13

Walter

I was still exhausted after unsuccessfully chasing Kell through the library when Bez dragged me through the lower labyrinth, demanding I help decipher the construction of this bizarre room. Thankfully, Kell hadn't been invited, which made sense, considering it held hundreds of unique orbs. None of which were the same make or model based on the six displayed on an upper railing. Each distinct orb was much smaller than Bez's but slightly different in size and shape from one another. Two had a wide oval shape, whereas one looked like an upside-down egg held in place by the wires attached. The others were all perfectly rounded, yet at a glance, different in size, like a penny next to a dime.

"This is how Novus was shielding himself and the villa when jumping into a Hell realm?" I asked, studying the discombobulated essence within each glass container.

"You tell us," Mora said, arms folded as she walked the railing. "You're the only person either of us knows who's actually examined a Diabolic orb."

True. I'd studied the orb containing Bez on countless occasions, curiously determining if he possessed awareness, even if his fractured essence seemed mostly lacking sentience. Turned out he was very aware.

"Time to put your expertise to use," Bez said.

Expertise was a stretch.

I eyed the six orbs, wondering if they were all as aware as Bez during his time contained in the repository.

I swallowed hard.

The subtle shift of broken energy inside the orbs cast shadows, dancing against the light of this engine room, revealing the faintest tracings of the symbols etched onto the glass. I'd never realized the symbols which held Bez were of Fae origin. Like the Sylvan letters lining the doorframe to the tarlike portal leading into this room, they were spelled out in what seemed to be utter gibberish. Not that my understanding of the Fae language was anywhere near proficient, but it was still intriguing they combined a dialect with Diabolics.

"Similar to how they use codes and riddles and so much more by entangling it with other Mythic languages, even a few humans," I muttered. "It's like the Sylvan alphabet has an almost symbiotic effect with magic, creating powerful incantations, wards, seals, enchantments, and a million other things all dependent—"

"You weren't kidding about the history lesson." Mora sighed.

"Told you," Bez replied. "It's the price of acquiring his insights; you have to take all the rambling, too. Just plug your ears, grit your teeth, and think of something happy until he finishes."

I rolled my eyes.

The most fascinating part of all this was how the Fae constructed something specifically designed to contain Diabolics, seemingly with Diabolic assistance. "Or at the very least a study of their culture, which begs to question, how far back the Fae have been observing the Diabolics since these orbs go back—" I bit my lip, ignoring the agitated thump of Bez's tails smacking against the grated metal floor.

Truthfully, I didn't have an inkling of how far back these orbs went. Fifty years at the very least since Magus Remington used one to store Bez, but the finish on his orb never held any ancient remnants of mana seeped over centuries like much of what we kept stored in the repository.

"Eventually, even Walter tires of his tangents. Should only be a few hours of mutterings until he blurts something of value."

"Be a lot faster if you stopped talking about me like I wasn't right here."

"Ah, yes." Bez pointed the tip of his tail at my crinkled forehead. "He also gets cranky when interrupted during his studies. If you observe the number of lines currently on his forehead, I'd say this is a level two on the scale of seven for Walter's rage implosions."

Seriously? I ignored Bez and Mora and returned to observing the orbs. I wanted to hold them, closely inspect the sigils, but until I deciphered how the wires worked, I didn't want to touch them and risk disrupting the flow of energy.

"Can I help?" Kell shouted, barging through the portal; a smile already plastered on her face and grabby hands at the ready before the glowing black glob of dimensional travel faded away.

"I thought you wanted to finish working on the library construction?" Mora asked.

Construction? More like destruction. Half the books ended up flung off the shelves thanks to her new cataloging system, and since she'd fucked up the framework of the original design, whatever protective warding of rejuvenation was put in place to keep the texts in mint condition had also broken.

"Yes, a curious musing which I plan to return to, but this is business," Kell said. "Important. Takes priority over everything. Besides, you know I know engine systems like the back of my hand. I'll learn how this baby works in…"

"Back of her hand?" I ground my teeth. "Bet she doesn't even know how many fingers are on her damn hand."

"Someone's still testy, I see." Bez stood next to me, invading my space and blocking my light.

"No." I pointed to the orbs and his shadow. "Do you mind?"

