Nyx Nyghtingale
patreon
Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 17
🕑 Added 2024-05-31 21:41:02 +0000 UTCThe revelation that Amara’s recent nightmares weren’t actually hers kept her distracted for the entirety of the next morning. On the one hand, the dreams had been quite troubling, and she was relieved to know that she wasn’t repressing any horrible memories or seeing grim portents of a possible future. On the other, it was time to deal with yet another new ability, and the intangibility of this one meant testing it would be difficult.
All her other developments had been delightfully straightforward. She could touch her tail and her wings, and she could manifest fire whenever she wanted. How could she practice dreamwalking?
Should I even call it dreamwalking? I don’t know if I’m physically traveling to Derek’s dreams, or if I’m picking up on his thoughts like some kind of dream television. Do I need to be asleep to do this? Maybe I should let Nick sleep at my place and try to jump into his dreams…
Her morning lectures did nothing to distract her. In fact, she even saw a student nodding off in the back row, and she was tempted to amplify her vision to look for hints of his dreams, but decided against it.
Soon enough, the professor let everyone go, and Amara eagerly headed for the athletic campus. She hadn’t visited it since the night her wings first appeared, and today she was planning on meeting up with Nick. Even though he didn’t wrestle anymore, he frequently joined in whatever activities he could find. It kept him in shape, which Amara certainly appreciated, and it gave him a chance to spend time with his more athletic friend group.
They eventually met up behind the Gymnastics building. The back wall faced away from campus, and held a large field peppered with the occasional tree. Nick had mentioned a few times that this was a great spot to relax, and due to the morning hours, they were the only people present. She found Nick leaning against the bricks of the building, sitting in the grass with his backpack open beside him. Black gym shorts showed off his muscular legs, and a tight green shirt flattered his torso in much the same way.
“Good workout?” Amara asked, setting down her bag and sitting across from Nick.
“Of course! Alex is still really into freerunning, and he talked me into giving it a shot. He’s been trying to teach me some of the basics, and it’s pretty tough. What about you?”
“Ugh, you know the answer to that.”
“Derek’s dreams?” Nick asked.
“Yes! What does it mean? Am I seeing them for a reason?” Amara fell backwards onto the grass, groaning loudly.
“There’s always a chance it means nothing. Does he live near you? Maybe you’re picking up his dreams because he’s down the hall or something.”
“But every night? There have got to be other people dreaming around me.”
Nick went quiet, then pulled out his phone after a minute of thought. “You said the dreams are the same every time?”
“They’re similar, but sometimes I see different parts. And there was the time I floated away from everything, which I don’t know was part of his dream or my own powers acting up.”
After another few moments of silence, Amara looked over to Nick to see why he wasn’t responding. Before she could ask, however, he finally spoke up.
“Isn’t it weird that he’s having the same dream, night after night? I doubt that's happening for no reason, especially when it’s such a realistic nightmare. What if this actually happened?”
Amara sat up, sliding closer to Nick while he continued his online sleuthing. “Shit, that’s a good idea! Maybe this is something we can use to our advantage!” She pulled out her own phone, deciding she may as well try to help. It took another few minutes before Nick spoke up again.
“Anything yet?” He asked.
“Nothing,” Amara sighed. “Well, I guess technically I'm finding a lot, but it's all mindless fluff pieces about how great he is. He's America's next great entrepreneur, he's valedictorian of his graduating class, blah blah blah. I feel like I'm reading obsessive fanfic that his dad paid people to publish. What about you?”
“Mostly the same, but also a lot of stuff about his dad's rise to wealth. Supposedly he's a modern-day rags to riches story, and amassed a huge fortune practically overnight.”
“What did he do? Win the lottery?”
“That’s the weird thing, I can’t find any answers. I’m seeing a lot of vague references to playing the stock market, but nothing tangible. The only thing I can tell for sure is he didn’t inherent it, his parents were relative nobodies.” Nick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before rubbing his eyes. “Maybe we’re coming at this from the wrong angle. What was his girlfriend’s name? Stacy?”
“He called her Steph, so probably Stephany. What are you thinking?”
