Waterfall Town, outside Jennifer's house.
Roy was deep in conversation with Jennifer, hashing out plans to help Lilith get a new body.
"So, have we pinned down Mary Shaw's exact location in Washington State?" Roy asked.
"Yup, it's confirmed!" Jennifer replied. "Zoe got Mortel Snow to do a prophecy, and it turns out Mary Shaw's in a little town called Ravensfall, right near the Rockies in Washington."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hit the road!" Roy said.
Jennifer hesitated, looking a bit sheepish. "Uh, there's one thing. The Apocalypse Club found out about this, and they want in on the action."
Before Roy could respond, Madison and Maria burst out of Jennifer's house and practically tackled him, wrapping their arms around him. Zoe and Carrie, the quieter duo, followed, each grabbing one of Roy's arms.
Roy shot Jennifer a look. No wonder she'd asked to meet him outside—turns out the Apocalypse Club's four members had been crashing at her place.
"Roy, we missed you so much!" the four girls squealed in unison.
It was like being swarmed by two thousand chattering ducks. Roy groaned. "Jennifer, since when are you so tight with them?"
Jennifer gave an apologetic shrug. "They've helped me out a ton, so when they asked to join this mission, I couldn't exactly say no."
Fair enough—favors owed are hard to dodge. Still, Roy was curious. Mortel Snow had let these four loose and burned some of her own life force to make a prophecy for them? What was she thinking?
"You guys didn't sneak out without permission, did you?" Roy asked, narrowing his eyes.
Madison pouted. "Roy, quit acting like we're total rebels! After the Silent Hill mess, we've all leveled up big time. It's summer break, so Professor Snow figured we could handle another adventure."
Great. They were officially his babysitting gig now. Roy sighed, already feeling the exhaustion.
Last time, during the Silent Hill incident, Madison and Maria's impulsive stunts had caused him all sorts of headaches. Who knew what chaos they'd stir up this time?
Carrie, picking up on Roy's skepticism, chimed in. "Don't worry, Roy. Professor Snow put me in charge of keeping these three in line."
Roy blinked. Of all the Apocalypse Club witches, the most responsible one was Carrie? The shy, timid girl who barely spoke?
Even more surprising, Carrie was now the group's heavy hitter. She carried the blood of Samael, the King of Wrath, and not just a drop—her bloodline was insanely potent. Plus, she'd once served as a vessel for Samael himself, which had supercharged her potential.
It was like Isabella, who'd been Michael's human vessel. Even after Michael returned to Heaven, Isabella had kept some serious perks, especially when it came to wielding holy light. Carrie, having hosted half of Samael's power, had gained even more.
Normally, being a demon's vessel was a death sentence—demons didn't exactly care about their host's well-being. But Carrie got lucky. After dying while possessed by Samael, Raphael had brought her back. That kind of experience was practically unheard of in human history.
Already gifted, Carrie had absorbed Samael's lingering power and gained insights from her brush with death. Her strength had skyrocketed to legendary status—on par with Lilith or Ophelia. The other three Apocalypse Club witches combined couldn't touch her. She was basically a shoo-in for the next Supreme Witch of the Coven.
The catch? Carrie was still figuring out how to control her massive power. She was also at risk of losing control, her demon bloodline threatening to overwhelm her. A talisman from Elise kept it in check for now, but her combat experience was lacking. All that raw magic, and she was still a rookie.
Maybe that's why Mortel Snow had greenlit this adventure—to give Carrie some real-world practice. Roy, though, could already feel the trouble brewing.
"Here's the thing," Roy said. "There's five of you, plus Jennifer. My car's not big enough for all of us."
Unless someone rode a motorcycle. But Texas to Washington was a 1,800-mile trip. Even with Crowley's autopilot, whoever rode would be toast.
Madison patted her chest confidently. "No worries, Roy! Professor Snow's got it covered. We've got a private jet to Seattle, so you don't need to stress about the trip."
Well, that was convenient. Mortel probably felt bad dumping this on Roy and pulled some Coven funds to cover travel. Back when Ophelia (Lilith's daughter) was possessing Fiona, the Coven had been at its peak, raking in cash through deals with all sorts of groups. That money had cemented Ophelia's spot as Supreme Witch. Now, Mortel was dipping into that legacy to keep things running—ironic, since Ophelia wasn't even dead.
"Alright, fine," Roy said. "Everyone pack up. We're catching a flight from Austin to Seattle tonight. Oh, Madison, can that jet fit a car?"
Madison thought for a second. "Should be fine. The Supreme Witch's jet is pretty huge."
That saved Roy some hassle. Sure, Bumblebee and Crowley could drive themselves to Washington, but a plane was way faster.
"Roy, it's been months since we've seen you," Madison said, her tone turning flirty. "How about we…"
She didn't finish, but her suggestive look said it all. Roy rolled his eyes. It wasn't just guys who got carried away—some women were just as bad. And Roy? He was catnip for someone like Madison, especially since his desire domain had evolved into something like an incarnation of desire. The effect was almost unfair.
He gave her a playful swat on the butt. "Why's your mind always in the gutter? Go pack, or we'll miss the flight."
Madison pouted but perked up when Maria whispered something in her ear. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it! You're saving it for some mile-high fun, huh? Should've said so!"
Roy hadn't even been thinking that, but now… "Ahem! Quit talking nonsense and get ready. I've got stuff to do."
