I’m an incubus.
Which makes Vegas the perfect home for my kind. Or at least, that’s what I think it should be. I haven’t visited this place in the last hundred years. It looks completely different.
It’s daytime, so the lights aren’t blinding yet. Still, the streets here are crowded and filled with prey. There’s an Eiffel Tower replica in the distance, and a Ferris wheel. I’m supposed to be excited about the vices, but I find myself uninterested. I’m only interested in the sassy girl sauntering next to me—Valerie.
Why is she making me like this?
I can’t tear my eyes off her.
We stop by a store to grab a change of clothes. It’s hard to blend in when covered in demon goo. I pick out a tank that looks cooling and a pair of jeans. I don’t think too much about it. Valerie doesn’t either. She steps out of her changing room in a simple tee and jeans, but somehow, she manages to look like utter perfection. The shirt hugs her in all the right places, and the collar ends right above where her cleavage should be, tempting me with what’s underneath.
“What?” she asks. “Something on my face?”
“There’s just too much beautiful there.” I smile.
She rolls her eyes and pushes past me out of the store. Vickal pays for the clothes, and me and the guys head out.
We turn down a few streets and stop in front of Club Belladonna, home of the Belladonna clan. It’s probably the fanciest club on its street, with bright pink lights flashing at its entrance. The lights aren’t so obvious in the midafternoon sun, and instead of making the club look garish, it adds a hint of elegance. There are marble statues in front of the club, shaped like nude women, and Greek embellishments are carved at the entrance.
Valerie and her brother look completely spent by the time we arrive at the club. We’re pushing them too hard. Phasing takes a sizable amount of energy, and they haven’t fully grown into their demon powers yet.
Phasing is exhausting for even stronger demons like us. Xeres and Vickal are probably just as tired as I am. My shoulders are aching, and I feel weaker than usual, like I need to rest my head somewhere.
Preferably Valerie’s breasts. The woman had me thinking of her all day.
There’s a couple of girls standing at the entrance with gold-encrusted corsets. They’re wearing metallic devil ears and have fake tails swinging from their backsides. From their scents, I can tell they’re ordinary humans. There are probably demons waiting inside.
They’re pretty. Previously I might have jumped at the chance to bed them—I never turn down an attractive woman. But today, it’s just Valerie on my mind. It feels like my heart’s betraying me. I’m only supposed to care for Zrako. But Valerie is incredibly good-looking.
I’m not excited to meet Bella. Head of the clan. Also, a succubus.
We hate each other’s guts. It’s probably because incubi and succubi have the gift of stealing another being’s energy, and when we’re with each other, we’re too busy trying to out-steal the other person. I hate the thought of being with her. She’s ancient, almost as much as I am, and even I’m not certain if I’d come out on top in the bedroom.
“I hate this place,” I say.
Vickal walks through the doors, past the bouncers. “They’re our best shot at getting rid of the others, so suck it up.”
We follow him and enter the club. The music pounds around us. It’s not very crowded, probably because of the time of day. The women are in increasing states of undress the deeper we go. I’d like it if not for thoughts of Bella. One look at her could drive most men crazy, but she makes my skin crawl.
There’s a man outright fucking a stripper in the shady corners of the club. Other clubs wouldn’t allow this, but the clan has its tendrils all over Vegas. They can do mostly whatever they want. I catch Valerie blushing at the sight. So innocent. She’s abashed even though she’s been working in these kinds of places. I wonder how she manages.
She’ll be blushing way harder once I’m done with her.
We reach a tall door with flashing lights. It leads to backstage. A bouncer stands in front of it. He’s even taller than all three of us demons, is bald, and wears shades over his eyes. He’s a higher demon, like us. His scent gives him away.
Why would anyone wear shades in here? It’s already so dark.
“We’re here to see Bella,” Xeres says.
“And who are you?”
“You’re really asking this?”
The bouncer removes his shades. It takes a second before recognition hits his eyes. His face whitens. “L-Lord Xeres? I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. It’s been years.”
“Let me through.”
“Sure.” The bouncer swings the door open.
