Chapter 6

The sleepover had mostly been a practical solution; Everyone was already out late, in the same place, and no one felt like walking home. Regardless, it proved to be a great idea, and they all stayed up much later than intended as they enjoyed each other’s company.

The morning was close to over by the time everyone had woken up. Vee left first, muttering apologies about needing to study, and Chloé wasn’t far behind. Tessa feigned a headache to stick around, but Amara suspected it wasn’t entirely fake.

As Amara made everyone coffee, she finally started explaining to Nick what had happened. She went over the week prior, discovering that sex had become a very literal need for her, and the weakness that ensued. She explained the strange impulse, following it to the science building, and getting trapped in the basement. It was difficult to explain her encounter with Brandon, and she happily glossed over some of the details, but eventually got everyone caught up to speed.

“I think it’s time we heard from you.” Nick said, setting his coffee down and turning to Tessa. “I’m gonna need a damn good explanation why you helped that pervert make a demon trap.”

“Hey! I admit it wasn’t a great idea, but how was I supposed to know that one of my best friends had just become a succubus? Besides, it wouldn’t have mattered if you’d been here.” Tessa snapped.

“Will you both shut it?!” Amara stood, slamming the couch with her tail. “I don’t care whose fault it is! This happened because we were all missing a piece of the puzzle, so let’s focus on fixing that.”

She sat back down, huffing. Once settled, she gestured silently to Tessa.

“Well, I’m a witch, everything kinda starts there.” Tessa said quietly. She gestured towards Nick’s mug, her tattoos lit up, and the cup floated into the air. “Brandon had a huge crush on me, and I’m pretty sure he was stalking me a little? Anyways, he found out, and was a huge ass about it. At first he wanted to learn magic, but when I said no, he tried to blackmail me into sleeping with him. To keep him busy, I decided to just play along; I told him that I could teach him how to summon a succubus.”

“But you said most of what you taught him was fake, right?” Amara asked.

“That’s right. Despite his enthusiasm, he’s not very bright. I was able to draw up a whole slew of runes that looked demonic, and sprinkle in a few real ones to make it believable. When I found Amara, I realized that he’d added some runes without telling me, but the circle he made was still rather weak. It never would have been strong enough to reach into hell.”

“Let me guess, it was just strong enough to create a mysterious impulse in any Succubi that happened to be nearby?” Nick spoke up, grabbing his coffee out of the air.

“That’s my guess. You happened to be here, and felt drawn to explore it. You were smart to grab that vial of blood, he could have made things a lot worse.”

“Oh! That’s right!” Amara jumped up and ran to her backpack, pulling out the vial. She went to the kitchen, dumping its contents down the drain before rinsing it out.

“And you’re sure that’s all of it?” Tessa asked.

“Positive. He only had a few minutes with it before I ... well, y’know. He was just flipping through his books that whole time.”

Amara vaulted the couch, landing next to Tessa before settling in again. She noticed Tessa staring at her tail, and she moved it closer so her friend could feel it. Tessa ran her fingers over it softly, but Amara could still see some anxiety behind her eyes.

She decided against asking more questions. There was still so much she wanted to know, but she could tell her friend needed some time.

Realizing that Nick had been rather quiet, Amara looked over and saw him lost in thought. She knew from experience that he was going over everything he’d just learned, and was trying to think of what he wanted to ask next.

“What happens if Amara gets discovered?” He finally asked. “Men in black suits abduct her in the night and wipe our memories? Priests show up and attempt an exorcism?”

“That entirely depends on who discovers her. Most witches, and the church, would probably assume she’s from Hell and try to banish her. Many people would want to enslave her in a grab for power, but many others would be equally excited to do the opposite.”

“The opposite? Like, pledge their allegiance to me?” Amara asked. “Why would anyone do that?”

“Power, sex, fame, all the usual stuff. It might not be soon, but if you live long enough, you’ll find people that think you can grant their every wish if they’re willing to forfeit their soul.”

Amara shuddered. She’d only recently accepted that souls were actually real, and the thought of someone trying to barter theirs for power sounded awful.

