by Dante King
“That’s what college is all about,” I grunted, ducking beneath the second demon’s arms. “Oni, help me out. This is looking a little too much like a fair fight…”
The second demon recovered from his missed punch and lunged at me, pulling a pair of obsidian handcuffs from a pouch at his belt. Smoke poured from them, as if they were enchanted, and I shuddered to think what those cuffs would probably do to me. Turn off my magic, maybe, or something even worse.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to find out. Shock filled the demon’s face as his feet left the floor, hugged from behind by Oni. The hulking demon lifted the security guard into his arms like a child, squeezing until he dropped the handcuffs to the floor.
“He’s disabled, Master,” Oni rumbled, glancing from the man to the first demon who now hung completely cocooned in tendrils. “Would you like me to kill him?”
Before I could answer, the door to the Subspace Commission slammed open. Doris and the rest of us turned to see as Lilith strode into the office, her hands on her hips like a Queen surveying a city she’d just conquered. She’d changed out of the lush robes she wore back in the Pride School and into a stylish dress, but she still looked elegant and composed—less a priestess than a mature professional taking a night out on the town. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she sashayed across the office, in a crazy rhythm that made me think she had to be walking funny. It took a moment to realize her tail was tapping right along with her heels, almost mischievous.
She took one look at the two restrained demons and sighed.
“My oh my, doesn’t this just look like a lawsuit waiting to happen,” she growled, putting her chin in one of her palms. “Do me a favor and put my employees down, Luke. You’ve had more than enough fun with them.”
I almost didn’t. Releasing the demonic anger coursing through my veins was harder than I expected. It felt weak, almost like giving up. If Lilith hadn’t been so inhumanly beautiful, hadn’t been looking at me like my strength both intimidated and aroused her, I might not have been able to let it go.
Finally, the tendrils retracted. I lowered the first guard back to his feet, sputtering and coughing as the bands of darkness left his nose and mouth. I let Oni keep holding the second guy back, though, just in case.
Lilith watched with an arched eyebrow as my wings slid back into the hollow between my shoulders. Just like before, they left tears in my robes but nothing else save for smooth, untouched skin. I was getting used to that, too.
“This young man attacked me,” Doris said, finding her voice now that the violence was over. “I want him disciplined!”
“Then file a complaint,” Lilith purred, glancing at the ruined stack of forms behind her. “Just make sure you get all of those filled out first.”
Doris turned around, her face going sour. “I won’t forget this.”
“I’m sure,” Lilith said, another heavy sigh wracking her frame. “Luke. Why don’t we go for a walk? There’s obviously something on your mind if you’re accosting my security forces.”
The last of my rage faded. I looked over at Christina and Mareth, both a little ashamed of the looks on their faces and savoring it a bit. The mix of fear and longing when I went over into full-on demonic savage mode was definitely something I could get accustomed to.
“Just us?” I asked, wary. “One of my friends is already missing, Lilith. I’d rather not let the rest of the group out of my sight.”
“‘Friends’,” Lilith said wickedly, making air quotes with her fingers. “If that’s what you want to call them…” She paused, thinking it over. “Fine. Have them follow us at a respectable distance. And please tell your muscled friend to put Fernando down. I can’t afford another demonic Workman’s Comp claim…”
As it turned out, Lilith knew a shortcut to the green. It made me wonder what kind of other secret passages and hidden tunnels might have been built into the Academy—and whether they had anything to do with Maddie’s disappearance.
Outside, a few groups lounged and played sports out on the green. A pair of demonic co-ed’s having a late-night picnic scattered as Lilith trampled right through their spot, treating them with no more regard than she would an anthill. Heads turned up and down the square, watching me walk with the Headmistress with more than a little jealousy. Every demoness here wanted to be Lilith, and every male demon wanted to be with her. It made me realize what a power couple the two of us would make—there was just the little matter of her being married to the fucking Devil…
“The goblin who ran into me as I was taking my evening constitutional through the student commons didn’t have much time to explain what was going on,” she said, stepping around a rock in the path. “He just shouted something about an ‘Archlord candidate’ causing an incident down in the Subspace Commission offices. Of course I knew it had to be you. Whatever is the matter?”
