Demon Queened Ch 62

Abigail

"Mmm!" Devilla moaned, loud enough I was actually worried about overheard. If I'd known she was going to make so much noise, I would have taken her somewhere a bit more private... but then, again, it wasn't like she was being disruptive or anything. Just enjoying her food. "You know, when you told me the menu would be experimental I must admit to having some concerns, but when I saw

what

they were experimenting with..."

"Yeah. My friend

might

have left that bit out, actually, but... glad you liked it, I guess?"

I

probably

should have seen it coming. Of

course

the restaurant's experimental dishes were going to involve salt and potatoes - you know, the two

new

culinary ingredients Devilla had brought back to the tower? I was just glad they had a few new options for us to try like fries with strips of meat, melted cheese, and various spicy peppers.

"Liked is an understatement!" Devilla told me with a smile. "The sheer variety of things they did with potatoes today...!" She was practically

buzzing

with excitement at all the new types of potato based treats she got to eat.

"Yeah, I have no clue how you fit all that in you," I admitted, shaking my head. "Does everything you eat just go straight to your tits and ass? You must have eaten half your body weight devouring all that food."

"Well, you

did

say that our review of the food was part of the agreement with your friend," Devilla pointed out. "If I'd stuck to just one or two dishes, like you did, I imagine she would have had some complaints."

"Probably," I admitted before eyeing Devilla. She was wearing a

very

short black dress today that showed off her legs while clinging to those curves of hers where it seemed like everything she ate went. It was probably a good thing since it kept people from studying her face too closely. Even with her brown hair dye and horned illusion in place I was still a little worried someone might notice the similarities between 'Eena' and the face on our money.

"Look, I gotta go settle the bill, so I'll be back in a bit.

Try

to stay out of trouble, alright?"

"Are you sure that you don't want my help?" she asked. "I do keep some of our coinage on me for emergencies."

"Yeah, no. This was

my

idea so

I'm

going to cover it," I said, shaking my head. Partially because it

was

my idea, but also because I

really

didn't want her tagging along for this next part. Not because I was doing anything

bad,

but just... Well, I wanted to keep my upcoming conversation private.

Prostitute-client confidentiality wasn't

sacred

or anything, but discretion

was

appreciated. I mean, the whole reason most people came to brothels was so that they could experience their favorite kinks without judgement! Devilla already knew my specialty involved dominating people, so... Yeah.

Leaving Devilla to finish the some potatoes she was still longingly eying, I walked over to the kitchen door and knocked.

"Come in!" A high pitched voice welcomed me inside where I was greeted by the sight of Cheela cooking six meals simultaneously, somehow managing to coordinate all her tentacles to handle all the various cutting, mixing, and cooking tools. She was a tentacle girl, her lower body split into eight limbs. She'd told me once to think of her like an octopus that could live on land. Not that I really had all that great a grasp on what an octopus even

was.

"Hey Cheela. I'm here about uh...

other

part of my bill. Does next weekend work for you?"

"I take it that means your date enjoyed the food, huh?" Cheela teased, somehow finding the time to give me a cheeky wink despite all the food she was managing.

"She liked it, yeah. Personally though, I'm getting a little tired of potatoes popping up everywhere I go..."

"What can I say, they're the next big thing! Or they will be once I figure out exactly what I can do with them." Cheela shrugged.

"Well, you already had us fill out little papers with our thoughts after every dish," I pointed out. "Not part of what I agreed to, by the way... you're lucky my date enjoys raving about potatoes so much."

"Hey, a girl's gotta get feedback where she can! You're the one who wanted a last minute table. You're lucky we usually keep one reserved. Y'know, in case anyone important comes in."

"Yeah, well, I appreciate it," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head.

"Appreciate it or not - you're the one paying for it!" Cheela reminded me. "Next weekend, yeah? I can get your special?"

"Just like you used to," I promised, giving her a small smile.

"Good enough for me!" Cheela replied, cheerfully. "I never thought I'd get another night with my dearest Mistress after you left the brothel."

"I

do

still take clients from time to time, you know? Moonlighting when I'm hungry."

"Something tells me you won't need to for very long. Assuming this girl's worth all the trouble you're going through for her?"

