Exiting Court

After the King exited the room, Hekate turns to her daughter, offering a smile, “Let’s head home, dear. I need to prepare for the ritual—and you’ll have a new sister soon.” Then tilting her head quizzingly, “Is something wrong dear?”

As Marihem was watching from near the throne, a smirk creeping across her face, “Well, perhaps this could be useful. The girl has worries, I could use that, per chance maybe Hekate’s little pawn could become my own.” Musing how once again the newest little golden child had foiled her plan of a minion of her own, controlling the this potential player in Catalina Ramirez. Besides this ritual that had been first developed by Celestials before the Schism, long since lost as taboo magic, now in the hands of that Hekate. She would wait and watch, ready to seize any chance to impose her will. After all isn’t that why Belphegor offers her sanctuary, even as other demon Kings still offer a bounty on bringing her back for eternal ****.

Alexis still looking down at the floor, shook her head, “I’m fine, everything is okay.”

Hekate smiled, reaching out to take her hand, “We can talk at home, but for now, I would rather get out of this den of vipers.” Beginning to guide her towards the door, but just as they are ready to exit the throne room slender long fingers with bright red pointed nails slide over Hekate’s shoulder. A soft seductive voice, “Lady Hekate, if I may have a moment.”

The women glanced back to see the Oriens Aer smiling as she seemed to tower over the human women. Hekate nodded, “Of course, Mistress Aer, how may I be of assistance to the Morning Mist?”

The woman chuckled, “oh, that silly nickname, they still use it after all these centuries.” Glancing between Alexis and the Succubus for a moment. “Well first, I would like for you to please summon me when you are ready for the ritual, I knew of a couple who once supposedly performed it while we were still Celestials, but…” Sighing softly, “It was forbidden magic, so when their superiors found out they were both destroyed, and I never heard if they were successful or not. And after we were cast out and became Demons, well we gave up celibacy so with children you did not need to join like that to grow closer.”

Glancing to Alexis she queried, “Is that how you came to us as well, Lady Alexis, after all we surely would have heard of you running through the halls of the Nursery System?”

Alexis blinked, looking down, biting her lower lip, as she began to fidget slightly. That is when Hekate stepped between them, “If you must…”

Oriens cut her off with a look, “Lady Hekate, do not worry, I intend the girl no harm. In fact I am very interested in her, particularly if the stories of the plan for her to return to the Mortal Realm are true.”

Then with a wave of her hand, she spun as to walk away, "We’ll speak again soon, my loves. Who knows? We might prove quite useful to each other. After all it seems the vipers are gathering their own nest.” Walking back into the hall and to a table where Sherida was standing reviewing some scrolls.

Hekate grabbed her daughter’s hand, pulling her out the door. As the tall man in a suit watched on, still appraising the situation, and what his next move should be, after all he had not planned for her to introduce Alexis to court this early. Perhaps he should keep an eye on what Marihem does next, and if she will use her newest toy in Nechashia, even if she failed today.

As they walked through the halls of the Cathedral, Hekate was explaining many of the tasks she would need to do before the ritual, especially if it would happen here instead of her home like before.

Alexis though just followed closely in a daze her mind clouded by all that had just transpired and the many questions she still had. First and foremost is what role would she play, or would she even still be needed? Just who was this demon she has come to know as her mother? She knew so little about her, her age, her history, why she was doing all of this.

The young ginger girl’s chest tightened, her breath hitching. A scream clawed at her throat, but she swallowed it down. None of this made sense—none of it ever would. And the games everyone in that room seemed to be playing, no one said what they meant, everything was so measured and left purposely open for interpretation. She found herself wondering if she could ever truly understand this world, it is so much different than the human world he lived in, though back then she was he, and was she truly the same person.

The young woman just began to catalog everyone she has met since finding herself in this new form, one that is not human but not a demon either, or was she. After all think of the variety of demons she has witnessed here.

There of course was Hekate, the woman she now considered her mother, a Succubus, and of which she is considered half Succubus herself. There is Aunty Lisa, the kind Imp who has been with her through it all, and always ready to reassure and teach. Miss Fortura, the spider demon running a clothing store so playful and vigorous, and the other spider demon, the one from Hekate’s memory that she ran from. Oh and that human she first met in the shop, the lost soul that seemed to think he was some noble lord still. The story of Lady Eisheth, who she only read a fairy tale of but found herself wanting to know more of the once human turned demon. Mistress Zazela and poor Eos whose life was stolen way to soon by that monster, Resheph. That vulgar imp on the streets this morning, and the minor demon messenger, Nuntius. The menacing Bull Demons that guarded the gates of the Cathedral. The Dog Demon of the castle, Custos and his two Jinn helpers, Glacia and Ignis.

And now the members of court, her now grandfather the King, Belphegor. The enigmatic Aiwass, who she felt was watching her like a hawk the entire time they were in the throne room. Lady Oriens Aer, the strange woman who seems so curious about her and she found herself desiring to know more of as well. The elegant priestess Sherida Suma, so dazzling like the dawn she supposedly represents. The woman that sents chills down her spine, as if she were to be devoured, Marihem. And finally the snake woman, who seemed only in her mid to late twenties but was centuries old, Nechashia.

What is her place in this strange world, and if she can return to her own home in the Mortal Realm would she even have a place there? And would this new girl, Mistress Hekate was about to give the same choice she had, replace her? She trembled at the thought of being alone again, especially here. Where all she had was Mistress Hekate and Aunty Lisa, where would she go? What would she do? If they don’t need, no what if they don’t want her anymore?

Would her life be like Robbie’s after high school, told to find his own place as he was a bad influence on Emily, his younger sister. With Trinity and him breaking up, as she went away to college he found himself all alone. Just that dingy little apartment, working at the factory all day and on weekends attempting to drown his sorrows at the Jack Knife Bar. Till that vicious little bitch Amber, and what did she want him for, to kill him, the only thing anyone needed him for is to be used and just die.

Is that his fate here as well, a new sister her mother will dote on, forgetting the failure that is her other child and throwing them away as soon as they can. It’s not fair, he, no I mean she was just finally able to start caring about these people, no demons, but they are all the same. She is the same as Robbie was replaceable with a smarter, prettier version, someone to steal her mother away, just like as when he was human.

The tears were just forming in the corners of her eyes when she felt a firm hand on her forearm, shaking her. “Alexis, Alexis are you okay? You haven’t been listening have you? Well we are home now dear, let’s go in and sit down and talk okay? I promise I will try and listen, although I imagine you would prefer Mistress Fidelisa, after all she is better with this shit than me.” Then glancing both ways, before adding, “Please don’t tell her I admitted that.”

Opening the door to their home to usher her inside.