The Seduction of Darkness

"What? Why?"

Emily sighed. "Look, no offense, but I think you're becoming a ba... an influence on me. The parties, that... date. The drinking. It's... it's not good for me, that's all."

"Hey, look, fine, no more parties, no more booze," Cozbi tried to assure her. "But we were good roommates, Em! Got along great! And I thought we'd become, well, friends."

"We did, we are," Emily agreed. "But it's not just the drinking. It's... it's the way you walk around here naked all the time. It's the stories you tell about your nights out with your 'friends.' It's about how free and open you are about, well, everything really, but especially your, you know... sexuality."

"Em, I..."

"No, don't apologize," Emily interrupted. "You are who you are. And I'd never ask you to change that. But I'm not like you, Randi. And I... I can't be."

"I don't want to be like me, Em. I just want you to be who you're supposed to be. You just need to let go of your fears."

Emily bowed her head. "I don't think I can do that."

"Of course you can, hun."

Cozbi hugged her close. Their eyes met.

In a blink, they were kissing, Emily leading it, pushing Cozbi down on the bed, moving over her, lips desperately sucking, nibbling; her breathing heavy, passionate.

After the initial shock, Cozbi responded in kind, grabbing Emily's hips, pulling her in.

She broke their kiss just long enough to whisper a fervent, "Oh, Em, I love you so much."

Emily froze above her. Her eyes went wide with terror, her face ghostly white.

Jumping from the bed, Emily ran for the door.

"Em, wait!" Cozbi called after her. "What's wrong?"

Emily paused at the doorway, her eyes wet with fresh tears.

"I love you too, Randi. And that's why I have to leave. Goodbye."

The door slammed behind her.

"Emily, come back!" Cozbi leapt from the bed, racing to the door.

"Let her go, Cozbi."

Cozbi whirled at the sound of the voice behind her to find a figure dressed in a pristine white suit, standing at attention, hands clasped together at the waist.

A figure she knew all too well. "Clarence? What are you doing here? Look, whatever this is, I don't have time for..."

"I said, let her go." The Archangel known to her as Clarence had moved between her and the door in the blink of an eye.

"You're not my Boss!" Cozbi snapped. "And I don't work for yours, either! Now get the fuck out of my way, or..."

Clarence rested a soft, perfectly manicured hand on her shoulder. His thin lips offered a kind smile. "Cozbi, just stop. Calm yourself. Think for a moment. I'm here to help."

"Help?" Cozbi asked incredulously, "What makes you think I need YOUR help?"

"Because right now, young Emily is on her way downstairs to sleep on the student commons couch. Tomorrow morning, she will call her parents to come get her, take her home. And you obviously haven't mastered the Memory Spell, have you? Or thought through the consequences of using it?"

"Fuck, her parents," Cozbi grumbled. "Forgot about them. Look, Clarence, I got this; I'll go track them down, make them forget they found us together. Then in the morning, when she's calmed down, I'll go talk to Emily. I can convince her to come back, and if I can't, I can use the Memory Spell on her again, make her..."

"No, you can't," Clarence stated firmly. "You've already botched this up quite badly as it is. You know how dangerous that spell is, Cozbi. How unpredictable. Using it on her again could destroy her already fragile mind entirely. Especially when wielded by an amateur such as yourself."

Cozbi bristled at the not so subtle insult, but deep down, she knew he was right.

"So what do I do, Clarence?"

"You? Nothing. I'll handle things from here. I'll take care of the parents, and tomorrow Emily will go home with them. From there, she will be watched over, protected. From you, and from your Boss."

"She doesn't need protection from me," Cozbi objected. "I don't want to hurt her, Clarence. I just want..."

"To love her?" Clarence finished. "To have her love you in return? I'm sorry, my dear, but Emily simply isn't ready for that. If you go to her now, try to convince her to stay with you, you will only damage her more than you already have.

"And my Boss cannot have that. She is too valuable, and has important work to do here. He will not risk her falling into Darkness. She will have to come to terms with her feelings, and her faith, on her own."

Again, Clarence lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. "If it helps, I can assure you; I see a time coming where she will figure out what she truly wants from her life. Although whether or not that includes you, I cannot tell. That is beyond my vision."

Cozbi looked doubtful. "And I'm just supposed to trust you? She didn't even have a Guardian Angel! Maybe if she did, she would have never been targeted by Asmodeus, and none of this would have even happened!"

Clarence huffed sadly. "Quite right. An unfortunate happenstance. Rest assured, she has a Guardian now."

