A Succubus Awakens Ch. 08

Demons call their slaves thralls. Miserable creatures, deserving of both pity and mercy, but beware. They act in accordance with their master's wishes, and shouldn't be trusted. Often, they are left behind after being used up, or when their masters inevitably get bored with them. Cast off and condemned to live out their lives as broken husks. Their only means of escape besides, is for someone to slay their master, and sever their chains. A feat impossible for them.

-Sir Arthur Thompson, The Demonic Archive

"Well, that's the last one, and fuck-all to show for it."

Xavier tossed the final stack of papers into the "useless" pile. Amy could see yet more recipes scrawled upon them. Finn Thompson turned out to indeed be Jim's grandfather, and if he had spent half as much time hunting demons as he did cooking, perhaps The Watchers wouldn't have been wiped out. They'd asked Jim about Jessica, but he hadn't met her. She wasn't his grandmother though, that much was certain. A lover perhaps? Or maybe just a friend who shared his culinary obsession. Either way, it didn't get her any closer to helping Gwen.

Amy threw herself into a creaky chair with a tired sigh. Xavier just leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Dusty handprints smeared his shorts and the red Arsenal hoodie he wore. He'd rolled up his sleeves and Amy couldn't help but admire the definition in his arms and calves. Somehow he always managed an air that was both athletic and scholarly. Like some kind of archeologist, trekking through ancient ruins rather than a dirty basement. Studying artifacts rather than crusty old recipes. He turned to face her and she quickly averted her gaze. Gwen's promiscuity was rubbing off on her.

"There's more storage to look through back home, I've barely touched that stuff. Fancy a trip to the UK?"

"I'm a med student."

"Right. No free time then."

"Not enough for a vacation."

Xavier snorted. "England would make for a piss poor vacation. Wet, foggy, and just all around depressing."

"I've always wanted to visit though."

"Well, we really should look through the rest of the storage. Jim has just let it sit for years collecting dust."

"Maybe once the semester ends."

Hopefully the rest of the Watchers' storage was more useful. Amy had her doubts though. The order of demon hunters she'd joined wasn't turning out to be the font of knowledge she had hoped. Exposing Gwen to Xavier and Jim was hardly worth a stack of old recipes. Although, if this was the extent of their accumulated knowledge, they might not be as dangerous as they claimed. Jim said he'd killed three demons. Now he was upstairs napping while they dug through musty boxes of junk.

"You'd have plenty of time to do homework, and whatever cure you're looking for might be there. I could talk Jim into paying for the ticket." He was still pushing.

"I can't leave."

"Amy, you could really use some time away from... her."

"The truth comes out."

"I'm just worried. I'll admit, I've never seen anyone resist a demon as long as you have, but I'm worried that just means she's toying with you."

"She's not. Actually she's been really... sweet, lately."

Xavier's eyes narrowed, and his mouth fell open. "Oh my god she's seduced you."

"No, that's not-" Heat rushed to her face. She did her best to compose herself before continuing, "We're... dating."

"Amy, succubi don't 'date'. How far have you two gone? Have you already..."

He picked up speed with each word, before finally trailing off and letting the implication hang. He'd pushed off the wall and looked tense. As embarrassing as his line of questioning was, it was clear he was concerned.

"I don't really see how that's any of your business but... yes."

Before Gwen's influence the idea of admitting aloud that she'd had sex would have been laughable. She found it surprisingly easy. Xavier groaned and covered his face with his hands. Before Amy realized she was doing it, she glanced down. A conspicuous bulge had formed in his shorts. He shifted his legs, and Amy realized it was quite large. When his hands came down, she frantically averted her eyes. If she was blushing before, surely her face was beet red now.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? What she could do to you?"

"I'm not stupid. I'm aware that she's dangerous, but she has to feed on someone. Better me than unsuspecting victims."

"You're compromised though. If Jim finds out he'll have a fit."

"Calm down, I know that there are side effects but I'm tracking them, and I set some ground rules. So far Gwen has followed them all." Except the 'kissing only' rule, but she decided to leave that out.

"And what happens if she breaks the rules?" He crossed his arms.

"Then I kick her out. I'll still look for a way to save her, but she'll have to survive on her own in the meantime."

