Succubi Chapter 101. Harmless
I turned around halfway to my room, feet dragging like they knew this was a bad idea. But the questions kept looping in my head like a cursed ringtone that wouldn't die. I rubbed the back of my neck, exhaled slowly, and walked right back into the kitchen.
"Do you mind explaining what they are?" I asked, eyes flicking toward the little shadowy gremlins busy prepping the stove. "I mean, you said they're imps, so yeah… imps. But what are they really?"
Lilith looked up from her tea. She was perched elegantly at the counter now, wearing one of those silk robes that made her look like a fallen queen on vacation. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
"They're my servants," she said, as if that was the most normal thing in the world. "From my previous household."
"In the Underworld?"
She nodded, sipping her tea. "I decided to bring them with me. That's all."
I blinked at her. "So they're… safe?"
She tilted her head. "Define safe."
I frowned. "Safe like… they won't attack me in my sleep?"
"They don't have the power to attack or fight," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "Not unless someone gave them a relic or a cursed spoon or something."
"Okay, not funny," I muttered. "Attack like, what? Possess me? Summon more of their friends? Steal my last clean sock when I'm already late for combat training?"
Lilith arched a brow, amused. "Has that ever happened before?"
"My sister's dog. A damn poodle," I said flatly. "Little chaos gremlin used to steal my stuff and play innocent. I nearly failed my final exams because she stole my ID card."
"That sounds adorable."
"It wasn't."
Meanwhile, the imps, or whatever the hell they were, chattered to each other in their gibberish demon language. High-pitched squeaks and murmurs like a coven of angry mice.
One of them, a little round-bodied shadow with stubby limbs, turned its featureless face toward me and pointed.
It. Pointed. At. Me.
Then it said something fast and snappy to the others.
They all burst into tiny, creepy giggles. Little shoulder-shaking, snorting, malicious baby-laughter. Like the sound of evil marshmallows gossiping.
"Those little creatures…" I hissed under my breath, glaring at them.
Lilith was trying very hard not to laugh. Her lips twitched.
"I know they're picking on me," I said, gesturing vaguely at the pint-sized gremlin mafia still huddled near the bread basket. "They're talking trash. I can feel it in my spine."
"They're not bullying you," Lilith said, still giggling. "They just think you're cute."
"They're laughing at me like I'm the punchline of a demonic daycare stand-up comedy show!"
"They're harmless," she said soothingly. "Sometimes they complain in their language, yes, but they're faithful. And loyal. They'd never actually bully someone in this house."
I narrowed my eyes as one of them dropped a spoon, glared at me again, and went back to stirring the soup like it had a vendetta.
"Right," I muttered. "Faithful. Loyal. And judgmental."
Lilith chuckled, but then her smile softened. She rose from her seat, smooth and languid like a snake about to coil around your neck, not threatening, just… inevitable.
She stepped closer and said gently, "Anyway… you claimed Sera last night."
I didn't flinch. I just nodded. "Yeah. I did."
She looked at me, something knowing flickering in her eyes. "And you overheard what we were talking about?"
Another nod. Slower this time.
I looked away. "Yeah."
"And?"
"And I hate it," I muttered, swallowing. "I hate it."
She tilted her head, her hair falling to one side. "For?"
"For my weakness," I said, sharper now. "I understand. I know. It's still early for me. I'm still learning. Still growing. But every damn time I feel stronger, I get reminded I'm not enough. I'm not fast enough. I'm not powerful enough. I can't protect everyone. And last night, for a moment, just a moment, I felt like maybe I was. Like maybe I was enough for her."
Lilith stepped close, her fingers brushing my jaw.
"Evan," she said softly. "Weakness is normal."
"I hate it anyway."
She didn't argue. Didn't offer empty platitudes. Just kept her hand there, warm against my cheek like she was grounding me.
I stared down at her, jaw tight. "You're centuries old. You probably crushed some high level demons before breakfast. How do you even relate to someone like me?"
"I wasn't born powerful," she said gently. "None of us were. I was a servant before I was a queen. I know what it means to crawl before you fly."
My throat tightened. I didn't know what to say to that.
She smiled. "And you? You're not weak. You're raw. That's different."
I exhaled. "I don't know if I want to be raw. I want to be dangerous."
"You are," she said simply.
"I don't feel like it."
"Then you're not paying attention," she said. "You changed Sera. She was drifting. Sleeping through life. Now she's awake. And you didn't force her. You invited her."
I blinked. "That's kinda right…"
She smirked. "I see everything, Evan."
My face burned a little.
She leaned closer, nose brushing mine. "And I like what I see."
I backed up instinctively, half-flustered. "You're really not helping." I knew what she wanted; the problem was… my pride was hurt because of my incompetence. I hated it. I even couldn't get myself horny.
"Wasn't trying to," she teased.
A moment of silence passed between us, broken only by the tiny demon imps scuttling around the counters and still sending me side-eyes like I was their least favorite sitcom character.
I sighed and leaned against the wall. "So. The imps."
"Yes?"
"They're not going to… crawl into my sheets at night, right?"
Lilith blinked. Then smiled wide. "No. They're very respectful of bedrooms. Even messy ones."
"Messy?" I frowned.
"They were cleaning the couch for an hour this morning," she said sweetly.
I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "I forgot about the couch."
"And the bloodstains," she added helpfully.
"Please stop."
"And the tentacle marks on your body—"
"LILITH."
She giggled, positively delighted.
I sighed again. "I'm going to shower before the imps decide I'm their next project."
"They're efficient," she said. "Be grateful."
I was.
Sort of.
Maybe.
If they didn't make a voodoo doll of me by dinner.
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