Sylvie

Chapter 18 – “Archaios Enas”

A warm and wispy mist clung to Elle’s tanned skin, infused with the scents of sweet jasmine and lavender thanks to the blend of violet bubbly suds slowly disappearing down the shower drain. Relaxed and letting her worries slip from her mind, Elle ducked her head back in the warm shower stream and let the small river of water caress and straighten out her neck-length brown hair. An errant thought popped into Elle’s head and she looked around.

-How did I get in here? It doesn’t matter, this feels great. Just go with it Elle.-

No sooner had Elle wrung out her light green poof to remove the excess soap, she heard the shower door click behind her. Smiling with the knowledge of who it was that had slipped in behind her, Elle tossed the dripping poof into a basket that held the rest of their bathing supplies. “I know your perfume anywhere, Angie.” Elle turned and quietly gazed up into her lover’s eyes. “Good afternoon.” Elle purred and slid her hands over Angelie’s shoulders and up to her cheeks. “So glad you decided to join me, you know I love it when you shower with me, darling.”

Closing her brown eyes as Elle danced her fingers over her cheeks, Angelie sighed. “I smelled the sweet jasmine and knew you were trying to entice me, Agent Miller.” Angelie playfully laughed and reopened her liquid brown eyes, “I took the time to lay out our towels in your room, since like usual you forgot them.” Biting on her lower lip, Angelie added a sultry grin. “Not that I mind you being covered in water, mind you.” She leaned down and kissed Elle on the cheek. “I don’t know how much longer the floor can take the excess water, you little nereid.”

“You’ve been reading my fantasy novels again, missy.” Elle laughed and finally realized that Angelie hadn’t touched her yet, and spotted that Angelie’s hands were hidden behind her back. Turning around, Elle lifted the shower wand from its metal clasp and hovered the warm stream over her lover’s hair. “Angie..Why do you have your hands behind your back?” Elle dropped the wand so it hung down and filled her hand with shampoo, then massaged it into Angelie’s scalp.

Drawing in a heavenly-scented breath, Angelie stood quietly trying to find the words as Elle’s magical fingers worked through her short hair. “I-um..No, I haven’t read your books..I think it is like a water fairy or something, right?” Angelie sighed and purred when Elle gently washed the soap from her hair. “Oh..” Angelie refocused herself and shook her head, “Nope. I am not telling you what I have back here.” She raised one of her eyebrows like a challenge.

Elle glanced down at her silver engagement band and then back into Angelie’s bright and hungry-looking brown eyes. “I already have all that I need, Angie. You.” Elle waved the metal band in front of Angelie. “Whatever you have behind your back is only icing on this wedding cake.” Elle laughed at her own joke and used her small fingernails and traced around Angelie’s belly button. “I am sure you will show me in due time.” Grinning widely, Elle added, “You can’t keep your hands off me for long, Angie.” Lifting herself up on her toes, Elle pressed her lips to Angelie’s and traded little darts of their tongues until Elle slowly pulled away. “Mmmhmm, Your kisses always seem to wreck my concentration.” She tilted her head and licked her lips playfully. “Another one will convince me. Like usual.”

Finally sliding one of her hands from behind her, Angelie placed her index finger on Elle’s lips and traced the oval sensually. “You’ll get another kiss in a few moments, slave.” Angelie’s voice shifted to a deeper and more commanding version.

“Sla…” Elle started and suddenly stopped then looked up surprised at her lover.

With a couple of extra clicks for tightness, Angelie clamped a set of heavy metal handcuffs on Elle’s wrists. “I am feeling a bit spicy, Agent Miller and these were just laying there on the bed.” Angelie snickered and rubbed Elle’s muscles to loosen them for what was coming. With a kiss and a smile, Angelie lifted Elle’s hands over her head. “Don’t move a muscle, do you understand?”

Nearly breaking the first rule from her new captor, Elle caught herself before she shook her head. Seeing the hungry look in Angelie’s eyes, Elle smiled and widened her eyes, still mostly surprised with the sudden attention she was getting. “Yes, Angelie I understand.”

Pointing up to the reinforced eyehook in the ceiling, Angelie grinned wider. “Call me Captain Kino, my devoted..slave.” Angelie produced a carabineer and hooked one end through the chain of the handcuffs and the other into the eyehook, causing Elle to almost come off the ground.

“Captain Kino, I-I can’t really touch the floor, Ma’am.” Elle mentioned, mildly concerned as she felt all of the muscles in her back and arms begin to slowly stretch. “D-Did you say slave?” Elle shivered and goosebumps traveled the length of her legs.

Kissing her slave once for reassurance, Angelie circled around Elle’s tight and athletic body, and…

Smack-Pop!

The echo rebounded through the small shower area as Angelie popped Elle hard on the ass, leaving her handprint. “I think you need a matching pair.”

Smack-pop!

