v2 CHAPTER NINETEEN: (18+) In which semi-public intimacy on rooftops and in alleyways both maintains and transfigures.

Susan knew Una too well, knew her expressions. She reached out and took the demoness by the horns, literally, running her palms along the curve of them; her thumbs massaged Una’s temples with soothing motions as Una melted into Susan’s touch.

“Look at me. Look me in the eyes, Micki.” Susan’s use of her other name, addressing the half of her that was very much not an ancient, immortal demon, felt deliberate and sincere. Una obliged her request and gazed into Susan’s brown eyes as her assistant continued. “You know I’m devoted to you—you own me in ways that transcend moral existence.”

Susan’s eyes swam with flecks of gold, and for a moment Una thought they might glow again, but they only reflected the lambert light of the fading sun. “I vowed to serve by your side forever, mistress. I meant it then and I mean it now. My soul is yours.” Susan’s words rang inside Una like the clapper of a bell, and she felt her own soul resounding with the truth of it.

“I accept your vow—your submission—with pride and love. And I understand what you’re saying now—any pair needs space sometimes.” Una spoke haltingly; it felt good to acknowledge Susan’s needs alongside her own. “But… please remember: my devotion is just as total.”

Una swallowed as she added: “I belong to you too.” She felt Susan’s thumb trace its way around the sharp curve of her horn, and she shivered with pleasure as it sent electric sparks along her spine. Susan’s gaze grew fierce; Una saw something akin to triumph in her eyes, mixed with tenderness and adoration. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she replied, and the words rang into eternity like a clarion call. They leaned together again for another kiss, slow and passionate this time. Una wrapped her arms around Susan and felt their bodies press together. Their tongues entwined with slow deliberation. The sunset glow washed over them both as their hearts beat in rhythm.

“Now,” said Susan, “if you’re serious about working hard… I can think of something you could do for me.”

Una grinned wolfishly. “Make a wish.”

“Do you remember that time… in the church gallery?”

Una’s eyes widened. She was hardly likely to forget the day the bigoted followers of Mastema had assaulted St. Andrew’s Church. In the gallery above the nave, she and Susan had consummated a sexual ritual. Their passionate fornication had empowered Yael’s seduction spell, incapacitating the first wave of invaders.

“Wait, do you still have…”

It was Susan’s turn to grin. “The double-headed dildo? Sure, it’s downstairs. But that’s not what I was thinking.” She leaned forward to whisper in Una’s ear and slipped her hand gently around her tail at the same time.

***

Maria ran the back of her hand across her brow and let out a whistling sigh as she stepped outside of the community center. The weather was muggy and sweaty today, and just cooling off now that evening had arrived. Maria wished she’d brought a water bottle with her. She descended the concrete steps onto the sidewalk, raised a hand to her forehead, and scratched at the small nubs there. They itched a little. Maria wondered if they were growing, and what that might mean.

What if she became a succubus, like Micki had? That might not be so bad, she thought. Especially the wings. Still, she reminded herself that there were probably strings attached. Maybe she’d turn red and grow hooves like Una, or lose her humanity altogether, roaming the night hungry for sex, draining the seed from helpless men.

Maria tilted her head, smirking. I guess I already roam around like that some nights, but it’s not like I’m forced to… wait, do succubae have to have sex occasionally, like vampires? Or do they seduce mortals for fun and to power up? Hmm. I think succubae are a little more like cats than vampires. But what do I even mean by that? Do cats fuck a lot?

Maria walked towards the corner store, skipping occasionally and pulling at the suspenders that held up her navy-blue skirt. She didn’t know enough about demons or succubae to figure any of this out now; she’d have to ask Susan. First things first, as usual: she had another shopping list, her third of the day, of various personal necessities and nice-to-haves for the refugees.

Reem had shyly asked her to pick up some hair products for “textured hair,” which Maria understood meant kinky curls; Yevgeny wanted some children’s books to read to Niamh. Uh-oh, she thought, do I have time to get all of this at different stores? I waited too long!

The refugees had settled in fairly well since the night before, when Bill had dropped them off at the community center. Maria had suggested he find somewhere to park the bus and come inside. If she was being honest with herself, she’d been hoping he’d spend more time inside her pants, too. But the bus driver had demurred, claiming he was queasy and had to get home.

John Hayes, looking frazzled, had emerged from the community center with an older black woman. She introduced herself as Letitia Phillips—the director who ran the place. Over time, Maria grasped that Bleecker Street Haven and Community Commons was not an ordinary recreation center. They’d allowed the Catholic priests from St. Andrews, such as John and the former Father Michael, to hold services there when their church was closed. No publicly run center could do that. The center had ordinary neighborhood programs like a reading hour for kids, art classes for seniors and a small gymnasium for basketball—but the Haven’s services went further.

