“There are flames,” I protested, pointing at Lucifer. “You’d be hurt. Right?”
Lucifer, who’d just been about to step through the portal Mareth had used, stopped and cleared his throat. “Any guest you bring with you would have my favor extended to them,” he explained. “So yes, you could bring Christina. I’ll leave that to you to decide. Remember our conversation.”
With that, he walked off, treading lightly across the stone. A portal formed at the far end of the hall, in the same space and of the same dimensions as the one that had brought Mareth here. Without a moment’s hesitation he stepped through, disappearing in a puff of ozone. The Prince of Darkness left us to our own devices, evidently considering the meeting adjourned.
“Conversation?” Christina looked like a deer caught in headlights. “You were talking? About me?”
Oops. Awkward. “Not so much about you, specifically,” I said, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “More about the future, and who I surround myself with.”
Christina’s gaze sharpened. She opened her mouth, no doubt to say something cutting that would shrink me down to size, but before she could, Mareth cut her off.
“Oh, geez,” the succubus said, rolling her eyes. “Master gave you the talk, didn’t he?” She pulled her features inward, making herself look like a grumpy old man—with the voice to match. “You must be careful who you select as a Queen! Blah blah blah…”
I started to laugh. Mareth was too much. “Something like that.”
The succubus clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry so much about it. Just focus on having fun!” Her gaze traveled to Christina, a sly look entering her eyes. “But if you were looking for a Queen, I’d tell you that a vessel that’s both as willing as Christina and as versed in the occult as she is doesn’t come along every day. At least not in human form.” She giggled. “Plus she looks really hot in a bikini.”
I knew that from looking at her. A different part of Mareth’s spiel had lodged in my brain, though. “You’d be a willing vessel?” I asked, smirking at Christina.
She didn’t even need to think about it. “Absolutely. Unequivocally.” She made as if to jump into my arms, just barely keeping a straight face. “Take me now!”
“Alright, alright,” I said, nearly breaking into laughter myself. “You don’t need to make fun of me.”
Christina shook her head. “I’m not. I... look, I…”
“Spit it out,” I said, looking at Mareth. “We’ve got to get going.”
Christina sighed heavily. “Lucifer was right,” she admitted, giving me a don’t you dare make a joke kind of look. “After you finished fixing my computer, I was totally going to fuck you. And maybe more than that—I mean, fuck. You’re like a totally different person, Luke. Even before we ended up meeting Lucifer—you’re ripped, you own your own business, there’s that whole ‘unrequited love’ thing to make the sex totally savage…”
I coughed. “Well, damn.”
“You’re exactly the kind of guy I feel like I’ve been looking for for so freaking long,” she finished. “Seriously. So yeah. Why not have a little fun?”
I’m not different, though, I thought bitterly. Maybe on the outside. But I’m still the same dude deep down, Christina. Why weren’t you into me then, huh?
Mareth raised her hands. “Obviously I can cut the sexual tension in here with a knife,” she purred, her long tongue dangling from the side of her mouth. “You can’t hide anything from me—I’m a succubus. Which means I can totally feel how much the two of you want to bone.” She gave me a look. “Don’t get weird about it—it’s one of those things you’ll have to get used to, dealing with demons.”
“Noted,” I said. “What are you suggesting?”
Mareth shrugged. “That if you’re going to bond with Christina, you do it now. You’re still a human, after all—even with the Prince of Darkness’s blessing, the other demons at the Academy are going to try and eat you alive. The more power you have when you walk through those doors, the better.” She crossed her arms beneath her ample breasts. “So if you had a girl bound to you already—or two girls—you’d be in a much better position than if you entered your freshman year alone.”
I thought about it. “Sounds like a win-win,” I said, nodding. “So...wait. Are you saying Christina and I should have sex right now?”
Christina seized the initiative. The blonde stepped forward, her posture changing in a dozen tiny ways as she stepped up to me. Her eyes smoldered, her pouty lips parted slightly as she bit down on the bottom one with her white, even teeth.
“Why not?” She sounded bold—as if she were shocked by her own boldness. “We’ve got a table. You could throw me down on it right now.”
My heart pounded in my chest like a jackhammer. God damn this girl was shameless.
She ground herself against me, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Or would you rather bend me over?” Her clothing shimmered, replaced with the skimpy string bikini she and Mareth had modeled a few moments ago. “Tug this shit to the side and ram yourself hilt-deep into my tight, wet little pussy. Because it is wet, Luke—it’s so fucking wet for you right now. You want to claim me? Give me that hot, savage fuck you were planning, pound me into the table the way you wanted to pound me into the bed—”
My hands went to her waist. In moments, the two of us were making out hot and heavy, her tongue sliding into my mouth as she grabbed my hair with both hands. I gave her ass a slap, then lifted her into my arms, preparing to carry her to