Feeling the pins and needles from the spanking that she’d just received, Elle let out a little whimper of both pain and building pleasure. “C…Captain Kino, if you please…Aloe is there in the basket.” Elle howled in exciting pain when a third smack once more impacted her ass cheek. “Oh god..ohhh…” Elle sucked on her bottom lip and felt her body send pulsing waves of ecstasy and a hot streak inching its way down her thighs. “M-More…” Elle breathed heavily and tried to get a look at her girlfriend to no avail.

While Elle didn’t know what was happening, she heard Angelie adjusting the shower dials. Moments later the water that had been warm enough to make a thin fog, became so hot that plumes of mist blurred her vision.

“My slave is a dirty girl, I can smell your unladylike scent mixed with jasmine running down your legs.” She walked in front of Elle, “Tisk-tisk. We now have to clean you off.” Angelie took the shower wand from its little hook and sprayed the water on her partner's ass.

Crying out in both pain and pleasure when the near-scalding water ran over her backside, Elle jolted and ended up swinging with the pressure on her wrists, biting into her flesh. “Oh, Captain…my lovely and caring Captain..wh..what’s next?”

Laughing loud enough that Elle heard her clearly through the heavy stream of water, Angelie dipped the wand down and sprayed water all over Elle’s legs, turning them red as a sunburn almost instantly. “There we go, slave. The water is doing its job, I think.” Angelie knelt down and took a deep breath right in front of Elle’s flushed cunny. “Looks like my slave wants my attention.” She calmly stated and kissed Elle’s pearl lightly.

“Is the Captain going straight for dessert?” Elle snorted and went quiet, enjoying the aggressive attention that her lover had been lavishing her with. Moments after her comment, Elle felt water streaming on her perky breasts, stinging them and adding to the burn she’d been getting. Elle cooed and sighed as her tightly beaded nipples burned and sent thrilling sparks of pain in her mind and between her legs. “Ssseeeeessss….do it, do it…My Captain…” Elle found the words she wanted to finally use. “Yes, Captain…MMhmmm…fuck me….yes, yes…Burn your name on my skin for days baby…”

Returning the shower wand back into its holder, Angelie pressed herself into Elle’s floating body, her creamy white breasts pancaked to Elle’s bright red ones. “Dessert will wait while I inspect my slave.” Angelie winked and looked over Elle’s bright burning body. “Slave. How do you feel?” She reached up and pinched Elle’s fiery nipple and got a shiver along with a cry of approval. “Good.” Angelie reached for Elle’s cheeks and pulled her into another sensual kiss, sucking on Elle’s tongue just before the two separated.

Aware that her heartbeat had risen significantly, Elle closed her eyes and listened to the rapid beating. Initially, Elle thought that the feeling was because of her current situation and her body was just reacting like normal. Minutes after the pulse discovery, Elle began breathing heavily as her skin began to burn a little more intensely and the jasmine soap she used seemed to enhance its rejuvenation scent. “C-C-C-Captain..” Elle stammered the name and blinked her dreamy brown eyes a few times at her lover and wanting Angelie closer to her, kissing her. “...You look like an Angel, Captain.” Elle purred deep within her chest and while Angelie was still close to her, stole a passionate kiss from her girlfriend. “Sparkles and stars….hmmmmmmm..”

Starting at the base of Elle’s neck, Angelie raked her fingers down Elle’s body in little teasing circles. Enjoying how her slave tensed the muscle groups where her nails had passed, Angelie went up and over Elle’s plush and full breasts, stopping to tug both of Elle’s throbbing little nubs. “I see my slave has moved into the next…mmm, stage.” Angelie once more started spraying the hot water all over her partner, watching her closely. “That’s right, slave, imagine my name burned in your skin with the water…All I have to do is …” Angelie waved the wand in fluid motions across her partner’s back, with a clear meaning. “Tell your Captain what you feel, slave.”

Beyond a doubt, Elle’s mind was spinning and her body was burning from the water yet she was able to piece together what Angelie was doing. “Oh Fuck, Captain…ughnnn….yes…Your name…I feel it.” Elle spelled Angelie’s name letter by letter as her Captain wrote with the water, leaving red trails much like lash marks on Elle’s back.

Giving up any pretense of their little bondage game, Elle began to lick her lips between addressing Angelie. “I don’t know how much more I can take, Captain.” She wiggled helplessly on the eye hook and grinned wide. “So..Fruity-Pebbles.” Elle sighed and watched Angelie stand up and free her immediately. Once she was free, Elle tackled her girlfriend and dragged the couple down into the tub, kissing and nibbling her neck in almost desperation. “God that..was great, Angelie..All I want to do is lick you top to bottom.” Hearing herself say what she wanted to do and how the two were tangled together, Elle smiled and nodded, “You slipped me something didn’t you…Captain, my Captain.”

