《Losing My Religion》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Confusion rolled through my gut. I stared at the paper, a chemistry assignment due tomorrow, while my girlfriend, Amber, hovered over my shoulder trying to help.


    Her voice was gentle and patient, but her twitching finger and contorted posture betrayed her impatience. ¡°Adam, all you have to do is add more of each compound until both sides of the equation have the same amounts of each element.¡±


    That was the fourth time she¡¯d said the same thing ¨C or was it the fifth? ¨C and this time, just like all of the others ¨C I did not understand.


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t this,¡± I pointed to one side of the paper, ¡°just turn into that?¡± I pointed to the other side.


    ¡°Oh my god, no babe, some of them need to react in pairs or triplets or whatever so there¡¯s the right amount of stuff.¡± She ran a hand through my short ginger hair affectionately. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to just go to a tutor or the professor¡¯s office hours? I feel like I¡¯m not helping at all.¡±


    I sighed, ignoring her taking the Lord¡¯s name in vain ¨C something we¡¯d argued about before ¨C and leaned into her touch. ¡°Maybe it would be better to get a tutor, but I wanted to spend more time with you.¡±


    She giggled and stepped away from where I sat at the desk in her solo dorm, moving over to sit on the bed and stare at me slyly. ¡°There are plenty of other things we could be spending time together for...¡±


    My mouth twisted into a grimace, but I quickly covered it up by wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and schooling my expression. That was another thing that we¡¯d argued about before ¨C or rather, that we¡¯d disagreed about: when it was okay to have sex.


    I was waiting until marriage, both as a religious commitment, because I thought it was the right thing to do according to God, and because I thought it was better for our relationship ¨C that if Amber and I got along romantically without sex, we would be even better off once we were married. She disagreed.


    Now, I wasn¡¯t some kind of chauvinist that would only marry a virgin ¨C and in fact, Amber was not a virgin, she¡¯d had sex before we started dating ¨C but I wouldn¡¯t have sex until I was married, and that sometimes frustrated her.


    Despite my attempts to hide my reaction she saw through me. ¡°Adam, I¡¯m not even talking about sex, there are a million things we can do other than sex.¡± She sighed and laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, ¡°I just want something more than a chaste kiss ¨C just making out with me would be enough.¡±


    It was true that it had taken all three months of our relationship so far for me to kiss her, both out of my reluctance to do sexual things, and out of a shyness to be the one to initiate. I glanced back at my homework, feeling like I should complete it before doing anything else.


    She groaned in frustration when I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Adam, if you don¡¯t want to do anything with me, that¡¯s fine, but I need you to be honest with me about it. I can¡¯t keep getting strung along like this.¡± The sheets rustled and the bed squeaked as she sat up. ¡°Do you even find me attractive?¡±


    I looked at her, examined her in a way that I usually didn¡¯t let myself. Amber was a sporty, medium height twenty-one-year-old with straight black hair that came down to the tops of her shoulders. She wore a white tank top that revealed her black sports bra, loose black joggers below, and no makeup.


    Despite her casual state of dress ¨C or perhaps because of it ¨C she was extremely beautiful. Hazel eyes adorned a sharp face full of confidence, energy and sass. Even in a vulnerable moment, questioning if her boyfriend found her attractive, she still gave off the impression of being in control, of being the instigator.


    Of course I found her attractive, anyone attracted to women would.


    Then why don¡¯t you want to touch her?


    I shook the intrusive thought from my head. I was obviously just nervous and inexperienced, worried I wouldn¡¯t live up to her expectations. The best thing to do would be to push through my discomfort and give her what she wanted to the best of my ability. As my dad always said, ¡®it¡¯s a man¡¯s job to give his woman whatever she wants¡¯.


    I reluctantly stood without a word and strode over to the bed, climbing over Amber as her expression grew more and more excited.


    There were a lot of feelings I would¡¯ve had to sort through in order to find my own anticipation ¨C the nervousness that came with doing something unfamiliar, the dread that I might be doing something sinful, the inexplicable tension swirling in my stomach, and the even stranger burning heat radiating between my legs ¨C but I ignored them all, shoving them away in order to be as proficient as I could with my limited experience. I needed to be skilled, to satisfy her and complete my job, then everything would be okay and we could go back to normal.


    The kiss I gave her was fumbling and toothy ¨C not that I understood that at the time ¨C and my hands fell limply by my side without any guidance, completely aimless.


    She worked into me, running one hand smoothly across my face to the back of my neck, and running the other down my hard, flat chest. Her kisses were confident, with seamless transitions from pressing our lips together to her sucking one of mine to her biting me.


    A satisfied sigh escaped her, while I, on the other hand, only grew more and more distressed.


    I may not have had the knowledge to understand the particular ways I was fucking up, but it was completely transparent that Amber was incomparably more skilled than I was. My anxiety heightened, the tension in my gut coiled tighter, and the strange burning in my underwear only got worse ¨C and no, it wasn¡¯t just an erection; I at least knew what that felt like, much to my shame.


    We broke apart, with Amber grinning, and stared into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This is so nice,¡± She said, ¡°We should do this all the time...¡±


    I really have to do this more often? ¡°Oh. Sure,¡± I responded.


    My tail coiled around my thigh, squeezing it reassuringly, ¡°Yea, I don¡¯t understand why that¡¯s so hard to believe, I¡¯ve been here the whole time...?¡±


    Her face grew somehow more incredulous, ¡°You don¡¯t unders¨C¡± She shook her head and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards her bathroom.


    I followed and my tail released its grip on my leg to sway in time with my hips as I walked.


    ¡®Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it...¡¯ I chanted in my head.


    My obstinance was inevitably broken when we arrived in front of her mirror.


    A cute red-skinned woman stood next to my girlfriend, stubby little horns growing out of the top of her head. A thin black tail with a spade tip swayed anxiously behind her.


    Then there were the more... human... aspects of her body. She was shorter than Amber, had smooth, hairless skin, long, crimson hair cascading down her shoulders, and was... physically remarkable.


    Remarking as politely as I could, given the subject, she had feminine genitals and rather prominent secondary sexual features, all in the same red tone.


    What the...


    I took a break from staring at the body to glance at Amber and saw that she was staring just as intensely as I¡¯d been, although her expression was unreadable.


    ¡°You¡¯re a demon,¡± She finally said.


    I turned away from the mirror, unable to have this conversation while staring into my own glowing orange irises. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I told her, feeling anger and shame growing in my chest, ¡°This is what I get for falling to temptation...¡±


    ¡°You fucking moron¨C¡±


    I cut her off with a glare and a pointed finger, ¡°No, this is your fault; if you never tried to seduce me this would¡¯ve never happened!¡±


    ¡°How is this my fault?! Your dad was the one that must¡¯ve¨C¡±


    ¡°You did this to me!¡± I screamed, ¡°I should¡¯ve known better than to listen to a Godless heathen!¡±


    Amber¡¯s palm came up to slap her forehead and she shook her head. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m done.¡±


    She stared into me, her features tense but controlled. ¡°I¡¯m going to go spend the night with a friend, and you have until tomorrow morning to figure your shit out and leave my room.¡±


    She towered over me with her newfound height advantage and shot me a warning glare, ¡°You and me are done now, and if you mess with my shit tonight I¡¯m telling your dad about this,¡± she said, gesturing at my body.


    Panic shot through my heart. If my dad found out... ¡°Fine,¡± I hissed, ¡°Abandon me to deal with the consequences of your actions!¡±


    She sighed and left the room, grabbing a bag and throwing a set of clothes and toiletries into it.


    I followed behind her and waited, wanting to hear her retort, wanting her to fight with me more than I wanted to ¡®win¡¯ the argument.


    She finally responded when her bag was packed and she was standing with one hand on the doorknob, looking over her shoulder. ¡°Our relationship has issues ¨C it had issues. And whatever this is?¡± She waved at my body, ¡°You don¡¯t have the self-awareness to handle it, let alone while stubbornly blaming me for it.¡±


    I opened my mouth to respond, to yell at her, but the door was open before I knew what to say. I jumped away, not wanting anyone to see me at all, let alone naked, and lost my opportunity to respond.


    Left alone in my ex-girlfriend¡¯s room, I huffed and laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling once more.


    I curled in on myself, hugging my knees to my chest, and trying not to think about how I¡¯d just been broken up with, how I would be dead if anyone found out what happened to me, how I felt about what happened to me.


    You already know what they say about trying not to think about something.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    There was only so much time I could spend pouting, moping, and napping until reality caught up with me. While I couldn¡¯t be completely sure what Amber had meant by ¡®next morning¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to risk guessing wrong.


    That meant either finding a way to transform back, or ¡®borrowing¡¯ some of her clothes, given that mine had vanished with my manhood.


    I¡¯d wasted the entirety of the night, and now, at seven in the morning, two hours before I had to be at my first class, I was scrambling for a solution.


    I considered googling, ¡®help I turned into a demon,¡¯ but I was paranoid that it would somehow get traced back to me, a surefire way to be ostracized from my church group and hunted down by my father.


    Other than that, I¡¯d been praying endlessly, asking for forgiveness and for guidance. I hadn¡¯t gotten a response yet, but it seemed like if there was ever a time to pray, it was now.


    Thankfully, despite it being around the time I usually ate breakfast, I wasn¡¯t feeling any hunger ¨C at least not that I was aware of. I was, however, extremely aroused, something that irritated me to no end. I knew better than to fall to the temptation of lust again.


    After precious minutes of no results, all while not knowing when Amber would return and kick me out, I changed strategies. Perhaps I can try to control it, resummon my God-intended body with my mind. I knew that I was grasping at straws, but I had no other options.


    My focus turned inwards, imagining my body and all of the things I knew about it. There were the broad, bulky shoulders, the unwieldy height, the inconvenience of having a penis, but, most importantly, the humanness of it, the pale skin, the lack of horns and tail.


    I felt my body shift in response to my last thought and I hurried over to the mirror to check the changes.


    Instead of what I¡¯d expected, the body I¡¯d known for twenty years, a normal-looking college girl stared back at me in the mirror. She looked every bit like the twin sister I didn¡¯t have: pale, freckled skin and medium length red hair. The main differences were in her height, which matched the demon¡¯s height, and her gender.


    It immediately stuck out to me how much her face matched that of the demon¡¯s; I¡¯d initially assumed that the demon didn¡¯t look like me at all, but looking at her human version made the similarities more obvious.


    Well, I suppose it¡¯s progress in the right direction...


    I closed my eyes and ignored the temptation to examine the image in the mirror further, focusing my thoughts on the things that still needed to be fixed.


    A few moments later, everything shifted again, and I opened my eyes to normalcy, my everyday body staring back at me.


    Ignoring the fact that I¡¯d just shapeshifted, that I¡¯d been cursed to have a demonic form, that my girlfriend had just broken up with me, everything was looking up.


    ¡ª


    The rest of the day was strangely normal ¨C no one treated me any differently, despite the fact that I was a corrupted heathen.


    I¡¯d gone to my chemistry lecture in the morning and had felt awful about not turning in the assignment, and now I was in my business 101 course, trying to keep up.


    I was only half of a semester into my degree and it was already wearing on me. The endless drone of the old man as he explained a list of self-explanatory vocabulary with the emotional range of a text-to-speech program enticed my wandering mind to think about anything else, to dwell on the events of the previous day, the fact that I¡¯d already started skipping assignments, or that I was one mistake from everyone finding out about my demon-ness.


    All of that meant that when the class ended and my friend Chris approached me, I was startled when he spoke.


    ¡°Hey, man I heard¨C¡±


    I shot out of my seat, yelping in a voice that sounded more like demon-me than real-me. I really need to think of a name for her so it¡¯s easier to refer to her, not that I want to get used to her being around.


    Chris stared at me, concerned, for a moment before trying again. ¡°Sorry,¡± He shrugged his shoulders, ¡°I heard about what happened, major bummer, dude.¡±


    My heart raced.


    I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the thought. It was probably one of her thoughts, the one that didn¡¯t deserve a name.


    We sat down on the futon couch ¨C an old creaky piece of wood that was held together by splinters and duct tape ¨C and stared at each other.


    After a moment of silence passed Chris cleared his throat. ¡°So, how are you handling everything?¡±


    I jolted, thinking he knew, not for the first time today, but I quickly realized he was talking about the breakup, something I¡¯d hardly had time to register. ¡°Oh... You know how it is,¡± I said, waving my hand flippantly, hoping for him to fill in the blanks.


    He leaned back into the couch, one arm draped over the back, and stared into the blank television across from us. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± He said, sounding unsure.


    He continued a moment later, ¡°I really don¡¯t though, because I¡¯ve never dated anyone, so...¡±


    I turned to him, surprised, ¡°Really? A handsome, kind guy like you? Girls must ask you out all of the time.¡±


    He blushed, turning away for a moment. ¡°Yea, that¡¯s the issue, I¡¯m more into guys.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Don¡¯t be like your dad, don¡¯t be like your dad, don¡¯t be like your dad.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being gay,¡± I told him.


    He snorted, stifling a full laugh. ¡°Uh, yea, thanks for letting me know...¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I responded absentmindedly, mind still stuck on all those poor women that asked him out only to be rejected.


    Another shake of my head banished the strange thoughts in my head and bottled up my feelings. It had been getting harder and harder to control my thoughts throughout the day, something that was surely her fault, and maybe Amber¡¯s too.


    After another long moment of silence, Chris laughed to himself. ¡°You know, it¡¯s kind of funny,¡± he started.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I used to be into you,¡± he told me, still laughing a bit.


    My mind honed in on the important part. ¡°Used to?¡±


    He shot me a sly grin and leaned his shoulder into mine, pressing part of his warm body heat into me. ¡°Why, you disappointed I¡¯m not still into you?¡±


    I tried to lean away, but found myself trapped against the armrest, my hips sliding towards him instead and my back falling down onto the seat. ¡°Uh, no...¡± I stammered, trying to figure out why he felt so warm and why he smelled so good.


    I gathered some composure. ¡°I was just wondering what changed.¡±


    He tower over me, giving me his crooked grin, ¡°Well, it turns out you aren¡¯t my type, personality wise, ¡° he shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re still damn cute though, so if you ever want to experiment...¡± His grin grew wider and he leaned in, not close enough to actually kiss me, but well past the point where the idea was forced into my mind.


    The heat I was feeling built, and before I¡¯d figured out what it was, there was a ¡®pop¡¯ and I reflexively closed my eyes as my body shifted.


    Oh no.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    I heard Chris gasp and then scramble away from me on the couch.


    We sat in silence afterwards, with me hoping that she wasn¡¯t back, and him probably getting ready to run and find a priest. While Chris wasn¡¯t someone I knew from church ¨C we¡¯d met a few weeks earlier during our first classes ¨C I¡¯d think most people¡¯s instincts when confronted with a demon would be to find some kind of exorcist.


    Even worse, all of the things I¡¯d been struggling with during the day were amplified with my transformation: the insatiable arousal, the distracting scent in the air, the wandering mind.


    ¡°Dude...¡± His voice wavered, sounding equal parts incredulous and concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like,¡± I insisted, my smooth, deep, feminine voice sounding just like the previous time.


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re a succubus!¡±


    I opened my eyes to see him pointing at me petulantly, as if my curse was something I was greedily hogging to myself and not a horrible affliction that was going to ruin my life.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m definitely not a succubus, I don¡¯t even want to know where you got that idea.¡±


    ¡°With honkers like those? You¡¯re definitely succ¡¯n.¡± His crooked grin came back, as if we were just two dudes hanging out making jokes.


    I stared at him. Why did he have to put it so crudely? And was that supposed to be a pun? I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid curse, it¡¯s what I get for giving in to lust.¡±


    My tail itched against the rough fabric of the couch as I sat up. ¡°It¡¯s a test, and when I show that I can control myself then He will cure me.¡±


    His grin turned to a puzzled frown. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me the whole spiel ¨C I¡¯m in the know,¡± he said, as if that meant something.


    I glared at him, ¡°Clearly you don¡¯t know anything if you think I¡¯m some kind of demonic pervert,¡± I stood and moved to the other side of the room, staring at the wall and trying not to think about the fact that I was naked again or the fact that I¡¯d seen Chris staring at my ass when I¡¯d stood. ¡°Give me a second to change back ¨C and stay away from me, your smell is distracting.¡±


    My focus turned inwards, away from the sweet smell that lingered in the air, honing in on my image of my body. A short moment later I was back, in my normal body, clothed.


    I turned back around.


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re like a cuter mini-you!¡±


    And his darn grin is back...Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)


    I glanced down at myself, trying to figure out what went wrong, and realized that I was still the height of the demon, rather than my height. I closed my eyes and shifted again, but as I did, the feeling was strained, like I¡¯d just overworked a muscle. My vision swam and a wave of exhaustion washed over me.


    ¡°Dude, are you okay?¡± Chris jumped to my side and held me up with his strong arms ¨C not that I needed it.


    I stumbled away from him and swayed on my feet. ¡°Dude this, dude that ¨C this is serious,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Oh, yea I guess you¡¯re a gal, huh,¡± he rubbed the stubble on his chin contemplatively, ¡°Why are you even shapeshifted into a dude in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a damn demon, you moron, just get out if you aren¡¯t going to be helpful!¡±


    He must be corrupted too if he made me transform. I need him gone before he tries to tempt me again.


    He shrunk back, hurt. ¡°But¨C¡±


    I pressed on, snarling in his face. ¡°You¡¯re just some sick pervert that thinks he can take advantage of my affliction. Well, it won¡¯t work!¡± I declared righteously.


    He winced. ¡°I¨C¡±


    I cut him off with a stern point to the door.


    He reluctantly shuffled away, turning back in the doorway as he was leaving. ¡°If you need anything just text me...¡±


    What is he talking about?


    I shook my head, flopping my cheeks onto my pillow repeatedly. Why do I feel so cold? While he¡¯d been close to me, there¡¯d been a satisfying warmth that had paradoxically warded away the overwhelming heat of my fever and the sun. Now, alone in my bed, it was fading, and my body was feeling much worse.


    Chris hesitated, conflicted between leaving like I¡¯d asked, and staying anyways.


    I grabbed his arm and pulled him into bed, ignoring the cute yelp he let out. I need this. Once he was laying next to me, I wrapped myself around him, plastering as much of our skin together as I could to absorb his soothing energy.


    ¡°Adam?! Hello?¡±


    I basked in the feeling, letting out a satisfied noise, and allowing my eyes to close. I wanted to nap anyway, what does it matter if there¡¯s company?


    ¡ª


    There were a lot of kinds of sleep.


    The kind most people are familiar with ¨C the ¡®not quite perfect but good enough¡¯ of having to get up just a bit earlier than you want ¨C came to mind first, but that was just the start. There was the kind of sleep you got from having bone-deep exhaustion, the mid-day nap, the restless nightmare ¨C there were too many to count.


    None of them I would describe as orgasmic ¨C even a wet dream didn¡¯t feel orgasmic, it felt embarrassing.


    When I woke up on Thursday evening, still wrapped around a wide-eyed Chris, however, it did feel orgasmic. My body thrummed with power as I yawned and stretched out my muscles; all of the exhaustion I¡¯d been feeling was completely gone.


    ¡°Uh.. Adam...?¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± I shushed him and slowly extracted myself from his body, startling when I realized that I¡¯d transformed in my sleep. Shoot, does that count as giving into temptation? It felt like I was going to die if I didn¡¯t do something...


    I shifted back to my normal, clothed body, taking a second to make sure everything was as it should be. The power I¡¯d felt quieted, leaving me feeling empty and weak, but not nearly as bad as earlier in the day.


    With a clearer head I was able to compartmentalize all of the intrusive feelings I¡¯d been having and analyze my conduct with a clear mind.


    I grimaced, thinking about how I¡¯d lashed out at Chris. It was clear that he was just trying to help, even if he was a bit misguided, and if he was going to be guided on to the correct side of faith, it wouldn¡¯t be helpful to alienate him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chris.¡±


    He sat up, running a hand through his short, spiky, hair. ¡°For...¡± One of his eyebrows raised, waiting for me to say the wrong thing.


    ¡°For how I acted earlier. I wasn¡¯t feeling like myself...¡± I trailed off, trying not to think about everything plaguing me.


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll accept your apology on one condition.¡±


    I inhaled sharply. With blackmail like this, he could ask for anything... ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    ¡°You need to let me help you.¡±


    I stared at him.


    He shook his head. ¡°You clearly aren¡¯t figuring out this on your own, and although I don¡¯t know much about succubi, I can still help out...¡±


    He glanced down at the bed, where we¡¯d just been laying together and cleared his throat, ¡°Not like that! I just meant like... figuring out all of your quirks and powers or whatever.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I still don¡¯t agree with the assessment that I¡¯m a succubus, but we can agree to disagree for now. I¡¯m thankful for your help,¡± I managed, fighting the urge to lash out again. The practical side of my brain was in control, doing its best to make sure I would survive and stay in college, as much as the morality of studying the demon inhabiting me made me wary.


    Chis¡¯ crooked smile returned. ¡°So, I guess we¡¯ll be working together on this from now on?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I suppose so...¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    How could one be a college student while infected by a demon ¨C possessed, manifesting sin, however you wanted to phrase it?


    It seemed like simultaneously a very important thing and a triviality. Sure, anyone could go to college if you paid the tuition and followed the rules, but how could you function, with all of the things that came along with demonic nonsense?


    I¡¯d been collecting data for Chris and I to go over for the past two days, and, now that it was Saturday evening, three days since this nonsense started, we were comparing notes and theories, sitting next to each other on my bed.


    ¡°So, what else have you noticed?¡± he asked me.


    I blushed, not wanting to talk about it all with him, but also knowing that I needed a second opinion to make sure I didn¡¯t miss anything ¨C even if he was still insistent that I was a succubus.


    ¡°Uh... So, certain people smell different... And it¡¯s usually the same people, like I¡¯ll go to class with the same people and I¡¯ll notice that they smell sweet or whatever.¡±


    His mouth twisted and he scratched his cheek. ¡°And you¡¯re sure it¡¯s not just enhanced senses, that you¡¯re smelling something other than their shampoo?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I can smell your shampoo, but there¡¯s also something else...¡±


    He blushed as well and turned away. ¡°So, I¡¯m one of those people?¡±


    ¡°Yea...¡±


    ¡°And is it mostly men, mostly women?¡±


    I don¡¯t like where this is going... ¡°Mostly women, but plenty of men too...¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    I glared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®huh¡¯ me, if you have something to say, then spit it out.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Well, since you asked, I think if you¡¯re a succubus, then the people that smell good are people that you¡¯re interested in ¡®feeding¡¯ on.¡± He made air quotes around feeding as if I wouldn¡¯t get the insinuation.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a succubus in the first place because that¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. Do you think I¡¯m some kind of depraved whore?¡± I waved my hand at him, dismissing the idea, ¡°It¡¯s more likely that I¡¯m sensing sin on people, and that the sweet smell is meant to test my resolve.¡±


    ¡°And I think that¡¯s ridiculous. Why would your god make you a demon?¡± He raised an eyebrow at me as if he¡¯d made a convincing point.


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously punishment for my sin,¡± I pointed out rationally.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°And what did you do that was deserving of being turned into a demon, cum before your girlfriend during sex?¡±


    I blushed again. How can he be so kind and so crude at the same time? ¡°No, of course not ¨C I made out with her.¡±


    He stared at me. ¡°Dude.¡±


    Kissing a man was a lot different than kissing a woman, but somehow exactly the same.


    Obviously, I didn¡¯t have a lot of experience to make sweeping statements about what was generally true about each group, but from what I knew about gender, there wasn¡¯t anything that separated all men from all women. Sure, men tended to have more facial hair than women, and that affected how it felt to kiss them, but some women had facial hair, and some men didn¡¯t.


    Therefore, it was only natural that I enjoyed the kiss. Kissing is something that most people found enjoyable, and given that Chris was someone I liked ¨C was someone that was likable, it only made sense that kissing him was enjoyable, regardless of what gender he was.


    Our lips pressed and twisted together, my hand coming up to hold his cheek as I went in for more. There was the softness of his lips, a very different kind of softness compared to Amber, the roughness of his stubble, and the smell of his shampoo ¨C probably something like ¡®clean wave¡¯ ¨C reminiscent of an ocean breeze.


    Then there were the succubus things.


    Yes, I¡¯m possessed by a succubus, I have to admit it now. There¡¯s a limit on how long I can deny reality before being overwhelmed by evidence.


    There was the same warmth that I¡¯d felt when we¡¯d cuddled but concentrated around my mouth, a soothing pulse that calmed me as much as it energized me. There was also this feeling of potential that I wasn¡¯t ready to explore yet. And there was the sweet smell, which had only been growing stronger, transferring to the taste of the kiss, layering on top of my normal senses.


    My arousal ¨C her arousal built, radiating out from my lower stomach to make the exposed skin all over my body tingly and weightless.


    I finally broke off the kiss after a few minutes and pulled away, still refusing to meet his eyes.


    ¡°Adam...¡± His voice came out in a breathless plea.


    ¡°Lily,¡± I corrected absentmindedly, ¡°When I¡¯m like this, call me Lily.¡±


    He laughed and laid back onto the bed. ¡°So, Lily, what¡¯s the verdict?¡±


    I turned away from his smug voice and started focusing on shapeshifting, on getting clothed again. ¡°I¡¯m possessed by a succubus...¡± I admitted reluctantly.


    My body shifted, and suddenly I was clothed and tailless again. I turned to finally meet his gaze, only to see him staring at me with wide eyes.


    I glanced down, trying to find what was wrong. ¡°What? Are my clothes wrong?¡± My clothes felt wrong, like they weren¡¯t the right size, but nothing else seemed off.


    ¡°Damn, Lily I didn¡¯t know you could do that...¡± He said, glancing up and down my body.


    I glared at him, wincing for a moment when I tried to flick my tail in annoyance but it wasn¡¯t there, causing me to strain a muscle in my lower back. ¡°What are you talking about? Just because I¡¯m a virgin doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t kiss.¡± I pouted ¨C frowned sternly.


    He laughed again, flashing me his crooked smile. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, but you¡¯re right, the kiss was very good.¡± He rolled on his side, facing me, and brought one hand holding up the side of his head while the other waved at my body. ¡°I meant the human version of Lily. It¡¯s cute ¨C suits you.¡±


    My gaze flickered down, my cheeks flushing as I realized that I¡¯d somehow not noticed the prominent chest that Lily had ¨C and that I wasn¡¯t supposed to have. One more shapeshift and I was back to guy mode.


    Chris raised an eyebrow at me.


    Another shapeshift and I was back to the correct height again.


    I sighed. If I keep messing up the shapeshifting I¡¯m going to need to harvest more energy...


    I didn¡¯t let myself acknowledge the way the prospect excited me.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Originally, when my dad had been deciding which college I would attend, he¡¯d been planning on sending me out-of-state to a private religious school. Ultimately, he¡¯d ended up valuing being able to check on me and keep me attending the same church while at the local college over the more exclusive option.


    Now, going to church on Sunday with a demon inside me, I wished he¡¯d have sent me away.


    I¡¯d strategically chosen to arrive just as the sermon was supposed to start, to give my dad as little time to question me as possible, but ¨C as I probably deserved ¨C I was unlucky.


    I stood in the middle aisle of the church, nodding along to what my dad was saying, desperately waiting for the pastor to finally arrive ¨C five minutes late ¨C and allow me to take my seat in the pews.


    ¡°So, son, how''s your studies coming? You ready to become a billionaire yet?¡± He smiled and ruffled my hair, an affection that would¡¯ve normally filled me with pride and satisfaction, but was instead twisted in my worried mind to be a threat that he was onto how poorly I was doing in school, the fact that I hated every one of my major courses and the secret I carried around with me.


    ¡°Any day now, I think that¡¯s the next unit we¡¯re going to cover,¡± I laughed, reciting my lines from within my bag of skin. He¡¯d latched onto the idea that my business degree would make me rich for some reason, and it was the only idea he liked about me being in college. He¡¯d even told me to avoid any religious classes, saying that I¡¯d be corrupted by their liberal ideas.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to stay away from those parties,¡± Another one of his boisterous laughs echoed across the walls, ¡°They were crazy when I was in college, and you don¡¯t need that kind of temptation in your life.¡±


    I nodded, catching the subtext that he¡¯d gone to those parties when he was younger that I¡¯d somehow missed the first hundred times he¡¯d told me that.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to make it harder on myself. In fact, I broke up with my girlfriend last week because she tried to pressure me into sex,¡± I smiled through the fabrication, feeling every bit as ill as I had on Thursday, when my energy had run out.


    ¡°Good riddance!¡± He slapped his hand down on my shoulder in a move that was probably supposed to be congratulatory, ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s already onto some other guy, you know how those college girls are.¡±


    Don¡¯t think about Chris, don¡¯t think about Chris, don¡¯t think about Chris.


    I was finally saved when the pastor arrived and I had to take my seat, next to my bible study group, an assortment of other young adults that had been going to the church with me for as long as I could remember.


    Now all I have to do is sit through a lecture I¡¯ve already heard and hope I don¡¯t burst into flames during communion.


    I shook my head violently. He was the last person I needed to see me like this.


    ¡°Do you need me to give you a ride?¡± She seemed to understand my desire to avoid my father.


    I shrugged ¨C or at least tried to. ¡°If it¡¯s not a big deal...¡± my words slurred together. How did I burn up all of my energy again, I¡¯m so stupid! I suppose the energy-replenishing actions I¡¯ve been doing haven¡¯t exactly been the biggest ones...


    She helped me up and told everyone that I was sick, and she was leaving to take care of me. We received a few waves of goodbye in return, and I got well wishes. The rest was a blur as she took me to my dorm room.


    ¡ª


    I¡¯d been slowly gaining energy from her while she supported me, meaning that once we¡¯d actually arrived at my room, I could walk by myself ¨C or at least stumble by myself.


    My roommate was there, although thankfully we didn¡¯t see him, given that he was holed up in his room.


    Sophia laid me down on the bed and pressed her hand to my forehead again. ¡°Hmm... I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s not as warm as earlier or if I¡¯m just used to it...¡± She leaned over and moved her head towards mine.


    I scrambled back, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± The stupid sweet smell, combined with what Chris had theorized it meant, had been making me realize just how attractive Sophia was. I¡¯d admired her for a long time as a hard worker, someone that took our study group seriously, but now, I was also noticing how caring and gentle she was.


    Then there were the more physical things, the things I didn¡¯t want to admit I found attractive. The way her long slender neck looked so kissable, the way her height made it to where she would surely tower over me if I was Lily, the way her wavy blonde hair was styled so perfectly ¨C like seriously how did she do that? Girls are magic...


    Those were all of the things I didn¡¯t want to think about ¨C couldn¡¯t think about if our theory on my random transformations to Lily were correct.


    Of course, all of that went out the window when she climbed onto my bed and crawled over to me, cornering me against where the mattress met the wall. In hindsight, she was probably trying to kiss my forehead, a common way to get a read on someone¡¯s fever, but at the time, all I could think about were all of the things I wasn¡¯t allowed to.


    Her concerned expression grew shocked as my body shifted.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    You¡¯d think that by the third time this had happened I would have a better response than awkward silence.


    Of course you¡¯d be wrong; to prepare for it would be admitting it would happen again, a practical concession my pride wouldn¡¯t let me take.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com


    ¡°Hi, Sophia,¡± I waved at her, hoping to get this over with and somehow trusting that she wouldn¡¯t react poorly, at least not worse than Amber did.


    ¡°You¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°Call me Lily when I¡¯m like this, but yea... I¡¯m the same person,¡± I sat up and shrugged, feeling less tired in this form. ¡°I was a human for twenty years and then went off to college... You know how it is.¡±


    She nodded slowly. ¡°Yea, I guess. I found out that I''m gay... you found out you¡¯re a succubus... same thing.¡± Her eyes traced down my exposed skin.


    The budding realization that a lesbian found me attractive was oddly euphoric, a very different feeling from finding out Chris had found me attractive in my other body.


    I do need to feed...


    ¡°Uh, so, I¡¯m not sick... but I am low on energy...¡±


    She backed off the bed and stood.


    I panicked, thinking she was going to run away. ¡°Wait¨C¡± I cut myself off when I realized that she was throwing her clothes off.


    She joined me on the bed again, pressing our bodies together and bringing her lips down to meet mine. She kissed a bit like Amber, with a self-assured confidence, but Sophia was much more daring than Amber had ever been.


    Her tongue immediately gained access to my mouth, causing me to moan as the intimacy brought a rush of energy and arousal. Our lips danced together as I joined in, meeting her tongue with mine.


    Sophia held my mouth open with a thumb hooked around my lower front teeth and licked the length of each of my four fangs ¨C which I hadn¡¯t noticed I had, nor noticed their sensitivity ¨C and then moved her mouth down to kiss, bite, and lick her way down my neck. She rubbed the base of my stubby horns with her fingers, a relief more similar to a scalp massage than something erotic.


    I hissed and moaned, blocked from covering my mouth by Sophia¡¯s arm. My hands drifted down instead, looking for an outlet to express my feelings, and landed on her hips, one sliding around the back to knead her rear, and the other stroking up and down her stomach, changing directions at the top of her trimmed public hair and the bottom of her chest.


    She¡¯d been on her side, leaned partially over me, but as her mouth moved to my chest, she shifted to being completely on top of me, her hips between my legs. My legs wrapped around her back instinctually when she began licking my chest, swirling her tongue around my stiff nipples. I let out a long moan, completely overwhelmed with a kind of pleasure I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d feel.


    Wetness pooled between my legs, fueled by the pleasure radiating out from my chest, the feeling of her soft skin of her body against mine, the building energy I was harvesting, and the feeling of being so feminine.


    Without conscious control from me, my tail came between my legs to brush my own slick folds and after a few short strokes, my body seized up, pleasure rolling through me in a singular devastating wave. I rode it out, twitching and moaning without control, stars dancing across my vision.


    While I was having my experience, Sophia was climbing over me to line her hips up with my mouth. Without preamble, she pressed herself into my blissed out face, coating my exposed tongue with her tangy wetness.


    I licked, chasing the energy still building in me ¨C I hadn¡¯t found a limit on how much I could store yet, if there was one.


    She hummed in satisfaction, ending the silence she¡¯d held since before she¡¯d taken off her clothes. ¡°God, you¡¯re such a good little slut, lick my cunt.¡±


    I blushed, her words making me more embarrassed than our actions. I debated stopping to tell her off, but the prospect of getting this much energy was too enticing, so I kept licking like an obedient slut. My hands were on her back, pressing her further into my mouth, and my tail continued stroking between my legs, slowly building my own pleasure.


    Contrary to my expectations, my urges had decreased, including my arousal, making it much easier to pay attention ¨C not that it was easy to pay attention in my business classes.


    It made sense from the perspective of Chris¡¯ theory that I was just a succubus ¨C the fact that I fed a lot meant I wasn¡¯t as hungry anymore ¨C but the experience made less sense from my perspective ¨C the fact that sinning made more sin less appealing.


    But that fact made me want to do it again, because the perceived risk was low, so in the end I was being tempted?


    The whole thing made my head swim, and I avoided Chris as much as I could, not wanting to admit what had happened on Sunday, and the implications of everything that followed.


    What would it mean if all of my discipline, the hard fought denials of masturbation and other worldly pleasures, if all of that was for nothing? It couldn¡¯t mean nothing; my suffering had to serve some kind of purpose.


    That was the attitude I took into my classes, especially my business classes. The professors droned, I scribbled down notes, rinse and repeat. It would mean something when I graduated; a more enjoyable major would be a less useful one.


    I also ignored the question Sophia had implicitly left me with, the question of the woman inside me. She was Lily, and Lily was not me ¨C not in a spiritual sense, not in a literal sense, not at all.


    Everything was going well until Amber talked to me while I was eating lunch on Tuesday.


    It was the one week every fall where it was truly pleasant outside, when the lingering heat from the summer suddenly faded and the frost of winter hadn¡¯t quite set in. I¡¯d gotten a sandwich to-go on campus, and sat out in one of the grassy fields, under the shade of a tree older than my earliest named ancestors.


    Amber approached from the side, the sight in the corner of my eye not noteworthy until she stood still next to me and spoke, ¡°Hey, Adam, how are you doing?¡±


    I flinched at the name ¨C although I heard it during roll call in some classes, it had been a bit since I¡¯d heard it so directly.


    I shrugged to answer her question; she was nearly the last person I would want to tell about what I¡¯d done.


    She sat down next to me, undeterred by my silence. ¡°So I consulted my¨C¡± she cleared her throat, ¡°I looked it up, and succubi need to feed every so often or they¡¯ll die.¡±


    I continued eating, annoyed that even after only seeing me once, she¡¯d immediately figured out I was a succubus ¨C or at least that Lily was one. Am I the last person to figure out my own identity?


    ¡°So, if you need help finding someone to...¡± she cleared her throat, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want you to starve to death...¡± She blushed and turned away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I finally responded, hoping the statement was vague enough to not give anything away.


    She pulled a creased sheet of line paper out of her back pocket and started unfolding it, revealing long lines of math in black pen. Her brow furrowed, staring at her work. ¡°I did the math, and even if you¡¯d only shapeshifted once and hadn¡¯t used any of your other magic, you¡¯d be noticeably low on energy by now...¡±


    Why does she need to be so insistent about this... I mean, it¡¯s nice that she¡¯s concerned, but I have it handled...


    I turned away to wipe the crumbs off of my mouth, hiding my blush in the process. ¡°It¡¯s possible to feed on things other than sex.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true, but...¡± her voice turned disappointed and she frowned, ¡°I thought...¡±


    She stood, hastily folding up her paper again. ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve got everything handled already, I¡¯ll just be on my way.¡±


    ¡°Amber, I¡¯m s¨C¡± I turned in her direction, but she¡¯d already vanished.


    Amber, I¡¯m sorry for blaming you.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Midterms.


    It wasn¡¯t quite the middle of the term anymore, a mark that had passed sometime in the previous two weeks depending on where you put the start and end dates, but regardless, it was time for the first real tests of my college career. Academic tests, that was; I¡¯d already had ¨C and failed ¨C more moral tests than I¡¯d care to list.


    Despite how poorly I¡¯d been doing on the homework, Chemistry was one of the few classes I was confident about; once I¡¯d gone to office hours I¡¯d understood the assignments much better.


    My other general education class wasn¡¯t even worth mentioning ¨C as long as I remembered to show up I¡¯d pass the test.


    Then there were the trio of business classes I was taking. I couldn¡¯t tell you what the difference between them was, why I needed three of them, or a single thing that would be on any of their tests. In other words, I was screwed.


    I sat at the desk in my room, on Thursday night ¨C the night before my biggest day of tests ¨C cramming as much of my messy notes into my brain as I could.


    It turned out that I could burn succubus magic to avoid sleep, and all it took was studying as Lily, a small price to pay. I would have to refuel at some point, but at the moment I was more concerned about my tests than whatever I would have to do far in the future.


    What me and Sophia did was pretty crazy, I can¡¯t imagine anything more intense than that. I¡¯m sure the energy will last me a few months at least.


    What wasn¡¯t on my mind were the rest of my worries. I wasn¡¯t worried about Amber, how we¡¯d left our last conversation unfinished, and what our feelings for each other were. I wasn¡¯t concerned about Chris and Sophia, what it meant that I was missing their company, physical and otherwise.


    And, most not on my mind of all, was gender. Of course, I hadn¡¯t thought at all about Sophia¡¯s throw away line of ¡®there¡¯s a girl inside¡¯, why would I? Why would it be stuck in my mind, replaying over and over again instead of the vocabulary I was supposed to be memorizing?


    A glance at my clock revealed there were six more hours until I had to get ready for my first class.


    Is that too much time left, or not enough?


    ¡ª


    Everything is over.


    I threw myself on my bed Friday night, completely exhausted. I¡¯d failed at least one of my tests, and given that all of the business classes felt the same...


    My phone buzzed.


    I groaned, rolling over and grabbing it.


    Chris: comin over, be ready for a good time :)


    I groaned again and dragged myself out into the living room, unlocking the door and flopping face first on the couch.


    Adam: Let yourself in, I¡¯m dead on the couch. Midterms slayed the demon o7


    He responded instantly.


    Chris: UwU


    I stared at his message for a moment, baffled, before giving up and shutting my eyes again. Despite how succubus magic made it to where I didn¡¯t need to sleep, after two nights of studying, I wanted to sleep pretty desperately.


    My face remained pressed into the couch when Chris arrived.


    ¡°What¡¯s goin¡¯ on in here?!¡± His voice turned disappointed, ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t look ready for fun...¡±


    I groaned. ¡°I used magic to stay up all night studying...¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get all of... Nevermind I don¡¯t need to know.¡±


    His hand came down onto my upper back, shaking me. ¡°C¡¯mon, man, I¡¯m taking you to a party.¡±


    Another groan from me.


