Chapter 13

“Okay, I think I’m happy with my eyeshadow.” Chloé said, “But it’s always the eyeliner that throws me off. What do you all do?”

“Want me to do it for you?” Vee asked, rolling out her brush kit.

“No! I need to learn to do it myself!”

“Well, I’m about to do Amara’s, how about you come watch.”

“Ooh I like that!” Chloé moved in front of Amara. “I just never know where to start. Outside? Inside? How big should the wings be?”

Amara watched as Vee moved closer, kneeling in front of her on the bed. “Don’t make me look too slutty, alright Vee?”

“If you don’t want to be a slut, then why are you going to a party?” Tessa said from the other side of the room. It sounded like she was digging through a bag, but Amara couldn’t turn to look with Vee holding her face still.

“I just want to get out! Dance with my friends! And sure, maybe if I meet a cute guy, I’ll give him my number or something.”

“What about a cute girl?” Chloé asked, giggling along with Vee.

“That would be great too! I just ... I dunno, I haven’t felt like dating recently.”

“Hey,” Vee whispered, “less talking, more holding still. Chloé needs to see what I’m doing.”

Amara closed her mouth, giving Vee a snarky look, but they both smiled after a moment.

“So, I like to start from the outside. Keep your eyes open, since that’s what most people will see, and make a little dot where you want the wing to end.” Vee pushed the eyeliner closer, making a small dot on Amara’s face. “From here, it’s almost like coloring within the lines. Move from the dot to the corner of your eye, then swoop over the eyelid.”

Amara closed her eyes for the second part, Vee holding her cheek while drawing the rest of her eyeliner. Her hands were cool to the touch, and she appreciated the help; she was a nervous wreck, and really wanted tonight to go well.

“All done!” Vee said.

“How do I look?”

“Just the perfect amount of slutty and sexy. You’re gonna have everyone tripping over themselves to try and dance with you.” Vee smirked as she slid off the bed, joining Chloé back on the floor as they finished their own looks for the night.

Amara felt her phone vibrate, and pulled it out of her bra as she stood up.

Nick: 8 PM right? Your place?

Moving to her mirror, Amara finally saw what her makeup looked like. It was much more dramatic than usual, her day-to-day look normally rather understated. The eyeliner was heavy, the eyeshadow bold, and it took a while to get used to. She broke from the reflection for a moment to text Nick back.

Amara: Yup! You gotta see what the girls did with me, I barely even recognize myself!

She tossed her phone on the bed, looking back in the mirror. She smoothed out her dress, turning to look at herself from different angles, but her eyes kept drifting back to her face. She almost thought she saw something wrong, but every detail on her face was immaculate. Maybe something was missing?

She kept staring at her reflection, wondering what she was looking for. She adjusted her hair, cleaned her earrings, but nothing she did made a difference. The girl in the mirror kept looking back, and Amara felt like she was staring at a completely different person.

“Did Vee fuck up your makeup? Or are you just appreciating how hot you are?” Tessa’s words startled her, as she was much closer than expected. “Cuz, damn girl, if you want to change your mind about the party, we can just head back to my place now.”

Amara’s face turned bright red, “Tessa!”

“Tess, leave the poor girl alone, she’s nervous enough without you trying to jump in her panties.” Vee said, pushing Tessa out of the way. “Amara, ignore her. She’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”

Tessa stuck out her tongue at Vee, and seemed about to say something, but got cut off by Chloé.

“Um, how’d I do?” She was now standing, and had moved closer to the rest of the girls. Her eyeliner was finished, and Amara was genuinely impressed by it.

“Chloé, it looks amazing! I don’t know why you were so worried!”

“Well I just ... don’t have a lot of practice...”

Amara pulled Chloé in for a hug, then moved so they could both look in the mirror. Chloé smiled wide seeing herself, and her joy was infectious. Soon, Tessa and Vee had crowded in as well, everyone looking at themselves eagerly.

“Well, ready for your first college party?” Vee asked.

“Let’s do it!” Amara said, smiling. In truth, she was just happy to be with her friends tonight.

Amara pulled her second boot on, the top of it resting just beneath her knee, and zipped it closed. This pair was one of her favorites; all black, slightly ruffled, with a thicker heel that was quite comfortable to walk in. Standing up, she looked at herself in the mirror, letting her eyes take in the final outfit.

Black fishnet leggings emerged from her boots, showing off her shapely legs. They soon vanished into her bodysuit, a single piece of faux leather that sat high on her hips. Her cleavage was on full display underneath the lacing on the front, which was pulled tight so as to not come undone at the party. Two small straps traveled from the top of the bodysuit to her neck, where they met a simple black collar.

The back of the outfit was practically non-existent. Quite a bit of her ass was visible, and she felt like she was wearing an exceptionally revealing swimsuit. Her entire back was exposed, save for a single strap that held everything together.

The belt had been fitted over the bodysuit, and she was happy that it didn’t seem to chafe her tail. The fake succubi wings strapped to her shoulders, the contacts were comfortable, and they’d successfully drizzled fancy glue around the base of her horns. As skeptical as she’d been, she could no longer deny that Nick had put together something ingenious.

