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Chapter -13- Cornered Conversation

Tuesday, November 30 - 10:15am, Western Maryland District Coast of America ...

Conner crossed off another date on the paper-printed calendar.

Tamae and Conner brought the yacht from the south Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, spending nearly every waking moment together, without Tamamo-no-Mae.

Together, they made it from the family island vault to the Panama Canal in eight days, arriving on Thanksgiving.

After a brief stop, they continued on to the District Coast, making it to the Cumberland Gap at the mouth of the Chesapeake Canal in Maryland.

He checked his smart watch. The date and time displayed Tuesday, the thirtieth of November.

He placed the pen overtop the thirteenth 'X' and made his way up to the bridge.

Conner drew his cellphone out and called his grandmother. Sinopa answered on the second ring.

"Hey," he said softly. "I made it."

"Conner, it's good to hear your voice! Where are you?" she asked over the line.

"I'm off the west coast of Maryland. There's an enormous, ugly blue crab landmark thing."

Over the line, Sinopa said, "Karla has waited over two weeks. She was beginning to worry that my sign would never arrive. I will call her and tell her to look to the water. How far are you from the entrance to the canal?"

"The big ugly crab thing is the entrance of the canal. It's a landmark to where the canal was made."

"Very good. Drop anchor and wait for her to make contact."

Conner looked up from the phone. He saw two shadows on the control panel. He turned around, facing Karla and Reno. "Uh, gran, never mind - they just appeared."

"Oh thank goodness. I would like for you to hold your position. I will take the first flight out and meet as soon as I can arrive."

"You're coming here?" he asked. Conner thumbed his phone, changing it over to speakerphone so that Karla and Reno could hear.

Sinopa's voice came over the speaker, just loud enough to be heard. Everyone crowded around the phone. "Hai, I am joining the rest of you. To ensure success, we must all work together. I could not attend to the battle last time. This time, we must succeed. For that to happen, everyone must work together. I will see you soon."

"Okay. Have a safe flight."

"Thank you, Conner. Good bye."

"Bye, gran." He thumbed the phone and stuffed it into his pocket. "Hey Karla; Uncle Reno. How's it going?"

Karla eyed him. "You brought me my ship as a peace offering huh?" She looked around. "The controls are different." She walked past Conner and put her hands on the dashboard. "Upgraded, huh?"

"Yeah. The engines were twenty-six years old. They said it would be cheaper to get a new yacht, but I told the restoration company this one had sentimental value. New Osmosis water ... uh, thing. Or, _reverse_osmosis..." he shrugged. "I don't know. I hired an expert. The guy is a real artist. He wrote up what it needed, including an upgraded interior. We gutted several rooms and had it completely restored."

"Holy Christ, how long did that take?"

Conner grinned a bit. "I had them start well before the awkward weekend that I'm sure you'll want to talk about."

"I would like to know what happened." Karla turned around, facing Conner. She rested her rump against the decorative inlay between two capacitive control panels.

"It's hard to explain," Conner said. "Because I don't really remember it. But Tamae is somewhere downstairs."

"Why don't you tell me what you know so far, and we'll go from there?" Karla lifted her hands. "Wait. Does Tamae know what happened?"

"Yeah. She even talked to Tamamo and got her side of things. I just..."

Karla disappeared, purse first, followed by the rest of her.

Conner frowned and turned to Reno. "God this is super awkward."

"Man-to-man - what happened, Conner?"

"Tamamo took over Karla. We went to do this job at the old CIA building in DC. They had the same information we needed from the United States, but had half the staff, and a third of the security. So it was the safest bet."

"Go on." Reno made his way over to a cushioned seat in front of the control panel. He swiveled around, facing Conner. "I promised Karla I would be there for her in this mess. She's really been displeased with how things went. She's not sure what happened, but she knows her trust was betrayed."

"Yeah. She has every right to be mad."

"Did you sleep with her?" Reno asked, pointedly.

Conner nodded. "So I'm told."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Karla was starving," Conner explained. "Tamamo didn't have any of Karla's pills. She said she needed me to feed her and I stormed out of the bedroom, disgusted. I called Tamae, and she told me that Karla could be in trouble without her pills. If a vampire doesn't drink blood, what happens? Do they die from starvation? I don't know much about a succubus."