    He tried again. ¡°Everyone needs to de-stress every once in a while, it¡¯s just practical...¡±


    My mind jumped to all of the things I¡¯d been stressed about ¨C the things I wasn¡¯t stressed about, given that I wasn¡¯t even thinking about them. I hummed at Chris in uncertainty, showing that his arguments were starting to work.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a chill thing, no drugs. People might sip some alcohol, but these aren¡¯t the kind of people to get wasted, and no one¡¯s going to make you drink, I promise.¡±


    I pulled myself up, my body protesting every step of the way. ¡°One concession and I¡¯ll go.¡±


    He gave me his crooked smile. ¡°Anything for you, babe.¡±


    I smiled slyly back, ¡°I¡¯m not going to any party¨C¡±


    Chris¡¯ face turned incredulous, ¡°Dude¨C¡±


    I held my hand up, ¡°But Lily is going to a party, and she¡¯s hungry.¡±


    His smile came back, bigger than ever. ¡°Duuude!¡±


    ¡ª


    After one false start when we realized Lily didn¡¯t have any clothes and we had to rush to the nearest department store to pick up underwear, flats, and a casual dress that fit her decently, we made it to the party uneventfully.


    I¡¯d imagined a lot of things when it came to college parties ¨C no doubt fueled by my father¡¯s warnings. I¡¯d imagined pounding music, seas of bodies, water coolers full of beer, and frat boys elbow dropping folding tables left and right.


    Reality was disappointing ¨C not that I was looking forward to any of those things. Chris took me to a boring suburban house where a couple dozen students were sitting around, chatting at a normal volume and sipping on plastic cups of boxed wine. There was music, but it was just pop playing on a Bluetooth speaker in the corner, barely loud enough to be heard from across the room.


    The most exciting thing happening was a couple on the couch who were making out a little too intensely, but judging by the looks they were getting, what they were doing wasn¡¯t normal.


    Chris filled a cup a third of the way with red wine as I awkwardly followed him around, trying to resist the urge to pull my dress down every few steps.


    It was a tight black thing that came down to the bottom of my butt ¨C at least it did in theory. In reality, my rear was so big that the dress was constantly riding up, made even worse by the way it clung to my skin.


    It didn¡¯t really matter though, because Lily ¨C even human Lily ¨C was promiscuous, and wouldn¡¯t mind showing a bit of her underwear, even if they were department store panties.


    She broke off the kiss and huffed, out of breath, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°Straight? Of course I¡¯m not, I¡¯m bi.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°But some people get a little weird if I tell them that so I just don¡¯t mention it sometimes.¡±


    Anger and embarrassment battled in my chest at the implication. I¡¯m not homophobic, I have a bunch of gay friends. And my demon alter ego is... I don¡¯t need to think about what she is.


    I resisted the urge to make a comment, knowing that my first reaction was probably something I¡¯d learned from my father. He was a great person, but when it came to gay people, he had a few flaws.


    Once I¡¯d calmed my anger all that was left was embarrassment. ¡°But you¨C we¨C¡± I gestured between us, not knowing what it was that I had an issue with.


    ¡°You went there to feed, and here I am,¡± She shrugged, ¡°It won¡¯t kill me to serve you up a meal once.¡±


    Lily is the one that was there to feed, I¡¯m still a virgin... I didn¡¯t bother to correct her.


    I finally gave in, kissing her back like Lily would. This was Lily¡¯s night to enjoy herself, to destress after all of the studying. One of my hands groped her exposed midriff and the other came to the back of her head, pulling her mouth closer to mine.


    Amber giggled into my mouth, quickly bringing her hands up to knead my chest. I squirmed at her fingers on my sensitive nipples, still not used to the sensation.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re so cute, Lily.¡± She sighed in satisfaction, staring down on me as I squirmed, ¡°Lily... What a pretty name for a pretty girl.¡±


    My pleasure built, mixing with my embarrassment as her soft coos reached my ears. My hands twitched, I threw my head back, and right before my euphoria crested, Amber stopped.


    I whined, shifting to let my tail out from under me as she backed off, standing and removing her clothes without ceremony. She slapped my tail away from between my legs, an intense glare warning me to wait for her.


    Even with her hurrying, it felt like it took hours for her to undress, each inch of skinny jeans she had to wiggle out of making me more and more impatient for my pleasure. I need her to touch me ¨C I need the release.


    Once she was finally undressed, she still didn¡¯t come back to me, instead bending over to look through the drawers of her nightstand.


    I brought my fingers up to absentmindedly rub my chest, hoping she wouldn¡¯t chastise me for it, while staring at her ass. I hadn¡¯t seen much of her body while we¡¯d been dating, but I¡¯d known in the abstract that she was fit.


    The abstract was not enough to prepare me for reality. Amber¡¯s legs were long and rippling with muscle, the upper third of her thigh a lighter shade than the rest. Everything was smooth and taut, completely in control of her motions as her head neared the floor without her bending her legs.


    Her upside down face peeked through her shins to give me a sly smile. I scowled back, but I continued watching and waiting, only touching my chest, swirling my short, black nails around my deep crimson nipples, thankful that I didn''t naturally have claws.


    By the time she returned to me, now wearing a long, thin rubber phallus between her legs, I was panting, worked up to the edge. I preened under her satisfied smile as she knelt on the mattress just below my hips, lining up with my soaking entrance.


    Amber rubbed her rubber member slowly up and down my lower abdomen, so close to giving me the pleasure I needed. ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl, waiting patiently for me. But there¡¯s one more thing you need to do before I put you out of your misery.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I whined.


    Her smirk should¡¯ve scared me. It might have scared Adam, had he received it, but it didn¡¯t scare Lily.


    ¡°Beg.¡±


    My writhing stopped.


    I thought about everything I¡¯d experienced recently, the confusion, the stress, the rare enjoyment when I gave in to my instincts, and scariest of all, the feeling that Adam might not exist anymore, that he was less and less present every day.


    Adam fucking sucked anyways.


    ¡°Please fuck me Amber, I need it,¡± I shook my hips, trying to get her inside me, but she thwarted me at every movement.


    Her eyes went wide for a moment before crinkling in amusement, ¡°And what are you?¡±


    My cheeks burned with shame, a feeling almost as prominent as the need between my legs. ¡°I¡¯m just a succubus whore...¡± I threw a hand over my face, hiding from her judgmental gaze.


    She hummed in satisfaction and peeled my hand away from my face, studying my embarrassment.


    Then, she entered me.


    I had rationalized away many of my decisions up until that point as the actions of Lily, the woman ¡®possessing¡¯ me, avoiding the responsibility of doing things for myself. In that moment however, the person getting fucked by my ex-girlfriend who probably still hated me on some level, they weren¡¯t Lily, nor were they Adam.


    They were me.


    And I loved it.


    I parted around her thrust, stretching and tensing in new and exciting ways. My lower back rose off the bed, bringing our pelvises together and eliciting a satisfied exhale from Amber and a low moan from me.


    ¡°Damn, maybe I should''ve chose the bigger one,¡± Amber muttered, pulling her hips slowly back before finding her rhythm, sliding into me with proficiency. ¡°Of course the succubus can take it...¡± She sped up.


    I¡¯d been trying to avoid thinking about potential succubus powers ¨C shapeshifting alone consumed my thoughts more often than I wanted it to ¨C but with the excess energy flowing into me, as well as my newfound self-acceptance, I was ready to dabble.


    One of my hands came down to hover over Amber¡¯s toy, a warm energy radiating out from me and doing something. I was still figuring it out.


    Amber gasped and redoubled her efforts, cursing under her breath.


    ¡°Oh my god, I can feel...¡± Her moans joined mine, and her rough thrusts grew jerkier, slapping our flesh together in a cacophony of lust.


    I hadn¡¯t thought much about coming since she¡¯d entered me, more concerned with enjoying the steady waves of pleasure flowing through me than chasing a big high. That all changed when Amber reached down, brushing her long slender fingers against my clit, and I realized that the only reason I hadn¡¯t come already was because she hadn''t wanted me to yet.


    It took under three seconds for her dexterous fingers to give me an orgasm, causing what little composure I had left to disintegrate, screaming and shaking.


    And I thought I¡¯d done it all with Sophia? This is already insane, what more could sex be?


    A few thrusts later and Amber was finishing too, the toy twitching inside of me due to my magic. Thankfully nothing came out of it ¨C that wasn¡¯t something I could fathom needing to worry about ¨C but I ended up feeling really empty when she pulled out.


    Amber removed her harness and laid next to me, taking me into her arms and slowly scritching one of my horns without a word. Our breaths synchronized and I basked in the feelings of satisfaction and closeness I¡¯d never gotten to experience with her before.


    As we fell asleep, I heard her quiet voice murmur, ¡°This can¡¯t happen again...¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Amber had given me a lot of energy that night, and although we both fell asleep at the same time, I ended up waking up really early because of succubus magic. So, being the logical creature I was, I did the only rational thing:


    I snuck away.


    I was not ready to deal with the emotional vulnerability I had unleashed the previous night during the highs of sex, nor was i ready to face the rejection she''d given me right before we''d fallen asleep.


    So I strolled across campus, freezing as the morning air bit through the flimsy fabric of my cheap dress, contemplating life.


    I never ended up apologizing to Amber, did I? Whatever, she hates me now anyways...


    My thoughts quickly spiraled, honing in on all of the things I¡¯d been stressing about.


    What did it mean that it took me shapeshifting into a feminine body to have sex with Amber, to want to have sex with Amber?


    Why did my masculine form feel so temporary, so insubstantial? Was it a product of the mechanics of my shapeshifting, a manifestation of how it was difficult to keep the details of my body straight? But why didn¡¯t the same happen with my feminine form?


    I intuitively started burning my energy to heat myself, alleviating the chill as I moved through the winding paths between the towering trees. My flats click clacked against the rough pavement, keeping time to my tumultuous thoughts.


    More importantly than any of my other questions: what would it mean if I were to choose to be Lily? What would it mean to tell the school, to tell the church, to tell my father that I was a woman?


    Those were the thoughts on my mind, as I returned to my dorm room in the early morning, to the occupied living room I shared with my roommate, Evan.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com


    He sat on our ratty futon, leaning back and smoking the end of a joint, stained t-shirt and messy hair showing every moment of the night of partying they must¡¯ve gone through. ¡°Shiiit,¡± he said appraisingly, glancing up and down my exposed legs.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I cursed.


    Doesn¡¯t marijuana mess with your memory? I can just walk past him, pretending nothing is wrong and he¡¯ll forget about it by the time the sun rises, right?


    Just as I thought I¡¯d get away with it, he put his arm out behind him, blocking my path and preventing me from reaching my room. I could still turn around and leave, but that would mean confronting Amber, a much scarier prospect, even if Evan figured out my identity.


    Evan shook his head, tossing his tousled dirty blonde hair around. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re clearly related to that Adam kid, and I don¡¯t care how good he fucks ¨C you aren¡¯t going in there with him on my watch.¡± His dilated blue eyes stared into me, resolute.


    I blinked, staring at him as my mind whirred, caught between the relief that he hadn¡¯t realized I was a shapeshifting demon and the confusion of figuring out what he thought he realized.


    No, it wasn¡¯t dread, dread was too exciting of a word. The prospect filled me with an empty boredom, a resigned apathy that said I¡¯d rather pick the first three things I saw than spend my time and focus on it.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to think about the prospect of buying more women¡¯s clothes, but I did hang up my dress in the closet ¨C a symbolic gesture, given that it still needed to be washed.


    After spinning my wheels for as long as I could, it was finally time to go to church.


    ¡ª


    The idea that I could skip church only came when I was already on the short train ride across town. I¡¯d been so worried about everything else and the question of how late I could be without eliciting a longer lecture from my father, that I¡¯d never considered not going at all.


    Amber never went to church, although she did have some kind of family gathering on Saturday nights that I¡¯d never gotten the specifics of ¡ª she never talked about her family. Chris also didn¡¯t attend church, although he had an event planned during every full moon...


    But did the fact that they didn¡¯t attend church make them bad people?


    Obviously not, but why did it feel like the standards were different for me? Why was there a guilt there, threatening to overtake me for even thinking about it?


    Unfortunately, the rickety sounds of the train held none of the answers I was seeking, nor did the couple of blocks I had to walk from the station to the church.


    The sermon, which had just started when I arrived, promised a lot of answers, but given that my father was the one leading the congregation today, I doubted the answers would be satisfactory.


    True to my expectations, it was fire and brimstone, don¡¯t sin, etc. for most of an hour, followed by an uncomfortably long rant about how the morals of the world were tanking. The bigotry wasn¡¯t even thinly veiled.


    He¡¯s a great dad but...


    I sat next to Sophia again during our study group, and although she played it cool, not giving anything away to the other people, she gave me a couple of sly looks that unexpectedly made my stomach turn.


    She was kind and attractive and studious ¨C so why did it feel like being influenced by her was so wrong?


    When she asked me if I wanted a ride home, I declined, making up an errand I needed to take care of on the way home.


    The train ride home was the most eventful part of the trip, when I realized that I didn¡¯t have a penis ¨C another in a long list of shapeshifting mistakes I¡¯d made. I didn¡¯t bother feeling shocked about the revelation, nor did I bother shapeshifting to fix it.


    I stumbled my way back to my bed and immediately fell asleep, transforming to my demonic form on the way down to the mattress.


    How can such an uneventful day be so exhausting?

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    With glazed eyes I stared at my three business midterms Monday afternoon, absentmindedly rubbing one of my horns.


    I think it¡¯s a little bigger...


    My test scores were... not as big. A 20%, a 12%, and, the crowning achievement of my college career, a 55%. A set of scores so low that even the most desperate of students wouldn¡¯t be able to say were ¡®technically passing¡¯.


    Truthfully, the tests hadn¡¯t been hard. Adam probably could¡¯ve gotten B¡¯s or A¡¯s on them with a little bit of studying, and anyone in the class who¡¯d shown up to the lectures would be able to at least pass.


    I had shown up to the lectures, but, with everything going on, I hadn¡¯t really been there, so to speak.


    It wasn¡¯t even that I was stressed and distracted from everything that had been going on ¨C although that was a factor ¨C no, the main reason I¡¯d failed was because I hated the classes. The classes had been a chore when the most exciting thing I had to compare it with was going to church, but comparing it with sex?


    I¡¯d become a dopamine-fueled, sex-addicted slut, just like I predicted.


    But that¡¯s okay, I guess.


    What wasn''t okay were these tests; It was finally time to do something about this.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°It sounds to me, Mr. Taylor, like you simply aren¡¯t interested in your major.¡±


    I sat across a stained wood desk from my academic advisor, Ms. Morgan, a stern-faced woman who wore those rectangular librarian glasses, and who smelled way too sweet for my sanity.


    She wasn¡¯t even part of the business department, and had instead been assigned to me because there were too many students going into business and too few in her field of study, theology.


    I stared back at her, trying not to cringe at her gendered language. ¡°What am I supposed to do then?¡± I looked down at my arm, absentmindedly wondering if I¡¯d forgotten to shapeshift anything.


    ¡°Well, perhaps I might be biased, given that my field of study and your own do not align, but there is always the option of changing majors. It is common, especially during their first year of undergraduate study, for students to experiment with different subjects.¡±


    My mouth twisted back and forth. I¡¯ve already ignored my dad¡¯s advice in other ways....


    ¡°Okay, but how do I choose a new major?¡± My eyes moved to my fingernails, one of which I¡¯d picked at while stressing. It morphed back to perfect condition with a little bit of magic.


    Ms. Morgan cleared her throat across from me. ¡°Mr. Taylor, incubi are allowed to attend the school, but they must fill out form 32.b: supernatural existences, as well as form 37.a: demonic races,¡± her tone was tired and bored, like she was tired of all of the troublemaking demons breaking regulations.


    I stared, disbelieving.


    She continued, ¡°Unless there¡¯s been a clerical error, you have not filled out those forms. Please demonstrate your true form so I may fill out the witness portion of the form.¡± She stared at me over her glasses, waiting.


    I looked away, unable to maintain composure under assault from her sweet scent and while she was essentially telling me to get naked. I popped into my ¡®true form¡¯ after a moment, trying to ignore the implications of the term.


    Her composure, which had been unassailable for the entirety of our meeting, cracked, her eyebrows climbing up her forehead as she took in my naked, feminine form.


    She hummed in contemplation, ¡°You do not look like an incubi...¡± Her composure reconstituted, manifesting in a disappointed frown. ¡°And where are your clothes?¡±


    I blushed, her stern gaze and tone fueling my arousal, ignoring my desperate desire to remain professional. ¡°I don¡¯t know... Whenever I¡¯m like this my clothes disappear?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear.¡± Her wheeled chair slid across the floor, moving her to a filing cabinet. She opened a drawer and started flipping through the folders, searching. ¡°How much did your demonic parent explain to you?¡±


    ¡°Demonic parent?¡±


    She let out a disappointed sigh, rolled back to her desk, and handed me a colorful pamphlet titled, ¡®So you¡¯re a succubus: an informational guide for demons aged 12+¡¯.


    An alarm went off on her desk and she sighed again, this one tired. ¡°That¡¯s all of the time for our appointment, I¡¯ll email you the forms you need to complete, and if you need any more information on demonic biology, please consult the Student Health Center.¡± She nodded, dismissing me, ¡°It was nice meeting you miss Taylor.¡±


    What the fuck?


    Every succubi and incubi had at least one demonic parentDemonic gender was way too advanced for me


    ¡°Lily...¡± He chastised, shaking his head. He sat down on the edge of his bed, the mattress springing under him, and typed into his phone. ¡°I¡¯m going to at least let her know you¡¯re okay ¨C she¡¯d been worried about you.¡±


    I then caught him up on some of the things I¡¯d been up to, skipping over some of the gory details about my ¡®feedings¡¯. He didn¡¯t seem surprised about the bureaucracy surrounding demonic students, but he was surprised about some of the specifics of what I¡¯d found out about succubi ¨C namely the revelation that one of my parents was a demon.


    ¡°Damn, I guess I¡¯d never thought about where demons came from,¡± Chris said, shaking his head.


    He was sitting in the middle of his bed, cross legged, while I did the same across the mattress.


    ¡°And you weren¡¯t surprised they existed in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± he waved his hand dismissively, ¡°So what else is up?¡±


    I''m too hungry to bother with thinking about the implications of that...


    I grimaced. ¡°Well, I am kind of hungry...¡±


    His brow furrowed, ¡°There aren¡¯t any parties for me to take you to on a Tuesday night ¨C well, not any good ones.¡±


    I nodded slowly, ¡°Yea... I know that...¡±


    Chris¡¯ expression shifted, a twitch of his mouth that suggested he might be holding back a smile. ¡°Lily, I¡¯m going to need you to be direct, I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re trying to get at here.¡± His voice was full of faux concern.


    I glared. ¡°Let me suck your dick, asshole.¡±


    After a crooked smirk from him and a brief repositioning from both of us, I was on my knees on the floor, while he was sitting on the edge of the bed, pantsless. I could¡¯ve easily done this while remaining on the bed, but it seemed more natural for me to be on the floor like this.


    I¡¯d transformed to my true form and was therefore completely naked ¨C the pamphlet had information about manifesting clothing, but it wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d practiced yet.


    His member was around the same size as the strap Amber fucked me with, rather unimpressive given that she had alluded to a larger one.


    I kissed the tip, somewhat in awe at the fact that this was something I was doing, something I was enjoying. My mouth explored, taking in the taste of his sweat as it mingled with the scents of his arousal and the ever-present sweetness.


    Although I''d had a penis for a couple decades, my movements were clumsy and unpracticed due to my long-standing self-denial. While I had been getting more experience recently, most of my experience was in having people do things to me, and this was turning out to be too much freedom for my tiny brain.


    I tried to take him into my mouth but fumbled, bumping my fangs into his length and causing him to wince. Even with the benefits having a supernatural body afforded me, I was terrible.


    ¡°Lily, stop moving and hold your mouth open as wide as you can.¡±


    I obliged, staring up at him as he took charge of the situation.


    Chris grabbed the back of my head, holding me in place, and slid his dick into my mouth, coating my tongue in his musky wetness. He didn¡¯t stop, never finding the back of my mouth and instead smoothly fitting his tip into the entrance to my throat. I remained stoic as my nose met his hips, not coughing or gagging.


    ¡°Now bring your lips together without moving your teeth.¡±


    He let out a groan when I listened, also trying to swallow my building saliva at the same time, massaging his tip with the muscles in the back of my mouth.


    I hummed, enjoying the feeling as he slid out of me and back in, slowly fucking my face while holding me in place, completely in control. I was almost completely useless, able to move my tongue a bit and play with myself using my tail, but impotent when it came to pleasuring him of my own accord.


    My eyes roamed the constantly shifting scene as my face was moved forwards and back, taking in the sights with a detached bliss. There was the dog hair all over his bedsheets, his belly button ¨C an outie if I¡¯d ever seen one ¨C and the fluffy grey rug that was now collecting my drool below me as my mouth started to drip.


    Chris grunted above me, shifting my attention back to him, and I got the pleasure of watching him come undone. In a few moments his expression shifted from smirking down on me to pure ecstasy, head thrown back and mouth hung open in a silent scream.


    He buried his cock in my throat, filling me with energy as he spilled his sweet semen into my stomach. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of being filled ¨C both in the sexual sense, and in the sense of refilling my energy. Unfortunately, my own pleasure had never built to orgasm, but it had been an enjoyable experience nonetheless.


    Now that my excuse of needing energy was gone, however, I quickly transformed back to my clothed, human self, wiping my mouth after he released me.


    I smiled up at him. ¡°So, want to take me clothes shopping?¡±

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    There was only so long I could avoid Amber for ¨C not that I remembered why I was doing it anymore. It had something to do with how I¡¯d felt after we had sex, like I¡¯d let her in on my feelings in a way that was scary and overwhelming, but it was hard to put a label on it all.


    Not to mention the way she¡¯d rejected me unprompted afterwards, when I¡¯d been at my most vulnerable.


    Or how I¡¯d built up years worth of teasing material for myself, going from proudly telling her I¡¯d wait until marriage to having casual sex with friends in a handful of days.


    Not that I have a choice, I need it to survive!


    I pointedly ignored my unnecessary expenditures of magic that made my feeding come more often, as well as the knowledge that I could sustain myself off of cuddling and friendships if I was frugal.


    Anyways, Amber caught me during my late-afternoon lunch again on Wednesday, much like she had the previous Tuesday. This time I was indoors, sitting at the counter in a ramen shop on campus, slurping chicken noodle soup ¨C or miso ramen if you wanted to be technical about it. Although I didn¡¯t need regular food, it still helped, and it was tasty, so I¡¯d been eating at least two meals most days.


    I hadn¡¯t even considered Amber would find me here, on a rainy day where there weren¡¯t many people out, in a place I didn¡¯t frequent, but she had her ways.


    ¡°Lily.¡± She stood next to my chair with crossed arms, glaring at me.


    That was another new thing ¨C I¡¯d started attending classes as Lily. Ms. Morgan had included the name and gender marker change forms in her email, and after filling them out, I was now Lily Taylor, the officially registered demon ¨C at least on campus.


    I still hadn¡¯t picked a new major, something I would need to do before the end of the semester, but I was making progress. Weirdly enough, I¡¯d gotten a few surprised ¨C but polite ¨C comments about my gender change from classmates I knew in passing, but it was about the fact that I was a woman, rather than the sudden speed of the process.


    I glanced at Amber and slurped my broth before finally responding. ¡°Hey Amber.¡±


    She sat down when the seat next to me freed up, and leaned on the counter, still glaring. ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sor¨C¡±


    Regardless of how much she enjoys it, that¡¯s probably not the major for me...


    Eventually, the conversation started winding down, and it was getting to the time where humans needed to go to bed. Sitting on my desk chair while she sat on the edge of my bed, I felt a surprising sadness that she¡¯d be leaving. I couldn¡¯t pin down why I wanted her to stay ¨C it wasn¡¯t that I was hungry ¨C but the prospect of being alone with my worries was daunting.


    She stood, apparently ready to leave. ¡°Well, Lily, I had a nice time today,¡± She gave me a look, half-teasing and half-annoyed, ¡°Don¡¯t run away from me again.¡±


    I nodded slowly, wondering if I should ask her to stay.


    That would be too selfish, given how I¡¯ve treated her.


    We shuffled side-by-side through my living room, both taking tiny steps, moving as slowly as possible. She turned to me when we finally reached the door, waited for a moment, and then pulled me into her arms.


    ¡°Lily, we can¡¯t have sex again.¡± She whispered into my ear, her tone sad and resigned.


    I understood the feeling, like everything about our romantic relationship had collapsed and doing anything to poke at it would be dangerous or hurtful. I nodded.


    A too-short hug later and she let me go, waving goodbye as she walked out the door.


    I felt suddenly alone, as if the buildup of us meandering to the door and her lingering at it wasn¡¯t enough to prepare me to face my own thoughts.


    C¡¯mon don¡¯t I have everything figured out already?


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t even close to done; there were still many questions left to answer.


    Was Mom a succubus? Does that mean my dad already knows about my demon-ness? Will he be fine with it when I come out, then?


    I laid down on my bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark, unable to get the questions out of my head. I already had the truth mapped out, intuited from all of the details I¡¯d picked up, but of course I didn¡¯t want to admit that; it felt good to have room to hope.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    The rest of my week was strangely relaxing, at least when I ignored the thoughts swirling in the back of my head.


    I¡¯d strangely felt full after my long talk with Amber on Wednesday, despite the fact that the most we¡¯d done physically was hug a couple of times, meaning I wouldn¡¯t need to feed again until next week.


    Or, if I kept hanging out with Amber, even later. We met up a couple of times before Sunday, hanging out as friends, talking about our classes and social lives, and each time she left, I felt a bit fuller of energy, but starkly alone in her absence. It was a strange feeling, not something I¡¯d felt with her when we were dating.


    Eventually, I had to face reality. That time came Sunday morning, when I was deciding how to handle going to church.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


    I mean, I can just show up as Lily, it''s not like new people are that uncommon. If someone asks if I know Adam, I can just say I¡¯m his cousin or something.


    Besides, demons can attend church, it¡¯s not that weird, right?


    The real issue was my father. If my theory was correct, he would understand where my shapeshifting came from, and I was struggling to hold out hope that he would take the news well.


    Well, there¡¯s only one way to do this...


    I put on a white dress with a high neckline and a long, ruffled skirt, taking care to select a bra that wouldn¡¯t show through the fabric. The fact that Chris had helped me pick out clothes ended up being a real boon here, given that alone I¡¯d probably have chosen all black bras and been completely screwed when it came to white tops.


    The train ride over was uneventful, the tension slowly building in my gut. I wished I had my tail to mess with for the millionth time.


    How do humans deal with not having a tail?


    Once I entered the large halls of the church, avoiding the holy water by the doors just in case, it took a while for anyone to notice me. Sophia was the first to react, staring at my face with a puzzled frown before her eyes widened and she gave me a wave.


    I saw my father, talking with one of the older regulars, Mr. Johnson, but when his eyes scanned the room, he passed over me without thought.


    ¡°She saw people as food, kid ¨C we were like prey to her...¡± His eyes refocused and he stared into my eyes, the yellowish brown iris he saw surely reminding me of my mother. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be like her...¡±


    My wide eyes threatened to spill tears as my feelings teetered between fury and despondence.


    He doesn¡¯t accept me, what a bigot!


    But he¡¯s just doing his best, trying to make sure I grow up to be a good person...


    What, so giving me any kind of freedom ¨C showing me any kindness would destroy my morals?!


    He doesn¡¯t know any better...


    As my thoughts warred, my mouth flopped open and closed, acting out the beginnings of all of the words I wanted to say, all of the pent up feelings I had about my father. In the end, there was only one thing I had to communicate.


    ¡°Dad, I love you.¡±


    A moment of silence passed.


    Dad stared down on me, expression blank, unfeeling. When he spoke, his voice was much the same. ¡°Listen to me, drop out and come back home. You can become a priest under me, there¡¯s still a chance to save your soul...¡± He closed his eyes and looked down. ¡°Otherwise... I never want to see you again.¡±


    I hesitated a moment, staring into his worn, resigned face.


    Without a sound, I magicked myself away before his eyes could open.


    Unfortunately, magic couldn¡¯t stop my tears from finally spilling.

 Bonus: Introspection and Interlude

    Bonus: Introspection and Interlude


    I stood in the middle of nowhere, completely lost in the side paths sprawling through the gardens on the church property after I¡¯d walked away from my father.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t know how to get back to the street ¨C or the church, if I wanted to ¨C but rather that I didn¡¯t know where I was. If asked to describe to someone ¨C even someone like Sophia, who knew the church well ¨C how to get to where I was, I would say, ¡®walk around in circles till you find it¡¯. It was that kind of place.


    So, as I was standing there, staring through streaking tears at my hands, trying to figure out if I could wipe my tears away on something other than my pretty dress, it was surprising that Sophia found me.


    She approached with a sad smile, taking off her cardigan and handing it to me.


    I held it and stared, still in shock.


    She reached down and used the sleeves to mop up the wetness on my cold cheeks ¨C I hadn¡¯t worn any overcoat, nor had I been using magic to keep myself warm.


    How is she here? Why is she here? What¡¯s wrong with me?


    I couldn¡¯t even direct the last question in my head towards one specific issue, let alone verbalize the sentiment. Instead, I opted for asking towards the first two. ¡°Are you magic?¡±


    Although I flubbed the wording a bit.


    She softly giggled, remaining restrained under the lingering somber atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯m human, and I don¡¯t know any magic, if you meant that literally.¡± Her eyes sparkled with mischief, ¡°But if you meant that metaphorically, then that¡¯s for you to decide...¡±


    My eyes scrunched shut, and feelings swarmed through me, flying by at a rate faster than I could process. I managed to not blush though, at least not more than the cold air already made me. ¡°I¨C You... Shouldn¡¯t you hate demons?¡± My tears had dried up, at least for now, with Sophia distracting me, but my composure was still non-existent.


    She shrugged. ¡°I found a few well-written books on demons at the local library as a teen, and when I went to research more in college, I stumbled upon the real stuff and ended up learning how to read Demonic, although you¡¯re the first demon I¡¯ve met.¡±


    I started to hang my head, but instead opted for resting it on Sophia¡¯s shoulder, hoping the warmth she provided would keep away my sad thoughts. ¡°I never met her, and before it was just kinda the way things were, like yea I wished I could have two parents, but I also wished Amber and I would get married with my dad officiating, and look how that turned out...¡±


    Sophia offered her cardigan again when I started sniffing. ¡°You can blow your nose on it, I don¡¯t care. Teach me to come to church without my purse...¡±


    I huffed a laugh, sitting up and blowing my nose into the soft-yet-rough fabric, embarrassed to ruin her coat like this and embarrassed that I¡¯d been so absorbed in wearing shorts with pockets under my dress that I hadn¡¯t considered the obvious solution of a purse to hold my things.


    ¡°What do you think she was like ¨C your mom?¡±


    ¡°My dad said a few things...¡± I laughed nervously, still processing the things I¡¯d heard, ¡°For one, he said I look like her more than I look like him, so that¡¯s the most information I have on what she looks like ¨C I don¡¯t even know her name.¡±


    She hummed, content to listen as I vented everything.


    ¡°And then he said she was every negative stereotype about succubi and more,¡± I shook my head, my tone becoming less despondent and more upset, ¡°It¡¯s not like I know if he was telling the truth, he¡¯s certainly lied about people he doesn¡¯t like being amoral before, but to have that be the only thing I know about her...¡±


    Sophia patted the top of my head in a gesture that should''ve been patronizing but felt nice from her.


    ¡°And I¡¯m a succubus!¡± My tone grew angry, my hands gesturing in front of me and swinging around in indignation, ¡°But I¡¯ve never met any other succubi, so I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re really like that. I have this pamphlet from the school that says otherwise, but that¡¯s about demons ¨C what if all the other succubi are as terrible to humans as he says?¡±


    She grabbed one of my hands and caressed my forearm with her other, calming me down.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¨C He makes this argument that I¡¯m like them, and I can¡¯t even defend them because I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re like, but how is that my fault? How is that anything other than Mom¡¯s fault...?¡±


    Her free hand came up to the back of my head as I buried my face in her shoulder again to cry, clinging to her blouse.


    ¡°Why did she leave me...?¡±

 Part 2, Chapter 1

    Part 2, Chapter 1


    Amber


    I stared into the dorm supervisor''s eyes, sitting in her office.


    ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t have a solo dorm anymore?¡±


    She sighed, seemingly more frustrated with me than with the situation, a prospect that fueled my indignance. ¡°Your privilege of having a dorm by yourself was provided due to contributions to the school by your coven. I shouldn¡¯t need to explain to you what happens when the contributions dry up.¡±


    I stood, resisting the urge to knock something off of her desk in my anger, the cup of pens, the potted plant, or the framed photo of her with her wife and kids.


    Okay, maybe I shouldn¡¯t touch those last two. I can control myself.


    At the thought of controlling myself, Lily¡¯s face popped into my head, as it often did recently.


    I shook the thought away. It was my fault in the first place that our coven wasn¡¯t doing as well as it had in the past; I knew my anger was misdirected.


    Doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t complain anyways.


    ¡°And how am I supposed to practice magic if I don¡¯t have a secure location to do so?¡±


    She huffed and started typing into her keyboard. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you have a supernatural roommate assigned, but that¡¯s the most I¡¯m going to do for you. Is there anything else you need help with?¡± Her tone made it clear the correct answer to the question was no.


    I pursed my lips, resisting the urge to shout ¡®but what about the secrets of the coven?¡¯, knowing she wouldn¡¯t be sympathetic. I shook my head and stormed off to my soon-to-be-vacated dorm.


    This just can¡¯t get any worse.


    ¡ª


    I stared at the face of my new roommate as she stood in the open door, welcoming me into our new shared space.


    I knew a lot of supernatural women ¨C or at least knew of them ¨C that went to our school. There were vampires, werewolves, witches, and many more.


    The worst possible option for me in terms of roommates would be someone from a rival coven. That would mean I could never study witchcraft in my room, and instead have to make the trip to our communal home, which, while it wasn¡¯t far in the grand scheme of things, was too great a distance to travel every day or every other day.


    Ignoring my rivals, the next worst option was the one I¡¯d gotten. My mother would probably argue that demons, and succubi in particular, would be just as bad as a rival witch, but I didn¡¯t quite agree.


    Regardless, succubi were distracting at the best of times, and dangerous the rest of the time. Fortunately ¨C or unfortunately, depending on your view ¨C I at least knew this succubus.


    My feelings about Lily were complicated. When we had been dating, she¡¯d been the safe, predictable option ¨C someone who I could rely on to be unflinchingly stubborn in her ways, a steady rock on the rough sea that was my life. It didn¡¯t hurt that she¡¯d been cute and sweet, even before her shapeshifting.


    But then everything went to shit, and she suddenly wasn¡¯t that person anymore. Suddenly she was a succubus, this dangerous creature of myth, something at odds with everything I knew about her. Now, after the dust had settled, she was miles better for her own good, happier, more free, with more self-awareness.


    But was it so wrong of me to miss that stability, that safety?


    ¡®Yes, of course it¡¯s wrong,¡¯ My mind told me.


    Adding to the complexity further was the fact that I liked the new her too, in different ways. She was tempting, enthralling ¨C and not just because of the one time we¡¯d had sex. It was a joy to be around her, and I valued her friendship.


    But being roommates with her? That was a disaster waiting to happen, a temptation waiting for me to falter.


    I stared at her pretty face in the doorway.


    You can do this Amber, we talk all of the time, this isn¡¯t hard.


    ¡°Hey girl, imagine seeing you here...¡± I finally said, a sentence that must¡¯ve been carefully constructed to make me sound as moronic as possible.


    She grimaced, immediately seeing where I was going. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they let succubi room with normal people, that just seems like a disaster waiting to happen.¡±


    I listened silently, feeling bad for Lily but not having the courage to speak up. I trusted Lily to respect my boundaries ¨C hell, she¡¯d refused to have sex with me for so long just because she thought that¡¯s what was right ¨C but my mom wasn¡¯t wrong either.


    She continued, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time until one of them drains a student dry and then they have a shitmess on their hands, even more so if the victim is someone important.¡±


    I nodded. Succubi and incubi were dangerous; I¡¯d been reading about the dangers demons posed and ways to protect myself against them for as long as I¡¯d been studying magic.


    But Lily wasn¡¯t, right? She was an exception, and as long as she was content finding ¡®food¡¯ elsewhere, I didn¡¯t have anything to worry about ¨C not that I could explain that to my mother.


    The rest of the party was nice, a celebration for everyone else as much as it was for me. I opened my present, a sprig of rare enchanted herbs ¨C something I¡¯d been looking for to fuel my experiments ¨C from my mother, and ate some cake, choosing the red velvet option over the vanilla.


    I then spent the rest of the time chatting with all of my younger sisters, as I did every Saturday, doing my absolute best to remember where each of them was in school, what they liked and disliked, what they wanted to be when they grew up.


    That last one was much easier than the rest, given that most of them wanted to be witches like me, our mother, and our mother¡¯s other apprentices. I never had the courage to tell them how much work it was, how little magic I could do compared to innately magical beings, or how easy it was to screw it all up.


    Eventually, after the party had winded down, the littler kids had run out of energy and the older ones had drifted off to do their own thing, I was taken up by Katie to her room.


    As her teacher, I had certain responsibilities, not just in terms of her magical education, but also to hear out her problems and offer guidance, the same way our mother could. As I followed behind her, I took note of how she took shorter steps than usual and how she struggled to find her rhythm on the stairs, movements full of trepidation.


    This can¡¯t be good...


    She sat down on the edge of her small twin bed in the corner and I remained standing, glancing around the room. For as opulent as the main room and dining hall were, the individual quarters were small and sparse, a necessity given their quantity. Katie¡¯s had paler wood, plain beige sheets on her bed, a single dresser, and atop the dresser, a group picture of me, her and our mother from when I¡¯d taken her as an apprentice a few years earlier.


    She started off the conversation by avoiding what she really wanted to talk about. ¡°So, how¡¯s your project coming?¡±


    Despite the outwardly banal nature of the question, she was already wincing as she said it, knowing that if the answer was anything good, she would¡¯ve already heard about it.


    I sighed, worn down from my endless line of failures. ¡°Mother got me some of the herbs I¡¯d been looking for for my next attempt, but I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯m grasping at straws.¡±


    Katie nodded along, despite the fact that after two years of studying as a witch, she only knew a few self-defense spells, and hadn¡¯t started doing research of her own. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get something soon, otherwise I¡¯ll have to take your place as the cool big sister witch around these parts.¡± She grinned, a mostly convincing gesture that still held the tension she¡¯d shown earlier.


    ¡°Alright, little sis, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    She grimaced, pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. ¡°So, you know Julia, right?¡±


    I nodded in recognition at the name of my apprentice¡¯s girlfriend. It felt like Katie was still too young to be dating, but I hadn¡¯t tried to tell her not to, knowing it would be futile.


    ¡°So we... Um...¡± Her cheeks reddened.


    I searched my brain. I already gave her the talk... right?


    Her face scrunched up, panicked and uncomfortable. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain this, and I¡¯m so freaking scared...¡± she belted out, sounding more like one continuous word towards the end.


    I strode over to her, masking my own unease, and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t judge you,¡± I took a deep breath and then an even deeper risk, ¡°And if you don¡¯t want me to, I won¡¯t tell Mother about it.¡±


    Her eyes darted to mine, searching for assurances.


    Seemingly finding them, she nodded and gestured for me to step back, wrapping the off-white bed sheet around her body, over her clothes.


    I acquiesced, a bit confused and worried, but determined nonetheless.


    Then, one of the worst things possible happened.


    Her body shifted, suddenly becoming replaced by a purple-skinned version of herself, horns sticking out of the top of her head, and a black spade-tipped tail poking out behind her.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com

 Part 2, Chapter 2

    Part 2, Chapter 2


    Amber


    Katie was a teenage girl with dark skin, curly hair, and a tall, thin frame that she wasn¡¯t old enough to have filled out yet. The girl in front of me was different in only a couple of ways: her skin was violet, her hair was white, horns adorned her head, and she had a thin tail flicking behind her.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I let out, tension giving way to dread.


    Her pleading eyes started into me. ¡°You won¡¯t tell Mom, right? You promised...¡±


    My head jerked in each direction, lost between whether it was supposed to shake or nod.


    The practical side of me stepped in, taking charge and making sure things got done. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my textbook on demons as soon as possible, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a bunch of important information in there about controlling your urges.¡±


    I left unsaid the implication of what would happen if she didn¡¯t control her urges, if she sucked someone dvery. Then, it wouldn¡¯t matter whether I wanted to tell our mother or not.


    She stared down at the floor, ashamed. ¡°Okay...¡±


    Katie had already studied Scarlet¡¯s Guide to Defense Against Demons, but she hadn¡¯t yet had a need for my reference book on demonic biology by the same author.


    Lily¡¯s face popped into my head again. ¡°And I¡¯m friends with a succubus at school, she¡¯s...¡± I blinked, losing my train of thought in the sea of things I could say about Lily. ¡°She can give you some advice,¡± I settled on.


