He caresses her face, sliding his fingers from the apple of her cheek to the edge of her lips. His touch, although light as a feather, still made her shiver.

"I didn't think I had this effect on you," he said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

How else was she supposed to react when the boy she liked wouldn't let her sleep in her own bed? The Lord was adamant about not letting her leave his sight.

"You know I can protect myself, right?"

"Then why are you in my bed?" He pulls her close so that they are spooning.

"Because you make me feel safe," she said, snuggling closer to him. "Besides, the extra protection of a demon lord doesn't hurt."

"I'm not sure I can protect you," he whispered.

She turns around so that she's facing him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid that I'll hurt you. I'm still trying to get used to being a demon. And …" He trails off, afraid to meet her eyes.

"And?"

"And I have all these sinful thoughts about you," he confessed. "Thoughts I'm not proud of."

At that moment, she wished he could read her mind to see all things she wanted him to do to her. Instead, she grabs his chin and gently tilts his head towards her.

"You shouldn't be ashamed," she said. "I have the same thoughts."

His mismatched eyes darken. "You shouldn't tempt me like this. Don't lie to me."

"I want you," she said. "And if you can't handle that, I'll go back to my own bed."

Suddenly, he was on top of her, burying his head in her neck and holding her like she was a life raft in the open sea. She gasps, stunned by his ferocity.

“Stay,” he whispered, his voice no longer gentle. His grip tightens, desperate and wild.

"What do you want to do to me?" Her body trembles in anticipation.

"What will you let me do to you?" His breath fanned her ear, making her shudder.

"Anything," she said. And that was all the permission he needed.

Slowly, he slips her dress off her shoulders, exposing her chest. His hands close over her breasts, his touch hesitant at first. But soon, his fingers went from skimming over her skin to kneading, fully massaging her boobs. He places his lips on her neck, softly sucking on her skin. She tilts her head, granting him more access which he gladly took advantage of. He takes a piece of her skin between his teeth, making her toes curl. A low moan escapes her mouth and she can feel him grinning against her neck.

"Somebody feels good," he murmured. "Want me to try something that might make you feel even better?"

She nods and he pulls her up into a sitting position. He grabs a few handkerchiefs, tying her wrists to the bedpost. She tests the restraints, pleased to find that her wrists were fastened tightly to the bed.

"Do you enjoy making the girls you've been with your prisoners?" she asked playfully.

"Only the naughty ones," he said. "I've been wanting to do this to you ever since I caught you wearing my pants." He yanks her dress past her hips, tossing it to the floor.

"Much better," he said, his eyes taking in her naked body.

She cringes under his brazen gaze, afraid that he'd be put off by her large hips and stomach rolls. To her surprise, she found no sign of disgust in his eyes. Rather, she was met with a look of hunger on his face that made her blush fiercely.

He parts her legs, slowly trailing his fingers up the inner skin of her thighs. She squirms impatiently, aching for his touch. The Lord takes his time, savoring the expressions on her face. He grabs a nearby candle, dripping hot wax on her body whilst toying with her clit. He made sure to drip small amounts on her chest, careful not to burn her. The combination of the heat of the wax and the rhythm of his fingers was almost too much for her. She could feel an orgasm steadily building, her back arching. But then his hands slide up her body, moving to her neck. Somehow, the gesture made the area between her legs even warmer. She feels her cunt grow slicker.

The Lord’s eyes widen. She could see her pupils dilate with pleasure in the reflection of his eyes. He pulls back, positioning his manhood at her entrance.

"Wait," she said. “I don’t want to get pregnant.”

“I’m infertile,” he said. “Being a demon means I can’t procreate anymore.”

“That’s unfortunate,” she said.

“May I continue?” He clutches his still-hard cock.

“Yes.”

He slides his penis in easily, although it did hurt a bit for her. But soon she forgot about the pain as he thrust into her. Once she got used to the rhythm, he picked up the pace, pulling her hair to hold her steady. He places his other hand back on her neck, lightly cutting off her airflow. She feels an orgasm building again, the sensation heightened by her erotic asphyxiation.

He finishes before she does, both his eyes flashing gold as he came into her. For a moment, she swears she sees scales and horns on his body. Then, she blinks and sees the Cedric she knows. He unties her restraints before collapsing on the bed next to her. They lie there for a moment, with only each other and the sounds of their panting for company.

“I don’t think I can sleep tonight,” she said, lying beside him sweaty and energized.

“What’s keeping you up?” His eyes were closed, giving his face a serene look.

“You,” she said. The sex was great, but something else was on her mind. Her internal clock was ticking, counting down the remaining time she had left in the Charis Realm.

“It’s not just me, is it?” He easily reads the inner turmoil on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m here on borrowed time,” she said. “I should be catching a killer instead of relaxing in bed with you.”

His eyes open. He turns to his side, facing her. “I haven’t been able to crack the case myself. You shouldn’t worry. Besides, I’d rather have fun with you.” He plays with a strand of her hair, twirling it between his fingers.