"I doubt you have the heart to turn a succubus loose on the populous, but even setting that aside, your rules are pointless. What happens if she breaks one, is whatever she wants to happen. If you've already had sex with her," He cleared his throat, "then it's too late. All she has to do is snap her fingers and you're hers. There's no resisting anymore. The only thing preventing you from being her slave is her whim."

His tone had shifted from concern to anger, and he glared at her with knitted brows. Deep down Amy knew it was true. Gwen's desires tinted everything she did now. She'd learned to feel their pull. Sometimes she longed for it. So far Gwen had stayed true to her word, but Amy knew that if pushed, she'd probably do anything Gwen asked.

"Maybe I have faith in her. She's admitted that her thinking has changed, so she lets me be her conscience."

"Lets you?"

"You don't understand her as much as you think you do."

"I could say the same. I may not know your girlfriend, but I know demons."

"She's agreed to change back if we find a way. Does that sound like the demons you know?"

He seemed genuinely taken aback. When he spoke, his tone was quiet.

"Do you know what this is?"

He raised his arms and pulled his hoodie off. The motion tugged at the shirt beneath, and she caught a glimpse of his flat, chiseled midriff. He tossed the hoodie aside and rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt, bringing her attention to a blurry tattoo on his shoulder. No, not blurry, criss-crossed with jagged scars that made it difficult to make out, but it looked like it was once a circle, with some kind of curved rune inside.

"Have you seen one of these before?"

Come to think of it, she had seen something similar somewhere. Then it came to her. The woman in the club. Emily. "You're a thrall..."

"Was a thrall. Up until Jim killed my master. I know he seems batty, but he knows what he's doing." Xavier glanced around the room. "Sometimes."

"I didn't know..." She couldn't think of anything else to say. She'd begun to think Jim and Xavier were just posturing about their experience, but here was proof of their deeds.

"A demon killed my parents. An imp named Erick. He ran local crime in Bath, where I'm from. He took me as a thrall and made me do things I'm not proud of. My life was a nightmare for five years." Again, his eyes had that faraway look. She could only imagine what he was remembering. Eventually, he returned to the present and continued. "Imps live to hurt and destroy. Succubi may be a bit kinder to their thralls, but I met a few that Erick associated with over the years and their thralls ended up just as broken. Maybe more so. Some of them were barely human. Just walking toys begging for their masters to use them. I don't want to see you like that."

Amy stood and stepped closer. She ignored the voice urging her to glance down to see if perhaps he did want to see her like that. Gwen's voice. Instead she reached toward his arm, but stopped just short of touching him.

"What is it?"

"A brand. An outward representation of their hold on us. When I was younger I thought maybe if I destroyed it it would sever the connection too. No such luck." He smiled without joy. "Erick wasn't happy about that."

Feeling bold, Amy closed the distance and ran her fingers over the bumpy surface of the scars, and the brand beneath. It marked his servitude. Just like Emily's. Amy recalled the look of bliss the woman had worn when she was with Remy. She squelched the feeling building in her stomach.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, but Gwen doesn't want to hurt me. She's scared of losing her humanity, but it's still there. She loves me. As long as I stay with her and help her, she's not lost."

Xavier looked down at her in silence. Amy let her arm fall away, suddenly aware of how close they were. He sighed, gripped his right ring finger and twisted. When his hand came away a silver ring sat in his palm. Intricate patterns flowed along its surface. They seemed to move in the dim basement light. Had he always been wearing it? Somehow she'd never noticed. He held it out in his hand.

"At least take this."

Amy took it and turned it in the light. The lines of the pattern wove in and out, like a hundred unbroken threads. It was difficult to tell how many there were. Each time she looked they seemed to have moved.

"What is it?"

"A protective ward. Jim gave it to me after he killed Erick. There were... side effects of having my connection severed. It's supposed to protect its wearer from demonic influence, or at least help them resist it. Wear it. Please."

Amy reluctantly slid it onto her own ring finger. Somehow it fit perfectly despite Xavier's hands dwarfing her own. A sense of unease settled over her. She wanted to take the ring off, but it clearly meant a lot that Xavier had given it to her.

"Alright, sure. I assume it's not noticeable by other people?"

