Heather the Necromancer - Book 6: Chapter 44: This is kind of fun

The sound of dripping water was the first thing she became aware of as she came to. She lifted her head to discover she had something over it and shook vigorously to try and get it off.

“You can stop trying to shake that off,” a familiar voice said. “And don’t bother trying to get up. I took the precaution of tying you with ropes that will prevent your shape shifting.”

Heather knew that voice from the street right before they were attacked. Breanne had said it was Xandria but it all happened so quickly, Heather found it all difficult to sort out. One thing was certain, she was bound to a chair someplace where this woman thought she had the upper hand.

“You have no idea how much trouble you are in,” Heather said as she flared with anger.

“Oh, sweety, how many times do we have to play this game?” the woman replied. “I made you an honest offer that would have turned you into a goddess among slaves. You would have been the envy of the silk princes and sold between kings for sums of money that boggle the imagination.”

Heather realized this woman still didn’t know she had grabbed the wrong target. She flexed her arms to test the ropes and attempted to move her legs but was firmly bound.

“They won’t break,” Alexandria said. “And I did some research so you can’t absorb or dissolve them with your corrosive powers.”

“You’re an idiot,” Heather spat as she decided to relax. “You haven’t even figured out you have the wrong person.”

“Please, I saw you, and I know you’re a shapeshifter,” Alexandria replied. “You didn’t honestly expect me to fall for that.”

Heather could see the logic the woman was using, and understood how she could have made the mistake. Jaina was a shapeshifter and often appeared as a different woman just for the fun of it. Alexandria had probably been watching Heather in the market and saw her change forms to hold up the dress, establishing she was Jaina. Still, if memory serves correctly, Alexandria was a deciever of some kind, so it stood to reason she could detect a lie.

“Can’t you tell when a person is lying?” Heather demanded. “Or is your class limited to telling them.”

“Fine,” Alexandria laughed. “Go ahead and try to lie to me.”

“I’m not Jaina!” Heather shouted and waited as the room went silent. A second later the hood was torn off and she looked into the eyes of a human woman with curly blond hair. Her face was full of rage as she practically trembled in anger, clutching the hood in a tight first.

“Who the hell are you?” Alexandria demanded.

“I go by Hannah, and I am a Lilim, not a morphic,” Heather replied as she glared back at the angry woman.

“But I saw you shape shift,” Alexandria insisted.

“A lilim is an evolved version of the succubus,” Heather explained as her form blurred and she took on her devil appearance “As part of my powers, I can shapeshift into any humanoid image so I can be whatever a person desires.”

“You’re essentially a succubus then,” Alexandria gasped and stepped back. “And I nabbed the wrong target.”

“Congratulations, you finally understand,” Heather laughed.

“Don’t you mock me,” Alexandria snarled. “You have no idea what that woman has put me through.”

“I have some idea,” Heather replied. “She told me a little bit about you, but from what I understand, you brought all that disaster on yourself.”

“I was trying to help her,” Alexandria insisted with a pointed finger. “Originally I just wanted her to work for me because I ran the local brothel and a shapeshifter seductress would have made a fortune. I would have treated her like a queen, and shared the profits, but all she wanted was to serve that dog.”

“Hey!” Heather snapped to get the woman’s attention. “Roric is a very nice man who treats those girls with love.”

“But I could have allowed her to realize her true potential,” Alexandria argued. “Why play so rare a combination of race and class only to serve one man?”

“Because she loves him,” Heather pressed. “And Jaina has hardly served just one man. From the stories she’s told me, that number is a lot higher.”

“Which made her perfect,” Alexandria agreed. “She loves being a sex slave, and would have been a perfect addition to my girls. But then I found an even better opportunity for her and I tried to show her.”

“A better opportunity?” Heather questioned as she watched the woman begin to pace.

