Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 70

The journey to Evelyn's mysterious penthouse only took about forty minutes--hardly any time at all, considering Chicago traffic. For the first half of the trip, Amara barely paid attention to her surroundings, instead talking a mile a minute as she told Vee all about her first day with her new family. Each topic blurred into the next as she failed to organize her thoughts, jumping from idea to idea without rhyme or reason.

She talked about Rosie, about how much they had in common and everything Amara had learned about her half-sister's amazing and illustrious life. Now happily retired, Rosie had worked many years as a nurse before eventually working her way up to hospital management. This status had given her enough influence to enact hundreds of small policy changes throughout the years, all of which had gone to strengthening her community. Throughout the day, Rosie had insisted time and time again that her surprisingly high position within the hospital was owed entirely to Evelyn's supernatural assistance, though Evelyn insisted the opposite; she'd only stepped in once or twice, and only to make sure that Rosie was given the respect she'd already earned for herself.

Amara was shocked at how much she had in common with Rosie. Despite the nearly seventy-year age differences, they shared many of the same mannerisms. On multiple occasions Amara had been tempted to make a comment or joke, only to find Rosie beating her to the punch. Their food preferences were nearly identical as well; Rosie insisted on making the family her favorite meal, and Amara was thrilled to find it was one of the most delicious things she'd ever eaten.

Reminiscing about Rosie's amazing life gave Amara the perfect excuse to talk about her two children, Mateo and Evie. Amara had only met Evie today, but she was every bit as interesting as Rosie. Evie worked as a teacher with the Chicago Public School system, and she had lots to say about the sudden appearance of a person she'd once believed to be entirely fictional. In her own words, she'd decided decades ago that Evelyn was nothing more than an imaginary friend Rosie had conjured up in order to cope with growing up poor during the Great Depression.

Evie's two sons, Luis and Gabriel, were so alike that Amara sometimes mistakenly thought of them as twins. They both loved sports, and were die-hard fans of the Chicago Cubs. They both had careers in Finance--Luis was a Certified Public Accountant while Gabriel served as Treasurer for a moderately sized real estate firm. They both shared a fondness for cigars, despite the protests of their wives, and they both had dreams of one day indulging in some kind of muscle car.

Their similarities failed to carry over to the rest of their family. Luis had two children, both somewhat younger, while Gabriel only had one. Sofia and Máximo were both incredibly excited to meet Amara, in their own ways, while Camilla had easily been the most mysterious person at the entire meet and greet. Amara had been incredibly excited to spend time with the only person in her family roughly her age, but Camilla had been somewhat standoffish the entire time. Was she just a naturally reserved person? Had Amara accidentally done something to offend her? While frustrated at the lack of information, it was hard to dwell on a single hesitant family member when the rest of the day had been so amazing.

Towards the tail end of their trip into the city, as they found themselves surrounded by skyscrapers, luxury shopping centers, and historic landmarks, Amara couldn't help but lose herself in the grandeur of it all. Their destination was Park Tower, the twelfth-tallest building in Chicago and home of both an extravagant hotel and elegant restaurant with a spectacular view. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a ritzy hotel, but Evelyn clarified that all of the building's upper floors were actually luxury condominiums.

Evelyn's penthouse was the building's crown; a lavish home suspended nearly seventy floors above street level. Before even gaining access, Evelyn first had to guide Vee through the parking garage to one of several spaces specifically reserved for her. After parking, they navigated to a private elevator that only served residents of the building. Evelyn used a specialized key card to give them access to the top floor, at which point they settled in for the long trip skyward.

No longer focusing on the confusing layout of the parking garage, Amara finally turned the entirety of her attention to the looming mystery. "Okay, Mom, time to spill the beans. Since when do you have a penthouse?!"

After settling in against the back wall, leaning against the stylish wooden railing, Evelyn responded. "I've always lived in the city, Amara. I met your father here; this is where I became the person I am today. After returning from Hell following the end of World War Two, I needed a place to call my own. I don't sleep or eat, but it's nice having a place to come back to when I'm not out on business. For most of the back half of the 1900's, I alternated between many nice places, but none of them ever felt like they were truly mine. Then, in the mid-nineties, I learned about the plans for this very tower. I pulled some strings and convinced the designers of the building to reserve the top residence for me and me alone. Because of this, I was able to personally design the entire place to my own specifications; the floors are completely fireproof, the many windows significantly more durable than city regulations would normally dictate. The building was finished in... I believe it was early 2000? By sheer coincidence, you were born less than a year later, so I ended up using this place far less than I ever intended. We've got our beautiful little place out in the suburbs, and this place sits empty most of the time."

Amara nervously tapped her foot as she watched the floor indicator count higher and higher. "Okay, but it's a fucking PENTHOUSE! In the middle of the Magnificent Mile! How much money do you have that you can afford an insane house like this and never even use it? Are we secretly crazy rich?"

Evelyn chuckled. "Saying that I'm 'crazy rich' would be a bit of an understatement, actually."

"Okay, but how much? Are we billionaires?!"

"Truthfully, I don't know. Until I had you, money never particularly mattered outside of being a means to an end. Money is power, after all, and the more I have, the easier it is to obfuscate my existence. A vast majority of my holdings are split amongst hundreds of false identities, and I've never taken the time to count it all."

