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Heaven and Hell II: The Ways of Power By Maggie Finson CHAPTER 1 The damned Hellhound was laughing at me again. Slowly picking myself up off my rump after yet another failed attempt to gain some control over the wild magic I had gained access to a short time ago, I took time to rub the offended part of my anatomy and soothe my smarting tail. Then I glared at the Hound with my hands planted firmly on my wide, softly curving hips. "Am I entertaining you, Helga?" "Oh, very much, Mistress," the hound opened her cavernous mouth in a wide, doggy grin showing a very daunting array of needle sharp teeth and a flexible forked tongue lolling out one side of that maw. "You'll remember that I told you hanging around with you would be fun, don't you? I really do think that you've mastered the boom in front of your face then fall on your ass thing pretty well. Why don't you move on to something more challenging, like say....oh blowing a crater the size of The Gates District in Mama's nice clean little home here?" "Humph!" I grumbled. "You're not showing me the proper respect a freed Hellhound should to her mistress." "Like you said," Helga stopped grinning to industriously scratch her scaly hide with a hind leg. The six inch claws against her armored side made a sound not unlike fingernails on a chalkboard. "I'm a Hellhound. We don't respect anyone; all we do is howl, bite, and claw things. When we're allowed to, that is. Otherwise, we have to be content with scaring the shit out of people. "Besides, " Helga growled, then let out a doggish sigh. "That 'her' you attached to me has been something of a problem for both the Imp and myself. It is your fault that we were transformed into females, after all." "Neither one of you was exactly forced to come home with me, as I recall," I had, in fact, tried to discourage anyone from following me home after that near debacle in a sorcerer's lair. It wouldn't do any good for me to bring that up, though, so I tried a different approach. "Look, Helga, the same thing happened to me not long before it happened to you and Dimona. At least you two had been denizens of Hell for awhile. I spent a whole half-day here and woke up to find my male human body changed into this." "I'd say it was an improvement," Helga grinned at me again, standing to her full height, which towered over my own five foot four inch frame, and stretching luxuriously. She then eyed me with the perspective of a male. "And A finer looking bitch I've rarely seen, Lorilei, dear. If I was still male, I'd sure be trying to screw the dark out of you." "Oh, I get it now," with a sigh, I grinned at the hellhound, who stood six feet even at the shoulder. "my punishment wasn't being turned into a Succubus. You're my eternal punishment." "Hey, that's a thought," Helga chuckled, which still sounded like a growl to me but I was starting to understand her different sounds and expressions. "How about if I bite you, just to see how it feels?" "Forget it," I ordered. "You'd have one half or the other of me in your stomach before I could so much as smack you in the nose and say, "bad doggie'." "Maybe just a little nibble?" Helga hopefully questioned. "I promise not to take much." "Not even a lick," chuckling, I reached out a hand to scratch Helga's rough, hot nose. "Why don't you go chase the new souls, or something? I really should get on with my practice." "Can I play with Girard?" Helga eagerly asked, with a red light shining from her eyes. Girard was the Sorcerer who had held thrall over Helga, and a lot of other beings from both Hell and Heaven. I'd managed to kill him, with a lot of luck, and all the wild magic and hodgepodge of spells my poor brain still hadn't managed to even begin sorting out had come to me directly from his former being. "Just don't let him out of the compound this time," I cautioned. "Mother Lillith was really pissed off when we had to scour every inch of Home last time you turned him loose to run." "I knew where he was all the time," Helga pouted. "Is that why you slinked away to where you thought no one could see you and pissed yourself because you were shivering so much?" "I won't lower myself to answer that," raising her huge, iridescently scaled head in a haughty, injured gesture, she glanced at me from the corner of one red eye. "Just go chase your former Master, will you?" I almost pleaded. "Give him a few good shakes for me." "You got it, Mistress," Loping away with double pronged tail wagging in anticipation, she basically ignored me completely after calling out that last agreement. "Finally!" I sighed then tried again. BOOM/CRACKLE/ZZZZZZZZZZZZT!, "Yow!" "Hey, boss!" Dimona, my very own personal Imp leaned over to see my face. "That was something new, wasn't it?" "Oh, shut up," I groaned, getting myself into first a sitting position (kind of an interesting project when you have a three foot tail hanging off your butt) then eased myself to my feet. "I just don't think I'm cut out for all this magic stuff, you know?" 'Hey, boss," the cute little creature (that description embarrasses the hell out of her, and since as a male Imp named Dimon had attached himself to me for some unfathomable reason, then gotten changed into a female for daring to follow me home, I thought just a little teasing wouldn't hurt anything.) gave me an encouraging look and a pat on the bottom. Okay, maybe Dimona is only two feet tall, but come on, I'm not into les relations with dwarves, no matter how cute they are. She finished with something that made me feel really bad about my earlier thoughts, though. "All you need to do is relax and let the magic flow. It's in your nature, and basically, you are the magic. Mother Lillith says that you just absorbed way too much to handle right away and given time you'll figure out how to tone things down and really be something to see in action." "Thanks, Dimona;" I leaned over to plant a light kiss on her flawless forehead. Man oh man, if Dimona ever goes home in the condition she is now, I foresee a drastic rise in the Imp population coming. Of course, I managed to stay diplomatic enough not to mention that possibility to the gorgeous little thing. She's nervous and still a bit upset about the change in sex as it is. Telling her she's also a male Imp's wet dream come to life would probably make her crazier than she is. But on some days, who would be able to tell? Like the time not so long ago when she dreamed up what has become known as The Great Tail Caper. Everyone of us ladies woke up that day to discover we had vividly colored and ringed tails like some Technicolor raccoons. Lurid lime greens and hot pinks were the predominant shades. Now Succubae as a group tend to get around a lot. First because of the way we feed, then in our roles as recruiters for the Legions of Hell in our ongoing if currently almost amicable war with Heaven. We also act as messengers, go betweens for factions on both sides of the conflicts, and sometimes even negotiators and mediators. So most of us have , if not seen an awful lot of weird things, we've sure heard of them. As a result, we're usually a pretty good natured bunch regarding practical jokes played on us. Unless that joke happens to hurt our vanity. Everybody in Home, including a very pissed off Hellhound, was hunting for the perpetrator. Guess who that was? I had to hide the little fart in my holding bin until she was able to reverse the spell. Even after all was restored to as normal as we ever are around here, poor Dimona suffered (Oh, dare I say it? Sure, why not?) the torments of Hell for a while. Thanks for the faith in me, Dimona," I grinned in spite of myself. When you look at it from a distance, her tail prank qualified as genuine classic. "Did you finally get her to