The Succubae Seduction B. 02: the Twins

With another Paladonic Knight stronghold destroyed behind them, Lyden's family must come to terms with the end means. But just because one base is destroyed, it doesn't mean the Knights are defeated.

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Chapter 28

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Truth and Bluffs

Megan stared at the tiny Faery in shock. She understood taking strong, decisive actions, but to unleash three MOAB bombs on US soil against a camp of Knights was too much. Intellectually, she knew the Paladonic Knights were considered a terrorist organization. She also knew that they stood against magical creatures and anything from the other world. They were evil, filled with hatred, and didn't belong anywhere within her personal world-view.

However, she also knew that the PK's goals were to protect humanity, for which she and one other person in this magical car were members. For the first time since dumping Bobby and chasing after Sheldon Lance, she questioned if she was on the right side. Oh, she understood that Eldon was a good and decent guy. She'd seen the way he tried to protect both humans and non-humans. He had a big heart, and she could tell from his other lovers that it was big enough to have space for her in it if she still wanted that.

But the fact that he could be allied with such a monster as Oberon made her question Eldon. How many lives were just lost while the small Faerie chuckled with glee? Vague images of bloody body parts flit through her mind, but she couldn't place them. Had that happened while she was dazed and during their escape? It was one thing to employ violence when needed, but those unclear memories hinted at something much worse. A sinister malevolence that made her shiver in fear.

Megan swallowed the lump forming in her throat as her mind worked to figure out how to escape from these people. It was one thing to know that Shlee was a werewolf, and Eldon could change into an ogre, but to see them for the monsters they were changed her whole perspective. She met the actual devil, and he hadn't seemed this evil. He was sadistic and cruel, but she couldn't see him killing so many people in the blink of an eye. Or was she being naive? He was the incarnation of evil, after all.

Eldon stepped towards the Faerie King, probably to congratulate him on being so wicked, but before he got the chance, the merman in the water suite struck the small man hard enough to knock him out of the air before his shape changed into that of an attractive mermaid.

"What the ever-loving-Hell were you thinking, Oberon?" Bridget demanded as she stood over the shocked king. Megan felt the tension in the room as everyone waited for Oberon to retaliate. She'd seen a small bit of what he could do in his wrath and suspected they were all dead. History was full of monarchs that reacted poorly to being humiliated, and the more powerful the ruler, the more heinous the revenge.

"About fucking time, Sugar-Tits," Oberon slowly lifted off the floor with a flutter of his butterfly wings. "Brock is cute and all, and I honestly expected him to be the one to finally snap, but it's good to see you too, Bridget."

"What are you talking about?" Bridget asked, stepping back and covering her mouth in fear.

Megan looked around for somewhere to hide, knowing that at any moment, the car was going to be filled with blood and gore. Lyden sat in the front, rage contorting his face, while his human wife sobbed next to him. Megan remembered that she was a powerful sorcerous and was probably her best bet in escaping alive. She just needed to rescue the older woman, and together the only humans in the car might have a chance to survive.

"Oberon," Lyden's voice broke through Megan's thoughts as she realized she'd missed whatever Oberon said to the mermaid. "This time, you've gone too far! I don't care if they were the enemy, you can't detonate bombs like that. It makes you just as evil as the Knights who were planning to use those bombs. There were more than just Paladonic Knights there, also, or were you too busy popping heads like pimples to see the children and other people at that camp?"

Megan paused on her slow walk to the bound woman. Lyden didn't approve of the attack? That made her feel a little bit better, at least. It meant that Eldon and his family weren't the monsters, she was beginning to fear they were. But that wouldn't save her from Oberon's anger once he decided to unleash it.

She could feel the magical car vibrate under her feet as she looked around. Becky looked at her with hopeful, if tear-stained eyes, as though she knew what was in Megan's mind. From the outside, the magical car was small, but inside, she was still a good ten feet away from the captive woman.

"I had to do something to get your kid to grow a pair," Oberon chuckled. "Looks like it was the half without a pair that finally grew a backbone."

Megan took another step towards Becky, but a hand on her shoulder made her jump. She turned to see Shlee looking at her and shaking her head. "Wait," the werewolf whispered. "I don't smell anger from Oberon."

