To be rudely awoken by a phone call was one thing. To be rudely awoken by a phone call on a day off was another thing entirely. With an almighty groan of irritation, Cobalt stormed out of his bed and swiped his phone off of his bedside table, flipping it open and answering in one smooth movement.

"What, what, what?! What the Hell do you want?!" he barked in an irritated voice, his teeth clenched as he rubbed his eyes.

"Woah, calm down there, bluebell! What's with the attitude?" the voice of Alison exclaimed on the other end.

"Take a look at a bloody calendar and you'll save me the effort of explaining."

"Alright, alright, just cool it, okay?"

Sighing, he sat down on the bed and held his head in his hands. It was throbbing painfully, and his entire body was agitated.

"What do you want? This is my day off."

"Right, so... You know the cameras I have set up around town?"

"Explain faster."

"They picked something up. Or someone. Someones, technically-"

"Alison!"

"Your family, bluebell. They've been spotted out and about, and they're kinda sorta... wreaking havoc."

His eyes widened. His family were outside? On today of all days?!

"Where are they?!" the Incubus barked into the phone, leaping to his feet.

"Different places. You want me to send you-?"

"Yes! Quickly! Gah, why now?! Why today?!"

"... Bluebell? You sure you're-?"

Cobalt ended the call. Slamming the phone down, he toppled out of his bed and over to his wardrobe, wincing every time his stomach ached in chorus with his pounding head. As he pulled out a rumpled shirt and a pair of trousers, Lilith appeared behind him in a burst of Devilish magic, worry written clearly upon her face.

"Kid, are you alright? What's going on?" she asked, clearly feeling the effects of his headache.

Tearing off his nightclothes, the Incubus haphazardly wormed his way into the trousers and grunted as he struggled with the buttons on the shirt.

"What day is it today?" he asked, knotting his tie around his neck.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked around the apartment before narrowing her eye at the calendar pinned to the wall.

"Fourteenth."

"Of?"

"February."

"There's your answer!"

He barged past the room and snatched his dressing gown off a hook on the back of his door, throwing it over his shoulders as he irritably rubbed his eyes. Lilith just watched him with a confused look on his face.

"That tells me nothing, kid," she sighed, folding her arms.

With a growl of irritation, Cobalt pivoted on his heel and grabbed the Devil by the sleeve, catching her off-guard as he dragged her over to the window. Instructing her to hide out of view, he threw the curtains open.

There, Karazelle Terna stood pressed up against the glass, her face twisted into a hungry smile as her heavy breaths left streaks of condensation against its surface. She was dressed sloppily, and despite the chilly weather outside, she appeared to be drenched in sweat. The Succubus' eyes glowed a dull pink, and as soon as she met the Incubus' gaze, she gave him a seductive wave.

"Now do you get it?" he whispered, glaring at his unruly student as she licked the glass.

"The Hell's wrong with her?" Lilith whispered from her hiding spot.

"Valinsania. Same thing, every Valentines, every year. Lust demons go mad."

Sighing irritably, he shut the curtains.

"Myself included."

"Huh. I never knew that happened. Must be a bug or something," the Devil pondered, scratching her chin.

Shaking his head, Cobalt grabbed his phone and fixed her with a bloodshot glare.

"Doesn't matter how it happens. All that matters is that my family is out there, and I'm going to have to wrangle them before they hurt themselves, others, or worse."

"Shit... it gets that serious?"

"It can do. Even if it doesn't, I don't feel like having any more nieces on the way. Now come on!"

Startled by his foul mood, the Devil just nodded and rejoined him. With Lilith back onboard, Cobalt stormed out of his room and began to furiously hammer away on his mobile's buttons, sending a string of messages out to those unaffected by the seasonal madness. As he descended the building, a few students popped their heads out of their rooms in order to catch a glimpse of the Incubus, curious as to whether he was having another episode.

"This is bad..." the Incubus muttered, penning a message instructing everyone to meet him in the girl's common room.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Valinsania's hard to deal with. Doesn't affect first-stagers, but it makes second-stagers erratic. Erratic, but easily goaded. Third-stagers, though... It differs from case to case."

"... You said you were affected too, right? Aren't you a second-stager?"

"Physically. Mind's more developed, but that doesn't mean I'm not feeling the urge to just...! Look, my family's hard to deal with at the best of times. On Valentines, they're downright impossible."

He sighed as he stepped outside.

"No, I can't do this by myself. I'm going to need their help."

Stepping into the girl's dorms, Cobalt was alerted to the sounds of maniac laughing and screaming coming from upstairs, coupled with the banging of doors and the rattle of locks. Valinsania was rough on those it affected, but it could be rougher on those around them as well. Ignoring the confused gazes of the girls around him, the Incubus stormed forth into the common room and shooed a group of Golems off the couch, before sitting himself down and massaging his temples.

Jelli and Izzbelle were the first to arrive. They were both dressed in running tracksuits, with the former looking much more exhausted than the latter. As soon as the Glutton met the Incubus' gaze, however, she quickly turned her face to the floor. A guilty lump formed in Cobalt's throat, but all he did was gesture to the couch opposite him.

"Sit," he instructed simply.

"What's goin' on? Karazelle slip her leash again?" Izzbelle asked, sitting down with her legs crossed.

Jelli sat down beside her, but she kept her gaze firmly glued to the floor.

"No, it's not her this time. Just wait until everyone's here so I can explain."

The Oni rolled her eyes.

"Tch. Waste of my fuckin' time-"

"I'm not happy to be spending my day off like this either, Izzbelle!"

Her eyes went wide, taken aback by the Incubus' aggression. Massaging his head, he just gestured for her to be still as they waited. A few moments later, a bleary-eyed Quinn Redtile stumbled down the stairs, struggling to support a half-asleep Lottie, who was clinging to her girlfriend's horns for support. The Imp yawned as she toppled onto the couch.

"What's so important that you need me up at this hour for?" she asked, rubbing her eyes as Lottie collapsed into her lap.

"I'll explain in a minute," Cobalt answered.

"Ugh..."

Cobalt heard someone clear their throat. Glancing up, he saw Whitney looming in the doorway, dressed in pajama bottoms and a simple hoodie. Her prosthetic arm was nowhere to be seen, and the right sleeve was tied up.

"Everything alright, sir?" she asked, easing into the common room.

As she sat down next to the rest of them, the Incubus took a deep breath.

"No. You all know what day today is, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

They all murmured in affirmation, save for Lottie, who had fallen asleep on top of Quinn, though she didn't look as though she was about to complain.

"Right. I won't waste time explaining, then. My sisters and my mother... they've gotten out. I don't know how or why, but the fact of the matter is that if someone doesn't lock them back indoors, then all Hell is gonna break loose. The tabloids have enough of a time slandering my mother for her habits; I don't need her accidentally embarassing herself any further," Cobalt told them, clicking through his phone to find a group of files sent to him by Alison.

Izzbelle snorted.

"And this is our problem, because...?" she asked in a snide tone.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure we owe Cobalt more than a couple of favours!" Whitney said, jumping to the Incubus' defense.

"I just don't wanna spend my day off cleanin' up someone else's mess."

"Pretty sure we, like, spent plenty of our free days cleaning up your messes, though."

"You listen here you-!"

Cobalt cleared his throat as he stood up.

"Izzbelle. Shut it and listen up," the Incubus snapped, sending a message with a click of a button.

The Oni's phone dinged. Raising an eyebrow, she opened the message and squinted at her cracked screen.

"You're going after Scarlet. She's tough, and likes to put up a fight. Don't worry; she can take a hit," he explained, sending another file.

This time, Quinn's phone bleeped.

"Quinn, I'm sending you after Amber. I can't rightly say where she'll be by now, but I'm sure you'll be able to track her."

"Yeah, sure," the Imp responded, not even checking her phone.

Jelli's phone suddenly jingled, spurring Izzbelle to cry out.

"Hey, what's the big fuckin idea?! You are not sendin' her out to wrangle one of your psycho sisters, dumbass!" she complained, pulling the Glutton close.

"Viridi's always been the most reasonable, Izzbelle. I know where she is, and she's never been one for violence. She'll be fine."

"No fuckin' way! That's-!"

The girl in question suddenly shook her head, swinging her mousey-brown plaits about as she patted Izzbelle's arm.

"No, it's okay. I... I'll be happy to do it," she said in a quiet voice, though she still didn't dare look Cobalt in the eye.

The lump in his throat returned, but Cobalt just swallowed it and sent a picture to Whitney.

"Azul's the closest to here. She can be pretty hard to deal with, but use your words right and you can probably talk her into going home by herself," he told her, giving the Nymph a nod.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Right, right... Um, and if she doesn't?"

"Knock her out and drag her back."

"O- Oh..."

The Incubus paused at the last picture, a blurry security camera photograph of Violet, easily the most difficult of the quintuplets. Feeling a sweat form on his brow, he glanced up at Lottie, but immediately realised that she wouldn't be able to handle her. It didn't help that the Golem didn't own a phone. The thing was, he wouldn't be able to go after both Violet and his mother at the same time...

"I shall handle this one, my love," a cold voice spoke from behind the couch as an ashen-black hand plucked the phone from his grasp.

Everyone flinched as Elya suddenly appeared, dressed in her usual disheveled coat.

"Great, you're bringin' the psycho in on this bullshit too..." Izzbelle grumbled, placing a protective hand in front of Jelli.

"Elya..." the Incubus breathed, still feeling strange from their last encounter.

The Fallen stared at the picture for a good few moments before handing the phone back to Cobalt. With a deep sigh, she stared at each of the girls individually, before finally settling her gaze on Jelli.

"I know now that you are all just distractions. Promises made are to be fulfilled. Sleep easy knowing that I know what you are," she said in a monotonous voice.

Cobalt stood up and stared into her eyes. They were dark. Erratic. Purple.

"Elya, you can't hurt her. At all. Violet's pregnant."

"Hm... Family is family, and family is sacred. Very well. But know this."

Whipping Immoderata from her coat, she pointed the dagger at Jelli.

"Even if you answer their cries in spit and bile, when the time finally comes, I will dispose of them my way," Elya threatened, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"The fuck do you mean by that?!" Izzbelle roared, leaping to her feet.

Before she could do anything, however, the Fallen uttered an unspoken incantation, fading away with the draught coming in from beneath the doors. Growling in frustration, she grabbed Jelli's arm and dragged her away.

"Right. Better start before I pass out altogether. Up you get, love," Quinn yawned, pushing Lottie onto the floor.

The Golem snorted herself away and staggered back onto her hooves, before taking the Imp by the hand and allowing herself to be led out of the common room. Whitney soon made to follow, but stopped upon noticing the look on her teacher's face.

"Cobalt?"

"What?"

"I, uh... I know it's this whole Valinsania thing getting to you, but... don't push yourself too much, okay?"

He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'll be fine. Just go," he instructed.

The Nymph nodded and trotted out of the room. Shaking his head, Cobalt focused on the sixth and final image that Alison had sent to him. Another screencap from a camera feed, this one depicting Jezebel Trayer staggering into the doors of the Burnlight Theatre. The place she began her career as an actress.

"You think you're up for this, kid?" Lilith asked.

"This isn't the first time I've had to deal with my family on Valentines."

