Losing My Religion

Bonus 3: Sex, Saccharine, and Solemnity

Lily

“Huh,” I let out, stroking Amber’s cock after putting on one of the condoms Kelith had given me. We’d opened the variety pack – a box with a half dozen different gimmicks – and I’d chosen to start with the clear ultra-thin one, which I couldn’t even tell was on, despite doing it myself.

Magic…

“Lily…” Amber whined, motioning towards my bed, where Sophia was watching us, working on getting her own condom on – a blue one that I hadn’t read about yet, although I had gotten a pointed question from Sophia about what I thought about temperature play.

I pulled Amber to the bed by my hand and tail, the former still stroking up and down her impressive length, and the latter wrapping around her waist because I couldn’t help myself. We settled onto our backs with me laying in the middle, my arms around each of their shoulders.

My girlfriends stared into me from each side, their hands snaking up my pink torso to each grab a breast.

‘Uh oh’ I thought, feeling every bit like vulnerable prey about to be devoured.

Unfortunately, they didn’t devour me, at least not immediately – instead gently teasing my nipples with gentle but discordant rhythms, each of them wrapping a leg over my lower body to keep my squirms in check. 

“Please,” I gasped, already ready to give up any pride and beg them for release. 

Like we’d discussed earlier, however, I was answered by disappointed tutting, and shakes of their heads.

“We’re doing this until you come at least once,” Amber teased, briefly pinching my right nub. 

“What?” I hissed when Sophia ghosted her foot down my bare left leg, leaving a trail of goosebumps. “I never said–”

A tongue came from my right, sliding up the length of my neck. “You know what to say if it’s too much.”

I considered talking back more, before deciding I would be better off saving brattiness for later, if I still had the energy. Instead, I let all of my concerns melt out of me, closing my eyes and just feeling.

Feeling the tangle of digits on my breasts, the smooth sheets rustling under me as my hips fought against the weight of two bodies pressing me down, and the hot need pulsing between my legs, begging me to untangle my arms and finger myself silly.

My hands squeezed the shoulders they were holding, my tail wrapped itself around my thigh, and I let out a trembling moan. Holy shit, I love sex.

“I don’t know Amber, she might be ready…” 

Amber chuckled, her face still in my neck. “Not even close – sluts love foreplay.”

I mewed in agreement.

“See? And we haven’t even started marking her,” she continued, closing her jaws around a patch of skin on my neck, nibbling and sucking on it as her fingers continued their ceaseless flittering. 

“Oh,” I cried, “Please just fuck me!” My head twisted away from Amber, giving her better access to my neck, and I finally slipped my arm free from her, caressing down her body and beginning to stroke her penis, hoping she would get horny enough to be impatient. Unfortunately, with how her hips were positioned – pointing down into my side – I didn't have enough room for anything more than little rubs with the tips of my fingers.

“Where’s my handjob?” Sophia teased, leaning down to nibble across my collarbone.

I giggled, but it was cut off by another wave of arousal building from my chest. My second hand dropped to mirror the other, and I had to close my eyes again to focus on keeping two rhythms going.

Amber’s hips began dragging long strokes into me, the slow speed making me wonder if she was even aware of her own movements.

Sophia, on the other hand, was much more vocal with her approval, whispering in my ear, “Yes, fuck, you’re so good at this – you were made for this.” She nibbled on the edges of my ear, teeth hungry for my skin.

I turned my head to capture her lips with mine, using all of my practice to communicate how much I appreciated her, every stroke of my lips on hers slow and deliberate. My hands stalled, my focus coalescing all onto one point in front of me: the point where Sophia’s mouth met mine. We slid and sucked and puckered and–

Holy shit! My hips bucked, the bed creaking in protest under me. I stared at the ceiling, blinking and trying to figure out what had happened. My head tilted down, and I saw Amber trying to hold in a laugh, her pointer finger completely still between my legs. She flicked it up again, dragging the tip through my folds and relishing in the whimper that escaped me.

“Oh, she’s ready,” Amber said, leaving my side to crawl above my legs, her hen bouncing up and down with each movement.

Sophia didn’t object, kissing her way down my neck after my focus had shifted. She also repositioned, heaving her wide hips on top of my abdomen, her covered girldick slapping down between my breasts. 

I shivered at the cool sensation coming from the blue rubbery substance, but my focus was still on Amber, waiting for her to finally enter me. 

Everyone was still for a moment, the air thick with sweat and the sounds of our worked-up panting. Then, Amber’s cock was inside, the thickness parting and stretching me, unimpeded as she bottomed out, a gasp resounding on either side of Sophia.

