Chapter 9

As Vee walked out of the store, she shrugged to reposition the heavy water jugs on her shoulders. The cashier had given her some funny looks when she’d left, but quickly turned his attention elsewhere, no doubt he’d seen weirder things at five in the morning. A few bags of other miscellaneous purchases hung from her arms as she made her way home, which was only a few blocks away.

The weight was negligible, especially now that she’d gotten better at enhancing her body’s strength with her divine magic. She smirked as she thought back on how much progress she’d made recently. In only a few weeks, she was close to surpassing many of her previous limits from the last time she’d seriously trained.

As she crossed the final intersection, she briefly stepped towards home, then paused.

This would be a great place for a rune. This path splits to a few different dorms from here.

Setting down the water, Vee pulled her backpack off and withdrew her Enochian Texts. Sure that no one was watching, she quickly asked for another tracking rune to form in the center of the path. It appeared, briefly pulsing with light, then vanished from sight.

I think that’s 17? I haven’t hit the auditorium yet...

Vee hoisted the heavy jugs over her shoulder again and resumed her walk home. Her thoughts wandered as she made a mental list of all the tracking runes she’d placed around campus. She’d tried to tag the main entrances to all the major buildings, and had already gotten a few hits. Unfortunately, unless she happened to be extremely close, a single activation of a rune only served as another data point to add to the map.

As she arrived home, she put down all her purchases and pulled out her notebook. Inside, she was recording the times of each rune activation, trying to find patterns in the demon’s movements. Vee assumed the demon was masquerading as a student, but it was hard to know how often she did so.

Is she ... going to classes? That’s what the runes seem to say, but that feels like a huge waste of time for a demon. Wouldn’t it be easier to just go to parties? Find some drunk idiots, take their souls, and be on your way.

She was happy that the runes around her dorm had never activated, it gave her a tiny sliver of peaceful sleep before the nightmares inevitably returned each night. It also occurred to her that she should place runes around all the major dorms on campus. If the demon was fully committed to being a student, she might be living in a dorm. Even if she weren’t, it would be easy to convince another student to invite her over.

Vee started up some coffee, then checked her phone. She quickly navigated to local news sites and social media feeds, looking for possible clues.

Still no bodies, no missing people, nothing. How is she hiding her victims?

The lack of news concerned her. Although taking someone’s soul wouldn’t always kill them, most demons felt it was quicker to do so anyways. People that stayed alive after losing a soul often experienced personality shifts, some more alarming than others.

She pocketed her phone and made herself breakfast. There was something missing, there had to be. A campus with a demon running around shouldn’t be this calm.

How does she find her victims? How does she hide them? Why is she bothering to go to classes?

Frustrated with the lack of answers, Vee turned her attention back to the water jugs. Placing one on the counter, she opened her Enochian Texts and started a familiar spell. Placing her hand on the side of the container, she asked the divine to purify the water inside.

She did the same for the second container, then moved them into a corner with the rest of the holy water. She now had 10 large containers, along with a few water bottles that she kept with her at all times. While she didn’t know how it would all get used, she was happy to have a significant backstock.

Content that the water was ready, she started unpacking the rest of her purchases. A few rosaries, some chalk, several bags of salt, even some water pistols that had made her feel quite childish. The last item was a small bag of sulfur.

She took great care in handling the package, fully aware of how bad sulfur could smell even in small quantities. Moving to the bathroom, she poked a small hole in the bag before returning to the living room.

Vee sat on the floor, closing her eyes as she focused on her magic, her connection with the Divine. Enochian filled the room as she said another prayer, this time enhancing her senses as well as her strength. It took a minute to acclimate to the new sensations; the hum of the building’s heating filled her ears, a low bass occasionally broken by the persistent dripping of her neighbor’s bathroom faucet.

She opened her eyes, testing her enhanced vision by reading the nutritional information on the cereal boxes in the kitchen. Finally, she breathed in through her nose, looking for one smell in particular. The most easily identifiable sign of demonic activity - sulfur.

To try and name all the different types of demons would be an exercise in madness. Demons took every size and shape imaginable, and the overwhelming variety of abilities they could wield made hunting them extremely challenging. Thankfully, all demons were born of damnation, and thus shared one important trait. Any demon that drew on its natural magic would inevitably leave behind a trail of sulfur.