Laughing as the two entwined themselves in the hot water, Angelie kissed her partner all over her bright red cheeks. “I still can’t believe that you picked that for your word, babe.” She began to suckle on Elle’s neck and left small hickeys along Elle’s neckline. “Mmm, answering your question…we shared a couple's worth of ‘X’...” Angelie growled playfully and pushed her hand between Elle’s legs, and slowly rubbed between Elle’s excited petals. “Mmm…oh, there you are..ready for something I have…Agent Miller.” Angelie drove her tongue into Elle’s mouth and at the same time, gently pushed her middle finger to its first knuckle within her girlfriend.

Trying desperately to wiggle and take Angelie’s finger deeper into her overcharged pussy, Elle groaned and shifted her hips while flipping her tongue with Angelie’s. With the help of the drug they shared, the little curls and twists that Angelie did made Elle squirm even harder. She pulled away from their kiss with a heavy breath, “All that heat from the water…the ‘X’ and you…” Elle licked Angelie’s neck to her ear, nibbling the soft lobe. “M..meannnnssss..” Elle stopped when Angelie slid deeper within her cunny, added her index finger and topped it off with her thumb pressing hard on her clit. Feeling her toes curl as the rush of sexual heat matched the burning on her body, Elle tossed her head back and closed her eyes and relished the myriad of sensations forming in her body causing her to sexually shake frantically as her orgasm seemed to get closer and closer.

“Look at you, Elle.” Angelie slowly spoke with her sexually charged, sultry voice. “Your skin is going to have welts if we stay in here much longer, dove.” Pulling her fingers free of Elle, Angelie wrapped her girlfriend in her well-defined arms and picked up the smaller woman. Dripping water all over the tiled floor, Angelie kissed Elle as they made their way into Elle’s room. Treating Elle like a piece of porcelain, Angelie set her girlfriend on the bed and wrapped her in one of the thick towels she’d laid out. “Let me turn off the shower..” Angelie disappeared from view.

Lightheaded from the drug she’d been given, it took Elle a bit longer than normal to figure out how to dry herself off. “Oh my…Angelie, my hands and fingers aren’t listening to me.” She giggled and flopped her wet hair on her down pillow. “You know I haven’t had ‘X’ since college..whew, this is…” Elle closed her eyes and let the kaleidoscope of colors weave and dance in her head. Vaguely aware of the water shutting off, Elle let the little color display finish its course and reopened her brown eyes to a well-built lady hovering over her. “Hello there…Mmm, Captain Angelie.” Adoring the fact Angelie had climbed on the bed on her hands and knees, Elle pushed off the bed and locked her legs around her lover’s waist and then tossed her arms around her neck so she was once again mostly hanging. Skin still stinging from the light burns due to the water, Elle smiled. “Unnngh….yes…your idea was..de…light…” Elle strained to hold herself on her girlfriend yet enjoyed the feeling of her muscles tight around Angelie. “...ful..was your intention only to bind me up and be your slave?” She purred quietly and brushed her lips on Angelie’s.

Shivering with the little prickles that ran the length of her spin from the wispy kiss, Angelie felt her strength beginning to wane and she gently rolled to her side, then onto her back. Once she felt Elle’s feet hanging on her thighs, Angelie followed the contours of her partner’s cheeks with one of her rough fingers. “That was only for the shower. I saw you in there just letting the water drain down your lovely form and I couldn’t help myself.” Angelie let her finger drift downward and circled Elle’s reddened nipples and pinched them hard enough to make Elle quietly whimper in pleasure.Mostly dazed from her own consumption of ecstasy, it took Angelie a few seconds to focus on Elle. “I might have gotten a little overzealous, you are bright as a lobster.”

Lifting Angelie’s finger from her stinging breast, Elle first kissed the little digit then swirled her tongue over the tip, stopping with a pop. “It feels like I fell asleep in the sun and got a light burn.” Elle spread her legs and sat bare assed on Angelie’s hips, knees cutely tucked under her. Leaning forward so that her breasts were like twin pendulums, Elle weaved side to side and ground her ass harder into Angelie. Moments later Elle heard her partner moaning softly and noticed she’d closed her eyes enjoying the feeling of her firm athletic bottom grinding into her dripping sex. “Mmmugh…Angelie… baby..” Elle lost herself in the light-burning stings that occurred as she swayed her tits back and forth. “...I let you know when I had all I could take.” Elle collapsed on Angelie’s bigger body and slid one of her thighs between her lover’s thighs, pressing against her cunny, and lick-kissed Angelie’s neck.

“Elle…” Angelie lightly moaned and squirmed under the relentless pressure of Elle’s thigh. “...Elle…ohhh…” Angelie reopened her eyes and brought her own leg to meet Elle’s engorged nethers. “Never change…stay the wonderful…ohhh….” She bit on her lip when Elle started little circles with her knee. “I-oh….fuck…yes…” Angelie’s body began sending random drug-induced stary signals all through her body, causing her to quiver and jerk in random moves. “I…I…Yes…” She leaned up and started nibbling on Elle’s collarbone. It was a particularly hard press against her sparkle-feeling clit that made Angelie lock both of her legs around Elle, and return the favor.

