CHAPTER 151

Mike picked up the sports coat on his bed and put it on. He had ordered it online and Tink had made some alterations to it, and it now fit perfectly. He stopped in the bathroom to admire how it looked in the mirror, only to see Naia staring at him with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Looks good from back here," she told him. "Wish I could go with you."

"Me. too," he told her, then turned around to give her a peck on the lips. "Don't think we could fit the centaur tribe around your fountain."

She pouted, then gave him a wink. "You owe me a hot soak in the near future."

"Yeah, I do." He touched her cheek and she turned into water and vanished down the drain. On his way out of the bathroom, he stopped when he saw Lily sitting on the edge of the bed. She was in an elegant black gown with red trim and had on black lace gloves. Around her neck was the pendant he had given her, an antique stone in a silver setting.

"You look delicious," she said, then stood to join him. "And I am so ready for a night on the town."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird. With everything going on with faerie queen plans, Zel's ceremony kind of snuck up on me." He held still while she adjusted his collar. "Will be fun to blow off some steam before going back to the Underworld."

Lily scowled. "Still planning to swim upstream in the Underworld, are you?" She was referring to a plan that Beth had concocted. During Samhain, the veil between worlds would become thin, allowing the fae and other spirits to cross over. Mike's plan was to see where they were coming from and track their origin until he made it back to the queen's court, a plan made much easier now by the fact that he could now ride Cerberus through the Underworld.

"I don't have a better idea. According to Sulyvahn, the flow of time between the two places synchronizes, so we don't have to worry about me getting stuck there for thirty years by accident." He picked up a pair of ties from the bed. "What do you think?" he asked, holding each one up to his neck.

Lily took the ties from him and threw them on the floor. "You look stupid in a tie," she declared, then undid the top button of his shirt to open his collar up. "When someone tells you to dress nice, it doesn't mean you have to look like an asshole."

"I..." He didn't know how to respond, so took her advice and threw the ties back on the bed. "You're here super early. I'm not headed to see the Moon Tribe for a few hours yet."

"Oh, I know. I wanted to come with you when you head to the other house. Maybe meet my new little sister, see if she likes to play dress up."

Mike laughed, then picked up the backpack sitting by his bedroom door. It was heavy, packed to the brim with paperback books. He had been tempted to buy Amymone an e-reader but had no way for her to keep it charged. "I would love the company. Come on, let's go."

He led her downstairs and then out back to the gate. Naia waved to them as they passed, and he unlocked the padlock before swinging the gate open. The mists of the Underworld curled around his limbs like snakes, but the effect no longer bothered him. Once inside the Underworld, he cupped his hands to his mouth.

"Cerberus!" His voice vanished into the woods, and he turned to look at Lily. "I thought it was bad news for you to be in here? Something about demons coming to check on you?"

She shook her head. "I won't be in here long, and even if they show, they will see Cerberus and leave. Demons don't fuck with hellhounds, it's a bit of an unspoken rule."

"There's my fun fact for the day." He turned his attention to the mist just as a large shadow formed and then leapt toward him. Cerberus landed with a loud thump, then sniffed his face before transforming into a woman. Their leather outfit looked slightly more refined now, and each head had black bows in their hair.

"I'll be fucked," Lily muttered. "You really did it. You domesticated one of the fiercest predators in existence."

He nodded. "This shouldn't be a surprise to you, I know you've been reading my memories." Lily had been back in the Dreamscape with him most of the week, trying to help him refine his techniques. The Shadow had been mysteriously absent, so the succubus had been putting Mike through the paces.

"Seeing it in real life is different," she told him, then stuck her hand toward Cerberus. The head nearest to her swiveled to sniff her hand, and then the beast had formed once more, a trio of growls rumbling from her chest.

"Easy, Cerberus. Lily is a friend." He patted the fur of Cerberus' chest, and the rumbling dwindled. "That's a good girl."

"Why do you talk to her like she's a dog?" Lily asked.

"Well...isn't she?" He frowned at the question, then looked at Cerberus. "I figured the enchantment that bound her to me made her more human, but that was it."

Lily shook her head. "Cerberus are actually very smart. Whatever changed because of the magic really only gave her the ability to transform."

"Cerberus, is this true?" he asked. The hellhound transformed back into a woman and sneered at Lily.

"Master speaks to Cerberus how master wants," they said, each head speaking only a word at a time. "Cerberus is a good girl for master."

Stunned, Lily shook her head. "Well fuck me in the ass, she's got it bad for you. I shouldn't be surprised."

"Shit, now I feel bad. I'm—" he was about to speak when Lily clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Romeo, I'm not certain how powerful the enchantment is that bound her to you, but if she is deferring to you as an alpha male, I want to remind you that she is still a fire-breathing demon who relies heavily on instinct. If she were to feel that her own status has shifted, it could be problematic. She's your bitch, you're not hers." She released her grip on him when Cerberus growled at her. "Just a thought."