Reno nodded.

"No offense to you, because I know you guys are a thing, but I had absolutely no desire to sleep with Karla."

"Go on," Reno said.

"Tamae talked me into a compromise. She said I should let Karla go down on me. But I said I can't stand Karla. I explained to Tamae that the very knowledge that it was Karla would be a huge turn-off."

Reno folded his arms across his chest in silence.

Conner sighed. "So Tamae said I had to suck it up and take one for the team. She told me to go in there, turn off the lights, close my eyes, and let it happen. Again, it's pretty hard to make it happen when you can't get, well, hard."

"Get to the point," Reno said. "I told Karla I didn't think you had it in you to do something to her. Are you going to make a liar out of me?"

"Tamae and I had phone sex. It was enough to turn me on. I walked back into the bedroom and the lights were off. I sat down on the bed. I kept my eyes shut, even though the lights were off. I imagined it was Tamae."

Reno remained stoic.

"Eventually I came. And then I couldn't stay awake. I tried really hard, but I passed out. I didn't wake up until some time after the sun went down."

"That's it?"

Conner paused from his explanation. He took a deep breath, and added, "She acted like she was high as a kite and I crawled into the shower, groggy as hell, but well rested. And then we went on the job. It wasn't until we were being shot at, that she admitted the rest to me."

"There's more?"

Conner nodded with a frown. "She told me that she straddled me in my sleep and had her way with me. I never woke up. I don't remember any of it. Hell, I had a dream I slept with Tamae. That's all I remember."

Reno slid off the chair. "Are you serious?"

"Look man, I'm sorry!" Conner exploded, "I didn't want to fuck Karla. I still don't want to fuck Karla. All we do is argue with each other! She was nice to me, like, twice. Just twice, in all the times we've tried to be civil. And I feel like absolute dog shit. I feel like I betrayed Karla's friendship, for what it's worth."

"Jesus Christ," whispered Nevada.

Conner threw his arms up. "Tamamo and I have stopped talking because of this shit. I mean, I tried. First she went into hiding. Then I went to see her at her place. I bring it up, and she goes into hiding for two more weeks. All I can do is fucking apologize for something I don't even remember. I'm angry about it, too!"

Reno approached Conner.

Conner grimaced, expecting to be punched. He relaxed his body, expectantly.

Reno raised his arms.

Conner exhaled.

Reno pulled Conner into a hug. "Look, kiddo, I'm sorry your girlfriend victimized you. That's got to be hard to handle. I'm sure, once Tamae explains everything to Karla, she'll see that you two are going through the same shit - knowing something bad happened, but not knowing all the details."

Conner stood there, stunned. After a moment he lifted his hands and loosely returned the masculine hug. He'd never been hugged before, at least not by another guy, and not that he could remember off the top of his head.

There were little 'bro-hugs,' with James, or Fox, or Vincent. But this was different. This had some sort of meaning behind it. Conner didn't know how to react.

And then the strangest thing happened, something completely unexpected. He didn't even mean for it to happen...

Conner felt tears run down his cheeks. He wasn't upset or sad, and he wasn't angry. He sniffled, not sure why he was reacting this way.

Reno sighed and patted him firmly on the back. "I'm not mad at you, man. That was some weird, messed up shit. Just take a deep breath. I'm not mad, kiddo."

"I'm just," Conner swallowed down a lump of emotion in his throat, not even sure what he was feeling. He couldn't tell if it was relief or something else. "I was worried Karla was going to be freaking out."

"She was. She knew something bad happened."

"Yeah, but eventually, she'll remember. And I never will. I don't want someone to know what it's like with me in bed if I didn't want to sleep with them in the first place."

Reno sighed again. He rested his chin on Conner's head. "Karla would have known what you were like in bed, even if you guys didn't have sex."

"Wait, what?"

"Because Karla would be privy to Tamamo's memories due to the possession."

"Oh," Conner grimaced. "Crap, you're right. I didn't think of it that way. I was too focused on whether or not Karla was going to be pissed off. Tamamo and I haven't talked since my birthday."

"Birthday? I thought that was in spring?"

"April first," Conner said. "But Tamae did some math. Remember how we lived at the..."

