Lucifer Reborn by Dante King (the reader ebook .TXT) 📗

Lilith tossed her head back, laughing loud and long. “Young man, a demoness of my caliber can simply smell ‘slut’ on a woman. That little succubus was drunk on you—she couldn’t wait to spread her legs and get a little access to your power.” Lilith paused on the concrete path leading to the cafeteria, grinning. “Well? Did you?”

Should I lie? Considering everything Mareth had told me about Lilith, I gathered it was a bad idea to tell her I was nailing her niece. But if the Headmistress was as smart as she appeared, she’d undoubtedly know I was lying.

Who knows, I thought. Maybe she really COULD smell Mareth’s arousal. That means she has to already know…

“Both Chrsitina and Mareth are bound to me,” I admitted, meeting the Headmistress’ gaze without shame. “They’re both on the team, and I’m looking forward to deepening my bonds with them.”

“Oh, I just bet you are,” Lilith said, pursing her lips. Her expression was inscrutable. Did this knowledge upset her? Piss her off? Leave her bemused? If a painter could have frozen her face in that moment, art critics could have spent decades arguing over it.

Finally, I could take the silence no longer. “Please, Lilith,” I asked, hating the words even as I said them. “I need your help.”

Lilith cocked her head to the side, as if she were tasting blood on the night air. “Your request is granted,” she purred, stepping so close to me that I felt the heat rolling off her skin. “But I want something in return, young man.”

Here we go, I thought, swallowing. “Anything,” I said, thinking of Maddie.

Lilith chuckled low in her throat. “Anything? Young man, you should know better than to let a demoness make the rules of a contract. But this once—just this once, mind you—I’ll be merciful. I’ll give you a fairer deal than you deserve.”

I waited.

Her nails played idly with the tear across my shoulder blades, as if the spot where my wings emerged fascinated her. “You will owe me a favor,” she growled.

“A favor?”

“Mmh hmm,” the Headmistress said with a nod. “At a time of my choosing, I will send a messenger to you. They’ll have a task for you to perform—and whatever it is, you will do it for me. Without question or hesitation. No matter what it is, you understand?”

I was a bit confused. Were we still talking about a booty call? It almost sounded like Lilith wanted me to kill someone. I realized then I’d been mentally preparing myself to do to Lilith exactly what I’d seen in that vision, Lucifer or no. But what if she had even darker plans for me?

My gaze followed her. The Headmistress stared at my women, bathing them in a gaze that was almost wistful.

“I won’t break up with Mareth for you,” I told Lilith. “And I won’t do anything that would hurt Christina.” I paused a moment. “Or Oni.”

Lilith was so taken aback that she actually gasped. Then more of that high, discordant laughter filled the square—so much so that nearby students shrank from it.

“My, you do think highly of yourself, don’t you? My dear boy, if I wanted you to break up with my niece, I wouldn’t waste something as momentous as a favor on it.” Her grin went sharklike. “I’d simply tear the bitch limb from limb.”

That was an unpleasant image.

“Alright,” I said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “It’s a deal, then.”

Lilith stared down at my hand as if she’d never seen it before, then gave it a cursory shake. “Very good. No need for a formal contract—I’ll consider your word your bond.” The Headmistress cleared her throat, turning back toward the dormitories. “A little birdie told me that there have been certain...incidents involving student subspaces lately. Mostly petty theft and vandalism, but still very powerful—and very illegal. The sort of thing a student could get in a great deal of trouble for, were they to be found out.” Lilith spread her hands. “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like this person has escalated to kidnapping!”

“Tell me who,” I growled, nearly losing my temper. I had to know. “Give me a name.”

Lilith pursed her glossy lips. “Young man, what makes you think I know who this person is?”

“You know everything,” I shot back bitterly. I shouldn’t have said it, but I was beyond caring. “You even know about that vision of you and me, I bet. You’re probably the one who put it in my fucking head…”

It was a strange thing, watching the faked confusion on Lilith’s face deepen into the real thing. “Vision? What vision?”

Suddenly the ball was in my court. “You don’t know?”

“All signs and portents are required to be reported promptly,” the Headmistress growled, her body sizzling like a live wire. “We take prophecies very seriously at this Academy, Luke —especially when they involve those chosen by Lucifer—”

“The name,” I grunted, cutting her off. Damn but it felt good to do that—to have her on the back foot for once. I could almost see myself taking control of her the way I’d done in the vision. “And then maybe you can make that your favor once I deal with the asshole who took Maddie.”

For a moment, I thought Lilith was likely to argue the point. Then her shoulders slumped, and she blinked first. “His name is Karl,” the Headmistress whispered. “A rather dashing young demon from everything I’ve heard about him. Many students are betting on him to win the Archlord trials…”

“They’re not the only people betting on him,” I growled, a memory searing my brain. “Oni!”

The big demon quickened his pace, coming up beside Lilith and I in three massive steps. “Yes, Master? Is there a problem?”

“You told me your family bet on a demon named Karl,” I said, looking up at Oni.