Heaven and Hole

"I promise I won't, dear. Just tell me something, anything you recall."

"Well... it's weird. It's like I'm in this large space. A large, dark space. And I'm held down. Held down on my back. And... sorry... this is difficult. Can you get me a water?"

As in all the rooms, there was a small refrigerator, with bottled water in it. I retrieved one, decanted it into a glass, and offered it to Elena. She cupped it with both hands and took a long draft, retaining the glass on her lap.

"Better?"

"Yes, thanks."

"Do you want to go on?"

Elena seemed more resolute. "I'll try, Lily."

She took a smaller sip of water. "It's so hazy. But I think that Miss Shapiro is there. And Mr Raine. And his war..."

Suddenly she froze again. It was like someone had pressed pause on the movie of her life.

Two seconds later, she was herself again and took a gulp from the glass. "It happened again, didn't it, Lily?"

I put an arm around her and squeezed. "Yes, dear. It did. But listen. I can help. I really can. But you are going to have to trust me. And it's going to be weird. More weird than anything you have told me. But I promise you will be more yourself afterwards. Do you trust me?"

Elena was shaking a little, but seemed to realize that she needed help. "OK, I trust you. What do we do?"

I paused, calibrating how much to tell her. "Well, we will have to take a little trip in the car. You, me, and Emma. She is totally discreet, and I need her to help me to help you."

"OK, Lily, if you are sure it will help."

"I'm certain."

My motivations were of course manifold. I was desperate to learn more about what had happened to Elena and how it related to Whitney. But I genuinely wanted to help my new friend and was convinced that I could do that. But I was going to need more than just Emma's assistance.

Lily appeared in my room, less than her normal serene self. She was clearly angry. "That bastard, Raine, he's definitely done something to Elena. She's a mess. She seems to be having memories breaking through whatever spell she is under. I'm worried that Raine is less concerned about her ongoing well-being than Whitney's. I think we need to do something."

I agreed and asked what Lily had in mind.

"Well, let's assume the working hypothesis that it's the same spell as with Whitney. We can break it in the same way, surely, right?"

"Right, but won't that blow our cover, warn Raine that something is going on? Can we risk that? What might he do to Whitney? Or Elena?"

"I know. But I think it might be urgent to act. And I have an idea. What about Bobby?"

"Bobby?"

"Yes, Bobby. I'm pretty sure he's got more than a crush on Elena. If we can get him to say that, wouldn't it break the spell, and give us plausible deniability?"

I could see both the logic in what she said, and the deep concern she had for the young chef. I also knew Lily well enough to understand that she had already made her mind up.

"What can I do to help?"

Lily hugged me. "I love you, you gorgeous demon. Thank you."

We embraced and kissed, but then Lily was practical again. "So, I see it as two phases. If we break the spell on Elena now, she may well forget everything -- actually I hope she does. So, why don't we try to find out whatever we can first, and then hook her up with Bobby?"

We joked about me being the brains of the partnership, but Lily's plan seemed brilliant to me.

"But, we will need help. Is that what you had in mind?"

Lily nodded.

Luckily, it was Sunday, and the four of us slipping away together was not so big a deal. It had not been hard to convince Bobby to tag along; he gladly signed up for spending time with Elena.

Tom was trickier, he seemed to suspect that we had a foursome in mind and understandably wanted in.

I needed to do something and dialed my sexual influence up to eleven. Suddenly Tom was less interested in the others. I waved for them to get in the truck -- it was more spacious than our car -- and stroked Tom's face. He only had eyes for me.

With the others gone, Tom kissed me passionately and I returned his fervor. I didn't normally have Lily's reservations about manipulating humans. I'm a demon for fuck's sake. But even I felt a little bad about what I knew I had to do. I kinda liked Tom.

As Tom held me, I whispered in his ear. "You don't want to go on this trip."

He spoke, a little woodenly. "Actually, I think I'll stay here, Emma."

"You have things to do."

"I have things to do here, Emma."

"You will see me later."

"I'll fuck you later, Emma."

OK, maybe that was my subconscious creeping in, but, as I said, I felt bad.

"Of course I'll fuck you later, cutie. Now off you go."

"I've got to get going now, Emma, bye."

