Demonic pacts were not to be underestimated. This, Vynx learned the hard way. The hunter had expected his new succubus companion to incinerate their contract the moment she realized that he had no soul to sign away. Unfortunately, Laven was determined to get her revenge with a different method, and that entailed sticking around to torment the hunter in increasingly creative scenarios. The succubus was a skilled weaver of dreams, utilizing her mastery of dark magic to warp and shape the dreamscape of her pactholder to whatever they desired. At first, Vynx was excited at the prospect of summoning his demonic companion to do his bidding. It did not take long for him to realize that Laven had other plans. 

In the dream world, he was the one at Laven's mercy. While Vynx was still in full control of his own thoughts and "body," he was in the demoness's territory within the dreamscape. Any location that she wanted to conjure became reality, down to the last vivid detail. On the first night that Vynx fell asleep after forming the pact, he found himself shirtless and chained up in an elaborate sex dungeon. His demonic mistress, clad in nothing but a skin-tight leather corset and high-heeled boots, took her time teasing the bound hunter. Her skillful ministrations felt all too real; Laven's soft hands and mouth on his body were especially dangerous when Vynx could hardly deny a beautiful woman already. Yet whenever Vynx came close to the brink of ecstasy, Laven would always find a way to pull away and abruptly end the dream. The cycle repeated each night Vynx allowed himself to fall asleep, leaving the hunter with the worst morning wood of his life by the time he woke up. 

Plotting his revenge was an even harder task when the succubus was able to pry into his thoughts whenever she wanted. Perhaps the worst part of the new pact was the complete lack of privacy. If he was not careful, his succubus companion could read his mind and all the dirty thoughts that came with it. Laven loved to comment on his tastes, and he could always tell that she was watching from the shadows when he was with one of his other female companions. As much as Vynx liked to say that he enjoyed having an audience, he did not need Laven ruining the mood when he wanted to be a little intimate with the others. 

After several restless nights of waking up to nothing but exhaustion and sexual frustration, Vynx had a plan. "Laven, come out here. I need a word," Vynx ordered in his mind. He had a rare afternoon to himself; Sophia was fast asleep in his pocket while Hilde and Soleil were off visiting their respective churches in the city. The party had paid off their tab at the Rose Garden and extended their stay for another week, giving Vynx and the girls some time to relax before they needed to take on their next job. 

His shadow on the floor shifted and rose from the ground as the succubus manifested herself before him. "Hm? Whatever do you need, Master?" Laven questioned. Sarcasm dripped from her last word, and Vynx could see the succubus holding back a snide smile as she hovered in front of him. 

"I thought that today would be a good day for us to go out together. Just the two of us," Vynx said. 

Laven raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You do realize that I am a demon, right? I can't exactly walk around in public."

"Yeah, but I've also seen what you can do with that illusion magic of yours. Surely, you're able to shapeshift and blend in if you really wanted to?" he asked. Vynx had already witnessed the succubus changing her outfits at the flick of a wrist, and so long as they avoided any patrolling knights of the Holy Order, he felt like her presence would be safe enough in his company. 

"I suppose I could. Was there somewhere that you wanted to go?" The succubus could have pried the answer from his mind, but she decided to play along and keep herself in suspense. 

Vynx beamed, pleasantly surprised that Laven was being so cooperative. "The proprietress mentioned a shop that sells magical goods and equipment for 'adult entertainment.' She recommended it as a way to spice things up in the bedroom in case I ever needed it," he chuckled. 

"Ah, have our nights together not been exciting enough for you?" Laven pouted in false offence. 

"No, no, you've got it all wrong. Your dreams have inspired me to get more creative," Vynx corrected her. "As neat as the dreamscape is, I want our first time in reality to be one you won't forget." The hunter smiled daringly. He had been waiting for the right opportunity to claim Laven properly, but impressing a demoness who lived off sex was going to be a challenge, even for him. While Vynx had full confidence in his own body and stamina, he wanted that extra "wow" factor to set him apart from the rest of the unfortunate men she had drained in the past. 

