Kate pulled herself closer to Apollyon. The demon coiled her tail around Kate’s leg in response.

“You’re awake.”

“Mhm… awake and enjoying the cuddles.”

“Your first lecture is at ten, correct?”

“Yea.”

“Good. It is three minutes past eight. Would you like some breakfast?”

“In a bit.”

“You are enjoying your sharpened senses. And I am happy to indulge you.”

“You are so soooooft.” Kate giggled. “I mean, damn, you are always incredible but tonight felt like more than usual. I hope every time will be like that.”

“Your body and mind have settled. While your improved senses may lose their novelty, our nights will always feel like this.”

Kate simply made a happy noise.

 

It took another hour for Apollyon to finally convince the cuddle happy human to have breakfast and get dressed again. The following lecture, the very first of the new semester, was not nearly as interesting as sex with a demon had been, but Kate did her best to pay attention nonetheless. It was certainly helpful to have Adelina with her, who could nudge her whenever she got distracted. Now, the two women were on their way to the cafeteria to meet with Oliver for lunch.

“Looking at you, I think I need to go on vacations more often.”

Kate looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I take a few weeks to travel around Europe and when I come back you look like, well, this. Little fangs, even prettier eyes and those arms. I suppose this is our librarians’ doing?”

“They fed me enough soul… souls? How does one count souls when they come in liquid form? Anyway, if you eat enough souls, it changes your body in ways your subconscious wants. So that happened and now I look like this. I also see and feel more, it’s great!”

“Feel more, huh?” Adelina smirked.

“Yes, like all my senses are enhanced in some way.”

“I suppose you already put that to the test properly.”

“Prop-… Oh, yes. Polly volunteered.”

“Good. I’m actually almost sad we didn’t spend a night together before this.”

“I couldn’t control when I changed. If I had known you were that interested, I would have invited you for dinner and fun times before. I’m sorry.”

“It’s all good. I should have been a bit more direct. Our demons are, no reason for me not to be.”

“How about I make it up to you. Friday?”

“If you show off those cooking skills Apollyon has taught you. What time?”

“Hm… five and we can cook together?”

“Sounds good.”

“What does?” The two women had arrived at the table where Oliver was waiting for them.

“Our planned dinner date on Friday.” Adelina took a seat.

“Oh, nice. Kate, you making your move with all the women you know before anyone else can?”

Kate shook her head and sat down as well. “We should have done this months ago.”

“I see. You know what I don’t see though?”

Kate shrugged. “No…?”

“Your food.”

Adelina looked at Kate, who returned a giggle. “We literally just walked past it.”

“Yea… well, we’ll be right back.” The vampire got up again.

 

“Looks like it’s just us here from now on.” Oliver frowned. He and Kate had just explained to Adelina what happened with Arthur and Dorian.

“Seems so. I am sorry it went bad. Maybe we could ask that new red-haired woman from the lecture earlier to join us. She seems cool.”

Kate raised an eyebrow. “Sarah?”

“Yea, her.”

“I don’t think she has the time to hang out with dorks like us.”

“We are nice dorks though.”

“Not what I mean, wait…” Kate pulled a scrap of paper from her purse and simply wrote “Grand Justiciar Sariel” on it and slid it to Adelina, who took a quick look and slid the paper back.

“Ah.”

“I will explain later.”

“Wait, what did you show her? Did you just indirectly admit that a new student is involved in library secrets?” Oliver sounded half joking.

Kate got out another scrap of paper and wrote another note: “Very important person, here to protect me, don’t talk about it.”

“Okay. I will leave it at that then. Anyway, any friends you got here that might want to have lunch with us, Adelina?”

The vampire shook her head. “I wasn’t in the habit of making friends for a while. I am working on fixing that right now.”

“’Right now’ as in befriending me?”

“Yes, that’s the plan. You were a nice person when we just had lunch together, but after what you told me about yesterday, I think I want to get to know you more. You deserve some friendship.”

“That’s really sweet of you. You know, I am really starting to appreciate people with a little vague weirdness a lot more these days. With the librarians’ not-quite-human-but-still-human-enough-to-not-be-questioned-ness rubbing off onto Kate and your hundred-year-old-vampire-pretending-to-be-twenty aura, I almost feel too normal. Like I’m your alibi in case someone questions if you are actually human. In a fun way, of course.”

Adelina laughed. “I can assure you, your blood is safe from me.”

“That is a way too specific way of phrasing that…”

“We are literature students. Our skills have to be good for something.”

“If you prefer girl blood you could have just told me.” He smirked.

“That wouldn’t be as much fun now, would it?”

“That’s fair. Now that we established that you are totally not a vampire for real I swear, what about you, Kate? Your ascension to the eldritch going well?”

Kate chuckled and gave a playful shrug. “I have finally devoured enough souls for my dabbling in the dark arts to have benefits now. I have also begun training to take down demons with a blade made of liquid metal. Overall good progress!”

“Fancy.” Oliver acted suitably impressed.

“For real though, I took up, uh, what do you call it? HEMA? Like sword fighting martial arts, but more general than fencing and stuff like that.”

“Let me guess, one of the librarians got you into it?”

“Yes, obviously.”

“I cannot imagine anything more lesbian than foreplay with swords.”

“We actually… haven’t… uhm…” Kate went bright red and took a moment to compose herself, much to the amusement of her two friends. “Well, we haven’t done it in that way. I don’t know if she would be up for that, but I certainly would be. Might have to ask.”

“Wait. Wait! Did you just admit that you are having sex with one of them?”

“Two, actually. No idea why I never really did anything with Nirrti besides cuddling. They are incredible in bed. I actually thought you knew?”

“I thought you were joking! I am… wow… impressed, honestly. I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve been enamoured with them from the start, and you seem like the only outsider they ever let in. Well, former outsider. It’s been crazy to watch and I must have missed most of it.”

“Yea, there is so much I can’t talk about that they have done for me. I know so many things now that I want to share but can’t. But I also know a lot I would never tell anyone outside the library. Dorian caught a glimpse of that actually.” Kate shook her head. “Let’s not talk about all that. Today is supposed to be a fun day.”

“Not a lot of time for fun stuff left.” He checked his phone. “I should get going for the next lecture soon. I need to know one thing before I go.”

“You know I can’t promise an answer.”

“I know. I can still ask. That sword you swung at Arthur was yours, wasn’t it?”

“It is, yes.”

“It’s pretty. Could you show me next time we meet at the library?”

“I can’t hand it to you, but sure.”

“Thank you.” Oliver smiled warmly. “I loved swords and stuff when I was a child, seeing one in the wild makes me a little excited.”

“Oh? I remember your brother joking about your cosplay sword collection in year seven or so? You still have them?”

“Absolutely! They’re just in a box in the attic somewhere.”

“Well, a little librarian wisdom for you: a bedroom is best decorated with your most trusted plushies and the weapon you are most proficient with. Display them!”

“Maybe not the kiddy swords from back then. I should get some nicer ones if I want them on my walls.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Oliver finally got up. “A spirit for later though, I need to get going. I’ll talk to you both tomorrow?”

Kate nodded and reached for her drink.

Adelina responded properly. “We will be here. Enjoy the lecture.”

“I will. When’s the next one for you?”

“At four, so we got some time to relax.”

“Oh the envy. See you tomorrow anyway.” He chuckled and wandered away.

“What are we actually doing with such enviable free time?” Adelina turned to Kate.

“Want to go for a little walk? We could see about getting something from the bakery on the way.”

“Sign me up.”