by A. H. Lee
Jessica set down the book and turned its spine to the wall. She picked up another book—a story about spies in a kingdom under the sea. She read until she was completely buried in the story, and she did not think about demons at all for the rest of the evening. She told herself that she would never think about demons again. Or sex. She would never have sex ever again, and all her problems would go away.
Chapter 16. Midnight Revels
“What are you going to wear to the orgy tonight?” asked Yuli on a pleasant afternoon in the topiary gardens. “I mean, at the beginning. Everyone knows what you wear by the end.”
Jessica nearly sloshed the fragrant tea from her delicate porcelain cup. They were learning to perform a high tea service according to the Desert States tradition, and Jessica was wearing lacy gloves. She set down her cup and put her hands in her lap before she spilled something. “The what?”
Yuli rolled her eyes. “Don’t look so startled; I know you’ve already had a couple of ‘assignments.’ This isn’t any different, but I think it might be more fun. I thought maybe boys might kiss at the orgy. I like it when boys kiss.”
“I’m not startled,” babbled Jessica. “Who told you there was an orgy?”
Yuli peered at her. “Jessica…are you alright? You seem distracted lately. You were there this morning when the instructor talked about the ‘Midnight Revels,’ wherein we were encouraged to pace ourselves and not pressure anyone into doing anything they don’t want to do. What did you think she meant?”
“I—I thought—” Jessica didn’t know what she thought. She truly hadn’t been paying attention.
Yuli tilted her head. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Her frown deepened. “Are you eating somewhere besides meals? Because it seems like all you do is pick at your food the last few days.”
“I’ve had some snacks in my room,” said Jessica. Immediately, a voice in her head whispered, Demons lie.
She got up suddenly. “But I have been feeling a little sick. I think I need to rest.”
“See you at the orgy, maybe?” called Yuli.
“Mmm-hmm.”
Jessica walked back to her room, heart fluttering. She could say no. Azrael always made that clear. But how will it look if I keep saying no over and over again? She had already refused one assignment two days ago, complaining of a headache. Can I keep this up for four years? What if Azrael becomes suspicious? What if he finds out? Will he put a collar on me like Mal? Will he even consider me human? Will he have me killed?
Jessica had heard of demon hunters.
No, no, no, this is stupid. I am not a demon!
But she’d had some time to think about it, and the practical part of her mind, the part that was not paralyzed with terror said: You don’t know that. You need more information.
If…if I am a succubus…how close to intercourse do I have to get to endanger someone? The book said I could take a little energy and not hurt my partner, but how? Also…demons feed on specific things…things that aren’t food. If I am a demon, will I die if I don’t feed?
And then there was the other part of her—the excited young woman who had just tasted her first sexual experiences and was shattered by the notion that she must never taste them again. Jessica bit her lip. I can’t live like that. Sooner or later, I’ll mess up. Maybe…maybe I could use the orgy as an experiment, pace myself like the instructor said, see what I can do without hurting anyone. And if someone does collapse like Dustin…there will be lots of people around, right? Lots of help…and a crowd I can disappear in.
* * * *
As it turned out, the Midnight Revels did not begin with nudity. They began with a rather formal masked ball in the airy, fresco-painted room that bordered the gardens. Maids presented Jessica with three gowns to choose from, and she selected a long, sleeveless red one made of slick satin that hugged her body in a cool embrace. It came with black, elbow-length gloves and a black mask edged with red feathers, plus a single iridescent blue plume. The mask covered only the top half of her face, which, Jessica supposed, was sensible if she might be eating or drinking or kissing that evening.
Some part of her brain whispered that red was an appropriate color for a demon, but she pushed it aside. Jessica had always liked red. She wasn’t about to stop wearing it now.
Chandeliers dripped soft, multicolored light into the ballroom, and tall torches blazed in the garden beyond. An orchestra played on the dais, and long tables offered drinks and appetizers around the edges. Everything smelled clean and fresh, with a hint of night-blooming jasmine.
