Innocent Devil’s Harem Ch. 36

March 27, 2021

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<< Chapter 35 | Chapter 1 (Book1) | Chapter 16 (Book 2)

- CHAPTER 36: Tension -

As I sat alone in a metal chair in the middle of an empty concrete room, my arms tethered to the floor by handcuffs and a chain, I began really contemplating if finding out what was so bad about that little black stone was really worth all this effort.

Because clearly, I’d opened myself up to a very unpleasant experience if I couldn’t convince Gabriella’s great-great-grandmother, the full-blooded succubus who spawned their mixed lineage, that I wasn’t a threat to her family.

And I already felt like I was at a disadvantage, since I was half-incubus and felt like I was starting with a guilty verdict right off the bat.

Meaning, I’d have to prove my innocence, already making it an uphill battle.

Fuck.

And to make it worse, I couldn’t hear anything outside of this room, which was bizarre enough on its own, and the person I was meeting was taking her sweet time to come by to chat.

Dammit, how long was Miriam going to make me wait?

Deciding to try to occupy my mind, so I didn’t start freaking out and abandon ship prematurely, I began counting, trying to pace myself so I was counting about once a normal second, in order to give me some semblance of time while I waited.

The door didn’t creak open for nearly fifty minutes, though I had to admit it passed pretty quick thanks to my focus being on the numbers themselves, resulting in me falling into a bit of a trance, rather than focusing on what those numbers meant.

“Hello?” I called out when no one said anything.

There was no response, though I was able to pick up on someone breathing softly, coupled with a slightly elevated heartbeat, only to be hit with a wave of her overpowering scent, suddenly feeling as if someone had dunked my head in a bucket of maple syrup.

Oh shit, she smelled so amazing that Mrs. Rebecca and Gabriella smelt bad by comparison.

Oh fuck, this was not good.

I needed to be able to think straight, and my mind was already feeling drunk from the intoxicating aroma assaulting my orifices.

“Look,” I continued when I didn’t get a response, knowing I needed to focus. “I didn’t come here to have an issue with you, Ms. Miriam.” Was ‘miss’ the right word to use? She wasn’t married, right? I cleared my throat. “I just have reason to believe the black stone my parents left me might be dangerous, and wanted help figuring out what it was. If you can’t help, I’d be happy to leave and not bother you ever again.”

Finally, a youthful voice responded…sounding pissed as hell.

“You’ve used your compulsion on my daughter Rebecca,” she hissed.

“What?” I gasped in surprise. “No, I…” I grimaced. “Well, I sort of did just before we left, but only because she said it was okay!” I exclaimed. “I was anxious about meeting you, especially when you wanted me tied up and blinded, so she let me verify that she was being honest!” I paused when she didn’t respond. “But I’ve never done it before that! And I only did it because she gave me permission first!”

“Repulsive,” she finally snapped. “Absolutely repulsive and disgusting. She said you were different, but now I can see she was wrong.”

“You’re not even giving me a chance!” I retorted in disbelief. “You’re just making assumptions! Why would I put myself in this vulnerable position if I wanted to harm anyone? Seriously! I did everything you asked, and I’m more than happy to leave, if that’s what you want!”

“And what about what my daughters want?” she demanded, still clearly in the doorway. “You’ve forced your will on both Rebecca and Gabriella too, and now they’ll never be the same!”

I didn’t know what to say, feeling like she’d just punched me in the gut even though I was across the room.

“B-But Gabriella was the one who pursued me, not the other way around! I tried to avoid her when I first met her, and even after that I was reluctant to get to know her!”

“Lies,” she snapped. “Everything out of your mouth is a lie.”

Okay, that made me pissed.

“Seriously?” I hissed, feeling enraged now. “If you think I’m lying, then don’t you have some kind of way to prove it? Instead of making these empty accusations?” I scoffed, my tone cold now. “Surely, if you can use magic then there must be some kind of spell to divulge the truth.”

“Oh, I have a way,” she retorted. “I’m just not sure I have any interest in bothering to use it.”

“That doesn’t even make sense!” I snapped, my muscles tensing, my skin graying. “Is it just because you hate incubi and all their children? Is that what it is?! I didn’t choose to be born the way I am! And even despite what I can do, I’ve avoided using my abilities! Do you really think I want to live an empty life where I have no idea if anyone even loves me for real?!”

“You’re angry,” she said in a cool tone.