It was the combination of the bite and the heavy pressure against her pussy that made Elle’s drug-laden body start swiveling from her hips in a desperate attempt to bring them both into a sexual tipping point. No matter how hard Elle ground her thigh into Angelie’s sweet and musky slit, the bigger woman seemed to be unable to climb the orgasmic hill. Elle growled and placed her hands on Angelie’s wet and glistening breasts and squeezed until she got a reaction from her girlfriend. Pleased with the added arch in her back so that Elle could grasp her tits harder, Elle let Angelie’s breasts slip through her grip until she felt her girlfriend's nipples. “There….you…you…aaaarree…..” She pinched Angelie’s rose-tipped pebbles and pulled.

Overloaded with sexual tension thanks to the ‘X’ and Elle’s persistence with her talented knee buried deep within her cunny, Angelie grabbed Elle tight and felt her body give into the bliss. Starting from the taut pull on her nipples, Angelie jerked and tightened her stomach hard enough to make her stop breathing for a few seconds. Crashing down on her like an aroused tidal wave, Angelie let out an impassioned howl and felt her release consume her body. “Yes, yes….oh yes..Elle…fuuuucckkk Ahhh….” She squirmed and desperately clawed Elle as the multiple waves clouded her senses.

Beyond any real ability to think, Elle fed into the heavy panting coming from Angelie. Burns and bites, a muscled thigh spreading her pussy wide and Angelie’s screams were too much for Elle’s drugged-out mind and she reached the height of orgasm. Elle felt the stream of sexual heat nearly squirt the moment her core pulsed the first time, sending her savory-scented essence through the room. Elle cried out as the pleasure burned in her body and mind. “That’s right baby….you ….me…soooooo….grrrrrr….” Elle stopped talking and cupped Angelie’s face, looking directly into her lover's baby-brown eyes as she came for her.

Pounding on wood hard enough to rattle the apartment made Archaios Enas jump up and look around confused.

-What just happened? Is this creature’s memory conflicting with mine?-

Curling her eyebrows the white shadewrath inhabiting Elle’s body felt a strange cool and wetness coming from the bed she was laying in.

-Ugh, you creatures are driven by your…body.-

Archaios Enas then admitted to herself that the memory or dream wasn’t too bad, overall.

-This shell was preserved and well taken care of.-

She turned her head when the door knocked again, this time matched with an impatient ringing of the doorbell.

“Annoying sound.” Archaios Enas spoke aloud. Knowing that she should answer the door, the shadewraith got out of bed, looked around and finally decided to slip on a pair of jeans and a gray top with FBI in big print on the front.

-These things should work.-

She stumbled and tried to regain her footing from being startled awake. “I am going to kill whoever is outside this door, you’re going to wish you’d never arrived..” Archaios Enas thought about it…and decided she used the right words with the right inflection and level so the person on the other side would hear.

“It’s Deputy Director Powell, Agent Miller…get up and answer this fucking door, before I break it down.” Sarah huffed.

Twisting the little mechanism to unlock the door, Archaios Enas swung the door open and grabbed the Deputy Director by the throat and glared at her, diamond eyes almost blazing. Communicating without talking, Archaios Enas dug her nails into the side of Sarah’s neck.

-Flesh thing. You have the honor of being my first victim this day. While I drink in your fear, my wispy tendrils will invade your mind, twist your body and in the end your pain will empower me.-

Dragging the unsuspecting Sarah Powell through the door, Archaios Enas slammed it shut and suddenly felt Sarah punching and pulling at her body’s fingers. As her prey stuggled, Archaios Enas rolled her shell's eyes. "Primate, I despise you cannot hear true speech and use such..a disgusting means to communicate." Her disdain evident in her voice, the shadewraith continued, “No, you can’t escape. I will use this abhorrent means to speak. Weakling.”

Searching through Sarah’s pockets, Archaios Enas found her smartphone and crushed it to bits. “You won’t need that any longer and we cannot have people looking for you…Yet.” Archaios Enas laughed and tossed the helpless Deputy Director on the sofa, then climbed on top of its victim. Archaios Enas mirrored part of the dream she had and raked nails across Sarah’s cheeks, which caused them to bleed profusely. “Excuse my heavy hand, I am still trying to grasp the concept of tenderness.” the shadewraith paused and flashed her mouth full of fangs, “Or maybe I just wanted to watch you bleed.” Archaios Enas wiped a small stream of blood from Sarah and licked her finger. “Iron-rich environment.” She commented and grabbed Sarah by the throat once more. “Why do you seek this shell? What is so important?” Archaios Enas settled down and sat in the Deputy Director’s lap. “I witnessed how to do this before your unfortunate and untimely arrival. Seemed intimate at the time.” Archaios Enas squeezed tighter on Sarah’s throat and watched her turn a light shade of blue, before letting her breathe. “Ahh, the suffering and fear.” The shadewraith licked its lips. “What a fine breakfast.”

