The Succubae Seduction Bk. 02: The Twins Ch. 29

Shelly continues after Jessica, hoping to stop her before she kills a deity.

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Chapter 29

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IconoClash

Shelly knew the deserts in the Middle East. She'd seen wealthy countries with ugly landscapes. She remembered training with her brother in stark vistas, and ugly climates. Discounting the Pillar of Darkness's demesne, which only the devil knew the landscape of, she couldn't think of an area she disliked more than the one she walked through now. Even Antarctica held it's own beauty and more color than the lands controlled by the Pillar of Light.

It didn't help that she remembered what happened the last time she was here. If she ever got her hands on Amenadiel, he'd find out that Heaven couldn't save him from a scorned woman's fury.

Aecus raped her body and willpower, but it was the angel that raped her soul, taking with him something she'd taken for granted. Sure, he took her guilt, and for a moment, she'd felt relief after finding out what Jessica did to her family and the torment Aecus put her through. That relief was short-lived. The angel left a hole in her soul that cried out demands impossible to ignore. The drive to be entertained without restraint suffused her, and the lack of guilt meant that anything went. But nothing satisfied her.

Shelly glanced over her shoulder at Sonia as they trudged through the washed-out landscape. All color, including themselves, was muted in the soft white light. The Rocs were left behind, so Sonia's and her approach wouldn't be as apparent if they managed to sneak up on Jessica.

Sonia was the one to return Shelly's mentality to herself after Amenadiel's insidious meddling.

"I don't think I ever properly thanked you," Shelly said, slowing to let the android catch up. Sonia's eyes revealed a combination of suspicion and curiosity. Is she aware of her facial expressions, or are they all algorithms that operate beneath her notice? Or is it the bit of my soul inside her that allows her to act like a real person? Shelly grimaced and shook the terrible thought from her head. Sonia was a real person, regardless of her origin. Seeing the other woman's suspicion deepen into a frown, Shelly spoke up. "I mean for everything you've done for me. You killed Aecus in cold blood. You saved me—the real me—after that angel took part of my soul. Despite everything and how poorly I've treated you, you're sticking with me. I wanted to make sure you knew how thankful I am."

Sonia stopped walking and regarded her for an uncomfortable moment. She didn't say anything but continued to stare. Shelly knew how fast the woman could think, making her prolonged silence feel even worse.

"You're a real bitch," Sonia said right before Shelly lost her temper. The statement made in an off-hand manner set Shelly's mind stumbling. She knew she'd mistreated the other woman, and knew she deserved the comment, but Sonia acted as if she didn't care about what she said. "You treat me like a second-hand citizen, a fill-in for someone who has more screws loose in her head than I have in my whole body, then you get all clingy before we come face-to-face with her. You can quit thanking me, too. I'm sick of hearing it from you. I'm doing my duty, and no more."

Every word acted as a blade slipping between Shelly's ribs and into her heart. Tears formed in her eyes, but she blinked them away as she worked to keep her emotions under her control. She knew she deserved the sentiment, if not necessarily the callous way it was delivered.

"I deserve that," Shelly said, proud of how level her voice remained. Only the slightest quiver marred her words. "I've apologized for how I've treated you. I meant it then, and I still do. I know I hurt you, and I don't deserve your forgiveness, but that won't stop me from trying anyway. I said what I did a moment ago to let you know that I do appreciate you and everything you've done. I'm not trying to win you back, but I am trying to make up for my mistakes."

This time her response was immediate. "I am following orders. Nothing more."

Shelly ground her teeth and shook her head. "In that case, thank you for having such a strong dedication to duty."

For the barest moment, Shelly thought she saw surprise in Sonia's bright green eyes. It vanished as soon as it showed, and she stared hard into Shelly's eyes before shrugging and saying, "Huh."

"Queen's Mother!" A sudden shout interrupted them from continuing the conversation. Shelly grimaced, but then remembered her daughter. How had she forgotten about Rain? No, she knew that wasn't right. She hadn't forgotten about Rain but instead recognized the infant was in safe hands, allowing her to focus on their current task.

That one shout shattered the mental walls she'd unknowingly created. As if on cue, she felt her breasts leak into her bra. She felt disgusting.