The succubus swished her tail in consideration. "I see. How kind of you to think about me so," Laven sneered. "Are you going to wine and dine me as well before we finally "make love"?" 

"If you're up for it, sure." The hunter shrugged. "I can afford to be a little less stingy with my coin purse since we actually got paid for that last job."

"Indeed, that job of exorcising me." Laven rolled her eyes. "Still, a walk through the city doesn't sound too bad. It beats sitting around and listening to courtesans faking their moans all day," the succubus relented. She snapped her fingers, and a swirl of dark purple smoke enveloped her body. Laven's wings, tail, and horns all disappeared while a modest dirndl with a long skirt and apron appeared overtop her set of black lingerie. Her tattoos and darkened sclera faded until her skin and eyes appeared free of any demonic markings. She then landed gently on the ground as a set of slim leather boots formed around her feet. 

"Cute." Vynx had to admit, he didn't expect Laven to appear so perfectly normal without all of her demonic features. Granted, he had to wonder if her usual appearance was even her true form or simply one she crafted to match the tastes of mortal men. Regardless, he led the way out of their bordello room and took her hand as they stepped outside. The sun radiated high in the sky with plenty of daylight left, giving Vynx the opportunity to stroll at a leisurely pace with the succubus at his side. 

Laven looked… wary. Her eyes shifted side to side suspiciously, half-expecting them to be stopped by any of the city guards or wandering mages they passed. Yet somehow, no one paid the couple any mind, and even less so as they entered a less reputable area of the city. 

"Relax, Laven. The capital is full of oddballs—you aren't going to draw any attention unless you act suspicious," the hunter snickered and draped his arm over her shoulders. "Besides, I happen to be on pretty good terms with the King should we ever get arrested."

"Why does it sound like you're speaking from experience?" 

"I may have ended up in a holding cell once or twice for disrupting the peace. It was never my fault, though! But if some drunks are going to start a bar fight, you know I'll be the one to end it," Vynx said casually.

The succubus snorted in amusement. "I thought that you preferred not meddling in human affairs."

"Still don't. But if there's one thing I've gotten good at, it's a good old-fashioned tavern brawl." Vynx grinned widely. "Some problems are best left settled with fists—much less messy than guns or magic."

"I beg to differ. Silencing oafs with a spell or a bullet sounds more effective in the long run," the succubus interjected. "You mentioned that you were no good at magic. Well, now you have me to do the dirty work for you." Laven glanced at him with a callous smile. 

"No killing civilians. Especially not in the city," Vynx groaned. "Save your spells for the supernatural nasties. That's an order," he said firmly. As a homunculus without a natural pool of mana, Vynx had only ever relied on his tools and his own two hands to get a job done. A part of him was curious about the full arsenal of Laven's spells, but he could tell that he would need to be careful with setting his new demonic companion loose.

"As you wish, Master," Laven muttered with another eye roll.

"Speaking of magic, we're almost there. It should be right around this corner," Vynx stated and pointed ahead at the magical goods shop at the end of the lane. The hanging wooden placard out front bore the carving of a lounging cat, and a small bell jingled as Vynx opened the door for Laven to step in first. A strong floral aroma mixed with smoke and herbs hit the hunter as soon as he entered the shop. Tinted windows kept the afternoon light from shining into the shop; instead, purple lanterns dangled from the ceiling, offering a dim magenta glow all throughout the store. 

A woman in an elegant dark gown greeted them from behind the front counter. "Welcome to the Cat's Cradle. Is this your first time here, loves?" A glass case of potions and salves stood behind her, and if not for the expansive collection of phallic-shaped objects on display right next to them, one could mistake the Cat's Cradle as a magic oddities shop like many of the others scattered throughout the city.

"Technically, yeah. Madam Sabine recommended your place as a must-visit stop for new couples," Vynx replied with an easygoing smile. 

"Oh ho, Sabine sent you, did she? Wait, let me guess—you're that famous Vampire Hunter that's always visiting the Garden, aren't you?" The shopkeeper's eyes glinted in devious delight as she scanned over Vynx's weathered jacket and the scar running across his chiselled chest. 

