Blog Unbound: The Taste of Passion

Disclaimer: This adult short story is a work of fiction. It is meant for those eighteen and older. There is sexual and fantastical content. All characters are eighteen or older. Though there are inspirations from other fictional sources, any similarity to real people, live or no, is merely coincidental.

Author’s Note: This story is set within the Supernatural Unbound Mythos. It is a direct sequel to both Wraith of Lust and Dark Metal (Hot Virus). Like with Dark Metal, this is a loose homage to those Rock and Role horror films. The story follows Hunters Jessica, Brendan, and Ron on case allegedly involving a Demon General Marchosias, who is using heavy metal music to demonically transform a small town … Enjoy!

Unbound Edition: eBook

The Taste of Passion

“What’s up, Ron?” Brandon asked his on and off partner on the phone. The loving Wraith of Lust slithered up and down his body as a tease in her smoky, gaseous form. The cool, sensual tingle sent waves of pleasure throughout his body.

“Looks like I got a Demon on my hands. A real old one …”

“Oh, fuck … That’s great!” Brandon cooed, Jessica partially flowing through him. Needing to ensure the greatest quality pleasure and him living after, Jessica once asked him what form of hers he preferred. She personally came to see both forms as nothing more than one cheek or the other. Brandon really didn’t care which form she exhibited, both quite good in their own rights. So, she just used her best judgement. Brandon then blurted, “I mean … What do you mean by old?”

“Err … Seems to call itself by some Aramaic or Hebrew name, as apposed to that one calling himself Rob last year!”

“Oh, right, Rob and his nightmare lodge of pure evil! … Oh, God, Jess!”

“… Would you like me to call you back?”

“Uh … HUMPH! … Hold on …” He put his phone to his chest. “Jess … You think your love of folklore is good enough to hold back your love of sex for a moment?”

“A moment …” Jessica stated with a sultry resonance. She shifted to her flesh form, breathing deeply from the pleasure of it. Her red hair looked wild as did her green eyes, while she straddled him on her knees. She calmly took the phone. “So, what do you have, Ron? And remember, I’m hungry, and have Brandon hostage between my thighs!” she stated lightly, Brandon’s penis held firm inside her perfect snatch. She always had a dry sense of humor, and her transformation into a Wraith unbound her a bit in that area.

“Well,” he croaked, before clearing his throat. “He’s calling himself Marchosias, as a ‘stage name.’ He is possessing a young college student and musician Leonard Corso, and running a garage band with a Jeff Lenox, Jill Gyles, and Amanda Vines. His bandmates are definitely Living Demons. They are leading or influencing others to commit sin. Some high school seniors are already in jail for murder. Even worse, I think he’s trying to create more Living Demons through their music!”

“That won’t help the Rock and Roll cause!” Jessica chimed. “Not really the oldest — not quite a Demon Master like Asmodeus, but old enough! Lore has it he or she was an important general to Lucifer, assigned to command many legions of Demons. Demon General Marchosias had a thing for wolves, and often affected an image of one when he felt like it. Some of the less savory Werewolves will worship this Demon. Anyway, he never got to really command his legions, resigning or abandoning his post. Many possible reasons were given, but I like the one where he grew tired of waiting, while becoming jealous of the Demon Masters. The lore states he became more of a free agent, for lack of better words. Corrupting and leading Humans is now his M.O. Much of the lore argues his involvement with some of the worst Human armies in history.”

“All comes together!” Ron exclaimed. “He calls his band ‘The Knight Wolves,’ and his fans his ‘Legion.’ I know you won’t fuck anything to death, but I would really appreciate some help down here. Kirkland, Illinois. This town is ready to fall apart!”

“Should prove interesting! But first, Ron, I’ll be taking care of my needs. You’ll see us tomorrow morning. Bring extra coffee for Brandon!”

“Sure …” he hung up, and Jessica tossed the phone away.

Jessica began to thrust the wanting Brandon on her knees. They were at it for a little while before Ron called, so he was already close.

“Oh, yeah, your cock is so ripe!” she growled, drooling.

Brandon grasped her firm thighs. “Oh, fuck, Jess! Shift when I cum!”

