Wiced Amusement

"I can't believe it." Cellemin leaned against the bar, his chin resting on both palms. "I can't fucking believe it."

"Believe it," Snatch said. He was trying not to sound too impatient, but damn it, he

was

impatient.

I don't have time for all this drama bullshit.

"She's as smoked as salmon out there."

The elf glared back at him. "She

promised

me she'd stop hanging out with those two. I knew they had it in for her! How could she be so stupid?"

"C'mon, you're a Celestial," Snatch said, rolling his eyes. "Quit talking like some starstruck. You know how it works."

"You grimy little—"

"Easy," Cellemist said, patting Cellemin's arm in the awkward, half-hearted way of someone not used to comforting people. "They're p-predators, like you said, Minnie. Isamine's a sw-sweetheart, but mark it, she's just a t-t-

terrible

judge of character."

Cellemin was silent. Snatch crossed his arms, counting down the seconds. How long did he have to wait before he could 'politely' push Cellemin on holding up his end of the bargain? Would the gangster even keep his word?

But Cellemin finally looked up and met Snatch's gaze. His eyes were clear, and Snatch found himself avoiding the eye contact. "You want those three to back off on you? I can get Isamine out of your hair, and I can tell Pellesise to clear you. I'm Cellesixe's son. That's got some pull."

"What about Illetrys?" Snatch asked. His heart fluttered slightly—with fear, he hoped—as he said the name.

"She's..." Cellemin made a face like someone had just pulled a splinter from under his fingernail. "Illetrys is

very

favored by Cellesixe. They say she's Cellesixe's latest 'younger friend', read?" He shrugged. "I can distract her, at least. She'll be busy trying to keep me from getting 'Mine away from her. You can sneak out the back while that happens."

Snatch boggled. "There's a back entrance?"

"Sure." Cellemiste stood up. Snatch noticed she wavered slightly before straightening. "Only for elves, though. Min seems to have forgotten that." She eyed Snatch levelly. "I'll show you out. Min, go deal with the Ilestial's little harem."

Cellemin was already getting up, though it seemed to be half to help Cellemiste stand. He frowned at Snatch. "If she falls or something, you'd better catch her."

Snatch rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Go save your girlfriend." He was gratified by Cellemin turning a slight shade of red. Perhaps 'Min' and 'Mine' hadn't tied that knot just yet.

"Careful, Min," Cellemiste said, as she started to hobble toward another door. Snatch followed her. "Remember, Ilestials are born visual hypnotists. Don't get caught looking at her boobs again."

"Ha! Been there, seen that."

"Seen a bit too

much

of that," Cellemiste said, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, be

c-careful

. Illetrys wants too much. S-such elves are dangerous. Come on, Mister."

Snatch followed her into a hallway. He was slightly relieved that they weren't in another den like the one he and Larya had been ambushed in before. Cellemiste started walking down the hall, edging around ajar doors and abandoned chairs. Snatch grimaced. The place was a mess. "Not much for tidiness, are they?" he asked.

"I should really know your name," Cellemiste said, barely clearing a chair that caught her knee as she stepped around it. "You know mine."

Snatch crossed his arms. "Call me Snatch. It's not my name, but it'll do."

"Isn't that a slang term for a vagina?"

"Isn't your name basically the same as your brother's and mom's?" Snatch gritted his teeth. He hated when people brought that up.

Cellemist laughed. She had a weak, raspy laugh. "We're of the Celestial clan, strongest elf family in the continent. You're just complaining about elf naming conventions."

Snatch considered this a moment. "Never liked surnames," he said at last. "Never liked the idea of wearing my da's name."

"So wear your mother's name."

"Never—" Snatch stopped himself. "Never liked her, either," he revised quickly.

"Hm. I used to like mine." Cellemist edged around a cushion stained with multiple suspect colors. "Now I don't know anymore. Can you like someone you know is a bad person?"

Snatch bit his upper lip. "...Hell, I don't even like good people."

"She told you what she's planning to do." Cellemiste glanced back at him and held his gaze. "Is that why you're staying in town instead of helping your partner?"

"What? Nah." Snatch gave an uncomfortable half-shrug. "She's not my partner. I just want the antitoxin so we can be on our way. If that means we gotta ..." The shrug went on longer and switched to the other shoulder. "... well, then, that means we gotta." He paused. "Hey, I can't help but notice it looks like we're coming to the end of the hall and there ain't any doors."

"Yes." Cellesixe turned back ahead. "We're—ah!"

