Max woke up to the sight of Nifty's giant eyes staring directly into his face. She was holding her feather duster like a weapon.
"You aren't part of the chandelier, are you?" she demanded, squinting suspiciously.
Max blinked. "…What?"
Behind him, he heard several voices and turned to see Alastor, Angel Dust, Charlie, Vaggie, and Nifty all gathered in the lobby's living room. They were staring at him like he'd dropped out of the ceiling.
Which, based on what Nifty just said, might have actually happened.
Max groaned and sat up. "How the hell did I get here? I remember drinking with Bee… she was telling me something about Asmodeus… and then nothing." A sharp banging pain exploded in his skull, and he immediately collapsed back onto the couch.
Vaggie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course Bee told you. Get enough drinks in her and she'll spill anything."
"Oooh, Asmodeus?" Angel Dust's eyes lit up. "Why are you going to Ozzie? I wanna see him!"
Max grimaced. If Angel got anywhere near Asmodeus, especially with what was going on among the Vees, Hell itself would smell blood. Fortunately, sinners weren't allowed to change Rings unless summoned by a Sin. That rule alone kept the Vees alive—barely.
Charlie stepped in, cheeks pink. "We're going to make our engagement… official. Within Hell's legal system."
Angel's jaw dropped. "Engagement? Like—rings and papers and all that cute shit?"
Charlie nodded. "Normally, demons can register an engagement anywhere. But Max is… um… involved with almost every tier of nobility and status in Hell. That makes things… complicated."
Nifty cheered quietly while dusting Max's shoulder. Alastor chuckled politely. Angel squealed. Max just sat there holding his head.
Alastor tilted his head. "I was unaware sinners could visit other Rings."
Max shook his head carefully. "It isn't that easy. You can't unless you're specifically summoned by the Sin who rules that Ring. And… uh… I think Asmodeus heard about me from Stolas."
"Sounds about right," Vaggie muttered.
Charlie clapped her hands. "Speaking of which—we only have a few hours before the meeting! And we can't use portals; Asmodeus said it has to be an official arrival. So we have to take the normal route."
She pointed to the lobby doors. "Loona, Octavia, and Bee are already in the car."
Max sighed, stood, and stretched his aching body. Then he activated all of his immunities at once. A soft, golden aura flickered and the headache vanished instantly.
"Thank Lucifer," he muttered. "I am not turning those off again anytime soon. I still don't understand why Asmodeus wants to see me personally. Polygamy isn't rare in Hell. And as far as I know, none of us are tied to the Lust Ring. I think."
He quickly changed clothes with a flick of magic, grabbed his flask out of habit, then headed outside with the group.
---
The Car Ride to Lust
The car parked in front of the hotel lobby was massive—more like a limousine fused with a tank. And crammed inside were Loona, Octavia, and Bee. Everyone squeezed in shoulder-to-shoulder as Bee proudly took the driver's seat.
Max hesitated. "Uh… whose idea was it to let Bee drive?"
"It's fine!" Bee cheered. "Let's get this show on the road!"
The engine roared to life like a demon waking up, and then they were launched forward with enough force to shove everyone backward. Charlie yelped as she flew across the car. Octavia's feathers scattered like confetti. Loona dug her claws into her seat and screamed profanities.
Twenty chaotic minutes later, Loona angrily ripped Bee out of the driver's seat and took over. The ride immediately became a thousand times smoother.
Bee slumped in the passenger seat, arms crossed. "Ah, come on. I wasn't that bad."
Max raised an eyebrow. "Babe… you tossed Charlie across the car, Octavia is now missing several feathers, and Loona had to bury her claws into the seat just to keep herself from flying out the window. Also, you owe Octavia for the car damage."
Octavia quickly waved her hands. "No no, it's fine. I barely use the allowance my father gives me. I've saved up more than enough."
But Bee huffed. "Nah, I'll pay. I run an entire Circle of Hell. I'm not strapped for cash." She leaned forward and pointed ahead. "Oh! And look—we're finally here! The Lust Ring!"
---
The moment they crossed the checkpoint, the environment shifted dramatically. Neon pinks and purples glowed in every direction. Buildings were shaped like hearts, hips, toys, and other anatomically questionable designs. Signs advertised exotic clubs, themed hotels, "all-night all-right" services, and stores selling every imaginable object one could shove, strap, wear, or lick.
Charlie covered her face.
Vaggie covered Charlie's face.
Max stared silently. "Yeah… that tracks."
They drove deeper into the Ring until finally reaching Asmodeus's grand tower—an impossibly tall structure shimmering with pink crystal, gold lace, and a massive glowing heart-shaped emblem near the top.
Loona parked the car, and everyone stepped out, stretching their legs.
As they approached the entrance, Fizzarolli suddenly dropped down from above, flipping through a handful of mechanical hoops before landing in front of them with a flourish.
"Hellooooo!" his voice chimed. "You must be Max, Loona, Charlie, Vaggie, and Octavia! Ozzie's been dying to meet you all and get your engagement papers sorted!"
His body extended like rubber as he stretched his mechanical limbs across the entrance to gesture dramatically toward the lobby doors.
"Right this way!"
The group followed him inside. The lobby was decorated with heart-shaped furniture, glowing pink runes, and display cases showing off dozens of toys and magical devices that Asmodeus had personally helped design. Octavia turned red. Charlie nearly combusted.
The elevator doors opened with a seductive chime.
Fizz squeezed himself into the corner, hit the top-floor button, and the elevator began moving upward smoothly—until it suddenly shuddered to a stop.
The doors slid open to reveal the luxurious private floor of Asmodeus himself.
And standing there, hands on hips, glowing with confidence and power, was the Sin of Lust.
Asmodeus grinned widely.
"Welcome, everyone! Now—let's get those details sorted, shall we?"