“Fascinating,” Oxivius continued, mulling over the new information. “We need an edge, love. That is what I have been blasted searching for in these bloody tomes.”
“An edge with her or with Ertigan?” Xlina asked, truly not sure which was the more dangerous foe at the moment.
Every time you say his name, a devil gets their wings, Valeria chimed in sarcastically.
“Both,” Oxivius lamented with a heavy sigh. Returning to his chair, he seemed about to say more when the door to the kitchen flung wide. Penny came waddling in with a tray full of carefully prepared foods, followed by Burglecut.
“Oh goodness, dear,” Penny exclaimed, carefully putting her serving tray down on the table. “You look so hungry.”
“She isn’t letting me sleep,” Xlina responded sourly. “She keeps yammering.”
Yammering! Valeria protested in a shrill voice. All the knowledge and advice I have imparted, and you call it yammering! You ungrateful sod!
“Must be tough, boss,” Burglecut chimed in with a shrug of his head, placing his filled mugs gently on the table. “‘Tis a real shame you have to carry such a burden.”
Burden! Valeria shrieked again. He’s lucky I don’t compel you to claw his stupid eyes from his ugly mug.
“She doesn’t like being talked about,” Xlina cautioned with a weary glance to Burglecut and Penny.
“Certainly I am sure your guest is plenty welcome at the Hearth, my dear,” Penny added. “No offense intended, young miss. It’s a pleasure to have you at our fine establishment.”
That’s more like it, Valeria cooed happily. The spider lady lives. Besides, I am fond of her daughter Jorōgumo.
“Penny, you have a daughter?” Xlina asked.
“That’s quite enough,” Burglecut stammered angrily.
“We don’t talk about Joro,” Oxivius whispered in her ear, leaning in closely. The feeling of his breath and whiskers on her ear made her tingle inside.
I don’t know why not? Valeria stated innocently. I am particularly fond of how the spider lady shape shifts into a young maiden and devours young suitors. You know, she is quite the legend in Japan? Of course, the delightful woman you see before you is the Fae Uttu; the ancient Sumerians called her the goddess of weaving. She has unleashed many children into the world. Every spider legend you have ever heard of started right there, with sweet little Penelope. Yet you call me a monster.
“I’m sorry, Penny,” Xlina said solemnly. “I didn’t know. I need to go.”
“It’s okay, dear,” Penny replied, stifling a sniffle. “Let’s just keep whatever your guest is saying to yourself, if you don’t mind. No need to worry Amber.”
“I see,” Xlina replied, looking down sheepishly.
“This is my fault,” Oxivius interjected. “I am truly sorry; it seemed like the only resolution that would keep the demon... well, contained.”
Oh gag, Valeria commented, making a horrific choking noise in Xlina’s head. All this apologizing and worrying about feelings. I’m not being mean, I’m just making pleasant dinner conversation. Not my fault they don’t like talking about their past. Look at them all. A death eater, a fae spider lady, and a wayward spirit of a cook. All pretending, putting on a mask. Trust me, Xlina, you scrape the surface and you’ll see. I’m not the only monster hiding in the Hearth.
“Oxivius, weren’t you going to tell us how you got trapped by Puc?” Xlina asked, hoping to change the subject. She didn’t know if it was Valeria that bothered her or the fact that she might well be right.
“Indeed,” Oxivius replied, seeming eager to change the conversation as well.
No, I don’t think so, Valeria scolded. Take a nap, Xlina. Go to sleep now; this conversation is boring me.
Xlina’s eyelids grew heavy, and she felt the draw of the mark compelling her to obey. She was tired and hungry. Oxivius’ voice grew more and more distant as the world grew black around her. She barely felt a thing as she slumped over at the table fast asleep.
Chapter Nineteen
Mystery Of The Mist
She was back in her room, or at least the dream version of it, and just as before, Valeria’s sultry demonic form lay on her back, sprawled out on her bed as if she owned the place. Her porcelain-white skin was flawless, save for the spots near her feet and on her hips that appeared to be covered in scales. Her long black hair lay spread underneath her, and she looked up with black eyes through an expression filled with boredom.
“Welcome back,” she said sourly. “It’s been so lonely in here.”