"But what about all our money problems when I was growing up?" Amara asked. "You once sat me down when I was sixteen and made me help you with all our budgeting!"

"Budgeting is actually extremely important for me, Amara," Evelyn clarified. "Remember, I was prepared for you to live your entire life not knowing about my true identity. Not only that, but I also need to make sure that my real identity stays hidden; my current legal identity, the one that works as a defense attorney, has a fixed income. If I spend a dramatic amount of money, it might raise certain flags in the wrong places. Even more important than all of that? Money is a foul, corrupting influence. The more people have, the more it warps who they are and how they view the world."

"You wanted Amara to have a normal life," Vee said, finally chipping in.

"Exactly," Evelyn said with a smile.

"Huh." Amara briefly stopped pacing. Some small part of her prepared for another burst of emotionality, but ultimately, she found she didn't care. While she didn't have the same perspective as a millennia-old demon, her mother's words still made perfect sense to her. She'd heard countless stories about money breeding entitlement, or how excess wealth made it impossible to forge true, honest friendships. Amara had earned her place at Aurelius University by studying hard and applying for several hard-to-get scholarships; who would she be if that position had simply been handed to her? More than anything, she was overcome by a burst of affection for her mother, and she eagerly pulled Evelyn in for a tight hug. "I won't ask for any money, Mom. I think you're completely right about this. But... we still have a penthouse, right? Now that we know about it, can we use it?!"

After a quiet laugh, Evelyn said, "I don't see why not. I can't imagine you'll need to spend much time in the city, anyway, so I don't see the harm in letting you use it. With that in mind, I should probably give you the tour, shouldn't I?"

Amara's excitement returned in droves, and she stepped back before grabbing Vee's hand. "Yes! The whole tour, spare no expense!"

As if on cue, the elevator doors opened and Evelyn led everyone into the penthouse. When she turned to face Amara and Vee directly, she'd adopted a pleasant smile and a crisp, warm voice reminiscent of a TV show host. "We begin our luxurious tour in the lobby! You'll notice the flooring here is constructed entirely of imported marble tiles. Not only do they perfectly complement the rich wood paneling that frames much of the residence, but as I mentioned earlier, they are also completely fireproof. Should you ever decide to teleport here, please use this lobby as your destination."

Eyes wide with wonder, Amara gasped as she looked around. Rich decadence dripped off every single feature of this lobby, which was at least a couple dozen feet wide. A fancy cushioned bench sat opposite the elevator doors, above which Amara saw a small television.

Why is there a TV here? It's obviously not for watching anything... What kind of problems would weird rich people have? Maybe it's for, like, displaying schedules should the host decide to throw a fancy dinner party or something. Or maybe it can display a map for when we inevitably get lost in this ridiculous place.

The tour continued. "Just past this small divide you'll find the living, sitting, and dining rooms! These spaces, much like almost every single room in the house, come with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the brilliant skyline of our magnificent city and the nearby Lake Michigan."

For the next hour, Evelyn walked Amara and Vee around the penthouse, letting them explore to their heart's content. The house had seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, multiple room-sized closets, a massive kitchen with two full ovens, two full balconies--one of which had a hot tub--and even access to a deck on the roof of the entire building. The master bathroom had a walk-in shower and a massive standing bathtub situated directly next to yet another floor-to-ceiling window.

By the end of the tour, as the three of them drank in the Chicago ambience atop the roof of the penthouse, Amara's emotional day finally caught up to her. A wave of exhaustion pulled her deeper into Vee's embrace, and the group decided it was time to get some rest following their busy day. As Evelyn had no need to sleep, she happily allowed Vee and Amara to take the master bedroom. While Amara desperately wanted to see if the shower was big enough to accommodate her wings, she failed to muster the strength for a shower tonight. Instead, after setting an alarm on her phone, she vowed to test the shower's full capabilities in the morning.

With plans set for a luxurious morning in their penthouse, Amara and Vee fell asleep in each other's arms.

-----

"--and this set will allow me to control the flow of magic itself," Chloé said, pointing to another series of runes on the diagram in front of her. "Since we're connecting to The Depths, I like to think of them as valves on a pipe. This combination allows me to close the valve, severing the connection, while this combination lets me open it up and invite more water in. However, these runes on the outside serve as generalized mass limiters. Because I'm relying on my inherent abilities rather than the standard suite of runes that initiate witches typically receive, we wanted additional protections in the summoning runes themselves. With these, even if there's some kind of structural failure, I'll be protected."

Sitting beside Chloé, settled comfortably into a large antique armchair with plush velvet quilting, Coven Headmistress Elizabeth Bishop nodded slowly. Long brown hair gathered around her shoulders as she took a sip of tea, then she finally spoke up. "Without those limiters, what damage would a structural failure cause?"