"I wouldn't call dominating a girl or two trouble," I countered, rolling my eyes. "Anyway, I'll see you next weekend, alright?"

"Looking forward to it, Mistress!"

...The things I do for Devilla... I shook my head and walked back to fetch her so that we could move onto the next part of our date. Her little pout at not

quite

getting to finish all of the potato dishes made me smile. Hopefully she'd enjoy our next stop just as much.

***

"A smithy?" Devilla asked with wide eyes.

"I told you I was bringing you to one," I reminded her, crossing my arms and poking her stomach with my tail. "Or did you already forget, miss Perfect Memory?"

"I didn't

forget

!

"

she hurried to assure me with a pout. "I just... Well, I've never seen one before! And when I think of the fact that you brought me here to have a weapon forged... I'm feeling oddly elated, I suppose."

"Yeah, well don't get

too

excited, alright? It'll probably take all night for her to actually

make

the thing, so you won't be seeing the results until at

least

tomorrow morning."

"Of course," she said. Totally cool and composed on the surface, as always, but

only

on the surface. The sparkle in her eyes and the little skip she did as she reached for the door told a different story. One I was

much

more inclined to believe. It would good to see her so excited over something I planned, at least.

The moment Devilla opened the door hot air rushed out to greet us. I have no clue how hot it was, but if someone told me you could cook an egg with it I'd believe her.

"Beth?" I called out, putting a hand to my mouth and projecting as loudly as I could.

"Come in and close the door!" yelled a raspy voice. "You're letting all the heat out!"

Devilla entered without a second thought. The heat probably didn't even bother her. It took me a moment to screw up my courage and step into the sweltering place after her.

"You really like it hot, huh?" I half-complained, closing the door behind me.

"You know it!" came the reply as the owner of the smithy rounded a corner in the hallway and came into view.

She was an orc - big, green, and muscular with a couple small tusks poking out of her mouth. Orcs tended towards big, pronounced muscles as a species and Beth was no exception, her nearly seven foot frame sculpted from pure muscle.

"So," Beth said, "what are we working with?"

"Working with?" Devilla asked, doing that adorable head tilt of hers.

"She means materials," I said quickly, knowing that Devilla's education was surprisingly sparse in some areas. "Orcs can work with any material as if it were metal."

Orcs' wild magic made them natural smiths - which wasn't to say that every orc went into that line of work, or anything, but... Well, while not

every

orc was a smith, pretty much every smith

was

an orc. I'd heard it hadn't always been that way, but considering how precious metal was in the tower compared to wood, or even cast off monster girl bits, it was easy to see why smiths that could only work with mundane materials would struggle. In an orc's hands things like shed scales and clipped claws could be used to create anything from basic utensils to powerful weapons.

I didn't know how good Beth was, but she made enough money to afford me and tip well so I figured she couldn't be a complete hack. She'd also been more than willing to keep her smithy open a little late for us in return for a night with me.

"Would have thought that was common knowledge," Beth said, frowning a little as she turned to me. "What sorta client did you bring to me, girl?"

"A good one!" I replied defensively. "She just... didn't do great in school, alright? She had... trouble with some of her teachers."

"I apologize if I've caused offense," Devilla added. "The truth is, I've simply never had direct need of a smithy's services before."

Beth grunted, then shrugged. "Well, no skin off

my

back, I guess. Still waiting for an answer to my question, though - what materials did you want to use?"

I glanced at Devilla, who in turn arched an eyebrow at me. This... wasn't going as well as I'd hoped.

"I kinda thought you'd have something on you," I admitted. "I mean, you're the one who's been going on adventures, right?"

"I wasn't exactly scouring the lands for monster materials," she replied with a thoughtful frown. "But I suppose I do have

some

things that could be used as forging materials."

Out of her bag came two blood red horns, eerily similar to the one Bailey had on her head. It was a chilling reminder of what she'd done the night she'd met Bailey... but if Bailey didn't mind it, I sure wasn't going to make a fuss.

