Augur Ch. 08

When I awoke the next morning, it was with a Sin Demon snuggled against my side, and lingering feelings of shame in my heart.

I had come to peace with my relationship with Cindy a while ago. She was a creature of Sins, and while she was literally incapable of acting against her nature, she had made it explicitly clear that she got as much out of our bond as I did.

Aubrette was new, and not even capable of communicating with me, and I had let myself cum inside another woman while fantasizing about the redhead being sexually submissive to me. I didn't know anything about her, really, outside of the conditions that led her to swear fealty to me. She hadn't told me what she wanted, about her hopes and dreams, or even whether she was actually going to be happy in service to a mortal who, for all I knew, brought her standard of living down to what she considered squalor.

I also knew that fantasies were just fantasies, and I didn't directly harm Aubrette by indulging that part of myself, but a faintly grimy sense of disgust lingered within me. I resolved to put those thoughts aside and treat the High Sidhe with the respect she deserved.

Cindy would sleep the morning away if I allowed it. I could wake her just by commanding it, and she would generally rouse if I gave off any significantly Sinful thoughts, so most mornings she rose when I did, but I decided to let her slumber in Sloth for now, and slipped out of bed to take a long shower.

When I emerged 30 minutes later, having taken advantage of the apartment complex's expansive water heater, I felt refreshed and clean, and had been able to refocus away from my persistent guilt. I patted my body dry with my towel, then walked into the living room with it raised over my head to dry my hair, only to nearly stumble into Aubrette.

While I was fully naked, still damp from the shower.

I froze, a blush rising from deep within my chest. Several months of living with Cindy had gotten me used to having someone in my apartment who was enthusiastic about my getting naked - since that generally led her to an infusion of Lust. It had been years since I had any other kind of roommate to be concerned with, and the idea of running into someone not accustomed to my dick swinging around hadn't even occurred to me.

My vassal stepped back deftly, her feet dancing across the crappy apartment carpet as she created some space in which to curtsey. Her head dipped low, and I nearly allowed my reflexes with Cindy to kick in by stepping forward and thrusting my crotch in her direction. I realized that I was about to do so in time and, belatedly, whipped my towel down from my head to wrap around my waist and give myself the faintest suggestion of modesty far after the fact.

Aubrette spoke first, and surprisingly enough, I actually understood her. "My Lord."

My mouth opened and a short torrent of apology spilled out. "I am so sorry, I should have known you could be up and about. Please, forgive me. I'm just not used to having guests over in the morning, and with Cindy being who she is, me walking around... you know what, I'm going to leave that topic alone and go get dressed."

As I started to edge to the side to step around the Fae creature in my apartment, she spoke again, her speech slightly halting, but shockingly clear for a single day's improvement. "You Lord. Me vassal. You... have right. No sorry."

I held up one hand to wave that off - the other holding my towel closed - walking into the bedroom as I responded, "You may be my vassal, but you are also a lady, and that's not how I treat women. I apologize again, I'll do better."

It never even occurred to me to wonder why she was right outside the door to the bathroom.

Cindy was wide awake by the time I made it into my room, sitting up in the mess of blankets on the bed and eyeing me hungrily. It took about half an hour before I managed to start putting on clothes.

Eventually, the demon and I emerged from my bedroom, clothed in our casual wear, and with Cindy wearing a smirk - and with a load of my cum down her throat. That was good, because it meant I was sated and able to think clearly as we joined the newest addition to our household.

I was shocked to see that three cups of coffee were already sitting on the small table in front of my couch. Aubrette was already seated there, dressed in the same green button-down shirt and pair of my jeans she wore yesterday. I was going to need to purchase some new furniture soon, because that was really the only place for us to sit comfortably, and while all three of us fit on the couch, it wasn't the most conducive to conversation. That said, I had other things to spend money on first, and I planned to make that the first order of business.

