Kiara drifted through the air above the house, her skin tingling with the cool, seductive touches of the wind. Down on the moonlit street, nocturnal maidens moved back and forth, taking advantage of the darkness, rushing through the shadows. The air was heavy with the wildberry blend of urgency and caution, mixed with a bitter undercurrent of hunger.

The Succubus had every reason to block out the unpleasant sensations, but she was looking out for a very specific flavor. Something close to vinegar that had remained under the sun for too long. So far, she’d only caught hints of it, little aggressive impulses directed at the house, but nothing strong enough to signal anything more dangerous than simple resentment.

She hoped it would stay as nothing more than impotent frustration, at least until the healer was sure there was no incoming plague. The thought alone of such an event was enough to make Kiara shiver, it brought back images of humans wasting away in their beds and their bond-partners going insane in the streets. Of cities that were once considered enlightened reduced to ash in a sea of screams and pungent sorrow.

She jolted from her thoughts, her mind nearly succumbing to unwanted memories and endangering her disguise. In response, she stirred her wings, directing her focus towards more desirable distractions. Narrowing her focus, she filtered out the unpleasant sensations, eager to indulge in something more alluring.

She sensed the sweet taste of plums steeped in chili, a fruity mix that wafted her way, mixed and hidden in the city’s overtones. Although the specifics were unclear, there was no mistaking it was the baker's daughter - her mood a slow-burning ember, igniting with frustration and desire.

The flavor left Kiara feeling a flicker of longing.

It would only take a nudge. Her thoughts drifted to the prospect of an intimate encounter with the maiden, a seductive feast of passion and energy that could sate her growing hunger. Kiara's imagination ran wild with the possibility, the anticipation almost palpable on her tongue.

Her excitement was short-lived as she landed near the wrong abode. A quick inspection revealed that she was alone, unseen by any prying eyes. And so, she shed her disguise, her hair cascading down in a stream of blue, her eyes gleaming like gold, her wings casting off feathers, and her spade-tipped tail unfurling with restless energy.

Kiara silently acknowledged the drowsy Orc guard with a quick nod before slipping inside the dilapidated commoner's home. The door’s rusty hinges screeched, testament to the months-long abandonment. Now repurposed by the city's new Lord, the inside had little to show the importance of the new tenant. There was little comfort to be found - the musty scent of mold wafted through the air, the floorboards creaked beneath her feet, and even with every window and door securely shut, a draft whispered its chilly presence.

In the center of the common room, Rick hunched over a cluttered table, surrounded by scattered papers and inkwells. The soft light of an enchanted glowstone hovered overhead, casting a dim blue glow and elongated shadows throughout the room. The magic pulsed in time to its own rhythm, one of many rescued items from the previous Lord's household.

Kiara masked her displeasure as she took in the scene before her. The man who had claimed the city with such little bloodshed now sat amidst stacks of paper, toiling away into the night. The taste of stale crackers permeated the room, hanging heavy in the air like a miasma of boredom. His shoulders sagged under the weight of responsibility, a burden that seemed to be slowly crushing him. His ink-stained fingers raked through his hair, a desperate attempt to pull some shred of inspiration from his mind.

"It wasn't like this yesterday, was it?" Kiara said, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"Rollo sent over the purchase and the R&D agreement," Rick replied with a humorless chuckle. "I'm no lawyer, but even I can see the traps and loopholes woven throughout. And there’s also crap from some other people, something about the fishmongers and the woodcutters, and… it’s a mess."

Kiara nodded in understanding, a twinge of sympathy washing over her.

She sauntered towards Rick, her every step was an invitation, her curves highlighted by her lingering caresses, removing her clothes in a whisper. Her movements were unhurried and sensuous, a contrast to Rick's stress-lined form as he pored over paperwork. "I remember presenting you with someone all too eager to help," she said, her voice low and honeyed.

She let her imagination wander to the scrumptious maiden two houses down, and how she’d worship the Succubus’ every inch.

Rick snorted, not bothering to lift his gaze from the papers. "I doubt she’d be useful right now," he said dismissively. “Got no messages for her to send.”

Kiara leaned against the only available surface not taken over by parchment, the tips of her fingers trailing down her own body. "I had hoped she'd be useful on her knees, under the table," she said with a seductive smile.

But Rick's brown eyes remained on the papers, his mouth twisting in distaste. The stale taste in the air grew stronger, gaining an undertone of rotten fruit. "The offer is appreciated," he said with a shrug, his gaze finally lifting to meet her golden eyes. He turned away, his gaze flicking back to the papers, dismissing the body that should have been a feast for his desires.

It was like having someone running a nail against her tail. Her body was meant to take the ideal form of whomever was bonded to her.

Kiara's expression turned contemplative as she regarded the man before her. She closed the distance between them, her movements fluid as she pushed him away from the table and straddled his hips. With a graceful spread of her wings, she blocked out the magelight and enveloped them both in darkness.

Her naked form pressed against his, the proximity igniting the taste of lemon on his skin as his body tried to assert its desire over the stale boredom and frustration. But there was also a bitter note, one that spoke of annoyance.

