Lilith kept her word. For the most part.
After revealing both herself and her intentions to Cobalt, the surly Devil holed up inside his mind and stayed there, not speaking up or bothering him as the days drew on, save for a few inane comments here and there. Despite keeping out of his way, the Incubus still struggled to keep himself calm and composed for his lessons. The pain in his head had gone, and the burning sensation in his stomach had calmed for the most part, and yet he only found himself feeling more and more uneasy. His students seemed to notice a change in him as well, occasionally interrupting class to ask their teacher if he was okay or not. He always answered with a forced smile and a few words of affirmation, but that only fooled the majority. Those that knew him well could see that something was up.
At first it was just Karazelle and Whitney stepping forward to check in on him, but pretty soon the rest of them began to ask after him as well. Even Izzbelle seemed worried, regardless of how gruff her line of questioning was.
But he couldn't tell them. Not about this. It was far, far too outlandish to be reasonably believed, and even if they did, he wouldn't wish to involve them anyway.
Cobalt didn't want his students getting mixed up with Devils ever again.
Sighing resolutely, the Incubus dumped his work satchel onto his bed and immediately went to his closet. Pulling on a coat, he gathered his belongings up and turned on his heel, ready to leave right as he finished up work. He had been spending nearly all of his free time looking into the subject of demonic contracts, but most accounts were mere hearsay and rhetoric. There were a few promising historical documents in the library, but after the catastrophe wrought there by Elya the previous year, Cobalt had the sneaking suspicion that he was no longer welcome.
Which left him with only one other option. Another privately-owned collection of magical documentation, historical accounts of arcane processes and treatises on theoretical enchantments. As well as an impressive amount of adult literature.
"Mom's library..." Cobalt murmured as he locked his room door behind him.
He felt uneasy about going there. Perhaps if he was quick and quiet enough, he could get in, find what he needed, and get out before any of his family realised he had been there. After all, it was still technically his family home...
"Not a fan of your family?" Lilith suddenly said, startling him something fierce.
Resisting the urge to swear aloud, Cobalt jammed his hands into his pockets and marched down the hall. It was such a bizarre sensation, hearing her speak. Like she was echoing through his skull.
"You said you wouldn't bother me," he grunted, heading down the stairwell.
"And I didn't. I'm just commenting on the current situation we're in. There's nothing wrong with a little observation."
"What do you mean we?! Stay out of my business!"
"It's a little late for that, kid."
Growling, he continued out through the front hall. Before he knew it, Cobalt found himself walking the path from the campus down to Brimstone proper. It seemed that all the tabloids and paper reporters had found some new scandal to pick apart, so there was thankfully no-one waiting to ambush him with a camera or microphone. Small mercies.
"Tell me; do Succubi families still practice incest? Or has that fallen out of favour?" Lilith asked bluntly.
He physically balked at her question, drawing the concerned gaze of a dog walker going the opposite direction.
"Wh- What?! No! What the Hell are you-?!"
"I remember reading observation reports on them. Some families would straight up have sex with each other."
"That's an archaic practice! No-one has done that for decades, at least not where I come from!"
"Uh-huh. What about the other stuff?"
Cobalt clenched his teeth, but did not answer. Phrodival was still a very conservative town with traditional Succubus ideals, so families could be very... open, about certain topics. He vaguely remembered a friend of his mother's who ran a cafe there, named Cocoa Lattess. She would happily discuss lewd and lurid topics with her customers, and they in turn were happy to hold conversation.
He frowned. Cocoa. Now that he thought about it, she had a few daughters. One in particular that stuck out to him, but he couldn't quite remember her name. What was it again...?
"Seems like your mom's the traditional type, from what I can guess," Lilith commented, snapping him back.
Cobalt didn't answer, and instead went beet red.
"You're burning up, kid."
"Sh- Shut up."
"Let me guess, you accidentally saw her naked a few times."
"I said shut up."
"Or did she just straight up show you her-?"
"Shut up!"
Fuming, Cobalt marched faster down the road, trying to block out the pesky Devil's bothersome comments.
The sun blazed orange in the sky as he entered the town, doing his best to reach his destination before too many people took notice of him. Thankfully, only a few demons were out and about, so he was able to cut through the main streets without any trouble.
"Wait, what was that?" Lilith suddenly said as he passed a noticeboard.
"What are you on about now?" Cobalt grumbled beneath his breath, taking care not to draw any attention to himself.