“Well yeah, I’m angry,” I snapped back, trying to calm myself down. “Because I came here hoping you could help me, doing everything you asked so I could get your help, and now you’re basically holding me here as prisoner and accusing me of things based on who my father was, not on who I am!”

“Was?” she repeated in a cold tone, not elaborating at all.

Which only left me confused, the abrupt unexpected question cooling me off some.

“I don’t understand what you’re asking,” I finally said, sincerely at a loss.

She sounded irritated, as if she was explaining to a five-year-old. “You said, ‘who your father was,’” she elaborated impatiently.

“Oh.” I paused. “Who my father is? I don’t know. I’m not used to people being immortal, okay? And I’ve never met the guy. Fuck, what in the hell does it even matter?!”

“You’re angry again,” she pointed out.

“Fuck! You’d be angry too,” I snapped. “If you were in my position, being accused of things with no basis, you’d be pissed too! If I knew you were going to be such a bitch, then I wouldn’t have bothered coming!”

“Why did you come here?” she demanded, not seeming at all bothered by my words.

I gritted my teeth at the ridiculous question, and decided to take a second before responding, knowing I needed to calm down before I just up and left, chain or not, handcuffs or not.

“You know what?” I finally said. “Why don’t you tell me why I came here, since it sounds like you’re only going to believe whatever you want to believe.”

She made a weird hissing noise between her teeth. “I haven’t lived this long by offering trust to random strangers,” she said firmly. “Certainly not little boys who can make people do whatever the fuck they want.”

“Except that I can’t do that right now, since I willingly came blindfolded, and I wouldn’t do it even if I wasn’t blindfolded! And fuck, don’t you have a mind stone or something to protect yourself? This is fucking ridiculous.”

She didn’t respond to that, falling silent.

“Shit, you do have a mind stone, don’t you? Of course you would, since Mrs. Rebecca had one! Fuck, can we just have a normal conversation already? We’re wasting time. If you can’t help me, then I could already be out of your hair already.”

“And heading home with one of my daughters,” she snapped.

I sighed heavily, completely at a loss now. “Dammit, what do you want from me? How can I prove that I’m not a danger to them? How can I prove that I sincerely care about them?”

She didn’t respond.

I took a deep breath, my frustration having turned to sorrow for some reason. “You know what? I didn’t want to come here, because I was afraid of something like this happening,” I admitted quietly. “But Mrs. Rebecca spoke highly of you, and promised me that you wouldn’t hurt me. She said you’re a nice person and were only curious. She told me I could trust her, and that I could trust you. She vouched for you.” I sighed. “And so I did everything you asked, because I don’t even know if I can trust my own parents, and I worry about them finding me one day, afraid I won’t know if they truly have my best interest in mind. Or the best interest of those I love.”

She sighed heavily. “Well, someone certainly wants you dead,” she admitted.

The fuck?

“Wait, are you serious?” I said in disbelief. “You mean the black stone? It would have killed me if I used it to see my mother’s message?”

“Yes,” she replied evenly. “That’s what I just spent the last hour doing -- analyzing it. There is a very powerful blood magic curse on it. You would have suffered a very painful death.”

Holy fuck.

Holy fuck!

I couldn’t believe this. Suddenly, being tied to a chair didn’t matter anymore, because I realized I had much bigger problems on my hands. Someone was sincerely trying to kill me.

“But who?” I finally said in disbelief. “Would my father do it? And if so, then why? I mean, he put me with a family and gave me a support system, and…” My voice trailed off.

“I know, I read the letter,” she replied coldly.

“But why would he do that if he wanted me dead? Or was it someone else? Certainly it couldn’t be my mother, right? I mean, if she gave birth to me, then she could have just killed me right then and there.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” she agreed simply.

“Fuck,” I hissed, sitting back more in my seat, unable to wrap my head around what she was telling me.

We were both silent for a long few seconds.

Miriam spoke again, her voice still reserved. “I can remove the curse, so you can see the message, but it will take some time.”

I perked up at that, suddenly doubting my own hearing. “Wait, are you offering to do that?” I said hopefully.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she said coldly.

“Dammit, seriously? Can you please stop playing games already? If you have a way to determine if I’m telling the truth, then please just do it already. I’m not a bad person, and I’m not trying to hurt anyone. I just want to protect my family, and as far as I’m concerned, that includes Gabriella and her mom, okay? I care about them, and want to protect them.”

“They’d be much safer if they just left you,” she snapped.

