Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 41

Amara stood in her living room, heart racing as she stared at her mother. Her hands, still covered with chitinous exoskeleton, crackled with hellfire; the only noise cutting through the stiff silence. More than ever, Amara felt like the spitting image of Evelyn; the rich scarlet of their demonic features, the sharp protrusions at the end of their wings, the unnatural glow of their eyes.

Thousands of questions flooded Amara's thoughts, each accompanied by a web of complicated emotions. Why would her mother lie to her? Could all the pain of the last few months have been prevented had she known about her lineage?

Despite all her anger, despite all the confusion, one thought soon choked out all the others: in this moment, there were no more lies between them.

"Mom, I..." Tears filled her eyes, hissing against her hellfire. "Chloé's dead!"

Amara ran forward, falling into her mother's arms as she started weeping. Evelyn held her tight, lovingly stroking her hair as she gently guided Amara to the floor. She whispered sweet nothings as they settled in, and Amara lost track of how long they stayed there.

Minutes?

Hours?

Ever since this hellish transformation had started, Amara's life had been a whirlwind of chaos. As angry as she wanted to be at her mother for hiding this, she was simultaneously thrilled that her first reaction had been love.

Eventually the tears dried up. Her thoughts drifted away from her memories, and back to the present. She still hugged her mother tightly around the waist, but their embrace didn't stop there. They rested in a blanket of their own wings, spread open and gently encompassing each other. Their tails twisted together, and Amara only just now felt how hard she was squeezing her mother. Not only that, but her hands and horns were still cloaked in hellfire. She panicked, terrified of potential burns, when she realized that Evelyn's hands were also swirling with flames.

True warmth had been nigh impossible to find ever since she discovered her heritage, but here, in her mother's embrace, she found it again.

When she finally mustered the strength to pull away, sniffling and wiping away tears, her mother helped her stand. They moved to the couch, both dismissing their hellfire before they settled in.

"Tell me everything, love. From the beginning," Evelyn whispered.

"W-well, I... it all started a few months ago. I was feeling a little stressed, and the girls convinced me to, um, to go to a party. I wasn't drinking, though, I promise!"

Evelyn laughed. "Dear, you're a young woman at college. I don't mind if you drink, so long as you're safe."

Amara blushed. Compared to everything else she'd been through, it felt strange to be ashamed about drinking. "Right, yeah. So anyways, even though I wasn't drinking, I began to feel kinda weird. Being surrounded by all those students, all those hormones, it got me a little excited. I ended up grabbing Nick, and we, well..."

The story continued. Amara took great care to skip over the details when necessary, doing her best to explain her transformation. Her tail appearing, then her horns. Discovering she could control fire, then learning to fly, then fighting Vee on Halloween. She talked about Tessa, about the strange circles all over campus, and the Gate holding back the other planes. Discovering the cult, putting together a plan to stop them, and trying to use her powers to do so.

She swelled with pride as she talked about the ritual. How she'd broken free and saved the day, throwing Mr. Wellington and his demon back to Hell and saving the campus. Even ignoring the gangbang, she still fondly remembered that fight.

Being stuck in Purgatory was easy to talk about. Mending her friendship with Vee, looking for clues around the barren copy of Aurelius University, and eventually stumbling into Brandon's plot. She shared how Tessa got them home, how they'd saved everyone on campus before camping out in the cafeteria. Her words slowed as she continued, but eventually there was nothing else to say; she explained how they'd lost the fight against Brandon. Being moments away from death, only for Chloé to stab Brandon in the back and sever his magical connection. Trying to get away, watching Chloé fall through the portal, and fighting desperately to pull her back. Losing the fight, Chloé shattering, the planar explosion. Tears welled up again as she relived that horrible moment, but she wanted her mother to understand.

"... And that's it," Amara said quietly, wiping away more tears. "Everyone else is trying to find a way forward, we had a meeting today and everything. I hung out with Vee a bit, she left, then you called."

When she looked over at her mother, she caught her crying as well. "That's... Amara, no one should have to go through all that."

They fell silent for a few minutes. Eventually, with nothing else to say, questions began bubbling to the surface. "Why didn't you tell me, Mom? This would have been so much easier if I'd known why it was happening."

Evelyn sighed. "I thought I'd never have to have this conversation. Truth be told, Amara, you're not supposed to be a demon. I don't know how this happened."

"I'm sorry, what?!" Amara asked. "You're a demon, right? Doesn't it make sense that I'd be one too?"

"Things aren't that simple, love; it's not like there's a Demon Gene that gets passed from parent to child. Demons are metaphysical creatures, their existence tied to the nature of their souls."

"I don't understand. What does that mean?"

Evelyn pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ugh, soul mechanics are complicated. This would probably be easier if I started from the beginning. I'll try to keep it brief, but there's a lot you don't know about me."

