As I snapped out of my thoughts once again, I spotted Asmodaeus getting his cock sucked by a cute little thing. I had a visceral reaction as I tried to focus my attention on anything else, scanning the room once again. While Az and I hadn’t always gotten along, he and I hosted these orgies together because we were forced to use our powers, and it was easier for us to do it together. Az was also a lust Demon, so we had that in common. We knew that the best way to gather secrets was to get folks talking when they thought they held power. And often enough, mutual power exchanges happened when one believed they had power over another’s body. It was often a gross misrepresentation of what power was, but while Az and I knew this, we were continuously surprised at the number of beings who never learned any better.
Az had his hand on the man’s head, forcing him to take his full length. His eyes were glazed over, but not in lust. He was just as fucking bored as I was. We’d been at this for so long now that I didn’t think we even knew any better at this point. I wanted more for myself, but a bitch had to eat, too. Az locked eyes with me and jerked his head for me to come over to him. I stood up reluctantly and headed over to see what he wanted.
“Az, what a delight,” I deadpanned as I sauntered his way. I wasn’t about to race over to him. We were friends of a sort, but we liked different things. He wanted my submission, and I wouldn’t submit to anyone.
“Vada, I have something for you to—” He jerked and looked down at the unnamed man of the hour. “Stop trying to bite me and suck my dick like a good boy, or I’m going to extend your punishment tonight, you little shit—” he chastised, his eyes rolling. “Sorry, Vada. As I was saying, I have a job for you to do.Maybe you’ll get the chance to break out of your melancholy for a little bit.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Pray tell, Az, what little errand do you have for me now?”
Az’s eyes closed as the unnamed man took his entire length again, choking on it. I pretended not to notice. “Fuck yes, good boy. I’m so close. Do that thing with your tongue again. Yes, just like that, you cute little slut.”
I rolled my eyes and started to walk away. I didn’t need to be part of this little show. Az had a bit of an exhibitionist kink that he liked to flaunt at me especially. Probably because I had no interest in him, and he loved a challenge.
“Vada!” I turned around slowly and cocked an eyebrow.
“I need you to go to the Unseelie lands. I need you to meet up with the crone in the woods and deliver a message for me.” He conjured a scroll and handed it over to me.
“When am I heading out?” I asked as I took possession of the scroll, stepping back from the scene Az had meticulously created to get under my skin.
“As soon as possible. I need an answer to this question, and the only person who can answer it is the Crone. You may know her as Baba Yaga.”
Ah, fuck me running. I wished I were young enough to get away with stomping my feet and yelling. Instead, I stood there, apathetic as ever, trying to figure out if I could open this scroll. I didn’t dislike Baba Yaga, but she loved chaos. That was something I no longer participated in outside of my forced duties. I sort of enjoyed my boring life now, though from an outsider’s perspective, it probably did seem chaotic.
Az chuckled as I inspected the scroll, “It is warded so that only the Crone can open it. Take it to her, and I’ll let you have a few days off when you get back here.”
“Yes, sir,” I said sarcastically, and Az groaned loudly again, this time spilling his load down his sub’s throat as he gagged.
“Just so you know, it was not this little shit’s mouth that did it for me. It was you calling me sir. You know that, right?”
I held back a gag and tried not to react, since that was Az’s intention. Rolling my eyes, I said, “Asmodaeus, even if I liked men, you’re like a brother to me. Please never say that again.”
He laughed, then dismissed me so I could go get ready for this little “trip.”
I walked out of the portal leading to Underhill, taking a long, deep breath in. It had been years since I’d smelled anything other than the cloying scent of brimstone.
Underhill was a tricky place with Fae traps everywhere. Fae traps were these elaborate setups near portals where certain castes of Fae would lure in unsuspecting victims in by getting them to pick up an object that would steal their power, memory, and whatever else the Fae who created the trap wanted. I’d grown up with Demons, and while I was created as a fully-fledged adult without a childhood, I still learned early on what dangers existed outside of Earth.
Underhill had always felt more like home than the Demon Realm ever had, even though I wasn’t from here either. The rich scent of the forest was welcoming. It was ethereal and enchanting here, but under the surface lay danger. Underhill lured people in with its beauty and tranquil atmosphere, but the Fae and Underhill’s creatures were anything but. I was well aware of the things that went bump in the night.
In the forest, the deep hues of green and brown surrounded me, colors you didn’t find in the Demon Realm. With the sun peeking out through the trees, it was nothing short of breathtaking. I had been spit out somewhere near the Summer Court, by the appearance of the greenery. The forest floor wasn’t full of old, deadening leaves ready to give back to the world who helped create them. Instead, there were dirt paths and grass in spots where the sun managed to peek through the tree cover.
I almost stepped on some mushrooms growing in a circle, but I managed to pull my foot back just in time.Best if I stayed away from that section in case someone was still calling that home. To my right was a dirt path heading deeper into the woods. Knowing Baba Yaga, she was nowhere near that path. She was a hermit, and the rumors were that she loved to eat children. I was positive that it was a rumor that she made herself to keep people away from her since I’d never seen her go after anyone, but I wouldn’t put it past the Unseelie either.
As I moved into the forest of Underhill, I swapped my skimpy outfit from court for my fighting leathers. They were made of the hide of the Ogres from this land and imbued with the magic of dragon scales from the Seelie court. Probably not the best clothing to wear here, considering how they were made, but I didn’t have any other clothing that had the protection this outfit had, and I didn’t trust these woods enough to not be protected. I pulled my long hair out from underneath the fabric, keeping an eye on my surroundings to confirm I was alone.
While my initial reaction to being anywhere but the Demon Realm was to relax, I was not safe here. Demons like me weren’t always welcome. Underhill decided who it invited in, and I’d been thrown out before. “Underhill, so nice to see you again. I have been tasked with speaking with the Crone. I’ve brought you some Demon-made elixir, a tankard of mead, and somesalacious gossip to keep you busy for a while. Will you accept my gifts in exchange for free passage?” I asked.
I produced the items and sat down on the forest floor, leaning my back against a tree while listening to the sounds of a creek nearby. Sometimes Underhill could take time to respond, so I waited. I produced the newest novel from the human named Franz Kafka, calledThe Metamorphosis. It was a striking work on the human condition—–one I was concerned would have a disastrous effect on the rest of the realms. While I thought the Demon Realm had it bad with its constant power struggles, I’d never seen any being with as much judgment against others of their own race as I had seen with humans. With so many supernatural races vying for a spot on Earth, I was concerned with the way my home realm was rapidly deteriorating.
As I started to nod off, a bump to my shoulder startled me awake. A fire sprite had me cross-eyed before she flew back enough that I could focus on her. She was staring at me hesitantly, wringing the apron tied around her waist, and likely trying to determine if I was going to be a friend or foe.
I tried not to seem menacing, “Hi there. What can I do for you?” I asked.
“Erm, hi. Underhill has asked me to let you know that it’s going to grant you safe passage through the forest on this day. To help you with your task, Underhill has requested I guide you to your destination. Baba Yaga recently moved to another part of the Dark Wood from this portal. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you where you need to go,” she said.
I stood up and stretched, ready to get on with this task so that I could make my way back to the Demon Realm before Az got any big ideas. Last time I was away, he decided to let the imps into my chambers. They pulled every book from my shelf,changed out all the paintings of my friends to paintings of their own kids, and set my clocks back by six minutes to see how long it would take me to notice I was late for everything. Imps loved to be vexatious. I loved my things just as they were. I’d had a sense of humor once, but that died out as the years passed.
“That sounds great. My name is Vada. What would you prefer to be called?” I asked as I began following her down the path.
