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

"The Earth Mother surmises that the portion of your shared soul within her would wither and die," Nanny's voice said into her ear, too quiet for even Sonia to hear. "Her synthetic systems would continue to function, but she would no longer be the woman she is now."

Wouldn't she want that? Shelly wondered, remembering how distraught the other woman was when her emotions went outside her diagnostic software to understand or define. The answer occurred to her even as she asked the question. The Sonia moving quickly in front of them was not the same android assigned to protect them. She didn't want to give up what she'd gained even if that meant staying with Shelly.

She felt warm at the thought, and once again cursed her past self for her selfish behavior and taking advantage of Sonia's heart.

"I know you don't want to hear it," Shelly said loud enough for Sonia to hear, knowing that the android had superior hearing, "but thank you again for everything you've done and everything you're doing, Sonia."

Sonia glared at her, then at Nanny, before facing forward and continuing to run. For a long moment, Shelly thought she wouldn't reply. When she did, it wasn't what she expected.

"I'm getting tired of hearing that from you. Thank me after we've taken care of Jessica, or whatever it is in her head controlling her. Maybe then I'll be willing to accept all of this."

They ran on in relative silence for several more minutes. Shelly couldn't begin to imagine anything she could say that would salve the wounds she'd caused to their relationship. Perhaps it'd be best she didn't? When her soul recovered enough, wouldn't it be best to let Sonia go her own way?

"We are approaching the barrier," Nanny intoned loud enough for everyone to hear. "I must release a third of my mass if I am to continue with you."

Without ceremony, Shelly found herself back on her feet and stumbled as she tried to find her balance. At least she could move on her own again.

"It would be best if you took Rain somewhere safe," Sonia said, folding her arms under her breasts. "We don't know what awaits us on the other side. I can't condone taking an infant into a possible battle."

"Our queen will not come to harm while I am with her," Nanny replied as though stating incontrovertible truth.

"And where were you when your previous queen took a shot to the head?" Sonia demanded, her anger rising.

Considering that Sonia was the one to kill Aecus, and how the last disagreement between these two went, it was a bold statement from the android.

"We were not ordered to protect the previous queen when you killed her," Nanny stated with calm. "We were ordered away from her room while she conditioned the Queen's Mother. Had we been there, you would never have reached Queen Aecus."

It still seemed weird to Shelly that the person she'd always known as King Aecus was Queen Aecus to the Myrmidons. Ant politics was the least of her concerns for now, though.

"Why do you have to reduce your mass?" Shelly interrupted before another pointless fight could break out. "And could that portion protect Rain?"

Nanny faced her, regarding her with a tilted head. "We are equal parts aligned with the Pillar of Darkness, the Pillar of Light, and the Pillar of Earth. That part of me that aligns with Darkness cannot penetrate the barrier into what mortals consider to be Heaven."

"Heaven?!" Shelly gasped. "That's where Jessica is going?"

"Can we get through the barrier?" Sonia asked, remaining logical. "How can Jessica? Isn't she technically evil?"

Shelly wanted to argue that Jessica wasn't evil, but the other being in her mind was. Instead, she remained quiet, awaiting the answer.

"We do not know," Nanny said after a moment. "However, it may be that the angel's presence will allow her to enter. It could also be that the entity inside her is too alien to be considered part of any alignment. Either way, the point is moot as they've already entered."

"This isn't some Dungeons and Dragons game were playing," Shelly heard Sonia mutter.

Shelly's heart rate spiked as panic set in. Were they too late? No, they couldn't be. The death of a pillar was drastic and couldn't be missed. They had time but needed to catch up.

"Can you get us through the barrier?" Shelly asked. She worried about taking Rain with them, but also didn't like the idea of leaving her child with the evil portion of Nanny. If the better fraction of the Myrmidon caretaker could protect her, then she would trust to that. And if they failed, their entire existence could end. No one was certain what would happen should another original Pillar fall—especially not the very Pillar that created all of this ordered existence.