Amara nodded, her anticipation growing. For the first time since this started, she was about to get answers.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Garden of Eden?" Amara nodded. "It was a very real place. Adam was created as its first occupant, and through the same process, he was given a wife: Lilith. She was his equal in every way, they were even both made of the Earth. However, when it came time to consummate their partnership, Lilith didn't want to lie underneath him; she felt it was an insult. Those that oversaw the Garden were shocked by this, they felt it was insubordination of the highest degree. As punishment, they cast Lilith into Hell, cursing her very essence. Her damned soul warped her into a demon; her curse ensuring that all her children would be born in her image."

"I'm sorry, but how is this relevant to me?" Amara asked.

"Because..." Evelyn sighed again. "Lilith is my mother."

"Wait, whoa, hold on." Amara jumped up from the couch, eyes darting back and forth in shock. "That would mean... Mom, how old are you?"

"Honestly? I'm not entirely sure," Evelyn said, a faint smile crossing her lips. "I lost track after the first thousand years or so. Not to mention all the different calendars that humans have used over the centuries. At one point they realized they were out of sync, and tacked on, like, a hundred extra days? It was a mess."

"Fuck. Fuck! That's why you never talked about your family! They're all demons!" Amara was pacing back and forth now, scanning through dozens of years of memories and piecing everything together.

"Correct. I was Lilith's firstborn daughter, and I have many sisters. I hope, for your sake, you never meet any of them. What's important, however, is--"

"Wait!" Amara spun to face her mother. "What about my dad?!"

Evelyn stood up, walked over to Amara, and calmly grabbed her shoulders. "Amara, please. I promise I'll answer everything I can, but the context is important. Come sit down, let me continue."

Amara huffed in frustration, then reluctantly nodded. "Okay, fine."

Once they were settled in, Evelyn cleared her throat and resumed her story. "So, Damnation. All mortals are born as blank slates. Depending on the actions they take during their lives, one of two things might happen."

"Right, Salvation or Damnation. Vee told me this," Amara said.

"Exactly! Now, when Lilith was cast into Hell, she wasn't directly turned into a demon. Her soul was Damned, and the presence of that Damnation warped her into the creature that now calls herself the Mother of Demons. This is how all souls work; regular humans can become demons if they're sent to Hell, but that's not the only way demons can be created."

"I assume demons can give birth?" Amara asked.

"They can, but they do so under the shadow of Lilith's curse. Any child born to a demon, if they're lucky enough to be born with a soul, will see it Damned before they so much as take their first breath. In most cases, however, children are born without souls at all, effectively making them beasts of pure instinct."

"But you said I'm not supposed to be a demon, right?"

"Your birth was... unusual. After meeting your father, and falling in love with him, we both dreamed of raising a family together. Sadly, Lilith's curse lives on in my veins, and guarantees Damnation for all my children." Evelyn paused, reaching out and cupping Amara's face. "It's a terrible fate, Amara. I swore long ago that I would never condemn a child to such torture."

Amara leaned into her mother's hand, briefly closing her eyes to appreciate the warmth. "Clearly something changed, since you had me eventually."

"The last time I saw your father, I made him a promise. I swore that, if I ever found a way to safely have a child, I would do so."

"Hold on, so..." Amara scrunched her face, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. "If that was the last time you saw him, then my father isn't my father? I don't get it."

"I'm a succubus, love. My body isn't bound by the same laws that govern mortals. I have near infinite control over my physical form, and because I'm a demon of lust, I have suitably appropriate skills. Among them, the ability to sleep with someone and indefinitely store their seed within myself."

"Eww! Mom!" Amara stuck out her tongue and gagged slightly.

"Oh hush, child. We're both succubi, aren't we? We don't have to tell each other everything, but you'll need to get used to talking about sex if I'm to help you through this."

"Okay, yeah, but it's still gross to think about. You're my mom!"

Evelyn chuckled to herself, then continued. "So, your father. After leaving him, I kept to myself for a while. Eventually, through sheer coincidence, I stumbled into the opportunity we'd both always dreamed of: a chance to have a child free from Lilith's curse. Nine months later, you were born."

"Wait, what happened? What changed?"

"I can't give you all the details yet, love. Believe me, I'm telling you everything I can, but there are forces at play greater than you understand." Evelyn's voice grew unusually serious, and Amara shivered at the weight behind her words.

What could possibly be so important that my mom can't even talk about it?

"I can answer a different question, however. This is why I lied about knowing your father." Evelyn paused, taking Amara's hand. "If I'd given you any information about him, you would have gone looking. You would have learned that he died fifty years before you were born."

Amara gasped. "Does that mean you know his name?"

Evelyn nodded. "Your father's name was Vicente Calderón. Born in 1909, died in 1951. When you were finally born, I did everything I could to bury my demonic past. I wanted you to be your own person, free from the sins of your heritage, but that also meant I couldn't give you the truth about your father."

