by Viola Grace
“How much longer do you have on the payroll?”
“About an hour, why?”
“Well, we have lost our model for the demon queen at the tradeshow. I was wondering if you would step in?”
Her mouth fell open.
The Boss reached out and closed it gently. “As you are not a standard model, we would make sure to keep a guard with you to fend off gropers.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You should be doing that for the other models as well.”
He blinked. “Yes, I suppose we should. We will have a contingent of paladins to assist. We have those costumes from the last launch. Do you have information for the models that we used?”
Serene smiled. “I do. Several of them keep in regular contact.”
There was a rueful scowl on his face. “Ask a silly question. Well, order as many as you think you will need.”
“That would be six. One for me, one for each of the three girls, and two to handle breaks and photo ops.”
He gave her a slow smile. “So, you will do it?”
“Yes, I will play dress-up, but I am billing the company for overtime.”
He winced. “Thank you. I will have the costume delivered to you tomorrow afternoon. You can get dressed in the convention hall if you like.”
“I will get dressed at work. Do we have the credentials for me? Or do I need to transfer them?”
He chuckled. “I will check with my office manager.”
She groaned and got up, heading to her filing. “If anyone grabs my ass at this thing, they will be pulling back a stump.”
He nodded. “That is perfectly acceptable to me. We might not be asked back to the convention, but I think we can take the hit.”
She wrinkled her nose and sighed. “Right. Company first or I wouldn’t be skipping around in silk and glitter.”
“Don’t forget the face makeup. It is integral to the character.”
She groaned. “Right. There goes lunch.”
He chuckled. “You are very prompt with your meals, aren’t you?”
She shrugged. “It takes a lot of effort to maintain this figure.”
“I promise to take you out for dinner after the show.”
Serene snorted. “That will be a hard no. I will be covered in makeup and barely dressed. I am not even going to a burger joint like that. I am ordering in until I can see my own skin again.”
He cocked his head. “Is that an invitation?”
She paused, went over what she had said, and blushed. “Um, no. It is just going to be me and my remote control. A nice quiet time after the sound and fury of the convention.”
He nodded. “I will allow you the right to issue an invitation if you change your mind.”
She snorted. “Sure. Thank you.”
He grinned. “Good luck with the last-minute arrangements. Don’t forget to put the payroll authorization on my desk.”
She nodded.
“Thanks again for today. The footage is going to be very important.”
She smiled slightly. “It was definitely different than just waving a sword around.”
He grinned. “It definitely was.”
When he left her office, she could breathe again, but a deep inhalation brought her his scent mixed with the clean scent of cotton. She was wearing him! Her head thudded against the desk. Payroll was going to need triple checking. She was distracted as hell.
Did she really just agree to prance around in the demon queen costume? Gah!
She whipped around and grabbed the wrist of the man who was trying to slide his hand under her wrap skirt. “If you don’t want to suffer permanent tendon damage, I would tuck this hand back in your pants where it belongs.” Her voice was a low growl, and the demon makeup was effective.
The man wasn’t young. It was the effort of a forty-something perv who was there with his friends taking pictures. It seemed the no-contact rule that she had in place wasn’t being enforced.
The other girls who were nearly ten years her junior were giggling and flirting, occasionally slapping hands. They were part of the advertising, and they were pros, they each had their limit and enforced it. The paladins were smitten and on guard for the ladies as well. Anyone who got too handsy was escorted away.
As the demon queen, Serene’s role was simple. She was a miserable and bitter creature who sneered at all around her. It wasn’t too far from Serene’s base personality, so she threw herself into the cosplay. She posed striking lightning or punching guys in the belly. Most of it was all in good fun.
The two girls were dressed as a thief and a mage. Their outfits were modest by industry standards, but they still got plenty of attention. Serene, however, could detect a breeze from every angle. That was the price of being a villain in this game. They all dressed a lot sluttier than the regular players or wholesome NPCs. Male or female, the evil characters showed a lot more skin.
The photo crowd left, and she was able to take a sip of a drink without smearing her makeup. The guys running the booth made the announcement that the preview from the game was about to play. She stood on her assigned spot and scowled, crossing her arms. The other girls stood on the other side, and the paladins lined up behind them—good guys on one side, bad guy on the other.
The samples of the game began to scroll across the screen. They showed gameplay, the maps, and a whole bunch of very detailed stuff that Serene had no interest in.
The full-length image of Embor-al filled the screen. The demon king looked toward her, and she shifted slightly but didn’t move. It was just a screen.
The crowd murmured in amusement as the figure took a few steps toward her. She looked at the image, turned her head, and pouted in what was definitely an unattractive manner.
There were shrieks from the audience that confused her, and she was about to turn and find out what was going on when a crimson armored arm wrapped around her and pulled her tight against an armored chest. She started kicking, there was shocked laughter, and then everything went bright.