Reno released the hug and laughed, "Right! Right, yeah, I was just talking to Karla about that a few weeks ago! I told her you should be old enough to have a car now."

"I have to be eighteen to get a license in California. Was it still sixteen back in 2024?"

Reno grinned. "Your father was driving on a California license when he was seventeen. So there you go."

"Oh, alright. Vincent is actually my uncle. I just ... didn't find that out until this year, that's all."

"Right, right. So yeah, your uncle was driving his Civic at seventeen."

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I know how to drive. My father showed me how." Conner grimaced. "I keep wanting to call him Uncle Fox because that's what I was raised to call him."

"You can get your learners," Reno said. "I showed you how to parallel park really well on your family island. I bet you could pass the test."

"So I should go back to California and get my restricted driver's license or whatever?"

"I doubt you have time to accrue all the hours of driving school you're supposed to have, and still make time to save the world." Reno gave him a slap on the shoulder. "Now, go on downstairs and hold your hat in your hand - it's just a saying - and be humble to Karla."

"I know this is going to sound gay to complain about having sex with a girl but..."

"Just say what's on your mind, Conner."

"It's just that I like being in control. And it's goddamn weird to have control taken away like that."

Reno ruffled Conner's hair. "I can't pretend to know what you're going through. Most guys would say to other guys, 'who cares? You got laid! Suck it up, blah-blah-blah!' But the truth is, for a lot of people, that sort of thing would likely be awkward as hell."

"Nobody will ever feel sorry for a guy for feeling weird about this."

"It could be worse."

"How so?"

"Victim blaming. Karla got that crap from that chick, Sandy Moore. When she found out what happened, she approached Karla after you were long gone."

"Jesus Christ, Sandy knows? We did all that shit to try and keep it a secret from her."

Reno nodded. "Well, she found out, all right. And then the dumb bitch says to Karla, 'so what, you're a succubus. He did you a favor. It's like getting drunk and cheating on your diet with a candy bar.' Karla was pissed."

"Holy shit, really?" Conner's face contorted into an expression of disgust. "Sandy actually said that? What a heartless cunt. Pardon my language, I don't mean to cuss at you, Uncle Reno, but that is really insensitive."

"I'm not offended. Cuss all you want - you can be yourself around me. Karla had it pretty rough."

"And I didn't?"

Reno tilted his head. He reminded himself that Conner was a kid with poor social skills. Nevada's version of fidgeting manifested itself as creating an arc of lightning between fingers. It traveled for finger to finger, disappearing from the prior gap until the arc made it to his pinky.

"Uncle Reno?"

Nevada glanced back up at Conner and said, "As weird as it was for you, Conner ... imagine you woke up and you were told someone stuck their junk up your ass?"

Conner cringed. "Dude, no offense but, what_the _hell?"

Reno held his hands up. "Just hear me out. I did six months of vice, and six months of special victims before I became a homicide inspector."

"Uhm..." Parker nodded. "Sorry, go on with what you were saying."

Reno tilted his head, eyeing Conner to judge the boy's reaction. "Just answer the question. If you woke up and you found out you were violated by having someone else put their package inside of you, and you didn't even remember it happening ... how would that make you feel?"

Conner scrunched his brows and wrinkled his nose. "That would be really messed up. I'd find them and kick their goddamn ass. Nobody is ever putting their dick in me. Fuck that."

Reno closed his fingers. The electric arcs disappeared all together. "Because that would violate your body, right?"

"Yeah. Exactly. It's bad enough my dick was put in someone else and I didn't know it. I couldn't begin to imagine if it was the other way around ... and..." Conner trailed off.

Reno arched his brows. "You get it now?"

"Shit. So that's what she's feeling."

"Pretty heavy stuff, huh? Karla was violated. Now you can understand what she's feeling. And the biggest thing is, she knows you're the only guy she was around that weekend. So she felt like you and Tamamo broke her trust. She did that to help, and what happened? She gets raped. You're both victims. But she deserves your empathy, just like you have mine."

Conner felt a heavy pit in his stomach. "Jesus." Again his eyes felt moist, and his vision blurred. "What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I keep crying?"

"Congratulations," Reno said. "You have a heart. There's nothing wrong with you, it's called being empathetic. Emotions are what set modern human beings apart from whatever we were before we evolved."

"I didn't rape her, though!"