Chloé thought back to her hours of studying with Tessa and Imani, then pieced together everything she knew and answered. "The standard runes given to all witches accomplish many different things. Telekinesis, basic detection, rune creation and alteration, things like that. Importantly, they also contain a series of runes designed to throttle the flow of magic itself. The channeling process is fueled by energy inherent to our bodies, and attempting to channel too much at once can overload the host, outright killing them. I don't have these basic runes, thus I don't have those safeguards. However, I don't need telekinesis to control what I'm summoning, and I can already see the flow of magic due to my condition. I don't particularly care about having the ability to create or alter runes, either. With that in mind, we've transferred the bulk of the throttling runes to this design. Not only will they prevent the flow of magic from overwhelming me, but on the off chance that my connection to Purgatory heightens any magic under my control, these runes will also prevent me from accidentally summoning too much. The worst-case scenario is death, obviously, but the other worst-case scenario would be learning that I can summon near limitless amounts of mass. Short of being in the ocean, it's safe to assume that a spontaneous magical tsunami would devastate most anything around me."

Miss Bishop smiled before leaning back into her chair. Her rich, tawny skin practically glowed in the warm lights of the study, and her smoky eyeshadow drew Chloé's attention to the glimmer of pride sparkling in the Coven Head's eyes. "Color me impressed, Miss Belmont. You really learned all this in the last week alone?"

Blushing slightly, Chloé mimicked the action and sank back into her wheelchair. "W-well, it's not like my knowledge rivals Imani's or Tessa's. I only need to know how this design works; I don't need a comprehensive understanding of all magic."

After pausing to take another sip of tea, Miss Bishop continued. "You mentioned that you won't need telekinesis to control whatever you pull over from The Depths. Can I ask for a demonstration?"

"Absolutely!" Excited to prove herself, Chloé floated into the air before spinning to face Miss Bishop. "So, you'll recall that I managed to fight off Miss Gautier by using some kind of banshee shriek. That ability seems to be rooted in my condition, in the way I'm suspended between planes. My theory is that I'm distorting the inherent forces that bind the planes together, sending out shockwaves akin to, like, a gravitational wave or something. I'll spare your ears the misery of listening to me scream, but I recently learned that I can exercise this ability in much smaller ways. When fighting Nick the other week, just after he broke out of his chains, I channeled this ability to simply empower my punches. Ever since then, I've been experimenting with all sorts of different ways to apply it!"

Thankfully, Imani and Tessa had suspected that Miss Bishop would ask for this very demonstration. Briefly phasing into her backpack, Chloé grabbed a large tennis ball that they'd initially bought to entertain a small pack of wolves. She turned her palm upright, holding the ball aloft, then closed her eyes to focus on the new abilities she'd been honing over the last few weeks. Her connection to the world around her thinned, and she manifested a small hum of planar vibration in her hand. The space around her hand buckled and warped, creating enough force to make the tennis ball hover several inches above her hand.

"Now, my abilities are nowhere near as dexterous as a witch's telekinesis. As far as I can tell, whatever waves of energy I manifest must center specifically on my body. This ball, for example, is simply being pushed away from me. With a bit more force..." Chloé returned the ball to her hand, then turned her wrist to point the ball at the heavy wooden door marking the entrance to the study. Summoning her planar connection again, she strengthened and focused it, then released. The gathered force launched the ball across the room, where it collided with the door. Instead of bouncing harmlessly back to Chloé, however, it caught an unexpected angle in one of the decorative panels. It ricocheted sideways, nearly colliding with a large painting on a nearby wall before a separate magical force reached out and stopped it.

Thin waves of pinkish-purple energy swirled around the ball, halting it entirely. This magic originated from Miss Bishop who, with a delicate flourish of her hand, beckoned the ball closer until it landed peacefully on the tips of her fingers.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Chloé stammered, her face hot and flushed.

Miss Bishop quietly laughed as her magic faded. "That was hardly your fault, Miss Belmont. You demonstrated remarkable control of this strange ability of yours, and it would hardly be fair to dock you points simply because of some erratic paneling on our study door." She held the ball aloft, then asked, "Can you do the opposite? Pull items towards you?"

"Uh, yes and no. I'm able to generate waves of forces that gather rather than repel, but because my abilities need to originate with me, I'm not able to target specific items at a distance. At least, not yet? It would be really cool if I could, but right now I haven't figured out a way to do so." Closing her eyes once more, Chloé focused on her latent planar connection once more. Rather than pooling her emotions into a burst of outward force, she pulled the energy deep into her core and pictured herself as the center of a deep gravity well. Releasing her focus, she summoned a single pulse.

The tennis ball leapt from Miss Bishop's hand, flying several feet into Chloé's grasp, but it wasn't the only thing affected. Several feet behind Chloé was a towering bookshelf that had been built into the back wall of the study. While the shelves themselves did not move, several rows of books shuddered and twitched several inches forward.

"Fascinating," Miss Bishop muttered. "I will admit, in addition to the exciting applications of this design you, Imani, and Tessa have cooked up, I'm also excited to see your personal abilities develop. I can't wait to see how this plays out."

"Wait, does that mean...?"

The Coven Head nodded. "I'm more than happy to sign off on this project. You've demonstrated a remarkable understanding of the runes involved, but also of your own abilities. I trust you to handle this magic with care, especially seeing that you're willing to admit the limitations of what you can do. You'd be surprised how rare that trait can be."

