Elunara marched through town intent on her target. William was in the stockades for now, but he would be moved to an interrogation room shortly. She stopped short when she spotted Wrathion coming her way. "I don't have time for your bullshit right now, Wrathion."
"I hardly count the future of my species as 'bullshit'."
With a heavy sigh, Elunara shook her head. "I need to deal with William, and then we can have our... chat."
"What do you plan on doing to the young charge?"
"First I'll determine if he was magically coerced or hypnotized... then I'll beat the shit out of him for marring my daughter."
"Ah. Good choice. Good choice."
"Elunara!" A girl ran up to the pair.
"And who is this?" Wrathion eyed the girl with some curiosity.
"One of my many godchildren." Elunara rolled her eyes. "What is it, Lunari?"
"Please don't kill William!"
Elunara blinked at Lunari. "What?"
"I know... I heard... Well, I heard what he did to Lulu, and I'm begging you, please don't kill him."
"Lunari..."
"Please. I... I love him. I know he did something awful, but he had to of been under a spell."
"Lunari! Listen to me, I've got three cultist specialists coming to look at him. After we've determined what is wrong with him, it'll be up to me to determine what to do with him, if he can even be saved."
Lunari burst into tears. "Please. I know he thinks I only care for him because of that dumb succubus taint, but it's not true. It's just not true."
Elunara put her fingers to her temple with a groan. "Lunari, all I can do is promise you I'll do my best." She turned away and made her way to the interrogation chamber.
Wrathion followed behind her. "Now, I am increasingly curious."
"What?" She growled.
"As to how you will do both. Save him and 'beat the shit out of him'."
"I can do both. Quite effectively, actually." She yanked open the door. Sitting in a chair in the center of the room, was William shackled to a chair. He was slumped forward, unconscious. They turned as three cultist experts walked in the door. "Well, do it."
"Yes, Ma'am." They said in unison. Together, the three cultists began channeling their energy.
"He is cursed." Said one.
"They used the succubus taint against him." Said another.
"Brainwashing with indoctrination using spells most likely." Said the third.
"Can you cure him?" Elunara asked.
"We can break the spell holding his mind, but we cannot undo conditioning and brainwashing. That is up to you."
"Break it."
"As you command." The trio began casting heir spells, breaking the hold on William's mind. He jolted and screamed as the energy filling his body purged the magic within his body. He slumped forward again. "The spell is broken. But he will always hold the succubus taint. You shouldโ"
"I did not ask for your opinion."
"Yes, my lady." The cultist expert bowed her head and the trio left.
Wrathion eyed the form in the chair. "Now what?"
"Now, we chat." Elunara grabbed William by the hair and lifted his face to her. With a snarl, she backhanded him.
Wrathion winced. "Was that entirely necessary?"
"I felt like it."
He shook his head. "I see why they say you're not one to trifle with."
"It's about to get a whole lot worse."
William lolled his head around, and looking up, blinked at Elunara. "Where...?" He winced.
"You're in my special interrogation room, chained down and immobilized. I let the healers have at you, though I personally didn't want to. Anything you say after this point determines what I do with you when I'm done."
"You lied to us!"
"About what?"
"You are the succubus taint! You marked us for your own plans, brain washed us, made us your slaves."
"Slaves? The hell are you talking about? Aside from making you wash your own dishes when you ate at my house, name one thing I made you do?"
"I..." William blinked for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "You eat our energy!"
"I eat the energy freely given me. When have I ever drained your energy willingly?"
"I..." He frowned and furrowed his brow. "Not yet, but you will! When you want it, you will take it, you always take!"
"All I've ever done in your life is give. I gave you your life, I gave you your parents. I gave you love, a home, a shelter."
"You gave Lulu to Nara!"
Elunara punched him hard enough to rock the chair backwards. "You start that shit again and you're in for a world of hurt, boy."
"You made us! Then you separated us! Your cruelty knows no bounds!"
Pouring all of her rage into her hand, she backhanded him again. "You obnoxious little shit. Lulu is her own person. Lulu is my special little girl, and if you want to bring her into this, let's bring her into this." She summoned her dagger. "Lulu is DONE with your shit! She told me what you did to her, what you did to her pet! I know the torture you inflicted upon her body; I know you tried to brain wash her too. I already made those cultists pay, but by the gods, if you want to bring her into this, I'll make you suffer." Elunara made a fist around her dagger.
Wrathion grabbed her wrist. "Don't take this too far." He warned.
"I'll take it as far as Iโ" Elunara was shocked when Lunari burst through the door and flung herself on William.
"Don't hurt him! Please, no more!"
"Lunari..."
She turned and put her back to William, blocking him with her body. "I'll... I'll fight you." Lunari tried to ready a frostbolt.
Elunara sighed and dismissed her dagger. "What is a level one mage going to do to me?"
Tears ran down her cheeks. "I... I don't know, but I'll do it!"
Slowly, Elunara put her hands gently on Lunari's shoulders. "Alright, alright, calm down. We'll do it your way."
Lunari sobbed. "I know he hates me, but I love him. Please, just don't hurt him anymore."
"I don't hate you Lunari." William shook his head and frowned. "I just don't think it's fair."
"What's fair?" Lunari sniffled and wiped her nose.
"That you only love me because ofโ"
Elunara slapped him and Lunari jumped backwards with a gasp. "I hear that one more time and I'm going back to my way of doing this shit. The succubus taint doesn't WORK like that. I should know, I've been studying you two all of your lives. I have been studying the way succubus magic works for twenty odd years now, and it only manifests in your warlock abilities. The only reason you double class is because you have a child that was born with mage talents, born under warlock magic. The reason the cultists were able to magic you so easily is because of the taint, but you yourself can only use it in a specific way. THAT is what I've been trying to TELL YOU!"
"You... you lie." William whispered. "You have to be lying."
"Oh, stop the bullshit. I'm not in the mood for any of this." Elunara turned and walked out of the room.
Wrathion blinked at the pair before him, and then turned and followed Elunara out of the room. Closing the door quietly, he considered her. "What was that?"
Elunara flopped down in a chair and buried her face in her hands. "UGH!" Looking at Wrathion, her face was grim. "William has believed all of this time that he and Lulu were destined lovers because they were born the same way. Their parents were assaulted by someone with a succubus. But the end all be all, is that Lulu only ever cared about William like a brother."
----
In the room, Lunari licked her lips, before turning back to William. She stooped in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "William, please tell me it's true. Please tell me you don't hate me."
He shook his head. "It's so jumbled and confused... but I've never hated you, Lunari. I just assumed you weren't capable of loving me. Not for real anyway..."
"William... what I feel is real. I know this. If it was just some succubus feelings, then I would have been free while you were away from me. But they never fade." She brushed his hair out of his face. "You heard Elunara, it doesn't work like that."
"Elunara lies! She lies and she lies!" He struggled in his bonds.
Lunari slapped him. "Stop it! That's the brain washing! You don't even know what you think she lies about!"
"Lunari..." William winced. "I don't understand anything right now."
"Let's leave."
"What?"
"Let's go to my aunt's place in Dustwallow Marsh for a while. Be away from Elunara, be away from Lulu. I can make you happy, you'll see."