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Chapter Text

Amara paced back and forth in her room, her hands repeatedly clenching as she tried to steady her breathing. Thoughts raced through her head, each one trying to find meaning before another pushed it away. Her long brown hair, so perfectly curled the night before, now sat in a tangled mess. It bounced around with each frantic turn before she finally crashed back to her bed.

"Amara you idiot!" Her voice echoed through her room, her eyes absent-mindedly tracing cracks in the ceiling. Grabbing a nearby pillow, she used it to muffle a scream, then an angry sigh.

A few minutes later, she reluctantly pulled it off her face and tossed it to the floor. She sat up to look around, her cluttered room suddenly feeling wrong.

Standing up, she moved to the window to let in the morning sun. Wincing slightly as the light hit her face, she opened her laundry basket and started picking through the piles on the floor.

Her pajamas could stay on, it was Sunday. She grabbed loose clothes from Friday's classes, throwing them into the hamper, and kept moving. Various shoes went back in the closet, as did a few outfits that had been put together but ultimately rejected. Her backpack was slumped in a corner, papers haphazardly pushed in without rhyme or reason.

Amara rolled her eyes before dumping the backpack's contents on her bed. There was no doubt one of her friends had 'borrowed' some of the answers for the week's assignments while everyone else had been doing their makeup.

Spreading the papers out on her bed, she sat in the middle of them and pieced together which assignment went in which folder. It was nice to have mindless labor, paying just enough attention to her tasks to avoid thinking about more pressing issues. Her breathing had calmed, and by the time she'd zipped her backpack closed, she already felt exponential better about the state of her room. She went to place it on the chair in the corner, and that's when she saw it - the dress from last night.

Last night.

Memories rushed into her head, replaying the start of her evening. After more than a year of classes, the stress of college had finally gotten to Amara. Her friends had convinced her to go to a party - her first ever. They picked out outfits, pointed out which guys were single, and helped her do something special with her makeup.

My makeup! Fuck!

Amara checked her pillow, finding it covered in foundation. After another loud groan, she headed for the bathroom. She started putting her hair up, hip checking the bathroom door open before starting the sink. She paused, then turned the shower on too; as much as she loved her apartment, it took forever for the hot water to kick in. Makeup wipes in hand, she pulled together the courage to look in the mirror.

Golden-brown eyes stared back at her, almost unrecognizable through the heavy eyeliner. They seemed exceptionally vibrant today, as if they were glowing. She loved their color, how they perfectly matched her darker complexion. The eyeliner came off quickly, and the rest of her face did the same.

Her eyes trailed down and lingered on her lips, healthy traces of lipstick still present, though some had certainly gone missing. She wondered if the rest of it was still on his--

Stop. Stay focused Amara.

Pulling her eyes away from the stranger in the mirror, she washed her face with unusual vigor. Slowly but surely her own face returned to her, and looking in the mirror felt easier. Her eyes still seemed unusually bright, but that hardly seemed to matter. By now the shower was ready, and she quickly stripped down before stepping in.

Hot water poured over her, and she could already feel a sense of calm returning. She nudged the faucet warmer, then started her routine. There was barely room in the shower for all her products, but thankfully she had no roommates to battle for space. The steam surrounded her, fragrances mixing together to help her relax.

Start at the beginning, Amara - The party was a good idea! I should have let Tessa talk me into it earlier... no doubt she'll be rubbing that in my face for weeks. Assuming she remembers last night at all.

Amara laughed, now remembering she'd lost count of how many drinks her friends had finished. She had been tempted to join them, but decided to play it safe, a decision Nick had supported.

Nick. Is he just as stressed as I am? Will we still be friends after this?

They had been best friends for years, always there for each other when times got tough. Though people loved to joke they were secretly in love, there had never been any truth to those rumors. In fact, Nick and Amara had talked about dating several times, but it never felt right. They worked best as friends, and they were happy to keep it that way.

So how did last night happen?

More memories surfaced, replaying the night once she arrived at the party. Dancing with friends in the basement, guy after guy trying to make a move. None succeeded, as usual, but the attention had certainly excited her. Surrounded by hormones, she might as well have been drunk; An itch had appeared, one normally satiated by toys and vibrators. Before she could question herself, she had dragged Nick upstairs, locking them both in an empty bedroom.

Don't re-open that door, Amara. Just... not now. Think about something else, anything. Is your homework done?

Her thoughts drifted back to her classes, thinking about the assignments she'd packed away earlier, mostly finished but still needing some final touches. As eager as she'd been to step away from the world of studying last night, there was no denying she loved school. Her classes kept her excited and engaged, and she'd never once regretted coming to college.

Steam filled her senses, pulling her thoughts back to her immediate surroundings. Grabbing yet another bottle, she continued her routine. This time, she focused on her body, on how good it felt to pamper herself. As she massaged her legs with fragrant body scrub, she became acutely aware of how sensitive her skin felt.

Is this because of last night?

Every part of her felt alive in a way she'd never experienced before. The connection between her mind and her body was stronger than ever, and she was determined to explore that connection. Her fingers gripped her thighs, massaging them before moving higher. Her fingers teased her waist, her chest, and finally lingered on her neck. The itch was returning, stronger than ever.

Feeling brave, Amara allowed herself to open the door.

She remembered locking herself in the room with Nick, his puzzled look turning to excitement as he realized what was happening. After pushing him to the bed, she pulled her dress off and tossed it aside, eager to feel another person against her skin.

She pushed her shower hotter still, losing herself in the sensation. Water running down her back, her chest, retracing where Nick's hands had been just hours earlier. She let her own hands wander, finding that same path. She pushed her breasts together, teased her nipples the way he had, then continued down. A gasp escaped her lips as she ran her fingers over her sex, teasing her clit with small circles.

The next few minutes were electric, the way her body responded to her hands felt incredible. She continued teasing herself, water cascading down her body as soft moans filled the shower.

Amara had been a virgin before last night, but was intimately familiar with how to get herself off. She felt her body trembling as she moved closer to her entrance, fantasizing about how good it felt to have someone else inside her. Slipping a finger inside, she could feel her toes curling as she felt the first hints of an orgasm start to build.

And then it vanished.

There was still pleasure, but it seemed further away the more she tried to reach for it. She gave herself another minute of soft exploration, hoping it would re-appear just as suddenly, but it never happened.

That's what your toys are for, Amara.

She groaned in frustration, upset she couldn't get herself off. Summoning the strength to hold her libido at bay, she resolved to finish her shower as quickly as she could. The water felt lukewarm again, but she was surprised to see it couldn't get any hotter.

Making a note to check up on this later, Amara dried herself off and eagerly left the shower. She returned to her bedroom, pulling out a shoebox from under her bed, filled with exactly what she needed. Vibrators, dildos, a few buttplugs she hadn't yet worked up the courage to play with, everything to make a woman sing. She pulled out her favorite, a relatively small vibrating dildo that hit all the right places.

Sinking back into bed, she resumed the exploration she started in the shower. Remembering what it was like to have someone touch her, kiss her, pleasure her. She bit her lip as she moved her toy between her legs, teasing her clit once more, but taking it slow. The vibrations surged through her body, and she closed her eyes, willing herself to surrender to the release she so desperately needed. Spreading her legs, she pushed the toy inside, a loud moan filling the room. Inch after inch pushing deeper inside, and she knew an orgasm couldn't be far off now. Her hips started meeting the thrusts of her hand, the toy moving in and out while the vibrations continued to build. She pushed the toy harder, increasing its power as she brought herself closer...

Until she lost it again.

Exactly like in the shower, all the pleasure that had been built up dispersed without warning. She could still feel everything, the toy, its powerful vibrations, her sensitive clit, and yet it felt like everything was... out of sync. It was as if her body was rejecting its normal forms of pleasure, searching for something else that wasn't there.

Or... someone else?

Amara shook her head, shocked she was even thinking about it. Nick was her best friend! Last night had clearly been a mistake, but she couldn't get it out of her head.

Maybe that's the problem! We need to talk, to reset everything to normal!

It was the best guess she had, and there wasn't much else to do today. Letting loose another groan of frustration, she tossed her toy aside and pulled her pajamas back on. Grabbing her phone, she pulled up Nick's contact info and froze. Their messages from last night stared back at her.

Nick: 8 PM right? Your place?

Amara: Yup! You gotta see what the girls did with me, I barely even recognize myself!

Nick: Wellll you're also willingly going to a college party, so I already don't know who you are XD

Amara: Oh shut up and text me when you're here idiot

Nick: Here!

It all seemed so... innocent now. Could things go back to the way they were? Did she want them to? There was definitely a lot to talk about, but it all had to start somewhere. She iterated a few times before deciding to keep it short and simple.

Amara: Hey, I'd like to talk about last night. Come over?

Heart pounding in her chest, she had no idea what to expect. Would he be angry? He had seemed into it, but what if she just caught him by surprise?

Stop overthinking this Amara. He's Nick! He's the most understanding guy you know, he'll get it.

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly just as his response came in.

Nick: I think that's a good idea. Gimme ten.

-

Amara was thankful Nick was true to his word, but that didn't stop the ten minutes from stretching out like an eternity. By the time he texted again, she'd managed to rearrange the throw pillows on her couch dozens of times. Opening the door, she was pleased to discover she didn't have to force a smile, and his grin seemed equally genuine.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before Amara finally threw caution to the wind and moved in for a hug. It still felt right, and Amara breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled him inside.

"You're looking well," She chimed, closing the door. "Glad you made it home safe!"

"Thanks! And, uh, you too, obviously." He laughed nervously, but the words seemed to be coming easily enough.

Amara vaulted the couch and curled into her favorite spot, patting the cushion next to her. Nick opted for the long way around, which was probably for the best.

"So. I don't want to tiptoe around this. We're adults, right?" Amara paused, waiting for a nod before continuing. "We... We had sex." Finally saying it aloud felt odd, but strangely comforting at the same time.

Nick took a breath, likely mulling over his words before speaking. "We... did, yes. I want to say that I'm sorry if things got a little out of hand; I wasn't thinking straight, I think I had a bit too much to drink, and if you want to just forget it ever happened, I'm happy to do the same."

Amara chuckled as he stumbled his way through the words, no doubt he'd been practicing them all morning. "Hey, I didn't say I wanted to forget about it. People have sex all the time! Is it a little odd that my first time was with you? Sure, but at least it was with someone I trust, right?

He laughed too, the stress in his shoulders relaxing somewhat. Amara couldn't help but notice that she felt drawn to him now. "I suppose you're right... Do we want to change anything? In the past we've agreed we weren't interested in dating, is that still true?"

Amara bit her lip as her eyes lingered on him; something was different now, she just couldn't place a finger on it. "I think my opinion hasn't changed. You're a great guy Nick, but we both know we're not cut from the same cloth."

His body relaxed further, sinking into the couch as relief took hold. "I'm glad we agree! I've been worried about... about losing you, your friendship." He looked at her again, the tension gone, only this time Amara noticed something else - the itch was back.

Amara's body started recalling memories from last night, twitching as she tried to focus on what her best friend was saying. He seemed to be on another nervous rant, maybe about something else that happened at the party? Her eyes had broken with his and were tracing down his body, wondering what kind of underwear he had on.

"--and she seemed kinda into me? But obviously the evening took a bit of a turn, so.... Amara? You alright? You're zoning out on me." Nick leaned forward, content to stop his story there.

"Y-yeah I'm... fine." She muttered unconvincingly, her legs twitching as she tried to pin them together.

"Look, I can tell when something is bugging you, and-- Hey!"

Amara cut him off, her needs bubbling to the surface. She pushed him back as she straddled him, her hands grasping his shoulders as his breathing quickened. Her instincts taking over, she leaned in and kissed his neck, biting it gently as she started grinding into him.

"Amara, what's gotten into you? Are we... Are we leaving this alone or not?" He spoke quietly, frozen with nervous energy as she kept exploring his body.

"Nick, I... I need this, I need you. I've been so pent up all morning, my toys did nothing..." Amara pleaded with him, her eyes desperate as she started playing with the bottom of his shirt. As they looked at each other, an understanding started to form.

Nick had been holding his hands out, trying not to touch Amara, and he slowly moved them to her waist as he spoke. "S-so one more time, but nothing of it, right? We're just friends having fun?"

A devilish smirk grew on Amara's face, and she didn't bother to justify Nick with an answer, instead opting to pull his shirt off and toss it away. Resting her hands on his chest, the two kissed once more. The taste of his lips excited her, but she couldn't stop herself from moving away to tease his neck. Each kiss felt new and exciting, and when she moved closer to his ear, she softly bit it, enjoying the moan Nick let out.

Finally, Amara pulled away from him, taking off her own shirt and throwing it next to his. She leaned forward, letting him explore her in return. His lips traced her neck, moving down before they found her breasts, then her nipples.

Biting her lip, she felt her breathing quicken as she played with his hair, urging him to continue. As he softly bit her, she moaned, her legs squeezing him in excitement. Finally, she tapped his neck, silently asking him to stop before she pushed herself off. She slid down to the floor, taking a pillow with her and settling on top of it.

She leaned in, her breasts pushing against the bulge in his pants, and began kissing his chest. Each kiss took her further down, and soon her fingers had hooked into his pants and were pulling them off.

Amara licked her lips as Nick's cock came into view; She knew this was what she needed. She kissed the tip before opening wide and sucking him in, both of them moaning in pleasure. Grabbing his legs, she steadied herself as she bobbed her head up and down, savoring every inch she could fit in her mouth.

His hands moved to cover hers, another loud moan leaving his lips as he threw his head back. His body was already twitching, and Amara briefly worried that she might push him over the edge at this rate. Strangely, her worry disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Reading his body language felt almost natural, and a little voice in her head whispered that she could continue like this and not risk ruining her own fun later.

"So... obviously I'm pretty new to this, and last night was a little rushed." She kissed the tip as her hand massaged his shaft. "What feels good?"

Nick looked down, their eyes meeting as she continued teasing his cock. "I... like long strokes, a little slower I guess?" She nodded, her stroking matching his request. "And I like hearing things."

"Hearing things? Like, dirty talk?" Amara tilted her head, still new to this.

"Definitely dirty talk, but also anything? I like hearing moans, gagging, things like that." He shivered again as she continued licking.

"You're so bad! You want to hear your best friend gagging on your cock?" Amara teased, letting her lips surround his tip a few more times.

"W-well I didn't mean... Only if you want to!" He shifted uncomfortably as she teased him.

Amara thought about it for a second, then decided it was time to push herself in ways she hadn't last night. She took a deep breath, then pushed her head forward to take his cock deeper. She felt it brush against the entrance to her throat, and she gagged in surprise.

"Fuck, that's harder than it looks..." Amara wiped her chin as she caught her breath. After a second, she tried again, only to meet with the same results.

"Hey, no need to push yourself." Nick looked down and smiled, a hand brushing her cheek in reassurance. She let her own hand rest on his, then smiled as an idea formed. She grabbed his hand, moving it to the back of her head.

"I want to see what you like," Amara moved her hands to his hips, preparing herself, "Make me pleasure you, Nick."

With a small nod, Nick's hand grabbed some of her hair. He pushed her down, and she prepared to gag again, but he pulled back before reaching her throat. His tip now barely in her mouth, he began guiding her up and down his shaft. It was slower than she would have expected, each stroke long and sensual. After a minute, she squeezed his thigh, telling him she wanted more.

His grip tightened, and the next time he pushed her down, it was slightly deeper. Amara gagged, feeling him pull back instinctively. She squeezed again, telling him to continue, that she wanted this. Another push, another gag, and this time she heard a moan. His cock twitched in her mouth, and he started moving her slightly faster. Her head moved up and down, each time he pushed her just far enough to make her gag, but never further. She realized she could easily let him push this far, and the gagging noise alone would excite him.

Amara began to vocalize how much she was enjoying herself, her moans joining his. Each time she gagged, she played it up for his amusement.

This continued for another minute before Nick suddenly pulled her off, his breathing erratic. "Fuck, Amara I need to stop, I don't want this to be over quite yet."

"I couldn't agree more," Amara replied, her breathing just as heavy as his, "maybe... you should return the favor?"

Nick nodded, obviously enthusiastic about the idea. He helped her up, watching intently as she pulled her pants off. Amara winked at him, playfully showing off her ass before collapsing onto the couch.

"So, do you have much experience with this?" Amara slowly spread her legs, exposing herself completely.

"You know I haven't dated many people..." Nick moved to the floor, kneeling on the pillow, "but yeah, one of them really liked oral."

"Well, don't disappoint me!" She giggled as he drew closer.

She felt his lips on her thighs, her breath catching as he began exploring. Her legs grew more sensitive the higher he went, and each kiss caused her to shudder. When she finally felt his tongue on her clit, a loud moan filled the apartment.

She reached down, tracing her fingers through his hair as he teased her. Every inch his tongue explored felt divine, and her breathing quickly grew erratic in response. She pulled him closer, desperate to feel more, her hands holding his head tight.

"Nick, I... use your fingers..." Amara gasped, a shiver running through her body as she felt Nick's hands run up her legs. He teased her thighs again, his nails drawing lines on her skin before they found her pussy.

He teased her entrance, his finger massaging the edges as he continued licking her clit. Her hips pushed against him, begging for more, but he continued holding back. Amara swore she could feel him smirking, and her body was growing more insistent by the second. She thought about grabbing his hand and taking what she wanted, but her thoughts were cut short when he finally pushed into her.

She bit her lip, moaning as she felt him push deeper. He began slowly moving in and out, matching his thrusts to the rhythm of his tongue. She whimpered whenever he threatened to leave her, and each time he would pause for a moment before pushing back inside. She knew her orgasm was close, and she began thrusting her hips to try and match his rhythm. In her excitement, she accidentally pulled away too fast, his finger slipping out and breaking the spell.

The moment lost, Amara looked down at Nick, and they locked eyes. "Fuck, sorry, I didn't mean to... I was so close!" She groaned in frustration as she fell back against the couch.

"Hey, nobody said sex had to be perfect." Nick leaned forward, grabbing her hands. "Besides, it's not like I'm going anywhere, I still haven't cum either. Here, I've got an idea." He helped Amara up, the two now standing. They traded places, Nick now taking the spot on the couch as Amara stood over him.

"Oh, I see where this is going..." Amara whispered, her excitement returning. "Want me back in control?"

"Honestly, I just think you should call the shots so we can get you to cum... but yes, I also want to watch you ride me." Nick laughed.

She moved closer, straddling him before falling onto her knees. She was able to reach underneath her and feel Nick's hard cock, still aching for more. Feeling it twitch, she lined it up with her pussy and slowly teased the tip. She sank down, gasping as his cock pushed into her, inch by inch.

The feelings from last night returned, the thrill of having someone else deep inside her. She tensed her legs, trying to find her balance as she started bouncing up and down on Nick. He noticed her efforts, and his hands moved to her waist to help steady her. She lifted up, savoring the feel of his cock moving inside of her, then pushed down. It took a few minutes to get used to the motion, but soon she was picking up speed. She moved faster, her clit throbbing with each hard thrust, and her breathing picking up in turn.

Amara grabbed his shoulders, using him as leverage as she fucked him harder. She could feel her orgasm approaching, and she had waited far too long for it.

Strangely, as she looked down on Nick, she began to sense that he was close to cumming too, maybe even closer than she was. His cock was pulsing, eager to unload in her, and she was desperate to feel it. She remembered his words from earlier, and she knew what would push him over the edge.

"Nick," She leaned in, whispering into his ear, "I want to feel you cum! I want you to fill my pussy!"

Her words clearly got to him, and his body shuddered with excitement. Amara continued to fuck him, riding him hard as she kept whispering to him. Finally, it proved to be too much for Nick, and his body tensed.

"Fuck! Amara, I--" Nick couldn't finish his thought, his words stuck in his throat as his cock erupted.

The feeling of his cock pulsing, cum pushing into her, set her off too. Her moans filled the apartment, joining Nick's as they rode their orgasms together. Her body twitched, the pleasure overwhelming her senses, and it felt like every nerve in her body was firing. What she was feeling now put every orgasm from her past to shame; her toys seemed like shallow imitations of the real thing.

It took a while for her to finish cumming, another first, but eventually the pleasure started to fade from her body. Her chest still pounding from the exertion, she forced herself to take several large breaths to try and pull herself back together.

After a few minutes, when their breathing had evened out, she relaxed her grip on his shoulders. She leaned back, a huge sigh of relief leaving her lips as she realized her itch had completely vanished.

Amara stood up, her legs still a little unwieldy, and she stretched her arms high above her head.

"That was exactly what I needed!" When she looked back at Nick, he still seemed to be putting himself back together.

"I... that was certainly unexpected." He shifted on the couch as he spoke.

"Look, with how good this was, I don't know if I can give this up just yet!" Amara spun around in glee, letting herself imagine all the devious things she wanted to try.

"Amara, I think you--" He tried to start a thought, but she was too giddy to let him finish it.

"I mean, think about it, we're both single! What's wrong with friends blowing off steam, right?"

"Amara I really think--"

"It's good exercise, and I imagine we can only get better with practice!" She turned towards Nick as he stood, wondering why he didn't seem as ecstatic as she did.

"Amara!!" Nick stood and grabbed her shoulders, holding her still, "You need to look in the mirror, now!"

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone, she wanted to be upset with him, but deep down she knew he wasn't the type to overreact. His concern spread to her, and she moved to her bedroom, something tapping her ankle as she did. She jumped a little, and soon she was standing in front of her tall mirror, her freshly pleasured body on full display.

"Nick, I don't see anything. I guess my eyes are still weirdly bright?" She looked back at her friend, who's eyes were still frozen in concern. He held up a finger and spun it, wordlessly telling her to turn around. As she did, her expression changed to mirror his, the shock more than apparent.

In the middle of her low back, a long, red appendage had suddenly taken root; it was thick at the base, and grew slightly thinner as it extended, the end of it flared into a sharp point, almost like a spade. It curled near her ankles, and when she flinched in surprise, so too did this new part of her. With another thought, she envisioned it moving, then watched as it did exactly what she told it to.

"Nick," Amara turned to her best friend, her voice shaking, "Why do I have a tail?"

Chapter Text

At the front of the classroom, the chemistry professor was droning on about the different steps of today's lab, and Amara was having difficulty paying attention. Every few minutes she found herself scanning the classroom, trying to catch if any of the other students were looking at her. Thankfully, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but that would change in a heartbeat if anyone saw her tail.

In the past, Amara had taken pride in looking her best every day, always picking cute outfits that showed off her style. These last couple of days, however, she had decided against her more form-flattering options, opting instead for large baggy sweaters. If nothing else, she was thankful autumn was here, and temperatures were already dropping.

Inside the pouch of her sweater, she was holding the end of her tail tight. After a few failed attempts to push it into her sweatpants, she had taken to wrapping it around her waist. Every so often she would give it a squeeze, hoping to discover it had disappeared, but every time it remained frustratingly present.

Her mind wandered back to Sunday, to the moment she had first learned about her body's new addition. At first she had been frozen in disbelief, but soon after she had succumbed to a full-blown panic attack. Nick, used to keeping her grounded during these times, had done his best to keep her calm.

When the initial panic had passed, they had run through some rudimentary tests. They confirmed her tail could register touch just like the rest of her, and she was able to move it at will. Moving it around felt awkward, as if trying to run on a leg that had recently fallen asleep, but the amount of control she had over it was surprising.

In the end, she had fallen asleep incredibly early. The combination of physical exertion and emotional outburst working together to bring her to utter exhaustion.

She hadn't seen Nick since then, though they had been texting constantly. Today, Amara's plan was to meet him at the library after her lab. He was the more studious of the two, and she hoped he had a plan to figure out what was happening to her.

Why is this happening now? Shouldn't this happen during puberty?

A hand grabbed her arm, interrupting her thoughts, and she jumped in surprise.

"Hey, Amara, you ready?"

Suddenly shaken back to reality, Amara realized the professor was done talking. Her lab partner, Vee, was halfway through setting up their experiment for the day.

"Sorry, I must have spaced for a second there," Amara muttered, "are we ready to start?"

"Not quite, could you grab the solutions we need?" Vee asked, caught up in lighting the Bunsen burner.

A few minutes later, after pretending she didn't need to skim the instructions to remember what they were doing, Amara returned with everything they needed.

"You've been a million miles away all class, Amara, it's not like you. Something on your mind?" Vee looked at her with mild concern, her bright blue eyes eager for answers.

"I just... haven't been sleeping well. I think all the stress of school is finally getting to me." Amara sighed.

"Well, that's why we went out Saturday, right? Wait, is this about that? Did something happen?" Vee shifted closer, her voice lowering in suspicion.

"I'm fine, and I promise nothing weird happened. I ended up getting tired earlier than expected, and Nick walked me home, nothing special."

"Hm, that does explain why he went missing too... Shame, he and I were really hitting it off." Vee smirked as she turned away from Amara.

"Wait, that was you?" It was Amara's turn to lean in, eager to get more details and thankful for the distraction. The two continued gossiping, and the rest of the hour passed without issue. Soon enough, it was time to clean up and get ready to meet Nick at the library.

Amara took over the cleaning, washing out all the beakers and tools while Vee finalized the notes and turned their papers in. When she returned, Amara had just finished washing her hands, and left the water running for her. Grabbing the soap, Vee moved her hands under the water, before immediately jumping back.

"Ah, fuck!" Vee yelped, "Amara, this water is scalding hot!

Amara ran over, her hands grasping the handles, but she paused briefly. Everyone nearby was looking at Vee, so she quickly ran her hand under the water. Surprisingly, it felt fine; She would have guessed it was slightly warmer than room temperature had it not just burned her friend.

"Here, this should be better, come run some cold water over it." Amara finished adjusting the water as she called Vee over. "It was fine when I was cleaning up, I think I just left it running too long."

"That... feels nice, thanks. I don't think there's any real damage, it just caught me by surprise." Vee finished washing her hands, hopefully none the wiser. Amara sighed in relief, happy her friend was okay, but made a mental note to tell Nick about this.

Once they cleaned up, they said their goodbyes and Amara started the long trek to the library. The incident at the lab had her thinking about Vee, the concern for her friend outweighing the confusion over what had happened.

The two of them had become fast friends after meeting last year in freshman biology. They both held themselves with an air of confidence, which combined with their natural looks to attract a fair number of suitors. Despite this, they both were more interested in studying, keeping a strong eye on their future and securing a path there.

Amara giggled to herself as she thought back on their meeting. She had been jealous of Vee, the taller of the two, with long blond hair and a toned figure, but that feeling had faded fast; Amara had decided she preferred her curvier features and more prominent bust. Now, she lingered on that feeling of jealousy as it flared again, this time wishing she could have a normal, tailless body.

Wait, does she have a tail? I guess I haven't checked... I'll take a look next time, just to be safe.

After another, heartier laugh, she pulled up some music on her phone and continued walking.

-

After wandering around the library for longer than expected, Amara finally found Nick huddled in a secluded corner. He already had quite a few stacks of books on the table, with a laptop open in the middle. His brows were furrowed in concentration, and he likely didn't see Amara quite yet.

His light brown hair was fairly curly, but he typically kept it short; He claimed it was too difficult to manage when it got long. The one time he tried, their junior year, Amara had thought the long hair flattered his sharp features nicely. His deep green eyes darted back and forth across the pages, and his arm was propping up his face as he read. He was hunching slightly, no doubt the library chairs weren't very comfortable for someone close to six feet tall.

Nick had wrestled in high school, and while he didn't play sports anymore, his body was still quite athletic. His muscular frame was sometimes hard to notice, due to his uninspired wardrobe, but today he was wearing a button-down flannel that was quite flattering.

Amara moved in, sitting down across from him and tossing her backpack to the floor.

"You know, normal people use the internet these days. Heard of it?" Amara grabbed the nearest book, pretending to read it upside down as she stared at Nick over the top of it.

"Very funny, Amara, but my roommate is hogging the room again. Plus, a lot of the books I need for my classes are locked behind paywalls." Nick put his book down and leaned back, stretching his arms behind him. "Not to mention all the books that haven't been properly digitized yet, especially on older campuses like ours."

"Whatever, nerd." Amara rolled her eyes, "What is all this anyways?" She gestured to the stacks cluttering the table.

"I've been here for a while, so it's a combination of most of my classes. Calc, History, all stuff you hate." Nick leaned in, his eyes more focused as he changed the topic. "And, of course, some research about your...condition. How are you holding up? Anything new? Weird?"

Amara set her book down as she quieted her voice, "Other than, I don't know, my fucking tail?" She sighed, planting her head on the table before groaning. "I'm sorry, you don't deserve that. I've just been so stressed ever since Sunday. Every single time I catch someone looking at me I'm scared they'll see it."

Nick reached across the table, grabbing her wrist. "Hey, I get it. I'm confused and scared too, and this isn't even happening to me." He squeezed one last time before letting go. "So, nothing else? Just the tail?"

Amara switched to leaning on her elbows, "Ugh, I think I almost burned Vee during our lab. I was washing my hands, and left the water running for her, but she shrieked and said it was practically boiling." She pushed her head into her hands, sulking. "I'm starting to think my building doesn't actually have issues with its water heater."

Nick paused, thinking to himself for a moment. "So now, it's just the glowing eyes, the tail, and a tolerance to heat. That would make sense..." Nick started rummaging through the books on the table, looking for one in particular.

"Make sense? Did you figure out what's happening?" Amara had to remember to keep her voice down.

"I've got a theory, the book is here somewhere." Nick moved a stack of books to the floor as he kept digging, "Have you looked into this at all?"

"I tried! I learned a lot about a group of fighter pilots in World War 2 called the Red Tails, it was pretty inspirational." Nick glared at her, likely not surprised she had gotten distracted. "Hey, you know I'm terrible at research."

"Well, maybe if you actually focused on what's around you," he muttered, grabbing the book under her arms and turning it right side up, "You'd find something useful once in a while!"

Nick triumphantly held up the book, its tattered hardcover reading "A Complete History of Demons & Demonology".

Amara stared at him in disbelief. "Nick. You can't be serious."

He leaned in again, matching her gaze. "Let me at least walk you through it, okay? Keep breathing, focus on my voice, I'm here with you." He walked her through a familiar routine, keeping her grounded as he opened the book.

"So, we don't have a lot to go on, but the tail is a pretty big clue. There are a lot of stories from mythology about creatures that are mostly human, except for the addition of a tail."

Amara kept breathing, in for 2 counts, out for 4. A steady rhythm, one Nick had helped her piece together over years of friendship.

"Often, the tail is based on an animal. Satyrs have horse-like tails, kitsune have fox tails, things like that. There's very little overlap, which makes it helpful to figure out what you're dealing with."

She squeezed her tail through her hoodie, listening intently to Nick's words.

"Now, yours is pretty unique, and doesn't really match up with an animal. It does, however, match a lot of descriptions of various religious demons." He started flipping through pages, showing off all the different depictions of hellish creatures. Many of the demons depicted had smooth, red tails, with flared spades at the end.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense... but this book is huge! How are we supposed to narrow it down?" Amara's eyes lingered on a picture of a snake offering a woman an apple.

"That stumped me for a bit too, but then I remembered another detail. When did this start happening?"

"It was... right after the party. Right after I finally had sex!" Amara shifted in her seat, leaning closer to Nick.

"And with that in mind..." Nick flipped to a dog-eared page, "meet the succubus. A demon that gains power and energy from sex."

Amara picked up the book, properly this time, and spent the better part of the next hour reading everything she could. She wasn't the fastest reader, but with the scope of her research narrowed, she was able to be much more productive. She managed to find another few books Nick had missed, but also found quite a few websites that proved helpful. Eventually, her stomach rumbling, she was forced to start packing up.

"So, how are we feeling? Better or worse?" Nick asked, returning from dropping off his last pile of books.

Amara's eyes lost focus, staring into the distance as she pondered his question. "You know how monster movies always have that one scene? Where the heroine finds an old library and learns all about the thing trying to kill her? It's like I'm living that movie but... but I'm the monster." There was a slight hitch in her voice, which she countered with another deep breath.

Without even realizing it, she found herself stuck in Nick's arms as he pulled her in for a hug. "Hey, you are not a monster. So what if you're not quite human? You're a good person, full of love. Nothing can change that." He squeezed tight, letting a few moments pass as their breathing started to synchronize. "Let's move to the next thought. Push forward, leave the stress behind."

Amara exhaled, listening to his advice as he guided her through her scattered thoughts.

"I'm... glad we've got a working theory. I feel like I've established some parameters, and this doesn't feel as scary." Amara took care to speak in a steady tone, giving voice to her feelings to keep them from overwhelming her. "But, Nick... there's so much conflicting information! Some cultures say Succubi mostly operate in dreams, and others say they walk among us, constantly changing shape! One book says they just want to eat cum all day, and another says they actually feed on human souls. Souls!"

Nick sighed, pushing her away slightly before tilting her head towards his. "Well, a lot of these stories are hundreds of years old, and most people assume it's all made up anyways. Can't say I'm surprised." He handed Amara her backpack, slinging his own over his shoulder.

They started towards the main entrance, but Amara only took a few steps before pausing. "Nick, wait up, I've got an idea!" She grabbed his hand and started pulling him in a different direction.

Confusion on his face, Nick let Amara drag him through the library, dodging between shelves as they went. He took care to be quiet, unsure what the plan was.

"So, this library has a basement, mostly used to store older materials. Ancient newspapers, books too tattered to put out, stuff like that." Amara finally stopped when they reached a small door. Its lack of a window betrayed its age, and it creaked ominously when she pushed it open.

"And... you're hoping to find more information down there? I thought we were calling it so we could get dinner?

"Oh shush, let me finish. Anyways! When they remodeled, they added a second staircase downstairs. It's much easier to find, which means this one is basically never used anymore!"

As the door closed behind them, what she was saying became obvious. The lights weren't even on, which Amara took care of quickly. A series of lights hummed to life, bathing the area in a dull orange hue. Many of the handrails were covered in dust, their paint chipping and falling to the floor.

"Amara, as much as I love a good architecture lesson, how do you know about this? I thought libraries were for nerds." Nick pushed her in jest as he started down the stairs, his steps obvious as they echoed off the yellowed tiles.

Amara started after him, pushing him back as she raced ahead. "I know someone that used to work here! Heard a lot of fun gossip!" She paused at the landing between the staircases, turning to face Nick again.

He paused as he caught up to Amara, her body blocking the second set of stairs. "I'm still waiting for the point of all this, Amara." When he looked down at her, he noticed her eyes had started glowing.

"The point, Nick," She laid her hands on him, suddenly pushing him up against the wall, "is that I want to say thanks!" She moved closer, her hands wrapping around his chest as she pulled him into a kiss. Her hands began to wander, first exploring underneath his shirt, then moving down as they started undoing his pants.

"I mean, what kind of succubus has never swallowed cum before?" She smirked deviously, kissing his neck before sliding down onto her heels. Her hands hooked into his pants, pulling them down just enough to free his cock.

"I-I mean... here? What if someone finds us?" Nick muttered, his cock growing harder by the second as she wrapped her hands around his shaft.

"I think it's kind of exciting!" She leaned in, licking him from base to tip before locking eyes again, "Now are you going to complain all day? Or let a beautiful girl suck you off?"

"F-fuck Amara, you know that's not what I'm saying..." Nick shivered as her tongue explored him, precum starting to form on the head.

Kissing the tip, his precum now decorated her lips as she pushed forward. His cock slid inside her mouth, and she moaned in pleasure as she felt how much he was enjoying this. She began to bob back and forth slowly, her tongue working the head every time she pulled back.

Amara could feel her own arousal building, but she was too focused on the task at hand to bother undressing. Shifting slightly, she moved to her knees instead of squatting, and found it to be much more comfortable; Here, she could really explore this experience. Her hands moved back to his cock, grabbing the base and accentuating each pass her mouth made with a gentle squeeze.

She was enjoying taking her time, no longer in a rush to lose her virginity or scratch an impossible itch. The feel of her mouth wrapped around him was incredible, and she loved every small grunt he made as she pleasured him. Taking a deep breath, Amara pushed forward a little more, feeling his cock push against her throat. A soft gag escaped her, and she pulled back grinning.

"It always looks so easy in porn..." Amara whispered, her hand slowly stroking his cock.

She licked it from base to tip again before opening wide, slapping him on her tongue. She smirked as she watched his face contort with pleasure, then took him back in her mouth again. She continued sucking, long strokes as far as she could comfortably go, each time gagging ever so slightly; She was determined to fit more of him in. The sounds of her gagging filled the staircase, echoing around them as she kept testing her limits. Nick's cock grew increasingly wet as she sucked, and she felt it was time to be bold.

With a deep breath, she pushed down hard. She relaxed her throat, willing it to open and let his cock inside. Another gag, much louder than the rest, reverberated around her as she felt the tip push deeper into her. She managed to hold herself down for a few seconds before finally pulling back, a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Fuck! I think I'm getting good at this!" She giggled as she went back to stroking his cock, precum dangling off her lips. She locked eyes with Nick as he glanced down.

"Amara, I don't know how much longer I can last!" His breathing was erratic, and he was attempting to steady himself on a nearby railing.

Eager to finally taste cum, Amara redoubled her efforts. She went back to sucking with long, slow strokes, building up a rhythm. She moved her hands to his hips, holding him tight as she let her mouth take full control of his cock.

Down, relax the throat.

Up, breathe.

Down, feel the entrance give.

Up, tongue his cockhead.

Down, a little deeper.

Up, feel his body quiver.

Amara moaned as she kept going, thrilled she was getting better at opening her throat for Nick's cock. Her hands slid behind him, working harder to pull him in as she sucked.

She wanted to feel more of him, and a devious thought crossed her mind. Without moving her hands, or stopping her mouth, she uncurled her tail from around her waist, letting it slide out of her sweater. As she freed it, Amara looked up and was surprised to see Nick looking down at her. She was used to him closing his eyes when they fucked, lost in the moment. Now, however, he watched keenly as Amara presented her tail, whipping it back and forth behind her. It moved closer to Nick, coming to rest near his ankle before starting to curl around it.

The tail crept higher, covering more of his leg until Amara ran out of length. She felt her eyes flare with passion, and suddenly she knew that Nick only had moments left.

She pulled back, taking one last deep breath, then pushed towards Nick. Her hands and tail held him perfectly still as she felt her throat open again, completely swallowing the rest of his cock.

"Fuck!" Nick yelled, one of his hands moving to Amara's head. His body tensed, quick pulses of pleasure shooting through his body as he finally orgasmed.

Amara moaned as she felt his cock pulse, and she pulled back so just the tip was in her mouth. Load after load pumped into her, filling her mouth with his cum. She was shocked at how delicious it was, and she eagerly swallowed every drop he gave her. Her whole body tingled, and she felt a wave of heat pulse out of her body. A strange flicker of light danced around her head, but she had trouble focusing on it, instead eagerly tonguing Nick's cock for the last few drops of his cum.

Nick relaxed his grip on her head, and she realized just how tightly he had been holding her. She took his cue and pulled her hands off his hips, her mouth letting his cock free as she moved her head back. Her tail loosened its grip as well, though she gave it one last flex out of curiosity.

"Fuck, that was fun!" Amara took a deep breath, standing up and stretching her arms. She watched as Nick pulled his pants back up, slowly regaining his composure as he dressed himself. Moving in, she gave him a quick hug from the side and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the snack, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!"

"Believe me, that was fantastic." Nick finally returned her hug, now that he was fully dressed. "Now, do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

Amara pulled back, eyeing him with suspicion. "Um... let's say the good news."

"Well, I think we've proved our succubus theory correct!" Nick chuckled to himself as he fished his phone out of his pocket. "The bad news, however... well, see for yourself."

Holding up his phone, Amara realized he had turned the camera inward, giving her a mirror. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and there were definitely traces of spit and cum on her chin. Her eyes were also glowing, more than usual, but one feature stood out more than all the rest.

A few inches above each of her eyebrows, two small horns had appeared. Each one was roughly two inches long, protruding out from her head before angling back, following the curve of her skull. They were black, but had red undertones that became more apparent as light reflected off them. She ran her fingers over them, thankful the only sensation was in her fingers. Although smooth, there was a fair amount of variation on the surface, almost like tree bark.

"God dammit, these are going to be way harder to hide!" Amara grumbled as she tossed her backpack to the floor. After a few seconds of rummaging, she pulled out a red, cable knit beanie. "Thankfully it's already pretty chilly, if it were summer it would be easier to just drop out!"

Pulling out her own phone, she took a few minutes to tidy herself up. It was awkward styling around her new features, but thankfully the beanie covered them up quite well.

"Good enough?" She asked Nick, both of them starting up the stairs.

"It's like they're not even there!" Nick chuckled as he held the door open. Amara turned off the lights in the staircase, and the two of them backtracked their steps until they were leaving the library.

The brisk autumn air filled her senses as they started towards the cafeteria. Amara thought back to previous years when the weather had turned cold; She had always been the first to pile on the extra layers, but now her sweater felt stuffy and restrictive. Her tail twitched as she repositioned it, and her walking slowed as a thought crossed her mind.

"Huh." She wondered aloud.

"What's up? Nick slowed his pace to match hers.

"Back in the staircase, I uh..." She looked around, checking if anyone was close, "I took His name in vain. Should I not do that?"

"That's... Hm. You raise a good point." Nick went quiet for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed as he cycled through his thoughts. "Does your existence prove His existence?"

"I keep worrying about other students finding out, but maybe... we should be worried about bigger things?" She shivered slightly, though not from the chill breeze.

"Hey, whatever happens, we'll face it together." He paused for a moment, "I should take a religious studies class, make you my final project. It'll be the easiest A I've ever gotten!" Nick laughed.

"If you out me just to boost your GPA, I'll kill you myself so we can find out if the afterlife exists!" She grabbed his arm, digging her nails in before shaking him slightly. The two of them burst out laughing, drawing a few looks from students that had wandered closer. Putting their existential dread to rest, they walked into the cafeteria to finally get dinner.

Chapter Text

The smell of sulfur filled her senses, her hair catching the wind as she turned to find the source. Grasping her necklace, she muttered a prayer and felt her senses heighten; It seemed to be coming from the center of campus. Excusing herself from the group, she moved quickly as the smell grew stronger.

The sky darkened, ominous storm clouds forming much too quickly. They began to spiral in, the epicenter focused over the quad. Breaking out into a run, she knew she was the only one that could stop this, if she could just get there in time. Turning the last corner, she froze, her eyes growing wide with terror.

The quad was on fire.

Students were running, colliding with one another as they tried to escape. In the center of the field, a large runic circle flared to life, its red glow filling the sky as the storm clouds choked out the sun. The fire kept spreading, but she had to push forward.

Flames licked at her heels as she ran, and she avoided their unnatural energies as best she could. She drew closer to the center of this mad ceremony, then muttered another prayer to ask for more assistance. A blade appeared in her hand, its radiant glow pushing back the flames. With a path cleared, she saw her target.

Just a few feet in front of her, a demonic woman stood in the center of the runes. Several bodies lay nearby, their blood spilled to power its hellish intentions. The demon's back was turned, hopefully distracted by the pending completion of its ritual.

She gripped her blade, running forward as she tried to stab the demon through the heart. The demon proved too fast, spinning in place and knocking the blade to the ground. Clawed hands grabbed her throat, drawing blood as she felt herself lifted off her feet.

The demon grinned, its black horns wreathed in hellfire. She felt its terrible hands close tighter, its claws push deeper into her. With one last smirk, the demon's eyes flared, her bright amber irises glowing, and everything went black.

-

She woke with a start, her breathing heavy and erratic. The covers had been kicked to the floor again, and the sheets were covered in sweat. She slid her legs off the bed, reaching for the glass of water on her nightstand. As she emptied it, she noted the clock -- 5:37 AM.

"These dreams are gonna be the death of me..."

Knowing it was pointless to try and go back to sleep, she started her morning routine. A cold shower to shock the system awake, followed by a small snack in preparation for her morning run.

Her route around campus was quiet, as usual. Other than the occasional drunk college student on Sunday mornings, the campus felt like it belonged to her at these early hours. Today, she was off to the science building, where her favorite spot on campus awaited her.

She crossed the quad, a beautiful space when it wasn't on fire, and approached the long stairs leading to the south end of campus. She skipped up the steps, pausing before she continued her run. Turning around, she slid down the railing, and cheered when she made it the entire length without falling; her balance was getting better. Returning to the top, it was only a few short minutes to get to the trees surrounding the large, mirrored building. She paused when she arrived, taking a moment to study the tallest oak in the area.

"Alright, deep breaths, find your path..." She muttered.

With a burst of speed, she vaulted up the trunk and grabbed a branch, swinging onto it. Her footing secure, she started climbing higher, a smile growing on her face. Sweat formed on her brow, and before long she had reached her goal-- The highest branch that could safely hold her weight.

Many months ago, she had secretly trimmed the branches to create a small window, only visible from this spot. She settled in, catching her breath, and looked out over the quad. The many paths crisscrossing the open field made it look like an abstract piece of art. Some paths were paved, some worn into the grass from the footfalls of thousands of students, all of them weaving in between the many trees that scattered the area.

The buildings that surrounded the quad were calm, their lights off, their stillness emphasizing the subtle sway of the trees. Each building was unique, the older ones betraying the true age of the university, but all of them were beautiful. The newer buildings were far more reflective, their sleek design standing in stark contrast to the bricks and arches of the main halls. It was on these newer buildings that she finally saw the first flickers of dawn.

As the minutes passed, more and more light flooded the campus. Deep reds and oranges painted the buildings, the light reflecting into her tree and illuminating the similarly colored leaves around her. Next, the morning rays hit the trees in the quad, the dew sparkling as their colors joined the painting in front of her. She took a deep breath, crisp air filling her lungs, and drank in the beauty of the world around her.

Off in the distance, a car horn sounded, shattering the illusion. The world was stirring, and it was time to return to her life.

"Almost got a whole twenty minutes today... Same time tomorrow?" She smirked as she talked to the tree, then began descending out of her personal paradise.

She resumed her jog, taking a more direct route home; She had no interest in getting caught in the first wave of students trudging to class. A block away from her apartment, her phone went off. She pulled it out, curious who else would be up this early.

Mom: Mailed out your book yesterday! We're so proud of you :)

She froze, her key in the door, rereading the text over and over. Reloading the conversation didn't help, the words refused to change. When she finally responded, she did so more out of obligation than anything else. She tossed her phone on the couch, looking at her surroundings.

"I'm home!" She called out, knowing full well no one could hear her.

She absentmindedly made herself breakfast, the book looming in her thoughts. It had been easy to lose herself in school, to pretend she was nothing more than a simple college student, but that would change once it arrived. She would need a few days to run some tests, and then her mission would begin.

Not my mission. Their mission.

She ate her breakfast slowly, alone in the house her parents paid for. Her tuition graciously donated by the Church, all to support a life in Their service.

She sighed.

No longer hungry, she instead got dressed for the day and headed out.

"Gonna need a lot of coffee today..." She mumbled, pulling a scarf around her neck as she locked up.

Thankfully, she had lighter classes today; Most of the heavy stuff she had frontloaded early in the week. They went by quickly, though there wasn't much to do other than show up and collect the homework. The one bright spot on today's schedule was choir-- music always cheered her up. She had been singing for as long as she could remember, and after many years of lessons, she'd grown quite talented; Her teachers always used to say she had the voice of an angel.

If only they knew how true that was.

-

Amara pulled her beanie down tight, the cold air billowing around her. The wind wasn't that strong, but she didn't want to take any chances. Next to her, Nick occasionally glanced around, always keeping an eye out for suspicious characters. At the moment, thankfully, the two of them were relatively isolated.

"So, Nick... I've been thinking about my dad." She started.

"That's never a good sign." Nick muttered, slowing his pace to match hers.

"Well, it's different this time. Normally, thinking about him... just doesn't go anywhere. I have no idea who he is, or even if he knows I exist." Amara sighed, her mind replaying past conversations.

She had gotten very little information about her father growing up, and eventually she learned to stop asking. When she was old enough, her mother finally shared the slightly awkward truth; Her father was just a drunken fling, a few nights of fun. He had left town long before Amara's mother learned she was pregnant.

She cleared her throat.

"Now, with everything we've learned this last week, I can't help but wonder, if he were a succubus--"

"Incubus." Nick whispered.

"--Right, incubus, whatever. If he were an incubus, isn't this exactly what would happen? He shows up, impregnates some unsuspecting woman, and then vanishes. She's left to raise a kid on her own, and has no idea the kid's a demon."

Nick stayed quiet, likely giving her time to decide if there was more to say. "Well, when you put it that way... Is it worth asking Evelyn about this again? If she remembers anything strange?"

"Right, because that's a normal thing to ask a parent-- Hey, was dad, like, a little weird? Maybe a little demonic? 'Cuz I have horns now and I'm really confused." Amara chuckled as she imagined the conversation.

"Well, I was thinking you could ask with a bit more tact, but clearly that's expecting too much." Nick laughed, jumping aside to dodge Amara's punch.

"You know what I mean!" She huffed. "I tell my mom pretty much everything, and it would be obvious if I were tiptoeing around the truth."

Nick moved closer again, nudging her with his elbow. "What if you did tell her?"

Amara went quiet, staring at the sidewalk passing beneath her feet. Her mind raced with possibilities, wondering how the conversation might go.

"I... I don't know. She would be supportive, curious, and probably a little freaked out, but I'm not scared she would be upset." Amara looked at Nick again, "I just don't think I'm ready yet. The thought of telling someone, even mom, about this..."

The two of them walked in silence for another few minutes, leaves billowing around them as the autumn winds picked up. In the distance, cheering could be heard from the stadium, the game already underway. Nick pulled out his phone, silently texting for a moment, then pocketed it again.

"Vee says everyone is already there," He said, "and that she's mad we're late."

Amara laughed, "I'm not afraid of her! I'll be late if I want to!" She raised her arms over her head, arching her back as she stretched. She made a face as she did, clearly not getting the relief she wanted.

"Everything okay? You pull something?" Nick asked.

"No, it's this Go--" Amara stopped herself, biting her tongue, "this fucking tail. You ever get leg cramps? When you sit a weird way for too long, and you have to walk around to shake it out? My tail does that constantly in this sweater, and it sucks."

She looked around, wondering if she could find somewhere to hide. She grabbed Nick, dragging him to a nearby building before opening the doors. As she darted inside, she turned to him and held up her hand.

"Stay here, holler if anyone gets close. I'll just be a minute!" She closed the door, now alone in a small staircase. Other than a few small bulbs, the only light here was sunlight filtering in through the window in the door. Safe from prying eyes, she uncurled her tail from her waist and set it free.

A sigh of relief left her lips, and she walked around as she stretched. She moved her tail in large, dramatic flourishes as she tried to shake it back to life. She flexed, raising it high before pulling it into her hands to massage it. Finally, she gave it a quick whip through the air, satisfied she'd worked all the kinks out.

"Back in the sweater you go..." She mumbled, still not sure how to feel about it. As she left, she caught Nick looking back at her, but his eyes quickly darted back to his phone as she reached the door.

"Nicholas! Were you watching me?" Amara asked, feigning indignancy.

"Hey, I'm just curious. You live with it, but most of this week we've been out in public, and I've barely seen it." He tucked his phone away as they started walking.

"Well, don't let me catch you again, or I'll suspect you're developing a new fetish!" She smirked, bumping into Nick, "Girls with tails... that must be hard to find porn of."

Nick shrugged, "Eh, I'm pretty sure I'm not a furry, so I'm not too worried."

"What's a furry?" Amara asked, her head tilted.

"You... you can't be serious." Nick gawked, "You've never heard of furries?"

She shook her head, certain she was about to learn, whether she wanted to or not.

"Wow... where do I even start? Furries are like... did you ever see Disney's Robin Hood? Or Zootopia?"

Nick continued, his impromptu lecture taking up the rest of their walk to the game.

-

The campus stadium was full of life, though it wasn't at full capacity. It could technically hold close to 10,000 people, but it only reached those numbers a few times a year. The college football season had started about a month ago, and attendance had evened out after the first few games. Other than football, the stadium made an ideal spot for several large events, and it wasn't uncommon to see the field repurposed during the off season.

Thankfully, since today's game had already started, most of the students were comfortably settled into their seats. Amara hadn't been late on purpose, but the convenience couldn't be ignored; she'd been terrified of crowds ever since growing her tail, and this made it easier to navigate safely.

Nick and Amara made it to the bleachers quickly, and from there it wasn't long before they found their friends.

Tessa was sitting above everyone else, cupping a large thermos in her hands. Her short black hair was shaved on one side, replaced with a collection of tattoos. Needlessly intricate eyeliner decorated her face, which was also adorned with a small collection of piercings. The effort she put into her makeup didn't reflect anywhere else; her outfit today was mismatched, baggy, and likely hadn't been washed in a while.

Vee sat on the bench in front of Tessa, her appearance much more polished. Her blonde hair had been partially braided behind her head, and what little makeup she wore was barely noticeable. She was leaning back, resting her elbows next to Tessa as they talked.

Chloé sat off to the side, the last of Amara's friends present. A long, deep blue coat hid her relatively small body, and a small journal sat in her lap. A matching scarf hung off her neck, and she routinely fidgeted with the few strands of hair that weren't up in a bun. Thin glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, and her green eyes lit up with excitement as they spotted Nick and Amara approaching.

"--so that mostly makes sense, but why is there so much porn? What does that have to do with cute animal people?" Amara asked, scoping out a seat as she approached the rest of the girls.

"What's this about too much porn? Have you been holding back on me?" Tessa grinned as she jumped up, "Actually, I don't care. Amara! Get over here!"

Amara eagerly accepted the hug, but made sure that Tessa's arms stayed away from her waist. She repeated this with the other girls, excitedly greeting everyone before sitting down.

"So, I have to find out from Vee why you left the party early?" Tessa asked, settling back down on her perch. "You just... got tired and called it a night? You're such a grandma."

"Look, it was my first time, and it was just a little overwhelming!" Amara glanced at her feet, hoping they would accept her answer; Better they thought she was boring than find out about her and Nick.

Vee moved closer, stealing a seat next to Nick before talking. "Oh, lighten up Tessa. At least she's smart enough to take care of herself. How hungover were you on Sunday?"

"No more than usual, but that's what coffee is for!" Tessa held up her thermos, then raised it to her lips and drank. As she lowered it, Amara couldn't help but notice the heavy bags under her eyes.

"How much coffee have you had today?" Amara asked, eager to change the topic away from the party.

"I dunno, 5 or 6 drinks? What do you care?" Tessa stuck out her tongue before noticing Amara's disapproving stare, "Look, I've just been sleeping like shit, okay?"

"Caffeine tends to be less effective in larger quantities, you really should cut back..." Chloé said, finally breaking her silence. Her eyes were focused on her journal, and she continued drawing as she spoke. "I bet you'd sleep better too."

Tessa groaned, rolling her eyes as she threw her head back. "You guys suck. Normally I love when it's three on one..." She put her coffee down, then pivoted to lay across the bleacher. "Ah well, maybe I can put together a real foursome for the Halloween party... Wouldn't that be a treat!"

Amara bit her tongue hearing Tessa's comment; She was used to her friend being vulgar, but it felt different given her recent sexual discoveries. "Speaking of Halloween, do we have a plan?"

"That depends on what we want to do." Chloé started, flipping to the back pages of her journal, "Officially, the school has a few events they put on. They always have a movie night in the quad, and normally several fraternity halls partner with the event committee to turn their places into haunted houses. Unofficially, however, there are several notable parties being planned for the weekend. The most prominent is at the same place we all went to last Saturday."

Vee leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of Chloé's journal. "Do you always write stuff like this down? I thought your journal was just for drawings and class notes."

Chloé closed her book, pulling it into her chest again. "W-well, last year Tessa complained that we didn't do enough..."

Hearing this, Tessa sat up again, spinning to face Chloé. "You did all that for me? Seriously?" She leaned in, hugging Chloé tight. "You're adorable! Okay, let me see what our options are..."

Tessa moved down next to Chloé, pulling Amara close as all three of them looked over the holiday schedule. They pulled out their phones, trying to put together a plan for the coming weekend.

-

Vee watched her friends huddle together, but she had other plans. She knew she would enjoy whatever they decided, so she took the opportunity to slide closer to Nick.

"So... furry porn? What was all that about?" Vee asked, smirking at him.

"Amara didn't know what furries were, I thought I'd... well, it doesn't matter. How's your week going?" Nick leaned back, breathing deep.

"A bit stressful, but that's college, right? I booked some tough classes this semester, and they've been wearing me out. What about yourself? You and Amara both seem a little frayed, if I'm being honest." Vee glanced back at her friends, still comparing timelines for the end of the month. She enjoyed watching them get excited, it helped remind her that school was so much more than studying.

"That's... awfully perceptive of you. The party was a little more than she was expecting, to be honest."

"She certainly seems excited to go again, so it can't have been all bad!" Vee smiled, her eyes lingering on Nick's for longer than she'd intended.

"I think it'll be easier next time, now that she's got some experience under her belt." Nick caught Vee's glance, pausing as they looked at each other. "Hopefully, I'll have more chances to mingle, spend time with... other people?"

Vee felt her cheeks redden, and she pulled her gaze away from him. "Well, lucky them, whoever it ends up being." A small smile appeared as she pushed her hair out of her eyes.

The bleachers suddenly erupted with cheers, students leaping to their feet in celebration. A casual glance towards the scoreboard showed that the home team was ahead now, though none of Amara's friends were paying much attention.

Halloween planning had given way to idle gossip, the girls eager to hear about Amara's first party. Even though she'd left early, she had been there long enough to have stories to tell. Occasionally someone would leave to get food, or to say hello to mutual acquaintances performing with the band or the cheerleaders. It was nice to spend time among friends, and the game gave them an excuse to be outside, even though none of them were heavily invested in football.

The peaceful atmosphere broke when Tessa grabbed Vee's arm, pulling her close. "Careful, Derek is on the prowl again."

The smile on Vee's face vanished, and she did her best to look small. It was too little, too late, however; Derek had seen her, and was closing the distance.

"Look who it is!" Derek moved in, resting a leg next to Vee as he leaned forward. "It's funny, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were avoiding me, Vee."

"It's not that, Derek, I'm just... busy. I'm taking some pretty heavy classes this semester." A fake smile crossed her lips.

"Too busy to answer a text? Weird, 'cuz you seem pretty free now. How about we lose the girl squad and find someplace quiet to talk." Derek's eyes made his intentions obvious, focusing more on Vee's body than anything else.

"Look, I promised my friends I'd spend today with them." A stern look crossed her face, "And besides, I've told you before, I'm not interested in dating right now." She did her best to stay calm, but she had no idea how this interaction would end; Derek was notoriously stubborn. Hopefully, the other people present would deter him from pushing too hard.

"Who said anything about dating? Maybe I just want to get to know you, and if we happen to hit it off... well, use your imagination. Now come on, I know the perfect spot." Derek reached for Vee's arm, and she heard Nick jump to his feet in response.

A hand suddenly grabbed Derek's wrist, holding him back. She was shocked to see that it wasn't Nick, but Amara that had intervened. Nick's hands moved to her shoulders, pulling her back as Amara moved closer.

"Hey! You heard her, she's not interested." Amara spoke with unusual confidence, given that Derek was nearly twice her size. She pushed his wrist away, standing firm as she moved in between him and Vee.

"Amara, you don't have to--" Vee was cut off by Derek's increasingly frustrated voice.

"Who the fuck are you? Does it look like I'm talking to you?" He made a show of his stature, clearly trying to intimidate Amara. "How about you sit yourself back down, before we have a problem."

Vee watched as Amara stepped even closer to Derek, matching his confidence with her own. "What kind of problem? You want to beat up a girl in front of all these people?" The crowd nearby had grown quiet, and Vee could tell that Derek was keenly aware of the extra attention on him.

After a few moments, the standoff broke, Derek huffing and turning away. "Bitch... was just leaving anyways..." Everyone watched as he sauntered off, his pride hopefully wounded as he left the bleachers.

As Amara turned back to the group, Vee looked up at her in awe. "Amara, that... that was incredible!" She stood, wrapping her arms around her friend's shoulders to say thanks. "You truly didn't have to do that, but... thank you." As she pulled back, she noticed that Amara's breathing was erratic, her body stiff and her knuckles white.

"I... I'm glad you're safe, Vee." Amara's eyes met Vee's, though they were unfocused. For a moment, Vee wondered if she had started wearing contacts; Her eyes seemed to catch the light differently today. "I'm not... I think I need to leave."

Vee pulled back, letting Amara go as Nick stepped in. They whispered a few words to each other, then Nick turned to the group.

"We need to head out, sorry. Vee, I'm happy you're safe, it was great seeing everyone." As he finished talking, Amara grabbed his hand and pulled him away. The two disappeared from view quickly, leaving Vee, Chloé, and Tessa to themselves.

"Well, that... was certainly something." Tessa mumbled, breaking the silence. "I don't think I've ever seen her that worked up."

"Can you blame her? I could never stand up to Derek like that, I can't imagine how scary that would be." Vee sat back down, pulling out her phone. "I never thought he would be this bold..."

"He's been getting worse, actually." Chloé adjusted her glasses. "I've heard from quite a few student leaders that his behavior has grown increasingly... erratic, to put it mildly."

"As long as we're all okay, I won't complain. Thankfully she's got Nick, he'll get her home safe." Vee sent a quick text, then leaned back and sighed.

Tessa sat next to her, pulling her into a hug. "I wish I had a friend like that... I still can't believe they're not a thing."

The three girls laughed, settling in as they waited for the game to finish.

-

Amara grabbed Nick's jacket, pushing him hard against the wall. He seemed surprised at her strength, but before he could say anything, Amara's lips had found his. He pulled his jacket off, which prompted Amara to do the same. As their kiss broke, Nick took a moment to try and catch his bearings.

"Should we talk about this first? You seem different, and I can't tell if that's good or not." Nick asked as he kicked his shoes off.

"Did you see the way he looked at her? Like she was just some prize to win?" Her breath was still erratic, and she continued fuming as she walked past Nick towards her bedroom. "Fucking asshole!"

"Look, I'm glad you stepped in, but what if something had happened?" He followed her to the bedroom, and by the time he got there, her shirt was already on the floor. "Guys like that tend to be the first to call a bluff, you should have let me handle it."

Amara fell backwards on her bed, her feet in the air as she wrestled with her pants. "You don't understand, Nick, I wanted him to. I was itching for an excuse to hurt him."

"Did you see how jacked he was? He would've torn you apart!" Nick's belt fell to the floor, along with his pants.

"I didn't say I understood it! I just... it's like something inside me snapped." She stood, grabbing Nick's arm and throwing him to the bed. "And now I can barely think straight, so you're gonna fuck some sense into me, and we can talk later!"

Amara straddled him, pinning his shoulders to the mattress as she leaned in, her lips finding his neck. She inhaled his scent, eagerly reaching down to massage his cock through his boxers. Soon she replaced her hand with her pussy, moaning as he started meeting her thrusts with his own. Baring her teeth, she bit down on Nick's neck, eliciting a moan louder than she expected.

"Fuck! No marks, okay?" Nick gasped, his hands eagerly massaging her ass.

Hearing that, Amara pulled back, her eyes brighter than ever as she glared at Nick. "Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" She continued grinding against him as she bit her lip.

Curiosity on his face, Nick moved a hand to her neck, testing the waters. "There's a lot I could do, honestly..."

Amara pulled his hand away from her neck, her other hand meeting his, and pinned his arms above his head. "Didn't you hear me earlier, idiot?" She leaned in, whispering into his ear, "I said I wanted a fight."

All hesitation vanished from Nick as he fought back, reversing Amara's grip on his hands. Combined with a quick hip thrust, he managed to push Amara onto her side, her tail hitting the wall with a soft thud. From there, he moved behind her, wrapping his legs behind hers to stop her from gaining leverage. With the advantage now his, he moved on top of her, flipping her onto her stomach, her hands pinned just like his were earlier.

Amara grunted as they wrestled, well aware that she'd never overpowered Nick before. Her hips writhed and twisted as she tried to break free, but it was no use. He was bigger, stronger, and her teasing had stripped away all pleasantries between the two of them.

She only had one advantage over him-- an extra limb. Her tail was still free, and it moved to his hands to try and break his grip. Nick flinched as her tail found his wrist, and his grip loosened more from surprise than anything else. She bought herself a moment of freedom, planting a hand on the bed to try and push him off.

With one hand, he pulled Amara's wrist behind her back, then the other hand slipped out of her tail. He grabbed her loose wrist and pulled it to meet the other, able to hold both with a single grip. He pinned them tight while his other hand grabbed at her tail. It thrashed wildly, but soon he was able to wrap it around his arm, his hand holding the base.

Amara was now completely immobilized, and she craned her neck to look at Nick. "Please... I need it..." Her pussy had soaked through her panties, and her hips were twitching.

It was Nick's turn to lean in, "You need what?" He whispered.

"I need your fucking cock!" Amara's grunts of frustration turned to pitiful moans, her body begging for release.

He pulled Amara back, positioning her on her knees, her face still on the bed. A smile crossed his face as he spoke. "Be good, and I'll give it to you."

Nick moved his hand off Amara's tail, leaving it wrapped around his arm as he reached between the two of them. He pushed her panties aside and slowly teased her folds with his finger, a loud moan escaping her lips. Pulling away, he freed his cock and lined himself up, eager to give Amara what she wanted.

"The safe word is fursuit, by the way." Nick smirked as he spoke.

"Really? That's the best you've go-- FUCK!" Amara screamed in surprise as Nick pushed into her, bottoming out in one quick motion.

Her body lit up, every nerve firing as pleasure surged through her. She had no idea why confronting that asshole had turned her on so much, but right now she didn't care. Nick's cock felt amazing, she was shocked she hadn't cum when he entered her. She twitched and moaned, still held tight in his hands.

She felt him pull back slowly, and he stopped just before leaving completely. He paused there, holding perfectly still, letting Amara struggle to try and push herself against him. Her efforts were in vain, as his grip refused to budge.

"Nick... please..." Amara pleaded, her voice muffled by the bedsheets around her.

He finally took pity, giving her another powerful thrust. Her moans grew more guttural this time, reveling in the experience. Another thrust, another deep moan filled her chest, and soon Nick was fucking her in long, hard strokes.

She still couldn't move herself, but Nick's strong grip continued to pull her back and forth. As he picked up speed, he made her do the same, and soon his moaning joined hers. She did everything she could to fuck him back, her tail squeezing his arm tight. She pushed her face into the bed, biting the sheets as their fucking grew more intense.

"You love being bent over, don't you?" Nick asked, punctuating his words with his hips. "Being pinned down while I fuck you senseless?"

Amara tried to respond, but each time she had something to say, another thrust would pull a moan from her instead. She'd never felt this powerless before, especially around Nick, and the feeling was intoxicating.

She felt his hand leave the base of her tail, moving to her head and gathering her hair. He pulled back again, this time his grip causing her shoulders to leave the bed. The sound of fabric ripping filled the room, but neither of them cared.

Amara's body shook with pleasure, and she cried out as her orgasm started. Her tail, now freed, wrapped around Nick's torso and held him close as her hips twitched. Wave after wave of ecstasy flooded through her, overpowering the anger that had built up earlier. For a moment, she swore she felt her orgasm transcend her body, but the feeling faded as quickly as it arrived.

As her pleasure started to fade, Nick's body picked up momentum. With another powerful thrust, he pushed Amara to the bed, her tail pulling him with her. He continued fucking her, his movements growing erratic, and soon she felt him succumb. His cock throbbed inside of her, shooting thick loads of cum deep into her body.

Amara gasped as she felt his teeth on her shoulder, biting down hard as his cock emptied itself. Feeling him cum was incredible, the warmth of his seed radiated throughout her body. She felt full, not just because of the thick shaft buried in her pussy, but also as if she'd just finished an amazing meal.

As Nick's pace slowed, then eventually stopped, Amara felt both their breathing calm. His body collapsed on her, his cock growing soft before he pulled out. He released her hair, then her wrists, and finally collapsed off to one side.

"Fucking hell, Amara!" He gasped.

"You can say that again!" Amara chuckled as she turned to face him. "Where on earth did that come from?"

Her tail moved to his chest, drawing little circles as they talked.

"Maybe we both have anger issues to work out?" He laughed as he watched her tail dance across him.

The two of them lay there together, slowly catching their breath as the minutes passed. Nick took advantage of this time to pull her tail closer, looking it over and satiating his curiosity. Occasionally, Amara would pull away and smack him with it, mostly to gauge if her control was improving.

"Oh! Quick!" Amara bolted upright, jumping off the bed and spinning around slowly. "Limb check! Anything new?"

Nick moved to the edge of the bed, carefully examining her. "Hmm... not seeing anything this time. How do you feel?" He held out a hand, motioning for Amara to sit next to him again.

"Fine? The anger is definitely gone, which is good." She leaned into Nick as she started fidgeting with her tail. "I'm wondering if protecting Vee activated some kind of... demonic fight or flight instinct. But, since I'm a succubus, my instincts are also sexual? I'll need to be careful about getting angry in public again, that's for sure."

"Well, I doubt it's a fight or flight instinct." Nick said, holding his chin as he thought about it. Amara leaned in, wondering where he was going with this. "It's probably closer to a... fight or fuck instinct."

His serious face gave way to a mischievous smirk before he chuckled quietly to himself.

"Oh, grow up!" Amara pushed him back on the bed, then moved over to her dresser to grab some fresh clothes. She pulled out new panties, slipping them on, then quickly piled her old clothes in the hamper.

As she closed it, her heartbeat quickened, and she felt her eyes flare. A powerful feeling swelled inside her, and in that moment she knew there was something she needed to do. She spun around, eyes darting around the room.

"Nick, something's... off." She moved out to her living room as she tried to explore the feeling.

"What do you mean? Like, you feel something?' Nick was quickly following her, his pants half on as he walked.

"I don't entirely know, I think... I need to do something. Or go somewhere?" She reached for her front door, her hand twisting the knob.

"Wait!" Nick leapt in front of her, his hand pushing the door, preventing it from opening. "You're still not dressed! What if someone saw you?" His breathing quieted as she moved away from the door.

Amara looked around one last time, realizing the feeling had vanished. "Weird, it's...gone now." She slowly began walking back to her bedroom, retracing her steps. "Plus, I know what would've happened; My neighbors would have been too distracted by my tits to even notice my tail!

Nick followed her again, finally buckling his pants. "Now who needs to grow up?" He chuckled, catching his shirt as she threw it at him.

Amara slowly got dressed, her lips pursed and her brow furrowed as she mulled over that strange sensation. Where had it come from? Why had she been so desperate to follow it? She reached for her bra, then noticed that it was caught on her bedding. When she went to untangle them, she found a large hole in her sheets.

"Fuck! We ripped my sheets!" She groaned as she threw it down, looking at Nick.

"Oh, yeah, it may have gotten caught on your horns..." He mumbled, diverting his eyes as he finished buttoning his shirt.

Amara flicked her tail at him, hitting his thigh as she moved past. She grabbed a spare set of sheets, then returned to the bedroom and tossed half the linens to Nick.

"New rule- If we break anything during sex you have to help me fix it, okay?" She began pulling her old sheets off.

"That's more than fair," Nick smirked as he helped make her bed, "but if you try to milk a new TV out of me, I'm signing up for that Religious Studies class!"

The two spent the rest of the evening together, getting dinner, doing laundry, and studying, before finally calling it a night.

Chapter Text

Nick’s eyes ran over the grocery list again, just for good measure. His grandparents lived alone, but had a habit of inviting friends over pretty frequently, so the list was extensive. Sure he hadn’t missed anything, he moved into a checkout lane.

The elderly cashier was extra chatty, and he happily asked about her day as he helped bag everything; She was exceptionally proud of her grandson, apparently he’d done great on his spelling test. Nick laughed with her as he swiped his card, noticing a message on the terminal.

Donate to support local cancer research?

Out of habit, he reached to decline, but then stopped himself. He stared at his choices, Amara’s words ringing in his head.

”Maybe… we should be worried about bigger things?”

Shaking his head, he donated $20, then moved to help bag his purchases.

The drive back was quiet, if a little long. His grandparents had settled down further out, eager for a big house away from town. Driving was something Nick missed when he was at school; He found it relaxing, and the landscape surrounding him had a simplistic charm to it. Billboards came and went, most of them committed to memory after frequent family visits.

ADULT TOY STORE - NEXT EXIT!

He chuckled, remembering when a girlfriend had convinced him to go into the toy store years ago. He’d blushed furiously looking at all the outfits, but he couldn’t deny he had thoroughly enjoyed everything they bought.

CRACKER BARREL- 3 MILES

His grandparents had talked him into going to the restaurant earlier this week, though he was surprised they only wanted to go once. He had loved the place as a kid, but his palette had expanded in recent years, and he had grown less fond of their menu.

HELL IS REAL

Nick’s eyes froze on the sign, reading it repeatedly. Even after passing it, his eyes stayed glued to the sky, unfocused. He thought of Amara, her surprise demonic puberty, and everything they’d gotten up to this last week. Passages from books came back to him, then online articles, and finally all their conversations.

“One book says…they actually feed on human souls. Souls!”

“Does your existence prove His existence?”

The car started shaking, its tires colliding with the rumble strip, and Nick snapped back to his senses. He centered himself on the road again, shaking his head. He checked his mirrors and sighed in relief when he saw no one else nearby.

The rest of the journey was peaceful, if no longer quiet; Nick had turned the music much louder to keep himself distracted.

When he returned, he happily greeted the dogs at the door, letting them run and bounce all over him. Chasing them outside, he now had the space to unpack groceries without their curious noses getting into everything. His grandma wandered in as he was wrapping up.

“Did you… do our grocery shopping?” She asked, her voice piqued with curiosity.

“Well, I saw the list had gotten a little long, and I needed something to do!” He smiled as he let the dogs back in, watching them run into the kitchen and investigate where all the food used to be.

“I would’ve given you our card if you’d said something, silly!” She moved to her wallet, sitting in a basket next to her keys. “How much was it?”

Nick moved closer, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s really no big deal, I’m happy to help.”

“Oh hush, I know you're not working at school. How much?”

Nick relented, pocketing the money before giving her a tight hug. As he pulled back, he looked around the kitchen briefly.

“I was going to walk the dogs around the lake, have you seen Grandpa? Would he want to come?”

“Oh, he’s sleeping through Jeopardy right now, you know that.” She laughed as she grabbed the dog’s harnesses. “You go enjoy the weather, while it’s still nice.”

Nick gave his grandma a tight hug before leaving, clipped the leashes to the dogs, and headed out. The lake was a few miles north, nestled in a pocket of woods, and he took his time getting there. It was an easy walk, one he’d made many times as a kid. A beaten path took him all the way, and then surrounded the lake itself.

He breathed deep, smiling as he watched both dogs walk around and smell everything. Every so often they would run back to him excitedly, sometimes with a cool stick, and he would kneel to play with them. A small pile of milk bones in his pocket gradually diminished as the walk continued, and halfway through he sat down on a fallen tree to rest.

His parents had brought him here often as a child. At first, the rural atmosphere had been too slow for his taste; his friends weren’t here, his games were at home, and there was nowhere fun to go. That reluctance had quickly given way to excitement, and he began eagerly looking forward to their visits. This lake in particular had become an oasis, a place to calm his thoughts.

He’d come here when his best friend from elementary school had moved away, and when his first girlfriend had broken up with him. He had run here to hide when his parents found his bad report cards, and when he first learned about the unexpected passing of his uncle.

Nick had spent a lot of time here this week.

Another stick appeared in his lap, and he tugged it away from the dogs before throwing it for them again. They eagerly gave chase, but returned with a completely different stick. He laughed, gave the new one a toss, and stood up to start heading back. As he left the lake, his phone went off.

Amara: When are you getting baaaaack

Nick had left the morning after the football game, just about a week ago. At first, things had been relatively normal, but after a few days, he noticed that Amara seemed to miss him more than usual.

Amara: Demon libidos SUCK

Well, part of him at least.

Nick: I fly back tonight, and we’ll have all day tomorrow to cause trouble :P

By the time Nick made it back, his grandma was almost done making dinner. He helped her finish, making small talk about college and his plans for the semester. His grandpa, finally awake, picked his brains about his classes; Nick was primarily studying architecture and engineering, which was a topic they both shared a passion for.

The food was delicious, as expected, and Nick happily helped clean up. Between the three of them, the kitchen was spotless no time, and that meant it was time to leave. He packed his bags, loaded them in the car, and hugged his grandma goodbye. His grandpa got in the driver’s seat, and they left for the airport.

Another long drive passed relatively quietly, though the same billboards existed on this side of the road too. The sign from before stood tall, taunting Nick as they passed it.

“So, you want to talk about it?” His grandpa asked.

Surprised, Nick looked away from the window. “About what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Nicholas.” His grandpa said, “You show up unannounced, repair our deck, do our grocery shopping, and spend hours every day out by that lake. You think I’m not gonna ask why?”

“I already told you, school’s been tough, I wanted to get away for a bit. Plus, I missed you two!”

“Look, I’m not calling you a liar. We love having you over, I haven’t seen your grandma this happy in months. I’m not gonna push, but I want to help, if you’ll let me.”

Nick grew quiet, unsure what to say. He looked out the window again, the distant clouds dancing over the horizon as they drove. Minutes passed before he broke the silence.

“I just… I was looking for something.” He muttered.

His grandpa looked over, compassion in his eyes. “Yeah? You find it?”

Nick thought back to his week here. Helping out around the house, playing with the dogs, bettering the world around him. Despite his worries, and his fears, his heart was still full of love for those around him.

“I think I did, actually.” He said, looking back at the window. He smiled as the airport, and his suddenly very strange life, came into focus.

-

The line in the cafeteria was longer today, and the wait for lunch was made worse by Amara’s grumbling stomach. She occasionally caught sniffs of something delicious, but when she got her food, she was dismayed to learn the smell was coming from something else. She found Chloé quickly, sitting across from her as she took off her backpack.

“Ugh, I swear the food here gets more bland every day.” She complained, lazily dragging her fork across the food in front of her.

“Really? I’ve been enjoying it, but I might just be happy to have something to eat.” Chloé chuckled as she kept eating.

Amara dug through her bag, trying to distract herself from the lackluster food in front of her. She checked some of her folders, making sure today’s homework was ready, and eventually pulled out two matching notebooks. She set them up, and continued to pick at her food as she analyzed the tables inside.

“What is all this? Class stuff?” Chloé was leaning in, her eyes scanning the notebooks to try and figure them out. “They look like calendars.”

“This is my big project for the year! It’s for my Marketing class, they want a practical application of skills rather than a written final.” Amara pushed her food aside, then spun her notebooks to face Chloé. “You’re right, they’re calendars; I’m trying to piece together a posting schedule that doesn’t overwhelm me.”

“A… posting schedule?” Chloé tilted her head, her face scrunched up in confusion. “Come to think of it, I don’t actually know what you’re studying for.”

Amara looked off into the distance briefly, digging through past conversations. “I guess I don’t talk about it much, do I?” Chloé shook her head. “Well, long story short, I’m trying to specialize in Social Media Management. The goal is to understand how people engage with content online, and offer advice to anyone looking to up their marketing game.”

“So, like… you’re really good at Facebook?” Chloé asked, giggling as she ate.

“Kinda, yeah! All the different social media websites have their own cultures, and you have to post different types of content depending on where you are. Ideally, I would help people understand when to post, what to post, and how to engage with different online communities. For larger companies, I might offer to run their social media accounts, but for individuals I can help them improve their own abilities.”

“That’s really cool!” Chloé pulled the notebooks closer and began flipping through them. “I bet there’s a lot of ways to put those skills to use, so much stuff is online these days. What is your actual project?”

“I want to prove I can appeal to different online cultures, so I’m going to start two new social media personas. Each will have a unique handle, I won’t cross-post anything, and each will aim to appeal to a different audience.”

“So, what are your two personas?” Chloé pushed the notebooks back to Amara, returning to her meal.

“I’m still hammering out the details on that, sadly. I’ve been talking it over with Nick, but since he’s been gone, it’s been slow moving.” Amara forced another few bites down as she put her notebooks away.

“That does explain why I haven’t seen him around,” Chloé muttered to herself. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know all the details, but I guess some family stuff came up? He’s been at his grandparents place all week.” Amara grumbled.

Nick’s trip had been sudden, but being separated didn’t seem like that big a deal. They’d been apart hundreds of times throughout their friendship, and it had never been an issue. This time, however, her newly discovered demonic needs made his absence significantly harder to stomach.

Her body screamed for sex. The first few days had been tolerable, if a little frustrating, and she had been able to distract herself with schoolwork. After that, sadly, her libido had evolved from an annoying itch to a cavernous void.

Just like before, her toys had been useless, despite her many attempts. To make matters worse, she had been sleeping terribly the last few days, and couldn’t figure out why.

“What about you? Any big projects this semester?” Amara asked, trying to keep herself distracted.

“Well, it’s not quite as impressive as yours, but I’m trying to start a charity platform.” Chloé’s voice grew quiet as she talked, her eyes falling to her lap.

“Not impressive? Chloé, that’s incredible!” Amara leaned forward, trying to infect her friend with excitement. “Are you just trying to raise money for a specific cause?”

“Well, I do have a few causes I’m really passionate about, but the goal for now is to make people feel better about donating. I’m working together with some friends to make a new fundraising platform, one that makes it easy to donate, while encouraging transparency. We’re going to have an app and everything!”

Chloé’s eyes lit up as she talked, though not as literally as Amara’s.

“That’s honestly amazing, you should be super proud of yourself, Chloé!” Amara smiled, and caught Chloé blushing as she talked. “Maybe we should team up sometime! I might be able to help with exposure and all that.”

Chloé said nothing in response, but nodded enthusiastically as she finally looked up. Her gaze quickly left Amara, and she waved at someone that had presumably just entered the cafeteria.

Within seconds, the delicious smell from earlier filled Amara’s senses. She turned her head and watched as Tessa walked up to the table. As she sat down, Amara eagerly looked at her lunch, only to find the same uninspired food that she had on her own plate.

“Hey girls! Sorry I’m late, I had some trouble getting out of bed today.” Tessa smirked as she popped open her thermos, chugging some more coffee.

“That’s okay, Amara and I were just talking about our projects for the year.” Chloé moved slightly to give Tessa more space. “Do you have anything you’re working on?”

“Me? Hell no! I make sure to avoid classes that ask for big projects. I just want to show up, take my test, and leave. I’ve got more important things to do.” Tessa smirked as she started eating, making no effort to hide how hungry she was.

Chloé and Tessa started catching up, but Amara found it difficult to include herself in the conversation. She had to fight not to stare at Tessa, as she was trying to figure out where that smell was coming from.

It’s not her food, obviously, but maybe perfume? Who am I kidding, Tessa doesn’t wear perfume. Even if she did, it wouldn’t smell like this.

Amara kept eating, occasionally joining in the conversation, but her mind was elsewhere.

Coffee? No, I’ve tried her drinks before. Maybe a new body wash? That wouldn’t explain why the smell is so strong though…

As she continued cycling through thoughts, she also noticed that Tessa had an unusual glow to her. Her skin, hair, eyes, they all seemed to be filled to bursting with vigor, as if she were exuding an unnatural aura of vitality. Before she realized it, Tessa was staring back at her.

“Hey, I got something on my face? Or are you just lost in my beauty?” Tessa asked, playfully throwing her hair back.

Amara flinched, realizing she’d been caught staring. “No, I, uh… you just seem a little excited today. You’re more animated than usual, and I’m used to you fighting to stay awake.” She tried to inject some attitude into her voice, hoping to deflect the conversation away from herself.

“Well, let’s just say this isn’t my first time eating out today.” Tessa winked at Amara, but when she looked over to Chloé, it was obvious the innuendo hadn’t landed. “I woke up with my girlfriend straddling my face, and she returned the favor once I’d finished the job. Couldn’t ask for a better way to wake up, am I right?”

Amara’s eyes went wide as she pieced everything together; The smell, the unusual glow, she was sensing that Tessa had just had sex. Out of curiosity, she looked around the cafeteria, and realized that she was able to identify quite a few students that had similar auras around them. They all looked different, and now that she knew what to look for, it was easier to identify what she was seeing.

Amara spent the rest of lunch people watching, trying to figure out what all the different auras meant. She found it was easy to see a difference between people who had recently had sex, and people that were simply horny. She found a few students that had both auras, which made her chuckle.

A guy one table over had likely gotten laid last night, his aura was more vibrant than other students, but was definitely more subdued than Tessa’s.

The girl in the corner, on her phone, was incredibly horny. Her aura was pulsating, and she was likely sexting someone or reading something exciting. As Amara watched, the girl bit her lip and shifted in her seat.

When Amara directed her gaze downward, looking at herself, she didn’t see anything unusual.

Maybe I can’t see my own aura? I guess, if succubi are supposed to be sexual predators, our own state of arousal would be irrelevant…

Eventually, as it approached the next hour, a sizable portion of the cafeteria stood up to leave for class. Tessa seemed to be in no rush to leave, but she stood up anyways to give her friends a proper goodbye.

As Amara went in for a hug, she felt Tessa’s aura wash over her. She basked in it for a second, fighting the urge to linger even longer, and then pulled away. She joined Chloé in leaving the cafeteria, the two hugging before going their separate ways.

-

The rest of the day passed quickly, and Amara was eager to start the weekend. Nick’s impending return lingered in her thoughts, and she was trying to decide what naughty fun she would get up to tomorrow.

Maybe I’ll find a good porno for inspiration. Or we could watch some together! I wonder what he likes…

She chuckled, trying to guess what Nick’s taste in porn might be. They had never shied away from talking about sex in the past, but they frequently left the dirty details to the imagination.

I bet he’s into amateur stuff. “Oh, I just love how intimate it feels, it’s so much more passionate.”

She giggled to herself as she made fun of him, and made a note to ask him about this tomorrow.

She continued her slow walk across campus, in no rush to get home, when a strange feeling came over her. Just like last week, after the game, Amara suddenly felt like she needed to be somewhere. The feeling had actually come and gone a few times since then, but always at inopportune times. Now, she had nothing but free time, and was determined to follow it.

She picked up her pace, following her gut. She moved southward and found herself crossing the quad in the process. After a long trek up the stairs, she soon found herself facing the science building.

The feeling seemed to be pushing her inside, so she walked in and started exploring. She did her best to act natural, realizing she had no idea when classes stopped in this building. Oddly enough, the more she looked around, the more she knew she needed to be on a lower level.

Does this building even have a basement?

Amara wandered the first floor, and eventually answered her own question. A flight of stairs led to a sublevel, and as she entered it, she was surprised to see it was much older than the sleek building above. In fact, it reminded her of the old staircase from the library.

They must have left the original basement when they rebuilt, weird.

Leaving the stairs, she now stood in a dimly lit hallway that branched out in two directions. She seemed to be standing in a corner of the structure, the hallway turning where it met the staircase. A quick look to her right revealed a dead end, with only a single locked door. She doubled back, and headed the opposite direction.

The rooms closer to the staircase looked like they’d been slightly refurbished, and now served as utility housing. A series of water pipes and electrical wires ran up into the ceiling, presumably supplying the building with everything it needed. She poked around the room for a minute before shrugging, not seeing anything of interest.

Leaving the utility room, Amara continued following the hallway. The next few rooms were locked, but the windows were clear enough that she could see through them. They seemed to be equipment storage, but it was hard to tell if people still used them. Everything inside looked older, and mostly consisted of chairs, desks, lab tables, and the occasional ancient microscope.

Pulling away from the locked doors, she kept walking. Instead of more old classrooms, however, the hallway suddenly opened up. The space ahead of her was much larger, when Amara looked around, it seemed to occupy the rest of the basement.

Instead of smooth brick walls, peppered with an occasional door, the empty space resembled an ancient maze of plumbing. Pipes of every shape and size wove through the space, and it felt like being in the belly of an ancient steamship. The giant rusting boiler nearby certainly made the comparison an apt one.

Her gut told her she was close.

Amara walked deeper into the mess of plumbing. After nervously touching some of the pipes around her, she confirmed that they weren’t in use anymore. She began ducking and climbing through the pipes, still unsure what she was looking for; It took her the better part of the next 15 minutes to thoroughly search the area.

As she crawled underneath a large pipe, she found herself facing the back wall of the basement. Here, following the barren walls, she managed to find a small room tucked in the corner of the basement.

There was no door, just a gap in the wall, but the dark brickwork had made it nearly impossible to spot from further away. She pulled out her phone and turned on its flashlight, ignoring the ‘No Service’ pop-up.

She expected to find more plumbing, and was surprised to see a relatively empty space. Stranger still, it looked like someone had been here recently. On the far side of the room, she saw a small table filled with books and scattered papers. In front of it sat a small folding chair, and the floor nearby had a collection of jars and vials.

Looking at the walls nearby, she found a light switch and flipped it. A dull, warm light filled the area, so Amara pocketed her phone.

The strange feeling had faded somewhat, so Amara wasn’t quite sure what to do next. She wandered across the room, her hand tracing the walls in search of anything strange. As she neared the table, she started noticing strange symbols drawn on the many pieces of papers. Unable to read anything, she started digging through the books for possible hints.

Most of the books were quite old, and even more were completely unlabeled. Their spines were heavily worn, and when she started flipping through them, she was again confronted with strange symbols she couldn’t understand.

She turned away from the table, tossing the book back, and that’s when she noticed the drawings.

The center of the room was covered with the same symbols she had seen in the books. They were all drawn with dull red paint, and many of them were connected with lines, but Amara couldn’t make sense of the patterns they made. When she looked up, she noticed the symbols had been drawn on the ceiling as well.

As she continued examining the strange scene in front of her, the feeling from earlier returned. It started small, but quickly grew into an intense curiosity. Although she still couldn’t read the symbols, she thought the patterns might be easier to decipher from the center of the room.

She stepped forward, her feet landing on the empty concrete in the center of it all. A sudden wave of energy swept over her, then faded just as quickly. She spun around, looking at all the symbols, but still nothing made sense.

She sighed.

Well, this was a bust. Maybe I’ll bring Nick down here tomorrow, he might recognize some of this.

Amara turned to the entrance of the room, but when she tried to step forward, her body collided with something. After catching herself, she pushed a hand forward and flinched when it touched something solid. A strange glow pulsed from the area she touched, and it grew brighter when she pushed her hand against it. She began tracing the invisible object with her hands, and found that it was curving around her.

Her breathing quickened, a terrible thought crossing her mind, and after a minute she confirmed her theory; This strange wall was completely surrounding her. It stayed invisible unless touched, and the harder she pushed against it, the stronger it glowed.

Panic set in, and she pulled out her phone. The pop-up from earlier appeared again - ‘No Service’. She tried searching for Wi-Fi, but there was none to be found.

She started hitting this strange force field, punching it, driving her shoulder into it, but nothing worked. The more she exerted herself, the more she felt the gnawing hunger in her gut. She was still weak and tired, and these escape attempts were only making that worse.

Amara collapsed to the ground, tears forming in her eyes, as she looked around the empty room. She was alone, trapped under the science building, and classes had likely just ended for the weekend. She called out, desperate to catch someone’s attention, and her voice echoed through the empty basement.

“Hello?”

Chapter Text

Sulfur infiltrated her senses, and she turned as her feet hit the pavement. The clouds darkened, circling the quad as flames consumed the trees. She ran faster, weaving between students as she raced towards the demon responsible for this. Her blade appeared, dispersing the flames, and she leapt forward.

Her sword clattered to the ground, the demon’s clawed hands grabbing her throat. She tried to break free, but its hold was too strong. Its grip tightened, claws drawing blood as her strength gave in. Her vision faded, the demon’s amber eyes seared into her mind, and her breathing stopped.

-

Her hands were gripping the sheets when she woke, her body gasping for air. It took a moment for the nightmare to fade, the tension refusing to leave her body. When it did, she slowly sat up and steadied herself. The cold air in her apartment swept over her, and she closed her eyes to focus on calming her breathing.

The demons’ eyes stared back at her, glowing in the darkness.

Startled, she fell off the bed, pulling the rest of the sheets with her. She sat quietly, scared to close her eyes, as the glow of her clock filled her vision.

5:23 AM

“At this rate, I won’t be sleeping at all come winter…” She sighed.

Leaning forward, she grabbed the water off her nightstand. It relaxed her throat, strained from the heavy breathing, and it also made the caffeine pill go down easier.

She showered quickly, but had to trade her running clothes for something warmer; There was no longer time to exercise. Instead, she grabbed her backpack and locked up the house.

Stealing a look towards the Science Building, she sighed, instead walking east as she pulled up a map of campus on her phone. A loose grid had been superimposed onto it, and red X’s filled many of the sections on the east side. She was almost finished with her first column, and was making her way north this morning.

As she walked, she made sure no one was nearby, then uttered a small prayer under her breath. Holding out her palm, she focused, muttering the prayer again. It came slowly, but soon enough a ball of light hovered over her fingers.

Sweat danced across her brow, and she could only hold the light for a few seconds. Still, when the book had first arrived, she’d struggled to make anything at all. Hours had been spent pouring over its pages, relearning the language inside as she tried to connect with her magic once again.

She let the light disperse, her body relaxing as it faded. She hadn’t expected everything to come back easily, but it was still frustrating that she could do so little. Spontaneous magic was always difficult, but thankfully she didn't need it at the moment.

Looking up, she realized she’d arrived at the Library. She gave the front doors a push, and wasn’t surprised to find them locked. A quick lap around the building revealed no easy way in, so she settled for an outside corner facing away from campus. Her backpack came off, and she pulled out her book.

It was large, with a faded brown cover that was significantly older than it looked. At one point in time, the sides of the pages had been lined with gold, and the edges of the hard cover lined with decorative symbols, but such flourishes had been lost over decades of use.

She whispered a prayer, willing the book to open, and it did as she asked.

The language inside would be impossible to read for most people, partially due to its complexity, partially due to the innate power the words held. Even if one managed to decipher the written symbols, the meaning would still be lost without a divine spark to aid in the proper translation.

Enochian was the language of the Angels, after all.

With her magical abilities still limited, she had needed to rely on the rituals in this book to do her work. Turning to the page she needed, she began reciting the prayer inside.

Her voice filled with power, the graceful words resembling a beautiful melody as she asked the divine for assistance. Today, just as she had done every day this week, she was casting a divination spell to locate demonic activity. As the prayer ended, the angelic overtones fading, she hoped for a predictable answer.

Instead, the magic pulsed with recognition.

Her eyes went wide, shock appearing on her face as she focused on the confirmation.

Shoot. Guess it was foolish to think a Patron would be wrong.

The magic told her to go inside the Library, and she knew just what to do. Turning to another page, she gathered her backpack and moved to a side door. Enochian danced from her lips once more, and she asked for safe passage in the name of the Divine.

The door’s lock clicked, then swung open for her.

Moving inside, she began following the magic of the location spell. It didn’t lay out a path for her, and she was forced to navigate row after row of bookshelves while she looked. Eventually, she found a small door tucked away in a back corner.

“Never seen this before…” She mumbled as she pushed it open.

The darkness inside taunted her inability to reliably create light, and she instead flicked a nearby switch.

The lights were old, and they revealed a staircase that had definitely seen better days. She moved slowly, checking every nook and cranny as she descended. The location spell seemed strongest here, and it was time to dig deeper.

Opening the book, she began reciting another prayer. Her words echoed off the old tile floors, surrounding her with graceful harmonies as she spoke.

While at first the goal had been to locate demonic activity, now she had to determine how big of a threat she was dealing with. If she were lucky, the demon would be a small imp or familiar or some kind; She’d actually banished an imp once in her youth, and felt confident she could easily do it again.

When the magic finished, her hopes were quickly dashed. Whatever had been active here was stronger, and likely humanoid. Oddly enough, the information from the spell seemed confused. Either this creature was rather weak for its class, or was powerful enough to hide its own aura.

The uncertainty didn’t sit well with her. Her heartbeat quickened, and she closed her eyes to focus on her breathing.

Amber irises glared back at her.

“Fuck!” She gasped, dropping the Enochian text. “Pull yourself together, it’s just… weaker than normal. Maybe it's a simple possession, that might explain this.”

Another page, another spell, and soon she was placing a small ward in the staircase. Whatever this demon was, it would be in for an unpleasant surprise if it came here again.

She recast the tracking spell, focusing on the residual demonic energy as she willed the Divine to track the energy’s path. This time, with a stronger foundation, she was able to see a slight trail that led to the library.

Following it took some time, as this spell demanded more energy from her. She found a lingering demonic presence at a small table, and traces of it scattered throughout nearby shelves. Eventually, she landed on a thick book shelved deep in a section on religion and folklore.

She dropped the spell, having already held it for quite some time. The dust on this book had been recently disturbed, another concerning discovery. She pulled it out carefully.

“A Complete History of Demons and Demonology. Hmm.”

Weird. Why would a demon research itself?

She flipped through the book, hoping it might reveal what exactly she was dealing with. As the spell was no longer active, she was instead looking for more mundane signs of wear and tear.

As she continued reading, skimming over the pages quickly, she realized that one page in particular had been folded, dogeared to mark its place. She opened to that page and immediately saw an ancient drawing of a beautiful woman, complete with horns, wings, and a tail.

“Shit. Shit shit shit!” She flipped to the front of the book, dismayed when she saw that no one had checked the book out recently.

A succubus! On a college campus! Crafty bitch, she'll have no shortage of eager victims…

She put the book back, anxious as she began her journey home. With the Enochian text safely in her bag, she left the library.

Every few minutes she would summon her light again, and she could already feel her strength growing. Now that the threat had been revealed, she understood the stakes, and she was determined to be ready.

Presumably, she got here when the nightmares started. How many victims has she claimed already? She's going to get significantly stronger with every soul she consumes, so I need to act fast.

Arriving at home, she hid the Enochian texts away and prepared for classes. Once she was ready, she stood at her front door and dared to close her eyes.

Once again, the amber eyes from her nightmare stared back.

“Your days are numbered, Hellspawn.”

-

Amara sat on the floor, her backpack in her lap as she leaned against the barrier. She had stopped trying to push through long ago, as she had quickly learned she wasn’t strong enough. When she lightly pressed against the barrier, it felt soft and a little tingly, and it was easy to think breaking through was possible. The harder she tried to fight against it, however, the more the sensations became rigid and painful.

She moved her tail in small circles against the barrier, watching the ripples in the magic. Occasionally, she pulled it closer to fix her hair or scratch an itch.

Her stomach grumbled again, a headache beginning to set in. She pulled some snacks out of her bag, hoping it might help, but she knew what her body really needed. She threw another wrapper on the floor before groaning.

Amara pulled her phone out of her backpack, where it was hooked up to a portable charger. She scowled as she saw how little battery she had left, then watched the clock change hours.

10 PM.

Four fucking hours in this dump. Nick’s flight would have landed… 2 hours ago? Maybe 3? Stupid time zones. I bet he’s worried sick. How many calls have I missed by now?

A groan left her lips as she let her head fall against the barrier again, its unnatural energy tickling the back of her neck. She banged her head a few times before closing her eyes.

Of all the ways to find out magic is real… Guess it's not that surprising, all things considered.

It was easy to wish she could fall asleep, but that urge was tinged with fear. What if someone came to check the utilities while she was sleeping?

Endless questions ran on repeat through her mind, and she continued waiting.

11 PM.

Amara spent most of this hour playing with her beanie. She would balance it on her tail, toss it up in the air, and try to catch it. She realized that this was one of the first times she'd really practiced her dexterity with it; At home, her tail was easy to forget about between the homework, her friends, and her sex life.

12 AM.

The clock struck midnight, and Amara noticed the battery in her portable charger had finally depleted. All she had left was the phone battery, so she decided to turn it off. No sense in pointlessly burning it out while she had no service.

Putting her phone back in her bag, she looked at her class notes briefly, but decided she didn't have the energy to study. As she finished zipping up, she heard a distant noise. It echoed briefly, and almost sounded like the push bar on the basement door.

Amara stood up, pushing against the barrier.

“HEY! HELP! I’M TRAPPED BACK HERE!” She could feel her throat protesting the manic screaming, but she didn’t care.

She continued shouting for another minute, then stopped to listen. Her heart leapt with joy when she realized she heard footsteps moving closer.

At the last second, Amara remembered to put her beanie back on and tuck her tail into her sweater. She also made sure no part of her was touching the barrier, just to limit how many strange things this person would see at once.

Finally, the stranger walked into view. He seemed understandably confused, and he stopped moving once he saw her.

“Thank you! I’m so glad you heard me! I, uh… I’m kinda stuck.” The tension in Amara’s shoulders relaxed, and she smiled as he moved closer.

When he got closer to the light, she got a better look at his features. He had short, brown hair, lightly tousled and shining slightly. His brows were furrowed in confusion as he looked at her.

“How… why are you here?” He finally asked, looking behind her at the small table.

Shit, of course he’d ask that.

“W-well, I’m really into urban exploration, and recently I’ve been interested in the older parts of campus, these little nooks and crannies that they tried to patch over.” She bit her tongue, nervously hoping she was a convincing liar.

“And you say you're stuck? On what? You'll forgive me if I don't quite believe you.” He gestured to the open room.

“Right, that's the weird part. If I try to move… well, see for yourself.” She raised a hand, placing it lightly against the barrier. Magic danced around her hand as she pushed, and she looked up at the stranger again. “As weird as this might sound… I honestly think it’s some kind of magic. I think all this weird writing is the source, and I was hoping you could scratch it off for me?”

The stranger's face turned to the barrier, his eyes wide in surprise.

“Stupid question, but can you break through it? Try ramming into it, with your shoulder.”

“No, I’ve tried that already. Nothing works, the harder I push against the barrier, the harder it fights back.” Amara sighed.

As she finished talking, she saw a look of confusion cross the man’s face. He took a deep breath, then slowly started walking around Amara.

Why isn't he saying anything? He learns magic is real and just… doesn't care?

She watched as he circled her, avoiding the symbols as he walked. He was looking her up and down, and she saw his eyes linger on the wrappers littering the floor. Once he reached the table, he sighed heavily and finally started talking again.

“Alright, let me level with you. These runes are all mine.”

“They're… yours? You trapped me in here?” Amara asked.

“Well, yes and no. Not you specifically, at least. I'm something of an aspiring mage, and I've been coming down here to practice. That circle is a ward designed to trap anyone that's not me. Just a safety precaution.”

Fuck. Does he think I'm after his stuff?

“I promise I'm just here by accident, I didn't even think magic was real until I got trapped in this!” Amara tapped on the barrier to accentuate her point. “I'll empty my bag too, if you want to make sure I haven't taken anything.”

The man set his backpack down and turned to her, a smile on his face. “No need, I believe you. Now, letting you out is tricky, the runes won't break if I just scratch them off.”

“Okay, so what can we do?” Amara asked.

“Think of the magic here like a firewall. I’ve told it to trap anyone that’s not me, but I can alter the spell to let you pass too.”

“That's great! The sooner the better, I've been stuck down here for hours…”

An awkward silence filled the room as the stranger rummaged through the supplies on his desk. Eventually, he turned around, hands closed around several small objects.

“Alright, I think I've got everything I need. I'm Vince, by the way, pardon my manners. You are?” He asked, grinning awkwardly.

“I'm Amara! Sorry I triggered your trap, I hate to be a bother.”

“Believe me, it's truly nothing. I must admit, it's not every day a beautiful woman wanders into my secret lair!”

“Well, I hope you find better ways of meeting people in the future.” Amara forced a smile, eager to stay on Vince’s good side.

“Now, magic can be a little picky. I hate to say this, but in order to recalibrate the spell… I’m going to need a bit of blood.” Vince said.

Amara took a step back. “Blood? Is that really how magic works?”

“I’m afraid so. I used quite a bit to make this circle, if I’m being honest. However, since the spell has already been cast, I won’t need a lot, just a small prick of the finger.” Vince held up his hands, and she saw a small needle next to a clear vial.

Amara paused, her eyes locked on the needle.

This can’t be a good idea, but do I really have a choice? He’s the only one that knows I’m here, and if he’s telling the truth, it’s my only way out…

She finally nodded slowly, holding out an arm.

Vince gently grabbed her hand, turning her palm up. She noticed that his arms were now inside the barrier, and he seemed completely unphased. Hopefully, that meant he was telling the truth about everything else.

He pricked the tip of her finger, then angled it so her blood flowed into the vial. True to his word, he only took a small amount before handing her some gauze. She pushed her finger into it and smiled meekly.

“Great! That should be everything I need.” Vince grinned as he pulled away, heading back to his table. “So, how old are you?”

“I’m… twenty?”

Vince chuckled quietly. “Okay, but, how long have you been twenty?”

“Do you mean like, when’s my birthday? Is that for the spell?” She shifted uncomfortably, not sure why he was asking these questions.

Vince turned back to her, his expression different. He looked colder now, and the smile had faded from his eyes. “You can drop the act, Amara, I’m not letting you out. Though, I’ll admit you almost had me, the candy wrappers were a nice touch.”

Amara’s eyes widened in shock. She moved to the barrier and pushed against it, magic filling the air. “You’re keeping me in here? Why?”

“Do you think I’m stupid? That barrier is the only thing keeping me alive. We both know you’d kill me in a heartbeat if you had a chance. Now stop talking, I'm trying to focus.”

“Vince, I can’t even kill the bugs in my house! Why on earth would you think I want to hurt you?” Amara’s voice rose, and she could feel anger bubbling up inside of her.

“Look, we both know you're a demon, so stop treating me like an idiot.” Vince slammed a fist on the table before turning to face her. “Now why won't you listen to me?!”

“Why would I listen to the madman holding me hostage in a basement?!”

“Because that's why you're here! The circle was supposed to summon a succubus and bind her to my will!”

Hearing this, Amara went quiet, her face frozen in shock. She moved to the back of her enclosure, leaning against it before sliding down to the floor. Her breathing quickened, and she closed her eyes as his words echoed in her head.

I’m nothing to him! He thinks I’m some monster, and he never planned on listening to a word I was saying…

“Honestly, I’m amazed you gave me some of your blood, but hopefully that will be enough to take control. Just have to figure out the runes…” Vince continued flipping through books on his table, his back to Amara once more.

This is only going to get worse, Amara. If you don’t figure something out, he’ll find a way to break your will and make you his puppet.

She looked around briefly, already intimately familiar with everything in the room, and pulled her beanie down over her eyes. She pulled her knees up to her face, trying to hold herself together.

Why couldn’t I have any helpful demonic powers? What use is a tail now?

Vince continued looking through books, scribbling notes and muttering to himself as he did. He briefly looked back at Amara, huddled in fear, and rolled his eyes before returning to his work.

You can’t just wallow in self-pity, Amara. You have to do something, now!

Amara closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. In for two, out for four. There had to be something she could do, a way to turn this to her advantage. Her tail and horns weren’t helpful, and she was extra weak because of the lack of sex, so what were her options?

Sex! I get my strength back by fucking, and there’s a horny idiot right in front of me!

Her mind raced with possibilities, trying to piece together a plan. He clearly didn’t trust her, and thought she was only acting like a helpless student to trick him.

Aren’t I majoring in marketing? Vince is your audience, figure out what he wants, overcome his hesitations, and sell him the product.

He had gone to great lengths to summon her here; The blood on the floor and ceiling could attest to that. He also didn’t want any random demon, he wanted a succubus, and it was easy to guess why.

So, let’s assume he’s turned on by demons. Maybe my horns and tail aren’t so useless after all!

A plan started forming in Amara’s mind, and she no longer felt helpless. It was time to give him the demon he so badly wanted.

“Ugh, you're no fun.” She said, standing up.

Hearing this, Vince turned around, a cocky grin on his face. “There we are, I was wondering how long you'd play the helpless schoolgirl.”

“Can you blame me? I guess that's my fault for assuming you had a heart. It's a shame, Amara would have been so happy to get out of there, I bet she would have sucked you off…”

Vince’s aura pulsed, ever so slightly, but it wasn't enough. She had to keep pushing.

“I'm not the monster here, I'm just smart enough not to trust you.”

“Well, if it's alright with you Master Vince, I think I'll lose the sad girl sweater, it's getting a little stuffy.”

Amara pulled her sweater off, taking the beanie with it, tossing them both to the floor. Underneath, a tank top hugged her curves, her cleavage prominent. Her horns were also on full display now, and she let her tail slowly explore the space.

Vince’s eyes widened, and Amara saw an instant change in his aura; It pulsed with excitement now that she was fully on display. She traced her tail along the edge of the barrier, sparking a trail of magic as she spun around.

“That’s better! It’s so frustrating hiding my tail away like that.” Amara playfully accentuated her words, taking care to appear extra flirty. “She’s a beauty, isn’t she? Long, powerful, firm…”

She smacked the barrier with her tail, flourishing it about as she did. She watched Vince’s eyes follow it around, occasionally darting to her horns or her cleavage. Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying the attention, especially that it was focused on her demonic attributes.

Vince finally caught himself staring and turned back to the table. “I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work.”

His aura told her otherwise, it was still growing.

“Oh? I wasn’t aware I had an evil plan… you should tell me what it is!”

Vince stayed quiet, though he seemed to be working slower now.

“Aww now I’m being ignored!” Amara pouted. “Well, might as well take advantage of that… It’s been ages since I last got fucked, I think it’s time to rub one out…”

His hands stopped moving entirely, and she noticed him turn to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Do you know how hard it is?” Amara moved to her knees, leaning against the barrier as she pushed her hands underneath her shirt. She pushed it over her bra, her cleavage even more visible now. “Going so long without sex?”

She squeezed her breasts, letting a soft moan fill the room. Her eyes closed, and she focused on putting on a good show. After a minute, she slid a hand down her stomach and unbuttoned her pants, spreading her legs slightly.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Vince now staring openly again. Even without reading his aura, his erection made his arousal more than obvious. His gaze reminded her why she was here, and she moved her tail in front of her again.

It traced her cleavage before moving down, pushing into her pants to find her pussy. The flared tip pushed against her sensitive clit, and she moaned again. Large, dramatic movements accentuated the teasing, and she saw Vince’s aura grow even brighter.

“It’s a shame there’s no one here that wants to fuck me, to fill my holes with cum…” She closed her eyes again, letting herself enjoy the pleasure.

“T-that’s… I…” Vince stammered. “You know why I can’t. If we fuck, I’m handing over my soul on a silver platter.”

Hearing this, Amara crawled closer, pushing her hands against the barrier, her tail on display again. “Oh, but Vince… Master Vince… surely we can figure something out? Find some middle ground where you feed me your delicious cum?”

She licked her lips, then leaned in and ran her tongue up the barrier. It tingled slightly, and felt like she was licking static electricity off a glass pane.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never fantasized about giving a succubus a facial before?” She ran her fingers down her face as she spoke.

Vince shivered, and his aura was so vibrant she could taste it. She eagerly watched the conflict in his eyes, sure he would give in soon.

“I guess it would be rude to keep a pet without feeding her…” Vince started fumbling with his pants, and soon he was pulling out his cock. It was slightly smaller than Nick's, but Amara didn't care; She was one step closer to regaining her strength.

“I'll be such a good pet for you, Master. Do I get a pretty collar too?” She moaned, her tail pushing into her pants again.

“Only once I've broken you, but for now… I've fucking earned this.” He stroked his cock slowly, precum already forming.

Amara pulled back from the barrier, pulling her shirt completely off before doing the same with her bra. She grabbed her breasts again, pinching her nipples and moaning loudly. Her tail continued massaging her pussy, and after a moment she brought it to her lips to taste it. Her tongue lingered on the tip of her tail, then pulled it inside. She locked eyes with Vince, her tail starting to push in and out of her mouth.

“Of course you get off to this, fucking slut.” He began stroking faster, taking a step closer as he spoke. His cock was barely an inch away from the barrier, but he seemed determined not to cross it.

In response, Amara’s tail pushed deeper into her mouth. She let herself gag loudly, spit running down her chin as she did. This repeated a few more times before she pulled her tail out, rubbing the tip on her face while she gasped for air.

“I just wish I had something else to suck on… something with a tasty snack in it!” Amara pushed her tits against the barrier, followed by her tongue. She licked as close to his cock as she could, but it was still just out of reach.

Locking eyes with Vince, she knew he wouldn’t last much longer. Her hands moved back to her tits, and she kept playing with them as she pushed her tail into her mouth again. This time, she timed her thrusts to match Vince’s stroking, gagging loudly in time with him.

Before long, she finally got what she wanted. His aura grew brighter than she’d ever seen before, overwhelming her senses as he came. Amara barely had time to pull her tail from her mouth before it happened.

“Fuck! Get ready, pet!” Vince said.

Thick ropes of cum landed on her nose, her cheeks, and her tongue. Vince’s moaning overtook hers, filling the room as his aura reached its zenith.

His orgasm took over, and Amara felt her energy returning. She breathed in the scent of his arousal, watching his aura as it released its pent-up energy. For a moment, she thought she saw it move closer, connecting with her as she fed from it.

Stronger. I need to be stronger.

Amara remembered that, contrary to Vince’s wishes, she wasn’t here to fuck. Her eyes roamed his body, and in a side pocket of his jacket, she saw the vial he’d used earlier. Her hands, still pressed against the barrier, dug into it as she tested her restored strength. She could already feel a difference, and was pretty sure she could break through.

With a quick movement, she pulled a hand back and punched through the barrier, its magic sending shockwaves of pain down her arm. Vince was still recovering from his orgasm, and didn’t have time to react as she grabbed the vial from his pocket. Just as her hands wrapped around it, the barrier’s magic pulsed, sending her flying to the other side.

Her breath was knocked from her as she collided with the far wall of the barrier, but she managed to catch herself before she collapsed entirely.

“Fucking bitch!” Vince shouted, frantically zipping up his pants. “You lying whore! Give that back!”

Amara looked up at him, a devilish grin on her face as she tucked the vial into her backpack. She could feel her eyes glowing, and she felt surprisingly light on her feet.

“Or what? You’ll trap me in a basement? Try to turn me into a sex slave? Face it, idiot, you’ve blown your load in more ways than one.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of! I’ll make you regret this!” Vince said.

He gathered up his backpack, then walked past Amara to the entrance. He glared at her one last time before leaving, his steps slowly getting farther away. Watching him leave, Amara grabbed her clothes and started getting dressed again. She eagerly cleaned off her face, pulling the rest of his cum into her mouth as she pulled even more energy from it.

Shortly after leaving, before his footsteps had faded, Amara heard a new voice echo throughout the basement.

“Brandon? What the fuck is happening down here?”

“Nothing! I just… I had a little accident with the runes.”

“Don’t bullshit with me, I can practically smell the magic pouring out of that back room! Who were you talking to?”

“No one! I mean, myself! I talk to myself all the time! Hey, don’t go back there!”

Amara panicked, putting on the rest of her clothes as fast as she could. She tucked her tail into her sweater, her horns underneath her hat, and took a deep breath to try and dim her eyes.

Vince ran back into the room, looking Amara over briefly before pivoting to face this other person. He was clearly posturing to keep them out, but Amara could tell how nervous he was.

“Okay, just, before you come in, I promise I can explain!” He stammered.

“Oh, I doubt that. Out of my way, idiot.”

Amara tensed as this new stranger entered the room. She watched as a woman with short black hair stepped into view, her face covered with needlessly intricate eyeliner and multiple piercings.

“Amara?” Tessa asked, her eyes wide.

In her own shock, Amara couldn’t think of anything to say.

Tessa spun to face Vince, her face full of rage. As Amara watched, the tattoos on the side of her head began to glow, and she held a hand towards him. With a flick of the wrist, Vince was suddenly lifted into the air, his feet scrambling as fear filled his eyes. Tessa turned to Amara, who ducked as her captor went flying overhead.

The table against the back wall cracked in half as Vince collided with it. He fell into a pile of papers and books, his body limp as the impact rendered him unconscious.

Amara turned back to Tessa, not sure if she should be relieved or scared.

“Amara, Nick has been worried sick about you!” Tessa said, moving closer. “You’re not answering any of our calls, we’re looking all over campus for you, and you’ve been down here with this idiot?!”

“I-I…”

Tessa grabbed Amara’s arm, trying to pull her towards the entrance. “Whatever, you can explain on the way.”

“Tessa, I can’t leave!” Amara said.

“Don’t tell me you fell for his bullshit, you’re better than that! What did he promise you? Money? Power?”

“’No, you don’t understand!” Amara pulled out of Tessa’s grip, “I literally can’t leave!”

Amara pushed a hand against the barrier, the magic reappearing. She watched as Tessa’s eyes grew wide, and then she fell suspiciously quiet. She began walking around the circle, her eyes examining the markings all over the floor and ceiling.

“Amara, that’s… not possible. I gave all these runes to him, and most of them were fake.” Tessa knelt down, looking at one rune in particular. “The few real ones I gave him were far too weak to do anything, and even with these additions he made…”

Amara shuffled anxiously, worried about where this conversation was heading. Tessa stood up, taking a few steps back.

“No human would be trapped in there.”

Silence filled the room again, the words escaping Amara as she tried to speak. She saw Tessa glance at the exit, taking another step.

“Wait!” Amara said, “…Promise you won’t freak out?” She asked.

“Amara, I just threw a grown man across a room. Without touching him.”

“Point taken. Um, okay, well…”

Amara took a deep breath, closing her eyes, then uncoiled her tail from her waist. It moved to her head, where it pushed underneath her beanie and pulled it off. Her horns now exposed, she opened her eyes again, urging them to flare. Looking at Tessa nervously, she forced a smile.

Tessa’s eyes roamed her body, and Amara could feel sweat gathering on her brow. Moments felt like hours as they passed, the silence ringing in her ears. She wanted to be relieved, happy that someone else knew about this, but Tessa clearly knew more about what was happening, and she had no idea how she would react.

Has she met demons before? Are they… are we common? What if she doesn’t trust me? Should she? What if I’m doomed to turn into a sex-craved murder machine and I just don’t know it? For fuck’s sake, Tessa, just say something!

“Huh.” Tessa said. “So… a demon?”

Amara nodded. “A succubus, actually.”

“How long have you known?”

“Like, two weeks. I’m still kinda in the ‘What the fuck is happening to me’ stage? Look, I’ll tell you everything, but can we please get out of here?”

“Oh, shit, yeah.” Tessa stepped forward, positioning a heel against one of the larger symbols. She paused briefly, then looked up at Amara.

“You… promise you’re still you? The same Amara that refused to party for over a year?”

Amara pulled her tail close, squeezing it as she locked eyes with Tessa. She smiled softly, sensing how important this question seemed to be.

“I promise.”

With a brief nod, Tessa pulled her boot back, scraping the symbol off the ground. Amara felt the energy of the barrier dissipate, and she nervously pushed a hand forward. When it felt nothing but open air, she eagerly jumped out of the circle to hug Tessa. She picked her up, spinning around in glee as she laughed in celebration.

Was Tessa always this light?

When she put her down, she saw that Tessa’s eyes were wide, and her tattoos were glowing slightly. Amara smiled, but sheepishly stepped back as she cleared her throat. She turned to look at the circle, stepping forward to grab her backpack. As she threw it on, she stared at Vince’s body, crumpled under a pile of books and papers.

“You wanna go kick him a bit?” Tessa asked.

“What? No!” Amara moved to the entrance, eager to leave. “I mean, a little, but more than anything I just want to fucking leave. I’ve been stuck in this room since classes ended.”

As the two girls left the basement, weaving through the old plumbing, neither said much. Amara pulled her phone out, turning it back on before tucking it in her back pocket. There was so much she didn’t understand, so much she wanted to ask Tessa, and she didn’t know where to start.

For now, she would settle with letting her other friends know she was safe.

Once they reached the staircase upstairs, her phone exploded. She had dozens of missed calls and texts, at first just from Nick, then from Tessa, Vee, and Chloé. She took time to text everyone else, telling them she was safe and that she would meet them back at her place.

Fresh, night air washed over her as they left the building. Amara paused, focusing on the breeze as it danced across her skin. She paused, looking across the darkened campus.

I almost lost this. He would have locked me up forever.

She turned to Tessa, then collapsed forward, tears forming in her eyes. She hugged her tight, and was surprised to feel her return the gesture.

“That asshole… the way he looked at me, he thought I was just something to break and use for his own twisted pleasure.” Amara said.

“Honestly, I knew Brandon was a little fucked, but I never thought he’d go this far.”

“Brandon? He told me his name was Vince.”

“Well, you're not supposed to trust demons, typically.”

Amara pulled back, the two looking at each other. She saw just how nervous Tessa was, though she was trying her best to hide it.

“Tessa, I need you to be honest with me.” She paused, hoping her friend would take this seriously. “You know magic, apparently, and I want to talk about that, but… are you scared of me? Should I be scared of what I’m becoming?”

It was Tessa’s turn to pull away, and she averted her eyes to stare at the ground instead.

“Look, objectively? Demons are fucking terrifying. Every instinct in my body is telling me to run, that I shouldn't have freed you, but… but at the same time, I can tell it’s you.” Tessa paused, breathing deep. “I think it’ll be easier once I understand everything, what's happening, how this all started.”

Tessa turned to walk, starting towards the quad, and Amara joined her.

“Oh, that’s easy, it was at the party. Our theory is that, once I lost my virginity, my succubus ancestry finally activated. I’ve been adding limbs and gaining weird abilities ever since then.”

“Wait, WHAT?!” Tessa turned and grabbed her arm, “You finally got laid? And what do you mean ‘our’ theory? Who the fuck else knows about this?”

Amara smirked, knowing exactly how Tessa would respond. “I… I’ve been sleeping with Nick, and he was there when my tail first appeared. He’s been helping me research things and figure out what’s happening.”

Tessa began punching her arm, performative rage guiding her strikes. “Nick?! Why? How?”

The two of them started talking about the party again, this time with all the details out in the open. Amara talked about being at the party, her libido taking over, and not knowing who else to trust. She went over the appearance of her tail, then her horns, and finally the events leading up to her imprisonment under the Science Building.

Before long, they arrived at Amara’s apartment, where Nick saw her and ran out of the house. He squeezed her tight, whispering in her ear.

“How serious was this? Is this about… you know what?” He asked.

“Almost very bad, but I'm safe. Tessa knows, we'll talk later.”

Nick looked at her, nodding slowly before letting her go.

Inside, she made up a story to tell Vee and Chloé, and everyone decided to turn the night into an impromptu sleepover.

Chapter Text

The sleepover had mostly been a practical solution; Everyone was already out late, in the same place, and no one felt like walking home. Regardless, it proved to be a great idea, and they all stayed up much later than intended as they enjoyed each other's company.

The morning was close to over by the time everyone had woken up. Vee left first, muttering apologies about needing to study, and Chloé wasn't far behind. Tessa feigned a headache to stick around, but Amara suspected it wasn't entirely fake.

As Amara made everyone coffee, she finally started explaining to Nick what had happened. She went over the week prior, discovering that sex had become a very literal need for her, and the weakness that ensued. She explained the strange impulse, following it to the science building, and getting trapped in the basement. It was difficult to explain her encounter with Brandon, and she happily glossed over some of the details, but eventually got everyone caught up to speed.

"I think it's time we heard from you." Nick said, setting his coffee down and turning to Tessa. "I'm gonna need a damn good explanation why you helped that pervert make a demon trap."

"Hey! I admit it wasn't a great idea, but how was I supposed to know that one of my best friends had just become a succubus? Besides, it wouldn't have mattered if you'd been here." Tessa snapped.

