Touching, rolling

  smooth

  decadence, impurity of the purest sense

  Melt within, chest tightens - how can good be this wicked?

  Dark and silky

  its form deceives

  So many ways it says hello

  Goodbye, the lie

  Eyes of lust

  Dripping

  Dreaming

  Sweet milky depth

  Moaning, my tongue can not forget

  Fruit it coats, emboldening a hint of wicked

  Lust knows nothing of this sin

  Sin even has turned away

  to claim the pleasure

  would condemn

  Forbidden

  Taste

  Apples

  Passion of truth

  Decadence of the cherry

  Hidden, the surface, just below it waits

  Candy coated, moaning,

  sugar runs down my chin

  Just a bite!

  No,

  a nibble

  Just a taste

  Cream

  Pleasure!

  Power to heal

  To tame an inner beast!

  Love in her eyes

  Passion in their mouth

  The last bite is his to offer

  It is hers to take

  Not a chocolate in the box,

  will be left in their wake.

  ~the Keystone of Confectionery Desire

  ~Feldyn Goldchord, the Endless Bard

  * * *

  As they waited to hear back from the Order, John kept his mind from the things that had been bothering him, by going over the towns records at the local library. The Order had no documentation of Siqcoun so John knew something high tier shady had gone on here. There was no map, digital or paper, that listed Siqcoun. It did not exist. Yet the residents lived normal lives, mail and shipments came and went. Calling that odd was quite the understatement. Impossible was a much better fit.

  This town was not contained within itself, documents of residents coming from and residing here, were not hard to find. There were even three residents working in the Canadian government, two that lived abroad, and one that was a best selling indie author of an isekai, lit rpg, gender bender, erotica series. He choose to avoid their work, research or not. Erotica... not something that would aid in keeping his mind where he wanted.

  Things had been increasingly difficult for John in the days since returning to the group. His love for them was only increasing his fear, for never had he met anyone other than Reba he could love. Hurting them, in any way, would destroy him. Yet the truth, his truth, was still a problem. A problem he had believed long gone. Until the time spent at Jeff's when the that strange phenomena began to effect the children. A phenomena John convinced himself -since separating from the group at Jeff’s- had been in his head; another aspect of his... disorder.

  John had been a young man when the Order found him. He did not remember his parents; earliest memories were of a foster family, that he killed. Molesters. The two girls in their charge the target of their wickedness. John had killed them too. Whores. If at first it had been molestation, it had grown to be a consensual pleasure. Perhaps it was merely a coping mechanism for the little ones, trying to survive a horrible situation. At that point in his life, such thoughts had never entered his mind. Now, however, he knew better. And it sickened him knowing his own thoughts were more wicked than those he judged.

  John had a severe personality disorder. Everything and anything to do with sex, he had the overpowering urge to destroy. When he killed those he felt were unclean, he got a sort of... satisfaction. He would never have called it pleasure, even if the word fit better.

  After the death of his foster family, John had survived on the streets, sleeping and eating where he could; his -then undiscovered- psychic abilities keeping him safe. Finding shelter and food was simple. So was finding victims, but he had common sense enough not to partake in his every impulse. The targets? Anyone who enjoyed carnal pleasure.

  During a stay in London, where he was murdering prostitutes, making it look like a copycat of one Jack the Ripper, the Order found him. John killed the Reclaimer sent for him. He later escaped a Vindicator. The Order then changed tactics, setting him up to be caught by law enforcement. It took several months, but was finally taken into custody, and dubbed John the Flayer.

  He was 'killed' in custody, records swept under the rug; cover-up swift, to not cause backlash. A killer was caught, and died. The public needed to be happy with that. Of course, his -faked- death was an Order scheme. Not every recruit was worth this level of trouble.

  His new home, and all the things that came with it, had shown John there was more to life than murder. He knew there was, but nothing else had ever mattered. Now, living in a convent (where they wisely chose to house the psycho, with the purest of the nuns), devoid of all sexual depravity, his mind was free to think of other things. For a time.

  The desire to kill never left, it would only... sleep. Occasionally the urge would awaken, driving him to find the impure. To purge it. Kill it. To feel what only the spilt blood of the guilty would let him feel. During those times, he had to be locked away. Those around him were in no immediate danger, but if he were to escape, the Order may be forced to put him down. With his innate talents and abilities, that was an outcome no one wanted.

  John was a prodigy, and the Order was eager to get him into the field. They were lacking in talent where it came to assassins, and John fit the bill perfectly. One of the best color ever trained, and not only was he apathetic, he enjoyed killing. He was also loyal, and obedient. John was one of the youngest Reclaimers in Order history, and also the only to have been rushed through the rigorous training, and still pass with flying -ahem- colors.

  Once in the field, he excelled, and those he killed were enough to keep his urges in check. The missions the Order gave also suited his style. Solo. Stealth. And wickedly difficult. All the while, he continued to live in the convent, and Sister Helen continued to teach him of God the Father; and his Son, Jesus Christ.

  No one, not even sister Helen, believed he would ever be saved. John was not devoid of remorse or incapable of empathy, he simply did not care. The pure and utter selfishness of a true sociopath. So where he could care less about the rules of God, he did find Him to be fascinating, and -casually- studied the Word when there was time.

  One day, when the urge to kill had been stronger than it had in years; John was stubbornly resisting. Climbing to the roof of the convent, his favorite place to be alone, read his Bible in an attempt to distract his mind, and the damnedest thing happened: he got so involved in his reading, he forgot the urge to kill. After that, John always kept a Bible on hand to combat the urges. It did not work one hundred percent, though it did, at a minimum, gave him more mental strength to fight.

  Some time later, he screwed up on a mission, and was forced to kill two children, a brother and sister, who had seen his face. Moving their bodies, John caught site of himself in a mirror, the dead boy in his arms. And like a breaking damn, remorse and guilt flooded him from every evil did he had committed.

  John will never forget that sensation. How the screams ripped from his throat. How his body shook, his chest heaved. He barely managed to escaped the people that came to investigate the commotion.

  The Order found him catatonic, days later, in the sewers, and brought him back to the convent. Sister Helen remained at his side, praying, and tending to him, until the day John came back to himself.

  He still remembered it clearly. He had been... somewhere else. Deep inside, locked in a purgatory, where his anguish, the screams, his screams, had never stopped. Until he made a choice. A choice to live. To carry the weight of what he did.

  He clawed his way out of this purgatory. Growling, and snarling, he fought and fought and fought - 'Jesus, help me!' Those three words, and John was laying in his own bed. Weak, hungry, and terrified; the desire to kill filling him to the brim. Sister Helen took his hand, and he looked to her with hate-filled eyes; her own anger and sympathy filled-eyes looked back, and she said: "Make your choice, John."

