on her face.  Shadow here had a litter last year, and all her pups are exactly like the adults.  At least I dont have to fix every litter they have.
	You breed them? Allia asked curiously.
	Shiika nodded.  Hellhounds tend to kill each other when they fight for dominance in the pack, so I have to breed them to keep up their numbers, she answered.
	Keritanima giggled, which made Tarrin look back at her.  Shadow was licking her face, her tail wagging as she pawed at the Wikuni queen.  In a way, the Hellhound was a subtle mirror image of the enigmatic Demoness.  She was a Demon, but she wasnt like other Demons.  She lacked that fundamental evil that all other Demons possessed.  She was by no means kind and gentle and sweet, but she also was not cruel and vicious and sadistic.  Many times, Tarrin had wondered why she was different, but had never dared to broach the subject with her.
	Well, I think Shadows place in the house of Eram is relatively secure, Shiika said with a slight smirk, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.
	What can these Hellhounds do? Allia asked.
	Their main power is that they can breathe fire, Shiika answered.  Believe me, against anything but a Weavespinner, thats a very formidable power.  Theyre also very strong, smart, and cunning.  Oh, and they can see in the dark.  They can see heat like it was light, which lets them see perfectly at all times.
	That could be useful, Allia observed.
	Want one? Shiika asked.  I have a few too many, but I dont want to give them out to people I cant trust.
	I think Kedaira would be very jealous, she declined with a smile.
	Eh, maybe Ill give Dar and Tiella theirs now, she said, mainly to herself.  Theyre getting unruly.  If I dont thin out the pack, theyre going to start killing each other.  She smiled in a malicious fashion.  I think I will.  I couldnt be here to spoil Kerris big day, so maybe Ill spoil Tiella finding out shes pregnant.
	Youre an evil woman, Shiika, Allia said with a laugh.
	I know, she agreed with a grin.
	You could always give one to Kang, Tarrin offered.
	He has two, she told him.  Hes my best general and the commander of my entire army, so I have two Hellhounds with him to help guard him.  One of my daughters also shadows him discreetly at all times.  Im not about to lose him, Tarrin.  My army would go to pieces without him.
	Give one to Darvon, Tarrin offered.  Call it a gesture of friendship from the Imperial throne and the Legions, a token of respect.
	Now thats an idea, she said brightly.  I could score some points with Arren.
	Dont start giving her ideas, brother! Keritanima warned from the floor between laughs.  Shadow had knocked her down and was still licking her face.  Alright, alright, enough! she finally ordered.  The Hellhound immediately withdrew from the Wikuni queen and sat at the foot of the cradle.  I think we should withdraw.  Faalkens getting a bit cranky because hes trying to sleep and were talking.  Ill introduce you to Faalken when he wakes up, Shadow, she told the Hellhound.  For now, you need to meet Rallix, Binter, and Sisska.  You will obey them as you obey me.
	The Hellhound dipped her head in understanding.
	Ill leave you two to that, Shiika told them as she stood up.  I have a few things to look into, and I want to have Shun bring the male Hellhound Im giving to Dar and Tiella here so I can fix him.  I want you to meet Shun, Tarrin.  Come with me?
	He looked down at her, saw the serious look in her eyes, and understood that she wanted to talk to him privately.  That would probably be for the best, so he nodded.
	Well be back in a little while, Tarrin told his sisters.
	Dont take too long, Keritanima told them.  And dont agree to anything she says! she warned.
	Tarrin filed out of the apartment with Shiika, and past Binter and Sisska, who each fixed the Demoness with flat, unfriendly looks.  They left her apartment in relative silence, then started down one of the hallways.
	I see I was right, she announced without any kind of preamble as they turned a corner, passing a quartet of roving Royal Guards, who patrolled the halls of the palace.  It shines on you like the sun, Tarrin.  And I already know what happened with Stragos Bane.
	I had the feeling you knew, he admitted.
	Well, youre totally safe from me now, she admitted to him.  I kept trying to get you before you manifested your powers.  Now that you have, I cant touch you.  So we can be friends without anything like that hanging over our relationship.
	Really? he said archly.
	Cant blame a girl for trying, she said, looking up at him with a wink.  I still say youd have had more fun with me than Niami.  You missed out on it, Tarrin.