"I never said you did. Tamamo rendered you unconscious using Karla's succubus ability. And then she went medieval on you, man. She used you. So Tamamo raped both you _and_Karla."

Conner ground his molars together, briefly, followed by a wince from pain, where one of his teeth was still broken.

Reno shook his head. "I've lost respect for Tamamo. Now that I know what she's capable of, I doubt I'll ever trust her."

Conner ran his hands through his hair. "Isn't Karla, like, supposed to be hardcore anti-rape? Like, I mean, doesn't she attack rapists or something? That's what I was told."

Reno nodded. "Be glad Karla remembers you storming out of the bedroom when Tamamo flirted with you, during the time she was possessing Karla. Because if you jumped into that and had your way with Karla's body ... well, let's just say Karla has killed a few rapists over the years. Something happened to her before she manifested. I think she was about fourteen."

"I would never; especially not with Karla. I'm not even attracted to her. She's pretty or whatever, but we practically hate each other."

"She was your mom's best friend for ages."

"Yeah, but the last thing mom told me about Karla is how she backstabbed everyone. Mom said she's not to be trusted."

"It was complicated."

Conner walked to the edge of the bridge deck. "Your brother explained it. He said my mom isn't mad anymore. Now that I have a better idea of why Karla did what she did, I don't blame her anymore. I need to go talk to her." He took the ladder down from the upper bridge and dropped to the deck below.

He went inside, crossed the living room, and saw Tamae and Karla on the other side of the room. "Hey, look, uh..."

Karla vanished.

Conner looked around, "Wait!"

Karla reappeared besides Conner. She put her arms around him. "That wasn't an easy decision to make. You had to have been so mixed up and confused. Tamae told me that you had an argument with Tamamo and that you two barely spoke to each other for several weeks because of this."

Conner swallowed. The tears didn't come this time. He wanted them to, because it would have made him look more sincere, but it didn't happen. All that came back was the bubble of useless emotion in his gut.

"I'm not mad," she whispered into his ear. "Not anymore."

Then the tears came. He couldn't understand why they came in response to her forgiveness.

He hugged Karla back. "I'm so sorry, Karla. I am so freaked out about the whole thing. I didn't want you to hate me, I didn't want you to wind up pregnant; I didn't want you to feel victimized. This whole thing is so fucked up."

Karla sighed and tucked her forehead against his neck. "Conner, look, Tamamo might as well have forced a broom handle or a dildo on me. You weren't apart of it. I get that now. And, no, I can guarantee you I'm _not_pregnant. Trust me."

"That's what Tamamo said the last time we spoke, weeks ago," he replied softly.

"Well, you're uncle was right." Karla's voice was endearing and calm.

"What do you mean?"

"Reno said he didn't think you had it in you to do something that low. I'm glad he was right."

Conner nodded. "Reno demanded to know what happened and I thought he was going to punch me in the face. Instead, he hugged me, and I cried. I don't know why, but it came out and I just..."

"Shh," she stepped back and cupped his face. "Tamamo can't get pregnant, first of all. She was in me, so that means I couldn't get pregnant at the time. So no worries on that front. Two, you weren't crying because you were sad or because someone hurt your pride. You were crying because you're frustrated, and because you were angry we were both betrayed. It was something so completely out of your control that you needed to vent the frustration."

"I didn't want anyone to think I'm a huge pussy who..."

"Shh," Karla repeated. "You're not. It's something I can respect - I feel like I might be able to trust you now."

"Really?"

Karla nodded. "I cried on and off for the last few weeks. I got it out of my system. The fact you had a few tears to shed for me ... well, just that means you give a damn. I appreciate that you care."

"I didn't cry about this until today," he admitted softly.

A smile tugged at the left corner of her mouth. "That's what I mean. It didn't bother you until you saw that I was upset. Any man, any_one_ who judges you for having a heart ... they're a heartless asshole and their opinion shouldn't matter to you."

"You really forgive me for this mess?"

"I'm told you and Tamamo aren't on speaking terms right now."

"Well, yeah. I haven't seen her in two weeks. Before that, I hadn't seen her since the night at the CIA."

