The Generator: The Succubae Seduction (85 page)

She has already agreed? That was fast!

“I won’t go any deeper into that territory than I have to,” I state firmly, brooking no argument.

“She had conditions, though,” Alloria says as though I hadn’t spoken. I glare at her, knowing that she’d held back this information. She smiles slightly in response.

Watch her, son,
Shemhazau’s voice fills my mind.
Elves were always wily creatures, but this one seems to be a real bitch.
While I don’t like his terminology, I can’t argue with his assessment.

“What are her conditions?” I ask when it doesn’t look like she’s going to continue on her own.

“You can’t take any more than three other people with you,” she says, keeping her brown eyes locked on mine.

“Do I get to choose?” I ask, trying to keep my voice as level as hers.

“No,” she says. “The Paladonic Knight, the mermaid assassin . . . and me.” Despite her voice staying calm, I can tell she’s not happy about being included. “She’s promised safe conduct to and from there as long as we promise no violence.”

“I don’t like it,” Brooke says worriedly. “She can’t be trusted, and why these conditions?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Becky asks, stepping forward. When we all look at her blankly, she starts to look embarrassed. “Well, I mean, if she used to be the goddess of vengeance, who among us are most strongly driven in that direction?”

I see her point now, but I wonder how Eris could possibly know that much about us. Could it be something with her being the Pillar of Darkness’s confidant?

Emmett, despite his recent change in attitude, was still a Paladonic Knight; the epitome of racial haters. Alloria is the last of her kind and very much a hater of humans. Even Brooke has a lot in her past. After over 140 years, I’m sure she wants vengeance somewhere.

“When do we leave?” I ask, deciding quickly. It needs to be done, and if I second-guess everything, then I’ll never get the tokens of power I’ll need to take out Aldol.

“Lyden, are you sure?” Brooke asks me, fear evident in her eyes.

“I am,” I lie.

A sudden whinny from the balcony makes us all turn in that direction. Despite her bulk, Blue moves into the main room, barely avoiding squashing some of my friends.

“Oh, look!” Areth squeals like a teenage girl. “Horsies!” The tiny golden woman flits over to where four dark black equines stand waiting. As she gets close, though, one of them snaps at her and she flies to my chest, gripping my shirt. “Mean horsy!”

“Nightmares,” Alloria says unhappily. “Our rides have arrived.”

“Don’t go with the mean things,” Areth orders me, but I carefully hand her off to Sheila. There is uncertainty in my slave’s eyes, and I try to nod reassuringly to her.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I tell everyone as I walk to one of the midnight stallions.

“I was hoping for a bit more action on this trip,” Jennifer complains loudly. “Just don’t fuck this goddess too hard!”

Jennifer’s vulgarity breaks the tension and everyone but Richard and Emmet laughs lightly. The police captain just looks stern. “I didn’t come on this trip to be constantly left behind,” the hook-nosed man states.

“I’d take you with me if I could,” I tell him. “Rest while you can, though. I have a feeling things will get a lot more exciting for you after we get back.”

I don’t wait for a response before leaping to the back of the horse. Before Marchosias’s fantasy world, I’d never been near a horse, but now I seem to know just what to do with the equine. I was half-afraid the thing would nip at me, but it just turns and launches us off the balcony. I have only half a second to hang on and feel my stomach in my throat, before I hear the nightmare’s hooves clatter on the open air.

“Wait for us!” Brooke shouts behind me, but I’m not in control of this flight.

We fly west and a little north, over open plains filled with various creatures, most of them unrecognizable. All too soon I see a shadowed area.  There is light all around us, except for a spike of dimness that stabs into Earth’s domain. A shiver runs down my spine as we cross this odd border, and turn north towards deeper darkness. In the murkiness, it takes me a moment to realize we’re getting closer to the ground.

Landing, the four stallions continue moving until inky darkness surrounds us.

Silence reigns, even the nightmare’s hoof beats are entirely muted. Uneasiness festers in my stomach like rancid meal.

After a few minutes, or maybe a lifetime, I notice a soft glow directly ahead. As we approach it, I turn to speak to my invisible companions, but no sound escapes my lips. I’m not sure if there is something wrong with my vocal cords or if it is somehow due to this strange place. The eerie silence lends credence to the latter, but what if my ears are not working either? This doesn’t make me feel any better.