Panic coursed through Sarah’s mind when she’d been cut off from breathing. Darkness had begun to invade her mind when suddenly she could draw a breath. Sucking in as though she’d been pulled out of water, Sarah gasped and coughed. “E…” Tears streamed down her face, “Ag..Agent..M-Miller?” Desperate to try and find a way out of her agent's unearthly grip, Sarah let the word Elle used sink in.

-Tenderness? You put on an act daily…do it now.-

Finding that her arms still worked, Sarah hid the struggle she had in lifting the oxygen-depleted limbs then cupped Elle’s face, and blinked her understanding brown eyes. “How can I help you, Elle? Please..” She coughed and broke her concentration. “...Let me inside..” Forcing herself to smile warmly, Sarah held her gaze on Elle. “...There’s so much we can…um..can and have to do..”

Undeterred by the warm speech that Sarah just tried to use, Archaios Enas shook her head and grabbed Sarah’s hands and squeezed until she heard the bones snapping and crunching. “Your kind are so double-sided.” The shadewraith leaned down and smelled the crying woman. “Stupid as well. Hard to believe that your kind has expanded as much as you have.” It bit Sarah’s cheek, piercing the tender skin at multiple points with its fangs. “Fear and pain…I can sense, smell and taste it…So easy to confuse your primitive brains.” Archaios Enas laughed and licked the blood from Sarah’s cheek, “You honestly thought I would fall for your traitorous little show?” The shadewraith pointed to the door, her bone-white wispy form coming free of Elle’s body for a split second. “After the grand entrance you tried to do?” Archaios Enas whispered in Sarah’s ear. “I said I was going to kill you.” Archaios Enas, paused and looked at the clock, noting the time. “I just didn’t tell you how or when.”

About a minute later a deep black shadewraith floated through the glass windows and started swirling around Elle’s inhabited body.

{“The Nightstalkers got away from our trap, Archaios Enas. They obtained the two items from the one I took - Haley Grant. I was unable to find the other text, the shell didn’t have it.”}

Archaios Enas held out her hand and the shadewraith condensed itself into a small sphere and settled in her palm. “You might have failed in your task, but that wasn’t completely unexpected. The nightstalkers are quite adaptive, unlike our new hosts.” Archaios Enas ran her fingers through Sarah’s long red hair and spoke softly. “You are about to find out what it means to be taken and to just…” It laughed, “...disappear.” When the white-wraith uttered its last word, it felt Sarah quivering uncontrollably and felt something warm and wet soak the denim Archaios Enas wore.

Archaios Enas spoke to the black ball,

{“So easy to intimidate. She just lost her control and like everything else about these creatures, it stinks. Feel free to have this shell.”}

Following its orders, the black cloud hovered under Sarah’s nose briefly.

{“Why are you keeping this creature alive, Archaios Enas?”}

Holding up her hand, Archaios Enas replied aloud so Deputy Director Powell could hear. “This creature has some influence and ability within this world, my curious friend. I wish you to torture the information from her before you make her..” The white-wraith laughed, “...disappear.”

Sensing the danger and absolute horror building up in Sarah, Archaios Enas slipped her wispy, web-covered white hand from her victim’s red locks and resumed choking her. “Shhhhh, I can’t have you screaming.” It paused, “That will alert others..” It reformed its flesh hand one sinew at a time, “...while I don’t mind killing more of the denizens of this world, now isn’t the time. Nightstalkers first, and that requires a touch of diplomacy.” Archaios Enas winked and nodded to the other shadewraith.

{“Now, take her now. Take your time extinguishing this one, extract all you can. Do not fail again.”}

Howling in deep guttural gratitude, the second shadewraith drove itself into Deputy Director Powell’s nose and disappeared from view.

{“Archaios Enas has commanded. By fear, chaos and pain her will is enforced.”}

The second shadewraith spoke to its leader as the beast found the part of Sarah Powell and began twisting her personality to fit that of the shadewraith. It took mere minutes for the shadewraith to take over the body of its new host, then used Sarah’s voice. “Crude method of transmission, Archaios Enas. The one called Sarah still partially exists.” Showing its diamond eyes through its new host to prove the hostile takeover, the shadewraith made its new body shake. “This one is so tasteful to feed from. Her fear and doubts run deep.” It paused, “What did you want extracted from this shell, Archaios Enas?”

Stepping away from her victim, Archaios Enas spoke to the remains of Sarah’s personality. “Little fleshling, I told you my wispy tendrils will invade your mind, then twist and break your body.” Archaios Enas added, “They all are extensions of my will, my being. Thousands of us, shell…slave.” Pulling off the jeans she had donned in the bedroom, the white-wraith tossed the piss-smelling clothing into another room, and then answered. “It said there were things that my shell, Elle, and she needed to accomplish. What are these … things?”