forgive you?" "Mostly," Dimona sighed, then gave me a woebegone look. "I only have to play with my dollies like a good little girl for The other three hundred and seventy mommies that I insulted and all will be forgiven." "Well, it shouldn't be all that bad," I soothed, patting her long blonde hair into place absently and adjusting the enormous pink bow in it. "After doing that for the fifty you already have, you ought to be pretty well used to it." "Hah!" Dimona stamped her little foot quite fetchingly. "I'm thousands of years old, was a male, and now I've got to play with dollies? Get used to it? I think not, boss. Put up with it? Do I have a choice? Not if I'm going to render the Terms of Service I swore to you." "You'll survive," I assured her, then gave her frilly little skirt a tug to straighten it. "Now you'd better run along and play. Delilah is expecting you, after all." "Geesh!" Dimona turned to skip off in an imitation of happiness that I was beginning to think was less of a falsity than she would like anyone else to think. "Oh, I almost forgot mommy Lorilei; Mother Lillith wants to see you. ' Now!' were her exact words, if I recall." "Then I'd better go see her," heading that general direction I cheerfully called back. "Now you be good little girl for mommy Delilah, today!" 'Yeah, yeah, yeah," Dimona's muttering diminished in the distance, but I could have sworn I heard a happy little giggle of excitement out of her just as she passed out of the range of my hearing. I winced internally while recalling the bawling out I gotten along with the very firm command to exercise tighter control over what my minions did while at Home the last time Mother Lillith had called me into her presence. I very carefully reviewed the recent past to try and determine if any of those that were nominally under my control had managed to really screw anything up badly enough for me to be in trouble all over again. That took a lot of reviewing, since it included nineteen fully matured Succubae, one ebullient Hellhound who I thought at times might be entering her second puppy-hood, one mischievous and half demented Imp, and forty-three various unassigned souls that were mine until someone showed up to make me an offer for them. Nope, nothing wrong on that front as far as I was able to tell. (big sigh of relief from yours truly) Thank the powers below that those damned Angels hadn't taken it into their twisty little minds to follow me down here, too. I had enough problems dealing with the beings that were here as it was. So, drawing back my shoulders, and taking a deep breath of the richly perfumed atmosphere of Home, I swallowed that worry and entered the portal that would take me to the receiving complex and Mother Lillith's offices. Yes, I did say offices, bureaucrats and all. This is Hell after all. II "She's waiting for you," Cheri, the Succubus that had drawn secretarial duties in the office that period, Waved me past her desk before I'd even had time to greet her. I sailed right past the smiling succubus, not without worry, just because one us smiles in a friendly manner doesn't mean all hell is about to break loose. Nor does it mean that the particular being really has any good will towards the recipient of that smile. In point of fact, my earlier escapades, accidental or not, and all the goodies I'd pulled in as result, had more than a few noses out of joint back at the good old home place. I knocked at the imposing door and waited for about a second before it swung open and Lillith's familiar voice urged me to enter. I did, then stood stock-still. Belial, the genial master of our opposite numbers in Hell was present with another Incubus standing somewhat uncomfortably at his side. "So this is the little lady who's gotten everything so stirred up recently by bagging that damned Girard," he boomed cheerily, "My, my how you have changed my dear. I must say I consider your present self a vast improvement. "Oh, please forgive my thoughtlessness," he boomed on, obviously unaware or just not caring that his voice was actually rattling the glassware on Lillith's desk as he gestured towards his nervous companion. Please allow me to perform the introductions, or should I say re-introductions?" "By all means," Lillith gave him a look that was both pained and more than a little fond then waved him on. "But do you think it might be possible to perhaps lower the volume just a bit. Please? My prize glassware won't survive much more and I'd be quite cross if these items were to break." "Oh, of course, Lady," he agreed, lowering the volume of that resounding voice about half a notch. At least the glassware on Mother's desk had quit shivering. I briefly wondered who they had been before being transformed into the lovely, and highly erotic crystal and glass sculptures. "Lady Lorilei, your reputation proceeds you, so I won't bore everyone with your somewhat surprising exploits of recent times," I breathed a very real sigh of relief over that, because believe me, I was getting more than a little tired about hearing all that rehashed over and over again. In fact, some were saying that I was beginning to get cranky regarding those stories. Actually it wasn't the stories, but the disbelieving, or awestruck looks I got from any audience hearing them. Along with my feeling a small amount of annoyance when those tales were quite naturally embellished a bit. Okay, so I was being a bitch about it. I'm female now, and a denizen of Hell with a lot more responsibilities than I should have had under the circumstances. Besides, I was exercising my Hell given right to behave as a true female and kind of liked being a little bitchy off and on. I could always blame it on the hormones, after all. Belial went on, oblivious, or seeming to be though I knew better , to my own discomfort with the situation. I had a pretty good idea of just who this new Incubus was, and wondered what his reaction to the new and improved me would be. "May I introduce one of the newer members of my own clan, Richard." "Lorilei, Michael?" Richard questioned with dawning realization and growing amusement in his eyes. "Is that really you in there, Mike?" "Uh, huh," with a nod, I gave his well muscled and endowed form a critical, feminine looking over and showed my approval of what was showing in crotch with a small smile. "That you in there, Lisa?" "Yes," Richard nodded, returning my scrutiny with an equal intensity before he broke out in a wide smile. "You are one sexier than Hell little piece, aren't you, dear. How does it feel?" "It's pretty damned good from this end, stud," I replied, licking my lips with my tongue. If you think a regular tongue running over full, moist, inviting lips is something, you should see what a long forked one can do. Most of you guys would melt, I guarantee it. After all, that's my job now, and I do happen to very, very good at being a bad girl. It's lots more fun than being a bad boy, let me tell you. "Hello, Lorilei," another familiar, and unwelcome voice greeted me with no little amusement and an actual tone of being glad to see me. Well, he was a male, after all, and my new body was quite specifically designed to entice that sex. The only problem with that just then was that this male also happened to be an Angel. "Ariel," I nodded, then smiled in spite of myself. Even in his mostly human form, the angel I'd briefly met in Girard's study was a real hunk. "What brings you down here, slumming?" "No," he answered with an unstudied aplomb, "Actually I'm here negotiating." "Negotiating?" I was getting suspicious, and the uneasy feeling when I'd first noticed the Angel calmly sitting in an office that was one of the antechambers to Hell, was rapidly growing into strident alarm bells ringing so hard they thumped the insides of my