She tripped on a chair leg. Snatch reached out, but too slow to stop her hitting the ground.

A moment later, he was beside her, helping her up. As he did, he noticed something. "Holy shit," he muttered. "You're a fucking

skeleton

. Is that muse even gonna have anything to feed on? What

do

you eat, morning dew?"

Cellesixe leaned on his shoulder for a moment, taking in deep breaths. Her eyes were unfocused. "I ... I think I forgot to eat today."

"What?"

"I

need

her, Snatch." Cellemiste stared at him with wide, pale eyes. "That's the thing. Only my mother understands. I ... I can't stop thinking about her. I need to finish what I've started. Build

beautiful

things. But..." Her hands were shaking as she pulled away from him. She reached up toward the fibrous opposite wall. "...she won't come to me, because Mother plans to kill her. And I can't make Mother not kill her. The magic holds us both, now, and I think I might die first. I

need to finish something

."

Her fingers stretched out into the fibrous material, and Snatch watched as it seemed to part for her bony hands. The fibers reworked and shifted, changing texture and color until they resembled a wooden door. She turned the doorknob and swung the door open.

Snatch hesitantly stepped through. He glanced back at Cellemiste, feeling queasy. "Go ... eat something, elf."

"Mm." Cellemiste managed a slight smile. "I'll try." She closed the door.

Snatch grimaced. That had

not

been a conversation he'd been qualified to handle.

Well, what was done was done. He took a deep breath. The door had opened in another part of the town of Celestia. He'd have to be sneaky about this, if he wanted to avoid being caught by that elven—

"Snatch!" He spun, scythe half-drawn, before he realized it was Larya shouting. The druidess looked infuriated as she rushed toward him "You'll never believe what I just found out!"

"Shush!" Snatch hissed, casting a nervous glance about him. "You'll get us both—quiet, druidess!"

"Do you know why Cellesixe needed us for this?" Larya asked, not very quietly at all. She beat her staff against the ground with a godless curse. "It's not because her daughter

can't pursue

. It's not because the muse sprite is being

flighty

. It's because the muse sprite knows that Cellesixe wants to

kill

her!"

She practically spat out the last two words. She stood there, breathing heavily, staring at him with an expectant look.

"Oh. Um." Snatch tried to look shocked. "Holy shit, that's a bad thing she did do!"

Larya squinted at him.

"Yeah, she did a lie!" Snatch held up his hands in a gesture of surprise. "Shit fuck her, and, uh..."

"You knew," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"I knew," he said, lowering his arms with some relief.

"You have

got

to be kidding me." Larya crossed her arms. "I thought you'd at least learned a lesson, Snatch! You couldn't even grow a little, could you?"

"Hey, fuck off." He glared. "I learned. Or did you forget

why

we're trying to get this bullshit antitoxin?"

"'We'?" Larya snorted. Snatch looked around nervously, knowing that a small crowd was beginning to form. "I'm the one actually doing your dirty work! You're just..." She gestured toward the bar, scowling.

"Well, you're the one who sent me off!" Snatch snapped. "Which is fine by me, because the two of us as a team

do not fucking work

. But apparently, I'm the only one willing to do what it takes!" He jabbed a finger at her, voice raising. "We have a fucking

job

, druid, and we're doing it to help two people we owe a debt to, so—"

"You."

"What?"

Larya swallowed. She looked around, apparently also noticing the crowd. Snatch swallowed as well as he noticed Pellesise watching them. Where was Illetrys? And Isamine? "I don't actually

owe

them anything, because I wasn't working with the asshole who brainwashed them. You're the one with a guilty conscience."

"So, what?" Snatch rolled his eyes. "Just so you don't gotta fuck with some creepy fairy, you'll let Mier die?"

"I didn't say that!" she said, sounding defensive. "But I won't hurt the muse sprite. We'll find another way!"

"There

is

no other way." Snatch gestured to his red-rimmed eyes. "Gods, I thought you were dense when you were hyp—"

Larya blinked as he cut himself off. Her eyes narrowed in understanding. "Oh,

please

finish that thought," she said. She raised the staff meaningfully. "It's about time I practice my new magic on a moving target."

Snatch grimaced. He knew he'd been going too far, but that wasn't any excuse to turn back now. "The sprite has to go," he said firmly. "For the sake of Mier, Cellemiste, and

our own fucking hides

at this point."

"I won't

let

you get her killed."

Snatch stared her in the eyes, and realized she was very serious.

