"Ishiar, can we be alone for a minute?"

"Oh, you're going to--"

Sudvana blushed. "Yes."

"Alright. I'll be in the other room."

Sudvana took a deep breath. Though she had done it several times now, she was still embarassed. If she didn't have this yearning to see this seemingly unknown creature open her eyes again--if she wasn't so drawn to that placid, angelic face--she might not have been able to do it.

Gingerly, she slipped down the fabric of her top, exposing her right breast. She took another breath as she felt her face flush. Gently lifting the sleeping angel in her arms, she cradled her head to her chest.

The warm touch of the angel's lips on her nipple sent tingles of excitement all up and down Sudvana's body, yet the angel did not move--her lips didn't even twitch. Sudvana was used to this. Holding Annelique's head up with her arm, she used her hands to gently open the angel's mouth and wrap her lips around the nipple. Gently squeezing the angel's chin, she slowly fed her honey to her.

Though embarassed and a little scared, a part of her felt exalted in doing this. She had lost everything--her friends, her heart, seemingly even her life--and somehow this lovely being had brought them all back to her. She was overwhelmingly glad that she could help restore her in return...if indeed she could.

She felt a connection to this angel, though she didn't know why. She was afraid to mention it to Ishiar--she'd think she was crazy. But everyone had always said that the souls of people who die come back in new bodies, and that sometimes, you could recognize the soul of someone who was important to you...

...And she was very, very beautiful.

A part of Sudvana wanted to cradle Annelique in her arms forever. To discard all other moments in her life and cherish this one perfect, beautiful feeling. But she had more than herself to think about.

As she nursed the angel, she wondered if the angel was aware of it at all--if part of her knew what was happening. They had all said that she needed to be the one to do this, but she didn't really understand why.

The strange woman--Klayer--had said there was some sort of connection between the two of them. It certainly felt that way, but just a few days earlier she had been standing in Eronmar cursing everything that destiny had become. It was almost hard to believe that something like this could still happen--that the naive belief she had once held that everything turns out alright in the end had been the true one. Ishiar was okay. So were Blast and Gairanda. And Latella...

She knew Latella was gone, but...could it be?

The thought had been gnawing at her for days now. This angel looked nothing like her--Latella was at least a foot taller and skinny as a rail. Totally different faces, different voices. If this angel had inherited her soul, she must not have inherited anything else at all.

But...they had both seemed to recognize each other. It felt like they were together, and the body called Latella was just a shell that they had both put aside.

"So how's it coming, darling?"

Sudvana yelped and yanked her top back up, letting the angel's head fall onto the pillow. Ushan was leaning against the doorway, a non-chalant grin on her face.

Despite the fact that her top was covering her amply, Sudvana was instinctively covering her chest with her arms. "I thought I asked you not to do that."

"Oh, precious, it's nothing I've not seen before," the lascivious succubus chuckled as she stepped into the room. "If not for the fact that your honey is so sorely needed elsewhere, I'd think I needed to give you a once-over to lay your fears to rest...you're so tense!" She sat down on a plush cushioned chair next to the bed.

Sudvana put her arms down with some effort, trying to calm her beating heart. No matter how many times it happened, she was always surprised. The fact that half of the doors in Kikagonroth were merely curtains--this room included--didn't help her feel any less nervous.

"You've been watching me?"

"Darling, honey-bear, I'm a succubus. What could possibly make you think that seeing your breasts could make me think less of you?"

"I--"

"Come now, being self-conscious does not become you. Besides, I want to help you."

Sudvana's mind suddenly flashed back to the last time Ushan had "Helped" her with the angel--by demonstrating the breastfeeding procedure, without warning, on Sudvana herself. She had simply yanked aside the leather hiding her nipples and jammed her breast into her face. She could still hear her own muffled yelp as the nipple filled her mouth...

"Why are you helping me?" Sudvana said. "I thought you demons hated angels. I hear whispers when I go outside about the angel stink."

"Funny you should mention that," Ushan said, just before turning her head towards the doorway.

"Hello?" came an unfamiliar voice.

Ushan took Sudvana by the hand and led her out into the small house's main landing. Standing in front of the main door was another angel. She was very tall, almost twice Sudvana's height. Her freckled face was framed with curly pink hair that reminded Sudvana of Annelique's.

The angel turned her head just in time to see Sudvana and Ushan. Like Annelique, she looked very out of place amongst the decadent decor of the demonic home in which they were staying.

"Is...is one of you Ushan?" the angel said.

"Yes, yes," Ushan said, walking regally down the stairs towards her. "Welcome to our humble home. Well, actually, it's not my home, we are merely enjoying the hospitality of Mistress Iyanta of the Blood Fane. But rest assured, you are in the right place."

Though the angel was clearly doing her best not to show it, Sudvana could tell she was nervous. Despite being twice Ushan's size, she was feeling very vulnerable here.

"And you...you must be her." the angel said, looking at Sudvana. "The one she came for."

"Apparently," Ushan said. "Her name is Sudvana, and I am Ushan of the Flesh Fane."

"My name is Miss Sara," the Angel said.

"A pleasure, Miss Sara. This way."

Ushan led the newcomer up the stairs. She had to duck down to get into the room Annelique was sleeping in.

Her face carried concern and relief at the same time as she laid eyes on the helpless angel. Her eyes were clearly watering. Ushan stayed in the doorway and did her best not to watch, clearly not looking forward to the melodramatic display she was sure would follow.

"You've been taking care of her?" Miss Sara asked.

"Yes, me and my friends have," Sudvana said.

"Thank you." Miss Sara replied.

"But...she won't wake up."

Miss Sara nodded. "Only the most powerful of angels can resurrect someone. For a newborn to do it...it should have killed her first. She shouldn't have been able to."

"You can thank our mysterious friend Klayer for that," Ushan said. "She apparently instructed Annelique in, among other things, resurrection magic."

"Will she ever be alright?" Sudvana asked.

Miss Sara didn't answer. Instead, she withdrew something from her robes--an envelope, along with a small white ribbon. Kneeling down over the bed, she carefully tied the ribbon into Annelique's hair. Sudvana wasn't sure why, but the angel was in tears now. Before she rose again, she gave Annelique a long kiss on the forehead.

"I'm sorry, I can't stay long--my kind cannot survive for long outside of Brightwind," Miss Sara said. "Sudvana, could you please give this to Annelique when she wakes up?"

She held out the envelope.

Sudvana took it carefully. It was simple white paper, wrapped with silken twine and sealed with a heart.

