Are you afraid of the dark?

“Well, whatever is down there, it isn’t on the blueprints for the house. I do recall the electrician that installed the new security camera's mentioning there were several more circuit breakers than the house should need, as well an entire extra fuse box that he didn't know what was for. Unfortunately, none of the extras were labeled, and we were not paying him to do anything more than wire the cameras.” said Ramona. Linda had the day off, Yolanda was working the night shifts this week, and April was at the school, so Ramona was in charge of house security today.

June leaned over the blueprints Sonia had provided. She traced where the stairwell should appear and said, “There is a doorway here which would mean whatever is down there leads under Caleb’s bedroom. The question is, should we check it out, or wait till Caleb gets home?”

Lu Zhao had heard June’s scream when the shelving unit opened. She had rushed into the room ready for a fight, and had been locked to the June's side since. She volunteered, “I will go if you’d like, Holy Mother.”

June smiled at her and said, "That's very kind of you Lu, but I was thinking Ramona would be the ideal choice. Who knows what could be down there? Having a girl trained to fight might be the better option, there could be snakes or other creepy crawly things down there."

Lu looked over at Ramona. The Marshal did not seem to want to wander down a dark staircase alone. Lu Zhao was a Lotus Sister, and better trained for investigating the unknown. Officially they were bodyguards, though many considered them assassins. It wasn't there fault that the best way to protect their charges was to kill their enemies first. It was a little known fact that the Lotus Sisters also investigated other sometimes mystical things, which sometimes led them into dark places.

And there was another reason she was the ideal candidate, though she hesitated to show them. She thought about how loving this harem and its Queen were, and how they treated outsiders and shifters. She made a decision and she said, "Holy Mother, I believe I am the ideal person to find out what is down there." She looked over at Priestess Sonia and continued, "I am better trained than the marshal is."

Ramona indignantly hollered, "Hey! I-"

She got quiet when Sonia threw up her hand. She looked Lu in the eye and said, "I suspected as much. June, we... That is Lori and I, were going to tell Caleb when Lori returned from her trip home. The Sisterhood has sent Lotus Sisters to watch over the family."

"What's a Lotus Sister? Ramona, what are you doing?" June's voice quickly raised. Ramona had reached up and grasped the pistol in her shoulder holster.

"Step away from her June. Lotus Sisters are Sisterhood assassins. Don't move Lu. Don't even twitch." Ramona had her gun out of the holster now, though she didn't point it directly at the maid, it wasn't far off either.

June took one step back from Lu, seeing Mary and Megumi do the same on the other side of the table. She looked at Sonia and said, "Why would you wait to tell my son there are assassins in our home?"

Lu spoke before Sonia could answer, "Holy Mother please, we aren't assassins, our orders are to protect your family. I swear on the Stretcher Kings, I would never harm you." She was ready to kick herself. She should have told the Harem Queen, if she told anyone. Kathy would know she meant her no harm.

"She's telling the truth June. If she had been sent to kill any of us, she's had ample opportunity. And keep in mind, she's pregnant with your son's child," said Sonia as she stepped around the table and stood behind Lu.

June noticed that Sonia had just made it so that Ramona would not have a clean shot. If she fired at Lu, there was a chance she'd hit Sonia instead, though at this range, it was unlikely the Marshal could miss. Then again, the maid wasn't a large woman. If Ramona shot her, the bullet might just pass right through and hit Sonia anyway.

"You didn't answer my question Sonia. Why would you wait to tell my son?" June demanded, though her tone was far calmer than her initial outburst. Deep inside June was both afraid and curious, but her poker face had slammed into place to hide her emotions.

Sonia sighed, "It might be best if you didn't know the reason, but it was good enough for Lori. She figured it out and came to me. We agreed that the family was not in any danger. I can assure you, Lu will not harm you, or your family. She would not have sworn on the Stretcher Kings otherwise. The Lotus Sisters are a highly trained paramilitary group that work for the church. They are devoted to the Stretcher Kings, very devoted. They would never hurt Caleb or you or Kathy."

June nodded, "Ramona, put your gun away."

When Ramona opened her mouth to protest June demanded, "Now! Sonia wouldn't lie to me. If she says Lu isn't a threat, then I believe her."