"Oh, really?" Cozbi frowned. "Who?"

Clarence smiled thinly. "Why, me of course."

"You?" Cozbi snickered. "Since when does an Archangel of the High Inner Sanctum get assigned guard duty to a lowly human?"

Clarence squirmed slightly. "Since her previous Guardian, one under my employ, ran off with one of your associates. Miss Emmastopheles, I believe?"

Cozbi sneered. "Emma? That bitch? Yeah, I know her."

Clarence smiled smugly. "Well, fear not. We have plans for 'that bitch,' as you call her, and her truant little plaything Lily, as well. The situation is being handled."

"Good," said Cozbi. "But what about me?"

Clarence looked mildly confused. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean, what am I supposed to do? Asmodeus is gonna hang my hide from his throne room like a trophy for fucking up his plans."

"Not my problem," Clarence shrugged. "Not my department."

"Oh, come on, Clare Bear," Cozbi smiled alluringly. "After all we've been through? You can't pull a few strings for an old friend, cover my tracks?"

"That was a long time ago, Cozbi," Clarence snipped, "and as I recall you left me bound and gagged at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius, mere minutes before it erupted."

"Oh, come on, hun. It was a joke. I knew you'd get out of that before it blew. Besides, what's the worst that could have happened other than a few singed feathers?"

Clarence did not look amused. "Speaking of which; I want mine back."

"You're kidding."

"I am not."

"Fine." Cozbi pulled the feather from her dresser. "Here, take it. Asshole."

Clarence held the feather gingerly. "What have you been doing with this, Cozbi? It appears to be caked in some dried substance, and..."

He sniffed it curiously. "...and it smells like... like..."

"Pussy," Cozbi confirmed smugly.

Clarence dropped the feather. "On second thought, keep it. I won't have my wings sullied by your... secretions."

"Fuck you, Clarence."

"Oh, as tempting as that offer is, I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I'm already in enough trouble because my underling decided to run off for a tryst with her She-Demon lover; I don't need any more heat from my Boss, thank you very much."

"And what about MY Boss? He's literally going to flay me alive."

Clarence sighed, exasperated. "I'll see what I can do. But I make no promises."

Cozbi relented her anger. "Thank you, Clarence."

"Don't thank me just yet. You'll probably still be punished somehow. But I think I can at least save you from The Pit."

Clarence moved as if to hug her, but stopped himself. Instead he turned to the door.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check in on Miss Emily for a moment, then I'm off to visit her parents.

"Remember, Cozbi, you are hereby forbidden to make any direct contact with her, or to interfere in her life in any way. If you do, even I won't be able to keep you from the consequences."

Cozbi nodded. "I understand. You'll keep an eye on her, won't you?"

"Two eyes. As often as I can spare them."

And with that, he was gone.

Cozbi sat on the bed; alone, dejected and defeated.

For the first time in her long, supernatural life, she openly wept.

Somewhere Outside Time And Space

THWAAAAP!

Cozbi hung from the upside-down cross, naked, arms and legs chained tightly, glaring defiantly at the monstrous Demon Lord currently torturing her.

The whip rained down on her repeatedly, yet she refused to scream, or even flinch in response.

"That the best you got, As? Must be getting soft in your old age."

The whip cracked again, leaving an angry, bloody gash across her chest.

Asmodeus stood before her, his fury uncontrolled. "Face to face with your doom, and still you mock me! But you will learn, oh yes. You only think you understand pain and suffering. I will show you the true meaning of it."

The whip lashed out once more, barbed metal tips tearing into her flesh. Blood streamed like rivers from the open wounds.

"That tickles."

The whip cracked, more times than she could count, her body now a chaotic mess of lacerations, welts and bruises.

Her vision blurred with blood, yet she could see clearly enough to make out the utter contempt and hatred on his grotesque visage as he crouched closer to her inverted face.

"Ever the comedian. I should have made you my Court Jester instead of my Commander."

Standing erect, Asmodeus lifted his arm to strike again, then paused.

A rictus grin formed. "You and physical pain are old friends, yes? Well I have something far more distressing for you, Princess. Something that will tear your heart out."

Asmodeus paced the throne room, sneering gleefully. "You see, there's something I haven't told you. A surprise I was saving. A surprise involving your little pet, Emily."

Cozbi spat blood. "You keep her name out of your filthy mouth! She's off limits to you! Protected from Above. Even you couldn't get past the barriers they've placed around her now."

