The Witch and the Incubus Ch. 06

Editor's note: this story contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sex.

*****

Author's Notes: This chapter includes no sex. Yes - I know that you've come here to read smut, but I'm also trying to deliver a good story. I promise the last two chapters of the series will have sex. I want to thank my wife for editing, her guidance, insight, and suggestions. I also want to thank my friend, Ann, for her support of this project.

Caliban and Lilith sat across from three people in a darkened room. Ciacco, a Prince of the Third Circle and owner of The Hot Spot, sat on the right. He was overweight with receding gray hair that was slicked back, a style that still somehow worked with his well-tailored tuxedo. Belphegor, Duchess of the Fourth Circle of Hell and Caliban's financier, sat on the table's left-hand side. She was fit-looking, in her late forties, with salt-and-pepper hair cut in a bob. Her silk evening dress clung to her body, highlighting her curves. She wore gold rings on every finger, and an ornate diamond-studded necklace hung between her breasts. Salpsan, Knight of the First Circle, sat in the center. Knights of the First Circle were charged with protecting and policing those demons who escaped. He looked like a man in his mid-twenties with coffee brown skin and was the only one to wear casual clothing - a Henley shirt and jeans.

"We didn't say you could bring one of your thralls to this meeting, Caliban," Salpsan said as Caliban and Lilith sat down.

"I trust her. She's my right hand and the most knowledgeable human I know regarding all things demonic. I'd rather her be here than have to repeat everything later on." Caliban stared down at the younger demon. "What are you doing heading up this meeting, Salpsan? You're lower ranked than any of us."

"It's my area of expertise that we're discussing," Salpsan explained. He kept glancing at Lilith. "Isn't that the woman you asked my men to keep an eye on?"

"And they did such an excellent job of it, too," Caliban said with a sardonic grin. "Get on with it."

"As you know, we have reason to believe there's a hunter in the city," Salpsan continued, "we've been tracking his or her activities, and we have reason to believe they're after you."

"Oh? Why me?" Caliban asked with a smirk. "You'd think a hunter would be more interested in taking down a demon that's destructive or has been back on Earth for a longer period."

"It's because you're not bound by a contract," Ciacco said. "The hunters see that as a challenge to their authority. And because you're a prince, you represent a significant prize for their efforts."

"Are you saying one of the Archangels is here on Earth?" Lilith asked.

"No," Salpsan said. "I'm saying the hunter is after Caliban."

"But I thought only a Prince of the Ninth Circle of Hell could bring him down..."

"That's not necessarily true, Lilith." Caliban looked over at her. "They could threaten something I hold dear as ransom. I've seen it done before."

"I suggest that we place one of my guards on your residence," Salpsan suggested.

"No," Caliban growled. "Those fools you have working for you are incompetent and lazy. I'd feel more secure if a kindergarten class was guarding my pets, comparatively speaking. You will guard my residence, Salpsan."

"I have better things to do," Salpsan smirked.

"I can find a Baron, Count, Duke, or Prince of the First to decide for you. It can't be that hard," he threatened.

Salpsan sighed. "Fine. I'll stand guard over your penthouse. I expect amenities, though; room, food, and one of your women for my pleasure."

"You'll get room, food, and my pets will entertain you in all ways short of sex or physical harm," Caliban said. "I'll expect that you treat them with respect."

"WHAT?! Since when have you ever been stingy with your pets, Caliban?" Ciacco chuckled.

"Since they told me that they don't like it," he answered.

"If it's sex he wants, I'll do it," Lilith said.

"She's too old," Salpsan said.

"Age has very little to do with sexual prowess," Caliban growled. "But I wouldn't allow her to do that anyway. You have my offer."

"You know," Belphegor chimed in, "I had heard of the great Caliban becoming soft from other Incubi. To be honest, I didn't believe it."

"You can't cut me off from my own money, Belphegor," Caliban warned.

"Oh, I didn't intend that as a threat. I've been accused of the same thing by other demons of the Fourth Circle." Belphegor smiled. "I find that happy humans generate more profit than those who are overworked and underpaid. I'm sure your pets, as you call them, are happier to serve you knowing you have their best interests at heart."

"Well, at least one of you understands," Caliban said with a smile. "Unless there's more to discuss?"

"There is one issue; you paid for a surgical procedure for a human. Alexandra Romanov, I believe her name is?" Belphegor asked with a frown.