head. "Negotiating what, exactly?" "For your services, of course," flashing me a dazzling smile, Ariel pointed his chin towards Lillith and Belial," And for those of your former lover." "Oh," my response wasn't the wittiest thing I'd ever come up with, but I was really kind of non-plussed over that revelation. "You know, something told me this day was going to be like this." "Aren't you even a little interested in what I want?" Ariel asked with a lift of his eyebrows and an appreciative look at my well displayed assets. "Nope," I shrugged, intentionally, and watched his eyes widen minutely at the delightful quivers that gesture sent through my exposed flesh. (We Succubae rarely wear anything that conceals our charms. If you want to be truthful, the stuff I wore around home and on ventures into other parts of hell might as well have not been there at all.) "Gee, Ariel, I thought you guys from way up there were supposed to be above that kind of thing." "A pack of dirty lies," he grinned widely, "I'm a male, and not invulnerable to a lovely lady. Especially one of your particular family." "I see," my own smile widened into a sunny, almost obscene invitation. "But with you wanting to contract Richard here, as well... I had no idea that Angels could be so kinky." 'Surprise," his smile widened even more, and I realized that he was enjoying this verbal byplay as much as he was getting his rocks off watching me. "Heaven isn't all that goody two-shoes place most of the religious nuts in the Human Realms believe. Most of them who make it past Peter, are very shocked at first. But they get used to it. Actually, you folks get most of the real fanatics down here. And good riddance I say. Fanatics are trouble from the word go. "However much I would like to contract for your no doubt delectable favors, Lady," his expression grew serious, "That isn't what I'm here to obtain just now." "That's too bad," I pouted, (quite prettily and seductively, too. I know because I'd been practicing in front of a mirror.) "We could have a lot of fun." "Another time," he promised, and somehow I just knew that it would happen. "But now to business. "Since You've already done Heaven some rather odd favors given where you come from and all," Ariel sighed and rolled his eyes, telling us all with that time honored and hoary gesture that bureaucrats weren't exclusively a problem experienced in Hell and on Earth. The powers that be, including my Lord Michael have requested your assistance in a very urgent matter." "Ariel," drawing in a breath and doing my absolute best to not dissolve into a heap of quivering jelly that had once been a succubus, I got directly to the point. (Sort of, and it's about time, right?) "The path around this particular bush is well beaten, the garden path is now open for visitors, and I'm more than ready to be escorted down it again. Will you please get to the point?" "All right," glancing at both Lillith and Belial, he drew in a breath and started. "As much as Heaven hates to admit it, we have a rogue on our hands." "A rogue Angel?" I questioned with a lift of one shapely eyebrow. "Let me guess, he ran here, and you want me to help ferret him out." "Not exactly," Ariel began to look a little nervous and I started to get that proverbial 'Real Bad Feeling' about the whole thing. "Shen-Dai is an Elohim who has decided to set up shop on his own in the Human Realms. With the express purpose of fomenting some kind of incident that will kill the short-term truce between Heaven and Hell. Then he plans to escalate things so that truce falling apart will ignite another no holds barred resumption of hostilities between Heaven and Hell. With the Human Realms caught between. We think he plans to set up another power in our interminable fight. One that could swing enough punch to finally call for Armageddon. " "And just exactly what do you possibly think I could do against someone powerful enough to defy both Heaven and Hell?" giving everyone in the room a quick glance in the hopes that this was some nasty joke, I had the sinking feeling that they were all serious. Armageddon is the one curse word that is frowned upon in both Heaven and Hell. I mean, get real here. Both sides have a pretty good thing going as it is, with a very fine and stable balance in the Human realms between them. What kind of maniac would even consider setting up a third (neutral?) power in the Human Realms, then actually use it to trigger the End of All Things? The kind of maniac I wanted to stay well away from, that's what kind. Unfortunately, I was getting the idea that such a comfortable scenario wasn't in my future. I was right. And boy do I hate being right in cases like that. "Well," Ariel cleared his throat and gave me an uncomfortable (and slightly sheepish) look. "Shen-Dai is very fond of playing with the occasional succubus and Houri. Mohammed isn't all that willing to put one of his precious sex goddesses into that kind of position, which isn't all that surprising, so we had to go with a plan to approach the other side for one of theirs. Which incidentally, is the better option. Houris are very gifted when it comes to pleasing a male, but woefully limited when it comes to anything else. Like counting past ten with their shoes on. "Approaching you, wondrous Lady, was the next logical step," the Angel gave me a guilty look and I immediately knew that the suggestion to approach Hell for my help in the matter had come directly from him. Damn! If we hadn't already been there, I'd have done my level best to send that smiling, Angelic son of a bitch straight to Hell. "Since you have already eliminated one of our mutual enemies' most powerful minions, he has a very well grounded grudge against you," Ariel actually appeared to feel guilty with how this had turned out, but I still wasn't in a forgiving mood. Especially when he Finally(!) got to the crux of the matter. "So we would like for you to act as bait, to draw him out in order for us to get him once and for all." "I don't look all that good wearing hooks," I grimaced, then flounced forward (flouncing is so cool, and fun too, when you can find just the right moment to do it effectively. Males just tend to naturally flinch when a female gets into a really good flounce.) "Now I ask you in all honesty. Do. I. Look. Like. Some. Poor, damned, wriggling WORM?" Raising your voice to a near hysterical pitch is a good ploy, too. Men, of any breed, just hate dealing with a hysterical female. Powers Below and Above, being female can be so much fun at times! At first I couldn't believe how easy it was to manipulate the poor darlings just by quivering a lip and threatening tears, or offering my very attractive body as an incentive. How did I ever manage to get along as a clumsy, gullible male? "That pretty well covers it," Ariel agreed with a smile of appreciation for my performance. "Richard is just an added bonus for the jerk, since he swings both ways." "Now wait just a damned minute here!" Richard protested. "I haven't quite gotten used to being a male yet, but I do like being this way. Now you want me to play a faggot?" "You are a bright boy, aren't you?" I sneered. (sneering is really hard to do right, you have to twist your lips just so and add a lopsided smile at just at the right time while twisting one eyebrow into an almost impossible angle to reach, let alone hold, to maintain the full effect of the ploy.) "With your former experience you ought to do real well with that assignment." "I'm still going to get you for dragging me down here, Mi...Lorilei!" he sputtered, then pulled back at a warning glance from Belial. I decided it might be a really good idea to do that myself since Lillith was giving me the same kind of look. "Okay, okay," I sighed rather theatrically, "I'll do it." III Richard