"YES!!" Chloé spun around in celebration. She'd been studying her ass off for days, and in the process of preparing for today's meeting, had grown exponentially more excited about adding magic to her own suite of abilities.

"Would you like to share the news?" Miss Bishop asked, a quiet smile on her face.

"They're gonna be so excited!!" Chloé dashed towards the large study doors and phased through them, turning invisible in the process. In the lobby of the Coven Manor, lazily strolling around as they looked at the countless portraits of past witches, were Tessa and Imani. Thrilled to have a fun surprise, Chloé flew behind Tessa and threw her arms around the witch, lifting her into the air without a hint of warning.

"FUCK!!" Tessa shouted, her legs flailing as she hovered several feet above the floor.

"She said yes!" Chloé squeed, repeatedly spinning Tessa around.

Tessa planted her hands on Chloé's arms to steady herself, then her excited smile joined Chloé's. "Of course she did, Chloé. I told you there was nothing to worry about!"

"Damn straight!" Imani said. "I can't remember the last time I've seen someone pick up so much material so quickly!"

After a few quick circles, the girls landed back on the floor. "Okay, yeah, but like... I dunno. You two have been studying this stuff for ages and I just started!" Across the foyer, the large double doors leading into the study opened with another pulse of magic, and Miss Bishop beckoned everyone to join her.

Once the three of them had gathered in the study, Chloé sank back into her chair and took a slow breath to calm herself. Her eyes fell to the paper on the table, the one that held Imani's design, and she eagerly traced the various red and white lines. Now that everything had been approved, she began to picture the design as an actual piece of art on her body, and a quick flash of giddiness overtook her.

I'm about to get my very first tattoo!

"I believe congratulations are in order," Miss Bishop said, settling into her armchair once more. "Chloé displayed incredible aptitude regarding the magic involved, which can only mean that the two of you displayed equal talent in your ability to relay the information."

"Well, I don't know about that..." Tessa muttered, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Chloé's a really good student, and she was really excited, that's all."

Miss Bishop failed to suppress a quick, playful smile before she continued. "Imani, the design is inspired. The functional runes are clean, precise, and beautiful, while the structural runes display impressive efficiency. Elijah and the other Coven Heads reviewed the designs, and we're all in agreement that you've assembled something truly impressive."

"And this is only the beginning!" Imani said. "I have all these ideas for other ways we might configure magic to work alongside latent abilities, and perhaps even tweak the designs to offer functional assistance to--"

"One step at a time, Miss Mabaya," the Coven Head cautioned. "You have yet to even apply Chloé's tattoo, and I believe Tessa is also due for several additions."

"Wait, mine are approved too?" Tessa asked.

Miss Bishop chuckled. "Why wouldn't they be? The foundations are solid, and while the intended applications are a bit unusual, we're excited to see your contributions. Ever since Davenport... stepped down as Headmistress, we've tried to loosen our adherence to tradition and precedent. In fact, our newest Coven Head--Miss Dakota Jackson--is particularly excited to talk with you once you've started your research."

"Oh snap, Dakota got the job?" Imani asked. She then quickly shook her head and reverted to a slightly more formal tone. "I mean, uh, I'm proud of her! I think she'll do great!"

"Speaking of other coven business," Miss Bishop began, "I wanted to commend all of you on your clear, consistent communication with us these last few months. We've been under heavy scrutiny from the other covens, and it's taken quite a bit of creativity to keep them from sticking their noses in our business. As much as I regret what happened to poor Nicholas, I must admit that the entire incident with The Wilds was a great boon for us."

"Really? How so?" Chloé asked, curious to see hints of the inter-coven political landscape.

"It was definitive proof that our new arrangement is stable and effective," Miss Bishop clarified. "Our choice to allow non-witches to assist us in protecting the campus--let alone an angel and a demon--was quite controversial, to say the least. Successfully managing multiple incursions is impressive enough, but you also kept us apprised of the situation the entire time. That communication gave us proof that moving Imani here was a wise decision, but it also began to heal Tessa's reputation in the eyes of the other covens."

"Shit, I have a reputation? That's never good," Tessa muttered.

"Your mother was a well-regarded coven head, and her reputation hangs over you whether you want it to or not. Unfortunately, throughout Davenport's many years as Headmistress, she continually painted you in a very unflattering light, to say the least. News of her deception and abuse muddied the waters somewhat, and that uncertainty allowed me to argue that you deserved a second chance. I was able to write off your initial secrecy as a consequence of her foul demeanor, but that leniency only extends so far."

"That's... a lot. I don't know how you manage all this political nonsense," Tessa admitted. "I practically have a headache just listening to your cliff notes on all this."

"Ugh, you're right, I'm sorry..." Miss Bishop engaged her magic again, summoning her cup of tea back into her hands. "I don't mean to complain, but outside of Palesa, you're the only ones I feel comfortable talking with. I would never in a million years wish to surrender control to Cassandra again, but I'll admit I miss not having to deal with all this paperwork."

A clear, resonant chime echoed through the manor, pausing the conversation and drawing everyone's attention to the doors of the study. With a heavy sigh, Miss Bishop set her tea back on a nearby table and rose to her feet. "Please stay here, I have to deal with this..." she grumbled.

