Lucy paced back in front of the TV, Biting her knuckle in anxiety. The special report was beginning to repeat the story again. "Once again an incident at Plaza Park has disrupted power over a quarter mile of the city and shut down a concert by DJ Raze. No injuries are reported but authorities suspect the detonation of some kind of electromagnetic pulse weapon."

The front door clicked and swung open, Lucy saw Alex carrying Sweety in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck with her head on his shoulder, her legs around his waist. He held one arm under her behind and stroked the small of her back with the other hand.

"Alex," his sister cried and hugged the both of them. "You weren't in the park, were you?"

"Yeah," said Alex. He looked at the TV, still covering the story. "That was us." He sat Sweety back on the floor.

"Is she ok?" She said, now looking the girl over with the eye of a physical therapist.

"Yes, she's ok. Just scared."

Lucy turned to Alex, "what do you mean that was you?"

"We… we kissed, and.. " he stammered, "and there was this energy between us. Like an explosion." Alex took Sweety to the couch and had her sit down. "But Lucy, something is out there. It came after Sweety. A huge fiery, molten monster. And there was this lady with guns. She was shooting at it. I had to get Sweety out of there."

"Monsters and gun bunnies, Alex?" Said Lucy. "It sounds like bad anime."

"Can't say I remember ever being called a gun bunny." The blonde stood in their living room, arms crossed. "Alexander Angelicos, I presume?"

"How did you find us?" Asked alex.

"Oh, I might not have, but you left your door open and I saw you from the street." She pointed at the open door.

"Alex!" Hissed Lucy as hurried to the door to shut it.

"Sorry, I may have been distracted." He replied sarcastically. "And who are you?" He redirected toward the blonde.

"My name is Calief, I'm an investigator, of sorts. I work for the Arcanum Order." She produced a black plastic business card from one of her pouches and handed it to Alex. It was covered in strange symbols, some of which Alex remembered seeing in his grandfather's book, but no words in english. He looked it over for a second and set it down on the coffee table.

"And what the hell is an Arcanum Order?" Said Lucy, giving her the stink eye. Calief was at least an inch or two taller than her and built just as solidly. "Lucy by the way." As she extended a hand. "Also, Love the outfit." Her tone changed instantly from hostile to two girlfriends talking.

"Luccia Angelicos," as she shook her hand, "Alex's sister. I know. Thank you, and I love your hair."

"Oh well, I usually wear it up like yours." She said, indicating the pony tail that reached Calief's mid back.

Alex wasn't sure what was happening between these two, whether each was trying to out alpha bitch the other, but they didn't have time for it. "What is after Sweety?"

Calief's eyebrows raised, "you named her Sweety?"

"I was expecting an animal." He said, he felt for the umpteenth time.

"Well, someone summoned a hellhound to come after your girlfriend." Calling Sweety his girlfriend got a smile out of Lucy.

Alex didn't even argue this time. Maybe she was his girlfriend. Was that really so bad? "What is this, Order of Arcanum? And why is someone after Sweety?"

"Arcanum Order," she corrected,"it's a loose coalition of other magic wielding individuals. And it's not just Sweety. Over a dozen familiars have been snatched from their Arcanists over the last few months."

"Arcanists?" Injected Lucy.

"People who wield magic like your brother. The Arcanum has Taboos placed on the summoning of demons. But apparently someone is desperate to get ahold of familiars."

"And you work as what, like a cop for this order?" Asked Alex.

"Something like that." Calief smiled, "I, and others like me make sure the bylaws are obeyed and cover up magical incursions on the lower world."

"Lower world?" Questioned Alex.

"Here," indicated Calief with a twirl of her fingers, "among all the non-magic wielding folk."

"Well, that's insulting." Added Lucy. "So if magic is real, why isn't everyone using it? Ooo, maybe I need to give granddad's book a spin."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Not everyone can. You have to have the right amount of angel in your blood. A connection to the divine."

"Well I'm his older sister, we have the same blood."

"Blood varies, sister." The magic cop said, "most of the time only a single family member gets access to it."

Lucy seemed to pout.

"All well and good, but I have to keep Sweety safe." Said Alex, in that commanding tone again Lucy noticed. When he was protecting her, Lucy noticed how much like dad he sounded. "Can you take me to this Order? I need to talk to them."