Of course, the werewolf wasn't afraid or angry. Megan saw first-hand how powerful and strong Eldon's women were. While there were times they seemed to walk all over him, she'd seen him stand up to them as well. It was part of what attracted him to her. It was also what made her try to act tougher than she felt at times to try and match up.

"You did all that to teach me a lesson?" Bridget asked in horror as she backed up to the fountain where Brooke sat.

Oberon floated up to within inches of Bridget's face. The mermaid's face turned an unpleasant tint of green, but she didn't look away.

"Listen, Dollface," Oberon began as though trying to explain something to a child, "just because I don't love you anymore, doesn't mean I don't still care about you. What we had was special, and I'll never forget it. You were a good lover. Because of that, I wanted to make sure you were safe before I left." Oberon turned and floated to the doorway as everyone stared at the Faerie in shock.

What a brutal breakup,

Megan thought, glad she wasn't in the mermaid's shoes... Or rather, her water suite. While Oberon's tone remained gentle, his demeanor and body language, as well as his callous choice of words, showed how little he really cared.

I wonder if all Faeries are like that, or at least what makes Areth different?

She hadn't spent much time around Lyden's tiny lover, but enough to know that she actually cared.

"Oh," Oberon said right before reaching the door, "and I needed you to stand up for yourself. You're so meek, sometimes I wonder who you could be if only you asserted yourself more. Don't let the world get you down, toots. Between you and Brock, you could be unstoppable. And keep the new digs. Consider it a parting gift from me. Ah, and Lyden Snow, make sure you treat Arethusa with the respect she's due. You might find that paperwork on the couch an interesting read. Ta ta!"

Oberon didn't open the door but floated through it.

Megan let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Becky still gave her pleading looks, but as she watched Eldon go to his sister to comfort her, and hear him commiserate about how horrible Oberon was, Megan realized she'd jumped to the wrong conclusions.

"Come one," Shlee tugged at her arm as Lyden went back to join his children and Brooke. "Let's let them have a family moment."

Megan allowed herself to be dragged to the front of the car, where Becky glared at her, realizing that Megan wasn't going to free her.

Her thoughts were a jumble as she tried to get her emotions in check. The last few moments were a rollercoaster of thoughts and feelings, and now she didn't know what to think. She knew what she didn't want to think about, though—all those lost lives, and how quickly she'd assumed the worst about Eldon—and was grateful when Shlee started talking about other things.

"They'll be tied up for a bit, so I want your help in devising a plan for when we get to the capitol," Shlee said as she sat in the driver's seat.

Megan looked around, but the passenger seat was already taken by Becky, as she thought about what Shlee was saying.

"The capitol?" she asked, trying to get her mind in gear. Then she remembered that they were supposed to be going to Washington to stop the PK's working through intermediaries to pass legislation against the magical creatures and their world. She glanced at Becky, not entirely sure why the woman was bound by invisible bonds, but remembering something about her being in cahoots with the Knights. "Should we really be talking around her?"

Shlee glanced at the older woman, then shrugged and grimaced. "Even if she were bugged, there's no one back there to listen to our conversation. I still can't believe that bastard did that. I hate the Knights and everything they stand for, but that...? That was too much. And even if someone were listening, I don't think this car would allow such signals out."

Megan was glad she wasn't the only one who felt that what Oberon did was overkill. Being from Texas, she believed in justice, and the old saying, "Go big, or go home," but to blow them up like that? Even if they planned on using those bombs for something else, the ends didn't justify the means.

Megan appreciated putting her mind to use rather than think about what they barely escaped from. Shlee was smart, as well as beautiful, and not for the first time, Megan felt a bit daunted by the woman. She refused to let it show, though, and met Shlee's ideas with either agreements or counterpoints as they discussed what to do next.

"Dad," Eldon's voice broke through with a note of urgency. "You're going to want to see this!"

Megan turned back to see Eldon holding a sheaf of papers about an inch thick.

"Can't it wait?" Brooke asked as she continued to comfort her daughter.

"Not really," Eldon said, shaking his head. "I've only skimmed through this, but if this is what I think it is, then Oberon has dropped more than one bomb today."