“Oh, definitely! You’re so close, I can already taste you!” Feeling the massive load pouring into her, she shifted into her black, vaporous self. The cum and passion disappearing into the deepest depths her being. Her powerful blue eyes brightened in the joyous feed …

Not bothering to morph back into her flash form, she lay next to the drowsy Brandon. She always took more out of him than any Human could. They were constantly working to learn the nuances of her hunger. Not killing as part of the feed meant her cycle was rather different from any other Wraith. She did feed on others discreetly, never showing her true self or convincing them nothing strange happened. Brandon, who was luckily not the jealous type, could only handle one or two sessions with her a week, and twice was really pushing him. Having sex three times a week was a rare minimum for her.

“I wonder what you’re made out of, Jess …” he said ponderously, while moving his fingers through her cool, vaporous cheek.

She smiled, and resonated, “Probably the same stuff as you, my love. You dig deep enough, there’s no mystery in anything. Swirling carbon, oxygen, and whatever other elements that somehow form me. The only really interesting thing is how I can make myself solid.”

“Wanna come inside me?” he asked quietly. As a ghostly being, she could all but possesses him, while the intimacy of it was beyond anything Human.

“Sure …”

She quickly, smoothly flowed into his mouth, finding her way to his very soul. Their minds were not one, but they were in touch on an empathic level, while they spoke through thought alone. The extreme love and lust within Jessica was debilitating the first few times they did this. There was also perceived danger of her being within him. He could never survive the epic pleasure of a Wraith fucking his very soul, while it was theoretically possible for her to shift to her flesh form while still within him. She always flew out after he fell asleep. However, they agreed to keep doing it not just for the deep intimacy, but also for tactical advantage. It added a distinct element of surprise with another being hiding inside him, and found success in the strategy, albeit the one time they tried it against a crazed Vampire.

Brandon deeply sighed through all the love and lust, and thought, ‘You think you’ll be OK going up against a Demon? You know the demonic roots of your kind, and I know of no Hunter that will fight Demons alone.’

‘I know Marchosias better than most,’ she echoed into his mind. ‘I have a pretty good idea of the drive. Just wants the glory he never got. I want to fuck, he wants to lead. He can’t control me! I’ll enjoy the irony of seducing his followers …’

Brandon glanced over at the sleeping Jessica in his passenger seat. She just read an article about the band, and how their songs were described as “Victorious Doom Metal,” like a dark call to arms. He smiled as he had been at such quiet moments. It wasn’t just the love he felt for her, or how she sometimes shifted while sleeping. It was the irony of a Wraith of Lust quietly napping in her flesh form by her Human lover. She explained that all living beings sleep, and how she wouldn’t feel right not being by his side. Still, he may be the only Human to have ever seen a Wraith sleep!

Side by side, they were already becoming a legendary team, since she became a Wraith the month before, finding and choosing to embrace the love within her. Brandon was already an experienced Hunter, but the self aware Jessica was the complete package. She was always a living encyclopedia of folklore, while her transformation granted her superior skills in stealth, tracking, and seduction. She wasn’t exactly the woman Brandon first fell in love with, but everyone changes throughout their lives. Though, the core of identity may be unchangeable, as Jessica was still Jessica at that core. Brandon, too, was a very different person before coming across a psychotic Witch, working as a private detective, and being saved by another Witch aiding a Hunter. That multisided induction to Hunting is what made him one of the more dynamic Hunters, while he was always a noble person at his core.

Brandon casually drove into an open spot near the motel room. Ron texted him earlier about where he was staying. There was a quiet emptiness to the area. There was life in the quiet breeze, but it was subdued somehow in the the almost gray light. Something was definitely off about the town.

He gave Jessica a quiet nudge.

Consciousness quickly melted through her. “Oh … You think Ron’ll play nice with me?”

“He’ll try to get under that fake skin of yours at least one more time. Our reputation’s been nothing but positive. Just let him go through the motions, and he’ll be asking to go to bed with you before you know it!”

“He wishes!”

Ron soon ushered them into his room. Before they even sat, he started talking to Jessica.

“So, Jess, how’s life since betraying your own kind?” he asked flatly. He was likely practicing that line for hours.

Brandon ground his teeth, barely hiding his frustration toward Ron.

She silently walked right up to Ron, and answered with an equal flatness, “Unlike anything you could ever imagine, Ron.”

Ron stood like a statue before the far superior being. “I hear you’ve killed.”

“My first rule is to never kill through a feed,” she clarified calmly. “That makes me feed a bit more, I guess, but it is worth it. Like all Hunters, I kill the deserving, and I save the deserving. Species has nothing to do with it. Brianna, my sister, deserved what she got, as did the others since.”