"Yes. What of her?"

"She knows that you're a demon and isn't marked by you. Not only could she expose demons to the world, but she's also a weakness that the hunter will exploit." Belphegor leaned in and growled, "Take care of her, or we will."

Caliban clenched his jaw. "I take it King Moloch holds this view?"

"No. If Moloch knew about this, we wouldn't be having this discussion. I'm doing you a courtesy." Belphegor leaned back. "Don't make me regret it."

Caliban shot a glance at Lilith, who looked horrified. He sighed. "She's still recovering from the surgery. The moment she's well enough to leave the hospital, I'll have her moved to my penthouse and take the necessary precautions. Is that satisfactory?"

"For now," she said with a frown.

"Salpsan - please come with me," Caliban said as he stood up. "You might as well start right away."

Salpsan grinned wickedly as he excused himself from the table to follow Caliban. As they made their way out of earshot of the others, Salpsan said, "Seeing as I have no choice in the matter, at least I can console myself with having a front-row seat to your downfall of an arrogant prick like you."

"And you're an insufferable ass," Caliban said as they exited the nondescript office building. "I will not have you undermining my authority or harassing my pets. For the time being, Lilith is the Matron of my harem. When I'm not around, anything she says in regards to my pets goes. If she doesn't like what you have them doing, she can put an end to it. If she doesn't like how you're treating them, she has the right to tell my pets to no longer serve you."

"For the time being?" Salpsan asked as they reached Caliban's Range Rover.

"The head slave of an incubus or succubus harem is chosen by subconscious consensus of all the members of the harem," Lilith explained. "This hasn't happened yet, so Caliban has placed me in charge. I'm the most experienced, and I was the Matron of his previous harem, so it makes sense that he leans on me to fulfill that role."

Lilith entered on the passenger's side while Caliban sat in the driver's seat and Salpsan sat behind them. "So she's a seat warmer?" Salpsan asked as Caliban started the car.

"Until I say otherwise, she's the one you listen to. Period. Don't make me involve a demon of the First above you; it won't end well. Behave yourself, do a good job, and I'll reward you handsomely."

"Fair enough. Where are we off to?" Salpsan asked.

"The hospital," Caliban grumbled.

_____________

Alex opened her eyes to see Sarah sitting next to her reading a fitness magazine. "Hey, babe," she mumbled.

"Oh - you're awake!" Sarah turned to Alex. "How ya feelin' Lexy?"

"I'm not as wiped out... which probably means I'm due for another dose of pain meds within a few minutes," she said with a weak smile. "Have you heard back from Layla? I wonder how things went with bitch one and bitch two."

"Nope. I should call her to find out when I can expect her; I'm getting hungry," she said to Alex.

"Go eat. I'll be fine by myself."

"Are you sure?" Sarah turned to Alex and gave her a worried smile.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Alex struggled to yell. Caliban walked in with a serious and concerned demeanor. Behind him walked in Lilith, who also looked dour. "To what do I owe the honor?" Alex asked.

"We need to talk, and Sarah needs to go back to the penthouse," Caliban stated.

"What - now?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. Now," he insisted.

"Come on, Sarah - I'll tell you about it on the way to the penthouse," Lilith said.

Sarah looked back at Alex, who nodded. She then left the room with Lilith.

"What is this about?" Alex eyed Caliban suspiciously.

"I just got back from a meeting. The hunter I learned about just a few days ago is targeting me. The sole purpose of hunters is to drag demons, like me, back down to Hell," Caliban said.

"Well, I understand why that might be a problem for you, but I don't know why that means Sarah has to leave..."

"I'm a prince. It takes another prince or a king to demand that I return to hell. Most likely, the hunter isn't a prince, so, rather than targeting me directly, he would try to use those I care about for leverage."

"So, Sarah."

"And you," he added.

You care about me?" Alex asked in shock.

"I like you, but not enough to return to Hell. I'm not saying that to be cruel - I'm just being honest," he quickly added. "However, both Sarah and Layla care about you deeply, and their happiness is essential to me. That makes you a liability."

"Oh. A liability. Don't get mushy on me, Caliban," Alex sneered.

"I usually don't give a damn about anyone besides my pets. Consider it a high compliment that I do care, however calculated that 'affection' might seem."

"Maybe you should tell me exactly what we're up against."

"Hunters come from the ninth circle of Hell. You humans call them angels," Caliban said.

