded and the door opened to the room. Two guards escorted the blonde woman whose brown roots now crept up her locks like weeds in a garden. She had only a week till she was released. She would need a few things touched up after she got out. Her hair, a new wardrobe, and her lips could use some more collagen. But she could find some sugar daddy for a few weeks to pay for those. Then she could get back to the hunt for a new golden goose. Find herself a rich man to snare, maybe a little younger now, one who wasn''t shooting blanks so she could get pregnant and insure a stable financial future for herself.


    "Lorraine Van Beurain," the guard who had been waiting in the room recited as the other two locked her cuffs to the table. "You have a lawyer here to see you on urgent business."


    Probably one of John''s, Lorraine thought. Well he couldn''t stop her release now. The plan was to find a husband who can meet old Johnny on equal footing and ruin him financially. He was practically dead already, she had heard. But without daddy''s money little Mikey''s charities would be crushed.


    Lorraine nodded and her two escorts left the way they came and the chatty one opened the other door of the room.


    Steel stiletto heels from knee high black boots clicked on the linoleum as she entered. She wore a tight black leather skirt and business suit that had managed to find a blurred line between the boardroom and the stripclub. Her make-up was sultry and smokey, and her raven hair was in a severe bun that dramatically contrasted the silver librarian half glasses she wore.


    The guard exited, which was strange to Lorraine, one usually stayed to keep a prisoner from attacking anyone. Unless it required confidentiality, like when it was your own lawyer.


    The door closed and the woman stood in front of the table. She made no move to sit so Lorraine wondered if it would be quick.


    "So who are you?" Snipped Lorraine, "I don''t know you so you ain''t my lawyer."


    The woman smiled, which didn''t put Lorraine at ease "I did tell them I represented you, that was to garner us some privacy. I am actually here on behalf of Mike Mason."


    Lorraine laughed, "little Mikey, not John? Aw, is Mikey going to sue me? For what? I gave him a wild weekend and popped his cherry at fifteen. I did him a favor."


    It came so quickly Lorraine barely saw her hand move. But the woman''s hand struck her with such force that only the handcuffs kept Lorraine in her seat behind the table.


    However even the heavy steel table moved three inches in the direction of the blow.


    "What the hell, bitch!" Lorraine screamed, touching her face and finding blood under her nose. "Damn it, now I''ll have to get that fixed!"


    The woman slammed her hands onto the table to stare daggers into Lorraine''s eyes. Fear lodged in Lorraine''s throat as what she could only describe later as an inhuman growl emanated from the woman and her eyes glowed.


    "What you took from him was his dignity, love, and the ability to feel the joy of another person''s touch for the rest of his life!" Her voice was now suddenly deep and echoed past the point where she stopped speaking. When she spoke again it had returned to its previous tone, "thankfully I was able to give it back to him." She stood, adjusting her outfit almost absent mindedly. "You see, when I indicated I represented Mike, it was not as his lawyer," she held up her left hand, revealing the huge diamond heart ring on her finger, "I am here as his fiance''."


    Lorraine''s face flashed across as fear, but suddenly shifted to suspicion, "oh, I see. You''ve managed to get your hooks in baby Mason. A fellow gold digger, are you? Well, at least he can give you a bun in your oven to secure your fortune, unlike his old man."


    Sissy kicked the edge of the table knocking Lorrain back, only the handcuffs keeping the chair from falling over backward. The ex-step-mom pulled herself upright only to slam her ribs into the table and have to push back the chair to breathe.


    "I love Mike. He is everything to me." Sissy began, "so the thought of someone who hurt him like you did, potentially being free to hurt him again, pisses me off!"


    "What do you want?" Lorraine said, still gasping for breath.


    Sissy just began laughing, "I won''t hurt you. Mike is not vengeful, and I would never disappoint him by doing something he could never approve of. But I am here to assure you that there is a special place waiting for you. For people like you that hurt and molest children. And it is the worst place in all of hell, I can guarantee you."