"Of course," Sudvana said.

"Thank you," Miss Sara said with a sudden sniffle. She began to walk towards the door.

Her last words before leaving were "We love you, Annelique."

After she had vanished from the house, Ushan spoke again. "Yes, well, I hope that did not disturb you. Angels can be a bit...how shall I put this...overly dramatic?" Ushan said flatly. "Nonetheless, I thought she could help us revive our little one here."

"Who was she?" Sudvana asked.

"Annelique's former caremistress, I believe," Ushan replied. "I'm not a scholar on of angelic culture--and who would want to be, really?--but apparently her job is to see to the physical and emotional well-being of other angels."

"What did she mean when she said she couldn't survive here?"

"Remember when our miss Klayer said that angels feed on love? Well, apparently Miss Sara doesn't believe she can find any in a demon city. As if! Why, just this morning I found a great deal of love under a large furred rug with an Ironbelly reconaissance expert and her commanding officer."

Sudvana simply looked at her.

Ushan sighed. "Yes, I know what you're thinking," she continued. "Mental translation: That sleazy succubus Ushan spent the morning in some unholy gang-orgy. So many stereotypes! It's simply no wonder people think there's no love among demons. It seems we can simply never find anyone willing to share it with us!"

Sudvana was looking back at Annelique. She touched the ribbon in her hair; there was something odd about it. It felt magical, but the magic was of a kind unfamiliar to her.

"Don't worry your pretty face, Sudvana dear. I'm sure she'll recover."

"Ushan..." Sudvana said, almost wondering if asking this would really be a bad idea, "I...I need to know. Why did you sell Ishiar into slavery?"

"For thirty stones, of course!"

"That wasn't why," Sudvana said. "You came to rescue her afterwards. Why go to all that trouble?"

Ushan's smile faded. For the first time since they'd met, her playfully lascivious exterior faltered.

"Darling..." she started, "We demons...have certain rules," she explained slowly, as if putting it into words was difficult--or admitting it was. "One of these rules is that a succubus cannot eat someone except under three circumstances: They are willing, they are a slave, or they are an enemy. When I saw Ishiar, I...must admit I became somewhat enamoured. I was selfish, as I admit my kind is wont to do...it is encouraged perhaps more than it should be. Put simply, I wanted to eat her. She was an enemy, to be sure, but I felt it a waste for her life to end there."

"So you gave her your honey," Sudvana said. "But then why didn't you just let her go afterwards?"

"Well, that's where the rules get sticky..." Ushan said. "By preserving her life, I was proving that she was no longer an enemy. If she was not an enemy, she had to be a slave."

"So why didn't you just keep her or let her go?"

"By letting her go I would have broken my honor code, for I would have eaten someone who was neither slave, enemy, or willing. That is part of the honor of all demons. I could not keep her as my own slave for the honor of my Fane; those of the Flesh Fane cannot keep slaves they care about, and I must confess, I had grown to a certain empathy with your friend by the time she left my body...her soul held qualities that I had not expected. I had grown to desire her, in more ways than simply the flesh. That was why I had to let her go."

"But you just said you weren't allowed to let her go," Sudvana said.

"Darling," Ushan said sadly, "I meant let her go in an entirely different sense. She had to remain a slave, but she could not be my slave."

Things slowly began to make sense to Sudvana. "So...since you'd eaten her but didn't kill her, you had to make her a slave, and since you had started to like her, she had to be someone else's slave?"

"That is correct," Ushan said.

"How could you possibly make rules like that?" Sudvana said. "The second a master cares about her slave, she has to sell her to a master who's cruel?"

Ushan shook her head. "You do not understand. We Succubi carry great appetites--appetites and the rewards that go along with them. What you feel at the touch of a lover is but a fraction of what a member of my kind does. Normally, demons pay for this with a diminished ability to feel what you would call the higher emotions: to wit, love, but also anger, fear, and others."

Seeing Sudvana's expression, Ushan grinned. "It surprises you to hear we do not feel anger as you do? I think a lot of things about us would surprise you. But I digress. Our lower tendency towards emotion does not mean we have none. In fact, most Fanes have one or two emotions they are known for...the Bone Fane's anger, for example, or the Night Fane's sense of mischief. The Flesh Fane--scandal of scandals!--has a reputation for sentimentality. For love. Most other demons simply consider it a friendly jest, but the truth is, the stereotype doesn't even scratch the surface of the truth."

"What I am about to tell you is not politic to mention, so I'd prefer you keep it to yourself, though it is not uncommon in my Fane..." Ushan said. "To me," she went on, "Love and desire can become one. What I want to touch, I also want to protect, to nurture. I may not show it in the rather embarrassing manner of the Angels, but it is there. The very act of keeping someone enslaved--the chains, the whips, the oppression--we cannot tolerate them if we are directing them towards someone we care about any more than you could. Oh, certainly, we could avoid using those things, but then they are no longer a slave. Our hearts require that we make no slaves of those we care about. It is part of our code of honor as a Fane out of respect for others who we know feel the same way. A Fane's code of honor is it's identity. It is how we show respect for one another both internally and externally. If our honor code states that we will make no slaves of those we love, we are acknowledging the otherwise embarassing truth that we fall in love with our slaves. In return, other demons will respect it."

"You still should have been able to let her go," Sudvana said.

"Had I forgone eating her, I could have. But my passions were too strong. The thought of feeling her skin inside me burned like a dark star. I thought I could satisfy my cravings and then discard her on the slave market, as I admittedly have with several others. I simply didn't realize how...well, how much it would sting me to sell her once I had felt her spirit inside me."

"Is that why you're helping us now? To satisfy your guilty conscience?"

Ushan was silent for a moment. "I am helping you for several reasons. Part of it is because the Flesh Fane now owes a debt to the Ironbellies...part of it is because I still find myself enamoured of Ishiar..."

There was a pause.

"Is that all?" Sudvana finally said. "You want to help me revive Annelique so you can win over Ishiar?"

Ushan's expression seemed empty for a moment. "What you said just a moment ago, satisfying my guilty conscience, I'm...surprised. Most people don't believe my kind are capable of having them."

"Are you?" Sudvana said plainly.

Ushan had no answer; only silence followed, broken finally by the sound of Ralier clomping into the front room. Her skin was slick with sweat. Blast was riding on her back, leaning into her shoulders with a satisfied smile. Ishiar, on the other hand, was simply slung across Ralier's back looking like she'd been hit by a truck. Her clothing, rather than being on her body, was piled on top of her like laundry.

