Queen's Journey (Lilith's Shadow Book 5)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “H-hey, there’s no need to go that far! I’m just having a bit of fun!” the man protested, to a chorus of laughter.

  “Who is that?” Lilith asked, her eyebrows rising.

  “Ember Fox, Class B villain,” Archon replied succinctly, glancing over at the man in irritation, then quickly swapped drinks with Lilith. “Raids trains, usually for useless junk, and generally makes a nuisance of himself.”

  “He can shapeshift into a big, fiery fox, and learned just enough magic to puff up his ego,” Emily added, shaking her head. “Last time I ran into him, he went down like a chump.”

  “Ah. And since he’s not making too much of a mess, people are going to leave him be?” Lilith asked, her eyebrows rising a little more.

  “Pretty much. Unless he gets on too many people’s nerves, at which point he’d better hope he’s figured out his invisibility spells better than last time, or he’s going right back in the slammer,” Emily confirmed, giving the man a baleful look. “My problem with him is that he seems to think he’s irresistible to ladies. I tased him because he tried to kiss me in the middle of a fight! Stay away from him, Lil. He doesn’t take a hint.”

  “He what?” Astral Core demanded, then her eyes narrowed. “Oh, that’s it. If he ever tries that with me, he’s going into traction.”

  “Careful, you don’t need the lawsuits for something like that,” Emily cautioned quickly. “Just, you know… don’t hold back quite as much as you normally would when you hit him. It’s really satisfying, sometimes.”

  “I think the best idea is to make sure you don’t run into him,” Lilith interjected gently, smiling at Archon as she took a sip from her new cup. The punch was good, and this time it didn’t reek of alcohol. “That way you can’t get in trouble.”

  For a moment the others were quiet, and Lilith wondered if she’d said something wrong.

  “You’re right. The only problem is that we don’t have much control on whether we encounter him or not. If he decides to attack in our area…” Archon said at last, letting out a soft sigh. “Not that I’d hit him harder than I had to. I’m fairly confident that he’s smart enough to just surrender if it comes down to the two of us.”

  “True,” Lilith admitted, not having considered that part, though she wasn’t that disconcerted. After a few seconds she decided to change the subject. “So… what do people usually do at these sort of parties, anyway?”

  The others looked at each other, Astral Core looking more amused than anything, while Archon looked uncertain. It was Emily who grinned after a second.

  “Aside from eating and socializing, like you’ve been doing, dancing is fun!” Emily said, looking at Lilith speculatively. “Want to come dance with me?”

  “Ah…” Lilith paused, looking at the dance floor, where people were gyrating and moving in ways she didn’t entirely understand. Then she spoke hesitantly. “I took lessons from Circe, but we didn’t have any dances like that. I’m not sure how to participate.”

  “Pfft. That’s easy!” Emily replied, grabbing Lilith by the wrist and dragging her toward the dance floor. “This isn’t anything you learn, you just do it!”

  Lilith opened her mouth to protest, then shut it, considering for a moment. This might be being passive, as far as Daemonia was concerned, but at the same time, Lilith didn’t want to protest just because of that. So instead, Lilith quickly gulped down her punch, as she somehow doubted she’d be able to hold onto it for long on the dance floor.

  Then Emily spun around, smiling widely at Lilith, and the lights on her costume began to flash at random. She spoke happily. “Come on, dance!”

  “This is going to be terrible,” Lilith warned, looking around her helplessly, then sighed and did her best to emulate the others.

  As expected, it went… poorly. She still enjoyed herself, though.

  Chapter 39

  Friday, October 31st, 2031

  Guardian Compound, Paragon City

  Archon let the water sluice over her, washing away most of her sweat, and wished that it could wash away her frustration as well. The shower was spraying her from all sides, and she glanced down, noticing the colors swirling down the drain, then looked at her wings. Not all the dye had washed out yet, which meant she needed a few more minutes, something that struck her as ironic.

