Agent of Lilith: Chapter 15 – Finale_(5)

The beautiful and imposing idol towered over the rest of the exhibit, looking down on the world around it. Surrounded by a rope barrier from which a sign hung that read “Do Not Touch,” the great statue towered over James and his friends. It was made in the likeness of a stunningly attractive woman who stood completely naked but for a tall and elegant headdress. A proud look on her gorgeous face, she held an ornate staff and spread out two large, feathered wings behind her.

“There it is…” breathed James, eyes still locked on the beautiful and intimidating idol.

The group’s reverie was shattered by the loud clanking of metal growing closer, and they all whipped their heads around to see the two animated suits of armor clambering slowly down the stairs. Ash turned to James and took his hand in both of hers. “Go destroy the idol; we’ll hold off these brutes.” She kissed James on the lips, then turned to face the approaching knights.

“Hold on,” said James, not liking the idea of leaving his sister and friends to try and fight off enemies he couldn’t defeat with magic. “I don’t-“

“Just go, dude!” said Mark, raising his fists toward the suits of armor, ready for another fight.

“We can take care of ourselves, James,” said Jess, brandishing her pink taser once again. “You smash that statue.”

James nodded reluctantly, unhappy about leaving them alone, but seeing no alternative. He turned and started to run across the room toward the statue just as the animated knights reached the bottom of the stairs. Putting his faith in his friends, James advanced on the great bronze idol. The sounds of fighting began behind him, but James ignored the shouts and metallic thuds, determined to trust the others and focus entirely on the task at hand.

He stepped over the rope barrier and stood – at long last – before the statue of Ishtar. The thing was nearly twice James’ height, and it seemed to leer down at him maliciously, though its bronze eyes never moved. “Time to die, you miserable cunt,” James said to the lifeless idol. He took a half step backwards and pulled back his right fist. Closing his eyes and channeling all the magic he could into his hand, James prepared for the deathblow. He snapped his glowing eyes open and drove his fist forward with an enraged shout. Into that punch, James poured all his strength, all his anger, and all his desperation.

And it amounted to nothing.

A small shockwave of magic rippled outward from James as his fist was stopped – inches from the statue – by a shimmering force field. James stared in shock, his hand throbbing with pain, and took a small step back as the idol’s eyes began to glow, their radiance far outshining his own. His concentration was lost, and his magic faded as his determination turned to fear.

“James!” A soft, feminine voice called out, sounding distant and distorted. James’ eyes opened wide, recognizing that voice anywhere.

“Lilith?!” he exclaimed, holding his aching hand and looking around for the demoness. She wasn’t in his head… where was she?

“…James!” Lilith called again. It sounded like she was trying to say something else, but James couldn’t tell what. Her voice was muted, as if she was shouting through a thick wall.

“Run, James!” she cried out. James realized then where it was the woman’s voice was originating from. He looked up again at the statue, the eyes of which flashed subtly as Lilith spoke. “You-… match for… -tar!” she said, her words muffled and fragmented. Stepping closer and straining his ears, James managed to pick out more of what she was saying. “I can… hold her off! Just… run!”

James opened his mouth to respond but was silenced by a small yet powerful blast of magic that sent him stumbling backwards over the rope barrier, which fell to the floor along with him. Looking up into the statue’s face again, he found it difficult to meet the idol’s eyes because they were shining so brightly now. Again, a voice rang out from within the statue, but this time it wasn’t Lilith’s soft, warm tone.

“Now, now, Lilith…” spoke Ishtar’s cold, singsong voice. “If your former agent wishes to seek death, we should not be so quick to deny him…”

Somewhere behind James, there was a loud crash followed by a scream. Something hit the ground hard with a resonating thud. James felt fear grip his heart and he looked to see what had happened at the exhibit entrance. His stomach dropped. Ashley lay slumped against the wall, unconscious. One of the animated knights had Mark pinned to the floor beneath him, a large metal knee digging into his back. The other suit of armor had Jess in a full-nelson, against which the blonde struggled in vain.