"No, I mean-"

"Leave it, Lilith," Cobalt muttered, climbing to his feet.

He snapped the phone shut.

"I've got a long day ahead of me."

-----

Time was Izzbelle used to love cold weather. There was something about it that just got her fired up. When she was a kid, she could play in the snowbanks for hours upon hours, until Corris had to drag her back to the house kicking and screaming. Even when she had to move to Hell, she still found solace in the winter snows over Inferno. Though it was the beginning of spring, and the December snow had long since melted, the atmosphere was still chilly.

But of course, since last year, cold weather began to make her feel... odd. The biting winds and melting snow all around her just reminded the Oni of her ill-fated wedding. It wasn't the fact that she was forced into it that bothered her. It was the fact that, at one point, she found herself being okay with it. Like the thought to marrying Cobalt and living a whole life together was... feasible.

She still found it hard to admit that she loved him. Hell, at this point she had blurted it out to everyone but herself. No matter how much she insisted that she was sick of hiding and pretending, Izzbelle Suyas still couldn't look herself in the mirror and say those words. Why was that? She knew how she felt about him, after all. He was someone who was kind, caring, but still strong in his own way.

She stopped in her tracks, coming to a halt on the footpath. To her right, the hustle and bustle of Brimstone carried on as usual, while to her left, a stately wall separated her from the Brimstone Nature Park.

It quickly struck Izzbelle that something was different about the Incubus. Not just the Valentines madness thing, or even his declining health. It was the way that he was as a person. When she first met Cobalt, he was meek and passive, like a newborn lamb. Something hauntingly familiar to her, but still endearing. Now, however... That lamb had grown teeth. He spoke less formally, and didn't seem quite so willing to be everyone's doormat. He stood up for himself and those around him, and if the whole Iron Hound thing was anything to go by, then he was more than capable of dishing out due punishment.

It was...

"Agh... This is still a waste of my fuckin' time..." the Oni grumbled, shaking her head as she continued her march down the path.

She wasn't around this time last year, but apparently Karazelle went on a rampage; something to do with what Valentines Day does to Lust demons. It seemed to make Cobalt act like a real asshole too, but in truth that was more a novelty than an annoyance. There was something refreshing about seeing that man act so bristly.

Almost cute in a way. Hm.

"Agh!" Izzbelle growled, picking up the pace.

Now was not the time to get all mushy. She was supposed to be taking Jelli out for a run this morning, and yet here she was, traipsing around town looking for a rogue Trayer. The picture Cobalt sent her pointed her in the direction of the park, but it was a big place, and it would take forever to-

"Miss Suyas? Is that you?"

Stopping just by the gates to the Brimstone Nature Park, Izzbelle raising an eyebrow and turned towards the source of the voice. A police car was parked by the curb, and the driver's side door was open. A stocky Imp dressed in a policeman's uniform sat with his feet out on the footpath, cradling a cup of coffee in his hands. His face was badly bruised, and a bloodied tissue was jammed up one of his nostrils.

Izzbelle grimaced. Calvin Srenth, the Chief of Police. And a good friend of her father's; she had seen him around Inferno a lot growing up.

"What's it to you?" she spat, jamming her hands into the pockets of her tracksuit.

Despite his injuries, he chuckled.

"Thought as much. Only a Suyas would answer like that."

"Fuck you."

"Your folks taught you not to trust cops, huh? I get that."

He laughed again, but it quickly became a cough.

"If you're heading into the park, I'd suggest picking a different jogging route. Bit of a situation going on, as you can see," Calvin continued, gesturing to his haggard appearance.

The Oni's brow furrowed. She didn't like where this was going.

"If you got a situation, then why the fuck are you just sittin' on your ass?" she asked.

"I'm wondering whether I should call for backup, but we've already got our hands full with another situation downtown. Besides, why call in a bunch of crooked cops when I could just ask you do help me out?"

Izzbelle bared her teeth.

"Fuck off, pig; I'm not doin' your dirty work."

"I'm not stupid, Izzbelle. You're here on Cobalt's behalf, aren't you?"

She flinched, prompting the officer to laugh once again.

"I'm right, aren't I? Because right now his sister is lounging on a park bench just outside of the forest trail, challenging anyone she sees to a fight and a fuck. Kicked the absolute shit out of me, then offered to blow me for my troubles," he said, sounding rather amused.

Glancing around, she pulled a face.

"Did-?"

"Nah. I'm a married man. My point is, I know you're doing this for him. Don't worry; I won't get in your way. In fact, I'll make sure no-one else interferes while you put Miss Trayer in there back in her place. Sound good?" Calvin interrupted, taking a sip of his coffee.

Though the thought of kowtowing to authority made Izzbelle's blood boil, she grunted in affirmation and turned to head into the Nature Park, fists balled and gaze set on the path in front of her.

"Alright then, I'll put the call out. Oh, say hi to your dad for me when you get the chance!"

"Fuck you, pig!"

"It was good talking with you!"

If like father, like son were true, then it was no wonder that Arnn Srenth turned out to be such an annoying prick.

As she passed through the park with all the grace and elegance of a tank, Izzbelle kept her fists clenched and her breaths steady as she steeled herself for the upcoming confrontation. She had only properly met Cobalt's sisters that one time last year when they all stayed over at the Trayer house, and they were a bizarre bunch. Scarlet seemed to have an interest in martial arts, so she was more than definitely going to put up a fight.

That was fine. Izzbelle could do with a good tussle right about now.

After some wandering around the trails and getting into an altercation with a particularly clingy holly bush, the Oni eventually stumbled across the park bench that Calvin had mentioned.

A Succubus had draped herself over it, dressed in rumpled denim and a pair of combat boots. The grass around the bench was churned and torn up, and a few of the bushes and trees bore broken branches. A red bandana kept her hair out of her eyes, identifying her as the first of the Trayer quintuplets.

Izzbelle marched forward, hoping to get the jump on her. Unfortunately, she immediately stepped on a branch. The Succubus sat bolt-upright, her eyes locking onto the Oni in an instant.

She grinned.

"Heh. Now there's a welcome sight," she breathed huskily, sitting upright.

Her eyes pulsed with an odd pink glow.

"Been a while, killer. How've you been?" Scarlet Trayer asked, stretching languidly.

"Cut the bullshit. You're not supposed to be out here," Izzbelle grunted, cracking her knuckles.

The Succubus chuckled and strolled over to her, playfully kicking leaves about with her bare feet.

"Mmhm. Last I checked I was a grown-ass woman, just like you. Who says I gotta be anywhere?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips as she got up in Izzbelle's face.

The hairs on the back of her neck bristled as her knuckles whitened. Noting the look in her eyes, Scarlet suddenly guffawed.

"Oh, I get it! Cobalt put you up to this, huh? Tch, he was always a spoilsport. Used to be in charge of locking us in our rooms every Valentines. Man... one year Azul got out, and you should have heard him squeal!" the Succubus laughed, planting a hand on Izzbelle's shoulder.

Immediately, she grabbed her wrist tight and pulled her away, eliciting a gasp from Scarlet.

"Ooh, you got a tight grip on you, killer!" she laughed, reaching up to touch her arm.

"You're goin' home. Right fuckin' now."

Scarlet's hand moved from her wrist all the way up to Izzbelle's bicep.

"Nah. I'd rather hang out here with you. Mm, you're just rock hard all over, huh? I can see why Cobalt hangs around with you so much."

With a grunt of annoyance, the Oni shoved her away, allowing Scarlet to slip out of her grip and return to her position by the bench.

"Me and him used to spar a lot, you know? I mean he didn't put up much of a fight, but you probably know that just as well as I do."

Izzbelle felt her body heat up as the taste of smoke crept up her throat.

"Tell me one thing, killer. Did you and him finally go at it?"

"Shut the fuck up," the Oni hissed, smoke coiling from the corners of her mouth as she raised her fists.

"Hey, no shame if it wasn't any good. If he can't give you want, then I'd be more than happy to-!"

"You shut your fuckin' mouth!"

With her fists balled, Izzbelle launched herself forward and brought them both down in an overhead smash. She felt her knuckles tear through wood and metal, but upon looking up, she saw that Scarlet had nimbly leaped out of the way.

"Touchy touchy, killer! Don't worry; once we're done here, I'll make sure to kiss it all better!"

Stepping away from the destroyed bench, Izzbelle pounded her fists together, causing sparks to fly.

"Ocov et! Amra ilobaid!" the Oni yelled, conjuring a burning rift in the air.

As she plunged her arm in and produced her Bronze Axe, Scarlet guffawed and took a few steps back, cracking her knuckles and stretching her legs in preparation. Hefting the weapon onto her shoulder, Izzbelle made to swing it right at Scarlet, but froze up upon seeing the hungry look in the Succubus' eyes.

"I'm not fixin' to kill you, but I will if you keep fuckin' pushin' me!" she threatened, the sizzling bronze blade hissing in her ear.

"Oh just try! I like 'em fiesty!"

Fucking Succubi...!

With a mighty roar, Izzbelle swung her axe, no longer caring about such frivolous things as "mercy" or "collateral damage." The thick bronze blade ripped through the surviving remnants of the park bench as it keened towards Scarlet, but the Succubus was quick on her feet. Laughing as though she were playing a game, she simply twirled beneath the weapon and closed the distance, coming within a few inches of the Oni before she could recover from the strike.

"Nice trick, killer! But only a novice relies on toys to satisfy their partner!"

"What the fuck are you talkin' abou-?!"

In an impressive display of agility, strength and a near-contortionist level of flexibility, Scarlet struck Izzbelle across the face with a devastating high kick. Swept completely off her feet by the sudden rush of pain, her concentration was shattered and she was thrown right onto her back, blood trickling out of both nostrils.

Anger flashed bright and hot through the Oni's body, thickening the smoke spilling from her mouth as her body grew hotter and hotter. Rolling to her feet, she pounded her fists into the dirt and prepared to tackle the Succubus. Her raw instinct was to grab a hold of her and rip her limb from limb for daring to lay a hand on her, but as the red haze grew heavier, she bit her tongue and thought back. Cobalt and Jelli's faces briefly flashed in her mind.

No. She had to control herself. Anger was useless when allowed to burn willy-nilly.

Izzbelle sighed as her body cooled down. Swallowing hard, she rose to her full height and adopted a defensive stance. Scarlet laughed and switched her stance to match, balancing on one foot with her leg raised. She opened both of her arms out, grinning at the Oni.

"What's wrong? Tuckered out already? If you want to forfeit, that's-"

"Shut up," Izzbelle grunted, clenching her fists.

"Heh. I'd say you're like Cobalt, but he never lasted this long. Too weak, you know?"

She almost lost her cool, but the Oni bit her lip and focused.

"He's a dumbass, but he's not weak. Seen it myself."

"What, did he manage to take you down, killer? Kinda embarrassing, don't you think?"

Izzbelle wanted to snap back at her, to cuss her out for daring to say such a thing. But rather than give in, she allowed the rage to wash over her. Her bones felt as though they were vibrating, and yet the Oni's focus was only sharpened. She observed Scarlet's stance; how she held herself, how she could possibly move next.

She was preparing herself for a side kick. Succubi were masters of the lower body.