"Loose coalition," she emphasized, "it isn't like there's a 'Hogwarts' they all hang out at."

"They have to meet somewhere when they discuss bylaws." Mused Alex.

"There is a place, a neutral ground respected by all arcanists. We could possibly meet with some of them there. But it might take some time to reach out."

"Thank you. I need to take care of Sweety," he said, taking her hand and wrapping his other arm around her. "You know where to find us. When it's arranged." He led Sweety to the stairs.

As they went up to Alex's room, Lucy walked Calief to the door. "Oh, should we swap numbers for when you get this all arranged?" Asked Lucy.

"Sorry," Calief replied, "I don't own a cell phone. I don't usually need one. But you have my card"

"You never need to call your friends?"

"I don't really have friends, not in the lower world especially. But I know where to find you, Princess." The blonde tapped Lucy on the cheek a couple times with her finger tips, before leaving. Lucy watched her as she strode all the way down the walk, got in a suped up green Mustang and drove away before she closed the door. "At least she has nice taste in cars."

Alex took Sweety to his room to get changed, especially since it was now her room too, he guessed. He grabbed his night clothes and went to the bathroom to do his preparations. When he returned, theth brushed and dressed, Sweety stood in front of the bed dressed in a fetish maid outfit. Black silk and white lacy ruffles, short crotch level skirt with plunging neckline and even the fishnet stockings with heels. "Ready for bed, Master." She piped cheerfully, as she bounced up and down and made herself ever the more tempting.

"Let me guess," he said with a tone of defeat. "Lucy picked that out."

"Miss Lucy said you would like this for night time."

Alex sighed, "whatever, just take off the shoes. You don't need them for bed." He flopped onto the bed and rolled to one side with his arm up. Sweety kicked off the heels and crawled to the bed beside him, planting her tush against his crotch. He wrapped his arm around her and had to admit the soft material felt good as he squeezed her against himself. Her head lay on his bicep, her hair as soft as the fabric of the costume. He sniffed the floral sweet smell from her hair and closed his eyes. And he wondered again, did it matter if she loved him only because she had to? He could sleep with her spooning against him for the rest of his life. He now didn't ever want to not have her snuggled against him when he slept. As he lay there, his awareness of everything else in the world except her falling away from his mind, he asked, "did you have fun tonight, Sweety?"

"Oh, yes Master. Thank you for showing me how wonderful your world is." She said softly. "I'm sorry for all the trouble that happened because of me, Master." He felt moisture on his arm and Alex realized tears were running down her cheeks. Her hands gripped his hand tighter and he tried to squeeze back reassuringly.

"It's ok. I don't care about that. I won't let anything bad happen to you Sweety, I promise."

Lucy yawned as she came downstairs to the kitchen in her lycra booty shorts and sports bra. The sound of her bare feet slapping on the wood made her remember the soft 'pitter pat' Alex's magical little girlfriend made as she walked. A pang of jealousy gripped her stomach. Lucy could never think of herself as 'heavy', but that dainty little doll of a girl made feel like she must sound like a troll stomping across the floor in comparison. Ok that's enough, she thought, I refuse to start being jealous of my brother's little sex doll.

Lucy reached the fridge and grabbed a bottle of juice to slake her thirst. As she drank a bloop, bloop sound began to emanate from the sink. Water began to back flow, filling the bottom of the basin. The water quickly went from clear to murky before a deep black ichor began to pile up on top of the drain.

"Shit," swore Lucy. She dug under the sink trying to find the plunger. "Don't be sewage, don't be sewage."

As she dug the mound sprouted red eyes and long pointed ears. Then long lanky arms tipped in claws and stumpy legs. As Lucy stood up, the elusive plunger finally in her hands, the creature opened a mouth full of needle-like teeth and screeched at her.

Lucy embarrassingly screamed like a stereotypical girl but still swung the plunger, sending the thing sailing across the kitchen. It impacted with the stove and splattered back into ichor that oozed down the front of the stove.

