Mob Sorcery 5 - Ch30

Organizing a meetup with everyone involved in Mei’s assassination took longer than Vince thought. Alessia turned out to be the main holdup.

“I’m not hosting an enforcer who tried to assassinate me inside Lionetti Tower,” she told him after they returned from the house viewing. “Especially as you still haven’t finalized the contract with her.”

“Our lawyers are going over it,” he said. “And you can’t deny she’s useful. She put us on to Kreesa, when the horsegirl enforcer we captured knew basically nothing.”

“She’s still a loose cannon, and one on basically every watchlist in the US. About the only federal agency not interested in her is the IRS.” Alessia rolled her eyes. “Even the Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation wants her, but apparently she files her taxes on-time and without error.”

Vince let the problem slide, especially as Alessia intended to organize somewhere to meet that wouldn’t let Hamelin behind vital security measures. He suspected she held similar reservations about Ashley.

Before he left, Alessia called out to him.

“Have you spoken to Ronin recently?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Last time I messaged him, he said he needed to avoid me for a while.”

Alessia pursed her lips. “I can understand why, but we’d be playing into Kreesa’s hands if we don’t use our connections. Yesterday, somebody suggested that we’d stooped to the level of raiding other enforcers in their homes. I explicitly denied that I’ve contracted anyone to do so, or would accept it, and that was enough. But it’s clear your visit to Hamelin’s bunker was noticed and they’re feeding information to others.”

“Anzu said she and her sister were being monitored.” His expression hardened. “I guessed that meant me as well, but didn’t think that hard.”

“Your ring prevents scrying, so that means Kreesa and her allies are deploying physical manpower. The real problem is they’re trying to sabotage us. Even suggestions that we’re assaulting enforcers at home will crush my ability to hire. While we’re moving you, at no point did anyone attack your apartment.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You think they wouldn’t try that now?”

Alessia snorted and gave him a half-smile. “Hardly. But the thing about dealing with corruption is that the rules only ever apply to you, not the corrupt. Houou received slap on the wrist after slap on the wrist for what they did, but if anyone ever struck back, that permanently lowered the bar and was the nuclear option. It’s taken until now for them to finally be so vulnerable that another misstep will destroy them utterly. But…”

She let the word linger in the air, as if expecting him to finish her sentence.

“You think Kreesa is trying to bait us into doing something rash, so that Houou doesn’t look bad? So the foxes escape consequences again,” he said, reaching for something.

“Right now, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Houou’s civil war will leave them immensely vulnerable, and potentially destroy them,” Alessia said. “The enforcer system has been under a lot of strain lately. If we lash out indiscriminately, our actions might be used to retroactively justify Houou’s. It’s why Quintus is being so careful. If there’s anyone’s lead I want to follow during a civil war, it might be a demon who has seen half of them.”

“He did see this coming months ago.”

With the politics swirling in his head, Vince left and messaged Ronin.

We need to talk. Learned some big stuff, Vince sent his friend.

Monday passed quickly while he waited for a reply. For the first time in a while, Vince found the time to train in the massive atelier with Nina and Nicki.

Ronin messaged him back shortly before dinner. I have a feeling this is related to the big hit against you up north. It’s still hard to meet. Can’t do it through Livia?

Vince nearly accepted that, but hesitated.

Could he trust this with Livia? Sure, she’d given him hints about REAT activities, but he had no clue who Kreesa had her claws into. Both Livia and her sister, Via, worked with Kreesa. Any information he passed through them could end up with exactly the wrong person.

I need somebody who reports directly to Frost, Vince replied

Ronin began typing back immediately. Official? He added a couple of ice emojis.

Meeting with him might make things hard, and I bet he already has some idea what’s happening. Plus, he might not want to see me.

Hard to say. He’s usually patient, but this redeployment has him ill-tempered. Ronin added an animated emoji of an ice cube melting. Finding somewhere we can meet privately will be hard. The Yakuza aren’t the only people watching me, even if they’re being subtle.

So, even the cops were being monitored by Kreesa’s allies in Houou. Vince half-wondered if Inaba had traitors.