Tom wandered off in the direction of the security control room, and I joined the others in the Toyota. Lily and Elena were in the back and I got in next to Bobby.

"Drive. Turn right when you reach the road."

Bobby did as I told him.

We drove in the opposite direction of the town. It felt risky using our previous location. About ten miles out, Lily spotted a deserted farm and told Bobby to pull into it. We parked in the shadow of a derelict barn.

Understandably, Bobby was curious. "So what now, girls?"

Lily responded, "Well, I think you and Elena should have a talk. But first there is something else we need to do."

She clicked her fingers and Bobby slumped into a deep slumber, head resting on the steering wheel. Elena was obviously shocked, and seemed understandably scared.

Lily took her hand. "Look, Elena. We know what is wrong with you. It will take too long to explain. You said you would trust me. I promise we will look after you and that you will feel better. It will be OK."

Elena's voice trembled, but Lily exuded celestial trustworthiness. "I believe you, Lily. I think you want to help."

"OK, Elena, good. Now, I'm going to put you to sleep as well. But just shallowly, more of a trance. There is nothing to worry about, and we will rid you of these visions once and for all very soon. OK?"

Elena took a big breath and nodded. She leaned forward and kissed Lily. Lily stroked the side of her face and, as she did, Elena slipped into a light sleep.

It was time to enlist help. Lily and I chanted the invocation and soon Lucy and Oúriēl appeared. Lily gave them a précis of what she had found out from Elena. The pair agreed that she was most likely under the same spell as their daughter.

Bringing Elena's deeply protected memories to the surface was a task beyond either me or Lily, but Lucy's powers were several orders of magnitude greater.

The Queen of Darkness held out a hand and her fingertips broke through the portal. She closed her eyes and sang in the Old Language.

Elena's eyes opened, though she was clearly still unconscious. She spoke, but in a much deeper tone than normal. "Yes, my Mistress. How can I serve you?"

Lucy spoke calmly, but I could tell that she was in a heightened state. The Mother of all Sorrows, reduced to being an anxious parent. I guess love does strange things to you.

"Listen, Elena, I want to take you back. Back to the ceremonies."

Elena shivered and Lily put an arm around her. Lucy continued, Satan herself being comforting and reassuring. "It's OK, Elena, he cannot hurt you here. And soon you will be free of him. Please, try; the ceremonies."

Elena closed her vacant eyes and a second portal appeared, between her and Lucy's still extended arm. Dim shapes swirled and then coalesced into a 3D rendering of a darkened room. A darkened room with floor to ceiling windows along both sides, each turned to black.

Lily spoke in a hushed tone. "It's the house. It must be The Observatory."

I nodded silently in agreement.

Other details began to appear. Two rectangular plinths, side by side, about ten feet apart. At ninety degrees to them, a raised platform, occupied by two human figures. As the images resolved further, we could see they were Raine and Shapiro.

The former was dressed in a flowing robe. The latter was nude, save for thigh-high, black, leather boots with long, sharp heels, and a black collar around her neck. From this drooped a chain, with Raine holding the other end. I was struck by how handsome a woman Miss Shapiro was, her full breasts showing no sign of her age; or at least her apparent age.

Figures also swam into focus on the twin pedestals. Totally naked. Elena on one side, Whitney on the other.

I then noticed that Raine held a long, wooden staff -- he really had a Gandalf complex. He raised this and chanted, the language familiar to us all. Shapiro's body went tense, her head jerking backwards. She began to flap wildly, like a rag doll on a wind-blown laundry line. Her skin started to glow. The luminescence flowed down the chain like molten silver, forming a shining orb around Raine's left fist. In his right hand, the tip of his staff became star-like. Then two rays shot out from it, one to each of the supine girls. The shafts of light penetrated both of them, phallus like. Whitney and Elena's bodies also shook in resonance with the House Manager.

"Enough!" Lucy's voice boomed, brimming with both rage and distress. The image faded and Elena collapsed, Lily preventing her from falling onto the truck's floor.

"Is the human unharmed? She has done us great service and I wish her only well."

Lily replied that Elena was alive and simply sleeping.

"I'm glad. When you have freed her of this spell, I will weave such enchantments around her, and her man, that Raine will never be able to harm either of them again."

