“Oh, man,” Molly said. “Those are the people that the vampires kept as party favors. Did they seem all mesmerized or anything?”
“Nah. Just confused an’ scared. Most of ‘em headed for the parkin’ lot.”
“Their first instinct will be to run, just like the vampires,” Lorelei nodded. “I have seen it in the past. They will have confused memories of the party, but most were likely lured here without knowing what was in store. They are a problem that will resolve itself, but it would be good to ensure no one is left behind here.”
“Right. That’s all you guys.” Rachel got up off the floor. “I’ll go deal with whoreface.”
“No,” Lorelei said. “Wait…please.”
“You’re hurt bad,” Alex observed. “Is there something I can do?”
The succubus offered a slight, affectionate smile despite her pain. “I will not expire. That danger has already passed. You know what will heal me, Alex. I will endure until then.”
“That’s the only way?”
“It’s the best way,” she nodded. Lorelei put her hand, covered in blood and filth, upon his shoulder. “You rescued me. Again.”
Alex just shrugged. “I love you.”
Lorelei nodded. She said, loudly enough to be heard by all, “We should not linger. The authorities may be delayed, but they cannot ignore all of this for long.”
“Alex,” Onyx spoke up as she rose, “we need to talk.”
“I know,” he said, looking back to her and Molly. “I know we do.”
“Lydia,” Rachel reminded him gently. “I can take care of her. Bitch has a lot to answer for.”
“All of this, I would imagine,” Lorelei nodded.
“Can you bring her with you?” Alex asked Rachel, looking between her and Lorelei.
Rachel reached down to help Lorelei to her feet. “Yeah. We’ve got a lot to talk about, too.”
“The three of us,” Lorelei nodded.
“You’re gonna be nice to her?” Alex asked the angel.
Rachel snorted. She had one arm around Lorelei while the succubus held to her shoulder with both arms. “I’m an angel. I’m sweetness and fucking light to everyone,” the blonde grinned as she gently led Lorelei down the hall. “Like a beautiful rainbow right up the ass.”
Wade moved to follow, but stopped as he came to Alex. He gestured to Taylor. “She just drove a flaming truck through a giant demon an’ a house full a’ vampires t’ come get you.”
Taylor shrugged. She still held a pistol in her hands. She watched Alex, too weary to blush but too embarrassed to know what to say.
Wade pulled Alex to his feet. He slapped his friend on the shoulder before following Rachel and Lorelei. Alex leaned on the wall for support. “You did all that for me?”
She didn’t answer immediately. Taylor shrugged again. Her lips were pushed forward, quivering a bit, and tears threatened to break free from her eyes. “You’re my best friend,” she managed to say. Her voice wavered as she spoke. “You were always my best friend and I never understood until all this happened.”
Alex gathered her up into his arms. She held onto him, sniffling until she got hold of her feelings again.
“Can I tell you I love you without it sounding clingy or weird?” Alex asked.
“Yeah.”
“I love you.”
“I had sex with your girlfriend,” Taylor replied half in laughter. “Might have a thing for her.”
Alex laughed back. “I’m glad.”
“Well, then you’re a pervert.” She squeezed him again before pulling off to wipe her face. She turned to see Molly and Onyx looking on awkwardly. “These are your friends, too?”
“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “This is Molly, and this is Onyx.”
“You look like an Onyx,” Taylor smiled quietly. Then she looked back to Alex and said, “I’m gonna go catch up, okay?” She kissed him on the cheek and then headed out.
With that, Alex gave his full attention to the two women. “Uh,” he began with uncertainty. “So there’s a lot to explain.”
“Uh-huh,” Onyx replied.
“I should let you two talk alone,” Molly thought aloud. She got a single step before Onyx slapped her hand down on Molly’s wrist. The redhead took her meaning and halted.
“Is Molly your girlfriend?” Alex asked hesitantly. Onyx just nodded. “Uh. Wow,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. “This just gets weirder.”
“Molly knows everything,” Onyx told him.
“Everything?”
“Everything I know,” Onyx elaborated pointedly.
“Uh. Right. So I should start at the beginning?” Again, Onyx just nodded. “Okay, well…uh…I guess I should start by saying that I would’ve told you everything straight up front but I didn’t know how or think I could. And if it seems like you like me more than you should, it’s not anything intentional but it’s because of Lorelei. She’s, uh, a succubus. Which is like a, um, sex demon,” he added.
Onyx and Molly shared the same exact snort and smirk. Alex continued. “And, well…I guess I should start by saying that sometimes I’m really dumb.”
* * *
With the shooting over and the danger passed, those less able to defend themselves made their escape. Confused, frightened people who had only a short while ago been live refreshments found their belongings and clothes in a few scattered rooms. They hastened to depart, many of them rushing to their cars without pausing to get dressed again. They remembered little more than attending a spooky, kinky costume party that ended in genuine violence and fire.
Rachel effortlessly carried a bench over from the porch, setting it down near the bushes where Lydia lay under several watchful eyes. Lorelei leaned on Drew’s strong arm until the bench was settled.
“I wish I could just heal you,” Rachel frowned.
“I’ll be fine soon enough,” Lorelei replied. Drew sat down where she could lean on him.
“You could heal me,” Jason suggested dryly. Lorelei looked to him curiously, then pursed her lips and looked away. The young man’s face still bore the red mark of Drew’s slap, complete with all five fingers.
“Or you could not,” Wade smirked. His kept his gun leveled in Lydia’s direction, but his posture became a bit more relaxed.
Rachel smiled playfully. She looked to Jason, gesturing in Wade’s direction. “Head Motherfucker In Charge there says you get to live with it.”
Jason sighed, glancing at Wade with a frown. “Jerk.”
“I simply haven’t the words for how grateful I am to all of you,” Lorelei said. “This is twice now. And at such risk.”
Taylor sat down next to Lorelei opposite Drew. “We’d do it again,” she said.
“Yeah,” Wade nodded. “Got off damn easy, if y’think about it. Only real casualty out here’s mah truck.”
“I will gladly buy you a new one,” Lorelei told him. “Any number of horrors could have been inflicted upon you had this gone poorly.”
Wade just shrugged. “First time since ah’ve been home ah didn’t feel bad ‘bout bein’ discharged,” he said.
“Maybe you were needed much more here at home,” Rachel suggested.
“Maybe so. Be glad to go back to livin’ a normal life at this point, though.”
“You have a far better chance for that now,” Lorelei noted. “Centuries-old monsters and bands of unscrupulous sorcerers don’t grow on trees. You may not see the effects directly, but what happened here tonight dramatically shifts power in the city and its environs.”
“You think they’ll come after us?” Jason asked. “Look for revenge?”
Lorelei shook her head. “It’s a rare predator who goes out looking for a fight just for the sake of inflicting harm. Isn’t that right, Lydia?” she asked. “You’ve surely awoken by now.”
“If you think I’ll grovel, you are mistaken,” Lydia said as she sat up in the grass. The blonde succubus brushed herself off, looking at each of those assembled around her in a semi-circle. Behind her were only bushes and the side of the mansion. There was no escaping this.
“I care not,” Lorelei shrugged. “That deep chasm of weakness you feel within yourself is from the loss of your master. Baal is dead, slain by mortal hands in his own realm. Harrow is dead in the Pit at the hands of an angel. You know as well as I that such deaths are permanent. There will be no regeneration.