Two more of the creatures were already forming in the sink. Lucy drove the plunger into the sink squashing the little buggers back into oozing muck. She pushed down on the handle, collapsing the cup and holding the plunger on the drain with the suction. The pipes in the ceiling above her groaned and Lucy realized there were more drains than just this one.

"Shit," she cried, making a beeline to the front door. She pulled out the ball bat she kept in the umbrella stand for 'security' and headed up the stairs. "Alex!"

There were already four more in the hall headed for Alex's room and another one dropped out of the bathroom sink.

She reached the top floor and brought the bat down on the newest creature to emerge with a splat. She looked back down the hall and saw two already trying to squeeze under Alex's door. "Alex!" She screamed again.

Alex was drawn from a dream of floating on a cloud, laying on his back. Sweety was sitting on top of him, a golden light showering off of her, her hands on his chest in a look of pure contentment with his hands on her hips, touching her bare skin. Again a cry of "Alex!" Broke through the haze of dream. He opened his eyes with Sweety still cuddled against his stomach.

A rotten stench permeated the room. There was something oozing under the door. "What the.." Alex threw a shield against the bottom of the door, but the ooze flowed around it. Alex sat up as the ooze formed into feral creatures. He threw another shield and pinned one against the door. "I… I can't stop them."

Sweety leaned against him and held her arm perpendicular to his. She moved her hand in as he did for the beginning of the Luminous and Stallos spells but ended it in a different pattern. "Arcos, Master"

The second beast began a clumsily run toward the bed screeching, as Alex's hand performed the new configurations.

The Plasmos formed but this time it streaked out in a jagged pattern like a bolt of lightning. The energy impacted the thing causing it to pop like an ink filled water balloon. Freed from the shield by Alex casting another spell, the first beast screamed and began its awkward charge.

The door behind it swung open and Lucy brought the bat down on it with a splat. "They're coming up out of the drains!" She said urgently, "come on, we gotta go!"

Alex jumped from the bed, grabbing Sweety by the hand and they dashed for the hall. As they ran down the hall to the stairs they could see that there were dozens of the small creatures now, coming from the bathroom, the kitchen and headed for the stairs.

"Oh, I hate these little creeps!" Screamed Lucy.

"Stand back." Said Alex, stepping in front of his sister. He rapidly went through the configuration and released a bolt, clearing out the few who had made it to the stairs and sending the others running for the moment.

The three made it to the door, getting it open as fast as they could as the monsters were already regrouping and preparing to give chase once more. As they raced from the house, beasties at the heel, the green Mustang roared to a stop in the street. Calief popped out, sitting on the window, "get in the car, hurry!" She leaned across the top of the car and opened fire with one of her massive pistols. Bullets whizzed by the trio as pursuing monsters splattered under the impact of .50 caliber slugs.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Screamed Lucy as she ran for the muscle car. She opened the door and let Alex and Sweety dive into the back seat. "Are you trying to hit us?"she yelled as she dropped in the seat and closed the door.

"If I was trying to hit you," spat back the blond, as she dropped back in the driver's seat, jammed the car into gear and spun out. "I would have hit you."

The car rocketed down the street leaving the little creatures screeching and howling as they sped away.

"What the hell were those?" Gasped Lucy, trying to lower her heart rate.

"Golgotham," answered Calief. She looked over at Lucy. Someone really hates you guys."

"Gol-what?" Lucy asked.

"Golgotham," the woman repeated, "shit demons."

"Oh god, my house," Whined Lucy, "my house is ruined.

"At least you guys are alive" Calief consoled, as she patted Lucy's knee just before shifting again.

"Thanks to you." said Lucy softly. "How did you know we were in trouble?"

Without taking her eyes off the road, Calief lifted a wrist to reveal a bracelet with a gem that was glowing red. "The card I left you, on your coffee table back there, it detected an incursion."

"So you have been watching over us." Lucy felt suddenly hot for some reason. Her cheeks burned strangely as she sat in the seat. Her cheeks and other things.

"I got you your meeting," she directed at Alex in the back seat, "it's with Master Balthazar. He's the research chair for the order."

"Thank you," said Alex, "we appreciate your help Calief."

Calief smiled at him through the rear view mirror. "You can call me Calie. But you all can't see one of the masters of the order in your pajamas. We need to make a stop."