I’d cooled down considerably by this point, but the thought of Maddie made my vision momentarily flash red. “I’m assuming you heard about the visitor I accidentally brought to the Academy?”
“The mortal?” Lilith’s eyes widened a touch. “I thought she was torn to shreds.”
Jesus, I thought, a little taken aback. And that didn’t bother you? Every time I started thinking of Lilith as just a very attractive woman, something came around to remind me she was an amoral monster. Still hot as Hell, though.
“Christina and I saved her,” I said, shaking my head. “I tucked her in my subspace for safekeeping—”
Lilith’s face lit up. “Your subspace is large enough to live in? How wonderful! That’s a very rare privilege—normally only granted to demons of very great power.” A naughty look spread across her face. “You’ll have to let me see it sometime.”
Another flash of that vision rocked my mind. Lilith upside down, her ass in the air as my tendrils put her through a one-man gangbang. I shook my head to dismiss it. I hadn’t found the room where the vision took place yet, but it definitely wasn’t my subspace.
“That’s not the problem,” I said huskily. “She’s missing. Maddie’s gone, and I have no idea where she might be. If she shows her face in public, demons are going to rip her apart…”
Lilith just laughed. “Young man, you should have come to me. Honestly, going to the bureaucracy is a sucker’s move. Nothing in Hell ever gets done by the book—you of all people should understand that. If you’d just visited my tent, we could have come to some sort of...mutually agreeable arrangement.”
It was another attempt to hit on me. I allowed it this time, though: anything that got me closer to Maddie was just fine with me. Okay, maybe it was a huge ego boost to have Lucifer’s wife flirt with me, too.
“You can help me, then?” I asked. “Give me an idea where I should start searching?”
Lilith sized me up for several more steps. I could see in her face she’d already decided to help me—this pause wasn’t about that. More like she was deciding what to ask for in return for the favor. Considering the number of ‘jokes’ about sex she’d made while we walked, I had some idea what she might demand from me.
We were nearly to the end of the green when she glanced behind us. Christina, Mareth, and Oni followed a few steps behind, like Lilith had requested. Both of my women craned their necks, trying to spy on the conversation. For his part, Oni kept his head on a swivel, scanning the area for any potential threats.
“Have you bound my niece yet?” Lilith asked in a too-casual tone. “She seemed so eager for it the last time we met….”
“Was she?” I didn’t remember Mareth making any overtures in that direction—not in front of Lilith, in any case. She’d been nothing but prickly to her ‘Auntie’.
Lilith tossed her head back, laughing loud and long. “Young man, a demoness of my caliber can simply smell ‘slut’ on a woman. That little succubus was drunk on you—she couldn’t wait to spread her legs and get a little access to your power.” Lilith paused on the concrete path leading to the cafeteria, gri
nning. “Well? Did you?”
Should I lie? Considering everything Mareth had told me about Lilith, I gathered it was a bad idea to tell her I was nailing her niece. But if the Headmistress was as smart as she appeared, she’d undoubtedly know I was lying.
Who knows, I thought. Maybe she really COULD smell Mareth’s arousal. That means she has to already know…
“Both Chrsitina and Mareth are bound to me,” I admitted, meeting the Headmistress’ gaze without shame. “They’re both on the team, and I’m looking forward to deepening my bonds with them.”
“Oh, I just bet you are,” Lilith said, pursing her lips. Her expression was inscrutable. Did this knowledge upset her? Piss her off? Leave her bemused? If a painter could have frozen her face in that moment, art critics could have spent decades arguing over it.
Finally, I could take the silence no longer. “Please, Lilith,” I asked, hating the words even as I said them. “I need your help.”
Lilith cocked her head to the side, as if she were tasting blood on the night air. “Your request is granted,” she purred, stepping so close to me that I felt the heat rolling off her skin. “But I want something in return, young man.”