Chloé, Tessa, and Imani exchanged curious glances with each other. While it would have been incredibly easy to talk amongst themselves, perhaps to celebrate the coven's approval of their new tattoos, they instead reached a silent agreement to listen in on whatever business Miss Bishop was attending to. The main entrance to the manor opened slowly, accompanied by a heavy, ancient creak, and a young masculine voice began to speak.

"Hiya! How are you doing today? How about this weather, huh?"

"How can I help you?" Miss Bishop asked, her voice lacking all of its usual warmth.

"I don't mean to take up too much of your time, so I promise I'll be quick. I represent Falcon Holdings Incorporated, and recently our company has taken a great interest in properties like your beautiful manor here! We were hoping to speak to you about possibly acquiring this--"

"Tell your bosses that I'm not interested, and that if I see any of your representatives on my property again, I will consider it trespassing."

Tessa's eyes went wide and she glanced at the other girls before silently mouthing, "Oh shit."

"I-I promise that we're not--"

"Thank you, and good bye."

The heavy door at the front of the manor closed with significantly more force than it had opened with earlier. Chloé flinched in surprise at the unexpected slam, then angled her chair away from the study entrance to pretend she hadn't been eavesdropping on the coven head's conversation.

Miss Bishop stormed into the office, her face flush with annoyance. "I swear to God, that's the fifth one this week."

"Is, uh, everything alright? What's going on?" Tessa asked.

Collapsing into her luxurious armchair, Miss Bishop floated her tea back into her grasp. The ceramic mug shook slightly as she took a deep, lengthy sip, even closing her eyes as if to distance herself from reality for a moment. As she released a heavy breath, she lowered the mug into her lap and reopened her eyes. "Please forgive my attitude. I try not to let this job get to me, but goodness it's getting harder with every passing day."

"It sounds like someone was trying to buy this place," Imani said, leaning forward while failing to hide her curiosity.

"How closely do you follow the news?" Miss Bishop asked. "Have you heard about that new Nonprofit Bill the state senate is about to pass?"

"Wait, 1408? The one that restructures nonprofit funding and tax status?" Chloé inched closer, surprised to hear such a bill impacted an organization such as Tessa's coven. "What does that have to do with this place?"

"You all know us as a coven, but that's a luxury you have because of your repeated brushes with magic. According to the rest of the world--and more importantly, the federal government--we're a nonprofit historical preservation society. We advocate for the protection and management of culturally significant buildings, monuments, landmarks, parks, public spaces... all that stuff. If that bill passes, we stand to lose a lot of funding, and predatory real estate companies have been salivating at the thought of buying houses like this to try and flip them for an easy profit. Nearly everything we manage is magically significant in some way, however. We can't afford to surrender these buildings and risk the companies learning magic, but we also literally don't have the money to afford them all if we lose funding, and--" Miss Bishop cut herself off and sighed. "I'm sorry, this isn't your problem. We should be celebrating your new tattoos and what that means for your futures."

"With all due respect, Miss Bishop," Chloé started, "I have a vested interest in keeping my school safe. Isn't that part of the reason you deputized us in the first place? If there's anything we can do to help, just say the word."

"Any chance you know a spell for mass political reform?" the coven head said, forcing a laugh. "Heck, I'd settle for a chance to smack Senator Hart upside the head. That's a joke, by the way. Please don't harass public servants on my behalf."

"Senator who?" Tessa asked, turning to Chloé.

"Senator Evan Hart," Chloé clarified. "He's the bill's sponsor, and he's got a ton of financial backing. He's been doing a lot of stuff recently, actually. He also sponsored the 2019 Illinois Gambling Act. Fun fact, that bill is why Ekstápoli has that big casino downtown. Before 2019, building a casino on anything other than a river was illegal."

"I think I'd prefer we change the topic." Miss Bishop rose to her feet, brushing her long brown hair from her eyes as she smiled at the girls. "Might we instead celebrate today's good news? There's a fantastic deli around the corner, and I make a point of visiting every time I'm in town."

As concerned as Chloé was about the state of the coven, it was hard to deny she was also quite excited about her upcoming tattoo. How difficult would it be to master her new magic? Would they integrate seamlessly with her current abilities? As silly as she felt for thinking it, she was starting to think of this tattoo like getting a new subclass in a video game. For now, because Miss Bishop was eager to change the topic, Chloé happily talked about her plans for her magic with the beleaguered coven head. Together with Tessa and Imani, the four of them shared a quiet lunch together while quietly discussing their plans for the coming weeks.

-----

Amara woke the following morning with her enthusiasm completely refreshed. She'd spent an entire day learning about her new family and their loved ones; now she wanted to give them the same chance. It was impossible to count how many times she'd brought Vee up to her family. How wonderful she was, how beautiful, how effortlessly compassionate. A literal angel that, to some extent, Amara still couldn't believe she was lucky enough to be dating.

Before they left, Evelyn made the two of them breakfast. While it cooked, Amara took the opportunity to show off all her new photographs. She'd taken pictures of every single member of her family, and now organized them on the massive island in the center of the kitchen to show off the relationships between everyone Vee was about to meet.