As we come closer to the light, I can make out a single woman standing by a lamppost. Long black hair flows from her head and strange tattoos adorn her pale skin.

“Welcome, friends,” she says as we enter the sphere of her light. Her voice is soft and sultry with a seductive quality to it that I don’t miss. I’m immediately on my guard.

“Eh,” I hear Brooke’s voice next to me, and I turn to see her rubbing her throat. “I can finally speak.” I am glad that I wasn’t the only one. 

Brooke’s eyes are wide, and she keeps turning to look into the impenetrable blackness behind us. I don’t blame her. There is an itch between my shoulder blades as though something is out there, watching us.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” I tell the goddess, trying to keep my voice level. It still quavers with uncertainty.

“I admit that I have wanted to meet you for some time, Lyden Snow,” she informs me, walking over to the nightmare I’m riding. She reaches for the stallion’s muzzle, but just before she’s able to make contact with it, the blasted animal vanishes and suddenly I’m landing hard on my rump. Eris frowns slightly, but offers her hand to help me to my feet. Her fingernails are pitch black, almost as dark as the gloom around us.

I take it without thinking. Brooke’s shouted, “Lyden, no! Don’t!” comes too late. As soon as my fingers touch the goddess’s soft slim hand, the world seems to spin. Anger, spitefulness, and a general sense of wanting to destroy anything I can get my hands on, including the exotic woman before me, swamps through my body. Before I’m able to act, she lets go, and I’m returned to myself. Dizziness replaces the other emotions, and I almost topple back over, barely catching myself.

Brooke’s arm goes around me, and I lean into her to stay upright, pulling solace through our shared love.

“Sorry about that,” Eris says contritely. “They never let me touch them.”

Having experienced her touch first hand, I can understand why!

“I’m okay,” I tell Brooke and stand fully upright. Looking around I see Emmett and Alloria dismounting. As soon as their feet touch ground, their nightmares vanish. I turn back to Eris, trying to act more confident than I feel. “You know why we’ve come?” I continue when she nods, an odd smile painting her features. “What must we do to gain a token of the Pillar of Darkness’s favor?”

“I’m so glad you came to me for that, instead of going all the way to Him,” she states, her voice full of the confidence I wish I felt. Even with Murasame on my hip, that one small taste of her power really shook me. “I love the man dearly, but He would have made things a lot less pleasant.” She giggles then, and I can sense a hint of madness behind it. “And a lot less fun.”

“Speak plainly, Goddess,” Alloria commands. “If the Outsider kills off the Pillars, then your master will die as well. It is in your own self interest to provide what we need.”

I flinch at her tone, hoping Eris doesn’t get offended and decide to forget about us, but at the same time I agree with the elf.

Eris’s smile only grows bigger. “And that is why I agreed to this meeting, dear elf. If it were entirely up to me, I would simply give you what you want, but the world doesn’t work that way.” If it weren’t for that smile on her face and the gleam in her eyes, I’d almost believe she was sad about being unable to help us immediately. “It has to be earned.”

“W-what would y-you have us d-do?” Emmett speaks up for the first time. I realize the man is terrified. Looking at this from his perspective, I can understand why. In a way, he is a representative of a group of men that have made it their life’s mission to kill every creature like the ones surrounding him. Somehow his fear makes me feel slightly better. I’m not the only one worried about what might happen.

Eris’s responding smile shows all of her white teeth.

“You must do something that you may regret for the rest of your lives. Each of you will have to do something that you are loathe to do. Do this, and the talisman representing my lover’s power will be yours.” She turns to Brooke, and I feel the redhead’s hand firmly grip mine. “Starting with you, mermaid.”

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Chapter 32

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Eris

Brooke’s fingers entwine within my own as the goddess of strife, vengeance, and chaos looks at her. The redhead glances at me. There is uncertainty and fear in her gaze. The moment only lasts for a second, and Brooke turns back to face Eris, shoulders squared and ready.

“What would you have me do?” she asks. Eris’s smile grows feral and hungry.

