The walkway opened onto a pristine beach where turquoise waves lapped at pale sand. Palm-like trees with violet fronds swayed overhead, casting dancing shadows across a cluster of wooden buildings that hugged the shoreline. A painted sign announced “Blue Lagoon Resort” in flowing script.

  Several Malani lounged near the water’s edge—their horned silhouettes and tailed forms creating an uncanny mirror of our own group. One pale pink couple walked hand in hand toward the main building. A deep red individual stretched beneath a tree, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of sleep.

  “This looks perfect.” Aria bounced forward, her feet leaving prints in the sand. “I can already feel the stress melting away.”

  Faith stopped at the edge of the beach, her tail curling uncertainly. “Wait. About money.”

  I turned to face her. “What do you mean?”

  “We didn’t bring any local currency.” Faith gestured toward the resort. “Unless they accept pounds or those strange coins you use in Hell—”

  “Soul coins,” Isabella supplied.

  “Right, those.” Faith’s brow furrowed. “How exactly do we plan on paying for accommodation?”

  Before I could formulate a response, Aria laughed. “We’re succubi. Isn’t it obvious? We just need to find someone with deep pockets.”

  Faith’s expression went blank for a heartbeat. “I’m only half, and what do you mean by someone with—” She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as comprehension struck.

  Silence stretched between us, broken only by distant waves and wind through alien vegetation.

  “I’m not selling myself out.” Faith’s gaze locked onto mine, her posture straightening. The way she looked at me felt less like seeking support and more like asking a question she didn’t want answered.

  Heat flooded my cheeks. Shame crashed over me with unexpected force—that familiar ghost I’d buried months ago returning doubled in intensity. My throat tightened.

  “It’s… it’s the optimal approach for our species.” The words came out clinical, analytical. Safe. “Succubi require life energy to survive, and mortals value sexual experiences highly enough to compensate for them financially. The convergence of biological necessity and economic opportunity creates—”

  “What Lily means,” Aria cut in smoothly, “is that we get to have fun and get compensated on top of it. Mortals are so silly about the whole thing. They pay us and don’t even realize they’re the ones being used for pleasure and food.”

  Isabella’s lips curved slightly. The small smirk transformed her usually composed features.

  She crossed the distance to Faith, stopping just within arm’s reach. “If you want, you can wait for us at the resort. But you should know—” Isabella’s tone remained matter-of-fact, neither pressuring nor dismissive. “—it would serve you well to experience this part of our existence sooner rather than later. Your succubus half won’t wait forever.”

  Faith’s jaw tightened.

  “Better to ease into it at your own pace,” Isabella continued, “before the hunger shows up and makes that choice for you. Besides, Lily and Aria are both correct. We need to feed anyway. Why not benefit from the transaction?”

  “I know I can’t wait forever.” Irritation coloured Faith’s voice—sharper than I’d expected. She looked away, her gaze fixing on the distant horizon where sky met sea. “It’s not like mortals don’t have casual sex or exchange it for money. People have done that since the beginning of civilization.”

  She paused, her fingers flexing at her sides.

  “But I was never like that. Sex was always more…” Her eyes found mine again, holding steady. “Special. Meaningful.”

  The weight of those words settled between us. Memories of our shared past—of Liam and Faith—pressed close.

  “It still can be special,” I said quietly.

  “Can it?” Faith’s expression shifted, vulnerability bleeding through her defensive posture. “Because it feels like—”

  I knew what she couldn’t articulate. The dissonance between what succubi were and what she’d believed intimacy should be. The gap between mortal values and demonic nature. But finding words to bridge that distance proved impossible.

  “It’s not that simple,” I finally said. “You’d have to experience it first to understand. It’s like trying to explain vision to someone who’s never seen. Describing colors in terms of temperature or texture.”

  Faith’s shoulders dropped slightly.

  “You’ll have to trust me on that,” I finished.

  “I trust you.” The response came immediately, automatic. Then Faith’s gaze drifted back toward the resort, her tail swishing once behind her. “But I’ll still pass on participating. It would feel too weird watching my former ex-boyfriend turned ex-girlfriend seducing random strangers. Not to mention participating in it myself.”

  The phrasing landed awkwardly in the space between us—an acknowledgment of everything that had changed and everything that remained uncomfortably the same.

  “That’s fine.” I kept my voice steady despite the complicated knot of emotions tangling in my chest. “We’ll handle the accommodations and money. You can explore the beach or the resort grounds.”

  Faith nodded without meeting my eyes.

  The four of us stood there for a moment, the cheerful atmosphere from earlier completely evaporated. Waves crashed against the shore behind us. Somewhere nearby, I could hear laughter—other tourists enjoying their vacation without complicated relationship dynamics weighing them down.

  “Right.” Aria broke the silence. “Let’s get this sorted then. Isabella, you coming?”

