Annoying.

The best word to describe this situation.

Sure, the four furies are quiet enough… it would seem they’re just as scarred as Hades was.

But Eros?

Annoying. Just annoying. She’s constantly hanging herself on me, my wife, my castle staff… if she didn’t move so damned fast when she wants to, Vivi would have blasted her into hamburger in one shot.

But of course, she dodged it. Because of course she did.

I’ve at least successfully banned her from my bedchambers – that space is for me, my wives, and my maids alone, and the latter only when there’s a specific purpose.

But the furies? They just stay in their assigned rooms, looking to all involved like they aren’t mentally present. The maids have even had to clean them since they seem unable to care for themselves.

I’m not even sure how Eros got them to follow her here. Probably mind magic.

Alright, definitely mind magic, I muse as I feel the prickle and probe of it attempting to wriggle into my psyche yet again.

…Which of course, I promptly smash flat. What else can I do?

The obvious, of course.

I’ve had enough.

As soon as she once again makes herself known to coo and ooh at my latest successful resistance, I hit her first with Will Surge, followed by Dominate.

…And she doesn’t resist!?

Although she does manage to make a coy expression despite the hold I definitely have on her now…

Blood Bond successfully applied, I drop Dominate. I don’t need it now.

“Oho? Marking me as yours, are you? So possessive – but then, you always were, weren’t you? You wouldn’t even let me have your dear sweet Olive… although I have no doubt she’d be far more satisfied with me than – urk!” she trails off in a gag as I pinch off her windpipe via telepathy.

“Shut up. You talk far too much and my patience is long since gone,” I snarl.

And of course, she vanishes again. Like she always does.

Except this time, I know exactly where she is, and I have control over her too.

Strange that Blood Bond would work on gods as well as mortals… maybe it’s the Domain of Control again.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. I use the bond to force her to return, complete with a shocked look on her face.

“Nope. You don’t get to run anymore. You get to stay here like a good little girl and do as you’re told. Don’t know how? Well you’re going to learn.”

…

And she just… starts laughing.

Laughing, and drooling. Our freshly formed bond is overflowing with elation and some weird kind of gratification…

Oh.

Oh gods, she wanted this.

She absolutely wanted me to do this.

I watch her on high alert for a few moments until it’s clear…

No, she doesn’t actually have any means to compromise my control, or to use the bond against me…

She just wanted to be on a leash… a very short one.

I… have no idea. I don’t understand her at all.

As weird as humans are… sometimes demons are even stranger.

…

Well, if we’re this far I guess I may as well at least look at her Status.

[Status]

[Name: Eros]

[Race: Succubus (Matriarch) – Locus of Temptation (The Coveted One) – Queen of Dreams (Queen of Nightmares)]

[Mantle of (Domain: Dreams, Lust, Temptation)]

[SYSTEM: None]

[Inherent Skills:]

[Attract (Max)]

[Dream Magic]

[Inflict Lust (Max)]

[Class: True Waking Nightmare (Unique) – Level 9261 – XP 1452/9262000]

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

[Class Skills:]

[Conceal Presence 2163]

[Dominate 2213]

[Influence Mind 1387]

[Mind Magic]

[General Skills:]

[Dimensional Storage (Max)]

[Identify 415]

[Stealth 3921]

[Language]

[Infernal Common]

[Interplanar Common]

[Shadowborne]

[Traits:]

[Insatiable]

[Master of Seduction]

[Titles:]

[Dream Demon]

[Locus of Temptation]

…

…

That’s…

“Pick up your jaw, darling.”

“Heh!?” I flinch.

The succubus grins and puts a hand on her hip, giving her wings a flick. “I’m a lot stronger than you thought, aren’t I? Yes? I thought so.”

“You have Dominate,” I mutter.

“So I do.”

And she keeps smirking.

That’s when it dawns on me.

“You let me do this.”

“Of course I did. Do you really think you could dominate a mind demon unless they wanted you to?”

I rub the bridge of my nose in thought before answering. “Why, then?”

“I already told you, darling – I’m thanking you for freeing me. You don’t even see it, do you? You’re a far more desirable master than that fish thing. Plus, I already know what you’re capable of, so of course you won’t betray me. You’ve already experienced plenty of that yourself, haven’t you? Oh yes you have, yes you have!”

“Don’t patronize me,” I growl. “I could simply kill you now.”

“Maybe, but you won’t.”

