The journey to Umbra stretched across three days of constant irritation. Lilith had anticipated many challenges in her deception, but the relentless attention from Voso’s followers hadn’t been among them.
“Lady Lune,” another voice called from behind her as she walked alongside the main column. She turned to find a burly demon with ram’s horns approaching, his grin revealing yellowed fangs. “Perhaps you’d care to share my tent tonight? I could show you how we warriors celebrate before battle.”
Lilith forced a polite smile while her stomach churned. “I appreciate the offer, but I need to focus on our upcoming negotiations.”
The demon’s eyes lingered on her form with obvious hunger. “All work and no pleasure makes for a dull existence. Surely a succubus understands the importance of… mutual satisfaction?”
Her disguise had been too effective—every demon in the camp recognised her nature, and apparently viewed it as an open invitation. Lilith’s jaw tightened as she declined again, watching the disappointed creature lumber away. This was the seventh proposition since dawn.
What made it worse was her body’s treacherous response. Each advance, regardless of the source, sent subtle waves of arousal through her succubus physiology. The sensation disgusted her—Jacob had never been attracted to men, yet Lilith’s form seemed to consider every offer with biological interest that bypassed her conscious preferences entirely.
“Scholarly pursuits require dedication,” Voso’s voice rumbled beside her, startling Lilith from her brooding. The demon lord had approached while she was distracted. “Though I admit surprise at your restraint. Most succubi would have sampled half my warband by now.”
Lilith shot him a sharp look. “I’m not ‘most succubi,’ my lord. My research takes precedence over base urges.”
Something flickered in Voso’s yellow eyes—approval, perhaps, or deeper interest. “Indeed. Speaking of which, you mentioned yesterday that pre-Shattering golems operated on different principles than modern constructs. Could you elaborate?”
Relief flooded through her at the change of subject. Scholarly discussion she could handle. “Certainly. The ancient builders understood that magical automation required more than simple command matrices…”
For the next hour, they walked together while Lilith drew upon her game knowledge and Vespera’s historical accounts. She explained golem hierarchies, power distribution networks, and the theoretical frameworks that governed large-scale magical infrastructure. Every word required careful consideration—one slip could expose her deception.
Voso listened intently, occasionally asking probing questions that tested the depth of her knowledge. His scholarly background made him a dangerous audience, but also a rewarding one. When she successfully explained complex magical theory, she caught glimpses of genuine respect in his predatory gaze.
“Fascinating,” he murmured after her explanation of ley line convergence patterns. “I’ve read similar theories in Malphas’s treatises, but your interpretation suggests practical application rather than mere academic speculation.”
“Knowledge without application is merely decoration,” Lilith replied, pleased with how natural the conversation felt. This intellectual sparring reminded her of late-night strategy sessions with her guild, back when Infinity was just a game.
As evening approached, the camp settled into its nightly routine. Lilith excused herself for a walk, needing space to clear her mind and prepare for tomorrow’s crucial demonstration at Umbra’s gates.
The cool air felt refreshing after the day’s heat, and she wandered toward the camp’s perimeter where shadows provided blessed solitude. But as she rounded a cluster of supply wagons, sounds from a nearby clearing made her freeze.
Moans, gasps, and the unmistakable sounds of coupling drifted through the trees. Curiosity overrode caution as she crept closer, peering through the foliage.
Her breath caught. At least twenty demons writhed together in an elaborate orgy, succubi and incubi at the centre of the tangle while various other demons participated eagerly. Bodies moved in rhythmic waves, purple and red skin gleaming with sweat as participants lost themselves in shared ecstasy.
Lilith stumbled backward, her face burning with embarrassment and unwanted arousal. The sight should have mortified her. But her succubus nature responded with immediate, intense hunger that made her knees weak.
She fled back toward her tent, but the damage was done. Her body hummed with need that refused to dissipate, arousal building like pressure behind a dam. The casual propositions throughout the day suddenly seemed less offensive and more… tempting.
Lilith gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus on tomorrow’s plans. Umbra lay just beyond the next ridge—close enough that she could see the mountain peaks silhouetted against the stars. Once inside the city walls, she could retreat to the Imperial Spire and deal with her body’s demands in private.
