Succubated!

An hour before facing Maria on the lower floors of SUBMISSION, Una peered through the tinted window of a luxury sedan at passers-by on the sidewalk. X pulled the car over in a spot across the street from the fetish club’s basement entrance; Susan ran her hands across the leather upholstery behind his head.

“This is such a swanky car, X! We’re not that far from the park, but this isn’t the nicest neighborhood late at night,” she said. “You sure you want to leave it here?”

“It’s a rental, and insured,” X replied, his British accent posh enough to suggest that he rented cars all the time without worrying about what happened to them. “Are we going inside together, or…?”

I’m just worried about being recognized, Una thought, looking at the line of black-clad partygoers waiting to enter. I could probably find some way to transform, but…

Susan slapped her on the shoulder of the baggy sweater-dress she wore over her strappy latex ensemble. “Stop fretting. We can hear most of what you’re thinking, remember?” She tapped the tiny earbud in her right ear.

Una blinked. “Seriously, you could tell what I was saying… to myself?” She looked from Susan to X for confirmation.

X nodded, leaning over the driver’s seat with a wry smile. “I’m afraid so. These subaural communication gizmos of Mr. Sigma’s are rather cutting edge. It sounded like an indistinct whisper, but I did hear you worry that someone will recognize you, then consider how you might transform.”

The succubus exhaled audibly. “Remind me why we’re going through all this subterfuge and spy nonsense? I just wanted to find out what Maria’s been up to. Now I have to worry about Jay Sigma listening to my every thought.”

I’m certainly going to hear you if you keep mentioning me. Jay’s voice reached all three of the car’s passengers as an audible mutter through their earbuds. But I’m a little busy setting up, so I’m going to tune out. Only say my name if you need me, capisce?

“This is too weird,” Una protested. “I’m going to take it out!”

Susan caught her hand. “Wait, wait! It’ll be fun and useful. And I’ll show you how to suppress it!”

Una relaxed and sat back while Susan rattled on. “In answer to your earlier question, according to Jay and the SUBMISSION grapevine, Maria’s been telling more and more people about her transformation and the powers of the Lady Una—maybe about her powers, too. If she’s not careful, she’ll cause more havoc and paint a target on her forehead. My bosses won’t look kindly on a rogue succubus running around, and beyond the OSA… obviously, there are worse threats.” Susan frowned in distaste.

Una grimaced. “Fine. So we see what she’s up to, quietly, and then what… an intervention?”

“If needed?” Susan grinned. “Play it by ear! Now, speaking of ears… these things work on detection and machine-learning augmentation of minute subvocalizations.”

“Excuse me?” Una raised an eyebrow. “Sweetie, I may have advanced education and thousands of years of buried memories, but the degrees are in theology and divinity, and Yael’s memories are mostly about sex and conning mortals.”

X tapped his own earbud and moved his mouth slightly without opening it. She means they pick up on tiny movements of your jaw and mouth. The things your nerves do when you’re even thinking about talking. If you use your mouth more actively to form words, they’ll come across more clearly to the sensors, but they’re sensitive enough to interpret even the most subtle thoughts.

The kid’s basically got it, Jay broke in. But could you quit the lecture and move your fancy car away from the entrance? It’s entirely the wrong vibe for my party.

“Impressive,” Una agreed. “But how… do I turn it off?”

Susan sighed. “You can take it out, obviously. But you could also think in another language that it’s not tuned for. Watch this…”

Auto kitchen SEO? Susan’s voice said in their ears. Una stared at her quizzically, and the bespectacled girl burst into laughter.

“I was actually thinking eotteoke jinaeseyo in my native Korean. But it’s set for English, so it does a bad phonetic recognition.” Susan shrugged. “As for you, Una… if you don’t want to think in Latin, you can also grit your teeth and press your tongue against the roof of your mouth. That should stop the sensors from picking anything up.”

Only the hum of street traffic and the muffled thump of music from the club filled the car for a moment, as they all tried it. Blissfully quiet, came a thought from Jay, who was clearly still listening in.

“All right,” said Una. “We’ll go with your plan, but tell me the next part: how am I disguising myself?”

Susan flipped open a compact and checked her lipstick: a deep, glossy black. “Oh, you already know the answer! Jay checked your nanomachines and said they’re all fine, so maybe just… use them to transform?”

Jay’s evaluation of Una’s altered physiology had showed more than “all fine.” Una pressed her jaws together and considered. Her sigil was changing, growing gradually more complex for unknown reasons. Kyber had made that much clear, and despite his treachery she saw no reason to disbelieve him—especially since Jay’s scans had shown her signature mark with new whorls and lines.

