Night Hunter

Dusk had long ago faded below the horizon, leaving the castle to soak in quiet shadow. Strong walls and wards had kept even the fiercest attackers at bay for half a millennium, so the patrolling guards were largely symbolic.

In a particularly deep shadow in a quiet corridor, the demon crept. Her footfalls were quiet against the stone floors, despite the lack of an audience. She could handle a guard but preferred to avoid the hassle. Her maid uniform would not save her from scrutiny - her long, spaded tail poked out from under the hem and her small horns would give her away instantly. Better to avoid notice entirely.

She paused at the top of a long spiral staircase and considered her target. Princess Amelia Catarina Rosalina of Villanova had a suite of rooms at the top of a tower. Irenna personally considered that to be entirely too stereotypical, but it did make it easier to keep her approach quiet.

Irenna eased the door open quietly and peered around the edge. Her gaze fell on the princess, who had fallen asleep reading. Her lamp had faded, only giving off the light it could generate from the ambient mana. The succubus's dark purple lips twisted in a wicked smile, and she crept into the room. She eased the door shut, careful not to catch her tail. She stalked towards her slumbering prey. As she walked, she slipped out of the maid's uniform she was wearing. Folding it neatly, she hid it under the princess's bed.

Now fully nude, she cast about for anything else that might get in the way of her full enjoyment of her target. She carefully pulled the book from the young woman's grasp. Princess Amelia stirred, and the demon dropped silently to the floor, just out of sight of her prey. She heard the princess shift and yawn, before settling back down. The demon let out a silent sigh of relief and tucked the book onto the nightstand where it would be out of the way. She deftly doused the lamp, then took a moment to decide just how to take her satisfaction on the defenceless princess.

With a wicked smile and a flick of her tail, Irenna pounced. She straddled the human woman, holding her arms securely over her head.

So easy. Irenna laughed at how easy it had been. Now, the second most powerful woman in the kingdom was at her mercy. It was just a pity that there was so much cloth between them. The succubus gyrated her hips a little, feeling the blankets and silk pyjamas that lay between her skin and the human's.

Irenna undid the top button of the silk pyjamas, kissing slowly up Amelia's neck. She was about to nibble the princess's ear but was interrupted by her sleepy voice.

"Renny, go back to bed."

The succubus gave the nape of her neck a playful nip, then squeezed the princess between her thighs. She let out a seductive purr.

"I am in bed."

"Your bed." There was a faint hint of feigned exasperation to the words. Irenna tapped her chin in mock thought.

"But if I am yours and this bed is yours, clearly this bed must be mine too."

The only response was a faint sigh, more a release of breath than a statement of negation. This was their nightly ritual, and the words had long since been determined. The succubus said her last line, and as always she felt nervous tension shoot through her.

"If you would truly like me to go, I can."

"Oh, just get under the covers."

Relieved, Irenna slid under the blankets and cuddled up with her head on the princess's chest. She revelled in her friend's warmth and slid one hand under the shirt of Amelia's silk pyjamas to lay her palm flat against the princess's belly. She was glad the young woman wasn't wearing one of her nightgowns. The succubus craved the skin contact, and it was hard to get when her friend wore so much clothing.

"If you tickle me, I'm smothering you with a pillow."

That wasn't part of the ritual, and the thought hadn't crossed Irenna's mind. She was tempted, now, though. She considered, but it wasn't worth disrupting the gentle, companionable air. She loved it when Amelia was on the verge of sleep. She always seemed so open and contented.

Irenna quelled the urge to tickle and nuzzled into her friend. She was careful not to pull the woollen covers from the tips of her horns with the motion. Once, when they were both much younger, she had nicked Amelia with her small horns. She had felt horrible and had stayed away from the princess for a week. Her fear and guilt had kept her from touching Amelia at all until the girl had put a stop to it.

Amelia had knitted two small socks, one for each horn. They had a bobble at the end of each one and kept them from doing accidental damage. They had been her first attempt at knitting and although they were a little misshapen and lumpy, Irenna refused to allow her to replace them. She still wore the (now quite worn) horn covers to bed every night.

Amelia's arm snaked around to pull the succubus closer, and idly scratched between her horns. The succubus let out a catlike yawn, and then a whisper.

"G'night 'Melia"

"Night, Renny"