and I left the office after arranging to meet Ariel in a truly neutral spot later. The Angel, Lillith and Belial remained behind bantering like old friends. (Which I suppose they really were, after all the fallen angels of Hell were once members in good standing upstairs and many of them still maintained ties with a few who hadn't backed the losing side in that revolt.) The Incubus who had been my female lover in life simply stared at me for a few breaths without saying anything. Then he smiled wickedly, "They really did a job on you, didn't they Mike? You're one of the most gorgeous creatures I've ever seen and that includes Lillith." "Don't compare me to Lillith," I answered, actually flattered by what he'd just said but careful not to show it, "I don't have near the age or prestige she does, and don't have nearly the sheer presence she does. And my name is Lorilei, please use it. Mike is in the past and going to remain there." "All right, Lorilei," Richard nodded agreeably, "But tell me honestly, doesn't being like you are now, with all of Michael's memories still rattling around in that beautiful head, bother you?" "Sometimes," I admitted with a shrug. Watching his response to the shimmies that set off in my upper anatomy brought a sly little smile to my face. "But this shape does have its compensations, and it's really kind of fun most of the time." "So I see," he grinned back. "Ok, lets start over again here, shall we? Lorilei, as Lisa I was very angry and bitter towards Michael for causing us to be sent here, and was openly very glad to hear that you were getting all girled up to be an animate sex dream for guys. Now that I see what they've made of you, and how you've adapted so well, the part of me that is still Lisa doesn't see any of the old Mike in you at all. I guess what I'm trying to say here is, how about a cease-fire, and let's negotiate a more permanent peace between us." "Sure," I agreed happily enough. I'd never had anything against Lisa, and saw no real reason to dislike Richard. All the animosity over how things had turned out was on the other side of things, and as he said, there was very little of the people we had been remaining to us beyond clear memories. I gave him a long looking over, too. "So How do you like being what you've become?" "A lot," his grin widened. "I always wondered what being a guy was like, and now I've found out. I think I would have preferred it back on Earth too, if the chance had been there. I mean, Lisa was gorgeous, sexy, and bright, but still had to keep the home fires burning while her husband ventured out into the world to provide for us. Rebellion against that was probably the real reason I started responding to Mike's advances, so our getting together wasn't entire your fault. I was doing my best, pretty good for a human, to subtly reel you in too. "Any way, now I'm a male." Raising a large hand to look at it for a moment, he then flexed a bicep with very impressive results. I know he had my mouth watering, as he glanced up to watch my obvious pleasure in his own action. "A strong, good looking guy, with extra powers of my own. Incubi are opposite numbers for you succubae, and we have much the same abilities, though a little more logical in bent because we aren't as emotionally driven as you are. We tend to be used as planners rather then openly active doers, but are just as effective in our own rights as you are in your much more flamboyant manner. "So, all in all, I have to quite honestly say that I'm not unhappy with how things turned out," Reaching out one of those, large, strong hands, he lightly stroked my cheek and I felt wonderful little tingles and shivers run all over my body. I also knew that if an Incubus and Succubus coupled without some rather elaborate precautions, the results were usually a little Succubus or Incubus later on, so used some (rare) self control to step back. Not without some regret, but I sure wasn't ready to become a Mother in fact as well as figuratively. "I -- I think we'd better keep this relationship on a just friends basis for the time being, Richard," was my somewhat shaken comment. Man did I want him, and knew the sentiment was returned. "It wouldn't be such a fine idea for me to be in the family way while we're doing whatever our bosses and that smug bastard of an Angel have cooked up for us, would it?" "Nope," he grinned while giving me that 'I'll be taking a lot of cold showers" look that so many guys, myself as Michael included, had down to an art. "Partners, then?" "Partners," I nodded with a straight face, knowing damned well that I'd be using some of the special play toys MAMA provided her girls quite frequently if I was around this particular Incubus very much at all. (a girls version of the cold shower thing, you know.) "Well, I'd better go round up my faithful minions and get a few things lined out at home. Meet you up top when everything's ready to go?" "I'll be there, doll," he answered with a grin. "See you later." Heading down the strangely mundane appearing hallway with its line of office doors on each side and institutional carpet, I had a lot of things to think and worry about before reaching the permanent portal leading to Home. I wondered how much trouble I'd have rounding up my often wayward charges, and just what in the Hell (and Heaven, and Earth for that matter.) anyone thought I might be able to accomplish against an Angel powerful enough to go Rogue and make a going proposition of it. "Bait," I muttered in resignation as the portal took me. On the other side, I finished, "Bait, that's all, they don't expect you to try and fight this one, just run like Heaven's Host's are on your tail and let the really big guys take it from there." "Oh, suuurrre," part of my mind sarcastically agreed. "Easy, right?" IV "LORILEI," MAMA's thunderous but still feminine, motherly voice impinged on my worries, "LILLITH WANTS YOU TO GO TO THE GATES AND COLLECT A SPECIAL RECRUIT. THE PAPERWORK IS READY." "Now?" I questioned, then closed my eyes while grimacing. It was the wrong thing to say, and I knew it. If Mother Lillith thought a newly collected soul was important enough to claim and retrieve right away, it was important enough for me to do so without complaining. MAMA noted my own self castigation with obvious amusement and thankfully refrained from scolding me. Being one of that powerful entity/ place's favorites sure did have its advantages. And drawbacks. A neatly arranged stack of papers (fireproofed of course, parts of the Gate area were really unpleasant) appeared in the air in front of my pretty little nose with an impatient rattle. Helga bounced up with an anticipatory doggish grin, tongue lolling and yellow eyes glowing with glee. "Hi, mistress. So we get to go grab a newbie, do we? I love terrorizing the new ones, I really do." "Well," Taking in the information on the ream of papers I'd been presented with a quick scan, I shook my head. "Sorry to disappoint you, my faithful hound, but you're coming along for escort duty. "Maybe you can terrify a few other hapless souls while we're there," I offered in an attempt to cheer the Hellhound up a little. She really hadn't had much on an opportunity to play lately except with the souls in my own holding bin, and they had become used to her, even looked forward to playing the terrified little soul running from the terrible Hellhound. "Okay," perking up, Helga wagged her tail impatiently, "Let's get going, can we?" Hellhounds used to be people. Really bad people, and their shapes and duties were as much reward as punishment since most of them had been actively allied with Hell when human, and smart enough to avoid being snatched up by any of the Demons they had called up. But intelligent as they were, canine habits were part and parcel