Stranger, however, were the results of Jay’s check-up on the nanobots: they remained magically locked to her sigil, in its new form, and the bots themselves seem to have evolved. “Technically possible,” Jay had noted. “We’re talking nanomachines, after all. They can adapt to their environment, and diagnostics all check out. They’re faster, more efficient, and they’ll last longer on less energy. And I’m pretty sure your compacted form, if that’s what we’re calling it, was a combination of your own magical defenses and the nanobot capabilities.”

It was a lot to think about. Una squeezed her eyes closed, let her mouth relax, and turned to look at Susan. “All right. It’s true that the last few transformations went smoothly, but did you have a form in mind?”

“Sure,” the scholar said. “The same thing you did with lover-boy here.” She pulled playfully at the driver’s seat again. “Although I never would have guessed him for a Felicity Hendrickson fan! Is it her plentiful bosom, X?”

X coughed delicately, but they caught his thoughts through the earbuds: Oh lord yes, I love those tits. He blushed furiously, the olive tones of his cheeks flushing with color.

We cannot possibly keep these things on forever, thought Una. I’ll lose it.

Oh, I don’t know, came Susan’s reply. I like the vulnerability! I mean, I can relate—I wouldn’t mind burying my face between Felicity—

The succubus groaned aloud. “Susan! You’re incorrigible! And I don’t want to walk in looking like a celebrity, either; that form attracted plenty of attention on the airship.”

Susan tapped her finger on her lip, then scrambled to lean over Una and look across the street. Una caught a whiff of the other woman’s scent: a mixture of sweat and perfume, with an undertone of arousal.

“I love it when I come up with a plan!” Susan pointed at a figure in the queue waiting to get in; following her gaze, Una saw a woman in a full skirt talking with two other women in animal masks. “See that white-haired girl by the door? That’s Anastasia Bee. Tell me who she’s fantasizing about!”

Una let her senses expand into the realm of auras, allowing herself to visualize the flows of desire and lustful energy. The club-goers waiting outside the basement party were a mixed lot: some couples with eyes only for each other, while others teemed with sexual tension, eager to get inside. Flashes of interest bounced from person to person as they checked each other out. She turned her attention to the girl, Anastasia, who had pale blue eyes and long white hair.

“I can’t tell, exactly,” Una said in a low voice. “But you’re right… she has a very specific fantasy. If I ride her desires, I’ll become that fantasy… and I’ll probably feel drawn to her in the process.”

She felt Susan’s hand on hers. “That’s not my entire plan. Concentrate on me at the same time. Can you feel that?”

To her surprise, Una could feel a powerful, tight current of energy between her and Susan, the bond that had only grown since their early sexual encounters. Like Anastasia, Susan had a very particular image in her head, but the contours felt somehow familiar. It’s me, Una thought. That’s Susan’s desire, a fantasy of me as she thinks of us together.

That’s right, came Susan’s reply. I’m going to sit here imagining us fucking like weasels in heat, while Anastasia lustfully obsesses over her ideal girl. Can you average out the two fantasies in your head to create something new?

“I’ll… try it.” Una closed her eyes and concentrated on the dual energies of desire, letting them flow together. She felt the joints of her shoulders shift.

“Oh, wow.” X’s voice came out a hoarse whisper. “I’ve seen it once before, but… still amazing.”

The transformation continued, Una’s body rippling and changing. She cried out as her ribs cracked and her spine compressed slightly. Hair moved across her head, and she felt her horn and tails pulling into her body. Her skin prickled, and her muscles tensed as she grew leaner, her curves melting into a new shape. She opened her eyes and looked down. The new texture of her skin was milky-pale, her arms slender and toned, with a layer of muscle beneath each curve. A wave of drowsiness passed over Una, and she shook her head, blinking her eyes.

“Hmm,” said Susan, running her hands across Una’s new body. “I think you leaned a little more towards Anastasia’s side. No fair, but I guess I get my fantasy fulfilled all the time.”

In the front seat, X had turned all the way around to look at Una. His gaze lingered on the swell of her smaller breasts beneath the sides of the latex corset, then moved down over her flat stomach. “Wait,” he said. “This look is partly based on that model-actress, right? Kate someone.”

“Kaitlin Mortensale,” said Susan. “Heartthrob of every lesbian and bi-curious girl alive today, but Anastasia Bee’s truly obsessed with her.”

Una picked up Susan’s compact and flipped it open. Bright green eyes stared back at her from under arched eyebrows and an unruly mane of pink-streaked black hair. Her features were delicate, with a straight nose and full lips that Una curled into a smile. She looked a little like an anime character.

“She’s quarter-Japanese,” Susan said, responding to Una’s unspoken thought. “But eww, that doesn’t make her an anime—” The Korean-American girl peered at Una and adjusted her glasses. “Huh. You do look a little more like an anime girl than the real Kaitlin Mortensale. That must be part of Anastasia’s fantasy.”