I sighed heavily. “Yeah, maybe you’re right,” I agreed, seeing no point in trying to argue with her. “But then you’d be making them prisoners too, if you forced that on them. Like, I know you think I’ve made them want me, but I haven’t. I’m just as addicted to them as they are to me, and I sincerely care about them. Are you really going to put them in a room like this to keep them alive? Because maybe Mrs. Rebecca might do what you want, but I don’t think Gabriella would. She’d pick me over you, and not because I compelled her. It’s because she knows me and loves me, whereas it sounds like she doesn’t know you at all.”

Miriam was quiet, not responding for a long few seconds.

“Your aura,” she unexpectedly said. “It’s very different from what I’ve seen before.”

“My lifeforce?” I tried clarifying, recalling Mrs. Watson say something similar when I first met her.

“Yes, that too,” she agreed. “But I’m speaking in a more general sense. Even when your anger spikes, your aura is still…different. Especially for your kind.”

“Different how?” I wondered seriously. “I don’t know if my mother was human, or something else,” I added. “So maybe that’s it?”

“No, your aura is not determined by genetics. It’s determined by everything that makes you, who you are.”

“I don’t understand,” I admitted. “Maybe if you explain how mine is different?”

She hesitated for a long few seconds. “Gentle,” she finally said.

“Meaning?” I prompted.

She sighed. “Gentle, as if, when you’re sincerely pissed, you’d hug me before hitting me, even though you don’t know me.”

I frowned at that, though I knew she couldn’t see it, thanks to the bag on my head. “Yeah, well, I certainly don’t really feel like hugging you right now, but I am very interested in leaving if you keep up with this nonsense.”

“But you’re chained to the floor,” she pointed out.

I scoffed. “Seriously, can you please just use your truth magic, or whatever?”

“I’d have to come much closer to do that,” Miriam said flatly.

I scoffed again. “Well, I’m tied to the floor, as you just pointed out,” I snapped. “And my aura is gentle, even when you’re pissing me off,” I added. “So I don’t see what the problem is.”

“I’d have to touch you,” she admitted.

I shrugged. “Okay? It’s not like I’m going to try biting you. I have a bag on my head.”

“Your lips,” she clarified.

I froze solid. “My lips?” I repeated in disbelief. “Like, with your hand, or…” My voice trailed off, knowing what she must mean. “Umm, okay…well, if you need to kiss me or something, that’s fine.”

She scoffed. “Do you really think I want to kiss such a repulsive creature?”

“Seriously?” I said in disbelief. “You’re a succubus, aren’t you? Does it even matter what your victim looks like? And shouldn’t I be the one who is more worried about you trying to suck out my lifeforce? I mean, fuck! You’re way more dangerous to me than I am to you, because you know exactly what the fuck you’re doing! For all I know, you could kill me from there without even budging an inch!”

She sounded amused now. “Well, I certainly could with the gun I’m holding,” she replied with a soft giggle…which would have been absolutely fucking adorable in any other circumstance.

Any other circumstance.

“Fuck,” I hissed, unable to believe she’d had a gun on me this whole time.

She sighed. “Okay, I’m going to offer you something I rarely give anyone else, and that’s only because everything you’ve said, everything my daughter Rebecca has said, and everything I feel from you is all congruent.”

“And what’s that?” I asked hesitantly.

“I’m going to extend to you a little bit of trust,” she replied flatly. “Although, with some additional stipulations.”

“And what’s that?” I repeated, not sure if this was a good or bad thing.

She didn’t respond to me, instead calling down the hallway. “Gwen, I need you.”

Holy fuck, that chick could run, and in high heels no less.

She was at the doorway in what felt like barely a second’s time.

“Yes, mistress,” she said simply, not at all out of breath, her tone sounding very much like that Rockstar chick with a very feminine, but also low and hoarse voice from her screamo performances.

“I’m going to divulge his secrets.” She paused. “I need you to ensure he doesn’t do anything funny while I do so.”

“Understood, mistress,” she replied, immediately turning into the room and walking toward me.

I couldn’t help but stiffen as she walked past me, only for her to stand behind the chair and gently place her thin fingers on my shoulders, the heat from her palms immediately seeping through my shirt and into my body.

It felt amazing, but also made me suspicious.

“Please tell me you’re not using magic on me,” I hissed in disbelief, feeling like the warmth wasn’t normal.