of their beings. Helga was bouncing around like a terrestrial dog anxious to go for a walk in the park and hoping for a rabbit or squirrel to chase. "Might as well," I answered, changing the default setting on the portal I'd just emerged from and taking one last look at the picture and stats on the first page of the dossier I had been given. "Come on Helga, let's go." _______________________________________________________________________ ___ The GATES OF HELL aren't one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hell. Just about everyone here had already seen them (since that was where most souls entered) and quite understandably, weren't all that anxious to relive the memory. I myself much preferred the entry across the river Styx, but it wasn't used much any more, and Charon had really become bored and was a greedy old shit on top of it.) On emerging from the portal my nose was immediately assaulted with the stench of brimstone (sulfur) and burning flesh along with about a thousand other scents that I'd rather not identify. Okay, I admit it, my imposed femininity and lifestyle had made me a lot more fastidious than any denizen of Hell had a right to be. I was spoiled, pampered, and knew it. So what? I had gotten what I deserved, or wouldn't be like I was, or dwelling in MAMA's motherly embrace. Helga, on the other hand, sniffed delightedly, like someone away from a well liked home for a very long time, and taking a moment to savor the pleasures of returning. "Ahhh, the wonderful memories these delightful aromas bring back," "Yeah, great, Isn't it?" I groused, then winced as the full surround sound effect of the immense chamber hit my ears. Bellows of Demonic laughter, screams of horror and terror, and wails of despair all competed for being the loudest in my sensitive ears. I toned that down by shutting down part of the volume, then happily discovered I could do the same for my poor abused nose. An unfamiliar, but very insistent pulling sensation began to almost drag me forward, and I started walking to avoid stumbling and the embarrassment of sliding along the very nasty stuff littering the floor on my face or cute ass. "Come on, we have to go this way." None of the muck I was working my way through so much as dared to splatter me, though some of it was clearly tempted. I glared those pieces back to their usual slumped, inanimate postures without stopping. Did I ever mention that as a Succubus, I possessed an automatic cleaning function? Let me tell you, it was going full bore as I walked through that place. It just wouldn't do for one of Hells precious little pretty things to appear as anything but fresh and sexy, after all, and I didn't mind that stricture a bit. "Are you a Demon?" an anxious voice reached me along with a filthy hand that nearly managed to touch my knee before the cleaning power zapped it in warning. "Yep," I answered the cringing soul who was now shaking its hand to get rid off the stinging numbness. "I sure am." "Are you here to torture me with Hell's devices?" it questioned eagerly. Not today, sweetie," I smiled nastily while thinking, 'Great, I've been accosted by a masochist. Must have been a good one, though. looking up, I saw a Demoness wearing its best Ugly and Terrifying guise, along with very high heeled boots and carrying a bewildering variety of whips, chains and pronged devices. Suppressing a shudder, I moved out of the way. "But I think your torturer is coming now." "Oh, wonderful!" the soul eagerly responded. I gave the clearly unhappy Demoness a cautiously friendly nod while passing her and she returned it, then gave her obvious charge a long suffering look. "Don' t ever piss off the Powers That Be down here, honey, I did, and have to put up with this. Would you believe its the stupid sucker's reward? "Go figure," I shrugged. "got a collection of my own to make, see you." Behind me I heard a low, menacing growl, several sharp snaps of canine teeth, and a delightedly terrified squeal. Evidently Helga didn't mind giving the poor soul a little reward of her own. "Helga! stop playing around and come on." As we neared the massive, living Gates proper, we had to pass , and even push through several long cues of harvested souls shuffling along in proper misery. They were being indifferently herded towards the appropriate processing centers by a few bored looking Demons wielding the traditional pitchforks and whips. Neither the lost souls, or Demons guarding them gave me much more than a glance. Helga quite happily terrorized the odd soul, but remained obediently close by, even growling a clear threat to a spectacularly large Demon who had reached down from his immense height to try and pick me up. "Nice doggy," its immense voice boomed out. "I'm just going to give your mistress and you a ride to where you need to go. Now we can do this easy, or hard. Your choice." I gave Helga a grateful look for defending me, then a questioning one. She appeared to be thinking things over for a moment, then gave a doggish shrug and grinned, "Easy." Taxi service in Hell sure did take some weird forms. The hulking, huge Demon held a hand large enough to park a fairly large truck on out flat in clear invitation, and we climbed on. To be deposited several moments later right in front of the imposing Gates themselves. Several harried looking clerkly types were rushing around, checking lists they carried on clipboards against the huddled souls waiting in the shadow of The Gates, then singling out first one, then another to be handed off to a rather impressive array of demonic types waiting in line for their own turn to make a collection. I giggled at the sight, and Helga gave me curious look. "This reminds me of a catalogue pickup counter at Penny's or some other department store," I told her. And sure enough, a sign proclaiming "Special Orders -- Pickup" was set into the stones of The Gate just above the counter. It was kind of hard to read, though, because the legend kept writhing into different scripts and languages with a speed that would have been impossible to keep up with if not for my enhanced senses and information retrieval abilities. "Close," the Hellhound agreed with a grin while leering in her most hellish manner at the souls awaiting pickup. "If you'd been conscious when you got here, this is where you would have been sent." Other Hell hounds were pacing the area, evidently awaiting the ones they were escorting or on other business of their own. I asked Helga, who not a bit embarrassed by her newly imposed female status, "Do you know any of them?" "Oh, sure," My own personal Hellhound nodded her massive head without attempting to leave my side to speak to any of them. "Wouldn't you like to go talk to any of them?" "I am," Helga grinned again, then sat comfortably to renew her mental communion with her brothers and sisters. "Are they giving you a bad time about your change?" I questioned, more out of curiosity than anything else. "Nope," Helga answered smugly. "They're all proud and envious of me. Getting permanently assigned to a Succubus is a real honor, not to mention being a cushy job all of us fantasize about getting." "Well don't get too comfortable," I cautioned. "We're getting an assignment that sounds like it's anything but, cushy." "Hey, us Hellhounds adore excitement," Helga gave me a panting grin, then went back to talking with the others of her kind. "Hey, I see ya got yer own Hellhound, cool!" a throaty, slightly rough feminine voice sounded from directly behind me. "Would ye be the fancy girl called lorilei?" "Yes, I have a Hellhound, and yes I am Lorilei," turning to see who had spoken to me, I found myself needing to look up to see her face. (That wasn't all that uncommon, I'm not really tall, but I'm telling you that this gal was big. "Who