“I think I’ve found something, guys!” she said proudly. “Listen to this, it comes directly from Azazel’ s own journal. ‘Upon this mortal land, my servants and I shall place a curse. All demonic beings who fall within the scope of my domain shalt not exceed their place on Lucifer’s Great Chain of Being, nor shall they grow more prosperous than I or my most trusted minions as long as the Seventy-Two shalt raise the Earth. Thus speaks Azazel, the King of the Fourth Circle and Father of Warfare.’”

  “English, please,” Todd sighed. “It’s way too early for pig latin or whatever that shit is.”

  “It’s English,” I explained. “It’s just older English.”

  “So, does that mean what I think it does?” Liby asked curiously. “To me, it sounds like the existence of Azazel and the Seventy-Two Servants on Earth had something to do with our powers.”

  “It had everything to do with our powers,” Cupi continued. “If I’m reading this right, the mere influence of the Seventy-Two Servants meant no demon who was ever affiliated with Azazel could become more powerful than he was.”

  “So you’re saying Azazel had a spell that kept our levels of magic low?” I questioned. “Almost like a power cap of sorts?”

  “Bro,” Todd elaborated. “He neutered our power levels like you’d neuter a horny hounddog. That explains so much … like why I felt I could never live up to my true potential. I knew the Toddster should be way, way stronger than this. I mean, look at me, bro. Do you really see this super-sweet bod and think ‘weakling?’”

  For Todd’s sake, I wasn’t going to answer that.

  I grinned. “So now that Azazel and the Seventy-Two Servants have been defeated and banished back to Hell, there’s no limit on our powers?”

  Cupi’s violet eyes locked with my own, and the succubus gave me a bashful smile. “That’s what it’s sounding like to me,” she said happily. “Hell, now that our power cap is gone, literally everything is on the table. There’s all sorts of Hellfire magic out there we haven’t even touched upon yet, and it could be all ours! We need to start training immediately.”

  I glanced down at my phone again and yawned instinctevely when I saw the time. “Let’s go to bed for now, guys,” I said to my friends. “Sleep first, and then we’ll see just how powerful we can become.”

  Chapter 4

  The succubi and I had passed out the second we hit the bed. I slept like a fucking baby snuggled up next to my women, but we had decided to wake up somewhat early the next day so I could practice my newfound powers.

  Now, Cupi and I were standing in the backyard of our mansion, taking aim at a series of targets propped up against our fence.

  I took in a deep breath as I extended my right hand toward my target. Thanks to nearly a year’s worth of practice, I was now a regular Wyatt Earp with my red Hellfire and Divine Light. Hell, I could probably hit a pebble dead-center from fifty feet away at this point, if I really wanted to.

  But sadism-based Hellfire? That was a completely different beast entirely. I’d seen Ira summon turquoise Hellfire a million times, but this was the first time I had ever attempted to cast this sort of a spell.

  “You look tense,” Cupiditas observed from behind me. “Here, let me help.”

  The next thing I knew, I felt the blonde succubus’ tight body press up against my back, and then her slender fingers ran tenderly along my bicep. Cupi straightened out my arm as she rested her chin on my shoulder and let out a happy sigh.

  “The trick is to think about something that brings you pleasure, but shouldn’t,” she whispered into my ear. “Something society shouldn’t know about. Something that would make them think you were a freak for enjoying.”

  “You’re making that awful hard to do right now,” I chuckled. “My mind is definitely on much … happier thoughts at the moment.”

  Cupi’s left hand slid down my side and then slipped over the erection that throbbed through my pants. “Those must be some very, very pleasant thoughts,” she purred. “Maybe when we’re done training we can do something about that?”

  “Come on,” I joked, “how am I supposed to think of things that are taboo when your cupping my balls like that? Anyone would get a kick off to this.”

  “Just adjusting the angle,” the succubus flirted back.

  “Of my cock?” I retorted.

  Cupi let out a sound of fake offense. “Why I never, Mr. Ralston!” she joked. “I’m talking about your elbow. Get your mind out of the gutter. Now, think about something you shouldn’t enjoy.”