  “Of course.” Isabella released Faith’s shoulder. “Someone needs to ensure you actually select someone with real money.”

  I caught Faith’s expression before she turned away—relief mixed with something that might have been sadness or regret or both.

  Maybe this vacation week wasn’t as good of an idea as I initially thought.

  * * *

  “Go on,” Faith said, gesturing toward where Aria and Isabella had already started down the beach. “Your friends are waiting.”

  I hesitated, watching the two figures grow smaller against the turquoise water. The purple-tinged sky cast strange shadows across the sand.

  “I’m fine staying here,” I said.

  Faith’s tail swished once. “You don’t need to babysit me, Lily.”

  “I’m not babysitting anyone.”

  “Really?” She turned to face me properly. “Because it feels like you’re worried I’ll fall apart if left alone for five minutes.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The accusation stung more than it should have. “That’s not—”

  “I ruined the mood.” Faith’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Everyone was excited, and I made it weird.”

  I considered denying it entirely, then thought better of it. “Maybe a little,” I admitted.

  A ghost of a smile crossed Faith’s face.

  “But this is my life now,” I continued, gesturing vaguely at the alien landscape surrounding us. “Dimensional travel. Adventures with friends. Complications about feeding and money and how we survive in mortal realms.” I met her eyes. “You being uncomfortable with parts of it doesn’t ruin anything.”

  Faith leaned against a nearby palm-like tree with blue fronds. The wood groaned slightly under her weight. “It’s just harder than I expected,” she said quietly. “Adjusting to everything.”

  “I know.”

  We stood in silence for a moment. Waves crashed somewhere below the cliff. I could hear distant voices—probably other tourists speaking languages the demonic gift let me understand automatically.

  “I need to tell you something,” Faith said abruptly.

  My tail stilled behind me. “What is it?”

  “It’s not just blood anymore.” The words came out rushed, like she’d been holding them back. “The hunger, I mean.”

  A knot formed in my stomach. “When did this start?”

  “About a week ago.” Faith’s fingers traced patterns in the bark. “I was walking past one of the servants in the palace corridor. Young guy, maybe twenty. And I felt it—that pull. Like in the club, but without all the atmosphere and sexual tension.”

  She paused, her jaw working.

  “It wasn’t as strong,” she continued. “But it was there. This awareness of his energy, his life force. Part of me wanted to…” She trailed off.

  “What happened?”

  “I went straight to the kitchens and drank blood until the feeling went away.” Faith looked at me directly. “It helped. The hunger subsided after I fed.”

  I processed this carefully. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “Because you have enough to worry about.” Her voice carried an edge of defensiveness. “Your mother handling a plague outbreak. Academy politics. And it’s not like it’s happening that often.”

  “Faith—”

  “I can manage it with blood,” she insisted. “It’s fine.”

  “For how long?”

  The question hung between us. Faith’s expression shifted, vulnerability bleeding through her defensive posture.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted quietly. “It’s happening more frequently. Each time I need more blood to make the feeling go away.” Her fingers curled against the tree bark. “But I don’t want to lose that part of myself. Sex was supposed to be special. It always was.”

  I moved closer, choosing my words carefully. “It still can be special. But you need to stop treating it like something sacred that can only exist in one form.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s a difference between having a meal and sharing one with someone you care about.” I gestured vaguely, trying to articulate something I’d only recently understood myself. “The act might look the same from the outside, but the emotional context changes everything.”

  Faith’s brow furrowed. “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “You’re making the same mistakes I did early on,” I said. “Treating your demonic nature like an enemy instead of part of who you are now. Fighting against it instead of learning to work with it.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “It never is.” I leaned against the tree beside her. “But denying what you need won’t make it go away. It’ll just make everything worse until you lose control completely.”

  Faith was quiet for a long moment. The alien sun cast shifting shadows across her face as clouds moved overhead.

  “I won’t preach at you,” I said finally. “This isn’t something words can fix. You need to figure it out yourself, in your own time.”

  “Helpful,” Faith muttered, but without real heat.

  “I’m serious. I can tell you what worked for me, but your path might be different.” I straightened, brushing sand from my outfit. “Just… don’t wait too long. The hunger doesn’t care about your timeline.”

  Faith pushed off the tree, standing straighter. Her horns caught the light, white as her hair. “Maybe I should come with you,” she said abruptly.

  I blinked. “What?”

  “With you, Aria, and Isabella.” Faith’s jaw set with determination. “If I’m going to figure this out, hiding won’t help.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “No.” A wry smile crossed her face. “But I’m doing it anyway.”

  I couldn’t help but smile back. “Alright then. Let’s find the others before Aria decides to seduce the entire resort.”

  We started down the beach together, following the footprints in the strange purple-tinged sand. The conversation wasn’t finished—not by a long shot—but at least we were moving forward instead of in circles.

