Chapter 12

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Lily soared over the ocean, her wings spread wide as she was carried on the currents of the wind. The water of the Pacific Ocean had turned an ominous gray, a color only slightly brighter than the thick storm clouds that loomed on the horizon. She had a large backpack slung below her belly, giving her the appearance of a demonic kangaroo with wings. In one hand she held a GPS unit, in the other a pair of binoculars.

On the horizon, she spotted a dim shape and lifted the binoculars to her eyes. It looked like a container ship, but was it the one on which she had left Dana? With the storm closing in, she was hopeful that her luck had changed. If she didn’t land soon, she would have to fly far above it. Not only could lightning fry her GPS, but she would also fall into the ocean. This would mean teleporting home and starting from scratch.

Unable to make out the ship’s name in the rolling waves, she went in for a closer look. She was flying at about a hundred feet, but climbed higher into the sky to evade detection. She would have to hope for the best in case her silhouette was spotted against the dwindling light.

Once she was closer, she moved to the starboard side to check the vessel’s name. She pumped her hand in victory when she realized it was the right one.

Taking care to keep out of sight, she swooped onto the deck from behind the bridge, landing just as the first few drops of rain fell. She picked her way among the containers before finding the one she needed. When she put her ear to it, she could hear the sounds of moans over the waves slapping against the hull of the ship.

“Sounds like you’ve been busy,” she muttered, then looked up at the sky. The lead storm clouds had blotted out the sun, and the overhead deck lights had already turned on. She was far enough down amongst the containers that it wasn’t likely she would be spotted, but caution would be for the best.

Pulling a length of rope from the bag, she created a safety loop on the front of the container. The last thing she wanted was for the open door to attract attention. The rope would prevent the door from opening more than a foot. Lily squeezed inside with no problem, then pulled the backpack through.

Once inside, the smell of wet pussy was overwhelming. Lily set her backpack down, then pulled out the flashlight to shine it on the sports car.

“Let’s see if horny jail did you any good. Time to check your cell for contra—” The words faded from her lips when the beam of light hit Dana.

The zombie had positioned herself so that she was riding something on the center console, and her skin was covered in dark marks that looked like soot. However, the soot was shifting as Dana moved, and Lily realized that they were Dana’s veins, shifting about just beneath the surface of her skin.

Dana looked up at Lily and let out a growl. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her forehead now had a prominent ridge that pressed against her skin.

“Oh, fuck me,” Lily muttered.

Dana heard Lily’s voice as if from far away. It was so hard to think, to concentrate for more than a couple of seconds on anything but the heat that flooded her body. It was dark, wherever she was. Sometimes she could hear the wind, and it occasionally carried a throaty moan with it.

Shhh. Go back to sleep.

She had first heard the voice days ago, only hours after being locked away in the shipping container. Between orgasms, she had felt her mind slipping away from her body as she completely lost control. The Seed had trapped her in a permanent state of arousal, but as her desperation for climax had grown, she had slipped into the void of her own thoughts.

“I don’t sleep,” she muttered. For just a moment, she was back in the car. Someone was shining a light in her face, and she wanted to call out, to warn them that she would attack. The seed had kept her fed at first, but now she was hollow, eager to fill her belly with the flesh of the living.

That’s because you’re a monster, the voice reminded her. A shell of your former self. Why bother trying to change the impossible.

Dana nodded. The voice, as always, was right.

Lily watched Dana’s face shift from hopeful recognition back to something more sinister. She had wondered if Dana would puke up the Seed, or even just be really happy to see her, but other than its shape, the creature that looked back at the succubus car lacked any sort of humanity.

Dana growled, her teeth reflecting the light ominously.

Shit. Lily turned off the flashlight and frowned when she saw that Dana’s eyes were glowing. “Looks like someone is having a bad reaction to something she ate.”

Dana shifted and lifted off of the center console. Curious, Lily approached the side window to get a look inside. The interior had been clawed apart, and it wasn’t until Dana was almost in the back seat that Lily saw what had kept her busy.

It was Tick Tock. The center console of the car had been ripped out and replaced with the mimic in the shape of a horse’s saddle. There were a pair of phallic knobs in the middle that were slick with moisture, and a little hand popped out of the pommel to wave at Lily.

