Succubus Soul

by Lina Jubilee

  Succubus Soul

  Veras Academy

  Lina Jubilee

  Succubus Soul by Lina Jubilee

  © 2019 by Lina Jubilee. All rights reserved.

  Published by Caleo Press and Lina Jubilee.

  Caleo Press, Mishawaka, Indiana

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including written, electronic, recording, or photocopying, without written permission of the author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  The characters and events appearing in this work are fictitious. Existing brands and businesses are used in a fictitious manner, and the author claims no ownership of or affiliation with trademarked properties. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  The Succubus Sirens Series

  My Racy Reverse Harem Book Club

  Chapter One

  “So remember: Visualize. Create. Control.”

  The dashing Nelian guard struck a pose in front of the makeshift outdoor classroom for each of those three keywords. He’d repeated himself at least a dozen times over the past forty-five minutes. But I wasn’t complaining. Each of those poses was tailor-made to show off his lean, sculpted biceps.

  “Visualize. Create. Control.” His dark green brows pulled together, his fingers poised in a circle in front of him. Then he waved his arms with a flourish, a thick growth of vines growing from his palms, creaking as if someone were stepping on squeaky wood. The vines were curling into a cone in an imitation of soft-serve ice cream, but I wasn’t focused on that. The more he was in control, the tighter his ass got, that brown-and-green leather clinging to him in all the right places. I pressed my thighs together under my calf-length plaid skirt, pushing down the building buzz between my legs, trying to focus. Focus.

  The lecturer’s long, green hair tousled a bit in the light breeze, catching on the pointed tip of his tawny ear. My hand subconsciously moved to the bright red hair covering my own pointed ear. The thick, straight strands were dyed—carefully styled. Anything to hide the fact that I was one of them.

  A Nelian. Half-Nelian.

  Mom and Dads didn’t want to do a blood test to determine which of them, exactly, had contributed DNA to my twin brother, Sage, and me. But frankly, there was no way my biological father wasn’t Alarik, king of the Nelians, the elf-like race of aliens who’d come here from their flora-overrun planet over twenty years ago in an initially misguided attempt to save Earth.

  None of my other dads had pointed ears.

  Rajani stopped chewing on her pen just long enough to lean over and whisper, “I bet he could show off a lot of control in the bedroom.” Her red lips curled up into a smile as she arched her back, tossing her wavy, black hair over her shoulder and showing off her hourglass curves in her bright pink sari. The move worked. The lecturer paused in his pattern, his eyes dancing pointedly in her direction as he topped off another soft-serve vine sculpture. Only the plant life sputtered off wildly as his gaze lingered in our direction, and the “control” part of his demonstration seemed like a joke as the vines spread out and wrapped around the nearby oak tree offering us shade.

  Rajani and I both giggled like schoolgirls half our age, earning us an austere look from Professor Chastity, our primary combat instructor. She was a knockout even at around age fifty, and she stood to the side of the guest lecturer with her hands clasped tightly behind her back.

  “Ah, that is,” sputtered the Nelian man—Connak, son of one of my father’s most trusted guards. Sure, Nelians didn’t really age like humans did, but it was nice to know my friend and I were taking turns fantasizing about a man in his early twenties. “Visuals. Crontrol. Create. I mean…” His arms trembled.

  Professor Chastity stepped in from where she’d been leaning against the giant, blooming oak tree in the backyard of the Academy. “Thank you, Connak. I believe the class gets it.” Her gray-and-black eyebrow arched, her silver bob especially severe as her gaze narrowed on Rajani and me once more. “Unless Bryony and Rajani apparently have questions for our guest lecturer?”

  “What time is the guest lecturer off the clock?” asked Rajani under her breath, but he heard her. Everyone heard her.

  We burst into laughter once more. The rest of the class glowered, and Derek actually shushed us, a familiar, inviting scent of old books and fresh grass hitting my nostrils as he leaned closer, his finger to his shapely lips.

  My best friend since I could remember, and just a few months younger than my brother and me, Derek was like if a model for a college campus gear catalogue had walked off the page and onto the real thing. Smooth, flawless, umber skin peeked out from his form-fitting, sleek workout shirt that clung to every bit of the muscles he’d earned through sweat and tears over the twenty-one years he’d been on Earth. His close-cropped textured black hair framed a perfectly-oval face with high cheekbones that made his hazel brown eyes pop beneath his thick-rimmed black glasses. He had his notebook open in front of him as well as his tablet, and he’d written down Connak’s three keywords at least four times in each. Derek didn’t mess around when it came to studying.

  The cheeky bastard had this idea that he could beat me to being valedictorian when we finally graduated in a few months.

  The shushing just caused Rajani to giggle more, but I made a zipper motion over my lips, complete with “turning the key,” and winked at Derek, trying to stop myself from smiling. He rolled his eyes and faced forward.