“We need to assume nothing good comes from being discovered, then. What steps can we take to keep Amara safe? Are there spells we can cast? Wards we can put down? What if we—”

“Nick, how about we give Tessa some space?” Amara said, cutting him off. “She deserves time to process this.”

Nick bit his tongue, nodding before grabbing his coffee again. She looked back at Tessa, who was still holding her tail, and kept speaking.

“Do you want to go home? Unless you think we’re in imminent danger, I think we can fend for ourselves a while longer. Go spend some time with your partners, maybe ... take a bubble bath or something, I don’t know.”

“A bubble bath? Seriously?”

“You know what I mean!”

Tessa smirked as she returned Amara’s tail. Finishing her coffee, she stood up and collected her things, then said goodbye to Nick. Amara walked her out, keeping quiet as they approached the front entrance. Tessa seemed to have something on her mind, trying and failing to speak as they walked. Once they’d left the building, she finally moved in for a hug.

“Thanks Amara.” She whispered.

“Hey, you practically saved my life last night. You let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” Amara said, pulling her in tight.

“Actually, are you free later?” Tessa asked. “I think I’ve got just the thing in mind.”

“I’ll be there with bells on, just text me the time and place!” Amara waved goodbye as she started down the hallway again.

“I prefer to leave the bells in the bedroom, honestly!” Tessa shouted at her.

Amara laughed, happy that Tessa already seemed a little better. Once she got home, she found Nick cleaning up the remains of last night’s festivities. She jumped in, eager to have something to do.

“You think it’s okay letting her go? There’s still so much we don’t know.” Nick asked, grabbing plates off the table as he moved them to the dishwasher.

“Nick, I’ve never seen her like this before. She wasn’t cracking jokes, or bragging about her sex life, she was really scared. I didn’t mention it earlier, but she hesitated when I asked her to free me.”

Hearing this, Nick paused. A moment passed before he spoke, his voice quieter.

“I guess I was lucky, I was there when this started. I’ve never questioned if you were really you, but she didn’t get that luxury. Especially since you’re a succubus, you could have been a random demon disguised as her friend and there’d be no way to tell.”

“Ugh, shapeshifting, yet another thing I can’t do.” Amara collapsed on the couch, pulling a pillow over her face.

“Another thing? What aren’t you telling me?” Nick moved closer, sitting next to her.

“Nothing, it’s stupid.” Amara said. She immediately felt Nick’s judgmental stare boring through the pillow and pulled it away. “Ugh, fine, it’s just ... I felt so helpless down in that basement. I’m a demon! Aren’t I supposed to be a terrifying force of nature? Where are my magic powers? Why can’t I lift cars? Or fly?”

“Hey, slow down, it’s only been a few weeks. Didn’t you say this is like a second puberty? You don’t grow a beard or double-Ds in a month.”

“I said it was stupid, didn’t I?” She leaned against Nick. “Tessa has cool witchy mind powers, and what can I do? Sense when someone’s horny? Wow, lucky me.”

“Wait, can you do that?” He asked.

“Did I leave that part out?” Nick nodded. “Shoot, my bad. Yeah, when people are horny, or have just gotten laid, I can tell. It’s like ... a weird aura that surrounds them? But I can smell it too, it’s delicious.”

“Huh. Interesting.” He paused. “Hey, you said you barely ate this week, want to get lunch?” He asked.

“That’s ... probably a good idea, I have no clue what my body’s up to anymore. Do you think I could survive on nothing but sex?”

“Even if you can, I’m not letting you find out today.” He stood up, grabbing his things.

“But think of all the money I could save! What if I could stop sleeping? I’d have so much time to do stuff!” Amara pulled her shoes on before checking her beanie.

“Alright, say you suddenly have an extra 8 hours a day, what would you even do?”

“I could ... catch up on all my shows?” Nick stared at her, unamused. “Okay, fine, I don’t know. But there’s a good idea here somewhere!”

The two of them locked up, then made their way to the cafeteria. As they walked, Nick started asking if she could sense anything from nearby students. She quietly pointed out everything she saw, even turning it into a game for Nick. She would find someone with an aura, then make him guess if they were horny or well-fucked.

The impromptu game kept them amused all through lunch, and they sat around snacking until Tessa reached out, asking to meet up.