"Whoo!" Ralier said, her breath coming in exhausted gasps. "That Ishiar sure knows how to keep a promise!"

Ushan smiled. "And from her now-comatose state, I'd guess simple physical endurance is a factor in pleasing your species?"

"Huh? Oh, no, that's my fault, she was sucking on me and I let a little go near the end...she can still move, but we figured, we were all getting tired anyway..."

Blast slowly scampered off of her back and collapsed into a chair, taking a big swig out of a brownish liquid from her belt. Sudvana suddenly wondered if Blast was going to sprout horns or turn into a tree or something--she had yet to see Blast make a potion that wasn't in some way extreme.

"You should have come wish us, Ushie, you would have had a great time."

Ushan was genuinely regretful that she missed what may have been her only easy opportunity to participate in an orgy with Ishiar--despite her hatred of being called "Ushie."

"I'm afraid I had other business to attend to," she said honestly. Her sensual demeanor returned as she continued, "but don't worry, I'm sure I can make time for you."

"Awesome. You won't suck my soul out or anything, right?" Ralier said.

"Only if you want me to," Ushan said coyly. "Which you might, once you've seen what I can do with your body...I trust you had no trouble with the locals?"

"Nah, it seems like everybody here is sort of getting used to seeing oddball people wandering around," Ralier replied. "Hell, I saw an angel walking by just before I came in. You must be one open-minded pack o' demons."

"Precious, demons don't have 'packs.' " Ushan corrected.

"You know what I meant. Hey, I see you finally got the other little featherduster to come back to us! Good on ya!"

"What are--" Ushan realized Ralier was looking up towards Annelique's room.

The little angel was leaning against the doorway, blinking and trembling. She fell to one knee as the others watched, her fingers clutching at the door frame in an unsuccessful attempt to hold herself up.

"Annelique!" Sudvana cried as she ran up the stairs. The angel was clearly struggling even to stay upright on her knees, falling again just in time for Sudvana to catch her.

"You're awake! Does that mean you're--Annelique?"

The angel's eyes were squinted and blinking. They seemed totally unfocused; almost blank.

"Annelique, it's okay, I'm here. Do you...do you know who I am?"

Annelique's eyes opened halfway in her stooped head, glazed and staring off into the space beneath the floor. Her jaw moved ever so slightly and she turned her head to face Sudvana. As the two's eyes met, the angel's now-pale lips lifted into a weak smile. Despite their weakness, her arms found their way around Sudvana, and she let herself fall into Sudvana's embrace. Sudvana took her and held her as close as she could, making up for Annelique's lack of strength and more.

"Well, now that we've had our happy ending..." Ushan said abruptly, "Klayer said you know something about Aerothi's plans. Is that true?"

"Oh, lay off her, she's only just pulled herself out from under death's ass, give her a minute!" Ralier said.

Ushan gave Ralier an indignant look, but remained silent.

Sudvana eventually let go of Annelique, gently placing her to rest with her back against the wall. The angel's breaths were slow and labored, like she was trying to pull lead into her lungs. Her eyelids still drooped half shut, but she seemed to be growing more aware of what was going on.

For her part, Annelique was gradually pulling her consciousness out of the fog. She could see, and recognized who she was with, if not where she was. She looked down at her hand and slowly rubbed her fingers together, trying to let the sensations bring her focus.

She felt strange pangs and aches from inside her skin. She raised her arm and drew back the long sleeve of the robe she was wearing; there were still scars beneath her skin, where no one else could see them. Scars where her soul had destroyed itself to preserve her flesh when all else had failed. Her flesh had since healed of it's own accord or with the help of the intact parts of her soul, but she could feel the broken pieces of her. They hurt, but somehow, it didn't feel bad...something about them almost made her feel proud, someplace deep down.

The memories of the last time she had been conscious gradually filtered back to her. She had saved the girl she had come to save, at the cost of helping Aerothi complete her plan.

That girl was now the one in front of her, the one who had saved her in turn after her resurrection spell had nearly killed her. She could barely make her out, but her touch had been more than enough to know that it was her. It wasn't that Annelique's vision was blurred or darkened; it was more that her swimming mind could not process the information her eyes were giving her.

She closed her eyes and reached out again. She felt for Sudvana's hand and pulled it close to her. As she pulled it up to her face, a little bit of the color seemed to return to her cheeks.

"I...knew it was you." Annelique said. Her voice was quiet and dry, like a wind coming through a distant tunnel.

Sudvana bit her lip. "Are you...are you Latella?"

"No..." Annelique shook her head, slowly moving--almost listing--from side to side.

Sudvana's heart sunk.

"But I'm the one you connected to, that night..." Annelique continued.

Sudvana's heart started racing again. "The night inside the naga?" Sudvana said.

"No..." Annelique said quietly. "The night you were born. I can't believe I never saw...you were always there, weaving your fabrics, making your charms...always a part of my world, and I never knew how important you were to me...the little sorceress, so wrapped up in her own little life that she couldn't see her soulmate right in front of her...I had to die to realize how much you meant to me...Sudvana."

Sudvana swallowed a lump in her throat. As she tried to think of something to say, she heard something in the background along the lines of "Dark Goddess, how long are they going to go on like this?"

"We should get you back in bed, Annelique," Sudvana said, trying to help her off the floor.

"N-no..." Annelique said, the tone of her voice slowly returning but being replaced by a hoarse stutter. "We don't hhha-hhhave time..."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Aerothi, shhh-she'll...be sstarting...sssoon..." She tried to get to her feet, but collapsed into Sudvana's arms again.

"Starting what?" Sudvana said, doing her best to hold her up.

"Yes, darling, why don't you enlighten us as to what Aerothi's plan was?" Ushan said. "Which you supposedly helped her with by resurrecting Sonya, by the way."

"This world, the...the caves...they're part of a monster." Annelique said.

"And...now for the part we don't know?" Ushan replied.

"They're organs, this planet was once--"

"A space monster, yes, this we are aware of." Ushan said.

"It's coming back." Annelique said quietly.

"What?"

"She's bringing it back to life."

Ushan paused. "Surely you are joking," she said, her look going beyond incredulous into confused. "Or something."

"No," Annelique said. "She's...she's doing some sort of planet-wide resurrection spell. To do it she needs to hold key points all over the world...that's why she's been waging war on everyone."

