Succubus

Chapter 9: Aunt Mara's Advice

Chapter 9: Aunt Mara's Advice

The angels were no longer staying at Vine's house. They had finished their inspection and had deduced that the Underworld was a little different after a hundred years. Pithius had followed them in their carriage up to heaven. Vine could not imagine why: Heaven never changed.

Vine double checked to make sure everything was in place. The tea tray was set up on the coffee table with cups and kettle ready to go. There were bags of black, green, herbal, and even rooibos since Vine didn't know Aunt Mara's favorite kind of tea. She hadn't cared until she had a favor to ask.

Mara walked through the door and paused. She was wearing a red track suit and had just gotten back from exercising with her friends in the park. She looked between the tea set and Vine.

"Are you expecting someone?" she asked.

"I'm expecting you aunt Mara. Come sit." Vine patted the spot on the couch next to her.

Mara took hesitant steps toward the couch and sat down. "What's the occasion?" she asked.

"Since I'm only decades away from my first visit to the mortals I wanted to pick your brain a bit. Get some lessons from someone who has actually gone."

Mara perked up. "Oh, of course. Why not ask your father though? He's much more famous for trips to the mortal realm."

"I wanted a succubus's perspective. It's hard because I can't ask mom about these things."

Mara put her teacup down and placed a hand gently on Vine's shoulder. "I hadn't even thought of that. I want you to know that I'm here for you and that you should never hesitate to ask me anything."

Mara and Vine shared a hug. Vine grinned while she squeezed Mara's back. She hoped Adriel would be this easy to fool.

"So how do we get to the mortal realm?" Vine asked.

"It's actually pretty easy. When we get hungry enough our spirit goes up into the mortal realm and enters their dreams. It happens automatically, like plant leaves eating sunlight. The closer you are to mortals, the easier it gets, so once you start going it gets easier each time afterward."

Vine took a sip of tea to collect her thoughts. She wondered if angels dreamed the same way mortals did. It might not even be possible to appear to him. Vine didn't ask Mara because she thought it would raise too many questions.

"What if a demon wanted to appear physically in the mortal realm, and not just in a dream?"

Mara thought about it. "That's much harder. A mortal would need to do a ritual with symbols and chants. Most people don't remember them, and fewer can do them correctly. Then there's melding."

"What's melding?"

"Most demons don't like it. You find a willing mortal and each of you exchange half of your soul. Part of you inhabits their body, but the mortal remains in control. It's tricky for both parties involved because both of them are giving something up without knowing if they'll get what they want."

"You sure are knowledgeable aunt Mara."

Mara flipped her hair. "I had a thing for librarians for a couple centuries."

Vine and Mara finished their tea and made small talk. Vine asked Mara to tell stories about her times with mortals, even though Vine had heard them all already. By the time they finished all the lights had gone dark. After another hug Mara headed upstairs to go to bed.

Vine waited in the living room until the house was silent. She stood up and crept along the carpet in her socks. The house's library was on a shelf across from aunt Mags' wine collection. All the books were locked behind a metal grate, but fortunately Vine knew where the key was.

Vine walked along the racks of wine bottles and tapped each one with the tip of her nail. Down the line: full, full, full. Finally she heard the tinny sound of a hollow bottle. Vine unscrewed the cork and saw a chain embedded in its bottom. Attached to the chain was a key.

The metal grate slid open and Vine began leafing through the books. Decades of dust fell free as Vine moved down the shelf. Some of the books were in languages she couldn't understand, and others changed their words as she tried to read. The night stretched on.

Vine finally caught a break in the form of a small book called Memoirs of Melding. It was written by a demon of sloth who recounted when his uncle had melded with a mortal. The details were sparse, but there were enough to figure out how the ritual worked.

Vine grinned in the dark. It would cost half her soul, but she'd overcome Adriel. She felt as though her grip were tightening around Bridgeton. All she needed was the right host.