"Good guess. I can see it though. It's like the demons' glamorous. Easy to see if you know it's there."

"Interesting. You know, this is real magic. I'll admit I was starting to doubt The Watchers' credibility, but it turns out you had a magical artifact this whole time."

"We have a few. The rest are back home, and more useful for killing than for changing a demon back to a human. At least as far as I know."

"Do you know how it works?"

"That's it? I give you a magical artifact, and you don't bat an eye. Just want to know how it works."

"I'm pragmatic." She shrugged. "Obviously magic is real if demons are real. Or at least it's not surprising. So again, how does it work?"

"Magic." He shrugged and gave her a wry smile.

"Well there have to be rules. Like with glamors. If we can learn them, maybe we can figure out how it works. Create something of our own." A thought came to her. "If this weakens the connection between a demon and a human, what happens when a demon wears it?"

"I doubt it makes them human, if that's what you're thinking. Please do not literally hand a demon our current best means of protection."

"Alright, alright."

She wouldn't risk Gwen's safety experimenting with magical artifacts anyways. If she could find a way, however, there was another demon she could use as a control.

They cleaned up and made their way upstairs. The longer she wore the ring the more her unease grew, like something was missing. Her head began to ache and she began to sweat despite the cold interior of the old house. Jim was in his usual place, napping by the fire. Hard to believe he'd killed a demon, three if you took him at his word, but she had no reason to mistrust Xavier. After a quick dinner where Xavier took her through the intricacies of "football," it was finally time to leave.

"Please stay safe." Xavier called after her.

"Of course."

Amy pulled the ring off the second the car door slammed shut, and the world was right again. The pulsing headache left her temples and the glare of the setting sun didn't seem quite so bright. She couldn't directly sense their connection like Gwen could, so it was hard to know if the ring was working for certain, but if it was then it seemed to be causing withdrawals. That was less than optimal. Without asking Gwen directly it would be difficult to determine if the ring really worked. She recalled Xavier's warning about broken thralls. He didn't know Gwen like she did, but it might be prudent to have some kind of backup plan if she lost control again. Xavier had asked her not to give it to Gwen after all. She would keep the ring to herself, if she could anyways. Gwen had said that physical distance affected the connection, so perhaps she hadn't noticed it being cut off. Oh well, she'd find out sooner or later.

On the drive home she processed what she'd learned. Magic was real. Obviously. Not much of a surprise given that she was already romantically involved with a mythical creature. Nonetheless, it was a welcome discovery. If there was a way to change Gwen back, it would be magical in nature. The warding ring was a sign that such a thing might be possible. It even accomplished something similar. If only she could pick apart how it worked.

As she grew closer to home, a persistent, and now familiar, yearning began to build. Maybe it was because of the hour or so she'd worn the ring, but the building heat in her body felt stronger than usual. By the time she pulled into the narrow lot beside their building Amy was squirming in her seat. She hastily gathered her things and did her best to maintain composure as she hurried up the stairs to their door. She turned the lock, took a deep breath, and wiped the stupid smile from her face before pushing inside.

The apartment was dark. Obviously Gwen wasn't here. Amy dropped her purse on the counter with a huff, and slipped the ring inside. Her phone showed no new messages. Gwen was probably with Laura again, working on their Aqua Eco stuff. The ball wasn't until the end of the semester, still over a month away, but lately it seemed to occupy a great deal of Gwen's time. Time that Gwen spent with Laura instead of her. It was petty jealousy, she knew, but now that she'd grown comfortable in their relationship she felt like something was missing when Gwen wasn't around.

A month ago Amy would have just wrapped herself in a blanket, made a nice cup of tea, and spent the evening studying. Since someone had turned her into a sex obsessed maniac though, she knew she would have trouble focusing until her needs were met. Now Gwen was off with Laura while she was stuck here, horny and alone. Gwen didn't even like Laura. Her childish frustration got the better of her, and she hammered out a text to Gwen, then sat on a stool, and held her head in her arms as one foot began tapping against the floor.