Ralier interjected at this point, clearly appalled at the entire concept. "Wait, wait, wait! What the HELL could she hope to accomplish by bringing this planet back to life? All it would do is digest everybody inside it and eat everybody on top of it! Probably including her! I'm sure she's not doing it as a favor to the dead monster!"

"Vengeance," Annelique said sadly. "Aerothi once lived on Taburas."

"Taburas?" Ishiar said. "That's not far from here. It's supposed to be a dead rock."

"I heard legends that it used to be a lot bigger, actually, and had a lot of people living on it," Ralier said.

"Yes, the Mnokugura legend," Ushan replied. "Well, it is not necessarily a legend--a few still claim to have witnessed it. The tale is that there is a space monster called Mnokugura who is so massive that she devours entire planets. Such was believed to be the fate of Taburas; that the so-called 'dead rock' is, in fact, a dried bit of excrement."

"It's certainly believed by one person..." Annelique said. "Aerothi was there when it happened."

"So, having doubtless lost her family and everything she loved on Taburas, or whatever overdramatic story, she has decided to resurrect this world--an even greater space monster--and lead it to destroy Mnokugura, regardless of the cost?"

Annelique nodded.

"Did she ever think of what would happen if Mnokugura just didn't listen to her?" Ralier said. "Or the fact that THIS planet-monster will be able eat even BIGGER things?"

"I don't know." Annelique replied.

"Then what did Sonya have to do with this?" Ushan asked. "I don't see how she has the power to help resurrect a being of this magnitude."

"No one does," Annelique replied, her still-whispy voice cracking slightly. "Not even Aerothi. That's why she needs help. The Ironbelly Palace sits on a ley line...it's what powers the portal to this city..."

"I still don't see what this has to do with Sonya."

"Sonya is...one of the Rosestones."

"I'm...sorry, I'm unfamiliar with the term," Ushan said.

"They're the Ironbelly royal family," Ralier said. "On this planet, anyway."

"The bloodline is small," Annelique said. "They are the only ones who--" she abruptly slumped over and started coughing weakly, "--who can access the vault."

"Ah, they've got magical artifacts hidden away?" Ushan said.

"The blueprints for the portal gates, like the one that links this city to Eronmar. She needs to build new gates, to channel the power of the ley lines together..."

"So without Sonya, she didn't think she could get into this vault. Why not just blast her way into it?"

Annelique shook her head. "I don't know."

"Perhaps I can answer that," came a new voice.

"Gairanda!" Ishiar said, slowly and awkwardly pulling herself off the floor where she had been lying, waiting for Ralier's honey to wear off. "You made it!"

"Yes...I only just heard that you were here," Gairanda said, striding into the room. Aside from her damaged suit of armor and a few faint scars, it seemed she had already recovered well from the battle. "Only Sonya can access the vault because the vault isn't really here. There is a portal leading to the vault's true location that opens only in response to one with royal blood. We Ironbellies know how to keep enemies out...whether it be monsters or evil sorceresses. The one thing we didn't count on was a traitor in our own royal family."

Ushan raised an eyebrow. "A traitor? I had presumed Aerothi was using her against her will."

A look of quiet anger fluttered beneath Gairanda's features. "No. Even as Aerothi butchered our sisters, Sonya chose to aid Aerothi in her invasion. Some believe her knowledge of our defenses was the only reason her attack succeeded."

"You mean it wasn't the billions of monsters?" Ralier said. Nobody was really sure if she was joking, but Blast was laughing.

Gairanda suddenly seemed to notice Ralier for the first time, putting her hand on her sword as she did so.

"Whoa, it's okay, sis. I'm on your side," Ralier said.

Gairanda frowned, but nonetheless looked as though she wasn't terribly surprised. "Your legs are armored like one of her soldiers..."

"They kind of drafted her," Sudvana said. "Apparently most of them were fighting against their will. She was the last one left, so she kind of jumped ship."

"And you don't believe she will betray you when the odds turn the other way?"

"I dunno," Sudvana said meekly. "She might..."

Everyone looked at Ralier.

Ralier suddenly had a very distressed and embarassed look on her face. Ishiar actually thought it was kind of cute.

"I hate this! Stop looking at me like that!" she finally said.

"It's a valid question, Ralier," Ushan said. "What did you plan to do if we were suddenly backed into a corner, surrounded by monsters?"

Ralier took a clattering step away from the succubus. "I don't know. Frankly, I'd rather not think about it."

"Well, we have to think about it. We'll be taking a risk every time we turn our backs to you otherwise." Ushan said.

This clearly upset Ralier. "What!? Why!?"

"You are a traitor to one group already," Ushan said. "Surely--"

"Oh yeah, lectures on loyalty from a succubus! Nice!" Ralier snapped. "Why is this whole thing suddenly my fault!? Why does everybody expect perfect loyalty at the point of a spear!?"

"Girls, she's right," Sudvana said. "She's the one who's been mistreated here. Let's just stop accusing her."

Gairanda raised an eyebrow.

"I was merely curious..." Ushan said, raising her hands apologetically. "Curious as to whether I'm going to find one of your legs embedded in my back!" she suddenly snapped.

"Ushan--" Sudvana started, but Ushan continued on.

"You want a lecture on loyalty, Kari? Demons *know* their loyalties. Where are yours? Lay they with your fellow monsters, or with us? Or will you simply side with whoever offers you the easiest escape from danger!?"

Ralier's whole upper body turned flush--she looked enraged, yet tears were brimming in her eyes. Her lips were pressed tightly together. Yet she said nothing--instead, the tears began to dribble down her face. She looked around at the others, her face darting from one to the next, almost as if she feared one of them would attack her.

"Ushan! Stop it!" Ishiar yelled.

"All I want," Ushan said, never taking her eyes off the Kari, "is an answer. Who's side are you on?"

Ralier wiped the tears from her face and finally faced Ushan.

"Fuck you!" was her only answer.

Gairanda actually smiled slightly. "Interesting..."

"Interesting?" Ushan said, not taking her eyes off of Ralier. "Why is that?"

"I just can't imagine a real spy would fall to pieces so easily."

"Fuck you, too!" Ralier cried, jabbing her finger at Gairanda. "Whoever you are!" She wiped her fist against her tear-soaked cheeks--it didn't do much good.

"Girls," Ishiar said, "I'll keep her under control. I--"

"No!" Ralier interrupted. "I am not a spy! I didn't do *anything!* I don't need to be controlled, I--"

Ushan suddenly held up her hands. Ralier stopped; there was a brief pause before Ushan continued. "Ralier...It occurs to me that my words may have been ill-chosen," she said. "Perhaps even unjustified. You did help my companions earlier, for which I owe you my thanks. So I apologize if I have upset you."