	Thats your opinion, he told her.
	Thats half the reason I was late.  At least late enough for me to still be there when Anayi pulled her stunt.  The Elder Gods called me to council.
	They did? he said in surprise.
	She nodded.  Ive told you before, Tarrin, the only reason Im allowed to stay here is because me and the elder Gods have an agreement, she reminded him.  I do what they say, and sometimes I perform tasks for them.  In return, Im allowed to live here, so long as I dont cause any serious trouble.  Guarding the Book of Ages was one of those tasks, she revealed.  But they usually dont talk to me directly.  They send Spyder.  So I know that when Im called to appear before them in person, they usually have something very serious to say.
	What did they want?
	They told me not to give you any reason to fight with me, she admitted casually.  They know that me and you have something of a weird friendship, but they wanted to make sure we didnt cross the line and get into a feud.  They dont want another Bane-level incident, but theyre being paranoid.  Im a Succubus, not a balor.  I dont have that kind of raw power, and they know it.
	How many balors do you own? he asked pointedly.
	She laughed. None, but I do own a couple of nalfeshnee, she admitted.  Two of them are about as strong as a balor.
	Then theres why theyre being paranoid, he told her.
	Well, its a moot point.  Id never fight with you, Tarrin.  I like you, and I really like your mother.  I do need to go see her, she mused.  Im thirsty for some of that excellent tea she makes.
	I see theyre taking steps, he grunted.  Ive already received a visitor of my own.  Ahiriya.
	You should have expected it, she told him.  Watch her, Tarrin.  Shes got a temper, but shes also very cunning and rather smart.  Always tiptoe around Ahiriya.  She looked up at him.  How are you taking it?
	It hasnt quite sunk all the way in yet, he admitted freely.  Its a shock, but at least my family and friends didnt go into hysterics.  They accept it.  That makes it much easier for me to deal with it.
	Its not all that strong, she told him, then gave him a sheepish look. No offense.
	None taken, he assured her.
	But its that sword thats got the Elder Gods all knotted up.  I sensed that potential in it when you threatened to give me a third eye with it.  I see I was right about what it did.
	You knew?
	I suspected, she corrected him.  Well, let me be the first one to officially welcome you to the Second World, she said grandly.
	What?
	The world the mortals dont see, she told him.  Youll find all sorts of things different up here, Tarrin.  Youre a part of it now, just like me and the Cambisi.  Were immortals.  Gods, Demons, Archons, Deva, and the Entropics, were all part of the world that the mortals never see.
	Tarrin only recognized two of those terms.  What are those? he asked.
	I think you already know what Gods are, so Ill ignore that one, she told him with a smile.  You might know what Demons are, but not what they do.
	I know what they do, he answered her.
	Alright then.  Archons are spirits that serve the gods as messengers and soldiers, but they rarely come into the material planes.  When they do, its because theyre performing tasks for the gods they serve.  Thats just about everywhere else, though.  Archons are forbidden from entering Sennadar, so the gods here have to do everything themselves.  Deva are the servants of the God of Gods, going around and doing His will directly.  They most often serve as messengers between the God of Gods and the Gods, but they also take up arms and fight against Demons and Entropics.  Theyre nasty, she said with a shudder.  Even the weakest ones, which are called Deva, and their name is something of a label for the three kinds of them.  Demons wet themselves if a Planetar shows up, and they flee in terror if a Solar even shows up in the same dimension as them.  Gods, Archons, and Deva are on one side, and Demons are on the other, fighting a war thats been going on since the dawn of creation.  Demons are trying to conquer everything in existence, and the Gods, Archons, and Deva oppose them.
	What about those last ones?
	Entropics are the embodiment of destruction, something like how Demons are the embodiment of chaos, she told him.  Everyone hates Entropics.  Deva and Demons will actually fight on the same side against them.  Theyre the bane of the multiverse, because they seek to totally destroy everything.  Demons wont stand for that, because they want to conquer everything.  Thats why Demons side with the enemy against them.  Entropics are horridly powerful, so it usually takes a sizable force to deal with even a weak one.  When a strong Entropic appears, everyone drops everything and bands together to destroy it.  Its the only occasion where youll see Demons, Archons, and Deva all on the same side.
