The Succubae Seduction Ch. 14

I wonder though, if the laws state that there can be no interbreeding, how would Marchosias get away with it?

The captain grunts, and dismisses me like a piece of trash. "See that he behaves." He swims around us once more, before adding, "You can leave them in my care, and be gone." He waves his three subordinates towards us, but Angela clears her throat.

"Respectfully, Captain, my orders were to deliver them directly into the dungeons. My master doesn't want another incident." Angela's tone is respectful, but at the same time insistent.

The captain glares at the succubus, while the other three surround us. If this goes badly, we're in trouble. Looking at the mer-people, I notice the mermaid sneaking glances at my package. I try to give her a winning smile, but she huffs and looks away. Her attitude doesn't hide her slight blush though.

"That situation was rectified, and the one responsible punished. Do not impugn uponmyhonor, succubus." There is no mistaking the anger in the merman's voice.

What incident is this? I wonder, but things are moving too fast for me to think long on it.

"I understand, captain, but my orders were clear. My punishment will be severe if I fail my master." My heart almost breaks to hear the pleading in her voice, even though I know the story is false.

"What do I care about the punishment of a succubus?" the captain glares at the dark-skinned succubus. The mermaid swims up to the captain and whispers something to him. He backhands her, sending her sprawling through the water. "Don't presume to tell me my job, Ondine." Despite being struck, Ondine rights herself, and takes up her post again, her cheek turning red where the captain had struck her. The captain turns back to Angela with a sour look on his face. "Fine, we will take you to the dungeons, succubus, and then you will depart, or face Lord Varun's wrath." He smiles wickedly as he adds, "And lately, his wrath has been vicious, indeed. Especially to women."

He begins to swim away, and the other three around us indicate we should follow. I take Lisa again, as we're escorted to the massive castle. I don't miss the fact that Ondine swims next to me, with one merman behind us, and the other one on the other side of Angela and AnnaBelle.

Looking at Ondine, I begin to wonder if all mermaids have smaller breasts, as her brown hair streams behind her in the water.

As we enter the city, I marvel at the architecture around us. Doors open up to the water on every level; there is no need to only have entryways at the base, as anyone can swim.

"You swim worse than a newborn," Ondine snidely says next to me, and I have to keep my mouth shut, as I'm supposed to be mute. Instead I try to smile dumbly at her, nodding my head. She doesn't seem impressed.

Our escort leads us down to the seafloor, and over to a door in the side of one of the castle's minarets. He pounds on the door and a moment later a panel moves aside. The unmistakable eyes of a Grindylow peep out.

"Tribute to Varun from the demon Marchosias," the captain announces, disgust in his tone and the door opens a moment later. "Take them in, and come right back out." He glances at the little Grindylow, and it's obvious he thinks very little of the creature. "This thing will show you where they belong," he states, referring to the Grindylow as an object.

"Might I ask one last boon?" Angela asks, and I see anger flare up in the captain's eyes, but she continues. "The streets can be dangerous for my kind here, and I fear for our safety as we attempt to leave your city. Would you mind escorting us out?"

My eyes nearly bulge at her request. Is she crazy? This self-centered merman would never let us leave all together, especially not if we have Brooke with us. What is she thinking?

The captain glares at the four of us, before responding. "I couldn't care less about your safety, succubus, but for some reason Lord Varun allows that demon master of yours to reside on our borders. It won't due to anger him any further." Is that a smug look I see on Ondine's face? Is that what she'd said to the captain to get him to escort us down here? Unfortunately, I'm not the only one to see it. "Ondine here can escort you back." He turns to the mermaid, a malicious gleam in his eyes. "Escort them all the way in and back out; then when you have taken them outside the city, return and report directly to my chambers." His tone indicates that she won't like reporting back to him.

Great! Way to go, Angela, I think. Now we have a babysitter. Really, what is shethinking?

Before anything else can be said, the captain gathers up his other two mermen and they swim off.

Despite myself, I feel bad for the mermaid. We had gotten her into trouble, and while she might be the enemy, she hadn't done anything to us personally to deserve her treatment.

I open my mouth to apologize to her, but remember I'm supposed to be a mute, and close it again, glaring at Angela.

"Come on," Ondine says dejectedly. "Let's get this over with."

