by Eric Vall
“For sure, bro.” Todd nodded. “Everyone has their entire life all figured out by the time they’re in their late twenties.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise.
“We should probably get down there,” I explained. “Guests are gonna be here at any minute, and I’d hate to be a bad host.”
“Hey, it’s technically Quinn’s party.” Todd shrugged. “If it sucks, at least he’ll take all the blame.”
“Haha, true. At least we know Franklin himself is gonna be here,” I explained. “He seemed really excited to hear Quinn’s voice on the phone.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to wonder if they had a little thing going on if you get my drift.” Todd nudged my leg.
“Todd, they were both demons.” I rolled my eyes. “Quinn hasn’t been seen for a while, and I’m sure word has spread about us taking over the cult. He was probably just relieved to hear that Flauros wasn’t dead.”
“Nah,” Todd argued, “they were totally a thing.”
“Franklin has a wife and kid,” I pointed out to the imp. “They’re both going to be here tonight.”
“Since when has that meant anything?” Todd snickered. “I’m telling you now, bro. Take it to the bank and make a deposit.”
“I’ll take that under advisement.” I glanced down at my cell phone and sighed. “Welp, it’s showtime.” I turned and started to walk out of the room. “Just remember--”
Todd put his hand over his heart and raised his left hand into the air.
“I will not drop a chandelier on Marvin Franklin’s head,” he swore.
“Good to hear.” I smiled and opened the door. “Now, after you, James Todd.”
The imp giggled, turned invisible, and then ran down the stairs. I took a deep breath, and then I followed through the door of the bedroom.
I was always up for a good party, but not like this. I was used to beer pong and loud music and getting so trashed you woke up over the toilet the next day. This was all about elegance, dressing fancy, and talking about things like public policy and voter demographics and balancing budgets.
The whole thing made me want to gag.
But, we needed to find out just what Franklin was up to, and one way to do that was to get him here, charm his pants off, and then have him tell us himself.
As I stepped out into the stairwell, I looked down at the three beautiful women beneath me.
Sia, Liby, and Cupi chatted playfully as they stood around in their sexy dresses and shared a bottle of red wine.
I started down the stairs, and the noise from my steps must have drawn the succubi’s attention.
“Oolala!” Cupiditas cooed.
“Is that really Jacob?” Sia whistled. “I’ve never seen him in such fancy clothes.”
“It makes him look like a hunk, doesn’t it?” Liby grinned. “Well, even more of a hunk than he already is.”
“Girls, girls, girls,” I joked as I stepped off the final step. “There’s plenty of me to go around. I would be glad to give each and every one of you some time on this ride, but I also offer group discounts.”
“You want me to hurl again?” Todd’s disembodied voice asked. “Because I’ve got a stomach full of pizza that isn’t settling too well.”
Cupi walked over and placed her delicate hand on my chest.
“What are the specifications?” she flirted. “I hope you don’t have to be a certain size to ride.”
“I’m open to anyone.” I winked. “Any size, any time, and any number of riders.”
“I really hope this isn’t a rental,” Todd gagged.
“In all seriousness, though, let’s go over the plan.” I nodded to my friends. “We need to get Marvin Franklin alone, and we need to get him to talk. There are a couple of ways we can make this happen. First, I want you girls to flirt with him. He’s married, but he’s also a politician and a demon. I’m sure he’ll spill the beans if you pump him up a little.”
“And if that doesn’t work?” Libidine asked.
“Then Plan B,” I explained. “The invisible imp over here will really get to play spy. Todd, I want you to tail Franklin and see if he slips up in any of his conversations.”
“What is Plan C?” Sia asked curiously.
“Plan C is me.” I chuckled. “If all else fails, then I’ll try to get him drunk and charm the pants off of him until he tells me what I want to know.”
“Is there a Plan D?” Todd asked curiously. “We should all know by now that everyone loves the D.”