"WAIT - Angels come from Hell?" Alexandra interrupted.

"Where else would they come from?" Caliban chuckled. "You humans crack me up, sometimes..."

Alex didn't look amused. "Okay - Angels come from Hell to drag demons back down. I guess you think they would kidnap me and then hold me for ransom?"

"Something like that," Caliban said. "Or one of the other girls, although it'll be harder to reach them in the penthouse, and I've asked a demon of the First to guard them. On the other hand, you are a nice, juicy target, and you're weakened due to your recent surgery. Which is why I'm here."

"You're going to guard me?" Alex smirked.

"Yes."

"I think this is a huge step forward in our relationship, Caliban..."

"Save me the sarcasm," Caliban snapped. Then he smiled. "Although it is ironic, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Alex said as she smiled at Caliban.

"There's something else I should tell you." Caliban ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled loudly. "When my demon associates learned that the hunter was after me, they looked into my assets and activities. They learned of you."

"So?"

"They don't just see you as a liability when it comes to this specific situation, but also a liability to the rest of demon-kind." Caliban looked into Alex's eyes. "I've been told in no uncertain terms that I am to 'take care of you,' or they'll do it for me."

"They would kill me?" Alex asked.

"The fact that they haven't already is in deference to me being a Prince of the Second. So we have some choices to make..." Caliban started to say.

"Either I become your slave, or I die?" Alex interrupted.

"There are more options than just those two. I could completely wipe your memory of Layla, Sarah, and myself..."

"No. That's not an option." Alex insisted. "There has to be something else. Couldn't you just make me forget that you're a demon when I'm not around you?"

"That type of memory barrier would hold for about a month, but eventually need to be reinforced with increasing frequency," Caliban said.

"That works differently than a memory wipe, I take it?" she asked.

"Yes," he stated. "However, I still think that marking you is the best solution. I could mark you as mine and just not claim you sexually."

"What exactly does the mark do?"

"It amplifies my ability to influence and control you, protects you from other demons from claiming you, and, should you try to betray me in any way, it will cause you pain unlike you've ever experienced," Caliban smiled.

"Uh, that doesn't appeal to me!" She stared at him with wide eyes.

"I didn't think it would, but it's our best option. However, I'm not sure how the mark will react if I don't claim you."

"You don't know?"

"I've always claimed those who I marked," Caliban explained, "and I've never heard of someone else marking a thrall and not claiming them."

"Well, could you FIND OUT?!" Alex yelled.

"We have time to figure this out. In the short term, however, I need to protect you. That means someone able to fend off a hunter needs to be near you. There's me, and there's Salpsan." He held out both hands as if weighing her choices. "I suspect you wouldn't get along too well with Salpsan; he has an even sunnier disposition than what I have," Caliban said as he flashed a pained grin. "So... I'm here instead."

"My hero," Alexandra smirked.

"There's something I've meant to ask you," Caliban admitted.

"Oh?"

"You've indicated that you're at least nominally religious, and yet you've still given me the benefit of the doubt. Why?"

"I think it's important to judge people by their actions. I mean, Jesus hung out with prostitutes, tax collectors, and thieves - he saw their humanity, and often that made all the difference," she explained.

"Oh, so now you think I'm human?" he scoffed.

"Yes. You're like every other so-called alpha male I've ever met; insecure, damaged, and twisted up inside. And just like alpha male humans, your stoicism and sarcasm is a mask you wear to hide your vulnerabilities." Alex smirked and added, "You're more transparent than a teenage girl."

He gave her a withering look. "I think you're projecting what you want to see."

"I don't think I am. What makes you the most human - probably more human than most people - is that on some level, you've recognized the senselessness of the pain you've spread throughout the ages and are trying to make amends. You have no real incentive to help or protect me, despite your justifications, and yet here we are having a conversation, almost as if we were friends," she smiled.

"Any 'friendship' we may have is out of convenience," Caliban said as he shifted in his chair.

"You keep telling yourself that, Mr. Christiansen," Alex countered.

_____________

"Okay, Nevada, Melissa? I'm going out to relieve Sarah," Layla said as she headed for the elevator.

Melissa and Nevada were sitting in the living room, watching television. Melissa quickly muted the TV. "Don't forget to tell her to help us out!" she said with a smile.

"I told you that it's completely up to her. I'll try to convince her to be, uh, generous with herself, but it's up to her," Layla said as she slung a backpack over her shoulder.