"Will you both shut it?!" Amara stood, slamming the couch with her tail. "I don't care whose fault it is! This happened because we were all missing a piece of the puzzle, so let's focus on fixing that."

She sat back down, huffing. Once settled, she gestured silently to Tessa.

"Well, I'm a witch, everything kinda starts there." Tessa said quietly. She gestured towards Nick's mug, her tattoos lit up, and the cup floated into the air. "Brandon had a huge crush on me, and I'm pretty sure he was stalking me a little? Anyways, he found out, and was a huge ass about it. At first he wanted to learn magic, but when I said no, he tried to blackmail me into sleeping with him. To keep him busy, I decided to just play along; I told him that I could teach him how to summon a succubus."

"But you said most of what you taught him was fake, right?" Amara asked.

"That's right. Despite his enthusiasm, he's not very bright. I was able to draw up a whole slew of runes that looked demonic, and sprinkle in a few real ones to make it believable. When I found Amara, I realized that he'd added some runes without telling me, but the circle he made was still rather weak. It never would have been strong enough to reach into hell."

"Let me guess, it was just strong enough to create a mysterious impulse in any Succubi that happened to be nearby?" Nick spoke up, grabbing his coffee out of the air.

"That's my guess. You happened to be here, and felt drawn to explore it. You were smart to grab that vial of blood, he could have made things a lot worse."

"Oh! That's right!" Amara jumped up and ran to her backpack, pulling out the vial. She went to the kitchen, dumping its contents down the drain before rinsing it out.

"And you're sure that's all of it?" Tessa asked.

"Positive. He only had a few minutes with it before I... well, y'know. He was just flipping through his books that whole time."

Amara vaulted the couch, landing next to Tessa before settling in again. She noticed Tessa staring at her tail, and she moved it closer so her friend could feel it. Tessa ran her fingers over it softly, but Amara could still see some anxiety behind her eyes.

She decided against asking more questions. There was still so much she wanted to know, but she could tell her friend needed some time.

Realizing that Nick had been rather quiet, Amara looked over and saw him lost in thought. She knew from experience that he was going over everything he'd just learned, and was trying to think of what he wanted to ask next.

"What happens if Amara gets discovered?" He finally asked. "Men in black suits abduct her in the night and wipe our memories? Priests show up and attempt an exorcism?"

"That entirely depends on who discovers her. Most witches, and the church, would probably assume she's from Hell and try to banish her. Many people would want to enslave her in a grab for power, but many others would be equally excited to do the opposite."

"The opposite? Like, become... slaves?" Amara asked. "Why would anyone do that?"

"Power, sex, fame, all the usual stuff. It might not be soon, but if you live long enough, you'll find people that think you can grant their every wish if they're willing to forfeit their soul."

Amara shuddered. She'd only recently accepted that souls were actually real, and the thought of someone trying to barter theirs for power sounded awful.

"We need to assume nothing good comes from being discovered, then. What steps can we take to keep Amara safe? Are there spells we can cast? Wards we can put down? What if we-"

"Nick, how about we give Tessa some space?" Amara said, cutting him off. "She deserves time to process this."

Nick bit his tongue, nodding before grabbing his coffee again. She looked back at Tessa, who was still holding her tail, and kept speaking.

"Do you want to go home? Unless you think we're in imminent danger, I think we can fend for ourselves a while longer. Go spend some time with your partners, maybe... take a bubble bath or something, I don't know."

"A bubble bath? Seriously?"

"You know what I mean!"

Tessa smirked as she returned Amara's tail. Finishing her coffee, she stood up and collected her things, then said goodbye to Nick. Amara walked her out, keeping quiet as they approached the front entrance. Tessa seemed to have something on her mind, trying and failing to speak as they walked. Once they'd left the building, she finally moved in for a hug.

"Thanks Amara." She whispered.

"Hey, you practically saved my life last night. You let me know if there's anything I can do to help." Amara said, pulling her in tight.

"Actually, are you free later?" Tessa asked. "I think I've got just the thing in mind."

"I'll be there with bells on, just text me the time and place!" Amara waved goodbye as she started down the hallway again.

"I prefer to leave the bells in the bedroom, honestly!" Tessa shouted at her.

Amara laughed, happy that Tessa already seemed a little better. Once she got home, she found Nick cleaning up the remains of last night's festivities. She jumped in, eager to have something to do.

"You think it's okay letting her go? There's still so much we don't know." Nick asked, grabbing plates off the table before moving them to the dishwasher.

"Nick, I've never seen her like this before. She wasn't cracking jokes, or bragging about her sex life, she was really scared. I didn't mention it earlier, but she hesitated when I asked her to break the circle."

Hearing this, Nick paused. A moment passed before he spoke, his voice quieter.

"I guess I was lucky, I was there when this started. I've never questioned if you were really you, but she didn't get that luxury. Especially since you're a succubus, you could have been a random demon disguised as her friend and there'd be no way to tell."

"Ugh, shapeshifting, yet another thing I can't do." Amara collapsed on the couch, pulling a pillow over her face.

"Another thing? What aren't you telling me?" Nick moved closer, sitting next to her.

"Nothing, it's stupid." Amara said. She immediately felt Nick's judgmental stare boring through the pillow and pulled it away. "Ugh, fine, it's just... I felt so helpless down in that basement. I'm a demon! Aren't I supposed to be a terrifying force of nature? Where are my magic powers? Why can't I lift cars? Or fly?"

"Hey, slow down, it's only been a few weeks. Didn't you say this is like a second puberty? You don't grow a beard or double-Ds in a month."

"I said it was stupid, didn't I?" She leaned against Nick. "Tessa has cool witchy mind powers, and what can I do? Sense when someone's horny? Wow, lucky me."

"Wait, can you do that?" He asked.

"Did I leave that part out?" Nick nodded. "Shoot, my bad. Yeah, when people are horny, or have just gotten laid, I can tell. It's like... a weird aura that surrounds them? But I can smell it too, it's delicious."

"Huh. Interesting." He paused. "Hey, you said you barely ate this week, want to get lunch?" He asked.

"That's... probably a good idea, I have no clue what my body's up to anymore. Do you think I could survive on nothing but sex?"

"Even if you can, I'm not letting you find out today." He stood up, grabbing his things.

"But think of all the money I could save! What if I could stop sleeping? I'd have so much time to do stuff!" Amara pulled her shoes on before checking her beanie.

"Alright, say you suddenly have an extra 8 hours a day, what would you even do?"

"I could... catch up on all my shows?" Nick stared at her, unamused. "Okay, fine, I don't know. But there's a good idea here somewhere!"

The two of them locked up, then made their way to the cafeteria. As they walked, Nick started asking if she could sense anything from nearby students. She quietly pointed out everything she saw, even turning it into a game for Nick. She would find someone with an aura, then make him guess if they were horny or well-fucked.

The impromptu game kept them amused all through lunch, and they sat around snacking until Tessa reached out, asking to meet up.

-

Lysander Hall was the oldest building on campus, and sat just north of the quad. Students wandering its corridors would find lecture halls, offices for the most prestigious professors, and many different art installations celebrating the school's history. Most prominent was the bust of Arthur Lysander, the founder of the school, which stood on display across from the main entrance.

Once Amara was inside the building, she found Tessa at a small café that sat near the central staircases. Walking close, she was greeted by the smell of grilled sandwiches and coffee, but that smell was soon overpowered by Tessa, who had apparently skipped lunch for more exciting activities.

"Where's Nick?" Tessa asked.

"I invited him, but he said he wanted to look into something else? I guess this means he trusts you, which is good."

Tessa threw her backpack over her shoulder, then picked up her coffee. "Great! I won't have to put up with all his questions!"

The girls hugged as Tessa stood up, and Amara could feel that some tension had already been lost.

"I take it you're feeling better?" Amara asked, pulling back from the hug.

Tessa started walking, leading Amara through the building as they talked. "For the most part. I think I just needed some time to clear my head. It was a lot to take in, to be honest."

"Yeah? Is that what you said earlier today? Or were you the top this time?" Amara smirked, trying to keep the conversation from getting too heavy.

"Shit, is it that obvious? I showered afterwards and everything!"

Amara laughed, grabbing Tessa's arm. "Don't worry, I doubt anyone other than me could notice. I can tell when people are horny, and see their afterglow."

Tessa paused for a moment, lost in thought.

"That makes a lot of sense, honestly. I can't think of a more helpful tool for someone trying to weaponize seduction. Well, maybe charm magic. Can you do that?"

"Like, compel people to fall in love with me? Not that I'm aware of, unless you count showing off my cleavage."

The girls laughed as they turned a corner, now facing a hallway filled with statues. Walking past a few classrooms, they finally stopped at a small door tucked away in a corner.

Tessa pulled the door open, heading inside and turning on a light. "Okay, so, that creepy basement you were locked in? Old architecture like that exists all over campus."

As they closed the door, Amara felt a sense of déjà vu wash over her. She was standing in a staircase just like the one in the library, only these stairs were a little wider.

"Like the archives under the library?" She asked.

"Exactly! That actually gets the most use out of all these old spaces. They're all holdovers from the original buildings."

"So... why are we here?" Amara started down the stairs.

"Well, I really appreciate you opening up about everything. I realize you didn't have much of a choice but, still, I'm happy you trusted me. I want to do the same."

At the bottom of the stairs lay another basement level, but this one was much better lit. It looked like someone had tried to redecorate at some point in the mid-seventies, and those efforts had unfortunately never been reversed.

"Speaking of opening up, can I let my tail out? It cramps like hell when I tuck it away."

Tessa nodded, and Amara eagerly uncurled her tail. She went through her usual motions to shake it back to life, all while stuffing her beanie into her backpack. For some reason, she liked having her horns out, though she was still trying to figure out why.

"Now, as a witch, I'm extra sensitive to shifts in magical energy. Magic exists everywhere, almost like water currents in the ocean, and by reading them, we can learn interesting things about the world around us. Recently, there have been some strange shifts in the magic on campus."

"Let me guess, the shifts are causing problems?"

"Yes and no. Right now, there aren't any problems, but if this pattern continues, there could be some big-time planar chaos in the near future. Anyways, when I started investigating, I found this."

As she finished talking, Tessa reached a dead end in the hallway. She closed her eyes, and Amara watched as her tattoos lit up. Moments later, a similar glow appeared on the wall in front of them, forming into runes. The wall shimmered, then began fading until it had vanished completely.

"Wow, Tessa, that's incredible! Did you set that up?" Amara moved closer, pushing her hand through the space that had previously been a brick wall.

"Illusions aren't really my thing, sadly. This was already set up, and I just found a way past it, kind of like picking a lock. What's important, though, is what it was hiding."

In front of Amara, the hallway now extended another twenty feet or so. There was a dramatic shift in decor as well; the space beyond the illusion had clearly been spared during the last redecoration. Instead of carpet, flat concrete extended from wall to wall, with simple white brickwork connecting the floor to the ceiling.

In the center of the space, a large magic circle of some kind had been carefully drawn. Despite knowing nothing about magic, Amara could tell it was quite different than the one that had held her captive. There was no empty space in the middle, for one thing, but Amara still took care to avoid stepping on it.

"It's... another magic circle?" Amara asked, clearly confused.

"Yup! This circle is fascinating for a million different reasons, but mostly because of how old it is. Whatever it is, it's been here for ages, possibly even since the school was founded."

"So, what does it do?"

"Well, if your offer still stands, I'm hoping you can help me figure that out."

Amara carefully moved around the room, keeping as much distance as she could from the circle. "I'm flattered, truly, but how am I supposed to help? I'm not a witch, this is all gibberish to me."

"Well, I... I'm not sure." Tessa sighed, leaning against a wall before sliding down to the floor. "I don't really know what you can do, but two minds have to be better than one, right?"

Amara finished circling the room and sat down next to Tessa. "I'll do my best, but don't get your hopes up. What have you learned so far about it?"

"The most obvious is the temperature. I'm sure you've noticed how cold it is down here?"

Amara pushed her hand forward, feeling the air before moving it to the ground. "I didn't, actually. Aren't basements always cold?"

"I mean, a little, but not to this extent." Tessa looked at her, her eyes wide with surprise. "You seriously don't feel it?"

Amara shook her head, resting her hand on the concrete beneath her. Now that she was looking for it, she could feel a deep chill inside the concrete, but it felt distant. Rather than creeping into her body, like she was used to, the change in temperature registered more like a strange texture or sensation. It was something she could feel, but only on the outside of her body.

"It's weird, I can feel it, but it also feels like my body is resisting it." Amara reached over to Tessa, resting a hand on her forehead out of curiosity. "So, you think this is coming from the circle?"

Tessa flinched as her hand made contact, but relaxed just as quickly. "It's definitely the simplest answer. A lot of magic relies on summoning energies or creatures from other places, so it would make sense if this circle was somehow connected to another place, somewhere much colder." Tessa ran her hands over Amara's, "Wow, you feel like you've been basking in the sun for hours."

Tessa moved closer, putting both her hands on Amara's neck as she absorbed her warmth. They stopped talking for a moment, Amara enjoying the touch, when she felt Tessa's hands move to her shoulders. They bumped against the straps of her tank, accidentally pulling one off.

Amara grabbed her hands, realizing how cold they were, and the two girls locked eyes. As she looked at Tessa, she saw a softness that she'd never seen before. It was like a mask had slipped off, and she was finally seeing the person underneath.

Suddenly, the look in Tessa's eyes changed, snapping back into focus. She pulled back, averting her gaze back to the circle.

"Um, so, the circle?" Tessa muttered.

"Right, yeah, it's definitely cold." Amara readjusted her top. "Do we know anything else?" Amara asked.

"I know it's not a trap of any kind. The runes used here are pretty strange, but they're definitely not built to release any kind of magic. I've walked over it dozens of times. Other than that, nothing really." Tessa paused, looking back at her. "You said you can see sexual auras, can you see anything else?"

"I'm assuming you mean anything out of the ordinary? Not that I'm aware of."

"What do you see when you look at the circle? Describe it to me."

Amara did just that, taking a few minutes to talk through her vision of the strange circle in front of her. The more she talked, the more obvious it became that she was seeing exactly the same things as Tessa.

"No luck there, dang. Maybe we're looking at this from the wrong angle. I should play to your strengths, instead of hoping you can do what I need. What else can you do?"

Amara paused, her tail curling around her arm as she thought of what to say. "Tessa, I can't really do anything. I've got my horns, my tail, my weird horny radar, and a million unanswered questions about what's happening to me." Amara pulled back, shrinking into herself.

"What have you tried? According to myths, Succubi can summon fire, enthrall mortals, even shapeshift, maybe we could-"

"I can't do anything! Not everyone has cool powers like you, okay? Can we just drop it?" Amara said.

Tessa bit her lip, then diverted her eyes. The girls sat in silence for a minute, the faint hum of the lights ringing throughout the space.

"Amara, I didn't... I wasn't trying to... look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I've never met a demon before, I wasn't implying..." Tessa muttered, pulling her hands into her sweater.

"Well, I've never turned into a demon before." Amara pulled her phone out and started texting Nick. "Look, I'll keep you company, but I'm just gonna work on my homework or something. Sorry I couldn't help."

Amara opened her backpack and started rummaging through her schoolwork. She could feel Tessa's eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to look up and meet them.

Soon enough, Tessa pulled out some books of her own and started pouring over the strange symbols inside. Occasionally, she would shift to a different spot on the floor, but it looked more like nervous fidgeting than actual research.

Amara had a feeling that neither of them were getting much done.

They stayed there for a while, neither saying much. When Nick finally responded, Amara jumped at the excuse to leave.

Tessa summoned the illusory wall again before they left, and they marched up the stairs in silence. They passed the café, the bust of the founder, then walked outside.

It was already getting dark, and Amara pulled her beanie down tight out of habit. The quad stretched out in front of her, lights turning on to illuminate it. She turned to her friend, who clearly wanted to say something, but was holding back.

"Tessa, I've just... this is really hard for me. What's happening is scary, but that's no excuse to take it out on you. I'm happy you showed me this part of your life, and if you'll have me, I'll gladly keep you company."

She pulled Tessa in for a hug.

"I didn't mean to push you, and I'm sorry too. I'll come up with a better plan for next time. I'm just happy to have someone I can share this with."

After a minute, the girls broke off their hug. They each went their separate ways, and Amara was happy she'd fought past her frustration enough to apologize.

-

Amara met up with Nick outside his dorm. He was being suspiciously quiet about his plans for the night, but he had told her to wear running clothes.

"So, what did Tessa want?" He asked, starting to lead the way.

"I guess she's been investigating weird magic stuff? She wanted my help but... I kinda snapped at her."

Nick said nothing but gave her a questioning look.

"She just kept asking about what I could do, what my demon powers are, and after everything with Brandon..."

"I'm sure she understands. She's normally the hothead, right?" Nick smirked. "You'll both be back to normal before you know it."

"Doesn't mean I don't feel bad about it, but thanks." Amara pushed him affectionately. "What's the plan tonight?"

As they walked, she realized Nick was taking them further east. They weren't heading to the stadium, but this side of campus mostly existed for all the sports programs.

"So glad you asked! I've got a lot of friends from my wrestling days, and I called in a favor." Nick pulled a hand out of his pocket, holding up a small key. "I'm now the proud owner of a key to the gymnastics building."

"Gymnastics? What scheme is this?"

"Scheming? Me? I don't know the meaning of the word. I've just got a theory I want to test."

Soon enough, they made it to the gymnastics building. Nick guided her to a side entrance, checked for onlookers, then opened the door.

It was eerie being inside such a large gym with no lights, but thankfully Nick knew how to turn them on. The building hummed back to life, and Amara looked around at the equipment all around her.

She had no idea what anything was called, but she wandered around curiously as she examined everything. She recognized the balance beams, but there were also big rings hanging from the ceiling, pits filled with squishy colorful cubes, and quite a bit more.

There was also a viewing area on one side of the room. A white brick wall about 15 feet tall supported a series of built-in bleachers, with the only separation being the railing at the edge. A small staircase that connected the two areas had been tucked away in a corner.

Nick approached her, pulling off his sweatpants and sweater to reveal his gym clothes underneath. Loose-fitting blue shorts hung just past his knees, but his gray shirt was much tighter. His athletic form was on full display underneath the thin fabric, and Amara happily stole a look.

"So, not that it's a secret anymore, but I think we need to run some tests."

"For what? We're not looking for new powers, are we? That's the last thing I want to do right now."

"It's not that, I promise. Have you noticed how much your body has changed recently?"

Amara stared daggers at Nick.

"Okay, I phrased that poorly. I meant outside of the horns and the tail. Your form is more athletic, and your muscles have more definition."

Intrigued, Amara followed Nick's example and pulled off her sweats. Underneath, she was wearing deep, crimson red shorts with a matching sports bra. They both hugged her form tight, and she looked down to examine her stomach.

"Holy shit, are these abs?!" Amara pulled out her phone, setting it down and using it as a mirror as she examined herself.

"Do you just... never look at yourself in the mirror?" Nick asked, gathering their clothes and putting them aside.

"No, I do that all the time! But recently I've been pretty focused on my demon bits." Amara spun around to look at her back. "Plus, I normally judge my body by what clothes I can wear, but the tail forces me into those baggy sweaters."

With their clothing now safely out of the way, Nick moved closer and started doing some stretching. "So, I've been thinking a lot about, well, everything. Yesterday changes a lot, and we can't assume this is the last time something goes wrong."

Amara joined in, copying Nick's movements despite not fully understanding what they were doing. He continued talking as he kept warming up, moving slower so Amara could copy him.

"We need to accept that I'm not always going to be around. When this happens again, you need to know what your body is capable of."

"So, we're just here to... work out? Nick, I've never been good at this stuff."

"That's why we're starting slow, just keep copying me."

Nick started walking her through his warmup routine, explaining why each part mattered. After a half hour of stretching and cardio, he finally brought her over to some equipment.

Her first task was a balance beam. She felt silly crawling on top of it, but with Nick's help she was able to stand up without falling.

"Alright, this one's easy. Just walk to the other side." He said.

Taking a deep breath, Amara took her first steps. She raised her arms as she walked, trying to stay balanced, but each step proved more difficult than the last. Before she could make it halfway across, she lost control and slipped off the side.

"Fuck!" She fell quickly, and thankfully landed in Nick's arms. "I thought you said this was easy?"

"I also said I was testing a theory, so thank you for proving me right!" He put her down softly, a smug grin on his face.

"What did I do?" Amara asked.

"What didn't you do?" He asked in return. He moved closer, boosting her up to the beam again.

Once she was steady, she sighed and looked down at Nick. "I didn't... not fall?"

"Amara, you have a tail. It was stiff and lifeless the whole time."

Amara stared at Nick, the gears in her head clicking into place. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at her tail, then started walking again.

Though her arms were still outstretched, she tried to let her tail adjust to her shifts in balance first. She realized quickly that it felt surprisingly natural to use her tail like this; She found she was able to let it correct her balance without much effort or thought.

She lowered her arms and started walking slightly faster. The steps came easier, and before she knew it, she had reached the end of the balance beam.

A smile grew on her face, and she walked back to the beginning even quicker. She moved with confidence, and she was starting to see her tail in a new light.

"Nick! You were right, that was so much easier!" She jumped for joy, forgetting she was still atop the balance beam, and felt herself start to fall. Nick ran forward, and Amara braced for impact, when suddenly she stopped.

In her panic, she had tried to reach for something. While there was nothing for her hands to grab, her tail had moved down and wrapped around the balance beam, pulling her back. She now stood at a slight angle, and it felt like she was hovering over the ground.

She looked back at her tail, then to Nick, her eyes wide. "This is SO. COOL!"

Using her tail, she pulled herself upright again, then took another few laps across the beam.

"So, now you like it? Last week you couldn't stop complaining about how in the way it was." Nick smirked, watching her prance back and forth.

"I didn't realize I could do things with it!" Amara paused, realizing how silly she sounded. "That's why you brought me here, isn't it?"

Nick jumped up into the beam, sitting down and inviting Amara to do the same. "Look, I know you're frustrated you don't have any flashy powers, but your transformation has been a physical one, not magical. The tail, the horns, the stronger musculature, they all serve to make you faster, more agile. You've never been much of an athlete, so I had a feeling you couldn't see the possibilities in front of you."

Amara leaned in, hugging Nick tight as she sat next to him. "So, what's next, teacher?"

With an excited smirk, Nick began walking Amara through a series of exercises, each designed to test or condition something new. The more she exercised, the more she began to understand just how different her body was.

She was stronger, faster, and definitely had more endurance. Nick set up a series of obstacle courses early on, and she cleared them with ease. She learned that her tail lowered her center of gravity and made an incredible counterweight; When she ran, she was able to stay closer to the ground, which kept her fast and maneuverable.

They also tried getting up off the floor using a set of uneven high bars. She started small, just checking how many pull-ups she could do. From there, she practiced swinging back and forth, testing how she could manipulate her movement with her tail.

When her arms got tired, she switched to hanging from her legs. She tested her core strength for a while before trying something a little riskier; She wrapped her tail around the bar, asked Nick to get ready, and released her legs. The two of them were pleasantly surprised to see that her tail could easily hold her up on its own. She again practiced swinging back and forth, this time managing to switch bars by grabbing the lower one with her hands.

Fresh off of that discovery, Nick decided to switch gears and stack a set of tumbling mats against a wall. He showed Amara the basics of throwing a punch, using the mats as a makeshift punching bag. He also walked her through how to navigate a close quarters fight.

Amara found that her tail gave her an advantage here as well. Not only was she able to put the extra weight behind her punches, but she also could use it to more easily dodge and reposition.

Out of curiosity, Nick moved the mats off the wall and held them up by himself. He then asked Amara to practice hitting again, this time to try and gauge how hard she could hit. In addition to practicing her punching, she also tried kicking, and striking with her tail.

The kicking felt quite natural, no doubt because of her lower center of gravity, but attacking with her tail took quite a bit of adjustment. At first, she stood still and just practiced the movement, but eventually she tried adding weight and movement to her strikes.

To her surprise, and Nick's, the tail strikes seemed to hit the hardest. When they took their first break, they theorized about how her tail might be used in a fight. They had quite a few ideas, but it was difficult to know which ones would actually hold up.

After clearing out Nick's snacks, he decided it was time for a mock fight. He set up more mats, on the floor this time, and invited Amara to join him. Together, they slowly worked through different methods of gaining advantage over an opponent, while also testing how those ideas could be adapted to suit her tail.

After nearly an hour of testing various strikes, parries, and grapples, the two of them were starting to slow down.

"So, what's next?" Amara asked. She had just gotten back into position after their last test.

"Honestly, I'm kinda running out of ideas." Nick said. "At this point, it really just boils down to practice."

"C'mon, you've got nothing? I'm having so much fun!" Amara jumped around, punching the air excitedly.

"It's pretty late, Amara, we should probably think about turning in for the night."

"Ugh, you're no fun." Amara sighed dramatically, then leaned back as her tail supported her weight. She stretched her arms over her head, breathing deep as she did. When she looked back at Nick, she caught him quickly averting his eyes from her body. She also noticed that his aura had started pulsing.

"Actually," Amara started, "I know one thing we haven't tried yet!" She moved closer to Nick, a smile on her face.

"Yeah? I guess I've got time for one more test." Nick moved back in front of her, bracing himself once more. "What are you thinking?"

Amara turned away, pretending to walk to her starting spot, but instead lashed out with her tail. It wrapped around Nick's ankle, pulling hard and sending him crashing to the floor.

"Fuck!" Nick managed to catch himself, and he shot Amara a look of surprise. "What the hell?"

She moved in, not letting him recover as she pushed him down. With her hands on his shoulders, she held tight as she sat on top of him, her crotch grinding against his.

"Nick, I can read auras, remember? You can't hide what you're thinking anymore." Amara bit her lip as she moved her hands off his shoulders, instead letting them trace up her own curves. "I guess that's my fault, though, I did wear a pretty revealing outfit..."

Nick's eyes grew wide in recognition, then a smile appeared on his face. He let himself stare at her body again, now that the cat was out of the bag. "It was pretty rude of you. You're lucky I was able to stay on task this long." His hands gripped her legs, moving higher until he was massaging her ass.

"What can I say? I guess I'm a terrible influence!" Amara leaned forward, gently biting Nick's neck as her hands pushed under his shirt.

"Lucky me, I actually get to fuck the devil on my shoulder." Nick let out a deep moan as she kissed further down, her hips still grinding against him.

She sat up again, pulling her bra over her head before tossing it aside. Her chest felt chilly in the open air, a thin layer of sweat causing her breasts to glisten. Nick moved his hands to them, pinching her nipples and causing her to moan.

He took advantage of her distraction to turn the tables, flipping her onto her back. Leaning in, he bit her ear softly before whispering to her.

"Our second time in public already, I'm starting to think you have a new kink."

Amara eagerly pulled his shirt off. "Please, I hardly think this counts, there's basically no risk of getting caught."

Reaching into his shorts, she found his bulging underwear and massaged it, feeling it harden in her grasp. His moans were intoxicating, and he returned the favor by sliding his hand into her shorts. His fingers pushed against her clit, and she twitched as he started rubbing. It had been so long ago they last fucked, her body had nearly forgotten how good another person's touch could be.

Nick moved down, his cock pulling out of her grasp, and he began pulling her shorts off. She lifted her hips, eager to expose herself, and soon she was spreading her legs wide.

His mouth kissed her legs, then her thighs, inching closer to her pussy. She felt his breath first, then finally his tongue started teasing her entrance. She wrapped a hand in his hair as she pushed him down, his tongue pushing into her pussy.

"Fuck!" Amara moved her other hand down, holding Nick tighter. "If you ever leave again, you have to find a replacement. I'm not giving this up anymore."

She felt Nick grin as he kept eating her out, and they continued like this for another minute before he stood up. He pulled his shorts down, his cock already hard as he started stroking it.

Amara stood as well, wrapping her hand around his as she moved in to kiss him. She thought about sinking to her knees to return the favor, but another thought crossed her mind.

"This way, teacher, I've got an idea!" Grabbing Nick's hands, she pulled him over to the high bars they'd been practicing on earlier.

With his help, she jumped up to the lower bar, then flipped upside down. At first, her legs were holding her up, but then she curled her tail around the bar and released them. Her tail was dexterous enough that she could slowly lower herself down, and soon she had matched Nick's height exactly.

She grabbed his hips, pulling him closer, then kissed the tip of his cock. Her tongue explored the head, then up and down the shaft, and finally she pulled him into her mouth.

His moans were brief, as they were stifled by her legs finding his head. As her mouth started pleasuring his cock, her legs pulled his tongue back onto her pussy. They both pleasured each other now, their tongues moving in tandem as their moans echoed through their bodies.

Nick's hands began exploring Amara's body again, pinching her nipples again before moving up to her waist. He grabbed her ass, squeezing tight as he pulled her closer, his tongue pushing deeper into her sex. Moving even further, he felt the base of her tail, slowly tracing up its length.

"Fuck!" Amara pulled back, spit dripping onto her face. "That's really fucking hot, but I think my tail might be ticklish, so watch yourself! If I fall, I'm taking you with me." She sucked Nick's cock into her mouth again as his hands moved away from the sensitive spots.

"You think I can't hold you up?" Nick dug his nails into Amara's thighs, teasing her.

She returned the favor, but instead of nails, she leaned in and bit his thigh. "Don't you fucking dare! You'll leave here with blue balls, mister!"

Nick wrapped his arms around her waist, then carefully tickled the base of Amara's tail. She began laughing and her tail twitched, losing its grip on the bar. Her laughter turned into a playful shriek as she plummeted an inch, but Nick was able to hold her up.

He teased her pussy again, licking her clit before carefully setting her down. She glared at him, her eyes incredibly bright as she summoned all the mock anger she could manage.

"You asshole! I'll call your bluff!" Amara watched as Nick laid down, no longer upside down compared to her. He traced a finger down her cheek before grabbing her chin, pushing her face to the side.

"I know you won't." He whispered into her ear, "Because I can go much longer without sex than you can."

Amara groaned in frustration. "Ugh, you're the worst!" She grabbed his cock and started stroking it, eager to feel him again. "If you're done pushing all my buttons, can we please get back to the fucking?"

Without saying anything, pulled Amara's chin closer and kissed her. He climbed between her legs and positioned himself, then entered her. As he pushed into her pussy, inch by inch, her moans filled the gym.

It took a minute to fully adjust to the angle, as her tail made laying on her back slightly awkward. Once she was comfortable, she ran her hands behind Nick's back and held him tight, urging him to fuck her harder.

His cock bottomed out, and soon he started fucking her in long, purposeful strides. He grabbed her waist, holding her down as he picked up his pace. She could feel his body growing tense, and had a feeling his orgasm was close. Moving her hands to his hair, she pulled him close and whispered to him.

"Give me your fucking cum, Nick. I want to feel your cock explode inside me!"

She felt him shudder, and his aura continued glowing brighter. It was strong enough now that she was able to connect with it, and she could feel Nick's sexual energy feeding her. It flowed through her, eliminating every ache and dispelling her exhaustion.

With one last powerful thrust, Nick's orgasm took over. He pulled Amara close, his body tensing as his cock emptied inside of her. While she had already been feeding on his arousal, that connection suddenly exploded tenfold, catching her off guard. She'd never felt this much energy before, and had no idea what her body would do with it.

With this sudden burst of strength, she used her tail to push up, flipping Nick onto his back. He kept cumming, his cock twitching as Amara now sat on top of him. His load pushed into her, and she moaned out in pleasure. She started bouncing up and down, fucking him hard to get herself off.

It didn't take long, and soon she was screaming with pleasure. Her voice echoed through the building as she came, and her orgasm shook her body to its core. Every vein in her body felt like it was burning with passion, and it was intoxicating. She could feel her eyes flaring, stronger than ever, and she planted her hands on Nick's chest as she continued to ride out her orgasm.

She focused on her pleasure, feeling it course through her, when a familiar feeling appeared. Just like the last time she fucked Nick, she could feel her own orgasm expand itself, and she briefly felt like she could connect with the world around her, as if it were just an extension of her body.

Warm lights appeared behind her, washing over her body, accompanied by a burst of warmth pulsing out from her. She couldn't see the light directly, but she saw her shadow briefly grow stronger as she continued fucking Nick. It took several minutes for her to calm down, but soon enough her breathing grew quiet.

"Fuck, Nick... That was incredible!" She smiled as she leaned back, running her hands over her horns and through her hair.

Nick had been staring at the ceiling the whole time, likely lost in his own orgasm, and finally pulled together the strength to prop himself up on his elbows. As he collected his thoughts, and pulled his focus back to Amara, his eyes went wide.

"Holy shit, Amara." He said.

"Was it as good for you? I hope so, I fucking lost it!" She smirked as she leaned in briefly to kiss him.

"No, I mean yes, but that's not... You'd think I would be used to this by now."

"Used to this? Wait! Did something happen?!" Amara's voice rose in excitement.

Nick was unable to respond, but she noticed that his eyes were moving from side to side, seemingly looking at something behind her. Before she could turn her head, she noticed two large shadows on the floor next to him. They were extending out from her back, and she was able to move them up and down.

Amara jumped to her feet, her eyes wide. "Nick. Nick! NICK!" She was bouncing up and down, unable to hold back her excitement.

Nick stood up next, fumbling with his shorts as he started to get dressed. "Oh, I see them. They're honestly bigger than I expected."

Amara followed his lead, quickly pulling on her shorts before grabbing her sports bra. She stared at it awkwardly, realizing she didn't know if she could still put it on.

"Nick, could you, um..." She held up her bra, flexing her wings.

He smirked as he nodded, and the two of them managed to get her properly dressed again, though it took quite a bit of creative thinking.

"They've got to be functional, right? They're huge! I wonder where I can..." Amara's voice trailed off, and soon she was staring at the observation deck that towered over the gymnastics area.

Nick followed her gaze, his own eyes growing wide with concern. "Absolutely not! You need to take this slow!"

She scrunched her face, glaring at Nick. She was at a crossroads, and one path was simply too enticing to pass up.

She lunged forward, dodging Nick as he tried to grab her, then ran for the staircase in the corner. At the top, she pivoted to face the open gym again, and watched as Nick stared up at her. He was breathing heavily, it looked like he had tried to run after her but didn't have the energy for it.

"Think about this, Amara. If you're not careful this could go really bad!" Nick shouted at her. "What if you break something? We have no idea if sex cures broken bones!"

"C'mon, where's your sense of adventure?" Amara climbed the railing, pivoting to the other side before steadying herself. Her tail wrapped tight around the middle bar, and she stretched her wings as far as she could.

The bones that formed the structure of her wings were black, while most of the skin in between was an incredibly dark red. The skin seemed to be incredibly thick, as light barely passed through them.

They extended much further than her arms, and when she flexed them, she could feel how strong they were. They looked quite similar to bat wings, only they came to a much sharper point where the new bones all converged. When she pulled them in close, she realized the points were actually solid bone that extended from the skin, and were identical to her horns, even just as sharp.

She opened them again, moving them up and down as she adjusted to how they felt. With a deep breath, she pushed them down hard, and almost threw herself backwards over the railing.

A huge smile was frozen on Amara's face. She looked down at Nick, then surveyed the area in front of her. "Alright Nick, what's the plan?"

Nick sighed in defeat. "If I can't talk you out of this, can you at least aim for the foam pit?" He pointed at the collection of colorful pointy cubes nearby, then moved towards it to get ready. "What if you just tried gliding first?"

Amara started shuffling back and forth, then clapped her hands together. Her tail still holding tight, she continued testing her wings.

Okay Amara, you can do this. You're just gonna learn how to fly real quick, no big deal. Keep your wings open, the bigger they are, the better.

She locked her eyes on the foam pit, slowly unwrapped her tail from the railing, and jumped.

Fear gripped her body as she surrendered control to her wings, and she fought the urge to pull her body into itself. She could sense the air around her, feel it as it pushed against her wings and kept her aloft. She couldn't help but look down, watching the floor beneath her as she passed over it.

Dozens of new sensations flooded her brain, and it was too much to process all at once. She felt like an advanced fighter jet, perfectly engineered to fly, but she had no idea how to translate the instruction manual.

She could tell that her wings were capable of making hundreds of small adjustments, but she couldn't tell them what to do. Her horns suddenly started buzzing, but the extra sensations only served to confuse her further. With each second, she moved closer to the foam pit, and she had no idea how to direct herself downward.

"You're overshooting! Aim down!" Nick shouted, running behind the pit.

After another few seconds, Amara approached the edge of the pit. If she didn't stop now, she would be heading straight for the far wall, and she had no idea how much that would hurt. In a panic, she pulled her arms and her wings around herself, falling out of the air and crashing into the pit.

Nick circled around, leaning over the pit. "You alright?"

Amara's wings opened, scattering foam everywhere as she scrambled to get out. "Nick! Did you see? I FLEW!"

Helping her get out, Nick sighed in relief when she finally stood up. "I'm just glad you're safe. I really don't want to have to test if you have supernatural healing."

Amara ran past him, and soon she was standing in the middle of the spring floor. "Okay, I'm past the impulse to jump off high places. Let's figure out how these things work!"

Nick walked over, taking a moment to run his hands over her wings before the two of them started running more technical tests. She started small and tried to practice fine motor control. Nick would hold his hands, and she would attempt to touch them with her wings as he moved his arms around.

She found that her wings could rotate quite a bit, and she practiced holding them at different angles to simulate different flight maneuvers. Though she felt a little silly, she also ran circles around the gym to practice using her wings while in motion.

Next, Nick suggested that she practice jumping. They started small, testing how high she could jump without her wings, and slowly moved up from there. She continually put more and more force into her jumps, pairing them with stronger wing thrusts, and managed to catch herself by surprise a few times. Though she never fell, she had to scramble to land after a few surprisingly high jumps.

Confident with her ability to get into the air, it was time to push into unknown territory. Standing over the foam pit, she took a deep breath, and launched herself as high as she could go, then tried to ascend a second time with another strong push.

Instead, she found herself flung downwards, thankfully crashing into the foam. After scrambling out, Nick pointed out that she hadn't retracted her wings to prepare for the second push, and they had caught too much air. She kept trying, and it took a few dozen attempts to figure out the right movements, then commit them to muscle memory.

Soon enough, she was able to reliably create a second round of lift with her wings. From here, it took another half hour to practice transitioning from ascending to gliding, but soon she felt confident enough for the main event.

Amara looked at Nick, then around the gym. "Alright, what's the plan?"

Nick joined her in looking around, examining the airspace. "Well, avoid anything hanging from the ceiling, and then... I dunno. We've moved way past my field of athletic expertise."

Nick moved away from the spring floor, clearing space for Amara. She identified her main threats, a series of hanging rings, then took a running start.

With a powerful thrust, she leapt into the air. She followed that up with another, and another, and continued to climb. She realized she was closer to the far wall than she wanted to be, and angled her wings back for another thrust.

Her forward momentum stopped, and she looked around as she hovered in midair. Looking down at Nick, she screamed with delight before changing direction. She started gliding around the gym, and she felt all the sensations from her first flight again, but this time she had the experience to navigate with them.

Her horns were resonating again, and she realized they were sensing the air currents around her. They stayed relatively quiet in certain corners, but in others she felt that the air conditioning going. Inside, this information was only so helpful, but the ability to read subtle shifts in air currents and temperature would be invaluable whenever she flew outside.

After the first few circles, she cut through the center of the gym to change direction, and noticed that her tail was acting as a rudder. Its extra weight allowed her to adjust her angle quickly and reliably, just like when she was running earlier.

To finish things off, she decided to test her speed. She climbed as high as possible, then dove down, pulling up at the last second. The feeling was incredible, the air beneath her wings, blowing through her hair. The weight of this whole transformation felt like it had vanished in the last few hours, and in the air she felt more like herself than ever.

When she looked down, she saw Nick again, catching him in the middle of a big yawn. She flew by the clock one more time, realized how late it was, and decided to call it a night.

Landing next to Nick, she ran in and gave him a huge hug. Her arms and wings wrapped around him, and she accidentally picked him up in her excitement.

"Nick! Thank you so much for tonight! You were absolutely right about everything; I can't believe how much better I feel."

He gasped as Amara put him down, and the thought occurred that she might have been squeezing a little too tight.

"Hey, I just hate seeing you bummed out. I'm glad you're feeling better!" He smirked as he started putting on his regular clothes again. "So, how's flying? I gotta admit, this is the first change I've been a little jealous of."

Amara started gushing about what the experience had been like, and she shared every little detail about it while she got dressed. Her rambling stopped abruptly when she picked her shirt up.

"Did I just lose access to like, half my wardrobe?" She asked, giving her shirt to Nick.

He helped squeeze her wings through it, which was thankfully still possible given its open shoulders. The sweater, however, proved to be more challenging. Raising her arms high, she wrapped her wings and her tail around her torso as tight as she could, then Nick pulled her sweater over her head.

He stepped back, then failed to hold back a laugh.

"Is it really that bad?" She asked.

"You look like you're wearing 10 sweaters underneath some body armor." He moved closer, testing to see if she could reposition anything. "I honestly have no idea what to do about this. Maybe Tessa has some ideas?"

"I mean, we can ask, but she told me illusions aren't really her thing." Amara sighed, grabbing her bag before heading to the entrance.

Nick made one last lap around the gym, making sure everything had been reset, then turned off the lights. He locked the door as they left, and the two headed home.

As they left the building, the chill autumn wind picked up around them. Amara felt the breeze pass over her, when a curious thought appeared.

"Hey, take lookout for a sec?" She asked.

After Nick nodded in agreement, she pulled off her beanie and shook her hair loose, opening her horns to the world around her.

Ever since they'd appeared, she had never left the house with them uncovered. With everything she had felt flying, however, she was eager to feel what they could do.

As the breeze danced through her hair and over her horns, she discovered a connection with the wind she'd never felt before. She was acutely aware of its temperature, and she was able to sense slight changes in its speed and direction. These sensations, while they originated in her horns, were also traveling through her body, and she found herself instinctually making small adjustments with her tail and her wings.

When she looked away from the sky, she caught Nick smirking at her.

"Enjoying the weather?" He asked.

"It's so much more than that. I can feel the air, the wind... the sky is calling to me. Like I belong there."

"That's a beautiful sentiment, Amara, but think about the risks. Tessa warned us what could happen if the wrong people discovered you."

Nick pointed at some shapes turning a corner in front of them, and Amara quickly put her beanie back on. Once she'd fixed her hair, she pushed her hands into her pockets and sighed dramatically.

"Yeah, I know... I'll figure something out one day." She quietly daydreamed about soaring through the skies as they walked.

When they finally reached Amara's apartment, one last thought crossed her mind.

"Oh, by the way, what kind of porn do you like?" She asked, hugging him goodbye.

"Hmm, good question. I'm not too picky, but I think I tend to watch amateur stuff the most. It just feels a bit more real, more passionate. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. Just curious!" Amara laughed at his answer, and the two waved goodbye for the night.

Chapter Text

Amara kicked off her covers as she yawned, stretching her arms over her head. Before she could finish, a loud thud caught her attention, and she groaned with frustration. Looking at her nightstand, she saw that her left wing now sat where her phone had previously been charging.

She pocketed her phone before moving to the middle of the room, where she stretched open her wings. When she flexed them, her wings had just enough space to open, so long as she didn't face the short wall, and she did her best to avoid breaking anything else.

Thankfully, she'd figured out how to dress herself, but only if the clothing accommodated her wings. Racerback tanks were the most comfortable, and she'd already ordered a new set online.

Pushing out into the hallway, she carefully made her way to the living room. The walls were covered with fresh scratches, and a stack of partially broken frames sat on the floor. She walked at an angle, eyes darting between the walls and the ceiling, and she counted at least four new gouges before she cleared the hall.

"So long security deposit..." Amara mumbled.

Her living room was fairly open, and it combined with the kitchen to make the largest room in the house. There was a small breakfast counter between the two spaces, technically, but Amara didn't feel like it counted. She started making her morning coffee as she checked her messages.

Her wings had appeared late Saturday night, and Nick had stayed with her Sunday in hopes of finding a way to hide them. After hours of research, including a quick fuck, they'd decided it was no longer feasible for Amara to go to class.

Setting her coffee on the counter, she set up her laptop and emailed all her professors for the week. As replies slowly filtered in, she gave Nick a list of teachers that he needed to visit to get her homework. He was planning to swing by later this afternoon, and it looked like Tessa was planning to bring lunch over.

With nothing to do, Amara briefly considered taking a shower, but the memory of yesterday's attempt still haunted her. Hopefully the new shower curtain would be here soon.

Maybe I could sneak into a locker room? Who am I kidding, I can't sneak anywhere with these.

Amara hopped onto her couch and turned the TV on, wondering what she could do with her sudden vacation.

The next few hours passed slowly. At first the downtime had been nice, but before long she was itching to do something. She frequently found herself staring out the window, up at the sky, wondering what flying out there would feel like.

When Tessa showed up with bags of fast food, Amara was ecstatic for the distraction. She opened the door, hiding behind it to stay out of sight.

"Alright, let's see these bad boys! I'm used to people lying about their size, so don't let me down." Tessa smirked as she kicked the door closed, and her eyes went wide when she saw Amara. "Fucking hell, Amara, you weren't kidding."

'Right? Hang on, let me open them up!" Amara moved to the center of the living room, then extended her wings to let Tessa inspect them.

"And you can actually fly? What's a girl gotta do to go for a ride?" Tessa walked slowly around her.

"I'll do it for free if you can guarantee no one sees us, but until then I get to be a hermit."

"I think you're worth a lot more than free, but you do you." Tessa laughed as she finished her circle. Her eyes darted from Amara's wings, to her tail, to her horns, and Amara was surprised to see her friend's aura pulse slightly.

The two sat down, eagerly digging into their food as Amara shared all the details from her adventure in the gymnastics building. She was thrilled that the tension had vanished between them, and their lunch felt just as natural as always.

Tessa also shared updates about her magic side project. She had more theories she wanted to test, and the two agreed that Amara would make a great bodyguard should anything strange happen. They had started to think that these strange occurrences might not be natural, and running into other mages might be inevitable.

They agreed to meet up again Saturday, then Tessa had to leave for classes. Hugging goodbye, Amara wrapped Tessa up in her wings and her tail, and she caught another pulse in her aura, which made her smirk.

The day dragged on, and Amara grew more restless with each passing hour. When Nick arrived with her homework, he caught her in the middle of trying different YouTube exercise routines. They spent a good chunk of the afternoon together, doing homework and making food, but he sadly had other plans for the evening.

The rest of the week continued in a similar fashion. Amara spent quite a bit of time trying to stay caught up with her classes, and thankfully many of her professors were kind enough to offer brief summaries of the week's syllabus. She supplemented her schoolwork with more demon research, but most of what she found was hypothetical.

Before she knew it, Friday evening had descended, and she was no closer to finding a way to hide her wings. Nick had just arrived with food, and she opened the door to let him in.

"Niiiick I'm so bored!" Amara groaned.

"Oh, hi Nick! It's so good to see you! How was your day?" Nick walked inside, closing the door behind him as he mocked Amara. "It was great! I'm so glad you asked."

"Yeah? Should I ask about the weather too?"

"Hey, maybe I just want to feel appreciated sometimes." He set down his backpack before joining Amara at the counter.

"Appreciated? Is the constant sex not enough anymore? I knew it! You only like me for my personality!"

They stared at each other for a moment before breaking out into laughter. They started eating dinner, and Nick handed over her homework while catching her up on his day.

Unfortunately, Nick's research into her wings had also hit a dead end. The few theories he had were starting to pull from fiction, and Amara stopped caring at that point.

"I finally find the silver lining to this transformation, and immediately have to hide myself away. This sucks." Amara groaned as she pushed her empty plates away.

"Hey, we'll figure it out. Just the other day you were complaining about not being able to fly, but look at you now!"

"You're probably right... doesn't make the waiting easier though."

"Well, speaking of change, I've got something I kinda wanted to talk to you about?" Nick moved to the couch and gestured for Amara to join him.

"Should I be nervous?"

"Um, nothing has happened yet, I'm just trying to stay on top of things."

Amara got up and joined him, taking care not to hit him with her wings. "Alright, I'm a big girl, lay it on me."

Nick leaned forward, and Amara realized that he was more nervous than she'd initially realized. "So... I asked Vee out."

"AAH! Nick! Fucking finally!" She threw herself at Nick, squeezing him tight. "I thought you'd never do it! Tell me everything!"

"We've just been talking a lot more frequently, and since you've been locked up this week, we ended up spending more time together."

"So what's the plan? Fancy dinner? Crime spree?"

"Nothing crazy, we'll probably just get some cheap food and hang out. I guess she's got a lot on her plate right now, so we're gonna wait a week or two."

Nick cleared his throat, then kept talking.

"But there's a lot I haven't talked about with her. If we start dating, I don't know what that means for you and me."

Amara grew quiet, the reality of the situation setting in. "I... hadn't thought of that."

"Best case scenario, she's cool with us continuing to hook up. However, if she asks this to stop, I'm gonna have a hard time explaining that you need sex the way you need sleep."

Amara pulled back from Nick, his words spinning in her head. She curled her tail around herself, pausing for a minute before speaking. "I... think I need time to think about this. No rush, right?"

They looked at each other, each recognizing the uncertainty in the air.

"You know I'm always here for you, right?" Nick asked. "We're not dating, but I realize I kinda did this without asking..."

"No, you're right. We're not dating, and you deserve an actual partner."

Despite their agreement, the tension refused to dissipate. After another few moments of silence, Amara stood up, excusing herself to the bathroom.

Did you really think nothing would ever change? That he wouldn't want something more than a fuck buddy?

She closed the bathroom door behind her, then turned on the faucet to fill the silence.

Vee's cool! Maybe she'll let you keep hooking up! If not, Tessa is poly, and clearly into you, so you have options; This isn't the end of the world.

Cold water splashed her face, but it did nothing to dislodge her thoughts. Despite her best efforts, it was tough to stay positive.

As she dried her face, a strange feeling swept across her body. It felt similar to the pulses of heat she felt the last time she and Nick fucked, but smaller, more focused. Instead of feeling more connected with space around her, that connection turned inward.

She shivered, then opened the door to share this feeling with Nick. She tried to close the door behind her, but she couldn't feel her tail. She panicked, and a quick examination revealed that her wings and horns had also vanished.

"Uh, Nick? I think something happened!" She walked into the living room to rejoin him. As she did, she swore her clothes weren't fitting right anymore.

When he looked up, his eyes grew wide with shock. "Fuck!" He flinched in surprise, and his phone clattered to the floor. "Amara? Is that you?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Everything's gone! Is that good or bad?" She sat down next to him.

"I... guess that's also true."

"Also?" Amara groaned, bracing herself for another surprise. "Great, what else? Is my skin red? Am I on fire?"

Nick opened and closed his mouth a few times, the words taking a minute to catch up. "No, you... you're Vee?"

"Shut the fuck up! I am not!" As she spoke, she realized that her voice was higher than usual.

Nick nodded slowly, unable to say anything else. Amara stood up and ran to the bathroom, her pants almost tripping her as she did so.

Sure enough, when Amara looked in the mirror, she saw long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and an athletic figure several inches taller than normal. "Why am I Vee?!"

She returned to the living room, frantically pacing around her couch. "The point of hiding my demon bits was to get back to class! I can't go back like this!" Amara froze, strange blonde hair bouncing in front of her face. She collapsed next to Nick as she groaned. "Does this mean I can shapeshift now? It has to, right?"

Nick pulled her close, but his body felt stiff and awkward. Either things felt different in this new body, or Nick was trying to hide his own conflicting feelings. "Alright, this is certainly strange, but I think you're right. This is definitely shapeshifting, and now we just need to figure out how it works."

"Okay, well, what's worked in the past?" She started thinking back to when aspects had previously appeared. "I tend to gain more control when we, well..."

They looked at each other, both finishing the sentence in their minds. At the same time, they pushed away from each other and moved to opposite ends of the couch.

"Absolutely not, nope, not gonna happen. Not while I'm literally Vee."

"I felt weird even thinking about it!"

"What other options do we have then?" Amara asked.

"I... I don't know. it's interesting, normally your abilities show up right after we hook up, but we haven't done anything since yesterday. Does this mean your control over them is increasing?"

"Do I look like I'm in control?"

"Okay, fair point." Nick paused, running ideas around in his head. "We should just start trying shit. Try to turn back!"

Amara nodded in agreement, then stood up in the middle of the living room. She closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling from the bathroom. She thought about that sense of control, of connecting with both herself and the space around her, and tried to look inside herself.

She stood perfectly still for a minute before opening her eyes. "Anything?" She asked hopefully.

Nick shook his head.

She wasn't surprised, the connection she was looking for had never materialized. The two of them kept talking, and wound up spending the rest of the evening trying to re-activate her shapeshifting abilities.

They explored meditation, yoga, exercise, and nothing worked. Whatever feeling Amara had connected with refused to resurface, and eventually they ran out of time to keep experimenting. Nick needed to get home, and was unavailable to keep running experiments with her tomorrow.

Amara went to bed in a sour mood. She had successfully traded one problem for another, and was no closer to getting her life back.

-

Waking up Saturday morning was disorienting, to say the least. Amara stumbled to the bathroom, half-asleep, her new body completely out of mind. When she finally looked in the mirror in the middle of washing her face, she literally screamed in surprise.

The rest of the day proved to be one frustrating inconvenience after another. Vee's body was taller, but slightly less curvy, so Amara struggled to find clothes that fit comfortably. She also accumulated a series of bruises throughout the day as she kept running into drawers and counters.

While it was slightly relieving to not worry about her wings destroying her place, it was overshadowed by how much she missed her demonic traits. She'd gotten used to closing doors and drawers with her tail, and after her night at the gymnasium, even walking without it felt wrong.

If nothing else, she felt confident enough to do more investigating with Tessa. They had agreed to only go at night, though initially that had been because of her wings. Now, as long as Amara disguised herself walking around campus, it would be easy to stay out of the way in whatever basement Tessa wanted to explore next.

She pulled out her phone, desperate to get out of the house.

Amara: Up for some snooping tonight?

Tessa: Got ur wings under control?

Amara: More or less. What's next on your to do list?

Tessa: Tbh I think the science building again, wanna check a few things. That cool?

After agreeing on a time, which was much later than Amara would have preferred, she spent a few hours trying to find a good outfit. She settled on a pair of loose cargo pants, a baggy hoodie full of school spirit, and another one of her beanies to hide her hair.

Hopefully, the disheveled wardrobe would help disguise her current body. As far as she could remember, Vee never wore anything this casual, so leaving the house didn't feel as scary.

She spent the rest of her day trying out various exercise programs again. Interestingly, it felt like she was just as athletic now as she was in her normal body, apart from the missing tail. Either her newfound strength was inherent to her, regardless of form, or Vee's body was ridiculously agile.

After a hearty dinner, Amara gathered her things and left the house for the first time in over a week. The open air felt incredible, and she stared longingly up at the sky as she walked.

She looked around, didn't see anyone, and felt brave enough to pull her beanie off. Without her horns, she noticed that she couldn't read the wind as easily as she had the week before. The lack of connection felt strangely isolating, especially given how little she'd bothered to think about her horns over the last few weeks. She'd gotten used to the idea that they were simply a cute decoration, and discovering they had uses had been a pleasant surprise.

Once she heard voices again, she pushed her hair back into her beanie and adjusted her posture. There weren't too many students out, and Amara had a feeling that most of them were already at parties for the night.

The sun had set hours ago, and the campus was now illuminated by a series of tall lamps scattered across the sidewalks. She took her time getting to Tessa, partially because she was trying to avoid other students, but also because she was thrilled to be outside again. She took every scenic route she could, wandering over fields and around trees, eager to explore the open world.

As she finally drew close, she saw Tessa leaning against a tree near the science building. She had a backpack slung across one shoulder, and a pair of bulky headphones hanging around her neck. A look of surprise appeared as she realized who was approaching.

"Vee? Damn girl, I almost didn't recognize you! Going to a costume party or something?" She asked.

"Oh, this? I just felt like trying something new." Amara smirked. It felt strangely validating to see that her shapeshifting was this effective. She watched as Tessa pulled out her phone, typing quickly for a moment. Her own phone vibrated a second later, and she fought the urge to laugh as she checked her messages.

Tessa: Be careful, Vee is here

"So, what are you doing here? You're normally the party girl, shouldn't you be at a frat house or something?" Amara said. She sent out a quick reply through her phone.

Amara: I'm super close!

"I was just... waiting for a partner. I wanted to do stuff with Amara, but since she's been sick, I just moved my plans around." Tessa mumbled unconvincingly.

Wow, Tessa is not good at lying.

"Isn't that such a bummer? She's really seemed off her game recently, I hope everything is okay... Hey! Let's send her a pic!" Amara pulled her phone out, then moved behind Tessa and rested her head on her shoulder. While definitely on edge, Tessa went along with it, and the two smiled for a selfie.

"Though, if I'm being honest..." Amara leaned in, lowering her voice, "hasn't Amara seemed a bit different? I swear she's like, way hotter now, and I can't figure out why."

Tessa coughed in surprise, obviously trying to hide how nervous she was. "I-I haven't noticed anything? Sometimes college just changes people, y'know?"

As they talked, Amara quickly drew something on the selfie they just took, then sent it to Tessa. When it arrived, small red horns had been drawn over Vee's head, and her eyes had been colored amber. Tessa looked at her phone, paused for a moment, then her eyes went wide with realization.

"You're such an asshole!" She yelled, hitting Amara. "When the fuck did this happen? Holy shit, you're like a perfect copy."

"Yesterday! Cards on the table, I can't really control it yet. I'm... kinda stuck like this."

"But why Vee?"

"Fuck if I know." Amara shrugged. "But hey, at least I'm not you!"

Tessa glared at her. "You know, I think I liked you more before you turned into a demon. Now you're all confident and assertive and shit."

They both headed towards the Science Building, and Amara saw Tessa's tattoos light up slightly underneath her hat. With a flick of her wrist, the door leading inside clicked open, and the two girls entered.

"Well, does it feel good knowing that you can shapeshift?" Tessa asked.

"Absolutely! I miss my demon bits like crazy, but I think I'll figure it out soon enough."

Most of the outer walls of the Science Building were made of glass, so the two of them had plenty of light to navigate with. After the first few turns, however, they approached the door to the basement, and were forced to pull out their phones. Their flashlights turned on just as the door closed, enveloping them in darkness.

"You need a phone for light? No spells for that?" Amara asked.

"That's... not really how witchcraft works." Tessa said.

"Well, how does it work? I've been trying not to bombard you with questions, but I'm insanely curious."

Tessa pushed open the door at the bottom of the stairs, and they started walking through the hall towards the hidden room.

"How to keep this simple... So, magic can't create anything, it's mostly about channeling energy from other places."

Amara moved closer, eager to learn more.

"Our world has very little magic, and trying to draw from here wouldn't do much. Instead, we use magic runes to connect to other, inherently magical planes, and borrow that energy for ourselves. Humans are innately non-magical, so this is our only option."

As they approached the tangled mess of ancient plumbing, they slowed their pace. While they made quicker progress than Amara had last time, it was still slow going.

"Okay, so, you're not creating anything, you're just... moving it around. And the tattoos build a bridge to bring it over?"

"That's... not the worst comparison. Most importantly, the runes also set the destination. If we put those runes on a structure, like what Brandon attempted, we're telling the magic to always go there. But, if we tattoo the symbols on ourselves, we can summon the magic to us, wherever we are."

Amara stepped over the last few pipes, then huffed in satisfaction. When she looked back, she saw Tessa still a minute behind her.

"So what are your tattoos? Where do they draw their magic from?"

"These are low-level telekinesis runes, and pretty much all witches have them. They connect with my own strength and transform it into psychic energy." Tessa finally crawled out from the piping, then sighed in relief before stretching her arms out. "I mean, technically they take my energy and briefly phase it through- Look, it's complicated, I'm paraphrasing a lot of this stuff."

Amara led the way into the hidden room, flicking on the light. It was strange being back here, staring at the familiar brickwork and runes. In many ways, it felt like this was where everything had pivoted; Her transformation had suddenly stopped being entirely about her, and she was now constantly aware that people in this world wanted her dead, enslaved, or banished.

The table against the back wall was still there, cracked in half from Brandon's fall. All other signs of his presence had vanished, however. The scattered piles of books and papers were gone, leaving only Amara's bitter memories of her would-be owner. It also looked like many of the runes had been scratched off, at least partially.

"Hey," Tessa spoke up, "you gonna be alright? Being back here?"

Amara shook her head. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. What's the plan?"

Tessa moved forward, scuffing a few more of the runes as she walked. "I had a thought a while back, after freeing you. This room is a lot like the others, right? Out of the way, in an old basement, likely from the original university. Well, the other rooms had large magic circles, and I think there might be one here too."

"Like, a secret one? I spent a lot of time here, bored out of my mind, and I never saw anything like that."

"The first one I showed you was hidden behind an illusion, remember? Maybe there's another false wall, or they covered the circle up somehow!"

Tessa started explaining all the different ways a magic circle might be hidden, and Amara did her best to pretend to understand. In the end, they decided it would be best to split up their talents; Tessa would use magic to look around, and Amara would look for more mundane secrets.

It was a slow process, as neither girl had any solid lead on what they were looking for. Amara had never been the most perceptive person, but she did her best to check various nooks and crannies for anything abnormal. As she looked, she would sporadically ask more questions about magic, both out of curiosity and to help with the search.

Since the two of them were looking for an illusory wall, she focused on that. Tessa explained that illusions, contrary to popular belief, could easily take a solid form. They could look and feel like anything, but often had their own limits; Most illusions had trouble standing up to physical force, for example, but others could be limited by the creativity of the witch making them.

This led to Amara ramming her shoulder into the walls of the room, which made her feel incredibly silly.

After an hour of inspecting every surface, corner, and crevice, Tessa felt comfortable saying there weren't any illusions present. The two took a break, collapsing against the broken table to think things over.

"This is bullshit! Stupid University founders and their stupid secret magic stupid circles..." Tessa groaned as she pulled out her phone, then quickly remembered that this basement didn't have any service.

"How long did it take you to find the other circle?" Amara asked.

"I discovered the illusion pretty quickly, once I had gotten close enough. The trick was learning how to turn it on and off."

Amara moved closer, putting her arm around Tessa and pulling her in. "Well, maybe there just isn't a circle here. Or maybe it's hidden another way?"

"Hiding something like this without an illusion would be tricky, to say the least." Tessa looked up at Amara, then pulled away from the embrace. "Also, not gonna lie, little weird doing all this while you look like Vee.

Amara wanted to clarify if she meant the investigating or the cuddling, but decided against it. She stood up again, wandering the space while avoiding the center of Brandon's circle.

"Could it be hidden without magic? Like, maybe it's covered in dirt, or a carpet, or under the bricks?"

"I mean, I guess so? But covering up the runes would make it hard to summon anything." Tessa went quiet, her eyebrows furrowed, and soon her eyes went wide. "Unless... they're not trying to!"

Tessa jumped up, excitement in her eyes, and she started scanning the floor as she talked.

"Building a bridge is only necessary to bring something over. But what if they wanted to build a wall?"

"Wouldn't that mean they wanted to keep something out?" Amara asked. She took a few steps back, giving Tessa space as she started circling the room.

"It might! I really don't know, the circles I've found are incredibly complex." Tessa finally paused, then moved to her knees in the center of the circle. "Alright, tell me if you see anything, I've got an idea."

Amara watched as her friend closed her eyes, and soon after her tattoos lit up again. She kept her eyes glued on the floor, looking for any sign of activity.

Five seconds passed.

Ten seconds.

Thirty.

She was about to speak up, to tell Tessa to stop, when something finally happened. Faint lines started appearing on the floor, slowly expanding and growing brighter with each second.

After another minute, Amara now saw an entire circle of magical runes. It bore a considerable resemblance to the one under Lysander Hall, and she cleared her throat to get Tessa's attention.

"Whatever you're doing, it worked, there's a whole circle here!"

Tessa opened her eyes, and Amara immediately noticed the strain on her friend's face.

"Quick, grab a picture, I can't hold this for long." Tessa spoke quickly, her breathing labored as she concentrated on maintaining the magic.

Moving as fast as she could, Amara pulled out her phone and took a handful of pictures, all at different angles. "We're good! You can drop it!"

Tessa gasped, her posture collapsing as she released the magic. Her tattoos dulled, and it only took a few seconds for the entire circle to vanish. She kicked her feet out in front of her, then fell back on the floor, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.

Amara moved closer, kneeling as she put her phone down. "Need anything?"

"N-no.... I... fuck. Just gimme a sec..." Tessa gasped.

"Guess I'm surprised, I really thought you'd last longer our first time."

A middle finger shot up, and Amara's laughter filled the room.

It took another few minutes for Tessa to collect herself. When the color had finally returned to her face, she sat back up. "Alright, let's take a look!"

Amara grabbed her phone and moved to sit next to her friend. "I took a bunch, so hopefully we have everyth- What the fuck?" She stared at the first picture and saw nothing but dull concrete. "There's nothing here!" It only took a few moments to confirm that the rest of the photos were empty as well.

Tessa groaned before cursing under her breath, "They must have found a way to... hide the symbols somehow? Maybe cameras count as scrying, there's magic that can prevent scrying..." Her eyebrows furrowed, and she started biting her lip ring while she thought.

"Regardless of how it works, don't you need to see the symbols to try and decipher them? What are we supposed to do now?" Amara said.

"I think we only have one option, sadly." Tessa pulled her backpack over. After a few seconds of silent rummaging, she pulled out a notebook and a pencil. "Ever take art class?"

"That's going to take forever! You could barely manage a minute or two, how am I supposed to draw the whole circle that fast?"

Tessa pushed the notebook to Amara. "I needed time to piece together how to reveal everything, but that only needs to happen the first time. Look, I won't bore you with the details. I should be able to do it faster, that's all I'm saying. We'll sketch a little, take a break, then rinse and repeat."

Grabbing the pencil and the notebook, Amara gave Tessa a concerned look. "Fine, but I'm not letting you wear yourself out. If I think you're stretching yourself too thin, I'm calling the quits."

"Oh, but Amara, I love stretching myself out!" She sat back in the middle of the circle and cracked her knuckles. "Now, I'm ready to go all night if you are. Think you can keep up?"

Amara rolled her eyes, but took her place next to Tessa anyways. "As long as you promise to be gentle, I'm still new at this." She elbowed Tessa as she readied herself.

The girls looked at each other, then broke out in laughter. With a mutual nod, Tessa closed her eyes and started focusing. True to her word, the symbols appeared much quicker than last time, and Amara did her best to start copying them over.

-

Sulfur poisoned the wind, screams following soon after. A bloodstained ritual, helmed by a maniacal succubus. She watched again as the ritual completed, her body weak from the losing battle. Blood stained her face, and claws punctured her throat.

Amber eyes, piercing through the darkness.

-

She shot forward, sitting up in a panic as the nightmare finally ended. Labored gasps filled her bedroom and sweat ran down her face. With a guttural shout, she slammed a fist into the wall next to her.

"Fuck!"

A small indent remained, a specter of where her impact had landed. It wasn't the only one.

Once her breathing had calmed down, she grabbed the glass on her nightstand and swallowed another few caffeine pills. The clock read 4:58. She had finally broken 5 AM, yet another twisted accomplishment she could attribute to her nightmares.

Making her way to the bathroom, she summoned a ball of light to give herself vision. It hovered over her fingers, flickering slightly as she started the shower.

Inside, as the freezing water cascaded down her body, she thought about everything she needed to do. She still hadn't found any more leads on the Succubus, and she was close to finishing her initial survey of the main campus. Perhaps it was time to start placing tracking runes? If she tagged the exits and entrances of the major buildings, she might be able to chart its movements.

She sighed.

I can't keep going like this. Maybe... maybe a small break, just this once.

The thought filled her with a brief moment of stolen joy, and she eagerly finished her shower so she could get dressed. She pulled out her running clothes, pocketed her phone, and left the house.

Starting down the familiar route, she forced herself to leave her worries behind. Breathing in the morning air, she found a familiar pace and kept running. Skirting around the cafeteria, she soon hit the quad and made for the tall stairs at the south end.

She noticed that she had more energy, and her steps felt lighter than usual. That wasn't surprising, given how much she'd been practicing her magic. Channeling divine energy wasn't easy, and the more she practiced, the more her body adapted to the stress of the magic. She reached the top of the stairs quicker than usual and looked back in surprise before continuing.

Soon enough, she found a familiar tree and started climbing its branches. This, too, was much easier, and she reached the top in mere moments.

The sun hadn't hit the campus yet, which was perfect. She settled in, took a deep breath, then exhaled.

The view hadn't changed, though some of the branches had started crowding her window. She let them be, her eyes wandering the buildings surrounding the quad. It felt like it had been ages since she'd come here last, yet the view was always the same. Lysander Hall lorded over the quad, its noble architecture setting it apart from the other buildings. She'd always thought it felt like a crown sitting atop the center of campus.

As she waited for sunrise, in no rush to return home, she summoned a small ball of light once again. It bounced between her hands slowly, and she practiced hovering it around the tree, enjoying the way its radiance illuminated the leaves.

As much as she'd tried to ignore her magic, she couldn't deny it had some perks.

A sudden noise pulled her back to reality, the sound of a nearby door opening. She snuffed out her light immediately, then turned to see someone leaving the building next to her.

Who would be in the Science Building at this hour?

She held her breath, watching as the figure looked up into her tree. Her light had definitely caught their attention, and as they turned towards her, she got a good look at their face.

The girl staring up into the tree had medium length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was somewhat taller, seemed to be in decent shape, and was lazily yawning. Her clothes were baggy, to the point that they seemed meant for someone else.

That... that's not possible. What the fuck is going on?

Vee was staring at an exact copy of herself.

The succubus!

A thousand thoughts flooded Vee's head. Fear gripped her, and she had no idea how to react. She couldn't risk confrontation, not like this. Even if she managed to summon a sword, there was no way she would win a straight fight with a demon.

She kept watching, and soon the demon shrugged. It continued walking away from the Science Building before jogging down the tall staircase.

Why here? Why now?

There had to be a reason for this. A fight was out of the question, but this might be a good time to figure out the demon's plans.

Once Vee knew she was alone, she dropped out of the tree. Approaching the glass doors nearby, she opened them with a quick prayer and moved in. The building was quiet, and she had no idea what she was looking for.

"What twisted game are you playing, Hellspawn..." She muttered.

Checking her phone, she realized she only had an hour or two before classes started. Though it wasn't the best idea, she tried to cast the tracking spell from memory.

Her eyes closed, quiet melodies escaping her lips. Her magic stirred, and she pulled from her own reserves rather than the Enochian Texts. Though incredibly taxing, she was able to hold the spell long enough to find a solid lead. It seemed as if the demon had been in the basement.

Vee dropped the tracking spell, opened the door to the basement, and pushed on. Her light appeared once more, illuminating the darkness as she checked every nook and cranny. Content that the stairs were clear, she moved on to the basement proper, and was pleased to see she wouldn't need much time. She only saw a small handful of old classrooms, and the thick buildup of dust revealed that the demon had been elsewhere.

The last place to check was a strange maze of ancient plumbing. Vee groaned when she saw it, but took solace in the assumption that this was the last place to check.

Although it took longer than she had wanted, and she was now sporting some new bruises, she eventually found the other side. Following the darkened walls, she eventually found a small room tucked out of sight. It wasn't hidden, necessarily, but the placement certainly kept it out of the way.

Vee's eyes went wide when she stepped inside. The floor and ceiling were covered in strange runes, clearly drawn in blood, and a table across the room lay in pieces on the floor. She kneeled down, inspecting the runes closely, and cursed the fact that she'd never bothered to learn more about witchcraft.

These... almost look like summoning runes, though they've definitely been damaged.

Things still didn't add up, but Vee felt like she'd found another piece of the puzzle. Pulling out her phone, she snapped pictures of all the different runes.

After another quick search of the area, she decided there was nothing else to be found. She made her way back upstairs, stepping into the morning light as she left the building.

This has to be how the Succubus arrived. Maybe... someone summoned her, and she broke free? A fight would explain the broken table.

Vee jogged down the long staircase, an eerie sense of déjà vu washing over her. She had just watched her doppelganger do this same thing, and it felt wrong to walk in that thing's footsteps.

If another demon were to show up, they would either have to fight for control over the campus, or share the spoils, and no demon would want that. So, she returns to the circle, makes sure it can't be used again, and cements her hold here.

As she turned a corner outside the cafeteria, the smell of alcohol washed over her, followed by a loud crunch under her shoes. Pulled away from her thoughts, she looked down and saw a broken bottle of some kind, its contents spilled all over the sidewalk.

Rolling her eyes, glad she missed whatever drunkard had been here last night, Vee sidestepped the glass and kept walking.

But why was the demon disguised as me? Is it just a disguise while she wanders campus? She clearly didn't know I was there with her...

As Vee arrived home, another groan of frustration filled the empty halls. Despite seeing the actual demon, and finding how it arrived, she was still no closer to her goal. All she'd managed to do was lose yet another morning of peace.

-

It took Amara and Tessa quite a while to copy the whole circle. Tessa needed frequent breaks, each one longer than the last, but she was determined to get everything finished in one night. By the time they finished, it was already close to five in the morning.

Eager to get some sleep, the girls packed everything up and started the trek home. Backtracking through the piping, they soon found themselves at the main entrance, but had to say their goodbyes there. They lived in opposite directions, and it was easier for Tessa to use a different exit. After a long hug, the two parted ways to finally get some sleep.

Walking outside, Amara immediately noticed the sunlight reflecting into a nearby tree. The sun hadn't quite peaked over the buildings yet, but she assumed it was hitting some strange angles to be visible here already. She yawned slowly, waiting for the door behind her to close, then kept walking.

The path home was quiet, and pretty much the entire campus was hers. She didn't bother putting her beanie on, the wind in her hair felt amazing.

As the sunlight slowly filled the quad, Amara let herself wander around, tracing lines in the morning dew. She even considered climbing some of the trees, but realized that the earliest risers would likely be rousing soon. She opted to head straight home, deciding it would be best to get what little sleep she could at this hour.

Soon enough, she put the quad behind her and started the last leg of her trip. Walking along the long side of the cafeteria, she rounded a corner and accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh! Sorry!" She mumbled, moving to sidestep the stranger.

He turned around quickly, and Amara froze when she realized who she'd run into.

"Well well, lookit what the cat dragged in..." Derek said. His words slurred together, their unnatural cadence betraying why he was still awake at this hour. "What'r'you doing out? Coming from... from a party?"

Amara took a step back, her body tense. Her heart was racing, desperate to get away, but her feet were frozen. "N-nothing like that. I just need to get home, Derek."

Derek matched her steps with his own, then quickly overtook her. He pushed her back against the brick wall, one arm propped over her shoulder. "What's this... this fuckin' outfit? You're a hot little bitch, aren't you? But you know that, always teasing me... Showing off your hot fucking body..."

His breath washed over Amara, heavy and poisoned with alcohol.

"Please, I just want to go home, I'm tired." Amara said. Her words were shaking, and she was desperately looking for a chance to escape.

"Well I don't. Y'know what I want? Some fuckin' company, but all the hot chicks're ignoring me." His other hand came into view, taking a drink from the large bottle he was holding. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Eyes wide, Amara noticed that the bottle was almost empty. Her mind raced, cycling through options as she tried to find a way out. The same thought came up, over and over; She'd just learned to fight, but without her tail she felt defenseless.

Derek was massive, and the bravado she had felt during their last encounter had vanished. She wondered if, being drunk, she'd be able to outrun him, and took a deep breath.

She ducked under his arm, attempting to stay low, but only managed to get a few steps in. His arm closed around her wrist, and he threw her back against the brick wall.

Her breath left her body, and her head started spinning from the impact.

"Don't you FUCKING run from me!" Derek shouted. He smashed the bottle against the wall, just shy of Amara's head, showering her with glass and alcohol. "I'm sick of your little games... so we're gonna play a new one."

Her ears were ringing, and her vision was still blurry from hitting the wall. She desperately scanned the area, looking for anyone that might be able to help.

She stopped moving her head when she felt cold glass on her neck. Derek was staring at her, eyes mad with power, holding the broken bottle against her throat.

"This game's called Stay. Fucking. Quiet." He was practically growling now, his mouth twisted into a horrific grin. His other hand moved down, his heavy fingers starting to fumble with his pants. "I've waited too long for this, Vee..."

Vee.

Derek's attention was slipping, and the bottle pushed even harder against her. She could feel its jagged edges scratching her skin as she strained to keep away from it.

He thinks I'm Vee.

The thought snapped Amara out of her fear. Her thoughts began racing, taking a step back to look at everything that was happening, and her panic turned to white hot rage.

"No."

Amara grabbed the bottle against her neck and started pushing it back.

"The fuck was that, bitch?" Derek pushed the bottle harder, but seemed surprised that he couldn't overpower Amara anymore.

"I said NO!" Amara pushed hard, moving Derek's hand further away from her neck.

Gritting his teeth, he pulled his other hand away from his pants, and tried to grab her throat. Amara met that hand with her own, and they stood in a stalemate as each attempted to overpower the other.

Amara could feel her blood racing, boiling with anger as she fought back. She could feel her rage building, growing hotter with each second, desperate to burst out of her.

And then it did.

Flames appeared at her fingertips, lingering for a moment before roaring to life. Soon both her hands were completely ignited, their flames casting terrifying shadows on the bricks behind her. She watched as the fire grew hotter, its red glow developing shades of purple in a fraction of a second.

Derek started panicking, screaming in surprise. The alcohol on his arm ignited, sparks and embers dancing across his skin. His eyes wide, he surrendered control and fell to his knees, then doubled over.

Without thinking twice, she started running. Each step felt heavier than the last, but she had to get home. Her vision blurred again, not from blunt force, but from tears. They clouded her vision, yet when they left her eyes, they evaporated on contact with her skin.

She felt as if she'd been running for hours by the time she made it home. When she pulled out her keys, she tried to open the door, but dropped them immediately when she saw her hands. Flames still lingered on her skin, their pale light filling the hallway. She tried to pat the fire out on her pants, then grabbed her keys and opened the door. Once inside, she slammed it shut with her tail and fell to the floor, her back against the entrance.

Amara reached into her pocket, desperate to call Nick. She tried to breathe deep, to count the way he had shown her, but she kept losing focus. Nick wasn't answering, and Amara tried again.

And again.

And again.

She had no idea how long her phone would survive the heat, and she swore the fire was getting hotter. Miraculously, Nick answered while her phone was still working.

"Amara? What's--"

"Nick, I'm on fire! I can't stop it!"

Chapter Text

When Nick finally arrived, Amara was standing perfectly still in the middle of the living room, her hands held high. Fire surrounded her fingers and palms, and she was pretty sure she could feel heat emanating from her horns as well. Her phone lay on the floor next to her, its case blackened and warped.

"Niiiiick this is really scary!" She shouted. Fear kept her perfectly still, she didn't want to risk setting the place on fire.

Nick's eyes were wide, his chest heaving from the sprint over here. He had clearly gotten dressed in a hurry, and was wearing what looked like very loose-fitting pajamas. "Okay, cliff notes, what happened?!"

"I was on my way home, and I ran into Derek, but he was super drunk and we kinda fought a bit, and then I got really angry and suddenly my hands were on fire and then he was on fire and he ran away and now I can't stop and I'm scared if I move I'll set something on fire and I don't know what to do!" Amara was talking a mile a minute, her words bleeding together as she tried to stay calm.

Moving closer, Nick held up his hands to mirror hers. "Okay, wow, that's a lot to take in, but we can get through this. Eyes on me, match my breathing." He made a show of taking big breaths, trying to calm her down. "We can get this under control, alright?"

Amara nodded, her eyes locked on Nick's. She already felt better with him here, but the flames on her hands refused to go out. "Okay, deep breaths, I can do this, I can do this..." She watched as he moved closer, and soon they were only a few feet apart. "How bad is it?"

He laughed nervously at the question, then took a minute to look her over. "Well, you're not Vee anymore. Your hands are on fire, and so are your horns, which also seem to have grown a fair amount; They've practically doubled in size. Wings are still gone, though."

"Okay, that's honestly better than I expected." She forced a laugh, trying to fill the silence. "So, options, what can we do about this?"

Nick furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought. "Oh! Didn't Evelyn make you buy a fire extinguisher?"

"Yes! That's perfect! It's in the hall closet!" She pointed down the hall, then jumped in surprise when a small ember jumped off her finger and floated a few inches before vanishing. 'Fuck! Sorry!"

It only took a few minutes for Nick to ready the extinguisher, and they moved to the hard floor in front of the main entrance. "Hands first? I'd feel weird starting with your horns."

"What, you're not into facials?" Amara laughed again as she pushed her hands forward.

He rolled his eyes before pulling the trigger. A cloud of powder burst from the nozzle, covering Amara's hands as she jumped in surprise. They both froze for a moment, waiting to see what would happen, and after a few seconds the flames returned.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" She groaned in frustration.

"Hey, at least we've learned something. I had a feeling this wasn't normal fire, the purple tint makes no sense. It must be magically resistant somehow." He put the extinguisher down before grabbing a towel to clean up the floor.

"That's cool and all, but it doesn't help me right now. What else can we try?" She leaned against the kitchen counter as she waited for Nick to finish cleaning.

"Well, there might only be one option left..." He sighed as he threw the towel down. "The one thing that seems most effective with you."

They locked eyes, and a moment later Amara figured out what he meant.

"Seriously? Now?"

Nick shrugged. "Hey, you're the one with sex-fueled superpowers."

Amara grew quiet, admitting that Nick had a point. She looked at him and nodded in agreement. "Alright, it's worth a shot. How do we do this? I can't really use my hands..."

"Some people would consider that a turn on, actually." Nick stepped closer, his aura stirring as he walked. "Ever thought about trying bondage?"

"It may have crossed my mind a few times. You?"

"Tried it once or twice, I think it's pretty fun!" He knelt down in front of her, his hands moving up her legs. "Not an option now, what with the fire hazard, but maybe something to try later."

He pushed her sweater up, exposing her toned stomach, and lightly kissed her. She bit her lip as he explored her waist, his hands pulling her pants down slowly. A cool breeze tickled her hips, but the tingling sensation was soon replaced by Nick's hands.

He grabbed her exposed hips, holding her tight as he tenderly bit them. She yelped impulsively, then giggled as he kept pushing her pants down.

"Mmm fuck, when did you become a biter?" She asked.

"You seem to enjoy it, I thought I'd turn the tables since you can't use your hands." He smirked, then bit the other side of her hips. She jumped again, then felt her pants hit the floor. Nick helped her pull her shoes and socks off, and soon she was eagerly kicking her pants to the side as well.

When he returned his lips to her thighs, she moaned softly. He was taking his time, which was perfect. With each passing moment, each teasing kiss, the panic from earlier faded. The tension gradually left her body, replaced by an all too familiar demonic itch.

He continued to tease her, biting the sensitive skin inside her thighs. She wanted so badly to grab his head, to make him pleasure her more directly, but she knew she had to keep her hands safely in the air.

Instead, a different thought crossed her mind. Adjusting her stance, she moved her tail between her legs and reached for Nick. He was still kneeling on the floor, and her tail traced up his legs before finding a hard bulge in his pants. She massaged it slowly, exploring what she could do with her tail.

Nick responded by hooking fingers into her panties, pulling them down frustratingly slowly. He kissed each inch of skin that he exposed, and she moaned when she felt his lips on her sensitive clit.

"Yes, please taste me..." She whispered, eager to feel more.

Amara twitched when his tongue ran over her pussy, her body tingling with excitement. He moved it back and forth, each time teasing her entrance as she pushed her hips into him.

Her tail moved up, pushing into his pants in an attempt to return the favor. It wrapped around his shaft, and she carefully started stroking him.

"Fuck, that's new!" Nick whispered, his breath hot against her sex.

Amara grinned at his surprise. "Good new, or bad new?"

He dug his nails into her hips to make her squirm again. "Very good! Just... surprising, it feels like a snake is giving me a handjob."

They both laughed, but Amara's voice quickly gave way to more moaning as Nick pushed a finger into her. He pushed deep, curling it the way he knew she loved. His free hand dug into her ass, pulling her close as a second finger entered her.

Moaning even louder, her tail squeezed his cock tight. "Mmmmyes that feels amazing!"

His fingers pulled back, almost leaving her, before pushing in hard. He started fucking her in long, slow strides, his fingers wet from her arousal. He kissed her clit again, teasing it with his tongue as he picked up the pace. She could feel her body tensing, an orgasm starting to build as he kept fingering her.

Nick was focused on her pleasure much more than usual, and the effect it was having was incredible. Before long, a slow, rumbling orgasm surged through her body, catching her completely by surprise.

"Nick! Don't fucking stop!" She moaned, her body tensing around his fingers. He kept a steady pace as he continued, his tongue continuing to massage her clit.

As she came, her body convulsing against the kitchen counter, she felt her senses expand once more. She connected with the space around her, and her apartment seemed more vivid than ever. The flames surrounding her hands and horns suddenly felt safe, as if they were just another extension of her body.

It took a minute for her orgasm to stop, and once it did, she looked down at Nick. He slowly pulled his fingers out, his eyes jumping to the fire in her hands.

"Fire's still going, can you put it out now?" He asked.

"I think I've got a bit more control? But that's not how this works, Nick."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a succubus, I need to feed on your arousal, your sex, not mine." She tensed her tail again, teasing his cock. "If masturbating could power my abilities, I'd be ruling Hell by now. How do you want me?"

"Let me lay down, I think that will be the safest." Nick pulled back, his cock leaving her tail's grasp, and started pulling his clothes off.

Once he was finally naked, Amara stood over him, her eyes glued on his cock. Using her tail, she carefully straddled him, lining up her entrance. She almost moved for a kiss before remembering that her horns were on fire too. Her arms were starting to get tired, and she hoped she would be able to get rid of all the fire after this.

Her tail, no longer supporting her weight, moved to his cock again. She wrapped around his shaft, testing all her different muscles as she teased him. His aura grew brighter as she stroked him, her flared tip playing with the head of his cock.

"Ready to be inside me, Nick?" She asked, taking full advantage of his love of dirty talk.

He nodded slowly, his body twitching as she kept stroking him with her tail. It finally loosened its grip, aiming his shaft at her entrance before she sat down completely. Moving her tail out of the way, she gasped as she started to ride Nick. Slow, purposely strokes, mimicking what he did to her just minutes earlier.

She watched his aura eagerly, adjusting her rhythm and angle to make it as bright as possible. Nick's moans grew louder as she did, his body thrusting deep into her.

"Fuck, Amara, you get better every time..." He whispered.

"You love it, don't you? Having your own personal demonic sex toy?" Amara kept bouncing on his cock, her hands grabbing her horns as she rode him. "I'm such a slut for this cock, I'd do anything to keep feeding on you!"

Her words strengthened his aura further, and Nick's hands moved to her legs as she picked up the pace. She focused on her newfound sense of control, reaching out with her senses to connect with his aura, and began to draw strength from it. While it had no conventional taste, she felt as if she suddenly had ambrosia coursing through her veins.

She kept a comfortable pace, taking care not to push Nick too far as she continued to feed on his sexual energy. She was amazed at how much insight she gained from his aura; it was incredibly easy to move him closer to, or further from, his orgasm.

"Don't think I can't see what you're doing, you're such a tease!" Nick whispered, his thrusts still meeting hers.

"Who, me? I'm just an innocent little college student..." She playfully bit a finger, flames dancing up the side of her face. Her eyes grew brighter, and this time she had a feeling their flare was a bit more literal.

"Well, if you're not in control, then I think I'll take what I want!" Nick shifted his hands, holding Amara's hips slightly, and started fucking her faster.

She watched as his aura grew quickly, its intensity pushing more energy into her. She felt her own body start to betray her, to ask for another orgasm, and she had every intent of letting that happen.

"I'm close!" Nick gripped her legs tight, his body tensing. As his orgasm approached, Amara did everything she could to fuck Nick back, looking for another climax of her own.

She moved her hands off her horns, instead grabbing her sweater. Her tail joined in, wrapping around her torso as she started cumming hard, her screams filling the room.

With one final thrust, Nick's orgasm joined hers, his cock emptying its load into her. Amara's hips twitched as she came, her senses overwhelmed with pleasure. Her tail burst into flame, joining with the fire on her hands to turn her torso into a small inferno.

Nick's hips continued bucking with pleasure as he finished cumming, but soon the moment started to pass. His body relaxed onto the floor, and it only took another few seconds until Amara felt her own tension ease as well.

As her breathing relaxed, she focused on the flames surrounding her body. She closed her eyes, connected with the fire, and tried to extinguish it. The flames dwindled, eventually dying out completely, but their potent energy lived on. Amara pulled it inside of herself, where it nestled comfortably.

When Nick opened his eyes, they immediately went wide with panic. "Fucking hell, Amara!"

"Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?!" Amara looked down, scared she might see burns on Nick's clothes.

"I'm fine, but I could feel how intense the fire got. And look at your sweater!"

Looking down, Amara saw her tail was still wrapped around her chest. When she uncurled it, she realized the parts of the sweater it had covered were completely burned away. She was effectively wearing an elaborate, burnt ribbon for a shirt, and she was shocked it hadn't fallen apart yet.

"Well," Amara said, looking at Nick, "how does it feel to fuck the hottest girl on campus?"

Nick groaned, his head hitting the floor. "Can I assume the terrible joke means you're feeling better?"

Amara slowly got off Nick, his semi-hard cock leaving her body. She stood up, holding her hands out in front of her, and looked down at Nick. "You tell me! Any fire?"

He took his time getting up, making sure to pull his underwear back on, then looked Amara up and down. "Not a single spark! What do you feel like? Is there control? Or does it feel like the first shapeshift?"

"I can still feel the fire, but now it's inside of me? I think if I focus..." Amara paused, holding out a hand. She focused on the energy she'd moved earlier and tried to pull it into her palm.

Within moments, a flame appeared in her hand. She giggled as she watched it, running her fingers through the fire. The extent of her heat resistance finally hit her; she knew how hot the fire was but couldn't feel it in the slightest.

"AHH look at it! It's so cute!" Amara tested her control, bouncing the flame between her hands as Nick watched.

"Wow, that's... incredible! Let's try to be careful with this, alright? We have no idea how this compares to regular fire." Nick's face was, comparatively, filled with caution. "How about we put it out for now and test something else. What about your wings?"

Amara nodded, recognizing Nick's wisdom. She put the fire out, pulling its energy inside herself again.

Next, she shifted her attention to her demonic body parts. She flexed her tail, pulling it in front of her. Content that it existed, she then tried to connect with her wings. While she couldn't flex and engage them the way she had with her tail, she could still sense their presence.

Curious, she tried to reach for them, to pull them forward the same way she'd done with the fire. With a dull flash of light, and a small scattering of fire, her wings suddenly reappeared on her back. As they did, she heard a ripping noise, and watched the charred remains of her sweater fall to the floor.

Amara jumped for joy, running to Nick and squeezing him tight. In her excitement, she even picked him up, spinning him around slightly.

"NICK! This is incredible, thank you so much!" When she finally put him down, he gasped for air. "Oh, uh, sorry. I don't think I know my own strength..."

"Well, in your defense, it's been growing exponentially for the last few weeks." He coughed again while rolling out his shoulders. "Maybe we should start tracking it? Who knows, you might be throwing cars around by Christmas."

"Could you imagine?!" Amara jumped around the room for a moment before speaking again. "Okay, moment of truth, it's shapeshifting time. Who should I be?"

Nick moved to the nearby couch and took a seat. "You think that's a good idea? What if you get stuck again?"

"C'mon Nick, I gotta try! Pick someone!"

"Alright alright. You've already been Vee, how about Tessa? If something goes wrong at least you'll be able to talk to her about it."

Amara nodded her head, then closed her eyes. Connecting with that energy, that inner fire, felt comfortable. It seemed to be the source of her abilities, it could manifest her wings, it could appear as fire, but could it do more? Focusing on it, she pictured Tessa, then tried to turn that fire inward.

It took a few moments, but soon she felt a tingling sensation in her body. It was warm, coursing through her in a fraction of a second, and then she opened her eyes.

"Anything?" Amara immediately noticed that her voice was different, a little lower than usual.

"Oh, that's weird..." Nick mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"What? What'd I do?!"

"It's just... I've never seen Tessa without any eyeliner or piercings before." Nick paused a moment before his concerned facade broke, betraying his ruse.

"You can be such an asshole sometimes!" Amara sat down next to him, pulling out her phone and turning on the camera.

Sure enough, the body staring back at her was convincingly Tessa. She shimmied in excitement before looking herself over, marveling at the changes. "You're completely right though, I barely look like Tessa at all. I've seen her once or twice without her makeup, but the piercings too? Wild!"

Before turning the camera off, Amara took a few selfies and sent them to Tessa. She giggled maliciously, then looked at Nick. "Time to turn back!"

"You might want to stand up again, there's fire when you shift." Nick added.

In the middle of the room, Amara repeated her previous actions. She connected with her inner fire, aimed it at herself, and pictured.... well, herself. The same sensation from earlier washed over her, and within seconds she knew it had worked. It felt a little strained this time, as if her strength were wearing thin, but her body was hers once again.

This time, however, she hadn't manifested her demonic features. She pushed her hands through her hair, confirmed the lack of horns, then did the same with her low back.

"Looks like you're getting pretty good at this!" Nick said. "Did you get rid of the tail and horns on purpose?"

"I did! This solves all my wardrobe problems!" She remembered she wasn't wearing her sweater anymore and picked it up off the floor. "Although, it seems like I need to be careful when I bring my wings out."

"Good thing the sweater was already destroyed, right?" Nick yawned, leaning back on the couch. "Now, no offense Amara, but I don't normally get up this early... Can I crash here for a bit?"

"Now that you mention it..." Amara yawned herself, checking the time. "I was about to go to sleep when everything caught on fire, and the shapeshifting definitely took more energy than I anticipated. Maybe we should both get some sleep?"

The two nodded in agreement, hugging briefly before retiring to the bedroom and the couch, respectively. Nick set an alarm for both of them, mostly because he had other plans that afternoon, and soon the two had passed out from exhaustion.

-

By the time Vee was free to go, the sun was already close to setting. She pulled her hood over her head, doing her best to avoid eye contact with anyone as she walked home. When she arrived, she caught herself staring at the front door, unable to picture herself walking through it. The thought of going inside, of being alone, sounded terrible. She pulled out her phone.

Vee: Hey, can I come over? Are you still sick?

Amara: I'm all better! I'll leave the door open :)

She happily left her porch, picking up the pace as she walked. Tears threatened to fall, but thankfully Amara lived close. After only a few minutes, she was closing the door behind her and pulling off her shoes.

Amara ran over, giving her a soft hug. "What's happening babe? It's been so long since we hung out!"

Vee couldn't respond, her mind was racing, and all she could do was look at Amara. She could feel the emotions building up, the heat growing in her face.

"Vee? Talk to me, what's going on?" Amara's tone grew serious, her hands landing on Vee's shoulders as she lowered her voice.

"I... I don't..." Attempting to speak broke what little control Vee had left. She fell forward, her arms wrapping around Amara as the tears started falling.

Minutes passed, neither saying anything as she buried her face in Amara's shirt. Her breathing was erratic, her body occasionally twitching as she released all the frustration of the day.

"It's... it's Derek..." Vee managed to say.

"What did he do? Did he hurt you?!" Amara had a fire in her voice, as if she were ready to go to war.

"No, nothing like that." Vee said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "He... he says I attacked him! That I set him on fire!"

Amara's face turned white, the shock more than apparent. "I... that's... that's absurd! You would never do that!"

I wouldn't. But a demon would.

She tried to shake her thoughts loose. "I saw him, briefly, at the station. Whatever happened, he's in bad shape."

Amara froze, her face betraying her confusion. "Wait, station? As in the police station?"

"He filed an official report. I was there all day, answering questions and shit..." Vee moved to the couch, shrinking into a corner as she continued sniffling.

"Okay, well, obviously you didn't do this. What do you think happened?" Amara sat down, draping one arm around Vee's shoulders. While the gesture was meant to be comforting, Vee could feel the tension in her friend's body.

I think the succubus knows I'm onto her.

The thought lingered, and Vee was unable to shake it loose this time. What other explanation was there? The succubus was trying to frame her, to warn her against continuing her hunt.

Despite Amara holding her, Vee felt hopelessly alone.

What if I told Amara everything? Would she believe me?

She leaned into Amara, wordlessly looking for what little comfort she could get.

It would be so easy! 'Hey, Amara, this is gonna sound weird, but I'm an Angel! A soul-sucking demon is trying to frame me!'

Despite her desperation, Vee couldn't bring herself to say anything. The church had warned her, time and time again, never to share her holy mission with humans. Either they don't believe you, or worse, they do. They become obsessed with divinity, the afterlife, worshipping you to gain favor and salvation.

Her friendship with Amara was genuine, one of the few things her divine lineage hadn't tainted, and she refused to give that up.

Minutes passed, the silence only broken by Vee's sniffling. She was glad Amara lived the closest of her friends; Tessa had a bad habit of being too flippant, and Chloé wasn't the most reliable in stressful situations. Amara had always been safe and comfortable, eager to help however she could.

"What happens now?" Amara said, breaking the silence. "They obviously don't have any evidence, since you didn't do anything."

"I...can't say for sure, but it seems like nothing is going to stick. Like you said, there aren't any witnesses, there's no evidence, and Derek was clearly drunk. They're probably only taking him seriously because... well, you know."

Amara nodded with acknowledgment. Derek's family was notoriously wealthy, and his father was the most influential person on the school's board of directors. Derek took full advantage of his position, and had essentially turned the campus into his own personal playground. Students and faculty alike bent over backwards to keep him happy, while those who stood in his way frequently regretted it. Supposedly, the last teacher to give him a poor grade had lost tenure within a year.

"Even if nothing happens, with how popular Derek is... school is gonna be a living hell. He's going to make sure everyone thinks I attacked him in cold blood."

"Hey, whatever happens, we're here for you." Amara shifted to look Vee in the eyes, "I'm here for you. I swear I'll find a way to fix this."

There was an unusual determination in Amara's voice. While Vee appreciated the concern, and had always known Amara to be protective, she was slightly taken aback by the reaction.

"Thanks Amara." Vee leaned closer, hugging her friend tight. "I knew I could count on you."

-

"No! Absolutely Not!"

"Tessa, this is all my fault! What other choice do I have?"

"Uh, the sensible one? The one that keeps you safe?" Tessa started pacing back and forth, her hands gesturing wildly. "I can't believe you'd even consider it!"

"I told you, didn't I? That went fine." Amara crossed her arms, her tail twitching in frustration.

"I'm a witch, Amara! I already knew magic and demons were real! And even then, are you forgetting that I almost left you there? I was terrified!"

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but I have to try! What would you have me do? Nothing?"

Tessa moved closer, grabbing Amara's shoulders as her voice grew softer. "That's not what I'm saying. We just have to be careful about this."

Amara stayed quiet, moving her eyes to the floor to avoid looking at her friend.

"Look, this is a shit situation, I get it," Tessa continued, "but there's more at stake here. Our secrecy is what keeps us alive, in a very literal sense. You've heard of witch hunts, right?"

"Weren't those all made up by colonists to justify killing women they didn't like?" Amara asked.

"I mean, yeah, but the first one? The first one was legit. It got a lot of attention, and people realized that witch hunts drove communities apart, created a vacuum of power for whoever could control the narrative. Things are a lot better now, but that hatred can still be stoked under the right circumstances."

"Vee's our friend! She's one of the smartest, kindest people I know!"

"Her family is also super religious! Did you know she's got some kind of grant from her church? You think they're going to give out money to people who are down to fuck with witches and demons?"

"I... I didn't know that. Seriously?" Amara finally looked Tessa in the eyes, surprise in her voice.

"She doesn't like to talk about it, and I don't even know what it's for. I only found out because I was at her place when a payment came in." Tessa moved her hands to Amara's face, keeping their eyes locked. "Look, I want to help Vee just as much as you, but there's a right way to do it. I'm asking you to trust me."

Amara couldn't find the words to respond, and instead kept looking into Tessa's eyes. The same vulnerability she had seen before had returned, only this time it was laced with fear. She had a sneaking suspicion that Tessa wasn't telling her everything, but her words seemed honest enough.

"Alright, fine. I won't tell her." Amara sighed in resignation. Who was she to doubt Tessa's wisdom? Amara had only known about her lineage for a few weeks, but Tessa seemed to be speaking from significant experience.

There was another small pause before Tessa spoke again. "What about you? Obviously everything about this is fucked, but you haven't talked about, y'know... Derek attacked you."

"I'm... torn. It was terrifying, absolutely, but I also got out completely unscathed." Amara paused, taking a deep breath as she thought back to this morning. "You know what's weird? The thing that shook me to my senses was when he called me Vee. As far as he's concerned, he was trying to attack her, not me. My blood boils every time I think about it, but there's this tiny part of me that's... almost glad this happened?"

"Amara, what the fuck are you on about? Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"I know how it sounds, and that's not what I mean. I keep coming back to the same thought, over and over. What if he'd found her instead? He's obviously the type to do this shit, and if it's going to happen, I'd rather it happens to me than her. I was able to fight him off, but Vee..."

Tessa clearly wanted to say something, but it took a few moments before she did. "Fuck. I hadn't thought about that." She pulled Amara in for a hug, squeezing her tight.

"I'll make this right. For Vee." Amara whispered. She squeezed back, doing her best not to hurt her friend.

She felt Tessa nod, then pull back from her. "So, you can actually summon fire now?"

Amara looked up at Tessa, shifting her focus. "Oh, yeah! It's pretty neat, if a little scary at times. Wanna see?"

Tessa nodded enthusiastically, turning off the flashlight on her phone as she pocketed it. "Uh, obviously! My phone is close to dying anyways."

Holding out her palm, Amara turned her focus inward. She was able to find the connection much quicker now, and soon a small flame sat in her hand. "Just be careful, it's not normal fire."

The firelight reflected in Tessa's eyes as she moved closer. There was caution in her steps, but it was clear she was fascinated. "Can I just say how jealous I am? You get stronger by fucking, talk about getting lucky."

The flame moved higher, growing slightly brighter as Amara fed it more energy. She moved it back and forth, watching as it illuminated the room around them.

The two girls were currently under the cafeteria, as they had been trying to find more magic circles. With only a brief investigation, they had discovered an old storage room filled with discarded kitchen hardware. Industrial fridges, freezer chests, deep fryers, all sorts of massive steel contraptions. Some of this equipment had been pinning down a large throw rug, and they had found a magic circle underneath.

The most peculiar thing about the room were the breaks in the floor. The entire place had cracks in the foundation, through which dozens of different plants were growing. Most of them were quite small, but the sheer variety on display was impressive. As the firelight grew, the amount of plant life in the room finally hit them both.

When Tessa finally pulled her eyes away from the flame, she looked around and whistled. "Damn, this place looks like it's seen a few apocalypses. How long can you keep that flame going? We need to start moving this shit so we can see the circle."

"Uh, maybe a bit? I just figured it out today, remember. You get started, I'm going to try and get the lights on." Amara walked back to the entrance, flipping the light switch up and down a few times.

I wonder if they purposely fucked with the lights to keep people out. Who would want to wander around in a dark room filled with half-broken freezers?

She kept searching, tracing the walls in hopes of finding another light switch, or maybe a breaker. As she walked further away from Tessa, she kept focusing on her connection with the flame. It still floated roughly 10 feet up in the air, and it grew more difficult to maintain as the distance increased. Although she didn't have any physical muscles flexing to support the fire, she could feel the strain building, and managed to find the breaker just before dropping the flame.

"We have light! How's the heavy lifting going?" Amara asked, returning to her friend.

"I moved some smaller stuff, but the rest of this crap isn't moving without both of us." She gestured to a few large appliances still sitting on the rug.

"You can't just, y'know, float them away?" Amara tapped the side of her head and wiggled her fingers.

"My telekinesis has limitations, you know. Like I said last time, that energy has to come from somewhere."

"Alright alright, this one first?" Amara pointed at an ancient soda fountain, and the two of them got to work. While Tessa's telekinesis was unable to lift the whole thing, she still used it for her half of the lifting. Amara chuckled as they worked; it looked like Tessa was lazily supervising while a ghost helped her do the dirty work. As they worked, she found herself wondering how long Tessa had been a witch.

Presumably a while? She's had her tattoos since at least freshman year, and they didn't seem very fresh then. Were her parents witches? Wait, who are her parents? Holy shit, I don't know anything about one of my closest friends.

It took close to half an hour to finally clear the rug, at which point the two of them draped it over a nearby appliance. With the circle now uncovered, Tessa pulled out her notebook and started looking around.

"So, have we learned anything yet? I feel like we've found quite a few circles, but I don't really know what you've been doing with them."

"The first step of science, Amara, is gathering data. I've been familiarizing myself with all the symbols, the connections, the ways the circles are built. So far, they've all been pretty consistent, but I'm getting better at telling them apart."

Amara jumped to sit on a nearby freezer, pulling out her phone as she settled in. "But this all started because you felt... what did you call them, shifts? Changes in the magic around campus? Any clues on that yet?"

"I definitely have a few theories, but nothing concrete." Tessa started chewing on her lip ring as she looked over her notes. "Although..." She shifted, moving closer to a spot on the edge of the circle.

She started flipping through her book, hunting for a specific page. Amara leaned in, eager to see what she might have found.

"I knew it!" Tessa pointed at one particular symbol. "Someone's been fucking with the circles! Look, the rune here is newer, and the signature doesn't quite match."

"Signature? I'm still not a witch, Tessa."

"It's... how to put this... the context is wrong. Like, if we were talking and I suddenly said 'Thou art mistaken'. The language of magic has changed over time, which can help with identification."

"So, can you tell what it's for? The new bit?"

Tessa traced her hand over the symbol, comparing it to some writing in her journal. "It's a subtle change. Either it's trying to recalibrate the circle, or it's trying to weaken it. I bet if I..." She trailed off, mumbling to herself as the tattoos on her head lit up again.

Her fingers stopped moving on the rune. It pulsed slowly for a moment, but soon its glow spread to other parts of the circle. The whole thing now pulsed, several times in succession, before Amara felt a charge move through the air.

She braced herself, then watched as something burst out of the circle on the floor. It was moving fast, but Amara managed to spring backwards over her perch to avoid it. The sound of scraping metal filled her ears, and she jumped back again to avoid a large fridge as it tipped over. By the time she made it to the far wall, the chaos seemed to have stopped, and she finally looked around.

The far corner of the storage room, where the circle had been, was now covered with a thick blanket of deep green vines. The smallest ones were as thick as Amara's fingers, but many of them were much bigger. They had wrapped around most of the nearby appliances, and she could see that the nearby fridge wasn't the only one that had tipped over. The one thing she couldn't see was Tessa.

"Tessa! Are you okay? Where are you?" Amara paused, trying to listen for her friend. She soon heard a muffled response, too quiet to understand, but enough to start searching.

Moving closer to the vines, she tried touching one to check for movement or danger. It didn't seem to react, so Amara felt comfortable pushing further. She climbed over appliances and vines, looking for any sign of where Tessa had ended up.

"Keep talking! I can hear you, but it's faint." Another muffled response told Amara she was closer.

After another few minutes of climbing, she found herself closing in on the far corner of the room. The girls had pushed everything towards the center, which had left the walls completely open, and vines now clung to those walls eagerly. It was in this corner that she finally found Tessa. She was completely immobilized beneath a thick blanket of vines, though parts of her were still visible.

"Alright, I'm here. Let's see if we can get you out of this mess!" Amara moved closer, standing over Tessa as she reached for the vines covering her face. They were smaller, but she was caught off guard by how much they resisted her attempts to pull them off.

It took a few moments of heavy pulling, but soon Amara had freed most of her friend's face.

"Thank fuck, it was getting hard to breathe under that." Tessa looked around at the storage room, then at herself. "How the fuck did you avoid this shit?"

"I was further away from the circle, and I could tell something was about to happen. There was a weird shift in the air." Amara sat down on some nearby vines, looking for other ways of freeing Tessa.

"Well lucky you! Now are you gonna get me out of here, or what?" Tessa was straining, doing her best to break free, but nothing seemed to be happening.

"I'm open to ideas if you have any. I was barely able to move those small vines off your face, and everything else looks to be twice as thick." Amara kept testing different vines, hoping to find ones that she could pull at. "I don't suppose we could reverse the circle? Put everything back?"

Tessa threw a dirty look at Amara. "No, the circle doesn't have a built-in 'undo' feature." Her words dripped with bitter sarcasm.

"Hey, I'll never know if I don't ask." Amara stuck her tongue out at Tessa.

The two girls looked at each other, each sighing with resignation. They knew they were in for another long night.

Chapter Text

As Vee walked out of the store, she shrugged to reposition the heavy water jugs on her shoulders. The cashier had given her some funny looks when she'd left, but quickly turned his attention elsewhere, no doubt he'd seen weirder things at five in the morning. A few bags of other miscellaneous purchases hung from her arms as she made her way home, which was only a few blocks away.

The weight was negligible, especially now that she'd gotten better at enhancing her body's strength with her divine magic. She smirked as she thought back on how much progress she'd made. In only a few weeks, she was close to surpassing many of her previous limits from the last time she'd seriously trained.

As she crossed the final intersection, she briefly stepped towards home, then paused.

This would be a great place for a rune. The path here splits to a few different dorms.

Setting down the water, Vee pulled her backpack off and withdrew her Enochian Texts. Sure that no one was watching, she quickly asked for another tracking rune to form in the center of the path. It appeared, briefly pulsing with light, then vanished.

I think that's 17? I haven't hit the auditorium yet...

Vee hoisted the water over her shoulders again and resumed her walk home. Her thoughts wandered as she made a mental list of all the tracking runes she'd placed around campus. She'd tried to tag the main entrances to all the major buildings, and had already gotten a few hits. Unfortunately, unless she happened to be extremely close, a single activation of a rune only served as another data point to add to the map.

As she arrived home, she put down all her purchases and pulled out her notebook. Inside, she was recording the times of each rune activation, trying to find patterns in the demon's movements. Vee assumed the demon was masquerading as a student, but it was hard to know how often she did so.

Is she... going to classes? That's what the runes seem to say, but that feels like a huge waste of time for a demon. Wouldn't it be easier to just go to parties? Find some drunk idiots, take their souls, and be on your way.

She was happy that the runes around her dorm had never activated, it gave her a tiny sliver of peaceful sleep before the nightmares inevitably returned each night. It also occurred to her that she should place runes around all the major dorms on campus. If the demon was fully committed to being a student, she might be living in a dorm. Even if she weren't, it would be easy to convince another student to invite her over.

Vee started up some coffee, then checked her phone. She quickly navigated to local news sites and social media feeds, looking for possible clues.

Still no bodies, no missing people, nothing. How is she hiding her victims?

The lack of news concerned her. Although taking someone's soul wouldn't always kill them, most demons felt it was easier to do so anyways. People that stayed alive after losing a soul often experienced personality shifts, some more alarming than others.

She pocketed her phone and made herself breakfast. There was something missing, there had to be. A campus with a demon running around shouldn't be this calm.

How does she find her victims? How does she hide them? Why is she bothering to go to classes?

Frustrated with the lack of answers, Vee turned her attention back to the water jugs. Placing one on the counter, she opened her Enochian Texts and started a familiar spell. Placing her hand on the side of the container, she asked the divine to purify the water inside.

She did the same for the second container, then moved them into a corner with the rest of the holy water. She now counted 10 in total, along with a few water bottles that she kept with her at all times. While she didn't know how it would all get used, she was happy to have a significant backstock.

Content that the water was ready, she started unpacking the rest of her purchases. A few rosaries, some chalk, several bags of salt, even some water pistols that had made her feel quite childish. The last item was a small bag of sulfur.

She took great care in handling the package, fully aware of how bad sulfur could smell even in small quantities. Moving to the bathroom, she poked a small hole in the bag before returning to the living room.

Vee sat on the floor, closing her eyes as she focused on her magic, her connection with the Divine. Enochian filled the room as she said another prayer, this time enhancing her senses as well as her strength. It took a minute to acclimate to the new sensations; the hum of the building's heating filled her ears, a low bass occasionally broken by the persistent dripping of her neighbor's bathroom faucet.

She opened her eyes, testing her enhanced vision by reading the nutritional information on the cereal boxes across the kitchen. Finally, she breathed in through her nose, looking for one smell in particular. The most easily identifiable sign of demonic activity - sulfur.

To try and name all the different types of demons would be an exercise in madness. Demons took every size and shape imaginable, and the overwhelming variety of abilities they could wield made hunting them extremely challenging. Thankfully, all demons were born of damnation, and thus shared one important trait. Any demon that drew on its natural magic would inevitably leave behind a trail of sulfur.

While faint, Vee was able to smell the sulfur she'd set up in the bathroom.

She smiled, glad to see her test had worked, then jumped to her feet. Having enhanced senses was nice, but if she couldn't utilize them properly, she wouldn't stand a chance in a fight. She began moving through a series of basic exercises, slowly adjusting to her new skillset. It started slowly, as her enhanced perception dramatically altered how she perceived her own body, but soon enough she felt everything start to come together.

Her vestibular senses were flawless, and she found she now had perfect balance. With each new movement, she slowly retrained her muscle memory to accommodate her enhanced physique. Before long, she felt completely comfortable with her body, and it was time was one final test.

She was currently upside down, her weight supported entirely by one hand planted firmly on the carpet. One leg extended straight towards the ceiling, the other was bent, its foot resting on her inside knee. She reached forward with her free hand, then closed her eyes and focused.

Her magic stirred, eager to respond, but it took a moment to focus it properly. Creation was exceptionally difficult, and Vee hadn't manifested anything in years.

Sweat fell from her temple, landing on the carpet. Her balance faltered, just for a second, as she started the necessary prayer. The heavenly overtones of Enochian filled her ears, resonating with her magic, and within moments she'd achieved her goal.

A glimmering sword appeared in her hand, radiant power emanating from its blade. She moved it around, listening as the steel literally sang with every flourish. It was a beautiful weapon, and she was surprised at how little it weighed; no doubt her strikes would be quick and precise. She continued testing its weight, adjusting her own movements to accommodate the weapon, before she knew it was time to prepare for classes.

With her eyes still closed, she pushed off the floor. Her body sprang into the air, folding into a tight somersault as she inverted one last time. Her feet landed softly, barely making a noise as she flourished her sword in front of her.

Vee grinned, knowing she was ready for a fight.

-

Amara grunted as she grabbed another vine, pulling as hard as she could. It shifted slightly, but nowhere near enough to make a difference.

"Fuck, why are these things so tough?" she groaned, collapsing backwards.

Tessa was still trapped, but over the course of the last hour or so, Amara had managed to move some of the smaller vines off her body. Bits and pieces of her legs could be seen, but most of her upper body remained enveloped.

"Look, pulling them off doesn't seem to be working, can you try something else? I'd rather not die under these things." Tessa sighed, her body tired from the constant struggling.

"I don't see you suggesting anything." snapped Amara, "Actually, where's that knife you always play with?"

"Not anywhere helpful. It's in my backpack, which I'm currently on top of."

"Ugh, just our luck. I'll see if I can find one laying around." Amara turned towards the massive pile of vines, then paused briefly. "Look, I'm sorry... I know this is worse for you than it is for me. I'm just sick of not being able to help when it matters."

"Hey, of all the people to be tied up in front of, I'm glad it's you."

Amara smiled before starting her climb, picking her steps carefully as she pushed towards the bulk of the storage. She was at the highest point of the mound of vines when her friend spoke up again.

"Could you... stay within earshot?" Tessa's voice grew quiet, almost in embarrassment. "I don't want to be alone."

"Believe me, I know what that's like. I'll stay close, I promise."

The girls nodded at each other before Amara disappeared over another bundle of vines. She spent the better part of half an hour digging through old cabinets and appliances, looking for anything that might be sharp enough to cut through the vines. The whole time, she kept talking with Tessa, eager to keep her comfortable as best she could. In the end, while the conversation was as lively as ever, she returned empty handed.

"This place has nothing but scrap metal, and none of it is even remotely jagged." Amara pulled her phone out, holding it up to look for service. "Do these circles fuck with cell signal? I swear I never get any bars when I'm near them."

"It would definitely make sense, but it's hard to say for sure. Older witches tend to ignore modern innovation, so us younger folk have to figure out for ourselves how magic and technology interact."

Amara sat next to her friend, grabbing a water bottle and tipping it into her mouth.

"Alright, stupid idea." Tessa said, water dripping down her chin. "What if we burned the vines away?"

"Wow, when you say stupid idea, you really mean it."

"I'm being serious!"

"So am I! If we set this place on fire, I can only pull you out once the flames have eaten away at the vines. By then, you'll already be significantly burnt, if not dead!" Amara stood up, pacing back and forth, her tail flicking in frustration. "I can't believe you! Telling Vee I'm a demon is too far, but sure, let's set you on fire and see what happens!"

"Can you just shut up for a second? I didn't say set them on fire, I said burn them away." Tessa's tattoos flared, and she made Amara look at her. "Look at these vines, they're vibrant and healthy. If they weren't, they wouldn't be this strong. Even if we introduce fire, they're going to resist it, which means controlling the flames will be easy. How much control do you have over your fire, anyway?"

"I'm honestly not sure. I can move it around easily enough, but I don't know what happens when it spreads. I might have control over all fire, or just mine, but right now I don't know."

"How about we test it out? You got any paper on you?"

Amara opened her backpack, ripping some paper out of a notebook before sitting next to Tessa. "Alright, what are we doing?"

"It's easy, just light a corner on fire, let it spread, then see if you can stop it."

Nodding, Amara took a deep breath. She summoned a small flame, which took more effort than expected, and lit the paper on fire. The fire caught quick, latching onto the sheet before it started to spread. After a second, once the fire was approaching the middle of the page, she reached out and tried to pull it back.

She immediately noticed a few differences, the most obvious of which was the color. The fire she summoned always had a slight purple tint, whereas the fire that spread afterwards looked much more natural. Although it was difficult for her to judge temperature on feeling alone, she could also tell that the natural fire was less intense.

Connecting with the new fire was tough. She could sense its presence, but it took a few tries to extend her own control over it. Once she'd established the connection, the fire took on a purple hue, and she was able to extinguish it just before losing the paper entirely.

"It worked!" Amara brandished the paper, unsure where Tessa's line of sight ended. She also found herself yawning, which caught her off guard.

"See? The vines are gonna be even easier, they won't catch the same way the paper does." Tessa was clearly excited, but Amara could tell she was also feeling a little smug.

"No, you were right. I'm sorry I snapped at you, I just... I can't stop thinking about Vee, about Derek." Amara felt something squeeze her arms, then realized that Tessa's tattoos were glowing.

"Hey, I told you, we'll figure something out." Tessa paused for a moment. "What if we just--"

"We're not killing him, Tessa." Amara said quickly, cutting off her friend.

"Ugh, fine, just stomp all over my dreams."

Chuckling, Amara moved closer to Tessa and looked for a good place to start. She found a slightly smaller vine curled around her friend's chest and wrapped a hand around it. Carefully lighting her palm on fire, she squeezed the vine as she tried to burn it apart. It took a few moments, but soon she was able to close her fist entirely, the vine having been completely severed.

"Okay, one down. How did that feel? Not too hot?" Amara asked.

"Pretty warm, but nothing I can't handle. Now get me out of here already!"

Moving to the next vine, Amara prepared to repeat herself. When she tried to pull more fire into her palm, however, she couldn't find any.

"Shit."

"C'mon, what is it now?"

"I, uh... I'm tapped out."

"You're out of fire? Now?"

"I just figured this out today! I have no idea what my limits are!"

"So, what now? Do you need a nap? A protein bar?"

"I don't think that would work, my powers come from... you know..." Amara watched as realization dawned on her friend's face.

Tessa tried to speak a few times, the words needing more time to catch up. "By yourself?" she finally asked.

Amara shook her head. "Doesn't work, I have to feed on someone else's arousal." She coughed awkwardly, unsure how to proceed. "I could try to get Nick down here? I'd have to leave to get a signal, though."

The thought clearly made Tessa uncomfortable. "Look, can we stop beating around the bush? There's an obvious solution here."

The two locked eyes, and Tessa's growing aura made her insinuation more than obvious. Amara moved closer, the smell of arousal already filling her senses. "Is that so? What do you mean?" She leaned in, trying to hold back a smirk.

"I-I mean, we're alone down here and--" Tessa paused, finally piecing together the look on Amara's face. "Wait, are you fucking with me?"

"Me? I would never! I'm just waiting for you to finish." She paused, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"You're... gonna make me say it aren't you."

Amara nodded. She watched as the helpless witch briefly struggled against the vines and noticed another pulse in her aura.

She's talked a few times about loving to be submissive, this might literally be a wet dream for her. Well, when in Rome...

"Look, it was only a matter of time, alright? I've always thought you were hot, but sex didn't seem like something you wanted, so I thought maybe you were Ace or something and I tried not to push it, but then you turned into a demon and now, when we hang out--"

Amara pushed a finger against Tessa's mouth, putting a stop to her nervous rambling. "I think, what you're failing to say, is that my being a demon turns you on, and every time you see my real body, you get flustered? And it's been getting worse recently?"

"How did--" Amara's eyes flared briefly, "Right, the aura reading. So, when I tried to steal looks..."

"I noticed every time." Amara laughed, then moved her tail closer, letting it caress the side of Tessa's face. "Whatever should we do with you? The would-be demon fucker that's all tied up?" She wanted to straddle Tessa, but remembered that most of her hips were still pinned down by vines. It was time to get creative.

"I've half a mind to punish you, to show you how bad I can be." Her tail moved to her friend's neck, slowly wrapping around it. Leaning in, she felt Tessa's hot breath tickle her own lips, and held her back as she tried to steal a kiss. "You don't deserve that yet. Now tell me, what's your safeword?"

"F-fuck, I... Red, it's red. Stoplight system. Or snapping."

Her words, and more likely her tail, were already having a significant effect. She needed to keep pushing, to arouse Tessa even more so she had something to feed on. Leaning back, she pulled her shirt off, revealing a black sports bra that showed off her cleavage surprisingly well. With her shoulders now exposed, she manifested her wings with a shower of embers.

Whew, that took more effort than usual. I'm really running on fumes here.

Amara's tail, still curled around Tessa's neck, repositioned so that its tip lay near her mouth. "Since you're so eager to taste me, open wide." She pushed her tail into her friend's mouth, grinning as she elicited a soft moan. She'd never acted so dominant before, and she knew she would have to do this again.

She flexed her tail, taunting Tessa with how much control she had over her. Her tail began slowly thrusting in and out, exploring the strange feeling of being in someone else's mouth.

"Do you like being a demon's little plaything?" She asked, pulling out.

Tessa gasped, spit already running down her chin. "Fuck, I like this side of you."

"I thought you liked me more before I turned? Something about being too 'confident and assertive' now? Maybe I should stop..."

"No! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" Tessa stammered.

She's practically melting in my hands already, and I've barely touched her. I could get used to this.

Amara grabbed Tessa's face in her hand. "Ask nicely, and I'll keep going."

"P-please Amara, I'm so fucking horny, don't stop!" Another strong pulse in Tessa's aura, her smell filling the air.