  “Honestly, Cupi,” I admitted with a smile, “I’m not sure I can. We just eradicated Azazel’s last bit of influence here on Earth. I live in a million-dollar mansion surrounded by six extremely beautiful, extremely talented women. Not to mention, my powers have grown so much I was able to kill a fucking Archangel. That’d make just about anyone ecstatic right about now.”

  “Things are definitely looking up,” the blonde succubus explained as she wrapped her hands lovingly around my waist, “but our battle is far from over. Azazel still lives in his large castle in Hell, and the Circle of Sin is still missing its last sister.”

  “Invidia,” I confirmed.

  “That’s right,” Cupi continued. “Sister Invidia is currently locked away in a cage in the Fourth Circle like some common songbird. She is Azazel’s final sliver of power, and the only chance he has of getting back to Earth. Once she leaves his side, he’s finished.”

  “As much as I’d love to save Invidia, Hell isn’t exactly on my bucket list of places to travel to,” I joked. “I’ve heard Cabo is nice this time of year.”

  “My sister isn’t in Cabo.” The succubus sighed. “She’s in the Fourth Circle of Hell, and that’s where we’ll have to go if we truly want a final victory over my former master. That’s why we’re out here, trying to grow your power set.”

  Cupiditas was right. As much as I didn’t want to think about it, a trip into the Lake of Fire was on our itinerary, and it was going to have to happen sooner rather than later … but, right now, we were training.

  “So what exactly is my ceiling here?” I asked the blonde succubus. “Can I learn all the powers you guys have?”

  “In time, yes,” Cupi explained, “but they’re going to manifest themselves one at a time. Defeating Baal and releasing the power cap spell means we can learn any sort of magic we desire to know. I’m just trying to figure out which one calls out to you first. We’ve already seen your hatred powers at work, but I want to know what else you can do.”

  I closed my eyes and thought about Azazel. How even though we had kicked his ass multiple times and stolen or killed all of his followers, he was down in Hell, smug as ever. The monster currently had a beautiful, delicate succubus locked up in a tiny prison, all because he was too much of an asshole to let her go.

  And then I thought about how much pleasure it was going to bring me to kick his ass, to watch him suffer underneath my boot as I boiled the flesh from his face with my own magic. It was gonna feel amazing, and I felt like somewhat of a psycho for admitting it.

  If that wasn’t sadism, I don’t know what is.

  However, I didn’t feel the energy surge as I did when I called forth passion or disgust or protection. I opened one of my eyes and saw that a few turquoise sparks danced from my hand, but there was no acidic flame.

  “No worries,” Cupiditas reassured me. “Some powers are going to take longer than others. Let’s move on to something else … ”

  “What are you thinking?” I asked hopefully. “Sia’s black Hellfire?”

  “No!” Cupi shot back instantly. “Jacob, do you remember what happened the last time you tried to tap into your fear powers?”

  “The Shadow World,” I reminisced with a grim nod. “I definitely don’t want to go back there.”

  “Exactly,” she continued. “Sia has spent millennia perfecting the black Hellfire of fear at Azazel’s behest. So far, she’s the only one of us who can control that kind of power.”

  “Then what about necromancy?” I asked. “Summoning and controlling zombies like Tris does would be badass.”

  “It’s worth a shot.” Cupi shrugged. “Believe it or not, Sister Tristitia gets her power from the emotion of determination.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at the succubus’ words. “Determination?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “Determination to do what? Not lift a finger?”

  “You joke, but it’s true,” the succubus said firmly. “Try it.”

  I closed my eyes again and thought ahead to our upcoming mission. I thought about how we were going to storm the Gates of Hell, kill Azazel, and then bring Invidia back here to join our group. I thought especially long and hard about the part where we kill Azazel.

  I opened my eyes, and there was nothing. No zombies, no orange Hellfire, nothing.

  “No necromancy either?” I sighed. “Damn, that’s two strikes in a row.”

  “Maybe we need to raise the stakes a little,” Cupi said as she released her grip on my waist.

  “Raise the--” I started, but I didn’t get a chance to finish.