Here we go, I thought, swallowing. “Anything,” I said, thinking of Maddie.
Lilith chuckled low in her throat. “Anything? Young man, you should know better than to let a demoness make the rules of a contract. But this once—just this once, mind you—I’ll be merciful. I’ll give you a fairer deal than you deserve.”
I waited.
Her nails played idly with the tear across my shoulder blades, as if the spot where my wings emerged fascinated her. “You will owe me a favor,” she growled.
“A favor?”
“Mmh hmm,” the Headmistress said with a nod. “At a time of my choosing, I will send a messenger to you. They’ll have a task for you to perform—and whatever it is, you will do it for me. Without question or hesitation. No matter what it is, you understand?”
I was a bit confused. Were we still talking about a booty call? It almost sounded like Lilith wanted me to kill someone. I realized then I’d been mentally preparing myself to do to Lilith exactly what I’d seen in that vision, Lucifer or no. But what if she had even darker plans for me?
My gaze followed her. The Headmistress stared at my women, bathing them in a gaze that was almost wistful.
“I won’t break up with Mareth for you,” I told Lilith. “And I won’t do anything that would hurt Christina.” I paused a moment. “Or Oni.”
Lilith was so taken aback that she actually gasped. Then more of that high, discordant laughter filled the square—so much so that nearby students shrank from it.
“My, you do think highly of yourself, don’t you? My dear boy, if I wanted you to break up with my niece, I wouldn’t waste something as momentous as a favor on it.” Her grin went sharklike. “I’d simply tear the bitch limb from limb.”
That was an unpleasant image.
“Alright,” I said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “It’s a deal, then.”
Lilith stared down at my hand as if she’d never seen it before, then gave it a cursory shake. “Very good. No need for a formal contract—I’ll consider your word your bond.” The Headmistress cleared her throat, turning back toward the dormitories. “A little birdie told me that there have been certain...incidents involving student subspaces lately. Mostly petty theft and vandalism, but still very powerful—and very illegal. The sort of thing a student could get in a great deal of trouble for, were they to be found out.” Lilith spread her hands. “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like this person has escalated to kidnapping!”
“Tell me who,” I growled, nearly losing my temper. I had to know. “Give me a name.”
Lilith pursed her glossy lips. “Young man, what makes you think I know who this person is?”
“You know everything,” I shot back bitterly. I shouldn’t have said it, but I was beyond caring. “You even know about that vision of you and me, I bet. You’re probably the one who put it in my fucking head…”
It was a strange thing, watching the faked confusion on Lilith’s face deepen into the real thing. “Vision? What vision?”
Suddenly the ball was in my court. “You don’t know?”
“All signs and portents are required to be reported promptly,” the Headmistress growled, her body sizzling like a live wire. “We take prophecies very seriously at this Academy, Luke —especially when they involve those chosen by Lucifer—”
“The name,” I grunted, cutting her off. Damn but it felt good to do that—to have her on the back foot for once. I could almost see myself taking control of her the way I’d done in the vision. “And then maybe you can make that your favor once I deal with the asshole who took Maddie.”
For a moment, I thought Lilith was likely to argue the point. Then her shoulders slumped, and she blinked first. “His name is Karl,” the Headmistress whispered. “A rather dashing young demon from everything I’ve heard about him. Many students are betting on him to win the Archlord trials…”
“They’re not the only people betting on him,” I growled, a memory searing my brain. “Oni!”
The big demon quickened his pace, coming up beside Lilith and I in three massive steps. “Yes, Master? Is there a problem?”
“You told me your family bet on a demon named Karl,” I said, looking up at Oni. “Won a bunch of shards on some battle he fought. Would you recognize him if you saw him?”
Oni nodded. “Of course, Master.”
“He lives on Level Twelve of the Dormitory,” Lilith giggled, crossing her arms beneath her ample breasts. “Western Wing, I believe. If you drop in on him now, you might be able to catch him unawares…”
Oh, I was damn sure of that. “Let’s go, Oni. We’ve got a lead.” As he made his way back to Christina and Mareth, I turned to Lilith. “Thank you for this, Headmistress. I won’t forget it.”