Miriam had just very noticeably set down a metal object and taken a step into the room, only to stop in her tracks as well, a certain hesitation in her last step. It was then silent for a few seconds, before Gwen spoke tentatively.

“No. I am not using magic on you,” she replied in confusion.

I sighed, deciding to believe her. “Okay, your hands are just hot then.”

Neither of them responded. Or moved.

“What’s wrong?” I asked seriously.

The succubus spoke up. “You think her hands are hot?”

“Umm, yeah. Why? Are they normally cold?”

“No,” she replied hesitantly. “But I do use a spell to keep her temperature at a more normal level.” She paused. “Gwen, come here.”

The woman immediately let go of my shoulders and walked over to her.

There was a short pause.

“No, your temperature is fine,” Miriam commented, only to speak to me. “Are you messing with us right now?” she asked seriously.

“What?” I said in disbelief. “Why would I? I just want you to do your thing, so you can know I’m trustworthy, and we can move on with all this. If I’d known you were going to flip out over me saying her hands were a little hot, then I wouldn’t have said anything.” I sighed. “I just thought maybe she was using magic or something, and would prefer to know what magic is being used on me, if it’s being done.”

Miriam was quiet briefly. “Gwen, how did it feel to touch him?”

The woman was silent.

“Gwen, answer the question.”

“Yes, mistress. Sorry, mistress…” She paused. “It was…not an unfavorable experience. Touching him was…comforting, unlike others.”

Suddenly, Miriam was speaking to me again. “Did you use magic?” she asked seriously.

“I don’t even know how,” I scoffed. “And if I was trying to, then why would I tip you off? Shit, I’m only eighteen. I don’t know shit about shit, especially when it comes to this stuff.”

Gwen unexpectedly laughed only to abruptly stop, probably from Miriam glaring at her.

“Sorry mistress,” she whispered.

“Okay,” Miriam continued, speaking to her. “Well, do as I asked previously, so we can get this over with.”

Gwen silently obeyed, slipping behind me and carefully resting her hands on my shoulders again, only for me to immediately duck my head at the overwhelming sensation bombarding me.

Her hands felt even hotter than before!

And it was filling my core like someone was bathing my insides in warm water, sending a wave of comforting heat all throughout my limbs.

Miriam immediately spoke. “Gwen?” she said in confusion.

“I’m fine,” she said simply. “I feel nothing too strange. Nor am I doing anything strange. It just feels…nice.”

“I’m fine too,” I added, sitting up straight again, Gwen’s heated hands moving with my shoulder. I doubted my captor even cared that I was okay, but wanted to move this along. “Sorry, go ahead.”

It was obvious Miriam was hesitant, but after a few long seconds, she began approaching me again. It wasn’t until she reached me, pausing in front of me for another few seconds and then finally began lifting up her leg to start climbing into my lap, that I became alarmed.

And not just because she was climbing into my lap in the first place.

“Holy fuck,” I hissed in shock. “Why are you so small? Please tell me you look like an adult.”

She scoffed, having paused again, before continuing to straddle my thighs. “Of course I look like an adult,” she snapped. “I’m just short.”

“How short?” I asked seriously. “And how old do you look?”

She sighed, sounded exasperated. “Eighteen or nineteen. Sometimes twenty. Depends on who you’re asking. And I’m four-eleven. Happy now?”

“I guess,” I sighed, feeling uneasy about the fact that her shifting her weight was starting to get me hard. “It’s just you already sound young, and then when I finally felt you touch me, it made me think--”

She abruptly grabbed a fistful of my shirt. “Don’t finish that sentence,” she snapped. “Or I won’t hesitate to slap you in the face.”

I tried to lighten the mood. “Well, that’s better than shooting me with a gun, I guess.”

Gwen laughed again, only to instantly stop when Miriam stiffened in my lap.

“Sorry mistress,” she repeated.

The short succubus in my lap didn’t respond, continuing to shift her weight like she couldn’t get comfortable, her hands moving to my chest and beginning to feel my muscles. For a second, I was hoping she was just taking her time working her way up to undo the belt securing the bag over my head, but now I wasn’t so sure…

And fuck, why did she keep shifting her weight in my lap?

Why was she touching me like this?

I cleared my throat, trying to distract myself from my rapidly enlarging member. “Umm, so are all succubi short?” I wondered hesitantly.

