Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 05

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

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

-

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

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

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

5:23 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enochian was the language of the Angels, after all.

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

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

Instead, the magic pulsed with recognition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amber irises glared back at her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weird. Why would a demon research itself?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Your days are numbered, Hellspawn.”

-

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

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

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

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

10 PM.

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

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

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

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

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

11 PM.

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

12 AM.

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

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

Amara stood up, pushing against the barrier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shit, of course he’d ask that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amara paused, her eyes locked on the needle.

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

She finally nodded slowly, holding out an arm.

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

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

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

“I’m… twenty?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His aura told her otherwise, it was still growing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Fuck! Get ready, pet!” Vince said.

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

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

Stronger. I need to be stronger.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Amara?” Tessa asked, her eyes wide.

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

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

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

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

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

“I-I…”

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

“Tessa, I can’t leave!” Amara said.

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

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

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

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

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

“No human would be trapped in there.”

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

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

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

“Point taken. Um, okay, well…”

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

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

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

“Huh.” Tessa said. “So… a demon?”

Amara nodded. “A succubus, actually.”

“How long have you known?”

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

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

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

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

“I promise.”

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

Was Tessa always this light?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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