We step through the offensively pink walls. Backstage is mostly empty. Most of the demons are likely sleeping. I’ve never been here before. Vickal told me about how fucked up Club Belladonna can be at night. Sometimes it turns into a clusterfuck of an orgy between demons and humans. It’s common for demons here to have the gift of illusion. Some of those human men would be straight up screwing monstrous women with deformed heads, but they’d be none the wiser because of the illusions.
Remnants of their exploits litter the place—sex toys of all kinds. Some of them look designed for pain, and it looks like the place hasn’t been mopped up yet. It’s filthy. There’s even a man slumped over one of the couches. He’s naked and obviously knocked out from having too much fun.
Valerie walks closer to me. Does she know that she’s looking to me for comfort? I restrain the urge to wrap my arm around her shoulder.
“What is this place?” she asks.
“Bella likes to keep her demons satisfied,” I say.
“It’s… disturbing.”
“Not as much as it’ll be at night. It’s pretty much a free-for-all.”
Valerie scrunches her nose up in disgust. Jared looks offended as well. I’ve seen far worse. It’s amusing how disturbed they are by this.
We reach another pink door. This one’s smaller. Displayed in front of it is Bella’s name in big, bold letters. Two succubi rake their eyes over Xeres, Vickal, and me. They lick their lips. I wink at them, but they’re more interested in my companions. They know what I am and don’t like that I’m competition. My scent gives it away.
“She’s in there?” Vickal asks, hooking his thumb toward the door.
One of the succubi twirls her hair in her hand. She looks like she belongs on a magazine cover. But her looks are just a tool to trap prey. “Bella’s excited to see you again. And she hasn’t met Lord Xeres for centuries. She wants to see both of you.”
“I think you’re forgetting about me,” I say. I fold my arms.
The other succubus lifts an eyebrow. “You? She’s not keen on meeting you.”
Figures.
The door opens. I see a glimpse of Bella through it. Her room isn’t as dark as outside. It’s actually brightly lit. There’s plush furniture all around, and right across from the door is a dressing table with rows of perfumes and cosmetics. Her dark hair cascades down her back, blocking most of her alluring frame, which is wrapped in a bathrobe.
One of the succubi gestures at Jared. “Oh, and she wants the cipher, too.”
Xeres growls. The whites of his eyes turn black. “She’s not having him.”
“No need to make things heated. She just wants a glimpse. Bella has no interest in the veil and whatnot, but she’s curious.”
Xeres sighs but nods. He pushes Jared forward.
Valerie startles, but Vickal stops her by raising his arm. “We’ll make sure he doesn’t get hurt,” Vickal says.
“If he does, you’re dead,” she replies.
Her spunk never fails to entertain. How exactly does she intend to kill Vickal, exactly? Stab him with her earring, or scratch him with her nails?
As Xeres walks through the door, the succubus reaches out to paw at him.
Xeres grabs her wrist, narrows his eyes, and snarls. “Keep your hands off me.”
She swallows nervously. “S-sorry, my lord.”
He lets her go.
Xeres, Vickal, and Jared disappear through the door, leaving Valerie alone with me.
She’s fidgeting, rubbing her fingers together and biting her lower lip. She has a huge brother complex. Jared’s the same age as her, since they’re twins. He’s supposed to be just as independent as she is, but I suppose growing up with only each other as company gives her an excuse.
“They better not hurt him,” she says.
“They won’t.” I pause and then add, “At least, I don’t see any reason to, unless they want to quicken the process of finding the orb. Torture might make his visions occur more frequently, but then, we never had any proof of that.”
Her expression tightens. I’m not sure if I was teasing.
She’s staring at the door like it’s her arch-nemesis.
I take her hand. “No use in waiting. Let’s go explore.” Her hand’s so small. Dainty and smooth. Touching her sends thoughts through me… dirty thoughts, like wondering how she’d react if I ran my tongue over her skin. I shouldn’t be craving for her this much. Zrako’s gone, but I some part of me still thinks I should remain faithful.
“Explore?” she asks. “What’s there to explore?”
I smirk. “Everything. It’s Vegas.”
“Gambling, mostly.” She frowns at the idea. Vickal, who tracked her and her brother before we came here, told me about her debts. It’s probably better not to stir the pot, but tempting is my business, and I’m intrigued by what kind of monster I can turn her into.
She shakes her head. “I think I’ll wait for Jared.”
