Innocent Devil’s Harem Ch. 83 (Patreon)

May 8, 2022

NOTE: Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter, and I hope Miriam's explanation makes sense.

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<< Chapter 82 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 16 (Book 2) | Ch 31 (Book 3) | Ch 46 (Book 4) | Ch 61 (Book 5) | Ch 76 (Book 6)

- CHAPTER 83 -

After an extremely intense bonding experience, where I felt like I was a world away from my physical body, Serenity and Gwen were suddenly back in my arms, their nipples still tightly in my grasp, their glossy purple lips locked together -- almost as if no time had passed at all.

They hadn’t collapsed like what had happened with my first experience.

It took me a second to realize their bodies were both rigid from having just climaxed, before Gwen sighed heavily as she fell on top of us, their tits pressing together as the maid’s head was suddenly close to mine, her chin on Serenity’s shoulder. Her eyes were closed as she breathed heavily, her eyelids that rich purple, my two women’s horns rubbing together as they both sucked in ragged breaths.

No one spoke, as there was nothing to be said.

I could feel them both inside my head.

‘This is like with Avery and Natalie,’ Gwen thought, her mind still a little disoriented.

I didn’t hear the thought as actual words, but I perceived it.

‘I can feel you both so strongly,’ Serenity thought almost at the same time.

But I didn’t get a chance to focus on that long.

Because I sensed a thought from Natalie as well.

‘Miriam felt that again. She’s saying she wants to meet in the dining hall to talk about it.’

Oh shit, that made me wonder if she also heard my voice too.

Would she know it wasn’t actually me?

I mean, the word ‘forsaken’ wasn’t even one I fully understood, and definitely not a word I would normally use, not to mention I had no reason to say something like that to her.

Don’t give up?

Or actually, it was don’t give up hope…

I thought about responding to Natalie briefly, but I didn’t have to, because Gwen was already doing it, indirectly. The moment I perceived Natalie’s comment and processed it, Gwen also perceived it from me, and quickly had a response.

‘Master, please tell Natalie to inform my mistress that we need to rinse off. We’ll make haste.’

I didn’t actually have to tell the blue-haired vixen though, because the moment I perceived Gwen’s response, Natalie had gotten the message and was already informing Miriam, who seemed a little stunned by the communication transpiring -- just that Natalie and Avery were perfectly aware of what was going on with us -- but she ultimately said that was fine.

Realizing we didn’t really have time to relax and enjoy the lingering euphoria of what we just experienced, Gwen grabbed her gold butt plug and then climbed off the bed to scoop up her silk maid uniform, briefly giving us a nice view of her ass as her long tail raised high in the air.

I really didn’t want to separate from Serenity though.

I was enjoying having her asshole impaled on my cock so much, loving how warm she felt against my body, knowing she must be hot enough to match a standard oven for it to feel this amazing.

However, after giving her a tight squeeze, prompting her to twist in my arms to share a brief kiss, I held onto her waist to help her pull off my cock, unsurprised when no cum came out since I hadn’t managed to get there a second time.

The two of them had, just as that bond was fully solidifying, but most of the stimulation I got from anal sex came from my head thrusting in and out of the entrance, with there being little pressure deeper inside.

Same as Gwen, Serenity picked up her dress off the floor, taking a second to stretch her midnight wings and tail, with the two of them proceeding to wait for me to climb out, grab my clothing, and follow them. Glancing back at the purple silk covered cot as I left the room, I was a little surprised that we hadn’t left any traces of our sex.

Despite how hot we’d definitely gotten, there had been no flames and no hint of singed fabric, and somehow all our fluids had remained mostly contained.

I already knew that the first floor had a few guest bedrooms, but when Gwen led us up the stairs and did a one-eighty to walk down the short hall running parallel to the stairs, I was genuinely surprised to discover that the single door down this way was, in fact, one of those rooms. Like a lot of the others, the bed was made with standard white sheets and blankets, and the small bathroom had everything someone would need, much like a hotel room.

As Gwen turned on the water in the walk-in shower, which practically took up half of the small space, I realized that the much larger room directly above us was the one where I became Natalie’s alpha, and also the same bathroom where I let Rosa drink my blood to break her bleeding curse.

The major difference was size, with the double-room starting at the central hallway, where the stairs were underneath leading to the basement, and also from the bathroom up there being much more spacious.

Placing my clothes on the counter alongside theirs, I followed Serenity as she joined Gwen, with me focusing on the slight differences in their horns as they embraced underneath the water.

Really, I found myself focusing on all the differences.