When they finally departed for Rosie's house, Amara had trouble containing her excitement. Nearly all of her favorite people in the world were about to meet, and she just knew her family was going to love Vee.

After Evelyn dropped them off and left to find parking, Amara practically dragged her radiant girlfriend up the sidewalk. The door opened long before they were near enough to ring the bell; Sofia had been waiting at the window and rushed outside the moment she saw them approach. The little girl leapt into Amara's arms, who proceeded to spin Sofia around with equal exuberance.

"What took you so long?" Sofia grumbled. "They told me you were coming by in the morning but it's been morning for forever!"

"We had to eat breakfast!" Amara protested, propping up the little girl as they neared the entrance. "And then we hit some traffic on our--"

"Is this your GIRLFRIEND?!" the little girl shouted. She pointed at Vee, her eyes wide. "She's so pretty! Wow!"

Vee pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, then kissed Amara on the cheek after the door closed behind them. "I was about to say the same about you, Sofia. My name is Vee, it's nice to meet you!" The two politely shook hands, but before Vee let go, a tiny burst of rainbow iridescent sparks danced across Sofia's wrist.

The little girl's eyes somehow managed to grow even wider, her mouth hung open in amazement, and she quietly repeated herself. "Wow..."

From the nearby living room, Sofia's parents walked into view. "Amara! Long time no see!" Luis said with a hearty laugh. "Sofia, cariño, what did I tell you about jumping on people? Did you at least ask first?"

"She's super strong! She doesn't mind!"

"It's about asking permission, not about--" Luis sighed, then shook his head. "Who am I kidding, everyone here is just as excited to see you again. If perhaps a bit less spry in their greetings. I take it this is your lovely girlfriend?"

"Luis, right? I'm so happy to be here," Vee said, extending a hand. "Your daughter is simply adorable."

"Vee, Amara here could not stop talking about you yesterday!"

Amara blushed as everyone briefly turned their attention to her. "What? She knows I brag about her all the time."

After a quick laugh, Luis gestured to his wife. "Vee, this is the love of my life, Guadalupe."

Although Vee attempted to shake his wife's hand as well, Guadalupe didn't return the gesture. Instead, she clasped her hands around a small rosary hanging around her neck. "Dios mio, I almost didn't believe Amara, but look at you. I can see His light in your eyes." She bowed her head before quickly making the sign of the cross by tapping her forehead, chest, and shoulders.

Amara, Vee, and Luis awkwardly exchanged glances before Vee spoke up again. "Guadalupe? That's not necessary. There's no need to treat me any differently than you would any other guest."

Guadalupe gasped, a mixture of surprise and absolute reverence on her face. "Oh, so humble! Even hearing my name on your lips is a treasure!" Without warning, she turned away from Vee and walked towards the backyard, muttering a series of prayers under her breath as she left the room.

"I take it she's religious?" Vee asked, turning to Luis.

"Very much so," he admitted with a sigh. "I asked her not to make a big deal out of it, but... Heck, that'd be like asking me not to make a fuss if Sammy Sosa walked through that door. Sofia, do you want to go find Grandma Rosie and tell her Amara is here? Last time I checked she was in the backyard with Gabe."

"Okay! Amara, I'll be right back!" Sofia jumped to the ground before running to the back door. As she left, Amara quietly mouthed "Thank you" to Luis.

Now alone in the Calderón household, Amara grabbed Vee's hand and gave her a kiss. "Sorry about that. To my knowledge, most of my family is kinda chill about religion because of Rosie, but obviously Lupe wasn't raised with those same stories."

"It's fine, Amara, truly. It's not the first time people have been weird about my nature, and it's certainly not going to be the last." She redoubled her grip on Amara's hand, then looked deeper into the house. "Since we've got a few moments to ourselves, want to give me the tour? In all your excitement, you failed to mention how beautiful this house is!"

"Yes! That's a great idea! Okay, so this is the entryway, obviously, and from here we can either head to the living room or the kitchen. Past the living room are the bedrooms, and past the kitchen we'll find, like, the den and the dining room and stuff."

Unsure which would be the best place to start a tour, Amara strolled into the kitchen. Soft, warm daylight drifted in through a small window at the front of the house, and Vee eagerly started looking around as Amara pointed out various neat things about the space.

"What's this?" Vee asked, pointing at the wall immediately next to the entrance.

"What's what?" Amara turned around and joined Vee. "Oh, that's... huh. I don't know, I don't think I noticed this yesterday."

In the corner of the kitchen, on the opposite side of the entrance, a small alcove had been built into the wall. Anyone walking into the kitchen would miss it entirely, which was likely how it had gone unnoticed by Amara all this time. The alcove held several shelves, all of which were packed with pictures, necklaces, dried flowers, and other small trinkets.

"It... almost looks like an ofrenda," Amara said.

From across the kitchen, another feminine voice spoke up. "Ofrendas are temporary, they're only up for a few days during Día de los Muertos. This is just a simple home altar we keep up to honor our family."

Quickly turning around, Amara saw Gabriel's daughter walking closer. "Oh, Camilla! Hi!"

