It took everything iota of Lorelai’s willpower not to smile as she watched Tristan mentally brand Vesper as a traitor. Look at the great great great grandson of a Lesser Seraph stumble and fall. She thought, biting her tongue so hard that her teeth sheared through it. Acidic blood filled her mouth, a delicious pain she twisted to her advantage as her borrowed body reacted. Tears burst from her eyes, streaming down her face, Lorelai half turned away from the others, pretending to conceal her tears by covering her mouth and wiping her eyes.

In truth, it gave them a clearer view. She swallowed hard, and shook her head to no-one. Expertly deceiving the humans, not that it was difficult. After a few thousand years of pretending to be one, it had become second nature to manipulate the human animals. Ashera was the deviant exception, whose Lokinean bent constantly surprised Lorelai.

Excellent entertainment for the bored succubus. But the Matriarch of Malevolence had given her an order, one she would obey with all her being.

‘Teach the mortals what it means to suffer. Snuff out your pleasure farms, slay your harems, and join the war for Oathinao. My plan requires the woe -the inconsolable misery- of millions.”

It was a shame that Lorelai, and the succubus within her, heard the Matriarch’s decree almost two years ago, the same day they had entered Ellin Forest. Unlike now she had been isolated then, unable to cope with the loss of her magic within the forest, but now. Well, now she may as well be the Matriarch, blackwood blight was not the insurmountable ward she had once thought it was. The blight absorbed magic, and if there was no magic the blight would feed off the souls of the living, leeching their lifeforce and cannibalizing plants until the forest was a sparsely wooded and lifeless realm. But if one wrapped their mana with the vitality of others it became possible to preserve one’s power. Ephraim had made for an excellent condom, one that had safeguarded Lorelai for months.

The leeching effect had weakened arrogant Tristan until his bloodline abandoned him, making him vulnerable to Lorelai’s wiles. She had enjoyed that deeply, seducing a descendant of the angels –no matter how far removed-- always had a way of making her giddy. It had been so easy, a little torture back in Takioomi and Ashera begged her to sleep next to her, sandwiching herself between Lorelai and Tristan, as if they were her family. A lie of comfort that convenienced the affair. Tristan had resisted at first, but no male could avoid her demonic suggestions, especially when they were separated by a lone woman.

I can’t wait to see the pain in your eyes when I tell you the truth Ashera. But, now isn’t the time, your bright soul must be snuffed out before the Lycans can intervene.

Lorelai could feel the people turn against Ashera, her execution and their fall was practically guaranteed now. Her only failing had been the stillbirth, the only blemish on an otherwise pristine plan. No matter, she didn’t care much for infants, they were nothing more than little farms of ichor, always shitting and vomiting for attention. Impossible to corrupt when they lacked the intelligence necessary to understand contradictions.

Bah, it was deplorable, so vile that Lorelai redoubled her tears, drawing the attention of Jude and several other villagers who surrounded her, offering her words of comfort, Jude wrapped her arms around the succubus, pulling her close and letting her cry on her shoulder.

HA! Humans were the most gullible mortals, they were practically begging Lorelai to take advantage of them.

All of them were fools, they had made it all too easy to abort their children, a single drop of her blood mixed into Vesper’s ‘tonics’ had proven lethal to their leeched bodies, a trick the idiots somehow blamed on the trees. The trees. As if the blight could steal their lives along with their weak souls.

Tristan moved away from Rowan and Vesper, carrying the body of Aleyander. He was about to bury the evidence. No, it was too soon, Ashera needed to see what had become of her world. Lorelai’s heartbeat quickened, her body rising in arousal at the thought of what came next, it was time to put on a show.

“Horrible, it’s so horrible what Ashera did.” Cried Lorelai, loud enough for Tristan to hear.

He stopped, body tensing as he heard the whore’s name. Jude stroked Lorelai’s back, “It is horrible what happened to Ashera. I never could have thought her child would be stillborn.” Said Jude.

Oh envious Jude, I can always count on you for false platitudes, it’s how I’ll flip you like a pancake.

“Nooooo.” Wailed Loralai, “I- I thought she was going to see Loki, b-but- oh! It’s too awful to say!”

She had their undivided attention now. Tristan stopped, and more people saw the demonic child’s pieces. All the evidence they would need for a kangaroo trial.

“What are you talking about Lorelai? When did Ashera leave? Where did she go?” Asked Jude.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Lorelai choked on her tears, gasping for air to prevent the cackle she felt in her heart. Jude’s envy of Ashera’s life was finally rearing it’s ugly head, she couldn’t even consider her own sister’s innocence. Lorelai wailed into her shoulder, channeling small tendrils -no larger than a few hairs- of her own blood into Jude. The tendrils wormed through her shirt and into her skin, quickly empowering the mortal with hatred for the woman who had never abandoned her. One sin fed off another, Jude’s envy sharpening quicker than Lorelai could leech it from her. She was going to drag this out for as long as they would let her.

Jude’s thoughts came quickly, cascading into Lorelai’s mind as she imagined them. Ashera was born with magic, why wasn’t I? She must have taken all the magic our parents had to give, they always saved everything for their favorite Ashera. Even when the demons took them away, they left everything to her. “Protect your little sister Jude. Even if it kills you.” They never gave a damn about me. Where were they when the demons came for my family? Dead and burned, that’s where they were. They sacrificed everything for Ashera, they didn’t even think about me or Ephraim. What kind of trash-

Lorelai reveled in the vitriol. Squeezing Jude tightly as the influx of essence filled her bosom, feeding her power from the woman’s soul. At this rate Jude would burn out in a few days. Good, Lorelai would need a few thralls by then. The road back to the Matriarch required sacrifices. Besides, she already had a knight in Tristan, no reason to keep the fourth best swordswoman alive.