The moment seemed to linger, although I couldn’t say how long Amber remained still. There was just so much to process – yes I could’ve fallen back on, ‘I’m having sex with them, again’, but that would’ve taken away so much of the joy that came from nuance. It wasn’t just that we were having sex – although that was enjoyable on its face – it was the wild, hungry stare Sophia was giving me, the feeling of my legs wrapped behind Amber’s hips with my tail squeezing one of them, and it was how far I’d come since first transforming, how free I was.

They began thrusting at about the same time, one between my breasts and the other inside me. My arms splayed out, fingers digging into the sheets, trying to anchor me, meaning Sophia had to press my chest together herself to create enough friction to please her. Her hands squeezed into my soft flesh, and I absentmindedly shapeshifted them slightly bigger, enjoying the way her fingers dug into me.

Amber, on the other hand, was showing off her athletic prowess, her hips moving in a steady rhythm, only interrupted by little shifts she made to hit me at just the right angle. It didn’t matter that my legs were around her, constantly trying to pull her in; she moved back the same as she did forwards, overpowering my feeble muscles easily. Each thrust threatened to be the one to cause my pleasure to peak – a summit that grew nearly as fast as it was being climbed. 

Time blurred, carrying my mind as it twisted and warped. Brief moments seemed to linger, details imprinting themselves in my memory, while others weren’t registered at all, lost to the waves of euphoria.

At some point, Sophia had climbed off me, instead laying next to me and stroking my chest while she watched Amber and I get closer to our orgasms – it was clear from her gaze that she wanted her turn. My line of sight was unobstructed, letting my eyes meet Amber’s – their intangible embrace one of those things that felt eternal, like we’d never blinked before, nor would we ever in the future.

Until the moment ended, my body quaked and my eyes scrunched shut. I threw my head back letting out a long, unrepentant moan, reveling in the warm, tingly glaze permeating my skin and the gentle twitches of Amber’s member inside of me.

She slid out of me – eliciting a whine from my mouth – revealing her bulging condom, the clear material not concealing one bit of her load. Before we could get wrapped up in Sophia fucking me, I sat up and freed Amber’s gock, holding her seed above my mouth and tilting it back without hesitation.

I’m not going to say no to free magic from my girlfriend…

I swallowed, savoring the sweet, sticky warmth as it slid down my throat. My eyes glanced at the other two, who were watching in fascination. “Alright, next round?” I smirked, laying back down and wiggling my hips.

—

I groaned, peeling a sticky limb from my chest and sitting up. A yawn escaped me as I glanced around, memories of the previous night flowing into my mind piece by piece. My girlfriends were still laying on either side of my body, Amber murmuring in her sleep and clutching at where I’d just been, while Sophia stirred, sleepiness shining through her fluttering lashes. 

My hand reached down to cup her cheek, my fingers gently scritching under her chin. She’s so cute when she’s sleepy.

I continued petting her until she fully woke up, causing us to switch roles, me laying in her lap and enjoying headpats until Amber had slept enough.

Once we were all awake, it was time to plan our day.

I started the conversation, “So are you two taking me on dates today?”

“Sophia and I talked about it, and we agreed that three-person dates are ideal whenever we’re all free; if it’s only a pair, the person leftover will be lonely – stupid odd numbers…”

“Hmmm, we could always look for a fourth,” I countered, only half-joking.

“Uh, gals? You both have classes today, and there’s no way I’m letting Lily skip – unless she’s committing to dropping out.”

I groaned at Sophia’s reminder – during my time in Hell, I forgot about all the torture I had to deal with on Earth. “Fine, I’ll go to human school,” I grumbled, “We’re going out this evening, though; there’s no way I’m waiting until Saturday for my date.” 

Sophia gave me a sinister smile, “Sure, as long as you finish your homework and study for any tests you have.”

How hard could it be?

—

It was Saturday, and I was finally free from eternal damnation – meaning I could get my date. 

Each of my girlfriends had planned something, with Sophia’s plans coming first, in the afternoon, whereas Amber’s were set to happen after dinner. No matter how much I’d begged since Wednesday, they wouldn’t tell me anything about their plans, telling me that I didn't even need to plan my wardrobe ahead of time, given my magic. I’d never been so disappointed about being a succubus.

I bounced off the walls all morning – probably driving Amber crazy – Sophia arrived and, after a reminder that I wasn’t supposed to be outside as a demon, we were off.