Mrs. Phillips, or just “ma’am” as her staff and volunteers seemed to call her, was prepared for emergencies. The Haven had been home to hospice patients during the AIDS crisis of the 80s, a shelter and educational programs for teens kicked out of home starting in the 90s. Over the years, Mrs. Phillips explained, they’d started and stopped other ambitious programs: substance abuse counseling, therapy groups, and a crisis center for trafficked women. A group of eight or nine supernatural beings fleeing persecution seemed like a natural next challenge to her.

They’d all slept in the gym the previous night, with Maria slipping out to her Battery Park City apartment for a change of clothes. The next day involved setting up proper living quarters. Meeting rooms and extra storage rooms were repurposed, a small library became a book-lined bedroom, and community events were moved or postponed.

This was Maria’s fourth shopping trip to get necessities, counting picking up the pizzas last night (“Delivery? For their first New York pizza?!” she’d insisted to John. “I’m going to John’s Famous Thin Slice to pick some up, fresh!”)

She paused at the corner, considering. The specialty items might have to wait until tomorrow—the entire day had gone by in a flash! I can just get some soap, stuff for breakfast… that little furry domovoi creature seems to be happier if we cook in the kitchen. He’s so cute! Or she. Or… something.

“Hey mami,” a voice called, “Damn, girl. You’re looking fine.” She looked around. A guy in a white-ribbed tank top and a thin goatee was pursing his lips at her from across the street.

“Thanks!” She waved and smiled. “You look nice too!” Well, kinda basic, she thought, and a little too much hair product. But he does look like he hits the gym.

Her response—maybe any response at all, she realized—caught his interest, and he sauntered across the street with a gleam in his eye. He was shorter than Maria but stocky, with lean biceps and forearms corded with muscle. Maria guessed he might be Dominican or Puerto Rican—and maybe mid-20s?

The man stopped before her and appraised her. She knew what he was looking at: her ample bosom pressed tightly against her scoop-neck shirt; her shapely hips and waist; her bare brown legs peeking out from under her navy skirt. She didn’t mind, as long as he stayed respectful.

He lifted his chin, gesturing at her. “Where you going tonight, looking like that?” His tone was cocky but friendly enough, and Maria shrugged noncommittally. “Wanna get a drink?”

She bit her lip, feigning reluctance. “Well, I’m supposed to be running errands to help some friends out…” She looked into his eyes; they were hazel with flecks of gold. He smelled faintly of sweat and musk—maybe he’d just been working out.

He saw her looking and flexed his arm. “Girl like you; you shouldn’t be hanging around these streets by yourself. Could be dangerous at night.” Maria blushed; his confidence was appealing in its own way. “I’m Cesar. Want me to help you out? I can… carry your things.” He winked at her.

She pretended to consider this offer: “Cesar, is it? I’m Maria. Hmmm…” Maria bit her lip again and stepped towards him, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Maybe we can just walk into the alleyway here…” She tilted her head towards a gap between two buildings behind her, with garbage bins visible against the brick walls.

His eyebrows shot up; Maria stifled a giggle at his shock. “Are you man enough for that, Cesar? I figured we could, you know… cut to the chase?” She batted her eyelashes at him; his jaw dropped as he nodded wordlessly and let her take him by the hand. Maria led him towards the gap between the buildings; his shoes scraped on the sidewalk as he nearly stumbled onto the sidewalk.

Maria leaned against the brick wall, just out of view of the street, and brushed her hair behind one shoulder with a hand. “What are you waiting for, Cesar? You want this, right?” She felt swept away by her own desire, caught by the moment she’d chosen and the man she’d pulled with her.

Cesar gulped audibly and unbuttoned his shorts with one hand. Maria gasped when his erect penis sprung free. She liked its look: thick and reddish-purple, uncircumcised but cleanly groomed, with a thatch of curly black hair around its base.

She tried to look calm and collected as she hiked up her skirt; that was tricky given her pounding heart and the tight fabric. Maria hooked one thumb under the elastic waistband of her bikini panties and slid them down just enough to expose herself; Cesar let out a moan when he saw her pink folds glistening with wetness.

He stroked himself once with his right hand as he fumbled for his wallet with his left—pulling out a condom that he unrolled along his length in moments. Prepared and careful with a stranger, she thought. Not bad. Cesar approached her hesitantly, keeping his eyes fixed on hers as he gripped her bare hips in his hands; Maria smiled reassuringly and widened her stance slightly to invite him closer.

He rubbed himself against her outer lips, those tender places she hadn’t known just a few months before and had been enjoying to the fullest ever since. Maria bit her lip again to suppress a groan, then closed her eyes as Cesar pressed inside her, slowly but firmly.