"I also have some of these." She pulled out a seashell. When Beth and I both gave her confused looks she shrugged and started explaining. "It's my understanding that the inner layer of these shells, the nacre, is extremely durable and can handle a lot of force without breaking. I thought they might be useful in forming a handle. Perhaps even a blade? I'm thinking a dagger and a sword would be nice."

"A dagger

and

a sword, huh?" Beth murmured while looking at the shell. She was focusing on the iridescent bit that Devilla had pointed out. "I'd need a

lot

of shells then."

"I

have

a lot of them," Devilla promised, pulling out handful after handful from her bag. "I'd planned to bake the lot of them at some point, but I ended up snacking on quite a few of them when bored."

"Raw?!" I asked, more than a little horrified.

Devilla just nodded, though. "For some of them I'm fairly certain that's how you're

meant

to eat them."

A loud, raucous laugh interrupted us, drawing our attention back to Beth. "A dagger made of shells? This should be an interesting challenge. I like it!"

"Perhaps this will be a good addition," Devilla said while smiling at her and reaching into her bag yet again. This time she pulled out a handful of

diamonds

, and it took all my willpower not to immediately face palm and drag her the hell out of the smithy for attracting so much attention. "I think the dust of these could be useful, or perhaps you could simply forge them wholesale? I'm not entirely sure how your abilities work with gemstones."

"Same as with anything else..." Beth replied, obviously more than slightly taken aback by the

absurd

materials Devilla kept taking from her pack. Beth carefully took them from Devilla's hands. "Don't know who'd be crazy enough to ask me to smith a weapon with

diamonds

, but... Alright. I'll see what I can do..." She shook her head before glaring at me. "Fallen only knows how you've managed to snag such a bigshot, but I hope you're still going to be available for what you promised?"

"We can find a timeslot during the weekend," I assured her, ignoring Devilla's curious glance.

"Out, then," Beth said, pointing towards the door. "I've got work to do."

"Of course," Devilla said, giving Beth a small nod and turning towards the door. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

Beth grunted, and I thought that was going to be all of it until she added, "Feel free to tell her what the deal is, Abigail. No need to let paranoia ruin what seems like a good  relationship."

"Yeah, well, I was probably going to have to do that

anyways

with you being so obvious about it," I grumbled at her. "But thanks for the permission, I guess."

"You know, I actually wasn't planning on asking," Devilla told me as we left the smithy. "Though I must admit to being somewhat curious."

"It's fine, nothing dramatic or anything. I'm just sleeping with her in return for her doing a custom rush order. Nothing to worry about."

"...I suppose not..." she said after a moment. The pause caught my attention, though.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I asked. She didn't have a problem with me sleeping around or anything, did she? I knew she'd mentioned her past life had been human, and I really hoped she wasn't about to tell me that came with some sorta weird sexual hangups.

"It's fine," she tried to assure me, but I could still hear the uncertainty in her voice. "It's just..."

"Just...?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't regret pressing the issue.

"I just hope that you aren't putting yourself out on my account. It occurred to me that you never did quite tell me

why

you left the brothels to work as a maid for me, you see... It must have been a step down for you no matter how much working for me paid."

"You're worried something in the job didn't agree with me?" I asked, checking to make sure I had my facts straight. When Devilla nodded in response I let out a laugh as the tension eased out of me. Of

course

she was worried about me

.

That's what Devilla

always

did - worry about everyone but herself. Usually worrying me, and I guess everyone else now in her life, in the process. "I'm fine with sex work, Devilla. That's not why I quit."

"Then why?" she asked. Then she hurriedly added, "Not that you have to tell me, if you don't wish to, of course! I wouldn't dream of pressing the matter!"

"It's fine," I replied, sighing as I massaged my forehead. "It's... not like it's some great secret or anything. Honestly, it was just... work drama, I guess. Some of the girls thought Mom was showing me 'unfair favoritism' or something. Maybe they were right? I

did

get first pick on a lot of the newer clients... Mom always insisted it was because of my skills, though. That the clients just

liked

me."

"You don't sound particularly convinced," Devilla pointed out, arching an eyebrow.

I shrugged. "I don't know. People don't normally 'like' me. And Mom... she can be a bit much sometimes. I'd like to think I worked for everything I got, but... Well, either way it was creating a lot of problems for her. A couple girls even quit in protest."

