Innocent Devil’s Harem Ch. 98

September 4, 2022

NEXT WEEK (Oct 30): Will probably be a chapter of Combat Healer.

NOTE: This chapter finally transitions to Friday toward the end, which means we are much closer to Saturday now (I think that Saturday is going to start at Ch 100, since I plan to cover the rest of Friday in only 1 chapter, that being Ch 99).

Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter.

It's called 'Auras' and such topics get discussed that I know a few of you have been wondering about (and part of the reason why it's being discussed now is because it will matter coming up in the story).

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<< Chapter 97 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 16 (Book 2) | Ch 31 (Book 3) | Ch 46 (Book 4) | Ch 61 (Book 5) | Ch 76 (Book 6) | Ch 91 (Book 7)

- CHAPTER 98: Auras -

In truth, I honestly wasn’t trying to be irresponsible. I knew how important it was that I learn this defensive spell. But in certain situations, it was easy to lose all perception of time. Something that Miriam thankfully anticipated, since she was the one who ended up checking in on us after about an hour, and had to break up all the passionate sex that Avery, Rebecca, and I were having.

We were all breathing heavily, but surprisingly we weren’t overly sweaty despite the exertion. Mrs. Rebecca was a little sweaty, something that I just found ridiculously sexy, her maple syrup scent even more intoxicating, but Avery and I were fairly dry. And even fairly clean, considering that my busty MILF had given Avery a thorough rim-job, followed by giving me an amazing blowjob while Avery sat behind me, holding onto me and feeling my chest as I blew my load in Mrs. Rebecca’s mouth.

The dominatrix redhead, still wearing her shiny black PVC thigh-high boots and matching corset, then proceeded to climb onto my cock and practically fuck me on top of Avery, with my blonde classmate thrusting and grinding into my lower back as we fucked.

It was then Avery’s turn to eat Mrs. Rebecca out, and the cycle of changing sex positions just kind of continued, and probably wouldn’t have stopped for another hour if not for Miriam informing us that it was time for me to get back to practicing magic.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem overly disappointed or anything, but she was very firm. Making it clear that it wasn’t a suggestion.

We all rinsed off separately in the showers, and then I was out at the archery range, practicing that spell again, attempting to focus instead of thinking how amazing the last hour had been…

But that’s when things got a little…irresponsible.

Because earlier, there had been four women ready to have sex, and I only got to pick two, for the sake of the game. Which had left Natalie still hot and bothered, and in need of a good fucking.

So she snuck out of the mansion, dressed in regular faded jeans and a borrowed gray t-shirt, and made her way to where she knew I was practicing.

Didn’t even say anything.

Just mentally communicated what she needed, and that was that.

I fucked her against one of the thick trees from behind with her jeans only halfway down, made her quietly cum hard, and then she promptly left to go back inside.

Not a single word exchanged between us.

Just a quick hot raw fuck, and nothing else.

Honestly, it wasn’t that irresponsible, since it probably only took up five minutes of my time.

Though it didn’t exactly remain a complete secret.

Avery at least knew.

And promptly teased Natalie by saying that, if she didn’t want her to snitch, then she’d have to ‘make her’ keep quiet. To which Natalie silently retorted that she was going to come back and sit on her face to smother her, to shut her up.

I knew they were just teasing each other though, because I couldn’t help but watch to see what they’d really do, only for the two women to be intercepted by Gwen in the hallway, who simply asked if they wanted to come visit with everyone else in the East Drawing room.

Which made me suspect that maybe she knew that they were about to provide me with a distraction, and just didn’t want to make it seem obvious, but with her mind not actually revealing anything at all, as if her intentions were purely innocent.

Needless to say, everyone did end up socializing, Rosa being present too, allowing me to focus my training again without getting overly distracted. One thing felt clear though -- when Natalie and Avery sat on the same white leather couch as the blonde vamp, Natalie intentionally leaving a space between her and Rosa, I actually got the distinct sensation that they were waiting for me.

Specifically, that Natalie was saving me a spot between her and Rosa, even though she wasn’t actively thinking about it.

And truthfully, I had noticed an interesting development just recently in their interactions. Natalie seemed to be especially sympathetic toward Rosa’s plight, and even though they weren’t originally the same creature, it felt like the unique alpha bond I shared with the two of them was something they could both sense.

At the very least, while I couldn’t read Rosa’s thoughts, I could feel a deep contentment settle within her when Natalie joined her on the same couch, especially when there were plenty of others to choose from.