Then again, it wasn’t as if Inaba would have a monopoly on foxes capable of stealth.

A private place to meet, ideally close to where Ronin was deployed, and that nobody would find their presence too strange… Both he and Ronin came from the south, although not the exact area currently on lockdown. But Vince retained few friends, and Ronin kept his nose clean.

Save one particular establishment. Salome’s club dwelled on the southern edges of the city center, neatly straddling the slums, downtown, and industrial sector at once. A great place to deal drugs and meet up for orgies.

Let’s meet at Salome’s, he told Ronin. Nobody will bat an eye if we head there late at night.

I don’t go to succubi haunts. Ronin’s message lacked audio, but Vince easily imagined his friend’s steely tone. I’ll stand out.

Please. I bet tons of cops in your precinct know the place and go there regularly, especially on their current deployment.

Ronin didn’t reply for fifteen minutes. That gave Vince the opportunity to heat up a burrito in the penthouse kitchen while Pola rolled around on the sofa watching something mind-numbing and overly loud. Several influencers maybe half as attractive as Pola tried to guess the main ingredient in a cocktail inside a bar that probably wouldn’t let them in if they weren’t sponsored.

I found someone who knows the place and will act as my partner, Ronin eventually replied. Tomorrow night or Thursday? I’m busy the rest of the week.

Busy for Ronin meant actual work. He couldn’t wander off his patrol without raising suspicions, which was exactly what Vince wanted to avoid.

Tomorrow, Vince said. I’ll want an early night so I’m ready for Valentine’s Day.

He focused on training again on Tuesday. Very few tertiary matters remained, and the imminent assault on the Yakuza dominated his mind.

The house was taken care of, most of the political intricacies could be left to fester, and he’d organized what he could for Valentine’s Day on Wednesday. If he trained and stayed out of the way of assassination attempts, he’d be good to take out Mei.

Evening came. He’d confirmed all his bookings for tomorrow. Six dates in a single day would destroy him, but he had to try.

Breakfast with Nina, who got him for the night before. Then a brunch date at a nice café in Gaby’s neck of the woods with Fia, as he’d spotted somewhere that might suit her tastes. Gaby would take him for a ride on her bike downtown, and he’d let her treat him to whatever she wanted—she’d been specific about that, for some reason.

Then he’d meet Ally for a late lunch downtown. Finding restaurants both good enough for the Lionetti Sisters and that offered a private room nearly required him to sell his soul. Anzu provided him a booking in the fancy sushi restaurant he’d met Toya in after their meeting, without any prompting. While he suspected he’d have to repay the favor, he didn’t look the gift horse in the mouth.

For Pola, he went romantic with a boat ride in the harbor. Lucia organized it given the security risks. He’d half-expected to be refused.

“If Houou assassinates you on Valentine’s Day, every succubus in the city will gang up and erase them overnight,” Lucia drawled. “This is their Christmas. The amount of shit they sell for a single day of dates and relentless fucking must be through the roof. I recommend not eating any chocolate the enforcers offer you unless you want to spend the day rock-hard.”

“You seriously think they’ll drug me?” he asked her.

“They’re not going to roofie you, but they won’t see the problem with giving you an erection that causes your pants to explode and need ‘emergency care.’” She grinned at him. “Fia and Pola already broke up a plan by the younger ones to induce heat, catch you by surprise, and beg you to take care of them.”

Damn. Where had these horny wolfgirls been the rest of his life?

Then again, he was pretty sure Concetta had gotten him in similar circumstances at the Prefect’s Lounge. Guys didn’t say no to a cute wolfgirl grinding in their lap talking about how they couldn’t help themselves, and that they just needed a little relief.

“Okay, yeah, I’m not touching the chocolate,” he said. “Or maybe I’ll save it.”

Free libido boosters were free libido boosters. Lucia laughed at his expression.

After his boat ride with Pola, where he expected to need one of those special chocolates, the day would end with Alessia. She had him for the night, but first came dinner.

Once again, finding a restaurant proved difficult. Her combined position as CEO, family heir, and mafia don meant she had probably been to every fancy dining joint in the city. Maybe a romantic visit would be different.

