By now, Cobalt was starting to get a lot of weird looks from the academics milling around the Covenant Plaza. They stared at him out of the corner of their eyes as he stormed out through the Edifrep front door and cut straight through the centre of the plaza, abandoning the cobbled roads and pathways in favour of going straight through the grass. He had wanted to foster a good first impression, but the previous conversations with the Covenant Heads had seemingly drained him of whatever goodwill he had managed to muster.

  Avery Jusene, Rallen Quire, Alyssa… they didn’t take him seriously, did they? Sure, Cobalt had no idea why he was here yet, but that didn’t give anyone the right to look down on him so flagrantly like that!

  With his knuckles going white atop his iron cane, he turned his gaze onto the penultimate building he was to visit. This one completely dwarfed the others around it, appearing more like something from a fairytale than an institution of learning. A shining pink castle with golden roofing, its coloured windows gleaming in the sun as the Incubus approached the grand front doors. The Silibon crest lay above it, carved in gold; a beautifully detailed rose surrounded by a ring of thorns.

  Cobalt already knew he was going to dislike whatever lay beyond the doors, so when he pushed them open, he stepped inside with his mind frontloaded with countless expectations.

  But a full chamber orchestra was not one of them.

  As soon as those mahogany doors swung all the way open, a group of around forty demons wielding classical instruments began to play, serenading Cobalt with a beautiful concerto, the lead taken by a handsome Glutton with a violin, his clothes proudly displaying the Silibon crest.

  Eyes wide, he stared at his surrounding, eyes widening at the sheer decadence on display. White and black marble checkerboarded across the floor as a luxurious red carpet cut clean down the middle towards a pair of grand spiral staircases. Indoor fountains flanked the entranceway, and as Cobalt took a few steps forward, he was startled by a cry from the dozens of servants lining the path forward.

  “WELCOME, MR. TRAYER!” cried the staff of the Silibon Covenant building, each bowing as the doors were shut behind him.

  Demons all dressed in fine suits and frilly dresses; maids on one side and butlers on the other. Giving them an awkward nod, Cobalt cleared his throat and began to walk down the carpet, his every step heralded by the chamber orchestra’s music. As he approached one of the staircases, an Imp in a maid’s dress descended the steps and politely curtsied to him.

  “Mr. Trayer! We’re so glad you’re here! We’ve been waiting all~ day!” she said in an overly-cutesy voice.

  The Incubus frown as he looked her up and down. Compared to Lydia, her maid’s attire wasn’t terribly professional.

  “A- Ah, good afternoon. I’m here to see your Head,” he replied, nervously glancing up at the chandeliers above.

  “Of course, just follow me! The Princess is so excited to meet you!”

  The… Princess…?”

  Following the Imp, they headed up to a wall of elevators, stepping into the middle and largest one, its doors polished to a mirror sheen. Stepping inside wasn’t much better; four perfectly-reflective walls, presenting him with a tesseract of infinite Incubi.

  “Here we are! All the way to the top!” the maid giggled, reaching up on her tiptoes to hit the top button on the panel.

  The doors shut, the lift began to rise, and the two demons were left alone in incomfortable silence.

  “… So. Are you a student here?” Cobalt asked, glancing down at the Imp as music began to hum through the speakers.

  “Oh, not at all! I’m just staff!”

  “Ah. Been working here long?”

  “Only a couple of years, heh…!”

  The lift continued rising.

  “Is the work fulfilling?” he pressed.

  “I- It satisfies me enough, Mr. Trayer!”

  “A- Ah. What about-?”

  “Look, I’m not really supposed to talk to you about this kind of stuff, y’know? I had a hard enough time getting this job, and I can’t afford to lose it, so could you just not talk any more than this? Please?”

  Her tone of voice changed, and she was staring at him with an almost pleading look. Right as the lift dinged, however, her sweet demeanour returned and she gestured to the opening door.

  “Go and make yourself comfortable; the entire penthouse is at your disposal! I’ll go and get the Princess now!”

  “Right… um, thank you.”

  “No need to thank me, Mr. Trayer! I’m here to serve your every need!”

  The doors slid shut with the maid waving enthusiastically behind them. Right before they closed, however, Cobalt briefly caught a glimpse of her face falling and exhaustion darkening her eyes. Poor girl; clearly this job wasn’t all it seemed.