Taking a deep breath, I refocused on my breathing, wanting to make each spell attempt count, knowing that it was beginning to get dark at this point. We’d had dinner at about 5:30 PM, and were finished by 6:00 PM. I then practiced for a little over an hour until about 7:00 PM, only to have sex with Mrs. Rebecca and Avery for a full hour.

After cleaning up and getting out here to the range, it was now almost 8:45 PM, the light quickly fading under the shade of the large healthy trees all around. I knew I’d probably be practicing until almost midnight before Miriam likely came out to get me.

But that was perfectly fine.

Even if I’d made little progress today, I’d definitely had a really good day.

I at least felt good about the effort I’d put in, and also couldn’t help but feel really happy about all the intimacy I’d experienced today. Not to mention, the archery range turned out to be even more peaceful at night than I was expecting.

Certainly, I already really enjoyed being out in the woods after dark, knowing there was nothing out there to fear when I was basically at the top of the food chain, even in comparison to something like bears or werewolves. But the fenced in area of the range just made this space feel like a true slice of nighttime paradise.

And then the lights came on.

Surprised by the unexpected brightness, I looked around to find that the whole space was lit up with mood lighting buried among the patches of flowers, as well as lights within the covered shelters that lit up the targets and the shooting areas, causing the whole place to both become functional for the average person, while also feeling almost romantic with the strategically placed lamps on the ground.

I actually began to wonder if maybe the lighting was automatic, only to realize someone was exiting the mansion out back, with me quickly figuring it out through process of elimination, by checking on my connections, that it was Miriam.

Once she finally walked around the wall and opened the wood gate to the range, she gave me a warm smile when she saw I was already focused on her.

“Should have guessed that would have interrupted you,” she mused.

“You turned on the lights?” I assumed.

“Would you have preferred I left them off?” she wondered curiously.

I shrugged. “It’s fine either way. I don’t mind the dark.”

“Me either,” she agreed cheerfully, seeming in a really good mood, almost beginning to skip over to me as she closed the distance. “I don’t want to distract you,” she added. “But I figured I’d watch you for a while, and see how you’re doing, if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” I agreed. “I mean, originally, I actually assumed you’d watch me the whole time.”

She grimaced at that, stopping a couple of feet away. “Sorry. You were just doing really well, and I knew that me being around would probably become more distracting as you ran lower on magic.”

“Huh, yeah that’s probably true,” I agreed, only to hesitate. “So…I guess I’ll continue practicing?”

“Yep,” she replied, walking over to sit on the bench across from me. “Don’t mind me,” she added.

I tried not to smirk, taking a deep breath of her intoxicating maple syrup scent and then closing my eyes again to repeat the spell. I supposed I was getting more used to her presence, because when I first met her, it would have been impossible to ignore her, but it wasn’t so hard now. Certainly, I was aware she was there, but I could sufficiently focus on other things just fine.

And it was actually really nice, having her watch and listen.

Even if I still wasn’t making much progress.

However, after maybe only ten minutes, she spoke up.

“I’m actually impressed,” she commented randomly.

I focused up at her in surprise. “You are? Why?”

She gave me a warm smile. “Because you’re really trying to make each time count.”

My brow furrowed. “Well, yeah. I thought that was the point.”

She smirked. “True, but after repeating the same thing so many times, most people just kind of fall into a rut of just saying the words halfheartedly. It’s hard for most people to put in the same effort the hundredth time as they did on the first time.”

I shrugged. “It’s possible I’m trying harder, because I know you’re watching.”

She grinned at that, but didn’t comment on it, instead changing the subject.

“Are you ready to be finished for the night?”

I was shocked. “But I just got started again.”

She nodded. “I know, baby. But I think you should probably give yourself a break.”

I frowned at that. “I’m kind of running out of time though. If I haven’t learned this by tomorrow night, then I’m going to have regretted stopping early today.”

Her tone was gentle and reassuring. “You have another full day, baby. And sometimes trying too hard can be counterproductive. I think at this point it would be better for you to just take a break for the day, stop trying for a while, and then start fresh tomorrow morning. We’ll try to get to bed earlier this time, and wake up earlier. Sound like a plan, handsome?”

I sighed, uncertain if that was the best idea, but trusting in her judgment.

“You’re the boss.”

She made an amused noise. “I love you so much, baby.”

“Love you too,” I said sincerely, standing up as she did as well.