“Well, I think it’s safe to assume that everything we find online is going to be heavily curated. What if we find news that’s not about him?” Nick shifted on the ground, leaning back against the brick wall. Another few minutes passed, and Amara had given up her own search. She hated this type of research, and instead stood up and stretched out her back.
“Got it!” Nick pumped his fist in victory, waiting for Amara to look over before he started reading the article aloud. “A student was found dead early this morning after officials pulled a car out of a local river. The girl was identified by the local coroner’s office as Stephany Peterson, 18, a senior at Jefferson High. Stephany had been drinking with friends late last night and attempted to drive home at approximately 2:15 AM. The last person to see Stephany was her boyfriend, who had let her borrow his car to return home. He was unaware that she’d been drinking, and reported her missing early this morning.”
As Nick continued talking, sharing more of the article, Amara found herself pacing across the grass. Every word he read infuriated her, and her breathing was growing erratic. The full scope of the story was now obvious, and she was having trouble thinking straight. “He blamed her? He murdered his girlfriend and got away with it?!”
“Hey, deep breaths Amara, don’t—”
“That FUCKING. ASSHOLE!!” Without even realizing it, Amara’s hand was suddenly encased in a chitinous gauntlet. She lashed out, punching the brick wall next to her as she let out another scream. Her vision blurred, and she could barely see the dust and mortar that now covered the lawn. Her eyes eventually met Nick’s, and she immediately recognized the look on his face.
Fear.
Her vision sharpened again, her breathing calming down as she shook her hand back to normal. She fell to her knees, panicking as she started speaking. “Nick! Please, it’s okay, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me! Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Nick took a few deep breaths, his shock quickly fading as he held up a hand. “I’m okay, nothing hit me. I just… I don’t think I’ve ever seen that side of you.”
Amara leaned in, pulling Nick into a tight hug as she continued whispering apologies in his ear. They stayed there for several moments before Nick finally whispered back.
“That’s what happened at the party, isn’t it?”
The two friends separated, Amara nervously wringing her hands. “Y-yeah, but a lot worse. I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”
“Well, at least you’re angry at someone who deserves it this time, right?” Nick forced a smile, trying to smooth things over. “I’m not going to take it out on this wall, but I understand how you feel.” The two of them looked at the nearby bricks and saw that a noticeable chunk of the wall had been destroyed.
Amara sat back down, doing her best to brush the evidence of her outburst towards the building. Looking around, she realized that the grass around her also appeared discolored, like it had been out in the sun too long. “Does the article say anything else?”
“Doesn’t look like it, but I think it’s pretty obvious what happened. His dad must have bribed the police to pin the blame on Stephany.”
“There’s got to be a way we can use this against him, right?”
“Not with conventional methods.”
Their eyes met again, and Amara realized what Nick was inferring. “But, with my powers, I might be able to do something! All those books we read about Succubi, a bunch of them mentioned that we can control dreams!”
“If he’s having nightmares about this every time he goes to sleep, he’s got to be torn up about it. If you can push him further—”
“—I might be able to force him to come clean! Nick, you’re a genius!” Amara jumped up in excitement and began pacing the grass once more. She’d been eager to do something about Derek ever since he’d attacked her, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“Think you’re up for it?” Nick asked, smiling at her excitement.
“Well, I’ll need to learn how to control dreams. I was actually hoping you might help with that. Want to sleep over tonight?”
“Nah, tonight won’t work.” Nick grabbed his backpack, pulling out a small agenda. “What about tomorrow?”
Amara did the same, though her schedule was on her phone. “That should work. I figure we’ll hook up right before bed, then I’ll try to jump into your dreams. If I can’t do it awake, I’ll go to sleep and hope something happens.”
“Great! It’s been a while since I’ve crashed at your place. Maybe we’ll do some more cooking while we’re at it?”
“I love it! Think of what you want, and I’ll do my best not to burn it.” Amara chuckled, but stopped when an alarm on her phone went off. “Oh! Shit! I’ve got to get going, office hours are starting. See ya!”