might you be, and why are you so interested in who I am?" "The name's Sylvanna, but people generally just call me Syl," the giantess replied cheerfully. She was at least seven feet tall, very pretty in a rough, athletic way, with visible muscles flexing whenever she moved, though they were the smoothly feminine kind and not those of a female body builder. She was wearing what I had to decide, for lack of a better term to describe it, a suit of glittering chain mail over a black leather shift that ended in a flaring little skirt that barely covered her bottom. Syl was also carrying one of the biggest damned swords I'd ever seen, and I could see the hilts of numerous knives and the head of what appeared to be a small (for her) battle axe. She grinned while I took all that in, then finished with her answers to my questions. "As fer what I'm so interested in you about little darlin', I been sent to kind of guard your delectable backside fer awhile." "Oh, okay, Syl," I nodded, deciding then and there that it would be lot's better having her with me than against me. "That's fine, but do you mind my asking just what you are?" "Ach, no lass, I don't mind at all, yer rep bein' what it is, a gal can ferget yer new around here," she jovially returned, with a gentle pat on the back that nearly sent me sprawling on my face. "Sorry, there Lori, honey, I oft ferget how delicate you sorts be. I'm a Hell Maid o' course. The finest one available fer this little set to yer a goin' ta be mixed up in. Hell Maid. Oh yeah, I found the needed reference in the hodge- podge of facts that were gradually being classified and filed properly in my badly overworked brain. Hell Maids were our version of Valkyries, or something like that. They were female warriors who liked nothing better than hacking, slashing, or pounding someone. Preferably some hapless Angel, or holier than thought Paladin. Though occasionally they would resort to pounding or otherwise chastising some denizen of Hell who had really, really pissed off the people who ran the place. "Happy to have you, Syl," I grinned back, craning my neck to get a good look at her large, expressive ice-blue eyes. "Truthfully, I was beginning to think I was way over my head on this one. I mean, Succubae are agents, negotiators, or once in awhile, assassins. We aren't exactly the epitome of head to head fighters unless we're using our magic, you know what I'm saying?" "Ach, don't be worryin' yersel' with things like that, Ye'll do fine, girlie. Ye got the luck on yer side, and yer smart ta boot," Syl assured me then winked. "As fer as Suckies goes, I'm thinkin' yer on a the good uns and I be right proud ta be the one ta help ya, little darlin'." "Uh, miss?" the thin, reedy voice of one of the clerks took my attention away from that fascinating conversation before I was able to ask what Syl meant by the term Suckies. I suppose, from the way she talked normally, that should have been pretty clear, but I wanted to ding her about it. Just as well I got interrupted, I suppose. "Yes?" turning to give the clerk a falsely radiant smile, I answered sweetly, (practicing for my future conversations with Syl, no doubt.) "Is it my turn, now?" "Claim form?" he held out a skinny hand and waited without much patience. "Here you go, dear," I returned with saccharin dripping off my words, but it didn't bother this one at all. I flipped through the ream of papers until I found the one labeled "CLAIM FORM # 22666-3a: COLLECTING A SPECIAL REQUEST', and passed it to him. He barely glanced at it before hitting me with the first of many frustrating questions. "Name?" "It's on the form, isn't it?" "Your name," he stated in a monotone that would have done a badly done robot in a terrible sci-fi epic proud. "Lorilei," I responded. "Residence?" "Hell, you dummy," I was getting my first real taste of Hell's very own bureaucracy (that was, in case you hadn't already figured it out, one of Hell's most diabolical inventions.) and wasn't enjoying it at all. "District?" the clerk intoned. "Home," I shot back. "Very funny, lady," he glared at me over his half glasses, "Now come on, cooperate with me a little bit here, okay? Now where do you call home?" "The Succubae enclave!" I almost shouted, "As if one look couldn't have told you that." "Very good, now we're getting somewhere," he nodded briskly, then infuriated me all over again by asking, "Occupation?" "I'm a Succubus you idiot!" was my diplomatic response. "What in Hell do you think I do?" "Name calling will only delay this process, lady," the clerk replied mildly. "Now let me see, where were we? Ah, purpose of collection?" "How would I know?" I grated out through clenched teeth, "my boss sent me here to pick up the soul of one Ricardo Esteban Del a Court, he was a black magician in his former life. Now could we please get on with this?!" "You answered two questions at once," he accused. "That's very irregular, you know. Now, who's soul are you here to collect?" "Can't you just use the answer I gave you last time?" I pleaded. "No, lady, I can't." with a sigh of long suffering, he repeated. "Name of soul you're here to collect?" "Ricardo -- Fucking -- Esteban -- Cock Sucking -- DEL A COURT!!" I was shouting at the end, and felt my blood pressure, or whatever I had now that took its place, rising. "There is no need for embellishments, young lady," the exasperating trauma disguised as a clerk reproved, then handed me another form. "Sign on all the X's please, then take the finished form to the pickup area. Have a nice day." "It just got better, thanks," I grumbled, then changed my mind as I got a look at the form. My groan must have been loud enough to hear at the Gates of Heaven. I was holding six pages of fine print, with demands for the very same answers I'd given at counter number one. With the addition of the need for about six hundred signatures. Much later, suffering writer's cramp all the way up to my elbow, I shuffled dispiritedly to the line waiting at the pickup counter. I was firmly grasping (Okay, let's be honest, I was clutching the sheaf of papers like a drowning man with a life preserver, knowing he would never survive a try to get another one.) the paperwork I'd just finished in the hand that wasn't clenched into a claw from holding a too tiny pen for even my small fingers and hand. Finally, my turn at the pickup counter came and I handed the papers over in silent resignation. "These are kind of crumpled up, Ma'am." a clerk who could have been my other nemesis' twin clucked disparagingly as he carefully smoothed the papers out. "Look." I gritted out with an outstanding show of patience, I thought, "After all I went through to get the damned things, then filling them out, I didn't want to lose them. All right?" "No problem," he surprised me by saying, "Forms are forms, and we just stick 'em in the files then get rid of them after about a hundred years." "Fine," my response was soft, and almost without inflection. I saw both Helga and Syl, who had been having a glorious time enjoying my first encounter with Hell's red tape mongers, wince when they heard it. "Now do you think it would be possible to hand over the one thing I actually came here for?" "Sure," he grinned, turning his head all the way around without moving and shouted, "Get that dumbass black mage out of the box. His new owner is here to pick him up! "Imagine," he chuckled dryly, "the idiot actually thought he'd cheated the Devil, if you'll pardon an old cliche. Got away with it for a couple centuries, but we're more dedicated to inflicting misery than the IRS. We caught up to him, just like we eventually find everyone who reneges on their payments." "I'm sure you do," my sarcasm was lost on him, but I was far too glad to see the end of the ordeal to bother pointing it out