Yet that had given him the idea. What Alessia lacked was romance, particularly the cozy kind. So he asked Nina and Fia to drag Pola out somewhere while he took over the penthouse. While he might not be able to cook, he could reheat some fancy food and cuddle up to her in the penthouse. A candlelit dinner in her own home would hopefully be touching, rather than cheap.

Those were his plans. He ran over them while waiting for Nicki to show up in the atrium of Lionetti Tower. A few security guards passed him with nods.

“You look way too nervous for a meeting with Ronin,” Nina said. The lioness appeared beside him and leaned over his shoulder. “Oh. Your insane plans for tomorrow. You need to fuck Lucia all day Thursday to thank her for helping with the transport and security.”

“Hey, I’m helping too,” Nicki protested.

“You’re flying him to a café in the morning and then joining your sister for a Valentine’s Day stream.” Nina frowned at Nicki. “Vince didn’t secretly fill you with eggs, did he?”

Both pairs of Nicki’s wings puffed out, turning into black feathery puffballs. “I’d be getting my own date tomorrow if I was! I’m painting eggs with Bree. Painting!”

“Eggs that she laid…”

“Duh.” Nicki flicked her purple highlights. “These are special edition eggs or something. She sometimes signs them, but these are decorative. Some magical process preserves them, she paints them, and the guy who buys them gets a video of the entire process—start to finish.”

“What counts as ‘wo?’” Vince asked.

“Uh… I think the laying. Bree doesn’t talk about how she keeps up the egg laying, and I think her clients prefer it that way. Pretty sure she moved to chemical inducement recently, although it’s really controversial. Some certifiers won’t grade eggs that didn’t come from…” Nicki made a penis-into-vagina gesture with her fingers.

“Wow. That’s a rabbit hole I did not know existed.” He shook his head, then looked the two over. “I can’t tell if we’re going for a fight, or a night on the town.”

Nicki wore a skintight sweater with a heart cutout over her illusioned cleavage, plus lycra leggings. Her lipstick and general appearance suggested ‘girls night.’ Or date night, but tomorrow was Valentine’s Day.

By contrast, Nina dressed in her enforcer gear. Unsubtle.

“I’m meeting Bree downtown to mope about tomorrow.” Nicki hunched her shoulders and looked to the side. “It’s an annual tradition. We’ll fly back and pick you up once you’re done.”

We, huh. Vince wondered if he’d finally meet Nicki’s sister.

“And I’m here because you’re still in danger.” Nina placed her hands on her hips. “Hamelin might think Juliet isn’t touching you, but the vampire’s an idiot. If she knows tomorrow is off limits, that means they’ll strike tonight. You go somewhere alone, they’ll strike.”

“Fair. Let’s go. Don’t want to keep Ronin waiting. He might have fun,” Vince said.

Salome’s club glowed downtown, with neon lighting pulsing in the darkness of the cold, winter night. Its dingy exterior hid behind the glow, while a small group of people lined up beside the entrance. No drug dealers or pimps hovered nearby. A rarity. No doubt the increased police presence only a stone’s throw away scared them off.

Two bouncers stood by the door as Nicki dropped them off opposite the club.

“Damn, it’s so busy.” Nicki gawked at the line. “What the fuck?”

More people joined the line. But it moved quickly, especially as patrons slipped out as they watched.

“Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day,” Nina said. “People are buying their fun shit. Figured I might be able to grab one of those heat lollipops and go nuts with Vince one day.” She leered at him and rubbed a hand through his hair.

“I don’t think Salome sells muscle strengtheners good enough to withstand you going all out, Nina,” he drawled. “But yeah, they’re buyers. Not sure if we’ll have to line up. You can head off and join Bree, unless you want something?”

Nicki bit her lip, then shook her head. She fluttered away without another word.

Snickering, Nina crossed the street.

One of the bouncers wore a suit and looked exactly like ordinary Immanuel security. He turned and held a hand out to Nina and Vince.

“End of the line, bubs,” the demon said, then looked away.

Nina’s lip curled, but the other bouncer saw them.