She turned to him, her tail twitching with excitement. “Maybe I should drape my tail over my arm? Then I don’t have to worry about people stepping on it.”

“I could see that working. I was thinking either that or wrap it around a leg.”

“I think I’ll just hold it, that feels easier.” Amara moved her tail to the crook of her arm, draping it like a fancy scarf before letting it fall limp. “Still wish I could have my wings out, but that would be such a bad idea...”

“I know it’s not ideal, but you still look fantastic without them.” Nick jumped off the bed, standing briefly in front of the mirror to adjust his black and white striped suit. “How about me? Looking good?”

“You look great! I still think you should have let me do some face paint.”

“Eh, I just really don’t want stuff on my face. I’ve got the green wig though, isn’t that good enough?”

“Hey, if you’re fine settling for good enough, that’s on you.” Amara turned back to the mirror, smiling as she admired herself. “I could never, and thankfully I don’t have to. I look fucking amazing!” She checked her phone, noticed she had just gotten a text, and got the rest of her things together. “Alright, time to head out! Tessa and Chloé are here!”

They left the apartment, Amara taking a moment to lock up, then headed for the entrance. She paused at the front door to the building, looking at her friends outside.

Chloé’s never seen me like this before, but if anyone were to notice, it would be her, right? She’s always drawing, I’ve seen her sketch me before, what if she sees right through the costume? Can I tell her? No, idiot, Tessa warned you about that. Just go outside, be confident, sell the outfit. Remember, tonight you’re not Amara the Human, you’re Amara the Succubus. Not that there’s any difference, but they don’t know that.

She felt Nick grab her shoulder, giving her a knowing look. “Hey, you ready? It’s not too late to turn back.”

“No. I want this. I’m ... I’m ready.” She moved her tail to her arm, let it go limp, and left the building.

Walking down the sidewalk, Amara took a moment to admire her friend’s costumes. Chloé was wearing a simple long white dress that ended around her shins, showing off her comfortable brown boots. A short sleeved, red leather jacket covered most of her upper body, though it hung open to reveal the dress underneath. Her hair had been braided, and a bright pink ribbon had been clipped to the base of the braid.

Tessa’s outfit was much less elegant, and Amara was hesitant to even call it a proper costume. She wore her usual black combat boots, with intricate stockings covering her legs. An incredibly short skirt left little to the imagination, and a frilly black bra was doing its best to put her cleavage front and center. She’d done nothing with her hair, save for a black hairband that held a tiny, off-center witch’s hat.

The two girls seemed to be bickering about their outfits as Amara moved closer.

“Look, all I’m saying is that guys want to see skin, but you’re covering most of it!”

“Tessa, not all of us are here to get laid. Maybe I just want an excuse to go out in a fun costume!” Chloé protested.

“Yeah, Tessa, there’s more to life than sex.” Amara said mockingly.

Tessa turned to face her. “Oh, that’s rich coming from yo— holy shit Amara, you really ... went all out, didn’t you?” As she talked, Tessa nervously looked at their other friend.

Chloé’s eyes were wide, darting between all the pieces of Amara’s so-called costume. After a few seconds, she finally spoke up. “Wow! Amara, you look incredible! Are you ... a tiefling?”

“What? No, I’m a succubus, what’s a tiefling?”

“Ohh that makes sense. I’m used to succubi having thinner tails, but this one looks so real! Where did you get it?”

Amara looked at Nick nervously, “I, uh, Nick actually took care of that.”

“Gotcha, I’ll bug you for the link later, okay?” Chloé said to Nick. She immediately jumped into a lengthy explanation about what tieflings were, and Amara gathered they must be from one of her games.

They took off for the party, which required them to walk across most of the campus. Chloé’s rant about tieflings soon gave way to general gossip, with Tessa still trying to push her into showing off more skin. Amara, on the other hand, had little to say. She kept glancing around, curious if other people were looking at her. Whenever she did catch someone staring, she realized that most people were much more eager to see the revealing outfit than her tail.

After passing the first few groups, Amara’s nervous energy vanished. She began walking with more purpose, thrilled that she could just be herself tonight. She looked up at the sky again, remembering last night’s talk with Nick.

He was absolutely right. I should be proud of myself.

To name a building The Jade Palace is a bold choice. Such a dignified name might instill visions of grandeur, perhaps a maze of lordly halls decorated with emerald tapestries, or a series of regal chambers designed to host exalted dignitaries. To the students of Aurelius University, such a description couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The building in question was, in reality, a run-down manor that had long ago been converted into a frat house. The more prestigious fraternities had buildings on campus, which came with additional pressure to keep a clean, wholesome appearance. This meant that, while parties were sometimes hosted at such residences, they could never be as raucous as most students would prefer.

In contrast, The Jade Palace was off campus, and belonged to a less notable fraternity. The entire building had been retrofitted to serve as the perfect party house. The main floor had several rooms dedicated to hosting, providing space for everyone to mingle, along with a pool table that frequently hosted drinking games. A large breakfast bar had been added to the kitchen, though breakfast would be the strangest thing to order there. A nearby tip jar ensured that the Palace always had a well-stocked liquor cabinet, and students were eager to contribute.