to him any more clearly. "Just have them bring him over there, and I'll get going, okay?" "No problem," he nodded, already gesturing for the next poor fool in line to move up. _______________________________________________________________________ ______________ Ricardo Esteban Del a Court's soul was smudged up some, but neither black nor tattered. He'd been a fairly decent looking guy in life, and that held true with his soul image, too. When he was hustled towards us his first sight was of the towering Syl and Helga with her paws on the Hell Maid's shoulders so she could get a better look. I don't know how it's possible, but his soul became even whiter than it had been when he caught sight of those two. When neither of them moved, he showed visible relief, then spied me carrying the papers that said he was mine, until I got him to Lillith, anyway. Needless to say, I wasn't in a very great mood after being tangled in all that idiotic red tape, and seeing his eyes light up when they encountered me didn't help the situation any. "Haven't you ever seen a Succubus before, Black Magician?" "Well, I think I qualified as more of a gray Magician," he defended himself, then gave me another looking over. "And no, to tell the truth, I've never had the honor of meeting one of your rather distracting sisterhood." "Get used to it," I told him shortly, anxious to put distance between us and the Gate's Holding Center. "I'm Lorilei, this is Helga, and that's Syl. If one of us can't control you another will, so I don't want any trouble out of you, okay?" "Better listen to the darlin' little thing," Syl advised with a leer at Ricardo, grinning when he flinched away. "She's had a hard day, and literally had to walk through Hell to collect you. I don't think she has much in the way of patience left over, if ye ken my meanin' little man." "I'm very patient, and in a pretty good mood on top of that," Helga growled while favoring him with one of her ferocious Houndish grins. "If you do try and wander off, I'll only bite off a hand or arm today." "Oh, don't worry, Lady Succubus," Ricardo hastily assured me, "No matter how frightening your companions are, I'm not fool enough to go running off. That would likely end up with me in some situation that is much worse than my present one." "Don't count on it, until you've met my boss," I grumbled, looking for, and finding what I'd hoped to see. Behind the counter, tucked away in a deep recess of Stonework, was a portal and I herded my strangely assorted crew in that direction. "Come on, let's get out of here," "Uh, Lorilie," Helga nudged me then pointed the other direction with her nose. "That's the way out." "So is this," I grated, "And it's a whole lot closer." "Uh, oh," Helga sighed and fell in beside me. "So what will you do if they stop you?" "Do my level best to fry the son of a bitch who does!" I answered halfway cheerfully. I was determined to get some of my own back, and shouldered aside the skinny clerk who tried blocking the way. Hey, I was cute, curvy, and sexy as all get out, but that didn't mean I was really weak as I looked. I was a Demon, after all, and a really pissed off one at that. "Hey, you!" another clerk, the very same one who had given me such a bad time, rushed up and set himself between us and the portal. "This exit is for staff and official business only. No Exceptions." "Well my business is not only official," I growled at him, (well, as close as my naturally sweet and sexy voice can come to a growl. Actually, to my embarrassment, it came out more like a cranky kitten's purr.) "Not to mention urgent. You clowns have cost me, and in addition, The Lady Lilith, way too much time as it is. Now, do you get out of the way, or do I let my friends here move you?" Syl grinned evilly, cracking the knuckles of her large smooth hands in anticipation. "Ye know, boyo, things've been a bit too quiet fer me tastes of late. A little exercise here with you couldn't hurt a gal, could it now?" "Me, I just like chewing on things," Helga casually added while sizing up one of his legs. "I guess I just never completely outgrew that puppyish behavior. Sad isn't it?" "Don't force me to call security! the wimp threatened, pressing himself back against the wooden pole that barred entrance to the portal and shaking. I actually began feeling a little sorry for him, but shoved that idea aide. The twerp had deliberately made things hard for me and both of us knew it. "Go ahead," I shrugged, letting out my best evil laugh, then stifling the giggles threatening to follow before calming down (damned raging hormones, anyway!) enough to focus my attention on the magics around us and drawing some in for my use. I don't really know what I'd have done with the stuff, but it made my eyes glow with very impressive infernal flames and all that. He caved in once that happened. looking scared, impressed, and angry all at once. "All right you over-rated, high class, stuck up little bitch! Go on through, but you'll be hearing about this later, I promise you that. " "I'm looking forward to it, sweetie," my voice had gone all smooth and silky, stroking his pointed, lopsided ears with a promise he'd probably never realize. "Thank you so much for all your help. So long," I reset the destination on the portal, herded my motley crew through it, and followed without saying another word. VI We emerged not in the bizarre office complex, but right in the middle of good old Home. My own family, won in that earlier confrontation with Girard but still my family in a sense that really held to the word, was waiting nearby with Mother Lillith. De la Court gazed in rapt fascination at more amassed beauty and sex appeal than most people ever saw and survived. Helga Yawned, then cast a surreptitious grin in his direction, knowing full well what was in store for the guy. Dimona, still in her little girl clothes was cutely jumping rope for 'momma' Dellilah with a resigned expression on her pretty face. Syl grunted appreciatively, "Man, oh man, that sure almost makes me wish I was still a man," Giving her a puzzled look, I questioned, "So what happened to the accent? Man? You were a male, too?" "Yes," she answered the last question first. "I got switched because of the way I was pulled down here. I killed one His Hellish Majesty's Prime Hell Maids and had to replace her with someone else or face the consequences myself. Well, It's a long story, I'll tell you sometime when we can settle down with some good booze and a little time to relax." 'The accent?" I prompted, more interested in that at the time while wondering if everyone I knew around here had been sex changed. "Oh, that's mostly for benefit of the yokels," with a grin she tilted her beautiful head to one side in a very feminine gesture for someone so large an martially attired. "Be honest with yourself, do you really think for a minute that His Hellish Majesty Lucifer would tolerate an uneducated, uncultured oaf like the one I was acting as patrol His borders and lead His precious troops against Angel Hosts?" "Guess not," I agreed, wondering why the aforementioned monarch would tolerate a bumbling beginner like me being in such a potentially critical position as facing a Rogue Angel bent on bringing about the Final Battle between Good and Evil. "Ahem!" Lillith clearing her throat pulled, no make that yanked, our attention back to the proceedings. "IF you two are finished with that interesting, but out of place conversation, do you think we could get on with things? Time is growing short, you know." De la Court was the center of a ring that I was very familiar with from recent experience. Appearing a little dazed by all the delightfully demonic attentions he had been receiving from my little sisters, (Little? Hell, most of them were taller than I