Page 46 of Finding Answers For Confused Succubi

"Then next time you get...hungry?"

"I don't know if that's what other people call it," I admit."It's not really like hunger to me."

"All right, well the next time you're feeling like this, we'll come back here.You don't have to do this alone, Mandy."

I nod."Thank you.You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Actually, I do," he points out."I can feel some of what you're feeling towards me, remember?"

"Hey, that's not fair.If you don't want sex, then I'm not going to be able to sense how you're feeling towards me."

"I can't switch it off," he reminds me.

I reach out and touch his cheek."I know.I don't mind.I guess it makes it a bit easier for me that you can sense these things.Evie pointed out a while ago that I could still be attracted to someone emotionally even if I'm not physically.I hadn't even considered that was possible until recently."

"Well, I'm very glad to have met you after she pointed that out.And I can assure you, that you definitely seem to be afflicted with emotional attraction."

I let out an amused laugh."Is that so?"

"Mmhmm.Luckily for both of us, it's very much reciprocated."

"I don't need magic to be able to know that," I respond."You're here, that tells me everything that I need to know."

He leans in and brushes his lips against mine.The kiss isn't very long, but it reminds me that there's something special between us and that now I have a chance to find out what that is without succumbing to the intensity of the gnawing feeling my magic causes.

"Come on, let's go get some food," he says once he breaks the kiss."Unless you want to stay here?"

I shake my head."Food sounds good.I'm proper-hungry now."

"Then come on."He gets to his feet and offers me his hand.I take it, even though I know we'll have to split up to go back into the changing rooms.But it doesn't matter how true that is.The only thing that matters to me right now is the fact that I'm not alone, and that I can face whatever else my succubus side throws at me.

Because if I can find a solution to my magical issues that doesn't involve doing anything I'm uncomfortable with, then I can do anything.

Nineteen

Mandy

I don't knowif it's me, but the air seems crisper and the world seems brighter, even if the evening light is starting to dim.

"What are you thinking about?"Darius asks.

"Not about how distracting the gnawing magic is," I respond."Basically."

"Hopefully, the clarity doesn't make you regret anything from the past couple of weeks."

"No, not even slightly.I really appreciate everything you've done to help me," I say."It's meant a lot to me."

"I'm glad."He pauses as if trying to think about the right thing to say.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking about the end-of-year ball," he admits."And how we said we'd go together."

"You're not about to tell me that you have another date, are you?"I joke, only realising after I said it that I'm actually a little worried thatiswhat he's going to say.

"Definitely not.I was actually thinking that I should ask you to go with me properly, as my girlfriend."

My heart skips a beat."I think I'd like that."