CHAPTER 206: COUNTER MOVES.

The villa fell into a different kind of quiet after Nicholas departed, the kind of silence that followed the departure of a dangerous predator.

It was not the relief of safety, but the tension of knowing the threat had simply moved elsewhere, biding its time.

Creed remained in his hovering armchair for several long minutes, his fingers steepled beneath his chin as he stared at the spot where Nicholas had been sitting.

The crystalline walls of his villa reflected the ambient lighting in patterns that shifted like liquid starlight, but Creed’s attention was entirely internal, his mind working through the conversation with the methodical precision of a master strategist dissecting a complex battlefield.

"Well," Lilith said, breaking the contemplative silence as she examined her perfectly manicured nails with the satisfaction of someone who took pride in sharp things.

"That was certainly illuminating. Though I have to say, for someone proposing an alliance, he certainly radiated an awful lot of barely contained ambition to eventually stab you in the back."

"Mmm," Tierra murmured from her position sprawled across the couch, still flipping through weapon catalogs but clearly having paid attention to every word of the conversation.

"I counted at least three separate moments where his body language suggested he was evaluating you as a future obstacle rather than a current ally.

"The way his eyes tracked your reactions, the micro-expressions when you agreed too quickly to certain points... very calculating."

Meredith, who had somehow managed to balance an entire fruit arrangement on her hex while the conversation progressed, added her own observation with characteristic directness:

"Plus he looks like someone who’s used to getting what he wants through manipulation rather than direct confrontation. Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely not someone you turn your back on during a knife fight."

Creed smiled slightly at his companions’ assessments, unsurprised that they had read Nicholas with the same suspicious clarity that he had.

The three succubi might play at being ditzy or decorative when it suited their purposes, but they were predators in their own right, with instincts honed by centuries of reading human nature and identifying threats, opportunities, and weaknesses.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Creed said, finally rising from his chair and beginning to pace the length of the villa’s main room, his movements controlled and purposeful.

"Nicholas Grey is intelligent, ambitious, and strategic—all qualities I can respect and work with.

"But he’s also someone who most likely sees every relationship as a temporary alliance of convenience, to be maintained only as long as it serves his interests and discarded the moment it becomes inconvenient."

He paused by the large crystalline window that offered a panoramic view of the academy’s floating architecture, the various buildings and platforms connected by bridges of pure energy that pulsed with different colors depending on the time of day.

"Which means that while his plan has merit and could genuinely benefit both of us in the short term, I need to assume that he’s already thinking three steps ahead to the point where he eliminates me as competition."

"So what’s the counter-strategy?" Lilith asked, her tone shifting from casual observation to genuine professional interest.

"Because while his Marcus plan is elegantly vicious, it also puts you in a position where you’re dependent on his continued cooperation to maintain the benefits you gain."

Creed nodded approvingly at her analysis. "Precisely the problem. If we follow his plan exactly as proposed, we end up with shared access to the Path Resonator building, but that access is contingent on Marcus continuing to cooperate with both of us.

"The moment Nicholas decides he doesn’t want to share those privileges anymore, he could easily manipulate the situation to make it look like I was the one who betrayed the arrangement."

He resumed pacing, his mind working through possibilities and contingencies with fluid precision.

"So here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll proceed with the Marcus operation, but with several crucial modifications that Nicholas won’t see coming until it’s too late."

Tierra sat up straighter on the couch, her attention now fully focused on Creed rather than the weapon catalogs. "Oh, this should be good. What kind of modifications are we talking about?"

"First," Creed said, holding up one finger as he began to enumerate his counter-strategies, "we’re going to document everything. Not just the confrontation with Marcus, but every conversation with Nicholas, every detail of the plan, every agreement and expectation.

"I want a complete record that establishes Nicholas as the primary architect of this scheme."

"Insurance against betrayal," Meredith observed, nodding approval. "If he tries to throw you under the proverbial carriage later, you have evidence that he was the instigator and strategic planner."

"Exactly. But more than that," Creed continued, his smile taking on a predatory edge that would have made Nicholas proud if he could have seen it.

"I’m going to make sure that when we approach Marcus with our leverage, I’m the one who takes the lead in the negotiation.

"Nicholas thinks he’ll be controlling that conversation, but I’m going to position myself as the reasonable mediator who’s willing to find a mutually beneficial solution."

Lilith’s eyes lit up with understanding. "Which makes you look like the mature, diplomatic one while Nicholas comes across as the aggressive schemer who needs to be managed."