Ducking down low, Izzbelle raised her fist and prepared to strike. Scarlet laughed in response and lashed out with her foot at lightning speed. It was a kick that would have completely blown the Oni aside, had her initial charge not been a feint. Honed by her concentration, Izzbelle sidestepped the blow and grappled Scarlet's leg, throwing off the Succubus' follow-up punch.

"Enough bullshit," she grunt, holding on tight.

With a mighty roar, the Oni swung Cobalt's sister around like a hammer, her boots digging a rut into the dirt as she spun around and around. Scarlet laughed like a maniac as she fruitlessly kicked at her hands, clearly lost in a deluded reverie. Hissing plumes of flame through her teeth, Izzbelle suddenly roared at the top of her lungs.

"GORAH~!"

With that, she released. Scarlet went careening across the park, chortling all the way. Her delerious laughter was only silence when she slammed directly into the trunk of a red oak, shaking the entire thing as her body crumpled to the ground. Gasping for breath, Izzbelle lumbered over, wiping the blood from her faces as she inspected the Succubus.

"N- Nice moves, killer..." she guttered, completely winded from the impact.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the fuckin' best; now shut up before I toss you from here to the cove," the Oni grumbled.

Grabbing her by the jacket, she hauled the Succubus over her shoulder and began to trudge out of the park, leaving the obliterated bench in her wake.

"Heh... you know... Cobalt could do with a woman like you..." Scarlet spluttered, her arms dangling over Izzbelle's back.

The Oni just snorted.

"I'm serious. He could... He could do with someone to keep him safe."

"He can keep himself safe just fine."

"Not lately he can't."

Izzbelle's brow furrowed. She was right, but she didn't want to admit it. The Incubus looked terrible these past few weeks, and she hated not knowing why. Something was eating away at him.

"Just keep your fuckin' mouth shut 'til I get you home," she grumbled, pushing through the gates.

"Whatever you say, killer."

Once she was back on the street, Izzbelle found Calvin Srenth right where she left him; nursing his now-cold cup of coffee with one hand while he stuffed tissue up his nose with the other. He glanced up at the Oni's streaming nostrils and laughed.

"Seems we're all springing leaks. Must be something going around, huh?" the Imp joked, leaning against his steering wheel.

The Oni didn't find it quite so funny. Rounding the police car, she opened the backdoors and shoved Scarlet inside.

"Need you to give me a ride to the Trayer's place," she grunted, returning to the police chief.

"You're asking me to give you a personal ride in an official BPD vehicle?" he asked incredulously.

"No. I'm tellin' you."

With another laugh, Calvin leaned over and opened the passenger side door.

"Absolute spit of your father, Izzbelle! Hop in!"

A low growl rumbled from her throat, but she climbed in next to the Imp as he started up the car.

"You did Brimstone a service today, Miss Suyas. Feels better than picking fights and trashing bars, don't you think?"

"Shut the fuck up and drive."

"Spoken like a true Suyas."

-----

Quinn had no idea that Cobalt had access to some sort of personal CCTV system, otherwise she would have taken advantage of it ages ago. The photo he provided her showed a clear picture of his wandering sister, but didn't really tell her much else. Still, the picture quality was fairly decent, and if she had to guess, that particular camera was likely only one of many. Oh, the things she could do with that kind of power...!

"Quinny~... I'm tired~...!" moaned a drowsy voice from behind her, snapping the Imp out of her scheming.

She looked over her shoulder to see Lottie sluggishly trudging down the pathway, swaying from side to side as she walked. She stopped in place and gave a mighty yawn before slumping against the wrought iron fence lining the side of the footpath. Sighing, Quinn stepped over to her girlfriend as she steadily curled up into a ball on the mossy flagstones.

"I know, love. But we're doing a favour for Cobalt," the Imp responded, rubbing her eye.

"Can't we do it tomorrow?" Lottie asked, her voice muffled.

Hunkering down, Quinn gently ran a hand through the Golem's silver tresses. It had gotten a lot softer, thanks to her reminding Lottie to actually use proper shampoo and conditioner instead of just washing her head with the first soap-like thing she saw.

"I think this is a little time sensitive, actually. Don't worry; when we get back, we can lie in all day."

Lottie lifted her head, her glasses skewed and her eyes struggling to remain open.

"Promise...?"

"Promise."

"Yay..."

With another yawn - and considerable effort on Quinn's part - Lottie stood back up and continued down the path, hand-in-hand with her girlfriend.

"Where are we going?" she asked, trying and failing to fix her wonky glasses.

"Just going to meet some mates of mine. They'll help track Cobalt's sister down," Quinn answered, reaching up to help her.

They came to a stop in front of an old, abandoned manor house. Crumbling and boarded up, it was covered in plants and vines, and an entire tree grew out of the collapsed roof. Quinn frowned as she gazed up at it; this was the same place she went back when Lottie suddenly went missing. Pulling a homemade bump key out of her jacket, the Imp knelt down and began to fiddle with the lock on the gate. She had picked this lock a hundred times before; at this point she could crack it open with a rake pick.

"Can you teach me to do that?" Lottie asked, rocking back and forth on her hooves.

"It's a bit tricky, love. I dunno if it's your kind of thing."

"But it looks fun."

"I guess... Tell you what, I'll see about getting you some starter picks when we get home, alright?"

"Okay!"

After jamming the key into the lock and lightly tapping it a few times, it clicked open, allowing the two to step into the gnarled garden of the old manor house.

"Alright, just follow me, alright? They're not too keen on visitors," Quinn instructed, taking Lottie by the hand.

The Golem nodded, squeezing her hand in response.

The front door's lock was as much of a joke as the gate, and before long, the pair found themselves in the front hall of what was once a stately manor. Quinn had asked Cobalt about why there were so many empty houses around the town, but all the Incubus could figure out was that many of Brimstone's more affluent families simply moved away once B.I.D. went public. They relocated to more affluent city-states like Lustrecliff or even across the Boiling Sea to Redmont, leaving their old homes to rot.

Shame. If they were still here, their houses would be an excellent source of quick cash. At least some of the town's seedier denizens got some use out of the crumbling wrecks.

"Smells kinda weird," Lottie commented, gazing around at the decaying hallway with wide, fascinated eyes.

"Yeah, the wood's all rotted. Bloody expensive hardwood it was, too. Watch your step," Quinn replied, guiding her towards the stairs.

They ascended the staircase, occasionally stopping in order to prevent Lottie from putting her foot clean through the steps. Upstairs wasn't much better. Some of the windows were broken, allowing the wind to whistle through the cracks in the boards. Directing Lottie down one of the hallways, Quinn directed her attention to a panel on the ceiling.

"There. Need to get into the attic. There's a stick with a hook on it that I use to-"

"Ooh, I'll help you!"

Sometimes Quinn forgot that Lottie had a background in agriculture, but she was swiftly reminded when the Golem grabbed her beneath both of her arms and effortlessly hoisted her into the air, grinning the whole time. A rosy burn ignited in the Imp's cheeks as she shook her head and reached for the attic access panel.

"A- Ah, that works too. Thanks, love."

It was getting increasingly more difficult to keep her composure around Lottie.

"Stand back!"

Pulling the panel open, the two demons toppled back as a rickety wooden ladder slid down from above.

"Hm," Quinn murmured, squinting at it, "I dunno if this is gonna hold."

"What's wrong, Quinny?" Lottie asked, cocking her head.

The Imp quickly tore her gaze away. Dammit, why was that getting to her? Lottie had so many cute little mannerisms that completely disrupted the Imp's train of thought.

"The, uh... the ladder's bollocksed. Might break."

"Can you fix it?"

"Not right now. You just wait here, alright? I'll be done in a second."

Nodding, Lottie sat down dutifully on the floor, crossing her legs as she smiled up at Quinn.

With her settled somewhere where she could be easily retrieved, the Imp grabbed a hold of the rickety ladder and hauled herself up into the old house's attic. As she popped her head up onto the next floor, she was suddenly assaulted the cawing of several dozen ravens. The floor of the attic was a carpet of black feathers, and the tree growing through the roof was absolutely covered in birds that screeched at Quinn as she approached. Piled all around the base of the tree were all manner of shiny objects; from bottlecaps and loose change to lost rings and necklaces. Some of the ravens flapped about threateningly upon seeing how the Imp stared.

"Alright, alright, settle yourselves! I'm on business!" Quinn called, batting at one of the corvids circling her head.

Their cries only grew louder, until every raven in the attic was abruptly silenced by a single, croaky caw. The birds settled down and turned to look at a single tatty bird sitting atop the pile of shiny trinkets. Its feathers were ruffled and missing in some places, and one of its feet was missing altogether. It cawed questioningly at her.

"Yeah. Kind of a big job. I'm looking for someone."

It cawed again.

"No, she's downstairs. Someone else, she's-"

The elderly raven interrupted her with another raspy cry, irritated her somewhat.

"What, do you think I'm stupid? Of course I brought pay!"

With that, the Imp emptied out the pockets of her jacket, causing a veritable tidal wave of rhinestones to tumble to the floor, exciting the entire flock. A few ravens hopped excitedly towards the glittering gems, but they were halted by a definitive squawk from their leader. It stared at Quinn expectantly with a clouded eye.

"Here. Brought a picture," the Imp said, pulling out her phone as she hunkered down.

Turning the picture of Amber Trayer towards the raven king, it stumbled forward to inspect the image closely. The rest of the flock converged around the Imp, cawing to one another.

"Well? Seen her about?" Quinn asked, raising an eyebrow.

The ravens began to speak amongst themselves, discussing their flight paths and what they had seen that morning. It rose to a feverish cacophony, until finally the old raven screeched, silencing them all.

It stared at Quinn.

"What? I already paid you, don't you dare hold out on-"

It cawed. Her eyes widened.

"She's where?"

The weathered bird repeated itself. Quinn's breath caught in her throat.

"She... She followed us here?!"

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Without even waiting for the birds to respond, she turned on her heel and bolted back towards the ladder, scattering cheap rhinestones and ravens alike. She slid down to the floor below, almost shattering her ankles in the meantime.

"Lottie! Change of plans, love; Amber's right here with-!" the Imp cried, turning to where she left her girlfriend.

But the Golem was nowhere to be seen.

"L- Lottie?! Where are you?!" the Imp cried, desperately looking this way and that in the hopes that she just wandered off.

No answer. Feeling panic swell in the pit of her stomach, she fumbled for her phone and rapidly booted up the tracker app. Quinn had since told Lottie about it, but the Golem admitted that she often got lost and liked the idea of her girlfriend being able to find her no matter where she was.

"C'mon, c'mon...!"

Finally, the app loaded. Swiping furiously, she zoomed in as far as it would let here. The little blip representing Lottie wasn't far, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Downstairs...!"

Almost slipping on the old floorboards, Quinn bolted for the stairs. On the way down, her foot went though one of the steps. The splintered wood cut into her leg, but she kept running, caring not for the rips in her jeans. With one eye on the screen of her phone, she rushed towards the double doors leading to the dining room.

"Ocov et! Amra ilobaid!" the Imp cried, drawing her Lead revolver.

Cocking the hammer against the buckle of her belt, she rapidly fired two rounds into the doors, blowing the the handles clean off. Leaping into the air, she kicked them open, scattering dust all over her clothes.