She grabbed her bag, threw it over her shoulder, and began running back to the main campus. She took a quick detour back to her apartment, where she overhauled her appearance to prepare for her next stop. A change of clothes, a jacket to cover her exposed skin, and a quick look in the mirror to see if her shapeshifting was up to par. The walk across campus was tense, memories of her last impersonation attempt crossed her mind, but thankfully she made it to her destination without issue.
---
As Amara drew closer to Mr. Luxnor’s office, she let out a sigh of relief. The halls were relatively empty, as very few classes ran at this hour, and no one else seemed to be visiting the teacher. She opened her phone’s inner camera and did one final inspection, just to be safe.
Deep, emerald green eyes stared back at her behind a curtain of bright red hair. Her makeup was the perfect mix of slutty and sexy, though she did add a touch more lipstick just to be safe. With a deep breath, she moved in and knocked on the door.
“Professor?” she asked.
Mr. Luxnor looked up, clearly surprised by her arrival. “Ms. Donoghue? What brings you by at this hour?”
Up close, Amara finally got a good look at the professor. His deep brown hair was naturally wavy, and it was long enough to frame the sides of his face quite well. His eyes, a similar shade of brown, clearly stole a look at her figure as she entered the office, and she noticed a small shift in his aura. His soft jawline was accentuated by well-manicured stubble, and as he leaned back in his chair, she got a good look at his outfit. A simple black jacket gave his shoulders a fair amount of definition, and underneath he wore a blue button-down shirt that flattered him just as well.
Amara took one last look down the hallway before stepping into the office, leaning against the door as she played with its handle. “Well, I’m just really nervous about class, I’m worried my grades are slipping…”
“Kylie, we went over everything yesterday. At this point, you couldn’t fail even if you wanted to.” Confusion crossed the teacher’s face as they continued talking.
“I’m not sure you understand, Professor.” Amara slowly pushed the office door closed, locking it as she turned to face Mr. Luxnor. Her hands moved to her jacket, which she slowly pulled off to reveal her outfit. Her cleavage was on full display in a black push-up bra, which itself was easily visible underneath a white blouse that she’d tied to show off her stomach. A red, plaid skirt sat high on her hips, showing off her legs while leaving very little to the imagination. “I really think I need more extra credit.”
Mr. Luxnor’s aura practically exploded, and it was clear he was fighting to maintain composure. “Well, now that you mention it, I did just finish grading your last test, and I must say I was very disappointed with your results.”
Amara smirked, thrilled that her plan was working so well.
Men are so predictable. Still, he’s young and cute, no reason I can’t enjoy myself while I’m here…
She placed her jacket on the chair across from the professor’s desk, followed by her purse. After a quick glance back at the man behind her, she bent at the waist to show off her bright red panties. His aura confirmed how distracted he was, and she took a quick second to readjust her purse one final time. With everything ready, she turned towards her target and walked closer.
“Is there anything I can do to make it up? To show you how much this class means to me?”
“Oh, I think you know the answer to that, Ms. Donoghue. Assume the position.”
Shit, I was worried about this. That could mean anything! Does he want me bent over? On my knees? On his lap? Ugh, focus Amara! Commit to the roleplay!
“Why, whatever do you mean, Professor?” Amara playfully bit her finger, hoping she could pretend that her ignorance was all part of the game. Thankfully, a devious smirk on Mr. Luxnor’s face assuaged her fears.
“My, you’ve forgotten so much of the curriculum already. Perhaps you just need a strong hand to get you straightened out.” The teacher stood up and moved towards her, his hand lacing into her hair before grabbing tight. He pushed down, his firm grip bringing her to her knees in front of him. His hand moved to her cheek, and he pushed his thumb into her mouth, which she dutifully sucked deeper. His other hand moved to his pants, undoing them while he continued playing with her lips.
Soon enough, he’d managed to grab his shaft and pull it free. An impressively thick cock now pointed at her mouth, and she locked eyes with Mr. Luxnor as he pulled his thumb from her lips.
“Time for your first lesson, Ms. Donoghue. Open wide, tongue out.”
Amara did as she was asked, opening her mouth as wide as possible before pushing out her tongue. She made sure to leave a fair amount of spit on it before it left her mouth, which quickly dripped down her chin and onto her cleavage. The teacher in front of her grinned, then slowly stroked his length while taking in the sight of this eager college slut on her knees. Stepping closer, he slapped his cock on her tongue several times, then moved his hands back to her hair. Grabbing her tight, he pushed forward.
