"Will you quit mothering me?"

  I usually like it when I get attention from the ladies, but Elanthe was starting to get on my nerves. Ever since she'd figured out that I'd been injured in the fight with Gashi, she'd been tending to me like a nurse. All I wanted was to catch a few hours of sleep and for my ribs to stop hurting. Painkillers would have been nice too. Whiskey would have been a good alternative.

  "I'm serious, my lord. You need to speak with her. You really scared her last night. She's afraid to come into the house."

  "I would have thought you'd prefer it that way."

  Her expression darkened, but she did not yield to the jab. "Whether I like it or not, she's one of your people, and you need to make sure that we're all at our best. Delivering a holy smiting while she could have been hit put the fear of the Light into her. You can't have an underling who is afraid of you. Well, you can, but it's not right."

  I'd have sighed yet again, but I didn't want to take that deep a breath. "Okay, whatever. Tell her to come by whenever she wants."

  She leaned out the door and called down the stairs. "Calista, come on up. Sir Chuck would like to speak with you."

  If I could have shot daggers out of my eyes at her, I would have. She just smiled and stepped out of the room. Damn her, she really is good.

  * * *

  Calista stood at the base of the stairs, arms wrapped around her midsection. Her usual confidence had evaporated, replaced by a tremor in her hands she couldn't quite suppress. Her auburn hair hung untended, and she was wearing the fuzzy PJs and loose T-shirt she wore when she felt frumpy. Above, Elanthe's voice murmured something, followed by Chuck's clipped reply. He was annoyed by something.

  Last night flashed through her mind on repeat—the skeleton in her chokehold, Chuck raising that glowing mace, the divine light radiating from it. She'd looked up into his face and seen death. Not the theatrical death of infernal politics, but actual annihilation. The kind that erased a demon from existence entirely. Oblivion.

  Her glamour had nearly shattered from sheer terror. She knew that he was a deadly weapon meant to destroy her kind, but she hadn't realized what that actually meant until that moment. She'd thought he belonged to the Demon King and was putting on a good act. No. She’d gotten it backwards.

  It had taken just two blows to destroy the gashadokuro. The first had cracked bone that had shrugged off her preturnatural strength. The second had reduced the demon to powder.

  And she'd been holding it. Had he missed by a few inches… A shiver went down her spine all the way to the tip of her concealed tail.

  Calista's fingers dug into her ribs. She'd sparred with war demons, wrestled lesser lords for fun, faced down succubus queens who were past their prime and knew it. None of it compared to what had happened the previous night. Chuck could end her with a thought and a swing. No contest. No struggle. Nothing but eternal darkness—and not the fun kind.

  Footsteps crossed the floor above.

  She forced her hands down to her sides and straightened her spine. Whatever came next, she wouldn't face it cowering. She didn't know why he wanted to speak with her, but when Elanthe had sent for her, she couldn't say no. Her master wanted to talk with her, and she had to answer his summons.

  "Calista, come on up. Sir Chuck would like to speak with you."

  "Okay, girlie, put your game face on." She pulled her hair out of her face and did her best to look presentable, but she was really off her game this morning. She made her way up the stairs, and Elanthe waved her into his bedroom. She'd been in there before, of course. She'd snuck in to smell his sheets while he was out. So musky and powerful. To be in here with him. Alone. A little spark glowed bright in her chest.

  "My lord," she bowed when she entered the room, then sat on her knees before him, eschewing the chair. Best to look subservient. Best to avoid looking like a threat of any kind. Her heart ached for him as he winced while he pushed himself into a better sitting position, shirtless but with ribs wrapped.

  "Calista, about last night." He paused, and when he saw he wasn't going to get any response, he continued. "You did a great job. You showed no fear in the face of a stronger opponent. After he knocked you down, you came back stronger. I appreciate what you did for me. You really helped sell the show to the villagers."

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  "Sell the show, my lord? I don't understand."

  He smiled at her. Smiled at her the same devious way that the demon lords she trained under had smiled before doing something delectably naughty. Her mouth opened, but no words came out as she didn't understand where this was leading. She licked her lips.

  "I didn't destroy the Gashi last night. I subverted him. Mum is in hell right now, getting him to sign a contract to join our crew. The whole explosion thing? He may have been a bit overenthusiastic, but that was for show. I wanted the villagers to report how hard we fought for them. I made it a condition of his employment. Now, when we face down Hell, we'll have Krag and Gashi on our side. Pfft! 25 demons against us? Piece of cake."

  "But I saw it. You smited him, Master. Smited him. Your mace glowed with the light of the Great Enemy, and you cracked his skull. It was an incredible blow. I felt it in my own bones. The shockwave alone…"

  "Yeah, I didn't know that I could do that. It works in our favor, though. The villagers? Now they're even more convinced that we're here to help them. The paladin and his dog, the elf girl, and the Amazon warrior princess. All in their corner. It's all good."