My first surprise came when she led us to the parking lot and into a car, a worn, white sedan – I think I’d known at one point that she could drive, but I didn’t think she owned a car. True to my expectations, as we rolled out of the parking lot, Sophia explained she’d borrowed the car from a classmate of hers that owed her a favour. 

“How nice of her,” I chirped in the backseat, my good mood making me giddy, “Maybe I should repay her with a pleasant dream…” I giggled when Amber turned around and raised an eyebrow at me.

“You could’ve been in my dreams this whole time?” she complained.

Sophia shook her head, maintaining her gaze on the road, “One, it was a guy, and two, Amber sleeps in whenever we have sex – I don’t think we want to find out what would happen if she was having sex in her dreams…”

“I’m down for some dreamy guy,” I grinned into the rear-view mirror, “and maybe I can take Amber along with me – it can’t be that bad, right?”

She sighed, “You two do whatever you want – but I reserve the right to say I told you so if Amber sleeps for two days straight.”

“No, Sophia’s right,” Amber groaned, “I need to get back into exercising more – exercise that isn’t sex,” she clarified, glaring at me. “Anyways, what else can we talk about?”

I hummed in thought, “Not to bring down the mood too much, but your mom isn’t going to bother us, right?”

She shook her head, “No, there’s nothing for her to gain by disrupting our date – pretty much anything active she does to mess with us will just anger me, which, if she’s playing the long game as far as winning me over is concerned, is counterproductive. Also, she’s completely missing – like the staff at the coven ran out of instructions, which is unusual. But whatever has her attention is probably unrelated to us, so we should be fine.”

I shrugged, “If you say so.”

Sophia glanced at me in the mirror, “Don’t worry, Lily, your big strong girlfriends will protect you.”

I blushed, and tried to ignore the way her teasing made me feel, knowing that if the three of us got started on sex, we’d never make it to our date. “So Amber, how’re your sisters?”

Her smile dropped briefly, before picking back up, “They’re good – Serena is about to graduate high school, and she’s old enough to have given up on being a witch, which makes me happy for her. She’s going to college out of state, and while I’ll miss her, I kind of hope she stays away for her sake,” Amber pursed her lips, “Then there’s Elizabeth, she’s twelve and she loves reading, I remember when I was still in high school, she’d beg me to read her stories before bed. These days, whenever I’m home, she shows me the pile of books she got from the library that she’s read since I was last there.”

She chuckled, rolling her head to stare sadly out the window. “I’m worried for them… I guess I’ve known for a long time that our mother wasn’t the most attentive parent, but we had our nannies and our maids… but with what I know now, I can’t help but feel like the situation is constantly about to explode…”

I sighed, wishing she’d sat in the back so I could hug her. “Is there someone you could rely on if things go badly with your mom? Like some kind of ally or…”

“I don’t know…”

“What about Chris’s family?” Sophia asked.

“Maybe,” Amber said, not sounding excited about the idea, “They probably have the means to take in a couple dozen kids in-the-know, but I feel like I owe him way more than he owes me, and the younger girls aren’t used to being around boys…”

“I think you should float the idea by him, even if you don’t think anything’ll come of it. I’m sure he’d be happy to help look for solutions, and if his family has some less hostile relations with other magical factions, that could help.”

“Okay. Worse case scenario is I either get the mundane government involved, or go to a rival witch coven,” Amber turned around again, love beaming from her face, “Thank you, Lily.”

I blushed, squirming back into my seat. How am I going to survive this date, when I can hardly deal with one of them at once?

From there, it wasn’t much further to Sophia’s destination. As our surroundings grew more inundated with trees and the road shrunk, I got an idea of where we were going, which was finally confirmed when we turned into the parking lot for the state park surrounding a lake.

As I got out of the car and stretched, pulling my arms up in the air and groaning while my girlfriends watched, I examined the area we’d landed in. The lake itself wasn’t very big, especially when considering how much it’d visibly shrank due to climate change, but there was more than enough water to give the breeze a slight chill. I shifted my clothes to be a bit warmer and more practical for hiking, choosing a set of boots, straight-legged pants, and an oversized sweater.

The forest surrounding the lake was dry, the scents being more woody than musky, and the trees hadn’t fully regrown their green coats this early in spring, nor were there any flowers in bloom.

Sophia grabbed a basket from the trunk, and, apologizing that it wasn’t the perfect season, led us down one of the trails.

The hike was quiet, the forest not providing any more sounds than we did, as we only spoke to point out interesting things we saw. Sophia liked to notice plants, telling us the species of the vines creeping out to escape the rotting tree they were affixed to, and pointing at Poison Ivy whenever it was in reach.