"There. In the middle, under that missing dog poster."
Though he couldn't fathom why he was kowtowing to her demands, he took a step back and looked at the noticeboard. It was mostly covered in advertisements for local events, but sure enough, the town council had put up a notice in the very centre. It detailed a list of roads and detours, explaining that multiple historical excavations were taking place and that traffic had been rerouted all across Brimstone.
"They found some ruins under the town over the summer. I was thinking of taking my History classes to visit the excavations," he commented, silently memorising the locations listed on the notice.
He heard Lilith hum a low note, as though she were thinking hard about something.
"31-3..."
"What?"
"Don't worry about it."
Irritated by her curt reply, the Incubus made to retort, only to have his gaze drawn by a small commotion from behind him. He turned around to see a trio of demons across the street, over by the entrance to a small department store. Two Nymphs were bustling around a Glutton carrying shopping bags, loudly asking questions. One was holding a camcorder, while the other kept pointing some kind of handheld microphone at the third demon, who was struggling to keep a grip on her shopping bags. Judging by how she was sidling away, she wasn't speaking with them by choice.
His eyes widened upon noticing the girl's mousey-brown plaits.
"Jelli...!" Cobalt breathed, breaking into a run.
He dashed across the road without thinking, forcing a sedan driver to slam on his brakes. He leaned into the horn indignantly, drawing the gaze of the three demons. Spurred on by Jelli's tearful gaze, the Incubus clenched his fists and barged into the conversation, placing himself between them. The two Nymphs were wearing casual clothes, but it was obvious from their equipment that they belonged to one of the less-reputable gossip magazines.
"Any reason why you two gentlemen are harassing this lady?" he stated aloud, squaring up to the pair.
The man with the microphone - a rather weasel-faced individual - glanced at his companion and grinned.
"This is certainly a surprise. I suppose we could get a twofer going, now that the main man has arrived," he joked.
Clearing his throat, he jabbed the microphone at the Incubus.
"So, Cobalt Trayer, I'm with-"
"I don't care. Please leave," he interjected, narrowing his eyes as Jelli hid behind him.
"Hey now, we're just trying to do our jobs here! There's a lot of rumours circling you at the moment, and a fair few of them involve this little dumpling here," the reporter said with a snide grin, pointing to the quivering Glutton.
She gasped and clung to Cobalt's coat. He found the fire in his gut growing a little hotter.
"We were just doing our civic duty, hoping to straighten everything out! Surely you'd be willing to give us your side of the story, unless you want the world to get the wrong idea. After all..."
His eyes glinted mischievously.
"... B.I.D.'s had enough scandals involving teachers screwing their students, wouldn't you agree-?"
Cobalt swiped the microphone out of his hand, causing him to yelp. Smouldering with irritation, he held it to his mouth and gazed deep into the Nymph's eyes.
"This woman behind me is a third-year student of the Brimstone Institute of Demonics, and by hounding her in such a manner, you are encroaching upon her rights. I would advise the pair of you to drop this nonsense before I am pushed to bring the full force of Headmistress Viola Terna's authority down upon both the pair of you and whatever rag you work for. Do I make myself clear?"
Dropping the microphone, the Incubus crushed it underfoot as he leaned it to grab the camera. The man holding it gave some resistance, but he managed to open the cassette drive and pull the tape out.
"And another thing. Should I find you harassing any of my students or colleagues again, you can be sure that there will be Hell to pay from me personally," he added, snapping the it in two.
There must have been something up with his eyes, because as soon as they gazed deep into them, the fight completely left them. The two Nymph scuttled off without a word, leaving their destroyed equipment on the ground at Cobalt's feet. With a deep sigh, the Incubus deflated a little, wincing as the fire cooled.
As bothersome as it was, at least the change in his physiology was having some benefits. The extra confidence was certainly appreciated.
"Hm. Guess you're not as big of a pansy as I thought," Lilith remarked, though she still sounded largely unimpressed.
Ignoring her remarks, Cobalt turned to attend to Jelli. Dressed in casual overalls, he could see how bad the Glutton's legs were shaking. She looked up with a face that was struggling to contain her nerves, but her streaming eyes betrayed just how close she was to an anxiety attack.
"Th- They came out of nowhere, I-"
She took a second to swallow.
"I- I, um... I'm sorry, Mr. Trayer..." Jelli stuttered, looking down at her feet.