Chapter Three
She was lying on her side, and there was grass under her. The texture and green scent of crushed grass was unmistakable.
Serene pushed herself upright and looked around. It was all so bright. “What the actual fuck?”
She recognized the view. It was a poster outside her office. “Nonononononono.”
“It is about time. My, you do actually swear. Good to know.” A familiar voice came from up in a tree. The Demon Lord Embor-al was sitting in an apple tree.
She looked down, and she was still in the costume. She touched her face and checked. The makeup was gone.
“Why am I dreaming that I am in the game?” She stood up and glared at him.
He slipped from the tree with liquid ease. “Well, my wayward bride, I have brought you here to send you on a quest. Two items are missing from your ensemble, and when you find them, you can return to your reality, only five minutes later.”
“Right. What is missing?”
“Ah, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a quest.” He bowed and disappeared.
“What? What the fuck?” She looked around. There was a light breeze that ruffled the half skirt she had on.
She looked around her, and there was nothing but mountains behind her and a valley with a small village down below. She looked at the nails-clawed rings on each fingertip, the bands on each knuckle, and she froze. “Something that small?”
The ring fingers on each hand had no rings. The joint was bare. She looked up and called out, “Really?”
Laughter wafted to her on the breeze.
She glanced down and grimaced. It was the same outfit. She hated boob spirals. The stupid armor or embroidery that the guys were compelled to put onto the bodices. It had been her biggest pet peeve in the costume design.
She looked at the distance between her and the valley town and started walking. If it was a hallucination, it would keep her busy. If it wa
s a dream, she would wake up when something shocking happened, and if it was real, she had better get her ass in gear.
She took a few steps and then tried to think of the game and how the characters checked supplies.
She groped herself, winced, and finally smacked herself across the chest. Nothing.
“Is there any way of moving around more easily? Transport options?”
There was a flash, and three beasts appeared in front of her. There was a huge boar, a slender dragon with a saddle, and a horse with a crimson mane. “Can any of you take me to one of the rings?”
The boar shook his head and disappeared. The dragon bowed and disappeared. The horse remained. She walked up to the horse. “Can you take me?”
The horse nodded, and she ran her hand across his neck, grabbed a fistful of his mane, and she pulled herself astride it. “So, where are we going?”
He headed down the mountain and toward the town. Serene didn’t have to do anything. She just let him move at his pace. It took a while, but they finally walked through the village. She looked around for some kind of guiding clue, and a blue light appeared on the sign for the tavern. She hopped off her horse and patted him, asking him to stay put while she walked into the tavern.
There were five people in the tavern, and one had a small blue diamond above his head. It was the bartender.
She walked up to the bar and muttered, “Do I have money?”
A handful of coins appeared in her hand. She kept them in her fist.
The bartender walked up to her and pause. “Demon Queen Alwis-Haub, what can I do for you?”
“I would like a drink. I have been on the road a while.”
He nodded and filled a drink for her. She took the drink, and a few coins disappeared from her hand. She touched the drink and felt refreshed and a little tipsy.
“Bartender, I want to know if you have heard of any magical rings nearby.”
He paused. “There is one in a pool, near a waterfall, in the mountains. I have heard of one being there.”
She sighed. “Up the hill?”
“Up the hill and then north. Many have tried to claim it, but they all drown in the pool. It is haunted now.”
She nodded, and a few coins left her hand again. “Thank you for your information.”
As she was leaving, he called out, “It is said that to reach it, you have to let go of all that you have.”
“Thank you, sir.”
She left the tavern and addressed her horse. “Are you hungry?” It shook its head. “Thirsty?” Another head shake.
She smiled. “Will you take me back up the mountain and to the pool by the waterfall?”
It nodded again. She pulled herself up and onto his back, and they turned around and went back up the mountain. Her stomach rumbled, and she asked, “Do I have food?”
A joint of cold meat ended up in her hand.
She made a face, but she ate it, swallowing hard. She hated cold food. This might be her imagination, but it felt very real.
The horse took her on a slow path that continued into the night. It seemed that he knew where he was going.
When she got tired, it was sudden. One minute they were plodding along, and the next, she was falling from the horse. Everything was dark, but she could swear that she felt arms holding her and carrying her.
Weird.
She woke up in a place that was soft and hard at the same time. She also had to pee. There was a lot of water around. Running water.
She pushed to a sitting position, and she blinked in surprise. She was on a pile of moss, surrounded by flowers.
She smiled and touched the flower petals, caressing them with the clawed tips of her gloves. She tried to tug one of the gloves off, and to her surprise, it came off.
Serene held one of the flowers up and trailed it across her cheek and lips. The pool of water was crystal clear, the waterfall was a steady rush, and if she could pry her glove off, she could go to the bathroom.
She looked around, found a likely stand of trees, and then looked up and around. There was no sign of the demon, so she removed the armored underwear she was wearing and took care of nature. Moss was handy stuff.