While faint, Vee was able to smell the sulfur she’d set up in the bathroom.

She smirked, glad to see her test had worked, then jumped to her feet. Having enhanced senses was nice, but if she couldn’t utilize them properly, she wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight. She began moving through a series of basic exercises, slowly adjusting to her new skillset. It started slowly, as her enhanced perception dramatically altered how she perceived her own body, but soon enough she felt everything start to click.

Her vestibular senses were flawless, and she found she now had perfect balance. With each new movement, she slowly retrained her muscle memory to accommodate her enhanced physique. Before long, she felt completely comfortable with her body, and it was time was one final test.

She was currently upside down, her weight supported entirely by one hand planted firmly on the carpet. One leg extended straight towards the ceiling, the other was bent, its foot resting on her inside knee. She reached forward with her free hand, then closed her eyes and focused.

Her magic stirred, eager to respond, but it took a moment to focus it properly. Creation was exceptionally difficult, and Vee hadn’t manifested anything in years.

Sweat fell from her temple, landing on the carpet. Her balance faltered, just for a second, as she started the necessary prayer. The heavenly overtones of Enochian filled her ears, resonating with her magic, and within moments she’d achieved her goal.

A glimmering sword appeared in her hand, radiant power emanating from its blade. She moved it around, listening as the steel literally sang with every flourish. It was a beautiful weapon, and she was surprised at how little it weighed; No doubt her strikes would be quick and precise. She continued testing its weight, adjusting her own movements to accommodate the weapon, and before she knew it, it was time to prepare for classes.

With her eyes still closed, she pushed off the floor. Her body sprang into the air, folding into a tight somersault as she inverted one last time. Her feet landed softly, barely making a noise as she flourished her sword in front of her.

Vee grinned, knowing she was ready for a fight.

Amara grunted as she grabbed another vine, pulling as hard as she could. It shifted slightly, but nowhere near enough to make a difference.

“Fuck, why are these things so tough?” she groaned, collapsing backwards.

Tessa was still trapped, but over the course of the last hour or so, Amara had managed to move some of the smaller vines off her body. Bits and pieces of her legs could be seen, but most of her upper body remained enveloped.

“Look, pulling them off doesn’t seem to be working, can you try something else? I’d rather not die under these things.” Tessa sighed, her body tired from the constant struggling.

“I don’t see you suggesting anything.” snapped Amara, “Actually, where’s that knife you always play with?”

“Not anywhere helpful. It’s in my backpack, which I’m currently on top of.”

“Ugh, just our luck. I’ll see if I can find one laying around.” Amara turned towards the massive pile of vines, then paused briefly. “Look, I’m sorry ... I know this is worse for you than it is for me. I’m just sick of not being able to help when it matters.”

“Hey, of all the people to be tied up in front of, I’m glad it’s you.”

Amara smiled before starting her climb, picking her steps carefully as she pushed towards the bulk of the storage. She was at the highest point of the mound of vines when her friend spoke up again.

“Could you ... stay within earshot?” Tessa’s voice grew quiet, almost in embarrassment. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Believe me, I know what that’s like. I’ll stay close, I promise.”

The girls nodded at each other before Amara disappeared over another bundle of vines. She spent the better part of half an hour digging through old cabinets and appliances, looking for anything that might be sharp enough to cut through the vines. The whole time, she kept talking with Tessa, eager to keep her comfortable as best she could. In the end, while the conversation was as lively as ever, she returned empty handed.

“This place has nothing but scrap metal, and none of it is even remotely jagged.” Amara pulled her phone out, holding it up to look for service. “Do these circles fuck with cell signal? I swear I never get any bars when I’m near them.”

“It would definitely make sense, but it’s hard to say for sure. Older witches tend to ignore modern innovation, so us younger folk have to figure out for ourselves how magic and technology interact.”

Amara sat next to her friend, grabbing a water bottle and tipping it into her mouth.

“Alright, stupid idea.” Tessa said, water dripping down her chin. “What if we burned the vines away?”

“Wow, when you say stupid idea, you really mean it.”

“I’m being serious!”

“So am I! If we set this place on fire, I can only pull you out once the flames have eaten away at the vines. By then, you’ll already be significantly burnt, if not dead!” Amara stood up, pacing back and forth, her tail flicking in frustration. “I can’t believe you! Telling Vee I’m a demon is too far, but sure, let’s set you on fire and see what happens!”