    If there was ever a demon I would let anywhere near my little sisters, it would be Lily ¨C although I would have to supervise them, just to make sure Lily didn¡¯t give any misinformation.


    I sat next to Katie, pulling her into my arms and rubbing her back. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll take care of this together...¡±


    She started to sniffle, face buried in my shoulder. ¡°She... she broke up with me...¡±


    I stifled a sigh, as well as the urge to celebrate that my young, impressionable apprentice wasn¡¯t dating anyone, instead, murmuring reassurances into her ear.


    She continued, ¡°She said she couldn¡¯t trust me anymore...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll figure out how to get this under control, and then no one has to know.¡±


    Lily


    I sat in a dimly lit pizza parlor, the tables almost as greasy as the food they served. It was delicious but indulgent, something that I would regret eating later ¨C or maybe not; maybe being a succubus protected me against the kinds of mundane consequences humans would have to deal with.


    Humans like Chris, the man sitting across from me. Even after I¡¯d changed my gender, changed my name, and changed my major to theology, we still hung out together.


    It was different during winter break, without the convenience of sharing classes or the newness of my condition still bringing us together.


    I watched as he ate the majority of the pizza we¡¯d ordered, something that only made sense given his size relative to mine, my supernatural powers, and the fact that he¡¯d paid for it.


    That was another new thing; after falling out with my father I now had to worry about money. Thankfully, I had enough saved up to cover myself if I was frugal for the next semester or two, but I¡¯d need to get a job soon no matter what.


    Chris set the crust left over from his slice down on his plate and slid it to me. ¡°So, how¡¯s the roommate situation going?¡±


    I grabbed the piece of crust and started nibbling on it, turning over my cohabitation with Amber in my head. ¡°It¡¯s... strange.¡± I shrugged and made a ¡®so-so¡¯ gesture with my hand. ¡°These past few days I''ve felt closer to her than I ever have before, and it¡¯s great that I get to see her so often, but...¡±


    He stared into me, eyebrow raised. ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It feels like something is missing,¡± I sighed, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just having a hard time getting it through my head that we aren¡¯t together anymore, even though it¡¯s been a couple months...¡±


    I neglected to mention the other important part of how I felt: the fact that because of Amber I¡¯d had a small excess of magic supply without having any sex or physical intimacy with anyone. Amber and I occasionally hugged, but I hadn¡¯t had sex with anyone since I stopped going to church.


    Abstinence was nice to alleviate some of the guilt I still felt about that, although it did linger, invading my mind at random times.


    Chris, as far as I was aware, assumed that either Amber and I were bonking, or I¡¯d found someone else to feed me. I didn¡¯t know how to explain the situation, nor did I want to, given the rush of mortification I felt whenever I thought about it.


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah, I guess it¡¯s weird that you guys are still so close after breaking up,¡± he shrugged, a smirk dancing across his face, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a sapphic stereotype anyways: make friends with all of your ex¡¯s?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Whatever...¡± I still wasn¡¯t comfortable labeling my sexuality yet; even the fact that liking women made my gay was something that was difficult to wrap my brain around.


    I pressed forwards, eager to think about something other than Amber or my sexuality. ¡°So how are you doing on the romantic front, find any cute boys yet?¡±


    Chris¡¯ smirk dissipated. ¡°Uh... no.¡± He pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. ¡°Oh, we need to get going so we can make it to the movie on time...¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. He¡¯s hiding something... He must have a crush on someone, but he¡¯s too embarrassed to talk about it, how cute!


    I let him get away with the clumsy change in subject and followed in his footsteps as he led me to the movie theater, where we¡¯d already planned on going to next. There was a supernatural romance playing ¨C a story about a vampire woman and a werewolf dude ¨C that he¡¯d invited me to.


    When we took our seats, I raised the armrest between us and leaned on his shoulder without a word. No matter how much magic I had, the process of getting more was always enjoyable, and I hummed in satisfaction at the soothing warmth that radiated out from him.


    Amber is enough by herself to make sure I don¡¯t starve, but why not both of them together? The more the merrier...


    ¡ª


    I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the sun and yawning as we escaped the theater after the movie.


    ¡°Damn, that movie was kind of terrible,¡± I complained.


    Chris turned to me, bemused more than anything, and ruffled my hair. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep through most of it?¡±


    I glowered, poking a finger into his side in retaliation. ¡°Only because the stupid werewolf was so boring!¡±


    Magic was frustrating at the best of times, when the math all worked out and the theories were correct. But sometimes ¨C most of the time if I was being honest ¨C the theories didn¡¯t quite match up to reality, and you had to make guesses and estimations to nudge things in the right direction.


    In short, doing experiments with limited supplies was torture, where the amount of pain you received was inversely proportional to how good you were at feeling out the vibes in the materials.


    I picked another couple of leaves with my tweezers, carefully placing them in the middle of the magical circle I¡¯d drawn, a geometrically pleasing shape on a piece of printer paper with esoteric symbols across the outer edge. Next were the other ingredients, the ones I had plenty of: werewolf saliva, a couple different mushrooms we grew back home, and then magical power channeled carefully from my body.


    Last was the stone I was trying to enchant, a rough hunk of quartz I¡¯d barely been able to lift to the top of my desk to rest near the output node on the circle.


    The circle lit up, and so did my face, until it started smoking and the herbs disintegrated, again.


    My fist slammed down on the desk. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    I had at most three more tries, but there wasn¡¯t anything left for me to try ¨C at least not anything intelligent. Why isn¡¯t this working?


    I stood and stormed off into the living room to grab some water.


    Lily, apparently already back from whatever after-class feeding session she¡¯d had, was sitting on our couch, watching me as I moved across the room, anger still visible on my face. I was almost too angry to care about how she¡¯d heard me cursing and slamming my desk. Almost.


    ¡°Uh... Is everything okay, Amber?¡± Her timid voice, sounding scared of my anger, shocked me to my core and dissipated my fury, leaving a resigned sadness in its place.


    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m just having a hard time with my magical experiment.¡±


    She blinked, staring at me. ¡°You know how to do magic?¡±


    Has Chris not already told her that I¡¯m a witch? I sent her a puzzled frown. ¡°Yea? I¡¯m trying to enchant this big rock thing.¡±


    You¡¯re not supposed to be telling her that... What are you doing, Amber?


    ¡°Oh, is there something I could do to help? I have a bunch of extra energy!¡± Her grin after that statement curdled my stomach, and it took all of my willpower not to wince.


    We¡¯re not even together, why do I care who she has sex with?


    Of course I care, she¡¯s draining people¡¯s magic...


    I shook my head. It was none of my business, and the only way we could stay friends was if I didn¡¯t think about what she was doing to other people. ¡°No thanks, it¡¯s not the kind of problem you can just throw power at.¡±


    Her big doe eyes stared into me, the orange flakes in the brown irises giving me a haunting reminder of the things we¡¯d done together in her orange-eyed form.


    ¡°Uh, maybe you can take a look at it...¡± I scratched the back of my head, trying to find a justification, ¡°Two heads are better than one and all that. And if you don¡¯t get it, maybe explaining it to you will help me work it out.¡±


    Her expression brightened, and she jumped up, eagerly following me into my room.


    It was hard to reconcile with the person I thought I¡¯d known, the person I dated, with who she was today, and her excitable demeanor was just one example.


    Don¡¯t forget how she¡¯s fucking everyone on campus...


    My brain really wouldn¡¯t let me forget that.


    I coughed, staring down at the circle on my desk and trying to regain my composure. ¡°So, that''s the circle, it¡¯s supposed to put magic power into that hunk of rock, which will then do some stuff.¡±


    Lily inspected my setup from all angles, a puzzled frown on her face.


    Even if she has no idea what¡¯s going on, she¡¯s so fucking cute!


    I continued my explanation, not having much hope for her understanding it, especially given the performance I¡¯d seen from her on her chemistry homework the previous semester.


    In fact, I didn¡¯t want her to understand it, given that I was working with secret knowledge my mother had passed down to me. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident in the ratios of these materials, all of the math is in that notebook over there, and the circle is a modification of the one I use for smaller crystals, with a higher throughput.¡±


    She pointed to a set of runes on the edge of the circle, ¡°Isn¡¯t this not grammatical?¡±


    I huffed a laugh and smiled, appreciating her attempt at a joke.


    She stared at me, waiting for an answer.


    My smile dropped. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Her head tilted and her brow furrowed, ¡°I mean it literally just says put rock in energy instead of put energy in rock? Is the grammar supposed to be backwards or...¡±


    This isn¡¯t a very funny prank Lily... ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as sentence structure when it comes to runes, they don¡¯t have any concrete grammar.¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Runes?¡± She turned her focus to the paper again, ¡°Oh, I thought this was just in English, but it''s Demonic, no wonder...¡±


    My frown deepened. ¡°I¡¯m not using anything demonic, these are just magic runes.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I think you¡¯re just seeing things, don¡¯t worry about it too much, I¡¯ve got it handled.¡±


    She stared up into me for a moment, concerned, but listened to my not-so-subtle dismissal anyways, striding off and shutting herself in her room.


    I stared at the circle in her absence. It didn¡¯t make sense, what she said. My mother of all people would never mess with anything demonic; she¡¯d spent a large portion of my apprenticeship on the possibility of fighting demons, and she¡¯d made a lot of her riches ¨C mundane and magical ¨C on working with humans against demons.


    And of course, I¡¯d never touch demons either, being the good daughter that I was ¨C or at least that I was trying to be.


    I pointedly ignored the ways I¡¯d already touched Lily in the literal sense, and how I continued to remain close to her.


    She doesn¡¯t count ¨C at least not if I can remain ignorant of her feeding habits.

 Part 2, Chapter 3

    Part 2, Chapter 3


    Amber


    Things were a little tense between me and Lily after I¡¯d shown her my magic work. There weren¡¯t any arguments, per say, it was just that we didn¡¯t talk as much, we didn¡¯t sit as close together on the couch, and we were both outwardly miserable.


    Being upset with your best friend? Not great. Being upset with your best friend, who¡¯s also your ex-girlfriend and your roommate? Really, really not great.


    This sucks...


    By Wednesday, I was scrambling to look for a solution. I could just try to apologize, but I wouldn¡¯t really know what I was apologizing for, because she was the one that accused me of using demonic magic.


    And she was too stubborn to apologize as well, so a solution needed a defter hand.


    In came Katie. I¡¯d already been planning on getting Lily to talk to Katie, but I figured it would serve double duty now; there was no way either of us could stay mad around my adorable little sister.


    All I had to do was explain to Lily what was going on and convince her to help.


    While we¡¯re irritated at each other...


    Lily was laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling after class.


    I approached from my room after a moment to hype myself up. C¡¯mon this is for Katie, you can do this!


    ¡°Hey, Lily, can I talk to you for a second?¡±


    She groaned and sat up, shaking the fatigue out. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I sat down next to her, but left plenty of space between us. ¡°Umm so my younger sister, Katie, she recently manifested as a succubus...¡±


    She blinked, staring at me with sleepiness still in her eyes. ¡°You have a sister?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I have a few...¡± Twenty-six to be exact, assuming our mother hasn¡¯t adopted another since Saturday. I shook my head, ¡°I can tell you a bit about my little sisters later, but Katie is the one I wanted to talk about now. She¡¯s struggling with being a succubus, and I was hoping you could talk to her and help her out a bit.¡±


    She nodded slowly, probably still taking in the fact that I had sisters.


    Our mother doesn''t like us telling outsiders about the coven, and really, I¡¯ve already told Lily way more than she would be okay with me telling a human, let alone a demon... But I can trust Lily.


    I smiled at her, glad to be on the same page again, even for a moment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see when she can come over, thank you so much.¡±


    ¡ª


    I welcomed Katie inside our dorm soon after inviting her, our schedules working out surprisingly well. I took her over to where Lily was waiting, already in her succubus form, although she¡¯d thankfully covered up with her normal clothes by transforming and then dressing ahead of time.


    The three of us sat down on our couch, a boxy red thing that looked nice more than it felt comfortable. Katie was in the middle, between me and Lily, but her focus was on the red skinned girl, an awe in her eyes similar to when she saw me do magic.


    Lily began her lecture, her normal cute and excitable demeanor giving way to patient kindness. ¡°So I got this pamphlet from the school, which explains a bunch of the basics in a way even I can understand,¡± she shrugged, ¡°You can have it, I already read it a bunch of times, and if I need a new one I can just ask.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Miss Lily,¡± Katie responded.


    Lily has been... feeding on me this whole time?


    A tempest of anger and betrayal swirled within me, fueling my movements as I stood and strode over to Lily¡¯s door. I banged on it with my fist, shaking the wood. ¡°Are you fucking serious Lily? Is that how friends treat each other, like bags of food?!¡±


    I glared at the wood, and when no response came, I considered using magic to get inside.


    Just a lockpick spell ¨C it would set me back on my materials, but wouldn¡¯t that be worth it?


    I settled for more yelling. ¡°Or is it just because I fed you that one time ¨C once food, always food?¡±


    Katie pulled me away from the door, shaking her head sadly.


    I glared at her, ready to shout at her for switching sides at a moment¡¯s notice, but she quickly cast a silencing spell on me, burning some of the materials she carried on her at all times.


    I taught her that spell. I know she only has enough materials to cast it once, ever, and she cast it now, on me?!


    My silent yells gave way to silent screams.


    How could she do this to me, after all of the trust I placed in her?


    Lily


    I never thought I¡¯d be missing having Evan as a roommate.


    The ceiling didn¡¯t respond to my thoughts, remaining as stoic as it had been earlier in the living room. My body sunk deeper into my bed, feeling exhausted in a way I hadn¡¯t for a few months.


    It turned out when your main source of food is how emotionally intimate you felt with your roommate, getting in a fight made you hungry. Even worse, I really wasn¡¯t in the mood for sex for a multitude of reasons.


    Mostly I felt guilty and vulnerable ¨C being intimate with someone would require emotional energy I didn¡¯t have.


    It was one thing to hear the words of my father echoing in my mind every once in a while, but it was another to have that viewpoint validated by the person I felt closest to.


    Amber was my primary sustenance, and the way that made me feel, the soothing warmth I got in my chest being around her, that impacted the way I treated her. Could that be anything other than treating her like food?


    And what would the version of me that arrived at this school think; what would he think of the fact that I¡¯d done sexual things with both a man and a woman, that I was considering having sex right now, just to get my fix?


    How could my actions be anything other than being taken over by my succubus instincts? He wouldn¡¯t have done any of this, wouldn¡¯t have treated Amber like that and drove her away.


    And what an embarrassing way to drive her away. Even if she didn¡¯t properly understand what I¡¯d said, my succubus instincts explained it loud and clear every time the scene played through my mind. For succubi, the idea of sustaining yourself on one person without significant physical intimacy, that¡¯s essentially a confession of love, even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily a romantic love.


    I¡¯d told that to her... to my ex-girlfriend, right in front of her little sister, who definitely knew what I was saying.


    I grabbed a pillow from beside me and pressed it into my face, stifling my scream.


    Maybe my dad was right...


    My lethargic limbs pulled me out of bed, and stumbled me across the room, searching for the things I¡¯d need to pack.


    Maybe I could get the love I needed from him, if I just gave him another chance. How hard could it be, if I¡¯d gotten so much from Amber, who clearly didn¡¯t reciprocate my feelings?

 Part 2, Chapter 4

    Part 2, Chapter 4


    Amber


    I followed Katie home that evening, thankful our mother wasn¡¯t around to ask why I was there.


    After what I¡¯d learned, it felt like my mother had been proven right about everything she¡¯d ever taught me and my hopes ¨C my naive belief that Lily was some kind of exception ¨C were wrong.


    And what a way to learn that lesson. The one thing I was most confident about when it came to Lily¡¯s character, was that she would respect my boundaries. No matter what, whether we disagreed on something or got irritated at each other, I could be confident she wouldn¡¯t overstep.


    Except that was wrong... My mother always told me that when she was working, demons would plead for their lives, they would say anything and everything, and right when you believed them, believed that they were just a poor victim, that was when they would stab you in the back. She told me that when I was old enough, experienced enough to fill her shoes, I would have to trust my training, even when it seemed wrong...


    And she was proven right, as bitter of a pill to swallow as that is.


    I woke up to a knock on my door, and once I got out of bed and let Katie in, I was shaking the last of the lingering sleep from my mind.


    Katie sat at my desk chair, a dire expression on her face and her posture tense. ¡°Amber, I¡¯m going to only have this conversation with you once, because that was the most horrifying thing I¡¯ve ever seen and if I have to remember it one more time, I¡¯m running away from home.¡±


    I nodded and sat at the edge of my bed, facing her. It felt horrifying, being betrayed like that.


    Her sad frown turned into a glare. ¡°I really don¡¯t think you get it, but I¡¯m going to try my hardest to make you...¡± She let out a sigh, relaxing her expression and bringing a dark tinge to her cheeks as her thoughts focused, ¡°I don¡¯t know Lily that well, and I don¡¯t really know what your relationship is like, but unless she¡¯s your arch nemesis ¨C and even then it might not be okay ¨C what you did yesterday was absolutely horrible.¡±


    Really? After only one meeting the demons are already conspiring together?


    I remained silent, keeping my skepticism to myself.


    ¡°I mean,¡± Katie¡¯s blush darkened, ¡°If what she¡¯s saying is true, the intimacy she feels from being around you, from living together, is enough to sustain her, then that¡¯s...¡± She hid her face in both of her hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s bullshit is what it is.¡± I glared, not caring she couldn¡¯t see it given her eyes were still covered. ¡°Magic has to come from somewhere, and now I know why my experiments haven¡¯t been working.¡±


    Her eyes peeked out at me, brimming with tears. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re so...¡±


    She let out a wordless yell, dispelling her melancholy and bringing back her fury. ¡°Please, Amber, even if it¡¯s just for me, give her another chance ¨C keep an open mind. Not everything our mother says has to be exactly correct, maybe there¡¯s room in her theories for demonic magic to work differently.¡±Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


    I shook my head, ¡°There¡¯s no room. And besides, Lily claimed she could read my magic circle and that it was written in Demonic, so she¡¯s bullshitting me either way.¡±


    Katie froze and her mouth hung open. ¡°Magic runes are... Demonic?¡±


    Is she even listening? ¡°No, it¡¯s not, because that would be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s testable.¡±


    My mouth twisted, contemplating. ¡°Maybe, but I couldn¡¯t test with you, assuming you could read ¡®Demonic¡¯ in the first place,¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°because you already know how runes are supposed to work.¡±


    ¡°Please just give her a chance, just test this one thing and see if she was telling the truth,¡± She leaned forwards, pleading.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it... Now get out, I have studying to do.¡±


    The heavy atmosphere lingered after she¡¯d slammed the door and left, and after I¡¯d sat at my desk to study.


    For as angry as I was, there were other feelings swirling around the edges of my fury.


    I was worried about Katie, worried that my fight with Lily would somehow put her demonic nature at risk of being discovered. I was hurt and embarrassed, ashamed to have been so naive to have been taken advantage of, even after all of my studying.


    And, just as much as I was angry, I was confused. I¡¯d really thought I could trust Lily ¨C it still felt like I could trust Lily. But... that trust was misplaced? It left a sour feeling in my stomach, fueling all of my other negative emotions.


    My forehead lowered to my desk, covering the notes I was supposed to be studying in water and salt.


    Lily


    The front porch to my father¡¯s house was not comforting in its familiarity.


    His house was a blindingly white three-story suburban thing, complete with a crucifix hanging on the door and a political sign out on the lawn.


    Home sweet home...


    It took a few moments for him to answer the door, but when he did, staring down at my feminine form wearing my best dress, I didn¡¯t feel the rush of energy I¡¯d come to expect when Amber looked at me.


    That¡¯s fine, maybe I just need to mend our relationship first.


    ¡°Can I come in and talk?¡±


    ¡°What happened between you two?¡± The genuine concern on his face gave me a bit of pause when it came to shattering his little puppy heart. But not enough.


    ¡°Apparently she had been feeding off of me this whole time without me knowing. I found out, and...¡±


    His head tilted and his brow furrowed. ¡°How could she even....? I thought you guys were...¡±


    I shrugged, getting his hand off of my shoulder in the process. ¡°Well I thought she was fucking you, so it turns out she played us both.¡± I tried to walk away again, but was stopped by his voice.


    ¡°Wait. How did she do it? Was she like sneaking into your bed at night or...¡± His frown twisted into a grimace.


    I was taken aback. ¡°What? No, it wasn¡¯t like that, succubi don¡¯t need physical contact to consume, it just helps.¡±


    His mouth formed an ¡®o¡¯, ¡°Oh, yea,¡± his expression grew puzzled. ¡°So what¡¯s the problem then?¡±


    ¡°She was draining me!¡± My arms splayed out, waving to punctuate my incredulity.


    ¡°She told me that wasn¡¯t how it works.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°You stupidly loyal dog, of course she told you that!¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Nice one, never heard that before. She also told me there was this thing she got from the school, why don¡¯t we just go find it and check?¡±


    I huffed a sigh, resisting the urge to say, ¡®because I have better things to do,¡¯ and instead going into Lily¡¯s room and searching her desk.


    It didn¡¯t take us long to find it, but as soon as we did, there was an obvious issue. We each pointed it out at the same time.


    ¡°It was written by demons...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s written in Demonic...¡±


    We blinked, staring at each other.


    He scowled, ¡°I don¡¯t care who wrote it, I just wish we could read it.¡±


    I glared back, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t trust demon propaganda even if I could read it.¡±


    His eyebrows climbed up his face. ¡°And who wrote the book on demons that you do trust?¡±


    ¡°Scarlet Victory, the famous demon hunter.¡±


    He stared at me with raised eyebrows for a moment before rolling his eyes. ¡°And if I went to get a copy of the pamphlet from the school in English?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to go back to studying, don¡¯t bother me anymore.¡±


    As I finally walked away for good, I heard Chris mutter under his breath, ¡°If only there was something testable, to verify she was telling the truth...¡±


    ¡ª


    Testable.


    Even as I went to my study materials, the word was stuck in my head.


    I had something testable, and even though I was unfathomably pissed at Lily, Chris was still my friend ¨C or at least my supplier of magic dog drool. Also, my naive little sister had asked me to do a test as well.


    So I should test the modification Lily had suggested to my circle. It would cost me most of the precious materials I had left, but it would also assuage my guilt, and if Chris asked, I would be able to honestly say I¡¯d done everything I could.


    I shoved my notes aside, carefully setting up the same spell I¡¯d had last week with a couple of careful modifications. I¡¯d already tested the same circle after Lily had left, in my own home, but either the magic she had stolen hadn¡¯t come back yet, or...


    After carefully penning a new circle, a process that took the better part of an hour, I was finally ready. I¡¯d been hearing the sounds of Chris¡¯ search dying down in the past few minutes, but I didn¡¯t bother telling him to stay and wait for the results of my test.


    The circle lit up under my steady power, and I waited for the magic to fizzle and burn.


    I waited.


    And waited...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡±

 Part 2, Chapter 5

    Part 2, Chapter 5


    Amber


    By the time I¡¯d pulled myself out of my stupor and stopped staring at the now enchanted rock, Chris was already gone, making it even more embarrassing when I called his phone and told him to come back.


    Then I had to actually explain why I called him back, which was also embarrassing, not to mention the slow realization that I might¡¯ve ruined my relationship with my best friend because of a stupid prejudice ¨C something I''d gotten on her case about before.


    All in all, it was the most mortifying afternoon of my life, but it was also a relief. It had been hard, holding myself back from getting closer to Lily because of her demon-ness, and if it turned out that was safe to do, something I wasn¡¯t completely convinced of yet, it would be amazing.


    I did still have my doubts, but the fact that the magic circle I¡¯d been using was something she could intuitively understand, that was enough to give me bigger doubts about my mother and her teachings than my doubts about Lily.


    Of course, as relieved about Lily I felt, I was just as apprehensive about my mother and Katie. The feelings swirled and mixed in my stomach, demanding to be sorted through, but there was no time.


    ¡°So... What now?¡± I asked Chris.


    He crossed his arms, staring at me, standing near the door to mine and Lily¡¯s dorm. ¡°Well I never got a good lock on her scent, and she left her phone behind, so I was going to check her church ¨C she told me where it was once.¡±


    I grimaced. ¡°You really think she would go back to her dad...?¡±


    His eyes narrowed, but he didn¡¯t have to say it. I already felt the tight chokehold of my guilt, fueled by the knowledge that I¡¯d stabbed her where she was most vulnerable.


    I clenched my hands in my pockets, one holding my trusty crystal, and the other my bundle of spellcasting materials. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stage a rescue.¡±


    Lily


    I spent most of my time sleeping, given that I had nothing better to do and no energy to do it with, so I was surprised when my dad ushered Sophia into my room. She¡¯d apparently come to visit, after hearing through the church gossip network that I was back with my dad.


    Although my father pointedly left my bedroom door open, he apparently trusted the girl that had been going to our church for forever enough to leave us alone.


    I groggily craned my head up, trying to wipe the fatigue out of my eyes. I grumbled at her in place of a greeting, managing to inflect a questioning tone.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± she said, waving at me and sitting on the edge of my bed.


    I moved my hand towards her, leaving it out on the top of the sheets with an implicit request.


    She rested her hand on mine, providing the soothing intimacy I desperately needed.


    ¡°Sophia, why are you here?¡± I croaked.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Her free hand stroked the back of mine. ¡°I think we both know that this is not where you¡¯re supposed to be. Your dad is not an open-minded man.¡±


    Bitterness swirled in me at her accusation, something I¡¯d already been thinking but had remained petulantly oblivious to. ¡°Then why do you bother going to church?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°There are a lot of reasons I go to church. I feel at ease there, a sense of belonging, at least with the pastors other than your father, and with most of the community members. I still have faith, because no matter how much I study different things, or how much I learn about science, there still is room for a god.¡±


    She paused, staring away, into nothingness. ¡°And, church is the last thing I have of some of my family members, the last thing I can cling to to feel like they¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for phrasing my question like that, I¡¯m...¡±


    She smiled sadly. ¡°Lily, I understand you¡¯re not doing well right now, but thank you for the apology.¡±


    We sat in silence for a moment, her hand still stroking mine.


    ¡°Lily... Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± I stopped, thinking. Why am I here? ¡°I originally came here because I wanted to try again with my father...¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Maybe I just wanted to hurt myself, I deserve it... As for why I¡¯m here now? It¡¯s just so easy to get lulled into the routine of purposeless existence...¡±


    Chris spoke, evidently not content to wait until after everything had been fixed. ¡°So, you and Lily, huh?¡±


    My lips pursed. ¡°There¡¯s noth¨C¡± I cut myself off. ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I turned to him, ¡°I thought you...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re... friends.¡±


    I snorted.


    He flashed a wide smile, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m serious! I tried to take her out on a date, and it was nice, but...¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s dense, and didn¡¯t understand what was going on?¡± I knew exactly what he meant, given that when we¡¯d started dating over the summer, I was the one to ask her out after we¡¯d repeatedly run into each other at the grocery store, somehow breaking into smalltalk each time. And when I had asked her out, I¡¯d needed to be very forward about it; she¡¯d been confused about my vague-but-blunt ¡®let¡¯s get a coffee sometime¡¯.


    His smile continued, staring down at his feet moving across the sidewalk, getting closer and closer to our destination. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got it right. Of course, you are right about her being dense, but that wasn¡¯t the issue. It was just... I didn¡¯t really want more? Like, she¡¯s attractive and all but...¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± I thought through what I knew about Chris, his limited experience and his sexuality, ¡°Are you romantically attracted to women at all?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Attraction feels different with a dude than with a lady, but that¡¯s just because I have a strong preference, right?¡±


    I silently nodded along to his words, not having an answer for his dilemma, also thinking about my own relationship with her. It would inevitably change ¨C already had changed ¨C and I couldn¡¯t help but wish that we could go back to being friends like a couple weeks ago, or go back to uncomplicatedly dating like we had been months ago.


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t possible, and it was my fault. I owed her a thousand apologies and as much making up as she would allow me, assuming she didn¡¯t shun me entirely.


    I feel so stupid. Why didn¡¯t I just listen to her, listen to my own feelings?


    Chris was possibly interested in her, and she may or may not return the feelings ¨C I¡¯d certainly gotten the impression that she was fond of him, but in what way, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    And even though I wanted more, I would be okay with being her friend, if she let me. Besides, even if she did forgive me and wanted to date me ¨C both ridiculous propositions on their own ¨C there was still the issue of my mother to contend with. No, I would apologize, we could hopefully go back to being friends, and I would have to avoid thinking about what could¡¯ve been.


    I sighed and kicked a pebble across the sidewalk in time with my strides, watching as it skipped across the street.


    Chris stopped and turned to face the house we¡¯d just arrived at, one that looked exactly like all of the others.


    I stared up at the towering whiteness. ¡°He¡¯s probably not going to tell us if Lily is there, right?¡±


    Chris nodded.


    ¡°Should I cast an illusion, make us look like someone else?¡±


    Another nod, and he was already walking down the path to the door.


    I guess we¡¯re not planning this out?


    As he knocked on the door, I set about casting an illusion spell, one hand on my crystal and the other holding my bundle of materials. It was a clever thing, designed by my mother to do as much with our little magic power as possible, letting the target fill in what they expected, while skewing it towards what the caster desired. That didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t expensive or difficult however; illusion was the most costly spell out of the ones I regularly carried the materials for.


    Make us look like someone Mr. Taylor would want to talk to Lily.


    Mr. Taylor opened the door, and upon seeing us, pursed his lips into a tight smile. ¡°You¡¯re from the squad, right? Here for my son?¡±


    This is why we¡¯re supposed to plan....


    I took over, making it up as I went along. ¡°Yes, Mr. Taylor, we¡¯re glad to be here. Is it alright if we meet your child so we can get this started?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Better to get this over with.¡± He stared into me, face cold. ¡°Believe me, I get no pleasure out of doing this.¡± He strode off to get Lily and I celebrated his absence.


    ¡°What an unpleasant man...¡± I whispered.


    Chris nodded. ¡°Step one down.¡±

 Part 2, Chapter 6

    Part 2, Chapter 6


    Lily


    Sophia and I strode down the stairs to the entryway. I felt uncomfortable the whole way, missing Sophia¡¯s hand in mine, still ruminating on our conversation. Could I really leave my father for good? Is there really no hope for him changing his mind?


    Halfway down the steps we could see the porch from above through a window, where two people were waiting for us.


    ¡°Shoot, that doesn¡¯t look good...¡± Sophia said.


    I shook my head. ¡°Not really...¡± Outside there were two people, a man and a woman, both wearing a white button-up and holding a bible. They looked every bit like normal Jehovah''s witness types, but the fact that my father wanted me to meet them suggested there was something more at play.


    We both turned around on the stairs without a word when we heard my father¡¯s steps echoing from the hall between the kitchen to the entryway.


    Back at the top I stared at her, whispering. ¡°What now? Going down there seems like a really bad idea...¡±


    She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of view of the lower floor. ¡°Got any windows to jump out of?¡±


    I pointed her up the stairs one more floor, where the master bedroom, and more importantly, its balcony were. I pulled my magic to the front of my mind, trying to feel out if I could use something to help us get down uninjured.


    By the time we¡¯d made it out onto the landing, we could hear my father¡¯s voice searching for me behind us.


    This is it, where I finally decide who I want to be.


    I glanced back in the direction of my father, through the walls of the house between us, thinking about the years I¡¯d spent here, years spent miserable and repressed. I thought of my mother, of the grave I¡¯d seen, the implications of the image, of the holes in the story my father told me about her.


    I turned to Sophia, ¡°Kiss me,¡± I told her, transforming to my true form and manifesting a short black gothic dress, the lace almost completely see through, exposing most of my skin.


    She stared at me for a moment, confused, and then grabbed my face between her hands and brought her lips down to mine. The kiss was hot and heavy, quick and dirty, but tempered by the way our hands moved together, finding each other¡¯s and interlacing our fingertips together. Her body pushed into mine, pressing my back against the railing and letting my hair dangle out over the backyard.


    Intimacy was a strange concept, even after all of my experience gathering energy. The feelings I associated with it were relatively easy to identify ¨C a warmth in my chest, a fluttering in my stomach, a peace of mind ¨C but anticipating it? Not as easy.


    I couldn¡¯t have told you before experiencing it how much energy Sophia¡¯s kiss would give me. Logic would¡¯ve pulled me in several conflicting directions, pointing out how long we¡¯d known each other, that we still didn¡¯t really know each other, that I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready to let someone in again, that I already had.


    All of that was to say that when our hands clasped and an overwhelming rush of energy filled me, it was somehow unsurprisingly surprising ¨C or maybe surprisingly unsurprising. My brain melted, taking away my capacity for coherent sentences, but not my ability to take action. I broke off our kiss, lifted Sophia in a princess carry, climbed over the railing, and jumped off the balcony, sprouting massive black leathery wings on the way down.


    She giggled into my collarbone, clasping her hands around my neck and staring at me with joy and mirth in her eyes. ¡°Take me away, my dashing princess.¡±


    My wings slowed our descent with a few flaps, a loud thump of air resounding each time, propelling us over the neighbor¡¯s fence and out over the sidewalk. As much as I wanted to fly all the way to her bedroom ¨C or mine ¨C I¡¯d rather not get reports about people seeing a demon flying around town.


    I instead took us to the ground, transforming back to my human body and running alongside Sophia, hand-in-hand.


    Maybe I¡¯m not as alone as I thought...


    Amber


    I glanced at Chris. ¡°She¡¯s taking a long time...¡±


    I talked about the events that led me to my father¡¯s house, blushing all the way through explaining how I felt ¨C how I had felt for Amber. She gave me a sad, compassionate smile at my correction. We both knew I still had feelings for Amber, regardless of the situation between us, and that wouldn¡¯t be changing anytime soon.


    Once I¡¯d finished getting dressed in some sweats, a sports bra, and an oversized t-shirt, I sat in my desk chair, staying across the room from Sophia. I didn¡¯t feel any need to get closer, even if it would give me more energy.


    But maybe I wanted to get closer, not because I was a succubus, but because I liked her, because Sophia had been there for me in a way that no one else had. For as much as I¡¯d changed, as bold as I¡¯d gotten, I¡¯d always had the excuse of ¡®I¡¯m just getting energy¡¯ when having sex, as flimsy as it was.


    Now, however, I wanted to express to Sophia how much she meant to me ¨C I wanted to take things slow and enjoy every moment.


    Shoot, I have no idea what I¡¯m doing...


    Sophia was smiling at me, a bright thing that I didn¡¯t want to interrupt.


    I went for it anyway. ¡°So Sophia, you know how you said that thing before?¡±


    She giggled, shaking her head, eyes full of mirth.


    I had a feeling that she did somehow know, despite my poor phrasing, but she wanted me to say it anyway. Well I¡¯m not going to give her the satisfaction. I know how to take charge too.


    I stood, walked over to her, remaining in my human form for now, and sat across her lap, wrapping my arms behind her neck. ¡°Sophia, it means a lot ¨C how much you¡¯ve supported me when I wasn¡¯t supporting myself.¡± Tears formed in my eyes.


    Stupid succubus, you¡¯re supposed to be horny right now, not sappy...


    She brought her hand up to cup my cheek, brushing her thumb across my smooth skin and staring into my eyes.


    My insides turned into warm goo. I stared at her lips, opening and closing my mouth, trying to find the right words to ask for permission.


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± She said, smile still on her face.


    I opted for listening to her instead of taking the time to insist that I could take charge.


    Our lips met, pressing together in a slow dance, and I just started weeping.


    Tears poured out of me in long streams as Sophia pulled me into her chest, dirtying her neat mustard blouse with my snot.


    I¡¯m even a failure at being a succubus...


    I had no idea where it had all come from, the rush of overwhelming ineptitude, the buildup of feeling like I hadn¡¯t lived up to any of what I was supposed to be on any front. There was also this acute emotional sensitivity, the feeling that not only was I in a state that was easily hurt, but so fragile as to make my calm untenable. I¡¯d just collapsed under the feeling of existing, the sheer reality of my life being too much to handle in that moment.


    Sobs shook my body as I clung to her, my chest aching with inexplicable grief.


    Sophia, bless her heart, took it all in stride, shifting from kissing me to comforting me, rolling us on to my bed, me laying her in her arms, face in her chest while she stroked my back.


    Thankfully, likely because of the sheer volume of my tears, they dried up quickly, leaving me with a mundane exhaustion ¨C and dimly registered embarrassment ¨C that lulled me towards sleep.


    Because of my outburst, neither of us heard the front door open.

 Part 2, Chapter 7

    Part 2, Chapter 7


    Lily


    All of the preparing to confront Amber I¡¯d done went out the window when she barged into my room, mouth hung open when she saw me in Sophia¡¯s arms.


    Not that I wasn¡¯t ready for the conversation, thought it didn¡¯t need to be done. It was just that all of that preparation fell out of my head as soon as she opened her mouth.


    ¡°Lily, what the fuck?! We¡¯re so worried about you and¨C¡±


    From behind her, Chris came in and covered Amber¡¯s mouth with his hand. ¡°You¡¯re here to apologize, you dumbass,¡± he whisper-shouted.


    Amber made a face like she¡¯d bitten into a lemon, shrugging Chris off and regathering her composure. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re okay Lily, can we have a discussion at your earliest convenience?¡±


    ¡°Uhh...¡± I sat up, wiping the fatigue out of my eyes, ¡°Yeah, sure, we have a lot to discuss.¡±


    She stared at Sophia, her expression not outright hostile. ¡°Are you okay with her leaving us alone for a moment...?¡±


    I nodded and kissed Sophia on the cheek, feeling the need to assert myself in this confusing and overwhelming situation. No matter the outcome of our discussion, it was important to me that the woman who had been there for me understood how much I cared for her, and if I made that point to Amber at the same time, so be it.


    Sophia left, her hand lingering on my leg as it was dragged away by the rest of her body moving out into the living room with Chris, introducing herself on the way and quickly making friends with him. I had no doubts they would get along, given how easygoing they both were.


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s Sophia by the way. She¡¯s¨C We¡¯re like... childhood friends.¡± I need to have a conversation with Sophia too... god I want a nap.


    Amber shut the door and strode to the middle of the room, crossing her arms and remaining standing, frowning down at me. The tension flowed out of her body as she spoke, ¡°Lily, I am so unbelievably sorry,¡± her eyes closed, ¡°I¨C I felt betrayed because I trusted that you wouldn¡¯t get energy from me, basing my thoughts on my own misconceptions on how magic worked, and when you revealed that you had been... It felt like you had broken my trust, violated me in the way I expected least.¡±


    I opened my mouth but her eyes opened and she held up a hand, indicating that she wasn¡¯t done yet, despite the pause.


    ¡°But even with all that, what I said wasn¡¯t okay. I should¡¯ve... I should''ve trusted you in the first place, but beyond that, I should¡¯ve taken the time to work everything out, do experiments and help find a solution together ¨C if there even was a problem.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°I let my temper get the better of me, I¡¯m sorry, and I want to do everything I can to make that up to you.¡±


    I let myself fall back, thumping into the bed and staring into the ceiling. ¡°Thank you for apologizing.¡± I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to say more, if it would be productive to say more.


    Amber shuffled in place, uncomfortable with my curt response.


    ¡°Amber, how am I supposed to respond? How am I supposed to feel?¡°


    ¡°You feel how you feel, and whatever that is, it¡¯s valid...?¡± Her tone was hesitantly questioning, unsure if she should be giving me permission to let loose my feelings on her.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m pissed, so there.¡± I turned my head to glare at her.


    She grimaced.


    ¡°If you thought you had your trust broken, but it just turned out you were being a dumbass, then what am I supposed to do, when you broke my trust and told me the one thing that would hurt me the most, treated me like my father treated me? My trust in you was broken, how do I deal with that?¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to feel when I thought you despised me so much that I thought it would be easier to make up with my father than with you?¡± I let out a long exhale, and she watched, silently awaiting my judgment.


    My eyes flicked up from the floor, where they¡¯d fallen, to her face. ¡°I just¨C how can you be so stupid?! Like, sure, I ran away from you after I said what I said, but that was because of the embarrassing implications of it, not the nefarious implications! And even if I had been sucking you dry, why would I admit it?! I could¡¯ve just claimed it was Chris who was feeding me ¨C which was partially true ¨C and asked him to let you measure his magic, which I¡¯m sure wouldn¡¯t have been abnormal!¡±


    My fists tensed, rising in the air above me and slamming down onto my bed in a synchronized thump. ¡°And how perfect is it that right before you were being all condescending to me, saying ¡®oh no Lily is a moron, of course she can¡¯t understand magic, she can¡¯t even do stoichiometry¡¯? How perfect is it that you think that and then you act like a complete buffoon, a stubborn fool that won¡¯t take the time to think things through?¡±ber winced, tension building in her posture.


    I shrugged and gave her an extra toothbrush, going through my nightly routine in parallel with her. My mind wandered, exploring all of the places it hadn¡¯t had time to yet.


    My mother was the thing most on my mind. What did it mean that our magic circles were in Demonic? What did it mean if our textbooks on demons were wrong? What did it mean for Katie who I¡¯d told to suppress her instincts and given her my old books?