    Lorraine scoffed, "ok, you''re trying to give me religion, turn over my leaf? Lady, I''ve been getting preached at since I got here. Save your breath."


    This kind of pig headedness made Sissy smile. "Oh, I''m not talking from a position of belief. I''m talking about facts."


    And Sissy flared. She stood before Lorraine in her true form. She kept the skirt and the suit as it made a nice effect with her demonic accoutrement, although the suit top was now a midriff to make room for her wings.


    "Jesus Christ!" Lorraine screamed. The table actually tried to leave the floor when she jumped back. The chair fell over behind her and she pulled against the cuffs fruitlessly since the heavy table would not budge further. She stood there, her face a mask of horror and chains taught, trying to keep as far from the monster before her as she could.


    Sissy smiled as she slinked around the table, closing the distance between them until she could run her finger across Lorraine''s forehead.


    "Mmmm," she purred, " we can''t wait to get our hands on you." She sniffed Lorraine like a predator, "the stink of your sin is still on you. You have not buried it, nor tried to quelsh it with guilt. You wear it like a badge of pride. I could suck your soul out right now, it is still so fresh."


    Urine ran down Lorraine''s legs and pooled under her feet. She stood petrified with fear as the demoness hovered over her.


    "But, Mike wouldn''t like me to, and I love him too much to disappoint him. He is such an amazing man. I myself don''t understand how he could be so merciful to someone who did something as reprehensible as what you did to him."


    Of course Sissy couldn''t really take her soul. What Lorraine what did to Mike was in greed not lust, and its nauseating smell was beginning to turn her stomach. She walked away from Lorraine before she blew chunks all over her and ruined the effect.


    Sissy flared and her appearance returned to the one she came in wearing. She turned her head back just as she reached the door, "be seeing you Lorraine, and sooner than you think." And only now did she push the buzzer. When Sissy walked out Lorraine began screaming.


    The guards rushed in, attempting to restrain her. "She''s a demon! A demon! She wants my soul! Please don''t let her near me!"


    Rachel stood up as Sissy cleared the security area. She could hear Lorraine screaming through three sets of isolation doors. "What happened?" She asked Sissy.


    Sissy shrugged, "I think the guilt of what she did to Mike must have finally broken her. Or maybe that he will finally be happy despite her is what made her snap. Who knows?"


    Rachel looked at the girl suspiciously for a minute but finally smiled, "couldn''t have happened to a nicer person." The two women walked out arm in arm. Rachel added, "speaking of Micheal, let''s get you home, you two have a wedding to plan."


    After a few steps Rachel said, "you changed your hair."


    Sissy smiled, "it''s temporary, just for maximum bitch effect today."


    "Well it suits you," replied Rachel, "though I think I prefer the red on you."


    "Mike likes the red too." Said Sissy with a smile, squeezing Rachel in a side hug as they walked.


    Mike came home to find Sissy sat at the kitchen counter in her true-but-human form, wearing nothing but one of his grubby work shirts. He could tell by the stains on it that it was one right from his hamper. She had his laptop out from the office and magazines and pamphlets spread out on the counter. He could tell the moment she sensed he was home. Her head snapped up from the screen and she spun the bar style stool around to leap off and run at him. Sissy jumped into his arms and kissed him.


    "I missed you." She said as they broke their kiss. As he set her back down on her feet she grabbed his wrists and guided his hands back on her posterior before laying her head on his chest.


    "I missed you too," he replied. He looked at her contented face, "you''ve been doing that a lot lately."


    She lifted her head and smiled dreamily at him, "it''s like I can hear music in your heartbeat. The sound of your love for me that only I can hear."


    He kissed the top of her head, pulled up on the sleeve of the shirt and asked, "I thought you hated my nasty T-shirts?"


    Sissy bit her bottom lip as her cheeks took on a rosy hue, "I really missed you, and this one smelled the most like you."