"Worry not for your daughter," Nanny said, reading her mind. "Even should our darker third take her, we are all sworn and dedicated to protecting her. We would not corrupt or change who she is. And even though we might go into battle, she would be better protected with the more significant portion of us. There will be no argument since it is our queen's request to stay near her mother."

Sonia said something under her breath that Shelly suspected was better not heard before raising her voice. "Then we are wasting time standing here. Do whatever you have to do, and let's go."

Without any ceremony, Nanny's thorax dropped to the ground and scattered in all directions. It was a bit disconcerting, all things considered, to now see Nanny standing with four arms, and still the ever-shifting surface. Instead of having arms like Mandy's where both sets sprouted from around the shoulders, Nanny's lower arms protruded from the area closest associated with her waist. Rain resided somewhere in there, but not visible.

Nanny didn't wait anymore before stepping forward and placing her four hands against the open air. Pearly, iridescent light spread from her hands, quickly defining a wall that spread out in all directions.

"The Pearly Gates," Sonia whispered, a note of awe in her voice.

"I didn't know you were religious," Shelly said, surprised by the woman's change in attitude.

"I'm not," Sonia shook her head. "But on an academic note, this is fascinating."

"These are not the gates," Nanny informed them. "The angel you call Saint Peter guards them, allowing souls deemed worthy of passing through. He does not approve of the living to enter, so we will slip through here. Take ahold of me so that we may press on."

Shelly spared a glance at Sonia, noticing her grimace before doing as asked. As soon as her hand touched the squirming, wriggling pseudo-flesh, the iridescent light warped, surrounding them.

Shelly felt an instant of terror before being swept away.

* * * *

"That was..." Jessica searched for the right words to use. "Unique."

"The light of heaven is a balm to any soul," Amenadiel beamed at her. "Though, I admit that the pleasure you showed me before almost compares."

"Almost?" Jessica asked, feeling her ire rise. She stamped down her irritation before it could derail her plans. "You've got a lot to learn if you want to get that feeling again. More importantly, where can we find the Pillar?"

The angel's mouth worked silently for a few moments as he regarded her before finding his voice. "God Almighty is all around. She is the air we breathe, the ground we tread upon, the very light that graces us, the—"

"Stop," Jessica cut him off with a command and wave of her hand. Despite her control over him, she felt him resist before acquiescing. She took a moment to control her breathing before moving on. She sincerely hoped he spoke in metaphors, and not literally. Jessica had no idea how she would kill the Pillar of Light if the being made up this place.

Taking a moment to look around, she was glad to see color returned to the world. It almost hurt her eyes with how vibrant everything looked after so long in the other realm.

"I want to talk to her," Jessica said and started walking. Any direction seemed as good as another until told otherwise. "How do I get an audience?"

"You can pray," Amenadiel said, floating along beside her. His broad white wings moved with a lazy rhythm that told her he didn't need them for flight. "But she hasn't responded to prayers in centuries."

"Any idea why she hasn't responded?" Jessica asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I am not wise enough to understand her ways," Amenadiel quipped as though his ignorance were something to be proud of feeling.

"Guess," Jessica commanded him.

The angel floated alongside her for a few silent moments before saying, "Some think she has turned away from humanity for its treatment of other races and their own. Some believe she is seeking a higher level of enlightenment; to create an even better world for all the righteous to inhabit. I can only say that I don't know."

Jessica's fists balled up as she ground her teeth. If she didn't need this fool, she'd tuck him away and forget about him. How could anyone be so dense? Much less one that was as powerful as him?

"I want to be able to see her and speak directly with her." She decided to go back to her original query. Despite her words, she prayed for patience. She allowed the soothing atmosphere to penetrate her mind, bolstering her fraying nerves.

"That's..." he trailed off, and something in his voice made her look at him. She saw fear in his eyes as he refused to meet her gaze. "Wouldn't you rather lay here with me? Enjoy the soft light, and we can play as we did before."

Despite everything, she was tempted. Everything around her felt so comfortable. How easy would it be to lose herself in his arms, feeling his lips pressed against hers, his throbbing cock stretching and sliding deep into her? She had time, didn't she? What was the rush?

No! She couldn't lose focus here. Once done, she could relax and indulge, but not until then.

