Princes in the New World

Your afternoon visit to Lexi’s office was not an unusual one. Her secretary, Stella, had become accustomed to seeing you in HR. As you approached, she gave you a cheery smile.

“Today’s the big day isn’t it Jim? Lexi’s been frantically preparing all morning.” Stella gave you a wink.

“It sure is. Is she ready for me?” You politely responded.

“I think she’s been ready for a long long time.” Stella snickered.

“I’ll let myself in then. Have a good one.”

“Good luck!”

Walking into the office you saw Lexi in a sleek black dress with thin straps instead of her usual gothic style. It hugged her body closely, accentuating her curves. Her hair was done up in a faux messy style, and her make up looked to be meticulously done. Her shoulders were flushed slightly as she read through some papers with a serious expression. Gods she was gorgeous.

Lexi hadn’t noticed you until you let out a small cough for attention. She looked up at you beaming in a way that made your heart skip a beat.

“James!”

She was absolutely giddy and she nimbly made her way toward you. She leapt into your arms, wrapping her tail and legs around you tightly. She planted a deep kiss on your lips that was laced with ravenous affection.

“I missed you, Lex. Are you ready to make this official? This is your last chance to back out of this scandalous love affair with your innocent nephew.”

She laughed in her usual sing-song way, not loosening her grip even slightly.

“Oh no. I plan to thoroughly corrupt you. Do you think you can love such a bad woman?”

“I think I can fix you.” You retorted.

Both of you chuckled after that. The illicit teasing between you two created a mood of excitement and passion. You shared one more kiss before Lexi walked you over to her desk to complete the sponsorship paperwork.

That part of things was rather drab in comparison. You read through the standard paperwork and watched Lexi’s ruby eyes glitter when you scrawled your name on the bottom. She then took it and signed in her place as well.

“It feels like we’re signing a marriage certificate.” Lexi mused.

“It kind of is in a way.” You agreed.

“Well, with that you have officially completed the first part of the obligation of our contract.” Lexi began.

That phrase spurred your memory once more to what you had spoken to Cerena about. A frown must have appeared on your face because Lexi spoke up.

“Is something wrong, James? I thought you’d be happy.” Her worried tone snapped you out of it.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I am really happy. It’s just…I wanted to ask you some questions about some stuff on my mind. Maybe right now isn’t the best time, but talking about the devil’s contract made me think about it again.” You tried to give Lexi your most sincere smile.

“This sounds serious. You look grim as hell.” Lexi chuckled trying to lighten the new mood.

“Tell me what’s on your mind. We’re partners now and family besides. I want to help if I can.” She said in earnest while holding your hand affectionately.

“Lexi, is it possible to be something without knowing it?”

The devil looked at you with a confused expression.

“What do you mean?”

“I was…talking with Cerena earlier today, and she told me something that’s been weighing on my mind. She told me that only demonic magic can affect hellhounds.”

“That’s true. They were designed that way so that only devils could control them. It was sort of a fail safe, though it didn’t exactly pan out well for us devils in the end. What about it?”

“Well, my powers work on her. I confided in her about my abilities, and she straight up asked me if I was a devil in disguise. Then I got to thinking about it and…about you. You said you could feel something from me even when my mom was pregnant. Were you drawn to me because you sensed the source of my magic?”

You looked into her eyes, trying to maintain a certain level of calm. You didn’t want to come off as accusatory, but at the same time had suspicions that she may know more than she let on. You could see cracks in her normally mischievous face.

“What I mean to ask is…Lexi is there more about me that you know but aren’t telling me?”

Lexi was quiet for a while, sporting a deer-in-headlights expression before seeming to resolve herself.

“What do you know about the lords of hell?”

You gave Lexi an incredulous look. “Aren’t they supposed to be like the chief demons in christianity? Like Lucifer and stuff?”

Lexi nodded in approval.

“Yes. In the old world, they are much more than myth. What you would call hell, exists in the old world, and it was divided among the seven most powerful demons. The idea was to mirror the archangels of heaven. Each lord governed a domain and was typically associated with a sin.”

You couldn’t help but notice the slight tone of reverence in Lexi’s voice.

“So what does that have to do with me?”

Lexi’s red eyes looked deeply into yours. You got the sense she was hesitant to speak her mind.

“The old world has been in a stalemate for millenia. Heaven and hell have always clashed, but so do the lords. They are constantly in a competitive state, vying for the most control and power. No one has made significant ground despite their best efforts. When the portal was first established and the new world was discovered, there was a mad rush to be the first to take hold here. Think of it like a demonic manifest destiny. A whole world of untapped resources appeared. The problem was that this new world has muted magical energy. It meant that the lords themselves were significantly weakened upon entering it.”