The dining room was as much of a wreck as the rest of the house. Most of the furniture was trashed beyond recognition and scattered to the corners of the room, but a single article survived; an old dining chair, upon which sat Lottie's necklace. The cord was snapped, like it had been pulled right off her neck. Feeling her anxiety settle in the pit of her stomach like a rock, Quinn crept over and gingerly picked it up.

"Lottie...?" the Imp breathed, looking around.

"Huh? Oh yeah, that was her name."

Whirling around, she stuffed the necklace into her jacket as she aimed her Lead Revolver at the presence behind her. Looming in the doorway was a Succubus, dressed in a set of mismatched orange nightclothes. Her hair was a frizzy mess of knots and tangles, and her eyes glowed with the tell-tale pink hues of Valinsania. Teeth gritted, Quinn lowered her stance and gripped her weapon tight.

"Where is she?" she asked, keeping the gun trained on Cobalt's sister.

Amber Trayer shrugged and gave a mighty yawn.

"I dunno. Around, probably. I think I met her earlier, but she ran off and dropped that little thingy around her neck. Shame; she was really cute."

Quinn bit her lip. It was a good thing that she taught Lottie not to interact with strangers, but now that she wasn't wearing her necklace, she could be anywhere.

"Hm. You're kinda cute too. Have we met before?" Amber asked, stumbling forward into the room.

Taking a step back, Quinn quickly looked around the dining room. Aside from the door she was standing in front of, there were two other exits on either side of the dining room.

"Yeah, last year. But sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry...!" Quinn replied, quickly darting for the door on her left.

"No wait, hold on."

Right as the Imp made to grab the door handle, Amber snapped her fingers. Dark shadows sprung from the corners of the room, coiling themselves into black tendrils that wrapped around Quinn's ankles and dragged her to the floor. Try as she might to claw herself free, the umbramantic cords just went taut and slowly dragged her back into the centre of the room. The Succubus twirled her index, willing the shadows to dangle the Imp by her ankles.

"Hey! Let me down!" she cried, struggling against her bonds.

Keeping a firm grip on her Lead Revolver, Quinn tried to aim for the tendrils keeping her aloft, but as she aimed down the sights, Amber suddenly closed the gap and snatched the gun out of her hands. She tossed it over her shoulder, where it clattered to the floor and dissipated into a cloud of reddish spores.

"Hey, are you busy today?" the Succubus asked, running a hand across Quinn's face.

She tried to bite her fingers, but to no avail.

"I'm not playing this game with you."

"We're playing a game?"

The two stared at each other for a moment before a look of realisation flashed across Amber's face.

"Oh~, you meant like foreplay!"

"What?! I did not!"

"No no no, I get it now. Sorry, sorry; I keep forgetting about the whole 'hard to get' thing."

"That's not what I'm doing!"

Quinn shoved the Succubus' face away, causing her to swing back. On the return trip, she braced herself and roughly headbutted Amber, knocking her to the floor and breaking her concentration enough to dispel the dark tendrils. She rolled to her feet and tried to bolt out the door, but once again the Succubus just snapped her fingers. More shadowy cables latched onto her, binding all four of her limbs and denying her an escape.

"Ow... Can we just skip all this?" the Succubus sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"I'm not flirting with you, you crazy bint!"

"Wow. You're really going for the bratty thing, huh?"

"What the bloody Hell is wrong with you?!"

With a mighty sigh, Amber stretched languidly and snapped her fingers again, causing a black tendril to coil across Quinn's mouth, shutting her up. For someone with such a tenuous grasp on where she was or what she was doing, she was quite the magical adept. Though the Imp struggle, thrashed and tried all her usual tricks to get out of bindings, the dark shadows kept clinging to her. The worst part was that they weren't even tight or uncomfortable; it was like the darkness itself was gently caressing her every time she thrashed.

"Hm... Hey, do you like going on top or on bottom?" Amber asked as she visibly struggled with the buttons on her nightshirt.

Quinn just tried swore her out, but all she could do was mumble indignantly.

"I guess if you're tied up then I'm gonna have to... Ugh, but that's so much work..."

As Amber Trayer ruminated aloud and fiddled with her clothes, Quinn flopped over onto her stomach and squinted past her, having spotted something out of the corner of her eye. There, in the hallway just behind the Succubus, was Lottie. The Golem was peering around her with wide, confused eyes. She must have been wandering all over the house. Biting deep into her gag, the Imp began to repeatedly thump her head against the floor. It hurt a Hell of a lot, but it made just enough noise to catch the Golem's attention.

"Quinny? Are you there?" the Golem called , wandering closer to the dining room.

Amber wheeled around to face the disturbance.

For a few, silent moments, both demons stared at one another; eyes squinted, mouth slightly agape. Quinn could practically hear the cogs in their head grinding as each struggled to recognise the other, despite meeting not a few minutes earlier.

Lottie's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Oh! Amba Traya!" she laughed.

"And you're, uh... Lottie, right? One of Cobalt's students?"

"Yah!"

Quinn banged her head off the floor again, catching Lottie's gaze. She broke out into a wide smile.

"Quinny!" Lottie cried, immediately barging past the Succubus.

"Do you two know each other?" Amber asked, finally deciding to just pop the buttons off her shirt.

"Quinny's my girlwife!"

She knelt down next to Quinn, her expression growing puzzled at the sight of the umbramantic cords binding her to the floor.

"Oh, congratulations. You two need a third?" Amber asked, tossing her top over her shoulder.

"No that's okay; there's birdies upstairs," Lottie replied, tugging at the tendrils.

"Honey, I said third."

"Honey's nice. Quinny puts it in my tea sometimes."

"Uh... Right, okay."

"Why's she all tied up?"

"I thought she'd look nicer that way."

Lottie nodded enthusiastically. Behind her, Quinn could see Amber muttering a spell beneath her breath, causing shadows to swirl around her hands. The Imp tried to scream for Lottie to turn around, but the gag kept her cries incomprehensible.

"I'm not very good at the knots and things yet," Lottie replied, going cross-eyed as she concentrated on freeing her girlfriend.

Shadows coated Amber's hands, forming black claws. She flexed her fingers, preparing to strike.

"That's okay. I'll be sure to teach you...!"

From her vantage on the floor, Quinn saw it all happen in the span of a few seconds. The Succubus lunged, eyes ablaze with hunger. Before her claws could even glance Lottie, however, the Golem's eyes glazed over for the briefest of moments. She lashed out behind her and grabbed Amber's throat without even looking, cutting her reckless attack short. The shadows loosened enough for the Imp to scrabble free, allowing her to climb to her feet.

"Gah! What the Hell?!" she gasped, rubbing her face.

Lottie slowly rose to her feet, lifting Amber right off her feet. She choked and kicked in an effort to break her iron grasp, but the Golem was like a rock. Slowly, she turned to face Quinn, her eyes glassy and opaque.

"Sebed ihim, siverb te sivaus," Lottie said, her voice low and calm.

Amber stopped struggling, whereupon she simply dropped her to the ground. She blinked a few times, and her eyes cleared. Lottie's face scrunched up with confusion as she looked to the spot where Quinn was, then to where she currently stood, before finally squinting at Amber's unconscious body.

"What happened...?" she mumbled, scratching her face.

Quinn cleared her throat, a little unnerved. She had only spoken to the Sandlady a few times; as far as she was aware, she was the complete opposite of Lottie. The language barrier made it difficult enough to gauge what she was thinking, but what was most disconcerting of all was the fact that she wore Lottie's skin. It was like her girlfriend had a third disapproving parent to impress.

"Your, uh... Your ghost friend helped us," Quinn said.

She thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Sandy's not a ghost."

"Yeah, well she's about as spooky as one."

Dusting herself down, the Imp crept over to Cobalt's sister and nudged her with her foot. The Sandlady had choked her out cold.

"Right... Suppose we got to get her back to Cobalt's place without anyone seeing us..." she mused, picking up the Succubus' discarded nightshirt and gingerly putting it back on her.

"What was she talking about, Quinny?" Lottie asked, watching as she did Amber's buttons up.

"Remember last year, when Kara went a little loopy? Same thing here. Unfortunately for Amber, she's not quite my type."

Slowly, Lottie turned her head. Atop her head, the cowlick wobbled.

"What's your type?"

The Imp snorted as she sat the unconscious Succubus upright.

"Well obviously my type is you, you daft spoon."

"Yay~!"

Without warning, the Golem swept her up in her arms and kissed her deeply, much to Quinn's surprised. Lottie was no expert in romance, but she was certainly eager. Time and time again she would surprise the Imp with her clumsy-yet-earnest displays, and time and time again she would just melt into Lottie's arms.

Quinn was beginning to wonder whether she had any clue about romance either. Maybe Lottie knew more than she let on...

"O- Okay, there's time for all that later," she stammered, patting the side of Lottie's cheek as she put her back down, "but right now we've got to get her back to the Trayer's gaff."

With an enthusiastic nod, the Golem effortlessly picked Amber up, slinging her over her shoulder like a sack of grain.

Quinn felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Was she getting into seeing Lottie lift heavy objects? Was that weird?

"All ready!"

The Imp cleared her throat.

"R- Right, let's get this bird home!"

-----

Jelli felt like there was a hole deep down in the very put of her stomach. She was used to feeling low - that seemed to be her natural state of being, after all - but this... This was the lowest she had ever felt in a long, long time. Cobalt... He was...

He hated her, didn't she? That was the only reason she could think of for him... vomiting at the mere idea of having to date her. No wonder he kept stalling. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't even want to entertain the idea, and he was just too polite to say it.

She was such an idiot for even daring to imagine it. She may love Cobalt, but it was just a fantasy. And now that Jelli had opened her fat stupid mouth, he'd never be able to look at her without feeling the urge to-!

Her ice-cream plopped to the ground. Blinking herself free from her reverie, the Glutton slowly looked down at the pavement, where her scoop of strawberry was slowly melting into a puddle of sludge. Feeling a lump form in her throat, she just dropped her cone and buried her face in her hands.

It was pathetic. She was pathetic.

Even after everything, Cobalt still counted on her for something. And here she was, gorging on ice-cream instead of doing what she was supposed to.

Swallowing hard, Jelli looked over at the building across the street. The library was surrounded by people. Some she recognised, like the establishment's regulars, as well as it's staff. The head librarian, a stocky Golem in steel-rimmed glasses, was standing by the door, frowning as he failed to pull it open. A couple of police cars were parked outside, though law enforcement was nowhere to be seen.

The picture that Cobalt gave her showed his sister running into the library. Ironic; back in her first year, she felt like that building was her only place of solitude in the whole town.

Taking a deep breath, the Glutton trudged over to the Brimstone Public Library. Unwilling to speak to anyone else, Jelli hurried her way through the crowd, keeping her eyes down the whole time. Reaching the librarian, she tapped his shoulder and coughed.

"Hm? Ah, Adeline, good to see you. I'm afraid the library's closed for the day. We have a little bit of a situation regarding a rogue Succubus" he stated, planting his hands on his hips.

She nodded shakily. Unfortunately, that was exactly why she was here.

"I've called the police, of course, and they've sent in a few officers, but I haven't heard from them since and these here doors are locked up tight."

Sighing, he patted her shoulder and smiled.

"Sorry, lass. You'll just have to come back another day," he said sympathetically.

