AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m baffled by her appearance. Why is she here? When Elena first showed up in My Domain years ago, demanding aid in avenging the death of most her family, she had an agenda. What is Callie’s agenda today, and why does it involve a backpack?
I stand with my hands clasped lightly behind my back and start making my way down off the throne, careful to move slowly. I’d rather not invite Callie to unleash one of her prepared fireballs.
“Why, hello, Callie! I’m surprised to see you here. Are you well?”
She comes to a halt at the base of My Throne, resting with her weight on one curvy hip. “I’ll be better when I’m settled in.”
What is she talking about? “Settled in?” I ask.
“Yeah.” Callie tosses the backpack on the ground and smooths back her wild hair. “It took some time to get everything ready, but I’m taking You up on Your offer. You said I’d get a favor for my birthday; I’m calling it in. I want to stay here.”
Her explanation does nothing to alleviate my confusion. “You wish to spend the night? I admit, I find the idea exciting, but—”
She shakes her head, golden ponytail whipping back and forth. “Nope. Don’t go barking up that particular tree, dude. I don’t want to sleep with You; I wanna move in. Here. To Hell. I’m done with Lena’s rules. She says I have to do what she wants while I’m living with her, so I won’t live with her anymore. I figured I’d come live here.”
My brow raises in surprise. I’d known Callie was strong, but it appears that she’s made of tougher stock than I realized. Humans, even witches, generally avoid Hell. Now she wants to move into My Domain—permanently?
Before I can respond, Callie continues. “Look, I won’t be any trouble. I’ll keep quiet; I won’t rock the boat. I just need a place to crash and learn infernal magic. Since You’re the only Prince of Hell I know, and since You so graciously offered me a favor, I want to live here. With You.”
“I … don’t exactly have a room available.” Not that I don’t like the idea of Callie staying here. It’s just that she seems more like the type for a soft mattress, not a bed made of tortured souls fucking for all eternity—which is what I sleep on, when I get bored enough to sleep. “You’re welcome to share my bed, if you’d like …” I wink, hoping the message gets across. Some humans don’t do subtlety very well.
Her full lips dip into a sexy pout, and I have to discreetly adjust myself to hide how much it turns me on. “Uh, no. Can’t You just conjure up something? I don’t need much! Just a bed and a dresser, and maybe a floor that’s not made up of bodies.” She looks at the ground around her. “I mean, it’s nice that they move out of the way, so I have a place to walk, but it’s also a little creepy.”
Callie’s determination is admirable, but still, I have doubts, especially since she doesn’t seem to be catching my hint. While she has free will, I worry that she’s making a rash decision. “Have you discussed this with Elena?”
“Um … if by ‘discussed’ You mean had a knock-down, drag-out screaming match at breakfast today, then yes.”
Pity. That means she’ll likely leave as soon as the conflict with her sister is resolved.
“I really should talk with Elena before I agree to let you live in Hell. Though you are, by all rights, an adult now, she is still your family, and My Sons are family as well. I do not wish to create a rift that prevents me from visiting My Grandchildren.”
Disappointment mars her pretty features, and I have the sudden urge to scoop her into my arms and comfort her. Strange.
“Perhaps if I knew the underlying cause of the strife with your sister, I could talk her into a compromise. What was the cause of the argument, if I may ask?”
Callie sighs. “She thinks I should stick to the family carnal magic. That, and she wants me to go to Nowhere U. I don’t want either of those things. Carnal magic—the sex magic Lena’s so damn fond of—creeps me out, and I can’t learn Hell magic in college. It’s not like there’s a demonic studies program there!” Her eyes search mine, as though she hopes to find sympathy there. “Please, Az, I just want to be my own witch. I don’t want to have to rely on whether or not I can get laid to use my magic. I can do infernal magic on my own, and I’m good at it.”
I’ve seen her in action; she’s not just bragging. “What, precisely, is so terrible about the university? Some humans have literally sold me their souls to attend college. There’s a gaggle of those souls not twenty yards from where you stand.”
Her heeled boot stomps on the ground beneath her. “Goddamn it, I’m a grown woman now! Why does what I want not matter to anyone? It’s always ‘college this’ and ‘responsibility that,’ and I’m sick of it! I just want to live my lifemyway.”
Despite my hesitation—and her juvenile posturing—I see her point. Perhaps I’ve been too hasty in denying her. So Elena doesn’t approve? So what? I’m a Prince of Hell; I don’t answer to Elena.
“What do I get from this? You get what you want, but it seems like the deal is rather one-sided.”
To her credit, Callie considers my words before responding. When she looks back up at me, a determined fire burns in her azure eyes.
“Got any tortures that don’t involve sex? I’ll carry them out for You.”
Is she serious? “I’m the Prince of Lust, dear Callie. Most of My Torments involve acts of a carnal nature.”
“So … say You have a soul sent to You that’s into that. Humans are fucking nuts. Some of them dig tortuous sex. I can step in for those cases. Deny them what they want. Just tell me what other torture You want to assign them, and I’ll take over.”
Interesting. In all my eons of life in Hell, I’d never considereddenyingsex as a form of torture, though I suppose I can see how that could be more effective at times. The ones who enjoy pain with their pleasure are notoriously difficult to torture. Making an eternity in My Realm a punishment can be challenging in those instances.
“You would follow my instructions explicitly, no matter what I command?”
She nods, her ponytail bobbing behind her. “Yep. As long as I don’t have to screw anybody, I don’t care what it is. I can handle it.”
