From her car across the street Cherry watched the house with quiet terror. At first she assumed Maharet was alone but when she spotted Bael-Sharoth it became apparent that her days on Earth were numbered. Barons didn't come up from hell for no reason. Lilah must have called in a favor.
There was also a human child. But when Cherry inspected the girl with her magical senses she gasped. A powerful spell hid the true nature of the creature. No doubt the “child” was here to act as their spy. If the succubus hadn't seen her walking with Bael and Maharet she never would have given the little girl a second thought.
“HELLO, CHERRY. I WAS UNAWARE YOUR CONFINEMENT HAD ENDED.” Said a gravelly voice from the seat behind her. She hadn't noticed the hellhound sneak in. But then again, Titan could walk through walls when it suited him.
His bulk pressed up against the headliner of her compact car. “HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?” he asked.
Cherry went to reach for the door handle but a low growl stopped the succubus in her tracks. “I'm great! Just great!”
“WONDERFUL. WHY DON'T WE GO FOR A DRIVE AND CATCH UP?”
“Where to?” Cherry was sweating now. Titan was immune to most magic, a benefit of being one of hell's guardians. There was no way for her to charm her way out of this. If she was lucky he would send her home. But if she wasn't… well… then things would devolve into a real dog’s breakfast, in more ways than one.
“I WAS THINKING IT MIGHT BE NICE TO GO VISIT THE REDWOODS. I HEAR THEY ARE SOMETHING EVERYONE SHOULD SEE AT LEAST ONCE, BEFORE THEY DIE.”
Titan opened his mouth to show rows upon rows of sharp white teeth. Making it abundantly clear that this was a threat and should be treated as such.
“NOW, DRIVE.”
Cherry did as she was ordered, wondering how she managed to get herself into such a messy situation. First she stumbled across Maharet, then Bael and whatever the creature pretending to be a little girl was. Now she had a hellhound in her back seat.
“ROLL DOWN MY WINDOW.” Titan demanded once they were clear of the city. He had something he wished to check off his list.
Not sure if this was supposed to be some kind of trick or not, Cherry did what was asked. The hellhound stuck his head out the window, grinning from ear to ear.
“YES!” He said as the wind rushed past his face, making his fur dance in the wind. “THIS IS WONDERFUL!”
***
“That is a huge tree.” The succubus said as she looked up at the ancient redwood. The trunk was ten feet across at the base and it stretched hundreds of feet into the air.
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“IT IS, ISN'T IT?” Titan looked around to make sure nobody was watching. “I APOLOGIZE FOR SCARING YOU EARLIER. I WAS UNSURE IF WE WERE BEING OBSERVED. YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO CAREFUL.”
“That's alright. I'm still wondering why you didn't grab me by the neck and drag me back to hell right then and there.” Cherry considered her situation. It was evident that Titan wanted something.
“I AM TORN, UNSURE WHICH PATH TO TAKE. IT IS MY DUTY TO RETRIEVE LOST SOULS AND ESCAPED DEMONS. BUT I FIND MYSELF WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT BETTER SERVE HELL IN SOME OTHER CAPACITY.” He walked off, not waiting to see if she would follow.
“What do you mean, serve hell?” Cherry jogged after him, slowing as she closed the distance. “I'm useless. Everybody thinks I'm a joke. My own mother keeps me locked up because I'm an embarrassment.”
“THEN SHE IS A FOOL.” Titan paused to look out over the trail. “DO YOU KNOW WHY SUCCUBI ARE CONSIDERED LESSER DEMONS?”
“Patriarchy, for one thing. Even with Lucy at the helm, hell is still a male dominated society.”
“I AM SURE THAT DOES NOT HELP.” Titan admitted, seeing the validity of her viewpoint. “BUT THERE IS ANOTHER REASON. SUCCUBI ARE OVERLY SPECIALIZED. IF A PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED BY MANIPULATING SEXUAL DESIRE, THEY ARE USELESS.”
She wanted to protest but there was a bitter grain of truth there. “So what's your point?”
“PERHAPS I HAVE NO POINT. BUT I DO HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOU.”
“I'm listening.”
“YOUR MOTHER CONFINED YOU TO THE SECOND CIRCLE. SINCE THE DECREE DID NOT ORIGINATE FROM A SUITABLE AUTHORITY, IT IS NULL AND VOID.” Titan's eyes twinkled with mischief.
“I AM UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO RETURN YOU TO HER. THOUGH AN ARGUMENT COULD BE MADE THAT I SHOULD BRING YOU BACK TO HELL ANYWAY.”
The young succubus looked at him in surprise. “What do you want in return for looking the other way?”
“OH, NOTHING MUCH. I MERELY ASK THAT YOU KEEP MY PRESENCE, AND THAT OF THOSE I AM WITH, A CLOSELY GUARDED SECRET. I WOULD HATE TO BE REMINDED OF MY DUTIES.”
“But why? Why are you helping me?” Cherry pressed, knowing this was too good to be true. There had to be a catch.
“SOMEONE RECENTLY MENTIONED THAT I SHOULD PLAY POKER. I AM NOT OVERLY FAMILIAR WITH THE GAME, BUT EVEN I KNOW THAT ACES ARE BETTER IN PAIRS.” He said cryptically as he began to flicker and fade, disappearing like mist at dawn.
The succubus looked around. There was no sign of the hellhound. “Aces are better in pairs…” She repeated, trying to understand the hidden meaning behind Titan's words. What the hell did that mean?
***
From his hiding spot on the ridge Titan watched Cherry mill about down below. He really should have dragged her back to hell but he had a soft spot for the a-sexual succubus. They were kindred spirits. Two of a kind, one might say.
Hellhounds were not shackled by base desires such as lust, unlike most of hell’s denizens. That was the benefit of being able to reproduce without resorting to late nights and awkward mornings. Cherry had a hard path ahead of her but perhaps in time she would recognize her freedom for what it was.
A succubus incapable of sexual desire would never be bound by it. She could explore her full potential and grow powerful. Of course, there was also the matter of her unique heritage.
Titan recognized familiar blood when he smelled it. The hooves and horns were also a dead giveaway. The hellhound wondered if Bael knew about his daughter, or how he would react when he eventually found out. No doubt there was a story there.
But that was a problem for another day and it wasn't his place to share this secret. If Lilah wanted Bael to know she would have told him. Titan took one last sniff of forest air then faded away as if he were never there.
A few moments later he reappeared, relieved himself on one of the giant redwoods, then vanished again.