He wondered: Could he take her in a fight? She was a novice at magic, but he'd seen what that magic could do, and he wasn't exactly a great warrior himself.

Maybe

he could win, if he was willing to get vicious. And he wasn't sure he was. And she had the net. Maybe Cellesixe had more, but if Larya decided to interfere ...

He let out an irritated breath. "Fine," he said, turning away. "Then we'll hold off. Get our bearings. If you're going to be an

idiot

about things." He turned and walked off, leaving Larya alone in the crowd.

As he edged by the elves who were now pretending to be disinterested in him, he noticed he was being followed. "Where are you going?" Pellesise asked. He noticed she wasn't exactly using a sultry tone anymore. Hopefully, Cellemin had gotten to her.

"For a walk," he snapped. "And you can tell Cellesixe that if Illetrys tries to mess with me again, she's gonna be left with

that

one," he gestured back toward Larya, "as her only chance at catching her sprite."

"Hm." He heard Pellesise sniff. "You needn't worry about that. Trys's

busy

right now."

"Oh, yeah? Doing what?"

"Never you mind, human. Never you mind."

~~~~

Cellemin lay on his back, his legs and arms spread-eagled. The elf's eyes were wide and red-rimmed.

This had not gone quite as he had planned.

Up above him, swinging gently, were two beautiful, pale green breasts. Illetrys smiled down at him, but his eyes were captivated in the breasts' gentle, pendulum like swings. She said something he didn't quite catch. He found himself nodding.

It had started out fine, he was pretty sure. He gave a slight buck, feeling the tongue that had been tormenting him for the last twenty minutes run languorously along his shaft. He had seen Pellesise outside, and had delivered the message—along with a thinly-veiled threat. Pellesise had listened, he was sure. She had listened so closely. She had smiled at him, swaying slightly, asking little leading questions that kept making him pause to think. The questions had gotten stranger, and harder and harder to answer, the more he tried to conclude the conversation.

By the time he had realized what she was doing, the Pelestial had been joined by a slender woman with large breasts, beautiful red hair, and the most bewitching silver eyes he'd ever seen. He had been off-balance.

And Illetrys had started to

explain

to him.

Explain

how important it was that he hear her out. He'd started to look away, then, but then Isamine had shown up behind her. Isamine had been in Illetrys's arms. He'd watched them embrace.

Explain

how important it was that he watch Isamine lower to Illetrys's groin. He'd seen Isamine fall to her knees in broad daylight, surrounded by eager onlookers—there was no sympathy among the Celestial gang. He'd seen the look of blind lust in Isamine's eyes. He'd heard the slurping sounds as Isamine had drunk deep.

Explain

how important it was that he follow them, so he could discuss this matter with them more fully. He'd been so aroused, so dull from lust, and it had made so much sense. He had followed after the two, like a dog on a leash. He'd just needed to discuss it. He'd just needed to make things clear to them. Just needed to ... to ...

Explain

how important it was that he lay back on the bed, spread his arms and legs wide, and concentrate on Illetrys's beautiful, pale green breasts.

She was explaining more things, now, and they all seemed very important, but it was also very important to focus on the touches on his cock. Something was important about them. There was something he needed to do. Or not do. He squinted, trying to make out Illetrys's words.

"...enever you think about challenging me," she was saying, and her words flowed like wine through his whole body, filled him with a buzz like sweet liqueur, "you'll have to look me in the eyes, won't you, doll?"

"Mm," he said. There was a tongue on his cock. Something was important about that.

"And whenever ..." The words faded out for a moment as the tongue lapped around his head in a lazy circle. "...concentrate on my big, beautiful breasts, won't you, doll?"

"Mm," he said. Her breasts were beautiful. It had always been one of Illetrys's finest features. If only they'd been given to a woman less wicked, his aunt had always said. Up until Cellesixe had thrown his aunt into a Thriae hive.

"And it's just

so

hard to concentra ..." Her voice faded out again. "... can't stop staring at them, can't stop getting hard,

can

you, dolly? Can't even think straight. Can't even think about what I'm ... can't even

think

, can you, dolly?"

"Nn." Plush, warm lips started to plant little kisses on his member. He was rock-hard, he realized, and ready to come. All it would take were a few more of those sweet kisses. Just a few more, and he would feel ultimate pleasure.

"There's my good dolly," Illetrys cooed. "Now, dolly, I want you to wake up, so ...

dress-up time

!"

Cellemin blinked. His mind flared back into action.