She swims through the opening, and we follow, but not before I shoot Angela another dark glance. For some reason she just smiles at me. I wonder what's going through the two human women's minds, as we enter the dim corridor. They've remained silent the whole time.

I'm soon lost, as we make turn after turn, until we enter an area full of cells. Most of them are full, and their occupants look at us dejectedly, but none of them speak.

"Why are the cells so full?" Angela asks the mermaid.

Ondine glares at her for a second, before sighing resignedly and answering, "Lord Varun is wise, and sees traitors better than his own guards." Her words say one thing, her tone another. Lord Varun has grown paranoid. Is this because of TanaVesta's treatment?

Ondine leads us ever deeper, and I notice that Grindylows are the jail keepers. Are they on our side? Not very likely, I realize. They wouldn't have had time to hear about what happened on the beach.

Finally the disgruntled mermaid stops before an empty cell, and orders a Grindylow to open it. As the little green creature unlocks the cell, the real mermaid turns to us, and for some reason I see hope in her eyes.

"Would your master be willing to take me in?" The words surprise me, but Angela only smiles. She must have known this was coming, but how?

"He would be willing I think, but you know that you would be ostracized. No longer allowed back here," the succubus mermaid says evenly. "You would be an outcast."

The mermaid seems to think this over for a bit, before replying. "Every day it becomes more dangerous here. Varun has grown more and more paranoid. I will never advance as a guard, and there is no place for me here." She looks around nervously, and I'm surprised she ignores the Grindylow. I don't miss her leaving out the 'Lord' before saying the Pillar of Water's name. "Females are in the most danger. Any slight mistake and we're thrown in one of these cells. Even after Brooke rescued our Lord from the Pillar of Fire, he refuses to trust any mermaids."

Thinking back, I realize that most of the creatures down here that I could recognize the gender of, have been female. With Ondine ordered to come back and face her captain, I don't blame her for wanting to get away when she has the chance. Hearing Brooke's name, though, sends a bolt of electricity through my system, and it takes all of my effort not to demand to know where my childhood friend is being kept.

Before I have the chance to act, however, the Grindylow does, striking the mermaid in the back of the skull, and knocking her out. He then drags her into the cell, and locks it.

I stare in shock at the little creature, wondering what's going on. "Come Generator," the little green creature says. "Your friend is this way."

"What's going on?" Lisa asks, speaking for the first time in awhile. Angela and I exchange glances, but apparently even she hadn't been expecting this.

"We can't just leave this poor creature," AnnaBelle says, but the Grindylow is already taking off. I can worry about Ondine later. Right now, Brooke needs me.

Grabbing Lisa once more, I use my dragon's tail to propel me through the water after our little helper. We don't go far, before he stops and unlocks another cell.

"Don't look," Angela warns, but it's too late.

Brooke is inside. Or what's left of her. Fingers are missing from her right hand, and the fins on her tail are completely missing. Her face is mottled with bruises and cuts, as is the rest of her bare torso. Her normally small breasts are swollen with bruises, and I can't imagine the torture she's been through.

Tears come to my eyes, but they blend in immediately with the surrounding water. I'm too late, I realize. She's already dead. Once again, I curse myself for not rushing right down here to rescue her. I know I never would have made it without doing everything else, but I still can't stop the self-recriminating thoughts accusing me of not doing enough.

"No!" I cry out as I enter the cell, not wanting to believe it. Picking her up in my arms, I cradle her damaged face to my chest, sobbing at the frustration of it all. Why couldn't I have been quicker?

Then I remember that she had left to warn others of TanaVesta's treachery, when she'd been captured. If I hadn't told her about the Pillar of Fire's plans, she never would have left, and she'd be alive now.

"Lyden," AnnaBelle says to me softly, "we need to go."

Looking up, I glare at the woman, ready to unleash my wrath. I know she doesn't deserve it, but damn it, doesn't she understand? The woman that had been there for me ever since I was a child is dead, and it's my fault.

A groan pulls my attention away from AnnaBelle, and I find myself looking down into open sea-green eyes.

"Lyden?" Brooke asks, confusion thick in her raw voice. She pushes me away from her, shaking her head. "No! You can't be. Lyden can't come down here. He's too afraid of the water." She tries to scuttle away from me, but she's weak and her tail isn't working properly.

"Brooke, it's me," I tell her excitedly. She's ALIVE! "I got over my fear to rescue you!"

