I woke to the smell of clean water and steam.
That alone was enough to catch me off guard. Hell wasn't supposed to smell clean. It was supposed to reek of sulfur and sin and sweat. But the scent drifting through the Library was unmistakably fresh, almost mineral, like natural hot springs hidden somewhere deep in the shelves.
Rissa was already awake, perched on the edge of the table beside me. She'd managed to straighten out the leather straps crossing her body, though they still sat low enough to frame her small breasts rather than cover them. Her tail swished behind her in that restless way it did when she was thinking about something.
"There's a bath," she said when she noticed I was awake.
I sat up slowly, rolling my shoulders. My body felt good. Better than good, actually. No soreness despite sleeping on stone. No stiffness. Just that same perfect readiness I'd carried since arriving. "A bath. In Hell."
"In Limbo," she corrected, hopping down from the table. "The Library has... accommodations. For those who know where to look." She paused, then added with surprising shyness, "I could show you. If you want."
I studied her for a moment. The way she held herself had changed since last night. Still small, still feral in her movements, but there was a confidence there that hadn't existed before. Like she'd found solid ground after years of shifting sand.
"Lead the way," I said.
She lit up immediately, tail curling with barely contained excitement as she grabbed my hand and tugged me toward a section of the Library I hadn't explored yet.
The bath revealed itself gradually as we walked deeper into the shelves. The air grew warmer, more humid. The scent of clean water intensified until we rounded a corner and found it.
A natural spring, carved into the Library's foundation like it'd always been there. Steam rose from water so clear I could see the bottom, maybe ten feet down. The pool was surrounded by smooth stone worn comfortable by time, and the whole space glowed with that same muted light the rest of Limbo carried.
It was perfect.
And completely unexpected.
"How did you know about this?" I asked.
Rissa shrugged, already working at the straps crossing her body. "Imps know things. We have to. Survival means knowing where to hide, where to rest, where to..." She trailed off, cheeks darkening slightly. "Where to clean up after."
I started pulling off my shirt, then paused. My clothes were filthy. Sweat, dust from the ritual, evidence of everything that'd happened since I arrived. I looked down at them with mild annoyance.
Rissa noticed immediately. "I can clean them," she said quickly. "While you bathe. I know how."
That caught me off guard. "You know how to do laundry?"
She huffed, looking almost offended. "I'm not useless. Just because I'm an imp doesn't mean I don't know how to take care of things." Her expression softened slightly. "How to take care of you."
The words hung in the air between us, weighted with meaning that went beyond simple cleaning.
"Alright," I said. "Clean them. Then you can join me."
Her eyes went wide. "Join you?"
"As a reward," I said, already stepping out of my jeans. "For being useful."
I caught the way her gaze tracked down my body as I undressed, lingering on the muscles of my chest and stomach before dropping lower. My member hung heavy between my legs, not hard but present enough to draw her attention. She licked her lips unconsciously before catching herself and looking away, cheeks burning darker.
"I'll... I'll be quick," she managed, gathering my clothes in her arms.
I watched her scurry off between the shelves, then turned back to the water and stepped in.
The heat was immediate and perfect, soaking into muscles I hadn't realized were tense. I sank down until the water reached my chest, letting my head fall back against smooth stone. Steam curled around me, and for the first time since arriving in Hell, I let myself relax completely.
The Library hummed around me, that constant low vibration I was starting to recognize as its natural state. Somewhere in the distance, I felt Lilith's presence moving between shelves, aware of me but not approaching. Watching, as she always did.
Let her watch.
Rissa returned faster than I expected, her arms empty and her body still wearing those leather straps. She hesitated at the edge of the pool, suddenly uncertain despite my invitation.
"Come here," I said.
She obeyed immediately, the leather falling away as she moved. Her body was small and lean, red skin gleaming in the steam. The evidence of last night was still visible on her thighs, faint marks where my fingers had gripped, and she made no effort to hide them. If anything, she seemed proud.
She slipped into the water with a soft gasp, the heat making her shiver despite being a creature of Hell. I reached out and pulled her close, settling her between my legs with her back against my chest.
"Comfortable?" I asked.
"Very," she breathed.
We stayed like that for a while, the silence comfortable. My hands rested on her stomach, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing. Her tail wrapped loosely around my thigh beneath the water, anchoring her there.
Eventually, she spoke. "You're really going into Lust today."
"That's the plan."
"Then you need to know what you're walking into." She shifted slightly, turning her head to look at me. "The First Layer isn't just chaos. It has structure. Territories. Factions that control different districts."
I listened, my fingers tracing idle patterns on her skin.
"The biggest faction is the Velvet District," she continued. "Brothels and pleasure houses, all controlled by a demon named Asmodea. She's..." Rissa paused, searching for words. "She's dangerous. Not because she's strong in a fight, though she is. But because she makes you want to lose."
"Seduction specialist," I said.
"More than that. She's ruled the Velvet District for centuries. Every demon there is hers, body and soul. She doesn't break people through force. She makes them beg to be broken."
