With the needed vials in hand, will Lyden and company be able to escape the angry demon's lair? What lies in store for the generator out on the rain soaked beach? Jealousy sparks, and if Lyden thinks the demon was tough, he will learn what angry women can be like.
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Chapter 13
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Revelations
"What were you thinking?" Angela angrily demands of me, as we walk back through the cave after leaving Marchosias's lair. Arethusa is standing on my right shoulder, her fist balled up in my hair, holding on tight. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? He could have killed all of us in an eye blink if he'd wanted to."
"I'm sorry," I say defensively. "I couldn't stand to leave her there captured like that!"
"She's just a pixie!" Angela continues as if I hadn't spoken. "A little fairy that means very little in the greater scheme of things."
I can't believe I just heard that. "I don't care how big or small they are, if they're sentient, then I have a responsibility to help when I can."
"You don't know how they think," she counters. "She wouldn't have done the same for you. They're fickle and have no loyalties." She shakes her head as she examines the little creature on my shoulder. "Whenever a fairy helps you out, be very careful. There is always an ulterior motive, and usually it's nothing more than for their own entertainment."
Arethusa hasn't said a word since returning to her original size of only about four inches, and I hope that the events in the demon's home weren't too traumatizing for her. I feel guilty for my part in it, but I really had no choice. It had taken all of my effort to mitigate the punishment.
"I said I was sorry," I can't keep the tone of defensiveness from my voice.
"Sorry?" Angela continues to berate me. "Didn't you catch when he'd said he knows
everything
that happens in his cavern? That's how he knew we were coming. He knew what you were doing the entire time you were in the other room. Do you know how hard it was for me to sit there immobile, and watch you take that fairy's virginity? Do you even realize what doing that to her means?"
The demon had been aware of me masturbating on the fairy? "I didn't have a choice," I remind the succubus. "He was controlling both of us, and no I don't know what it means." She doesn't yet know that I didn't really take Arethusa's maidenhead, and I don't dare let her know until we're out of this cavern.
"You need to remember that things are very different here," she says after giving a big sigh. Some of her anger is gone, but there's still an edge to her tone. "Remember how I told you that when succubae mate, portions of their souls get swapped?" I nod that I remember. How could I forget something like that? "Well, it's a lot more powerful for fairies or sprites. When they lose their virginity, they don't just transfer a portion of their soul. Their
entire
soul gets transferred via the blood of their broken hymen."
"But doesn't that kill them?" I ask, mortified at the thought, until I realize that Arethusa is still alive, and if it was supposed to kill them, Marchosias would have known about the ruse.
The look Angela sends at the sprite on my shoulder also gives me my answer as well. "It's different for them. They don't need their soul to be within their body. When their soul transfers to someone else, it links the two. Fairies literally mate for life. Now you two are permanently connected. If she ever gets too far away from you, she
will
die, and die very painfully."
The thought crosses my mind that hymens can be broken by other means than just intercourse, and wonder what that must be like. The picture of a fairy being eternally tied to a bicycle would almost be comical, if it wasn't so serious.
The sound of the working Cyclopes reach us, and we grow silent as we enter their area.
My mind wonders over what Angela just revealed to me. If I hadn't been able to divert my cock to Arethusa's secondary hole, she would be permanently linked to me now. I understand why the tiny woman had been so adamant about not giving that up to me. Staying an unsoiled maiden must be a top priority for her kind.
Turning a corner, I can see the Cyclopes working through the ovoid hole in the cavern wall. Looking at the powerful creatures, I make sure every step I take is as silent as can be. I still don't understand how they can hear anything over the racket they're making, but I don't care to risk it either.
Unfortunately, that's the point Arethusa decides to become vocal.
"No! I-I can't. No more!" Without warning she leaps from my shoulder, flying down the lengthy cave. I watch in horror as in unison, every single-eyed Cyclopes looks up from their hammering to stare at us. They look from Angela, to me, and back again. I don't like the way they begin to grin and lick their lips.
"Lyden," Angela yells in the sudden silence, "
RUN
!!"