He bottomed out quickly. She could feel his entire length filling her as he rocked his hips forward gently; she opened her eyes again and saw him smiling up at her, pleased with himself and eager to continue. Maria grinned back and tightened her vaginal muscles around him experimentally. Cesar sucked in a breath as she did so, his eyes widening again with surprise. Maria repeated the motion, squeezing hard again around his rigidity.

She loved gripping cocks that way, with a motion that reminded her of her old body, the spasms of ejaculation. Instead, she now enjoyed teasing with her internal muscles, using her power to engulf and envelop. “Welcome home,” she murmured, without quite knowing what she meant. Cesar groaned again and increased his pace slightly; Maria met his thrusts with some of her own, sliding along the brick wall and reveling in the friction against her bare backside. Gotta get more leverage somehow, she thought. I want to—unnhhh—I want to smash him good.

Maria hooked one leg around Cesar’s buttocks and pushed with her arms, lifting herself off the wall. He took advantage of her sudden lunge forward to pound harder into her cunt. Maria cried out; she couldn’t help it—his cock struck deep inside her with each thrust now, sending electric pulses along her spine as her toes curled inside her pumps.

Maria reached for his butt, pulling against him so that she could buck her hips upward each time he entered her. Cesar responded by pressing her more firmly against the wall; Maria heard old mortar crumbling and falling earthwards as she ground her clitoris against his pelvic bone with each thrust.

Maria lost track of time as they rutted in the alleyway; seconds stretched into minutes as Cesar slammed into her mercilessly. She returned his blows as best she could. Damn, this boy has stamina… I’m going to… oh wow. She felt an orgasm building; the friction of his strokes had shifted, rubbing against something sensitive deep inside her passage.

Maria clenched hard around him reflexively, then felt a shudder run through Cesar’s body before he slowed his pace and cried out: “Fuck! Holy fuck, goddamn it!”

Maria giggled, but then moaned herself as Cesar increased his pace again. She wrapped both legs around him as he resumed pounding into her core with wild abandon, then arched her back and squeezed her eyes shut. I can’t take much more of this—I’m pulverized, she thought. Then it washed over her, like an ocean wave—her climax rippled through her body from head to toe as Cesar cried out again: “Ahhhh fuck! Mariaaaaaaa!”

His last thrust buried him fully inside her; he grunted and pulsed with each jet of hot fluid within the condom—she could feel each throb along his length with excruciating intensity. Cesar sagged against her as his erection subsided; Maria unwrapped her legs from around him and planted her feet on the ground as she felt his softened member slide out of her passage with a faint slurping sound.

She felt a strange sensation running through her. Aftershocks of orgasm, yes… but something else, too. Something unfamiliar—she reached up and felt at her forehead, at those little bumps. Something else was nagging at her, like a thirst. Cesar was on his knees, still panting. She placed a hand on his forehead. “Cesar,” she mumbled, “I think… something weird is happening.”

Cesar looked up at her; his hazel eyes were dazed but attentive. “Uh-huh?” He panted: “You ok?”

She stiffened and shook her head with a snap. “No—something is definitely wrong with me.” Maria blinked hard as she realized she could feel him thinking—could hear his feelings, at least. He was dazed with lust, but underneath that his mind felt curious, comparing her to his ex-girlfriend, to his fantasy girls online…

Maria grabbed his hair with one hand. Her eyes crossed, and she felt as if her pupils were growing wider. She didn’t notice Cesar yelp as she drew in his energy.

***

“Like this?” Una, her ass exposed to the evening air, slid her tail between her legs and let it emerge in front of her. So much for modesty, she thought. Sorry, Father Michael! We’re fully succubated now. She and Susan were curled up together in a somewhat secluded corner of the rooftop, where an old couch sat under a tarp and over a threadbare carpet.

“Yes,” said Susan, running her fingertips tantalizingly along the length of Una’s dark and sinuous tail. Una tried not to squirm, and let a shiver run down her spine instead. “Let me help you… I want you to run your tail between your labia, like this.” She guided Una’s tail forward along her vulva, towards her clitoris and gliding over her inner folds. Una felt herself moisten instantly; Susan giggled softly. “Feels good, right?”

Una closed her eyes and slid her tail back and forth, rubbing it against her needy cunt. The feeling was doubled, wet strokes affecting her sensitive tail and pussy simultaneously. If she angled it exactly right—ah, there!—she could hit her joy button perfectly every time; Una whimpered softly as she increased the pace of her tail-work.

“Hey, don’t go too far without me,” Susan chided, sliding her own shorts off to reveal her neatly trimmed pussy. She was already damp with arousal from watching Una pleasure herself. Susan parted her outer lips with one hand and pressed the tip of Una’s tail into her center. She hissed softly as Una penetrated her—Susan was tighter than usual, and the head of the tail was rounded, widened a bit like a Christmas tree light.

