Risky Business

by J B Trepagnier

  We all took our places at the table. I always hated the seating arrangements at Bael’s. I didn’t get to sit next to Serafina or Amduscias. I was stuck next to Fergus and Skoll, or last time, I was next to some stuffy king. I wanted to play footsie under the table, and Skoll wouldn’t have appreciated it like Serafina and Amduscias would have. Eiltan and Ior were placed directly across from Serafina and to Bael’s left.

  Were we going to talk about it, or were we seriously going to sit here and wait until the food was brought out? Not talking things out was why people got constipated. This was true for everyone, not just Vampires. Holding all that in was just asking for trouble. Bael was sitting there, sipping his wine like he wanted to be backed up for weeks. Ior finally spoke like he knew he’d be sitting on the toilet praying if he didn’t get this all out.

  “The topside battle was quite easy. When they saw an entire Fae army, they weren’t foolish. Zepar promised them a Fae army as backup, but when they realized our weapons were pointed at them, they stopped. Some ran, some asked what was going on. We only had to kill a few of them. All of them hated Zepar. Some just thought they would still get paid or information would get released if they didn’t carry out their task.”

  Bael let out this huge sigh and signaled to his staff to start bringing the food out. Honestly, I was starving. Amduscias gave me an epic blow job, but I didn’t get to bite him and eat. I could go for some sweet blood, and I had no idea people just lined up to donate it now. I’d still prefer biting Serafina and Amduscias. There was nothing like sinking your fangs in and feeling the blood spurting in your throat, but I could be fancy at dinner and drink it from a goblet.

  “I hear things went sideways here,” Eiltan said.

  “To put it mildly,” Bael said. “Zepar wasn’t working alone, and one of his comrades intended to betray him. Gusion had already snuck his assassins in. The Dukes and the assassins are all dead except Finn here, who helped. The last item we need to deal with is Warden Skinner’s coven.”

  Well, fuck. I thought they had already been dealt with. I guess I couldn’t blame Bael for not dealing with them. He had a revolt on his hands. But even so, I wanted more fucking and biting and fewer witch covens and wicked demons. There was only room for one naughty devil in my life.

  “Can I go and finally kill someone?” Serafina asked.

  Bael just gave her a gentle smile.

  “Of course. You can kill all of them as far as I’m concerned, but please remember, no killing in Hell after this. We have rules here.”

  Serafina looked positively giddy.

  “Go out with a bang, right?”

  “Bael?” Amduscias said. “Why was Saleos so concerned about demon summoning?”

  “It’s a sad story. Saleos was set to marry a flame demon. As you know, we don’t control who gets called when a witch or warlock tries to summon a demon. Unfortunately, someone tried to summon a demon during their wedding, and his bride was called in the middle of the ceremony. It was then we learned she was pregnant. By the time we found her, she was already dead.”

  Well, if that wasn’t the saddest fucking thing I’d ever heard. I was just imagining someone taking Serafina from me at our wedding. I would kill them. Yeah, I’d even try to take over Hell for that. Why wasn’t Hell doing more to protect their demons from summoning?

  “Wiping out the knowledge to summon demons will be impossible, but you can’t do it without certain ingredients,” Finn said. “The hardest one to find is the Bitter Woundwort. It’s almost impossible to find anywhere. Only specialty shops have it now, and it’s grown in greenhouses in certain countries. Demon summoning is pretty much the only thing that herb is used for. Wipe that out and no more demon summoning.”

  “I’ll be damned,” Amduscias said. “The assassin has more use than just shooting things.”

  “We do still need to figure out what to do with you,” Bael said. “You too, Charley. You have two choices. You can both stay in Hell, and Charley can claim Finn. Or, we can pull some strings, and you can both live topside. If you both stay in Hell, Finn would have to change jobs. We don’t have assassins in Hell.”

  I saw Finn take Charley’s hand, and I tried not to squeal again. It was just so fucking cute. I wanted to frame them and keep them at Amduscias’s place.

