The dormitory's bathing chamber had space for all three of us, and we stumbled in together, leaving Bellas and Brutus to recover on the floor. Steam rose from the heated pool built into the black marble, the water shimmering with a faint crimson glow.

I slipped in first, sighing as the heat enveloped my thoroughly used body. The water reached my collarbones when I stood, deep enough to submerge completely but shallow enough to move freely.

Aria entered next, her purple eyes half-lidded as she waded toward me. Isabella followed, her silver hair darkening as water soaked through it.

"Pass the bottle," Aria said, gesturing toward the shelf holding various scented oils and soaps.

I reached for the nearest container—something that smelled like night-blooming jasmine—and handed it over. Aria poured a generous amount into her palm, working it through her short black hair until foam appeared.

Isabella had already submerged completely, surfacing with water streaming down her pale skin. She reached for a different bottle, this one releasing the scent of winter roses when opened.

I ducked under the surface, letting the water wash away the sweat and other fluids coating my skin. When I emerged, Aria was already rinsing her hair, tilting her head back as water cascaded over her shoulders.

The vital energy still thrummed through my veins, making my fingers tingle where they touched the marble edge of the pool. My mind felt sharp, alert, fully recharged despite the physical exertion we'd just completed.

"Do you want to go tonight?" Aria asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

I paused with my hands halfway to the soap shelf. We'd planned to investigate tomorrow, give ourselves time to rest and prepare properly.

But sleep felt impossible now. The energy coursing through my system demanded action, purpose, something to direct it toward beyond lying in bed staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah," I said after a moment. "I won't be able to sleep anyway."

"That's what happens when someone feeds so voraciously," Aria replied, her lips curving into a knowing smile.

Isabella moved to the edge of the pool, water dripping from her chin. "The Squalor District is dangerous. Even for demons, and especially during the night."

"I know," I acknowledged, reaching for the jasmine-scented bottle Aria had used. "But it's also the time when nobody would expect us to be snooping around."

The logic was sound. Daytime visits attracted attention—three well-dressed succubi navigating the district's chaos stood out. But at night, with the shadows deeper and the predators more active, we could blend into the general atmosphere of threat and violence.

"Who is this father of Nyx anyway?" Aria wondered aloud, working oil through her hair again despite having just rinsed it clean.

Isabella considered the question while running her fingers through her silver strands. "Perhaps some incubus her mother was in relationship with. Common enough arrangement."

I poured jasmine-scented liquid into my palm, watching it pool there. "Maybe. Or it could be her real father from when she was mortal."

"That would be the most boring thing," Aria said, her tone disappointed. "But you're probably right. Everything points to that."

She brightened slightly, tail swishing through the water. "Though it would be much more fun if she turned out to be a pureblood in disguise."

"Don't count on that," Isabella replied, her voice flat.

"Yeah, yeah." Aria waved her hand dismissively, sending small waves across the pool's surface. "It's too hard to blackmail a pureblood… Unless it's a fallen house."

Isabella's eyes narrowed. "There has been no truly fallen houses for at least a millennium."

The statement hung in the steam-filled air. I knew what she meant—some houses had fallen from grace, lost influence or territory or political favour. But none had descended to the point where the term "fallen" truly applied, not in the way it had in Hell's earlier ages.

"We'll find out once we get in," I said, working the jasmine oil through my hair. The scent was pleasant but not overwhelming, subtle enough not to clash with my natural pheromones.

The water lapped at my shoulders as I moved, soothing muscles that had been thoroughly worked during the feeding. My legs no longer trembled, the vital energy having already repaired that minor damage.

Aria ducked under the surface again, emerging with water streaming down her face. "How long do we need to prepare?"

"An hour or two," Isabella said. "Long enough to dress properly and gather the supplies I brought from the estate."

I nodded agreement, submerging to rinse the jasmine oil from my hair. When I surfaced, both my friends were already moving toward the pool's edge, water sluicing off their bodies.

The feeding had recharged us completely. Now it was time to put that energy to use.

This was why succubi often fed before dangerous activities. Not just for the sustenance, but for the edge it provided. The clarity, the heightened awareness, the way our bodies performed at peak efficiency.