  And choose he did. Sister Helen was stunned when he burst into tears, begging her to help him. She didn't know what he meant, as his panicked sobs choked out his words. She got up to call for a doctor, and almost fainted when John controlled himself enough to be understood; "Help me accept Jesus! Help me, I do not know what to say! I do not know how to be saved!" The Spirit filling her, Sister Helen led John in a prayer of salvation, before explaining to him all he had to do was confess with his mouth, and believe in his heart, not recite some magic spell, or perform acts to earn the almighty gift.

  Everything for John, once again, changed. His problems had not gone away with his salvation, and the Order was not big on the idea of medicating their elites, but John insisted. Medicated, he found himself able to fight the stronger impulses, and through Christ, succeeded.

  John, of course, refused further assassinations. The Order, not wanting to waste his skills, introduced him to the supernatural side of reality. Man, he would not kill unless necessary to survive- war or self defense. Monsters and demons were a different story. Monster hunting was also a lot more fun.

  Despite all this, there still came several times where he gave in to the impulses. And each time, through tears and prayer, he vowed to get stronger, to never do it again. Although, he always eventually broke. Though his targets had changed, no longer simply the impure, but the criminally impure. Namely rapists and child molesters.

  His guilt of those kills was not even what got to him, as they were little more than monsters themselves. It was the pleasure; the ecstasy of taking their lives... That was something he could not reconcile, like a cancer upon his soul. A cancer he came to accept would never die. Until he did.

  The overdose of pills, warm bath, and the razor, were set out and ready when he got an urgent dispatch. The Order had found the location of Ted the Alchemist, and John was to infiltrate his base alone, retrieve the Philosophers Stone, and if possible, kill him.

  John then had seen another way out, a way to kill two birds with one stone. The Order was an organization bordering on evil. John knew there was good in the ranks, but if they got knowledge as powerful as the Philosophers Stone, he knew what could happen. John accepted the mission, with the intention of destroying the Stone, and dying at the hands of the Alchemist. Obviously, that never happened. What did happen, once again, changed his world.

  Groaning, John smacked his hands on his cheeks to try to wake his mind from daydreaming about the past. He lifted his coffee mug, and vividly remembered the first time he saw Reba, accidentally tilted it before reaching his mouth, pouring it on his chest "Dammit." He set the mug down, checking to see if he got any of the documents wet. He knew better than to have liquids on a desk with old -or any- papers.

  Leaving to go look for a towel, John was feeling guilty for what he had put Reba through lately. He didn't know why, but more and more, his problems felt like they were coming back. No, that wasn't right... he had no desire to kill or hurt. It was the anger, the hatred of all things sexual that was coming back in spades. It always ruffled his feathers, though this level of seething hatred, John was wondering if it had ever been this bad. And the reason for his eagerness to leave Jeff's at the earliest possibility.

  Something had been wrong. Not just with himself, but with everyone. The sexual morality of the children was a bit iffy. They were teenagers, not so un-expected. Yet the entire group, and the overall sexual atmosphere of their lives, it was unusual. John had done some casual investigating (while they were all still at Jeff’s compound) by talking with the adults, and every one of them reported a heightened sex drive. Although nothing to concern ones self over. Not unless you were as hyper sensitive to the changes as John was.

  John had feared it was a passive effect of the imp. The self proclaimed Tyrant of Lust. A claim he still doubted. Having checked Order records, they listed the names of the presumed Tyrants. The Tyrant of Lust was documented to be a succubus named Yhu'niea'jeatara, who, in legend, was also the Queen of the Succubi. Documents did show however, she had ties to the imp Iiyni'jeari'eea, and that Iiyni'jeari'eea was possibly her child. Knowing this, he was finding the imps claim more likely, though he was still not convinced.

  No matter how much he did or did not (and he did) trust her, having a demon within their ranks, was still a danger. A danger Iiyni may not herself even be aware of.

  What else would be causing an across the board effect of heightened sexuality? Even the two young children (Trixie and Gigi) had begun to exhibit ways of acting that were unbefitting their years! Since Gigi had come with the group to Canada (She had snuck out with them unnoticed? Preposterous! They had allowed it!), and her personality had not changed, John wondered if Trixie, and the others back at Jeff's, returned to a normal way of conducting themselves. Which would all but prove his theory of the imp causing the changes.

  However, he supposed it all mattered little. As long as he could avoid the situations, there was naught to concern himself over. It truly was not his business, and he would pray, giving it to God. Unless, of course, Reba began to be... promiscuous. Someday, he had accepted, she may find a man to spend her life with. John had been bracing for that reality for years. Doing all he could to teach her proper sexual morality. Not a moment had he concerned himself Reba might act like... If she ever did, there was a high probability he may need to stay far from her -and the others.

  Keeping to himself the last few days after Ally's birthday party, John was feeling better. More stable. Calm. Reba had been doing her own thing as well. Feeling silly for his overreactions, John still thought it best to avoid the group until he was sure his head was on straight.

  His cellphone vibrated. It was the Order, informing him that they had indeed gotten access to the Vault, and the portal device was missing. Wonderful. His mood sank, knowing he had to relay the bad news. Hopefully they would not ask about the Vault there was supposedly no access to. Worse, he was sure there would be some extreme idea for what should be done next, and he was going to be swept right alongside them and the insanity, with minimal resistance. The kids were not the only ones going stir crazy.

  Back at the house where the others were staying, John found it mostly empty. Only Gigi, Feldyn and Lance were inside. “What is it?” the bard asked, reading his expression. “Where is everyone?” was the question from the old man. Feldyn shrugged, “Off doing whatever it is I am never included in.” He smiled, looking a bit sad. “Having sex,” Gigi interjected, not taking her eyes from the laptop she was laying on the floor with. Feldyn's expression changed, shooting the kid a stern look. He had no idea what the others were doing, and having sex or not, Gigi shouldn't say anything like that around John!

  “What?” the old priest’s voice was emotionless. Feldyn wasn't quite sure what to say. The kid could be lying to cause problems, or she could be telling the truth for the same reason. "I doubt that-"

  “Is Reba with them?" John interrupted, his cold stare keeping Feldyn from a false reply. After a moment, the sound of the others approaching the front door could be heard

  Reba and Ally walked inside, giggling, flanked by a laughing Caleb and Iiyni. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!” John roared at his daughter when the two girls reached the living room, startling them both. Feldyn groaned. Here we go. The cranky bastard needed a mandatory nap time.

  “I was out gathering,” was her calm, if not confused, reply. “Don't you lie to me!” John shouted at her. “Wha-? Lie?! Why would I lie?"

  “Perhaps because you were out fucking him!” John shouted again, pointing at Caleb. “Excuse me?!” Reba's voice was almost a shout herself.

  “Miss Reba just watches,” Gigi said, still laying on the floor, eyes having never left the monitor. The words from Gigi visibly flustered Reba, her face turning red.