"Tell me where or how to find her, or I swear to... I swear, I will send you away," she ordered, throwing every ounce of her willpower behind the words.

She felt his willpower battle her own as he spoke. "You will be destroyed," he argued through halting speech. "You must be translated, or her mere presence will be too much for you to handle."

"I've faced Pillars before," Jessica argued. "Hel—" she cut off, unable to even say the word. "Heck, my mother is the Pillar of Fire. I think I can handle seeing another Pillar."

"It's not the same," Amenadiel continued to thwart her, his voice growing firmer. "Even us angels must go through preparations before speaking to her."

Jessica paused as she considered that. Her willpower was enough to overpower the angel, but if he needed to go through translation—whatever that meant—then she would be a fool not to take precautions.

"Fine," she conceded, turning to face him. She reached out, grabbed his hands, and brought his face closer to hers. She offered her best smile as hope lit his gaze. "What do I need to do to be translated, or whatever? Do I need to learn a new language?"

"Language?" he asked, shaking his head. "It is not your words, but your being that needs to be translated."

"Okay..." Jessica held onto her anger by a thread as she kept her voice sickly sweet. "How do I do that?"

"Usually, it involves fasting and praying, followed by... Um, but I can see you want a quicker route. I will take you to a spring where you can wash and prepare."

Without waiting for a response, Amenadiel turned and floated away, though he kept one hand holding hers.

Something felt off. Looking around, it took her a moment to put her finger on it. "Where is everyone," she asked. "If this is truly Heaven, shouldn't there be millions of souls wandering around?"

The angel didn't slow as he answered her. "Souls may only interact with close family. Or if there is a specific one you're looking for, you can call out to them. They are all around us, but invisible. They are just as unaware of us, as long as we don't call to them."

Jessica shivered at the thought that so many unseen eyes could be watching her right then. But if she understood Amenadiel, then they shouldn't be aware of her, unless they were close family. She didn't even know who that might be. The only family she knew was her mom. Shelly and Sheldon didn't know she was their half-sister, and Lyden didn't realize he was her father, but they were all alive. She didn't know anyone beyond them.

The sound of running water reached her ears, and Jessica stopped in her tracks. She recognized this spring after a moment. It was the same one that Shelly and her fooled around in what felt like forever ago, minus all the fairies. But that was in the Pillar of Earth's domain. Why did she see it here?

"How is this here?" Jessica asked, trying to control herself. She remembered the way Shelly's hands caressed her. The way her lips felt against her own. The way the water felt cool, but inviting, soothing the burns caused by the Myrmidon that Jessica summoned to attract Shelly's attention.

"Heaven is a place where you get to experience or relive your best memories," Amenadiel replied, understanding her real question, though she'd worded it poorly. "The pool of water exists, but how it appears to each person will vary depending on their own experiences. You can also create new ones with those you enjoy—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Jessica snapped. "If you brought me here hoping to fu—have sex, I'm going to be really upset." Having her words cut short against her will was getting annoying.

"I wouldn't mind dallying, but here I can baptize you," he told her in solemn tones.

"And then I'll be able to meet the Pillar?" she asked. Barely waiting for his nod, she began to strip off her clothes.

"What is it about you that drives me to want to sin?" Amenadiel asked under his breath, but Jessica heard it anyway.

"Tell you what," Jessica said, meeting his brilliant blue eyes, "once we're done with my business here, I'll let you sin all over my body again and again."

For some reason she didn't understand, he looked sad as he shook his head. She'd expected him to jump at the opportunity, based on his behavior.

"I'm afraid you'll no longer be interested in such things after this."

Before she had a chance to ask him what he meant, the water in the pool swept up like a giant arm and surrounded her. Her feet left the ground as the water carried her into the pool.

She hadn't had a chance to take a breath, and soon her lungs began to burn. She kicked and tried to swim, but all in vain. Through the churning water, she made out the form of the angel hovering above the surface, just out of reach. She couldn't speak to order him to release her. She knew it was his power keeping her under the surface. If she could just put a finger on him, she'd regain control, but he remained out of reach.