  “Four hours to dye all the feathers, for a few hours at a party.” Archon murmured, shaking her head, then paused, remembering the look on Lilith’s face when she’d first seen her. A smile crept onto Archon’s face, warmth blossoming within her, and she continued softly. “It was worth it.”

  Archon didn’t know why she enjoyed Lilith’s company so much. No, that wasn’t entirely true, either, but she couldn’t say that she understood all of it. The two of them had a surprising amount in common, yet at the same time, Lilith was willing to take a lot more risks than Archon was. She’d been betrayed too many times, Archon admitted to herself, mostly by family, and that made her hesitant to take risks, where Lilith was willing to do things which Archon wouldn’t dare do. Like the dancing, where Lilith had fallen over at least twice that Archon had seen.

  The most awkward part of dating Lilith was Spark, though, and that caused a hint of guilt to twist in Archon’s gut. Spark was a good friend, friendly and prone to wearing her heart on her sleeve. She was also escorting Lilith home, even if Lilith didn’t know it. None of the team wanted Lilith to get attacked on their watch, not when she had worse defenses these days.

  Sighing, Archon checked her wings again, then nodded in satisfaction since she couldn’t see any color on them, and she killed the water, hitting the button next to the other controls. The next moment a cyclone of warm air blasted into existence, as the blowers built into the shower hit her with waves of warm air to dry her off. She really needed to thank Decarin for those again, as drying off her wings with towels took forever.

  After a minute Archon was dry and she shut off the dryers, then slipped on a nightgown, heading back into her bedroom to take care of the costume. While she wasn’t sure if she’d ever wear it again, it had cost enough that she didn’t want to damage it. That would be a complete waste.

  Archon was halfway through putting the costume away when a chime sounded, and she glanced up, speaking calmly. “Answer. Yes?”

  The computer put the call through, and a moment later Spark spoke up cheerfully. “I’m back! Lilith got back to her house safely, and there didn’t seem to be any trouble along the way.”

  “Excellent. I’d half wondered, with the comments about my fan club,” Archon said, grimacing slightly. “Some of them are… not the sort of people I’d want interfering.”

  “Oh, you heard that?” Spark asked, a note of amusement in her voice. “You were just far enough away and it was loud enough I wasn’t sure if you would.”

  Archon didn’t glare at the speaker, since it wouldn’t do any good. Instead, she replied politely, smoothing the dress carefully. “Of course I did. Most people don’t know that I have enhanced senses, but how else am I supposed to spot things from a few hundred feet up? It wasn’t something that made me happy, but there’s nothing to be done about it.”

  “True, and Asty had a point. Fan clubs can get vicious, and a lot of people think you’re… I dunno, kind of an ideal or something? You’re a symbol of good, and her connection to Shadowmind makes them hate her,” Spark said, sounding annoyed now. “Idiots. She’s a nice lady! And was really sexy in the nurse outfit. Why’d you suggest it, anyway?”

  Archon didn’t reply to the last question. Instead, she had a flashback to when she’d gone to the hospital after her awakening, with her wings and fiery hair, almost panicking at the time. The nurse who’d attended to her hadn’t been wearing anything as revealing as the outfit she’d suggested, and it certainly hadn’t been white, but her calm, reassuring manners and kindness had made an impression on Archon. She wasn’t about to admit that to Spark, though.

  “My fans can deal with their disappointment,” Archon said afte
r a few moments, hanging up the costume at last. She’d get it cleaned later. “I’m not going to let someone I’m fond of go just because it offends their delicate sensibilities.”

  “Ooh, breaking out the big words, huh?” Spark teased, then calmed down slightly as she continued. “Though I have to ask, how do you really feel? I mean, she’s dating both of us, and she was dating Morgan and Warden, but that was different. They liked each other as well as Lilith, but you and me… eh. You’re a friend, but not that type of friend.”

  “That’s an excellent question, and I… have a hard time breaking it down for myself but give me a moment and I’ll try.” Archon replied, letting out a soft breath as she turned, folding her arms as she paused, thinking.