Ralier looked at her, a snide grimace crossing her lips. "Is this what you demons do? Attack someone and then play all nice like it never happened?"

"No, typically we seduce unwary women into entering our stomachs, where they meet their untimely deaths," Ushan said with a smirk. "I'm making an exception in your case."

Ralier glared at her. Blast scampered out of her chair and wrapped her arms protectively around Ralier's waist, mirroring Ralier's glare towards Ushan.

"You probably couldn't fit all of her in there anyway," said Gairanda, who still seemed unmoved by the whole display.

"Once again, you underestimate me..." Ushan said. "Oh Goddess, now the Angel is crying too..."

"Shut UP, Ushan!" Sudvana snapped. Sure enough, a single tear was visible, streaked down Annelique's face.

"It's alright," Annelique said. "We angels can feel other people's feelings."

"Then perhaps we should be asking you!" Ushan said with a faux smile. "What do you say, angel? Can the Kari be trusted?"

"As well as you can," Annelique said, her voice devoid of inflection.

Ushan, rather than challenging this, simply gave a slightly puzzled look to the angel.

"Wait--what does THAT mean!?" Ralier said, exasperated.

"It means you had best decide where your heart lies," Annelique said, "before you destroy yourself."

Ralier gave her a perplexed look. Not so much from the statement...as from the fact that Annelique had been looking at Ushan when she said it.

Ishiar saw something brewing beneath Ushan's face. "Ushan, are you--"

"I apologize for bringing this...contention." Ushan said evenly. "Excuse me, please, I need some time to recompose myself, as I'm sure you can understand. I bid you all a good night," Ushan said with a forced bow before abruptly leaving the room.

******

"Just what the hell happened in there?" Ishiar said.

"I would prefer to be alone, if you don't mind--" Ushan started.

"Fuck that. There's something bizarre going on in that little demonic brain of yours. And I don't think it's the usual scheming sex fantasies."

"Then what do you think it is?" Ushan said, levelling a calm gaze at Ishiar.

Ishiar was slightly taken aback, realizing she didn't have much of an answer. "That thing with Ralier and Annelique, and ALL of that stuff with me--what the hell is with you, Ushan? One moment you're all sunshine and the beautiful side of demons and the next moment you're selling me to some psychotic whore and right after that you're saving me from her. Then you launch into Ralier, then apologize, then suddenly Annelique says something cryptic and you say something cryptic right back and now you have this look on your face like somebody just ate your mom...call me a meddler, but I'd like to know what the hell is going on."

Ushan took a deep breath. "I was not quite prepared for the angel's insight, that's all."

"What insight? That you and Ralier can be trusted the same amount?"

"...Essentially. And for..."

A pause.

"For WHAT?"

Ushan sighed, looking subtly to the floor. "What would you give me for this information, Ishiar?"

"GIVE you!?" Ishiar blurted. "Why in the world would I want to TRADE for this?"

"Well, you want to know...besides, isn't this what we demons are supposed to do? Always look out for ourselves?"

"Yes, but I've never heard of something so dumb as charging for information."

"Clearly you haven't worked for many demons."

"Alright...what do you want for this 'information?' "

Ushan sat on the bed, breathing slowly and heavily.

"Well?" Ishiar pressed.

"I apologize. The decision carries much weight, for if I choose to ask it, it will have a far greater impact on me than upon you."

"Okay...theoretically, what would this price be?"

"A kiss, from you."

"Is that what this was always about?" Ishiar said. "You want me?"

"Ishiar..." Ushan's teeth clenched. "you have never been in the skin of a succubus. You have never felt your honor, your desires, your...loyalties...come into conflict."

"Everyone feels conflict in themselves, Ushan."

"No," Ushan said. "The ambiguities of your lives do not exist in ours. To us, our evil is perfect; our desires finely honed. Our honor clears out any common problems, our strength and power clear out the rest. We do not feel guilt, remorse, or uncertainty."

"But now you're feeling them and you don't know how to deal with it."

"It took me two weeks to realize it. Two weeks that tortured me as you languished in Belaphonne's care."

"Tortured *you?* I--wait." Ishiar stopped. "That was the whole point? You felt guilty and you couldn't handle it?"

"I do not approve of the choice of words, but essentially, yes."

"Annelique *was* talking to you, wasn't she. You're the one who has to decide who's side you're on. What did she mean by that? Is the Flesh Fane not as loyal as you've let on?"

"No, they will fight as they have agreed," Ushan said. "She was...referring to me specifically."

"You planned to betray us."

"No, Ishiar," Ushan said. "The betrayal had already taken place."

"What did you do?" Ishiar said, suddenly on guard.

"You misunderstand. I did not betray you or your companions in any way of which you are not already aware."

Ishiar thought for a moment, then her expression changed as the truth dawned on her. "Oh," she said.

"I chose to betray you instead of my honor," Ushan said. "Though to betray my honor would have been no less severe. So you can see why I might be uncomfortable."

"So why'd you get all over Ralier then?"

"I had not realized..." Ushan said. "I wasn't thinking. The conflict has been raging within me for some time...the angel pointed out that I was merely pushing it onto the kari."

"They've got names, you know."

"Yes, I know..." Ushan said wistfully. "My kind typically only consider other demons or allies of proven worth to be worthy of being called by their names. Old habits are hard to break."

"You just don't want to admit those are real people out there."

Ushan looked at her, a lamented light in her eyes. "You know, it's ironic..." she said. "We demons have always disdained weakness and cowardice...yet it is you who is refusing to let me run. My fellow demonesses would think little of such an incident..."

"Would they?" Ishiar asked. "Or are they more like you, putting on a facade while they let their real feelings tear them apart?"

"It has never really been a facade until now," Ushan said. "And yet, that only seems to make it feel worse."

"So now what? What are you going to choose?"

"It seems I cannot choose either anymore," Ushan said. "I don't think things will ever be that simple again. But in the meantime...could you send Ralier in, please? I believe I should speak with her in private."

Ishiar nodded. "You want some time first?"

Ushan shook her head. "No. I have had enough of avoiding uncomfortable subjects."

Ishiar nodded again and left the room.

For a time, Ushan was alone. As the long moments passed, she imagined Ishiar trying to convince Ralier to come in; Ralier's petulant reaction, her suspicion, Ishiar trying to convince her that she just wanted to apologize...assuming she thought that well of her.