Gwen was taller and had slightly thicker horns, but they wrapped around her head closer to her hair, only to point outward at the ends, causing them to almost look like cat-ears from a distance. Alternatively, while Serenity was a few inches shorter, her horns curved backward with a wider angle from her head, having the same twist at the end, but overall causing the two women to be about the same height when just looking at their horns.

And then, there was the rest of their bodies.

Both were super skinny, but Gwen had a thinner waist while also having much wider hips, her proportions more exaggerated compared to Serenity who I’d always considered to have the perfect proportions for a woman. My first love also had fuller tits, being roughly one size larger than Gwen, who was much more on the perky side while simultaneously having the largest nipples out of all my women.

And then, of course, there was their legs and feet.

A lot of Gwen’s height came from how she stood on her hooves, with me realizing Serenity would probably be the same height if she balanced on the balls of her feet. Granted, what came naturally to the maid, since her hooves were so large to begin with, was unnatural to someone with human feet.

After a few minutes of watching them affectionately wash each other up under the steaming water, they both turned toward me for me to join them. I did without hesitation, wrapping my arms around each of them as I ducked my head under the water between their faces, loving it when both leaned in and pressed their lips to my cheeks, pressing their heated bodies into me as well.

The physical intimacy alone was enough to make me want to remain here forever, but the mental and emotional intimacy made it even more intense.

Standing between two demon goddesses, the already hot water beginning to burst into steam when it hit us, and I felt like I was in heaven.

Not just felt like it, but I was in heaven.

It wasn’t until I felt a mental tug from Avery that I focused on my other connection.

Avery’s mental tone was hesitant.

‘Sorry to interrupt, but…Gabriella looks…kind of concerned. Possibly sad, now that she fully understands what happened. I don’t think she was expecting it to happen with Gwen and Serenity, and I think she feels left out now.’

Shit.

Serenity grimaced, suddenly feeling bad even though we were now aware that there might not be anything we could do about it. Meaning, it wasn’t as if this would have happened differently, if I’d first had a threesome with Gabriella and Serenity, but instead it was as if it was just ‘waiting to happen’ with Gwen.

All the sex in the world probably wouldn’t change that fact.

Even the most intimate threesomes with Ren and Gabriella might not affect the inflexible nature of this bond.

Because it felt like Gwen, Serenity, and I had always been connected like this, and we’d only just now ‘realized it,’ after having forgotten. Same with Avery and Natalie -- we had some very passionate sex afterward, involving both Mrs. Rebecca and Michelle, but the bond was unique to only the three of us.

The problem was, I wasn’t sure what was worse in Gabriella’s perception -- the idea that she’d missed out simply because Serenity had gone off and had sex with me and Gwen first…or instead, the actual fact that there had never been any hope of this working with her and Serenity.

‘I’ll fix this,’ Serenity abruptly thought confidently. ‘As wonderful as this connection is, our relationships don’t have to be defined by it. I’m going to officially ask her to be my girlfriend. Just her.’

Of course, Gwen wasn’t in the least bit bothered by that, viewing their new connection as being something both more, and less, than what Serenity already shared with Gabriella. More, in that they were now like long-lost sisters, possibly the only two Inferno Imps in existence, and less in the sense that they’d never really been defined as friends to begin with, even if this bond would undoubtedly lead to them growing very close together.

But the point was, this unique bond was definitely something special and potent, but that didn’t mean that Serenity couldn’t continue viewing Gabriella as her best friend -- a best friend who she might also climb into bed with regularly, if not daily.

However, what did surprise me was Avery’s response to all that.

‘Me too,’ she agreed. ‘I’m going to ask her to officially be my girlfriend as well. There is already something between us, and I want to make it clear that I want to become something more.’

I couldn’t help but grin, having absolutely no problem with that. And loving that the three of them were going to commit to being something special together, even if there were no supernatural forces at play. Without a doubt, Avery would now forever have something uniquely special with Natalie, and Serenity would have something with Gwen. But that wouldn’t stop my three first women from choosing to have something special together, simply because it was what they wanted.

Nevertheless, I was very interested in forming this bond with Gabriella too, if at all possible, and looking forward now to hearing from Miriam what she thought was going on, and whether or not we could identify what forces were at play here, whether that be ‘elemental compatibility’ or something else.

Which meant, after never wanting this heaven to end, as I showered between two sexy devils, now I had my focus on Miriam, quickly finding myself almost unable to wait, wanting desperately to find out what she knew.

Hopefully, she’d have the answers.