Amber was more focused on fungi – although she also liked particularly fuzzy patches of moss – being a bit less successful at identifying every one, but she actually picked a couple and stored them in a bag in her backpack, explaining that they could be useful for magic – apparently wild grown mushrooms were stronger magically than anything a home garden could produce.

Lastly, there was me, trying my hardest to spot animals. We heard rustles in bushes as we walked through the winding trail, but it was rare to catch even a glimpse of the creatures responsible.

The path started widening, the trees opening up, and just as I was about to comment about how we could all walk side-by-side now, we reached the end.

It was obvious that this was where we were going, even if Sophia hadn’t verbalized it. The forest opened up into a meadow, the grass well-maintained for how out of the way it was, never reaching higher than my ankles. The lake was visible, a cliff in that direction providing the height for us to see over the trees and over a large portion of the park, the roof of the forest swaying in the breeze and the surface of the water rippling with short waves. Perhaps later in the spring, the grass would’ve had flowers growing, and in the summer there would be more activity around, both from animals as well as humans, but there, in the serenity of the cool weather, it was like getting up in the morning before everyone else and seeing the city right before it awoke: we had the whole world to ourselves. 

While I’d been monologuing in my head, Sophia had set up a picnic, laying out a blanket from her basket along with a platter of tiny sandwiches and fresh fruit. She sat cross legged and patted the spaces next to her. “Let me feed you two,” her tone and expression were devoid of any sign of teasing.

I glanced at Amber, who was showing a similar mix of interest and hesitancy to what I was feeling, before shyly settling onto the blanket, my legs tucked under me.

Amber followed, watching in fascination as Sophia picked up one of the bite-sized sandwiches, used her other hand to open my jaw – her thumb pressing my chin down – and carefully placed the food in my mouth, her fingers barely brushing my lips.

I stared at her for a moment, belatedly remembering I was supposed to chew and swallow. 

I… why do I like this?

I decided to just let it be, clinging to Sophia’s side as she turned her focus to Amber, feeding her a strawberry first. Watching them wasn’t erotic, although it felt like it should’ve been. Instead, it was pleasant – the knowledge that Sophia both enjoyed this and somehow knew the two of us would enjoy this implying a level of oneness that I hadn’t felt thus far, even during the highs of sex.

She continued, taking turns with us, never consistent about the way she did it nor the items she chose. Once she placed a grape between her lips and I thought she was taking it for herself – she’d occasionally been feeding herself – but instead, she brought her lips to mine, pressing the fruit into my mouth with her tongue. Again, there was the urge in the back of my mind to be horny, but she was so calm, so gentle, that it was hard to do anything other than melt, my chest warming as much as my cheeks.

I’d grown somewhat desensitized to the sensation of getting more magical energy, but with how little Sophia was touching me and how much intimacy I was feeling, each time her skin brushed mine, it was hot, little tingles scattering across me as the heat radiated from the site of contact.

Amber, on the other hand, started off blushing and shyly glancing at me every few seconds, but once I picked up that she was feeling anxious about me seeing her being submissive for Sophia, I extended my hand across Sophia’s lap, clasping hers, and she relaxed, her focus now on the woman between us and what she was doing.

As the sun peaked in the sky and began its descent, we ran out of food, Amber and I instead opting to cuddle with our girlfriend’s soft body, me laying my head in her lap and Amber leaning on her shoulder. I tried to conjure a fuzzy sweater to use as a blanket, but as soon as I wasn’t ‘wearing’ it, it vanished. I fussed with it, trying to figure out the rules for what counted as wearing something and what didn’t, before giving up and having the other two lay on their backs, me on top wearing an outer layer twice the size of my body. My back was to them as we all watched the clouds in our cuddle pile.

Amber snuck a hand under my top and gently stroked my stomach, her fingers cold on my skin. Sophia was more still, with one of her arms behind Amber’s neck, and the other wrapped over the top of my chest.

I sighed, bliss carrying my mind away.

—

I’d fallen asleep – really someone should’ve seen this coming – and neither of the other two had wanted to wake me up, so instead of going out to dinner next, we skipped straight to Amber’s plans: bar hopping. 

My birthday had passed right before I left Hell and I hadn’t told anyone about it then, but Amber had apparently been waiting for me to reach drinking age so we could get up to mischief around town. Sophia, while being old enough to drink, opted to stay sober and keep an eye on us.

We started off in a boring cowboy-themed place, with me briefly panicking at the door, before remembering I’d been given a new, slightly dubious ID card from my college’s administration when I’d turned in my paperwork. 

