by Eric Vall
“When you say higher level demons…” I trailed off.
She shot me a smile. “It will work on Earl. He’s very low down the totem pole. Now if you wanted to try it out on Lilith, you’d be fucked.”
“Let’s really hope it doesn’t come to that!” I only half-joked.
“Once a demon is trapped in the circle, you can try to kill it or send it back to Hell where it came from with an exorcism.” She shrugged. “Though I wouldn’t recommend trying an exorcism on Earl. He’d just keep finding a way to come back.”
“So that brings up the interesting question. How the Hell do you kill a demon?” I tried to hide the confusion in my voice.
Libidine spoke up. “It’s quite easy, actually. You just have to use demonic or angelic powers, and be stronger than your opponent, of course.”
“Of course,” I sarcastically snarked. “That simple, huh?”
“Demons can totally die, man, but the bigger question is where they go after they die,” the imp pondered. “Like, if Heaven and Hell are real, and that’s where mortals go, then is there like, a second layer of Hell where slain angels and demons go?”
“Nobody really knows.” Cupi shrugged. “There are multiple layers of Hell, but I and my sisters have never really had a chance to explore them. We’re more into our Earthly duties. All I know is that, wherever they go, I’ve sent plenty from both sides there.”
“This is rich!” Todd laughed maniacally. “The literal demons from Hell don’t know where we go when we die. This is the kind of shit those websites I’m always on would eat up!”
“Which ones?” I joked. “The ones about conspiracy theories, or the ones that you were on when I walked into your room without knocking that one time?”
“Don’t pretend you weren’t impressed!” Todd giggled.
He wrapped his hands around himself and kicked his feet back and forth in joy. As he rolled around in the seat, satisfied with his comeback, Cupiditas and Libidine didn’t understand what we were talking about. Todd stopped laughing, and the two of us looked at each other.
“Jacob walked in when I was watching some special videos and playing a little game of choke the chicken,” the imp tried to explain.
“Like your videos about Heaven and Hell?” Liby questioned innocently.
“No, like… a video of people banging,” I reluctantly got to the point.
“People watch videos of other people having sex here on Earth?” Cupi asked as she tried to understand the concept. “Why don’t they just go find a partner and do it themselves?”
“If only it were that easy!” Todd laughed as he shook his head in disbelief. “Unfortunately, we aren’t all as lucky as Jacob here, with his two women that are at his beck and call whenever he wants. That’ll all change when I get to Las Vegas, though!”
“Speaking of which…” I pointed out at the landscape in front of us.
As we reached the peak of a hill just outside of town, we were met with the bright lights of Sin City as they fought with the sun for the right to illuminate the landscape. Neither I nor Todd had ever been to Vegas before. It was a luxury that we’d never really been able to afford, but I soon found it was quite the scene to behold. The buildings stretched up into the dawn sky and shone brightly like an oasis of fun, luxury, and pleasure in the middle of the Nevada desert. Even the gas stations we passed felt like they were five-star organizations.
If we were going to die, then this was definitely the place I wanted to spend my last few hours on Earth.
Chapter 11
Among the shimmering lights, sexy women, and hot cars, Lola sputtered down the strip in all her glory as she trailed a cloud of smoke behind her. Even with our windows up, the sound of cheers mixed with sirens and music pounded through the car.
“We never get to play the machines when we are here,” Cupi said as her eyes followed the large casinos as we passed by.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that,” I asked curiously. “What happens when you fulfill a contract? Do you just vanish in a puff of smoke? Or do you fly off into the night and catch a chariot back to Hell?”
“You already know the answer,” Liby said as she grabbed my left hand. “The green and purple Hellfire sends us back and forth between the Realms. Once we have satisfied our clients’ needs, our master is notified, and he transports us back to him with his powers.”
“What do you guys do in between clients? Like, in your spare time?” I continued.
“When you’re a succubus for one of the most well-known pimps, who answers to one of Hell’s most fearsome overlords, who himself answers to the Demon Queen, there is no such thing as ‘down time.’ We’re lucky if there is even a five-minute break between requests,” the blonde answered. “The only down time is when we are being punished, and that’s no fun whatsoever.”
“Fuck those guys,” I muttered under my breath as I thought about what they’d done to my beautiful succubi.
“Which casino should we stay at?” Todd interrupted as he tried to change the mood in the vehicle.
“Well,” I started, “We’ve got a bit of cash, but I don’t want to splurge too much until we win some more. So we need something kind of in the middle. I guess it doesn’t need to be on the strip, but it should have--”
“Bro,” Todd interrupted me as he shook his head. “Bro. Bro. Bro. Bro.”
“What?” I asked.
“There is only one casino worth going to in Vegas,” he said with a sagely nodd.
“Uhhh, okay,” I sighed as I prepared myself for another Todd-ism. “Which one is that?”
“Mother. Fucking. Excalibur,” Todd said as he passed his hand through the air like a magician.
“Uhhh, isn’t that kind of an old cas--”
“Shut your mouth,” Todd interrupted me. “They update it all the time.”