Until then, she would endure. The first phase of her plan depended on maintaining this careful deception just a little longer.
But as another wave of unwanted desire coursed through her, Lilith wondered if her succubus nature might prove more dangerous than any external enemy.
* * *
Dawn light revealed Umbra’s imposing walls rising from the mountainside like black teeth against the sky. Lilith stood beside Voso at the camp’s edge, studying the ancient fortifications while her pulse quickened with anticipation and dread.
“The outer rings show significant damage,” Voso observed, his scholarly tone masking obvious concern. “Are you certain your… research indicates safe passage through the inner circles?”
Lilith nodded, drawing upon her intimate knowledge of the city’s layout. “The maintenance golems have preserved the first three rings almost perfectly. My investigations suggest they follow strict protocols—repair, clean, defend when threatened, but otherwise ignore inhabitants.”
She gestured toward the distant spires visible beyond the outer walls. “The inner circle contains everything we need. Intact housing, functional water systems, even preserved food stores in the deeper vaults. It’s essentially a ready-made stronghold.”
“And you believe you can control these golems?” Voso’s yellow eyes studied her intently. “Such claims seem… ambitious for a lone researcher.”
Heat crept up Lilith’s neck under his scrutiny. “Partial control,” she corrected carefully. “I’ve managed to establish basic communication protocols. Nothing dramatic—simply ensuring they recognize us as authorized inhabitants rather than intruders.”
The lie came smoothly, though her stomach churned with the deception. Soon she could drop this charade entirely, but first she needed Voso and his followers safely within Umbra’s walls.
“Fascinating.” Voso stepped closer, close enough that his predatory scent filled her nostrils. “Your expertise continues to impress me, Lune. Such knowledge would be invaluable in the right… partnership.”
The way he stressed ‘partnership’ made Lilith’s skin crawl. His gaze lingered on her lips, her throat, the curve of her disguised form with obvious hunger that had nothing to do with scholarly pursuits.
“Indeed,” she managed, forcing a smile. “Mutual benefit through shared resources and knowledge.”
But Voso moved closer still, his voice dropping to a rumble. “I find myself curious about other forms of collaboration we might explore.”
Lilith’s breath caught as her body betrayed her with a flush of arousal. Her succubus body didn’t distinguish between wanted and unwanted attention—it simply responded to desire directed at her with enthusiasm that made her feel sick.
“Perhaps once we’re settled,” she deflected, stepping back slightly. “The immediate priority should be establishing our position within the city.”
Voso’s eyes flashed with something that might have been amusement or predatory patience. “Of course. Though I look forward to some deeper discussions once we’re secure.”
The double meaning wasn’t lost on her. Lilith nodded noncommittally, hating how natural the coy response felt, how easily her body language adapted to encourage his interest even as her mind recoiled.
“Shall we proceed?” she suggested, desperate to focus on anything else. “The morning light will make navigation easier.”
As they returned to break camp, Lilith’s thoughts churned with growing anxiety. Inside Umbra’s walls, she’d need to maintain this deception long enough for Voso’s followers to settle and grow comfortable. Only then could she safely reveal her true identity and claim her throne.
But with each passing hour, Voso’s interest grew more obvious, more insistent. How long before scholarly partnership transformed into demands for physical intimacy? And worse—how long before her traitorous succubus nature made those demands seem reasonable?
The thought that she might actually consider accepting his advances disturbed her less than it should have. That realization frightened her more than any external threat.
Umbra’s gates loomed ahead, promising sanctuary and new complications in equal measure.
* * *
The partially destroyed gates of Umbra yawned before them like broken teeth. Chunks of black stone littered the entrance where ancient defensive mechanisms had failed during some long-past siege. Lilith stepped through the breach with practiced confidence, gesturing for Voso’s warband to follow.
“Stay close to the main thoroughfares,” she called back to the demons filing through behind her. “The outer rings have unstable structures.”
As they moved deeper into the city, fragments of conversation drifted to Lilith’s enhanced hearing from the marching column.
“Look at those hips sway,” muttered a gruff voice. “Acts like she owns the damned place.”