Ron broke his stone face with a slight smirk. She understood the life better the he, not that he would admit that right away. This wasn’t the Jessica he first met, but he changed a lot since then, too. “Good.”

“Are you ready for our help now, Ron?” Brandon asked angrily.

“She’s more stable than you!” Ron teased through honest observation. “Come on. All my stuff is on that table. Coffee, too!”

They all sat.

“So, how far is Marchosias going with this garage band?” Jessica asked, opening a folder.

“He has caught the attention of a record company, but I don’t think he’s interested. It looks like he’s planning something more modern: independent publishing.”

“What’s he calling the album? Brandon asked, still cooling down.

“Oh, you’ll like this!” he answered. “He’s calling it ‘The Taste of Passion’!”

“Hmm, interesting,” Jessica muttered.

“What do you think, Jess?” Ron asked.

“Passion isn’t really his thing. It’s an odd creation by the Demon General … What’s happening with those affected by his music?”

“Well,” Ron answered, “first of all, everyone is different. Everyone is affected at different rates and degrees. Maybe not the first, second, or even third exposure, but it may seep in eventually. Even you, Jess, may be affected by his music, but I don’t think Wraiths can be corrupted by evil in the Human sense. What I mean is, what’s happening quite a bit is already sexual. Looks like there’s been a lot of incest, and sex in general. The murders are just higher profile. The music is definitely corrupting in nature, and listened by the high school kids more out of natural rebelliousness. Like I said, I think some are becoming Living Demons. However, the effects should be reversible, in theory, if listening is stopped prior to complete corruption.”

“Living Demons are very interesting,” Jessica pondered. “I’ve never seen one. Gathering all known data on them leads to a mass of contradictions and confusions. My interpretation is that there is truth to all of it, and that their shear power makes that possible. As you both know, they are very rare, because that state is usually a stepping stone to some other demonic entity. However, it is theoretically possible for them to be a Living Demon permanently if they wish. Their natural eyes can be black by default, but they have total control over their physical forms. Their eyes may not even change at all once transformed. They can blend in however this wish. I honestly don’t know the true extent of their powers. We should be very cautious …  I can go to the high school to see the overall affect, and pose as a sexy health official or something. My instincts should pick up unusual or altered sexuality. I’ve always known what to look for in terms of any class of Demon …”

“I’ll head to the police department. FBI? You think they’ll believe the Bureau sent another agent to help, Ron?”

“Oh, they’re so overwhelmed with two murders the’ll believe you’re the President, if you wanna lend a hand!”

* * * *

“This isn’t connected with the issue we’ve been having here, is it?” Vice Principal Laura Donahue asked tiredly.

“To be honest, that’s hard to say,” Jessica answered, adjusting her visitor lanyard. She wore a medium cut, blue dress, glasses she no longer needed, and medium heals. She was going for health professional, but came off as more sexy librarian. Even when she was Human, hiding her attractiveness for whatever reason wasn’t easy, while she was now sultry on instinct. The only way for her to really hide her beauty was to shift to her vaporous form, and even then, she still looked like a sexy silhouette of her flesh form.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been watching the news like everyone else, Ms Donahue! Between you and me, I’ve never done a true random inspection. A higher pay grade probably saw the news, and put your school and town at the top of the list. There may very well be something up with the food.” She continued with an anecdote based on a story she read a few years ago. “A bit different, but in another town a while back, a lot of parents were reporting their kids complaining about their high school’s food. A few cases of food poisoning, too. They got placed on top of the random inspection pile. Turned out that a lot of the food and cafeteria supplies were housed in an old barn without climate control. Droppings of various sorts, if I remember! So, there was something wrong there, and there may be something wrong here.”

“Well, I hope you find out going on. It’s worse than food poisoning. The kids are going nuts!”

Jessica’s charisma only improved after becoming a Wraith of Lust, while using true stories often nailed it. Lying was never her strongest attribute. Plus, her powers over the Human mind only worked in seduction, and this was definitely not an appropriate time or place to fuck the attractive Vice Principal! “We’ll see. I’ll do the standard inspection, and get back to you today with my preliminary results.”

The stood and shook. Ms Donahue then stated, “You already have the lanyard, so good luck. If there are any problems just call me.”

So far, Jessica was relieved the school wasn’t ready to explode for lack of better terms. Then again, it seemed unlikely any truly corrupted teen would even go to school, unless they wanted to seduce a teacher!

