Page 6 of The Misfit Mage and His Devilish Desires (Diabolic Romance #3)

Bez

Since Kell needed more time with the flame to make a copy of Lilith’s signature, I dragged Wally home. A short reprieve as we’d need to grab the essentials before heading to Mora’s and then to Hell itself.

“Weather!” Wally called out as the iron-spelled gates opened. They reached nearly two stories in height and proved the only way in and out of our manor since Wally had created a towering stone fence to keep our Cerberus locked inside while we went to work. Apparently, the hound had the behavior of a Husky, which was a Mythic beast I’d never heard of until Wally mentioned it. But they dug holes and jumped fences and whined about everything and pretty much did all the other annoying things that Weather enjoyed.

“Weather,” he yelled again, adding a smooching sound with his lips. The name held affection and absurdity as Wally sought to give the Cerberus purpose behind the personas of his identity.

Three heads that make up one being. Just as the weather changed throughout the day, Weather’s personas differed from hyper, hostile, and calm.

The giant lumbering hound with short, coarse black fur darted toward us once he heard Wally’s call. He towered over us and was nearly half as tall as the front gates, with shoulders easily twenty feet wide and almost too wide for the only entrance in or out. With the flames that reached an additional five to ten along each of their thick necks, Weather was definitely too big. But he’d often jump or burrow his way out of the yard until Wally started adding invisible incantation barriers to put an end to that behavior.

Sunny, the center head, immediately went to lick Wally.

“Stop.” I pointed a finger, halting the beast in his steps.

Antsy steps with claws bigger than my fucking torso bounced back and forth for affection. Purple flames burned brightly around the ankles and matched the same purple fire that framed Sunny’s head and filled his eyes. The fire at the Cerberus’ feet turned blue, indicating Stormy had taken full control.

The aggressive left head always demonstrated the most self-control. A difficult task when he had a flighty other self that demanded kisses and playtime every second of every day. He nipped Sunny’s ear until the hound settled, and the blue flames burned brightest along his body.

Fiery collars, each a different color to represent where Weather’s three persona drew upon their power. Sunny’s flames had the most magical energy, whereas Stormy’s flames contained the most heat and ferocity. And while Cloudy kept his head low and sniffed Wally’s extended hand with soft eyes that held the gentle heat of orange flames, there was a pureness to his fire, unlike the other two personas.

Wally pet Cloudy’s nose, getting the wet slobber of the beast all over his hand. I shivered and let out a visceral, gagging protest.

“You need to stop babying him,” I said.

“Someone has to.” Wally stretched his arms wide so he could wrap them over Cloudy’s snout and hug the beast. “You’re such a bully to him.”

“It’s called obedience training.” I snapped my fingers. “Heel.”

Cloudy yelped when he accidentally shoved Wally off, but his body obeyed my command, and Weather sat at attention with his shoulders squared and his three heads looking straight ahead. Blue fire covered his ankles and chest and trailed down his back, but as the three formed a proper consensus, purple and orange flames joined the extensions of the body.

“Good boy.” I nodded. “Go fetch your favorite toys and bring them for our trip.”

Weather bolted through the yard with Sunny panting excitedly as he led the way to the best toys they’d buried for later while we made our way to the house.

“So…” Wally lingered at the front door, eyeing me with a suspicious amount of questions hanging on his tongue. “I don’t need to pack or dress for the party, but we need to find Weather a babysitter?”

“Do you wish for Antoninus to watch him the entire time we’re gone?” I gestured to the scorpion hanging onto Wally’s shoulder.

“Tony can totally watch Weather for a few hours. He could watch him for a few days.” He turned to his familiar. “Isn’t that right?”

The bug clacked his annoying little claws.

“Okay.” I shrugged. “Is he fine watching the mongrel for the next six months or six years?”

“What?” Wally’s eyes widened.

“It’s a Devil’s Banquet,” I said. “It’s gonna be a long trip.”

“But it’s a banquet. It’s a party.” Wally blinked with this dumbfounded confusion. “I’ve been to like a thousand. It’s…”

Watching him go speechless as his brain processed the information was priceless and a rarity.