His eyes widened, then screwed shut in pleasure. He started to buck, moaning loudly. It was

so much

. He closed his eyes and started to gasp and wheeze, struggling to keep it in. Down below, Isamine matched his moans. She was kissing all over his cock like she'd never seen one before. Every kiss caused her to moan louder. She seemed even closer to coming than he did, even though as far as he could tell, nobody was touching her down there.

He was about to push her away when he heard Illetrys whisper, "

Hold the pose.

"

And just like that, Min froze. He couldn't move his arms or legs at all. He tried, but something about the command from his brain just couldn't send, like he was in a dream. Or like sleep paralysis.

Triggers. Illetrys was using triggers. "You're nuts," he rasped. "Triggers? R-really? You'll f-f-fry your m-m-mi ..." It was hard to speak with Isamine being so, so eager. Her every touch was heaven. Her every touch was hell. Because he knew that no matter what, no matter how achingly good it would feel, he

could not let himself come

. Not with her mouth so close by. Not with the succubus's curse on him.

"Just a few," Illetrys said with a giggle. "A girl can't experiment?"

Cellemin struggled to resist. He needed to pull his knees up, away from Isamine's grasping hands. If he could do that, he could push her away. If he could push her away, he could sit up. If he sat up, he could stand. If he stood, he could run. He needed to resist. He needed. To move. His knees.

Suddenly, without any input from him, his eyes flashed open. He found himself staring up into the beautiful eyes of Illetrys. They glittered with dark satisfaction. "Good dolly," she whispered. "Just like I told you. And you know what you wanna do now?"

What? What did she ...

His eyes settled on her breasts.

oh.

Cellemin lay on the bed in the girls' cramped apartment. Two other beds sat nearby, both looking rather unused. Ornate hookahs sat on a shelf by the door. Isamine was between his legs, but sitting next to him up on her knees was Illetrys. And her beautiful, perfect breasts swung gently in the air above him, capturing his gaze like fly paper caught flies.

They were so round. So big and round and smooth. Shiny with sweat. They smelled like strawberries. He stared up at them in wonder. Some part of him was still struggling to fight, but it felt so good to just lie there. Just let Illetrys's breasts melt his mind into butter. Just let Isamine lick him to orgasm. Just cum all over her sweet face.

No! He tried to close his eyes, but his muscles wouldn't obey him at all anymore. "I can't," he cried. "Illetrys, you can't! You goddamn know!"

"Oh, yes." He heard little squishing sounds accompanying the sucking and licking noises from his cock, and realized that Illetrys was very slowly masturbating. "I know all about the fun you've had. Sultry succubi sharing their little juices with you. I'm right jealous." She beamed at him.

"If Isamine—"

"If Isamine drinks your cum," Illetrys said happily, "as I've commanded her to do once I give the word, she'll become like you. And under my control. A horny little Patient Zero. Desperate to cum, but never allowed to. For the safety of all, of course." She winked. "Doesn't that sound

hot

, though?"

As she spoke the word, Cellemin felt something change beneath him. He felt Isamine slowly rise off his cock, giving an orgasmic moan.

Then, her lips slid back down, all the way over his head, and her head started to bob up and down.

He jerked. "F-fuck!" he cried. Isamine's head was

infamous

. He'd never—but—

He had to hold on. Couldn't come. Isamine was good—

gods

, was she good—but Cellemin had stamina. He gritted his teeth. He had to hold on. Had to hold on.

The seconds ticked by. Slurped by. Isamine was starting to moan, and he realized she was getting off on this. That only made his need more desperate. He could feel the orgasm pounding beneath him, desperate to be unleashed.

It didn't help that Illetrys had started whispering in his ear. "It'll feel so good," she cooed. "Feel all that lust, all that pleasure? Feel it

burning

in you? Just

give in

. Make her like you. I'll even let you fuck that little slut sometimes, if you're good!"

"N-no—" he gasped. Isamine's tongue swirled around his cock, lapping up precum. That wouldn't change her, but he was so-so-so close—he'd denied himself this for so long—

"You

know

you want to," Illetrys hissed. "Submit to me. Take her. Make her mine. You

know

it'll feel

soooo

good."

His hips began to buck involuntarily. It felt like many minutes had gone by. Isamine's warm, wet mouth slid deep over his cock as she started to deepthroat him. He thrashed, will and love warring with basic, wicked desire.

And desire was winning. Even that realization hastened it along. He trembled, feeling the orgasm approaching. Illetrys's taunts, Isamine's lips and tongue, his own dizzying need—

There was a knock at the door.