Delving deeply into what was left of Sarah Powell, the shadewraith forcefully pulled its hosts' memories and gleefully gave a small report to Archaios Enas.

{“I have this fleshlings memory at my command, White-One, it took some…coaxing.”}

It laughed and fluttered its brown eyes, clearly having just fed.

{“What would you like to know? This one had a myriad of ideas concerning your shell. A prevalent one comes back to visualizing her bare form.”}

Hearing Elle’s body grumble from hunger, Archaios Enas sighed and walked to the kitchen and dug around for something to eat.

{“Pleasure is probably the most overwhelming thought these simpletons have. I don’t need to know that information. What was on your lackey’s mind when it came to the door? Start there.”}

Archaios Enas opened the refrigerator and sniffed around until she found a small red container labeled ‘Maple Honey Ham’ and she tore open the plastic, then ate the meat within.

{“It was important enough to interrupt this shell’s need for rest or slumber. Something must have happened that needs this one’s attention.”}

Closing its eyes and concentrating on Sarah’s past, the shadewraith began to nod with understanding.

{“White-One. It would appear that something happened at a place called Fort Gregg. This one is a leader of some sort and lost what she calls a ‘team of agents’ this evening. Based on limited descriptions of the two involved, it sounds like the same duo of nightstalkers that eliminated Haley Grant.”}

It paused briefly to collect the right words for Archaios Enas.

{“This group of agents also lost what she calls a ‘serum’ that they developed to fight the nightstalkers. Renders them powerless and vulnerable…but it requires them to…”-}

The black shadewraith made Sarah’s body smile widely.

{“...be in or have used ghostform first. Could it be that these things created a weapon we can use?”}

Standing in quiet contemplation, Archaios Enas had one word echoing in her head, vengeance. Long before she gave herself a name and before taking on a permanent female form, she desired the means to destroy the nightstalkers. Hundreds of Earth years trapped in the Harsh Expanse after being ripped out of her nightstalker and cast into a virtual oblivion, the means to her salvation was closer than ever before.

{“More likely that one of their own betrayed the others. I cannot conceive that these creatures had the means or understanding of the nightstalkers to create a ‘serum’. I want you to take your slave-shell and see if you can discover where the item was made. I will gather some of the others and find these two nightstalkers that managed to defeat you.”}

Archaios Enas watched as her trusted soldier left the apartment. Finishing the container of ham, Archaios Enas went back into Elle’s room and stretched out on the bed and allowed her memory to flow.

-The past is the answer to the present and will secure our future. It all starts with the portal and the book contains the control of the portal.-

Content to allow her memories to flow freely, Archaios Enas closed her eyes and thought about how she’d become self-aware. The single among many. Recalling the vampire she inhabited with disdain, Archaios Enas visualized Randal Louis. Unlike others of his kind who happened to be perfect to look upon, her nightstalker had been the opposite. Nothing about the man had been fair to observe. Stringy and foul-smelling brown hair, bloodshot brown eyes that reflected uncertainty, so overweight that if not for his tall frame, wouldn’t be able to stand or walk.

-Disgusting from head to toe. Easy to exploit. Just like their victims, nightstalkers have self-esteem issues.-

Archaios Enas told herself as the memory flowed. Realizing early that Randal was close to tipping over the edge into madness, she knew two things. First, if the beast turned into a crazed hunter it would be a matter of time before it perished. Second, that she’d be the one that pushed the blood-shell into self-destruction. Tied to Randal’s fate, Archaios Enas made the decision that somehow she would escape the body prison she’d inhabited. Weeks into pushing Randal towards unending chaos, Archaios Enas felt the rush of power that followed when the nightstalker fed from its victims and made a connection.

-He was so vile that his charm was useless and terrorized the humans he fed from.-

Archaios Enas laughed quietly.

-All it took was a perspective and soothing voice to make Randal do my bidding.-

“Randal…” Archaios Enas whispered into his mind as she’d done for centuries. “...Look at them, all cowering in fear of your greatness. They beg and plead like they are afraid of dying…” Archaios Enas soothed her nightstalker further, “...But in reality..don’t you hear it? Those pleas are ones of delight and reverence. It’s your job to teach them the meaning of your wrath, before you settle and rule over them. Show them what you can do..lovely Randal…one that wants so much more than just nightly blood.”

-So easy. So much to feed upon. The source of my release.-

Archaios Enas sighed and relived the feeling of power coursing through her being, before letting the remaining thoughts continue.