  John staggered backwards into the back of the couch, resting a hand on it to not fall to a knee. Reba defended the accusation, “It- it’s not like- I mean, I never watched. You know, not like watching.” Everyone had -at least- a metaphorical eyebrow raised. "What did you do?" Ally prodded, in a suspicious teasing tone. "N-nothing! Jeez, Ally, c-calm down!" Reba was the one that needed to calm down.

  “What… is going… on….,” John spoke like he was drugged, arms limp, half sitting, half leaning against the back of the couch, staring at the ground. Caleb expected him to raise his head, eyes all crazy and bugging-out, then start laughing manically, before going batshit. John did none of those anime tropes; instead, he started huffing and growling. There may have been a little drool.

  “Chill,” Iiyni told the dramatic human. She was in no mood to deal with Mr Chastity, the ex serial killer. “Chill?” John growled. "Yeah, chill," Iiyni reiterated in a not so authoritative childish squeak. "I can put you down, old man, don't test me. Your issues are yours, not ours." The imps words incited a murderous glare.

  "Dad, maybe you should go, okay?" Reba asked and told him, her mind properly focusing on the volatile situation, embarrassment -temporarily- gone "Tell me what you did!" John commanded his daughter, eyes not leaving Iiyni's. "Whatever I did or didn't do is none of your business!" The hell was his problem?! He was getting triggered over nothing! Was someone feeding him false information? Did someone know about his problem, and was trying to set him off? If so, why?

  John finally tore his glare from the imp, stood up straight, and marched to the front door, stopping after opening it, hanging his head.

  “Where did I go wrong...” he quietly spoke. “Or was it... her?” John looked up and turned slowly, eyes falling on Ally. “Did you seduce her? Could you not just keep your whorish legs closed?!" This accusation, the hatred in his voice, had Ally paralyzed.

  Feldyn was on his feet in a flash, and moved to stand in front of John - as did Caleb. Gigi finally paused her anime. “What the fuck John?!” Caleb's snapped. Pissed as he was, his voice sounded shaken. Ally felt like she was falling. Did the man she loved like a grandfather, really call her a whore? Tell her to shut her legs? What was he even talking about? “Someone here is causing it!" the old man waved a hand dramatically. "My guess was the demon of lust! Maybe it was more mundane. Just a promiscuous little girl, corrupting those around her!”

  “I am warning ye,” Feldyn snarled next to Caleb. He was trembling with fury. “Friends have a lot of influence on each other,” John lectured, looking between the many eyes focused on him. He was starting to calm down, and his mind was desperately trying to justify his actions. "As a young christian lady, there are things you should never do. You hear me, Ally? Do you know what damage you are causing?" John called over the group to the teenage blonde girl, who had shrunk behind the others.

  “You need to leave,” Caleb told him. The other echoed his words in their eyes. John sighed. “Fine. When I retu-”

  “You need to leave,” Feldyn reinforced. John was silent for a moment, then said, “Come Reba, we have outlived our welcome.”

  “I’m staying,” she defied.

  “Like hell you are!”

  Reba was done coddling him. "I love you, I always will, but you have crossed a line. You need to go. And you need to think. And when you realize what an ass you have been, I will be here. With our friends. Our family.” John was about to speak, to shout, though he stopped short, Reba's words echoing in his mind.

  He looked -again- at the others, trying to make sense of the situation, and he saw Ally. She was trembling, face pale, tears in her eyes and on her cheeks, like a small child doing everything they could to be brave.

  What he had done, the actual situation, hit him; the words spoken to Ally piercing his heart. John turned his back to them, trying to hide. “Perhaps you are right!” he managed in a sharp voice, jaw clenched, to contain the hideous guilt welling up inside. “I am sorry for causing offense!”

  Barely stepping out of the door, he remembered why he was here in the first place. “You all should know," he began in a loud voice, lacking the courage to turn and face them. "I received news from the Order regarding the portal device." He took a breath, "It was stolen. When, is unknown, and there are no leads as to whom the culprit may be.”

  John stood silent for many seconds before reaching back, and closing the door. He ignored every emotion, thought and feelings inside of him as he walked back to the library. None of those things mattered, not now. For now, he would return to the library and contact the Order to send a car. It was time for him to go.

  After he hung up the phone, John quickly gathered his belongings, and headed to the coffee shop to wait on his ride. Order agents were stationed in town, so John had barely received his coffee when the car pulled up.

  Putting his bags in the trunk, he climbed in the back seat and a simple, generic, line of text in many JRPGs drifted through his thoughts. And he began to cry bitterly. Words the like of, he would never again read the same, repeated in his mind. Words that held temporary and finality in one hand.

  'John has left the party.'

  * * *

  Masque heard everything. The vampire was not happy with the way the old man had acted, though confronting him would have served little purpose. John, like all of them, had his own cross to bear. Masque fully believed the man would come to understand the wrongs he had committed, and that knowledge would be more than adequate punishment.

  The topic of something being amiss with the groups emotional state had also occurred to Masque. As time went on, and he observed those around him, he began to notice subtle changes. The group had grown more carnal, in a way as to not feel natural. From the first day he met them, something had been off in that regard, though nothing had let to anything terrible as of it, nor did it appear to be doing so. Still, it was odd, and at times uncomfortable.

  Following John, the old mans actions displayed his intent to leave, as was requested of him. It was probably for the better. He could return to the Order where his talent would be more useful, than to their group.

  After following the vehicle John left in, for many miles, Masque returned to the others, whom were still inside the residence. He listened to them without going inside. There was no need for him here either. The emotions were raw, strong, not his area of expertise; Ally could not be consoled, and they were worried. Masque felt for the girl, though he believed she also would be okay. He was about to leave when Reba decided to share John's past with the group.

  The vampire listened to it all. Masque was surprised as the rest. And angry. He told himself he should not be, not to judge, that atrocities stained his own hands. Yet anger still lingered. John was a murderer. A killer of the innocent, and he had the audacity to judge them all so forcefully. Needing time to think, to be alone, Masque headed out to the forests and the mountains.

  * * *

  Over the next couple days, Masque kept to himself more than usual. The need to patrol never ceased, no matter how many times you made sure an area was clear, the next time it may very well not be, so it was no stretch for him to be gone for long periods. He also was not feeding. The truth about John had him (re)evaluating many things. His need to consume blood for power, he was now doubting the morality of; the guilt of the possible sin, eating at his mind.

  He was in the woods, many miles to the east of town, not long after nightfall, when he sensed the presence of another vampire. If they were allowing him to sense them, or simply too young to hide themselves, he could not know. They were moving fast, and to the north. He did not fear it to be the Vampire Queen, nor that she was behind it; X'al'antra was not a fool, and such a stupid tactic as sending a new blood to draw him out was just that, foolish. Even still, he could not completely dismiss the notion.

  Waiting and sensing, the vampire finally came into view. A female, teenage body, wearing a bikini. How... peculiar. No matter. He would end her quickly, and hurry back to the others to inform them X'al'antra may be making a move.