    I cursed under my breath. I needed to see Katie, and it couldn¡¯t wait until Saturday. Although, I did need to plan a bit, to circumvent our mother. I settled for texting her for now, as I laid down on my bed. ¡°Everything I think I know about demons is wrong, those textbooks I gave you are bs, I¡¯ll see you asap about this. Sorry for what I did to Lily, I¡¯m trying to make up with her. I love you.¡±


    I sighed, mentally adding another thing to the pile of urgent tasks to take care of. I settled into bed, snuggling under the covers and hugging one of my pillows, wishing it was Lily. A few minutes went by, but just when I was about to fall asleep, my door creaked open.


    Sophia¡¯s quiet voice echoed across the room. ¡°Amber?¡±


    ¡°What...?¡± I yawned.


    ¡°Is the offer of your bed still on the table? You never gave me a blanket, and that couch is rubbish anyways...¡±


    ¡°Sure...¡± I mumbled, cursing myself for forgetting to give her a blanket.


    A few moments later, the mattress sank and the sheets rustled as she dug herself under the covers. A rush of cold air flooded my space, making me shiver, hugging my pillow tighter.


    My bed was not big enough for two people to sleep completely independent of one another, meaning I could feel her sapping my heat, even if we weren¡¯t quite touching. ¡°Why¡¯re you so cold?¡± I whined, tugging the sheets back towards me, trying to escape.


    ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d been a proper host I wouldn¡¯t be so cold,¡± she shot back, probably glaring at me.


    ¡°Well maybe if you weren¡¯t such a frigid bitch it¡¯d be easier for you to warm up,¡± I winced as soon as I said it, already regretful.


    Sophia grabbed one of my pillows and smacked my head with it, a loud thump ringing in my ear.


    ¡°Yeah, I probably deserved that.¡±


    ¡°You really did.¡±


    I was glad for the darkness obscuring the smug expression she probably had.


    Just as we were finally settling down, done with our arguing ¨C at least for now ¨C we heard a door slam open, followed by a quiet stomping and a knock on my door.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming in, you two better not be banging in there,¡± Lily¡¯s irritated voice rang out.


    Sophia and I cursed under our breaths.


    Lily barged in, standing with her hands on her hips. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Sophia spoke first, ¡°She¡¯s annoying and mean.¡±


    I followed, wanting to be honest to at least get one over on her on that front. ¡°I¡¯m envious of her because I feel like she¡¯s closer to you and doesn¡¯t keep fucking things up.¡±


    ¡°Fucking kids...¡± Lily muttered, striding over to my bed and crawling between us, making her way under the covers.


    ¡°There¡¯s not enough room for three people,¡± I protested, despite wanting to share space with Lily.


    Lily responded, ¡°Then you¡¯re not cuddling up to me enough. Goodnight.¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, I wrapped my arms around her tiny body, ignoring the fact that she was naked, the way my arms curled around Sophia on the other side, and the way hers were around me.


    Warmth was no longer an issue in our Lily sandwich, and we all quickly drifted off, pressed together.

 Part 2, Chapter 8

    Part 2, Chapter 8


    Lily


    After a week of waking up still feeling exhausted, this was paradise.


    Hell, this would be paradise in any context, being sandwiched between two attractive women who cared for me ¨C although I would prefer it if they got along better.


    But that could go on my pile of things to take care of later, along with scrambling to catch up on my classes, spelling out my relationships, and getting more diverse sources of energy.


    That¡¯s right, I¡¯m actually learning something from this whole debacle, go me!


    Something I realized after Amber did her thing was that I¡¯d been relying on her too much, and regardless of whether that was a mundane emotional reliance or a magical energy reliance, it was unhealthy of me to put so much weight on my relationship with her. It would be better for me to make new friends, have a life outside of my partner(s) if I wanted my relationships to succeed, and I already had a few ideas about that.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t enjoy Amber and Sophia¡¯s energy when we weren¡¯t fighting, as evidenced by my current situation. I hummed, squirming my naked body against their clothes and the sheets.


    During the night, not much had changed. I had spun, changing from facing Amber to facing Sophia, and Amber¡¯s hands had come up to cup my chest from behind. I glanced down and giggled, full of relief and joy, and wanting to express it.


    If only the humans would wake up faster...


    As if summoned by my thoughts, they both began stirring, Amber groaning and Sophia yawning, rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Good morning my loves,¡± I beamed at them and sat up on my knees, feeling too euphoric to care about how sappy and forward I was being, even if I knew I would be embarrassed about it later.


    They both reacted with delayed confusion, staring bleary eyed through lingering sleepiness.


    ¡°Wake up already,¡± I whined, ¡°I want to date both of you right now, even if there¡¯s a bunch of reasons not to, and whichever of you is willing to play nice with the other gets to fuck me immediately.¡±


    Amber coughed, more awake now, while Sophia just repeatedly blinked at me.


    My hand came up to rub my brow, ¡°No, wait I¡¯m doing this wrong. I want you to get along, but if you don¡¯t want to I shouldn''t make you... or should I? Goddamn, relationships are hard enough with one partner. Wait, neither of you accepted, so really there¡¯s only one person I¡¯m in a relationship with, which is myself. And yea, I know this is all rushing things but I want you both, and I hope that¡¯s okay, and I know Sophia lives further away and Amber lives here and that¡¯s a disaster waiting to happen and¨C¡±


    Sophia covered my mouth with her hand.


    Amber¡¯s tired voice croaked behind me. ¡°Lily, it¡¯s six in the morning.¡±


    I glanced at the clock, down at my naked body, and then at each of them, removing Sophia¡¯s hand. ¡°So? Did you miss the part about fucking me?¡±


    ¡°No, I can assure you¨C¡± Amber¡¯s voice cut out when she saw Sophia press her lips into mine, tongue quickly invading my mouth and swirling around mine, bringing my true form out immediately.


    I moaned into her mouth, hands reaching down to tug at her shirt needily. For as sappy as I¡¯d just been, I was extremely horny, impatient after my long period of celibacy.


    She quickly got the hint, breaking away from our kiss to throw off her shirt, revealing no bra underneath. We attacked each other¡¯s chests with our hands, groping, pinching and fumbling as she climbed on top of me, pressing me back into the pillows and biting my lip, her heavy gaze staring into my eyes.


    Amber remained quiet, watching us with an open mouth and wide eyes.


    My back arched and my hands lost coordination as Sophia pinched my nipples. ¡°Are you gonna¨C fuck,¡± I cursed, gasping as her mouth moved to my neck, biting me there too, tugging on the skin,


    I tried again, ¡°Are you gonna join in, or just watch?¡± The last few words came out as a high moan when Sophia¡¯s knee found its way between my legs, grinding into my needy sex.


    Am I even ready for Amber to join in? I can¡¯t even handle Sophia on her own without completely falling apart. Although, that¡¯s the best part...


    Amber remained incredulous, ¡°Shouldn''t we...¡±


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± I cursed, ¡°Stop Sophia.¡±


    She listened immediately, a strand of saliva connecting my neck to her mouth for a moment as she pulled away, sitting up on her knees, her body still between my legs.


    ¡°Are you okay, Amber?¡± I asked, ¡°We shouldn''t''ve done this in your bed without asking.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we... talk about dating first?¡± she said, skirting around what Sophia and I had just been doing.


    ¡°If you need to, that¡¯s totally fine, Sophia and I can move to my room and leave you for a moment.¡±


    Sophia chimed in, ¡°Or if you want to just watch that¡¯s fine too.¡±


    I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was glad she hadn¡¯t said something antagonistic, but...


    ¡°Lily, I just... want to know what our relationship is before we jump into things.¡± Amber said, ¡°Can we take a minute to talk that out before...¡± She blushed.


    It was weird, seeing Amber so timid. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was how forward I was being, Sophia¡¯s presence, or her recent mistakes that was causing it, but I did want her to be more comfortable. ¡°Yeah, sure. I think I said everything I wanted to already, but if you were still sleeping, I want to date you two, and I recognize there are a lot of challenges that come with that, but I¡¯m determined to give it a go anyways.¡±


    ¡°Amber,¡± I whined, ¡°There¡¯s two other people here, use one of us...¡±


    She looked up at me sheepishly, still licking my chest.


    ¡°Sit on my face?¡± I suggested.


    She sighed, removing her hand from between her legs and crawling around to sit on my face backwards, so she would watch Sophia ride my tail.


    And she was riding my tail. She¡¯d gripped it with both hands and held it between her legs, while the tip flicked up and down, causing her blissed out expression.


    My view was soon obscured by Amber, and I immediately began licking into her furiously, shapeshifting my tongue to make it longer. She hummed in pleasure above me and gasped when my tongue entered her, causing her to lose her balance and fall towards Sophia.


    Thankfully, Sophia caught her, preventing Amber from smacking her face into my stomach, but once she was in her arms ¨C and this was something I would only find out about much later, given my vision was still obscured ¨C they gazed into each other¡¯s eyes for a moment before going in for a light kiss.


    They both claimed the other initiated it later on, and said it was a mistake in the heat of passion, but I would soon find myself noticing the way they stared at each other when they thought no one was looking.


    Anyways, after their kiss, which they didn¡¯t acknowledge, Sophia spoke to Amber, ¡°Hey, do you have a strap somewhere in here I can borrow? I forgot mine.¡±


    Before Amber could respond I tapped her hips, asking to be let free for a moment. When she lifted herself, I spoke. ¡°How about a magical one? I can do shapeshifting mumbo jumbo to give you a dick.¡±


    Amber grumbled under her breath, ¡°Stupid magical creatures calling it mumbo jumbo... it''s so easy for her she thinks it''s nonsense, very cool...¡±


    Sophia nodded, and I threw some magic at her, hoping I got it right, before pulling Amber back onto me and slurping into her once more.


    While my tongue was seeing how deep it could get into an increasingly frantically squirming Amber, Sophia was in awe of my magic, ¡°This is so... real... Can I really fuck you with this?¡±


    I gave her a thumbs up, and Amber let out a long whine, leaning forwards to give me a better angle and resting her weight on her hands, which were on either side of my chest.


    Sophia spoke again, wonderment still in her tone, ¡°Do I need a condom?¡±


    I responded with a thumbs down, knowing that I could control my fertility with magic. I¡¯d only had one period so far, and it had been more than enough for me after the first time.


    Sophia was finally ready to pleasure me, scooting up to kneel between my legs, and running the tip of her magical cock up and down my utterly soaked pussy. I hadn¡¯t been touched yet, everyone else getting a chance before me, and given that I¡¯d woken up horny, I was past needy and onto deprived, ravenous for something to be inside me.


    Thankfully, Sophia didn¡¯t feel the need to tease me anymore, likely because my reactions were mostly hidden by Amber¡¯s first orgasm of the morning, as she panted and rocked her hips against my tongue that was now wiggling for six inches out of my mouth.


    Sophia entered me without ceremony, encountering no resistance. ¡°Damn, this feels so weird...¡± She began thrusting, the weird evidently at least being a pleasurable kind.


    Amber, on the other hand, had completely collapsed to lay on top of me, staring at where Sophia was slowly moving in and out of me, although I couldn¡¯t see her expression.


    I could finally breathe and see the ceiling again, and I basked in all of the intimacy, the feeling of the cold air on my wet face, the rhythmic rocks of my body as Sophia pushed her hips into mine, maintaining a leisurely pace.


    ¡°I love you Sophia, I love you Amber...¡± I let out, content washing over me.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised when neither of them reciprocated, and I even laughed at the awkward silence that followed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t expect you to say it back, we started dating like ten minutes ago. It¡¯s just, this feels so right to me, I can¡¯t help but want to express it to you, although if it¨C¡± I moaned as Sophia picked up her pace, shifting to hit me from a different angle, ¡°If it... makes you uncomfortable, then I won¡¯t say it... anymore,¡± I screamed the last word as Amber started kissing my chest again in the middle of my sentence and my orgasm suddenly built out of nowhere.


    I shook my head at Sophia slowing down to give me a chance to regather myself, but she didn¡¯t see. ¡°Keep going Sophia, I want you to come inside, fill me up.¡±


    She redoubled her efforts. ¡°Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Come ins¨C¡±


    ¡°No, the thing before that.¡±


    I blushed. ¡°I love you Sophia.¡±


    She groaned and frantically thrusted into me, rocking my body under Amber¡¯s, causing me to grip the sheets tightly.


    A few moments later and a second orgasm was cresting in me, fueled by Amber¡¯s efforts on my chest as well as Sophia¡¯s impending load. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it would be like, given that it was all being fudged by magic, but I had a feeling my subconscious mind had configured my magic in a way I would like.


    When Sophia finally finished, panting out breaths and pushing our hips together, I wasn¡¯t disappointed.


    The first thing I felt was an overwhelming heat. Sophia¡¯s member shot wave after wave of pure magic directly inside of me, the fluid feeling hot in the same way that ice did, a shock to the senses, right where I was most sensitive.


    The second thing I felt was an irrational urge to mess with my fertility. I wouldn¡¯t, of course, at least not without discussing it with my partners first, but the feeling of potential was there, the feeling that I could have a child with Sophia like this, and that was tempting in its novelty.


    The last thing I felt, at least in that moment, was another rush of love washing over me. Amber was still gently licking around my chest, Sophia was catching her breath, still inside me, and everything was right, better than I could¡¯ve imagined just a few months ago.


    Naturally, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, ¡°Want to go again?¡±

 Part 2, Chapter 9

    Part 2, Chapter 9


    Lily


    By the time we¡¯d worn ourselves out it was after nine-thirty, and we were soaked in sweat. Amber and Sophia had taken turns fucking me silly ¨C I had no interest in using my shapeshifting on myself like that ¨C although, unfortunately they never did anything with each other, meaning I had twice as much work to do.


    Thank god for magic...


    We all stumbled out into our common room with disheveled hair and no clothes, searching for water. Although I needed it less, there was no reason to burn through my big influx of magic, even if I was pretty sure I would be getting another one soon enough.


    As we stood around drinking our tall glasses of water, admiring each other¡¯s sweat-soaked bodies, Amber interrupted the peace with a sudden outburst. ¡°Shit, what about Chris?!¡±


    I stared at her with a puzzled frown, ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°We were supposed to text him when we got up.¡± She scampered off to grab her phone.


    I looked to Sophia for answers, ¡°Didn¡¯t we just get up? I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be interested in what we were doing this morning...¡±


    She blinked at me a few times before returning her focus to her water, taking a long drink, and pointedly looking away from me.


    Weird, why would the gay guy be interested in lesbian sex...?


    Amber returned, throwing her phone down onto the couch on her way over, ¡°He¡¯s on his way, although he might be annoyed we left him out.¡±


    ¡°Left him out of what?¡±


    Amber took another long drink of water. ¡°Our conversation.¡± She raised an eyebrow at me, like I was supposed to already know this.


    My thoughts went to all of the words we¡¯d shared this morning. After our first round, and my confession of love, our speech had been almost exclusively dedicated to short instructions on what to put where, and lots and lots of dirty talk. I assumed she wasn¡¯t talking about that, so...


    ¡°We can just tell him we¡¯re dating whenever, right? We don¡¯t need to call him over early in the morning for that news, I feel like he already had an idea of what was going to happen...¡±


    Sophia sighed, ¡°Lily...¡±


    Amber interrupted. ¡°Wait,¡± she held up a hand towards Sophia, ¡°How do you feel about Chris?¡±


    I shrunk under their stares, the confidence I¡¯d felt early this morning already long gone. ¡°I don¡¯t know... he¡¯s nice and well... like, objectively speaking, he¡¯s attractive?¡±


    Amber nodded, ¡°And do you want to date him?¡±


    I frowned, feeling uncomfortable. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, right? He¡¯s gay and I¡¯m a girl, who cares about how I feel about it?¡± My tone might¡¯ve been a bit bitter.


    ¡°Lily... he¡¯s bisexual,¡± Amber shook her head, ¡°Haven¡¯t you two...?¡±


    I blushed, ¡°Well, I thought... I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Thoughts raced through my head.


    Chris... likes women... Images from my one sexual encounter with him floated through my mind, his muscular body, and our other encounter, when we¡¯d kissed.


    My eyes shut, and I squirmed. There¡¯s no way I can get horny after this morning, right?


    It turned out that some of the rumors and myths about succubi were true, because when I thought back to when he took me out to the movies, to the date he¡¯d taken me on, my heart throbbed and I felt a rush of warmth between my legs. ¡°Fuck, we left out Chris...¡±


    My partners both giggled.


    I groaned, ¡°Damn, it¡¯s hard to even get my mind around the fact that he¡¯s available... I¡¯d put him in the off-limits camp for so long, it¡¯s hard to even...¡±


    Amber stared at me, confused, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys...¡± she repeated.


    I blushed, ¡°I thought he thought I was still a guy!¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I think you were the last to figure that out...¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I remained staring at the floor, unable to meet his gaze.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can give you what you want. We could try... but I¡¯ve been thinking it over, and I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. I... I prefer men to the extent that it feels like I¡¯d be missing out if I dated a woman. And sure, I could date a man too, but I think the very fact that you wouldn¡¯t be my priority, that I would have preferences over you, that¡¯s unfair to you, unfair to both of us, forcing a relationship where there doesn¡¯t need to be one, where one doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°I get it...¡± It was a weird feeling, the feeling of loss where there never had been anything. I¡¯d gone from zero partners to two in a morning, and yet, in that moment it still felt like I¡¯d missed out.


    ¡°Maybe we can do some casual stuff, fool around if you want to and your girlfriends are okay with it, but I don¡¯t think a committed relationship is right for us. I¡¯m sorry, and I hope we can still be friends.¡±


    I finally met his eyes, looked at his conflicted expression. ¡°No need to apologize, you feel how you feel,¡± I spread my arms out in an invitation to hug, ¡°Of course we can stay friends, and I hope you don¡¯t stop me from cuddling you just because of this.¡±


    I smiled tentatively at him, and it became sincere when he accepted my hug.


    Two for three isn¡¯t bad, right?


    Amber


    After hanging out for a while with everyone, and finally showering, I was finally ready to tackle the subject of what to do about Katie. Sophia and Lily had gone to her room to study, and Chris had left for class, leaving me alone to plot and scheme.


    While I wasn¡¯t currently working with her, I still was keeping Lily¡¯s words in my mind, thinking about how she could help. Issue was, I didn¡¯t know how either of us could help.


    My mother¡¯s movements and plans were inscrutable; she had never told me anything about her connections or what she did on a day-to-day business. Even where she found my sisters ¨C or me for that matter ¨C wasn¡¯t something we¡¯d discussed. Despite the fact that I called her Mom without qualm, she was more like a teacher or a coach to me than a parent. But that was fine, I got more than enough affection from all of my cute little sisters, and she needed to be a strong leader for our coven in the first place. At least I think so, I don¡¯t really know what leading the coven entails...


    But right now, that lack of transparency was a huge issue, because just seeing Katie could alert our mother that something was up, and it was rare for me to visit without reason on any day other than Saturday ¨C at least not during the semester.


    I¡¯d had to explain why I¡¯d been at home eventually when I¡¯d stayed over during my fight with Lily, but I¡¯d thankfully lied, at the time wanting to keep Katie out of it as much as possible, saying something about wanting to conduct my experiments at home during a slow week of classes.


    I mean, really, how likely is it that I can find a convenient excuse to visit on such a short notice¨C


    My thoughts were interrupted by my phone vibrating, the pattern of the vibration indicating that it was my mother.


    I checked the message:


    Mom: Urgent request: return home immediately, there is an important task for you, big opportunity


    I blinked, staring. How lucky is that? Not only do I get an excuse to visit, but a big opportunity for the coven?!


    I smiled. Sometimes, things just worked out.


    ¡ª


    I rushed, sliding into my mother¡¯s office, where a servant had told me to meet her. It was a rare occurrence for me to be there; I¡¯d only first seen the place after becoming a full-fledged witch and taking my first assignment outside of the coven. As my mother got older, the frequency of these assignments had increased, but it was still at most a dozen times per year, and usually they didn¡¯t have this kind of urgency.


    Usually, they were ¡®make this potion¡¯ or ¡®enchant this thing¡¯. Very rarely I had to actually go somewhere to complete the assignment, such as one time I¡¯d had to exorcize a haunted mansion, something that had been extremely unpleasant but paid well.


    Collaborating on missions with other witches was generally rare, mostly because of how our spells could accidentally mix and result in catastrophe. Preventing this would mean revealing the details of all of your spells to another witch, allowing them to copy them and develop countermeasures for them. You¡¯d think I could trust my sisters with that, but my mother insisted that a proper witch never revealed all of their secrets to anyone, which meant going solo, unfortunately.


    Anyways, the last mission I¡¯d had ¨C cleansing an area of forest of evil spirits ¨C had not gone well, however, and the fallout from that incident, the blow to our reputation, had led to my mother refusing to pay for my solo dorm, saying that I must not be using it to study magic if I¡¯d messed up so bad on the mission.


    This meeting, then, would be a test to see if I¡¯d learned my lesson, if I¡¯d been studying since my last failure.


    I plopped down in the chair across from her, staring determinedly into her wrinkled face. She was old, old enough to be my grandmother, and although I could usually read her expression because of my experience, her mouth rarely moved in any direction other than pursed lips or mild frown. Right now she was anxious, which immediately put a halt to my excited mood. Something that made her anxious would likely make me terrified.


    She began. ¡°This job is different from the ones you¡¯ve done before, as you¡¯ve no doubt already surmised. There are two primary differences: the first is incidental and the second is vital.¡±


    She had a way of speaking that made it seem like she was always lecturing, in both senses of the word. I nodded along to her, as I had been for two decades.


    ¡°The first, is the urgency. Our client is rather impatient, and if he was not so well-connected or this job not so convenient, I would not have accepted it. The second, is the objective.¡±


    My nods continued.


    ¡°This will be the first of your demon-slaying missions.¡±

 Part 2, Chapter 10

    Part 2, Chapter 10


    Amber


    ¡°This will be the first of your demon-slaying missions,¡± my mother said.


    I nodded out of habit, still processing what I''d just heard.


    Even once I¡¯d processed it, I remained in denial. Demons are those things she tells me about that are evil, right? Not like Lily or Katie... But actual demons.


    She continued her explanation, unconcerned with my silence. ¡°The contractor is a priest and an old acquaintance of mine. His son has been possessed by a demon and we have been tasked with slaying that demon, at any cost necessary.¡±


    Nod. Not like Lily,.. She¡¯s asking me to kill a real demon, like an evil one, not Lily.


    ¡°Apparently the previous organization he hired was rather unsuccessful, and the demon evaded. As such, I will be lending you some of my spell materials, including for invisibility and, of course, demon radar.¡±


    Nod nod nod. She wants me to... to murder someone. But they¡¯re evil right?


    ¡°Otherwise, this will be a test to see if you can truly succeed me, meaning I will not offer any more assistance. Good luck.¡±


    I nodded.


    I didn¡¯t process walking out of the office and through the halls to my bedroom but I ended up there all the same.


    I stared at the wall, resisting the urge to keep nodding.


    She just asked me to...


    I dialed a number into my phone.


    A woman¡¯s voice answered me, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Lily, my mother just paid me to murder you.¡±


    Lily


    There were a lot of things you could find out about the person you were dating that would give you pause.


    There were people who chewed with their mouths open, people who never put the toilet seat down, people that snored, and an infinite number more. Given that I¡¯d already dated Amber once, and that we¡¯d been living together already, it seemed unlikely that I¡¯d encounter one of these things, something that makes you go ¡®huh, maybe this isn¡¯t going to work out¡¯.


    But, really, wasn¡¯t your girlfriend being tasked with assassinating you a little bit more concerning than finding out she had an annoying habit?


    ¡°Lily?¡± Her voice rang in my ear, echoed a moment later by Sophia, who was watching me and no doubt saw something in the expression on my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m here... I think. So... um... I would prefer if you didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to fucking murder you!¡± She screamed, loud enough for me to move the phone away from my ear, and loud enough for Sophia to hear.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about Amber murdering you?¡±


    I put Amber on speaker.


    ¡°No one is murdering anyone! My mom got a job from Lily¡¯s d¨C¡± She cut herself off, but it was too late, I¡¯d already understood.


    My mouth hung open and I turned to stare into Sophia¡¯s eyes. Surely, I¡¯ll find surprise in Sophia¡¯s expression. She knows my dad, so it must be surprising that he¡¯d hire a witch to kill me, right?


    She was wincing.


    As I already had more times than I cared to count, I made my way into Sophia¡¯s arms, guiding her to sit on my bed. She took my phone with one hand and used the other to comfort me, stroking my back. I stared emptily into space, completely lost, half-listening to the rest of the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I meant to break it to her gentler, but I have no idea what the fuck I¡¯m going to do, I thought I had months to help Katie at least, if not until she turned eighteen! No one is here to hug me, where¡¯s my help?!¡±


    Sophia sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amber, you¡¯re right... This situation just sucks. I¡¯ll give you that hug as soon as I see you, so come home to us as soon as you can.¡±


    ¡°It''s... It was a rush job, so there¡¯s not much time I can stall on it. I could pretend to fail, say I couldn¡¯t find her, but I... this was inevitable, and I don¡¯t have much hope for good things happening if I purposely fail the job.¡±


    Sophia leaned back, taking us down to lay back on my bed.


    ¡°You what?!¡± She leaned away, staring at me, face full of incredulity.


    ¡°Um... after I apologized to her, she ended up asking out me and her friend, Sophia, and we both accepted.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I thought she was going to kill you after you apologized, not...¡± Her eyes met mine, ¡°Sorry,¡± She shrugged.


    I huffed a laugh, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I thought the same. Her other girlfriend isn¡¯t as fond of me though, I think she¡¯s mad on Lily¡¯s behalf.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I can imagine...¡± Katie¡¯s head tilted, ¡°Is she hot?¡±


    ¡°What, no!¡± I shook my head, ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be talking about you anyways, how to protect you from Mom.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Nope, you were about to tell me about your feelings.¡±


    I groaned, ¡°Fine... I¡¯m worried about her because I like her a lot, and I don¡¯t want the threat of demon hunters hanging over her,¡± I scowled, ¡°Now it¡¯s time to discuss how to protect you.¡±


    She sent me a sly smile, swaying back and forth next to me, bumping her shoulder into mine. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯d be completely safe from her anywhere, unless I went to Hell,¡± she laughed, ¡°Like, the best thing for now probably is just keeping quiet about it, I doubt she would immediately try to have me killed, anyways...¡±


    I stared at my little sister skeptically. And then what she¡¯d said hit me, ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re right!¡±


    ¡°About what, that Mom wouldn¡¯t kill me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± my eyes lit up with excitement, ¡°You need to go to Hell!¡±


    Lily


    Sophia and I were sprawled out on my bed, her hand absentmindedly brushing through my hair. It occasionally got caught in the tangles of my waves, but despite the fact that I could shapeshift my hair to be straighter, I never did, wanting my body to remain mostly static.


    We remained silent, my mind still stuck on the revelation that my father would hire a demon hunter to go after me.


    And the fact that Amber was a demon hunter in-training. It seemed obvious in retrospect, she¡¯d already told us her mother was training her and that her mother used to hunt demons but...


    I supposed I didn¡¯t really know anything about what demon hunters were like in real life, so any preconceptions I had were bogus. In fiction, demon hunters would use either swords or guns, but using swords against regenerating magical creatures was a terrible idea, and since a law had been passed thirty years ago to make it illegal to own a gun, I doubted the witches had a big supply of them, if they had any at all.


    Another of my worries was my schoolwork. Despite the studying I¡¯d done with Sophia, I was still behind, and I¡¯d been struggling in my studies to begin with.


    I¡¯d chosen theology as my new major because I hadn¡¯t had anything better to choose by the end of the previous semester, and although I enjoyed it more than business, I still felt lost when it came to where to take my life. I had no idea what a succubus with a theology degree was supposed to do to make a living, and I felt myself missing Mom more than I ever had.


    I wonder if Mom was from Hell?


    I considered visiting her grave, but as much as I wanted to, the dangers easily outweighed the benefits. And that sucked, not being allowed to even see my mom¡¯s grave, just because some asshole decided to put a hit out of me. And for what? Like sure, I¡¯d boinked a few of my friends, and maybe that would be considered sinful by some people, but it was our business. Why did my dad care so much about what I did with my life?


    I sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetie?¡±


    I resisted the urge to make a satisfied noise at Sophia¡¯s use of a pet name, and instead leaned into her hand¡¯s movements as her fingers ghosted over my scalp. ¡°What do you know about Hell?¡±


    Maybe we can take a quick vacation to Hell during the three day weekend... Going to Hell, going to the beaches, same thing right? I snorted. As if...


    "The books I read were by stealthy demons living among humans, and I was only able to figure them out because they wrote some sections in human languages, not that it was easy. The rare ones that did mention Hell went on unhinged rants about ¡®too much regulation¡¯ or something ¨C I didn¡¯t have the context to understand it.¡±


    ¡°The only practical info I got was that demons all knew how to get to Hell,¡± she shrugged, ¡°Maybe every demon got taught by their parents how to go to Hell, or maybe it¡¯s some kind of instinctual thing you have to tap into, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm... But it¡¯s not like biblical Hell, with fire and brimstone and evil people?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, I think it¡¯s more like... an alternate dimension or something?¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    My phone started buzzing and I picked it up.


    ¡°Hey, Amber, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Lily, you¡¯re going to Hell!¡±

 Part 2, Chapter 11

    Part 2, Chapter 11


    Lily


    During Amber¡¯s strange call, she¡¯d told me she would come over with Katie in tow and we could discuss going to Hell.


    While waiting for Amber and Katie to arrive, I was mulling over the idea of going to Hell. The idea of escaping, of getting away from the people that wanted to hurt Katie and I was obvious, but as far as Hell was concerned, I had some reservations.


    Despite those reservations, based on Amber¡¯s phrasing, and my own understanding of the situation, there was one thing I needed to take care of if I was going to be in Hell and leave her behind. And if we never made it to Hell, a likely outcome in my mind, my preparations could still be useful.


    Sophia left to go make herself a sandwich, and I got to work at my desk.


    I finished just before Amber unlocked our front door and entered. I left my room with an envelope, hiding it behind my back and waving with my free hand.


    Katie sat on the armchair and dropped a backpack on the floor, while my two girlfriends and I used the couch. The two of them weren¡¯t quite cuddling into my body from either side, but they were still loosely connected to me by lingering hands resting on me. I placed the envelope in front of me on the floor, out of the way until the unlikely event that it would be needed.


    Sophia started the conversation, ¡°Hello, Katie. I¡¯m Sophia, your sister¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s girlfriend,¡± she smiled, suppressing a giggle at her own strange introduction.


    Katie adopted a bemused expression and some of the tension escaped her, ¡°Nice to meet you... Sorry we won¡¯t get much time to talk, apparently my sister is sending me off to eternal damnation?¡±


    Amber rolled her eyes, ¡°Hell isn¡¯t like that... Maybe...¡± she shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s almost certainly not like that for demons, I think.¡±


    I interjected, ¡°So why are we going to Hell? How are we going to Hell?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be the safest place for you to hide while I find a permanent resolution to my mother¡¯s meddling. It would also help buy me some time to play the good daughter, since with you in Hell, it would be really easy to pretend you were dead.¡±


    She sighed, eyes glancing between Katie and I, ¡°As for how... That¡¯s up to you demons to figure out...¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just sending me and Katie off to hide while you take care of everything yourself?¡± I frowned, not bothering to hide my distaste for the idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, this is just the best way to stall while we think of a more permanent solution, without worrying about an assassin coming for either of you,¡± Amber pleaded.


    Sophia stepped in, placing a reassuring hand on my arm, ¡°And she won¡¯t be alone, we can work together on this,¡± her eyes met Amber¡¯s, her face wearing an exaggerated smile, ¡°Right, bestie?¡±


    The look shared between them wasn¡¯t friendly, nor was it loving, both things that I hoped to see. Instead, it was a shared determination that brought about the temporary truce.


    Despite the apparent truce, the prospect of leaving the two alone, potentially without any communication between us, left phantom itches across my skin and a stone in my stomach.


    I shook my head, regathering my scattered thoughts. ¡°And how will Katie disappearing help your ruse, wouldn¡¯t that make your mom more suspicious, or at least hurt any chance of Katie staying stealth?¡±


    Amber raised a finger, ¡°That would be the case, if she was just disappearing, but as her teacher I have the power to take her out of school and send her on magical errands, so it¡¯s trivial to provide cover for her.¡±


    A silence settled over us as I turned over my thoughts in my head.


    The three of them stared at me, waiting for my input. ¡°When did it become my decision?¡± I whined.


    Amber shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m proposing sending my baby sister to a foreign country, I¡¯m not happy doing that without you there to look after her...¡± She looked down sadly.


    Ugh, she doesn¡¯t like this any more than I do, does she...


    ¡°So... If we go, how are we supposed to get there?¡±


    Sophia relaxed behind me, caressing her hand up and down my back.


    Katie stood, glancing at Amber and quickly shifting gears. ¡°So... how and when are we supposed to come back?¡±


    Amber answered, ¡°The portal should work both ways, although you might pop back out somewhere else on earth...¡± she shrugged, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t travel too far in Hell, you should be fine. Although maybe try picturing our dorm when you make the portal to come back.¡±


    I nodded absentmindedly, still reeling from the fact that I was going to Hell.


    Sophia nodded as well, chiming in, ¡°Ohh, like Minecraft rules, that makes sense!¡±


    The three of us stared at her, varied expressions of confusion on our faces. Minecraft is a video game... right? What does that have to do with portals to Hell?


    She coughed, cheeks reddening, ¡°Never mind... Uh, so next Tuesday is a good return date?¡±


    A round of nods and shrugs followed; it seemed a good time as any, minimizing the time Katie and I would miss class, given Monday was a holiday.


    Katie spoke, sounding way too enthused about our trip, ¡°Sounds good! Are you ready, Lily?¡¯


    My brain scrambled around, already having come to terms with the how I was going to get there as well as the why, but not how I felt about it, or whether it was practical for me.


    I was already behind in my studies after missing a week of class, and although it was still the beginning of the semester, I was not the kind of student that could miss any class, regardless of how difficult the lecture was. Spending time in Hell would certainly exacerbate that issue, and unless I was planning on transferring to Hell University and studying demonology ¨C or whatever the hell demons studied ¨C my life would become aimless if I was forced to drop out.


    Not to mention the fact that I was already struggling on the monetary front. While I was sure my girlfriends ¨C and Chris too ¨C would help me out before I starved or went homeless, I didn¡¯t want to have it come to that because I was being a dumbass and paid for classes that I didn¡¯t even try to pass.


    On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t like I had any idea what I would do with my degree when I got it, and maybe going to Hell would provide me with more information on how demons lived and made a living.


    I was also worried about Amber and Sophia, and leaving them behind, even if it made strategic sense to me, still left me feeling deeply uncomfortable.


    Still, the fact that I needed to protect Katie and the fact that me being away would help keep Amber and Sophia safe too by placating Amber¡¯s mother easily made up for my discomfort and spurred me on.


    I stood and turned around, facing Amber. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t do anything dangerous or impulsive,¡± I gave her my best doe eyes.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    I turned to my other girlfriend, ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll talk some sense into her if she gets a terrible idea in her head?¡±


    She smiled and nodded.


    I pulled them both off the couch and into one big hug, kissing them each on the lips softly. ¡°I love you both, please stay safe.¡± This is going to be awkward if the portal doesn¡¯t work...


    ¡°You two stay safe as well. You can try to find shelter in demon society... but Katie and I brought a hiking pack, just in case you can¡¯t find it, or it doesn¡¯t work out,¡± Amber said.


    Katie picked up her backpack and showed it off for a moment before slinging it across her back. It was black, thin, and had those crisscrossing elastic straps going down the font that I had no idea what they were for.


    I turned my focus inwards before I could get distracted or my embarrassment at my heartfelt farewell could materialize ¨C although there was a chance that it never would, given how comfortable I¡¯d been feeling expressing my love for my girlfriends. Magic swirled in me feeling like a warm blanket or a cup of tea that was always the perfect temperature.


    One moment I was basking in the feeling of warmth, slowly piecing together in my mind what the portal was supposed to look like, and the next my eyes were open, the orange oval in front of me about six feet tall and three feet wide. The edges were solid orange, while the middle had an opaque rippling effect, waves of darker shades forming and dissipating constantly.


    I blinked, hardly believing it had worked. There¡¯s a portal to Hell in my living room. My life...


    I bent over, picking up the envelope I¡¯d prepared earlier, and handing it to Amber without a word, trusting her to figure it out.


    I grabbed Katie¡¯s hand and pulled her closer to the swirling mass, not wanting to waste energy keeping it open any longer. With one last wave at my partners, Katie and I stepped through the portal and were sent to Hell.

 Part 3, Chapter 1

    Part 3, Chapter 1


    Amber


    Suddenly, the portal vanished, and I was left in a stark silence with Sophia. The portal hadn¡¯t made any noise necessarily, but the absence of its presence made the room less loud nonetheless.


    Sophia spoke first, her eyes not leaving the place where Lily and my sister had vanished, ¡°So, what now?¡±


    ¡°Well, I need to go report to my mother that the mission was successful. From there... We can just brainstorm what to do without needing to worry about anything coming up,¡± I shrugged, ¡°Honestly, we have the more chill side of the plan ¨C we don¡¯t have to run around an alternate dimension or whatever.¡±


    She still hadn¡¯t blinked. ¡°And how am I supposed to help you if something goes wrong while you¡¯re talking to your mother?¡±


    ¡°Nothing will go wrong,¡± I shook my head, ¡°besides, no offense, but you¡¯re not a witch. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be helpful if it came to combat¡±


    Sophia closed her eyes and opened them after a moment, ¡°Hmm,¡± She pulled her phone out, fiddling with it before handing it to me, a new contact open for me to fill my number into. ¡°In case something goes wrong,¡± she clarified.


    I filled in my phone number, knowing that it would be convenient for planning and logistics. However, even in the event of an emergency, I wouldn¡¯t call her ¨C I didn¡¯t want to put her in danger.


    She took her phone back, ¡°So what''s the deal with the envelope?¡±


    I looked at the paper in question, a sealed white rectangular envelope with messy writing on the front. I read it aloud, ¡°To Amber and Sophia: open this if you feel like you need my guidance on an important matter. Love, Lily.¡± I shrugged, ¡°Dunno.¡±


    Sophia¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Succubi can¡¯t predict the future, right?¡±


    I shook my head and turned the letter over in my hand, inspecting it from every angle. ¡°I don¡¯t think so...¡±


    ¡°Weird. I guess we can worry about that later, I doubt she meant for us to open it now, given she could have just told us whatever it was.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck with your meeting, and don¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡± Sophia hugged me, fulfilling her earlier promise from when we were on the phone. It was a loose hug, more the kind between distant family members than between friends.


    All I have to do is convince my mother I killed Lily, and everything will be okay.


    ¡ª


    When I arrived at the coven, a servant was already waiting to tell me my mother was ready to see me, despite the fact that I hadn¡¯t called ahead.


    No big deal, I¡¯m sure she was just excited to hear about the news of my success, right?


    My socks swished against the wood floors of the halls and I found myself wishing I was wearing shoes. There was something about the click clack of formal footwear that made me feel powerful, made me feel like an adult. It was hard to feel like an adult in front of my mother.


    The door to her office didn¡¯t squeak ¨C her cleaners made sure of that ¨C and despite how heavy it was, it swung open with little effort. Shutting it was a bit harder, requiring me to remind myself I would be okay trapped inside.


    Again she sat at her desk, looking both like she was busy with something else and waiting for me at the same time. She finally looked up from her stack of papers when I sat down across from her, but she remained silent, prompting me to begin with a subtle gesture of her face.


    ¡°My mission is complete,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Amber, do you think I¡¯m old enough to have dementia?¡± Her voice was measured, calm, and gave nothing away about where she was going with this.


    ¡°No...¡± I lied.


    ¡°Then why are you telling me such a blatant lie?¡± She raised one eyebrow, the rest of the muscles on her face hardly moving, but still somehow suggesting a deepening frown.


    I remained calm, honing my focus on lying. ¡°My report of success is not false, mother. The demon is dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that dim?¡± she shook her head, ¡°No, of course you do, why else would you persist on this lie?¡±


    Before I could respond, she continued, straightening in her chair. Despite the fact that I was the taller one, she towered over me due to the difference in our seats. ¡°The daughter I know is weak and sentimental. Should I ask her to take a life, a younger version of her would protest, and an older version of her would do it with tears in her eyes. Am I to believe your character has suddenly completely changed? Maybe you are the demon, trying to infiltrate my coven.¡± The last sentence was said with the same flippant speculation as the rest, no sign she really believed it, but it put a bead of sweat forming on my forehead nonetheless.