Oúriēl had been conspicuously silent, then I had learned he wasn't the most demonstrative of seraphs.

He now spoke up. "So Raine's plan is clear. He has either tried to control Freya and failed, or fears to try. Instead, he is attempting to transfer at least some of her latent powers to another vessel, one he believes he can control. Your unfortunate friend."

Lucy nodded grimly. "I've got so many plans for Mr Raine. He will wish that he had never been born. But good progress, girls. Do not fuck this up now, OK?"

We both eagerly agreed that this was a zero fuck up zone.

Oúriēl interjected. "Also, your Miss Shapiro seems rather more than we had realized. I will do some research and hope to tell you more when we next speak. But I think it's safe to assume that she is one of us. I just don't know what sort. Any ideas, dear?"

Lucy shook her head, seeming on the cusp of saying something and then thinking better of it.

Her partner continued. "One more thing, girls. Before you break the spell on your friend, try to find out if she has access to the ceremony room. Did you call it The Observatory?"

We said that we would. Our supernatural superiors disappeared and the portal began to close.

Drifting back to us faintly were a few words in Lucy's deep voice.

"Remember. No fuck-ups!"

Lily stroked Elena's cheek and she began to wake.

"All over now, dear. Or mostly. Just one thing. Are you able to get into The Observatory?"

Elena seemed out of it, almost drunk. "The Observatory? No. As far as I know, the only people who go in there are Raine, Shapiro and my boss."

"Jean-Michel?" we asked in unison.

"Yeah. Him. Jean-Michel and Raine are... well you know. Raine likes guys as well as girls, hadn't you heard?"

We hadn't. Lily and I looked at each other. Perhaps the Frenchman was someone we should pay attention to next. But, for now, we had to keep our promise to Elena.

"Here, sweetie, why don't you and Lily get out of the back. Elena, you'll be more comfortable up here in the front with Bobby. Lily and I are going to get some fresh air."

We shut the door behind Elena and retired to the rear of the pick-up. There we both focussed our sexual vibes on the two occupants. Lily clicked her fingers and, five minutes later, we could feel a slight rhythmic vibration of the truck and hear loud moans.

Looking at each other, Lily and I pushed a final idea into the consciousness of our colleagues: "Leave. Take the car and leave. Never come back. You will be fine together. Just never come back."

I was encouraged that we had been able to break the spell on Elena. But something told me that negotiating the snares set around Whitney might be quite another matter.

But we had achieved a small victory. Satisfied that our work was done, and that Lucy would follow through with her promised protection spell, we both peeled off our shirts, unfurled our wings, and flew to a secluded piece of woodland, landing within walking distance of the Raine Estate.

Later that evening, as Tom snoozed, head on my naked breasts, I carefully erased any memory of Lily and I being around earlier in the day. Instead, I implanted images of Bobby and Elena saying they were in love and taking the Toyota, despite Tom's protestations.

Happy that I had covered our tracks, I ran a finger between my butt-cheeks and licked a little of Tom's semen off it. It wasn't just Lily who loved anal and the taste of cum.

Speaking of anal -- Lily and I needed a plan for our French friend. I began to give some thought to this as Tom slumbered on.

Studiously, neither Lily nor I mentioned anything about either Bobby or Elena the next day, save to feign shock when informed of their sudden departure.

Jean-Michel was enraged at the loss of his protégé. He almost came to blows with Tom, whom he suggested had not done enough to prevent the couple leaving. Tom had to hold the Frenchman's arms securely against his body and repeatedly ask him to calm down.

From our point of view, this was all to the good. The idea of the pair absconding seemed credible, and there appeared to be zero suspicion amongst the remaining staff about our role in events.

Saying that, Miss Shapiro, who I now regarded in a very different light, might be another matter. When I casually mentioned how surprising the elopement had been, she looked down at me, her eyebrows raised further than normal, and uttered one word: "Really?" Her tone was sardonic, and somewhat worrying, but she said nothing further.

As for Raine, it was our misfortune to have to serve him and Whitney breakfast. At one point, he swept his plate of eggs off the table, causing Lily to have to change her uniform. It was as much as I could do to restrain myself from grabbing him by the neck. Miss Shapiro was nowhere to be seen. We heard from Tom that she was making inquiries about the stolen truck. We wondered what sort of inquiries.

