Page 94 of A Chip on Her Shoulder

“And that herd after him? They showed their wings,” I growled.

“They are all fed well, so they are posturing and wish to remind those around them they are desirable. I have taken the liberty of bringing clothes suitable for your wings, and Lucifer has paid no attention to it, as most attire meant to accommodate tails also accommodates wings.”

“He is easily tricked, I see.”

“At times.” Belial stood, entered the bedroom, and opened the closet door, pulling out a red, slinky dress. “I recommend this dress. It is one of Lucifer’s favorites, and he is eager to see you in it, although he is unclear why you would want a dress capable of accommodating wings when his campaign to finish converting you is delayed temporarily. The archangels are quite smug about it. They hope Lucifer will learn to peek more and enjoy being surprised a little less.”

“Don’t ask for miracles. That way, you will not be disappointed.”

Belial’s laughter had a wicked, dark edge to it. “How right you are. Make yourself pretty, put on your wings, fur, and spots, and I will guide you to the great hall.”

I retreated to the bathroom, closed the door, and stripped out of the silky pajamas the Devil had likely acquired for me. I’d have to thank him for that, as I enjoyed the feel of silk on my skin. Following Belial’s instructions, I discovered I did have wings, and unlike the other succubi I’d seen, they were feathered. Conversion had done wonders for my coat, which came in thick and plush, and my new wings offered the Devil hundreds upon hundreds of new spots for him to become acquainted with.

Sliding into the dress took some work, especially when learning how to cope with wings, which were larger than I expected, ridiculously fluffy, and had a tendency to bang into everything.

After I caught the Devil, lured him into our bedroom, and had my way with him, I’d demand lessons on how to control my wings. When I no longer threatened to knock everything off the walls and nearby surfaces, I’d badger him into teaching me how to fly.

Satisfied with my plan for the rest of my week, I hunted for my collar, which was no longer on the dresser where it typically lived when I wasn’t wearing it. “Belial? Where’s my collar?”

“Lucifer is feeling needy, so he is carrying it around since he can’t just drag you all over the residence without waking you.”

What a cretin, stealing my collar after I’d stolen it from him. I emerged from the bathroom, checked the closet, and debated the problem of shoes. While I’d been sleeping, someone had converted the Devil’s closet to have space for things meant for me, and a ridiculous number of sandals, heels, and leather boots waited for my use.

Belial joined me, and he selected a pair of black boots with a two inch stiletto heel. “These would do an admirable job of drawing Lucifer’s attention. He is quite eager to see you wear these.”

I bet. I took the boots, sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled them on and lost a ridiculous amount of time lacing them up. “He’s going to have to reward me spectacularly every time I wear these.”

“I am sure he’ll attend to your every need.” Belial gestured towards the door. “If you are ready?”

I nodded, and on my way, I snagged my baseball bat, laughing over the new addition of a pretty white bow tied around the handle. “The bow is a nice touch.”

“That is Michael’s contribution, as he feels you deserve a bow on your present. Gabriel magicked the bow so it will never become dirty, so you can keep it for however long you like.”

“I love it. It adds such a feminine touch to my new weapon.” To my delight, the bow was made of satin. “I’ll have to thank them.”

“As Lucifer has ‘invited’ them to stay for the next two or so weeks, you can thank them in the great hall. He even paid a short visit to make sure his archangels and his fallen son would not cause too much trouble. That startled most of the residents, as He does not visit often. Your kittens did an excellent job of containing Lucifer, as they took over his lap and slept, thus invoking the new sacred rule of the household.”

“Don’t disturb the sleeping kittens?” I guessed.

“You are most correct. You are the most prized of the sleeping kittens, but your kittens come a close second. It amuses me that two young felines prevented a premature End of Days.”

“Well, Lucifer has a reputation, and he likes to argue with his father. Even I have figured that out.”

“I wouldn’t say he likes it. It is simply his nature.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with him as he is.” I tested the boots to make certain I wouldn’t fall on my ass and humiliate myself, purring my satisfaction over their comfort and fit. “Everything else has been okay?”

“For the most part. The succubi are testing Lucifer’s patience, so if you could establish your territory, we would all be appreciative.”

“I’m just going to threaten to beat them to death if they don’t get their hands off my man and keep them off, I hope you are aware of this.”

“I believe Lucifer is hopeful for this sort of demonstration, as he finds your more violent tendencies to be quite attractive.”

“Lucifer is demented.”

“Well, he is who he is.”

“All right. I’m ready.” I debated how best to carry my bat, and over my shoulder and ready to make good use of it appealed the most. Had I been a little wiser, I would have located leathers rather than a dress to fully establish I didn’t need to look pretty to kick ass, take names, and defend my turf.