    ¡°Demons aren¡¯t life in the same way plants and animals are,¡± I waved my hand to the side flipping my palm up, ¡°they¡¯re more like the life of viruses and parasites. I don¡¯t cry for a removed tapeworm, nor do I cry for a slain succubus.¡± If I had the space and time for self-reflection, I would certainly feel sick at what I was saying. Thankfully, I did not; my head was completely full of panic and lies, completing one conversational puzzle after the next.


    My mother sat back, crossing her arms. ¡°Maybe that would be believable, maybe I could believe you were the perfect daughter... if you had asked for the materials to cast demon radar I left out.¡±


    Shit, I didn¡¯t bother to check the spells she gave me.


    I cut off the resounding silence of her winning the argument while it was still forming, ¡°I didn¡¯t need radar because I already knew where the demon was ¨C you remember my roommate, right?¡±


    She stared forward, not acknowledging my question, ¡°Is that so.¡± she stated, ¡°Tell me about the kill, let¡¯s do some analysis on your methods.¡±


    I shrugged. This part I¡¯d prepared for; I was almost in the clear. ¡°It was pretty easy, since she trusted me. My project of enchanting that huge crystal finally paid off ¨C I just whipped up a quick trap with it, and the rest was trivial.¡±


    Her eyebrows both raised and she let out a slight grin, her biggest change in expression so far, ¡°You managed to enchant that thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I smirked, letting myself feel like a good daughter for a moment, trying to ignore the context surrounding the praise.


    ¡°Well, color me impressed. You¡¯ve done well, my apprentice. You can look forward to being officially named my successor and leading the coven after my passing...¡± Her eyes glazed over for a moment before refocusing, ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    When I stood and bowed, I didn¡¯t let myself relax. Nor did I when I walked out into the hall, well out of earshot of the door. Even on the train back to my dorm, I sat, muscles tense and eyes wide, reeling from the experience. Finally, when I got home and saw Sophia¡¯s relieved face, I let out a sigh.


    I miss Lily...


    LilyFiind updated novels at novelhall.com


    Hell was... not what I expected.


    At this point, only the strangest of people could believe my well-ingrained expectations of fire and brimstone would be proven correct. Even a fervent follower of the bible would struggle to believe I, a twenty-year-old girl, would have the means to hop over to Biblical Hell.


    Still, it was somehow surprising, in spite of expecting my preconceptions to be subverted.


    By the time we arrived at the edge of civilization, the sun was no longer visible, hidden behind the terrain but still lighting our way with the last dregs of day. We were exhausted, not used to hiking for longer than it took to get from the train station to our destination, and not used to the rough terrain and foliage at all.


    We¡¯d both transformed at some point because it was more energy efficient to be in our true forms, both opting to use our normal human clothes for now, turning away from each other to get dressed.


    If I hadn¡¯t just opened a portal to another world with my magic ¨C or another dimension if Katie was to be believed ¨C I¡¯d have manifested clothes, but the portal had taken a lot out of me, and I wouldn¡¯t have my partners to refuel any time soon.


    As we got closer, the foliage became sparser and sparser, opening up into plains, most of the rolling hills, white grass, and red soil obscured by the buildings. The buildings themselves were weirdly normal, as if I was just in a foreign country, rather than another planet. There were recognizable houses and apartments on either side of a brick path, with short planters and trimmed trees lining the path. The architecture was imposing and bold, using the dark yellow wood to contrast against the landscape and harshly sloped roofs that jutted out far from the buildings¡¯ walls.


    On the outer edge of the city there were still the occasional wild plants and empty lots with no buildings, but as the path grew more solid, and the buildings more dense, the plant life was relegated to carefully curated planters, although still rather abundant compared to where I was from.


    Katie and I strolled side-by-side in silence, heads rarely facing where we were going. The first person we saw was a huge man with deep red skin, almost maroon, and long, sharp horns curling out of his head. He waved at us, but didn¡¯t pay us much attention otherwise, strolling along. He wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt, clothed only in sandals and scruffy pants, but it worked with his body, creating an aesthetic of a handsome physical laborer rather than someone unkempt. I might¡¯ve stared at his abs for a few moments longer than was polite.


    People became more common the further into the city we got, but nearly every one of them was as friendly as the first, waving and smiling at us. Just when we started to see the first businesses and could start to catch the scent of grilling vegetables on the wind, someone finally approached us.


    She was a woman ¨C probably? I still didn¡¯t understand demonic gender too well. She was feminine, skin a deep blue with light pink eyes and hair that contrasted heavily. Despite not having significant wrinkles on her face, like I would expect on a human, she gave off the impression of being older ¨C the demonic equivalent of middle-aged. ¡°Hey, you two, are you tourists?¡±


    I glanced at Katie, but she just shrugged. ¡°Of a sort... Why?¡±


    Her head tilted slightly, ¡°I was wondering if you needed directions, and I¡¯d be happy to show you around a bit, in exchange for stories about where you¡¯re from, It¡¯s been a while since I was outside of Seriza.¡±


    Katie and I stared, overwhelmed with the new information.


    ¡°Oh, how rude, I never introduced myself, I¡¯m Kelith!¡± She shot out her hand.


    I remained still, thinking over the realization that Demonic ¨C the language we¡¯d been speaking ¨C had many first-person pronouns that were gendered in subtly different ways I hardly understood, while it had only vaguely gendered third-person pronouns. And then there was the revelation that her nails were sky blue, but didn¡¯t appear to be painted. It was a lot.


    Katie took over, shaking her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Katie, and this is my older sister, Lily.¡±


    I stifled the warm feeling bubbling up from her saying that so easily, wanting to deal with the strange place we were in before worrying about our dynamic.


    If Kelith was surprised at how different we looked, despite being sisters, she didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Nice to meet you! So, how does that tour sound?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about a tour but we would love directions to the library.¡± Despite how friendly she seemed, I was wary of sharing too much with a stranger, and if we let her show us around, it was only a matter of time until she realized how out-of-place we were.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± her upbeat voice turned disappointed for a moment before bouncing back, ¡°The nearest library is down this street, about five hundred meters. You can¡¯t miss it, it¡¯s the biggest building around.¡± She walked away with a wave, heading back towards the outskirts of the city, ¡°Well, you enjoy yourselves, and if you see me again, feel free to come over and chat!¡±


    Katie and I continued on our journey, happy to have made progress towards our goals.


    Wait, they have meters in Hell? A meter is about the same as a yard, so five hundred is like five football fields, right?


    ¡°Do you think I was being too cautious there?¡±


    Katie hummed, thinking. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say ¨C we don¡¯t know anything about demon culture,¡± she paused for a moment, ¡°I think you made a reasonable choice, even if it was on the cautious end of the spectrum.¡±


    I somehow forgot during all this time spent with her that Katie is Amber¡¯s apprentice. Her talking like that sure reminded me, although her asking to go to the library should¡¯ve clued me in too.


    We walked in silence for a few minutes, passing by more people that waved at us, and when the sun started to get close to disappearing, the question came up of whether to sleep before going to the library.


    ¡°How badly do you need sleep? Do you have the energy to go without?¡±


    Katie sighed, ¡°You probably have more than me... I can go without, but I¡¯d prefer not to,¡± she looked down, shy. ¡°Honestly, it would help if you tried to give me more energy.¡±


    I examined her expression, making sure she wasn¡¯t going anywhere with her request.


    She rolled her eyes at my look, ¡°No, I¡¯m not trying to hit on you...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was just...¡± Embarrassment bubbled up in me. She just called me her older sister and I¡¯m doubting her for no reason.


    Katie groaned, ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like ¨C you¡¯re insanely hot, right? Like Amber has two incredibly attractive girlfriends...¡±


    ¡°I guess? And Sophia isn¡¯t her girlfriend.¡±


    She ignored me, ¡°But to me, you¡¯re both off limits ¨C because of our age difference and because you¡¯re kinda like my sister-in-law, even if you aren¡¯t married or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Yea...¡± I still didn¡¯t see where she was going with this.


    ¡°It¡¯s just frustrating that she has so much, but doesn¡¯t even need it like I do...¡± Despite her saying she was frustrated, her tone was dejected.


    Oh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the three of us can shower you with sisterly affection so you don¡¯t go hungry anymore,¡± my smile started to drop as I realized that might not be the best thing to say.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Katie shook her head, ¡°That just makes me feel like you¡¯re treating me like a little kid. Like,¡± she huffed a laugh, ¡°The woman I have a bit of a crush on just babies me because she thinks I¡¯m too young to know what sex is.¡±


    ¡°Katie...¡±


    ¡°No, I know it¡¯s not logical to feel that way, it¡¯s just...¡± she groaned again, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°Let me know if there¡¯s something I can do to help. I won¡¯t ever return your feelings, but I still want you to be happy, and I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m treating you like a child.¡±


    She grumbled under her breath, but I couldn¡¯t hear if it was an ¡®okay¡¯ or a ¡®thanks¡¯.


    Being an older sister is hard...

 Part 3, Chapter 2

    Part 3, Chapter 2


    Sophia


    Amber and I were supposed to be discussing the plan to keep Lily and Katie safe ¨C really I should¡¯ve been going home, given that I didn¡¯t have an excuse to stay at Lily¡¯s dorm anymore ¨C but instead we sat facing each other on Amber¡¯s rubbish couch, talking about Lily¡¯s letter.


    ¡°C¡¯mon why can¡¯t we open it, anything she wanted us to know later we can know now,¡± Amber whined.


    Maybe saying we were arguing about the letter would be more accurate...


    ¡°No, she clearly intended for the letter to be opened later, and I trust her judgement,¡± I refuted.


    ¡°What if later is now? What if this contains her opinion on what to do about my mother?¡± She slapped the envelope in question onto the seat between us, the pale white paper contrasting against the deep red of the fabric.


    ¡°If she had something important to say on that subject, she had plenty of time to just tell us,¡± I leaned forwards and slapped my hand down across from where hers still was.


    Truthfully, a part of me believed Amber was right, believed the letter contained Lily¡¯s opinion on what to do about Amber¡¯s mother. That part of me thought Amber was looking for permission to kill her mother and she would find it in Lily¡¯s enclosed words ¨C and that scared me.


    Lily had drastically changed over the past few months, to the point of being literally unrecognizable, and I worried about whether she would keep changing, eventually leaving me behind. She had already stopped going to church with me ¨C which was entirely reasonable given the circumstances, but my worries didn¡¯t care about reason or circumstance.


    Amber and I glared at each other, hands an envelope¡¯s width apart on the sofa, and eyes fixed intently on each other¡¯s.


    She broke eye contact first, blinking and glancing down, slowly retracting her hand and leaning back. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re probably right. Knowing her, it isn¡¯t about anything dire ¨C it¡¯s probably about our relationship, like clarifying where we stand or something,¡± she sighed, ¡°And as curious as I am, maybe we should let it rest until it¡¯s clearly important or she returns.¡±


    Without thought, I leaned in, taking the space Amber had just freed up between us. Surprise and anticipation rolled through me.


    Of course I¡¯d already thought about the letter being about our relationship, but clarifying where we stand...


    If there was one issue I had with the current status quo, it was that I felt like Lily liked Amber more than me, despite all of Amber¡¯s faults and mistakes. It wasn¡¯t that I was jealous ¨C well maybe I was jealous of the fact that they lived together ¨C but more that I felt like a third to their already established relationship.


    I never dated Lily previously. I had been relegated to a text-only friendship until Amber did something stupid and I had to swoop in and pick up the pieces. That kind of thing.


    So yes, having our relationship clarified, having a written affirmation of the fact that Amber and I were equals, that was something that I needed. ¡°Maybe we should open the letter, just to find out...¡±


    Amber¡¯s head jerked up to face me again, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just argue about it endlessly, so we should just open it and get it all over with ¨C it¡¯s the only way to settle this,¡± I slowly backed away, sitting up more neutrally.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You were right, we should trust that Lily had a reason for delaying the information in here,¡± her finger stabbed down between us.


    I crossed my arms, ¡°No, we should get it out of the way. If this changes things at all, it would be better to get it over with and start mulling it over.¡±


    Amber glanced down at my crossed arms before her eyes shot back up. ¡°No, if there¡¯s something that shakes things up between us, it¡¯s probably better buried, at least for now. The last thing any of us needs is to be crying over getting broken up with instead of protecting ourselves from assassin-witches.¡±


    I flinched back, ¡°You think one of us is getting broken up with?¡± The letter seemed larger in the corner of my vision than it had been just a moment ago.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± she scooted forwards, waving her hands in front of her in a crisscross motion, ¡°I was just using an exaggerated example of why shaking up the status quo might be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right...¡± I slumped into the stiff upholstery, finding no comfort in its lack of soft curves.


    Amber slapped her palm into her forehead and leaned her shoulder against the couch to mirror me, letting out a sigh. ¡°I look forward to having this argument with you every day they¡¯re gone...¡±


    ¡°Me too...¡± I mumbled.


    ¡ª


    I got ready for bed in parallel with Amber, brushing my teeth in her bathroom before shedding my clothes in Lily¡¯s room and settling into her bed alone.


    How many libraries does one city need? I¡¯m pretty sure the one in our hometown was about to close after being starved of funding...


    Katie finally spoke, ¡°Um, we were just going to do some research, it doesn¡¯t particularly matter where.¡±


    Kelith narrowed her eyes, ¡°You came to Seriza to go to any library?¡± she seemed more bemused than suspicious, ¡°Where are you from that doesn¡¯t have libraries?¡±


    Shoot. I knew this would be an issue...


    ¡°Yea... You know how it is. We¡¯re from down South,¡± I hedged.


    Her eyebrows raised, ¡°You¡¯re from the capital?!¡±


    ¡°Uh... no, the other place down south,¡± sweat rolled down the side of my face.


    She barked a laugh, ¡°I¡¯d hope so, because the capital is to the North...¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course...¡± I chuckled nervously.


    ¡°So where are you really from?¡± She grinned, showing her sharp teeth.


    I grabbed Katie¡¯s wrist, pulling her closer as I inched away from the demon.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be from some remote place, I can¡¯t imagine not having libraries.¡±


    ¡°We have libraries on Earth,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Earth?¡±


    Shoot, the jig is up...


    I inched further away while Kelith was searching her mind for the name, pulling Katie along with me. ¡°Yea... the place with all of the humans?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yea!¡± She pulled a face, ¡°Isn¡¯t it kinda...¡± She didn¡¯t say it, but I could hear the ¡®you poor things¡¯ in her expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad!¡± I glanced at Katie, ¡°Right?¡±


    Katie shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know... Your dad did try to have you killed...¡±


    I shrunk, sandwiched between their pitying expressions. In the face of someone that wasn¡¯t relying on me like Katie was, someone who appeared to be kind and reliable, my mature facade cracked. ¡°Fine, it sucks and I hate it there and we only came to Hell to escape,¡± I let go of Katie¡¯s wrist to punctuate my frustrations with waving arms, ¡°And we can¡¯t even find a place to sleep or eat and we don¡¯t have any money, and I have no idea what¡¯s going on,¡± my rant went from angry to pleading.


    Kelith maintained her expression. ¡°Do you need somewhere to stay...?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to be an inconvenience...¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re no problem. I was the one that approached a couple of lost looking girls and wanted to help out. I¡¯d be happy to have you stay the night, and my daughter is coming over tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get out of your hair before she shows up.¡±


    Katie chimed in, ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°Sweeties, that¡¯s not what I meant, you can stay as long as you¡¯d like. I was just letting you know because you seem a bit shy. And you¡¯re very welcome,¡± she started walking, waving at us over her shoulder, ¡°Now c¡¯mon, let¡¯s get you rested.¡±


    I glanced at Katie and we both shrugged before following Kelith.


    I guess we¡¯re doing this...?

 Part 3, Chapter 3

    Part 3, Chapter 3


    Lily


    Once we¡¯d secured a place to stay, I relaxed enough to let my mind wander and take in the sights. I was still waiting for Kelith to show any sign of impropriety, but I could take a moment to myself while we walked.


    My tired mind didn¡¯t know where to start with absorbing the details surrounding me, so I stuck to people watching. The streets weren¡¯t crowded, the lack of space for cars providing more than enough room for everyone, but there were plenty of people to see. Most looked like they were thirty-ish by human standards, with a few visibly older people, Kelith included.


    Fashion was wild in Hell. I didn¡¯t even have the language to describe most of what I saw, with some of the younger people having flamboyant outfits that shimmered magically, warped colors, or writhed on their bodies. It was strange and a little scary, seeing what people could do with the magic I had hardly scratched the surface on. I wasn¡¯t sure if the people I saw with more mundane clothing ¨C at least in the sense that they seemed physically possible, not necessarily in taste ¨C didn¡¯t have the ability to manifest clothes, or if they had a more subdued style.


    By the time we arrived at a courtyard with a huge purple portal in the center, I was beyond overwhelmed. So it was no surprise that when Kelith explained what was going on, my mind didn¡¯t have a response to give.


    ¡°So we¡¯ll be going through that portal ¨C that¡¯s a short range intuition-based type, so just hold onto my hand and think about following me and we¡¯ll all end up together. If you get lost somehow, just ask around for the nearest phone booth, and dial me up.¡±


    Portal... Intuition? Phone booth?! I don¡¯t...


    I nodded.


    Katie saw me, and followed my example.


    Going through the portal wasn¡¯t as eventful as you¡¯d think. There wasn¡¯t a queue ¨C people could approach from all sides ¨C so it was just a matter of walking through it. Also, there weren¡¯t any people coming out of the portal, which initially made me think exit portals were their own thing, but then we popped out right before Kelith¡¯s front door, a numbered entrance in the hall of what appeared to be the second floor of an apartment building.


    As curious as I was about how the portal worked, I knew I had no chance of understanding the mechanics, nor did I want to subject our benefactor to the torture of trying to teach me.


    Katie was likewise trying to be as polite as possible, following my lead as I removed my shoes once we entered.


    Kelith gave us a strange look, leading me to believe we¡¯d messed something up, until I remembered that she knew we were succubi.


    ¡°We¡¯re wearing physical clothes because we don¡¯t have the energy to manifest our own,¡± I clarified.


    She gasped, holding a hand over her mouth, ¡°Gosh, you should¡¯ve told me you were starving, come over here,¡± she held her arms open in an invitation to hug.


    I hesitated, ¡°It¡¯s not that bad... I just need to save my energy for the portal back home.¡±


    ¡°Portal back? To the humans?¡± She dropped her arms.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°My girlfriends are there, and our lives are there. We can¡¯t just move ourselves to Hell on a whim.¡±


    ¡°Your girlfriends?¡± her expression went from curious to uncomfortable, ¡°They¡¯re... are they... human?¡± Her voice was hesitant, like she was scared to even suggest it.


    What the hell does she think a human is?


    ¡°Yea, it¡¯s not that weird is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it... Humans are rare around here, and the human world is... unpopular.¡± She finally entered the place proper, leading us into her living room, a cozy space with a hand-knitted blanket draped over every seat.


    That wasn¡¯t a terrible idea, but from what I understood about her, she would be uncomfortable with anything too extravagant, and would prefer if Sophia and I worked together on it, rather than trying to plan our own things separately.


    I¡¯ll text Sophia about planning a group date when Lily gets back, and then maybe Lily can take us on individual dates after. I hope not everything we do will be as three...


    As fun as our threesome had been, I wanted some individual time, if only so I didn¡¯t keep comparing myself to Sophia.


    She was just so... perfect.


    Sophia always knew what to say to reassure Lily, always kept a cool head and thought through things rationally. She wasn¡¯t an impulsive moron like I was, so it was no wonder Lily had fallen for her.


    I couldn¡¯t even nitpick her flaws, because the only ones I could find, if you could even call them that, were that she had some niche interests ¨C which I¡¯m sure Lily thought was cute ¨C and she was a bit rude to me ¨C which I deserved.


    And beyond Lily thinking her weird obsessions were cute, it was insane that she managed to do any amount of research on demons on her own. That spoke to a dedication beyond a passing interest, at least by my standards, and it made me feel small and stupid, thinking about how hard it must have been to figure out demonic with nothing but a couple of books.


    I¡¯m not even going to mention the fact that she¡¯s a good kisser too...


    Of course, after all of that, it was just unfair for her to be so attractive. She had this pretty smile that probably made Lily¡¯s insides turn to goo, and a body that was soft and curvy in all of the right places.


    I didn¡¯t consider myself a butch, given that I had a pretty conventional shoulder length hairstyle, wore feminine clothes, and used makeup occasionally. However, I wasn¡¯t particularly feminine either. I worked out enough to harden a lot of my natural curves, and when it came to chest size, I was completely dwarfed by both my girlfriend, and my girlfriend¡¯s girlfriend.


    It was easy for me to think I wasn¡¯t Lily¡¯s type, given how she had acted when we first dated, and the fact that she didn¡¯t start exploring her sexuality until Chris... which, while he was a nice enough person, he was also Chris...


    So there was a chance that Lily liked Sophia more than me ¨C for good reasons ¨C and found her more attractive than me ¨C also for good reasons ¨C and that left the question of why I was even here.


    As in, ¡®Why would Lily want to date Sophia, and also a woman less attractive than Sophia in every way?¡¯


    That wasn¡¯t a fun question to ask.


    I stopped mid run, bending over to place my hands on my knees and huffing out tired breaths. I¡¯d lost track of how long I¡¯d been going, and I found myself in a park several miles away from my dorm.


    As I turned myself around, starting the trip back, the envelope popped into my head.


    My newest theory of why Lily had written it was that she knew how Sophia and I interacted, and she thought it would be funny to make us argue endlessly over it, only to find out it was all a ruse.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t really line up with Lily¡¯s character, but it was a more pleasant prospect than thinking the letter was her weird way of breaking up with me.


    No, for now the envelope would remain unopened, and I needed to just get it out of my head. My head needed to be focused on my mother and...


    I stumbled in my stride when I caught a glimpse of what looked like a rival witch down one of the side streets I passed.


    She was just standing there ¨C was she waiting for me?


    I recognized her ¨C May, I think her name was ¨C from a scuffle we¡¯d had a few years back when we¡¯d both tried to collect the same bounty on a ghoul. Thankfully I¡¯d managed to hit her with a sleep spell without inflicting her any permanent damage, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she held a grudge.


    I continued running, picking up the pace. Seeing her now could only be bad news, even if it was just a coincidence.


    It almost certainly wasn¡¯t a coincidence.

 Part 3, Chapter 4

    Part 3, Chapter 4


    Sophia


    Going to class on Wednesday morning didn¡¯t alleviate my sense of ostracization at all.


    Now, instead of feeling like I was a human girl in over her head in a world of magic, I was someone trying to escape from my magical troubles by burying my head in the sand of my normal life.


    And maybe, in a way, both of those were true. Amber was right to say I didn¡¯t know anything about magic, but it was also true that I was running away, not helping in the little ways I could, instead hoping Amber took care of everything.


    My insides twisted and protested through my professor¡¯s droning in response to my thoughts, begging me to be responsible, pleading that if anything happened to Amber, it would be my fault, and I was a coward to have run away from her.


    I hadn¡¯t even responded to her text yet, feeling awkward about the fact that she¡¯d sent it about an hour prior, so I¡¯d be responding late ¨C how did she wake up so early? ¨C and I didn¡¯t know what to say to begin with.


    Was I doing okay?


    It wasn¡¯t an easy question to answer, given the circumstances.


    Or maybe it was; maybe the answer was just ¡®no¡¯, simple as that. Maybe I had to accept that I didn¡¯t have anything to fuel my nervous energy towards ¨C no church to take comfort in, no rabbit hole of research to climb down. All I had was my schoolwork ¨C which was dull ¨C and waiting.


    Waiting for Amber to tell me everything had been taken care of, waiting for my girlfriend to return, waiting for everything to go back to ¡®normal¡¯ ¨C whatever that meant.


    I certainly wasn¡¯t okay when Amber called me and I had to step out of my class.


    ¡°What¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°Holy shit Sophia, I think my mom sent someone after me,¡± she was out of breath.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There was a witch, I recognized her¨C we need to hide,¡± she belted out.


    ¡°Amber, slow down. Deep breaths.¡±


    She panted into my ear through my phone.


    ¡°Tell me where to meet you, I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    She sighed, and belted out an address before hanging up.


    I followed with a sigh of my own. I guess now is my chance to help her...


    ¡ª


    I entered the pizza shop cautiously. It was close enough to my college to walk, and ¨C unless I¡¯d gotten the place wrong ¨C I¡¯d gotten there before Amber.


    Not that I had any confidence I was in the right place. If she¡¯d told me ahead of time we¡¯d be meeting at a pizza parlor, with the context that we were on the run from angry witches, I would¡¯ve assumed it would be a local place, something greasy and shady ¨C the kind of place you half-believed was a front for the mafia.


    Instead, it was a chain restaurant that sold extremely mediocre pizza, held up only by people in suits doing market optimization and supply-chain management. In other words, it was not the place to stage a dramatic confrontation of witches, nor was it the place to build atmosphere while talking about the horrible things they¡¯d do to us.


    I sat down nonetheless, smiling through the waitress taking my order, despite the fact that I didn¡¯t know if I would be staying long enough to eat the couple of slices I asked for.


    A sparse weekday morning crowd chatted, filling the room with barely enough life so as to not seem dead.


    That was, until Amber barged into the room, slamming the door open and stumbling through, completely red in the face. She spun around, finally focusing on me during her second spin, and speed-walked towards me. She stopped, standing in front of my plastic booth, but when she opened her mouth to speak, I pulled her down into the seat next to me.


    I wrapped my arms around her, ignoring how her sweat got wiped up by my scarf and sweater. ¡°Amber, unless there¡¯s someone right outside waiting to fling spells at us, we can take a second to breathe.¡± I drew in an exaggerated breath, and blew it out behind her ear.


    She hesitated a moment before following suit, body going limp as it lost the tension holding it up, ¡°I...¡±


    I kept my voice calm and soft, despite my own worries. ¡°Take a sip of my water and then we can talk about it, okay? I¡¯m here to help, but I need you to take your time explaining so I get the full picture.¡±


    We both pulled away from our embrace at the same time, me watching her face that was just as red as the moment she¡¯d entered the restaurant.


    She grabbed my water cup and eyed the lipstick stain on it suspiciously before drinking from the other side. Then, she finally spoke, voice much calmer. ¡°I... I¡¯m not actually sure if she was there for me, but I ran past an old rival of mine, someone who my mother could certainly hire to take care of me...¡±


    I placed my hand on her thigh, much like I had for Lily when she came out to her dad several months back.


    Amber didn¡¯t shake it off. ¡°But I think... I think we should stick together, and unless there¡¯s a class you really need to attend, we should stay out of sight.¡±


    I continued patting her head.


    One day down, six to go...


    ¡ª


    We left our room shortly after, feeling slightly refreshed after our hug. I still had a long way to go with Katie, but I hoped that eventually we would have a solid relationship outside of our mutual connection with Amber.


    I¡¯d manifested some cozy pajamas, while Katie, who was still struggling with her magic, got dressed with an extra change of clothes she bought in her backpack.


    Kelith¡¯s kitchen/dining room was awash with activity, the one woman army cooking up a storm of tantalizing aromas set to the beat of oils crackling and popping.


    We exchanged pleasantries, Kelith refusing our offers to help, and everything was as expected: delicious ¨C if strangely human ¨C pancakes, roast potatoes with veggies, and fresh fruit, until Kelith¡¯s daughter arrived.


    When she¡¯d mentioned her daughter would be visiting the previous night, my mind, struggling with conceptualizing the age of demons, had filled in a woman somewhere between Katie¡¯s age and Amber¡¯s.


    Edith, Kelith¡¯s daughter, was not Amber¡¯s age ¨C in fact, she looked about the same age as her mother, leading me and Katie to stare at her with raised eyebrows. She, like her mother, had pink hair and deep blue skin, with Edith¡¯s being slightly more purple, and her eyes being an orangish pink. Both women were on the taller end, closer in height to Amber than me or Katie, but not inhumanly tall.


    Edith started the conversation, sitting down across from me at the circular yellow wood table, eyeing me curiously, ¡°Hey, you look¨C¡±


    But her mother interrupted, sitting down next to her daughter, holding a hand up, ¡°Sorry honey, they¡¯re from the human world, and if they look confused, it¡¯s not their fault.¡± She nodded at us, giving us a chance to explain.


    Edith pursed her lips and crossed her arms, but stayed silent.


    ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re the same age?¡± I asked.


    Kelith answered, explaining patiently, ¡°We¡¯re shapeshifters, although we aren¡¯t as powerful as you two, meaning what we look like is pretty immaterial,¡± she tilted her head, wincing, ¡°Your parents did explain shapeshifting to you, right?¡±


    I blushed, embarrassed instead of annoyed at having that question asked to me for a second time, ¡°Kind of? I got a pamphlet from Hell about puberty, but I thought my true form was static.¡±


    ¡°What, were you raised by hellhounds?¡± Kelith seemed to be unable to decide between pity and indignance.


    Katie, the traitor, nodded enthusiastically, while Edith flinched, her expression growing more and more pained.


    Kelith continued, ¡°As far as age is concerned, most people will continue growing up and changing their body until they¡¯re comfortable, and they mostly stick to the same body. But nothing about your form is necessarily static, if someone asks you for a true form, they¡¯re just asking for a form that you believe represents you ¨C something that doesn¡¯t take magical upkeep.¡±


    The information slowly sank in. For some reason, I¡¯d thought that being short, feminine, and curvy in my demon form was something I¡¯d never had control over, thought that this was what I¡¯d been born with and that was it.


    Looking at my body with my new perspective, however, didn¡¯t reveal anything that I wanted to change. Just like with my human form ¨C which was very similar ¨C I didn¡¯t even feel an urge to experiment ¨C other than with the occasional longer tongue.


    And that was its own revelation, to look back on my journey and realize that it had been me pushing myself forward the whole time.


    While I was thinking, Edith had been fidgeting more and more in her seat, looking distinctly uncomfortable about something.


    ¡°What is it?¡± her mother asked.


    ¡°Well... before you interrupted me and made this a hundred times more awkward, I was going to tell Lily that she¡¯s the striking image of my wife...¡± She sent me a pained smile.


    I stared at her, unfazed and uncomprehending, ¡°Why does that matter? I thought you just explained that how we look isn¡¯t static.¡±


    A moment of silence passed with Katie and I looking at each other, confused, while Kelith examined my face and her daughter looked uncomfortable.


    Kelith, having clearly caught on to the implications, swallowed nervously and adopted a dire, wide-eyed stare. ¡°It¡¯s true that the way you look is static, but it isn¡¯t arbitrary...¡± She trailed off, unable to say the rest.


    Edith¡¯s pale face snapped to attention, breaking herself out of a stupor. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Lily. She¨C We didn¡¯t know...¡±


    I leaned forward slightly, almost a slump, and felt my mouth hang open. ¡°Your wife... Her name...¡±


    A tear escaped her eye, and she scrunched them shut, covering them with her fingers, ¡°Zamira Victory...¡±


    What the fuck?


    My hands held my head up, elbows anchored on either side of my nearly finished meal. I stared emptily at the potatoes, my vision spinning and blurring to create an abstract masterpiece, one that was about to be puked on before it ever got to be appreciated if I didn¡¯t immediately leave.


    I stood, my chair screeching behind me, and pointed towards the room I¡¯d slept in, mouth soundlessly flapping open and closed as I rapidly blinked, fighting back tears.


    Kelith nodded at me, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need...¡±


    But I was already gone, Katie on my tail.

 Part 3, Chapter 5

    Part 3, Chapter 5


    Lily


    Thoughts stuttered in my head, getting on the wrong train, missing their stop, and randomly pulling the emergency brake.


    I slowly began the act of grounding myself. I¡¯m in the bed in Kelith¡¯s guest room and Katie is laying behind me, petting the top of my head.


    And, most importantly of all, I just found out that my Mom isn¡¯t dead.


    The strangest thing wasn¡¯t what I knew about my mother, but rather what I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know anything; I never really had, and the revelation that one of the tiny things I thought I knew about her was wrong shouldn¡¯t¡¯ve been surprising.


    Because really, the fact that she was dead, even if untrue, hadn¡¯t been significant thus far. In the grand scheme of my life, there was no practical difference between whether my mother had abandoned me to suffer under my father or if she had been a victim of that same cruelty. The end result ¨C me being without support ¨C was the same regardless of circumstance.


    And yet, it somehow hurt all over again, knowing that it had been her choice.


    Maybe it was the belief that was important. Regardless of reality, for most of my life I¡¯d told myself ¨C taken comfort in the fact that ¨C if I¡¯d had a mother figure, or if I ever met her, that it would fix what was wrong with me in some nebulous way. My life sucked because I didn¡¯t have a mom, and therefore my mom must be an unalienable good.


    The complexity and nuance that came with reality, however, destroyed that simple parable without question. Whether she¡¯d known of my plights or not, a mistake had been made, and I didn¡¯t know how to reconcile that with the image I¡¯d built up.


    Which of the versions of my mother I had in my head fit the new information? Was it the mythical figure that was the answer to all of my problems I¡¯d invented as a child? Or maybe it was the version of her from after I¡¯d grown bitter and disillusioned by my father¡¯s attitudes, the version of her that abandoned me without regard?


    Of course, the obvious answer was that those people weren¡¯t real; my mother was a stranger to me, and my mythologizing ¨C regardless of how long-held my beliefs were ¨C had no bearing on who she really was.


    And maybe that was the important part. It wasn¡¯t the knowledge that my mom was alive that shook me to my core, it was the knowledge that she was a real person with history and flaws, because that meant that meeting her, that learning what she was like, was eminently realizable ¨C not just something to be abstracted and fictionalized.


    I twitched in bed, reorienting myself yet again and leaning into Katie¡¯s hand brushing through my hair. ¡°Am I a bad person if I¡¯m scared to meet her?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be weird if you weren¡¯t nervous; It¡¯s a big deal,¡± she responded, her even-keeled voice drifting through my chaotic mind.


    ¡°I... I¡¯m not sure if it counts as me being nervous. I¡¯m not excited, I¡¯m just afraid...¡±


    ¡°Shit, what would Amber say here...?¡± Katie groaned. ¡°Something like, ¡®Only you can take the initiative and decide how to handle the situation.¡¯¡±


    I laughed half-heartedly. ¡°As ¡®good¡¯ as your Amber impression is, I want to hear what you would say.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I say fuck it ¨C you can go cuss your mom out to her face, or run into her arms, or anything in between. As scary as the situation is, it really is up to you.¡±


    Katie responded over my silent nods, ¡°That sounds nice. Thank you so much for everything you¡¯ve done Kelith, we¡¯re really grateful.¡±


    My nods grew more enthusiastic, ¡°We really can¡¯t thank you enough...¡±


    She sent us a teasing smile, ¡°Oh hush, I¡¯m more than happy to spoil my granddaughters.¡±


    Warmth flooded into me. Is this what it will feel like with Mom...?


    Amber


    Sophia took me back to her dorm after a quick stop at mine, with the logic being that it was less likely for someone to come looking for us there. She didn¡¯t have a roommate, thankfully, but there wasn¡¯t much space either, just a small desk and her bed in a single room.


    I ended up sitting in her desk chair, while she stood over me, trying to figure out what the spells I¡¯d learned actually did. We made a decent amount of progress, finding that some of the bigger spells I knew, such as invisibility, had a component of them that sent a magical ping off to somewhere else.


    I couldn¡¯t be completely sure, but I theorized that my mother had some kind of receiver that located someone when they used a spell she designed. I wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d needed to leave out materials for demon radar to test me if she could tell what spells I used, but if there was one thing I knew about my mother, it was that she always had another layer of deception.


    Eventually, when it became clear that Sophia was getting tired of standing over my shoulder, she moved to laying on her bed, reading a thick book that ¨C as far as I could tell from its cover ¨C was about the general history of mythology across the world.


    I remained at the desk, crossing my arms on the faux wood and resting my head on them, catching glimpses of Sophia occasionally turning pages in the corner of my vision. Thoughts about my mother floated in and out of my mind, less a train of thought and more an immaterial atmosphere of thought soup.


    It was an undeniable fact that my relationship with my mother was unlike the accounts of some of my peers. When I¡¯d first joined public school at fourteen, I¡¯d been confused about the apparently well-established concept of motherly: warm, gentle, compassionate.


    Of course, I hadn¡¯t thought my mother was unkind ¨C she threw me birthday parties, looked after me, and taught me cool magic. What more could I want?


    But in the seven years since, it¡¯d grown more and more clear to me how odd my situation was. There were plenty of people with terrible mothers, people with no mother, and people with good mothers, but it was hard to find someone who could relate to the kind of mom that was primarily your teacher ¨C a close teacher for sure, one that took care in my personal life, but distant enough to have time to deal with the twenty or so other kids she was responsible for.


    I¡¯d met someone who lived in a foster home and had related similar experiences of being one of many, of feeling partially responsible for the care of their siblings, but hadn¡¯t related to the way she pushed me, the way I was her apprentice as much as her daughter.


    I¡¯d met people with strict parents, the kind to control where their college-aged offspring was going on a Friday night, and they¡¯d related to the way my mother had pushed me in my studies ¨C of course I¡¯d left out the magical nature of my studies ¨C but they hadn¡¯t related to the independence I¡¯d had.


    In short, my relationship with my mother was odd, and now, after everything I¡¯d been learning, after genuinely believing she would send someone to kill me, I didn¡¯t know how to feel, as ridiculous as that sounded.


    Was I supposed to be angry, to rage at the audacity? Should I despair, feel pity for myself?


    Or should I act like she would want me to, calmly devising schemes and counter-schemes, rob her of the power she wields with the same detached indifference that she would?


    I let out a sigh, watching as Sophia flipped another page. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to be angry or vindictive towards my mother, but it wasn¡¯t like I could resolve our conflict with pity or despair.

 Part 3, Chapter 6

    Part 3, Chapter 6


    Amber


    Once I finished my brooding, the letter popped into my head yet again, and it was time to finally put the mystery to bed. I grabbed it out of the overnight bag I¡¯d packed at my dorm, and got Sophia¡¯s attention, sitting down on the edge of her bed and watching as she crawled over to sit next to me.


    We stared at the letter in my hands, a small gap between us, tension building for this silly moment.


    I laughed, ¡°It¡¯s going to be something really stupid isn¡¯t it...¡±


    Sophia gave a weak smile, ¡°Maybe...¡±


    I put my hand down in the space between us, inviting hers to join me. Her touch had helped earlier in the restaurant, and I found desire building in me for it, as strange as that was.


    She took up the invitation without hesitation, placing her hand on mine.


    I turned mine over and gripped hers, ¡°No matter what, this doesn¡¯t change anything.¡±


    She nodded.


    I went to open the letter, only to realize I had no way of doing it with one hand.


    Sophia giggled at me awkwardly staring at the envelope in my free hand, before standing and escaping my grasp. She made her way back to me with a plastic letter opener, quickly sliced it open, and sat back down with her hand in mine again.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    I let out a breath, took the paper out, and began reading, ¡°Dear Amber and Sophia, First off, I love you both! Second off, I¡¯m so proud of both of you for this, I¡¯m well aware of how difficult the process of self-realization can be...¡± I trailed off, a sinking feeling forming in my stomach.


    Sophia looked just as uneasy, slipping her hand out of mine without a word.


    I continued reading, my anticipatory tone giving way to one of dread, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the way you two look at each other, so I had a feeling this would happen. To be clear, I¡¯m completely comfortable with you two having a relationship, whether it be romantic or...¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose, ¡°just sexual...¡±


    I sighed and turned to Sophia, ¡°Do I really have to read the rest of this?¡±


    She shrugged, reaction still subdued, ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something important later...?¡±


    I continued, despite both of us knowing there wasn¡¯t anything, ¡°So while I¡¯m gone, you two have complete permission to do whatever with each other, as long as you tell me about it when I¡¯m back. And since we never talked about other people, I¡¯ll just clarify here that I want to meet someone before you¡¯re with them, I¡¯m not really comfortable with any of us being with strangers, unless it was all together. Anyways, good luck! Love, Lily¡±


    A silence stretched out, filling the room.


    ¡°So...¡± I started.


    ¡°Well, we found out what the letter was about.¡±


    I hummed skeptically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me come over there and show you how hot I think you are...¡±


    I blushed.


    ¡°As for my feelings about our relationship with Lily, it feels to me like she likes you more than me because of how easily she forgave you, and how much closer you were to her before she asked us out. After she stopped going to church, I didn¡¯t see her in person for a long while.¡±


    She continued before I could gather my thoughts to respond, ¡°And I know that¡¯s not right ¨C it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want her to forgive you or that I wanted her to keep going to church with me, it''s just...¡± she turned her head to the side, facing me, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just jealous of you...¡±


    I huffed a laugh staring into her eyes once more. ¡°Well I already admitted I was envious of you the night we met. Your smile is so pretty and you always know what to say, and you¡¯re just so damn unflappable.¡±


    Her eyes flicked down slightly, but I couldn¡¯t tell if she was embarrassed by my praise or if she¡¯d glanced down at my lips.


    She smirked, ¡°So you were talking about stress relief earlier...¡±


    I closed my eyes. ¡°Oh god, I did not mean it like that...¡±


    ¡°What a shame...¡± She murmured.