"Right. And here’s the beautiful part; once Marcus agrees to make us his assistants, I’m going to suggest additional responsibilities that happen to require one of us to have primary administrative access to the position’s resources.

"Guess who’s going to volunteer to take on that extra burden to make things easier for everyone involved?"

"You," Tierra said with genuine admiration in her voice. "Which means you end up with direct access to the Path Resonator building that doesn’t depend on Nicholas’s continued cooperation."

"And if Nicholas objects or tries to claim equal access, it makes him look petty and unreasonable after I’ve been so generous in taking on extra work," Creed added, clearly pleased with the elegance of his counter-manipulation.

"By the time he realizes what’s happened, I’ll have independent access to the resources while he’s still dependent on my cooperation to maintain his own privileges."

The three succubi exchanged glances that conveyed volumes about their appreciation for their master’s strategic thinking.

This wasn’t just paranoid preparation for potential betrayal; it was a sophisticated reversal that would leave Nicholas in the subordinate position he thought he was avoiding.

"But what if he sees through the strategy?" Meredith asked, playing devil’s advocate with the thoroughness of someone who understood that good plans required stress-testing.

"Nicholas is clever enough to recognize when he’s being outmaneuvered."

Creed’s grin widened with genuine anticipation. "Then it becomes a more interesting game, doesn’t it? The beauty of this approach is that every counter-move he makes to protect his position also makes him look increasingly desperate and untrustworthy.

"If he tries to exclude me from negotiations with Marcus, he’s breaking our agreement and acting in bad faith. If he attempts to claim primary access to the resources, he’s being greedy after I’ve done extra work.

"If he tries to expose my counter-strategy, he’s admitting that he was planning to manipulate the situation for his own benefit all along."

"A beautifully constructed trap," Lilith said with professional admiration. "No matter how he responds, he ends up looking worse while you maintain the appearance of being reasonable and cooperative."

"And if by some chance he’s actually sincere about this alliance and has no intention of betraying me," Creed added with a slight shrug, "then my precautions do no harm and we both benefit from the arrangement as originally planned. Win-win either way."

Tierra stretched luxuriously on the couch, her weapon catalogs forgotten as she focused entirely on the strategic discussion.

"I have to say, master, for someone who claims not to trust Nicholas, you certainly seem to be enjoying the intellectual challenge he represents."

Creed paused in his pacing, considering her observation with the kind of honest self-reflection that few people his age possessed.

"You’re not wrong. There’s something... stimulating about dealing with someone who operates on a similar level of strategic thinking.

"Most people are so straightforward in their motivations and methods. Nicholas, for all his potential treachery, at least makes this Academy Arc more interesting."

"Just make sure you don’t get so caught up in the game that you forget the stakes," Lilith warned with the kind of maternal concern that was both touching and slightly absurd coming from his own summon.

"Academy politics might seem like harmless maneuvering now, but the habits and reputations you build here will follow you for the rest of your career."

"Noted and appreciated," Creed said, moving away from the window and settling into a different chair, this one positioned to give him a clear view of the entire room.

"But I think that’s enough strategic planning for one evening. We have other matters to attend to."

His tone shifted as he spoke, taking on a different quality that made all three succubi look at him with sudden heightened attention.

There was something in his voice that suggested the serious conversation was ending and something more playful was about to begin.

"Oh?" Lilith said, her own voice taking on a purring quality that would have made alley cats jealous. "And what other matters might those be, master?"

Creed’s smile became decidedly wicked as he looked at each of his companions in turn.

"Well, I couldn’t help but notice that while Nicholas was explaining his elaborate schemes for institutional manipulation, you three seemed rather... distracted. Particularly when you were peeking at the bedroom area."

Tierra had the grace to look slightly embarrassed, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. "We were paying attention to the conversation. We’re capable of multitasking."

"Oh, I’m sure you were," Creed said with mock seriousness. "But I also couldn’t help but notice the way you kept glancing toward the bedroom with what appeared to be professional interest. Almost as if you were... evaluating its structural integrity for some specific purpose."

Lilith burst into delighted laughter, abandoning any pretense of innocence.

"You know us too well, master. We might have been wondering whether the academy’s furniture is built to withstand more vigorous activities than simple sleeping."

"The hovering beds are a new experience for us," Meredith added with theatrical innocence that fooled absolutely no one. "We wanted to make sure they were properly... tested for stability and bounce quality."

"How thoughtful of you to be concerned about furniture safety," Creed said, rising from his chair with fluid grace.

"And how fortunate that we have the entire evening available for such thorough quality testing."

Slap! Slap! Slap!

"Annng~ Creed let’s go to the be—mmmf!"