Inside, country music blasted on the speakers, loud enough for me to struggle to understand anyone standing more than six inches away from me, but low-quality enough for me to struggle to comprehend the lyrics either, not that I was particularly interested.

“This is the kind of place that makes you want to drink,” Amber justified, making her way over to the bar, “Just wait ‘till you see the hangout spot for all of the magic people around town, The Witch’s Brew. I’ll remind you again then, but don’t use any magic there or we’ll get kicked out.”

I nodded, eyes darting around at the endless sea of cowboy-boot-wearing blondes, the square dancing going on in one corner, and the dart boards on the wall.

Amber handed me a glass, but it was tiny – like only a few inches tall – so I tipped it back, swishing the clear liquid around my mouth to savor the taste.

My stomach heaved and I grimaced, swallowing regretfully, while my girlfriends watched in amusement. “You didn’t tell me I wasn’t supposed to taste it…” I groaned.

Amber rolled her eyes before downing her own drink, “You didn’t give me time to explain,” she turned to Sophia, “So, you betting on her passing out after that one shot, or do you think her demon metabolism will make her immune to alcohol?”

Sophia chuckled, eyeing me, “Oh, she’s going to be such a mess and get us kicked out of at least one bar.”

There’s no way it can be that bad right? I just have to keep reminding myself to act normal…

Thankfully, we didn’t spend much longer among the country folk, not even bothering to play any pool or darts, nor did we get on the dancefloor. Sophia drove us again, navigating her way out of the sea of pickup trucks that was the parking lot, and made her way downtown, where we could walk between places, and where Amber told us our final destination was.

The late evening air was pleasant on my skin – I’d opted for a black dress similar to the one the first time I’d gone out as myself with Chris – and as we strolled down the weathered sidewalk, passing by the streetlights that’d had their wiring stolen and skirting around suspicious stains on the ground, my eyes floated around, comparing sights here to Hell.

If we hadn’t had two mages – me and Amber – I would’ve been terrified out of my mind to walk around unprotected, the abandoned storefronts and narrow alleys providing plenty of cover for evildoers. Given how much energy I had, however, I felt invincible – I could probably beat my aunt even. 

I bounced ahead of my girlfriends and turned to walk backward, shouting past them, “Come and get me Scarlet – I’ll use the power of friendship to defeat you!”

Sophia giggled, while Amber glanced around, a blush on her cheek, before covering her eyes with her hand and shaking her head.

“What?” I looked down at myself, trying to see if I was doing something strange, “This is how I normally act, right?” I tripped on a crack I couldn’t see, windmilling my arms to avoid falling. “See, I’m still coordinated too.”

“Oh god, she’s only one drink in…” Sophia laughed, grabbing my wrist when I walked past our next destination. 

The next bar we entered was more diverse. People young and old, fluid and awkward, danced in the crowded mess of bodies and lights, the music thumping through the building, each beat resonating in my shoes. Once I consumed my second drink, everything became oversaturated, my eyes seeing an animated painting of abstract colours rather than individual bodies. The three of us found our own corner to let loose, Sophia being surprisingly willing to engage with us while sober, and Amber and I not caring about anything outside of our little group.

I couldn’t stop touching them, little strokes up Amber’s midriff and brushes against Sophia’s rear. Each time, they’d smile knowingly at me, and I’d smirk back, begging them with my eyes to take it further. Unfortunately, while they did reciprocate, grinding into me from either side, we never made it as far as a kiss. 

From there, my memories blurred and bled together. I remember entering The Witch’s Brew, but not how we got there – of course, the moment I entered was particularly memorable, almost as much as the moment I left.

If I’d been there a year ago – well, first I would’ve tried to lecture anyone who’d pretend to listen about why drinking alcohol was a sin, but after that I would’ve assumed the place was for cosplayers. In one corner two tables were pushed together to host a group of over a dozen, the vast majority of whom wore flannel and jeans over their hairy limbs – with once noticeable exception being a blonde girl with smooth skin and a frilly dress. All over the room were women wearing pointy black hats, and while some of them had robes to match, others had seemingly come from school or work and thrown their hat on top with no regard for cohesion. 

I turned to Amber, “You didn’t tell me we were supposed to dress up,” I complained, “Where’s your silly hat?”

She dodged my hand as it tried to ruffle her hair. “I don’t even own one of those, they’re stupid,” she grumbled, walking to the bar, “And don’t change your clothes, Lily – no magic allowed.”