I felt my body respond to the description, heat pooling low in my stomach. Not from fear. From anticipation.
Rissa noticed. She always noticed. Her hand slid down beneath the water, fingers wrapping around my growing arousal with surprising confidence. "You're interested," she said, not quite a question.
"I'm curious," I corrected, though I made no move to stop her.
She stroked me slowly, her small hand working with practiced efficiency. "There are other factions too. The Cathedral of Moans, run by a demon who thinks she's divine. The Chain Sisters, who specialize in punishment and pain. And smaller territories scattered throughout, each with their own rules."
Her hand kept moving, building a steady rhythm that made thinking difficult but not impossible.
"Which one should I target first?" I asked.
"Asmodea," Rissa said without hesitation. "The Velvet District is the heart of Lust. Take her down and everyone else will notice. They'll either come for you or start wondering if they should submit before you make them."
Smart. Efficient. Exactly the kind of strategic thinking I needed.
"And how do I find her?"
"You don't." Rissa's hand tightened slightly, drawing a sharp breath from me. "She finds you. The moment you step into her territory, she'll know. She'll send subordinates first. Test you. Play with you. And if you survive that, she'll come herself."
"Sounds perfect."
Rissa laughed softly, breathlessly. "You're insane."
"Maybe." I slid my hand between her legs, finding her wet despite the water around us. She gasped, her rhythm faltering. "But you're the one who chose to follow me."
"I did," she managed, her hips rolling against my fingers. "And I don't regret it."
We stayed in the water until it started to cool, touching and teasing but not going further. There'd be time for that later. Right now, I needed information more than I needed release.
When we finally climbed out, my clothes were waiting at the edge of the pool. Clean. Dry. Perfectly folded.
I dressed slowly, feeling Rissa's eyes on me the entire time. The black pants fit well, comfortable and flexible. The white shirt was simple but clean, and when I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows, I caught Rissa making a small sound of appreciation. The black jacket completed the look, formal enough to show I wasn't just another demon but casual enough to move in.
I looked like someone who belonged in Hell. Someone who'd chosen to be here.
"How do I look?" I asked.
Rissa circled me slowly, her gaze traveling from my boots to my face. "Like trouble," she said finally. "The kind that Lust is going to devour or submit to. Maybe both."
"Good."
She pulled her leather straps back on, the material sitting more confidently on her body now. Like armor instead of decoration. When she was finished, she looked up at me with those yellow eyes, and I saw determination there alongside the lingering arousal.
"I'm coming with you," she said. Not a question.
"I know."
"I can fight. I can guide you. I can—"
"Rissa." I cupped her face, thumb brushing across her cheek. "You're mine. That means you stay with me unless I say otherwise."
She melted into the touch, eyes fluttering closed for just a moment. "Yes," she breathed.
We walked back through the Library together, my hand resting on her lower back in an unmistakably possessive gesture. Demons who'd been shelving books or reading in corners turned to watch us pass. Word had spread, apparently. The human who'd claimed an imp in Limbo itself.
Let them watch. Let them talk.
Lilith was waiting at the entrance to the Library, standing exactly where the neutral ground ended and Lust began. She looked the same as always—composed, severe, beautiful in that cold, ancient way. But when her eyes met mine, I saw something flicker there. The same hunger I'd seen last night, carefully controlled but undeniably present.
"Leaving already?" she asked.
"No reason to wait," I replied.
Her gaze dropped to Rissa, then back to me. "The Velvet District will test you immediately."
"Looking forward to it."
A faint smile touched her lips. "Of course you are." She stepped aside, clearing the path. "The Library remains open to you. Return when you're ready. Bring back whatever you claim."
"I will."
She didn't say anything else, but as I passed her, I felt her hand brush against mine. Brief. Deliberate. A contact that lasted less than a second but carried weight nonetheless.
Then we were stepping out of Limbo and into Lust.
The heat hit immediately, that same thick, oppressive warmth I'd felt when I first arrived. The air was heavy with perfume and smoke and the constant undercurrent of arousal that saturated everything. The red light bathed the streets, making shadows dance and flicker.
Ahead of us, the Velvet District sprawled like a living thing. Buildings carved from black stone and draped in crimson fabric. Demons moving between structures, their bodies on display, their desires worn openly. Music drifted from somewhere deeper in, rhythmic and hypnotic.
Rissa's tail wrapped around my wrist, tight and anxious.
"This is it," she whispered. "Once we step into that district, there's no going back quietly."
I smiled, feeling that familiar anticipation building in my chest. The same feeling I'd been chasing on Earth. The promise of resistance. Of challenge. Of something that might actually be worth the effort.
"Then let's make an entrance," I said.
And we stepped forward, into the heart of Lust itself.
Somewhere deeper in the Velvet District, I felt eyes lock onto me.
Watching.
Measuring.
Already planning how to break me.
I couldn't wait to disappoint them.