Unable to hold back any further, Amara leaned forward and kissed the desperate witch. Her lips were soft, almost delicate, and Tessa sighed with relief as she eagerly kissed back. There was a surprising grace to her passion, an elegance that seemed at odds with her typically brash demeanor.

Amara's tail loosened its grip, then left Tessa's neck entirely. Traveling down, it soon found the distracted witch's thigh, wrapping around it slowly. It pushed higher, underneath the blanket of vines, drawing closer to Tessa's covered sex.

She was wearing tight black jeans, and Amara knew she wouldn't be able to get inside them with only her tail. Content to tease the outside of her crotch, she found that her friend's aura was now potent enough to feed on. She connected with it, pulling its energy into herself as she felt her strength begin to return.

Amara shifted closer, kissing her friend harder. She playfully licked Tessa's lip ring, pulling it into her own mouth before biting the lip it belonged to. A loud moan encouraged her to keep going, and she pushed Tessa's head to the side. She drank in the witch's scent, her arousal intoxicating, as she peppered her neck with soft kisses. Her tail continued its teasing, and she allowed herself the guilty pleasure of biting heavily into Tessa's neck.

"UuunghFUCK!"

"Hope you don't mind a few marks!" Amara said, giggling.

"If that's the price for living out this tentacle fucking fantasy, I'll happily pay it back tenfold."

"I take it you're ready for more?" Amara pulled back, sitting up as she cracked her knuckles. Reaching down, she grabbed one of the many vines holding Tessa, then lit her palm on fire once more. After another few severed connections, she had given herself access to Tessa's writhing hips.

Their lips met again, the excitement growing. Amara repositioned slightly to give her tail a better angle, while her hands began unbuttoning Tessa's pants. Vines still pinned down her legs, but there was enough room to pull her pants down to her thighs.

Amara broke the kiss, shifting down to appreciate the view she'd just uncovered. Her friend was wearing a black thong, lace designs tickling the inside of her thighs. As Amara explored Tessa's exposed skin, sliding behind to massage her ass, she confirmed it was a thong.

"Are these your 'fuck me' panties? That you only wear to parties?"

"I-I wear them outside of parties!"

Amara smirked, knowing that Tessa only wore these when she was hoping to get laid. "You didn't plan all this, did you?"

"Absolutely not! I mean, not the accidental bondage. I... might have been trying to work up the courage to make a move for the last week or two."

"Since when are you the bashful type? You've propositioned me dozens of times since we met!"

"As a joke! It was funny making you blush and squirm! Now you're a literal sex demon and that's really fucking intimidating."

"Well, as flattering as that is," Amara started, her tail moving higher, "I think you've earned a bit of punishment for your deception." With a quick thrust, she pushed her tail back into Tessa's mouth.

As her tail started thrusting, she leaned in to start exploring Tessa's hips. She kissed her exposed thighs, biting them softly to test how sensitive they were. With each bite, her friend twitched slightly, her gasps muffled by the tail currently filling her mouth.

The smell of arousal finally proved too much, and Amara pulled her friend's panties down as much as the bondage allowed. Tessa's sex was glistening, eager for attention after the last few minutes of teasing. Amara continued kissing closer, and soon her lips found Tessa's clit, sucking it lightly before running her tongue over it. A loud moan filled her ears, and the sexual aura surrounding her grew significantly more potent.

She noticed immediately that Tessa had a very different taste than Nick. She was sweeter, and it was easier to enjoy the taste when it wasn't being pushed deep into her throat. That same taste was reflected in her aura, which Amara eagerly tapped into.

She faintly heard Tessa snap her fingers and pulled her tail out of Tessa's mouth. "Everything okay?" Amara asked, pausing for a moment.

"Everything's... fuck... it's great, but my mouth is getting tired. That flared end is really something else."

After drying off her tail on her pants, Amara lightly stroked Tessa's cheek. "Thanks for telling me! Now, where was I..." She pulled her friend's clit back into her mouth, her tongue massaging the entrance below it.

Tessa moaned again, her voice no longer muffled by Amara's tail. Her legs continued twitching, doing their best to buck against the vines still pinning her down.

The witch's arousal flooded Amara's senses, her strength growing steadily as she continued pleasuring Tessa. Still, the biggest payoff always came from orgasms, and Amara was very aware that Tessa had far more experience than her. "So, I've never done this before. With another woman, I mean. What do you like?"

"Fuck, that's right. I keep forgetting you were a virgin until like, last month." Amara slowly pushed a finger into her friend. "I-I tend to like penetration the most, though everything feels good. Once I'm warmed up I can be a real size queen too. Fuck, keep going..."

Amara continued pushing into Tessa, her finger slick from her friend's warm sex. She was watching carefully, trying to see how her friend's body responded to everything she was doing.

Hearing that Tessa liked penetration, Amara decided to push a second finger into her. Another loud moan filled her ears, and she felt Tessa's warm embrace squeeze her tight as she pushed deep. "So, are you just a size queen, or do you also like those toys with all the weird shapes and sizes?"

"Anything and everything! I've got a knotted dildo, one that's supposed to look like dragon dick, and a whole bunch more that I can't quite afford." Tessa spoke with an unnatural cadence, her words periodically stopping and starting as Amara continuing fucking her. "Nothing like your tail, though. Closest I could probably get is some kind of tentacle toy, but those don't normally flare at the tip."

After pushing a third finger into Tessa, Amara moved higher to steal another kiss. She flourished her tail, letting it tease Tessa's neck again as she spoke. "Well, what I'm hearing is... we have something we need to try?"

Tessa's aura pulsed again, betraying her excitement at the idea. "Unless that's weird! I don't want to make you uncomfortable!"

Amara leaned in for another kiss, cutting Tessa off while she pulled her fingers from her friend's pussy. "Tessa, just shut up and let me fuck you silly, okay?" She licked Tessa's juices off her fingers, the delightful taste pairing with another jolt of strength. She lit her fingers on fire to clean them off, then quickly burned away a few more vines holding down her friend's chest.

Finally able to straddle Tessa, Amara took her place while her tail moved down between her friend's legs. It circled Tessa's entrance, teasing her for a moment before slowly pushing inside. "How's it feel?"

"It's... I can't even describe it. It's just as warm as the rest of you, and the flared tip is like nothing I've-- Fffuck! Do that again!"

Amara twitched the end of her tail one more time. She loved watching Tessa try to talk while they fucked, and it was amusing that she could stop her train thought completely. She began slowly thrusting her tail in and out, and found she was getting used to the feeling of her tail being inside someone else. It wasn't directly pleasurable, but it was still exciting to know that Tessa had been so heavily fantasizing about her demonic attributes.

Tessa's moans grew louder, and Amara stopped trying to ask her questions. She knew her friend was close, and it was time to figure out what made her cum. She continued fucking her, slowly introducing new tricks and watching how Tessa's aura responded to them.

She continued flicking the end of her tail, exploring the inside of Tessa's pussy to see where her buttons were. Eventually, she started twisting, letting the ridges of her flared tip turn as she pushed in and out.

While this happened, she leaned in and continued to kiss Tessa. Her screams of pleasure were like music, and they only grew louder when Amara began biting her neck again. "I want you to fucking cum for me, Tessa. Cum like the horny little slut you are, cum on my tail!"

She continued to whisper into the witch's ear, demanding her orgasm, and soon the combined pleasure proved to be too much. A final, deafening scream echoed throughout the empty room as Tessa's orgasm started.

Amara kept fucking her, keeping the pace consistent to extend the orgasm as long as she could. A waterfall of sexual energy poured into her, practically overwhelming her senses as her own arousal grew in response. She reached for more vines, the ones holding Tessa's arms, and burned them away. While still nervous about the fire, she found that her control had increased exponentially now that she was properly fed.

Tessa kept cumming, her orgasm lasting longer than Amara had ever seen before. For the first time, she had to try and cut herself off from her feeding, as she was worried about taking in too much. She could feel her strength, her inner fire, eager for an outlet as it roared inside of her. It was unwieldy, and Amara knew just what she needed to try and tame it.

Amara slid off Tessa, desperately pulling off her own pants. She watched as her friend's orgasm started to fade, and moved in to straddle her face. "Time to return the favor!"

Tessa's arms, now free, moved to Amara's ass and pulled her close. Her tongue reached for Amara's clit, playing with it softly as she finally got a chance to explore Amara's body. Tessa's hands moved across her ass, her thighs, finally moving up to push her sports bra off. Her hands cupped her tits as they fell free, pinching her nipples eagerly.

Amara's moans filled the room, replacing Tessa's, and she reached down to run her fingers through her friend's hair. She realized immediately that her friend knew what she was doing, as everything she tried felt amazing.

Tessa reached underneath Amara, her fingers pushing inside her pussy as her tongue continued teasing her clit. Amara had grabbed Tessa's hair, and was thrusting her hips in time with the fingers eagerly fucking her. It barely took a minute before Amara was screaming out in pleasure, her body shaking from the orgasm her friend was giving her.

She felt fire shoot from her horns, filling the room with demonic light as her moans echoed off the many steel structures. Her tail wrapped around one of Tessa's legs, squeezing tight as her entire body tensed and released.

It took several minutes for her body to stop twitching, and her own orgasm to finally fade. Once it did, she shifted back slightly so she could look down at Tessa.

"I, uh... wow." Amara said, panting heavily.

"How's that for your first lesbian experience?"

"I think it's unfair of you to set the bar that high, honestly. What about you?"

"Let's just say my curiosity is thoroughly sated." Tessa smirked, licking her lips as her hands moved to pull her pants back up. "Can this... not be a one-time thing? Is that greedy to ask?"

Amara shifted once more, leaning to the side until she was no longer straddling Tessa's neck. "Not at all! I'm just glad I didn't embarrass myself, if I'm being honest." As she spoke, she quickly burned away the last few vines holding her friend down. She did one last check for any accidental burns, and was thrilled that she couldn't find any.

"Small tangent, but are you okay? Your horns, like, exploded when you came."

"I'm fine! My powers always do weird things when I cum. Like they're... recalibrating or something."

"Hey, as long as the fire stays away from me. Speaking of your horns, can I... touch them?" Amara nodded as she finished getting dressed. She leaned her head forward, and felt Tessa's hands run through her hair before finding her horns. She grabbed them tight, giving them a quick tug.

"Hey!" Amara said.

Tessa laughed before returning her hands to herself. "Sorry, just testing a theory. I know what I want to try next time!"

"So, we're back to openly perving on me again?"

"Old habits die hard, I guess." Tessa grabbed the rest of her things, pulling them free of some vines with Amara's help, before the two headed for the exit.

Chapter Text

"The blue or the red?"

"Are you serious? The blue!"

"You sure? I kinda like the pattern on the red."

"You have green eyes, Nick. When she's staring longingly into them, do you want her thinking of Christmas?"

"Alright, fair point. Blue it is."

Nick hung the red shirt back up, then pulled the door closed. He dressed himself in the mirror hanging on the back of his closet, making sure every detail was perfect. The dark blue button-down shirt went over a thin white tee, and he spent several minutes rolling up his sleeves just the way he liked.

"So, when do I get the full story about you and Tessa?" Nick asked.

"What, like a play by play of how we hooked up? Pervert." Amara laughed, sliding to the edge of Nick's bed. She was laying on her stomach, flipping through social media feeds as she helped him get ready.

"Please, I could get that from her if I wanted. Do you know how she told me that you two hooked up? She sent me a picture of the bite mark you left on her neck, saying 'Guess who I just did!'. I want to know how you feel about it, this is the first time you've slept with someone other than me."

"I dunno, maybe it's my succubus blood, but it all feels kinda normal. I needed to get her out, we're both into each other, it just made sense."

"What about your abilities? Do they feel any different?"

"Will you stop fussing about me? I'm a grown woman, and I can take care of myself. Maybe you should focus on, I don't know, your date with one of the hottest girls on campus?"

"Hey, I can be nervous about two things at once!" Nick protested.

"Look, I get it. This last month has been a lot, but I'm not the only person in your life. Today is about you, not me."

Nick sighed.

"I know, I know. It's just... it's weird right? How mundane this all feels? Like demon puberty is just a thing people do, no biggie."

"You want to complain that stuff isn't weirder? Are you trying to tempt fate?"

"I'm just nervous that we're missing something. Something waiting to bite us when our backs are turned."

Amara stood up, moving to Nick and hugging him tight. "Nick, I know you like being prepared, but that can't stop us from living our lives."

A moment passed, the two leaning on each other as Amara's words hung in the air. Nick paused, letting his thoughts wander as his friend tried to calm him down. It struck him that their dynamic had returned to normal, or at least close enough to what had been normal previously. With Amara more in control of her abilities, much of the initial confusion and terror has passed.

"I won't lie, it'll be nice to do something normal for a change." He finally said.

"Something? Or someone?" Amara said, smirking as she jumped back on the bed.

"That's not what I mean!"

"Uh huh, suuure. You think she's secretly a total animal in bed? Maybe she's got, like, a huge pain kink."

"Amara, I'm being serious. I don't want to sleep with her today."

"Well, does your libido know that?" Her eyes flared with recognition. "Your aura doth protest, m'lord."

"Hey, I'm used to sidestepping my body's craven desires. Before you turned all demonic, I was actually in a bit of a dry spell."

"It won't be distracting? Wondering what her body feels like? Picturing her hot breath tickling your neck as she inches further and further down?"

Nick couldn't help but notice that, halfway through speaking, Amara's voice had pitched up. When he turned back to the bed, Vee was staring back at him, a devilish smirk on her face.

"You're not helping, Amara. Quite the opposite, in fact."

"Oh c'mon, can you honestly say you're not curious?" Amara rolled onto her back, kicking her legs playfully in the air as she traced Vee's curves with her hands. "That you don't want to know what this body feels like?"

Nick swallowed nervously. He was telling the truth about his plans, but Amara's relentless teasing wasn't making that decision easy. He continued watching, aware that this wasn't Vee, but unable to look away from her objectively enticing body. "That's... not what I'm saying. What is the goal here? Make this date even more stressful for me?"

"Absolutely not! In fact, I know just the thing to get you ready." Amara slipped off the bed, onto the floor, and slowly crawled over to Nick. "Let me take the edge off. Your libido will be happy, letting you focus on the date. Plus, it'll get you to stop worrying about me and Tessa."

"An ulterior motive? How devilish of you!" Nick watched his friend move closer, licking her lips in anticipation. "Alright, fine, if you insist. On two conditions."

Amara sat up, now directly in front of Nick, her eyes reluctantly moving away from his bulging pants. "A foolish play, to bargain with a demon such as I! But fine, name your price, and perhaps I will take mercy!" Her hands traced up his legs, squeezing them as her eyes flared with excitement.

"I already showered, and I don't have time for another, so only oral. I'm not going on this date reeking of sex." He paused, waiting for Amara to nod before continuing. "Secondly, you turn back. I'm not doing anything while you look like her."

Without a second thought, Amara shifted back into herself. "Ha! You fell into my trap! That's exactly what I wanted you to say!"

Nick watched as the demon reached for his pants, unbuttoning them quickly before pulling them to the floor. He had already been struggling to keep his libido in check, and her teasing had pushed him over the edge. By the time his cock had been freed, it was already quite hard, and he couldn't help but moan when her eager hands wrapped around it.

Amara leaned in, her eyes bright, and kissed the tip of his cock, slowly teasing it with her tongue as she continued stroking him. She was definitely teasing him, mimicking what he'd done their last time together.

"Fuck, that feels good..." Nick muttered. His hips were already moving along with her hands, subtly asking for more as she stroked him.

After another kiss, Amara pushed forward, her tight lips pulling his cock inside her mouth. She moaned loudly, letting the vibration tickle his shaft as her tongue reached for more. After a deep breath, she began moving back and forth, sucking him off in earnest as his breath quickened.

A quick burst of embers suddenly appeared, and Nick watched as Amara's horns manifested again. He flinched in surprise, still not used to the fires of her transformation, but quickly saw that he was completely unharmed.

"Those for me, or for you?" Nick asked quietly.

Amara pulled off his cock, continuing to stroke him as they talked. "Well, a little of both, but mostly for you." With another kiss, she wrapped her tongue around his shaft and sucked him back into her mouth. As she did, she reached for his hands and moved them to her head, wrapping them around her horns.

"Someone's feeling feisty today... you sure about this?"

A soft pop filled the air as Amara pulled off his cock again. "Oh, I'm positive. Don't you want to take out some aggression? Get back at me for my relentless teasing?"

Nick tested his grip on her horns, and found they were much more comfortable to hold now that they were longer. "The thought might have crossed my mind. You sure you can handle it?"

Without saying anything, Amara dug her nails into Nick's hips. Her intent was obvious; She was trying to push him, and wanted him to stop asking questions. She did this frequently, it was her way of bullying him to be more decisive, though it had never been this sexually charged in the past. Knowing it was foolish to try and argue now, he figured he might as well enjoy one of his favorite fantasies.

Gripping tight, he pulled Amara back so just the tip of his cock rested on her lips. After a moment, he pushed her down, testing to see where her limits were. She gagged softly, and the sound fueled Nick's aggression.

He continued like this for another minute, slowly moving her up and down his shaft, pushing a little bit deeper every time. He let himself move faster, trusting that Amara would speak up if she were uncomfortable, and soon he had successfully lodged his entire cock in her throat. Her eyes were flaring with pride as he held her down, and he took care not to keep her there for long.

"Fuck!" She gasped, spit dripping down her chin, "That's more like it! Put this little demon in her place!"

Responding with only a smirk, he pulled her down again. Her throat opened easier now, and he decided to test how rough he could get. Redoubling his hold on her horns, he began fucking her face in earnest, watching as his entire shaft slid in and out of her mouth.

Nick's breathing grew more erratic as he started losing control, his orgasm only seconds away now. With a final thrust, Amara's head firmly planted against his crotch, he grunted loudly as he started cumming.

His cock twitched as it emptied itself, the demon's throat massaging it eagerly. He felt her swallowing every load of cum, the sensation unlike anything he had felt before. Another burst of flame filled the room, and soon her tail was wrapping around his leg, refusing to let him go. He knew from experience she was feeding on him in more ways than one, and was happy to let her decide when she had gotten her fill.

After barely a minute, Amara's tail relaxed. She had stopped swallowing, and Nick had long ago stopped cumming. She pulled back, happily wiping the spit off her chin.

"Mmm fuck! I didn't know you could get so aggressive!"

"Are you okay? I thought that's what you wanted and I--"

"Oh, shut up and enjoy the afterglow, this might be the last time you get to pound my throat like that!" Amara smirked as she stood up, running to the bathroom.

When she returned, she had a small washcloth. It was already damp with warm water, and she kneeled one last time to clean up Nick's dripping cock. He paused, taken aback at his friend's attentiveness. "Amara, I can clean up after myself, you really don't need to do this."

"I want to! Besides, like you said, you don't want your first date to reek of sex." Amara stood up, happily kissing Nick on the cheek as she finished. She paused briefly, her face betraying a hint of vulnerability. "Look, everything about this is weird, I get it, but I can take care of myself. I just want you to be happy. You and Vee will be really cute together."

"And... you'll be alright if we stop all this?" Nick gestured to his pants as he finished buttoning them.

"I'm in control of my shapeshifting now, remember? I don't have to worry about outing myself when I hook up with someone! Plus, Tessa's a total monster fucker and she'll happily keep me fed. It's time for this little demon to spread her wings."

Once Nick had cleaned himself up again, he checked his phone. After a few quick texts, he pocketed it and took a deep breath. "Well, that was Vee. Looks like it's time to head out!" He opened his arms, silently asking Amara for a hug, and she eagerly jumped in to accept.

"Also, you'd better appreciate how lucky you are. Vee is an absolute sweetheart, and if you hurt her, I'll never forgive you!"

The two friends laughed as they locked up Nick's apartment. After making plans for lunch the following day, with Amara eager to wait as little as possible for news about the date, they went their separate ways.

-

By the time Nick caught up with Vee, she was leaning against a brick wall near the entrance to the restaurant. A thickly knit sweater hugged her body, fending off the impending chill of autumn, and a simple pair of jeans framed her legs in a very flattering light. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and he swore her smile alone made his heart skip a beat.

"So, this is the place?" Nick asked.

"Yup! I've never been here myself, but I've always wanted to, and I'd say this is a pretty good excuse."

"As long as that's not the only reason I'm here, I'm more than happy to be a guinea pig with you!" Nick laughed as he let Vee lead the way. She held open the door for him, and soon enough they were sitting at their table.

The restaurant itself was nothing unique, essentially just a bar and grill, serving the usual American fare. They placed their order quickly before settling into a comfortable routine, catching up with each as they talked about classes. Nick felt it was strange, being on a first date with someone he'd already known for a while, and he wondered if Vee had the same butterflies in her stomach.

"So, full disclosure, but I'm a little nervous about today. I feel like we've been casual friends for a while now, and I'm not entirely sure how to switch over to dating." Nick said.

"I'm glad it's not just me!" Vee relaxed slightly, as if some invisible burden had just been lifted. "Like, obviously I want things to change so we're not just friends anymore, but also I don't want them to change too much, so where's the line?" She took another drink, then sighed. "Honestly, I'm just happy we agreed to take this slow. I don't need more unpredictability in my life right now."

"How are things with... you know who?" Nick asked, reaching across the table to grab Vee's wrist.

"They're... not good. I'm not going to jail, and he's not pursuing formal charges, likely because he has no proof, but he's still telling everyone that I'm at fault. I'm just trying to keep my head low, and avoid busy spots on campus when I can." Vee had picked this restaurant partially because it was off campus, and partially because it was a little pricier than other places nearby. Hopefully, the broke college masses would avoid this place in favor of something cheap and close.

Vee turned her arm, lacing her fingers between Nick's as she smiled at him. "But I'm not here to talk about that bullshit." She continued, "How are you? Amara still dealing with... what was it, family stuff?"

Nick smirked. He'd mentioned a few times that he was helping Amara through some vague problem, and he'd avoided saying anything other than nondescript family drama. "I think she's finally moved past the bulk of it. We had a few weeks of doing nothing but dealing with that, figuring things out, but recently things have mostly gone back to normal."

Well, as normal as they can be when your best friend is a succubus.

"That's good! I'm really happy she's moving past it. It might not be the same, but I understand the stress a family can bring."

"Oh? I don't think you've ever talked much about your family."

"I... try to keep quiet about it when I can." Vee mumbled.

"We can talk about something else, if you like. I don't mean to pry."

"No, I want to. Plus, if we're gonna be dating, we should learn to lean on each other, right?"

Nick caught himself blushing, giddy they were actually committing to starting something. "I'm all ears."

"My family is... well, it's complicated. This may sound a little silly, but because of who my parents are, there's a lot of pressure on me to live up to certain expectations. I try my best to stay on top of everything, but it can be exhausting at times."

"I don't think that's silly, tons of people have parents trying to push things on them. Are they like, public figures of some kind?"

"I guess you could say that. I'm also not entirely their kid, which can be a bit odd at times."

"You mean you're adopted? Or they used a donor?"

"...something like that. Let's just say I have a pretty confusing family tree."

Nick noticed that they seemed to be veering into uncomfortable territory, as Vee had pulled away from him. "We can leave it there, if you like. Just know that, whatever you're feeling, it's valid."

"Thanks Nick, I really appreciate it." Vee paused, her nose twitching as she looked around the restaurant. "Do you smell anything weird? Like, kinda foul?"

Nick paused, focusing on the smells around him as he joined her in looking. "I don't think so? Though, my sense of smell has never been the best."

"It's probably nothing... forget about it." Vee repositioned in her seat. "I'm glad Amara is doing better. What'd you guys end up doing?"

"Well, it was just a lot of very sudden changes all at once, and eventually she got used to the new normal. It's funny, at times she almost seems like a completely different person."

"I'm sure being sick in the middle of that wasn't helpful."

"Sick?" Nick paused, briefly forgetting that they'd told everyone she was sick when her wings first appeared. "Right, the week off. Yeah, that wasn't ideal. Still, it gave us more time together, right?"

Vee smiled, pushing some loose hair behind her ear. "That was definitely an upside, though it's a shame she had to lock herself away for a week for you to finally ask me out. I'll be sure to thank her the next time we hang out!"

"I think she'd appreciate that, it's weird how excited she is for us to get together."

"She's really something isn't she? Sometimes I see you two and wish I had a friend like that, someone who knows absolutely everything, and sticks around anyways."

With a questioning look, Nick tried to figure out if she was joking or not. Within moments, Vee's face broke into a smile, and his laughter joined hers. They quickly pushed away from each other as the food arrived, and the conversation veered into other topics.

They talked about classes, complaining about teachers and unfair deadlines. They talked about what might happen after college, what they hoped to do once they had their degrees and were out in the world. Nick found himself going on small tangents about his love of architecture, sharing his thoughts on various structures around campus.

Vee seemed quite interested in hearing him talk, though he couldn't help but grow self-conscious about taking up too much of the conversation. He periodically tried to ask her similar questions, about what she saw in her future, hoping to learn more about her.

The first time he tried, she only mumbled something vaguely about 'the family business'. Each time after that, she would happily share a quick thought or two, but always redirected the conversation back to him. Once he noticed this happening, he did his best to ask questions that she seemed more interested in answering.

He also noticed that, every few minutes, her nose would twitch and she would quickly look around the restaurant again. Though she never mentioned the smell again, it's obvious it was on her mind.

They had just about finished their meal when a small group of students approached the table. The one in front, a shorter girl with brown, braided hair, spoke up first.

"Wow, Vee, it's so crazy running into you here!"

"Yeah, Tania, what are the odds..." Vee shifted uncomfortably as she spoke, her voice quiet.

"So, this place serves arsonists now? I don't know if I feel safe eating here anymore." The group of students around her snickered.

Nick pushed his chair back, standing to face the group. "Hey, how about you leave us alone. It's hardly our fault Derek got drunk and decided to play with matches."

"Oh, we were just leaving. C'mon girls, let's eat somewhere a little safer tonight!"

Nick stood tall, watching Tania and her friends leave. Once they were out the door, he sighed heavily, then turned back to Vee. She was in the middle of standing up, her purse already hanging across her body.

"Vee, wait, they're not gonna bother us anymore."

"No, I knew this was a mistake." Her voice was shaking, a precarious mixture of rage and despair.

"You don't... mean me, do you?" Nick asked quietly.

"No, not that." Vee took a deep breath, seemingly pulling her nerves together. "Never you. I just meant...all this. Trying to have a normal life, thinking I could avoid... it's nothing. I'm getting out of here. Do yourself a favor, you'll have an easier time if we don't do this."

Vee pushed past him, her strength catching him off guard. He chased after her, tossing a credit card at a waiter, and caught up about half a block away.

"Vee, wait!" He said, grabbing her wrist. She paused, still facing forward. "I'm not here because it's easy, or convenient. I'm here because I like you, I want to be a part of your life. Everyone has baggage, that's why we lean on each other, right?"

Vee turned quickly, burying her head in Nick's shoulder. She was almost as tall as him, though her defeated posture made it easy to wrap his arms around her. He felt her shoulders twitch, her body fighting to hold back tears.

"There's so much I want to tell everyone, to tell you. Things are just so complicated, and I feel so alone..."

Nick paused, trying to find the right words. "Look, I get not wanting to share everything. Believe me, I've seen some crazy shit this year, but... I can still be a part of your life, I can make this easier for you."

Vee shifted, turning to look at Nick. They locked eyes, their faces now unexpectedly close, and she pushed forward.

When their lips met, a thousand thoughts raced through Nick's head. The intimacy was beautiful, it was everything he'd imagined, but he could feel the weight she carried. He pulled her in, inviting her to lean on him as he squeezed tight. Her perfume washed over him, filling his senses briefly before she pulled back.

Her nose twitched.

She froze, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at Nick. "No..."

"What's wrong?" Nick asked, trying to hold Vee tight.

She pushed harder, brushing his arms off as she stumbled backwards. A tear finally fell. "You... you too?"

"Vee, what do you--"

"Stay away! Leave me alone!" Vee turned again, breaking out into a sprint. For a split second, Nick thought about following, but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

-

After parting ways with Nick, Amara had met up with Chloé and Tessa for dinner. The girls idly gossiped about the date, wondering what their friends might be up to, and eventually switched to more mundane topics. Chloé took up most of the conversation, eagerly sharing updates on her school project, and Amara was happy that she could contribute simply by listening.

Her thoughts lingered on Nick, on his date with Vee. She honestly hoped it was going well, but knew that things could easily change moving forward. Without Nick, she'd need to find new ways to keep her demonic needs sated.

After her week without sex, when Nick had visited family, she'd been paying close attention to her libido. In hindsight, the discovery that sex was a literal need wasn't all that surprising, but at the time it had caught her off guard. On several occasions, she'd experimented with avoiding sex to test how it affected her, and had learned several important things.

Depending on how much she fed, she was able to go about two days without sex before the side effects kicked in. The most obvious effect was, unsurprisingly, being incredibly horny, but it was hardly the most annoying.

Without sex, her body started shutting down. Food gradually lost its flavor and wasn't as filling, while sleep quickly stopped being restful, if she could even manage to fall asleep. Her ability to read sexual auras intensified, becoming something that she couldn't turn off, and she found it increasingly difficult to ignore the urge to feed.

She never went long enough to test the more severe effects, but worried that her self-control might vanish if her needs went unattended for too long.

I don't think I can rely entirely on Tessa, she's got other partners, but maybe if I--

"--isn't that right, Amara?"

Amara shook back to her senses, looking around to see Chloé and Tessa staring at her. "Sorry, what was that last bit? I spaced for a second."

"I was telling Chloé that you and I were heading to the library after this, right?" Tessa said, obviously hinting at the correct answer.

"Oh, y-yeah." Amara mumbled, trying to pull herself together. "I've got some class stuff I need to catch up on, and after my week off, I'm trying to avoid staying home."

"Well, you two have fun with that! I've got plans, unfortunately, otherwise I'd love to join you." Chloé smiled, grabbing her stuff and getting ready to leave. "Tessa at the library, who would've thought..."

Amara stifled a laugh as Tessa glared at her, joining Chloé in picking up their things. After a few minutes, the girls said their goodbyes and parted ways.

"So, the library? When did this happen?" Amara asked.

"Well, for one, there might be a circle there. But even if there isn't, I want to see if I can find the schematics for some of the original buildings."

"Dang, that's a good idea. Looking for the hidden rooms?"

"That's the plan, but honestly I doubt I'll find anything. This feels like something they wouldn't want records of."

"Who do you think they are? The creators of the circles?"

"Eh, not sure I care. I want to know why they exist, not who made them."

By the time the girls made it to the library, the crowds had thinned out slightly. Most students preferred spending time there between classes, and Tessa had hoped that they might have the basement archives to themselves.

As they walked down the main stairs to the basement, Amara couldn't help but notice that her friend seemed nervous, and was looking behind them every few seconds.

"Hey, Tess, you doing alright? You're acting like we're being followed."

"I mean, I hope we aren't, but I'm worried. We just found proof that people are fucking with the circles, and in case you forgot, we made a bit of a mess under the cafeteria. Whoever these people are, they might know we're onto them."

"That's why you've got me, right?" Amara flashed a cocky grin, manifesting her tail as she tried to strike an intimidating pose. "Your own personal demon bodyguard!"

Tessa couldn't stop herself from laughing, "True, I feel a lot better with you here. Though, no offense, but have you ever actually been in a fight?"

"Well, no, but I did a bunch of sparring practice with Nick. I'm also hoping that, between my fire and my appearance, I can just scare people away before anything actually starts."

They made sure that the archives were empty before entering, Amara eager to keep her horns and her tail out. The two of them decided to start on opposite sides of the room then work towards each other, and had no illusions that this was going to be a fun experience.

The archives weren't the most organized space in the library, and often served as a place to put materials that the staff couldn't find space for. For every well-labeled filing cabinet filled with helpful information, there were at least two boxes filled with random paperwork. Some were filled with receipts, some were filled with old promotional materials, and everything seemed to be at least a few dozen years old.

Amara was almost impressed at how old everything smelled as she kept searching. She found a few drawers of old newspapers, several collections of out-of-date textbooks, even a few geological surveys. That last item seemed promising, given everything Tessa had told her about magical leylines, and she made a mental note to try and look through them some time.

"I think I've got something!" Tessa called out.

Amara, eager for something to break the monotony, rushed over to her friend. Tessa was already in the middle of moving stacks of paper out of the drawer, and soon continued talking.

"It looks like this whole drawer is old schematics, but I'm not entirely sure how they're organized. How about you take the back half, I'll take the front, and we'll start by looking for buildings where we've already confirmed circles."

"Can do, boss!" Amara was thrilled to have the scope of their work narrowed, and quickly got to work.

The two immediately realized they had found exactly what they were looking for. The drawer wasn't well organized, which was expected, but it seemed to contain a very thorough history of various building schematics for their campus. Frustratingly, the files seemed to have been organized differently at different times in the library's history; Some files were organized by year, others by building.

As they poured over all the yellowed papers, they soon came to one concerning conclusion; None of the files had the original schematics. They had found renovations, newer buildings, additions, but never the original plans for the original campus.

"Ugh, this has to be intentional, right?" Tessa groaned, tossing her head back.

"But intentional on whose part? The founders of the university? Or the people that are fucking with the circles?"

"There's no way to know." The witch groaned, throwing some papers to the ground in defeat. "We're back to square one, this is bullshit!"

"Hey, we're way past square one. We've already found multiple circles, you're learning how they work, and we've confirmed that someone is trying to weaken them. You did that almost entirely on your own!" Amara moved closer, wrapping her tail around Tessa and pulling her in for a hug.

"Y'know, it's hard to throw a pity party when you're being this compassionate and optimistic." Tessa leaned into Amara's shoulder, sighing heavily. "But yeah, I guess you're right..."

"Look, we've already been here for a while, how about we call it a night."

"What about the circle? We haven't even tried looking yet."

"If there's one down here, it's not going anywhere. You've pulled too many all-nighters looking for them, and you need to get some sleep. C'mon, up!"

Amara started putting all the papers back, and Tessa reluctantly joined in soon after. They finished relatively quickly, and it only took a few more minutes to clean up the other messes they'd made in searching the archives. The witch was still worried about being followed, and she was adamant they leave as little evidence as they could.

Amara hid her tail and horns before leaving the archives, then paused as they entered the hallway. "Hey, let's use the back staircase. If there's actually someone following us, it'll be less obvious if we leave that way."

"There's another staircase down here?" Tessa asked.

"Yup! Originally it was the only one, but the renovation added the bigger staircase by the front entrance. I have a friend that used to work here, she said the back stairs are mostly just for troublemakers now." Amara couldn't help but smirk as she spoke, remembering the last time she'd shown this to someone.

"Are you hiding something from me? Are you a troublemaker?" Tessa nudged her ribs, eager for gossip.

"I... may have brought Nick here once."

"Amara! You're such a slut!"

The girls laughed as they pushed into the old, decrepit staircase. Amara summoned a ball of flame so they could see, and they started climbing. "It was just the one time, right after we decided I was likely a succubus. I pulled him back here and--"

The instant Amara stepped onto the middle landing, a burst of light exploded from the ground. It was impossibly bright, blinding her even when she closed her eyes. The light lingered, bending in on itself before latching onto Amara. She screamed, falling to the floor as pain flooded her body, her limbs seizing uncontrollably. She felt Tessa's hands grab her, preventing her from falling down the stairs, but they did nothing to stop the pain.

The light vanished quickly, leaving Amara writhing in darkness while Tessa scrambled to get her phone out.

"Amara! Say something!" The witch cried.

Amara couldn't form words, her body was too preoccupied with its efforts to keep breathing. Every few seconds her muscles twitched of their own accord, the strange energy running circuits through her body.

"Fuckfuckfuck this is bad, this is really bad!"

"What... happened?" Amara whispered, managing to sit up slightly as the seizing stopped.

"Things just got a whole lot worse, I'm so sorry, we need to--"

"Cut the bullshit and fucking tell me!" Amara hissed. Another spasm hit, and she grabbed at Tessa to steady herself. Her fingers tensed, digging into her friend's pants as the magic attacked her. After another few seconds, the effects calmed down enough for Amara to come back to her senses.

She realized that Tessa was grabbing her wrist, trying and failing to pull it away. She was also staring at Amara, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fear. "Amara, what the fuck was that?"

"I-I... the magic, it--" She couldn't finish her sentence. When she pulled her hand off Tessa, she saw traces of blood on her nails. There were several small rips in her friend's pants, exactly where her fingers had been. Her eyes watered as she started speaking again. "Tessa! I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me!"

"Hey, look at me." Tessa spoke softly, her tone cautious but stern. "You still you?"

They locked eyes, Amara fighting the urge to reach for Tessa for comfort. "Still me. Promise."

The witch sighed heavily, tension leaving her body. "It might not be your fault. This trap, I'm pretty sure it was Enochian. It's... the language of the angels."

"Seriously? Please hope that doesn't mean what I think it means."

"It might not. I honestly don't even know if angels roam the earth anymore. Most mortals can't read, yet alone understand Enochian, but it's not unheard of. Every once in a while, supposedly, someone has enough holy juice in them to be able to speak it."

"So, what did it do to me? I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear, I don't even know what happened!"

"It was dark, so I couldn't see exactly, but... it felt like your nails grew? Just for a second, long enough to puncture my jeans."

Another shock, smaller this time, jolted Amara. "But you're... fuck... you're okay?"

"Just a scratch. Promise. I'll bet this is just the holy magic fucking with your body."

Amara crawled to a corner, leaning against the wall. She gestured to the landing around her before speaking again. "What do you think this was? They tryin' to kill me?"

"I wish I could say, but Enochian is a huge mystery." Tessa moved closer, pulling Amara into a hug before touching their foreheads together. They rested like that for a few minutes, Amara's breathing slowly returning to normal. "You're alive, though, so we avoided the worst."

Amara pulled out her phone, texting Nick an update while assuring him that she was safe. Cautiously leaning forward, she tried moving her body around to see if anything was still hurting.

"How's everything feeling?" Tessa asked.

"Surprisingly okay, which is a little concerning." As she tested various muscles, she remembered that she was still hiding her demonic aspects. "I'm gonna pull out my demon bits, back up a little?" The witch nodded, then moved to sit higher on the stairs. Amara moved further away from the wall, pulling her shirt off to prevent her wings from destroying it. After a deep, nervous breath, she tried to manifest her true form.

She immediately cried out in pain as another shock of energy surged through her. She saw flickers of white energy dance across her body like some kind of holy lightning, her muscles seizing once more as she doubled over from the shock. "Fucking... wow that hurts."

Tessa was immediately beside her, grabbing her shoulders to steady her. "I hate to say it, but I think I know what's happening here."

Still breathing heavily, Amara met her friend's gaze and nodded in agreement. She made sure to keep her hands to herself. "Are you thinking that all my demonic traits are being blocked? 'Cuz that's what it feels like."

The witch nodded, her face full of concern. "I wouldn't be surprised if the trap had a couple different effects. Obviously there's the magic blocking your demonic nature, but that initial blast of light seemed pretty intense. I wonder if it would have been able to banish a lesser demon altogether."

"I'm sorry, did you say banish?"

"Like, back to hell. That's normally what these religious fuckers want. Best case scenario, whoever's on campus isn't strong enough to do that. I'll bet you're magnitudes more powerful than like, a random imp or whatever."

Amara winced, another trace of holy energy sparking off her body. "That's... a terrifying thought."

"Can you stand? We need to get you home." Tessa pulled Amara up to her knees, then helped put her shirt back on. Though she was still fairly weak, walking felt comfortable, though she still leaned on Tessa occasionally.

Every few minutes, another jolt of pain shot through her. Tessa confirmed that, if someone were looking closely, they would definitely be able to see the strange flickers of light when it happened. The walk home felt impossibly long, Amara's paranoia reminding her of when her tail first appeared. She was scared of everyone they passed, nervous they might see the magic sparking, unsure who might be hunting her.

Her thoughts drifted back to the last time she'd left the library with Nick.

"I keep worrying about other students finding out, but maybe... we should be worried about bigger things?"

Sometimes she hated being right.

Chapter Text

Amara stumbled through her front door, her body weak from the trek home. Even with Tessa helping her walk, she could feel the lingering radiant energy sapping her strength. Its sting came in waves, and a particularly nasty shock ran through her system just as she collapsed on the couch. She gestured to her front door, silently asking Tessa to close it.

"Another one?" the witch asked.

Amara nodded silently, clutching her sides as she waited for this spasm to pass. She briefly lost track of time, and when the episode passed, Tessa was sitting next to her on the couch. She happily reached for the glass of water that had appeared nearby.

"Don't suppose you know how long this'll last?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not even a little. I know more about nuclear physics than I do about Enochian. Plus, y'know, never met a demon before."

Amara sighed. "Yeah yeah, I know... stupid angel bullshit. What have I even done? Defend myself against Derek? What gives them the right to hunt me down like some kind of animal?"

"Look, I hate to say this, but that's probably all you are to them."

Another few seconds passed as Amara shifted on the couch, sitting up completely. "I still don't know how they found me. Have they been after me my whole life? Just since I started turning?"

Tessa turned to face her, grabbing her hands and pulling her close. "I know this is frustrating, but there's no way to know. What if we focus on something else? Maybe we can try to find a way to fight whatever's going on right now? For all we know, it might not go away unless we do something."

"I'm open to ideas," Amara grumbled, "this sucks."

"Well, fighting back is normally easier if you're stronger, right? Do you think you can still... feed?" Tessa's voice grew quiet, almost as if she were embarrassed to ask.

"Is that a serious question? Or is someone feeling a little frisky?" Amara teased.

"I mean it! You get stronger by fucking, it's not a weird question!"

Amara laughed, still surprised at how flustered Tessa could get about sex when she wasn't the one in control. "No, it's a good question, and a good idea. Presumably, whoever's hunting me isn't going to stop, so I should learn how to recover from this."

Tessa blushed. "So, how should we--"

Without waiting for Tessa to finish, Amara leaned in and kissed her. They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the intimacy, before she pulled back and began speaking again. "My room?"

The witch nodded eagerly.

Amara had butterflies in her stomach as she walked Tessa back to her room. She had no idea why she was nervous, as they'd already fucked before, but something about this felt delightfully mundane. There were no magic circles, no vines, and she didn't even have her demon bits. It would just be two girls, alone in a bedroom, having a good time.

"So, my feeding. I'm drawing from your arousal, not mine, which means the more turned on you are, the better. The more open you are about what you like, and what you want, the easier this will be. I know you really like my demon bits, but... sadly those are out of the picture."

"Amara," Tessa started, "the horns, the tail, they're not the only reason I'm into you. Like I said last time, I thought you were crazy hot even before you turned."

Amara found herself blushing. "Well, all I'm saying is, what do you want to do?"

"I think... last time I got a lot of attention. I want to explore you and see what makes you tick. Have you got any toys?"

Amara nodded, reaching under her bed for her toy box. As she opened it, showing everything to Tessa, she realized she hadn't seen, let alone used, any of these toys since she discovered she was a succubus. Once upon a time, hardly a day went by without her playing with at least one of them. As she reminisced, it also occurred to her that she'd stopped watching porn. She had all these memories of her solo sex life, yet they seemed so foreign now, like they belonged to someone else.

"Oooh you've got plugs? I didn't know you were into butt stuff!"

"I never used those, actually. Bought them on a whim, but trying them on my own felt... I dunno, not worth it?"

"Would you want to give it a shot?"

Amara could see the excitement in Tessa's eyes, but also noticed the vibrant aura growing around her. "Let's do it! I can see your aura, so let's hope that's a good sign."

With the logistics out of the way, Tessa eagerly took the lead this time. She leaned in, kissing Amara slowly before pushing her onto her back. The witch straddled her, moaning softly as their bodies pushed against each other. Their lips met eagerly, over and over, while their hands explored each other's bodies.

Tessa brushed a hand against Amara's cheek, softly holding her before turning her head to the side. She leaned in, kissing her neck, biting the sensitive skin. Amara gasped, quietly moaning in pleasure as she felt Tessa smirking in satisfaction.

"Can you feed yet? Just a tiny bit, maybe that won't trip the magic."

"I-I can try. You saying you're horny enough?" Amara teased. She moved her hands to her own legs, worried about what happened back in the staircase, and cautiously reached for the witch's aura. Tessa seemed to be right; by playing it safe, the holy magic left her alone. She could still sense its presence, and felt like she was navigating around an electric fence, but she was able to form a connection.

The aura, and its energy, tasted delicious, but it came slowly. "Mmmm, that seems to be working," Amara said, "you can't feel anything, can you?"

Tessa shook her head. "Nothing. For all I know, you could be making it up to get laid." She pushed her hands under Amara's shirt, grabbing her waist and pulling her close as they repositioned their legs.

"Oh, woe is me! I'm afflicted with a terrible weakness! If only I had a hot, young nurse to tend to my every need!"

"That how you want to play this?" Tessa asked, smirking. She moved down, peppering Amara's neck with kisses before pulling her shirt off entirely. "I'm afraid I left my nurse costume at home, got any other fantasies?"

"Wait, do you actually have-- Fuck!" Amara couldn't finish her question as Tessa's teeth had found her midriff. She bit hard, just underneath her bra, leaving the demon to shriek in surprise. After the initial shock, Tessa lightened up, teasing and kissing her friend's stomach before reaching up to undo her bra.

Amara continued feeding, and while the process was frustratingly slow, she appreciated the extra energy. She couldn't help but notice that the magic shocks had stopped, and hoped that their plan was working.

She felt Tessa's mouth move further down, her lips teasing her stomach, then her hips. She would still bite, occasionally, but she always kept it tame. Amara loved the attention, the teasing, and had to fight to keep her feeding under control. Tessa's hands began undoing her pants, and soon after she saw the familiar glow of the witch's tattoos. She smirked as her jeans slowly pulled themselves off her body.

"That's a neat trick, I'll bet your partners love that..." Amara purred.

"They, uh, don't know I'm a witch."

"What! No way!"

"No one does, Amara. Well, no one used to. You and Nick were the first." With Amara's pants now on the floor, Tessa began tracing the inside of her legs.

"Well, either way, I'm glad you told me."

"It's... nice to be open about it. More than I would have guessed." Tessa bit the inside of Amara's exposed thigh, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Be careful, I'm really sensitive there!" Amara yelped, her legs twitching as the witch continued biting her. She squirmed, giggling as Tessa held her down, unable to deny that the torture felt amazing.

Eventually, Tessa took mercy on Amara and stopped her assault. She hooked her fingers into her panties, pulling them down before tossing them aside. Now fully on display, Amara reached down to play with Tessa's hair, then pulled her close so they could kiss again.

Their legs intertwined, both girls slowly grinding against each other as they kissed. Amara's hands explored her friend's body, eagerly pulling off her shirt, then her bra, so they wouldn't have anything between them. Finally, with Tessa completely topless, she leaned in to kiss her breasts, biting her nipples to return the earlier teasing. The witch moaned, her body twitching, her hands grabbing Amara's hair to keep her from pulling away.

After a minute, Tessa released her hold, pushing Amara back to the bed. "Alright, I'm done waiting, I want to fuck you!" She grabbed for the box of toys, pulling out two in particular, along with some lube. The first was a small bullet vibrator, the second was the smallest plug of the set.

"What do I need to know?" Amara asked, readjusting the pillow under her head.

"Just keep breathing and relax." Tessa squeezed some lube onto the toy, then moved it into position.

"Oh! That's cold!"

Tessa laughed. "Lube tends to do that. Here, use this vibrator, it'll make it easier to adjust to having something in your ass for the first time."

Amara nodded, taking the bullet and turning it on. She held it against her clit, letting out a moan as the vibrations began working their magic. As she settled in, she felt Tessa pushing the toy, its slender tip working into her ass. The smooth plastic felt odd, but not entirely unwelcome, and Amara did her best to keep breathing.

"How's it feel?" Tessa asked, slowly pushing the small tip in and out.

"It's... odd. Not really pleasurable, but I don't dislike it. You were right about the vibe, much more enjoyable this way."

Tessa moved a hand towards Amara's chest, massaging her breasts and pinching her nipples as she pushed the toy further in. Amara gasped, still adjusting to something being in her ass. The extra attention, from the vibe, from the pinching, did wonders. Were the only stimulation the anal play, she doubted she would be won over by it.

As the toy pushed in, bit by bit, Amara found herself growing used to the strange sensation. It still wasn't directly pleasurable, but the stretching made a fascinating addition to the vibes coursing through her clit. Once enough of the toy was inside, Tessa began properly fucking her with it, moving it back and forth slowly. The conical shape meant that each thrust pushed her ass a little further open. She wondered what anal would feel like with a real cock, knowing that most aren't shaped like cones, and decided it would be a very different experience altogether.

"The toy is almost all the way in, how are you feeling?" Tessa asked.

"I think... the stretching is actually kinda nice. I have a bigger one, right? That's the same shape?"

"You do! Want to step it up?"

Amara nodded, and while her eyes were still closed, focused on the vibrations and the toy, she could sense another pulse in her friend's aura. "I swear you're enjoying this as much as I am."

"I'm fucking a smoking hot chick in the ass. This is a dream come true." Tessa pulled the first toy out, set it on the nearby towel, and grabbed the bigger one. Soon it was covered in lube, and taking its place at Amara's tight entrance. "Aura reading still kinda freaks me out though."

"Oh yeah? Why's-- Oh fuck, that's interesting." Amara's thoughts were cut off by the bigger toy pushing into her. Even with Tessa taking it slow, the stretching was much more intense.

"Still comfy?"

"Yeah, it's just... new. Still getting used to it."

"I'll just tease you with the tip for a bit, let you get used to it. You tell me when you want more."

Amara nodded, repositioning the bullet vibe slightly. "So, aura reading is freaky? Why's that?"

"It's like you're reading my mind, you're seeing parts of me that no one has ever seen before. I know it's strictly a sexual thing, but it's still odd being so... visible."

Amara reached for Tessa, gently holding the side of her face. "Want me to talk about it less? I'd hate to make you uncomfortable."

Tessa laughed. "No, you're fine. Just getting used to my bestie being a sex demon, as you do. Ready for more?"

"Give it to me!" The witch pushed deeper, the plug stretching Amara open as she gasped. "Ohhh fuck that's big, keep it there for a sec." Amara whispered.

She felt Tessa hold the plug at its current depth, slightly rocking it back and forth to help her adjust. Amara turned up the intensity on the bullet, moaning loudly, her hips starting to rock with Tessa's movements. The plug still felt odd, but she was starting to see why people liked anal play. The stretching, the fullness, it paired amazingly well with the bullet, and she could feel hints of an orgasm approaching.

"Someone's enjoying herself," Tessa smirked, "have we got an aspiring little anal slut here?"

"Didn't... fuck... take you for a dirty talker, Tess." Amara groaned, her body twitching. The vibrations were coursing through her, desperately reaching for an orgasm, and she was eager to surrender it. She felt Tessa's hand return to her breasts, pinching her nipples hard before moving further down. The witch grabbed her waist, holding her tight before starting to properly fuck her with the toy.

Amara gasped louder, feeling the toy work in and out of her tight asshole. She started thrusting harder, bucking her hips to try and take more of the plug into her ass. She maxed out the intensity of the bullet vibe, eager for her first anal orgasm. Tessa's nails began digging in, and Amara finally lost control.

She screamed out, body convulsing with pleasure. Her legs grabbed Tessa, pulling her close as wave after wave of orgasmic bliss cascaded through her. She felt the witch's hands grab her waist tight before the feeling of teeth on her nipples returned.

Amara grabbed Tessa's hair, holding her down as she continued biting. The added sensation was incredible, pushing her orgasm to new heights as it continued long past anything she'd ever felt before. She held tight, Tessa's hands moving to her breasts and squeezing them while her tongue explored her nipples.

They stayed locked in that position for minutes, Amara squirming and moaning, before her orgasm finally faded, her body completely spent from the process. "Fucking... wow... Tessa, that was incredible!" She whispered between labored breaths.

The witch looked up at her, releasing her grip on Amara's waist. "Oh, you're definitely an anal slut now."

"If that's what an anal orgasm feels like, then you're absolutely right." Amara pushed herself up on her elbows, running her hands through Tessa's hair. "Wait, how are you holding me? Wasn't one hand holding the toy?"

"Oh, you bottomed out a while ago. You were fucking back so eagerly that it slipped in."

Surprised, Amara moved her hand between her legs. Sure enough, the butt plug was completely inside of her. "That's crazy! No wonder I came so hard..."

Tessa crawled closer, eagerly kissing her again. Laying down on Amara's chest, the witch wrapped her hands around her torso and began relaxing. Their breathing slowed, slowly synching as they reveled in a post orgasmic stupor.

"Wait!" Amara said, "You didn't cum yet!"

"Oh, believe me, I've had more than enough fun." Tessa reached up, playing with Amara's hair while they talked. "Plus, I don't want to risk you feeding too much and triggering more holy magic spasms. How's that feeling by the way?"

"I mean, I didn't have any attacks while we were fucking, but otherwise it's hard to say." She sighed, matching Tessa's gaze, "I should probably check, but that requires leaving bed..."

"Just get it over with! I'm not going anywhere." Tessa pulled back, and she was now free to sit up. Before sliding off the bed, she cautiously pulled the buttplug out, working it slowly to avoid any painful surprises. When it finally popped out, she tossed it on a nearby towel, and moved to the middle of the room.

Standing tall, she stretched her arms above her head, feeling her back crack in a few places. Closing her eyes, Amara connected with her inner fire, which was much stronger after her recent feeding. She tried to pull it forward, ever so slightly, trying to manifest a tiny flame in her palm.

The holy magic fought back, restraining her magic and zapping her for her efforts. This time, however, the shock felt manageable, perhaps even surmountable. She could feel her own fire straining against the Enochian, eager to break free, and she felt confident enough to try. With a deep breath, she pulled more fire out, igniting her hands further. The shocks continued, and she winced, but knew she could keep pushing.

"Tessa, back up." Amara said, her body tense. After making sure her friend had moved away, she summoned all her energy and tried to manifest her demonic aspects. The magic fought back, its vicious sting desperate to punish her, but she knew she could beat it.

Her body warmed rapidly. While she couldn't feel the heat directly, her awareness of her abilities told her that heat was pouring out of her body at an impressive rate. Her fire grew, eager to break free, and she directed it to her wings, her horns, her tail. Holy magic attacked her, running circuits through her body as it fought. Finally, when her flames were at their hottest, she found the breaking point of the Enochian.

With one final push, she felt her true form return, her entire body cloaked in flames. Her eyes shot open, watching as the blinding light of the holy magic left her body, fading into nothing while she stood triumphant in its wake.

"Ha! I'm back!" Amara yelled. She flexed her tail, pulling it close to examine it, before doing the same with her wings. Nothing seemed out of place, and she did one final spin before turning to face Tessa again. "How do I look?" she asked, seductively stepping closer to her friend.

"Fuck, Amara, that was... really fucking hot. In every sense." Tessa's naked body was glistening, drenched with sweat that definitely hadn't come from the fucking.

"Shit, are you okay? I may have lost track of how much heat I was pumping out."

"I'm fine! Just a little surprised, I guess. It was practically a sauna for a minute, I'm glad nothing caught on fire. Although..." Tessa crawled to the edge of the bed, "it looks like the carpet and the ceiling got a little singed."

Amara groaned as she saw what Tessa meant. A vague circle of discoloration was burned into the carpet, and the paint on the ceiling seemed to have warped slightly. When she moved, she also saw two distinct shapes where her feet had been during the transformation. "Ugh, this poor landlord." She paused briefly, "Think insurance will cover this as an Act of God?"

It was Tessa's turn to groan as she fell back on the bed. "Amara, that was terrible, you're above that."

"I'm a demon! I'm above nothing!" She wrapped her tail around Tessa's ankle, pulling her close before jumping on the bed with her.

"No! Let me go, foul beast!" Tessa screamed. The girls wrestled for a moment before their laughter overtook them. When Amara finally collapsed next to her friend, their lips met once more before Tessa spoke again. "So, at the risk of killing the mood, I desperately need a shower."

"You should definitely do that before I do. I'm pretty sure I drain the entire building's hot water supply every time I'm in there." Amara finally sat up, grabbing a spare towel for Tessa.

"It's a shame you can't just, like, heat your own water."

"Right? Like, I love that I can summon fire but damn I wish it were more useful."

As Tessa showered, Amara happily played with her tail as she examined her body in her full-length mirror. At first she was looking for any possible damage, but soon her gaze turned from one of caution to admiration. She was happy to have her body back, to an extent that surprised her.

When Tessa finally left the shower, she found Amara laying down, lazily drawing shapes in the air with her flames. They switched places, and soon Amara was back to cursing her building's water heater.

-

Vee quickly tapped the door with her knuckles, then went back to nervously fiddling with the straps on her backpack. She looked up and down the hall, scared she might find someone watching her, and cursed herself under her breath. She had thought about placing tracking runes around the dorms, but in the excitement for her date, she hadn't gotten around to it yet.

Maybe I deserve this. I let my focus slip, I tried to give myself a sliver of a normal life, and now Nick is wrapped up in all this.

When Amara finally opened the door, Vee jumped forward, wrapping her arms tight around her friend. "I didn't know where else to go..." She mumbled into her friend's shirt.

Amara returned the hug, closing the door quickly. "Hey, is everything alright? I heard the date was... not the best time."

What do I say? Do I tell her about Nick, that he might be lost?

No.

I need to stay focused; I can't allow myself to get distracted. There's so much more at stake than just one person.

Vee took a deep breath, then pulled away from the hug. "It wasn't that bad, I just... I had to leave."

Amara grabbed her hands, holding them tight as she walked them both to the couch. Vee couldn't help but notice how warm Amara was, how nice it felt. "I know about the assholes at dinner, but is there something else? Something other than this mess with Derek?"

Vee set her backpack down, then joined Amara on the couch. "I guess you could say that. I've... got a lot going on right now, more than you know."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. Talk to me, Vee."

"I wish I could, Amara, I really do, but I can't. Things are just so complicated, and I'm being pulled in so many different directions. When I was out with Nick, something clicked and... and I realized I can't do this right now."

Without saying anything, Amara pulled Vee in for another hug. She was so warm, so relaxing, Vee had to fight the temptation to fall asleep in her arms, to try and escape her life. Unfortunately, she knew that her problems followed her into her dreams, and there was only one way out of this prison.

"This may sound a little random, but has Nick been seeing anyone recently?"

"Like, dating? No, just you, it's all he can talk about."

"He hasn't hooked up with anyone at a party recently? Maybe within the last month or so?"

Amara paused, shifting uncomfortably in her seat before speaking. "N-nothing like that. He actually just told me he's been in a bit of a dry spell recently. Vee, what's really going on here?"

I wish I could tell you, Amara. You're such a great friend, I can see how worried you are, but there's nothing you can do to help me. If you haven't noticed anything different about Nick, then the Succubus must be doing something else. Maybe she's in his dreams?

Vee sighed, giving up her train of thought. She leaned against Amara, her friend's warmth washing over her. "It might be nothing, I don't know. I... I feel like I'm falling apart, Amara." Vee's body twitched slightly, tears threatening to form.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'm sorry things didn't work out with Nick, but that doesn't mean you have to give up. We've still got each other, right?"

The girls stayed quiet for a few minutes, holding each other. Despite her best efforts, Vee felt tears falling down her cheeks, and eventually she pulled back to avoid rubbing her tear-stained face on her friend.

"Do you still keep tissues in your bag?" Amara asked, holding Vee's face and brushing a tear away.

Vee nodded, sniffling as she curled into herself.

Amara zipped open her bag, reaching in to start digging around. Before she could get started, however, Vee heard a small shock, and watched as Amara flinched, pulling her hand back quickly. "Shit!"

"What's wrong?"

"Just a little shock! It's been pretty dry recently, I should actually get some lotion real quick." Amara jumped up, hurriedly walking to the bathroom. As she got up, her phone fell from her pocket.

That was odd. Why was she in such a rush?

Shrugging, Vee pulled her bag closer to look for the tissues herself. When she looked inside, however, she froze.

No.

She'd forgotten to take out her Enochian Texts.

No no no no.

The holy book was glowing, its magic recently activated.

That's not... that doesn't make any sense, how would she—

Her breathing quickened, her pulse racing as she started looking around the apartment.

She saw Amara's phone, its case blackened and warped. In the corner of the kitchen sat a fire extinguisher, clearly recently used. The walls were covered in scratches, and several portraits lay broken on the floor.

My nightmares started the night of the party. The party that Amara left early.

With Nick.

Vee heard the water in the bathroom running, she likely didn't have much more time alone. She zipped up her bag, her panicked thoughts racing, and she prayed she was wrong. As she tried to calm her breathing, she realized that her senses were no longer enhanced. In fact, they'd been mundane every time she'd visited Amara.

She swallowed nervously, starting the prayer to enhance them once again.

Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong...

Divine energy flowed into her body, amplifying her senses, and Vee was immediately overwhelmed.

Amara's apartment reeked of sulfur.

She broke the spell, unable to withstand the overwhelming stench. The door to the bathroom opened, and Vee watched Amara walk back to the couch.

I can't let her know. I have to get out.

"Ah, much better." Amara paused, studying her face. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I... have to go." Vee stood, her body tense as she grabbed her backpack. She moved quickly to the door, fighting every urge to sprint from the building.

"Wait, what? Please, just talk to me!" Amara tried to catch up but paused in the doorway.

Vee was halfway down the hall when she stopped. The sun had already started setting, its absence covering the halls in shadows. When she turned back to look at Amara, she saw only a darkened silhouette, a vague suggestion of a person. Their eyes met, but Vee no longer saw the comforting gaze of a friend.

She only saw the glowing, amber eyes of a demon.

Chapter Text

“—and then she just said ‘I have to go’ and ran off!”

“That's… almost exactly what happened on our date. She didn't say anything else?”

“Nothing!” Amara collapsed onto her couch, her tail grabbing the water bottle from the floor. “I've been texting her, and I asked Tessa and Chloé to do the same, but no one has heard anything. I'm really worried, Nick.”

Nick sighed. “I know, I am too, I just don't know what else we can do. If she's not willing to let us help, what are our options?”

“Can’t we just… I dunno, get everyone to corner her?”

“An intervention? That’s… certainly dramatic.” Nick paused, likely thinking about the logistics. “Maybe it's worth thinking about. If everyone is at the party tomorrow, we can ask what they think?”

“The party’s tomorrow?! Shut up!”

“Shockingly, yes, the Halloween party is on Halloween.”

“I still don’t have a costume!” Amara groaned, grabbing a pillow and pulling it close. “And how am I supposed to focus on partying when I’m so worried about Vee?” She smashed the pillow against her face, letting out a scream of frustration.

After a few moments, Nick finally spoke up again. “Y’know, someone told me once that I can’t let my worries stop me from living my life.”

“Yeah? Well, whoever that person is, I bet she hates having her words turned against her. Hypothetically. But also, she sounds super fucking hot.”

“Eh, maybe like a seven. Seven and a half if you’re into brunettes.”

Amara grabbed the pillow with her tail and chucked it at Nick. “Oh, shut up! I’m at least an eight and you know it!”

Nick caught the pillow easily, tossing it back on the couch before sitting next to her. “Look, I’m not gonna keep quoting you, but you made a lot of good points before my date. Life keeps going, whether you want it to or not.” He paused, placing a hand on Amara’s tail. She looked over at him, the facade of indignancy breaking as their eyes met. “We’ll check with Chloé and Tessa tomorrow, see if they’re on board, and then try to talk with Vee next week.”

“No, you’re right, that… sounds like a good plan.” Amara finally sat up, her tail curling around Nick’s waist as they talked. “I still feel bad I haven’t tried to fix things with Derek yet. I promised her I would, and I thought I might be able to use my powers to do something, but I’ve been so busy with Tessa and… ugh.”

They leaned against each other briefly, letting the silence hang in the air, before Nick spoke up again.

“You know what might cheer you up? I had a feeling you’d forget about your costume, so I threw something together for you.”

“Seriously? This isn’t just, like, a weird fetish thing, is it?”

“I would never!” Nick stood up and moved to the kitchen, grabbing his backpack off a chair. As he opened it, he continued speaking, his voice slightly quieter. “I was just… thinking back to when this all started. When you first got your tail, your horns, and you were so nervous about staying hidden. What if, to celebrate this new you, you just… went as yourself? No more hiding?”

“Nick, I say this with nothing but respect for you, but that sounds like a terrible idea.”

“Just hear me out!” Nick cleared a space on the counter. “It’s Halloween, so everyone is already primed to assume that everything is a costume. All we have to do is give them enough reasons to believe you’re wearing one!”

“I’m… still skeptical, but alright, keep talking.”

After dumping out his backpack on the counter, Nick started walking through his plan. He had craft glue for her horns, to make them look fake, and contacts that she could pretend were glowing instead of her eyes.

He also had a large black belt, lined with thick pockets. The pockets were filled with random pieces of circuitry and wiring, and a large hole had been cut out of the back for her tail. Ideally, he explained, it would look like she'd simply bought a really fancy tech tail from a costume company.

The last item was legitimately a cheap costume piece; a pair of plastic succubus wings, probably from the pop-up Halloween store down the street.

“Is this where the money ran out?” Amara asked, smirking.

“No, this is the most important piece! If the wings are this cheap, it'll make everything else look fake too. Plus, let's face it, your wings are way too big to have out at the party.”

“They are pretty fucking massive…” Amara mumbled, looking over the disparate costume pieces. “You really think this will work?”

Nick moved closer, pulling her in for a hug before speaking. “I think you deserve a night to be proud of who you are. If that's not now, then when is it?”

Amara buried her face in Nick’s chest, mulling over his words in her head. She thought about the last month, realizing that his words rang true; she’d been incredibly nervous every single day, worried someone might find out. The constant cramps from tucking her tail in her sweaters, the frustration of locking herself away for a week when her wings appeared, and never being able to take her beanies off. A lot of that stress had faded once she figured out shapeshifting, but after falling in love with her demonic aspects, it got frustrating hiding them away constantly.

Am I proud of being a demon? Do I want to brag about it to the whole school?

The instant she asked the question, the answer was obvious. The thought of everyone seeing her real form, fawning over her horns and her tail, it sounded amazing. Whatever being a demon meant, if it meant anything, she didn’t care. For now, she was proud of who she was. Nick was absolutely right, why should she deny herself this chance?

“Alright. Let’s do it!”

“Great! Want to try some of it on? Get ready for tomorrow?”

“Actually, I think I have a better idea.” Amara smirked, her tail snaking around Nick’s torso again, pulling him close. Their lips met as she ran her fingers through his hair, savoring the intimacy as she felt his aura start to stir. “I don’t know if we’ll have time to fuck before the party tomorrow, so I need as much energy as I can get before then!”

Nick responded by running his hands down her back, grabbing her ass and pulling her close before leaning in to kiss her neck. “One of these days I’ll get used to you saying that.”

“Aww is it still weird that you’re fucking your best friend?” Amara teased, turning around. She pulled him with as she moved to the couch, then pushed him down.

“Hey, I’m not complaining, it’s just… I never thought this would be us.”

“Nick, if you don’t stop talking, I’m calling Tessa over here to fuck my ass again and making you watch.” Amara started getting undressed, tossing her clothes aside. “Unless you’re into that, in which case I’ll make you sit outside.”

“Tessa did what? I didn’t know you were into that!”

“Don’t get your hopes up, buster, it’s still new, so you’re not getting that today. Now what did I say about talking?”

Nodding, Nick closed his mouth and started pulling his own clothes off. He’d only managed to get his shirt off before Amara climbed on his lap and pinned him to the couch. Their lips met again, their kissing more intense as their excitement grew. Amara had noticed an instant surge in Nick’s aura at the mention of anal, and she knew she would need to get more practice in so she could try it with him soon.

He reached behind her, undoing her bra and freeing her breasts. Once out, she sat up straighter, encouraging him to lean in and taste them. His hands ran up her waist, holding her tits up before kissing them, his tongue running over her nipples. Her fingers continued playing with his hair, holding him down as he started biting.

“Fuuuck just like that, you know what I like…” She whispered, eager for more.

He sucked on her nipples, switching between them before pulling them into his mouth and biting them again, harder. She could tell he was growing more bold, he had never bitten her like this before.

She squeezed hard with her thighs, grinding against him as she felt the bulge in his pants grow. His breathing quickened, matching hers as they started pleasuring themselves against each other. Their lips met again, then their tongues, as Amara ran her hands down Nick’s stomach, eagerly reaching for his pants. She undid them slowly, then hooked her tail in his waistband and pulled them off.

With Nick now almost naked, she reached into his boxers and readjusted his cock, angling it up so they could keep grinding against each other. She moved closer, pushing their bodies together, eager to feel as much of him against her as she could. She could feel her pussy soaking through her panties as she pushed against Nick’s cock. He was incredibly hard, clearly ready for more, but she knew from experience that she’d be able to feed more if she prolonged the experience.

His hands, which had been busy massaging her ass, began traveling up her back. He dug his nails in, scratching deep from her shoulders to her waist, causing another loud moan to fill the apartment. After another pass, he reached even higher and grabbed her hair, pulling at it to expose her neck.

He’d only managed a few teasing bites when he finally spoke up. “I want more, Amara…”

She giggled, leaning in and whispering into his ear. “Thought you’d never ask!” She quickly repositioned enough to pull her panties off, helping Nick to shed his last article as well. When she climbed back on top of him, there was nothing between them anymore.

His hands tried to move to her waist, but she met them with her own and pinned his arms over his head. “I’m in charge today, mister.” She whispered.

Her tail holding his cock in position, she teased the tip with the folds of her pussy, moving as slowly as she could. His hips bucked, trying to push inside, but she managed to stay one step ahead of him. As his desperation grew, so too did his aura, and she finally reached out to start feeding on him.

Now that they were connected, she sank down, his cock disappearing inside her. His moans echoed in her ears, their faces still next to each other. He tried again to move his hands, putting in more effort this time, and Amara found she was still able to overpower him. She held him still, taking the chance to lean in and bite his neck in retribution. As she did, her tail moved higher, curling around his arms to help hold him in place.

“Do you like the struggle?” she asked, slowly riding Nick. His cock pushed deep into her, scratching that most persistent itch. “I hope you’re not holding back just for my amusement!”

Their eyes met, Nick eager to call her bluff, and she felt his arms begin to strain. His muscular physique tensed, pushing hard to try and break free of her hold, but he couldn’t move his hands away from where she was pinning them. “That’s… surprisingly hot, Amara. I think you’re finally stronger than me.” He whispered, his hips still matching her movements.

“Oooh that’s an exciting thought…” Amara said, picking up the pace. Her hips bounced higher, almost pulling away entirely before sinking down again. The control felt amazing, it was practically addictive, and she wanted more. She manifested her wings, a shower of embers washing over her as they appeared.

She hooked her feet under Nick’s legs, adjusting her tail so it was wrapped around his torso rather than his arms. With a powerful thrust of her wings, she briefly lifted both of them up, her pussy pushing hard against Nick as they fell back to the couch. A wicked smile crossed her face, and she locked eyes with Nick to make sure he was still enjoying himself. His look, and his aura, clearly indicated he was having the time of his life, so she tried again.

Another heavy push, and the two of them were thrown off the couch again. She knew she couldn’t attempt to fly inside, but the added thrust made the sex so much more enjoyable. She was reveling in her control, fascinated by her own strength as she began fucking Nick faster. Her wings matched the pace of their frenzied fuck as they both drew inevitably closer to their climaxes, moaning louder and louder with each thrust.

“Fuck… cum for me Nick, give me what I want!” She moaned, her body twitching as she continued riding him.

“Amara, I—” Nick was unable to finish his thought, his words cut off by the sudden overwhelming pleasure coursing through his body. His orgasm overtook him, his hips bucking into Amara as he came hard.

Amara, still connected to his aura, felt every ounce of his pleasure pour into her, empowering her, expanding her awareness again. Its intoxicating scent filled her senses, and she began cumming as well, her pussy eagerly gripping Nick’s cock. The two stayed like this, twitching and moaning against each other, as Amara continued pulling more and more energy from Nick’s orgasm.

Her wings, no longer pulling them up off the couch, tensed along with the rest of her. They arched high, extending to their full length as an unexpected surge of energy caused them to ignite. She moved her tail off of Nick, worried it might do the same, but the flames seemed content to stick to her wings this time.

Eventually, their orgasms passed, and the two friends began catching their breath. Amara pulled back the fire from her wings, extinguishing them quickly. Once finished, she leaned in and kissed Nick again, her smile frozen on her face.

“Fuck, that was absolutely delicious!” She whispered.

Nick was unable to respond, his chest still heaving as he leaned his head back on the couch. He stayed there for another few moments before mustering the strength to speak. “That was… fuck, Amara. I’ve had plenty of sex, but it’s really something else with you. Are you okay? Is the apartment okay? That was a hell of a lot of fire.”

She took another look around, and other than some minor discoloration, everything seemed to be in order. “I think we’re all good! Plus, even if something catches, I practiced putting out fire when I freed Tessa from those vines.” She let herself collapse on Nick, closing her eyes as she listened to him breathe. They stayed like that for another few minutes, both slowly relaxing as they recovered from their fuck.

It was Nick that pointed out how sweaty they both were. Amara from the fucking, and Nick from the inferno that erupted from her. Eventually, they had to get off each other, and the only question left was who got to shower first.

·

The roof of Amara’s apartment complex was flat, covered in gravel, with its only notable features being a couple of air conditioning units and the door to the stairwell. One corner of the roof extended higher than the rest, solely to house the entrance, and it was on top of that highest point that Amara now sat, closer to the center of the roof than the actual edge.

One leg dangled off the edge, the other rested atop it. She leaned against her raised knee, burying her chin in the crook of her arm. She felt a heavy breeze dance across the roof, ruffling her hair and passing over her horns. She sensed the air pressure, felt it change, and understood its temperature just as intimately as she did her own body’s. She unzipped her hoodie, let it slide down until it was resting on her waist and her elbows, and manifested her wings. Angling them towards the wind, she closed her eyes, and imagined she was flying.

The sun had set hours ago. Nick had originally been over for dinner, but they’d spent quite a bit of time catching up, among other things.

Quiet footsteps echoed from the staircase, and the door pushed open.

“Amara? Where are you? I got your text.” Nick said, looking around.

“Up here.” Amara said. She didn’t know if Nick had a way up, and she moved her tail closer, gesturing for him to grab it.

“You really should have put those away, what if I’d been someone else?” he said, grabbing her tail. She wrapped it tight around his wrist and pulled him up to join her.

“I could smell you.”

“Ah. I always forget you can do that.”

“Mmhm.”

Nick settled in, his legs hanging over the door, and he took a deep breath. “It’s nice up here.”

“I’ve been coming here a lot lately. It’s pretty high, and it’s the only place I can feel the wind on my wings.” Amara sighed. “I like watching the clouds. I think about flying up to them, then I wonder how high I’d need to climb before nobody could see me anymore. High enough where I could just… be. Just riding the wind, not a care in the world.”

“You’re awfully… contemplative tonight. What’s on your mind?”

She didn’t respond. Her eyes were fixed on the sky, tracing shapes in the clouds. They both sat there for a while, the minutes passing in silence as her wings shifted with the wind.

Her tail curled around her raised knee, and she squeezed herself tight. Another deep breath, another sigh.

“Am I… different?” Amara finally asked, eyes still locked on the sky.

Nick looked at her, his eyes moving from her tail, to her horns, to her wings. “Is that a trick question?”

“I’m not talking about all this,” she said, gesturing to her various demonic limbs. “I mean… me. As a person.”

Another breeze passed across the roof, the rustling of nearby leaves filling the silence while Nick thought about his answer. “You seem… brighter. Like there’s more of you than there used to be, if that makes sense.”

“Honestly, it kind of does.” She paused before speaking again. Her words came slowly, carefully, as if she were scared of saying the wrong thing. “Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about… before all of this. Back when I thought I was just a regular college student, with nothing to worry about other than homework, or losing my virginity.”

Amara smiled, wiping her nose on her sleeve before continuing. “If you’d asked me then if I was happy, I would have said yes. Without hesitation. But when I think back, when I put myself in those shoes again, I feel like I knew something was off.”

“Off?”

“Just… different, somehow. It’s hard to explain.”

“Give it a shot. I’m not going anywhere.”

“It’s… ugh, I’m terrible at this. Like, pretend everyone is a puzzle. You spend your life trying to put together the pieces, to figure out who you are, and eventually you see the picture. Everyone else? They’ve finished their puzzle, but not me. They clearly know who they are, so am I doing something wrong? Maybe I just haven’t figured out where all the pieces go yet. Maybe they’re all faking it, and everyone feels the same way I do.”

The wind died down slightly, and Amara tucked her wings behind her again.

“And then suddenly, WHAM. It turns out there’s a missing piece, it’s been in the box the whole time. I had no idea it was there; it didn’t make sense to look when everyone else had all their pieces from the beginning, but suddenly everything makes sense. The piece clicks into place, and I see… myself.”

“But that’s a good thing, right? You’re happier now?”

“Well, like you said, it’s like there’s more of me. I feel more connected with myself than I’ve ever felt before. When this whole demon puberty thing started, I sometimes worried that I might lose myself, turn into something I don’t recognize. But recently, I’ve been worrying about the opposite; that I’ll be myself the whole time, but blind to how much I’m actually changing because it feels so natural.”

“What changed?”

“…I’ve been getting angry recently. I’ve snapped at people more in this last month than I have my whole life. And then, after I stepped into that weird angel trap, I… I hurt Tessa.”

“What did you say?”

“Well, I yelled at her, but that’s not what I meant. I actually hurt her, my fingers became like, claws, and I drew blood. I didn’t even know they could do that!”

“But it was an accident, right? I’m sure she understands, and believe me, I would know if she were angry with you.”

Amara sighed in frustration, falling back on the rooftop behind her and splaying out her wings. “Ugh, I know, it’s just… my mind has been all over the place recently. And now I’ve got this great costume that you threw together, and you’re telling me to be proud of what I am, which made me wonder if I even should be proud of all this, and—”

Nick interrupted her, placing a hand on her leg. “Hey, I’ve said this before, but you’re a good person. If you really were changing into something else, something evil, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You wouldn’t be thinking twice about accidentally hurting someone. That’s more than enough proof for me.”

She leaned forward, her wings propping her up, before looking at Nick. “Have I thanked you yet? For everything?”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for.”

“No, I’m being serious. Your best friend turns into a demon, and you barely even flinch. You’ve been here every step of the way, every weird change, helping me make sense of it all. I might never have figured out I was a succubus, or realized that my tail can be helpful, and now it’s like my favorite thing about me. You had a thousand chances to bail, and you didn’t. So… y’know, thanks. I really appreciate it.”

Amara finally sat up all the way, moving next to Nick and wrapping a wing around him. Then leaned against each other, looking out over the campus, the occasional car horn or train whistle peppering the soundscape.

“You want to hear something funny?” Amara asked.

Nick looked at her, waiting for her to start.

“So, I mentioned that my anger’s been a little… unpredictable recently, but honestly all my emotions have been like that, to a lesser degree. The other night I had a dream, and it wasn’t even that weird. There was this dog, and he got separated from his best friend, and he was trying really hard to get back to her. Anyways, that’s when I woke up, and for some reason, I was devastated. I bawled my eyes out for like, 10 minutes.”

“Because… the dog couldn’t find his friend?”

“It’s ridiculous! I felt so silly afterwards, but in the moment, it was just the saddest fucking thing I’d ever seen!”

After a moment of stunned silence, Nick’s composure finally broke. He started laughing, harder and harder, until tears ran down his face. His arms clutched his ribs, and Amara wrapped her tail around his shoulders just to make sure he didn’t fall. Eventually, his laughter infected her, and they both fell backwards on the roof while they waited for the fit to end.

It was several minutes before Nick finally managed to speak again. “Wow, I needed that. I’ll be sure to warn you if that Sarah McLachlan commercial ever starts playing.”

“Ha ha, very funny Nicholas.” Amara said dryly. “By the way, what’s your costume for tomorrow?”

“I’ve got an old Beetlejuice suit that still fits, probably just going to do that. I, uh… didn’t have the money for anything new after I threw that belt together for you.”

“I knew it! You did run out of money!” Amara said, jokingly punching Nick’s arm.

“I don’t really care, to be honest, Halloween is just another party. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love seeing everyone get creative with their costumes, but I guess it’s just not that big a deal to me.”

“You mean you love seeing how slutty all the girls dress?”

“Your words, not mine.” Nick paused for a moment before speaking again. “Speaking of slutty, what are you wearing tomorrow? I hope it’s more than just that belt and a smile.”

“Psh, you wish. I’ve got a few bodysuits that might be cute, and a whole bunch of tights and shoes to sort through. I was thinking of pulling those out tomorrow, unless you want to watch me try them on now?” She winked at Nick, always happy to fluster him.

“I haven’t got any plans, so sure!” Nick planted his hands on the ledge and pushed forward, effortlessly catching himself as he turned back to Amara. “Want any help down?”

Rolling her eyes, Amara stood up and jumped. Her wings caught the air, and she landed on the other side of the roof, dozens of feet past where Nick had landed. She took her time walking back to him, de-manifesting her wings before opening the door with her tail.

“Showoff.”

“Nerd.”

Chapter Text

"Okay, I think I'm happy with my eyeshadow." Chloé said, "But it's always the eyeliner that throws me off. What do you all do?"

"Want me to do it for you?" Vee asked, rolling out her brush kit.

"No! I need to learn to do it myself!"

"Well, I'm about to do Amara's, how about you come watch."

"Ooh I like that!" Chloé moved in front of Amara. "I just never know where to start. Outside? Inside? How big should the wings be?"

Amara watched as Vee moved closer, kneeling in front of her on the bed. "Don't make me look too slutty, alright Vee?"

"If you don't want to be a slut, then why are you going to a party?" Tessa said from the other side of the room. It sounded like she was digging through a bag, but Amara couldn't turn to look with Vee holding her face still.

"I just want to get out! Dance with my friends! And sure, maybe if I meet a cute guy, I'll give him my number or something."

"What about a cute girl?" Chloé asked, giggling along with Vee.

"That would be great too! I just... I dunno, I haven't felt like dating recently."

"Hey," Vee whispered, "less talking, more holding still. Chloé needs to see what I'm doing."

Amara closed her mouth, giving Vee a snarky look, but they both smiled after a moment.

"So, I like to start from the outside. Keep your eyes open, since that's what most people will see, and make a little dot where you want the wing to end." Vee pushed the eyeliner closer, making a small dot on Amara's face. "From here, it's almost like coloring within the lines. Move from the dot to the corner of your eye, then swoop over the eyelid."

Amara closed her eyes for the second part, Vee holding her cheek while drawing the rest of her eyeliner. Her hands were cool to the touch, and she appreciated the help; she was a nervous wreck, and really wanted tonight to go well.

"All done!" Vee said.

"How do I look?"

"Just the perfect amount of slutty and sexy. You're gonna have everyone tripping over themselves to try and dance with you." Vee smirked as she slid off the bed, joining Chloé back on the floor as they finished their own looks for the night.

Amara felt her phone vibrate, and pulled it out of her bra as she stood up.

Nick: 8 PM right? Your place?

Moving to her mirror, Amara finally saw what her makeup looked like. It was much more dramatic than usual, her day-to-day look normally rather understated. The eyeliner was heavy, the eyeshadow bold, and it took a while to get used to. She broke from the reflection for a moment to text Nick back.

Amara: Yup! You gotta see what the girls did with me, I barely even recognize myself!

She tossed her phone on the bed, looking back in the mirror. She smoothed out her dress, turning to look at herself from different angles, but her eyes kept drifting back to her face. She almost thought she saw something wrong, but every detail on her face was immaculate. Maybe something was missing?

She kept staring at her reflection, wondering what she was looking for. She adjusted her hair, cleaned her earrings, but nothing she did made a difference. The girl in the mirror kept looking back, and Amara felt like she was staring at a completely different person.

"Did Vee fuck up your makeup? Or are you just appreciating how hot you are?" Tessa's words startled her, as she was much closer than expected. "Cuz, damn girl, if you want to change your mind about the party, we can just head back to my place now."

Amara's face turned bright red, "Tessa!"

"Tess, leave the poor girl alone, she's nervous enough without you trying to jump in her panties." Vee said, pushing Tessa out of the way. "Amara, ignore her. She's just trying to get a rise out of you."

Tessa stuck out her tongue at Vee, and seemed about to say something, but got cut off by Chloé.

"Um, how'd I do?" She was now standing, and had moved closer to the rest of the girls. Her eyeliner was finished, and Amara was genuinely impressed by it.

"Chloé, it looks amazing! I don't know why you were so worried!"

"Well I just... don't have a lot of practice..."

Amara pulled Chloé in for a hug, then moved so they could both look in the mirror. Chloé smiled wide seeing herself, and her joy was infectious. Soon, Tessa and Vee had crowded in as well, everyone looking at themselves eagerly.

"Well, ready for your first college party?" Vee asked.

"Let's do it!" Amara said, smiling. In truth, she was just happy to be with her friends tonight.

·

Amara pulled her second boot on, the top of it resting just beneath her knee, and zipped it closed. This pair was one of her favorites; all black, slightly ruffled, with a thicker heel that was quite comfortable to walk in. Standing up, she looked at herself in the mirror, letting her eyes take in the final outfit.

Black fishnet leggings emerged from her boots, showing off her shapely legs. They soon vanished into her bodysuit, a single piece of faux leather that sat high on her hips. Her cleavage was on full display underneath the lacing on the front, which was pulled tight so as to not come undone at the party. Two small straps traveled from the top of the bodysuit to her neck, where they met a simple black collar.

The back of the outfit was practically non-existent. Quite a bit of her ass was visible, and she felt like she was wearing an exceptionally revealing swimsuit. Her entire back was exposed, save for a single strap that held everything together.

The belt had been fitted over the bodysuit, and she was happy that it didn't seem to chafe her tail. The fake succubi wings were strapped to her shoulders, the contacts were comfortable, and they'd successfully drizzled fancy glue around the base of her horns. As skeptical as she'd been, she could no longer deny that Nick had put together something ingenious.

She turned to him, her tail twitching with excitement. "Maybe I should drape my tail over my arm? Then I don't have to worry about people stepping on it."

"I could see that working. I was thinking either that or wrap it around a leg."

"I think I'll just hold it, that feels easier." Amara moved her tail to the crook of her arm, draping it like a fancy scarf before letting it fall limp. "Still wish I could have my wings out, but that would be such a bad idea..."

"I know it's not ideal, but you still look fantastic without them." Nick jumped off the bed, standing briefly in front of the mirror to adjust his black and white striped suit. "How about me? Looking good?"

"You look great! I still think you should have let me do some face paint."

"Eh, I just really don't want stuff on my face. I've got the green wig though, isn't that good enough?"

"Hey, if you're fine settling for good enough, that's on you." Amara turned back to the mirror, smiling as she admired herself. "I could never, and thankfully I don't have to. I look fucking amazing!" She checked her phone, noticed she had just gotten a text, and got the rest of her things together. "Alright, time to head out! Tessa and Chloé are here!"

They left the apartment, Amara taking a moment to lock up, then headed for the entrance. She paused at the front door to the building, looking at her friends outside.

Chloé's never seen me like this before, but if anyone were to notice, it would be her, right? She's always drawing, I've seen her sketch me before, what if she sees right through the costume? Can I tell her? No, idiot, Tessa warned you about that. Just go outside, be confident, sell the outfit. Remember, tonight you're not Amara the Human, you're Amara the Succubus. Not that there's any difference, but they don't know that.

She felt Nick grab her shoulder, giving her a knowing look. "Hey, you ready? It's not too late to turn back."

"No. I want this. I'm... I'm ready." She moved her tail to her arm, let it go limp, and left the building.

Walking down the sidewalk, Amara took a moment to admire her friend's costumes. Chloé was wearing a simple long white dress that ended around her shins, showing off her comfortable brown boots. A short sleeved, red leather jacket covered most of her upper body, though it hung open to reveal the dress underneath. Her hair had been braided, and a bright pink ribbon had been clipped to the base of the braid.

Tessa's outfit was much less elegant, and Amara was hesitant to even call it a proper costume. She wore her usual black combat boots, with intricate stockings covering her legs. An incredibly short skirt left little to the imagination, and a frilly black bra was doing its best to put her cleavage front and center. She'd done nothing with her hair, save for a black hairband that held a tiny, off-center witch's hat.

The two girls seemed to be bickering about their outfits as Amara moved closer.

"Look, all I'm saying is that guys want to see skin, but you're covering most of it!"

"Tessa, not all of us are here to get laid. Maybe I just want an excuse to go out in a fun costume!" Chloé protested.

"Yeah, Tessa, there's more to life than sex." Amara said mockingly.

Tessa turned to face her. "Oh, that's rich coming from yo-- holy shit Amara, you really... went all out, didn't you?" As she talked, Tessa nervously looked at their other friend.

Chloé's eyes were wide, darting between all the pieces of Amara's so-called costume. After a few seconds, she finally spoke up. "Wow! Amara, you look incredible! Are you... a tiefling?"

"What? No, I'm a succubus, what's a tiefling?"

"Ohh that makes sense. I'm used to succubi having thinner tails, but this one looks so real! Where did you get it?"

Amara looked at Nick nervously, "I, uh, Nick actually took care of that."

"Gotcha, I'll bug you for the link later, okay?" Chloé said to Nick. She immediately jumped into a lengthy explanation about what tieflings were, and Amara gathered they must be from one of her games.

They took off for the party, which required them to walk across most of the campus. Chloé's rant about tieflings soon gave way to general gossip, with Tessa still trying to push her into showing off more skin. Amara, on the other hand, had little to say. She kept glancing around, curious if other people were looking at her. Whenever she did catch someone staring, she realized that most people were much more eager to see the revealing outfit than her tail.

After passing the first few groups, Amara's nervous energy vanished. She began walking with more purpose, thrilled that she could just be herself tonight. She looked up at the sky again, remembering last night's talk with Nick.

He was absolutely right. I should be proud of myself.

·

To name a building The Jade Palace is a bold choice. Such a dignified name might instill visions of grandeur, perhaps a maze of lordly halls decorated with emerald tapestries, or a series of regal chambers designed to host exalted dignitaries. To the students of Aurelius University, such a description couldn't be farther from the truth.

The building in question was, in reality, a run-down manor that had long ago been converted into a frat house. The more prestigious fraternities had buildings on campus, which came with additional pressure to keep a clean, wholesome appearance. This meant that, while parties were sometimes hosted at such residences, they could never be as raucous as most students would prefer.

In contrast, The Jade Palace was off campus, and belonged to a less notable fraternity. The entire building had been retrofitted to serve as the perfect party house. The main floor had several rooms dedicated to hosting, providing space for everyone to mingle, along with a pool table that frequently hosted drinking games. A large breakfast bar had been added to the kitchen, though breakfast would be the strangest thing to order there. A nearby tip jar ensured that the Palace always had a well-stocked liquor cabinet, and students were eager to contribute.

The centerpiece of the house was originally a large living room, with a vaulted ceiling and visible second story loft. The towering walls of this room had been painted bright green, and served as the namesake for the University's most notorious party house.

For students eager to let loose, the massive basement had been equipped with an impressive sound system, along with a series of lights that could be changed to fit the mood, or even synched with the music. A second bar in the back corner made sure the crowds stayed tipsy, and it wasn't uncommon for other substances to be readily available as well.

The second story of the Palace held four bedrooms, along with the loft. Very few members of the fraternity actually lived here, and the rooms contained incredibly few personal effects, as everyone understood what they were meant for.

By the time Amara and her friends arrived, the party was already in full swing. Before they even reached the main entrance, she already had dozens of people complimenting her outfit, stunned at how realistic everything looked. While it was obvious that most of them, mainly the men, were more interested in how revealing her clothes were, it was clear that her "costume" was drawing a lot of attention.

Amara had never felt more alive. While her first party had been a little awkward, and mostly spent with her friends, tonight she found herself invigorated by how many new people she was meeting. The attention was intoxicating, and she got used to answering all the questions people had about her various accessories.

Initially, she'd been nervous to let people feel them, but as the night went on, she carefully let more people touch her horns, hold her tail, all of them marveling at how lifelike they were. On several occasions, the crowds cleared a space so she could let her tail down and walk, showing off how "ingenious" and "reactive" the technology in the tail was. She stressed that she'd spent good money on it, but always refused to say where.

She noticed a few strange things after the first couple of hours. Firstly, she noticed just how delicate her demonic senses had become. Over the last few weeks, in her attempts to stay inconspicuous, she'd tried her best to keep her eyes from glowing. Even then, she had still gotten quite skilled at reading people's auras. Now, as she needed to sell the illusion that she was wearing glowing contacts, she kept her eyes fully engaged, and realized that her senses had expanded far beyond what she'd previously known.

In addition to her usual talents, she had increased insight as to where people were directing their attention. Previously, auras only seemed to mix once people had fucked, but now she saw infinitely more subtleties. Two people might lock eyes across the room, and their auras would slightly shift to similar tones. She even began to see what she assumed were shades of her own aura, solely due to these strange reflections.

Secondly, no matter how much she drank, she never felt drunk. She was no stranger to alcohol, but due to the chaos of her transformation, she simply hadn't gotten around to it recently.

That feeling of material intoxication, while she did miss it, had been replaced with something far more delicious. The auras of everyone around her were so strong that she was actually able to feed in small quantities. Every person she playfully kissed, every eager partner that she danced with, and dozens of random other students that she simply walked past, every one of them fed her appetite.

She was in the middle of talking with a particularly attractive cheerleader when something caught her eye. Above her, looking down from the loft, was a beautiful woman with curly, medium length blonde hair. A short, pure white skirt accentuated her gorgeous legs, and matched the elegant white wrap that hung just off her shoulders. Her torso was covered in some kind of leather armor, and a gold circlet rested atop her head, its filigreed leaves interwoven with her hair.

Vee!

Quickly excusing herself from her conversation, she ran up the stairs as quickly as the crowds would allow. Within minutes, she'd found Vee, who was now leaning against the back corner of the loft.

"Vee, I didn't know you were coming tonight!"

"I guess we're all full of surprises, aren't we?" she said softly.

Amara was unsure what to say after their last conversation, stammering slightly before managing to speak. "You, um, look amazing, by the way. Are you, like, a valkyrie?"

Vee walked past her, towards a nearby bedroom. "Something like that, yeah." Opening the door, Amara looked inside and saw the room was empty, save for the bed in the back corner. Vee gestured for her to go inside, and she eagerly accepted.

"Well, I'm a succubus!" Amara said, showing off her tail as she walked into the bedroom.

"Oh, I know." Vee said, her voice unusually monotone. She closed the door behind them, the noise of the party muffled by the barrier. As Amara turned to face her, eager to ask if things were better, she instead watched as Vee planted her hands on her shoulders and shoved hard.

Stumbling backwards, a flash of light filled her vision, and she collided with the wall behind her. At least, she thought it was a wall, but it felt softer than it should have. When she opened her eyes, she saw she was standing near the edge of a bright, glowing circle, and ethereal walls looped around her, trapping her inside. She watched as Vee locked the door, then started circling Amara, keeping a healthy distance between them.

"Vee, what is... are you a witch too?" Amara asked.

"You can drop the act, Hellspawn. We're alone."

"Vee, I don't know what--" Amara took a step forward, reaching out for Vee, but before she could take another, her friend snapped her fingers. A terrible blinding light erupted from the circle, and a painful shock ran through her body, one that was all too familiar. She fell to her knees, now in the middle of the room, clutching her ribs in pain.

"Do you think I'm stupid? That I'll just keep falling for your lies?"

Another shock coursed through her body, followed by a horrid realization. "This magic... the Enochian, that was you?"

"Stop fucking lying to me!" Vee screamed. She stepped closer, striking Amara across the face. Amara gasped, shocked at how angry Vee was. Their eyes met briefly, but she was forced to close hers when another burst of light appeared. She braced for a shock, but none came, and she instead saw that a glimmering sword had appeared in Vee's hand.

Before she had time to react, Vee drove the tip of the sword into her hip. Amara screamed as Vee quickly slashed upwards, slicing through her belt. It fell to the ground, her tail now completely exposed, and soon Vee did the same with her fake wings. The energy from the sword was almost unbearable, its burn noticeable even when it wasn't touching her.

Amara fell to her hands and knees, gasping as she tried to recover from the stinging cuts. "Vee, please, why are you doing this?"

"You want to keep pretending? Fine, I'll humor you." Amara felt the radiant sting of Vee's sword under her chin, raising her face until the two girls locked eyes. "I'm a fucking Angel. But you've known that for a while, haven't you, Hellspawn?"

Vee's eyes were filled with unbridled rage, on a scale Amara had never seen before.

She keeps calling me Hellspawn... Maybe she's just like Brandon! He thought I was a demon pretending to be someone I wasn't!

"This isn't what it looks like, Vee. Put the sword down, let me explain."

"So you can fill my head with more lies? Tch." Vee turned away, the sword leaving Amara's neck. Kneeling on the floor, she pulled a massive book out from under the bed, one that thrummed with the same radiant energy the sword did.

I just have to convince her I'm still me.

"Okay, yes, I'm a demon, I know how that sounds. But I'm still Amara! Other than a couple of new limbs, I'm still me!"

Vee pivoted quickly, glaring at Amara. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?! I know you are! This would be so much easier if you'd been replaced, or possessed, but no matter how I look at this, I can tell it's you!"

"Then why are you doing this? We're friends!"

"Do friends impersonate each other? Frame each other for assault? I came to you, scared and confused, cried on your shoulder, and you lied to my face!"

"I-I didn't know what--"

"After my date, I ask you about Nick, and more lies! How long has he been your thrall? Since the party?"

"He's not a thrall! I don't even know what that is!"

Vee paused, her intense glare unyielding. "Even now, with everything out in the open, you don't even respect me enough to speak the truth." Her voice started shaking, and Amara swore she saw her eyes start to water. "I'm done with your lies. I'm finishing this."

Opening the book in front of her, Vee turned to a specific page and started speaking. The words that came from her mouth were objectively beautiful, it almost sounded like she was singing, but to Amara they were accompanied by a piercing shrill inside her head.

"Vee, w-what are you doing?" Amara asked, voice shaking with fear, her hands trying to block out the noise.

"You're a demon. Demons belong in Hell."

Banishment.

After everything she'd learned about herself, after all the effort she'd put into learning to control her abilities, Amara was once again trapped in a circle, opposite someone who only saw her as a monster. Nothing she said mattered, and now her friend was trying to cast her into Hell.

Why does this keep happening?

The Enochian grew louder, and Amara began to see sigils light up around the circle. She had no idea how much time she had left, and she knew nothing about how to stop this.

I can't go to Hell. There has to be something I can do!

Amara clenched her teeth, focusing on the radiant energy binding her to the circle. The magic continued to assault her, attempting to hold her down, but she reached deep and tried to connect with her inner fire. As she grabbed hold, its heat spreading through her, she felt something else, something primal. A deep-seated anger began to spread, more intense than anything she'd ever felt before, and her instincts told her it was time to fight back.

I broke through this magic before. I can do it again.

She held her hands out in front of her, willing the flames to manifest. The Enochian magic continued to attack her, but the more she pushed, the closer she got to finding its limits. Her hands ignited, the purple flames casting a sickly glow on her face. She looked at Vee, and could tell she was already starting to sweat.

MORE.

She needed her true form, wanted it desperately. Her wings were still locked away, and she reached for them. Another series of shocks, another piercing sound as Vee continued chanting, but Amara pushed through it. She pooled all her strength together, everything she'd siphoned from the party guests, and bucked against the holy restraints. With one final scream, she shattered the magic of the Enochian circle, feeling her wings appear once more.

·

Vee watched as the demon held out its hands, trying to focus its energy. She had no idea how strong it had become, and she hadn't gleaned any helpful information from their conversation. She hoped her circle would buy her enough time to finish the banishment spell.

In only a matter of seconds, she felt the heat in the room grow exponentially, and then the demon's hands caught fire. The flames were extraordinarily hot, and had an unnatural purple tinge to them.

How is it breaking through the Enochian? It shouldn't be that strong!

Vee began speaking louder, willing the magic of the book to hold the demon down as long as possible, but she could sense it was only a matter of time before it broke free. She was only seconds away from finishing the ritual when the entire circle shattered, the demon's wings appearing in a burst of flame.

The magic shock that emanated from the broken circle threw Vee backwards, colliding with the far wall of the bedroom. Her book fell from her hands, but thankfully she managed to keep hold of her sword. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

The demon looked at her, its features twisting in the light of its unholy hellfire. Its horns seemed even longer now, the whites of its eyes had turned completely black, and its fingers had elongated into incredibly sharp claws. Its wings were gigantic, far bigger than Vee had expected, and they cut off her path to the bedroom door. Most dangerous of all was the hellfire; it enveloped the demon's horns, poured from its eyes, and embers would periodically travel down the demon's wings or tail.

Change of plans. Kill the demon if possible, escape if not.

Thankfully, Vee had come prepared for a fight, even if she'd done everything in her power to avoid it. Bright lights started flashing, the fire alarm having been triggered by the intense heat, and within seconds water began pouring from the sprinkler system. The demon screamed, its unholy voice stinging Vee's ears as she took the opportunity to attack. The element of surprise was on her side; it was clear the demon hadn't expected the sprinklers to be loaded with holy water, and its flames were already weaker in its presence.

Vee aimed her sword at the demon's chest, hoping to end this quickly, but its speed caught her off guard. The sword missed its mark, piercing the demon's shoulder as the radiant energy started hissing. In combination with the holy water, she could tell the demon was in rough shape, but she knew she didn't have much time before the holy water ran out.

Pulling the sword free, Vee tried to focus on weakening the demon as much as possible. She had the clear advantage, the demon was moving much slower than she was, and she threw everything she had at it.

Moving quickly, her sword sang through the air as she landed strike after strike. She did her best to push the demon into a corner, but it continually managed to sidestep her as it parried her blows. The demon clearly had no fighting experience, and was using its arms to block her sword when dodging was impossible. After a series of successful cuts, however, Vee noticed the demon start to change.

Its claws and the back of its wrists began to calcify, growing a black, bony material that matched its horns. With this new change, the demon was able to meet her sword strikes with its fists, deflecting her attacks.

While the hellfire was still held at bay by the holy water, the two now seemed to be on somewhat even footing. They danced around each other, trading hits as each tried to gain advantage over the other. Vee was unquestionably the superior fighter, but she had no practice fighting against a demon like this. Every time she thought she'd gained the upper hand, the demon's tail or wings would knock her off balance. She had no idea what to do against an opponent that had three extra limbs to fight with.

After a brutal couple minutes of fighting, Vee could sense that the holy water had just expired. With the tide of the fight about to change dramatically, she managed to push the demon away, and tried to run for the door.

With surprising speed, the demon lunged forward, tackling her from behind, sending them both crashing through the door and into the second story hallway. After they both staggered to their feet, it let out a roar, another burst of flames erupting from its body, and then realized that its hellfire was no longer being stunted. Its hands ignited once more, and it leaped forward.

Vee managed to narrowly dodge the attack, jumping towards the loft. She pulled out a bottle of holy water, sliced the top off, and threw it at the demon to try and disorient it. The water hit its mark, and bought her enough time to move closer and grab the demon's face, letting loose a powerful blast of light.

The demon screamed in pain, and Vee took a moment to look around. The building had been evacuated, thankfully, but she immediately noticed that it had started to catch fire. Without a reserve of holy water, the sprinklers simply couldn't handle the overwhelming heat of the demon's infernal flames. As much as she wanted to help, she knew this might be her last chance to escape.

Running for the edge of the loft, Vee jumped over the railing, landing softly on the first floor below. She stumbled, briefly, and realized she was likely more hurt than she realized, but she was thankful the demon hadn't gotten any truly devastating hits in.

She ran for the back entrance, and was only a few steps away when it erupted in hellfire. Looking behind her, Vee saw the demon standing on the loft, where it kicked the railing to the floor. Soon the other entrance caught fire as well, and Vee realized she was completely trapped.

The demon jumped from the loft, landing in front of Vee as the two stared at each other. They were both panting, covered in sweat, and while the demon had sustained more injuries, Vee could tell its wounds were already starting to mend.

For several moments, they both stared at each other, neither speaking as they slowly circled around the room. Vee was hesitant to make the first move, already scared at how much she'd underestimated the demon, but she knew time was not on her side now that the house was burning down. She reached into her belt, pulling out a small bag, and the demon finally lunged at her.

She jumped out of the way, spilling the contents of the bag on the floor as she did. A heavy line of salt followed her, and she extended it as long as she could before turning to face the demon, who had just charged again.

When it crossed the line of salt, Vee saw it flinch with pain and took her chance to attack. Brandishing her sword, she managed to catch the demon's waist, her sword hissing as the holy energy worked its magic. She'd been so focused on her successful strike, however, that she failed to see the demon's tail lash out. It grabbed her ankle, knocking her off balance before throwing her against a nearby wall.

Vee screamed out as she collided with the wall, her vision briefly blurring as she fell to the ground. Thankfully, due to the line of salt it had just crossed, the demon was too disoriented to capitalize on her moment of weakness.

Her supplies dwindling, Vee grabbed her last item from her belt, a small rosary, and wrapped it around her offhand. She rose to her feet, moving close to the line of salt, hoping it would continue to act as a deterrent to a direct attack. She whispered another prayer, empowering the rosary, and prepared to continue. The heat was starting to get to her, and she could feel her stamina fading fast.

The demon lunged again, ignoring the effects of the salt line. Its speed, unfortunately, had not dwindled since the fighting began, and it managed to catch Vee off guard.

She fell backwards, the demon on top of her, as she managed to land a punch on its jaw. The magic on the rosary detonated, its holy light stinging the demon, but it wasn't enough. She tried to follow it up with another strike from her sword, but the demon grabbed the blade, stopping it dead. With a flick of its wrist, it threw the sword across the room.

The demon's tail snaked around her offhand, and her other hand was soon pinned as well. The demon clenched its free hand, its bone-covered knuckles striking Vee's brow with a sickening crack. Her head hit the ground, disoriented, as another strike met her chin, cutting into her lip.

She looked up at the demon, barely able to see as her damaged eye started to swell. She was trapped, completely pinned beneath the demon's body, and she had no more energy left in her to keep fighting.

This is it? This is how I die?

The demon grinned, its black horns wreathed in hellfire. She felt its terrible hands close around her neck, its claws pushing deeper into her. With one last smirk, the demon's eyes flared, her bright amber irises glowing.

"Amara... please..." Vee whispered, barely able to speak as Amara's hands threatened to finish her off.

·

Her blood raced, fire coursing through her veins. There was freedom in her movements, true freedom that only came from complete abandonment of pretense, and her thoughts were fixated on stopping Vee.

I can't go to Hell. I don't belong there! I WON'T LET HER!

She barely registered what was happening, as her instincts had long ago taken control. She hardly even felt the dozens of scratches that covered her body.

Pain.

The heat felt incredible, she'd never felt so at home.

Fire.

Something wet covered her fists.

Blood, fresh.

Her vision was blurred, not from injury or holy magic, but from overwhelming rage. Everything was red, and she could feel her hatred reflected in the flames that consumed the building around her.

"Amara... please..."

Her heart skipped a beat.

No. Something's not right.

Amara shook her head, doing everything in her power to stop, to pull herself back to her senses. When finally looked down, a horrible scene lay waiting for her.

She was sitting on top of Vee, pinning her down. Her hands had warped into a twisted parody of themselves, blackened bone claws pushing into Vee's neck, drawing blood. Vee stared up at her, tears running down her face, mixing with the blood that poured from a deep cut on her brow.

Her face was full of terror, overwhelming despair, and worst of all, resignation.

She let go, watching as Vee gasped for air. Horrified, Amara stood up, stumbling backwards as she looked around at the house, now completely engulfed in flame.

Amara panicked, unsure what she should do, before reaching out and trying to connect with the flames. She saw the color change, and she was able to extinguish a small patch of flames near the front exit, but the door caught again in mere moments.

"It's too much! I-I can't... I can't stop it!" Amara cried, her voice shaking with fear. She looked over to Vee, still laying on the ground, and realized that the loft above her was starting to buckle from the fire. She heard a loud crack and watched as the structure started falling to the floor.

"NO!!" Amara screamed. She jumped forward, moving much faster than she thought possible, and grabbed Vee off the floor. She curled her wings around her, hugging her close to her chest, and ran for the back entrance.

She crashed through the door, rolling across the back lawn a few times before finally stopping. She laid Vee on the ground, desperately hoping she was still alive. After a moment, Vee inhaled painfully. She rolled onto her side, coughing up blood while she struggled to breath. She looked up, staring at Amara through her bloody tears.

"...Why?" Vee cried, her voice clearly damaged from the smoke.

Amara fell backwards, scrambling to her feet as tears attempted to form, but were quickly burned away by the flames around her eyes.

Sirens sounded in the distance, quickly moving closer as the flames from The Jade Palace climbed higher in the sky. She broke out into a sprint, wings ready, and leapt into the air.

Her wings carried her higher and higher, the smoke hopefully hiding her escape as she kept ascending. The hot air from the fire pushed her skyward, and the wind filled her wings as she fled, the open sky welcoming her for the very first time. The sirens of the emergency vehicles seemed to follow her, drowning out her thoughts as she desperately tried to flee from what had just transpired.

She was having trouble thinking straight, her mind replaying past conversations and thoughts.

"You don't understand, Nick. I was itching for an excuse to hurt him."

"Demons are fucking terrifying. Every instinct in my body is telling me to run, that I shouldn't have freed you."

Without even realizing it, Amara found herself descending onto the roof of her apartment complex. She crashed shoulder first into the gravel, skidding to a halt as her tears finally appeared. They ran down her face, cutting through the soot as she screamed up into the sky. She curled into herself, grabbing her knees as her tail wrapped around them, and wept.

What am I becoming?

Chapter Text

Amara stared at the inside of her wing. The bony frame, the deep red skin that stretched between it, the way it twitched when she repositioned. It was pitch black under her covers, but ever since Halloween, she'd developed impeccable night vision.

Even the darkness couldn't mask how much she'd changed.

She was lying on her side, her wing holding up the comforter she'd pulled over her head. Her phone rested next to her, as she was desperately waiting for a text. It vibrated, and she hurriedly grabbed it, then sighed with disappointment after seeing who it was from. Looking through her messages, she counted 57 unread texts from Nick, 21 from Tessa, and 6 from Chloé.

None from Vee.

How many times had she texted her? Dozens, easily, and she had no idea if they were even being received. She wouldn't blame Vee for blocking her, not after what happened, after she’d almost—

Shut up Amara, you didn’t, doesn’t that matter?

She threw her phone down again, burying her face in her hands and pulling her knees closer.

But I almost did. I can still feel her blood.

She looked at her hands, running her fingers over them. Her skin was smooth, warm to the touch, and completely unblemished from the fight. She had no idea what had happened to them, what they’d turned into that night. She’d only ever used her shapeshifting to turn into other people, but could she alter her own body? What other explanation was there?

Her curiosity urged her to try, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She doubted she could shapeshift anyways, she’d just passed a week without sex. Food had long ago lost its flavor, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd slept for more than an hour or two.

11 AM

She reluctantly left bed to use the bathroom.

12 PM

Unread messages from Nick jumped from 57 to 59.

1 PM

Grabbing her phone, she opened her most recent tab. The local newspaper's website stared back at her, and she read the article in its entirety, despite having the whole thing memorized.

- 

STUDENT INJURED IN HALLOWEEN FIRE

A local Halloween celebration ended in disaster last night when the site of the party unexpectedly caught fire. Although most students were evacuated safely, one student was injured in the blaze.

Emergency services were dispatched at approximately 12:30 AM, having been automatically notified when the building's fire alarm activated.

The residence in question, commonly referred to by local students as The Jade Palace, had long ago been converted into a Chapter House for a local fraternity. As part of the renovation, a full fire suppression system was installed.

Authorities are still uncertain as to the cause of the fire. While students on scene confirmed that the sprinklers were activated, the fire was able to consume the building despite this countermeasure.

Foul play is not suspected at this time, although the investigation is ongoing.

- 

What if I turned myself in?

No, they’d want to know how I did it. It’s not like I can tell them I’m a demon, and I don’t actually know how to start fires.

I’ll bet arsonists can burn down buildings without beating their friends half to death.

Amara flinched as she recalled her last moments with Vee, seeing her friend utterly convinced she was about to die. The image had been seared into her brain, haunting her every time she closed her eyes.

She wanted to cry, but had run out of tears days ago. Her body wretched and shook as it attempted anyways.

The hours kept passing, and the most exciting thing Amara did was turn to her other side. Even that took quite a while, given the size of her wings. Her phone went off a few more times, texts from Nick and Tessa, but she continued ignoring them. It was almost 4 when she heard a knock at her bedroom door.

“Amara?” Nick asked, “I know you’re in there.”

“Go away!”

“Not this time, Amara. When’s the last time you left the house? Ate something?” He paused for a moment, than awkwardly mumbled, “Had sex?”

“Is that why you’re here? Need a slut to get your rocks off?” Amara hissed.

“C’mon, that’s not fair. We both know that if you’re not having sex, your body shuts down. I just want to help.”

“Maybe you should help yourself, and leave me alone!” Amara threw the comforter off, shouting at Nick through the door. “How do you know I won’t snap? That I won’t go berserk and you wind up dead?”

A different voice spoke up, and Amara realized that Nick had brought Tessa with him. “Vee attacked you, what choice did you have? You were defending yourself!”

“You know why she attacked me, Tessa? Because I lied to her! Because you told me to! Still think that was the right call?”

“Of course I do! The instant she found out, she ambushed you and tried to cast you into hell! What did I say about those church idiots? To them, you’re just a monster, that’s all you’ll ever be. You really think a literal fuckin’ angel is going to give you a pass because you used to do each other’s makeup?”

Amara pulled the covers over her head again, burying her face in the pillow without saying anything. Another few seconds passed before Tessa spoke again.

“Amara? Great, real mature, just ignore us, I’m sure that’ll fix everything.”

“C’mon Tess, don’t make this worse.”

“She’s the one ignoring me!”

The two continued bickering for a while, but Amara tuned them out. She screamed into her pillow again, and eventually heard them leave. After a few minutes, someone walked back inside, and a quiet voice traveled through the door.

“Um, Amara?” Chloé asked, her voice barely audible.

“Oh, Chloé, I… didn’t know you were here too.” Amara crawled out from the under the covers, moving closer to her bedroom door. She readjusted her zip-up hoodie, which mostly rested on her hips since her wings prevented her from wearing it properly. “Did you… hear any of that?”

“No, I was waiting outside. How are you feeling?”

Amara paused, unsure what to say. “What did they tell you?”

“Well, they said you and Vee were talking at the party, and didn’t get out in time when the fire started, and she got hurt.”

“That’s… yeah that’s about right.” Amara sat down, leaning against the wall near the door. “Here to tell me it’s not my fault?”

Chloé paused for a moment. “I’m not a therapist, I don’t think… that’s not why I’m here. I just… I missed you, is all. I miss eating lunch with you, talking about our projects, telling you about what I’m playing. You’re great company, and we both know I can’t say the same about Tessa.”

“…Nick’s still around.”

“He’s a boy! It’s not the same!”

Surprisingly, Amara had to stifle a laugh. “Alright, well, how’s your charity thing going?”

“We’re gonna launch it this week!”

“Shit, really? Chloé, that’s great!”

“Well, the whole point is to make fundraising easier and more transparent, and now we’ve got the perfect excuse to launch. We’re gonna raise money for the fire relief!”

Amara froze, a response escaping her. Another minute passed in silence before Chloé spoke up again.

“I know you’re in a rough spot, but I was kinda hoping you would help?

“Oh, I don’t… I’m not much of a charity person.”

The exact opposite, in fact.

“Well, you said before we could maybe work together, that you could help with the social media side of things? Plus, I know you’re really into photography, and we could really use some high quality pictures for our campaign.”

Chloé remembers that? I feel like that was ages ago… though, her life hasn’t been as hectic as mine has recently.

Amara glanced over at her closet, remembering that her photography stuff was packed away in a corner. It had been one of her first passions, and was the reason she decided to get into marketing in the first place. She had figured the two skills would pair really well, give her a lot to offer when searching for a job. In the chaos surrounding her transformation, she’d completely forgotten about it.

“Gimme a sec?” Amara asked. She heard a muffled response from the other side of the door, and got up.

Digging through her closet, she pulled out her camera bag. She looked through all her different lenses, carefully laying them out one by one, smiling at the memories. When she finally took hold of her camera, she remembered how good it felt in her hands. She turned it on, and began flicking through the old pictures stored on her memory card.

She found pictures of Nick, mostly headshots she'd taken so he could have something to put on resumes. There were a few of Tessa, sometimes with her partners, sometimes flicking her off when she realized Amara was taking pictures.

There was even a picture Amara definitely didn't take, that appeared to be Tessa winking at the camera while angling it up her skirt.

She found shots of Chloé out in the quad, leaning up against a tree while sketching in her notebook. She looked amazing in the first couple, but after seeing the camera, she'd hidden behind her book.

She stopped when she found her first picture of Vee. It was a simple profile, her face slightly illuminated by the sunlight bouncing off a building behind her.

Vee had always been the most supportive of her photography. Unlike the others, she was eager to pose, and Amara had plenty of pictures of Vee smiling, but also of her goofing off. Scrolling through the pictures, she remembered the day she took them, smiling at the memories.

Eventually, Vee had insisted that they switch, that Amara be the subject for once. The next batch of pictures had been taken by Vee, with Amara struggling to find good angles for herself. She'd always been more comfortable behind the camera, but Vee had walked her through some tricks, and she'd ended up enjoying herself. The shots Vee had taken that day were still some of her favorite pictures of herself.

The last picture was the two of them laughing. It was horribly off-center, blurry, and angled heavily to the right, but that was Vee's fault for trying to take a selfie with something other than a phone. It was, without question, the worst picture on the camera, and yet it was so evocative.

Amara couldn’t look away. As she stared at the picture, her mind warped the image. Vee’s face grew sharper, the blur fading, only to be replaced with blood. The soft, warm light grew more intense, flickering as flames surrounded them, threatening to collapse the building on them both. Tears fell from her face, which was begging Amara not to continue, yet utterly convinced that she would. Her clawed hands soaked in blood, tightening slowly until—

I DIDN’T DO IT! I STOPPED MYSELF!

“Amara?” Chloé asked, her voice tense.

There were fresh tears on her face, apparently. Had Chloé heard her crying? She looked down at her camera, no longer in her hands, but thankfully it was safely on the floor.

She took a deep breath, her body still shaking slightly.

Photos. Human Amara loved that, she was great at it.

“I-I’m still here.” Amara said, crawling closer to the door. She wiped her eyes, brushing away the tears as she thought about Chloé’s question.

“I'll do it.” She finally whispered.

“Yay! I'd hug you if I could!” Chloé said, ecstatic.

“I appreciate the thought, though…” Amara looked back at her tail and her wings, “I'm not really decent at the moment. Tell you what, I'll join you for dinner tonight, and we'll talk everything over.”

“That's awesome! I'll put together all our fundraising material and we can look through it!”

“Oh, and Chloé?” Amara asked, “Can you send Nick in on your way out? I need his help with something.”

-

In the time it took for Nick to say goodbye to everyone, Amara had half-heartedly picked up her room. It was still leagues beneath her typical standards, but she was more than willing to settle today. As he entered the room, he caught her in the middle of a yawn.

“So… talking with Chloé helped?” he asked.

“Look, I know you want to ask a million questions, but can we not? I’m gonna focus on what’s in front of me, one step at a time. Which means, well…” Amara flexed her wings, “I need your help putting these away.”

Nick was clearly nervous, and Amara could see his thoughts racing as he tried to think of something comforting to say. “Of course. Did you have anything in mind?”

She paused, the awkwardness of the situation staring her in the face. “Obviously I need to do this, but there’s a lot I haven’t shaken off. A distraction would be nice, would you want to put something on? Got any favorite pornos?”

The thought clearly caught Nick by surprise. “Uh, yeah, we can do that. What do you like?”

As she thought back to her porn watching days, Amara lazily began undressing. Her sweatpants came off easily, especially with the help of her tail. “What about… something with anal in it. That used to be my go-to for a while.”

Without saying anything, Nick pulled up his phone and started scrolling through a porn site. While he looked, Amara had an idea and ran back to her closet, looking through her photography equipment. After a moment, she found what she was looking for - a ring light on a tripod, with a designated phone mount in the middle. She’d bought it first semester with the intention of using it for some of her marketing assignments, though she’d never gotten around to using it much.

“Wait, we’re not filming this, are we?” Nick asked, finally looking up.

“Absolutely not! I just figured we need a place to put your phone so we can both see it.” Amara set up the stand at the foot of her bed, and grabbed Nick’s phone. Turning the mount sideways, she attached the phone and hit play. “So what did you find?”

“I don’t really have any favorites, but I found a video from an amateur couple I’ve seen before.” Nick said as he undressed.

After an awkward moment of staring at each other, both unsure how to initiate things, Amara finally spoke up. “Alright, look, this isn't gonna be the world's best fuck. I just need you to cum, and I'll get what I need. How about you get behind me, get yourself excited, and just… go for it.”

Amara repositioned so she was lying on her stomach, facing Nick's phone. She felt him get behind her, and bit her lip as he started massaging her ass. She had a feeling he was going to try and make this enjoyable for her, though she didn't know if that was possible today.

In front of her, the girl in the video was showing off her bikini, bending over and spreading her legs to show how little it covered.

Nick's hand reached between her legs, his fingers running up and down her pussy before settling on her clit. He started rubbing in small circles, his other hand carefully pushing a finger inside her. Surprisingly, it felt better than expected, and she spread her legs further to give him better access.

They stayed like this for a few minutes, Amara enjoying the laid-back finger fucking while letting herself get lost in the video. The amateur actress was on her knees now, eagerly gagging on the thick cock of whoever was manning the camera. As she pushed herself further down, the camera catching every detail, Nick pushed another finger into Amara.

She moaned, pleasantly surprised that she was actually enjoying this. She laid her head down and started teasing Nick with her tail. She ran it up and down his legs, eventually wrapping it around his cock and stroking it slowly. She let herself experiment with all the different things her tail could do; its dexterity still caught her off guard sometimes. She practiced stroking him up and down, but wrapping his entire shaft and flexing different pulses to simulate being inside someone. Based on his aura, and his moaning, he was clearly enjoying himself, and Amara happily started feeding.

Eventually, the slow pace grew annoying, and Amara wrapped her tail around his waist and pulled him closer. He clearly got the hint, lined himself up, and pushed inside of her.

Nick’s aura intensified quickly, and she continued pulling energy from it. The lethargy that had been hanging over her head since Halloween started to thin, her aches faded, and she felt her body waking up. Looking back at the video, she saw the couple had switched it up. The girl was now lying on her back, holding her legs in a split, as the cameraman pushed his cock deep inside her ass.

Suddenly remembering how much fun porn could be, Amara kept watching as she started meeting Nick’s thrusts with her own. She could feel through his aura that he was close to cumming, and she was eager for the energy of his orgasm to top her off.

