Veiled Shadows

Chapter 5

I wake up after what seems like no time at all. I forgot to close my blinds and the morning sun is streaming directly into my eyes. I groan. Snot is curled up in my arms which is odd since I didn't know she'd followed me into the room.

I get up and check the time. Eleven. My stomach rumbles and I scowl at it. I sift through my closet until I find a sufficiently clean outfit for pilates and throw it on. Then I drag the dresser away from the bedroom door and peer out. Nothing seems amiss. I sneak down the hall until I can peak around the corner and into the living room. The man is still passed out on the couch. I breathe a sigh of relief.

I head to the kitchen in search of something to take the edge off before my workout class. A bowl of cereal and oat milk will do the trick so I pour them into a bowl. I carry it over to the little bistro set I have near the windows and sit down. I position myself with my back to the window so I can keep one eye on the man at all times. He's kind of sweet when he's asleep, his face almost kind. Almost.

I unlock my phone, type "Fact or Fiction Succubus" into a search browser, and open the first link. The site looks like something out of the 90's and for some reason they decided to go with comic sans as the main font but it's still the most reliable site for all Flooded related information.

The webpage for succubi has a big Fiction written across the top.

'A female sex demon, the succubus feeds on the sexual energy of their male victims. They are depicted as hideous monsters with wings, tails, and horns and are said to disguise themselves as beautiful women in order to seduce their prey.

There are currently no known cases of succubi.'

A sex demon? Gross. I shoot a dagger stare at the unconscious man. So he had seen me with the vampire then. Great, just great.

I eat magic, not sexual energy. And I don't even need sex to feed. It just makes it more fun.

I eat two more bowls of cereal while I read through the rest of the page about succubi. There's a surprisingly gross and graphic description about how they implant their babies into unsuspecting women that almost makes me gag. After I'm finished I rinse my bowl and herd Snot into the bedroom. Best that she stays away from the man for now. Then, I leave. I purposely leave the door unwarded and I'm kind of hoping that when I get back he'll be gone but he's pretty injured and still very unconscious so I don't hold out hope.

The weather is unseasonably chilly as I make my way to the studio. It bites at my skin and I have to blow on my hands to keep them warm.

"Sophie!" a cheerful voice calls as I walk through the doors.

It's Preeta, the instructor. She pulls me into a tight hug.

"Hey Preeta, ready for a great class?"

"You bet! I saw you were signed up and saved you a spot right at the front. Go get set up because we're starting in just a minute."

My heart sinks but I give her a smile and head off. I've only been coming here for a few weeks. I'd hoped to keep coming for at least a few more before they started noticing me. A shudder runs through me at the memory of the last time I got too comfortable. The last time I was noticed. I refuse to go through that again so it looks like today is my last class.

Preeta runs a hard class. Within the first ten minutes I'm pouring sweat and I'm not alone. The rest of the class is breathing just as hard as I am. I'm lucky today. Today it seems that most of the class has magic to spare. I gulp it down greedily. As I do the energy shifts. These women will think it's the dopamine kicking in but in truth it's the reward they're getting for parting with so much of their magic. For the second half of the class we kick it into high gear. My muscles burn while my stomach fills.