I joined my vassal - a phrase I had never imagined myself using - on the couch, and accepted the cup of coffee she indicated. It already had a tiny amount of cream and sugar added to make it to my taste, and as I took my first sip I wondered what exactly the two women were talking about that lead Aubrette to already know that particular piece of trivia about me. I decided to leave that for later, instead looking to Cindy as she took the middle of the couch, and addressing her so she could translate. "I want to have the two of you buy some clothes for Aubrette. We'll use some of the money Keith gave me yesterday - it won't be enough for a full wardrobe, but at least she won't have to keep wearing my old clothes or her one dress. I'm going to have to trust you to take the lead on that, but by now I'm sure you can manage the one shopping trip without getting into trouble. Right?"

Cindy gave me a teasing smile for a moment, but then nodded. "Yes, Master. I can help Aubrette find some appropriate attire. I take it you are to transport us there, but not stay?"

"Yes." I took another sip of my coffee, letting the life-giving fluid start to work its magic, before continuing. "I'm going to stop by the library and check out the books they have there. I was trying to read up on the Sidhe yesterday, but what I got wasn't really useful, so I want to expand my search. Maybe I can find something relevant that will help me figure out what to do about Aubrette."

I gave the women the entire envelope of cash Keith handed over as payment for saving his wife and son from a suicidal fairy, pausing as I did so to wonder if maybe I had actually undercharged for my services. If I was going to do this kind of thing in the future, I would probably need to start adjusting my prices to reflect not just my own new capabilities, but also the risks I was able to take on.

I asked Cindy to try to keep her expenses under $300, but not knowing how much women's clothes actually cost, I made that a guideline rather than a rule, and sent them off with the full $500. I was under no impression that it would actually be enough, but it was the cash I had on-hand so it would have to do for now.

With luck, I'd be able to take Cindy's advice from the day before and have Aubrette help support herself eventually. Until she could, though, I'd support her while she adapted to her new life.

********************

An hour later, I dropped off the girls at the West County Mall, which was somehow still a thriving commercial establishment despite the decline of malls as an American institution. There were enough stores for Cindy to have a variety of modern styles to show Aubrette, and I left them with a pay-as-you-go cell phone I had picked up a while ago so they could let me know when they were ready to be picked up.

Then I went to the library.

The nearest public library was only a short drive away, and as I walked inside, I was startled at how modern the whole thing looked. I hadn't had much cause to visit a library in a while, and in my head they were dingy things with long fluorescent light bulbs overhead, a couple museum-piece computers near the reception desk, and then row after row of 20-year old books.

This place was nice. It looked halfway between a community college and a Barnes and Nobles. The carpet was modern and brightly colored, with vivid patterns on the floor. There were several small tables with chairs at the front for people to... do homework, probably. Small reading nooks were scattered around, and the inside was brightly lit. From the ceiling in one corner hung a brilliantly glowing chandelier that was as much an art piece as a light fixture, looking almost like a large synthetic dandelion, with bright white spokes bursting out of a central glowing globe in all directions.

There was an information counter just inside the door, and a pretty Black woman about my age set down her book when I walked in, giving me a quick smile. I approached her, and as I stepped up to the counter, she greeted me. "Welcome to the Grand Glaize library, can I help you find anything?"

It took me a few moments to explain that I was looking for more historical books on Fairy folklore. She straightened a pair of very narrow frame glasses on her nose, then checked the computer at the desk, and only a few minutes after I walked in the door, I was headed down one of the rows of books. I marveled both at how spacious the wide open corridors between the shelves looked and felt, and at how much of the library was dedicated to things other than books. Again, my experiences with libraries were not terribly current, but this one had activity centers, computer labs, and a large children's section which just did not exist in the mental picture I held before arriving.

It occurred to me that this was the first time in years I had walked into a building this nice without being expected to pay for the privilege. I muttered a curse against the capitalist overlords of the world, then put that from my mind and focused on my research.

