Part 36 (2/2)
”Compatible?”
”Hope and desire. He hopes to escape. I desire to prevent it. I will transform his emotion into a hope for a better situation with me.”
”I don't see how.” Jaylin could question the Demoness; that was not the same as opposing her.
”I do not know, but you will help me to discover the mechanism.”
”I will not!” But then the regret, and she had to back off. ”I will.”
All this was internal. Now Jaylin faced Justin. ”Take off your shoes. Give them to the guard.”
He looked perplexed, but did as directed. Then Jaylin addressed the guard. ”Set the shoes at the brink of the open oubliette. Lock the main chamber entrance and hide in a neighboring cell. If any person enters the oubliette, quietly replace its entrance stone. Then return to normal guard duty.”
The guard departed with the shoes. ”Follow me,” Jaylin said. She led the way back into the main chamber, and thence to a smaller chamber adjoining it.
When they were in the smaller one, Jaylin closed the door. Then she looked around the room. It was richly appointed, with elegant decorative carpets on the walls, a s.h.i.+ning gemstone floor, padded couch, large clear mirrors, and a table with a full meal laid out.
”What is your will?” Jaylin asked him.
”To return to my familiar planet and be as I was,” he replied. This was clearly the Demon Earth speaking.
”You can do that soon, if you join me.”
”I will not join you.” But he seemed distracted, and Jaylin knew why: He had only very recently been merged with a mortal human body, and then been given a strong emotion, when he had never had emotion before.
”This is a mortal human male,” Fornax said internally to Jaylin. ”You are a mortal human female. This is a suitable kiss occasion.”
”No it isn't!” But again that regret. Still, she tried to fight it. ”He-Justin is about to marry Breanna. He doesn't want to kiss me.”
”Make him want to kiss you.”
”I can't do that!” But her protests were becoming faint. She had to do what Fornax desired-and because of the Swell Foop, that desire was excruciatingly strong. ”I will need-a better outfit.”
Fornax explored her mind, and in a moment that outfit formed around her. Jaylin wasn't sure whether this was magic or science or something else, but it worked. Now she was garbed in a rather-too-s.e.xy evening gown that included a strapless push-up bra, and her hair and wrists sparkled with rubies and diamonds. Her feet looked twice as dainty as was possible, in Cinderella gla.s.s slippers, with too much leg showing. She knew that her face was made up exotically.
She gave Justin a steady yet smoldering gaze. ”Earth, I am Fornax,” she murmured. ”Your best hope of freedom lies with me. I desire you. I will kiss you.”
He stared at her, neither man nor Demon quite grasping her intent. ”Let me go.”
She glided up to him, took him by the shoulders, and kissed him on the mouth. ”Take me,” she whispered huskily. The dialogue, like the outfit, was borrowed from Jaylin's memory of any number of romantic movies.
”I don't understand.”
”He is not responding,” Fornax said internally to Jaylin.
And Jaylin had to explain, though she hated to. ”Demon Earth has no romantic experience, and mortal Justin has no interest in any girl other than Breanna. It is not right for me to kiss either of them. In our culture, that's not the way it is done. He-he has to choose to-to kiss me.”
”Make him choose.”
”I can't!” But neither could she refuse. She retreated, and thought of all the other romantic and/or s.e.xy movies she had seen, and tried to emulate their more provocative leading ladies. ”My feet are wrong, I think. They are innocent-girl-at-ball. I need smooth stockings and high heels.”
And she had them. She had never worn any such things before, but this was an emergency. ”Demon Earth,” she said, speaking for Fornax. For herself too, really, because she wanted to make it halfway clear that she wasn't trying to mess up Justin and Breanna. ”What does it take to get your attention?” She let her robe fall somewhat open at the top as she took a deep breath, and performed a slinky step back toward him. She hated trying to be a fascinating b.i.t.c.h, yet there was also a certain illicit satisfaction. If only it weren't Justin she was trying to vamp!
Her trailing robe caught on her stiletto heel. She tried to catch her balance, but the robe entangled her legs, and she crashed ignominiously to the floor. She saw stars and a moon or two as her face struck. What a washout!
Then the pain started, and the physical side was only part of it.
CHAPTER 13: LOVE.
Justin saw Jaylin fall, and was appalled. He jumped forward, trying to catch her, but could not react in time. She crashed to the floor, striking her face. Ouch!
He kneeled beside her. She seemed to be unconscious. He put his hands on her shoulders, trying ineffectively to turn her over so he could a.s.sess the damage. Whatever had possessed her to-well, actually, he knew the answer to that. She was possessed by the Demoness Fornax, who was trying to use her human body to bemuse his own human body. On the theory that what happened to the humans would be echoed by the Demons. That Earth's hope would merge with Fornax's appeal, corrupting him.
”You resisted her blandishment,” the Demon Earth said. ”Why are you now going to her?”
”She's hurt,” Justin explained internally. ”She's just an innocent girl, forced to play a role she did not seek. I bear her no ill will.” He tried again to turn her over. Her body turned, but her robe turned more, uncovering some flesh. He hastily pulled it back.
”Why do you re-cover her?” Earth inquired. ”That is interesting flesh, according to your eyes.”
”I do not wish to embarra.s.s her unnecessarily. It is her face that is bruised.” Indeed, the bruise was starting to show, and blood was flowing from a split lip. He fished for a clean handkerchief in his pocket, but found none, for the guard had taken it and some b.u.t.tons, so he reached up to the table and found a cloth napkin. He used it to mop her face.
She groaned. ”Jaylin,” he said. ”You are in safe hands. You fell. Your face is cut and bruised. Do you hurt elsewhere?”
She sat up as he steadied her. ”I don't think so. Oh, this is embarra.s.sing.”
”I understand. We are caught up in a game of Demons. We do not have complete volition.”
She smiled. ”Thanks for understanding. I wouldn't really-I mean, Breanna is my friend-”
”Say no more. Maybe you can get the Demoness to allow you more sensible clothes, however.”
”Yeah.” She leaned forward, still sitting on the floor, to reach her feet. She flipped the split skirt of the robe aside and raised one knee so she could pull off the ridiculously elevated shoe. She lifted the other knee, letting more skirt fall away as she got the second shoe off. Her knees drifted apart.
Suddenly Justin caught on. He turned his face away just before her panties showed. ”Female canine!” he muttered.
”Bleep!” she swore. ”Now I can't verify whether it works.” She got to her feet.
Justin turned cautiously back to face her. Her robe was now in decorous place, showing nothing below the too-low decolletage. ”When did you return, Fornax?” he asked.
”I never left. But I let the mortal handle it, as long as she was making good progress. But she tried to balk after getting the shoes off, so I had to act.” Her face had healed, the injuries abolished.
”So I can't trust her, because she can become you at any time.”
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