“Can you just shut up for a second? I didn’t say set them on fire, I said burn them away.” Tessa’s tattoos flared, and she made Amara look at her. “Look at these vines, they’re vibrant and healthy. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be this strong. Even if we introduce fire, they’re going to resist it, which means controlling the flames will be easy. How much control do you have over your fire, anyway?”

“I’m honestly not sure. I can move it around easily enough, but I don’t know what happens when it spreads. I might have control over all fire, or just mine, but right now I don’t know.”

“How about we test it out? You got any paper on you?”

Amara opened her backpack, ripping some paper out of a notebook before sitting next to Tessa. “Alright, what are we doing?”

“It’s easy, just light a corner on fire, let it spread, then see if you can stop it.”

Nodding, Amara took a deep breath. She summoned a small flame, which took more effort than expected, and lit the paper on fire. The flames caught quick, latching onto the sheet before it started to spread. After a few seconds, once the fire was approaching the middle of the page, she reached out and tried to pull it back.

She immediately noticed a few differences, the most obvious of which was the color. The fire she summoned always had a slight purple tint, whereas the fire that spread afterwards looked much more natural. Although it was difficult for her to judge temperature on feeling alone, she could also tell that the natural fire was less intense.

Connecting with the new fire was tough. She could sense its presence, but it took a few tries to extend her own control over it. Once she’d established the connection, the fire took on a purple hue, and she was able to extinguish it just before losing the paper entirely.

“It worked!” Amara brandished the paper, unsure where Tessa’s line of sight ended. She also found herself yawning, which was surprising given the time of day.

“See? The vines are gonna be even easier, they won’t catch the same way the paper does.” Tessa was clearly excited, but Amara could tell she was also feeling a little smug.

“No, you were right. I’m sorry I snapped at you, I just ... I can’t stop thinking about Vee, about Derek.” Amara felt something squeeze her arms, then realized that Tessa’s tattoos were glowing.

“Hey, I told you, we’ll figure something out.” Tessa paused for a moment. “What if we just–”

“We’re not killing him, Tessa.” Amara said quickly, cutting off her friend.

“Ugh, fine, just stomp all over my dreams.”

Chuckling, Amara moved closer to Tessa and looked for a good place to start. She found a slightly smaller vine curled around her friend’s chest and wrapped a hand around it. Carefully lighting her palm on fire, she squeezed the vine as she tried to burn it apart. It took a few moments, but soon she was able to close her fist entirely, the vine having been completely severed.

“Okay, one down. How did that feel? Not too hot?” Amara asked.

“Pretty warm, but nothing I can’t handle. Now get me out of here already!”

Moving to the next vine, Amara prepared to repeat herself. When she tried to pull more fire into her palm, however, she couldn’t find any.

“Shit.”

“C’mon, what is it now?”

“I, uh ... I’m tapped out.”

“You’re out of fire? Now?”

“I just figured this out today! I have no idea what my limits are!”

“So, what now? Do you need a nap? A protein bar?”

“I don’t think that would work; my powers come from ... you know...” Amara watched as realization dawned on her friend’s face.

Tessa tried to speak a few times, the words needing more time to catch up. “By yourself?” She finally asked.

Amara shook her head. “Doesn’t work, I have to feed on someone else’s arousal.” She coughed awkwardly, unsure how to proceed. “I could try to get Nick down here? I’d have to leave to get a signal, though.”

The thought clearly made Tessa uncomfortable. “Look, can we stop beating around the bush? There’s an obvious solution here.”

The two locked eyes, and Tessa’s growing aura made her insinuation more than obvious. Amara moved closer, the smell of arousal already filling her senses. “Is that so? What do you mean?” She leaned in, trying to hold back a smirk.

“I-I mean, we’re alone down here and—” Tessa paused, finally piecing together the look on Amara’s face. “Wait, are you fucking with me?”

“Me? I would never! I’m just waiting for you to finish.” She paused, her words dripping with sarcasm.

“You’re ... gonna make me say it aren’t you.”

Amara nodded. She watched as the helpless witch briefly struggled against the vines and noticed another pulse in her aura.

She’s talked a few times about loving to be submissive, this might literally be a wet dream for her. Well, when in Rome...