"Is everything all right?" She tried to find common ground between shouting to be heard, and whispering to keep their position from being revealed, should another angel or Jessica be near. She looked across the bleak landscape, and it took a moment to spot Nanny. With her body made up of every type of ant queen, she blended into the dull background. Even Nanny's colors dulled here, and if anything, it made her appear more alien with her giant ant body, humanoid face, and mandibles.

"Our Queen has missed you," Nanny's back four legs flowed over the muted ground with fantastic speed, but she was too loud for Shelly's liking.

Shelly placed a finger over her mouth, indicating the strange woman needed to be quieter. Nanny's head tilted, then looked around. Her voice lowered despite her next words. "There are no living beings worth worrying over within hearing range."

"What about dead beings?" Shelly hissed, while wondering how the ant-thing knew.

"There is a secondary pocket dimension in the center of these lands where the spirits of past creatures go after death," Nanny said in tones that bordered between respect and teaching little children. "Rarely does one ever escape."

Shelly didn't see how that made any sense. The Pillar of Light's area split into four parts, separated by the Pillar of Darkness's demesne. If there were a center, it would be inside Darkness, not Light.

She'd have to ask some other time, though. She took Rain from the amalgamated ant creature just as she started to fuss. Despite being less than a week old, Shelly saw intelligence in her multi-colored eyes. Was that Nanny's influence on her daughter, or because of what she was? Rain didn't speak beyond normal baby noises, but Nanny always knew what she was feeling or thinking.

Tiny hands grasped at Shelly's shirt, and the mother lifted it enough to reveal one breast. Rain latched onto the stiff nipple, and Shelly felt immediate relief as her daughter worked on her next meal.

Something dragged her attention up from her daughter's mesmerizing eyes, and she realized that Sonia and Nanny were talking. Sonia's stance showed that she still didn't trust the Myrmidon woman, while Nanny's displayed indifference to the android.

"What did you just say?" Shelly asked, stepping between the two women and facing Nanny. She had to look up at the taller creature, which annoyed her a little but was more interested in hearing what she missed.

Nanny's body shifted, the multi-hued ants shifting around to add more weight to the thorax, and lowering her height. Shelly didn't know if the other woman read her mind, but at least she was no longer looking up.

"I merely followed the Queen's command to lower myself," Nanny said, which sent more questions racing through Shelly's thoughts, but she shoved them down and waited for Nanny to continue. "I was explaining to your soulmate that the person you are looking for is that way, and currently fornicating with the angel, Amenadiel."

There was so much to unpack in that statement that Shelly didn't know where to begin. "She's not my... Jessica? With, wait... Amenadiel? Why? How?" Her thoughts tangled one around another as she tried to piece it all together.

Sonia's mind either parsed the information much faster, or her emotions were better controlled.

"She's referring to the fact that we are sharing a portion of your soul," Sonia said with a sour twist to her lips. "Something she knows better than to bring up."

Shelly grimaced, realizing just how deeply Sonia must hate her now. No wonder the android acted upset when she apologized. It must be tearing her apart to be this close to her. It spoke volumes on how strong Sonia's sense of duty was.

Nanny opened her mouth to say something, but Sonia spoke up before she could.

"It would be best if we catch Jessica with her pants down. Hopefully, we can stop and contain her before she does... Before she tries to kill the Pillar of Light." Sonia glanced in the direction that Nanny indicated Jessica to be. Directly towards the center of Dark's demesne.

Shelly remembered what Nanny said about there being a pocket dimension, or whatever, and wondered how Jessica planned on getting there. Then she realized that the miserable angel, Amenadiel, was with her.

Fornicating...

She didn't know what to think of that. She wanted revenge on the angel for what he'd done to her. Jessica wasn't her family and was technically their enemy, but that didn't mean she didn't care for the other woman. Was the angel ravaging her soul as they spoke?

A grunt from Rain pulled her attention back to her daughter, and she switched breasts. She couldn't take Rain into a dangerous situation. She also couldn't abandon her mission to stop her ex-lover.

For a brief moment, Shelly felt overwhelmed. It was all too much. Jessica... Amenadiel... Sonia... Rain... all of her warring emotions, and somehow she was supposed to end this?