Silence fell as Amara quietly spoke her father's name to herself. After all these years, after so many questions and awkward conversations, she knew who her father was.

She sat still for a few minutes, silently thinking over everything she'd just learned. "So, what now? If what you've said is true, then I was born with a mortal soul. Except mortals can't become demons until they've died and been judged on their actions in life. I haven't died, so that obviously didn't happen, but I'm still a demon anyways."

"Now you understand my confusion. Back when I still fed regularly, I possessed the ability to read souls, but it's been nearly a century since I held that much strength."

"Can't you just get it back? Just go find a bunch of horny strangers and... you know." Amara did her best to avoid specifics; she was still trying to get used to the idea of her mother being a demonic sexual predator like herself.

"I don't think you realize how much energy it takes to read a soul, Amara. Even as Lilith's firstborn daughter, it took ages to refine the ability for myself. Heck, Anubis was so proud of their ability to reliably judge souls they made it central to their mythology. Sure, they weren't literally weighing a heart against a feather, but it certainly made for powerful imagery."

"Anubis?!" Amara gasped. "But we're biblical demons! Isn't that where the Garden of Eden comes from?"

"Shoot, that's right," Evelyn whispered to herself. "I'm not going to break down thousands of years of theology, but in brief, almost every religion is based in truth. The afterlife isn't a single, monolithic structure; it's shaped by thousands of divine entities whose strength can wax or wane in tandem with the faith of their followers. In our current day and age, Christianity has a fairly sizable presence, but that doesn't mean their origin stories are truthful. When angels say Adam was the first man, they mean the first oftheir men. The Garden of Eden was basically just divine gentrification. It was likely built on the bones of previous faiths, and we'll never learn what used to be."

Amara stared at the carpet in front of her, eyes wide as she tried to process everything. Her father had a name, Anubis was real, as was the Garden of Eden, Lilith--THE Lilith--was her fucking grandmother. She wanted to keep talking, to learn as much as she could, but she hadn't exactly started this conversation in the best mental state.

"Mom, I... this is a lot."

Evelyn put her arm around Amara's shoulder and pulled her close. "I know, sweetie. I'm trying not to overwhelm you, but I also want to be open about everything. Believe me, I have so many questions about you, about your day-to-day life, because it still doesn't make sense to me. Do you want to take a break?"

Amara nodded. "I'm exhausted. I want to collapse in bed and sleep for a week straight, but I'll settle for a single night."

"So you... you still sleep?" Evelyn asked.

"I mean, yeah, obviously. Why wouldn't I?"

"Demons don't really sleep, dear. We can choose to put our bodies into states of suspended animation, but normally we only do this to blend in with humanity. We're precision designed to be predators, and not needing sleep makes hunting much easier."

"Great, more questions for the pile. Wait, so do you-- you know what, no, I'm too tired for that." Amara slowly rose to her feet, stretching out her many limbs while avoiding her mother, who did the same.

"Go get some rest dear," Evelyn said. "I'll be here in the morning, we can continue this then."

Amara turned to her bedroom, then stopped. She pivoted quickly, jumping at her mother again and hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, mom. I was so scared, and I just... I didn't know what to say."

They embraced one last time, wings overlapping and tails intertwining as Evelyn responded. "I can't imagine how that must have felt. Thinking you were human, stumbling into all this... I don't blame you for a second, honey. I love you more than anything, and I'm just happy I can be here for you now."

It took another minute before Amara found the strength to pull away. She nodded slowly to herself, then began walking to her bedroom. Each step was heavier than the last, the exhaustion of the day's events finally catching up to her. She wanted to text Vee, to rant about everything she'd just learned, but she didn't have the strength to pull her phone out.

Maybe, once I lie down, I'll send a few texts...

Amara fell asleep the instant she crawled into bed.

---

Dull sunlight filtered through Vee's window, gently rousing her from her sleep. Although her blinds were down, it was obvious they were in for another cloudy day. She grumbled as she slid out of bed, pulling on her slippers before heading for the bathroom. Checking her phone, she wasn't sure what she hoped to see; given the last few months, no news was probably the best news. Despite that, she still hoped to see something from Amara, perhaps something simple about how she's gotten a good night's rest.

No such luck. The only notification waiting for her was from Nick, who she was meeting first thing today. They were getting together with Tessa to go over yesterday's meeting, the same one she'd left early with Amara.

No doubt Tessa had some angry rant prepared.

It only took a few minutes to get ready. A quick text to Nick, who confirmed that Tessa was already over, and Vee was out the door. He didn't live far, thankfully. It wasn't snowing, but a stiff breeze was doing its best to cut through her coat. She spent the entire walk wishing she were with Amara, who single-handedly negated all the downsides of winter.

