Devour the Heart Ch. 01

Lalassa

The hot sun beat down on me. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. The path of the sun had shifted the shade, putting me in almost full sunlight. Probably time to move. Placing my book carefully on the small table beside me, I stood, stretching. Then I reached for my drink. I found it empty. "Duran!" I called.

My familiar came into view. "Yes, my lady?"

He looked yummy. The nut brown expanse of his chest, one shade darker than mine, was well muscled and smooth. In contrast, the lines of his face were as delicate as a woman's. His eyes were an exotic green, and his dark hair, which fell to his waist, looked almost blue in the bright sunlight. He was almost as tall as a northerner, towering above my own 4'9." I knew that if he turned around his back would be as chiseled as his chest, and his butt would be small but shapely inside his loincloth.

I absently rubbed my short skirt between my fingers and thought about what I had been reading. It was possible, the author said, for a demon to feed through sex. I'd designed Duran's form as eye candy alone. I had never considered actually having sex with him. Now I wondered if I should try. It would be nice to get some corroborating data.

Abruptly, I realized Duran was still waiting for my order. I handed him my cup. "More fruit juice," I told him. "The papaya, this time."

He gave a small bow. "Yes, my lady," he murmured, and then turned to go back to the house.

It had taken years, and some rather impressive spell work, to get him this well trained. The breakthrough had occurred when I had realized Duran enjoyed my touch, and that could be as effective a reward as feeding.

I wondered, yet again, why Duran liked being touched by me so much. It didn't seem like a survival trait, and it wasn't created purely by magic. None of the familiars of my fellow wizards showed any interest in touch, but my research had indicated that other wizards, now long dead, had noticed the same thing in their demons.

I thought about the book I had been reading, which described a demon who had declared he loved his summoner. Was this somehow related to why Duran enjoyed my touch? Or was the capacity to love unrelated to the enjoyment of the summoner's touch?

I lifted the table my book was sitting on, and moved it into the shade. Then I shifted my chair. Finally, I settled into my chair and picked up my book again.

I wondered yet again why the northerners still used books. Without careful spell work, they were vulnerable to both bugs and humidity. Give me a spelled stone tablet any day. Yes, they were a bit heavier, but they were ten times more durable.

My people had only briefly used paper to record things, several thousand years ago when it was newly discovered. Then some bright wizard had come up with a spell that allowed a stone tablet to change what was inscribed on it. After several years of experimentation and refinement, the wizard had come out with a slender stone tablet that could hold as much as a book. The design hadn't really changed since then. It was hard to improve on perfection.

When the north and the south had discovered each other, they had exchanged many things, among them methods of recording information. The exchange had led to the magical revolution, which had irrevocably changed life on both the continents. Working together, wizards from both continents had developed mirror magic, and light stones, and a thousand other useful spells for everyday life.

Magical glyphs, the language of wizards, had been roughly the same on both continents, despite the differences between our common tongues. Various academics were still trying to figure out why that was. I, personally, didn't care why northerners used the same glyphs we did. I just knew it meant I didn't have to learn Northerner to read their academic works. Like, for example, the one I was currently engrossed in.

I heard a glass settle on the table beside me. "Your juice, lady," Duran murmured.

I turned to touch his arm. "Thank you, Duran," I said, running my fingers softly along his lower arm before pressing a kiss against his inner wrist.

He shivered. "My lady."

Slowly, I kissed my way up Duran's arm. He sighed happily. He liked the touch of my mouth most of all. Again, I wondered why. "How would you like" -kiss- "to try an experiment" -kiss- "with me?" I asked.

"I live to please you, my lady," he murmured. Then he shuddered as my lips found the crease of his elbow.

I pulled him down onto his knees so I could continue to make his way up his arm. He closed his eyes, his expression one of pure bliss. I wondered if the demon in my book, Saban, reacted this strongly to touch. With my other hand, I undid the clasp of my skirt. As it was the only thing I was wearing, no other preparation was needed. I wondered how long it took the northerners, with their obsession with clothing, to get ready for sex. "Kiss my pussy," I told Duran.

His eyes widened. "Yes, my lady."

Duran shifted to kneel between my legs, back bent to get his head low enough to reach my pussy. Reverently, he pressed a kiss between my legs. Without my having to direct him, he kissed me again. His eyes flicked up to me. Then, slowly, allowing me plenty of time to object, he took my clit in his mouth. He sucked on it, moaning softly.