She then proceeded to intertwine her fingers and mine and lead me to the East Drawing room where everyone else was socializing. Of course, they were all a little surprised too, but when Miriam simply said she thought I needed a break, no one argued.

Letting go of Miriam’s hand, I sat in the seat saved for me between Natalie and Rosa, with Avery on Natalie’s other side.

In the meantime, Gwen ran off to grab some carbonated drinks and two platters of various cookies to snack on, including chocolate chip, macadamia nut, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate cranberry cookies, while everyone resumed socializing as if there hadn’t been an interruption.

Which was really nice.

I was still fairly full on magical energy, but it was pleasant to just take a break and enjoy everyone talking and interacting with each other. And everyone else seemed just as content to enjoy each other’s company. No TV, no source of entertainment, no suggestion for sex, or even any kind of sense of arousal lingering in the air.

Just innocent hanging out.

Granted, I was fairly certain everyone was also looking to Miriam for what she expected, easily sensing that she wanted this to be non-sexual, when her own erotic charm was so bottled up, and she otherwise wasn’t being overly flirtatious with anyone.

But my nine women together, including Rosa even if she didn’t say much, meant that there wasn’t more than a second of silence, with someone having something to say at all times, all of them sort of settling into this ‘girl’s sleepover’ atmosphere.

It was while listening to them talk -- everything from events that happened at Serenity’s work, to customers with horrible smelling feet at Gabriella’s job, to young assholes who felt like the world owed them something from Mrs. Rebecca’s day, to wild stories of crazy situations Miriam had come across in various time periods, most of which were amusing -- that I started thinking more about the almost ‘communal aura’ shifting in the air all around us, wondering if there was actually an invisible influence they had on each other. One that usually went unnoticed.

Certainly, it was a positive influence, in this case.

But it made me wonder if there was actually a reason why one irritable individual might spread their irritability to others, simply through the aura they were projecting.

I then started focusing on each person’s aura, at first just trying to fully focus on it separately from the communal one, only to recall that I’d noticed twice now that each person seemed to have a defining trait that made up the core of their aura. Almost as if it was the core of their soul, or something. The thing that made each individual person unique.

For Natalie, who was sitting directly on my left and leaning into me now, that core was undeniably a persistence stubbornness, that felt best called Defiance.

Although, I didn’t feel like that particular word fully encompassed the true nature of her essence. However, it had still been enough to invoke a spell that I instinctively knew required a name.

Or more specifically, that required for me to call by name, her very core.

A defining name, rather than her given name.

And then there was Rosa, who was currently sitting directly on my right side, the two women beneath me in a literal hierarchy desiring to be near after a day of separation, with the crimson-eyed blonde holding a chocolate chip cookie in both hands, and savoring the tiniest bites, like it was worth millions of dollars.

When I’d first focused on her aura, trying to understand it, a single word came to mind.

Compliance.

The thing that defined her very core, was simply to do what she was told by those in authority over her. Or so I assumed. Which kind of made me wonder how much of a person’s aura was defined by the environment, and how much was an unchanging facet of each individual from birth. At the very least, I certainly knew that the layers of an aura could change just as easily as a person’s moods, but the core seemed much more stable and permanent.

And I also wasn’t sure that most people would consider ‘compliance’ to be a positive trait, especially since that might imply that Rosa didn’t have a backbone at all, and would just do whatever she was told. However, I felt confident that compliance was more related to an inherent need to please her leader. To do whatever asked of her, by her Sired Lord.

But what about everyone else?

I was trying to be careful about checking, because six of my nine women could drop into my head at any time and see what I was doing -- not counting Rosa who would apparently know I’d given her a command, but couldn’t just outright read my thoughts. And while that wasn’t inherently a problem, to have any of the others notice, I didn’t want the conversation to become about me.

I was enjoying them socializing too much, and didn’t want to interrupt by becoming everyone’s focus right now.

Thus, I instead made an attempt to focus on each person in turn, seeing if I could identify their core, quickly discovering that certain people were more easily discerned than others.

Rebecca, for example, was shockingly super easy.

I barely had to focus, and then immediately knew exactly the fundamental trait that made her who she was.

It was Confidence.

It almost felt obvious, in hindsight, but there it was, just plain as day.

Mrs. Rebecca was the embodiment of confidence.

However, the others proved to be a little more difficult, with Avery’s being the next that I was able to discern.

Perseverance.

