Anita
"You look tired,"
"Hmmm?" Startled out of a light doze, I blinked sleepily at Marian. "What did you say?"
"I said, you look tired." Marian poured me a cup of coffee. "Late night?"
I swiftly stifled an urge to look guiltily at the demon. She probably thinks you were up late studying, you dope, I thought to myself as I took a sip of the coffee. There's no way she suspects...
"After all, you do have a rather hot young man sleeping in your room now," Marian said, giggling. "One who has to obey your every command."
I choked on my mouthful of coffee, spraying a considerable amount of it out my nose. Marian, still giggling, handed me a napkin. "He's a demon!" I protested as I wiped my face off. "I would never-"
"I know, I know," said Marian. "I was just trying to wake you up a bit more." She giggled again. "Looks like it worked."
"Thank you ever so much," I sighed.
"Well, we do have combat practice this morning," she said.
I was even more awake at that. Combat practice was suppose to be less deadly than the actual duels, but people still got killed. "I thought that was next week!"
"They moved it, remember? Don't worry, I've got my normal dispensation," Marian said. "I don't have to fight."
I sighed in relief. "Good."
Marian looked at me, concerned. "You'll be ok, right? I mean, you are kind of tired."
"I'll be fine," I reassured her. "Especially since I've got a demon now."
"But the two of you have never worked together," Marian protested. "What if he gets in your way? What if he won't do what you tell him? What if-"
The demon looked a bit miffed. He opened his mouth to speak, looked at me, and then changed his mind.
"You have something to say?" I asked. "You have my permission to speak."
"I would just like to point out that I am a seasoned combat veteran," Saban sneered. "Not some imp. I'll do my part. I don't have a choice. Just stay out of my way."
"I'm hardly a greenhorn," I growled. "And you'd better remember who's in charge when we're on the battlefield."
Saban gave me a look of pure hate. "Like I could forget."
"Ummm, maybe we'd better finish eating," Marian suggested. "You know, so you're not fighting on an empty stomach."
"That's a good idea," I agreed. "Demon, shut up."
The demon gave me one more icy look. "As you wish, mistress."
"Don't take that tone with me," I snapped.
"What tone?" His voice was all innocence.
"Nevermind. Just shut up," I sighed. Sometimes, I hated my life.
Saban
I stared in disgust down at the line of blood dribbling down Anita's arm. "You've got to be kidding me," I growled.
Anita looked down at her bleeding arm, perplexed. "Excuse me? Don't you want to feed?"
"I want to feed like I did last night," I informed her.
"Out of the question," she snapped. "You get this, or nothing at all. Take it or leave it."
I'd take it, of course. Magic was magic, after all. But... "Surely you don't honestly prefer to be in pain," I purred. "Remember how good it felt, last night, when I-"
"Mention last night again, and you will regret it," Anita warned me.
"What are you so afraid of?" I murmured, kneeling down before her. "You're the mistress. You're in control. And I can make you feel so good..." I began to lift up her robes.
Then I froze, groaning, as her fist tightened. "I said no," she snarled, taking a step back and straightening her robes. Then she released me, and held out her arm again. "Now, feed."
I sighed, and fed. After last night's meal, this pain based fare was almost too bland to eat. When I got free, I would feed how I liked from her, I told myself. Pleasure, agony, whatever I chose. And she would scream, and scream, and scream.
Anita
Greater demons were renowned for their persuasive powers. I knew this. They could twist words until you would swear that up was down and green was red. And they were only ever interested in one thing, themselves. I knew this, too. So why was I considering Saban's words?
What was I afraid of? Just the unknown, in the end. I was a wizard. We weren't suppose to fear the unknown; we were suppose to conquer it.
And, in the end, I was in control. I was the mistress. With the proper precautions, I could even let him bring me to orgasm, I thought with a shudder, and he would still be incapable of harming me. And pleasure was oh so much preferable to pain...
"Anita Kirith!" With a start, I jerked out of my musings. I realized, with embarrassment, that this wasn't the first time the professor has said my name. "Yes, Master Yurial?"
"Now that you have rejoined the world of the waking, could you please recite the 12 types of shield?" Master Yurial said as the rest of the class tittered. "And then go take your place in the circle. I will put up the wards to keep the magic inside the circle, and you will fight Walie. Please try not to kill him. Or fall asleep."
I recited the requested information, grateful it wasn't about the different grades of fireball, which I could never remember, and then stepped into the circle in the middle of the classroom. Combat practice. Brief periods of excitement interspersed with longer periods of boring. And now it was my turn.