"I suspect she'll listen to you," Nevada said.

Layla just gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. As she turned toward the elevator, the bell rang, and the elevator doors opened. Sarah, Lilith, and Salpsan stood in front of her. "Sarah?! Who's with Alex, and who's that?" Layla gave a puzzled look.

"Caliban is with Alex," Lilith said as she stepped out of the elevator, "and this is Salpsan, Knight of the First Circle of Hell. He's here to protect us."

"As such, Caliban has allowed me to enjoy all of the services you have to offer," Salpsan smiled wickedly, "so long as it's not sexual," he added with a sneer.

"Or abusive, cruel, or undermines Caliban in any way," Lilith glared at Salpsan. "Don't forget that he gave me the authority to deny you the services of the harem if you go too far."

"Yes, I remember, Lilith," he rolled his eyes. "So protective of his playthings; you all should be willing fuck toys by now, but who am I to judge a prince?"

"Wait - what do we need protection from?" Layla asked as she eyed Salpsan suspiciously.

"A hunter is loose in the city, and there's reason to believe the hunter is interested in dragging Master back to Hell," Lilith explained. "Because Caliban is a prince, the hunter can only do this by threatening something that Caliban values more than his freedom."

"What is a hunter?" Nevada asked as she walked up, holding Melissa's hand.

"Why would they drag Master down to Hell?" Melissa asked.

"This is going to be a lot to unpack. May we sit down?" Salpsan said.

Layla nodded, and everyone piled into the living room. "Time for extended exposition..." she mumbled as Sarah passed her.

"Yeah," Sarah replied. "The only thing worse than exposition is breaking the fourth wall."

"Ugh! I hate that!" Layla groaned.

"What are you two talking about?" Lilith asked as she craned her neck to see Sarah and Layla behind her.

"Oh, nothing," Layla said as she took a seat next to Sarah. "Uh - that's Caliban's seat." She pointed to Salpsan as he sat down.

He shrugged and sat down. "He's not here. How much do these young ladies know about Hell?"

Nevada sat next to Melissa. "Well, Mr. Salpsan," Melissa stated, "It's where demons come from. There are circles of Hell and a type of royalty."

"Please call me Master Salpsan while you are my charges..."

"No," Layla flatly said. "We will do no such thing, Salpsan. It may be our Master's will that we serve you, but you are not our Master, so we will call you Salpsan. If we're feeling generous, we may call you sir or mister, but that's up to each girl to decide for herself."

"This is outrageous. I've never seen a more willful Incubus harem. I thought you were in charge, Lilith! Tell her she must call me Master Salspan..."

Lilith interrupted him. "No. She's right. Calling you Master undermines Caliban's authority." She glared at Layla. "Although, I should remind Layla that Caliban left me in charge, and not her."

"Sorry. I'm just... loyal, I guess." Layla smiled sheepishly.

"Now that we have that little slice of drama sorted out?" Melissa raised an eyebrow.

Salpsan grumbled. "There's Nine Circles of Hell. The lower the Circle of Hell, the more vile the torture that occurs there. The ninth level, the lowest, is the most horrific; only the most twisted and demented demons originate from there."

"Sounds awful. Where do the hunters come from?" Layla asked.

"The Ninth," Salpsan said with a sarcastic smile. "They seek to drag demons who make it back to the mortal world down to the Ninth Circle to torture and drive them to madness. That torture doesn't end once they're released back to the demon's native circle of hell - it plays in their mind over and over again for centuries. Many demons kill themselves to escape the memory of their time in the Ninth Circle."

"So hunters are bad," Sarah said.

"I'm going to need a drink if I'm going to listen to this slut state the obvious," he growled as he turned to Lilith.

She shot him a withering look. "Fine. Scotch?"

"I'd prefer bourbon if you have it."

Lilith responded with a nod.

Salpsan stared at Sarah. "Hunters are more than just 'bad,' little girl. Demons are used to torture - we've perfected it on every level and use it on each other regularly." Salpsan smiled at Sarah's growing unease. "What we put you humans through is not even a taste of what we put each other through in Hell. We don't kill ourselves over a mere hundred years of pain and suffering. We're immortal and infinitely patient, so it takes something especially horrifying to drive us to take our own lives."

Lilith handed Salpsan his drink. Sarah shifted in her seat as he stared her down. She looked away. "That's... horrible," she choked out.