Karla nodded in understanding. "Yet you brought me my yacht. You fixed it up, and hurried out here." She sighed. "Look, you're still an ass for not calling me sooner. Both of us could have figured this shit out, but we both just went through several weeks of pissy emotions. I didn't know how to get ahold of you. But you could have called me from Hawaii, or Panama, or..." She trailed off.

"I'm sorry."

"...But look, it's behind us okay?"

"I'm sorry this happened, Karla. But, with all due respect, I did try calling you. You avoided me."

Karla stared at him for a moment. She studied his face and frowned. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Shit. You're right. I forgot. I put it out of my head and was focused on being upset."

"I left you voice messages and stuff."

"Yeah. I remember, now. I felt so awkward knowing I had missing time. You're right, I avoided your phone calls."

"That's why I went and picked up your boat. That's why I brought it to you. I thought you were going to avoid me when I got here. That's why I asked my grandmother not to tell you to expect me, but, instead, to expect a sign. I thought this yacht would be the ice breaker."

"I misjudged you, Conner." Karla hugged him. She waved Tamae over, "C'mere, get in on this group hug. I can use all the oxytocin I can get."

Kuda clammored up Conner's pant leg, and then he made his way up Karla's blouse. Karla giggled softly and helped Kuda up to the group hug, "Okay, cutie, you can join! Everyone loves your foxy hugs, yes they do."

Conner chuckled at how the succubus treated the small animal. "You think Kuda will add to the oxytocin?"

Karla offered a wry grin and said, "Even better - Kuda hugs have _foxy_tocin."

Tamae approached and put her arms around Conner and Karla. "Tamamo betrayed us all. Even me. It was difficult; I was very emotional and I had to stow it to not only give Conner permission, but to talk him into feeding you. And for Tamamo to take it to the next level without talking to any of us ... she betrayed all our trust."

Conner sighed. "You two are going to have to talk this out else we won't have a full team."

The succubus shook her head. "We've got a flame thrower - Sinopa. We've got a woman with four thousand years of memories and experience using a sword - Tamae, here." Karla gave both of them a firm squeeze and stepped out of the hug. "I don't need Tamamo to fight Aris Falcon. But I do want to face my goddamn rapist."

"What do you mean?"

Karla smirked at Conner. She picked her purse up from the sofa and shouldered it. "I'm going to have some words with her. Excuse me." She walked away from Conner and Tamae, headed for the master bedroom.

"Wait," Conner called out to the succubus. "You said something earlier that I didn't understand."

Karla stopped in the hallway. "What?"

"You said Tamamo couldn't get pregnant."

Karla arched her brows in confusion. "Wait, you didn't know?"

Conner and Tamae exchanged glances, shrugged at one another, and looked back at Karla. Conner pushed his tongue tip into his broken molar. "Uh, no?"

"Sigyn stuck that sword right in her baby-maker. That's it. She was hoping that a high-power healing job from me would fix that. But she somehow knew she was still broken. I remember that much when she ditched my body."

"She made it sound like she still wants kids," Conner said. "She mentioned it on my birthday. She said she wanted to get pregnant, like, out right said it."

Karla shrugged. "So far as I know, Tamamo can't have them anymore. And it has royally put her in a tailspin. The closest she'll come to having children, now, is to do it the way she did with Sinopa's parents. She'll have to be there, as a third party, for the conception. And then she'll have to be there for the birth. But, as far as having her own..." Karla shrugged.

Tamae and Conner exchanged glances again, but this time, they put the pieces together, leading back to the day of Conner's birthday, two weeks ago.

Tamae swallowed. "I don't know how I feel about all of this."

Karla smirked. "Tamae, babe, I am seething angry, but not at you two. It's okay to be insulted by this mess. You damn well should be pissed off. You're part of that relationship too, and you were ignored."

"Hai, it was like my input meant nothing."

Karla nodded firmly. "See? That's not respect at all. You're not some slave who is obligated to spread her legs for the relationship when asked. You're an equal part of that relationship. You'll be the one baring children if Conner wants them. Tamamo can't do that now because she went up against Sigyn."

Silence.

"And now she wants you guys to have babies for her? Psht. I wouldn't dare let her get to see the children, if you two wind up having them." The succubus smirked. "Sounds to me like Tamamo got stabbed by the Karma police."

"I am very conflicted by how I feel, and my loyalty towards Tamamo."