	Tarrin recalled something Mother had told him in passing long ago, about a force called entropy, which was something that all gods feared.  These entropics had to be manifestations of that power.
	So, youve just told me about a bunch of things Ill probably never see, Tarrin surmised.
	Shiika laughed.  About that, she agreed.  Archons and Deva arent allowed to come to Sennadar, and Entropics dont appear on the material plane.  They only appear in the Astral.  Mortals call them the psychic maelstrom, because getting close to an Entropic is a lot like being in a hurricane.  They dont understand what they really are.
	Mortals go to the Astral?
	She nodded.  Loads of them.  Higher beings arent the only ones that travel between material planes and dimensions.  Mortals are quite common in the Astral, more common than Archons, Demons, or Deva.
	What about gods?
	Theyre not allowed to visit the Astral in their true forms, she told him.  Theyre only allowed to visit in spirit.
	Well, where do gods live, then? he asked.  I mean, theyre not allowed on the material plane, and theyre not allowed in the Astral.  Where else is there?
	There are other dimensions aside from those two, Tarrin, she answered as they reached the grand central hall, then turned towards the throne room.  What some call the Abyss or the Nine Hells is an example of that.
	Theyre the same? he asked.
	Sort of, she replied.  The Abyss and the Hells are different areas of what people who know simply call Hell, or the Lower Plane.  Each is its own dimension, but theyre all part of a collective whole.  Theres an Upper Plane that mirrors this for the forces of good and law.  Places called the Twin Paradises, Olympus, Arcadia, the Seven Heavens, theyre all different dimensions of a collective whole called Heaven.  So, you have Heavens aspects above, and Hells aspects below, she said, holding one hand up high and one down low to illustrate her point.  The material planes and the planes of the Elementals are in the middle, caught between the two and keeping them safely separated.
	What about this Core Ive heard about?
	Ah, you have been reading, she said brightly.  The Core exists squarely in the middle of everything, at the center of all existence, and thats the domain of the God of Gods.  It exists outside all the other planes, kind of like a place thats not a place.  But it does have a position, because this material plane lies very close to it.  Thats why magic in Sennadar is so powerful.  They turned away from the throne room and started walking towards the kitchens.  Theres only one way into the Core, and thats through a gateway that nobody can find except the Deva.  Theyre the only ones who go to the Core.
	Tarrin chuckled.  Why are we even talking about this? he asked.
	I have no idea, she answered with a wink.  Well, have you explored the extent of your powers yet? she asked.  I can see a pair of ghostly wings behind you, so I assume that theyre there.
	You can see that? he asked in surprise.
	Im a Demon, Tarrin.  I can see things that mortals cant see.  One thing youre going to find out is that people like you and me cant ever hide from each other.  I can see the truth of you, and you can see the truth of me.  Dont I look different to you now?
	Tarrin looked at her, looked carefully, then shook his head.  No, he answered.  You look just the same as always.
	She pursed her lips, then stopped in the hallway.  What do I look like?
	Red hair, dark skin, the same you always look to me, he answered her.
	Well, thats not how I actually look, she said absently.  Im a blond.  Actually, I look something like a short Ungardt.  And I have horns, she added with a wink.
	Id never have believed that.
	Hush, she said shortly, putting her finger to her chin and scrutinizing him.  You should be able to see me, she said in irritation.  Why cant you?  I can see you as clearly as the light of day.  So why can I see you, but you cant see me?
	I have no idea, he answered honestly.  I have no idea how any of this works, Shiika.  About the only thing I know how to do is make the wings retract so theyre hidden.  Thats it.
	That is it, she said with a snap of her fingers.  Extend your wings.
	Here?  Now? he asked fearfully, looking around.
	Why not? she countered, opening her wings slightly. Its not like Im hiding mine.
	People know you have yours, he told her.
	You cant hide them forever, Tarrin, she told him seriously.
	Ill hide them as long as possible, he replied fervently.  Im not pulling them out in public.  If you want to see them, then lets go somewhere private.
	I dont want to see them, she told him as they turned around and started back towards the stairs leading up to the apartments.  I just think that the wings directly represent your power.  If you dont have them out, you dont have any power.  I think thats why you cant see me.
	Is that possible?