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Laura lay naked, face down on her sofa, her skin only a shade darker than the white fabric. Ruined clothes hung off the coffee table and lay scattered across the floor. Tremors ran through her causing her ass, on full display elevated by a pillow beneath her groin, to tremble. The pink dildo Gwen had discovered was still buried in Laura's dripping pussy, and her inner thighs were soaked. The convulsions threatened to force it out, but Gwen sat next to her firmly holding it in with one hand and checking her phone with the other. Amy had texted her, and by the look of it she was in a bad mood. She wanted Gwen home, and was irritated that she'd gone out without telling her. Clearly worried that Gwen would get in trouble without her. She looked at the squirming wretch beside her. Fair enough. She leaned in to whisper into Laura's ear.

"Do you want to come again?"

In response, Laura groaned into the sofa.

"Too bad. Amy wants me home, and we both know you could never compare."

Laura turned her head to the side and glared at her with a single watery eye. Her face was flush and had lines on it from the fabric. Laura's one-sided rivalry was one of Gwen's favorite ways to torment her. She gave Laura the cruelest smile she could muster in return and patted her head.

"That's an order. Don't come until I say you can. You're welcome to do anything up until that point though. Understand?"

"Yes...mistress"

"Good girl."

Mistress. The title still had a delightful ring each time Laura reluctantly spoke it aloud. Gwen pushed a taste of pleasure across the connection as a reward and felt Laura's aura eagerly accept it. Their bond was now even stronger than the one she shared with Amy, and so much of her own aura had been grafted to Laura's that she almost felt like an extension of Gwen's body. Luckily she still had her own free will, things wouldn't be nearly as fun otherwise, but it was so easy to circumvent and force her to defy that it was laughable.

Gwen pulled the dildo out, leaving Laura's gaping orifice clutching at air, and brought it to Laura's face. Laura was biting her lip to stifle a groan at the absence, but obediently opened her mouth when she realized Gwen's intention. Gwen slowly slid the glistening toy past Laura's rosy lips, pushing them apart. It wasn't quite as big as Gwen would have liked, but finding it was a welcome discovery. The perfect princess had a dirty secret tucked away in a bathroom drawer. As she slowly pushed it in and out, and turned it to give Laura's tongue access to the entire surface she rattled off instructions.

"Before next time I want you to get a bigger one of these. Something that we can have some real fun with."

Laura moaned an "Mmm-hmm" that caused the toy to vibrate in Gwen's hand.

"Also, order something for your other hole. We still haven't fully broken you in yet, after all. Choose something that'll make me proud."

To emphasize her point Gwen rested a finger against Laura's rear entrance and applied a small amount of pressure. Laura's eyes went wide and she stopped cleaning the toy. Gwen felt a pathetic attempt at resistance begin to mount. Rather than using the threads to stomp it out, she shoved the dildo deeper. Laura gagged and it met resistance. Laura finally relaxed and let it force its way into her throat.

"We're past the point where you get to say no. Resist if you want. Pretend that you have a choice or that you can defy me, but we both know what you really are. A pathetic. Broken. Slut."

Gwen whispered the last three words. Leaning in until they were only inches apart. Tears threatened to spill from Laura's eyes, and a rivulet of drool was leaking from her mouth, pried wide by the dildo.

"Isn't that right?"

In response, all she got was a gurgle, but Gwen felt Laura's acceptance and withdrew the toy. Laura gasped and gulped down air. Thick bubbles of saliva dripped from the pink phallus. Gwen wiped it off on Laura's cheek before dropping it next to her on the sofa and standing.

"Alright, I'm leaving. I don't know when I'll get another chance to see you, but if you get desperate it never hurts to ask. You know I like it when you beg."

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Gwen knew Amy was waiting for her before she opened the door. Irritation grew stronger with each passing block as the bus got closer to home. Not just irritation though, a good amount of arousal too. Interesting. By the time she reached the apartment she was filled with burning anticipation. When she stepped inside, Amy sat waiting on the sofa, reading a book with an affected calm. She fixed Gwen with a sidelong glare and set the book down. Gwen suspected she'd snatched it up without looking as soon she heard the lock turn, because she didn't seem to realize it was one of the succubus related erotic comics they'd bought while doing "research." She chose not to point that out and see where this led.

"Uh, hi."

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going?" Amy stood and made her way closer, arms crossed under her chest.