“It started shortly after they left town,” Alexandria explained. “A group of men arrived at my brothel and asked to see all my girls. They were a hunting party sent by a group far to the north. There is a group of men and a couple women who call themselves the silk princes. They are in a contest to see who will become the emperor over their entire group. The contest dictates that they have one year to build the most impressive harem. The person who has the most unique and unusual girls in his harem when the time ends will become the ruler. That hunting party was offering a fortune for unique girls and I immediately thought of Jaina.”

“And you just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” Heather said as she shook her head.

“I told them I knew a girl who was so unique that any prince who possessed her would be guaranteed to win. They were intrigued and demanded to see her. I had to explain that she was gone, but I knew how to find her. I asked for some money to cover expenses and they paid me a small fortune. I then used that to bribe people, pay for loyalty and find out where Jaina went.”

“So you took a down payment on a slave you couldn’t deliver,” Heather said to clarify.

“I got careless,” Alexandria admitted. “Jaina was very resistant to my charms, so I thought if I could rest her she would be easier to control. So I paid a summoner a huge sum of money to conjure a fire tyrant and turn it loose on the town they were staying in. I spent all the money the group gave me, plus dipped into my own to pay for mercenaries to shatter the spawn point.”

“You had a town destroyed just to get at Jaina?” Heather said in surprise.

“You have no idea what these men were offering,” Alexandria insisted. “If I could deliver a girl that rare, they were offering me a small duchy inside the new empire. I would have been royalty with power like never before.”

“Why is everybody so eager to sell their soul to gain a title?” Heather asked.

“You can’t be serious?” Alexandria laughed. “You play a class based on manipulation and control and you don’t understand how vital a title is? Well, let me assure you that levels are, fine, but true power comes with a title and land. If you want to be somebody of true importance, you need to have both.”

“So you wanted to sell Jaina off for a title and some province in this silk empire,” Heather stated.

“I would have been doing her a favor,” Alexandria insisted. “Her combination would have made her special, and put her on the arm of the most powerful man in the empire. She would have been one of the most powerful women in the world.”

“She doesn’t want that,” Heather insisted. “And you need to give it up. You’re only hurting yourself by keeping this grudge alive. It’s time to move on.”

“I can’t move on,” Alexandria growled and turned to face Heather with wet eyes. “I am trapped and on the run. I don’t dare settle in one place, and I can’t open my brothel again.”

“What are you talking about?” Heather asked as the woman practically fell apart.

“I told you, I took money from the men sent to find girls. I promised them Jaina, but I failed to deliver. Now they want the money back, but I spent it trying to capture Jaina. They are going to take me in her place, and drag me back to the slave auctions where I will be sold to the highest bidder.”

“What? Why would they want you?” Heather questioned, not sure why a blond-haired women was so special. Her answer came when Alexandria explained her other class was called a madam. She could take a lot of slaves and care for them like no other. Her value would be the collars she could use to add more girls to somebody else’s harem. She would be bought up solely for her collars, and then treated like a common whore. Heather actually felt an odd sense of sympathy for the woman, who seemed on the verge of tears. She was in too deep with no way out unless she could turn over Jaina or pay the money back.

“And now I am in deeper,” Alexandria said as she walked to the side. “I don’t have any money, and I have been promising rogues, hunters and other unsavory types a turn at my love in exchange for their help. I owe dozens of people and I am running out of time. Then I saw you in the market with Jaina and I thought my chance had finally come.”

“So that’s why you made such a reckless kidnapping,” Heather said. “You were desperate, and this was your one last chance.”

“Yes,” Alexandria admitted, but smiled at Heather. “However, you present an interesting opportunity. Succubus are rare, and an evolved one like you is even more rare. Plus, they tend take slave girls, not become one. You can shape change, seduce and take extra girls, making you a prize with a high price tag. How would you like to be sold into real power? You would live in a palace and have the best of everything.”

“Are you serious?” Heather asked. “I already have a master and he won’t sell me.”

“But the collar isn’t locked, is it?” Alexandria pressed. “I bet I could convince him to sell you to me, and then I could pass you on for a real profit. Just think about it, you could be a slave girl to a prince, or a king.”

“I am the slave girl of a king!” Heather argued. “And he’s going to raise hell when he hears you abducted me!”