The tip of his cock slid down her tongue, entering her mouth slowly. Amara reacted by wrapping her lips around his shaft, but was surprised when Mr. Luxnor lightly slapped the side of her face.
“Ah ah ah, we’ve talked about this. Mouth stays open until I say so.”
Amara nodded, doing just as he wanted. With her mouth open once again, he pulled her head closer and moaned as his cock caused her to gag softly. He couldn’t push as deep this way, but she had a feeling that wasn’t the goal at the moment. He began pulling her head up and down, and each time a small gag escaped her lips. His aura indicated that, like Nick, he seemed to love the sounds she made, so she did her best to make them louder.
Over the next few minutes, she made a few attempts to do more for Mr. Luxnor, and each time he reprimanded her. He didn’t want her tongue to swirl around his shaft, he didn’t want her to move her own head, and he didn’t want his cock to go any deeper.
He wanted nothing more than a submissive toy.
It was a strange sensation, as Amara had grown used to being extremely active during sex. Nick loved to see her enthusiasm, and recently she’d begun to enjoy holding him down while they fucked. Tessa loved to be dominated, and always appreciated the extra attention Amara’s tail could bring. Even Brandon, as much as she hated him, had clearly enjoyed her faux desperation. In this office, however, she was simply an object of desire.
Another few minutes passed before Mr. Luxnor spoke again. “Next lesson, Ms. Donoghue. Close your mouth, and prepare to take this cock as deep as you can.”
Amara nodded, finally letting her lips wrap tight around his shaft. She was fairly sure she could take all of his cock; the length definitely wouldn’t be an issue, but the girth would certainly be a new sensation. He continued to hold her tight, and once her lips closed, he began moving her again. His first couple thrusts were slow, he seemed to be testing her limits, but she could tell he wanted more. She’d been connected to his aura for a while now, ever since getting on her knees, so she was intimately aware of everything he was feeling. She kept her eyes locked on his, and couldn’t help but notice that he seemed more interesting in watching his cock pump in and out of her lips.
With another thrust, he tried to reach deeper into her throat. She gagged reflexively, as she was still adjusting to his size, but by the time he’d thrust again she was ready for him. The tip of his cock pushed into her throat, just for a second, and he involuntarily let out a quiet moan.
“That’s a good girl, just like that…” Mr. Luxnor whispered.
He continued thrusting into her mouth, slowly and deliberately, as he kept pushing her limits. Each time his cock entered her throat, his aura pulsed with excitement, giving Amara a mouthful in more ways than one. It only took a few more minutes before he had what he wanted: a slutty schoolgirl’s lips pressed against the base of his cock. He stayed there, rocking her head back and forth as he savored the feeling of her tight throat. When he pulled out, Amara made sure that plenty of spit stayed on display.
“Fuckin’ hell, you’re getting better at this!”
“Do I have enough extra credit to pass the class yet?” Amara asked, pitching up her voice to sound playfully innocent.
“Oh, not even close. Open up.”
Amara nodded, and soon Mr. Luxnor’s cock was slowly fucking her face again. He moved her back and forth, meeting her head with his own thrusts, as his cock repeatedly bottomed out. She made sure to keep the throatfucking as wet as possible, both for her own sake and to coat her tits in spit to enhance the view. It only took a few more minutes for his movements to grow faster, more erratic, as he reveled in the feeling of her throat. She was unfamiliar with how much control he had over himself, but his aura seemed to indicate he was close to cumming. The facefucking became relentless, his cock hammering into her throat as his grip tightened, but he stopped without warning just before his orgasm overtook him.
She watched his cock leave her mouth, gasping heavily as she took a deep breath. Her tits were soaked, the thin fabric of her shirt completely see-through at this point.
“I’d say we’re almost there, Ms. Donoghue. Are you ready for your final?” Mr. Luxnor asked.
“Yes please, Mr. Luxnor. I want to show you what a good girl I can be!” Amara smirked, playfully biting one of her fingers as she waited for a hint of what to do next.