The strain in his body was palpable, and it was clear that this would not be the distraction she had hoped for. "I don't need sex, Kiara," he spoke tersely.

Rick’s resistance threw Kiara off, her tail momentarily ceasing its gentle caress of his ankles. She leaned in closer, her seductive voice barely above a whisper as she spoke into his lips. "You need to unwind, just a little fun between us-"

But before she could finish, Rick's hands pushed against her stomach, the gesture halting her words. "I said stop." His tone was unwavering, holding a hint of cinnamon determination amidst the exhaustion and annoyance that consumed him.

Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. She was doing him a favor, and this was how he was responding? "I'm only trying to help," she persisted.

But Rick was not swayed. He looked at her with a hardness in his eyes that sent a shiver down Kiara's spine, as if he could see straight through her facade. "Having sex with someone who doesn't want to is not helping anyone," his lips curled in distaste.

It was a statement she should have dismissed, to throw away with a wave of hand and empty reassurances. How many times had she done this before with other mortals? She was a Succubus, everyone knew she was meant to enjoy sex, with anyone and everyone. But Rick's unwavering eyes left her feeling more exposed than the lack of clothes did.

“Where’s this coming from?” Kiara asked warily.

This human was not one to make such bold statements without good reason. She expanded her senses, searching for any enchantments or spells that might be in the area. Was this a trap of some sort? Had he gained a new tool?

But she could find nothing of the sort.

He hesitated, then scowled, trying to push her away. "Look, the whole plague thing has made this a very long week. I'll go to sleep or-"

"No." She grasped his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. Had he just read her expression or body language? No, he hadn't even glanced up from his papers, so perhaps it was her voice? There was something else. "Bottling things up will only eat away at you," she warned, her mind racing as she tried to understand what he wasn’t telling her.

Something was different.

Frustration gnawed at her.

And almost in response to her feelings, Rick’s taste gained another layer of bitter annoyance. Kiara hesitated, allowing the sense of dawning horror to flow through her unimpeded, and it came with a twitch to Rick’s brows, a tense of his shoulders, and that look he had when he was about to argue with Monica over something.

Her eyes widened as she realized the implications of what that meant.

"Yes, it's the bond," Rick stated matter-of-factly, as if this knowledge meant nothing.

But to Kiara it changed everything.

She’d need to crush him, here and now. She could do it easily. Rick had no defenses, not even for a human. The two brutes were not there, nor was the healer. The leech might be just outside, but she’d prove useless in any serious encounter.

Rick had to be aware of this, more so than anyone else.

So why was he so calm about it? Kiara held her breath, the hand against his cheek growing tense as she weaved the truth detection spell with practiced ease. She spoke slowly, careful not to betray a single emotion. "Since when have you been able to...?" She trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air.

"From the start, more or less," he replied, his expression giving nothing away other than frustration.

Kiara felt the ground slip away beneath her. The bond shouldn't have grown this quickly. This was a wild miscalculation. With a racing heart, she poured through her memories, trying to remember every detail. Had he been the one manipulating her all along? Where was the trap?

"Why now?" she asked, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger.

Rick looked at her, his expression a whirlwind of emotions. Annoyance, confusion, and the taste of something else that Kiara couldn't quite grasp. He pushed her away. "What do you mean 'why now'? I don't have the energy to put up with this."

Kiara was taken aback. "What!?" Her voice rose in pitch, and anger.

"We both know what you want right now, and it's not something I can give you," he said, firm in the reproach. “I’m just a human. What part of this equation are you not understanding?”

Was he…? She focused, reading Rick’s emotion wasn’t as easy as others, too little energy. Kiara pushed a hint of her power into him, trying to amplify what she could sense, there was something lying under the surface… ah. With a sigh, she looked at Rick, her gaze steady. "This wasn't a pity fuck," she said, trying to sound more apologetic than annoyed.

Not that it did any good. With a sharp inhale, Rick pulled back from her embrace, his eyes blazing. "I don’t want to argue semantics," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

Kiara watched him closely, sensing the unspoken turmoil brewing within him. She reached over his shoulder, grasping the chair, preventing him from increasing the space between them. He had a point, but she wasn’t about to admit it. Regardless, his pride wasn’t what mattered, not when the taste of rot remained, growing under her power’s caress.

He needed to get it out of his system.

"What's the matter, Rick?" she said, her voice a gentle purr of suffocating silk.

He hesitated for a moment, then with a grimace let out a sigh, his body relaxing slightly under her touch. "The issue is," he began, his words filled with uncertainty, "There’s too much. The bonds, the city, the… everything.” His emotions had turned into a whirlwind, delectable honeyed vulnerability lying just under the surface. “I…”

Kiara felt a thrill of excitement run through her at the wavering determination.

How many others had she found in exactly such a state? She knew what she had to do, she’d done so countless times. A gentle touch to soothe him, a loving kiss to comfort him, an irresistible body to drown his woes. Let him sink into her, find comfort in her, rely on her, depend on her.