“Hmmm…” I rubbed my chin as I thought of a back-up fall-back plan.
Then it hit me.
“His phone!” I exclaimed. “Todd, your transforming hand issues may just be a blessing in disguise.”
“How so?” the imp wasn’t following.
“We already know you have the power to imitate people’s voices, right?” I said as I tried to lead my friends to my conclusion. “Why couldn’t you do the same for somebody’s fingerprints?”
“You want us to try to steal Franklin’s phone and then use Todd’s powers to unlock it?” Cupiditas’ eyes lit up at the thought.
“Bingo!” I snapped and pointed at the blonde. “It shouldn’t be too difficult since two of us have telekinetic powers. We can just slip his phone out of his pocket, check the contents, and then give it back to him as if nothing ever happened.”
“Bro,” Todd chuckled. “This is some James Todd shit. I love it, but how do we figure out what his fingerprints look like.”
“Like any spy movie,” I said, “we get him to drink a glass of some expensive wine or something, and then we take the glass back, you look at his fingerprint, and then match it.”
“Hmmmmm,” Todd said as he looked at his wiggling fingers. “Kind of takes the term ‘sticky fingers’ to a whole new level, doesn’t it?”
“What shall we do in the meantime?” Sia questioned after she rolled her eyes at the imp. “We need to manage our time efficiently if we want this to succeed.”
I wrapped my arm around the redheaded succubus. “Just relax, Superbia. It’s a party, so go dance. Go drink wine and enjoy the hors d’oeuvres. Franklin is going to have to make his big speech and ask for money before he lets his guard down and loosens up, anyway.”
“How many people do you think are gonna show?” Todd asked. “Did you make sure to invite all the hot babes?”
“It was fairly short notice,” Sia explained. “I expect it to mostly be locals who support his cause and his close friends and family. Probably not much more than that.”
“Is he at least one of those guys that has a hot sister or something?” Todd moped.
“Not to my knowledge.” The madame shrugged.
“Well damn,” the imp snickered, “I guess I’m gonna have to get extra drunk then to offset the boner-killers.”
“That’s… horribly offensive.” I shook my head at the imp’s words.
Before he could offer an explanation or a counter, the doorbell rang to announce our first guest. Everything was set up, the caterers had delivered all the food, the band was here, and my followers were currently incognito as servers and random guests.
It was go-time.
“I’ll be the greeter, and I’ll take a shot at Franklin first,” Libidine offered. “You guys go mingle!”
Cupi, Sia, and I headed toward the main area, out to the backyard with the pergola and swimming pool.
A few of the cultists were already out there, standing around with wine and hors d’oeuvres in their hand as they pretended to socialize. Across the way stood Jane and Oliver, both in disguise.
Jane was wearing a glittery-textured navy dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. The garment was fastened up behind her throat, but the neckline itself was just above her massive breasts. The dress then tightened at her waist to show off her wide hips and tight ass.
I had a really hard time believing she wasn’t a succubus in disguise.
As we approached the two cul
tists, I noticed that Oliver kept tugging at the sleeves of his jacket.
“I really hate wearing this monkey suit,” the white-haired man groaned.
“It’s a formal fundraiser,” I pointed out. “What did you expect, socks and crocs?”
“It would have been preferable.” Oliver chuckled which Jane shared.
“You guys have outdone yourselves,” she added and then took a sip of her wine. “All this just to get one demon?”
“It’s not just about killing Forneus,” I explained. “It’s about figuring out what the fucker is up to. This kinda shady political land-grabbing shit has Azazel’s fingerprints all over it, and I want to ensure that he stays in Hell where he belongs.”
“Until you kill him, right?” Oliver asked.
“Kill him?” I was somewhat confused. “He’s already in Hell.”
“Precisely,” the white-haired man said, “but he’s still alive. If you really want to assert your total dominance over our former master, you’re going to have to finish him off once and for all, even if that means venturing into the Lake of Fire itself.”