Focusing her attention away from the video, she read his aura close enough to see exactly what he wanted, and gave it to him. She threw herself harder and harder, letting his cock bury deep inside her pussy, and within seconds she’d achieved her goal. Energy from his aura, as well as a full load of cum, rushed into her. She could feel her body returning to prime form, her inner fire roaring, and soon the excitement overwhelmed her.

Her orgasm was nowhere near as spontaneous as Nick’s, but it was enjoyable all the same. Slow, powerful waves of pleasure washed over her, wiping away the last of her aches and pains. She took care to monitor her body, ensuring that no errant flames appeared as she came.

By the time she finished, and had caught her breath, she noticed that Nick’s orgasm had long since past. She fell forward, releasing her hold on Nick as he pulled out of her, and took a deep breath.

“Well, I won’t say I feel better, but… I certainly don’t feel as bad.” Amara said.

Nick moved to the edge of the bed next to her, grabbing his phone and turning it off. “Glad you got something out of it. Other than your energy back, I mean. I heard you’re gonna meet Chloé for dinner?”

“That’s the plan. She’s gonna show me her charity plans and… and I’m gonna see what I can do to help.”

She readjusted, swinging her legs to the floor slowly as she watched Nick get up. He seemed ready to ask a question, but his expression changed quickly and he stayed quiet. Amara was barely paying attention to him anyways. Her own morbid curiosity had returned, and she was staring at the back of her hands, slowly flexing them.

I have to know.

She connected with her inner fire, pausing for a moment as she let herself bask in its warmth. It had been so long since she’d felt its glow, she’d forgotten how comforting it was, even if it was now tinged with uncertainty. She tapped into that strength, directing it at her hands as she tried to alter them. It was a slow process, and it required thinking about what they looked like before, but she fought through the painful memories.

After a minute, she watched as a collection of bony ridges grew on the back of her hand. The material was black, and seemed to match her horns and wingtips. It was hard to the touch, reminding Amara of some kind of exoskeleton you might find on an insect. Flexing her hand, she watched as the various plates seamlessly layered over each other, allowing her complete freedom of movement despite their rigidity.

“Whoa, that’s really something.” Nick was halfway through putting his pants on, but seemed to have stopped to watch Amara.

She jumped in surprise, having forgotten he was there, and she shook her hands to get them back to normal. “It’s nothing, I shouldn’t have… just forget about it.” Amara stood up, and after a small flurry of embers, no longer had her demonic features.

“I’m jumping in the shower. Just… do whatever you want.” She took a few steps into the hall, paused, then doubled back. “And… I’m sorry about earlier.”

Nick simply nodded, quietly smiling at Amara. Through he said nothing, they both knew what he meant.

After a long, lukewarm shower, Amara finally got dressed and left the house for the first time since the party. Loathe as she was to admit it, locking herself inside maybe hadn’t been the best idea. She did her best to smile, to laugh with her friends and enjoy dinner, but the pain was still there.

It came in waves, sometimes paired with guilt, sometimes with anger. As much as she tried to hide it, she could tell that her friends noticed. Still, they seemed willing to leave the matter alone, and Amara appreciated it.

They spent most of the dinner listening to Chloé’s plans, including a run down of how her platform worked. It seemed to focus on two main ideas; keeping all the spending transparent, and giving a platform to everyone raising money for the charity. As Chloé explained it, anyone that wanted to contribute to a specific charity could link their efforts through the platform. Then, people that wanted to donate money could scroll through everyone raising money, and look for ones that stuck out to them. Someone might commission art from an artist, then realize through the platform that another creator was offering personal training, and buy from them as well.

Ideally, she explained, creators would be incentivized to advertise their services, while potential donors would have more reasons to donate other than the goodness of their heart.

Amara was thoroughly impressed with everything she heard, and eventually took over the conversation as she explained how she could help manage the social media side of things. She explained peak traffic hours, which content would work best on different platforms, and tried to help set reasonable expectations when it came to setting donation goals.

After spending considerably more time talking than she’d imagined she would, and eating her first real meal in days, Amara felt the exhaustion of the week catch up with her. She hugged each of her friends tight, thanking Chloé in particular, and went home to finally get some sleep.

- 

It was dark, the only light coming from the occasional streetlamp. One flew by every few seconds, whizzing past the car at impressive speeds. She checked the dashboard, and saw she was driving much faster than the speed limit. Laughter filled her ears, and she realized she wasn’t alone. To her right, a woman sat in the passenger seat, her phone illuminating her face.

A tight miniskirt left her legs completely on display, and the sight of them drove her crazy. She reached out, grabbing the woman’s thigh before sliding her hand higher. It was playfully slapped away, and the passenger smirked as she said something, but the words were muddled, almost as if she were underwater.

Without a woman’s body to enjoy, Amara instead reached for the drink in the cupholder. The beer was starting to warm, and she finished it off before throwing the can in the backseat.

A scream filled her ears, and when she looked back at the road, she couldn’t find it. The car rattled as it veered into the grass, colliding with a small barrier before smashing through it. The car left the ground suddenly, jumping into the air before veering down and crashing into a river.

The water slammed into the car, hurling her forward before—

Amara sat up in a panic, her body shaking. Sweat dripped down her face, and her sharpened hands were gripping sheets so tightly they’d ripped holes in them. She looked around the room, nervous and disoriented, as she tried to catch her breath.

“What the fuck?”

Chapter Text

“—and then, when I woke up, my claws were back and I’d ripped through my sheets!”

“I mean, kinda just sounds like a bad dream. Everyone has them.”

“But why drunk driving? Why do I remember it so vividly?” Amara asked, absentmindedly pushing her hands into her pockets.

“Didn't you say you can't get drunk anymore? Maybe it's combining that with your feelings about the party?”

“That's a stretch, Nick, even by my standards.”

“Hey, I'm an architect. If you seriously want someone to examine your dreams, go ask Tessa or something. I hear witches love that stuff.” Nick shrugged as he pushed the crosswalk button, waiting for traffic to stop.

The two continued bickering, trying to guess if Tessa seemed like the type to read into dreams, as they continued their walk. It was early in the afternoon, and Amara's hair fluttered in the light autumn breeze. She wore black shorts, her legs visible through the many holes of the distressed denim, and a loose red shirt that hung off one shoulder. All the students they passed wore sweaters, jackets, and other appropriately warm items, but Amara’s body was incapable of feeling cold. Her camera bag hung at her side, its weight comforting her as they turned the final corner, the Jade Palace now in sight.

At least, what remained of it.

The blackened skeleton of the house’s frame still stood, for the most part. One wall had collapsed, and now lay in pieces amongst the ashes, but the others had managed to hold their place. Bits of plumbing were visible, resembling iron veins that had long ago stopped pumping, and Amara also saw hints of where the wiring had previously run. The lot was covered mostly by charred remains of the building, with some larger pieces that survived the fire still visible.

The debris wasn't completely undisturbed. She could see a few sets of tracks leading in and out of the ashes, likely from curious students eager for a thrill. There were also signs of people rummaging through the lot, though she doubted the Palace had held anything worth scavenging.

Amara paused, unknowingly holding her breath as she clutched the strap of her bag. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her memories at bay, and was thankfully interrupted by Nick’s voice.

“Hey, we can still turn back. Chloé will understand if—”

“No.” Amara said quickly. “I need to do this.”

She swallowed nervously, then resumed walking towards the building. The lot had been taped off by the emergency services, but no one was here to enforce it. Over the last week, Amara had hyperfixated on the aftermath, desperate to know what was going to happen, but she’d only heard rumors. Some students said the insurance wasn’t up to date, some thought the building didn’t actually have an owner, but the only concrete fact was that cleanup had yet to begin.

That’s why I’m here. Chloé needs these pictures to help with the fundraising.

Setting her bag down, Amara took a few minutes to set up her camera. She took her time, double and triple checking each step of the process. After a few test shots, she moved closer and ducked under the caution tape.

Looking over the lot, she realized she was standing by the back entrance. The door lay in pieces just past the frame, shattered from her panicked rush to escape. She could still see indentations in the grass, impressions of where she’d landed with Vee. The smell of iron filled her senses, mixing with the smoke drifting off the burning house. Sirens screeched in the distance, the noise mixing with the sickening sound of lumber snapping inside the house. She locked eyes with Vee, bloodied and bruised on the ground, her face—

Shut up! It’s over!

Amara shook her head, the smoke and sirens vanishing as she grabbed her camera. She raised it higher, between herself and her memories, then snapped her first pictures.

*CLICK*

Once she’d gathered enough material, she began circling the house. Just past the frame, she could now see what had previously been the main room. She recognized the furniture, even after it had been warped by the fire, and the loft was clearly visible, though it was now half buried in the rubble. Its railing had been scattered, and she remembered kicking it apart herself, having just smothered the exits in hellfire. Heat began drifting off of the ashes, the fire spreading as she urged it to grow stronger. It was a part of her, a living, breathing weapon that longed to consume everything it—

*CLICK*

She took another deep breath, focusing on the pictures.

The fire’s gone. Keep moving.

Moving towards the front of the house, she saw there was still litter from the party. Cigarettes, red plastic cups, a few discarded costume pieces. The excitement of the party returned, the joy of showing everyone her true form, of reveling in their adoration. Eager hands caressed her tail, her horns, a few trying to cop a feel elsewhere. She’d never felt so desired, though now she felt guilty thinking about such things.

*CLICK*

She raised the camera higher, looking into the kitchen. The breakfast bar was still standing, which was impressive given the destruction everywhere else. Hints of alcohol returned to her lips, every drink graciously donated by a horny college student eager for a dance, if not more. The more she drank, the more she realized it didn’t affect her, which had only intensified her desire to feed.

*CLICK*

I’m more than that. I have to be.

Amara pushed onward, locking her memories away behind her pictures. She knew she was almost finished, and she quickly glanced back at Nick before continuing.

The last side of the building had fared well, all things considered. The bulk of the fire had been in the main room, as the flames hadn’t spread until after they’d left the bedroom. Most of the drywall here had been destroyed, and she could see sections of the floor had collapsed. Through the gaps, she could see the room Vee had pulled her into.

She had replayed her conversation with Vee thousands of times. She’d learned so little, they’d barely spent any time talking, but there was so much wanted to know.

“Stop fucking lying to me!”

Amara winced, the pain from that moment returning. The pain from the magic, the Enochian assaulting her very essence, had paled in comparison to the look on Vee’s face. She moved her hand to her cheek, lingering on that moment, the end of their last conversation.

When she pulled her hand away, it was unexpectedly wet.

*CLICK*

She rested her camera at her hip, held up by its straps, as she moved her hands to her face. She took a deep breath, then brushed away the rest of her tears.

I'm so sorry, Vee.

A hand appeared on her shoulder, pulling her back to her senses. She looked back at Nick, who was opening the camera bag for her. The look on her face was obvious, but he said nothing as he helped her put the camera away.

A few minutes passed in silence before Amara spoke up.

“Hellfire.”

Nick gave her a questioning look.

“My flames, they're hellfire.”

He paused, likely being careful with his words. “How do you figure?”

“I don’t entirely know. Maybe Vee said something while we were… y’know, but it could’ve been something else. There’s still so much I don’t know about everything that’s happening to me, maybe demons just know this shit innately.”

She zipped up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder again before turning to leave the lot. Ducking under the caution tape, her and Nick began the walk back to campus.

“You ever practice with it?” Nick asked.

“Practice? After what happened?” She gestured back at the remains of the Palace, huffing as she picked up her pace. “I'm better off forgetting about it completely.”

Nick jogged after her, matching stride before changing the topic to something else. Amara was more than happy to leave any talk of hellfire, as well as the Palace, behind her.

-

Amara did her best to catch up with all her classwork, but it was still difficult to focus on the mundanity of school. Her teachers had, for the most part, been willing to give her extensions on most of her work, but this was the second time she'd skipped a week of school, and it was taking its toll. If nothing else, it helped to have a distraction from her own thoughts.

She was currently doing her best to engage with a U.S. history lecture. They had recently started a multi-week unit entirely focused on World War II, and were exploring its origins towards the end of the 1930’s.

“—and even though the Anschluss was a direct violation of international treaties that had been established after World War I, Germany faced no consequences. I mentioned earlier the idea of Appeasement, and this is a prime example. In their eagerness to avoid another great war, major players on the international stage—”

Amara yawned as the professor kept talking. She wasn’t entirely uninterested in history, but she much preferred classes with more practical applications. She shifted in her seat, rolling her neck, and glanced around at the other students around her.

Interestingly, she noticed that quite a few of them were sweating. Most of the students with extra layers had removed them, and some were using notebooks to fan themselves. Now that she was looking, she noticed the professor had removed his blazer, and his sleeves had been rolled up.

As the lecture continued, it became clear that the heat was only getting worse. They even paused class momentarily so the professor could help open all the windows, which were old and stubborn. He also clarified that the school was aware of the problem but had no timeline on when it would be fixed. A thought popped into Amara’s head, and she pulled out her phone.

Amara: You have any classes in Brandt today?

Tessa: nah, skipped em

Tessa: why?

Amara: Everyone here is sweating like crazy, and the teacher says the heats busted.

Tessa: so? im not a plumber

Amara: What if it’s a circle? You said the one in Lysander made things really cold, so what if this is like that? But with heat?

Amara: Also plumbers aren’t for heating

Tessa: dam, thats a good idea. count me in

Tessa: tonite? after dinner?

Tessa: electrician watever idc

Amara rolled her eyes, unsure if Tessa was joking or not. Thankfully the heat didn’t affect her, and she stayed comfortable for the rest of class. Soon enough, the lecture ended, and she grabbed her things to leave. She was still texting Tessa, but also had a conversation going with Chloé about the charity. As she left the lecture hall, she accidentally walked into another student, knocking his books to the floor.

“Shit, sorry!” Amara said, shoving her phone in her pocket before kneeling to help clean up.

“Well, what are the odds? Second time now you haven’t watched what you’re stepping into, Amara.”

She froze, finally looking up at who she’d bumped into. Brandon smiled back at her, his smirk bringing back painful memories. They locked eyes, the tension palpable as they paused momentarily. She pulled her hands back, no longer interested in helping him pick up his mess.

“What, here for payback?” She asked.

“I just want to talk, nothing more.” He slowly picked up his books, keeping his voice down as he placed them in his backpack.

Amara fought to hold back her anger, fully aware that they were surrounded by other students. Standing up, she began walking to the exit before looking back at him. “Five minutes.”

He picked up the pace, now matching her stride as they left the building. “I owe you an apology. What I did was wrong, and I accept that.”

“Likely story. You're just upset I escaped.”

“On the contrary, I'm glad you did. It made me reexamine myself, and I realized I didn't like who I was becoming.”

“And all it took was enslaving a fellow student? Truly your empathy knows no bounds.” Amara snapped. She turned off the main path, hoping to avoid accidental eavesdropping as they kept talking.

“Except you're not just a student, we both know that. You're so much more, yet you continue to waste your time with classes and schoolwork!”

Amara glared at him, realizing what he'd just admitted to. “So you're following me?”

“We go to the same college, and we happened to cross paths a few times. Not that weird.” Brandon cleared his throat, pausing for a second. “Why bother with school? You’ve got power that most people can only dream of.”

“Can we cut the bullshit? Tell me why you’re here, we both know it’s not just to get to know me.”

“Alright, fine, I’m not just here to apologize. Though, for what it’s worth, getting to know each other would be nice.” Amara glared at him, refusing to acknowledge his statement. A moment passed before he finally started talking again. “I think we can help each other out.”

“Please, what could you possibly do for me?”

“I can give you my soul.”

Amara stopped in her tracks, shocked at his offer. The look in his eyes told her he was serious, and she grew sick to her stomach even thinking about it. “I don’t do that.”

“C’mon, we both know what you are. Without souls to feed on, you’ll wither away. At the end of the day, you’re a demon.”

“What, you’re an expert on demons now?”

“I’ve done my homework, and everything I’ve read says the same thing. Your body is wired differently, and there’s no fighting biology; sooner or later, you’ll give in to those instincts. Don’t act like it hasn’t already happened.”

“You don’t know anything about me!” Amara hissed.

“People show their true colors when they’re backed into a corner. You're a succubus, right? You didn’t hesitate to strip down when you needed an edge over me. I saw how easy it was for you to get on your knees, to beg for my—”

Amara grabbed his shirt, shoving him against a nearby building. Her eyes flared as she pinned him to the wall. “Finish that sentence and you’ll regret it.”

“I’m offering you a way out, a way to take control of what you are!”

In the corner of her vision, Amara realized that a couple students had slowed down, watching the hushed exchange between her and Brandon. She scared them off with a glare, then turned back to the matter at hand. “I don't know what sick fantasy you're dreaming up, but you can forget it. I'll make this easy; if you come near me or my friends again, you’ll regret it. You have no idea what I'm capable of.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, Amara released her grip and turned away. This time, thankfully, Brandon let her leave.

I just wish I did.

-

Dinner passed slowly and uneventfully, for better or for worse. Amara found it hard to concentrate on eating, on talking with her friends, when so much else was happening. Still, the distraction was nice, and at least she was able to taste food again. Once finished, she left the cafeteria with Tessa and made the quick walk to Brandt Hall.

The building was still open, so Tessa didn't have to pick any locks, but classes had already wrapped up for the day. The girls walked in relative silence for a while before Amara finally spoke up.

“Have you felt any different since we started sleeping together?”

“Like, do I regret it? Are you forgetting how great the sex is?”

“That's not what I mean! I want to know if you've noticed any changes. Weird mood swings, apathy, stuff like that.”

“Nah, I'm the same loveable bitch I've always been.” Tessa smirked as they walked, the two of them wandering the first floor as they looked for the basement. “What's this really about?”

A few moments passed before Amara responded. “I ran into Brandon today.” She saw Tessa's eyes narrow in anger, then quickly added, “He just wanted to talk, I'm fine.”

“What did that little cretin want?”

“First he just wanted to apologize, which I didn't buy for a second, but then he… offered me his soul.”

“Ha! What a loser! All this time, and he still only cares about getting laid. I trust you turned him down?”

“Of course! I feel gross even thinking about it. But still, he kept going on and on about how I'm a demon, that I need souls to survive, and I just… can’t shake the idea. What if I've been taking bits of soul every time I fuck?” Amara's voice grew quiet, scared of what she was saying.

“You're scared I'm losing my humanity?”

“I mean… a little, yeah. Aren't you?”

Tessa shrugged. “Eh, we all die eventually.”

At this point, the girls finally found the door to the basement and started down the stairs. Amara reflexively reached for her fire to light the way, but then hesitated. Instead, she pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight. “But what about the afterlife? My existence proves it's real, aren't you worried about… y’know.”

“You think fucking a demon is gonna keep me out of heaven? Please. I'm a witch, I'm sure they made up their minds the instant I first used magic.”

Walking out of the staircase, Amara found herself staring at a familiar sight. While she’d never been down here before, it resembled the basement under the science building quite a bit. The classrooms down here, however, appeared to be regularly used. The hallways were better lit, even though most of the lights were off at the moment, and a few corners had couches and tables set up.

Still, there were definitely plenty of places to hide a magic circle. After picking a direction and starting their search, Tessa continued talking.

“I still can’t fucking believe Vee. She didn’t even try talking to you! Nooo we’ve got to jump right to banishing your best friend just because they’re different.”

“It’s not like I didn’t provoke her.” Amara said bitterly. “Repeatedly.”

“Okay, but banishment? Murder? She gave you, like, a minute to state your case, and when it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, too bad! Do you think she knew I was a witch? It’s not like I keep my tattoos hidden, even if the design hides them a bit.”

Before Amara had a chance to respond, something strange caught her attention. She heard a low murmur from further down the hallway, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“Maybe angels think they’re too high and mighty to bother with witches. Wouldn’t that be wild? Saved purely because she thinks I’m beneath her. I bet she doesn’t even—”

“Shh!”

“Look, I know you’re still upse—

Amara jumped forward, pushing her hand against Tessa’s mouth. The witch glared back before relenting, rolling her eyes slowly. Now able to focus, Amara confirmed her suspicions; there were people up ahead, and they were moving closer.

“We need to hide, now!” Amara pulled Tessa with her, backing down the hallway until they were outside a classroom. Trying the door, she realized it was locked and cursed under her breath. After another, more forceful attempt, the handle snapped and the girls ran inside. Closing the door, Amara pushed them both against the wall so they couldn't be seen from the window. In the hallway, the low murmur grew louder, and soon Amara was able to hear the conversation.

“—just don't let it happen again, okay? People were complaining all day, and we don't need that kind of attention. He's still pissed about the cafeteria; do you know how much that cost?”

“I told you, that wasn't me! The modification went fine, then I covered up the circle. When I left, there wasn't a vine in sight.”

The voices were both masculine. One was deeper, and slightly breathy, while the other had a youthful energy to it. They walked by slowly, the conversation continuing as Amara and Tessa locked eyes, both surprised by what they were hearing.

“I don't give a shit about your excuses, just get your act together. Everything will be ready in a few weeks, and the fewer excuses he has to yell at us, the better.”

“Tch, fine. Sometimes I don’t know why I bother.” The younger man paused to clear his throat, then continued talking. “You hear we might be switching to a new online grading system? I guess the school got some new tech grant, and—”

The conversation grew more distant, and significantly less interesting, as the two men walked further away from the classroom the girls were hiding in. Tessa stood to try and leave the classroom, but Amara held her back. She closed her eyes, focusing on the footsteps in the hall, and waited until the strangers had entered the staircase. She sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders as Tessa pushed into the hall.

“Did you hear that? Did you fucking hear that?!”

“I’m just glad they didn’t see us, that would have been bad.”

“Bad? You’re a fucking demon! You fought an angel and won! I bet you could’ve wiped the floor with those bozos, and then gotten them to spill their secrets!”

“Tess, we know nothing about them! Can they do magic? If so, how powerful is it? And what if they’d seen you? Do you think you could take other witches in a fight?”

“Ugh this is stupid! We finally get a chance to score some real answers, and all we have now are more questions.” Tessa pushed past Amara, walking deeper into the basement. “And what's happening in a few weeks? Do we have a fucking time limit now?”

Amara ran after Tessa, matching her pace as they continued talking. “We have more information, and that’s never a bad thing. They’re definitely planning something, and now we know we need to pick up the pace.”

Tessa’s tattoos lit up, and she started tracing her hand across the wall as she walked. Every few moments she would pause, tap a few bricks, then move forward. Amara could tell she was still frustrated, but didn’t know what she could say to smooth things over, so she joined the search for an illusory wall.

Minutes passed, the only noise being the girls testing various walls for illusions. When they were about halfway through the hallway they’d heard the strangers leave, Tessa finally spoke up. “Did one of those voices sound familiar to you? The younger one?”

Amara paused her search, replaying the conversation in her head. “No, I don’t think so. It sounded like they were teachers, though.”

“Teachers… teachers…” Tessa mumbled to herself, lost in thought as she continued tapping on the new section of wall she’d just gotten to. After a few seconds, the wall started glowing, the light forming into magical runes. Tessa seemed completely oblivious, her focus turned inward as she tried to place the stranger's voice.

“Um, Tess?”

The witch shook her head briefly then looked back at Amara, who was pointing at the glowing wall. “Oh shit! We found it!”

“Hey, you found it. I'm just the bodyguard, remember?”

Tessa refocused her attention on the wall, finishing the process of dispelling the illusion. When the wall finally vanished, they were able to see the room it was hiding. It resembled the rest of the basement, with gray concrete floor covering the entire length, though it was obviously less trafficked. The back wall, instead of a more modern white brick design, was instead covered by old, red bricks, which were definitely showing their age. The room wasn't very big, and was clearly designed for one specific purpose; to hide the large magic circle that was now visible on the floor.

“Whew, you feel that?” Tessa asked, fanning herself with her shirt.

“Living hellfire, remember?”

“Right, you’re too hot for your own good. Always forget that.” The witch moved into the room, carefully tracing the outside of the circle as she took it in. After her first lap, she pulled out her notebook and started copying the circle. As she worked, she continued mumbling to herself about what she was seeing.

While this happened, Amara continued searching up and down the hall, looking for any possible clues about the strangers that had passed them earlier. Other than a cozy studying area, and a few more classrooms, nothing stuck out to her as particularly interesting. As she slowly wandered back to her friend, she realized that she hadn’t manifested any of her demonic aspects. She started to reach for them, but just like in the staircase, she hesitated.

Can I distance myself from them? Do I even want to?

After a moment, she decided to pull out her tail. While physically hiding it under sweaters had made it uncomfortably cramp, she’d begun to notice that she got antsy when her demonic aspects stayed hidden for too long. Peering back inside the room, she saw Tessa was still busy sketching, and past experience told her she would be at it for a while.

Amara leaned against one of the walls opposite the room they’d discovered and slid down to the floor. She pulled out her phone, checked her socials, but knew there wasn’t much to see. Everyone was still mostly talking about the fire, and she didn’t need to do anymore work for Chloé’s campaign at the moment. Pocketing her phone, she instead found herself staring at her hands again, her thoughts wandering back to her new shapeshifting abilities. With nothing else to do, she began testing them again.

She watched as the strange, bony ridges returned to her hands. Her knuckles grew sharp and rigid, the low light revealing the red undertones in them. She pushed the chitinous material further, covering her fingers and turning them into claws, before lightly dragging them across her arm to get a feel for how sharp they were.

How much can I change?

Moving her tail closer, Amara laid it in her lap and studied the tip. Focusing once more, she tried to manifest the same kind of exoskeleton. She seemed to have more control with more practice under belt, and soon her tail had the same bony material as her hands. She urged the material to form into a point, and watched as an impressively long barb grew from the tip of her tail. With another thought, the chitin shifted until one long edge had sharpened, forming a makeshift blade. She playfully swiped her tail through the air, smirking at the satisfying swish it made, then angled her new knife-tail towards one of her palms. She was curious how sharp this strange material could be, and tested it by running the blade across her hand. It effortlessly cut into her skin, which surprised her, and she quickly pulled her tail back to stop the experiment.

Droplets of blood formed along the cut, slowly dripping down her palm. Not ready for this, Amara began digging through her backpack to try and find some kind of tissue. It only took her a few moments to find some, but when she looked back at her palm, the cut had vanished. Surprised, she hesitated for a moment before slowly cleaning her hand on the tissue.

I guess that explains why I healed so fast after Halloween… Fuck, didn't Vee stab me? I remember the sword pushing completely through my shoulder, but it hasn't hurt at all since then. How did I forget that?

After cleaning the blood off her hand, she crumpled the tissue up and glanced back up at Tessa. Her friend was loosely holding her notebook, eyebrows furrowed as she stared directly at her.

“Oh, you're finished?” Amara asked.

“Not quite, I got distracted by… what exactly are you doing? ‘Cuz it looked like you turned your tail into a knife and stabbed yourself. Since when can you do that?”

“Since now, apparently. I was just trying to figure out what my shapeshifting limits are, but then I didn't know how sharp this weird exoskeleton could get, so I— look, it's nothing. What have you learned about the circle?”

Tessa hesitated, giving Amara a concerned look before finally speaking up. “Nothing groundbreaking, sadly. I found the modifications they made, it's pretty similar to the circle under the cafeteria, but no new information.” She closed her notebook after making a few last-second marks, then walked back into the hallway to restore the illusion.

“Dang, I was hoping this time would be different.” Amara stood up, removing all the chitin from her body before demanifesting her tail.

“How am I supposed to focus on classes now that we know there’s a cult running around? I have no idea what to do next!” Tessa grumbled as the illusory wall reappeared. With a huff, she threw her backpack around her shoulder and joined Amara in heading for the exit.

“You? Focus on classes? I didn’t know you were capable of such a thing.” Amara chuckled under her breath, ignoring the dirty look from Tessa. “What are you skipping tomorrow?”

“Psych and Chem in the morning, English after lunch, and then I’m—” Tessa suddenly froze, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Tess? Y’alright?”

“The voice from earlier! That was my English teacher!”

“Shit, really? That’s a huge lead!”

“This is perfect! We barge into his office, you scare his pants off, and he tells us everything he knows!” Tessa punctuated her sentence by punching the inside of her palm, clearly excited by the idea.

“Absolutely not!”

“C’mon, you're a demon! What could possibly go wrong?”

“Everything! What if he attacks me? Then I have to fight back, and risk losing control in the middle of school. Plus, I don't even know if I'd win, we still don't know if he has any magic!”

Tessa groaned as she pushed open the door to the stairwell. “What do we do then? Ask nicely?”

Amara went quiet, thinking about their options. “We have the element of surprise. They don't know we're onto them, and they don't know what we are. We should try to hold onto that advantage as long as possible. You said you have English tomorrow? I'll come with, maybe we can learn something by watching or tailing him.”

“Really Amara? Tail him?” the witch said, rolling her eyes.

Amara chuckled. The pun had been entirely an accident, but she was happy to roll with it. “With a good plan, I bet I could make his life a living hell. Unless you'd rather I wing it?”

“Ugh, I can't believe we're friends.”

The girls spent the rest of the walk speculating what the cult might be up to. Despite living on opposite ends of campus, Amara refused to let Tessa walk home alone, and she had a feeling the witch appreciated it. She stayed for a few minutes, briefly catching up with Tessa's partners before leaving to return home.

The campus was fairly quiet, and she did her best to think about Chloé's charity and this strange new cult. Still, despite her better judgment, her thoughts began to wander. It was a downward spiral she was used to, and she picked up her pace as she felt her emotions building. After making it home, she leaned her forehead against the front door, her breath catching. She squeezed her eyes tight, hoping to fight back her tears, but she couldn't stop them all. She stayed there, leaning against the door, for several minutes before managing to pull herself together.

Slowly getting undressed, Amara set an alarm for the morning, but hesitated before turning it off. She opened her message history with Vee, scrolling through the dozens of texts that had gone unanswered, refreshing the page in desperate hope of seeing a response. When nothing appeared, she spent the next half hour drafting another text.

Amara: I'm sorry.

Plugging in her phone, she crawled under the covers and tried to get some sleep. It took several hours, and she had to flip the pillow to avoid sleeping on the fresh tear stains, but eventually the night took her.

-

Amara leaned in, pushing her lips against her girlfriend’s before eagerly grabbing her ass. The two made out for several minutes, slowly grinding against each other, before breaking apart. They whispered for a moment, planning to go somewhere more private to have some real fun, then got in the car. As the sounds of the party faded into nothing, she pulled onto the main street and floored it. Her car was top of the line, the best money could buy, and she loved showing off what it could do.

Soon the only light around them came from the occasional streetlamp. She loved counting how long it took to pass each one, the power of her car thrumming under her control. In the passenger seat, her girlfriend laughed as she opened her camera. She adjusted her hair, checked her eyeliner, and generously reapplied her lipstick; they both knew how much Amara loved watching it come off.

She reached over, resting a hand on her date’s leg. She gripped it tight, savoring the feel of her soft skin under her fingers. She massaged her thigh slowly, watching as her girlfriend opened her legs ever so slightly, her bright red thong visible each time they passed a light. Her hand moved higher, squeezing and massaging the delicate skin, before they brushed against the silky fabric of her date’s panties. She gasped, the touch exciting her, before suddenly slapping Amara’s hands away, though not without a playful smirk.

When she spoke, the words were far away, garbled and incomprehensible.

Amara sighed, knowing they’d be home soon and the real fun could begin. She grabbed her drink, a half empty can of beer in the cupholder, and slammed the rest of it. She couldn’t taste it much anymore, the mixed drinks from earlier made sure of that, but it kept her primed and eager for the coming romp. She threw the can behind her, hearing it rattle as it landed amongst the others.

The road suddenly started shaking, and she assumed she must have hit a rumble strip. Without warning, however, her girlfriend screamed and grabbed the handle above her. Amara looked back at the road, but it was nowhere to be seen. A sea of grass and gravel stretched in front of her, and she tried to slam the breaks, but an unexpected ditch disoriented her for a moment. The car slammed into the edge of a protective barrier, and that’s when the rattling stopped. The car was airborne, just for a second, as Amara realized they were headed directly into a river.

The front of the car slammed into the water, throwing Amara forward as the airbag erupted in front of her. Instead of hitting it, however, her momentum continued. She flew through the airbag, flinching as she approached the windshield, but she harmlessly passed through that as well. She flipped forward, spinning briefly before coming to a stop a few feet above the surface of the river. When she turned to face her car, she saw it was starting to sink into the river, and she thought she could make out two shapes in the front seats.

Despite only being a few feet away from the vehicle, Amara felt like she was seeing it through a lens of some kind. It seemed so distant, the entire scene more like a painting than the late-night tragedy she’d just been living. The edges of her vision started to blur, and she shook her head in confusion.

It wasn’t her vision that was blurring, it was the ground and the sky around her. She looked up and watched as the night sky slowly shifted away from its midnight hues. It grew lighter, streaks of gray and white filtering into the skybox as she watched, and she felt herself floating higher and higher. The strange colors of the world above continued to blur, to pull her closer as an endless landscape of grayish void called to her.

A strange static filled her ears, starting with a small hum before building to something more recognizable. She realized it was rain, a storm off in the distance, with the occasional low rumble of thunder confirming her suspicions. Why did this sound so familiar? She reached for the sky, eager to answer its call as the sounds of rain grew louder, and just as she touched it, everything around her vanished.

-

Her eyes opened, her room already filling with the dim light of dawn. She groaned, pulling her pillow close as she wished she could continue sleeping, but she knew it was pointless. After a moment of defiance, she relented and began stretching out her arms to wake them up. A loud scraping sound caught her attention, and when she looked to her side, she saw her wing had gouged another hole in the wall.

My wings are out? How? I didn’t go to sleep like this…

She flexed her tail, and sure enough, it rose out of the covers to greet her. She pushed her hands through her hair, confirming her horns were also present.

I’ve never manifested my true form in my sleep before. Is this natural? Is this the demon equivalent of wetting the bed? I guess it’s better than accidentally burning my covers to a crisp.

Amara groaned, pulling herself up before sliding to the edge of her bed. She reached for her phone, almost scared to check the time, when she paused. Her phone was exactly where she’d left it, plugged in on her nightstand, but it was making noise. Specifically, the app she’d downloaded to play thunderstorm sounds while she slept. She picked it up, increasing the volume as she listened, and realized it matched the noises in her dream exactly.

Chapter Text

Amara looked around the barren classroom as Tessa flicked the lights on. Rows upon rows of empty seats sat ready, perfectly positioned to give everyone a clear view of the front of the class. The floor escalated just past the first seats, each step containing another row of chairs, until ending at the back wall. Tall windows let in considerable amounts of sunlight, though the source wasn't visible; it was just past noon, and the sun was high above them.

The girls looked at each other for a moment before heading towards the back corner. They'd decided that it would be best to avoid unwanted attention, though Amara had a feeling that Tessa would have chosen the same spot regardless of cult activity.

The witch was wearing a pair of black, baggy cargo pants, as well as her usual combat boots. A red tank top hugged her curves, bearing the distressed logo of some band Amara had never heard of. A black jacket that was several sizes too big completed the outfit, though it only properly sat on one shoulder, the other side bunched around her elbow as she sat down.

Amara had put considerably more effort into her outfit. After being forced to spend several weeks hiding her tail and horns, she was always happy to put together something cute when she left the house. A flattering pair of dark blue jeans showed off her beige ankle booties, the heels rather small to accommodate long walks across campus. Her cleavage was tastefully on display beneath her low-cut shirt, its gray heathered pattern mostly hidden underneath a deep orange cardigan that ended at her thighs. She didn't join Tessa in a chair, instead taking the time to walk around the classroom while her friend opened her journal.

"I'm so fucking sick of these circles. I was hoping that finding more would make it easier to figure them out, but I've got nothing," Tessa griped. They had decided to get to Tessa's English class early, hoping to spend as much time as they could hunting for potential clues. In the meantime, since no one was present, she was pouring over her diagrams of the various magic circles they'd discovered.

"Well, what do we know? What are easy assumptions we can make?" Amara slowly wandered around the room, looking at all the different seats as she slowly moved towards the front of the class.

"I'm like, ninety percent sure each one is tied to a different plane. That's the simplest way to explain why all the circles act differently. The most obvious was the circle under the cafeteria, that's definitely connected to The Wilds."

"The Wilds?"

"That's what witches tend to call it, but it's got a lot of names. It's heavily tied to ideas of ground, earth, and the life that springs from it. Think lots of heavy forests, thick jungles, stuff like that. It's home to a lot of magical creatures too. Werewolves, fairies, dryads, tons of others; if there's a cryptid on our plane, it's likely from there."

"Y'know, I'd briefly forgotten how weird my life had gotten, so thanks for the reminder." Amara paused for a moment, taking in everything she'd just heard. "Fairies? Really?"

"Welcome to the World of Magic! Population: Everything and anything you've ever heard of. You're a succubus, just be thankful you have a way to fight back. Learning about magic means you're fair game to a lot of creatures, and not everyone has that luxury."

"I'm going to get attacked just because I know about magic?" Amara asked, looking back at her friend in surprise.

"Alright, well, it's not quite that cut and dry. A lot of things, people and creatures alike, greatly benefit from magic being underground, and there's an unspoken rule that you should try to keep it that way. However, once someone knows about magic, you can fuck with them without breaking that rule." Tessa took a deep breath, her eyes briefly staring into the distance. "But it's more than that. This world, Amara? Magic? It's a giant fucking curse. For some reason, things always seem to go wrong once people join it."

Amara leaned against the main desk in the front of the classroom. Those last words rattled around in her head, and her thoughts drifted back to Halloween. She felt herself starting to spiral, and she quickly shook her head to stay in the moment. "Right, so each circle is tied to a plane. What else?"

"That's honestly my only good guess. These things are complicated as hell."

"What about the Science Building? You said it was keeping things out?"

"Even if I'm right about that one, I have no idea if the other circles were built the same way. If they are, why was that one hidden the way it was? Why not use illusions like the other ones? Why are there so many?" Tessa groaned again, sliding back in her chair as she threw her head back.

Amara, unsure what else to say, instead circled behind the teacher's desk and started rummaging through its drawers. Most of them were filled with insignificant office supplies, but she dutifully looked through every nook and cranny just to be safe. In the end, the most interesting thing she'd found had been a small bag of chocolates. She happily swiped a few, returning to Tessa in the back of the classroom and handing her some sweets.

"So what's your plan? Are you seriously just planning on watching him teach?" Tessa unwrapped a chocolate and popped it into her mouth.

"Yes, actually. Why is that so weird?"

"It's just so boring! If I had your powers, I'd only need 5 minutes alone with him and we'd get all the answers we wanted." The witch's tattoos lit up, and her pen started hovering over her notebook. "Look at this, how am I supposed to threaten someone with mild levitation?"

"Tess, when I first saw you do magic, you threw someone across a room."

"That was a fluke! And I shouldn't have done it in the first place, I overexerted myself and had a headache for days."

A sound in the hallway caught Amara's attention, and she suddenly recognized the march of students nearing the classroom. She reached out and pushed Tessa's pen back to the desk just as the door opened, then whispered, "Well, let's be thankful that I'm the demon here, not you."

Tessa rolled her eyes but dropped the topic without a fuss. She reached into her backpack, pulling out her notebooks for the English class that was about to start, and sighed heavily.

Amara, on the other hand, pulled out a pair of stylish sunglasses. She felt a little silly putting them on, but she figured the worst-case scenario would be strangers thinking she was hung over. In truth, she was hoping to study the auras of everyone in class. The events at the Halloween party, coupled with her recently discovered night vision, had been a reminder that her body was still changing. Who's to say that her senses would stay limited to reading sexual auras?

With her eyes safely covered, she let them flare and began looking around the room. She saw a young man saying goodbye his girlfriend in the hallway before entering class, and they'd clearly fucked this morning. A minute later, a smaller girl with a tight black braid walked in with a vibrant aura, but there were no traces of a second person; she'd definitely just finished masturbating. An incredibly fit boy in a varsity jacket in the front row was pining for a tall, brown-haired boy that had just entered. The taller boy either didn't share those feelings or hadn't noticed the athlete, instead staying glued to his phone while he pulled his books out.

Everything she learned fascinated her, it was incredible seeing such intimate details out in the open like this. Still, other than a chance to flex her improved senses, she didn't see anything noteworthy.

"Where's the teacher?" Amara whispered.

"He's always a little late," Tessa replied. "I think he's got office hours right before this class, sometimes he gets here with a student or two."

As if on cue, the door opened. Professor Luxnor hurried inside, but not before holding the door open for the last student. Amara vaguely recognized the girl walking in behind him, a tall redhead in a green, low-cut top. Her simple leather jacket clearly wasn't trying to hide her ample cleavage, and her posture implied that she was used to being the center of attention. A small handful of students grew noticeably excited at her entrance, though Amara was far more interested in the aura of this new student.

"Who's the redhead? She looks familiar." Amara asked.

"Kylie? You danced with her at the Halloween party. I remember 'cuz I was really fucking jealous."

"Oh, I don't think it's me you should be jealous of."

"What? Who?" Tessa leaned closer, but Amara didn't say anything. She simply gave a knowing look towards the teacher. "Mr. Luxnor?! Shut the fuck up!"

"Their auras are perfectly in sync; I'd say they finished within the last half hour or so."

"I can't fucking believe it! First the cult, but now he's hooking up with a student? Man, he used to be one of my favorite teachers too..."

"You're missing the silver lining here, Tessa." Amara smirked, letting her eyes return to normal as she put her sunglasses away. "We can use this against him."

After sitting through Professor Luxnor's class, which dragged on much longer than Amara would have liked, she found herself with nothing to do for the rest of the day. Nick's Tuesday schedule was packed full, and he wouldn't be free until close to dinner. She thought about returning to her apartment to work on some homework, but being alone didn't sound all that appealing. Instead, she pulled up Chloé's number and shot her a text.

Amara: What's up? Still in classes?

Chloé: Nope! I just finished up lunch and I'm handing at home

Chloé: Hanging*

Amara: Can I come over? Got nothing going on

Chloé: That sounds awesome!

Chloé: I'll meet you at the entrance :)

Sighing in relief, Amara picked up the pace and made her way to her friend's place. Chloé was the only one of her friends that actually lived in a dorm, so the walk was pretty short. She did her best to enjoy the feel of the sun on her face, but its rays kept getting swept away by the cool autumn breeze. As happy as she was to be immune to the changing weather, she was still vaguely aware that it was getting colder.

As she approached the building, she saw her friend leaning against the wall in the main lobby. She moved closer, opened the door, and the two hiked back up to the third floor.

It felt like ages since Amara had been at Chloé's place. They used to hang out fairly regularly, but that tradition had been neglected in the chaos of Amara's transformation. Thankfully, the trepidation creeping at the edge of her thoughts vanished as soon as she stepped inside. Everything looked unchanged, as if nothing had happened over the last few months. It felt like stepping into a time capsule, a relic of a bygone age where Amara hadn't yet been swept up in demonic chaos.

Chloé led the way to her bedroom, then jumped on her bed and picked up her controller. She seemed to be in the middle of a game, and Amara happily let her start it up again while she made herself comfy next to her. After some careful rearranging of the stuffed animals on the bed, Amara ended up laying her head on a large plush shark while resting her feet in Chloé's lap.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Amara asked.

"Not much, to be honest. I've got a few things I'm waiting on for the charity, and I can't really do much until those finish up. Until then, the day is mine! I was probably just gonna play games, eat dinner at some point, nothing much." Chloé leaned back, resting against the wall as she talked.

Amara pulled out her phone, half-heartedly scrolling through various sites as she kept talking. "Hey, whatever happened with the guy you were into? Did you ever make a move?"

Chloé blushed, stammering for a few seconds before managing to speak. "N-no... nothing yet. We still talk somewhat regularly, but every time I try to say something, I freeze up!"

"Girl, you just gotta go for it! Put yourself out there!"

"We talked at the Halloween party! I almost asked him to dance, but I froze up and couldn't think of what to say. Plus, later I saw him dancing with some other girl, and she was super pretty..."

"So? I danced with a bunch of people, even kissed some, but I'm not dating any of them. There's a big difference between letting loose at a party and actually looking for a partner." Amara playfully jabbed Chloé with her foot, "And how many times do I have to tell you how cute you are? You can't keep comparing yourself to other girls like this!"

"Well, yeah, but... It's not..." Chloé buried her nose in her sweater, blushing profusely as she failed to think of anything to say. Amara was used to these kinds of pep talks, and she knew from experience that trying to push further wouldn't do any good. Instead, she decided to change the conversation and ask about the game she was playing.

Chloé's mood immediately shifted. She loved video games, and loved talking about them even more. The change in her demeanor was so drastic it was almost comical; no longer was she nervously trying to be part of the conversation, instead she charged ahead as she happily shared her passions with her friend. Last year, when they'd first started hanging out, she'd been nervous about oversharing and dominating the conversation, but Amara had eventually convinced her that she loved listening.

In Amara's opinion, everyone had a spark inside of them. A passion that burned bright, that could only be seen under the right conditions. Whether it was food, music, movies, or games, everyone had something that truly made them come alive. She loved to find that spark, to encourage people to share it, and she suspected that was one reason she felt drawn to photography. If she timed her shots well, if she asked the right questions, she was able to capture that joy and immortalize it in a picture.

Today, Chloé was playing a game about farming. She'd inherited a farm from her grandpa, and she had to get it up and running again while also getting to know the local townspeople. It was really cute, and at first Amara had thought it was an older game due to its pixelated graphics, but Chloé assured her it was purely an aesthetic choice.

After an hour or so of relaxing, with the girls talking about nothing in particular, Chloé's phone went off. She paused her game and grabbed her phone, then her eyes grew wide.

"Amara!"

"Everything okay?"

"It got delivered! Quick, we have to go see it!"

"That... doesn't exactly answer my question." Amara quickly moved her feet as Chloé jumped off the bed, running for her shoes. Confused, Amara joined her friend as she started down the hallway.

After a quick jog down the stairs, they left the building. Amara had expected this to be the end of the journey, but she didn't see any sort of package or delivery. Instead, Chloé kept walking. She was staring at her phone, frantically texting, and Amara had to steer her away from other students a few times as their mysterious journey continued. It took another ten minutes or so for Amara to realize where they were heading, and she did her best to steel her nerves.

The Jade Palace.

"Amara, look! There it is!" Chloé said excitedly.

With their destination now in sight, Amara finally saw what Chloé was so excited about. The Palace remained unchanged, its blackened walls a horrid reminder of her actions, but it was no longer alone. On the back of the lot, further away from the street, sat a massive green dumpster. Its metal was worn, the deep green paint clearly chipped in numerous places, and one of the shorter sides was designed with a latch. Amara watched as Chloé ran closer, undoing the hinge and pulling at the massive door. She was clearly struggling, and Amara ran in to help her out. She pulled the door open with ease, barely even registering its size.

"Thanks Amara!" Chloé said, gasping for air. "This thing is huge! It's just what we need!"

"What happens now?"

"We can begin cleanup! It's gonna take a lot of time, and we'll need a lot of help, but I already have that planned out. We can start recruiting volunteers now, designate specific cleaning hours so everything stays supervised, stuff like that. I just need to check in with some of the other members--"

Chloé continued talking, and after a few seconds Amara realized she was likely just talking to herself to keep her thoughts straight. Amara, instead, wandered closer to the burnt remains of the old party house, staring at all the destroyed lumber and drywall. She would definitely be needed to take pictures of the cleanup, that much was obvious, but it didn't feel like enough. She closed her eyes, a deep breath filling her lungs, and flinched as the embers from that night brushed across her face again. She heard the house groaning and snapping, threatening to collapse on top of her. Her claws squeezed tight, Vee's blood running down her--

No. That's not who I am.

She shook her head, pushing the memories away as she wiped a tear from her face. Another deep breath, this one shaking with worry, and she turned to her friend. "Why can't we start now?"

"What?" Chloé asked, her thought process interrupted by Amara's question.

"The cleanup. We're here, why can't we start now?"

"Oh! Well, we don't have any of the materials. Obviously we'll need protective gear; safety glasses, gloves, hardhats, all that, but we're also not dressed for it. Look at your clothes, you'd ruin them!" Chloé paused, looking at the remains of the Palace before continuing. "Plus, even if we had all that, I doubt I'm going to be much help. I lost a lot of muscle after I started hormones."

"Right, silly question. I guess I'm just... I want to help." Amara paused, moving closer to her friend and pulling her in for a hug. "You're a good person Chloé. Thanks for putting this together."

"You're already doing so much!" Chloé hugged back for a moment before pulling away. "Want to help put together a schedule?"

Amara laughed, then politely declined. With nothing else to do here, they picked up their things and began the walk back to campus. They continued talking about the charity efforts, Chloé sharing updates on what they could afford at the moment, and Amara explaining how they could structure their social media presence. Before leaving the lot completely, she turned back to look at the burned ruins, her thoughts lingering on the cleanup that was ready to begin.

Chloé's charity efforts lingered in Amara's thoughts for the rest of the day. Even after meeting up with Nick and heading back to her place, she found it hard to concentrate. Seeing the dumpster, hearing Chloé talk about the money they'd already raised, it somehow made the entire effort feel so much more real than it had yesterday. It wasn't just an idea anymore, it was reality. She let Nick lead most of the conversation, and she was pretty sure he noticed.

She wasn't completely silent, though. There were still the updates about the cult, about the new circle they'd found and the conversation they'd overheard. Nick seemed just as surprised to hear about Professor Luxnor's affair with Kylie; apparently he was familiar with the teacher as well and didn't think him the type.

"What if it's all connected?" Nick asked.

"What do you mean? You think Kylie's a part of this cult too?"

"No, but what if he wants her to be? Or what if he's trying to set her up to be some kind of sacrifice? There's already a huge power imbalance at play here, and he has a great excuse to invite her to secret locations without her asking why."

Amara gagged slightly even thinking about the idea. "Fuck, I hadn't thought about that. Guess it's a good thing Tessa and I are picking up the pace."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" Nick asked, concern in his voice. "I know this is way outside my wheelhouse, but it's frustrating knowing what's going on and sitting on the sidelines."

"You're going to stay put and stay safe. We have no idea what these people are trying to do, and you're just a squishy human. Tessa's got magic, she's the only one that can read the circles, and I recently confirmed that I've got super-healing. We can hold our own."

"Wait, did you get hurt again?"

"I was testing a shapeshifting thing and cut my hand a bit, no big deal. Especially since it healed in seconds. Plus," Amara pulled the shoulder of her shirt down, "Vee stabbed me right here, the blade went completely through, and there's not a hint of it there. That sword was Enochian, too."

Nick paused for a moment before responding, his face twisting in concern. "I... didn't know that. At least it healed, right?"

His comments reminded Amara that she'd never actually gone through everything that happened at the Halloween party. She'd avoided sharing many of the details, especially the more painful ones, but sometimes it was easy to forget that Nick didn't actually know everything about her. They looked at each other for a moment, an awkward silence filling the room before Nick finally decided to change the subject.

"Well, if I'm gonna be on the sidelines for this, I think I deserve a snack." He grabbed his backpack from behind the couch and opened it up. "Make us some popcorn?"

"Do you actually have any? Or is this a setup for a terrible joke?" Amara watched as her friend pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn, then tossed it to her. "Shit, you were serious, alright then."

The two of them were sitting on the couch, Nick on one end, Amara laying on the other with her feet in his lap. She started to stand up when he grabbed her legs, preventing her from leaving. "Ah ah, no cheating." he said, waggling his finger.

"Do you want popcorn or not? The microwave isn't about to grow legs and walk over here."

"You're not going to use the microwave." he said sternly.

She stared at Nick for a few moments before the meaning of his words hit her. "No. Absolutely not!"

"You can't just ignore who you are, Amara."

"Says who? This stupid hellfire can't hurt anyone if I never use it!"

"And how are you going to do that? Can you honestly say you're never going to get mad again for the rest of your life? What happens if a fight breaks out when you confront this cult?"

"I-I'll figure something out!" Amara stammered.

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to cut it. This fire is a part of you; it fuels your shapeshifting, your ability to sleep and enjoy food. It's going to come out at some point, whether you want it to or not. When that happens, do you want to be scared of it? Or would you rather have the understanding to control it?"

Amara couldn't bring herself to respond, but her thoughts drifted back to last night. In her sleep, without realizing it, she'd manifested her true form. Who's to say the same couldn't happen with her fire?

She sighed, reluctantly meeting Nick's eyes. "...Fine."

He released her legs, letting her swing forward and plant her feet on the floor. She grabbed the bag, tore off the plastic, and held it in her palm.

Alright Amara. An open flame would be too much, right? I need heat without fire, which I know I can do; I did it with Tessa when I was breaking through the Enochian seal.

Closing her eyes, Amara focused on her inner fire. It responded eagerly to her touch, dancing and flickering inside of her. Reaching out, she pulled it into her palm and tried to release a tiny fraction of energy. For a moment, she didn't feel much of anything. She stared at the bag of popcorn, wondering if anything was going to happen, and eventually decided to push a little more. Within seconds, her hand, and then the bag, caught fire.

"Shit!"

She moved her other hand over the popcorn, trying to focus on controlling the fire. She felt the flames underneath her fingers, the warmth calling to her, and fought to exert her own will over them. Soon enough, the color turned as she regained control, and she extinguished the fire. There was a blackened hole in the middle of the bag, the kernels now visible, and Amara found a single piece of popcorn.

"Um... bon appétit?" Amara said, throwing the popcorn at Nick.

He stared at it blankly before looking back at her. "I think you can do better than that."

"Well, I ruined the bag, so I guess we'll have to try another time. Oh well." She sighed dramatically, glad the experiment was over.

Nick, on the other hand, reached into his backpack and pulled out another bag, throwing it at her. "Sorry, you're not getting off that easy. Try it again."

"What am I supposed to do? I can't feel heat the way you do! By the time I register anything, I've already created flames." Amara grumbled as she opened the bag of popcorn, throwing the wrapper on the floor in frustration. Nick said nothing, his eyes on hers as he waited for another attempt.

Grumbling, she repositioned on the couch. Instead of grabbing the bag of popcorn, she let it sit in her lap while she looked at her hands. With her palms up, she summoned small flames in each of them, trying to focus on what they felt like. The heat was comforting, the small flames skipping across her hands, but she knew it was too strong. Despite her hesitations, she remembered when she first gained control over her fire, how she'd giggled and called them cute, and she tried to focus on that feeling rather than her fear. Concentrating on the flames, she tried to slowly pull energy away from them, urging them to grow smaller. It took more effort than she'd expected, but eventually she managed to snuff out the fire while keeping the connection alive.

Focusing on that feeling, she quickly grabbed the popcorn and placed it on her hand. She stared intently at the bag, remembering that popcorn normally took a couple minutes to cook. A count began in her head, slow and steady, as she continued focusing. The seconds ticked on, each one an eternity as she fought to keep the bag from igniting, but eventually she heard a familiar popping sound.

The bag jumped in Amara's hand, causing her to flinch. Thankfully, she didn't drop the popcorn, and she moved her other hand on top of the bag to keep it steady as more and more kernels popped. Over the next minute or so, the bag continued inflating until the popping sounds grew less frequent, and she severed the connection entirely.

"Well?" Nick asked.

Amara waited a few seconds, then nervously pulled the bag open. To her delight, a fragrant, buttery smell washed over her. "I think it worked! Want some hellfire popcorn?"

The two of them took turns testing the food, and although they found a small handful of blackened popcorn, quite a bit of it was edible.

"Not bad for a second attempt!" Nick said, playfully ruffling Amara's hair. "Ready for the midterm?"

"What, there's more?"

"If you recall, Amara, we haven't eaten yet."

"Ugh, what's for dinner? More schemes?" Amara said playfully, her mouth full of popcorn.

Nick pulled Amara off the couch, bringing her to the kitchen before opening the fridge. She saw that, at some point, he'd done some grocery shopping, and she now had a considerable amount of food ready to go. They decided on a relatively simple meal, but one that would push Amara's concentration a bit further.

She started by boiling a pot of water, but this time she didn't hold it in her hands. She kept it on the stove and summoned a small fire underneath it. She focused on this exclusively for a few minutes, testing how far she could move away from the fire while still keeping the heat consistent. Just like under the cafeteria with Tessa, it took more effort the further away she was, but she was happy to have any control at all. Once the water boiled, Nick put in some spaghetti and prepped the next step.

He placed a frying pan on the stove, next to the boiling water, and placed in two pieces of chicken. After a deep breath, Amara summoned a second flame under the pan, doing her best not to lose concentration on the first. This proved much more difficult, and the water boiled over a few times when her focus slipped, but thankfully Nick was helping out. He had taken charge of setting timers, flipping the chicken when appropriate, and cleaning up when needed.

Soon enough, the spaghetti was finished, and Amara moved on to the last piece of dinner. While still focusing on the flame under the frying pan, she held a piece of store-bought garlic bread in her hand and started cooking it. This proved to be the most difficult step; previously she'd had two open flames, but now she kept one flame alive while purposely snuffing the other.

At the end of the whole ordeal, the chicken had been slightly overcooked, and Amara had accidentally burnt three of their five pieces of garlic bread, but she was happy with everything they'd put together. She grabbed their drinks, sat down at the counter, and sighed in relief.

"Alright, I'll admit it. This was a really good idea." Amara said, biting into a piece of bread. "Honestly, it was kind of fun too. I've never been much of a chef, but maybe it's something to look into."

"You seem more put together, if you don't mind me saying."

Amara paused, finishing her bite slowly before responding. "It... comes and goes. It still hurts, and I still wish I could talk with Vee, but at least I feel like I have a way forward now. You really do have the patience of a saint, you know that?"

"What can I say? I just like seeing you up on your feet."

"Oh! Want to see something cool?" Amara manifested her tail, then moved the tip next to her plate. Focusing on her tail, she watched as the familiar, chitinous exoskeleton reformed. She altered the edge, and soon had a razor-sharp knife once more. "This is what I was telling you about earlier, with my shapeshifting!"

Nick watched in surprise as Amara started cutting up her chicken with her knife-tail. "Dang, that's pretty sharp. Are you sure it's clean? Where does this stuff even come from?"

Amara kept eating as she examined her tail. "Ooh that's a good question. Is it a part of me? Am I summoning it from elsewhere?"

The two friends continued eating their dinner as they discussed theories about Amara's shapeshifting. Nick was curious how Amara's exoskeleton might compare to an insects, but she was adamant that she wasn't going to break pieces of herself off for him to study. They eventually decided that, since magic was clearly involved, they were unlikely to get any real answers anytime soon.

Cleaning up the kitchen was a relatively quick affair, as Nick had been keeping things tidy while she'd been focusing on cooking. After they finished, he moved back to the couch and sighed in content while he sank into the cushions. Amara, on the other hand, wasn't interested in the couch.

"Alright, time for second dinner!" She said, tying her hair back.

"What? You can't possibly still be hungry."

She smirked, then fell to her knees in front of Nick. "Little slow on the uptake, are we?" They locked eyes, Nick's aura starting to swell as understanding hit him.

"So, what will it be today?" Amara continued, "Tits out or in? Slow and sensual or hard and fast? Horns? Tail?"

"We just ate, so I think something slower will be nice." Nick began undoing his pants as they talked, and Amara eagerly began helping. Soon enough, he was leaning back with his legs spread to give her space.

Moving in, Amara ran her hands up his legs as she watched his cock start to twitch. Kissing his thighs, she took plenty of time to tease him as she drew closer. After each kiss, she playfully licked his leg, finally stopping only inches from his throbbing member. Her hands continued to massage his legs while her tail, no longer a bladed weapon, moved in and wrapped around his shaft. She held it high, slowly stroking it while she leaned in and began teasing his balls, her tongue moving in circles as she pulled them into her mouth.

She moaned, knowing how much Nick liked her vocalizations, then pushed her hands higher. She massaged his chest next, enjoying the feeling of his muscled body as he tensed in pleasure. Her tail loosened its grip, sliding up until it was only holding the tip of his cock. Amara moved with it, her tongue reaching for the base of his shaft as she slowly kissed it. She turned her head sideways, lips eagerly sucking his length, as she began moving up and down Nick's cock.

The feel of her lips seemed to be the turning point for Nick, and his aura was finally strong enough for her to begin feeding. Strength and vitality filled her senses, restoring her energy that had been spent cooking dinner. Last time they'd fucked she'd simply fed out of necessity, and she hadn't bothered taking more than she needed. Now, although her confidence was still shaken, she felt comfortable enough with her abilities to try and top off her reserves once more.

Deciding that Nick had been teased long enough, she pulled her tail off his cock completely and replaced it with her lips. She kissed the tip, a long, drawn-out affair that she spent far too long enjoying. Her tongue teased his cockhead, slowly pushing in and out of her mouth as she continued sucking. When she pushed her head down, pulling his cock further inside, his moans filled the apartment as he tried to thrust deeper still. She wouldn't let him, and moved with his hips to keep his cock only halfway in her mouth. He tried again, eager for more, her throat more than capable of taking his length, and yet she continued to refuse.

When her tail wrapped around his neck and playfully slapped his cheek, he finally got the hint and stopped trying. He settled for running his hands through Amara's hair, softly playing with it as she happily bobbed up and down on roughly half of his length.

It only took a few more minutes for her to decide that he'd waited long enough. With a deep breath, she pushed down again and felt his cock push against her throat. She gagged loudly, not out of reflex, but because she knew he loved it. Her tongue kept massaging his shaft as she stayed at that depth, his cock continually testing the entrance to her throat. She let herself gag playfully, over and over, before meeting Nick's eyes with her own. It was obvious how much he was enjoying himself; she didn't even need to read his aura.

Amara pulled back one last time, teasing the tip of Nick's cock before pushing down and opening up her throat. Her lips planted on his crotch as she successfully took the entire shaft, her tongue reaching for his balls and eagerly massaging them.

She began moving up and down his length, from tip to base, in purposely slow strokes to drive Nick crazy. His aura grew stronger with each pass, each push into Amara's throat, and she felt her inner fire roaring with renewed vigor. As she picked up the pace, knowing he likely didn't have much time left, his hands tightened in her hair. She let him guide her, surrendering her control to make sure he had the strongest orgasm possible. It only took another few seconds before Nick pulled her completely down, his cock twitching before unloading into her.

Nick unexpectedly pulled her back, his first load shooting into her mouth before her lips left him completely. He continued cumming, covering her face while she focused on drawing energy from his aura, now at its most potent. She playfully pushed her tongue out, the cum in her mouth dripping down onto her chin while his cock shot its last spurt on her cheek.

Soon enough, Nick's breathing began to calm down. She stayed connected to his aura as long as possible, the energy of his climax filling every fiber of her being with infectious giddiness. She could feel her senses expanding, her body twitching with anticipation as she realized her body felt lighter than ever. Unfortunately, the moment passed quickly as Nick reached the end of his orgasm.

"Fucking... wow." Nick panted, "That was amazing, Amara."

"You're the one doing me a favor, remember? Your orgasm is a lucky coincidence, that's all." Amara smirked, her sarcasm eliciting a chuckle from her best friend. When his laughter broke, he looked down at Amara just in time to see her pushing his cum into her mouth.

"Do you actually get anything from that?"

"Eating cum? I do, actually. It's not as potent as feeding directly from the source, but your cum absolutely has traces of your aura." She swallowed the last of it, then licked her lips clean and stood up again. "Plus, I hear guys love it. You're a bunch of perverts."

Amara hopped back on the couch, grabbing her phone as she curled her tail around her legs. Nick, having finally caught his breath, took the time to get dressed while she checked her various socials. In particular, she was looking into Chloé's charity and the numbers it was getting. They were in a good spot at the moment, but the campaign was still in its early stages. The true test would be keeping momentum after the initial excitement, which was something Amara felt a lot of responsibility for.

By the time Nick was fully dressed, she'd already made a few notes for herself regarding posting ideas. He joined her on the couch, pulling her in for a hug as he pulled out his own phone. "So, what's the plan for the rest of the night?"

"Eh, it's already pretty late. Throw on some TV?"

Nick nodded in agreement, searching through their various streaming apps before settling on an old sci-fi show. Amara wasn't as interested, but it was nice to have something on in the background that she didn't feel obligated to pay attention to. The rest of the night passed uneventfully, the two friends happy to have a quiet evening, and soon enough Nick left to return home.

Amara took a long shower to ground herself, hoping her various soaps and lotions would keep her from lingering on unpleasant thoughts. She was pretty sure no water would ever be hot enough for her, but it was still nice to feel pampered.

Now alone in her bedroom, she set up her white noise app, double checked that her demonic features were absent, and was asleep the instant she hit the pillow.

Amara reached over, resting a hand on her date's leg. She gripped it tight, savoring the feel of her soft skin under her fingers. She massaged her thigh slowly, watching as her girlfriend opened her legs ever so slightly, her bright red thong visible each time they passed a light. Her hand moved higher, squeezing and massaging the delicate skin, before they brushed against the silky fabric of her date's panties. She gasped, the touch exciting her, before suddenly slapping Amara's hands away, though not without a playful smirk.

"Alright, hands to yourself mister! Just a few more minutes and you can bend me over anything you'd like."

Amara sighed, knowing they'd be home soon. She grabbed her drink, a half empty can of beer in the cupholder, and slammed the rest of it. She couldn't taste it much anymore, the mixed drinks from earlier made sure of that, but it kept her primed and eager for the coming romp. She threw the can behind her, hearing it rattle as it landed amongst the others.

The road suddenly started shaking, and she assumed she must have hit a rumble strip. Without warning, however, her girlfriend screamed and grabbed the handle above her. Amara looked back at the road, but it was nowhere to be seen. A sea of grass and gravel stretched in front of her, and she tried to slam the breaks, but an unexpected ditch disoriented her for a moment. Suddenly, the car slammed into the edge of a protective barrier, and that's when the rattling stopped. The car was airborne, just for a second, as Amara realized they were headed directly into a river.

The front of the car slammed into the water, throwing Amara forward as the airbag erupted in front of her. The force of the impact threatened to knock her out, but after a few seconds she regained her senses and looked around.

Water was pooling in the bottom of the car, its icy grip already creeping into her feet. In a panic, she undid her seat belt, pushed open the door and scrambled out of the driver's seat. She fell into the water, no idea how deep it was, and desperately swam back to shore. Her clothes were soaked, and it took everything she had to keep breathing, but she collapsed with relief once she made it to land.

After giving herself a few seconds to catch her breath, she realized she didn't hear anything else. Where was her girlfriend? Had she made it out? She shot back to her feet just in time to see the rear bumper of the car disappear beneath the river.

"Steph?! Steph!!" Amara screamed, her voice unusually deep. She wanted to run, to dive in after the car to try and save her girlfriend, but she couldn't move. Her entire body locked up in fear, she could only think of one thing to do. Her hand reached into her pocket, grabbing her phone, and she prayed it still worked. Against all odds, she was able to turn it on and dial out. After the first few rings, someone finally answered.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" The voice on the other line snarled, its contempt obvious.

"Dad, the car, I--"

"What did you do to my Bentley?"

"Fuck the car! It's Steph, she... I can't..."

The voice paused, sighing in frustration. "Ugh, just tell me what happened, Derek."

Amara shot forward, her covers a tangled mess around her tail. Her breathing was heavy, and she didn't even register that her wings had torn out more chunks of drywall. The reality of what she'd just seen finally hit her, and everything clicked into place.

"They're not my dreams!"

Chapter Text

The revelation that Amara's recent nightmares weren't actually hers kept her distracted for the entirety of the next morning. On the one hand, the dreams had been quite troubling, and she was relieved to know that she wasn't repressing any horrible memories or seeing grim portents of a possible future. On the other, it was time to deal with yet another new ability, and the intangibility of this one meant testing it would be difficult.

All her other developments had been delightfully straightforward. She could touch her tail and her wings, and she could manifest fire whenever she wanted. How could she practice dreamwalking?

Should I even call it dreamwalking? I don't know if I'm physically traveling to Derek's dreams, or if I'm picking up on his thoughts like some kind of dream television. Do I need to be asleep to do this? Maybe I should let Nick sleep at my place and try to jump into his dreams...

Her morning lectures did nothing to distract her. In fact, she even saw a student nodding off in the back row, and she was tempted to amplify her vision to look for hints of his dreams, but decided against it.

Soon enough, the professor let everyone go, and Amara eagerly headed for the athletic campus. She hadn't visited it since the night her wings first appeared, and today she was planning on meeting up with Nick. Even though he didn't wrestle anymore, he frequently joined in whatever activities he could find. It kept him in shape, which Amara certainly appreciated, and it gave him a chance to spend time with his more athletic friend group.

They eventually met up behind the Gymnastics building. The back wall faced away from campus, and held a large field peppered with the occasional tree. Nick had mentioned a few times that this was a great spot to relax, and due to the morning hours, they were the only people present. She found Nick leaning against the bricks of the building, sitting in the grass with his backpack open beside him. Black gym shorts showed off his muscular legs, and a tight green shirt flattered his torso in much the same way.

"Good workout?" Amara asked, setting down her bag and sitting across from Nick.

"Of course! Alex is still really into freerunning, and he talked me into giving it a shot. He's been trying to teach me some of the basics, and it's pretty tough. What about you?"

"Ugh, you know the answer to that."

"Derek's dreams?" Nick asked.

"Yes! What does it mean? Am I seeing them for a reason?" Amara fell backwards onto the grass, groaning loudly.

"There's always a chance it means nothing. Does he live near you? Maybe you're picking up his dreams because he's down the hall or something."

"But every night? There have got to be other people dreaming around me."

Nick went quiet, then pulled out his phone after a minute of thought. "You said the dreams are the same every time?"

"They're similar, but sometimes I see different parts. And there was the time I floated away from everything, which I don't know was part of his dream or my own powers acting up."

After another few moments of silence, Amara looked over to Nick to see why he wasn't responding. Before she could ask, however, he finally spoke up.

"Isn't it weird that he's having the same dream, night after night? I doubt that's happening for no reason, especially when it's such a realistic nightmare. What if this actually happened?"

Amara sat up, sliding closer to Nick while he continued his online sleuthing. "Shit, that's a good idea! Maybe this is something we can use to our advantage!" She pulled out her own phone, deciding she may as well try to help. It took another few minutes before Nick spoke up again.

"Anything yet?" He asked.

"Nothing," Amara sighed. "Well, I guess technically I'm finding a lot, but it's all mindless fluff pieces about how great he is. He's America's next great entrepreneur, he's valedictorian of his graduating class, blah blah blah. I feel like I'm reading obsessive fanfic that his dad paid people to publish. What about you?"

"Mostly the same, but also a lot of stuff about his dad's rise to wealth. Supposedly he's a modern-day rags to riches story, and amassed a huge fortune practically overnight."

"What did he do? Win the lottery?"

"That's the weird thing, I can't find any answers. I'm seeing a lot of vague references to playing the stock market, but nothing tangible. The only thing I can tell for sure is he didn't inherent it, his parents were relative nobodies." Nick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before rubbing his eyes. "Maybe we're coming at this from the wrong angle. What was his girlfriend's name? Stacy?"

"He called her Steph, so probably Stephany. What are you thinking?"

"Well, I think it's safe to assume that everything we find online is going to be heavily curated. What if we find news that's not about him?" Nick shifted on the ground, leaning back against the brick wall. Another few minutes passed, and Amara had given up her own search. She hated this type of research, and instead stood up and stretched out her back.

"Got it!" Nick pumped his fist in victory, waiting for Amara to look over before he started reading the article aloud. "A student was found dead early this morning after officials pulled a car out of a local river. The girl was identified by the local coroner's office as Stephany Peterson, 18, a senior at Jefferson High. Stephany had been drinking with friends late last night and attempted to drive home at approximately 2:15 AM. The last person to see Stephany was her boyfriend, who had let her borrow his car to return home. He was unaware that she'd been drinking, and reported her missing early this morning."

As Nick continued talking, sharing more of the article, Amara found herself pacing across the grass. Every word he read infuriated her, and her breathing was growing erratic. The full scope of the story was now obvious, and she was having trouble thinking straight. "He blamed her? He murdered his girlfriend and got away with it?!"

"Hey, deep breaths Amara, don't--"

"That FUCKING. ASSHOLE!!" Without even realizing it, Amara's hand was suddenly encased in a chitinous gauntlet. She lashed out, punching the brick wall next to her as she let out another scream. Her vision blurred, and she could barely see the dust and mortar that now covered the lawn. Her eyes eventually met Nick's, and she immediately recognized the look on his face.

Fear.

Her vision sharpened again, her breathing calming down as she shook her hand back to normal. She fell to her knees, panicking as she started speaking. "Nick! Please, it's okay, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me! Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Nick took a few deep breaths, his shock quickly fading as he held up a hand. "I'm okay, nothing hit me. I just... I don't think I've ever seen that side of you."

Amara leaned in, pulling Nick into a tight hug as she continued whispering apologies in his ear. They stayed there for several moments before Nick finally whispered back.

"That's what happened at the party, isn't it?"

The two friends separated, Amara nervously wringing her hands. "Y-yeah, but a lot worse. I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"Well, at least you're angry at someone who deserves it this time, right?" Nick forced a smile, trying to smooth things over. "I'm not going to take it out on this wall, but I understand how you feel." The two of them looked at the nearby bricks and saw that a noticeable chunk of the wall had been destroyed.

Amara sat back down, doing her best to brush the evidence of her outburst towards the building. Looking around, she realized that the grass around her also appeared discolored, like it had been out in the sun too long. "Does the article say anything else?"

"Doesn't look like it, but I think it's pretty obvious what happened. His dad must have bribed the police to pin the blame on Stephany."

"There's got to be a way we can use this against him, right?"

"Not with conventional methods."

Their eyes met again, and Amara realized what Nick was inferring. "But, with my powers, I might be able to do something! All those books we read about Succubi, a bunch of them mentioned that we can control dreams!"

"If he's having nightmares about this every time he goes to sleep, he's got to be torn up about it. If you can push him further--"

"--I might be able to force him to come clean! Nick, you're a genius!" Amara jumped up in excitement and began pacing the grass once more. She'd been eager to do something about Derek ever since he'd attacked her, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"Think you're up for it?" Nick asked, smiling at her excitement.

"Well, I'll need to learn how to control dreams. I was actually hoping you might help with that. Want to sleep over tonight?"

"Nah, tonight won't work." Nick grabbed his backpack, pulling out a small agenda. "What about tomorrow?"

Amara did the same, though her schedule was on her phone. "That should work. I figure we'll hook up right before bed, then I'll try to jump into your dreams. If I can't do it awake, I'll go to sleep and hope something happens."

"Great! It's been a while since I've crashed at your place. Maybe we'll do some more cooking while we're at it?"

"I love it! Think of what you want, and I'll do my best not to burn it." Amara chuckled, but stopped when an alarm on her phone went off. "Oh! Shit! I've got to get going, office hours are starting. See ya!"

She grabbed her bag, threw it over her shoulder, and began running back to the main campus. She took a quick detour back to her apartment, where she overhauled her appearance to prepare for her next stop. A change of clothes, a jacket to cover her exposed skin, and a quick look in the mirror to see if her shapeshifting was up to par. The walk across campus was tense, memories of her last impersonation attempt crossed her mind, but thankfully she made it to her destination without issue.

As Amara drew closer to Mr. Luxnor's office, she let out a sigh of relief. The halls were relatively empty, as very few classes ran at this hour, and no one else seemed to be visiting the teacher. She opened her phone's inner camera and did one final inspection, just to be safe.

Deep, emerald green eyes stared back at her behind a curtain of bright red hair. Her makeup was the perfect mix of slutty and sexy, though she did add a touch more lipstick just to be safe. With a deep breath, she moved in and knocked on the door.

"Professor?" she asked.

Mr. Luxnor looked up, clearly surprised by her arrival. "Ms. Donoghue? What brings you by at this hour?"

Up close, Amara finally got a good look at the professor. His deep brown hair was naturally wavy, and it was long enough to frame the sides of his face quite well. His eyes, a similar shade of brown, clearly stole a look at her figure as she entered the office, and she noticed a small shift in his aura. His soft jawline was accentuated by well-manicured stubble, and as he leaned back in his chair, she got a good look at his outfit. A simple black jacket gave his shoulders a fair amount of definition, and underneath he wore a blue button-down shirt that flattered him just as well.

Amara took one last look down the hallway before stepping into the office, leaning against the door as she played with its handle. "Well, I'm just really nervous about class, I'm worried my grades are slipping..."

"Kylie, we went over everything yesterday. At this point, you couldn't fail even if you wanted to." Confusion crossed the teacher's face as they continued talking.

"I'm not sure you understand, Professor." Amara slowly pushed the office door closed, locking it as she turned to face Mr. Luxnor. Her hands moved to her jacket, which she slowly pulled off to reveal her outfit. Her cleavage was on full display in a black push-up bra, which itself was easily visible underneath a white blouse that she'd tied to show off her stomach. A red, plaid skirt sat high on her hips, showing off her legs while leaving very little to the imagination. "I really think I need more extra credit."

Mr. Luxnor's aura practically exploded, and it was clear he was fighting to maintain composure. "Well, now that you mention it, I did just finish grading your last test, and I must say I was very disappointed with your results."

Amara smirked, thrilled that her plan was working so well.

Men are so predictable. Still, he's young and cute, no reason I can't enjoy myself while I'm here...

She placed her jacket on the chair across from the professor's desk, followed by her purse. After a quick glance back at the man behind her, she bent at the waist to show off her bright red panties. His aura confirmed how distracted he was, and she took a quick second to readjust her purse one final time. With everything ready, she turned towards her target and walked closer.

"Is there anything I can do to make it up? To show you how much this class means to me?"

"Oh, I think you know the answer to that, Ms. Donoghue. Assume the position."

Shit, I was worried about this. That could mean anything! Does he want me bent over? On my knees? On his lap? Ugh, focus Amara! Commit to the roleplay!

"Why, whatever do you mean, Professor?" Amara playfully bit her finger, hoping she could pretend that her ignorance was all part of the game. Thankfully, a devious smirk on Mr. Luxnor's face assuaged her fears.

"My, you've forgotten so much of the curriculum already. Perhaps you just need a strong hand to get you straightened out." The teacher stood up and moved towards her, his hand lacing into her hair before grabbing tight. He pushed down, his firm grip bringing her to her knees in front of him. His hand moved to her cheek, and he pushed his thumb into her mouth, which she dutifully sucked deeper. His other hand moved to his pants, undoing them while he continued playing with her lips.

Soon enough, he'd managed to grab his shaft and pull it free. An impressively thick cock now pointed at her mouth, and she locked eyes with Mr. Luxnor as he pulled his thumb from her lips.

"Time for your first lesson, Ms. Donoghue. Open wide, tongue out."

Amara did as she was asked, opening her mouth as wide as possible before pushing out her tongue. She made sure to leave a fair amount of spit on it before it left her mouth, which quickly dripped down her chin and onto her cleavage. The teacher in front of her grinned, then slowly stroked his length while taking in the sight of this eager college slut on her knees. Stepping closer, he slapped his cock on her tongue several times, then moved his hands back to her hair. Grabbing her tight, he pushed forward.

The tip of his cock slid down her tongue, entering her mouth slowly. Amara reacted by wrapping her lips around his shaft, but was surprised when Mr. Luxnor lightly slapped the side of her face.

"Ah ah ah, we've talked about this. Mouth stays open until I say so."

Amara nodded, doing just as he wanted. With her mouth open once again, he pulled her head closer and moaned as his cock caused her to gag softly. He couldn't push as deep this way, but she had a feeling that wasn't the goal at the moment. He began pulling her head up and down, and each time a small gag escaped her lips. His aura indicated that, like Nick, he seemed to love the sounds she made, so she did her best to make them louder.

Over the next few minutes, she made a few attempts to do more for Mr. Luxnor, and each time he reprimanded her. He didn't want her tongue to swirl around his shaft, he didn't want her to move her own head, and he didn't want his cock to go any deeper.

He wanted nothing more than a submissive toy.

It was a strange sensation, as Amara had grown used to being extremely active during sex. Nick loved to see her enthusiasm, and recently she'd begun to enjoy holding him down while they fucked. Tessa loved to be dominated, and always appreciated the extra attention Amara's tail could bring. Even Brandon, as much as she hated him, had clearly enjoyed her faux desperation. In this office, however, she was simply an object of desire.

Another few minutes passed before Mr. Luxnor spoke again. "Next lesson, Ms. Donoghue. Close your mouth, and prepare to take this cock as deep as you can."

Amara nodded, finally letting her lips wrap tight around his shaft. She was fairly sure she could take all of his cock; the length definitely wouldn't be an issue, but the girth would certainly be a new sensation. He continued to hold her tight, and once her lips closed, he began moving her again. His first couple thrusts were slow, he seemed to be testing her limits, but she could tell he wanted more. She'd been connected to his aura for a while now, ever since getting on her knees, so she was intimately aware of everything he was feeling. She kept her eyes locked on his, and couldn't help but notice that he seemed more interesting in watching his cock pump in and out of her lips.

With another thrust, he tried to reach deeper into her throat. She gagged reflexively, as she was still adjusting to his size, but by the time he'd thrust again she was ready for him. The tip of his cock pushed into her throat, just for a second, and he involuntarily let out a quiet moan.

"That's a good girl, just like that..." Mr. Luxnor whispered.

He continued thrusting into her mouth, slowly and deliberately, as he kept pushing her limits. Each time his cock entered her throat, his aura pulsed with excitement, giving Amara a mouthful in more ways than one. It only took a few more minutes before he had what he wanted: a slutty schoolgirl's lips pressed against the base of his cock. He stayed there, rocking her head back and forth as he savored the feeling of her tight throat. When he pulled out, Amara made sure that plenty of spit stayed on display.

"Fuckin' hell, you're getting better at this!"

"Do I have enough extra credit to pass the class yet?" Amara asked, pitching up her voice to sound playfully innocent.

"Oh, not even close. Open up."

Amara nodded, and soon Mr. Luxnor's cock was slowly fucking her face again. He moved her back and forth, meeting her head with his own thrusts, as his cock repeatedly bottomed out. She made sure to keep the throatfucking as wet as possible, both for her own sake and to coat her tits in spit to enhance the view. It only took a few more minutes for his movements to grow faster, more erratic, as he reveled in the feeling of her throat. She was unfamiliar with how much control he had over himself, but his aura seemed to indicate he was close to cumming. The facefucking became relentless, his cock hammering into her throat as his grip tightened, but he stopped without warning just before his orgasm overtook him.

She watched his cock leave her mouth, gasping heavily as she took a deep breath. Her tits were soaked, the thin fabric of her shirt completely see-through at this point.

"I'd say we're almost there, Ms. Donoghue. Are you ready for your final?" Mr. Luxnor asked.

"Yes please, Mr. Luxnor. I want to show you what a good girl I can be!" Amara smirked, playfully biting one of her fingers as she waited for a hint of what to do next.

"Panties off, bend over my desk." he said sternly.

Without hesitation, Amara rose to her feet before moving towards the desk. She leaned forward, hooked her thumbs into her panties, and slowly pulled them to the floor while trying to give the teacher the best show she could. Once they were off, she tossed them at Mr. Luxnor, spread her legs, and bent forward over his desk.

She felt him move behind her, and soon his fingers had found her pussy. He slid them over her entrance, causing her legs to tremble, and they stopped moving once they found her clit. He rubbed slowly, making small circles that drove her crazy, and she found herself moaning out in pleasure.

Without warning, she felt Mr. Luxnor lean forward, his weight pushing her harder against the desk, and his free hand pushed her panties into her mouth. "You'd better stay quiet if you want that A, Ms. Donoghue."

Amara couldn't respond, not with her mouth full and her clit being played with. She instead gave a barely audible whimper of approval, which the professor seemed to appreciate.

"Now, last time, I seem to recall you got quite a lot of attention. I think we can skip that today, hm?" Mr. Luxnor stood up straight again, his hand pushing against her back to keep her in position. She felt one of his feet touch the inside of her ankle, and she quickly pushed her legs further apart to accommodate him. Now completely exposed, the teacher pushed his cock against her pussy, which was already incredibly wet. She felt the tip tease her entrance, repeatedly taunting her, until finally he gave in.

She immediately noticed how different his cock felt from Nick's. Her best friend wasn't likely to be starring in any pornos soon, but he still had a respectable size that had delivered dozens of orgasms over the last few months. The cock now entering her, which she briefly remembered was only the second she'd ever taken, was much thicker. Amara had never been a size queen, all of her toys were quite conservative, but as her pussy stretched open she began to see the appeal. Each inch that pushed inside opened her up further, and it took every ounce of restraint she had to hold back her moans of ecstasy.

"Fuck, every time we do this I forget how tight you are. You're a good little slut, aren't you Ms. Donoghue?" Mr. Luxnor muttered. When he finally bottomed out inside of her, his weight pushing her into the desk, there was another surge in his aura. The hand holding her down moved, and soon the teacher had grabbed her hips tight. He pulled back slowly, his cock threatening to leave her entirely, but soon he slammed back inside her again. Her body shook, and she felt her legs shake from the overwhelming pleasure. She bit down on the panties in her mouth, doing everything she could to avoid making noise, knowing that both of their plans would be ruined if they got caught now. With another powerful thrust, he began fucking her in earnest, his iron grip on her hips refusing to let her move.

Amara was still eagerly feeding off him, the taste of his pleasure mixing with her own body's sensations to heighten the entire experience. For the first time since Halloween, she decided to push her own limits, to see how much energy she could take in. After everything she'd talked about with Nick last night, wondering if Kylie might get pulled into this cult business, and the recent revelation about Derek, her resolve had hardened, and she knew she'd need the energy to really make a difference.

Her train of thought derailed, however, when her first orgasm started. Her entire body tensed, and she could feel Mr. Luxnor's cock being squeezed tight as he continued to use her pussy. She was unable to stop herself from moaning quietly as she shook, pleasure overwhelming her as she felt all of the teacher's energy racing through her body. She grabbed the sides of the desk, doing everything she could to avoid making noise, but her soft moans continued as she came. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her back arched, and her hips bucked wildly against the professor's iron grip.

Her body was practically vibrating with pleasure, and Mr. Luxnor continued to hold her tight as he fucked her through her orgasm. It was impressive, his own pace continued increasing, yet he took great care to not make any noise. Every time his cock hammered into her, she expected to hear the sounds of his body meeting hers, but he managed to stay in control. She could feel her ass shaking hard with every thrust, and her pussy had long ago started dripping down her legs.

Mr. Luxnor's grip changed, and now his nails were digging into her hips. The sensation caught her off guard, and when his cock pushed inside her again, her legs finally gave out. She was now supported completely by his desk, her body still nothing more than a toy for him to get off with. He leaned forward, one hand grabbing her hair as the weight of his body pushed her harder against the desk. He pulled her head back, the slight pain joining with his harsh grip on her hips, and she felt something shift. Until now, he'd been enjoying himself, but it was obvious he'd been taking his time. Now, with her body completely under his control, he was determined to cum.

His aura grew more excited, twitching and pulsing as he slowly lost control of himself. His movements were erratic, his breathing labored, and he began whispering into Amara's ear. "You're my fucking slut, you know that? I'm going to cum deep in your fucking pussy, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Amara moaned in agreement, eager to pull everything she could from the teacher. She wanted his cum, and she wanted to continue feeding so she could keep pushing her limits. Another orgasm stirred inside of her, spurred on by the feeling of being pinned against a desk. When it finally arrived, her entire body twitched once more, and she could feel her pussy tightening around Mr. Luxnor's cock. His movements continued to pick up speed, no doubt spurred on by her orgasm, and soon enough he got what he wanted.

His thick cock began to twitch, filling Amara with cum as he buried his entire shaft inside of her. His aura, which had already been impressively strong this entire time, swelled even more as she kept pulling energy from it. She had a good sense of her usual limits, and had previously tried to keep herself in check, but this time she ignored all of them. She pulled as much energy as she could from the teacher, and a familiar feeling began to creep into her body. Her senses started to expand, a connection forming with the world around her as her own orgasm continued running circuits through her body.

Soon enough, Mr. Luxnor's orgasm ended, and she regretted how short male orgasms tended to be. Her own ended soon after, and she became aware of how heavily the teacher was panting behind her. He released his grip on her hair, pulled his cock out of her, and took a step back. He sighed heavily before moving to rummage through a drawer, but Amara was much more focused on herself.

There was something different about the office, but she couldn't figure out what. It was like the colors had been adjusted, and strange vibrations occasionally traveled through the air, almost resembling heat waves. Previously, when she'd felt her senses expand like this, they'd reverted shortly after she stopped feeding, but that hadn't happened this time. She was about to look back at the professor, to see what he was doing, when she realized that her eyes were flaring. She closed them tight, urging them to dim, and sighed in relief when they did as she asked.

"Here, you'll need this, Kylie." Professor Luxnor said. Amara saw a small hand towel land on the desk next to her, and she jumped at the chance to clean herself up. As she pushed off the desk, the teacher continued talking. "So, what was this about? We normally only meet once a week."

Smiling, Amara tried to put on her best impersonation of her classmate. "Oh, I was just in the mood, and I thought you'd enjoy it. Don't go thinking this is a new weekly meetup!"

"That's probably for the best. I don't think anyone's noticed, but we can never be too safe." The teacher checked the clock as he started dressing himself, "And speaking of safe, you might want to get going. The hallways are going to be pretty crowded in another ten minutes or so."

It barely took any time for Amara to get dressed again, which was certainly a benefit of wearing so little. So threw her jacket over her schoolgirl costume, and her purse over that, then moved to the door. "Thanks for the lesson, professor!"

She watched Mr. Luxnor fall back into his chair, smirking at her, then took her leave. She moved quickly, decided it would be best to get back home as soon as she could. As she headed for the exit, however, she felt her eyes flare up again. The feeling from back in the office returned, and she had to grab a nearby railing to steady herself as the strange sensations returned.

Once more, the colors around her seemed to shift slightly, like someone was messing with the saturation filter. The air above her occasionally shimmered, the strange vibrations moving incredibly fast. Nervous about being seen, and not entirely sure what she looked like, she pulled out her phone again to check her appearance.

She was still Kylie, and while her makeup had definitely seen better days, she was much more worried about her eyes. Her bright green irises were practically on fire, thrumming with energy as they tried to show Amara parts of the world she couldn't yet understand. After grabbing a tissue from her bag, and using it to clean herself up, she tucked it back in her purse. Her hand brushed against the camera inside, and she realized it was still recording, so she quickly turned it off before leaving the building.

Outside, the campus was illuminated by the soft glow of sunlight filtering through a blanket of clouds. She headed straight for her apartment, eager to change out of her costume, when she noticed another strange shimmer in the air in front of her. It seemed to connect with the phone in her hand, and before she had time to guess what was happening, her phone vibrated. She'd just gotten a text from Nick.

She barely even registered what he'd said, something about asking if her grades were slipping, and she was much more interested in testing her theory. She typed up a quick response, made sure her eyes were still engaged, and clicked send. Sure enough, as soon as she did, another strange vibration traveled through the air, this time originating from her phone.

The rest of the day passed painfully slowly. Her amplified senses, which she assumed were somehow showing her electrical signals, had faded about an hour after she left Mr. Luxnor's office. While disappointed, she'd realized that the energy from her illicit affair was still coursing through her body, and she couldn't get herself to relax. She felt as if she were crawling from class to class, and it seemed like the clocks had all joined a conspiracy to move at half their usual speed.

When she joined her friends for dinner, it barely took them five minutes to realize that she couldn't sit still. Her legs were bouncing, she kept drumming her fingers on the table, and she'd long ago exhausted all the new updates on her socials. Tessa had offered to help her burn off the extra energy, but Amara had assured her that would only make the problem worse.

Thankfully, after what seemed like an eternity, she managed to make it to the end of the day. Her true form manifested the instant she closed the front door, and she began looking around the apartment for something to keep herself busy.

Ultimately, she decided the place needed a good cleaning. The kitchen was already in fairly decent shape, but much of the apartment still had visible damage from some of her demonic mishaps. During her first week with her wings, she'd damaged many of her walls and ceilings, and there were a few dramatic spots of heat damage scattered around.

Over the next few hours, Amara did her best to restore her apartment to a halfway respectable state. She vacuumed every room at least twice, reorganized all her clothes, and even took the time to wash all the walls. Without the proper materials, she wasn't able to fill in the gouges from her wings, or restore the heat damage, but she felt better knowing she'd done everything she could. Unfortunately, her energy had barely waned over the course of her impromptu cleaning session.

Her next attempt to burn off her energy was much more literal. The fridge was still full of Nick's groceries, and she pulled out everything she needed to cook herself dinner. She used her tail to cut up the ingredients, which let her practice both her shapeshifting and her tail's dexterity, and she used her hellfire to cook everything. The finished product certainly wasn't high cuisine, and she knew she could stand to learn more about cooking, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

After dinner, while she attempted to find something to watch for the evening, she opened a package of cookie dough for her next experiment. She pulled off pieces of the dough and balanced them on her tail, doing her best to try and make cookies. She saw about as much success as when she'd made garlic bread, and barely a third of the cookies were anything close to edible. However, she couldn't help but notice that her control was definitely improving, and she burned fewer and fewer cookies the more she practiced. She'd finished the entire bag before long, and finally decided she should try to get some sleep.

As she brushed her teeth and got ready for bed, her mind raced with ideas. She was really hoping to enter Derek's dream again, and she wished she had a better way of making it happen. She thought of what she might be able to do if she gained control, and what might push Derek to finally confess what had happened.

Sadly, the excitement that had permeated her body all day was now refusing to let her fall asleep. She tossed and turned, her body unable to get comfortable as she tried to wrestle her excited mind into submission.

She continued like this for the better part of an hour, alternating between counting the cracks in her ceiling and imagining nightmares she might be able to inflict on Derek. She tried her best to avoid checking the time, to focus on the ambient rain noises that normally helped her sleep, but nothing worked. Her thoughts unexpectedly returned to Chloé's charity, and she realized she had the perfect outlet for her energy.

After rummaging through her freshly organized closet, and grabbing old clothes she didn't mind ruining, she reverted to her human form and left her apartment. The campus was cloaked in soft moonlight, and the night breeze felt wonderful as it danced through her hair. The sky seemed heavy tonight, and the humidity hinted that rain might be in her future, but thankfully her plans wouldn't be affected either way. She caught herself staring up at the sky, watching the clouds as they periodically covered up the moon, but she knew it wouldn't be safe to fly up to meet them.

Instead, she crossed campus to a building that was growing increasingly familiar to her. The smell of ashes and burnt lumber filled her senses, and she stared at the empty lot of the Jade Palace, now with an empty dumpster just waiting to do its part in making things right.

She looked around, thankful that the property was somewhat isolated, and opened the large metal door to the dumpster. It was still empty, as Chloé was planning to start the cleanup effort this weekend, but Amara had been itching to come back here ever since she'd last hung out with Chloé. She tore the caution tape, freeing up a path to the burnt remains of the party house, and cracked her knuckles as she moved closer.

While Chloé and the rest of the volunteers needed protective gear to keep themselves safe, Amara had no such disadvantage. She manifested her chitinous exoskeleton, watching as it covered her hands, and decided to do the same with her legs as well. Even if she sustained any cuts, she was sure she'd be able to bounce back quickly.

With the logistics taken care of, she dove into the wreckage and got to work. She immediately noticed how light everything felt, as if she were simply throwing around large pieces of styrofoam. Piece after piece went into the dumpster, though she had to snap some of the large pieces of lumber in two before tossing them in. She thought about how a regular group of volunteers might tackle the cleanup, and it dawned on her how difficult the work would be. Many of the larger pieces would have required multiple people, and the need for caution would have kept everyone moving at a much slower pace.

In hardly any time at all, a large chunk of the plot had been cleared of its bulkiest pieces. Amara wiped some sweat from her brow as she looked around, wondering what to tackle next, when her focus landed on the two walls that had managed to stay upright. Moving closer, the rain she'd predicted earlier finally arrived, coupled with the low rumble of thunder in the distance.

She circled the building until she'd positioned herself out of view of the street. She pulled off her shirt, manifested her wings, and pulled them close. Connecting with her inner fire again, she tried to cover her wings with protective chitin. It took longer than she'd expected, likely because she'd never tried before, and she immediately noticed how much heavier they were. She made a note not to try this while flying, and moved up to the first wall. After taking a deep breath to hype herself up, she lunged at the wall, striking at its supports with her fists.

She broke through surprisingly easily, and quickly wrapped her wings around herself to act as a shield. She felt the rest of the building collapse, debris bouncing off her impromptu fortress, and soon enough everything came to rest again.

As Amara unwrapped her wings, she saw a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. She immediately looked skyward, wondering if the storm was picking up, but nearby trees were blocking her view of the heaviest clouds. Thunder continued rumbling above, and the rain continued to ebb and flow, but it still wasn't enough to deter her.

She repeated her maneuver with the second wall, which took a little more convincing before it was ready to come down. Soon enough, there were no more freestanding structures, and a quick look inside the dumpster revealed it was roughly half full. It took another hour of labor before she'd moved the rest of the larger pieces into the dumpster, and around the same time she finally felt her boundless excitement start to wane.

She closed the door to the dumpster, locking it tight, when suddenly an idea popped into her head. An idle curiosity that she'd been able to ignore in the past, but now had no reason not to indulge. She squatted down, grabbed the bottom of the dumpster, and tried to lift it off the ground.

Her breathing intensified, and she felt her muscles straining as she attempted to move the massive structure in front of her. She even engaged her inner fire, wondering if it might be able to enhance her strength, but it was hard to tell if anything was changing. In the end, she gave up after a minute or so.

Well, I might not be strong enough to lift cars yet, but this was a hell of a night.

Amara reverted back to her human form, grabbed her shirt, and started the trek back to her apartment. Before leaving the lot, she looked back, and felt an unexpected sense of pride as she saw how much work she'd finished tonight. She may have been the cause of this disaster, but this felt like proof her abilities could be used for something other than destruction.

The walk home took longer than expected, and the activity of the night finally started catching up to her as she opened her front door. She collapsed on her bed, completely and utterly exhausted, and was asleep within seconds.

Chapter Text

MISSED CALL: Chloé

MISSED CALL: Chloé

Chloé: AMARA ARE YOU UP??

Chloé: SOMETHING CRAZY HAIRBRUSH

Chloé: AND I NEED YOU TO POST ABOUT IT!!

Chloé: HAPPENED*

MISSED CALL: Chloé

Chloé: Okay I couldn't wait

Chloé: I need you to look over the post I made

Chloé: Text me when you wake up!

Somehow, Amara had managed to sleep through Chloé’s barrage of notifications. After a split second of panic, she realized nothing was wrong and finally returned her friend's calls.

“Chloé? Hey, I’m up, what’s going on?” Amara yawned, still not entirely awake.

“Amara! Okay, so you know Connie? From the charity? Wait, shoot, I don’t think you two have met yet. You’d love her, she’s great! She’s always posting really pretty pictures of herself, I think she might have a fancy camera too?” Chloé was clearly excited, and was talking a mile a minute.

“Chloé…”

“Sorry, that’s not important. Anyways, so Connie has this friend that lives off campus, right? Connie is over there all the time, and honestly I think they’re dating but don’t want to say anything yet, ‘cuz she seems to spend the night pretty frequently.”

“Chloé!”

“Right, sorry. Sorry! So Connie, she spent last night with her friend, and she’s walking home this morning, when she sees that a huge chunk of the Palace has been cleaned up! Like, the remaining walls are down, a bunch of the bigger pieces are in the dumpster, it’s crazy! I had to call the dumpster people to schedule a pickup, and we technically haven’t even started yet!”

By the time Chloé had finished talking, Amara had already moved to the kitchen. Her tail was holding her phone, which left her hands free to start the coffee. “So, did anyone see who did this?” she asked nervously.

“That’s the weirdest part! No one saw anything, it must have happened in the dead of night. But, I mean, who would do that? We’ve already been advertising the scheduled clean-up hours, why would they do this in secret?”

Amara chuckled at the irony of the situation, wishing she could tell Chloé the truth. “Honestly? It might be better that we don’t know. If this stays a secret, there’s a good chance people will speculate about what really happened, which translates to a bunch of free publicity for your charity!”

“Ooooh, see, this is why I wanted to work with you on this! You understand all the marketing nonsense!” Chloé paused, her initial excitement having faded somewhat. “Are you able to check my post? I’m sure I didn’t use the right buzzwords or whatever.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you did fine. I’ll talk to you later, okay? I gotta start my day.”

The girls said their goodbyes and finally hung up, leaving Amara alone in her apartment once more. She took her time with the rest of her morning routine, getting dressed, doing her makeup, and eventually setting up her laptop on the kitchen counter. She curled her tail around her coffee mug, took a long sip, and got to work.

Opening her editing software, she plugged in the smaller of her cameras and watched the content slowly transfer. She was very familiar with editing photos, and while she’d done some video work in the past, it definitely wasn’t her specialty.

Thankfully, she didn’t need to do anything complicated with the video from yesterday. The meat of the footage was roughly in the middle, and it was quick work to remove the useless footage from the beginning and the end. Her biggest concern was to look for any accidental flashes of her demonic abilities. She wasn’t entirely sure what they might look like to an outside observer, and the rest of her morning was spent watching the video in its entirety, just to be safe.

It was a surreal experience; she was watching her very first sex tape, yet she wasn’t actually in it. She did her best to focus on the important parts, watching her eyes, looking for hints of hellfire, and she was pleasantly surprised when she found nothing. While watching it was making her incredibly horny, she knew she couldn’t afford to be distracted at the moment. Plus, Nick and Tessa were probably busy.

After uploading a copy to her phone, she began packing up the rest of the day’s classwork. Her thoughts lingered on Mr. Luxnor, on this strange cult he was a part of. What did they want? What was this all leading to?

She tried to think back to all the magic circles she’d been exploring with Tessa. While she didn’t understand the technical side of things, she wondered if there had been any other clues she might have missed. Right now, they knew about the one under Lysander Hall, the Cafeteria, the Science Building, and Brandt Hall. Many of them hidden in different ways, none of them exactly the same.

Unfortunately, her curiosity didn’t amount to anything. In the end, she simply didn’t understand the magic at play. Her strengths were more tactile, and she was hoping this lead with Mr. Luxnor would pan out.

Thinking back on all the circles, however, did bring up memories of Vee. If Amara hadn’t been investigating these circles with Tessa, she might never have left the house while shapeshifted. Would that have changed things? Derek would never have accused Vee of attacking him, but how did she know she didn’t scare him off in the process?

Of course, Vee probably could have taken him. At the time, I thought I might have indirectly helped her avoid an attack of her own, but she’s an Angel! She could probably take him out with both hands tied behind her back! I still have no idea how I didn’t lose that fight… am I really stronger than her? Is there more I’m not seeing?

Memories of Halloween began trickling into her thoughts. Flashes of pain, her body changing and warping, the house falling to pieces around them. The hatred in Vee’s eyes, the utter contempt for everything Amara was. Those same eyes, bloodied and tearstained, begging for mercy before—

Stay focused Amara. You can’t change the past, and you’ve already done so much to try and help.

She shook her head, grounding herself in the moment before her breathing started to settle. Pulling out her phone, she opened Vee’s contact and stared at it for a while, hoping she might manifest a response.

Predictably, nothing appeared.

Amara: I hope you’re planning on finishing the semester. I miss you.

She wiped a tear off her cheek, gathered the rest of her things, and left for class.

—

Amara was thrilled that her energy levels had returned to normal. While the new abilities had been fun to play with, and she was determined to explore those further, it hadn’t been enjoyable spending an entire evening bouncing off the walls. If nothing else, she was at least proud of everything she’d accomplished.

Every so often, she would hear students talking about the mystery of the Jade Palace. The event hadn’t necessarily gone viral, but there was a healthy amount of buzz that Amara appreciated. She’d simply been trying to burn off energy and atone for her actions, and she hadn’t even considered that she might be drumming up interest for the charity. With the official cleanup scheduled to start this weekend, she was hoping there would be a sizeable attendance.

Soon enough, the morning had come to a close, and that meant it was time for the next phase of her plan. She retraced her steps from yesterday, as Amara this time, and soon found herself standing outside Mr. Luxnor’s office. It was fortunate that he kept consistent office hours, and even luckier that the building was relatively quiet during them.

Still, she had to wait for a few minutes while the teacher finished helping another student. Amara sat outside while they talked, and she did her best to focus on what was happening inside. Thankfully, it seemed like nothing scandalous, though it struck her as odd that she was able to hear everything so clearly.

Has my hearing improved? I know my eyesight has, even apart from the night vision. Come to think of it, I was able to hear the teachers under Brandt Hall even though Tessa was talking, and she didn’t notice anything until I pointed it out…

Her train of thought was derailed when the office door opened, and another student walked out. She didn’t recognize this one, but he said goodbye to the teacher before heading for the exit. Inside, she heard Mr. Luxnor shuffling some papers around, and she stood to enter the office.

Showtime, Amara.

The professor looked up as she entered, a warm smile crossing his face. “Hi there! Are you a student of mine? I must admit, I don’t recognize you.”

Amara closed the door behind her, refusing to acknowledge the question. As she fell into the chair opposite the teacher, she kicked her feet up on his desk and playfully leaned back. She rocked back on forth on the chair, the front legs no longer touching the ground, as she let her gaze wander through his office. Atop his desk sat a small plaque with the teacher’s full name, Professor Garrett Luxnor.

“I’d rather you kept your feet off my desk, if that’s alright. Can I help you?” he asked, growing frustrated.

She let a few moments pass as they continued looking at each other, then pulled out her phone. “I want to know about this cult of yours. What’s their plan?”

A mix of emotions appeared on Mr. Luxnor’s face, surprise the most obvious. “I think you have me confused with someone else, Miss. If you’re just here to make baseless accusations, perhaps you’d better leave.”

Amara didn’t justify his denial with a response. Instead, she turned her phone sideways, increased the volume, and hit play. Her voice, as Kylie, soon filled the office.

“Is there anything I can do to make it up? To show you how much this class means to me?”

Mr. Luxnor’s eyes went wide, darting to the phone. His breathing quickened, and he swallowed nervously. Another few seconds passed, and it became more than obvious what he was listening to. “Where… How did you get that?”

“Does it matter?” Amara asked. “I have it, and it’s backed up in multiple places. If you want this to stay private, you might want to start talking.”

The professor glared at her, but quickly yielded. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

“There’s a good boy.” Amara smirked, letting the video continue as she talked. “What’s the endgame? You’re tracking down all these magic circles, and making alterations, but why?”

“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me how you learned all this?” he asked. When Amara didn’t say anything, he sighed and continued talking. “I don’t entirely know. He’s been vague about many of his plans. He’s given us all tiny bits of magic, and he’s promised a lot more if we help him.”

“Magic? What can you do?”

“Nothing flashy, mostly improvements to our bodies. I’m faster, stronger, and more alert. Supposedly he’s getting us ready for the main event, but again, he won’t say what it is.”

“And who is he? This mysterious cult leader that you’re stupid enough to follow?”

Mr. Luxnor laughed, a touch of ego coming through in his words. “You think I’m stupid? I’ve seen what he can do, how far he’s come. Mr. Wellington has proven time and time again that he’s not lying to us.”

Mr. Wellington? Seriously?

“So why fuck with the circles?” Amara asked.

“He says they’re in his way. They’ve sealed up the magic, and he can’t take what he needs until we weaken them. We’ve been at it for a while, though, and it’s too late to reverse anything. He’s going to start delivering on his promises next weekend, in fact.”

The sound from the video picked up, and Amara now heard muffled moans from when she’d been bent over the teacher’s desk. “When and where?”

“There’s a small complex under the quad, one of the original structures from the founding of the campus. The only way to reach it is through the elevator in Lysander Hall; there’s a secret button hidden by an illusion. We’re meeting at three in the morning, next Sunday.”

“How does Kylie fit into this? Human sacrifice? Part of the cult?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I’m not a monster, though I don’t expect you to believe me. Kylie has nothing to do with this; she needed help with classwork, and one thing led to another. No one is being forced, we’re just two adults enjoying each other’s company.”

“Easy for you to say, you’re the one with all the control. I think it goes without saying that, if something happens to her, this video is front page news the very next day.”

“I happen to care for her, and frankly I’m insulted you think I’m capable of hurting her.” Mr. Luxnor protested. “Why do you even care about any of this? Who are you?”

Amara pulled her feet off the desk, letting the chair fall back to the floor before she stood up. She leaned forward, placing her phone down so it would be obvious how damning her video was. “I’m no one you want to get comfortable with. How do I know you’re telling the truth about Kylie? About the cult? You could be making up a bunch of nonsense just to placate me.”

Mr. Luxnor leaned forward himself, matching her stern glare. “Because it doesn’t matter. Somehow, you’ve stumbled into some magic knowledge, and you’re convinced you’re going to be the hero who takes down the big bad cult. I’ve seen students like you before, utterly convinced that you’re invincible, that you can change the world with a can-do attitude, but that’s not how this works. This is bigger than you, and if you were smart, you’d drop this whole thing.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Amara moved away from the desk, turning off her phone and pocketing it to get ready to leave. “Do yourself a favor, and don’t go to this meeting next Sunday. If you do, the video leaks.”

Turning to leave, Amara moved the chair out of her way before reaching for the door. As it opened, however, the teacher behind her continued talking. “Threaten me all you want, but I’m not scared of you. I’ve seen what he’s capable of, and when I tell him some punk student is trying to disrupt his plans, I’ll be rewarded.”

Amara paused, the door partially ajar, her hand grasping the handle tight.

Fuck. I was hoping the blackmail would be enough, but he’s really all-in on this stupid cult. What else can I do?

Echoes of Tessa’s voice crept into her mind, and as much as she hated to admit it, her friend might have been right all along.

“If I had your powers, I’d only need 5 minutes alone with him and we’d get all the answers we wanted.”

“All you have are empty threats. You’re here because you care, and if you release that video, it’ll harm Kylie just as much as me. I don’t think you have it in you.”

Deciding it was time to commit to the bit again, Amara closed the door and started laughing. It started quietly, but she slowly let it overtake her body before she locked eyes with the professor again. “Oh, you stupid little human. You don’t think I have it in me? The blackmail was my attempt at doing this quietly, to give you a chance to realize your mistake.”

She stepped forward, leaning towards his desk as she locked eyes with him. He was still confident in his position, and she needed to fix that. Her eyes flared, and she urged her inner fire to get excited, to turn up the heat a little more literally.

“You get one tiny drip of magic and it all goes to your head,” she continued, “but do you know where magic comes from? None of it is yours, humans only get magic by stealing it.”

Wave after wave of heat poured out of her body, and before her eyes, sweat started appearing on Mr. Luxnor’s forehead. She knew she had to keep pushing, and with a small flurry of embers, she manifested her tail and sharpened its edge.

“Not me, though. My magic, my fire, it's alive. It's a part of me, and it's hungry. Care to guess what I feed it?”

The teacher swallowed nervously, pulling at the collar of his shirt. “W-what—”

In a flash, Amara's tail swung in front of her, and she cut off his words just as her tail embedded itself an inch into his desk.

“Souls, Garrett. Souls like yours.”

The teacher flinched at the tail, his gaze finally leaving her eyes as he started to figure out what she was. Another flash of fire, and her horns appeared, followed by a series of flames around Mr. Luxnor.

“Why do you think you're alive? You think it's because of a tiny man with a control fetish?” She pulled her tail free, then moved its blade towards his throat while she stepped closer. “Perhaps the goodness of my heart? No. You're alive because it's convenient for me. Because killing you would create more problems than it would solve.”

The teacher tried to push away from Amara, but he had nowhere else to go. “S-stop! I’ll scream!”

Amara grabbed his collar, pulling him close as she hissed in his ear. “I’m only going to say this once. If you make my life difficult, I’ll rip your soul out and throw you into the deepest pits of hell. You’ll spend eternity wishing I’d been kind enough to simply kill you.”

Pulling away from Mr. Luxnor, Amara shapeshifted back into Kylie. “I can be anyone I want, Garrett.” She shifted her appearance a few more times, cycling through other students she’d seen in his class. “If you ever have sex again, how will you know it isn’t me? Do you want to live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder?”

Despite his threats, the teacher stayed quiet as true panic began to set in. “Fine! Okay! I’ll quit the cult, I won’t tell anyone about you!”

Returning her form to her own, Amara finally pulled her bladed tail away from the professor and snuffed the fire that had been floating around the room. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” After one last flurry of embers, she dismissed her tail and her horns, then happily walked back to the door. “See you around, Professor.”

Conveniently, the hallway outside the professor’s office was still empty, and Amara began walking as quickly as she could to get away. She could still feel her faux cruelty sticking to her, and it made her intensely uncomfortable. Her plan had worked, more or less, but seeing Mr. Luxnor so utterly terrified her brought back painful memories of Halloween.

That’s not who you are. It was a little heavy-handed, but he’s leaving the cult! He’s safe now!

With a plethora of information, including a date and location, Amara pulled out her phone to schedule a meeting with Nick and Tessa. She needed to put together a plan for Sunday morning, and she would need all the help she could get.

In the meantime, as she continued to try and run from the cruel persona she’d just invented, she knew it was time to start gathering information on Sebastian Wellington. The most powerful man on the school’s Board of Directors, a self-made millionaire, and father to Derek Wellington.

She had a hell of a fight ahead of her.

—

That night, Tessa and Nick came over for dinner so they could discuss everything Amara had learned. She explained every detail as best she could, though Tessa was incredibly frustrated to learn that Mr. Luxnor didn’t know the full scope of the plan. No one was particularly surprised that Derek’s dad was behind everything; if anything, it made his meteoric rise to fortune seem a little too convenient.

“Alright, well, obviously I’m not crashing this meeting, and I don’t know anything about magic, but I’ll start looking into Mr. Wellington. I’m assuming he’s put a lot of money into curating his internet presence, but maybe I can find something helpful, even if it’s just an itinerary or something.” Nick said, already bookmarking sites on his phone.

“Tess, I’ll need you to reveal the secret button in the elevator at some point. Probably better if it’s not the night of the meeting, just so we don’t risk running into other cult members.” Amara said.

The witch was being unusually quiet, all things considered. She nodded absentmindedly before finally speaking up. “So you seriously had sex with Mr. Luxnor? And recorded the whole thing? Any chance I could get a copy of that?”

“No! I’m gonna delete it so it never accidentally leaks! Mr. Luxnor was completely right, I would never do that to Kylie.”

“C’mon, at least let me watch it once before it’s gone forever! A hot-for-teacher roleplay where the student is secretly a succubus? Nick, back me up here, doesn’t that sound hot as fuck?”

Nick was blushing profusely, and clearly didn’t want to be dragged into this conversation. “I think that it’s Amara’s video, and she’s entitled to do what she wants with it.”

“Ugh, you’re all such buzzkills.” Tessa rolled her eyes before continuing. “I’ll find your stupid secret button tomorrow night. Sure you don’t want me to come with to the meeting?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be in disguise, and you would blow my cover.” Amara said.

“So, I’m researching the leader, Tess is studying the circles and getting you into the meeting. What’s your plan?” Nick asked.

“Well, right now it’s just to gather intel. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Mr. Wellington will finally tell everyone what the goal is at this meeting,” she said. “I’ve been trying to prepare for things going wrong, but I honestly can’t think of how they might figure me out. I figure the biggest threat is Mr. Wellington; if he’s hoarding the cool magic for himself, who’s to say he won’t be able to detect me?”

Nick turned back to Tessa. “Is there magic that can do that?”

“There is, but a lot of witches don’t get it. Our bodies can only hold so many tattoos, so if you commit space to that kind of detection magic, you’re possibly losing out on some of the flashier stuff. Normally covens have one or two witches dedicated to scrying and detection, but they have the benefit of relying on a large group of magic users. Mr. Wellington seems to be keeping everyone in the dark, and I doubt he amassed his fortune by being able to detect if demons are nearby.”

“Y’know, speaking of covens,” Amara said, “do you have one? Could we ask them for help?”

Tessa locked eyes with Amara, her gaze unexpectedly hostile. “We’re on our own, Amara.” Her tone made it more than obvious that she wouldn’t elaborate, and Amara decided to yield and drop the idea.

So, I have no idea who her parents are, and no idea if she’s in a coven… It’s like the more I learn, the less I know her.

“Well, regarding the cult meeting, I’m pretty optimistic. I still have the element of surprise, and I can easily overpower a couple random humans if need be. Though, I definitely need to make sure I get laid right before the meeting.” Amara chuckled, amused by the thought that getting fucked was the most important part of taking down the cult.

“I call dibs!” Tessa said quickly. Nick looked at her, somewhat surprised, before she continued. “What? You’re getting her tonight, aren’t you?”

“Speaking of tonight, Tessa,” Amara interjected, “why don’t you head home? We’ve got nothing else to do tonight, and I want to make sure I’ve got enough time to try and practice dreamwalking.”

“Or, hear me out, I stay and join in the fun?” Tessa said, a glint in her eyes.

Amara had grown used to turning down her friend’s lewd suggestions, but when she opened her mouth to say no, Nick had beaten her to the punch. “As fun as I’m sure that would be, maybe another time? Things are pretty stressful at the moment.”

“Ugh, fine. Have fun holding hands from across the couch, or whatever it is you lame boy scouts do for fun.” Tessa grabbed her things and turned towards the door, but Amara interposed and demanded that everyone hug goodbye first. After saying their goodbyes, they let the witch head home before retiring to Amara’s bedroom.

"Did you seriously just turn down a threesome?" Amara asked, poking Nick in jest.

"Hey, I meant what I said. I'm pretty stressed, and I don't have your abilities or the confidence they bring you. I'm worried about what might happen with this cult, and that's not the mindset I want to be in for my first threesome."

"Typical Nick, always so rational, even when girls are lining up to suck you off."

"There's no way Tessa would wait in a line for sex, and you know it." Nick said. The two of them laughed at the idea, both of them undressing for the coming activities.

Amara finished first, as she’d gotten quite good at using her tail to help remove everything. As she sat on the edge of the bed, watching Nick finish, an idea crossed her mind. She reached under the bed with her tail, pulling out her box of toys before opening them up.

“Looks like someone has a plan,” Nick said, smirking.

“I might,” she replied, smiling back, “unless you had any suggestions? You know I love hearing all your dirty thoughts.”

“Well, it did occur to me recently that you’ve been on top the last few times…”

“Ooh is someone looking to be a little dominant? Want to put this slutty little demon in her place?” Amara fell backwards on her bed, wiggling her hips as she taunted her friend.

Now that he was fully naked, Nick crawled towards her on the bed, their lips meeting. His body pushed against hers, his hardening cock already rubbing against her eager pussy as they started making out. His hands found her waist, holding her tight before moving higher to start massaging her tits.

“Mmm fuck, just like that…” Amara whispered, moaning. His fingers started tracing her sensitive nipples, and after a few moments he pinched them hard. She yelped in surprise, loving the sharp sensation, and began giggling once he let go.

Nick’s mouth left hers, and soon his tongue was teasing her nipples, alternating between each as his hands moved further down. His fingers teased her entrance, circling around it but refusing to push inside. He redoubled his efforts with her nipples, biting them hard to illicit a reaction.

“Fuck!” Amara screamed. “You’ve never bitten me that hard before! I forgot how fun this side of you can be…”

“Well, now that we know how tough you are, I don’t have to worry about holding back, do I?” Nick smirked as he shifted positions, pushing her arms to her sides and straddling her chest. His hands massaged her neck, then ran through her hair before grabbing her horns tight.

Before she knew it, he had pulled her lips to his cock, and she opened wide. He was already rock hard, clearly excited by the change of pace, and Amara took the opportunity to start feeding.

He started rocking his hips, slowly pushing in and out of her mouth while continuing to hold her horns. He tasted delicious, both his thick shaft and his aura, and Amara could feel her strength growing with each powerful thrust he made. As she fed more and more on his aura, she began noticing just how sensitive she was to it. It was obvious that it grew stronger when he was more turned on, but now it almost felt as if she were feeling his pleasure too.

Amara looked up, locking eyes with Nick as her eyes flared with excitement. She made sure to start gagging, just the way he liked, and was thrilled when her efforts heightened his aura. That sense of shared pleasure grew even more noticeable, and now her hips were squirming in excitement, almost as if he were still fingering her.

He settled into a comfortable pace, continuing to hold her still while pushing in and out of her mouth. As they both moaned in pleasure, Amara snaked her tail higher and started playing with Nick’s body, running it over his back and chest to keep him excited. She loved feeling his body when he exerted himself, and was thrilled that he’d decided to take charge tonight.

Nick began moving faster, and through his aura Amara knew he was close to cumming. From experience, she expected that he was going to pull back at the last second, but she was desperate to test her theory. She began moaning louder and louder, gagging hard to keep Nick excited. His grip on her horns shifted slightly, and he started fucking her face in long, deliberate strokes. Barely a minute had passed when her connection with Nick proved too much, and she started convulsing in orgasmic bliss.

Her eyes rolled back in her head, and her hips quaked with pleasure as she came hard. Through Nick’s aura, she felt that he was only seconds away from cumming, and at the last moment, he pulled out of her mouth. He was gasping from exertion, and Amara finally realized just how roughly he’d been using her mouth.

“Fuck!” Nick gasped, “Amara, did you just cum from that?”

They locked eyes again. “Your aura… I can feel all your pleasure, it’s incredible! Please don’t stop!”

Eager for more, he moved further down on the bed and grabbed her hips. The two worked together, and soon she was lying on her stomach, arching her back slightly to give him access. He lined himself up, and bottomed out in Amara’s pussy.

“Fuuuuck yes! Give it to me!” she screamed. Her voice was slightly muffled by the pillow in front of her, which she grabbed hard to steady herself.

Nick grabbed her hips, holding her tight as he started fucking her in long, slow strides. His cock felt incredible, and the feeling was doubled by the connection Amara had to his aura. She pulled the pillow tight, continuing to muffle her loud moans of pleasure while Nick eagerly fucked her.

In her excitement over her new discovery, she’d almost forgotten her first idea. While Nick continued pounding her into the bed, her tail pulled her box of toys closer. “Nick… fuck… use the black one!”

She heard Nick rummage through the box, and soon he’d found her black butt plug. “Are you sure? It looks like you have smaller ones.”

“I’ve been practicing! Just use the lube, and push it in slowly, I’ll be fine.”

She heard Nick click open the bottle, and a cold sensation covered her asshole. He tossed the lube back in the box, and soon enough, she felt the tip of her butt plug at her entrance. He started cautiously, but as he slowly worked the tip in, he continued slowly fucking her other hole. Each time his cock pulled back, he pushed the butt plug in further, and he kept alternating like this for several minutes.

With each bit of the plug that went further in, Amara could feel just how excited Nick was. It combined with her own pleasure, the feeling of both her holes getting filled, to induce another orgasm much quicker than anticipated. Her body shook again, her tail wrapping around Nick’s waist and holding him tight as she screamed into her pillow.

When her second orgasm ended, she realized that the plug was now completely inside of her. She felt its base sitting comfortably against her asshole, and Nick no longer needed to hold it still. His hand now free, he delivered a sharp slap to her ass before grabbing her hips and starting to fuck her again. His movements were quicker, almost animalistic, and Amara knew he meant business. He was eager to cum, and she was eager to taste his orgasm.

He fucked her hard, both of them moaning loud as he inched closer and closer to his own climax. He changed his grip, one hand now grabbing her shoulder, and after only a few more seconds he finally came. She felt his cock pulse in excitement, and soon his cum was flooding into her. She could feel the pressure of her butt plug against his throbbing shaft, and when combined with the taste of his aura, she managed another orgasm of her own. The two of them froze with pleasure, their bodies each twitching and shaking as they orgasmed. It would be another minute before they both managed to return to their senses.

