Rough Draft - Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 13

Here it is, the first draft of the end of Book 1. I really hope it serves as a suitable conclusion for everything that's happened the last twelve chapters! As you, my lovely Beta Readers, give it a read, I'd love to know your thoughts on the following points.

-Do any parts feel rushed? I try some new things in this chapter, and I want everything to feel appropriately fleshed out.

-As always, should you happen to find any spelling/grammar errors, I'll be eternally grateful if you point them out to me!

Nyx <3

-

“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 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 didn’t see her as human. Nothing she said mattered, and 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, having just 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, apparently deciding it was fine suffering 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, watching as she slowly opened her eyes.

“…Why?” Vee asked, 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. Amara locked eyes with Vee, then turned away. 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?