“You’re already a slave girl to a king?” Alexandria balked as her face sank. “Of course you are. Nobody was going to let a succubus who wanted to wear a collar go free for very long.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Heather replied. “But maybe I can help you.”

“Nobody can help me,” Alexandria sighed and slowly turned away. “I owe dozens of dangerous people from here to the southern spawns, and the silk princes hunters are after me. If I can’t find a girl who can pay that bounty, I will never be able to stop running.”

“I hate to be the one to say this, but you did this to yourself,” Heather stated. “You allowed your obsession with wealth and power to cloud your judgment, and this is where you are now.”

“I know how I got here,” Alexandria growled. “And now I have to leave. I promised Thurgis that you were worth a fortune and if he finds out I failed he’s going to make me pay in other ways.”

“So what’s your plan? Keep running until all this catches up with you?” Heather asked.

“What’s the alternative? Deliver on all my promises of sex and service?” Alexandria asked. “I don’t do that sort of thing. Well, not with men.”

“Oh,” Heather said and rolled her eyes. “Why is this world so full of lesbians?”

“Because a lot of us were….” Alexandria trailed off as turned away and took a deep breath. “The point is, I don’t want to do that. I love taking care of my girls and ensuring they are happy, but that isn’t for me.”

“Well, then let me make you recommendation,” Heather said as she flexed her arms. Her Lilim class wasn’t just a sexy appearance, it had some real combat potential and part of that was enhanced strength. She heard the ropes groan as wood began to splinter under the strain. Alexandria turned around in surprise as Heather channeled a little bit of her essence into the effort causing the ropes to break as she glowed blue.

“How did you?” Alexandria cried as she backed away.

“Lilim are very strong,” Heather said as she stood up and brushed the ropes from her arms. “Now, as I was saying. I recommend you go to Jaina and apologize. You tell her you took this all too far and you are very sorry. Then you explain the situation you are in now.”

“Ha, this isn’t a fairy tale where the truth sets you free,” Alexandria laughed.

Heather folded her arms as her green eyes glared at the woman. This Alexandria was an opportunist like Moon, both of them lusting for a title in a larger empire or kingdom. Maybe they were right and that was the secret to true power, but abusing people to get it wasn’t right. She considered telling Alexandria that she was a princess, and a goblin queen, but decided that secret could sit tight. Despite how badly Alexandria needed the help, Heather didn’t trust her. If Alexandria could convince Jaina she was sorry, then Heather would consider stepping in to aid her. For right now though, all she cared about was convincing the woman to try.

“Then you have only the option to keep running,” Heather insisted.

“Which I have to do right now,” Alexandria snapped just before a nearby door burst open and a man ran in.

“What have you gotten us into?” the man asked before looking over in surprise at Heather. “Why is she free?”

“Never mind that,” Alexandria growled. “What do you mean what have I gotten you into?”

“The lair is under attack by a ghost who shoots arrows,” the man snapped and pointed a finger at Heather. “She is demanding we return her, or she will burn the city to the ground to find her. It’s only a matter of time before she finds the tunnels and that will bring her here.”

“That would be my guardian,” Heather said. “My master assigned her to protect me. She isn’t going to stop until she finds me.”

“And there are more,” the man added. “A small army of women following a gnoll are sealing off the street. If we don’t act soon we are going to be trapped and have to fight it out.”

“And that would be the harem guard sent to recover me,” Heather said as she exploited their lack of understanding to her advantage. More than likely that was Rajeen with some of her girls, but they didn’t need to know that. Heather wanted them to think her king owner had sent them to scour the city and that they were in deep trouble.

“This woman had better be worth the trouble you are causing,” the man said as he grabbed Alexandria by the wrist. “If we get out of this mess, you are paying me some of what you owe tonight.”