It was ironic. Her fellow demonesses would think quite a bit less of her if they knew she would stoop to apologizing to a monster. Even moreso if it had been because of the words of an angel.

Finally the door opened and Ralier awkwardly squoze herself through. She looked nervously at the doorway as she came in, as though she realized it would make a sudden retreat very difficult.

"You wanted something?" she said.

Ushan's heart fluttered and for a moment she couldn't look at her. But she wasn't going to let such petty emotions control her. She was a succubus. Emotions were her tool, not her master. She balled her fist and forced herself to stand and face the kari.

"Yes," Ushan said, having to force her voice to be calm for the first time in her life. "I...feel the apology I gave in the parlor was somewhat lacking."

"That's an understatement," Ralier replied.

"Yes," Ushan said. "I know. You must forgive me--my kind are not accustomed to this...kind of thing."

"What kind of thing? Hurting people's feelings, or apologizing for it?"

"The latter," Ushan said evenly.

"Words aren't going to fix it, demon-girl. There are some things you can't take back. Maybe you should think first next time."

Ushan thought of several possible retorts..."Words are all I used before, so why shouldn't they be enough now?" "If you'd rather be petulant than forgiving, perhaps I am giving you more than you deserve..." But they all felt hollow. She wasn't here to start another fight. She knew why Ralier was lashing out because she was starting to get a handle on how Ralier was feeling...another thing she was not used to. Demonesses were not known for being empathic creatures. They could predict the emotional reactions of other creatures, certainly, but it didn't mean they ever felt the same way.

"I know words will not fix it," Ushan said--and she realized she had forgotten one of her own people's sayings, one that applied very well to the current situation. "Trust is a decision, not an agreement," she repeated aloud.

"I don't care if you trust me. And you're one to talk, succubus."

"I wasn't referring to you," Ushan said, unfazed by the barb. "It's an old saying we demonesses have. We don't think it's possible to truly betray someone--if they choose to assume you would act a certain way and they are incorrect, that is their own fault. But...while that logic works when dealing with demonesses, it does not work with others." She left out the fact that she had only just come to this conclusion.

"So?" Ralier said.

"So..." Ushan continued slowly, "the unwritten half is that if you want to trust someone, make sure they never have any reason to betray you. Among demonesses, trust is something that must be created very carefully. I realize that I have no right to demand that you be trustworthy. If I want there to be trust between the two of us, I must give you a reason."

"Ooookaaayyy..." Ralier said, resisting the urge to add "Duhhhhh..."

Ushan almost winced internally as she thought of the other saying she was using to justify what she was about to do--"All a person really needs to be trustworthy is someone they can really trust."

It was an angel saying.

Ushan took a slow step towards Ralier. Ralier tried to skitter back, but she was already against the frame of the door.

"I'm not going to harm you, Ralier."

"How do I know that? You might just play all nice and then eat me! That's what succubusses do!"

Ushan allowed herself an ironic smile at her use of the word "succubuses" before she continued.

"You know," she said as she slowly reached out and gently ran her hand along the kari's giant abdominal lips, "because you're going to eat me instead."

"Huh?" Ralier said. "I wasn't going to eat you."

"Then perhaps it would be more accurate to say I am going to feed myself to you."

Ushan gradually coaxed Ralier's giant kari mouth open a crack. It revealed her shallow throat, the center open just enough to reveal the darkness of her stomach beyond.

"Why?" Ralier said.

Ushan paused, her hand resting on the lower lip. "Partially because I feel like I owe you something...as you said, words are not enough."

"But...yeah, I'm mad and all, but I don't think it's a big enough deal that you should *die* for it. Even if you are a succubus."

"Then don't let me die."

"Um, I can't resurrect you, and I don't think Annelique is ready--"

"There can be trust between us," Ushan said, slowly bringing herself close to Ralier and raising her hand to the kari's face. "But I cannot ask you to build that which I have destroyed. So I shall."

"How does me digesting you make me trust you? Granted, you can't do much to hurt any of us if you're a turd, but..."

"I am not asking you to trust me," Ushan said. "And I will never ask you to."

"Then...oh." Ralier said. "Do you mean you want me to let you out? Like this is one of those 'fall and let me catch you' things?"

"Yes."

"Well, of course I'll let you out, but--"

"No. I don't want you to let me out just to prove I can trust you." Ushan's head dropped slightly.

"Then what the hell are we doing?" Ralier said. "Okay. Explain it to me as if I was a dumb kari."

Ushan looked back up at her. "Whether I trust you is my decision. I did not have the right to impose that on you. If I must know, it is my duty to find out." She paused for a moment--a part of her mind was pointing out that she was, in all likelihood, being completely crazy. "I want you to make a decision. Decide what is best for them."

"Them? You mean Ishiar and Blast and everybody?"

"Yes," Ushan said. She was hoping this wasn't as melodramatic as it sounded. "I guess I can't really explain why I think this is the best course of action, but...I'm going to crawl into your belly, and I am not asking that you let me out. I am asking you to honestly decide whether I am worth trusting."

"Now you're just trying to lay a guilt trip on me."

"Please don't think of it that way. What I am asking you to do is protect them. The angel was right; it is my loyalties that are conflicted. I have betrayed and defected, as you have, but I wasn't forced into it. But I know I don't want to anymore. I..."

She stopped for a moment as she realized something.

"I don't want them to trust me," she said. "I want to be trustworthy. For me. I want to know I can stick by them. But I don't know if I can. So..."

"But you don't need to do all this--if you want to be trustworthy, then be trustworthy!"

"That is why it must be you who does this--you understand that it isn't always that easy."

Ralier stopped short, realizing she was right.

"This is for both of us," Ushan said. "Decide if you think we can both be loyal. If it's too hard, then keep me as your meal, and my body will be payment for you to leave them behind. I will not let myself betray them again."

"I don't want to do this," Ralier said.

"I know I am asking a great thing," Ushan said. "I know how heavy this burden is. That is why I accused you of disloyalty. I was masking the pain of my own."

"I don't want you to die because I'm a coward," Ralier replied. Her face was finally beginning to show signs of her torment when, suddenly, it all wiped away. "WHOA!" She skittered to the side and shook her head violently, waving her arms back and forth. "No way! This isn't going to work on me, succubus! You almost had me feeling sorry for you, but your BS won't work!"

Ushan waited a moment before she replied. In the end, she never did.