"O- Oh, okay... S- Sorry..." Jelli stammered, nodding.

Scuttling off, she swallowed hard and looked up at the building. It only had two other doors that she knew of, and both of them were usually locked. As her gaze slowly drifted to one of the large windows, she frowned.

It looked like that was the only option.

Doubling her pace, Jelli rounded the building until she wound up behind it, where no-one could see her. Shaking all over, she pressed her hands against the window and chanted.

"M- Menidutitrof ihim ad... Auqa... Oicalg...!"

As the pane of glass slowly froze, Jelli swallowed hard and picked up a loose stone. Once the window was sufficiently weakened, she shut her eyes and threw the rock.

"Sorry!" she cried, wincing as she heard the sound smashing of glass.

Though unwilling, she cracked one eye open and nearly fainted upon spotting the broken window.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she babbled to herself, stepping over to the window and nervously maneuvering her hand inside the hole she had made.

Though scared stiff of cutting herself on the glass, the Glutton managed to unlock it from the inside and push it open just enough for her to squeeze through. It was a tight fit, and she thought she had gotten stuck at least twice, but eventually Jelli managed to crawl through the window and into the library, collapsing onto a plush couch that had thankfully been placed there.

"H- Here I go..."

In truth, she hated this. The library was always quiet, yes, but this was the kind of silence that told her it was void of any people, meaning that she shouldn't be here. It felt wrong. It was wrong.

But Cobalt was counting on her for this, and she couldn't afford to let Cobalt down. Not after everything.

Cobalt... He wasn't okay at all, and that was even discounting the Valinsania symptoms. There was no point in trying to pretend the videos of him bleeding out in the corridor didn't exist; everybody had seen them by now. He was in pain, inside and out.

Cobalt Trayer was sick, and there was nothing Jelli could do to help him. Nothing. She was completely useless, and if she ever did want to make the world a better place, she might as well go and-

A sudden cry of terror shocked the Glutton to the core, and she soon found herself running into the main room of the library; a vast wood-paneled chamber filled to bursting with books, chairs and shelves. There, a police officer stood with his back to the wall, holding out his baton protectively.

"Ma'am, put the bottle down!" he yelled, his false bravado doing nothing to take away the quivering fear in his voice.

Someone laughed in reply, but Jelli couldn't quite see who it was. Tiptoeing over to a relatively small bookshelf, she crouched behind it, but suddenly gasped upon noticing a body already lying there.

His uniform identified him as another police officer. His hat had been knocked to the ground, and his baton lay a few feet from his hands. The Glutton had to clamp her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. She couldn't believe it. He was... he was...!

Asleep.

The soft rise and fall of his chest told her that.

It was a relief, yes, but the fact that an officer of the law was sleeping here – of all places – still worried her.

A loud thump suddenly drew Jelli's attention to the other officer. He was now also on the floor, and the person he was talking to was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah... I recognise you."

The Glutton froze in place, terrified beyond all reason. Heart hammering in her chest, she frantically looked around for the source of the voice, but couldn't find it.

"Adeline Pharmine, also goes by Jelli. Twenty years of age, nearing twenty-one, and rapidly approaching the date of her final exams," spoke the voice, echoing throughout the library.

Shakily muttering arcane words, Jelli summoned her Rock Candy Mace into her hands and held it protectively in front of her. She tried to recall Izzbelle's self-defense advice, but it just wasn't coming to her.

"No notable events in medical history, save for a false report detailing a Glutton of similar description who'd been hit by a car, submitted by an unknown person. Interesting, interesting..."

She looked everywhere, but all she could see where bookcases and empty chairs, as well as stacks upon stacks of reading material.

"And here she stands before me, lost and alone. Don't be afraid, Jelli. I won't hurt you."

"Where are you?!" Jelli yelled, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Look up, sweetie."

Jelli was never keen on swearing, but a whole string of the vulgar words zipped through her head as she craned her neck upwards, just in time to see a Succubus drop from the rafters. The Lust demon landed neatly in front of her, a wide smile on her face.

She wore a pristine green shirt and a rather pretty skirt, as well as a small satchel marked with a medical cross. Just one glance of her bespectacled face told Jelli that this was a studious and respectable woman, though one glance was all she could get before her face was suddenly pushed into the purple-skinned demon's chest.

"It's been quite some time, Jelli. Have you been catching up on the reading materials I gave you?" she cooed, running a hand through her hair.

Though her thoughts were somewhat clouded by the awkward position she had been forced into, the Glutton vaguely remembered the stash of erotic novels and porn magazines that Viridi Trayer had given her the previous year, that were now collecting dust at the bottom of her closet. It had taken her months to get through a few pages of just one of them. Regrettably, she shook her head.

"Aha, naughty naughty~"

Jelli cried out as she was suddenly pushed onto her back. Viridi laughed and kicked her mace out of her reach, before planting her hands either side of her head, breathing heavily. It was then that Jelli noticed her eyes; pink and cloudy, just like Karazelle last year.

"You've got a way about you, Miss Pharmine. I must admit, I find myself growing jealous of how much time my brother gets to spend with you," breathed the Succubus, running a hand along her terrified face.

"C- Cobalt...?" stammered the young Glutton, unsure of what to say.

Giggling, Viridi reached into her pocket and pulled out a red lollipop, grinning as she ripped the wrapper off with her teeth.

"Yes, yes, but please; enough about him. Here, in this place, it's just you and me. Care for a refreshment?" gasped the Succubus, dangling the sweet in front of Jelli's face.

Jelli was frozen in place, paralysed by uncertainty. Laughing, Viridi pushed the lollipop into her mouth, slowly pressing it against her tongue.

"There's a good girl. I often keep these on hand for the younger patients up at the hospital, but I've never had one myself. Tell me; how does it taste?" she cooed, licking her own lips.

Jelli just stumbled back furth beneath the Succubus' gaze. The lollipop was very sweet, with an intense strawberry flavour. And the way Viridi pushed it so forcefully into her mouth... it was almost like-

Wait, what was she doing?!

Biting down hard on the lollipop stick, Jelli tore it from her captor's grip, just before squirming out of her grasp and crawling out underneath her legs.

"I, um... M- Mr. C sent be to bring you home!" she yelped, shifting the lollipop from one side of her mouth to the other as she re-summoned her mace.

Viridi sighed heavily as she rose to her feet. Her smile faded, and her caring demeanour with it.

"Cobalt... Yes... He was always put in charge of keeping us locked up on Valentines..." she mused, clasping her hands behind her back.

Carefully, she began to pace around the library. Jelli kept her distance, her grip on her mace shaking.

"Of course, he's also affected, but in a different way. You've seen how he can get, yet?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she cast the Glutton a sidelong glance.

It was kind of hard to ignore Cobalt's attitude on Valentines. He just got so... mean.

"Y- Yeah..." Jelli breathed carefully.

"Do you ever wonder why that is?"

The Glutton shrugged her shoulders, prompting Viridi to sigh.

"Consider this. Valinsania has been theorised to be a psychological return to base form. Succubi find themselves feeling aroused in almost all senses of the words. Such is the reason for why so many Lust demons are born in October. Hell, even right now I'm struggling to hold myself back," she explained, taking a shaky breath after every sentence.

Jelli couldn't help but blush at that.

"Wh- What are you saying...?"

"Cobalt - and other Incubi besides - instead find themselves growing aggressive. Irritable. Violent. What do you think that says about him?"

"H- Hey!"

Taking a step closer, Viridi tried to lay a hand on Jelli's shoulder, only for her to flinch away.

"He's my brother, and I care for him, but one has to face facts. Incubi by definition are violent and aggressive. Some Succubus enclaves even consider them not to be Lust demons at all."

The gentle glow of her eyes flashed.

"Some consider them to be demons of Hate."

"You're wrong!" Jelli suddenly cried, "Cobalt isn't like that! H- He would never-!"

"Never what, Adeline? Hurt others? Hurt himself? Lash out at those to help? Look, I love Cobalt as any sister should, but I'm a realist. He's in a tailspin, and you're doing yourself no favours by clinging to him."

Her smile returned.

"Do yourself a favour, Adeline. Spend some time here, with me. I assure you, no-one will disturb us; the sedatives will see to that."

She took a step closer to the Glutton, pressing her back up against a bookshelf. Reaching out, Viridi cupped her chin.

"I can make you forget all about him, Adeline."

As the Succubus drew closer and closer, Jelli's panic began to rise. Right as she felt her hot breath caress her face, some of Izzbelle's advice suddenly came back to her.

"Anyone gets up in your face and I'm not there, just smash your forehead right into their fuckin' nose, alright? Don't think about it, just do it."

"S- Sorry...!"

Mustering all of her courage, Jelli swung her head forward, right into Viridi's face. The Succubus cried out and toppled backwards, the contents of her satchel scattering all over the floor. Spotting a few bottles of sedatives, she dove for one and hastily fiddled with the cap.

"Agh... Don't be hasty, Adeline. I just... I want what's best for everyone; you and Cobalt. He... He needs help, alright? And you need someone who can truly love you," the Succubus said, holding a hand to her nose.

Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, Jelli poured some of the sedatives onto it and rushed at Viridi. She didn't resist; the Succubus just gazed at her over the rims of her spectacles as the sedative-soaked cloth was pressed to her face. She kept eye contact, even as her arms went limp and her eyelids fluttered shut. With a drawn-out sigh, Viridi Trayer crumpled to the floor.

Left alone in a library full of unconscious demons, Jelli nervously looked about, unsure of what to do. She first attempted to wake one of the police officers, but whatever they had been doped with had rendered them out for the count. Eventually, she just decided to head for the front doors. Viridi had locked them tight and braced chairs against the handles for good measure. It took a little effort to get them unblocked, but once she did, Jelli opened them wide to reveal the librarian, as well as a few more police officers. The old Golem's eyes widened.

"Adeline? How did you...?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked over her shoulder to see the unconscious Succubus on the floor.

"Ah. I see. I'll not pry."

"Good work, miss. We'll take it from here," a policewoman said, patting the Glutton's shoulder as she and her comrades brushed past.

Jelli just stood there, Viridi's words still ringing in her ears. The librarian stared at her, eyes full of worry.

"You alright?" he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

The Glutton swallowed hard.

"... Ja. I- I'll be alright."

-----

Whitney stood outside of Karazelle's door, silently considering whether it would be worth seeking her input. On one hand, Karazelle was the most experienced when it came to Valinsania, and would be best able to predict where Azul Trayer will show up next. On the other, her brain was probably melting out of her ears like a particularly horny soup, which would render her responses... less than useless.

She glanced down at the door. A small red device had been latched onto the handle, placed there by the housekeeper the previous night. It quietly ticked as a timer slowly counted down to midnight, whereupon it would pop right off, freeing the Succubus within. Since the incident last year, B.I.D.'s entire stock of Valentines timelocks had to be refurbished.

Whitney took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Hey. You alive in there?" she asked aloud, folding her arms.

She heard rapid footfalls from within, followed by a loud thump as Karazelle threw herself against the door. Whitney could hear her manic breathing from here.

"Hey, butterskin~. Come to visit me, huh? Hey, hey; why don't you come on in? Then we could have some fun, hm~?" the Succubus panted thirstily.