Camilla ignored the greeting. Instead, after closing the distance, she started pointing at several pictures in the altar. "This was Rosie's husband, Máximo. He passed away about four years ago. Up here is my namesake, and Great Grandma Rosie's real mother: Camilla. Next to her is Vicente, and while we don't have pictures of them, these bracelets were mementos of his parents. He brought them with him when he left Puerto Rico with Camilla."

"Wait, Vicente?" Amara gasped, stepping closer to look at the picture in question. The man staring back at her had dark, slicked-back hair and thick, bushy eyebrows. He had a strong jawline and a kind smile, but most importantly of all, his eyes were filled with compassion. "That's... that's my dad. I've never seen him before, Mom doesn't have any pictures of him."

Tears welled in her eyes as she reached out, hoping to pick up the picture and examine it more closely, but Camilla grabbed her wrist. "Don't. We shouldn't disturb the altar, it's bad luck."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't..." Amara stammered, caught off guard by Camilla's icy stare. "Do you know if Rosie has any other pictures of him? Or, if not, maybe I could just take a picture. I brought my camera, so it would be pretty--"

"This is the only one we have, sorry. And using a flash could damage it, so I wouldn't if I were you," Camilla said, her tone unexpectedly sharp.

Amara shrank slightly, nervously wringing the straps of her camera bag as she failed to match Camilla's presence. She didn't know what to say, and she didn't want to risk making things worse than they already were.

Thankfully, Vee came to the rescue. "Camilla, hey there! My name is Vee, I'm Amara's partner. It's good to meet you!"

Camilla ignored Vee's extended hand. "... You're the angel, right?"

"I am, but it's really not that big a deal. I'm just as much a person as anyone else here," Vee said, still smiling despite Camilla's attitude.

"Well, glad you found time to bless us with your presence. What's your day job? Feeding the homeless and curing the blind or whatever?"

Vee's facade finally cracked, just a bit. "W-well, no, the Church is pretty hands off. I mostly try to fight off hostile magical invasions and stuff. I heard Amara explained a little bit about how hectic our lives have been recently."

"So, what, everyone that's not on your precious school campus gets ignored? Wow. Real cool." Camilla scoffed, then spun around on her heel and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Shit, Vee, I'm so sorry," Amara turned to her love and hugged her. "I don't know what Camilla's deal is!"

"I remember you saying she was a bit cold, but that felt more like full blown anger. Not to mention her aura was all over the place; something's eating away at her, but I'm not sure what it is." Vee sighed as she hugged Amara back. "Maybe you just need to give her some time. For all we know, she just has strong opinions about magic and it has nothing to do with you."

"Hold on, back up, did you say aura? Since when can you read auras?"

"Oh, right, um... Since yesterday?" Vee admitted. "You were so excited about meeting your family and telling me all about them, I didn't want to interrupt. But, yeah, I found a way to channel my magic so that it illuminates auras around people. I don't fully understand what I'm seeing yet, but it seems to align somewhat with positive and negative emotions. My running theory is that I'm seeing a manifestation of, like, inner peace and turmoil? Then again, it might also be--"

"There's my beautiful sister!" Rosie appeared at the other end of the kitchen and walked closer as quickly as her age allowed. "And this must be the gorgeous angel you mentioned yesterday. Vee, right? Oh, you're even more beautiful than Amara let on!"

Amara and Vee shared a silent, split-second conversation in which they agreed to pause their conversation for a later time. After, Vee turned her full attention back towards their actual reason for being here today. "That's me! I'm so happy to be here. You have such a lovely house, Rosie--we were just appreciating this beautiful altar. Evelyn didn't have any pictures of Amara's dad, so it's wonderful that you kept a memory of him here."

As Rosie threw her arms around Amara, she sighed and turned her attention to the altar. "I suppose that makes sense. We couldn't exactly afford cameras back when we lived in the Hooverville. Dad really was one-of-a-kind, it's a shame you never had a chance to meet him. How many other people were kind enough to change the heart of an ancient archdemon?"

"Camilla says this is the only picture of him, is that true?" Amara asked.

"As far as I know, that's correct, sadly," Rosie sighed. She briefly turned to look at the exit behind her, then asked, "Was Camilla giving you shit? You can tell me if she was. She's been in a mood ever since Evelyn came back."

"Well, I don't know if I'd phrase it that way, but..."

"Bah, I'll see if I can talk her out of it. She's at that age, you know?"

"Rosie, I'm that age too. She's only a year younger than me!"

"You'd be surprised how much difference a single year makes!" Rosie protested. "But enough about that. Come outside! Everyone's waiting for you, and Gabriel is getting the grill cleaned up so we can cook ourselves lunch soon!"

Eager to forget her uncomfortable interaction with Camilla, Amara happily refocused her attention on her sister and the rest of their amazing family. Everyone was just as nice to Vee as they'd been to Amara--excluding Camilla, of course--and they spent the rest of the day simply enjoying each other's company. Max was happy to show off some of their outdoor games, Evie and her husband introduced Amara to some of their favorite music, and Evelyn happily allowed the family to ask her countless questions about the past millennia.

They weren't able to stay as long as they had yesterday, as Vee and Amara unfortunately needed to return to Aurelius. After making countless plans for future events, birthdays, holidays, and everything else under the sun, Vee, Amara, and Evelyn hopped in the car and headed back. Their trip was filled with delighted reminiscing about their fantastic weekend, and how excited they were to repeat it as soon as possible.