I nodded and saluted her, zig-zagging across the ground to avoid the sticky spots. The room itself was a mixed mess of worn antiques and disposable cheapness. Just as many tables were hefty hunks of stained wood as were folding tables, and the walls were thick, absorbing the sound of dozens of voices, while the floor was creaky laminate and constantly threatened to give out beneath my wandering steps.

When we got to the bar, I was taken aback by the bartender, a pink-skinned fairy girl who couldn’t’ve been more than four foot six. “Whoah,” I gawped, leaning over the counter, “You’re so cool – I’m Lily and I’m a succubus, what’re you, are you fey?” I turned to Amber, “Katie said fey aren’t real.”

Amber shook her head, “Sorry Vivian, my girlfriend is a bit sloshed, could I get a potion of alertness for her and a lime draught of courage for me?”

Vivian nodded, glancing at me with haughty distaste before fluttering her translucent wings and preparing our drinks.

Amber turned to me, whispering, “Vivian is a fairy, and you’re probably not supposed to tell people you’re a demon – demons aren’t super popular around here.”

“Aww, but how’re we gonna find a good fourth if I’m not honest?” I turned to Sophia, “C’mon, don’t you agree?”

She giggled, “I don’t know, Amber, she has a point…”

Amber rolled her eyes – a smile on her lips betraying her – before taking the drinks, thanking Vivian, and looking for a table. 

That night – and most nights, as Amber would later explain – seats are a precious resource that weren’t bound by the limiting factors of tension between factions or personal space. During the day however, the place apparently functioned as a place to play table-top games, the cheap folding tables being a relic of that.

Of course, with my brain bouncing around my head, I didn’t pick up on any of this, instead focusing on walking as straight as possible. It was a relief to finally sit down, but the fact that we’d only found two seats meant I had to sit in Sophia’s lap.

I sipped on my green beverage, enjoying the ambiance – which was made even better by Sophia running her fingers through my hair – although I was annoyed everyone else was allowed to visibly be themselves, whereas I was supposed to be stealthy about it, as if I was ashamed of it.

“Are you ashamed to be dating a succubus?” I blurted out, starting at Amber.

Her eyes widened, “What? No!” 

She paused, taking a stare at her drink and mulling the question over beyond her gut reaction, “Does it really feel like that to you? I’m just… I worry that being open about it will put you in danger.”

“I don’t know if it feels like that,” my body slumped back into Sophia, “I’m drunk – you should kiss me to prove it, though.” My mind was already lost, floating away on a new tangent as I stared hungrily at her lips, my teeth shifting to their sharp demon versions.

All at once, everyone in the building froze, silence echoing on the heavy walls. Sparkly yellow dust floated in the air around my head, travelling upwards as it was taken away by a draft.

I twisted my head, meeting as many of the shocked and wary gazes as I could. “I’m sorry,” I said, not sounding at all like I meant it, “When I get horny I shapeshift, it’s not my fault!” 

Amber pinched her brow and Sophia’s torso vibrated as she struggled to contain her giggles.

I continued yelling, “Well?! Are y'all gonna stop staring, or is someone going to throw me out of this shithole?”

They stopped staring, conversations hesitantly being picked up again.

I boggled for a moment, before regaining my composure and looking at Amber smugly, “See, everything’s fine…” I took another swig from my drink, wondering when the alertness it supposedly provided was going to kick in.

Amber on the other hand, was looking practically sober, shaking her head and drinking from her own light green cocktail and then giving it a confused stare.

“Ugh,” I groaned, leaning back into Sophia’s hand as it continued to pet me, “What is there to do in this place if we aren’t allowed to fuck around with magic?”

Amber shook her head again, “Magic isn’t something to mess around with for humans – and for most people this is either a place to make supernatural connections, or to hang out somewhere where causing a fuss is more trouble than it’s worth.”

One of the women with a pointy hat sat down in a seat that’d just opened up behind Amber, and when Amber saw her, she grimaced, continuing, “Case in point, this is May – girl who my mom might’ve hired to kill me. And May, these are my girlfriends, please don’t murder them.”

May raised an eyebrow at Amber, and slowly glanced towards me and Sophia. She hardly moved, her face stuck on the half-frown she’d had since noticing Amber. She was tall, with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes and sharp features. When she spoke, her voice was a mix of haughtiness and brattiness that didn’t align with her aloof stare. “Your mother may have hired me, but like any self-respecting witch who has had the misfortune of dealing with her, I took the payment upfront and ran.”

“Hehe, may have hired you…” I chuckled, unable to help myself – although to my credit, Sophia laughed behind me.

The witches weren’t as amused, shooting me dirty looks with frowns on their faces. 