She shocked me by laughing for the first time, suddenly sounding like a completely different person, as if we were magically best friends, her tone much more relaxed and easygoing. “Are all humans short?” she asked playfully, only to giggle. “No, of course not,” she then continued in the same amused tone, her thin index finger suddenly seeming very interested in my left nipple, giving it way too much attention. “I’m just short. The reason why all my children are of normal height is because the man who spawned my first daughter was very tall.”

I cleared my throat. “Oh, umm--”

She abruptly pinched my nipple, hard, sending a wave of unexpected pleasure throughout my body, even as my cock pulsed beneath her tiny little ass, with Gwen’s strong hands keeping me firmly in place.

“Fuck, can you not do that?” I hissed in disbelief, confused as hell about what was happening right now. Why was she taking so much time to kiss me?

“What?” she said playfully, reaching down to lift my shirt up a little, only to slip both of her small warm hands against my bare skin. “You want me to stop making you aroused?”

“I mean…I thought you said I was disgusting,” I managed, feeling even more uneasy when Gwen’s hands gently rubbed my shoulders reassuringly, only to return to their original position, her radiating heat still seeping into my core.

Fuck, I had no idea what either of these women looked like, only having a general idea of body shape, and yet they were both turning me on so much.

The succubus in my lap sighed, beginning to play with both of my nipples now, gripping and pinching and tugging, not having the shirt in the way to hinder her anymore. “Seduction is a vital part of a succubus’s existence,” she explained, sounding very educational now. “And seduction is also how a lot of our magic fundamentally works. Your arousal will be the catalyst and fuel for what I need to do.” She paused. “Unless you want me to try tapping into your lifeforce instead?” she wondered, sounding almost mocking as she gripped both of my nipples firmly and twisted.

“Fuck,” I hissed, unable to believe how powerful the waves of pleasure running through my body were. “Umm, no. Arousal is fine,” I finally managed, my head swimming now, knowing I was starting to create a wet spot in my pants as she continued to shift her weight, even as she felt my bare chest and played with my nipples more.

“Well, you’re definitely a sex demon,” she said, sounding amused. “Seems like you don’t have a particular erogenous zone, with it being more like your whole body likes being touched.” She paused. “I’m the same, so it’s normal.”

“H-How do you know that about me?” I gasped, finding myself starting to wish she’d do a little more than this single kiss we were working up toward. Fuck, I didn’t even care if she was ugly at this point, though I was certain she was probably gorgeous, desperately wishing she’d change her mind about my pants still being on and decide to sit in my lap with my cock buried inside her.

“It’s a succubus thing,” Miriam said simply, only to reach over and begin rubbing my forearm. “Although, this transformation phenomenon is a little weird. None of my daughters could do anything like that. But then again, we don’t look much like demons, unlike most incubi.”

“M-Might have to do with my mother,” I gasped, my body beginning to tremble as it yearned for release.

“Hmm,” she purred, finally reaching up to the belt holding the bag in place. “You’re just about ready,” she whispered, beginning to slowly undo it. “Now, you’ll be a good boy for me and behave, right?”

“Of course,” I gasped, feeling her delicate hands gently rub my neck once it was loose. “I’d do as you asked either way.”

“Oh?” she replied, sounding amused. “And why is that?” she wondered.

I tried to focus on my breathing as she seemed to get heavier, like she was somehow forcing more of her weight on my cock. Honestly, despite her size, she was actually heavier than I would have anticipated.

“B-Because I need your h-help,” I stammered.

“Hmm, I suppose that’s true,” she agreed, only to speak to her maid. “Gwen, carefully lift the bag up just past his nose, but don’t take it off.”

“Yes, mistress,” she replied, letting go of my shoulders to do as she asked.

“You know the signal if I don’t like what I see,” Miriam continued. “And if what I see is harmless, then we can take the bag off.”

“Mistress,” she whispered in surprise. “Are you sure?”

Miriam actually hesitated, seeming to become preoccupied with tugging on my nipples again as she considered her response. “Yeah, I’m sure,” she finally said.

“Very well, mistress,” she replied, having folded the bag up to my nose.

I then felt the short succubus lean forward, her hot breath suddenly on my neck, only for her soft lips to follow.

And instantly, I was on the verge of exploding.

Miriam tensed briefly, only to giggle softly. “Wow, you just went from ‘almost ready’ to overflowing with lust. Damn, this is way more than I need for this spell. I might have to feed a little on this after I determine if I can really trust you.”