Lysander Hall was the oldest building on campus, and sat just north of the quad. Students wandering its corridors would find lecture halls, offices for the most prestigious professors, and many different art installations celebrating the school’s history. Most prominent was the bust of Arthur Lysander, the founder of the school, which stood on display across from the main entrance.

Once Amara was inside the building, she found Tessa at a small cafe that sat near the central staircases. Walking close, she was greeted by the smell of grilled sandwiches and coffee, but that smell was soon overpowered by Tessa, who had apparently skipped lunch for more exciting activities.

“Where’s Nick?” She asked.

“I invited him, but he said he wanted to look into something else? I guess this means he trusts you, which is good.”

Tessa threw her backpack over her shoulder, then picked up her coffee. “Great! I won’t have to put up with all his questions!”

The girls hugged as Tessa stood up, and Amara could feel that some tension had already been lost.

“I take it you’re feeling better?” Amara asked, pulling back from the hug.

Tessa started walking, leading Amara through the building as they talked. “For the most part. I think I just needed some time to clear my head. It was a lot to take in, to be honest.”

“Yeah? Is that what you said earlier today? Or were you the top this time?” Amara smirked, trying to keep the conversation from getting too heavy.

“Shit, is it that obvious? I showered afterwards and everything!”

Amara laughed, grabbing Tessa’s arm. “Don’t worry, I doubt anyone other than me could notice. I can tell when people are horny, and see their afterglow.”

Tessa paused for a moment, lost in thought.

“That makes a lot of sense, honestly. I can’t think of a more helpful tool for someone trying to weaponize seduction. Well, maybe charm magic. Can you do that?”

“Like, compel people to fall in love with me? Not that I’m aware of, unless you count showing off my cleavage.”

The girls laughed as they turned a corner, now facing a hallway filled with statues. Walking past a few classrooms, they finally stopped at a small door tucked away in a corner.

Tessa pulled the door open, heading inside and turning on a light. “Okay, so, that creepy basement you were locked in? Old architecture like that exists all over campus.”

As they closed the door, Amara felt a sense of déjà vu wash over her. She was standing in a staircase just like the one in the library, only these stairs were a little wider.

“Like the archives under the library?” She asked.

“Exactly! That actually gets the most use out of all these old spaces. They’re all holdovers from the original buildings.”

“So ... why are we here?” Amara started down the stairs.

“Well, I really appreciate you opening up about everything. I realize you didn’t have much of a choice but, still, I’m happy you trusted me. I want to do the same.”

At the bottom of the stairs lay another basement level, but this one was much better lit. It looked like someone had tried to redecorate at some point in the mid-seventies, and those efforts had unfortunately never been reversed.

“Speaking of opening up, can I let my tail out? It cramps like hell when I tuck it away.”

Tessa nodded, and Amara eagerly uncurled her tail. She went through her usual motions to shake it back to life, all while stuffing her beanie into her backpack. For some reason, she liked having her horns out, though she was still trying to figure out why.

“Now, as a witch, I’m extra sensitive to shifts in magical energy. Magic exists everywhere, almost like water currents in the ocean, and by reading them, we can learn interesting things about the world around us. Recently, there have been some strange shifts in the magic on campus.”

“Let me guess, the shifts are causing problems?”

“Yes and no. Right now, there aren’t any problems, but if this pattern continues, there could be some big-time planar chaos in the near future. Anyways, when I started investigating, I found this.”

As she finished talking, Tessa reached a dead end in the hallway. She closed her eyes, and Amara watched as her tattoos lit up. Moments later, a similar glow appeared on the wall in front of them, forming into runes. The wall shimmered, then began fading until it had vanished completely.

“Wow, Tessa, that’s incredible! Did you set that up?” Amara moved closer, pushing her hand through the space that had previously been a brick wall.

“Illusions aren’t really my thing, sadly. This was already set up, and I just found a way past it, kind of like picking a lock. What’s important, though, is what it was hiding.”

In front of Amara, the hallway now extended another twenty feet or so. There was a dramatic shift in decor as well; the space beyond the illusion had clearly been spared during the last redecoration. Instead of carpet, flat concrete extended from wall to wall, with simple white brickwork connecting the floor to the ceiling.