“A year ago, Ashera left to pray to Loki. *sniff* she said that she had to leave Ellin so he could hear her better. She was gone for weeks. I never thought she would… Oh Jude! We thought she was alone!” Cried Lorelai.

The math was so simple that even the illiterates fell into her trap, Ashera had been complaining about the eleven month pregnancy all month, making light of the excessive length. It had been her favorite topic, discussed between her relentless stream of mischiefs. Bodily odor and the scent of sweat filled Lorelai’s nostrils as the crowd aimed their feet in her direction. Explaining the unknown always earned the human’s trust. Fools. They thought so linearly, so predictably, one more accuser and the crowd would be hers. Speak now Tristan, how could you forget?

“I forgot about that, how could I forget? She was gone for three weeks.” Said Tristan.

Murmerings rippled through the crowd, rumors flitted through the bone houses and every slight Ashera had ever committed was presented.

“She dyed my hair blue, I don’t like blueberries!”

“Put a frog in ma chamber pot! The brown hopper caused a mess when I tried to take-”

“The wine I carried all the way from from Takioomi turned into vinegar.”

“She made us live in these bone huts!”

“-Brought us to live in cursed Ellin-”

“Heaven is angry with us, we’ll starve if we don’t punish her!”

Oh you fear Heaven’s wrath do you? Just wait until I’m done with you. Thought Lorelai.

“When was the last time anyone saw Loki?” Asked Lorelai.

Her question was the silent moment between ocean waves when the sand appeared solid, safe, only for the next wave to rush in and sweep bystanders off their feet. More murmerings, none of the seventy seven ‘lucky’ survivors had ever seen Loki. Aside from Tristan and Lorelai, who were remaining conspicuously silent. Ashera had naturally introduced her husband and best friend to her god, but Loki was too minor a god to waste his time proselytizing those who did not already know his name.

“Ashera has forsaken her humanity and become a witch. We must redeem her soul in the manner the Inquisition has approved.” Said Tristan, dropping the parts of Aleyander.

“Tristan! You can’t!-”

“Shut up Vesper. Don’t make this harder than it already is.” Tristan spat.

A discussion broke out amongst the villagers, the inquisition required that they burn witches at the stake, a ritual that required more wood than they had. Rational men and women bent to Lorelai once more, in the Keresh Desert -where there was no wood- the Reaver generals had crucified witches, beheading them a week after their deaths. Once a year the bodies would be taken to the edge of Biwako Lake and burned in accordance with the Inquisition’s bylaws. More villagers joined the discussion, more than fifty people were here now. New people brought new thoughts, kindling new arguments, what would they use as Ashera’s cross?

“We have plenty of wood.” Said Lorelai, knocking on the single wooden structure in town.

They had erected it in Ashera’s honor, sculpted by the resident artisan Nerus; it towered a full two feet above the squat bone huts, a metaphysical and imposing central pillar for the community to gather around. Nerus’ way of manifesting Ashera’s role in his art.

“After what she pushed out, its meaning has changed. From celebration of our prophet to a mockery of our trust. Ha, one last mischief. Fitting in a way.” Mused Nerus, stroking the half shaven stubble on his chin.

“No matter what we decide, the statue will have to come down. Oh damn, it pains me to see my art twisted so violently, but I would rather see it put to use one last time than discarded to rot.” Nerus said.

A dozen craftsmen nodded in agreeance with Nerus’ words, leaving him to contemplate the months it had taken to sculpt the statue. Months of his evenings and mornings had been spent sculpting the wood, bone splintering work that could only be performed after he tended to his meager fields. A joyous labor after the backbreaking serfdom of farming. Ellin Forest was nothing like Takioomi, he had patrons in the city, noble men who saw his worth and paid him for his art. Nothing Like Ashera. She had slapped his face, dulled his chisels, and ignited his muse. Making his soul blaze with the mood that all art required. And now she would die in the same dreary woods that stole the beauty from his quintessence.

Tristan clapped his hands, gathering the attention of the onlookers. “Ashera has lied to us, she has carried a cambion for eleven long months. We… The responsibility of executing her falls on us. Remember Takioomi, if we allow a single demon to live then it is only a matter of time before it damns us all. Show your willing hands if you accept my judgment.”

Sixty six hands reluctantly rose into the air, representing the vast majority of the town and their unilateral will to survive. Ashera was going to die. Vesper’s hand remained firmly at her side, a silent confession of her corruption and a blaring horn warning that she was going to cause trouble.

“Rowan, Vesper, go get her. Jude, find a beam, and Lorelai… Get some nails, she may have enough power left to break out of rope-”

“Tristan, what are you saying? You aren’t really going to…” Began Vesper, voice trailing off as she looked around the crowd. “Ashera saved us all. How can you let this happen?! This doesn’t make any sense! Why would she save us from the city only to turn around and betray us?” Gasped Vesper, the wind in her lungs suddenly gone.

Jude and Nerus traded worried glances, as if this was the first time they considered Ashera’s innocence. Lorelai came between them, her touch stiffening more than their backbones. Something Tristan failed to notice, or worse, didn’t care about.

“Demons do whatever makes us suffer most. You’ve seen it before, they kill single men and women without a second thought, but someone with a family. Suddenly they are reasonable, they’ll listen to you, they might even stop hurting you long enough to find your family. Then they are your best friend, right up until they torture your husband and child to death. Demons are immortal, so letting us live for a few years was probably nothing more to them than raising a yearling for the slaughter. Or baking a pie.” Lorelai opined.

Nerus, Tristan, and Jude nodded, the crowd blindly followed their example.

Like lambs to the slaughter.