“Uh-- I don’t think my passport covers interdimensional travel,” Todd’s voice protested.
“Well, not now, obviously,” the cultist scoffed. “Only when Jacob becomes more powerful and is certain that he will have a clear and decisive victory over the King of the Fourth Circle.”
“Jacob has defeated Azazel twice already,” Sia argued. “I’m positive he could march straight into Hell and defeat him right now.”
“Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.” I tried to bring the conversation back to the here and now and nodded to the people entering the yard. “We’re starting to fill up.”
As we continued to chat, dozens and dozens of people wandered into the party. It was hard to keep an accurate headcount, but there were at least five or six dozen people who passed through the sliding glass door as the night progressed. About thirty minutes into the celebration, the whole crowd went silent and then began to applaud.
It looked like our guest of honor had finally arrived.
Marvin Franklin looked just as sleazy here as he did on television. He wore a black tuxedo that matched his parted black hair, complete with a matching raven-colored bow tie and shoes. The man used so much product in his hair that it appeared greasier than our pizza from earlier. Franklin walked through the crowd, waving at his constituents as he made his way toward the dance floor. Every now and again he would stop, shake somebody’s hand, and talk with them for a few moments about whatever the Hell politicians made small talk about.
When he was finally within our vicinity, I stepped out in front of him and extended my hand happily.
“Marcus Pearson,” I lied. “Mr. Quinn asked me to talk to you.”
“Marvin Franklin.” The man gave me a weak handshake. “Nice to meet you. Where is Mr. Quinn, anyways? It’s just like that old cowboy to be a no-show at his own party!”
“Unfortunately, Mr. Quinn had urgent business to attend to,” I explained. “That’s why he asked me to be his representative tonight. You know all about how that works, don’t you?”
I slapped Franklin playfully on the arm as the words left my mouth.
The politician just blinked at me blankly. “Well, tell Robert that words cannot describe how humbled I am to be a guest in his home. After a rough year of campaigning, it feels good to get back down to my roots and spend time with the people I represent. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go prepare for my speech. Pleasure to meet you, Marcus.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” I nodded and shook his hand again.
Franklin walked off under the pergola to continue the typical political meet-and-greet, and I turned back to my friends.
“This guy’s talking a lot, but he’s not saying anything,” Todd’s voice snickered. “He’s gonna be a tough nut to bust--”
“I think you mean ‘a hard nut to crack,’” Oliver corrected.
“I know what I said,” Todd retorted. “If anyone can crack this case, it’s gonna be James Todd, super spy!”
“Go forth, young imp.” I laughed as I pointed overdramatically toward Franklin.
I could hear Todd’s impish laugh as he traveled away from our position and grew distant under the sound of the playing band.
“I wonder how Liby did with the whole ‘trying to woo him,’ thing,” I pondered aloud.
“Ask her yourself.” Jane nodded behind me. “She’s on her way right now.”
I turned around to see Libidine fast-walking across the backyard, brushing people out of her way as she glided. The curvy woman was panting when she reached us, and she bent over to catch her breath. Doing so allowed gravity to take hold of her massive breasts, and our entire group was given a healthy dose of sideboob. With each breath, the succubus’ breasts heaved in and out.
Finally, she stood back up and regained her composure.
“Jacob,” Liby warned, “I’ve got some really bad news.”
“What is it?” I implored the succubus.
“Sister Ira,” Cupi hissed.
“Helllloooo, friends!” I heard a voice that I hadn’t heard since the motel out in California. I looked to my left and saw a slender, large-chested woman in a beautiful green dress approaching. It was definitely Ira, the Sister of Wrath.
“What are you doing here, sister?” Sia asked cautiously.
“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” the woman purred.
“So which side is this, your sub or your dom?” I snarked back at the succubus.
“Neither,” she shrugged, “or both. It depends on how you look at it, I guess.”
“You never answered Superbia’s question,” Cupi said as she stepped closer to Ira. “Why the hell are you here?”