    ¡°I...¡± I rolled over to face away from her so I could focus, ¡°So we¡¯re attracted to each other ¨C I¡¯ve got that down. But, if I can admit something a bit embarrassing, I¡¯m not as experienced as I pretend to be around Lily.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± The sheets rustled as she scooted her body closer to mine behind me, still leaving the slightest bit of space between us.


    ¡°I think she has this idea that I¡¯ve been with a lot of people ¨C partially because she was a virgin when we met, and partially because I like being confident around her. But really, Lily is the first woman I¡¯ve been in a serious relationship with, and other than a couple of random hookups, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m sure Lily thinks I¡¯m some kind of player after I let it slip that I owned more than one strap, but the only reason I do is because the first harness I bought was terrible...¡±


    Sophia giggled, ¡°Amber, I¡¯m not going to judge you for being inexperienced. This is technically my first serious relationship, although I¡¯ve had my fun fooling around with women... But regardless, I don¡¯t think you count as inexperienced, and even if you did, I¡¯d be happy to take the lead.¡±


    My heart jumped, skyrocketing my pulse in a sudden frenzy of anxiety. Letting her take the lead? I could never; witches never let someone behind their defenses.


    I sat with that thought for a moment.


    Shit... How much control does my mother have over me? I thought she had let me be relatively independent, but...


    Maybe now was the time to rebel away from my mother¡¯s teachings, make my own magic and become my own kind of witch. And the first place to start with that was...


    I leaned back into Sophia¡¯s body, letting her spoon me. Her arm snaked over my hip, curling around my torso possessively.


    It was scary and reassuring and erotic all at once, but the feelings remained separate for now, my mind scared of what would be left if they all coalesced.


    Sophia buried her face in the back of my hair and whispered through the dry strands, ¡°What do you need, Amber?¡±

 Part 3, Chapter 6.5

    Part 3, Chapter 6.5


    Amber


    ¡°What do you need, Amber?¡± Sophia asked, laying behind me with one arm draped over my side.


    ¡°I... I want to experiment with something I wouldn¡¯t do with Lily.¡±


    ¡°Such as...?¡± Her hand slid from my front to my hip and stroked up and down.


    I clenched my eyes shut and pushed through my embarrassment. ¡°Maybe if you tied me up... and spanked me a bit.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± her tone gave nothing away about how interested she was, ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t you feel comfortable doing that with Lily?¡±


    I relaxed slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that I wouldn¡¯t be comfortable with it... it¡¯s more that I like topping her, and I have no intentions of shaking that up.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you want this? It¡¯s kind of intense for our first time.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go super intense or anything,¡± my confidence flowed again once I was explaining my reasoning, ¡°I think I just want to experience a loss of control right now, to let me feel like dealing with my mother isn¡¯t my responsibility for a minute.¡±


    Her hand moved to my thigh, drawing sensual circles with her dull fingernails as her voice grew more sly. ¡°Let me go find some rope, I think I actually have some...¡± she stood and bounced over to her closet, excited, ¡°And I¡¯m definitely kissing you when I get back, so prepare yourself for that.¡±


    I smiled. I¡¯m more than prepared.


    When Sophia made her way back to where I lay on her bed, nylon rope in her hand, a sense of calm washed over me. Rather than worrying about what we were about to do and how I might mess it up, I¡¯d accepted that my fate was in Sophia¡¯s hands.


    It was up to her to take the initiative, and that was exactly what I needed.


    She placed the rope on her nightstand, an unremarkable piece of wood that was there when you needed it, but otherwise unnoticeable, and climbed back onto her bed, kneeling over me on all fours.


    We stared into each other¡¯s eyes, tension building just like every other time our gazes had met.


    My hands twitched at my sides. Am I supposed to be touching her? Does she want me to lean up to kiss her? Or should I be acting more like Lily? Oh god, I never showered after my morning run...


    Her hand came up to stroke my cheek. ¡°No thoughts allowed in that pretty little head of yours, okay?¡±


    I nodded and let myself sink into the bed, pressed down further when Sophia let her hips fall onto me, pressing her tight jeans into my exercise shorts.


    Then, she kissed me.


    It was gentle and tentative, her soft lips light on mine. If I¡¯d previously thought about what it would be like to kiss her ¨C that one time didn¡¯t count ¨C I would''ve thought that we would battle, both vying for domination, channeling our respective angst. Reality surprised me, as it often did, the discussion we¡¯d just had completely shifting our dynamic into uncharted territory.


    All because of that stupid letter... Thank you Lily.


    She was impossibly tender with me, exerting barely enough force to be felt, but still undeniably in control. I tried to pick up the pace by bringing my hand behind her hips to explore and adding my tongue into the mix, but she easily circumvented my attempt, slowing the pace of her kisses down further and caressing down my front with a slow, deliberate touch.


    Her lingering kisses soon became little nibbles, and any semblance of me being a participant in my own pleasure went out the window as I lay there, giving my body up to be owned by her. My mouth hung slightly open, pants escaping, as she moved around my lips and face with her mouth, pecking and biting whatever caught her fancy.


    It started out normal enough, a bite on my bottom lip, a kiss on my cheek. Soon, however, after a wild passion had built in her eyes and the aroma of sweat and arousal mixed in the space between us, she licked up and down the sides of my face while holding it in place, long possessive strokes that said I was hers to be consumed.


    Pov: you¡¯re a popsicle on a hot summer day... A short, airy giggle escaped me at the thought, fueled further by the ticklish sensation of her warm, wet tongue running over my skin.


    Sophia straightened, her weight pressing into me where her hips straddled mine, and looked down on me with fulfillment in her slightly dilated pupils. ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it. An empty head suits a¨C¡± She cut herself off with a shake of her head, ¡°We still need to talk about boundaries and safewords, if you still want to do this,¡± she gestured towards where the rope still lay.


    I closed my eyes for a moment, the cold air in the room making me all too aware of the wetness coating most of my face. I held back a sarcastic comment, instead nodding silently.


    ¡°Okay,¡± She rolled her neck and refocused on me. ¡°Red or stop immediately halts what we¡¯re doing, either of us can say it at any time when we feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable.¡±


    She looked into my eyes, waiting to continue until I nodded.


    ¡°Use yellow if we want to take a breather or we want to discuss something outside of whatever role-play or dirty talk we¡¯re doing. And of course yes or green means everything is good, and you want to continue.¡±


    This time she wasn¡¯t satisfied with just a nod. ¡°The safeword is?¡±


    ¡°Red or stop,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Alright. Now what specifically do you want?¡±


    I took a second to gather my thoughts, reaching my hand up to wipe my face before thinking better of it. ¡°Um, so... bondage: I¡¯m thinking you can tie up my wrists, like above my head using the headboard,¡± I gestured behind me, ¡°And as for hitting me, you can slap me hard enough to make my skin red, but not enough to bruise ¨C and nothing blunt, slaps only.¡±


    While she was thinking over my answer, another important piece of information popped into my head, ¡°Oh, and nothing on my head. Everywhere else is fair game though.¡±


    Her eyebrows raised for a moment, dropping as the corners of her mouth climbed, ¡°Hmm... And what about other forms of pain? Can I choke you?¡±


    My body shivered under her gaze as she asked that, and it took a second for me to play it again in my head before I understood well enough to answer. ¡°Yes, but only gently; don¡¯t actually cut off my air.¡±


    She chuckled lightly, ¡°Alright, last check before we get the fun started: do you want me to be domineering too?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop my gaze from taking a trip up and down her body, lingering on the point where her hips still lay on mine. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She quickly got to work taking her shirt off, ¡°Let¡¯s get this started.¡±


    In response to an enthusiastically moaned ¡®yes¡¯ from me, two of her fingers thrust deeper, stirring pleasure inside me and threatening the stability of my knees, which were still propping up my hips, if a bit tenuously. Thankfully, Sophia saw this coming, and as her digits entered me, she was bending over my body and using her other arm to support me from below, pressing her breasts into my bare back.


    Another tug at the rope ¨C this one downward as my body tried to throw itself onto Sophia¡¯s hand ¨C reminded me of my situation, frustrating and exciting me all at once.


    She whispered, ¡°God, you¡¯re even more beautiful when you give yourself up to me and come apart on my hand.¡± Her face wasn¡¯t quite buried in my hair given how tall I was, but it was close enough for her teasing to be plenty effective, eliciting a high whine out of me.


    God, I really do sound like Lily right now. I hope I¡¯ll still be able to top her when she comes back...


    Thoughts of my girlfriend (my other girlfriend?) were quickly blown out of my mind by Sophia¡¯s two thrusting fingers, quickly joined by a third. Euphoria pulsed through me, fogging my head and my senses, excitement and passion building in me with a rising rhythm threatening to reach a crescendo. ¡°Hit me,¡± I hissed, desperate to feel more, to exorcize the complicated emotions I had deep inside me, long calcified by years of repression.


    Just as I was thinking she didn¡¯t hear me, Sophia responded with, ¡°Where?¡±


    I resisted the urge to say I didn¡¯t care, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be productive. ¡°Back,¡± I said.


    After a brief hesitation, the strike came, a little blunt for my tastes, ringing through the side of my upper back, but it felt better than ever nonetheless, mixing with the pleasurable squelching between my legs.


    When I¡¯d first given my body up to Sophia, simply letting her hold me from behind, I¡¯d noticed the way my apprehension, arousal, and affirmation had all remained distinct sensations. Now, however, I was left with the capacity to feel only one emotion, my focus eradicated along with any nuance in the situation I could¡¯ve appreciated.


    Part of me wanted to call that which I was feeling horniness, to reduce it to the base urges of sex, but, even without the ability to appreciate the multifaceted nature of my feelings, it was clear that was a cowardly mischaracterization. The truth was closer to liberation, and while that did encompass sexual liberation, it was more important for me to recognize the self-determination aspect of it.


    All of that was to say that when I screamed ¡°Harder,¡± at Sophia, it was an expression of that feeling, an expression of my frustration at having been controlled and deceived for so long.


    It shouldn¡¯t be a surprise things didn¡¯t exactly go well from there.


    Shock and pain rolled through my delirious mind, and in my almost drunken stupor it took me a few moments to even piece together what had happened.


    In the seconds after Sophia¡¯s second strike to my back, I registered the fact that I was laying flat on the bed ¨C my hips having fallen ¨C that Sophia¡¯s hand had fallen out of me, leaving me twitching and pent-up, and our dual panting breaths filling the still silence that filled the room.


    I tugged at my restraints yet again as I spun around to lay on my back, this time more annoyed at them than anything.


    My gaze drilled into Sophia¡¯s wide panicked eyes. ¡°Fuck. Do it again,¡± I moaned, completely oblivious to her distress.


    She shook her head, blinking her apprehension away. ¡°No. This is going too far.¡±


    I pulled against the rope, my body squirming and unfulfilled on her mattress, ¡°Please just hit me...¡±


    ¡°Amber, stop. I¡¯m not comfortable with this,¡± her body finally began moving, crawling around me towards my hands, ¡°Let me get you undone and we can talk about this.¡±


    I let out a wordless yell, bucking my hips and pulling at the headboard. ¡°Sophia, I need...¡± I couldn¡¯t finish; I didn¡¯t know what I needed.


    Did I need to come? Was it really necessary for Sophia to strike me again? Did I want to be let free?


    In truth, I think there was nothing that could¡¯ve satisfied me in that moment, no sensation physical, emotional, or sexual could¡¯ve provided what I was looking for.


    Sophia fumbled against the tightened knot, struggling to get it open, the tension and movement I was providing not helping. ¡°Fuck, Amber. Sit still!¡±


    I pulled harder, as if that would get my hands free so she could just leave me alone.


    Contrary to my expectations, she did leave me alone, getting off the bed with another curse, and frantically searching through her desk while I continued panting and fidgeting.


    She finally came back a couple dozen seconds later with a long pair of scissors in her hands. She leaned over my panicking form and managed to snip me away from the headboard without cutting me, although my wrists remained stuck together. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked, worried look on her face, as I rolled over and sat up, panting with wide eyes.


    My mind, which had been impossibly chaotic until that point, emptied, no goal beyond escaping my bondage left to achieve.


    ¡°What are you upset about, Amber? Let me have it,¡± Sophia beckoned.


    ¡°I...¡± I blinked, my gaze falling to my still-bound wrists and the rest of the empty mattress in front of me, sheets distressed and damp from our antics. Shame creeped in as my high dissipated.


    ¡®I did it again...¡¯ I thought, but I didn¡¯t know where to start with apologizing. I let myself fall over, laying on my side facing Sophia, my wrists in front of me.


    ¡°Amber?¡± She stepped towards the bed again, reaching a hand out towards my limp form.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...


    ¡°What? I¨C¡± she climbed onto the bed to lay in front of me, and set about untwisting the remaining binding around my hands. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, Amber. We went a bit further than we should¡¯ve for our first time, especially given everything else going on, and that blew up on us, but that¡¯s okay.¡±


    I surrendered my hands to her, watching as she carefully picked at the remaining knot. ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry anyways. I just feel so... I don¡¯t know, overwhelmed?¡± My eyes darted up to hers, which were still fixated on solving the mess I¡¯d gotten myself in, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you mad at me? I don¡¯t get it,¡± I finished, confusion permeating my voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurting,¡± she said gently, finally freeing my wrists, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel good for you to take that out on me, and maybe if it had been more like what had happened between you and Lily I would be more upset right now, but all I can see in your actions is that you¡¯re afraid, and me trying to ¡®punish¡¯ you for that isn¡¯t productive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you Sophia...¡±


    ¡°Then learn. You have the chance to change, to right your wrongs.¡±


    I sighed, reaching across the space between us to hold her. ¡°Okay...¡± I knew I still had a long way to go trying to unlearn half of what I¡¯d done so far in my life. ¡°Are we okay? Do you still want to try with me?¡±


    She smirked, ¡°It¡¯s going to take more than some kinky sex gone awry to scare me away babe,¡± our bodies embraced, the tension finally dissipating, ¡°And you owe me a few dates, we need some good stories to tell Lily.¡±


    I chuckled, relaxing into her naked body that I was disappointedly going to have to wait to explore. Sleep soon overtook us both, leading me into confused dreams of endlessly searching for Sophia and Lily so I could apologize to them.

 Part 3, Chapter 7

    Part 3, Chapter 7


    Lily


    It turned out that the short range portal we¡¯d used earlier wasn¡¯t the only magical public transportation available in hell. Kelith explained to me a bit how the network worked, and she said that the one we used was short range, and could take you anywhere that wasn¡¯t teleportation protected, such as the insides of other magical beings ¨C the rare humans in Hell had to wear protection against teleportation accidents.


    What this meant was, for a small magic energy tax, my mother would be using a more powerful portal to come visit ¨C in less than an hour from now. I paced around the room Katie and I were staying in, nervous energy building in me. Although I¡¯d grown more confident in my months as a demon, I¡¯d funneled most of that confidence towards being flirty towards my girlfriends, leaving me woefully unequipped in this situation.


    It¡¯d been a day since I found out my mother was alive, and I hadn¡¯t spoken to Edith at all. The four of us had had dinner together, but Edith had remained silent, and I didn¡¯t know whether I was thankful for that or felt bad about it.


    Katie had been in the bathroom, trying to manifest the perfect outfit using advice Kelith had given her last night. When joined me in our room, showing off her frayed denim(?) short-shorts and her tube top, I felt a deep kinship with Amber, stifling the urge to make a comment about how revealing her outfit was.


    Instead, I eyed it curiously, trying to figure out what it was supposed to be made of. I thought the shorts were denim, but it was impossible to tell, on account of the fact that her outfit was swirling and pulsing between orange, purple, pink, and white. ¡°I see you¡¯re taking to demon fashion rather quickly...¡± Somehow, Katie¡¯s antics had gotten me to stop my pacing for a moment.


    She looked down at herself with a satisfied grin, ¡°Yea, I figured I wouldn¡¯t get to do this on earth so...¡±


    A strange thought popped in my head. ¡°What¡¯s stopping us from doing magic in public around humans anyways?¡±


    ¡°Well for me it would hurt the coven ¨C draw the attention of more people and we¡¯d get crushed by opportunistic scavengers, as Mom would put it. For people like you ¨C independents that is ¨C I think it¡¯s just the danger of it. There¡¯s what, like six people that know you¡¯re a demon, and you¡¯ve already got someone after you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should organize for rights...¡± I muttered.


    She either ignored me or didn¡¯t hear, eyeing my outfit. ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re wearing?¡±


    I twirled, showing off a near copy of the white dress I¡¯d worn to church. This version was more comfortable ¨C partially due to the supernaturally soft fabric and partially to the fit being better ¨C but also had more frills, ruffles and superfluous bits of lace strewn about. It was indulgent and extravagant, and I¡¯d paired it with a tan wide-brimmed hat and casual strappy sandals to dress it down a bit.


    ¡°It looks like a wedding dress,¡± Katie deadpanned.


    I froze, stopping myself from doing a second twirl. ¡°What? No, it barely goes to my calf ¨C wedding dresses are way longer.¡±


    ¡°Yea, maybe in the fifties...¡±


    I glared at her, shifting my dress to pure black and my accessories from a light tan to a darker brown. ¡°There, are you happy?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± She walked in a circle around me, expression intently focused. ¡°Maybe try a dark blue for the lace and black for the accessories ¨C it''ll make your eyes really pop.¡±


    I did as she said, wondering why I was listening to someone that was dressed like a walking sunset. To my surprise, I did like the way the blue lace looked, although I didn¡¯t have a mirror to see if she was right about my eyes.


    Katie clapped her hands, shaking me out of my contemplation. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to leave!¡± She grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the room, ignoring my protests.


    I¡¯m not ready for this...


    Amber


    I woke up in Sophia¡¯s bed, sore and lethargic, to the sound of a measured series of knocks on her door.


    It¡¯s too early for this...


    I didn¡¯t actually know what time it was, it could¡¯ve been noon for all my drained mind knew, but regardless, I didn¡¯t want to deal with it.


    Unfortunately, another series of knocks rang out, and, given that I¡¯d ended up laying on top of Sophia, I was in a better position to answer it. I grumbled under my breath and threw on a shirt and shorts from the floor, not caring if they were mine or if they were on backwards or inside-out.


    I opened the door with a yawn, only to freeze when I saw who was standing outside.


    What the fuck is my mom doing here?


    I slammed the door shut, my heart pounding in my chest as I fumbled with the lock, desperately scrambling for how to handle the situation.


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°No, it would be ¡®something something village child,¡¯ duh.¡±


    After that short burst, silence settled between us again, a force constantly fighting against the ambient noise around us ¨C the passing conversations, the occasional chirp of a bird, and the clink of porcelain and silverware as we passed a cafe with outdoor seating.


    Again unable to let it remain quiet, I asked another question, ¡°Edith, what¡¯s my Mom like?¡±


    She let out a relieved sigh, smiling as she thought about her wife, ¡°Oh, she¡¯s lovely ¨C she¡¯s kind-hearted and fragile, the kind of woman you can¡¯t help but want to cherish and protect,¡± she laughed, ¡°She can be a bit of an airhead sometimes¨C¡±


    Katie snorted, covering her mouth with her palm.


    ¡°But she¡¯s just so cute. Zamira is energetic and enthusiastic and I love her so much,¡± Kelith finished.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I let out, ¡°Thanks.¡± My mind was already elsewhere, trying to reconcile yet another differing opinion on what my mother was like. Unfortunately, my thoughts were interrupted before I could decide how I felt.


    Kelith stopped and turned to face the building next to us. ¡°We¡¯re here kids.¡±


    All at once, my nervous energy came back, and this time, I didn¡¯t think Katie¡¯s antics would be enough to make it go away.


    Amber


    After a tense discussion with Sophia, where I explained to her in no uncertain terms that in an emergency she should save herself and not look back, not even bothering to call the police for help ¨C what could they even do?


    She was there for moral and intellectual support ¨C not to fling spells. I still had a long way to go, getting over my stubborn pride, but one of my first steps was admitting that yes, Sophia was smarter than me, knew more about ¡®magic runes¡¯ than me, and of course, I found her all the more attractive for it.


    I¡¯d said as much to her as we left her dorm room ¨C knowing we still needed to assuage each of our uncertainties when it came to our complicated relationship ¨C and she¡¯d responded with a covered smile and a barely noticeable blush. Mission successful.


    Anyways, we made our way to where my mother was waiting, funny business not being worth it in the slightest. We were slightly delayed by one of Sophia¡¯s dormmates asking if we had a lighter ¨C what kind of person smoked at... whatever time it was? ¨C but soon we were in the presence of the bitch, as Sophia put it.


    She was noticeably shorter than she usually appeared, coming up inches below both of us, but still standing with regal posture. ¡°Have you decided on a reasonable venue?¡± she asked, managing to sound both disinterested and annoyed at the same time.


    Where is the woman that planned my birthday parties ¨C that raised twenty-seven girls?


    I nodded, telling her about the pizza place Sophia and I had met in after I¡¯d gotten spooked on my run. I still didn¡¯t know if my fear had been justified back then, nor did I know what my mom wanted with me right now.


    Silence permeated the space around us as we walked to our destination, the few people we passed on the dirty, cracked sidewalk sensing the tension in the air and halting their conversations as they walked by.


    My mother strode ahead, her old, heavy-set body not showing in her quick, purposeful movements. Sophia and I had to hurry to keep up, and by the time we entered the chain restaurant, I was forcing myself to breathe slowly, trying to hide how the speed-walking had raised my heart rate.


    We sat at the tacky booth, the bright colors clashing with my mother¡¯s elegant draping fabrics and the tension between us. She rushed us through ordering, me and Sophia getting a veggie pizza to share, and her getting a calzone ¨C something I didn¡¯t even know this place offered.


    Sophia¡¯s hand grabbed mine under the table, squeezing in reassurement as my mother started across from us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut the bullshit,¡± she bulldozed through my shock at her frankness, ¡°I know she¡¯s not dead, you know I know she¡¯s not dead, so let¡¯s talk about why she¡¯s not dead.¡±


    I remained silent, unable to decide between agreeing and questioning what she knew or why she¡¯d gone from talking about me slaying her customer¡¯s ¡®son¡¯ to talking about Lily with ¡®she¡¯.


    She continued, taking my silence as agreement, ¡°My previous strategy of giving you what you needed to succeed and letting you have freedom clearly failed. But I don¡¯t want to give up on you, my daughter,¡± she leaned back, folding her hands on the table in front of her, ¡°Let me tell you a story about a more naive version of me, and my sister, Zamira Victory ¨C from before I changed my name.¡±


    I stared, unfazed. The only meaning the name held for me was in the author of my demon textbooks, who shared the same last name. It was somewhat surprising that my mother could be Scarlet, but hardly Earth-shattering.


    Sophia, on the other hand, tilted her head with narrowed eyes, as if the name had rung a distant bell.


    ¡°See, you probably have this vision of me as a long-standing demon hunter, fighting the eternal war against the darkness until my brittle bones fail me,¡± she scoffed, ¡°But in reality, I am more powerful than I¡¯ve ever been, and, while I have been killing demons for a very long time, I was once close to some as well. Some, like my sister, Zamira,¡± she held up a finger, and it shifted before our eyes to red skin with a black fingernail ¨C no magic circle, no spell materials, just raw force of will.


    At that moment, I finally understood how fucked I was.

 Part 3, Chapter 8

    Part 3, Chapter 8


    Lily


    We stepped into the restaurant and I was immediately overwhelmed. Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels


    There was the server greeting us, a dark green skinned demon that was athletically androgynous ¨C their chest being right on the line between coming across as pecs and as breasts, their face being intimidatingly sharp, and their silhouette daring me to try to put them into human categories.


    Then there was the restaurant itself. The room was styled after the inside of a cave, the moody lighting accomplished by magic candles scattered across the dimly lit grey walls. The tables were yellow wood, but were much, much thicker than I¡¯d have expected, giving my Earthian sensibilities a Viking vibe. Each circular table had its own cubby hole in the wall, with a stone ¨C or faux stone, I couldn¡¯t tell ¨C bench curving around it.


    Last was the people inhabiting the room. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t see my mother yet, something that would¡¯ve surely driven my overstimulated mind over the edge, but what I did see wasn¡¯t much easier to comprehend. Each of the occupied tables were stuffed to the brim with guests and unrecognizable food, the jovial energy of them contained by some kind of magic, maintaining the refined atmosphere in the main restaurant, although they were still barely audible.


    Our server took us to a table, swishing their thin, furry tail behind them as they walked. I sat huddled up against Katie on one side and open space on my other, while Katie was next to Kelith and Edith.


    I nodded along to everyone else asking for water, and hesitantly examined one of the waxy paper menus in front of us.


    What in the Hell is a ghoul sandwich? Or a foxtail? I stared, utterly baffled, at the foreign items in front of me. While my magical language comprehension helped for words and ideas I already understood, it didn¡¯t provide much context to things I didn¡¯t.


    Katie, just as confused, turned to the other two, ¡°Is this supposed to be a Halloween themed restaurant?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Hallo¨C¡± Kelith¡¯s question was interrupted by everyone¡¯s focus shifting to a newcomer.


    At first, out of the corner of my eye, I¡¯d thought that a different server was there to ask us if we were ready to order, but after I saw everyone else¡¯s expectant stares, I turned to reevaluate.


    My mother was almost identical to me. She had the same colorations as I did, except that her skin was just a tinge bluer, her eyes a shade pinker, and her hair lighter. She shared my shorter, curvier stature, but while I wore my body with a reserved shyness, she had all of the confidence and maturity I didn¡¯t. Her horns were also much longer, curling almost a full hand-length up behind her head, to the point where I wondered if she ever accidentally hit things on them.


    She wore a black dress, but where mine was frilly and lacy, hers was plain and soft, the high neckline and short length covering more skin than the majority of demons I¡¯d seen around town, but still being well outside my comfort zone for polite company.


    Her mouth was hanging open, revealing her pointed fangs as she stared at me in disbelief. ¡°Is that really you? My¨C my child?¡±


    When I slowly nodded, she picked me up out of the booth in a flash of movement, hugging me tightly and letting my shoes dangle off the ground. ¡°Oh, my baby!¡± She turned back and forth, shaking and squeezing my dazed form. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sweetie, I didn¡¯t know...¡±


    When she finally put me back down, I stared up at her crying face, realizing she was ever so slightly taller than me, blinking away my confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I¡¯d forgotten in the surprise of the initial reveal, but Edith had said something similar when we¡¯d first met.


    My mother wiped her tears, patted me on the head, and faced our table, where the other three were watching us intently. ¡°Just a second Lil, why don¡¯t you introduce me to your sister before we get into the more unpleasant topics.¡±


    ¡°Um, this is Katie, my little sister.¡± I didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°Hmm. Do you want a hug too Katie?¡± Zamira watched an exchange of looks between Katie and I before welcoming Katie into her arms, hugging her with more composure, but no less enthusiasm, ¡°So are you two half-sisters?¡± she eyed Katie hesitantly.


    I shook my head, clinging close to Katie as she was released. ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend¡¯s little sister.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all adopted anyways,¡± Katie clarified, ¡°None of us are related to our mom.¡±


    We sat back down, me sandwiched between Katie and Mom, and Edith moving to our side of the table to sit by her wife. Both of my seat-neighbors stayed close to me as Zamira exchanged greetings with her wife and mother-in-law, before it was finally time for some answers.


    ¡°So,¡± Mom started, ¡°When I left the human world ¨C and I¡¯ll explain that in a minute ¨C I thought I was leaving behind my manipulative sister, a husband that despised me, and my human child. It¡¯s rare for demons to be born to demon-human couples on earth, just as it''s rare for humans to be born the same way in Hell ¨C not to mention how hard it is for demons to get pregnant in the first place. If I¡¯d have known...¡± Another round of tears escaped her, and Edith handed her a handkerchief, doting on Zamira with an abundance of concern.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I let out.


    That¡¯s it?


    Discomfort swirled in my stomach as my thoughts stuttered, unable to fixate completely on my mother¡¯s sadness or my own feelings about the new information.


    Would it be weird to hug her? I don¡¯t really know her at all, even if we look identical.


    How am I supposed to feel about that? I already decided that her reason for leaving doesn¡¯t matter at the end of the day, so it¡¯s not important whether she was justified or not, although I still don¡¯t understand why she left in the first place.


    ¡°And if she made a single round-trip to Hell, I would¡¯ve had everything I needed to complete my project. Her marriage was already falling apart because of course it was, so I suggested she should take a vacation back home to get some much needed rest, but she was uncharacteristically stubborn,¡± my mother¡¯s eyes lit up with momentary irritation, ¡°until that fool approached me again, this time asking me to exorcize the demon possessing his wife.¡±


    I munched on my pizza using my one available hand, eying Sophia out of the corner of my vision. She wasn¡¯t eating, instead facing forwards with a wide-eyed stare. I scooted closer to her, trying to comfort her as my mother continued.


    ¡°When I revealed that, she finally listened to me, making preparations to leave. Of course, I needed to make sure she returned or it would all be for naught, and of course, she wouldn¡¯t ever bother returning for me, so I told her I¡¯d get her husband to come around, and she could return to her happy life.¡±


    Sophia broke out of her stupor and nudged me, whispering in my ear, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Zamira is Lily¡¯s mom...¡±


    I spit out the pizza in my mouth, hunching over and coughing into my fist.


    What?!!?


    I turned to eye Sophia accusatorily, not sure if I was asking if she was serious or why she hadn¡¯t told me sooner. I shoved the distant implications of the information to the back of my mind, trying to focus on the story and taking in the new context.


    ¡°...and he needed something to latch onto while she was gone, so I told him there was a group of demons that were trying to infiltrate his church, and that I¡¯d slay them for him, explaining all of the complications that came with killing a demon, how there would be no body to bury and everything.¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°Whether he believed me wasn¡¯t that important; I just had to placate him until Zamira came back,¡± her posture shifted, a rare moment of vulnerability as she crossed her arms over her chest, ¡°But she never did, the backstabbing cunt.¡±


    ¡°And you just told him she was dead?¡± Sophia filled in.


    ¡°It was just one name in a list of ones I¡¯d actually killed ¨C and she really is dead to me.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I let out.


    Lily


    I picked at my meal with my spoon, the comforting flavors soothing my rebelling stomach. It was something in between curry and porridge, and the chunks appeared to be bits of fruits and vegetables native to Hell.


    ¡°At that point,¡± Mom said, ¡°I¡¯d made it back to Hell, sure, but I had nowhere to go, no one to rely on. I couldn¡¯t return to Earth and trigger whatever scheme my sister had cooked up, and after over a year of my husband... Well it could¡¯ve been worse, but...¡±


    Edith massaged the tops of her shoulders from behind, whispering in her ear.


    Zamira took in a shuddering breath and spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to return to him, even if I could. It hurt so much to leave you behind, to leave Scarlet and my husband behind ¨C even after everything she¡¯d done... I wish I¡¯d done more to fix things.¡±


    Her wife whispered in her ear yet again, shaking her head this time.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t get it ¨C you just left me behind? You didn¡¯t try to tell the Hell police what your sister was trying to do or get someone else to check on me? You didn¡¯t just take me with you?!¡± I pleaded, still pulling from my endless well of hurt.


    Edith continued shaking her head, ¡°Lily, your mother was not the person she is now when she left the humans. She was hurt and confused, and it took a long time for things to get better,¡± she sent me a pointed look, urging me to be more careful.


    Mom started crying again, dabbing the wet handkerchief to her face, ¡°No, she¡¯s right ¨C I knew I could¡¯ve asked you to go check on her at some point, but I was scared.¡± Her sadness dried up as her self-hate ignited. ¡°I thought that he would be as nice to her as he was to me when he¡¯d thought I was human. I didn¡¯t want to think about the slim possibility that she wasn''t human, because that would reignite my hurt all over again ¨C and that¡¯s my fault for being weak.¡±


    A tense silence settled over the table, Zamira waiting to hear me condemn her and everyone else waiting for me to tell her it wasn¡¯t her fault.


    But it kind of was.


    ¡°...¡±


    I stared down at my food, something stuck in my stomach, deep and visceral. It was partially grief ¨C the sadness of mourning what could¡¯ve been ¨C partially anger ¨C anger at Scarlet, at my dad, and, most pressingly, the crying woman in front of me ¨C and partially disappointment that Mom wasn¡¯t as perfect as I¡¯d imagined she was.


    I could go on and on about all the ways she¡¯d hurt me, the ways that her stupid decisions messed with my life, I could yell and scream, tell her that I hated her and she¡¯d never earn my forgiveness ¨C and for a brief moment it might feel pretty good.


    But is that what I want ¨C to hurt her because she hurt me? I closed my eyes, searching deep in my soul for what I was supposed to do.


    There wasn¡¯t a single feeling in my heart telling me to forgive her.


    I leaned in, wrapping my arms around her small frame. ¡°I forgive you, Mom.¡±

 Part 3, Chapter 9

    Part 3, Chapter 9


    Amber


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯ve acted the way I have,¡± my mother finished.


    I blinked, focusing on the present rather than going down one of a dozen rabbit holes of implications. ¡°What was the point of that story?¡± I turned to Sophia, checking if she had understood it any better.


    She reflected my confused stare back, raising one eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to explain to you why we¡¯re on the same side ¨C why you should listen to me when I tell you that succubi are deceitful schemers.¡±


    ¡°So you aren¡¯t going to try to make me murder my girlfriend ¨C or murder her yourself for that matter?¡±


    The waitress, who¡¯d walked by to refill our waters, flashed me a plastic smile and slowly backed away, giving up on our drinks.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to make whatever choices you want to, even if they¡¯re the wrong ones. I gave the job to you, so it¡¯s up to you to get it done ¨C I won¡¯t do it for you.¡±


    Sophia added to our questions, ignoring my mother¡¯s response ¡°And what about K¨C¡±


    I nudged her under the table with my elbow ¨C she didn¡¯t have the experience of keeping her guard up against my mother that I did.


    She coughed, ¡°What about that witch? You can¡¯t just send someone to take your daughter out and expect us to forget.¡±


    My mother rolled her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t send any witches after you ¨C you¡¯re just paranoid. Besides, May lives pretty close by, it¡¯s not surprising you ran into her.¡±


    I stared, my lips forming a tight line. ¡°So what do you want me to do, exactly?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Call your friend back from Hell before she has a chance of getting corrupted by the fiends and devils that live there,¡± she raised her eyebrows, ¡°You didn¡¯t think the things I¡¯d said about demons came from nowhere, did you?¡± her head shook, pursed lips expressing disappointment, ¡°Many of those who dwell in the pits of Hell are just as sinister and cruel as my sister ¨C they even banished me for the simple act of defending myself ¨C and even if a civilized demon can be raised among humans, its best to limit their exposure to others of their kind so that the worst of their behaviors don¡¯t manifest.¡±


    I glanced at Sophia again, sharing my uncertainty. What was in Hell? I¡¯d never been religious, but it was hard to break away from the stereotype of eternal damnation ¨C and it wasn¡¯t an outlandish claim that humanity¡¯s perception of demons had to come from somewhere. If they¡¯d all been as kind as Lily, then there wouldn¡¯t be all that bad press about them in the first place.


    ¡°Okay, but we have no way to contact her and she¡¯s not supposed to be back for another month,¡± I lied, partially out of habit and partially to clue Sophia in on the fact that I was still skeptical.


    My mother tutted, shaking her head, ¡°That just won¡¯t do, if you wait too long, she¡¯ll come back changed. Why don¡¯t I help out and give you a trans-dimensional communication spell? It only works if the recipient accepts it, so unless they already got their claws in her, it shouldn¡¯t be too late.¡±


    ¡°Alright...¡± I felt Sophia¡¯s hand clench mine, but I was unsure if she was buying the narrative that we needed to hurry and call Lily, or if she was trying to warn me that my mother was still being deceitful. Honestly, trying to unpack the truth out of what she¡¯d told us was making my brain go in circles, my thoughts wrapping around themselves in a thick tangled mess.


    ¡°So is that it?¡± Sophia asked, disbelieving, ¡°You just wanted to tell Amber about why you hate other demons?¡±


    My mother shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t hate demons, I don¡¯t even hate succubi in particular, I¡¯m just wary of the dangers they pose to regular civilized folk.¡±


    After a brief silence she continued, ¡°I wanted to clarify where I stood on the matter and give Amber my experiences so that she didn¡¯t make the same mistakes I did ¨C but that¡¯s her choice to make, and I¡¯ll always be here, waiting to help you if you fail.¡± She stood and exited the booth, glancing one last time at me, ¡°Amber, I love you, and I know you¡¯ll make the right decision,¡± and then she left, not a single glance given to her now cold food.


    Another silence settled over the room.


    I took the chance to look around, noticing that despite there being no ceiling fan or visible vents, the room was perfectly comfortable ¨C although that was probably in part due to the pleasant weather outside.


    Zamira tried conversation again, building off what I¡¯d just said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about your girlfriends, there¡¯s two, right?¡±


    I relaxed, happy to gush about them, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re Amber and Sophia. Amber is strong-willed and strong bodied. She¡¯s fiery and passionate and really really hot,¡± I glanced to the side, seeing Katie sticking out her tongue at me, ¡°And she¡¯s this little one¡¯s older sister.¡±


    After a round of hesitant nods from the older women, I continued, ¡°Sophia is just as confident, but she¡¯s a lot quieter, preferring to wait and listen. She always knows what to do and she¡¯s super reliable. And of course, she¡¯s really beautiful, I love them both.¡±


    Mom gave me a mom-look, ¡°You¡¯re using protection, right?¡±


    Katie fake-gagged.


    ¡°Uhh, no, I can just control my fertility with magic.¡±


    Katie actually gagged.


    A round of concerned looks from everyone other than Katie had me squirming in my seat.


    Kelith was the one to respond, pinching the bridge of her nose, ¡°No... that¡¯s not a thing. You can magic away your period, but you¡¯re still just as capable of having children.¡±


    While Kelith was speaking, Zamira was standing and leaving the room, followed shortly by her wife. We soon heard sniffles coming from the kitchen.


    I stared at my grandmother, one hand reaching for my lower stomach, ¡°Oh... How... how would I know?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Thankfully, you¡¯re a succubus so it¡¯d be really obvious to you if you were pregnant ¨C no spells necessary. If you haven¡¯t noticed anything by now, you¡¯re probably in the clear. As for your partners, human detection methods should suffice,¡± she glanced towards the kitchen, ¡°And since they won¡¯t say it, please be more careful in the future. I¡¯ll make sure to get you some well-made birth control before you leave, there¡¯s no telling how shoddy what those humans make is.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Thank you.¡± I let out, somehow not embarrassed about the sex talk, although Katie, who was squirming and making faces next to me, clearly was.


    My grandmother sighed again, ¡°What you¡¯re doing...¡± her eyes flicked towards the kitchen, ¡°It¡¯s not easy. I wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve blamed you for taking the easy way out.¡±


    For a second, I debated whether to pretend not to know what she meant. ¡°Yea...¡± I stared at where my mother had been sitting, ¡°I want there to be something there, but unfortunately, it¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    I sat in silence for a moment, letting my complicated feelings wash through me.


    The other two returned, mostly unruffled, but Zamira¡¯s eyes were a bit redder than usual. She cleared her throat as she sat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that...¡± her eyes focused on me, ¡°Um, if you need me to explain...¡±


    No I know how sex works, it¡¯s just that no one ever taught me how to be a demon. I was so close to saying it, but I held back my frustrations, instead nodding and thanking her. I leaned on Katie, burying my face in her shoulder and removing myself from further conversation.


    I miss Amber and Sophia so much...

 Part 3, Chapter 10

    Part 3, Chapter 10


    Amber


    ¡°I have no idea what this spell is supposed to do,¡± Sophia said, hunched over the desk in her dorm room, ¡°I don¡¯t trust it one bit, though, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s worth the risk of casting it.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do? I know we¡¯re hardly in a different place than we were yesterday ¨C we still need to figure out how to keep Lily and Katie safe long-term, but she reframed the whole conversation so much that I don¡¯t even know what to think anymore!¡± I yelled, turning to face the corner and clench my fists.


    Sophia remained silent behind me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m not mad at you and I shouldn¡¯t take it out on you,¡± I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s just so annoying, trying to sort through everything she said ¨C is there anything we can trust?¡±


    She stood, walking close and wrapping her arms around me from behind, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Amber, we can figure this out.¡± She guided my body back onto her bed, where we laid together, loosely entwined and staring at the ceiling. ¡°Let¡¯s think about this logically ¨C what are we trying to accomplish?¡±


    I took a moment to think, taking deep breaths and feeling Sophia¡¯s fingertips idly scratching my outer hip. ¡°We need to protect Lily and Katie, mainly from my mother ¨C whether that¡¯s by hiding them from her like we are now or...¡± I didn¡¯t want to voice the more permanent way to keep my mother away, mostly because it wasn¡¯t feasible given the amount of power she¡¯d demonstrated.