“Okay,” I replied. “We can go to Ex--”
“It’s got everything! Knights, maidens, swords, poleaxes, feasting, dragons, quests and shit, and then even more fucking awesome shit. It’s King Arthur’s castle, bro, and we can join up with him while he quests to find the Holy Grail and bang all the women.”
“I’m pretty sure you are wrong about everything you just said,” I laughed, “but I don’t have a better idea, so Excalibur it is!”
“Fuck yeah!” Todd smacked his hands together and then pointed out the front windshield. “Forward hooooo! To Excalibur!”
We passed through the bright lights of the city and then pulled off the strip towards the castle-like structure in the distance. As Lola pulled in closer, I could see why Todd was so excited about this place. Along the sides of the building were two regular white-washed brick structures dotted with hundreds of windows, each one a different hotel room. However, long, elegant castle towers stretched up each corner of the building to give it a medieval esthetic. Atop each tower was a cone, either red or blue, that came to a point above the rest of the resort.
Then there was the main part of the structure. This was where the aesthetic really kicked in. All around the main entrance, and between the two hotel sections of the resort, was a tacky-yet significant castle. Red, gold, and blue battlements adorned the roof, which was flat and pinkish. The resort looked like a child’s playset come to life. It felt like we had been living in a fantasy for the last few days, so it only seemed fitting.
Lola puttered up to the front entrance, a structure that had been made to look like a more authentic version of a castle with whitewashed archways and a cobblestone column. A man in a black blazer sauntered over to greet us. He gave us an odd glance as we emerged from our yellow chariot of rust and smog, but retained the smile that he was forced to wear at all times. I stuck out the key for the valet, and the man’s demeanor changed when I pulled out two twenties from our lottery winnings and slipped it into his vest pocket. He shot me a large grin, swiped the keys and made his way to the driver’s seat.
“Be careful with Lola now,” I cautioned. “She may not be the nices
t-looking car, but we’ve been through a lot together.”
“We consummated our relationship in the back seat, all three of us!” Liby said with a happy bounce.
A rush of color ran to the man’s face as he threw the key into the ignition and twisted. Lola roared to life with a puff of smoke and her familiar rattling noise, and the valet got out of the awkward situation as quickly as he could. Todd, who now sat in his familiar duffel bag, looked on longingly as his sedan drove off into the parking garage.
“He better not hurt her,” he said with a balled fist.
“Relax, buddy,” I reassured Todd with a pat on the head. “She survived our road trip. There’s nothing the guy could do that could be any harsher than that!”
With that, we all walked through the main entrance of Excalibur, and Todd couldn’t contain his glee from inside the duffel bag.
“Bro, this is the shit.” He giggled as he unzipped the bag just enough so that he could see out. “Check out that dragon statue over there. You’ve got to get a picture of me pretending to slay it.”
“Totally.” I rolled my eyes as we passed under the sprawling design of the main lobby.
Similar to the outside of the main entrance, the lobby of the Excalibur was made to look like a blend between “modern” and authentic rockwork castle. That is, it’d be modern if we were still in the nineties. Still, it was a sight to behold. There were several archaic-looking fountains around the main lobby, as well as a couple of pillars and statues based on Arthurian legends. The carpets were a retro red color, with asymmetrical circular patterns in the same art style as the Middle Ages. Maybe it was a little tacky by modern standards, but it was a sight to behold, nonetheless.
And it was really damn cool.
As we made our way towards the check-in of the resort, the succubi stopped for a moment to gawk at one of the clothing stores inside the building. This place had it all, from massive buffets to souvenir shops to fashionable handbag stores. But the girls were particularly taken with this particular high-end clothing store, and they looked with longing at the mannequins who wore form-fitting dresses and elegant jewelry that had to cost an arm and a leg.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be back.” I promised as I motioned for them to continue following.
Soon, the four of us found ourselves at the main desk. It was more in line with what you’d find at a typical casino resort, with a large wooden trim and a sleek, dark color.
“How can I help you?” a thin, tall brunette woman in a black suit asked bubbly.
Cupiditas took the lead. “We’re here to for a few nights’ stay. One of your higher-end options.” She grinned at the woman.
“Ah,” the woman inquired as she walked behind the desk and started fiddling with her computer. “Do you have reservations?”
Libidine walked up to the desk and overdramatically placed her chest on the oaken countertop so that her large breasts would appear even more enlarged. Meanwhile, Cupiditas placed her elbow on the counter and rested her chin on her hand as she gave a longing look. They were really working this angle. I could barely watch. It was either going to be a trainwreck or the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, but I couldn’t look away.
“I don’t think we need reservations, do we?” Cupi batted her eyes at the brunette. “We want the highest end option you have.”
“Well, that’d be the Royal Two-Bed Luxury Suite.” The brunette behind the counter offered. “We have one currently available, but we’re at our peak season, so it’s two-hundred and fifty a night. Would that satisfy your needs?”
“Oh, it’d do more than satisfy them,” Cupi chuckled.
“Excellent,” the woman commented without looking up from the computer. “How many are going to be staying in the suite, and for how long?”
“All three of us,” I wagged my finger back and forth between the succubi and myself. “Is it possible to pay by the night? We’re not exactly sure how long we’re going to be in Vegas.”