And hopefully, I’d find a way to share this with Gabriella too.

After drying off from our shower and dressing, Serenity, Gwen, and I all headed out of the small guest bedroom, into the central hall, and then proceeded to pass the grand foyer on our way to the dining hall. Despite having three people who needed to clean up, our shower hadn’t lasted much longer than twenty minutes, and it appeared that everyone had gotten comfortable at the massive dining room table while they waited.

In particular, they were all eating.

Apparently, Miriam had already intended on serving dinner once we arrived, having her female chef prepare a big meal in preparation for a late evening feast. Avery and Natalie had brought in the cooked venison, and had divided the meat between everyone who had my blood and craved the protein.

Neither Mrs. Rebecca or Miriam touched it, but they also didn’t seem to mind that the others were eating it. I knew Miriam said she didn’t technically have to eat much, if anything at all, since she could sustain herself on lust alone, so I wasn’t surprised when she only had a small dessert plate in front of her.

Everyone else though had been cheerfully inhaling the food as if they hadn’t eaten in days, Gabriella included.

Despite Serenity and Avery’s decision to speak to my busty redhead, I knew they’d initially planned on waiting, so that it could be a more private conversation. However, when I entered the room with my twin devils just behind me, one look was all it took.

On the right side of the table, closer to the back kitchen, was Miriam, followed by Mrs. Rebecca just past her, and then Michelle further on her right. And then, on the left side of the table was Avery and Natalie sitting together even closer to us than Miriam was, an empty seat across from the short succubus, with Gabriella sitting across from her mom, having an empty seat on either side. I knew from my first bond that they’d saved the empty seat across from Miriam for me, and that likewise they’d left the empty seat on Gabriella’s other side for Serenity.

But one look made it clear that my busty redhead wasn’t okay right now.

Serenity and I both looked at Gabriella right away, and she reflexively grimaced just slightly as she looked away, almost looking ashamed. And definitely appearing a little depressed.

Serenity then exchanged a glance with Avery, who began sliding out of her seat, both knowing this conversation needed to happen right now.

Serenity spoke up first as she approached, both her tail and wings twitching slightly as if she was anxious, even though her tone was relaxed and confident.

“Hey Gabriella,” she said casually. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something for a few days now, but was really embarrassed to go through with it.”

My busty redhead looked up at her in genuine surprise and confusion, twisting in her seat as Serenity stood just next to her chair. “Umm, okay?” she said hesitantly, glancing over at her mom briefly.

“You’re the one who convinced me to share Kai with you, and I’m really glad you helped me admit how I felt about him. But…” She hesitated, gently biting her full purple lip. “Well, I didn’t want to just share Kai together. I also wanted to share you, with him.”

Gabriella’s emerald eyes widened as she glanced at me briefly this time. “Umm, yeah. You know I feel the same way.” She laughed uneasily then. “I mean, I did just tell you how I felt about that kiss earlier when we were on our date. I’ve been crushing on you practically since we met.”

Serenity gave her a warm smile. “Well, I kind of want to make that official.” Her voice almost cut off as she uncontrollably swallowed, suddenly seeming a little nervous. “Umm, will you…I mean, will you be my girlfriend?”

“Aren’t we already?” she said in surprise.

Serenity hesitated. “Well, yeah. But we haven’t really talked about it. I mean, we’re all with Kai, but you’re my best friend. And while I’m interested in growing closer with everyone, I want to be something special with you specifically.”

Avery chimed in finally, not having gone further than her chair. “M-Me too,” she stammered.

My busty redhead looked up at her in renewed surprise.

Avery continued. “I mean, if you’re still interested in me. I want to be your girlfriend too.”

Gabriella finally looked at Miriam, who I realized was sitting now with her chin resting on her folded hands, her emerald eyes nearly sparkling, a big adorable grin on her face like she was watching live drama TV playing out in front of her very eyes, and loving every second of it. Even her black tail was bouncing around in seeming glee to the side of her chair.

My first fiancé then cleared her throat, focusing on Serenity and Avery. “Umm, hey, if this is about what just happened with Gwen…I’m okay with it. Really wasn’t expecting that to happen, but I’m okay.”

Serenity shook her head. “It’s true that we’re bringing it up now because of that, but that’s not why. I was actually thinking about it a lot at work, both yesterday and today. It’s partly why I was so startled when my coworker grabbed me at the copy machine. Because I was thinking about how to ask you this question, and was really distracted all day.”

“S-Same here,” Avery admitted, her skin tanning more. “It was really embarrassing, but I really liked it when you smacked my butt. But you kind of haven’t today at all. Actually made me a little sad that you suddenly stopped.”

