Suddenly a Succubus - Book Four
Copyright© 2025 by Nyx Nyghtingale
Chapter 51
The city of Ekstápoli had many different parks, fields, and trails, but the Demali Forest Preserve was by far its largest outdoor feature. Spanning over 3,900 acres, it housed nearly 14 miles of paths and trails, several rivers that fed into a large central lake, multiple nature conservatories, as well as many different fields designed both for humans and animals alike. Several perfectly manicured parks held picnic tables, gazebos, and other public areas that made it a popular destination for both locals and tourists.
The terrain itself was incredibly unusual for a forest preserve located in the American Midwest. In an area usually defined by flat, unending plains, the Demali Forest Preserve housed a surprising variety of hills, cliffs, and unique landmarks. Many fields scattered throughout the preserve were famed for growing strange, exceptionally colorful flowers that were often unique to this area. As many as five different waterfalls could be found throughout the year, depending on rainfall, with two in particular being present almost year-round. One of these waterfalls fell into a small canyon that had been carved into the earth, creating a must-see destination for hikers of all skill levels. In areas with more concentrated numbers of trees, thick vines often hung overhead, forming wide canopies that connected the treetops while casting an eerie twilight over the paths underneath. One corner near the edge of the preserve even held a small collection of hot springs, which consistently proved to be the favorite attractions for many of Aurelius’s students.
For reasons unknown to most, the Forest Preserve had been central to the city’s identity even in its founding years. As the city’s population grew, urban developers never once dared to encroach on the neighboring landscape, which gave the city an intensely unique feel that many residents greatly appreciated. It was common to hear locals refer to the Preserve as their very own Central Park, purely due to the uniqueness of such well-maintained natural sights existing side-by-side with the glittering modern architecture of downtown Ekstápoli.
Due to this prominence, the largest entrance of the Demali Forest Preserve, rather than existing on the outskirts of the city, instead sat near its heart. The entrance itself was hardly more than a mile from the main campus of Aurelius University, giving students the perfect escape when they found themselves overwhelmed by the formal, stuffy atmosphere of collegiate studies.
The sheer size of the Preserve meant that large swaths of land remained largely untouched by modernity. These spaces were dramatically more overgrown than the well-manicured spaces that existed for the benefit of the public, and it was near the edge of one of these overgrown fields that Coven Heads Bishop and Tsopnang had escaped to rest after Amara’s rampage. The small hut, created of vines, tree roots, bark, and moss, had been further masked by an impressively large illusion that, until very recently, held an impromptu conference between the Coven Heads and several supernatural students.
All but two from that conference had recently vacated the small structure, partially to scout out the surrounding area, partially to give privacy to those that stayed behind.
When Amara finally left the hut, she took a deep breath of satisfaction as she reveled in the renewed vigor of her inner hellfire. The various trees and bushes around her seemed more vibrant, the crisp layers of snow dazzled that much more in the morning sun, and her heightened hearing alerted her to the location of her friends, who’d promised to stay nearby to watch for trouble.
Behind her, the moss blanket covering the entrance to the hut opened again, and Nick walked out into the winter air. A brief shiver ran through his body, though a burst of warmth from Amara quickly dispelled his discomfort.
“You sure that’ll be enough?” Nick asked, pulling a thick beanie over his curly brown hair.
Amara nodded. “Positive. I lost a lot when Vee rescued me, but I’d taken in far too much before then. I should have more than enough to hold my own.”
“I don’t suppose you want to tell me what happened?” Nick asked.
“It’s...” Amara paused, unsure exactly how much to say in the moment. After thinking back to her conversation with Vee, she decided to keep it vague for now. She didn’t want to risk misreading the situation or how Vee felt; it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Remembering her recently discovered feelings, and her kiss with Vee, she couldn’t help but smile.
“That good, huh?” Nick asked playfully.
“What? Oh, um, yeah, you could say that. Look, it’s complicated, alright?”
“You can tell me after you’ve saved the day. Again,” Nick said, rubbing Amara’s hair in jest. She scrunched her face in annoyance, but didn’t bother stopping him. Instead, she simply glared while he insisted on messing her hair up further. When their eyes met, she noticed him quickly glance down. “Oh, you’ve got ... um...” he blushed slightly as he pointed at her chin.