“Such a pity,” sang Ishtar. “It seems you’re on your own, James; Lilith won’t be disturbing us again, either. Now it’s just you… and me…”

The eyes of the statue shone brighter. With a flash, they issued forth a blinding white light that filled the room for a brief moment before dimming again. When the light cleared, James’ breath caught in his throat and his heart began to hammer. Standing between him and the idol was the most beautiful woman James had ever seen. Slightly shorter than James, the woman wore a long, white gown that appeared to be made of shimmering scales. The material flowed gently over her curvaceous form though, framing the contours of her incredible body. The swell of her large cleavage was on full display thanks to the low cut of her dress. Her long, elegant neck supported a head held high, and her breathtakingly beautiful countenance was the very picture of pride and dignity. Her skin was flawlessly pale, and it seemed to glow with its own unnatural luster. Stark white eyes surveyed the room before the woman as a faint smile appeared on her full, soft-looking lips. Long, platinum hair cascaded past her perfect face and flowed down her back like silken water. Two enormous wings, white and feathery, spread out behind her. There was no mistaking her identity.

Ishtar’s beauty was undeniable, but it felt cold and distant – not like the warm passion Lilith seemed to exude. The room was brighter for the goddess’ presence, though the air felt inexplicably heavy, and James struggled to breathe as an enormous amount of magical pressure bore down on him. The woman’s eyes locked onto James’, and she smiled devilishly. She moved toward him, gliding gracefully and effortlessly over the marble floor, her shimmering gown trailing behind her.

“James…” spoke Ishtar softly as she approached. James was awestruck and paralyzed, lying on the ground helplessly before the beautiful goddess. “Are you afraid of me?” she whispered as she drew closer. She halted beside James, who was still immobilized by fear and the immense magical pressure that surrounded Ishtar. Kneeling down beside the man, Ishtar placed an icy hand on his arm and leaned in close. “You should be.”

The effect was instantaneous – James’ cock surged with temptation and desire as his body was suddenly flooded with magical lust. He gasped for air and moaned loudly. Against his will, his hips thrust upward and his muscles clenched as a powerful, spontaneous orgasm overwhelmed his senses. Ishtar pushed forward and smothered James’ open mouth with her full lips. God, they were so soft… James’ eyes rolled back in his head as a second climax followed the first. His balls pumped furiously as his cock twitched in ecstasy. His body tingled all over with maddening pleasure; his mind grew numb and his vision grew dark. Ishtar’s long, graceful tongue danced seductively around his as she breathed in his otherworldly arousal. James was quickly losing himself to euphoria… He was slipping away…

Then, abruptly, it ended. Ishtar pulled away, breathing deep as she did. Closing her eyes, the goddess licked her lips and hummed softly. “Mm… delicious,” she whispered. She stood back up and looked down at James. “I haven’t gathered magic in this way in a very long time… but your sexual energy is too exquisite to ignore. It’s a shame I have to kill you; you really would have made for a good agent.”

James’ mind reeled as he came down from his unwilling sexual high. He shook off the daze that had overcome his senses and tried to force himself up off the floor. “I won’t go down so easily…” he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt as he battled through the fear and desire that clouded his mind. His cock still ached with unfathomable yearning, a lingering effect of the goddess’ touch. James understood that had Ishtar wanted to kill him or turn him into a husk, she could have done so easily just now. Lilith was right; he was seriously out-classed. But he had to fight, nonetheless – he had to end this.

Ishtar smiled, clearly amused, as James struggled to his feet. Then, with the simplest snap of her fingers, she took those legs out from underneath him. James screamed in pain as he felt his left leg snap. Bones broken easily by Ishtar’s magic, he tumbled to the ground in agony. “Fuck!” he swore through gritted teeth. “Fuck you!” he directed his anger and pain at the goddess, who just continued to smile patronizingly.

James conjured a small flame in his hand and threw it at the radiant woman. When the flame reached her, it expanded and consumed the goddess in a pillar of blue fire that shed light over the large room. James grinned victoriously, but it was short-lived. His face fell as the blaze he’d summoned was pushed back and snuffed out by a single lazy sweep of Ishtar’s arm. The goddess was unfazed and unburnt. Still, she smiled down at James.

Her eyes flashed bright with cold light and James immediately felt the weight of her magic increase upon him. With little more than a thought, the goddess lifted James off the floor and threw him several meters back. James collided painfully with a marble column and fell back to the floor. He tried to force himself up, but his arms shook with fatigue and pain, and he couldn’t lift himself off the ground.