Having to make breakfast himself, only for Raine to discard it, had not much improved Jean-Michel's mood. I asked how he was doing, only to have him yell at me. Getting close to him was going to be trickier than Elena.

There was also the question of his sexuality. Whereas Raine was clearly fond of girls, his hand on each of our asses from time to time having attested to this, it was unclear whether Jean-Michel was also bisexual, or just gay. We really should have been more thorough in our questioning of Elena.

Clearly Miss Shapiro was not going to be a resource in this area, which left Tom. I cornered him later in the morning.

He greeted me cheerily. "After more of what I gave you last night, Emma?"

"Always, honey. But I had a question. The last time I spoke to Elena, she mentioned something about Mr Raine and Jean-Michel. I was curious, do you know anything?"

Tom looked quickly from side to side, then pulled me into a storage room. I'd assumed he was after a repeat of the night before.

However, he wanted privacy for other reasons. "Listen, Emma. I like you, or I'd just let you say what you like and not care. But be careful. It's generally best to know as little as possible about Raine's business. Elena was foolish to share anything with you. Dangerous for her, and for you."

"I'm sorry, Tom. I had no idea. He's always touching me and Lily inappropriately. We had no idea he liked men as well."

"Did you not hear me? Drop it. What business of yours is it that he likes guys."

I realized he was being deadly serious.

"And don't even think of asking Jean-Michel about it," Tom continued. "He's insecure enough about being gay as it is. He'd probably get Raine to dismiss the two of you. Or worse."

Tom had answered my question, without answering it. I apologized and said that I would be careful.

It was a longer day for everyone with two people missing, but later that night Lily and I talked.

"Of course, Em, you can't be 100% sure about what Tom said. Maybe he doesn't make a big distinction between bisexual men and gay men."

"I agree, but gay would be the more complicated scenario. Let's plan for that."

We spoke further. I had the seed of an idea and Lily helped me water it. The idea started with our friend Tom.

Miss Shapiro was still absent the next day. Raine and Whitney would also be out after breakfast.

This was the perfect time for my plan. Demons are risk takers by nature, do and be damned; not so bad really as we are already damned. But, maybe living with Lily had blunted this aspect of my character. More likely -- and also quite un-demonically -- I now had someone about whom I cared enough to make me consider consequences before action. I was worried about consequences today, but consoled myself that I had wiped poor Tom's memory once, and could do so again.

Mid morning, with the house to ourselves, we invited Tom to the gym. His grin showed his expectations. But I was serious and made him sit down on a folding chair we had placed in the center of the room. I had doubts about doing what we were going to do in the house, but there were dangers in the outside world as well.

I took the lead. "First, Tom. You are the head of security. Are there any cameras in this room? Any at all? This is really important."

Tom looked puzzled and also a little disappointed. "None that I know about, and I'm not sure why there would be any that I don't know about. Why? What's the big secret?"

"Tom, Lily and I are going to tell you the big secret. In fact there's a lot more than one. But let's start at the top."

With our serving duties over, Lily and I were dressed in jeans. We both wore backless shirts, an intentional choice.

"Honey, it's going to be easier to start by showing, because you won't believe us telling you."

Tom looked at us as if we were both raving mad.

"First of all, we aren't really sisters, honey, we're a couple. And then there's this..."

Lily and I had been standing close to each other. We both took a few steps sideways, her left, me right, bowed our heads slightly, and held our arms out horizontally. Pain briefly flickered across our faces as skin was ripped and blood vessels ruptured. Then the whooshing sound I had coveted so much. Giant bird and bat wings spread themselves from our shoulders, flecked with blood, filling quite a lot of the gym.

Raising my eyes, I saw Tom's mouth wide open. He fell off his chair as he struggled to back away from us. I felt bad for him.

"Oh, honey. Was it the lesbian partners thing? You're not a homophobe are you?"

Tom looked so scared that I quit my teasing. "It's OK, honey, it's still just us. We aren't going to hurt you."

I felt horns begin to burst through my forehead, which I suspected would not really aid Tom's equanimity.

Lily spoke in her tinkling, musical voice. "It's OK, sweetie. Really. Look, come here and feel my wings. There is nothing to be scared of."