“You have been to zero devil parties,” I replied. “I’ve been to plenty, and most last at least a year. The decent events go for a decade or more. Beelzebub refused to attend a gala that didn’t come with blood sports and the guarantee of a timely commitment.”

“That’s absurd,” Wally said, muttering a dozen other half-thoughts. “How is this a thing?”

“We can still run,” I said with a sly smile. “Pack up the pets, light the house on fire, and kiss this world goodbye.”

“No,” Wally said glumly, defeated, persistent, yet confused.

“Don’t worry.” I patted his free shoulder. “Lilith will definitely keep the event short since you’re a no-name devil unworthy of her time. This is all a formality.”

I hoped. I desperately hoped.

Wally insisted on riding atop Weather’s back across the city, claiming the pup needed to get some of his energy out. Weather wasn’t a pup. He certainly was a baby, but that had more to do with Walter’s need to cave to all the demands the tyrant of a beast made. More food. More playtime. More walks. More affection. More fire. More. More. More.

“Good luck with that at Mora’s,” I whispered into Stormy’s pointed ear, which was met with a snarl.

The muscles of the beast flexed, and he bolted faster through the emptied back streets like he could actually outrun me.

Fine. I’d play the game. I flew alongside the Cerberus until I outpaced him by several leagues and awaited the sluggish arrival at the front entrance of Mora’s mansion. By far the grandest built and biggest residual space in the city, but despite my vocal protesting on the matter, size truly meant nothing to me. Location, location, location reigned superior. There were particular star alignments Wally enjoyed, so I ensured we had the best corner of the sky where he could revel in late-night research while pondering the infinite universe our tiny dimension gleamed when he stepped out onto the balcony.

Sunny panted; Cloudy yipped; Stormy growled. My feral overachiever was held back by the weakness of his personas. Part of me wanted to pet him, commemorate his achievements, but he’d find it insulting. As he should, something the clingy Sunny didn’t grasp as he brought his nose close to nudge me for affection.

“Indoor size.” I snapped my fingers and watched the gigantic Cerberus shrink down to a modest size like a black bear.

Wally nearly crashed until a black gust cushioned his fall, which was a comfort. The devil essence inside him continued to defend for the most minor threats. I could only hope it’d protect him in Hell. I could only hope we’d survive this voyage.

“Come on, Weather.” Wally hugged the hound as they walked through Mora’s guarded front gates together, Sunny licking, Cloudy nuzzling, and Stormy growling.

One look at us and the elite Mythics and mages on patrol quivered. It was nice knowing some people still feared my presence and the mischievous threats of my misfit mage of a boyfriend. Even if most of the rumors surrounding Wally were outlandish lies. I savored the anxiety his presence provided.

The front door swung open, and Mora immediately greeted us, a martini glass in one hand while she waved us inside with her other. “Come along now. You two can get settled in the study while waiting for Kell.”

“Where’s she at?” Wally asked, rifling through his satchel. “I’d like to show her Weather’s schedule while getting him settled for the night. He acclimatizes well to new environments, but it’s imperative that he sticks with his routines, especially since Bez and I will be…”

I nodded as Wally rambled. I tried to listen. Really. Truly. I even recalled a few things he’d said previously while we packed up Weather’s belongings. But Wally was stress chatting, and that meant there was no end to the nonsense.

He held up a laminated folder of papers and beamed pridefully over the schedule he’d tossed together this evening.

“It’s eight pages,” I said with wide eyes. “And color-coded.”

“Truthfully, it’s only fifty-two bullet points with a few subsections explaining the importance of said marker because while some of these seem trivial, it’s all important for Weather’s routine.” Wally finally paused for a breath. “It’s really not that long.”

“That’s what she said.” Mora chuckled.

Wally rolled his eyes. “Anyway, where’s Kell?”

“In her workshop.” Mora pointed. “Tinkering with projects.”

Wally went to find his bestie with Weather at his heels and Tony perched on his shoulder.