“What a brave little toaster,” Lily muttered in appreciation. “Looks like you two have been busy.”

Dana growled again. Her breath fogged up the windows, and the light in her eyes intensified. She tried the handle to open the door, but Lily held it shut, suddenly wary of how hard the zombie was pushing. If she retained enough of her faculties to use the latch, was enough of her friend still in there to bring her back?

“Brought a snack for you, in case you’re interested.” Lily opened her mouth and summoned a glob of sperm onto her tongue. “But I need you to play—”

Dana shoved the door hard enough that it popped open, but Lily managed to hold it shut. The zombie let out a shriek that resonated through the container, then pressed her face against the window. She stuck out her tongue and dragged it over the glass, as if trying to get at Lily.

Lily scowled at the forked tip of Dana’s tongue. Her friend was trapped somewhere between zombie and dragon, and it would only get worse.

“The tongue thing is hot, but you’ve been fucking a car all week. Time to be a big girl and participate in some self-care.”

Dana screeched and slammed her head against the window, causing the glass to crack.

“A week? It’s been a whole week?” Dana tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy. Lily’s voice had been fading in and out, but she had heard that last part clearly. The darkness was suddenly heavy, as if trying to suffocate her.

She left you behind, the voice reminded her. They all leave you behind. Because you don’t belong. You’re dangerous.

“That’s right,” Dana whispered. “She left me behind.”

That’s your future now. Everyone will die, leaving poor confused Dana behind.

“I just wanna sleep,” she whimpered.

Here, in the dark, the world was no longer scary. She didn’t have to worry about being alive or dead, and could just be at peace with herself. There was no hunger, no missing Alex, and no questioning of her sanity.

Sleep, the voice told her. For just a moment, she recognized it as her own, and then let herself float some more.

Lily saw Dana pause, her eyes twitching in her sockets as if lost in contemplation.

“That’s right, it’s been a week. Bit longer, actually. There were complications, and I’m sorry. I tried to come back for you, but I had to drop off the choir boy and his pet soldier, and by the time I made it out here, I couldn’t find this fucking boat. Dana, I’m sorry.”

It was hard admitting to herself that she had screwed up. Once Lily realized that she needed help, she had teleported home right away. However, Mike had been missing and the home was under attack by Amir and the society. Afraid to get captured while Dana’s life was on the line, Lily had fled to Oregon to get Eulalie’s help in tracking a ship in the middle of the ocean. The GPS unit had been programmed with the ship’s predicted routes, and she had been scouring the waves for a couple of days now.

Still, the last part of the plan had hinged on getting one final batch of Mike’s sperm. Lily hoped that whatever the Dragon Seed had done so far could be undone with a fresh feeding. Once she was ready to chance another trip home, she had been grateful to discover that Mike had returned and succeeded in chasing off the society again. After a quick suck and swallow, she had hopped on the first plane she could find, desperate to get back.

And now, she wondered if maybe she was too late. Had the Seed taken over Dana’s mind? Or was it something else?

Dana’s features hardened again, and she slammed her forehead against the window, causing the glass to spiderweb.

Lily glared at Dana and placed her hands against the glass. Dana had gone feral. “Don’t make me do this,” she whispered.

In the silence that followed, she could hear the steady patter of rain on the walls of the container and the deck of the ship. Thunder rumbled overhead, and she was suddenly aware of the motion of the ship. It was likely that the seas were becoming violent, and the container suddenly felt so tiny.

Dana let out a loud cry and launched herself forward into the front of the car. Lily blocked her exit there, but watched in amazement as Dana threw herself through the front windshield of the car. The zombie tumbled across the hood and landed on all fours with a loud hiss.

“Fuck me in the ass,” she muttered as Dana lunged and tackled her to the ground. They rolled across the floor in a tangle of teeth and nails before Lily was able to pull Dana into a chokehold and stand. Dana threw herself backward, smashing Lily into the wall of the container hard enough that she lost her grip.

Determined, she wrapped her tail around Dana’s arm before she could flee.

Dana grabbed onto the tail with her free hand and swung Lily through the air. The succubus fought to escape, but was smashed into the hood of the car hard enough that it caved in.