  “We didn’t know if I would be allowed to stay here. I don’t have to be an assassin. I think I’d like to be a coven member, and I’m good with my hands. I’d like to work in construction here if you’ll actually let me stay.”

  Bael clapped his hands.

  “Good. Then, it’s settled. Finn will stay here with Charley. Now, there is just the matter of Serafina and her family.”

  “What about it?”

  “The cure will be ready in the morning,” Ior said. “We would like you to come back to the Fae realm with us as part of the victory team. You can also help us introduce some new laws and get rid of some old ones. We are opening the portal and getting rid of the laws about killing halflings. We would like you to be an ambassador for the halflings since you won’t be our princess.”

  Serafina started choking at the word princess. Fergus had to smack her on the back.

  “I didn’t think anyone wanted me for a princess.”

  “Well, you’re the firstborn of the prince, so you’re next in line. There’s never been a halfling on the throne, but there’s never been one in the line of succession before. If you want it, just say so. If not, Eiltan here will have to get to work producing an heir.”

  Now, it was Eiltan that was choking. That was the marvelous thing about blood. It didn’t get stuck in your throat like food. Sure, it could go down wrong, but you couldn’t choke to death on it.

  “I don’t think I could rule an entire realm, but I will be your ambassador until you fire me. Which you will. Probably within a week.”

  Eiltan and Ior just laughed.

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine, my dear.”

  “We’re going back tomorrow? What about the witches?”

  “The witches are holed up in a castle in Romania. They think we don’t know about it, but they all fled when Skinner went out of contact. It’s pretty remote. You could show up and burn the thing down for all I care,” Bael said.

  Serafina’s eyes lit up.

  “Can we burn some witches before we go to the Fae realm?”

  “Only because they are nasty witches. We’ll leave after lunch.”

  “Are my mates welcome in the Fae realm?”

  “Of course. The Fae should get used to other supernatural beings.”

  Well, I guess I was going to the Fae realm. We just needed to kill some witches first. I hoped we still got our orgy tonight.

  Chapter 35

  Serafina

  I

  was glad to see my family at dinner, which was weird because up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know they existed, and a few days ago, I was plotting how I would murder them. I got this weird feeling even if I still wanted to kill my father, he’d just sit there and let me for some fucked up reason. It would only take all the fun out of it if he just sat there and took it. My heart just wasn’t into it anymore. My poor, fucked up black heart wanted to get to know him now—traitorous bastard.

  Bael finally dismissed us, and I had no idea where they were staying. My father wanted to come with us when we took down the witches. I guess he wanted to bond with me over burning some nasty people alive? This was my last hurrah, and I needed to make it enjoyable. Elemental Batwoman couldn’t come out and play in Hell unless Bael permitted me. He’d know it was me if people started cropping up burned to a crisp. Maybe Hell was a place she wasn’t needed anyway.

  “Where are you staying?” I asked.

  I hoped it was somewhere good because I didn’t really want to invite them back to Amduscias’s place. Sure, I wanted to spend more time with them and get to know them, but I also intended to fuck myself silly tonight, and I didn’t want my family anywhere near the house while that was going down.<
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  “We are pulling a late night and sleeping here at Bael’s. We will be working with the best demon doctors to make sure the remedy is ready for the Fae when we go back. I wouldn’t worry about us. We have it handled and a place to sleep.”

  “Okay, good.”

  We just stood there, awkwardly. Did we hug now? Was this the part where normal families embraced? Shit. I was so bad at this. Did I even want a hug right now? That might make things even weirder. Yeah, I wasn’t ready for hugs just yet. So, I just waved.

  “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

  Yeah, totally not awkward at all. Eiltan just gave me this nod like he understood and disappeared with Ior. I guess I liked that about him. He knew he fucked up, and he would not press shit with me. He’d probably even let me beat him up again if I wanted. I didn’t really want to, I was just saying, if I wanted to, I probably had that option.