In the center of the space, a large magic circle of some kind had been carefully drawn. Despite knowing nothing about magic, Amara could tell it was quite different than the one that had held her captive. There was no empty space in the middle, for one thing, but Amara still took care to avoid stepping on it.

“It’s ... another magic circle?” Amara asked, clearly confused.

“Yup! This circle is fascinating for a million different reasons, but mostly because of how old it is. Whatever it is, it’s been here for ages, possibly even since the school was founded.”

“So, what does it do?”

“Well, if your offer still stands, I’m hoping you can help me figure that out.”

Amara carefully moved around the room, keeping as much distance as she could from the circle. “I’m flattered, truly, but how am I supposed to help? I’m not a witch, this is all gibberish to me.”

“Well, I ... I’m not sure.” Tessa sighed, leaning against a wall before sliding down to the floor. “I don’t really know what you can do, but two minds have to be better than one, right?”

Amara finished circling the room and sat down next to Tessa. “I’ll do my best, but don’t get your hopes up. What have you learned so far about it?”

“The most obvious is the temperature. I’m sure you’ve noticed how cold it is down here?”

Amara pushed her hand forward, feeling the air before moving it to the ground. “I didn’t, actually. Aren’t basements always cold?”

“I mean, a little, but not to this extent.” Tessa looked at her, her eyes wide with surprise. “You seriously don’t feel it?”

Amara shook her head, resting her hand on the concrete beneath her. Now that she was looking for it, she could feel a deep chill inside the concrete, but it felt distant. Rather than creeping into her body, like she was used to, the change in temperature registered more like a strange texture or sensation. It was something she could feel, but only on the outside of her body.

“It’s weird, I can feel it, but it also feels like my body is resisting it.” Amara reached over to Tessa, resting a hand on her forehead out of curiosity. “So, you think this is coming from the circle?”

Tessa flinched as her hand made contact, but relaxed just as quickly. “It’s definitely the simplest answer. A lot of magic relies on summoning energies or creatures from other places, so it would make sense if this circle was somehow connected to another place, somewhere much colder.” Tessa ran her hands over Amara’s, “Wow, you feel like you’ve been basking in the sun for hours.”

Tessa moved closer, putting both her hands on Amara’s neck as she absorbed her warmth. They stopped talking for a moment, Amara enjoying the touch, when she felt Tessa’s hands move to her shoulders. They bumped against the straps of her tank, accidentally pulling one off.

Amara grabbed her hands, realizing how cold they were, and the two girls locked eyes. As she looked at Tessa, she saw a softness that she’d never seen before. It was like a mask had slipped off, and she was finally seeing the person underneath.

Suddenly, the look in Tessa’s eyes changed, snapping back into focus. She pulled back, averting her gaze back to the circle.

“Um, so, the circle?” Tessa muttered.

“Right, yeah, it’s definitely cold.” Amara readjusted her top. “Do we know anything else?” Amara asked.

“I know it’s not a trap of any kind. The runes used here are pretty strange, but they’re definitely not built to release any kind of magic. I’ve walked over it dozens of times. Other than that, nothing really.” Tessa paused, looking back at her. “You said you can see sexual auras, can you see anything else?”

“I’m assuming you mean anything out of the ordinary? Now that I’m aware of.”

“What do you see when you look at the circle? Describe it to me.”

Amara did just that, taking a few minutes to talk through her vision of the strange circle in front of her. The more she talked, the more obvious it became that she was seeing exactly the same things as Tessa.

“No luck there, dang. Maybe we’re looking at this from the wrong angle. I should play to your strengths, instead of hoping you can do what I need. What else can you do?”

Amara paused, her tail curling around her arm as she thought of what to say. “Tessa, I can’t really do anything. I’ve got my horns, my tail, my weird horny radar, and a million unanswered questions about what’s happening to me.” Amara pulled back, shrinking into herself.

“What have you tried? According to myths, Succubi can summon fire, enthrall mortals, even shape-shift, maybe we could-”

“I can’t do anything! Not everyone has cool powers like you, okay? Can we just drop it?” Amara said.