    "Well now you can smell the real me," said Mike as he pulled the shirt up over her head, exposing her naked body, "and I get to look at that perfect you." He then kissed her passionately.


    "So what are you doing?" He asked as he held her in his arms.


    "Planning our wedding, jerk." She slapped his behind before she pulled out of his arms and returned to the stool.


    Mike looked at the monitor, "so why do you need the floor plans for my father''s house?"


    "It''s definitely big enough, and it is the easiest way to make sure your father can be there. We did promise him he''d see a wedding." She answered as she plopped a naked butt back on the stool.


    Mike wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "We also promised a grandkid or two."


    Sissy''s eyes opened wide and she instinctively flared, forcing Mike to release his grip on her. Now wearing her little yellow sundress again. "Slow down," she said and moved her finger in circles over her belly, "this is not ready to be making babies yet."


    "You''d be a fantastic mom, I''d bet." Said Mike.


    "Not as good as the dad you''d be." she replied, kissing the hand he had laid back on her shoulder.


    He looked at the mess of papers strewn about, "where did all this come from?,"


    "Rachel," she sighed, "she had it sent over. Look," sissy started picking up different papers, "venues, caterers, bridal registries, invitation printers," she held up a shoe box sized carton, "this is just info for different people who make wedding invitations!" Sissy breathed in deep and sighed. She then grabbed Mike by the shirt, "I need your help, I can''t do this by myself."


    Mike could see Sissy was genuinely in a panic, "of course. Sissy, I would never expect you to do this by yourself."


    "You better." she said in her harsh but loving tone, then her mood seemed to grow sad, "especially since all the guests will be there for you."


    "Mike hugged her again from behind, "I''ll be there for you." She laid her head on his arm and patted it with a hand, and managed a small smile. "I told Rachel you didn''t have any family, or close friends," and Mike paused thoughtfully for a minute and smiled. "But you could have a couple of nephilim as bridesmaids and an angel for a maid of honor. I was going to ask Alex to be my best man, after all I''ll never be able to fully repay him for what he did for us. So I think everyone will be too busy staring at you four ladies to wonder where the rest of your guests are."


    Sissy laughed at this, and smiled, kissing Mike''s arm.


    "By the way," Mike said, changing the subject, "I got a call from the social services worker today that handled my case back when I was fifteen." He began as Sissy became nervous, "we''ve kept in touch and I help him on occasion with hard luck cases. But he told me Lorraine was admitted to a psyche ward today. Just days before she would have been released." Mike bent his head down to look at Sissy''s face, "isn''t that strange?"


    Sissy put on a contemplative look, "maybe she couldn''t handle what she had done and finally broke?"


    "Uh, huh," said Mike suspiciously.


    "Hey," Sissy tried to interrupt, "I need a break. Why don''t you take me to the bedroom and¡­you know¡­take me in the bedroom?" She pulled him down to a kiss and ended it with a playful bite on his lip.


    Mike smiled and scooped up his bride to be and carried her into the next room.


    "Put me down and get on the bed," she whispered, nibbling his ear.


    Sissy stood before Mike while he sat on the bed. With her arms out sissy did a ballerina pirouette and while she spun she flared. As her spin slowed Mike could see the full magnificence of her succubus form, her blood red hair this time spilling off her head to her waist in two anime girl style pigtails.


    Mike''s face was all smiles then suddenly shifted to surprise, "Sissy," he said, in a worried tone.


    "What!" She asked, taken aback by his reaction, "I''m sorry I thought you''d like the pigtails¡­"


    "No!" Said Mike more urgently, "Sissy, your eyes!"


    Sissy looked at the mirror by the bathroom door, and she put her hand on her cheek by her eye in surprise. She stared at her own eyes in the reflection, where her burning red eyes should have been looking back at her, the eyes that gazed back were a brilliant bright blue.


    Sissy screamed, "WHAT THE FUCK!"


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