Until she became his only salvation.

Only then could she trust he wouldn’t be a threat.

And it was now of all times that her mind betrayed her, pulling up the thought of the illusion of an infinite blue sky. The Succubus hesitated, reliving the tower, her clenching fear at past wrongs. His certainty when speaking of what lay beyond, where not even air could reach. Her hand hovered just above his cheek, barely a touch away from pulling him down into the addicting salvation.

“It was after… Arietta.” He whispered into her shoulder, breaking her silence. His hands still on her stomach, still holding her in place, but no longer pushing. “She’s…”

“A psychic.” Kiara provided, trying to urge herself to move, to pull him closer, to tie the noose and kill the threat and turn the man into a pet. “I heard she didn’t react well to you.”

A soft nod. “She almost ran out of the room. Spoke about voices in my head. And… I can’t hear anything, but… but I can feel… things. I…” He swallowed. “When I was at the plaza, after beating everything, I just felt this… anger that came from everywhere all at once, and when I murdered Thorley I… I’m not sure how much of it was me.”

The man that had conquered a city trembled with emotions that couldn’t be contained any longer. Any other day he might have seen or detected the tiny amount of power coursing through him, but not here, not now. Not alone and away from those who cared most for his well being, exhausted and exposed, sleep deprived and nearly beside himself.

Not while in her arms.

Just pull him in, hug him, kiss him, tell him everything is as it should, that it was exactly the right thing to do. Wrap him around your finger so tightly you will be the only salvation to the chaos of his life.

She felt a tightness in her chest at the thought.

"Kiara?" Rick's voice broke the silence, a hint of uncertainty in it.

She opened her eyes, fighting with herself to push off of his lap. "Tell me about the moon."

Rick's hands fell from her waist as she stood up, taking her power with her, releasing him of their influence. She stared down at him, her golden eyes studying him as he turned away, the human looking like the chair was ten sizes too large.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, his voice cracked.

"I want to know how to get there," she replied, cocking her hip and pretending not to notice the turmoil within him. Pretending the moment had never happened to begin with.

Rick took a deep breath, steadying himself. "You'd need rockets."

"That's the toy you taught the Hobs to make," she said, her mind wandering to the pale white disk that hung always out of reach. The little wooden things couldn’t even reach her when she flew, how could they go any higher? "There has to be something else to it."

"Yeah, it's complicated," he said, nodding. "But simple too, kinda. You just need big rockets. Very big rockets."

"How big?" she asked.

"The size of the Lightning-Vault...three of them."

Kiara’s mind stuttered at the thought of it. At the mountain of debris yet to be fully cleaned out that remained in the plaza. To build rockets of that size… It was an impossible task, even with an Empire’s resources it would not be a simple feat. "Would it work?" she asked, her voice filled with doubt.

"Not easy, not by a longshot," he replied, nodding. "But possible."

Rick spoke with unwavering cinnamon conviction, as though declaring a universal truth. His words held no room for doubt or skepticism, in his mind, those who denied the possibility were the ones who were out of touch with reality.

But to Kiara, he might as well have claimed he could bring an end to death itself.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought of it. A creation born from this small backwater kingdom, a power that could shake the foundations of the world, an end to the endless wars of the old Empires, and the dawn of a new age of impossible things.

She reached out and took Rick's hand, pulling him to his feet. "Come," she commanded.

The mortal let out a chuckle, a mixture of amusement and self-deprecation. "I think I-"

"Not that," Kiara interrupted, not wanting to let him derail the moment. "We need to get you cleaned up. There's something you need to see, and I’m not letting you go there looking half-dead."

"But I am half-dead," he muttered, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"It's worth it," Kiara countered, tugging him up the stairs towards the side-room she had claimed as her own, shoving him inside.

"Why are we..." Rick trailed off as he looked around the room, taking in the black curtains covering all four walls, the large red rug on the floor, and the green veil hanging from the ceiling. "What's this?"

“It’s Wolf-Spider cloth. Thin enough it’d all fit in your pocket.” Also worth the Succubus’ weight in enchantment stones, but that was not something he needed to know. “I won it in a bet… long ago.” Clasping her hands behind herself, she focused on her pinky, on the invisible ring therein. With a bit of focus and a small pulse of power, she produced a small copper ball half the size of her fist. “Strip and rub this all over, it’ll get rid of the smells.”

“Wait, where do you-?”

She brushed aside the question and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Stretching her senses to quickly scan the surrounding area revealed no one was near the house. The only exception being the leech, who was petulantly dozing off on the roof.

Kiara drifted down to the basement. The master bedroom was largely undisturbed, as Rick had used it sparingly since the brute and the healer had been locked out of the city. Fortunately Kiara found what she was looking for in the dresser, and turned to head back upstairs.

The Wolf-Spider silk blocked her senses, she could not see or sense him. The moment gave her a blessed minute to reflect.

Was she really about to do this?