A vaguely familiar succubus in lacy lingerie, a babydoll, and little else glanced at them. Her eyes widened. She shoved the suited demon at the line and practically bounced over to Vince.

“Stocking up for tomorrow, V?” the succubus purred. “The chief bitch is busy, but I can keep you company. Or get another girl to help.”

Nina rubbed the bridge of her nose. She appeared to be invisible to the succubus. Meanwhile, the suited demon spun and stared at Vince, his jaw hanging open. The people in the line appeared confused.

“I’ll wait for Salome to be available,” Vince said. “And take some private time until then.”

Belatedly, he realized he hadn’t visited Salome since the heist. Usually, he stumbled onto her in the course of his job or because he needed to stock up on energy drinks. Ignoring her for a couple of weeks might land him in the naughty corner.

Then again, she’d ignored him, too. The city was on fire, and she might be inundated with work as Quintus prepared for war.

He and Nina entered the club while the succubus blew him a kiss. Waiting in lines was for people without his connections in Immanuel, apparently.

Another crowd lingered inside. Succubi manned tables to one side of the entrance, stacked high with various goods. Demonstration products stood nearby. Vince stared at the comically large dildos and fleshlights.

“Don’t answer this, but would you ever want it that big?” he asked Nina.

“I think you can take stuff that makes it feel good, but otherwise, hell no,” she growled.

A succubus by the door noticed them and began to direct them to the line for the goods. Then blinked.

“Salome’s buried in work for Hierum, V,” the succubus said. She placed a hand on her hip. “She didn’t say you were coming, but that could mean a lot of things. Shit’s fucking busy. Have some drinks on the house while you wait.”

She strode over to the bar, and her tail gestured for them to follow with pointy bounces. Or maybe she wanted Vince to stare at her massive ass in the see-through red leotard she wore. He’d gotten a glimpse of red pasties over her nipples and genitals.

“I feel we’ve met,” he said. “But it’s hard to tell. Your appearance has definitely changed.”

“Maybe you’re just shooting in the dark, but it’s impressive if you can tell,” the succubus said. “I’m Carmen. I’m one of Salome’s lieutenants. Usually I handle logistics near the docks, but things are wild right now.” A grin stretched across her face as she winked at Nina. “I gave V a double blowjob with Salome for his birthday once.”

“Nice to know,” Nina said flatly.

Oh. That explained why he remembered her. He’d turned twenty-one and Salome wanted to really make sure he remembered the date.

“So, you here for supplies, a booty call”—Carmen pointed upward at Salome’s office—“or something else?”

Vince looked around. By the time he returned his gaze to Carmen, the succubus had already cast an aural ward around them.

“I should talk to Salome,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “But I’m meeting two cops here.”

Carmen nodded, but otherwise didn’t react. “I can guess one will be your pal, Ronin. The booths are all warded. Masks with privacy wards are free if you need them.”

“We would have been spotted the moment we came in,” Nina said.

That got a fierce reaction, as Carmen’s red eyes narrowed to slits and a shadow fell over her face. “Been some mutts who don’t know their limits hanging around Aulfair lately. If they think they can spy on us, I’ll teach them a lesson.” She stepped away and waved at the bar. “Enjoy your drinks and your night. Try to relieve some of Salome’s tension, V. Girl needs it.”

Nina stared after Carmen in confusion, even after the succubus walked out the front door.

Meanwhile, the bartender approached them. “What can I get you, V?”

“Something energizing that won’t keep me up all night. I need to be up early and fit,” Vince said.

“Usually I’d bitch about obscure requests, but that one I do understand.” The bartender chuckled, flipped a glass into one hand, and began pouring something from a premix station. “What about your girl?”

Nina turned and ran her eyes over the spirits stacked up on the bar. “A decent bourbon on the rocks.”

“We don’t add anything to our mixers,” the bartender said.

Nina grunted but didn’t change her order. Shrugging, the bartender grabbed what Vince recognized as a pretty expensive barrel-proof bourbon and poured it over a huge rock of ice.

“Flag down one of the succubi on the floor if you want more,” the bartender said as he served the drinks.