My legs are already in motion, as I take off in the direction the fairy had flown. With my additional speed, I'm easily able to keep up with the succubus, and in only a couple seconds I see Arethusa ahead of me. Reaching out, I grab the thin creature in my hand, and haul her along. Despite our speed, I can hear the Cyclopes behind us, and gaining ground. I don't remember how much further we have to go for the exit, and even that won't mean freedom from the coming horde. With their speed, there's no chance of making it to the Orange Bubble.
Even if I can get there in time, I can't countenance bringing the one-eyed monsters anywhere near Lisa and AnnaBelle.
The succubus is slightly ahead of me, and I put on a bit more speed, throwing everything I have into my legs to catch her, and hand the terrified fairy over to the succubus.
"Take her," I yell. "I'll try to buy you as much time as I can."
"Lyden, NO!" she yells, but I ignore her.
Even as I begin to slow down, I know it's hopeless. Weaponless, and without even the skills at martial arts that Lisa possesses, I won't stand a chance against these monsters. But if I'm lucky, they'll slow down to chew on my carcass long enough for Angela and Arethusa to escape.
My feet come to a complete stop, and I turn to see the front runners come into view. They spot me at the same instant. The sound of their glee at spying their prey giving up is horrible to my ears.
My heart pounds painfully in my chest, as I plant my feet the way Lisa showed me, hands raised and loose, ready to defend myself. Faces of friends flash before my eyes; Jennifer Lansbury, Sheila Lance, Angela, Becky and Lisa, and even Thomas from work. Friends from my past and even a few not so friendly faces flit through my consciousness as certain death bears down on me.
A golden bullet zips past my head, and I have just enough time to make out Arethusa floating five feet in front of me, hands outstretched, screaming something in a language I don't understand. Her entire body takes on a glow that brightens, as the Cyclopes get closer, until her screaming reaches a crescendo, and her glow expands to fill the cave from wall to wall.
The lead monster smacks into the glow, and it sounds like a massive bass drum sounds off as he's flung back and into his oncoming comrades.
Arethusa collapses to the floor of the cavern and doesn't move, mere inches from the bright obstacle. Rushing to my fallen savior, I scoop her up and start running again. My strength is tapped, and I can only gain normal human running speed, but I use that for all I'm worth. There's no telling how long that shield will hold up.
The blue-haired succubus is waiting for us, just around the first corner, and I see the relief in her eyes as she sees us.
"Idiot!" She screams as she falls into step beside us. "The fairy would have died without you anyway. What were you thinking?"
Joy at the fact that I'm still alive and breathing bubbles up in my chest, and I can't stop the burst of laughter that boils forth. "Ha! Like the fairy was your only concern," I respond between gulps of air, and a few quick steps later I find myself back out in the torrential rain.
It takes me a few moments to realize that Angela stopped, and I turn to look at her. "What are you doing? I don't know how long Arethusa's shield will hold them back. Let's go!"
"Please, call me Areth," the fairy says. I watch as she spreads her wings, smiling up at the rain. I'm half-worried that the falling water will hurt her, but she seems to be regaining strength from it, instead. "Those beasts won't come out into the rain, and it never stops raining here."
Realizing that I'm finally safe—or as safe as I'll ever be in this realm—I collapse to the soft loam of the forest floor, breathing hard.
"What happened back there?" I ask the little woman still in my hand.
"You were in danger, and I figured since you'd saved me, I might as well return the favor." She shakes her body, sending tiny droplets of water out that immediately get absorbed into the falling rain. The gesture is useless, however, as she's just as wet afterwards, her golden hair plastered to her lithe body, as she had been before. "Don't expect it again, though. We're even."
"I meant, about freaking out with the Cyclopes," I say.
"Let's just say that they didn't enjoy something that I thought was very entertaining." Without a further word, she hops out of my hand, spreads her wings and flies away. The rain doesn't even slow her down.
"Where's she going," Angela comes to stand beside me, holding her hand out to help me back to my feet. "She'll die if she gets too far away."
I look back at the cave entrance to make sure we're far enough away from Marchosias's lair before answering. "No she won't," I say, a giddy mood overcoming me again, and I start laughing at the confused look on the other woman's face. "Come on. I'll explain as we get back to my car."
"You're playing a dangerous game, Lyden," Angela says, trying to sound serious, but ruining it with a small grin. "I don't think anyone's pulled a fast one on Marchosias in centuries. He must have been enjoying the show too much, to catch that slight change."