  Turning around, the Incubus ventured out through the apartment he found himself in, completely blown away by just how expensive it all looked. Everywhere he looked he could see finery and frippery the likes of which he had never seen, and though it took him a few minutes to get oriented, he eventually found himself in what he assumed to be the penthouse’s main room. A grand lounge that dominated the entire top floor of the building, one wall was almost entirely glass, affording him a view of the whole Covenant Plaza. Around him he could see plush pink couches and loveseats, as well as countless scattered pillows and even an entire grand piano.

  “Princess indeed…” Cobalt murmured, dimly reminded of the custom dollhouse his sisters used to fight over back in Phrodival.

  “Can I offer you a drink, sir?” asked a voice from above.

  Turning around, he saw a Nymph descending a staircase leading to the rest of the penthouse. He was dressed in a fine tailcoated suit, emblazoned with the pinks and golds Cobalt had come to expect from Silibon. His hair and moustache had been waxed, and his cutting amber eyes betrayed no hint of emotion.

  “You… aren’t the Head, are you?” Cobalt asked, sitting down on one of the loveseats.

  “I’m afraid not, sir. My name is Jerome, and I am a mere humble attendant.”

  Crossing the floor to a drinks bar, the Nymph began to rummage around for a glass.

  “If I may ask sir’s preference…?” Jerome asked, peering over his shoulder.

  “O- Oh, I’m alright, thank you.”

  “Very well, sir.”

  He produced a single martini glass and began to make something, his gloved hands dancing across various bottles and shakers like a professional.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the Head like?” Cobalt asked, feeling a little put-out.

  “I wouldn’t wish to speak of others without their presence, sir. Though there are plenty of likeness around you, if you’d wish to peruse. My lady is quite proud of these commissioned works.”

  As he began to pour out a toxic-pink coloured drink, the butler gestured to a painting high on the wall, lit by spotlights. Looking up, he could feel his face burn up as he was presented with an – admittedly tasteful – nude portrait of a plump Succubus. Immediately he turned his gaze to the floor.

  Oh.

  Down the hall, the elevator doors dinged and opened.

  Oh no.

  “Ooh, is that an Incubus I smell~?!”

  Oh please no.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  From the elevator, Cobalt watched in thinly veiled apprehension as the very same Succubus woman from the painting emerged, though thankfully this time she was clothed.

  “Ah! This is so exciting!” she cried in a loud voice, whipping her head around to face him.

  Having grown up in Phrodival, he had gotten used to living amongst those with a high standard of natural beauty, and yet this woman was quite possibly the most gorgeous person her had ever set his eyes on. Her eyes, her nose, her mouth… Everything about her screamed carefully catered perfection, and her extravagantly styled hair was much the same. A golden tiara sat atop her head, and her dress – her massive, poofy dress – was decorated with all manner of rose motifs. Tittering with glee, she began to stride towards him, the sheer bulk of her dress threatening to knock vases and statuettes off the cabinets lining the hall.

  “I’ve been waiting so long to meet you…!”

  She stopped in her tracks, the frame beneath her dress having gotten stuck between the doorway and a display cabinet. The Silibon Head stood there for a moment, her wings fluttering behind her as she tried to get herself unstuck, but to no avail.

  “Oh, for the love of- Jerome darling?! It’s happened again!”

  “Coming, my lady,” the butler sighed, setting the drink down as he rushed to her aid.

  Cobalt sat and watched as the Nymph rummaged through his employer’s dress and dragged her through the doorway into the lounge, maintaining his composure even as she got herself worked up into a fluster. Once she was freed, he doubled back and handed her the drink.

  “There we are. Now, off you pop, darling. Mr. Trayer and I have much to discuss, don’t we?” she sighed, taking a sip.

  “Yes, my lady. A pleasure to meet you, sir. Good day.”

  With a refined bow, Jerome returned to the elevator, leaving Cobalt alone in the penthouse with the Silibon Head. Twirling her glass, she drained the entire thing and tossed it over her shoulder, letting it shatter against the floorboards without a care in the world. With an adjustment of her dress, she collapsed into the loveseat next to him, nearly drowning the Incubus in pink floof.

  “Look at us! Like two peas in a pod! Oh, this is gonna be such a good year!” she tittered, giggling like a schoolgirl as she kicked her feet beneath her dress.

  Swallowing hard, Cobalt looked up at her face. There was glitter spread across her cheeks, and her horns had been professionally plated with gold. No prizes for guessing this was the “Princess”.

  “Well, I suppose you already know who I am, so…” he murmured, hoping she’d pick up what he was putting down.

  “Oh, of course…!”

  She took a deep breath, puffing her chest out as far as it would go and forcing Cobalt to take a very sudden interest in a small spot on the wall. Everything about this woman was impressive.