Vince and Nina walked around the bar and past the booths of goods. A dance floor surrounded by booths sat on the far side, and open doors led into more interesting parts of the club. Patrons in varying states of dress mingled and drank while a couple of half-naked succubi wandered the floor. They grabbed an empty booth and felt the wards fire up.

“That was a fierce reaction from the succubus,” Nina said.

“You just told her that someone was spying on people coming and going from a club that values privacy,” Vince said. “This isn’t some random club. Every two-bit dealer and pimp has been shut down by the cops around here, but Salome is openly selling shit that was illegal well before Davis’s crackdown.” He sipped his drink, which flooded his body with magic. “We might even find out something about who’s watching us.”

Fifteen minutes later, Ronin and another cop arrived. Even out of uniform, they looked like police. The way they stood, khaki pants, boots, the hairstyle, broad-shouldered, overly serious. A few customers shot them uneasy glances.

Then Carmen walked in after them, slapped Ronin’s partner on the ass and waved them past the bar.

Ronin awkwardly joined Vince and Nina in the booth. His partner, a catfolk male, shot Ronin a wink and slipped back toward the line buying questionable stuff.

“You look like you’ve never set foot in one of these places before,” Nina said. “Didn’t you used to get up to crazy stuff with Vince all the time?”

“Yeah, like a decade ago,” Ronin said, shoulders hunched. “And I avoided the worst stuff he did with Immanuel. We jacked cars, drank underage, and beat up some assholes in the slums.”

“I don’t think coming here counts as ‘the worst stuff,’” Vince said.

“It’s on your rap sheet.” Ronin frowned at their drinks. “Given this place has an oddly good rep and is apparently immune to the law, I’m assuming the drinks are untouched.”

“They only add stuff if you explicitly ask.”

“Then I’ll—”

Nina held Ronin down while Vince flagged down a succubus. She ordered another bourbon, making it a double this time, while he got a beer.

“Wow. Next time, just walk in wearing your uniform,” the succubus said. “You’ll look hotter and get pussy easier.”

Ronin stared at the succubus as she walked away, then back at Vince. “Is it that obvious?”

“Here? Absolutely,” Vince said. “You might be the first person to order a beer all day.”

“Shit.” He ran a hand down his face. “Training does not cover this. Maybe I should ask Livia or Via…”

The succubus returned with their drinks, including a bonus pink one for Vince, after a minute.

“Chief bitch ordered that for you. Said to come up once you finish… uh, whatever you and your friend are going to do to the lioness.” The succubus looked Nina up and down, before quickly retreating.

“There is a reason I don’t come here,” Nina muttered into her bourbon. “But holy shit, Vince, Salome treats you like a fucking king. Why isn’t she part of your plans for tomorrow?”

He frowned, unsure how to answer that. “I’ll be honest, I’ve never thought too hard about our relationship.”

“Wow. Sounds like you and me.” His girlfriend wrapped an arm around him. “I won’t complain, as I really don’t want to compete with a succubus who can look like your actual dreams.”

Ronin cleared his throat. “Not to interrupt, but…”

“Shit, sorry.” Nina looked uncomfortable. “I forget you’re still single. Or…” A grin stretched across her face. “I’ve heard some things from the Lionetti enforcers.”

“Not your business.” Ronin’s face turned to stone.

Nina raised her hands, palms out. “Got it. Your life, your rules. I do recommend telling the girls that, though.”

“Noted.” Ronin slugged back some of his beer before raising an eyebrow at Vince. “So? What’s going on? That big hit caused a fuss. The conference is over and Davis is actually worried about his political opponents instead of witch-hunts for once, so the attitude is different to what happened downtown.”

“Plus no dead cops or civvies,” Vince said.

Ronin nodded. “Very different MO. Clearly used to operating in Aulfair. I’m doubtful they were Yakuza for that reason, given the org is basically dead here. Juliet might be dumb enough to take work from them, but everyone else? The mage colleges have blacklisted Mei Suwa. Even so, blowing up an entire street while no cops show up and the press ignores it was damn strange.”

“The cops are one thing, but we don’t want to give Houou’s civil war too much attention,” Vince said. “We’re worried that might be the point.”