Kiara stood at the door, her fingers running through her hair as she collected her thoughts. Memories of sun-baked streets and hostile gazes, of dark chambers with lying grins, and of the woman with crimson eyes and violet robes who promised the world before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

But things were different. Rick was a mortal, a human, and a frail one at that. He was completely devoid of elemental energy, making him harmless, defenseless, and vulnerable in her presence. It made him untouchable by most of her abilities, but that didn’t change that she held the power.

If the time ever came for things to end, she was the one who held the key, to her the doors were always open.

She would never be trapped again.

With a resolute nod, Kiara stepped back into the room. Rick's back was turned to her, wearing nothing but his briefs as he examined the silk covering the walls. "Let's get you dressed," she said, tossing him a shirt.

Kiara's eyes landed on Rick's chest, taking in the jagged scars that marred his skin like a rough, poorly-drawn map. They were a reminder of her failure against the Vampire, her lips twisted into a grimace. Without the scars, Rick's physique would've been much more attractive, the sun and life had taken away the paleness and delicacy of his features. A man with deep brown eyes, a rugged, determined face, and the telltale signs that he would only grow more handsome once age made his features more distinguished.

He might be the city’s Lord, but he was no pampered noble.

In looks alone, he was like many others she’d bonded. Men she’d turned into loyal pets, taught them, trained them, gained their undying trust and love until she was all that mattered to them. So why wasn’t she doing so now?

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Rick's gaze met hers, she felt a sudden intense pressure, and she couldn't retain her calmness, turning away. She didn't dare to let herself sense his emotions; she needed to keep moving and avoid thinking about the deeper implications of her inaction towards the threat his empathic ability represented.

"Hold still," she warned, sharpening her nails as she gently pushed his head up to look at the ceiling. The maiden had to be careful, humans were frail beyond measure, and she could easily tear a hole into his throat by accident.

With smooth delicate strokes, Kiara trimmed his beard and the tips of his hair. Then she combed his hair back with her fingers, weaving a minor stylising spell to ensure it would hold for the next hour or two.

"Spells feel different from the normal elemental energy," Rick observed, not content to remain obnoxious in his silence. "They itch."

"Casting a spell requires precise control," Kiara explained. "The energy must be woven into intricate knots and patterns, it makes them delicate, but more precise."

"And you're good at disrupting that, right?" Rick asked.

Kiara quenched the blooming sense of pride, keeping to task. “You’ve never asked much about my powers before.” Her hand brushed away the trimmings as she stepped behind him, smoothing the cloth.

“If I knew exactly what each of you could do, I’d start making assumptions. I trust you know your powers better than I ever will,” he spoke, grimacing. “That and… I get the sense it’s something few like to talk about.”

The Succubus nodded thoughtfully. “Explaining how sight works to a blind person is a futile task," she said. "And you're right, I rarely like to discuss my abilities."

“Because then others could prepare against them.”

Kiara didn't reply, but the thought echoed in her mind. 'Would you trust someone if you knew they were a breed meant for betrayal?'

She felt a knot of anxiety in her gut as she pushed Rick towards the door. "Let's get you to where you need to be." With a flick of her thoughts, she directed her attention to the rooftop where the half-asleep leech was standing watch.

It took only a moment of effort for her to penetrate the meager protections around the Fledgling, sending a blast of heat through the maiden. The leech let out a muffled shriek, the sound was followed by loud tumbling, then a thud not too far from the door.

"If she ever becomes a vampire, she'll thank me for not teaching her how to stay alert like they do," Kiara quipped before her human could make some chiding comment.

Rick shot her a look, but said nothing as he handed her a cloak to cover her nudity. "Don't want the city to start talking," he said.

Kiara rolled her eyes and transformed, making her hair golden, her eyes blue, her skin tan, and her physique smaller. She wrapped her tail disguised as a belt around her waist, and with a flutter of her wings summoned white feathers. Within seconds she looked closer to an Angel, albeit one with a wicked smirk. "If they want to look, let them," she said, shrugging off the cloak and leading Rick into the street.

There was a part of her that felt annoyed at how she could feel the leech’s glare against the back of her head more than she could sense Rick’s gaze anywhere on her body. The human's eyes were darting around, scanning the shadows, his body tense and his steps quick. He was closer in disposition to the brute cat, a wild animal prowling the streets.

Almost as if he was trying to protect her, if only to alert of possible danger.

A needless gesture when they both knew she was the most dangerous thing around.

Their movement didn’t go unnoticed, not that they tried to hide. Their Orcish guard moved with loud lumbering steps, the sound alone driving the night-dwellers to take other routes, away from them.

It gave Kiara some room to hone her senses elsewhere. The houses were protected for a modicum of privacy, but not from a Succubus’ special abilities. Here and there she picked up the yearning desires of the city's inhabitants. In some houses, she detected the flicker of passion, ready to be kindled with a gentle nudge. Meanwhile, others slept fitfully, plagued by hunger and restless dreams. The ravages of starvation were all too familiar to many in the city, and the relief of reduced rations was still a distant hope.

The journey to their destination was brief, as they approached the outskirts of the plaza where the remains of the Lightning-vault lay.

