Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 10

(Very briefly edited for Patreon compliance reasons.)

"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.