He shook his head.
"There's nothing to apologise for."
"I didn't tell them anything! I- I promise!"
He gave her a reassuring smile, but felt a little uneasy on the inside. More than likely the magazine those two belonged to were going to write an article on him anyway, and it wasn't going to be complimentary. Such publications had a field day with the Mr. Whitaker case, and were desperate for a repeat in the wake of Diate's attack...
In any case, the confrontation had drawn the attention of nearly everyone on the street, prompting him to gesture to Jelli's bags.
"Do you need help with those?" he asked.
"No, it's okay, really! It's just clothes! Y- You've done enough!"
"Nonsense, here; I'll carry them for you."
Stooping down, Cobalt picked up Jelli's bags and began to walk up the street. Going very red in the face, the flustered Glutton trotted after him, her tail wagging furiously behind her.
"Are you heading back to the school?" he asked, glancing down at her.
She shook her head, holding onto her plaits in order to stop them from smacking him.
"Um, no. I was just going to... um... wander for a bit."
"By yourself?"
"I- I didn't want to bother anyone... Izzbelle is at the, um... what's the... sporthalle..."
Sporthalle? As in 'sports hall?'
"Gym?" Cobalt suggested.
Her eyes widened.
"Gym, yes! That's the-!"
She cleared her throat, embarrassed by the sudden epiphany.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
"S- Sorry... It's been difficult getting back into the, um... swing of things."
"As I said, Jelli, there's no need to apologise."
He thought for a moment, before being struck with an idea.
"Jelli, could I ask you for a favour?" he asked, shouldering the Glutton's shopping bags.
She looked up at him, her large eyes sparkling in the evening sunlight.
"Of course," she responded in a surprised tone.
"Would you mind helping me look for something? R- Research, I mean. For a class," he added, so as not to arouse suspicion.
Jelli smiled softly at his request, before catching herself and looking away sheepishly.
"I- I'd be glad to help."
With a smile of his own, the Incubus took a turn towards the upper part of town.
"Good. It shouldn't take too long."
-----
"I've noticed a couple of things. These girls... they worship the ground you walk on. In admittedly weird ways."
The library of Cobalt's family home was extensive, filled with all kinds of literature sourced straight from the heart of Phrodival. It was likely that some of the books stored there didn't exist anywhere outside of the secluded Succubus township, and as such could only be sourced here, in the Trayer's private collection. Still, as the Incubus scanned the lower shelves, he found himself growing increasingly frustrated. Most of them were only written on the subjects of esoteric umbramancy and psychomancy. Contracts are mentioned here and there, but there wasn't anything he hadn't already been told by Lilith.
"It reminds me of some of the colonels I used to meet. They'd arrive to war meetings with entourages half a mile long, though I suppose 'harem' would be the better word. Some men. Some women. Usually both. A lot of Devils liked keeping the lower demons on leashes, and they worshiped them for it."
One reprinting of a Succubus explorer's diary held promise. Supposedly she had a fling with a human woman, and the pair formed a contract in order to 'enhance the experience', whatever that meant. The effects listed were similar to the ones he was experiencing; fused consciousnesses, shared sensations, all of it. It also listed a brief bout of unconsciousness as a slight drawback of voiding the contract, but - annoyingly - it didn't list how exactly the contract was ended.
"Those girls of yours are different, though. A different kind of devotion. What's up with that, kid?"
"Will you please shut up?! I'm trying to concentrate here!" Cobalt hissed, snapping a book shut as he pushed it back onto the shelf.
"Um, did you say something?!" Jelli called from the other side of the library.
"No, just talking to myself!"
"Oh... o- okay. I'll keep looking!"
As he returned to his fruitless search, Cobalt heard Lilith sigh.
"I already told you, contracts between demons usually don't happen. You're not gonna find any answers here," she remarked.
"I don't care so much about the mechanics of the contract. I just want to know how to end it," he answered, flipping open another book.
Lilith scoffed.
"Not gonna happen, at least not by your leave. I tuned it specially so that I was the contract holder."
"What are you talking about?"
"Let me put it this way. When a human and a demon agree on a contract, the human must draw the blood of the demon in order to initiate the merge. They become the contract holder, the one in charge, because their body is the one being used as the vessel. The demon becomes the contracted, and is rendered into an incorporeal state. Does that make sense?"
"Not really."