“Oh, you’re being a huge bitch right now,” Lily yelled, then summoned razor-sharp talons. The more they fought, the stronger Dana grew. Was it the seed that drove this surge in strength? Or the hunger of a desperate zombie?

Dana jumped onto the hood to choke Lily, but Lily turned to smoke just long enough to move behind her. It was going to be a suplex, but Dana jumped backwards, slamming them both into the door of the container.

The rope snapped, and the door swung open. They tumbled onto the wet deck of the ship and slid. The rain was coming down in sheets now, and Lily lost her hold on Dana again.

Dana, now naked on the deck, let out a howl of delight, then raised her face to the sky. The dark marks on her arms were glowing now, and she ran her fingers through her hair. She paused during this act and sniffed the air like a wolf on the prowl. She turned her attention toward the bridge of the ship and snarled, drool dripping from her mouth.

“Oh, I’ll be damned if I let you do that to yourself.” Lily got her footing. She had never spent much time on boats, and hated how slippery they could be. She unfurled her wings and used them with her tail to keep her balance. “If I have to carry your ass to a deserted island just to beat it some more, I will.”

Dana sprinted toward the bridge, but Lily launched herself into the air to catch her.

There was a loud thud, and the sound of screaming. It sounded like Lily, but it was so hard to tell. When Dana opened her eyes again, all she saw was darkness in every direction.

There is nothing but pain if you go back, the voice warned her. You’re safe in here. Out there, you will have to confront everything.

“I deserve this,” she replied. “Because of what I did.” Suddenly, the darkness was gone, and she could see herself in the hallway full of blood. Her hands were covered in it, and she could taste it in her mouth.

“Eat,” Alex said, then held up a piece of flesh. “Every bite takes you further away from me.”

“No!” Dana tried to push the meat away, but shoved it into her mouth instead. “Alex, I don’t understand!”

Alex laughed, then vanished. She reappeared further down the hallway, and when Dana tried to chase her, she receded into an infinite void.

You can’t catch her, the voice reminded her. Alex no longer wants you, remember? You eat the flesh of the living. You’ve destroyed your body and your morals. You fuck demons and eat sperm. You’ve become something she could never accept. You’ve become something that even you cannot accept.

“I didn’t have a choice!” Dana watched the hallway turn black. The air became so thick that she felt like she was back in the Berkeley Pit again, surrounded by poisonous water.

If you really felt that way, then why are you here?

Dana screamed. Nothing but bubbles came out.

Lily had Dana pinned against a container now and tried to break her legs with her tail. Unfortunately, the bones realigned shortly after breaking, and Dana had thrown a haymaker that had caused the world to spin and go black.

Don’t fall asleep, don’t fall asleep, Lily begged. She seemed to be free of the Dreamscape, but if Dana hurt her badly enough, would she slip away while her body put itself back together? What would happen to Dana?

Dana stood over Lily now and was shaking her like a dog with its prey. She even tried to bite off Lily’s nose, but Lily used her horns to deflect the attack. She felt bad goring Dana in the cheek, but the macabre wound stitched itself shut before much blood could be spilled.

How long could she keep this up? The rain was starting to sizzle when it landed on Dana, and Lily wondered if Dana would start breathing fire. The Seed had soaked up all that onerous magic from Tristan’s deeds, and now had somewhere to put it.

Shrieking in rage, Lily struck Dana in the throat and then used her tail to knock her back. She turned to smoke and threw herself across the deck, reappearing just before contact. They collided with a container and dented one of the support bars.

“Dana, please,” Lily begged.

Dana punched Lily in the face hard enough to snap her head backward. The world went dark again. Lily wrapped her tail around Dana’s neck and squeezed, knowing it would have no effect.

But she would be damned if she ever let go.

Dana punched Lily in the chest and then slashed her face with dark talons. Lily said nothing as they knocked each other across the ship. The rough waves caused them to bounce around as if on some giant pinball table. This was a fight of attrition, which the zombie was sure to win. At some point, would Dana start growing scales? Maybe even wings?

At what point would she be more dragon than human?