"Morning, Vee," Nick said as he opened the door. "Come on in, I just brewed some coffee. We're probably going to get breakfast soon, but there's no rush. How'd you sleep?"

"Wrong question, Nick!" Tessa shouted from the couch. "Did you sleep at your place, or Amara's?"

Vee rolled her eyes. "For the thousandth time, Tessa, it's not like that. We're just friends."

"So? She and I are just friends, and we've done all sorts of nasty things. I'd happily tell you, but I'd hate to offend your delicate, angelic sensibilities." Tessa laughed to herself before downing the rest of her coffee. Once she finished, the cup floated from her hands back to the kitchen. The coffee pot joined in the fun, pouring more coffee before the cup returned to Tessa.

"You're free to ignore her, Vee," Nick said with a smirk.

"Always do." Vee pulled her shoes off before helping herself to the coffee. "So, what'd I miss at the meeting? How did everything shake out?"

"Do you mean after we had to reassure everyone that Amara's not a threat? For the umpteenth time this week?" Tessa scowled before starting on her second cup of coffee. "She's starting to lose all the good will she got for taking down the cult and saving everyone from the reaper invasion. You've seriously got to shorten her leash, Vee."

"I'm not her keeper, Tessa. I'm just trying to help her through this as best I can." Vee cupped her mug, warmth radiating through her as her voice grew quiet. "Some days it feels like she's barely holding on. Like losing Chloé broke something."

"She hasn't got a fucking monopoly on grieving, Vee!" Tessa shouted. "I was right next to her when Chloé died, does she not give a fuck about me?"

"You know that's not the case, Tessa," Vee said. "Look, I can't speak for her. Personally, I've been trying to remember that she never trained for stuff like this. I'm an angel, the Church has warned me since day one that I would see people die. You've got, what, like a coven or something? You've known about magic for a while, and you know what happens when shit goes sideways. She's new to all this, it's only been a few months, and we all know how emotional she's gotten since she started transforming."

"Still no excuse for acting like a child and snapping at everyone who looks at her," Tessa grumbled.

Nick sat down next to Tessa before speaking up. "Look, we're all doing our best, okay? It's not like any of us are without support. I know it's not ideal, but if nothing else, I can help Tessa with the other students, and I appreciate you spending so much time with Amara."

Tessa made a face but stayed silent as she drank more coffee.

"So, the meeting?" Vee asked.

"Personally, I think it went pretty well," Nick said, avoiding a dirty glare from Tessa. "Everyone is predictably scared, but most of the meeting was spent arguing details, which is good. It means there's agreement on the bigger pictures."

"Where are we at now?"

"Regarding the quad, and the general state of the campus, we're going to say it was a freak microburst. Some people even volunteered to try and reshape the damage to look like it was caused by wind. It won't completely explain the crater in the sidewalk, but it's a start."

"I'll try to comb through my Enochian Texts to see if I have anything that might help. I'm overdue for a study session anyways." Vee wandered closer and joined Nick and Tessa on the couch.

"As for everyone keeping watch and reporting suspicious activity, we're off to a promising start. We've got someone that's great with computers, and he's going to set up a private, encrypted server that can host any messages related to this. We'll have a group chat for everyone in the know, and a smaller chat for those of you directly handling the threats."

"And everyone's on board?"

"From what we can tell, yes. I hate to say this, but in some respects, the reaper attack put a lot of things in perspective. Planar incursions are a pretty vague concept; it's far more visceral to see giant monsters attacking campus. If we have any holdouts, they're keeping their doubts to themselves. We'll just have to hope."

"Are we going to continue having meetings once school starts back up?" Vee asked. "Having a support network will be crucial; we can't overlook the mental burden of going through all of this."

"That's our current plan. Probably once a month, more frequently if needed." Nick turned his mug around a few times, hesitating before he continued. "On our side of things, we need to do our best to look like we're handling everything. If any of these students feel we're not enough, it could be bad."

"And that's on top of going to classes, keeping our grades up, having a social life... ugh." Tessa finished her coffee and set the cup down. "Can we go get some food? I hate doing this shit on an empty stomach."

"I second that," Vee said, standing up.

It only took a minute for everyone to get their coats on, then it was off to the cafeteria. Vee huddled next to Nick when possible; his large, athletic frame made a fantastic windshield. As they walked, Vee tried to keep the conversation from drifting back to the meeting, while Tessa was continuing to pester her with questions about Amara.

"--But what if you used your magic book thing? Wouldn't it make sense for angels to have magic that neutralized demonic tendencies? I'm just saying, it would be helpful if we had a way to calm her down for meetings and stuff," Tessa said, her hands stuffed in her pockets. Despite the heavy wind, her shaved head and tattoos were fully on display.

"Look, even if I could, I would never dream of it. It's a part of her! We can't celebrate her emotionality when it helps us take down a mad cult, then shove it into a box whenever we feel it's inconvenient."