“Aren’t you going to join your man?” Mora pushed between me and the door, quickly closing it behind us and ushering me away. “You’ll have to get used to sticking close with him in Hell. Wouldn’t want him to wander.”

“Why are you rushing me?”

“I’m not. Merely assumed you wouldn’t want to miss any of Kell’s work on copying that damned invitation Wally received.” Mora folded her arms, keeping her expression even, but the subtle shift of a scowl formed at her brow. “The unnecessary risk you always bring into my life, Bezzy.”

“You love it.” I grinned. And exploited it. Mora had turned nearly every major event in my life since arriving at the mortal realm into a serendipitous fortune of favors for herself. “I’d think you’d enjoy your witch finding a way to circumvent devil abilities.”

“I don’t like anything that lands their attention.” She sighed. “I assumed my little pocket world had a few centuries before even my devil deigned to acknowledge its existence. Now, thanks to your misfit mage baby devil adjacent boyfriend, I’ll be contending with ambassadors from Lilith’s realm likely forever.”

“It could always be worse,” I said. “You could be dragged to this Devil’s Banquet, too.”

One of the guards under Mora’s employment stepped into the foyer and whispered to her.

“Bring them to my office.” She waved the guard away, then turned to me. “I might welcome Hell again if I get dragged into another meeting with these damned witches.”

“Perish the thought.” I smirked. “If you like, I could handle your problem before my departure. It’d be nice to get my hands a bit bloody before the party. Practice and all that.”

“Tempting.” Mora traced a finger along my sharp jawline. “But until the witches do more than bully their way into overtaking other Mythic territories, I think it’s best to be civil.”

“What’s the real reason?”

“These witches might also be studying Diabolics.” She fluffed her hair, fighting the growing frown on her face in the process. “It’s not unheard of or unwarranted. I actually met a witch a few centuries back who streamlined possession thanks to her research. Obviously, I had to kill her for other reasons, but I’ll always be grateful for the wealth of knowledge she provided.”

“What are they studying?”

“No clue. Nothing of Novus’ caliber, not that I’ve observed, but when people try to analyze essence, decipher demons, I pay attention.”

“You should do yourself a favor and slaughter them. They can’t research if they’re dead.”

“It doesn’t benefit me to end them until they achieve the fruits of their labor, at least enough to pique my curiosities.”

“You’re placating their actions, and in turn, these witches are overstepping, intentionally testing how far they can push boundaries. This whole compassionate thing you’re trying out is gonna get you ousted.”

“Not placating,” Mora said. “I merely wish to ensure that when I do move, everyone knows I did everything within my power—my vastly incredible power—to avoid bloodshed. Thanks to your ruthless presence, some have considered me a hostile ruler. In truth, your brief absence will do my image wonders.”

“Bah.” I stomped by her. “They think I’m ruthless when it’s your orders for carnage.”

Between Mora and Wally, though, I supposed my hands had been tied these days. Murder was always an alternative option, never the first, second, or even third option with them.

I left Mora to contend with this witch drama and prepare for my own. How I’d much rather spend my night ripping out hearts to help Mora maintain her kingly crown bullshit than navigate the etiquette of Hell.

“You okay?” Wally asked, joining me in the study now that he’d settled Tony and Weather somewhere for the evening. “Today has been long.”

“I’m fine.”

“Cue my go-to line for every exhausting family dinner I attended after feeling utterly devastated and defeated by literally anything in my life.” Wally chuckled.

Even without saying all the things that used to get him down at every turn, I recalled them. I’d listened to much of his sadness vented aloud and alone inside the repository where he worked, and I lay imprisoned inside an orb. So much had broken him to pieces over the years until he was this tragically meek man with no will or wonder in his life.

As annoying as it was, I enjoyed seeing him happy, content, absurdly brave in the face of even more absurd threats.

“There’s just so much happening.” I sighed. “Not what I had on the agenda.”

“Planning a trip to Hell certainly wasn’t the direction I saw this evening going,” Wally said. “I mean, considering the afternoon delight we had, I sort of expected an evening delight to follow up.”