You listened intently, though not completely understanding what this all meant.

“When the first of the lords entered the new world, they were depleted and went missing. They were far too powerful to be destroyed entirely, and I believe they latched onto whatever they could to survive. That’s what I think happened to you. I think the essence of a lord of hell latched onto you during your conception, essentially making you into a lord reborn.”

Your shock and skepticism must have been clear on your face because Lexi began to scowl.

“I’m telling the truth. Your powers were dormant, but I could sense them the minute I met your mother. It was a power far exceeding my own, and I’m no slouch among devils. If not a lord, then you were at least a very powerful devil. The more I’ve seen, the more I’m convinced.”

“I’m human, Lexi. I’m not some demon. This is crazy.”

“It’s not unheard of though. Most demon lords were something else before transforming. If you had magical energy, then why couldn’t you transform into one as well?”

“But I’m…me. I’m not some evil paragon of sin. I’m just some guy.”

Lexi let out an exasperated sigh. “Not all devils are bad guys. Indulgent? Yes. Selfish in their desires? Most definitely. I’m a devil, and you don’t consider me evil. Do you?”

She had a point. Lexi was selfish and bratty at times, but she wasn’t a bad person. Even if her motives for approaching you were initially self-serving, you knew there was genuine love between you.

“That’s true. This just seems way too far fetched. You’re basically telling me that some thirty-something divorcee is Satan.”

“Actually, based on what I’ve seen, I’d guess Asmodeus took root in you.” Lexi stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Asmodeus?”

She picked up on your confusion and continued. “He’s considered the lord of lust. The signs are all there: charm magic, intense sexual stimulation of others, endless stamina, general deviance, and I bet your sex drive has been through the roof lately.”

She wasn’t wrong there. Since meeting Morgana, it was beginning to feel like you’d become a different person. Most men liked sex, but it was becoming a state of being for you.

“If this Asmodeus guy is inside me, doesn’t that make me dangerous to other people? Am I going to sprout wings and a tail? What if I lose who I am?”

Lexi had a look of concern. She walked around the desk to straddle your lap. Her tiny hands rose up to hold your cheeks.

“You are you. This isn’t some possession like you see in the movies. Asmodeus’ essence had to fuse with you to survive. You aren’t two beings sharing a body. You are permanently entwined. Think of it like a spiritual reincarnation. This has always been a part of who you are. Just because you can tap into it now, doesn’t mean you’ll become somebody else.”

You stared at Lexi for a long time. Just her holding you in this way helped ease some of your worries.

“I don’t even know how to process this. What am I supposed to do?” You looked at her in distress. Lexi in turn planted a gentle soothing kiss on your lips.

“You do whatever you want. You’re like the only person I know who could get told they are basically a sex god and immediately worry about everyone else. That alone should tell you you’ll be okay. Don’t forget you have me and the others to support you. Sure, I want you to go crazy and wrap everyone in your gaze in an eternity of lustful bliss, but do you really think Morgana or Lisbeth are going to allow that?

You thought about that. Certainly, the jealous slime and strict minotaur would keep you grounded.

Lexi smiled in her toothy grin once she saw your state of mind calm.

“Besides, how hot is it that I get to fuck the embodiment of lust himself? Maybe we should graduate you from Daddy to Lord.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. Lexi always had a knack for defusing your anxiety with laughter. After a minute, you held the cheeky devil’s face in your hands.

“I seriously love you, Lexi. I think we have more to talk about. I appreciate your honesty, but this trickle truth thing you’ve been doing with me needs to end. I need your help to understand this.”

Lexi looked at you with a hint of nervousness. She bit her lip and was silent for a few moments.

“It’s hard for me.” She finally squeaked. “Devils…we aren’t used to things like trust or love. I’ve lived a lot of my life having to guard myself, plan, and maneuver around. Most of our kind operate that way.”

“You don’t have to do that with me, Lexi. Even if it’s true that I am actually a devil myself, I don’t have an ulterior motive. I’m not asking you to blindly trust me, but I want us to work on it…together. For that to work, you have to be honest with me too.”

You paused for a moment to let that sink in.

“Now, let’s go home and celebrate. I didn’t mean for this to spoil our first night as partners.”

Different emotions flitted across Lexi’s face before she reached up to kiss you again. “I’ll try. For you.” She said softly.

“Good. That’s all I’m asking for. Are you ready to go home?”

A smile crept across her face once more. You could feel her lust building up.

“I can’t wait. I got a lot prepared for our return.”