I moaned, too, my eyelids fluttering closed. It was his expression that did it, the passion in his eyes. Duran straightened and pulled me down into a passionate kiss, again leaving plenty of time for me to object. His mouth moved like he wanted to devour me.

And that was likely exactly what he was fantasizing about. Duran was a devourer, a type of demon that typically swallowed their prey. His goal, as he'd told me over and over, was to eat me. He didn't hate me, or, at least, I didn't think he did. He just passionately desired to swallow me whole.

As he sucked on my lower lip, I wondered if I should be encouraging him to put my body parts in his mouth. As Duran pulled away and bent over my pussy once more, I decided that yes, I did want him to do this. After all, he already wanted to eat me. It wasn't like it could get much worse than that.

Duran's tongue flicked into me, and then he began to suck my clit. I pushed him away briefly so I could think. I tried to remember what the goal of this exercise was. Besides getting off.

"Duran," I told him as he stared with longing at my pussy, "Can you try to feed from me while you play with me?" Devourers could feed just like regular demons, if they wanted to.

His eyes lit up. "Yes, my lady. With pleasure."

"Then do so," I instructed him. He nodded, and then bent over my pussy again.

After a moment, I could feel the tug on my magic that meant he was feeding. So. It was true. I thought about the implications of this discovery. Then, all thought was chased from my mind by the feeling of Duran's tongue.

An urgency grew in the way Duran licked and sucked, a frantic, all encompassing passion. No hesitation, no uncertainty. Duran wanted this. He wanted this very much. I wondered if he'd thought about this before, maybe daydreamed about it. He was certainly eager enough now that it had been suggested.

I felt myself climbing, the feel of Duran's mouth driving me toward my peak. I moaned, my hand fisted in Duran's hair. "Yes," I sighed. "Oh, gods, Duran, yes!"

Duran made a soft, happy sound, barely audible over the sounds of my moaning and his vigorous tongue. I pushed him away. His mouth disengaged reluctantly from my pussy, and he sighed unhappily.

I pulled him up and fumbled with his loincloth. "I want you to fuck me," I told him.

He shrank away. "Please, lady, I'd rather serve you with my mouth."

I hesitated, nodded. "Serve me, then."

Duran knelt eagerly, and once again took my clit in his mouth. I gasped. "Oh, gods, yes!"

It didn't take much longer for me to reach climax. I whimpered as I felt my orgasm building, gripping Duran's hair tightly in my fist. He began to lick me more vigorously. Then the climb finished, and I was racing down the other side, all my built up desire unwinding in one go. I screamed. "Gods-" The feel of Duran's mouth, of another orgasm building, cut me off. I came again with another scream. And then again. I tried to push Duran away, to let me catch my breath, but he refused to be moved. I came again and again and again...

Finally, gasping, my extended orgasm finished. I shoved Duran, and this time he went. "You," I panted, "Didn't listen to me. You didn't stop when I wanted you to."

Duran bowed his head. "Whatever punishment you deem fit, my lady, I will take."

I snorted. "You're not sorry at all, are you?"

Duran bowed lower. "I'm afraid not, my lady."

I shook my head. "I'll work on that later. Right now," I said, refastening my skirt, "I want to finish my book." My stomach rumbled. "And I'm hungry. Go make me a sandwich."

*

Duran

I smiled to myself as I shredded the pork for the sandwich, taking care to remove all the fat. I'd gotten to kiss my lady. And lick her. And put her clit in my mouth. It hadn't been as satisfying as eating her would have been, but it was the next best thing.

I wondered why my lady Lalassa had wanted to have me pleasure her. I decided I didn't care. I'd gotten to lick her, and she was yummy. Nothing else mattered.

Having my cock inside her would have been nice, but not as nice as licking her. That was why I'd pulled away when she'd reached for my loincloth. I wanted her in my mouth, not on my cock. Mmmm, in my mouth...

Again, as I had many times before, I imagined I had her in my grip. Willing, helpless, it didn't matter. I'd open wide, my whole body turning into a gaping maw. Then I'd push her inside. I imagined the feel of her squirming as she slid down my throat. I imagined my satisfaction when I had her tucked away in one of my many stomachs. She just looked so yummy.