“We’re never going to get anything done if you keep making me a narcoleptic,” Xlina protested angrily.
“Agreed,” Valeria stated, nodding her head before bringing her hand up to her face to inspect her long talon-like black fingernail. “But you weren’t accomplishing anything at that table anyway. Social hour is over. Time to get to work.”
“What do you want from me?” Xlina barked in frustration.
“Submission,” Valeria stated coolly. “Complete and total submission. Don’t get me wrong; I like your fight. I just like to watch it in action, my little Baku.”
“I’m so tired,” Xlina replied, suppressing a sob. “You’re killing me.”
“Maybe so,” Valeria replied, looking up from her talon. “But you need to stop wasting time thinking about me and start thinking about Ertigan and his lackeys. The board is set, and you have a job to do.”
“Where do I start?” Xlina relented, her shoulder slumped in resignation.
“Oh that’s nice,” Valeria taunted with a wicked smile. “I would think the best place to start when one is lost happens to be back at the beginning.”
“You want me to go back to Boston?” Xlina questioned.
“You’re thinking too literally.” Valeria bounced back, letting her demonic tongue slither free from her fanged mouth. Her face was more angular and defined than in her earthen form, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, but she was no less attractive in an exotic sort of way.
“We already went to Pandora’s; wasn’t that the start?” Xlina asked, dumbfounded.
“Silly girl,” Valeria scoffed, as if Xlina couldn’t read the writing on the wall. “The Brothers Three in the park. They are the ones who blabbed about your mark. They sold your secrets to Puc. They are the start of all your current problems.”
“Not the demon who marked me,” Xlina agreed sarcastically.
“Not the demon who saved you,” Valeria corrected. “We have been through this. Who sprung you from the funny farm? Who brought you here to Portland? Who arranged you to meet your friends? Me, that’s who. I have attended to your heart’s desire every step of the way.”
“Out of the kindness of your heart,” Xlina added with a roll of her eyes.
“No, not kindness,” Valeria shrugged absently. “To be honest, I despise humans. I loathe having to play nice with my food. You’re not just some human, Xlina; you’re special. At least as special as that death eater downstairs and the spider fae Penny. You’re a snowflake resting on the beach melting on top of the hot sand. Beautiful and elegant in your design, but fleeting, soon to melt and become one with the great ocean. Is it wrong for me to admire you while in this form?”
“That almost sounded sweet,” Xlina replied warily. “But when that happens, your claws are usually ready to strike.”
“I’m a demon,” Valeria smiled again lustfully. “It’s my nature. If you can accept Oxivius eating people, and you can accept that Penny is a giant spider in disguise as a human, then why can’t you accept me as I am?”
“Because neither of them tricked me into giving up my soul,” Xlina stated flatly.
“You say that,” Valeria continued, looking up with a mischievous expression. “But even if you knew what was going to happen, even if I told you exactly how things would play out, would you have allowed sweet Amber to die just to save your soul? Is that what you’re saying? That given the choice again, you would let that cephalopod consume that
pretty little blonde girl?”
“Of course not,” Xlina countered. “I would have saved her!”
“Then how is any of this my fault?” Valeria asked innocently, letting her tongue curl out of her fanged mouth and slither down her chest like a forked snake.
“Because you arranged it all,” Xlina barked back, but she knew her argument was weak. Puc had admitted to selling the hunting ground rights out of Pandora’s like some exotic otherworldly sports venue. All the creatures and witches she had killed in Portland had been lured by Puc, who was in league with Ertigan.
“Right,” Valeria agreed, rolling over to expose her sleek backside, complete with folded wings and a demonic tail waving ever so slightly. “All I did was bring you here, as I was compelled to do by my patron. I had no choice in the matter either. I was happy gathering sheep in Boston. I allowed you to simply be you. The Baku part of you put you on the collision course with Puc.”
“It was a grand manipulation,” Xlina stammered in defiance.
“Was it?” Valeria asked, looking at her as if she were undressing Xlina down to her soul. “So you mean to tell me that had you wandered up to Portland on your own, dealt with your nightmares on your own, that you wouldn’t be on the same exact course you are now? You wouldn’t have killed the cephalopod? You wouldn’t have encountered Puc and by extension Ertigan? You’re blaming me for what, benefiting from your true nature? Helping you?”
