What a long weekend. I was exhausted. Don’t ask me what time I fell asleep last night, because I had no idea. After I’d stitched up Ava, I went back to my girls and explained the situation. For the most part, everyone approved Ava being part of the harem. I went ahead and did a formal introduction, where Ava got to experience their personalities for herself. It was nice of them to show her their different flavors, even Ruby, who was still iffy with her reason for being here.

As a test of impurity, she gave the poor girl my porno. I didn’t know what she was expecting, but Ruby saw something in her interest in my collection and nodded in content.

I was glad that I didn’t have to do much convincing, partly due to the fact that Wren was still out of commission. Ruby said she’d talk to her sister, even though I felt it my responsibility to give her the terrible news.

I passed the baton and didn’t see Ruby for the rest of the night thereafter.

I prayed she was still alive. Wren eating her sister’s head off after a news like that wasn’t entirely unfathomable. After we parted ways, I suggested my girls crash in my place for the night, same went with Ava. She appreciated the kind gesture and slept in the den with Trista, just in case Wren decided to wander.

By the time my alarm clock went off, it was Monday morning. I was so groggy that I didn’t bother trying to turn it off. I was comfortable, too comfortable. My pillows felt extra plush today, that the idea of pulling away was painful.

“Ugh, shut up,” I groaned, until I felt something furry brush along the tip of my nose. When I sneezed, I realized that I was on top of Lumi; my head had been resting on her bare heart shaped ass. She was fast asleep at the head of the bed where I normally slept, sprawled out like she was snoozing back in her own dormitory.

“Ah, I can’t get mad. I just had the best sleep of my life. But… how the hell did I get down there?” My legs felt restless from hanging along the bed all night, but it was worth it. After I washed up in the bathroom, I went to the kitchen, where the smell of breakfast was calling to me.

“Ava?” I turned to her surprised. She was cooking me breakfast. Actually, she was cooking breakfast for all of us.

“Morning, Isaac!” She beamed.

“Hey, Ava. You shouldn’t be up working. You should be resting. Your stitches are still fresh and—”

“I’m not the type to sit around. It makes me feel anxious!” She giggled. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Besides, I wanted to express my thanks for the hospitality. And, since I’m in your harem now, this should feel routine… right?”

Eggs, cuts of steak, bacon, the smell of crispy home fries—yeah, I could get used to my priestess cooking breakfast for me every morning.

“Please sit and eat! There’s enough for everyone.” I sat with her and she made us both a plate on the kitchen island. Her cooking was fantastic. If breakfast tasted this good, I couldn’t wait to try her entire menu.

“Isaac, I’ve thought about it last night and I’ve decided to go back to the church,” she said in a timid voice. She looked up to me with an earnest smile. “I want to help you save your friend. If I can learn how to extract demons without impeding the vessels, then I may become more useful to you.”

“Are you sure, Ava? I don’t want you to feel indebted to me or anything. Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

She nodded. “I’m sure. After all, I want to feel like I’m an important part of my new family. You’re the only person to show genuine interest in me. All my life, I was raised as an object of satisfaction. To my parents who wanted to mold me out into a leader of the church, and to my brother who wanted to extort me. I was just something my family could put on their achievement board. They never really cared for me, never asked me what I wanted from life…”

“It sounds like you didn’t want this lifestyle for yourself.”

“It’s okay. But I feel like the rest of my peers know that my heart isn’t into this.”

“All the more reason to consider what I’m asking of you, here.”

“Like I said, I want to do this for you. You’ve shown me that you care for my real being, and my wants, and I appreciate that a lot. Besides, if I break my vow now, I won’t be able to even exorcize the demon hindering your friend. Only someone from the Holy Order may exorcize and cast out a demon.”

“Good point.”

“We’ll go with your clever lie! I was captured by the handsome devil prince!”

I laughed. “You might want to leave that last part out.”

“Bishop was there. He saw how dangerous you were. He may go along with it and support my story. When he asks me why you let me leave, I’d tell him the truth. Well, some of the truth. That way, my eagerness to learn their methods won’t be too suspicious.”

“You’re going to tell him that I sent you to spy on them for intel?” I scratched my chin. “You think you can pull that bluff off?”

“I’d like to think that I’m pretty good at acting. I fooled you, didn’t I? You thought that I was innocent.”

I chuckled. “Got me there.” I looked down at her forking my home fries as she sat across from me. She happily ate it, those big blue orbs smiling at me with content.

I laughed. “You do know that you made these, right? And you have a pile of them on your plate.”

“Yes, but yours tastes better!”

“So this plate sharing thing for girls is a universal language, huh?”

She giggled. “I’ve never had a boyfriend. Is this what girlfriends do?”

“Girlfriends also share food with other girlfriends,” a groggy voice made both Ava and I turn behind us, where we spotted a demon in her true form.

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“Trista?” Her pink hair was messy, her eyes baggy, and her posture slumped over, the sign of exhaustion written all over her.

“The smell of food woke me up.”

“What happened? It looks like you got run over by a train.”

Ava tittered.

“I didn’t get much sleep. I was protecting the priestess here from your evil goth girl.”

“And that is very sweet of you! Here, let me make you a plate, Trista. I made enough breakfast for the entire house.”

“Really?” Trista said looking at the spread. “Looks like you only made food for me.”

I snorted. “We have another member in the House of Samael, Trista. You’ll need to learn to curb your inner gluttony.”

“It’s not a problem, I could make more.”

“Delightful.” Trista fixed herself a heaping plate that forced both Ava and I to stare. “So,” she muffled, chewing on a piece of crunchy bacon. “What were you two talkin’ about? Your fantastic story of heroism? Because, let me tell ya, I’m impressed.”