It took a few years of Archaios Enas’s sweet words directing Randal along with piles of human bodies before Randal learned enough to establish himself as a leader and god among a small group of people. Once Archaios Enas stopped telling her shell how to act, Randal’s weak mind and weaker personality caused the people once devoted to him to revolt within a year of his ascension. Like tales of old, they came in force with fire, stakes and pitchforks and invaded Randal’s undefended lair. Reeling from the glory of power from the chaotic masses combined with their lingering fear and massive worry from Randal, Archaios Enas felt her shell weakening.

-The fool asked me for help. When I was the one that led him to that point.-

Archaios Enas snickered to herself and pushed the vision on.

Only after Randal had a stake in his chest did Archaios Enas feel the flurry of panic coming from the captured nightstalker. Archaios Enas felt her own misty form for the first time and began to laugh in Randal’s ears. “That’s right, Randal. Beg..plead for my help. Help that will never come. Some God, you can’t even resist a flock of these primates…and now you will burn for it.” Archaios Enas’s vile raspy voice flowed like water, “Your last sight will be me floating away as you burn..a brief swirl of inky black smoke and the glare from a set of white eyes, mocking your madness.” Fire became the catalyst that weakened Randal’s body and allowed Archaios Enas to break free of her host with a wail that sent shockwaves of fear through the group of peasants, forcing them to run and cower in fear.

Letting the remains of her fond memory subside, Archaios Enas thought to herself,

-My beginning was our beginning. It all traces back to that fool Randal. I should have foreseen that other nightstalkers would be pleased to be rid of us. Free of their torment, which freed us for our vengeance.-

Jumping from Elle’s bed and going to the drawer with her body’s underwear, Archaios Enas stepped into and pulled up a set of black panties, then found another set of jeans hanging in the closet.

-Why am I thinking about Randal? Where is this leading?-

Mildly confused with her thoughts, Archaios Enas finished getting dressed and made her way back into the kitchen, pouring herself a small glass of water. Refreshed by the cool and cucumber-enhanced water, Archaios Enas figured out what she’d been seeking within herself. Finishing the crisp drink in one final gulp, she walked across the living room and peered out of the dark window, admiring the twinkling lights below.

-That’s it. The source. When the nightstalkers were purged of our temptations, they were free to think and develop unhindered. They evolved, just like we did. The ones freed developed their blood magic beyond reality. Dryods…they knew too many of us would…-

Unable to contain her joy any longer, Archaios Enas felt a series of human emotions pass through her. She laughed and hopped with excitement as she figured out the puzzle.

-We’d destroy their precious lies and illusions. We are the superior evolution, so they needed to trap us beyond our influence. The portal with its sweet song, the lure…Send us to The Harsh Expanse.-

Witnessing firsthand the pull of the Dryod portal, Archaios Enas had tried to keep her faithful shadewraiths from crossing to the other side.

{“They are the same sweet words we used against them, can’t you tell? Their blood-magic is tempting you… we are the temptation, not them.”}

Archaios Enas recalled the small battle and gave orders to the remaining Shadewraiths that engaged with the nightstalkers. Although she'd figured out that she was immune to the effects of the song, Archaios Enas quickly decided to enter the watery metallic pool and join the others on the far side in their battle with the nightstalkers.

{“The rest of you, stay and keep the portal open as long as possible! Sacrifice yourself to do it. The nightstalkers must not trap us on the other side. I will ensure that the other shells will perish in torture and pain.”}

Upon her appearance at the back side of the portal Archaios Enas saw what she considered a mirror of a young Earth. Huge trees with long shady canopies absorbed sunlight with their wide and rounded leaves dotted the land in packs of dense forestry. Lush vegetation grew without hindrance across the ground where some of the vines had crawled and overtaken the trunks to take their fair share of light. Beyond the heavy green packs of woods, Archaios Enas saw nothing but miles of untouched grass that had grown to the height of cornstalks she’d seen on Earth.

-What is this place? Where are the others, the nightstalkers…my faithful?-

Moments later it dawned on Archaios Enas what happened to the blood-shells that passed into what they thought was nirvana.

-They perished instantly in the sunlight, the fools. That still doesn’t explain where my faithful, why can’t I sense them?-

It was as though the answer flew right into her face the moment she asked the question. A small metallic disk seemingly came out of nowhere and hovered in front of Archaios Enas’s black mist. It raised a small antenna and chirped a couple of times, before it sent a blue beam across Archaios Enas amorphous form.

-An automaton. It lacks any emotion that I can manipulate…what did it just do?-

Archaios Enas floated upwards a few feet before she heard the object speak, “Earth-based phantasmal anomaly detected. Containment protocol engaged.” Suspecting that she didn’t want to know what the containment protocol was, Archaios Enas dropped and melded into the shadows of the trees hoping to confuse and avoid the flying disk.

-How many of my faithful did these objects take?-

A loud thunderclap came from the portal and lightning criss-crossed its opening for a few seconds, then the pool Archaios Enas had traveled through disappeared.