“It is a simple task, difficult in the doing,” the tattooed woman replies cryptically. “Simply tell the generator your true emotions.”

The mermaid blinks in confusion for a few moments, before turning to me. “I love you, Lyden,” she says, her voice full of conviction, “with all my heart.”

A familiar warmth fills my chest. I can’t deny my own feelings for the mermaid. “And I love you,” I tell her, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Ah, but that’s not all, is it mermaid?” Eris chimes in, her voice solicitous. “There is more, festering just under the surface. Come on. Be completely honest with him. He deserves it after everything he’s done to you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brooke defends herself. “I love him with all my heart!”

“Tsk, tsk,” the goddess chides. “Didn’t I say it would be difficult?” She contemplates us, even looking at where we’re holding hands and shakes her head. “Looks like I’ll have to assist.”

Before either of us can react or think, Eris points at Brooke. That’s all. She just points.

Brooke throws my hand back at me, and I turn to look at her. Anger suffuses her features as she glares at me.

“Brooke?” I ask uncertainly.

“You want to know the truth,
Lyden Snow
?” She twists my name with scorn, and I realize that Eris’s power is working on her. I remember how I’d felt with just that one small touch. What would it be like to have the goddess intentionally concentrate on you? “The truth is: I resent you! I gave up everything to save a child and for what?” As she speaks, her voice rises. I do my best to let her words roll off me, knowing that this is Eris’s doing. They still sting, though. “To be with a man who can’t even keep his cock in his pants. Every time I turn around, you’re fucking someone else. I even had to kill my old mentor, and when I thought I could finally die in peace, you went and brought me back. Because of you, I’ve been tortured, tormented, and treated as if I’m not the one that’s been with you the longest! Look at you! You’re a wimp that can’t handle what life sends at you. Oh no, someone’s hurt poor Lyden’s feelings. He’s probably off pouting somewhere. Stop crying, you’re a grown man!”

By the time she winds down, my eyes are tearing up. Despite myself, each word coming from her feels like a spoon trying to dig out my heart. Each new gripe blindsiding me.

“You don’t mean any of that,” I say, my voice soft, but carrying in the darkness around us.

“Oh, but she does,” Eris crows. “These are the emotions and thoughts she keeps locked away. Buried deep in her heart, these things are festering. Better to let them all out, wouldn’t you say?”

“You’re making her say those things,” Emmet yells, surprisingly speaking up despite his terror of the goddess.

She turns her dark shadowed eyes on the balding man and smiles. The Paladonic Healer’s face loses all of its color as he steps back.

“I am not the Outsider, capable of controlling others, Knight,” her voice is now firm, having lost its jovial quality. “My power simply allows what is buried deep to come out. I can unlock the secrets of your soul. What you do then, is up to you.”

“L-Lyden?” Brooke’s voice quavers, but I can’t look at her. Even if Eris had forced those words from her, they had to have come from somewhere. Deep down, Brooke really feels that way about me. “Lyden, I’m so sorry. I love you.”

Despite myself, despite knowing how much it will hurt, I have to ask. “Is it true?” I wait for an answer, but only silence greets me. “Is it
true
!?” I shout, finally turning to look at her. The redhead pulls away from my glare. I can see fresh tears staining her cheeks. “Is that how you truly feel about me? Am I just some mistake you made when you were younger?”

“Yes. No! I mean. . . .” She stumbles over her words, and I wait, my heart thundering in my ears. “I never thought of you that way, I promise. I know what I said hurt you, but you have to know I love you Lyden.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” I state firmly. Her head drops, and she sobs for a second while I continue to wait.

Her head slowly nods as my heart breaks. “I guess it was buried down deep. I meant what I said, about never thinking of you like that. Yes, because of you, my life has been chaotic and at times terribly painful, but you’ve always been there for me. You’ve helped me more than you’ve ever hurt me. What she brought out wasn’t the whole story. Sometimes I get a bit jealous of your other women. It hurts to see you love so many, but I know that I alone can’t take care of you. You need every one of us. Not just for the sex, but for what we do to help you out. Every one of us has helped to make you a better person and stronger. Even Areth,” she adds with a light chuckle.