  The succubus turned, stuck two fingers in her mouth, and then whistled. Instantly, Todd’s impish body appeared out of thin air with a baseball bat in his hand.

  “Surprise, motherfucker!” he cackled as he took a swing at my thigh.

  There was a dull thwack as the hardwood of the bat struck me hard. The impact reverberated through my entire leg and set all of my nerve endings on fire. I let out a scream of pain, and that was when I felt it.

  I felt a huge mix of emotions all at once. There was surprise, anger, pain, betrayal, and annoyance, all racing through my mind at the same time. Power surged through my body, and I instinctively tossed out my arm to strike back at my attacker.

  As I did so, my hand was engulfed in a new color of Hellfire, one that was a deep mixture of brown and yellow. The spell was dark, but it shimmered with a metallic glow as it shot from my hand and into the spot right in front of Todd.

  The metallic brown bolt smashed into the grass of our back lawn as a shockwave instantly spread across the ground. Todd, Cupi, and I were all knocked down on our asses, and I looked over to see the lower part of the mansion’s fence shatter into a million pieces. My mouth fell agape, and I looked over at my friends in shock.

  “Bronze Hellfire!” Cupi sounded impressed as she picked herself back up. “I don’t even think Azazel has mastered that one yet. Very impressive.”

  I rubbed my thigh gently as I tried to figure out what the fuck just happened. “Did you really have to hit me with a baseball bat?” I asked, and I was sure I wasn’t hiding the annoyance in my voice.

  “I’ll admit, I figured Todd and I’s little surprise attack would have awakened the mirror magic within you,” the fit succubus explained with a shrug. “But bronze Hellfire? That’s much, much better.”

  “You hear that, Jakey?” Todd asked like a kid wanting to hear his father was proud of him. “I was gonna totally take that baseball bat at full force if your mirror magic worked. That’s some Mr. Miyagi shit right there, bro.”

  “I appreciate it,” I half-joked and continued to rub my aching thigh. “What is bronze Hellfire, and why is it such a big deal that I know it?”

  “It’s kind of a long story,” Cupi admitted. “So I’ll just give you the abbreviated version. In the texts of the Exalted One, bronze is highly symbolic.”

  Todd raised his hand excitedly. “Oh, oh!” he exclaimed. “I know this one! Bronze stands for judgment. Or sometimes it stands for strength. Or other times scholars argue it stands in for symbolizing dicks. Actually, I really don’t know what it’s supposed to symbolize. Damn you, Sunday School!”

  “The first point is correct, Todd,” Cupi reassured the imp. “In everything the Demonic and the Divine do, the color bronze stands for judgment. That is why only those who have the power of Heaven and Hell on their side can use it.”

  “How many of those people are out there?” I asked curiously. “There can’t be that many.”

  “Well,” the succubus pondered as she rapped on her chin, “any sort of fallen angel could theoretically have this power, as could a Nephilim or a creature that comes from Purgatory. It’s rare in any case.”

  “But what does it do?” I continued as I marveled at my glowing hand. “Is it some sort of earthquake magic? That doesn’t exactly sound like judgment, Heaven-and-Hell, fallen angel stuff.”

  “Broooooo,” Todd groaned, “you’re totally embarrassing your sensei here. I’ve taught you sooo much better than this, my young apprentice.”

  “When you blasted the ground, you were literally causing all of the atoms of the Earth to vibrate under your spell,” Cupi tried to clarify. “Sure, in that particular case, you caused a miniature earthquake, but this is extremely powerful magic, Jacob. The possibilities are endless.”

  “How do I make it happen?” I asked one final question. “Do I need Todd to surprise me with a baseball bat every time I want to use it?”

  “Of course not.” Cupi chuckled. “Bronze Hellfire is instinctive and reactionary, much like the judgment it is based on. Whenever you want to call upon it, just think about the things like the injustices in the world or the terrible things your enemy has done. I seriously can’t wait to see what kind of ways you utilize this power.”

  “Seriously, bro,” Todd interjected, “if you don’t rip somebody apart atom-by-atom by the time our next adventure is over, the Toddster’s gonna be very disappointed.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, Todd,” I reassured the imp and turned back to my original target.