I felt like I shouldn’t have even been surprised by hers.

And then I was able to figure out Michelle, a little stunned by hers, even though it made perfect sense. The very thing that made her who she was…

Was Patience.

In the short time I’d really gotten to know her, I found her to be a gentle soul who was a complete sweetheart, and now I fully understood why. She was infinitely patient with everyone. Not that it meant she couldn’t grow impatient, but it was the defining trait that likely determined most of her behavior, and how she overall reacted to most situations.

But then, there were the others.

It wasn’t until I determined Gabriella’s core aura, that I unexpectedly began to notice an interesting pattern.

For, she was defined by being an initiator, and by having a sense of being true to self. The one who went for whatever she wanted, no matter what other influences might be in her life. Like choosing to not be friends with certain individuals, because they had different values, and choosing to hold off on sex, because she wanted to wait for the right guy. As well as being the instigator of Serenity dating me too, not allowing anything to hold her back from what she wanted, even when she was otherwise a bit shy.

Which meant, she was Insistence.

Something both similar and different to Avery’s perseverance, since both were about being true to self. However, Gabriella’s insistence was about being much more forward and assertive, whereas Avery’s variation was more passive.

But that made the ‘Natalie and Avery’ pairing overall defined as Defiance and Perseverance, two traits that seemed to be complementary. For, it was Natalie’s defiance that allowed her to persevere through hardship, and Avery’s perseverance that allowed her to defy what everyone else thought about her actions and behavior, choosing to do what she wanted, to get what she wanted.

To get me.

Though Avery certainly lacked any kind of assertiveness, being more patient like the defining trait of her mom.

But then, that made the ‘Gabriella and Michelle’ pairing defined as Insistence and Patience, which also felt complementary to me.

At first, I couldn’t figure out why, until I thought about the difference between Gabriella and Avery again. Specifically, the defining trait being different due to assertiveness.

Natalie’s defiance was assertive, and Avery’s perseverance was passive.

Gabriella’s insistence was assertive, and Michelle’s patience was passive.

Depending on the situation, any one of the four could be assertive or passive, but the inherent core traits seemed to be following a pattern, almost like a positive and negative charge being attracted to each other. Certainly, I still felt confident that magic affinity played a role in these unique bonds I’d formed, but I also began to wonder if their core aura was another defining element.

Essentially, one more ingredient, to an otherwise complicated formula for this bonding to occur.

But first, I needed more data points.

Which left me trying to figure out Serenity and Gwen.

They were hard.

Way harder than I was expecting.

In the end, I figured out Gwen first, and again I felt like I shouldn’t have been surprised.

For, the thing that defined Gwen’s aura was the most obvious thing ever.

Allegiance.

And it was passive.

Which meant Serenity should be something more assertive.

But what?

Why was she so hard to figure out?

Finally being a little less reserved about my attempts to understand my sexy brunette’s aura, I managed to identify her core the moment she also noticed what I was doing. And her own surprise, about what I’d determined, caused everyone else to notice something was going on too.

Just like that, everyone was looking at me, and then immediately focusing on Serenity when she spoke up.

For, the thing that defined her was strong commitments, unyielding persistence, faithful loyalty, and sense of duty to serve -- everything I’d known her to be all my life -- which also suddenly caused me to understand why she’d chosen to become a detective.

“I’m Diligence?” Serenity said in surprise.

I gave her a sheepish grin. “Seems that way,” I admitted.

“What now?” Miriam wondered, being one of the only ones who didn’t automatically know what was going on just by peeking into my head.

I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve been thinking more about auras, and how it seems like everyone has a core to theirs, which sort of defines who they are, to an extent. It’s what I did with Natalie, when I used that spell to free her from her previous alpha.” I shrugged. “I felt like I had to call her something, and even if I’d known her name at the time, I don’t think that would have been enough for the spell I created. Instead, I had to identify her with something more…I guess, descriptive, of who she is. And so I called her Defiance, because that felt like the best way to describe her aura.”

“Makes me sound like such a bitch,” Natalie commented almost cheerfully, sounding in a really good mood, despite her words.

I just laughed. “I’m okay with that.”

She rolled her light brown eyes. “Of course you’re okay with me being your bitch,” she mused.

“What about the rest of us?” Gabriella wondered.

I nodded toward her. “You’re basically someone who desires to be true to themselves, no matter what anyone else thinks, and you are also a bit of an initiator when it comes to going for something you really want. So the word that comes to mind is Insistence.”