“That explains why Trippych is laying off Kochhar for a bit. It helps that the presidential primaries make for a good distraction in the political pages, so nobody has noticed.”

“Except you,” Nina said. “And probably half the force.”

“There are entire teams in the department doing media watch, so Trippych’s sudden shift rang alarm bells,” Ronin said. “Sounds like your problem is with us, though. Or the precinct up there.”

Vince nodded. “To be blunt, two separate people have said Kreesa organized the hit.”

Ronin stared at him, unmoving. Seconds passed.

His friend leaned back and drank nearly half his beer in a few gulps. Then he stared at his drink.

Clearly watching them closely, the succubus swung by. “Need another?”

“Sure,” Ronin said.

Even before the succubus returned, he’d regained his composure.

“The shit she pulled at the hotel was one thing, but organizing a hit? That’s insane.” Ronin pressed a hand against his temple. “Who are your sources?”

“Hamelin, who helped do the hit and met her with Juliet, and the Inaba twins,” Vince said.

His friend crossed his arms. “Vince, don’t take this the wrong way, but those aren’t the best sources. Kreesa is clearly corrupt and backing the opposing faction in Houou, which gives Inaba an incentive to get rid of her. And Hamelin… Well, she’s insane.”

“Is she known for lying?”

“… That depends on your definition. A lot of what she does is fairly petty, despite her storied record. The feds hate her because a unicorn knight stood between the marshals and Hamelin when she fled the country, so they throw random shit at her that gets ignored in Aulfair to keep the peace with her vampiric backers.”

“Vampiric?” Nina asked. “Wait, is that why she knows Juliet?”

“Probably.” Ronin shrugged. “I don’t have the clearance for the details, but Hamelin obeys more rules than Juliet, at least by enforcer standards.”

“How does the public hit fit in there?” Vince tried the pink drink Salome gave him. It had a floral scent, and he immediately knew what she’d added to it. Not drugs, but something very personal.

“It pisses us off, but you also burned down Main Street.” Ronin gave him a pointed look. “The enforcer rules that bother the police are different to what the conglomerates care about. So… Yeah, I guess if Hamelin is fingering an elemental, I’d believe it. Or at least that the cops are involved. Fuck…” His friend slumped on the table. “This all ties into Houou corrupting the force decades ago.”

“Frost has to know,” Vince said.

“I bet he does already. This…” Ronin bit his lip and sat back up. “I’ll talk to him about it. But how does it help you, Vince? Especially as it seems you’re getting involved in this mess. The civil war is going to be a fucking disaster, and Frost is going to try to slam everyone who causes trouble.”

That warning alone helped Vince. But he recalled Alessia’s words about corruption, as with Kreesa’s assistance, the opposing faction of Houou would get away scot-free with their bullshit.

“I’m going after Mei and the Yakuza shortly,” Vince said. “Nothing’s happening down here. I know Frost can’t go in, because the other elementals won’t back him up, and Houou is similarly paralyzed. If nobody moves, Mei escapes. I refuse to accept that. But if I hit the Yakuza, I don’t want the cops showing up to arrest me.”

Ronin relaxed. “That’s easy. Frost hates this whole situation. As much as he hates enforcers running amok in public, we’ve already locked down the entire district. The sooner you resolve it, the better. And in his eyes, if you die trying, it doesn’t matter.”

“Thanks,” Nina said drily.

“I’d offer to help if I could, but…” Ronin mimed being handcuffed. “Give me a heads-up about any operation, and I can ensure we stay out of your way without letting the Yakuza go nuts. But if you do run into us down there...”

“We’ll wear the shit.” Vince nodded.

His old friend nodded back, then raised a fist. The two of them bumped their fists together.

“It’s nice to actually help you. Like back when you tangoed with Kaziern.” Ronin grinned.

As much as Vince wanted to kill time with his friend, this wasn’t the place to do it. Or the time. No amount of free drinks killed the awkwardness Ronin showed whenever the nearly naked succubus strolled past or some customers openly took illicit drugs near them.

Nina remained in the booth while Vince saw Ronin off at the entrance. The catfolk policeman was nowhere to be seen, but Carmen waved Ronin out the door.