A distinct music suddenly caught her attention. Her Wraith senses told her there were distinctly dark undertones. They were demonically dark. The closer she walked down the hall toward it, the clearer the lyrics became …

Soldiers of the passion!

Soldiers of the dark …!

Only live for passion!

… Be what you are!

The fact that it was an unusual six-four time was but an interesting tidbit compared to how it was affecting her. It wasn’t corrupting her, but it was triggering her hunger. She felt light, and looked at her hands. The flesh was dissolving, forcing Jessica to concentrate to maintain the humanoid form.

The harsh music was coming from a dark classroom in an apparently shut down section used for storage. By the time she peered into the room, the music ended. Yet, that did little to hinder the sexual escapade on the old wood desk!

Soldiers of the passion,

Soldiers of the dark …

Only be your passion,

Only be your art …

A boy, probably eighteen by Jessica’s Wraith enhanced reckoning, was pinned to the desk by a slightly older woman humping him roughly on her knees. The woman was full bodied and muscular. Her hair was jet black and wild like an animal, contrasting powerfully with her porcelain skin. Her nails were jet black like her hair, and subtly like claws. When she growled in pleasure, her bright white teeth were revealed to be a curious cross between human and feline.

Soldiers of the passion

Soldiers of the dark …

Only lust for passion,

Be more than far …

The woman was clearly not human anymore, while Jessica sensed the boy was barely Human himself.

Soldiers of the passion,

Soldiers of the dark …

Only lust your passion,

Be more than rare …

–

–

–

Soldiers of the passion,

Soldiers of the dark,

Be more than passion,

Now go afar …

The two soon screamed in demonic orgasm at the songs floating conclusion, making Jessica so hungry that she almost flew over to them. It took all her will to literally hold herself together. She quickly sensed the boy’s humanity was destroyed by the orgasm, as his eyes tuned jet black.

“Now, my brother,” the woman said darkly. “You are like me!”

“Yes, and am yours forever, sister,” he said passively.

“Drink from my bosom!” she commanded.

They shifted, and the former boy began to drink milk from his sister’s breast. The sister placed her hand behind her brother’s head with pure lust in her motions. Jessica’s powerful senses told her the milk was as corrupting as it was sweet, and could not deny they strong temptation to ask for a taste.

With a hungrily triumphant smile, the evil woman looked over to the hungry Jessica. The woman’s eyes had two haunting shades of black, with catlike pupils darker than anything Jessica ever saw, including herself.

The dark woman looked to her brother, and commanded, “Stay here.”

“Yes, sister …”

Sensually, she made her way to the amazed Jessica, who really had no idea how to deal with the situation. Then again, that was the life of a Hunter more often than most would admit.

“Hello, there!” the woman greeted. Her bushy, infinitely black crotch was mesmerizing. “I am so pleased I had a witness to me transforming my own brother into a Living Demon, while making him mine forever. He always looked up to me, his big sister. When the music changed me, I wanted him to more than look up to me. He has no will of his own anymore, you know.”

“You seemed to have embraced your new self …” Jessica breathed.

“Yessss,” she hissed, while feeling down her body. “These transformative powers are remarkable. A really evil catwoman! … I can tell you’re not Human yourself.” She sniffed and licked her lips.

“I’m a Wraith of Lust,” Jessica clarified, bewildered.

“I can sense you’re not a normal one … No matter, even if you don’t wanna taste Demons, I can always just fuck my brother!”

Jessica admittedly wanted to feed, but nothing about that possibility seemed right. Instead, she decided to just wing it, adapting to the temporarily enhanced hunger. “Maybe you could come with me?”

The demonic woman before her put serious thought into the request. “Hmmm …. Nah! I’m just gonna fuck my brother! Bye!”

The woman touched Jessica, who quickly shifted into her ghostlike form, and the good Wraith found herself flung clear of the school …

* * * *

“Another one!” the stocky Sheriff Daniels bellowed behind his desk. “So, whose Scully?”

“I’m agent Fred Black, sir,” Brandon extended his hand, and they shook, “and he’s Scully!”

“Well, you have a better sense of humor than your fellow agent!” Daniels chuckled.

As Ron already observed, Brandon saw that Daniels shielded himself from stress through sarcasm. Brandon then asked, “Anything more to report since yesterday, sir?”