“I’d still have my soul.” Xlina declared the final unwavering truth.
“If you didn’t end up like Morticae,” Valeria continued, her words hitting Xlina hard. “A bonded whelp to that bastard Ertigan.”
“I wouldn’t have,” Xlina stated flatly.
“Really?” Valeria asked. “Because it was that hard for me? Let me tell you a secret.”
“I have had enough of your wisdom,” Xlina replied defiantly.
“All of you,” Valeria added, not relenting in the least bit, “all of you Otherworld hybrids. You gifted ones. Do you know how you came to be?”
“We were created,” Xlina replied. “By the divine whatever.”
“More fairy tales,” Valeria replied, rising from the bed and approaching Xlina in a seductive saunter. “The divine made you pure. Humanity as it is. A fuel source, a breeding ground for souls. It is us demons that saw your potential to be more. We mixed with you. Bonded with you. Thus the legends you know were born. You see, you’ll always fall in with demons. It’s natural to gravitate to your own kind.”
“Liar,” Xlina nearly spat as Valeria closed the remaining distance between them. She was uncomfortably close now. Valeria’s perfectly pert nude bosom nearly touched her. Her face was close enough that Xlina could feel her breath on her skin.
“You’ve got a touch of demon blood in you,” Valeria repeated confidently. “We can sense it, smell it like a perfume wafting off of you.”
She leaned in next to Xlina’s head, taking in a deep breath and sniffing her neck just below her ear. Xlina stood frozen before the demon. She didn’t want it to be true. She couldn’t risk believing the devilishly tricky demon, yet at the same time, her skin tingled with anticipation as Valeria took another deep breath and exhaled on the nape of her neck. Valeria’s hands came up to secure her in place by her shoulders, but Xlina did not struggle. She was helplessly caught in the demon’s allure. Her strength had faded. Exhausted from battle and drained of nightmare energy, she suddenly realized how vulnerable she was to the succubus’ charm. She realized, but her body didn’t care. She longed to hold the demon, to feel her warm porcelain skin against hers, to experience all those forbidden promises Valeria had made.
Valeria’s lips landed gently on her neck, working slowly up until she found Xlina’s earlobe and roughly allowed her fangs to bite in a playful yet teasing way. Xlina flinched, pulling away slightly, but Valeria’s demonic tongue couldn’t be outrun. The warm, wet tongue slithered around her ear and then down her jaw, slowly tracing a line down her neck until finding her collar bone. Valeria’s lips were still tauntingly close to her ear as her demonic tongue worked its way over her flesh. Xlina could resist no more. Weary and confused, she leaned into Valeria, letting a low moan escape from her lips. It was all the encouragement Valeria needed, and she let her hand slip down from her shoulders to grab Xlina by the thighs, lifting her up off the floor. Entranced, Xlina wrapped her legs around the demon’s waist, feeling Valeria’s powerful body writhe against her clothing. She put her arms around Valeria’s neck and looked the demon in the eyes for a moment, lost in thought. Her mind raced in a scattered panic, pleading for her to regain her senses, but Valeria pushed forward until Xlina’s back landed firmly on the door, her body pinned in place by the powerful demon.
Valeria leaned in, gently kissing Xlina, slowly at first, allowing the timid Baku a moment to realize what was happening. When Xlina’s lips parted, she was greeted by the powerful forked demon tongue, and she let her inhibitions go as the pair locked in a deep, passionate embrace. Valeria’s powerful hands squeezed her thighs firmly, and she could feel the hooked talons pressing into her flesh, sending waves of pain through her, but she didn’t relent. Allowing her body to submit to the succubus, she melted against Valeria’s raw power. Xlina’s hands tracked the powerful back and shoulder muscles as Valeria’s wings spread wide, allowing her full, unfettered access to her corded muscles. Valeria shifted, working her hands higher, sliding up Xlina’s backside until her hands locked firmly on her hips. She squeezed roughly again, drawing a whimper from Xlina. With a single powerful thrust, Xlina was suspended in the air, free from the wall, supported by nothing but Valeria’s powerful, vice-like grip on her hips. The demon turned to the bed, walking with ease, still locked in a deep, passionate kiss. She tumbled forward roughly, landing on top of Xlina. Xlina’s mind was a whir of thoughts and feelings as Valeria pulled back from the kiss and locked eyes with her. Her lips curled into a seductive smile as her long black hair fell about her shoulders. Xlina looked up at the stunningly beautiful demon. She knew it was the succubus allure, her innate magical qualities, driving the need swelling inside of her. She knew how very wrong this was, and something deep inside screamed in protest.
