Transformations - Naughty vs. Nice Ch. 03

"Prey? Drew... Master, what do you mean prey?"

He smiled. "We're like lions. Only, we don't consume our prey, we transform them. Look at them."

Patricia looked at the people sitting at the dining room table.

Her eyes immediately settled on a young man and woman. They were sitting side by side at the table.

"Yes, those are the two I separated out for us," Drew whispered.

"I... what are we..."

"We're going to seduce them."

She looked at him in terror. "No, Drew. Master, no. We can't."

He reached up and stroked her cheek. "Yes, we can. We have to. Listen to your body. What does it want?"

She looked back at the young couple. He looked so... innocent.

And that made her tingle.

"Don't fight it. Embrace it." He began walking again and she followed. She looked the boy in the eyes.

And she smiled.

***

Rita the Bimbot stopped the SUV in the middle of the snow covered road a mile from Greek Peak Resort. "Son of a bitch."

From the passenger seat, Ray gripped her hand in his.

A mile before this, they had to move a barrier that read ROAD CLOSED out of the way before proceeding.

The barrier ahead was much more formidable.

The barrier stood in the gathering dark wearing a black latex loin dress, her bare caramel and rust colored skin seemed to be oblivious to the cold, blowing snow.

Onyx horns stuck up from her temples through lush, dark red hair.

But it was the glowing yellow fire of the Demon Goddess's eyes that held them entranced - eyes that made Demonica look like the very gateway to Hell.

Rita lowered her head slightly a smile creeping onto her lips. "Well, we found her. Just say the word, Mistress."

Maria's pale, warm hand touched her shoulder from the back seat. "Patience. Not yet. We're all friends for now." Then she smiled. "Until we're not." She opened her door and got out.

The door opposite hers opened.

"No, Brittney. Stay here," Maria said.

"But..."

"No buts."

"Where you go, I go." The smaller blonde said, her eyes defiant behind her empty eyeglass frames.

Maria stared at her and then smiled. "Okay, but stay behind me. Say and do nothing. Do you understand?"

Brittney smiled. "Yes, Maria." She got out and ran around the SUV to walk behind Maria.

"Slowly," Maria scolded. "We're Whore Caste. We're not afraid of her or the monsters in the woods."

Brittney frowned and looked left and right at the dark, snowy forest. "What monsters."

Maria smiled and raised an eyebrow. "We're surrounded, my love."

Brittney licked her lips. "Good to know."

"Stay close to me." She looked at the SUV window.

Rita rolled it down and looked at her from under her hoodie.

"If anything happens..."

"Unleash Hell. No problem, Mistress."

Ray nodded from the other side and put a walkie talkie to his lips. "Great White is on the move. Be ready to fight."

Maria smiled. "Great White. I like that." She said as she started walking toward Demonica.

"I thought it was appropriate," Ray said.

They walked ahead, the light of the SUV's headlights illuminating the falling snow.

Demonica held out her arms and extended the black claws at the ends of her long fingers.

Her huge black bat wings unfurled behind her.

"Mistress Maria, what are you doing here?" Demonica asked. She smiled showing her long, white fangs.

"I have Whore Caste to retrieve. What are you doing here?"

"Retrieving my own operatives. I'm afraid I can't allow you to pass."

Maria smiled. "Oh, Demonica, do you really think you can stop me?"

Demonica raised an eyebrow. "Let's not fight. I only meant that our field trial is at a critical juncture. We simply can't have anyone going in and contaminating our results."

"Am I to take it you haven't entered the area either?"

"Absolutely not. Only the participants are there. We won't move in until given the signal that the test is complete," Demonica said. "We're certain this will all be tied up by noon tomorrow."

"Unacceptable. Your people cut communications into the area. I feel my operatives might be in danger."

"And I'm equally afraid my operatives might be in danger from yours. Let's hope cooler heads prevail?" She smiled. "I'm fairly sure if we contact Sister she will insist we wait here until the signal and then we shall walk in arm in arm - all the children of Morpheus together doing his will."

Maria laughed. "Demonica, you presume too much. When it comes to the safety of Whore Caste, I don't give a fuck what Havana has to say. If my people are in danger I will roll over you and every monstrosity you have hiding in these woods. I will make this mountain run red with your blood."

