Authors: Elliott Kay
“So wait,
you’re saying I’m possessed?” Shannon frowned.
“No,”
Rachel shook her head. “That sort of thing takes all sorts of preparation and
bullshit. And you’re too benevolent for it, anyway. You aren’t vulnerable to
that sort of thing. Besides, you wouldn’t be in control now. Possession doesn’t
allow for co-pilots. You’re still calling all the shots. You’re still
you
.”
“Rachel is
correct,” said Lorelei. “Possession is not exactly in the repertoire of the
succubae. But you do carry her spirit, and it has clearly affected you.”
Shannon’s
throwing arm came down a bit. At the very least, she couldn’t ignore what she’d
seen with her own two eyes, and she
had
been acting oddly. “So what’s
that mean for me, then? Am I gonna... am I gonna become one of those things?”
“I assure
you, I am not a ‘thing,’“ Lorelei corrected patiently. “I am not human or
mortal, but I am as much a person as you or Rachel.
“Your
situation is unique, Shannon. When we tell you that Serena’s spirit escaped
into you, that is only a theory. It is an inexact explanation for something
that neither of us have seen happen before. But when a demon dies—barring
certain exceptions—the spirit escapes to Hell, as Rachel has stated. The
outcomes are different depending on the sort of demon in question, but in the
case of a succubus, that spirit will develop a new body in time. In this case,
you seem to have absorbed Serena’s spirit as it escaped, or at least some
substantial portion of it. You have interrupted the process.
“Again, if
this led to possession, you would no longer be in control at all. Rachel and I
would see demonic features that you do not bear. However, the changes you have
described show that some degree of Serena’s
power
is at work. I suspect that as long as
her spirit resides within you, her consciousness will remain inert. Her spirit
cannot escape back to hell.”
“Ohmygod,”
Shannon murmured. She tried to process all of that. “Can you get it out?”
“That’s
part of what we need to talk about,” answered Rachel. “Listen, I know this is
gonna sound crazy, but...putting Serena out of business is kind of a big deal.
I mean she’s not the baddest succubus ever, but she’s a major player in her
scene, right? As long as her spirit is stuck inside you, she’s off the board.
If she’d died normally, she’d have come back in a couple decades like we said.
I’d be happy for that, but even so, she’d come back and run around being a
murdering, life-ruining twat again. But now, she’s off the grid for at least as
long as you live.”
“Which may
be quite a long time,” Lorelei added. “Longer than an ordinary mortal might
reasonably expect.”
That made
Shannon blink. “What do you mean?”
“Shannon...you
may find that your predicament brings far more benefits than drawbacks. As I
said, you are not a demon, but you now carry within you much of that same
power.”
“What does
that mean? What power?”
“Well, you
ain’t gonna die of disease or from bein’ an old fart, that’s for sure,” Rachel
offered. Then she looked away as if staring through one wall. “Fuck. I’m gonna
have to bail. Duty calls.”
“What duty?
Are you a demon, too?”
The blonde
snorted. “Fuck, no. Listen, Shannon, I’m sorry if I came off all bitchy.
Seriously. I’m just linguistically challenged.” For the first time, Lorelei let
out a bit of a snicker, but regained her composure when Rachel shot her a
glare. The blonde continued. “Just hear Lorelei out, and if you feel like this
is too much for you, say so. We might be able to get you an exorcism or
something. But as long as she’s stuck in there,” Rachel said, pointing at
Shannon’s heart, “she can’t do anything to hurt anyone. You’re a good person.
Practically anything you do with that power is gonna be better than what Serena
would do with it. Okay?”
“How do you
know all this about me?” Shannon asked.
“I know
these things,” Rachel teased. “Have faith.” She walked straight toward the
living room wall, where a window overlooked the street outside Shannon’s
fourth-floor apartment. Rachel suddenly shined with a white light. Shannon
caught a glimpse of her halo and her broad white wings before Rachel effortlessly
walked through the wall.