Alexandria actually looked afraid as her gaze fell on Heather. She was cornered with nowhere to go, and the man she made her promises to was here to prevent her running away. She felt a strange sense of sympathy for the woman and briefly considered her options. It would be child’s play to blink through the open door and escape, leaving her to her fate. Or she could summon a small army of skeletons to create chaos and maybe they could both escape. However, she couldn’t bare to see the woman suffer, even if she was the one who caused the entire mess in the first place. There was another option, one Heather had enjoyed using earlier, and now seemed like a good chance to try again.

“Excuse me,” she spoke up and activated a Lilim power.

[lvl 43 Lilimskill: Allure] Cause people to notice you even when they are distracted. Requires line of sight. Can be upgraded to single target.

The man turned his angry eyes away from Alexandria and locked them firmly on Heather as she picked up her tail and began to play with it nervously while giving him the big eyes.

“Please, can you help me?” Heather asked. “I got separated from my friends and now I am lost and scared. Could you help me find them? I am sure they will understand if you help me get back to them.”

[lvl 42 Lilim Skill: Pleading innocence] Fall into a state where she appears to be innocent, causing angry or aggressive targets to change their opinion of her. Even swaying people to believe she is innocent of crimes she has actually committed. Friendly targets will become more reasonable and open to the users suggestions. Targets already attacking are not affected. Does not affect undead, or constructs.

“You need my help?” the man stammared as he dropped Alexandria’s arm.

“What are you doing?” Alexandria asked in shock as Heather used her head to gesture to the door. The woman took the hint and ran, leaving Heather alone with the rogue, who was questioning her actions.

“But you’re the one we need,” he insisted. “The money she promised us.”

“Will be paid in full later,” Heather insisted. “She just needs a little more time.” Heather walked toward him, swaying her hips as she smiled and swung her tail. She walked right up to his chest and ran a finger across his chin and down his neck.

[lvl 44Lilim skill: Sultry steps] Boosted 10] Select a single target and begin walking in a sultry way, swaying your hips suggestively. The target must save vrs Willpower or become enthralled by your display while also lowering their willpower. Bonus to success chance if directly approaching them. .

“Why are you so close?” he asked as he made the mistake of looking too deeply into her eyes.

“Helping you understand just how badly I need your help,” Heather whispered.

[lvl 41 Lilim skill: Seductive smile] Smile at a chosen target to cause them to feel great arousal for you. Target become amorous and will follow you for up to 1 hour.

“You are so beautiful,” he insisted with a deep sincerity that made Heather laugh.

“Oh, I could get used to hearing that,” Heather said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “But, we have other business to attend to. As you can see, I am not the woman she was looking for.”

“No, the woman she brought in had black hair,” the man agreed.

“That’s right,” Heather agreed and leaned into him. “So, we need to avoid anymore trouble with my friends. Why don’t we go outside so I can talk to them and put a stop to this whole mess.”

“Yeah,” he said and nodded slowly. “Then maybe you and I could spend some time together?”

“Oh, I would have to get my master’s permission first,” Heather said in a pouty voice. “He’s awfully big and very jealous. You are such a nice guy, I wouldn’t want you and him to get into a fight over me. Let me go ask him and if he says yes I will come back.”

“Yes, you should ask him,” the man insisted.

“Oh, I will,” Heather said as she struggled not to laugh. “Now, can you show me the way out?” she asked while batting her eyes.

“It’s this way,” he said, and motioned to the door.

Heather took his hand and allowed him to lead her into the hall. She smiled at how wonderfully easy this all was and how much fun it was to play with men. She wondered if this was the part Jaina loved most, or was it the fun that came afterward. He took her through a series of tunnels and up a flight of stairs where they encountered their first guards. Heather had to work her powers to enthrall them too, but soon she had an escort through the lair.

By the time they reached the front doors she had a dozen men and four women in her entourage, all treating her like she was the object of their affection. The door was held open and she walked into the street to find it strewn with debris and burning in a few places. She searched the scene and immediately spotted Roric, his girls and Breanne who was stunned by her sudden arrival.

She walked into the open street and asked everybody to stop fighting before clearing her throat and waiving to the others. Roric and the group approached as Heather smiled, pleased by her recent acomplishments.

“Hannah, are you alright?” Breanne asked as she rushed up.