Tessa bit her lip, then diverted her eyes. The girls sat in silence for a minute, the faint hum of the lights ringing throughout the space.

“Amara, I didn’t ... I wasn’t trying to ... look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ve never met a demon before, I wasn’t implying...” Tessa muttered, pulling her hands into her sweater.

“Well, I’ve never turned into a demon before.” Amara pulled her phone out and started texting Nick. “Look, I’ll keep you company, but I’m just gonna work on my homework or something. Sorry I couldn’t help.”

Amara opened her backpack and started rummaging through her schoolwork. She could feel Tessa’s eyes on her, but she couldn’t bring herself to look up and meet them.

Soon enough, Tessa pulled out some books of her own and started pouring over the strange symbols inside. Occasionally, she would shift to a different spot on the floor, but it looked more like nervous fidgeting than actual research.

Amara had a feeling that neither of them were getting much done.

They stayed there for a while, neither saying much. When Nick finally responded, Amara jumped at the excuse to leave.

Tessa summoned the illusory wall again before they left, and they marched up the stairs in silence. They passed the cafe, the bust of the founder, then walked outside.

It was already getting dark, and Amara pulled her beanie down tight out of habit. The quad stretched out in front of her, lights turning on to illuminate it. She turned to her friend, who clearly wanted to say something, but was holding back.

“Tessa, I’ve just ... this is really hard for me. What’s happening is scary, but that’s no excuse to take it out on you. I’m happy you showed me this part of your life, and if you’ll have me, I’ll gladly keep you company.”

She pulled Tessa in for a hug.

“I didn’t mean to push you, and I’m sorry too. I’ll come up with a better plan for next time. I’m just happy to have someone I can share this with.”

After a minute, the girls broke off their hug. They each went their separate ways, and Amara was happy she’d fought past her frustration enough to apologize.

Amara met up with Nick outside his dorm. He was being suspiciously quiet about his plans for the night, but he had told her to wear running clothes.

“So, what did Tessa want?” He asked, starting to lead the way.

“I guess she’s been investigating weird magic stuff? She wanted my help but ... I kinda snapped at her.”

Nick said nothing but gave her a questioning look.

“She just kept asking about what I could do, what my demon powers are, and after everything with Brandon...”

“I’m sure she understands. She’s normally the hothead, right?” Nick smirked. “You’ll both be back to normal before you know it.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad about it, but thanks.” Amara pushed him affectionately. “What’s the plan tonight?”

As they walked, she realized Nick was taking them further east. They weren’t heading to the stadium, but this side of campus mostly existed for all the sports programs.

“So glad you asked! I’ve got a lot of friends from back in wrestling days, and I called in a favor.” Nick pulled a hand out of his pocket, holding up a small key. “I’m now the proud owner of a key to the gymnastics building.”

“Gymnastics? What scheme is this?”

“Scheming? Me? I don’t know the meaning of the word. I’ve just got a theory I want to test.”

Soon enough, they made it to the gymnastics building. Nick guided her to a side entrance, checked for onlookers, then opened the door.

It was eerie being inside such a large gym with no lights, but thankfully Nick knew how to turn them on. The building hummed back to life, and Amara looked around at the equipment all around her.

She had no idea what anything was called, but she wandered around curiously as she examined everything. She recognized the balance beams, but there were also big rings hanging from the ceiling, pits filled with squishy colorful cubes, and quite a bit more.

There was also a viewing area on one side of the room. A white brick wall about 15 feet tall supported a series of built-in bleachers, with the only separation being the railing at the edge. A small staircase that connected the two areas had been tucked away in a corner.

Nick approached her, pulling off his sweatpants and sweater to reveal his gym clothes underneath. Loose-fitting blue shorts hung just past his knees, but his gray shirt was much tighter. His athletic form was on full display underneath the thin fabric, and Amara happily stole a look.

“So, not that it’s a secret anymore, but I think we need to run some tests.”

“For what? We’re not looking for new powers, are we? That’s the last thing I want to do right now.”

“It’s not that, I promise. Have you noticed how much your body has changed recently?”

Amara stared daggers at Nick.

“Okay, I phrased that poorly. I meant outside of the horns and the tail. Your form is more athletic, and your muscles have more definition.”