She laughed. “Kind of makes me sound like a bitch too,” she chuckled. “Got to be my way, or the highway.”

I grinned. “And probably the easiest to figure out was Mrs. Rebecca.” I focused on her. “You’re absolutely Confidence.”

“Baby boy,” she cooed. “That’s sweet of you.”

I shrugged. “Just trying to call it what I sense.” I then focused on Michelle. “And you’re Patience.”

“I am?” my blonde MILF said in surprise.

Avery rolled her eyes, speaking up from the other side of Natalie. “Mom, you’re the most patient person I know. No way that doesn’t seem right to you.”

Michelle sighed. “I guess it’s just a little surprising that patience is the core to my, umm, aura, or whatever.”

I nodded. “And all of you may not be surprised to learn that Avery is Perseverance.”

Gabriella laughed. “Two years! When I found out Kai had a girl sitting with him at lunch every day for two years, I knew she had it bad. Just as bad as me, at least. There was nothing that was going to stop her from claiming my man. And then I found out she’d actually been obsessed for much longer.”

“Our man,” Avery corrected her, rolling her blue eyes at Gabriella’s exaggeration. “Although I do like that. It does feel like me.”

I nodded. “You also might not be surprised that Gwen is Allegiance.”

“That feels like me, master,” the sexy maid agreed.

“Yep, definitely her,” Natalie said with a nod.

I glanced to my right at Rosa when she hesitantly turned her head toward me, her bright red irises looking hesitant.

My voice was quieter. “You’re Compliance,” I said simply, uncertain of how she’d react.

However, her crimson eyes widened slightly at that, but then she slowly smiled, nodding once and then focusing on the last few bites of her cookie. Which…was honestly super adorable, just her entire behavior and reaction to it.

But then it was silent.

Because everyone knew their defining trait now, except one.

I was actually a little surprised Miriam didn’t ask, ‘What about me?’

But then, the moment I looked at her, she averted her gaze entirely. Which caused pretty much everyone else to look at her too, surprised by her behavior, until Natalie spoke up, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

“So what about the old lady?”

Miriam glared at her playfully. “Excuse me. You really want a spanking, don’t you?”

Natalie just shrugged nonchalantly. “I suppose I’d be into that. Couldn’t hurt to give it a try, at least.”

Miriam just rolled her eyes, clearly knowing she was trying to defuse the unexpected tension.

I sighed, prompting Miriam to immediately focus on me hesitantly.

I decided to speak to the group as a whole, rather than directing my words specifically at her.

“Umm, to be completely honest, I don’t really know what Miriam’s core is. I feel like all the erotic stuff is hiding it. Like layers and layers of an onion, that are concealing the truth deep down. And in the past, when I’ve sensed her maternal side, even that doesn’t feel like it’s her core. Honestly, I’m not sure how to see it. Feels buried deep. Much deeper than everyone else.”

Of course, what I wasn’t saying was that I didn’t want to try any more, at least not right now, because it was obvious Miriam herself felt much too vulnerable being talked about in this manner. I had no idea what she was afraid of, if maybe she thought that her core would be something ugly or highly immoral, compared to the virtuous traits of the others, but it was obvious this type of focus made her uncomfortable.

She’d been fairly open earlier at dinner, with sharing about some hard things, but now was different.

Serenity spoke up, seeming to also want to lighten the mood. “Well, that kind of makes sense. After all, succubi are kind of unique beings, right? Because you weren’t naturally born a succubus. Not to mention, you’ve obviously been through a lot in your lifetime. I’m not sure what all affects how many layers an aura has, but I don’t find that too odd.”

“Me either,” Avery agreed reassuringly.

Miriam simply sighed, changing the subject and easily getting the conversation going again, with everyone falling back into that relaxed state as they talked.

Eventually, once Rosa had long since finished her cookie, she ended up leaning into me too, just like Natalie was doing, her heart fluttering as she otherwise didn’t touch me, keeping her hands tucked between her thin thighs. And she remained like that for the ensuing hour, seeming more than content to just be touching me.

However, once it was roughly about 11:00 PM, Miriam finally admitted that she was thinking about ‘getting me to bed’ soon, since she wanted to make sure I got a good night’s sleep, so that we could wake up early the next morning.

When everyone pretty much agreed to start getting ready for bed, Miriam then gave me some unexpected instructions.