“They might be a while. No use standing in front of the door like some silly dog.”
Her frown deepens when I say “dog.” That’s right… she just lost one. Poor pup got torn into shreds by Belial’s demons.
I glance at Valerie. Does she know just how tempting she is? Usually it’s me doing all the seducing.
I realize I’ve only really seen her upset. I wonder how she’d look like with a smile gracing her lips. I have this strange desire to try to cheer her up. It’s foreign to me. It’s been a long time since I cared.
“Fine,” she says. “Let’s get out of here. It stinks.”
It actually smells like roses and perfume, but I don’t argue.
I lead her out of Club Belladonna—good riddance. I still hate the place.
Las Vegas looks innocent in the daytime. It has yet to flare to life. But the casinos are a twenty-four-seven thing. The city is a huge step up from Hell, but there’s the same level of chaos.
Valerie continues to fiddle with her hands as we stride down the street.
“I thought you might enjoy this,” I say. “You don’t have to worry. Whatever you lose, it’s on me.”
“That’s not the point.”
“What is?”
“Never mind.”
A couple of girls in tight shorts and six-inch heels look my way. They have the same amount of makeup I saw Valerie wearing at first, but Valerie washed hers off when we stopped in that house where the demons attacked. The girls gawk, and one of them has their mouth gaping open. I smirk at them, and the gaping girl nearly trips.
Valerie says, “I’m not sure why the three of you are so obsessed over the orb, anyway. You get to control who goes between the three realms. Play gatekeeper. Big deal. It sounds like a chore.”
“It’s power. Power we don’t want to share with the angels.” And something else that I don’t like thinking about. The orb is said to also bring the dead back to life, but only when used by someone with the right abilities. At least, that’s what rumors say, but so far, in our immortal years, we’ve never found anybody of the sort.
And I want to bring Zrako back to life. To see his golden eyes. Feel his lips on mine. It hurts to think about him. I’m not power-hungry like Xeres is. I just want to see Zrako again. He’s been a thorn in our pasts, weaving invisible threads between the three of us despite his passing.
Despite the angels tearing him away from us. From me.
I don’t share this with Valerie. It’s more than she should know.
“And why not share?” she asks.
“Us, sharing with the angels?” I snort.
“Can’t you all just get along?”
“You’re a strange one.”
“I like to remain positive.”
I chuckle. “The angels are creatures of light. Demons are of darkness. They like order. We prefer chaos.”
“But the world needs both.”
“Perhaps. But it’s push and pull. I can’t stand the sight of them.”
“They’re pretty to look at.”
“You are.”
“Anybody tell you that you flirt too much?”
I laugh. “I can’t help it.”
We stop in front of a fancy hotel. It has two fat elephants flanking its entrance. We might as well enter this one, despite its ugly entrance. Being directionally challenged, I can’t tell the difference between streets. I’m hoping Valerie remembers the way back.
“That’s what makes them so annoying in the first place,” I say. “They can be just as ruthless and brutal as us demons. They kill, murder, frolic, like many demons, but wear pretty cloaks when doing so. At least we’re honest about our natures.”
“You’re not so bad looking yourself,” she mutters as we enter the building. “Is that a lie, too?”
That makes me grin. “I’m glad you think so. Maybe I’m just beautiful on the inside and out.”
She scoffs. “Yeah. I highly doubt that.”
This casino has gold as its theme. Gold drapes spill from its balconies. The tables are painted with gold. Even the cards and staff uniforms are gold. It’s too much and looks gaudy. It’s dripping with excess, distracting patrons from the fact that they’re being suckered. It’s more entertaining to watch the humans flounder than to gamble. Some are rejoicing, but most are frustrated and miserable.
Valerie’s expression is tight. She’s holding back. She just needs a little nudge. It’s the wicked thing to do, and that’s in my nature. Demons tempt, and we can’t help but want fun.
“Which game do you prefer?” I ask, after we’re done exchanging money for chips.
She doesn’t even have to reply for me to know. Her eyes are set on the blackjack table—the game many seasoned gamblers prefer. It gives them the illusion of control. “That one,” she says, pointing.
She runs up to it, excited like a little kid. It’s fun to watch her like this. I trail behind her, winking at a girl who’s looking at me. That girl squeals and turns around to talk to her friends, and the rest of her friends turn to me, too, staring shamelessly.
