The Succubae Seduction B. 02: the Twins

The twins split up to conduct their separate investigations. Brooke leads Shelly to a new place that even the Pillars don't know about, while Jessica opens up about her past.

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Chapter 06

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Internal Revelations

Shelly looked down at Gloria, trying to reconcile her thoughts. Gloria had been the last one to leave Varun's demesne. She was an ancient goddess, and despite her claims to the contrary, Shelly suspected that she was one of the Firsts. She knew too much to believe otherwise.

But Gloria had saved them from Poseidon. When talking about it on the way to see their dad, she made it sound like the deaths of the Firsts would have tragic consequences. Why would she take out Varun, knowing what the consequences could be? Why wasn't she defending herself?

"I told you, you can't trust a succubus," Jessica sneered.

Shelly looked at her girlfriend and shook her head. She'd hoped that Jessica had worked past her issues with the succubae, or at least with this one. They never would have made it away from Poseidon with Brooke without Gloria saving them.

"No, no, no, no, no," Eldon said next to her. He would be taking this the hardest. Shelly wondered what his thoughts were, but knew better than to ask.

She stepped over to her brother, wanting to comfort him, but he pushed her away. She was thankful that the soreness between her legs was gone. She didn't want to think about the healing she'd gone through a few minutes ago. Not that it had been unpleasant—Jessica was quite talented with her mouth—but that she'd done it next to her brother was embarrassing. That her father was in the car at the same time was mortifying!

She couldn't remember last night, at least, not after going through the portal back to Earth, but she was fairly certain she hadn't slept with anyone. Perhaps she'd been hurt while still a sword in her brother's hands. That was the only thing that made sense. Her legs had formed the blade. Perhaps as Sheldon fought with her, she'd been chipped, and that translated into the pain between her thighs.

"No, I won't believe it," Eldon snapped as he moved to Gloria's side. Gloria appeared shocked at first, then grateful for his support.

Shelly felt bad for him, but didn't know what to say. She suspected he was falling for the succubus, and didn't know how she felt about that. Sure, she'd set them up, but it was just supposed to help him get over Jessica. Then she'd gone and fooled around with the woman, messing things up in her own mind. What a mess she'd made of things.

"What's going on?" Lyden asked from his seat in the car. "And what's your problem with the succubae?"

Shelly opened her mouth to answer, but couldn't find any words. Jessica didn't suffer the same problem.

"The succubae are duplicitous creatures. They'll tell you whatever it takes to get you in bed, then abandon you. They don't even take proper care of their children, leaving them for others to raise." There was undisguised hatred in Jessica's voice. "And this one hasn't been honest with any of us. She was the last one to leave Varun's demesne. She must have been the one to murder the Pillar of Water."

"I haven't been honest?" Gloria asked. Her eyes were red from crying, but she stood and glared at Jessica. "Last night is a bit fuzzy, but I have a feeling you know what really happened. Why don't you tell them what you are?"

Eldon stood next to her, glaring just as hard as the succubus. Gloria put her arm around him, but neither one said anything else, waiting for Jessica to respond.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jessica stepped forward and pointed at Gloria's chest. "What I

do

know is that you're a succubus. You're a demonic creature that only cares about what or who you can get between your legs. Hell, you were bragging about fucking a Cyclops. Who does that?"

"I won't tolerate such language around me, young lady," Lyden broke in, and Jessica blanched at his tone. "I'm not just talking about the swearing, but one of my wives is a succubus. I won't have you badmouthing them. That would be like saying that werewolves were nothing more than monstrous beasts, but one of them fought to keep us safe today. Or how about that humans are nothing but bigoted creatures, because they can't handle not being superior to everything around them? You can't judge an entire race by the actions of a few."

Jessica's face went white as Lyden spoke. She swallowed several times before looking around the room for help. Shelly felt bad for her, but she didn't agree with what the woman was saying. Jessica looked to Eldon and Gloria and she seemed to find her backbone.

"Then where was she last night after she forced us to leave? If Gloria was strong enough to win past Poseidon on her own, why did she make us leave? I'll bet it was because she's in league with Poseidon and didn't want us to know. He told us he was next in line to be the Pillar of Water."