"We could still ask! Personally, I would love a way to reach inside my head and flip my emotions on and off. Can you imagine trying to--"

"Altessa Delilah Blackwood!"

Tessa froze; her eyes wide. She started breathing heavily, eyes locked on the ground, and Vee turned to look for who had spoken. In front of them, walking closer with an impossibly fluid gait, was a tall woman clad entirely in black. Stiff boots sat underneath a rigid pencil skirt, which itself was covered by a thick wool coat. Higher, Vee saw that all of the woman's hair had been pulled behind her head in an incredibly tight bun, while a large veil attached to a hairpiece covered her face. Deep blue eyes glared at Tessa, their gaze narrowly missing the thin spectacles that rested at the end of her nose. She was noticeably older, with small collections of wrinkles adorning her face, yet they somehow made her more intimidating.

This woman walked with such purpose that it seemed as if the air itself bent to her will. Despite having never met her before, Vee nonetheless felt she had disappointed this stranger simply by existing.

Multiple other people followed closely behind this stranger. Vee counted three additional women, one man, and one younger girl that seemed about their own age. None of them commanded the same level of respect, though that didn't stop them from trying.

The stranger continued speaking. "Explain yourself, young lady!"

Tessa continued staring at the ground. She seemed to shrink away from this person, and while the earlier cold hadn't made her shiver, she was now quaking in her boots. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and demure.

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Davenport. I didn't--"

With blinding speed, the stranger reached out and slapped Tessa across the face. "That's Headmistress Davenport, child!"

Vee braced herself for trouble, but none came. Tessa, the most confrontational person Vee had ever met, simply swallowed nervously and continued staring at the ground. "I'm sorry, Headmistress Davenport. So much has happened in such a short time, and I--"

"Tsk. I see all this time away has softened you," the Headmistress said.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I don't appreciate you striking my friend like that." Vee stepped forward, doing her best to take up space.

Headmistress Davenport, for the first time since arriving, moved her gaze away from Tessa. Vee had already been chilled by this woman's appearance, and being on the receiving end of her gaze was significantly worse.

"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter, girl. Miss Blackwood is my ward, and she does as I say." The Headmistress's lips curled into a tight grin.

"Miss Blackwood is a legal adult, and I have half a mind to report you for assault," Vee said, tightening her fists.

"Vee, don't," Tessa whispered.

A twisted smirk appeared on the Headmistress's face. "Listen to your friend, girl. You know not whose affairs you're meddling in, and I promise you do not want to pick a fight with me."

One of the other women stepped forward. "Headmistress, we should move quickly. I have already secured quarters for us." The woman stepped back, but Vee had watched her closely as she spoke. For a brief moment, the woman's jacket had slipped, revealing the top of a tattoo at the base of her neck.

Shit.

Vee's blood boiled, but she knew better than to escalate the matter. When she refrained from responding, Headmistress Davenport turned back to Tessa. She reached up, grabbed Tessa's ear, and began pulling hard as she turned around. "With me, Miss Blackwood."

Stepping back, Vee briefly locked eyes with Tessa. It was like something had snapped inside her, and she took every second of this abuse without so much as flinching. The Headmistress walked briskly, forcing Tessa to stumble as she tried to keep up, and the rest of the group soon followed. The youngest girl, the one that seemed about their age, briefly looked back at Vee. For a moment, Vee thought she saw sympathy in the girl's eyes, but it vanished a second later as she turned to join the group.

Nick moved next to Vee, his voice deep and filled with worry. "Was that...?"

"Yeah," Vee whispered. "Tessa's Coven."

---

When Amara woke, she didn't feel particularly rested; it had been a turbulent night, despite how quickly she'd fallen asleep. She tried to take comfort in the fact that she'd gotten any sleep at all. As she pulled on a change of clothes, she was acutely aware of how quiet the apartment was. Had her mother left?

Shoot, I didn't put out any blankets for her. Did she sleep on the couch?

No, wait. She doesn't sleep.

So, all those times I snuck past her room to watch TV... she had to have known. I know how sensitive her senses are now, I guess she just let me get away with it.

More memories continued jumping in and out of focus. She brushed her teeth quickly, even splashing water on her face to try and wake herself up long enough to get some coffee. By the time she stumbled into the living room, she found her mother sitting at the breakfast bar.

"Mornin', Mom. How was your night? Not too boring, I hope?" Once she finished speaking, she buried her head in her mother's shoulder and sighed.

"Good morning, love. I'm more than used to passing time, and a single night is hardly any wait at all. Though, I would be lying to say I had nothing on my mind. I couldn't help but notice all the damage you've caused in here."

