Pools of Darkness - James M Brown [94]
The feline found himself instantly changing to a barbarian.
"That's better. You are so much more handsome this way." The woman's voice dripped honey.
Gam, why did you do that? Evaine mentally asked her surprised companion.
The cat's voice in her mind sounded slightly panicked. I don't know! She asked me to change, and it seemed like the natural thing to do. She acts like a nice creature, but she has a strange type of control. I still can't smell anything. Are you sure she's evil?
Evaine didn't like this. Drawing on some old defensive spells her mentor had taught her, she quickly summoned a pale green aura around herself and her two male companions.
Lanula stood in her doorway, amused. "You are a whelp of Sebastian's, aren't you?"
Evaine was irritated by the woman's attitude, but she forced herself to remain composed. This was either the creature she sought-her mentor's rival-or a dangerous trick.
Looking the men squarely in the face, Lanula posed seductively and summoned them. "Come, Tooth. Come, Blade. Enter my cottage and let me warm your tired bodies by the fire."
Ren smiled and walked right up to the woman.
Gamaliel shook his head, hesitating before moving toward the door. Evaine sensed him struggling to maintain control.
The sorceress refused to budge. She folded her arms across her chest. "This will stop right now. I know you for what you are," Evaine said in the most forceful voice she could muster. Sebastian, you old dog! You kept company with a creature like this? the sorceress thought to herself.
Evaine stood alone. She might have to fight for the lives of her two friends, for if they entered this creature's home, they might never come out again. "You're a succubus. Now I remember one of the last things Sebastian told me before he died. Lunlaa!" Evaine shouted, drawing her magical staff in front of her. "Lunlaa, show yourself for what you really are!"
"Aaaagh," the woman snarled. Her hair grew long and turned raven black as her features and muscles bulged. "It seems-owwwww," she cried as huge bat wings burst from her back. "It seems you have found me out, ahhh!" With a final groan of both pleasure and pain, her eyes glowed with red energy and her delicate human hands and feet turned to equally delicate talons and claws. The abominable creature flapped and hopped around Evaine, but the sorceress would not be intimidated.
Through the use of her name, the beautiful woman who had stood before them had been forced to transform into the lush, seductive creature that held men spellbound-a succubus.
The creature laughed a grating, hissing laugh. "You may have forced me to transform, but you can't send me back. Only Sebastian possessed that power, and he chose never to use it." Lunlaa now circled the men, pinching Ren's arm and squealing in delight.
Evaine refused to back down. "I know what you gave Sebastian and what you took from him. I could destroy you here and now!" The sorceress began gathering the energies that would explode a fireball around the creature.
"Harm me and your friends will fight you!" the creature cackled.
Evaine could see that Ren and Gamaliel were completely spellbound by what they still saw as a delicate human female. They were bewitched and couldn't see her horrible natural form. They stood like statues, mouths agape. Evaine knew Gamaliel was incapable of attacking her, but Ren was another matter.
Gamaliel still struggled for control. Mistress… can't kill her… get help… her help…
"You didn't come here to fight me," Lunlaa purred all too sweetly. Now she smiled at Ren and patted Gamaliel's shoulder. "We have a common enemy dwelling in the red tower. I will tell you how to kill him if we can be friends. I can help you in this quest in more ways than you expected. There is much you don't know about the darkness that surrounds that tower." The succubus was clearly enjoying her game.
"Why should you help us? How do I know we can trust you?"
"The pit fiend that made the tower is a fiend of unusual power, and he grows