“A deal?” Liz squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts—maybe wake herself up. When she opened them, the classroom was empty. No Miss Dayton, no pitying Grace, no classmates at all. Only the red-skinned girl. “Who are you?”

“Morgana,” she said. “Or Morgan, or Mor. Whatever’d you like, I’m not picky.”

Having a name was nice, but that wasn’t what she’d meant. “What’s going on?” Was this a dream? Well … obviously. Liz could feel herself sleeping in her bed. She was half-awake. This was, what, then? A lucid dream? She’d heard of those.

Whatever had happened, she was happy the previous events had been cut off. She’d been saved by this confusing turn of events. She’d take it, if it didn’t mean any more stuttering over herself in front of her high school classmates. Liz was in her second year of college—why did her dreams gravitate to high school, so much?

Because of the disaster she’d been, then, obviously. Or still was, but it was easier to fly under the radar in college. She showed up, talked to no one, got good grades, then went back to her crappy apartment. Lonely, but a tenth as embarrassing.

“What’s going on?” Morgana asked. “Hmm … to sum it up, I suppose, you’re especially attuned to magic—and your selfish desires opened up the potential for a contract, which I seized.”

“Attuned to magic? Selfish desires?” What was this girl going on about?

And the elephant in the room …

“And what are you?” Liz asked. The red skin, pink eyes, and horns—it didn’t leave much for interpretation. A demon? Not of the horrific variety, but a surprisingly … palatable type. More than palatable. Morgana was gorgeous.

She wasn’t sure why she was taking this seriously. It was a dream. Then again, why not entertain it? She was curious where her brain was taking things.

Morgana rolled her eyes. “One question at a time. Pick.”

“What are you?”

“A succubus.”

Liz stared. “I’m sorry?”

“I feed on sexual desire. A demon, with a prime sin of lust.” She tilted her head. “I figured you would know what a succubus was. Has the Old Lore faded into such obscurity? I haven’t been contracted in centuries, so I wouldn’t know.”

Okay … it looked like Liz’s brain was choosing to be especially creative today. “I know what a succubus is. I meant, you don’t seem like one?” Not that she didn’t have the looks for it, or the curves. Rather, she wasn’t … well, ‘feeding’ on Liz right now.

(Not that she’d mind that.)

Morgana quirked her eyebrow. “I’m discussing a contract. Work before play, unfortunately.” Her lips curled, and she tugged down on her shirt, revealing more of her cleavage. Liz blinked rapidly—for a few reasons: the easiness she’d done so, and just how amazing, exactly, what she was showing off was. “One of the benefits of saying yes to me, though, is exactly what you think.”

“Uh,” Liz said, her brain doing a few flips. “C-Contract?”

A blush had burned onto her cheeks. She’d changed the topic instinctively. Liz could barely talk to people under normal circumstances, much less stunning girls flashing their cleavage and implying … that. Just because she was dreaming, and Morgana was a figment of her imagination, didn’t mean she could take something like what Morgana had said in stride.

“A contract. Bind my spirit to yours, so I can enter the mortal realm. Together, we’ll feast and grow strong.” Morgana tapped her finger to her lips. “You know, put that way, it’s not that complicated. Any questions?”

Yeah, about a million. “Feast?”

A quirked eyebrow.

“R-Right.” Liz didn’t need it spelled out. “What does ‘binding’ mean?”

“That’s what we’re here to discuss.”

“And grow powerful?”

“Since you’ve summoned me, you’re already attuned, and in no small way. But I can teach you how to grow—to collect the lustful energy of your targets and turn it to your purpose.”

“Like … spells?”

Morgana shrugged. “More or less. Enchantments, glamours, and such. But not anything. I’m a demon of lust, not wrath—no fireballs or cracking the earth. A subtle touch … it’s always been the most effective way to get what you want, in my opinion.”

