Rituals, Regrets, and Really Dumb People

Chapter 3: Emotional Movies are Trite Trash, but I Kind of Want More, Part 4

"I—can't—breeeathe."

"Oh, sorry."

I choked and gasped as she let go. "Okay, okay. Two rules."

"Rules?" she asked. "What are they?"

"For one, I am not calling you #2888. What name do you want?"

"Lilith."

I reached up and smacked my face. "You're all called Lilith."

She had an epiphany and reached up to her chin. Her long nails stroked her chin as she thought it over. "How about—Lilly?"

I looked at her, stared, and realized that that name could very well work. "Lilly is a fine name."

She bounced on her delicate feet, did a whirl about, then faced me again. "Rule two?"

I pointed my hand at her and waved it over the course of her body. "Clothing. You need some—well."

She wore a nighty that was almost see-through. She left very little to the imagination.

"Are you trying to tell a woman how to dress?"

"A woman? No. A succubus who can seduce men with barely a show of a smile and a wink? Yes."

When I put it that way, she sort of realized what I was dealing with. She thought it over, tapped her foot, wanted to reject it at first but, eventually, she accepted.

"Okay than, that sounds fine."

I stuck my hand out to her. "Welcome to my castle, then, Lilly."

She took my hand, gave it a shake, then turned to walk away. "I'm going to find some clothing then. Do you have any?"

"Uh"—my wife does, should I offer her the closet? No, she shouldn't be in my bedroom—"I'll just go with you and tell the serving girls to fetch you something."

I stood up and walked with her. I took one last look at the gateway as the last of the demons went through, and I gave a nod of my head. It was time to face the world without part of my army. I hope things would return to normal soon, I hope I get a grip on myself, but it seemed like everything was working its way towards the pit I had fallen into. Was it so bad, you know, feeling guilt over the bad things I've done before? I had a lot to feel bad for. Well, for now, I reached back in the room, turned off the lights, closed the door, and walked with Lilly upstairs.

I left Lilly in the care of a couple of my serving girls; they'd find her a place to bath in privacy and to help dress her more appropriately for the setting. Hmm, maybe should rethink that, they'd probably bring her back dressed in skulls. Probably have a hole in her head from a forehead piercing or some such. Ah well, the serving girls tended to be alright, if a little boorish and lower class. With Lilly in their care, I walked away to a stairwell and went up to the second floor, to my room. It was late and I think sleep might do me some good.

I opened the door to my room to find it cold and empty. The cool breeze from the vast space hit my face and I stepped inside to let it embrace me. I wandered over to a small table and sat down, pulling out my phone and looking at it. I opened the text chats and tried to find Meredith's number. I had her listed as 'wifey,' and I sent her a message, just some simple word. Hi. I was definitely pathetic at this point.

I slipped my phone back in my robes and I stood up to look around the room. I picked up my staff, which I had left in here to chase Meredith around the castle earlier, and I looked at it. Looks like It is just you and me, old frenemy. I really am off my rocker if I'm talking with the skull of my foe tied to my staff. I felt bored, I felt too energetic to sleep, or, at least, too annoyed to get in bed. Maybe doing something would help get my mind off things, help me burn a little of the energy away.