“I’m fine,” Heather insisted and nervously looked to the man at her right who was still holding her hand. “Umm, this is?”

“ Thurgis,” the man answered and bowed his head. “Leader of the rogues guild.”

“Right, Thurgis,” Heather said. “They were just helping me find my way out so I could tell you all I was fine.”

“You’re fine?” Breanne asked as her narrow eyes focused on his hand. Heather snatched hers away and smiled as the man turned to her and asked if she wanted to have a drink with him. “Why are they being so nice to you?”

Heather blushed and smiled nervously as she shot Jaina a glance. Jaina and Chandice burst into Laughter as Roric rolled his eyes in frustration.

“Oh my gosh, she has them all seduced,” Gisley squealed as she pointed. “She’s better at this than Jaina.”

“She does seem to be remarkably good at it,” Evalynn agreed.

“Will you all stop talking,” Heather insisted as she faced Breanne. “I did it to avoid a larger conflict that was already going on.”

“Did you do anything?” Breanne asked.

“What? No!” Heather insisted and pointed to the man. “I just asked them to help me get back to you.”

“The lady promised to ask her master if we can spend the night together,” Thurgis said.

“She did, did she?” Breanne growled as she turned her gaze on Heather.

“She said she would reward all of us personally,” another rogue added as Breanne’s gaze intensified.

“She’s so lovely,” one of the women said. “I wish I could have a lock of her hair.”

“Are those people drunk?” Evalynn asked as they notice they were behaving strangely.

“Why on earth would you make them an offer like that?” Breanne asked.

“Umm,” Heather said nervously as she licked up her tail to play with the tip. “You know how it is. I got into the role and just ran with it.”

“I was ordered to keep you safe,” Breanne scolded as the group went on about how lovely Hannah was. “That includes interludes with strange men.”

“Some of them are women,” Heather pointed out as Breanne stepped closer.

“The point is, I am not going to tell Frank you were soiled under my watch,” Breanne insisted. “And I love you too much to let that happen.”

“But she’s such a good Lilim,” Gisley teased. “He should let her play.”

“If he want’s to allow that, that’s fine,” Breanne replied as she folded her arms. “But not until I hear it from him.”

“Will you stop,” Heather whispered and leaned in close to speak. “I only said that because I know Frank will say no.”

“Honestly, I hope he tells you to do it,” Breanne said with a smirk. “It might teach you a little more caution to spend a night fulfilling those promises.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Heather said, and took a firm stance. “I was just trying to defuse a tense situation. I heard all about your rampage in the other building and I knew if I didn’t get out here soon, it was only going to get worse.”

Breanne smiled and took Heather into a hug, saying she was so worried about her. They stood in the street a moment and shared a warm glance when Heather noticed something big and gray moving in the shadows. A giant of a ghoul stepped out of an alley with Blackbast at his side, both looking at her with intense stares as she nervously swallowed.

“Breanne, Frank is here, and he looks upset,” Heather whispered, causing the elf woman to turn around.

“Oh, dear,” Breanne replied and quickly stood beside Heather as the giant and his feline escort approached.

“Frank,” Roric began as the hulking mass approached. “I am very sorry this happened. I never expected this kind of trouble.”

“We can talk about it later,” Frank replied as he approached the two girls. He stopped before them as Heather smiled and tried to look innocent.

“Umm, sweety. What are you doing here?” Heather asked.

“I came because I heard you had been kidnapped,” Frank replied as his clawed hands tore up the street. “I brought Blackbast because she can track her collar and I knew we could find you that way.”

“Oh, that is clever,” Heather said with a nod, impressed at his quick thinking.

“What is going on here?” Blackbast asked and motioned to the street around her where bodies lay and fires burned as if a war had just been fought. Behind Heather stood a line of men and women, all looking at her adoringly as she smiled and played with her tail.

“Umm, well,” Heather said as she gripped her tail tighter. She began to explain the story of how she was kidnapped by Alexandria, who use took them by surprise. She told them all about how the women mistook her for Jaina and was shocked to discover she had the wrong target. She then glossed over the details of her escape, and how she used a few teensy seductions to win their trust and get them to help her.