The now grim Sheriff opened a filed for them all to see. “Here’s the latest report on the three homicides …”

One was a patricide, with the son taking a fireplace poker to the father’s head. According to the suspect, the act was a result of years of abuse. The next had a daughter poisoning her mother. Though oddly vague, she explained that she wanted her mother’s millions right away, and almost succeeded without anyone suspecting it being a murder. The third was apparently a crime of passion. The woman, a high school senior, ran over a male senior, who she claimed to have raped her not long before. Though there was clear motive on each, none of the suspects had any history of violent behavior. All three were undergoing psychological review, and not immediately available for questioning for at least two more days.

“I know you discussed this all with agent Stevens yesterday, but could you explain to me what you think the connection is?”

Daniels deeply sighed. “The Knight Wolves … Look, I’m not one of those uptight asses that think music, TV, and video games are corrupting the youth. I happen to like heavy metal and video games! A psychopath may be attracted to a violent video game, but a video game can’t possibly create a psychopath. There’s just something about this band.”

“What do you mean?” Brandon asked.

“Before you ask, I have yet to listen to a full song. I don’t think the music itself could possibly have anything to do with this. What I mean is members of the band were connected with all the suspects. Yes, it’s a small town, and we all know each other. But, a member of that band was seen with the suspects before the murders, perhaps within even an hour. Amanda Vines, the bassist, recently started a physical relationship with Jason, the patricide suspect, and stated that he left her ‘embrace’ about an hour before the murder. Jill Gyles, the keyboardist, had also started a sexual relationship with a suspect: Jenny Richards, the greedy daughter. Jeff Lenox, the drummer, had been a long time friend Brianna of the hit and run, and she drove him home for band practice before the act.”

“Jeff and Brianna were not in a sexual relationship?” Ron asked.

The Sheriff put on a ponderous expression. “No … I’m good friends with Brianna’s family, and we assumed at some point they would take the next steps. Perhaps even before Jeff started up that band in his garage, that possibility somehow went away.”

“Jeff founded the band with Leonard Corso?” Ron asked curiously.

“I suppose,” the Sheriff answered. “Lenny and Jeff became friends fairly recently, from what I’ve come to understand. I’m really just assuming the two founded it together: Jeff’s garage, Lenny’s the band leader, and the two were barely even friendly with the other members prior. Come to think of it, I don’t think any of them played instruments before Knight Wolves …”

“Interesting,” Ron pondered, “do you know where we can find Jeff or Lenny?”

“Best bet is Jeff’s house, I think. I’ll get you the address …”

* * * *

Jessica found herself floating in a old, wooded neighborhood. She was in unusual predicament: if she shifted back to Human form, she would be totally naked, but if she stayed in her vaporous form, she would not exactly be taken well at face value. At the same time, the whole experience made her quite hungry. She soon sensed a nearby woman, who she suspected was twenty at the most. There was a quietly ripe taste that any sexualized being could exploit. “I wonder how Brandon will take this escapade?” she snickered to herself.

The cautious Wraith glided her way through the trees and fences toward the napping woman. She was a blonde woman in a blue bikini lounging outside. Maybe she wasn’t a supermodel, but was definitely that girl next door. She had a very healthy physique.

This was to be a bit out of the ordinary for Jessica, well, more than it already was. Jessica could sense this woman was not sexually attracted to women. Now, Wraiths are technically not particular in that way — feeding on pleasure from anyone, but Jessica did not like to “turn on” her more controlling means of seduction. This was not out of fear for the other party; Jessica found feeding to be more discrete when there was minimal seduction …

Lana slowly opened her eyes. A naked, redheaded woman seductively walked toward her. Lana thought she must be dreaming, especially because of the inexplicable arousal.

“Errr … Hello?”

“Hey, there, I’m Jessica. I’m your Wraith for the evening,” Jessica said in deep, breathy tones.

The woman suddenly went wide eyed. She could somehow feel Jessica’s words flow into her, all but inflicting orgasm.

“What shall I call you?”

“Oh … fuck … I’m Lana … What’s happening? Am I dreaming?”

Jessica stood above the breathless Lana. The evening sun shown around Jessica, making almost a silhouette. “No, better!”

The strange woman took Lana’s willing hand, and the went inside to Lana’s bedroom. They were soon naked in bed grinding their pussies without abandon. The pleasure was beyond anything Lana ever knew. Soon, they were somehow not grinding anymore. Jessica penetrated by extending her dark mist into the hapless woman’s snatch, all but fusing with the G-spot.