Ira grinned and ran a hand along Cupi’s cheek. “Why, to support my dear husband, of course,” she cooed. “He’s a big, strong Representative from Arizona. I have to follow him around and act like his eye candy, along with our little boy Ralphie. We’re the modern American Family, don’t you know?”
“Cut the shit, Ira,” the fit blonde hissed. “We know Azazel sent you.”
Ira looked shocked. “Whatever do you mean?” She placed her hand on her chest and acted offended. “Azazel is gone, and I’m turning over a new leaf.”
“I think you’re coming on too strong,” I said as I gently stuck out my arm to hold Cupi back. “Let me try. Would you like to dance, Ira?”
“For the record, my name is Maggie,” the succubus laughed, “but yes, that sounds lovely.”
I stuck out my hand, and the woman took it.
“I won’t keep him long, friends,” she said coyly as I began to lead her toward the dance floor.
“Be careful, Jacob!” Libidine warned. “You don’t know what she’s capable of.”
I turned my head back and gave the girls a wink. I knew damn well that this was a bad idea, but it was the only way to enact our plan. The longer I distracted Ira, the more time Todd had to spy on Franklin and the more chances the girls had to try to woo him.
We reached the dance floor just as the band started to play a slower tune.
Ira reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder, and I responded by wrapping my hand around her back. Then we locked fingers with our free hands and began to move back and forth slowly to the beat of the classical tune.
“This is the first time you’ve danced in a while, isn’t it?” Ira mocked.
“What can I say?” I grinned. “I’m more of a ‘beat drop’ kinda dancer.”
“Oh, so you’re saying you can’t dance at all?” she purred.
I lifted our connected hand over our head and twirled Ira. When she finally stopped, she looked impressed.
“I’ve been around the block once or twice.” I shrugged. “Now, let’s get down to business. We all know you’re still working for Azazel. In fact, you were trying to murder me in his name the last time I saw you.”
“Speaking
of which,” the raven-haired succubus smiled, “my sub half can’t stop thinking about that bludgeoning object she saw when you were naked. I’d love to meet it again. I think it could be useful to my dom half, too. If it were handled correctly, of course.”
“Careful.” I nodded toward Marvin Franklin across the way. “You wouldn’t want your ‘husband’ to hear how much you worship another man’s dick, would you?”
“I couldn’t care less.” Ira stared deep into my eyes with her own.
The succubus’ irises were violet like that of any other demon, but they were much more intense, as if there was some insanity simmering just underneath their surface. Ira definitely had the ‘ol “crazy eyes” going on.
“I thought you were turning over a new leaf?” I asked. “You’re here with your husband and son, after all.”
“Please,” Ira scoffed. “That man up there wouldn’t be interested in me if I were the sexiest, most horny woman in the universe, if you get my drift. It’s more of a political marriage.”
Well damn. Todd was right.
“And your kid?” I continued.
“That little twerp is quite mature for his age,” She laughed. “Speaking of making babies, how is fucking three succubi?”
I completely ignored her question. “So it’s all a sham? Why would Azazel need somebody in the political world to do his dirty work?”
“You still haven’t figured it out?” Ira smiled deliciously as the words left her lips. “That’s rich. I would have figured the great Jacob Ralston would have had the whole mystery wrapped up and tied up with a little bow by now.”
“Even Sherlock needs a little--” I started.
“Shhhh,” the succubus said as she placed her entire hand over my mouth. “My ‘dear husband’ is about to start his speech.”
The music cut off, and everybody stopped what they were doing so that they could give Franklin their full attention.
“My fellow Phoenicians, my fellow Americans, thank you for coming out tonight,” the politician began. “Can I first start off by saying that I am very impressed with this turnout? I know this entire fundraiser was short notice, but I’d like to extend a big thank-you to our host, Robert Quinn!”
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause but then went silent again as Franklin raised the microphone back to his mouth.