I was to fuck Serenity, since she hadn’t gotten the chance to spend very much time with me alone, and then within twenty minutes, I was to meet the sexy minx in her bedroom. Of course, the shorter time limit actually kind of made it more fun, with Serenity and me feeling a bit urgent as we went upstairs and started passionately fucking while Gabriella watched.

But then I was heading to Miriam’s suite, surprised to find her waiting in an outfit that was slightly familiar. Different than the one Natalie had worn, the short redhead was adorned only in a series of interconnected straps, with a built-in collar that already had a shiny black leash attached to it.

Prior to handing me the leash, she admitted that Rebecca tipped her off by sharing how I looked at Natalie when I first saw her in the outfit, and Miriam explained that, since she had a similar outfit, she wanted to see me look at her like that.

Which apparently I’d done.

Having an almost awed and hungry look in my eyes.

But then she instructed me to take the leash, and the moment I did, everything about the situation changed. She used her erotic aura to create a powerful fantasy, and I spent the next hour feeling like Miriam was truly my sex pet to enjoy however I wanted. And I truly did do what I wanted, with her taking no initiative at all for once, and only being proactive when I gave her a command, such as instructing her to gag herself on my cock.

She didn’t talk the whole time.

And it was fun.

Especially since I knew most all my bonded women were watching in my head.

I took my time, getting Miriam there twice with my hands and mouth, while I held back on my own orgasms, and simply enjoyed the intimacy of feeling like I was in complete control. Of feeling like she was my pet to take care of. But then I decided to fuck her from behind while holding onto the collar itself, and she kind of broke character after I cummed in her ass.

It was then time for bed, being a little after midnight.

Miriam changed into a cute pair of pink silk panties, and nothing else.

Bare chest to bare chest, I held her in my arms all night on my side, her head resting against my arm, feeling her warm breath against my skin as I drifted off to sleep, her wing folded over me like last time in a makeshift embrace.

And I woke up in the morning to discover the head of my throbbing cock just barely buried inside her heated snatch, with her breathing heavily and trembling as if she was trying really hard not to fuck it, thereby waking me up inadvertently.

Of course, it hadn’t been an accident. I’d gotten hard in my sleep and she’d carefully shifted her position at a snail’s pace, until she finally started to sink on my cock, being intentional about not going much further than the top.

Because then, it felt more like accidental penetration to her, which was something that really turned her on.

When she whispered that to me, I played along by pretending I’d only now just noticed, and we promptly spent probably about fifteen or twenty minutes in another fantasy, where it felt like it really had been an accident, and we’d found ourselves in a bit of a predicament. Feeling like we weren’t allowed to go all the way, but also not wanting to separate.

But then we fucked and got up for the day.

Miriam dressed in a simple nice ivory shirt and jeans.

It was still fairly early, so rather than heading to breakfast right away, since the cook hadn’t even shown up yet, she and I went straight to the archery range, where we got right into the lesson.

The first thing she did was suggest we try a slightly different approach, just to see if it would make any difference.

The sun had risen, but the trees were blocking most of the early morning light, making it almost feel like the sun was actually just about to rise instead -- when it would start growing light outside, but the sun wasn’t visible on the horizon yet.

The birds were plenty awake and active though, the forest around us full of singing.

Clearing her throat, Miriam got right to the point. “I want to try teaching you two different protection spells, just to see if you have any more luck with them. They serve basically the same purpose as the one I’ve taught you, but aren’t as effective.”

I nodded. “Okay, but do you really think it will make a difference?”

She shook her head. “Not normally, no. A different spell shouldn’t make any difference in how quickly you can learn it, especially since ultimately you’re trying to do the same thing, just with different words. But there are two other defense spells that I’ve come across in my years, both of which are at least somewhat sufficient. Try them out, and if you don’t feel any difference, then we’ll just stick with the one you’ve been working on.”

Inclining my chin, I realized she was actually beginning to feel the pressure of our limited time too. No doubt, she was confident this was a waste of time, but she was clearly willing to try almost anything to try to see if I could have a breakthrough in the next twelve hours.

Seeing that she was waiting for me to respond, I cleared my throat.

“Umm, and is there possibly another way I might be able to defend myself?” I wondered.

She frowned at that, crossing her arms over her ivory shirt. “In a way, your regeneration is a defense on its own. There are also spells that would serve more as a warning that you were under attack, but honestly those are pretty much worthless, because you’d know in most cases that someone was trying to kill you. Assuming that you didn’t just drop dead.”