I pressed forwards, my mind thrumming with confidence as I downed the last of my drink, “Hey May,” I giggled, “Are you gay?” I doubled over, unable to see her reaction while I belted out long cackles. 

Once I was finally able to straighten myself up, I saw two unamused witches staring at me. 

Amber spoke, “Lily, I love you, but there’s no way I’m comfortable with you fucking my rival.”

“We aren’t fucking!” May protested.

I gasped, “You love me, really?” I leaned forwards, almost sliding off Sophia’s lap, but she grabbed my waist, holding me secure.

Amber blushed, mumbling, “Stupid alcohol, making me say things I’m not ready for…” she glanced at her almost empty drink.

I gasped again, this time teasing. “So you don’t really mean it?” My eyes widened and I put on my best pouty face.

Her face flicked to my direction, “No no no…” she glanced away again, “I’m just embarrassed…”

Sophia’s arms wrapped around my torso, finally pulling me all the way back into her. Her finger came up to brush my hair away from my ear, and then her lips leaned close. “I love you too.”

My eyes closed reflexively and tingles shot all over my body. I didn’t bother trying to resist as an influx of magic overwhelmed me, transforming me into my demonic form, complete with a totally-not-a-wedding-gown white dress clothing me.

This time I didn’t notice the stares and the quiet, given that I was too busy feeling overwhelmed by my magic in a way that I hadn’t ever before. I looked up at the ceiling, prayed that it wasn’t flammable, and let out a long belch of fire, burning off my excess energy.

When I was finally able to look down and see everyone else, there were just as many shocked expressions as there were fearful ones – the werewolves in particular looked excited, like they’d just seen a scheduled fireworks show.

I held my hands up and stood, motioning my girlfriends towards the door, “Fine, fine – I’m leaving, no magic allowed, I got it.”

Dozens of gazes followed me to the door.

“Bye May, nice to meet you!” I shouted over my shoulder.

Back in the cool night air, the three of us stood on the sidewalk, each glancing between the other two.

“Welp, that went about as expected,” Amber said.

“Honestly surprised she didn’t somehow get into a fight,” Sophia added.

“I love you two too,” I giggled, prancing away into the night.

—

I woke up, first noticing that someone had stuffed my brain with cotton, and second that my limbs were tangled with Amber’s.

A groan escaped my lips as I sat up, lamenting the fact that my biology didn’t make me immune to hangovers. My girlfriend stirred next to me, the wince on her face indicating that she was no better off.

I searched for Sophia, but didn’t find her, despite the fact that it was her dorm room – but I did find something interesting, which was a set of claw marks on a pillow on the floor, some of the stuffing falling out. I stood and threw the pillow back towards Amber, not ready to deal with whatever that was.

My wobbly legs, sore from whatever had happened the previous night, carried me to the desk, where I searched for a note. Just as I was starting to get worried, the door opened, and Sophia entered, carrying a large paper bag.

She pointed to her nightstand, which had two water bottles on it, and set about removing her shoes.

Amber stirred as I drank the water and Sophia pulled bagels and cream cheese out of her bag, setting them on the desk. I immediately snapped up a plain one, biting in without bothering to slice it.

“So, how are you two doing?” Sophia asked, failing to suppress a smug grin. 

Amber groaned, making her way into the desk chair and slicing open an everything bagel with careful precision – or perhaps lethargy. “It was worth it,” she answered, narrowing her eyes, “At least I think so, it’s all kind of blurry after we left The Witch’s Brew.”

“I don’t need to have a functioning memory to know I did something stupid – let’s leave that behind for now. I need to make my way to church.” I chimed in.

My girlfriends froze, staring at me with concern all over their faces. 

“Uh… exactly how much of your memory did you lose?” Sophia asked.

“Wait, did I never tell you guys?” I groaned, annoyed at how many things I was supposed to talk about with them after I got back from my trip, but not surprised I’d forgotten at least one. “I wanted to go talk to my dad one last time, with all of the new information I got. I don’t think it’ll change his mind… but he at least deserves to know he was being manipulated.”

“Ugh,” Amber complained, “Why do you have to be so nice and forgiving?” She shook her head, “Sorry, I like that about you, and I understand why you’re trying to have a relationship with him, it's just…”

“We’re worried,” Sophia finished, placing a hand on Amber’s shoulder.

“Exactly. We don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

I swallowed the bite of bagel in my mouth. “I’ll be fine. I’m brimming with magic so he doesn’t pose me a threat physically, and emotionally… well if I cry that’s that. I have you two to support me and he can’t take that away.”