Women are so easy to control. I don’t know why Val isn’t like that.
The croupier deals the cards. Valerie gets a bad hand, which makes her brow wrinkle. “Yeah, I really shouldn’t have come here.” But there’s hunger in her eyes. I’m glad I’m being a bad influence.
That’s what demons are for, right?
I lean into her ear. “It’s not gambling if you know you’re going to win.”
“Winning?” She scrunches her nose. “With this?”
I do a little illusion trick to make sure she wins. The dealer’s cards add up to nineteen. Valerie’s cards are fourteen, but the dealer gives Valerie double her bet anyway.
Her eyes widen. “Wait, you’re—”
I wrap an arm around her waist. Her body is soft, with just the right amount of flesh to grab. Just holding her shouldn’t feel this good. I whisper into her ear, “Illusions. She thinks you had twenty-one.”
“You can do that?”
I can sense her heat creeping toward me. She’s so close. I resist the urge to press my lips against her cheek. I want more of her. I need more of Valerie. She doesn’t understand how much her sweet scent is driving both me and Vickal crazy with lust. Maybe Xeres feels the same too, but I wouldn’t know, because he’s is often too cold to understand.
The inner workings of her mind are written on her face as the croupier deals the next hand. “Can I try?” she asks.
“Try what?”
“That illusion thing. Teach me.”
“Are you sure about that? You might not be able to stay away from casinos after you learn.”
“Well, it’s not so bad if I’m constantly winning, is it?”
She’s a greedy one. Just like the three of us. She’ll fit right in with our little group. Suddenly I’m imagining her between Vickal and I. And Xeres will be there… watching… I’ve always had a thing for that, though Xeres will probably say no. He’s always trying to size Vickal up.
“Not all demons have the same gifts,” I say, low enough so nobody else can hear. “I don’t know if illusions are one of yours.”
“Well, let’s test it out.”
“You just need to have a very clear picture in your mind of what you want your subject to be looking at. I’ll let you try the next one.”
“All right.”
She gets another bad hand. Her cards add up to twenty-three after she hits. She looks intensely at the cards. It’s kind of cute. I notice the way her cheek dimples when she presses her lips together in thought.
The croupier reaches for her cards and slides Valerie’s chips away.
“Damn,” she says.
“Maybe it’s not part of your skill set.”
Her jaw tenses. She glares at me with the same intense look she gave her cards. I’m wondering what she’s doing when the woman next to her gasps and drops her drink. The lady does a double take, before her expression changes to one of confusion.
“What did you do?” I ask Valerie.
She has her hand over her mouth, laughing. I wasn’t expecting her to—she’s been nothing but tense since meeting us. Her laugh is melodic, and it makes me smile.
“Made you look like a Mexican drug lord with a handlebar mustache. And also, you had the head of a pig for a second. I guess I do have that power, after all.”
“Vivid imagination.”
“I do my best.”
The croupier deals another round then looks at me. Her mouth falls open. “Sweet mother of—”
“What is it this time?” I ask.
“Horse head with a bikini body,” Valerie says.
The croupier points at me. “D-did anyone…” But nobody reacts to her surprise, so she doubts herself and goes back to dealing.
Valerie is amused by her silly imagery, but I’m more interested in the way the corners of her lips pull up. She has the most beautiful smile, enough to light up any room. I wish I could see what she’s actually making other people see me as. The caricatures sound ridiculous.
The croupier flicks her eyes over to Valerie. The poor woman fumbles and spills cards. The credit goes to me this time.
“Holy mother of…” The poor woman rubs her eyes.
Valerie raises an eyebrow. “You’re in this too?”
“Half-naked boy band,” I say. I’m more of a sexy instead of silly kind of person, although that image was pushing it. “And they were making out.”
The guy next to me overhears and darts me a look. He’s trying to be coy about it, but I can see the judgment in his eyes.
“Oh?” Valerie says. “Maybe we should stop messing with her.”
The croupier keeps looking at Valerie and I. Demons aren’t supposed to let humans know of our existence. Fun and games are fine, but not if it blows our cover.
I nod. “We probably should.”
That’s when the waiter behind us trips.
“And what is it this time?” Valerie asks.