"Quite testy," he snickered. "Please bring all that rage to the bedroom this evening. I can think of a hundred ways to release all that pent-up frustration."

"Shut up."

"Yes, sir." Bez mimicked zipping his lips, remaining far too close to focus.

"Do you mind?"

He grinned, finally stepping away, then smacked my butt.

I jumped. Wide-eyed shock replaced my furrowed brow.

"I love you and all your crafting ways," Mora said, leading Kell back to the portal, "but Diabolic orbs are quite fragile and—"

"And she's worried you'll break them all in some haphazard improvement and call it a renovation," I blurted a bit louder than intended.

"That's not fair," Kell protested. "The library was mostly your fault."

"Excuse me?" My blood boiled.

Kell turned her attention to Mora. "Plus, isn't he the only one here who actually broke a Diabolic orb?"

"Yes," Bez and Mora said in unison.

"Not true," I snapped.

I simply failed to stop it from breaking—something Bez should have shown a bit more gratitude for instead of rewriting history.

"He's also the only one here who's examined these artifacts," Mora said. "We need his expertise."

"And we don't need hundreds of demons running rampant around the villa because of your tinkering," Bez said.

"What if I'm extra careful with them?" Kell pleaded.

"No," we all said.

Kell scowled, dragging her feet as she left. Honestly, given all the unfamiliar equipment here, Kell would make the better choice for examining—assuming she could investigate without touching things—since I had no idea how the wires drew energy from the orbs to power the villa. After all, the purpose of the orbed artifacts was to completely cut off the energy from everything. It kept Bez discombobulated and unable to cast, interact, or even fully feel, but somehow Baron Novus combined Fae magic to Diabolic essence with technology and superseded the basic design of Diabolic orbs.

Bez continued flicking his tails, as careless about fragile artifacts as Kell.

"Careful," I said as one of his tails moved over the furthest orb, causing the essence inside to stir.

"Wait. Do that again." I pointed to Bez's tail. "The demon reacted."

He swung a tail over the orbs, each recoiling from his presence.

"They are aware," I said. "And they don't like your essence. It's like they're trying to back away from it. From you."

"Likely in awe of the devil essence radiating from him," Mora said.

Right. Bez wasn't a devil, but he'd taken part of Beelzebub's essence into himself before abandoning the realm and subsequently sealing it off entirely.

"Not that any of that matters," Bez said.

"It all matters when trying to untangle and understand how this works," I said. "Which could take weeks. Months. Years."

Bez groaned.

"They're aware," I said. "Don't you feel bad for them?"

"I feel annoyed by the headache they've given me," Bez said. "It'd be easiest for all of us if we simply snuffed them out."

"Don't be impetuous, Bezzy," Mora said. "Not every demon is an enemy."

"Plus, removing them from the equation of how this villa functions could very likely cause it to break down, explode, implode, cease to exist, or a hundred other things. All of which I'd rather not be here to experience," I muttered aloud, jotting some notes on the symbols for further study.

Between chasing Kell through the library, studying unknown Diabolic-Fae technology, running laps with Weather around the villa, and keeping Tony entertained since his jealousy hadn't dissipated, all I wanted to do was pass out. The shower I took did absolutely nothing to wake me after so much research. I returned to my bedroom, sighing at the stack of books I'd piled around the bed. This was supposed to make research comfy and isolated, but now they all stood in my way of sprawling out onto the bed.

I sulked, adjusting my glasses. It was fine. I didn't need to sleep sleep anyway. Just a quick power nap, then I'd figure out how the secret engine room worked, hopefully before Kell broke something else during her not-so-helpful renovations. I crawled onto the bed and sank deep into the mattress between the stack of books.

Sunny barked, climbing onto the bed and inviting himself next to me, much to Tony's snapping-clawed protest. Tony was much lighter and quieter than Weather, which I preferred, but the way Sunny rubbed his head on my chest, his snout pressed against my sternum and released heavy huffs that turned into happy breaths was soothing. Cloudy adjusted his paw so the heavy-footed Cerberus didn't put all his weight on my bladder. I knew it was Cloudy because he was the most considerate of the three. Sunny only considered cuddles and playing, Stormy only wanted food, exercise, and to be left the hell alone, and Cloudy wanted to make sure he wasn't, quite literally, overstepping.

