The Generator: The Succubae Seduction (40 page)

“What’s with all the racket?” A bleary-eyed Areth asks, fluttering out of Lisa’s room.

Ondine arrives back in the main room, holding a set of my clothes. I guess she’s not entirely up-to-date on the fashions here on Earth. Brooke sighs heavily, taking the clothes from the other mermaid, and heading back into Becky’s room.

“Ah,” Areth says, looking down at where I’m holding a softly sobbing Becky, “I see you finally came to your senses and realized she was innocent.”

Smiling at the fairy, I ask, “Did you defend her?”

“Of course not!” She exclaims indignantly. “It’s not my place to meddle in your mortal affairs, unless it makes things more interesting, and I didn’t need to add to the entertainment value. You all make for quite the fun ensemble.”

I’m about to say something so fierce and scathing to her, that generations of pixies will know better than to infuriate a Generator, but Brooke reenters with some of Becky’s clothes, saying something that completely distracts me.

“I just realized, Becky heard everything we were planning,” she says cautiously, and despite how careful her tone is, I feel like she’s attacking the brunette again. Something must register on my face. “I’m not blaming her,” she quickly adds, “but we may be in some trouble, if the light beast, Aldol, knows what we’re up to.”

“It thinks I’m dead,” I reply, trying to impart in my tone that I’m not angry with my childhood friend. “Will he really worry about us now?” I don’t know if the thing will go after them or not, and in truth I’m worried it might. If it does, though, I’ll be here to defend them.

“I highly doubt we’re in any rush,” Angela says, rubbing her eyes as she enters the room. We all look at her as she startles most of us. “What? I could hear you all out in the car. It’s not like you were being quiet.”

“I guess I’d better come out of hiding too, then,” Lisa adds sheepishly, coming out of her room.

“Sorry,” I mumble, apologizing for waking everyone else up.

“Don’t be,” Lisa says quickly. “What you said was true, and we should have realized it, but I’m more worried about what Brooke said. If this Aldol knows our plans, even if he thinks you’re dead, why shouldn’t we hurry?” The question is aimed at the succubus.

“Have you ever dealt with timeless beings? They don’t exactly hurry at anything on our time scale. A hundred years could go by, and they’ll hardly make a move.” I look at her sharply, thinking back to all the rushing we’ve done lately, and don’t think she’s right. “Listen, I’ve been thinking over the last few centuries with TanaVesta, and I think I know where Aldol started influencing her. Just under two centuries ago, she started to grow a bit paranoid, though not on the same scale as Varun. I think
he
was tipped over the edge a bit more by TanaVesta’s actions. Anyway, I can see where her actions started to change, and I think it was all thanks to Aldol.” She shakes her head, and I can see a small smile play across her soft lips at the creature’s name. “Creatures that live longer than a millennia tend to take life slower. I think we have time to better prepare ourselves before we go rushing in this time.” She looks around the room, meeting each of our gazes before continuing. “I for one am sick of getting captured, and being unprepared.”

I really can’t argue with that last statement. So far we’ve been lucky. But do we really have time to spare?

“But TanaVesta seemed to be in a hurry when she’d captured me,” I respond, pointing out a flaw in her logic. “She raped me every few hours, trying to grow her power as quickly as possible”

“That was a different situation,” the succubus replies easily. “The appointment with the other two Pillars was likely scheduled decades in advance. She saw an opportunity, and tried to seize it.” She pauses to look at Brooke, a sad look on her face. “I don’t know if she planned on killing them at that meeting before we showed up, but I doubt it. More likely she was setting up something that would have come to fruit decades down the line.”

What would it be like to live for so long? I wonder, but can see her point.

“Okay,” I concede, “but I wish there was a way to be sure.”

“I can scout!” Areth nearly shouts in excitement, and we all look to where she’s fluttering. “What?” she asks, suddenly growing embarrassed.

“I thought you didn’t want to meddle in mortal affairs. Why do you want to help?” Brooke asks cautiously. She looks around the room, and I can tell she’s trying to figure out what the pixie’s angle is. Her eyes stop when they get to me, and I see her give a slight nod before turning back to Areth. “Most of us have a personal tie to Lyden, beyond the danger of our world. Only you and Ondine have no real ties to him. And forgive me, but your kind isn’t exactly known for being helpful.” I think about how in games, fairies are known to be helpful, but mythology holds a different opinion of the tiny creatures.