Karla shook her head. "Tamae, hon, you stay away from reflective surfaces until you figure out what you want. Once you've figured it out, act accordingly. But you can have Conner all to yourself without Tamamo involved. Just consider it. I'm not telling you to betray your loyalty, but I am reminding you that you were betrayed."

Tamae pursed her lips together with a look of disgust.

Karla put a hand on her shoulder. "Honey, don't make any decisions until after_you've had some time to think about it. Trust me. Don't let me sway your decision. Don't let Tamamo sway your decision. This is something _you need to reflect on."

Tamae sat down on a sofa and frowned, nearly in tears. Conner sat besides her and put his arms around her.

Karla cracked her knuckles. "Now, if you two will excuse me. I have some tails to kick." She headed down the hall. A moment later, the door to the master bedroom slammed shut.

X

X

Minutes later...

Karla drew Kuda from her shoulder and pushed him against the mirror. As his body passed through the reflective surface, she crossed over in his wake.

Karla emerged from the mirror, standing in the Hallway of Reflection. Portals lined either side. She tucked Kuda back into her purse and rubbed her palms together.

Most of the memories she'd accessed when Tamamo inhabited her body were fading at this point. Karla surmised it was due to the short duration of Tamamo's inhabitance.

Karla thought back to her time in the Celestial Realm, but most of it was spent in other areas. She pulled Kuda from her purse again and said, "Take me to Tamamo, baby boy."

Kuda sniffed at the air and trotted back up the hallway in the other direction. Karla followed.

They arrived at a grassy hill with a door set into the side of the slope. "What the hell? She lives in a goddamn hobbit house, now?" Karla opened the door and stepped inside. "Yo, T-Fox, are you here are what?"

Tamamo came from her bedroom, startled to see Karla. "How did you...?" Her eyes lowered to Kuda, standing at Karla's feet. "Clever."

"What the fuck?" Karla demanded, speaking in more of a statement than a question. "What if you woke up tomorrow and someone came up to you and said, "I hope you're not sore from last night. We went to town on you with that broom handle. I bet you'd feel really goddamn defiled, wouldn't you? Now ... imagine it was a woman you thought was a really close friend."

Tamamo opened her hands, palms up, and created two protective fireballs. They illuminated the doorway to the bedroom, making it easier to see that she just came from bed, and was undressed.

Karla scoffed. "You think I'm going to attack you? I just came to spit in your face, you bitch. You know my hatred for rape. You were in my goddamn head, so you know it's my biggest goddamn pet peeve."

"If you take this tone, you are not welcome in my home."

"Oh, yeah? Your home is your temple, huh? Well, you_didn't seem to mind making yourself at home in my body. So _fuck you." Karla waved her hand, telekinetically blasting the fireballs back into Tamamo's face.

The fireproof kitsune squinted her eyes as the fire was thrown from her palms. The flames went out, but not before singing her eyebrows.

Karla tilted her head and smiled confidently. "If you can't stand the heat, you shouldn't play with fire."

Tamamo grit her teeth. "I could roast you alive, but I need you alive."

"I could teleport you into the floor and kick sand in your face until the end of time, but I respect Sinopa too much. Hell, I'm starting to respect Conner, now, too."

"What do you want from me?"

"I know all the lies you haven't told Conner. I know you love him, but I also know he deserves better."

Tamamo narrowed her gaze, slinking back into the doorframe of her bedroom again.

Karla "So, you think just because you can't get knocked up - poor pity you - it gives you the right to force me to sit on a sleeping boy's dick? You have a lot of nerve, you salacious little quim."

"I'm not familiar with that insult, but I..."

"Shut the fuck up," Karla snapped. "I don't want you around. You can hide down here in this little hobbit house for the rest of your days. But you're not needed anymore. I just came to tell you to kiss my ass."

"Karla..."

"You broke my trust. Don't 'Karla' me. How the hell could you do that to me? Is it because you're attracted to me?"

"What?" Tamamo dropped her hands to her sides. "What on earth would give you that idea?"

"Uh, hello? I fucked Rachel who's got all your memories, you dope. The only reason she slept with me is because she was confused. Part of her thought she was still you, and you've got the hots for me."

Tamamo narrowed her eyes.