“I sense that this is still all very new to Isaac.”

“Well, yeah, he was only reawakened three nights ago. And he’s gotten a lot done already.”

“And there’s more to be done. I got a mission last night about sealing pacts on campus today. Five of them.”

Trista smiled. “Really? Huh, I wasn’t expecting your core to do that. It’s a good thing, obviously. Because we need more pacts.”

“Core?” Ava asked.

“Yeah, it’s what I was referring to last night when I’d mentioned it being part of the process. I didn’t get into detail about it last night because it’s not exactly easy to explain. But now that you’re part of the House of Samael, it’s only just that you know all about me. It’s called a spiritual core, and it’s supposed to be a guide as I navigate in the mortal realm. It lists the members of my domain, my bloodlust level, and our current position in the pact leader board. As well as house perks.”

She smiled. “It doesn’t sound too complicated when you explain it. I know about most of these concepts already. Priestess, remember? It’s my job to know about demons.”

“Heh, I guess you’re right. Trista here is making sure I’m ready for what’s to come. When we met yesterday, I was going through trials.”

“And so far, you’re doing great. Let’s see here, we have a crash course of Introduction to Demon Shenanigans with Celeste, Coping With Evil Fallen Angels featuring Bishop, and Sealing Pack Deals on campus. After you finish your last trial, you’ll officially be a capable and competent demon of society!”

“I get a reward for this last trial. The core calls it an insight of desire.”

“What’s the reward?” Trista asked me.

“The location of any demon of my choosing.”

“Well, that should be the top demon dog and his domain.”

“What are you talking about, Trista?”

“We are in the bottom 5%. Whoever is sitting at the top 5% needs to be taken down.”

“I understand this is a race for domination, but I already have a target in mind. Ash, the demon holding my mother’s contract.”

“Wait, your mother made a demon deal?” Ava asked.

I turned to her. “She did, and if I kill the demon holding her contract then she doesn’t die this weekend.”

“Was she aware that humans who made a pact with demons are guaranteed a place in hell? It’s more than just trading your soul.”

“She knew. Unless she didn’t read the contract,” Trista said.

“She read the contract,” I said defensively. “Clearly, she still thought it was a good idea to have me.”

“Have you?” Ava jumped, a light bulb turning on in her head. “Oh.”

“Isaac, we will find Ash. But I think you should consider the importance of your other mission, taking back The Underworld. If we find the top dog then we can kill those demons and save ourselves more time. Getting rid of the competition is important.”

“More important than my mom?” I asked Trista seriously.

“Please, let’s not fight!” Ava said. “We can work something out.”

“No one is fighting, Ava. I’m just having a serious conversation with my girlfriend.”

Trista flustered up, cocking her head back and forth between Ava and I before she raised her hand and surrendered. “Hey, look, I’m just giving you other options! I’m not the type to get into confrontations with my prince. In fact, I don’t like heated arguments, period.”

“This isn’t heated.”

“It is when you’re giving me that, save my mom or I’ll kill you look.”

I relaxed my shoulders. “I’m sorry. I get overprotective about my mother. But I wasn’t attacking you, Trista. Merely reminding you of who was on top of my priorities list.”

“You’re right. I’m just overeager. Our previous pact deals aren’t being counted, and I’m a little on edge about getting back up there, is all.”

“We will get there, but through a different route. I’m saving that reward for my mother. When we get to campus, I’ll seal those deals, and more. Don’t you worry.”

Ava raised her hand timidly. “Um, if I could give my two cents, I’m not entirely for writing demonic contracts, but I am all for saving your mom. So I support you, Isaac. The method isn’t ideal, but we should work with what we have.”

“Speaking of working with what we have, do you think you could handle the head back home?” Trista asked Ava.

“I can.”

“I know you’re doing this for Isaac, but you have to be doing this for yourself as well.”

“I understand, Trista. And I am prepared to bluff my way to get what we need.”

“So what are you going to tell them?”

“Most of the truth,” I started. “We let her go so she could learn more about the summoning process.”

“But we need this intel. Wouldn’t that make them less inclined to share?”

“That’s where the hard part comes in. Ava is sure she can take on the challenge.”

“The challenge being convincing those bigots that she hates demons so much now that she wants to use our domain as a sacrifice to Jorbius. Seems hard to do seeing that they already have this impression that you like demons, according to you, Ava.”

“This is true, but it isn’t impossible. I have a friend in the infirmary. She owes me a big favor.”

“How big is this favor?” Trista asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Let’s just say that some of our brothers are handsy, and I saved her.”

“Noted.”

“If I come back through the infirmary, she will support my lie about coming back a bloody mess. This will solidify my now turned hate for demons. How does that sound?”

“Pretty good, actually.” Trista smiled. “It’s why I asked how big that favor was. She needs to be convincing. The integrity of the lie must be strong.”

“Good. Sounds like we have our day worked out for the both of us. My classes start in an hour. While I’d like to drop you off Ava, I can’t exactly escort you back to the church.”

“That’s okay. I’ll make due.”

“Here’s my number,” I said, writing it on a small sticky note and giving it to her. “That way if you get into any trouble, you can call me.”

“And we are dorming at the Carthage Campus,” Trista said. “You have a home there as well.”

“Thank you!” she said, hugging Trista, who seemed tense.

“A first time for everything, I suppose. I’d never been this close to a woman of the order.”

“Well, you’ll get used to it! We are now sisters after all, right?”

“I feel like I have to go to confession after that hug.”

I laughed, a dose of fun and games before my last trial. I was going to need it. Because today, I was going to be an official demon…”