Running her hand across her face, Amara found one last remnant of her quickie with Nick, and pulled it into her mouth. A burst of sexual energy filled her senses, and once she finished licking her fingers, she cleaned her hand with a burst of hellfire.
With nothing else to say, the two of them marched through the tall grass until they found the rest of their party. Elizabeth and Palesa stood shoulder to shoulder, holding hands and leaning against each other as they waited. In front of them, Tessa held open the journal that contained all her notes on the various magic circles across campus, and seemed to be explaining something to the Coven Heads. Vee waited nearby, concentrating on a small Enochian flame that danced and flickered as it attempted to keep everyone warm. Chloé was nowhere to be seen, as expected, but Amara assumed she was somewhere nearby.
“Alright, I’m all set,” Amara said, stepping between the two groups and creating a warm bubble for everyone. Vee sighed in relief, stepping next to Amara, who continued talking. “Are we ready to head out?”
Palesa scowled as Amara’s magic washed over her, but her professional demeanor kept her dissatisfaction from affecting the tone of her words. “Imani agreed to meet us by the main entrance. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s there already.” She squeezed Elizabeth’s hand hard as she finished speaking.
With everyone in agreement, they began walking towards the nearest path. The two Coven Heads lead the group, followed by Nick and Tessa, while Vee and Amara held up the rear. After a few minutes of silent walking, Amara stepped closer to Vee and grabbed her hand, leaning in to whisper, “Hey, um, I know we haven’t had a chance to unpack everything, but is it okay that Nick and I ... y’know?”
Vee smiled before playfully bumping into Amara. “Absolutely. I want everyone to be safe, which means we need you in peak condition. Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve had to awkwardly leave the room while you fed.”
Amara laughed. “Thanks, Vee.”
The laughter drew Tessa’s attention, and her eyes quickly darted between Amara and Vee, then to the fact they were holding hands. She suspiciously narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything, Imani appeared in front of them and ran closer.
“Hey, is everything alright?” Imani asked, looking between everyone present. “I get the feeling something weird is going on.”
“You could certainly say that,” Elizabeth said with a heavy sigh. “I’ll try to keep this brief, as time is of the essence. Headmistress Davenport and Coven Head Gautier have gone rogue. They’re attempting to commandeer the planar connections here for their own personal gain.”
“Wait, seriously?” Imani asked, clearly shocked by the idea. “Fuck, I’d thought that—Um, actually, I didn’t think—What I mean to say is—”
Palesa sighed. “Child, we know you lied on your reports. That’s a conversation for another day; for now, we need your help.”
Imani blushed in shame as she listened to Palesa. Once she spoke up again, her words were much more concise. “Okay, I didn’t know for sure what was happening. Ever since we got here, Elijah’s been acting a little funny. He’s been dropping subtle hints that Davenport was up to no good. However, if that were the case, I didn’t know what that meant for the rest of you. I know Gautier eagerly does what Davenport wants, but you two always seemed a little distant from her. Since I didn’t know who to trust, I fabricated my reports to try and keep Amara safe.”
“Wait, what?” Amara asked. “Why me?”
“Because ... you’re a demon?” Imani asked, confusion in her voice. “If the Coven Heads were up to no good, I was worried they might be hunting down magical creatures or something. Did you seriously think I didn’t know?”
Amara’s face turned bright red. “Well, I...”
Imani chuckled slightly. “Oh, honey ... you literally posted naked pictures of your true form all over the internet. It wasn’t a hard jump to make, especially after I interviewed all the other students.”
“T-that wasn’t my fault! Brandon was threatening to expose me!” Amara said in a fluster.
“None of that matters right now,” Elizabeth said, pulling everyone back on track. “Headmistress Davenport is attempting to alter the magic circles on campus in order to siphon magic directly from all the planes connected here. Imani, the rest of us have a plan to stop her and Miss Gautier, but we need your help.”
Imani nodded, her smile fading to resolute determination. “I’ll do whatever I can. What do you need?”
Palesa spoke next. “We need you to contact the rest of the coven, everyone that’s been stationed outside the campus, and tell them there’s about to be another incursion. With their help, we should be able to remove all civilians from this preserve entirely.”
