* 10 * 4/8/12

Casavir was covered in blood and extremely exhausted. He seemed to have obliterated the wolves' ranks, but he wasn't confident that there weren't more, so he didn't allow himself to get too overjoyed.

"Well done, well done, bravo, my dear!" Blooden was so excited he thought she would applaud him. He'd take his warhammer to her mocking face if he had any strength left. After sufficient time had passed, he took a risk and turned to face her, a look of absolute, yet tired, disgust staining his features.

Blooden tsked. "Now, now, don't look at me like that. You know you've had plenty of fun, too, smashing hell's demons with that hammer of yours. Isn't that what paladins enjoy most?"

"You believe what we enjoy most is killing? Have you any understanding of our kind?"

"I understand that you're foolish for desiring one with whom you're not meant to be," the demoness countered, changing the subject.

"Do not speak of her. I do not desire her in the way you think."

"Oh, you don't, do you?"

The paladin's mind suddenly grew even wearier. Something was happening to him, but he wasn't sure if it was Blooden's influence or because he was realizing how exhausted he was now that he was no longer fighting.

"No." The word took an inordinate amount of effort to get out.

The succubus smirked. "Such resistance is unnecessary. Come closer."

He felt his feet lift one by one off the ground and move toward her, but he was too exhausted to stop them. He could only think of sleep, sweet sleep, and Lily's restful face...

No, Blooden's face...

Who was he kidding? He wanted her. She was beautiful, and she had shown far more interest in him than he'd experienced from their Leader. There was something about her that drew him toward her, closer and closer, until they were face to face. He was a bit taller than her, but his newly-acquired limp made him sink a few inches beneath the top of her head.

"There, there, that's not so bad, now, is it?"

"No, stop... I... I do not..."

She cupped his face with her hand and pulled him closer. The next second, her lips were on his.

It felt as if all bonds on him were broken, as if he was acting of his own free will again. He melted into her kiss, savored the sweet taste of her lips and the feel of them against his own. He pushed his own back into hers, eager to taste mutual passion again.

It had been a long time.

Suddenly, he felt her smile against his mouth, and he opened his eyes, following her gaze. He gasped.

There stood Lily, her mouth hanging open, horrified.

The rest of the party was there, but Casavir did not see them. She stood there for a few moments, as did he, and they shared a pained look that seemed to last for eternity.

Suddenly, she turned around and began running in the opposite direction. Away from him.

Lily's retreat broke his mind truly free. "Wait, my lady!" he shouted, fierce panic washing over him. He tried to push away from the seductress, but she held him fast.

"We weren't finished yet!" she howled with a nefarious smile, like a vampire about to drain its most succulent meal. Her face grew even more wretched.

Casavir's eyes were flaring with anger and worry, but his body simply didn't have the strength to loosen itself, no matter how much he wanted to.

Bishop threw him a malevolent smirk, then started running after Lily. Casavir's blood boiled. He knew in that moment that he hated Blooden, and he hated Bishop.

Neeshka's eyes were wide with surprise, but she and Khelgar both worked fast to rid him of Blooden. The succubus was so focused on keeping control over her toy that she failed to properly dodge a blow from Khelgar's dwarven waraxe, a fatal mistake. She screamed, her voice wrought with deafening agony. She crumpled in a heap on the ground, as did Casavir. He fainted on the spot.