I was pleased that she'd responded so well to my touch. I'd been sneaking into her room at night for more than a year to read her small library of erotic novels. She didn't know I could get out of my cage, and I never intended to let her find out.

As I'd studied, watching her carefully all the while for signs of waking, I'd wondered if I'd ever get the chance to put my knowledge to use. I hadn't known how to approach her about my desires. I'd worried about how she might react. Now that was no longer an issue. And she'd let me feed while pleasuring her, too. That had been incredible. Absolute bliss.

Despite my recent feeding, I was hungry. Unlike most demons, I needed real food, not just power. And I hadn't had enough power, either. I hoped my lady wouldn't cancel my meal tonight. I had been bad, but had I been bad enough for her to let me go hungry? I didn't know.

Even if she did punish me by taking away my food, I wouldn't regret what I'd done. The feeling of her twitching and shuddering against my mouth was amazing, and three orgasms just hadn't been enough. Actually, fourteen hadn't been enough, either. I could never get enough of her cumming against my lips.

I hoped she would let me pleasure her with my mouth again. I hoped my eagerness to make her cum hadn't scared her off. That would make me regret ignoring her when she tried to push me away.

I added caramelized onions to the sandwich. My lady liked caramelized onions. She'd taught me how to make them for her. I enjoyed watching her eat something I had made. Actually, I enjoyed watching her eat, period. Food was important.

I put the sandwich on a plate and headed toward the beach. I didn't want to make my lady wait for her food. After all, I was already in trouble.

*

Lalassa

I heard Duran set the plate on my table. "Your sandwich, lady," he said.

"Thank you, Duran," I said distractedly, engrossed in my book.

"According to your calendar, your sister is joining you for dinner this evening," Duran said. "What should I do to prepare?"

I looked up from my book, blinking. Oh. Right. I'd forgotten. I'd really started to rely on Duran to keep my social engagements straight. I thought for a second. "What time is it now?" I asked, looking at the position of the sun.

"Early evening, my lady," Duran answered. "About 5 o'clock."

Probably time to start preparing dinner, then. "Start chopping the ingredients for that chicken dish with the mangoes and peppers," I ordered my familiar. "Turn on the tortilla spell, and prepare some plantains for frying. I'll be in to direct you further in a bit."

Duran bowed, murmured his assent, and left.

I finished the chapter I was on, ate my sandwich, and went inside. Duran was in the kitchen, preparing the ingredients like I had told him. A small light hovered over one counter, darting around as it directed the tortilla ingredients. The tortilla charm, the latest advancement in smart spells, was a gift from a friend who made them. I would never have bought something that expensive for myself. Especially not when I could just tell my demon to do it.

At a gesture from me, the oven began to heat. There was a fire elemental trapped inside that heated the food. Also expensive, but I was the one that had made it. That was my trade, actually. Elemental spells. The fire elemental oven spell was very popular, especially in restaurants, because it warmed the oven up swiftly and didn't heat the surrounding area. I was working on a cooling spell involving air elementals, but it wasn't finished yet.

I entered the kitchen and began to use the ingredients Duran had prepared. I liked cooking. Well, except for the boring bits where you had to stand there stirring or chop ingredients, but I had Duran to do that for me now. The two of us moved in a practiced rhythm, each of us knowing the part we had to play in tonight's dinner preparations. Both of us easily avoided getting in the way of the tortilla spell. After all, I'd had it for awhile.

There was a knock at the door. Without my having to ask, my familiar broke off what he was doing and went to get it. He returned with my sister and her bodyguard in tow. I nodded to them. "Evening, Kiria, Jeris. Dinner will be ready momentarily."

Jeris moved to stand in the corner where he could watch the whole room, including both doors. He stared at Duran suspiciously. Kiria sat down at the table. "So, sis, what are we eating this evening?"

I smiled. "You remember that chicken dish I made for you on your birthday?"

Kiria clapped her hands in delight. "My favorite! Thanks, Lalassa. My chef doesn't make it anywhere near as well as you!"

My sister, Kiria, was a Representative in the Senate, the ruling body for the entire country. There were twelve Representatives, one from each district in the country. Kiria was often pretty busy, so it was hard for us to spend time together, but we were the only family we had, so she made time.