She didn't know what she was going to say to Jessica. And Sonia's obvious distaste for her hurt, despite knowing how much she deserved the scorn. And her daughter... She wasn't ready to be a mother and didn't have the proper time to prepare mentally with her rushed pregnancy.

"Mghberber," Rain cooed and patted her chest. Shelly looked down and met Rain's eyes. Colorful swirls filled her vision, calming her mind, and setting her heartrate to a steadier rhythm.

"We should move," Nanny said, breaking the spell her daughter placed on Shelly. "Jessica is done, and they are moving swiftly. I do not know if we can catch up, but we must leave now if we want to have a chance."

Shelly's heart hammered in her chest again, and she forgot about her misgivings. What would be, would be, and she would do her best. It was all she could do.

Shelly didn't wait for the others before turning and heading off in the indicated direction.

"I will take our Queen," Nanny said, matching her pace as Sonia rushed out before them. "She will not slow me down and will allow you to move easier. I can also better protect her, should the need arise."

Shelly held her daughter closer to her chest for a moment before acknowledging the truth. Nanny was better equipped to carry and protect Rain. Without slowing down, she handed over her baby. "Protect her," Shelly stated, knowing the Myrmidon would do it no matter what she said.

Nanny took the child. Instead of carrying the infant in her arms, Rain sank into the ant creature's body. Shelly shuddered but had to acknowledge that this protected Rain the best. It helped that she heard the little one give a pleasant giggle. Even so, Shelly felt an emptiness grow in her at handing over her daughter.

They set a steady pace that fell short of a jog but ate up ground faster than a quick walk. Sonia ranged out ahead of them, able to maintain a quicker pace than Shelly. She realized that if not for her, the other two could travel faster and farther without rest. She grimaced and picked up her pace. She'd be damned if Jessica got away because of her weakness. Sweat dripped from her brow as her legs began to burn. She focused on placing one foot in front of the other, eyes locked on Sonia's back. Despite her efforts, she watched as Sonia moved further away.

"The synthetic one is finally far enough away for me to follow our Queen's commands," Nanny stated, breaking Shelly's concentration. Her foot caught a pale root, and she almost landed face-first on the ground. Nanny grabbed her up and began to carry her with the fluid grace that only a creature without bones could manage.

She almost demanded to be allowed to walk on her own, but then the words Nanny said sunk in.

"What do you mean?" Shelly asked. "What did my daughter ask of you?"

"To reveal a truth hidden from you," Nanny said. Before Shelly could process the words, the various queen ants that comprised the woman's body flowed out and around her.

Images of her time in Aecus' bed swamped her, and she tried to scream. She felt multiple bites along her exposed skin, as the various queens' venom began to warm her skin. The ache in her lungs and legs receded as a heavy lethargy suffused her. Her eyelids fell as Nanny swallowed her. Despite her closed eyes, Shelly realized she was able to see.

She was no longer in Light's domain. How long was she out? What happened to her? Where was everyone? Had they stopped Jessica while she slept?

Looking around, she found herself back in Gaia's home, in the room where she'd given birth to Rain.

"Mother." The single word spoken in reverent tones made her spin around in a panic. Where was her daughter?

A little girl, no older than five or six, stood in the doorway. Shelly knew without a doubt that it was Rain, not only by the swirling eyes but by a mother's sense within her that confirmed the identity.

"How long...?" She couldn't finish the sentence. What had happened with Jessica? Had they won? What had Nanny done to her? How old was her daughter now? What had she missed?

"Be calm, Mother," Rain said in a soothing tone. Her voice was similar to Shelly's mother, Sheila, but with a lighter timber. "The one you call Nanny is still carrying you through the Pillar of Light's domain while your body recovers. My true body is resting against your chest. There is something you should know before you meet Jessica, though."

"But... You're just an infant," Shelly tried to deny what lay before her. She knew that Nanny communicated with Rain, but assumed it was all emotional. Was Nanny translating Rain's emotions into this illusion? Nothing made any sense.