Whitney frowned. Yeah, this wasn't going to get her anywhere.

"Just checking in on you, Whoretits," she sighed, scratching her face with her hook.

Karazelle tittered with glee.

"Aw, you really do love me!"

"Wouldn't go that far. Just wanna make sure you're not, like, starving to death in there or anything."

"Oho, I'm starving alright, Butterskin. C'mon, don't make me beg!"

"Listen, I-"

"I can smell you from here, you tease!"

... Okay, this was getting weird. Best to leave her to stew a little longer.

"Right then, I'll check in on you later, then," Whitney said abruptly, turning on her heel.

"Wait, wait, wait...!"

She left the Succubus' door and traipsed over to her room, squinting at the picture Cobalt sent to her on her phone. It was kind of hard to make out - the Incubus still had a phone from the 90s - but as far as she could tell, Azul was snooping somewhere around the B.I.D. campus. Personally, Whitney wasn't worried; Mistress Viola had amped up campus security over the past few weeks. If she was lucky then his sister would have already been picked up.

Last time they met, Azul didn't really strike her as a "maniac on the run" type of girl.

Grabbing her guitar case from her room, Whitney slung it over her shoulder and marched down the stairs. To non-Lust demons, Valentines was a day off; she may as well spend it doing something productive.

Once outside the building, the Nymph sat on one of the benches in the little plaza just outside of the dorms. Setting the guitar upon her lap, she tried to play a song. She attempted a strum, only for the hook to open and catch on one of the strings.

"Shit..."

She tried again, only to miss the strings altogether and clash her prosthesis off the body of the guitar.

"Come on...!"

Whitney tried one more time. She hit the note, but after focusing so hard on her right arm, she forgot to press her fingers against the fretboard.

"Gah, I hate this stupid thing!"

The guitar hit the ground with a hollow clunk. Thankfully, no damage was done to it, but it wasn't like Whitney was paying attention anyway. She was too busy glaring at her prosthetic arm wishing with all her heart that her old one would magically reappear. She could still feel it at night; her fingers, her palm and even her thumb. It was odd, if not a little sore. Some nights it got really bad and she couldn't sleep, but her doctor said it was normal.

But she would take all the phantom pains in the world if she didn't have to wear this bloody thing anymore! Everything about it bugged her; from the awkward hook to the harness she had to wear under her clothes in order to keep it attached to her.

She sighed and leaned back in the bench, letting the sun's rays wash over her yellow-skinned face. Still, it was better than having no hand at all...

With a heavy sigh, Whitney stepped over to her guitar and plucked it off the ground, wiping off the dirt as she slung the strap back around her neck. She heard rustling from the trees behind her, and upon looking up, she saw Arnn Srenth clinging to the branches. The Imp stared at her for a moment before awkwardly clearing his throat.

"I wasn't spying on you," he remarked aloud.

Whitney frowned.

"Uh-huh. You wanna explain why you're up in a tree, then?" the Nymph asked, drumming her fingers along the guitar's fretboard.

"I was, uh... hiding."

"Hiding. Sure. You ever seen what happens when lightning strikes a tree, Arnn?"

"What?!"

"The bark just, like, explodes. And anything touching the tree, too."

"I'm not lying! Just hang on...!"

Fumbling with the branches, Arnn unceremoniously plummeted to the ground, hitting the grass with a dull thunk. Sighing, Whitney grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet. He looked haggard; the top of his shirt had been pulled open, the fabric was soaked through and a fair amount of lipstick had been smeared all over him.

"What happened to you?" Whitney asked, brushing the leaves off his shoulders.

He leaned against the tree to catch his breath, pushing his glasses up his nose with an outstretched finger.

"There was, uh... I don't know if you'll believe me," he breathed, blindly looking around.

"Try me."

"Right. You remember what happened to Karazelle last year? I... I met this lady just outside the school. She had the same funky shit going on with her eyes. We, uh... We hit it off pretty good," Arnn explained, struggling to suppress his giddy smile as he spoke.

Whitney rolled her eyes. Well, that explained where Azul was, then.

"But then she started getting really intense. Like super fucking weird. Started crying and shit. I dunno, man; I had to get out of there, and then she started chasing me!"

Yeah, that certainly sounded like Azul Trayer. Aside from the visit to the Trayers' place last year, Whitney had seen her a couple of times around B.I.D., always dressed in a blue apron as she led pairs of little kids on field trips in and around the city-state. She was a passionate woman, as far as she was aware.

"Where is she now?" the Nymph asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, I dunno. I just kinda booked it, y'know?"

"Arnn, you're kind of useless, you know that?"

"C'mon, you don't got to kick me when I'm down, man."

With a sigh, Whitney disparagingly patted the Imp's head and sent him on his way. She set her guitar back into its case before slinging it across her back, fixing to search the B.I.D. campus for any sign of a rogue Succubus.

The campus was fairly empty, but that was hardly surprising; school wasn't in session, what with the Headmistress herself locked up in her room, keeping herself sated with whatever came to hand.

Whitney frowned as she slowly rounded the main school building. The mental image of Mistress Viola getting all hot and bothered was... surprisingly hard to envision. No offence to Karazelle's mother, but sometimes she came across like she didn't have any feelings at all.

Her ears pricked up upon hearing the sound of someone grunting. With a frown, Whitney carefully turned the corner, silently preparing an incantation just in case the worst came to worst.

Thankfully, her preparation wasn't necessary. There, just in front of her, was Azul Trayer, struggling and squirming in an effort to fit herself through a small side window. The Succubus had managed to squeeze herself partway through the opening, but it appeared as though her backside was preventing her from climbing all the way through. As Whitney watched on, she tried to back out, only for her bust to prevent her from moving that way as well.

"You, uh... You okay, Miss Trayer?" Whitney asked, unsure of what else to do.

The Succubus yelped, her tail going rigid as her wings flapped in a blind panic.

"Hello?! Who's there?!" she cried, kicking her legs.

"It's Whitney Brode. We met last year, remember?"

"Whitney Brode...?"

She suddenly gasped.

"Oh, one of Cobalt's girls! Hi, how are you?"

"Um, just fine. Why are you trying to break into the school?"

The Succubus tried to extricate herself from the window once more, to no avail.

"Oh, I'm not trying to do anything bad! I- I just met this really sweet boy, but he ran off when things were just getting good!"

Arnn? Sweet? He had the demeanour and appearance of a wet dog, but Whitney would have never considered him sweet.

"Right, well... You want me to, like, help pull you out?"

Azul's entire body went limp.

"... Yes please."

Setting her guitar case aside, Whitney carefully wrapped her arms around the Succubus' waist. She was unusually warm; for some reason, Valinsania seemed to cause prolific sweating. She gave her a signal, prompting Azul to brace her feet against the wall with all her might. As Whitney tugged, the Succubus shrieked at the top of her lungs, but after some straining, she eventually popped free. As she scrambled about on the floor, the Nymph noticed a fair amount of smeared lipstick on Azul's face. For once Arnn wasn't lying about getting lucky with a girl.

"You okay?" she asked, taking a cautious step backwards.

The Succubus fixed her with a smile. Her eyes were aglow with dim pink light.

"Oh, thank you so much!"

Azul dove for Whitney in an attempt to give her a hug, but after months spent in Karazelle's company, her reflexes for this kind of thing had been honed to a razor's edge. She simply sidestepped the Succubus, almost sending her straight into a wall.

"Miss Trayer? You gotta go home," Whitney said, scratching the back of her head.

"What? Why? There's nothing to do back home, and I'm just feeling so... you know!" she whined in a voice that was very unbecoming for a woman approaching her thirties.

Turning around, she stared at Whitney with big, wet eyes, her lower lip wobbling. Cobalt did say that Valinsania affected third-stage demons a little differently, but this was just sad to look at.

"You mean... I thought at least you and I could-"

"Miss Trayer, you're very nice and I like you as a person. That being said, I don't wanna, like, have sex with you. Sorry."

"Wha...? Why not...?"

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Like actual, genuine tears.

"Uh, I don't really know you that well. And I just, like... don't really want to?"

Azul flopped forward onto her front, and just like that, she began to cry. Bawl, even. With her face pushed firmly into the ground, the Succubus began to wail, causing two dark puddles to form beneath her. Wincing, Whitney checked around her to ensure that no-one was nearby; she was crying pretty loudly after all. Biting her tongue, she attempted to get Azul to her feet.

She already had enough people staring at her because of her arm. She didn't need any more.

"Please stop crying," she grunted, struggling to pick the woman up.

She just cried harder and grabbed the Nymph's waist, threatening to knock her over. Seeing no other option, she sighed and hunkered down on the ground. Soon she found herself awkwardly patting the Succubus' head while she soaked her skirt with her tears.

"There, there..." she mumbled half-heartedly, utterly humiliated.

"I- I- I'm never good enough for anyone!" Azul cried, wiping her eyes on the hem of Whitney's cardigan.

"I'm sure that's not true."

"I- It's just because I'm too tall, isn't it?!"

"You're not that-"

"Or i- is it because I'm annoying?!"

"Wait-"

"Am I not pretty enough?!"

Whitney gritted her teeth and shook her head. She was beginning to think whatever was going on her went beyond Valinsania. With a firm sigh, she heaved Azul to her feet.

"Miss Trayer, come on. Enough of this. You're just fine."

The Succubus pulled Whitney into a restrictive, tear-soaked hug.

"You're so nice, Whitney," she guttered breathlessly, squeezing her tight.

"Well, I'm just-"

"I'm so happy you're Cobalt's girlfriend."

Whitney's breath caught in her throat as she wrenched herself out of the Succubus' grasp. Knocking into the wall behind her, she almost tripped over her guitar case.

"Woah, I am not anyone's girlfriend!" she cried, holding her hands up.

"But didn't he save your life from that whole-?"

"He's saved everyone's lives a bunch of times! That's just, like, what he does!"

Azul glanced down at the Nymph's prosthesis, igniting a spark of irritation deep down.

"What, you think he'd want to date me as like a guilt thing?"

She held it up, clicking the hook for effect.

"Mr. Trayer is one of my best friends, okay? I know the whole Devil thing happened because of him, but that wasn't his fault! I don't blame him for this, and I certainly don't expect him to, like, marry me or something because he feels bad!" she snapped, prodding the Succubus with her prosthesis.

Azul stared at her.

"So... you guys aren't dating?"

"No!"

"So you're single?"

"Yes!"

"So... do you wanna fuck then?"

Again, Whitney was knocked off kilter by her sudden words. Shaking her head, she fixed Azul with an annoyed glare.

"Azul! I'm not doing that! Never mind I don't even know what I'd be doing, I just don't like you in that-!"

"But I can teach you! It's not that hard and it's really fun cuz it's kinda slow at first but you start to get really into it and it feels really nice especially if you use your hands too and even when you're done the first time sometimes you really wanna do it again and again and you wind up really tired but happy and the afterglow is so nice and- mmf!" she cried as Whitney clamped her hand over her mouth.

With a slow shake of her head, she lifted her arm and chanted a few magical words, causing the metallic hook to crackle with electricity. She had enough of playing straightman to this girl's bullshit; she had other things to do.

"Miss Trayer. Either you let me walk you back to your house, or I taze you and drag you back, okay? What's it gonna be?"