“We don’t want you to cry in the first place.” Amber leaned in, staring up at me with pleading eyes.

Sophia sighed, squeezing Amber’s shoulder, “If you’re set on doing this, are you at least okay with us coming with you?”

I turned away, blushing. I’d been planning to go alone, to deal with it on my own as much as possible. “Well…”

“Lily…” they harmonized, disappointment on Sophia’s face and exasperation on Ambers.

“Okay…  You’re right, it makes more sense for you to come with,” I sighed, annoyed with myself for not realizing that in the first place. “Thanks for supporting me.” I pulled them into an awkward hug, one arm around Amber who was still sitting down, and the other behind Sophia’s lower back. “I love you both.”

—

Thankfully, Sophia still had the car, meaning the trip over was painless, and if necessary, our escape would be swift.

I’d texted my father earlier, asking him to meet me in the graveyard after mass. He’d thankfully agreed, but the ‘Okay’ I’d received wasn’t exactly enthusiastic.  

On the drive over, Amber had sat in the back this time, using the middle seat to stay close and try to comfort my fraying nerves as I worried over how to best express myself.

The walk through the graveyard was similarly scary, my fears propped up and fed by the mournful atmosphere. I didn’t know what I was particularly afraid of, however, making attempting to squash those fears annoying. I wasn’t feeling unsure of my identity at all, and there was nothing my father could say to change that. Nor was I interested in what he had to say about Mom. 

The closest I came to identifying my feelings was that I was afraid of being disappointed – which was a strange thing that defied definition.

I already have low expectations, how could I even be disappointed? Is expecting to be disappointed even a thing?

At last, we reached the grave, my feelings on it completely different since I was last here. 

Or maybe they weren’t. 

I was still sad for the names of dead people I’d never met, it’s just that now I knew that one of them, one that was arguably more important than the others, was alive. Scanning the names once more, I wondered if Katie’s parents were there.

I also wondered if Zamira had known any of the victims of her sister, if they’d ever argued about what Scarlet had been doing. Maybe Scarlet was secretive, pretending she was reasonable and safe – or maybe Zamira didn’t care, maybe the others on the list were all crazed murderers.

It seemed unlikely.

I turned towards the main building, and saw tickles of the congregation leaving, flowing out into the parking lots. It was finally time.

Another dozen or so minutes passed before I saw my father, who was wearing a white button-up and black slacks, indicating he hadn’t given a sermon today. His expression was impassive as he strode towards us, taking care to use the walkways to avoid stepping on anyone’s grave. He only met my gaze once, when he turned onto a path facing directly at me, his eyes quickly shifting to look past me.

He stopped a few feet from the three of us, glancing at my girlfriends with a resigned sadness, before looking at me with a raise of his eyebrows that asked, ‘Well?’

“Um…” I hesitated, forgetting what I’d wanted to tell him, what I’d hoped to accomplish with it. “She’s alive,” I pointed to the grave, “We met in Hell – she’s nice I guess.”

His eyebrows lowered to a neutral stance, and he crossed his arms, but otherwise refused to react.

“Her sister manipulated you,” I explained, “Drove you apart on purpose for her own ends.”

His voice started out slow, like he was tired of being here already, but it picked up steam as his passion grew, at its highest sounding barely interested. “Of course the demons were deceiving me. I fail to see how you think I’d fall for you saying that every other demon is a liar except you.”

“Dad, I–”

“You reveal your nature to me, engage in debauchery,” he waved his hand towards my girlfriends, “And now you’re telling me you’ve been to Hell? I’d held out hope for you for a while, but there are limits to my ability to help you if you refuse to let me.”

“Dad, I’m just a person,” I pleaded, tears falling despite my best efforts, “Hell is just a place – I don’t get how you can just turn off your empathy because who I am makes you uncomfortable.”

“You can’t reason with sin,” he stated, before turning around and retracing his steps, every movement of his body, every confident step suggesting that he’d just won the argument.

I glared, layers of anger building on top of our frustrating conversation. Heat built in my chest, and just when I was about to yell after him, two hands stopped me, one on each shoulder.

I turned around, sighed, and hugged my girlfriends, melting their concerned expressions. 

Before leaving, I took one last look at the gravestone. It was strange, mourning a different parent than I had last time, but whereas before I’d felt like I’d lost everything, this time, I had more than I knew what to do with.

I took one girlfriend in each hand, pulling them forward. “C’mon, if we hurry home we can have a few rounds of sex before Sophia has to go to her dorm,” I giggled.

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