was, and the youngest of them was at least several centuries my senior in age. But I'd brought them home and like some weirdly off skew Chinese Obligation, they were mine to deal with.) the soon to be member of my own personal clan had gracelessly fallen to his butt and was eyeing the teasing, giggling group ringing him with bemused enjoyment. "You do the honors with this one," Lillith informed me with a wide smile. "Your own magic reservoirs are so large and brimming full that you won't drain anything but the male essences from him. We need his magical abilities intact, so you're elected to do the job. Have fun and use your imagination." "Imagination?" I questioned. "YES, LITTLE ONE," MAMA's heavy voice entered my mind with an amused tone. "KAYLA, LILLITH, AND I HAD A LOT OF FUN FORMING YOU INTO THE POWER PACKED LITTLE SEX POT YOU'VE BECOME. THIS TIME YOU GET TO GUIDE THE TRANSFORMATION." "Oh, goody," I responded, unsure whether I really wanted to be responsible for something like that so soon after it had been done to me. "OH, YOU'LL DO IT. WHILE HUGELY ENJOYING THE EXPERIENCE." "All right, all right," giving in with the mental equivalent of holding out my hands in surrender, I sighed. "What's with all this sex changing around here? Is that a prerequisite for becoming a full fledged Demon or something?" "AROUND HERE IT IS." MAMA replied acerbically, "BUT IT REALLY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH POWER. A CHANGE OF SEX DRAWS A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE STUFF OUT OF THE NETHER REALMS, THEN A LOT OF IT HANGS AROUND. SOMETIMES, LIKE WITH YOU, IT ATTACHES TO THE ONE WHO WAS CHANGED, OTHERS IT JUST STAYS UNTIL SOMEONE PUTS IT TO USE. ALSO, THE CHANGED SEEM TO BE POWER MAGNETS ONCE THEY HAVE SETTLED INTO THEIR NEW EXISTENCES. THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT, A CROSS BETWEEN A HELL MAID AND ONE OF YOU LITTLE DARLINGS." "Oh," nodding, I wished I hadn't asked. "Well, guess I'd better get started, the only question I have right now is How am I going to do that?." "SYL WILL HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF INPUT WHEN YOU GET THE TRANSFORMATION GOING. HAVE FUN, CHILD." Ricardo was staring from one of my sisters to another so quickly I thought his head might spin right off his neck. As I entered the circle and approached him he gave me a worried grimace. "What's going on here?" "You'll absolutely love it," I answered with a slow smile while making my clothing (okay, okay, what there was of it.) vanish. His gasp was very gratifying as he took in all of me for the first time. Hey, a girl likes to be noticed and appreciated, you know. "Just lie back and enjoy the ride, lover." Did I feel at all guilty about the fact that this would be the absolutely final time he experienced sex as a male? Nope, not at all. Anyway, the sex as a Succubus was far better than any I'd had or even dreamed of in my wildest fantasies as a male. I was more than a little confident that our newest inductee would discover that very soon, with a little helpful push from yours truly, of course. Oh, yeah, did I forget to mention that all that lovely male essence would feed me well enough that I wouldn't need to concern myself with such mundane things as feeding for the next month or so? (Oink, oink, I confess. Yum!) I began by gently stroking his shoulders while pointedly ignoring the rather distracting and very hard thing poking me in the belly, then embraced him fully with a long, deep kiss. (Have I mentioned the effect being French kissed by a long, forked tongue has on a guy? Wowie, zowie, tonsil delight!) Once that part of the foreplay (very brief, under the circumstances, you understand. I couldn't wait any more than he could for the coupling we both knew was coming. That wasn't an intentional pun, either.) was well underway, I wrapped him in my wings and settled into the real meat of the task. Lowering myself onto his incredibly tumescent member, I began a slow up and down motion by flexing my knees. As his moans grew louder, I rolled us over until he was the one on top and the fun really got going. Which was a real good thing. As His male essences were pulled out by me, Mama obligingly added her own style of female essences to replace them. At the rate things were going, if the poor guy didn't cum soon, he'd never have another chance. Arching my back to help ram him farther inside of me and matching his rythym, I was finally rewarded with a load of hot, wonderful cum exploding into my own internal regions and underwent orgasm after mind numbing orgasm until we were both pretty well spent. Giving my newest sister a gentle kiss, I carefully untangled our wings and tails (Tongues, too, since those were still wrapped together.) and rose to view our handiwork. ( Syl had not only been lustily cheering me on to even greater heights of orgasmic thrills, she had thrown in more than a few suggestions of her own. Which I paid attention to as much as it was possible under the circumstances. ) She was absolutely gorgeous, if more than a bit different than one of us. I felt a mild twinge of jealousy, but that faded into elation as I noted the soft golden glow of intact, mature magical abilities within that beautiful form. "We did it!" "NEVER DOUBTED YOU FOR A SECOND, SWEETIE," Mama confirmed in open admiration. Whether that was for my job, the finished product, or both, I neither knew nor cared. We had another member of our badly thinned out sisterhood with some very interesting additions, and one who would easily fill part of the yawning power vacuum our kind was presently experiencing. (More on that later.) "Your name is Angelique," I softly told the stupified young Succubus/Hell Maid staring up at me from the ground. "Sleep now, little sister. Rest and be ready for one hell of a shock when you wake up." "YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR SOMETIMES LEAVES SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED, LORILEI," Mama primly informed me, then ruined the solemn moment by giggling. (Something the size of Mama doing that is kind of like going through a five point oh earthquake.) "BUT I MUST ADMIT THAT THIS TIME IT IS VERY APPROPRIATE." "Hell," my response was a bit distracted as I gave our newest sister a good looking over. "I remember how I reacted, and let me tell you, it was probably the biggest shock I'd ever experienced. That's including getting myself shot to death in my neighbor's bed." Azure and silver, she slept easily and comfortably. Her eyes, before they had drooped shut were a deep, bright azure that was arresting it was so intense. Silvery wings, horns, tail, and hair combined with those compelling eyes into a beauty that would be a prime weapon against any Angel in existence. Not to mention the lithe muscularity of her build. Angelique would be as powerful physically as Syl, with the same lightning physical reflexes and innate fighting abilities of a Hell Maid. With the use of real magic thrown into the mix. Oh, boy, I couldn't help but wonder: what in the Hell (literally, of course. ) had Mama, Syl, and I unleashed on the unsuspecting worlds? A new kind of fighter, that was for sure, and one that might just tip the balance in our favor for once. But she would be a new and different danger to the Hosts of Heaven. Something that would be needed in the future, though the War had more or less collapsed from sheer attrition and exhaustion a century before I'd come on to the scene. A varying degree of peace, or truce, held between Heaven and Hell at the time, simply because there weren't enough bodies to fight the damned War and run things, too. The ranks of my sisterhood had been culled down to a mere three-hundred from a high of thousands. We were hit very hard, because every Angel knew we were both powerf