    ¡°Exactly, so some options: We can keep Lily and Katie in Hell, with or without us being there as well ¨C assuming your mother was even telling the truth about being banished in the first place. We can help your mother complete her goal of returning to Hell and the rest of us can stay on Earth while demon society deals with her. We could wait until Lily returns, and see if she learned anything in Hell that would help us. What else...?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... It feels to me like she¡¯s just so powerful, so all-knowing that it would be impossible to outwit or overpower her ¨C like no matter what we do, she¡¯ll always be ten steps ahead. And if we managed to somehow send her away, what would happen to my sisters?¡±


    Sophia hummed, caressing me reassuringly.


    I laughed, ¡°It almost feels like we know less after our conversation with her, and I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s on purpose. Was she just trying to confuse us, to make us doubt ourselves? Did she really want us to call Lily back, or did she want us to not call her back? Ugh, I kind of want to give up on this for now and just focus on something else ¨C unless you¡¯ve got more ideas.¡±


    ¡°No, I agree with you, it¡¯s confusing, trying to piece together what she¡¯d been trying to do. What do you want to talk about?¡± Her caressing hand moved from my outer thigh, up through my inner thigh towards my stomach.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s the thing I don¡¯t want to talk about,¡± I turned my head to give her a pointed look, ¡°But we aren¡¯t going to talk about that,¡± I paused, ¡°I don¡¯t know, we could talk about more stress relief,¡± I proposed, already knowing that¡¯s where she¡¯d been hinting with her hand.


    Her hand stilled. ¡°What aren¡¯t we talking about?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°You¡¯ve got me curious now.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°C¡¯mon, you¡¯ve got to know already, you were the one that told me.¡±


    She stared at me silently, one eyebrow raised.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t talking about it,¡± I reasserted.


    ¡°Fine you can keep it to yourself,¡± she rolled her eyes, hand resuming its motion on my leg.


    ¡°It¡¯s not important,¡± I insisted, ¡°Like it doesn¡¯t even matter in any way and I¨C¡±


    ¡°Amber. I said it¡¯s fine. Are we going to bang or not?¡±


    Huh, that¡¯s a compelling argument...


    Lily


    The Central Seriza Library was a grand structure, about as big as I¡¯d ever seen, given that the tallest buildings in my hometown were a handful of stories tall.


    The entrance to the library stood atop a half-dozen worn stone steps, and after I climbed them with Katie, the sloped roof jutted out from the walls to hang over us. The building itself was made of large, dark grey bricks with flecks of black speckled across their smooth faces, and tall windows, small, intricately carved arches cresting the top of each.


    I hefted open the massive stained wood doors and, instead of being met with the musky scent of dusty paper and the silent shuffle of library goers, there was a clean, sterile smell reminiscent of a hospital, and a constant chatter that filled the space ¨C not quite high-energy, but still a far cry from what I¡¯d expect on Earth.


    I sat on the couch with her, keeping a comfortable distance away. ¡°So do any of you have jobs? Or how does the economy work...?¡±


    She set down the novel she¡¯d been reading, marking her place with a blue ribbon. ¡°Yea, we¡¯re all employed, but in Hell we have long vacations ¨C more than one person will fill the same position, taking turns while the others take time off. Older people like Kelith will get longer time off and higher priority, but that¡¯s the jist of it.¡±


    ¡°Huh. How long do we live?¡± It was surprising that I¡¯d taken so long to ask that question ¨C given that it had been hanging in the back of my head since I¡¯d accepted my identity ¨C but it also wasn¡¯t surprising given everything else that had been vying for my attention and the fact that I was scared to find out the answer.


    ¡°It depends on race quite a bit, but most are in the hundreds ¨C concubi in particular live somewhere around 800-1200 years.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡± Yea... that¡¯s what I was scared of. Cool, just what I needed, another awkward conversation to have with my partners...


    She watched my reaction, maintaining the distance we¡¯d held since our meeting in the restaurant.


    I was eager to move on. ¡°Is there any downside to hopping in and out of Hell? Like teleportation sickness or whatever?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as teleportation sickness, but demons that go in and out of the human world quickly have escalating portal costs. It¡¯s not a cooldown per say, but it functions a lot like a cooldown. Honestly, I only know this because I did my homework before chasing after my sister. Most demons don¡¯t care about the human world ¨C to them it¡¯s just the place we dump people that are especially cruel and destructive.¡±


    Katie entered the room holding a platter of sandwiches, diverting my attention away from our conversation. We were soon joined by Kelith and Edith, the latter of which beelined directly to her wife, carrying a plate for the two.


    I thanked her and Kelith as Katie plopped beside me and we began munching on them ¨C although I still couldn¡¯t tell what any of the vegetables were.


    Is there even any meat in this sandwich?


    ¡°So, have you asked about my mom yet?¡± Katie asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± I looked towards Kelith, who¡¯d sat on an armchair with her own plate, ¡°Katie¡¯s mom is a human witch, and she¡¯s not the biggest fan of demons, or succubi in particular, so she¡¯s been giving us some trouble ¨C it¡¯s why we¡¯re here in the first place, to hide out while we figure out a permanent solution.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t want to kill her?¡± Edith asked, shrugging when my mom glared at her.


    ¡°No,¡± Katie answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know who¡¯d take care of my sisters if she wasn¡¯t there...¡±


    Holy shit, that¡¯s the reason she doesn¡¯t want her mother dead?!


    I wrapped an arm around Katie¡¯s back, hugging her close, trying to make her feel loved.


    Kelith hummed thoughtfully, setting down a half-eaten sandwich on her plate. ¡°It¡¯s hard to sway, without the full context ¨C what would your ideal resolution be?¡±


    I glanced at Katie, unsure if she was okay with me speaking for her, given that it was her mom. At her nod, I spoke, ¡°Well, ideally we solve it diplomatically, but her beliefs are pretty deeply entrenched ¨C at least by my understanding ¨C and she used to work as a demon hunter, so...¡±


    Katie added, ¡°If someone wanted to, we could maybe have a powerful group escort her around Hell and let her understand on her own terms that demons aren¡¯t evil? I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be interested in visiting ¨C she loves to research and study ¨C but maybe I¡¯m just being optimistic.¡±


    Edith nodded, ¡°As a devil, I doubt she¡¯d be stronger than me magically, and she certainly wouldn¡¯t be stronger than me physically. I¡¯d be interested in showing her around, if you could convince her to come in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Yea, that sounds like an idea, but I think it would be good to have backups, just in case we¡¯re being too optimistic.¡± I said, breezing past her admission she was The Devil ¨C I assumed it was some kind of nickname, hoped it wasn¡¯t literal for the sake of my fading ¨C but still present ¨C religious sensibilities.


    Despite my words, after another few rounds of discussions, the best idea anyone had was Zamira asking if we¡¯d gone to the administration of the college I went to. She referred to it as the embassy for Hell, not knowing I attended the school, and I slapped my palm to my forehead, irritated I hadn¡¯t thought to ask them for help in the first place.


    So, in all, we had two plans for dealing with Amber¡¯s mom when we came back to Earth, and going home didn¡¯t seem so scary anymore.


    Ugh, I still need to talk to Katie about how she feels about her parents, there are a million conversations of varying levels of embarrassment I need to have with Amber and Sophia, and I need to have one ¨C potentially last ¨C conversation with my dad.

 Part 3, Chapter 11

    Part 3, Chapter 11


    Amber


    Once I got over myself, sex between Sophia and I was intoxicating.


    She was insatiable, and the days blended together as we took the excuse of needing to stay hidden from my mother ¨C which wasn¡¯t valid anymore ¨C way too seriously. Meals were consumed and showers were taken at any hour, the sun¡¯s light having no meaning on our eternal frantic dance. We fueled our respective angst and frustration at our situation into each other¡¯s bodies, leaving each of us with our own smattering of angry marks from overzealous mouths.


    Then, as I came down from one of my highs, sweaty and full of bliss, I glanced at my phone, checking for any notifications, and saw the date. ¡°Shit, they¡¯re supposed to be back in...¡± my tired mind strained to remember if we¡¯d ever agreed upon a time, ¡°Well, sometime between six hours ago and eighteen hours from now.¡±


    Sophia lifted her head from between my legs, brushing her tangled blonde hair from her face and making a face like she was about to sneeze. ¡°Shoot,¡± she said, climbing off of me and out of bed to look for clothes to throw on.


    I followed suit, stealing a loose cream sundress out of her closet and throwing it over no underwear, thankful that the dress covered my chest enough for the trip back to my dorm.


    We quickly made our way outside, discussing whether they¡¯d be showing up where they left or if we¡¯d have to go find them somewhere, and what we were going to do if my mother tried to intervene. We didn¡¯t have a confident answer for either.


    ¡ª


    Our anxious waiting was finally put to an end by a phone call from Lily in the late morning, telling us they¡¯d popped out across town, that she had a lot to tell us but it could wait until we met up.


    Sophia and I were ecstatic just to hear their voices, and although Lily tried to insist otherwise, I wanted to meet her halfway before escorting her back home.


    A short planning session later and we were set to meet outside a train station closer to us than to Lily. On the way there, my heart thumped and jolted at every old lady Sophia and I walked past, every person that looked the slightest bit like a witch I used to know.


    A long walk, a short train ride, and a short walk later and I finally saw Lily and Katie. I threw my arms around my girlfriend, picking her up and spinning around as she giggled and relief flooded my body.


    Once I had my fill, I handed her off to Sophia and went in for a hug on Katie. Neither of them looked as weary as I¡¯d expected ¨C I knew that spending a week away from home could be stressful and tiring, regardless of where it was, and I¡¯d worried that Hell would be hard to live in.


    We completed our greetings and then it came time for news.


    Lily started the conversation, asking if we¡¯d come up with a solution. At my shameful shark of my head, she began her story, also starting our trip home. ¡°So first off, you don¡¯t have to tell me you opened my letter, I can smell you both and you smell delicious,¡± she coughed, ¡°Anyways, we have a few ideas, but nothing concrete.¡± She then proceeded to explain that Hell was neat, demons were chill ¨C her words not mine ¨C and that she¡¯d met up with her very much not dead mom and her family.


    I then told them about what happened with my mom, and unfortunately Katie was as baffled as I was, not having an answer when I asked whether she wanted to return to the coven like nothing had happened, despite the possibility that our mother knew she was a demon.


    Then came the awkward part. ¡°Um, so during that conversation with my mom, she said her sister¡¯s name was Zamira, and Sophia said...¡±


    Lily gasped, ¡°Oh... Your mom is Scarlet. That means...¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t talking about it?¡± I suggested.


    She nodded, ¡°That works for me, cuz¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You can visit me, and I can visit you, but the possibility was always there that one of us would move away.¡±


    My hand continued its motions, even as my gaze fell in front of me, following my drooping posture.


    ¡°Amber, I love you, and you¡¯re more of a mom to me than that bitch ever was,¡± she puffed out a laugh, ¡°even if you can be a bit of an idiot sometimes...¡±


    ¡°I...¡± another sigh escaped me, ¡°Don¡¯t call your mother an idiot,¡± I joked, my resigned tone not letting either of us laugh.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see each other soon, and eventually I¡¯ll have a bigger polycule than you,¡± Katie stuck her tongue out, ¡°Now let''s go tell the other two and send me home so you can get on celebrating your girlfriend''s return.¡±


    I laughed, surprised she hadn''t told Lily her plans, given the fact that I¡¯d picked up on the two being closer since their trip. We disentangled, got off the couch, and joined the other two women in Lily¡¯s bedroom.


    Lily saw us first, laying on her bed facing us in her demon form, while Sophia was behind her, face buried in Lily¡¯s hair. Lily¡¯s eyes darted between Katie¡¯s face and mine, and she sat up, evidently understanding the weight of the conversation.


    Sophia followed her, blinking drowsiness out of her eyes and yawning ¨C both things I desperately wanted to do as well, given how little sleep we¡¯d been getting.


    Katie sat in the desk chair, and I stood behind her instead of joining my girlfriends, wanting to support my sister more than anything else ¨C even though I had a lingering bitterness in my throat at the thought of her going away.


    My little sister began, nervously settling her hands together in her lap, ¡°So I¡¯m going back to live in Hell ¨C permanently.¡±


    The two women on the bed sat in stupefied silence for a moment before reacting, Sophia simply shrugging and Lily¡¯s eyes darting to my face, looking for something.


    I clarified, ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled about it, but she explained her reasons to me, and it makes sense. Unless you think it¡¯d be particularly dangerous...¡±


    Lily shook her head, ¡°No, not dangerous, but there is a limit on how often we can go back and forth,¡± her eyes settled onto the floor, ¡°I guess I can see why, I just hadn¡¯t considered Katie would want to move before me...¡±


    I leaned onto the chair, causing it to creak, ¡°You were planning on leaving?¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the hurt out of my voice in my surprise.


    She winced, curling in on herself, ¡°No, not anytime soon ¨C unless you two wanted to,¡± she sighed, ¡°I was planning on taking you on a trip there sometime soon because I think you¡¯d enjoy it, and I wanted to gauge interest in moving there, but... Well I was planning on telling you two this once we got time alone, but concubi live for hundreds of years...¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I blinked. I knew that... so why does being reminded of it feel like such a punch in the gut? It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll even matter to me; I¡¯ll be dead. She¡¯s the one that has to deal with being alive for so long.


    ¡°Let¡¯s worry about that later,¡± Sophia interjected, ¡°The two of us dying of old age is less of a concern right now than us breaking up ¨C and I¡¯m sure someone out there has researched life-extending magic.¡±


    I nodded along with Lily, even as my feelings insisted that the issue was more important than that. ¡°So, we¡¯re getting Katie ready to go back as soon as possible?¡±


    More nods answered my question.


    As much as I want time alone with my girlfriends, I still don¡¯t want her to leave...

 Bonus 2: Resolve, Resolution, and Rest

    Bonus 2: Resolve, Resolution, and Rest


    Katie


    As much as I wished otherwise, leaving Earth was an Ordeal, and Amber was taking my admission that she felt like my mom way too seriously. She helicoptered around as we took a quick trip to the coven to grab my things, and then I spent the next couple hours trying to explain why I didn¡¯t need to bring every last bit to Hell, and, in fact, Kelith was more than capable of feeding and housing me, even being enthusiastic at the prospect.


    I understood that she was sad about me leaving, but did she really have to be so annoying about it?


    Whatever, it was worth it, just to get the chance to see her reaction to the toys I¡¯d had in my room, and the fact that they were one of the few things I was bringing.


    Saying goodbye to the other two was a much different experience. Sophia I didn¡¯t know all that well, and though Lily seemed to think we could geek out together over magic, that¡¯d never come through. Overall, it was awkward, but easy.


    Lily, on the other hand, was much more difficult, but thankfully not as much as Amber. The two of us had undeniably gotten closer during our shared vacation in Hell. I¡¯d been forced into the middle of her family drama, and, as much as I¡¯d felt like an outsider listening in on their conversations, I¡¯d grown to like Lily and her grandma.


    Starting out, when we¡¯d first left, I¡¯d liked Lily in a different way, but as I learned more about her, was desensitized to how attractive demon women were, and forced her into the ¡®older sister¡¯ box, my feelings shifted and now I found myself happy Lily and Amber had found each other, rather than jealous.


    I still want my own polycule though...


    After a hundred reminders and endless hugs, I finally opened the portal to my new home, a staggering rush of energy falling out of me as the orange oval came into existence a few feet over from where Lily¡¯s had been a week ago.


    With one last wave and a sigh, I stepped through, into my new life.


    ¡ª


    Hell was the same, and as I spun around to gather my bearings and find my way to Seriza, I had a hard time pinning down why it was so odd to me that everything was the same ¨C it¡¯d only been a week.


    Once I got going, walking through the sparse foliage and settling into my rhythm, however, I figured it out. My time in Hell hadn¡¯t felt real to me, at least not once I got back on Earth, and I¡¯d had a hard time believing it was anything more than a dream even as I was getting ready to move there.


    I breathed in the clean air, letting the trickles of afternoon sun cutting down from the bushy treetops settle onto my exposed purple skin, convincing myself that this was real ¨C I could be a demon if I want to, live in a place where that was okay, and there was no way for anyone to stop me, least of all Lily¡¯s aunt.


    I stifled a laugh at that thought ¨C that was one part of their relationship that I had no envy for.


    My thoughts drifted to the concept of family, and how abstract it was to me. The person most connected to me, at least on Earth, was Lily¡¯s aunt, who had legal guardianship of me. But she wasn¡¯t related to me by blood, and I had little care for what the governments of Earth had to say at this point.


    So then, were Lily, Amber, and Kelith my family? Could I really just pick and choose who counted and who didn''t?


    What a mess...


    And that wasn¡¯t even touching the possibility that my biological parents were out there somewhere, if Scarlet hadn¡¯t killed them. Lily and I had talked about that one night before we left Hell, and we found out that unlike her, I¡¯d never wondered about my missing parent(s), happy to follow along with what my caretakers and my older sister told me to do.


    Whatever, who cares?


    I had better things to do than mulling over the meaning of life. I was in Hell and pointless pondering could wait until I was at least a hundred and fifty years old.


    I kept my thoughts worry free until I reached the edge of the city ¨C a shorter walk than it had been last time ¨C and I heard a commotion, people yelling and a small crowd murmuring.


    Amongst a gathering of a dozen or so onlookers were a couple stern-looking demons dressed in black robes, and Scarlet.


    What the fuck?


    As I scampered over to the edge of the voyeurs, my overstuffed backpack bouncing behind me and my suitcase flopping in my hand, the only new context I gained was that she was arguing with the robe-wearers. I approached the friendliest looking person watching, someone on the younger side with pale green skin, and whispered to her, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    She startled, relaxing when she peeked back at me, having to look up slightly to match my height, ¡°Apparently she managed to return to Hell, despite being banished, and now the SDL is trying to figure out what to do with her.¡± Her voice was as intrigued as it was worried.


    ¡°Well then I¡¯m calling you Kat,¡± she declared victoriously.


    I swiftly countered, ¡°Meow,¡± moving my hand in a mock-clawing motion.


    Giggles escaped me when she finally backed off, her blush deepening.


    I think I already love it here...


    ¡ª


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t flirt with my new plant-y friend forever, and eventually I had to leave, after several reassurances I was okay, and writing down her contact information for when I finally got the Hell version of a phone.


    Then, after getting lost a few times, I was finally at Kelith¡¯s apartment, my original destination. She was happy to see me, inviting me in and asking if I was hungry. We hadn¡¯t agreed on a specific time to meet, given the uncertainties that came with traveling across worlds, so there was no reason for her to ask about where I¡¯d been.


    Nonetheless, after a few minutes of small talk, she asked, ¡°So what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I blinked, running my hand over the folded blanket beside me on the couch. ¡°Well...¡± I took a deep breath, having trouble deciding where to start, ¡°When I went back to Earth and talked with my sister, I found out that the woman that adopted us was Lily¡¯s aunt.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Kelith¡¯s eyebrows shot up, ¡°I never met her ¨C I try to stay away from the inlaws ¨C but from what I know she¡¯s...¡± She hesitated, seeing my grimace.


    ¡°Yea, she had some issues, but that¡¯s not the important part,¡± I shook my head, ¡°Apparently she was working on ways to get around her banishment, and when I was traveling into Seriza, I saw her; she was successful.¡±


    Kelith gasped, throwing a hand over her mouth.


    ¡°Yea. And the... S-D-L had already found her and...¡± I shrugged, looking down.


    She stood from her chair and crossed the room, sitting back down beside me and wrapping her arms around me. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered.


    I shook my head, rubbing my face against the soft fabric of her sweater, confused why she was comforting me. I¡¯m fine, what...


    And then I realized I was crying and the floodgates opened. I clutched the end of her top, burying my face into it and trying to stifle my sobs.


    I hate scarlet, I haven¡¯t believed her crap in years, I¡¯ve seen first-hand all of the ways she deliberately fucked us over, and still...


    I gasped for air, trying to calm my shuddering breaths. After a few deep exhales, I was finally calmed enough to peel myself out of Kelith¡¯s embrace and wipe my face with the back of my wrist. Other than lingering sniffles I was ready to talk. ¡°I need to tell Amber but I don¡¯t think I have the energy to portal back,¡± I said, thinking of the escalating costs to portals made in quick succession.


    ¡°Let¡¯s worry about you first ¨C I can have Edith and Zamira deliver a letter for you later,¡± she took a deep breath, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    I puffed out a breath of my own, ¡°Um, it¡¯s just been a lot recently ¨C so much has changed and things have worked out, but... it¡¯s overwhelming,¡± I let out, leaning back into the plush couch and closing my eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± Kelith asked, voice soft.


    ¡°I just want to move on...¡± I answered, ¡°If you could help me register for school that would be great, but I¡¯m already thankful you¡¯re letting me stay here.¡±


    ¡°Oh hush,¡± she stood, shaking her head, ¡°Anything for my cute little granddaughters. Now let¡¯s get you some sweets ¨C that''ll cheer you up.¡±


    I laughed, following her into the kitchen. ¡°Speaking of sweets, I met the sweetest dryad earlier today...¡±


    Kelith stopped and turned around, narrowing her eyes at me, ¡°I¡¯ve already given this talk to your sister, but...¡±


    I smiled through the embarrassing lecture, happy to finally have found a place for me.

 Bonus 3: Sex, Saccharine, and Solemnity

    Bonus 3: Sex, Saccharine, and Solemnity


    Lily


    ¡°Huh,¡± I let out, stroking Amber¡¯s cock after putting on one of the condoms Kelith had given me. We¡¯d opened the variety pack ¨C a box with a half dozen different gimmicks ¨C and I¡¯d chosen to start with the clear ultra-thin one, which I couldn¡¯t even tell was on, despite doing it myself.


    Magic...


    ¡°Lily...¡± Amber whined, motioning towards my bed, where Sophia was watching us, working on getting her own condom on ¨C a blue one that I hadn¡¯t read about yet, although I had gotten a pointed question from Sophia about what I thought about temperature play.


    I pulled Amber to the bed by my hand and tail, the former still stroking up and down her impressive length, and the latter wrapping around her waist because I couldn¡¯t help myself. We settled onto our backs with me laying in the middle, my arms around each of their shoulders.


    My girlfriends stared into me from each side, their hands snaking up my pink torso to each grab a breast.


    ¡®Uh oh¡¯ I thought, feeling every bit like vulnerable prey about to be devoured.


    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t devour me, at least not immediately ¨C instead gently teasing my nipples with gentle but discordant rhythms, each of them wrapping a leg over my lower body to keep my squirms in check.


    ¡°Please,¡± I gasped, already ready to give up any pride and beg them for release.


    Like we¡¯d discussed earlier, however, I was answered by disappointed tutting, and shakes of their heads.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this until you come at least once,¡± Amber teased, briefly pinching my right nub.


    ¡°What?¡± I hissed when Sophia ghosted her foot down my bare left leg, leaving a trail of goosebumps. ¡°I never said¨C¡±


    A tongue came from my right, sliding up the length of my neck. ¡°You know what to say if it¡¯s too much.¡±


    I considered talking back more, before deciding I would be better off saving brattiness for later, if I still had the energy. Instead, I let all of my concerns melt out of me, closing my eyes and just feeling.


    Feeling the tangle of digits on my breasts, the smooth sheets rustling under me as my hips fought against the weight of two bodies pressing me down, and the hot need pulsing between my legs, begging me to untangle my arms and finger myself silly.


    My hands squeezed the shoulders they were holding, my tail wrapped itself around my thigh, and I let out a trembling moan. Holy shit, I love sex.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Amber, she might be ready...¡±


    Amber chuckled, her face still in my neck. ¡°Not even close ¨C sluts love foreplay.¡±


    I mewed in agreement.


    ¡°See? And we haven¡¯t even started marking her,¡± she continued, closing her jaws around a patch of skin on my neck, nibbling and sucking on it as her fingers continued their ceaseless flittering.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I cried, ¡°Please just fuck me!¡± My head twisted away from Amber, giving her better access to my neck, and I finally slipped my arm free from her, caressing down her body and beginning to stroke her penis, hoping she would get horny enough to be impatient. Unfortunately, with how her hips were positioned ¨C pointing down into my side ¨C I didn''t have enough room for anything more than little rubs with the tips of my fingers.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my handjob?¡± Sophia teased, leaning down to nibble across my collarbone.


    I giggled, but it was cut off by another wave of arousal building from my chest. My second hand dropped to mirror the other, and I had to close my eyes again to focus on keeping two rhythms going.


    Amber¡¯s hips began dragging long strokes into me, the slow speed making me wonder if she was even aware of her own movements.


    Sophia, on the other hand, was much more vocal with her approval, whispering in my ear, ¡°Yes, fuck, you¡¯re so good at this ¨C you were made for this.¡± She nibbled on the edges of my ear, teeth hungry for my skin.


    I turned my head to capture her lips with mine, using all of my practice to communicate how much I appreciated her, every stroke of my lips on hers slow and deliberate. My hands stalled, my focus coalescing all onto one point in front of me: the point where Sophia¡¯s mouth met mine. We slid and sucked and puckered and¨C


    Holy shit! My hips bucked, the bed creaking in protest under me. I stared at the ceiling, blinking and trying to figure out what had happened. My head tilted down, and I saw Amber trying to hold in a laugh, her pointer finger completely still between my legs. She flicked it up again, dragging the tip through my folds and relishing in the whimper that escaped me.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s ready,¡± Amber said, leaving my side to crawl above my legs, her hen bouncing up and down with each movement.


    Sophia didn¡¯t object, kissing her way down my neck after my focus had shifted. She also repositioned, heaving her wide hips on top of my abdomen, her covered girldick slapping down between my breasts.


    I shivered at the cool sensation coming from the blue rubbery substance, but my focus was still on Amber, waiting for her to finally enter me.


    Everyone was still for a moment, the air thick with sweat and the sounds of our worked-up panting. Then, Amber¡¯s cock was inside, the thickness parting and stretching me, unimpeded as she bottomed out, a gasp resounding on either side of Sophia.


    The moment seemed to linger, although I couldn¡¯t say how long Amber remained still. There was just so much to process ¨C yes I could¡¯ve fallen back on, ¡®I¡¯m having sex with them, again¡¯, but that would¡¯ve taken away so much of the joy that came from nuance. It wasn¡¯t just that we were having sex ¨C although that was enjoyable on its face ¨C it was the wild, hungry stare Sophia was giving me, the feeling of my legs wrapped behind Amber¡¯s hips with my tail squeezing one of them, and it was how far I¡¯d come since first transforming, how free I was.


    They began thrusting at about the same time, one between my breasts and the other inside me. My arms splayed out, fingers digging into the sheets, trying to anchor me, meaning Sophia had to press my chest together herself to create enough friction to please her. Her hands squeezed into my soft flesh, and I absentmindedly shapeshifted them slightly bigger, enjoying the way her fingers dug into me.


    Amber, on the other hand, was showing off her athletic prowess, her hips moving in a steady rhythm, only interrupted by little shifts she made to hit me at just the right angle. It didn¡¯t matter that my legs were around her, constantly trying to pull her in; she moved back the same as she did forwards, overpowering my feeble muscles easily. Each thrust threatened to be the one to cause my pleasure to peak ¨C a summit that grew nearly as fast as it was being climbed.


    Time blurred, carrying my mind as it twisted and warped. Brief moments seemed to linger, details imprinting themselves in my memory, while others weren¡¯t registered at all, lost to the waves of euphoria.


    At some point, Sophia had climbed off me, instead laying next to me and stroking my chest while she watched Amber and I get closer to our orgasms ¨C it was clear from her gaze that she wanted her turn. My line of sight was unobstructed, letting my eyes meet Amber¡¯s ¨C their intangible embrace one of those things that felt eternal, like we¡¯d never blinked before, nor would we ever in the future.


    Until the moment ended, my body quaked and my eyes scrunched shut. I threw my head back letting out a long, unrepentant moan, reveling in the warm, tingly glaze permeating my skin and the gentle twitches of Amber¡¯s member inside of me.


    She slid out of me ¨C eliciting a whine from my mouth ¨C revealing her bulging condom, the clear material not concealing one bit of her load. Before we could get wrapped up in Sophia fucking me, I sat up and freed Amber¡¯s gock, holding her seed above my mouth and tilting it back without hesitation.


    I¡¯m not going to say no to free magic from my girlfriend...


    I swallowed, savoring the sweet, sticky warmth as it slid down my throat. My eyes glanced at the other two, who were watching in fascination. ¡°Alright, next round?¡± I smirked, laying back down and wiggling my hips.


    ¡ª


    I groaned, peeling a sticky limb from my chest and sitting up. A yawn escaped me as I glanced around, memories of the previous night flowing into my mind piece by piece. My girlfriends were still laying on either side of my body, Amber murmuring in her sleep and clutching at where I¡¯d just been, while Sophia stirred, sleepiness shining through her fluttering lashes.


    My hand reached down to cup her cheek, my fingers gently scritching under her chin. She¡¯s so cute when she¡¯s sleepy.


    I continued petting her until she fully woke up, causing us to switch roles, me laying in her lap and enjoying headpats until Amber had slept enough.


    Once we were all awake, it was time to plan our day.


    I started the conversation, ¡°So are you two taking me on dates today?¡±


    ¡°Sophia and I talked about it, and we agreed that three-person dates are ideal whenever we¡¯re all free; if it¡¯s only a pair, the person leftover will be lonely ¨C stupid odd numbers...¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, we could always look for a fourth,¡± I countered, only half-joking.


    ¡°Uh, gals? You both have classes today, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting Lily skip ¨C unless she¡¯s committing to dropping out.¡±


    I groaned at Sophia¡¯s reminder ¨C during my time in Hell, I forgot about all the torture I had to deal with on Earth. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go to human school,¡± I grumbled, ¡°We¡¯re going out this evening, though; there¡¯s no way I¡¯m waiting until Saturday for my date.¡±


    Sophia gave me a sinister smile, ¡°Sure, as long as you finish your homework and study for any tests you have.¡±


    How hard could it be?


    ¡ª


    It was Saturday, and I was finally free from eternal damnation ¨C meaning I could get my date.


    Each of my girlfriends had planned something, with Sophia¡¯s plans coming first, in the afternoon, whereas Amber¡¯s were set to happen after dinner. No matter how much I¡¯d begged since Wednesday, they wouldn¡¯t tell me anything about their plans, telling me that I didn''t even need to plan my wardrobe ahead of time, given my magic. I¡¯d never been so disappointed about being a succubus.


    I bounced off the walls all morning ¨C probably driving Amber crazy ¨C Sophia arrived and, after a reminder that I wasn¡¯t supposed to be outside as a demon, we were off.


    My first surprise came when she led us to the parking lot and into a car, a worn, white sedan ¨C I think I¡¯d known at one point that she could drive, but I didn¡¯t think she owned a car. True to my expectations, as we rolled out of the parking lot, Sophia explained she¡¯d borrowed the car from a classmate of hers that owed her a favour.


    ¡°How nice of her,¡± I chirped in the backseat, my good mood making me giddy, ¡°Maybe I should repay her with a pleasant dream...¡± I giggled when Amber turned around and raised an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve been in my dreams this whole time?¡± she complained.


    Sophia shook her head, maintaining her gaze on the road, ¡°One, it was a guy, and two, Amber sleeps in whenever we have sex ¨C I don¡¯t think we want to find out what would happen if she was having sex in her dreams...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down for some dreamy guy,¡± I grinned into the rear-view mirror, ¡°and maybe I can take Amber along with me ¨C it can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°You two do whatever you want ¨C but I reserve the right to say I told you so if Amber sleeps for two days straight.¡±


    ¡°No, Sophia¡¯s right,¡± Amber groaned, ¡°I need to get back into exercising more ¨C exercise that isn¡¯t sex,¡± she clarified, glaring at me. ¡°Anyways, what else can we talk about?¡±


    I hummed in thought, ¡°Not to bring down the mood too much, but your mom isn¡¯t going to bother us, right?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing for her to gain by disrupting our date ¨C pretty much anything active she does to mess with us will just anger me, which, if she¡¯s playing the long game as far as winning me over is concerned, is counterproductive. Also, she¡¯s completely missing ¨C like the staff at the coven ran out of instructions, which is unusual. But whatever has her attention is probably unrelated to us, so we should be fine.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Sophia glanced at me in the mirror, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lily, your big strong girlfriends will protect you.¡±


    I blushed, and tried to ignore the way her teasing made me feel, knowing that if the three of us got started on sex, we¡¯d never make it to our date. ¡°So Amber, how¡¯re your sisters?¡±


    Her smile dropped briefly, before picking back up, ¡°They¡¯re good ¨C Serena is about to graduate high school, and she¡¯s old enough to have given up on being a witch, which makes me happy for her. She¡¯s going to college out of state, and while I¡¯ll miss her, I kind of hope she stays away for her sake,¡± Amber pursed her lips, ¡°Then there¡¯s Elizabeth, she¡¯s twelve and she loves reading, I remember when I was still in high school, she¡¯d beg me to read her stories before bed. These days, whenever I¡¯m home, she shows me the pile of books she got from the library that she¡¯s read since I was last there.¡±


    She chuckled, rolling her head to stare sadly out the window. ¡°I¡¯m worried for them... I guess I¡¯ve known for a long time that our mother wasn¡¯t the most attentive parent, but we had our nannies and our maids... but with what I know now, I can¡¯t help but feel like the situation is constantly about to explode...¡±


    I sighed, wishing she¡¯d sat in the back so I could hug her. ¡°Is there someone you could rely on if things go badly with your mom? Like some kind of ally or...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±


    ¡°What about Chris¡¯s family?¡± Sophia asked.


    Amber shook her head again, ¡°Magic isn¡¯t something to mess around with for humans ¨C and for most people this is either a place to make supernatural connections, or to hang out somewhere where causing a fuss is more trouble than it¡¯s worth.¡±


    One of the women with a pointy hat sat down in a seat that¡¯d just opened up behind Amber, and when Amber saw her, she grimaced, continuing, ¡°Case in point, this is May ¨C girl who my mom might¡¯ve hired to kill me. And May, these are my girlfriends, please don¡¯t murder them.¡±


    May raised an eyebrow at Amber, and slowly glanced towards me and Sophia. She hardly moved, her face stuck on the half-frown she¡¯d had since noticing Amber. She was tall, with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes and sharp features. When she spoke, her voice was a mix of haughtiness and brattiness that didn¡¯t align with her aloof stare. ¡°Your mother may have hired me, but like any self-respecting witch who has had the misfortune of dealing with her, I took the payment upfront and ran.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, may have hired you...¡± I chuckled, unable to help myself ¨C although to my credit, Sophia laughed behind me.


    The witches weren¡¯t as amused, shooting me dirty looks with frowns on their faces.


    I pressed forwards, my mind thrumming with confidence as I downed the last of my drink, ¡°Hey May,¡± I giggled, ¡°Are you gay?¡± I doubled over, unable to see her reaction while I belted out long cackles.


    Once I was finally able to straighten myself up, I saw two unamused witches staring at me.


    Amber spoke, ¡°Lily, I love you, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m comfortable with you fucking my rival.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t fucking!¡± May protested.


    I gasped, ¡°You love me, really?¡± I leaned forwards, almost sliding off Sophia¡¯s lap, but she grabbed my waist, holding me secure.


    Amber blushed, mumbling, ¡°Stupid alcohol, making me say things I¡¯m not ready for...¡± she glanced at her almost empty drink.


    I gasped again, this time teasing. ¡°So you don¡¯t really mean it?¡± My eyes widened and I put on my best pouty face.


    Her face flicked to my direction, ¡°No no no...¡± she glanced away again, ¡°I¡¯m just embarrassed...¡±


    Sophia¡¯s arms wrapped around my torso, finally pulling me all the way back into her. Her finger came up to brush my hair away from my ear, and then her lips leaned close. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    My eyes closed reflexively and tingles shot all over my body. I didn¡¯t bother trying to resist as an influx of magic overwhelmed me, transforming me into my demonic form, complete with a totally-not-a-wedding-gown white dress clothing me.


    This time I didn¡¯t notice the stares and the quiet, given that I was too busy feeling overwhelmed by my magic in a way that I hadn¡¯t ever before. I looked up at the ceiling, prayed that it wasn¡¯t flammable, and let out a long belch of fire, burning off my excess energy.


    When I was finally able to look down and see everyone else, there were just as many shocked expressions as there were fearful ones ¨C the werewolves in particular looked excited, like they¡¯d just seen a scheduled fireworks show.


    I held my hands up and stood, motioning my girlfriends towards the door, ¡°Fine, fine ¨C I¡¯m leaving, no magic allowed, I got it.¡±


    Dozens of gazes followed me to the door.


    ¡°Bye May, nice to meet you!¡± I shouted over my shoulder.


    Back in the cool night air, the three of us stood on the sidewalk, each glancing between the other two.


    ¡°Welp, that went about as expected,¡± Amber said.


    ¡°Honestly surprised she didn¡¯t somehow get into a fight,¡± Sophia added.


    ¡°I love you two too,¡± I giggled, prancing away into the night.


    ¡ª


    I woke up, first noticing that someone had stuffed my brain with cotton, and second that my limbs were tangled with Amber¡¯s.


    A groan escaped my lips as I sat up, lamenting the fact that my biology didn¡¯t make me immune to hangovers. My girlfriend stirred next to me, the wince on her face indicating that she was no better off.


    I searched for Sophia, but didn¡¯t find her, despite the fact that it was her dorm room ¨C but I did find something interesting, which was a set of claw marks on a pillow on the floor, some of the stuffing falling out. I stood and threw the pillow back towards Amber, not ready to deal with whatever that was.


    My wobbly legs, sore from whatever had happened the previous night, carried me to the desk, where I searched for a note. Just as I was starting to get worried, the door opened, and Sophia entered, carrying a large paper bag.


    She pointed to her nightstand, which had two water bottles on it, and set about removing her shoes.


    Amber stirred as I drank the water and Sophia pulled bagels and cream cheese out of her bag, setting them on the desk. I immediately snapped up a plain one, biting in without bothering to slice it.


    ¡°So, how are you two doing?¡± Sophia asked, failing to suppress a smug grin.


    Amber groaned, making her way into the desk chair and slicing open an everything bagel with careful precision ¨C or perhaps lethargy. ¡°It was worth it,¡± she answered, narrowing her eyes, ¡°At least I think so, it¡¯s all kind of blurry after we left The Witch¡¯s Brew.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to have a functioning memory to know I did something stupid ¨C let¡¯s leave that behind for now. I need to make my way to church.¡± I chimed in.


    My girlfriends froze, staring at me with concern all over their faces.


    ¡°Uh... exactly how much of your memory did you lose?¡± Sophia asked.


    ¡°Wait, did I never tell you guys?¡± I groaned, annoyed at how many things I was supposed to talk about with them after I got back from my trip, but not surprised I¡¯d forgotten at least one. ¡°I wanted to go talk to my dad one last time, with all of the new information I got. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll change his mind... but he at least deserves to know he was being manipulated.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Amber complained, ¡°Why do you have to be so nice and forgiving?¡± She shook her head, ¡°Sorry, I like that about you, and I understand why you¡¯re trying to have a relationship with him, it''s just...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re worried,¡± Sophia finished, placing a hand on Amber¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Exactly. We don¡¯t want to see you get hurt again.¡±


    I swallowed the bite of bagel in my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m brimming with magic so he doesn¡¯t pose me a threat physically, and emotionally... well if I cry that¡¯s that. I have you two to support me and he can¡¯t take that away.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want you to cry in the first place.¡± Amber leaned in, staring up at me with pleading eyes.


    Sophia sighed, squeezing Amber¡¯s shoulder, ¡°If you¡¯re set on doing this, are you at least okay with us coming with you?¡±


    I turned away, blushing. I¡¯d been planning to go alone, to deal with it on my own as much as possible. ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Lily...¡± they harmonized, disappointment on Sophia¡¯s face and exasperation on Ambers.


    ¡°Okay...  You¡¯re right, it makes more sense for you to come with,¡± I sighed, annoyed with myself for not realizing that in the first place. ¡°Thanks for supporting me.¡± I pulled them into an awkward hug, one arm around Amber who was still sitting down, and the other behind Sophia¡¯s lower back. ¡°I love you both.¡±


    ¡ª


    Thankfully, Sophia still had the car, meaning the trip over was painless, and if necessary, our escape would be swift.


    I¡¯d texted my father earlier, asking him to meet me in the graveyard after mass. He¡¯d thankfully agreed, but the ¡®Okay¡¯ I¡¯d received wasn¡¯t exactly enthusiastic.


    On the drive over, Amber had sat in the back this time, using the middle seat to stay close and try to comfort my fraying nerves as I worried over how to best express myself.


    The walk through the graveyard was similarly scary, my fears propped up and fed by the mournful atmosphere. I didn¡¯t know what I was particularly afraid of, however, making attempting to squash those fears annoying. I wasn¡¯t feeling unsure of my identity at all, and there was nothing my father could say to change that. Nor was I interested in what he had to say about Mom.


    The closest I came to identifying my feelings was that I was afraid of being disappointed ¨C which was a strange thing that defied definition.


    I already have low expectations, how could I even be disappointed? Is expecting to be disappointed even a thing?