  In a pop of black smoke Masque appeared in front of the running vampire and clothes-lined her. With the speed she had been moving, he was impressed the demon wasn't decapitated. No matter. Lifting his foot over the prone vampire’s head, Masque froze mid stomp. Not fifteen feet away stood X'al'antra, in her human form.

  Thick black wavy hair, settling on her shoulders. Pale skin, noticeably brilliant and flawless, even in the deep darkness of the woods. The small scarlet-red bikini she wore did not suit her. Black, or silver would have complimented her features more appropriately. Not that Masque had began to pay attention to superficial appearance………...

  “Long time no see,” the beautiful, young (in fact, X’al’antra was taking a more youthful appearance in her features than normal), teenage girl smiled, delicate fangs showing. There was no malice in her voice. Given the state he had left her when last they met, that was most concerning. “What do you think? Like it?” she smiled, turning this way and that, presumably to show off her swimwear, or body, or both. “I know Caleb isn't into the over the top g-string stuff, but I think this works? Suits me fine, wouldn't you say?”

  Manastorm flashed as Masque took a battle stance, nightblade in two-hands. “Oh for fuck's sake. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't be wasting my time stopping to talk and show you my outfit.” He still did not speak. The vampire at his feet darted away, safely hiding behind her queen. Masque had let her escape, not knowing what X'al'antra wanted. The easy kill was too easy.

  “Nothing?" Xal pouted. "Fine, be that way. I guess I'll-” Masque charged and sliced with his katana, X'al'antra casually avoiding by leaning to the side. Masque immediately shadowstepped, reappearing in the same spot; grip adjusted, he brought his blade right back up and across.

  Xal had expected a feint, but again underestimated the mysterious thrall: his blade almost cutting her bikini top!

  The fucker vanished again, reappearing in the air, cartoonishly spinning at her with his blade like a buzzsaw. X'al'antra easily avoided the impressively unusual attack, and this time countered with a kick; not expecting to connect, as she indeed hit only black smoke. She then hopped to the side, Masque torpedoing into the ground where she had just been.

  Tired of the nonsense, X'al'antra pivoted to where she sensed the thrall coming out of a shadowstep, and threw a straight punch, with plenty of power behind it - bingo, her instincts were right; hitting Masque in the torso.

  Having his netherweave condensed at his front center mass blocked her hit, though the impact still did tremendous damage, a hole punched through him may have been preferable. Getting taken off of his feet, and thrown violently backward into a giant evergreen, he took even more damage. Quickly bracing the hilt of his blade against the tree, Xal had to abort her charge to not impale herself, and Masque managed to close the distance, and land a solid punch to her face.

  She fucking felt that. Snarling, the Vampire Queen stood her ground, simply leaning side to side, forward and back, as Masque launched a full assault, teleporting and flipping around, managing to cut -nick- her four times, as well as landing a few other blows.

  As the furious onslaught continued, X'al'antra needed to focus more and more to control her anger. This insolent slave needed put down! His skill increase since they last fought was impressive, and beyond what she was comfortable messing around with. Anyone, any thing, could be killed, and X'al'antra was currently vulnerable. More so than she should have allowed herself to be, though the plan required it.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  When the ninja-clad vampire first began to lose speed, Xal punched him in the face. Dodging a few more attacks, she hit him again, and again, and again. Masque stumbled backwards - X'al'antra charged, catching him mid shadowstep, and riding it through. Masque had little time to be shocked, X'al'antra's fists pummeling him so fast they were blurring. X'al'antra then kicked him in the chest, knocking him into another tree, crumpling him face down. Less force than before, but Masque could already barely move from the flurry of punches.

  Walking over to him, "Now I'm filthy, and my hair is a mess! Do you know how long I spent getting ready today? The effort to tailor this new look, and how hard it is to hold it while fighting!" She then punted him in the head as Masque struggled to raise to hand and knees. This time he remained un-moving.

  “Oh no, did you kill him?!” Kendra squeaked, jogging over. Her large boobs bouncing dramatically in the bikini she wore. “I told you to stay outside the circle,” X'al'antra growled, ignoring the morons concern. “Well, it was taking so long, I thought I would come see if you two needed my help,” Kendra announced cheerfully. Content Masque was unconscious, the Vampire Queen turned, grabbed Kendra by the throat, and threw her directly backwards into a tree. Unlike the mysterious self-proclaimed thrall, that single throw was enough to leave the young vampire in a crumpled heap. Fucking useless.

  Masque was a mystery. X’al’antra had truly believed he was who he claimed. He had the build, the eyes… But something made her doubt. And not the obvious of him surviving this long without her notice, saved or not. That part should have been enough to throw her, but with what her niece pulled, that now meant nothing.

  While X’al’antra had been rebuilding, she was researching and gathering information. Masque… there was nothing, not a shred of evidence of him being who he claimed to be. Was it still possible? Yes. How else had he received shadowcloth? If not at Babel, how how it merged with his skin? Still, the story of one so ancient, even sealed, something did not add up. She took the time to contact her other ancient children -that she knew of. She was the first, not an overmind-, and they too knew not of him. His power was real. What she knew of his knowledge was true. But was he one of her chosen numbers? Her favorite, at that? It irked her, but she had no way to be sure. Not easily, at least. And truly, it did not matter.

  Xal walked back to Jessica (the long haired brunette that had lured Masque), ignoring the sounds Kendra was now making. The two headed back to where the others were waiting to finish the modified holding circle. Liz, Leslie, Monica and Sophia - all in bikinis-, remained where they had been instructed to. Kendra was now yelling for them to wait. X'al'antra only needed a glare to convey Liz was not to wait. The moron of a vampire still made it out before the holding circle took effect, trapping Masque -for now- inside.

  Unlike the late Order leader, X'al'antra was aware of the christian demon problem when it came to warding. After the last encounter with her niece, a lot had happened, which included research. Demons, being extra plane creatures, were susceptible to things like warding, and banishment, and the like. With the Christ mark however, wardings worked more like a barrier. A barrier that could be broken. Though if done properly, and the target weakened...

  “So mean, Shellie,” Kendra panted. The dumb bitch didn’t even need to breathe! And no matter how much Xal beat or commanded her, she still persisted in calling her that infernal nickname for Rashelle.

  X'al'antra didn’t bother to speak, just bound away, rushing to the south of town, on the hillside where she knew Caleb to be. She had needed Masque temporarily out of the picture, her niece only delayed a minute or two. Little cunt shouldn't attack unless provoked. Iiyni'jeari'eea would listen to her proposition, guaranteeing Caleb did as well. Getting close enough without her niece sensing her had been the tricky part. X'al'antra needed Caleb alone, and too far for the others to get to him before they had the chance to talk.