  Cupi had set up a row of bottles on top of our backyard picnic table, but the shockwave from my bronze Hellfire had caused them to tumble off into the grass. A few of them had shattered, but I brought the surviving bottles back to the top of the table with a quick cast of emerald fire.

  As soon as the four remaining bottles were upright, I set to work.

  I thought about Azazel and all the terrible shit he’d done. Images of Cupi’s scars dashed through my mind, followed by the horrible things Sia had told me happened when the girls were with the Father of Warfare. Then there was Earl, the fucker who acted as their pimp. Somehow, some way, he treated the succubi even worse than Azazel had. Both of these asshats were burning in Hell right now, but even that wasn’t a good enough punishment.

  I was coming for them, and I was going to kill them once and for all.

  As these thoughts of revenge coursed through my head, I felt both of my hands light up with the bronze fire. Instantly, I blasted one of the bottles with the Hellfire, and it shattered into a million pieces.

  “Why don’t you try something more subtle?” Cupi suggested.

  I raised my left hand and targeted the bottle in the center of the table. This time, I tried to make sure I wasn’t hitting it with a full-powered strike. The bronze flames surrounded the bottle, and then it instantly began to vibrate as if it were a cell phone going off. Slowly, I directed the bottle toward the edge of the table until it fell off and shattered against the ground.

  Cupi grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me around one-hundred and eighty degrees. The fit blonde pointed in the direction of our Olympic-sized swimming pool and looked at me with a sly grin.

  “Are you familiar with the concept of a tsunami?” she asked coyly.

  I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot when I realized what she was suggesting. “Of course I am,” I shot back. “Watch this.”

  “Hold up!” Todd ran in front of me with his hands flailing wildly. “Bro, I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to be inside one of those. If I go in, do you promise you’ll catch me?”

  “I will catch you, Todd,” Cupi laughed. “I promise.”

  “Well, in that case … ” the imp said as he turned and made a mad dash for the pool. Once he was about five feet away, the imp somersaulted across the ground, propelled himself into the air, and cannonballed into the pool with a splash.

  I rolled my eyes, clapped my hands together, and sent a massive beam of bronze toward the water. The crystal-clear liquid was engulfed with the dancing Hellfire as it slowly began to ripple. Then, I tried to concentrate and feel every single solitary atom in the pool. All at once, the tiny ripples turned into medium-sized waves.

  “Weeee!” Todd cackled as his tiny body was tossed around. “More power, bro!”

  I closed my eyes and tried to harness all of my energy at once. Suddenly, I heard the sloshes of the pool water turn into loud, crashing waves, interspersed every now and again with a shriek of joy from Todd. I forced my eyelids open and saw that I was creating waves nearly six-feet tall. The power surged through my body as the bronze flames began to shimmer even brighter, and then all of the water sloshed out of the pool in one massive, two-story-high wave.

  The water splashed out of the pool, and I had to quickly throw up a cast of emerald Hellfire to keep it from washing away our house. Instead, the violent waves disappeared into the green portal and reappeared directly above the empty pool. I released both my spells, and the water plopped back down into the hole in the ground where it belonged. Seconds later, Todd’s head popped up to the surface.

  “That … was … awesome!” he exclaimed. “I totally felt like Keanu in that surfer cop movie.”

  Cupiditas gave me a playful smack on the shoulder from behind. “Just like old times, huh?” she said through a toothy smile. “You learning all these new powers with my help while Todd just sits back and enjoys the ride?”

  “For sure,” I agreed with a grin.

  This whole exercise really did remind me of the day back in the abandoned parking garage where I first learned how to use my Hellfire magic. It’d only been a little over a year and a half, but I couldn’t even remember what life was like before I’d met these women. My nostalgic thoughts were quickly cut off by Libidine’s cheerful voice.

  “Yooohoooo!” she called from the sliding glass door of the patio. “You guys need to come quick. Gula’s show is coming on!”

  “Well, shit,” I said as I put my arm around Cupi. “We definitely can’t miss that.”

 

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