	She nodded.  The kind of power people like us have depends a great deal on metaphor, Tarrin.  The wings are your power.  If you dont have them out, you cant use it, or even the little tertiary abilities you should have.  I have a similar restriction.
	What would that be? he asked curiously.
	I cant use any of my Demonic powers if Im in a male form, she answered honestly.  Everything about a Succubus deals with seduction and control, mostly of the opposite sex.  If I take the form of the opposite sex, it neutralizes my powers.  The only thing I can do is change back.  There are male versions of my type called Incubus, and they have the same restriction the Succubus does.  They can take a female form, but if they do, they have no power aside from the ability to change back.
	Ive never heard of an Incubus, Tarrin mused.
	You wont see them here, she told him.  Mages can Summon Demons to Sennadar, but they cant stay unless they kill the mage that Summons them before the spell ends.  And when they do, they usually find Spyder on their butts before they can even take three steps.  The Elder Gods wont let free Demons roam Sennadar, except for me.
	So that was one of the things that Spyder did for the Elder Gods, he realized.  She killed freed Demons.
	Here, this room is empty, she prompted, pointing at a door.
	How do you know? he asked.
	She tapped her forehead.  Just one of my little tricks, she told him with a smile as she opened the door, revealing something of a council chamber beyond, with a small round table surrounded by seven padded chairs..  He stepped through behind her and closed it	Alright, now bring out your wings.  If Im right, you should be able to see me.
	He took a step back, closed his eyes, and willed the wings to come forth, and they responded by burning through the back of his vest--again--and filling out to their full, voluminous size.  He spread them out reflexively to stretch them, let them extend out and revel from the release from their confined state, then he folded them behind him and opened his eyes.
	He was quite surprised by what he saw.  He indeed could see Shiikas true form, and though she looked quite different, she was still very lovely.  She was much more delicate-looking than he expected, but she was also nearly seven spans tall, taller than many human men, almost nose to nose with Allia.  The wings looked no different, but her face was much softer, with high, elegant cheekbones and strangely arched, thin eyebrows that were a dark blond color.  She had red eyes, though, a mark of her inhuman nature, irises the color of rubies, and a pair of slender horns that sprouted out from her straight blond hair, just about where his ears were on his own head.  They jutted up at a very gentle angle towards the back of her head, then bent sharply and turned forward, over her forehead, ending in slightly upturned points.  Very sharp points.
	So, can you see me? she asked.
	He nodded.  Youre taller than I thought youd be.
	So that is how it works for you, she said with a smile.  Youre just seeing an image of how I really appear, Tarrin, she told him.  Look closer, and youll see that.  Im really down here, she said, putting her hand over her head and pointing down towards herself.
	Tarrin blinked again and looked at about where her chin was, and realized that he could indeed see her forehead.  The image of her true self then kind of faded, became opaque, and the Shiika hed always seen before appeared from within it, a dusky-skinned woman with red hair and gorgeous features.  What you see up there is the real me, she told him, pointing at about where the images nose was, an image that became less and less substantial as he looked at it.  Itll look something like a ghost hovering just behind me.  Any time you see one of those ghostly images, youre not dealing with a mortal being.  She put her finger under her chin and studied him a long moment, which made him feel distinctly uncomfortable.  I like them, she finally declared.  Theyre very handsome.  You should leave them out.
	No, he said with quiet intensity, causing them to retract again, hiding them from sight.  He followed that up by reaching within, through the Cat, and touching the All.  He used the same spell Sarraya used to mend the vest, but since he couldnt see what he was doing, he relied on the All to merge the vest without a seam.  And you wont tell anyone, he told her, looking at her quite seriously, and seeing that the ghostly image of her true self was again hidden from him.  If people found out about them and found out what they meant, theyd panic.  I wont risk that.
	I used to think that too, she told him.  I hid for centuries.  Its almost weird to me that everyone knows that Im a Demon, but they dont care.  Isnt that strange?
	Theyd care about me, he said grimly.
	Youre being too paranoid, she told him derisively as she opened the door.  You should give mortals a chance.  Youd be surprised at them.  I certainly am.
	No thanks, he told her as he followed her out, and they started back towards Keritanimas apartment by some kind of unspoken agreement.  Shiika, he said suddenly.
	What?
	Why are you different from the other Demons? he asked before he even realized what he was asking.