While you’re outside still playing dress-up, Jay’s voice broke in, Maria breezed in here with her two muscle-toys and disappeared somewhere.

Una shrugged her coat off, revealing Kaitlin’s lightly muscled shoulders and svelte torso, wrapped in latex and leather. She ran her hand through her shortened hair and stretched her limbs experimentally; she felt shorter, but lighter and quicker at the same time. “I can work with this,” she said. “Let’s go. Bring your makeup; I’ll put some on in line.”

“Right behind you,” Susan replied. “We can’t enter together, of course.” She glanced over at X. “Ready to experience Brooklyn’s finest underground sex scene, Mr. al-Hashimi?”

X smiled, his expression almost beatific. He was still staring at Una’s new face. “Yes, I suppose I’m looking forward to it.” He wore a black leather vest, also borrowed from Jay’s endless collection, which showed off his newly broad chest and shoulders; tight black jeans completed the look. The three climbed from the car and headed for the back of the line.

***

Later, after casting off her borrowed form, Una stretched again. The body fashioned after Kaitlin Mortensale had felt fit and limber, but her own curves and weight were satisfying in an entirely different and sensual way. She ran a hand along the dark, sinuous length of her tail, enjoying the sensation. She stared around at the crowd in the sub-cellar; some faces seemed vaguely familiar, but her first visits to SUBMISSION felt like a lifetime ago.

What just happened? Susan’s words sounded in her ear, distant but urgent. Was that you changing back?

Precisely, Una thought back, moving her mouth without opening it. I told you I was about to make my move. Can you get any closer? Like I told you all, Maria’s fully constructed a cult around me and is promising to transform people. We have to—

Maria’s voice hissed next to her. “Are you really just going to stand there basking in the astonishment? Why are you here, Una?”

Oops, Una thought. Don’t stare into space during a silent conversation. She turned towards the blonde succubus and tried for a gracious nod. Maria’s smile looked forced, her eyes narrowing.

I’m standing near the stairs to maintain the mesh connection, came Susan’s voice. But we’ll lose touch if I come all the way into the sub-cellar. There’s too much interference. Did X catch up with you?

—don’t know why—good idea—I installed a Faraday—blocking transmissions—cellar! Jay’s thoughts came across fragmented and laced with static.

Una let her eyes rove across the crowd and spotted X near the entrance to the room. Their eyes met, and the young man nodded slightly; she could read the concern in his gaze. Making sure he saw her motion, she scratched at her ear and palmed the earbud. Too distracting by half, she said into the silence of her own mind, and slipped the device into one cup of her newly strained corset.

“Yes!” Maria raised her hands. “This is the succubus herself, the Lady Una… who you’ve heard so much about.” Her voice had the ring of a carnival performer trying to keep her audience interested.

Una put one hand on her friend’s shoulder, but she could feel Maria’s muscles tense beneath her fingertips, so pulled her hand away with a light motion.

“Everyone,” she began, “I’m afraid there’s been a small misunderstanding. I am a succubus, and both Maria and I have the power to transform others… but for the most part, that’s been an accident. We don’t fully understand these powers, and they could be dangerous—”

“Dangerous? Yes, let’s talk about what people say is dangerous, Una!” Maria’s sharp soprano cut through Una’s cautious, mellow tones. Her voice had lost the playful edge of moments ago, and she stepped back to glare at Una. The blonde woman gestured at the crowd, sweeping her arm across them.

“They told us—told so many of us that hormones are too dangerous. That we shouldn’t change our gender, that we’d lose everything. They said surgery is too risky, that silicone injections are dangerous!” Maria swung her arm towards Una.

Una frowned. “But silicone injections are incredibly danger—”

“That’s not the point, and you know it! We have a better way now. Thanks to you, my demonic progenitrix, my sister in sin. This was all meant to be!” Una could only stare at her friend in shock. Where is she getting all this dramatic rhetoric from? Sister in sin?

Maria lifted Una’s hand in her own. “You have given me a gift, a new life. Don’t deny that chance to others! Let them choose for themselves whether they want to accept it. And if they do… we can help them. You can help them.” The crowd murmured its approval, nodding and smiling. Maria’s own grin was sickly sweet as she leaned towards Una.

Una looked from face to face among the crowd of onlookers, seeing curiosity and eagerness in their expressions. So much hope… but also…

“Maria.” Her voice sounded flat and hollow. She turned to look the blond demoness in the eye. “You and I… we never expected this. And now we have horns. And I’m bright red, with a tail. All I’m saying is that we don’t know enough about what could happen to anyone who accepts that gift. We have two people, both transformed by accident, waiting for us to…” Una trailed off, unsure how to continue.