Intrigued, Amara followed Nick’s example and pulled off her sweats. Underneath, she was wearing deep, crimson red shorts with a matching sports bra. They both hugged her form tight, and she looked down to examine her stomach.

“Holy shit, are these abs?!” Amara pulled out her phone, setting it down and using it as a mirror as she examined herself.

“Do you just ... never look at yourself in the mirror?” Nick asked, gathering their clothes and putting them aside.

“No, I do that all the time! But recently I’ve been pretty focused on my demon bits.” Amara spun around to look at her back. “Plus, I normally judge my body by what clothes I can wear, but the tail forces me into those baggy sweaters.”

With their clothing now safely out of the way, Nick moved closer and started doing some stretching. “So, I’ve been thinking a lot about, well, everything. Yesterday changes a lot, and we can’t assume this is the last time something goes wrong.”

Amara joined in, copying Nick’s movements despite not fully understanding what they were doing. He continued talking as he kept warming up, moving slower so Amara could copy him.

“We need to accept that I’m not always going to be around. When this happens again, you need to know what your body is capable of.”

“So, we’re just here to ... work out? Nick, I’ve never been good at this stuff.”

“That’s why we’re starting slow, just keep copying me.”

Nick started walking her through his warmup routine, explaining why each part mattered. After a half hour of stretching and cardio, he finally brought her over to some equipment.

Her first task was a balance beam. She felt silly crawling on top of it, but with Nick’s help she was able to stand up without falling.

“Alright, this one’s easy. Just walk to the other side.” He said.

Taking a deep breath, Amara took her first steps. She raised her arms as she walked, trying to stay balanced, but each step proved more difficult than the last. Before she could make it halfway across, she lost control and slipped off the side.

“Fuck!” She fell quickly, and thankfully landed in Nick’s arms. “I thought you said this was easy?”

“I also said I was testing a theory, so thank you for proving me right!” He put her down softly, a smug grin on his face.

“What did I do?” Amara asked.

“What didn’t you do?” He asked in return. He moved closer, boosting her up to the beam again.

Once she was steady, she sighed and looked down at Nick. “I didn’t ... not fall?”

“Amara, you have a tail. It was stiff and lifeless the whole time.”

Amara stared at Nick, the gears in her head clicking into place. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at her tail, then started walking again.

Though her arms were still outstretched, she tried to let her tail adjust to her shifts in balance first. She realized quickly that it felt surprisingly natural to use her tail like this; She found she was able to let it correct her balance without much effort or thought.

She lowered her arms and started walking slightly faster. The steps came easier, and before she knew it, she had reached the end of the balance beam.

A smile grew on her face, and she walked back to the beginning even quicker. She moved with confidence, and she was starting to see her tail in a new light.

“Nick! You were right, that was so much easier!” She jumped for joy, forgetting she was still atop the balance beam, and felt herself start to fall. Nick ran forward, and Amara braced for impact, when suddenly she stopped.

In her panic, she had tried to reach for something. While there was nothing for her hands to grab, her tail had moved down and wrapped around the balance beam, pulling her back. She now stood at a slight angle, and it felt like she was hovering over the ground.

She looked back at her tail, then to Nick, her eyes wide. “This is SO. COOL!”

Using her tail, she pulled herself upright again, then took another few laps across the beam.

“So, now you like it? Last week you couldn’t stop complaining about how in the way it was.” Nick smirked, watching her prance back and forth.

“I didn’t realize I could do things with it!” Amara paused, realizing how silly she sounded. “That’s why you brought me here, isn’t it?”

Nick jumped up into the beam, sitting down and inviting Amara to do the same. “Look, I know you’re frustrated you don’t have any flashy powers, but your transformation has been a physical one, not magical. The tail, the horns, the stronger musculature, they all serve to make you faster, more agile. You’ve never been much of an athlete, so I had a feeling you couldn’t see the possibilities in front of you.”

Amara leaned in, hugging Nick tight as she sat next to him. “So, what’s next, teacher?”

With an excited smirk, Nick began walking Amara through a series of exercises, each designed to test or condition something new. The more she exercised, the more she began to understand just how different her body was.