Slowly, she pulled her hand away. Azul swallowed hard and nodded.

"Th- The first one..."

"Good choice."

-----

Violet Trayer. The fifth of the infamous Trayer quintuplets. A known criminal with a record of multiple arrests and detentions. Involved in smuggling and the illicit sale of tobacco. Self-professed iconoclast. Two months pregnant. Last spotted an hour ago, heading towards the old Greaveson Industries warehouse at the cove, armed with a baseball bat.

STRENGTH RUNS THICK IN HER BLOOD.

Elya Yalfre hunkered atop a disused shipping crane, silently staring at the warehouse as the wind whipped at her coat. Up until recently, she had seen members of a local gang milling around the building. They appeared to be some manner of recently-formed outfit - too smalltime to fall on the Sulfur Bloods' radar - and had been occupying the disused warehouse for the past few weeks.

There was no-one around now. They had all rushed indoors once Violet Trayer arrived. She was the violent type, she could figure that much from her choice of weapon. Perhaps this little gang wronged her somehow. Elya didn't care. Perhaps she would tire herself out as she slaughtered them.

Taking a deep breath, the Fallen silently winged down from the crane, landing atop the warehouse roof in a dexterous roll. She carefully placed her ear to the corrugated sheet metal, listening for any commotion. She could hear no screaming or crying out; just muffled grunts of exertion and pounding music.

SHE HAS HER PREY.

"But who hunts the hunter...?" Elya breathed, carefully sliding down the roof.

Bracing herself, she dropped down to the ground and snuck over to the side door. It lay slightly ajar, kicked in at the start of Violet's rampage. With one hand gripping Immoderata, she pushed the door open.

A demon slumped over, completely unconscious. He was dressed in trendy clothing, but the light blood splatter across his top and face told Elya that his fashion sense proved no defense against getting struck across the skull by a bat.

Elya just stepped over him, uninterested in anything that wasn't her quarry.

The inside of the warehouse was about what Elya expected a gang hideout to look like. Crates and containers had been moved around to form makeshift walls, and all manners of old and disused furniture had been reappropriated as decor. Graffiti, posters and handmade flags decorated the walls, and high-energy music pumped from a speaker sitting in one of the corners. More demons were scattered around, each lying crumpled against the rubbish-strewn floor. A few of them clung to makeshift weapons, and one Glutton man even clung to a handgun.

"They did not stand a chance," she mused, carefully picking her way around the chaos.

THEY WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED YOU.

"They would be fools to try."

MERE DEMONS ARE BENEATH YOU.

Elya frowned. Was she not a 'mere demon' herself?

As soon as she thought that, a sharp pain tore through her head, dissuading her from continuing down that line of thought. The image of Cobalt was forcefully pushed into her mind, reminding the Fallen of why she was doing this.

He was almighty, a paragon of perfection thrust into a world of filth, here to spread his faultlessness among the masses. But they were greedy, evil things. Philanderers and thieves who exist only to take his excellence for themselves. Like those damn whores who crowd around him like flies. It sickened Elya to her stomach.

But that was exactly the reason she still breathed, wasn't it? To protect and serve him, to keep the deceivers at bay. It was her sworn duty, and once the deed is done and her task is complete, she shall be rewarded with the greatest gift of all; the right to bear Cobalt's child and continue his perfect lineage.

The right to bear his child... or feed his insatiable hunger. In all honesty, Elya didn't mind which, so long as she could forever be a part of him.

Immoderata told her so. Immoderata promised her. Immoderata made her so she couldn't fail.

DO NOT FAIL.

She couldn't fail.

As Elya progressed deeper into the warehouse, the extent of Violet's rampage was made clear. There were unconscious gangsters lying everywhere; strewn about like candy wrappers. One of them groaned and weakly reached for her ankle, but the Fallen just kicked their hand aside.

LEAVE THEM.

But they didn't interest her at all. Her purpose was to find Violet.

Locating a large stack of metal shipping containers, she clambered up the side of them and leaped up onto the rafters as silently as a cat, hunkering down in order to keep her balance. From her vantage point atop the warehouse, she could see everything. More importantly, she could hear things better. Focusing her hearing, Elya listened past the music for the grunting she heard earlier. It came from the north side of the warehouse, beyond a large wall made from stacked boxes.

Slinking along the rafters, the Fallen found herself peering down into a makeshift bedroom; at least that was what she assumed it to be. In reality, all she saw were a collection of dirty mattresses laid out in rows, upon which she finally caught sight of her prey. There, with her clothes cast aside, was Violet Trayer. She was bracing a bloodstained baseball bat against her shoulders with one hand as she used the other to push a young Nymph man into the mattress.

They appeared to be having some fun.

DROP FROM ABOVE. SURPRISE THEM BOTH.

Elya didn't want to risk hurting Violet. Cobalt demanded that she didn't.

DO IT.

No. Not yet. She would wait for a more advantageous situation.

As she waited, Elya listened in close at the commotion down below. Violet had clearly taken charge of the situation; she was grunting and snuffling like an animal, while her partner just lay where he was, biting deep into his lip.

"V- Violet, c'mon, you're going too-!" he whimpered.

"Shut up! You fucking owe me this!" the Succubus growled in response.

He tried to respond, but Violet just struck her bat off the floor, shutting him up.

"You got me pregnant, you asshole!"

"Y- You don't know that was me!"

"Can it!"

Snatching her knotted underwear off the floor, the she jammed it into his mouth, effectively silencing him. Elya just watched on, intrigued. She had to admire Violet's rigorous passion. Perhaps she could learn a thing or two for the wedding night with Cobalt.

After what felt like an hour, Violet finally stopped. Her partner groaned and passed out, prompting her to spit on his face and climb back to her feet.

"Useless piece of shit," the Succubus muttered, snatching her clothes off the floor.

Tucking them beneath her arm, Violet Trayer slowly trudged back through the warehouse, dragging the baseball bat behind her as she stepped over the unconscious bodies of her victims. Up above, Elya followed her, silently calculating her next move.

SHE IS UNAWARE. STRIKE HER NOW.

Not yet.

Reaching the central area, the Succubus marched over to a small lockbox sitting atop a cinderblock. She jimmied it open, revealing a stack of brand bills, which she pulled out and began to count. While she was distracted, Elya silently glided down from above, landing behind Violet with Immoderata gripped between her teeth. She just had to pull her into a sleeper hold and deliver her back to the-

"RAGH!" Violet suddenly yelled, swinging her bat around.

Elya quickly scrambled backwards, avoiding the bloodstained hickory by a mere inch.

"You! Didn't think I'd be seeing you today, crazy-eyes!" the Succubus gasped, hefting her weapon against her shoulder.

She was just as she remembered hair; short hair, pierced face and narrowed eyes, though they were aglow with the symptoms of Valinsania. She looked irritated, and the dark rings around her eyes indicated the Elya that Violet Trayer had not had a full night's sleep in a while.

Spitting her dagger into her hand, the Fallen flipped it around and assumed a defensive stance.

"Your brother sent me," she breathed, sizing Violet up.

She scoffed and took another reckless swing, smashing her bat through a plywood table.

"Don't care. I'm not going home. Been too pent-up for too long," the Succubus growled, baring her teeth at her.

Elya began to strafe around Violet, always keeping an eye on her target's shoulders, in case she tried to attack her again.

IT'S SELF-DEFENSE. STRIKE HER DOWN.

The Succubus took a quick step forward, swinging her bat in a lateral arc. Elya ducked beneath it and closed the distance, dagger primed and at the ready.

MAKE HER BLEED. MAKE HER SUFFER.

The Fallen suddenly froze, unable to make a move. She couldn't hurt her... she had promised.

While she was distracted, Violet roughly kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind from her lungs and slamming her against the floor.

CUT HER. SLASH HER. TEAR HER.

Elya shook her head. She couldn't.

DO IT.

No.

DO IT.

No!

DO IT.

"NO!"

DO IT.

With a scream, Elya suddenly sunk the iron blade deep into her own thigh, causing a surge of blood to pour from the wound. It hurt like crazy, even more so once she pulled the knife out, but it gave her the adrenaline to finish what she had started. Spilling sanguine hues all over the floor, she flapped her wings and kicked off the floor, rushing towards Violet with a look of pure fury on her face.

She tried to intercept her with a baseball bat, but Elya sunk the blade of Immoderata deep into the wood and twisted it right out of her hands. She quickly sidestepped around her.

"You son of a-!"

Elya wrapped her arms around Violet's throat, pulling her into a tight chokehold. She screamed and thrashed, kicking her legs and flapping her wings in an effort to break free. The Succubus managed to ram the back of her head against Elya's nose a few times, but she remained resolute, tightening her grip until she went completely limp.

SHE IS QUELLED.

Taking a deep breath, the Fallen heaved her quarry into her arms, staggering back and forth as she bled from the gash in her leg. She took a shaky breath and hobbled over to the door.

HE WILL BE SO HAPPY WITH YOU.

"Yes... he will..."

-----

Cobalt stared at the puddle of vomit on the ground, feeling the world swirl all around him. He had been tiding himself over with drops of his own blood, but he made the mistake of stopping into a deli to buy something quick and dirty. He thought a meal consisting entirely of meat would be okay, but apparently even it was too much for him. Not a few minutes later and he was forced to duck into an alleyway to throw his guts up.

Just like what happened with Jelli...

"You good?" Lilith asked as he wiped his mouth.

Shaking his head, Cobalt spat a glob of acidic bile to the ground.

"Do I look okay?" he retorted, staggering back out onto the street.

He had been getting a lot of strange looks from the local populace. Never mind his reputation, everyone was put off by the aggressive Incubus dressed in a dressing gown, giving him a wide berth as he stormed towards the Burnlight Theatre.

"You think you'll be able to take her like this?" the Devil continued.

He narrowed his eyes.

"I'll be fine."

"Yeah, but-"

"Shut up."

He turned a corner, revealing the Burnlight Theatre in all of its glory. It was a grand building in the style of an 18th century human dance hall, complete with all manner of structural ornamentation. The years had not been kind to it - going by the rampant ivy and worn brickwork - but as far as Cobalt was aware, the Burnlight still regularly hosted various shows and plays.

Except for today, of course. The place looked empty, despite the open hours.

"Why'd she come here?"

"Before she worked in film, my mother was a theatre actress. She never shut up about it."

Lifting his foot, he booted the doors open, throwing them open with a crash. The foyer was completely empty; the booths were devoid of staff, and there wasn't a single theatre-goer in sight.

"This isn't good..." Cobalt murmured, stepping over the rope dividers cordoning off where the queues would usually be.

"I thought you had to deal with your family on Valentines every year."

"Not to this extent. They usually set their own locks. This is the first time they've all broken out like this."

"And your mother immediately bolted for the theatre?"

"Yeah, well... She's always been sentimental."

Swallowing hard, the Incubus pushed through the doors and into the theatre proper.

It was a vast hall, filled with rows upon rows of fine padded chairs, each decorated with red and gold embroidery. A dozen more seats sat in several balconies above, reserved for those with enough cash to throw around. They all gazed down upon a grand stage, where a single woman stood, clad in a pitch black dress.