From what Kiara had learnt about the tiny kingdom, there was a tradition of separating its fighting force of a city in two groups. One was tasked with maintaining law and order at the behest of the nobles, while the other was charged with protecting the people from the ferals. It was a fragile balance, even when both groups answered to the Lord, their tasks could easily put them against each other.

So it hadn’t come as a surprise that the Hunters of Sinco had been among the groups the previous Lord had focused on undermining, until they were eventually eradicated, the maidens and humans killed or sold, used as a sacrifice or tribute to the Vampires.

The once-proud Hunter's Lodge had been abandoned. It was sturdy and discreetly protected, made with the dual purpose of protecting its contents from an attack, while also serving as a place to hold captured ferals for later bonding and training.

It lent itself perfectly for its new purpose.

As Kiara approached the lodge, she could feel the restless energy of the maidens within, each of them familiar to her as the back of her hand. With three simple knocks on the door to signal her presence, the boredom shifted to a fizzy excitement. The Succubus returned to her true form and stepped inside, pulling a wary Rick along with her.

"My Lady." The naked Hound at the entrance greeted them, her voice laced with undertones of surprise as she caught sight of Rick. "My Lord!" she exclaimed in a near shriek, bowing low, embarrassment adding a cute cherry flavor to the confusion.

Kiara could sense the nervous excitement that spread through the house at the very mention of who she’d brought along. Discreetly and quietly, the other inhabitants scrambled to hide and pay attention; the anticipation filling the air with a delicious swirl of mocha.

Rick shifted awkwardly, unseeing of what he meant to the maidens here, all too focused on the now two naked maidens in his presence.

Kiara waved a hand lazily. "Call the others from the night-shift. And keep the dress," she instructed the Hound, who nodded before running off deeper into the building. "Don't look at me like that," she said to Rick, closing the main door behind them.

His eyes spoke of a great deal of questions in his mind, and none of them led to places that would be convenient for her. "Please don't tell me this is a whorehouse," he whispered, his grip on her arm tightening.

"I didn't tell you to bring a coin-purse," the maiden chuckled. "Besides, this is the best place for you to learn."

"Learn... what exactly?" Rick asked, his voice filled with suspicion.

She didn’t answer, wrapping her tail around his wrist and leading him into the common room. The warm air was perfumed with the delicate scent of incense and fruit, while the fireplace crackled and danced with soft light. Rich fur rugs covered the floor, dark ornately carved chairs lay innocuously against the walls, every wall in the room being covered by intricate silk tapestries depicting battles. Of rows upon rows of maidens with spears, surrounding the depiction of two champions carrying different flags and locked in fierce battle.

There was probably some historical importance to each of these tapestries, not that she thought it was relevant to anyone outside the tiny kingdom’s borders.

"You took this from the Lord's mansion, didn't you?" Rick asked, his tone lacking any hint of accusation. "Why not set up shop there instead?"

Kiara pulled out a chair to the center of the room and gestured for him to sit. "This place is mine now," she said with a sly smile. “Not yours.”

“The mansion’s not mine.” Rick sat down with the wary posture of a wild animal, his legs spread wide and his arms resting on his knees. He scanned the room, sizing up potential escape routes.

Kiara's lips curved into a smirk as she moved to stand behind him, her fingers tracing gentle patterns over his shoulders and neck. "You’re the Lord of the city, Rick," she whispered. "It’s all yours."

"You and I have very different ideas about the meaning of 'mine.'" Rick muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What exactly are you doing here anyway?"

Kiara replied with a wicked grin, "It's where your dear wife keeps her emergency provisions, my dear Lord.” Her hand gestured at the rich decorations. “I like to make sure my playthings are well taken care of, and this building was just sitting here waiting for someone to claim it."

Rick let out a sigh, "Kiara, we've talked about… recruitment."

"You told me not to ‘break’ anyone," she retorted with a roll of her eyes. "I assure you, these lovely creatures are more than willing to help.” Her hands moved up his hairline, shortened nails scratching softly. “Plus, I'm within my budget, and as far as the city is concerned, I'm charitably providing shelter to widows of the noble's treachery. I charmed them, fair and square."

There was no need to lie about it either, all the maidens in the building she had met before her tribe reached Sinco. They could be trusted to keep her secrets. At least the ones she couldn’t keep tucked away within the confines of her mind.

"Is that what you’re doing to Eva?" Rick asked, his tone heavy with suspicion. “‘Charming’ her?”

Kiara's gaze drifted to the window, past the tapestry and to the world outside. To where the shadow of a Fledgling glared in, failing to glimpse at what was happening inside. The leech’s emotions were thick with annoyance and jealousy.

"As you said, she might become a vampire one day," she replied nonchalantly.

“I don’t think she’s fond of your methods.”

Kiara chuckled, her lips brushing against Rick's ear. "Eva was raised as a human noble, entitled to many things. If she can't adapt, the harsh reality of the world will swallow her whole."

Whatever he was about to say was cut short by a series of knocks on the door.

"Enter," Kiara commanded.

