How to [Not] Outcharm a Succubus 3
Mom and Adeĺ were still in the kitchen when I burst in. Adeĺ gleefully devoured a slice of Mom's mascarpone cake, adorned with an array of colorful jams. She purred in delight, her crimson eyes shining, wings fluttering softly, tail contentedly swishing.
«Mo-om?» I started in an innocent tone. «About Adeĺ's purpose… Do we have to figure it out here? I mean, could we maybe do it somewhere, like… on the beach?»
Adeĺ's eyes sparkled. Mom chuckled.
«Well, I don't mind you showing Adeĺ around the city, but… Are you sure you want to introduce her to your boyfriends?»
«Friends, Mom! And why not? She can hide her wings and tail, can't she?»
Most demons can. In fact, demons aren't allowed to use their flying or battle forms in the human world.
Adeĺ nodded enthusiastically. Mom sighed.
«That's not exactly my concern,» she said. «You see, succubi are pretty much like witches. Even the stories humans tell about succubi aren't that far apart from the tales demons spin about witches.»
«… What tales?» I furrowed, glancing at Adeĺ.
The demon girl perked up, eyes gleaming with curiosity. «They say witches often kidnap demon men for their orgies! Is it true?»
«What?! Of course not!» I objected, turning to my mom for affirmation.
Mom smiled warmly at Adeĺ.
«Of course it's not true, dear. Not often anyway… And sabbaths aren't orgies… Mostly.» She looked at me then. «Yes, those tales. But if you think it's fine, then sure, go ahead.»
«Em-m… O… Okay.»
Confused by Mom's cryptic advice but not wanting to keep the boys waiting, I brushed it aside, nodding to Adeĺ. She closed her eyes, the space around her shimmered briefly like water ripples. As the distortion settled, Adeĺ's wings and tail had vanished. She looked almost like a human teenager now, even her crimson eyes turned as black as her horns. Those horns though, were still jutting from her hair…
«Em-m… And the horns?» I asked, pointing at Adeĺ's head.
«It's fine,» Mom reassured. «Humans never notice such minor things. They generally see only what they expect to.»
Hm… I had heard that non-magical folk often didn't notice magical things. Or if they did, they'd promptly forget… Well, at worst, her horns may pass off as some quirky accessory.
Wasting no time I pulled Adeĺ back to my room to find some beach-appropriate clothes. Luckily, I had a habit of buying the same thing in multiple colors, unable to settle on just one. I chose us neon fishnet tops with long sleeves and denim short shorts over bright string bikinis, completing our look with strappy sandals on platform. Once downstairs, I packed towels, sunscreen and other stuff in a beach bag. As we prepared to leave, Adeĺ skipping ahead excitedly, Mom called out to me.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
«Lada, about your boyfriends…»
«Friends, Mom!» I rolled my eyes.
«Sure-sure… Just don't let Adeĺ steal the spotlight, and they will be fine.»
And again, I didn't understand what she meant. What spotlight? But, as Adeĺ was about to dash away without me…
«Okay, Mom,» I hurriedly gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and darted after the succubus.
Adeĺ bubbled with excitement at the entrance.
«I've never been on a date before!» her (now black) eyes sparkled with anticipation.
«Easy there, it's not a date,» I tried to rein in her enthusiasm. «I'm just hanging out with friends. And you're only coming because I can't leave you alone. Got it?»
Her mood barely wavered. She nodded, beaming like a lighthouse, causing me to roll my eyes as I nudged her towards the door. Upon seeing us, the boys' curious gazes focused on Adeĺ.
«Stas, Roman, this is Adeĺ,» I introduced. «A cousin from… a distant region. Thought I'd show her around and…»
Before I could finish, Adeĺ, perhaps overwhelmed by the sight of two handsome boys, leapt at Roman, hanging on his neck, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips, immediately doing the same to a stunned Stas.
«Happy to meet you!» she chirped, just as I yanked her back by her shorts' waistband.
Roman managed a bewildered "Wow…", while Stas just frowned in astonishment.
I groaned internally, realizing what Mom might've meant by Adeĺ "stealing the spotlight". Except… it wouldn't work on these two. Just throwing yourself on them won't earn you any points. Ask their fangirls.
The boys burst into laughter.
«Was that some countryside greeting?» Roman joked, regaining his composure.
«I must've missed that lesson in ethnography class,» Stas played along.
«E-e… Y-yea, right!» I stammered, nudging Adeĺ behind me. «It's the traditional greeting of our ancestors.»
To prove my point I stepped up and mirrored Adeĺ, planting quick kisses on both Roman's and Stas's lips, much to their amusement.
«See? Nothing special,» I shrugged, my heart racing, head spinning. «Y-you get used to it over time.»
«I wouldn't mind,» Roman shot me a grin.
«An intriguing tradition,» Stas said. «Nice to meet you, Adeĺ.»
Adeĺ's eyes shone with admiration – the boys had gained another fan.
We went towards the scooters.
«Can you ride?» I asked Adeĺ when we approached.
«I've ridden my wyvern at home!» she bragged.
Stas's eyebrow raised. «Wyvern?»
«A horse's name!» I hurried to explain. «Super fast, but snappish.»
Definitely not a dragon or something.
«Cool name,» Roman approved. «Let's name our scooters too!»
Stas winced at the suggestion. «O, please no. That's just cringe.»
I liked it though. «I know, I know! "Star" and "Flower"!» I pointed at the purple and the creamy scooters respectively.
Roman snorted. «No, they need epic names, like… "Erebus" and "Aether", for instance!»
Stas rolled his eyes. «Who's going to use those names? Just call them "Plum" and "Vanilla" and let's move already.»
I chuckled. «Someone's just hungry, isn't he?»
After tossing around more funny names, we gave up, unable to settle on any. Meanwhile, Adeĺ took fancy of the purple scooter (which was Roman's), circling around and treating it like a pet. This left me with Stas and his creamy one.
The scooters purred to life as we set off, buzzing through the streets like a pair of bumblebees. With every twist and turn, Adeĺ squealed with laughter, drawing the attention of pedestrians and prompting drivers to honk. She waved back, a beacon of joy, spreading her infectious delight to everyone around.
«Your cousin's quite a charmer,» Stas shouted over the wind.
«You have no idea,» I shouted back.
As we neared the river, the hilly streets of the right bank gave way to the view of the islands, stretched out below, and the distant left bank, shining in the morning light. The sight was always breathtaking, but seeing Adeĺ's awe made it even more enchanting.
To be continued…