Chapter 18 The Velvet sin
Actually, scrap Mammon’s wine. Asmodeus stopped walking. “Let me take you somewhere better.”
“Better how?”
“You just told Pride to go fuck himself. That deserves a real celebration.” His grin was wicked. “Two hours. If you hate it, I’ll bring you back.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
The portal ripped open. Purple light. Crackling energy. Asmodeus stepped through. Lilith followed.
The bass was so loud that she had to cover her ears.
Music so loud her teeth rattled. People were shouting and laughing so loudly.
Lilith opened her eyes.
“Welcome to The Velvet Sin.”
The building looked like someone had built a cathedral and then decided chaos was better. Three stories at least. Doors wide open.
Asmodeus grabbed her hand. “Come on!”
They pushed inside.
Pure chaos.
The main floor was insane. The dance floor was packed with dancing wildly. Bar running the entire length of one wall. Bartenders juggling bottles like it was a sport, people playing all sorts of dangerous games she had never seen before, the only one she could recognise was Mumblery-peg.
A woman with blue skin threw back a shot. Slammed the glass down. “Another one!”
Her friend, who is huge, with dark skin like polished stone and eyes glowing red, grabbed the glass away. “No! You’re done!”
“Give it back!”
“Make me!”
Two guys at a card table. One had a tail that kept reaching for the deck. The other kept smacking it. “Stop cheating!”
“I’m not! My tail does that!”
“Control your damn tail!”
On the dance floor, someone literally made of fire spun with someone covered in ice. Steam rising where they touched. Both laughing.
She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of all this, it seemed weird and terrifying at the same time.
Asmodeus pulled Lilith toward the bar. “Let me get you something to drink”.
Someone stumbled into her with copper skin, ram horns, and she was definitely drunk. “Shit! Sorry!”
“You’re good!”
“First time here?”
“Yeah!”
“Have fun!” She raised her drink and disappeared into the crowd.
The bartender spotted them. His horns spiralled up at least two feet. Covered in rings and chains. “Asmodeus! Where the hell have you been?”
“I have been busy! Two Infernals!”
He didn’t even respond. Just started throwing bottles in the air, catching them, and pouring without looking. Two drinks slid across the bar.
Lilith grabbed hers. Red and gold, it was glowing.
She hesitated for a while, then eventually gave in.
“Drink!” Asmodeus clinked his glass against hers.
She drank it all at once.
Holy shit!
It was sweet and sour, electric and burning, she had adrenaline. Her whole body buzzed. Heat spread through her chest.
“Oh my god!”
“Right?!” Asmodeus was grinning.
“Now let’s dance!”
“I can’t dance!”
“Nobody here can!
He was already dragging her toward the floor.
Absolute insanity.
Everyone was dancing, different types of creatures she never knew existed. Someone’s tail almost hit her in the face, but she ducked.
A woman with bull horns spun past. Crashed straight into someone. They both laughed and kept going.
The music was so loud that Lilith felt it in her bones. Heavy drums. Something that made her want to move, even though she had no idea what she was doing.
Asmodeus grabbed her waist. Spun her immediately.
She stumbled. “I don’t know what I’m doing!”
“Nobody does! Just move!”
Lilith looked around. Nobody was watching her. Everyone is too busy doing their own thing and dancing, some where drunk and some already past.
So she stopped thinking about it.
Just moved.
Felt stupid at first. Then less stupid. Then she stopped caring altogether.
She spun. Her hair flew everywhere. She laughed, and it surprised her.
The music changed and got faster, and everyone went crazy.
Lilith threw her hands up. Let go. Jumped when the bass dropped. Spun because it felt good. Moved, however, her body wanted.
Two people near her started battling. A circle formed around them instantly. One guy moved like water. Smooth. Impossible. The other moved like lightning. Fast. Sharp. Taking turns showing off. The crowd screamed.
Sweat ran down Lilith’s back. Her hair stuck to her neck. Her legs were burning.
She kept going.
Song after song. She lost track completely. Just movement, music, and freedom.
Finally, she grabbed Asmodeus’s arm. “Then he said”. Let's take a break.
“Thank god! I’m dying!”
They stumbled upstairs. The second floor was a bit quieter. Tables everywhere. Cards. Dice. People are cheating, arguing, and laughing about it.
They fell into a booth.
“That was insane!” Lilith could barely breathe.
“Right?!” Asmodeus waved at someone.
Drinks appeared. Food appeared. Lilith didn’t even ask. Just grabbed something and ate it. Tasted like honey and smoke. Amazing.
Below them, someone won big at dice. Their scream cut through everything. Friends tackled them.
At the bar, a group was doing shots together, counting down, and slamming their glasses. One guy completely missed his mouth. Alcohol everywhere. Everyone screamed, laughing.
“Have you ever gambled?” Asmodeus asked.
“No! I have no idea how!”
“Perfect! Want to try?”
“I’ll lose!”
“That’s the fun part!”
He pulled her to a nearby table. Five people are already playing. They looked up.
“New player!” A woman with blue scales grinned. “Sit down, sweetheart.”
“She’s never played before”, Asmodeus said.
Everyone’s grin got bigger.
“Oh, we’ll teach you”, a guy with silver skin said. “Don’t worry.”
They taught her by taking all her money in about three minutes.
First round, she lost; second and third rounds, the same thing.
“You’re terrible at this!” Asmodeus was cracking up.
“I know!” But Lilith was laughing too. She didn’t even care.
She won the fourth round completely by accident.
“WHAT?!” The silver guy threw his cards down. “How did you do that?”
“I have no idea!” Lilith was laughing so hard she couldn’t see straight.
Lost the next three round.Won one more by pure luck.
But everyone was joking around and trash-talking each other and having a good time.
“You’re honestly the worst I’ve ever seen”, the blue-scaled woman said.
“Thank you!”
“That wasn’t a compliment!”
“I’m taking it as one anyway!”
They played for maybe an hour. Lilith lost way more than she won. Didn’t matter at all.
Then she went back to dancing.
No hesitation this time. She just threw herself into it. Moved, however, she wanted. Spun. Jumped. Danced with random people. Danced by herself and danced with Asmodeus.
Her legs were shaking. Her throat hurt from yelling over the music. She was sweating everywhere, that was one of the best night of her entire life.
They danced until she literally couldn’t stand anymore, then drank more.she watched someone pass out at the bar after winning a drinking contest.
Time stopped existing, she was just living in the moment.
Finally, hours later, Lilith collapsed back in the booth. Gasping for air.
“I don’t want to leave.”
“But we have to go!”
Below them, the party was still going. No signs of slowing down. Probably never stopped.
“Thank you”, she said. I really mean it.
Asmodeus smiled. “Anytime you need to escape, you know where to find me.”
Eventually, though, she had to go back.
The portal opened. She stepped through.
The Vestibulum appeared around her, cold, quiet, and heavy.
But she was still smiling.
And that was hers.
Nobody could take that away.