  “Okay, then,” said Professor Chastity, all business. “Let’s please give a round of applause for Connak’s, uh, enlightening demonstration.”

  No sooner had the halfhearted claps begun—though to be fair, Rajani was sitting straight on up on her calves, clapping too hard, as if she’d just watched the most riveting performance of Shakespeare—than the period bell rang from the main building a few dozen yards away. The other members of the class gathered their things—foldable tablets for most students, though some preferred paper and pen like Derek—and broke off into groups as they headed back toward the old sports center that had been converted decades ago. First into the headquarters for the small Natch team called Veras, then into Veras Academy, the number one institution in the Midwest that instructed Natches on how to use their powers safely and responsibly, from first grade through college, accredited and recognized and everything.

  Daddy Alarik had used a lot of influence to make that dream come true, with no small help from Papa Zander.

  I guess I should back up. Beginning about half a century ago, about one in three people started being born with superpowers. All kinds of powers. Rarely alike. No one knew exactly why, but these naturally occurring phenomena led to superpowered-gifted individuals being called “Natches”—short for “Naturals”—compared with “Typicals,” the remainder of non-powered humanity. As the years have gone by, the percentage of Natches had grown. It was probably almost one in two births these days. Good thing Papa Zander had a foothold in government
. He was the leader of the Renegades, a small group of Natches who didn’t used to see eye-to-eye with Veras on how best to protect Natch rights. They got along pretty well these days, though.

  Shortly before my brother and I had been born, our mom—Aurora Haddix, member of Veras—and our other two dads—Pop Nash and Dad Jayden—had gone up against the Nelian invaders who’d thought that to save Earth, they’d had to rip down everything unnatural. It had taken some convincing for them to change their approach to saving Earth from environmental destruction.

  But change it they had—and it had worked so well. When I’d been little, the Earth had been on the brink of climate-change-related destruction. Now? There was still damage the planet needed to heal from, but Earth had a bright future. We all had a bright future ahead of us.

  Thanks to the work of my family. Nearly every single important figure in this historical marvel was part of my family.

  That came with having so many fathers and uncles.

  They took care of things for you.

  Yup, nothing but peace and prosperity ahead for my generation. Made practicing how to use our powers awfully pointless, if you asked me.

  Rajani was telling me something about this show she’d watched the night before and Derek was flipping through his notebook and scrolling through his tablet screen at the same time as we walked back to the Academy. Focus, I reminded myself. Live in the moment. Only a couple of months until graduation, and then everything will change. Cherish the now.

  “Your Highness!” called Connak as he jogged up beside us. He put one fist to his opposite shoulder and bowed.

  Subconsciously, I tugged on my hair to make sure my ears were covered, but there was no missing the giggles from Hazel and her gaggle of friends as they pushed past us and headed toward the main building.

  “Your Highness,” mocked Hazel with a flourish of her hands. Her long, black-and-blonde-striped hair shifted over the ruffled shoulder of her blouse as she bent in my direction, her little perfect nose remaining upturned and snooty, her blue eyes offset by her peachy pale complexion. She acted all prim and proper, but her ability was rather vulgar: her hazardous breath turned things to stone, just like her icy heart.

  Her companions curtsied and snickered some more.

  There was Pepper, gorgeous and lanky, her black hair in braids that complemented her medium-brown skin. She shot light out of her fingers that could temporarily blind someone if she focused hard enough.

  Sheila, short with fair red hair and freckled white skin, was beautiful when not smiling condescendingly at those around her. She could create a doppelgänger of herself who could fight alongside her.

  And Jerry, the only man in the gaggle, as stuck-up as his girlfriends. Wavy brown hair, a chiseled tanned complexion, and the tallest one of the group. He looked like a supermodel, the kind that never smiled except when enjoying watching someone else make a fool of themselves. He had an ability to “fix” physical objects that were broken, though he clearly didn’t relish the idea of becoming something like a mechanic. He was a glamor hound through and through.

  I watched them out of the corner of my eye until they slipped inside.

  “Connak,” I said, straightening my back. “Don’t call me that here, okay? Or anywhere, really. Seriously.” As the son of Normak, one of Daddy Alarik’s most trusted guards, Connak had been a fixture practically my whole life. We might have had a little fling at one point—he was freaking stunning. But it hadn’t lasted, nor had it ever gotten far. He’d told me he hadn’t felt the Nelian sense toward me, and that had been that.

  Rajani, on the other hand, hadn’t transferred to Veras until her high school years, and she was far less familiar with Nelian courting rituals. Flings were fine, but if Connak didn’t feel those pheromones unique to his kind, she had no chance of making more than a little dent in his heart.

  I may have been half-Nelian, but I honestly had no idea what this “sense” was all about. I’d never felt it.

  But that wasn’t going to stop my other best friend. She twirled one of her luxurious curls around her finger as she clutched her tablet to her chest, sizing Connak up and down and up again.