“Is this what you really want?” Lily asked her as they smashed into a dark green container. The rain was steaming off of her skin as she allowed hellfire to roar through her veins. “Do you want to become a monster like me?”

“I’m already a monster!” Dana screamed, then grabbed onto Lily’s horns and smashed her face onto the deck. This caused her tail to slip free and the world began to fade.

Dana froze, her eyes going distant. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out.

One last trick, Lily thought, then dispelled her wings, tail and horns. Her skin darkened and her hair shrank, tightening into thick cornrows. If I can’t reach her...

Then maybe Alex could.

That’s right, admit it. Admit you’re a monster!

“I don’t want to be ... monster,” Dana whimpered. The liquid slurred her words, and she tried to swim. With no visual reference, she decided to swim up. She wasn’t even sure if she was moving, because her limbs were mostly numb.

But you are. A sick, disgusting thing that feeds on the living.

“That’s not true.”

It is. The voice was louder now, and Dana could see something shiny in the distance. She kicked her legs, grateful that she could feel them again. You’re no better than Lily. She’s a literal demon from hell, how much worse can you get!

Dana stopped kicking, suddenly content to float in the dark.

She recognizes herself in you. If not for what happened, you wouldn’t even associate with her. And how many times have you lusted for her? It’s disgusting. You don’t even love her. Every time you crawled into bed with her, you were shitting all over Alex.

Doubt creased her brow, and she looked up at the distant object.

“Alex would understand.”

She would be devastated.

“Would she?”

Knowing that you willingly touched another woman? Or worse, ate a guy’s baby batter. What’s next, are you going to suck his dick? Fuck him? The voice was sending waves through the fluid that pushed Dana back. What would Alex say? How would she act?

“I don’t know.” But in the back of her mind, she wondered what would happen if she needed to feed and Lily wasn’t there. What other options would she have? How would she judge herself?

I think you know. The voice spoke with glee, and Dana felt the darkness swallowing her up once again. She would see you for what you’ve become. You’ve betrayed your love for her and your own identity. While you were locked in that box, all you could do was cry out in misery as your mind shattered.

“Who are you?” she asked.

The voice didn’t answer.

Dana swam toward the light. As she moved closer, she saw that it was a mirror floating in the void. It had intricate edges that looked to be carved from a single piece of wood, and she steadied herself by grabbing the frame. Her reflection regarded her with scorn, a living version of herself wearing the Dragon’s Seed around her neck.

“You’re me?” Puzzled, Dana tapped on the mirror.

Her reflection scowled. I’m more you than even you are.

“How?”

I’m what you used to be. Her reflection sneered. Not that I’ll ever get a chance to be me again! How are we supposed to live with ourselves, after everything you’ve done? This stupid little trip has been a disaster, and all you’ve accomplished is exactly what you were afraid of. This time, her doppelganger’s lip quivered. You became the one thing you promised you wouldn’t.

Dana looked down at the pendant. It was glowing, casting an eerie light into the void.

“Tristan,” she muttered. How much of why she was here was because of the Seed? Was it controlling her thoughts? Magnifying her fears? She couldn’t think, the void was pressing against her so hard.

Look at you! Her doppelganger clawed at the air, and suddenly the mirror functioned normally. Dana saw that she was naked, and her features were distorted. A bony ridge had risen in the middle of her forehead, and she was covered in blood. Whose blood was it? Look at what you’ve made us into!

“No!” Dana let out a cry and put her face in her monstrous hands. Her reflection was right, she had fallen so far from who she used to be. How could she ever manage to climb back out? How could she ever be worthy of Alex again?

You’re finally getting it. The world is nothing but pain, and has been for a while. Why not stay in here with me and float? Her reflection grinned. There’s peace in here, we don’t have to worry about what’s going on out there.

“I...” Dana was about to agree when a third figure appeared in the mirror.

It was Alex.

“Heya, Sparks.” Alex smiled and the world came to a stop.

This was how it had always been with Alex. The entire universe could have been on fire, but as long as they had each other, it wouldn’t have mattered. Without Alex, her world had come crashing down, and there had been nobody to help her pick up the pieces.

Forget about her, snapped the doppelganger. She is just a memory.

“No.” Dana looked from Alex to the doppelganger. “How can you even say that? She goes far beyond a memory.”