  In sight of the rock where Caleb frequently went to sit when needing to think, X'al'antra was relieved to see him still there, and alone. Taking a moment to watch him, she could still feel that lust, that physical desire only the Dragonheart could induce. Her drug. Her obsession. Lord Antioch would always have her loyalty and servitude, but Caleb would always be her toy. For it was he that belonged to her. X'al'antra was sure Antioch would allow her to keep the boy. Caleb would be no threat, and she could think of no better pet than the Dragonheart. If she ever -unlikely- tired of his pleasures, she would simply kill him.

  Caleb got up from where he sat, and walked down to some trees to take a piss. X'al'antra commanded her vampires to tiddy up her hair, and wipe off the dirt; then seeing Caleb had finished, she rushed over and hopped in front of him, smiling in earnest. "Hey baby," she greeted, and the boy about took her head off!

  How did he get so fast?! “Calm, down-" Xal dodged, "I-" dodged again, "just want-” Xal kept dodging, knowing any contact he made could be lethal. She was still the faster, and chose to stay in close, like she had with Masque, though it was far more risky this time.

  She knew the Dragonheart could manipulate force, she simply hadn't expected him to awaken to the ability on Earth. There had been no reason to believe it was even possible, yet how else did he destroy her weapon, and cause the damage he had when she had seen him last in Castle Rock? At some point the Dragonheart had began to wake from dormancy, and X'al'antra failed to notice. “I JUST WANT TO TALK!” she shouted, tripping him, and jumping back.

  Quickly back to his feet, the Dragonheart stood glaring, knees bent, ready to attack. “Fucking calm down! I’m not here to fight! Shit.” Xal held her hands to the side. She knew he was going to be upset, not suicidal. Did everyone forget who she was? “Talk. Fast.” Caleb spoke in warning. He had changed. She liked it. “You want to go to Aethra. So do I. If I kill any of your friends, you won't trust me. So I promise you hun, I'm not here to hurt them, or you.”

  “What do you want?” Caleb asked, emphasizing each word. Time stalled was time stalled. Surely Iiyni and Masque sensed the Vampire Queen, he simply needed to hold out till they arrived. She smiled at his question, her voice turning to silk. “Isn't it obvious yet? I want you.” He narrowed his eyes a bit, annoyed, then noticed what she was wearing, eyes widening back to normal.

  “Why are you in a bikini?” It didn't even look good on her! Scarlet red? Was she high? And it has the kind that had the high cut straps on the side, like they were tugging on your crotch giving you the long-’gina look. Not appealing. It just showed X'al'antra was Rashelle. She had hidden what she was, but not her actual self. Everything she did from fashion to romance, was try-hard awkward.

  That was when he also noticed she looked physically different. Not Rashelle, or the subtle changes that made her X’al’antra, but maybe a bit of both. She had a… young look, was the only way he could explain it. Same height and build, but… younger, while also not. Her fuller hair did look pretty. If she was only wearing something else...

  Iiyni appeared at his side. “Just talking,” Xal said with a gentle smile, hands -again- to the side. Iiyni was wearing black leggings and a gray t-shirt with a brown, cartoon cat on the front. Her hair was in two braids (in the back, not on the side), and she was wearing makeup. It wasn't applied that well, but also not bad, simply a little overdone. The imp looked looked rather adorable, if not out of character.

  “Hurry it up then, so we can kill you,” Iiyni said calmly. She had been playing with make-up when sensing the Vampire Queen. Having been only in leggings (which already made her feel naked and uncomfortable to be seen in) she quickly grabbed a shirt (which of course was appropriate size for her, legging-cling shown off in all its glory), and rushed out.

  Wondering where the others vampires were she sensed, Iiyni glanced around, locating the six bikini clad, young teen-aged vampires, whom moved to stand behind X'al'antra. The Vampire Queen's posture changed to one of pride, with a smug (or possibly horny) expression on her face.

  Iiyni recognized the vampire on the far left, who was related to the girl X'al'antra was pretending to be. Slender model body, long dark hair, pretty face, with the expression of an insecure backstabber. The next was at least part black, hair was short, full bodied and wavy. She was just as slender as the first girl, though more pretty. The next vampire was another brunette, white, skinny, model contours, blah blah, and her hair was in two tight buns.

  The one after her, Iiyni remembered too. The first one's -Leslie! The first girls name was Leslie- sister. And no surprise, Iiyni couldn't remember her name, but with tits that big, no one would give a shit about her name anyway. Girl was cute too, so wasn't only the boobs going for her. The next was yet another brunette with straight long hair, slender build, and the most petite of the bunch. The last one was a blonde, and the shortest. All of their bikinis had awkward cuts to them, and the colors weren't note worthy.

  Iiyni's body relaxed and she cracked up laughing. Even Caleb smirked a little. Hard not too, it was just so ridiculous. X’al’antra looked very unhappy. "I don't even want to know!” Iiyni -forcing herself to quit laughing- waved a hand at the vampires dismissively. Faking a couple wheezes, she abruptly composed herself, “Just get to whatever point you want to make, so you can die, ‘aight?”

  “I know who took the portal device,” X'al'antra grinned, ignoring the taunts from her niece. That got Caleb’s attention, his eyes going to hers. Now I have him. “Take some time to think about it, then come find me. I’m in Colorado. I won't be hiding.” When neither Caleb nor Iiyni moved, Xal turned to leave.

  “I don’t understand, that's it?” Caleb called to his ex girlfriend. Iiyni agreed with him. Auntie came all the way here, risking her life, just to say 'hey, I got some information, now follow me blindly into the lions den'? “If I tell you what I know now, she'll kill me," Xal explained, turning back around, and motioning to Iiyni. "Before you say it, torture won't work. I'll let the little bitch send me to the fires before I say anything. If you come to me, I'll tell you everything. And then, together, we can retrieve the device and go to Aethra.”

  “Retrieve?” Even Caleb wasn't dumb enough to be buying this.

  “I didn’t say I had it. I just know who does. It might take a bit of… effort, but we’ll get it back.”

  “She can come too,” Xal added, looking at Iiyni, “just to prove I’m not lying." The fact the imp hadn't attacked, was a huge win for the Vampire Queen. It was going even better than her best case scenario. Other than the reactions to their outfits. "But," she stressed, eyes locked with Iiyni's, "when he chooses me, I expect you to accept your loss, and leave peacefully.” Xal winked at Caleb - then her and her vampires were gone.

  * * *

  Caleb and Iiyni had a lot to talk about after their meeting with X'al'antra. There was little doubt X'al'antra was telling the truth, though only as part of some bigger, elaborate scheme. The fact she was claiming to not want to harm them was a good opportunity. The vampire queen obviously didn't want to risk Caleb not trusting her, nor getting murdered by her niece, and likely planned to coerce Caleb in some way.