I hadn't actually planned my feeding session with that strategic consideration in mind. But now, with the vital energy coursing through my system as we prepared to infiltrate whatever lurked in that abandoned building, I couldn't deny the tactical advantage it provided.

Tonight, we would need every advantage.

* * *

I finished buttoning my black shirt and glanced at my friends. "We should split up and gather supplies. Even if this is a spur of the moment decision, we can still prepare something."

"Meeting point?" Isabella asked, already moving toward the door.

"The entrance to the Squalor District," I suggested. "It's neutral ground, and we won't draw attention arriving separately."

Aria nodded her agreement, already mentally cataloging what she needed.

Isabella paused at the threshold. "I'll head to my family's estate. I'm not sure what I can grab in such a short time, but I should be able to acquire proper stealth equipment at minimum."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"I've still got leftover potions from last time," Aria said, tapping her spatial ring. "But I can swing by the alchemy lab and brew a few more. It's open all night, fortunately."

Both of them looked at me expectantly.

"I'll head to the library," I said. "I saw some interesting talismans in one of the books that shouldn't be too difficult to create."

Aria's eyebrows shot up. "Look at you, being all overachieving. Talismans aren't even taught until second year."

I crossed my arms. "Says the one who's already brewing potions they teach to fourth years."

"Well, I have to be good at least one thing." Aria grinned, unrepentant. "Unlike someone who's good at everything. Princess Perfect."

The nickname was teasing rather than mocking, but I still felt my cheeks warm slightly. "I'm not perfect at everything."

"Name one thing then."

"History, for example."

"That doesn't count." Aria waved her hand dismissively. "I'm talking about proper subjects like magicraft, occultism, or seduction."

"I'm not that good at seduction," I protested.

Isabella actually chuckled at that, a rare sound that made both Aria and me turn to look at her.

"Please," Aria said, still grinning. "Despite whatever you believe or think, you're at least top three in our year once you get going. Probably top one, if I'm being honest."

I coughed, heat spreading across my face. "That's not—"

"It absolutely is," Aria interrupted cheerfully. "You just don't realize it because you're too busy overthinking everything."

Isabella's lips curved into a subtle smile. "She's not wrong."

"I hate both of you," I muttered, knowing my flushed face undermined any attempt at dignity.

"No you don't," Aria said brightly, already heading for the door. "You love us. Admit it."

"I'm reconsidering," I replied, but couldn't keep the smile off my face.

"Two hours," Isabella said, bringing us back to the matter at hand. "Don't be late."

"When am I ever late?" Aria asked innocently.

"Literally two days ago," I reminded her. "Professor Scarlet's class."

"That was your fault for keeping me up all night."

"You were the one who suggested—"

"Two hours," Isabella repeated firmly, cutting off our bickering. "Focus."

She disappeared through the door, leaving Aria and me grinning at each other.

"She's so serious sometimes," Aria said fondly.

"One of us has to be," I replied. "Now go. We're wasting time."

"Yes, Princess Perfect." Aria stuck her tongue out at me before darting out the door.

I stood alone in the dormitory for a moment, shaking my head. Then I grabbed my spatial ring and headed for the library, my mind already sorting through the talisman designs I'd studied.

Two hours. That should be enough time to prepare something useful.

* * *

Two hours later, I arrived at the entrance to the Squalor District to find Isabella already waiting, leaning against a crumbling wall with her usual composed expression. The acrid smell of sulphur hung heavy in the air, a reminder of what awaited us deeper within.

Aria appeared moments later, practically bouncing despite the late hour. Or early hour, technically. Dawn was still roughly three hours away, leaving us plenty of darkness to work with.

"Did you both get everything?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

Isabella pushed off from the wall. "Everything I could manage in such limited time." She held up what looked like the same dark cloaks from before, but these shimmered faintly with enchantment. "Proper stealth equipment this time. These will meld with shadows rather than simply blend."

"Much better than last time," I agreed.

Aria produced several vials from her spatial ring, the liquid inside glowing an almost eye-searing bright pink that shimmered even in the dim light. "I didn't have much time, so I had to improvise and skip a few steps in the brewing process. But honestly? These should work even better than those arousal potions from our last trip."

"The ones that completely overwhelm whoever gets splashed?" I recalled how effective those had been.