Shannon’s
jaw dropped. “What—is she really—”
“A
grandstanding showoff?” Lorelei smiled. “Yes.”
Silence
reigned as Shannon overcame her shock. Lorelei waited patiently.
Then Rachel
stepped back through the wall and faced Lorelei. “Hey, if I leave you alone
with her, are you gonna do what I think you’ll do?”
“We have
discussed this sort of thing.”
“Yeah, I
know. That’s why I’m asking.”
“I will
follow my own judgment. You know the rules that bind me,” Lorelei reminded her calmly.
“You agreed to them. Does any of this change your position?”
Shannon
watched without interruption, trying to follow the conversation but finding a
distinct lack of context clues. The wings and halo had Shannon more than a
little distracted, too.
“No,”
Rachel answered, though with a reluctant tone.
Lorelei
shook her head. “Speak your mind. If you have concerns or objections, voice
them.”
That seemed
to do the trick between the two of them. Rachel nodded. “Guess you gotta be
you,” she said, more with wry amusement than venom. She tossed a casual salute
toward Shannon and then went out through the wall again.
“What does
she think you’re going to do?” Shannon asked.
“Advise you
to explore your new situation, and your power,” Lorelei answered. “Encourage you
to indulge. Help you adjust. Shannon, I do not blame you for your trepidation
or your guarded state, but I will not hurt you. If there is anything I could do
to alleviate your nerves, you have but to tell me.”
Shannon
frowned, more at herself than anything else. She came back around the chair and
sat down again, putting the coffee cup on the small stand beside it. “So what
do you mean by all that? Indulging? You said you kill men by sleeping with
them?”
“Not
anymore,” Lorelei corrected. “Nor will you. At least, not if you are careful.
Shannon, I must be blunt. Your appetites will grow. You will attract the
attention and lust of others, and you will find it invigorating. Irresistibly
so. This power you now carry isn’t something you can simply ignore or hide.
Denial will only make you miserable, or worse. You must use it for your own
good and for the good of all whom Serena would harm were she to escape you.
“If I am
correct in my expectations, you will find yourself healthier and even stronger
because of this. As Rachel said, you will never catch another cold for the rest
of your life, let alone anything worse. But your real power lay in the desires
of mortals. You’ll be able to read them. Steer them, at least partially. And
you’ll derive strength from indulging your own desires.”
“What’s the
catch?” Shannon asked.
“Your
hunger will go beyond that of any mortal you have ever known. You will have to
adjust and learn to manage it. Ultimately, you may find great joy in all this,
but I understand that right now it is unsettling. You are also almost certainly
infertile; the touch of Hell has such an effect on the body.” She paused,
noting that Shannon merely shrugged her last statement off without much
trouble. Then she laid out her next warning. “Monogamy may no longer be an
option for you.”
“Because I
could kill whoever I’m with?”
“If you are
not careful, yes. This is not a matter of a dangerous touch or some sort of
poison. Again, your appetites may become extreme. If you focus them on one
individual partner, they may become overwhelming, even if that partner welcomes
it. You could potentially run mortals to exhaustion, to say nothing of the
distraction you can cause in the rest of their lives if you are not mindful.
Passion does not often lend itself well to delicate decisions. Or self-denial.”
“How do you
manage it? You said you don’t kill anyone anymore.”
“My
situation is unique, as is yours. What works for me will likely not help you.
I, too, must be careful... but I have vastly more experience in all this than
you.”
Shannon
wasn’t sure she liked what she heard. She wasn’t sure she disliked it, either,
and that bothered her even more. “So you’re saying I’m going to turn into some
raging slut?”
“Ask
yourself why you use that word. It does not seem natural from your lips.”
It stopped
her train of thought cold. “Wh...what else would I say?”