The naked Hound from earlier stepped inside, her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes locked straight ahead. Despite her still arms, her tail twitched nervously, tucked between her legs and trying to provide a modicum of modesty. Behind her, six other maidens followed, similarly unclothed, with expressions ranging from curiosity to excitement.

Kiara's eyes roamed hungrily over the maidens' bodies, a prize set of tight busts, with a range of flavors that made Kiara’s stomach rumble and body shudder, which had finally relaxed after a hard-won rest. But above all she enjoyed the sight of their naked throats, free of any collar save their loyalty to her.

"You have a type," Rick observed, a nervous chuckle escaping him as his ears turned red. The seven maidens in the room kept sneaking glances at the two of them, their curiosity palpable.

Kiara leaned in close to Rick's ear, her fingers caressing his neck. "They won't bite unless you ask nicely," she whispered. "Girls, take your seats. Not you, though," she said, singling out the Hound.

"Yes, my Lady," the maidens responded hesitantly, taking their seats while avoiding Rick's gaze.

Most of them took to the chairs with tense postures, their knees tucked together and heads lowered, unsure of what to expect. Yet the room was filled with an unspoken thrill of anticipation for something new. It was a delectably sweet taste, the hint of uncertainty adding to their flavor.

The Hound pressed her hands against the sides of her thighs as she kept her gaze fixed on the fur rug under Rick's feet. "Come closer and kneel, looking away," Kiara commanded her.

Licking her lips in hesitation, she approached a step and turned, presenting her slender back, lowering herself to her knees. Her tail relaxed ever so slightly even though nervousness sweltered through the Hound’s every pore, ears tucked flat against her head and tail still serving as an underperforming piece of underwear.

Kiara took a step back, admiring her toy. The Hound was now kneeling, head lowered, avoiding eye contact, her nervousness and vulnerability palpable in the air, a consequence of the uncertainty that lay beneath.

She turned to Rick, who was sitting in his chair, arms crossed, and waiting for her next move. "This is important," she said, walking over to him and placing a sash of fabric over his eyes, taking away his sight, her fingers lingering on his sharp cheeks. "I need you to focus."

"Fine," he said, petulant yet tense, his voice low and deep.

Kiara returned to the Hound, who’d not moved an inch. She knelt beside her and whispered softly, "Don't worry." She caressed the nape of the maiden's neck, trailing her fingers down her spine once, then twice, only at the third stroke did the maiden release a soft sigh, shoulders lowering a little. "Tell me what I'm doing," she said, directing the question at Rick, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

"You're toying with me," he replied, his tone equal parts amusement and frustration.

Chuckles danced around the room. Kiara scoffed, silencing the other maidens with a flick of her wrist. "Not that. Tell me what I'm doing to her."

According to the old texts, a bond at its height allowed for the sharing of senses, feelings, and thoughts. But it took decades to achieve. If Rick had read her emotions from the start, then there was no telling what else he was able to do. Kiara needed to know just how far he could push, but she couldn't teach him what he needed to know unless she was certain of his abilities.

Which was a convenient way for her to raise defenses. But that would be a concern for the future.

"You’re toying with her?" Rick smirked, eliciting giggles from the other maidens.

The Hound's face reddened as she spoke up, "He's not wrong, my Lady."

Kiara reached out to caress the Hound's ears, then trailed down to the base of her tail, the touch eliciting a soft moan from the maiden. "If you can't tell what she's feeling, then what can you feel that aren’t your own emotions?" she asked Rick, her fingers tracing the curves of the Hound's body, her other hand reached out to squeeze the plump modest breast.

Her plaything remained quiet, taking a trembling breath as she slowly opened her thighs for Kiara. The Hound's eyes flickered between the Succubus and Rick, her nervousness still present but with her now being in the Succubus' hands, she could more readily find comfort in surrendering to the older maiden’s guidance.

“Do you… want me to tell you exactly what I’m… sensing?” asked Rick, his tone carrying a warning edge.

Kiara paused, considering his words. "Even if you’re certain, even if it’s true, it's best to avoid telling someone how they feel," she advised. "If you must, phrase it in a vague manner, using questions, doubts, and thoughts."

"Do you want to fuck Eli?" he asked, causing the Hound's ears to perk up and her eyes to widen. She bit her lip, trying to suppress the eager wag of her tail, her eyes imploring for a response from her Lady.

"Speak softly," allowed Kiara, squeezing the woman's breast in open invitation.

The Hound nodded, swallowing the moan. "I-ah-am honored you remember me, my Lord," she said in a shy voice.

Rick coughed, his face reddening even further despite wearing the blindfold. "It would’ve been difficult to forget," he said, his cheeks dimpling charmingly. “Lots of firsts that night with… well, you know who.”

Kiara cooed approvingly, preening at the memory, rewarding the cute little mortal maiden with a soft touch. Her hand let go of the breast and traveled down to the woman's belly button, tickling her skin with her nails. "Keep going, Rick," she encouraged.