“Fuck, that’s good,” Susan moaned. “Now we just have to get closer.” Susan was at the tip end of Una’s tail, and Una was grinding along its length further down, closer to where the base of her tail sprouted from her backside. Una wiggled herself towards Susan—they both groaned as Una’s tail reached the depths of Susan’s pelvis. Una curled it upward and let Susan grind against the narrowest part, then slid herself along the thickness, trying to keep her tail nestled between her own folds.

Susan moved her legs, wrapping them around Una’s torso. Now their vulvas were nearly touching, with Una’s tail sliding up her lips and plunging into Susan’s entrance. Susan bounced experimentally, sliding herself up and down with beautiful friction that moved the tail against Una’s clit and lips.

“Oh wow,” Una cried out. “Oh, Susan…” Una thrust her tail gently into her lover, mimicking Susan’s motion and impaling Susan gently while Susan rode her.

“This… is awesome,” Susan gasped. “This is what I wanted. Better than a double-headed dildo, right? Your tail control has gotten… really good, babe.”

Una grinned with pride. “Thanks—I picked up some pointers while I was caged up.”

The motions were still tricky. Una didn’t want to let her tail slide out of Susan completely, but she had to angle it carefully so that she could stimulate herself, too. The two lovers executed a balancing act as they continued rocking together on the couch.

“All right… best part is, now that we’re balanced…” Susan splayed her fingers. “I can still bring my hands into play.” She reached down and stroked Una’s vulva, easing her fingers around the slowly pulsating tail. Susan’s touch was direct and focused on Una’s clit as she pinched it lightly between two fingers. Una jerked forward as Susan applied more pressure and flicked at it rapidly with one fingertip.

Una arched her back and pressed herself towards Susan, letting Susan stimulate her and pressing the end of her tail into Susan at the same time. Susan slid Una’s slick moisture up towards her clit. She rubbed it on and around the demoness’s delicate bud before stroking it directly again with rapid motions. Una reeled with pleasure.

Susan took her glasses off, perching them carefully on the back of the couch, and licked her fingers.

“Oh, mistress… you taste like heaven,” she purred as she leaned forward, still impaling herself on Una’s tail-tip. She pinched one of Una’s dark nipples between her fingers. Una arched again; Susan rolled the fat nipple between her fingertips while still focusing on Una’s clit with the other hand.

“Susan…” Una felt an orgasm building, waves of pleasure cascading along her spine. “Not yet… I want to…” Una bucked upwards; Susan released Una’s nipple and steadied herself on Una’s tail so that she wouldn’t slip out accidentally.

“Yes, mistress? You want to…” Susan’s smile was dark, knowing. She pinched Una’s clit again with one hand and gripped Una’s horn with the other as she whispered into Una’s ear: “You want to cum all over your angel slut?”

The thought was intoxicating; Una cried out: “Yes!” Susan resumed flicking Una’s clit as she let the tail plunge deeply into her slit—now Una was slamming it harder, getting excited. Susan moaned, her voice rising and falling raggedly.

“And I want your cries, your screams,” Una said, raking her fingernails across Susan’s ass and feeling Susan tense in response. “I want to bathe you in my juices… make you beg for my essence.” They ground against each other, frantically bucking against and around Una’s tail, sliding fingers and nails across tender flesh.

Susan arched her back. “Please, mistress… fill me up!” Una slid her tail as far as she could into Susan, feeling its pliable length compress into a thick, meaty tendril that stretched Susan’s depths deliciously. The outer section of her tail accordioned into ridges, flicking across Una’s hood and clit with exquisite friction.

Susan tensed, her neck muscles bulging visibly. She tossed her head back, letting her hair whip across the open expanse of the reddened sky. “Fuck, my goddess… yes! Give it to me! Ahhhhh!” Una felt Susan clench around her tail; she slammed it along Susan’s inner walls one final time and let out her own cry: “Ohhh hellll!”

Susan convulsed; Una felt herself explode into bliss as they ground against each other: waves of ecstasy rolling over both of them until they could breathe again. Susan sagged onto Una’s chest; Una withdrew her tail carefully and held Susan tenderly against her bosom, their naked skin glistening with sweat. The couch, their legs and bellies, even the carpet was slick with fluids. Susan’s arousal, mixed with Una’s honey, had gushed copiously out of their lovemaking.

Susan recovered first. She rose unsteadily and sat upright next to Una on the couch; they curled against each other comfortably as their heartbeats returned to normal. Suddenly, Una looked up, as if she’d smelled something strange. She turned to look south, past the rooftops and water towers, towards the heart of the city.

“What is it?” Susan asked, her voice husky.

Una pointed southward with one finger. “There’s something… I’m not sure, but I think something just happened.”