  Derek, oblivious as usual to anything but his studies, only just now looked up from his book and tablet, only just now noticing we’d stopped, turning around and shuffling back toward us.

  Connak flinched somewhat under the power of Rajani’s gaze, but he remained as stiff as a board. “I cannot call you anything but, Your Highness. You are heir to the Nelian throne—”

  “Bup, bup, bup.” I placed two lace-covered fingers on Connak’s lips, causing his head to tilt in surprise. Rajani’s smile grew wider. “None of that talk here, please.”

  “But, Your Highness, everyone knows who you are—” he started.

  “Yeah, and I don’t need the constant reminders, thanks.” I flicked my bright red hair over my bare shoulder, wondering if my green roots were showing yet.

  Connak was undeterred. “But your father requested that when I make this trip to your prestigious academy that I remind you that you need to be starting to make arrangements now for your move to the heart of Nelia.”

  I held up a hand in the air. “I know. But that’s months away.”

  “You’re almost finished with your education,” he continued. “Which means that you can soon assume the throne. You can start visiting on the weekends, getting to better know the populace.”

  “The weekends?” What was he talking about? I had two months yet. I was overcome with the sudden need to run and hide behind a bush.

  A shriek pierced the air from the nearby playground as the elementary-aged kids were up to their fun and games. The sound was like a slap straight to my senses.

  I turned on my heel, my plaid tie soaring outward in the wind, whapping against the black bustier I’d paired up with my plaid skirt decked in red and black, the colors of the school’s optional uniform. I was in university, after all, and most of the older students liked to exhibit their own style. But I could make “preppy” my own when the mood struck.

  “The people of Nelia eagerly await your rule,” continued Connak, unabated.

  Rajani seemed to be eyeing our escape routes, knowing I’d want to weasel my way out of this conversation as soon as possible. I opened my mouth to say anything—the right thing—whatever would get him to move on—when Derek stepped between us, all of his studies forgotten, his books and tablet clutched tightly to his brawny chest with one arm.

  “She was promised she could have the full Veras Academy education on Earth before she moved to Nelia.”

  Connak bristled. “Of course, but her father thought—”

  “She has four fathers, and I don’t recall them agreeing with her mother to make any adjustment to that promise.”

  “Well, no, not a formal agreement, but His Majesty simply thought—”

  I stepped forward, slipping my lace glove into Derek’s free hand. The thought of him standing up for me warmed my heart—and I’d gladly do the same for him.

  “I want to wait until I graduate,” I said, straightening my back. “And not a moment sooner.”

  Derek’s gaze met mine, his smile lighting up his eyes. If he weren’t my best friend, I’d—

  “Look out!” screamed Rajani, in time with a sudden chorus of shrieks from the playground, no longer punctuated by giggles, just screaming, shrieking.

  “The kids!” said Derek, growing tense, dropping my hand and his books all at once, striding toward the danger without taking a single moment to analyze what was going on.

  Children streamed toward him, away from the playground—away from the steaming hot playground equipment that glowed red, ready to explode.

  “The temperature kid,” said Rajani, nodding at me. “Must have gotten out of control.” As college-level students, it was our duty to be at least somewhat informed about all the kids wandering the campus grounds. She sent a sly, suggestive gaze toward Connak. “Visualize, create, control, honey.” Cr
ossing her arms in front of her, she started running through the crowd of kids, her skin morphing into metal scales that would protect her from almost any attack…

  Except concentrated heat, as the metal on the playground equipment could already attest.

  Growling, I snapped to it. “Jani!”

  Derek was already pelting a sizzling swing set with his ice bombs, small snowball-sized concentrated projections of ice. It wasn’t his bombs that would prove most useful just now, but his father’s steadier stream of ice blasts. Only I didn’t think the man was on campus just now.

  Sure enough, the first ice bomb to impact exploded on the ground, sending ice shards willy-nilly in every direction—including toward the lone child remaining amidst the playground equipment.

  The child was crying as steam poured from his hands.

  It grew hotter then, his rosy skin turning tomato-red, his wails growing louder as the air wavered and morphed around him.

  I bolted forward, not even sensing if Connak joined me, focusing on nothing but that child, nothing but protecting him—from himself, from the blast. Protecting my friends from danger.

  Chapter Two

  Rajani slowed as she neared, no doubt feeling the heat on her metal scales, the metal casing having turned even her long, wavy hair into stiff alloy. She stopped moving, the heat likely expanding her metal skin, making it difficult for her to move. She collapsed. Derek readied another blast, only to pull his arm back as he seemed to realize—his theories catching up to his practicums—that his ice bombs would just melt in the steam, that his shrapnel was too difficult to predict and wouldn’t do an adequate job of cooling the area. Connak’s swift, silent feet brought him to my side and then in front of me, a giant vine growing outward from his palms, but to what end, I couldn’t be sure.