Gabriella’s eyes were wide again. “Oh…I’m sorry. I guess…” She grimaced. “Well, I guess finding out what happened with Natalie did make me hesitant.”

The person in question abruptly spoke up. “Hey, it’s cool. We can share. And even take turns smacking her ass,” she added playfully.

Gabriella abruptly laughed at that, seeming to relax a lot more as she focused on Serenity again. “Okay,” she said more cheerfully. “Then yeah, I want you both as my girlfriends.” She laughed again. “And even if nothing comes of it, we definitely need to have a foursome with our man, just the three of us.”

I decided to interject. “It can still be something ‘special,’ even if nothing supernatural happens,” I said more seriously.

She gave me a warm smile. “Of course baby,” she agreed. “And thanks,” she added, directing her words to Serenity and Avery. “Seriously, it means a lot.”

“You’re welcome,” my sexy gray devil replied sincerely, her midnight wings visibly looking more relaxed.

Miriam finally cleared her throat, still looking amused. “Well, I certainly don’t want to be the one to interrupt this adorable conversation, but I think it might help if I explain what I think is going on.”

“Do you know why this is happening?” I asked seriously.

She frowned slightly as she focused on me. “Well, unfortunately, no. I do feel fairly confident about the ‘what,’ but not the ‘how’ or ‘why.’ I was hoping you could clue me in on that.”

Gwen spoke up, still at the head of the table. “We might have an idea, mistress.”

“Oh?” Miriam said curiously.

“Probably better if you explain first though,” I added.

The short minx nodded in agreement. “Yes, very well. Have a seat, and I shall start my little presentation.”

“Presentation?” I said in confusion, only to realize what she meant from Gwen’s head, as the maid moved to grab the wooden boxes of chess and checkers for her mistress.

That’s what the game boards were for.

Gwen actually didn’t yet know what the presentation would entail, since Miriam hadn’t actually thought about the topic much in depth, but knew that’s why she’d been asked to dig these simple traditional games out of an upstairs closet.

Finally taking my seat across from Miriam, between Gabriella and Natalie, with Gwen moving to sit next to Miriam on the other side of the table, I glanced at Mrs. Rebecca and Michelle while Serenity sat down on my busty redhead’s other side, only to realize we were missing someone.

Rosa.

Looking around more thoroughly, I found her standing on the far end of the dining room where some of the lights were off, looking like she was trying to go unnoticed as she hid in the shadows.

I decided to bring it up as Miriam began to pull out the pieces to set up the chess and checkers boards. “Mind if Rosa joins us?”

Miriam shrugged. “I’ve made it very clear to her that she’s welcome, but I’m also not going to baby her and hold her hand everywhere I go. If she wants to hide in the shadows, then I’m not going to try to force her to socialize.”

I sighed, knowing she kind of had a point. But figured it couldn’t hurt to invite her myself.

“Rosa, come sit with us,” I said simply.

Much to my surprise, she responded right away, her voice quiet but carrying just fine. “O-Oh, umm, o-okay,” she replied, her youthful voice having that thick Italian accent.

I didn’t look at her as I heard her do so, not wanting her to feel stressed by having my gaze on her, with Mrs. Rebecca and Michelle only glancing at her briefly as she sat down a few seats away from Serenity and Gabriella, before we all gave our attention back to Miriam.

However, Michelle then spoke up, sliding her empty plate on the table a little. “Kai sweetie, do you want me to fix you a plate? There’s still plenty of food.”

Surprisingly, I wasn’t hungry right now, shaking my head and giving her an appreciative smile.

She then made the same offer to Serenity who also agreed that she was finally full, after eating so much earlier, causing a short silence to fall over us.

Miriam wasn’t exactly going slow by any means, but there was a lot of pieces to set up, with her focusing on evenly distributing the black and red checker pieces -- not all one color to one side, but instead seemingly in a random pattern.

And interestingly enough, I was kind of getting a better idea of how Gwen’s mind-reading worked, even though I wasn’t experiencing it firsthand. Because Gwen honestly didn’t know what Miriam was planning, since the short minx was only focused on setting the board up how she wanted. Meaning, if Miriam didn’t think deeply on what she wanted to say or do, then Gwen couldn’t pick it up…like…

Well, like shadows of thoughts, just like she’d originally told me.

However, after a brief minute of silence, Miriam was ready.

The chess board was still empty, all the pieces to the side.

