The office of the Grand Marshall was silent, save for the crackling of the magical fire in the hearth.

  Signe sat in her high-backed chair and was gripping a cup of water Li Yu had poured for her. Her breathing had steadied, the flush of confusion fading from her skin. The demonic Qi that had infested her for months was gone and left behind only the simmering heat of her own formidable Fire cultivation.

  Li Yu stood by the window and was looking out at the purple scar of the Rift. He was waiting for her to fully regain her bearings. The fact that the demons were slowly infecting this defending army showed that they were preparing as well.

  "Grand Marshall," Li Yu said softly when he turned back to her. "How do you feel?"

  Signe looked up. Her red eyes, usually fierce and commanding, were now soft. Disturbingly soft.

  "I am... better," Signe said. Her voice had lost its smoky, predatory edge and replaced it with a tone of almost reverent solicitude. "Thank you... Young Master."

  Li Yu froze. "Young Master?"

  Signe stood up. She didn't move with the aggressive, swaying gait she had used earlier. She moved with the grace of a trained attendant. She walked over to him, took the empty cup from his hand, and placed it on the desk.

  Then, she reached out and straightened the collar of his robe.

  "Your travel clothes are dusty," Signe murmured as her brow furrowed with concern. "The air here is filthy. I should have a bath prepared for you immediately. And fresh clothes. The coarse fabric of the Central Command uniforms is unfit for your skin."

  Li Yu stepped back and batted her hands away gently. "Marshall Signe, I am not your master. I am Li Yu. Thyra sent me here."

  "I know who you are," Signe said with a slight blush coloring her cheeks. She lowered her eyes submissively. "You freed me. You are... magnificent."

  "Vespera," Li Yu hissed internally. "Get out here."

  Whoosh. A mist of Qi swirled from Li Yu’s chest and condensed into a physical form next to him.

  Vespera appeared. She was dressed in black martial robes that emphasized her figure but had her mostly covered up.

  She looked at Signe, then at Li Yu and a smirk played on her pale lips.

  "Problem, Li Yu?" Vespera asked.

  "Why is the Grand Marshall of the Northern Army trying to undress me for a bath?" Li Yu demanded. "You said you left her and gave her back control of her body."

  "I did," Vespera shrugged. "But... well, there are side effects to this you know."

  "You didn’t say that before. Explain it now."

  "Possession isn't just sitting in a chair," Vespera explained. "It's a merging of souls. To keep the host compliant. Especially a host as strong as a 9th Stage Soul Formation cultivator. We have to weave a charm into their very essence. It's loyalty that is deep seated in their soul."

  She gestured to Signe, who was looking at Vespera with a mix of hostility and deference.

  "It makes the host prioritize the parasite," Vespera said. "It makes them view us as their master, their reason for living. That way, if we have to leave temporarily or permanently, they don't betray us. They protect our secrets. They wait for our return."

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "And?"

  "And," Vespera grinned. "I am contract-bound to you. My soul belongs to you. Therefore, you are now her master. Or at least she views you as such."

  Li Yu looked at Signe. The fierce warrior woman was currently fluffing a pillow on the couch and casting furtive glances at him to see if he approved.

  "Fix it," Li Yu ordered.

  "I can't," Vespera sighed. "The charm is woven into her psyche. It fades with time. Usually a few years. Until then, her subconscious sees you as the ultimate authority. It’s not mind control, exactly. It’s more like... intense loyalty."

  Li Yu sighed while rubbing his temples. "Years?"

  "She's strong," Vespera amended. "Maybe months? Weeks if you keep ordering her to fight it? But right now, you have the most loyal bodyguard in the world. Enjoy it."

  "I don't want a bodyguard," Li Yu muttered. "I want a General. The north needs their general."

  He turned to Signe. "Marshall. Sit down."

  "Yes, Young Master," Signe said immediately. She was sitting there with perfect posture.

  "Don't call me that," Li Yu corrected. "Call me Li Yu. Or Crab. Or... anything else."

  Signe frowned, struggling with the order. "Yes... Lord Li Yu."

  "Close enough," Li Yu sighed. He went on to explain to her what had happened to her. From Vespera’s accounts, the possession took place around four months ago.

  Signe’s eyes clouded. "I remember... fog. I remember orders. I remember feeling... hungry."

  She looked at Vespera who Li Yu explained was the demon that possessed her.

  "She is... with you?" Signe asked in confusion.

  "She is with me now, yes." Li Yu said. "She is under my control. We are going to use her to clean up the mess the demons have made. Starting with your personal guard."

  Signe’s expression sharpened. The soldier in her was fighting through the charm. "My guard... the Crimson Valkyries. They have been possessed as well?"

  "They are infected," Li Yu said bluntly. "All forty of them. All possessed by Vespera's sisters. We need to clear them out before we can tackle the rest of the army."

  Signe stood up. Her aura flared, hot and angry. "They dared to touch my sisters?"

  "They did," Li Yu said. "But we can save them. Call them in."

  About 30 minutes later the heavy doors of the office opened.

  Forty women marched in. They were the elite of the elite in this army. The Crimson Valkyries. The personal guard of Signe herself. They wore armor of red metal and carried spears tipped with a black metal. Their discipline was absolute. They filed into the room in perfect unison, forming four rows of ten.

  But Li Yu could see it now that he was looking and focusing. Behind their eyes, there was a shadow. A cold, calculating intelligence that didn't match their human faces.

  The Captain of the Guard, a tall woman with a scar across her cheek, stepped forward. She looked at Signe, then at Li Yu. Her eyes lingered on Vespera, widening slightly in recognition.

  "Grand Marshall," the Captain said. "You summoned us."

  "I did," Signe said. Her voice was authoritative but she kept glancing at Li Yu for approval. Li Yu stepped forward. He held up his hand and used a barrier technique to seal the room.

  A dome of grey energy expanded from his palm. Space solidified. Sound was cut off. No signal could leave; no one could enter.

  The Captain’s hand gripped her spear and moved it towards Li Yu. "Marshall? What is the meaning of this?"

  "Stand down, sisters," Vespera said as she was stepping forward.

  The forty guards stiffened. They of course recognized the voice and had seen her when they came in. They recognized the Queen.

  "Queen Vespera?" The Captain spoke, her voice dropping the human facade. "You are... exposed by the humans? Why are you in that form?"

  "Plans have changed," Vespera said smoothly. "The invasion is pivoting. I have secured a new alliance. A stronger host."

  She gestured to Li Yu.

  "This is Lord Li Yu. He is now the... Primary Authority of this sector. You will submit to him."

  The Captain looked at Li Yu. She sneered. "A human male? You bow to a human male, Queen?"

  "I have gone strategic," Vespera snapped and her eyes flashing black. "And you will obey. Leave the hosts. Now."

  "Leave?" The Captain hesitated. "But these bodies are strong! Why should we—"

  "Because I am your Queen," Vespera’s voice turned cold. "And my order is absolute. Exit the hosts or I will consider it treason against me."

  The Captain flinched.

  "We... we obey," the Captain gasped. One by one, the shadows detached.

  Forty streams of mist poured out of the mouths and backs of the Crimson Valkyries. The human women collapsed to the floor and were unconscious. As they were falling, the demons materialized in the air.