The tiny fluttering figure puffs her chest out indignantly before responding. “I think I’ve been
very
helpful. Look what I did for his car, so you could all escape. I even saved his life back with the Cyclopes. Lyden saved me from a fate worse than death, twice.  And shouldn’t it be enough that I want to save our world?”

I’d only been in danger from the Cyclopes because of her, but I keep my mouth shut.

“Okay, okay,” Brooke states, holding up her hands to ward off the fairy’s anger. Turning to Ondine, she asks, “I suppose you just want to save our world as well?”

“You saw how Varun was,” the other mermaid replies. “Lyden chose to save me from being persecuted for being a woman.” The brunette mermaid meets my eyes for a second, before continuing. “I have watched him since then, and seen that though he is a little rough around the edges, he has the potential to be a great leader. According to the prophecy you mentioned earlier, he may be our only hope of stopping Aldol.” I see the corner of her mouth twitch, and I almost wonder if she was about to smile. If so, it would be the closest I’ve ever seen her come to doing so. “From the sound of things, he is immune to that thing’s power as long as he can keep his trident in his pants.”

I blush at her blunt statement, but know I’ll need to be more careful from now on. My only worry about it right now is: how did the light creature take over Becky? As far as I know, she was never exposed to it.

I realize everyone is looking at me, waiting for me to say something. I kick my brain back into gear, trying to remember what we’d just been talking about. “My feelings are, that we are careful with whom we trust, but until we have reason to think otherwise, we don’t consider everybody to be an enemy.” I realize the mistake in my words too late as it could sound as if I’m saying Becky, Lisa, and even AnnaBelle could be considered enemies, but if anyone else catches it, they don’t speak up. Sighing heavily, I add, “We’d better get some rest. Tomorrow—Or is it today?—is going to be a long day.”

“So, I can go scout?” Areth asks, coming over to me. She almost seems too happy at the idea.

“If you’re rested enough, yes,” I say, and have to stifle a yawn.

She tries to zip out, but Angela stops her.

“Promise three times not to betray us,” the succubus says evenly.

Areth actually titters at the request, spinning around, and facing me. “I promise not to betray Lyden. I promise not to betray Lyden. I promise not to betray Lyden.” Having made her promise thrice, she zooms around Angela, leaving a golden blur behind, in her rush to be helpful. For once, I don’t regret her coming with us, though I’m not sorry to have her away for a while. I do wonder at her saying that she won’t betray me, personally, rather than the group, but ignore it. Probably just because she sees me as the leader, I conclude.

The leader. . . . Is that what I am? When did that happen? Thinking back, I can’t seem to put my finger on the moment I went from following along with events, to taking charge, but I can see that there has been a change in my actions. Brooke had pointed out that I have a backbone, and I notice that I do indeed have more confidence than I once had.

Fearfully, I realize that that means their lives are my responsibility as their leader. Glancing at Brooke’s maimed right hand, I promise myself to do the best I can.

“What now?” Lisa asks, looking around at everyone. “Do we just wait for the fairy to return, before deciding anything else?”

“I, for one, want to get some more sleep. As long as we can all agree that Becky is innocent, then I suggest we get what rest we can.” I remember my voicemails, and that the police wanted to talk to me. “I’d probably better go see the police in the morning and do what I can to clear my name.”

“Good idea,” Becky pipes up, speaking for the first time since she’s been exonerated. “I’ll go with you.”

“No,” I state quickly, and then smile at her to lessen the sting of pain the word caused her. She must think I don’t trust her, despite what I said before. “I’m going alone.” I can see everyone about to argue, but I continue on, bowling over their protestations. “Becky and Lisa, you were with me when I broke the Orange Bubble out of the impound lot, and I don’t want to put you into any more trouble right now. Ondine, you technically don’t exist in this world yet, at least as far as having an ID and such, and Brooke. . . . Well, I don’t know if they want to talk to you in connection with the fire that burned our apartment yet. Better safe than sorry.”