-Those initial years were the hardest ones. One by one I found my faithful, my brethren who hadn’t been captured and used them to survive.-

Walking away from the window, Archaios Enas stopped in front of a body-length mirror that Elle had screwed into one of the walls of her condominium. She looked beyond the sunken look appearing in her shell's eyes and focused long enough for her white-ghost mist to become visible. Chest length unruly and silver tainted, Archaios Enas’s hair flowed as though in a wind around the shadewraith. Having gained a touch of modesty for her female form, Archaios Enas made her mist wrap around her body in long strips of web-like tendrils that covered and caressed the shadewraith. Heart-shaped and inviting, she’d used her pink-rose lips and their allure to tantalize and take over bodies at will. While her mouth provided the only real color Archaios Enas possessed, it was her black shadowed diamond eyes that she’d heard the most about. ‘So pretty…Heaven sent…twinkling bright stars..’ were all things she’d heard during her existence.

-Yes…yes…All of the others that sacrificed themselves to my being, my feeding..my needs. Turned me into this…-

Archaios Enas disappeared back inside Elle’s shell and clasped her hands together.

-I almost escaped once…The necromantic tear was brief and pulled weak-minded shadewraiths that fathomed themselves as dogs.-

Growling hatefully, Archaios Enas frowned as she headed for the door.

-Forget the pathetic necromancer. My small army will round up the nightstalkers and send them into eternal sunlight. Get the book, and ensure the portal stays open permanently.-

Archaios Enas huffed and grabbed a light jacket, sliding her arms into the fleece.

-Harsh Expanse indeed. You will meet the others' fate. Time to gather a few others and show these blood-worms who is really in control.-

Making her way to the FBI vehicle assigned to Elle, Archaios Enas started the engine and turned the little laptop that stayed in a metal casing attached to the console. Once the machine was powered up, she typed the name ‘Casey Rivers’ and a small list of associations came up.

-What do we have here? Jennifer Rivers, the worm’s mother.-

Tapping and sliding on the small touchpad, Archaios Enas clicked the hyperlink for Jennifer’s profile, and smiled when Jennifer’s address was typed across the screen with a matching picture. Archaios Enas closed her hate-filled diamond eyes and focused on her stomach for a few seconds. Initially white, a little wispy ball the size of a small rock pulled itself free and hovered in Archaios Enas’s palm until the white faded and it turned black as night.

{“Welcome back, my faithful. You have returned as I promised those years ago. You have a mission.”}

Smiling and pointing to the little picture, Archaios Enas tossed the little ball into the air where it expanded and became a fully formed shadewraith.

{“Consume the one called Jennifer Rivers. I wish to expose her daughter and you…get to feed.”}

The new shadewraith laughed and produced its mouthful of fangs in an eerie smile.

{“Jennifer will suffer immensely, Archaios Enas. What shall I do with the shell? It looked beyond the windshield and a single smoky finger pointed to a tall building. I can see the shell taking a little flight..watching its bones break and skin tear, dumping its innards all over the ground…”}

Archaios Enas sat back in the seat and rubbed her chin in quiet contemplation, then raised one eyebrow as a maniacal look appeared on her face.

{“I will permit you to splatter the shell in time. I have a need for this particular primate, it is the mother of one I am seeking.”}

Archaios Enas tapped on the little pad a few more times and brought up Casey’s list again.

-Martin Shores, Vivienne Moreau, Faye Moreau, Jessica Saunders, Amber Lane, Veronica Brown, Sylvie Miakoda, Kody Hensley, Linda Reynolds-Deceased, Brian Ashburn-Deceased-

Taking the time to go over every profile listed, Archaios Enas nodded briefly and looked up at the shadewraith that had spread out on the roof of the car.

{“There are no photos giving us a look at the one called Vivienne. I suspect that a few of these are nightstalkers. There is a small legion of your brethren pulling others through the portal. Take a few and hunt down every name here.”}

Archaios Enas tapped on the screen and highlighted Casey’s name.

{“Leave this one to me. My shell believed that this lovely creature was somehow involved in a deeper plot that was covered up by…”}

The White-wraith paused and cackled briefly.

{“Tatum Blackwell. Find this one as well. It would appear that the spider has a very big web, my faithful.”}

Swirling like a tiny tornado, the shadewraith circled Archaios Enas a couple of times then added its own retched laugh to hers.

{“Yes, Archaios Enas. This one’s mother and all associates. Chaos and fear…the other faithful will consume these flesh-worms, I will bring my shell to you.”}

Wrapping itself around Archaios Enas as though it was giving its leader a loving hug, the Shadewraith waited in place a second before disappearing through the car roof, leaving a small puddle of black slime behind.

Finally starting the engine, Archaios Enas looked up at the brightening sky as she drove toward Colonial Heights.

-The blood-worms will be cowering in the dark soon. Which means Casey’s nightstalker protection will be missing. Glorious. All I need from my faithful is where she is, Jennifer will provide that before she is consumed.-