"Well hurry up and figure it out faster. The way I tweaked the spell was to allow me to be the contract holder - therefor the one in control of the body - whilst also being the contracted. It wouldn't have worked otherwise."
Cobalt grumbled beneath his breath.
"Well clearly it didn't work anyway, considering how less-than-ideal you consider our current situation," he murmured, failing to find anything of use and putting the book back.
"The contract holder and the contracted are supposed to be like a north and south magnet, bonded together. Two demons would be like a pair of north magnets, unable to stick to one another. My modified spell was supposed to act like tape, forcing the two together."
"That sounds like flawed logic."
"Hmph. Well you certainly didn't help matters."
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
"I drew your blood, marking me as the contract holder and the contracted."
"I know, you don't have to keep explaining it to me!"
"But... you bit me too. Doing the same to you. Creating a closed system that looped the intended magical effects, causing it to boil down to a pure force-of-will type situation, which... hm..." the Devil mused annoyingly.
Standing up straight, he trudged over to another section of the library.
"Can you just stay quiet while you work out your little magical mix up? You're making it hard to think," he complained.
"Whatever. You can't end the contract, because regardless of who's on top, I'm the one that initiated it. And I'm not leaving until I know I'm not being hunted anymore."
"We'll see about that-!"
He was abruptly alerted to the sound of a dozen books toppling to the floor, followed quickly by a panicked yelp from Jelli. Rushing over to the source of the disturbance, he found the Glutton surrounded by fallen books, nervously clutching a leatherbound tome to her chest.
"I- I'm sorry, I'll clean it up!" she cried, falling to her knees in order to pick them all up.
"What's that?" Cobalt asked, pointing to the book she was holding.
"Oh, I'm not really sure. H- Here."
Accepting the tome from Jelli, he flipped it open, eyes widening upon reading the name of the author.
"Cordelia Fesser...!" he gasped aloud.
A direct descendant of Lady Fesser, the Succubus hero that founded the town of Phrodival when her days of adventure and glory were done. Supposedly Cordelia was an inquisitive soul that pioneered a lot of research into the inner workings of demonic magic, and her publications were still cited to this day in regards to the fundamentals of psychomantic and umbramantic processes. Cobalt himself had read quite a few of them.
But this was no work of hers that he recognised. In fact, it looked more like a personal research journal.
"How did Mom get her hands on this...?" he wondered aloud, flipping the journal open.
Even from a light skim, Cobalt could tell that this was unprecedented information, the kind of stuff that Cordelia never published, and for good reason. Quite a lot of the experiments listed in the journal definitely breached more than a few ethical boundaries, and some were downright scary. It seemed she had an interest in dark and taboo research, and had no qualms with experimenting on unwitting humans and demons alike.
The Incubus swallowed hard. It disturbed him how similar this woman's mannerisms were to Alison's.
After a while, he located a few pages dedicated to the subject of contracts. Skimming over what he already knew, Cobalt eventually located a passage that struck him.
It would seem that contracts are not without their detriments. Pairings that exceed more than a few weeks begin to cause a slow but gradual degradation of the soul. This process is accelerated the more demons are contracted.
His eyes widened. Was it even possible for someone to contract multiple demons...?
After separations, subjects fell comatose. At the least, a handful of hours. At the worst, a day or two. Length of coma seems to be in direct proportion to amount of time spent contracted, though I suspect outside factors also had a hand to play. Must look into this further.
Feeling a cold sweat form, Cobalt glanced down at the next paragraph.
After too many failures, finally a demon/demon contracting success. Subjects are disoriented and aggressive. Horns show signs of malformation, and magic patterns have grown increasingly erratic. Probably shouldn't keep them like this. Probably will regardless.
He steeled his breath and read a footnote at the bottom of the page.
Forced contract experiment abandoned. Risk of sundering far too high. Nobody deserves that.
Cobalt slammed the journal shut, startling Jelli. Holding it close, he took a moment to collect his breath, shaken by what he had just read.
"Sundering? What does that mean...?" mused Lilith.
He didn't respond, though he had no idea either. It didn't sound too pleasant
"Mr. Trayer? Are, uh... Are you alright?" his student asked, peering up at him with worried eyes.
Forcing on a smile, the Incubus just thanked her for finding the information he needed and slipped the journal into his pocket, deigning to study it in detail. Gesturing for her to follow him out, the pair made their way to the library's exit, only to find someone already leaning in the doorway. She was a sleepy-looked Succubus with wildly frizzy hair, still dressed in her pajamas. She yawned and eyed the two up, face crinkling in an effort to discern who they were.