"Next in line?" Becky asked. "What do you mean?"

"There wasn't time to talk about it," Brooke spoke up looking at Lyden, "but you wounded Varun when you froze him. We always thought that he kept the water cold so that no one else could do to him what you did, but that wasn't the case. He was too weak to manage his realm. Poseidon told us that Varun named him as his successor." She turned to face Jessica. "Poseidon was completely loyal. He would never turn on Varun."

Coming from Brooke, Jessica couldn't argue. Who would know better than the mermaid that'd been their captive how loyal Poseidon was?

"I made you leave because I couldn't unleash my full strength with you there," Gloria spat. "If you don't believe me, go back to the tower Brooke was kept in. Oh, wait. You can't, because it's no longer there. Poseidon tried to bind me with water, and when I broke free, it decimated the tower."

"And killed Varun?" Jessica prodded.

"Didn't she say he was torn to pieces?" Gloria pointed to the front of the car. "Varun was too powerful, even weakened as he was, to be killed by falling debris. It didn't even wound Poseidon."

"What happened to Poseidon?" Becky asked. Shelly could tell she was genuinely curious, and not asking out of spite.

Gloria smiled, though it looked almost predatory. "I convinced him to stick his

trident

somewhere else when reinforcements arrived for him. If mermen sat, they won't be sitting for a few days after the old sea god gets tired of them. Being goddess of sex has its benefits."

Shelly shuddered as she remembered being under Gloria's control. She wasn't too fond of mermen, but she almost felt sorry for what they must have endured at the end of Poseidon's 'trident.' From the way Gloria grinned, she suspected the succubus didn't mean his weapon, but something else instead.

"Could the Pillar of Water's death have anything to do with the attack on us today?" President Louise asked. "I didn't recognize most of the monsters that attacked us."

"They weren't

monsters

," Eldon told her. "They were humans pretending to be magical creatures."

"I'm sorry for calling them monsters," the President apologized. "I didn't mean it that way. But if they weren't from the Shadow World, why did they attack us?"

"Michael Mulhan was behind it," Shlee stated, joining the conversation. "I recognized his voice before the explosion. If I had to guess, he wanted it to look like creatures from our world did it, to turn the United States against us. It's why we need to get you in front of a camera as soon as possible. We need to give the public a statement." Shelly noticed her pull out her phone and make a call.

"So, they're not related?" Martha asked.

"I have no doubt that the Paladonic Knights would love to kill off the Pillars, but I can't see them actually taking one out," Shelly offered. "They're not as strong as they once were now that they're operating out in the public instead of the shadows. It's harder to bribe judges and the police when you actually exist. Too easy to find a paper trail."

"Don't they know what killing the Pillars would do?" Martha asked. Shelly thought she understood what the president was asking, but none of them knew exactly what would happen if the Pillars fell. "I mean, if they die, won't that cause the Outsiders to return and destroy us?"

"The Knights are blind in their hatred," Becky supplied. "All they care about is the death of all magic. They barely get along with the Daughters of Respite. I think that truce wouldn't last past the end of the Pillars."

Martha shook her head. "I know people can be blind when they believe something too strongly. They come up with excuses to deny facts and create their own reality... But this?"

"We don't really know what will happen if the Pillars fall," Gloria piped in. "I don't even think the Pillars know. The instability could create a hole in the fabric of reality, allowing more Outsiders in, or it may just bring the two worlds together into one, or something else entirely."

"I knew my last opponent in the elections was in the Knight's pocket book," Martha said with a shake of her head. "He preached too much hate, and I think that allowed me to win. Despite what some nations think of my great country, we're not all violent and hateful."

"So, that begs the question: what do we do now?" Becky asked. "I could talk to Gaia and see if she knows anything."

Shlee hung up her cell and faced the President. "Ma'am, with your permission, I'd like to get you in front of a camera, making a statement. The sooner we get on top of this, the better."

"And your career will be made," President Louise grinned. "I assume you already have it set up with your cameraman?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Frank will meet us. We can go live whenever you're ready."

"I'm worried about your safety, Madame President," Lyden spoke up. "If the P.K.'s attack again, we might not get as lucky as last time."