  Why this was good, was it gave the group as a whole more wiggle room. If they could act without fearing -at least half of- the Order, and didn't need to watch their backs for X'al'antra... Although, what did the group even need to accomplish, other than opening a portal? Which required a specific device, that X'al'antra's claimed to be able to find. Which, if true, and they retrieved it, would leave nothing left on Earth for the group to accomplish.

  Iiyni and Caleb decided the best course of action was to call the Vampire Queen's bluff. Alone. If the others knew, it would complicate things too much. X'al'antra, of course, could not be trusted, so it was still important for the others to know where they were going. Caleb and Iiyni had every intention of killing the vampire queen once they learned the location of the device, and if timed right, the rest of their party could show up just in time to help with clean up. Of course this could all go to shit, but the risk was worth it, and minimal. X'al'antra posed little to no threat for a, um, rejuvenated Iiyni, and even less to Caleb, since she wanted the Dragonheart alive; that took both killing him and turning him off the table.

  Before leaving, it was important to tell only one of their friends what they were doing, and trust them to keep their mouth shut long enough to allow for as much of a head start as possible. The only logical choice was the same one they were currently concerned about, since he hadn't shown up.

  Iiyni found Masque easily enough, giving him no small amount of shit for getting bound within a holding circle. Masque could have easily brute forced it if not so injured. Though from the size of it, a passing animal, or an act of nature, would have likely disrupted it before long. Xal had obviously intended for it to only temporarily hold the vampire. Another good sign, or wise deception.

  Surprisingly, Masque agreed with the duo's plan. He was also tired of waiting around, and believed taking action was the best course. After fighting X'al'antra, where one would think his morale shattered, it instead soared. The Vampire Queen could have easily killed him, yes; though Masque could tell how much the gap of power had closed between them. Not enough for him to defeat her himself, no. Yet if fed, and perhaps even a transformation like he had done Castle Rock...

  * * *

  The duo waited a two days before leaving. Mostly so Caleb could replenish the blood Masque had drained from him. Waiting for the vampire to heal over time was too risky, and they couldn't let the group know about his fight with X'al'antra. Rested and replenished, once everyone was busy, Caleb and Iiyni left. Most of them did their own thing during the afternoon, so not knowing where a couple members were was not anything to be alarmed over. Besides, it was Masque's job to keep an eye on everyone.

  When the group realized Caleb and Iiyni were missing, they were rightfully worried. At first they thought Masque was gone too, since he also had not been seen. Unable to avoid them any longer without risking a panic, Masque returned, and expressed his belief Caleb and Iiyni were okay, though left to 'search' for them. He stayed gone for eight hours. Ally was on the verge of leaving on her own by the time he returned, and gave Feldyn the short note Caleb had left with him.

  'Iiyni and I have left to go after X'al'antra. We could not risk any of you not going along with the plan. I'm sorry. Masque can explain the rest.'

  Feldyn opted to let Ally read the note for herself. He didn't envy being Masque right now. After a lot of arguing, the leaderless group decided they would leave immediately. Caleb and Iiyni had a huge head start and would be able to move fast and more free than this group could. Another problem, if Iiyni and Caleb had known specifically where X'al'antra was, they had not shared it with the vampire; only that they were heading south, and into the mountains.

  Quickly packing, and loading up into an SUV, Reba contacted the Order to update them, and to find out where to cross the border back into the states. Ally driving, they headed south, praying Iiyni and Caleb would be okay.

  * * *

  They were keeping an insane pace, only stopping when Caleb literally could not continue, letting him eat and sleep. Caleb had actually been looking forward to a trip, just the two of them, thinking it would give him a chance to think, and them a chance to talk.

  Everything had gotten weird for the boy since Nameless left. As much as Caleb wished to have his mind and body back, the things Nameless brought to the table were now glaringly no longer there. While he had teased the angel for being a perv, Nameless was actually a good moral voice, and pointed him to proper Christian habits through his own actions. Things like how the angel always said grace before a meal, or prayers before bed, and in the mornings immediately upon waking.

  Caleb, shamefully, was now aware he did not reliably do these things on his own, and had come to rely on the angel to do it, therefore reminding him. It was also glaringly obvious now, with the moral presence in his mind, the groups lack of Christian anything. Caleb himself couldn’t couldn't even quote a single scripture! Another thing Nameless was good for... Why did none of them read their Bibles? Pray together? And every time he tried to bring it up, he stopped himself, knowing he would only sound like a preachy hypocrite. Though he did try a few times. And it spectacularly failed. Especially with Ally.

  In fact, Ally was what he wanted to talk to Iiyni about. He feared the situation between him and her was growing out of control quickly. And he wanted it to. Caleb was hoping Iiyni would be the voice of reason. He just had to broach the topic, and likely hurt her feelings, since every time he opened his damn mouth to be responsible he hurt someone.

  Ally had been furious at him for turning her down. He tried again and again to explain why, which only made it worse.

  Then John happened. No one was in the mood after that, thankfully.

  Caleb knew this was getting out of control, and he couldn't stop it. He didn't want to stop it! The night X'al'antra showed up, Ally had asked him if he wanted to see the videos of her and her dad, or even her and Gigi. The context was most certainly not intended to be erotic, but instead Ally still dealing with the John trauma. However, Caleb could not handle watching that stuff, for multiple reasons.

  That had been the final straw for him. He lied -sorta- and said sure, but wasn't feeling good that day. And he left to pray. He prayed a lot recently, and all it did was make him feel more alone, and even farther from God. So he went to go sit on that rock on the hillside, when he had felt heaven touch him when it brought Nameless home.

  Iiyni called a break, and Caleb eagerly dug into his bag for some food. Iiyni said she wasn't hungry, and was going to go search the area, since they were in Colorado, and could cover a much greater area alone. He had no complaint, so settled in to eat and take a nap.

  He was woke early afternoon by Iiyni, who told him she found a town crawling with vampires, and had let him sleep to regain his strength. Both of them eating, they waited till closer to sunset, before heading out.

  Caleb had no idea what the towns name was, nor how big, as by crawling with vampires, Iiyni had apparently been referring to the rich neighborhood in the mountains, and not the town proper. It was quite obvious X'al'antra would have her mansion at the highest point, on the largest plot of land, even if that meant taking over the neighboring properties.

  The pair chose a leisurely approach, starting in the part of town near the main road into snob hills, and continuing at a normal pace on foot.

  People didn't seem to be acting brainwashed, or in fear of being murdered, which Caleb found odd. Iiyni explained to him that X'al'antra liked to hide in plain site. Her vampires fed in small amounts, using alchemy to keep the victims asleep and uninjured. Xal also liked to keep prisoners for the choice of her brood to feed on at will, again, using alchemy to keep the prisoners alive. The Vampire Queen herself only feed on children; preferably females. She kept several at a time, preferring the children in fear, but alive and healthy; the more they screamed and cried the better. Once they grew accustomed to their situatio, she would violently feed on them, breaking their bones, and tearing their bodies, relishing in their agony as they died.