Demonica sighed theatrically. "So much for diplomacy and detente. Very well. You've lost the sun, Maria. The night is dark and the night? It belongs to us, Mistress Marapova. I don't doubt the power of your little expeditionary force, but you would be a fool to underestimate mine. Please, feel free to send your Whore Masters and White Witches into these woods with my... monstrosities. Fight an enemy you do not know on ground you do not know in the dark. This mountain will run red with blood, but we shall see whose blood it is."

Maria clenched her fists.

"Or," Demonica said. "We take a beat. Pitch camp and spend the night enjoying each other's company. Tomorrow, we will retrieve our people and leave this mountain in peace."

"Very well," Maria said. She turned and Brittney came to her side. They walked back toward the convoy. "Oh, one thing, Demonica? If I find out tomorrow that any of my people have been harmed? We'll kill every one of you."

"I would expect nothing less," Demonica said. Then she beat her great wings and rose into the sky and swirling snow.

Maria frowned as Demonica flew away.

"We're going in now, right?" Brittney asked.

"No. We aren't. She's right, goddamned bitch. She's had all day maybe more to arrange her defenses. We'll lose too many people, and we won't be able to help Willy's people in any event. We have to wait till morning."

***

East of Greek Peak Ski Resort

8:30 PM

Sugar stood in a snowy field near the road to Greek Peak. They had setup camp in the field: a dozen large tents arrayed in a circle. The inflatable tents were gray and shaped like domes. External heaters blew warm air into each through coiled hoses, warming the insides and keeping the tents inflated.

Patrols of Whore Masters and White Witches walked the perimeter keeping an eye on the tree line.

Things were moving in the tree line.

Sugar pulled her eyes away from the shadows and looked up the mountain at the Greek Peak Resort in the distance. It was bright and cozy, an inviting sight high above.

But she knew it was probably anything but inviting.

"Hello, Sugar."

She spun around and leveled the air pistol.

Demonica had landed silently on the snow behind her.

Her burning yellow eyes turned up in a smile. "One of Demona's knock out dart guns?"

Sugar shook her head. "Not this time. These darts are laced with arsenic, cyanide, and curare."

Demonica laughed. "Sugar! Are you planning on killing me?"

"Would it work?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Honestly? I'm not sure." She stared into Sugar's eyes. "You're different."

"You're not."

Demonica cocked her head to the side. "What happened to you? You are not the Sugar Tits I knew at all, are you?"

"Life happened."

"More than that I think."

"What do you want, Demonica?"

"World peace, the subjugation of humanity, oh, and a place for my children in this new utopia Sister wants to create."

Sugar shook her head. "Pretty sure that last part isn't going to happen."

"Don't be so sure, my love." She reached out and stroked Sugar's face with her onyx claws. "I miss you." Then she laughed. "Don't look so shocked. I found Ray tedious and dull but not you. Maybe it's because we were friends before all of this. Wouldn't it have been strange? If we'd never been at the farmhouse? Would we just be two middle-aged friends gossiping over coffee? Talking about the men in our lives? Just Melanie Karnes and Angela Owens growing old in Ithaca."

Sugar shrugged. "Ancient history."

"Yes, I suppose. I'm fairly certain there's nothing left of Melanie Karnes inside me. But, I wonder, dear: is there still some piece of Angela Owens left in you?"

Sugar stared into her blazing eyes. "The only person inside this body is Mistress Sugar Tits."

Demonica moved closer. Then she stopped and frowned.

Sugar had the barrel of the air pistol pushed against Demonica's abs. She smiled. "Now, one more time: what do you want?"

"I'm here to speak with your mistress."

"What do you want with her?"

Demonica smiled. "I said your mistress. As delightful as you are? I'm not here to speak to underlings."

Sugar smiled and nodded. "God, you've grown even more arrogant than you were. It'll be your undoing, Demonica."

"Where is Maria Marapova? The largest tent, I assume?"

"No, that's the medical tent. Hers is the one to the left of it."

"Thank you." She turned and walked toward it.

"Demonica? I don't know what you're up to, but you better think it through. Maria wants to kill you. If I know Ray? And I do know Ray - he has you in his sights right now. Doctor Thompson is in that medical tent, and he can rip you in two with his bare hands."

"Is that all?" Demonica laughed.

"No. It's all I can do not to pull this trigger. You hurt Demona and you are going to die, that's decided. It's just a question of which one of us does it and how long we decide to wait. Whatever Sister promised you? It's a lie. There's no place for you or yours in utopia."

Demonica stared at her. "Hmm," she whispered. Then she turned and walked toward Maria's tent.