Nick pulled out of Amara, falling onto the bed next to her as he tried to catch his breath. She rolled onto her side, giving him space as she did the same.

“Wow, you really enjoyed that, didn’t you?” Amara asked, teasing her friend.

Nick laughed, running his hand through his hair. “Look who’s talking! You just kept cumming!”

The two stayed like that for another few minutes, and once they had their breath back, they knew it was time to get ready to go to sleep. Nick took his shower first, after which he changed into his pajamas and collapsed into Amara’s bed. For her turn in the shower, she made sure to take her time. She needed Nick to be asleep for her first round of experiments, and she was pretty sure that after a quick fuck and a hot shower, he’d be asleep any minute. She let herself indulge in her fancy soaps and scrubs, and soon found herself reaching for her razor.

Wait. Do I need this anymore?

Amara paused, razor in one hand, and looked at the small hints of hair that had started growing back on her legs. She knew she had to try, and connected with her fire to begin the experiment. She already knew how to shapeshift, but she’d mostly been using it to completely change her appearance or manifest her strange exoskeleton. This time, she tried something small; she tried to envision her own legs, completely smooth, free of stubble, tiny cuts, or razor burn. A small flurry of embers traveled down her legs, and when she ran her hands over them, they were perfectly smooth.

Fucking. Jackpot!

She finished her shower quickly, ecstatic at this new discovery. All at once, the endless possibilities of her shapeshifting became apparent to her, though she refused to try anything tonight for fear of burning herself out.

Back in the bedroom, predictably, Nick had already fallen asleep. Amara moved quietly, trying not to wake him, and slowly sank to her knees next to the bed.

She had no idea what she was looking for, but it was time to try. She manifested her true form, and fully engaged her eyes before looking at Nick. She immediately noticed that her vision wasn’t quite at the level it had been after fucking Mr. Luxnor. The strange vibrations in the air weren’t present, but thankfully this meant she would actually be able to fall asleep tonight.

As she looked at Nick, nothing strange stood out to her. His aura was still incredibly vibrant, and she could smell the waves of post-sex euphoria coming off of him, but she didn’t see anything else. With no idea where to start, she found her thoughts drifting back to the dream where she’d floated up towards the sky. At the time, she’d seen a strange collection of muted colors, all traveling through a grayish-white void, and she wondered if that visual had been unique to her powers rather than Derek’s dream.

She reached out, carefully placing a finger on Nick’s temple. She tried to envision that same scene, hoping it could be used as a window into her friend’s dreams. When she didn’t see anything, she closed her eyes, trying to sync her breathing with his. She even connected with her fire, letting it fill her body as she tried to enhance her senses.

Unfortunately, regardless of what she tried, nothing worked.

Frustrated, she pulled her hand away from Nick and gave up. She crawled over him and buried herself under the covers, deciding it was time for her next idea. With any luck, she would find herself in Derek’s dream again soon.

—

Amara leaned in, pushing her lips against her girlfriend’s before eagerly grabbing her ass. The two made out for several minutes, slowly grinding against each other, before breaking apart. They whispered for a moment, planning to go somewhere more private to have some real fun, then got in the car. As the sounds of the party faded into nothing, she pulled onto the main street and floored it. Her car was top of the line, the best money could buy, and she loved showing off what it could do.

Wait, I don’t drive a Bentley.

Amara shook her head. Something wasn’t right here. She looked to her right, watching a gorgeous girl with black hair reapply her lipstick.

That’s… my girlfriend? No, I don’t have one. C’mon Amara, what’s happening?

Her hand reached out, grabbing the girl’s leg before daring to push higher. Bright red panties were visible beneath her short skirt, but Amara was looking at something else entirely.

These hands, they’re… not mine. They’re too big, too manly.

As the girl in the passenger seat slapped Amara’s hand, she finally understood what was happening. She watched a hand move away from the girl, instead grabbing a can of beer. Her own hand lingered, now completely separated from the person she’d previously thought she was.

Derek! I’m in his dream!

Recalling the last time she’d been shaken loose from Derek’s perspective, she tried to float through the car and into the sky. To her surprise, and absolute delight, her body responded exactly as she wanted it to. Within seconds, she was floating above the car as it raced through the countryside, inching dangerously close to the side of the road. Up ahead, she saw a sizeable river, and immediately remembered what was coming.

Okay, the goal is to gain control. What can I do? I need something small to test my abilities.

Amara floated back into the car, unsure what to do. So far, it seemed like Derek wasn’t aware of her presence, and she certainly wanted it to stay that way, so she tried to turn herself invisible. As she waited in the back seat for the upcoming tragedy, she watched Derek turn to look at her, throwing his beer can onto the floor.

From her perspective, it appeared as if he’d looked right at her, but he didn’t seem to react at all.

Okay, good start. What if I try to make something?

The car started to shake, and Derek’s attention snapped back to the windshield. The car had left the road, but his attempts to hit the brakes were derailed by the car hitting a small ditch. The car smashed through the roadside barrier, and within seconds they’d crashed into the river.

She remembered what came next. Derek was going to recover from being stunned, open the door, and swim back to shore. Floating to the outside of the car once more, she focused on the area just outside the driver’s-side door. She pictured a small block of concrete, something she’d seen irresponsibly abandoned in rivers before, and tried to will it into existence. Before her eyes, just as she wanted, a tiny slab of concrete appeared in the riverbed, complete with metal reinforcement bars sticking out.

At that moment, Derek returned to his senses inside the car. He tried to push the door open, and Amara watched as the block of concrete prevented him from doing so. His breathing quickened, and he continued trying to force the door open. With her experiment a success, she mentally pushed the slab of concrete further into the riverbed, giving Derek a chance to escape.

She watched as he frantically swam to shore, crawling to safety while Stephany sank beneath the water. It made Amara’s blood boil, but it also gave her an idea. Derek turned back to the car, screaming out his girlfriend’s name, but unable to dive back in and save her.

Reaching into his pocket, Derek pulled out his phone and began to call his father. Last time, the call had gone through successfully, but Amara had other plans this time. When someone picked up, it wasn’t Sebastian, but Stephany. Amara knew what she sounded like, and mimicked her voice while projecting it through the speaker.

“Derek? Please, help me! It’s so cold, I can’t see…” she said.

“Steph? How are you— can you get out?! Open the door!” Derek shouted, his panic more than obvious.

“I’m scared! I can’t breathe!”

“C’mon Steph, you can do this!” he continued shouting. At this time, Amara went silent, watching as he continued shouting her name into the phone. After another minute, when it was obvious that Derek was sufficiently terrified, static began to emanate from the phone speaker. It grew louder, and Stephany’s voice echoed through it, though it was heavily distorted.

“You killed me, Derek.”

“No! Please! I-I didn’t… I never wanted this!” Derek cried.

Amara cut off the phone line, killing the call as he fell to his knees. She floated under the surface of the river, and changed her form until she looked like Stephany. She recreated her outfit as best she could, but her makeup was running and her hair was soaking wet. Her eyes were empty voids, and her fingers had twisted into black, gnarled talons. When the transformation was complete, she leapt from the water and crawled towards Derek, who immediately screamed and tried to run away.

His efforts were in vain. Amara warped the sand he stood on, and each step he tried to take failed to find traction. Her clawed hands grabbed his ankles, and she began to pull him towards the water as she spoke once more, her voice still incredibly distorted despite not being filtered through a phone speaker.

“YOU KILLED ME, DEREK!”

Derek continued to struggle, to try and free himself from her grasp, but it was no use. Within seconds, Amara had pulled him under the river, and his strength began to wane as he tried to hold his breath. She began to wonder how far she should push this, if she possibly had any power to hurt people through their dreams, but just as Derek opened his mouth to finally breathe in, he vanished.

Amara now floated under the water, her gnarled hands holding nothing, and she quickly reverted back to her true form. She rose above the surface, and watched as the sky turned back into the strange, white-washed colorscape she’d seen previously. The dream around her began to vanish, piece by piece, all of it turning into sand before falling into nothingness. The river gave way to the same void she saw above her, and within seconds, the entire scene was gone.

She hovered, alone in this strange void, watching as streaks of color occasionally flew by in the distance. It was oddly peaceful here, and she couldn’t escape the feeling that she belonged here. Deciding to run one final test, she closed her eyes, pictured the sound of her rain app, and asked herself to wake up.

—

Amara opened her eyes, awake in the darkness of her bedroom. The transition had been shockingly smooth, almost natural. Beside her, Nick was still asleep, his chest rising and falling peacefully. Looking him over, she still couldn’t see hints of any dreams he might be having, but it didn’t frustrate her anymore. Even if she hadn’t mastered her control quite yet, she was still able to go on the offensive against Derek. Between him, the volunteer effort, and her plan to infiltrate the cult, she was in fairly high spirits.

You’re finally doing some good, Amara.

Chapter Text

Friday was surprisingly mundane when compared to the events of the week leading up to it. Amara had been so busy confronting Mr. Luxnor, cleaning up the Jade Palace, and trying to figure out her dreamwalking, that a simple day of going to classes almost felt like a waste. She noticed that Tessa was nowhere to be seen, but a quick text confirmed she was, once again, skipping classes to run some tests of her own. This meant most of Amara’s day was spent with Nick and Chloé, the latter of whom was preparing for the first official volunteer event for her charity.

Over lunch, Chloé explained the schedule her and the other volunteers had put together. Some of them were in charge of getting materials, some in charge of assigning tasks, and some were simply there to watch for possibly unsafe situations. Amara’s task was to be the event photographer, and she was thankful she wouldn’t need to exert herself.

Ever since she’d snuck over to the Palace, she’d been much more aware of her own enhanced strength. The sheer size of some of the pieces she’d been able to casually fling into the dumpster had surprised her, and that’s what the topic of conversation ended up being while she and Nick made dinner that night.

“How do I know what’s normal?” Amara asked. She was currently maintaining a fire under the frying pan while using her tail to chop vegetables. The irony of the situation was not lost on her.

“Like, if someone challenges you to a push-up contest, how do you know when to quit?” Nick asked.

“I mean, nothing that specific, but yeah basically. What if I accidentally break a door handle when someone’s watching? Or someone asks me to hold a stack of books, and I have no idea how much they weigh?”

“I feel like you’re overestimating how often people might ask you to perform manual labor. You’re not exactly built like a weightlifter.” Nick flipped the chicken on the frying pan as they kept talking. “Plus, guys are the ones that like to challenge their friends to random stuff like that, but all your friends are girls. I think you’re safe.”

“I still think it’s something I should get more practice with. If nothing else, I should know what my upper limits are. Do you still have that key to the gymnastics building?”

“I do! Want to head over after dinner?”

“No, not tonight.” Amara said. “I need to pack all my camera equipment for the cleanup tomorrow. Maybe next week sometime?”

“Just let me know, I’ll make sure we pick a night when it’ll be empty.”

Once all the cooking was done, Amara let Nick put the finishing touches on their dinner. While he worked, Amara found herself staring at the frying pan on the stove, an idea forming in her head. Curiosity got the better of her, and she walked over to it. She grabbed it on opposite sides, took a deep breath, and tried to bend it in half. She’d expected a fair amount of resistance, and was quite surprised when the metal of the pan gave rather quickly.

“Alright, dinner’s ready to—” Nick looked up, locking eyes with Amara, who was now attempting to twist the pan back into its original shape. “Oh, wow. Is that going to be usable anymore?”

“I hope so! I wasn’t trying to ruin it!” she said panicking. After a few minutes, Amara managed to return the pan to a halfway decent shape, and the two started eating.

“Maybe those tests should come sooner rather than later? Until then, I’d recommend playing it safe, and definitely no heavy lifting at the event tomorrow.” Nick playfully scolded her, but Amara had a feeling he’d been caught off guard by her show of strength.

“I’ll be good, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m gonna be covered in camera stuff anyways, so I’m not too worried.”

Dinner was delicious, if slightly overcooked, but Amara was pleased with how much her control had improved in just a few short days. Nick’s idea to practice with cooking had been genius, as loathe as she’d been to admit it at the time. They had almost finished eating when Amara’s phone went off.

Tessa: u home?

Amara: Yeah, I’m here with Nick. What’s up?

Tessa: im coming over, think i figured the circles out

Tessa: so finish up ur fuckin or watever

Rolling her eyes, Amara let Nick know what was happening, and soon enough Tessa was walking in.

“Sorry for the short notice, but I’ve been working on this all day, and I’ve finally cracked it!” Tessa said excitedly. She kicked her shoes off before pulling out her notebooks, laying them on the kitchen counter. “Ooh, this smells delicious, are you done?”

Before Amara could respond, Tessa had already grabbed her fork and was eating the rest of her dinner. “Um, sure, help yourself. What did you figure out?”

“So, something Mr. Luxnor said really stuck with me. This whole time I’ve been trying to figure out why the circles exist, why there are so many of them. Witches always use circles to bring magic over, but he’s implying that these circles are doing the opposite. Why?” Tessa said, in between bites of food. “According to the cult, this campus is inherently magical, which isn’t possible.”

“Because… the magic has to come from somewhere?” Amara asked, trying to understand where this was going.

“Exactly! It has to come from somewhere! It’s been staring us in the face this whole time; our campus is a giant soft spot!”

“Hold on, soft spot? What do you mean?” Nick asked.

“All the planes are separate entities, but in rare cases, the boundaries between them can grow thin, causing them to overlap. Normally, this only happens with one or two planes at once. Like, a small pond siphons some energy from the Plane of Fire, and turns into a hot spring. This campus? It overlaps with all of them.”

Amara paused, turning over this information in her head before speaking again. “That’s why they need so many circles? Each one is trying to keep a specific plane from overlapping with ours?”

“Yes! They’re all working together to create, like, some kind of massive planar gate!” Tessa pushed the plate away, having now finished Amara’s dinner.

“So, hold on,” Nick said. “If they’re trying to weaken this gate, doesn’t that mean they’re trying to bring something through?”

“Bingo. Unfortunately, we still don’t know what. They might just want the magic for themselves, but worst case scenario? They could be trying to summon a creature to our plane, and that’s almost guaranteed to go poorly.”

“Why would they want to bring something over?” Amara asked.

“Remember what I said when I found out you were a demon? People want power, money, fame, sex, and sometimes they get in touch with creatures that are willing to trade. Based on Mr. Wellington’s suspicious rise to wealth? I’d bet good money he’s made a deal with some kind of demon.”

The three of them went quiet for a moment. Eventually, Amara spoke up again, her words laced with fear. “Demons are a big deal, right?”

Tessa locked eyes with her. “I can’t stress this enough, Amara, but you don’t make any sense. We don’t know why you’re here, or how you’re even a demon in the first place. You’re also a decent person, which flies in the face of everything I’ve ever been taught. We need to assume that you’re one-of-a-kind, for our own safety. If they manage to summon another demon, it could be catastrophic.”

Amara pulled her tail close, holding it in her hands nervously.

Could there be others like me? If there aren’t, what does that mean for my future? I still don’t know what I’m turning into, what I might be capable of when I’ve stopped changing…

Seeing that Amara was growing nervous, Nick intervened. “Okay, well, we already have a plan to infiltrate their meeting. Until then, there’s no use worrying over hypotheticals, right?” Nick cleared his throat. “On a tangential note, I’ve been digging into Mr. Wellington recently.”

“Oh, how’s that going?” Amara asked, eager for a change of topic.

“It’s funny, I feel like I’ve learned a lot, but also nothing at all. Everything I read last time is still there; he was a relative nobody, his parents worked thankless 9-to-5 jobs, and he happened to get lucky playing the stock market. Ever since striking it rich, he’s had very few public appearances, and all of them seem pretty carefully staged.”

“Well, we’re assuming he made a deal with a demon, so chances are he doesn’t actually know shit about the stock market. He probably doesn’t want people to find out.” Tessa said. She was now rummaging through Amara’s cabinets looking for snacks.

“I did learn that he’s a pretty avid collector of old artifacts and relics. He’s had a few interviews focused on his collection, and it’s obvious he’s really into old-timey mysticism stuff.”

“I see what you mean about pointless knowledge.” Amara sighed, “Like, sure, we know more about him, but it’s nothing helpful.”

“I have a few theories, though whether or not they’re of any use I can’t say.” Nick waited to get Tessa’s attention before continuing. “I have a sneaking suspicion that he only had Derek as an excuse to get on the Board of Directors here. It’s small, but he’s always been interested in this school, even though he never went here himself. Plus, anyone with his net worth? It’s weird he never tried to get Derek into Yale or Harvard.”

“Okay? How is that helpful?” Tessa asked.

“Like I said, it might not be. But, if Derek is only a pawn in his father’s schemes, it just means that we can’t try to use him as a bargaining chip down the line. Not that we were planning on it, but… y’know.”

“Fair point. You said you had other ideas?” Amara grabbed a cookie out of Tessa’s hands, causing the witch to gasp with faux indignation.

“Well, as far as I can tell, he’s been making fewer and fewer public appearances recently. Whenever he does show, he has a pretty impressive collection of personal guards, but they try to keep themselves hidden. I noticed them because I was combing through dozens of articles, and I started seeing a couple of familiar faces in the background.”

Nick slid his phone over to the girls, swiping through a couple pictures and pointing out the guards in question before he continued talking. “So, when you’re sneaking into this cult meeting, I want you to keep an eye out for them. Since we’re serious about taking them down, it would be good to know if he’s got armed henchmen ready to pull guns on us.”

After a few seconds of silence, Amara finally spoke up. “Do you think I’m bulletproof?”

“There’s only one way to test that, Amara. Let’s hope you never have to find out.” Nick stared at her sternly, his fear more than obvious.

She thought back to her time cleaning up the Palace, when she’d covered her wings with her exoskeleton to shield against the falling debris, and wondered if it might be worth testing the limits of her chitinous armor at some point.

“Anyways, long story short, hired goons likely means more mundane defenses. If you don’t see them, it’s safe to assume the threat is more magical, and that’s where my expertise ends. Tessa?” Nick asked, looking to the witch. “You say the worst-case scenario is that they summon a creature. What could they be looking to bring over?”

Tessa cleared her throat. “Well, I think a demon is the most likely option, they supposedly love making deals. We also shouldn’t assume he got rich from a deal, maybe something else happened. He could just as easily try to bring through a djinn or some kind of fey creature. The list is practically endless, we really have no way of knowing until Amara spies on this meeting.”

“So… we wait? It sounds like we can’t do much until the meeting.” Amara asked, standing up from the counter.

“Certainly seems that way. Go to classes, do homework, pretend our campus isn’t hosting an otherworldly demon cult. The usual.” Nick smirked, trying to inject some levity into the situation. With the conversation coming to an end, Tessa was already packing up her stuff to head home.

“Great! Well, I’ve got plans with the polycule, and I was only stopping by for a moment. You two idiots have fun!” Tessa began grabbing all her stuff, which spurred the others to start cleaning up dinner. Soon enough, everyone went their separate ways, with plans to reconvene tomorrow morning for the volunteer event.

—

Saturday morning proved to be a beautiful day, which had everyone at the cleanup in good spirits. The volunteers running the event had set up a folding table in the shade of the nearby trees, and were currently stocking it with snacks and refreshments to keep everyone in good health. Nearby, a small pile of equipment had been sorted as well; hardhats, safety goggles, and thick gloves in various sizes.

When Amara arrived, she decided to borrow the edge of the refreshment table to set up her camera equipment. Once she finished, and was in the middle of taking some test shots, Chloé ran up excitedly and gave her a hug.

“Thanks again for this Amara! I just know these pictures are going to be great, your original shots of the debris were immaculate.” Chloé said. She was wearing light blue jean shorts and a gray tank top, which implied she wasn’t planning on doing any heavy lifting today.

“I’m more than happy to help, Chloé, you don’t have to keep thanking me. How many people have signed up for today?”

“It’s a pretty impressive list! I haven’t counted recently, but I think we’re going to have a healthy turnout for most of the day. Plus, because of the efforts of our mysterious vigilante, a lot of the really hard stuff has already been taken care of. The amount of manpower we need is somewhat secondary to raising enough money.”

Amara was about to respond when another event organizer called out to Chloé. The girls parted ways, leaving Amara on her own to start taking pictures.

The day passed without incident, much to the relief of everyone involved. Just as Chloé predicted, they had a steady stream of volunteers for the entire time, and Amara quickly noticed some patterns in who was attending. There seemed to be someone from the fraternity present at all times, and many of them had friends in tow. She also saw a fair amount of representation from various school groups; sports teams, music groups, and everything in between. As someone who tended to shy away from larger crowds, Amara couldn’t help but be impressed by the amount of community on display.

She took hundreds of pictures detailing the efforts of the volunteers, and most people were more than happy to be included in her documentation. Every so often she would take breaks to check on the social media side of the charity effort, posting pictures to try and keep engagement up, but as the day passed, she started to grow nervous.

Fundraising events of this type typically made most of their money in the first few weeks. Donations were highest at the start, when excitement was at its peak, and Amara had started running the numbers. Even in the best-case scenario, where donations continued at their current pace, hitting their goal was a long shot. If she assumed a more likely scenario, one where donations began drying up after the first few weeks, Chloé’s goals began to look less and less likely.

Amara avoided saying anything, but she found her thoughts preoccupied about money for most of the day. There were a few optimistic moments, thankfully. On one occasion, a student with a well-off family visited the site and made a sizeable donation. It was obvious he just wanted the attention, as he barely did any actual work, but money was money.

She also realized that her efforts earlier in the week meant less funding would be needed for future volunteer efforts. Chloé took a break halfway through the day to reorganize the volunteer schedule, and she was very optimistic about the direction things were heading.

Still, aside from a couple bright spots, Amara couldn’t help but wonder if there were more she could do. Something other than managing the charity’s social media pages, something that had a more direct influence on the fundraising.

At the moment, much of the day had already passed, and the bottom of the sun was starting to get lost behind the trees of the property. The last batch of volunteers were about halfway through their shift, and the lot was in great shape. Huge portions of the smaller debris were now cleared up, and a couple items that had mostly survived the fire were set aside.

Amara’s money worries were put on hold when she saw someone new approaching the Palace. His clothes indicated that he wasn’t here to help clean up, and he seemed much more interested in approaching the event’s photographer. His short brown hair reflected slightly in the dimming sunlight, and his cocky grin indicated he wasn’t scared of Amara, despite their last interaction.

“Well, look who it is! I didn’t know you’d be working the event!” Brandon said, his voice slightly louder than it needed to be.

She glared at him, unsure what his plan was, but she knew she couldn’t risk escalating matters. “Well, we’re almost finished, I think it’s actually time to start putting everything away…”

She quickly turned away from the cleanup effort and walked back to the refreshment table. As she started to pack up her camera, Brandon continued the conversation. “You seem pretty invested in helping out here, I wonder why that is.”

“A friend runs the charity, Brandon, and I’m helping her out.” Amara hissed, wishing he hadn’t approached her in public like this.

“You sure about that? Personally, I think you feel guilty.” Brandon leaned in closer, his voice much quieter now. “Almost like you caused the fire, and you’re trying to make up for it.”

Amara froze. How much does he know? How could he have figured it out? “You don’t know anything about me. Did I not make myself clear last time?”

“Oh, you did, but things are different now. You see, I was taking a lovely evening walk a few days ago, and I happened across something rather strange. I found a demon, all on her own, cleaning up the debris.” As he kept speaking, Brandon pulled out his phone and started swiping through his pictures. Amara saw herself, her tail and wings out, angrily knocking down a wall of the Palace. “What would people think if they saw this? If they knew their fellow student was a demon, and this fire was no accident?”

She glared at him, her eyes flaring as she realized what he was threatening. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I absolutely would. Now before you get any bright ideas, know that these pictures are scheduled to go live in a week. If you want to avoid the world finding out about you, I’d suggest you do what I ask.”

Amara was seething, her eyes flicking towards the volunteers to see if anyone was listening in. “What do you want?”

“You already know that, Amara. I want you. You’re going to show me exactly what a succubus is capable of, however I want, when I want. You’re going to be mine.” Brandon’s smile was infuriating, and she wanted nothing more than to punch it off his stupid face, but she knew he had the upper hand. “I expect your answer in a week. If I don’t hear anything, everyone finds out what you are.”

He stood up, then pocketed his phone before turning to walk away. Amara watched him leave, steadying herself on the table beside her. When he left the lot, she heard a loud crack, and quickly snapped back to her senses. She’d been grabbing the side of the table, and her grip had just broken some of the plastic. Thankfully, no one else had been close enough to hear anything, and she was able to pack up the rest of her camera equipment in peace. She hugged Chloé goodbye, made her last post for the charity, and walked home in a daze.

I can’t let him do this, but what choice do I have? Those pictures can’t get out.

The rest of her evening was incredibly stressful. Her thoughts raced as she tried to think of a way to get out of this twisted deal, but she kept drawing blanks. By the time night fell, and it was time to get some sleep, all she’d managed to do was work herself up. Thankfully, she had the perfect way to burn off this stress, and when she manifested in Derek’s dream that night, she did everything in her power to turn it into the perfect nightmare.

—

The next week passed rather quickly, for better or for worse. Brandon’s threat loomed over her head, and although she’d talked it over with Nick and Tessa, they hadn’t yet thought of a way out. She’d already tried to scare him away, and apparently that had only pushed him to start stalking her. Since fear didn’t work, and she knew she didn’t have the temperament to pursue a more permanent solution, she was stuck biding her time. Plus, even if Brandon were to somehow disappear, it was obvious he’d set up the pictures to go live automatically in the event something happened to him.

Nick had suggested that she try to use her dreamwalking abilities, but she still had no idea how they worked. She was getting better at manipulating dreams once inside them, but she still hadn’t managed to manifest in any dreams other than Derek’s.

Still, being able to give Derek constant nightmares had been its own special pleasure. She manifested in his dreamscape every night that week, and every night she invented new ways to try and push him over the edge. Each night ended the same, with Derek trapped under the water and his dead girlfriend screaming at him, but Amara kept mixing up how exactly it happened.

After the first few nights, she’d enlisted Tessa’s help to follow him around campus. Once they pinned down his schedule, Amara started visiting his classes and watching him through the window while disguised as Stephany. The first time he saw her, he had screamed and jumped from his chair. The second time, he managed to stay quiet, but his terror was obvious. The more she followed him around, the easier it was to see that he was slowly unraveling.

Derek now jumped at the tiniest scare, and often wouldn’t pay attention to anyone around him, instead looking for signs of Stephany. He began skipping classes, and rumors claimed that he was starting to become a recluse.

The entire process of wearing him down had honestly taken Amara less time than she’d initially thought. She suspected that he’d been having those dreams for a while, but with her powers still developing she hadn’t been strong enough to pick up on them until recently. It was only Wednesday of the following week when Amara decided to implement the next part of her plan, this time with Tessa’s help.

The girls had learned that Derek lived fairly close to Amara, on the ground level in a similar apartment complex. They waited until the dead of night, when they knew he would be alone, and got to work.

Amara had purchased an outfit just like the one Stephany had been wearing the night of her murder. She now stood outside Derek’s window, identical to his deceased girlfriend in every way, with Tessa only a few feet away. She was dressed warmly, in a large black peacoat, and was setting down a large bucket of water and a hose.

“Alright Tess, it’s showtime. You ready?” Amara asked.

“Please, I was born ready. I can’t wait to go all Ghost of Christmas Past on this asshole.” Tessa was practically bouncing in excitement, and squatted down to wait for her signal.

Amara checked her phone, confirmed it was just past 3:30 in the morning, and handed it to Tessa. Based on the last few nights, Derek seemed to wake from his nightmares around this time, only now Amara was waiting outside the dream. She crouched by his window, peeked inside, and waited.

Soon enough, she heard the muffled sounds of someone waking from a nightmare. His room stayed dark, but after a minute he turned his phone’s flashlight. He was clearly exhausted, Amara could see the bags under his eyes, and he stumbled out of his room. When he returned, he had a glass of water, which he finished half of before setting it on his nightstand.

With a flick of her fingers, Amara signaled to her friend that she was about to start. She reached up, tapping and scraping the window lightly to try and get Derek’s attention.

“Who’s there?” Derek quickly asked, his fear palpable even from outside his window.

Amara kept waiting, knowing she had to draw this out as long as possible. After another minute, she tried again, louder this time.

“I’m serious, you don’t know who you’re messing with!” he said, his voice shaking. His bravado was nowhere to be seen; a result of the endless nightmares Amara had been forcing onto him. He moved to the window, and with another flick of her wrist, Amara asked for the next step.

Above the window, held aloft by Tessa’s telekinesis, the hose turned on. Water rained down into Derek’s field of vision, stalling him slightly. He checked the locks on his window, making sure it was sealed tight, and cautiously looked outside.

As soon as he approached the glass, Amara reached up from beneath the window and slammed her hand on the glass. Just as this happened, Tessa emptied the heavy bucket of water, drenching Amara and causing Derek to jump back.

“Fuck!” Derek screamed. “S-Steph? Is that you?” He was clearly terrified, and Amara took this opportunity to move fully into his vision.

“I-I’m so c-cold, Derek…” she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

“You can’t be here! You’re dead!”

“How did I die, Derek? How did I die?” Amara’s voice distorted, a shapeshifting trick she’d been practicing the last few days.

“I didn’t… I never wanted this! It’s not my fault!”

Another signal, and Tessa started the next step. With her telekinesis, the locks on Derek’s window unlatched, and the window seemingly opened on its own. Amara crawled into the room, doing her best to make her movements appear jagged and unnatural.

“YOU KILLED ME, DEREK.” Amara hissed, her voice even more twisted. She crawled closer, and when Derek tried to run from the room, Tessa slammed his door shut.

“Please, don’t kill me! I’m sorry!” Unable to run, Derek turned to face Amara. She reached out, grabbed his ankle, and pulled him to the ground. Despite his best efforts, he was no match for her demonic strength, and within seconds she crawled on top of him, pinning him down.

“TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED. TELL THEM EVERYTHING!” Her hands closed on Derek’s neck, and she carefully started restricting his airflow.

“I… I’ll do it! Please, just let me live!” Derek’s face turned red, tears forming in his eyes as he started passing out. After another few seconds, his struggles stopped, and Amara immediately jumped off of him.

“Tessa! Quick, like we planned!” Amara whispered. The witch peeked through the window, her tattoos flaring up as she prepared to help Amara. The girls quickly moved Derek into his bed, pulled the covers over him, and reset the room to its normal state. Once they were back outside, Tessa closed the window, re-locked it, and they made their escape.

Once they were far enough away, Amara made sure no one was watching, and shapeshifted back into herself.

“Fucking hell, Amara! Is that what you’ve been doing in his dreams every night?” Tessa asked, clearly excited. “Amara?”

Amara was leaning against the outer wall of her apartment, her eyes closed and her breath panicked. She was shaking, and tears were forming in the corners of her eyes; with the adrenaline rush over, her mind was flashing back to Halloween. She was suddenly back in the Palace, her twisted talons wrapped around Vee’s neck while she begged for mercy.

I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it… Vee’s safe! She’s alive! I had to do this for her!

Tessa’s hands grabbed her shoulders. “Amara! Calm down, look at me.”

The feel of another person’s touch shook her back to her senses, but before she mustered the strength to look at Tessa, she first looked at her hands. They were normal, human hands, nothing like what she’d attacked Vee with.

“I-I…” Amara leaned forward, pulling Tessa in for a hug. “I hate how easily being cruel comes to me. I don’t want to have to keep doing this, but it keeps feeling like I have no other choice…”

The witch grabbed Amara’s neck, looking in her eyes. “Hey, that asshole deserves it. He attacked you! He would’ve attacked Vee! This is the only way to stop him, and you know it.”

Amara nodded slowly, wiping away her tears. After a few more moments, she was able to pull herself together. “Okay, I think… I think I’m alright. Let’s head back inside.” It only took a few minutes to get back to her room, at which point she eagerly began changing out of her wet clothes.

“So, those are his nightmares?” Tessa asked again.

“Uh, yeah, more or less. Normally I distort Stephany’s body a bit more, but that was the gist of it. Why, you scared?” Amara playfully nudged her friend, doing her best to avoid dwelling on the panic attack she’d just avoided.

“I mean, if I’d been the target of that? I’d have been fucking terrified! I take back everything I said about you not using your powers enough, that was damn impressive, Amara.” They both collapsed on the couch, sighing in relief.

“Well, I guess now we wait.” Amara said, putting her hair up. “You think it’ll work?”

“Are you kidding? With how scared he was, I think you could’ve talked him into just about anything. Fuck, I should’ve tried to grab a picture, that would have been hilarious.”

“C’mon, you know that trying to take a picture would’ve—” Amara froze, a sudden idea halting her train of thought. When she didn’t finish her sentence, the witch looked over, concerned.

“Hey, Amara? You alright? Demon senses tingling?”

“Taking pictures! Tessa, you’re a genius!” Amara ran to her bedroom, a sudden burst of inspiration overtaking her.

“What? I mean, I know I am, but mind explaining what you mean?” Tessa hopped off the couch, following Amara. By the time she entered the room, Amara had already pulled out half of her camera equipment and was setting up her tripod.

“Tess, can you grab my red lingerie set? It’s in the top drawer!”

“Alright, I like where this is going, but I’d still appreciate a little context, Amara.” Tessa did as she was asked, grabbing the lingerie before handing it over. Amara smirked, meeting Tessa’s eyes before finally responding.

“I know how to beat Brandon!”

Chapter Text

Birds chirped outside the window, enjoying the morning light as it slowly filled the sky. A soft breeze passed through the autumn leaves, shaking some of them loose before they fell to the ground. Inside, a phone prepared to sound its alarm, but was silenced before it had the chance.

Vee had recently started rising with the sun, and only set her alarm out of habit. She slid out of bed, her nimble feet sinking into the plush carpet as she started her stretches. Her back cracked in a few places, and her hips were a little tight from the lack of activity the last few weeks, but that was the worst of it.

The nightmares had stopped shortly after Halloween. Or perhaps they’d stopped before? She honestly couldn’t remember, so much had blurred together in the week leading up to that fateful night. With her dreams no longer haunted by visions of demonic incursions, she was finally able to sleep again, and for that she was thankful.

As she finished her more mundane stretches, she sat on the ground and crossed her legs. With a short prayer, she connected with the divine power inside her, and asked it to continue aiding her recovery. Its power traveled through her body, dispelling her aches and pains, drawing on her own natural energy to try and keep her healthy. Not only was it a fairly simple exercise, but it also prevented her powers from diminishing while she wasn’t actively pushing her own limits.

Of course, it can’t heal everything…

Vee touched her temple, wincing slightly as her fingers traced over the gap in her brow. Her divine magic hadn’t been able to restore it, and she suspected it was due to the hellfire that had burst forth from the Demon’s fists when she’d been struck.

No, not “The Demon.” Amara.

She thought back to Halloween, her feelings a tangled mess. For all the time she’d spent reflecting on what had happened, she was more confused than ever.

A knock on her door startled her, and her mom peeked inside. “Morning hun! Whenever you’re finished with your morning prayers, breakfast is ready!” The older woman’s eyes lingered for a moment, captivated by the magic that pulsed just underneath Vee’s skin.

She smiled back, used to her mom being awestruck by her divine abilities. “Of course, mom, I’ll be down in a minute.”

Vee checked the time on her phone, it was almost seven already. As she looked at her lock screen, she also saw a single push notification; unread messages from Amara. She couldn’t bring herself to open them, but every time she tried to dismiss the notification, she hesitated. She stared at the most recent message for longer than she intended, then shook her head.

It only took a few minutes for Vee to get properly dressed. She didn’t have much of a wardrobe to pick from, as most of her clothes were still at school, but she still found something cute. Downstairs, she hugged both her parents, giving each a kiss on the cheek before sitting down for breakfast.

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to going back?” her dad asked. “If you want to wait another week, you know we won’t mind.”

“I have to go back eventually; it might as well be now.” Vee piled her plate with bacon and eggs before taking a seat. “Besides, it’s a nice day, the drive will be easy.”

Her mom came closer, cupping the side of Vee’s face as she looked down in concern. “We have nothing but faith in you, love, but that doesn’t stop us from worrying. I just wish you could tell us what happened.”

“You know I can’t, mom.”

“Oh, I know. ‘Official Church business’ and all that. You’d think they could make an exception for your parents, that’s all I’m saying!” her mom huffed.

The breakfast was delicious, as expected, but soon enough it was time to leave. Vee grabbed a light coat, said goodbye to her parents, and started the drive back to Aurelius University.

It was hardly a long drive; even in bad traffic it never took more than two hours. She kept the radio off, preferring the silence of her own thoughts. She focused on the road, on the clouds racing just over the horizon as she drew closer and closer to school.

She had no idea what to expect. The events of that night had replayed in her head thousands of times, and she still didn’t understand exactly what had happened. For some reason, Amara had let her live, and she didn’t know what that meant. Was it a trick? Was it genuine? Even if it was, it didn’t change the fact that she'd burnt down the building during their fight. She still blocked off the exits, preventing Vee from deescalating the situation by leaving.

But when we got out, she’d seemed so worried about me, horrified at what she’d done…

She shook her head. Regardless of everything else, she needed to finish school, and she was trying to focus on doing that one step at a time. Step one was getting back to campus, step two would be to contact all her teachers and ask for the homework she’d missed. Anything past that didn’t feel worth thinking about.

Before she knew it, she was back. She parked outside her apartment and walked inside for the first time in weeks.

Nothing had changed. In the corner sat an empty pile of large water jugs, and a few spare rosaries were still on her kitchen counter. She set down her backpack, nervously walking around the apartment, feeling as if she were talking with some past version of herself. In her bedroom, her wall still had several dents in it, and her sheets were still a crumpled mess.

Vee sighed.

She took a few hours to clean up, start some laundry, and move the water jugs to the recycling. She appreciated having busy work, thankful that it gave her a distraction from her thoughts.

After she finished, she heard her stomach grumbling. Unfortunately, nothing in her fridge was good anymore, so there was only one choice. Grabbing her keys, she left the apartment and headed for the cafeteria. The weather had stayed nice, thankfully, but she was nervous about the crowds she could see heading towards the center of campus. She didn’t know if she had the stomach to face anyone today.

As she drew close, her fear manifested when she saw Tania walking towards her. The same girl that had been harassing her over Derek’s false claims, who’d even crashed her date with Nick. Vee clenched her fists, doing her best to steel herself for what was coming.

No doubt she’s going to blame me for the Palace. She already thinks I’m an arsonist.

As Tania drew close, with several of her friends in tow, Vee spoke up. “What is it now, Tania? I’m really not in the mood.”

To Vee’s surprise, Tania said nothing, instead pulling her in for a tight hug. They stayed like this for a moment before she finally spoke. “I’m so sorry, Vee, I had no idea. I can’t believe what that must have been like for you!”

“Um… thanks? What are you talking about?” Vee didn’t know what to say, and looked at Tania’s friends in confusion as she half-heartedly hugged Tania back.

“You haven’t heard?! It’s all anyone can talk about!” Vee continued saying nothing, and in response, Tania pulled out her phone. “Derek confessed to everything! He made a huge post, even turned himself in to the police!”

“He what?!” Vee gasped, hardly able to believe her ears.

“Yeah! He admitted to attacking you, and he admitted that his injuries were his own fault, but it’s so much more than that! He’s confessed to years of awful behavior, and he’s been apologizing to dozens of girls that he’s hurt. Apparently, he also got someone killed back in High School? He was driving drunk and crashed his car, and his girlfriend didn’t survive.”

Vee froze in shock. This didn’t sound like Derek at all, but when Tania showed Vee her phone, she saw that all of it was true.

“I… but why?”

“Who knows? Maybe he had a change of heart, maybe the guilt was driving him mad, beats me. A whole bunch of girls have started speaking up, it’s like the Me Too thing all over again.” Tania placed a hand on Vee’s shoulder, “Anyways, Vee, I’m really so sorry about everything. If there’s ever anything I can do to help, to make this up to you, please just ask, okay? I can’t imagine what you’re going through, with the attack, and then getting caught in that fire…”

Tania pulled away from their hug, her eyes glancing to Vee's eyebrow, then the rest of her friends apologized as well. Soon enough, Vee was on her own again, more confused than ever.

When she made it to the cafeteria, she spent all of lunch combing through news outlets. Every major site in the area was covering Derek’s shocking confessions, even a couple national papers. As she scrolled through everything, she finally got around to checking her own social media feeds as well. She found hundreds of messages and posts, all from people wanting to talk to her and express their sympathy. Some were apologizing for their actions, some were applauding her for her strength, she even had a sizeable amount of random donations.

Even now, in the cafeteria, a few casual acquaintances approached her with their regards. She’d gotten used to the icy stares of people who thought she’d attacked Derek, and this complete reversal was incredibly baffling. Before long, it proved to be a little overwhelming, and she gathered up her things to head back to her apartment.

She walked quickly, eager to make it home without any more awkward conversations, but something caught her eye as she left the cafeteria. Towards the center of campus, on the edge of the quad, a crowd had gathered. Curiosity got the better of her, and when she drew close, she was thankful to see this crowd had nothing to do with Derek or his confession. It looked like some volunteers had set up a fundraising campaign for the Jade Palace, and something had everyone particularly excited today.

I might as well make a contribution, right? In a weird way, I’m at least a little responsible for that fire.

She took a deep breath, and decided she would brave the crowds to make a donation.

—

Amara had spent all morning finishing her edits on her latest photoshoot. Most of the previous day had been spent taking pictures; experimenting with new angles, playing with the lighting, and switching outfits occasionally. She’d never had so much pressure for a photoshoot to go well, but with Brandon’s threat hanging over her head, she knew she couldn’t afford any mistakes.

When she finished, she had three sets of photos she was really happy with. She’d contacted Chloé late last night, asking if she could borrow the charity’s portable table to set up a new fundraising effort on the quad, and she’d been more than eager to help.

After setting up the table, Amara had integrated her photos with Chloé’s app, which ensured that most of the money spent would go to the charity. Once they’d finished, she quickly called Nick to explain her plan, and it only took him a few minutes before he’d joined all the girls on the quad. Once they were together, and the lunch rush was about to start, Amara started posting about her new project.

It was, predictably, somewhat of a slow start. She knew she was making a huge gamble, and she had taken to nervously pacing behind the table as she waited for the first sales to start coming in. Thankfully, once the crowds appeared, she was able to channel her apprehension into extroversion as she tried to sell her photos.

Amara had never been the most popular person, but she certainly wasn’t a hermit. She’d been offering her photography services for a while, and through her friends she had access to an impressive cross section of the student body. According to Tessa, her recent debut as a party girl had also bolstered her reputation. Her Halloween “costume” had apparently garnered quite a bit of attention, though she’d been unaware of that until recently, given her actions after the party.

All this meant that, despite her hesitations, her photoshoot was a huge hit. Not only were there plenty of students on campus eager to buy them up, she also had a surprising amount of engagement from various online communities that had nothing to do with the school.

When she wasn’t talking with friends and casual acquaintances at the charity table, she was checking her socials to see another wave of donations and support. Everyone seemed to love the photos, they were impressed by her editing skills, and most of all, excited that the money was going to a good cause. For a moment, the attention even reminded her of the high she’d felt at the Halloween party, but with Nick’s help she was able to avoid a downward spiral.

Of course, the other thing propping up her good mood was Derek’s big announcement. She’d initially missed it, as she spent most of yesterday working on her photoshoot, but Tessa and Nick had blown up her phone in excitement. It was a surreal experience; after so many months living in fear of Derek, the tables had finally turned. He’d confessed to absolutely everything, not just the incident with Stephany, and there was a faint air of celebration on campus as she talked with everyone that approached the table.

She was in the middle of a conversation with several friends she hadn’t seen since Halloween when the moment she’d been dreading finally appeared. From across the quad, she saw Brandon drawing near, his insufferable smirk clearly directed at her. From the look of things, he didn’t know what she was up to, and she was itching to wipe that smile off his face.

As he approached, Nick began corralling the crowds to give her some space. Once Brandon closed the distance, he leaned up against the table and pulled out his phone. “Well, Amara, I’m nothing if not a man of my word. It’s been a week, and you have yet to give me an answer. Did you think I was bluffing?”

“Oh, I believe you. I just don’t care,” Amara said.

“I’ve got it pulled up on my phone right now, one click and you’re through!” Brandon was clearly frustrated, his face already turning red.

“But Brandon,” Amara said, a smile growing on her face, “don’t you want to contribute to our charity first? I’m selling some of my portfolio to raise money!”

“This isn’t a joke, Amara. I’m going to ruin you.” Brandon was furious now, though he was doing his best to hide his temperament from the nearby crowd. He began typing on his phone, likely setting up what he thought was the final nail in Amara’s coffin.

Before he could finish, Amara saw one of Nick’s friends approach the table in curiosity. She grabbed his arm and pulled him close, eagerly talking a little bit louder to put on a show for her blackmailer. “Oh my gosh, Alex, did you hear the big news? I’m a succubus!”

Brandon froze, looking up from his phone in shock at Amara’s words.

“Wait, I don’t get it, you’re a what?” Alex asked.

“A succubus, a demon, whatever you want to call it.” As she spoke, Amara scanned a QR code on the table. She angled herself so that Alex and Brandon could see her screen and continued. “I’m raising money for the charity, and since the fire happened on Halloween, I figured I’d do a sexy photoshoot in my costume!”

Amara started scrolling through the photos she’d taken, eagerly watching as Brandon realized what was happening; in every single photo she’d taken the last two days, she’d been wearing nothing but her sexiest lingerie, and her demonic aspects were front and center. Some photos highlighted her horns, some her tail, and her wings had appeared in roughly half of the shots. In one photo she was straddling her tail while moaning, in another she licked its tip while winking at the camera, and each set had dozens more. She’d made the pictures as sultry as possible, and had surprised herself at how willing she was to flaunt her body online.

Finally, she showed Alex a picture she’d taken at the Halloween party, one where her tail looked like it was attached with the belt Nick had made. “See, I took all the pictures in that costume, and then edited them to look real!”

In actuality, a vast majority of her photo editing had been to create the illusion that editing had happened at all. She’d subtly altered tiny details to make it look like there had originally been a belt around her waist, or glue residue on her horns. Just like she’d done with her actual costume, the goal was to seed just enough doubt to make people think her true form was nothing but the magic of photoshop.

“Of course, these aren’t all of them. The sexiest photos you can only see if you buy the sets, but I’ll let you in on a little secret, Alex… I’m naked in some of them!”

Alex, either through legitimate interest or the efforts of a sexy demon hanging off his arm, didn’t hesitate to buy all three sets. As he left the table, she overheard him talking with Nick, pestering him about how he should totally reconsider dating Amara. She laughed to herself before refocusing on the matter at hand.

“Still feel like releasing those photos, Brandon? It would be a big help for the charity, the more attention the better!”

The two locked eyes, and Brandon finally spoke for the first time in minutes. “This isn’t over, Amara. I’ll find a way to make you mine. You’re going to regret making an enemy of me.”

She leaned in, whispering into his ear. “Well, until then? I think you’ve got an overdue date with your hand, so how about you leave me the fuck alone.”

After a final contentious glance, Brandon scowled and walked away from the table. Amara celebrated by running back to Nick, grabbing his arms excitedly. “Nick! It worked! He ran off with his tail between his legs!”

Nick laughed as Amara danced around him, elated to be free of her blackmailer, but their revelry was cut short when Tessa pulled Amara back down to earth.

“Careful, we've got trouble,” the witch said.

Confused, Amara scanned the crowd to look for any problems. She was scared she might see Mr. Wellington, or possibly another member of the cult. Both Tessa and Nick had warned her that some people might see through her photo stunt, and she was ready to defend herself if need be. The person walking towards the table, however, was the last person on Earth she wanted to fight.

Vee.

She was wearing blue, relaxed jeans that hugged her hips and ended just above her simple, black flats. An oversized, thickly knit green sweater hung off one shoulder, though it was held partially in place by the purse slung across her body. As Amara’s eyes traveled higher, she gasped.

Vee’s face, previously an impossibly perfect visage, now had two incredibly distinct blemishes. In the middle of her left eyebrow sat a massive scar, at least two or three inches long. The hair hadn’t grown back, and likely never would. A second scar, slightly smaller, cut through her upper lip on the right side. The scars had definitely come from a blunt force strike, but the lack of a sharp outline indicated there had also been substantial burn damage.

She held Vee down, clenching her free hand before lashing out. Her bone-covered knuckles, clad in hellfire, struck Vee’s brow, a sickening crack filling the air as the angel’s head fell to the ground. Amara struck again, furiously, this time connecting with her lip as she felt Vee’s body start to surrender.

Terrible memories flooded Amara’s head, memories she’d previously failed to recall. She clenched her fists, not in anger, but to try and hold herself together. She took a deep breath, attempted to steady her nerves, and watched as Vee walked closer. Soon enough, the girls were standing face to face, neither saying anything before Amara finally attempted to break the silence.

“Um… Hi, Vee,” Amara said nervously.

The blond-haired girl had stopped just a few paces away from Amara. She directed her gaze towards the ground before speaking. “…Amara.”

“I, uh… I didn’t know you were back. Did you… just get in?”

“Yeah. First day.”

The two girls stared at each other in silence for a moment. In the corner of her eye, Amara saw Chloé light up and try to move in, but Nick and Tessa held her back.

“That’s… um… It’s nice to see you again. Did you… get any of my texts?” Amara asked hopefully.

Vee paused for a moment, pulling out her phone. “…All of them, actually. A hundred and forty-seven.”

“Oh, I… didn’t realize I’d sent that many. I hope it wasn’t annoying I just… I was worried, and no one knew anything…”

Another round of awkward silence. This time it was broken by Vee, glancing over Amara’s shoulder to the pile of QR codes sitting on the charity table. “So, you’re fundraising for the fire relief?”

“It was Chloé’s idea, since she already had her app and everything. We’ve actually cleaned up most of the building, so now money is the biggest roadblock.”

For the first time since this conversation started, a hint of a smile crossed Vee's face. “That’s… really great. I didn’t know you guys had put this together! I actually just came into a tiny bit of money I don’t need, might as well donate it, right?” She scanned the QR code and started to open the link.

“Wait, Vee, before you—” Amara tried to stop her, but it was too late. She could clearly see a picture of herself on Vee’s phone, her demonic features on full display. Vee froze, her breathing quickened, and her body tensed.

“Amara, what the fuck is this?”

“Please, I’m sure this looks bad, but I—”

“But what? You want to tell me that it’s not what it looks like?” Vee moved closer, her hushed voice at odds with her furious demeanor. “That’s what you said last time, just minutes before you almost killed me, Amara. Or have you already forgotten about that?”

“Vee, I—”

“Is this some sort of sick joke? A victory lap now that I’m out of the picture?”

Amara gasped, the accusation reopening all the pain she’d felt on Halloween. Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke. “…Is that really what you think of me?”

“I don't know what to think, Amara. I have no idea who, or what, you are.” Vee didn't give her a chance to respond. She rushed past Amara, shoulder checking her as she left the conversation. The crowd nearby parted to let Vee through, and Amara could already hear the onlookers whispering.

Amara stood still, doing her best to hold herself together. After a few moments, she felt a hand on her arm, and she turned to see Nick standing next to her, with the other girls right behind him.

“Aww Vee left already? Is everything okay?” Chloé asked.

“We had a bit of an argument during the… right before the fire started.” Amara said quietly, her body tense.

“I had no idea how bad her injuries were! Did you see those scars? Whatever happened must have been really bad… I guess it’s lucky you were with her, right?”

The tears in Amara’s eyes welled, threatening to break free, and she pulled away from Nick before heading back home. The whispers from the crowd picked up, but she didn’t care. Her steps quickened, and before long she was running, trying to get home. She was suddenly back in the circle, Vee’s expression slowly turning to hate before striking Amara, and the pain returned.

When she arrived home, she slammed the door behind her and collapsed on the floor. What little control she had left vanished, and she lost herself to her tears for the better part of half an hour. In time, Nick knocked on her door, and did his best to comfort her as she processed her feelings.

—

Later that night, after Amara had managed to pull herself together, Nick convinced her to leave the house. They went for a walk around campus, and he claimed he just wanted her to get some fresh air, but she had a feeling he had ulterior motives.

“We’re not going to the Gymnastics building, are we? I’m really not in the mood.” Amara asked.

“Not tonight, not after all of that. I’ve got an idea, but I’ll fill you in later.” Nick said. “I, uh… I’m sorry about what Chloé said. We haven’t talked much about Halloween, but I’m pretty sure she thinks you helped Vee escape the fire.”

Amara said nothing. Her mind was racing, running through her conversation with Vee for the hundredth time this evening. Could she have said anything different? Are they just inevitably going to end up fighting again?

Ugh, why did she pick today to come back? The very same day I plaster my naked demon butt all over the internet…

“Hey.” Nick said softly, prodding Amara with his elbow. She looked over at him. “She was willing to talk to you, right?”

“I mean, sure, I guess.”

“What did she say? Well, before she… y’know.”

“First day back, she got all my texts, and she seemed happy that I was helping with the charity. At least, until she saw how I was helping.”

“Presumably she doesn’t know anything about Brandon, right?”

“Presumably she doesn’t know a lot of things! She doesn’t know why I shapeshifted into her, or that Derek attacked me, but so what? The road to hell is paved with good intentions, right? What if it’s like this for all demons? We start as decent people until a comedy of errors trap us in a damnation spiral?” Amara’s frustration was clear, and she was having trouble keeping her voice down. Thankfully, it was late, and the campus was mostly empty.

“Hey, no need to jump to conclusions. Try to focus on now, yeah? You raised a lot of money for the charity, you cleaned up the house, and Vee didn’t attack you on sight. I think there’s a lot to be optimistic about here.”

Amara didn’t bother responding, instead just grumbling under her breath. The two continued walking for a while, and when she finally looked around at her surroundings, she found herself back on the athletic campus. “Nick, I told you I’m not in the mood tonight.”

“And I told you that’s not where we’re going. C’mon, trust me.”

They walked past the Gymnastics building, and soon enough, they were staring at the campus stadium. It was easily one of the biggest buildings on campus, and held significantly more than just the field. The large encompassing structure had tall, spacious hallways, plenty of bathrooms, multiple bays meant to house concessions and merchandise shops, and of course, passages to the many levels of bleachers. One face of the building had recently been redone to add a bunch of administrative space, and Amara remembered that particular construction project taking much longer than the school had intended.

In front of the main entrance, leaning up against the doors, was Tessa. She waved as they approached, and Amara was the first to speak.

“Okay, Tess is in on this too? What’s going on here?”

“Oh, don’t get too excited. Nick asked if I wanted to do some light breaking and entering tonight, and how is a girl supposed to say no to that?” As she finished, Tessa turned towards the stadium’s entrance, her tattoos flared, and a few seconds later the doors swung open.

After locking the doors behind them, the trio started weaving through the halls, with Nick leading the way to the field. Now that they were alone, Amara manifested her tail and horns before summoning a few flames for light.

“So, this stadium is one of the tallest buildings on campus, right?” Nick asked.

“Uh, yeah, everyone knows that. What’s your point?” Amara said.

“Well, that means the only way to see into the stadium is to be inside it. At this hour, we know the stadium is going to be empty, but even if it weren’t you’d be able to sense other people’s auras, right?”

Amara’s eyes flared, and she looked around. Tessa and Nick were easy enough to sense; Tessa had probably had sex just a few hours ago, and Nick’s aura was somewhat muted, as it had been a few days since they last fucked. “I’m not sure what the upper limits on my aura reading are, honestly. If I’m really juiced up I can see electrical signals, but I don’t know if that works through walls.”

“Wait, what?” Tessa ran in front of Amara, “You can see Wi-Fi?!”

“Not right now, only when I’m full to bursting. It’s only happened once, and I haven’t had time to play around with it yet.”

“My point is, girls,” Nick said, cutting in, “that it’s a surefire bet we’re alone in this stadium.”

As Nick finished talking, they finally walked out into the open air of the main field. It was strange seeing it at night, but there was an illicit charm in being somewhere without permission. Amara hopped over a few barriers and, in just a few minutes, was now standing at the edge of the main field.

“Nick, do I look like the type of girl that gets cheered up by petty crime?” Amara asked. “No offense, Tessa.”

“Psh, I’m having the time of my life. You do you,” the witch said.

“The crime isn’t the point, Amara.” Nick gestured to the field. “Hypothetically, if someone wanted to spread her wings and fly around, wouldn’t this be the perfect spot?”

Amara froze, staring at the field in a whole new light. She was so accustomed to hiding her wings that she still internalized the world as a flat, two-dimensional space. At Nick’s urging, however, she looked up and realized just how contained the airspace was. The wind would probably be muted, but it would be infinitely better than flying in the Gymnastics building.

“Nick,” Amara said quietly, “I take back everything I just said. This is amazing!”

She ran out into the field, manifesting her wings as she gasped at how big the stadium looked from the field. The entire place suddenly felt like a playground, and she began stretching her wings in excitement. As she did, she ran her eyes over the bleachers, making sure she didn’t see any additional signs of people.

After confirming that she didn’t see any unfamiliar auras, she took a running start, and leapt into the air.

Her wings carried her higher, one powerful thrust at a time, and she could already feel the wind racing around her. Her horns buzzed, and she could feel her body making minute adjustments as she climbed higher. She decided she would start with a few laps around the stadium, to get used to these new sensations, and then the real fun would begin. As she kept ascending, however, an unsettling warmth filled her wings. It felt as if she were being pushed higher by a column of smoke. The air grew thick, soot covered her face, and she heard emergency sirens in the distance. Without warning, she saw Vee, bloodied and terrified, demonic hands wrapped around her neck.

“Amara… please…”

Before she realized what was happening, she felt a sharp pain spread through her body. Hands grabbed her shoulders, then her face, as she heard Nick calling her name.

“Amara! Amara, are you okay?”

“I… what happened?” Amara asked, disoriented.

“I don’t know! You started flying, and about halfway up, you just fell out of the sky. We were too far away to catch you, and you just… hit the ground.” Nick said frantically.

“I felt smoke, I saw Vee’s face and I… I couldn’t…” Amara squeezed Nick tight, her breathing erratic.

“C’mon Amara, in for two, out for four, breathe with me.”

It took another few minutes, but eventually Nick was able to calm her down. She slowly stood up, stretching her arms and wings to see if she’d hurt herself. Thankfully, while she was pretty sure she was going to be sore in the morning, she couldn’t feel any actual damage.

“So, what’s the plan? Head home?” Tessa asked.

“No. I want to try again.” Amara replied.

“Are you sure?” Nick said. “What if this happens again?”

“Well, it caught me by surprise, but now I’m expecting it. I think I can power through it if I prepare myself.”

Amara shooed her friends away, then moved to the edge of the field. She took another running start, jumped into the air, and began climbing higher. Holding any feelings of joy at bay, she tried to focus on her objective.

The party is in the past. You’re recovering, Vee is safe, and she’s even talking to you again! You can let it go!

The familiar sting of smoke appeared under her wings, and before long, Vee’s bloodied face returned. By the time she opened her eyes, she had crashed onto the field again, and Nick was holding her tight.

“Hey, maybe it’s too soon after seeing Vee again. How about we play it safe and head home?” he asked.

“No! I can do this!” Amara pushed him aside, immediately jumping into the air again. She beat her wings furiously, desperately trying to climb into the sky, but she kept flashing back to Halloween. She tried again and again, almost a dozen times, and each time she froze up closer to the ground. After nearly half an hour of attempts, as she kneeled in the center of the field, she screamed up into the air. A torrent of fire rose from her horns, echoing her fury as she stared at the sky above her.

When the fire subsided, and her tears had dried up, Nick finally approached her. He was nervous, but it seemed that he was more worried for Amara than himself. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight before she finally spoke.

“I… I can’t fly, Nick.”

Chapter Text

Several hours had passed since the sun disappeared behind the horizon, and Amara was relaxing on her couch. Her head was resting in Tessa’s lap, and some generic action movie was playing on the TV. The two girls had finished dinner recently, and were slowly preparing for the main event of the night: Amara’s infiltration of the secret cult meeting. It was of utmost importance that she be well-fed, as they still weren’t sure exactly what Mr. Wellington was up to.

Amara had been teasing Tessa all night in preparation for her second meal. She was wearing incredibly skimpy booty shorts, the athletic kind best suited for lounging around the house, and they were not designed to contain all of her ass. The straps of her lingerie were resting high on her hips, far above the waistband, and anyone looking at her from behind would know she was wearing a thong. Her matching bra was doing its best to put her tits front and center, and her tank top helped accentuate her impressive cleavage.

Tessa had been entirely unwilling to help make dinner, instead relaxing on the couch while glued to her phone. Still, Amara’s demonic senses could tell that the witch was taking every opportunity to stare at her body. At several points throughout the night, during bouts of downtime in the cooking process, Amara had sat in her friend’s lap and aggressively made out with her, just to push her buttons even further. The arousal was delicious, and she knew she needed every drop of strength she could get. Even now, as they cuddled on the couch, Amara could smell that Tessa was staring at her tits. Her tail had been massaging the inside of the witch’s thigh ever since the movie started, and every time Tessa tried to start something, Amara had playfully smacked her hands away.

Tessa, being the horniest of Amara’s partners, was the easiest to feed on. Her arousal was so constant that she’d been feeding all night, starting long before they’d retired to the couch after dinner. By the time the bad guys were defeated, and the credits were rolling, Amara could feel her friend’s thighs twitching in anticipation.

“So,” Amara started, “should we retire to the bedroom?”

“Fuck, yes! God, you’re the absolute worst!” Tessa said, jumping off the couch. “How are you not as horny as me? You’re literally a sex demon!”

“Please, I’ve been feeding on you all night.” Amara stood up, stretching her back to continue teasing Tessa. Before reaching the bedroom, she grabbed Tessa by the waist, pushing her against the wall. Her tail wrapped around her leg, its tip brushing against Tessa’s sex, and she leaned in to whisper, “Maybe you should learn how to play hard to get.”

Tessa was whimpering, eager to be fucked, and Amara breathed in her arousal before letting her go. The witch panted in desperation as she jumped in Amara’s bed, already starting to undress. “C’mon, haven’t I waited long enough? You’ve been jumping around in that outfit all night, and I know you smell what it’s doing to me.”

Amara pulled off her shorts and her tank top but left her lingerie on. She crawled on top of Tessa, pushing her to the bed as her tail started tracing the naked curves on the witch’s body. “And you know that I’m doing it on purpose.”

When their lips finally met, Tessa moaned in pleasure, and her already excited aura expanded again. Amara’s hands joined her tail, exploring Tessa’s waist, grabbing her ass and pulling her close. Their legs interlocked, each girl grinding her pussy against the other’s thigh. Tessa’s hands returned the favor, eagerly grabbing Amara’s ass and squeezing tight.

In response, Amara moved her lips down to her friend’s neck and kissed it gently. She let herself taste every inch, slowly moving higher before playfully nibbling on Tessa’s ear. After a few minutes of playing nice, she moved back down and bit into the witch’s neck, hard enough to make sure she left a mark.

“Fuck!” Tessa shouted. Her body shook, and her hands moved to Amara’s shoulders. She held tight, her nails digging in as she wrapped her legs around Amara. In return, Amara moved her tail between the witch’s legs, circling her pussy slowly with its tip. “Please, Amara, fuck me!”

Amara giggled, continuing to feed on her friend as she teased her entrance. “Not yet, Tessa. You have to earn that privilege.”

“Nngh fine! What do you want?”

“Make me cum, and then I’ll consider returning the favor.” Amara whispered. She pulled her tail away, despite Tessa’s whining, and rolled onto her back.

As soon as her back hit the bed, she saw Tessa’s tattoos light up. Her bra undid itself, sliding off her body before her thong did the same. As they hit the floor, Tessa moved down on the bed and settled between Amara’s legs. She began kissing her sensitive thighs, her nails tracing lines in her skin as she crept higher. Before long, her fingers had found Amara’s clit, and she began rubbing it softly.

“Mmm there’s a good girl.” Amara moaned, running her hands through Tessa’s hair. Her tail continued teasing the desperate witch, snaking up her back before wrapping softly around her neck. She knew Tessa loved to be dominated, and even the hint of pressure around her throat created another surge in her aura.

Amara felt the witch’s tongue on her clit and began gasping in pleasure. Tessa sucked hard, pulling on her clit as she continued running her tongue over it. While Amara was the succubus, there was no denying that Tessa knew what she was doing.

As Tessa continued playing with Amara’s clit, she began to push a finger into her entrance. Amara was already incredibly wet; although she’d been playing coy earlier, all the teasing from the last few hours had her incredibly worked up. Her body eagerly accepted Tessa’s finger, and soon enough two more had worked their way inside. Amara gripped Tessa’s hair harder, her hips bucking as she eagerly fucked back against the witch’s efforts.

Tessa’s free hand moved higher, grabbing one of Amara’s breasts and massaging it. Her fingers circled the demon’s nipple before grabbing tight, pinching as hard as she could. Amara moaned in surprise, and Tessa soon did the same to her other nipple, trying to push Amara closer to cumming.

They continued like this for several more minutes, Amara eagerly feeding off her friend while feeling her pussy stretch around her fingers. She was purposely trying to prolong her first orgasm as long as possible, but Tessa’s skills proved to be too much.

Her body tensed, clamping down on Tessa’s fingers as both her hands grabbed her hair tight. Her thighs squeezed, holding Tessa in place as she came hard. Her moans grew louder until she was practically shrieking with pleasure, and she felt her demonic senses expanding to fill the room. She could feel the fire raging inside her, eager to be let free, but she managed to keep everything contained as the waves of pleasure subsided.

As Amara came back to her senses, she released her grip on Tessa’s hair. The witch pulled back, her makeup running and her face covered with Amara’s juices. She wore a look of desperation, eager to see if she’d fulfilled her end of the bargain.

“Mmm fuck, that was amazing!” Amara said, “I think you’ve more than earned your reward.”

She pulled Tessa close, kissing her softly as she let her hands explore the witch again. Tessa’s body was shaking with anticipation, so desperate for release that Amara wondered how fast she could make her cum. She broke off their kiss and their eyes met, Amara making it more than obvious what was about to happen.

Her tail wrapped around Tessa’s waist, holding her tight, and Amara pushed her to the side. Within seconds, she had her friend face down on the bed, her arms pinned behind her. As her tail released its grip, she used her feet to kick Tessa’s legs open, and soon her tail had easy access to her friend’s aching pussy. She circled it slowly, the tip of her tail teasing Tessa’s entrance, continuously applying pressure but refusing to push inside.

“Amara… please…” Tessa panted. Her body was shaking, and although she was trying to push her hips back against Amara’s tail, she was completely powerless in Amara’s grasp. One of her hands held the witch down, and the other pushed through Tessa’s black hair before grabbing tight. She pulled Tessa’s head back, exposing her neck before beginning to kiss and bite it again.

Amara finally relented, her pointed tail slipping inside Tessa’s wet cunt. She wasn’t at all surprised when Tessa came immediately, her walls clamping down on her tail, and Amara felt her own body shudder in response. As Tessa’s first orgasm passed, Amara began slowly thrusting in and out while testing how deep she could go. Each thrust pushed a little deeper, and each time she twisted her tail to massage the inside of Tessa’s pussy. As Amara continued to feed on her friend, she carefully watched for any signs of discomfort, but Tessa’s body was practically a giant nerve of pure pleasure. The energy she absorbed was delicious, and she could already tell that her vision was starting to expand again. The colors of her room grew more vibrant, and strange wisps of energy flew through the air above her.

Smirking with satisfaction, Amara refocused her attention on Tessa and her aura. Through their connection, she could feel the witch’s pleasure, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before they were both cumming.

Her tail started moving faster, pushing as deep as possible before pulling back, her dexterous tip continuing to twist and massage the inside of Tessa’s soaking pussy. Amara began rocking her whole body along with her thrusts, pushing Tessa into the bed as she continued fucking her harder and harder. The witch was screaming with pleasure, though her face buried in a pillow and the sound was heavily muted. Tessa’s aura continued to expand, having quickly recovered from her first orgasm, and within seconds her body began cumming again.

The energy from Tessa’s orgasm surged into Amara, who’s own body tensed and shook as she started cumming with her friend. Her full weight fell onto Tessa, and her tail buried itself as deep as it could inside Tessa’s aching cunt. Her tail was shaking, practically buzzing with excitement, which only served to push Tessa deeper into orgasmic bliss. Both orgasms continued for close to a minute before they finally started calming down, at which point Amara released her grip on Tessa’s body.

Amara rolled off her friend, gasping as the last traces of Tessa’s orgasm left her body. Tessa, now freed from her demonic grasp, shifted to lie on her side as she slid closer to Amara. The witch laid her head on Amara’s chest, settling in between her breasts as she waited for her breath to return.

After another few minutes, Tessa finally found the energy to speak again. “Fucking. Hell. Amara.”

“And that’s why teasing you is so fun,” Amara said, smirking. “Because I know how hard I can make you cum.”

“Okay, but seriously? You keep this up and I’m worried about all other sex losing its appeal in your shadow. Fuck.”

Amara’s tail snaked behind Tessa, and began casually tracing circles on her back as they relaxed. The witch moaned with contentment as she settled in, her breathing slowing while she wrapped an arm around Amara’s waist.

They cuddled for longer than Amara expected. She wasn’t used to Tessa being this cozy after sex, and it caught her by surprise.

Well, our first time was under the cafeteria, and we needed to leave as soon as possible. After that, I was trying to buck off Vee’s Enochian trap, so I guess there wasn’t time to cuddle then either. Maybe I’m just underestimating how good I am in bed.

Amara chuckled to herself before grabbing her phone with her tail. She pulled it close and sighed in resignation.

It was time to get ready.

“Tess?” Amara asked. Tessa groaned, burying her face in Amara’s cleavage. “C’mon, you can’t fall asleep. I need to get ready to infiltrate this stupid cult.”

“Ugh. You suck at pillow talk.” Tessa said. She pulled off of Amara, then sat up and began playing with her hair. She stared at the floor for a few moments before quietly speaking again. “You sure this’ll work?”

“It’s the best shot we have, Tessa. Besides, as far as we know, they don’t have any serious magic yet. If I need to fight through an army of brainwashed teachers, I think I’ll be fine.”

Amara stood up, moving to her closet and pulling out a pile of clothes. A couple pairs of pants, multiple button-down shirts, all of which belonged to Nick. She took a deep breath, then looked back at Tessa again. “Hey, could you… turn around for this part? It’s already kinda weird, even without you watching.”

“You never let me have any fun.” Tessa said sarcastically. She turned around, now staring at the wall next to Amara’s bed.

I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Here goes nothing.

Amara closed her eyes, picturing Mr. Luxnor in her head. Brown eyes, wavy brown hair, and a soft jawline with well-groomed stubble on it. Her inner fire took over, rushing through her body, as she felt a familiar tingle as her form shifted. She was a little taller, now, with a much broader chest. Her breasts had completely disappeared, replaced with defined pec muscles and a small collection of hair. Strangest of all, she now had a dick.

Okay, this is weird.

Her new phallus was soft, and she couldn't fight the urge to explore it, even just for a moment. She flexed it, and watched as it briefly twitched in response. It felt incredibly similar to the pelvic muscles she was used to engaging with her pussy, and the entire thing actually felt like an extension of her clit. When her hands gently wrapped around it, she could feel residual excitement from the fun she's just had with Tessa. It began to harden, just a little, and Amara got a brief hint of what kind of pleasure a penis might be able to provide.

Now's not the time for an anatomy lesson, Amara, you've got a cult to infiltrate!

She rummaged through Nick’s clothes, trying on a few options before finding something that fit well enough. Thankfully, Mr. Luxnor was fairly in shape, and Nick’s clothes didn’t seem too mismatched on his body. Putting on pants was annoying, she couldn’t quite figure out what to do with the thing that now sat between her legs, but eventually she found an acceptable arrangement.

“Um, well… I think it worked?” Amara said, her voice now much deeper.

Tessa turned around, her eyes racing over Amara’s new form. “Wow, that looks spot on. For what it’s worth, you’re got a great eye for shapeshifting. Is that even something you can be bad at?”

“Beats me. Maybe it comes natural to succubi, maybe it’s because I’ve got so much photography experience? Either way, I’m not complaining. Clothes look good?”

“Looks alright to me. Plus, I’ll bet this cult is mostly guys, and they don’t give a shit about clothes. You sure you’re not supposed to have, like, a hooded black cloak or something?”

“I really hope not. If they call me out, hopefully I can say I lost it. From what we overheard, Mr. Luxnor was already on shaky ground, so maybe it’ll be in character.” Amara looked over her new form in the mirror, and walked around her room a few times to get used to how this body moved. “So, reminders. I’m not going to bring my phone, I can’t risk losing it, or having it give away my identity.”

“And I’m going to wait behind the science building for you, I know.” Tessa half-heartedly quoted their earlier conversations with Nick, when they’d planned out what to do tonight.

Amara checked her pockets one last time, making sure nothing she had could be traced back to her or her friends. She looked around the room, confirming that she could still see all the electrical signals present. Lastly, she snapped her fingers, summoning a small flame and running her fingers through it. Her powers seemed to be fully intact, which meant there was nothing else to test.

“Alright,” Amara said, “let’s do this.”

—

It was fortunate that the cult was meeting so late. Obviously they picked obscure hours so as to not be discovered, but Amara was thankful that their secrecy made it easy to cross campus without being recognized. The walk also gave her more time to get used to this body, to figure out how men were supposed to move. She took a running start at several flights of stairs, even vaulted a couple short walls to get some practice in.

Entering Lysander Hall was easy, someone had left the door unlocked, which bolstered Amara’s confidence that she was in the right place. Inside the elevator, she pushed the secret button Tessa had found earlier in the week, and started the descent.

It was immediately apparent that the elevator was going much deeper than the basement. The floor indicator numbers stopped glowing as she traveled, and after another minute the doors opened.

In front of her was a simple stone hallway. Several dim lightbulbs glowed overhead, leading the way further into this strange complex. Down the hall, she saw a large room with several shapes moving around. With a deep breath, Amara did her best to get into character; she wasn’t a hot, young college girl, she was a cocky teacher that was eager for a taste of magic. She belonged here, this was nothing unusual, and she didn’t have to worry about anything.

She walked casually but briskly down the hall, and soon enough she’d entered the main room. It was bigger than she expected, roughly the size of a school gymnasium, or possibly the gymnastics building. She could see entrances to other hallways elsewhere in the chamber, and made a note to try and explore those at a later date once the facility was empty. Closer to the center of the room sat four thick columns, and just inside those stood a ring of people.

Amara immediately noticed that, just as Tessa had predicted, everyone present had donned a large, hooded cloak, though they wore red instead of black. A few people turned to look at her, their faces filled with silent judgement, but one person seemed worried and walked over to meet her.

“Garrett!” the stranger whispered. “You’re almost late, what are you thinking?”

She recognized this man by his voice, he was the second person she’d overheard underneath Brandt Hall. “Phone’s busted, I lost track of time.” Amara whispered back.

The deeper voiced man grabbed Amara’s arm, pulling her to the side. Thankfully, she saw he was leading her to a box of cloaks, and she sighed in relief as she put one on. Pulling the hood over her head, she rushed to take her place in the circle.

As she stepped into line, she finally got a look at what they were all standing around. In the center of the room, much larger than any she’d seen before, sat another magic circle. It thrummed with power, slowly pulsing with light as she examined it. She could also see heavy traces of some kind of energy leaking from it, as if the circle had its own aura.

When she tore her eyes from the circle, she was able to get a look at the other people present. She recognized about a third of them, and among those, most of them were teachers. Some of the cultists appeared younger, and she suspected they were students, though she didn’t recognize any. She also didn’t see any of the bodyguards Nick had pointed out, which she took as a sign of hope.

The sound of approaching footsteps cut her inspection short, and she turned towards the source. Entering the main room from a different hallway, carrying himself with far more confidence than he likely deserved, was Sebastian Wellington. Much like everyone else present, he wore a deep red cloak, though his had additional gold lining on the outside. His hood stayed down, and Amara got a good look at him, studying him close in case she ever needed to impersonate him.

He had deep brown hair, with intense blue eyes that seemed to view everything as property. He had sharp features, with a broad face and low-set cheekbones. His smile was faint, but certainly not lacking in confidence. As he approached the center of the chamber, two cultists parted to let him through, and he stepped onto the magic circle.

“Gentlemen!” Mr. Wellington said. “The time has come!”

Hushed murmurs traveled through everyone present, though they were quickly silenced when Mr. Wellington held up a hand.

“We stand here today, stronger than ever, and ready to embrace our destinies. I couldn’t have done this without your help; each and every one of you has proven yourself to me countless times. While there may have been some… setbacks,” Sebastian’s icy stare settled on Amara, “they are insignificant in the face of what we are about to accomplish.”

Amara heard several people chuckle, and she did her best to appear ashamed of her actions.

“However, before we take our next steps, I have an exciting announcement. We have a new member!” As the words rang through the large room, Amara saw another figure leave one of the side hallways, a hood blocking their face. “This young man has proven he has the drive and the passion to further our goals. Even before I found him, he had already begun to unravel the magical secrets of this campus, and his aptitude is without question. I want you all to welcome Brandon Nowak!”

Her eyes wide, Amara watched as this new member pulled his hood down to reveal the same person that had tried, repeatedly, to claim her as his own.

That bitch!

“Thank you so much for your kind words, Sir. I promise to do everything I can to help us take that which is owed to us.” Brandon lowered his head slowly, bowing in respect before stepping back and joining the circle.

Would he tell Mr. Wellington about me? He doesn’t know we’re trying to stop the cult, but there’s no way he wouldn’t use the knowledge of my existence to try and earn status here… Fuck!

Amara didn’t have much time to dwell on the ramifications of this new discovery, as Mr. Wellington had begun talking again.

“Now, with that business attended to, I understand you all have many questions about what we’re doing here. I have, of course, given you all small gifts already; enhanced physique, stamina, and mental acuity. However, those gifts are only the first step of your journey. They exist to prepare you for our true goal; ascension!”

Several members present gasped, others smirked in anticipation as their leader continued.

“By weakening the seals, we have given ourselves the ability to commune with beings greater than us. They hold wisdom, power, and abilities far beyond your comprehension, and they are willing to share those gifts with us. You see, their presence is limited, and they cannot survive in our world as they are. However, by offering ourselves as vessels, we can combine our minds with theirs, and ascend to a new level of existence!”

Mr. Wellington’s voice echoed throughout the chamber, and his excitement was palpable. Amara was shocked so many people were on board with his claims; did he truly have them so convinced they weren’t just sacrificing themselves?

“And to demonstrate my good will, I am willing to forestall my own ascension, giving it instead to the worthy among you. Samuel, if you could please step into the circle.”

Amara watched as one of the cultists stepped forward, removing his hood. She recognized him as Mr. Mendez, one of the music teachers. His wide smile betrayed his excitement, and he beamed as if he’d just won the lottery.

“It is an honor to be here, Sir, and I welcome this gift with open arms.” Mr. Mendez said.

“After tonight, you will each ascend in turn, and in one week’s time I will celebrate our success with an ascension of my own!” Mr. Wellington said. A chorus of cheers erupted, and Amara played along as best she could until the leader finally signaled their silence.

The music teacher centered himself in the circle, and Amara watched everyone present step backwards. There was now a comfortable amount of space between them and the circle, and Mr. Wellington began speaking again, though she didn’t recognize the words he spoke. She suspected they might be latin, and as he spoke, she saw various runes flare to life in the circle. She could also see runes on Mr. Mendez and Mr. Wellington, though she knew she could only see them because of her enhanced vision; the runes were otherwise completely hidden underneath their clothes.

The energy of the magic circle continued to pulse, the lights growing brighter and the strange aura intensifying. A soft wind picked up, circling Mr. Mendez, causing his cloak to billow and dance. After another minute of chanting, the magic reached a climax, and Amara saw a burst of energy break free from the circle. It circled the music teacher several times before ascending into the air and diving down into his body. She wondered if anyone else had seen that, or if this was another feature of her demonic senses.

Mr. Mendez gasped, throwing his head back as he floated several feet into the air. When the magic finally dispersed, and the energy in the circle quieted again, he quickly fell to the ground. The chamber was deathly silent, and after a few moments, he stood once more. He took a deep breath, seeming to take pleasure in the act, before opening his eyes and looking up at Mr. Wellington.

His eyes were blood red, and they were glowing. Amara watched as his aura came to life, though it didn’t resemble Mr. Mendez’ aura at all; in fact, there wasn’t a trace of the energy that had once belonged to the music teacher. This aura felt sinister, malevolent, and most terrifying of all, it felt strangely familiar. Amara stared at this new creature, a horrifying sense of kinship forming in her gut, and she knew without a doubt she was looking at a demon.

“Sebastian,” the demon hissed, “it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

“We welcome you to our world, and rejoice that the ascension ceremony was a success.” Mr. Wellington said.

“Indeed it was. I am reborn, I have transcended, and I am eager to see others share in these gifts.” The demon’s nose twitched, and an uncomfortable look crossed its face. “Although, it appears I was under the wrong impression. I assumed I was to be the first.”

Mr. Wellington hesitated, though quickly masked his concern. “I can say with absolute confidence, Samuel, that you are. This ceremony hasn’t been performed before now.”

“Then why do I smell another?” Another pause, and the creature wearing Mr. Mendez’ body began to look around the chamber. “I smell… excitement? No, this is something different, more potent. It reeks of… yes, this is lust. There is a succubus present.”

Oh fuck. Fuck! Not good!

Across the circle, Amara could see Brandon’s eyes go wide in surprise. Her body grew tense, and her breathing quickened. She quickly glanced at the hallway leading to the doorway, wondering how fast she could get there. Before she could think of a plan, however, the demon’s blood red eyes met hers. It raised its hand, pointing at Amara as it grinned with sadistic pleasure.

“This one. She wears his face, but she is not him!”

Every face in the chamber turned to face Amara, and she froze. Tension filled the chamber, and she didn’t know what to do, her mind racing through her options. Before she could make a decision, or think of anything to say, the person standing next to her grabbed her arm.

The touch shook her to her senses. With her free hand, she grabbed the stranger and pulled him close, throwing him to the ground between her and the rest of the cultists.

“Don’t let her escape!” Mr. Wellington yelled.

Amara sprang into action, running for the exit as fast as she could. She felt more hands reach for her, grabbing her cloak to try and hold her back. With a burst of flames, she burned away the ties on her cloak and kept running.

She had no idea how fast everyone else was, or if the demon was in pursuit as well. She could only hear the sounds of dozens of footsteps chasing after her. With a flick of her wrist, she began manifesting flames behind her, filling the hallway with a veritable inferno. She heard several people crash into each other, and when she finally reached the elevator, she finally dared to look behind her.

No one was foolish enough to cross her wall of flames. To keep them scared, she held out her hand again and intensified the fire, the flames turning purple as she nervously slammed the call button behind her.

Everyone paused, the cultists unable to cross the flames, and Amara unable to leave until the elevator arrived. As she waited, she saw the crowd part, and Mr. Wellington stood just in front of her hellfire. Anger filled his eyes, and he glared at Amara as the elevator door opened. She stepped inside, urging the fire to jump out at the cult leader, but he didn’t so much as flinch as the flames threatened to take him.

Their eyes met, and Amara could feel Mr. Wellington’s hatred. She couldn’t bring herself to look away, and after another moment, the doors closed. She collapsed against the back railing, panting in exhaustion, as she waited for the elevator to bring her to safety.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chemistry class the next morning proved to be one of the longest hours of Amara's life. She could barely keep herself awake, as she'd been up all night glued to her phone. Vee was back, after all, and had agreed to help them stop the cult. When they'd last spoke, she'd promised to reach out as soon as she located her Enochian texts, but Amara had no idea how long that would take. Every time her phone vibrated, she would hastily grab it hoping for a text from Vee, but it always proved to be something else. Another photoshoot sale, a comment on a random post, as well as a few texts from Tessa and Nick.

Now, as she leaned her face against her hand while the professor explained their lab, she still couldn't resist the urge to check her phone every couple seconds. This was frustrated even further by her enhanced hearing; she could hear every phone in the classroom, and she wasn't experienced enough to differentiate between them.

The lab was also frustrating because Amara had hoped to see Vee again. This was Vee's first week of classes, and they'd been lab partners up until Halloween. It's not that Amara disliked her new lab partner, a somewhat nervous girl with bright blue hair, but she wanted everything to go back to normal. Sadly, Vee was nowhere to be seen, and class went on without her.

Her new lab partner, thankfully, was a very eager student. Amara frequently felt like a glorified assistant, but was happy to have someone else do most of her classwork for her. Her partner was currently trying to light the Bunsen burner, though didn't seem to be having any luck.

"Amara, can you light this?" the blue-haired girl asked, giving up.

With a lazy smile, Amara grabbed the striker and moved it over the burner. She squeezed it half-heartedly, unsure if she'd even made any sparks, and used her own inner fire to light the burner. Once finished, she opened her notebook and started copying over some notes. "Alright, ready to go."

"How do you always get that on your first try?"

"Maybe I'm just lucky," Amara said, chuckling to herself. She spent the rest of class watching her lab partner do most of the work, occasionally helping out when asked. Her phone went off exactly six times, though none of the notifications were from Vee.

Hours later, Amara sat down for lunch with Chloé, still having heard nothing. Tessa was also nowhere to be found, but that was to be expected; she'd texted earlier that she was going over her notes on the magic circles. Amara tried to pass the time with small talk, asking Chloé about her classes and her charity.

"What about you? How are classes?" Chloé asked, pushing the remains of her lunch aside.

"I can't complain. They're pretty straightforward, even if it's a little hard to focus right now." Amara sighed, wishing she could tell Chloé more.

"Is that 'cuz Vee's back?"

"...Yeah, pretty much."

Chloé hesitated, looking like she was unsure of something, then continued. "What are you two fighting about? If that's okay to ask, I don't want to step on anyone's toes..."

You know the rule, Amara, only tell people once they're involved. Still, I feel bad leaving her in the dark... maybe a half truth would be okay?

Amara forced a smile. "Well, kinda a couple things, but mostly... I started sleeping with Nick."

"Seriously?! But you two always said you didn't want to date!" Chloé was leaning forward now, clearly eager to hear more.

"We're not dating, it's just a friends with benefits thing. Vee had a bit of a crush on him, though, and when she found out, things got a little... heated. Then she got hurt in that fire, and we haven't really had time to talk about it."

"That really sucks, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" Chloé asked.

"I appreciate the offer, but no. This is something we have to work through on our own." Amara sighed, wishing she could say more. "Could you not tell her I said anything?"

"Your secret is safe with me!" Chloé reached over, squeezing Amara's hand briefly before the conversation shifted to more mundane matters. Over lunch, Amara's phone went off a dozen more times, but there was still nothing from Vee.

Long after classes had ended, just after dusk, Amara and Nick were finishing up dinner. He'd come over after school had ended, and he'd taken the opportunity to tell Amara everything he'd talked about with Vee. She hung on every word as he recounted their conversation, hoping to learn more about was Vee was thinking. Sadly, the more Nick talked, the more it became obvious that Vee seemed as confused as ever.

"Ugh, I hate waiting! Every time my phone goes off, I think it's her. I wish there was more I could do!" Amara fell onto the couch, pulling a throw pillow over her head.

"I'm sure this isn't easy for her, Amara. We don't know what her childhood was like, but she's clearly known about her heritage for a while. When we had our date, she actually mentioned that her parents weren't entirely hers, but she wouldn't elaborate. I'll bet there's some weird Angel magic at play with that."

"Okay? What's that got to do with this?"

Nick pushed Amara's legs aside and sat next to her. "What I mean, Amara, is that she grew up knowing she was an angel. I'll bet the Church has told her a million times how bad demons are."

"That's... kinda what she told Tessa. Something about how all demons are manipulative, and prey on mankind's desire to be good. Stupid church propaganda."

"Are they wrong? The instant you saw another demon at that cult meeting, you were terrified."

"That's different! That demon took over Mr. Mendez' body! I can't say this for sure, but it looked like there was nothing left of him after the possession. I don't think he's alive in there, Nick."

With a heavy sigh, Nick placed a hand on Amara's leg. "Look, she just needs time. I can't imagine what she's going through, but it looks like she's trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. She's helping with the cult, right? She's talking to Tessa and myself about your transformation, she's trying to understand."

"Ugh, stop being so reasonable, Nick. You're making me feel bad about complaining."

The two laughed, though it was obvious they both carried tension in their voices. After a moment of silence, Nick spoke up again. "Maybe... a distraction would help?" he asked. His hand slid higher on her leg, and he squeezed her inner thigh.

"Ohh is someone feeling frisky?" Amara spread her legs slightly, smirking at Nick.

"Hey, Tessa got you last time, and I seriously considered masturbating for the first time in months earlier today. Plus, you need to keep your strength up."

"You poor thing! So used to having a slutty succubus at your beck and call, however will you survive?" Amara's voice dripped with sarcasm as she sat up, pushing Nick back so she could straddle him.

"Truly no one suffers more than I." Nick smirked as he pulled Amara's shirt off. He undid her bra with a snap of his fingers, a trick Amara showed him that made their constant fucking much more convenient.

"What are you going to do when you finally settle down? How could anyone else possibly compare to having your own personal sex demon?" Amara returned the favor, pulling off Nick's shirt before she started undoing his pants. She leaned in, kissing him briefly before moving to his neck and biting him hard.

"Fuck... someone's awfully full of herself tonight. Do I need to put you in your place?"

"I'd like you see you try, Nicholas." Amara pulled back, her eyes flaring as she stood up. She quickly pulled the rest of her clothes off, but rather than straddling Nick again, she started walking to her room. She flicked her tail suggestively, and made sure to accentuate her hips as she walked.

Nick happily chased after her, undressing as he made his way to the bedroom. His aura continued growing, which brought a smile to Amara's face.

At least this part of my life is simple.

When Nick walked into the bedroom, Amara jumped out from behind the door and grabbed him. "Gotcha! You're mine now!" She wrapped her tail around his torso, took a deep breath, and lifted him clean off the ground. His hands grabbed her arms, and he was clearly shocked by how easily she'd lifted him. Seconds later, she threw him down on the bed and crawled on top of him.

"Fuck, could I get a warning next time?" Nick moaned as Amara bit his neck again, but she quickly backed off and gently kissed him on the lips.

"Aww where's the fun in that?"

The two started grinding against each other, which felt infinitely more enjoyable without clothes in the way. Amara let herself lay on top of Nick, her breasts pushed against his chest as she felt his thick cock throbbing underneath her. His hands brushed against her waist, slowly moving further down until he'd found her ass. He massaged her slowly, digging his fingers deep into her soft flesh. With each gentle pull, she could feel her pussy tingling, as if he were spreading her open in anticipation.

Not wanting to wait any longer, she connected with his aura and took a deep breath. His excitement was delicious, and she could sense how eager he was to be inside her. She broke off their kiss, smirked at Nick, then slid down the bed until she'd settled comfortable between his legs.

After licking her lips in anticipation, she kissed the base of his cock slowly. Her tongue snaked out, massaging his balls as he started to moan out in pleasure. With each kiss, her mouth moved higher, and soon she'd reached the tip.

"So fucking hot, Amara..." Nick moaned.

"Oh, you like it hot, do you?" An idea formed in Amara's head, and she took a deep breath while connecting with her inner fire. After all her practice, she felt confident enough to try something new. When she breathed out, her breath was much hotter than it had any right to be. She opened her mouth wide, keeping his cock on the tip of her tongue, and spit dripped down her chin as she teased him. When Nick looked down, he saw flames at the back of her throat. They illuminated the inside of her mouth, a soft red glow that made her look like a dragon preparing to attack.

"Shit, Amara, that's... really wild. Hopefully you're planning on putting that out when you actually get to work?"

A giggle escaped her lips, and she felt a few sparks dancing inside her mouth. "Don't worry, Nick, I wouldn't dare hurt this wonderful cock of yours." Amara closed her mouth, made a show of swallowing, and opened it again to show Nick that the fire was gone.

"You'd make a fortune if you ever joined the cir-- oh fuck!" Nick's thought was interrupted when Amara kissed the head of his cock and pushed down, swallowing his entire length in an instant. She let her tongue reach for his balls again, slowly massaging them as she let her throat constrict around his shaft. His hands reached for her head, grabbing her horns tight as he twitched in pleasure.

Amara could feel through his aura how much he was enjoying himself, and she started bobbing up and down. Before long, Nick's cock, as well as her comforter, were soaked in spit as she eagerly sucked him off. She continued to pick up her pace, keeping tabs on his aura to figure out exactly how fast he wanted her to move today. He tended to like it rough and fast, especially when she gave him free reign to use her horns as handles, but he wasn't in charge right now. She eventually settled on a slower pace than he clearly wanted, which would prevent him from cumming while also keeping him plenty excited.

Her moans joined his, as much as her busy mouth would allow, as she happily shared in his pleasure. After several minutes of this, Nick managed to find the strength to speak again. "I know you can cum from this, but-- fuck... I'd love to feel more than just your mouth today."

She let his cock slide from her mouth, slick from her spit as she responded. "You know, most guys would consider a girl that can cum from blowjobs the equivalent of winning the lottery."

"Maybe you've only got yourself to blame, and your pussy is just that good." With his hands still wrapped around her horns, Nick pulled her close until their lips met again. They kissed slowly, their bodies positioning until Amara's sex was hovering over his shaft. Using her tail, she lined herself up, then happily welcomed him inside.

It was her turn to moan, her voice deep and guttural as she felt him slide deep inside her. Once he was fully inside her, she eagerly began grinding against his crotch, feeling every twitch his cock made while she fucked him. While she was more than happy to cum through someone else's aura, she definitely noticed a difference when she was being pleasured directly.

Placing her hands on Nick's chest, she started squeezing her legs and bouncing up and down. She moved slowly, letting the entire length of his shaft pump into her pussy, continuing to feed on his aura while she did so. Once again, she found the perfect pace to keep him excited while staving off his orgasm, and happily stayed there until she found her first climax.

Her body shook and trembled as the pleasure raced through her, and she didn't bother quieting her passionate moans. Every muscle in her body twitched, and she fought the urge to squeeze Nick as hard as she could for fear of hurting him. Instead, she settled for letting her excitement erupt from her horns, casting an aurora of purple and red light on the walls while her flames dances around her head. By the time she'd calmed down, and checked to make sure she hadn't burnt anything, she felt that Nick had started taking control of their pace.

"Now, who said you could do that?" Amara teased.

"Hey, you weren't complaining," he said, smirking.

An idea crossed Amara's mind, and she leaned in to kiss him before speaking. "Do you still want to put me in my place?"

"Absolutely! I've got to get back at you for throwing me across the room earlier."

"Well then, why aren't you bending me over already?" Amara giggled, and within seconds, she was letting Nick pick her up to reposition her. Once she was comfortably on her knees, she reached under the bed with her tail, and soon she'd pulled out her lube. She handed it to Nick, who paused after seeing it.

"Which toy do you want?" he asked, looking down at her shoebox of naughty accessories.

"No toys today." Using her tail, she pulled herself backwards until she was kneeling in front of Nick, and she laid her head on his shoulder. She reached for his cock, slowly stroking him as she whispered, "I want you to fuck me in the ass, Nick."

Nick's aura, already pulsing with desire, seemed to double in potency as she spoke. She could see every emotion running through him; lust and excitement, obviously, but he also seemed a little nervous. "Are you sure? I'm definitely bigger than the toy we used last time..."

"I mean, if you don't want to..."

"T-that's not what I said!"

Amara reached up, running her hands through his hair before pulling it tight. "Nicholas, if you're not fucking my ass in the next sixty seconds, I'm pinning you down to see if you like it instead."

The intensity of her words spoke volumes, and Nick clearly got the hint. He pushed her back to the bed, pulled her hips closer, and opened the bottle of lube. Amara felt a generous amount fall onto her tight asshole, and soon Nick was using a finger to get her ready. He pushed inside, and she squeezed tight to tease him as she moaned. After lubing up his cock as well, he grabbed her hip, and held her steady while he began pushing inside.

It took longer than expected for his cock to push into her ass. He was clearly being cautious, and while Amara wanted to judge him for his hesitation, she reluctantly accepted that taking this slow was a good idea. He pushed forward, bit by bit, and soon enough she felt her entrance give.

The head of his cock felt much bigger than it had previously, and it was strange having him inside her ass. Much like with her toys, there was an unusual stretching feeling as he carefully slid deeper inside her, but thankfully she'd come to love that sensation during all her practice. His cock was softer than her toys, which were all various forms of silicone, and she loved how hot his shaft felt. She lost track of time as she waited for him to bottom out; seconds seemed like minutes as she held her breath in anticipation. When she finally felt his thighs meet hers, she instinctually let out a load moan.

"Fuuck... you're so thick, it's so different than my toys..." Amara moaned, her fingers digging into the bed sheets.

Nick leaned forward, whispering into her ear. "Does it feel good?"

"It's amazing, please don't stop. I want more, I want to feel you cum!" Amara pushed back, and the two grinded against each other for a moment before she felt Nick pull back. He was upright again, keeping one hand on her hip while the other grabbed one of her horns, pulling her head back sharply. As he held her completely still, she felt his cock start to leave her ass, and her body shook with anticipation. Before pulling out completely, he pushed back in, and soon he found a steady rhythm while he fucked her.

She appreciated his caution; as much as she was enjoying herself, she knew she needed time to adjust to his cock. Even with her toys, she tended to stop once they were all the way in, and she'd never properly fucked herself with them. Now, with Nick eager to claim her ass, it's like she was rediscovering everything she'd come to love about anal.

Each thrust felt more deliberate, and her confidence grew alongside Nick's as they figured out each other's body. He began pulling back even further, threatening to leave her entirely, but he never did. His aura continued growing, and she knew she would have incredible amounts of energy to spare after they finished. She also swore he'd borrowed her shapeshifting abilities, as it felt like his cock grew even larger as he started fucking her harder and harder. His hips began bouncing off her ass, and he even released his hold on her hips to spank her.

It only took a few minutes for the assfucking to overwhelm her. Another orgasm raced through her body, and now that she wasn't in control, she had no way to steady herself for it. Her eyes rolled back in her head, she lost control of her voice, and she bucked wildly as she tried to fuck Nick back as hard as she could. This orgasm was wild, chaotic, and she lost track of her body as she grew more and more consumed by the pleasure overloading her senses.

Just when she thought it might start abating on its own, she felt Nick's aura swell, likely stimulated by her frantic bucking. He finally started cumming, both hands grabbing her horns as he bottomed out in her ass. His cock twitched, emptying its load deep inside her, and every few seconds his hips would briefly thrust hard into her. A frenetic, second wave of orgasmic pleasure took hold of her, and she felt her ass squeezing Nick's cock for every drop of cum that it could. Without warning, he pulled her up towards him, their bodies colliding as his arms wrapped around her waist. He bit her neck, harder than he'd ever tried before, and another guttural scream filled her bedroom. They stayed there for another minute, Nick's orgasm slowly fading before Amara's could do the same. When she finally fell back to the bed, and his cock suddenly pulled out of her ass, she could barely control her breath.

Nick joined her moments later, his own breath as haggard as Amara's. She found the strength to look at him, sweat dripping down his brow, and her tail affectionately wrapped around one of his legs. By the time they'd both suitably recovered, which took Nick significantly longer, they were both smiling from ear to ear.

"So," Amara started, "think I've been suitably punished?"

"Fuck, Amara, I can't even think of something witty to say. That was so fucking hot."

Amara's tail uncurled from Nick's leg, grabbing a water bottle from her nightstand. She took a long drink, then offered it to Nick as she finally sat up. Just as she'd expected, the bedroom had taken on a new life due to her renewed energy. She saw signals bouncing around once more, and was even able to start differentiating them. One errant signal connected with Nick's phone, and she took the opportunity to toss it to him.

"Hey, you're getting a text," she said, taking back the water.

Nick unlocked his phone, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You sure? I don't see-- oh, never mind. Wow, you really can see Wi-Fi."

"What, did you think I was lying?"

"Well, no, but seeing is believing," Nick said, pausing for a moment to respond to his message.

Amara took the opportunity to finish the rest of the water, setting it on her nightstand when she finished. She grabbed her phone, which made a familiar tingle when she picked it up, indicating a new text. Used to disappointment, she tried not to get her hopes up, but her newfound self-control went out the window immediately; she had a text from Vee.

Vee: Back of Whitmore Hall, 11 PM. Book is on top floor, possibly the Dean's office.

"Nick! Vee has a lead!" she said excitedly.

"That's great! Where's her book at?"

"She thinks it might be in the Dean's office, weirdly enough."

"That's... odd. Why would he have it? Is he a part of the cult?" Nick asked.

"I don't think so, I certainly didn't see him at the meeting. Plus, the cult is trying to summon demons, what use would they have for Enochian Texts? And would they even be able to tell what they were?" As they talked, Amara started pulling her clothes back on. "Honestly, right now, I don't care why the book is there. Can we go to your place? I need to steal some clothes."

"Planning on shapeshifting into the Dean? I'll see what I can put together, but I think he's a little smaller than I am. We also dress differently, I certainly don't have any tweed suits."

"It doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough." Amara threw Nick's pants on the bed, urging him to get dressed. "Now c'mon, get dressed."

Soon enough, both of them had finished dressing, and left for Nick's place. There, they did their best to pick an outfit that seemed as close to the Dean's fashion sense as possible. By the time they'd finished, Amara decided she didn't want to wait anymore, and left for the meeting spot.

Amara felt silly, waiting outside Whitmore Hall while wearing such ill-fitting clothes. She'd considered shifting into the Dean ahead of time, but she didn't want to confuse Vee when she arrived. Thankfully, Whitmore was slightly further away from the busier parts of campus, and the chances of running into any other students were small.

She didn't know what to say once Vee arrived. They'd only talked twice she she'd returned to campus, and both conversations had been incredibly stressful. Amara replayed them in her mind, wondering if she might gain any insight she could use to put Vee at ease, but she kept drawing blanks. She wished she could just sit Vee down, explain everything from the start, but getting Vee to agree to such a conversation seemed like an impossible task, especially given the threat of the cult.

After roughly half an hour of nervous fidgeting, Amara finally saw someone approaching the building. Their aura was incredibly faint, which meant it wasn't Tessa, and it definitely wasn't a demon.

Amara held her breath as Vee approached, wondering what she should say. Should she say anything? Would it be better to focus on the task at hand? Before she could make up her mind, Vee had closed the distance. She paused for a moment, then moved to the brick wall to join Amara in leaning against it.

"...Amara," Vee said.

"H-hey Vee. Thank for, um... reaching out. Were there any problems finding your book?"

"No."

"That's good! I have no idea how many demons are running around campus right now. The only one I know for sure is Mr. Mendez."

"Mendez is a demon?" Vee seemed genuinely surprised. "Fuck! That's why he was acting weird!"

"Do you think he knows you're an angel? Can demons sense that kind of thing?"

Vee glared at Amara. "Sometimes, it depends on the strength and particular skillset of the demon in question. You can't sense me, can you?"

"Well, I can see your aura, but it doesn't look any different than anyone else's."

"My aura?" Vee asked.

"That's what I call it, at least. I can sense traces of, I dunno, some kind of energy around everyone? But because of this, I can... well, I can intuit certain things. There's nothing in your aura that seems angelic, or anything like that."

"What do you mean, intuit things? Are you doing something to me?" Vee seemed on edge, and stepped slightly further away.

Ugh, I was hoping to avoid the specifics...

"I'm not doing anything! I just know, like... how horny you are, or when you last had sex..." Amara's voice quieted, nervous to be talking about sex at a time like this; she didn't want to make Vee any more uncomfortable.

"Right, succubus," Vee sighed. "Should've known."

Both girls went quiet. Amara wished she had something else to talk about, but she couldn't think of anything. It also didn't make sense to talk about tonight's plan until Tessa arrived. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait much longer; Tessa was only five minutes late, practically a new record for her.

"Please, don't stop the party on my account," Tessa said. She looked over at Amara, her eyes running over the clothes she was wearing. "What's with the outfit? You planning on shifting again?"

"That was the plan, yeah. I figured, if we're going to be in the Dean's office, we might as well have the Dean with us."

"In those clothes? He would never wear that." Vee said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, a strange outfit makes more sense than secretly being a shapeshifter. It's just a precaution if we run into a janitor or something. If we find a demon, they'll see through me no matter who I look like."

Tessa stepped between Amara and Vee, changing the topic. "So, what's the plan? Break in and steal the book back?"

"It's not stealing, Tessa, it's mine," Vee said.

"Of course, morality bends to your whims, never the other way around."

"Tessa! Shut up!" Amara said, grabbing the witch's arm and squeezing her tight.

Vee, clearly annoyed, walked over to the back entrance and held her hand up to the door. After a few seconds, a small flash of light surrounded the lock, and the door swung upon on its own. "I'm not against getting my hands dirty, Tess. You coming or not?"

A smug look crossed Tessa's face, and she past Vee into the building. "Not bad, holy girl."

Amara followed soon after, and when Vee walked inside, she closed the door behind her. "Alright, I should change into the Dean now. I'm gonna duck into that bathroom, gimme a sec." Walking over to the bathrooms, Amara quickly pulled her clothes off, then shapeshifted into Samuel Halsen, Dean of Aurelius University. She didn't like that she had to disrobe to shift, but her shifting always spawned flickers of hellfire, and she didn't want to risk damaging Nick's clothes. She was happy with the face she saw in the mirror, and was pretty sure she'd be able to trick any random students or faculty.

Dean Halsen was a slightly smaller man, with a tendency to hunch forward. He had short grey hair, with greyish-blue eyes that sat comfortably next to his prominent crow's feet. Amara had never seen him in person, other than from a distance at a few large events, but had seen his picture hundreds of times on the campus website. As she walked out of the bathroom, her hands adjusting the last few buttons on the shirt, she saw Tessa and Vee adamantly ignoring each other.

Tessa looked over, examining Amara's new look before whistling. "Nailed it, as always. You wanna give us some light?"

Amara nodded, summoning a small flame to hover in front of them. As she did so, she immediately noticed Vee flinch in surprise and take a few steps back. "Fuck, maybe a little warning next time?" Vee said.

Guilt rushed through Amara as she spoke. "Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't think--"

"Yeah, obviously" Vee said, interrupting her. "Just try not to burn the place down, okay?"

Amara stammered, unsure what to say, but ultimately decided it would be best to stay quiet. She walked in front of the others, taking the lead as they started up the stairs. No one talked, and their footsteps echoed off the walls as they passed the second floor, eventually landing on the third.

While they walked, Amara tried to keep an eye out for any unusual electrical signals. She still hadn't found the time to really experiment with her improved vision, but she wondered if she might be able to detect things like cameras or other sensors. To her knowledge, the campus didn't have surveillance equipment like that, but she'd started assuming that the school had hundreds of secrets she didn't know about.

As they slowly walked towards the Dean's office, Amara felt a strange tingle on the back of her neck. When she turned, she saw Vee had closed her eyes, and appeared to be casting some kind of spell. Although worried it might be something aimed at her, Amara stayed still, and hoped this was just a natural response to being in the presence of divine magic. Her fears were allayed when the spell dropped, and Vee looked up again.

"I'm still sensing the book in the same place," Vee said. "We'll have to go through his assistant's office first."

At the end of the hall, they found a large door that marked the entrance to the Dean's office. A large window sat in the door, the glass clouded to give privacy, and simple block letters said "Samuel Halsen, Dean." As they drew close, and Amara reached for the handle, she hesitated. She could hear something in the Dean's office.

"Someone's inside," Amara whispered. "I'll go first, try to figure out what's happening. You two stay hidden."

Both other girls nodded, and Amara couldn't help but notice that Tessa had pulled out her switchblade. With a deep breath, Amara grabbed the handle and opened the door.

The office she walked into was empty, and the lights were off. A series of filing cabinets sat against the wall to her right, and a few chairs had been placed to her left. The assistant's desk had been set up in the back left corner, and on the far wall, Amara could see the door leading to the Dean's actual office. This door was partially ajar, and a light had been turned on inside.

Amara looked back to Vee and Tessa, signaling that they could enter the assistant's room, and they hurried inside. Trusting that they could take care of themselves, Amara approached the door and pushed it open, walking inside.

"Hello?" Amara asked, doing her best impersonation of Dean Halsen.

As she entered the Dean's office, she saw a man rummaging through a large ornate cabinet. He flinched slightly, then turned to look at Amara. His broad, sharp face lit up with a fake smile, and Amara tensed in surprise. She was standing face to face with Sebastian Wellington.

"Dean Halsen! I thought you'd left hours ago!" Sebastian said, his voice calm and confident.

"Why are you in my office, Sebastian?" Amara asked.

I sure hope they're on a first name basis.

"I could ask you the same thing, Samuel."

Amara tried to look past Sebastian, hoping to see what he'd been doing, but he was large enough to block her view. "It's my office, isn't it? I think you're dodging my question."

"You're right, I shouldn't be here, but I have good cause." Sebastian turned back towards the cabinet and pulled something out of it. "In fact, I suspect we're both here for the same thing."

When Sebastian turned back towards Amara, she saw a large book in his hands. It had a faded brown cover, and she recognized it immediately: Vee's Enochian Texts. "Is that so? What could you possibly want with that?"

"I had the same question, actually. Why would a book like this be in the Dean's office?" Sebastian closed the distance between himself and Amara, holding out the book. "Still, I'm a busy man. How about, rather than bicker back and forth, you just take this book for yourself, and I'll be on my way?"

Amara looked down at the book nervously. She could feel the intense angelic power radiating from it, and she knew she couldn't touch it without revealing her identity. "Just put it back where you found it, thank you."

"What's the matter?" Sebastian asked, a devious smirk appearing on his face. "Afraid to touch it? It's not like there are any secrets between us... Amara."

Amara gasped in surprise. "How did you--"

Before she could finish, Sebastian shoved the book against her chest. It's energy immediately reacted to her own, but she did her best to hold onto it despite the pain; she needed to keep it safe for Vee. Her entire body felt like it was seizing, and flickers of holy energy leapt from the book as it continued to attack her. Hellfire cascaded down her body, and she unexpectedly returned to her own form, Nick's clothes now mildly singed.

"Don't give me that crap, Amara, I know everything. You do a terrible impression of the Dean, by the way." Sebastian placed a hand on the book, shoving Amara against a wall. "Brandon was all too eager to tell me about you, but even without the hint I would've felt your presence. I've spent years preparing myself, my body has been hand crafted to be a vessel for demonic power."

Amara struggled to stay standing amidst the angelic assault. "Why are you throwing your life away? You'll die as soon your ritual's complete!"

A deep, confident laugh echoed from Sebastian's throat. "You dare act like you know more than me? You're the one wasting your potential! Why try to stop me? I'm bringing your kin into this world, I could give you power beyond your wildest dreams!" Without warning, Sebastian struck Amara's face, and she fell to the ground.

"You... you can't do anything!" Amara gasped. "This magic isn't yours!"

"It will be soon. I know how to bind the demons, how to bend them to my will. They're so blinded by their own arrogance, they think I'm just another foolish mortal, desperate for scraps of their power." Sebastian grabbed Amara's chin, forcing her to look at him. "It's a shame you won't be a part of my future."

Fear flooded Amara, spurring her to action, and she tried to summon her chitinous gauntlets. One hand clutched desperately to Vee's book, refusing to let Sebastian steal it back, and the other erupted in pain as she fought against the Enochian magic. Chitin crawled across her skin, and her clawed hand darted for Sebastian's neck. The energy from the book, however, had slowed her movements, and the mad cult leader managed to intercept her attack, grabbing her wrist tight. Amara's moment of defiance, fortunately, had unwittingly created the perfect distraction; Tessa was standing in the doorway, her tattoos flaring, and her switchblade hurtling through the air. She was clearly aiming at Sebastian's neck, but with a flick of his wrist he managed to deflect the knife at the last second. Rather than burrowing into his throat, as Tessa had likely intended, the blade instead sliced open the side of his neck. Sebastian grunted in pain, releasing Amara as Vee and Tessa ran into the room.

Tessa's knife floated back to her, and Vee had summoned the same holy blade Amara had seen on Halloween.

"It's three on one, fucker," Tessa said. "You're not getting out of here alive."

"We all know the succubus is useless now," Sebastian said. He rolled up his sleeves, neck still bleeding, as an insufferable grin appeared on his face. "I can easily take on two inexperienced children."

Tessa attacked first, running at Sebastian as her tattoos continued flaring. In addition to throwing a series of quick punches, trying to use her size to her advantage, Tessa was also manipulating her knife, continually slashing at Sebastian while she tried to keep him distracted.

Vee ran to Amara's side and quickly pulled the Enochian Texts off of her. Amara gasped with relief, the pain receding as she tried to stand up. By the time she'd gotten to her feet, she saw Sebastian gain the upper hand against Tessa. He shoved her back, her head colliding with a wall, and she fell to the floor.

Vee tried to take advantage of the distraction, running at Sebastian with her sword ready. She fared much better than Tessa, her form practiced and controlled as she managed to land a series of cuts. Sebastian, however, seemed unnaturally fast for a human, and was easily deflecting Vee's sword from doing any serious damage. It only took him a minute to start taking the advantage, pushing Vee back as he gained ground.

By this point, Tessa seemed to have recovered, and her tattoos flared once more as her switchblade raced towards Sebastian. The cult leader reacted quickly, unexpectedly grabbing the knife out of midair and redirecting it towards Vee. His intent was clearly lethal, and he was aiming the blade at her heart, but Vee managed to deflect the attack slightly. She screamed out in pain as the knife sank into her shoulder, and she fell backwards onto the Dean's desk.

This whole time, Amara had been trying to shake off the effects of the Enochian. Her movements were shaky, her chitin refusing to manifest correctly. Seeing Vee in trouble, a furious anger erupted in her, channeled it into a burst of hellfire directed at Sebastian. The flames landed, clearly catching him off guard, and he jumped away from Vee in a panic. He ran to the door, quickly putting out the pieces of his shirt that had caught fire, and glared at the three girls.

"This isn't over! If you try to stop me, I won't hesitate to kill all of you!" Sebastian ran out of the office, his gasps growing more and more distant until he'd vanished completely.

With the fight over, Amara felt her adrenaline fading, and she looked around to see how everyone else was doing. Tessa seemed alright, but Vee was clutching her shoulder, blood staining her shirt. "Vee! Are you okay?"

Amara ran closer, trying to help Vee off the desk, but Vee knocked her hands away. "Don't fucking touch me!" she hissed. "You tried to set me on fire!"

Looking at the injury, Amara could see traces of burn damage on Vee's shirt, and she started panicking. "No! I-I didn't mean to, I was just trying--"

"Enough! Amara was able to scare Mr. Wellington away; he was clearly ready to kill us." Tessa said, cutting Amara off. Vee tried to say something, but Tessa kept talking. "We weren't ready for a fight, and that's not Amara's fault. It's not mine, it's not yours. Besides, we got your stupid book back, didn't we?"

By this point, Vee had crawled to the wall next to the door and was leaning against it. She moved her hand, looking at the stab wound, and winced as she pulled her shirt down off her shoulder. "Whatever. We could have done worse, I suppose. This wound isn't as bad as it looks."

Amara sat on the floor, looking at Vee's injury. "Does your book have any healing magic?"

"Thankfully, yes," Vee said. She pulled her book closer, propping it on her leg as she opened it up. After a minute of flipping through pages, she seemed to find what she was looking for. When her mouth opened, the voice that left it was the most beautiful thing Amara had ever heard. It wasn't just her body that was singing, it felt like her soul was joining in as well. Her voice had extra layers that seemed to defy the limits of a human body, and the music cascaded off the walls in a way that didn't seem possible.

At the time, however, Amara's entire body started seizing in pain. Mild shocks traveled through her body, her skin started itching, and an unnatural metallic hum reverberated through her skull. While her ears were enjoying the singing, her soul seemed to be violently rejecting it. She felt as if someone were dragging a cheese grater across her very essence, and she grabbed the sides of her head to try and block out the sound. Still, as painful as the experience was, she couldn't help but look as Vee's wounds slowly began to heal, the skin knitting itself back together in a matter of seconds.

When Vee finished, she closed the book and stood up. Amara fell backwards, releasing her grip on her head as she sighed in relief, the Enochian no longer drilling into her head. Vee moved quickly to the door, not paying any attention to Amara, but stopped after a moment. With a heavy sigh, her eyes glued to the floor, she quietly started speaking. "I guess this adds credence to your claims that Amara's not involved with this cult. It's suspicious that he was here tonight, of all nights, but... he did seem like he wanted to kill you. We have my book back, if nothing else, so we'll need to put together a battle plan. How are we going to stop him?"

Amara stood up, following Tessa and Vee out of the Dean's office before closing the door behind them. "Nick is trying to find a time where all the teachers in the cult are busy with classes. We think we might be able to make a move while they're busy." she said.

"Nick had better not be planning on joining us," Vee said.

"Absolutely not!" Amara said. "He's only human, after all."

"Good. Shoot me a text when he's found a time, and we'll figure out the details from there."

The girls walked in silence through the building, and it only took a few minutes for them to find the exit. The cool night air washed over them, and Tessa had to part ways to head back to her apartment. Vee and Amara were left alone, as they lived relatively close to each other, and the awkward silence continued.

"Um... I'm sorry about the fire," Amara said quietly, after a few minutes of walking.

Vee didn't say anything. Another few minutes passed, the only thing filling the silence were the sounds of their footsteps on the sidewalk. When she finally responded, her voice was tense, but also strangely hesitant. "Just... don't let it happen again."

Amara couldn't think of anything else that felt worth saying. There was plenty she wanted to say, sure, but she felt like Vee had become a stranger overnight. The Vee she remembered was always smiling, happy to help others, an overwhelmingly positive person. The girl she now walked next to was sullen, cold, and blocked off.

Is this the real Vee? Was everything else an act, and she simply dropped the mask when we learned about her heritage? Or... did I cause this? Did our fight truly break her this much?

Soon enough, the time came to part ways. Amara took a deep breath, did her best to sound sincere, and spoke up. "G'night, Vee. I'm happy you're helping us."

"It's not really something I can ignore, is it?" Vee said. She turned to leave without saying goodbye, and Amara couldn't help but notice that her voice was still bitter. When Amara got home, she briefly texted Nick with an update, and collapsed into bed. She barely slept that night, instead spending every waking minute going over the events of the night.

Chapter Text

The next morning, after barely managing to get any sleep, Amara joined up with Nick at his apartment before classes began. She collapsed on his bed, eager to vent about how poorly last night had gone, before sharing every detail she could remember. Best case scenario, he might notice something she didn't about the scene, and worst case, she got to vent to him about how frustrated she was.

"--and thankfully she was able to heal her shoulder, but even though her magic wasn't directed at me, it still felt awful. How are we going to fight together if being near her causes my whole body to seize every time she casts a spell?"

"I mean, maybe you can talk with her, try to figure out a way for your inherent natures not to interfere with the other? How do you know your hellfire doesn't do the same thing to her?" Nick asked, sitting next to her on the bed.

"Fuck, I hadn't even thought about that." Amara went quiet, wondering what it would feel like if angelic fire had erupted in front of her. "Ugh, I'm the worst!"

"C'mon, try to look on the bright side. Vee's alive, and unharmed. She has her book back, and we don't know how strong that makes her. Your fight on Halloween, she wasn't using it, right? Maybe, now that she has it, this whole cult business will be a walk in the park!"

"I hope you're right, I'm sick of Mr. Wellington's fat stupid face," Amara grumbled. She buried her head in a pillow, groaning loudly to try and vent her frustration.

"Well, about the cult, I think I've found a window for you all to try and get to the circle." Nick said.

"Really?" Amara sat up quickly, eager to hear the news.

"It's a little short notice, but it's later today. Wednesdays are normally pretty busy, so a lot of classes are running. So long as all the teachers in the cult don't cancel today's classes, you might have a golden opportunity around one."

"That's perfect! I'll text Vee and Tessa, and we'll get lunch, then stop a cult! Nick, you're the best!" Amara leaned in, hugging Nick tight. After hearing his back loudly crack, she remembered to loosen her grip slightly; she still wasn't entirely used to her demonic strength. Pulling out her phone, she texted Vee and Tessa the details of the new plan. In just a few minutes, everyone had agreed to meet for lunch at Amara's apartment.

Her sour mood somewhat abated, Amara quickly grabbed her backpack and prepared to leave. Nick, however, stopped her, a serious look on his face. "Amara... look, I know things have been a bit weird recently. Halloween was tough, but that was a fight between two friends. This cult? This is serious business. Mr. Wellington didn't hesitate to try and kill you all last night, and... honestly, it's really hard for me knowing the danger you're throwing yourselves at. This isn't a misunderstanding, this isn't a mild disagreement, they want you dead. Brandon wants you enslaved. They're going to do everything in their power to take you down."

Amara pulled Nick in for a hug once more, squeezing him gently. "I know, Nick. This isn't how I expected my year to go, and it's not fair that you've been pulled into this. I'm doing my best to hide it, but... I'm pretty scared. I'm not brushing off how serious this is. Yes, I want to make things right with Vee, but I could never live with myself if this cult unleashed Hell on Earth. By some crazy stroke of luck, I have the power to stop this, and I have to try."

Nick sighed, leaning against Amara. "It's not like I'm trying to talk you out of this. I'm proud of you, honestly, but it's scary being on the sidelines. If today goes poorly, this could be the last time we--"

"Hey, don't say that. I've got Vee with me, remember? I've literally got God on my side."

"Well, if that doesn't make me feel better, nothing will," Nick said, laughing to himself. He pulled away from the hug, and let Amara be on her way.

---

As the clock struck noon, and the school's bell tower rang out across the campus, Amara was pacing nervously in her living room. Vee and Tessa were likely only a few minutes out, and they had less than an hour to plan their attack and leave for Lysander Hall. Amara fidgeted with her phone, nervously checking her texts every few seconds. She expected Vee to arrive first, and she was trying to think of what she could say.

Before she decided on anything, someone knocked at her door. She ran to it quickly, but then paused. She took a deep breath and tried to open the door at a reasonable pace; no reason to let Vee know how nervous she was.

"Hey Vee, come on in. Tessa isn't here yet, you know how she is," Amara said, forcing a smile.

Vee didn't respond. She set her backpack down on the counter, then grabbed a stool and took a seat. After checking her phone, she sighed and finally spoke up. "Did you get my order?"

"Yup, all here. Got Tessa's too, hopefully the food will be here soon." Amara checked the food order on her delivery app, then walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. She was giving Vee quite a bit of space, and trying not to stare at her as she tried to think of something to talk about. "Um... how's your shoulder?"

"Fine. I heal quickly when there's no hellfire involved," Vee said sharply.

"R-right, of course..." Amara swallowed nervously. "So, when you're using that book of yours, speaking Enochian, I noticed my body gets real weird. It's like I'm violently allergic to the magic, and I kinda seize up. Do you feel anything similar when I use my abilities?"

"Not to my knowledge."

Out of curiosity, Amara manifested her tail. "How about now? Did you feel anything?"

Looking up, Vee flinched when she saw Amara's tail. "I... no, nothing." Her eyes lingered on the tail for several more moments, but eventually she pulled out her phone and focused on that instead.