“Panties off, bend over my desk.” he said sternly.
Without hesitation, Amara rose to her feet before moving towards the desk. She leaned forward, hooked her thumbs into her panties, and slowly pulled them to the floor while trying to give the teacher the best show she could. Once they were off, she tossed them at Mr. Luxnor, spread her legs, and bent forward over his desk.
She felt him move behind her, and soon his fingers had found her pussy. He slid them over her entrance, causing her legs to tremble, and they stopped moving once they found her clit. He rubbed slowly, making small circles that drove her crazy, and she found herself moaning out in pleasure.
Without warning, she felt Mr. Luxnor lean forward, his weight pushing her harder against the desk, and his free hand pushed her panties into her mouth. “You'd better stay quiet if you want that A, Ms. Donoghue.”
Amara couldn’t respond, not with her mouth full and her clit being played with. She instead gave a barely audible whimper of approval, which the professor seemed to appreciate.
“Now, last time, I seem to recall you got quite a lot of attention. I think we can skip that today, hm?” Mr. Luxnor stood up straight again, his hand pushing against her back to keep her in position. She felt one of his feet touch the inside of her ankle, and she quickly pushed her legs further apart to accommodate him. Now completely exposed, the teacher pushed his cock against her pussy, which was already incredibly wet. She felt the tip tease her entrance, repeatedly taunting her, until finally he gave in.
She immediately noticed how different his cock felt from Nick’s. Her best friend wasn’t likely to be starring in any pornos soon, but he still had a respectable size that had delivered dozens of orgasms over the last few months. The cock now entering her, which she briefly remembered was only the second she’d ever taken, was much thicker. Amara had never been a size queen, all of her toys were quite conservative, but as her pussy stretched open she began to see the appeal. Each inch that pushed inside opened her up further, and it took every ounce of restraint she had to hold back her moans of ecstasy.
“Fuck, every time we do this I forget how tight you are. You’re a good little slut, aren’t you Ms. Donoghue?” Mr. Luxnor muttered. When he finally bottomed out inside of her, his weight pushing her into the desk, there was another surge in his aura. The hand holding her down moved, and soon the teacher had grabbed her hips tight. He pulled back slowly, his cock threatening to leave her entirely, but soon he slammed back inside her again. Her body shook, and she felt her legs shake from the overwhelming pleasure. She bit down on the panties in her mouth, doing everything she could to avoid making noise, knowing that both of their plans would be ruined if they got caught now. With another powerful thrust, he began fucking her in earnest, his iron grip on her hips refusing to let her move.
Amara was still eagerly feeding off him, the taste of his pleasure mixing with her own body’s sensations to heighten the entire experience. For the first time since Halloween, she decided to push her own limits, to see how much energy she could take in. After everything she’d talked about with Nick last night, wondering if Kylie might get pulled into this cult business, and the recent revelation about Derek, her resolve had hardened, and she knew she’d need the energy to really make a difference.
Her train of thought derailed, however, when her first orgasm started. Her entire body tensed, and she could feel Mr. Luxnor’s cock being squeezed tight as he continued to use her pussy. She was unable to stop herself from moaning quietly as she shook, pleasure overwhelming her as she felt all of the teacher’s energy racing through her body. She grabbed the sides of the desk, doing everything she could to avoid making noise, but her soft moans continued as she came. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her back arched, and her hips bucked wildly against the professor’s iron grip.
Her body was practically vibrating with pleasure, and Mr. Luxnor continued to hold her tight as he fucked her through her orgasm. It was impressive, his own pace continued increasing, yet he took great care to not make any noise. Every time his cock hammered into her, she expected to hear the sounds of his body meeting hers, but he managed to stay in control. She could feel her ass shaking hard with every thrust, and her pussy had long ago started dripping down her legs.
Mr. Luxnor’s grip changed, and now his nails were digging into her hips. The sensation caught her off guard, and when his cock pushed inside her again, her legs finally gave out. She was now supported completely by his desk, her body still nothing more than a toy for him to get off with. He leaned forward, one hand grabbing her hair as the weight of his body pushed her harder against the desk. He pulled her head back, the slight pain joining with his harsh grip on her hips, and she felt something shift. Until now, he’d been enjoying himself, but it was obvious he’d been taking his time. Now, with her body completely under his control, he was determined to cum.