Ishtar glided across the room toward James, her arm outstretched. From her palm, the goddess emitted waves of searing agony that washed over the helpless man. Writhing in anguish and screaming in pain, James was defenseless before the excruciating onslaught of magical power far beyond his own.

“JAMES!” shouted Mark and Jess in desperation. They fought pointlessly against the huge suits of armor that restrained them. Ash still lay motionless at their feet, her chest rising and falling slowly.

“What a disappointment,” Ishtar sneered as she tortured James. “I see now that your narrow escape from the Temple of Venus was little more than luck,” the goddess spat. “You’re barely worth the pleasure of killing. After all you’ve cost me – you won’t even entertain me with a good fight?”

Ishtar flung James against the pillar again. The sound of more bones breaking echoed through the exhibit. While James screamed in agony, the goddess continued her magical and verbal torture. “Pathetic… this is the best Lilith could find? I’ll make certain to punish her even more severely…”

James wrenched his eyes open as he spasmed in pain on the floor. “No!” He managed a raspy and defiant shout through the pain.

“No?” Ishtar glared at James contemptuously. “You think I should not punish my slave for her mistake? You think you know better than I do, mortal? A failure like you, thinks they can tell me what to do?” Ishtar strode forward and kicked the man hard in the side. James tried to howl in pain as several ribs cracked, but the air was driven from his lungs by the magically-strengthened blow. “I am a goddess. You are a failure, a pretender… a filthy parasite that has latched onto Lilith and fed her lies.”

“No!” James cried again, getting his voice back. But he was silenced when another magical wave of hellish pain struck him.

“Yes!” Ishtar shouted. “You filled Lilith’s head with ideas of independence and freedom and love,” she said, speaking the last word in a mocking tone. “And now I have to teach her all over again what it means to be my slave. You’ve wasted my time, James Marshall. There is no punishment too severe for you.”

A new source of light flickered and filled the room. The eyes of Ishtar’s statue were glowing again. The goddess whipped around and stared at the idol with confusion and anger. Lilith’s voice, sounding strained and distant, called out from within the statue.

“Please, Ishtar! Please don’t hurt him anymore! This was all my fault – not James’! Punish me but please, please don’t kill him!”

“SILENCE!” the goddess exclaimed furiously, and the bronze idol’s eyes went dark again. Ishtar spun around, her beautiful and terrible visage turning back to face James. Seething with rage, she spoke angrily. “I am a goddess! I do not take orders from humans or their whores!” James, despite the pain he felt and the hopelessness of the situation, glared fiercely at the pale goddess. “You’ve resisted me for the last time, Lilith,” Ishtar continued, turning back to the idol. “Once I’ve finished with your agent, I will kill you in the most agonizing way possible.”

James cried out in protest but was silenced by a vengeful look from Ishtar that left him immobilized. Unable to move or shout, he tried desperately to summon his strength and call upon his magic, but it felt so distant and weak. Had he exhausted too much of his power already?

Ishtar walked slowly away from the motionless man. She began to pace in the open area in front of her idol. She seemed to be calming a bit, and she spoke softly as she walked, her voice regaining its singsong quality. “Once I’ve finished with Lilith, I’ll need a new slave to serve as stewardess of my Temple…”

The goddess’ gaze fell upon James’ friends, defeated and captured by Ishtar’s animated soldiers. She glided over to them, stopping before the unconscious redhead. “Ah, the curator…” she said. With a lazy wave of Ishtar’s hand, Ashley was awoken and lifted slowly off the ground. Floating a foot above the marble floor, she struggled uselessly against the goddess’ telekinetic grip.

“You’ve looked after my vessel nicely,” Ishtar said, addressing Ash. “Perhaps I’ll give you the honor of living in it and make you my new demoness.”

Ash stared back as defiantly as she could, but she couldn’t help the tears that rolled down her face. Behind Ishtar, the eyes of the statue flared as Lilith tried to speak again, but the goddess silenced her easily. James fought back against the invisible magic that bound him, drawing out all his remaining strength as he struggled. He managed to open his mouth and shout, “No! Leave her out of this!”

“Leave her out of this?” said Ishtar incredulously. “You dragged her into this. And now, you’ll watch as I take her from you.”