“Y-You’re m-more than w-welcome to,” I stammered, my entire body trembling as I tried to hold still even as she continued to plant gentle tender kisses along my neck. Fuck, I knew sex wasn’t anything special for her, since I was sure she did it all the time, and I knew I certainly wasn’t anything special to her either, but holy shit was she making me feel special right now.

Really special.

She touched me like an intimate lover.

“Hmm, yeah, I think I will,” she finally said, abruptly sitting up and grabbing my face. “Now, show me who you really are,” she said seductively, leaning in closer.

My breath caught in my throat when I suddenly felt her lips mere millimeters from mine, her hot breath entering my mouth, as if she was trying to get as close as possible without touching, her entire face radiating passion into my skin.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I closed the gap, what little there was, desperate to kiss her…

Only to freeze solid the moment our lips touched, unexpectedly feeling dizzy, my mind feeling disoriented as I suddenly couldn’t remember where I was.

---

“I love you, baby Kai,” she whispered to me, holding me in her arms, looking so small, even while I was so much smaller.

A baby.

I was a baby, only two, and she was seven.

Holding me in her arms.

“My little angel,” Serenity whispered. “I love you so much.”

So much…

---

No…no, I was too late. I killed the man who was hurting her, but…

Her heart wasn’t beating anymore.

I stared down at my small blood-covered hands, unexpectedly recalling that I was nine years old, my fingers trembling. My whole body trembling.

Sirens were blaring in the distance, growing closer, so much closer, and yet I couldn’t move.

All I could do was stare at her vacant expression, her dark skin starting to look dark gray…

Like mine…

“I’m so sorry,” I whimpered, my vision blurry. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you.”

I couldn’t save you…

---

They were laughing at me. My mom and dad died, and they were calling me names.

Calling Serenity names.

Unforgivable.

I hate them.

I HATE them.

I’ll never trust them again.

Never…

---

“Serenity!” I exclaimed, knowing the dinner she was preparing was already starting to burn.

“What?” she retorted, clearly stressed from attending the police academy while holding a fulltime job on top of it, all so she could prove to the courts that she could take care of me. “I’m following the recipe!”

“Just let me do it,” I replied. “You do enough. I can do it.”

“You’re still a kid,” she snapped. “I should be the one to cook your meals.”

“No,” I said firmly. “From this moment onward, I am banning you from the kitchen. You can boil water, if you really need to. Otherwise, I’m cooking.”

“Kai…” she whispered uncertainly, only to sigh heavily. “I love you,” she added quietly.

“I love you too, Ren. It’s fine. I’ll do it from now on.”

From now on…

---

“Kai?” she asked urgently. “Kai, what’s wrong?”

“I’m fine,” I snapped, not wanting to talk about it.

“Kai, talk to me,” she pleaded. “Please. Don’t shut me out like this. Not like last time.”

I grimaced, knowing what she was talking about.

Knowing how I’d become depressed when I was nine and wouldn’t talk to anyone about it.

But what could I say?

I had to keep my secret.

I sighed. “I’m sorry, Ren,” I said sincerely. “Just some guys fighting at school.”

“Fighting with you?” she said in alarm.

I paused. “No,” I admitted. “They were fighting each other.”

“Then?” Her confusion was obvious.

I sighed. “I broke it up. Stopped it.”

“Oh Kai,” she whispered. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “No, just upset.”

“And why are you upset?”

“Because they hurt each other. And it was stupid. Pointless. It makes me angry.”

She sighed heavily. “I love you, Kai. Don’t ever stop being good.”

Don’t ever stop being good…

---

I caught a glimpse of why this bastard was aroused by torturing his victims. It was everything that excited a predator, and I felt ashamed that her vulnerability even excited me a little…minus the panic and terror.

It was time to end this. Now.

The knife was in his chest, his body lifeless on the ground.

I then focused on the vulnerable girl lying before me, her short red hair strewn against the dirt in chaotic strands.

The attack happened fast enough that I watched as her emerald eyes visibly registered that the monster who had been torturing her had unexpectedly been replaced with another.

However, instead of screaming, she began crying in devastation.

I could smell it.

I could smell the brief hope she experienced leave her body as she accepted that she was going to die one way or another. She closed her eyes and turned her head away, her beautiful face twisted in grief as she sobbed.

Without even realizing it, I knew I was in love.

I knew I was in love…

---

His blood was pooling on the ground from his neck, the life draining from his eyes, as she stood behind me, having witnessed it happened.