  “Sure! We’ve been needing to have this conversation for a while, but… it isn’t like we knew if things were going to work out. For all I knew, Lilith was going to get sick of me in a month,” Spark said, her amusement seeming to fade. “Not that I’d have blamed her, but I’ll admit to some anxiety. It’s been ages since I could date.”

  “You aren’t the only one, though for different reasons,” Archon replied, giving the speaker a mild glare. It was hard to think when Spark was constantly interrupting.

  She thought for a minute, though, then sighed. She really had a hard time with this, and if it were up to her, Archon would likely continue avoiding the conversation for weeks or months. On the other hand, if it weren’t for Daemonia’s teasing, she’d likely have never approached Lilith at all, which could have been… frustrating, actually. Archon hated to even think about that, or feel like she owed the woman anything, when she usually felt like throwing Daemonia through several walls.

  “I like her. If she’d asked to stay here tonight… I likely would have let her,” Archon said at last, almost cringing as she spoke what she was feeling aloud. “I haven’t been in a real relationship before, so I can’t say beyond that. But you’re right, I don’t have those sort of feelings for you, which makes this… awkward.”

  Spark didn’t reply immediately, which made Archon’s eyebrows rise. Usually, Spark would reply immediately, which made this unusual. Then she heard a soft groan.

  “I was afraid you were going to say something like that! Gah, if one of us didn’t like her as much, that would make this so much easier,” Spark groused, and Archon heard the sound of her flopping onto her couch. “What do you think we should do? I like to think that I wouldn’t mind sharing, if she’s up to it, but I don’t know that it’d pan out in the end.”

  Archon winced. She wasn’t sure if she was going to be that accepting of things. The idea of Lilith being with someone else wasn’t that uncomfortable, but they also weren’t together yet. That could very easily change if they were dating seriously, rather than just trying to get to know one another, and Archon could hardly imagine that.

  “I don’t either. I think that, at this point, we don’t have enough information to make proper decisions,” Archon replied, keeping her voice even as she sat on her bed. “Personally, I’d say that we should let Lilith figure out what she wants to do, then respect her decision. And if one of us gets pushed out, we should handle it with grace.”

  “Fine, fine. At least that makes it fair. Even if you did cheat,” Spark replied, her voice almost a mutter, and Archon’s eyebrows rose.

  “How did I cheat?” Archon asked, somewhat surprised by the accusation. “As far as I know, you’re the one who’s spent more time with her. She even helped Decarin improve your suit with that shield generator.”

  “You were the one who suggested her costume, and then you picked her up and carried her into the party. If that’s not cheating, I don’t know what is,” Spark replied stubbornly, and Archon sighed.

  “Spark… you could have done the same,” Archon pointed out gently. “Besides, you’re the one who ‘gave her a green light’ at the end of the party.”

  “Pfft. Whatever, I guess I’ll just have to try harder,” Spark replied, a determined edge to her voice. “Anyway, good night, Archon. I’m going to knock your socks off, one of these days.”

  “If you say so. Rest well,” Archon replied, a smile flitting across her face, then the comm went silent, and the light indicating someone was on the line went out. Archon sighed, shaking her head as she murmured. “Ah, the complexities of relationships. Now, time to rest. For all I know, some idiot will attack tomorrow.”

  With that unpleasant thought in mind, Archon turned out the lights and arranged herself on her side, once again wishing that her wings weren’t in the way so often. Sometimes she really wanted to sleep on her back.

  She also hoped that she wouldn’t dream about Lilith again. That would prove… frustrating.

  Chapter 40

  Monday, November 3rd, 2031

  Occupied Warehouse, Paragon City

  “She’s on the move, boss.”

  The scratchy message drew Sabra’s attention, and as it did her lips pressed together slightly, resisting the urge to swear. She’d been waiting for a couple of days for this, and she wasn’t looking forward to what came next. She was looking forward to getting out of the warehouse, though. It was dank, and the minions had spent much of their time tearing apart the pallets stored there to loot trinkets that she didn’t think were worth the time they spent, while some of them looked at her in ways that made her distinctly uncomfortable. It was to be expected, with how primitives were, but she didn’t like it.

