Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 06

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.