But she’s gone! The doppelganger pointed at Alex accusingly. She died, and she isn’t coming back! And we are never going to the other side to see her—because of you!

Dana swallowed the lump in her throat. “Even if that’s true, how can you just choose to forget about her? What purpose does that even serve?”

Because I miss her! The doppelganger had tears streaming down her face now. I miss her and there isn’t a damn thing we can do to fix it! Don’t you understand? We lost! We will never be alive again!

Alex said nothing. The void suddenly felt like a dream about to crumble, and even Dana knew that what she was looking at wasn’t the real Alex. But why was she even here? What had triggered this?

Go away! The doppelganger tried to shove Alex into the darkness. Don’t you understand how painful it is to even look at you?

Alex sidestepped the doppelganger and pressed her hands to the glass. When Dana’s eyes met hers, all she did was nod knowingly.

This Alex wasn’t real, but Dana knew what she would have said if she had been.

The doppelganger tried to pull Alex away from the mirror. Dana stepped through the glass as if it wasn’t there and grabbed her clone by the wrists.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry for everything. But I can’t live the rest of my life trying to be who I was. I can’t be you anymore. It just isn’t possible, it’s too complicated.”

Panic crossed the doppelganger’s face. Of course. you can’t be me again. You’re not even alive!

“And neither are you.” Dana embraced her former self. “You stopped living the moment that Alex did.”

Her former self sobbed uncontrollably as Dana held her tight. The world around them shimmered, but she wasn’t ready to go just yet. This entire trip she had been avoiding the awful truth about her situation. It was very likely that she would never be the same again, no matter what happened.

And she would have to accept it. If she didn’t, she would continue to get lost trying to chase who she used to be. She didn’t want to spend the rest of eternity trying to be that heart-broken college dropout, not when she needed to spend so much time figuring out who she was right now.

When the moment was right, she reached up and ripped the Dragon Seed away and tossed it into the void. In the darkness, she heard the roaring of a very angry dragon.

Dana’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, her eyes settling on Lily in Alex’s body. The freezing rain made her look like a drowned rat, and recognition filled her eyes.

“Heya, Sparks.” Lily reached up and touched Dana’s cheek. She didn’t dare say anything else, afraid to break the spell.

They sat that way in the rain for several minutes, and Lily wondered if she would be fast enough to rip a hole in Dana before she could fight back.

“Alex.” Dana’s voice was little more than a whisper, and when she blinked, her eyes went from red to blue. There was a sudden recognition in her eyes, and she winced. “Lily. Help me.”

“Always.” Lily reverted to her original form and shoved her sharp nails into Dana’s belly. Dana’s eyes flickered back and forth from red to blue, but she held still as Lily searched.

When Lily pulled the Dragon Seed free of Dana’s gut, they were both soaked in blood. Like a smoldering coal, the Seed steamed in the rain of the storm, its pearlescent surface covered in mottled black smudges.

Dana let out a loud growl, but was cut off when Lily kissed her. Mike’s semen pumped through the hole in her tongue into Dana’s mouth. She resisted at first, then wrapped her arms around Lily’s neck and slurped greedily.

When they parted, Dana let out a gasp and covered her face with her hands. The ridge on her forehead was already smoothing out, and when she revealed her face, her eyes were no longer bloodshot.

“More,” she begged, and Lily kissed her again. The Seed pulsated in her hand, and Lily realized that it would only be a matter of time before it found a way to call out to her too. She helped Dana stand and the two of them wandered the deck.

“Lily,” Dana began, then looked around. “Where the fuck are we?”

“A ship,” Lily told her. “Do you remember anything?”

“Um...” Dana put a hand to her forehead. “Only bits and pieces. I think ... were we fighting?”

“Like cats and dogs.”

“Lily, I’m sorry. I lost myself, I don’t know what happened.”

“It doesn’t change anything between us.” Lily squeezed Dana’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I remember being locked in the dark,” Dana continued. “Primal instincts, rage, lust. I was out of control, I felt like I couldn’t keep up with my own body. Oh, god, I wrecked a car by fucking it!”