I rub my chin. “Just imagining you without clothes on. I do that by default anyway.”
Her cheeks redden at that. I win. I make everything into a challenge. Can’t help that I was born that way.
Within thirty minutes, we’ve probably made at least ten people think they’ve gone mad. One man shrieked and ran straight out the door—I probably went too far in imagining one of Hell’s native monsters. The stack of chips in front of Valerie has become incredibly large. And because casinos are such sore losers, I sense the staff wanting us gone.
A dapper manager strides up to us. He’s a head shorter than me, with a stubby nose, but he hides his deficiencies with a slick hairstyle and a fancy gold suit, decorated with a shiny silver tie.
He interrupts our fun, pulling Valerie from the table. I feel my jaw tick at seeing him lay a hand on her. A possessiveness takes control. For a second, I see red. But I don’t lose my temper as easily as Xeres does, so I reel my anger in.
The man lets go—good thing that he did it sooner rather than later, or I might have acted.
Where is this possessiveness coming from?
“Ma’am,” he says, “I’m afraid we’ll have to pat you down.”
I take back whatever I just thought. Perhaps I’m short-tempered too, because the vivid image of breaking in this guy’s teeth in can’t stop flashing in my mind.
Valerie nods. “Sure.” She raises her hands. I’m startled by how easily she gives in. Then I remember that she used to work at a strip club. There’s no smile on her face, so she’s obviously uncomfortable, but she’s probably used to men touching her. Knowing that makes me even angrier.
“You will do no such thing,” I say, grabbing the man’s wrist before he gets anywhere close to Valerie.
She’s puzzled by my interruption, and so is the man.
He’s trying for a calm expression, but his eyes are wide and shifty. “I’m sorry, sir. This is casino policy. We find your streak of winnings… troubling. We need to make sure she’s not hiding anything up her sleeve.”
“She’s not. I can assure you of that.”
The man laughs uneasily. “Your word is hardly enough—”
I don’t have Xeres’s compulsion, but I do have my incubus’s pheromones, and that will suffice for this. It’s not as effective on men, but on this weak-willed rat? It’ll be no trouble at all.
I use my powers on him. Not my favorite thing to do—turning on men like him is what turns me off. His jaw slackens, and suddenly he’s sweating profusely. He loosens his collar.
He stammers, “H-hardly… I’ll need to ask you…”
His eyes turn glassy. He’s looking at Valerie, drooling like some rabid dog. I can make others aroused, but I still can’t control who or what they’re attracted to. Usually, it’s me, especially when it comes to women. But this guy’s probably not into males, and Valerie is an attractive female.
I hate the way he’s looking at her. I growl and fight my eyes from changing to black. He turns his gaze to me sharply. That’s when he dips his head down and decides to make himself scarce. “I-if you may… excuse me.”
“Please do,” I reply.
He’s off, with his tail tucked between his legs, in seconds.
“What did you do to him?” Valerie asks.
I grab her hand. I’m filled with the need to have her close. To have her skin on mine. This possessiveness is alarming. The last time I sensed this was…
With Zrako. Him. My lover, long gone.
“We’re going,” I tell her.
“But the casino—”
Maybe I shouldn’t have let her slip back into her vices. But I don’t regret it. Fun is worth it. “We’re not welcome anyway.”
I’m about to leave the chips behind. Vickal managed to amass plenty of money during his trips here, and with our powers, it’s easy to get more. The money on the table is nothing.
But Valerie objects. She tugs me back. I’m surprised at how much strength her little frame can wield. “We’re not actually going to leave that behind, are we?”
She’s toying with her lower lip—I want to claim it. Will she taste sweet? Or perhaps she has a spicier flavor, with a sting, just like her fiery attitude.
I don’t enjoy seeing her upset. “We’re not.”
I let her go back and walk behind her as she does. She gathers the chips like a gleeful child. It’s a couple of thousand dollars once the cashier counts everything.
“Do you want this deposited into your bank account, ma’am?” the cashier asks.
Valerie’s beaming as she replies, “Yes please.” She reads him the details, and it’s not long before we’re out of the disastrously gold place, her bank account slightly fatter than before. I’m not as mad as I was. Looking at her happy makes my anger subside.
“I can give Luc an earlier payment this month,” she says.