“Okay,” Miriam finally announced, grabbing the white queen for the chess board, and setting it on a random space closest to her. “So, this will represent me. For simplicity, all the white pieces are female, and all the black pieces are male.” She picked up the black king. “So this will be you,” she continued, placing it on the other side of the board, toward me. “And then, these white pieces will represent Avery and Natalie.” She grabbed the two rooks, the ones that looked like little castle towers, placing them next to the black king, proceeding to grab the two white knights. “And I’ll place Serenity next to you too, and then place Gwen next to me,” she added, putting one of the white horse pieces next to the white queen.

I focused on the board, having no idea where she was going with this, looking at the two white rooks and white knight next to my black king.

Miriam continued, grabbing a white pawn. “And then, I’ll just have this one represent my daughter Rebecca. The strength of the actual pieces don’t matter,” she added as she placed it all the way to my right side, between our pieces on the edge of the board. “And this,” she continued, gesturing overall to the board. “Is the physical realm. The world we exist in.”

“Oh, okay,” I replied, realization finally hitting me. “So then, this is like where we all live then,” I assumed.

She nodded, a big adorable grin touching her full lips. “Yep! That’s the idea. Obviously, if I gave everyone at the table a piece, then I’d put a piece for Rosa on my side of the board, and a piece for everyone else closer to you. But that’s not the point, since obviously every person between where we live could be represented too. Point is, there is physical space between us.”

I nodded, glancing at the checker board. “So then?” I prompted.

She nodded. “We’ll say the black pieces are men again, and the red pieces are women, though I wouldn’t focus too much on that aspect. Rather, notice how I’ve spread them out evenly in a random order. This, is meant to represent the spiritual realm.”

I focused on her in surprise. “Like, heaven or something?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m talking about the spiritual realm that exists here and now. The space that contains all our souls.” She reached out toward a black and red piece close together, and used her fingertips to slide them together. “And this is me and you. Our souls are touching. Notice that on the chess board, in the physical realm, we are theoretically miles apart on the board. But in the spiritual realm, there is no distance between us.”

I frowned as I considered that. “O…kay, and so you’re implying that’s what happened with Avery and Natalie? That the distance decreased?”

“Not just decreased,” she replied, picking up two red pieces. “Unified,” she said emphatically, stacking the two red pieces on top of the black piece. “Merged into one soul. Or at least begun occupying the same space, something that is normally impossible.”

Natalie spoke up. “Is that bad?” she asked seriously.

Miriam frowned, leaning back in her seat and crossing her thin tan arms over her simple white blouse, that had buttons in the back for her wings to go through an opening. Her small perky tits were especially noticeable since she wasn’t wearing a bra, the material almost sheer enough to actually see her tan skin and darker areolas even though her shirt was obviously dry.

She cleared her throat as she responded. “Hard to say it’s bad in any way. There are texts I’ve read of those who believed this is a way to obtain immortality, or to at least remain linked to a love one even after death. For example…” She grabbed a black and white pawn and placed them together. “Say this is a married couple, but then this…” She grabbed a black and red checker piece, moving them both off the board in opposite directions. “Is where they are located in the physical realm. When they die, they might as well be the entire universe apart for all of eternity, since it’s believed that movement in this realm is impossible.”

“And where is this information coming from?” I wondered seriously.

She shrugged. “I’ve got several books on the topic in the library. And the reason why they believe movement in the spiritual realm is usually impossible is because people have tried to do it. Tried to merge souls together, and been unable.” She paused. “Remember what I said about your stone? About how I knew a spell that would temporarily cause our souls to touch? So that I could hear the message too?”

I nodded. “Umm, yeah.”

“Well, when you…” She grimaced, lowering her voice. “When you defended me,” she whispered, instead of calling it what it was -- when I died. “I felt our souls touch like I’d intended to try doing only temporarily, except it was permanent. That alone should be impossible. The best that centuries of research has produced is a temporary union, that would be the equivalent of two people shaking hands.”

“So then, what we’ve done…” My voice trailed off.

Miriam nodded. “I felt what you did just now with Serenity and Gwen because our souls are touching. And…” She paused as she grabbed her smaller dessert dish, which was completely clean, aside from a few crumbs, clearly having eaten a dry dessert, like a cookie or something. “Okay, this will represent you instead of the smaller black piece.” Flipping it upside down, she scooted her red checker piece to the edge so that they touched, and then stacked two red pieces on top, followed by stacking two more next to it. “And then, this will represent what I think is going on. Right now, we are only touching, but you’ve somehow merged souls with Avery and Natalie, together, while also doing the same with Serenity and Gwen, keeping it separate.”