Valeria’s right hand left Xlina’s hip, and the hooked talon found purchase on the hem of her yoga pants. Hooking at the front of her waistline, the talon sliced through the fabric with ease as she drew her hand lower, shredding through pants and undergarment alike until she could peel away the shredded layers. The remains of the yoga pants clung tightly up to Xlina’s thighs, but above that line, her garments fell loosely about her hips, shredded and torn from the demon. She felt exposed as Valeria looked down at her nude bottom. She slowly lowered herself, leaving the locked eye contact she had maintained with Xlina. Her lips feathered down her collar bone, her tongue slithering down her chest over her athletic top, which muddled the sensation until her lips once again caressed her bare abdomen. With a series of slow kisses, Valeria worked her way down to her belly button, stopping momentarily to look up. From her position around her waist, her black soulless eyes looking up, she seemed a vision of lust. Xlina swooned as she looked at Valeria, feeling a tingle of anticipation flood her body. She found herself unconsciously grinding her hips forward against the chest of the demon. Valeria returned her lips to Xlina’s abdomen, working down to her hip, allowing her tongue to slither out and dance erotically across her exposed flesh. The feeling of the demon’s soft, supple kiss on her hip bone sent new waves of sensation flooding through her nether regions as Valeria playfully nibbled on her flesh. The demon’s fangs scratched her skin, roughly drawing the slightest line of blood, and Xlina gasped as pleasure mixed with pain. Xlina’s hands found the back of Valeria’s head, and her fingers laced into her long black silky hair. Clutching roughly, she pushed the demon’s face between her legs.
“Xlina!” The distant voice of Penny sounded as if she were calling from a mile away. The rough scent of smelling salts flooded her nostrils as she snapped back to
the moment, seated at the table in Heart’s Hearth. Her throat was impossibly dry, and she quivered, her body still feeling the waves of pleasure rolling through her from the Dream Realm. She looked to her friends’ concerned faces, Oxivius to her left, followed by Amber, who must have come down from the loft while she was asleep, then Burglecut and Penny to her right. Penny still waved the salts in her hand, a look of concern hanging heavy on her troubled brow.
“Damn demon,” Burglecut lamented with an exaggerated turn of his head and a faux spit, as if the very words were an offense from his mouth. Xlina shook her head, clearing the drowsiness and realizing for the first time since her guest had been placed inside her that she didn’t feel the splitting pain in her head. In fact, she felt rather good overall. She looked around the table and felt guilty for the shared looks of concern for her wellbeing. Valeria, however, remained oddly silent.
“We just needed to come to an understanding,” Xlina said meekly, drawing a sigh from her concerned friends. “I think she may have been embarrassed that she was caught.”
The gem on her choker grew icy cold, and Xlina’s hand instinctively drifted up to touch it. The black velvet choker had fused into her skin on Valeria’s command, and she had come to often forget it was there. She felt the blood red stone chill against her touch and felt strangely out of place.
“So you had a pow-wow in yer noggin,” Burglecut voiced with ire. “Oxivius, I knew you meant well, but some guests can overstay their welcome.”
“Not yet,” Xlina interrupted, drawing a surprised look from her friends. “We need to stay focused on the larger problem at hand. We need to go back to the Brothers Three.”
“That’s a peculiar move,” Oxivius replied, stroking his goatee in thought. “They were the ones who sold you out to Puc.”
“Precisely,” Xlina nodded. “They started this whole mess. It’s time we go back and squeeze some knowledge in our favor. Surely the news of Puc’s demise has spread. The Burnished Rose, while staggered, lingers as a threat, and to top it all off, Ertigan knows we took out his warlock. She thinks it’s the best place to find a new lead.”
The Infernal Games Page 29