Vynx coughed awkwardly and turned his gaze to another shelf of trinkets. "That's me. Vynx Tusand, nice to meet you. This is my partner, Laven." 

Vynx could see the way the shopkeeper's smile tensed as the succubus-in-disguise stared hard at her. An uneasy tension began to brew in the midst of their silence. At last, Laven returned a small smirk and offered a curtsy. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, madam. Are there any specialty goods that you would recommend?" Her voice rang with a fake innocence that made it painfully obvious that she was playing naive. 

"Well… for a couple of lovebirds like you two, I certainly have some new stock that you might be interested in," the shopkeeper responded smoothly. "Feel free to have a look around while I grab them from the back. Just try not to break anything, hm?" 

"The sword stays in its sheath; worry not." Vynx flashed her his best grin while the shopkeeper turned to slip through a door to her side. As he turned back around, Laven was already waiting with an armful of toys, rope, and leather straps. 

"These should suit my purposes well enough. I'll try not to drain all of your funds this time around," Laven cooed. 

Vynx scanned wearily over the selection and only nodded. "Just don't be surprised if I find my own ways to get creative with them," the hunter warned in a low voice. 

Her smirk only widened. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Master." Laven strode back to the counter to ring up the items just as the shopkeeper returned with several more in hand. Before the woman even had a chance to explain their uses, Laven piped up, "We'll take those as well." She beckoned her finger for Vynx to come forth and pay for the haul, much to the chagrin of his coin purse. 

"Can we get everything in a discreet bag? Thanks." Vynx set down a handful of silver coins and seemed relieved as the woman bagged everything in a black silk sack. 

"Thank you both for your patronage. Tell Sabine I said hello when you get back." The shopkeeper counted the coins and then playfully waved them off as the pair left the shop.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Laven leaned in to whisper, "That woman was a hag, you know."

"Now Laven, that's not very nice to say about an older lady," Vynx chided her as he slung their bag over his shoulder.

"No, literally. She was a witch in disguise." The succubus scoffed and crossed her arms. "She likely sensed exactly what I am as well when we stepped in there." 

"Oh. Well, that would explain all the burning incense and magic gizmos," Vynx conceded. "Still, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Or, well, what's under the cover in this case…" He shrugged as he strode along by her side. "So long as she didn't scam us, I see no issue if a witch wants to run a sex toy shop as a side hustle." 

Laven gave him a quizzical look. "You're rather lenient for a hunter of the occult and supernatural," she mumbled. 

"Maybe I should have specified this earlier: as long as they aren't doing any harm, then I prefer to leave them be," Vynx said. "I don't get much choice when the King or Commission sends me out on a job, but if some supernatural creature or person is just trying to get by and fit in, then they should get a chance to live a normal life like anyone else." 

His words resonated through her mind for a moment. "A chance, huh?" She chuckled under her breath. "That mercy might kill you someday." Laven kept her eyes ahead of her as she fell into step next to the hunter.

"Meeting my end at the hands of a beautiful woman wouldn't be the worst way to go. However, you'll be there to keep me from getting charmed by any other seductive enchantresses, right?" Vynx crowed. 

"Mm. I suppose I cannot let someone else take my role in our arrangement." 

The hunter laughed and let Laven hook her arm back around his. "By the way… why don't we stop by a tavern for a meal before we head back to the Garden?" He had not forgotten her joke about wining and dining. "I know that human food doesn't do much for you, but you can still enjoy the taste of some good steak, yeah?" 

"Indeed. It's been a while since I've had any veal," Laven admitted. "Are you sure that your purse can handle it?" she wondered and bumped her hip against his side where he kept their coin pouch. 

Vynx winced internally but put on a brave face. "Anything for the lovely lady. In return, I want you to keep your magic tricks to yourself tonight. Let me handle everything, Laven." 

The succubus purred in amusement. "As you wish. I'll let the big, strong hunter take the lead." 

"You sure know how to wear down a man's pride." Vynx sighed; he knew better than to let Laven's teasing get to him. Perhaps with their sack of new supplies, he would have the tools to even the playing field once they returned to the bedroom.