"I didn't know we had visitors," she remarked, scratching herself.
Cobalt cleared his threat and looked into his sister's eyes.
"It's just me, Amber. My friend and I just needed to borrow a book from Mom's library. Would she be okay with that?" he asked, carefully wording his sentence.
"Would she...? Oh, yeah, I guess so. You should probably go see her, though. She's out back with, uh... whatsherface."
He cocked his head.
"Sorry, who?"
"I dunno, can't remember her name."
Hitching up her shopping bags, Jelli stepped forward.
"Um, I- I don't mind going home if you need to stay, Mr. Trayer. Th- Thank you for spending time with me anyway," she piped, shuffling back and forth on her heels.
"I can show her out if you need me to," Amber suggested.
Cobalt sighed, knowing that his mother wouldn't appreciate it if he just dropped in and didn't say hello to her. He gave his sister a nod.
"Could you accompany her back to B.I.D.?"
"I can take her to the end of the driveway. I don't think Mom would want me wandering around town. Not after last time."
She had a point there. Amber had a notoriously bad sense of direction, and coupled with her patchy memory, it once led her to walk all the way to Pumice Bay, the next town over. She had been sent to pick up milk from the local store.
"I'll be okay," Jelli reassured him with a little smile.
He sighed heavily, but relented and gave the Glutton a pat on the head, causing her to blush. With a lazy nod, Amber put a hand on her shoulder and began to guide Cobalt's student to the house's entrance.
"So, are you his girlfriend or something?" she asked as they turned the corner.
Startled by Jelli's shocked cry, Cobalt thought it best to head towards the backyard and get this over with. With Corderlia Fesser's journal weighing heavily in his pocket, he set off down the opposite end of the hall.
"Jelli's not even her real name, is it? Why do you call her that?" Lilith piped.
"Please stop talking."
-----
The back garden was the pride and joy of the Trayer household. It was absolutely full to bursting with a chaotic mess of flora that ringed a central lawn, each filling the air with a different exotic scent. Cobalt could almost remember when his mother first planted them all, back when they were just a collections of seeds, spores and cuttings she had snatched from Phrodival's many alchemical groves. Since then, they had blossomed into a wide variety of gnarled trees, expansive bushes and bizarre fungi that utterly dazzled the senses. There also seemed to be the beginnings of a small apiary being constructed towards the back; a new addition, no doubt.
When Cobalt stepped out onto the patio, he found his mother sitting on a lawn chair by a small garden table. To the outside world, Jezebel Trayer was the picture of sumptuous elegance, always wearing the finest gowns, drinking the finest wines and smiling the most captivating smiles. But he had a different image of her in his mind, and what he was presented with didn't differ from that in the slightest. The retired actress lounged in a most unladylike manner, dressed in a disheveled bathrobe and sipping cheap red wine from a jam jar.
"Very classy," was all Lilith said.
But she wasn't alone. A second demon occupied a second lawn chair, sitting bolt upright as they cradled a glass that hadn't been sipped from once.
Elya. She was still in her nurse's uniform, and she was staring right at him.
Unnerved by the Fallen's piercing gaze, Cobalt cleared his throat.
"Mom?" he said, breaking eye contact after a few awkward moments.
The matronly Succubus cried out in alarm as she heard her son's voice, almost spilling her drink in an effort to sit up straight. Her kindly eyes locked with his, her gaze softening immediately.
"Oh snookums..."
She looked up at his horns.
"... so it's true."
It seemed that not even his own mother was immune to Brimstone's vicious rumourmongers.
Rising from her chair, she opened her arms out wide. Knowing better than to refuse, Cobalt just sighed and allowed himself to fall into her constricting embrace. She held the Incubus close, making him grow more and more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by.
"Why didn't you say anything? You know you can tell your mommy anything, right?" she murmured in a soft voice.
"I... I know. I've just been very busy, Mom," he replied, halfheartedly returning the gesture.
"Still. I've been worried sick. Elya was just telling me about everything that happened, with that nasty fight and your horns."
She pulled back.
"How is Miss Redtile, anyway?" Jezebel asked.
"She's fine. She was discharged just a little while ago."
"Oh thank goodness."