“See that you don’t,” she said, her nose wrinkling. I could tell she was still trying to figure out what I meant by a vision. “I’ll be calling on you soon, Luke. Make sure you are ready for my summons.”
I would. But first, I needed to teach this Karl a lesson.
By the time I was done, people were going to be betting on a very different candidate for Archlord.
Chapter 26
The walk back to the dorms was much faster than the leisurely stroll I’d taken away from them with Lilith. At this time of evening, even the few groups of demons on the green were scattered—as I made my way past them, they scattered further. It took some time for me to understand those frightened glances, so like Maddie’s as the demons tried to force their way into my trunk.
My wings were out. Along with them, my tendrils. I must have looked like an absolute fucking monster. A grin rose to my face. Good.
The guard who’d been sitting behind the desk the first time we’d entered the dorms had gone off-duty. In his place sat an imp roughly the color and dimensions of a can of Coca-Cola. He looked up as we entered, his steely eyes glinting with irritation. “Got your passes…?”
He trailed off as I approached the counter, looking up and up. My wings brushed the ceiling of the vestibule, tendrils spreading over the sprinkler system as my power pushed out in all directions at once. I couldn’t help it—I was pissed.
“I’m looking for someone,” I growled, barely able to form the words around my demonic form. “Karl. Level Twelve. What room?”
It was strange how much sharper my senses were in this form. I could feel the wheels turning behind the imp’s eyes as he weighed the potential trouble he’d be in for breaking confidentiality versus the hurt I’d put on him for keeping his mouth shut. I could feel Mareth and Christina’s arousal—Lilith was right, the succubus was basically walking around squeaking from being so turned on—and could even sense the bond I’d slammed over Oni’s will. That last one tasted like biting down on the edge of a rusty knife, but I refused to shy away from it. It was my faul
t it was there, after all.
The imp reared back in his seat. “I’m not supposed to—”
Tendrils slammed on the table, making the guard jump a foot out of his seat. “Wrong answer.”
“Twelve-seventy-two,” the imp blurted, his hands shaking. “Second to the end of the hall, the big black door. You can’t miss it.”
I turned away without a word, heading for the elevator. Christina and Mareth followed in my wake, a sharp look from Oni enough to keep any other demons from thinking of getting involved.
The four of us squeezed into an elevator and waited for it to rise. An awkward silence reigned, punctuated by occasional worried glances from Christina and Mareth.
“So,” Christina said, trying to break the tension. “What’s the Infernal Academy’s official policy on murdering fellow students?”
It was meant in jest, but Mareth pursed her lips thoughtfully at the question. “It’s fair game,” she said with a shrug, “as long as it’s not a permanent kill. You have to do way more than just rip a demon apart to kill them completely. There’s a certain level of leeway given to students in Hell for just such an occasion…”
“I’m going to do more than just rip him apart,” I growled, watching one floor give way to the next. “If this Karl fucker has so much as laid a finger on Maddie, I’m going to turn him inside out. Then you can tell me exactly how much damage I have to do to make that shit permanent.”
Mareth swallowed hard. “You’re joking, right? I know you’ve managed to get Lilith on your side—you might want to watch your back with that one, by the way—but even she wouldn’t be able to get you off the hook for irreversible destruction of a student.”
“I don’t think he cares,” Christina said mildly.
The elevator dinged, announcing we’d reached our floor. “She’s right,” I said, jerking a thumb at Christina as I stepped out. “I don’t.”
Level Twelve must have been some kind of deluxe, luxury-level of the dormitories. Somehow that felt appropriate—like I’d stepped into the final boss’ lair in a video game. The hallway was black stone, with a thick blood-red carpet covering the floor that must have taken thousands of hours of stitching to get just right. The ceiling drew up into a high arch over the actual dorm rooms themselves, like the four of us were walking through a cathedral.