"Exactly those. Just, you know, more potent." Aria grinned wickedly. "And pinker."

"It'll have to do." I took one of the vials without hesitation, tucking it carefully into my spatial ring. Whatever Aria created, I trusted her skill completely. When it came to alchemy, she was a genuine prodigy.

"What about you?" Isabella asked.

I pulled three paper talismans from my ring, holding them up carefully. "One protective barrier talisman and two illusory confusion ones. Paper instead of the runed discs I used before, so they're less durable. But they're faster to make and easier to store and hide."

Aria leaned in to examine them more closely. "Look at you, improving already."

"Courtesy of actually paying attention during Professor Morrigan's magicraft classes," I replied. "And doing my own research outside of lessons."

"Huh." Aria tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I should start paying attention in class if it's really that useful."

Both Isabella and I chuckled at that suggestion.

"That's about as likely as pigs learning to fly," I said, unable to keep the amusement from my voice.

"Hey, with magic, anything's possible," Aria protested, though she was grinning. "I saw a flying pig once in Silvanus. Admittedly, someone had attached wings to it with transmutation, but still."

Isabella shook her head, pulling her enchanted cloak around her shoulders. "Shall we?"

* * *

We stepped through the invisible boundary that separated Ardorkeep proper from the Squalor District, and the stench hit me like a physical blow. The acrid sulphur mixed with rot, fear-sweat, and things I couldn't identify and didn't want to.

I pressed a hand over my nose and mouth. "I won't get used to this smell no matter how many times we enter here."

Aria chuckled, pulling her enchanted cloak tighter around her shoulders. "It's not as bad as London's sewers."

"True," I admitted, memories of that particular nightmare surfacing unbidden. "But it doesn't make this any more enjoyable."

"Fair point."

We moved deeper into the district, our feet finding their way through paths of packed ash and crushed obsidian. The darkness pressed closer here than it had during our previous visit, as if the toxic air itself absorbed light.

Figures watched us from doorways and alleys, their eyes catching what little illumination remained. They studied us for seconds that stretched too long, then melted back into shadows without approaching. Something about our group, our posture, or perhaps the quality of our cloaks warned them off.

From a nearby alley came sounds that made my skin crawl. Screams of pain that dissolved into begging, then moans that could have been pleasure or agony. A wet thump followed by laughter that held no humour.

"The atmosphere feels different tonight," Isabella murmured, her eyes scanning the buildings around us.

She was right. Ardorkeep always carried sounds of suffering and pleasure intertwined—that was Hell's nature. But here, in this forsaken corner, the noises felt more guttural. More primal. Less about games of dominance and more about pure desperation.

I'd grown accustomed to Hell's ambience over the past months, the screams and moans becoming background noise. But these sounds unsettled me again, raising goosebumps along my arms beneath my cloak.

We turned a corner, and a mortal man suddenly lunged from the shadows. His fingers clutched at Aria's leg, his face contorted in terror and hope.

"Please," he gasped, his voice cracking. "Please, I'll do anything, serve you however you want, just take me away from—"

Aria looked down at him, her expression shifting to pure disgust. "Get off me."

Chains rattled in the darkness. A figure emerged from the shadows, its form wrapped in leather straps and metal links that clinked with each step. Hooks protruded from its flesh at geometric intervals, the skin around them pulled taut but unbleeding.

"Such sights I have to show you," the demon whispered, its voice carrying awful promise. Chains shot forward, wrapping around the mortal's torso and yanking him away from Aria's leg.

"No, no, please, I can't—" The man's protests dissolved into screaming as the chains tightened, the hooks finding new places in his flesh to anchor.

"Your suffering shall be legendary," the demon said, dragging its prize back into the alley.

The screams echoed long after they disappeared from view. The wet sounds that followed made my stomach turn.

We walked faster.

The building we'd seen Nyx enter loomed ahead, its silhouette darker than the surrounding structures. But as we drew closer, Isabella slowed, her head tilting slightly.

"It's awfully quiet in this area," she observed.

She was right. The screams and moans that permeated the rest of the district seemed to stop at an invisible boundary around this particular building. The silence felt wrong, oppressive, like pressure building before a storm.

We approached the entrance, its door hanging slightly ajar.

I reached for the handle, my fingers stopping inches away.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.