"Could, um... Could you let me go now? It's getting a little-
"- hard to breathe, I get it. Don't worry, snookums, I'm learning," his mother interrupted jokingly, opening her arms as she sat back in her chair.
Picking her glass back up, she gestured to Elya, who hadn't stopped staring. Something about her gaze was off, like she was trying to burn a hole through Cobalt with her eyes alone.
"How are you settling back in at school?" Jezebel asked after raising her wine to her lips.
"Cobalt appears of be of two minds on a lot of things these days," Elya suddenly interjected.
His blood ran cold at her words. Did she...?
"Ah. I know you said you wanted to keep at this job, snookums, but if you're having second thoughts now..."
"No. I'm doing fine, really. Elya's just been worrying after me," he responded, staring back at the Fallen as he took a seat on a third chair.
His mother chuckled.
"Hah, the more things change, the more they stay the same, eh? Don't worry, Elya, if my boy is anything like his father, he'll be just fine no matter what happens!"
She bore a wide grin as she said this, but it soon became a small, wistful smile.
"... Did you know they're opening an exhibit for him?" Jezebel said in a small voice as she ran a finger around the rim of her glass.
Cobalt's eyes widened. Really? After everything the city-state did to bury Brass Trayer's memory, they were finally willing to exalt him like the hero he was?
"I just heard recently. Once all this hoo-hah with the ruins is finished, they'll be converting one of the wings of the museum into a special Damned Defense exhibit. They've been asking around for anything that he may have once owned. I was considering donating some of his old records, or maybe even what's left of his bike. I still have that in storage."
She sighed.
"But not his jacket. I want that to be an heirloom."
As quickly as her bout of nostalgia came on, it was replaced by a lurid grin as she leaned forward.
"So hurry up and give me some grandkids, alright snookums?" she laughed, slapping the arm of the lawnchair.
Cobalt balked at her words, while Elya just nodded her head.
"Understood," she said aloud, setting her untouched drink aside as she stood up.
"Hm? What was that?"
The Fallen turned to face the Succubus with a serious look on her face. She folded her stony wings and clenched her fists.
"Mrs. Trayer, I have come to formally ask for your son's hand in marriage," she asked bluntly.
Jezebel gave a surprised laugh and held a hand to her chest while Cobalt just cried out in indignation.
"Why, sweetie, that's very formal of you! My, I didn't know people still asked the parents!"
"Mom, you can't just-!" the Incubus scoffed, but she held up a hand to silence him.
"Now now, snookums, don't be so harsh! Elya here has been looking after you for years! Wouldn't it be nice to finally put a ring on it?"
The Fallen nodded affirmatively.
"Such has been my point."
That scheming...! She was buttering his mother up, and she knew it!
"Hah, come on! Just look at her, snookums! I would if I were in your shoes!"
"I am confident in my lovemaking skills, Mrs. Trayer. I would ensure the strongest and healthiest of children."
"Oh, that would be so nice. Imagine, me, a nana...!"
"I can promise you seven."
"Ohoho, Elya, stop it~! I can barely handle the thought of one~!"
"Hey!" Cobalt called, drawing both of their gazes back to him, "I am right here!"
Sighing, Jezebel patted Elya's shoulder and gave her an affirmative nod.
"Well, you have my approval, sweetie. Just be patient with him, okay?" she said quietly, though not quietly enough for Cobalt's liking.
"Of course. I won't take up any more of your time. I'm sure you have much to discuss with your son."
With that, the Fallen turned sharply on her heel and made to leave. As she passed Cobalt, however, she grabbed his shoulder and leaned in close.
"Can you hear me in there, my love? I am growing impatient. Before this educational year is up, I will have your seed gestating deep within me, and I will have your hand, by your choice or not. You cannot seek to avoid me forever, and I will always find you. This, I promise," hissed Elya, her usual monotone punctuated with a disturbing degree of venom.
She left before he could fathom a response. Left wide-eyed and open-mouthed, all Cobalt could do was watch her spread her wings and take to the sky, the force of her takeoff blowing his tie into his face.
"I always had an inkling that she would make a lovely daughter-in-law. Not that the others aren't nice, mind you!" Jezebel tittered, happily drinking her wine.
But Cobalt didn't share the sentiment. He just sat there, staring dumbfoundedly into the middle distance.
"That one is cursed," Lilith said, sounding equally surprised.
The Incubus swallowed hard.
What the Hell was going on with that woman...?