She was a Succubus, as evident by her purple skin, as well as the wings that fluttered on her back, as well as the tail that poked from the folds of her dress. Her hair was all done up fancily, and her makeup had been applied perfectly.

There was no doubt about it. That was Jezebel alright.

Gritting his teeth, Cobalt slowly made his way towards the stage, taking care not to alert his addled mother. Right as she began to recite lines from one of her movies, he noticed that the entirety of the theatre's staff and more than a dozen members of the public were sitting in the chairs, each transfixed by the stage's lone occupant. The glow of their eyes told him that they had all been heavily charmed. Jezebel Trayer was a deceptively skilled psychomancer.

"Damn it, she's gone too far..." he growled, cracking his neck as he marched towards the stage.

Despite the warnings from the Devil in his head, he pulled himself up and cleared his throat, announcing his presence to Jezebel. Surprisingly, she turned her gaze away and thrust a finger out at him.

"Oh, sweet little beloved, thrown into a battle he does not understand! Where lions and tigers tear fruitlessly at each other's throats, and he – a lost lamb – is left frightened and alone!" she cried, a surprising amount of emotion in her voice.

He recognised those words from one of her first movies; the dramatic story of a young boy who runs away to the army, and his lover who does everything in her power to bring him back.

People used to make fun of him a lot for that. Apparently the writers of that movie accidentally put a little bit too much "passion" into Jezebel's dialogue.

"What is a woman to do while her one and only is a thousand miles from her? Seek pleasure in the little memories she has left of him, or sate her loins with anything he once laid hands on?"

Okay, now she was beginning to waver from the original script. Once again, Cobalt coughed loudly. This time she stared right at him, but continued her dramatic act as her clouded pink eyes locked with his.

"Come home to me, my dear. Come home and let us feast upon pleasures of the flesh, where we may bond together – not as man and woman – but as lover and lover!"

"That's not the original line!" the Incubus cried, annoyed with her improvisation.

Finally, Jezebel acknowledged her son with a gentle laugh. Despite her Valinsania, she appeared remarkably composed.

"Oh... You're finally here," she murmured, sounding as though she were somewhere else.

As she sized him up and sighed, Cobalt gestured to her forced audience.

"What are you doing to them? Don't tell me you've-?!" he began, pointing an accusing finger at her.

She chuckled and waved his accusation away.

"Oh no, of course not! I'm not like the girls; unable to keep my hands off anyone I see. I've weathered many Valentines Days now, and in that time, I've learned to be... patient."

He balled his fists.

"Then why are they here?" Cobalt hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"Why? To witness the greatest show in Hell, of course! Where two besotted demons bond in the most intimate of rituals!" Jezebel cried, eyes practically sparkling as she raised her arms.

Her son, however, wasn't so pleased.

"Alright, this has gone on far enough. I'm taking you back home," the Incubus announced, marching towards her.

Jezebel shook her head as she strode across the stage. She dipped into the wings for a moment before returning with an old satchel that he didn't recognise.

"I don't want to go home. I'd much rather stay here with you, honey."

Cobalt froze up. Jezebel never misused pet names. Something was up.

Reaching into the bag, the Succubus pulled out a small stoppered phial. Smiling dreamily, she began to shake it, causing the purple fluid within to glow a bright pink.

"It's been so long since I've felt this way, you know. I'm just glad you finally came back for me," she sighed, holding a hand to her face.

"Wait, Mom, what the Hell are you-!"

She threw the phial at her feet, causing it to erupt into a massive cloud of pink smoke. It quickly enveloped the entire stage, blotting out Cobalt's vision and hiding his mother amidst the swirling plumes. He quickly pulled his shirt over his face, but he could already taste the honey on his tongue. Jezebel Trayer's alchemical skill was the stuff of legend; he wouldn't be able to withhold it for long.

"Agh, I don't have time for this!" he cried aloud, warily looking around.

"Woah... I'm feeling a little woozy, kid..." Lilith murmured.

From somewhere around him, Cobalt heard his mother laugh.

"Please; breath deep. I want it to feel special."

The Incubus coughed and spluttered. Whatever this stuff was, it was impossibly sweet. His vision was swimming, and he could feel his legs growing weak.

"Aren't you happy? To be here? I hope you are. It's... something I've been dreaming about for a long, long time."

"What are you talking about?!" Cobalt cried over his shoulder.

His heart lurched and he fell to one knee. Try as he might to get up, the Incubus felt as though his body had gotten much, much heavier. Before him, Jezebel emerged from the swirling pink smoke, unaffected by her own creation. She hunkered down and cupped his face in both hands. Her expression was soft, and her eyes were gentle. Full of love.

"Oh honey... It's been so long..." she breathed, running a thumb along his cheek.

Something clicked in Cobalt's head. Swallowing hard, he looked his mother in the eye.

"Who... Who are you talking to right now...?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She giggled at his question, like it was the silliest thing in the world to ask.

"You."

"And what is my name?"

She blinked a few times. Tears glimmered in the corners of her eyes.

"Brass Trayer, of course."

Damn it. That wasn't good.

Jezebel gently took Cobalt by the arms and hoisted him to his feet, supporting him as she began to waltz about the stage, her dress whipping through the pink fog with every step she took. It took every ounce of will he had to keep up with her, all the while she just laughed as she spun him around.

"All that fancy footwork, and you've still got two left feet," Jezebel laughed, twirling him around.

"Agh... I'm... not a dancer," Cobalt responded, wincing as his already-throbbing head spun.

This was wrong. He had seen what his mother was like on Valentines before, and it was nothing like this. Standing before him as she was, Jezebel almost looked... younger. The sadness in her eyes was shrouded in pink mist, and the way she was smiling...

Deep down, a part of him wanted to indulge her delusions. Just to grant her a few moments of wistful happiness.

"Do you remember our wedding?" she asked, dancing along to the music in her head.

"I... No. Remind me."

"Kid? What are you doing?"

Jezebel sighed and let go of her son, taking a few steps back as she opened her arms out wide.

"It was beautiful. An open air ceremony; just some folding chairs and a table for the minister. You held my hands and called me your lady. I could never forget the look in your eyes..."

She took a step closer and joined hands with Cobalt. He stumbled back a little, feeling weakened by the chemicals in the air.

"Great big amber balls of fire. You know... He has your eyes."

The Incubus felt his stomach tie itself up into a knot.

"Is that so?" he asked, looking away.

She cupped his cheek and turned his face back, until she was staring right into his eyes.

"He's got your laugh, too. And your pout. Oh honey... You should be so proud of him."

"... I..."

Cobalt swallowed hard. He couldn't keep this up. Swallowing hard, he stopped where he was, forcing Jezebel to do the same. She just smiled at him, eyes agleam.

"A part of me wants to keep you here forever," she said, adjusting her dress, "but I know that I can't."

He looked up into her eyes. She was crying.

"I suppose I can't keep clinging to a dream. But it's nice to pretend."

"Wait, I-" Cobalt began.

She placed a finger on his lips.

"It's okay. I know. In the grand scheme of things, it was brief. But to me, it was everything. And I don't regret a moment I spent with you, honey."

Turning on her heel, the Succubus walked back over to where she had laid her satchel down. She reached into it a produced a second phial, this one filled with a dull green fluid. With one last misty-eyed look towards her son, she unstopped it and tipped it down her throat. She winced, swooned, and toppled onto her back, folding one leg behind the other in order to break her fall. Like a true actress.

As the pink mist faded, Cobalt felt his strength return. In that moment, he didn't know what to think. All the agonies of the moment were gone, replaced instead by pensive silence. Slowly, he walked over to his unconscious mother. Tears were still flowing from her eyes, but she was smiling in her sleep.

"Kid, I... Is she okay?" Lilith asked, utterly speechless.

Cobalt just shook his head.

"I don't know. I didn't think... I don't know."

He turned to face the crowd in the seats as they snapped out of their dazes now that their captor lay unconcious.

Jezebel... Valinsania didn't drive her to sate her base desires. She... She wanted to go back, didn't she? To a time when she still graced the stage, when she still had a husband, when she was still...

"... Happy..." Cobalt murmured to himself, the pain in his stomach worsening.

"Kid?"

"It's nothing. I'll call a cab to help get her home. There's no way I'm carrying her all the way."

"If there's something on your mind-"

"Lilith. Drop it."

He heard the Devil sigh.

"... Alright."

-----

A click and a rattle jolted Jezebel awake. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she rolled across her bed and sat up, wincing as she straightened her back out. Whatever position she had slept in did her spine absolutely no favours, and the straps of her dress had been digging into her shoulders.

Frowning, the Succubus looked down at the garment she wore. It was one of her old gowns, reserved for formal events. It looked regal to the outside observer, but in truth she bought it from a charity shop many years ago; it only looked fancy after months worth of alterations and repairs. The more important question, however, was why the Hell was she wearing it?

Getting out of bed, Jezebel stumbled across her bedroom, gazing blearily at the alarm clock by her bed. It was midnight.

"I won't get back to sleep at this rate..." she mumbled to herself, yawning as she headed for the door.

As she pushed it open and stepped out into the hall, her foot caught against something on the floor. It was an intricate little padlock, painted red and fitted with a timer that had recently just stopped ticking. A Valentines timelock.

"Oh~..." Jezebel breathed, coming to a realisation as she picked it up.

She looked back down at her clothes.

"Oh Jezzy, what the Hell have you done this time...?"

Rubbing her eyes, she staggered out into the hall, struggling to try and remember just what she had gotten up to. Her feet were killing her, so clearly she had gotten out at some point, which didn't bode well for anyone she crossed paths well. Her mother did always say that Valinsania struck her particularly oddly.

"Hm?"

Someone else was in the hall with her. Raising an eyebrow, the Succubus approached the figure slumped in the chair at the end of the hall, taking care not to wake them as their soft snores echoed through the house.

It was Cobalt. He was sitting with his arms folded, fast asleep. Immediately, Jezebel's mind pieced everything together.

"You had to come running after me, didn't you snookums?" she sighed, running a hand through her son's hair.

It was greasier than usual. Was he neglecting himself?

"Oh you poor thing. I am so sorry."

The Incubus just sniffled in his sleep. He looked troubled, but then again... that was hardly news. In the past few weeks, life had just turned on its head for her little boy. He put on a brave face and powered through it, but Jezebel could tell when a Trayer was pretending to be okay for the sake of others. After all, he wouldn't be the first.

The boy needed a break. A holiday back somewhere comforting and familiar.

"Wait here," she whispered, kissing Cobalt's forehead.

Darting back into her room, she began rooting through her cabinets, biting into her lip as she struggled to find what she was looking for.

"Come on you silly old thing, I know you're here somewhere...!"

Her mother was always sending her hampers from Phrodival, surely she kept in here with the rest of it...

"Aha!"

With a relieved sigh, Jezebel pulled out what she was looking for; a handcrafted amulet, made right in the heart of her ancestral home. It was a beautiful piece made from carved wood and leather, with a pink crystalline lens set into the centre. They were sacred gifts bestowed unto those leaving the village, but more importantly, they functioned as rites of passage for those who weren't born in Phrodival.

With a small smile, Jezebel returned to her son's side and placed the amulet into his hands.

"There you go, snookums," she whispered, giving him another kiss on the forehead, "go treat your girlies to a nice few days off."

He just snored in response.