His aura grew more excited, twitching and pulsing as he slowly lost control of himself. His movements were erratic, his breathing labored, and he began whispering into Amara’s ear. “You’re my fucking slut, you know that? I’m going to cum deep in your fucking pussy, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Amara moaned in agreement, eager to pull everything she could from the teacher. She wanted his cum, and she wanted to continue feeding so she could keep pushing her limits. Another orgasm stirred inside of her, spurred on by the feeling of being pinned against a desk. When it finally arrived, her entire body twitched once more, and she could feel her pussy tightening around Mr. Luxnor’s cock. His movements continued to pick up speed, no doubt spurred on by her orgasm, and soon enough he got what he wanted.
His thick cock began to twitch, filling Amara with cum as he buried his entire shaft inside of her. His aura, which had already been impressively strong this entire time, swelled even more as she kept pulling energy from it. She had a good sense of her usual limits, and had previously tried to keep herself in check, but this time she ignored all of them. She pulled as much energy as she could from the teacher, and a familiar feeling began to creep into her body. Her senses started to expand, a connection forming with the world around her as her own orgasm continued running circuits through her body.
Soon enough, Mr. Luxnor’s orgasm ended, and she regretted how short male orgasms tended to be. Her own ended soon after, and she became aware of how heavily the teacher was panting behind her. He released his grip on her hair, pulled his cock out of her, and took a step back. He sighed heavily before moving to rummage through a drawer, but Amara was much more focused on herself.
There was something different about the office, but she couldn’t figure out what. It was like the colors had been adjusted, and strange vibrations occasionally traveled through the air, almost resembling heat waves. Previously, when she’d felt her senses expand like this, they’d reverted shortly after she stopped feeding, but that hadn’t happened this time. She was about to look back at the professor, to see what he was doing, when she realized that her eyes were flaring. She closed them tight, urging them to dim, and sighed in relief when they did as she asked.
“Here, you’ll need this, Kylie.” Professor Luxnor said. Amara saw a small hand towel land on the desk next to her, and she jumped at the chance to clean herself up. As she pushed off the desk, the teacher continued talking. “So, what was this about? We normally only meet once a week.”
Smiling, Amara tried to put on her best impersonation of her classmate. “Oh, I was just in the mood, and I thought you’d enjoy it. Don’t go thinking this is a new weekly meetup!”
“That’s probably for the best. I don’t think anyone’s noticed, but we can never be too safe.” The teacher checked the clock as he started dressing himself, “And speaking of safe, you might want to get going. The hallways are going to be pretty crowded in another ten minutes or so.”
It barely took any time for Amara to get dressed again, which was certainly a benefit of wearing so little. So threw her jacket over her schoolgirl costume, and her purse over that, then moved to the door. “Thanks for the lesson, professor!”
She watched Mr. Luxnor fall back into his chair, smirking at her, then took her leave. She moved quickly, decided it would be best to get back home as soon as she could. As she headed for the exit, however, she felt her eyes flare up again. The feeling from back in the office returned, and she had to grab a nearby railing to steady herself as the strange sensations returned.
Once more, the colors around her seemed to shift slightly, like someone was messing with the saturation filter. The air above her occasionally shimmered, the strange vibrations moving incredibly fast. Nervous about being seen, and not entirely sure what she looked like, she pulled out her phone again to check her appearance.
She was still Kylie, and while her makeup had definitely seen better days, she was much more worried about her eyes. Her bright green irises were practically on fire, thrumming with energy as they tried to show Amara parts of the world she couldn’t yet understand. After grabbing a tissue from her bag, and using it to clean herself up, she tucked it back in her purse. Her hand brushed against the camera inside, and she realized it was still recording, so she quickly turned it off before leaving the building.
Outside, the campus was illuminated by the soft glow of sunlight filtering through a blanket of clouds. She headed straight for her apartment, eager to change out of her costume, when she noticed another strange shimmer in the air in front of her. It seemed to connect with the phone in her hand, and before she had time to guess what was happening, her phone vibrated. She’d just gotten a text from Nick.