  “My name is Juliette Beatrice Ernesta Marian Elldia Chetaxial III, last of the Chetaxial line, Head of Silibon, and three-time Furnace Musical Academy Golden Award winner!” she announced.

  A little shocked by the sheer magnitude of her introduction, Juliette adjusted her dress to allow her to turn to face him.

  “I’ve been following you for a while-”

  Of course.

  “- and I must say, I’ve been looking forward to this for a long, long time!”

  “I- I thought the Heads were only told about me a few weeks ago?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

  “We were! But I’ve been following you since way before that~!” Juliette continued, reaching over to playfully fiddle with his tie.

  “I- I’m sorry?”

  “I guess I’m kind of a fan!”

  Cobalt’s blood ran cold.

  “… You aren’t one of the Iron Hound Faithful, are you…?” he asked tentatively.

  She put a hand to her chest.

  “What?! Of course not! Eugh! Have you seen how they dress?! It’s so… ew, icky, gross! No! I’m a normal fan!”

  “Oh. That’s a relief-”

  “I just jilled off to you a couple of times!”

  The Incubus immediately leaped to his feet, putting his full weight onto his bad leg and almost collapsing directly onto the piano.

  “E- Excuse me?!” he spluttered.

  Juliette just stared at him with big, shiny eyes, her smile as innocent as a lamb.

  “What? There’s no shame in it, right?”

  “I-! T- That’s true, but… you don’t just tell someone that!”

  “Why not?”

  “I…!”

  Taking a deep breath, the Incubus staggered over to his cane and used it to steady himself. He couldn’t keep losing his composure like this. If this was some sort of mind game, he couldn’t fall for it. All he had to do was learn about Silibon, then get the Hell out.

  “Okay, Miss Chetaxial; could you tell me about your Covenant?” he asked, leaning against the cane for support.

  Nodding as though she weren’t even listening, Juliette got to her feet and stretched.

  “Well, we’re here to foster the faces of the future, right? We got dignitaries, celebrities, even a couple royalty here and there. But others too, if they got the talent. Face for TV, voice for music, body for the catwalk; if you’re exceptional, then you’re Silibon. But that’s all blah blah blah, Cobalt. You’re not really here to learn about that, are you? C’mon, that’s so boring~!”

  Clasping her hands together, the Head of Silibon took a sudden step closer to him.

  “Hey. Could I ask you for a selfish little favour?” Juliette asked with a cheeky grin on her face.

  The Incubus swallowed hard, his guard all the way up.

  “… Sure…” he replied carefully.

  “Would it be alright if you gave me a little kiss?”

  He stared at her for a moment, wondering if she was joking. But sure enough, there wasn’t a hint of sarcasm on her face. Unlike the other Heads, this one didn’t seem quite so vindictive. Rather, she was a little… airheaded? Was that the word?

  Well, a kiss wasn’t exactly asking much. Better get it over with, unless he wanted to add another pissed-off Head to his list.

  Reaching forward, Cobalt took her hand as gently as he could and lifted it to his face, kissing it as softly as his lips would allow. Juliette squealed and swooned as he pulled away, fanning herself as she struggled to compose herself.

  “Oh, Mr. Trayer, you are just so cute~!”

  “Thank you, I suppose…” the Incubus sighed, feeling incredibly exhausted already.

  “But~ I wasn’t really talking about my face, you know?”

  He sighed deeper. Of course.

  Taking a step forward, he stood up on his tiptoes and kissed Juliette’s cheek, bracing himself in the same way one would before a flu shot. This time, the Succubus nearly fainted, back of the hand against her forehead and everything.

  “This is like a dream come true…!” she gasped, dramatically leaning against the loveseat.

  “Sure, sure. What else about Silibon can you-!”

  “But you’re still a little~ off the mark!”

  Again, the Incubus stared at her. And again, she met his gaze with a smile and a glint in her eye.

  “Miss Chetaxial, I- I can’t do any more than that. Kissing you on the mouth is just… you know…” he said, making awkward gesticulations with his free hand.

  She blew him an air kiss.

  “So upper lips are out of the question.”

  “Yes. I’m sorry, I just don’t really-”

  He froze.

  “Wait, what do you mean by-?”

  “Do you like my dress? It’s custom; I get them all from this family in Lustrecliff Heights. I practically put their kids through college! Here, of coure; all proud Silibons. I love them for the colour and the feel, but do you wanna know their best feature…?”