Me, too. I intended on lots of fucking.

“Oh, you wanted to spar again?” I teased. But how I genuinely wished we’d taken his training seriously. If I’d known he would land on the radar of a devil, then I wouldn’t have been so lax with his understanding of the essence coursing inside him.

In all my years of existence, no devil had deigned to acknowledge me when I walked the mortal realm with a piece of Beelzebub’s essence. The rumors of other demons holding pieces of their devils inside them, similar to how I held onto a piece of mine, were never met with a banquet hosted by Lilith herself. It never occurred to me Wally would be scrutinized in such a manner. I believed…no, I’d hoped, he would be nothing but a blip on the radar of devils reigning supreme across the vast, nearly infinite universe.

“You’re worried.” Wally shoulder-bumped me. “I recognize the internalized hyperactive scenarios likely flooding your imagination.”

“They’re not scenarios. They’re inevitabilities given the dangers we face.”

“Well, this crinkle right here.” Wally pointed to my forehead, playfully brushing his fingers over the crease in my brow. “I’ve made that expression a lot over the years. If I recall, it’s generally either because I’m worried about something or I’m worried about how someone isn’t listening to me and my warnings. But I am listening to you, Bez. I understand your concerns, your reasons.”

“I’m not worried about you listening; I’m worried about you keeping your mouth shut.” I stared at his pouty lips, the slight quiver in his lower lip. Already, his body anticipated the chatty little mage’s need to bite his bottom lip to hold back some rambling intel. “Even now, you’re ready to mutter a slew of protests.”

“Ut-uh.” Wally shook his head, pouting his lips further out until they appeared ridiculously puckered and delightfully delectable.

“I do admire your efforts.” I stepped in close. “But in Hell, one wordy misstep could be our end.”

“I know.” Wally pressed his forehead against mine, and the scrunched frustration I held washed away in the warmth of his touch. Essence fueled him, buzzed with this euphoric splendor, and he sent a spark of his excitement through me. “It’s obviously serious. Stressful. But I’ve faced the worst with you more than once. I’ve resisted the Collective. I’ve defended myself against you while enthralled under another’s control—and also when you just casually tried to murder me.”

“It wasn’t casual.” I shrugged. “It was intimate.”

Wally scoffed, then smirked, then gave me a quick peck on the lips before grimacing. “I’ve fought other Diabolics with and without you. I’ve died in your arms. I’ve walked through Oblivion itself.”

“And none of that compares to the threats that lie in Hell.”

“My point is, I wouldn’t feel capable or comfortable walking through Hell itself with anyone else.” Wally wrapped his arms around my waist, bucking our hips together. “With you, though, I know I can handle anything. You make me stronger every single day.”

I kissed Wally, slipping my tongue in his mouth. “You will have to follow my lead.”

“Done,” he said between kisses. “You’re in charge.”

“Yes, but you must present yourself as the lead.” I ran my fingers through his curly blond locks and yanked his head back. With his neck exposed, I gently kissed his Adam’s apple and worked my way along his collarbone. “You are the devil; you must evoke authority. Do you understand that?”

“Done.” Wally locked his eyes with mine and planted his hands on my shoulders like he planned to push me beneath his authority.

“You’ll have to be more convincing than that.”

“I can be take-charge,” Wally snickered, then muttered a hundred whispered side thoughts he had about this instance. His mind was already lost on recollections, theories, concerns, curiosities, and so many other obnoxious things.

I glared. “And the rambling seriously has to be reined in.”

“Maybe you can help with that.” He grinned, hand reaching for my belt. “Sometimes, when I’m extra talkative, I simply need a distraction.”

“Walter.”

“Are demons opposed to such things?”

“No.” I huffed. “But you can’t exactly suck my cock every time you need to stop yourself from a blundering babble fest.”

“Why not?” He unfastened my belt, whipping it off my slacks in a quick motion. It clacked with a snap against the hot air in the room. Heat conjured from our essence that stirred, intertwining in this small space, craving the feel of each other. “I’m a devil, right?”