I was a monster.

And she saw it.

Suddenly, she was in my arms, her expression firm.

“You see that man? Look at him,” she demanded. She waited for me to comply before continuing, once I was grimacing at what I’d done. “That is a monster. A real monster, in human skin.” She then paused to let that sink in. “What you look like, or even what you need to eat, isn’t what makes you a monster. It’s what is in your heart…and you have a good heart.”

You have a good heart…

Kai, you have a good heart…

---

I gasped as Miriam unexpectedly slid off my lap, sounding like she was walking away.

“Uncover his eyes, and release him,” she instructed, her tone apathetic. “Bring him up to the dining hall while I go get my daughter. I’d like to offer them a meal before they leave.”

“O-Oh, umm, okay, mistress,” Gwen stammered, still having the bag bunched at my nose, only to clear her throat. “But all the kitchen staff were sent home, and I haven’t prepared anything in advance.”

“Don’t worry,” she replied, pausing in the doorway. “I’ll help you cook something simple up. It’s been a while since I made my own food anyway.”

“Y-Yes, mistress. Understood, mistress.”

It was then silent as her footsteps echoed in the hallway, only to unexpectedly disappear entirely, as if she’d crossed a point at which sound wouldn’t travel, like an invisible barrier…

“What in the hell just happened?” I whispered, trying to understand what I just experienced.

Gwen didn’t respond or budge at all for a long few seconds, before carefully slipping the bag off my head.

She then began working on the straps holding the blindfold in place, her fingers noticeably trembling.

“Umm, hey,” I said hesitantly, causing her to freeze in place. “If…if you want me to avoid looking at you, I don’t have a problem doing so. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me.”

She was silent for a few seconds, before sighing and resuming undoing the blindfold.

“I trust my mistress,” she whispered. “I’m more worried about what you’ll think of my appearance,” she added quietly.

“Oh,” I said in sincere surprise. “What do you look like?” I asked hesitantly.

She sighed again, already finished undoing the blindfold, but holding it in place now. “I’m a familiar. An indebted servant in the service of a higher being. Most incubi and succubi have such servants, though the word is intentionally vague, since a familiar can be all kinds of things.” She hesitated. “More specifically, I’m a magic-wielding demon referred to as an imp.”

I laughed. “An imp?” I repeated in disbelief, imagining a tiny little creature. “But you’re so tall! Almost as tall as me!”

She didn’t respond, her grip tightening on the blindfold.

“Sorry,” I whispered. “Wasn’t trying to offend you.”

She took a deep breath. “Words, and their meaning, change over time, as does manner of speech. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of a more modern word that most accurately describes what I am. Devil is close, but not nearly as accurate as what imp used to mean.”

I sighed. “Well, I look like a devil myself when I’m transformed, so I don’t think I’ll be too shocked to see what you look like.”

She paused. “Okay,” she finally whispered, sounding almost vulnerable for some reason, as if she actually cared about my opinion. She then released the blindfold, letting it fall into my lap, only to hesitate, before bending down to release my hands from their restraints, apparently already having a key to the handcuffs.

I figured I wouldn’t look until she was ready, but unexpected movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, prompting me to glance over in shock when I realized there was a black furry tail waving slowly in the air, almost like a large cat’s tail. Or the tail of a panther, only much longer.

Holy fuck.

She had a tail?!

Looking straight ahead again when she stood up, I waited as she slowly stepped around, inching further and further until she was directly to my left side, now waiting patiently for me to look up at her. I took a deep breath and then finally did, surprised that she…

Well, she looked mostly normal.

Beautiful, in fact, appearing as if she was wearing purple lipstick and eyeshadow, which was a gorgeous contrast to her pale skin and pitch-black hair.

Except that she had…

Horns…pitch-black horns, with vibrant red cracks, rising from the sides of her forehead and curling back across her head, only to curl up and outwards in the back, making it look as if she had cat ears from a distance, with the glowing lines making it seem as if there was an inferno residing just below the surface of those horns, about to erupt…

And then…

Unnatural eyes.

Slitted, like a cat’s, and vibrant red.

The exact same shade of crimson as Serenity’s transformed eyes.

The exact same shade.

Holy shit.

Suddenly I wasn’t so sure that the purple on her face was cosmetic.

And suddenly, I wasn’t so sure Serenity had been entirely human before I injected her with my blood…

Holy…

Holy shit.

Chapter 37 >>