Twelve chis ring from the grand clock tower on John Hardley’s estate.
It’s midnight, and with it cos lania’s thirteenth birthday.
«Well? Is nobody going to wish a happy birthday? Turning thirteen is a big milestone for a succubus!» she grumbles, still curled up on the mysterious Raelor’s lap.
But no one listens to her complaints.
Everyone has their eyes on the cloud-covered sky. To be honest, I don’t even know why I’m looking up too, but since Raelor, John, and his two lackeys are doing it, I follow suit.
I figure lania’s father is supposed to co from the sky.
And sure enough, a few seconds later... FLASH!
A blinding violet light bursts above our heads, so intense I have to lower my gaze.
«That’s it — now the real party starts,» John murmurs with an amused grin.
At the sa mont, Raelor slowly stands up, completely unconcerned by the fact that lania is still on him, and sends her rolling onto the grass.
When the violet glow fades, I look up again, and... I see him!
An incubus — the male counterpart to a succubus.
He looks about forty, maybe a bit older, at least two ters tall, with long chestnut hair falling softly over his shoulders.
He hovers motionless above us, supported by imposing violet wings, and his cold, stern gaze is fixed on lania.
«lania Narkhalis, my daughter,» he begins in a deep, authoritative voice, looking over everyone present one by one. «I am your father. My na is Malthus Narkhalis, and I have co to claim you and take you with to Elyndra.»
«Oh, really? Interesting,» lania murmurs, completely unbothered.
Strange — just yesterday she seed so excited at the idea of finally eting her father and leaving this world she found so boring.
What the hell did John say to make her change her mind so suddenly?
«Anyway, you know you’re pretty attractive?» lania goes on. «I’m not surprised you managed to knock up that frigid bitch who calls herself my mother. But unfortunately for you, my heart and my body belong to soone else, and I have no intention of leaving him. You ca all this way for nothing — what a sha, huh?»
And I guess that "soone else" is Raelor, the guy she was glued to until a mont ago.
Could he be the reason for lania’s sudden change of heart? Ungrateful little slut...
Malthus looks stunned, but it isn’t just anger at being rejected. I catch sothing else on his face, sothing that looks like fear. And now that I pay attention, his expression shifted hard the mont his gaze landed on Raelor.
«R-Raelor Valraen...» Malthus stamrs. «Y-You traitorous bastard, how dare you interfere in a matter between and my daughter?!»
Traitor? What the hell does that an? Wait... so Raelor and lania’s father know each other? Damn, the world really is small...
Hold on — if those two know each other, then Raelor is probably...
A powerful wave of violet energy bursts from Raelor’s body — dazzling violet arcs of electricity race over him from head to toe.
And that’s not all — huge violet wings burst from his back, identical to Malthus’s.
Just like I thought... Raelor is an incubus! And judging by Malthus’s terrified reaction, he must be unbelievably powerful too.
Now I get why he can talk to John with such arrogance and not even get a reproachful look.
«The power you’re giving off is terrifying...» Malthus snarls through clenched teeth. «One look is enough to tell you’ve beco far stronger than when you served as Princess Eliss Narkhalis’s bodyguard. With strength like that, you could’ve gone down in history as a glorious incubus — your deeds would’ve been rembered for millennia... and instead you chose to betray your people, turn your back on the Narkhalis royal family, and abandon the proud kingdom of Ravessia just to satisfy your insatiable thirst for power! I once admired you, Raelor... but now I can only despise what you’ve beco!»
«He’s talking too much, and his voice is giving a headache,» lania mutters. «Raelor, shut him up forever. Co on. Move.»
But Raelor doesn’t move an inch — he doesn’t even look at her.
«I was asked to assess your daughter’s abilities as a succubus and to stop you from taking her away,» Raelor says, calm and unmoved. «Killing you isn’t part of the agreent, so I have no intention of doing it — dirtying my hands with an insect like you would just be a waste of energy. Leave now, and I’ll pretend your pathetic words never reached my ears.»
«You can’t seriously expect to do that...» Malthus shoots back, fists clenched with rage — the violet aura around him grows denser and more violent. «You’re preventing from claiming my daughter — a sacred right of every incubus, one no one should ever interfere with! And as if that weren’t enough, your hands are stained with the blood of Princess Eliss — the one you swore to protect even at the cost of your life! As a mber of House Narkhalis, it’s my duty to make you pay for what you’ve done!»
Then Malthus extends a hand toward Raelor, and a sphere of violet energy begins to form in his palm.
«This is for Princess Eliss’s life, filthy traitor!»
A devastating beam of energy erupts from Malthus’s hand and blasts toward Raelor with all its destructive power.
The shockwave alone is enough to knock , lania, Hank, and Alex to the ground. John stays on his feet, but not without effort.
Shit... now what? Is this madman about to blow the whole place up!
«Is that all the power your hatred gave you?» Raelor sneers.
Then a burst of electricity explodes from his body. It spreads around him like a bubble wrapping him, effortlessly dispersing that devastating beam of energy.
Malthus freezes midair, stunned.
«Now it’s my turn,» Raelor murmurs.
Then he spreads his demonic wings wide and... the mbranes begin to ripple, almost boiling, like a puddle of molten tar. And right after that... tentacles that look made of the sa substance surge out of the wings and snap toward Malthus so fast the incubus is wrapped up before he even realizes what’s happening.
Malthus thrashes, unleashing huge bursts of energy, but it’s useless. The grip doesn’t loosen for even a second.
«You made two mistakes, Malthus Narkhalis,» Raelor says, staring him straight in the eyes as the electricity around his body gets louder and more crackling. «The first was not running the instant you saw . The second was daring to challenge soone infinitely stronger than you. They say you learn from your mistakes... but unfortunately, you won’t get the chance.»
Arcs of electricity shoot along the tentacles, from Raelor’s body into Malthus’s.
And a mont later... a chilling scream that makes my bones ache and my blood freeze rips from lania’s father’s throat — but it lasts only a few seconds.
Finally, the tentacles retract, and Malthus’s charred, smoking corpse crashes to the ground with a dull thud.
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