“That means I get to go with you,” Angela pipes up, smiling smugly.

“No,” I try to tell her calmly. “I don’t want anyone with me. Worst case scenario, I would rather you all free.”

They try to argue with me further, but I ignore them until they finally relent.

After that, there’s a bit of a confrontation about whom I’m going to lie down with, but I settle it quickly by stating that I’ll be staying on the couch.

“You’ll be more comfortable in your car,” Angela tries to convince me. “I’ll take the couch.”

I know exactly what’ll happen as soon as I do, though. Someone, most likely her, will come join me. At least on the couch, I know no one will be able to get away with disturbing my sleep.

I’m wrong.

It feels like I just barely close my eyes, when I find myself back in the shared mind-space.

“Angela,” I sigh, “I’m tired and need to get some real rest.”

“Please don’t be mad with her,” a voice that’s definitely
not
Angela’s asks me softly. Spinning around, I see Brooke standing there, clad in her blue scaly armor, wavy sword on her left hip. “I asked her to bring me here. I know you want your sleep, but I wanted to be with you as well. At least cuddle with me here?”

Despite myself, I chuckle a little. “Won’t be very comfortable with you in that armor,” I state, waving my hand at her attire.

The beautiful redhead gasps as she looks down, and I watch as her face goes just as red as her hair. Her tough yet supple blue armor turns to a slender sleeping gown, flaring near the bottom. The swell of her small breasts can barely be seen between the edges of her very low neckline. “Will this work?” she asks me coyly, the red still suffusing her cheeks and now visible on her chest.

“Very nice,” I compliment her. “But you do realize that Angela is still around, right?”

Her pretty brows bunch together in consternation. “But she said—“

“Oh, drat!” Angela states, coming out of the shadows. “Did Aldol suck away your funny bone, too?” I glare at her, but she only frowns prettily back at me.

To my surprise, Brooke breaks the tension by laughing. “Why do I have a feeling, that when Lyden helped me recover from my torture, you were there too?” The abashed look on my face gives us away, and she only laughs harder.

Once more I’m surprised at how close these two women have become, since they first threatened to kill each other in the Orc’s cave. A real friendship has grown where once there was bitter enmity.

“Well, you might as well come and join us,” the mermaid says somewhat reluctantly.

“Umm. . . .” I mumble, remembering what Angela had said about Brooke not being into women.

“Not like
that
!” she quickly clarifies, but then looks to the succubus, and back to me as well. “
Buuut
seeing as how that’s on your mind, I guess I’d better get used to you being with more than one woman.”

“Really?” the succubus asks excitedly, while I stare speechlessly at Brooke.

“No funny business, though,” the mermaid quickly adds. “You’re cute Angela, but you have the wrong plumbing for my tastes.” Brooke steps up to me, boldly grabbing my groin to emphasize her point.

“How do you know, if you never try?” Angela shoots back, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye and grabbing both our behinds.

A horrible thought crosses my mind, and paranoid, I turn Brooke’s face up to gaze into her wonderful sea green eyes. The only light in them is from her love and passion for me. To hide the reason behind me looking so intently at her, I bring my lips to hers, kissing her softly.

“Why didn’t you look into my eyes?” Angela whispers into my ear as Brooke pulls away to catch her breath. Of course, the succubus can read intentions as well as surface thoughts.

Turning to face the punk dressed woman, I bring my mouth close to her ear, acting as though I’m nibbling on her earlobe as I speak. “Because, my dear succubus, you were acting like yourself.”

“That or you just love me more,” she replies quietly, with a quick nip at my ear.

I refuse to dignify that with a response.

“If you keep ignoring me,” Brooke states, trying to sound indignant, “I might develop a complex, and change my mind.”

Laughing, I turn to kiss her again, but Angela shoves me out of the way and locks lips with her. The mermaid’s eyes grow large in shock, and I can see the wheels turning in her head as she tries to figure out what she’s going to do. Angela takes the moment’s hesitation as an invitation. I see her deepen the kiss, while reaching around and grabbing a handful of Brooke’s tight rear through her shear gown.

To my utter astonishment, I see the curly redhead’s knees go limp, forcing the skilled succubus to support her weight as Brooke has a small orgasm.