She barely even registered what he’d said, something about asking if her grades were slipping, and she was much more interested in testing her theory. She typed up a quick response, made sure her eyes were still engaged, and clicked send. Sure enough, as soon as she did, another strange vibration traveled through the air, this time originating from her phone.
---
The rest of the day passed painfully slowly. Her amplified senses, which she assumed were somehow showing her electrical signals, had faded about an hour after she left Mr. Luxnor’s office. While disappointed, she’d realized that the energy from her illicit affair was still coursing through her body, and she couldn’t get herself to relax. She felt as if she were crawling from class to class, and it seemed like the clocks had all joined a conspiracy to move at half their usual speed.
When she joined her friends for dinner, it barely took them five minutes to realize that she couldn’t sit still. Her legs were bouncing, she kept drumming her fingers on the table, and she’d long ago exhausted all the new updates on her socials. Tessa had offered to help her burn off the extra energy, but Amara had assured her that would only make the problem worse.
Thankfully, after what seemed like an eternity, she managed to make it to the end of the day. Her true form manifested the instant she closed the front door, and she began looking around the apartment for something to keep herself busy.
Ultimately, she decided the place needed a good cleaning. The kitchen was already in fairly decent shape, but much of the apartment still had visible damage from some of her demonic mishaps. During her first week with her wings, she’d damaged many of her walls and ceilings, and there were a few dramatic spots of heat damage scattered around.
Over the next few hours, Amara did her best to restore her apartment to a halfway respectable state. She vacuumed every room at least twice, reorganized all her clothes, and even took the time to wash all the walls. Without the proper materials, she wasn’t able to fill in the gouges from her wings, or restore the heat damage, but she felt better knowing she’d done everything she could. Unfortunately, her energy had barely waned over the course of her impromptu cleaning session.
Her next attempt to burn off her energy was much more literal. The fridge was still full of Nick’s groceries, and she pulled out everything she needed to cook herself dinner. She used her tail to cut up the ingredients, which let her practice both her shapeshifting and her tail’s dexterity, and she used her hellfire to cook everything. The finished product certainly wasn’t high cuisine, and she knew she could stand to learn more about cooking, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.
After dinner, while she attempted to find something to watch for the evening, she opened a package of cookie dough for her next experiment. She pulled off pieces of the dough and balanced them on her tail, doing her best to try and make cookies. She saw about as much success as when she’d made garlic bread, and barely a third of the cookies were anything close to edible. However, she couldn’t help but notice that her control was definitely improving, and she burned fewer and fewer cookies the more she practiced. She’d finished the entire bag before long, and finally decided she should try to get some sleep.
As she brushed her teeth and got ready for bed, her mind raced with ideas. She was really hoping to enter Derek’s dream again, and she wished she had a better way of making it happen. She thought of what she might be able to do if she gained control, and what might push Derek to finally confess what had happened.
Sadly, the excitement that had permeated her body all day was now refusing to let her fall asleep. She tossed and turned, her body unable to get comfortable as she tried to wrestle her excited mind into submission.
She continued like this for the better part of an hour, alternating between counting the cracks in her ceiling and imagining nightmares she might be able to inflict on Derek. She tried her best to avoid checking the time, to focus on the ambient rain noises that normally helped her sleep, but nothing worked. Her thoughts unexpectedly returned to Chloé’s charity, and she realized she had the perfect outlet for her energy.
After rummaging through her freshly organized closet, and grabbing old clothes she didn’t mind ruining, she reverted to her human form and left her apartment. The campus was cloaked in soft moonlight, and the night breeze felt wonderful as it danced through her hair. The sky seemed heavy tonight, and the humidity hinted that rain might be in her future, but thankfully her plans wouldn't be affected either way. She caught herself staring up at the sky, watching the clouds as they periodically covered up the moon, but she knew it wouldn’t be safe to fly up to meet them.
Instead, she crossed campus to a building that was growing increasingly familiar to her. The smell of ashes and burnt lumber filled her senses, and she stared at the empty lot of the Jade Palace, now with an empty dumpster just waiting to do its part in making things right.