  Fergus came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Now that he was here in the flesh, he smelled fucking amazing. It was more than just the body washes at Amduscias’s. He smelled like a bonfire in the middle of nature underneath a clear sky.

  “Are you okay, my Ena?”

  “Can we go home? One day, I’ll get used to having a family I don’t want to kill.”

  Amduscias opened the portal back to his place.

  “We can just talk or watch movies when we get back,” he said.

  “No way. I finally have all of you together, and this is almost over. I want to celebrate. We can talk about my daddy issues later.”

  Skoll joined my group hug.

  “We could order takeout and watch more movies.”

  “We just stopped a hostile takeover of Hell. Tomorrow is my last day to do all my hobbies. I really do not want to talk about my feelings right now. I want to celebrate, and we just ate. I need this.”

  Skoll kissed my forehead.

  “Then, let’s go. We will always give you what you need.”

  Well, since they were tending to my needs and giving me everything I wanted, I had a few demands. Post battle orgies should be big. Everyone should get a fantasy.

  “I want a Fergus Skoll sandwich. Then, I want to do kinky things to Roman with Amduscias.”

  Roman let out this little hiss.

  “Stop telling her what she wants to do. I want to do kinky things too.”

  “Stop it, Roman, or I’ll spank you,” Amduscias said.

  Roman just winked.

  “Promise?”

  “I’ll spank you too if you want it, Roman,” I said.

  Roman moaned.

  “Can we get out of this dining room now? Bael will be upset if he comes back in here, and I have a boner.”

  I grabbed Roman and pulled him through the portal. I needed a little of Roman’s brand of psycho if I was retiring Elemental Batwoman for good tomorrow. Roman had this playfulness about him I just needed. As soon as we stepped through and ended up in Amduscias’s bedroom, I shoved him on the bed and tackled him. I rubbed my face in his neck.

  “Does your boner feel safe now?”

  “He’d feel better if you touched him.”

  “Roman, come here,” Amduscias commanded. “Fergus had his moment ruined by Gusion’s assassins. Wait your turn.”

  My eyes turned to Fergus. He didn’t put his armor back on after our shower. No one knew his size before because they couldn’t see him, so there were no clothes here for him just yet. He had to borrow from Skoll’s closet because they were both huge. Have you ever seen a big, blonde Fae in leather trousers and their shirt unbuttoned just right? He was walking sex, but now I wanted him out of those clothes. He just stood there staring at me with those intense eyes of his.

  I jumped off the bed and just flung myself at him. We’d kissed in dreams before, but now I was kissing him for real. I was kissing him like I’d been wishing the voice in my head could be a real boy so I could date him since I was eighteen. I’d wanted this for so long. After I realized that was him in my dream, I thought it was just me wishing again. When he told me this was possible, it was almost too good to be true.

  But then we had to wait for this to be over. Well, it was over now, and Fergus was mine. He was here in the flesh, and no one would ever take him from me. He’d protected me and guided me for most of my adult life, but he could die now, and I would protect him too. If some snot-nosed Fae even tried to look at him wrong for loving me, I’d kill them. If he came back to the Fae realm with me when I was the halfling ambassador, my royal family better promise to keep him safe, or all bets were off.

  I knew it was Skoll’s shirt, and it felt expensive. If I ever found a way to earn money here, I’d replace it. I ripped the shirt open, and all the pearl buttons scattered to the floor. He helped me get the shirt off. I took a moment just to admire his broad chest and run my fingers down his washboard abs. They certainly broke the mold when they made Fergus.

  We were both fumbling with the buttons and zipper on his trousers. I felt like screaming until the leather slid down his slim hips, and I finally got to see his erect cock. I’d seen it in dreams. I’d played with it in dreams. This was so much better.

  I wanted to show Fergus how much I appreciated the voice in my head, so I fell on my knees and swallowed his cock. Fergus hissed and tangled his hands in my hair.

  “I should be doing that to you, my Ena.”

