Suddenly A Succubus

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?"

"Stop fucking lying to me!" Vee screamed. She stepped closer, striking Amara across the face. Amara gasped, shocked at how angry Vee was. Their eyes met briefly, but she was forced to close hers when another burst of light appeared. She braced for a shock, but none came, and she instead saw that a glimmering sword had appeared in Vee's hand.

Before she had time to react, Vee drove the tip of the sword into her hip. Amara screamed as Vee quickly slashed upwards, slicing through her belt. It fell to the ground, her tail now completely exposed, and soon Vee did the same with her fake wings. The energy from the sword was almost unbearable, its burn noticeable even when it wasn't touching her.

Amara fell to her hands and knees, gasping as she tried to recover from the stinging cuts. "Vee, please, why are you doing this?"

"You want to keep pretending? Fine, I'll humor you." Amara felt the radiant sting of Vee's sword under her chin, raising her face until the two girls locked eyes. "I'm a fucking Angel. But you've known that for a while, haven't you, Hellspawn?"

Vee's eyes were filled with unbridled rage, on a scale Amara had never seen before.

She keeps calling me Hellspawn... Maybe she's just like Brandon! He thought I was a demon pretending to be someone I wasn't!

"This isn't what it looks like, Vee. Put the sword down, let me explain."

"So you can fill my head with more lies? Tch." Vee turned away, the sword leaving Amara's neck. Kneeling on the floor, she pulled a massive book out from under the bed, one that thrummed with the same radiant energy the sword did.

I just have to convince her I'm still me.

"Okay, yes, I'm a demon, I know how that sounds. But I'm still Amara! Other than a couple of new limbs, I'm still me!"

Vee pivoted quickly, glaring at Amara. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?! I know you are! This would be so much easier if you'd been replaced, or possessed, but no matter how I look at this, I can tell it's you!"

"Then why are you doing this? We're friends!"

"Do friends impersonate each other? Frame each other for assault? I came to you, scared and confused, cried on your shoulder, and you lied to my face!"

"I-I didn't know what--"

"After my date, I ask you about Nick, and more lies! How long has he been your thrall? Since the party?"

"He's not a thrall! I don't even know what that is!"

Vee paused, her intense glare unyielding. "Even now, with everything out in the open, you don't even respect me enough to speak the truth." Her voice started shaking, and Amara swore she saw her eyes start to water. "I'm done with your lies. I'm finishing this."

Opening the book in front of her, Vee turned to a specific page and started speaking. The words that came from her mouth were objectively beautiful, it almost sounded like she was singing, but to Amara they were accompanied by a piercing shrill inside her head.

"Vee, w-what are you doing?" Amara asked, voice shaking with fear, her hands trying to block out the noise.

"You're a demon. Demons belong in Hell."

Banishment.

After everything she'd learned about herself, after all the effort she'd put into learning to control her abilities, Amara was once again trapped in a circle, opposite someone who only saw her as a monster. Nothing she said mattered, and now her friend was trying to cast her into Hell.

Why does this keep happening?

The Enochian grew louder, and Amara began to see sigils light up around the circle. She had no idea how much time she had left, and she knew nothing about how to stop this.

I can't go to Hell. There has to be something I can do!

Amara clenched her teeth, focusing on the radiant energy binding her to the circle. The magic continued to assault her, attempting to hold her down, but she reached deep and tried to connect with her inner fire. As she grabbed hold, its heat spreading through her, she felt something else, something primal. A deep-seated anger began to spread, more intense than anything she'd ever felt before, and her instincts told her it was time to fight back.

I broke through this magic before. I can do it again.

She held her hands out in front of her, willing the flames to manifest. The Enochian magic continued to attack her, but the more she pushed, the closer she got to finding its limits. Her hands ignited, the purple flames casting a sickly glow on her face. She looked at Vee, and could tell she was already starting to sweat.

MORE.

She needed her true form, wanted it desperately. Her wings were still locked away, and she reached for them. Another series of shocks, another piercing sound as Vee continued chanting, but Amara pushed through it. She pooled all her strength together, everything she'd siphoned from the party guests, and bucked against the holy restraints. With one final scream, she shattered the magic of the Enochian circle, feeling her wings appear once more.