An awkward silence filled the room as both girls waited. Amara kept trying to think of something to talk about, but she knew Vee would only want to discuss business. Thankfully, they were only waiting a few minutes before Tessa arrived. She looked at Vee and Amara, both silently ignoring each other, then spoke up.

"Well, glad to see I didn't miss brooding hour," the Witch said, taking a seat at the counter.

"I'm here to stop a cult, Tessa, nothing more." Vee set her phone down, then looked at Amara. "Is the food here yet?"

Amara checked her phone. "Actually, it is. Gimme a sec." She returned quickly, eagerly handing out everyone's food so they could get started.

"So, what's the plan?" Amara asked, happily sinking her teeth into her burger.

"We keep Tessa safe so she can work on the portal," Vee said. "Other than that? Just stay out of my way."

"Shouldn't we, like, discuss what our abilities can do? How am I supposed to stay out of your way if I don't know what you're capable of? You didn't fight with your book on Halloween," Amara said.

"Please, like I'm going to give you any details." Vee continued eating, but Amara couldn't help but notice that her eyes kept drifting towards Amara's tail, which was currently wrapped around a drink. "Do you have to keep that...thing out? I'm trying to eat."

"What, my tail?" Amara set down her drink. "It's not some fancy accessory that I bring out for fun, Vee, it's a part of me. If I keep it hidden for too long, I get kinda itchy? Like I'm cramping, but existentially. I don't know how to describe it. You want to feel it?"

"Absolutely not!" Vee said, coughing on her drink. "You keep that thing far away from me!"

Tessa, having wolfed down most of her food already, finally spoke up. "Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. She can do this thing with the tip where she--"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Tessa," Vee said, glaring at the horny witch.

Amara, having accidentally escalated the situation, decided it would be better to change the conversation entirely. She cleared her throat loudly, then started speaking as she moved her tail out of view. "What about the cultists?"

"The instant someone welcomes a demon inside of them, their soul is forfeit," Vee said, casting another dirty look at Tessa. "The demon can also keep the body fighting past its normal limits, which means killing the body is the only way to ensure the demon returns to Hell."

"I thought demons had to be banished?" Amara asked.

"This is possession, it's different. They're just using the human's body as a vessel. If we destroy it, they have nowhere to go but back to Hell." Vee finished up her food and stood up to throw all her garbage away.

"So... we have to kill them?"

"They're already dead, Amara. Even if we managed to capture them, and set up an exorcism, we wouldn't be able to get them back. They've carved demonic runes into their bodies, and willingly surrendered themselves. If the possession had been forced on them, then an exorcism might work, but that's not the case here. It's kill or be killed."

Amara went quiet, her thoughts drifting back to the upsetting ceremony she'd witnessed in the secret bunker. The whole experience had made her sick to her stomach, but after realizing that she'd watched a man die, that feeling returned with a vengeance. Even knowing that she wouldn't be fighting humans didn't help, they still looked like people. Would they scream in pain as Amara burned their flesh? Would they cry for help if Amara tried to slash their throats? Her breathing grew heavy, and embers from the Jade Palace began to fill her nostrils again. Before losing herself further, however, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her.

"Amara, hey! Stay with me!" Tessa said, grabbing her chin. "You're at home, you're with friends!"

Closing her eyes, Amara focused on Tessa's voice and managed to pull herself together. She found herself staring into the witch's eyes, though it seemed like her vision was slightly blurred. She felt a tear run down her cheek and swallowed nervously. "I-I don't want to be a killer, Tess..."

Tessa threw her arms around Amara, hugging her tight as she whispered back. "They're not people, Amara. You're not even killing them; you're just sending them back to Hell. This is nothing like Halloween." Amara wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled back from Tessa. She nodded slowly, acknowledging the witch's words, even if she didn't fully believe them.

"Look, you all wanted my help." Vee was staring intently at Amara, her eyes unyielding. "But we have to kill these demons. So long as their bodies are capable of breathing, they can be used against us. If I can't trust you to do what needs to be done, then I'm out of here."

"Oh, would you rather Amara be a heartless killer?" Tessa said, stepping closer to Vee. "If I remember correctly, you're only alive because Amara is a better person than you thought she was!"

"What, am I supposed to thank her for only beating me within an inch of my life? It's easy to sing her praises when she's never done anything but fuck you!" Vee was now shouting, and Amara felt the back of her neck bristle as angelic energy radiated off Vee.

"STOP IT!" Amara yelled, jumping between her friends. She pushed them apart, looking between them both as she kept talking. "Vee, I'm not saying I won't fight with everything I have. I've just... I've never killed anything before, and it's a big deal for me. And Tessa, Vee's right to be concerned. This is serious business, and she's the only one that's extensively trained for something like this."

Tessa crossed her arms and huffed, refusing to look at Vee, who was now walking away from them both. The angel grabbed her bag, then spoke up again. "Whatever. Look, it's almost time to head out, we should grab our things."

Over the course of the next few minutes, all three girls slowly prepared themselves in silence. Tessa pulled out her switchblade, her tattoos flaring as she let the knife swish through the air, then packed it into the bag that held her magic journal. Vee opened her Enochian Texts and cast a spell on herself, which caused Amara's body to seize up again. Vee's face scrunched in disgust as the spell finished, then she put her book in her backpack and zipped it closed. Amara, thankfully, didn't need anything; her body was her weapon. She changed into one of her gym outfits, knowing she needed maximum flexibility, then covered up with some sweatpants and a baggy sweater so she wouldn't get any looks around campus. Once ready, they closed the door behind them, and headed out.

It was time to go on the offensive.

---

The walk across campus was tense, and the yelling match in Amara's apartment hadn't done anything to calm Vee's nerves. She still didn't entirely trust Amara and Tessa, and it didn't help that the witch was so quick to anger. Though, even with all the anger, Vee found herself continuously replaying one moment.

Amara, her eyes glazed over and staring into the distance, on the verge of a panic attack. Tears had formed in her eyes, and Tessa had stepped in to try and keep Amara grounded.

"I-I don't want to be a killer, Tess..."

This was the person Vee remembered, the kind girl from Freshman Biology that was too squeamish to dissect an animal. Too shy to talk about sex, too nervous to go out and dance with her friends. Vee had always felt somewhat protective of Amara, especially with Tessa taking every chance to try and jump down her pants. This was the same person that Vee had tried to kill, the person Vee had convinced herself was nothing but a heartless demon, reduced to tears over the thought of hurting another human.

How is this the same person that almost killed me on Halloween? Unless... she was just defending herself. Backed into a corner, scared that her friend had suddenly turned on her...

Vee shook her head, shocked at what she was thinking. Amara was a demon, end of story. She'd even been flaunting her tail at lunch, mocking Vee with it. Vee's thoughts returned to some of her past teachings.

Doubt is the weapon of the enemy. Doubt can destroy even the strongest faith, and without faith, I am nothing.

Her thoughts continued to wage war with each other as they slowly approached Lysander Hall. She thought about this secret cult base that she'd never seen before, wondering if this was all a massive trap. She thought about Amara, so scared at the thought of being forced to kill. She thought about their fight with Mr. Wellington, who'd suspiciously been in the Dean's office at the same time as them. She thought about the first friend she ever made at university, desperately texting her day after day, trying to apologize for her actions.

As usual, there were no answers to be found in the chaotic echo chamber of her mind. She eventually had to silence her thoughts, as they'd found their way into the elevator. Tessa revealed a secret button with her magic, one that led deep underground, and Amara took advantage of the privacy to pull off her baggy clothes.

Vee didn't need to undress, thankfully, but she did have additional preparations to take care of. She opened her Enochian texts, briefly casting a short spell to magically bind her book to her hand. This particular spell had been born from her perceived shortcomings from her fight with Amara; she couldn't afford to lose the book again. She noticed Amara tense in discomfort as she cast her spell and wondered how much pain she'd been in on Halloween, when she'd been trapped in a banishment circle.

Stop it, Vee. Stay focused.

Next, she summoned her angelic sword, grasping it tight as she felt the elevator start to slow. "Amara, keep them distracted. The more space I have, the more I can focus on my heavy hitting spells."

Amara nodded slowly, her face filled with determination. "We'll come out in a hallway. As soon as we see them, I'll charge in, and hopefully that'll buy Tess some space."

Tessa spoke up next. "Once I've started, I'm going to be pretty oblivious to what's happening. I'll need one of you on me at all times, otherwise I'm done for."

There was no more time to plan. The elevator landed, and a soft ding indicated they'd reached their destination. When the doors opened, Amara stepped out first, her body transforming before Vee's eyes. After a quick flash of hellfire, she now had her wings, horns, and tail ready to go. Her hands were now covered with that strange black substance Vee had seen on Halloween, but they were also alight with flame.

Tessa went next, her switchblade circling her body as she headed down the hallway. She was clutching her journal tight to her chest, nervously looking from side to side.

Vee stepped off the elevator, carefully jogging forward as she held her book in front of her. She didn't want to start casting until she knew what she was up against, so she moved slowly and deliberately as she waited for something to happen. Soon enough, she found herself leaving the hallway, looking into the main chamber of this strange, underground complex.

The room was impressively large, especially for something hidden underneath Lysander Hall. The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of cold, gray concrete, and she saw several other hallways apart from the one they'd entered through. In the center of the chamber, Vee saw the massive magic circle that the cult was using to summon demons. It was surrounded by four pillars, each connecting the floor to the ceiling.

Tessa was at the circle, her journal open, and her tattoos flaring to life. Amara, her hands still covered in hellfire, was slowly pacing around the room, her eyes darting to all the different entrances.

"Amara, what is this?" Vee asked, trying to keep her voice low.

"I don't know! I expected there to be guards, or demons, or something!" Amara whispered, moving closer to Vee.

"I don't like it," Vee said. "There's no way they would leave this unprotected. After our scuffle with Mr. Wellington, I expected them to be on high alert."

Vee continued walking around the chamber, holding up her sword to cast light down each of the hallways. Each entrance seemed to fork off in multiple directions, and she wondered what the point of this chamber was. Had it been built to house this circle? If so, it seemed a bit excessive, but she also didn't know much about witchcraft. Perhaps some kind of shelter?

After checking the side entrances, Vee returned to the center and stood next to Tessa. "How's it looking?"

"It's slow, this circle is built differently than all the others. Still trying to make heads or tails of what I'm looking at," Tessa said.

"Well, figure it out, we don't have all day!" Vee snapped. She then moved closer to Amara, taking care to avoid her hellfire. "Can you sense anything? Anyone?"

Amara's eyes flared, and she quickly scanned all the entrances. "Nothing. What are we missing? Where are they?"

A sound echoed out from the hallway they'd entered through. Vee immediately recognized it as the sound of the elevator, and when she looked over, she saw figures stepping off the lift. "Look alive, we've got company!"

There weren't many of them, maybe three or four, but their eyes appeared to be glowing in the dim light. Vee prepared her book and started chanting in Enochian, preparing a spell for when they got closer. She saw Amara move closer, positioning herself between Vee and the incoming demons. Her wings extended, her tail twitched as that strange, bony substance turned it into a small blade, and she leapt at the demons.

Amara met them before they could leave the hallway, which meant they couldn't surround her. Taking advantage of the distraction, Vee finished her spell and watched as motes of holy light appeared around her, slowly forming into arrows. They glowed brightly, and she pointed her sword down the hallway to start aiming them. She could feel the righteous anger of her magic, and she held it tight as she waited for an opening. She watched Amara's movements closely, trying to find a pattern in her attacks, and soon enough she found her chance. With one final line of Enochian, she let loose her volley of angelic arrows.

At the last second, however, she heard a noise from her left. Another cultist had entered the chamber, then snuck up on Vee. He wielded a knife, which he used to slash at Vee's stomach at the same time she released her spell. From the hallway, she heard several screams of demonic pain, and she redirected her focus on this new cultist.

She brandished her sword, quickly disarming her attacker before throwing him to the ground. She stepped over him, ready to plunge her blade into his heart, when she looked into his eyes. She saw fear, and realized immediately that this cultist wasn't a demon.

She'd been expecting an army of the damned, and she froze in surprise. Was she really about to kill someone? The cultist took advantage of her hesitation, kicking her legs out and knocking her down. Within seconds, he'd grabbed his knife again and was trying to drive it into Vee's neck. He threw his entire body behind the blade, and it took all of Vee's strength to hold it back. She could feel the tip on her throat, and she closed her eyes to ask her magic for more assistance. The Enochian magic pumping through her body intensified, and she was able to push the cultist off her. He fell onto his back, and Vee immediately jumped to her feet and drove her blade through his shoulder. As he cried out in pain, she made a fist and struck the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. She pulled her sword free, then heard Tessa speak up from the center of the circle.

"Fuck! The circle's a decoy!" Tessa yelled. "We have to get out of here!"

This whole thing was a trap!

Vee looked over at Amara, hoping to see her cleaning up the remaining cultists. Instead, Vee saw that her arrows had hit one more demon than she'd intended. Several beams of light had embedded themselves in Amara's back, and while she was still fighting, Vee could tell that she was in rough shape. With another few words of Enochian, Vee dismissed the magic, and watched as her arrows vanished from her friend's body. "Tessa, get Amara!"

Running close, Vee pushed Amara out of the way and reached for her own magic. She summoned a burst of light, hoping to blind the demons and give them an opportunity to escape. As the cultists recoiled from her magic, however, she saw the elevator open once more, with more people stepping into the hallway.

"Vee, run! We can't get out that way!" Amara said. She was leaning against Tessa, and the two were running for one of the back hallways. Vee quickly joined them, and as she ran, she flipped to a different page in her book and began to cast. By the time she'd left the main chamber, the spell was ready, and she released a thin barrier of light to block off the entrance they'd just taken.

"That will buy us some time, we need to move!" Vee said, pushing past Tessa and Amara. She started running down the hallway, exploring the area, looking for any possible sign of another exit. After a brief pause, during which she heard Tessa and Amara talking to each other, they both joined in the search as well.

Vee immediately noticed that, apart from the main chamber, the hallways all looked like maintenance tunnels. They were fairly wide, and the ceilings were covered with plumbing, wiring, and air ducts. They found a few different rooms, filled with various storage containers, and even a couple makeshift beds, but no exits. Tessa seemed to be looking for magic, as her tattoos were constantly glowing, but her knife was nowhere to be seen. The girls spent the better part of the next five minutes checking various hallways, hoping there was another way out.

Eventually, after finding their fifth dead end, Vee groaned in frustration. "What is this fucking place? It's practically a maze, I can't make heads or tails of anything!"

"No clue, but it definitely wasn't built to be a cultist hideout. I saw some magic crap in the rooms we passed, but it looked recent." Tessa walked past Vee, holding out her hand and lightly touching the wall ahead of them. "But... we're in luck. This wall is an illusion."

"Thank fuck," Amara said, gasping. She was leaning against a wall, her breathing heavy, and Vee noticed blood dripping down her back.

While Tessa closed her eyes, hopefully trying to clear away the illusion, Vee moved closer to Amara. She paused, unsure exactly what to say, before trying to speak. "Amara, I... I didn't mean to--"

"Likely fucking story," Amara snapped. Her eyes were glowing, and unnatural heat was pouring off her body. This was the creature Vee had fought on Halloween, no doubt about it. Was this a fight or flight instinct? Did holy magic cause her to revert to more aggressive instincts? The thought refused to leave Vee's head, making her wonder how responsible she was for Amara's actions that night.

"Got it!" Tessa said, breaking the tension. The wall in front of her vanished, and they saw a staircase on the other side. As Vee ran ahead, she noticed how different the space felt on the other side of the illusion. The area seemed more lived in, as if students used to visit here regularly, and she even saw a door leading into a small, abandoned classroom. She also opened the door to the staircase, slowly peeking in to make sure they were alone. Content they were safe, she returned to Tessa and Amara, sighing in relief as the illusory wall returned.

"I think we're safe, this looks like a pretty standard basement," Vee said.

"Good. Amara, do you want to recover here, or at home?" Tessa turned to Amara, holding her shoulders gently. Amara looked up, her demonic eyes meeting Tessa's. Her breathing had grown more ragged, and Vee swore she heard growling.

When Amara spoke, her voice was deeper, angrier, and desperate. "Now."

Vee watched as Amara grabbed Tessa's waist, pulling her close and kissing her. Amara's tail, no longer covered in that strange material, snaked around Tessa's leg, its tip conveniently stopping at the witch's crotch. Next, Amara's lips moved to Tessa's neck, biting her softly as Tessa looked over at Vee.

"Um, could you take lookout for a sec? We need to-- fuck, Amara... we need to take care of this," Tessa said.

Vee froze for a moment, caught up in the novelty of what she was watching. She'd seen Amara get angry before, even been on the receiving end of her rage, but she'd never seen this side of her. She was practically feral, acting purely on passion, pawing at Tessa as she eagerly started undoing the witch's pants. Shaking her head, Vee realized that she desperately didn't want to watch this happen, and walked into the staircase.

Why are you surprised? You know she's a succubus, you know they're sleeping together. Still, it's weird seeing them just... go for it, out in the open like this. Is that how she heals from her injuries?

Vee slowly walked to the top of the staircase, which seemed taller than usual, before peeking out the door at the top. Thankfully, the hallway on the other side was quiet, and she was able to take a quick look around. It took a minute, but she eventually figured out that this was Whitmore Hall. Most importantly, she didn't see any cultists or demons, so she felt safe returning to the staircase.

She slowly walked down the stairs, finally taking a seat about halfway down. Between the barrier she'd summoned to block off the chamber, and the illusory wall Tessa had found, she'd doubted anyone would be able to find them. Her thoughts returned to that chamber, wondering if there had been anything she could have done differently, but there was only one thing on her mind; Amara had been right, she should have shared what she was capable of.

They hadn't expected a trap. They hadn't planned anything. She hadn't expected to find unpossessed humans, and yet fighting one had caused her to freeze up. Amara's words from earlier floated through her head, yet again.

"I-I don't want to be a killer, Tess..."

Vee almost wanted to laugh, but the similarity was eerie.

Maybe I have more in common with Amara than I thought.

She shook her head, trying to dislodge the thought. What would the church think of her now? Working with a demon and a witch, after almost being killed by one of them. Beneath her, just beyond the flight of stairs, she heard excited moans coming from the basement. They were faint, but Vee could tell it was Tessa; she'd always been shameless about her sex life, and this wasn't the first time Vee had overheard the witch in the throes of passion.

Vee leaned back, resting her head on the wall behind her, before sighing in frustration

All I wanted was to live a simple life, free of all this supernatural nonsense. Her stupid transformation ruined all of that, pulled me back into action, and now they're roping me into this stupid cult nonsense...

Her thoughts continued spinning in circles until the moaning downstairs stopped. Vee decided to walk down to the door, then she carefully knocked.

"We're decent, Vee, you can come on in!" Tessa said.

Opening the door, the smell of sex and sulfur immediately washed over Vee. She fought the urge to gag as she looked at her friends, their clothes slightly tussled, but nothing more. Tessa seemed extremely pleased with herself, and Amara was practically unrecognizable from just half an hour ago. Gone was the desperate, primal demon that had desperately needed to get laid; her demonic features were gone, her injuries were healed, and the blood had vanished somehow. Apart from a hole in her sports bra, there weren't any traces of her wounds.

Vee almost wanted to ask, but she couldn't muster the courage. "So, you said the circle was a decoy. What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure how they did it, exactly. Maybe it's an illusion, maybe they just have huge concrete slabs with spare magic circles, but the circle we saw in the chamber didn't actually do anything, which is why I was so confused at first. It was essentially a ball of twine, random magic runes meant to give off signatures without any meaning."

"Great," Amara said. "So, what are we supposed to do? They know we're trying to stop them, so how are we supposed to catch them in the act and find the real circle?"

The girls went quiet, and an unfortunate thought crossed Vee's mind. "Well... we know at least one time the real circle will be out. Sunday, three AM."

"Are you serious?" Tessa said, moving closer to Vee. "That's the worst time to go! They'll have all the demons in one place, and they'll be on high alert! Plus, if we're too late, Mr. Wellington will finish his own ritual, and who knows what kind of demon he'll have inside him!"

Amara placed a hand on Tessa's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "No, Vee's right. What other choice do we have? Hunt down and kill everyone in the cult? I don't know about you, but I'd rather Mr. Wellington not try to frame us for mass murder. We also know from Nick's research that he's a huge recluse; even if we stop this ritual, we can't let him get away. If we attack Sunday morning, we know for sure the real circle will be out, and Mr. Wellington will be there."

"For the record, I hate this," Tessa said, huffing and walking away.

"Of course, this means the fight will be even harder," Amara said, looking at Vee. "We can't afford to go in without a plan. Unless you think I fight better with arrows lodged in my back."

Vee winced. She deserved that, and she knew it. "Amara, I...you're right. I was scared to reveal my abilities, but we can't afford to mess this up. You name the time and place, and I'll be there."

"Great! We have a plan, and I hate it, but I know better than to fight an angel and a demon," Tessa said, playfully slapping Amara's ass. "Could you do me a favor and check the staircase real quick? Just in case holy girl here missed something?"

Amara nodded, then walked into the staircase, her eyes glowing. Vee looked to Tessa, not sure what the meaning of this was, and was surprised to see the witch closing on her fast. Tessa grabbed Vee's shoulder, pushing her hard against the wall behind her, and her tattoos started glowing. Her switchblade hovered into the air, aiming at Vee's neck, as the witch spoke. "Listen up, Vee, because I'm only going to say this once. If this works, and I reverse the circle, there's a good chance I'll be creating a portal into Hell. If something happens to Amara, if you so much as flinch in the wrong direction, I will not hesitate to run this knife through your heart."

"We're on the same side, Tessa. I want this cult finished as much as you do," Vee hissed.

"And, conveniently, Amara needs to be turned into a pincushion in the process? I know how your kind work, and this is your golden opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. If Amara isn't around to go back to school on Monday, I will hunt you down, even if it takes the rest of my life, do you understand?"

The girls stared at each other in silence, their anger palpable. Vee slowly nodded, and Tessa begrudgingly let her go. Moments later, Amara returned from the staircase. "Everything looks clear. You two ready to head out?"

Tessa's fury vanished without a trace, and she smiled as she threw an arm around Amara's shoulder. "We're all good!" Vee watched them leave, eventually remembering that she needed to follow close behind. The last few hours had been incredibly chaotic, and she didn't know how to make heads or tails of it all. As best she could, she tried to focus on the biggest threat, the cult. If nothing else, she now believed that Amara wasn't involved, and she was ready to commit to taking them out.

Chapter Text

Earlier that day

Amara's vision was blurred, the edges of her world tinted with blood and anger. The fight against the possessed cultists had been going well, in her opinion, until multiple spears of Enochian energy had lodged themselves in her back. Now, as she leaned on Tessa to try and escape the cult's headquarters, it was taking all of her strength to stay lucid.

"That will buy us some time, we need to move!" Vee shouted.

Amara was only briefly paying attention to the words, and was much more focused on the blinding wall of energy that had just sprang into existence next to her. She squeezed Tessa tight, then leaned closer to whisper. "Tess, if I don't feed soon, things are gonna get ugly."

The witch nodded, and soon all three girls were scrambling through the dim corridors in hopes of finding another exit. The hallways seemed to stretch on for an eternity, and Amara had no idea which path they were taking. She could feel blood dripping down her back, and could barely muster the strength to keep following Tessa. She heard a few whispers occasionally, the other girls complaining about the path, but soon enough they found an illusory wall that Tessa was able to start working on.

"Thank fuck," Amara said, gasping. She moved to a nearby wall, leaning against it for support as she tried to focus on holding herself together. She only barely registered that Vee was moving closer and had started speaking.

"Amara, I... I didn't mean to--"

"Likely fucking story," Amara snapped. She could feel the angelic energy lingering on Vee's body, and the smell was pushing her closer to the edge. The two girls locked eyes for a moment before Tessa managed to bypass the illusion, giving everyone a chance to escape. It only took a brief minute for Vee to scout the area and Tessa to bring back the illusory wall.

"I think we're safe, this looks like a pretty standard basement," Vee said.

"Good. Amara, do you want to recover here, or at home?" Tessa turned to Amara, holding her shoulders gently. The touch excited Amara, fanning the flames that were already raging inside of her.

"Now."

Amara grabbed Tessa's waist and pulled her close, their lips meeting as Amara's hands started exploring the witch's body. Her tail curled around Tessa's leg, holding it tight as it sought out her sex, eager to start pleasuring her. Amara began kissing Tessa's neck next, licking and biting as she felt Tessa's aura start to grow. They both wanted this, and Amara was sick of waiting.

Tessa said something to Vee, who was still standing around for some reason, but Amara wasn't paying attention. She was more focused on undoing Tessa's pants, on tasting her sweet cunt that she could smell growing wetter by the second.

A door closed nearby, and Tessa's hands quickly found their way to Amara's body. "We're alone, finally," the witch said.

"Good," Amara said. She pulled away from Tessa, quickly moving behind her and pinning her to the wall. One hand grabbed Tessa's hair, holding it tight as she kept Tessa's face pushed against the bricks. The witch was clearly excited, her aura was growing brighter and brighter, and Amara moaned with delight as she began feeding. Strength poured into her, and she held Tessa tight as she began pulling her clothes off.

Soon enough, the witch's pants were bunched around her knees, along with her panties, and Amara's fingers had found Tessa's sex. There was no time for subtlety, not when Amara was this hungry. She pushed her fingers inside Tessa, feeling the tight walls twitch as Tessa moaned aloud.

"Fuck, Amara, I've never seen you this rough before!" Tessa said, moaning quietly as Amara began playing with her clit.

"I know you like it," Amara whispered, playfully biting Tessa's ear.

Amara's tail moved closer, slowly circling Tessa's entrance before pushing inside. As her tail began thrusting, Amara stepped closer and pushed her own hips against Tessa's ass. Both her hands moved down, wrapping around Tessa's hips, and she started grinding against Tessa in time with the thrusts of her tail. Through her connection with Tessa's aura, she could feel all the pleasure she was providing, and it made her shudder with excitement.

It was almost like she had a phallus of her own, and was using it to thrust deep into Tessa's eager cunt. The tip of her tail twitched, and Amara's moans joined Tessa's as they continued fucking. Amara was being pleasured both through Tessa's aura, and by grinding her own pussy against the witch's bouncing ass.

Tessa was soon moaning even louder, and Amara knew it wouldn't be long before she came. While she regretted not being able to draw this out, Amara knew they couldn't linger in this strange basement. After another minute of frantic fucking, both girls tensed with excitement as their orgasms took them. They both came hard, Tessa's hands forming fists as she steadied herself against the wall, and Amara pushing her tail even deeper into Tessa while biting the witch's neck. Amara felt her senses expand, Tessa's powerful orgasm restoring all the energy Amara had lost in attempting to recover from Vee's attack. She felt her wounds close, and the Enochian energy that had been lingering dispersed as well.

Amara stepped back, happily running her hands through her hair as she took a breath of fresh air. She felt like herself now, no longer a ravenous beast, and she gently pulled her tail out of Tessa's quivering sex.

"Fuck... wow... Amara, that was... fuck." Tessa was still leaning against the wall, her breathing heavy. Amara stepped to the side, softly tracing her fingers over Tessa's cheek.

"I didn't hurt you, did I? I kinda... let loose a bit," Amara said.

Tessa shook her head quickly. "Only the good kind of hurt, promise." Despite Tessa's words, Amara couldn't help but notice that the witch was rubbing her neck, rolling her head back and forth as she winced.

Shit, did I push her too hard? The last time I felt those urges take over was back on Halloween, inside Vee's circle. I don't even remember that entire night... At least this time I didn't black out.

With a nervous smile, Amara squeezed Tessa's shoulder before moving towards the open floor nearby. She pulled her clothes off, summoned a healthy amount of hellfire, and used it to remove all the blood from her body. The flames also seared away the lingering sweat, the grime, and Tessa's delicious juices that had gotten stuck to her tail. After a minute of bathing in hellfire, Amara quickly got dressed again.

There was a soft knock at the basement door, and Tessa quickly answered. "We're decent, Vee, you can come on in!"

As Vee walked inside, Amara couldn't help but scowl. While the injuries had been healed, looking at Vee made her back tingle again. The girls took a few minutes to discuss the next steps, and Amara could feel the tension in the air. Sure, Vee seemed willing to meet them halfway, but now seeds of doubt had lodged themselves in Amara's mind.

It was late in the evening the following day when the girls were able to meet up again. Amara had borrowed Nick's key to the gymnastics building, as they needed both privacy and a wide-open space to practice. The day leading up to this strange rehearsal had been confusing, to say the least. After so many weeks of beating herself up, convinced that she could change Vee's mind by just explaining herself, Amara was now skeptical. In their very first fight, supposedly as allies, Amara had wound up with a volley of holy arrows lodged in her back.

What if Tessa is right? I've been so focused on proving to Vee that I'm trustworthy, but... I never bothered to ask the same about her. Am I so desperate for forgiveness that I'm blind to what's in front of me?

Amara was waiting outside the gymnastics building, idly scrolling through her socials as she waited for Vee and Tessa to show up. She wore an outfit similar to yesterday, athletic shorts and a matching sports bra, though this time they were a deep, royal purple. Comfortable sweats covered them, but they were unfortunately not the same sweats from yesterday; those had been a tragic casualty of the fight. She'd briefly revisited the elevator in Lysander Hall, just in case, but her clothes were nowhere to be found.

Vee arrived first, unsurprisingly. "Hey Amara, any problems today?" she asked.

"Nothing really. I don't think they're stupid enough to cause a scene in public. Tess tells me that people who know about magic like to keep it hidden." Amara's words were tense. After being literally stabbed in the back yesterday, she was having trouble extending the same generosity to Vee that she'd mustered their last few run-ins.

"I've heard the same thing," Vee said. They stood there awkwardly for another few minutes before Tessa arrived, and Amara was pretty sure they both sighed in relief.

Soon enough, all three girls were entering the gymnastics building, and Amara quickly ran over to the light switches. The bright fluorescent lights took a while to fully kick in, but soon the building was ready for action. Amara started by pulling her sweats off, and she immediately noticed a swell in Tessa's aura. Amara was fully aware that her outfit was pretty revealing, but she needed as little coverage as possible to make sure her wings and tail had room to breathe. Though, she couldn't deny that it was nice to have clothes that so perfectly showed off how athletic her demonic body had gotten.

Remembering Vee's request from back in Whitmore Hall, Amara spoke up. "Alright Vee, I'm manifesting my true form, which means there's going to be some fire. That okay?"

"Sure, go for it."

With a burst of hellfire, Amara's demonic features returned to her. She happily ran her hands over her horns, always happy to have them back, and noticed that they seemed to have grown again recently. They reached further back than usual, and were now starting to angle back up as they reached the back of her head. A quick check of her tail and wings revealed nothing else had changed, so she started stretching everything out in preparation.

Vee, presumably, wasn't planning on wearing the same revealing clothing; she was wearing loose, white and gold running pants that cinched at the ankles, and a blue athletic jacket. She pulled out her Enochian Texts, casting a couple quick spells while Amara continued stretching. They were far enough apart that the angelic magic didn't sting too much, but Amara certainly bristled at its presence.

"Alright, what's the plan you two?" Tessa asked, leaning against a nearby pommel horse.

"What? Why is this on us?" Vee responded.

"You two are our heavy hitters and have the most varied abilities. You want me to explain everything I can do? I can make knives float and try to stab people. There, you know everything you need to know."

"What about when you threw Brandon across the room?" Amara asked. "I know you said that was stressful, but it's an option, right?"

"Not really. See, most magic has trace amounts of psychic energy to it, likely even yours and Vee's. Your hellfire, for example, is an extension of you, but you still have to control it. Think of the psychic connection like a muscle, a necessary part of controlling any magic that's not physically attached with musculature. Pretty much everyone has a low-level psychic field, which means they can try to resist magical effects. Some people are better than others, but generally, the more resolute you are, the more you can resist most magic."

"So why did it work on Brandon?"

"Cuz he's a weak little bitch, that's why. He's got no backbone, and he was terrified of me. Fear can be incredibly helpful for bypassing psychic resistance. A roomful of cultists and demons, though? Better to assume you won't be able to just light them on fire. You'll have better luck throwing fire at them, or lighting up your fists and beating them senseless."

"Makes enough sense, I suppose," Amara said. She looked to Vee, who seemed to be looking at Amara's tail again, though she quickly averted her eyes. "Vee, you or me?"

Both girls looked at each other silently, the tension more than obvious. "You first," Vee said.

Hardly surprised, Amara sighed and nodded. "Alright, fine. It's pretty straightforward, honestly. I have enhanced vision, I can see in the dark as clear as day, and I can also see electrical signals. I'm not great at deciphering them, but I'm working on it. I can also see auras around everyone, which tell me if they're horny, who they're attracted to, when they last had sex, things like that. I don't think any of that is going to be very helpful in a fight."

Starting to feel antsy, Amara jumped up on the balance beam and continued warming up while she kept talking. "Physically, I'm much stronger. I can overpower Nick easily, and you both know how strong he is. My shapeshifting lets me grow a chitinous exoskeleton over my body, giving me natural protection, but I can also sharpen it to give myself claws, or turn my tail into a blade."

To illustrate her point, Amara manifested her chitinous gauntlets and sharpened her tail, swishing it through the air as a demonstration. "I can do the same for my wings, and give myself a pretty hefty shield, but it weighs me down. I can summon hellfire and exert my willpower over existing flames. If you see purple fire, chances are I'm the one controlling it. I'm completely immune to fire myself, but as a side effect of that, it's really hard for me to notice changes in temperature, even dramatic ones."

A thought jumped into Amara's head, and she decided to test her balance even further. She leaned forward, planting her hands on the balance beam, and kicked her legs over her head. It was a rocky start, but with the help of her tail, she found the motion came quite naturally to her. "That's about it, honestly."

Vee seemed surprised that Amara didn't have more to say. "That's it?"

"Um... I guess I also dreamwalk, but it's pretty sporadic, and I'm not sure how to control it yet. Even if I could, I doubt we'll need that in a fight."

Amara and Tessa looked at Vee expectantly. The angel let out a sigh of her own, no doubt regretting that she had to give up divine secrets, but she soon began talking. "Alright, my abilities are... complicated. Long story short, angels wield the power of Creation, and our magic can manifest as almost anything we want. However, the more esoteric our desires are, the harder it'll be to control the magic."

"Is that why you stick to making weapons?" Amara asked.

"That's part of it, yeah. Angelic magic can be incredibly taxing, and it takes years of training to prepare our bodies for it. I have an innate well of angelic energy of my own, but it's pretty small. That's why this book is so important." Vee tapped her Enochian Texts, and they glowed slightly under her touch.

"This book is essentially a battery, a reservoir of holy magic that's been cultivated for generations. These pages contain detailed descriptions of spells, knowledge on how to cast them, and the magic to do it. Traditionally, every angel that inherits this book adds a spell of their own, and future generations continue to iterate and perfect those spells. Those arrows I created came from an angel that roamed the Earth a few hundred years back, and they're one of the most reliable offensive abilities I have."

"You've also got a banishment spell in there, right?" Amara asked.

"I do, but... you saw me try to cast it. It takes a while, and I can't be interrupted. Best case scenario, I can try to trap someone in a circle to buy time, but it's possible to break out."

Amara couldn't help but glare at Vee, watching her recount the events that led up to their fateful fight. "Okay, so you have a lot of options. You've also been training for this your whole life, whereas I'm just some idiot that happened to turn into a demon. Do you have any suggestions on strategies? Spells that might synergize with what I can do?"

"I've certainly been thinking about that, but it's tough. If you weren't a demon, I could probably try to enhance your abilities, make you stronger and faster, maybe even give you weapons of your own, but I think it's safe to assume that my magic will always hurt you, even if it's not aggressive."

"Agreed," Amara said. "Even that healing spell you cast on yourself stung pretty bad. We need something that will let us keep out of each other's way."

"There's another wrinkle, too," Vee continued. "Not all the cultists have been turned into demons yet. I fought one that was still human. Depending on what magic I use, they might be completely immune to it."

"Wait, that's it!" Tessa said, rejoining the conversation. "You can separate the demons and the humans!"

"How would that help?" Amara asked.

"It's simple. On Halloween, Vee locked you inside a circle, right? Well, what if we did the opposite? Lock us both inside a barrier, so that the only people that can get through are humans! That way, Amara can focus entirely on the demons, while Vee can take out any non-possessed cultists that enter the field. If I'm inside the barrier, that should buy me enough time to reverse engineer the circle!"

"That's... honestly a really good idea, Tessa," Vee said.

"What, like it's surprising?" the witch replied, sticking her tongue out.

"Well, we've no time to waste. Let's test it out," Amara said, jumping off the balance beam.

"Fine, just give me a few minutes. I need to figure out which spell would work best for that." Vee sat down, opening her Enochian Texts and starting to flip through them. While she read, Amara busied herself by trying some of the other gymnastics equipment. A few minutes passed before Vee spoke up again. "Got it!"

Amara watched as Vee moved to the middle of the large spring floor, then held her book aloft and started reading. Her hair started billowing and angelic energy swirled around her, the book glowing as its magic activated. Various Enochian runes began to form around her, building in complexity, until they all connected to form a large wall that circled Vee, creating a space roughly fifteen feet across. As expected, Amara's body reacted poorly to the Enochian chanting, but the uncomfortable seizing ended once the spell finished.

"Certainly looks impressive," Amara said. "Tess, can you walk through it?"

Moving closer, Tessa carefully pushed a hand against the barrier, watching as it harmlessly passed through. She then took a step inside, shivering slightly as she did, but nothing seemed to happen. "I think I'm fine. It tingled a little, but nothing else. What about you? That's the real test, isn't it?"

Amara looked towards Vee, who gestured at the wall. "Give it a shot," she said.

With a deep breath, Amara approached the glowing wall. She could feel the angelic energy bristling at her presence, and she braced herself for some discomfort as she reached for the barrier. The instant she touched it, her entire body seized up once more, holy sparks surging through her body. It felt like she was holding the Enochian Texts again, the energy making it difficult to move. When she finally managed to pull away, she was panting heavily, and could feel sweat running down her temples.

"Fuck, that stings..." Amara said through gritted teeth.

"That's kind of the point, Amara," Vee said. "Do you think you'd be able to break through?"

"Probably, I did it last time."

"I'd like to see you try," Vee said. The two girls stared at each other through the barrier, the tension obvious as the challenge was posed.

Amara's eyes flared, and she happily manifested her chitinous gauntlets before engulfing them in hellfire. She took a few steps back, crouched low to the ground, and leapt at the barrier. She threw the entire weight of her body behind her first punch, watching as her fist collided with the barrier, holy sparks flying through the air and assaulting her body. The barrier threw her back slightly, but she wasn't done yet. She continued attacking, trying to expand her senses to get a feel for the barrier's limits. She had a harder time reading it than she did on Halloween, presumably because she was on the outside this time, but eventually she started to get a sense of what was needed. With each strike, another barrage of Enochian magic attacked her, and she could feel herself getting angrier from its influence. Eventually, just as the holy magic was threatening to wear her out, she managed to land a strike that sank further into the barrier than before. Her second hand joined in, then her bladed tail. She grabbed the edges of the barrier, let loose an angry shout, and ripped a hole in it.

All at once, the holy barrier surrounding Vee and Tessa dissipated. Amara watched Vee's eyes go wide in surprise, and her own body seemed to recoil as Amara broke through the magic.

The angel and the demon locked eyes, and when Amara finally spoke, her words were surprisingly smug. "Looks like I win again, Vee."

Vee snarled at Amara, pulling herself together before she started pacing sideways, skirting around Amara. "Please, I wasn't even fighting back."

Amara matched the movement, and now both girls were slowly circling the open floor, each waiting for the other to escalate the situation. Out of the corner of her eye, Amara could see Tessa nervously looking back and forth, before deciding to back out and take a seat on the pommel horse.

"Maybe we should practice fighting, since apparently you know so much more than I do," Amara said.

"Maybe we should. You clearly have a lot to learn." Vee dropped her Enochian Texts to the ground, then kicked them back to keep them out of the way. She unzipped her jacket, throwing it aside as well, revealing a sports bra that seemed to resemble marble, with streaks of white, gray, and gold running through it.

"Says the girl that trained her whole life just to lose to a month-old demon!"

"Um, guys? Maybe we should--" Tessa tried to say, but her words were instantly cut off by Vee.

"Shut up!" Vee shouted. She leapt forward, summoning her holy blade with a burst of Enochian energy. She slashed at Amara, who managed to dodge out of the way, but only barely. Vee continued attacking, again and again, trying to push Amara off balance, but Amara continued to evade each attack. This harrowing dance continued until Vee summoned a flash of light from her off hand, which startled Amara and created an opening for Vee to jab the demon's side with the hilt of her sword.

"Your movements are sloppy and unrefined. Your inexperience is obvious," Vee hissed as Amara grabbed her side in pain.

"Yeah? Well you can't handle extra limbs!" Amara's tail darted out, wrapping around Vee's ankle and pulling hard. Vee fell to the ground, gasping as she landed flat on her back. "You only stood a chance because you caught me off guard."

Vee was breathing heavily, and she glared at Amara before responding. "You're right about one thing, at least." With a quick spin, Vee swung her legs towards Amara, who wasn't ready for retaliation. She fell to the ground herself, and Vee quickly jumped on top of the demon to try and pin her down. "You can't read your opponents! You leave yourself open with every attack!"

Amara's tail lashed out again, knocking Vee's sword out of her hand. Amara thrust off the ground, turning the tables on Vee as she tried to pin her down as well. The girls quickly locked hands as they wrestled, tumbling back and forth as each tried to force the other into submission. This continued for close to a minute, neither one able to cement their advantage. Eventually, the girls began to tire, their actions slowing as they both refused to surrender. Amara, however, had already exerted herself breaking through Vee's barrier, and soon found herself on her back while Vee pinned her hands on the floor over her head.

They were both panting heavily, sweat pouring down their bodies as they glared at each other. The tension only broke when Amara's nose twitched, and a familiar smell filled her senses. The change in expression threw Vee off guard, and both girls paused as Amara turned her head to look at Tessa.

"Really, Tess?" Amara said.

"What's she doing?" Vee asked, her grip loosening slightly.

"Watching us fight is turning her on!"

"Oh come on, look at you two!" Tessa said, gesturing at them. Amara looked back at Vee, who was clearly straddling her, her athletic body glistening with sweat. "This is the most homoerotic shit I've ever seen!"

"It is not!" Amara and Vee said in unison. They looked at each other in surprise before Vee rolled her eyes and got off Amara. They both stood up, huffing as they pulled themselves together. Vee picked up her sword before dismissing it, then grabbed her Enochian Texts and her jacket. Amara walked over to Tessa, playfully smacking her with her tail before grabbing her own clothes and starting to put them on.

"I guess we're done?" Tessa said, looking at Amara and Vee.

"For tonight? Absolutely," Vee said. She was clearly flustered, both from Tessa's comments and the tiring fight.

A moment passed, Amara doing her best to calm herself down after the fight with Vee. Enochian magic always riled her up, and she wanted to think about things calmly. "For what it's worth," she started, "I do think we should keep training while we have the time. We've got a couple days, might as well be as ready as possible."

"Yeah? Training? Is that what we're calling this?" Tessa said, the insinuation obvious.

"I'm serious, Tess! Setting aside our... history, Vee's right. I don't have any fighting experience, and she's the only person that can match my strength. If I try to fight you or Nick, I risk snapping you in half."

"Fine by me," Vee said. "I'd like to live past Sunday, so every bit of practice helps."

While it was obvious that Tessa only wanted to make crude jokes, Amara was glad to be on the same page as Vee. She still wasn't entirely sure if the angel could be trusted, but for some reason, their fight had been strangely cathartic. Once everyone had packed up their things, and Amara had double checked that they hadn't scorched anything, she turned off the lights in the building and locked up.

In the chaos of trying to stop the cult, everyone had forgotten about one crucial detail; the following day was no ordinary Thursday, it was Thanksgiving. Amara woke to a very confusing text from her mother, asking when she was planning on driving back, causing Amara to panic and share that she was spending the holiday with Nick. When she ran over to Nick's to make sure they were on the same page, she'd discovered that he'd spun a similar lie.

"Ugh, Nick, I feel so bad lying to her!" Amara complained, falling onto his couch.

"You're not technically lying, we are spending today together," Nick said, cleaning up his kitchen.

"You know what I mean! Not only does she think I'm with your family, but this means she's going to be completely alone."

"Can you remind me why? I always forget. Her family... lives far away? Something like that?"

"She always said they were awful, and she moved to get away from them. Obviously my dad was never in the picture, so there isn't family on that side either. Plus, y'know, since I'm pretty sure he's an incubus, I'm not sure we'd want to hang with his family anyways."

"Well, you can make it up to her on Christmas, assuming there's not a secret second cult somewhere on campus."

With Nick's roommate away for the holiday, Amara was free to manifest her tail, which she immediately used to throw a pillow at her friend. "Don't say that! You're gonna jinx us!"

Nick dodged the pillow easily, laughing to himself as he started pulling bags of food out of the fridge. "Come on, it's just a joke. Now get over here and help me get everything ready."

"Ready for what? It's way too early for lunch," Amara said, sliding off the couch and joining Nick in the kitchen. She was surprised to find a massive spread of food, probably enough to feed a dozen people, including a giant turkey. "Hold on, are we actually doing Thanksgiving?"

"Why not? We're here, there aren't any classes, and it's not like you can spend the entire day sparring with Vee. I heard last night was... interesting."

"What did Tessa tell you? Because whatever it was, she's lying, and that's not what happened!" Amara's face turned red, still flustered from last night's events. She made a face at Nick, who was far too pleased with himself, before diving in to help prepare all the food. The two continued prepping in silence for a few moments before she spoke up again. "Wait, speaking of Tessa, should I tell her about this? There's no way we can finish this by ourselves."

"No need, I already took care of it. You've been busy with Mr. Wellington, and I've been busy making sure we all have a home to come back to."

"Nick... you're such a dork, you know that?"

The rest of the morning was spent preparing their holiday dinner. Nick blasted music the whole time, singing and dancing like an idiot as he tried to shake Amara out of her malaise. It felt weird, doing something so frivolous with a cult prowling underneath the campus, but after a while, she let herself get swept up in the holiday spirit and joined in. She even ran back to her apartment to change into a stuffy, beige sweater, one that had plenty of room for her tail to be out.

When she returned, she found Tessa sprawled on the couch, happily recounting the events of last night's tumultuous training session.

"--so they look into each other's eyes, right? Amara's tail is flicking in excitement, Vee is out of breath, and-- No! Get away!" The witch, tragically, was unable to finish her story. An enraged succubus leapt onto the couch, pillow in hand, eager to shut her up. Both girls laughed as Amara tried to smother Tessa, who was failing to hold her own. "You can't silence me! The truth will come out eventually!"

By the time Nick needed more help in the kitchen, Amara had pinned Tessa to the ground and was relentlessly tickling her with her tail. The call to action spared Tessa from any further torment, though she seemed to have learned her lesson, and stopped talking about last night. After another few hours, during which all three friends did their best to ignore the impending chaos of the ritual, dinner was ready. It was earlier than usual, but everyone was eager to dig in after spending all day smelling the food.

"Amara, where's the oven mitt?" Nick asked, ready to take the turkey out of the oven.

"Psh, beats me." Amara pushed Nick out of the way with her tail, then grabbed the roasting pan with her bare hands and pulled it out.

"I guess that works too. Huh."

"Hey, you're the one that got me into cooking. I learned pretty quickly that this was way easier than dealing with that fussy glove." As Amara looked for the tools to move the turkey, it suddenly rose up on its own, floating lazily through the air until settling on the plate Nick had put out. She looked over at Tessa, her tattoos starting to fade, and smirked.

"What? You two have been doing all the work, figured I might as well pitch in a little bit," Tessa said.

As Nick started moving all the side dishes to the table, someone knocked on the front door. Amara quickly looked at him, her head cocked to the side, silently asking who it might be.

"Could you get that, Amara? I'm busy," Nick said.

Slightly nervous, Amara tucked her tail into her sweater and demanifested her horns before answering the door. Thankfully, there were no cultists on the other side, but instead a girl with bright blonde hair and a serious look on her face.

"I heard we're meeting early for tonight's training?" Vee said.

"I, uh..." Amara opened the door further, looking for answers from Nick, while also revealing the Thanksgiving spread. Nick looked over at the two girls, smiling wide.

"Vee! You're just in time!" he said.

"You... tricked me into coming here for dinner?" Vee asked, refusing to enter the apartment. She looked on in confusion for a few moments before finding something to say. "This is hardly the time, and... honestly, I don't think I'm in the mood. Just text me when you're ready to get some practice in."

Vee turned to leave, walking down the hallway, and Amara quickly glanced back at her friends. Nick had his hands full with dishes, and Tessa seemed to have no interest in helping. Amara ran into the hallway after Vee, the door closing behind her. Amara caught up quickly and grabbed Vee's arm. "Vee, wait!"

Vee spun on her heel, pulling out of Amara's grasp. "Come on, Amara, Thanksgiving dinner? Is this supposed to make everything right between us?"

"I didn't do this! I mean, I helped make all the food, but I didn't know Nick had tricked you into coming over."

"There's always a convenient excuse, isn't there?"

"He's trying to help! We all had to cancel our plans; he just wants to give us something else to think about other than a fight to the death."

"We don't holiday together, Amara. I know you're new to this, but angels and demons don't just... hang out. That's not how this works."

"Yeah? And what if we all die Sunday? Do you want to spend your last days moping around your apartment?" Vee went quiet, her eyes falling to the carpet. When she didn't answer, Amara huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, go be miserable for all I care."

Amara turned away, angrily taking a few steps, before pausing. She was almost at Nick's door, but she couldn't bring herself to open it. She continued waiting, expecting to hear Vee walking away, but that didn't happen. Vee moved closer, and when she finally spoke, her voice was incredibly quiet, as if she were nervous about someone listening in.

"This... doesn't change anything, Amara." Vee placed her hand on the door, carefully pushing it open before walking inside. Amara followed, almost surprised that she'd managed to talk Vee into joining them. The angel nervously sat down at the table, her posture picture perfect, as Tessa glared at her. Amara unwrapped her tail from her waist and used it to close the front door, bringing her horns back as well. By the time she made it to the table, Nick was finally cutting into the turkey.

"Ah, shoot," Nick said. "This isn't quite done yet. Amara, could you finish it up?"

With a smirk, Amara's eyes flared as she focused on the heat inside the turkey. She stared intently at the oversized dinner, the tantalizing smell filling her senses, as she carefully finished cooking the turkey from the inside out. It took a few minutes, mostly because Amara wanted to play it safe, but soon enough everything was ready to go.

As Nick started handing out slices of meat, Amara looked up at Vee only to catch her staring back. Vee immediately averted her eyes, her look hardening as she spoke. "We couldn't have just stuck it back in the oven? You had to use hellfire?"

"I can control all heat, Vee, it's not like I opened up a portal to Hell inside the turkey to finish it. I just tweaked the temperature a bit," Amara said, shoveling sides onto her plate. She'd recently begun to notice that her appetite seemed to be increasing, though it was nowhere near high enough to handle the feast in front of them.

"Would Heaven care if it weren't an open flame?" Tessa asked. "At what point does heat stop being associated with Hell? If Amara heats up a room, is the whole room considered evil?"

Vee clearly wasn't amused. "I'm not justifying that with a response. I'm here to eat, not to have my faith ridiculed."

Nick spoke up next, having finally finished cutting up all the meat. "Hey Vee, did they tell you about our codewords?"

"Doesn't sound familiar," the angel said.

"I was planning on bringing it up tonight, but now's as good a time as any." Amara wiped some cranberry sauce off her lip before continuing. "I'm a shapeshifter, right? It's probably safe to assume other demons might be able to do something similar, so we all have specific codewords to verify our identities. If you're ever suspicious of someone, just ask 'What's for dinner tonight?' and we'll know what you mean. Tessa's code is lentil soup, mine is hand-seared chicken."

"Mine is pad thai, extra spicy," Nick said.

"That's honestly a good idea. They shouldn't be able to shapeshift, since they're in human hosts, but I suppose we don't know what the point of the ritual is. I'll say... spaghetti carbonara. I still can't find any place in the states that can compare to when I first had it in Italy." Vee smiled slightly, seemingly lost in her own memories.

"You've been to Italy?" Amara asked, surprised.

"It was a Church thing; angels do a lot of traveling. I had to visit the Vatican."

"No fucking way! Did you meet the Pope?" Tessa asked.

"No, he was busy at the time. I probably could if I wanted to, though..."

"You should totally go back, bring us with, and then we steal the Popemobile and take it for a joyride!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Okay, but picture this. Amara, wings out, crammed in the back of the Popemobile while we're leading a high speed chase through the Vatican!" Tessa started laughing, her own conjured image clearly too much for her. Her laughter grew more and more intense, and soon she was gripping her sides. While Amara didn't find the thought as funny, the sight of Tessa losing her shit soon became contagious. She started laughing as well, which led Nick to join in soon after. Vee, unsurprisingly, was clearly annoyed by this, and didn't seem interested in playing along. However, after a few moments, her face softened slightly, and she even started quietly chuckling along with everyone else.

The four of them continued eating for well over an hour, and as much as Nick tried to keep things light-hearted, Amara could tell that Vee was still very conflicted about being here. At times, Vee seemed to be genuinely relaxed, laughing and talking with everyone like everything was back to normal. On several occasions, though, Amara caught her friend staring down at her lap, with a strangely mournful look on her face. The look always vanished quickly when Vee realized she was being watched, and Amara couldn't bring herself to broach the topic.

After everyone finally threw in the towel, a mountain of almost finished food in front of them, evening had dawned. Amara, Tessa, and Vee decided that they were far too full to visit the gymnastics building today, and Nick tried to convince everyone to move to the couches so they could throw on a movie.

Vee, however, had other plans. As everyone stood from the table and stretched, she spoke up. "I'm... going to head out. Thanks for having me, Nick, but... I need to leave."

"O-oh, are you sure?" Nick asked.

Vee nodded. "I'll see everyone tomorrow for practice. We can't lose sight of what needs to happen this weekend."

Nick looked to Amara, silently asking her to say something, while Vee quickly moved to the front door and grabbed her coat. She seemed strangely driven, especially given how much she'd just eaten, and when Amara finally agreed to say something, the door was already closing behind Vee.

Amara ran after her, shapeshifting back into a human form, and finally caught up once they were outside. She ran in front of Vee, stopping her in her tracks. "Vee, what's going on?"

"Look, don't make this any harder than it needs to be, okay?" Vee said, taking care to avoid looking Amara in her eyes.

"Why not? I'm a demon, I'm supposed to make things difficult, aren't I?" Amara said, trying to lighten the mood. Vee didn't seem to appreciate the joke.

"That's entirely the point, Amara, you're a demon! We tried to kill each other! How are we supposed to move past that? We're literally being compelled by forces beyond our comprehension to be at each other's throats, but you think we can just ignore that?" Vee paused, her voice tense as she sighed heavily. "Even... even if I wanted to, I can't. Once this is finished, if we survive... we can't be friends, Amara."

Vee stepped to the side, her pace quickening as she walked away. Amara watched her leave, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to her. She was never one for big picture arguments or ideas, and trying to picture the will of Heaven was not something she felt prepared to deal with.

She finally walked back inside, her mood soured despite the hours of good company she'd just enjoyed. A part of her had started to wonder if Vee would come around, that maybe they were starting to patch things up, but now she didn't know what to think.

Would Heaven really care if two people happened to be friends? What does it matter to them?

Inside, Amara manifested her tail and horns again, then collapsed on Nick's couch. She rested her head in Tessa's lap as she remained lost in thought.

"I take it that didn't go well?" Nick asked.

"I don't know, Nick. She ate with us, which made me think things were getting better, but then she storms out like that... Why is this so confusing?"

"She's an angel, Amara," Tessa said, starting to play with Amara's horns. "I've dealt with Church people before, and it's like a giant cult. They're all brainwashed into thinking there's only one right way to live, and that they have all the answers. You know all those people that are convinced they're better than you because they happen to be religious? Now imagine how insufferable those people would be if they were literally Heaven-sent."

"Ugh, I don't want to think about it right now. Can we just... put on a movie or something?"

Nick stayed quiet, giving Amara a knowing look, but likely decided that he didn't want to force the issue any longer. Amara ended up falling asleep in Tessa's lap before the movie ended, her thoughts a tangled mess as she tried to make up her mind about Vee.

For better or for worse, the next two days passed without any significant developments. On the one hand, no cultists tried attacking anyone in their sleep, but on the other, Vee seemed determined to keep her distance from everyone. The girls still continued meeting up in the gymnastics building to practice, but the Vee that had willingly shared Thanksgiving dinner with them was nowhere to be seen. Still, although things with Vee remained unresolved, Amara was at least happy that she had someone who could genuinely match her strength. She could feel herself improving with each hour that passed, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Vee appreciated having a chance to vent her frustrations.

Tessa continued studying her notes about the circles, and even managed to learn a few things from the decoy circle. While it had been a fake, many of its runes were still demonic in nature to sell the deception, and that proved to be an invaluable learning tool for her understanding of the circles.

Vee spent most of her free time creating small trinkets to help in the fight, all things she'd used against Amara on Halloween. Salt, holy water, rosaries, she even blessed Tessa's switchblade temporarily.

Before long, the night of the ritual was upon them. Amara met up early with Tessa, both girls working out their tension with an intense hour of fucking, which left Amara feeling more then ready for their assault on the cult. When Vee arrived at Amara's apartment, she had a sizable collection of holy items that she distributed between herself and Tessa. She even gave a bottle of holy water to Nick, who had helped finalize some of the logistical planning for the night. If everything went well, they were all hoping to meet up at Amara's apartment after the ritual, where Nick would be ready to help with any recovery that might be needed.

"How's everyone feeling?" Nick asked, clearly nervous about the upcoming fight.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Amara said, warming up as she checked the fit of her current athletic outfit. "Do we all remember the plan?"

"I'm reverse engineering the circle, Vee is creating a barrier to block out the demons, and you're beating up everything on the outside." Tessa recited the plan half-heartedly, which had been burned into her memory after hours of practice.

"I also need to stop Mr. Wellington as soon as possible. We have no idea what he's trying to bring through, but it's safe to assume it'll be worse than the demons all the other cultists are getting," Amara said.

"I'll be waiting here. I know I can't do much, but when this is all over, I'll do my best to patch up any wounds that need attending to." Nick held up a first-aid kit he'd recently bought.

With a heavy sigh, Amara looked around at everyone. It was weird, finally preparing to interrupt this ritual after so many weeks of sneaking around to figure out what the cult had been up to. She checked her phone one last time, watched the clock turn over to 2 AM, and handed it over to Nick. "I guess it's now or never. Who's ready to kick some--"

Amara was unable to finish the sentence, as her entire body seized unexpectedly while she let out a scream of pain. Hellfire erupted from her body, growing hotter and hotter until it enveloped her completely. With one last burst, the flames vanished, as did Amara. There was nothing left but a scorch mark on the carpet, leaving her friends to stare at each other in shock.

Chapter Text

“Amara? Amara?!” Tessa shouted, running to the empty space where Amara had previously been standing. Her tattoos flared, and she fell to her knees to investigate the scorch mark on the floor, but she didn’t seem to be finding anything. After a few moments of panic, she jumped up and ran at Vee, jabbing a finger into her shoulder. “What the fuck did you do?!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Vee shouted back. “Why would I get rid of Amara now, when we need her most? Besides, she vanished in a burst of hellfire, that’s not something I can do.” Vee grabbed Tessa’s wrist, throwing the witch back as they kept glaring at each other.

“Okay, okay, let’s just stay calm,” Nick said. He was clearly panicking, pacing back and forth as he nervously wrung out his hands. “Maybe she’s okay! Those flames that surrounded her, they were purple, right? That’s her color!”

“How do we know that’s unique to her?” Tessa asked. “Maybe all hellfire is purple!”

Tessa and Nick both looked at Vee, who immediately shook her head. “Hey, don’t look at me. Amara’s hellfire is the only kind I’ve seen, and I don’t remember anyone saying that it can come in different colors.”

“Fuck!” Tessa shouted again. “Fuck fuck fuck!”

Vee, rather than joining Tessa and Nick in pointlessly pacing around the room, was trying to think of a way forward. Without Amara, it would be nigh impossible for Vee to keep Tessa safe while she worked on reversing the cult's ritual.

“What if the cult has her?” Vee asked. “We know they have ways of summoning demons, and they wouldn’t even need to reach into Hell to get her.”

Tessa paused, turning to look at Vee. “That’s… fuck, that’s probably spot on.”

“But, if that’s the case,” Nick started, “then you should be able to find her, right? You know where the cult’s headquarters are, and you just discovered a back door. If they’re all preoccupied with their ceremony, you might have time to sneak in and free her!”

“Let’s quit standing around then!” Tessa did one last check of her equipment, then moved to the front door. “C’mon Vee, it’s now or never, and I’m itching to stab some bitches.”

Vee took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She couldn’t afford to lose her head, her angelic magic worked best when she was calm and collected. She looked at Nick, swallowing nervously before speaking “Nick, if we can’t—”

“Don’t say it, Vee,” Nick said. “I’ll see you, all three of you, when you get back. Okay?”

With one last look, and a resolute nod, Vee opened the door.

---

Campus was quiet, which was hardly surprising given that it was Thanksgiving weekend. While most students were back from the short break already, there hadn’t been any parties, and everyone was likely sleeping off their turkey leftovers.

Vee and Tessa ran quickly, making their way to Whitmore Hall as fast as they could. As disastrous as their previous raid had gone, it was hard to deny the good fortune of having a backdoor to the underground tunnels. Tessa was unusually quiet, her determination preventing her from cracking any inappropriate jokes or threatening Vee again. Still, Vee couldn’t help but share the same nervous energy.

Despite all their practice, it was hard to deny they were fighting an uphill battle. Without Amara, their plan had no chance of succeeding. Still, Vee continued racking her brain for ideas, trying to think of other solutions to their current problem.

Okay, assume we can’t find Amara. I have more powerful spells in my Enochian Texts… but I shouldn’t use them, they could rip my body apart. Do I have anything that can disrupt planar magic?

She continued cycling through all the spells in her book, recalling each page in almost perfect detail. She’d spent the last few days memorizing all the magic inside, hoping to find better spells than what they’d been practicing with, but her options were frustratingly few. The only spells that might be able to clear a room of demons would require far too much time to prepare, which in turn would necessitate Amara keeping her safe, but then Amara would also be caught in the crossfire.

Before long, Vee and Tessa were racing down the stairs in Whitmore Hall, and Tessa was bypassing the illusory wall. They decided to leave the illusion down on the off chance they needed a quick escape later, and dove into the tunnels once more.

Officially in enemy territory now, the girls started moving slower. Vee summoned her sword, and Tessa’s switchblade began circling her body. There was no knowing which hallways might contain cultists, and they also needed time to properly backtrack their steps from last time. In their rush to escape, no one had bothered to chart which paths they had taken.

The flat, gray corridors seemed to stretch on forever, a terrible labyrinth of bland, brutalist monotony. Every turn, every doorway had the potential to hold demons that wanted them dead, but they also needed to search every nook and cranny for Amara.

The two girls fell into a pattern. Vee was the first to check each new hallway and room, and Tessa would hold back until receiving an all-clear signal. At first, their search turned up nothing of note; many of the hallways and rooms were empty. However, as they continued diving deeper into the complex, they started finding signs of life. The occasional small cot, remains of discarded meals, it looked as if some of the cult members had started living down here.

Vee couldn’t imagine why they would need to, all these people presumably had homes of their own. She quickly decided against trying to understand them, however; they were also the ones willingly sacrificing their bodies to demons, presumably they weren’t bastions of sanity and reason.

As they pushed deeper, the rooms they found grew more unsettling. In one room, they found a collection of jars filled with a suspicious red liquid. A quick investigation confirmed it was blood, and Vee was more than happy to leave that room behind. The next room held a collection of surgical knives, and they had clearly seen use recently. Tessa explained that the cultists were likely carving the runes into their body, rather than using tattoos. Yet another room that Vee was happy to leave.

Back in the hallway, just a few steps after leaving the knife room, Vee finally heard movement ahead. She quietly signaled to Tessa, who nodded quickly before giving Vee more space to maneuver. Stepping quietly, Vee peeked into the next room, and saw another space that had been retrofitted into living quarters. A lone man stood in front of a table, rummaging through a bag as he muttered generic frustrations to himself. With his back to the door, Vee knew she had a perfect opportunity; catch him off guard and interrogate him to find where Amara was being held. Stepping into the room, Vee kept her blade behind her back to conceal its glow, and slowly moved into position. She crept closer, took a deep breath to prepare herself, and then froze in terror.

Cold, sharp steel had just pressed against her neck.

“Hello gorgeous,” a voice whispered behind her. “How about you drop that sword before we hurt your little friend?”

In the corner of her eye, Vee was able to see Tessa in the hallway. The witch’s knife was being held by another cultist, who was pushing it against her throat. The girls locked eyes for a moment, and Vee finally relented. Her sword dropped to the ground, bouncing a few times before vanishing completely. The first cultist, the one in the room, now turned to face Vee. His face held a horrid, contemptible smirk, and Vee realized this body had once belonged to her music teacher.

“My my,” Mr. Mendez said. “Mr. Wellington is going to love the two of you.”

---

Earlier that night

Amara’s body seized with pain, and she felt a torrent of hellfire surround her. She let out a piercing scream, her hands grabbing her head as she tried to block out the pain, when she suddenly felt a terrible lurching sensation. It was like she was falling, catapulting through space at impossible speeds while also crashing through imperceptible waves of an unknowable liquid. When the spinning stopped, and the flames subsided, she found herself on her hands and knees, panting heavily. Every fiber of her body screamed with pain and exhaustion, which didn’t make sense. She’d just spent an hour with Tessa, fucking her senseless while feeding on her every desire; how could she be this tired already?

Summoning all her strength, she forced herself to raise her head and look around. She was in a small, dark room, only lit with a series of candles on the floor. She noticed four shapes, all wearing dark cloaks, and one of them began to talk as Amara began moving.

“So nice of you to join us, Amara.”

She recognized that voice, it was far too smug to forget: Sebastian Wellington. She glared at him, her eyes trying and failing to manifest hellfire as her anger grew. “What the fuck did you do to me?”

Sebastian smirked, and a pretentious laugh filled the small room. “You know, when your friends show up to try and save you, I need to remember to thank the angel. If she hadn’t shot you in the back, this would have been so much harder.” He raised a hand, and Amara saw he was holding a small towel covered in her blood.

Without a second thought, Amara leaped at Sebastian, desperate to stop him from using her blood to bind her will. She only made it a few feet before colliding with an invisible wall, one that felt all too familiar. Beneath her, she saw a series of runes and sigils that thrummed with magical power. She was trapped in another circle, and now the cult had her blood. Were they planning on enslaving her? The thought was sickening, and she threw herself at the barrier a second time, hoping to break through.

“You fucker! Give that back!” Amara screamed. She continued attacking, but immediately felt the limits of her weakened body.

“Amara, stop,” Sebastian said. As his words filled the chamber, a powerful urge to obey his command surged through Amara. Without thinking, she ceased her assault on the barrier, doing exactly what the cult leader wanted.

No! They already have control!

“Step back, to the center of the circle.” Again, Amara’s body obeyed. She walked backwards until she was in the center of her prison, but this time she tried to pay attention to the magic. She’d broken through magical prisons before, and if she could find the limits of the spell, she might be able to do it again.

“Now, you may have noticed that we’re not alone. These three wonderful gentlemen were kind enough to delay their own ascension in favor of a different reward. You see, I’d prefer my ceremony not be disrupted, and they volunteered to… keep you busy. You’ll be a good girl for them, won’t you?”

As Sebastian finished speaking, the other people present pulled their hoods down. The first cultist had short, blonde hair with a matching goatee. His bright blue eyes eagerly ran up and down Amara’s body, and she immediately remembered that she was wearing another set of skimpy athletic gear. The clothes on her body didn’t feel as snug as they had before her strange teleportation, and she wondered if they’d gotten damaged in the hellfire.

The second cultist had long, black hair that had been tied behind his head. His eyes were brown, and he wore an equally lecherous look on his face. The last person in the room had short, lightly tousled brown hair, and he was by far the most excited person in the room.

Brandon.

Just like Brandon, the other two cultists were students, and all three of them reeked with arousal. Amara could smell their eagerness, and it only grew stronger with each passing second.

“Now, I’ve got a date with destiny. You all keep it down, will you?” Mr. Wellington tossed the bloody towel aside, laughing to himself as he left the room.

As the door closed behind Sebastian, Brandon stepped forward to take his place. “I’ve been waiting far too long for this, Amara. I can finally take what you owe me.”

“I don’t owe you shit, you pervert!” Amara said.

“Shut up!” Another wave of magic washed over Amara. She focused on how it felt, observed the compulsion that traveled through her and forced her to stop talking. Though she was now quiet, she continued glaring at Brandon. “From now on, the only words that leave your mouth will be to heighten our pleasure. You will also refer to me as Master at all times. Understand, pet?”

She knew what Brandon wanted to hear, and though he didn’t outright ask for it, she felt another wave of compulsion pushing her to respond. This time, she briefly tried to resist it, hoping to test its limits. “Y-yes… Master.”

The compulsion is strong, but it’s not all powerful. I might be able to break it.

“How about we introduce ourselves?” Brandon gestured to the blonde man with the goatee first. “This is Chris. Shake his hand and give him a nice smile.”

Amara held out her hand, a warm smile appearing on her face despite her intense desire to punch everyone present in the face. Chris reached out, gently introducing himself before leaning in to kiss her hand. Were it not for the compulsion, she would have rolled her eyes. “So excited to be here. Ever since I heard those pictures of yours weren’t fake, well… I knew I had to see for myself.”

Brandon spoke up again, this time introducing the last cultist, the one with the long, black hair. “This is Mark, greet him the same way.”

“You’re a real fucking catch, you know that?” Mark said, his grip much more demanding. He was openly leering at Amara’s breasts, which were still somewhat contained in her sports bra, but she could feel the fabric starting to give. As they finished shaking hands, and Amara’s fake smile faded, she felt as if she had a decent understanding of the strength of their binding magic.

It was certainly powerful, leaps and bounds beyond what Brandon had put together underneath the Science Building all those weeks ago. Ever since then, however, Amara had grown significantly stronger; she was no longer a helpless student who didn’t understand her abilities. Although she was still weak from the summoning, she was confident she had enough strength to break through the compulsion and free herself from the circle. The real problem would be anything that happened afterwards.

If she exhausted herself breaking free, she wouldn’t have enough strength to keep Vee and Tessa safe. A fight with the cult, with hordes of demons, would only end in disaster.

Of course, if I had a way to get my strength back before breaking out… And wouldn’t you know it, I’ve got three horny idiots right here. Is Brandon really that stupid? Would he really repeat the same mistake that gave me the upper hand last time?

“Amara, burn your clothes away, then reveal your true form,” Brandon said. She hated how smug he was, but started to take solace in the irony of the situation. The more she could turn them on, the more she fulfilled their sexual fantasies, the easier it would be for her to break out and take down Sebastian.

I’m a succubus, aren’t I? A literal sexual predator? Why shouldn’t I wring these assholes for every drop of energy I can get?

With a devious smile, Amara summoned a small inferno of hellfire and burned away the last shreds of her clothes. Even this display of strength was enough to tire her out, but thankfully the auras of the men watching her were so strong she had already started feeding. With her clothing gone, she manifested her true form, her wings, tail, and horns returning to her. She stood proud, her naked body on full display. If nothing else, she refused to show weakness, and ever since her photos had started circulating, she’d started understanding the effect her body could have on people.

“Holy shit,” Chris said, “your photos don’t do you justice. This body is unreal.”

“You think she’s this tight everywhere?” Mark asked.

Brandon laughed, gesturing to the other guys to wait. “Oh, I have no doubt about it. Before we start, though, we have some ground rules to set up. The first is more of a fun fact, actually; Succubi only feel the pleasure of their partners, so we don’t have to bother with trying to make her enjoy this.”

Only partially true, I could totally cum on my own. Still, he’s not entirely wrong, either, I’m more likely to have more fun if they’re focused on themselves.

“The other rules, though, are for you, Amara,” Brandon continued. “You are forbidden from taking our souls, no matter how many times we reach orgasm. You are forbidden from doing us harm. You may only put in effort if it’s in furtherance of our pleasure. Do you understand, pet?”

Ha! I wouldn’t be able to take your souls even if I tried. I can’t wait to wipe that smug grin off your stupid face.

“Yes Master, I understand,” Amara said.

“Now, tell us why you’re here. What’s about to happen.” Brandon’s arousal was practically off the charts, and she hadn’t even touched him yet. It was almost exciting, thinking about the buffet that was waiting for her.

Amara put on her sexiest voice and did everything she could to play up her own excitement. “I’m here to be your perfect little fuck toy! I’m going to give all of you the strongest orgasms you’ve ever felt, and beg for more every chance I get.” As her words ended, she smelled another surge in arousal from the men around her.

This is too easy.

“Well, gentlemen? It would be rude to keep her waiting, wouldn’t it?” Brandon began undressing, and the other two quickly followed suit. They were practically tripping over themselves, struggling to get their clothes off as they continued leering at Amara’s curves. As she waited, her tail flicked back and forth in excitement. When they had finished undressing, Brandon stepped closer, crossing into the circle. He paused, just for a second, and when Amara didn’t do anything, his smug grin returned. “Kiss me, pet.”

Leaning forward, Amara threw her arms around Brandon’s shoulders and kissed him. Her hands played with his hair, and her tongue pushed into his mouth as she moaned in excitement. His arousal was delicious, and the more she fed, the more she could tell that he hadn’t had sex in months, possibly longer. The closet he’d probably gotten was when he’d trapped her under the Science Building, and even then, he’d refused to touch her. Now, his hands eagerly moved over her waist, traveling down before grabbing her ass and squeezing it hard.

She also grew aware of Chris and Mark, who had started moving closer. While Brandon clearly wasn’t ready to pass her off yet, the other two seemed more than happy to start inspecting her demonic features. One of them grabbed her tail, fingernails tracing its length as she continued flicking it seductively. The other caressed her wings, squeezing them tight as if to test how real they were.

When Brandon finally yielded, he gestured at his friends to take their turns. Chris moved in first, his approach much gentler. There was a strange hesitancy in his movements, as if he were both scared and mesmerized by her presence. She rather appreciated the awe in his eyes, and she happily pulled him in for a kiss. For her plan to work, she needed him to be more indulgent, and she had to figure out a way to bypass his apparent insecurities. As they continued making out, her tongue reaching deep into his mouth, she let her hands explore his body. The extra attention immediately reflected in his aura, and she had a feeling she knew what he wanted.

Mark was next. His gaze was harsher, more lecherous, and he grabbed her hair tight before pulling her close. When her hands moved to his body, she didn’t notice the same excitement she did with Chris, he clearly wanted something else. The hand holding her hair soon pulled back, forcing her to angle her head away and expose her neck. His rough demeanor gave her an idea, and she decided to test her theory; rather than feigning appreciation, she pretended to wince in pain. The instant she did, she noticed an immediate change in his aura, and she knew she’d found his weakness.

He doesn’t just like it rough, he wants it to hurt. He’s a sadistic little fuck, and I’m going to enjoy breaking him when this is finished.

Now that everyone had gotten a chance to introduce themselves, Amara looked back at Brandon for instructions. She needed to continue selling the idea that he was in control, as she knew that’s what he wanted.

“On your knees, pet,” Brandon said.

“Yes Master!” Amara quickly kneeled, settling on her knees as the three men circled around her. For a brief moment, she reflected on what was happening, realizing that this would be her first time engaging in group sex. It certainly wasn’t ideal, and she made a note to put together some proper group fun when this was all over. Still, despite the specific context, it was certainly nice to be the center of attention, and she didn’t even have to hide her demonic features.

She now found herself at eye level with three incredibly excited cocks. They were all rock hard, pointing straight at her, and Amara knew exactly how to start. She needed to give deference to Brandon, and she wrapped her tail around his legs to pull him closer. His hands moved to her horns, holding them tight, and she licked her lips while trying to push forward. Surprisingly, Brandon stopped her, holding her back. “Ah ah, my pet. I want you to ask for it. Beg like the servant you are.”

“Please, Master! Please let me suck your cock! I want it so badly!” Amara pleaded, her eyes glowing bright. Every chance she had to show off her demonic nature would be to her advantage; he loved her inhuman nature.

“Good girl, you can start.”

Within moments, Amara had sucked Brandon’s cock into her mouth. Her lips wrapped tight around it, and her tongue massaged every inch of him. His moans filled the chamber, and he continued holding her horns as she started bobbing up and down on his shaft. Now that Amara had a way to keep him occupied, she let her hands wander to the other men. They were standing on opposite sides of her, perfectly spaced for her hands to grasp each of their cocks and begin stroking.

She noticed their auras begin to shift as she started pleasuring them all. Arousal was delicious, and Amara was able to pull quite a bit from it, but there was a different flavor at play once actual pleasure began. It was like the difference between smelling a delicious dinner and taking that first bite, though in Amara’s case, she wasn’t planning on biting. Yet.

Knowing how much men liked a good show, Amara made sure to play up how loudly she was sucking Brandon off. She moaned, slurped, spit, and gagged as she did everything possible to keep her guests entertained. Her hands continued stroking the other two cocks, and she even made her tail snake up Chris’ body to tease him further. He seemed to enjoy a softer, more intimate touch, and the extra attention was best given to him. Mark, on the other hand, needed to be given opportunities to think he was hurting her.

Thankfully, she knew exactly how to give him that chance. She finally pulled her mouth off Brandon’s cock, a long line of spit lingering from its head to her lips. She left her mouth open and her tongue out, knowing how much guys loved that visual, and turned to face Mark next. She looked up at him, doing her best to appear demure and innocent, then pitched up her voice and said, “Please be gentle, Sir.”

Predictably, Mark did no such thing. His aura twitched at the opportunity to deny her request, and he grabbed her horns, holding them tight. Without an ounce of regret or hesitation, he pulled her down fast, his cock pushing deep into her mouth and causing her to gag loudly. Her eyes went wide, imitating surprise, and she pretended like she wasn’t as experienced with deep throating to give him a goal. He started fucking her face harder and harder, desperate to feel his entire cock inside her mouth, and after a few moments Amara relented. Her throat opened up, pulling him deep inside, and she was rewarded with another helping of sadistic satisfaction.

As he continued holding her horns, using her mouth no differently than he would use a cheap toy, Amara started to sense subtle differences in everyone’s auras. At the Halloween party, she’d gotten good enough at reading auras to tell where people were directing their affections, but nothing else. She also knew that auras could reveal who was sleeping with who, but this was different. The only aura reflected in the three men standing around her was her own, and there were still more differences to be found.

Since, at the moment, she simply had to let Mark have his fun, she let herself focus on these subtle differences. Mark’s arousal, and pleasure, felt significantly more aggressive than the others. He was like a storm on the ocean, roiling and thrashing, not caring who got caught in his path.

Brandon’s aura was firm and steady, but slightly oppressive. He had taken to calling her a pet, and he clearly wanted to make that a reality. Chris, on the other hand, had the softest aura. He was enjoying himself, obviously, but there was some hesitation. Amara wondered what lies he’d been fed; had they told him she wasn’t to be treated like a person? That she would do anything and everything to try and turn the tables? At the end of the day, he was still happily going along with this magically coerced gangbang, but at least he wasn’t treating her like a lifeless doll.

After a few more minutes of letting Mark facefuck her, it was eventually time to switch it up again. She turned towards Chris, his aura jumping in excitement, and she leaned in to slowly kiss the tip of his cock. Her hands wrapped around the base of his cock, gently stroking it, while her tail reached higher to playfully trace circles on his back.

It only took a brief minute of teasing before she sensed that Chris wanted more, and she began sucking his cock in earnest. He seemed to prefer long, steady strokes, her lips traveling the entire length of his cock with each thrust of her head. In contrast to the other boys, when Chris reached for Amara, he didn’t grab her horns. His fingers lightly played with her hair, massaging the side of her scalp as she used her tongue to massage his shaft. In his excitement, he almost lost control and started cumming, but Amara was able to pull him back with a gentle squeeze at the base of his shaft.

“C’mon Chris, you’re wasting her fucking talents!” Mark said. “Did you see how hard she can take it?”

“I don’t know how she’s doing it, but she knows exactly what I like. It’s unreal, it’s like she’s in my head!” Chris continued moaning, his hands still playing with her hair as he started slowly thrusting into her mouth.

Before he could continue, however, Brandon spoke up again. “I think I’m tired of waiting. Amara, lean forward and place your hands on the ground. Present yourself like a good pet.”

Amara felt another wave of compulsion wash over her, and she immediately noticed how much its effects had lessened. She was already strong enough to resist it, and she hadn’t even gotten anyone to cum yet. She had no plans to show her hand this early, however, and let the compulsion guide her movements. She leaned forward, settling comfortably on all fours, and arched her back to show off her perfect ass.

She'd learned during her photoshoot just how much her body had changed. She had never been prudish in her old life, and still had a couple spicy pictures she’d sent old partners, and when she compared the two the differences were obvious. Not only had her breasts grown slightly, but no matter what she wore they always appeared as if they were supported by a push-up bra. Her ass had changed much the same way; slightly bigger, but also rounder and more firm. As she presented herself for the lust-drunk cultists around her, she could feel their eyes drinking in every inch of her, and she swelled with pride.

That’s right, idiots. Worship this body, it’s all you’re good for.

She watched as Mark walked in front of her, throwing a clean towel on the ground before kneeling himself. Without asking, he grabbed Amara’s horns again and pulled her head down, pushing inside her mouth again. He was just as eager to be rough with her, and just like last time, it meant she didn’t need to focus on keeping him entertained. Her tail continued flicking back and forth, and she felt Brandon kneeling behind her. He grabbed her tail, wrapping around his wrist, and held it tight while his other hand started massaging her ass. He squeezed it tight, slapped it a few times, and eventually caved to his desires once more. Grabbing her hips, he lined himself up with her pussy and slowly pushed inside her.

Amara made sure to moan loudly as he did. Not only did she need to put on the perfect show, and not only was the attention making her incredibly horny, but her connection to everyone’s auras was pushing her overboard. She was effectively feeling the pleasure of three people at once, and Chris was still waiting on the sidelines for a chance to join in.

It proved to be too much, and her entire body shook with pleasure. She had stopped caring about the context, about the fact that they’d summoned her here with the intent of controlling her; right now, she knew she was in control, and she was eager to enjoy her first gangbang. Waves of orgasmic pleasure surged through her, her muscles tensing and relaxing over and over. Both the cocks inside her felt amazing, and she could feel her own pleasure reverberating out into the two men fucking her at the moment.

When her first orgasm subsided, she immediately noticed that Chris had gotten on his back and moved underneath her. His hands eagerly cupped her tits, softly massaging them as he bit and sucked on her nipples. Amara was genuinely surprised by this, especially after Brandon had told them her own pleasure didn’t matter, but Chris seemed to be enjoying himself regardless.

The extra attention felt amazing, and it drove Amara even further into depravity. She began meeting Brandon’s thrusts as hard as she could, eager to experience more pleasure, and Mark seemed to enjoy the chance to fuck her throat even harder. She was now bouncing between the two men, frantically moaning as she did everything she could to fuck them harder. It was honestly surprising that they hadn’t cum yet, not that she was complaining.

Without warning, Mark pulled out of her throat and began slapping her cheeks, taunting her as he did. She didn’t mind in the slightest; he probably thought he was being rough with her, but she barely noticed his strikes. “Brandon, when do I get a turn? I want to feel this bitch’s pussy,” Mark said.

Amara pretended like she wasn’t paying attention, and was busy rolling her eyes to the back of her head to make it seem like she was blissed out of her mind. Her tongue was still out, unchanged from when Mark had been fucking her throat, and she could still feel Chris playing with her tits underneath her. With only one cock in her at the moment, she took advantage of the break to test her own abilities.

She felt mostly full, at least in terms of sexual appetite, which wasn’t surprising. She’d never fed on more than one person at a time, let alone three, and she felt ready to run a marathon. Normally, she would feel this way after getting Nick or Tessa to cum, and would then have at least a day or two before she needed to feed again. Tonight, though? She needed more, she needed to push herself. With her friends, she’d always kept her feeding somewhat in check out of fear she might take too much, but here she had no such hesitation. She had no idea what was waiting for her in the main chamber, and she refused to leave anything to chance.

She felt Brandon push down on her back, then stand up. His cock left her pussy, and she briefly shivered with pleasure at the unique sensation. “Have at her, Mark. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”

In no time at all, Mark was suddenly behind her, and his thick cock was bottoming out in her pussy. He was certainly thicker than Brandon, and clearly had every intention to be just as rough as he had with her mouth. He didn’t seem to care about her tail and was instead slapping her ass with everything he had. They soon found a rhythm, Amara matching his thrust with her own, her moans echoing throughout the chamber now that her mouth wasn’t in use.

As Mark continued fucking her, Chris moved in front of her, and she licked her lips in preparation. However, when he stood up, she noticed that he was still staring at her tits, watching them bounce in time with the fucking. Figuring out what he wanted, she began spitting and drooling on her tits, pushing them together and playing with them. Chris’ aura indicated this was the right call, but she had a feeling he might be hesitant to take what he wanted. “Chris, will you please come fuck my tits? They’re so wet already, they need a hard cock between them…”

Her suggestion pushed him over the edge, and he stepped closer. Amara happily wrapped her tits around his shaft, and after a few moments to catch her bearings, started stroking his cock. She continued holding her tits, pushing them together, and she continued drooling on them as she bounced up and down.

With Chris and Mark now occupied, she knew she couldn’t forget about Brandon, and sought him out with her tail. He was standing off to the side, no doubt enjoying the show, but her tail pulled him closer. It wrapped around his cock, gently stroking it before surrounding it entirely. Just like she’d practiced with Nick dozens of times, she let the muscles in her tail flex at different intervals, massaging Brandon’s cock without needing to stroke it. The novelty seemed to be a good idea, as his aura grew brighter yet again.

Amara continued feeding, now already past her previous limits, and she could feel her body growing hotter and hotter. The candles around the room had started flickering brighter, and she felt as if her skin were humming with untapped potential. She expanded her senses and discovered that all three guys had brought their phones with them; that wouldn’t do. Without missing a beat, she summoned tiny sparks of hellfire inside the three phone cases, likely shorting them out for good. If her control was as strong as she thought, the damage wouldn’t be visible unless they opened their phones to look inside.

She saw the signals from the phones die and grinned with excitement. This was almost too easy.

Next, she moved her eyes away from Chris and began staring at Brandon. She continued fucking everyone, taking caution not to show any suspicious initiative, but did her best to make a face that pleaded for more. Brandon, thankfully, seemed to take the hint.

“Alright boys, how about we move on to the main event?” Brandon said. After another surge in everyone’s auras, Mark and Chris both pulled their cocks away from Amara. “Chris, lay down, will you?”

The blonde-haired boy nodded, throwing a towel into the center of the circle before lying down. With another look at Brandon, Amara knew exactly what he wanted, and she moved to straddle Chris. She placed her hands on his chest, gently massaging him, and used her tail to line up his cock. After a few, playful bounces, she sank down onto his shaft and let out another moan.

“There’s a good girl,” Brandon said. “Mark, you seem to enjoy her mouth. Make sure you put those horns to good use.”

Mark nodded, standing in front of Amara once again. His grip was as rough as ever, and he grabbed her horns tight before pulling her mouth to his cock. She did her best to gasp and gag, making him think he was being too rough with her to keep him excited. Finally, Brandon moved behind her, briefly grabbing her hair and pulling her off of Mark’s cock.

“As for me, pet? You’ve been a pain in my ass for far too long. I think it’s time I returned the favor.” Brandon released her hair, giving Mark the okay to resume fucking her face. She felt his hands slide down her back, slapping her ass hard before grabbing her tail again. He wrapped it around his fist again, then began lining his cock up with her tightest hole. To his credit, he took his time; he valued obedience more than cruelty, so this wasn’t too surprising. After a few moments of careful prodding, however, his cock pushed inside her ass.

Thank goodness I just practiced anal with Nick.

The sensation of having her ass and her pussy filled at the same time was unreal. While previously she’d been able to split her focus, to test the limits of the magic, now she didn’t care to try. Every fiber of her being, every thought that crossed her mind, was entirely focused on how full she felt. A second, tempestuous orgasm overtook her, racing through her body as she twitched with pleasure. It was as if she were being split in two, the sensation amplified by the strange magical humming of her body. Every tiny movement was incredible; the cock in her pussy would twitch, and she would feel it reverberate through her ass. When the cock in her ass pushed deeper, it caused her pussy to squeeze the other cock even harder. Time itself seemed to slow, and by the time she started to get used to this feeling, she realized that only a few seconds had passed. Her second orgasm started to dwindle, and knew she needed to keep pushing.

Eager for more, Amara pushed back, and immediately felt both cocks bottom out inside her. She tried her best to moan, to scream out with pleasure, but the cock in her mouth prevented such exclamations. Instead, she did everything she could to start bouncing her ass, eager to feel more. Brandon seemed to sense her eagerness, and he began fucking her in earnest. She met his thrusts with her own, bouncing up and down on Chris’ cock as well, both guys starting to moan.

In front of Amara, Mark was still eagerly holding her horns and fucking her face, but she could tell he was getting tired. In fact, it seemed like all of them were. Their auras were shaking, close to orgasm, and she was determined to see this through to the end.

Amara found the rhythm she was looking for, and began taking all three cocks balls deep with every thrust. Mark would bottom out in her throat just as the cocks behind her threatened to leave her holes, then she would fall back and reverse everything. She let her wings join in the fun, lifting her up and down, giving her the ability to fuck everyone that much harder. The base of her tail was still in Brandon’s grasp, but she had the rest of it snake around his waist, holding him tight. Underneath her, Chris reached up for her tits and began squeezing them again, pinching her nipples as he massaged them. Every single guy now had everything they wanted, and they were incapable of holding back anymore.

For one brief moment, just before everything exploded, Amara filled with pride as she realized she’d managed to bring three separate men to orgasm at the exact same time.

The moment was quick, however, and soon everything changed. All three men began cumming, their cocks twitching as load after load filled all three of her holes. She’d always loved the feeling of a hard cock emptying itself inside of her, but three at once? Absolute bliss beyond comprehension. A third orgasm crashed into her, its intensity catching her off guard. This wasn’t just her orgasm, it was four at once, and she could barely process all the sexual energy she was absorbing. It raced through her at breakneck speeds, threatening to leave her already satiated body, but she refused to let it go.

Her eyes rolled back in her head, this time not even for show, and her screams of ecstasy filled the chamber. She hadn’t noticed before, but after swallowing the first couple bursts of Mark’s load, he’d apparently pulled out of her mouth. He was now coating her face with his cum, and she was more than happy to take it. She didn’t want him to leave, though, not yet, and she wrapped her hands around his cock to continue pleasuring him. Her body continued shaking, both from her own pleasure, and from the excited thrusts of the two men orgasming behind her. She still had a firm grip of their auras, as well as their cocks, and something deep inside her whispered that she wasn’t finished yet.

Amara’s senses expanded yet again, and she refocused on her connection to everyone’s auras. She’d gotten so used to feeding, to taking sips of energy, but could she do more? She reached into those auras, searching for the source of the pleasure, when something strange happened. It felt like grabbing a lightning rod in the middle of a storm; not only was she buzzing with energy, but she had found something deep inside these men, something delicious. She pushed her will through everyone’s auras, amplifying the sensation by physically squeezing all the cocks in her grasp. Her pussy, her ass, even her mouth returned to the cock in front of her, and she redoubled her efforts to pleasure everyone.

More. I want more!

Something inside of Amara snapped, as if a dam had been built around her inner fire, and she had finally broken through. She didn’t just want to feel everyone cum again, she needed it. She deserved it. They needed to pay for what they tried to do to her, and she didn’t hesitate to pull more energy through their auras. All three cocks inside her had started fading, their orgasms past, but somehow Amara breathed new life into them. All three began twitching once more, more cum filling her, and she was just as surprised as they were.

A second round of orgasms rushed through her, extending her own pleasure even more. Was this a fourth orgasm? Or had the last one never even stopped? She found it hard to care as her body kept bouncing and twitching, extracting every ounce of cum it could.

She felt her hair begin to float of its own accord, the tips beginning to catch fire. All around the room, even outside the magic circle, bursts of purple hellfire appeared, extensions of Amara’s will that could no longer be contained. She could feel the room growing hotter by the second, the heat felt incredible. The robes piled in the corner caught fire, and the door began to burn, its hinges glowing bright.

Amara rode out the last seconds of her orgasm, focusing on the incredible amounts of energy circulating both through and around her. She didn’t quite understand how she was controlling it all, but it felt right. These men had tried to break her; she was merely taking what she was owed.

Her own orgasm finally subsided, and she took advantage of her newfound clarity to look around. Mark, Chris, and Brandon seemed exceptionally exhausted. They were panting heavily, and Amara swore their skin had paled somewhat. Their own orgasms were also starting to fade, and they seemed to be trying to pull themselves back together again.

Amara pulled her mouth off of Mark’s cock, leaning back as she stretched her back. Her body felt incredible, every tiny movement reinforced how strong she’d gotten from her feeding. She no longer felt like she could run a marathon, she felt ready to run twenty. Her back cracked, and she felt her claws begin to appear. Rather than fight this urge, she found it funny. From deep inside her, a place she’d only just discovered, laughter formed. It grew louder and heartier, her rapturous glee reflected in every sweltering flame in the room, and she felt the men around her begin to panic.

“What are you doing?!” Brandon screamed. “Stop this! NOW!!”

With a powerful thrust of her wings, Amara jumped to her feet. Her tail twitched towards Mark, colliding with his side and sending him flying against a wall. Underneath her, Chris began panicking and crawled for the nearest corner. Amara then turned to Brandon, the two of them still in the magic circle, and she stared at him. She could feel hellfire dancing around her eyes, and when she spoke, an unnatural growl seemed to accompany her words.

“I am no pet, Brandon. You cannot control me!”

She reached out, grabbing Brandon by his neck and pulling him close. He felt so fragile in her hands, and a sinister voice urged her to end him.

It would be so easy.

Her fingers twitched, the hellfire around her surged once more, and a brief moment of clarity hit her. She was still Amara, but something had changed. Was this the creature that had come out on Halloween? No, she was still herself. There would be no one else to blame for her actions tonight. No matter the source of her power, she refused to give in to temptation. Although it took every fiber of her being, she refused to kill Brandon.

But he deserves it, doesn’t he? He won’t stop unless you make him!

Her head twitched, the war inside her thoughts burning bright. It was like staring into a twisted mirror, every dark thought she’d ever had reflecting back at her.

I won’t! I’M NOT A KILLER!!

Whatever power now coursed through her veins, it was both incredible and terrible. She needed to get rid of it, and she knew what needed to happen. She spun on her heel, throwing Brandon through the door behind her. The door, already weakened, shattered from the impact, exposing the hallway outside. Amara walked towards the edge of the magic circle, its energy still trying to hold her, and casually walked through it. The barrier dissipated easily, and she stepped into the hallway.

Picking Brandon up again, she pinned him to the wall. “Where is the ritual?!”

Fear filled Brandon’s eyes, which quickly glanced down the hallway to her right. With one last smirk, she tossed him aside and started running.

---

Vee was doing her best not to panic, trying to control her breathing. She was doing everything she could to keep tabs on the situation around her, but staying calm was difficult given the circumstances. After surrendering themselves, the cultists had taken her and Tessa to the main chamber, where they were being closely monitored. One cultist had even supplied small lengths of rope, which had been used to bind the girls’ hands together. Vee could hear Tessa muttering under her breath, berating the cultist for his poor shibari technique, but that was the least of Vee’s concerns.

Around them, the chamber was bustling with activity. Candles had been scattered against the far walls, and the lights above had been turned off. Vee tried to focus on counting all the people present, hoping to figure out how many humans still remained in their ranks. Unfortunately, without expending more magic, it was difficult to tell with just her senses, despite their heightened state.

Her Enochian Texts had been taken from her, and were now being kept on a small table closer to the magic circle. Vee knew of a dozen different spells that might be helpful at the moment, especially as Amara was nowhere to be seen, but without her book she was virtually powerless. Sure, she had a personal well of angelic magic, but she knew she couldn’t win a fight against dozens of possessed humans. Best case scenario, she would manage to take down a small handful, and the cult would probably decide she was too much trouble to keep alive.

As much as she hated it, she had no choice but to sit and wait. If an opportunity presented itself, she would be ready, but it was better to make the cult think they’d won.

After a few minutes of waiting, the crowd of cultists began softly chanting to themselves. They formed a large ring, surrounding the magic circle in the center of the chamber, which was pulsing with hellish energy. A figure emerged from a side entrance, and he pulled his hood down to reveal himself as their leader: Sebastian Wellington. Though Vee had only seen him once before, during their fight in the Dean’s office, she could tell he was exceptionally smug at the moment.

“At long last, our time has come! We’ve dispatched those who seek to stop us, and there is nothing left to stand in our way!” The crowd of robed cultists cheered, and Mr. Wellington allowed them several seconds of revelry before gesturing for them to grow quiet once more. He walked across the chamber, carefully avoiding the magic circle, and soon he’d arrived in front of Vee and Tessa. “We even have the perfect gift for tonight’s visitor. I’ll admit, I was worried when I realized we had an angel on our tail, but you proved to be horribly inept. Had I known that heaven’s righteous warriors were this pathetic, I would have taken you out back in that office.”

Vee glared at the cult leader, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her talk. When the silence continued for a few more seconds, Mr. Wellington clearly got the hint and refocused his attention on the ritual. “Tonight, we take our final steps towards salvation, as we herald in my own ascension! Once my eyes are opened, just as many of you have experienced, we can take the first steps towards our new future!”

With another rapturous cheer, Mr. Wellington took a deep breath and stepped onto the magic circle. Though he was still fully clothed, Vee could see dozens of magical runes had been carved into his body, and they were now glowing brightly. He began speaking in a language Vee couldn’t understand, his body producing unholy sounds that defied the limitations of the human body. Underneath his feet, the magic circle began glowing brighter and brighter, and the ground seemed to blur as the magic intensified. Waves of hellish energy poured from the circle, and the sickening smell of sulfur assaulted Vee’s delicate senses.

The cult leader rose off the ground, now suspended in mid-air as unnatural tendrils of magic latched onto his body. Although Vee had never seen such a ritual before, she’d been exposed to the demons that had previously come through, and one thing was obvious; whatever creature Mr. Wellington was summoning would be significantly more threatening.

Vee began looking around, forcing herself to tear her eyes away from the sickening display of magic in front of her. She was still waiting for a chance to strike back, and this ascension ritual might be the perfect distraction. There were four cultists standing guard around her and Tessa, and she knew they carried lengthy daggers; she’d seen them earlier when they had been moved to this chamber. Two cultists were guarding the table with her book, which also held Tessa’s switchblade. Other than that, everyone else present had formed a circle around the center of the chamber.

As she started putting together a plan, trying to find the best way to break free of her guards, she saw something race out of the hallway behind the other group of cultists. It was moving incredibly fast, and before she could identify what it was, it charged the two men watching her Enochian Texts. Some kind of lance burst through the chest of the first cultist, lifting him into the air before throwing him aside. As his body hit the floor, Vee saw a twisted shadow leave him; the demon inside likely being forced back to Hell due to the death of its host.

Whatever creature had killed the cultist then grabbed the small table and jammed it against the second guard. The protective magic of her Enochian Texts activated, sending powerful angelic magic into the possessed body of the cultist. The creature kept moving, using the table to push the cultist closer towards Vee, eventually pinning him to the ground while he seized in pain.

The table fell to the ground, and before it landed entirely, the creature had leapt at two of Vee’s guards, blackened claws digging into their throats. She decided this was her chance to act, but before she could start to work on her bindings, they disintegrated under a concentrated burst of purple hellfire. She leapt to her feet, whispering a quick prayer to summon her sword and plunging it into the heart of the possessed guard next to her. Tessa had also leapt into action, her tattoos flaring as she pinned the last of the cultists to the ground, her switchblade forcing the demon inside to retreat back to hell.

The rest of the cult had just started responding to this new chaos, but they hadn’t closed the distance quite yet. Vee took a split second to examine this creature that had just freed them, and realized she was looking at Amara.

Hellfire leapt from her body as she moved, every feature of her glowing in its unnatural light. At first glance, it looked like she was naked; the athletic outfit she’d been wearing previously nowhere to be seen. A closer look revealed that, while much of her body was exposed, her most vulnerable areas had been covered by her strange, demonic exoskeleton. Her breasts were held in place by small strips of chitin, as was her groin, as if she were wearing an infernal lingerie bodysuit. The blackened material also formed around all her limbs, giving her feet and hands terrifying claws, and her tail a formidable blade.

Fear gripped Vee, as she could sense incredible amounts of energy cascading off Amara. The strength now on display dwarfed everything she’d seen on Halloween, and Vee had no idea how much of Amara might still be conscious inside.

However, at the moment, Amara seemed to be focused on keeping her safe, and Vee didn’t bother second guessing her good fortune. She ran for her book, quickly casting another spell to bind it to her hands, then flipped to the necessary page. “I need to cast this closer to the circle!” she yelled. Her words drew Amara’s attention, and she turned to look at Vee. The whites of Amara’s eyes had gone completely black, and her amber irises were glowing brighter than Vee had ever seen. Her gaze was as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring, and she quickly nodded to Vee.

A circle of hellfire erupted around the girls, its heat more intense than any fire Vee had ever felt. When she took a step closer to the magic circle, she noticed that the hellfire moved with her; Amara seemed to be matching her movements.

“Tessa!” Vee shouted, “Help Amara fend everyone off until I get my barrier up!”

“Finally, some real fuckin’ action!” Tessa shouted. Her tattoos flaring, Vee watched the table that Amara had smashed earlier dash through the wall of hellfire. The fire spread to the table, and Tessa took a fighting stance, now armed with her switchblade and a hellfire torch.

A few possessed cultists dared to leap through the flames, and Vee suspected it was incredibly painful. Their bodies were only human, after all, and didn’t gain the fireproof benefits most demons presumably called their own. Amara and Tessa engaged everyone brave enough to jump through the flames, doing their best to buy Vee space while she continued her Enochian chanting. As powerful as Amara was, it was obvious that Vee’s chanting was taking a toll on her, as well as all other demons in the area.

Amara’s movements, previously quick and deadly, were growing sloppy, and even the hellfire barrier had begun faltering. Through one of these gaps, Vee caught a glimpse of the magic circle, and saw they were almost next to it now. In the circle, Mr. Wellington’s body was still hovering, though now he was twitching unnaturally. His skin was darkening, taking on a deep red hue, and Vee swore she saw horns beginning to protrude from his forehead. She had a feeling they didn’t have much time left, and did her best to refocus on her barrier spell.

A cultist tried to charge her from behind, and Amara appeared out of nowhere to tackle him to the ground. Vee heard a sickening crunch, and decided to ignore whatever had just happened.

They forfeit their souls, they’re already dead. Don’t forget that.

Her Enochian chanting continued, and her words began reaching for the space around her as they sought to establish a protective barrier. Vee could tell that the ritual was nearing completion; Mr. Wellington's transformation seemed to be mostly finished, and she tried not to think about what would come next.

Out of the corner of her eye, Vee saw Amara flinch with pain as the Enochian magic grew stronger. The cultist she was engaged with managed to throw her to the ground, but before he could land a strike with his dagger, Tessa’s floating hellfire club shattered against his chest. He staggered backwards, dazed and confused, before stepping into Amara’s hellfire and crumbling to the ground. Amara turned to Vee, fury in her eyes, then screamed “How much longer?”

Vee locked eyes with Amara, fighting every instinct that told her she shouldn’t trust this monster. Amara’s hands were now covered with blood, and again Vee reminded herself of the necessity of their actions. Unable to speak, Vee held up a hand, all five fingers standing tall. One finger fell, then another, and just before her countdown ended, Amara leapt as far away from Vee as she could.

Vee’s spell finished, her Enochian magic roaring to life and leaving her body. Amara’s hellfire vanished, and the two possessed cultists unfortunate to be close to Vee were catapulted across the room. Vee and Tessa were now the only two people left inside the circle. “Tessa, you’re up!” Vee said, turning her attention to the mob forming outside her magic. She saw several cultists attempt to push through only to be violently rejected, but after a few moments of testing, they discovered the trick to the circle. Vee heard them shout to each other, sharing that unpossessed humans could enter freely, and Vee braced herself for a fight.

---

Amara rolled as she hit the ground, thrilled to be outside the influence of Vee’s angelic magic. Despite all the energy she’d accumulated from her gangbang, the Enochian had still been incredibly disorienting. With the barrier now active, she could redouble her efforts to take out the remaining cultists. She leapt at the nearest threat, a shorter man pulling out a dagger, and drove her claws through his throat.

Fresh blood covered her hands, and she watched the cultist fall to the ground before a dark shadow drifted out of the body. She turned her sights to her next target, but before she could close the distance, a massive shockwave threw her off balance. It shook the entire chamber, and it felt strangely familiar. It was like an electrical pulse that induced an intense atmospheric pressure, and it reminded of the moments before Tessa had accidentally buried herself in vines earlier in the year. When she looked back at the center of the chamber, she saw Sebastian kneeling on the ground.

At least, she thought it was the cult leader. His skin was now dark red, horns had erupted from his head, and a sickening demonic aura surrounded him. When he raised his head, he stared at Amara with glowing, crimson red eyes filled with hate. Before Amara had time to react, this new creature leapt from his place in the circle and charged at Amara.

He moved incredibly fast, and she barely had time to react as she tried to soften his impact. As she caught his fist, redirecting it and dodging to his side, he began speaking. “How are you free?! That’s impossible!” His voice was fractured, as if two creatures were speaking simultaneously.

Amara, her surprise slowly wearing off, jumped to her feet. “Sex only makes me stronger, idiot. Or did you forget I'm a succubus?” She charged Sebastian, trying to land a punch, but the cult leader was moving just as quickly as she was. She had gotten so used to the easily dispatched cultists that it took her some time to get used to this new opponent, one who seemed more than capable of matching her speed and strength.

“We had your blood! The sigils were perfect!” Sebastian shouted, finally beginning to fight back. He landed a series of brutal strikes on Amara, each one threatening to knock the wind out of her. With each attack, however, Amara grew better at reading her opponent.

“Guess they weren’t, or I wouldn’t be here!” Amara finally caught one of Sebastian’s attacks, using his arm to throw him to the ground. She tried to press her advantage, but his speed continued to surprise her. Her bladed tail glanced off the floor as he jumped to his feet, kneeing her in the stomach. The wind knocked out of her, she was unable to stop Sebastian from landing another few strikes. She began coughing up blood, and the edges of her vision turned red. From deep within her, a profound anger began to form, and she directed that anger to fuel her inner fire.

She began moving entirely on instinct, reacting to Sebastian’s attacks faster and faster. Soon, she had regained her footing, and managed to land her first solid hit on him. Her fist connected with his chest, and a concentrated burst of hellfire sent him flying across the chamber. He slammed into the far wall, and she quickly ran after him, summoning more flames before throwing them at the mad cult leader.

Compared to the cultists she’d fought earlier, Sebastian seemed mostly resilient against her flames. Still, they bought her time to continue attacking, and she managed to land another few strikes with her gauntleted fists. Her bladed tail also found purchase, digging deep into his side and causing the scent of fresh blood to fill her senses once again. Strangely, her strikes didn’t seem to be phasing him as much as she would have liked. The more they struggled, the more it seemed like she only had a speed advantage, not a strength one.

From behind, she heard the sounds of Vee fighting off the other cultists, and a burst of Enochian magic narrowly missed her. However, it proved to be enough of a distraction for Sebastian to turn the tables again, grabbing her neck and slamming her into the wall. She gasped in pain, trying to pry his hands from her throat as her tail continued to find openings to dig into him. With another thrust, Sebastian slammed her head against the wall, trying to knock her out, but this time she saw it coming. Protective chitin had already crept up her neck, covering the back of her head, and the attack failed. This bought Amara enough time to summon another burst of hellfire, not to burn him, but to explode with enough force to throw him off her.

As Sebastian flew backwards once more, a guttural laugh formed in Amara’s gut. The cultists she’d dispatched earlier had been all too easy to take down, but now she was up against a real threat. She wasn’t fighting against Nick, who was only human, and she wasn’t sparring with Vee, a complicated friend that she was trying to make amends with. Sebastian was evil, plain and simple, and Amara had no reason to hold back.

Blood ran down her face, and her laughter grew stronger as she found she was enjoying the fight. Being able to let loose, to vent all the anger that had pent up since her transformation had started, was exhilarating. For the first time since learning she was a demon, she was truly pushing her limits, discovering just how much she’d changed, and she was going to make Sebastian pay for thinking he could force her into slavery. She thrived on the violence, wanted more of it, and leapt at her opponent once more.

Amara lost track of how long they were fighting. They were incredibly evenly matched, and for every third or fourth strike she managed to land, Sebastian would make an opening with his incredible strength and throw her off balance. It was during one of these openings that she saw him look towards her friends, safely contained in Vee’s Enochian barrier, and he began ignoring Amara. He leapt at the barrier, throwing himself at it with everything he had to try and break through. Panic filled Amara, and she tried to pull him away as best she could.

She wrapped her tail around his leg, and with another burst of hellfire, she managed to throw him off balance. She put herself between Vee’s barrier and Sebastian, knowing she couldn’t let him through or their plan would fall apart. Inside the barrier, Amara could see that Vee had almost dispatched the rest of the cultists, and Tessa was still focusing on undoing the cult’s circle into Hell.

Sebastian leapt forward again, trying to bypass Amara and attack the barrier directly. Amara stayed in front of him, but the force of his charge was so strong, he was able to grab Amara and shove her against the barrier. Powerful, Enochian magic surged through Amara, severely weakening her as she tried to hold Sebastian back. In her vulnerable state, she was unable to stop Sebastian as he repeatedly slammed her against the barrier, and with one last shout, he managed to break through.

Amara fell to the ground, gasping in pain as the angelic magic vanished. She was still disoriented, and was only barely aware of Sebastian moving in to continue his assault. Before he could reach Amara, however, a barrage of holy arrows flew over her, embedding themselves in Sebastian’s body and forcing him to scream out in pain.

Someone knelt next to Amara, grabbing her arm and helping her to her feet. “Amara! We only need a few more seconds!” Vee whispered.

After nodding in acknowledgement, Amara shook her head to try and ground herself. When she looked up again, she saw Sebastian writhing in pain while holding his head. “Stop. Fighting. Me!” he screamed, seemingly with two voices again.

Seeing an opening, Amara jumped forward and sank her bladed tail into Sebastian’s side, hoping to finally end this once and for all. He began speaking again, though seemingly not in response to her attack, which confused her. “WELLINGTON! STOP FIGHTING ME!” Sebastian staggered backwards, and Amara paused to try and figure out what was happening. With a closer look, she saw something new. Instead of a single aura surrounding Sebastian, she now saw two. One was clearly angry, full of hate and ego, while the other had a terrible demonic fury to it. They seemed to be battling for dominance inside the cult leader’s body, and Amara shouted out in response.

“Vee, keep attacking! Sebastian is trying to overpower the demon he summoned!”

Amara took a quick moment to look around the chamber to confirm Tessa was still safe. While no cultists were advancing on her, she saw movement from the hallway she’d come from earlier. In the distance, Brandon had reappeared, limping and in pain. He was clearly furious, and held a dagger in his hand as he advanced.

Before she had a chance to intercept him, however, Tessa finally spoke up. “I’ve got it! Brace yourselves!”

Amara turned to the magic circle in the center of the chamber. A crack had appeared in the floor, but it didn’t seem to be in the concrete; it looked more like it was in the fabric of space itself. An overwhelming, demonic energy poured from the rift, and as soon as it opened, the bodies of the nearby cultists began moving closer. The portal seemed to be pulling in everything demonic; the cultists and Sebastian were clearly feeling its effect, as was Amara, but Vee and Tessa seemed unfazed.

She watched Vee move to a nearby pillar, grabbing it for support, as Sebastian stepped closer to Amara. He was now directly between her and the portal in the floor, and Amara watched as Mr. Wellington finally lost his internal battle. The demonic aura took complete control of the body, and his eyes turned black as he stared at Amara. “What. Are. You?!” he shouted, his body still littered with holy arrows.

“I’m Amara, you son of a bitch! You tell everyone in Hell that this place is protected!” Amara poured all of her remaining energy into one, concentrated burst of hellfire, then leapt at Sebastian. With one final punch, she let loose a chaotic explosion that forced the demonic cult leader further back to the edge of the portal that would return him to Hell. His eyes flared, and Amara could feel his powerful gaze staring deep inside her, desperately searching for answers, and it felt like he was staring directly into her soul. A horrible smirk appeared on his face, and he began laughing.

“Oh. She’s going to love this,” the demon inside Sebastian said. His laughter grew even louder, and he let himself fall backwards into the portal.

---

Vee braced herself against the pillar, watching as Amara charged Mr. Wellington. She released a sickening explosion of hellfire that caused Vee’s ears to ring, but thankfully it managed to knock the cult leader back to the edge of the portal. By the time Vee’s hearing had returned to normal, Mr. Wellington had fallen into the portal, but Amara’s attack seemed to have thrown off her balance. Vee watched as Amara lost her footing, and began falling towards the portal.

Reaching out, Vee grabbed Amara’s arm and held tight, grabbing the pillar to keep them both safe. The pull from the portal was immense, and Vee could feel her body straining as she tried to keep Amara from falling in.

Another shape appeared, seemingly another cultist, hurtling through the air. His dagger vanished into the portal, but at the last second, he managed to grab Amara’s tail. She winced in pain, and Vee felt her already tenuous grip threaten to give way entirely. She looked down, and time seemed to slow as she locked eyes with Amara.

Vee could see gallons of blood soaking her friend’s body, especially on her razor-sharp claws. Amara redoubled her grip, her demonic hands digging into Vee’s flesh. There was so much anger in Amara’s eyes, fury that had been brought out by the night’s events, and it terrified her. She recalled moments from earlier, when she’d caught glimpses of Amara’s fight with Mr. Wellington. Amara had been laughing maniacally, completely lost in the carnage she was creating. Was Vee’s friend still in there? Or had something finally snapped?

Amara’s eyes were still pitch black; her amber irises filled with fire as she stared up at Vee. Behind her, the last cultist was desperately holding on to Amara’s tail, doing everything in his power to avoid falling into the portal.

If I let go, not only do I end this cult, but I rid the world of… whatever Amara might become. She’s clearly still changing; how do I know where this ends?

As Vee stared down at her prior friend, she saw Amara’s eyes change. The demon’s sclera shifted from black to white, and the look of fury in her eyes changed to one of desperation. Tears formed, threatening to fall as she stared back. “Vee… please…”

No. Whatever Amara is, she’s trying to be better.

Vee reached deep inside herself, praying for every ounce of strength she could, and gripped Amara’s clawed wrist as hard as she could. She nodded slowly at Amara, who smiled back before looking down to start kicking the last cultist off her tail.

“Brandon!” Amara shouted. “Go to Hell, you fucker!”

Behind them, the portal at the center of the magic circle began flickering. The edges of it grew fuzzy, and it started to resemble a skewed, distorted VHS image as it struggled to stay open. Vee had no idea how much longer they had before the portal closed.

The cultist scowled at Amara, his other hand grabbing her tail as well as he tried to start climbing higher. Amara tried to flick her tail, to attack her with its bladed edge, but she seemed to be losing strength fast. Vee tried to think of something to do, but any magic she used would also endanger Amara.

Before she could think of anything, a switchblade appeared out of nowhere and buried itself in one of the cultist’s hands. Vee looked over to Tessa, her tattoos were glowing bright, and saw she was focusing on dislodging this last cultist. The dagger broke the cultist’s grip, and Tessa quickly attacked his other hand. The pain must have been too much, as the cultist finally flinched and lost his grip on Amara’s tail.

Behind him, the distortion of the portal was growing stronger, its edges scattering more and more. Vee was worried the portal might close before the cultist made it through, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Just before the portal closed for good, the cultist fell inside. His screams filled the chamber, he continued reaching for something to grab onto as the portal closed around his wrist. A sickening crack reverberated through the room, accompanied by a strange electrical charge, and then all was quiet.

Vee and Amara fell to the ground, gasping from exertion. Once she had caught her breath, Vee slowly stood up, leaning against the pillar to keep steady. Without warning, Amara jumped at Vee, who nearly released a burst of angelic light in her surprise.

“Vee, thank you!” Amara whispered, tears in her eyes. “Without you, I… I would’ve…”

Vee looked down, stunned by the sudden burst of emotionality. Amara was hugging Vee tight, and crying into her shoulder. Despite everything Vee had just seen, the blood, the carnage, the terrifying power Amara had unleashed, she was nothing more than a scared college student at the moment.

Beside them, Tessa had rolled onto her back, her eyes wide as she gasped for air. She began grabbing her legs, her waist, her shoulders, almost in shock that everything was still there. "We... we did it. We survived! Fucking Hell! We're not dead!!" The witch started laughing, hugging herself tight in celebration. Her laughter filled the chamber, a welcome reprieve from the agonizing shrieks of demons and cultists.

Vee couldn't help but agree with Tessa's sentiment. She'd been so focused on stopping the cult, on wrestling with her complicated feelings about Amara, that she'd never thought about what might happen if they succeeded. She thought back to the fight they'd just won; how many times had she cheated death? What would have happened had Amara not jumped in to save them? She'd seen the horrible creature that Mr. Wellington had become, and Amara had single-handedly kept him away from her. With the gift of hindsight, she knew that whatever demon the mad cult leader had summoned would have easily killed her.

Whatever came next, whatever tension might still exist between the two of them, Vee was alive. A tear of her own fell down her cheek, and she wrapped her arms around Amara to hug her back. They had been friends once, and that was comfort enough for now.

A few more minutes passed, the girls each processing their victory in their own way. Amara's breathing started to slow, and she whispered into Vee's ear. "Vee... you saved my life."

Vee moved her arms off Amara, stammering for a second before responding. “You spared me, I spared you. Just… consider us even, Hellspawn.”

Amara pulled back, smirking as she wiped a tear off her cheek. “Right, totally no other reason,” she said. She took a deep breath, releasing the last of the tremors that had accompanied her tears. “Could you give me some space? I need to wash this blood off of me.”

Stepping back, Vee realized just how bloody Amara’s nearly naked body was. “Wash it off? How?”

Now several paces away, Amara summoned a torrent of hellfire around herself. For a few seconds, she let the flames circle and dance around her body, and when they finally vanished, it looked like she’d just finished a day at the spa. Her skin was practically flawless, unmarred from the battle, not a trace of blood to be seen. A disturbing thought crossed Vee’s mind, and she looked down at her own clothes. As she feared, they were completely soaked in blood.

“Oh, great. You couldn’t have cleaned yourself off before you hugged me? How am I supposed to get this off?”

“I’m sure you’ve got a spell in that book of yours somewhere, right?” Amara said, laughing quietly to herself.

From the center of the chamber, Tessa spoke up again. “Fuck. Fuck!”

Vee just now realized that Tessa had finally stopped laughing, and was now kneeling at the edge of the portal. “What happened?!”

“A few things. When I reverse engineered the portal, I was mostly working to counteract the damage the cult had done. I’d never seen the portal before today, though, so this is my first chance to see exactly what they did. I’m only now seeing that their work was horseshit.”

“Okay, so? They’re gone, right?” Amara asked.

“Yes, but that’s not the problem. If they had been more elegant with their alterations, then my reversal would have restored everything to normal. But, surprise surprise, they were a bunch of fuckwads! They practically brute forced their way past every protective measure. Previously, every circle on campus worked together to form a kind of Planar Gate. This counteracted the natural soft spot that exists here, making sure that nothing weird came through.”

“I don’t think I like where this is going,” Vee said.

“Well, tough luck. The cult had already done serious damage to the gate, and when I reversed their alterations, I basically blew the door off its hinges. The Gate is now totally inert, and we’re completely exposed to… well, anything and everything. At any point, if another plane happens to align with ours… something might slip though.”

Silence fell over the group, the girls all looking at each nervously. Their unspoken assumption was that ending the cult would return things to normal, but apparently that wasn’t the case. No one else on campus knew about the cult, the Gate, or this supposed soft spot. If anything else were to pop up, would it be their responsibility to handle it?

“Wait, you said a couple things were wrong, what else happened?” Amara flicked her tail, and after a small burst of fire, it returned to normal.

“Oh, that’s the worst part. When I stabbed Brandon, I wasn’t able to pull my switchblade out in time. The portal closed on his wrist and severed it, and I was hoping it would be the hand with my knife, but it wasn’t.”

“Wait, hold on,” Vee said, stepping closer. “The worst part of this whole night is that you lost your knife?”

“It was my favorite knife! It had, like, an oily rainbow effect on it!”

Vee rolled her eyes, but stepped closer to examine the circle itself. Just as Tessa had said, there was a severed hand lying on the floor. After everything she’d just seen, all the carnage Amara and Mr. Wellington had wrought, it was easy to suppress the urge to gag, but it was still gross to look at. As she kneeled down to get a closer look, the hand suddenly rose off the floor, its fingers curling into a point. It began moving towards Vee, who fell backwards in surprise.

“Ooooh watch out! Brandon’s coming back from the dead to get you!” Tessa began laughing hysterically, her tattoos glowing bright. Thankfully, before the hand could touch her, Amara snatched it out of the air.

“C’mon Tess, leave her alone.” Amara summoned another flash of hellfire, and after a few seconds, the hand was reduced to ashes.

“Ugh, fine. You’re no fun.” Tessa stood up, her back cracking as she started walking towards the elevator. “We should probably get back anyways, let Nick know that we fucking kicked ass tonight.”

“Wait, that’s it?” Vee asked. “We just… head home and go to sleep?”

“That’s how this works, holy girl,” Tessa said. “Unless you want to start calling in Church officials, the best thing to do is stay as far away as possible. We can’t tell anyone what happened, and it’s not like there are any bodies to find. Plus, this whole chamber is a secret anyways. Life will go on, it’ll be a little confusing for a while, but you either fucking deal with it or you don’t.”

Vee almost responded, but then hesitated. All her previous work for the Church had been small-scale, usually exorcisms or fighting minor demons that managed to sneak up to Earth. Was Tessa right? Would further action only make people more suspicious of her?

Amara spoke up next, stepping closer to Vee and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, what if we comb this whole compound before heading out? I think there’s still two cultists left that weren’t involved in the final ceremony. They were trying to keep me busy so I wouldn’t intervene, and I never saw them join the big fight.”

The idea sounded nice, and Vee certainly appreciated a simpler task that would let her unwind from the chaos of the night. “Actually, Amara, what happened to you? You just vanished on us, and we had no idea what happened.”

“Oh, they set up another summoning circle with the blood I left behind from our first raid. Then Brandon and two other guys tried to, um… prevent me from stopping the ritual.” Amara was looking awkwardly at Vee, likely trying not to upset her.