Whirling, Asmodeus again approached and squatted beside her. "Oh yes, you're right. Your little stunt has taken away my prize. But that's just it, you see. That's my ultimate blow to you."

"What do you mean?" Cozbi asked, suddenly quite fearful of the answer.

Asmodeus laughed sharply. "I simply can't fathom it. So brilliant in so many ways, yet you never once worked it out, did you?

"I wanted Emily to join us, yes. But not just to serve me. I was going to give her to YOU, you stupid cunt. I was going to make her your partner, as a reward for all your centuries of loyal service.

"You wouldn't be alone anymore. You'd have had her with you as your companion until the end of time. Instead, by your own hand, your own selfish, stubborn insubordination, you have assured things as such that you will never see her again."

"Liar," Cozbi managed weakly.

"Oh, my dear, sweet Princess. When have I ever lied to you?"

Asmodeus was right. This was far worse than any physical torture he could bestow. Her heart ached in a way she hadn't felt since she was human.

Worse, because even then, she'd never truly been in love.

She'd had lovers, of course, and a husband, once. But she hadn't truly felt love for any of them.

Not in the way she felt for Emily.

All her anger and defiance drained from her, replaced now only by sorrow and regret.

"Oh Em, I'm so sorry, my love."

With her last ounce of willpower, she glared up at her former Lord. "Go on then. Finish it."

"Finish?" Asmodeus bellowed. "Oh, now that is truly a humorous jest! You think I'd just destroy you? Oh no, my darling. Your suffering won't end that easily. Or quickly.

"No, I think I'll keep you here awhile. Not long, maybe a thousand years or so. Until I tire of looking at you. Then I think I'll ship you off to..."

His threats were cut off as the throne room door flew open. The handsome young Imp Cozbi had met before burst into the room, eyes wide and terrified.

"My Lord! Forgive the interruption!"

Hurrying to him, the young man knelt, extending a scroll in his trembling hands. "A message, My Lord. I was ordered to give it to you directly. It is from... Her."

"From HER, you say? But why...?"

Cautiously, he took the scroll. His eyes narrowed as he read.

"No... No!... NOOOOOOOO!"

Asmodeus burst into a raging flame. Lashing out with talon-like fingers, he grabbed the Imp by the throat.

Blood gushed as the young man squirmed helplessly, his tongue flailing wildly from his gaping mouth.

Flames shot up the Demon Lord's arm and in an instant, the Imp exploded in a cloud of ash.

As the dust settled, Asmodeus turned his attention back to Cozbi. "You... traitorous... little... BITCH!"

Again his arms raised, a massive fireball forming in his hands.

Closing her eyes, Cozbi prepared herself for the blast that would send her to Oblivion.

"Goodbye, Em. I love you."

Nothing happened. The room went deathly silent.

Tentatively, she opened her swollen lids.

The throne room had gone dark. Asmodeus knelt in the middle of it, flames extinguished, head bowed low.

A dark voice, thunderous in volume, spoke from above.

"Asmodeus."

It was the first time Cozbi had ever seen the Dark Lord tremble.

"Yes, my Master?"

"Did you not receive my message?"

"Yes, I... I received it, Master."

"Then why are you not carrying out my orders, Asmodeus?"

"Master, I simply..."

An unseen force threw the Dark Lord to the floor, writhing in agony.

"Just do as you're told, servant. Set her free."

"Yes, Master."

The Voice then addressed her.

"Cozbi. Come see me, my darling. I think it's time we got to know each other a little better, don't you?"

Cozbi stood before the massive stone doors, alone, naked and trembling.

The guide that had been sent to lead her here had already fled in terror. Cozbi wished she could follow him.

Instead, she waited, contemplating the ancient runes carved into the stone, a language so old even she could not comprehend it.

Her body ached. Her wounds would heal in time, of course. But even Demons could feel pain, especially when meted out by a being far more powerful than they.

And if Asmodeus could cause the significant damage he had, Cozbi could only guess what The Master may have in store for her.

After what felt like an eternity, the doors swung open silently.

"Come."

With a resigned sigh, Cozbi entered.

It took a moment to actually comprehend what she was seeing. When she did, she nearly fell to the floor.

The floor; a white polished marble that expanded from either side of the doorway into a vast, perfect circle.

Five pillars along the circumference marked the points of the pentagram, laid out in black onyx set into the otherwise pristine marble. Two pillars to either side of the entrance, two more, left and right center, and a final one at the far end.

Atop each pillar sat a glowing orb, lighting the space with a soft hue.