"Yeah, well, growing pains are a bitch. I didn't know how to shapeshift for a while, and my wings kept scratching everything up. I've gotten better at controlling my fire, but I'm still relatively insensitive to heat. Sometimes I forget what temperatures things burn at, or that I've left a hand on fire or something."

"How are you feeling now? Can I help at all?" Evelyn asked.

"Honestly... I was kinda hoping you'd make breakfast. Like you used to."

"You... eat?" Evelyn cocked her head.

Amara groaned. "Let me guess, demons don't eat unless it's for show?"

Evelyn nodded. "I'll tell you what, love. I'll make us some food, and while I do, can I ask some questions about you? What your abilities are, stuff like that?"

"That sounds good," Amara said, pulling out a stool with her tail and falling into it.

As her mother started rummaging through the kitchen, one of the first things she found was a beat-up old frying pan. One that had obviously been bent out of shape in the recent past. "Well, this is unusual. This was new when I bought it for you."

"Oh, right." Amara blushed. "I was talking with Nick about my growing strength one day, and decided to test it out. Needless to say, I didn't do a great job pushing it back into shape."

"I guess that's as good a place to start as any. How strong are you?"

"I have no idea, truthfully. Nick once suggested we go to the gym and run experiments, but it never ended up happening. I can easily overpower humans, and I made quite a mess of things when I was fighting all those possessed cultists. There were also those purgatory monsters, the ones we called reapers, but I have no idea how strong they objectively were. Still, I killed two with my bare hands, it was pretty sick."

"I never would have taken you as a fighter. You were always pretty calm when you were younger." Evelyn laughed, the sound music to Amara's ears. As she continued talking, she began putting together ingredients for omelets. "What about fire? You said you've got control over it?"

"Yup!" Amara held up a hand, then focused and lit it on fire. "My fire is always tinged purple, and I can get pretty creative with it. I use it for cooking all the time, mostly as a way to practice with it, but I've also been getting more creative with it in fights. Recently I've started condensing it and creating small explosions; they help me move around faster, hit harder, all that good stuff."

"That's so clever! Oh, look at you!" Evelyn's tail snaked closer, gently stroking Amara's cheek as she spoke. "What about flight?"

"Well, about that... I kinda can't right now. Like, physically I can, but every time I've tried, I flash back to my fight with Vee." Amara buried her chin in her arms as she finished. "Some demon I am, right? Unable to fly because 'Oh, woe is me! I hurt someone!' Ugh."

"You cut that out, young lady. I didn't raise you to be okay with hurting your friends. I'd rather you lose your flight than your sense of decency."

"Yes Mom," Amara said quietly.

"Now, speaking of your friends, have they been acting any differently? I specifically mean Nick and Tessa, the ones you've been sleeping with."

"Um, no, not really. I've been feeding on Nick for months, and nothing seems to have changed. Is that weird too?"

Evelyn sighed, a look of concern on her face. "Incredibly. It's incredibly rare for a human to survive that much feeding, and even when it happens, they're twisted into shadows of their former self. Succubi consume souls, which aren't exactly a renewable resource. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled Nick is alive and well, but it doesn't make sense."

"At least it's a good surprise this time. That's a welcome change of pace," Amara said.

"What about shapeshifting?"

Amara nodded.

"Lust sense?"

Another nod. "Is that what it's called? I've been calling it horny radar."

Evelyn laughed again. "I mean, there aren't any official names. It's not like Hell has a wiki. Well, not an official one. But yes, demons tend to be tied to one of the seven sins, and succubi get lust. Other demons sense anger, envy, all the classics. What about dreamwalking?"

"A couple times with some trust fund idiot, but it was kinda on accident. I'm not sure how I got there, and I haven't tried since."

"And how's your illusion game?" Evelyn asked.

Amara cocked her head. "My what?"

"Illusions? Can you not make any?"

"I... I've never tried. I guess I never thought that would be in my wheelhouse."

"Didn't you say that Tessa walked you through the basics of magic? Illusions draw their power from the Dreamscape, and succubi inherently have mastery over dreams. Ergo, we can create illusions. I use them for almost everything! Heck, the only clothes I've ever bought were for show; I needed you to think I was a normal mom, so I filled my closet with old, thrifted outfits."

To prove her point, Evelyn's eyes flashed and her clothing immediately shifted to a new outfit. She had previously been wearing relatively standard clothes--relaxed blue jeans and a thick sweater--but in front of Amara's eyes the fabric warped into a sleek glittery dress, then a tuxedo, then back to her original outfit. Each outfit seemed perfectly tailored to her mother's figure and, stranger still, her tail seemed to pass effortlessly through whatever fabric she created.

"Whoa! Mom, that's so cool!" Amara jumped to her feet. "I wanna try! How do you do it?"

Evelyn rubbed her chin as she thought. "Hm. It's second nature, really. I think of what I want, then I have it. No different than my shapeshifting, really."