The water slowly turned dark as her oxygen ran low. She felt her muscles growing weaker even as her panic intensified. She was going to die. The irony that it was going to occur in Heaven didn't escape her.

After everything she'd endured. All the pain, loneliness, heartache, and sacrifices to make the world a better place, her death would be quiet and alone, except for her murderer. A small part of her knew that she deserved this. She'd killed and hurt others. Lied to further her own ends. That it was all justified and would lead to the fulfillment of her dreams didn't negate her actions.

She had her regrets. She'd never gotten to know her father. Things may not have gone the way she'd initially thought with Sheldon, or even Shelly, but she didn't regret her time with them.

Her biggest regret, though, was that her mother would never see the world she wanted to create. A world that wasn't separated. One in which her mother could relax and have more freedom, where Jessica could prove that she wasn't evil. A world where the different races could live together. The real boundaries that separated them created an imaginary divide that allowed hate and prejudice to thrive. Only once they were forced to live in the same world once more could there ever be a chance for peace.

Light thrummed behind her eyelids as fire raced up her throat. Her stomach lurched, expelling water and forcing her to cough. She tried to look around for Amenadiel, but before she could focus, his hand rested against her forehead.

Calm. Peace. Pleasure. Joy. Bliss. Laughter. Soothing tranquility. Every positive emotion and feeling swept through her at once, washing away who she was and allowing her to be reborn.

It lasted forever in an eyeblink. Tears fell from Jessica's eyes at the loss of the incredible sensations. She felt empty inside, craving more.

"Bring it back," she gasped. "Please! Bring it back." She recalled him saying that sex was almost as good as that feeling. If he truly felt that way, then he received more pleasure from the act than she ever had. What she'd just experienced was beyond words to describe.

"Afterwards, I will do for you what I can," Amenadiel said. His voice told her he was close. It took her a moment to look past the emptiness inside to realize he held her against his chest, slowly rocking her. No wonder he'd thought she wouldn't want to fornicate again after that. All the pain and terror before that transcendental experience was worth it, just to experience that exultation.

Her mission came back to her at his words, though. She was here to kill the Pillar of Light. She drew upon every ounce of her self control to pull the shreds of her mind back together. She both hated and loved Amenadiel for putting her through that experience.

"You will need to walk from here," the angel said, placing her on her feet. He waited for her legs to grow steady beneath her before stepping back. His eyes still held a sadness that spoke volumes. She wanted to run back and be engulfed in his strong arms. To feel the comfort of his embrace, and turn away from what she knew must come.

Instead, she took the first step, then another, her back to him. It was unspoken, but she knew he couldn't join her.

Her goal was so close, and nothing would stop her now.

Not even the massive stairway leading up into the clouds.

* * * *

Shelly blinked, rubbing her eyes as she tried to focus. The flood of color and detail around her disoriented and almost hurt. The world went from washed-out to over-colorized in a matter of seconds.

"How does this place fit with the Pillar of Darkness's domain?" Sonia asked as she looked around. "By my measurements, it should be pitch black here, though I may be a little off without GPS satellites to reference."

"We are both under the other Pillar's domain, and outside of either reality," Nanny stated. "The barrier we passed through took us to a separate dimension, but that barrier also defines the edge of Darkness's lands."

Listening to that explanation made Shelly's head hurt. She accepted that they could be in a different dimension. After all, Earth and the realm that the Pillars called home were separated. But trying to understand that they were both under Darkness's domain, and outside of it didn't add up.

There were more important things to worry her mind, though. "Do you know where Jessica is now?"

"There can only be one place she would go," Nanny said. "If her goal is to end the Pillar of Light, then we will find her heading there."

"Let's get going then," Shelly ordered, wondering why the other two weren't already moving.

To her surprise, Sonia shrugged and waved Shelly onward. Nanny at least nodded and started walking.

"It's so peaceful here," Sonia said, a note of awe in her voice. "I think I'd like to lay down and relax for once."

"What?" Shelly demanded, shocked at the woman's behavior. "You're a mechanical being. I thought you said your energy stores were full. Why do you need to rest now?"