“I remember I asked my question.” He shifted in his seat, legs crossing as he struggled to keep his composure. Despite the blindfold covering his eyes, his focus was fixed on a distant point in the room.

It was the same general direction the leech was in.

Kiara sighed, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. "The answer to your question is quite apparent, don't you think? Focus. Can you sense anything else?" She stressed her inquiry by trailing her fingers down the Hound's thighs, tracing patterns that elicited the taste of arousal on her tongue, a tantalizing mix of pleasure and excitement.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as the other maidens became increasingly attentive, their gazes flicking between the Succubus and her meal, and the Lord of the city as he sat blindfolded. Their expressions were a tantalizing mix of curiosity and desire, as if they were savoring a forbidden fruit.

"It feels like the room’s getting hot," Rick remarked, his brow creased in thought.

“Is there anything about it you can’t pin down?”

“Yeah…” He nodded. “There’s this weird, vague notion that seems to be aimed at me. Not entirely sure it’s… sexual.”

Kiara paused in her teasing touches, taking a moment to observe the other maidens. They were perched on the edge of their seats, fingers twitching as they resisted the urge to touch something enticing. There was the zesty flavor of sexual anticipation, but she needed to push the mouth-watering taste aside and center herself on the other aspects.

"Gaze upon your Lord." Kiara's voice was a hushed whisper, her touch guiding Eli's head towards Rick. The taste of loyalty and gratitude, allspice, it filled the room and grew in intensity. "Do not look away." Kiara's words held a weight, pooling her energy in preparation. "Embrace that feeling."

The words were not just to Rick, but to the other maidens as well.

As her power spread, the first to react was Eli, her body stained by the Succubus’ power the longest of them all, making her the least able to resist. The maiden's cheeks flushed as she bit her lip, her body trembling. Her black tail wagged wildly, her breath through open mouthed pants, wide eyes gazing longingly at Rick, her eyes misty with desire, thighs squeezing tightly, goosebumps trailing through every inch of exposed naked skin.

The other maidens were equally affected, succumbing to the Succubus's power and falling under the spell of what, to them, was an awakening to a new kind of sexual desire. Coos of pleasure filled the air as the more uninhibited reached for their own bodies, the pungent scent of allspice and lemon-zest mixing and making Kiara's tongue sparkle as her own body lit up with sensation.

"What...?" Rick breathed deeply, trying to hide the bulge that had formed in his pants as he crossed his legs tighter. "You're doing something."

“I’m preparing my meal.” The Succubus declared in half truth, biting softly on Eli’s ear. “Tell the Lord what you feel.”

“I…” The maiden swallowed, voice shaking. Eli's words were a barely-whispered confession. "Lord Thorley took my sister… I swore I’d do anything to avenge her." Her hand reached out, a desperate attempt to touch Rick, but Kiara's grip was firm, preventing the touch.

Kiara lashed out, grasping the wrist in her iron grip. “No touching.” She spoke in a hushed breath, glancing at Rick. “Not unless the Lord does so first.”

Eli whimpered. “I’ll do anything.”

He shifted in his seat, grimacing.

Another maiden spoke up, fingers eagerly roaming over her own body. "My son was taken by the Vampires. I'll do anything for you, my Lord, anything."

The Succubus watched as their gratitude to Rick was twisted and distorted into a hunger for his body, his touch, and his attention. She wondered whether she should reinforce this new mix of emotions within her toys, but for now, she was content to savor the potent meal as it boiled.

"The bond goes both ways, Rick. Perhaps, on their own, none of them could make a difference for you…” Pressing herself against the Hound's naked back, Kiara squished her breasts against the naked flesh, savoring the sparks of sensation, lowering her voice to a whisper only meant for the blindfolded man before them, the target of the swelling heat that drowned the room. “But together… can you feel it now?"

Eli’s eyes were clouded with adoration as Kiara's tender kisses trailed down her neck, eliciting moans as the maiden continued to steadily sink into the miasma of lust. "I wish you had bonded with a psychic by now, she could help block things out. But this is the next best option," Kiara raised her victim’s face for Rick to look upon. "A place for positive and fun things to wash away the bad. A place of comfort."

He removed his blindfold, face flush. Deep brown eyes locked onto Kiara’s. The Succubus licked the Hound’s cheek, trailing fingers down to the source of the maiden’s desire, a slickened touch urging her to hump against her hand, thighs spreading wide and revealing the eagerness for him.

For them.

The scent of arousal was thick in the air, tangy and mouth watering.

“What do you say, Rick?”

There was apprehension in the deep brown eyes, the same kind one held when looking at a blade. It was understanding who she was, what she was.

Surely now he knew what she could do, what she could turn others into.

How she could take the mightiest of monsters and leave them whimpering, kneeling, and begging. How her bed was a trap that would render any that would enter it defenseless to her powers. How she could become the key to the heart of the city, and the lock to chain them to his whims.

Suddenly the world felt distant. His emotions were laid bare for her to taste. There she was, offering him her own impossible things, the forbidden desire, the apple syrup that played through the human’s thoughts like an oily slick stain.