“I found a fox and a batgirl paying too much attention outside.” Carmen walked Vince to the stairs up to Salome’s office. “Didn’t get anything out of the fox, but I gave him a reminder of how things work. The batgirl melted. Somebody hired a whole agency to spy on a bunch of people, including specific cops down here.”

“A whole agency?” Vince asked.

“Rotating PIs. Not necessarily the best, but can’t be cheap. Probably intended to cover for the fox, or maybe they just wanted to know if anyone being watched tried to protect themselves.” The succubus shrugged. “I got them before the cops got here, but there’s still a risk they’ll pay more attention and notice. We’re not immune to scrying.”

Vince was, but understood the point. Somebody—most likely Kreesa’s allies—wanted to know everything their enemies were doing. He’d find out later if they’d kept the meeting secret.

The door to Salome’s office remained firmly closed. He tried it, and it opened. A woody scent greeted him, alongside peppermint and hints of lemon. What little sexual stimulation he’d felt from being next to Carmen faded away upon entering. The lights were on, revealing tacky decorations on the walls and highly sexual furnishings, including a massive love-heart shaped bed.

For the first time in his memories, Salome sat at a small desk beside her bed. She tapped away at a slim pink laptop. Spreadsheets glowed on its screen.

The succubus herself wore something resembling a black tube dress, except that it perfectly contoured to her abundant curves and barely covered her breasts and crotch. Her lavender skin and piercing red eyes remained as normal, but a pair of black wolf ears twitched atop her head. Gold highlights ran through them. She retained her four curly black horns, as well as her gorgeous looks.

“What’s with the ears?” he asked while closing the door.

“You’ve developed a thing for them, so I figured I’d play along.” Salome turned to face him and raised her hands either side of her head. She then raised and lowered her fingers while her ears twitched. “Cute, no?”

“… I don’t have a thing for them.”

“Suurrrre.” She smirked at him. Her laptop snapped shut. “It’s been a little while. You’ve been busy riling up the city. Battling demigods, attracting Bastet’s attention, and making Quintus act protective. A big change from when he barred me from even seeing you before your big job.”

Vince winced. “I’ve been busier than usual. It’s not like Quintus has ever stopped me from visiting you before, or that I’ve been holed in a penthouse before.”

Laughing, Salome slipped across to the bed and patted it with one hand. “It’s fine. Quintus told me all was forgiven, so long as I didn’t cause any more serious problems.”

“You look busy.” He sat next to her.

“We’ve both been.” Salome leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. Her arms wrapped around him. “Change is in the air, V. It’s electric, just like in France, before they stormed the Bastille. So many players, chaos itself rumbling beneath us, and a single match might burn it all down.”

“It’s that bad?”

Salome giggled and pulled away. She pressed a finger against his nose. “I wouldn’t call it bad. Except… Well, for once, I’m forced to fight the change. Quintus and Immanuel value stability, and I have to admit I like my life here. You’re part of it, after all, and I don’t think you’re ready for me to try to whisk you somewhere else if Davis brings in the army or war between the conglomerates gets hot.”

“How hot is too hot?” Vince asked. “Because Houou’s clan guardians are preparing for war.”

“They can fight each other without bringing down whole city blocks. Worry if Quintus makes a move himself, or if the foxes start using some of the forbidden artifacts they stole from Japan.”

“Like me?” Daji asked, amused.

Salome blinked, then tilted her head. When she narrowed her eyes, Vince quickly distracted her.

“I have been busy, but what is Quintus getting you to do?” he asked. “This can’t be about Valentine’s Day.”

The succubus pursed her lips and shot him a suspicious look. “It’s not. When you prepare for a war, you need good logistics. We’re stockpiling catalysts, infusions, magic tools—everything you can imagine. Kochhar and Davis will probably cut off catalyst imports once the foxes start flinging spells at each other. Internal suppliers are useful, but Aulfair is far from self-sufficient. It’s the real power Davis holds over us.”

Vince’s mind clicked with the problem. “The navy.”