  Iiyni was a bit too matter-of-fact in her information than Caleb would have liked, but he understood. He also knew to distance himself emotionally. For now.

  As they walked the long main street into the mountains that was dotted with homes, vampires finally began to appear. Every one was male, shirtless, ripped, and mostly wearing jeans. A couple were in shorts, and one was even naked. Iiyni's eyes lingered on several of the vampires that stood watching. She might not be all that into guys, but she wasn't not into them either. Art was art and all that.

  Taking longer than expected, they arrived at the entrance to X'al'antra's property. The shirtless vampire dude in the gatehouse gave them the stink-eye, but opened the huge metal gate without them needing to say anything.

  This property appeared smaller than her last, and not primarily on the side of a mountain, through it was flanked by forest. The ground were perfectly landscaped with hedges and flowerbeds, paved pathways snaking about between the trees. It was all pretty dense, not wasting space. What was assumed to be the main house looked as fancy as you would imagine; standing out more was a gigantic garage type of building, windows showing bright light within. The paved trail led, right to the house, and left to the closer, giant garage building, and its only visible door.

  "Gotta be a pool house," Caleb guessed, starting towards the garage-like building. Iiyni smirked. Of course it was. She could smell the fucking chlorine from here. It also went with the stupid bikini girls, and half naked dude theme.

  The door to the garage (pool house? hanger bay?) opened, and X'al'antra stepped out, feigned surprise to see them, then waved and hurried -at a humans pace- over. She was now wearing a dark blue bikini, with little purple butterflies, in a very flattering cut. Iiyni wanted it. Her aunt also looked fucking amazing. the reality of which sickened her. Now that she was one of the good guys, to think evil, true evil, could be sexually attractive, just made her feel gross. Though from a purely objective standpoint, X’al’antra was fucking hot. Even in her true demon form. Too bad her soul was rotten.

  X'al'antra squealed when she reached them, and threw her arms around Caleb's neck, kissing him passionately. He kept his own arms at his side, and didn't kiss back; the fact he didn't reflexively drive a fist through the vampires head, worried the imp a bit. “I’m so glad you came!” Xal gushed, falling back and clapping her hands. “This way, come on, I’ll show you where you'll be staying!” She turned, prancing back towards the big building.

  “EXPLAIN!” Caleb roared, “NOW!” The second word was more a shout than a roar. Still, he wasn't playing. X'al'antra turned back around. “I’m not one a hero," she began, "I have my own agenda, and all can die for me to achieve it. Your plan is to find out what I know, and then kill me, right? Can't say I'm going to simply roll over and let you. I'll live up to my promise. After that, if you want a fight, I'll give you a fight. But right now, I want to enjoy this, so can we dial it down? Hmm?"

  With a sigh, Iiyni walked past the angry male, hoping he would drop it. X'al'antra was keeping her cool surprisingly well, but if she was pushed too much, they were going to trigger a fight before they got any answers.

  Following the vampire queen into the large building, it indeed contained a pool. An awesome pool, with multiple small attached pools, and several water slides. There were open air showers at the far end to the right, next to a hall leading to male and female restroom, per the signage. That end of the building also had cabinets, shelves, and vending machines. To their left, near them, was a wall with a single door.

  Many bikini-clad vampire girls were playing in the pool. Iiyni felt less bad ogling normal vampires. If given a choice, these bottom tier quasi-demons might pick to be on the winning side. The imp didn't see any of the six that had been with her aunt before.

  “This is where you will both be staying here,” X’al’antra beamed, then added, “And before my moody niece starts bitching, the area over here," she motioned to the door on the wall beside them, "leads to your rooms.”

  “Why… all this?” Caleb asked, and X'al'antra frowned. “Cuz it’s fun? You have hot chicks in bikinis-” one of the vampires girls took her top off, then bottoms, and jumped in the pool, to the giggling squeals of other girls, “or naked chicks, to watch. You can of course enjoy the pool yourselves if you wish. Feel free to masturbate, or if you prefer a more hand-on approach, they will do anything you want. I promise, no jealous ex behavior.” She held a hand over her heart and smiled. Caleb kept his scowl.

  “Cmon, lighten up. Fucks sake, even she is!" Caleb didn't know what Xal meant, until he followed her eyes to Iiyni. The imp was enjoying the view. Noticing Caleb looking at her, she shrugged and gave him a crooked grin. "Really?" he asked, still not amused. "Ain't no harm in looking," Iiyni replied lightheartedly. The eye-roll from Caleb killed her mood. He could be such a judgey dick.

  Watching the exchange, Xal decided to keep pushing. "I have to insist you both bathe before we continue. The showers are over there," she motioned to the open air showers. The look Caleb gave her would have withered an oak. "Cool," Iiyni said in casual acceptance, and started walking to the far side of the pool. "Well c'mon, Dragonheart," she called without glancing back. Caleb did not like this situation in the slightest. He didn't do the whole naked around people thing, either. He knew Iiyni was just going with the situation, the good cop to his bad, as it were. Only she wasn't completely faking. Iiyni obviously intended to enjoy herself where she could, and apparently torturing him in the process was fair game.

  "You two can fuck if you want!" Xal said loudly as he walked after Iiyni. Caleb's heart skipped a beat. He knew Xal was probably listening for such a thing, not like he could control it. It really seemed like the vampire queen expected him to let his guard down and enjoying the situation. Which meant if he did, and avoided face-planting into an impromptu porn, X'al'antra might let her guard down as well. Or she would just fake it, like he and Iiyni.

  "Just have fun, and do whatever," Xal called across the pool. "I would prefer if you didn’t go skulking around, but hey, if you feel the need. I’ll go get refreshments.” She left them in the pool house with the vampire girls, who were continuing to pay them no mind.

  Looking around, Iiyni found some towels and clothes in the nearby cabinets. "We might as well have fun," she told the boy, when he finally caught her eye. "This doesn't seem the least inappropriate to you?" Caleb asked, doubting she was really going to get naked to keep up appearances. "Of course it is!" Iiyni chirped. "But right now, liking the scenery goes with the mission; even if a part of that scenery happens to be me." She failed at suppressing her blush. Caleb smiled a bit at her embarrassment, and looked out at the pool. When he looked back, Iiyni was already topless, and taking her bottoms off.

  He whipped around to be facing away from her without realizing. "Rude!" Iiyni chided, and giggled. Caleb planned to find a way to get back at her later. Getting naked himself, he stayed facing away. "Nice ass. Sure you don't want to look at mine?" the imp teased. He ignored her. "Fuck, you are so uptight!" Iiyni didn't sound so amused anymore.

  How could she be so relaxed?! They were in the Vampires Queen's mother fucking personal water park, surrounded by her brood! Sure, Caleb never wasn't thinking about girls to some degree, but sheesh, he at least tried to prioritize! It was taking everything he had to not go full on walking hormone! Did he really need to spell it out for her? With an internal sigh, he chose to keep up an act.