"Okay, just like shapeshifting, I can do this." Amara braced herself, then reached for her inner fire. Its familiar warmth cascaded through her, and she tried to think of something to make. "Shoot, I'm drawing a blank. What should I make?"

"Start with something small. How about a scarf?" Evelyn suggested.

Amara nodded, then tried to visualize what she wanted. To make things easier, she pictured one of her own scarves. Though she hadn't needed them in months, they still sat neatly folded in her closet. Her favorite was a wide scarf made of thin, soft cashmere. Large, differently colored squares covered it, all different types of beige and white, which made it the perfect complement to a bunch of different outfits.

With her connection to her fire secured, she tried to summon a scarf into existence. It wouldn't be hot, it wasn't fire, and she instead envisioned the feel of the fabric draping across her hands.

Nothing appeared at first. She huffed in frustration, then closed her eyes and kept trying. She focused on her inner fire, even conjuring a small flame to remind herself what manifesting magic felt like. After extinguishing the flame, she tried to repeat the sensation, and that's when she felt something. A tingle ran through her body, causing her to shiver, and the sensation forced her to close her hands. As her fingers squeezed tight, she found they were now wrapped around a soft length of fabric.

She opened her eyes and saw an exact duplicate of her own scarf draped between her hands.

"Look at it! It's just like the real thing!" With a squeal of excitement, Amara wrapped the scarf around her neck, amazed at how lifelike it was. She giggled as she spun around, then looked back up at her mother. "What are the limitations of these things? I saw that your tail seemed to pass through your clothes like they weren't even there, how'd you do that?"

Amara's energy seemed to be infectious, and she caught her mother giggling as well. "Alright, one step at a time, Amara. Illusions are just as solid as the real thing, but you always have to remember that they're fake. If they're subjected to too much stress, the entire thing will vanish, no matter what it looks like. Additionally, since they're bound to you, and not to any runes, they'll vanish if you move too far away from them. As for my tail, that's a little trickier. You have to internalize that these illusions are a part of you and consciously warp them to shift around your tail."

Listening intently, Amara decided to keep testing this new ability of hers. First, she grabbed opposing ends of her scarf and tried to rip it in half. Just like her mother had said, instead of ripping, the entire scarf vanished without a trace.

Too excited to stop, she excused herself from the kitchen and ran to her bedroom. She threw off her clothes as fast as possible, then stood in front of her mirror and focused on a new outfit. She started simple, with a recreation of her favorite pair of blue jeans, then added a black sweater on top to compliment it. She picked up her feet one by one, summoning cute black boots with thick heels, and giggled again when she saw they were able to support her weight. To finish the look, she envisioned a beautiful jacket she'd obsessed over earlier this year; dark red, big black buttons, and an elegant silhouette that flared around her waist. As the jacket formed, she continually made small adjustments, adding small decorative flairs, until she found the perfect look.

Her tail twitched back and forth in excitement, the elegant red fabric bunching up as it moved. To counter this, she reminded herself that none of this was real, it was simply an extension of her inner fire, and focused her thoughts on the jacket. She raised her tail again, only this time, the jacket seemed to turn intangible around it.

She squealed again, spun around to appreciate her outfit in the mirror, then ran back to the kitchen. "Mom! Look! I made a whole outfit, and it fits my tail and everything!"

Evelyn looked up from the counter where she'd just finished putting out breakfast for Amara. "Sweetie, you look incredible! Come here, turn around, let me see." Amara ran close, happily showing off her handiwork.

When she finished her slow spin, however, she caught her mother tearing up. "Shit, Mom, are you okay? What's wrong?" Her smile faded as she stepped closer, gently grabbing her mother's shoulder to try and comfort her.

"No, I... it's silly," Evelyn muttered.

"Mom, everything is finally out in the open, don't start with me."

"Ugh, it's just... you don't understand how hard I tried to prevent this. There was nothing I wanted more than for you to live a happy, normal life. I'd made peace with the idea that you would never know about me, about my heritage. Yet, just now, seeing you get so excited... I can't ignore how proud I am, dear. You're more my daughter now than you've ever been. Your tail, your wings, they look just like mine."

Amara hugged her mother tight, taking a deep breath before responding. "I don't know how weird this is to say, but... I'm happier like this. Yes, I've been through some terrible stuff these last few months, but I love who I am. I feel complete in a way I didn't before."

"I'm happy for you, dear, I truly am, but there's so much at stake here. The thought of your soul being Damned, that you're destined for... for..."

"For Hell?" Amara said, finishing the sentence.

Evelyn seemed pained to even think it. "I could never live with myself if you ended up there. And that's why, as much as it pains me to say this... I can't stay."

"Wait, what?" Amara gasped. The overwhelming joy from moments earlier seemed to wither away in a fraction of a second. "But we finally know the truth about each other! There's so much I still don't know; about you, about dad, about my powers! You've already taught me about illusions, and that only took a few minutes. Think how much I could learn if we had more time!"