June looked at Lu and said, "How many of you are there?"

Lu put her hands on the table and said, "I'm not sure. Standard procedure for a Stretcher King's guard is ten Lotus Sisters. But his Holiness has already bred three of us. The only reason I have not been released from service yet, is because I won a night with Kathy at the orgy."

Chloe stepped into the room and said, "He's bred eight actually. There were three among the priestesses that visited with the Mother Superior, and he bred two before Lu joined the house staff. And the total guard for your son is going to be around thirty once they all arrive and set up in the area. Unfortunately, they will have to settle for setting up around the neighborhood. The school has been swamped with requests for transfers from women seeking to become his classmates. The principal has denied all transfers, meaning the Sisters that were supposed to infiltrate the school will be unable to do so. That also means Priestess Emma is the only person on the school grounds watching over your son and his harem."

June scowled at Chloe, "You knew."

Chloe held her head high as she responded in a completely professional tone, "I did. Your son is unique among Stretcher Kings. He has performed miracles we have never seen before. He has healed dozens of women just in the last few days, with almost no effort. He blesses women's wombs with them barely having to ask. He must be protected, and you can not deny that the US government has not provided anything close to the proper number of marshals for the task. There are currently three on the grounds counting Ramona, and April is currently sitting in one of the SUV's in the school parking lot because the school doesn't want an armed person on campus. There are over a dozen women in his harem and family, with more to be added. Over half the family is out of the house right now, yet only one marshal is out there to protect them and your son. Lori and Emily are halfway to their hometown by now. Chris, Katie, Gabbie, Angie, Heather, Hazel, Kathy and Caleb are all at the school, oh, and Holly I suppose. Melissa is at the news studio. Tina is with Amelia at the UN office. And that doesn't even mention the harem candidates Lottie and Marilyn."

When she saw June finish processing how scattered the family was, Chloe added, "All three of the maids sent to help Lori pack up her home are Lotus Sisters. There is one in the news studio dressed as a food delivery person. There is another at the UN office. And there is a pair of vans a block away from the school, one to the north and the other on the southwest side. Each van has three armed sisters in it. There is also another half dozen sisters in various positions outside the mansion grounds."

June was shocked by the number of people the sisterhood had protecting her family. She asked, "If these Lotus Sisters are so dedicated to our protection, then why hid it from us?"

Chloe gestured at Ramona and said, "Because of them. Even now Ramona doesn't trust the sisterhood enough to put her gun away, even after you told her to. I doubt her superiors are going to like the idea of armed religious fanatics surrounding the Stretcher King. And make no mistake Holy Mother, they are fanatics. If any harm were to come to Caleb, or Kathy, or you, the Lotus Sisters would not rest until they punished the offender. The Stretcher Kings, Holy Mothers, and Harem Queens are the original holy trinity, God's chosen on Earth."

June scowled and said, "Ramona, if you can't put your gun away, then you can leave the room."

Ramona protested, "Ma'am, I think you're making a mistake." But she holstered her weapon.

June crossed her arms and said, "I've heard enough about the sisterhood from my sister to believe nothing I've heard so far is a lie. And I can literally feel Sonia's love for me. It's one of the miracles associated with the harem effect. If April trusts Sonia, and I know she does, then you should trust her too. Now, we will discuss this with my son later. We still have the problem with this hidden staircase to deal with."

Lu spoke again and said, "Holy Mother, I am still the best qualified to investigate. If the Marshal will refrain from shooting me, I will show you why."

At June's gesture, Lu placed her hands flat on the table, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and shifted. Her hands grew slightly while her fingers shortened. A thick coat of fur sprouted on their backs, over her wrists, and partially up her forearms. Her claws extended slightly before retracting. Two cute cat ears pushed themselves up through her hair. She opened her eyes and showed that they had become a greenish yellow with oval shaped irises. And finally, a long cat tail grew and rolled out from under her short maid skirt.

June covered her mouth and whispered, "Oh, my."

Lu simply stated, "I have superior hearing, and I can see in near total darkness better than any normal human."

Writing takes energy and coffee provides energy. If you like the story please consider buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/samus1001