Jessica was surprised when she saw no one who looked like foreign royalty or military officers. As far as she could tell, the people moving around the room, giggling in their dresses and masks and long-tailed coats, were all courtiers like her. The older ones obviously had more experience with this sort of thing. They began eating and drinking with gusto and quickly moved out into the middle of the room to dance.
Jessica looked around cautiously. There were several hundred people in attendance, and she did not see Yuli or any of the others from her cohort. I might be looking right at them and not realize it with these masks.
“Miss Jessica?”
She turned to see a young man in a long-tailed peacock-blue coat and gold sash. His mask was smooth, white porcelain, painted with swirls of deep blue and purple.
“Yes?”
She could hear the smile in his voice when he answered. “It’s Tod.”
“Oh!” Jessica felt foolish. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize… Are you a courtier, then? I thought…” Jessica had thought he was a hired servant. She felt ashamed and was glad he could not see the blush rise in her cheeks.
Tod held out a hand. “Not exactly, but close enough. May I have a dance?”
Jessica accepted before she really thought about it, and they floated out onto the floor. Tod was a beautiful dancer, turning and whirling her, never stepping on her toes. Jessica had learned these dances as a little girl, and the steps came easily. She was laughing and breathless when the song ended, and they drifted back to the edge of the room. More people were streaming onto the dance floor now, and Tod paused to watch them. They made a beautiful sea of flowing color.
He turned to Jessica. “Would you like a drink?”
Jessica hesitated.
Tod seemed to misinterpret her silence. “I know some of these mixed drinks are probably unfamiliar to you, but they’re very good. They’re not drugged or anything. Would you let me pick one out for you?”
He sounded so confident and at ease, speaking to her as a peer, so different from his usual role as a servant. Jessica wanted him to keep talking, to keep sounding like that, so she nodded. Tod strolled over to a table, and Jessica took the opportunity to admire his backside. Well, that never gets old.
He returned with a glass flute full of something that faded from palest amber at the bottom to midnight black at the top, with a raspberry crowning all. “Try this.”
Jessica tasted. It was divine. She had another. Then she tried the thing Tod was drinking—a glass of something golden and fresh, with a hard bite underneath. The appetizers scattered around the drinks were just as varied—meats, nuts, cheeses, chocolates, berries, and tiny pastries, all in the shapes of animals or flowers.
“These are amazing!” said Jessica.
Tod laughed. “They are! The cooks change things a lot, but if you’ve been around for long enough, you start recognizing your favorites.”
“Have you…been around for a long time?” asked Jessica.
“I’m a fixture here, yes. A kind of permanent courtier. Although the usual tasks didn’t suit me when I arrived. I was just a child. So I became a retainer, and it stuck. Sometimes I do things with the courtiers, though.”
“What sorts of things?” asked Jessica teasingly.
Tod grinned. “Eat chocolates and dance, of course.”
“Well, let’s do that!” Jessica knew the drinks were going to her head. But surely I can’t hur
t anybody like this. I can hardly walk straight!
Moments later, they were back out on the dance floor. The music had grown slower and more sensual. The scents of food and wine mingled with perfume and cologne as people’s bodies heated up. Jessica noticed that some of the dancers had gotten cozier with their partners. Hands strayed to hips and butts and breasts. Some people were kissing as they danced.
Tod remained graceful in spite of all the drinks he’d consumed. Jessica leaned into him, partially for balance. Tod’s hands strayed a little lower than the small of her back and she made no protest. They were almost the same height, which put them cheek to cheek when they were slow dancing. She liked the scent of him—soap and something pleasantly smoky.
Jessica pulled her head back to reposition it. At the same time, Tod turned to look at her. For a moment, they were nose-to-nose…and then they were kissing.
Tod’s mouth was warm and soft. One hand strayed into her hair. Jessica gave that wonderful ass a squeeze—firm muscles beneath fine fabric. Tod laughed and bent to kiss her neck. His hands ran up and down her sides—over her breasts, but not lingering—as though he was memorizing the contours of her entire body. His tongue played a subtle dance in the hollow of her throat.