  "You scared me."

  He looked at her for a long minute, searching for a way to reach her. He'd dealt with women before, but never a succubus. In the absence of new information, he fell back on his old ways. Something seemed to click behind his eyes, and the humor left his smile.

  "You're right to be scared of me, Calista. Stay that way. Don't think I'm softer than any of the demons that you've served. Know in your heart that if you ever cross me, I will destroy you, and I'll enjoy doing it. None will ever say your name in fear that it will draw my attention."

  "Oh, my lord," she beamed. "You are worthy to serve." She bowed her head until it touched the floor and then sat back up. "I will serve you to the best of my abilities and at all times and in any way you desire," she gushed. "Command me, my master, and I will do it. Anything."

  "Good. Now get out of my sight and clean yourself up, you're a mess. How dare you present yourself to me in this manner? You've even got some Gashi dust in your hair still."

  "Yes, my lord." She flushed. "I can't help noticing, my lord, that you've still got some dust on your body too. She rocked to her feet and approached the bed. Chuck tried to keep his composure, but his pupils dilated as she sat on the edge of his bed. "I should get a bucket of warm water and a towel and clean you up, don't you think? I can wash you first and then use your bathwater on myself." She laid her hands upon his chest.

  The door flew open with a crash, and Elanthe burst in.

  "Good, I see that went well." She took Calista by the elbow and pulled her off the bed. "Now, Sir Chuck needs to rest and wants us out of his room." She manhandled the succubus out all but threw her down the stairs. "He'll bathe himself when he's ready." She shot him an angry look and slammed the door behind her.

  * * *

  Pemberton sat in the chair next to my bed patiently as I struggled to sit up without causing myself too much pain.

  "Isn't magical healing a thing? Can we get a healer on the squad?"

  "Yes, Captain, but no, we can’t. Healing is not in Hell's purview, unless you want to replace an arm with a tentacle. I can arrange a witch doctor for that sort of thing. Come to think of it, Mum probably knows a guy who can barter some healing, but I don't suggest you go that route. It’s never worth the price."

  I grunted. Why is it that whenever I try to sit up in bed, I always slide down over time? Is that normal, or is it something to do with the shape of my ass? I always end up slouched, uncomfortably, looking where the wall meets the ceiling. I gave up.

  "Okay, Pemberton. Why are you here?"

  "It occurs to me, Captain, that there are assets at your disposal that you are not making use of."

  "Such as?"

  "Calista's clothing budget."

  "Calista's clothing budget?"

  "Indeed. It is quite extensive."

  "Pemberton, treat me like a simple child and explain that which you'd like me to know. Follow it up with what you think I should do, because I know that's already in that mighty mind of yours as well."

  Pemberton sat up straighter, appreciating the compliment. "Calista, being a succubus, has an extensive clothing budget. Quite extensive. Until such time as succubi find a human to suck the soul out of, hell provides them with the resources to cultivate the wardrobe necessary to land such a victim. For instance, if she needs to attend a fancy ball to approach a target, she can requisition a ball gown. Once she's attached herself to someone, then he pays the soul price instead of hell funding it. Outfits for succubi are a good investment with excellent payback potential."

  "I'll keep that in mind next time I want to go dancing, and make sure I don't let her—what did you call it? Attach to me."

  "After last night's excursion, I did a bit of research and found that there is armor available to her, as well as dresses. I thought that you might authorize me to order some in her name so that next time you go into battle, your team is a bit more prepared."

  "Pemberton, you are a demon among demons. Can we requisition a weapon for her, too?"

  "Indeed, we can. Weapons are classified as accessories, and there's no bottom to that well. Additionally, it may be, shall we say, in a grey area, but I believe that we can requisition a second set of armor for Elanthe as well. We have to classify the armor as a backup outfit, and the requisition should slide right through. It is likely, however, that we will have to get some alterations to Elanthe's armor due to their, ahem, differences in physiques."

  "I know you've already got a form filled out. Where do I sign?"

  by Rowen_Kun

  With two bodies, they will rise above all others — twice as strong, twice as unstoppable.

  Justin was just an ordinary college student when the world ended. In an instant, civilization collapsed — and the planet was overrun by monsters, blood, and ruthless rules of evolution. Now, he finds himself trapped in a brutal sort of tutorial, where surviving means hunting, fighting, and learning faster than anyone else.

  But Justin carries something no one else does: he awakens in two different bodies, both sharing the same mind. Each one feels, sees, and experiences the world from its own perspective — and coordinating both is an almost insane challenge. One mistake, and he dies twice.

  To master this impossible condition, Justin will have to learn how to control two lives at the same time. If he fails, he’ll be torn apart by his own confusion. If he succeeds… he might be able to perceive and act beyond any human limit.

  And perhaps this new world was made for Justin — and for his strange condition.

  New chapters are released 5 times per week Monday - Friday