Rick shifted in his seat, and the room became quiet.

He breathed with a dry throat, coughing once.

And… the emotion was gone, turned into a whirlwind of conflicting things that spun too quickly for Kiara to savor, let alone understand. He forced himself to stand up. “I… need some air.”

Without another word, he stood and left, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

Lust addled confusion twinged with disappointment swept across the room.

Kiara let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her shoulders relaxing as she released Eli from her touch.

Ignoring the wave of relief, not wanting to put words as to why she felt it, she scanned the room. “Amuse yourselves.” At her command, the other maidens eagerly pounced on one another, their desires now fully unleashed.

Turning, Kiara stepped out of the room, following the trail and hurrying along, finding her man outside. Rick was leaning against the wall, panting hard and trying to conceal his arousal as he was fighting to clear his head. He noticed her approach before she made a sound. “Look, this…”

Moving before he could make an excuse, enjoying the soft caress of the cool night air against her naked skin, she turned him around and pinned his back against the wall. His breath caught in his throat, deep brown eyes wide and looking into her own.

She didn’t want to know what her own eyes betrayed.

“Kiara-” He swallowed, speaking her name with emotion thick enough to send delicious shivers through her. “Someone might see.” A paltry excuse neither of them cared for right now, there was something heavy in the air and they could not escape it.

"Don't worry," she whispered, her lips brushing his cheek. "Let them see a Lady taking care of her Lord… as she should."

Rick looked at her with a mixture of confusion and lust, and Kiara couldn't help but smile apologetically. "I didn't expect you to react the way you did," she said, unfastening his pants with one hand, freeing his hard member into the cool night air. "But I'll take responsibility for your… rocket."

She gave him a cocky grin, the sound of his laughter one she realized he didn’t make often. "I'm not even sure what you were trying to teach me," Rick said, gritting his teeth as she reached out and teased at the rod of flesh with a single digit.

"To have the power of an empath means to become vulnerable to the feelings of those closest to you," Kiara explained, caressing his cheek and neck as she used the other hand to squeeze his hardness, barely able to wrap her fingers all the way around. "It can be a powerful tool, but it also leaves you open to others' emotions. It's a delicate balance."

He groaned, another sound she wanted to hear more of.

“Personal experience?”

She looked at Rick, her fingers still tracing over his body, and wondered if she could coax him into taking her right then and there. “Yes.” Perhaps the mortal had had too long of a day already, this was meant as an apology after all.

Kiara leaned close, nibbling at his ear as she whispered, "It is easier to surround yourself with the emotions you wish to feel than to fight against them." She squeezed again, and began to stroke. Slow and long, drawing a hitched breath from him and a silent, wordless barely audible squeak from the darkness a few meters away.

Her lips curled, though she did not acknowledge the presence of the shadow-cloaked leech. "Show me you like it." She squeezed, quickening her pace, drawing a grunt from him, feeling his trembling breath against her ear.

Rick’s hand reached out with urgency, drawing her into a kiss, locked into a fight of tongue and lips that was devoid of rhyme or reason, only raw desire. He pulsed under her touch, throbbing for her, hips joining in the motion as he was pushed further and further up the metaphorical wall.

"Tell me what you want," she commanded, caressing his hair, neck, chin, and lips. “Tell me where you want it.”

Rick growled in response, his fingers digging into her naked skin. "Mouth," he panted, barely able to utter the word.

Her fingers tightened, cutting off his release. “Not yet.” She didn’t miss a beat, breaking away and lowering herself to her knees, releasing him only once her mouth had taken their place.

Kiara took him in, swallowing all of him and plunging deeper, allowing his maleness to stretch her throat. With his hands guiding her head, he thrust into her with relentless abandon, release soon to follow. Her powers pulsed outwards, seeking the occupants of the house, and the leech.

Inside the building, the orgy of frenzied maidens instantly exploded with blissful creamy ecstasy, their own energy bursting like geysers, ripe for the taking. From the shadows, the Fledgling whimpered, muffling the sound under her own clothes as the maiden sought her own touch for satiation. And from Rick, he moaned, going still, burying her face against his crotch as he exploded, pouring his satisfaction directly into her stomach.

The Succubus took it, relished in it, tail lashing in satisfaction, uncaring for the lack of air as she savored the emotion tinged power floating all around her.

From the house, the rich fulfillment of warm bread with touches of zealot ginger and caramel.

From the shadows, the honeyed satisfaction with overtones of sharp tangy citric embarrassment and guilt.

And from Rick, a crystalline refreshing wave of relief that washed over her like spring water after crossing a blazing desert, carrying that personal telltale touch of cinnamon.

The flavors mixed together, creating a heady, dizzying experience that lingered with an aftertaste on her tongue.

Kiara licked her lips, this was more like it.

"I... Have a question, about the ones inside." Rick whispered through ragged breaths.

She perked up, smiling. "I'm sure they'd be open for a more... Personal experience next time..."

"No, not that." He shook his head quickly. "I was wondering if any of them know how to read."

The Succubus growled.