The music rolled around them. Jessica felt warm and giddy. She could feel Tod’s erection through his trousers, and occasionally it bumped against her crotch. He didn’t grind against her, though. The contact was light, teasing.
After a while, Tod kissed her on the mouth again—a deep kiss. Jessica felt something—a tug at her heart or perhaps lower. She opened her eyes abruptly and pulled back.
Tod was staring at her with reverence. “Jessica…you are intoxicating.” His eyes were faintly glazed.
Jessica felt abruptly sick. She forced herself to remove her arms from his neck and step back a fraction. “Tod—”
“May I cut in?” Jessica’s head snapped around at that deep purr of a voice. He looked like a man this evening—a man dressed in black with a beautiful long-tailed coat and silver buttons. His mask was black porcelain, studded with green gems that matched his eyes.
Jessica could feel her jaw tighten. “No, you may not.”
“I think I really must,” said Mal. “Tod looks like he needs to sit down for a moment.”
Jessica glared at Mal, but Tod gave a confused shake of his head and muttered, “Maybe… I do feel dizzy all of a sudden.”
“The drinks are strong this evening,” continued Mal.
Tod cast a strange, desperate look at Jessica, and she forced herself to say, “I think he’s right. You look pale.”
However, when Tod turned to leave, Jessica followed him, weaving in and out of the other dancers. Mal walked beside her. “Oh, come on. One dance?”
“No!” growled Jessica.
Mal was keeping pace with her easily in spite of the crowd. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “You can’t hurt me.”
His voice was so gentle, so full of real understanding. It brought Jessica to a halt with tears in her eyes. Mal moved around in front of her, put his arms around her, and tucked her head against his chest. Jessica did not struggle, but she didn’t crumple against him, either. She felt frustrated and sad and angry all at once.
“It will be alright,” said Mal against her hair. “Everything will be alright.”
Then she really did cry.
Chapter 17. The Orgy
Twenty minutes later, they were sitting on one of the couches in a cozy corner of the room, sipping drinks and watching the dance floor. “I’m sorry I told you like that,” said Mal. “I should have told you other things first.”
Jessica nodded. The tears had dried under her mask, but she still didn’t trust herself to speak. Her voice came in a whisper, “Will Lord Azrael put a collar on me?”
Mal frowned. Jessica wished he weren’t wearing a mask so that she could see more of his expression. “I doubt it. Although, it would be better if he never found out.”
Better for whom? Jessica wasn’t sure she trusted Mal completely, but he did seem to be on her side. She gathered her courage. “Where is Lord Azrael anyway?”
Mal waved his hand vaguely towards the back of the room. “Probably in his viewing box…although I’m sure he’s viewing a book instead of the Revels.” Mal swept his hand over the dance floor. “All of this is for me!”
Jessica looked at him curiously. “Is that why you’re…um…dressed this evening?”
Mal grinned at her. “I have permission to be a man this evening—at all the Revels, actually.”
Jessica took a deep breath. “I don’t want to hurt people.”
“Of course you don’t. You want to milk the cows, not kill them.”
“People aren’t cows.”
Mal shrugged. “Well, however you think of them, you will need to learn how to draw off enough energy to feed and not enough to do permanent damage…or even attract attention.”
Jessica felt her shoulders droop. “Is that all sex is to you? Feeding?”
Mal hesitated.
When he didn’t say anything, Jessica ventured, “Can demons fall in love?”
A heartbeat’s pause, and then Mal said, “I don’t know. Let’s talk about what I do know. Can you see auras yet?”
Jessica looked at him in confusion.
“Look at a human, and then try to look through them. You may notice a faint, colored glow or distortion. It’s called an aura.”
Jessica stared at the dance floor for a while. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Alright, you’re still a fledgling. However, surely you’ve noticed a transfer of energy during sex?”
Jessica thought about it. “Yes.”