With her clothing replaced, she went to the water and washed her hands. The water was warm, where it should have been cold. Thank goodness she didn’t stick her hands in before she took care of things.
She looked around and shrugged. She didn’t want to get her outfit wet, and she had been warned against carrying anything with her, so she thought about being naked and smiled as the clothing appeared next to her, with her jewellery on top. She turned and walked into the water, letting it close over her head as she peered through the crystal-clear depths, looking for the ring.
She swam along the surface and looked from left to right. She was at it for about an hour when there was a shadow that circled her. She turned under the water and watched as the shadow cruised closer. It was a long silver eel.
She watched it approach, and it darted forward, wrapping her in its grasp. She tried to curse, but it came out as bubbles. The eel pulled her down and toward the falls. The aerated water would not allow her to rise.
It was pulling her somewhere, so she kept her eyes open and watched as a small spark of light caught her gaze. The eel pulled her over it, but she was still ten feet away. No matter how she kicked, she couldn’t get to it.
She had to let everything go. She exhaled slowly, and the eel let her go. A few quick kicks toward the ring had it in her hand. She slid it on her right hand, made a fist, and swam upward. She broke the surface and gasped, swimming back toward her clothing with a slow butterfly stroke.
Just as she reached water shallow enough to stand in, the demon appeared again. “Well, you have done fairly well. Half the quest is done.”
She paused and then focused on the fact that it wasn’t her body. She hadn’t had abs since high school.
Her hair was hanging straight down one side as she stepped out of the pool. Water rushed off her in a sheet, and Serene walked to her clothes, reaching for the jewellery to begin dressing.
“So, you are content to simply stand there in all that nature has given you? Taunting me?”
She gave him a bland look as she put on her rings. “It is all that digitization has given me. This is no more my body than this is my jewellery.”
She slid one of the coils up her thigh and settled it. She was reaching for her armband when his hand gripped her arm, and she was pulled into a seated position across his lap.
He ran his hand over the thigh coil. “I gave her this.”
“Who?”
“Alwis-Haub, though that wasn’t her name then.”
His hand was warm on the metal, and the coil pulsed under his grip. She felt the heat climbing up into places it shouldn’t be. She squirmed and struggled, but he kept her pinned with his hand on her thigh and the effects spreading.
“What are you doing?”
He chuckled. “You are the demon queen; I am the demon king. I have missed you. Figure it out.”
She felt her body throb as heat struck her. She held very still, but pleasure crept through her again. Her breathing became erratic, and she panicked. She punched him right in the breastplate.
There was a pause in time, and then, her fist made contact with his chest. There was a flash, and he was on the ground, ten feet away. He lunged for her, and she held up her hand. He froze, locked in a blue cable of energy.
Serene grabbed her clothing and got dressed, starting with her underwear, the stupid boob coiled top, and then her skirt and the micro-cape. Her headpiece went on last. It locked into her hair, so she was surprised it didn’t fall out randomly.
When she was dressed, Embor-al stood up and brushed the energy from him. “Well, that was entertaining to watch.”
She frowned. “So, that doesn’t work.”
“Not on me. On anyone else, yes.” He laughed from behind his mask. “I ap
plaud you for trying.”
She crossed her arms. “Now, how do I find the next mini-village to ask some twit where my clue is?”
Her stomach growled, but she ignored it.
“If you are hungry. Eat.”
She made a face. “I don’t want to.”
“Your body will falter. Even a digital one.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like cold food. Even digital food.”
He paused. “You are not joking.”
“Naw. I frequent the noodle place across from work because it is hot, not because the noodles are good. I mean, they are good, but I am after the heat inside me.”
He paused, and his armor actually glowed for a minute. When he resumed his normal appearance, he pointed his fist, and a ball of fire shot out. He pulled a knife and handed it to her.
“Here. Heat your meal.”
She held out her hand and thought about food. Another joint of meat appeared. “Thank you for the knife and the fire.”
He chuckled. “Thank you for the hormone surge. It has been a while.”
She blinked, shrugged, and started slicing pieces of meat off the joint, holding them over the fireball and then eating them when they sizzled.
She offered him a bite, not expecting him to take it, but his helmet split, and the demon mask exposed a very normal and very familiar face. She didn’t shriek, but her brain was screaming as she kept heating up and eating food. She gave the Boss another piece and finished her food.
She rinsed off the knife in the pool, wiped it in the grass, and returned it to him.
“Thank you. Most would try and keep the knife of the demon king.” He left his helmet open.
“Why? If I am the demon queen, I already know how to defeat you.”
He looked at her with narrowed eyes. “How would you know that?”
Serene thought of the saddest moment of her life for just an instant and let a tear fall. The moment that the tear hit the grass, he fell to his knees.
“How?”
She reached out and stroked his cheek. “I might not play the game, but I always read the story.”