"Sweetie, please, this isn't a decision I make lightly. There's nothing I want more than to be here with you, but we need to know how this started. I need to recover my strength, to read your soul and see exactly what you are."

"You can do that here, can't you?" Amara pleaded. "Mom, please, things are finally starting to make sense. I don't want you to leave!"

As Amara's words began to stutter and break apart, she fell into her mother's arms. Evelyn held her close, rubbing her back as she spoke. "Amara, dear, I love you with everything I am. I want to give you the best life I possibly can, but that includes your afterlife as well. All I need is a few weeks, and then we can get to the bottom of this."

"But what if something else happens? I wasn't strong enough to protect everyone last time, and if something else slips through the gate..."

"Even if I stayed, love, I wouldn't be able to help. Like I said, it's been nearly a century since I've held any significant amount of power. I can tell, just from the way you talk, that you're much stronger than I am." Evelyn cupped Amara's face, pulling her gaze higher so they could look at each other. "It'll be okay, Amara."

Amara sniffed loudly. "... Just a few weeks? Promise?"

"I promise, dear. It might even be less, who knows." They hugged each other tight, and after a minute, Evelyn spoke up again. "Your omelet's getting cold, by the way. I wouldn't be a very good mom if I let you skip breakfast."

"We both know I can just heat it up again..." Amara laughed, wiping a tear from her cheek. "But... thanks."

Evelyn pushed Amara back to the counter, and the two of them began eating. Amara picked at her food slowly, knowing that every bite brought her closer to her mother leaving again. "How long can you stay?" she finally asked. Their tails twisted together again, and Amara leaned against her mother's shoulder.

"The sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back," Evelyn said quietly. "I hate this too, dear, but the fate of your soul is no laughing matter. When you've lived as long as I have, it becomes all too clear how fleeting mortality is."

"... Am I immortal?" Amara asked nervously. She was almost finished with her omelet.

"I have no idea. Who you are, what you've been through, I honestly don't know what to make of it. Even I'm not technically immortal; I can still be killed under the right circumstances."

"Well, I'm happy that never happened," Amara said, hugging her mother again. "I've never been more proud to be your daughter."

"If you're trying to convince me to stay, love, you're making a damn strong argument," Evelyn whispered. "Say, since you're done with breakfast, how about I teach you how to teleport? From what I can tell, you've never done that before."

Amara's eyes light up. "That would be amazing! I did get summoned, once, but I never figured out if that teleportation was my own power or the magic circle."

"I'll bet it was you, love. Circles, especially ones made by humans, normally work by commanding demons to use their own power." Evelyn slowly stood up, moving to the open floor in front of the entrance. "Was there hellfire? If there was, that's a dead giveaway, especially if it had our signature purple tinge."

"There was! That would explain why I was so drained when I arrived!"

Evelyn smiled, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. "So, teleportation. Much like when you're making illusions, part of the process is accepting that your location on Earth is impermanent. For demons as strong as us, where we are is just as malleable as who we are. You need to be familiar with your destination, to ground yourself in what it smells like, looks like, feels like. Picture yourself in that space, pool your energy, and manifest your presence just like you would an illusion or a burst of hellfire."

Amara stood across from her mother, and flames began swirling around Evelyn. They reached out, holding hands as the fire intensified.

"Above all else," Evelyn continued, "you have to know who you are. Remember that, in spite of what the world says, you're a beautiful person. You belong here, you matter, and you can do anything you set your mind to."

Amara wiped a tear from her cheek. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you more than life itself, Amara." Evelyn pulled her hand back, the fire condensing and growing even brighter. "After picturing yourself in a new place, it's equally important to vanish from where you're leaving. Sometimes... sometimes it's hard to leave, and there's nothing you'd rather do less, but you need to convince yourself it's the right thing to do. Once you're ready, release the energy, and then--"

The swirling hellfire collapsed on Evelyn, who shone as bright as the sun before vanishing entirely. Amara stood perfectly still, watching the space where her mother had just been as she took a deep breath. She let herself sit in the moment, listening to the hum of the building's furnace, the wind buffeting the cheap windows. Her phone sat on the counter, and moments later, started buzzing with excitement. The first vibration was quick, probably a text, but it rang a moment later. Amara released her breath, then muttered a silent goodbye to her mother.

She had a life to get back to.

---

I hope you all like lore dumps! Not only did we learn about about Heaven and Hell, but it's also time to finally meet Tessa's elusive Coven. I'm sure they're nice people, and just bad at introductions.

Don't forget to Favorite, Rate, and Comment if you're enjoying the story! It's also very important to Follow me if you aren't already, as you'll get notifications every time I publish a new chapter.

Until next time! Nyx <3