I scratched Cloudy's ear, letting him nuzzle against my hip while petting Sunny to lull him into sleep. Tony remained perched atop my head, digging his claws into my curls and nestling.

"Bedtime, guys." I yawned. "Just a real quick nap."

…

Someone jostled me. I sprang up, eyes wide and alert, studying the room.

"Wakey, wakey, got something far better than eggs and bakey." Bez nudged me.

I looked around the room. No Tony knocked onto a pillow from the movement of my head, no Weather disturbed by me lunging upright. "Where are—"

"Being besties in the playroom." Bez had a full smile practically reaching his eyes as he ran his hands along my sides, easing me back onto the bed.

"Our place doesn't have a playroom." I couldn't help but smile back because I loved calling this villa home, even if it wasn't. I loved having a place with Bez.

"Mora's shoe room is quite entertaining to the hellhound. All three of them are enthralled by the textures."

"You didn't."

"I most certainly did. Besides, Antoninus enjoys scuttling through her luggage in whatever hidey holes he finds." Bez slinked onto the bed, laying his head on my crotch, his hands rubbing up my thighs. "All rested up?"

"How long was I asleep?"

"Mortal standards? Not nearly long enough." Bez tugged at my pants. "By my standards, far too long."

"I was just napping."

"Said pretty princess Sleeping Beauty." He used his teeth to unloop my belt.

"Aw, you called me pretty." I chuckled, running my fingers through his shaggy hair, which smelled of the same berry-blended shampoo I used. It was still slightly damp, the black and orange glistening. "I am actually tired, though."

Bez's tongue grazed my hip bone as he unfastened my belt with eager hands. "How tired?"

"Hmm." I practically growled as his lips met my lower abdomen, lightly kissing my skin.

Bez continued the gentle pecks, working his way back up my stomach and slowly lifting my shirt with his hands. While he teased my skin, he used his tails to carefully remove the books from the bed—no heavy thuds from tossing them but light taps as he stacked them on the floor. I giggled. So sweet. So considerate.

The sensual touch of his fingers came with a slight pulse, a delicate tingle of static that hit like a jolt of caffeine, sending a rush of adrenaline coursing. I thrusted my hips, then unfastened my pants as his lips kissed my chest.

"Well?" he asked, lips close enough to lick.

I kissed him, rough and impatient. With one hand gripping Bez's hair, I guided the tilt of his head, leading his tongue with mine as I unzipped my pants with my other hand.

"I'd say you're wide awake now." Bez broke our kiss, snickering. When he went to press his lips back against mine, I pushed his head away, further down where I wanted his lips.

Without a second of hesitation, Bez yanked my pants to my knees and wrapped his mouth around the tip of my cock. He teased me, rotating his tongue and piercing around the head, pulling away every time my hips bucked, keeping only the head in his mouth. I groaned, feral and excited, relenting to his need for patience. No, not patience. Playing. When I shuddered, vibrating from the sensation of his practiced tongue hitting every nerve in the best way, he swallowed the entirety of my hard cock.

"Show off." I bit my knuckle, doing everything not to cum and, of course, not to talk.

I wasn't nearly as endowed as him, but I had a nice size. It was humbling when he reached the base in one swift motion without the slightest hint of a gag reflex. Bez hummed, something that made his throat constrict, adding to the pleasure.

He stopped right as I thought I'd explode, stripping my pants off entirely, and met my lips with his. I kissed him, taking unsteady breaths as the erupting sensation settled.

"I love how the sounds of your orgasm taste." Bez buried his tongue in my mouth, his hand stroking my slick cock until I couldn't contain it, until I moaned, and Bez swallowed every noise with a more vigorous kiss. I convulsed, cumming on us both. My body warmed as I shivered from the ecstasy. His hand continued working, jerking every pearl out of me. His lips didn't relent, tongue dancing along mine.

"I, uh, need a second." I took wispy breaths, breaking away from his full lips so I could take a moment for my body to settle.

"Take as much time as you require." Bez had an eager glint in his eyes.

I lay back, and Bez rolled me onto my stomach. His nails trailed down my back as he reached my ass, slapping a cheek before spreading them both.