	She chuckled.  It took you three years to ask me that? she said with a sly look.
	Ive been curious about it for a long time, he admitted.  He decided that he might as well go through with it, even if he really hadnt planned on asking her.  Especially since she didnt seem to have a hostile reaction to the question.
	Well, seeing as how youre my equal now, I may as well tell you, she answered.  It was about seven thousand years ago, on a different material plane, she began.  Back then I was doing what a good Succubus does, seducing mortals and taking their souls, when I was Summoned by a powerful Wizard.  To cut a very, very long story short, he fell in love with me.  True love, she told him quite seriously.  Not puppy-dog love, Tarrin.  True love.  I didnt care about that, of course, she admitted quite honestly.  I saw it as a way to get his soul, but I underestimated that crafty old mage.  He loved me, but he was smart enough not to trust me.  He knew he could never have me so long as he didnt trust me, so he decided to fix me so I could be trusted.
	Fix you?  The way you fixed the Hellhounds?
	She nodded.  He knew he couldnt control me with magic, so he decided that the way to be able to trust me was to make me love him.  Demons cant love, Tarrin.  Its absolutely impossible, totally against our very natures.  That was the core of his dilemma.
	But like I said, he was one very crafty mage.  He came up with a plan, and it involved a specific type of magical object that existed on his world, an object that carried a magical curse.
	A curse?  Why would he want something like that?
	Keep quiet and Ill tell you, she chided him.  It took him about twenty years, but he finally found the cursed object he needed, a magical crown, and to cut it short, he tricked me into putting it on.
	And you were cursed.
	Hush! she said sharply.  The crown carried a curse that caused the personality of the person who put it on to reverse.  A saintly old man would turn into a ruthless monster, but an evil Demon was supposed to change into a good-natured, sweet little maiden.  Needless to say, it didnt work the way he intended.
	He managed to piece it together quickly.  But it did affect you, he said.
	She nodded.  Im a Demon, Tarrin, and the evil nature of a Demon was too much for the crowns magic to completely reverse.  But it did more or less neutralize my more sadistic and evil tendencies.  It didnt make me good, but it did take away much of my evil.  Truth be told, I rather like being this way, she admitted honestly.  Its the best of both worlds.  I still have my Demonic powers, but Im not totally obsessed with conquering and ruling like I was back then.  And since Im a Demon that doesnt have a Demons mentality, it allows me to do things that no other Demon can do.  Like stay here on Sennadar, for example.  Im actually accepted here, because of my unique advantages.
	What happened to that mage? he asked curiously.
	The crown made me go a little berserk, and in the confusion its magic put me under, I killed him, she told him levelly.  His plan didnt work the way he intended, but it did pave the way for the little slice of paradise I have here.  If he hadnt have put that crown on me, the Elder Gods of Sennadar would never have allowed me to stay here.  Im a little sorry I killed him, but I do thank him almost every day.  His love for me set up the happiness I have now, and I think hed be happy to know that.
	Tarrin was silent a long moment as they walked, pondering her story.  Strange that it was the love of a mage that would be the reason she was so different than other Demons, but in a way, it did make a sort of sense.  If he loved her that deeply, then he would have found a way to make it safe for him to love her, and find a way to have her love him in return.  It seemed a little unfair that she killed him in the end, but then again, life often did not have a happy ending.  But, as she said, he probably would be happy to know that his act of love had brought happiness into Shiikas life.
	Stupid, isnt it? she said self-effacingly.  Not quite what youd expect, you know.
	I dont know, Shiika, he answered.  Love is probably the most powerful emotion there is.  It can make people do amazing thing.
	I know, she said with a nod.  You know, Ive never told anyone that before, not even my daughters.  But, since youre who you are, I guess I owed you that much.
	You dont owe me anything, Shiika.
	Sure I did, she told him with a smile.  Its only fair, given how much I know about you.  And now that you know one of my deepest secrets, maybe itll show you that I really do want to be your friend.  No strings, no conditions, she told him, raising her hands over her head in a manner similar to when she said those same words earlier.  Just friends.
	Well see, he told her with something that was nearly a smile.
	Come on, Ill introduce you to Shun, she offered.  And maybe try to talk you into taking a Hellhound, she said with a smile.