Mal nodded. “You’ll feel it push against you. You can either pull it in or push it back. Here, let’s try something. Give me your hand.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Jessica put her smaller hand in his. Mal turned her hand palm up and ran a thumb over her wrist. “I’ve never actually done this before. We’ll see if it works.”
Jessica smiled in spite of herself. “We’re doing something that you’ve never done before?”
Mal laughed—a genuinely startled sound. “I suppose we are.” He’d turned to look directly into her face, his green eyes intent. He was running his thumb around her wrist in little circles. The skin felt exquisitely sensitive. Jessica was conscious of his long, dark lashes, the way they brushed the mask when he blinked. He was sporting a short, dark beard this evening. It framed his full lips and strong jaw.
Jessica felt suddenly embarrassed for reasons she couldn’t explain. It’s not as though he’s got his hand up my dress. He’s only touching my wrist! But it felt like he was stroking something else. Jessica shifted uncomfortably. Her breathing sped up. The air felt hotter and thicker than it had a moment before.
Mal ran a finger up the inside of her arm, feather light and teasing. Jessica gasped. She wanted him to really touch her. The desire to climb into his lap was almost overwhelming. Instead of doing that, she leaned forward, their mouths inches apart, and panted, “What…are you…doing?”
Mal’s voice came out a little rough, and Jessica was gratified to see that the situation was having an effect on him, too. “You were s-sad and scared. I’m a bright magic demon. I can’t work unless you’re willing…and aroused.”
Jessica’s head cleared a little, and she smirked. “Just me?”
Mal licked his lips and swallowed. He started to say something, but Jessica spoke first, “I have an effect on you, too, don’t I? The kind of effect you usually have on other people?” She slid her hand out of his. Wondering at her own boldness, she ran it firmly between his legs.
Mal’s eyes snapped shut and he sucked in his breath with a hiss. He was so hard. “Yes. Yes, you do.”
Jessica was delighted. “You do this to other people, but nobody does it to you?”
Mal grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes again. “Not quite like this, no. Please
don’t break my focus. I’m trying to give you some practice—”
Jessica closed the inch between them and kissed him. Instantly, his hand was behind her head, his mouth warm and hungry on hers. And Jessica felt it—that current dancing between them. Only with Mal, there was more tension, more push and pull. They kept kissing, laughing as they played invisible tug-of-war.
Mal stopped pulling suddenly and just pushed. Jessica felt dizzy with the flood of energy. He broke the kiss for long enough to say cheerfully, “If I were human, you would have just killed me.”
“Oh!” Jessica grunted with several kinds of frustration. “Let me try again.” She slid her arms around his neck and shifted sideways into his lap. Mal made a sound that was more a growl than a murmur.
“Touch me,” whispered Jessica. “Please, Mal, please.” Jessica kissed him again, but she forgot how to use her tongue when he ran a hand under her dress. His fingers slid past her soaked panties and rubbed deep inside her.
It felt so good Jessica thought she would scream. She tucked her head against his neck. Mal murmured in her ear, his voice rough. “Look, Jessica. Look.”
She turned, a little shy, but not caring too much who might be watching.
Nobody was watching. The entire room was in various states of ecstatic bliss. Well, Yuli got her wish. Boys were kissing boys. Girls were kissing girls. Boys and girls were kissing each other in various combinations. Hands were under dresses and down trousers.
“What…?” breathed Jessica.
Mal’s fingers were still rubbing inside her. His thumb had found her clit. “Us,” he growled in her ear. “It’s us. Having…an effect…on the room.”
Jessica could feel the pleasure mounting in her belly with every stroke of his fingers. Mal pulled down one strap of her dress with his teeth. As his mouth closed over her nipple, Jessica tumbled into an orgasm that shuddered through her like music. And all around them, people lost themselves in pleasure.
Chapter 18. Bright Magic
When it ended, Jessica curled against Mal. Her mask slipped off, and Mal set it aside, along with his own. The orchestra had stuttered to a stop. People were groaning and whimpering. A few moments passed, during which Mal wrapped her in his arms and rubbed her back.
