Chapter VI: Lilian and Two Demons

It was dark. Lilian walked through a gray mist, not knowing where he was or how he had gotten there. Dark figures moved nearby, shrouded by the mist, always just beyond his ability to discern.

He could hear the sounds of the sea, far off. That wasn’t right – he had been in the mountains, hadn’t he? He couldn’t remember. The sea, and his own footsteps. And something else. Bells, perhaps?

Not bells. Voices. He could hear the laughter of young girls, their voices were all around him. He tried to listen to a single voice, to find it. Over there, perhaps? He walked in the direction he had decided upon, and the voice came closer. All the voices were coming closer, which shouldn’t happen if he was walking towards one, and away from others.

“Over here,” he heard the voice say, very close by. He must be close, but the fog was impenetrable. He turned, corrected his course, when out of the mist emerged a pair of eyes. The eyes burst into flames…

“Ghaaa!” said Lilian, choking off a scream as he sat up in bed. Realizing he was safe in his hotel room, he closed his eyes to still his racing heart while catching his breath.

“You were very rude.”

Lilian jumped, startled by the voice so close. Sitting on the side of the bed he discovered one of the beautiful young girls who had been at the castle earlier that evening. Then, in trying to back away he discovered the other young girl, sitting behind him on the other side of the bed.

“What?” was all he could manage to say in his bleary-eyed, confused state.

“Yes, so very rude,” agreed Ilinca crossly. “You left so quickly this evening. You did not even say goodbye to us,” she added unhappily, leaning in close to Lilian. “We wanted to give you our kisses.”

“Yes, all our kisses,” said Daciana despondently. She leaned close to Lilian as well and asked, “Don’t you want our kisses?”

Lilian moved his eyes back and forth from one sister to the other. “I must still be dreaming,” he said aloud.

“Oh!” said Ilinca enthusiastically. “What wonderful dreams you must have.”

“Well?” demanded Daciana.

Lilian’s eyes turned toward her. “Um, well what?”

Daciana sat up with her hands on her hips. “Oh!” she declared, offended. “I can’t believe how very rude you will be to us! Here we are, two poor young girls, barely clothed and sitting in the cold, while you are comfy and cozy under the covers in your nice, warm bed!”

Lilian responded with a shocked silence and so Ilinca added, “Won’t you invite us in?”

“Um, please… come in?” Lilian said after another short, shocked silence. The two sisters wasted no time in snuggling under the covers, cuddling up to Lilian to share his body’s warmth.

Ilinca laughed. “I did not truly believe it, but it’s true! You are wearing men’s pyjamas.”

Daciana held Lilian’s face in her hands, brought her lips to his, then stopped just short of a kiss. She opened her eyes wide, closed her mouth, and looked at Lilian closely. She rubbed her fingers across his face.

“You have stubble on your chin!” she said in surprise.

“That’s not all,” Ilinca added to the revelation, her hands wrapped around Lilian from behind. “Look at the surprise down here!”

Daciana laughed at his distress. “You are a man!”

“Well, yes,” agreed Lilian, slightly offended that she should laugh.

“A very happy man,” said Ilinca, still revelling at her find.

“Oh, you are wicked!” Daciana accused. “Getting us into your bed, and all this time you never told us you were a man.”

“I keep telling everyone!” Lilian defended himself. “Nobody listens.”

“This is actually very bad,” said Daciana, addressing herself to Ilinca as if Lilian’s presence no longer had any meaning. “Dodrescu has no need for a man.”

Ilinca’s eyes lit up. “Then can we keep him?” she asked excitedly.

Daciana looked across the bed at her sternly. “Ilinca! Do you remember the sailors? You said you would watch them, and care for them, and not let them out of their cage? And then what happened?”

Ilinca looked down and pouted. “That was three thousand years ago, and you won’t ever forget. You always say no.”

“Ilinca, that’s not true,” said Daciana, trying to be conciliatory. She looked at Ilinca’s pouty lower lip, and couldn’t bear to deny her. “Well, we shall see.”

Ilinca’s face brightened immediately. “Yes! Please, can we have him now?” she asked.

Daciana smiled, and began unbuttoning Lilian’s shirt. He remained wary, but did nothing to stop her this time.

Thirty-Seven Minutes Later…

Ilinca stretched out on her side of the bed. “That was fun,” she said contentedly. “We don’t do that enough any more.” She looked at Lilian, sound asleep in the middle of the bed between them. “She is so pretty. She sleeps like the dead.”

“He,” corrected Daciana. “He is so pretty. He sleeps like the dead.”

“Yes, he,” agreed Ilinca. “He is so pretty. I wish we could keep him.”