"Not so loud," Angela hisses at me, but I don't care. Brooke is alive, and that's all that matters. I wasn't too late.

"But . . . buthow?" the damaged mermaid asks.

"That doesn't matter right now," I say, swimming over to her. "We need to get you out of here."

"I-I can't," she stutters, looking at her ruined tail and hand.

I ignore her as I pull her into a tight embrace, forgetting about her injuries until I hear her grunt in pain. I loosen my grip, but she pulls me back to her, hugging me as tightly as her weakened arms are able to.

"Generator," I hear the Grindylow say respectfully, recalling to me that the little creature was still there, "you need to go, before someone else arrives."

Looking to the little green guy I nod, before looking back into Brooke's swollen eyes. "I'm not leaving you behind," I tell her, and cut off her protests with a soft kiss.

Glittering multi-colored light suddenly shines brightly in the cell, and something tickles my mind. Almost, I feel as though I should be hearing something, but my ears feel stopped up.

"What's going on?" someone asks, and I can hear them just fine, but my concentration is absorbed by the glowing multi-faceted light hanging right outside the cell. An orb about two feet in diameter floats there, and from time to time throws off a myriad of colors.

"Lyden," Angela says, fear thick in her voice, "I think it wants an answer."

I stare at the succubus, confused. An answer? An answer to what?

The colors flash again, and I have to shield my eyes, but I still don't know what it wants.

"What's it saying?" I ask. "I don't understand."

"Oh, dear Lord," AnnaBelle beseeches the light, her tone awed and pious, "forgive this man his sins. We didn't know you were watching over her."

The light flares, and I swear it's angry, but I still can't understand the thing. I can easily sense its power, and can see the other women quaking where they float in the water.

"But . . . my Lord," AnnaBelle says in confusion, "I don't understand. Why would you want him dead?" The light speaks again in its colorful way, and I watch as AnnaBelle debases herself before the thing. "Forgive me Lord, for questioning your wisdom. It will be as you command."

AnnaBelle turns to me, a deep sorrow in her clear brown eyes. "I'm sorry Lyden, but God has spoken. His will be done." She pushes off the floor, coming for me, her hands outstretched, but the Grindylow intercepts her, entangling her arms within its tentacles.

"Go!" the Grindylow commands, but I won't leave AnnaBelle behind, even if she is trying to kill me.

What is that light? What has it done to AnnaBelle, to make her think that this is her God? Hadn't Angela told her that God was the Pillar of Light? Or is this the Pillar of Light?

The question is knocked from my mind, as Lisa's foot connects with my skull. Dazedly, I look at the blonde woman, as she comes at me, and I see the colored lights reflecting from her blue eyes. That thing is controlling them!

I try to fend off Lisa's attacks, but the water slows my movements, while seeming to aid her. She is too skilled, and I feel her hands tighten around my throat. Desperately I look around, and see Angela trying to use her arms to swim to me, her eyes clear, but her tail refuses to work. Fear and worry are in the succubus's eyes, but not the multi-hued light. At least she is mostly free of the thing's influence.

A quick glance at Brooke shows that she is free of the thing's mind control also, but equally unable to reach me with her injuries.

Why is it only Lisa and AnnaBelle that are affected by the thing?

My vision starts to go black, as I'm struggling to breathe through Lisa's choking grasp, and I focus my mind on the glowing orb. Is this the timeless foe the prophecy warns about? Is this the same one that'd been in TanaVesta's chambers? If so, a generator is supposed to come forth, and save or fail. How can I fight something like this?

I remember something Angela recently told me about my ability; that I absorb ambient energy. Well, this thing is throwing off energy like it was going out of style. Concentrating the last of my consciousness on it, I try to absorb its energy. Perhaps if I get enough, I can block its control over my friends.

The area sudden grows dark, and I feel Lisa's hands loosen their grip just before I pass out.

"Oh my god," Lisa exclaims, covering her mouth. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop myself. Lyden, are you okay?" Suddenly I'm surrounded by three women, all looking at me worriedly, even Brooke. "I knew what I was doing, but I wasn't in control."

"Get off me!" I hear AnnaBelle cry out. "My Lord, where did you go?"

"It's okay," I tell the Grindylow who's still holding the older woman. "The thing's gone now."

The green little guy warily releases AnnaBelle from its tentacles, and swims a short distance, never taking his eyes off of her.