My eyes widened at that. “How did you know it was separate?” I wondered, uncertain if it was an assumption or if she definitely knew.

“Because I can feel it better now that it’s happened again, and that’s what it feels like. I’m not touching those groupings, but I can sense them. And I can sense that they aren’t directly touching each other.”

I frowned as I focused on the saucer. “So then, are you saying my soul is really big or something?” I asked seriously.

She shook her head. “No, see that’s the thing. In the spiritual realm, there’s no physical space, or any sense of size. Which isn’t something we can easily comprehend, since we primarily understand the world in terms of the physical. There’s not actually space between souls, even though the vast majority aren’t touching. And even though one would think that your soul must be bigger to be able to have their four souls merged with yours, while also having those two groupings not touching, that’s probably not the case.” She grimaced. “But unfortunately, I can’t say for sure since most of this is conclusions drawn from experimentation.”

“And this is a good thing,” I tried clarifying.

She nodded. “Can’t really say it’s a bad thing. Theoretically, if all of you were to ever die, then you’d still be together. But again, I don’t really know how much of that is true, or how that would even work, since supposedly there’s no time in the spiritual realm either.”

I frowned. “Huh, that might explain why it felt like so much time passed whenever it happened, even while almost no time passed here.”

Miriam’s curiosity perked up. “Oh, is that how it felt? Do say more. I’m pretty much done with my presentation at this point anyway, so now I’m really interested to hear about your experience. Figured that a visual aid would help understand what I was saying.”

I smiled. “It did help. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” she said cheerfully. “So tell me about it.”

Gwen chimed in from beside her. “Honestly mistress, if you asked me if it lasted a second, or if it instead lasted for thousands of years, I wouldn’t feel confident in my response. Felt almost like an eternity, while simultaneously lasting for the blink of an eye. Kind of like if you fall asleep after being really tired, and wake up after only an hour or two of hard sleeping, but feel like you might have slept for twelve hours.”

Miriam’s thin red eyebrows shot up as she turned her head to focus on her, before frowning as she considered that. “Well, that would seem to align with the idea that there’s no time in the spiritual realm.” She focused on me. “But then, you implied you might have an idea of why this was happening. Please share.”

I frowned as I glanced to my left at Gabriella briefly. “Well, when it happened with Avery and Natalie, it felt like a dam bursting. Like we were trying so hard to be more intimate than we already felt, and finally the barrier broke and we kind of collided into each other…” I paused when both of them nodded on my right. “But then with Serenity and Gwen, it felt the same, but there was a lot more heat involved. Physical heat, yes, but also a different kind of heat. Honestly, it kind of felt like there was a fundamental element underlying the connection.” I paused when Miriam’s eyebrows raised again, before continuing. “Is that a thing? Having like some kind of elemental affinity with others? Like being able to use fire magic versus water magic?”

Miriam shook her head. “Real magic doesn’t exactly fit into neat categories like that. Sure, there are races that can use fire magic easily, but technically anyone capable of using magic can create a flame with a spell. And water magic doesn’t really exist to begin with, at least not how you probably think of it.”

“What do you mean?” I asked seriously.

She sighed, glancing at everyone else, before responding. “Well, I’ll try to keep this as simple as possible, since otherwise we could be up all night discussing it. But basically, a lot of cultures believe in the four elements of fire, water, air, and earth. But magic is inherently energy, and doesn’t follow those elements. So take water, for example. It’s not a form of energy. But life is. The very thing that gives people and creatures inherent life is literally what we call magic. Yet life doesn’t neatly fit into the four elements.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I remember Mrs. Rebecca mentioning that. And how human sacrifices were probably used to gain magical energy.”

Granted, I knew Miriam had also said as much when she told me about the being that turned her into a succubus as a punishment -- a curse that turned into a blessing and granted her immortality, once they defeated the abomination who was trying to play God.

“That is absolutely true,” Miriam said seriously to my verbal comment. “And just like life doesn’t fit into one of those categories, neither does magic used to grow plants. Maybe some might consider it earth magic or maybe even plant magic, but then you just have more categories in the latter case. And think about the storm I created yesterday, to kill a bunch of those werewolves with lightning. Does that fall under air magic, fire magic, or something else?”

Serenity chimed in. “But is there anything wrong with calling it plant magic and electric magic?” she asked seriously.