“I see,” I replied hesitantly. “And just wondering, but…what if I tried using blood magic to activate the spell?”

She grimaced, only to sigh heavily. “Baby, if you feel like your life is threatened, you do whatever you feel like you need to do to stay alive, okay?” She paused when I nodded, only to take a deep breath. “But I really can’t stress enough how dangerous blood magic is. I didn’t criticize Natalie for using it to defend Rebecca when that incubus compelled her, but she could have killed herself. If anything, the spell she got from your head prevented anything bad from happening, but blood magic can be chaotic. It can quickly get out of control, and plenty of people have died from meddling with it.”

I nodded. “So, stick to normal stuff, if at all possible.”

“Please,” she said seriously. “If your only choices are death or blood magic, then risk it. But if you have a choice, please don’t risk it. Even if Natalie seems to be part-hellhound now, that fire she created could have easily swallowed her up and turned her to ash. Again, it was your spell that kept it under control.”

I nodded, only to frown. “Do you think maybe I could try to create my own protective spell?” I wondered.

Her emerald eyes widened at that. “I mean…I guess it couldn’t hurt to try.” She took a deep breath, dropping her arms, the tension in her slim shoulders obvious.

She truly was stressed now.

Stressed that I might be in harm’s way soon.

That she might not see me again after tomorrow, because something might happen to me that was outside of her control. The worry was evident on her youthful expression.

“Okay,” she said emphatically. “Let’s try these two other spells first, and then you can go ahead and try creating your own barrier spell.”

I nodded.

She sighed. “Okay, the first one is, ‘Guide my steps and light my path. Strengthen me and bolster my defenses.’”

I waited for a second, only to realize that was it. “Oh, that’s short.”

She nodded. “And not as effective. Unlike the spell I taught you yesterday, which would continue to function so long as you had the magic to fuel it, this one would falter pretty quickly under even an average magic attack. But, if you can learn it, that would be better than nothing.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay, let me give it a try. Guide my steps and light my path. Strengthen me and bolster my defenses.”

Similar to the other spell I’d been working on, I did feel some magic get used up, but otherwise nothing happened.

“About the same?” she assumed.

“Yeah. What’s the other one?”

She nodded. “Become my refuge, become my fortress. Rescue me from the snare, forbid me caught unaware. Shield me from evil schemes, protect me from violent screams.”

I frowned at that one. “Does length matter?” I wondered.

She considered that briefly. “Yes and no,” she finally admitted. “Longer isn’t always better, but often shorter spells aren’t enough to get one’s magic to do what is desired. In a way, it’s kind of like starting a chemical reaction. Or really, like starting a car. You need enough juice from the battery to get the engine going, but you also need gasoline and air, at least in a traditional combustion vehicle, in order to really kick the engine fully on. If you lack one of those elements, then nothing will happen. Or it’ll just sputter.”

“So is magic the battery then, or the gas?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not a perfect analogy, baby. What’s important is the fact that you need enough electricity, but too much isn’t necessarily a good thing. And you need enough gasoline, but too much can actually be counterproductive. Same with air. With a spell, you essentially have two basic elements. The fuel, and the incantation used to utilize that fuel. In a way, you’re almost creating the engine with your words. Providing the foundation for the magic to function.”

My eyes widened as I considered that, suddenly a lot of things making sense.

“Oh,” I said simply.

“Oh, what?” she wondered.

“I’m creating the engine with my words. That makes so much sense to me. The engine doesn’t exist right now, but when I say an incantation, I’m creating the engine. I’m creating the physical, or I guess metaphysical, structure for the magic to flow through. For the magic to serve a specific purpose.” My eyes widened again. “I think that’s why I’m struggling,” I realized. “With fire magic, I’m not creating a machine. I’m just turning my energy into another form.”

“Well…” she began hesitantly. “I’d say you’re still creating a machine with your words, just one that is a bit more simple for you to create.”

“Yeah, that may be true,” I agreed. “But like when I created that spell to free Natalie from her former alpha. I understand it now. I used my words to force the reality I wanted to see exist. I created a metaphorical machine to change how the rules themselves functioned.”

Miriam’s red eyebrows shot up at that.

“Does that sound crazy?” I wondered, uncertain about her reaction.

“No, just surprising to hear you say that is all. Obviously, you did something that I would normally consider impossible in that situation, and now your new understanding about it also sounds impossible. But by all means, do not let me limit you in any way. If this explanation helps you learn that spell, then all the better.”