For her part, the older woman sinks to the floor, and weeps. I can't imagine what she must be going through.

"We need to get going, before that thing sends reinforcements," I say, rubbing at my sore throat. My voice is raw, and Lisa is still telling me how sorry she is, but I cut her off with a hug. "It's not your fault," I tell her. "I know that, but we really need to get out of here."

The others agree, though Brooke tries to protest. "Leave me here. I'll just slow you down."

"To hell with that!" I exclaim, pulling the too thin mermaid up under my right arm, and grabbing Lisa's hand, I use my tail to propel us out of the cell, following the Grindylow.

"What about Ondine?" AnnaBelle demands as Angela hauls her along. I can still hear sadness in her voice, but she seems to be recovering. "We can't just leave her here!"

Damn her and her bleeding heart, I think viciously. I know her attacking me hadn't been her fault, but I'm still angry at the situation, and my head still hurts from where Lisa had kicked it.

"Lyden," she continues to plead, "what happened to not leaving someone behind?"

And there she goes, using my own words and principles against me.

"Ondine?" Brooke asks. "She's down here?"

"Yes," I reply, trying not to sound too angry. "She asked us to take her with us, but she didn't know we were really here to rescue you."

"Lyden," Brooke's face is right next to mine, and I can hear some measure of strength return to her voice. "Ondine was always kind to me. If she needs our help, you can't leave her."

"Damn it!" I swear, not even trying to hide my anger.

"I don't think I've ever heard you swear," Brooke says, shocked at my language, and just like that, my anger flees.

What is wrong with me? They're right, of course. I can't leave the other mermaid down here, where I know she'll be punished for letting us escape. Is this the mistake the prophecy warns me of?

Shaking my head, I realize I need to stop second guessing every decision I make. That way will lead to madness and nothing ever getting accomplished. I wish I'd never heard that danged prophecy.

"Grindylow," I call after the creature leading us, "we need to get back to Ondine."

If he hears me or ignores me, I'm not sure, but a couple seconds later, he stops outside of the mermaid's cell.

Ondine is awake, and she glares at us, until she sees Brooke under my arm. "You were really here to rescue her," she says, and I can't tell if she's happy about that, or some other emotion. Why can't I get Angela's ability to read someone's motives? "Please, take me with you!"

I nod to the Grindylow, and he unlocks the cell door.

"We'd better get moving!" Angela states, her tone filled with worry and fear. "I can hear them coming."

I can't hear anything, but I'm not willing to chance it either. We get moving, and Ondine swims next to me. "Let me take Brooke," she states. "I can swim faster, and you can too if you only have to carry one."

Can I trust her? And if so, do I hand over Brooke, or Lisa?

I hear a shout behind us, and realize I don't have time to decide. I'll be able to swim better with Lisa, and since Ondine can swim faster than I can, she has a better chance of saving Brooke. Lisa at least has some skill to fight, as my ringing head can attest. I hand over the broken and passed out mermaid, and redouble my efforts, doing my best to keep up with the agile Grindylow darting down the winding corridors. Looking behind us, I can't see our pursuers, and guess that they found Brooke's cell empty.

Looking at my companions, I groan to realize the only one of us that's armed is Ondine, and her loyalties are still uncertain.

The Grindylow holds the door open for us, as we all zip through the exit. We all angle upwards, pushing hard for the surface. Angela and Ondine easily outpace me, but I catch up to them when they stop under my car.

My car. . . . The Orange Bubble. There are six of us now. Even if someone gets into the space under the hood, it's going to get very cramped in there.

I look at Brooke, unconscious in Ondine's arms, and know she can't be cramped up right now, without further complicating her injuries.

"Angela, Lisa, AnnaBelle, and Brooke will have to get in the car," I tell the other women. "The rest of us can hold onto the outside, while we move to the beach. Angela, you drive."

No one moves.

"Lyden, there's another problem," AnnaBelle says, and I glare at her. I still haven't completely forgiven her for being the first to attack me. She's undaunted though, and continues, "Lisa and I still can't breathe up there."

It takes me a couple seconds to understand her words. What does she mean she can't breathe. Of course she . . . oh, right. She has to fall asleep first, before the potion will wear off, but if they do that under the water, they'll drown. Not only that, but do we have the time for them to take a nap? It won't take long for Varun's guards to put two and two together, and realize where we went.