Sugar waited till Demonica was halfway to the tent before she took another breath.

***

In the tent to the right of the medical tent, robotic eyes shrouded by a black hoodie tracked Demonica's every move. Rita's sensitive ears took in every sound Demonica made right down to her heartbeat.

Rita held a sharp dagger in each of her pink hands.

Ray was behind her in the tent entryway. He put his big hands on her shoulders.

She laid her head over to the side and rested it on the back of his hand.

***

The Combs House

8:40 PM

The transformed gathered in the living room.

"Four hour shifts," Willy said. "Each coven takes a turn."

Carter, Brenda, and Hanna looked at each other.

"Yes, I count you as a coven," Willy said. "Richie and Gina's coven takes the first watch until 1:00 AM. Carter and Brenda, your coven takes 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM. We'll take 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Professor Combs, you and Patricia..."

"Tricia," he corrected.

Patricia looked pale.

"Sorry, Drew and Tricia take over at 9:00 AM."

"You think they'll attack?" Carter asked.

"No, I think he's got elves and possessed scouring the area looking for us. With any luck, we'll know when they find us. At that point, they'll report back and then they'll attack en force. It's what I'd do. We've made it hard for them to find us by moving the vehicles a mile out and blocking the house windows with towels and windows but sooner or later? They're going to find us."

"What do we do then?" Brenda asked.

Willy looked at the humans sitting around the dining room table. "I have a plan. It's not a good one. In fact, it sucks. But it's all I've got. If anyone has any ideas, now's the time to speak up."

Everyone looked at each other.

"Let's hear your plan," Drew said.

"Loretta and I have tried to hold a fixed position against an elf onslaught once already. We had a third floor hotel room with one entrance."

Loretta shook her head. "We couldn't hold them."

Willy leaned down and picked up Berniece. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. Willy smiled at her. "They can fit through the smallest opening. We couldn't hold a dozen of them back from coming through a single door. This house is huge. If they attack, they're getting in. They'll open the doors for the possessed and we'll be overrun."

"We did a pretty good job at the lodge," Hanna said.

"Yes, but we had subterfuge and surprise on our side," Willy said. "Plus, you were the invaders not the other way around."

Patricia looked at the humans. "They're going to get hurt."

"Yes," Willy said. "If we fight here, the humans are going to get hurt."

Kayla nodded and smiled. "So we don't fight them here."

"Exactly, when the scouts find us and report back? We move out and fight the elves on the slope."

Richie frowned. "Wait, how do you know they'll come down the slope? What if they just come down the road?"

Willy shook his head. "No. Santa's army has to walk - he doesn't have a vehicle big enough to transport them. He'll send them the quickest route. That's the slope."

Carter frowned. "This would be a lot easier if we could be lethal."

Willy stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if we can't kill anyone..."

"What gave you the idea we couldn't?"

Honey smiled sheepishly.

Richie pointed at Honey. "She said we couldn't kill."

Willy shook his head. "Honey..."

"A little white lie to save lives! I regret nothing!" Honey said.

Willy stifled a laugh. "Part of what she said was true. Whore Caste in general can't kill. The exceptions are Whore Masters, Junior Whore Masters. White Witches, and Bimbots - we can kill to save others. It's almost never necessary. And, we have to do everything we can to avoid it. The elves and the possessed aren't responsible for their actions."

"He's controlling the possessed and the elves don't know any better," Kayla said. "If we take him out, they'll surrender. The possessed will even recover in time."

Willy nodded. "Keep that in mind when we're fighting. Our one true enemy is Santa himself. Try not to hurt anyone else if you can avoid it."

"So all we really have to do here to win is kill Santa Claus?" Brenda asked.

Kayla sighed. "He defeated you once, Willy."

Willy nodded. "Yeah, but this time? He'll be up against a dozen Whore Caste." He winked at Berniece. "And one pissed off Elf Whore."

Berniece grinned showing her sharp teeth. Then she mimicked stabbing someone with her butcher's knife.

***

As Carter, Brenda, and Hanna headed out of the house to keep watch, Willy headed upstairs with his coven.

He held Loretta's hand as they followed Honey and Kayla up the stairs.

"Bed, huh?" Loretta asked. She was looking at the two women.

"Yes, Loretta. Bed. You seem nervous," Willy said.

She squeezed his hand. "The blonde's prettier than me, I'm scared shitless of the brunette, and I can't quite wrap my head around a honeymoon for four."