I nodded. “Well, let me try that second spell. Can you repeat it?”

She did, and when I copied her, even with this new realization, I felt nothing different.

Which got me thinking.

“So maybe, the thing that makes learning a new spell so difficult is not understanding how the machine functions.”

Miriam pursed her lips. “Perhaps. Normally what I would expect is for you to try for a few weeks, and then accidentally manage to activate the spell. At which point, you’d have a better idea of how it feels when it works, and would manage to do it again fairly quickly. Until eventually you could do it without fail.”

I nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. Kind of like riding a bicycle. You have to learn to balance for yourself. No one can verbally teach you to ride one.”

“Sort of,” she agreed.

I took a deep breath. “Okay, now let me try to create my own spell. Obviously, I want to be protected, so I should probably just start with that. No point in trying to reinvent the wheel.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, incantations aren’t so fickle that a slightly different word would render them completely ineffective. Whether you say protect, defend, guard, or even something like shield, it’s all going to have the same purpose.

My brow furrowed at that.

Protect.

Shield.

Defend.

That felt right to me.

Really right.

Like a machine, a starter fueled by electricity, a piston moved by gasoline and air, ignited by a spark. Like a chemical reaction.

My words creating the machine.

I closed my eyes and focused on the one time I’d actually been somewhat afraid. The time when I’d actually felt somewhat helpless. The time when Serenity was kidnapped, barely a week ago, and how I fell into that absurd trap in that warehouse. One in which I’d been helpless to free myself on my own.

A magical ward wouldn’t have helped in that particular situation, but I wanted to imagine how it felt to be in danger, and to need the protection of my own magic. The protection of a barrier spell.

My body was tense as I set my jaw, anger boiling up inside of me as I spoke harshly.

“Protect me from mine enemies. Shield mine essence, defend mine rights!”

I felt my magic drain, but didn’t feel the spell take hold.

Like a car with a dead battery, I felt the engine crank, and then immediately die.

“Hey, something happened!” Miriam said in surprise.

I sighed, opening my eyes to focus on her. “Yeah, I definitely felt something.”

Her tone was praising. “And the incantation was shorter too. Shorter than all three I’ve shared with you.” She shook her head. “Truly, you are a conundrum to me, love. Nothing about your knowledge of magic makes any sense.”

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

She took a deep breath. “Well, you’re just so young, and yet you seem to be able to create your own spells like it’s nothing.”

I frowned at that, wondering why that might be.

She continued. “And just wondering, but why did you say ‘mine’ instead of ‘my’ in your spell? People haven’t talked like that for centuries, so I’m kind of curious where that’s coming from. Did you grow up reading the King James bible, or something?”

“I…don’t know,” I admitted, feeling a little embarrassed to admit the truth. “Umm, I actually haven’t read very much of the bible. My adoptive mom was religious, and Serenity kind of is too, so I kind of know the big things, but I’ve grown up knowing I was some kind of demon, so I didn’t get too involved in that kind of stuff.”

Miriam gave me a sympathetic look. “That must have been hard for you, huh?”

I shrugged. “I mean, I managed.”

Her expression turned somber. “I wish I’d found you sooner,” she whispered. “All this time, you were barely an hour away, and I hadn’t a clue you even existed. Not until six days ago, on Sunday.”

I tried to lighten the mood. “I’m pretty sure I found you,” I said playfully. “Or at least found the people who found you.”

She rolled her emerald eyes. “If I have the story correct, then it sounds like Gabriella found you, and she’s basically an extension of me,” she argued, only to stick out her tongue at me when she saw I wasn’t buying that logic.

I grinned, deciding to get the topic back on track. “So do you think I should practice my own spell, or yours?”

“Maybe both,” she admitted. “At the end of the day, you’re trying to accomplish the same goal, so it shouldn’t hurt to try my spell for an hour, and then try yours for an hour.”

I nodded. “Can I leave it up to you then, to tell me when it’s time to take a break?”

“Well, how are you feeling in terms of hunger? Do you want me to grab you for breakfast?”

“Sure,” I agreed. “And then I’ll practice some more afterward, and then I’ll need to recharge my magic.”

“Yep,” she replied cheerfully. “And don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of everything for you, okay?”

“Okay,” I said just as warmly, really looking forward to it.

Chapter 99 >>

LIST OF STORIES >>

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