"My mind was accelerated with Nanny's and Gaia's help, but my body does not yet have the coordination to speak," Rain read her mind, then answered her next question before Shelly could think it. "Yes, I can see into your mind and understand your emotions, even here in my Mens Mundi. Please, relax, Mother. Despite who my father was, I intend you no harm. I do not yet have enough experience to claim I love you, but I understand that you want what is best for me, and so I wish the same for you. No, please. We don't have much time, and I desire that you have knowledge kept from you."

Shelly wanted to speak. There were a million things that flit through her mind to say to her daughter, but she understood the need to listen when required. Besides, Shelly knew her daughter could see all those questions, but the look in those alien eyes said that whatever this information was, it was of higher importance. She nodded as she wondered what other of life's mysteries she was about to learn.

"Sonia does not hate you as you suspect," Rain said as she stepped forward and took her mother's hands. Shelly dropped down to her knees to be on the same level as Rain. "She resents you, but not for the reasons you believe."

Shelly opened her mouth to argue but shut it at the look in Rain's eyes. What other reason could Sonia have for resenting her? And if Rain didn't have enough experience to know if she loved her own mother, how could she understand Sonia's emotions? Shelly didn't want to dwell on the fact that her infant daughter might not love her. For that matter, how could she understand anything about the android, whose synthetic mind couldn't be read?

"When Sonia shared the portion of your soul that you shared with her before, it created a link between you. Should she get too far away, it will strain that link. In time, you may be able to separate without harm as your joined soul grows and recovers from the trauma caused by the angel. The link is too fresh, and the wounds too new right now. That is why Sonia stays with you. To keep you whole and sane."

"Like a fairy?" Shelly asked before she could stop herself.

"Except that a fairy can never recover, as you can," Rain answered.

Shelly's heart plummetted at this news. Wasn't she recovered from Amenadiel ravaging her psyche? That meant Sonia's sense of duty forced her to stay near. No wonder the android treated her so poorly. She knew she deserved the treatment for her past sins, but to know that she was further torturing the other woman tore at her heart. Then, before the next thought could form, Rain answered her unasked question.

"I know because Nanny knows. Our servants overheard Gaia speaking with Sonia and Areth while you recovered from delivering me. The fairy sensed the connection as she is sensitive to such things. She didn't know what the consequences would be if you separated, but Gaia surmised that you would die should Sonia move too far away. Your soul is too tattered and worn from what you suffered. Your mind won't revert to what it was after Amenadiel's tampering. Gaia and Areth believe that you can be a few kilometers, or almost two miles, from one another before it's too far, but the further she gets, the weaker you'll be."

"Why are you telling me this?" Shelly asked before the thought could fully form in her mind. As if she didn't have enough weighing her down, Rain and Nanny had to throw this emotional bomb onto her shoulders?

"The future is uncertain," Rain told her with a calm demeanor far too old for her countenance. Rain acted and spoke much older than her appearance of a young child could account for, and Shelly wondered if she were talking to an amalgamation of Rain and Nanny. "But that doesn't mean we can't infer information. You will likely face Jessica, and because of your past, you may feel tempted to join her. Nanny and I felt you should have as much knowledge as possible before making that decision. You should also know that while I must ensure that the ants of both worlds continue to nurture the ground, move seeds, and everything my servants do to assist Gaia, you will always be my mother. I will not judge you for your actions, nor what was done to you. I want to get to know you as my mother, and not just the woman who was forced to give birth to me."

Shelly's head swam as the room around her faded with Rain's parting words: words far too mature for one so young. She tried to speak, but her lips wouldn't move. Panic wanted to overwhelm her, but her daughter's next words calmed her, despite their severity.

"I hope to talk to you again when this is over."

Shelly blinked as bright light washed over her. They were still moving, though she couldn't move anything below her neck. Looking around as the washed-out world came into focus, she realized that her body still resided within Nanny, her head poking out between the Myrmidon's breasts. Speaking of which, she felt Rain's reassuring presence suckling at her chest, though there was little milk for the infant.

"You're awake," Sonia said with a grimace. The android was now at a full-on run, with Nanny keeping pace.

Shelly regarded her for a moment, understanding a little more of Sonia's attitude now that she understood the stakes. She wondered what would happen to Sonia should Shelly die.