Miriam shrugged. “Sure, you could call it whatever you want, but my point is that magic itself is not something that can easily fit into categories. Because plant magic is really just life magic, as is all magic to begin with, and something like water magic doesn’t really exist. Of course, there are spells that might assist in separating a solution, for example, but controlling water isn’t really a part of the process. If anything, such as spell is probably using energy to make use of gravity or possibly even some other kind of unseen force to do the job.”

“So then, elemental affinity isn’t a thing?” I tried clarifying.

She frowned. “I’m not saying that either.” She then groaned. “Ugh, I’m making this too complicated. Let me put it to you this way. Magic is energy, and water is not a form of energy. Fire is a form of energy, as is electricity, as is life. One person might have a natural affinity for transforming magic into life energy that plants can use, while another person might be able to do that to create fire. Basically, a magical affinity is when someone can easily convert magic into another form of energy, or vice versa, often without even using a spell.” She paused. “Such as with me, I do have a magical affinity. And you should already know it.” She smirked. “Can you guess what it is?”

“Electricity?” I tried.

“No Kai. It’s lust,” she said seriously. “Think about it. What comes easy to me? Lust. What do I transform into magic? Lust. What do I need to survive? What ability comes to me with such ease that I could do it without trying?” She paused for emphasis. “Again, it’s lust. As a sex demon, if I had a magical affinity, then it would be lust magic. Or sex magic, or something similar. However you want to classify it.”

My eyes widened at that, as it all finally dawned at me, realizing I was still thinking in terms of elements. “Oh, so then, affinities truly don’t fit the kind of categories we’d normally think of.”

“Exactly. And yeah, obviously you, Gwen, and probably Serenity too all have an affinity for fire magic. I wasn’t trying to argue against that. But I strongly doubt that Natalie and Avery here have an affinity for water magic. Because water magic doesn’t exist.”

I frowned, still feeling like ‘water’ felt right…or something similar…

“Okay, then what about blood magic?” I blurted out, without thinking.

Mrs. Rebecca immediately gawked at me, seeming stunned that I’d even bring that up, but thankfully Miriam wasn’t fazed at all.

Her youthful voice was patient and thoughtful. “Blood magic has its basis in sacrifice. Blood is the thing that all living things have, even cold-blooded animals like snakes, and so it’s unsurprising that the very fluid that facilitates life would be overflowing with life magic. And part of what makes blood magic so dangerous is because of that power. Because a human sacrifice can supply the energy for immensely powerful spells, and using one’s own blood can similarly cast potent spells that would otherwise be impossible to cast -- at the risk of one’s own life, of course. It’s taboo for a reason.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay, but then, is it hypothetically possible that some people might have an affinity for blood magic? Not that I’m suggesting we should practice such things,” I quickly added, wanting to make sure I was clear on that point.

However, the moment the words left my mouth, Avery immediately was thinking about how she tasted my blood those two years ago, suddenly wondering if she did have an affinity for blood magic, and if that was why we seemed to be linked together so strongly -- not because of my blood itself, since ingesting it did not appear to have the same effect as getting it in her bloodstream, but possibly from her accidentally casting some kind of spell upon doing so.

An overwhelmingly strong desire to be with me, a wish unexpectedly fulfilled, fueled by a small amount of my potent magic-filled blood. Much like my own desire to cling to life, upon having my heart ripped out, resulted in my soul being bound to Miriam’s without the use of an actual spell -- instead, a powerful desire only.

At the same time, Natalie had recalled overhearing her former alpha mention that there was power in blood for a werewolf. That if they were ever against a fierce enemy, the injuries inflicted would ironically make them stronger, faster, and more powerful.

Possibly because they were instinctively using blood magic?

Did all werewolves have an affinity for blood magic, possibly due to their cursed nature? Was it possible that was why they could slip through barriers and wards?

“Maybe,” Miriam offered simply, in response to my spoken question.

“Definitely,” Avery whispered, looking shaken by this realization.

Now Miriam was stunned. “Wait, you feel like you have an affinity for blood magic?” she asked my blonde classmate seriously.

“I…I think it was my fault,” she admitted, glancing past Natalie at me apologetically. “I thought maybe tasting Kai’s blood changed me a little two years ago, but now I’m not so sure that drinking it does anything. Not when Rosa seems completely normal. Still very much a vampire, just with that curse broken. I think maybe I did something.”

“Wait,” Miriam interjected. “What happened two years ago?”

I sighed. “Basically, I broke up a fight, and was really pissed. Bit my tongue to try to calm myself down, and Avery offered me her water bottle.”