"Mind if I talk shop for a minute?" Kiria asked.

I nodded. "Fire away."

"Do you have any idea how the other wizards are taking the budget cuts?" Kiria nibbled on her lower lip. "I've had a lot of complaints, but I don't know how representative that is of wizards as a whole."

I sighed. "Well, I, personally, get that the country can't afford to fund us anymore. I get that we have to pull our own weight in this economy, not expect handouts from the state."

"But the other wizards?" Kiria prompted.

I sighed again. "They're not taking it well. Icha is the only other wizard I know who isn't at least grumbling about it. I mean, I'm sure there are others, but everyone else I know is pretty pissed."

Kiria sighed. "I thought that might be the case. Any way you can sway things a bit?"

I shook my head. "You know I'll try, but no one really listens to me. They're all clustering around Yula. I'd watch out for her, by the way. If anyone is going to set up an organized protest, it'll be her."

Kiria frowned. "Yes, she's contacted my office several time to complain."

The tortilla spell finished the final tortilla, and I checked the chicken I was cooking. "All right, guys, dinner is served."

Kiria and I chatted about more light hearted matters over dinner. She wanted to know how my work was going, and I wanted to hear the juicy details from her last date.

"You are aware you could just read the news for that, right?" she asked. "My private life isn't exactly private these days."

I grinned. "I'd rather hear it from you."

We talked about the latest play, the news, and the weather. Rainy season was late this year. I, personally, was looking forward to the slightly cooler weather. Kiria wanted it to hold off just a bit longer so she could have one last rally for her supporters. Finally, we landed on the topic guaranteed to come up anytime at least two Teronnians got together: the problem with the orcs.

"I've heard that they've been sighted across the border. Is that true?" I asked.

Kiria sighed. "I'm afraid so. The military captured one just this week right near the edge of the city. The gods alone know how it got there."

"Did it eat anyone?" I asked.

"We found a few finger bones in its stomach. Human finger bones," Kiria said with a shudder. "And it looked like it was trying to make a blood pit. You know this can go no further, right?"

Blood pits were how orcs reproduced. They dug a pit, and heaped it full of blood, guts, and bones. Then they performed some magic, turning the pit's contents into red mush. Some orc flesh was added. After that, the pit produced fully grown orcs. A small blood pit produced one every six months, if new ingredients were added regularly. Larger ones produced more.

The issue with orcs was their ability to regenerate. A healthy orc could regenerate anything short of a missing head. Even then, if you threw an orc head in a blood pit, the orc would grow a new body. The only way to really kill one was fire. The orc population near the border of Teron was growing, and, as it grew, becoming more restless. Soon they would try to invade. Again.

Kiria sighed, looking up at the clock. "Looks like it's time for me to go. Same time next week?"

I nodded. "If you have the time."

We said our goodbyes, and Kiria and her bodyguard left. It was just me and Duran again.

I stretched, yawning. "You hungry, Duran?"

He rose eagerly. "Yes!"

I smiled. "Well, then, let's feed you."

We went outside to the livestock pet, where there was a goat. Duran looked at it and licked his lips. Then he looked at me. "May I?"

I nodded. "Take your true shape, and feed." I temporarily released the magic that kept him in his human guise.

Duran shifted to his natural form. Blue tentacles reached for the goat, which bleated and tried to run. Its struggles were useless. Soon, Duran had it in his grasp. Duran's whole body split down the equator, revealing a gaping hole and a large, red tongue. He licked the goat. It bleated in protest. Duran's tongue wrapped around the struggling animal and drew it inside. It slid screaming into blackness. I shivered. Duran's enormous mouth closed, and he smiled widely, tentacles writhing. He belched. Then, without my having to ask, he shifted back to his human form. He sighed, rubbing his belly happily. "Thank you, my lady."

I had no clue what would happen to the goat now. I'd tried to look inside of Duran. I'd peered down his throat, but I could only see so far. I'd tried having him swallow a recording mirror, but magic ceased to work once it passed his lips. Probably an adaption to make it easier to eat wizards.

Duran smiled. "Still wondering what makes me tick?"

"Yes," I admitted.

"You could always go have a look yourself," my familiar suggested helpfully.

The corners of my mouth quirked up. Hope springs eternal, I thought. "No."

"It won't hurt," my familiar insisted.