Maxine

“He’s a diabolical monstrosity,” a succubus with luscious red hair murmured to her scantily clothed friend at the bar in front of me. “I’ll tell you, I’ve never seen an incubus so ugly before. Half-human, half-demon. Jagged teeth. Sharp talons. Utterly disgusting.”

“Not only that, but I’ve heard that Xorgor can’t even make a succubus orgasm,” a third succubus said as I poured her a glass of red wine. She grabbed it from me, her manicured fingers clicking against the glass.

“You’re kidding,” her friend whispered. “I’d be ashamed to have a son like that.”

“I would never let someone who looked like him into my bed.”

After suppressing an eye roll at how superficial they all were, I walked over to a fae couple that had been at the bar almost all night now. They kept flirting innocently with me. As I took their empty glasses and handed them their bill, I continued to listen to the drama unfolding with the succubi.

“Isn’t he supposed to inherit the demon throne?” the scantily clothed demon asked.

“There are rumors, but there is no way that his family would let him. He’s such an ugly bastard. His younger brother or Jaroth is set to take the throne next, I believe. Thank fucking Asmodeus.”

While all the succubi degraded this man they had probably never met, I wiped some alcohol I had spilled on the counter with a rag and carried empty glasses to the sink. They must’ve had boring lives if all they did was gossip and demean people.

It was because of people like them that I didn’t wear more provocative clothing around here, like my manager had suggested, to reel in more tips. If they saw the scars that lay on my chest from a wolf attack over a decade ago, they’d shrivel back in disgust.

The fae couple left a tip twice their bill with a note that read an address and a comment on how they wanted me to visit them tonight at their hotel. I tossed the note into the trash and found myself tightening my blouse, hyperaware of the scars hiding underneath it.

Sure, people might’ve flirted with me here, but … once I went home with someone, they always asked how a pretty girl like me could look so ugly underneath her clothing. I didn’t have the energy for it anymore. Or maybe … I just wanted to protect myself.

Because their words were true. I was ugly. 

“Of course you’re still working in this lousy bar,” a shrill female said behind me. 

I turned around to see Valerie—the one person I’d despised the most, growing up in Durnbone—sitting at the counter. She tucked some silver hair behind her ear and drew her tongue across her sharp vampire fangs. “Never made it that far out of Durnbone, did you?”

With royal blood running through her veins, Valerie was fourth in line to inherit the vampire empire’s throne. But honestly, I doubted that she’d ever make it as a queen. She was too nasty and way too annoying, even to vampires.

“I’d rather not leave,” I said. “My family is here.”

“Family?” She chuckled. “You still have family left after that wolf attack?”

I gritted my teeth and poured her a drink. No, I didn’t have any family left, but I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t left Durnbone to explore the world like I’d always wanted because I didn’t have the money. I had an old home that my grandfather had left me, but I had to work for every scrap of food.

“Do you happen to still have those scars?” she teased, smirking menacingly at me. “You know, the ugly ones across your chest.” She shivered, as if she was disgusted at the mere thought of them. “I remember the first time I saw them.”

Despite wanting to strangle her to death, I gave her a polite smile and hoped that she would feel enough pity for me to leave a better tip than the last vampire I’d served at the bar. He had left without giving me anything.

“How’s that girl you always used to hang out with in school? What was her name? Sina?”

My throat dried, and I tightened my hand around a wineglass until it nearly shattered. “She’s doing fine,” I said quickly, though I hadn’t seen her in years. 

Four years ago, she had disappeared with her father without a trace.

After that, I made myself busy with other customers until everyone left the bar, except her. Once I finally convinced her to leave way past closing time, I pulled on the string of my blouse to loosen it. It fell open a couple of inches in the front, enough to reveal the top of the diagonal scars that lay across my chest. Nobody was here, so it didn’t matter anymore.

I grabbed a mop and a bucket of warm, soapy water, desperately wanting to get this over with and go home for the night. It would be the same thing tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.

A wooden board creaked. I snapped my head toward it and gripped the mop tighter. 

“Is someone there?” I called, heart beating a bit faster. 

Sometimes, rowdy men and women tried grabbing a drink after they were finished fucking a monster at The Dungeon—a brothel where monsters, especially incubi, paid to fuck humans—down the road, but it had never been this late or this quiet.

When no one answered, I sucked in a deep breath to calm my racing heart and continued to mop the floor. I didn’t exactly know what it was, but I felt like I was being watched from the shadows, like someone was definitely here.

But all the lights were still on, and this place was empty.

I mopped, the eerie, omnious feeling staying with me the entire time. Once I finished, I poured the dirty water out into the back room sink and threw my hair up into a high ponytail. Another floorboard creaked, and I froze.

“Is someone here?” I asked again.

Sometimes, the floor at my grandfather’s house creaked, but … it rarely ever happened at work.

“Hello?” I continued, stepping back into the main room.

A shiny black, red, and gold ring with the royal family’s crest lay on the floor that I had just mopped. I stared at it through wide eyes and crouched down to pick it up. Maybe one of those succubi had left it, but I didn’t think that they were that close to the demon royal family.

Besides, I swore that I had picked up everything off the floor before I mopped. I would’ve seen this. But where had it come from? There wasn’t anyone in here with me, and no royal family members had been here tonight either.

The gold glistened under the dim tavern lights, illuminating the demon horns and shattered heart on the face of the ring. My stomach twisted at the thought of how much this could be worth. Thousands of coins, maybe a million.

If I left it here, someone could break in and steal it. But if I took it home with me, I’d be responsible for keeping it safe. I’d be responsible if someone robbed me while I walked home tonight, if someone broke into my house.

After checking the schedule for tomorrow morning and realizing that Arleth, a money-hungry human bitch, would be opening the tavern tomorrow, I tucked the ring away in my pocket and grabbed my belongings. She couldn’t be trusted with it.

I vowed to return it to whoever it belonged to by myself. I’d do whatever it took, and maybe they’d be so generous to give me some coin for returning it.