"Is that what it boils down to?" Karla asked. "You wanted to have sex with me, but you couldn't bring yourself to do it? So you used me to have sex with Conner?"

"I couldn't control your hunger."

"You are so full of shit!" Karla snapped. "You've got the willpower of a four thousand year old warrior who meditates and all that shit. You could have made it through the weekend."

"I could feel it - you were starving, and your body was unable to heal my spirit. Yes, I used you and I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I, instead, gave in to your hunger and fed you."

"Oh," Karla said, pretending to feign naivety. "That's all it was?"

"Yes! Karla, that's what it was! I never intended to hurt..."

Karla threw her hands up in the air. "What a load of bullshit! No wonder Nathanial always said he couldn't trust you. He probably got a chance to see the real you at some point."

"I never understood why Nathanial refused to trust me!"

Karla crossed her arms, just beneath the swell of her bust. "You sucked his fucking dick with my mouth. That's all I needed. That was the feed."

Tamamo sighed.

"I might have understood it, and I would have been mad at you, but I'd have gotten over that."

"So you remember now?"

"No! That's the whole point! I just said I know you sat me on Conner's fucking dick. And here's the worst part! You used my ability, to render people unconscious, to have a go at him! And then you made me forget! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Tamamo clenched her jaw. "Do not shout at me in my home. You are a guest."

"Japanese custom says you should cater to me," Karla snapped. "Aren't you supposed to make tea and ask for a thousand pardons?"

"Do not confuse modern Japanese etiquette for how I was raised, succubus. I am grateful for your aid in healing me. I am grateful that you gave me your body. But while I was in control, I made decisions that were necessary to heal as quickly as I did. I also needed to be strong enough to keep the three of us alive under fire. I did what had to be done."

"Do you actually buy the bullshit you're selling? Do you really believe that shit about yourself? It's sad when someone has to convince themselves that their lies are..."

"I am not lying!" Tamamo shouted. Her voice lowered again, adding, "I made a mistake. I did not want you to suffer for my selfishness, so I took the memory. Conner did not remember because he was asleep. Therefore, I felt there was no reason for you to remember."

"Oh, you know, I might almost buy that, except that you made me forget about the blow job, too. Even he remembers that. Hell, Tamae knew about it. No, you wanted to hide everything. You had fun, and then you tried covering your tracks."

"If I truly wished to cover my tracks, I would have made you forget that you gave me your body. It is as simple as that."

Karla put her hands on her hips. "You and I will patch up our drama after I've saved the world with the others. You're not invited to the party."

"I should be apart of this. I can help."

"No. You're in the penalty box until I've gotten my 'thousand pardons,' and you kiss my no-tailed ass to my satisfaction."

Tamamo clenched her hands into fists out of frustration. "Leave. You are no longer welcome in my home."

"Thing is, Conner isn't the bad guy. He didn't even know about your inability to have children. He didn't know you tricked him and Tamae into a fuck-fest for his birthday, so you could control that aspect of his life, too. God, you're a controlling little twat. No wonder mythology always painted you as the bad guy. You let this wounded-womb shit mess with your head and affect your actions."

"I thought you could heal me!"

"So you took advantage because...? What? Is it because you like fucking a teenage boy with other women's pussies? That's so fucked up, I don't even think a name exists for that fetish."

Tamamo gawked, insulted. "Leave. Now! You've always proven you're not needed to do what it takes to stop Falcon. You've had the chance and you've blown it in the past. You certainly do not have what it takes to keep Conner and Tamae safe. You saw my secrets? Child, you are one-tenth_my age. I saw _all of yours."

"Bitch, you can kiss my ass. If you think you know what it's like to be me, just because you spent a weekend in my shoes, then obviously you are even dumber and more stuck up than I thought."

"Come, Kuda. Karla, leave."

Karla picked up the small fox. "Kuda is a sweet soul. You don't know how to treat him. He's just another person you manipulate with your bullshit agenda."

Tamamo stepped from the bedroom doorway, emerging into the living area, wearing nothing. Her tails bristled up in annoyance. Her ears laid flat upon her head. "He is mine. He is a messenger spirit. He knows his place. He is a tool to be used as needed. Now leave."

"He's mine, now," Karla said calmly. "He's loved with me."