	It was just one of several interesting events of the day, which Tarrin withdrew to ponder in solitude that afternoon.  Discovering the secret of Shiikas rather unusual condition did in a way incline him towards her more favorably, as much for her brutal honesty as for the circumstances of it all.  She was quite honest about the fact that she wasnt a good little girl, but then again, that was a well-established fact.  Shiika was still dangerous, but because of the crown, she was actually trustworthy after a fashion.
	Tarrin didnt have much time to dwell on that before he met Shun, who was a petite Alu with curiously large wings for her size and short cropped hair that was black as pitch and straight as straw.  He remembered her from the battle, one of the ones hed blasted with that shockwave of air and sent flying, and also one of the ones who had clipped him before Anayi rammed him and knocked him off the roof.  Shun was rather pretty, but it was apparent almost immediately that she wasnt too bright.  She fawned all over her mother, and he could see the mindless devotion in her eyes.  Shun thought the sun rose and set around Shiika, and it was Shiikas formidable mind that supplied Shun with all the thinking she ever had to do.  In a way, he supposed, that at least made them a good match, since Shiika would never release Shun the way she had Anayi.  Shun would get into way too much trouble, because she wasnt smart enough to understand the delicate complexities under which shed have to operate if she were on her own.
	But it was a situation that Shun was very happy would never come up.  She was quite happy with being her mothers best errand-girl, as she called it, and almost swooned in delight when Shiika ruffled her hair, kissed her on the cheek, and sent her back home after she delivered the Hellhound with kind words for a job well done.  Shiika had to assure him that she hadnt fixed Shun, that unfortunately, thats the way she was.  Shun had a very dependent personality, always needing to be told what to do, always wanting to be told what to do.  Shiika was a little disappointed that she wasnt smarter, but she admitted that shed always keep Shun in her service both to keep her safe from herself, and to give her the direction that she seemed to crave.
	That in itself was quite eye-opening to Tarrin, but for a different reason.  He realized as he watched Shiika and Shun that Shiika cared for her dim daughter, that she was very protective of her.  She obviously would trust her to deal with what theyd all thought was an oddly strong mortal, but she kept her safe and out of harms way when it came to her possibly running afoul of the gods.  He wasnt sure if it was love, but there was certainly a degree of caring involved there.
	A Demon who cared.  If that didnt cause the entire universe to unravel itself, then nothing would.
	Just as he was trying to digest that bit of surprising information, Darvon, Kang, and the sashka dropped their little surprise on everyone.  That surprise came in the package of an adolescent Vendari whom he called Kishaa.  It seemed that the three of them had organized something of a formal competition among the young Vendari to find the one with the most potential among them, and the winner of that contest would win the right to become part of Keritanimas private retinue of bodyguards.  The contest dealt with much more than martial skill, it dealt with intelligence, the ability to think quickly and correctly under stress, and the ability to be creative and resourceful in unfavorable conditions, and that was what the sashka had wanted Darvon and Kangs help creating.  Kishaa won that competition, and just as Tarrin and Shiika were getting back to the apartments, the sashka was presenting Kishaa to Keritanima.  He told her quite bluntly that Kishaa would become a part of her personal entourage, and it was his solemn duty to protect Faalken, the same way Binter and Sisska were sworn to defend her.  The three military men had decided that two Vendari were not enough to protect Keritanimas growing family, and so they conducted their contest to find a suitable addition.  Kishaa was the result.  Kishaa would be trained by Binter and Sisska, becoming something of a foster family to the adolescent male, and Tarrin realized that he could find no better tutors in those two formidable warriors.
	Personally, Tarrin didnt find much problem with the idea, but Keritanima was not very happy about it.  She felt that between Binter, Sisska, and now her Hellhound Shadow, that Faalken would have ample protection.  She also told them that she didnt want him to grow up surrounded by an army of protectors, to never have the chance to be a child.  Keritanima and the sashka argued about it for quite a while--or at least Keritanima did.  The sashka had made up his mind, and he absolutely would not be moved.  Keritanima crashed up against that stone wall for nearly an hour before she finally realized that there was no way she was going to move him, not even by issuing a royal command.  He just shrugged that off, telling her that the safety of her and her family was more important than her own personal feelings, and he had a sworn duty to look after the monarch.  He was simply carrying out the duties imparted upon hi