"What do you mean?" Lyden grew panicked.

Eldon grimaced as he held out the papers. "Sorry, Dad. Poor choice of words. I meant that the documents Oberon left were the plans the Knights had for using those bombs, and how they were going to blackmail governments into passing their laws. But that's not the worst part." Eldon stopped talking as Lyden started shuffling through the papers. He waited until his dad looked up at him before continuing. "There is still one bomb out there, and we're headed right for it."

The words took a moment to sink in, but as Becky started to chuckle through her gag, Megan felt her stomach drop.

Despite the drama with Oberon only moments before, Lyden Snow and his family jumped into action. They grabbed cell phones from the glove compartments and started making calls. Megan knew that as a diplomat, Mr. Snow had connections, but the speed with which he reached the president shocked her.

"Yes, Ma'am," Lyden said into his phone. "According to the documents we retrieved, the bomb is hidden in a maintenance shaft within the Pentagon. I haven't had time to go over all of these documents yet, but it looks like it can't be disarmed without a certain code, and I haven't seen the code yet." Pause. "No, Ma'am. Sonia is with Shelly right now. I have no way of sending these to you." Pause. "Yes, we should be there in... a couple more minutes. We would have been there sooner, but we ran into complications." Pause. "Yes, we heard about the attack in Wyoming. It seems the Knights failed to take proper precautions and blew themselves up. Yes, it's a terrible tragedy. What? Oh, that's good to hear! We'll see you in a moment, Ma'am."

"Good news?" Brooke asked, standing next to her husband.

"It seems the MOAB bombs that Oberon set off weren't nuclear," Lyden said as they felt the car come to a stop. "Just really powerful. I haven't seen a map yet, but it sounds like they were far enough away from any population centers that casualties were low. They won't know much more until the fires burn down, and they can investigate the crater."

Megan glanced at Becky and was surprised to see the woman wasn't weeping over her past comrades anymore. Bits and pieces of her own treatment at the Knight's hands floated through her head in disconnected flashes, and there was nothing pleasant about it. But she still didn't wish that fate on them.

Lyden opened the door, and two men in black rushed in, looking around. Megan knew the look of professionals, and these men screamed it. One of them, a huge black man, nodded to the open door, and Megan received another shock. The President of the United States stepped inside with a fond smile.

"Ambassador Snow," the older Latino woman stepped up to the man, giving him a quick hug. "I'm so glad to see that your family is safe. Before you ask, the Pentagon was evacuated, and the bomb found. A Faraday Cage has been set up around it to block out any signals, while they try to find the code to disarm it. I take it that's the dossier you recovered? Thank you. I'll make sure it ends up in the public's eyes so they can see which senators are traitors."

Megan had seen the president on television plenty of times in the past, but it did nothing to show how tall or slim the woman really was. And the way she stepped in and took over spoke of many years used to having authority.

But was that a lingering look at Eldon?

Megan shook her head, dismissing the thought.

"President Louise," Lyden greeted her with a warm smile. "Thank you for being willing to listen to me. I'm really sorry about Wyoming. It's a terrible tragedy, and one that I hope is never repeated."

Megan schooled her face to be neutral. She knew they couldn't reveal how the bombs actually went off but didn't like deceiving the most powerful woman in the free world.

"We've never had such a tragedy on US soil," President Martha Louise said in somber tones. "Even 9-11 didn't cause this much ground damage, though thankfully it was in an unpopulated area. As much as I hate what the Knights represent, and their tactics, I wish they would have been smarter."

"Had they not blown themselves up," Bridget broke in, "they would have used those bombs on innocent civilians."

Megan wondered if the two Secret Service agents were used to being around other-worldly creatures as they barely batted an eye at the mermaid in her water encasing. They didn't even give the tied-up Becky more than a glancing look. President Martha gave her one quick glance, then refused to look to the front of the car again. The agent's professionalism meant they were either gay or not interested in the way Bridget's soaked shirt clung to every curve.

"True," the President agreed. "But I still can't believe that the Knights would go that far. Their extremist agenda has crossed a line."

"Ma'am," Shlee said, her voice full of respect but urgency. "We need to get this information in front of the public as soon as possible, to stave off the Knights spinning it their way."