“An incursion?” Imani asked. “Is that true?”
“We’re going to stop them,” Tessa said, her tone rigid and determined. “We’re going to confront them here, out of harm’s way, and make them stop. We know they won’t listen to reason, so it’s going to come to blows, and that’s why we need as much space as possible.”
“You’re going to fight them?!” Imani gasped, looking to the Coven Heads. “I-Is that wise? I’ve never seen Miss Gautier act directly, but I’ve always heard terribly frightening things about her abilities. If they’re also siphoning magic from the planes ... Even with Amara’s help, are you going to be able to stand up to them?”
“We’re not fighting them, child,” Palesa said. “Elizabeth and I will be attending to the circles, to undo whatever siphons they’ve put into place. We’re the only ones with adequate knowledge as to how Miss Davenport and Miss Gautier craft their runes.”
A moment of silence fell between everyone as Imani looked at Amara, then Tessa. She seemed incredibly nervous but eventually nodded in agreement before she started rummaging through her bag. “Okay, well, if you’re going to be fighting them, I’ve got something that should help.” As she talked, she pulled out a small, black switchblade. Much like the weapon Tessa had modified to fight Brandon, this knife was also covered in magic runes.
Tessa’s tattoos lit up, and the knife floated close so she could inspect it. Within seconds, her eyes went wide in surprise. “Imani, this is incredible! Does it do what I think it does?!”
Imani nodded. “It’s based on your design, but I made a few modifications of my own. I’ve obviously not had time to test it, but if my calculations are correct, it should be able to temporarily disrupt magic that’s attempting to channel through our runic language. Rather than crafting the inscriptions with a blood base, however, it should work by reacting to the presence of any blood that crosses its blade.”
With a hearty laugh, Tessa briefly spun the knife through the air. “Fuck yeah! You picked a pretty decent model of switchblade, too, it’s got a good feel to it. This is amazing!”
“Don’t you mean ... a Witch Blade?” Chloé asked, briefly reappearing next to Tessa while making finger guns. Before Tessa had a chance to groan, however, Imani leapt backwards with a loud shriek.
“FUCK!!” Imani shouted, attempting to catch her breath. “What was— Did you all see that?”
“Shoot, I’m sorry!” Chloé said hurriedly. “I kinda assumed that, since you knew about Amara, you knew about me too, but I guess that doesn’t really make sense, does it? I only got my memory back last night, and ever since then we’ve been—” Chloé shook her head briefly to stop herself from rambling. “That’s not important. Hi! I’m Chloé! I didn’t actually die when that portal closed on me, and I’m gonna help them fight!”
Eyes wide, Imani cautiously extended her arm to shake Chloé’s hand. “Um, it’s nice to meet you, Chloé. Today just keeps getting weirder, doesn’t it?”
“We’re about to overthrow the Headmistress of our coven, Miss Mabaya,” Elizabeth said. “This is only the beginning. We should stop dawdling, however; time is of the essence. Imani, young Nicholas here will be at your beck and call for the foreseeable future. Palesa and I are going to start examining all the circles on campus, and thankfully we have an idea where to start based on Tessa’s notes.” Looking at Tessa, Elizabeth’s resolve broke for a moment as she reached out to gently grab Tessa’s arm. “And, Tessa...”
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t underestimate them, and I shouldn’t let my feelings about how they’ve treated me in the past change my judgment of this situation,” Tessa said, rolling her eyes.
Elizabeth, however, shook her head. “Well, yes, but also...”
Tessa tilted her head slightly. “Am I missing something else?”
“Kick their fucking asses, Tessa,” Elizabeth said with a devious smirk. “Show them what a Blackwood is capable of.”
After gasping in surprise at the change of tone, Tessa ran towards Elizabeth and threw her arms around her, squeezing her tight. Everyone else let them have a moment, and once they finally broke apart, the group split into their respective teams. Nick and Imani stood ready to contact the rest of the coven and clear the Demali Forest Preserve, Elizabeth and Palesa prepared to race to the magic circles scattered around campus, while Amara, Tessa, Vee, and Chloé steeled themselves for the coming fight.