“I don’t judge you for the car, but keep the sky daddy talk to yourself.” Lily found the original container and went inside. “Hey, toaster! I need you to hold onto something for me.”

There was a loud pop and the mimic had become a backpack once again. Lily stuffed the Seed inside and zipped it shut.

“Don’t give that to anybody until we get home, okay? Especially not Dana.”

The mimic made a zipping sound that could have been in agreement. Lily turned her attention back on Dana. She slumped against the side of the container.

“I know I don’t have any right to ask, but ... can you help me?” She looked up at Lily. “I’m just ... so...”

“Horny, right?” Lily laughed.

“Ugh. Yeah.” Dana looked away.

“You know what?” Lily slid down next to her. “It’s been a long week. I won’t even make you beg.”

“I thought you loved it when I begged?”

Lily laughed. “I love it when you do lots of things.” She touched Dana’s cheek, then ran her hand down Dana’s body and stroked her thigh. “Any requests? I’ll do anything. Be anyone. You just have to ask.”

Dana let out a laugh. “Against my better judgement, I would like you to just be yourself.”

Lily pressed herself into Dana while using her hand to spread Dana’s legs. She let out a gasp when Lily nudged her clitoris with her thumb. They slid down the wall and onto the floor, and kissed each other as they took turns exploring each other’s bodies.

They established a steady rhythm, taking turns fingering each other as they continued to kiss. Lily kept shifting her anatomy about just to tease Dana. Simple things like moving her clitoris, or changing the size of her breasts. She even gave herself three nipples on one breast that caused the zombie to laugh out loud before nibbling on each one of them.

Though Dana came close to orgasm many times, she would push Lily away and reciprocate. Surprised that Dana wasn’t eager to get off, Lily spread her legs wide and relaxed while Dana’s tongue played along her labia. The sweet heat of Dana’s mouth radiated through Lily, and she trembled when she came for the first time.

Dana was moaning constantly now, but continued her feast. Lily altered her body again and allowed pleasure to tear through her body at every flick of Dana’s tongue. Dana had been fingering Lily this whole time, but was up to three fingers now. With the addition of another digit, Lily came again, and then went limp on the cool floor of the container.

“Someone’s in a giving mood,” she muttered just as Dana sat on her face.

“Maybe I should have made you beg,” Dana replied, then tapped Lily’s forehead. “Horns, please.”

“As you wish.” Lily’s horns curved slightly inward, and Dana grabbed them tightly. She gyrated her pussy on Lily’s face, and Lily rewarded her by splitting her tongue in two. The upper tongue teased Dana’s clitoris, but the lower tongue thickened and became a vibrating phallus that penetrated Dana’s pussy.

This time, when the orgasms came, Dana was unable to hold back. She cried out, her voice reverberating inside of the container, but refused to let go of Lily’s horns. Instead, she tightened her grip and squeezed her thighs so hard that Lily knew she could have cracked a human’s skull in half.

After another half an hour of frantic riding, Dana came one more time before going limp. Lily grabbed her by the hips and slid her down until the two of them were face to face. She was surprised when Dana kissed her again, and then nuzzled herself into Lily’s shoulder.

Neither of them said anything for several hours. The only sound they had was the passing storm and the creaking of the boat beneath them.

“I’m afraid of losing myself,” Dana finally confessed in the darkness of the container. The storm had mostly passed by now, so the only other sound was the ship’s engine and the slapping of the waves. “After what happened in the Black Palace.”

“That was the Seed’s fault,” Lily replied.

“Before that,” Dana continued. “After I ate what was left of those guys Tick Tock killed.”

“The toaster killed someone?”

“Lots of people.”

Lily listened as Dana explained what had happened in the basement, then looked over at where the mimic sat with newfound admiration. She knew that Tick Tock was capable of eating someone, but a hallway massacre was above and beyond what she expected.

“Anyway, once he was done, I was hallucinating, and I saw Alex. She told me I should eat, so I did.” Dana sighed and shifted in Lily’s arms. “And I know it was just my mind, I get it now. But the same thing happened after I ate the Dragon Seed. It was so easy to convince myself that what was happening was my own idea that I just went with it. I’m not even sure who I am anymore, and it feels like every decision I make takes me further from who I used to be.”