Chapter 7

After she was sure she had talked to all the guards between the Duchess and the exit Lilith went to a pillar in the corner of the room. There she waited for the music to resume and reach a good volume to cover her chanting. When the music swelled Lilith began summoning her armor

“Go da, va tor, Ni chi, den Mak sla, Do Ma!” [Head, Shoulder, Hips, Chest, Hands]

Lilith then pointed a finger at the area behind the Succubus sitting at the center of the largest table ruling over a town she used as food. She focused her thoughts and stepped into the near ethereal. In an instant she was out again and only an arms length from the Duchess. That was more than close enough for what she planned to do next. Lilith took a single step forward and grabbed one of the immaterial and invisible wings on the Duchess’s back. Her magical gauntlets finding purchase and bringing the limb into the material plane. Using her demonic strength she began to twist. With a jerk the wing had been twisted 180 degrees upside down and Lilith shifted her grip to twist again. Now spun 360 degrees around the succubus let out a blood curdling scream as Lilith ripped her wing off and threw it into the middle of the banquet hall. The limb splattered blood on the floor leaving a trail as it came to rest, clearly visible for all to see.

The band stopped playing and the room went silent. Lilith grabbed at the succubus’s dress in order to prevent her from running. The entire room looked at them as the duchess disappeared into the ethereal plane. Her dress jewelry and hair pin all dropped to the table in a clatter. Lilith waited for the succubus to look back at her and jumped through the near ethereal again. This time she landed behind the succubus, who now was without any of her fine clothes or illusions. Lilith grabbed her by one horn and punched her in the gut making her drop to her knees. The succubus was now only wearing her demonic clothes, Iron bracers, ripped leather pants and a black leather halter top. Her face was both beautiful and demonic at the same time. The eyes were too slanted and the lips too pointed at the ends. Even though it was beautiful there was an otherworldly quality to her face which did not match the Duchess’s at all.

“Succubus of the nine hells, by the authority of the keep’s protector I place you under arrest and confinement by magic circle. You are coming with me.” Lilith let out in a loud and clear voice mimicking the way Wendel spoke.

She then turned towards the exit her prize firmly in hand and still recovering from the body blow. Ahead of her, guards began opening the doors and making way. Shouts rang out “Make way for the prisoner!”

Lilith walked swiftly out the hall and out the open gate of the keep. Two guards were in front of her leading the way to the right and towards Wendel’s tower.

Now outside in the night air the succubus tried to go incorporeal again but Lilith’s gauntlets never let go. Suddenly Lilith felt a sting in her arm looking down she could see the succubus had pulled a poisoned demonic dagger and sunk it in to the hilt. The knife came out revealing a small gout of blood and a slick of green poison. Before she could swing the knife again Lilith kneed her in the face with a satisfying crack a tooth went flying. The succubus once again collapsed in a heap dropping the dagger. Her hair now covering her face she struggled to stand back up instead falling back down to her side. Rushing back before she could recover, Lilith grabbed her by the horns once again and started dragging her. A guard behind her picked up the dagger and continued to follow them.

Lilith inspected her arm which was holding the dazed succubus by the horn still. Seeing no more blood and only sensing a little pain she gripped the horn tighter and continued to drag her towards the tower.

“Let me go you snake! I will have you executed for this!” The false Duchess screamed trying to make a threat as if she still had power over her subjects. Another quick kick to the head silenced her for the rest of the short walk to the tower.

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With just one wing she would be a pitiful sight if it wasn’t for all the flailing and clawing. Eventually Lilith just dragged her, face up, one wing making a trail in the ground all the way to the large stone edifice.

As they entered the tower Lilith could hear chanting and saw a glow coming from the back room of the first floor. There she found Celeste chanting rune words at a steady pace as the magic circle looked to be about two thirds complete. The circle was 20 feet in front of Celeste and she was having to keep a finger raised and pointed at glowing glyphs at all times as the magic streamed from her etching each new line in the floor.

Lilith still held the prisoner by the horns near the circle as she tried to ignore her curses and attempts at scratching her. “I am going into the circle now I need you to tap the floor hard with one hand to alert me when I have about 10 seconds left.”