He'd come straight to Jennifer's after arriving in Waterfall Town and hadn't checked in with anyone else. The Parkers, Nancy, and others didn't even know he was back. Plus, he wanted to swing by Elizabeth's place to see how Eluresha was doing and talk about that lust authority.
Carrie spoke up. "Roy, are Misty and Wendy in Waterfall Town? I'd like to see them."
Misty and Wendy had trekked across half the U.S. to settle in Waterfall Town, living off the grid in a wooded patch of Sawyer Manor. They preferred nature to modern houses full of furniture.
"I'll take you to them," Roy said. "Crowley!"
A blue Harley-Davidson Buell Firebolt rolled up. "Mr. Black, I'm here," the bike said.
"Let's go, Carrie." Roy hopped on, and Carrie climbed behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Maria, never one to miss a chance, called out, "Don't you two go sneaking a bite!"
Carrie, shyer than even Niddy, turned beet red, looking like she wanted to disappear. Roy shot Maria a flat look. "Knock it off."
The other four girls watched Roy and Carrie ride off. Jennifer clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone, let's get ready."
Madison and Maria exchanged a glance, clearly cooking up some scheme. Those two loved to bicker, but when they teamed up, they were scarily in sync.
"Zoe, c'mere! I've got an idea!" Madison said, dragging Zoe back into the house for who-knows-what.
Jennifer shook her head, opting out of whatever they were plotting. She had her own stuff to handle.
After dropping Carrie off at the cozy cabin Misty and Wendy had built, Roy headed straight for Elizabeth's manor.
Weirdly, no one answered when he rang the bell. Is that lazy woman actually out?
Elizabeth was notorious for lounging around her manor unless something big was up. It was summer break, so she didn't have classes. Where could she be?
As he pondered, the door swung open on its own. Roy stepped inside, but the manor was empty—no Elizabeth, no Eluresha. Had she taken the little succubus with her?
What's she up to?
The door opening meant Elizabeth had probably seen him remotely and let him in. She'd be back soon.
Roy plopped down in the living room. A few minutes later, a flash of fire lit up the room, and Elizabeth and Eluresha appeared.
The second Eluresha saw Roy, her eyes sparkled, and she launched herself at him. "Daddy! I missed you so much!"
Roy, lounging on the couch, nearly toppled over from her enthusiastic tackle. "Eluresha, you're okay now?"
He ruffled her hair, noticing the little succubus was brimming with energy again, like Asmodeus's influence was gone.
Elizabeth sank into her favorite armchair, watching the two with amusement. "Roy, didn't peg you for this kind of guy."
"Professor Elizabeth, you've got it all wrong…" Roy started, but Eluresha was already tugging at his lower armor.
Her actions only seemed to prove Elizabeth's point.
"Eluresha, what are you doing?!" Roy yelped.
She looked up, confused. "Daddy, my tummy's hungry! It's been forever since I had a milkshake!"
True, Roy had promised to "feed" Eluresha fresh milkshakes weekly, but with everything going on, he hadn't done it in nearly a month. Still, her demanding a snack here and now was mortifying.
Elizabeth, unfazed, egged her on. "If the kid's hungry, let her eat. We can talk, no big deal."
Roy's face twisted. He'd only fed Eluresha in front of Jennifer before—now Elizabeth wanted a front-row seat?
Before he could protest, Eluresha latched onto her "bottle" and got to work making her "fresh baby milkshake." Roy sighed, forcing himself to focus and talk to Elizabeth.
"Professor Elizabeth, how's Eluresha doing?"
"I've wiped Asmodeus's mark off her," Elizabeth said. "She's all yours now. Do whatever you want with her."
Her tone was… suggestive. "Uh, Professor, I'm not planning to do anything!"
Elizabeth shifted, crossing her legs, her eyes on Eluresha's enthusiastic efforts. She was starting to sweat. "You expect me to believe that?"
Roy wasn't sure he believed himself. As Eluresha's intelligence grew, her attachment to him was… evolving. It was subtle, but there was a shift.
"Still," Elizabeth continued, "she's got Asmodeus's blood, and it's strong. If that woman gets near her, she could awaken Eluresha's dormant bloodline. But don't sweat it too much—Asmodeus prefers playing with her 'pups' in her palace. She rarely shows up here."
Roy's expression turned odd. He'd fought the Queen of Lust not long ago, blasting her back to Hell with an energy fountain. Noticing his look, Elizabeth's brow furrowed.
"Don't tell me you've already run into her."
"Uh, yeah, I crossed paths with the Queen of Lust by chance," Roy admitted.
Elizabeth's face darkened, like she'd pieced something together. Asmodeus's main tactic was seduction, and Roy—good-looking, powerful, a standout even in Hell—was prime bait. No way she'd pass him up.
Roy hesitated but came clean. Lying was pointless; Elizabeth's lie-detection powers would catch him instantly.
After hearing his story, Elizabeth relaxed slightly. Roy had been forced into it, and he'd sent Asmodeus packing afterward. "That woman's like a bad rash," she muttered. "She probably realized she couldn't control Eluresha, so she pulled that stunt to show up here."
She stood abruptly and walked over to Roy. Eluresha, mid-"milkshake," looked up, puzzled. "Mommy Elizabeth, you want a taste too?"
Professor Elizabeth
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