The goddess turned back to the hovering Ashley and placed a hand lovingly against the woman’s cheek. “So beautiful,” she said. “You’ll make an excellent succubus.” Ashley gasped and shuddered at Ishtar’s touch. A jolt of pleasure electrified her pussy and made her moan. Her body grew hot as her mind grew fuzzy, drowning in the goddess’ euphoric magic. She came, body spasming and wracked with ecstasy as Ishtar poured her lust into the red-haired woman.

But then something happened. Pleasure turned to pain. Ashley screamed as skull-splitting agony overwhelmed her senses. Her eyes began to glow red as two sharp nubs rose from her head and began to grow and coil into a pair of horns. James shouted violently, his throat going hoarse as he begged Ishtar to stop.

Ashley began to moan again as the pain ceased and an odd, tingling sensation spread throughout her body. “Ohhhh,” Ash moaned reluctantly as burning pleasure possessed her again. “My body’s on fire!” she screamed. Her breasts began to grow, stretching her shirt through which her hard nipples poked. Her already large and shapely ass grew as well, threatening to rip her tight pants. Ashley fought mentally against the changes that were taking her, but she was no match for Ishtar’s magic. A second powerful orgasm overtook the woman as her body’s sensitivity was pushed to the maximum. She howled in forced ecstasy and groaned as a long, devilish tail sprang from her spine.

James could take no more. He couldn’t sit by and watch while his sister suffered a fate worse than death. Fighting desperately against his magical restraints, he searched within himself for any semblance of remaining power – any lifeline that could save Ash and save Lilith. James clamped his eyes shut and forced his focus inward. Racing through his own mind and soul, he found himself in the deepest, darkest corner of his identity.

And there, he rediscovered it – that knotted up ball of magic that lived inside him. He didn’t understand it, but he needed it, so he clung to it. “Please,” James pleaded with himself internally, with his own power, “please… help me.” He unspooled the dense magic and pulled it out. Like the first time he’d discovered and used the strange power, the magic came quickly and readily. It poured into him, filling him with vigor and strength. Like the first time, it didn’t want to stop flowing out of James – seeking to ceaselessly empower the man with all the magic he could bear.

Unlike the first time, James didn’t stop it.

He accepted the power; he took it all upon himself. His eyes snapped open, shining with the radiance and warmth of the sun. Ishtar looked over at the downed mage, stunned. But still James drew forth more magic. His body repaired itself rapidly, healing his wounds and filling him with the energy to go on. By the time the well was dry and he had emptied his reserves of power, James body was brimming with barely-suppressed magic.

The magic was oddly familiar to James, and not just because he had used it himself. Looking at the bronze idol out of the corner of his eye, comprehension passed through James. He had witnessed this magic once before – when an old man used it to repair a damaged statue. The presence of another soul pressed upon James’ mind, but he welcomed it – finally understanding the nature of his power. If the king of Babylon wished to lend him his strength, then James would accept.

With extreme ease, he broke free of the invisible magic that bound him. It was like snapping twigs. He was well beyond the point of being contained by magic of that level. James lifted himself off the ground and stood, glaring at the pale goddess who tormented his sister.

Ishtar removed her hand from Ashley’s face and stepped toward James just as the red-haired woman was beginning to sprout black wings from her back. Ash fell to the ground and groaned in pain as the demonic changes quickly reversed. She panted as her horns receded and her eyes changed back to their normal shade of brown. On hands and knees, she looked over to her brother – she barely recognized him.

James stood confidently at the center of the room. His eyes shone brightly with magical power, holding a determination that Ashley had never seen before. He had the air of someone in complete control of the situation, despite how things had been going ever since they had reached the Babylonian exhibit. But even Ishtar looked surprised and shaken by James’ second wind. “Is that really the same James?” Ash wondered to herself.

The goddess strode forward to face the young mage, who watched the beautiful woman with disdain. James raised a single hand – crackling with energy – to eye-level before him. When he closed his fist, a small blast of power radiated outward and swept over the room. Ashley threw up her arms reflexively to prepare for impact, but the shockwave passed over her harmlessly. Ishtar shielded herself magically – though she seemed to have underestimated the power required to defend herself against James’ magic, as she was forced to take a step back and brace herself against the blast.

Ishtar’s animated servants were not so well defended. When the crackling energy reached them, the suits of armor immediately disintegrated into piles of fine, metallic dust.