Vee rolled her eyes as she responded. “Amara, just tell us what happened. It can’t be any worse than what we just went through.”

With a shrug, Amara responded. “Gangbang. But feeding on all three of them gave me the strength to break out and save you guys, so it all worked out in the end. Plus, honestly? I feel fucking amazing. I’ve never been that juiced up before!”

“No shit, seriously? ‘Atta girl, that’s my succubus!” Tessa ran closer, slapping Amara’s bare ass while they all started heading towards the back corridors. Amara started sharing details with Tessa, explaining exactly what happened and how she was able to break out. Tessa hung on her every word, excited both about the fucking and the apparent power spike that followed it.

Great, now there’s two of them.

Vee sighed in defeat, listening to Amara recount her sexual adventures while they started clearing out the rest of the compound. She watched them walk away, following a few steps behind, with absolutely no interest in joining the conversation. This meant, however, that she was faced with a very explicit reminder that Amara wasn't wearing any clothes, only covered up by a few strategic plates of chitinous exoskeleton. She'd been so flustered by the blood, and caught up in the excitement of surviving, that she hadn't registered the nudity when they'd been hugging earlier.

Before looking away, for one brief moment, a fraction of a second so infinitesimally tiny that Vee didn't even know it had happened, her eyes lingered on Amara's naked curves.

Chapter Text

The underground complex was eerily quiet. Just a few minutes earlier, the hallways had been filled with the sounds of fighting, hellfire explosions and collapsing portals. Now, Amara led the search through the myriad hallways, trying to retrace her steps back to the room she'd originally been summoned to.

"I know it's around here somewhere, just gimme a sec," Amara said.

"How do you not remember?" Tessa asked. "It was like, half an hour ago!"

"I was a little preoccupied trying to stop the ritual! Besides, if I'd taken the extra time to memorize the route, who knows what would have happened to you two." They checked another room, this one as empty as the rest, and Amara groaned in frustration. She leaned up against a nearby wall, tapping her head against it as she grumbled. "Stupid cult, these hallways make no sense..."

"How about we head back to the main chamber, and start from the beginning again?" Tessa said, gesturing behind her.

"Yeah, fine, we might as well." Amara pushed off the wall, stretching her arms high above her head. Her back cracked in a few places, and she sighed with relief. When she started walking again, she caught Vee adamantly avoiding her gaze. "Something wrong, Vee?"

"Yes! I mean, no, it's fine, just... do you have to walk around naked like that?" Vee said, staring at a nearby wall.

"I do, actually. Brandon made me burn my clothes. Besides, I've got my exoskeleton...armor... thing. That's covering up all the important bits, right?" Amara looked down at herself, inspecting the various chitinous plates that covered her body. "Though, I suppose this is a little revealing..."

After pausing for a second, Amara manifested more blackened protective material around her body. Previously, her more sensitive areas had been covered by only the tiniest slivers of chitin, and now it looked more like she was wearing a strange bikini.

"How's that? Better?" Amara asked.

Vee hesitated for a moment, then finally looked over at Amara. "That's... fine, I guess."

Amara playfully tapped Vee on the arm, then walked past her and started heading back towards the main chamber. As they walked, Tessa spoke up again. "What even is our plan here? I told you, the best thing to do is leave everything alone."

"Tessa, dozens of people are dead!" Vee said. "And without any bodies, no one is going to know what happened. You honestly think it's best to not do anything? Let everyone think that they simply vanished without a trace?"

"Uh, yeah! This happens all the time when magic gets involved. Shit happens."

"Ignoring the missing people for a moment, what about the cultists that didn't vanish?" Amara said. "There's probably two of them around here somewhere, and Mr. Luxnor was in the cult for a while too. What if someone starts looking into the disappearance? If we do nothing, how can we ensure that those cultists don't spill the beans about us?"

"What, you think we can convince them to play along? Why would they?" Vee asked.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that." Amara cracked her knuckles, sparks of hellfire flying off them. "I'll make sure of it."

"Even if we do this," Tessa started, "what would the cover story even be? And again, for the record, I'm against us getting involved."

"We're already involved, Tessa." Vee said, rolling her eyes. "But... that's a good point."

The three girls went quiet for a moment, and after a few moments of silent walking, Amara spoke up. "What if we told the truth?"

"Ha! Good one!" Tessa said, laughing. "Wait, please don't tell me you're serious."

"Not the whole truth, we leave out the magic parts. We wait a couple days, let everyone start to wonder about the missing people, and then the remaining cultists come forward to make a statement. They admit to being part of a cult, but say they quit after realizing that some sketchy ideas were being floated. The last thing they heard, the cult was planning some kind of trip over Thanksgiving weekend, and the assumption was that they weren't coming back. Let everyone assume it was, like, mass suicide or something."

"That's... hm. I don't hate it," Vee said, furrowing her eyebrows as she thought. "It would be the easiest lie to spin, since it's pretty much all true."

"Plus," Amara said, looking at Tessa, "It gives us a way to spit on Mr. Wellington's legacy. He doesn't deserve to be remembered as anything other than a slimy prick that caused the deaths of dozens of people."

"Ooh, that's the most convincing thing I've heard all night. Alright, fine, I'm in," Tessa said.

Soon enough, with all three girls now helping, they managed to find their way back to the small chamber that Amara had been summoned to earlier tonight. Just as Amara had predicted, two of the cultists that had previously tried to take advantage of her were still inside.

They had both gotten dressed, but for some reason, hadn't bothered doing anything else. They were both sitting on the floor, breathing heavily, and they looked up nervously as Amara entered the room. The other girls followed close behind her, and Tessa spoke up when she walked inside.

"Oh dang, I've seen these guys around campus. What happened to them? They look like shit."

With a closer look, Amara saw what Tessa was referring to. Both guys were still panting, and their skin also appeared somewhat pale. It almost looked like they were sick, with slightly thinner faces and sweat on their brows.

"I mean, I fed pretty deep during the gangbang, but they deserved it," Amara said, moving closer to Mark. She grabbed his clothes and picked up him easily, pinning him against the wall. "Alright fucker, it's time you put in some community service. You're going to help us cover up what really happened here, deal?"

Mark was panicking, trying to struggle against Amara's grasp, but he clearly didn't have the energy. "Yes! Please, I'll do anything! Just don't kill me!"

Amara couldn't help but smirk at how much Mark feared her. She set him down, playfully slapping his cheek before turning to the other cultist. "You too, Chris. We're going to work together with Mr. Luxnor, and if any of you deviate from our script... well, you boys wouldn't do that, right?"

Mark and Chris nodded, and Amara chuckled in satisfaction.

Halfway through classes on Monday, Amara paid another visit to Mr. Luxnor. As both a teacher and an ex-cultist, they knew his voice would add some much-needed veracity to their story. Predictably, the teacher hadn't been thrilled to see her again, not after she'd threatened to throw him into hell for all eternity, but Amara worked that to her advantage. She convinced him to play along, explained the plan, and left with a smile on her face.

Everyone spent a few days preparing their stories, doing their best to eliminate discrepancies. All the while, campus was growing more and more concerned over all the missing people. Rumors abounded, social media buzzed with conspiracy theories, but no one had any concrete evidence. By the end of the week, tension was high enough to finally start their plan. The three ex-cultists came forward, sharing their experiences about joining the strange cult.

The media had eaten their stories up. A cult on a college campus? Possible mass suicide? For a few days, Aurelius University had been the hot new feeding ground for a collection of vulturous news organizations. Thankfully, there were no further developments to be found; they had plenty of students willing to talk about how surprised they were, but everyone that actually knew what happened stayed far away from the cameras.

The week eventually ended, and the buzz mostly died down. After all, it was almost Christmas break, and no one wanted to deal with media gossip during finals week. One last week of stress, cramming, and all-nighters before a full month of rest, relaxation, and holidays.

For Amara, things were going surprisingly well. None of her friends had gotten hurt during the fight, and she felt more connected to her abilities than ever before. After so many weeks of being scared of herself, she had started truly embracing everything that she was. For the first time since starting her demonic puberty, she had no one threatening to enslave her, trying to kill her, or blackmailing her into getting on her knees.

At the moment, it was early afternoon, and she was happily strolling into the cafeteria. While the food wasn't amazing, and she far preferred everything she made herself, it wasn't terrible, and it gave her an excuse to hang out with everyone. Tessa, Chloé, Vee, and Nick already had a table, and she eagerly walked over to find herself a seat. The table seemed a little cramped, and she hesitated for a moment before Vee, of all people, stood up.

"Here, take my seat. I was just heading out anyways," Vee said. She threw her things in her backpack, grabbed her lunch tray, and quickly walked past Amara without even looking at her.

"Let me know about tomorrow!" Chloé said, calling after Vee before she could leave earshot.

Amara dumped her things on the floor, then squeezed onto the bench and huffed in frustration. She didn't want to say anything in front of Chloé, and instead tried to strike up small talk with everyone. "You all ready for finals?" Amara asked.

"Psh, as if," Tessa said. "As long as I don't flunk out, I don't care what I get."

"I'm just happy all the news vans are gone. They never talked to me, but it was so stressful seeing them hovering around campus like that." Chloé had mostly finished her food and was now just picking at a brownie with her fork. "Can you guys believe it? An actual, honest-to-goodness cult? Why would anyone do something like that?"

"Probably 'cuz they're a bunch of lonely idiots, that's why." Tessa snickered to herself as she kept eating.

"C'mon Tessa, it's never that simple," Nick said. "We have no idea what their personal lives were like, and we might never know. Let's just be thankful no one we knew got involved."

Amara couldn't laugh at the irony of the situation. They'd gotten very involved, just not in the way Nick was alluding to. "I mean, Tessa and I had a stalker for a bit, and he's been mysteriously absent. That's not something I'm going to complain about." Amara saw Nick give her a look, but she didn't pay it much attention.

"Wait, you had a stalker? Since when?" Chloé asked, leaning forward.

"It's... a long story, and I don't feel like going over it right now. Another time?" Amara said.

"You also don't have to, I totally get not wanting to talk about it," Chloé said. "Oh! I almost forgot to mention, but the charity hit its final goal last night! As much as I hated all the news people, all the extra attention on our campus meant we got another huge wave of donations!"

A wave of excitement washed over everyone present. Amara even jumped up from her spot so she could to Chloé and give her a huge hug. "Chloé! That's incredible!!"

"What does that mean moving forward? What's the next step?" Nick asked.

"Well, I've been in contact with the people that run the frat, and they're currently wrestling with a bunch of legal nonsense. In a perfect world, the money will let us start rebuilding once the weather warms up, but there's always a chance there might be more complications down the road."

"Okay, but still, you made that happen Chloé!" Amara said, sitting down. "It was your app, your charity, you did this!"

"I-I mean... it was a team effort, I'm working with other programmers and stuff..." Chloé was now blushing heavily, her hair falling in front of her eyes.

"Come on, you're the one spearheading all of this," Tessa said. "You should do something to celebrate! Are there, like... any games you want that you could treat yourself to? I don't know how nerds celebrate."

"Tessa!" Amara wrapped her arm around Tessa, pulling her in and putting a hand over her mouth. "Chloé, please excuse the awful behavior of this craven individual. I'll see to it that she's punished appropriately."

"She's not wrong, it's not like I'm the partying type... plus, I'm proud to be a nerd! I have things that make me happy, and that's more than enough for me!"

Knowing better than to push the issue, Amara released Tessa and let the conversation steer towards other topics. Chloé shared some of the technical details that would be relevant once rebuilding started, Nick happily talked about his plans for the holidays, but most of the talk centered on their classes. Before long, it was time to pack up, and everyone left the cafeteria to go their separate ways.

Amara and Tessa ended up walking together for a bit, and Amara eagerly took the opportunity to start venting. "Did you see her? She wasn't actually on the verge of leaving, was she?"

"Who, Vee?" Tessa asked.

"I mean, come on, she just happens to leave the instant I show up? I swear, she's been avoiding me all week."

"Didn't she tell you outright that she didn't want to be friends? I'm not at all surprised."

"But she saved my life! I dunno, I guess I thought things might be better now." Amara huffed, adjusting her jacket in frustration. The weather had taken a sharp downturn in recent days, so Amara was trying to fit in by wearing heavier clothes, but she hated it. She wanted to keep wearing cute shorts and crop tops, but knew she couldn't risk people asking questions.

"Just because she stopped you from getting pulled into Hell, doesn't mean she's ready to be besties again."

"Ughhh, I know. Still, I was totally right about asking her for help; we couldn't have beaten that cult without her!" Amara jabbed Tessa in the side with her elbow.

"Yeah yeah, keep rubbing it in," Tessa said, rolling her eyes.

"Actually..." Amara said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'd much rather rub something else, if you've got time. I don't have anywhere to be for another hour."

Before Tessa could even speak, Amara noticed a sizeable swell in her aura. "Fuck yeah, next class is just a review session. I can afford to skip that."

With a devious smirk, Amara began steering the two of them back to her place, her mind racing with possibilities.

Amara's lips were on Tessa's neck before the front door had even closed. This would be the fourth time since the night of the ritual that the two of them had hooked up, each fuck just as exciting as the last. Her tail pushed the door closed, and Tessa's clothes began undoing themselves just as her tattoos started glowing.

"Fuck, Amara... you've been absolutely insatiable this week. Everything okay?" Tessa said, doing her best to speak in between quiet gasps.

"Do my ears deceive me? Tessa, complaining about too much sex? Actually, wait, what's for dinner tonight?" Amara's shirt hit the floor, then her pants. She regretted that she couldn't burn them all to crisp just to get into bed faster.

"Ha ha, very funny. It's not that I'm complaining, but it's just... I dunno, it's odd. I keep thinking about those guys we found after the ritual, how sick they looked." Tessa was running her hands through Amara's hair, who quickly stopped to give Tessa a concerned look. "And it's lentil soup, don't give me that look."

"Don't tell me you feel sorry for those guys. They deserved it! They tried to enslave me!" Amara said.

"No, they totally deserved it. But... you sure that won't happen to me?"

"Promise. I know exactly what I did, and I don't plan on doing it to you."

After a quick pause, Tessa smiled and nodded in reassurance. She leaned back in, kissing Amara before playfully biting her lip.

With a giggle, Amara grabbed Tessa and picked her up. The witch's legs wrapped around her waist, resting just above her tail, and their lips met once more. Amara pushed Tessa against a wall, her kisses growing more heated, and she eagerly ran her nails down Tessa's back. With a deep breath, she inhaled Tessa's aura and began reading it. Surprisingly, the witch seemed to want something quieter today, her aura was nowhere near as chaotic as it normally was.

Eager to please, she carried Tessa down the hall to her bedroom, then gently laid her down on the covers. The girls continued making out for several minutes, slowly grinding against each other, the wet spots in their panties growing with each impassioned kiss.

Amara reached behind Tessa, undoing her bra and freeing her breasts, then moved down to begin tasting them. She kissed every inch, moving closer and closer to her cute nipples until she pulled them into her mouth. She bit them gently, the sound of Tessa's moaning filling her ears as she continued. Her nails traced over Tessa's curves, her waist, her hips, and eventually her legs. Before long, she pulled her mouth off the witch's breasts and looked into her eyes.

"You know, there's still something I haven't tried yet," Amara said, softly biting her lip.

"I do love experimenting, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that you're the only girl I've slept with, and we've never sixty-nined. I think that's actually illegal."

"To be fair, I love feeling your tail deep in my cunt, but that requires different positions. By all means, climb aboard!" Tessa licked her own lips eagerly, and Amara responded by quickly pulling off the rest of the lingerie the two of them were wearing. She planted one knee next to Tessa's head, and then straddled her face.

Amara moaned with pleasure as she pushed her pussy against Tessa's waiting mouth. She had gotten so used to being aggressive, to using her tail to fuck Tessa senseless, that she'd forgotten how skilled her friend's tongue was. Amara rolled her hips back and force, fucking herself on Tessa's tongue, and she almost forgot to start returning the favor. Thankfully, another healthy helping of the witch's aura reminded her what she wanted.

Leaning forward, Amara laid down on Tess, her shapely breasts pushing against the witch's stomach. She continued being a tease for another minute, biting and kissing Tessa's thighs, but eventually she caved to her desires.

Tessa's clit was absolutely delicious. Amara pulled it into her mouth, sucking it gently while her tongue went to work. Tessa began twitching with pleasure, her excitement obvious even without Amara's ability to read auras. Knowing that Tessa loved penetration, Amara lightly traced her fingers up Tessa's thigh's, circling her entrance. Just when Tessa couldn't take it anymore, Amara pushed her fingers inside, gently starting to fuck her friend with them.

Behind Amara, Tessa was happily returning the favor. Amara twitched and gasped as Tessa played with her clit, massaging her ass all the while. Every few seconds, Tessa would pull Amara's hips lower to push her tongue inside Amara's went cunt, and it was driving Amara wild.

Amara wrapped her arms around Tessa's legs, holding them tight as she continued finger fucking her. Nearly ten minutes passed of them eagerly pleasuring each other, moaning and gasping as they both tried new things. Amara continued to work more fingers into Tessa's eager cunt, and the witch responded by starting to play with Amara's tight asshole. Already soaking wet from being in Amara's pussy, Tessa's fingers slipped easily inside her tightest hole, where she began picking up the pace to try and push Amara over the edge.

Through the witch's aura, Amara could tell she was close to cumming. She'd been feeding the entire time, happily taking in every ounce of pleasure she could, but she was careful not to take too much.

On the night of the ritual, Amara had discovered a way to push inside a person's aura, giving her access to an even deeper well of energy. The process had been electrifying, but it was something that Amara was a little scared of. The most prevalent fact about succubi in all the literature she'd read was that they could steal souls through sex. She desperately hoped she wasn't doing this with Nick and Tessa, and in her opinion, the evidence was on her side. They seemed fine, even after weeks of fucking, but she worried about unlocking this ability and somehow accidentally using it on a friend.

Today, as with every other time she'd slept with Tessa, she was more than happy to merely take what she needed.

As Tessa started cumming, the shared pleasure Amara could feel through their connection pushed her over the edge as well. Both girls tensed, their bodies shaking as a powerful orgasm rushed through them. Amara, out of habit, wrapped her tail around Tessa's neck and head, holding her in place as they rode out their orgasms together.

As the excitement faded, and Amara cut herself off from Tessa's aura, she heard the sounds of snapping fingers behind her. In a panic, she removed her tail from the witch's neck and quickly turned to face her.

"Are you okay?! What happened?" Amara asked.

Tessa quickly sat up, holding her chest as she began coughing. She took a few deep breaths, stole some water from Amara's nightstand, then finally responded. "Fuck, that was... that was great, but your tail got pretty tight while you were cumming."

Moving carefully, Amara leaned in and wrapped her arms around Tessa's shoulders. "Fuck, I'm sorry Tess. I could tell you wanted something quieter today, but I'm so used to you liking it rough. I guess I got a little carried away, huh?"

"Wait, what? You can tell what kind of sex I want?" Tessa asked in surprise.

"Did I forget to mention that? Ever since the night of the ritual, I've got a lot more insight into what people want. Your aura seemed... how to describe it... it was quieter, less chaotic."

"Huh, wild." Tessa took another drink of water, then laid back down. "You ever think about your old self? How much you've changed?"

"All the time! I was in a fucking gangbang last week, and old me couldn't even handle being flirted with. Though, it's weird; even though I know how much I've changed, it also feels really natural? Like this was always who I am, I just didn't have a way to express it without knowledge of my demonic side."

"That's... huh. From my point of view, it's like you've become a totally different person. Though, honestly, I'm still getting used to how you're perfectly designed for sex. You cum when your partner cums, you can see exactly what they want, it's crazy."

Amara shifted down on the bed, then cuddled up to Tessa, resting her head on her chest. "I mean, I don't know exactly what you want. It's a little more general, like if you want something rough or something passionate. One of the guys in the gangbang, believe it or not, was a sadist. He was most turned on when he thought he was hurting me. At the end of the day, even though I have lots of information to work with, I still have to talk to my partners. Or, at the very least, try a few different things and gauge their reactions."

After a few more minutes of cuddling, Amara's phone went off. Tessa grabbed it off the nightstand, handing it to the demon, who silenced the alarm.

"Ugh, I need to get ready for classes. I'm so fucking sick of wearing clothes," Amara said.

"Who says you have to? I'll bet half the campus is dying to see you naked at this point." Tessa stood up, cracking her back as she started hunting for her clothes that had been scattered all over the apartment. "Actually, no. Probably more like seventy-five percent. That photoshoot you did really got people talking."

"Yeah? You think so?"

"I know so! I've had multiple people come up to me asking for an introduction. You're the talk of the town, madam succubus."

Amara thought about Tessa's words as they both got dressed. It had only been a few weeks since she started selling her photos, and she'd only done the photoshoot to try and avoid Brandon's blackmail attempt. She had never considered that exposing herself like that might make her popular. She had a bad habit of getting lost in her own thoughts as she walked around campus, especially when they'd been dealing with the cult, but now she wondered if she should start keeping an eye out.

I'm not technically dating Tessa or Nick, maybe it's time I expanded my little circle of fuck buddies...

For the rest of the day, Amara traveled campus with a new outlook. In the past, she'd gotten used to ignoring everyone else whenever she walked around, but there had also been frustration at the need to hide her demonic features. Tessa's comments had reminded her that, as proud as she was of her tail, horns, and wings, the rest of her was just as alluring. She thought back to her gangbang, how she'd reveled in the feeling of three different people practically worshipping her, and realized that she might be able to have that again whenever she wanted.

Rather than keeping her headphones in, or scrolling through her socials, Amara walked around with newfound confidence. After her conversation with Tess, she'd decided to dress up a little, to ignore the slightly colder weather and embrace her appearance. Her cleavage was prominent, and her jeans were tightly cupping her ass, as she held her head high.

The difference was night and day. Not only did she catch dozens of people staring at her, but through her aura reading, she caught dozens more. By looking for the reflection of her own aura, she was able to tell exactly when someone was checking her out, and she'd lost count before getting to her first class.

She caught men offering to hold open doors just for an excuse to check out her ass. A lesbian couple in one of her classes seemed incredibly interested in her, and with her demonic hearing, she could tell they were debating if they should ask her out together. Teachers seemed more eager to call on her, and women were biting at chances to compliment her outfit; everyone seemed to have a clever scheme to try and steal a few minutes of her time.

Amara had finished classes, and was crossing the quad to head home, when she was approached yet another new person. In the midst of all the attention she'd been getting today, however, this person seemed different; Amara didn't see herself reflected in this woman's aura. The stranger had dark brown skin, with well-fitting jeans and a loose, flowing green top. Her short, black hair was incredibly curly, with the ends of it dyed red, and it sat loosely tied together on top of her head. Her face was slightly narrow, with big, expressive eyes that seemed filled with purpose.

"Excuse me, Amara, right?" the stranger asked.

"That's me! What can I help you with?" Amara said, slowing down to talk.

"My name is Naomi, and I was hoping you'd be able to help with a school project I'm working on."

"What kind of project?" Amara was still buzzing from all the attention and assumed it would be something fun. Perhaps modeling or something similar?

"Well, I'm majoring in Investigative Journalism, and I'm trying to put together a piece about cult mentality. What drives people to join such an organization, especially one that, apparently, had such horrifying end goals in mind."

As much as she tried to hide it, Amara was fairly sure her disappointment was obvious. "Um, no offense, but I'm a little worn-out hearing about all of that."

"Look, I completely understand your hesitation, but I promise I'm not looking to write empty, sensationalist tabloid articles. This is just a school project; it's not even going to get published anywhere."

Amara sighed in defeat. She didn't want to argue with anyone, and hopefully if she feigned ignorance Naomi would lose interest in her opinion. "Alright, fair enough. Ask whatever you want, but I'm not sure how helpful I'll be."

"Do you mind if I record this?" Naomi pulled out her phone, opening an app before looking at Amara, who shrugged and shook her head. "Thanks! It's so much easier than trying to write notes. So, first question: how did you know Brandon Nowak?"

"Brandon? We didn't know each other at all, and he desperately wanted to change that. He... asked me out, I turned him down, and he started stalking me."

"So, you wouldn't be able to offer any insight into behavioral changes? Perhaps a time frame, or a specific event, that pushed him over the edge?" Naomi was hanging on Amara's every word, and seemed to be referring to notes on her phone every few seconds.

Oh, of course, he was promised immense magical power and thought he could use it to enslave me. You know, usual stalker stuff.

"Nope, sorry."

"Drat. Okay, that's fine. What about Professor Luxnor?"

The name of that specific teacher coming up made Amara hesitate for a moment. To her knowledge, everything that had happened between her and Mr. Luxnor had stayed under the radar. "What about him? I never took any of his classes."

"But did you ever talk with him? See him around? Maybe visit him during office hours?"

Amara shook her head. "Nothing like that."

Naomi paused for a moment, giving Amara a strange look before continuing. "Hm... when did you first hear about the cult? Or, even if you didn't know about, did you notice anything strange before all the news broke last week?"

"Not really, I've had a lot of personal stuff going on."

There was another pause, during which Naomi seemed to skim over more of her notes. "Right, you've had a few sick weeks the last couple months."

How does she know that?

"Uh... yeah. What does that have to do with anything?" Amara asked.

"Oh, nothing really. Students just like to talk, and... well, I'm sure you've seen all the attention you're getting. People tend to notice when you're not around."

"Still getting used to that, honestly. I do need to be off, unless you needed anything else?" Amara said, pulling out her phone and checking her texts.

"That's it! That wasn't so bad, right? You have a great day, Amara!" Naomi flashed a bright smile, then stopped her phone recording and took off. As she left, Amara couldn't help but wonder if this was someone they should start keeping tabs on.

Calm down, Amara. Brandon approached you multiple times in very public places, it's not weird that she thought we knew each other. Still, Mr. Luxnor... I can't imagine why she would think we'd ever talked. Does she know more than she's letting on?

Much of Amara's earlier elation had been tempered by the strange questions Naomi had been asking. At the moment, however, she decided it was nothing to worry about. After stopping the cult, and nearly getting dragged into Hell, a pesky almost-reporter was the least of her worries. She found herself fixating on some of Naomi's words, about how people notice when she's not around.

Even though Amara hadn't seen herself reflected in Naomi's aura, that didn't mean Amara's newfound popularity wasn't a factor in her being singled out for an interview. She happily let her mind wander to earlier today, to everyone that had been bending over backwards just to find a way to talk with her.

As she neared her home, she even started to wonder if she should start doing photoshoots more often. The attention had felt great, it was wonderful to feel so wanted. Today alone, five people had asked her out, though she hadn't decided if she wanted to give any of them a shot. Still, no reason not to look, right?

That night, lying in bed, Amara began flipping through the social media profiles of everyone that had mustered the strength to approach her. What did she want in a fuck buddy? For that matter, what did she want in a partner? Was it time to start looking for an actual romantic interest? The thought caught her by surprise. Life had been so hectic these last few months, there hadn't been time to think about anything but all the supernatural nonsense complicating her life.

Amara didn't feel particularly lonely, and she was having plenty of sex. Weren't those the two biggest reasons people tried to find relationships?

Even if I wanted a serious relationship at some point, I'd have to tell them about my demonic side eventually. If I don't, that's a huge barrier between us, but if I do, would I risk scaring someone off?

She plugged in her phone, setting it on the nightstand before pulling her covers over her. Conflicting thoughts of sex, love, and relationships tumbled around in her head, and she tried to find a way to piece them all together. When she finally fell asleep, she hadn't gotten any closer to finding a solution.

Waking up the next morning, Amara felt amazing. As confusing as her thoughts had been last night, there was no denying the thrill of being one of the most sought-after girls on campus. With a heavy yawn, she stretched all her limbs as far as she could, when she noticed something odd; her covers weren't on her bed any longer.

Weird, I must have kicked them off. Not the first time, I suppose. Wait, shit, what time is it? I never heard my alarm go off!

Amara sat up quickly, sliding across her bed to reach for her nightstand, when she realized her phone wasn't there. Neither was her charging cable. In fact, a lot of things seemed to be missing; her covers weren't just missing from the bed, they were missing entirely. Her closet was empty, her drawers were barren, and even a few pieces of small furniture had vanished.

As she continued searching for any signs of her stuff, she also noticed that the room seemed somewhat lifeless. The colors were muted, and everything seemed a little fuzzy. It reminded her of how the world looked when she had gone a week without sex, the longest she'd ever managed since her transformation started.

With a snap of her fingers, she summoned a ball of hellfire. The flames appeared without hesitation, and when she focused, she could still feel her inner fire burning bright. Clearly, the issue wasn't with her.

Okay, what the actual fuck is going on?

She ran out of her bedroom, hoping to find that this was all a prank or something, but found only more confusing evidence. Her bathroom, kitchen, and living room were all just as devoid of stuff as her bedroom. Other than the pajamas on her body, everything she owned had completely vanished.

Amara walked outside, deciding she needed to find Tessa, or possibly Nick, to see if they might know what was going on. However, leaving her apartment proved just as disorienting. Despite having slept in, which normally meant waking up close to eleven, the sky was gray and lifeless, devoid of both sun and clouds. An eerie twilight hung over campus, casting everything in dull, washed-out hues, and everything stood perfectly still. There was no wind to shake the trees, no chirping birds, no sounds of traffic.

Most disturbing of all, there were no people. As far as Amara could tell, the entire campus was deserted, and she was completely alone.

Chapter Text

“Hello? Helloooooo?” Amara called out, doing her best to call as loudly as she could. Despite the complete absence of, well, everything, the sound of her voice didn’t seem to carry very far. She was currently on the campus quad and knew from experience that the surrounding buildings normally amplified louder sounds, but no such thing happened now.

Growing nervous, she manifested her true form just in case. A strong red tail, massive red wings with black spines, and dark horns atop her head all burst into existence in a flurry of hellfire. She took a few moments to examine herself, pulling her tail and wings close to make sure everything appeared normal.

Her tail and wings felt strong and healthy, but that wasn’t a new development. Ever since the night of the ritual, when she’d broken through some kind of mental block, she’d felt more in tune with herself than ever. Her tail felt longer, more powerful, though she couldn’t objectively say if the length had actually changed; she’d never bothered to track the different facets of her transformation.

It occurred to Amara that, for possibly the first time in months, she was completely alone outside. As strange as the situation was, she also had a golden opportunity to explore the campus without hiding her true self.

She started stretching her entire body; arms, legs, tail, and wings, taking advantage of the freedom. The inside of her apartment always felt like it was crowding her, and she frequently hid her wings due to convenience. She started thinking about her transformation, trying to remember the last time she’d had this much freedom to be herself.

The first memory that came to mind was her ill-fated trip to the football stadium. Nick had taken her there just after Vee returned to campus, hoping to give her a space to fly around. What had been intended as a way to cheer her up, to let her explore a part of her transformation she always had to keep hidden, had ended poorly. No matter what she tried, no matter how fit and powerful her wings were, she couldn’t get more than a few feet off the ground without experiencing traumatic flashbacks to the night she almost killed Vee.

Now, with the entire campus to herself, she thought about trying again. The skies were clear, there wasn’t a soul to be seen, and Vee had even helped her defeat the cult. Why shouldn’t she try again?

Moving to the edge of the grass, Amara faced the quad and took a deep breath.

C’mon Amara, you can do this. Vee saved your life, and even if she’s avoiding you right now, she clearly trusts you. It’s going to be okay.

With a running start, she leapt into the air, her wings pushing her higher. Her horns, usually capable of reading wind currents, were strangely quiet given the circumstances, but there didn’t seem to be anything stopping her from climbing. She looked down at the ground, watching it start to grow more distant, when she saw something on her hands. Her chitinous gauntlets had returned, and they were covered in blood.

Is that mine? When did that happen?

Her breathing quickened, and she began to smell smoke. It filled her senses, making it hard to see, and the sky above her vanished. In its place, Amara saw a burning roof, threatening to collapse, the sounds of snapping timber surrounding her. She looked back to her hands and found them wrapped around Vee’s neck. Her friend was gasping for air, blood running down her face, and in her eyes, Amara saw nothing but terror.

”Amara… please…”

A heavy crack filled the air, and everything stopped. She lost track of how long it took for her to regain her senses, but when she did, she found herself slouched on the grass of the quad. It looked like when she’d fallen from the sky, she’d collided with the branches of a nearby tree. Once again, she remained tethered to the ground.

“DAMMIT!” she shouted. She lashed out, punching the tree she’d collided with and sending a shower of bark across the lawn. With a loud scream, she fell onto her back and stopped moving.

Above her, the sky was empty. Just like earlier today, the sun was nowhere to be seen, yet a dim twilight somehow illuminated the campus. She stayed there, lying on the quad, until her anger subsided. Without her phone, or the sun, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. Eventually, she got up and decided to continue exploring the campus.

While she couldn’t fly, she found was still able to take advantage of her wings in other ways. She was able to make large jumps, using them to gain height and distance, and staying out of the sky seemed to keep the flashbacks away.

She decided to start circling the campus, weaving through the buildings in larger and larger circles. She hoped a thorough search might yield some answers, and started by heading towards Lysander Hall, sitting just north of the quad as usual.

As she approached the building, she immediately noticed how strange the entrance looked. The building itself seemed relatively solid, just grayed out and a little fuzzy, much like the rest of campus. The doors, however, were much less visible. Amara could see an outline of their shape, and hints at their structure, but not much else. It was like someone had opened the entrance in some editing software and turned the opacity down to fifty percent.

When she tried to pull the door open, her hand passed through the handle entirely. Chills ran through her back as this happened, it felt like her hand had passed through incredibly thick fog.

Okay, well, if I can’t open the door, can I just walk through it?

With a deep breath, Amara pushed her hand towards the door and watched as it passed through just like before. She took a step forward, swallowing nervously as she closed her eyes and walked through the door. An even heavier chill ran down her spine, and it took more force than she had expected to step through the door, but soon she found herself on the other side.

Thankfully, the interior of the building seemed to be open, but she immediately noticed something else just as strange. Surrounding Amara were dozens of strange, ethereal wisps of dull light. Some were next to tables, some were behind the counter of the nearby café, and some were moving around the area. One of these wisps even passed through her, bringing another heavy chill before it left the building entirely. Sick of that feeling, she did her best to avoid these wisps as she continued exploring Lysander Hall.

The upper floors of the building didn’t reveal anything of note, just more collections of strange wisps. The more Amara looked at them, the more she felt like they were ghosts, living out memories of students’ past. They walked in and out of classrooms, sat at desks, even visited the bathrooms.

Before leaving, Amara remembered that the basement held a magic circle. She made her way downstairs, pushing through another vaguely defined door, and revisited the first magic circle Tessa had shown her. It was strange, she knew it was supposed to be hidden by an illusory wall, but that defense was nowhere to be found here. The circle seemed to be out in the open, softly pulsing with dim light.

Amara knelt next to it, watching it for several minutes, before sighing in frustration.

I don’t know shit about these circles…

Regretting that she hadn’t tried to study Tessa’s magic more, while also knowing that she would never have the patience for it, Amara decided to leave Lysander Hall and continue her search elsewhere.

She visited a few more buildings, exploring them inside and out, hoping that something might start to make sense. No matter where she looked, however, she continued to find absolutely nothing.

One thing she noticed, however, was that the world seemed devoid of small objects; there were no leaves, no flyers, no litter, the campus was completely barren. All the buildings seemed relatively solid, the doors were always slightly opaque, and those ghostly wisps were also quite common. After what felt like hours of searching, she decided to head back home. If there was nothing here, and nothing to do, she might as well be some place familiar.

As she rounded the last corner of campus, however, she finally found something. More accurately, she found someone. A few dozen feet in front of Amara stood a girl with medium-length blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and several scars on her face. After a moment of surprise from both of them, she finally spoke up.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Vee said.

---

Tessa groaned as sunlight crept into her bedroom. She’d been trying to ignore it for the last few hours, but it was finally time to admit that she needed to get up. She slowly crawled out of bed, her tattoos beginning to glow as clothes floated out of her closet. She also grabbed her switchblade from her nightstand; completely black, beat to shit, and reliable. She’d lost her favorite knife in the fight with the cult, and this was her backup. She quickly got dressed, shoving her blade and her phone in her pockets, then unlocked her bedroom door and walked to the bathroom.

She reapplied her makeup, used a shaver to clean up the tattoos on the side of her head, and sighed in resignation. It was time to start thinking about finals.

She’d lucked out, and didn’t have any tests in the morning today. The sleep had felt amazing, especially after how busy the last few weeks had been. As the only one able to read and interact with magic circles, Tessa had run herself ragged trying to find a way to stop the cult. She’d also spent a few days training with Vee and Amara, doing her best to keep up with her two supernaturally powerful friends.

To be fair, they had done most of the fighting. There was a lot of tension between them, and Tessa had found she enjoyed watching them work out their frustration on each other. Still, she had a few painful memories of the occasions where she’d tried to join in to learn more about fighting. That bruise on her hip had taken forever to go away.

They’d successfully stopped the ritual, thankfully, and Tessa was fairly proud of her work from that night. In just a few minutes she’d managed to decipher a centuries old magic circle, and reverse engineer the damage the cult had done.

The week after the ritual had been interesting, to say the least. Ever since that night, after Amara had fed on three guys at once, her sex drive had skyrocketed. Tessa was barely able to keep the demon’s hands off her, and for the first time in her life, had found herself on the other end of an insatiable libido. To be fair, she did love sex, and sex with Amara was the stuff of legends. Sometimes, though, when she was alone, she would see the faces of the men Amara had fucked that night.

Pale, sick, gasping for air. Terrified of Amara, begging for their lives as Amara pinned them to the wall. While Tessa would never admit this aloud, her conversation with Vee from a few weeks back had started creeping into her thoughts.

“In the end, you belong to her, body and soul.”

She hated the thought of Vee being right. She hated everything Vee stood for. She hated the Church, she hated how they hoarded absurd amounts of power only to watch men suffer around them.

At first, the thought of fucking a demon sounded like a dream come true. Tessa had been collecting monster porn for years; terrible creatures doing awful, delightful things to eager young women. She even had a few exotic dildos shaped like monstrous appendages, and they saw a lot of action. Sure, she’d been scared when she realized Amara was a demon, but the fear had faded once she realized Amara was still herself.

She’d started fantasizing about Amara’s tail almost instantly after setting her free; it was thick, powerful, and completely prehensile. Amara had incredible control over it and had been able to give Tessa the most powerful orgasms of her life.

Now, however, it was impossible to deny that Amara was changing, and she didn’t even seem to realize it.

In the kitchen, Tessa was sad to see that her partners were both in classes already. She’d been spending so much time with Amara recently that she hadn’t gotten as much quality time as she wanted with Sydney or Riley. She made a note to try and do something with them soon, then began raiding the pantry for something easy to make.

Her search for food was interrupted, however, when her phone went off.

Nick: How soon can you get to Amara’s?

Tessa: i can head there now maybe liek 15?

Nick: Bring your beanie.

Shit.

Tessa usually only broke out her beanie when she needed to hide that she was doing magic. Whatever Nick wanted, this meant it couldn’t be good. She grabbed a toaster pastry, shoved it in her mouth, and ran out the front door to try to get to Amara’s as soon as possible.

Campus was fairly slow today. Everyone was either studying for finals, or taking them, and that meant fewer people lingering outside. Thankfully, this meant getting to Amara’s was a fairly quick affair.

When she arrived, she found Nick pacing outside Amara’s apartment. “Thanks for making it so quickly. Can you get us inside?” he asked.

“Yeah, of course. She never gave you a key?” Tessa said, pulling her beanie tight around her head, just in case.

“It never seemed necessary until her transformation started, and after… well, we’ve been pretty busy. I guess we never thought about it.”

“Why are we breaking in, anyways?”

“She’s not responding to texts or calls, I haven’t seen her all day, and she’s not answering the door.”

Engaging her magic, Tessa’s tattoos started glowing, and she reached for the lock with her telekinesis. Lockpicking was one of the first things she’d taught herself, it was just a matter of messing with the tumblers, using the magic to feel how they moved. Soon enough, the door popped open, and they walked inside.

“Amara? You home?” Nick asked.

The first thing Tessa noticed was that everything seemed fine. Amara’s apartment was in the exact shape it had been yesterday. There were no signs of a struggle, everything was as clean as Amara liked it, and there weren’t any indications that Amara had left any unfinished meals or projects. With no sign of Amara in the living room, Nick walked to her bedroom while Tessa yawned and finished her breakfast. As she walked closer, she heard Nick’s voice grow tense.

“Shit. Shit!”

“What is it now?” Tessa asked.

“She’s not here, but all of her stuff is. Phone, wallet, keys, everything. She would never leave home without her phone!”

Entering the room, Tessa saw Nick frantically turning the place over. He was digging under blankets, through her closet, looking for any sign of what might have happened. Tessa couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him like this, if ever.

“Alright, well, she’s got to be somewhere. People don’t just vanish without a trace,” Tessa said.

“Are you sure? Didn’t you say that the campus is exposed to all the other planes now that the Gate is down? Who’s to say this isn’t weird magic bullshit?” Nick was breathing faster now, his words almost slurring together.

Tessa moved closer, grabbing Nick’s shoulders. “Hey, deep breath. Whatever’s going on here, we’ll figure it out. Plus, Amara’s a fucking beast. Whatever is going on, I promise that if someone is trying to fuck with her, they’re going to regret it.” Tessa’s tattoos flared again, and she started examining the room. Rather than engaging her telekinesis, she was now trying to read the magical leylines that converged over Aurelius University.

“Okay, it’s fine, we’re gonna figure this out,” Nick said, trying to convince himself. “Seeing anything?”

“It’s hard to say. Ever since the Gate fell apart, the magic around campus has changed dramatically. There’s a lot more of it, and it doesn’t move as predictably as it used to. Like I mentioned before, we’re exposed to energies from all sorts of planes, but that doesn’t mean we feel everything equally. Just like with the tides, planar energies have ebbs and flows to them. One day, we might see more energy from the Wilds, but another we might see more from the Depths.”

“So… you don’t know.”

“Hey, I didn’t say that. Magic doesn’t work on instant gratification, it takes time, research, and practice. Remember, it took me weeks to start to understand all the magic circles on campus, and those were manmade. The planar tides of the universe might need a bit longer, alright? Cool your tits.”

Nick continued pacing around the room, digging through Amara’s things to look for hints about her disappearance. It only took a few minutes for Tessa to speak up again.

“Alright, look. Magically, I’m not seeing anything that stands out, but like I said, a lot of this is new for me. If we’re assuming this is weird magic nonsense, which it might not be, I would have to start by charting everything I’m seeing. I left my magic notebook at home, though. Care to walk me back to my place?”

With a heavy sigh, Nick nodded. “Alright, fine. I’m sorry I’m so high strung, I just… Amara’s never done something like this before.” He pocketed Amara’s phone and keys before leaving the apartment with Tessa, locking the door behind them. They started walking across campus again, making their way back to Tessa’s.

“It’s been one day, Nick. Did you check the roof? Maybe she’s just stretching her wings,” Tessa said.

“No, she only does that at night. Plus, again, she doesn’t have her phone. If that’s not proof something is wrong, then I don’t know what is.” Nick was looking at Amara’s phone, furrowing his brow, and it looked like he was trying to remember Amara’s lock screen password. The phone itself looked like shit, and Tessa was shocked it still worked. When Amara had first discovered her fire powers, she’d called Nick in a panic, and the case had been severely warped in the heat. Somehow, the phone had survived, and there had simply been too much happening for Amara to get a replacement case.

Roughly halfway through their journey, shortly after crossing the quad, the two were approached by another student. She had very dark skin, thick curly hair, and a light jacket on to fight off the stiff autumn breeze. Tessa recognized her instantly, smiling and moving in for a hug. “Naomi! What’s up girl? How are finals going?”

“Hey Tess, I’m good! How about yourself?” Naomi said, hugging Tessa tight before stepping away.

“Eh, the usual. Finals week, eager to get this all over with. You finished with your tests for the day?”

“I am, actually. I’m hoping to take the afternoon to work on a school project of mine, so it’s pretty lucky I ran into you! Well, and your friend, of course. Nick, right? How are you?” Naomi held out her hand, clearly looking for a handshake. Nick quickly stuffed Amara’s phone in his pocket, then smiled and returned the introduction.

“Yeah, Nick. Nice to meet you, Naomi. You’re a friend of Tessa’s?” Nick asked.

With a sly smirk, Naomi looked back at Tessa. “We’ve… encountered each other a few times. Very memorable encounters, I’d say.”

Tessa laughed to herself before continuing. “You said you needed our help with something? We’re in a bit of a rush, but I’ll help if I can.”

“Right, of course, I’ll be quick. I’m actually putting together a project about cult mentality, and I wanted to pick your brains real quick. Can I record this?” Naomi said, pulling out her phone. After a brief, confused pause, Tessa nodded. “I’m trying to look into why people would join such an organization, what that process looks like, all that. I understand you were in Mr. Luxnor’s class; did you ever notice anything?”

Tessa hesitated for a moment, unaware that people were still looking into the cult. She’d hoped that, with the media blitz ending, everything would be swept under the rug, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Not really, no,” Tessa finally said. “He seemed pretty normal. Occasionally late to class, but otherwise a nice guy.”

Naomi nodded, jotting a couple notes down on her phone. “Mmmhm. And what about Brandon Nowak? Any interactions with him?”

“Yeah, that fucker was stalking me for a while.” Tessa scowled as she remembered that idiot’s face.

“Wait, he stalked you and Amara at the same time?” Naomi asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. Tessa wasn’t entirely sure how she knew about Amara, and was starting to grow suspicious.

“Um, no. He was obsessed with me for a bit, then I scared him off, and he latched onto Amara. The guy’s a freak.”

“Wow, you managed to shake a stalker? How’d you do that?”

“I pinned him to a wall and held a knife to his throat,” Tessa said. She wasn’t lying, of course, just conveniently leaving out everything that happened after.

“Ouch, well I’m glad that worked out for you. Shame you had to push back that hard,” Naomi said, gently squeezing Tessa’s arm. “Now, speaking of your friend Amara, did she know Mr. Luxnor at all? Even just a passing conversation with him?”

Shit, Amara and I never talked about that part.

Trying to hide her panic, Tessa did her best to make up a convincing lie. “I think she… visited him once on my behalf. I have a bad habit of skipping class, so she swung by his office during open hours and grabbed some homework I missed.”

Naomi made a strange face, then typed a few more notes on her phone. “When did you first learn about the cult?”

After a quick look back at Nick, Tessa spoke up again. “Last week, same as everyone else.”

“That makes sense. It really came out of nowhere, didn’t it? Anyways, that’s everything I needed. I really appreciate all your help!” Naomi moved in for another hug before tucking her phone back in her pocket. “Oh, and Nick? You might want to get a new phone case. That fire damage probably isn’t good for the phone.”

“You mean this?” Nick said, pulling out Amara’s phone. “It’s not mine, it’s Amara’s. She’s… sick, and I offered to get it taken care of for her.”

“Oh no! I just saw her yesterday, and she seemed great. It’s not contagious, is it? Should I be worried?” Naomi asked, concern on her face.

“No, it’s nothing like that, it’s just… well, it’s personal.” Nick looked at Tessa briefly, clearly a little unnerved.

“Well give her my love, okay? No one deserves to be sick during finals week, I can’t imagine trying to make all those tests up… Anyways, you two have a good day, alright?” With a wave and a bounce in her step, Naomi walked away from Nick and Tessa.

Once she was suitably out of earshot, the two of them started walking again, and Tessa spoke up. “That was weird, right?”

“I mean, maybe? I was worried when she started asking about the cult, but she could easily be asking everyone across campus the same things. Plus, it’s not like it’s a secret that you were in Mr. Luxnor’s class. This could easily be nothing. You seemed to be pretty friendly with her, maybe you can use that to your advantage if she keeps pushing?”

“I mean, we’re casual friends, but mostly because we’ve hooked up a few times. Girl really knows how to use her tongue.” Tessa lost her train of thought, remembering the last time she’d slept with Naomi. When she caught herself daydreaming, she shook her head and continued talking. “Anyways, it’s not like we’re besties. If she wants to be a problem, I doubt I could do anything.”

After a few more seconds of silence, and another heavy sigh, Tessa spoke up again. “You know, I hate to say this… but I think Vee and Amara were right. I wanted them to just ignore everything, let nature take its course, but now it seems like having a cover story really was the better call.

“Should we talk with those three again?” Nick asked. “See if Naomi has talked to them?”

“But what if she figures out that we visited them? That’s super suspicious!” Tessa groaned, kicking the ground as she walked. “This is exactly why I hate conspiracies. It’s so hard to keep everyone on the same page.”

Tessa continued grumbling for the rest of the walk. When they finally made it home, she grabbed her magic journal, and started piecing together a plan of attack with Nick.

---

“Vee! Thank fuck!” Amara said, running closer to Vee. Once she’d closed the distance, she saw that Vee was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a tight, spaghetti-strap crop top. Amara had seen Vee in similar outfits before, usually at sleepovers, and she wondered if Vee had also been transported her in her sleep. The small top made it crystal clear that Vee was in fantastic shape, but Amara was too focused on their confusing situation to care. “Do you know what’s going on?”

Once Amara closed the gap between them, Vee sighed in frustration. “Why is it that every time something weird happens, you’re right in the middle of it?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, are you blaming this on me? Why am I always your scapegoat?”

Vee started walking, and Amara kept pace beside her as they continued talking. “No, that’s not… look, I’m sorry, okay? I’m not blaming you; I’m just confused and tired. I’ve been exploring this place all day, trying to find out what’s happening, and I’m beat.”

“Uh huh, sure,” Amara said, rolling her eyes. “You probably just haven’t figured out how to pin this on me. Give it time, I’m sure you can put something together.” The girls locked eyes, and Amara saw a strange look on Vee’s face. It was almost a look of surprise, but the moment passed so quickly, Amara couldn’t figure out exactly what it meant.

They walked in silence for a bit before Vee spoke up again. “What about you? Did you find anything?”

“Not really. I visited the magic circle under Lysander and it was glowing a bit, but I didn’t check the other circles. I’m not sure if the glowing means anything, that was always Tessa’s job. Although, the illusory wall that’s supposed to keep it hidden was gone, which was odd.”

“How many circles are there?” Vee asked. “I never saw any other than the big one in their headquarters.”

“Oh, there’s a bunch, and they’re all hidden in different ways. Lysander, Brandt, the Science Building, the Cafeteria… that’s what I can remember off the top of my head. There might be more for all I know.”

“Probably something we should look into at some point,” Vee said, covering her mouth while she yawned. “Oh, by the way, does your apartment look like the rest of campus? Gray, lifeless, empty?”

“Yup. Why?”

“Shit. I was afraid of that.” Vee paused, seemingly wrestling with herself over whether or not to continue speaking. “Amara… do you remember those wards I set up around my apartment?”

“Oh, you mean the wards you tricked me into walking into? That electrified me and threw me across the hallway? When all I wanted to do was ask for your help?” Amara scowled; her words laced with bitterness. Vee winced slightly, then nodded and continued talking.

“I… deserve that. Look, you caught me off guard back then, it was my first day back, and—”

“Yeah yeah, it’s not your fault, it’s mine for showing up, I know the drill.”

“That’s not what I was going to say!” Vee said, her voice raising slightly. “I didn’t mean for the wards to attack you, I promise. I’m sorry that happened, and… last week, I made some modifications to them. It should be safe now.”

“Wait, hold on,” Amara said, her pace slowing. Her tone grew more playful as she continued talking. “Is this what I think it is? Are you inviting me back to your place?”

“I mean… yeah, I guess,” Vee said sheepishly. “Look, your apartment is like the rest of campus, that means you don’t have food and water. The wards I set up around my apartment counteract the energies of this place, so I have all the supplies we’ll need to stay alive while we look for a way back. Our best chance at getting home is to work together.”

“Well, if it’s a matter of life of death, I suppose I could crash with you for a few days. You sure I won’t stink up the place with all my hellfire and brimstone?”

Vee sighed in defeat. “You’ve been spending too much with Tessa, she’s rubbing off on you.”

“We’re actually both rubbing each other. Quite frequently, might I add.” Amara giggled to herself as Vee groaned, and soon after they arrived at Vee’s apartment. It was immediately apparent that Vee was telling the truth; her door was solid, colorful, and sharp, nothing like the rest of the doors on campus. Vee unlocked the entrance and walked inside, gesturing for Amara to follow.

Amara hesitated. Memories of being flung across the hallway returned, and she was nervous about suffering a similar fate today. With a deep breath, she moved the tip of her tail closer, letting it cross the threshold. She braced herself for disaster, but several seconds passed without any Enochian flares. With a sigh of relief, Amara stepped into the apartment.

The entire apartment was full of life, with vibrant colors and clear signs of Vee’s daily routine. A bowl of cereal sat on the breakfast counter, and several dirty dishes were piled in the sink. Even the air felt healthier, and it made Amara realize just how heavy the rest of campus had felt.

Other than a strange tingling sensation, there were no indications that Vee’s wards were planning on attacking her.

“Well I’ll be damned, you were telling the truth,” Amara said. In the time it had taken her to summon to strength to enter the apartment, Vee had moved to a linen closet and pulled out two heavy fleece blankets. She wrapped one around herself and held the other one out for Amara.

“Here, this should help with the cold.”

“Cold?” Amara asked, tilting her head in confusion.

After a brief pause, Vee spoke again. “Right, succubus. I’m never going to get used to this…” She put the blanket back in the closet, then moved to the living room and sat down on the couch. Amara joined her, though sat on the far end of the couch just in case.

“So, what’s the plan?” Amara asked.

“I don’t know, Amara. I was wandering campus all day, trying to look for hints of… I don’t know, anything. Other people, portals back home, something like that. Spending all that time outside drained me; I’m cold, I’m tired, and I need to rest. Maybe tomorrow we can start another search?”

“Sounds good to me." Amara said. “Still, I’m nowhere near as tired as you. What about food? You hungry?”

Vee nodded quickly, pulling her blanket even tighter. “We should probably eat the stuff in the fridge first. If food can go bad here, that’ll be the first to go.”

Amara jumped up, moving to the kitchen and happily digging through the fridge to look for ingredients. It took several minutes to decide on a meal, and she started prepping everything while Vee continued shivering on the couch. As comfortable as Amara was, her inner fire keeping her warm while she happily prepped her lunch, she could tell there was a palpable tension between the two of them.

“So… Vee,” Amara said, pausing to let the angel look over at her. “What’s that short for?”

“You mean my name?” Vee asked.

“Yeah! Like, Victoria, Vanessa, something like that?” As they talked, Amara used her tail to cut up ingredients.

“C’mon, I told you when we first met, it’s not short for anything.”

“Okay, but back then I wanted to make a good impression, so I dropped it. But, seriously, there’s no way your parents just named you Vee.”

“Well, they did, so you can drop it.” Vee turned away, pulling her hands to her mouth to try and warm them up. “Apparently you’re not worried about making a good impression anymore...”

“Back then we were friends,” Amara hissed.

The conversation stopped, the only noise in the apartment the sound of Amara finishing lunch. She’d put together two sandwiches using a combination of deli meat, cheese, and a pepper she found in the fridge. She held a sandwich in each hand, slowly toasting them to crisp the bread and melt the cheese, and her tail grabbed two drinks from the fridge. When she finished, she split the food between two plates, along with a collection of chips she found in a cabinet, and walked over to the couch.

“Here,” Amara said plainly. She sat down on the other side of the couch, happily digging into her food as she watched Vee start to eat as well.

The angel bit into the sandwich, the toasted bread crunching under her teeth, and Amara swore she saw a hint of appreciation in her eyes. “Wait, is the stove working? How did you do this?”

Without saying anything, Amara held up her hand, letting some embers dance across her palm. “I haven’t used a stove in weeks. I also didn’t know which knives were clean, so I used my tail. Is that a problem?”

Vee hesitated, her eyes lingering on Amara’s bladed tail. “N-no, it’s… it’s very good, thank you.”

She’s being weirdly nice for someone who’s been avoiding me all week.

Other than the sound of toasted sandwiches and crunching chips, the apartment stayed silent. Amara couldn’t think of anything else to say, and she was still trying to figure Vee out. She was being nice, apologizing, and had even welcomed Amara into her home after altering the Enochian wards. Those certainly weren’t the actions of someone who didn’t want to be friends.

After both girls had finished up their food, Vee finally spoke up. “So, maybe tomorrow we should check out the other circles? I’m not sure where they are, but you seem to.”

“Sounds like a plan. The faster we can escape this, gray, lifeless void, the better,” Amara groaned, leaning back on the couch. “Where do you think we are? The Dreamscape? A part of Hell?”

Vee looked at Amara, surprise on her face. “Amara, this is Purgatory.”

Chapter Text

Chloé grumbled as she reluctantly opened her eyes. Her alarm wasn’t set to go off for another forty minutes, but a loud conversation and a series of noises from the kitchen had woken her up. Her roommate, Kendra, was probably on the phone again while making breakfast. With ample knowledge that it was impossible to sleep through her roommate’s gossip, Chloé got out of bed.

Before braving whatever mess was likely in the kitchen, Chloé made her way to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, combed her hair back into a ponytail, and applied some basic eyeliner. Heavy amounts of makeup didn’t flatter her, and she was happy she never had to spend more than five minutes on it. After putting her eyeliner back in her drawer, the only one of five that didn’t belong to Kendra, she pulled out everything she needed for her weekly hormone shot.

Syringe, needles, disinfecting wipes, and a bandage, all the usual fare. Always incredibly paranoid about air bubbles, she moved slowly and carefully as she prepared 0.25 mL of estrogen.

“Alright Chloé, last week you used your right thigh, so this week we’re using the left. It’s just a small pinch, you’ve done this dozens of times, it’s going to be fine,” Chloé whispered. She pushed the needle in, wincing a little, then finished the injection and sighed with relief. After tossing everything in the garbage, and carefully dropping the needles in her sharps container, she finally walked towards the kitchen.

“—so I told her ‘In that dress? Seriously?’ and you should have seen her face! Oh, morning Chloé, could you clean this up for me?” Kendra had just finished making herself bacon and eggs, and was now gesturing to a pile of dirty pans behind her.

“Um, I really think you should—”

“Great! Thanks!” Kendra said, clearly not listening. She ran off to her bedroom, resuming her phone conversation without batting an eye.

Chloé sighed. She knew there was no point in trying to argue, and started moving pans into the sink to scrub them clean. As the sink filled with soapy water, she began thinking about everything she needed to do today. She had one final in the morning, and then she could meet up with everyone for lunch. There was only one final after that, for her accounting class, which meant she had a chance to talk with Sam.

Sam was the cutest guy on campus. He had dark brown hair that Chloé desperately wanted to run her hands through, hopefully after they’d finished inspecting his muscular chest. Sam was on the school’s lacrosse team, but he was so much sweeter than all the other athletes.

At first, other than a casual attraction, Chloé hadn’t known much about him. She learned early on that he played video games, but whenever he talked with his friends, they were focused on generic shooter games that Chloé didn’t care for. A few months back, she’d been paired up with Sam for a class project and had learned that he actually played all sorts of games. He was a huge fan of the Dark Souls series, and Chloé had talked him into trying Bloodborne, which he’d ended up loving.

They talked fairly frequently, normally before and after class, but she hadn’t yet mustered the strength to ask him out. She had no idea if he was interested in her that way, and even if he were, she hadn’t told him she was transgender. What if that changed things?

“C’mon Chloé, you don’t know until you ask. Remember everything Amara has told you! I just have to put myself out there, and even if he says no, I still get the benefit of not having to stress over every last detail. Besides, college is nothing like my hometown, he’s not going to turn into an asshole just because I tell him I’m trans. Everyone I’ve told has been so nice!”

Eventually, she finished cleaning up the kitchen. Tired from all the scrubbing, she opted to not dirty anymore pans, and instead poured herself a bowl of cereal before returning to her room. She set her breakfast on her desk, then fell backwards into her bed as she groaned.

“Ugh, Paige, why is it so hard to ask someone out?” Chloé looked over at her pile of stuffed animals, making eye contact with one in particular; a ram with soft gray fur and two curled horns.

“You’ll help me practice, right?” Paige said nothing, predictably, but Chloé continued talking anyways. “Okay, pretend you’re Sam, you’re in my class, we’ve just finished the test and I have nothing to do all afternoon. I’m just going to say ‘Hey Sam, class was a lot of fun this semester! I really like talking with you, and I’d love to spend more time with you. Would you be interested in getting dinner with me tonight?’”

Paige stayed silent, her beady eyes staring back at Chloé, who eventually groaned in frustration before burying her head in a pillow.

She eventually pulled herself free, then moved to her desk to turn her computer on. She ate breakfast while catching up on last night’s VOD from her favorite Twitch streamer, though her thoughts refused to focus on anything but Sam.

Soon enough, her alarm went off, and it was time to prepare for class. She threw her pajamas in her closet, replacing them with comfortable jeans and a green, short sleeve tee. Next, she threw on her long blue peacoat, knowing she’d need it to make it to class without freezing to death. As happy as her transition had made her, it certainly made it harder to deal with colder temperatures.

Chloé walked quickly to her class; she wanted to escape the autumn chill as fast as she could. She wasn’t entirely looking forward to her first final, but at least she shared this class with Vee. The two were always early, and normally had plenty of time to talk before class started. When Chloé arrived in class, however, Vee was nowhere to be seen.

Weird, Vee always gets here early.

Chloé checked the hallway one last time, then texted Vee to ask if everything was okay. Sadly, by the time the teacher started handing out the tests, Chloé still hadn’t heard anything. Her mood deflated somewhat by the absence of her friend, the test gave her more trouble than it probably would have otherwise. She had only barely finished the last essay question when the professor called for everyone to set their pencils down.

She sighed with relief, glad she at least managed to finish the test despite her distracted thoughts. Getting to the front of the classroom, however, proved to be a challenge. A small group of students were standing in the aisle, and she couldn’t find a way to walk past them.

“Um, excuse me? I need to—”

A loud burst of laughter cut her off, and she reflexively dropped her head to look at the floor. Instead of trying to speak up again, she simply waited for the students to leave of their own accord. It took much longer than expected, but eventually Chloé was able to give her test to the teacher and start towards the cafeteria.

Lunch in hand, she eagerly walked around until she found Nick and Tessa. With a smile on her face, she approached her friends and took a seat. “Hey guys! How are you doing today?”

“You know, same old same old,” Tessa said, looking up at Nick briefly.

“Uh, yeah, just prepping for finals, all that boring stuff,” Nick said.

“Just you two today? Where’s Amara?” Chloé asked. The three of them had been practically inseparable the last few weeks, and it was weird to see them apart.

Tessa repositioned her legs under the table, and Nick flinched slightly before he started talking. “Oh, Amara is… sick. Again. Third time this semester, what are the odds, right? I’m going to try and talk her into seeing a doctor over the holiday break.”

“That’s awful!” Chloé said. “There must be something going around, ‘cuz I haven’t seen Vee all morning either. I’ve never seen her miss a test before!”

“Wait, Vee’s missing too?” Tessa asked. After a strange look from Nick, she continued talking. “I mean sick. Missing because she’s sick. At home. You know, it’s funny, I just remembered that Sydney needed help with… something. I should probably get going, and I think I need Nick’s help. Isn’t that right, Nick?”

“Uh, yeah, that thing with Sydney. How could I forget?” Nick said, gathering his things. “Look, I hate to bail on you, Chloé, but I promise I’ll make it up to you. Deal?”

Chloé looked up at the two of them and nodded. Her mouth was full of food, and she was confused by how suddenly they had both decided they needed to leave. By the time she finished her bite, they were already gone, and she sighed in defeat.

That was odd. What was that about?

The rest of lunch passed painfully slowly without her friends to talk to. She texted Amara, expressing sympathy that she was sick again, and asking if she could help in any way. Then she did the same for Vee, who still hadn’t texted her back.

Alone at the table, with roughly an hour before she needed to be at her next class, Chloé pulled out her sketchbook and opened it to her most recent piece. She liked to draw out ideas for characters she wanted to play in tabletop role-playing games, and she was in the middle of drawing a tall dragon-person. He had a thick, pronounced snout, and ridges sat on his head and back, but also ran down the top of his powerful tail. He was wearing loose, flowing robes, and his clawed hands crackled with magic energy.

Chloé wasn’t playing in any campaigns at the moment, though she was hoping she might be able to convince her friends to try at some point. She hadn’t brought it up recently, what with all the drama between Amara and Vee, but was optimistic they might be able to start something when school resumed next semester.

Soon enough, the lunch crowd started bustling to their next class, and Chloé joined them. She packed up her things, bundled up tight in her coat, and rushed to class. Accounting was one of her better subjects. Not only because it was so relevant to all the charity work she wanted to do, but also because sharing the class with Sam kept her alert and attentive the whole time. She’d already used much of what she learned when she set up the fire relief charity, and she’d been thrilled with how well that had gone.

As she entered the class, she saw Sam sitting in his usual spot, and it looked like he’d saved the seat next to him. He looked up, saw Chloé, and waved her over. “Hey Chloé! What’s hanging?”

Chloé pushed some loose hair behind her ear, then fidgeted with her glasses briefly before walking over and sitting next to Sam. “H-hey you! Nothing special today, you know me.”

“What have you got planned for the holiday break? Doing anything fun with the family?” Sam asked, leaning closer as students continued to file in around them.

There was a brief pause as Chloé tried to think of what to say. She didn’t like to talk about her family, and especially didn’t want to tell Sam that she was planning to stay on campus over the break. The thought of spending Christmas in her hometown sounded terrible, and she was thrilled the school had agreed to let her stay. “Nothing too crazy, honestly. I’m probably just going to play a bunch of Cyberpunk, that comes out soon.”

“That’s awesome! I might give it a shot, but my family stays pretty busy over the holidays. There are a lot of us, and they’ve got all these silly little traditions that eat up a bunch of time. Like, the day before Christmas we always have to—”

Chloé listened to Sam talk for a few minutes, happily staying quiet as she watched him. He was an animated talker, using his hands to illustrate his points and frequently making big gestures. His rambling was cut short when the teacher spoke up, asking for everyone to prepare for the test.

She felt much better about this final. The questions made sense, and there was simple logic to the way numbers fit together. Math was something she could solve, unlike people. She’d never been great at reading the people around her, and frequently found herself confused by the infinite subtleties of human expression. She much preferred when people just said what they meant, rather than dancing around the point with vague innuendos or back-handed compliments.

Of course, she was more than aware of the irony at play. She wanted people to be open about their feelings, to eliminate confusion, and here she was trying desperately to think of a way to ask Sam out.

Does he know I have a crush on him? I know guys can be oblivious sometimes, but he’s pretty smart. Just tell him! You could make this so easy!

Chloé finished her test earlier than expected and spent the rest of class watching the clock. Every second that passed, every tick of the minute hand, brought her closer to the last chance she had to ask Sam out before the holiday break. She tried everything she could think of to work up the courage. She reminded herself that, if he said yes, they could spend the entire holiday break texting and flirting with each other. Plus, maybe he wouldn’t have to leave right away, and they could hang out at his place before he left!

The teacher called time, and everyone started packing up their things. Having finished early, Chloé was one of the first students to turn in her test, and she then waited by the entrance so she could catch Sam on his way out. She watched as he zipped up his backpack, threw it over his shoulder, then turned in his test. He approached the door, smiled at Chloé, and they started walking.

Chloé had nowhere to be, and was more than happy to pretend that she happened to be heading the same way as Sam.

“Ugh, that final was ridiculous! I have no idea how you make sense of so many numbers,” Sam said.

“That’s okay, everyone has different strengths. You’re way stronger than I could ever be! That’s something to be proud of!” Chloé said, giggling to herself.

“See but exercise makes sense, and it feels good to be active. I like running around, living in the moment. Do you have ever that? That feeling of just… being. Engaging with yourself, feeling the ground give under your feet, it’s awesome. I’m probably rambling again, aren’t I? I know you’re not a sports nut like I am.” Sam laughed, his booming voice making Chloé smile.

“I’m not an athlete, but I understand how good it feels to belong in your body. To feel good about what you see in the mirror, that kind of thing.”

“See! You get it!” Sam smiled as he playfully nudged Chloé with his elbow. His phone went off, and after checking it, he looked up at her. “Hey, looks like I’m gonna meet up with the guys. I guess I’ll see you next semester, right?”

C’mon, now’s your chance! Do it!

With a deep breath, Chloé started talking. “Y-yeah! Hey Sam, class was a lot of fun this semester, and I—” Chloé froze, knowing what she needed to say next. Her inner voice screamed at her, begged her to finish the script, but ultimately, she couldn’t do it. “I hope you have a good break.”

“You too Chloé! See ya!”

In an instant, Sam turned to run off, and Chloé was alone. Her heart ached as she watched him leave, unable to convince herself to chase after him.

---

Tessa bit her lip, her tongue playing with its piercing as her magic wormed its way into Vee’s front door. It only took a minute before it clicked open, then she and Nick were able to walk inside.

“I can’t believe we didn’t think to ask Vee about this,” Nick said. “I was so worried about the cover story for the cult that I never bothered to think of a game plan for other weird stuff popping up.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Nick. It hasn’t even been a day yet, and we still don’t even know if Vee is going to help us fend off planar incursions.”

“Why wouldn’t she? She’s an angel, right? Aren’t they here to help?”

“You’d fucking think that, wouldn’t you?” Tessa said bitterly. “No, the Church doesn’t give a shit about you or me. They exist to stop demons from fucking around on Earth, and they ignore everything else that’s happening. Monsters, extraplanar threats, climate change, poverty, world hunger, they don’t give a shit.”

Nick was now pacing around Vee’s apartment, looking for any clues about what may have happened. “You seem pretty sure of that, have you run into them before?”

“That’s none of your business,” Tessa hissed. She walked towards Vee’s bedroom, opening the door and letting her magic explore the space. “You find anything yet? I’m not seeing any unusual magic on my end, it’s just more of the same.”

“Uh, I found her laptop, but I’m not sure if that’s unusual for her.” Nick joined Tessa in the bedroom, continuing to look for more mundane things while Tessa examined the magic. “Ignore the Church for a moment, why do you think Vee wouldn’t help? She’s our friend, she goes to this school too.”

“She helped us fight some demons, Nick, that doesn’t mean she’s our friend.”

“But she’s a person, isn’t she? Even if the Church is as bad as you say, it’s not like they’ve brainwashed Vee and turned her into a robot. I found her phone, by the way.” Nick held up another phone, pocketing this one as well.

“Maybe not literal brainwashing, but she probably grew up marinating in their propaganda. Remember, she tried to murder Amara in cold blood.” Tessa scowled as she thought back to Halloween. She had been having so much fun that night, and Amara had seemed so happy to be out about as herself. When the fire alarms went off, Tessa had evacuated with everyone else. Her annoyance over the party stopping had vanished when Nick found her, sharing that he couldn’t find Amara. With that in mind, Tessa had started paying closer attention to the fire, and had noticed small flickers of purple.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Tessa had learned the full truth; Vee was actually an angel, and had attacked Amara to try and banish or kill her. For some reason, everyone seemed determined to give Vee the benefit of the doubt, but had she extended that courtesy to Amara? Weren’t religious figures supposed to be bastions of patience and reason? Tessa’s blood still boiled every time she thought about it.

“I just think you should give her a chance," Nick said. “Plus, it looks like she vanished at the same time Amara did, so she probably has no choice but to help us. Assuming we can find them, that is.”

“Ugh, you’re such an optimist. Found her keys,” Tessa said, tossing them at Nick so he could add them to his collection. She released her magic, having done a thorough sweep of the bedroom and turned up nothing. Before turning to leave, an idea crossed her mind, and she took a step closer to Nick. He didn’t realize she’d moved closer, and flinched briefly when he turned towards her, finding them face to face. “Y’know, we’re all alone right now. With Amara missing, there’s no way to know when you’re going to see some action again…”

Nick’s face turned red, and he stammered briefly before responding. “Tess, this really isn’t the time. I have a final to get to, and aren’t you supposed to be studying your notes about the circles?”

Tessa rolled her eyes, frustrated that she still hadn’t found a way to seduce Nick. The last time she’d tried, she’d offered up a threesome with Amara, and he’d still turned her down. “Ugh, fine, whatever.” She turned away from Nick, leaving Vee’s room and heading for the kitchen.

“Do you have a plan of attack? How are we going to start figuring this out?”

“I’m gonna visit all the circles around campus. Each one is linked to a different plane, so if I study the way they’re built, I might be able to tap into their magic to figure out which plane is acting up right now.”

“Do you need someone to keep watch while you work on the circles? I’m free tonight, if you want to get started.”

“No, I need to clean up my magic notes to prepare for this. I’ll text you in the morning, okay? In the meantime, you should see if you can get into Amara or Vee’s phones, maybe there’s something there.”

Nick seemed hesitant to give up the search already, but Tessa knew there was no way she could start tonight. More than anything, she was exhausted, and she just wanted to go home. After saying goodbye to Nick, leaving him to lock up Vee’s apartment by himself, Tessa walked back to her apartment.

Walking inside, she was greeted by the sweet smells of Sydney’s cooking. Tessa threw her bag down, then snuck up behind Sydney and pulled her in for a hug.

“Ah! Fuck Tessa, a little warning next time? What if I’d been holding something hot?” Sydney said.

“C’mon, I know you too well.” The girls smirked at each other, and Tessa moved in for a kiss before letting Sydney return to her cooking. Over on the couch, her other partner Riley was sprawled out while reading a book. Tessa knelt beside her, attempting and failing to read the cover. “This for one of your finals?”

“Hello to you too, Tess. Why yes, I did have a good day, thank you for asking!” Riley put her book down, leaning forward to kiss Tessa before pinching her side.

“Ass.”

“Bitch.”

Tessa pushed Riley’s feet aside, sitting down on the couch only to find her partner’s feet quickly returning, now on her lap. “Okay, but seriously, what’cha reading? It doesn’t look like English.”

“It’s for my French final tomorrow. Some of us actually study for our tests, you know.”

“Sounds like nerd propaganda,” Tessa said, sticking her tongue out at Riley. The girls continued to playfully bicker, and eventually Riley started responding in French just to annoy Tessa. When Sydney finally served dinner, Tessa couldn’t run to the counter fast enough. She missed a lot of meals recently, what with the cult and then Amara’s crazy libido, and she was thrilled to have an evening to herself.

After eating, all three girls cuddled on the couch for movie night. It was Sydney’s turn to pick, and she had vowed to pick something horribly saccharine just to annoy Tessa. They ended up watching some fantasy romance thing, filled with endless cheesy tropes and messages about the power of true love. Sydney and Riley loved it, with both being reduced to tears by the end of the movie. Tessa, as much as she liked to complain, found that she had enjoyed it more than expected.

Eventually, with everyone growing tired from the long movie, it was time to retire to bed. Tessa kissed her partners goodnight, then walked to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. Her room was hers and hers alone, apart from occasionally bringing fuck buddies to bed.

As she pulled her clothes off, magically tossing them in a pile in the corner, her thoughts turned to her last week. She still wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Amara’s new, heightened libido, or her sudden personality shift after the ritual. The sex was as amazing as ever, but having so much of it had stressed how little emotion there was in the act. Sure, Amara was sweet, but they weren’t dating, they were just friends with benefits.

She found herself wishing she could fall asleep in someone’s arms, but she couldn’t risk her magic going off in the middle of the night. Sydney and Riley needed to stay in the dark about her abilities, for their own benefit. Nothing good ever came from learning about magic.

Tessa pulled her blankets tight, turned off the lights, and hoped she would sleep soundly through the night. With Amara and Vee missing, there was a lot to do tomorrow.

---

“Purgatory?” Amara asked, panic setting in. “We’re in Purgatory?!”

“I’m sorry! I thought you already knew!” Vee said.

“So we’re dead, is that what you’re telling me?” Amara was now pacing around the room, her tail flicking back and forth.

“We’re not dead, Amara, and that’s why this is so weird.”

“Oh, it’s weird that we’re not dead? Great! So happy to hear that everything would be fine if I’d just died in my fucking sleep!”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” Vee stood up, grabbing Amara’s shoulders to stop her pacing. “Can you just quiet down for two seconds and let me explain this?”

Amara glared up at Vee, the taller of the two, before huffing and sitting back on the couch. “Fine. Whatever.”

“Thank you. So, Purgatory is a weird place. Everything I know about it says that only the dead come here. It’s not a plane where creatures live, it’s basically an entropic void that houses restless spirits who aren’t ready to pass on yet. It sits on top of, yet aside from, our world, which is why everything looks the same.”

“Okay, so, we’re in Ghost Land,” Amara said. “Based on what you’re saying, our presence here is weird because we’re alive? We have our bodies, our thoughts, all that stuff?”

“Exactly. If we’d gotten here through natural means, we would be lifeless spirits, wandering around without aim or purpose. Maybe we’d have lingering thoughts related to unfinished business, maybe not. Everything I know about Purgatory says our presence here, in this state, is impossible.”

“Well, clearly it isn’t. Isn’t there an easy answer, though? The Planar Gate is broken, so while we were sleeping, Purgatory brushed a little closer than it should have, and we got sucked in. Makes sense to me.”

“But why us? We both looked all over campus and didn’t find a single other living soul.” Vee returned to the couch, pulling her legs underneath her as they continued talking.

“Maybe ‘cuz of who we are? We’re not humans, so maybe we vibe differently than everyone else. Are planar vibes a thing? Does that make sense?”

“You’re not asking the right person. I learned about Purgatory in a religious sense. Tessa’s the witch, she’s the one with the notes on all the circles. If anyone would be able to figure out why we’re here, or how to get us back, it would be her.”

Silence fell between the two girls, each thinking about the situation. Amara’s thoughts were racing, trying to digest everything Vee had just told her. She had trouble focusing on any one thought, and when she spoke up again, she changed the topic slightly. “So, all those gray wisps I saw around campus, are those ghosts? Or are those the real people on Earth, and we’re just seeing them from our side?”

“I’m pretty sure those are real people. Are you thinking we might be able to communicate with them somehow?”

“It’s worth a shot, isn’t it? If we can find a way to talk to them, and if we can find Tessa, maybe we can get her a message.” Amara paused again, thinking about her friends. “Actually, what are they going to think? From their perspective, we probably just vanished without a trace.”

Vee tried to respond, though her words were cut off by a heavy yawn. “I don’t know, Amara. I’m just as confused as you are, and I’m still trying to shake off the entropic effects of this place.”

“It’s really that bad here?”

“Oh yeah. If it weren’t for my protective wards, I doubt I’d last more than a day or two.” Vee looked up at the ceiling, and Amara followed her gaze. In the corners of the room, lining the ceiling and the walls, she saw vibrant, glowing Enochian runes. “I don’t know how long they’ll last, though. At home, I refreshed them every night using my book, but I don’t have that anymore. I could try to use my own powers, but that would exhaust me even faster.”

Amara looked back at Vee, and for a split second, swore she could see fear on the angel’s face. It was strange, seeing Vee this vulnerable after months of hostility.

She’s only doing this because it’s convenient, remember. If we hadn’t gotten sucked into another plane, she would be happily ignoring me.

“Alright, well, go get some sleep.” Amara moved to the linen closet and grabbed a blanket as she spoke. She didn’t need covers for warmth anymore, but she liked having something to cuddle under when she slept. “I’ll try not to invade your dreams and turn them into nightmares or whatever.”

Vee had left the couch to make room for Amara, and made a face at her last comment. “Please don’t.”

The girls went their separate ways, Vee closing the door to her bedroom while Amara unfurled a blanket for the couch. She noticed another series of Enochian runes on Vee’s bedroom door, and they seemed more powerful than the runes covering the rest of the apartment.

Well, at least I get a place to crash and food to eat.

Amara thought back to Vee’s words about the nature of Purgatory, how it was a place of entropy where no living creature could survive. She was immensely pleased that she seemed to be immune, or at least resistant, to the effects of the plane, but another thought crossed her mind. Vee seemed to recover her strength the same way humans did, with food and rest, but Amara didn’t have that luxury. Without sex, without someone else’s arousal to feed on, she had no idea how long she’d been able to survive.

She tossed and turned for a few minutes, trying to find the right way to position the blanket around her wings. When she finally got comfortable, she thought about how strange it was to be sleeping over at Vee's again after everything that had happened between them.

Just a few months ago, they'd been ridiculously close. Some weeks she'd spent more time with Vee than with Nick, but her demonic transformation had burnt that bridge.

Was she being too harsh on Vee? She'd spent weeks begging for forgiveness, only to have Vee practically spit in her face upon returning to campus. Sure, Vee had helped defeat the cult, and she'd saved Amara's life, but then she'd gone right back to pretending Amara didn't exist.

No, she asked for this. She's the one that said over and over she didn't want to be friends. It's like Tessa said, Vee tried to kill me. Vee forced me into a corner, and didn't give me any options other than fighting to survive. I'm just giving her what she wants.

By the time Amara fell asleep, she'd been wrestling with her thoughts for close to an hour.

Chapter Text

Vee woke to absolute silence. In the world of the living, the quiet of morning normally paired with the sound of rustling trees, of leaves skipping across sidewalks, and birds chirping outside her window. An enjoyable quiet, one full of peace, but also plenty of reminders that the world had continued spinning overnight. Purgatory, however, had no such reminders.

In a place defined by its absence, this was hardly surprising. Nothing lived in this world; at least, nothing was supposed to. Still, despite everything Vee knew, she’d still woken up here yesterday morning.

Her overwhelming confusion had stuck with her for most of the day. The presence of her body was confirmation that she hadn’t passed away in her sleep; her connection with her angelic abilities proof that she hadn’t accidentally slipped into the Dreamscape. Wandering campus, she’d recalled lectures and teachings about the nature of death, about what happens when a soul refuses to pass on. The only way to enter Purgatory, Vee had been told, was to die with unfinished business so powerful that you refused to let go.

Yet, her presence here disproved that idea. Did that mean the Church was wrong?

Vee pulled her covers closer, sighing in frustration as she tried to hold onto the warmth as long as she could. So much had happened in these last few months; learning Amara was a demon, nearly dying in a fight with her, then teaming up with her to stop a horrid cult. What made everything worse, though, was how alone Vee felt. Angels were few and far between, and her existence had so many dramatic implications. She desperately wished she had someone that she could talk to, but she knew no such person existed.

From outside Vee’s bedroom, a sudden noise snapped her from her thoughts. A small thud, like something being dropped, followed by a frustrated voice.

“Shit!”

Vee groaned into her pillow; she’d almost forgotten that Amara was here. Whatever was happening in the kitchen, it was as good an excuse as any to get out of bed. After quickly rummaging through her closet, grabbing some properly warm clothes this time, Vee opened her bedroom door and walked out.

On the other side of the counter, Amara was kneeling in the middle of the kitchen trying to clean up a spilled box of cereal. She wore small athletic shorts and a racerback sports bra, her pajamas of choice for almost as long as they’d known each other. Vee had seen Amara wear this plenty of times at sleepovers, but now the outfit seemed to fit her differently. The shorts seemed smaller than usual, hugging her curves tighter than they used to, and the bra seemed to strain against her larger bust. In this moment, Vee finally realized just how much Amara’s body had changed these last few months.

Amara was grumbling to herself as she cleaned, and Vee leaned on the counter before speaking up. “What happened?”

“I was hungry, so I figured I’d grab some food, and I found some cereal. So, I’m holding it with my tail, digging through your fridge to find something to drink, when I grab a big jug of water and it shocks me! Why do you have a gallon of holy water in your fridge?!”

“I’m an Angel, Amara. I feel like, of anyone, I’m the least surprising person to have that. The holy water made you drop the cereal?”

“Yes! Your stupid holy magic always makes my body seize up. I guess that’s my fault for thinking your apartment was safe for me, right?”

Vee moved around, joining Amara in cleaning up the spilled food. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about that, I was pretty tired last night. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine, mostly just caught me by surprise.” Amara glared at Vee briefly, then spoke up again. “You have any other traps I should know about? I’m not going to, like, accidentally sprinkle my dinner with holy salt or something?”

“To the best of my knowledge, the water in the fridge is the only thing left. I don’t normally keep holy stuff in my apartment, that’s just the last remnant from… from when I was preparing for Halloween,” Vee said quietly. She didn’t like thinking about the week before their fight, as she had poured every ounce of her strength into a plan to try and kill Amara.

“If you’re going to invite me over, maybe have fewer deathtraps next time? I already know you don’t want me around, even without all this holy nonsense.” Amara’s voice was harsh, her words bitter.

Vee froze, the words hitting her harder than she’d expected.

Why is Amara acting like this? Ever since we ran into each other yesterday, it’s like she’s an entirely different person.

There was a part of Vee that felt she deserved the harsh words, but it was still surprising to hear them coming from Amara. Ever since they’d first met, Amara had always been the voice of reason and support among their friends; that had been a big reason why Vee had spent so much time with her. Chloé had always been nice, but too shy to speak up, while Tessa had been the angry upstart of the group. Had Amara always acted like this back then, Vee doubted they would have been friends.

“Amara, what’s for dinner tonight?” Vee asked quietly.

“Aww you don’t trust me! There’s the Vee I know and love.” Amara said, playfully prodding Vee with her tail. “It’s hand-seared chicken, by the way. You?”

“Spaghetti carbonara.” Vee didn’t bother continuing the conversation. She grabbed some cereal for herself, then moved to the couch to eat it in peace. Her thoughts wandered back to yesterday, to the moment she’d found Amara in Purgatory. Against all reason, she’d been somewhat excited to spend time with Amara again. Now? That feeling was nowhere to be found.

The girls ate their breakfast in silence. Vee wasn’t particularly interested in talking with Amara, and instead let her eyes wander around the corners of the apartment, examining the various Enochian runes that kept them safe. They were still glowing strongly, keeping the entropic forces of Purgatory at bay.

“So, what’s our plan?” Amara asked, finally breaking the silence. “Still up for inspecting the circles today?”

“It’s our best lead, isn’t it? I’m all finished eating, if you want to lead the way,” Vee said. She quickly put the bowl back on the counter, then grabbed a jacket for an extra layer against the cold. She looked at Amara, wearing nothing but her skimpy pajamas, and spoke up again. “You sure you don’t want something else to wear?”

“Nah, I want the flexibility. You have no idea how annoying clothes are when I have my wings and tail out.” As she spoke, Amara began stretching her arms above her head, her tail and wings stretching out as well. Against her better judgement, Vee couldn’t help but look at just how big Amara’s extra limbs were. Her wingspan alone was enormous, her tail much longer and thicker than Vee had realized.

“You can’t just put them away?” Vee asked.

“I mean, I could, but why would I? We’re the only people on campus, I might as well enjoy the freedom.” Amara opened the door, stepping out into the hall before inviting Vee to join her.

Outside, the pale visage of Aurelius University stared back at them. The campus was as lifeless as ever, the only movement the strange wisps of students back in the real world. Amara took the lead, picking a direction and confidently heading off. They walked side by side, though Vee made sure to leave a few feet of space between them; she was hoping to avoid any accidental scrapes with Amara’s wings.

Their first stop ended up being Brandt Hall. They wandered the hallways, doing their best to avoid the strange wisps, and eventually made it to the basement. As they approached the first circle, Amara explained the circumstances under which she and Tessa had discovered this one. A strange heat had overtaken the building, leading the two of them to investigate, and this had been where they first learned about the cult. Vee had only gotten involved once the cult had been thoroughly investigated, and was actually interested in hearing how they’d discovered everything.

Plus, as Amara recounted what had happened, her voice lost that bitter edge it had held at Vee’s apartment. Though confusing, Vee couldn’t help but notice traces of the Amara she’d once been friends with.

“—and just around this corner is the circle! In the real world, it was hidden by an illusion, but it looks like that’s not here. Maybe illusions just don’t work here?”

“It would certainly seem like it.” Vee kneeled down, inspecting the magic circle briefly. “How does this compare to the circle under Lysander Hall?”

“This one is totally lifeless. Tessa said it was giving off a bunch of heat, so it makes sense that it wasn’t connected to this plane. I guess that means Lysander is connected to Purgatory, right? That would explain the weird cold Tessa felt.”

“Wait, what cold?” Vee asked.

“Yeah, the first time she showed me the Lysander circle, she said it was really cold. I mean, she could have been lying, but based on how much you’re shivering, I’m tempted to believe her.”

Vee paused, turning her attention inwards, and realized Amara was right. Despite her multiple layers, the cold of Purgatory was already starting to creep under her skin. “Well, we have to keep looking. How about we head to Lysander, then back to my place? I’m already fading faster than yesterday.”

“Sounds good to me. Lead the way!” Amara stepped to the side, letting Vee take the lead, and they started walking towards the center of campus.

Vee tried to quicken her pace, not wanting to spend more time outside than she had to. Thankfully, as Amara seemed to be mostly resistant to the effects of Purgatory, she was easily able to keep pace. They were roughly halfway to Lysander Hall when Amara broke the silence again.

“What about Vivian?”

“It’s just Vee, Amara.”

“Veronica? Violet?”

Vee tried to hold back a sigh of frustration. She didn’t bother responding, hoping it would stop Amara from continuing this line of questioning. Thankfully, it worked; Amara only guessed a few more names before giving up. The remainder of the walk was quiet, and soon they were walking down the stairs in Lysander Hall.

Approaching the magic circle, Vee finally understood what Amara had meant when she said it was glowing. It wasn’t just that the circle had a strange light to it, but the light itself was more vibrant than the rest of campus. It seemed to originate from the real world, and even brought with it traces of liveliness that Vee appreciated. While the cold of Purgatory hadn’t been chased away entirely, it had certainly grown weaker.

“This circle is absolutely a bridge between here and the real world. I can feel tiny bits of life coming through, it feels a little like my apartment.” Vee knelt next to the circle, trying to steal whatever warmth she could from it.

“Well, I’ll take your word for it. Everything feels the same to me.” Amara sat down on the floor a few feet away from Vee, her tail wrapping around her as she settled in. “You think you can do anything with it? Like, use your magic to get a message through?”

Vee hesitated. “I can’t say. I think it’s worth trying, but these runes aren’t Enochian. I wouldn’t be surprised if my magic isn’t compatible.”

Knowing it was worth a shot, Vee summoned a small amount of magic and tried to direct it at the circle. She didn’t know what any of the symbols meant, or what significance the various patterns held, but Enochian had many powerful benefits that normal witchcraft didn’t. Witches needed to use precise runic language, whereas angels had more freedom to guide their magic through willpower and intent.

She watched her angelic nature touch the circle, a few strange sparks appearing. It felt like trying to force two like sides of a magnet together, but Vee kept pushing. According to Amara, energy from Purgatory was leaking through the circle in the real world. If Vee could find the edges of the circle, the points of connection between the two planes, she might be able to push her angelic magic through as well. It was a long shot, but if Tessa came to investigate, it might be enough to communicate where they were.

As Vee focused, slowly exploring the strange runes with her angelic magic, she felt the cold from Purgatory continuing to bite at her. She began shivering again, likely because she was redirecting her energy towards the circle rather than herself. After a few seconds, however, a wave of heat washed over her. It felt incredible, like she’d stepped into a sun beam, and her shivering stopped almost immediately.

Looking up, Vee saw a small flame hovering in front of her, hints of purple dancing around its edges. Her gaze moved to Amara, only to find the demon looking back at her. They locked eyes, and for a moment, there was a connection. As if Vee were seeing the human side of Amara, trapped behind the demonic mask.

Amara looked away a moment later. “What? I just didn’t want your shivering to fuck with our chances of getting home.”

What is going on with her? Does she hate me, or doesn’t she?

Now wasn’t the time to analyze whatever their relationship was, and Vee returned to focusing on the circle. With the warmth of Amara’s fire, it was easier to concentrate on her magic, directing it around as she looked for weak points in the connection.

After a few minutes of exploring, she felt she had a fairly decent picture of the circle’s construction. At least, an understanding of how it interacted with her magic. “Alright, I think I’ve got some basics down. Thankfully, I know what I’m looking for, and that made this a lot easier. According to Tessa, the circles were meant to block off extraplanar connection, but the cult weakened that protection. I think I’ve found the cracks in the Gate, so to speak, and I’ve managed to push some of my own magic through it. I have no idea how long it will last, but if Tessa visits this circle in the real world, there’s a chance she’ll see it and figure out where we are.”

“You don’t think you’ll be able to get us back?” Amara asked, standing up. She also put out the fire she summoned.

“Not a chance. Angelic magic works on a completely different set of rules. My innate magic works with intent, with emotion. Enochian runes, although visually somewhat similar, are built to channel divine magic, not to interact with the kind witches use.”

“Well, as much as I hate waiting, I guess it’s better than nothing. Should we head back to your place?”

Vee nodded. “Yeah, the sooner the better.”

Before the girls could reach the staircase, however, a strange sound caused them both to freeze in surprise. A deep, rumbling bass that seemed to shake the walls around them, soon followed by a much higher pitched wail. The sounds were distant, yet also frighteningly close, but one thing scared Vee more than anything else.

The sound was moving.

It circled around both of them, sometimes coming from above, sometimes from below.

“Amara,” Vee said, “I don’t think we’re alone anymore.”

---

Tessa woke at her usual hour, with just enough time to get to her first final. She was only a few minutes late, but thankfully her teachers were used to her indifference. After powering through her exam, without caring too much about how well she did, she had just enough time to swing by the cafeteria for lunch.

Today it was just her and Chloé, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to compose herself. As much as she’d wanted some time to herself yesterday, Tessa couldn’t deny that she was growing more and more worried about Amara.

And maybe Vee. But not as much.

Chloé was going on and on about some new game that was coming out soon, and Tessa was more than happy to let her ramble. She did her best to pretend to be interested, though her thoughts were mostly fixated on how she might be able to find Amara and Vee.

“—and they’ve got a bunch of different hair styles, including a lot of undercut options! That’s actually pretty rare in games like these, just like having a good variety of hair options for black characters. Anyways, the most exciting thing is that you can play as a trans character!” Chloé said, scrolling through pictures; she was under the impression that Tessa was paying rapt attention.

“I imagine that’s not very common either?” Tessa asked.

“It might be a first, honestly. It’s so cool! I’m hoping I can show it to Amara once she’s feeling better. Actually, have you talked to her at all? She’s not answering my texts, and neither is Vee.”

“Um, I think they’re both just really going through it. I’m going to swing by and drop off some things for them later today, I’ll let them know you said hey.” Tessa continued eating, trying to finish her food as quickly as possible so she could start investigating.

“Oh, could I come with? I’d love to see them before break hits, it’s going to be pretty lonely once you all leave.”

Tessa paused, trying to think of a good way to let Chloé down gently. “I’m not quite sure when I’m going, but I’ll let you know, okay? My schedule’s just a little crazy right now.”

Chloé seemed a little disappointed, but forced a smile anyways. “Sure, that sounds good. Just let them know I miss them, okay?”

“Mmhm, can do. Listen, I’m gonna head out, but I’d love to hear more about this game when it comes out, okay?”

“Okay! Maybe you can come over sometime, and I can show it to you!”

“Deal!” Tessa said, picking up her things. She felt bad ditching Chloé again, but she had no other choice. She’d agreed to meet Nick at Lysander Hall to start their planar investigation today, and he’d just texted her that he’d already arrived.

After tossing the rest of her lunch, Tessa ran to meet up with Nick, finding him waiting by the elevator. After looking around to make sure no one would be joining them on the lift, they boarded and pressed the secret button hidden by an illusion. Nick had never been down here before, and Tessa made sure to show him where the button was for future reference.

“So, what’s down there? I’m not going to end up fighting anything, am I?” Nick asked, nervously wringing the straps on his backpack.

“No, you’ll be fine. I mean, I haven’t been down here since the night of the ritual, so technically I can’t say for sure that the portal hasn’t reopened. Look, if the place is crawling with demons, just stay behind me and we’ll ride the elevator back up.”

“Tessa! That’s not making me feel better!”

Tessa slapped Nick on the back, laughing as the elevator landed. “Oh, lighten up. We’ll be fine.”

As they stepped out, a familiar hallway greeted Tessa. On the night of the ritual, all of the fighting had happened in the main chamber, so this entry hallway was still quite clean. As they approached the chamber, however, the familiar smell of iron washed over them.

The floor, walls, and pillars were covered with week-old bloodstains. Some spots only held small patterns of droplets, while others were positively drenched with the stuff. Tessa hadn’t paid the mess much attention after they’d won the fight, but with a second look, she couldn’t deny the place looked pretty fucking metal.

“Oh god!” Nick gasped, covering his mouth with his hand as he walked into the chamber. “Tessa, this is horrifying! What on earth happened here?!”

“Seriously? Nick, we already told you, there was a huge fight to the death.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “What, did you think that Amara was able to peacefully knock everyone unconscious with a clean bonk on the head?”

“I mean, no, but… this seems somewhat excessive, don’t you think?”

“Look, Nick, you’ve only seen the fun, sexy side of Amara. That night, she was juiced up on a fuckton of energy, and it was kill or be killed. The girl was practically a human woodchipper. Just, you know, with people instead of wood.”

Nick turned away from the chamber, stepping back to the hallway as his breath quickened. “Fuck, okay. It’s not that I didn’t know this, but seeing the aftermath like this is a different story. I saw her get angry once, a few weeks back, but it’s hard picturing her like this.”

“She’s a demon, Nick. The most surprising thing about her is that she isn’t doing this all the time.”

“She’s my friend, Tessa, she’s more than just a demon. Pardon me for not immediately coming to terms with the fact that she killed a bunch of people that night.”

Despite Tessa’s flippant attitude, she had to admit she understood where Nick was coming from. In the moment, surrounded by cultists and hostile demons, Tessa had been overjoyed to have Amara’s rampage on her side. Since then, however, she’d seen the cultists Amara had fucked, and witnessed just how aggressive Amara had gotten in their own hookups. With the benefit of hindsight, it was hard to ignore just how deadly Amara was.

“Everyone Amara fought was already dead, Nick. They sold their souls to demons, and the demons were using their bodies like puppets.”

“You know what I mean, Tess,” Nick said, his breath slowly calming.

Unfortunately, I kinda do.

“Look, I’m going to go investigate the Hell circle. If you want to wait here, go for it.” Tessa took off, walking towards the center of the chamber as she engaged her magic. She looked around at the leylines, surprised at how potent they were this far underground, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Creating a portal that reached into Hell probably took a lot of juice, so it would make sense that it needed to be as close to the Leylines as possible.

She began expanding her senses, poking and prodding at the different magical signatures she found floating around the chamber. Thankfully, the portal to Hell remained sealed, and the rest of the magic she found appeared normal. To the best of her knowledge, it didn’t appear likely that Amara and Vee had ended up in Hell.

“Alright, we can head out. I’m not seeing anything weird here,” Tessa said, returning to Nick.

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.” Nick eagerly walked back to the elevator, repeatedly pressing the button to try and call the lift quicker. “When Amara and Vee are back, we should come clean this place up. It feels wrong to leave it in that state.”

“Maybe you just need to distract yourself, talk about something else.” Tessa paused slightly, an idea crossing her mind. “Come to think of it, we’re both sleeping with Amara, and we’ve never talked about it! Have you got any juicy details? What’s it like fucking a demon?”

Nick gave her a slightly perplexed look but responded anyways. “Like you said, we’ve both hooked up with her. You know what it’s like.”

“Yeah, but I’m a girl! Guys have such different tastes, I’m sure things are way different when you two fuck. Does she ever shapeshift for you? Come on, you’ve asked her to turn into your celebrity crush at some point, right?”

“For your information, no, I haven’t. I happen to like Amara as herself. She’s always the one pushing for the kinkier stuff, like the anal play. That was all her idea.”

“Actually,” Tessa said, moving slightly closer, “I was the one that got her started on that particular kink. Was it fun? Fucking a succubus in the ass?”

Nick stammered slightly, looking away from Tessa as she moved closer. “I mean, sure, it was fun. Sex with Amara is always great, I don’t know what else you want me to say about it.”

“Well, Amara said you were pretty excited about it. You know, I happen to love anal myself,” Tessa whispered. She was trying to be a bit more subtle this time, hoping she might discover whatever trick there was to seducing Nick. Unfortunately, her efforts only seemed to be making him uncomfortable.

“That’s, uh, nice,” Nick said. The elevator pinged, signaling that they’d landed on the main floor.

Frustrated that her efforts had failed again, Tessa rolled her eyes and stepped off the elevator. “Ugh, just stay close, alright? There’s another circle we can hit while we’re here, and after that we’ll need to run over to Brandt, then to the Science Building. Hopefully one of them will have a clue.”

Thankfully, the staircase downstairs was fairly close. The bottom floor of Lysander Hall held the very first magic circle Tessa had found, and the area around it always felt a little cold. It was hidden by an illusory wall, but Tessa had plenty of experience pulling it down, and the process was finished in less than a minute. Nick seemed impressed with that particular trick, and held his hand against the wall as Tessa dismissed the illusion.

“Wow, that’s pretty impressive. I always thoughts illusions were visual only, but the wall here was solid.”

“People tend to think that illusions are more like desert mirages, something that you can never physically touch, but that’s never been the case. Illusions are just as solid as anything real, but the difference is in the substance. You ever see those shows where they make a bunch of household objects that are actually cake? That’s kind of how illusions work; they look real, and you can touch them, but with enough force they crumple.”

“Huh. Illusions are just the fondant of the magical world, who knew.” Surprisingly, Nick laughed at the comparison. “So, you couldn’t use illusions to build a house?”

“I mean, you could, but it would fall apart way too easily.” After a quick pause, Tessa remembered what Nick was studying. “That’s right, you’re an architecture nerd.”

“Guilty as charged. I like seeing different elements come together to make something new.” There was a brief pause, then Nick spoke up again. “Is magic something you enjoy? Like, I’m sure the telekinesis is fun, but what about all the language? Learning the runes, figuring out how they interact, building and deciphering all these circles, stuff like that.”

Tessa paused, almost unsure how to answer the question. No one had ever asked her that before; of course, she did everything in her power to keep people from finding out she was a witch. She stammered slightly as she thought about what to say. “I guess I’ve never thought about it that way. Like you said, the powers are neat, but I wasn’t necessarily jazzed to learn all the runes and symbols when I was back with my coven. Although back then it felt like work, like it was being forced on me.”

“What about now? Before you knew about the cult, it was just you and Amara trying to decipher the circles. Was that enjoyable?”

“It’s not like that. I have a responsibility as a Witch to keep tabs on weird magic bullshit; I wasn’t just researching the circles for the fun of it.”

“Is that what witches do? Is that why you’re here?”

Shit, he’s getting comfy with me.

After a brief moment of panic, Tessa switched the subject. “Look, we’re here to find Amara, aren’t we? How about I just start digging into this circle already.”

Nick raised his hands, a playful admission of surrender. “Alright, do your thing. Just curious, that’s all.”

Eager to avoid more probing questions, Tessa kneeled down in front of the circle and engaged her magic. Her tattoos started glowing, and her senses expanded as she started to look for abnormalities. The instant she started, she could tell something was wrong. The other circles she’d investigated had traces of planar energy, normally the residue that leaked through on its own; the vines under the cafeteria, the heat under Brandt Hall, things like that. Here, although the cold was leaking through as it always had, the circle itself seemed much more active.

The strangest thing was the type of magic Tessa found. Some of it seemed to match the circle, it was magic that drained the energy from things, instilling a sense of cold. Her best guess was this magic was from the plane itself, whichever plane the circle was built to connect to. In her opinion, that plane was Purgatory. It could also be an elemental plane, but the lack of any water or ice made that seem less likely. However, there was a second kind of magic present, and it felt dramatically out of place.

The strange magic was incredibly lively and vivacious, filled with hope and potential. It seemed to be completely at odds with the chilling planar energy, and Tessa had no idea what it meant. Was this circle connected to two planes at once? That would defy everything she’d learned these last few months. She kept looking, trying to isolate the two different magics in hopes of finding a better answer.

The more she focused on the second, livelier magic, the more it seemed familiar. Not because she’d worked with it before, but because she’d seen it in action before; it was angelic magic.

Tessa was absolutely certain that this circle wasn’t connected to Heaven, and that only meant one thing.

“Oh fuck,” Tessa said.

Nick, who’d been wandering around the hallway, ran back after hearing her speak. “What?! What's wrong?”

“I found them. Vee and Amara are stuck in Purgatory!"

---

The horrid sound continued to circle, growing closer while continually making less and less sense. Vee’s first thought was that two creatures had somehow found them, and were working together to take them out, but that made no sense. Nothing lived in Purgatory, there shouldn’t be anything here to hunt them!

Another rumbling screech refocused Vee to the matter at hand. For this noise to be two creatures, they would have to be working in perfect tandem, which wasn’t impossible. The second option was that this might be a single creature, one with two dramatically different sets of vocal cords. Fear flooded Vee’s system, and she whispered a small prayer to ask her to magic to empower her. She was ready for a fight if need be.

“Vee, let’s get out of here!” Amara hissed.

“Agreed. Run!” Vee broke out into a sprint, hoping to make it outside Lysander Hall as soon as possible. If there was going to be a fight, she wanted it to be in the open if possible. With enough haste, however, they might be able to make it back home and avoid combat altogether.

Vee’s hopes were dashed immediately. She’d barely taken her first steps when something massive phased through the wall in front of her. A horrible, ghastly creature landed on the floor, standing at least as tall as an elephant. At first glance, Vee thought it was some kind of vulture or wyvern, but one that was anything but alive; whatever this beast had once been, only its skeleton now remained. It had a long, craning neck that held aloft a thick bird-like skull. Razor sharp claws sat at the end of lengthy arms, which also held the remains of large wings. A skeletal tail protruded from the beast’s body, twitching and snaking along the floor, and the creature pointed its head towards the two girls.

Its entire body seemed to be covered in large strips of ghostly, wet cloth. Patches hung off its neck, slid in between its ribs, and half-heartedly stretched between its wing bones. Pieces of it fell to the floor, landing with a sickening splat before falling yet again, this time through the ground itself. Vee looked at a piece that fell in front of her, and realized it wasn’t wet fabric that clung to this creature, it was skin.

The beast opened its deathly maw and roared at them. The same noise they’d heard earlier, both a terrifying rumble and a high-pitched wail, forced them to cover their ears as they tried to block out the noise. With a quick step forward, the creature raised an arm and tried to swipe at Vee, the closer of the two girls.

Vee, still partially disoriented from its roar, couldn’t muster the strength to move out of the way. A massive claw raced towards her, and just before it struck, Amara leapt forward to intercept the attack. The demon had summoned her chitinous gauntlets again and used her entire body to force the creature’s hand to the floor. Her wings spread, then pushed down to catapult her into the air, and she used the momentum to throw a punch at the creature’s skull.

“Vee, get off your ass and run! We need to get back to your place!” Amara yelled.

With the extra time bought by Amara’s attack, Vee was able to shake her head and regain her focus.

Okay, whatever this thing is, it’s blocking our way out. If we assume it can’t be killed, we just need to focus on either scaring it away or forcing it aside so we can escape through the staircase.

Vee took a deep breath, centered herself, and summoned her sword. Attacking the beast would be tough, as she needed to avoid the reckless attacks of two terrifying creatures, but at least she was familiar with Amara’s fighting style. Vee ran forward, ducking under Amara’s wings, and slashed at one of the creature’s front legs. She felt her blade sink into the beast’s thick bones, and it responded by trying to back away from her.

As the beast stepped back, Amara tried to force their advantage. She jumped forward, continuing to target its legs to keep it from regaining its balance. Seeing this, Vee mirrored the action and kept attacking the other side, throwing her entire body behind her sword.

The hallway proved to be too small for their joint attack to work, and Vee was knocked off balance by one of Amara’s wings. The creature had responded quickly to Amara’s attack, snapping at the demon with its mouth, and she fell backwards into Vee. Both girls were thankfully able to recover quickly, but it was obvious they would be at a disadvantage fighting in this hallway, especially as the creature was able to phase through walls.

With a grunt of frustration, Amara leapt forward again, this time appearing to tackle the creature’s body. Hoping that Amara wouldn’t be forced back, Vee tried to jump for the creature’s neck to prevent it from snapping at Amara again. Her attack landed between two of the creature’s vertebrae, preventing it from responding to Amara’s attack, and Vee smirked as her blade seemed to cause it pain. It screeched out once again, its voice no longer as fearsome, and tried to swipe Vee away from its face.

Unfortunately, the creature’s claw hit its mark. Its massive claw struck Vee’s side, knocking her away. She gasped with pain as she slammed into the wall, her head spinning from the impact.

In the few seconds it took to recover, Vee was vaguely aware of Amara continuing to force the creature back, though for some reason she was only using her fists. Where was her firepower? Vee knew she was more than capable of summoning hellfire and explosions to her heart’s content, yet she seemed to be holding back.

Eventually, though, Amara was able to clear a path. The creature had been pushed farther down the hall, and the girls now had access to the stairwell.

“Vee! Now!” Amara yelled again.

With a quick nod, Vee ran as fast as she could through the doorway. She felt the strange, vaguely porous material of the door phase through her, and then landed in the stairwell. She ran halfway up, then paused, looking back to see if Amara was keeping pace. It took a second, and Vee heard another roar of frustration from the creature, but Amara appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

The girls looked at each other briefly before breaking out into a sprint. They made it to the ground floor of Lysander Hall quickly, and it only took a few more seconds to leave the building entirely. Vee paused for a moment, braving a look behind her, and saw glimpses of the creature as it began to phase through the walls of the building.

Amara ran past Vee, who did everything she could to keep pace with the demon. They ran as fast as they could, the sounds of the creature continually reminding them that they couldn’t afford to slow down. They vaulted over railings, through bushes, and around trees as they raced towards Vee’s apartment, and in a matter of minutes, they had arrived. Vee scrambled to get her keys out, and soon they were slamming the door behind them.

Both girls fell to the floor, panting and gasping from the frantic sprint. Vee turned to lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as her chest heaved up and down. It took several minutes, but soon her adrenaline started to fade, and the fear left her system. Her body began to grow sore from when the creature threw her against a wall, and she groaned in frustration.

“Fucking hell, Vee. What was that?” Amara asked.

“No idea. As far as I know, there shouldn’t be anything but restless human spirits here.” Vee slowly rose to her feet, then walked to the fridge. She grabbed the container of holy water and took a long drink, thankfully she didn’t need to save any for Amara. When she finished, she pulled her jacket off and held the water to her side, hoping the cold would help with the pain.

“Well, we got away, that’s what matters. It didn’t look like your sword had any significant effect on it, so it’s likely not a demon.” Amara pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning against the counter before continuing. “I didn’t see an aura on it, either, so I’ve got nothing useful to add.”

They both fell silent for several moments, and Vee took the chance to sit down at the counter as well. Her thoughts returned to the fight, and questions appeared that she needed answers to. “Amara, why did it seem like you were holding back?”

Amara glared at Vee, clearly not expecting the question. “What?”

“Fighting that thing, you did nothing but throw punches. I saw you fight Mr. Wellington, and I’ve fought you myself, I know what you’re capable of. Where were the explosions? The hellfire? You could have torn that thing apart!”

“Seriously? I get us out of there safely, and your first instinct is to criticize me?”

“I’m not trying to criticize you! I just don’t understand your abilities!”

Amara’s pointed her tail at Vee accusingly. “For your information, Vee, my powers are on a timer. If I blow my load now, then I’m helpless until we get out of here.”

“Mine are too, Amara! This place is the embodiment of entropy, it’s only a matter of time before I start fading, but I still pulled out my sword and did everything I could back there!”

“And how do you restore your strength, Vee? Please, enlighten me!”

Vee paused, slightly confused by Amara’s question. “The same way as everyone else: food, drink, rest. Why?”

“That’s exactly my point! You’ve got this little pocket of the real world, and it has everything you need to rest and recuperate! I don’t have that privilege, Vee, I’m a succubus. If I’m not having sex regularly, then all the food and water in the world means nothing to me.”

“Seriously? I thought sex was just for like, recovering from injuries or something.” Vee paused, still unsure exactly what Amara meant. “Can’t you just, y’know… go take care of it yourself?”

Amara groaned in frustration. “No, I can’t! I need to feed on other people’s arousal and pleasure, or I start to waste away. Food loses its flavor, I stop sleeping, and I grow weaker and weaker with each passing moment. So, unless you have some secret demon fetish you’ve been hiding from me, I’m outta luck! The longest I’ve ever gone without sex is a week, and that was spent just lazily walking around campus. If I keep running for my life and fighting monsters? There’s no way to know how long I have left.”

“What happens if you go too long without sex?” Vee asked after a short pause. Her voice was quiet, as if she feared the answer.

“Fuck if I know. Maybe I’ll die, maybe I’ll go feral. There’s only one way to find out, and I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The girls fell silent again. Vee already knew they were on a timer, but she’d been under the assumption they had at least a few weeks. Her apartment had food, drink, warmth, everything a normal person would need to survive. Now, according to Amara, they had maybe a week before they entered uncharted, demonic territory.

There was only one way to keep Amara fed, and it clearly wasn’t an option.

What was Amara even feeding on? She said she needed to feed on arousal, not souls. The Church said demons needed to eat souls to survive, but hadn’t Amara been feeding on Nick and Tessa for nearly two months now? To Vee’s knowledge, both of them seemed completely unchanged despite Amara’s constant feeding.

The Church was wrong about Purgatory, wasn’t it? Wouldn’t it be possible that they might be wrong about other things?

Vee shook her head; she clearly wasn’t thinking straight. She’d just fought a horrifying monstrosity, and had her head bashed against a wall. She just needed a good meal, a full night’s sleep, and in the morning, things would make more sense.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Vee said. “I’m doing my best, but there’s so much I don’t know about you.”

“Yeah, and you’ve been so eager to learn more, haven’t you?” Amara rolled her eyes, huffing in frustration before standing up from the counter. She walked to the living room, jumping onto the couch before turning away from Vee.

The conversation clearly over, Vee decided to quickly make herself some food and retire to her bedroom. She spent the rest of the day stewing in frustration, unsure what to do about Amara. It was undeniably good fortune that they’d been stranded here together, rather than either being on their own, but Amara seemed determined to lash out at Vee every chance she got.

Although, that’s not entirely true. She did tell me all about how they discovered the cult, and she even made me a hot dinner yesterday.

Vee paused, having just pieced something together.

Wait! She used her fire to make a hot sandwich! And, earlier today, she summoned a small flame to keep me warm while I was working on the circle. She seems so eager to snap at me whenever she gets an opportunity, and she claims she needs to conserve her energy, so why is she wasting fire just to make me comfortable?

Ugh, she’s not making any sense!

The entire evening, and part of the night, was spent trying to figure out Amara’s conflicting actions. Vee wrapped herself tight in her blankets, even adding more to try and stay as warm as possible. Despite her wards keeping most of the effects of Purgatory at bay, small hints of cold still managed to creep into the apartment.

Safe in her room, separated from both Purgatory and Amara, Vee did her best to stay warm through the night. The wards around her room were the strongest, which meant she had the warmest room all to herself. This also meant that she wasn’t monitoring the protective magic surrounding the rest of the apartment. She slept peacefully through the night, completely unaware that the wards in the living room were starting to fade.

Chapter Text

Chloé had been looking forward to today all week. Her roommate, Kendra, had multiple finals this morning, whereas Chloé had none. This meant she had the entire place to herself, without any worry of being annoyed or interrupted. She hadn’t bothered setting an alarm, and got an extra hour of sleep compared to her usual weekdays. After waking up, she grabbed her Switch and happily played a few hours of Hollow Knight without even leaving her bed.

It was much easier to focus without Kendra around. Multiple boss battles had been giving her trouble, but with the dorm peacefully quiet, she finally managed to best them. As much as she wanted to continue playing past those fights, however, she knew there were other matters to attend to.

Specifically, her attention started wavering. Instead of hyper focusing on dodge timing, her eyes kept wandering to the drawer that held her magic wand. It had been nearly a week since she’d last needed it, and she had hormone therapy to thank for that. In the before times, as she liked to call them, her high testosterone had controlled nearly every moment of her life. Constantly thinking about sex, daydreaming about all the naughty things she wanted done to her; it had been practically impossible to focus on anything else.

Now, thankfully, it felt like she controlled her body rather than the other way around. The curse of masculinity had been lifted, and she was free to masturbate only when she wanted to.

And today? She very much wanted to.

She opened the drawer, grabbing her magic wand and stretching the power cord to the outlet behind her bed. Next, she reached between her legs, delicately repositioning her sex until it pointed up towards her bellybutton. The feel of her soft hands excited her, and her breath quickened in anticipation.

She pulled her wand closer, sliding it beneath the sheets, but she didn’t turn it on yet. She wanted to take her time, to enjoy teasing herself before the real fun began. She ran her fingers over her thighs, drawing small circles in her sensitive skin before slowly creeping higher. She was still wearing her panties, they helped keep everything in place, and she playfully traced their edge, pretending she had a lover that was nervous to push further.

Next, her hands moved to her waist, where she hugged herself tight. Her fingernails lightly scratched her sides, and she bit her lip in appreciation of the feeling. Moving higher still, she pushed inside her loose shirt until she found her breasts. They were small, but her transition had made them delightfully sensitive.

Accidentally hitting her chest with a fridge door might not sound like a gender-affirming activity, but for Chloé it had been a moment of revelation. It had hurt like hell, though the pain had subsided when she’d pieced together what the pain meant. She had tits! They were sensitive! Needless to say, she’d shut herself in her room that night for some very excited experimentation.

As her fingers ran over her nipples, her thoughts happily returned to the present. Her body tingled at the feeling, and she spent a minute delicately tracing circles before giving in to temptation. She began to pinch herself, taking great care not to be too rough, and her back arched in appreciation. Her breath caught in her throat, and she even dared to let loose a small moan of pleasure. She lost track of time as she played with her nipples, her legs squeezing the dormant wand between them.

The pressure eventually grew too much, and she moved one hand away from her chest. It traveled down, finding the power button on her magic wand, then pushed it.

Pleasure immediately shot through Chloé’s body. The head of the wand was sitting lower, against the base of her shaft, and the vibrations felt amazing. Though she was more sensitive in other areas, this was the perfect place to begin playing with herself. In its current position, the wand was stimulating her with deep, slow, rumbling movements. Not enough to drive her crazy, but enough to set the stage for the excitement to come.

While one hand continued to pinch and tease her nipples, the other began stroking her shaft. Only light movements, using a couple fingers to carefully massage the top half of her sex.

In the before times, masturbation had been quick, messy, and brutish. There had been no incentive to take her time, or to bother learning about her body; not when she frequently needed to take care of herself multiple times a day. Now, the process felt more akin to making love, and she relished the chance to tenderly coax her pleasure out.

It was finally time for more, she was thoroughly worked up. She stopped massaging herself, then grabbed the wand and pulled it higher. She moaned again, louder, as the soft head of the toy made contact with the soft head of her sex. The sensation was almost too much, and she pushed the wand down an inch. This was the perfect spot, and she repositioned her grip to make sure her excited squirming wouldn’t throw the wand out of position.

Her hips began thrusting, eager to feel the vibrations that coursed through her body. Her offhand, still teasing and pinching her nipples, began to squeeze harder. Almost a little too hard, but now that she was worked up, the intensity felt amazing.

She clicked a button on the wand, and the vibrations doubled in speed. Chloé’s eyes rolled back in her head, and her hips twitched involuntarily from the increased pleasure. Her entire body joined in next, eagerly surfing the vibrations of the wand as the increased intensity took command. Her breath grew ragged, her moans turning into gasps as she begged for release. She danced with the vibrations for nearly a minute before the sensation proved too much for her.

When she came, everything froze. She held her breath, scared to release it and spoil the moment. Her hips stopped thrusting, her thighs squeezed tight as if worried her orgasm might escape before its time. Pleasure raced through her, starting at her sex, then surging through every nerve and fiber in her being. She threw her head back, her back arched, and moaned quietly to herself.

After the initial pleasure, the orgasm continued its rounds, circulating through her body over and over. Her toes curled, her legs bent, her core tensed and released as she continued gasping excitedly.

When she finally released her hold on her breasts, as the orgasm began to fade from her body, she reached further down to tenderly cradle her wand. She clicked a button, and the vibrations quieted somewhat. She kept her eyes closed, focusing on the afterglow of her climax, then slowly worked the wand further down to keep reducing its intensity. Before long, her body had relaxed entirely, her breath was quiet, and she turned the wand off entirely.

Releasing her grip on the toy, she moved her hands to her head and pushed the hair from her eyes. With a deep breath, she stretched her arms out, and sat up.

“Wow. Fuck, I needed that,” Chloé said.

With her head now clear, and the passion gone from her system, she put her wand away and headed for the bathroom to get ready. Within the hour, she was sitting down to take the only final she had scheduled today.

The exam passed quickly enough, and she felt good about her performance. Even better, with the test now over, she was officially halfway through her week. She could spend the rest of today relaxing and, after two more days of finals, winter break would officially begin. As she left Brandt Hall, she thought about what she wanted to do with her long break.

Aurelius University had a fairly generous holiday break, giving students four entire weeks to spend at home with their loved ones. Or, in Chloé’s case, hidden away in her dorm while continually trying to convince her family that she definitely didn’t have a choice to come home for the break.

Chloé had never fit in with her family, even before she discovered she was a woman. They had always made her feel small and insignificant, like her ideas didn’t matter to them. She wasn’t a person with thoughts and opinions, she was an object that needed to do as it was told to maintain the appearance of a happy family. She had taught herself to stay hidden, to bury her feelings out of fear that a neighbor or relative might turn the community against her.

As she grew older, she began to understand how hateful her hometown was. Although they preached love and acceptance, their actions were designed to uphold an existing status quo. Chloé’s growing interest in queer communities, and her desire to give the disenfranchised a helping hand, forced her even deeper into hiding.

College had been a fresh start. A chance to present the real her, a proud trans woman that wanted to organize charity efforts. To this day, she was still amazed at how accepting everyone had been. Her closest friends, Amara, Tessa, and Vee had met their Freshman year in a class designed to help new students acclimate to college life. They’d been enthusiastic about her charity efforts, they’d encouraged her to go out and meet new people, and through them, Chloé had started to develop a sense of pride in her identity.

She wasn’t looking forward to losing them over Winter Break.

Although, they’re barely here now…

The last month or so had been tough for Chloé. Amara and Vee had gotten in a fight over Nick, then Vee had gotten hurt in that house fire. When she returned, she’d still been mad at Amara, and the group was still recovering. Chloé didn’t really understand all the social drama, and she was scared about losing her friends. Her hope was that, after the break, everything would be better.

At the moment, Chloé was walking across the Quad to head back to her dorm. Her train of thought was interrupted by the voice of a stranger speaking up.

“Hi, excuse me? You’re Chloé, right?” the voice said.

Startled, Chloé looked up from the ground and into the big, bright eyes of this new person. She had very dark skin, and her thick, curly hair sat collected atop her head. “Oh, yes, that’s me. I’m sorry, have we met before? I’m bad at remembering faces.”

The stranger smiled and shook her head. “Nope! This is our first time meeting, but we have some mutual friends, and I’ve seen you around a few times. My name’s Naomi!”

Chloé shook Naomi’s hand before quickly putting her own back in her coat pocket. “It’s nice to meet you, Naomi. What friends do we have in common?”