Imani seemed briefly confused, however, as she looked at Vee. “Vee? Shouldn’t you be with us? Fighting the Coven Heads is serious business.”
Furrowing her brow in confusion, Vee took a deep breath, then held out her hand. With a brilliant burst of blinding Enochian energy, a glittering angelic sword appeared in her hands while an iridescent halo spun above her head. After a quick flourish of her blade, she dismissed everything just as quickly. “I can hold my own, Imani.”
“I ... but that’s ... you mean...” Imani stuttered, slack-jawed at Vee’s show of power. She briefly looked at the four girls in front of her, each magically gifted in their own way, before finally turning towards the Coven Manor, throwing her hands up. “Y’all are crazy. This campus is crazy.”
Nick ran after Imani, pulling out his phone in preparation. Elizabeth grabbed Palesa’s hand, smiled softly at her love, then looked back at Tessa one last time. “I’ll text Headmistress Davenport. Stick to the plan, stay safe, and we’ll try to disrupt the siphons as quickly as we can. You can do this, Tessa. I believe in you.”
Before the two Coven Heads turned to walk away, Palesa briefly looked at Amara. “This is your one chance to show us your true colors, Amara. For your own sake, I hope the faith your friends put in you isn’t misplaced.”
Amara nodded slowly, speaking for the first time since Imani appeared. “I just want everyone to be safe, Miss Tsopnang. I promise I’ll do everything I can to fix this.”
The two women shared one last tense glare before Palesa grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and walked off. Amara, Vee, Tessa, and Chloé were now on their own, and they started walking towards a specific field in the center of the forest preserve. As they walked, Tessa’s tattoos flared again, and she floated all three of her knives in front of her to examine them one last time.
“Which blade is the new one?” Amara asked, just in case it proved relevant later.
“The witch blade, obviously,” Chloé said, laughing to herself once more. “Unless she switched the blades.”
Tessa groaned in frustration. “Oh my god, I’m going to stab all of you.”
“Uh oh, looks like she found the bitch blade,” Vee said, joining in the fun.
“That’s not a good look, Tessa,” Amara said, “I think you should ditch that blade.”
“If you stab me, can you aim for my shoulder?” Chloé asked. “I’ve got an itch blade.”
Everyone present, except for Tessa, soon lost themselves to a fit of laughter as they walked deeper and deeper into the forest preserve. The jokes continued, and in time, Tessa joined in as well. As they approached their field of choice, Amara couldn’t help but look around, her heart melting as she saw all her friends together and happy again.
Once the laughter died down, the four of them huddled up. They all placed their arms on each other’s shoulders, went over the plan one last time, and prepared for yet another fight that would determine the fate of their campus.
Vee took one last look at her altered appearance while she had the time. Despite being able to conjure weapons and healing magic with the literal light of Creation, she had a hard time mentally adjusting to being cloaked in one of Amara’s illusions. In her head, she knew that she was wearing light, athletic clothes meant to give her maximum flexibility in the upcoming fight, yet when she looked down at herself, she saw only an illusory copy of Miss Bishop’s elegant, flowing dress. Long, brown hair lazily cascaded down the side of her face, yet the only hair she actually felt was her own.
In front of her, lying on the ground while slathered with illusory blood and injuries, was Amara. She’d done an immaculate job disguising herself as someone horribly injured, and Vee needed to remind herself that Amara wasn’t actually on death’s door.
Alright, Vee, this only works if you sell the illusion. How does Miss Bishop talk? She’s a tad formal, but also rather quiet in the presence of Headmistress Davenport. She moves with grace, but she hides a fury that she’s scared to reveal in the face of her superiors. We know she’s upset about the siphoning plan, so how would she confront Davenport? Would she be calm about it? How angry would she be? Ugh, I should have double checked with her before we parted ways.
Around her, a thin blanket of snow covered the field, heavily disturbed and partially melted to sell the illusion that a fight had recently ended. They’d chosen this field for its relative lack of manmade features in the hope of keeping collateral damage to a minimum; Palesa’s magic could heal trees and plant life, but not gazebos or parking lots.
A strong river cut through the clearing roughly a dozen feet away from Amara and Vee, the sound of running water one of many instruments that contributed to the score of the natural world. Despite the heavy cold that permeated the area, it shared a connection to some of Demali’s hot springs, and the warm water prevented the river from freezing over. The water softly shimmered and rippled as it raced through the riverbed, skipping and dancing over the various stones and footholds.
