“Maybe so, maybe not,” Gemma said. Her eyes skimmed the demons in residence. “Midnight. Ruin. Nightmare. You know the Dark Lord best. What is your opinion of this recent development?”
Lyk shivered as the giant hulk of a man in the corner began to speak. In his lap sat a drowsy-eyed female with a purple blush to her skin and spots. He’d learned that she was Sleep, one of the Guardians, and the man she was wrapped around was Nightmare, a demon who had the power to control dreams.
“Never trust him. If he says he will do something, he will do the opposite.” He turned to the robot. “Kill that thing. Burn it.”
Dawn gasped, clutching her chest. “I just got him back!”
A short-haired beauty, another demon named Ruin, nodded along. “I agree with Nightmare, even if his brains are permanently addled. Whatever the prince says this is, it isn’t.”
“And do you agree with your compatriots?” Gemma asked the dark-haired female next to Juston. “Should we refuse to cooperate with the robot?”
Midnight leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “While I agree that the robot is a liar, we may be able to glean something from it nonetheless. Even the Crown Prince of Hell makes mistakes sometimes. I vote to listen to it.”
They continued around the table, debating the pros and cons. Lyk felt Ally starting to fade, so he took her hand and led her out of the room.
“Shouldn’t we stay?” she asked, trying to stifle her yawn.
Lyk shook his head. “No point. They’ll be debating for hours, and I have nothing substantive to add to the argument. Do you?”
Ally frowned. “Nothing, other than I want my sister back.”
“We’ll get her back. I promise.” He knew he had no business promising her any such thing, but he would do everything he could not to break his vow.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. Together, they walked back to his quarters. Once inside, he led her to a comfy sofa and turned on the fireplace. “Wait here,” he said, then headed over to the kitchen. He’d had the attendants stock him up on food, so he assembled a plate of tasty bites and brought it back to Ally, along with a bottle of summer wine.
Her eyes lit up when he arrived with the food. Then she insisted he also bring the fruit that she’d stashed earlier. They had a little picnic in front of the fire, and the feeling of contentment from before rose in him once again.
This felt right. She was supposed to be here, with him, in his space, a part of him. Although they hadn’t spoken about the future, he could not see one without her. The food seemed to revive her spirits, and soon, they were laughing and joking.
Ally convinced him to open his mouth so she could try to toss a grape inside. Her aim was shoddy, however, so most ended up bouncing off his nose. Then Lyk said he had a game that was more fun. Always inquisitive, Ally asked what he meant, so he laid her down on the thick rug in front of the fire, peeling her out of the lab coat and then slowly removing the shirt of his she’d worn underneath.
“What kind of a game requires me to be naked?” she asked. “I’m beginning to suspect trickery.”
Lyk laughed. “This is a real game, one I’m pretty sure you’re going to lose.”
“Thanks,” she said sardonically. “I have faith in your failure too.”
Smiling, he pressed a finger to her lips to quiet her. “All you have to do is hold still. I’m going to pour some wine in your belly button. If I can sip it all out without you spilling a drop, you win. If you wiggle and spill, I win.”
“And I imagine there’s some prize being offered? Something momentous?” Her tone was playful.
“Oh yes,” he said, absolutely serious. “Are you ready?”
“Bring it on,” she said, steeling herself.
Lyk positioned the bottle over the little hole in her stomach, then began to pour. Ally giggled, but it wasn’t enough of a disturbance to cause the little lake of wine to spill.
“Very good,” he said. “But let’s see how you handle this.”
He positioned himself over her, lowering his mouth until it was hovering right about her bellybutton. Lyk could easily place his lips around the lake and sip it up with one good suck. But that wouldn’t be any fun at all.
Instead, he used his tongue to trace a circle around her navel. “Hey,” she stuttered, “that’s… that’s not fair!”
“Shh,” he said, looking up at her and winking.
“Cheater,” she grumbled.
His tongue dipped into her navel gently, gathering up a few drops before he repeated his circle. Ally let out a groan, and he knew his game was having the effect he wanted. Finally, he put his lips around her navel, but instead of slurping it all up in one go, he gently sipped the wine, creating a gentle buzzing against her skin.