Lana began to explode with orgasm. It was an orgasm to end all orgasms. She screamed with epic passion. And Jessica screamed with her in the orgasmic feed. Like most encounters, Jessica barely prevented herself from shifting, not counting how her eyes uncontrollably become blue and vaporous. Then unlike any other Wraith, Jessica let the moment cool down, quite satisfied. For that was the dirty secret: The average Wraith killed for sport.

Jessica lay next to the very drowsy and amazed woman.

“Did … what fuck happened with your eyes?” she blurted.

“Wraith of Lust!” she answered happily to the observant woman. “Can’t do much with the eyes when you cum!”

“You’re not Human?” Lana asked, forcing herself to some semblance of attention. “What are you gonna do to me?”

“Relax, Lana! We already did it. I’m not your average inhuman thing … Look, I don’t unusually reveal myself, but your deserved as much. I truly am sorry I messed with your head — don’t do that if I don’t have to, but thank you for the fun.”

“You know … I’d go again if I wasn’t so wiped out …” Lana admitted, accidentally saying that out loud. “Thanks for not killing me, I guess … FUCK, that was a fever dream …”

“I know we’ve done a lot already, but I have another favor to ask …”

* * * *

Ron and Brendon left the band’s house unsatisfied. There was no one home, so they decided to regroup at that motel where they knew Jessica would be at some point. Suddenly, Brendon’s cellphone rang.

“Hey, Jess. What’s up?”

“Well, it’s a story involving awkwardness and sex. A very nice woman named Lana helped me out. Gave her my number … Um, you heading to the motel?”

“Uh, yeah. Went to the house where that band meets, but no one was home. Gotta regroup, I guess …”

* * * *

Back at the motel, the three compared notes. Jessica explained how Lana helped her retrieve her stuff at the school, allowing for a quick meet up with the Vice Principal. More importantly, Lana told Jessica that a major teen hangout was the small theater in town. Brendon and Ron explained the murder reports. Brandon was a bit awkward about Jessica’s encounter with Lana, but only because it was more than just a feed, all of which was necessary. It was not a big deal, though, while Ron was a bit amused by it all. Brendon went out to grab a pizza for everyone, so they could decide their next moves on a full stomach …

“Do you miss it, Jess? Your humanity?” Ron asked not long after Brendon left. He sat next to her on the bed.

“Still testing me, Ron?” she asked tiredly.

“No. I’m just curious.” He was finally more like the best buddy he once was. Though, their relationship will never be the same.

“I dunno, Ron,” she answered ponderously. “That’s almost like asking if I miss my childhood. To be honest, I don’t feel that different than I did when I was Human. Hard to explain … The Human I was is a major part of who I am now, more so than any other Wraith of Lust, thanks to finding my love. Obviously, I’m not even humanoid anymore, so my perception of the world is a bit different. I can sense lust and arousal, including yours. I feed off sex now, if you remember! The Black Widow thing can be very real for me, but you know the dirty secret is that it’s really easy for me to stop feeding. The average Wraith just doesn’t care; I care a little too much, I think. I feel much freer than I ever knew I could be, even though I must admit I do miss Human food and alcohol. But, I am and always will be Jessica.”

“Too bad not every monster is as stable as you!” he observed lightly. “You may even be the most stable Hunter I’ve ever met!”

“Thanks!” she laughed lightly.

“So, what are you gonna do when Brandon and me are long gone?”

“I don’t know,” she answered with a subtle moroseness, lying back onto the bed. “Like many long lived beings, my memory is now ididic, so his love and your cynicism will always be there for me. I like helping others. Sounds kinda corny, but it’s true. I always did. Maybe I will always be a Hunter. I’m sure its unlike most long lived beings, but I like to take things as they come. I did as a Human, and I can’t see a better way of handling things now …”

It was a natural thing, and innocent thing, implausibly. They started leaning into each other. Their lips met, and they began to make out …

Ron suddenly pulled back.

“What’s wrong, Ron?”

“I don’t know … I just … I know Brandon doesn’t normally care. You need so much more than he can give … It would be just too weird for me. It really has nothing to do with what you are. What you are is the most amazing thing I’ve ever known. It’s just your his, he’s yours …”

Brandon casually walked into the motel room, seeing the two remarkably close. “Oh … if I’m interrupting, I can come back later …”

“It’s fine, Brandon,” she said honestly. “Just a heart to heart between Hunters.”

“Didn’t know you had a heart, Ron!” Brandon teased.