One edge of their clearing was completely blocked by a large, sheer cliff several dozen feet tall. The cliff itself was made of white sandstone, with hundreds of small ledges and outcroppings that would have made for a fantastic rock climbing experience had such activities not been banned for safety and environmental reasons. Droplets of water scattered across the sandstone as, in the center of this cliff, a large waterfall crested over the rocks and fell to the ground below, feeding the very river that lazily ran beside the girls as they waited for the guests to arrive. This particular clearing was immensely popular when the weather was nice, but given the recent snowfall, few had been interested in walking this deep into the preserve.
The banks on either side of the river were relatively empty, consisting of thin white sand that gradually gave way to grassy plains that extended out for at least a hundred feet, likely more. These fields were part of the appeal of this clearing, as they made the perfect spots for picnics, recreational games, and dates. The park district had long ago set up a small collection of picnic tables, around a dozen, purely because of how popular this field proved to be with the local students.
The edge of the clearing was marked quite clearly by a thick collection of large trees, each of them connected to their siblings by interconnected webs of thick vines hanging from the treetops. Many of them had lost their leaves due to the frigid winter, but not all of them. Another unusual feature of the Demali Forest Preserve was the unnatural resilience of much of its plant life.
Vee’s thoughts were interrupted when she spotted movement at the edge of the field. Two figures, both wearing dark clothes, held themselves with an air of superiority as they walked out of the tree line, headed straight for Vee and Amara.
Headmistress Davenport looked as rigid as ever. Her black clothes were flawless to the point of appearing unnatural, and her eyes darted across the scene just above her thin reading glasses as she walked closer. Miss Gautier seemed less concerned with surveilling the area, and instead looked eagerly at the seemingly unconscious body of Amara lying on the ground in front of them.
Vee took a deep breath, tried to get into character, and spoke up as soon as the two elder women were close enough. “Headmistress Davenport, thank you for coming,” Vee said, nodding her head in respect.
“This is the demon?” Davenport asked, gesturing to Amara. “What happened here?”
“As you can see, we’ve managed to neutralize her. Miss Tsopnang is nearby, attempting to locate the students colluding with her.”
“And Blackwood?” Miss Gautier asked, her predatory eyes glistening in anticipation.
“We’ll find her soon,” Vee said. “In the meantime, however ... I’m afraid I must pose a difficult question, Headmistress.”
Miss Davenport narrowed her eyes, then gestured for Vee to speak.
“In the process of confronting this demon, I learned of several unsettling ideas. At first, I thought she was merely trying to distract me, but ... now I’m not sure.” Vee swallowed nervously, trying to sell the illusion. “Is it true you are attempting to modify the circles in order to siphon magic away from the planes connected here?”
“Who told you this?” Miss Davenport asked, momentarily glaring down at Amara.
“At first it was just the demon, but I’ve heard the same from Miss Blackwood as well. And now I’ve heard it from you, Miss Davenport.” Vee let her facade of professionalism break for a moment, trying to pretend that Miss Bishop was genuinely disturbed by this. “Why? Doesn’t this stand contrary to everything we believe?”
Miss Gautier scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You never understood the big picture, did you, Elizabeth?”
“Power corrupts, Miss Gautier,” Vee hissed, “and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Are you so daft to believe that you’re exempt from this?”
“Power is necessary to run the world, Miss Bishop!” Headmistress Davenport said. “No matter what we do, no matter who is in charge, power is absolute, and therefore so is corruption. With that in mind, isn’t it best for us to wield that power? Even if we stray somewhat from our stated ideals, can you honestly say the world is better off with our current leaders? Imagine what good we could do if we could stand up to them!”
“The ends cannot justify the means, Miss Davenport!” Vee shouted. “If we pursue power just as fervently as they do, are we not falling to their level? They are just as confident in their cause as we are in ours!”
A brief moment of silence fell across the clearing as Vee tried to match the intensity of Miss Davenport’s glare. The Headmistress seemed frustrated that “Miss Bishop” was questioning her, and Vee wondered if she had successfully sold the illusion. Before she or Miss Davenport had a chance to speak again, however, Miss Gautier broke the tension.