  Black Harbinger straightened at the comment over the radio, and he reached over to press the button on the device, then rumbled. “Where is she going?”

  “Looks like she’s going to one of those art supply places on the south edge of her ‘burb. I’m not sure how long she’ll be inside for, tho’,” the man replied promptly, then rattled off the address. He paused, then asked, “Want me to disable her car or something?”

  “No, that will warn her that something is wrong. Keep watch and wait for the others.” Black Harbinger ordered, then turned his gaze on the rest of them. “You will go, and once I have occupied the heroes, you will acquire her. She is to be captured and transported intact. If she is injured significantly, I will inflict the same on each of you.”

  “Fine, she won’t get hurt,” Heavy Metal muttered, looking a little subdued, which almost made Sabra snort. She didn’t, mostly because that might anger Black Harbinger, but she remembered how Heavy Metal had been knocked out by the more powerful villain within seconds of meeting one another. That had quelled a great deal of the big, bald man’s arrogance.

  “Yeah, we won’t touch ‘er,” Silent Lightning said, sounding more relaxed than Heavy Metal. “How’ll we know when you’ve drawn enough attention?”

  Black Harbinger simply laughed, standing up while the glowing runes on his armor brightened, and his words were so cold they sent a shiver down Sabra’s spine. “Oh, you will know. I guarantee it. Now move. She might not be there for long.”

  “Yeah, we need to do the job,” Heavy Metal said, and the big brute glared at Sabra, a hint of hunger in his eyes as he threatened, “And if you don’t pull your weight, girl, I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget.”

  “I’d be more concerned about yourself,” Sabra replied coldly, ignoring how the minions were quickly moving to get the pair of trucks they’d appropriated ready. “You’re the one who has to worry about not maiming her.”

  He blinked a couple of times, then asked Silent Lightning, “What’s maiming?”

  The villain sighed, running his fingers through his slicked back hair as he gave Sabra an annoyed look, but answered after a second. “Breaking bones, ripping an arm off, things like that. Remember, you need to not hit her too hard, assuming you can catch her.”

  “That’s what you’re here for, to slow her down,” Heavy Metal retorted, and once again Sabra wished that she’d been the one building the other portal. Abasi had to be in a better position than her.

  “I said to move,” Black Harbinger interrupted, his voice changing to
a dangerous growl, which finally seemed to put a sense of urgency into the two villains, and they began moving.

  Sabra couldn’t say she blamed them, as she quickly followed toward the nearest truck, hoping that this would go well. She didn’t want to die, and she hoped that someone in the Ascendancy would notice the attack and rescue her soon.

  Glendale Shopping Center, Glendale

  Lilith paused in the parking lot, pulling out her phone to check her shopping list again. She’d come up with a rather lengthy one this time, and she wanted to be sure she knew where she was going.

  “Let’s see… fabric, thread, and stuffing first, then we’ll go over to get paints… not that I’m going to be much good with them. Then the foam core and hot glue. Gina probably used it all,” Lilith murmured, and paused, as the pain at the memory of Gina seemed less pronounced than it had been. She hesitated, then shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that, instead focusing on her list.

  It’d take her some time to get everything she wanted, but once she did, she could see which of the projects was the most fun, and that she was looking forward to. Some of the people making and painting things online had gotten her interested, as had the history lessons. Architecture was fascinating, and she wanted to try building some models the hard way. If it went well, and she still enjoyed it, she might even take classes.

  “Hm… I think that’s everything I want.” Lilith said at last, nodding in satisfaction. “Time to brave the gauntlet.”

  It was almost certain that people were going to bother her as she shopped, but that was part of why she’d checked maps of the stores she was hitting online, first. She’d mapped out the most efficient route to get each item she was searching for, so that she could keep her time inside to a minimum, though the crowds would make that difficult.

  She got out of her car and closed the door, locking it behind her, then headed for the first store at a brisk pace. Lilith expected to be inside the stores for at least an hour, and she’d prefer not to take more than that.