  I didn’t answer. My dreams had been all about him pleasing me. Everything he did was because I wanted to. I wanted Fergus to do things that gave him pleasure now that he had more options. I wanted to please him just as much as he’d devoted his life to me. I gave his balls a hard squeeze to let him know he would stand there, get a blowjob, and not worry about me for five minutes.

  I thought he would let me finish, but Fergus was a little more dominant in person than he ever was in my dreams or in my head. I’d barely gotten started when he yanked me to my feet and destroyed my clothes, ripping them off.

  I liked this side of Fergus. It was like all the fire that brimmed underneath the surface was coming out to play. It was just like in my dream where I could feel his fire mingling with mine. It was like a tingle on my skin. Fergus threw me on the bed and dove between my thighs. His oral skills were the same as in my dream, but Fergus was a little more out-of-control tonight. He seduced me the first night he did this. He was consuming me now.

  It felt like little flames were dancing across my skin as his tongue flicked across my clit. I yanked his hair when he slid two fingers inside me. I was lucky no one in this room was offended by my potty mouth because I only seemed capable of screaming obscenities at the moment. I was shocked neither of us had set the bed on fire.

  When I came, it was more intense than any of my dream sessions with Fergus. It was because he was a little out of control this time. He knew I loved him back, and that I was his now. He wasn’t trying to seduce me or prove something like in my dreams. It was like all that pent-up frustration of being a voice in my head, and neither of us able to do anything about our feelings, finally just came to a head.

  I was shaking. That was fucking intense. Fergus grinned at me from between my thighs.

  “I believe a certain fire elemental wanted a Fae and wolf sandwich. Do you still want that, my Ena?”

  Fuck, yes, I did.

  Chapter 36

  Skoll

  I

  thought my wolf would hate another man in our bed, but oddly, we were both okay with Fergus. We understood where he was coming from. He kept her safe when we were in jail, and we didn’t blame him for visiting her dreams and making himself known. If I had been her guardian and had been in her life that long, I probably wouldn’t have been able to resist the temptation either.

  The fact that I was even invited to their first time together after he became real said a lot about him. If it had been me, I probably would have booted everyone out of the room and demanded an entire night for myself. In fact, I wasn’t sure we shouldn’t be doing that now. I got my night with her whe
n I was marking her. Fergus must be one generous fairy that he was sharing her tonight when I knew they both had something special planned when this happened.

  But she wanted both of us, and I’d always give her what she wanted. If she had just wanted to talk tonight, I would have done that too. Eventually, she would want to talk about her father, and I’d be waiting if she wanted an ear. If she just wanted to speak with Fergus because she was used to him, I’d deal with it. She had known him longer.

  But, shit, did she look beautiful sprawled out on the bed with the flush of an orgasm on her breasts, even if I wasn’t the one who gave it to her. I could still appreciate how beautiful my mate looked while she was enjoying some afterglow. That didn’t mean I would not try to top what Fergus just gave her. My little fire elemental would be worn out tonight if she intended to take all of us because my wolf always had something to prove when other men were in her bed.

  Fergus was still lying between her legs. I’d already rid myself of my clothing and was sprawled on a chair. Clothing was so restricting, and I already knew Bael would find it unacceptable if I showed up to dinner without a shirt on, so I wore this constricting garment that I couldn’t wait to take off when we got home. If we were all having sex, it was pointless to keep my trousers on too. Plus, I loved it when Serafina took a peek when I was walking around naked.

  “How do you want this to go, my Ena?”

  “Well, Skoll needs to get off the chair and join us.”

  I perked up and jumped to my feet. She didn’t need to ask me to her bed twice. I dove in next to her and buried my face into her neck. My wolf loved to scent her. It would never get old. Her scent just screamed mine. Solron had some pretty elaborate tattoos that were different from the tattoos back in my day. Maybe I would get a tattoo, so everyone knew I was hers too.

  “Skoll is on the bottom, and Fergus gets the back. But can we all make out first?”