********************

A couple hours later, I was rubbing my temple and trying to fend off a growing headache. Not because my surroundings weren't comfortable - though they were noisier than I expected - but because the material I was reading just... didn't seem to help. The library's selection on myths and folklore wasn't enormous, but even among the limited number they had, most of what I could find was.. well... myths. Some of them contained information that might be useful, but every part of the world seemed to have different ideas of how the Fae behaved. And what they wanted. And what they looked like. And how to spell fae.

Cindy had mentioned that Aubrette would likely absorb some of our culture quickly because of a link between Fae and the mortal realm, but it looked like that meant every part of Faerie absorbed different values from their corresponding mortals.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and brought the books I had found back up the counter so they could be reshelved. I knew I would mess up the placement if I did it myself, so I instead relied on the professionals. The same librarian was there, reading an ancient looking book with a leather cover. Now that I took a moment to examine her, she was probably actually a little older than I was, if only by a couple years. I had been distracted enough when I walked in to note any particular details of her appearance, but from the side she was striking. She had a mass of springy black hair pulled back tight into a single massive pouf behind her head. Her cheekbones were high and well defined, her nose was slightly upturned, and her lips were lush and thick. The glasses she wore were tiny, and had to be intended for reading only. She also had a tiny silver ring piercing the side of one nostril, and I wondered how I could have missed it at first glance. The cardigan she had wrapped around herself was lightweight, and while it concealed the details of her figure, I got the impression that she was both well put together and not unimpressively busty.

As I set down my stack of books, she raised her nose from her book and smiled at me again, asking, "Did you find everything you were looking for? Anything to check out, or just doing some research while you're here?"

She sounded brightly professional, so - since she was using her customer service voice, I did my best to respond in kind. "I did, thank you for pointing me in the right direction. And no, nothing to check out now. Though... I think I've exhausted what I'm going to get on the topic I was looking up, but I don't suppose you have any books on... well, demons?"

A carefully manicured eyebrow rose on the librarian's forehead for just a moment, and she regarded me with intent, dark brown eyes. Then she turned to her computer and asked, her tone just as professional as before, "Any particular information you're looking for? The term demon has been applied to a number of mythological entities from various cultures around the world, usually by foreigners and missionaries looking to fit another culture's belief system into their own, so it would help if you can narrow it down a little."

I considered that for a few moments, trying to decide how much information to give out, before biting the bullet and asking, "Can you see if there are any books tagged with information about Sin Demons?"

That got another sharp look from the woman, and this one lingered for a few uncomfortable moments as she scrutinized me. Then, without further question, she typed briefly into the computer and spent some time looking through the results. "I think your best bet is going to be on this list. They're mostly books looking into the history of the Catholic church with that combination of words. We don't actually have many on hand, but I can have them brought in by the ILL - the interlibrary loan system - if you want."

I shook my head at that, stretching to try to work out one of the knots I had developed in my back, and responded, "No, not right now thank you. If I change my mind, though, I'll be sure to come back and let you know. Thank you again, though, you've been very helpful!"

She smiled at me, though this one looked somehow a little more forced than the one I got when I first walked in, and stated, "You're welcome. It doesn't seem like you're a library member, would you like to sign up before you go? Even if you don't check out books, it helps us stay funded when people sign up."

I did. The process only took a few moments, and a few minutes later I was walking out of the building with a brand new library card.

********************

I had planned to drive to the mall and see if I could link up with the girls to check on their progress, but I got a call from Cindy while I was still on the way there telling me that they were ready to leave, and would be waiting for me in front of one of the anchor stores.

When I pulled up, I almost didn't recognize Aubrette. Her brilliant auburn hair was offset by an elegant forest green dress with long ruffled sleeves. It was cinched at the waist by a built-in bow, and ended in a flared ruffled skirt which only went about halfway down her thighs. Her legs looked gloriously long, stretching down forever until they were covered by a pair of beige leather - or perhaps suede - boots.