The centerpiece of the house was originally a large living room, with a vaulted ceiling and visible second story loft. The towering walls of this room had been painted bright green, and served as the namesake for the University’s most notorious party house.

For students eager to let loose, the massive basement had been equipped with an impressive sound system, along with a series of lights that could be changed to fit the mood, or even synched with the music. A second bar in the back corner made sure the crowds stayed tipsy, and it wasn’t uncommon for other substances to be readily available as well.

The second story of the Palace held four bedrooms, along with the loft. Very few members of the fraternity actually lived here, and the rooms contained incredibly few personal effects, as everyone understood what they were meant for.

By the time Amara and her friends arrived, the party was already in full swing. Before they even reached the main entrance, she already had dozens of people complimenting her outfit, stunned at how realistic everything looked. While it was obvious that most of them, mainly the men, were more interested in how revealing her clothes were, it was clear that her “costume” was drawing a lot of attention.

Amara had never felt more alive. While her first party had been a little awkward, and mostly spent with her friends, tonight she found herself invigorated by how many new people she was meeting. The attention was intoxicating, and she got used to answering all the questions people had about her various accessories.

Initially, she’d been nervous to let people feel them, but as the night went on, she carefully let more people touch her horns, hold her tail, all of them marveling at how lifelike they were. On several occasions, the crowds cleared a space so she could let her tail down and walk, showing off how “ingenious” and “reactive” the technology in the tail was. She stressed that she’d spent good money on it, but always refused to say where.

She noticed a few strange things after the first couple of hours. Firstly, she noticed just how delicate her demonic senses had become. Over the last few weeks, in her attempts to stay inconspicuous, she’d tried her best to keep her eyes from glowing. Even then, she had still gotten quite skilled at reading people’s auras. Now, as she needed to sell the illusion that she was wearing glowing contacts, she kept her eyes fully engaged, and realized that her senses had expanded far beyond what she’d previously known.

In addition to her usual talents, she had increased insight as to where people were directing their attention. Previously, auras only seemed to mix once people had fucked, but now she saw infinitely more subtleties. Two people might lock eyes across the room, and their auras would slightly shift to similar tones. She even began to see what she assumed were shades of her own aura, solely due to these strange reflections.

Secondly, no matter how much she drank, she never felt drunk. She was no stranger to alcohol, but due to the chaos of her transformation, she simply hadn’t gotten around to it recently.

That feeling of material intoxication, while she did miss it, had been replaced with something far more delicious. The auras of everyone around her were so strong that she was actually able to feed in small quantities. Every person she playfully kissed, every eager partner that she danced with, and dozens of random other students that she simply walked past, every one of them fed her appetite.

She was in the middle of talking with a particularly attractive cheerleader when something caught her eye. Above her, looking down from the loft, was a beautiful woman with curly, medium length blonde hair. A short, pure white skirt accentuated her gorgeous legs, and matched the elegant white wrap that hung just off her shoulders. Her torso was covered in some kind of leather armor, and a gold circlet rested atop her head, its filigreed leaves interwoven with her hair.

Vee!

Quickly excusing herself from her conversation, she ran up the stairs as quickly as the crowds would allow. Within minutes, she’d found Vee, who was now leaning against the back corner of the loft.

“Vee, I didn’t know you were coming tonight!”

“I guess we’re all full of surprises, aren’t we?” she said softly.

Amara was unsure what to say after their last conversation, stammering slightly before managing to speak. “You, um, look amazing, by the way. Are you, like, a valkyrie?”

Vee walked past her, towards a nearby bedroom. “Something like that, yeah.” Opening the door, Amara looked inside and saw the room was empty, save for the bed in the back corner. Vee gestured for her to go inside, and she eagerly accepted.

“Well, I’m a succubus!” Amara said, showing off her tail as she walked into the bedroom.

“Oh, I know.” Vee said, her voice unusually monotone. She closed the door behind them, the noise of the party muffled by the barrier. As Amara turned to face her, eager to ask if things were better, she instead watched as Vee planted her hands on her shoulders and shoved hard.

Stumbling backwards, a flash of light filled her vision, and she collided with the wall behind her. At least, she thought it was a wall, but it felt softer than it should have. When she opened her eyes, she saw she was standing near the edge of a bright, glowing circle, and ethereal walls looped around her, trapping her inside. She watched as Vee locked the door, then started circling Amara, keeping a healthy distance between them.

“Vee, what is ... are you a witch too?” Amara asked.

“You can drop the act, Hellspawn. We’re alone.”

“Vee, I don’t know what—” Amara took a step forward, reaching out for Vee, but before she could take another, her friend snapped her fingers. A terrible blinding light erupted from the circle, and a painful shock ran through her body, one that was all too familiar. She fell to her knees, now in the middle of the room, clutching her ribs in pain.

“Do you think I’m stupid? That I’ll just keep falling for your lies?”

Another shock coursed through her body, followed by a horrid realization. “This magic ... the Enochian, that was you?”