-----

As Vee's car set course for Aurelius University, it passed through a small suburb just outside the Chicago city limits. Unlike the most expensive suburbs in the state, this one in particular was filled with hard-working people that had, for the most part, found considerable success through their various endeavors. The homes here were not the mansions of the obscenely rich, yet they still housed families that had never once been strapped for cash.

One home in particular housed a man with high hopes for his community and his city. He campaigned on family values, stressing just how important it was to give everyone a home of their own. His three children were all adopted, and were he asked in a debate what single piece of legislation he would pass were he given free reign over the country, he would happily answer, "Robust adoption reform to make the process effortless for all couples, straight or gay." Were he asked that question in private, he would give a dramatically different answer.

He would launch into a heated monologue about the dangers of gambling, about the horrors of exposing so many young people to effortless, addictive vices simply by putting sports betting apps on their phones. He would lambast corrupt capitalists that hold the legislature in a chokehold, flaunting their money the way a criminal might flaunt a loaded gun.

Of course, Senator Evan Hart would never dream of speaking such thoughts aloud. It would make him appear horribly hypocritical, and it might upset the wrong kind of people.

Well, one person in particular. A person he very much could not risk upsetting.

Instead, Evan kept his thoughts to himself and did everything he could to sidestep the hardest questions of his career. His current project--a bill restructuring the tax status of nonprofit organizations--was much less politically turbulent than his previous task. It was easy to espouse the virtues of tax reform, to rattle off numbers from questionable political scientists about how helpful this reform would be in the long run.

Tonight, however, he was not worried about politics. After a long week of lobbying, arguing, and schmoozing with high profile donors, he was happily winding down after a peaceful weekend with his family. Now, more than ever, it was important to treasure every single moment he had with them.

"Goodnight, Peter," Evan whispered, kissing his youngest son on the forehead. "I love you." The boy was already fast asleep after their exciting day, and Evan tiptoed out of the room so as to not wake him. He visited Courtney next, tucking her in just as gently. She was awake enough to whisper quiet words of affection in return, words that never failed to make Evan's heart swell. Lastly, he visited his oldest son. Jake was too old for kisses and cutesy goodnights, but Evan always made it a point to make sure his family knew how much he treasured them.

After closing Jake's door, Evan caught the gaze of his husband. Jesse smiled wide as he watched the tenderness in Evan's step, and the two gently kissed before lacing their hands together.

"Bedtime?" Jesse asked.

Evan sighed and shook his head. "Not quite. I've got a tiny bit of work I want to catch up on."

"You're such a workaholic," Jesse muttered with a smile. "I'll get some reading in and see you when you're finished, alright?"

"Sounds good. Love you!"

"Love you too, Evan."

The senator retired to his private study, then collapsed into his leather armchair with a deep sigh. He allowed himself a moment to rub his eyes and gather his thoughts, then switched on his computer. Buried deep in a series of folders, each of which were labelled in such a way as to hide their true contents, Evan had hidden a single document. A spreadsheet on which he'd tracked every last detail of his financial situation. How much money he had on hand, how much had been "gifted" to him, and the massive gulf between those two numbers: close to half a million dollars. He'd only just started calculating the latest changes to his bottom line when a phone started quietly ringing.

There were no chimes, no bells, and no gentle melodies; just a simple, repeated buzz. His eyes glanced down to his phone sitting next to the computer--it was silent and unmoving. The vibration was instead coming from deep inside his desk. Evan opened the bottom drawer and slid a series of folders aside, eventually grabbing a cheap burner phone that had nothing but a speaker and a series of numbered buttons.

"Hello?" Evan asked quietly.

"Mr. Hart, good evening. I trust you had a pleasant weekend?"

"Why are you calling? And why so late? I'm just trying to enjoy time with my family."

"Your family are all in bed, Mr. Hart, and you're sitting alone in your office. I could have rung the doorbell, but I figured this might be preferable."

Evan froze, his off hand digging into the leather armrest as he fearfully glanced at the nearby window. "I... Yes, that's correct. What can I help you with?"

"Our mutual friend couldn't help but notice that poll numbers have started dropping following recent... journalistic mishaps. He wanted me to stress that our arrangement only stays profitable so long as you continue to prove yourself a worthwhile ally."

"I've done everything he's asked of me."

"You have, and he appreciates that. Now, he's asking for more. If you check our mutual account, you'll find a generous donation has been transferred in. He's expecting a new ad campaign in favor of 1408 by the end of the week."

"A week?! That's not enough time to put an entire new campaign together!"

"Are you declining his generosity?"

Evan's thoughts briefly flashed to his family, and he quickly retracted his tone. "No! No, not at all, I was just... I'll get it done. I promise."

"Excellent. I'll tell Mr. Forester that you were most cooperative today."

The line went dead. Evan wrapped both hands around the cheap phone, every fiber of his being screaming and thrashing in protest this horrid arrangement. He squeezed the cold plastic, wondering what would happen if he just destroyed this phone and came clean, but in his heart, he knew he didn't have the courage.

He never did.