  That had to count for something.

  * * *

  We found Isabella and Aria near the resort’s main entrance, examining a carved wooden sign that advertised spa services in three different scripts.

  Aria turned at the sound of our footsteps. “Huh. Thought you weren’t coming.”

  “Changed my mind,” Faith said.

  “Excellent!” Aria’s grin stretched wide. “The hunt’s always better with more participants.”

  “We’ve already identified several promising candidates,” Isabella added, her ice-blue eyes sweeping over the resort grounds. “The main bar seems particularly well-stocked.”

  Faith shifted her weight. “Wait. Do you actually think I’ll be any good at this? I was never—” She paused, glancing at me. “Even back on Earth, it was more Liam who made things happen. I wasn’t exactly skilled at seduction.”

  “So our princess had the instincts down even as a mortal.” Aria laughed. “Don’t worry so much. I bet we can find Lily’s killer instincts in you too.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, Lily on her first days—”

  I clamped my hand over Aria’s mouth. She made a muffled sound of protest.

  “My body came equipped with certain experiences and instincts,” I said quickly. “Made me perform better than my actual inexperience warranted.”

  Faith’s lips curved upward, watching me wrestle with Aria. The smile looked genuine this time, reaching her eyes in a way that softened the tension she’d been carrying.

  “Do you two always behave like this?” Faith asked.

  “Quite often actually.” Isabella examined her nails. “Though Aria usually initiates these situations.”

  Aria finally wrenched free from my grip. “I apologize for trying to liven things up.” Mock offense dripped from every word. She straightened her shirt. “Anyway. Since there are four of us now, we could split into pairs. Cover more ground.”

  “I’m not splitting up my first time,” Faith said immediately.

  “Works for me.” Aria’s enthusiasm didn’t dim. “More the merrier.”

  Isabella gestured toward the resort’s interior, where warm light spilled from wide archways. “The main bar has the highest concentration of suitable targets. Mostly Malani males, some Verdani. A few visitors from elsewhere disguised as local variants, though I suspect they’re mortals from other realms.”

  “How can you tell?” Faith asked.

  “Scent, mostly. You’ll learn to tell the difference.”

  We moved toward the entrance, passing beneath flowering vines that released sweet fragrance into the evening air. The wooden walkway gave way to polished stone tiles that felt cool beneath my feet.

  “How does this work exactly?” Faith kept her voice low as we approached the bar. “The seduction part?”

  “Depends what you prefer.” Aria hopped over a decorative stream that cut through the lobby. “I like both approaches—laying the trap and letting them come to me, or hunting them down directly. Keeps things interesting.”

  “I favour subtlety,” Isabella said. “Plant the seed, create the circumstances, let them think it’s their idea. More refined.”

  “And Lily’s in a league of her own.” Aria jabbed her thumb toward me. “She basically radiates this ‘submit to me’ energy. Very fitting for royalty.”

  “I do not—”

  “Whether it’s conscious or not,” Isabella interrupted, “it’s quite effective. I’ve watched targets gravitate toward you without any active effort on your part.”

  Heat crept up my neck. “You make it sound deliberate.”

  “Doesn’t matter if it’s deliberate.” Isabella’s tone remained matter-of-fact. “Results speak for themselves.”

  We entered the main bar area, where soft amber light reflected off polished wood surfaces. The space opened into a large circular room with a central bar surrounded by cushioned seating areas. Most of the occupants appeared to be Malani—horned figures with skin in shades of pale pink, deep red, and pale blue. A few Verdani sat near the windows, their plant-like features catching the fading purple sunlight.

  “These are just preferences though,” Aria added, scanning the room with practiced ease. “Usually we adjust based on the situation and what feels right.”

  Faith nodded slowly, taking in the environment. Her fingers drummed against her thigh—nervous energy looking for an outlet.

  A Malani bartender with deep red skin and elegant curved horns caught Isabella’s eye. She inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment.

  “So we just…” Faith trailed off.

  “Pick someone who interests you,” I said. “Or let them pick you. There’s no wrong approach.”

  “Easy for you to say.” But Faith’s voice carried less resistance than before. She was watching the room now, observing rather than avoiding.

  Aria flagged down a passing server who seemed particularly attentive to her needs. Interesting how she’d already wrapped someone around her finger—probably the server himself, given how quickly he returned with our drinks. The carved wooden cups held pale blue liquid that tasted like coconut mixed with something sharper, almost citrus.

  “To new experiences,” Aria raised her cup.

  Isabella touched hers to Aria’s. I followed suit.

  Faith hesitated, then lifted her own drink. “To not completely embarrassing myself.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Aria laughed.

  We settled into a cushioned seating area with a clear view of the bar. The evening stretched ahead of us, full of possibility and uncertainty in equal measure.