“All three of you?” the woman asked, one eyebrow arched up in amusement.
“Yep!” Liby smiled. “Jacob here is our boyfriend!”
“Both of you?” the brunette glanced at me.
“Of course. Jacob is so passionate that he needs at least two women to satisfy him,” Cupiditas locked her violet eyes with the woman behind the counter. “Maybe even three.”
The brunette’s face turned a deep shade of red as she glanced down at the keyboard. Then she covered her mouth with her slender hands and let out a bashful giggle. Cupi continued to give the woman seductive looks while she finished entering our information into the computer.
“Now I’ll just need a credit card to book your reservation,” the brunette asked.
“Here you go,” I laid my card on the table. It was nearly maxed out at the moment, but I planned on paying for everything with the cash we were going to win, anyway.
Once the woman was done, she bent down and pulled out a yellow keycard bearing the resort’s name, and then slid the key and my credit card across the table toward the blonde succubus. Cupiditas picked up the key in her right hand and looked it over curiously before slapping it back down on the counter.
“You’re forgetting something, dear,” Cupi mused.
“Oh?” the brunette questioned.
“Yes,” Cupi smirked. “Your phone number.”
I thought the face of the woman behind the counter couldn’t get any redder, but I was wrong. Her skin now looked like a tomato as she pondered what to do next. After a moment of awkward silence, she slowly stretched her hand across her desk, grabbed a piece of paper, and scribbled down her digits. Then the woman bit her lower lip as she slid the paper back toward the succubus.
Cupi gave her a wink, and I thought the girl was going to faint.
“Thank you, dear,” the athletic blonde giggled as she turned to walk away. “See you soon.”
The four of us set off down the hallway toward the elevator that would take us to our palace. The elevator dinged, and the inviting silver doors opened to let us in.
“So, what did I just see?” I asked as soon as the doors were closed.
“What?” Liby shrugged. “You think men are the only ones our powers work on?”
“I don’t know what happened out there, man, but it sounded incredible!” Todd’s voice sprang from the green bag.
“It was, Todd, it was.” I chuckled as we rode the lift toward the fiftieth floor. “You could take some pointers from Cupi over here. She’s an excellent wingman.”
“Bro, you’re the Goose to my Maverick. It doesn’t get any better than that.” Todd stuck out his balled fist for a fist bump as we ascended.
“You are aware that Goose dies, right?” I laughed as I completed the gesture.
“That’s just a risk I’m willing to take,” the imp snickered from the bag.
When the doors of the elevator opened, we were greeted with the sight ripped straight out of the seventies. The walls were covered with yellow-peach wallpaper bearing a Victorian pattern. Before us stretched a green carpet adorned with a florally, square pattern. As we walked down the hallway towards our room, I noticed that each of the light wooden doors bore a purple shield that read the number of the hotel room. Finally, we arrived at room 501, our personal castle.
Libidine slid our keycard into the mechanism, and it turned green with a mechanical click. Then the succubus turned the golden knob and pushed the heavy door inward.
Our hotel room looked much more modern than the area that we had just exited. The floor was covered with dull green carpeting with oval patterns scattered throughout, and the walls were painted a calming peach color. Directly in front of us was a small kitchen area, followed by a dining area with a clear, glass-top table. Immediately after the dining section was a small lounge space with a fifty-inch television mounted to the wall across from a cushiony peach-colored couch. To each side there was a bedroom, one for Todd, and one for me and my women.
“Excellent job, girls!”
I exclaimed as I let Todd out of the bag to roam.
I walked into the bedroom, propelled myself onto the soft king-size mattress, and took it all in. As much as I enjoyed the comfort of this suite, the day was still young. We were in Sin City, the most fun place on Earth. But right now, all I wanted to do was relax for a moment. If what I had just seen downstairs was any indication, there were no limits to the amount of fun we were about to have.
Chapter 12
As much as I loved slumming it out in nature, one area the city had it beat in was sanitation. Last night, we’d had to sleep in a car, and as the soothing water from the shower spigot poured down on my head and ran off my brown locks onto the ceramic on the floor, I was really glad we chose something more luxurious for our stay in the Sin City. Even this simple shower screamed luxury. It was one of those stand-up set-ups whose walls were made of dark grey brick, with a shiny ceramic tile floor and a heavy glass door. In addition to the typical shower head that rested at the front of the construction, it had valves running down the sides of the wall that shot out jets of water. The sensation was so soothing that I thought I might just fall asleep right then and there. As I finished up and walked over to brush my teeth, I heard the voices of Libidine and Cupiditas from around the corner.
“These are so soft!” Liby giggled.
“That’s not fair, yours seem to be much more firm,” Cupi’s disappointed voice retorted. “I wish I could trade you.”
Liby laughed. “Well, you could take them for a test run. See if you like them?”
“That sounds marvelous!” the blonde exclaimed. “I can’t wait to bury my face in those puppies!”
I nearly swallowed my toothbrush as I gulped at Cupi’s words. I intensified my brushing so that I could hurry up and see what the girls were getting into. The foamy mint toothpaste swirled down the drain, and I tossed my brush back into its travel case as I walked toward the commotion, still in my towel.