With a sudden sprint, she leapt forward and dove towards the giant mouth in Ralier's midsection. Ralier recoiled in shock as she felt Ushan's arms and torso barge it's way between her lips and into her throat. Ushan kicked off the floor and pulled herself in with her arms, wiggling her way through the meaty throat and into the kari's hot, slimy depths.

Within only a few seconds Ralier was watching the bottom of the succubus' high-heeled boots dissappear between her lips. Her body was awash with the sensations of the succubus' sweet flesh sitting inside her, but her mind was reeling.

"I told you, I already know this is a trick!"

Ushan laid unmoving between the oozing wrinkles of Ralier's stomach. "Then let this be over," she said, before closing her eyes in the darkness.

Ralier wasn't as confident as she sounded--she really wasn't sure if Ushan was trying to trick her or not. She hated that about demonesses. And Ushan had even been trying to prey on that insecurity. Maybe. Dammit, this was so hard to deal with!

Well, maybe there was one way she could tell. If this was a trick, then Ushan would try to escape as soon as she thought Ralier actually planned to digest her. So she decided she'd just go ahead and do it...for a while, at least. If Ushan didn't try to escape, well...she might let her out, but that wouldn't mean she'd trust her.

But wasn't that the succubus' whole point? She said she wanted to be digested if Ralier didn't think she was trustworthy. So maybe she should leave her in there, she thought.

"Well, I hope for your sake you weren't bluffing," Ralier said. "I'm not sure we ever can trust you, and if you think that means you should be digested, I guess that's how it's gotta be..."

She half-expected Ushan to come bursting out of her, but she didn't. The succubus didn't move at all. She was just curled up inside the stomach as if she was going to sleep.

Ralier massaged the side of her forehead with her hand. It seemed like everything was hard nowadays--thanks to the succubus, even digesting someone had become a complicated issue.

She clomped over to a corner and sat down, lowering her body onto the floor. She let her arms hang limply at her sides as she felt her stomach start to churn. Still the living body in her belly did nothing. Maybe she was just good at bluffing...and maybe it didn't even matter. If she was telling the truth, she didn't necessarily want to be let out anyway.

So she waited, and thought.

*****

The folds of the stomach moved back and forth against Ushan's skin in a slow rythm. She expected it would normally be faster, but she hadn't been struggling or giving the stomach any other indication that there was struggling prey inside it. Thus, it was taking it's time. Her whole body was covered in ooze, little pockets of it gathering in the corners of her unmoving body.

As strange as it sounded, she was feeling a profound sense of relief. She almost felt like it didn't matter what happened now--she had proven to herself that even if no one would ever trust her, she could at least trust someone else. Even if she was actually digested, her conscience would be clear. It would be her atonement, in a way--Ishiar had been digested alive twice because of her. Her only regret would be that she couldn't repay her herself.

That she would be digested was a distinct possibility; in fact, she now assumed it was more likely than not. She had spent a good while in the stomach already. She found it ironic that she actually hoped the others would believe whatever cock-and-bull story Ralier came up with as to why she was gone. She smiled to herself at the thought.

Her quiet reverie was broken when she unexpectedly heard Ralier's voice.

"Ushan?"

She just blinked in the darkness, not sure whether to reply.

"Ushan, are you okay in there? I'm still not sure if this is a trick or not..."

Ushan simply smiled and didn't answer. She would decide for herself.

Not to mention, she admitted guiltily to herself, her soft stomach was quite an experience.

*****

It had been almost an hour before the door slowly opened and Ishiar poked her head in. Seeing Ralier there, she stepped through, leaving the door partway open behind her.

"Ralier? Is everything okay?" she smiled. "I see Ushan didn't eat you, that's good."

Ralier didn't answer her.

"So, uh, she talked to you, I assume."

"Yeah," Ralier answered.

"What did she say?"

"Ishie..." Ralier said, "have you ever been in a situation where someone needed you to do something, and it was really important, but you didn't really know how?"

"Not really," Ishiar replied. "Most of the folks in our town knew I was a fighter, so they didn't ask me to do much else. Why? What did she ask you to do?"

"I...kinda don't want to talk about it." Ralier said.

"Well, did she at least apologize?"

Ralier thought for a minute. "Come to think of it, I guess she didn't."

Ishiar sighed. "Figures."

"Well, she said words wouldn't be enough, and I agreed with her."

"Ah. So what did she say? Or do?"

"Man, I really hate secrets..." Ralier said, "but I don't think I can tell you."

At this point Blast walked in, making no indication as to why--she just came in and sat down against the wall, occaisionally looking over at Ralier.

"Oh, hi, Blast!"

Blast just looked back at her. She had an odd look on her face; it actually seemed a little bit sad.

"Maybe Blast knows," Ishiar said. "Hey Blast, has anyone ever asked you to do something you didn't know how to do?"

She nodded, looking at the floor.

"What did you do?"

She grinned slightly and pulled out a potion with a fuse coming out the top of it.

Ishiar smiled. "Good call."

"Hey Ishie..." Ralier said, "I've got some...conflicting sources here, and I kind of just want another perspective...do you humans have any 'sayings?' About trust?"

"Sayings about trust? Like proverbs? There's probably some, but I don't know them."

Blast looked back and forth between the two of them, then scampered up and over to Ralier. Bending down, she quietly whispered something into her ear.

Ralier's face suddenly looked like a great dark cloud had consumed it, or maybe a ton of bricks had fallen on it, or somesuch.

Upon seeing Ralier's reaction, Ishiar asked "You okay? You look kind of stone-faced."

"Yeah. Um, can I be alone for a bit?"

Blast prantzed out as suddenly as she had appeared. "Okay," Ishiar said, also walking out and closing the door behind her.

Ralier sat and thought for a long while before finally coming to her decision.

"Ushan...I think I finally understand. I want you to come out."

There was no answer.

"Uh oh," she muttered to herself. She could still taste Ushan in her belly, but she had no way to know if she was still conscious--or alive. "Crap." She tried to push her out, but she realized she really wasn't any good at it--she could contract her stomach but couldn't seem to do it the right way to squirt Ushan out. In fact, every way she could squeeze seemed designed to push her the other direction, which was definately not good--even if Ushan was alive now, she'd be very hard to retrieve once she'd started down that slimy road. She stood up and used one of her legs to kick her underside, hoping to wake Ushan up or get her attention.

"Ushan!" She said. She couldn't make too much noise--she still didn't want the others to know what had happened. Hearing no reply, she bent down and tried to get her arms into her stomach to try to pull her out, but couldn't get them past her own lips. "Dammit!"