  Calling the imps bluff, he turned around, to find she was facing away. "Nice ass," he said (meaning it), and she looked over her shoulder, did a quick double take, and clenched a bit, whipping her head away. 'Hah! Embarrassing, ain't it!' Then Iiyni turned fully around, and looked him in the eyes. They glared at each other like a naked battle sequence was about to go down, then both turned away, and continued bathing.

  Caleb was uncomfortable to the extreme. He didn't care what others said, he didn't see Iiyni as a kid! And even if she was a kid, so what? Not like he was some old guy! At this point, in this situation, did it really matter either way? …. Yeah, it actually did. Fuck. He had to look out at the girls in the pool to try and distract himself.

  Remembering they were trying to keep up appearances, he ignored the moral nagging in his mind, and enjoyed looking at the girls in the pool. There was a greater mix of them than he had realized at first. No lolis, but the younger ones were either tweens, or crazy petite; the oldest were maybe early twenties. When they noticed him watching they started coyly doing things to get his attention. He almost forgot they weren't human.

  Though, he let his guard down more than intended, really enjoying looking at one of the girls standing near his side of the pool, wearing nothing, had gotten him physically aroused. Not like there was much he could do to hide it in this situation other than angle himself in the way the imp couldn’t see, and try to be casual.

  After showering and getting dressed, he walked over to some fancy chairs, Iiyni following behind him.

  She had no idea why he had gone full perv! The fuck was his issue?! He was just supposed to peek or something. Act flustered. She swore, if he had started fapping after getting that damn erection, she would have cut his dick off!

  Iiyni had only been acting that way she had to prove she could take all this in stride, and the Dragonheart's attention. Letting Xal know her stupid sex tactics were pointless. She had already assumed that being the Dragonheart he would be immune to the demonic effects her naked body had on people. Was still insulting he hadn’t cared to look at her. And hurt a bit, if she was being honest. And did she really need to see him all worked up like that?! Good grief, buy a girl dinner first!

  Sitting and waiting for X'al'antra to come back, Caleb had forgotten his hormones, expecting to need to fight at any moment. Iiyni forgot their awkward shower moment as well, watching the girls in the pool and lamenting not having a camera. Auntie really did pick some cute girls.

  "How fucking long does it take to get refreshments?" Iiyni bitched. They had easily been waiting an hour. "I'll go see why it is taking so long," a young brunette vampire with short hair volunteered, and climbed out of the pool nearest to Iiyni, slowly running all the way around to the door, like she was worried about slipping.

  "Well, okay then," the imp said, as the very perky little butt left the building. She looked at Caleb, "want to see what else we can make them do?" He smiled despite himself. Iiyni grinned and snorted, but didn't say anything else. Caleb wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but several of the vampires looked disappointed at her silence.

  The door opened, and the young brunette came back in followed by one of the vampires that was with X'al'antra in Canada, and flanked by four males, carrying crates. "My Queen sends her apologies. She is dealing with a few matters, and will be with you as soon as she can. For now, please, enjoy yourselves." The short blonde vampire smiled, and the duo watched males come in and out of the room, setting up a feast. Kegs of beer, dozens of bottles of wine, a roasted boar, turkey, small game hens, fruit and veggies of all varieties, chips, dips, crackers, it was bonkers!

  Iiyni tested the food, as she was immune to mundane poison, and (Reba discovered while at Jeff's) could detect poison by taste and smell. It was easier for the imp using taste, as she tried hard to ignore her nose. With smells no longer being raw data, most of them were still very unwelcome, and difficult to avoid. Detecting no poison, Caleb helped himself, filling up too plates, and a large mug of beer. Iiyni wasn't worried about him getting drunk, since he had the best alcohol tolerance of their group. Iiyni couldn't get drunk, which Reba speculated was due to her immunity to poison, or her constitution in general.

  After eating, and still no Vampire Queen, the imp decided she was going to go find her.

  “Ever thought that is what she wants you to do?” Caleb asked. “Um, yeah, but who the fuck wants to keep waiting? I’ll be quick.” She left before he could complain more. Iiyni wasn't worried. If Caleb couldn't deal with the brood on his own, he deserved to die.

  Even with X'al'antra's permission to explore the grounds, Iiyni still choose stealth. It didn't take more than a few moments to locate her aunt in the main house through a window. Xal was in a study, looking angry, going over old books. Disappointed her aunt wasn't doing something that gave her an excuse to break plan and murder the bitch, Iiyni decided to do a quick exploration of the grounds and the surrounding land.

  She went fast and careful, not wanting to run into a trap or whatever the fuck other surprises might be lurking. Finding nothing exciting, she decided to go back to Caleb, and the two of them would confront the queen and demand answers, then kill the bitch, if she gave them or not.

  Iiyni was in the woods a mile or so from X’al’antra's when she sensed someone, and stopped. “You need to do much better than that if you expect me to not notice you,” she said to whomever was concealing themselves in the darkness. From the trees a bit ahead, her demon eyes clearly saw the figure step into view, and her entire body tensed.

  He was tall, layered flowing robes elaborate. A huge tome hung at his side from a chain, several smaller tomes from belts and straps. Numerous watches adorned his person. Dark blond hair was cut short, his pale skin showed a bored expression. Black feathered wings folded in tightly against his back.

  The Avatar of Time, Chronos.

  “Why are you here?” Iiyni asked, surprised her voice didn't waver.

  Chronos was the only unsealed Olympian; The keeper of gateways and passage to and from all dimensions, including Hell; the scholar, overseer, and embodiment of Time itself. He had not rebelled against God, but also had not done anything to quell the rebellion. After God's destruction of Olympus, Chronos found himself on the edge of a razor. Retaining his own will and freedom, though God had turned from him, and blackened the wings of his avatar, marking him one of the fallen.

  "This role is mine to play, even if it was not mine to decide,” he replied. “These actions... my hand is forced in this. In grief I hid from my last remaining child, believing it was for the best. That I had saved her. How could such foolishness remain in me, after all this time? How could I abandon her to suffer this fate?"

  “What are you talking about?” Iiyni had a horrible feeling. This wasn't right. Why was a literal fucking avatar here?!

  Chronos looked her in the eyes, and for a moment, she felt a horrible nostalgia, that cut into her like a knife; an odd, cold, popping sensation tickling though her head.

  “I am sorry… Iiyni.” Chronos raised a hand - and he was gone.

  Um.. what the fuck? Iiyni looked around, dread welling in her as she quickly ascertained what had happened. There were spiderwebs on her, and other random bits and pieces of the forest, from bugs to leaves. She was not stiff, hungry, nor sleepy, and felt no different than if mere seconds had passed. It had been quite a bit longer than that. Chronos had paused her in time. For how long, she had no way of knowing. What she did know was she needed to get back to Caleb.