She looked around, thankful that the property was somewhat isolated, and opened the large metal door to the dumpster. It was still empty, as Chloé was planning to start the cleanup effort this weekend, but Amara had been itching to come back here ever since she’d last hung out with Chloé. She tore the caution tape, freeing up a path to the burnt remains of the party house, and cracked her knuckles as she moved closer.
While Chloé and the rest of the volunteers needed protective gear to keep themselves safe, Amara had no such disadvantage. She manifested her chitinous exoskeleton, watching as it covered her hands, and decided to do the same with her legs as well. Even if she sustained any cuts, she was sure she’d be able to bounce back quickly.
With the logistics taken care of, she dove into the wreckage and got to work. She immediately noticed how light everything felt, as if she were simply throwing around large pieces of styrofoam. Piece after piece went into the dumpster, though she had to snap some of the large pieces of lumber in two before tossing them in. She thought about how a regular group of volunteers might tackle the cleanup, and it dawned on her how difficult the work would be. Many of the larger pieces would have required multiple people, and the need for caution would have kept everyone moving at a much slower pace.
In hardly any time at all, a large chunk of the plot had been cleared of its bulkiest pieces. Amara wiped some sweat from her brow as she looked around, wondering what to tackle next, when her focus landed on the two walls that had managed to stay upright. Moving closer, the rain she'd predicted earlier finally arrived, coupled with the low rumble of thunder in the distance.
She circled the building until she’d positioned herself out of view of the street. She pulled off her shirt, manifested her wings, and pulled them close. Connecting with her inner fire again, she tried to cover her wings with protective chitin. It took longer than she’d expected, likely because she’d never tried before, and she immediately noticed how much heavier they were. She made a note not to try this while flying, and moved up to the first wall. After taking a deep breath to hype herself up, she lunged at the wall, striking at its supports with her fists.
She broke through surprisingly easily, and quickly wrapped her wings around herself to act as a shield. She felt the rest of the building collapse, debris bouncing off her impromptu fortress, and soon enough everything came to rest again.
As Amara unwrapped her wings, she saw a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. She immediately looked skyward, wondering if the storm was picking up, but nearby trees were blocking her view of the heaviest clouds. Thunder continued rumbling above, and the rain continued to ebb and flow, but it still wasn't enough to deter her.
She repeated her maneuver with the second wall, which took a little more convincing before it was ready to come down. Soon enough, there were no more freestanding structures, and a quick look inside the dumpster revealed it was roughly half full. It took another hour of labor before she’d moved the rest of the larger pieces into the dumpster, and around the same time she finally felt her boundless excitement start to wane.
She closed the door to the dumpster, locking it tight, when suddenly an idea popped into her head. An idle curiosity that she’d been able to ignore in the past, but now had no reason not to indulge. She squatted down, grabbed the bottom of the dumpster, and tried to lift it off the ground.
Her breathing intensified, and she felt her muscles straining as she attempted to move the massive structure in front of her. She even engaged her inner fire, wondering if it might be able to enhance her strength, but it was hard to tell if anything was changing. In the end, she gave up after a minute or so.
Well, I might not be strong enough to lift cars yet, but this was a hell of a night.
Amara reverted back to her human form, grabbed her shirt, and started the trek back to her apartment. Before leaving the lot, she looked back, and felt an unexpected sense of pride as she saw how much work she’d finished tonight. She may have been the cause of this disaster, but this felt like proof her abilities could be used for something other than destruction.
The walk home took longer than expected, and the activity of the night finally started catching up to her as she opened her front door. She collapsed on her bed, completely and utterly exhausted, and was asleep within seconds.
Comments
Nyx Nyghtingale
Always happy to hear you're enjoying the story! Regarding Vee, I won't get into any details, but we haven't heard the last of her ;)
Keith Murray
I’m loving this story, and the new mystery of the Circles. But I can’t help but wonder what happened to Vee? The Angel lost her battle with the demon. Did she get punished? Was she recalled to wherever she came from? Was she stripped of her powers? Please tell me you’re going to answer these questions…