“Ask
yourself why your society frowns on a woman with an active sex life and
multiple partners. There will be no issue of disease. There will be no unwanted
pregnancy. Tell your partners that you are uninterested in being tied down and
demand that they respect that. If they do not, walk away. If they are harmed,
it will not be because you were dishonest with them. It will be because they
deceived themselves, and that is not your concern. You need not harm anyone.”
Shannon
scoffed. “So, what, men are just going to throw themselves at me?”
“Quite
possibly, yes. It will not be difficult at all for you to attract men. Women,
too, if their desires run toward other women. Shannon, much of this comes down
to raw confidence and magnetism. You are already developing all of that without
thinking about it. As you said, last night’s tryst was out of the ordinary for
you, yet you initiated the whole thing, correct? You see your body changing and
improving in line with your own ideals of beauty. You will need to get used to
being the most desirable woman in the room. It’s not a matter of ego; it’s
simple fact.”
Crazy as
this story was, Shannon believed her. Moreover, the notion excited her. She clamped
down on that, not wanting to let her imagination run away with her, but this
was like someone waving a winning lottery ticket at her.
It also
seemed too good to be true. “So I’m going to be what people want the most, but
they can’t have me for keeps? How is that not going to hurt people?”
“You are a
person, not an object. No one gets to ‘keep’ or ‘possess’ you,” Lorelei
corrected. “And as I mentioned, you will grow stronger. You have power. Those
who push their possessive attitudes on you do so at their own peril. As for the
rest?” Lorelei shrugged. “People get hurt in relationships. It happens to
everyone. If you are a caring person, you will make what effort you can to be
up front with your boundaries. But despite your ability to read and appeal to the
desires of others, you cannot dictate their feelings. Nor should you.”
It was a
lot to take in. Shannon’s thoughts drifted. “...I’ve never been attracted to
women,” she murmured.
“I think we
both know that’s not true,” Lorelei said quietly. Shannon’s eyes lifted toward
hers. “I have walked this path for centuries, Shannon. Rachel has her talent
for reading people, and I have mine. I have known since you decided to allow us
in.”
“That
wasn’t—I mean I didn’t—you—uh...”
“You are a
very attractive woman, Shannon.” Her voice dropped. Her gaze sent Shannon’s
heart racing. “Intelligent. Independent. Brave. As Rachel said, you are a
benevolent soul. I have learned recently to appreciate the appeal of compassion
and charity.” Lorelei’s breathing seemed to deepen, too, judging from the sound
of her voice and the rise and fall of her alluring chest. “You did not allow me
into your home because of my saintly aura.”
Shannon’s
emotions stirred. So did her desires. Every nerve and muscle seemed ready to
throw herself out of her chair and on top of this woman she had just met. She
trembled in her seat, unable to admit how good the moment felt.
“We could
alleviate the tension between us, Shannon,” Lorelei said. It seemed more like
an observation than an offer. And yet...
“Is this
what you mean by playing on peoples’ desires?” Shannon managed to ask.
“Mildly,”
Lorelei conceded. Her tone grew solemn, but her smoldering gaze remained. “You
see that you have a choice, however. You feel that, don’t you?” She waited for
Shannon to respond with a nod. “If I make you uncomfortable, I could leave. We
could always talk on the phone if you have more questions.” She rose.
Shannon all
but leapt to her feet. She reached out for Lorelei’s hand, saying, “Please,
don’t go—!” and caught herself. She stared at Lorelei, who waited patiently.
“Please stay,” she said.
They looked
at one another for a long moment.
“Do you
want this? Do you want me?”
“Yes,”
Shannon admitted. She felt nervous. Exposed. Thrilled.
“And what
do I want?” Lorelei asked. “Think it through. You have that power. I will not
conceal it from you.”
Shannon’s
eyes narrowed. Her hand didn’t come off of Lorelei’s. “You want me,” she
murmured. “You could walk away without any worries. You have a lover,” she
continued, understanding the source of Lorelei’s composure and confidence
despite her obvious desire. “You have a lover and you’re devoted to... him? But
he’s okay with this sort of thing. Am I right?”