“Luc?”
“The person I owe.” She drags her hands over her arms. “Hopefully, someone I can forget about soon.”
“Why chase money?” I ask her. “Why gamble? Why do what you do for a living?” I’m repulsed by the fact that other men used to gawk at her like she’s some sort of animal. They’re not able to appreciate what’s truly in front of them.
Her smile falls. I regret asking the question, but she answers anyway. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because it feels like I’d be able to do whatever I want if I get rich. Jared and I won’t have to worry anymore.”
I scoff at her answer.
“What? You think it’s funny?”
“Yeah. Because money isn’t freedom. I’ve seen too many men fall to its whims. It’s a shackle, not the answer.”
“Life would’ve been a lot easier if I had it on my side.”
“Oh?”
“Maybe you’ve never had that experience. I don’t know what kind of lives you demons lead. Hell is probably tougher, but whatever. Jared and I went through a lot as kids, so we left our homes. You don’t know how shit it is trying to get by with part-time jobs. Some days we couldn’t even afford instant noodles, just so we could pay bills and rent. We spent those days hungry. I saw rich kids walking into the restaurants I served ordering anything and everything they wanted on the menu, while I felt lucky to get the scraps they left behind. It’s like… they could do anything they wanted, and Jared and I were just caged by poverty.”
“And now?”
“Now we’re caged by three demons who are out of their minds.”
I snort. “Now you’re caged by greed, aren’t you? You sell your body to get more cash. And then you take risks. You gamble, you lose everything, and you trap yourself in this vicious cycle. You want freedom, but you’re stuck in your own ways.”
“I did gamble. It was a mistake.”
“Says the woman who just walked out of the casino beaming.”
She scowls. “Hey. You were the one who brought me in there.”
I laugh and raise my hands in defeat. “Okay, so there’s that. That’s what you get for hanging out with demons.”
“Maybe you should apologize. Dragging an addict back to the lion’s den. That’s despicable.” There’s harshness in her words, but her expression is still light.
“Apologize for showing you a good time? I’ll pass. You got two thousand dollars.”
“That wasn’t a good time,” she says, but she’s still smiling.
“It wasn’t. It was a great time.”
She lets out an exasperated sigh. “Crap. Why are you so easy to talk to?”
“You think so?”
“Maybe. I still hate you, though.”
She stretches her hands out in front of her. The streets are still relatively empty by Vegas standards. It’s a short walk back to Bella’s, but I would have preferred it to be long. For now, I want to her all to myself.
Or is it a long walk back? I’m completely relying on Valerie’s sense of direction.
She glances at me. “So, Mr. Philosophical, what do you think freedom is?”
“Freedom is freedom,” I say without thinking.
She looks at me like I’m dumb. “Wow, that sounds so profound, yet it means absolutely nothing.”
I contemplate her question. “It’s being able to do what makes you happy, with nothing holding you back.” And I myself am still controlled by my past. In a way, we all are. Maybe true freedom doesn’t exist. Not for humans, angels, or demons. Whoever we are, there’s always something holding us back. That’s what shapes people.
She presses her lips together. “Yeah. And I have Luc dangling over me.”
“You could easily fix that.”
“How?”
“The blood contract.” It’s never left my mind. I’m the most excited about it, but Vickal’s open to the idea, too. The notion of having Valerie bound to me is increasingly enticing. Previously it was a want. I liked the idea of a new toy to play with. But now I need her. Just to be mine and Vickal’s.
But it’s more than just using her. Vickal and I use each other. It’s the nature of our relationship—of all his relationships. I’m not sure how I intend to treat her. She’s making my mind fumble, forcing me to experience a heady and uncomfortable sensation.
Valerie shakes her head. “You’re joking, right? Are you sure you’ve been listening in? I’d be free of my debts, but I’d still be a slave to a demon.”
Not a slave… something else. A lover?
I brush the thought aside. It’s ridiculous to think. What I feel for her is lust. A strange kind of lust, but lust nevertheless.
“The only thing you’d be holding back are your moans,” I say.
Her face flushes red. She bites her tongue. “Go fuck yourself.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yeah. Sure as sure is.”
“You’ll regret it.” I smirk and pull her aside. She doesn’t know what she’s asking for.