  Grabbing her skirt, she lifted it up a little and gave him a wink.

  “They’ve got plenty~ of room underneath,” Juliette told him, her voice growing huskier at that last part.

  “Miss Chetaxial-!”

  “Work for me, Cobalt.”

  Her entire demeanour shifted. Gone was the bubbly, airheaded princess he was just talking to, replaced instead by something altogether more sultry. Her voice was low, and her lidded eyes struck a sense of panic into Cobalt’s heart. She took a step towards him with practiced grace, and as she drew closer, the Incubus felt his back press up against the glass of the window.

  “What…?” he breathed.

  “Forget the Archdean. Forget whatever stuffy job he had planned. I’ve got something better. It pays double. Triple. One of those; doesn’t matter. It’s better.”

  Cobalt swallowed hard.

  “What exactly are you offering me here?” Cobalt asked, more out of curiosity than anything.

  The Succubus licked her lips.

  “Well, first things first, a new set of clothes. I have some cute little suits all picked out for you; one to match every outfit. The schedule is flexible, and you’ll be joining me wherever I go. Every spa, every restaurant, every high-class establishment you could possibly think of; I’m willing to take you anywhere, and I’m willing to pay you anything,” she explained, slowly and carefully.

  She sounded like a lawyer, and her words carried the edge of the most cutthroat of businesswomen.

  “Sounds like someone’s dream.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?”

  “And what would I be doing, exactly?”

  Her eyes glinted.

  “You’d be serving me. Morning, noon and night. I know you have a silver tongue, Cobalt, and I wanna take it for a test drive,” Juliette breathed, her breath hot and sweet.

  Reaching up, she began to slip a finger into his mouth.

  “I wanna see how you really tamed those girls of yours.”

  Teaching up, Cobalt grabbed her wrist.

  “What are you talking about? What girls?” he asked, pulling a face.

  “Oh? Kiss and forget? How cold~. Makes me feel all the hotter.”

  “No, I’m serious. Who are you talking about?”

  “Forget them, Cobalt. It’s just you and I now.”

  The Head of Silibon reached down, the tips of her fingers beginning to work their way into Cobalt’s belt buckle.

  “Now, Cobalt… what’s your answer? You wanna dance to the Archdean’s tune? Or do you wanna see what it’s like to wake up next to a princess?” Juliette whispered right into his ear.

  Right as she made to bite his earlobe, they heard the doors of the elevator open.

  “My lady,” called the voice of Jerome as he strode force.

  Juliette pulled back and rolled her eyes dramatically, and yet she didn’t withdraw her hand.

  “What is it, darling? I’m very busy here. These things can be so bloody impossible sometimes…!” she called, furrowing her brow as she struggled to undo the belt buckle.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt, but Mr. Trayer needs to be on his way. Amrifni are still awaiting his visit,” the butler said, completely unfazed by the misconduct before him.

  She groaned and slumped her shoulders.

  “Ugh, can’t we just send them another buyout offer? I swear, once I get my hands on that Covenant, I’m gonna tear that ugly house of theirs down and build… uh… I don’t know, something. A spa. Or maybe a garden. Or a garden spa. Jerome, could you look up if anyone’s coined a ‘garden-spa’ yet?” Juliette asked over her shoulder.

  Producing his phone, he tapped a few keys.

  “Yes, there’s a few therapeutic botanical experiences available in Redmont.”

  “Ugh! Are they within our price range? Can I buy them?”

  “My lady, I must insist.”

  “Fine~!”

  Extricating her hand from Cobalt’s belt, Juliette flounced back over to the loveseat and collapsed into it, folding her arms like a huffing child. Stunned by what just happened, Cobalt allowed himself to be guided by Jerome’s hand as he led him towards the elevator.

  “Think about my offer, okay?! It’ll be open! All day! Jerome, give him my number!” the Silibon Head yelled as Cobalt was brought to the elevator.

  “As you wish, my lady,” the Nymph responded, calling the lift.

  As the doors opened, the Incubus stepped inside. Jerome reached in and hit the button for the ground floor, only to hold the door for a moment.

  “Watch your back, Cobalt. She’s not as dumb as she seems,” the butler whispered.

  “Wh- What…?” he breathed.

  From the lounge, Juliette’s voice rang out.

  “Jerome darling! My feet are hurting again! Fix it!”

  The Nymph sighed.

  “Just stay strong. Coming, my lady.”

  The doors shut, and the elevator began to descend. With his back planted against the mirror behind him, Cobalt allowed himself to slowly slide to the floor.

  What… just happened?