“You’re in awfully good shape for someone who just fought a demon, Miss Bishop,” she said, suspiciously narrowing her eyes.
“I’m a master of illusion, Miss Gautier. Don’t insult me with your frivolous accusations,” Vee responded.
“No, Miss Gautier raises a good point,” Miss Davenport said, stepping forward. As she did, her eyes once again broke from Vee’s in an attempt to analyze the clearing. “Tell me, in exact detail, what happened with Alaric.”
Vee froze.
Who the fuck is Alaric? Shit!
Before she thought of something to say, an intense burst of magic suddenly encompassed Miss Gautier. Vee hoped beyond hope that her diversion had worked, that Tessa had managed to get the jump on the Coven Head, but as soon as she saw Miss Gautier smirking in glee, she knew they’d failed.
“There you are, you little whelp!” Miss Gautier spun on the ball of her foot, revealing Tessa frozen in place behind her. She held her newest switchblade, blade down, and had gotten within inches of striking Miss Gautier.
“I’m disappointed in you, Miss Blackwood,” Miss Davenport said. “Stabbing a superior in the back? You should be ashamed of yourself. Perhaps it’s time to finally put you in your place.”
Well, we tried.
No longer worried about selling the illusion, Vee summoned her angelic blade and leapt at Davenport. Before her blade could find its mark, however, a disorienting burst of magic appeared in front of her, and she nearly lost her balance. Spinning around, she now found herself nearly ten feet away from Miss Davenport, and watched as the portal that had transported her closed.
“Ah, the angel,” Headmistress Davenport said, another portal appearing behind her. “Then that would mean—”
As if on cue, Amara sprang up from the ground. In a flash of hellfire, her faux injuries vanished entirely, and she lashed out at Miss Gautier with her bladed tail. Before she closed the distance, however, Miss Gautier slid out of the way, her movement incredibly quick and unnatural. With a guttural laugh, she rose into the sky, the telekinetic magic surrounding her so intense that even Vee could sense it.
“You think you can stop us?!” Miss Gautier yelled, flying higher into the sky, nearing the top of the looming cliff. “We’ve already started! We are slaves to your kind no more!”
Amara collected herself for a moment before charging Miss Gautier. Her chitinous gauntlets wreathed in hellfire, she threw a punch in the hopes of knocking the Coven Head to the ground, but it wasn’t to be. At the last second, Miss Gautier raised a hand and caught Amara’s fist. She didn’t do so with her own body, however: instead, she used the intense telekinetic force that surrounded her. With her first attack repelled, Amara lashed out with her tail, but that too was deflected.
Vee pulled her attention away from that fight, however, as she had her own part to play. After confirming that Tessa had once again vanished, she turned towards Miss Davenport, who’d retreated to the other side of the river. Her angelic blade buzzed in her hand as she spun it around, and she grabbed her Enochian Texts that had previously been secured to her back. The illusory facade of Coven Head Bishop faded, taking with it the distracting presence of foreign hair and clothing. With nothing else left to say, Vee crouched low to the ground and charged at Headmistress Davenport.
Alright, Vee. The siphons are in effect, so we just need to buy time. Keep them busy, but stay safe and don’t overexert yourself.
As she closed the distance on Davenport, leaping deftly over the wide river, Vee brandished her sword and struck out at the Coven Head. As predicted, a burst of magic materialized in front of her, and when she turned around, she found herself dozens of feet away, near the tree line.
Pulling magic from her book, her heavenly voice danced from her lips, and she summoned a small barrage of arrows. Once ready, she charged at Davenport once more, firing the arrows one at a time to keep her opponent busy while she readied her attack. Energy pulsed through her body with every shot fired, and this time, rather than creating a portal in front of Vee, Davenport summoned one behind herself and jumped backwards into it.
Spinning on her heel, Vee tried to look for the Headmistress once more. She was instead forced to throw up a protective barrier to block one of Davenport’s swords as it flew out of a nearby portal. The inherent magic of the witch’s steel weapon sizzled against the brilliant Enochian runes of Vee’s barrier, and she took advantage of the distraction to continue her search.
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