“I still feel guilty,” she said. “Aaron said I put everyone at risk by staying. And I’ve barely helped with the case.”

“Don’t say that. We wouldn’t have been able to guess the next victim if it weren’t for your insight. You are from the future after all.”

“A version of the future,” she corrected him. Nonetheless, he was right. They wouldn’t have seen the pattern without her knowledge of future Sherlock Holmes stories.

“Who do you think our next victim is anyway?”

“Irene Adler,” she said. “She has to be a beautiful and famous opera singer. Or, at least engaged to royalty.”

"You're beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss her. They lock lips, tasting each other. Just as she was contemplating staying in bed a little longer, she feels something tickle her legs. She pulls away from him, her eyes snapping open to see a line of glowing blue butterflies idly flapping their wings against her thighs. She looks over the bed to see the trail of butterflies leading out the bedroom door. Her first thought was to follow them. She voices this to Cedric who laughed at the suggestion.

“Are you telling me that they might help with the case?”

She shrugs. “They’ve helped before.”

“Then you better get dressed,” he said, getting up from the bed. She slips on her dress, using a handkerchief to wipe the mess between her legs. The Lord tosses her a heavy coat and a pistol. She buttons the coat, awkwardly holding the firearm in her hands.

“I know you don’t need it with your magical powers and all, but it can’t hurt, right?” His tone was harsh, but then she saw the look in his eyes.

“You’re worried about me,” she said.

“Of course I’m worried! The Family is after you. I let Alice hurt you,” he said.

“It’s not your fault.” She tucks the pistol inside her coat before taking his hand. “No one expected them to target me.”

He squeezes her hand. “Don’t leave my side, ok?”

“I’ll be with you the whole time,” she reassured him.

And they were off, following the trail of butterflies to a possible clue about the murder. The butterflies led them out of the manor and onto the cobblestone streets. No one seemed to notice the glowing blue insects except them. They only received odd looks for stopping to kiss occasionally. But they never enjoyed each other’s embrace for long. A sense of urgency propelled them through the night. She had a feeling that the butterflies weren’t leading her to some harmless clue.

The trail ended in front of an apartment. The door was ripped open, barely hanging on its hinges. She spots a set of claw marks on the doorframe and points it out to the Lord.

“Those were the same ones we saw at the crime scenes,” he said. He pulls his pistol out and she follows him into the building. Inside, they followed a path of destruction up a set of steps, keeping an eye out for more claw marks. Feathers were strewn on the steps and bits of fur were caught on the walls. Whatever had entered the building was definitely not human.

A chilling scream pierces the silence of the apartment. The pair sprint up the steps and see another door pried open the same way the entrance of the building was. They quickly enter the room to see a strange creature on top of a woman poised to bite into her throat.

Cedric fires the first shot, sending the creature flying across the room. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the monster had two heads, one of a lion and the other of a goat with a snake for a tail, all connected to the body of a lion. If she had to hazard a guess, she’d say it was a chimera. But there was something off about the creature. Before she could figure out what it was, the monster launched itself at the woman again. She quickly shifts her bracelet into a sword, impaling the beast’s chest. It swiped a paw at her face, leaving a deep cut, before spasming and dropping to the floor.

“Are you alright?” she asked the woman on the bed. The victim was a mess, hair covering her face and her dress torn to shreds. Cedric tried to get close to her, but the woman shrinks away, shaking.

"You're safe now," he said. "That thing won't hurt you anymore."

Still, she doesn’t try to move closer to the pair. Nicole decided to try another approach.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Irene,” the woman whispered. “Irene Adler.”

“That’s a lovely name,” she said, trying to make conversation with the victim.

“Thank you,” Irene said. “My sister gave me that name. My mother couldn’t come up with anything that fit me well.”

“Irene, do you know why that thing was trying to attack you?” Cedric asked, going straight to the point.

The victim turns her head to the creature on the floor. Nicole could see the glimmer of tears falling from her face. She glares at the Lord.

“She was almost killed,” she told Cedric. “Give the woman a break.”

“We can’t wait for her to speak,” he said. “What if there’s another attempt on her life? What if there are more of those things after her?”

“Chimera,” Irene said. “Those things are called chimeras. And to answer your question, I don’t know why a beast from Greek mythology would try to kill me.”

“These things don’t happen for no reason,” he said. “Do you have any enemies we should know of?”

“I should think not,” she said. “I’m an opera singer, not a politician.”

Before the Lord could interrogate her any further, Nicole intervened. “I think Irene has had a stressful night. How about we let her stay at the manor in case any more monsters come after her? That way we could ask her all the questions we want the next morning.”

Cedric huffed impatiently. “I suppose we won’t get all of our answers tonight.”

“And I suppose I don’t mind avoiding another attempt on my life,” Irene said. “Are you sure you can protect me from what’s out there?”

“We’re a lot stronger than we look,” she told the opera singer. She was certain that a demon lord and Lillian’s former Hand were more than enough to protect Irene from any strange beasts.

“If you say so,” Irene said. She takes one last look at the chimera before leaving the apartment.