Celeste gave Lilith a thumbs up with the hand that wasn’t pointing at the circle never stopping her chanting even for a second.

Lilith dragged the succubus into the center of the glowing glyphs and sat on her stomach in full mount while holding her hands at bay with her own. The demon tried to phase through the floor but the nearly complete circle rebuffed her with a jolt. “So whats your name miss one wing?” Lilith asked while looking down at her prisoner.

“Its Pencheska and remember it well for it will be your doom snake! No one betrays a servant of Asmodeus and lives. Once you return to the nine hells you will be hunted by every Erinyes on the planes. Their wings will fill the sky and you will be skinned and displayed on the ramparts of Avernus.” Pencheska desperately spat the words with what breath she could muster.

“Really then what is my name?….Do you have any of my belongings to scry on me with?”

The succubus’s eyes went wide with the realization. The only name she had for the demoness that had torn off her wing and ruined her perfect feeding ground was an obvious falsehood. “I know your face” she said with all the venom she could muster.

Just then Lilith noticed Celeste slapping the ground as she slowly said the last of the rune words trying to giver her as much time as she could. Lilith struck the succubus in the side of the head but it wasn’t enough. Wanting her to be unconscious again she tried to strike her with here gauntlets but she thrashed and contorted corporeal causing her second blow to land on the ground. Thinking quickly she grabbed both her horns and pounded her head against the floor several times before she stood up to leave the magic circle. But as she pressed her hand out she realizes it was too late. Even before Celeste finished the last rune word the wall was too solid and Lilith couldn’t push her her hand through.

Celeste finished the last 3 words as the circle turned white and she stood up to approach the nearly transparent wall of force. The room was now silent, except for a succubus laughing and groaning at the same time. “Why didn’t you get out? I was tapping for a good 15 seconds? Oh gods we will have to cancel the circle tomorrow and try again.”

Tired of the maniacal laughter, Lilith kicked the succubus in the head knocking her out cold.

“There is still a chance I could disappear at midnight and then you won’t have a problem at all. It will just be this bird in your cage.” She said flicking the barrier with one knuckle of her gauntleted hand.

“I’m sorry” Celeste said again “We will get you out in the morning. I am sure you will be here to stay.”

Celeste then looked behind her in time to see Wendel approaching. “What are you doing in there Lilith? That wasn’t part of the plan.” He exclaimed as the only conscious demon paced around inside the magical cage.

“I know, but we can get her out tomorrow, when you have your spell power back.” Celeste said hopefully.

Lilith thought about spending a night in this cage with that insufferable succubus and decided she wasn’t going to accept her fate just yet. “No I am getting out of here.” She said while rubbing her hands together. Lilith pushed her palms against the wall of the magic circle only to find it was completely solid. There was no give no strain it was an immobile wall of force that went up to the ceiling and perhaps beyond.

Lilith began taking off her armor she placed it on the ground and looked at her feet. “Hey look my shoes are back! And my dress. Can you get a broom stick and push this armor out of the circle?”

“Sure but you are going to need it if she wakes up.” Wendel got a broom out of the corner and pushes the demon plate armor out of the circle as she asked giving her an odd look after he finished.

Pacing back and forth Lilith decided to give it another try. She focused on her right hand raising it and pressing against the invisible wall of force. Not knowing what else to do she closed her eyes and began to pray ‘Dear lord please bless this mortal soul to be free of this cage so that I may do good works for you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Ah-men’ At first nothing happened but she continued to lean against her hand pushing with a bit of her weight against he barrier. Then Lilith heard a voice that said only three words. “He heard you.”

In an instant, the considerable force that Lilith had placed on her hand was released and she stumbled forward out of the circle and stood there wide eyed and stunned. Then she turned looking directly at Celeste and Wendel a look of surprise on all their faces.

“What? How did you get out?” Wendel asked in exasperation, still not believing what he just saw.

Celeste and Lilith embraced in a hug. The two of them jumping up and down with excitement.

Lilith released her embrace and turned to Wendel to answer him. “I prayed.”