“Course she does,” another replied with a snort. “Succubus comes out of nowhere with grand promises? She’s here to seduce Lord Voso, wrap him around her little finger with that body.”
“Think it’s working?” asked a third demon.
“Hard to say. She’s been playing coy, rejecting everyone else’s advances. Smart move—makes herself seem more valuable to the boss.”
Lilith’s jaw tightened, but she maintained her steady pace through the rubble-strewn streets. Behind her, the conversation continued.
“I give Lord Voso more credit than that,” declared a female voice. “He’s no fool. Probably just playing along until he figures out what she really wants.”
“Does it matter who’s in charge at this point?” came a weary response. “We’re barely surviving out there. If she can actually deliver on these promises about the inner rings…”
“I’d prefer someone with actual power calling the shots,” another demon interjected. “Not some pretty face making grand claims.”
The words stung more than they should have. These demons saw her as nothing more than a seductress trading her body for influence. But perhaps that perception could work to her advantage. Let them underestimate her until the moment she revealed her true nature.
An image flashed through her mind unbidden: Voso prostrating himself before the Umbral Throne, pressing his lips to her feet in submission while his followers knelt in reverent terror. The fantasy brought an involuntary smile to her lips, one that felt disturbingly natural.
She pushed the thought aside, focusing on navigating the increasingly intact architecture as they approached the inner circles. The maintenance golems had done their work well here—streets clear of debris, buildings whole and functional despite centuries of abandonment.
As they passed into the second ring, Lilith caught sight of a familiar shadow flickering between buildings. She slowed her pace, allowing Voso to pull ahead while she drifted toward a partially collapsed archway.
“Vespera,” she whispered into the darkness.
The shadow demon materialized from the shadows, her obsidian features barely visible in the dim light. “Yes, Empress?”
“Take Sera somewhere safe in the outer rings. Hide until I’ve secured Voso’s loyalty. No need to risk her life during the transition.”
“You’re certain about this approach?” Vespera’s silver-starred eyes reflected concern. “These demons won’t accept your authority easily.”
“They will when I demonstrate my control over Umbra. Once they’re comfortable in the inner rings, dependent on the city’s resources, they’ll have little choice but to submit or face exile back to the Wastelands.” Lilith’s voice carried cold calculation. “By then, most will be too invested in their new lives to rebel.”
Vespera nodded slowly. “And if Voso proves… resistant to your eventual revelation?”
“Then he’ll learn what happens to those who challenge the Empress of Nocturne.” The words came out with surprising venom, startling even Lilith herself. “But I suspect his scholarly nature will appreciate the historical significance of serving the true ruler of this realm.”
“As you command.” Vespera began to fade back into shadow. “I’ll keep Seraphina safe until you signal otherwise.”
“Lune!” Voso’s voice called from ahead. “Are you coming? The central plaza is magnificent—you certainly weren’t overstating its condition.”
Lilith straightened, slipping back into her role as the mysterious researcher. “Of course, Lord Voso. I was simply… admiring the architectural details.”
She rejoined the group, noting how Voso’s followers spread through the plaza with visible relief. Several demons approached the nearest fountain cautiously, eyeing the maintenance golems that moved methodically between buildings.
“They’re harmless,” Lilith called out, watching a particularly nervous imp dodge around a golem carrying stone blocks. “The golems ignore anything that doesn’t threaten them or the city’s structure.”
Gradually, the warband relaxed. Demons began claiming buildings, their voices echoing off ancient walls as they called to companions about rooms with intact roofs and functioning amenities.
Voso stood beside her, his leonine features thoughtful as he surveyed the scene. “Remarkable. When I was last here for the Conclave of Shadows, these fountains were still cracked ruins. The golems have made considerable progress.”
“They work tirelessly,” Lilith replied, her mind already racing ahead to practical concerns. Water from the fountains would sustain them temporarily, but not a growing population. She’d need to redirect the golems to prioritize restoring the full plumbing system within the inner circles. Food would be another challenge entirely—the city’s markets had been abandoned for centuries.
As demons settled into their new quarters with growing enthusiasm, Lilith felt the weight of leadership settling on her shoulders—these were her subjects now, even if they didn’t know it yet. Their welfare was her responsibility.