The look on her face was slightly uncertain as I arrived, and the reason for that was immediately obvious. A group of four men who might have been in their early twenties at the oldest were arrayed around Cindy in a semicircle. The Sin Demon had interposed herself between them and the High Sidhe, and was in the middle of delivering a Wrathful tirade at them as my Honda pulled up to the curb. "...not one of you is worthy to touch so much as a hair on either of our heads. You are incredibly fortunate that I have been restrained from harming you by my Master. Were I given my free reign, this temple of Sin would be four mortals poorer, and four steaming piles of meat richer." She spun her head rapidly towards me when she heard me stop, and the residual expression of fury on her face sent me reeling even when it wasn't meant for me. I quickly popped the lock and motioned for the women to get in.

They obeyed with alacrity, one of the boys in the middle of the group calling out, "Look lady, we just asked for your numbers. Couple of pretty women like you could use some good company is all I'm saying."

Cindy slid into the navigator's seat, but didn't stop moving. Instead, she slid half her body over the center console, practically climbing into my lap to shove her tongue down my throat. I was so shocked by the sudden kiss that I could barely respond. The voices of the young men outside the car raised in some kind of additional yell, but the sudden rush of blood to my ears drowned out any sense of what their words might have meant. Perhaps thirty seconds later, the Sin Demon slid back into her seat and dutifully fastened her seatbelt.

Not wanting to exacerbate whatever confrontation was going on here, I quickly checked to make sure that Aubrette was also seated inside, then gently applied the gas to start pulling away. I didn't manage to leave fast enough to prevent Cindy from lowering the window, sticking her head out, and screaming, "I'm going to go home and beg my Master here to fuck me so hard I forget that half-men like you exist. Perish in flames and agony!"

I was quiet for several long seconds as we pulled out into the parking lot and left the quartet of men behind. I pulled into one of the last spaces before the exit to quickly look back over my shoulder and ensure Aubrette was actually correctly fastened into the car, and was pleased to see that she was. We had spent a couple minutes familiarizing her with the vehicle prior to leaving that morning, and she had clearly absorbed that knowledge well enough to use it. She was still seated far more primly than any passenger I'd had in the back seat, but her seatbelt was correctly fastened and she had both opened and closed the door herself.

While leaning over, I noticed that though she also had her purchases with her, the number of bags was far, far smaller than I had hoped. Two large shopping bags sat in the back seat, but it didn't look like either was particularly full. Still, once I made sure my passengers were secure, I pulled back out and began driving us back to the apartment. Safely away from the confrontation, I glanced over at Cindy and asked hesitantly, "So... how did it go?"

To my surprise, she beamed a bright smile at me. "That is an excellent location you allowed me to explore, Master. The garments within were far more expensive than the ones we purchased together at the Target, so the funds you provided did not stretch far, but the Sins in that building..." The Sin Demon let out an overt moan that had me glancing over at her once more, eventually gathering herself to continue. "I am bloated with Sin. I gorged today."

I rolled my eyes at her antics, glancing in the rear view mirror at my new vassal, and asked, "How much did you spend, and how many outfits did you get?"

Aubrette noticed my eyes in the mirror and offered her own smile, though hers was considerably more reserved than Cindy's. To my shock, she answered for herself rather than relying on being translated. "I go to many store, then see one that remind me of home. Many pretty dress inside. Cindy say they cost many, but they so pretty. We pick out many, purchase few. Cindy tell me talk to woman in store, so I do, while Cindy take some few other we find. Thank you, My Lord."

I nearly swerved out of my lane at that admission, before belting out a laugh. The Sin Demon beside me reached one hand over to squeeze my leg, speaking seriously, "Master, the men who own those stores charge far more than their wares merit. Those are places steeped in greed. The boots your Sidhe wears were priced at nearly one hundred and fifty dollars, but the men who crafted them were paid in pennies. I could grow fat there."