“Yes, technically, but also—”

Wally pressed a hand to my mouth, silencing me.

“As a devil, I get what I want, right?” he asked, yanking my pants halfway past my thighs, exposing my semi-hard cock and ass.

“Yes.”

“Now, what I want is for you to teach me a little lesson on what happens to good boys who talk too much.”

I smirked. “Insatiable.”

“Or I could give you a detailed account of my research on—”

I gripped Wally’s shoulders and shoved him to his knees. Before he could lean forward and playfully take in my cock, I slammed my growing erection into his mouth and savored the sound of his startled choking. In a few moments, his gagging lessened as I continued pushing his head and inching my cock further down his throat.

Each time he gurgled and slurped, it sent a shudder of ecstasy coursing through my being. I thrust my hips, relishing his struggle to take the entirety of my shaft. Brushing the watery tears building in his eyes, I craned his neck. It helped ease my dick further down his throat, and it forced his gaze to meet mine.

The whimpering and yearning and desire to serve made me crave more. I hungered for satisfaction almost as much as he hungered for my cock. A feast I granted him with each pump of my hips as I face fucked him.

Wally gagged and drooled on my dick, gasping in instinctual breaths from a habit of oxygen he couldn’t seem to quit, even if the only thing he wanted to breathe in was my scent. A musk of primal desire that demanded more from him.

“Nope.” I gripped my dick, stroking my erection and keeping it away from Wally’s lips. “Earn it.”

Wally crawled closer, mouth reaching for my sack and kissing my balls. He held them in his mouth one at a time, sucking until he fit the entire sack in his mouth. Panting, he released them and lightly ran his tongue over my balls.

“Good.” I kept a hand on top of his head, tilting his direction and aiming his mouth back to my cock, which he greedily went to work on again.

He ran his tongue up and down my shaft. When he reached the tip of my dick a third time, he finally played with the head, rotating his tongue around and teasing me with his puckered lips.

“This is what you want, isn’t it?” I pulled my cock away from him and slapped it across his face, smearing precum and spit on him.

Wally moaned, begging, pleading for more. “Bez—”

“Uh-uh.” I shoved my dick back in his mouth, groaning with satisfaction at the gulp of surprise he released when choking. “We’re here to make sure you learn how to shut the fuck up, Walter.”

Gods, the quiver of his body when I scolded him sent one of equal delight coursing through me. I grabbed the back of his head and shoved him forward, ramming my cock all the way down his throat. I held his head there, watching him struggle to breathe through his nose that was pressed against my groin.

“Take it all. Take every fucking inch.” I kept my grip steady as his body wriggled instinctually, yet Wally grabbed my thighs and steadied himself. Gods, how I loved when he struggled on it. “You love this, don’t you?”

When his tail sprang out, I used two of mine to coil around it. If he wanted, his essence could resist, fight back, overpower me, but he submitted. I pinned his tail with mine, mounting it, so to speak, while I continued face fucking Walter with my dick buried all the way down his throat. I couldn’t pull out, not when he felt this wonderful.

I ran my free hand along his throat, massaging his neck with each pump. His throat muscles constricted, making me moan when he gagged again.

“You want it all, don’t you?”

Wally gurgled something incomprehensible, and I moved my hands to the sides of his head, subsequently holding him by the ears as I jerked Wally back to the tip of my dick. It edged me right to the precipice of release, and then I slammed every inch back in, repeating the motion as each gasping stroke brought me closer and closer until I finally burst.

My entire body tensed, warmth spread, and I came down Wally’s throat with two shots before pulling back and unloading with a third splat in his mouth. When I pulled my dick out, a string of cum hung from the head and connected to Wally’s lips.

He didn’t wait for me to comment, immediately and hungrily licking my cock clean. He held the head in his mouth, just the tip, as he suckled my softening erection. Part of me wanted to jerk myself hard again, shove it back in his mouth, but I waited. I allowed him to savor the taste of my flaccid cum covered cock as he played with it.