“Mostly Tessa. She and I have hooked up a few times.”

“That certainly sounds like her! Did you, um, need something? I was just on my way home, but you can walk with me if you like.”

“I was actually hoping you could help me out with a project of mine. I’m majoring in Investigative Journalism, and I wanted to write a piece about cult mentality. I’m going around campus interviewing everyone I can to try and piece together how something like this cult gets started, and what drives people to join in.”

“Oh, of course! I’d love to help you out!” Chloé smiled, always eager for a chance to give more students a voice.

“I’ll also be recording this, just a heads up. So, first question: Did you know Brandon Nowak?” Naomi asked. As she started her questioning, she pulled out her phone and clicked a button.

Chloé shook her head. “Doesn’t sound familiar. Was he in the cult?”

Naomi gave her a curious look. “He was, yeah. You really don’t know who he was? At various points the last few months, he was stalking both Amara and Tessa. They never mentioned him?”

“Oh, the stalker! I’d heard about him, but I guess I never caught his name. I only learned about that a few days ago, honestly.”

“Hm. Interesting.” Naomi typed something in her phone, then continued. “Did you know any of the other people involved? Professor Luxnor, Mark Summers, Chris Miller?”

“Sorry, nothing. I’m not the most sociable person and, like I said, I’m bad with faces even when I try.”

“There’s no need to apologize! I’m not looking for anything in particular here. Next question: Have you noticed any odd behavior the last week or so? Ever since this news broke?”

Chloé paused, not fully understanding the question. “Um, no? I thought you were asking about the cult.”

“I’m looking into cult mentality, primarily, but also the effects cults can have in a larger community. What about Amara, Tessa, and Vee, have they been acting any differently recently?”

“Not at all!” Chloé said. “I mean, Amara and Vee are sick and missing all their exams, which sucks. I guess Tessa and Nick have been pretty distracted too, but they’re trying to help Amara and Vee out, plus it's finals week, so it makes sense that they’d be a little distracted.”

“Have you talked to Amara or Vee recently?”

“I… no, I haven’t. I’ve been texting them, but they haven’t texted back. But they’re sick! They need to rest, and it’s okay that they’re not responding.”

Naomi paused again, seemingly lost in thought about something. Before Chloé could try to piece together what her face meant, she started talking again. “Alright, this next question is a little odd, so I apologize in advance if I upset you. Do you think there’s a chance they could be hiding anything from you?”

“Absolutely not! We’ve been super close ever since school started last year, and they’re my closest friends!” Chloé was talking much faster now, eager to defend everyone. “Why would you even think that?”

“It’s just, when I started looking into this, Amara’s name came up a few times. She’s been pretty popular recently, so people tend to pay attention to her when she’s around. But, when I was talking to her about the cult, what she told me didn’t make sense compared to everything else I’d heard. Then I talked to Tessa, and the same thing happened. I like to think I’m pretty good at reading people, and they both seemed pretty nervous about something.”

“So, what, you come to me hoping I’ll rat them out?” Chloé caught herself off guard with her comment. She hated being confrontational, but hearing Naomi accuse her friends of lying didn’t sit right with her.

“It’s not like that! I’m just confused, and I’m trying to piece together what’s going on. Plus, after all the media outlets that were here last week, it’s not exactly surprising that people are tired of talking about the cult. Look, I’m probably way off base about this, and I’m sorry I upset you, I really am.”

“My friends are good people, Naomi. Things have been a little tough, yes, but there was some drama between Amara and Vee. I think they’re still trying to work things out, and we’ve all been a little on edge, that’s all.”

“Again, I really didn’t mean anything by it. Look, I’ll let you get back to your day, I’ve got everything I need.” Naomi started to walk away, then briefly paused to look back at Chloé. “Though, if you hear anything, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to listen.”

With the conversation over, Chloé found herself alone with her thoughts once again. She was upset that Naomi had suggested her friends might be lying to her, and in her bad mood, she didn’t feel like going home anymore. She continued thinking about all of Naomi’s strange questions, and eventually an idea popped into her head. Instead of heading back to her dorm, she switched directions to start walking towards Amara’s apartment.

Thankfully, it was a short walk. There were quite a few apartment blocks close to campus, with Vee and Amara even living on the same street. Within minutes, Chloé found herself in the hallway outside of Amara’s apartment. She raised her hand and knocked quietly, hoping she wasn’t disturbing Amara while she was resting.

A minute passed, then two more. Chloé tried knocking again, louder this time, and called out. “Amara? It’s Chloé, I just wanted to come check on you.”

More silence.

Maybe she’s asleep? Tessa didn’t say what Amara was sick with, I only know it’s the third time this semester. Although, thinking back, she always seems fantastic when I see her. She must bounce back from illnesses really fast.

She knocked a third time “Amara? Are you holding up okay? Is there anything I can get for you?”

Why isn’t she answering? Is she really that sick?

Chloé pulled out her phone, checking her texts. Still nothing from Amara, or from Vee. A small part of her was starting to worry, but she shook her head to dislodge the thought.

No, Tessa and Nick have been helping both of them out. They’re just exhausted from being sick, that’s all.

With a heavy sigh, Chloé walked away from Amara’s apartment and started heading home.

She missed her friends. She missed sleepovers, eating lunch with everybody, and hearing about all their passion projects. The last few days, she’d only been getting lunch with Nick and Tessa, and they’d both seemed incredibly distracted. Almost like they were in a rush to leave. Chloé hated to think it, and she felt bad even entertaining the notion, but a part of her wondered.

Could they be hiding something?

---

For the second morning in a row, Amara woke up on Vee’s couch. It was, in a way, more strange to be in this house than it was to be in Purgatory. They had known the planes were going to be acting strange, but Vee? The girl that had tried to kill her, then swore that they would never be friends? Now Amara was practically living with her.

Even stranger, Vee had even been somewhat nice these last two days. Yesterday, after the fight with that strange beast, she’d started asking about Amara’s abilities. Was it genuine interest? Or was she just trying to strategize about their escape?

What even was that creature? It passed through walls like a ghost, but I was able to punch it easily enough.

With a groan, Amara stood up and started stretching. She was a little sore from the fight yesterday, and it didn’t help that her wings were cramping from sleeping on the couch. Making sure she was in the middle of the room, she opened her wings as wide as she could and started moving through her standard routine.

She’d been a demon long enough to have a strong understanding of her body, and had designed a series of stretches that helped her wings and tail wake up. The most interesting thing about her demonic limbs, in her opinion, was how flexible they were. After twenty years of living with a standard human body, she’d grown accustomed to limbs that only bent in specific directions. Her tail, in contrast, had full mobility in every direction, and was completely prehensile. Her wings were more limited, likely due to their complex bone structure, but not by much.

She was in the middle of a somewhat elaborate stretch when she heard Vee leave her bedroom. When Amara looked up, she saw Vee standing in the hallway, staring back at her.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Vee said, looking away quickly.

Amara rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m masturbating; it’s just stretching. The couch is comfy but hell on my wings.”

There was an awkward pause, then Vee cleared her throat and walked to the kitchen. She rummaged through the fridge, throwing together a makeshift breakfast before sitting at the counter. Amara continued stretching for a few more minutes until everything felt loose and limber, then moved to the kitchen to join Vee.

“So, what’s the plan today?” Amara asked.

“Well, our only real lead is the circle under Lysander Hall. If we assume that Tessa is looking for us, she’s bound to go there eventually, right? We could probably just wait there until we hear something, but then we risk running into that creature again.”

“What if we sought the creature out? If we can figure out why it’s here, what it wants, we might be able to figure out how to avoid it.” Amara took a quick pause to eat, then continued. “I’d say we should try to kill it, but I don’t know if that’s possible. I mean, if it lives in Purgatory, it’s probably already dead, right?”

After a moment of contemplation, Vee spoke up. “I’m not against that, honestly. I’d rather face it out in the open than in another cramped hallway. It’s strange that we both spent an entire day exploring campus, but didn’t find that thing until yesterday.”

“Great! We’ll finish eating, then head out!” Amara went back to shoveling food in her mouth, and soon enough they’d both finished eating.

Vee returned to her room and changed into a new outfit, the new clothes looking even warmer than what she’d worn yesterday. She didn’t bother offering any clothes to Amara this time, and when she was finished, the girls left the apartment.

Amara was growing annoyed at how bland everything was. The campus looked exactly the same as it did yesterday, with absolutely no indicators that time had passed since they had returned home. Her thoughts wandered to stories of spelunkers that spent days underground, returning to the surface to find their circadian rhythms completely disrupted. Would that happen to her? Could there be any more dangerous effects to hopping between planes?

She didn’t particularly want to think about it. She was thrilled that her demonic side protected her from the cold of Purgatory, but there were other side effects of traveling through interplanar portals. She remembered Brandon’s last moments, desperately fighting to avoid falling through a portal, only to have his hand severed when the portal closed on it.

A shiver ran through her body, not from the cold, but from the thought of a portal slicing part of her off.

Eager to think of something else, she returned to something more light-hearted; she was determined to figure out Vee’s name, but was running out of names that began with V.

“Okay, what if it’s something weird?” Amara said.

“What, the creatures? They’re pretty strange already, don’t you think?”

“No, like, all my previous guesses have been normal names, but now that I think about it, you probably wouldn’t be ashamed of your name if it was something normal.”

Vee groaned, clearly annoyed by Amara’s persistence. “Ugh, can you just drop it already?”

“Maybe it’s some strange, new-age thing. What about Vengeance? That would be fitting. Wait! I’ve got it!” Amara ran in front of Vee, stopping her in her tracks as she excitedly kept talking. “Vee for Vendetta!”

Amara expected another frustrated groan, but instead, Vee just looked down at the ground. She was strangely quiet, and when she finally responded, her voice was soft and timid. “Why are you doing this?”

“What? I’m just curious about your name. You could stop this at any time,” Amara said.

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it!” Vee said, her voice growing louder. “Ever since we got here, you’ve been insufferable! You’re horribly rude, you insult me constantly, and you ignore all requests to stop! What is your problem?!”

“I’m sorry, MY problem?!” Amara met Vee’s escalation, and was now yelling back at her. “My problem is that, two months ago, I started turning into a demon with no fucking clue what was happening to me! And then, before I have the slightest idea what’s going on, one of my best friends decides she wants to fucking kill me! No questions, no conversations, just a quick monologue before you’re trying to shove a sword through my heart!”

“I-I didn’t know—”

“You never tried, Vee! And you know what? I was on your side for weeks! Every time Tessa blamed you for that fight, I defended you. I bent over backwards to try and see your side of things, to give you the benefit of the doubt, because I thought you were right. I spent weeks begging for forgiveness, trying to talk to you, and what happens when you return to campus? You insult me, throw me into your wards, and shoot me in the back!”

Amara stepped closer, jamming a finger into Vee’s chest as she kept shouting. “You’re the one that attacked me! You’re the one avoiding me! You’re the one that swore, to my face, that you didn’t want to be friends anymore! You don’t get to turn around now and complain that I’m being rude to you, Vee, because I’m giving you exactly what you asked for!”

“I never said I didn’t want to be friends!” Vee said.

“So now you’re a liar? Or are you just delusional?”

“I said we couldn’t be friends! Not that I didn’t want to be!” Vee paused, breathing heavily as the shouting match came to a sudden halt. They glared at each other briefly before Amara responded, her words quiet with surprise.

“Wait, do you want to be friends, Vee?”

“Of course I do! I miss you, Amara; you were my best friend. I trusted you with everything! When I learned you were lying about so much, it broke me.”

Amara hesitated, trying to process Vee’s words. “Except you were lying too. Were you ever going to tell me you were an angel?” she asked.

“I… no, I wasn’t. I’ve known I was an angel for as long as I can remember, and the Church told me over and over that I had to keep my identity a secret. If people find out who I am, they stop seeing me as human. I’m suddenly a means to an end; a thing to worship, threaten, and bribe. All they see is what I represent, not who I am.”

Amara’s voice nearly broke as she responded. “Yeah, I wonder what that’s like.”

Vee's eyes went wide. Her mouth opened, attempting to say something, but no sound left her lips. Amara continued talking instead.

“Yes, I’m angry, Vee. I’m angry at you, I’m angry at that stupid cult, I’m angry at the entire fucking world. Do you know how many people have tried to rape me in the last two months alone? Four! And the last three succeeded because I was hungry! I begged them to do it because I needed them to think they were in control, but I was just using them; they were nothing but prey to me. We’re alive right now because I accepted who I was, I embraced the monster everyone thinks I am.”

Amara’s breathing was starting to slow. This entire conversation had caught her by surprise, and she didn’t fully understand what might happen next.

“I don’t think that anymore, Amara,” Vee whispered.

“Well you should.” Amara looked up, her eyes lingering on Vee's scars. “I do. Every time I look at you, I’m reminded how easy it is for me to hurt people.”

“What, my scars? I'm the one that almost died, Amara!”

“You think I don't know that? That I don't see what's happening to me?!” Amara hesitated, scared to continue talking. “Something changed the night of the ritual, Vee. Maybe it was the gangbang, or the fight, or being next to an open portal to hell, but it's so much harder to fight my instincts. When I woke up here and found you, I only remembered that you’d been avoiding me all week. So, I thought, okay, if you want us to be enemies, then fine. I'd rather be that than strangers.”

“That’s really what you thought? That I wanted you to insult and demean me?”

“Wouldn’t it be easier? If I turn out to be a malicious, soul-sucking demon, that means you were right. No complicated moral questions, no begging for forgiveness; you get to sleep peacefully knowing the world makes sense. And… and I wouldn’t have any of this guilt.” Amara turned away from Vee, staring up into the lifeless Purgatory sky. A tear fell down her cheek, and she quickly burned it away.

“I don’t want to live in that world,” Vee said, stepping closer. “Not if it means giving up on you. I didn’t save your life to settle a score, I did it because I believed you were trying to be better, but now? This isn’t the Amara I saved.”

Amara wasn’t sure what to say. Before she could piece together her thoughts, Vee spoke up again. “You know what? When we found each other in Purgatory, I was honestly a little happy.”

“Happy to what, spend time with me? You’ve been avoiding me ever since the ritual!”

“Yes! I want to see you, but I’m scared, Amara! My powers don’t work like yours; they’re given to me by an angelic Patron. That’s what I meant when I said we couldn’t be friends; Heaven won’t allow it. What happens if my Patron looks down from Heaven and sees us happily eating lunch together? Do I lose my powers? My life? I have no idea!”

“You seriously think Heaven would kill you for eating lunch with me? I thought they were the good guys?”

“It’s not that simple. I was born because my Patron needed another agent on Earth. How do I know that my magic isn’t the only thing keeping me alive?” Vee’s voice wavered, her fear more than obvious.

Listening to Vee’s words, something finally clicked in Amara’s mind.

She’s just as scared and confused as I am.

“Vee, I—”

“LOOK OUT!” Vee shouted, interrupting Amara before immediately tackling her to the ground. Above them, exactly where Amara’s head had been a moment earlier, a massive ghostly jaw snapped shut.

The ground shook as another horrible creature landed a few feet in front of them. Its huge talons dug into the ground, and its skeletal body swung behind it until it faced Vee and Amara directly. It loosed an ear-piercing scream, the multiple discordant voices forcing the girls to cover their ears.

The creature took a step closer, then raised a claw and tried to slash at them. Before the swipe found them, however, Vee had rolled off of Amara, freeing the demon to jump to her feet and manifest her chitinous gauntlets. She grabbed the creature’s claw to block the attack, and while she skidded backwards slightly, she was able to stop the beast’s momentum. Amara grunted, then manifested more chitinous armor around her feet, turning them into sharpened talons of her own. They dug into the ground, and with the extra stability, she was able to push the creature back.

Amara was furious. Though she had no idea what was happening between her and Vee, they’d finally started talking. She channeled her anger, loosing a scream of her own before grabbing the creature’s claw to use it as leverage. Using her wings, she jumped forward and threw the creature to the ground, causing it to roar in frustration.

From Amara’s side, Vee ran closer with her sword ready. She moved with incredible speed, slashing at the beast repeatedly as she tried to find a vulnerable spot. “This fucking thing is all bones! We need to brute force it!” she yelled.

Before Amara could respond, the beast’s tail whipped towards her. It struck her side, knocking her to the ground, and she shouted a series of expletives as pain shot through her. She watched Vee evade a swipe from the monster’s wing, forcing her to break off her assault to retreat to safety.

With Vee now out of the way, Amara decided she was sick of holding back. Whatever this thing was, it wanted them dead, and it was time to return the favor. Her chitinous gauntlets erupted in flame, and she charged the beast. It seemed ready for her attack and tried to stop her movement with one of its massive claws, but Vee appeared at the last moment to deflect the attack. The angel grunted in pain, and Amara smelled a hint of blood.

With rage in her eyes, and the gap now closed, Amara jumped at the beast’s head and slammed her fist into its skull. At the moment of impact, the fire concentrated around her gauntlet exploded, and Amara felt the bone snap.

The attack clearly shook the beast, and it began staggering as it tried to keep its balance. Amara had clearly wounded it; an intricate web of cracks had appeared in the creature’s skull. Amara was kneeling on the ground, trying to catch her breath, when the creature turned away from her and began to run. It spread its wings, and with a heavy push, it leapt off the ground.

“Amara! It’s getting away, fly after it!” Vee shouted.

Amara nodded, then broke into a sprint as she chased after the creature. Her own wings opened, spreading as wide as they could, and she jumped into the sky. They kept beating, carrying her higher as she closed the distance. She was clearly the faster of the two, and she reached for the creature’s tail to try and force it to the ground.

As she reached for the beast, the heat from her gauntlets began to intensify. It surrounded her, and the creature’s pale body started to grow blurry. It began to blur with the rest of the painfully dull sky, and soon all Amara could see was a wall of gray smoke in front of her. She was now surrounded by a raging inferno of hellfire, and Vee’s voice began to echo in her head.

“Amara… please…”

She grabbed her head, trying to block out the image, but it was too late. She felt her hands around Vee’s neck, squeezing the life out of her, and Amara screamed as she tried to stop herself. She plummeted from the sky, her body going limp before she slammed back to the ground.

The pain of the fall was negligible to the pain of her memories. She was trying to shut her eyes as hard as she could, hoping to force out the specter of what she’d almost done.

Something grabbed her shoulder, rolling her onto her back. “Amara! Amara, are you okay?!”

Vee’s not dead, she’s here with you.

The sound of Vee’s voice cut through Amara’s memories, and when she opened her eyes, the fires of their fight had vanished. Her chitinous armor had disappeared, but she could still see Vee’s terrified face. Except Vee was alive and healthy now, instead terrified of losing her. Vee pulled Amara closer, onto her lap, and quickly pushed the hair from her face. “Amara, are you hurt? Fuck, say something!”

Amara coughed. “Vee? Fucking… ow. What happened?”

“You tell me! It seemed like you’d almost caught up to that thing when you, like, froze up? You grabbed your head, screamed, and fell to the ground!”

Amara tried to get up, then immediately fell back into Vee’s lap as the pain from her fall caught up to her. “Shit, fuck, that stings.”

“Hey, don’t push yourself, that was a nasty fall. You did scare that thing away, at least, so we’re safe for now.”

Hoping the pain would recede shortly, Amara tried to relax. Her breath was still erratic from her flashback, and she tried to breathe deep to calm her nerves. In for two, out for four. After a minute, the tension began to leave her body. A stray thought crossed her mind, and she started chuckling to herself.

“What is it?” Vee asked.

“Just a few minutes ago we were screaming our heads off at each other, and now I’m laying in your lap like we’re besties again. Crazy what a monster attack will do, right?”

After a brief pause, a smile broke on Vee’s face. “Well... don’t get used to it, Hellspawn. We’re mortal enemies, aren’t we?”

Amara initially flinched as Vee called her Hellspawn, but quickly sensed that something had changed. Every other time Vee had said it, the name had been laced with hatred. Now, coupled with Vee’s soft voice, and her almost playful smile, Amara swore it sounded somewhat affectionate.

“Right, of course. Destined to fight for all eternity and all that. Anyways, I’m feeling better, any chance you could help me up, Vengeance?” Amara almost regretted her choice of words, but she caught a hint of a smirk on Vee’s face as the angel shifted her arm.

“Honestly? I don’t think I’d mind if my name were Vengeance. It’s pretty badass.” Vee reached behind Amara’s back, holding her steady to help her up. Soon, both girls were on their feet again, and Amara took a deep breath. She carefully took a step forward, then immediately regretted her decision; another burst of pain shot through her side, exactly where the creature had hit her. Thankfully, Vee reached out and grabbed her arm, then put a hand around her waist. “Alright, you’re not walking home on your own. Put your arm around my shoulder, and let’s get out of here.”

Although frustrated that she wasn’t healing at her normal pace, Amara wasn’t going to argue about the assistance offered. She leaned against Vee, and the two started walking back towards their tiny pocket of the real world.

The girls stayed quiet for several minutes, the only thing breaking the silence the sound of Vee’s shoes on the cold concrete. Amara began thinking about that creature, reviewing the fight in her head as she tried to glean more information from the encounter. “You think those things are mad because we’re alive? Maybe they’re just trying to uphold some kind of deathly balance here in Purgatory.”

“What, like they’re grim reapers or something?”

“Shit, even if I’m wrong, I’m going to start calling them Reapers, that sounds cool as fuck. Although, we don’t know if there are multiple of them, do we? We’ve only seen one at a time so far.”

Vee shifted her grip, her hand sliding slightly higher. “I’ve been assuming multiple, but yeah, it’s just a hunch so far.”

Before Amara responded, she found herself fixating on Vee’s hand. As Amara was only wearing her pajamas, her waist was exposed, and Vee was touching bare skin. It was such a simple act, but Vee hadn’t hesitated to offer her assistance. Unfortunately, the angel's soft touch made Amara painfully aware of how long it had been since she’d last had sex. “They’re fucking disgusting, right? Covered in gross, dripping skin, with their stupid vulture-y bodies. Vulture-like? Vulturic? What’s the right word?”

“I think it’s vulturous, but it’s not like I can check without any internet.”

“That’s stupid, vulturic sounds way cooler.”

The two girls made slow progress, but the trip home was surprisingly enjoyable. They talked about the strange, vulturic monsters they kept attacking them, and about what food Vee still had at home. It wasn’t a groundbreaking conversation, but for the first time since Halloween, they were talking.

By the time they arrived back in Vee’s apartment, Amara already felt much better. The pain had mostly receded, and while she was still sore, she was able to walk on her own. She happily moved to Vee’s living room, then promptly sprawled out all her limbs on the floor. “Ohhhh fuck, it feels so good to lie down. That reaper’s tail really nailed me, and I’m sure the fall didn’t help.”

After grabbing a heavy fleece blanket, Vee sat on the couch closer to Amara’s head and wrapped herself tight. “I’d offer to heal you, but…”

“Yeah, we both know that wouldn’t end well.” Amara sat up, groaning in pain the whole time, then began stretching out her wings. “Still, I’m pretty tough. You should have seen some of the hits Mr. Wellington landed on me.”

Vee didn’t answer. When Amara looked over to her, she noticed that the angel’s eyes were locked on her wings, following them as Amara stretched them out. “What’s it like?” Vee asked.

“What?”

“Flying.” Vee pulled her blanket even tighter.

Amara paused, unsure what to say. “Oh, it’s… it’s fine.” She looked down at the floor, avoiding Vee’s gaze.

“Amara, come on. This only works if we talk to each other.” Vee’s words were surprisingly vulnerable, almost as if she were pleading for an answer.

Silence filled the room. Flying was a huge sore spot for Amara, but she could tell that Vee was trying to have an earnest conversation. With a deep breath, followed by an equally heavy sigh, Amara started talking.

“I can’t fly.”

“What? Amara, I’ve seen you fly with my own eyes. You flew away after our fight on Halloween, and you flew after that reaper.”

Amara looked up at Vee, then turned to face her. “Look, I said this earlier, but I don’t know what’s happening to me. When this whole transformation started, I was alone and terrified.”

“Nick was there, wasn’t he?”

“I mean, yeah, but he wasn’t turning into a demon. There was only so much he could do to keep me calm. Anyways, over the first few weeks, changes kept appearing. First my tail, then my horns. Then I started getting hornier and hornier, then learned that I literally needed sex to function. I hated every step of the process, and Nick saw that.”

“I talked with him a few weeks back. He said he tried to push you into accepting it all, didn’t he?” Vee asked.

Amara nodded. “At some point, I found out Tessa was a witch, and I got really self-conscious. She had cool magic powers, and could read all those runes in the circles, while all I had was a tail and a monstrous libido. Nick decided he wanted to cheer me up, because he could tell I was bummed about it all.”

Vee shifted in her seat, leaning closer. “What did he do?”

“He borrowed a key from a friend and snuck me into the Gymnastics building after hours. See, while I’d been focusing on what I couldn’t do, he had been noticing changes that I hadn’t. He made me try a bunch of stuff, and I finally saw what he meant. I was stronger, faster, and my tail was completely prehensile. It gives me near-perfect balance, and it’s strong enough that I can hang from it! That was the night I finally started seeing this whole demon puberty in a new light.”

Vee giggled to herself. “Demon puberty, I like that.”

“Anyways, flight had been a pretty big sticking point for me. After I saw what Tessa could do, I started wondering if I might get wings at some point. I mean, how cool would it be to fly? So, after all our training, Nick and I hooked up, and my wings appeared. I was so excited! They were huge, they felt super strong, and I just knew I’d be able to fly with them. We were still in the Gymnastics building, so I ran up to the observer deck and jumped off.”

“You did not! That’s so reckless!”

“Well, yeah. I managed to glide for a bit but crashed pretty quickly. I spent the rest of the night figuring out how my wings worked, and after an hour or so, I figured it out. I jumped up into the air, and I flew. But I was still inside, and it felt like riding a bike with training wheels on. The air was still, I couldn’t go more than a few dozen feet up, and there just wasn’t any freedom in it. After that night, every single time I was outside, I stared up at the sky and dreamed about what flying might feel like. I used to sit on my roof, wings out, just to feel the wind run across them.”

“That sounds wonderful, honestly.” Vee moved even closer, sliding down to the floor to sit across from Amara. “What happened next?”

“You know what happened next, it was Halloween. I don’t think I need to go over that for you.”

“Wait, Halloween was the first time you flew outside?”

“The first time. And it was terrible. My eyes were filled with smoke, emergency sirens drowned out my thoughts, and all I wanted to do was escape what had just happened. I mean, for fuck’s sake, I almost killed you, Vee! To this day, I can still feel your blood running down my hands, and I see the look on your face while you begged for your life!” Amara was openly crying now and had no energy to burn her tears away. “I didn’t even know if you’d survived! You weren’t answering my texts, no one heard anything from you, I thought I’d killed you, Vee! And before you say anything, yes, I know how fucking selfish I’m being. You’re the one that almost died, but I’m the one breaking down over here.”

Amara stopped talking, and instead tried to focus on wiping the tears from her face. She flinched in surprise when, instead of saying something, Vee reached out with her blanket and helped dry Amara’s face. “I want to hear this, Amara. Yes, that night was hard for me too, but I want to understand what happened.”

After another deep breath, Amara found the strength to continue. “That’s mostly it. Ever since that night, whenever I try to fly, I flash back to Halloween. I remember what I did, hear you begging for your life, and I crash down to the ground.”

Vee went quiet again. Amara had no idea what to expect, as she’d always assumed Vee wouldn’t want to hear any of this. Would she be mad? Furious at Amara’s hypocrisy? Amara was practically holding her breath as she waited for a response. The silence was agonizing, but after a minute, Vee spoke up again.

“Part of me wants to be mad at you, Amara. Yes, you almost killed me that night, but I trained my entire life to fight demons; being killed by one would be the least surprising way to die. I said this before, but what hurt the most was the betrayal, the thought that my best friend had turned into a demon and decided to ruin my life simply because of what I was. When I left the Palace that night, clinging to life in the back of an ambulance, I wasn’t afraid. I was confused.”

Amara sniffed, then rubbed her eyes quickly. “I don’t understand, Vee.”

“All I know is the Church, Amara. I lived my entire life thinking I understood everything about not just the world, but all of creation. I know what happens when we die, I know that angels are real, all I have to do is protect humanity from evil. I spent years training, learning everything I could about the different types of demons, but one thing was always stressed above all else: demons are heartless, ruthless, soulless monsters. They will not hesitate to kill, and always pick the path of greatest misery. Except you didn’t, Amara. Not only did you not kill me, but you saved my life in the end.”

“The confusing thing was that I didn’t kill you?” Amara asked.

“I mean, yeah. For weeks, I didn’t know what it meant. Was it a trick? Did you have a secret, even more terrifying fate in store for me? According to the Church, that was the only explanation. Then, after weeks of you texting me, I return to campus to see that you’d cleaned up the Palace. Why? Why would a demon raise money for charity? The simplest answer was also the most impossible; you felt bad about what happened.”

“Is that really so hard to believe?”

“Amara, if I had accepted that you genuinely felt bad about that night, that would mean accepting that the Church was wrong about demons. But how could the Church be wrong? My existence is literally ordained by God, what does it mean if it’s all a lie?”

“Vee, I… fuck, I had no idea. I thought you were just mad because I almost killed you, I didn’t realize it was so much more than that.”

“Then, in the middle of all my confusion, you showed up asking for help with the cult. I was hesitant to believe you, but ultimately, I knew I needed to try and stop even more demons from being summoned.” Vee was pulling her blanket as tight as she could, even burying her chin in the fleece.

“I’ll admit, I didn’t even think about how hypocritical it all sounded until Tessa told me what you two talked about. Asking you to stop those demons but leave me alone.”

“It was really fucking confusing, Amara. I was scared it might be a ploy to, I dunno, steal my soul, or offer me up as sacrifice to an even bigger demon in a bid for power. Every step of the way, though, the most obvious answer was that you were genuinely trying to work with me. I finally decided to trust you, and, well, you know the rest.”

A question sat on the tip of Amara’s tongue, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to be insensitive, or push Vee too far, but she finally decided to speak up. “What about now? How do you feel about the Church?”

Vee stayed quiet, burying herself even further in her cocoon. When she eventually responded, her voice was quiet, muted by the blankets “I don’t know, and that scares the shit out of me.”

Although she had no idea if it was a good idea or not, Amara slowly reached out and placed her hand on Vee’s arm. “Vee, I’m scared too. I don’t know what being a demon means, and I’m barely holding on. I think that’s why I let my anger get the best of me. I’m sorry I’ve been so nasty these last few days, and… I want to try and be better. To make this work.”

After a slow nod, Vee spoke up again. “There’s still a lot I need to unpack, and it’s not like this conversation is going to fix everything overnight. I really appreciate you opening up to me, but I need time to think.”

“How about I make us some food, and we’ll talk about something stupid and pointless until we go to sleep.” Amara pulled her hand back, smiling at Vee.

“I’d like that. Something cold, please; you need to conserve your strength.”

Amara got up, took a deep breath, and headed for the kitchen. She had not been ready to have that conversation, yet somehow, she'd endured it.

Isn’t this what I’ve always wanted? A chance to explain everything to Vee? I think I just assumed it would never happen, yet here we are. Fuck, who would have thought being stranded in Purgatory would be a good thing.

After rummaging through the fridge and the cabinets, Amara threw together a halfway respectable dinner for the two of them. They sat on the floor, slowly eating as they tried to think of less serious things to talk about. In the end, they spent quite a bit of the night talking about school and complaining about how they were missing finals week.

Amara, although she did her best to hide this fact from Vee, noticed that her sense of taste had vanished. She wasn’t the slightest bit hungry, and had only suggested making food as a way to lighten the mood and do something nice. She forced down what little food she’d given herself, but it was about as enjoyable as chewing cardboard.

By the time they finished, and Amara had moved their plates back to the kitchen, Vee was standing up to go back to bed. As she gathered up her blanket, preparing to leave the living room, she took one last look around before pausing. “Oh, shit.”

“What is it?” Amara asked.

“My wards, the ones at the edge of the apartment, they’re burning out. Fuck!” Vee moved to a corner of the room and pointed out the fading Enochian Runes to Amara.

“Shit. What can we do about that?”

“That’s the thing, Amara, there’s nothing we can do. Normally I use my book to reinforce them, but that’s not an option. If I use my own power, there’s no way I’ll be able to fight the next time a reaper shows up. While they’ve still got some juice in them, if they crap out in the middle of the night, they won’t be able to keep the reapers out.”

“So, we’re fucked?”

“Well, not yet. I layered the wards in this place, and the outer wards are the weakest. However, that means…” Vee hesitated, struggling to finish her sentence. “Um, it means you’ll have to start sleeping in my room.”

“Oh, that’s not so bad. I was prepared for something way scarier,” Amara said. She looked at Vee, who seemed nervous for some reason, but gestured for her to lead the way.

Vee turned towards the hallway, and soon they were entering her bedroom. Amara had seen this room countless times back in the real world, but her presence here now had an unspoken significance to it. Things were still rocky between the two of them, but Amara was starting to feel like they’d taken the first steps to rebuilding their friendship.

She was also faced with a far more mundane problem, one that she hadn’t bothered thinking about until now. Vee lived in an apartment complex that mirrored Amara’s, and so their places were virtually identical. This meant that the bedroom, while not small, could only comfortably fit a single bed. As soon as this thought crossed Amara’s mind, she looked at Vee, who was clearly thinking the same thing. They both looked at Vee’s bed, pushed into a corner just like Amara’s, as the silence between them grew awkward.

“I’ll, uh, go grab my blankets and everything from the living room,” Amara said. “I’m more than happy to sleep on the floor. I don’t need the warmth, and then I’ll have plenty of space to spread my wings.”

“Right, uh, that sounds good.” Vee cleared her throat quickly. “Actually, let me come with you. We should move all the food, or else we’ll have to add starving to our list of problems.”

The girls walked back to the living room, and when they returned, they each had an armful of food and blankets. Vee pushed the food into a corner by the bed while Amara began spreading the blankets across the middle of the bedroom.

Neither girl said much as they both got ready for bed. Today had been incredibly strange, and Amara had a feeling they both wanted to do whatever they could to give themselves more time to think about everything they'd talked about. Amara set up a tiny nest on the floor, taking full advantage of the space by stretching out her wings, and made herself comfortable. She watched Vee do the same, but she was also piling her bed with more blankets than Amara had ever seen in her life.

They both settled in, said goodnight, and tried to find some rest.

Amara couldn’t stop thinking about their conversation in the living room. Had she not been incredibly sore from her fight earlier today, she guessed that conversation would have kept her up all night. Of course, it didn’t help that she could feel her body fading. This had been her third day without sex, and in addition to the loss of her taste, she could feel a similar apathy preparing to steal her ability to sleep. If nothing else, her sore body kept her focused, and she had a feeling she had at least one good night’s sleep in her.

As her eyes closed, her breathing calmed, and she felt the night start to take her, she heard a strange noise coming from Vee’s bed. Despite the massive pile of blankets, and the powerful Enochian Wards, Vee was shivering.

Chapter Text

Learning that Amara and Vee were stuck in Purgatory was both good news and bad news. Knowing where they were was helpful information, and it enabled Tessa to start throwing together a rescue plan. Unfortunately, of all the places to be stranded, Purgatory was one of the worst.

Tessa had spent quite a bit of time explaining this to Nick yesterday. Purgatory wasn’t just a place for ghosts and restless souls, it was a place of pure entropy. While most other planes were dangerous, many were made so only by the creatures that inhabited them. Purgatory, on the other hand, was inherently hostile to living creatures, regardless of other external threats. While there was no way to know how Purgatory would affect Amara and Vee’s supernatural bodies, there was no doubt this rescue mission had a timer attached to it.

At the moment, Tessa was sitting on her bed with a pile of notes scattered around her. Nick was on the floor, nervously shaking his leg, and occasionally asking questions or pitching ideas of his own. Tessa, for the most part, had been ignoring him.

“Can you at least tell me what our options are? I hate just sitting around doing nothing,” Nick complained.

“Isn’t that what you’ve always done? Let Amara do all the hard stuff while you just, I dunno, get a bunch of free sex?” Tessa said, not bothering to look up from her notes.

“I’ve always found ways to help! I was able to research Mr. Wellington, I threw together a schedule for everyone in the cult, stuff like that. Plus, early on, I was doing everything in my power to keep Amara from freaking out about her transformation.”

“And I’m glad you did! But, right now, the only way forward is to figure out a way to get them back. Now that we know they’re in Purgatory, the best shot we have is to reconfigure the Lysander Circle. It was originally crafted to keep Purgatory out, but the cult weakened it. Since the circle is already intimately tied to the plane, I should be able to rework its magic to create a bridge, but like I’ve said before, this is old and powerful magic. I need time to figure it out.”

“If the school is a giant soft spot, doesn’t that mean Purgatory is already overlapping with us?” Nick asked.

“I mean, yes, but it’s not that simple. If we weren’t on a soft spot, building a bridge would be impossible for me; I simply don’t have the skills. Thankfully, we have the soft spot, and we have an existing circle that’s already been calibrated for Purgatory. I also revisited the Ritual Circle earlier today; in a strange twist of fate, it’s proving quite useful right now. I was able to study how they repurposed the existing circle to make a portal, and I think I can do the same with the Lysander Circle.”

“But do you need, I don’t know, reagents? Materials?”

“Nick, when have you ever seen me use something like that? I’m not just smooshing together some eye of newt and asking very nicely to see Amara again. That’s not really how magic works unless your power comes from a Fae, or something similar. Most of the time, magic is just math, but it’s the boring kind of math where there’s more letters than numbers.”

Nick, who had previously been leaning against the wall, pivoted and laid down on the floor instead. “Ugh, okay, fine.”

Tessa shuffled more of her notes around, jotted down a few ideas, then sighed. It felt like she was hitting a mental block, there were obstacles in her way that just didn’t make sense. The notes from the Ritual Portal were helpful, but it was hard to know which runes were for Hell, and which ones were for building the bridge. When they’d been going up against the cult, this would be the point where she would mount Amara’s tail to take a break and shake things loose, and she could already feel a familiar tingle between her legs as she recalled how good Amara felt inside her.

Maybe it’s time for another attempt. At the end of the day, he’s still a guy, right? I’ve just got to figure out what he wants.

Setting down her pencil, Tessa slid to the floor until she was next to Nick. “Actually, you know what? There is something I could use your help with. I have trouble thinking when I’m distracted, and I’ve got an itch that won’t shut up.” As she talked, she pushed her hands on Nick’s chest, then straddled him. She pushed her ass against his crotch, briefly grinding against him in hopes of exciting him.

When she’d started speaking, Nick seemed genuinely interested in helping out, but as he figured out what she meant, he changed his tune. “I, um… look, Tess, I appreciate the offer, but I really don’t think—”

“Oh, come on,” Tessa groaned, “don’t give me that shit! You were fucking Amara like, every day for months, no matter what crazy shit she got up to. Why is that different?”

“She’s a succubus, Tess! If she’s not having sex, her body shuts down, it’s literally a matter of life and death for her!”

Tessa crawled off Nick, huffing as she finally vented her frustration. “I don’t believe that, Nick. At that party, when Amara threw herself at you, no one knew she was a succubus! You didn’t hesitate to take her to pound town then, so what’s the difference? Are you secretly in love with her? Do you not like chicks with short hair?”

Sitting up, Nick shifted further away from Tessa. “It’s nothing like that; Amara and I are just friends, and I want it to stay that way. And you’re very attractive, Tess, I promise.”

“Then what is it?” Tessa sat down on the floor, leaning up against her bed before looking at Nick again.

Nick sighed. “Look, I don’t like talking about it, but I don’t really feel arousal unless there’s a connection. With Amara, we’d been best friends for years, so we already had that bond.”

“Wait, you’re demi?” Tessa asked.

“Yeah, pretty much. And, despite all the time we’ve spent together, I feel like I don’t know anything about you. Do you have family? Why are you going to college? How do you feel about your magic? Why are you a witch? Every time I ask, you dodge my questions.”

Tessa paused, surprised by Nick’s confession. She’d always assumed he had hooked up with Amara because he was just another horny guy, secretly desperate to fuck his best friend. With this new information, everything suddenly made sense.

“You seriously don’t have feelings for her? I thought demi people needed romantic entanglement before they wanted to do anything.”

“I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m more than happy to be friends with benefits. I know everything about Amara, I know her hopes and dreams, I know what she’s afraid of, I know her feelings about her family. I love her to death, but as a friend, and that’s still enough to feel a sexual attraction.”

Silence filled the room, as Tessa had no idea what else to say. Sex was many things to her, but never a way to connect with someone emotionally. Sex was a way to blow off steam, a way to convince lovestruck idiots to do her homework. It was a Swiss army knife that she’d used hundreds of times to take control of her life in a hundred different ways. Now, faced with Nick’s unique approach to sex, Tessa had no choice but to dwell on an uncomfortable truth; sex was a way to prevent people from getting too close.

She hated thinking about it, even though she’d always known it was true. In the past, people had tried to get close to her, and she had learned that a quick fuck often enabled her to skip conversations about her past or her feelings. Men were particularly vulnerable to this; their desire to learn about your future aspirations often vanished when your tits came out.

So, what now? I either accept that Nick and I are never going to hook up, or I give him what he wants. Of course, the biggest reason to keep people away doesn’t apply here; he already knows about the world of magic, and he’s already balls deep in it.

“My parents were witches,” Tessa said quietly.

Nick looked up, surprise on his face, but stayed quiet. Did he want her to continue talking? The silence bothered her, especially after sharing something she’d never told anyone before.

“They were in a coven, and they had the same job as every other witch; keep magic a secret,” she continued.

“Is magic really that big a deal?” Nick asked.

“Power corrupts, Nick, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But that can happen in a million different ways.”

Nick’s voice was quiet, matching Tessa’s. He seemed to be picking his words carefully, and he talked as if walking on eggshells. “Amara once told me that you think magic is a curse. Is that true?”

Tessa sighed. “It feels like one. When someone finds out about magic and winds up dead, it’s tragic, but not surprising. I mean, look at Amara; she finds out she’s a demon, and within two months, multiple people have tried to enslave her, Vee almost killed her, and she had to fight off a demonic cult. It’s a miracle she’s not dead.”

“So, what do you do? As a witch, I mean. How do you keep magic a secret?”

“We do all sorts of stuff. Sometimes it sounds heroic, like fighting off werewolves or vampires to keep humans from finding out about them. Frequently it’s boring stuff, like making sure libraries or occult shops don’t stumble into real magic.”

“What about you?”

“Well, I didn’t come here for an education, for one thing. I was assigned to Aurelius University by my Coven. I have a feeling they did it so I could keep an eye on the soft spot and the Gate, but they never actually told me anything. They, uh… they don’t like me very much.”

There was another pause, and Tessa looked up at Nick. She’d seen him make this face before, and she had a feeling he was cycling through countless different questions to find the one he felt needed to be asked.

“So where are your parents? Are they assigned anywhere?”

Fuck. Why does he ask the worst possible questions?

“My parents are dead,” Tessa whispered. “They were killed when I was little, right in front of my eyes. That’s what I mean when I say this world is a curse; you don’t get a happy ending once you learn magic is real. It’s only a matter of time before some unknowable tragedy wipes you off the face of the planet.”

Tessa shut her eyes, squeezing them as hard as she could as she tried to fight off the horrible memories of that night. More than anything, she desperately wanted Nick to stop asking questions.

To her surprise, Nick stood up and walked closer. He kneeled next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder and gently hugging her. “I’m sorry to hear that. For what it’s worth, you’ve got me and Amara on your side. And maybe Vee, someday. You’re not alone in this anymore, Tess.”

As much as she tried to fight it, Tessa felt herself tearing up. “Look, I should get back to work. Can you, I dunno, go get us some burgers or something?”

Nick pulled away, keeping a hand on her shoulder as he tried to look into her eyes. “Absolutely. The usual?”

Tessa nodded. At this point, she just wanted Nick to leave, and figured he would only do so if he had a chance to feel helpful. She awkwardly sat on the floor as she watched him leave, but didn’t bother returning to her work once she was alone. A cloud of unpleasantness surrounded her, reminders of why it felt better to avoid these types of conversations. Knowing Nick, he was going to keep being nice, politely trying to learn more about her while offering emotional support, and she struggled to think of any reasons why she shouldn’t oblige him.

---

Vee didn’t necessarily wake up that morning; it felt more like admitting defeat. She’d spent a good portion of the night trying and failing to get comfortable, tossing and turning while trying to warm herself up. Despite the many blankets she’d piled on herself, despite the powerful Enochian wards, the cold had still found her.

She pushed her blankets to the side, swinging her legs gently to the floor. As she prepared to start her morning stretches, hoping some activity might warm her up, she flinched. Her feet bumped against something on the floor, something noticeably warm compared to its surroundings. Vee looked down quickly and saw that she’d barely avoided stepping on Amara’s tail. Her foot was resting less than an inch away from it, and the heat it gave off felt incredible.

Memories from yesterday returned, accompanied by a wave of emotions. She hadn’t intended to start a shouting match; she had just been fed up with Amara’s bad attitude. Apparently her frustration had just been a spark, and it ignited everything that had gone unsaid between the two of them.

She already knew quite a bit about Amara’s transformation from her conversation with Nick, but he hadn’t been able to capture the most important part: the fear. Even though Amara never admitted it, Vee could tell how afraid the transformation had made her, and it was easy to see why. Amara didn’t have a worldwide institution dedicated to helping her adjust to her supernatural lineage, nor did she have a supportive family to help break the news to her. She’d simply grown a tail out of the blue, with no idea that magic and monsters even existed.

Amara’s story had been incredibly insightful, and Vee had regretted that the conversation hadn’t continued longer, but there was so much to process. While the cold of Purgatory was certainly a big issue, she also knew that her tumultuous thoughts had contributed to her lack of sleep.

One thought, more than anything else, had become a point of fixation for her. Amara’s transformation had terrified her, upended her entire view of the world. In the face of all that uncertainty, however, she had tried to give herself one night of happiness. A chance to embrace her new identity, even if she didn’t fully understand what exactly she was.

And Vee had tried to murder her.

It was, perhaps, the one thought that Vee had been trying to avoid for weeks. Sure, everything she’d told Amara was true; she was scared of disobeying the Church, of discovering that their teachings were wrong. She was scared of learning that her own existence was built on a lie, but that fear didn’t seem as important right now. Above all else, hiding underneath every other fear, was one simple truth; accepting that Amara was different meant accepting that she’d tried to murder her best friend in cold blood without reason.

Of the two of them, who was really the monster?

Amara seemed convinced it was her, but hadn’t the entire world been telling her that for months? Hadn’t Vee basically told her that by driving a sword through her chest?

It was one thing to see hints, clues that Amara had felt bad. Yes, she’d cleaned up the palace, raised money for charity with her pictures, but there had always been distance between them. In person, faced with the entirety of Amara’s experience, Vee had felt just how visceral Amara’s guilt was. It was tearing her apart, it was driving her to lash out, and it was even robbing her of her flight.

Vee didn’t need any more proof. There would be no more second guessing, no more hesitation. Amara was a demon, yes, but she was so much more than that. She was a friend, and most surprisingly, a kindred spirit.

She didn’t feel alone anymore.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Vee carefully stepped over Amara’s various limbs and headed for the door. She opened it carefully, not sure if the rest of her apartment was safe, but thankfully the outer wards still seemed partially intact. Her kitchen and living room still had some color to them, but the difference in temperature was incredibly obvious.

It’s a good thing Amara stayed with me. I know she can’t feel the cold, but would the entropy affect her anyways?

Deciding it was pointless to guess about how extraplanar forces might interact with demonic physiology, she instead got herself some breakfast. She salvaged the last of the food that seemed good from the fridge, made two small meals, and walked back to her bedroom.

She wrapped herself in blankets, sat on the bed, and slowly ate as she waited for Amara to wake up. Thankfully, she wasn’t waiting too long. She’d only just gotten comfortable when the blankets on the floor began to stir.

Amara groaned, her various limbs twitching and stretching as she woke up. When she finally sat up, the covers tumbling off her, she looked at Vee. “Oh, uh, morning,” she said, her voice thick with sleep.

“Morning, Amara. How’d you sleep?” Vee asked.

“Um, fine, I guess. Nothing against your floor, I think it’s just the stress of being here.” After a quick pause, Amara quickly clarified. “I mean Purgatory! Not your room.”

Vee laughed quietly. “You’re fine, I get it. I made you breakfast, by the way.” She pointed at the second meal she’d thrown together, hoping it would be up to Amara’s standards. From what she could gather, Amara’s ability to summon fire had inspired her to take up cooking.

Amara quickly crawled over to Vee’s nightstand, then grabbed her breakfast and started eating. As she crawled back to her spot, Vee’s gaze accidentally lingered on Amara’s pajama shorts; they were sitting higher than usual, perhaps because of how she’d been sleeping, and even more of her body was visible. Specifically, Vee noticed how pronounced the curves on Amara’s hips were, and how much the shorts struggled to contain her—

Wait, what am I thinking?

Vee shook her head, quickly staring back down at her breakfast. She let Amara settle in, not entirely sure what to say. She wanted to say something, to break the tension after everything they’d talked about yesterday, but she also didn’t want to push Amara too hard. Did Amara want time to think as well? The more Vee thought about it, the more she realized that Amara had shared more about herself than Vee had; maybe that was a good place to start.

“Y’know, I’m not a very good angel,” Vee said quietly.

Amara was in the middle of a bite, and Vee’s comment clearly caught her off guard. She quickly swallowed, then spoke up. “Hey, I know I said some pretty rude things when we were sparring with each other, but you know I didn’t mean them, right?”

Vee shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. I’m being quite literal; compared to other angels, I’m objectively much weaker than most of them.”

“Oh, um… do you guys, like, hang out and practice with each other or something?” Amara asked. She seemed nervous, like she was unsure what to say.

“Nothing like that, mostly because there aren’t many of us. I mean, there’s a fair amount, but the world is a big place, and we’re stationed all over. No, when I was training, they would tell me about all the other angels, about what they were capable of, and I never measured up.”

“That sounds pretty rude, to compare you to everyone else like that,” Amara said quietly.

“It’s not about being nice or rude, the Church looks at the Earth like it’s a warzone. They tell us that demons are constantly trying to invade, and it’s up to us to keep humanity safe from them.”

Amara paused briefly, then replied with a smirk. “I keep getting emails about our master plan to steal all the gold from Fort Knox, but I keep ignoring them.” Vee looked up, meeting Amara’s gaze, and she saw hesitation. It seemed like Amara wasn’t entirely sure if the joke was appropriate, but Vee broke out laughing almost immediately.

“Oh shoot, I should let them know. They think you’re trying to invent a new type of rap music.” Both girls were laughing now, and it took a minute before they settled down enough for Vee to continue talking. “No, but seriously, I’m not trying to rattle off about Church politics. I just wanted to let you know that, well, there’s a lot of things I’m supposed to be able to do that I simply can’t. The biggest one, the one I cared the most about, was manifesting my wings.”

A look of surprise crossed Amara’s face. “Oh, I didn’t know that. I’ve wondered, once or twice, but it never felt right to ask.”

“We’re supposed to have big, beautiful, feathered wings. Probably as big as yours, honestly, but I just can’t do it. One reason I rely so much on my book is because my magic is weaker. That’s also why I used lots of holy water and similar things when I… well, during our fight.”

“You can talk about it, you know. It’s not like I’m constantly on the verge of breaking down from the memories.”

“It’s not that, I just… I wanted to let you know that I can’t fly either. I don’t even know what my wings look like. I hope it’s okay to say this, but I understand how badly you want to fly. I know what it’s like to feel like you should be able to, but there’s something holding you back.”

Amara didn’t say anything, instead pulling her wings close and looking at them.

Shit, should I not have said that? After all, it’s kinda my fault she can’t fly. Ugh, that was so stupid!

When Amara finally spoke up, her voice took on a melancholic tone. “It’s funny how much we have in common, isn’t it?”

“It really is. But, if I’m being honest, it’s nice to finally have someone I can talk to about everything.”

After briefly looking at each other again, the conversation paused. Vee finished her breakfast quickly, but when she put her bowl down, she noticed that Amara still had most of her food left. Vee thought about apologizing, her gut reaction that she’d given Amara something she didn’t like, when she remembered something Amara had said earlier.

“Food loses its flavor, I stop sleeping, and I grow weaker and weaker with each passing moment.”

If Vee’s memory was correct, today was their fourth day trapped in Purgatory. Earlier in the week, Amara had said the longest she’d ever gone without sex was a week, but that she’d also been somewhat sedentary that week. Here in Purgatory, they’d already fought two reapers, or maybe the same reaper twice. Plus, even if she couldn’t feel the cold, Vee was scared that being here might be draining Amara in ways she wasn’t aware of.

If we don’t find a way home soon, we’ll be finding out the hard way what happens when you starve a succubus.

“Hey, we got pretty distracted yesterday. How about today we take another look around campus, see if we can learn more about the reapers or find any other clues about how to get home?”

Amara quickly put her food down and jumped to her feet. “Sounds good to me. Make sure you bundle up.”

Soon enough, the girls were leaving the apartment and wandering back towards campus. Everything looked exactly the same, as it always did, the monotony growing more and more frustrating.

“So, yesterday,” Vee said, “that reaper attacked us closer to the Quad, right?”

“Yeah, I think we had just passed Lysander when we, um, started talking,” Amara said.

“You mean screaming our heads off at each other?”

“Screaming is a form of talking! And besides, I think I was doing more screaming than you were.”

“Yeah, but I started it. Plus, you have a lot to be angry about, you’ve basically been fighting the entire world ever since you started demon puberty.” Vee took the lead, gesturing for Amara to follow as they started circling campus, trying to avoid the Quad.

“Well, I hate to sound like I’m complaining, but it does kinda feel like that. First Brandon tried to enslave me, then Derek attacked me, then—”

“Hold on, what?” Vee said, interrupting Amara. “Derek attacked you?”

“Oh, yeah, did I not mention that part?” Vee shook her head, so Amara continued. “Yeah, I had a day where I had accidentally shapeshifted into you. I was trying to help Tessa research some circles, and on my way home in the morning, I ran into Derek. He was drunk off his ass, obviously thought I was you, and tried to force himself on me.”

“Wait. Were you at the Science Building that night?” Vee asked. She could practically feel the puzzle pieces clicking together. “In a small room behind a bunch of old plumbing?”

Amara seemed surprised. “We were, yeah. How did you know?”

“Because I was there. Early that morning, I went for a run, and I saw you leave the building. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew you were the succubus I’d been hunting.” Vee had a thousand questions running through her head, and wasn’t sure which one to ask first. “What happened with Derek? Is that when he got hurt?”

Amara nodded. “Yeah. Like I said, he was totally wasted, and he was complaining that he hadn’t gotten laid that night. I tried to run, but he… um, he pushed me against a wall, broke the bottle he was drinking from, and threatened me with it. He was in the middle of trying to get his pants off when I realized that he wasn’t really attacking me, he thought he was attacking you, and I lost it. I got so angry that I manifested my hellfire for the first time, and it ignited all the booze he’d spilled on himself. I ran home, terrified because my hands were still on fire, and I didn’t know what happened with him until you came to me later that day.”

Holy shit, I saw that broken bottle. If I hadn’t seen Amara that morning, I would’ve just gone home; he would have attacked me instead of her.

“Amara, I… I had no idea. I’m so sorry, I should’ve tried to deal with him sooner.”

“Are you kidding? Vee, he’s the problem, not you. Honestly, as weird as it sounds, I was kinda happy it happened that way. I didn’t know you were an angel at that time, and I thought that it was better for him to attack me, because I was strong enough to defend myself. I thought I’d saved you, but obviously he went and reported you to the police. I just wish I could’ve gotten him to confess sooner.”

Vee was stunned. From her perspective, the succubus turning the school against her had just been more proof that the demon needed to be stopped. Now she was faced with the exact opposite; Amara had nearly taken a horrible bullet for her, and she was happy about it? Excited that she’d spared Vee the trauma?

Great, as if I didn’t feel bad enough for attacking her.

“How did you do that, by the way? Get Derek to confess?” Vee asked.

“After our fight, I started slipping into his dreams on accident. I learned I could control them, and we figured out that he was having repeated nightmares about an old girlfriend he’d accidentally killed. It wasn’t exactly the nicest thing I’ve ever done, but I started making the nightmares even worse. I followed him around campus, disguised as his dead girlfriend, and eventually it was too much, so he confessed to everything.”

“Oh jeez, I had no idea. After Tessa told me you were responsible, I just assumed you had charmed him or something.”

“Nah, my powers don’t work like that,” Amara said.

“What, you can’t use magic to charm people?” Vee asked.

“Nope. I’m slightly better at seducing people, since I can read their auras for hints, but I can’t compel anyone to do anything.”

“But then why do I—” Vee silenced herself as quickly as possible. That wasn’t a thought that needed finishing.

“Why do you what?” Amara asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“I-I meant, like, why did I see so many people buying your photos? I had initially assumed you’d used demon magic to get so much attention.”

Yes. That’s totally what I meant.

“Vee, I’m a hot girl that’s studying marketing. You think I need magic to convince strangers on the internet to buy naked pictures of me?”

Vee caught herself blushing with embarrassment. “W-well, when you put it like that…”

Amara started laughing, and despite Vee’s embarrassment, she soon joined in as well. They had just reached Vee’s intended destination, and had to steady themselves against the wall as they tried to calm down from their revelry. When their laughter finally subsided, Amara wiped a tear from her eye and looked around at their surroundings.

“Wow, Vee, I really needed that. Is this Whitmore Hall? Are we here on purpose?”

Vee nodded. “We are, yeah. I want to check out the ritual chamber, if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s a good idea! Gimme a sec, though, I want to peek around the corner to see if anything’s happening at the Quad.” Amara pushed off the building, then walked until she was just about to round the corner. She shifted her wings to make sure they didn’t peek around the corner, then poked her head out. “Oh. Shit.”

Nervous, Vee ran closer. Before she could round the corner, Amara reached out and stopped her. “Amara what is it?”

Amara took a step back, her eyes wide. “Take a look, but be careful.”

Vee nodded, then nervously leaned out to look at the Quad. It was immediately obvious what had Amara so spooked; a small collection of reapers were perched in the Quad. Some were on trees, some were circling in the air, and all of them seemed as imposing as the ones they’d fought earlier. Vee counted four in total, but there was no way to know if more were hiding elsewhere.

Additionally, in the center of the Quad, Vee saw a strange circle of dull light on the ground. She was too far away to make out any details, and she didn’t want to further drain her abilities by enhancing her vision.

“Fuck!” Vee said, moving back towards Amara. “What are they doing? Why are they gathering there?”

“No idea.” Amara started pacing, her tail twitching nervously. “I visited the Quad when I first got here, even tried to fly again, but I never saw a reaper until I was under Lysander with you. And I didn’t see any traces of that circle.”

“I don’t like this one bit. Could this mean there’s something else happening?”

“What do you mean?” Amara asked.

“Like, we’ve been thinking we got sucked here on accident because the planes were all out of whack. What if our presence here is no accident?”

“You mean someone brought us here on purpose?”

“I don’t know, maybe? We still don’t have any clues about what’s going on here, but we should at least entertain the possibility.” Vee moved up to Amara, placing a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down. “C’mon, let’s take a look at the Ritual Circle and then get back home.”

“Agreed.” Amara nodded, then jogged over to the entrance of Whitmore Hall. Vee followed closely behind, and they began weaving their way through crowds of student remnants while they made their way to the basement. Just like under Lysander Hall, the illusory wall here had vanished, and they had easy access to the strange tunnels that ran under campus.

Vee was trying to think of possible explanations for the reapers’ presence, as well as anything that might explain the strange circle, when Amara spoke up again. “So, what are we looking for? Full disclosure, but I’m not all that great at looking for things. It helps to have an idea of what we might find.”

“I wish I could say. Based on what Tessa told us the night of the ritual, the portal to Hell is what broke everything. Until then, the Gate was weak, but stable. Opening the portal, and then reversing it, is what caused the Gate to break down. Maybe we’ll find tears between the planes, or weird residual magic, but we’re basically going in blind. Thankfully, that whole basement was pretty empty, so hopefully anything strange will stick out.”

“I was afraid of that. Make sure you’re double checking behind me, just to be safe, alright?”

Vee looked back at Amara and nodded. They continued walking for a few minutes, doing their best to avoid getting lost in the labyrinthine tunnel system. Thankfully, between the two of them, they soon found the main chamber.

Interestingly, it looked shockingly similar to the real chamber back home. Not in a magical sense, everything was just as gray and washed out as the rest of campus, but more because the chamber had always been dull and lifeless. Vee clocked a few differences immediately; for one thing, there weren’t countless blood stains covering the chamber. Their fight had left quite a mess, and Vee had been too preoccupied with school to return and clean up. She also noticed that, while the circle was visible, it didn’t appear any different than the other mundane circle she’d seen at Brandt Hall.

“Well, should we start looking around?” Amara asked.

“Might as well. Give me a holler if you find anything, or if you think a reaper is nearby,” Vee said. They split up, with Vee heading left while she started looking around. While she didn’t know exactly what she was looking for, she was trying to be as thorough as possible. She swept her eyes up and down walls, across the floor and ceiling, hoping to get lucky. She was looking for strange cracks, hints of color, anything they might use to get home.

Other than briefly passing Amara, she didn’t find anything on her first pass. She made her second loop smaller, to no success, and her third loop had her circling just outside the large structural pillars. Before long, she’d reached the center of the chamber and was now looking at the circle.

Although she knew she was here to look for a way home, she was unable to fight the memories of their fight that wanted to resurface. In particular, she remembered the moment she chose to save Amara’s life, and a sense of pride welled up inside her. For all the pain she’d caused, it was hard not to see that moment as the first step in her road to making things better.

Her memories were interrupted, however, when she kicked something on the floor. Pulled back to reality, she crouched down to see what she’d found. She was immediately taken by surprise when she saw something full of color.

Just next to the circle, lying on the ground, was a small switchblade. Its handle was made of metal, and a dull rainbow effect had been added for decoration; it almost looked like the refraction of light off an oil spill. The blade of the knife was extended, and a clear coat of blood covered the tip.

“Amara! I found something!” Vee shouted.

The dull sound of footsteps echoed around the chamber as Amara ran closer, then kneeled next to Vee. “Holy shit, is that—”

“Yeah, it’s Tessa’s switchblade.”

“But that doesn’t make sense! It got sucked through the portal, but the portal was connected to Hell! How could it have ended up here?”

Vee went quiet, replaying the last moments of that fight in her head. This time, instead of remembering the look on Amara’s face, she tried to recall what the portal had looked like. “Alright, I’m not a witch, so this is just a guess, but didn’t the portal kinda spaz out at the end?”

“Um, I think so? I was mostly looking up at you, and I only looked down when I was trying to kick Brandon off me.”

“Well, Tessa said that reversing the portal is what blew the Gate open. What if the connection to Hell broke before the portal closed?”

“Are you saying the portal tried to connect to other planes?”

“Maybe? We know that all the circles worked together to create the Gate, so what if the portal tried to latch onto something else? Maybe Purgatory was already in sync with our world, or maybe the Lysander Circle was close enough to pull the portal’s attention.”

“But, that would mean—” Amara stood up, taking a step back from Vee. “That would mean Brandon might be here; this knife was in his hand when he got pulled through. Fuck! If he’s still alive, I swear I’ll rip him to pieces myself!”

Amara screamed with frustration, then lashed out at a nearby pillar. Just before her fist landed, its chitinous gauntlet returned, and a loud thud reverberated through the chamber as her strike landed. She was breathing heavily, and Vee swore her eyes turned black for a moment.

Vee stood up, gently placing a hand on Amara’s arm. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. What’s the one thing we know about Purgatory? It’s a place of entropy. Even if he ended up here, that was practically two whole weeks ago. There’s no way he survived that long.” As Vee spoke, she watched the material of Amara’s gauntlet slowly recede. It was a strange process, watching plates of exoskeleton slowly phase into her arm, but Vee tried to stay focused on comforting Amara.

“Okay. Right, yeah, that makes sense. We’re only alive because we’re not human, and we have your little pocket of reality,” Amara said. Her breathing started to calm down, and she looked up at Vee. “Um, sorry about losing my temper there. Still not used to being this quick to anger.”

“Hey, no one’s hurt. Look on the bright side, we have more information now. For all we know, maybe this knife will help Tessa somehow. If it can’t, well, at least she gets her knife back. Maybe it’ll make her hate me less.” Vee forced a smile, trying to put a positive spin on things to cheer Amara up.

Amara shook out her hand, then smiled back at Vee. “She’s pretty good at holding a grudge, if nothing else. You want to head back to your place? I don’t want to stick around here any longer.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Vee kneeled again, grabbing Tessa’s knife and closing the blade. Confident that they’d found everything they could, Vee happily followed Amara out of the main chamber. They backtracked their steps as best they could, and after several minutes of wandering, they found the basement of Whitmore Hall again.

They were climbing the stairs when Vee decided to speak up again. “What’s the deal with him, anyways? That Brandon guy.”

“Uh, bit of a long story, but he was stalking Tessa for a while, which led to him discovering she was a witch. He tried to blackmail her, but she promised she could teach him to summon a succubus to use as his own personal sex slave. Unfortunately, she didn’t know about me, and I ended up trapped in that circle. Do you remember that night I went missing for a bit? That was why.”

“Fuck, he’s been after you since then?”

“Yup. He started stalking me, doing anything he could to get in my pants. He offered his soul to me, then tried to blackmail me with pictures he took of me cleaning up the Palace. That’s actually why I made my own pictures, I was trying to pull the teeth out of his threat. After that, he joined up with the cult, told them about me, and was one of the guys that… well, let’s just say he got his wish before we tossed him in that portal.”

“Wow. What a bitch.”

“Right?!” Amara groaned, then continued complaining about Brandon for another few minutes. Vee ended up learning more about Amara’s gangbang than she’d intended, but she was just happy Amara felt comfortable opening up to her.

Ever since their conversation yesterday, things had been steadily improving. Even thinking back to this morning, their conversation had felt a bit stiff, but now Vee felt like they were starting to rediscover the friends they had once been. They kept talking all the way back to her apartment, and Vee was thrilled to have a distraction from the cold.

Eventually, time caught up with them, and Vee began to feel some exhaustion creeping into her body. It was strange, she felt like their days were growing shorter and shorter, and she wondered if that was a side effect of being in Purgatory. They had no sunlight to reinforce their sleep schedules, so for all Vee knew, they might be spending less and less time awake. Still, she needed sleep, as much as she dreaded trying to get some.

Amara pulled together some food for the two of them, but just like this morning, Vee noticed that she didn’t seem too interested in eating. She had a suspicion Amara was putting on a brave face, but she didn’t want to say anything at the moment.

Vee changed back into her pajamas, opting against wearing her thicker pair. She was slowly realizing that all the blankets in the world weren’t going to keep the cold out, so she figured it was pointless to pile on clothes that were far too heavy to wear comfortably in bed.

Of course, there might be another way to stay warm…

Her mind lingered on that strange thought as she got dressed. Instead of longer fleece pants and a thick sweater, she was now wearing shorts and a crop top. She only realized afterwards that she now matched Amara, at least a little bit. The demon wasn’t wearing a crop top, instead a tight sports bra that seemed to be stretched to its limits around her bust, but it was close enough.

Amara had briefly visited the kitchen to put their dishes away when she returned. She looked at Vee, her eyes briefly running over her new outfit, before she spoke up. “That doesn’t look nearly as warm as your other pajamas, Vee.”

“Ordinarily I’d agree with you, but last night was honestly pretty cold. I think my clothes and blankets are starting to lose their efficacy, so I might as well be comfy, right?”

“I’m not sure I agree with you, but I guess I’ll take your word for it,” Amara said. She was frowning as she spoke, but seemed determined to trust Vee.

“I actually had another idea, but… um, it might sound a little weird,” Vee said quietly. Amara cocked an eyebrow, likely curious at what was coming, but gestured for Vee to continue. “It’s just, well, you know how the cold doesn’t really affect you? This morning, I noticed that you were still really warm, and… well, I…”

Amara’s eyes went wide, and Vee caught her blushing. “Oh. Oh! You mean… right, yeah, I see why that might be weird.”

“If that’s okay with you! I know things are kinda awkward right now, but I just had a lot of trouble sleeping last night, and we might as well do everything we can to stay safe, right?”

“Of course, obviously. I mean, if you’re comfortable with that, it's okay with me.” Amara was stammering just as much as Vee was, both girls trying to avoid eye contact with each other. A few moments passed before they both tried to speak up at the same time.

“So, how do you—”

“Do you want to—

They both paused again, then started laughing nervously. The laughter did nothing to diffuse the tension, but eventually Amara gestured again for Vee to say something.

“I was actually thinking, if we’re going to do this… I’m a little curious what your tail feels like? Is that weird?” Vee said awkwardly.

“N-no, we might as well get comfortable with each other before we try to get some sleep, so that makes sense.” Amara pointed at the bed next to Vee. “Um, may I?”

Vee nodded, and soon Amara was turning to sit down next to her. Vee couldn’t bring herself to look at Amara quite yet, but soon a long, red tail had crept in front of her. She swallowed nervously, then reached out and gently placed her hand on the tip of Amara’s tail.

C’mon Vee, get over yourself. You’re both grown adults, aren’t you? This is only weird if you make it weird!

She noticed immediately how soft Amara’s tail was. She hadn’t expected it to be coarse, but in her hands the tail felt no different than a hand or an arm. Her touch caused the tail to twitch slightly, spurring Vee to say something. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, it’s totally fine. Just… I mean, you know. Trying to get used to this, and you’re being so careful it’s almost a little ticklish.” Amara was fidgeting slightly as she spoke.

“You can feel everything?” Vee asked.

Amara nodded. “It’s just as real as any other part of me. I’m a little sensitive around the base of my tail, actually. Like, full-on ticklish. But, other than that, it’s completely prehensile, and surprisingly strong. It can support my entire weight if I need it to.”

Vee was strangely absorbed by the experience, and was glad that Amara was trying to fill the silence. She ran her fingers over the tail, eventually wrapping her hand around it and giving it a gentle squeeze. “You can also change it, right? I think I remember you giving it a bladed edge the night of the ritual.”

“Yeah, I can do a lot of things with my exoskeleton. I shouldn’t right now, it takes energy. I really shouldn’t have punched that pillar earlier, honestly.”

“Hey, you needed to vent, I get it!” Vee said, slowly letting go of Amara’s tail. She had just wanted to ease the awkward tension a bit, even though she was more curious than she cared to admit.

Amara pulled her tail back, wrapping it around her waist. “So, how should we do this? I feel like, normally, we would sleep back-to-back, but that’s where all my extra limbs are, which makes it a bit awkward. Also, the only person that’s shared a bed with my true form is Tessa, but that was after… I mean, you and I are just friends. I don’t know how I might move around in my sleep.”

“How about you just face inward, and I’ll face outward. Easy enough, right?” Vee asked. Thankfully, Amara quickly agreed, and the two girls crawled into bed. They pulled the covers up, and as they tried to get comfortable, Vee’s feet brushed against Amara’s.

“Sorry!” Amara said, quickly pulling away.

“N-no, that was me, you’re good.” Vee said.

Silence fell again, and after a few more moments of shuffling, it seemed like they’d both found a comfortable position. They weren’t touching each other, but Vee could already feel waves of heat pouring off of Amara. It felt amazing, and she wished she could just stay in this bed forever. Of course, that thought made her even more flustered.

It’s going to be fine, Vee. You’re just… sharing a bed with a demon. But you have to, right? You're just trying to survive.

The seconds ticked on, eventually turning into minutes. Vee was more comfortable than she’d been in days, and she quickly felt the specter of sleep beginning to circle her. Her thoughts calmed down, the novelty of the situation began to wear out, and she found it easier to relax. Memories of their conversation yesterday returned, and Vee couldn’t help but think about how happy she was to be friends with Amara again. Although she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, something felt right about all this.

Before she fell asleep entirely, Vee whispered something to herself. Initially, she had no idea if Amara was awake or not, nor any inkling of which she preferred. She got her answer when Amara spoke up, her voice slightly muffled by the comforter.

“Vee? Did you say something?” Amara asked.

With confirmation that Amara was awake, Vee took a deep breath, and repeated herself. “Vequaniel.”

There was a pause, then Amara responded. “I-I don’t understand.”

“It’s my name,” Vee said quietly. “Vee is short for Vequaniel.”

Vee swore she heard Amara gasp. “Oh, I… thank you for telling me. You really didn’t have to, I was just being an ass before.”

“I wanted to. Like you said earlier, we’ve got a lot in common, don't we? If we’re going to be friends again, we should do it right. No more secrets; I know your real name, you should know mine. Though… maybe keep it to yourself. I’ve never actually told anyone before.”

There was a quick, tiny exhale behind Vee; a sign of Amara quietly laughing to herself. “You have my word.”

Vee hesitated. She wanted desperately to say one more thing, and wrestled with herself over whether or not to speak up. Eventually, she decided to throw caution to the wind. “Amara?”

“Yeah?”

“I… I’m sorry.”

Vee didn’t clarify what she meant, and thankfully, Amara didn’t ask her to. Instead, after another moment, Amara whispered back. “I’m sorry too, Vee.”

Vee shifted her foot under the covers, moving it backward slightly. She heard more rustling, and then Amara’s tail found her ankle, gently squeezing it. After a moment, they broke off their gesture of solidarity and returned to their own sides of the bed.

“Good night, Vequaniel.”

“Good night, Amara.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Vee woke with a start several hours later. Without daylight, it was impossible to know how long she'd been out, but her exhausted body told her it hadn't been a healthy eight hours. No, something had woken her up.

There was an unusual sound coming from inside her bedroom.

Her first fear was that a reaper had broken through the wards. The sound she heard was soft and wet, just like the sound of ghostly flesh sliding off the bones of those hideous creatures. When she looked around, however, it was immediately obvious that the bedroom was empty, other than herself and Amara.

Her second thought, after confirming her own safety, was that she wasn't cuddled with Amara. Yesterday, she'd risen to discover that her unconscious self had spooned Amara for warmth, her arms wrapped tight around the demon in a desperate attempt to stave off the cold of Purgatory. Currently, Vee was safely on her side of the bed, though she still felt Amara's familiar warmth.

Vee grabbed her comforter, holding it tight as she turned to look at Amara, hoping she might have answers. Amara's lack of sex had likely prevented her from getting any real sleep, and she might have noticed something.

Amara was not only awake, but she seemed to be in pain, or perhaps horribly frustrated. Her breath was erratic, her eyes were closed, and she didn't seem to realize that Vee was awake.

Worried that Amara might be having a panic attack, Vee quickly sat up, pulling the blankets with her. She turned to face Amara directly and, in the process, accidentally moved the sheets even further. As they shifted, more of Amara came into view, and Vee saw exactly what was making the strange noise.

Amara's sports bra had been pushed up, and her incredibly full breasts were completely exposed. She was holding one of them, squeezing it tight while her back arched in desperation. Her other hand had pushed into her shorts, and several fingers were furiously working in and out of her soaking wet pussy. The smell of her sex was potent, and the sound of her masturbation grew louder now that the blankets no longer muffled the noise.

Vee was stunned. Words she had prepared were now stuck in her throat, and her eyes wandered over the naked body of her friend. For days she'd been wondering what might happen if Amara went too long without sex, and now it was time to find out.

As the seconds passed, Vee's initial shock receded. She had trained to fight demons, not support them through withdrawal. Panicked thoughts rattled around in her head as she thought of how they might continue. She initially wondered if she could carry Amara to the portal to meet up with Nick and Tessa, but those thoughts were quickly suppressed in favor of something simpler, something more instinctual.

The nearly naked demon in front of her was breathtakingly gorgeous. Vee had seen most of Amara's body before; she'd been almost completely nude for the entirety of the fight at the ritual circle, but Vee had taken great care to avert her eyes once the carnage had passed. Now, without any threats, and their friendship on the mend, her curiosity got the better of her. Her eyes lingered on Amara's breasts, the arch of her back, the way her hips strained against her tiny shorts. The woman currently masturbating on the bed would never have passed as a supermodel, if only because the word seemed a woefully inadequate descriptor for the body currently on display.

Before Vee could stop to question herself, she wondered what Amara might look like completely naked. Without her shorts to constrain her, would the curves of her ass appear just as perfect as her firm breasts? Would her tail flick back and forth in excitement as she proudly displayed herself?

A twitch in her legs drew Vee's attention to her own excitement, her own sexuality. She remembered just how long it had been since she'd pleasured herself, and a heat began burning in her core.

The feeling was immediately disrupted, however, when Amara's eyes snapped open. Her nostrils flared as she took a deep breath, and her panicked masturbation stopped as she turned to look at Vee. The whites of her eyes had vanished, and powerfully vibrant amber irises stared at the angel, betraying a deep and powerful hunger.

"Delicious..." Amara growled, her voice shaking. In a flash, she shifted to her knees and faced Vee. "Give it to me!"

The speed of Amara's movements caught Vee off guard, and she fell backwards. The sudden shift in demeanor had snapped her from her daydream, and she watched nervously as Amara began crawling closer.

Not only were her eyes completely blacked out, but her skin was significantly darker. In fact, when Vee glimpsed the tail and wings behind Amara, she could no longer see a difference. Amara's entire body was now one, consistent shade of demonic red. Her tail danced erratically as she moved closer, pushing Vee into a corner.

"Amara, wait, let's talk about this," Vee said, holding up a hand to try and stop Amara's advance.

Instead, Amara grabbed Vee's hand and pulled it against one of her exposed breasts. "No more talking! I know what you want. I can smell it. You want to fuck me, Vee. Why fight it?"

Amara leapt forward, pulling Vee close as she attempted to kiss her. Vee turned her head, scared to start another fight, and instead Amara's mouth found her neck. Vee felt Amara's tongue on her skin, then her teeth, and she knew this was wrong. Whatever was happening between the two of them, this wasn't the next step. Amara's actions were panicked and desperate, and she wasn't in her right mind.

"Get off of me!" Vee shouted. She pushed a hand against Amara's shoulder, then summoned a burst of radiant light. Amara hissed with pain, and Vee took advantage of the moment to leap off the bed.

"Stop fighting me! I can show you pleasure beyond your wildest dreams!" Amara's tail slapped the wall in frustration, then she turned to face Vee again. Amara slowly crawled off the bed until she was standing, and her breath was so hoarse it sounded like she was growling. The girls locked eyes, and Vee knew she had to think of something fast.

As she took a step back, her foot brushed up against her closet. It was a small walk-in, but it was big enough to hold a person. Without taking her eyes off Amara, she reached behind herself and opened the door.

The action caused Amara to leap forward in a panic, a horrid growl escaping her throat as she ran across the bedroom. Vee had expected this, and with another burst of light, she bought herself a moment to act. She grabbed Amara's arm, using her weight against her, and pushed her inside the closet. She closed the door behind Amara, then pushed her own shoulder against the closet to keep her inside..

The door shook as Amara threw herself against it. She was openly growling now, pushing against the door with everything she had, but Vee knew she was too weak to escape.

After nearly a minute of struggle, Vee heard Amara slump to the ground inside the closet. Her breathing was even more ragged, and when she spoke, her words were pained and weak. "Vee, please... I'm so hungry..."

Vee turned her back to the door, then slid down until she was sitting on the floor. "This isn't you. This is Demon Amara, you can fight this!"

"I am Demon Amara! There's no difference, no matter how much you want there to be!" Amara snarled. Her tone immediately softened, however, and she continued talking. "I'm sorry, I didn't... I don't know what's... Vee, I'll do anything you want. You want to hold me down and see what my tongue can do? Pull my hair while you ride my tail? Fuck, I'll let you stab my shoulder again! You can quote scripture and pretend you're the big strong angel saving the day!"

"You can't possibly think that's something I want," Vee muttered, shocked at the suggestion.

"I can be someone else, then! Do you want to finally fuck Nick? I can be Nick! Name your favorite movie star, your childhood crush, I can be anyone you want!"

It took a considerable amount of strength for Vee to fight back her tears. For months, things had been so complicated between her and Amara, but they had finally found a way forward. The last few days, as scary as Purgatory was, were surprisingly enjoyable because she'd gotten her best friend back. It had been wonderful talking with Amara, learning about her transformation, and getting the chance to truly open up to someone about her own angelic heritage.

But now, the very thing that had driven the wedge between them in the first place was back with a vengeance. Her instincts told her that this wasn't her friend, this was some monster that had taken her place, but no. This was Amara. She wasn't being possessed or mind-controlled; she was just a scared girl losing a fight against her own instincts.

On the other side of the door, Vee heard Amara whimpering. It appeared she was trying to push her tail under the door, as Vee could see tiny flashes of red trying to poke through, but her tail was far too thick to fit.

How are we supposed to meet up with Tessa like this? I could try to run, have her chase me until we make it to the circle, but she might not have the strength to walk that far. Plus, what if a reaper shows up? She's in no condition to get away, and I don't know if the option would even occur to her in this state.

Another thought crossed Vee's mind, and she took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. "How does your feeding work?"

There was a moment of silence before Amara responded. "What do you mean?" She sounded calmer, though Vee had no idea if that was genuine or just a falsehood borne of desperation.

"How do you do it? Does it require touch? What do you take from people when you feed?" Vee asked.

"I can feed without touching, as long as the aura is strong enough. At the Halloween party I was able to feed on everyone perving on me, and a bunch of them never even scored a dance. Tessa gets so horny that I can feed from across the room sometimes." Amara shifted behind the door, and it seemed like she was now leaning against the door just as Vee was. Her breathing was heavy, her sentences weak and stilted. "But... I don't know what I take. It feels like I'm just feeding off their arousal, their pleasure, but I have no way to know exactly what that means."

She's been feeding on Nick and Tessa for months, and they seem fine. But, I'm not strong enough to examine souls directly, so I can't know for sure.

"Do people... feel it when you feed on them?"

"Never."

If I do this, there's no going back. If it leaves any kind of mark on me, physically, spiritually, Heaven could find out. How closely are they watching me? I've never been able to talk to my Patron, could that mean they're not watching at all?

"What if I... take care of myself?"

"That would do it! I could just take a little bit, enough to get me back to the circle, you won't even know I'm here!" Amara said, her desperation showing again.

She could be lying. In this state, she'd do anything if it meant a chance to feed.

Vee paused again, doing her best to steady her breathing as she weighed her options. Was she actually considering this? Was she okay letting a demon feed on her?

She's more than just a demon, though, she's Amara. We're friends. She's the only person in the world that knows how scared I am right now. She's saved my life countless times; she's proven over and over again that she's a good person. She deserves my trust.

"Amara," Vee whispered, "please be careful."

"I promise, Vee," Amara said.

With her decision made, Vee turned her attention back to herself. She was no stranger to masturbation, but her libido had a tendency to disappear whenever she was stressed. Due to everything that had happened recently, this meant she hadn't even thought about pleasuring herself in months. What had she done before?

She decided it would be best to take it slow, to ease back into things. After all, if she weren't relaxed, it would be difficult to get into the right mindset.

Closing her eyes, Vee began running her fingertips up and down her body. She explored the sides of her neck, her chest, and her legs, trying to reacquaint herself with the sensations. As her breathing steadied, she began moving her hands to the inside of her legs. She made small circles, inching higher and higher as her legs spread open, and it became easier to focus on the joy of her own touch.

It took several minutes to find a comfortable rhythm, to encourage her body that, despite the situation, it was safe to feel pleasure. She replaced the tips of her fingers with her nails, scratching herself ever so slightly in an attempt to heighten the sensations, and she could feel it working. The feeling from earlier returned, the heat in her core. With another deep breath, her fingers moved even higher, teasing her sex from outside her shorts, and she gasped with excitement. In that moment, however, something else touched her.

It wasn't touching her physically, she was still completely alone, nor was it touching her mentally. It was as if, somewhere deep inside, she held an idea of who she was, and that idea had just met another presence. She knew instinctually that it was Amara, that she was beginning to feed, and her demonic presence sent tingles through Vee's body.

"Fuck!" Vee's precarious relaxation vanished in an instant and she jerked her hands away.

"What happened? Please, don't stop..." Amara asked, her breath heavy.

"I can feel it. I feel you feeding on me," Vee said, trying to pull herself together.

"But that's not... it has to be because you're an angel, right?"

"It has to be! It would make sense, wouldn't it? For angels to have a way to detect if demons were feeding on them?" Vee's mind was racing, wondering what this could mean. "You don't think that was my soul, do you?"

"I don't know, Vee. What do souls look like? Smell like? I only know what I sense, and it's not like I have any other demons to ask."

Fuck! What does this mean?

Vee knew she could stop if she wanted to. Given the situation, she could easily overpower Amara and try to carry her to the Lysander Circle. She would be risking reaper attacks, and possibly even Amara herself if she grew more desperate, but it was an option.

She silently cursed to herself, wishing she were strong enough to see souls. She had never understood why her own powers seemed so limited, why she had always underperformed compared to the rest of Heaven's army. She had trained for years, followed every command, aced every test, yet when it mattered most, her powers always came up short.

Of course, I have a real chance to help Amara now. Not as an angel, as a friend. Wouldn't she do the same for me?

It didn't sound like Amara was pawing at the door anymore, so Vee risked leaving it for just a moment. She grabbed a blanket off her bed, wrapped it tightly around her shoulders, and returned to leaning against the closet door.

"Amara?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to try again. I'm sorry I freaked out, this is kinda scary for me."

"Can I help at all?"

"Just focus on yourself, Amara. We'll make it through this, together."

Vee closed her eyes, then took another deep breath. She tried to calm herself, to focus on the residual heat from the blanket. She thought about her wards, reminding herself that they were still strong, and she was safe inside her room. With each breath, she found more warmth, and soon she began exploring her body again.

Like last time, it was a slow process. The touch felt nice, especially under the warmth of the blanket, but it was hard to shake the knowledge that she would be able to feel Amara feeding on her.

She shifted, sliding further away from the door before spreading her legs open. Her fingers returned to her bare skin, tracing back and forth in time with her breathing. She let them wander under her shirt, and jumped slightly when she felt how cold her fingertips were. It wasn't enough to distract her, and she hugged her waist tight for a minute to warm her hands. From there, they moved higher, teasing the bottoms of her breasts. With one last movement, her fingers found her sensitive nipples, and the heat in her core returned. She gasped, her legs twitching in anticipation, and she pinched herself gently.

The connection returned. A strange, intangible warmth that reached both into and beyond her, hungering for her arousal. She paused for a moment, trying to adjust to the feeling before she continued. The warmth began to feel familiar, almost blending into Amara's residual heat on the blanket, and Vee finally felt comfortable enough to continue.

She'd been playing with her breasts for several minutes now, doing her best to stay aroused, and it was time to step things up. She pushed a hand lower, into her shorts, and found her sex once more. Her entire body clenched, reaching for pleasure, and she made herself relax as she started rubbing herself. Like every step before this, she moved slowly. Her eyes were closed, and she circled her hips in rhythm with her fingers.

Memories from months ago returned, and she thought about how peaceful life had been before her nightmares started. When masturbation had been normal for her, and she'd let herself fantasize about other students. She remembered scanning through dozens of erotic stories, looking for the perfect fantasy to lose herself in while pleasuring herself. On a few occasions, she'd even been bold enough to turn to pornography. The rush had been exhilarating, but in the end, she'd discovered she much preferred the written word.

She recalled her favorite stories and started replaying her favorite passages in her mind. As she did, she moved her fingers faster, and even let them inch closer to her entrance. The story in her head continued, one girl pushing another to the bed and kissing every inch while shifting downwards. Who the other girl was didn't matter; Vee was focused on the imaginary feeling of lips teasing her clit.

She pushed a finger inside herself, and the fantasy continued. The faceless girl was moaning now, eager to taste Vee's sex, and her tongue pushed deep inside Vee's pussy. Using two fingers now, Vee pushed in and out of herself, the smell of sex filling her senses as she imagined a strong tongue inside of her.

She imagined herself reaching down, holding the woman's long brown hair in her hands. It was thick and lustrous, and it bounced in rhythm with the tongue inside her pussy. Vee imagined the naked body of this stranger, the curves of her flawless dark skin highlighted in the imaginary light. She held herself with such confidence, completely sure that she would be able to get Vee off, and Vee loved being the focus of this woman's lavish attention.

Vee's hand moved to the stranger's cheek, a small gesture of affection, and the woman leaned into it. Her tongue, and Vee's fingers, briefly left her pussy as she looked down to meet the stranger's gaze. When Vee saw the woman's glowing, amber eyes, she knew exactly who was between her legs.

Amara.

The story in Vee's head suddenly skipped a beat, and Vee was pulled back to reality. What was she thinking? Had she really just started fantasizing about Amara? It was one thing to let her friend feed on her, but it was another to actively imagine them sleeping together.

She tried to reset, to replace the imaginary woman in her head with one of her exes. The scenario in her head began to repeat itself, and she tried to find that same rhythm again.

"Fuck, don't stop," Amara whispered on the other side of the door.

"What do you mean?" Vee asked, confused. She hadn't even thought about stopping and was still actively pleasuring herself.

"Just now, your arousal spiked, but then it vanished. What were you doing?"

Vee's eyes went wide as she realized what Amara had been sensing. The only thing that had changed the last few moments was the person she'd been imagining between her legs. Had picturing herself with Amara truly been so obvious?

Can I really do that? Wouldn't that be inappropriate?

A wave of nervous energy washed over Vee, and butterflies appeared in her stomach as she thought about her original fantasy. Was it right to think of Amara that way? Of course, she was already letting a demon feed on her, would it make much of a difference who she was fantasizing about?

Feeling as if she were discovering masturbation for the first time all over again, Vee turned her focus to her connection with Amara. A deep, passionate warmth, touching her in a place she never knew existed. Amara's feeding, as surprising as it had first been, didn't hurt in the slightest. That had to be a good sign, right? Surely, as an angel, her senses would alert her if this process was harmful. Though she didn't fully understand what was happening, it was as if Amara were gently holding her hand, encouraging her that they were still in this together.

Vee closed her eyes, then returned to her original fantasy. As her fingers pushed back into her pussy, she imagined Amara between her legs. Her gorgeous brown hair cascaded down her back, which was arched to give Vee a better view of her demonic figure. Her powerful wings were wrapped around Vee, keeping her warm as Amara's tongue continued probing the depths of her cunt. Her tail, thick and powerful, excitedly danced back and forth, playfully obscuring the demon's voluptuous bottom.

She now understood the difference Amara had noticed. As Vee continued picturing her best friend between her legs, she felt a rush unlike anything she'd felt before. The thrill of experiencing something new, something forbidden, and gleefully continuing anyways. She knew Amara couldn't read minds; this fantasy would be her little secret.

The images in her head began to blur together with her own memories. She thought back to just a few minutes ago, when she'd caught Amara masturbating. Her full breasts on display, her hands digging into them as she fought for release. Vee pictured her own hands taking control, cradling Amara's curves and relishing the warmth of her body. What would Amara's lips taste like? Were they as warm as the rest of her?

A new memory appeared, this one from the night of the ritual. After Amara had scorched herself clean, they'd spent several minutes wandering the halls together. Vee had done her best to avert her eyes, to avoid noticing just how much of Amara's body had been on display, and apparently she had failed. Why were these memories so vivid? Why was it so easy to remember every curve of her friend's naked body? As tempting as it was to pause, to examine how her own eyes might have betrayed her conscious desires, there was another temptation that was far more preferable.

What was it Tessa had said about Amara's tail?

"She can do this thing with the tip where she--"

At the time, Vee had quickly cut her off, but now she desperately wished Tessa had finished the sentence. What did Amara's tail feel like? What could she do with it?

Vee remembered the first night they had cuddled together for warmth, when she'd nervously asked to feel Amara's tail. It was incredibly soft, delightfully warm, and completely prehensile. Earlier, Amara had invited Vee to ride her tail; what would that be like? The tip was slightly flared, but Vee imagined it would easily fit inside of her. Is that what Tessa had wanted to say? With the amount of control Amara had over her tail, she could twist it however she wanted, and her demonic senses would share which movements drove Vee mad.

Her thoughts were briefly interrupted when, on the other side of the door, she heard Amara moan. It was deep and guttural, and Vee could tell how relieved Amara was to finally have arousal to feed on. The moaning only pushed Vee's fantasies further, as she remembered that it was her pleasure Amara was feeling.

In the fantasy, Vee was now between Amara's legs. Her friend's tail had reached behind her and was fucking her deep while her own tongue explored Amara's clit. They were both moaning louder and louder, and Vee could feel her climax approaching. Fantasy Amara began bucking her hips, she was on the verge of absolute bliss because of Vee's tongue, and her legs started squeezing Vee's head. Wings surrounded Vee, holding tight, and everything froze as Vee came at the same time as Fantasy Amara.

Fuck... Amara!

The dam broke, and Vee lost all control. Her moans joined Amara's, her hips bucking as her pussy clenched tight around her fingers. Her other hand joined in, rubbing her clit as she tried to extend her orgasm as long as she could. As pleasure shook her body, she found herself completely focused on her connection with Amara. The fear had completely vanished, and she had committed to sharing herself, and this experience, with her best friend.

On the other side of the door, Amara seemed to be having a similar experience. The demon's moans were much louder, which made Vee feel better about her own sounds. Vee managed to keep her own orgasm going for nearly a full minute, and as it started abating, she began refocusing on the world around her.

Slowly, inch by inch, she removed her soaking wet fingers from herself. She looked at her dripping hand, then immediately wondered how she was supposed to clean herself off without any running water. Amara was able to use hellfire, but Vee had never tried using her magic for something so trivial. Out of curiosity, and a desire to not cover her blankets in bodily fluids, she held up her hands and wondered if she might be able to manifest flames of her own. She knew that other angels were able to use purifying flames, so it was worth a shot.

Closing her eyes, Vee pictured Amara's hellfire. In the past, it had been a horrible omen that had nearly caused her death, but her rejuvenated bond with Amara now brought memories of comfort and support. She thought of cuddling with Amara, her unnatural warmth a beacon of safety in this hostile plane, and remembered that her abilities were entirely rooted in hellfire.

Vee reached for her magic, bowing her head in respect, and imagined holy purifying flames dancing around her fingertips. Her magic seemed to respond to her prayer, and she opened her eyes in shock when a burst of light appeared in front of her.

In the center of her palm sat a bright, enochian flame. The embers were impossibly white, with flickers of yellow and gold dancing throughout, and they felt incredible. They were just as warm as Amara, and their light seemed to chase away the malaise of Purgatory that had crept into her bedroom. Color that Vee hadn't even realized was missing now returned, and most importantly, her hands were completely free of all traces of her recent activities. She politely asked the magic to recede, its purpose served, and a massive smile appeared on her face.

I just made fire! I've never done that before! Why was it so easy this time?

With a quiet laugh, Vee relaxed her head against the closet door behind her. She had been so terrified of sharing this moment with Amara, and yet she felt amazing. She'd manifested an entirely new ability with ease, and as she looked inside herself, she didn't sense anything missing. She felt whole, alive, and invigorated.

I need to tell Amara about this! I'll bet she's doing way better herself, too!

Vee knocked on the closet door, paused for a moment, then spoke up. "Amara? How ya feeling?"

There was no response.

Okay, weird. I know she was feeding on me; I felt it the whole time. Shouldn't she be on top of the world now? Why isn't she saying anything?

"I'm going to open the door now, is that okay?" Vee still couldn't hear anything, and her elation started to fade slightly. Had something gone wrong? Would feeding on an angel have any adverse effects?

Suddenly worried, Vee opened the closet door slowly. When she first peeked into the isolated space, she couldn't see anything. She had been under the assumption that Amara was leaning against the door, just like she was, but that was no longer the case. Vee opened the door further, and finally found Amara hunched further back in the closet.

At least, Vee assumed she was hunched. All she could see were Amara's massive wings, which she'd wrapped around herself. They were shaking erratically, and as Vee paused to listen, she realized Amara was crying.

Vee moved closer, kneeling in front of her friend and lightly placing a hand on one of her wings. "Amara, are you okay? What's wrong?"

The demonic cocoon tightened. Whatever Amara was feeling, she was clearly trying to keep it to herself. Vee wasn't entirely sure how to respond, as she didn't know what had happened. She wracked her brain, trying to think of anything that might explain this before, when something clicked. This wasn't new behavior; Amara was having a panic attack.

Steeling her nerves, Vee reached forward and grabbed the edges of Amara's wings, then gently pulled them apart. Amara's resistance crumbled in seconds, and Vee finally saw her friend directly.

Amara was leaning against the back wall of the closet, her legs pulled to her chest. She was hugging herself tight with her arms and tail, and her head was buried in the crook of her elbow. Each breath she took seemed painful, sending uncontrollable tremors through her body, and Vee refused to not intervene. Vee slid closer, thought about what she should say, and finally laid a hand on Amara's arm.

"Please, talk to me. We're friends, Amara, and I want to help."

Vee had barely finished her sentence when Amara looked up at her. The whites of her eyes had returned, and her amber irises no longer glowed with demonic energy. Her skin was back to its normal color, rather than the deep crimson from earlier. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and the moment after they made eye contact, Amara leapt at Vee. She wrapped her arms around Vee's waist, burying her face into Vee's stomach as she started openly weeping.

"I'm sorry!" Amara cried. "Please don't hate me again!"

Although stunned by the response, Vee knew what Amara needed. She reached down, letting one hand rest on Amara's back while the other lightly played with her hair. With each gentle stroke, she pulled more of the tangled mess from Amara's face. "I'm not going anywhere, Amara. I'm your friend, and I know exactly what you're going through."

"But I was terrible! I tried to force myself on you, and I said such awful things! How can you be okay with that?!"

"Because I know you, Amara. We're in an impossible situation right now, and that's not your fault. You've done everything in your power to stay on top of these new, demonic needs of yours, and you can't be held responsible for freak accidents that tear away your support network."

Vee continued holding Amara, letting her cry for as long as she wanted. It might have been a few minutes, it might have been longer; Vee didn't bother keeping track of time. The important thing was staying together, holding on to the friendship they'd finally managed to rekindle. Vee remembered Amara's breathing trick, the one Nick had taught her, and she tried to help Amara push through the worst of it. She would move the hand on Amara's back up for two seconds, then slowly trace down for four. She repeated this for a while, matching her own breathing to the same rhythm, and eventually Amara began to calm down.

Once Amara's tears had finally stopped, she gave Vee one more big squeeze, then sat up. Vee reached forward, cupping Amara's face in both hands and using her thumbs to wipe away the tears. Amara forced a smile, and one last surge of emotion rushed through her. Vee suspected it would be more tears, but Amara seemed determined to pretend it was a laugh.

"You're too nice for your own good, Vee," Amara said.

"Yeah, well, I'm an angel, aren't I?"

Both girls laughed, then Amara reached up to gently hold Vee's hand. Their touch lingered briefly before Vee pulled away, giving Amara the space to pull herself back together. "I didn't mean those awful things I said, Vee."

"I know you didn't, Amara."

"But like, I don't want you thinking that I secretly have all these horrible thoughts about you! These aren't things that have always been there that just happened to come out, they're thoughts I've never had before, I promise!" Amara was now nervously wringing her tail.

"It's okay, I promise. I'm not going anywhere, we're still friends, and nothing has changed between us. I mean, if anything, we're closer than ever, aren't we? You've fed on me now." Vee smiled, trying to catch Amara's eyes and inject some levity into the situation.

"I mean, yeah, I guess I did..."

"How did that feel? You seem a lot better, and your skin isn't red anymore."

"Wait, what?!" Amara said. "My skin was red? Like, stereotypical demon red?"

"Yup, every single bit of you matched your tail. For the record, you were rocking it."

This time, Vee finally got Amara to laugh. "Oh, shut up, you're just trying to make me feel better. I'm sure, in better lighting, I would've looked awful."

"Okay, but seriously, how are you feeling?" Vee asked again. "This wasn't a normal feeding, I'm an angel. Did it feel any different? You don't sense any adverse effects, do you?"

Amara shook her head. "No, I feel a lot better. It was a little strange, but I'm not sure how to explain it. It's like you were... spicy? It was a little tingly, but I also got more energy than I expected to. I didn't like, dig extra deep like I did at the ritual, but I think your aura is a little difficult for me to read."

"That kinda makes sense, doesn't it? That I would have a bit of natural resistance to your abilities?"

"It does, but it just wasn't something I'd thought about before." There was a brief pause, then Amara spoke up again with a smirk. "I mean, you could be super into me, and I'd never know!"

Vee laughed nervously, desperately hoping that the dim lighting would help hide her blushing face. "Y-yeah, wouldn't that be crazy?"

Amara seemed more like herself with each passing moment. "Hey, if it's okay to ask, what happened while I was feeding? It was weird 'cuz like, I was getting a bunch of energy, then it dropped off almost completely, then it came back again. That wasn't me, was it?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Vee asked in surprise.

I had to have misheard that, right?

"Well, like, I was trying to be quiet so that I wouldn't distract you, but you also said you could feel me feeding. When the energy dropped off, I worried that I might have accidentally done something to mess you up."

Okay, definitely misheard her. Phew.

"Oh, that." Vee swallowed nervously. "Right, well, um, I promise that thinking of you didn't distract me. I was just, uh, mostly thinking about some smut I used to read, but it's been a bit since I've... you know. Practiced that kind of self-care."

"Thank goodness!" Amara said with a sigh. She paused briefly, and Vee could tell from her face that she was thinking about asking a question; Amara had a tendency to chew on the inside of her lip when she was making decisions. Eventually, she seemed to make up her mind, and she quickly moved forward to give Vee a proper hug. "Thank you so much, Vee. I know it must have been really awkward and difficult, but it means the world that you did this for me. I promise I won't let it change me, okay? I'm not going to tell anyone what happened, and I'm going to assume this was just a one-time thing."

They both settled into a comfortable hug, and Vee sighed in relief as they held each other. Amara seemed determined to keep their relationship platonic, and Vee knew that was for the best. Even though they were friends again, the scars of their bitter rivalry were still fresh; clear boundaries would help maintain the stability they both needed.

Besides, it would be weird not to think she's attractive; she's a succubus, that's kind of the point. Once we're home, things will go back to normal. I did what I had to in order to survive, it didn't mean anything.

Before long, Amara broke off the hug and pulled her legs underneath herself. With a deep breath, and a quick flash of hellfire, she wiped the tears off her face. She ran her hands through her hair, cracked her neck, and rolled her shoulders a few times. Once she'd pulled herself together, she jumped to her feet and reached out for Vee. "Now, you want to come out of the closet with me?"

The joke caught Vee completely off guard, and the fit of laughter that followed prevented her from grabbing Amara's hand. When she finally found the strength to compose herself, she accepted the gesture, and the two returned to Vee's room. "Oh! Do you want to see something cool?"

Amara jumped on Vee's bed, then turned to face her. "Sure!"

After taking a few steps away from Amara, Vee held out her hand and repeated the prayer from earlier. It seemed to take longer this time, but soon enough, she was holding a small enochian flame in her palm. Its brilliant white light illuminated the bedroom, and she took another step back just to be safe. "Check it out! I've never been able to do this before!"

A wide smile appeared on Amara's face. "Vee, that's incredible! What changed?"

Vee dismissed the fire quickly before sitting next to Amara. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. After we... y'know, I wanted to clean off my hands like I've seen you do. In the moment, it just felt kinda natural for some reason."

"Well, obviously you're half-demon, and our rekindled friendship is rejuvenating your powers." Amara stuck her tongue out at Vee before playfully hitting her with her tail.

"Oh, shut up, Hellspawn!" Vee pushed Amara in retaliation, and the demon fell back onto the bed, laughing hysterically. "Maybe you're half-angel, and that's why my magic doesn't hurt you as much!"

"Nah, no way," Amara said. "If I were a half-and-half, that would guarantee that my mom was either an angel or a demon, and I just don't see that."

Vee fell backwards as well, settling in on the bed before turning to face Amara. "Why are you so convinced your mom is human?"

"I just don't see how she could be anything else. She did her best to give me a good life, and I love her more than anything, but I could tell that things were tough for her. I never explicitly confirmed this, but I know we had money problems." Amara turned as well, the girls now facing each other as they talked.

"Really? But, don't you have that entire apartment to yourself? If money were as tight as you think, how could she afford that?"

"We've never talked about it, but I think she gave up a lot of little things to try and provide for me. Her meals were always suspiciously small compared to mine, and I think she overworked herself to keep providing for us; she always seemed a little tired. I asked a few times when I was small, and too young to understand money, and she always seemed to have a decent excuse. Like, 'Oh, work bought everyone lunch today, so I'm not too hungry' or 'I was lost in a good book last night, and stayed up later than I realized'. Once I was old enough, I started seeing the truth behind her white lies, and I decided to stop asking questions. Still, whenever possible, I tried to ask for cheaper Christmas presents, and I worked really hard to get a good scholarship for college."

"So, you think that if she were an angel or a demon, she wouldn't have money problems? She would just use her powers to make things better?"

"Exactly! Like, look at me, I'm insanely powerful, and I've only known about my demon side for a few months. How strong am I going to be in a year? In five? Plus, I mean, you've met my mom. I love her to death, but she's a little boring."

Vee thought back to the last time she'd seen Amara's mom, Evelyn. Freshman year had just ended, and everyone was busy packing their cars to return home for summer break. Evelyn was helping Amara move boxes, and Vee had stopped by to return a few of Amara's things.

It was hard to disagree with Amara. Evelyn was incredibly sweet, but Vee had never sensed anything strange about her. Granted, she'd also failed to realize that Amara was a demon, so it was hardly convincing proof in either direction.

"What do you think would happen if you told her?" Vee asked.

"Fuck, I have no idea. I don't think she's very religious, so I doubt it would go horribly, but that's still a huge shock. Maybe she'd faint or have a panic attack? She's never been the type to get angry."

"I know it's a different scenario, but I'm happy my parents know I'm an angel. I don't have to worry about hiding my abilities from them, even though I have to occasionally withhold details about what the Church has me doing. Although, honestly, I'm glad I didn't have to tell them about our fight."

The conversation paused for a minute, and Amara seemed to be lost in thought. When she did speak up, it was only to change the topic. "Should we try to get some more sleep?"

"Honestly, after all the commotion earlier, I'm not sure I've got more sleep left in me. Plus, I have no idea how much time has passed, and I don't want to risk missing Tessa's next attempt to make a bridge. I'm pretty sure I didn't get a full night's rest, though. How about we grab some food, especially now that your appetite might be back, and head back to Lysander after that?"

Amara quickly averted her eyes. "Oh, you, uh... noticed me not eating?"

"Please, it's not like you were trying to hide it, Amara. I'm assuming you actually need food to survive, yeah?"

"I do, and now that you mention it, I'm pretty hungry." Amara's stomach grumbled in agreement, and the girls got up to pick through Vee's remaining food. "I still think I might be able to survive on nothing but sex, but Nick won't let me try."

"Well good, because I won't either. C'mon, eat." They both laughed and spent the rest of their presumed morning enjoying the tiny sliver of peace afforded by Vee's apartment.

"Tess? Hey, Tess, wake up."

"No... you wake up..." Tessa grumbled, turning over as she grabbed her pillow tight.

"I did, Tess. C'mon, we should get back to work, shouldn't we? Amara and Vee can't make it back without you."

As her peaceful slumber continued to drift further away, Tessa began to return to her senses. She had fallen asleep in her clothes, apparently, and her bed was cold and hard. Her pillow felt strange, too; it was far too fluffy for her liking. And was that Nick speaking?

After a defeated sigh, Tessa opened her eyes. She was greeted by a large, blank wall, and she immediately remembered that she'd never left Lysander Hall.

Why the fuck is there a blanket over me? Whose pillow is this?

Tessa sat up, rubbing her eyes as she tried to avoid looking at the bright fluorescent lights above her. She appeared to be in a corner of the secret room, and if nothing else, the illusory wall was still up. Nick was kneeling next to her and had just pulled a hand away from her shoulder. "Nick? What's going on?"

"You could barely keep your eyes open, and you fell asleep a few hours ago. Thankfully, I had a feeling this would happen, and the last time I got food, I also grabbed a spare blanket and pillow for you."

"You let me fucking sleep?!" Tessa shouted. "Nick, I need to get this circle up and running! How am I supposed to get them back if I waste all my time sleeping?"

When Nick responded, he did so with unusual assertiveness. "Tess, you were literally falling asleep while hunched over the circle. Yes, you weren't able to get as much work done, but if you'd stayed up, your work would have been sloppy and second-rate. I may not understand all these magic runes, but I'm an athlete and I know how to study. Without proper rest, you're not going to be able to do shit, alright?"

Surprised at Nick's sudden assertiveness, Tessa wasn't entirely sure what to say. "Yeah, well... shut up."

Ugh, fuck. Nick didn't deserve that, he wants them home just as much as I do.

"Besides, I set some alarms, so we should be fine. I have no idea when Amara and Vee are going to be at the circle, but I'm hoping it's around the same time. If you take down the wall, I should have plenty of time to get us some breakfast." Nick paused briefly, then cut Tessa off just before she could speak up. "And some coffee. Don't worry."

Tessa wanted to hate how smug Nick was being, but the more she thought about it, he wasn't even being smug. He was just putting his foot down to make sure that she ate food and got some sleep, which was hardly something to get upset about.

"Alright, fine. Let's get this wall down, and then you've got half an hour. Just like normal."

While Nick was busy getting breakfast, Tessa took advantage of his absence and re-checked all her work from last night. Loathe as she was to admit it, she found a few small errors that needed correcting. Thankfully, even while exhausted, her work was much cleaner than everything the cult had done, and she was able to correct everything quickly.

Why am I snapping at Nick? He's just trying to help, and he's been nothing but supportive this whole time. Ugh, I hate apologies. He's probably going to want to hug or shit.

Once her previous work had been corrected, and Nick had returned with the food, Tessa ate as quickly as she could. The coffee was something to savor, as she needed the energy, but she wanted the food to get to work as soon as possible. After finishing, once she'd crumbled up her wrapper and thrown it in the corner, she reluctantly turned to Nick. "Hey, um... look, I'm sorry about earlier, okay? I just hate the thought of them being stuck there for even longer."

With a soft smile, Nick placed a hand on her shoulder. "I get it. We're in this together, remember, and for better or worse, I know you. You can't work yourself to death, otherwise we're never getting them back."

Alright, well, that's better than a hug.

Tessa didn't bother responding, and instead crawled back to the edge of the circle. "Okay, I think I'm ready for another crack at this. It's not perfect, but it's definitely better. Even if they can't cross over, we should at least have more time. You ready?"

Nick nodded, and Tessa began her work.

Her hands flat on the ground, her tattoos flaring, she started to focus on the circle. She watched her magic flow through all the different runes, observing how each one interacted with the circle as a whole, and she was happy with what she saw. Her alterations seemed to be taking, and after a minute of focus, she felt the circle stir to life.

This time, the process was much quicker. The flow of magic seemed healthier and more efficient, and she had a feeling that holding the connection wouldn't be as strenuous as last time.

When Amara appeared in the middle of the circle, she came into focus almost immediately. She was sprawled out in the middle, her tail lazily flicking back and forth in the air. Vee was sitting next to her, leaning back on her hands, and the two girls seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. Whatever they'd been saying must not have been too important, however, as they stopped the instant the magic settled.

"Tess? That you again?" Amara asked.

Tessa pulled her hands off the ground, sighed in satisfaction and walked on the circle. "Yup!"

Vee spoke up next. "Oh, thank goodness. I feel like we've been waiting here for hours, there's really no way to tell time in Purgatory."

Looking around, Tessa couldn't help but notice how calm Vee and Amara looked. Yesterday, when they'd briefly managed to talk, they had both seemed pretty exhausted and panicked. That had also been the first time they'd made contact since disappearing, so it might have simply been nerves.

"So, Tess, how does this work?" Nick asked, stepping closer.

"Yeah, like, do we have to do anything? I didn't see Nick until he stepped onto the circle, which has me a little worried." Amara was now on her feet, and even offered a hand to Vee to help her up as well.

"Okay, so, interplanar travel is weird. To make this bridge, I'm essentially merging the space on Earth and in Purgatory. As long as we're in this circle, we're in both planes at once, yet also neither. It's not a traditional portal like the one the cult made; those have a habit of being unstable, and when they're especially poorly made, they can even damage the fabric of reality itself. Unfortunately, while my option is less dangerous, it can be harder to figure out exactly how to choose which plane you want to end up in when the connection closes."

"So... you don't know," Vee said.

"I don't see you doing anything to get us home!" Tessa said, staring daggers at Vee.

Amara stepped forward, putting herself between Vee and Tessa. "Hey, Vee doesn't deserve that. Her magic is what's letting us survive over here, we all have a part to play, alright? Just let us know what our next step is, and we'll take it from there."

Okay, odd. Now Amara's defending Vee? What on Earth happened over in Purgatory?

After awkwardly clearing her throat, Tessa looked around at everyone, then continued. "Right, um, well, first we need to see how strong the connection is." Tessa stepped closer to Amara, then reached out for her shoulder. Thankfully, when she made contact, she met an appropriate amount of resistance. Amara's body felt incredibly solid, and she was giving off just as much heat as Tessa normally expected.

After seeing this, Tessa swore the entire group sighed in relief. Nick was the first to move, jumping at Amara and hugging her tight, all with a goofy smile on his face. "Fuck, Amara, I'm so glad you're okay. You too, Vee. We had no idea what to think when you both vanished. You don't know why it happened, do you?"

Vee shook her head. "Nothing yet. Like I mentioned last time, there are some weird monsters skulking around campus, but we haven't seen anything actually suspicious. Amara thinks we just got pulled in because we're not human."

"Yeah, what's up with that? Ever since you mentioned those things yesterday, I've been trying to figure out what the hell would be living in Purgatory."

"We don't really know. They're kinda like these big, vulturic, wyvern things that look like ghosts. Stark white, a little see through, with bits of wet flesh constantly falling off of them. Our current theory is that they're some kind of native species that enforces the balance between life and death in Purgatory, so we've been calling them reapers. I don't think the reason they're around matters much, though. They were pretty aggressive for a day or two, and now they're mostly just circling the quad. We saw a weird circle there, too, but with all the reapers, we haven't been able to get in close and see what's up."

"Uuughh I hate magic sometimes," Tessa groaned. "Alright, look, there's a million things going on, but I can't hold this connection forever. Amara, can you walk out of the circle? I want to see which plane you end up in."

"Can do!"

After moving aside, Tessa watched as Amara moved to the edge of the circle. She took a nervous breath, then stepped forward and disappeared.

"Hm. Shit." Tessa moved to the edge of the circle, examining the ground where Amara had just left.

"We're still stuck here, aren't we?" Vee asked.

"As much as I hate to say it... yeah, I think so. I was trying to align the circle so that it would-- No, the specifics don't matter. Look, I think I know how I can fix this, but I'm gonna need a bit more time. Do you think you two can make it through one more day?"

Vee and Amara looked at each other, and eventually the blonde girl spoke up. "Well, I still have more food, and my wards seem to be holding up pretty well. But, Amara..."

"No need to beat around the bush, Vee," Amara said. "If I'm going to make it another day, I'm gonna need to feed. But, with the circle working like it is, that means it has to happen here and now. I don't give a fuck about being watched, and Tess, I know you don't either."

"Sorry, I'll have to sit this one out," Tessa said. "The circle is pretty stable, but I still need to concentrate to keep it running smoothly. I can't afford the distraction."

One by one, all three girls looked over at Nick, whose eyes went wide. "Wait, me?"

Amara walked closer, wrapping her arms around Nick's shoulders. "Sorry Nick, but our hands are tied. It can't be Tessa, and it's obviously not going to be Vee. C'mon, you've never been curious about exhibitionism? What about that time at the library when I--"

"O-okay, no need to share everything we've ever done, I get it." Nick was blushing furiously, his eyes darting between Tessa and Vee. "I just, y'know, it's a little weird. Can you all at least look away?"

Vee nodded quickly, pushing some of her hair behind an ear. "Not a problem for me."

Amara looked at Tessa next, a pleading look on her face. Tessa rolled her eyes, sighed, then said, "Ugh, fine. I promise I won't look."

Nick swallowed nervously. "Thanks, both of you. I really appreciate it." He barely had time to finish talking before Amara had grabbed his face and pushed her lips against his. Her tail wrapped around his leg, squeezing him tight before traveling higher. Her hands reached under his shirt, and she clearly wasn't trying to hide her own moans of excitement.

When Tessa looked over at Vee, she caught the angel blushing as she watched the seduction unfolding in front of her, but they both quickly averted their eyes as they committed to giving Nick and Amara a veil of privacy.

Surprisingly, Tessa was glad to have the circle as an excuse to abstain from hooking up with Amara. As amazing as the sex was, she still didn't know how she wanted things to proceed between them. The time apart, as well as several uncomfortable conversations with Nick, had reinforced her own hesitations over giving Amara free reign over her body. Nick still trusted Amara implicitly, and Tessa was inclined to agree with him, but she wanted more time.

Without a strong idea of how long Amara might prolong their hookup, Tessa decided to sit down on the floor while she waited. She knew from idle gossip that Nick loved dirty talk and hearing Amara moan, but she had a feeling they were going to try and keep things quiet out of respect.

Of course, they were still fucking, and a certain amount of noise was to be expected. It wasn't long before Tessa heard Nick's breathing pick up, then a series of sloppy, wet sucking noises. Tessa wondered if they just might stick to oral for now; Amara could cum no matter what, and it would be less clean up afterwards. The two kept moaning as the minutes crept on, and Tessa couldn't stop her thoughts from wandering.

What caught her off guard, however, was what she wanted to fantasize about. It wasn't Amara's supernatural tongue, or her thick, prehensile tail; it was Nick. She focused on his moans of pleasure, wondering what he might sound like if she ever got the chance to fuck him. Did his tastes change from partner to partner? Tessa's certainly did.

It was strange to fantasize about Nick. Sex had always been comfortable for Tessa, but it had never been something worth imagining. Her life had always been delightfully simple; when she wanted sex, she got it. She knew how to meet people, and how to tell which ones were on the prowl for some good pussy. Why bother fantasizing about sex when it was never more than a phone call away? Now, with Nick having refuted her advances time after time, she almost felt like a horny teenager again, desperately wishing she could hook up with the cute guy down the street.

As time kept passing, Tessa was forced to awkwardly shift positions a few times. She could feel herself getting more and more turned on, but she didn't dare make things more awkward by doing anything about it. For one thing, it would be horribly rude, but it would also endanger the bridge she'd built to Purgatory.

Thankfully, it seemed like Amara was on a mission. Tessa knew from experience that the demon could easily draw out encounters as long as she wanted, but today she seemed content to end things quickly. Nick's breathing grew louder and more panicked, then Amara's moans picked up in volume, and before long, they were cumming together. It sounded like Amara was having significantly more fun than Nick was, and Tessa wondered if he was simply trying to be polite by keeping things quiet.

There was a shuffle of clothing, the sound of a zipper, and then Amara spoke up. "Alright you two, we're all finished!"

Tessa shook her thoughts loose and turned around. "Whew, that's probably for the best. I think I've got a headache coming on from keeping the circle up and running. If you two are all set, I think we should call things here."

Amara licked her lips, her tail excitedly darting back and forth behind her. "I'm all good! Vee?"

Vee was still blushing as she turned around, and her voice seemed quiet compared to her usual demeanor. "Um, yeah, I'm set. Hey, Tess, is there any way to send brief messages through the circle when you're not holding the bridge open? We were waiting a pretty long time today, which is fine, but I'm just curious.

"I suppose you could try pushing your magic through like you did last time? I can't promise I'll see it instantly, especially if I'm in the middle of some alterations, but it might be better than nothing." Tessa said.

"That's good to know! Hopefully we won't be in any emergencies, but I figure it's good to have a plan just in case. We'll see you two tomorrow!"

Nick and Tessa both hugged Amara goodbye, then Nick did the same with Vee. Out of habit, Vee moved closer to Tessa, but hesitated as she reached out. The gesture had seemed so genuine, as had the hesitation, and after a moment of awkward silence, Tessa rolled her eyes and moved in for a hug. Vee squeezed her tighter than she expected, and she couldn't help wondering if there was an apology hidden in the gesture.

Everyone stood on opposite sides of the circle, and then Tessa dropped the magic. The circle faded back to its original state, then Amara and Vee disappeared from view.

After a few moments, Nick spoke up. "Hey, before you get back to work, you want to go take a walk around campus? You've been cooped up in this tiny room for over a day, and you need to get some fresh air. I'll even buy you lunch."

"Honestly? That sounds pretty nice. I think some space will do me good."

After passing through the illusory wall, the two of them marched up the stairs until they found their way back to the quad. As they walked, Tessa very nearly started pestering Nick about his recent exhibitionism, but another topic wormed its way into her thoughts instead.

"Nick, how do you do it?" Tessa asked quietly. They were skirting around the outside of the quad, which had an unusual layer of thick fog in it.

"Do what?"

"You're just, like, always so chill. You get a little flustered sometimes, and there was that week you took off from school, but it seems like you're always taking everything perfectly in stride. I mean, your best friend's a demon, I'm a witch, Vee's an angel, and we've all almost died like a dozen times over. Yet, through all of it, you're just smiling and buying me burgers, or letting Amara suck you off while we awkwardly pretend we can't hear everything that's happening."

Nick cupped his hands around his mouth, briefly warming them, before shoving them in his coat pockets. His breath hovered in the air briefly as he sighed. "I don't know. Like, yeah, everything that's been happening is really fucking weird, but isn't that life? Just a constant parade of fresh bullshit, day after day? Yesterday Amara grew a new limb, today she's stuck in Purgatory, and maybe tomorrow she'll be upset because she got a bad grade or something. At a certain point, I find it's easier to just accept everything that's happening and instead shift my focus to doing something about it. I've been supporting Amara through panic attacks for years, so does it matter why it's happening? She's always had skills that I didn't, only now it's throwing fire and fighting cults, whereas before it was knowing how Photoshop works. It's obvious that I can't help out on the battlefield, so my options are actually pretty clear. I keep her calm, help put things in perspective and remind her that she doesn't need to be scared of her powers."

"You make it sound like it's so easy," Tessa said with a smirk.

"I mean, to a certain extent, it comes pretty naturally to me. I realize that's not the case for everyone, so I try to help out when I can. Like, even though it's easy for me to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, I understand why certain situations are cause for panic. I'm not immune to it myself, I was pretty freaked out when Amara disappeared. But, in that case, it's because I didn't know where to put that next foot. When Amara says she needs to feed in front of two of our friends? That's awkward, but I know what needs to happen."

"Well, you're lucky. I wish we could trade places sometime. I'll make you do all the planar math, and I'll just sit back with a burger while Amara goes down on me."

Tessa was trying to rile up Nick, and it worked like a charm. He was burying himself in his scarf as his cheeks turned bright red. "Okay, look, I'm very much aware that I've gotten a little lucky in certain aspects, alright? I'm just trying to be respectful of Amara and not be some jackass who takes what he has for granted."

With a hearty laugh, Tessa punched Nick's arm. "You're such a dork. I'm just being an ass; no need to be so defensive about it."

It took several minutes for them to finish their walk to the local burger joint, and just after they'd placed their order, a stray thought from earlier reappeared in Tessa's mind.

"Did Amara seem, like, not as tired today?" Tessa asked.