Geran and Nicole Ch. 15

Celeste and I didn't say much to each other. I think we both hurt and were frustrated and couldn't understand how Nicole could take all of us on and beat the living shit out of us without breaking a sweat.

We bandaged each other and went into my bedroom to rest. She got in the bed where Nicole usually sleeps and drifted off in a few short minutes. I noticed some stuff on my desk I hadn't seen earlier.

I sat and looked at the items. There was an ornate silver box about the size of a shoebox and an envelope with a 'G' on it. I recognized Mom's formal script. The box was locked so I opened the envelope. Inside was a short note, twenty one hundred dollar bills, and a small silver key. I used the key to open the box. Inside were a dozen glass vials. Six were filled with a rich red fluid and six were filled with a clear fluid. I picked up the note and read it.

"Son,

I have taken Nicole away to train her to control her succubus and vampiric abilities. She must have this training now or we will lose her. I estimate the training will last between six and twelve weeks E.R.T. I have left you vials of her blood and vaginal secretions for 'sentimental' reasons while she is gone. She can have no contact with anyone other than myself during this period.

The time will be difficult but I know you will persevere and survive this. I have left you currency for essentials.

Use this time wisely. Practice everything and prepare for your sister's return. Go to school.

Mom"

No contact with my soul for six to twelve weeks. I had no way of tracking them. E.R.T. stood for Earth Relative Time so they were in another dimension where time flowed differently. I assumed it would be faster which meant Nicole would be away from me for twice as long as I was away from her most likely.

I sighed heavily and secreted the box in my closet and the key and envelope in the safe under my nightstand. If I lost the vials it was game over for me.

I pulled the curtains closed and got in the bed next to Celeste. I would have held her but I knew that would aggravate her ribs so I contented myself to face her and watch her sleep until I drifted off as well.

Nicole had revealed Celeste's alternate form to me a while back. She was a minor Horseman: Justice. In fact, her full given name was Celeste Justinia - Heavenly Justice. The problem with her abilities as I understood it from the research I had done was Justice was a variable. Her powers waxed and waned constantly based on her environment. As the number of corrupt grew around her, her abilities grew more powerful. As the number of non-corrupt rose, her abilities became less powerful.

The 'corrupt' however could be events or people. She had the ability to increase and decrease her sphere of influence to draw on more power, but to date she had not figured out how to do that. Once she learned that and could increase her influence to global she would be a first rate power. Of course, Nicole and I didn't know how to use our powers either and we were Major Horsemen.

Thinking of Nicole depressed me. I tried to concentrate on Celeste some more. She and Nicole looked like they could be sisters except Celeste was about six or seven inches taller. They looked more related that Nicole and I did. Eventually sleep overtook me.

I awakened in the late evening and felt disoriented. I had trouble remembering where I was and even who I was for a moment. Lying still I let my mind stabilize and tried to determine why I was having this issue. It finally occurred to me it was because Nicole was not anywhere I could smell, feel, or mind touch. We had such a powerful dependence on each other it was like half my soul and mind were gone. Even when she was in her succubus form she was still fairly close by and our souls and minds still touched on a subconscious level. Now there was a void.

I looked around and saw Celeste was still in bed but awake and watching me. "You are only about half alive with her gone aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?" My voice sounded hollow and still a little raspy from the fight.

"Your aura is greatly reduced. The vibrancy from her is missing. You don't seem ... real." She looked disturbed.

She got up and very gently stretched. Then she walked around to my side of the bed and kissed me gently and then with more passion while taking my hand and placing it on her very firm breast. She stopped and pulled the covers off of me. "Look." She pointed at my groin. "You only have one penis and it's human normal size and you aren't erect after looking at me nude and a kiss and feeling my tit. You need to spend some time building up your own soul to be able to function."

"How do I do that?" My head was still fuzzy.

She looked irritated. "No clue. You've got all those books. You ever come across anything in them that might help?"

I tried to focus and concentrate. "I think I remember something in one of them about how to 'exercise' the soul and strengthen it for astral travel. I need to find that book." I got up and headed for the third closet and palmed the lock to open it.

She put her hands on her hips and was giving me a slightly hostile look. "You know her getting possessed is your fault."

"Huh?"

"If you and her weren't do dependent on each other you both would have stronger souls. If her soul had been stronger she wouldn't have been taken over so easily. Something to think about when she gets back. Any idea when that will be?"

"Uhm, yeah. Mom's note said six to twelve weeks. Thanks for making me feel better."

Celeste looked more sympathetic now. "That's a long time for you two to be separated. I'll help you as much as I can, but we aren't married - yet - and I still have obligations away from you. I'll call Vince and the two of us should be able to help you learn to walk again. I don't think we need to get any others involved as we don't need to advertise both Nicole and your Mom are off-world."

She found my cell phone and dialed Vince while walking out of my room. I assumed she was going downstairs to eat. That wasn't a bad idea. I got up and followed her.

We fixed sandwiches and talked to Vince. He was tending to broken bones as well and said he'd see us tomorrow at school.