“Don’t worry,” he shielded, “you won’t be seeing it!”

* * * *

The Hunters made their way to the theater. There were a few cars, but like the rest of the town, there was that hunting emptiness. Stepping out of the car, they quickly noticed an oddly shadowed figure at the entrance lighting a cigarette.

“That looks like … Leonard Corso …” Ron breathed.

“No …” Jessica corrected. “Not completely. What I sense is a demon within a very willing vessel … Looks like you were right, Ron …”

With a pleased look, Marchosias casually waved to them with a “well?” look on his face.

The three cautiously walked up to him. They all knew how to exorcize a Demon, but they needed trap it in some way. This Demon might as well have trapped them. Their only option was to see what it had to say …

“Marchosias?” Jessica asked fearlessly.

“Yes,” he confirmed, throwing the barely puffed cigarette away.

“I assume you manipulated us to be here,” Jessica forwarded.

He shrugged. “More or less. I’ve been keeping close tabs on you since you got here, waiting for the right moment. You and Lana! Makes me wish I was of lust … Yum … ”

“What is it you want?”

“To tell you something, Jessica, to be brutally honest.”

“All this — Living Demons, corrupting music — just to get my attention?”

He chuckled deeply, darkly. “I have come to enjoy a long term stratagem, since quitting the day job in Hell all those millennia ago. Really came to enjoy music, too. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Living Demons created here, but I presume most if not all will follow the typical progression: transform into something else, something that a Hunter may come across one day. As they are now, you know they are practically invincible. Such a strange irony that is the Living Demon. As for the music, those transformed by it will soon find no use for it, while I have already set the gears in motion to destroy all copies of the ‘upcoming album.’ Anyway, to get back to your main interest I created, almost two decades ago, Earth time, a Demon Master disappeared.”

“What!?” Ron breathed.

“Trust me, I didn’t believe it either when I first heard the news a couple years ago, cold Hunter!”

“Who disappeared?” Brendon asked uncomfortably.

“Asmodeus, the Demon Master of Lust.”

“No …” Jessica breathed.

“Ah, now I see those vaporous gears turning, good Wraith! That Master once promised me lieutenants of Wraiths and Succubi, but we know how that turned out. Because of that and honest curiosity, I eventually set into a motion a plan to find out what in glorious Hell Asmodeus was doing. I first created the first corrupting song, Dark Metal, not long after hearing the news. As a layer of security, I made it seem like it was from the eighties. Yet, there was a still missing element. I quickly learned of you, Jessica, the first and only Wraith of Lust and Love, and knew you must be the one to locate Asmodeus, in all your uniqueness. So, I gave Dark Metal to the unsuspecting Jeff, found this rather likeminded vessel, and you know the rest.”

“Is that all?” Jessica asked amazed.

“No. Other Demons have been looking for Asmodeus, too, for almost as long as it was missing. They, thus far, have come up with nothing. I learned of the case through one of my former legionnaires, who was recently sent to Earth to continue the search. I was almost insulted they haven’t cared to look for me with such earnest!”

“That means something,” Jessica observed.

“Yes. Because there has been no trace of Asmodeus found — unlike my playful stratagems, they fear anything and everything about the implications. A Demon Master knows many secrets, but above all else, they know how to uncover secrets. Who do you think buried them at the start? What I am … requesting of you, good Wraith and Hunter, is to use all those skills no Demon could ever use to find Asmodeus first. In spite of everything, Asmodeus was the closest thing I had to a friend. I can only honor its silent stratagem, but I want a third party to assess whatever it is. Hell may only want Asmodeus back, but I want want Asmodeus to be successful if this stratagem is worth all this trouble. I can’t force you to do anything, well, I could through your lover, but I won’t to show true intent. In fact, I promise not to do anything demonic until you find Asmodeus.”

“Jess, I’m not sure if this case is a good idea,” Ron stated.

“You’re the best Hunter to go after a Demon, Jess,” Brendon stated, “but a Demon Master, the one the created the Wraiths …”

“And those Demonic Succubi!” Marchosias corrected.

“We need to know the truth,” Jessica stated. “Any Demon can represent a problem for Humans …”

Marchosias smirked.

“ … A Demon Master hiding out on Earth could have apocalyptic implications. We need to do this …”

“Excellent!” Marchosias exclaimed. Before disappearing, he quickly stated, “You know where to find me. Now, I need to unfortunately finish erasing all that music …”