    At last, we reached the grave, my feelings on it completely different since I was last here.


    Or maybe they weren¡¯t.


    I was still sad for the names of dead people I¡¯d never met, it¡¯s just that now I knew that one of them, one that was arguably more important than the others, was alive. Scanning the names once more, I wondered if Katie¡¯s parents were there.


    I also wondered if Zamira had known any of the victims of her sister, if they¡¯d ever argued about what Scarlet had been doing. Maybe Scarlet was secretive, pretending she was reasonable and safe ¨C or maybe Zamira didn¡¯t care, maybe the others on the list were all crazed murderers.


    It seemed unlikely.


    I turned towards the main building, and saw tickles of the congregation leaving, flowing out into the parking lots. It was finally time.


    Another dozen or so minutes passed before I saw my father, who was wearing a white button-up and black slacks, indicating he hadn¡¯t given a sermon today. His expression was impassive as he strode towards us, taking care to use the walkways to avoid stepping on anyone¡¯s grave. He only met my gaze once, when he turned onto a path facing directly at me, his eyes quickly shifting to look past me.


    He stopped a few feet from the three of us, glancing at my girlfriends with a resigned sadness, before looking at me with a raise of his eyebrows that asked, ¡®Well?¡¯


    ¡°Um...¡± I hesitated, forgetting what I¡¯d wanted to tell him, what I¡¯d hoped to accomplish with it. ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± I pointed to the grave, ¡°We met in Hell ¨C she¡¯s nice I guess.¡±


    His eyebrows lowered to a neutral stance, and he crossed his arms, but otherwise refused to react.


    ¡°Her sister manipulated you,¡± I explained, ¡°Drove you apart on purpose for her own ends.¡±


    His voice started out slow, like he was tired of being here already, but it picked up steam as his passion grew, at its highest sounding barely interested. ¡°Of course the demons were deceiving me. I fail to see how you think I¡¯d fall for you saying that every other demon is a liar except you.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¨C¡±


    ¡°You reveal your nature to me, engage in debauchery,¡± he waved his hand towards my girlfriends, ¡°And now you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve been to Hell? I¡¯d held out hope for you for a while, but there are limits to my ability to help you if you refuse to let me.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m just a person,¡± I pleaded, tears falling despite my best efforts, ¡°Hell is just a place ¨C I don¡¯t get how you can just turn off your empathy because who I am makes you uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t reason with sin,¡± he stated, before turning around and retracing his steps, every movement of his body, every confident step suggesting that he¡¯d just won the argument.


    I glared, layers of anger building on top of our frustrating conversation. Heat built in my chest, and just when I was about to yell after him, two hands stopped me, one on each shoulder.


    I turned around, sighed, and hugged my girlfriends, melting their concerned expressions.


    Before leaving, I took one last look at the gravestone. It was strange, mourning a different parent than I had last time, but whereas before I¡¯d felt like I¡¯d lost everything, this time, I had more than I knew what to do with.


    I took one girlfriend in each hand, pulling them forward. ¡°C¡¯mon, if we hurry home we can have a few rounds of sex before Sophia has to go to her dorm,¡± I giggled.

 Bonus 3: S*x, Saccharine, and Solemnity

    Bonus 3: S*x, Saccharine, and Solemnity


    Lily


    ¡°Huh,¡± I let out, stroking Amber¡¯s cock after putting on one of the condoms Kelith had given me. We¡¯d opened the variety pack ¨C a box with a half dozen different gimmicks ¨C and I¡¯d chosen to start with the clear ultra-thin one, which I couldn¡¯t even tell was on, despite doing it myself.


    Magic...


    ¡°Lily...¡± Amber whined, motioning towards my bed, where Sophia was watching us, working on getting her own condom on ¨C a blue one that I hadn¡¯t read about yet, although I had gotten a pointed question from Sophia about what I thought about temperature play.


    I pulled Amber to the bed by my hand and tail, the former still stroking up and down her impressive length, and the latter wrapping around her waist because I couldn¡¯t help myself. We settled onto our backs with me laying in the middle, my arms around each of their shoulders.


    My girlfriends stared into me from each side, their hands snaking up my pink torso to each grab a breast.


    ¡®Uh oh¡¯ I thought, feeling every bit like vulnerable prey about to be devoured.


    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t devour me, at least not immediately ¨C instead gently teasing my nipples with gentle but discordant rhythms, each of them wrapping a leg over my lower body to keep my squirms in check.


    ¡°Please,¡± I gasped, already ready to give up any pride and beg them for release.


    Like we¡¯d discussed earlier, however, I was answered by disappointed tutting, and shakes of their heads.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this until you come at least once,¡± Amber teased, briefly pinching my right nub.


    ¡°What?¡± I hissed when Sophia ghosted her foot down my bare left leg, leaving a trail of goosebumps. ¡°I never said¨C¡±


    A tongue came from my right, sliding up the length of my neck. ¡°You know what to say if it¡¯s too much.¡±


    I considered talking back more, before deciding I would be better off saving brattiness for later, if I still had the energy. Instead, I let all of my concerns melt out of me, closing my eyes and just feeling.


    Feeling the tangle of digits on my breasts, the smooth sheets rustling under me as my hips fought against the weight of two bodies pressing me down, and the hot need pulsing between my legs, begging me to untangle my arms and finger myself silly.


    My hands squeezed the shoulders they were holding, my tail wrapped itself around my thigh, and I let out a trembling moan. Holy shit, I love sex.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Amber, she might be ready...¡±


    Amber chuckled, her face still in my neck. ¡°Not even close ¨C sluts love foreplay.¡±


    I mewed in agreement.


    ¡°See? And we haven¡¯t even started marking her,¡± she continued, closing her jaws around a patch of skin on my neck, nibbling and sucking on it as her fingers continued their ceaseless flittering.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I cried, ¡°Please just fuck me!¡± My head twisted away from Amber, giving her better access to my neck, and I finally slipped my arm free from her, caressing down her body and beginning to stroke her penis, hoping she would get horny enough to be impatient. Unfortunately, with how her hips were positioned ¨C pointing down into my side ¨C I didn''t have enough room for anything more than little rubs with the tips of my fingers.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my handjob?¡± Sophia teased, leaning down to nibble across my collarbone.


    I giggled, but it was cut off by another wave of arousal building from my chest. My second hand dropped to mirror the other, and I had to close my eyes again to focus on keeping two rhythms going.


    Amber¡¯s hips began dragging long strokes into me, the slow speed making me wonder if she was even aware of her own movements.


    Sophia, on the other hand, was much more vocal with her approval, whispering in my ear, ¡°Yes, fuck, you¡¯re so good at this ¨C you were made for this.¡± She nibbled on the edges of my ear, teeth hungry for my skin.


    I turned my head to capture her lips with mine, using all of my practice to communicate how much I appreciated her, every stroke of my lips on hers slow and deliberate. My hands stalled, my focus coalescing all onto one point in front of me: the point where Sophia¡¯s mouth met mine. We slid and sucked and puckered and¨C


    Holy shit! My hips bucked, the bed creaking in protest under me. I stared at the ceiling, blinking and trying to figure out what had happened. My head tilted down, and I saw Amber trying to hold in a laugh, her pointer finger completely still between my legs. She flicked it up again, dragging the tip through my folds and relishing in the whimper that escaped me.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s ready,¡± Amber said, leaving my side to crawl above my legs, her hen bouncing up and down with each movement.


    Sophia didn¡¯t object, kissing her way down my neck after my focus had shifted. She also repositioned, heaving her wide hips on top of my abdomen, her covered girldick slapping down between my breasts.


    I shivered at the cool sensation coming from the blue rubbery substance, but my focus was still on Amber, waiting for her to finally enter me.


    Everyone was still for a moment, the air thick with sweat and the sounds of our worked-up panting. Then, Amber¡¯s cock was inside, the thickness parting and stretching me, unimpeded as she bottomed out, a gasp resounding on either side of Sophia.


    The moment seemed to linger, although I couldn¡¯t say how long Amber remained still. There was just so much to process ¨C yes I could¡¯ve fallen back on, ¡®I¡¯m having sex with them, again¡¯, but that would¡¯ve taken away so much of the joy that came from nuance. It wasn¡¯t just that we were having sex ¨C although that was enjoyable on its face ¨C it was the wild, hungry stare Sophia was giving me, the feeling of my legs wrapped behind Amber¡¯s hips with my tail squeezing one of them, and it was how far I¡¯d come since first transforming, how free I was.


    They began thrusting at about the same time, one between my breasts and the other inside me. My arms splayed out, fingers digging into the sheets, trying to anchor me, meaning Sophia had to press my chest together herself to create enough friction to please her. Her hands squeezed into my soft flesh, and I absentmindedly shapeshifted them slightly bigger, enjoying the way her fingers dug into me.


    Amber, on the other hand, was showing off her athletic prowess, her hips moving in a steady rhythm, only interrupted by little shifts she made to hit me at just the right angle. It didn¡¯t matter that my legs were around her, constantly trying to pull her in; she moved back the same as she did forwards, overpowering my feeble muscles easily. Each thrust threatened to be the one to cause my pleasure to peak ¨C a summit that grew nearly as fast as it was being climbed.


    Time blurred, carrying my mind as it twisted and warped. Brief moments seemed to linger, details imprinting themselves in my memory, while others weren¡¯t registered at all, lost to the waves of euphoria.


    At some point, Sophia had climbed off me, instead laying next to me and stroking my chest while she watched Amber and I get closer to our orgasms ¨C it was clear from her gaze that she wanted her turn. My line of sight was unobstructed, letting my eyes meet Amber¡¯s ¨C their intangible embrace one of those things that felt eternal, like we¡¯d never blinked before, nor would we ever in the future.


    Until the moment ended, my body quaked and my eyes scrunched shut. I threw my head back letting out a long, unrepentant moan, reveling in the warm, tingly glaze permeating my skin and the gentle twitches of Amber¡¯s member inside of me.


    She slid out of me ¨C eliciting a whine from my mouth ¨C revealing her bulging condom, the clear material not concealing one bit of her load. Before we could get wrapped up in Sophia fucking me, I sat up and freed Amber¡¯s gock, holding her seed above my mouth and tilting it back without hesitation.


    I¡¯m not going to say no to free magic from my girlfriend...


    I swallowed, savoring the sweet, sticky warmth as it slid down my throat. My eyes glanced at the other two, who were watching in fascination. ¡°Alright, next round?¡± I smirked, laying back down and wiggling my hips.


    ¡ª


    I groaned, peeling a sticky limb from my chest and sitting up. A yawn escaped me as I glanced around, memories of the previous night flowing into my mind piece by piece. My girlfriends were still laying on either side of my body, Amber murmuring in her sleep and clutching at where I¡¯d just been, while Sophia stirred, sleepiness shining through her fluttering lashes.


    My hand reached down to cup her cheek, my fingers gently scritching under her chin. She¡¯s so cute when she¡¯s sleepy.


    I continued petting her until she fully woke up, causing us to switch roles, me laying in her lap and enjoying headpats until Amber had slept enough.


    Once we were all awake, it was time to plan our day.


    I started the conversation, ¡°So are you two taking me on dates today?¡±


    ¡°Sophia and I talked about it, and we agreed that three-person dates are ideal whenever we¡¯re all free; if it¡¯s only a pair, the person leftover will be lonely ¨C stupid odd numbers...¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, we could always look for a fourth,¡± I countered, only half-joking.


    ¡°Uh, gals? You both have classes today, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting Lily skip ¨C unless she¡¯s committing to dropping out.¡±


    I groaned at Sophia¡¯s reminder ¨C during my time in Hell, I forgot about all the torture I had to deal with on Earth. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go to human school,¡± I grumbled, ¡°We¡¯re going out this evening, though; there¡¯s no way I¡¯m waiting until Saturday for my date.¡±


    Sophia gave me a sinister smile, ¡°Sure, as long as you finish your homework and study for any tests you have.¡±


    How hard could it be?


    ¡ª


    It was Saturday, and I was finally free from eternal damnation ¨C meaning I could get my date.


    Each of my girlfriends had planned something, with Sophia¡¯s plans coming first, in the afternoon, whereas Amber¡¯s were set to happen after dinner. No matter how much I¡¯d begged since Wednesday, they wouldn¡¯t tell me anything about their plans, telling me that I didn''t even need to plan my wardrobe ahead of time, given my magic. I¡¯d never been so disappointed about being a succubus.


    I bounced off the walls all morning ¨C probably driving Amber crazy ¨C Sophia arrived and, after a reminder that I wasn¡¯t supposed to be outside as a demon, we were off.


    My first surprise came when she led us to the parking lot and into a car, a worn, white sedan ¨C I think I¡¯d known at one point that she could drive, but I didn¡¯t think she owned a car. True to my expectations, as we rolled out of the parking lot, Sophia explained she¡¯d borrowed the car from a classmate of hers that owed her a favour.


    ¡°How nice of her,¡± I chirped in the backseat, my good mood making me giddy, ¡°Maybe I should repay her with a pleasant dream...¡± I giggled when Amber turned around and raised an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve been in my dreams this whole time?¡± she complained.


    Sophia shook her head, maintaining her gaze on the road, ¡°One, it was a guy, and two, Amber sleeps in whenever we have sex ¨C I don¡¯t think we want to find out what would happen if she was having sex in her dreams...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down for some dreamy guy,¡± I grinned into the rear-view mirror, ¡°and maybe I can take Amber along with me ¨C it can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°You two do whatever you want ¨C but I reserve the right to say I told you so if Amber sleeps for two days straight.¡±


    ¡°No, Sophia¡¯s right,¡± Amber groaned, ¡°I need to get back into exercising more ¨C exercise that isn¡¯t sex,¡± she clarified, glaring at me. ¡°Anyways, what else can we talk about?¡±


    I hummed in thought, ¡°Not to bring down the mood too much, but your mom isn¡¯t going to bother us, right?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing for her to gain by disrupting our date ¨C pretty much anything active she does to mess with us will just anger me, which, if she¡¯s playing the long game as far as winning me over is concerned, is counterproductive. Also, she¡¯s completely missing ¨C like the staff at the coven ran out of instructions, which is unusual. But whatever has her attention is probably unrelated to us, so we should be fine.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Sophia glanced at me in the mirror, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lily, your big strong girlfriends will protect you.¡±


    I blushed, and tried to ignore the way her teasing made me feel, knowing that if the three of us got started on sex, we¡¯d never make it to our date. ¡°So Amber, how¡¯re your sisters?¡±


    Her smile dropped briefly, before picking back up, ¡°They¡¯re good ¨C Serena is about to graduate high school, and she¡¯s old enough to have given up on being a witch, which makes me happy for her. She¡¯s going to college out of state, and while I¡¯ll miss her, I kind of hope she stays away for her sake,¡± Amber pursed her lips, ¡°Then there¡¯s Elizabeth, she¡¯s twelve and she loves reading, I remember when I was still in high school, she¡¯d beg me to read her stories before bed. These days, whenever I¡¯m home, she shows me the pile of books she got from the library that she¡¯s read since I was last there.¡±


    She chuckled, rolling her head to stare sadly out the window. ¡°I¡¯m worried for them... I guess I¡¯ve known for a long time that our mother wasn¡¯t the most attentive parent, but we had our nannies and our maids... but with what I know now, I can¡¯t help but feel like the situation is constantly about to explode...¡±


    I sighed, wishing she¡¯d sat in the back so I could hug her. ¡°Is there someone you could rely on if things go badly with your mom? Like some kind of ally or...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±


    ¡°What about Chris¡¯s family?¡± Sophia asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Amber said, not sounding excited about the idea, ¡°They probably have the means to take in a couple dozen kids in-the-know, but I feel like I owe him way more than he owes me, and the younger girls aren¡¯t used to being around boys...¡±


    ¡°I think you should float the idea by him, even if you don¡¯t think anything¡¯ll come of it. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to help look for solutions, and if his family has some less hostile relations with other magical factions, that could help.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Worse case scenario is I either get the mundane government involved, or go to a rival witch coven,¡± Amber turned around again, love beaming from her face, ¡°Thank you, Lily.¡±


    I blushed, squirming back into my seat. How am I going to survive this date, when I can hardly deal with one of them at once?


    From there, it wasn¡¯t much further to Sophia¡¯s destination. As our surroundings grew more inundated with trees and the road shrunk, I got an idea of where we were going, which was finally confirmed when we turned into the parking lot for the state park surrounding a lake.


    As I got out of the car and stretched, pulling my arms up in the air and groaning while my girlfriends watched, I examined the area we¡¯d landed in. The lake itself wasn¡¯t very big, especially when considering how much it¡¯d visibly shrank due to climate change, but there was more than enough water to give the breeze a slight chill. I shifted my clothes to be a bit warmer and more practical for hiking, choosing a set of boots, straight-legged pants, and an oversized sweater.


    The forest surrounding the lake was dry, the scents being more woody than musky, and the trees hadn¡¯t fully regrown their green coats this early in spring, nor were there any flowers in bloom.


    Sophia grabbed a basket from the trunk, and, apologizing that it wasn¡¯t the perfect season, led us down one of the trails.


    The hike was quiet, the forest not providing any more sounds than we did, as we only spoke to point out interesting things we saw. Sophia liked to notice plants, telling us the species of the vines creeping out to escape the rotting tree they were affixed to, and pointing at Poison Ivy whenever it was in reach.


    Amber was more focused on fungi ¨C although she also liked particularly fuzzy patches of moss ¨C being a bit less successful at identifying every one, but she actually picked a couple and stored them in a bag in her backpack, explaining that they could be useful for magic ¨C apparently wild grown mushrooms were stronger magically than anything a home garden could produce.


    Lastly, there was me, trying my hardest to spot animals. We heard rustles in bushes as we walked through the winding trail, but it was rare to catch even a glimpse of the creatures responsible.


    The path started widening, the trees opening up, and just as I was about to comment about how we could all walk side-by-side now, we reached the end.


    It was obvious that this was where we were going, even if Sophia hadn¡¯t verbalized it. The forest opened up into a meadow, the grass well-maintained for how out of the way it was, never reaching higher than my ankles. The lake was visible, a cliff in that direction providing the height for us to see over the trees and over a large portion of the park, the roof of the forest swaying in the breeze and the surface of the water rippling with short waves. Perhaps later in the spring, the grass would¡¯ve had flowers growing, and in the summer there would be more activity around, both from animals as well as humans, but there, in the serenity of the cool weather, it was like getting up in the morning before everyone else and seeing the city right before it awoke: we had the whole world to ourselves.


    While I¡¯d been monologuing in my head, Sophia had set up a picnic, laying out a blanket from her basket along with a platter of tiny sandwiches and fresh fruit. She sat cross legged and patted the spaces next to her. ¡°Let me feed you two,¡± her tone and expression were devoid of any sign of teasing.


    I glanced at Amber, who was showing a similar mix of interest and hesitancy to what I was feeling, before shyly settling onto the blanket, my legs tucked under me.


    Amber followed, watching in fascination as Sophia picked up one of the bite-sized sandwiches, used her other hand to open my jaw ¨C her thumb pressing my chin down ¨C and carefully placed the food in my mouth, her fingers barely brushing my lips.


    I stared at her for a moment, belatedly remembering I was supposed to chew and swallow.


    I... why do I like this?


    I decided to just let it be, clinging to Sophia¡¯s side as she turned her focus to Amber, feeding her a strawberry first. Watching them wasn¡¯t erotic, although it felt like it should¡¯ve been. Instead, it was pleasant ¨C the knowledge that Sophia both enjoyed this and somehow knew the two of us would enjoy this implying a level of oneness that I hadn¡¯t felt thus far, even during the highs of sex.


    She continued, taking turns with us, never consistent about the way she did it nor the items she chose. Once she placed a grape between her lips and I thought she was taking it for herself ¨C she¡¯d occasionally been feeding herself ¨C but instead, she brought her lips to mine, pressing the fruit into my mouth with her tongue. Again, there was the urge in the back of my mind to be horny, but she was so calm, so gentle, that it was hard to do anything other than melt, my chest warming as much as my cheeks.


    I¡¯d grown somewhat desensitized to the sensation of getting more magical energy, but with how little Sophia was touching me and how much intimacy I was feeling, each time her skin brushed mine, it was hot, little tingles scattering across me as the heat radiated from the site of contact.


    Amber, on the other hand, started off blushing and shyly glancing at me every few seconds, but once I picked up that she was feeling anxious about me seeing her being submissive for Sophia, I extended my hand across Sophia¡¯s lap, clasping hers, and she relaxed, her focus now on the woman between us and what she was doing.


    As the sun peaked in the sky and began its descent, we ran out of food, Amber and I instead opting to cuddle with our girlfriend¡¯s soft body, me laying my head in her lap and Amber leaning on her shoulder. I tried to conjure a fuzzy sweater to use as a blanket, but as soon as I wasn¡¯t ¡®wearing¡¯ it, it vanished. I fussed with it, trying to figure out the rules for what counted as wearing something and what didn¡¯t, before giving up and having the other two lay on their backs, me on top wearing an outer layer twice the size of my body. My back was to them as we all watched the clouds in our cuddle pile.


    Amber snuck a hand under my top and gently stroked my stomach, her fingers cold on my skin. Sophia was more still, with one of her arms behind Amber¡¯s neck, and the other wrapped over the top of my chest.


    I sighed, bliss carrying my mind away.


    ¡ª


    I¡¯d fallen asleep ¨C really someone should¡¯ve seen this coming ¨C and neither of the other two had wanted to wake me up, so instead of going out to dinner next, we skipped straight to Amber¡¯s plans: bar hopping.


    My birthday had passed right before I left Hell and I hadn¡¯t told anyone about it then, but Amber had apparently been waiting for me to reach drinking age so we could get up to mischief around town. Sophia, while being old enough to drink, opted to stay sober and keep an eye on us.


    We started off in a boring cowboy-themed place, with me briefly panicking at the door, before remembering I¡¯d been given a new, slightly dubious ID card from my college¡¯s administration when I¡¯d turned in my paperwork.


    Inside, country music blasted on the speakers, loud enough for me to struggle to understand anyone standing more than six inches away from me, but low-quality enough for me to struggle to comprehend the lyrics either, not that I was particularly interested.


    ¡°This is the kind of place that makes you want to drink,¡± Amber justified, making her way over to the bar, ¡°Just wait ¡®till you see the hangout spot for all of the magic people around town, The Witch¡¯s Brew. I¡¯ll remind you again then, but don¡¯t use any magic there or we¡¯ll get kicked out.¡±


    I nodded, eyes darting around at the endless sea of cowboy-boot-wearing blondes, the square dancing going on in one corner, and the dart boards on the wall.


    Amber handed me a glass, but it was tiny ¨C like only a few inches tall ¨C so I tipped it back, swishing the clear liquid around my mouth to savor the taste.


    My stomach heaved and I grimaced, swallowing regretfully, while my girlfriends watched in amusement. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me I wasn¡¯t supposed to taste it...¡± I groaned.


    Amber rolled her eyes before downing her own drink, ¡°You didn¡¯t give me time to explain,¡± she turned to Sophia, ¡°So, you betting on her passing out after that one shot, or do you think her demon metabolism will make her immune to alcohol?¡±


    Sophia chuckled, eyeing me, ¡°Oh, she¡¯s going to be such a mess and get us kicked out of at least one bar.¡±


    There¡¯s no way it can be that bad right? I just have to keep reminding myself to act normal...


    Thankfully, we didn¡¯t spend much longer among the country folk, not even bothering to play any pool or darts, nor did we get on the dancefloor. Sophia drove us again, navigating her way out of the sea of pickup trucks that was the parking lot, and made her way downtown, where we could walk between places, and where Amber told us our final destination was.


    The late evening air was pleasant on my skin ¨C I¡¯d opted for a black dress similar to the one the first time I¡¯d gone out as myself with Chris ¨C and as we strolled down the weathered sidewalk, passing by the streetlights that¡¯d had their wiring stolen and skirting around suspicious stains on the ground, my eyes floated around, comparing sights here to Hell.


    If we hadn¡¯t had two mages ¨C me and Amber ¨C I would¡¯ve been terrified out of my mind to walk around unprotected, the abandoned storefronts and narrow alleys providing plenty of cover for evildoers. Given how much energy I had, however, I felt invincible ¨C I could probably beat my aunt even.


    I bounced ahead of my girlfriends and turned to walk backward, shouting past them, ¡°Come and get me Scarlet ¨C I¡¯ll use the power of friendship to defeat you!¡±


    Sophia giggled, while Amber glanced around, a blush on her cheek, before covering her eyes with her hand and shaking her head.


    ¡°What?¡± I looked down at myself, trying to see if I was doing something strange, ¡°This is how I normally act, right?¡± I tripped on a crack I couldn¡¯t see, windmilling my arms to avoid falling. ¡°See, I¡¯m still coordinated too.¡±


    ¡°Oh god, she¡¯s only one drink in...¡± Sophia laughed, grabbing my wrist when I walked past our next destination.


    The next bar we entered was more diverse. People young and old, fluid and awkward, danced in the crowded mess of bodies and lights, the music thumping through the building, each beat resonating in my shoes. Once I consumed my second drink, everything became oversaturated, my eyes seeing an animated painting of abstract colours rather than individual bodies. The three of us found our own corner to let loose, Sophia being surprisingly willing to engage with us while sober, and Amber and I not caring about anything outside of our little group.


    I couldn¡¯t stop touching them, little strokes up Amber¡¯s midriff and brushes against Sophia¡¯s rear. Each time, they¡¯d smile knowingly at me, and I¡¯d smirk back, begging them with my eyes to take it further. Unfortunately, while they did reciprocate, grinding into me from either side, we never made it as far as a kiss.


    From there, my memories blurred and bled together. I remember entering The Witch¡¯s Brew, but not how we got there ¨C of course, the moment I entered was particularly memorable, almost as much as the moment I left.


    If I¡¯d been there a year ago ¨C well, first I would¡¯ve tried to lecture anyone who¡¯d pretend to listen about why drinking alcohol was a sin, but after that I would¡¯ve assumed the place was for cosplayers. In one corner two tables were pushed together to host a group of over a dozen, the vast majority of whom wore flannel and jeans over their hairy limbs ¨C with once noticeable exception being a blonde girl with smooth skin and a frilly dress. All over the room were women wearing pointy black hats, and while some of them had robes to match, others had seemingly come from school or work and thrown their hat on top with no regard for cohesion.


    I turned to Amber, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me we were supposed to dress up,¡± I complained, ¡°Where¡¯s your silly hat?¡±


    She dodged my hand as it tried to ruffle her hair. ¡°I don¡¯t even own one of those, they¡¯re stupid,¡± she grumbled, walking to the bar, ¡°And don¡¯t change your clothes, Lily ¨C no magic allowed.¡±


    I nodded and saluted her, zig-zagging across the ground to avoid the sticky spots. The room itself was a mixed mess of worn antiques and disposable cheapness. Just as many tables were hefty hunks of stained wood as were folding tables, and the walls were thick, absorbing the sound of dozens of voices, while the floor was creaky laminate and constantly threatened to give out beneath my wandering steps.


    When we got to the bar, I was taken aback by the bartender, a pink-skinned fairy girl who couldn¡¯t¡¯ve been more than four foot six. ¡°Whoah,¡± I gawped, leaning over the counter, ¡°You¡¯re so cool ¨C I¡¯m Lily and I¡¯m a succubus, what¡¯re you, are you fey?¡± I turned to Amber, ¡°Katie said fey aren¡¯t real.¡±


    Amber shook her head, ¡°Sorry Vivian, my girlfriend is a bit sloshed, could I get a potion of alertness for her and a lime draught of courage for me?¡±


    Vivian nodded, glancing at me with haughty distaste before fluttering her translucent wings and preparing our drinks.


    Amber turned to me, whispering, ¡°Vivian is a fairy, and you¡¯re probably not supposed to tell people you¡¯re a demon ¨C demons aren¡¯t super popular around here.¡±


    ¡°Aww, but how¡¯re we gonna find a good fourth if I¡¯m not honest?¡± I turned to Sophia, ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    She giggled, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Amber, she has a point...¡±


    Amber rolled her eyes ¨C a smile on her lips betraying her ¨C before taking the drinks, thanking Vivian, and looking for a table.


    That night ¨C and most nights, as Amber would later explain ¨C seats are a precious resource that weren¡¯t bound by the limiting factors of tension between factions or personal space. During the day however, the place apparently functioned as a place to play table-top games, the cheap folding tables being a relic of that.


    Of course, with my brain bouncing around my head, I didn¡¯t pick up on any of this, instead focusing on walking as straight as possible. It was a relief to finally sit down, but the fact that we¡¯d only found two seats meant I had to sit in Sophia¡¯s lap.


    I sipped on my green beverage, enjoying the ambiance ¨C which was made even better by Sophia running her fingers through my hair ¨C although I was annoyed everyone else was allowed to visibly be themselves, whereas I was supposed to be stealthy about it, as if I was ashamed of it.


    ¡°Are you ashamed to be dating a succubus?¡± I blurted out, starting at Amber.


    Her eyes widened, ¡°What? No!¡±


    She paused, taking a stare at her drink and mulling the question over beyond her gut reaction, ¡°Does it really feel like that to you? I¡¯m just... I worry that being open about it will put you in danger.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it feels like that,¡± my body slumped back into Sophia, ¡°I¡¯m drunk ¨C you should kiss me to prove it, though.¡± My mind was already lost, floating away on a new tangent as I stared hungrily at her lips, my teeth shifting to their sharp demon versions.


    All at once, everyone in the building froze, silence echoing on the heavy walls. Sparkly yellow dust floated in the air around my head, travelling upwards as it was taken away by a draft.


    I twisted my head, meeting as many of the shocked and wary gazes as I could. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, not sounding at all like I meant it, ¡°When I get horny I shapeshift, it¡¯s not my fault!¡±


    Amber pinched her brow and Sophia¡¯s torso vibrated as she struggled to contain her giggles.


    I continued yelling, ¡°Well?! Are y''all gonna stop staring, or is someone going to throw me out of this shithole?¡±


    They stopped staring, conversations hesitantly being picked up again.


    I boggled for a moment, before regaining my composure and looking at Amber smugly, ¡°See, everything¡¯s fine...¡± I took another swig from my drink, wondering when the alertness it supposedly provided was going to kick in.


    Amber on the other hand, was looking practically sober, shaking her head and drinking from her own light green cocktail and then giving it a confused stare.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned, leaning back into Sophia¡¯s hand as it continued to pet me, ¡°What is there to do in this place if we aren¡¯t allowed to fuck around with magic?¡±


    Amber shook her head again, ¡°Magic isn¡¯t something to mess around with for humans ¨C and for most people this is either a place to make supernatural connections, or to hang out somewhere where causing a fuss is more trouble than it¡¯s worth.¡±


    One of the women with a pointy hat sat down in a seat that¡¯d just opened up behind Amber, and when Amber saw her, she grimaced, continuing, ¡°Case in point, this is May ¨C girl who my mom might¡¯ve hired to kill me. And May, these are my girlfriends, please don¡¯t murder them.¡±


    May raised an eyebrow at Amber, and slowly glanced towards me and Sophia. She hardly moved, her face stuck on the half-frown she¡¯d had since noticing Amber. She was tall, with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes and sharp features. When she spoke, her voice was a mix of haughtiness and brattiness that didn¡¯t align with her aloof stare. ¡°Your mother may have hired me, but like any self-respecting witch who has had the misfortune of dealing with her, I took the payment upfront and ran.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, may have hired you...¡± I chuckled, unable to help myself ¨C although to my credit, Sophia laughed behind me.


    The witches weren¡¯t as amused, shooting me dirty looks with frowns on their faces.


    I pressed forwards, my mind thrumming with confidence as I downed the last of my drink, ¡°Hey May,¡± I giggled, ¡°Are you gay?¡± I doubled over, unable to see her reaction while I belted out long cackles.


    Once I was finally able to straighten myself up, I saw two unamused witches staring at me.


    Amber spoke, ¡°Lily, I love you, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m comfortable with you fucking my rival.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t fucking!¡± May protested.


    I gasped, ¡°You love me, really?¡± I leaned forwards, almost sliding off Sophia¡¯s lap, but she grabbed my waist, holding me secure.


    Amber blushed, mumbling, ¡°Stupid alcohol, making me say things I¡¯m not ready for...¡± she glanced at her almost empty drink.


    I gasped again, this time teasing. ¡°So you don¡¯t really mean it?¡± My eyes widened and I put on my best pouty face.


    Her face flicked to my direction, ¡°No no no...¡± she glanced away again, ¡°I¡¯m just embarrassed...¡±


    Sophia¡¯s arms wrapped around my torso, finally pulling me all the way back into her. Her finger came up to brush my hair away from my ear, and then her lips leaned close. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    My eyes closed reflexively and tingles shot all over my body. I didn¡¯t bother trying to resist as an influx of magic overwhelmed me, transforming me into my demonic form, complete with a totally-not-a-wedding-gown white dress clothing me.


    This time I didn¡¯t notice the stares and the quiet, given that I was too busy feeling overwhelmed by my magic in a way that I hadn¡¯t ever before. I looked up at the ceiling, prayed that it wasn¡¯t flammable, and let out a long belch of fire, burning off my excess energy.


    When I was finally able to look down and see everyone else, there were just as many shocked expressions as there were fearful ones ¨C the werewolves in particular looked excited, like they¡¯d just seen a scheduled fireworks show.


    I held my hands up and stood, motioning my girlfriends towards the door, ¡°Fine, fine ¨C I¡¯m leaving, no magic allowed, I got it.¡±


    Dozens of gazes followed me to the door.


    ¡°Bye May, nice to meet you!¡± I shouted over my shoulder.


    Back in the cool night air, the three of us stood on the sidewalk, each glancing between the other two.


    ¡°Welp, that went about as expected,¡± Amber said.


    ¡°Honestly surprised she didn¡¯t somehow get into a fight,¡± Sophia added.


    ¡°I love you two too,¡± I giggled, prancing away into the night.


    ¡ª


    I woke up, first noticing that someone had stuffed my brain with cotton, and second that my limbs were tangled with Amber¡¯s.


    A groan escaped my lips as I sat up, lamenting the fact that my biology didn¡¯t make me immune to hangovers. My girlfriend stirred next to me, the wince on her face indicating that she was no better off.


    I searched for Sophia, but didn¡¯t find her, despite the fact that it was her dorm room ¨C but I did find something interesting, which was a set of claw marks on a pillow on the floor, some of the stuffing falling out. I stood and threw the pillow back towards Amber, not ready to deal with whatever that was.


    My wobbly legs, sore from whatever had happened the previous night, carried me to the desk, where I searched for a note. Just as I was starting to get worried, the door opened, and Sophia entered, carrying a large paper bag.


    She pointed to her nightstand, which had two water bottles on it, and set about removing her shoes.


    Amber stirred as I drank the water and Sophia pulled bagels and cream cheese out of her bag, setting them on the desk. I immediately snapped up a plain one, biting in without bothering to slice it.


    ¡°So, how are you two doing?¡± Sophia asked, failing to suppress a smug grin.


    Amber groaned, making her way into the desk chair and slicing open an everything bagel with careful precision ¨C or perhaps lethargy. ¡°It was worth it,¡± she answered, narrowing her eyes, ¡°At least I think so, it¡¯s all kind of blurry after we left The Witch¡¯s Brew.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to have a functioning memory to know I did something stupid ¨C let¡¯s leave that behind for now. I need to make my way to church.¡± I chimed in.


    My girlfriends froze, staring at me with concern all over their faces.


    ¡°Uh... exactly how much of your memory did you lose?¡± Sophia asked.


    ¡°Wait, did I never tell you guys?¡± I groaned, annoyed at how many things I was supposed to talk about with them after I got back from my trip, but not surprised I¡¯d forgotten at least one. ¡°I wanted to go talk to my dad one last time, with all of the new information I got. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll change his mind... but he at least deserves to know he was being manipulated.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Amber complained, ¡°Why do you have to be so nice and forgiving?¡± She shook her head, ¡°Sorry, I like that about you, and I understand why you¡¯re trying to have a relationship with him, it''s just...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re worried,¡± Sophia finished, placing a hand on Amber¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Exactly. We don¡¯t want to see you get hurt again.¡±


    I swallowed the bite of bagel in my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m brimming with magic so he doesn¡¯t pose me a threat physically, and emotionally... well if I cry that¡¯s that. I have you two to support me and he can¡¯t take that away.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want you to cry in the first place.¡± Amber leaned in, staring up at me with pleading eyes.


    Sophia sighed, squeezing Amber¡¯s shoulder, ¡°If you¡¯re set on doing this, are you at least okay with us coming with you?¡±


    I turned away, blushing. I¡¯d been planning to go alone, to deal with it on my own as much as possible. ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Lily...¡± they harmonized, disappointment on Sophia¡¯s face and exasperation on Ambers.


    ¡°Okay...  You¡¯re right, it makes more sense for you to come with,¡± I sighed, annoyed with myself for not realizing that in the first place. ¡°Thanks for supporting me.¡± I pulled them into an awkward hug, one arm around Amber who was still sitting down, and the other behind Sophia¡¯s lower back. ¡°I love you both.¡±


    ¡ª


    Thankfully, Sophia still had the car, meaning the trip over was painless, and if necessary, our escape would be swift.


    I¡¯d texted my father earlier, asking him to meet me in the graveyard after mass. He¡¯d thankfully agreed, but the ¡®Okay¡¯ I¡¯d received wasn¡¯t exactly enthusiastic.


    On the drive over, Amber had sat in the back this time, using the middle seat to stay close and try to comfort my fraying nerves as I worried over how to best express myself.


    The walk through the graveyard was similarly scary, my fears propped up and fed by the mournful atmosphere. I didn¡¯t know what I was particularly afraid of, however, making attempting to squash those fears annoying. I wasn¡¯t feeling unsure of my identity at all, and there was nothing my father could say to change that. Nor was I interested in what he had to say about Mom.


    The closest I came to identifying my feelings was that I was afraid of being disappointed ¨C which was a strange thing that defied definition.


    I already have low expectations, how could I even be disappointed? Is expecting to be disappointed even a thing?


    At last, we reached the grave, my feelings on it completely different since I was last here.


    Or maybe they weren¡¯t.


    I was still sad for the names of dead people I¡¯d never met, it¡¯s just that now I knew that one of them, one that was arguably more important than the others, was alive. Scanning the names once more, I wondered if Katie¡¯s parents were there.


    I also wondered if Zamira had known any of the victims of her sister, if they¡¯d ever argued about what Scarlet had been doing. Maybe Scarlet was secretive, pretending she was reasonable and safe ¨C or maybe Zamira didn¡¯t care, maybe the others on the list were all crazed murderers.


    It seemed unlikely.


    I turned towards the main building, and saw tickles of the congregation leaving, flowing out into the parking lots. It was finally time.


    Another dozen or so minutes passed before I saw my father, who was wearing a white button-up and black slacks, indicating he hadn¡¯t given a sermon today. His expression was impassive as he strode towards us, taking care to use the walkways to avoid stepping on anyone¡¯s grave. He only met my gaze once, when he turned onto a path facing directly at me, his eyes quickly shifting to look past me.


    He stopped a few feet from the three of us, glancing at my girlfriends with a resigned sadness, before looking at me with a raise of his eyebrows that asked, ¡®Well?¡¯


    ¡°Um...¡± I hesitated, forgetting what I¡¯d wanted to tell him, what I¡¯d hoped to accomplish with it. ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± I pointed to the grave, ¡°We met in Hell ¨C she¡¯s nice I guess.¡±


    His eyebrows lowered to a neutral stance, and he crossed his arms, but otherwise refused to react.


    ¡°Her sister manipulated you,¡± I explained, ¡°Drove you apart on purpose for her own ends.¡±


    His voice started out slow, like he was tired of being here already, but it picked up steam as his passion grew, at its highest sounding barely interested. ¡°Of course the demons were deceiving me. I fail to see how you think I¡¯d fall for you saying that every other demon is a liar except you.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¨C¡±


    ¡°You reveal your nature to me, engage in debauchery,¡± he waved his hand towards my girlfriends, ¡°And now you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve been to Hell? I¡¯d held out hope for you for a while, but there are limits to my ability to help you if you refuse to let me.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m just a person,¡± I pleaded, tears falling despite my best efforts, ¡°Hell is just a place ¨C I don¡¯t get how you can just turn off your empathy because who I am makes you uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t reason with sin,¡± he stated, before turning around and retracing his steps, every movement of his body, every confident step suggesting that he¡¯d just won the argument.


    I glared, layers of anger building on top of our frustrating conversation. Heat built in my chest, and just when I was about to yell after him, two hands stopped me, one on each shoulder.


    I turned around, sighed, and hugged my girlfriends, melting their concerned expressions.


    Before leaving, I took one last look at the gravestone. It was strange, mourning a different parent than I had last time, but whereas before I¡¯d felt like I¡¯d lost everything, this time, I had more than I knew what to do with.


    I took one girlfriend in each hand, pulling them forward. ¡°C¡¯mon, if we hurry home we can have a few rounds of sex before Sophia has to go to her dorm,¡± I giggled.