Page 49 of The Misfit Mage and His Devilish Desires

“Surely, the demon born of our union will be unlike any other I’ve breathed life into.”

Lilith didn’t invite me to a Devil’s Banquet to determine if I was worthy of my newly appointed title as a devil but instead to figure out if I would make a suitable mate. A partner. A devil daddy.

“Fuck.” I gulped.

“If you insist.” Lilith sprawled onto the edge of the bed, poised in a seductive pose.

My eyes widened in absolute horror, having no idea how to politely reject the ruler of this entire Hell dimension that didn’t result in me dying, Bez dying, and the world dying.

14

Bez

I excused myself from the feast and went to search for Wally. Common sense told me not to interfere, to overstep, to make a scene outside the expectations of my role, but Wally didn’t know how to fully conduct himself—when to challenge, when to concede, when to call out for assistance. If I left him alone with Lilith, I feared she’d simply steamroll him into submission. Wally was far from timid, but he avoided conflict when at all possible, and I might’ve told him to put away his best weapon, which was his mouth. It was also his best asset. Aside from his actual ass.

I snorted at my own perverse humor, eager to ravish Wally once we’d paid our dues and escaped Hell. But first, I had to find him. Not an easy feat since I’d looped around the feast two times over despite taking deliberate turns down halls leading out of the temple.

“Why in such a rush to wander aimlessly?” Corson asked, continuing his patronizing attitude as he shuffled out of the dining hall to accompany me.

I sighed. “Is this feast going to be hexed until the very end of the banquet, or does this particular course require trapping the guests?”

“Mother does prefer her privacy.”

I huffed in response.

“Even if you found your way out of this spatial loop—which isn’t easy,” Corson grumbled, feigning frustration, “what’re you going to do if you find your devil? Sit on the floor like a lapdog again?”

“Lapdogs sit in laps.” I took a sharp turn, almost gleaming a sliver of an opening in the corner of my eye before the illusion locked me in the infinitely looping pattern. “It’s right there in the name, moron.”

“You’re welcome to sit on my lap if you so desire.” Corson sped up, walking side by side with me.

“Pass.”

“Shame. You look good in your own flesh.” He arched his back and squared his shoulders so he could stand a bit taller, still a few inches shorter than me. And that was without the horns. “Quite fuckable.”

“And you looked better dressed in that bloody feathered Fae,” I said, reminding him of the last time we encountered each other, the briefness of our interaction, and how it led to his death.

“Those meatsuits you wore didn’t do you near enough justice.” Corson continued, ignoring my comment and nonchalantly peeking at my ass. “Though, the first time I saw one of your suits, it was already in shambles.”

He was referring to my headless corpse that Eligos had propped up as a trophy or trap or both when attempting a ridiculous plan to assault and control all the Hells in existence.

“Gotta say that particular body was atrocious, but I did have fun sticking it to you.” Corson nudged my ribs with his elbow. “Come on. Remember? I rammed you with a sphere or something.”

“A lance.”

“Whatever, it was long and hard.” Corson snickered. “You took it well, as I recalled.”

I joined in with the laughter, encouraging a bellowing reaction.

“Here I thought you were simply one of Lilith’s many royal children.” I slapped him on the back. “But you’re so much more than that, aren’t you?”

“Most certainly.”

“You’re her jester, too,” I said, shoving him away and continuing my search for a chink in this hexed space.

All I needed was to find a sliver of an escape, and then I could scan for Wally outside the parameters of the illusion. I still didn’t know what I’d say when I stumbled onto him and Lilith, what threatening tone Lilith might’ve used to sus out Wally’s vulnerability as a devil, but as his commander, his champion, his right hand in Hell, it was my place to remain at his side. A fact Lilith wouldn’t contest. Probably. Hopefully.

“How about we stop wandering in circles, and I bring you someplace where I can bend you over and appreciate that lovely Diabolic body?”

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