"I can handle that," Gloria spoke up. "With your permission, Madame President, I'll impersonate you. All you need to do is think what you want said, and I'll say them. If we're attacked, you can remain safe in here."

Martha Louise mulled that over for a minute before nodding. "I don't like hiding behind others, but you make a good point. If you're really strong enough to stop Poseidon, then the Paladonic Knights shouldn't be a problem." She shook her head a second later and added, "But please don't turn this report into an orgy. I'm not

that

high in the polls."

Lyden looked at his children and the other women in the car. He focused on Jessica, and then Gloria before facing Martha. "If you'll permit it, Ma'am, I would have my son and Gloria guard you." Martha nodded and Shelly's dad looked at Shelly and Jessica. "I want you two to accompany Brooke and Bridgette. Find out what you can about Varun's death. If we have another Outsider here, I want to know about it immediately. Becky and I will talk to Gaia and see what she knows."

It had been years since Shelly saw her father in this mode. He was a leader and knew how to take charge of a situation. She could see the brilliance behind his plan as well, as it split Jessica and Gloria apart, while playing to their strengths. Eldon could take the form of a Secret Service agent with a little bit of help, allowing them to blend in. Brooke and Bridgette could search underwater for clues, while Jessica and Shelly could try to talk to Marchosias again. She didn't look forward to dealing with the demon, but at least he was easy on the eyes.

"The sooner I'm out of here, the better," Jessica said as the two of them walked to the back of the car. Becky was by the fountain with Bridgette—no, she had changed to Brock. When had he done that again? Becky was casting a spell on him, and as she watched, water from the fountain burbled up and surrounded his lower body. Now he could leave the fountain, though Shelly didn't know how he would move about. His fishtail wasn't designed for walking. This didn't make much sense to Shelly, but knew that Becky wasn't a frivolous person.

They stopped and dropped Eldon, Gloria, and Martha off, before heading to their next destination.

"I was going to save this until your birthday," Lyden said to Brock as he stepped back into the car after being gone for a couple minutes, "but it looks like you'll need it sooner, rather than later."

Shelly's jaw dropped as she watched a mechanical set of legs follow after her father. He guided the legs over to where Brock rested in the fountain. Even with the water surrounding him, he'd preferred to stay in the fountain, rather than get anything else wet.

It took some effort for all of them to move Brock into the contraption, and Shelly saw that there was a hole with a harness set for him to put his tail in.

"Awesome! How does it work, Dad?" Brock asked as he got settled in.

"It has three modes: manual, follow, and of course, off." As Lyden spoke, he pointed to where the control switch was. Shelly could see that it was set to off. "If you just want to follow someone, have them stand in front of you, switch this to follow, and when they start walking the legs will stay behind them by about four to five feet." Lyden demonstrated as he spoke, and Brock moved around the inside of the Orange Bubble, staying right behind his father. "Off is self-explanatory."

"I don't see any controls for manual," Brock stated, looking around the contraption that encircled his waist. The bubble of water that surrounded him overlapped portions of the machine, but apparently it was waterproof.

"Your fins control it," Lyden told him. He moved the switch to manual and stepped back. "Imagine your tail fins are feet and try to walk with them."

Brock lurched forward as the mechanical legs moved. Brock gripped the ring around his waist to steady himself as his tail swung around in the harness. Shelly stifled a laugh as she realized his tail looked like a giant dick, swinging between his metal legs. Jessica must have seen it too, because Shelly noticed her covering her mouth and hiding a smile.

Shelly was conflicted concerning the woman. While she didn't entirely trust Gloria either, she felt that Jessica's attitude crossed the line. Shelly knew a number of succubae, and even a couple incubae, and most of them were good people. Angela, as the defacto-ruler of the succubae while also being the Pillar of Fire, led with a compassionate heart. She tried to make sure that none of her subjects took an innocent life.

Even so, there were always a few bad eggs. Every now and then a succubus or incubus went bad, and Angela was forced to send a kobold after them. Had Jessica come into contact with one of them?

She glanced at the woman again and noticed that her hands were clenched beneath folded arms. She was about to go to her and ask what was going on, but the car stopped. Lyden and Becky got out, heading for the portal closest to Gaia's realm.