“And what would you get, in exchange?” Liz didn’t know how she was taking this seriously. Maybe because she knew it was a dream, but even then, she felt silly. “My soul? I don’t think eternal damnation is worth it.” Whatever ‘it’ was. And Liz didn’t believe in the afterlife, but taking this to the logical conclusion, if demons were real, and selling her soul was real, then obviously doing so would be … a poor long term plan, no matter what was offered.

“Damnation?” A smirk. “No, I’m afraid there’s no pearly gates waiting for you, or anyone, not to my knowledge. But either way, I’m not asking for your soul. Simply a binding—entwining us, so I can enter the mortal realm.”

“But what does entwining entail?”

“Nothing. It’s a way to grant me passage, and that’s it.” She paused. “Though, if either of us dies, the other goes. But we’ll unlink at that point. So not nothing, I suppose.”

Linked death … that was less than she’d expected for a ‘demon-contracting’. “And how do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Ugh, skeptics. I can’t prove anything to you, but I’m being honest. You’ll either have to accept that, or not—and send me on my way.”

There was a sudden tension in her posture that said the second wasn’t ideal. Or acceptable, even. That she’d played the idea off to emphasize her point, but she desperately wanted Liz to say yes.

Oddly enough, Liz believed her.

If … believing a figment of her imagination even meant anything.

Maybe it was a morbid sort of fascination. What if this was real? That what Morgana was saying would become reality—that Liz would … learn how to ‘harvest’ lustful energy.

Liz hadn’t even ever kissed a girl. Could barely talk to them, something doubly true for pretty ones. She was, quite possibly, the worst possible person for a succubus to contract with, maybe ever. The only reason she wasn’t tripping over herself talking to Morgana was because of the absurdity of the situation. That it was a dream.

“Would it be an equal relationship?” Liz asked.

“No,” Morgana said. “As the contractor, you’d have the ability to dispel me at any point. So I’d be obligated to do as you said. Though not mandated.” A teasing smile crept across her lips. “But more or less, you’d be my … Mistress. I’d be yours to order around.”

Liz’s heart skipped a beat, and the flush deepened. It was only through immense curiosity she could force herself to keep talking. Somehow, she didn’t stutter. “That sounds too good to be true.”

Morgana shrugged. “Sudden awareness of demonic energy isn’t all a good thing. As you train, and grow, your eyes would open to the Darker World. Which means things—entities—would take interest. Not all demons are hungry for sex. Or … just sex.”

“That’s concerning.”

“I’d help you navigate. You’d be safe.” She hesitated. “Relatively. But it’s still power, and sex, to your heart’s content. A chance at something more.”

A chance at something more.

Liz wondered if Morgana knew how much the statement thrilled through her.

Because Liz … Liz wasn’t much to write home about. As maybe her anxiety-ridden dream had shown.

Something more. Something more sounded … nice, regardless of strings attached, potential danger.

“Okay,” Liz said.

It was all a dream, anyway. Not real.

“Sure. I accept. Why not?”

A smile split Morgana’s face. She rose from her desk. “Perfect. We’ll do such great things together, Elizabeth.”

Liz hadn’t told her her name, had she?

Morgana’s hips swayed as she approached Liz, and Liz was frozen in spot. Her movement was predatory, and Liz saw her tail for the first time—a thin strand with a heart-tip that trailed behind her, swishing in the air.

The gap closed. Morgana’s pink eyes were suddenly right in front of Liz’s face. She was entranced—literally.

Morgana took Liz’s cheeks in both her hands. Liz’s heart threatened to pound out of her throat. She had several inches on Morgana, so the other girl had to look up. Liz had always been tall for a girl.

She didn’t know how she hadn’t woken up. More adrenaline was dumping into her veins than if an explosion had gone off. She would’ve been shaking if Morgana’s gaze hadn’t locked her in place.

“See you on the other side, Mistress,” Morgana murmured, then pressed her lips into Liz’s.

Liz’s eyes shot open to her dark apartment bedroom, a ghost of a kiss tingling on her lips.