’That is not a normal thrall,’ Kai thought to himself, his hand slowly reaching for his weapon.

’That is a high-level demon.’

"You don’t need to reach for that blade," the woman purred.

Her voice was smooth and hypnotic.

She stepped off the ledge and walked into the study.

"I am not here to fight you. I am an envoy."

"Who sent you?" Kai asked.

He gripped his dagger but stayed seated.

"My Queen sends her regards," the envoy smiled, swaying her hips as she crossed the room.

"She has been watching your progress. You cleared her little breeding pit today. Most men would run from that sight, but you walked right in and burned it down."

The envoy stopped right in front of his chair.

A wave of sweet perfume washed over him.

It was much stronger than the system’s basic Aphro Aura.

This magic felt thick and intentional.

It crept straight into his mind and clouded his thoughts with sudden desire.

"My Queen appreciates a man who takes what he wants," the envoy whispered.

She leaned forward and rested her soft hands on his shoulders.

"She offers you a formal invitation. Join her court. She will give you power beyond your wildest imagination, and she will give you pleasures that mortal women could never dream of providing."

’How does Raviel keep track of me?’

Kai tried to push her away, but his arms felt slow.

The demonic magic was seeping directly into his blood.

"I am not interested in joining a court of monsters," Kai managed to say, although his voice lacked its usual sharp edge.

The envoy laughed softly.

She shifted her weight and straddled his thighs, settling her warm hips right onto his lap.

The fabric of her dress offered no barrier at all.

She leaned her face close to his neck, and her wings wrapped around the sides of the chair to trap him in a private cocoon.

"You are lying," she breathed against his ear.

She trailed a sharp fingernail down his chest, stopping right over his heart.

"I can feel your pulse racing. I can feel exactly what you want. Why settle for dirty tavern girls when you could have royalty?"

Kai closed his eyes because the temptation was overwhelming.

The magic painted vivid pictures in his mind of endless luxury and pure dark ecstasy.

His body reacted instantly to her weight on his lap.

He felt his willpower slipping away.

He wanted to pull her down and taste her lips just to see if the promises were true.

’Just one taste,’ Kai thought, his hands moving up to grip her slim waist.

’What is the harm in playing along?’

The wooden door of the study swung open with a loud creak.

"Kai, did you leave the extra oil flasks in the cellar?" Vienna asked, stepping into the room with her iron poker resting on her shoulder.

Vienna stopped dead in her tracks.

She stared at the winged demon sitting on Kai’s lap.

The thick spell of seduction shattered instantly at the sound of her voice.

Kai blinked hard and pushed the envoy back.

His mind cleared, and his survival instincts took over immediately.

He gripped his blessed dagger and rolled out of the armchair.

The envoy snarled.

Her beautiful face twisted into a mask of pure rage.

"You stupid, interrupting bitch."

"Get off my man," Vienna shouted.

She charged across the room and swung her iron poker right at the demon’s head.

The envoy was very fast.

She raised her bare arm and deflected the iron strike with a quick burst of dark mana.

The impact sent a shockwave through the study, shattering the glass lamps on the desk.

Kai lunged forward to join the fight.

He aimed his blade for the demon’s exposed side.

The envoy realized she had lost the element of surprise and was now fighting two angry opponents in a closed space.

She spun gracefully out of the way, dodging his sharp thrust by a fraction of an inch.

"This is a total waste of my time," the envoy hissed.

She leaped backward and landed perfectly on the balcony ledge, spread her dark wings wide against the night sky.

"The Queen will not ask you twice, Kai. When you finally realize these mortals are holding you back, you know where to find us."

"I don’t know where you live, and I do not care," Kai shot back, standing beside Vienna.

The envoy laughed.

"Look for the Black Spire hidden in the southern mountains. The Queen waits at the top."

She jumped backward off the ledge and vanished into the sky, leaving only the smell of sweet perfume and burnt magic behind.

Kai let out a long breath and put his dagger away.

He walked over to the open window and looked out into the night, but the sky was empty.

"Are you okay?" Vienna asked.

She dropped her iron poker to the floor and crossed her arms.

"I leave you alone for ten minutes, and you are already entertaining winged women in the dark."

"She sneaked up on me," Kai said, offering a smile.

"And she was using a very heavy charm spell. Thank you for walking through that door when you did."

He looked down at the floor near the armchair.

A small object rested on the rug where the envoy had been sitting.

Kai bent down and picked it up.

It was a smooth piece of black obsidian shaped like a mountain peak.

A blue system window popped into his vision.

[System Event: Lore Discovered]

[Item: Spire Token]

[Description: A royal invitation from the Succubus Queen. The Black Spire is an ancient demonic stronghold located in the southern mountain range. It serves as the capital for the Lust Faction.]

’This world is much larger and far more organized than a few random village outbreaks.’

"What is that?" Vienna asked, walking up right behind him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"It is a clue," Kai said softly.

He tossed the token onto the desk.

"It tells us exactly where the real threat is hiding. But that is a problem for another day. Right now, I just want to go back to bed with you."

Vienna smirked and kissed his cheek.

"That is the best idea you have had all night. Let’s go."