"I can keep myself more than occupied." He licked me with his tongue, a light flick, a delicate slather, just barely entering me, teasing and tasting, before he pulled away and spit onto my hole.

The anticipation of his pause made me quiver. I wanted to tense, but my muscles were puddy for him to play with.

He returned. Such a warm and wet feeling, and it sent a subtle tingle through my body, adding to the sharpness of every sensation. I squeezed the sheets, buried my head in the pillow, and basked in the pleasure. Bez took his time; the speed of each lick guided my moans that escaped the plush pillow and added to the eager arch of my back. As he continued, the comforting feeling spread throughout my entire body, a serene, electrical bliss firing off in every nerve, lighting me up on a cellular level.

"I'd say someone's quite ready." At some point, Bez's hand found its way back onto my cock, gently stroking until I throbbed. I stifled a throaty grunt, holding onto the perfect touch. He rolled me onto my back again, a tail wrapped around each of my ankles as he pulled them above his head. He propped my calves onto his shoulders, lubed me up, and thrust into me.

I gasped at the quick, suddenness when he buried himself all the way inside me. I turned my head, searching for something to muffle my voice.

"Relax." Bez released my legs, guiding them to wrap around his hips, moving in closer in a quick motion and pressing his forehead against mine. "Relax."

I took a slow breath. Bez didn't move. He waited, allowing me a moment to adjust as I took in his full shaft. I cupped my hands at the sides of his face, running my fingertips through the short hairs above his nape and pulling him into a kiss. A kiss that instructed him I was ready and wanted him. Needed him.

His thrusts started out slow. There was a patience to them; each slap of his skin against mine held a surge of fiery desire. It hit me like a wave, the craving linked through our bond. An unyielding need.

"I'm ready."

His eyes glowed, the reds a dark crimson and the veins along his face shifting to a faint black. "You sure?"

I leaned forward, he moved in to meet me, kiss me, and then everything blurred. Pure pleasure as he pounded faster and harder, hands caressing me with gentleness despite each rough thrust pushing me deeper into the mattress. I lost myself, lost track of time. Bez growled, pumping into me again and again. Faster. Harder. Aggression bloomed between us. I bit down on his shoulder, burying my shouts.

Bez's wings sprang out, widespread, and wrapped around us. Feathers tickled my skin, then squeezed our bodies into a tight cocoon of sex. He rolled me on top, laying his wings flat on the bed, his hands on my hips guiding—no, directing—my thrusts. My entire body warmed, euphoric. I came. Again. Unable to hold back. It didn't stop Bez. He continued, seeking more, always more. I obeyed his hands, moving my body to meet his satisfaction. Desiring above all else in this moment to feel his release, his pleasure.

I pressed my hands on his shoulders, pinning him as I led the pace, the control, all while watching his face scrunch, his eyes dilate, and his mouth twist. Bez rolled back on top of me, wings retracted, arms wrapped under mine, pulling me close with a strong hug as he buried himself in me, unrelenting. I whimpered, panting in sync with every swift thrust. I dug my nails into his back, running them down his shoulder blades after he shoved his cock all the way in. He grunted, cock twitching. Bez kissed my neck, licking the skin and lightly biting as he came.

Bez rested on top of me, his chest sticky against mine, our hearts beating in the same rhythm. His body synced to mine so naturally, Bez felt like an extension of my very being most days. We sat in silence for a few minutes, my eyes searching the room and seeing some of the books in the corner. Books that'd help me solve how the Diabolic essence was used in this villa.

"So, you really don't care about all those demons trapped inside those orbs?" I ruffled his shaggy hair.

"Is this really the conversation you wish to have after sex?"

"There aren't any demons you like?" I asked, dodging his avoidance tactic and bulldozing directly toward a bit of honesty. If I allowed Bez to lead the conversation, he'd skirt the truth with crass humor, deflect with flirting, and I'd end up face down ass up in a matter of minutes. "Not one Diabolic?"

"Nope." Bez kissed my collarbone, light pecks trailing up my neck. "Hate ‘em all."

"Aside from Mora, of course."

"I don't like Mora. I simply know it's wisest not to cross her." He slid his hands around my waist, already trying to get frisky to avoid conversation.

"If you don't like Mora and very much believe in killing Diabolics as a priority, why not kill her?"

"You're insatiable, Walter. You always want me to kill away a problem."