“You seduced them?” Frank asked.

“I just made them more friendly,” Heather insisted.

“My lady do you need help dispatching this monster?” Thurgis asked.

“What? No!” Heather said as she turned to the rogues. “This is my master, prince Frank.”

The looks on their faces were of pure excitement as Thurgis stepped forward and bowed slightly.

“Your slave is beautiful with a voice of gold and eyes full of magic,” he said. “I would be honored if you would consider our request.”

“What request?” Blackbast asked as Heather hid her face behind the tip of her tail.

“Umm, I sorta promised them I would ask my master if I could play with them,” Heather replied as she peeked over her tail.

From behind Frank came a chorus of laughter as Roric’s girls couldn’t contain themselves. Roric quickly snapped at them and pointed out this was no laughing matter. Frank was silent a moment as his eyes narrowed and his horrid teeth twisted in a frown. He looked at Breanne, who cleared her throat and tried to apologize for losing Heather in the first place.

“You promised those men to ask your master if you could have sex with them?” Blackbast asked.

“Only because I was trying to sway them to my side,” Heather insisted. “I knew Frank would never agree to something like that so it was a safe thing to offer.”

“Sway them?” Blackbast asked as she walked around Heather to snap her fingers in front of the man’s face. He didn’t react or even blink as his gaze never came off Heather. Blackbast went as far as to poke him in the face, but all he did was sway a bit. “This man is completely charmed and incoherent.” She then went to the others and waved her hand before them as they stared at Heather adoringly. “What did you do to them?”

“Umm, seductive smile?” Heather offered.

“My smile never has that kind of effect,” Jaina said as she looked at Gisley and Evalynn. “Have you ever known any of my men to be so hopelessly bound?”

“No, this is crazy,” Evalynn agreed. “Maybe the Lilim’s version is stronger?”

“You used essence, didn’t you?” Frank asked.

“Umm,” Heather said as she twisted. “Maybe a tiny bit,” she added as she made a pinching gesture with her fingers.

“You overpowered that charm with essence?” Blackbast growled as she rolled her eyes. “They will probably be like this for days. The won’t eat, or sleep or respond to anything that isn’t a direct attack.”

“I’m sorry,” Heather insisted. “I was nervous, and I wanted to make sure it worked. I had no idea they were going to turn into adoring zombies.”

“Umm, is this the super magical stuff that allows Hannah to break the rules?” Chandice asked.

“Yes,” Frank replied as he leaned over Heather and made her cringe. “You know that has to remain a secret, and you glow when you use it.”

“I sorta, forgot,” Heather said with a big smile. “I was too wrapped up in what I could do I wasn’t thinking about the consequences.”

“Hmm,” he said as he leaned over her more, causing her to have to lean away. “So you still want to be my slave girl?”

“Yes?” Heather said with no conviction.

“And you will do anything I say?” he asked.

Heather froze, her heart being fast as she glanced over her shoulder to the see the rogues still firmly under her charms. He wasn’t about to suggest she needed to fulfill the promise she made them, was he? She only said that because she was sure he would say no. It was just a heat of the moment thing as she enjoyed playing her character.

“You haven’t answered,” he said. “Will you do what I say?”

“Umm, yes,” she squeaked, certain this was going to lead to a night of sordid acts.

“Good, because you’re grounded,” he said firmly and stood straight.

“I’m grounded?” Heather replied in a mixture of shock and relief.

“You are grounded,” he said again firmly, and grabbed her by the wrist before dragging her off.

“You should try spanking her while you’re at it,” Jaina cried as Heather was dragged away.

“I might try that,” Frank said with a tone of absolute seriousness.

“You’re not helping!” Heather shouted back, but her fate was sealed. Breanne and Blackbast followed along as Heather did her best to explain herself but her protests fell on deaf ears. Frank was in charge and Heather was his slave, she would have to face the fact that she was grounded and learn to behave.