There were no walls nor ceiling. Instead, a massive dome, made up of thousands, perhaps millions, of hexagon shaped crystal panels.

Outside the dome, a dizzying array of spiraling galaxies, scintillating with brilliant color,

swirled slowly across the black expanse.

"Welcome to the Observatory, Cozbi. Enjoying the view?"

The almost musical voice brought Cozbi back from her astonished stupor.

At the center of the room, directly in the middle of the onyx star, an ethereal female figure reclined on an elegant, crushed velvet chaise lounge.

With a toss of her long ebony hair, the woman shifted to a seated position, revealing a glimpse of her lengthy, well toned calves beneath her flowing black robes.

Dark eyes considered her curiously. She offered Cozbi a radiant smile.

Her left hand patted the cushion beside her. With her right, she gestured towards the petrified She-Demon. "Come. Sit. I won't bite, I promise. At least... not right away."

The Dark woman's lip twisted slightly upwards at that last comment, and Cozbi suddenly felt the urgent need to pee, something she usually only did when she was pretending to be human.

Still, she found some strength in her legs, enough to move forward, approaching the woman who could only be The Dark Queen Of Hell Herself.

Cozbi dropped to her knees before her, head bowed. "My Master."

Standing, the woman lifted Cozbi's face by the chin. "Relax, my child. No need for such formalities, at least not here. Although your fealty is appreciated. But please, do rise."

With a painful effort, Cozbi lifted herself up, and stood face to face with the terrifying beauty before her.

Full red lips again offered a caring, soothing smile. "Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lucy. And before you ask; no, it's not short for 'Lucifer.' Although I have never discouraged that notion. Now, please take my hand."

Cozbi took the offered hand in hers and immediately felt a jolt of raw power, surging through her like electric current, her body vibrating wildly with the energy.

In moments, her wounds were healed.

"There, much better now, isn't it?" Lucy again gestured to the lounge. "Now please, sit. Let's have a chat, shall we?"

Cozbi, a She-Demon who's sexual exploits had become legendary in both Heaven and Hell, suddenly felt very self conscious about her nudity. Her arms involuntarily crossed over her chest as she took a seat beside the Dark Queen.

"Are you cold, dear?" Lucy queried. "No, what am I thinking? No one is ever cold in Hell. Still, your reputation precedes you, and you're certainly not known to be... shy. And yet you're obviously uncomfortable at the moment."

"Annej!" Lucy called out, not with her voice, but with her mind this time, "Bring our guest a robe."

The massive stone doors opened and a familiar looking Succubus entered, carrying a beautiful, silken red robe.

The nude young woman curtsied before Lucy, then handed the robe to Cozbi.

"Thanks," Cozbi offered gratefully, "but don't I know you?"

The petite redhead grinned up at her, green eyes sparkling mischievously, yet said nothing.

Instead, it was Lucy who responded. "Ah, yes. You have met her before. In Asmodeus' bedchamber, I believe. Allow me to formally introduce you. This is Annej. One of my most trusted handmaidens. And also one of my most loyal spies."

"Spy?" Cozbi wondered softly.

"Yes," Lucy nodded. "I have been keeping an eye on Asmodeus for some time now. And, by extension, you."

"But why would you need to spy on your own people?" Cozbi asked.

Lucy's smile faded, her face grim. "A good question. For another time. For now, let's just say I have reasons not to trust him. You, however, I am hoping I can count on. I need you to remain in service to Asmodeus, to continue to follow his orders. He will be spiteful about this, of course, and so he may make things difficult for you. And I will allow it. But fear not, you will remain under my protection. As long as you remain loyal to me."

Cozbi nodded as Lucy's objective dawned on her. "You wish me to be a spy as well."

"Yes," Lucy confirmed. "I need you to keep an eye on his dealings; who else he may be associating with, if he goes after any more unusual targets like Emily Wilson. Anything out of the ordinary, you will report back to me."

Lucy's dark eyes fixed on Cozbi intently. "Do I have your loyalty, Cozbi, daughter of Zur?"

Cozbi slipped off the lounge to her knees, bowing deeply. "I am at your service, my Master."

Lucy stood. Her flowing robe dropped to the floor with a soft woosh. "From you, I prefer Mistress," she corrected gently.

"Yes, my Mistress."

"Very good." Lucy caressed Cozbi's face, long fingernails gliding along her cheek. "Now, service me."

Cozbi looked up to meet her eyes. Lucy's intent was clear. Without hesitation, Cozbi leaned in and buried her face in her Mistress's warm and already slick cleft.