Celeste and I got out my laptop and started working on a schedule for me so I could keep track of what I needed to do when until my mind improved. We came up with a lot of things I needed to take care of. After she helped me make my list she took some of the money and went grocery shopping for me. I knew what I needed to do next.

I found my phone and texted my newly discovered sister. If anyone knew about strengthening the soul it was her. I told her briefly what I needed.

Her reply was immediate. She could help easily but what was in it for her? We had an odd friendship. She always insisted on a trade with me. Or sometimes she came and took what she wanted as 'future payment.'

Sometimes it was sex. Sometimes she would take something of mine that caught her eye. Sometimes it was a favor of some sort. I never knew what she would be in the mood for. I texted back and told her whatever she wanted.

Life slipped into routine faster than I thought it would. Hours became days became weeks. My days became filled with school, soul strengthening, spell practice, calisthenics, and other small chores. Darkspell as my sister liked to be called and Celeste slept with me on occasion. Vince stopped by with Valerie for dinner several times.

I had discovered some spell combinations that created some catastrophic effects. I decided to call one combination the Dragon Slave after Lina Inverse. It had about the same effect. Another created a pretty invulnerable shield over mind and soul. I figured that one would allow me access to more of the Black Library. I would like to swipe some of the more powerful tomes.

I have to admit I did a good job on perfecting a healing spell that augmented my own abilities. I was going to use it on Nicole when she came back as well. I wondered if sorcery was where I should be focusing though. I felt I should be working more on being Conquest or demonic, or vampiric, or even angelic.

Week ten came and Darkspell stopped coming by. She had other priorities in Limbo. I started fixing larger dinners and cooking Nicole's favorites in case she and Mom came home. I had fresh flowers delivered every day for Mom's bedroom, the living room, and Nicole and my bedroom.

Week eleven came and when Celeste came by she commented, "The place smells like a florist. You want me to help clear some of these out?" She asked undressing and getting into my bed.

"Just the dead ones I guess." We lay together in the darkness. "You think tomorrow will be the day?"

Celeste sighed and snuggled up to me. "I don't know. Maybe." We drifted into sleep.

Week twelve. I injected my last vial directly into my carotid artery and let Nicole's essence flow through me. It made me feel a little closer to her. The fortress was filled with flowers now. I had taken to arranging them into patterns by room. I kept fixing dinners large enough for Nicole and Mom. The Demon house helpers were disappointed they weren't cooking. Sometimes Vince and Valerie came by to help eat the extras.

I had about three days left on my last vial when Mom returned. I was in the shower and she teleported in with me scaring the living snot out of me.

She laughed. "Sorry Geran. We are back, but you need to know some things before you see her.

"She is in control of her abilities now and has integrated them successfully into her persona. Nicole's succubus and vampire powers are much stronger than mine - probably more powerful than anyone ever - but there are limits as to how far she can push them. If she went full power with them she could become that creature again and maybe not return.

"She chose a name for that entity - Lust. You must help her learn how far is safe and not to go beyond it. Part of that will need her Horseman powers to be more manifest. If she goes into her Lust persona it is highly possible another War could be born and strip her of her Horseman powers entirely.

"She can go back to her full sexuality without worry. However, she must retain control and restraint when using her succubus abilities. Nicole can use her vampiric abilities with no issues.

"I would highly recommend you contacting Angela. Both of you need to activate and learn your angelic abilities sooner rather than later. I am of the opinion they will help keep her from becoming Lust again.

"When you two have finished reacquainting yourselves come see me. I will give you the means to contact her. Any questions?" She finally finished.

I hugged her and said, "Thanks Mom. I'm glad you're back. It's really safe for her now?"

"Yes. Now go! She's waiting."

I got dried off and nervously entered the bedroom. She was standing in front of me looking equally nervous. She looked a little older. Her hair was a bit longer. I walked up to her and held her tightly. She held me back and we stayed like that for a long time.

We must have fallen asleep. I woke up feeling better than I had in a long time. We were still holding each other but more intertwined. We felt complete. We stayed that way for several hours each reviewing the other's experiences for the last twelve weeks.

Nicole had undergone a great deal of mental, emotional, and physical torture. She was definitely more powerful and 'whole' though. I felt her toying with my vampire abilities. I was getting her lessons without the torture which was a great benefit.

I took her to bed where we made love, cried, laughed, slept, and stayed in constant contact with each other until we needed to get up.

Undisclosed Location:

The third entity was torturing the other two cruelly and thoroughly. They were being driven mad from the constant pain. It had decided the failure was their fault and intended to make them pay for losing the best chance they had for killing the twins. If only she hadn't contacted her brother at that time. If she had waited a few more days he wouldn't have been able to respond and would have died. Then the daughter would have become feral and the Apocalypse would be delayed for centuries if not millennia.

It turned away from them and kept analyzing why the girl had made contact. What had pushed her to do that? There had to be another power out there somewhere that had influenced her. The three had lost hundreds of pawns attacking HER and her son. Even more luring the daughter away from them. It had been an extremely expensive failure. And if not for one small event it would now be celebrating a victory over HER.

It turned back to resume torturing the other two and found it was alone in the room. They had escaped.

To be continued...