Chapter 5

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

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

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

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

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

5:23 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enochian was the language of the Angels, after all.

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

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

Instead, the magic pulsed with recognition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amber irises glared back at her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weird. Why would a demon research itself?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Your days are numbered, Hellspawn.”

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

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

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

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

10 PM.

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

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

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

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

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

11 PM.

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

12 AM.

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

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

Amara stood up, pushing against the barrier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shit, of course he’d ask that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amara paused, her eyes locked on the needle.

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

She finally nodded slowly, holding out an arm.

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

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

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

“I’m ... twenty?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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