Shelly didn't know where they were, and it didn't really matter. They didn't need to drive. The car knew where they needed to go and would get them there safely.

After hugging her father goodbye, Shelly pulled Jessica to the back of the car to talk to her. The area still reeked of sex, but she tried her best to forget about that.

"What's going on?" Shelly demanded. One way or another, she was going to get some answers. If Jessica refused to tell her anything, then she would refuse to work along with her. Jessica was a skilled fighter, and they would need her skills for this mission, but if Shelly couldn't rely on her—

"I'm sorry about earlier," Jessica interrupted Shelly's thoughts. "It's just... You don't know what I've been through."

"Then tell me," Shelly replied, taking the other woman's hand. "I can't understand, unless you open up."

"I know. I've been on my own for so long, and meeting your brother, and then you... And then finding out who your father is! I'm so confused."

Shelly didn't have a clue what her father had to do with anything, but kept her mouth shut. She knew Jessica was nervous around Lyden Snow. Many people were intimidated by the hero of the Chaos War and the only sanctioned ambassador between the two worlds.

"I'm sorry," Jessica apologized again. "Can we just forget about it and move on?"

"No," Shelly said, though she hated herself for it. She really liked this woman, but she didn't like the way she behaved earlier and needed to understand. If she couldn't understand Jessica's racist behavior, then she wouldn't associate with the woman.

Jessica dropped her head to look at her hands. Shelly waited, trying to be patient, but her mind continued to travel over the events earlier. Jessica had been cruel to Gloria. No one could say that the two got along perfectly, but there was no call for that kind of behavior.

Jessica sighed and looked up to meet Shelly's eyes. There were bags under her red-rimmed eyes, telling Shelly that she was fighting back strong emotions. She wanted to pull Jessica into a hug and just ignore the whole thing, but she couldn't. It hurt her to be this stubborn, but their lives may depend on knowing what was going on.

"My... My mom was a succubus," Jessica said with a thick voice, full of anger. "I—She was... ugh, I've never told anyone this."

"If your mom was a succubus..." Shelly started to ask. She wanted to be delicate, but wouldn't that make her a succubus as well?

"My dad wasn't," Jessica said in a firm tone. "I'm—I'm a crossbreed. Now do you see why I didn't want to talk about this?"

Shelly understood immediately. Crossbreeds were illegal and could be very dangerous. When two of the same species mated, there was no problem. The child would be the same as the parent. When different species mated, and there was offspring, there was no telling what the result would be. More often than not, the child could be extremely dangerous.

All of Lyden Snow's children were crossbreeds. Shelly remembered being watched very closely growing up for any signs that she might be dangerous. The only reason she hadn't been killed outright was because of who her father was. Gaia had interceded when Sheldon and she were still in the womb, guiding their genetics to help them. As far as she knew, only two of Lyden's children were deemed dangerous. It was the reason Becky never had more kids of her own. Those two children were something her father and Becky never spoke about.

"That explains some of your abilities," Shelly said with as much caution as she could put into her voice. "But it doesn't explain why—"

"Because my mother all but abandoned me," Jessica snapped. Brooke and Brock were at the front of the car. They both looked back at them, then quickly away. They didn't have privacy, but the other two were trying to give them some space. "I had to grow up all alone. I never met my father. As far as I know, he doesn't even know I exist." Tears blossomed in Jessica's blue eyes. She gripped Shelly's hands in her own and looked deep into her eyes.

"My mother wasn't cruel in the sense that she beat me, but I was an embarrassment to her," Jessica continued. "She kept me locked away and I never had any visitors. Oh, she made sure I was educated, and fed. She hardly cared whether I was clothed or not, being a succubus. She told me stories of what would happen to me if anyone ever found out what I was. She used scare tactics to control me. She claimed that the world hated me, and that I was kept away for my own protection."

She took a shuddering breath before continuing. "One day I got out. I was only about ten. I ran into a little goblin girl and we played in the rocks. She was my first friend. That is, until my mom found us. I don't know what ever happened to that girl, but after that, I was locked away. I only ever saw the sunlight through my window, which was barred closed.