Tamamo stormed across the room and picked Kuda up by the scruff of the neck, the way a mother cat would pick up a kitten. She clenched the small fox by the tuft of fur behind his head and held him aloft. With her other hand, she snatched a bamboo pipe from a shelf on the wall, and slid his body into the pipe. "Now leave!"

Karla held both of her hands up, offering an obscene gesture. "I'm told that in Japanese sign language, this means 'brother.' Well, in the rest of the world, it means fuck you."

"Karla, I appreciate what you've done to save my life. But, right now, you are trying my patience. Get out."

"I_would_ keep your secret about being 'broken,' since that's something I would not wish on my worst enemy. But since you can't respect Tamae and Conner enough to tell the truth, I told them. Only them, and no one else."

Tamamo's jaw dropped. She put the bamboo pipe back on the shelf, eyes narrow. "How dare you."

"But don't you dare back me into a corner, or I will shout it to the world." Karla adjusted the shoulder strap of her purse. She reached for the door and pushed it open with one hand. "Don't you try to follow me."

"I will do as I please, girl."

Karla thrust her right hand towards Tamamo, using a telekinetic blast to shove the woman back. In that moment, Karla teleported Kuda from out of the bamboo pipe and into her deep handbag.

Karla smirked. She teleported herself from the hillside dwelling. She placed her palm on the handbag to keep it shut.

Karla teleported herself back through the Hallway of Reflection to have a lead start, just in case Tamamo tried to follow.

She stepped through a portal, dumping her back onto the yacht.

The succubus murmured to herself. "Slight of hand and misdirection ... at least I learned something from the Parkers."

Karla reached into her purse and scooped Kuda out. She tucked him against her bosom and gently ran her fingernails through the fur of his pelt. "I love you, baby boy. You're mine. She doesn't deserve you. You're too good for her, sweetie."

Karla turned around and telekinetically pulled at the mirror. The bulkhead, to which it was mounted, replied with a grunt. A crack went down the middle of the reflection.

With a sigh, she tried to teleport the mirror of the wall but it was part of the bulkhead and could not be moved. It was similar to how the furnishings were designed into the interior.

"Dammit!" She went to her bed, pulled the blanket off, and placed Kuda on the sheets. She carried the comforter over to the mirror and covered the surface, stuffing the corners down behind the edges of the mirror, where it came off the wall around the frame.

She stormed out of the bedroom and approached Reno, Tamae and Conner. "We argued. We broke up."

"Broke up?" Reno asked, confused.

"Yup. A few weeks ago, we were one. But now, we're done. I kept the fox; she got the bamboo pipe. Fuck her. Her ass can sit and rot in 'heaven.' If this is hell, then all I ask for is a seat at the bar. And this 'demon' needs a stiff drink and some, hard shagging. Reno, get your ass in the bedroom. I need some angry sex."

Reno arched his brows. "Well, uh, damn. You don't have to tell me twice. Do I get a drink too?"

"What's your poison?" Karla demanded.

"Bourbon is good if we've got it."

"We do," Conner said. "I brought this boat fully stocked."

"That's what the hell I'm talking about," Karla said with a smirk. She waved her hand and teleported Reno into the bedroom. "Conner, I better not catch your ass drinking. You're too young."

Tamae and Conner remained quiet and motionless.

Karla teleported to the kitchen, followed by the living room.

"There's a mini bar in your quarters," said Conner in a soft voice.

"Oh. Right. Didn't have that before. Nice touch." Karla teleported out of the clothes she was wearing, and into her bedroom.

The skirt, panties, bra, blouse, socks and shoes dropped to the floor in a pile.

Conner looked at Tamae and sighed. "It's going to be a long couple of days if she stays in this mood. Hopefully the rumors are true and sex will put her in a better mood."

Tamae nodded, looking at the pile of clothes on the floor. "Your uncle is - how does the expression go...? Taking one for the team."

"Yeah, he sure as heck is."

A moment later, Kuda hurried out through a pet-flap in Karla's door. He sneezed in frustration with his ears lowered. The little fox crawled up onto the sofa next to Tamae and Conner.

Parker sighed. "So, how about I call Sinopa and tell her what happened - you think that would be a good use of my time?"

Tamae nodded, stroking Kuda's back with her nails. "That might be best."

---

Next Chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/837100