President Louise nodded even as she frowned. "There will still be people who believe we performed that attack or will believe whatever the Knights claim, but you're right. I'm sure you have the means to get that information to your contacts?"

It took Megan a moment to remember that Shlee was a reporter and the fact that she was a werewolf a secret. Shlee nodded before grabbing Eldon and her, hauling them from the car into the early afternoon sunlight.

"I called my station," Shlee told them in a rush. "They have a camera crew on-site already. I hope you don't mind me interviewing you. Oh, and Eldon, my love? Act like you and Megan are a couple. It'll go better with the viewers."

"I..." Eldon started, then stopped and looked at Megan. Even worn out and haggard, the man had the indecency to look incredible. From his entrancing eyes, that still managed to carry concern for her, to the way his delicious lips twitched as he offered her a smile. "As long as you're okay with that," he told her.

"Don't let it go to your head," she smiled up at him, giving his firm ass a hard smack.

Megan swallowed her laugh as Eldon shook his head and muttered something she didn't catch. She ignored the sting in her hand, shocked at how hard his glutes were. Was he wearing granite underwear?

A camera crew approached them at a run as Shlee ran her fingers through her strawberry-blonde hair. Before they were set up, Megan slipped her arm around Eldon's waist and pulled him close. His warmth bled into her side, and she had to fight a sigh at how good he felt there. Her heart rate sped up, even as she schooled her face. She wanted him. She wanted his strength by her side and in her life. But she didn't want him to know that. She realized when she first approached Eldon that she came on too strong, and changed her tactics, hoping to get him more interested. She walked a fine line and was never sure when she went too far one way or another.

Despite her earlier reservations in the magic car, she thought she knew and understood his worth. She needed to show her worth to him. She needed to be emotionally strong and appear as though she didn't need him. Then, maybe, he would learn to share his strength with her and know that she could handle him leaning her way.

"I'm here with Sheldon Snow, and one of his girlfriends, Megan Myers," Shlee had clipped a microphone onto her filthy shirt, and spoke into the camera. "As many of you know, I've been embedded with Embassador Snow's family as he works to ensure peace between our world and the magical world ruled by the Pillars. Forgive my disheveled state, but we—only moments ago—escaped from a camp of Paladonic Knights with critical information concerning terrorist attacks on US soil."

Shlee paused and turned to Eldon and Megan. "Will you please tell us in your own words what you discovered while being held captive?"

Eldon's mouth opened, closed, opened again, and hung there. His eyes held a glassy look as he stared at the camera. Megan couldn't believe this man was camera shy. She pinched his side, then spoke up for the unseen audience.

"Eldon and I were on our way to testify before Congress about a law that the Knights were trying to pass through proxies," Megan said, keeping her voice concerned, but not hysterical. She wondered if any of her friends from back home would see this report, and what they would think of her now. Some mocked her for chasing after Eldon. And while she might not have captured him, they wouldn't know that. "Our vehicle was attacked, and the next thing I knew, we were being held in a cell..." She continued to speak, relating what she could remember, leaving out much of the escape details, mainly because she couldn't remember them clearly. When she reached the discovery of the documents—claiming that they stumbled across them in the base instead of Oberon—Shlee interrupted her.

"Since I was there, I already know what was in the documents, but will you please tell our viewers?"

"Attack," Eldon mumbled.

Megan gave him a quick peck on the cheek, hoping that would snap him out of his fugue. "That's right," she agreed with her faux-boyfriend. She hoped Bobby saw this. Saw what a real man looked like. She only wished Eldon were a tad more animated. "The attack in Wyoming earlier today was by them, and they were planning on bombing the Pentagon tonight if the vote didn't go their way. The document also listed politicians that they were paying to make laws that supported their racist views."

Eldon finally snapped out of it, pulling her tight to his side in an almost painful grip. "The Paladonic Knights have long shown that they only care about themselves. Tonight proves that their bigotted beliefs don't hold with the values true Americans hold in their hearts. People and creatures from the other world aren't out to hurt us. But the Paladonic Knights only care for the power they can gain by causing fear in our hearts. We need to stand together, stand united against the hate, and only then will peace prevail."