Once he’d had his fill, I pulled my pants back up and tucked my dress shirt in.

“Strip,” I commanded.

He blushed. “Bez, we really don’t have—”

“Thought you said I was in charge here.”

“And I thought you said devils make the rules.”

I leaned forward and growled into his ear, relishing the heat turning it red. “Strip.”

More than anything, I had an insatiable desire to please him, fuck him, control him, hold him, love him, and a thousand other things I could and would only ever explore with Wally.

“I know this was where the night was originally going, but shouldn’t we be preparing for Hell?” Wally asked as he lifted his shirt, obediently undressing.

Whether the longing in my gaze or the subtle gesture with my hand, Wally caught my desire for him to slowly strip. I wanted a show. I wanted to savor this. I wanted to hold onto this fleeting bliss because who knew what awaited us.

“There’s no preparation we can make in the time we have,” I said. “And with Mora tending to witchy bullshit business and Kell’s timely tinkering, we could be waiting for the rest of the night.”

Or the next several days if I were fortunate. In which case, I’d spend the entirety of them railing sweet Wally.

He unfastened his jeans, slowly working them down his hips and letting them linger at his knees before dropping them to his ankles.

“Knock, knock, knockity, knock!” Kell’s voice rang loudly to the beat of her door knock.

“Aaaah!” Wally shouted as he fumbled with his discarded shirt and his jeans.

He tumbled forward with his head poking through one of the arm holes of his shirt, and his pants poorly slipped up to his thighs. Kell flung the door open wide, a smile on her face and a flame in her hand, while Wally wriggled on the floor into his clothes.

“Walter.” I sighed and shook my head.

“Oh.” Kell looked down at Wally. “Am I interrupting?”

“What?” He finally found the right hole—the number of jokes I could make—and slipped into the tee shirt as he wiggled his butt against the floor to squeeze his ass into his tight jeans.

“Shame.” Kell pouted. “There’s nothing hotter than watching cute boys smash together their cute parts. Speaking of hot.”

She blew on the fiery key meant to lead us to Hell and sent it fluttering across the room on a gentle breeze. I caught the wisp of fire with a telekinetic grip.

“As promised, it’s completely intact, and I’ve successfully made a copy of the magical signatures used.”

“How’d you pull that off?” Wally asked. “There’s not many spells in existence that can mimic energy without breaking it or stealing it or…yeah. Are you sure you didn’t mess up the key?”

“I’m a professional, Walter,” Kell answered. “And I used a Doppelganger Reflective Replica spell.”

“Whoa.” The embarrassment on Wally’s face became replaced by intrigue, curiosity, and likely a hundred thousand questions based on the size his eyes had expanded to. “That’s just a theory. No one’s ever successfully done that spell.”

“Well, I’m fabulous as fuck, so naturally I pulled it off.” Kell ran a hand through her hair and flipped it over her shoulder before turning to leave. “Try not to die in Hell. Take lots of pics. I want to hear all about it!”

And with that, we were alone again in the study with a key to Hell and no reason to linger. The Devil’s Banquet awaited our arrival.

“So, how do we do this?” Wally asked, staring closely at the flickering flame. “Like, is there a password?”

“Did that buffoon who delivered it give you a password?”

“No, but like, maybe there’s some unknown Diabolic code I’m just expected to understand.”

“It should instinctively react to your essence when you’re ready to leave.”

“Oh, but what if it’s like subconscious preparation?” Wally frowned. “Because I’ll never be ready. I mean, I’d need to complete a checklist of at least my top hundred priorities before I even considered being ready.”

“More like top thousand.” I folded my arms.

“Seriously.” Wally brought his hand close, testing the heat of the fire. “Is it subconscious? Maybe I need to touch the fire.”

“You don’t need to touch the flame.”

“Thank goodness because I don’t like fire,” Wally said. “I suppose there’s always a chance that maybe she changed her mind. Or perhaps—”

The fireball erupted, carrying waves of Diabolic energy throughout the room until everything faded from the world, and we were dragged out of the mortal realm and into Hell itself.