"So you left?" Devilla asked.

I nodded. "Pretty much. I go back sometimes still, for the meals - lust just tastes

better

when it's directed at

you

, y'know? - but for the most part I've retired from it. I took a job as your maid because the pay was good and they promised on the job training." They also offered letters of recommendation for your next job after you were inevitably fired, not that I would ever tell Devilla that. It was a good way of breaking into the business for people with no real contacts in the industry.

"You still go back sometimes? I suppose that means I haven't been keeping you well sated. A failure on my part, considering our initial agreement..."

"You've been busy saving the world," I pointed out dryly. "And could you maybe not actively look for ways to twist what I say into some sort of stab at you? I'm trying to have a

good time

with you here, you know. Plus I... I mean... It doesn't exactly feel good to see the girl I like being bad mouthed by anyone. Even herself."

I was aware of the faint blush on my cheeks as I admitted that. Putting it into words was embarrassing.

It wasn't

anything

compared to the blush on

her

face, though.

"Yes, well..." Devilla murmured so quietly I almost couldn't hear her before clearing her throat. "That is, ah... I suppose... we should carry on to the final part of this date?"

"The final part?" I asked, now arching an eyebrow at her.

"The part where I make sure you're

well

fed

," Devilla replied with a teasing smile. "I might have failed my duty as an employer, but I will make sure you are

begging for release

before I'm done with you."

"..." I considered telling her that her lust didn't exactly do the trick for keeping me fed for some reason, but... Well, I decided to simply sigh and shake my head.

I'd tell her eventually. It was sort of important information. No way was I going to knock that radiant smile from her face right now, though. Instead, I took her hand and led her towards the nearest window. It was time for us to return to the 101st floor.

***

My bare back crashed against Devilla's bed sheets as she pushed me down. I was naked, my clothes abandoned on the floor, right next to Devilla's. Despite the firmness of her opening act, though, she seemed almost hesitant to crawl into bed next to me.

"Something wrong?" I asked teasingly. "Do I need to get up and pull you in?"

"No, it's just... Well... You aren't going to declare that I need to be on the bottom again, are you?" she asked with an adorable pout. "Because I

can

top, you know!"

"I'm sure you can," I replied, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. Even if Devilla couldn't tell the difference, it was the principle of the matter. She was being sorta vulnerable right now, and I wasn't going to make fun of that. "But you always focus on everyone else when you're on top. Which is why

I

think you should give up the position for the time being..." Saying so, I snaked my sinuous tail around Devilla's body, and smacked her ass with its spade.

"Eep!" she squealed, jumping half a foot into the air. Before she could recover, I sat up, grabbed her hand, and

yanked

her into bed with me, sending her body crashing into the huge mattress.

"Abigail?" she asked, eyes wide as I began to crawl over to her, putting my body above hers."

"Yeah?" I asked, tail swaying playfully from side to side now. I tracked the way her eyes moved with it, a smirk on my lips.

"Are you perhaps... playing things up to hide your own nerves?"

I froze. Not for long, but still long enough that Devilla knew something was up.

"Sex with someone you care about can hit quite differently, in my experience," Devilla went on, sitting up. "There's no shame in feeling nervous about such an act. No matter how experienced you may be in matters of the body, I fear neither of us can claim to be more than amateurs when it comes to the heart."

"Alright," I admitted. "So maybe I

am

scared. So what? It doesn't change the truth. You suck at taking care of yourself, and I'm topping."

"If that is what you so desire," Devilla said, "I suppose I could allow myself to be pampered."

"Pampered, played with..." I shrugged, before giving her a teasing smile of my own. "One of the two."

"And here I thought

I

was the brat," Devilla replied, laughing a little. I didn't join in.

"You aren't, though," I said, quite seriously, looking her in the eye. "Not anymore. Maybe not ever - I don't even know anymore... and don't try and tell me how terrible you were, because I know just as much as you at this point. I'm just saying you... you know... deserved better?"

"I believe everyone in this tower deserves better than they've got," Devilla replied in a serious tone of her own. "But it doesn't excuse my sins."