I grabbed one of his curled horns and jerked his head back, getting a clear look at his wicked smirk. "I'm being serious, Bez."

He released my waist. "Mora was the only demon to offer me aid in the mortal realm."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. And had I met another before her upon my arrival, I doubt I'd be as fortunate now." Bez nuzzled my neck, nibbling.

"No hickeys," I protested.

"But I must mark my claim," he said, sucking on my skin wrapped in his teeth.

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation."

"Fine. I'm trying to have serious sexcapades, but fine." Bez huffed. "I keep Mora around because she basically saved my life and sort of helped me navigate this world for a quarter century before I ventured on solo explorations. At the end of the day, I don't kill her because I feel indebted. Suppose I always will."

Bez's crimson eyes glossed over. He closed them as his lashes became wet with tears. I kissed his eyelids, silently waiting for him to continue. If he chose to continue.

"She could've snuffed me out the moment our paths crossed. Chances are it would've been a bigger payoff for her."

"I know you can die, but you're so cavalier about anyone being bold enough to challenge a devil. Do you really think she could've, you know?"

"I was so feeble, incompetent, and na?ve when I arrived in the mortal realm, holding no notion on how to harness my Diabolic demon abilities, let alone the fragmented devil essence circulating inside. If Mora wanted, she could've easily overpowered my essence when we first crossed paths—shredded it and added to her own power. A demon like Morax, acquiring the power of a devil, even a tiny fraction… Oh she could have made an even bigger name for herself than she already has."

"But she helped you instead?" I asked, truly engrossed by every word. "How so?"

"I can show you if you're curious." Bez trailed his fingers up my stomach. "We both know you love to snoop."

"Huh?"

"You know, diving into my memories."

"Unfair. That's unintentional." I'd only fallen into his past three times while we slept. It was mostly his fault, too.

I couldn't control what his subconscious thought and I certainly wasn't the one demanding spooning as we slept. Cuddling was all Bez, all the time, and after a whole day of saturating things, sometimes I'd inadvertently latch onto his past.

The first time I learned the truth about him, about Beelzebub. The other two times, I caught snippets of Hell and the actions of demon lords I couldn't forget. Even their blurred forms in those foggy memories were haunting. The scent of blood, the anguish in Bez's voice, the horrors of demon corpses. It wasn't surprising he held no regard for his fellow demons, but I wished there was someone, something good he had from his long time in Hell.

He walked his index and middle fingers up my chest like a pair of legs, his sharp nails delicately touching my skin. "With my permission and guidance, I may be able to steer where and what we see."

"Really?" I buzzed, practically jumping up with excitement. The only thing keeping me mostly still was the weight of Bez's body, pinning me under him. "Show me. Please."

"It'll require some intense, synchronized saturation." Bez wrapped his arms around my back, pulling me into a tighter embrace. His hips pushed between my thighs, and the length of his shaft rested beneath mine, pulsating.

"I don't think your dick actually has to be inside me to share memories."

"Since when did you become an expert in the Pentacles of Power?" Bez joked. "I assure you, in order to divulge such memories, it's important to be completely in sync."

"Maybe, but it doesn't require cock warming."

"I'm not certain what mortal concept that is, but it sounds truly delight—"

"Liar." I glowered. "I've seen your browser history."

Bez grinned; his cheeks went a bit flushed, but not in an embarrassed way. Nothing ever embarrassed him when it came to his curiosities around sexual explorations, one of the handfuls of things he'd masterfully learned how to look up online. That and murdering people in MMORPGs, which I considered slightly therapeutic and better than actually murdering them. Though, I hadn't told him how I hacked his characters with upgrades to make his slaughter fests successful. He didn't understand the first thing about grinding for levels, and he certainly didn't have the patience for it when he destroyed a Nintendo Switch over a few busted poke balls and a shiny Eevee.

He stared at my unyielding expression, giving me puppy dog eyes like that'd work. "Fine. Can't blame a devil for trying."

Bez interlocked his fingers of my left hand, pressing both to his heart. He channeled the mana from his tattered host body, which I quickly synced to. In a matter of moments, his head fell onto my shoulder, the weight of his unconscious body pressed down on me, and each breath I took drew me further into a drowsy state.