"And here I thought this wasn't your first rodeo," he laughed.

"Yeah, well, those other rodeos involved psychedelic drugs and a lot of tequila. They also didn't involve going to bed with a god and two goddesses after I washed my hair with dish detergent this morning and had a breakfast of Pop-Tarts and vodka."

Willy laughed. He stopped on the stairs and put his hands on her waist. "Loretta Luvzit, you make me laugh. All of us together are going to make one perfect coven."

She looked into his eyes and shook her head. "Still not convinced you aren't a bear and I'm on an acid trip."

He took a step up the stairs and smiled down at her.

She took a deep breath. "Lead on, Mr. Bear."

Willy looked over her head at the living room. "Berniece?"

The elf stood up on the back of the couch and tossed her empty gin bottle behind her.

"This coven sleeps together. Come on," Willy said.

Berniece giggled and jumped off the back of the couch. She ran up the stairs past Loretta on all fours.

"I'm definitely tripping on acid," Loretta said.

***

Drew had a standing propane heater running on the patio and Brenda huddled beneath it with Carter and Hanna. Brenda shivered. "You know? I really wish we had another transformed superpower: resistance to cold."

Hanna hugged her shoulders and Carter put his arms around them both.

She had a hunch that it was not only a strange feeling for her but for them as well. Being hugged by two lovers at once was going to take some getting used to.

Not that it was a bad thing.

As a matter of fact? It felt amazing.

Just yesterday, she had been jealous of Hanna, afraid she would take Carter and Hanna had the same fear about Brenda.

And now? Now her thoughts about the future included three, not two.

When Willy had referred to them as a coven, Brenda had felt like she was on top of the world. They weren't even bound yet - how would they feel when they were?

Hanna smiled at her. "I know what you're thinking about."

Brenda smiled. "Are you happy?"

"I'm about to burst," Hanna laughed.

"Me too," Carter said.

Brenda shook her head. "I mean, I'm terrified of what might be coming for us with monster Santa? But, I'm insanely happy with us. It's real, right? This isn't just some illusion from being transformed?"

"It has to be real," Hanna said.

"I think it is," Carter said. "I've been like this for a while and... all I wanted from the time this started was to be close to someone. I could never feel that until now. I think we're supposed to be like this. I think we're supposed to seek out..."

"Soulmates?" Brenda said.

"Yeah, soulmates," Hanna said. She reached over and touched Carter's cheek. "Why do you think Maddie Fuchs did this to you and then let you go?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. But if I ever see her again? I'm going to find out." He smiled down at Brenda. "Warm enough?"

Brenda nodded. "Let's patrol." They each had flashlights and they turned them on.

The three of them walked down the patio and then into the field beyond. There was a shed there.

"What do you think the professor keeps in there?" Hanna asked.

The door was unlocked, and Carter opened it.

Their flashlights illuminated the cold interior.

The shed was filled with old restaurant equipment, heavy pots and pans, even an old stove. Old skis were stacked against the back wall.

"The professor said this place used to be a ski resort - I guess there was some junk left over when they bought the place," Carter said.

Almost half of the space was taken up with stacks of empty five gallon buckets.

Hanna laughed. "Restaurant must have used a lot of lard."

Brenda pulled the top off one. It was empty. "Guess they saved the empties."

Behind the stacks of buckets, small eyes watched them.

***

Demonica didn't announce herself, she simply walked into Maria Marapova's tent. The tent had a small entrance tunnel that led to the interior. When she stepped inside the tube, she came face to face with the blonde in the pink snowsuit who had been with Maria earlier.

The girl stared up at her, blocking her path.

"Step aside."

"I'm Mistress Marapova's personal assistant, Brittney di Marapova. Do you have an appointment?"

"An appoint...? Stand aside, child."

"No one sees Mistress Marapova without an appointment, and I handle her personal calendar." If the blonde was afraid of her, she gave no indication.

Demonica smiled. "Are you aware you have no lenses in those ridiculous glasses?"

"Yes, Mistress. They are a fashion statement. An affectation - that's a sentimentality designed to convey an air of authority and instill respect."

"I know what an affectation is. Stand aside." She tried to step around Brittney.

Brittney blocked her with a sidestep. "If you'd like to make an appointment, I will see if my Mistress has an opening in her schedule."

Demonica leaned down and stared at Brittney with her fiery eyes. "Do you have the slightest idea what I could do to you?"