She looked over at the door with a resigned sort of dread. She was going to need help--even if it meant she had to come clean.

Ah well. Wouldn't be the first awkward conversation she'd had today.

After getting her body through the door again (with great effort), she went looking for Blast. She, at least, could be trusted not to say anything...since she didn't, you know, say anything. She wasn't in any of the side rooms, though. In fact, it seemed as though everyone was in the front room, and that's where Blast was when she found her, sitting in a cushioned chair.

"Say Blast," Ralier said nervously, "could you come help me with something?"

Blast just smiled, raised her eyebrows, and shook her head.

"It's important!"

Blast nodded.

"...But you won't help me."

She grinned.

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Mmm-hmm!" Blast hummed.

"What's wrong?" Sudvana asked. "Maybe I can help."

"It's, uh, sort of private."

"Is this the thing Ushan wanted you to do?" Ishiar said.

"Um...yes...sort of." Ralier said hesitantly.

"Out with it!" Ishiar said. "What did she ask you to do?"

Ralier pinched her eyes shut and winced. "I don't want to tell you!"

"Ralier, we can't help if you don't tell us what you need us to do!" Sudvana said.

"Um..." Ralier said, her face cherry-red by this point. "I need you to reach into my stomach and pull something out...just promise you won't be mad."

Everyone suddenly stared at her.

With shocked expressions.

"See, this is why I didn't want to tell you!"

"What's in there?" Sudvana asked.

"Or who!?" Ishiar asked right on her heels.

"It's--" Ralier pinched her face again like a bomb was about to go off, "...Ushan."

Gairanda started laughing out loud. "Why am I not surprised!"

"Seriously, guys, we need to get her out!" Ralier said. "I can't, I tried!"

"Okay, okay, I'll help you out...it's not like my arm hasn't been in there before..." Ishiar said as she pushed her arm into Ralier's mouth. "Just don't swallow me this time, okay?"

"Would you guys stop joking around?" Ralier said, her face white.

Sudvana was the one who actually looked concerned. "How long has she been in there?"

"Um...a couple hours?" Ralier said, a distressed look on her face.

"Don't worry, I got her," Ishiar said. She started to pull, but it didn't look like she was getting anywhere. She grunted and tugged several times. "Ralier, it would really help if you stopped clenching."

"I'm trying! My stomach won't listen to me!"

Ishiar stuck her other arm in and kept tugging. "I can't even keep a good grip on her."

Gairanda walked up. "Here, you pry her throat open, I'll get her out."

"Wait, just..." Ralier said, horrified by Gairanda's approach, "not so rough as last time, okay?"

Ishiar strained and pried open Ralier's throat as best she could--which wasn't much. It was fighting her quite strongly, and it was an awkward thing to try to do anyway.

"I can't get her throat open," she said.

"Okay, you just focus on getting a good grip on her and I'll pull on you," Gairanda said.

Ishiar did as she was told, clenching her hands around Ushan's ankle as hard as she was able. Gairanda wrapped her arms around her waist and started to pull. The two seemed to be making a little progress, but it was slow.

Suddenly Blast hopped up on Ishiar's back and grabbed her breasts from behind.

"What are you--ooohhh!" She gasped and her throat muscles suddenly shuddered, giving Gairanda and Ishiar the opportunity they needed. Their bodies abruptly lurched backwards, with a wet, pink form following right behind them.

There was a thump as Ushan's naked body hit the floor.

Sudvana gasped.

Ralier stepped back, looking very anxious. "Is she okay?"

Everyone looked down at the unconscious form before them.

Miraculously, it was still curled up on it's side, like she had simply gone to sleep. Her clothing was completely gone, even her leather boots, and her whole body was slick with slime and little flecks of god knows what sort of half-digested stuff. Despite this, her skin looked almost totally untouched.

"Yeah, looks like she's fine--just unconscious." Ishiar said.

"Oh, thank Zicata..." Ralier said.

"I'm guessing she learned her lesson, though," Ishiar said.

"I wasn't trying to teach her a lesson, I--oh goddess, let's just clean her up and not ask too many questions, okay?"

"It's okay, I know succubi are into some really bizarre, kinky stuff. It will be our little secret, right guys?"

"I know I don't want to know any more about this," Sudvana said.

Ishiar and Ralier took her as far as the bathroom where Ralier had to stop because she couldn't fit through the door. She had to wait outside. Some time later Ishiar came back out, carrying the still-unconscious Ushan who was now loosely clothed in a black silk bathrobe.

"She's still out," Ishiar said, "but she's still got a pulse. You think we should just put her to bed, or does she need some healing potions or something?"

"I don't know--and I don't have any healing potions."

"Blast does, and if she doesn't, give her five minutes with an empty bottle and some dirt and I'm pretty sure she could make you one. But now that I think about it, last time I gave a healing potion to a sleeping person she woke up screaming bloody murder. I'm not sure if that was just because Blast made the potion or what, but either way, maybe we should just put her to bed..."

*****

It was some five hours later when Ushan stirred. The feel of the familiar sheets draped over her body tipped her off that this wasn't the afterlife. She pulled herself up to a sitting position. Hearing a strange sound from one side of the bed, she looked over to see Ralier snoring, her upper half leaned up against the side of the bed, her head and arms the only parts that were actually on it.

Quietly slipping out from underneath the covers, she walked over to a nearby mirror. Aside from the fact that Ralier's stomach had apparently dissolved all of her hairpins, leaving her hair draping down around her shoulders, she didn't look much worse for the wear.

She looked down at the sleeping Kari and smiled. Maybe there was hope for the two of them after all. She wasn't sure where her life was going to head now, but she did know one thing--it was good to be alive.

She was rather peckish and didn't want to disturb Ralier, so she figured she would head down to the kitchen. As she turned she suddenly saw Blast standing in the doorway.

Blast, seeing that Ushan had noticed her, silently walked up and leaned over to Ushan's ear.

To Ushan's shock, she actually heard a voice.

"You'll never trust anyone if you don't trust yourself," Blast whispered.

Something seemed to move through Ushan as she said it; something indescribable, as if Blast's voice was a wind blowing through her.

Ushan nodded. Blast smiled at her for a moment, then hurried out of the room. Ushan looked after her, her expression changing to one of quiet wonder.

"Hrm? What did she say?" Ralier muttered, groggily rousing from her slumber. "Why doesn't she ever want anybody to hear her?"

Ushan smiled. "I suspect she has already told you."