“But you both turned out totally hot!” The raucous yell came from somewhere near the wall, and Una thought she recognized the voice. One of Maria’s friends—Xander? A nervous chuckle rippled through the room.

“Maybe we got lucky. But let’s have no more accidents, Una!” Maria’s eyes shone as she spoke. “We’ve been trying to hold back, playing it safe. But that’s exactly why accidents happen—it’s like trying to hold back an orgasm! If you don’t want it to explode, let it flow! We can let our gifts loose, and I want to embrace that. Together. With you.”

A murmur of assent rose from the crowd. Maria traced the underside of Una’s arm with her fingertips, sending a shivering sensation into her spine. Una felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and she looked away from Maria’s burning gaze. Something about Maria’s eyes felt wrong; her irises had taken on an orange tint, and her pupils had elongated slightly.

“It’s not that simple,” Una said, finding a new firmness in her voice. “And this isn’t the way to help people. Maybe there is a way, but here in a basement? With rumors flying around the city, and no oversight or support for people who’re changed? I can’t condone it—I can’t let it keep happening.”

“Maybe I don’t need your permission anymore.” A flash of anger crossed Maria’s face, and she dropped Una’s hand. “You may have created me, but you’re not my mother. Besides, aren’t you doing exactly what you’re telling me not to do? Like a typical parental hypocrite.”

The blonde’s long, black fingernail snaked out and indicated X. “Don’t tell me he was an accident, Una. Your latest boyfriend wanted to be transformed, and now he’s tall, dark and handsome with six-pack abs. And you didn’t hesitate to give him a nice thick cock to match, did you? You just couldn’t help yourself. But you know it was the right choice!”

Una felt the eyes upon her, staring up from the hushed crowd. She gritted her teeth, feeling the muscles of her neck clench and the anger she associated with Yael rising in her throat. With an effort of will, she forced a breath in and out, and then turned to face her friend. Maria stood with arms akimbo, her chin thrust forward in defiance, her yellow-orange eyes flashing with defiance.

“Maria,” she said slowly. “Let’s talk about this. Somewhere else. I understand how you feel.”

“Do you? Because I can’t understand you at all. You’re still denying yourself, Una! Refusing your power, your responsibility.” Maria took another step back and spread her arms wide, as if to embrace the surrounding crowd.

“You all heard that Una transformed a priest, right? But do you know who that priest became? It’s her! She’s the priest, and she still is. Holier than thou, and denying herself pleasure, and refusing her own true self.” Maria’s eyes gleamed.

“You’re out of control!” Una protested. “I know what it’s like to suddenly have powers you can barely control, strange new instincts. I’ve made mistakes and done things I regret. But you—Maria, you can’t just start promising things you can’t deliver, or transforming random strangers. What if you turn someone into a monster by mistake? You’re acting the fool, you dumb bitch!” Shit, Una thought. Didn’t mean to let that slip out. Thanks a lot, Yael.

Maria froze for a moment, then spun on her heel and swung her open hand at Una’s cheek, her long nails gleaming. Una caught her arm before the blow could land, but she saw the hurt in Maria’s eyes before the blonde demon’s expression hardened.

“Fuck you, Una! Fuck you and your prudish ways!” Maria spat. She tried to pull her wrist free, but Una held on, her fingers tightening around Maria’s slender limb. The other succubus’ skin was hot and dry, almost feverish.

“What are you going to do now, Una?” Maria nose wrinkled into a sneer. “Punish me for stepping out of line? Force me to drink that green stuff from your tail, so I’ll be docile and submissive?” Behind her, Una saw Xander and Alexa standing at the foot of the dais, ready to intervene, while X pushed his way through the crowd to stand opposite them.

Una’s anger boiled over and she pulled Maria closer until their faces nearly touched. “No,” she growled through clenched teeth. “We’ll settle this now.”

Maria’s expression faltered for a moment, her eyes widening as she felt the unnatural strength in Una’s grip. “Settle this… how, exactly?”

Una reached out with her other senses and felt the desire flowing from the crowd of onlookers, a mixture of excitement and lustful energy. Something else hovered right in front of her, a connection between herself and Maria. She knew that the other succubus could feel it, too, though Maria’s expression remained guarded.

Una tugged lightly at the connection between them and Maria gasped, her body trembling. This wasn’t desire, not exactly. Though they’d both been mortal men a year before, now each had something more—something beyond human forging. An ancient matrix of demonic energy, which had for millennia called herself Yael, bound both Maria and Una in an inescapable link. Sisters in sin, indeed.

“We’ll settle this in a traditional way,” she said, her voice low. She felt her own pulse quicken. “With a duel.”