“He had blood on his lip,” Avery continued. “I actually thought he might be a werewolf back then -- the paranormal romance novel kind, not the real thing,” she clarified. “And I was just so infatuated and desperate to be in his world, that I…” Her voice trailed off, sincerely looking ashamed.

Natalie finally leaned over and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, silently telling her in our bond that there was no reason for her to beat herself up about it.

I focused on Miriam, seeing that she just seemed stunned. “Is there a way we could test for it? Just to know if that’s really what it is?”

Her wide emerald eyes turned to me, only for her to frown as she seriously considered my question. “Well, if they had an affinity for blood magic, then it would be easy for them to use it. Meaning, just like you can create a flame without much thought, and how I absorb and use lust without much thought, never mind how you can do the same with passion, they’d be able to do something similar.” She paused as she considered that. “Problem is, blood magic is kind of the Joker of magic. The wild card. Part of what makes it so dangerous is that it can do almost anything.”

“Does that mean there’s no easy way to test it?” I wondered.

She frowned, only to focus on Mrs. Rebecca. “Here, hand me a knife over there.”

“Please don’t cut yourself,” I said seriously.

Her emerald eyes focused on me in surprise, even as my busty MILF handed over one of the knives. “Oh, I don’t plan on it. I want Avery to cut herself.”

“Huh?” Avery said in shock, even as Miriam handed the knife toward her.

“Not a lot,” the short minx clarified. “Just prick your finger.” She then flipped over her dessert saucer, knocking over the checker pieces on top, and placed the knife on there when my classmate didn’t accept the blade. Miriam continued as she slid the plate over. “Just put a little drop on there, and then I want you to try to cause it to burst into flames.”

Natalie spoke up. “Will that really work?” she asked seriously.

Miriam shrugged her delicate shoulder. “Well, that’s what we’re going to find out. For me, if I was to do it, then I’d have to use a very particular spell to make it happen -- to transform the energy in that blood into a small flame. But if either one of you have an affinity for blood magic, then theoretically you should be able to do it without much effort. Just like I can use lust without much effort.”

Natalie and Avery exchanged a glance, only for them to both focus on the knife lying on the plate.

The blue-haired model spoke up first. “Here, let me try,” she offered, reaching out for the plate and sliding it over.

“You’re sure?” Avery asked hesitantly.

“Of course,” she replied, grabbing the knife and jabbing herself in the finger. “Pain like this doesn’t mean much to me. Not when I’ve felt real pain before.”

“From transforming?” Miriam assumed sympathetically.

“Yeah,” Natalie agreed. “Being a werewolf is a bitch. So glad I might not have to transform this full moon next week.” She paused as a drop of blood landed on the plate. “Okay, so then I just will it to be fire, huh?”

Miriam smirked. “If it only it were that easy, you’ll probably have to really concentrate to--”

Unexpectedly, it was as if someone had thrown boiling grease and water together, the tiny drop of blood erupting into a massive blaze far larger and higher than both campfires outside put together.

Almost everyone immediately screamed and fell out of their chairs, trying to get away from the intense heat from the massive bonfire on the table, with only me and Gwen managing to avoid a total freak-out, only standing up in alarm.

When the flames died down after a brief few seconds, everyone was frozen solid, Natalie having fallen back in her chair and onto her back on the floor, now tentatively propping herself up on one elbow. Likewise, Miriam was flat on her ass, her chair overturned, with Gwen finally rushing to help her up to her feet. However, she looked shell-shocked as she slowly began standing on shaky legs with her maid’s help.

Everyone was shell-shocked.

One second, everything had been fine, and the next there was a literal bonfire on the table.

All from a drop of blood.

As everyone finally began getting to their feet, Miriam finally spoke up in a trembling voice.

“And that, is why blood magic is so dangerous,” she said seriously.

“And that pretty much confirms my suspicions,” I added, still feeling stunned myself. “Avery and Natalie have an affinity for blood magic.”

Miriam abruptly shook her head. “More than that Kai. If the bond you formed with them is due to that affinity, then I’d say it’s safe to say that all three of you have an affinity for blood magic. You included, Kai.”

Oh.

Damn.

I supposed she was right.

FEEDBACK: Thoughts on this chapter? Were you expecting this reveal?

Does it make sense? (Was Miriam's explanation adequate?)

The whole 'Avery/Kai bond two years ago' was meant to be a fairly big reveal, but I'm not sure if I wrote it in the best way for it to have that impact, so curious to know what you thought when you got to that part. (Mind blown? Or, a more subtle reaction like 'oh, that makes sense' kind of deal?)

Chapter 84 >>

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