“Yes. We can blow it up, but that’s a big step. Teleporting around it means getting around NOMAD, which might cost more catalysts than we bring through. Given Quintus wants Houou to have a quick and brutal civil war, playing along with federal restrictions is wiser than fighting them.”

Did Alessia know? Salome’s expression suggested he was an idiot for even thinking as much.

The difference was that Quintus had probably been planning this for months. Hadn’t the owl merchant selling infusions downtown mentioned that the demons and vampires had been buying infusions in bulk, even after everyone stopped after the conference? Houou only increased their demand relatively recently, but Vince also remembered Immanuel only stopped smuggling during the conference.

For a company as large as Immanuel, it was difficult to tell apart business-as-usual from a surge in activity. Something Quintus used to his advantage.

“What about you?” Salome’s eyes flickered. “There’s something different.”

He grimaced. “Not here. Even with your wards, it’s too dangerous.”

“Got it.” She nodded. “Ashley’s all but said she’s doing some immensely dangerous job with you. I also know you’re moving. Once you do, I’ll pay you a visit and I expect you to spill.” Her red eyes gleamed. “But I’ll leave it. Do you have anything specific you want, or was this a social visit?”

Her hands ran over his chest.

“I did want to ask about help with my mental magic defenses,” he said. “But I’m surprised you haven’t asked about Juliet.”

“You know how to kill her now, I imagine. I’m just waiting for the results,” Salome purred.

He grimaced, and Salome froze.

“Really? Even Bastet couldn’t come through for us?” Salome cursed in French.

“No, she did. But I think the vampires leaned on her contact first,” he said. “I got Juliet’s binding weakness, but the sorcerer was too scared to share more. I need a hand-woven burlap sack with hops rubbed inside it. Then I tighten it around her neck.”

Salome’s eyebrow raised. “That sounds almost like hanging. I’ll get you the sack. It might be difficult normally, with how much people love lying about how things are made, but everyone has a fetish and hand-made is one of them. Even if burlap sacks aren’t. But the hops…” She stared into the distance and bit her lip. “I’d wager she’s American, but was turned in an area currently experiencing very high migration.”

“You know something,” he said.

“Whoever intimidated the mage knew that even giving out the binding method would be enough. It’s tied to the region and time. Vampires are traditionally believed to be the souls of criminals and degenerates. Stakes were used for the oldest Eastern European vampires because they believed a stake bound the spirit to the corpse. But the bag placed over the head of someone being hanged might serve a similar purpose, reminding them that they’re dead.”

Grim.

“Juliet wasn’t necessarily hanged, right?” he asked.

Salome shook her head. “It would work on any vampire from her region and time period. Still…” She drummed her fingers along her bare thigh. “I asked for her head, but it’s best if you capture her. I wanted this to be personal, but if a vampire is directly violating the neutrality of the mage colleges, I want Quintus’s input. Maybe we can strike a deal.” A lascivious grin crossed her face. “And I still wouldn’t mind seeing you ruin her with your cock in front of me.”

“Not my—”

She waved him off. “Yes, I know. But maybe she’ll be into it. A girl can dream.”

Frustrated by his refusal to play into her fantasy, Salome pushed him down. He lay back as she crawled along his side and pressed her head against his chest.

But she did nothing more. The succubus lay atop him, her warmth bleeding into his, breathing softly. He wrapped his arms around her.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “I know your lioness is waiting for you, impatient and jealous. Tomorrow, you’ll be oh so busy with your many women. I can’t exhaust you tonight, even if I truly want to. But soon…” She ran her fingers along his cheek and looked him in the eye. “For just a little while, hold me?”

“I can do that,” he said.

Nina frowned at him when he returned fifteen minutes later. Carmen sat opposite her and gave the lioness a wink before leaving.

“Ready?” Vince asked his girlfriend.

“Are you?” Nina responded.

“For now.”

He led Nina outside. Valentine’s Day promised to keep him very busy and overstimulated tomorrow, and he didn’t need any more tits and ass waved in his face tonight.

And after that, they’d finally make their plans to deal with Mei and Kigenai. Everything had nearly come together.

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Commentary: Salome is a good girl.