“You know we can’t,” Daciana told her. “We have gone over this. Dodrescu will kill him, the moment he arrives.”

“And what of Mirela?” Ilinca wondered.

Daciana laughed. “Can you imagine? Mirela would spend eternity in the flames of Hell before she would accept this body. No, Mirela is dead. There is nothing anyone can do.”

Ilinca was silent for a long while, thinking. Finally she asked, “And what of Anna?”

Daciana didn’t answer, couldn’t answer.

“What a shame he is not a real girl,” Ilinca said after a while. “Anna would not mind this body. Can’t we please just ask Dodrescu if we can keep him?”

“Dodrescu will likely kill us as well, if we are anywhere near when he arrives.”

“Maybe he won’t notice,” suggested Ilinca.

Daciana sighed, and looked at her sister. “Dodrescu will know. It would take a lot of effort to make the boy so convincing that Dodrescu would be fooled.”

“So, we make an effort,” said Ilinca decisively. “What do we do first?”

Daciana thought about it. “Ilinca, you are so very brilliant! This might work. Tell me, did you bring your blades?”

“Of course,” replied Ilinca. She sat up and opened her evening bag on the bedside table, removing and unfolding two straight razors. She handed one to Daciana and asked in her excitement, “Will we cut him?”

“No, we will shave him,” Daciana informed her. “Help me get him to the bathroom.”

Daciana and Ilinca struggled to carry Lilian’s naked, unconscious form into the bathroom, as he seemed unable to wake. “Why does he sleep so soundly?” asked Daciana when he didn’t stir, even as they dropped him into the tub. “Ilinca, you didn’t bite him, did you?”

“Well, yes,” answered Ilinca. “Of course, but it was only a taste.”

Daciana looked at Lilian’s pale complexion. “She is almost drained of blood!”

“I didn’t think anyone would mind,” Ilinca pouted.

Daciana looked at her unsympathetically. “Ilinca, this is why we can never have pets. Dodrescu will want to bite her, and there is nothing left. Now, you must feed her.”

Ilinca looked upset. “Ohhh! Why me?” she wailed.

“Just do it,” said Daciana as she draped one of Lilian’s legs over the side of the tub, preparing to shave it.

“Ohhh,” complained Ilinca. However, she sat at the head of the tub, preparing to do as her sister asked. Taking her straight razor she slashed her wrist, then brought the bleeding cut to Lilian’s mouth. Lilian unconsciously drank from Ilinca’s gushing wound.

Ilinca sulked, bored as she sat feeding Lilian while Daciana wet, lathered, and shaved his legs and face. Ilinca was finished first, and so brushed Lilian’s hair to pass the time. She was excited to find the tiny sample makeup and applicator brushes, and so used them to style Lilian’s makeup. Although he was not entirely aware, Lilian was able to stand and help himself back to the bedroom by the time Ilinca and Daciana were finished rejuvenating and transforming him.

“What will she wear?” asked Ilinca as they half-carried Lilian back to his bed. “Dodrescu will certainly notice if she is naked, and I am certain that nothing she owns will be suitable.”

“Give her your nightgown,” Daciana told her sister.

Ilinca removed her nightgown. Then, as Lilian stood momentarily under his own power, Ilinca and Daciana pulled the gown over his head, fitting it into place and finally tying the pink ribbon around his waist.

Ilinca helped Lilian into bed like a sleepy child, pulling the covers up and tucking them around him as he curled up in the warmth of the bed. Daciana searched the room, looking in closets and drawers, throwing anything that belonged to Lilian into his suitcase.

“What is it you are doing?” asked Ilinca.

“Dodrescu must see none of her things, so that he will not suspect,” Daciana told her. After one last quick check she shut the suitcase and announced, “That is everything. Now, you and I can go shopping.”

“Oh, nice!” said Ilinca as she wandered the room naked. “That will be fun. I could use a new nightgown.”

“It is not for you,” Daciana informed her sister. “It is for her. She will need some clothes for tomorrow. Here, take this.”

Daciana shoved the suitcase at Ilinca, who reluctantly carried it to the balcony doors. Daciana bent over Lilian and whispered in his ear, “Listen to me, my sleepy angel. Pretty one, you will have a visitor soon. He believes you to be a beautiful young woman. Please do not disappoint him, because if you do, he will kill you. Now sleep, and dream the dreams of the innocent.”

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A/N: Poor Lilian. This is going to be a very long night!

And don't you wish you were a siren? Totally wild and carefree, doing exactly what they want, when they want, with no thoughts for the consequences? I know I do "^_^"