…

Damn it.

***

May as well make use of her, I said.

It’ll be fine, I said.

And now I’m in a dream with my ailing wife.

Well, one of them. The other one is snuggled up against my other side… I don’t really know how to predict Artemis anymore, sometimes she wants lots and lots of contact, and others she’s nowhere to be found, and not wanting to be found.

But that’s fine.

That’s not where I am right now, or where we are.

We’re back in Ceto’s torture dungeon… thing. And of course, Hades is starting to do what she’s done every time she’s tried to sleep, and once again I’m stopping her.

So far nothing is different from normal.

So what exactly is that damn succubus up to?

…

For one, I’m actually asleep this time… she’d insisted it was necessary for the best results.

Yes, same events again, restraining my wife, dragging her off to some green grassy plain somewhere…

And now I’m…

Taking off her clothes?

Why am I… Oh.

Oh gods.

I try to stop but I appear to have lost control of myself.

***

I wake with a start to find both wives still clinging to me peacefully… although Hades has a small smile on her face and seems to be clinging a little harder than usual.

Blearily looking around the room, I’m greeted by an excessively smug smile.

Specifically, on the face of the succubus crouching on the end of my bed with her chin rested on her hands.

“What the hells was that? Why the hells did you make me do that?” I whisper indignantly. I don’t want to wake my companions, after all…

“You know exactly what that was,” she purrs back, “there was no way you were going to do anything like that on your own. Gods, she needed it too… you have no idea how much.”

I glare back at her. “Alright, what I need right now is for you to get the hells… out of…”

A pair of sleepy red eyes distract me from my poor attempt at a quiet tirade, as their owner gently pulls my face down to press her lips on mine.

“Oh.”

“Thanks for the meal!” Eros quietly trills and then giggles before silently standing to sashay from the room, swaying her hips in a way she definitely wants me to notice.

I can tell, because she’s projecting it through our bond.

And before she’s completely gone I catch her whisper, “You always enjoyed that plenty before anyway.”

…

Damn dream demon. I knew she couldn’t be trusted.

But this…?

What am I even going to do about this?

***

Have an even clingier wife, apparently. Hades hasn’t left my side for days, even taking every opportunity she can to steal a kiss before blushing furiously.

Well, whatever I guess. What’s done is done, and I’ve consigned Eros to maid duty – specifically scrubbing the baths and other less desirable jobs. You’d never believe the weird things that grow in there if you don’t keep them in check!

But Livvie sure hasn’t missed the change either, though she seems at a loss about how to react to it. It feels vaguely like she doesn’t want to get in the way of something? But I’m not really sure what. It’s not like I’m going to… well. Any of that.

And envy, lots and lots of envy from her. And she wasn’t even in the dream.

I’m pretty sure I know why she knows about it though. That damnable demon undoubtedly told her about the whole thing, assuming she didn’t telepathically project a play-by-play of it – which she probably did. Well, either that or she projected it through our web of bonds… although I don’t know if she can even do that, at least to the others.

The best I can think of for the moment is just to leave and distract myself.

So I’m back at the old sewer settlement – I was surprised to see it still there and flourishing, despite the previous things I’d heard about how often it needed to move. The wards are still strong – they seem to feed on the ambient mana of the plane to fuel them, fairly masterful work for sure.

And they have my mana signature buried deep in them. I never noticed.

I wonder why Nyx didn’t mention making this place, or at least hiding it?

(You never asked and I didn’t care. For what it’s worth I forgot about entirely.)

…

…

(What?)

Nothing. Well, I’m just shocked to hear from you. Also how can you not care if you forgot… ah, nevermind. That doesn’t matter. I haven’t heard from you in so long… What changed? Have you missed me? Oddly enough, I… I think I missed you. Probably.

(Ha, very funny, asshole. You don’t need me; you’re surrounded by literal gods who’ll already tell you that you’re a monster and irredeemable.)

That’s… not wrong, although…

(Although what? Are you going to say something about how they never do? Of course they don’t, they’re all sycophants. Just like you.)

Wait, are we talking just so you can insult me? I already know I’m awful, but I’m less awful than I was! Can’t you even admit that?

(I don’t care.)

Yeah, I expected that. Anyway… why are you even talking to me again?

(Simple.)

…

(I’m calling in that favor. You’d damn well better not have forgotten.)

Yeah.

Yeah, I remember.