Witching Hour

Paradise, West Virginia. Located in the tri-state area in its northern panhandle, hidden in a gorge between the mountains and cloistered by the woods the state was known for; this is not the first visit nor will it be the last as is it is also neither lost nor dead, only resting, waiting, as it did every day for night to come. Nothing changed since the last tour. It was still the same, sleepy hollow nestled under the Academy. Its main road still had its diner, a Golden Arches, and a gas station at its center before continuing to the Academy and the turn-around to leave. There was also the movie theater, a quaint little place before it was mussed. Thankfully it was under new management and newer employees. There were rows of houses off the main, old, Victorian-era buildings that had been gutted and fortified and made into apartment complexes. Meanwhile, there was a newer complex closer to the bridge made of concrete that didn’t bother wearing a facade. It was even the second, with the remnants of its successor scattered along the hillsides around, built over it while it was forgotten. Only those that knew of the fate of the first would have known it was there at all, but even they started to doubt their memories, if it actually happened at all. As if such an event could occur in such a dreamy place.

Last but certainly not least was the Academy, Itself. Vereor Nox. A simple glance at the building and one was bound to wonder, to curiosity, to intrigue, mystique abound. Its very existence was a mystery, an enigma. The Gothic manse clashed with the humble houses, the “original” settlement of Paradise, younger than the Civil War. Yet its dark stone walls and its fortifications rose from the hill it resided upon, as if all of it were carved from a mountain that once belonged in that gorge, worn down into that valley and hill after centuries upon centuries. Even then it did not match the stone of the area, as was seen with the diner, constructed with the sandstone and slate. It didn’t fit, didn’t belong. A stranger to the world around, yet somehow the eldest. Its eight parapets lashed at the sky, tore at that blue until it bled orange and purple and so much red. It stained the glass windows, glowing, the signal for the city and its streets to awaken.

To alumni, let this be a reminder; for newcomers, a warning: Vereor Nox is not like other schools. Not for the lake on its grounds nor the warehouse across. No, it was because of the students it catered to and those that worked there. Above and below.

The complexes rumbled to life. Cars trickled-then-flooded into town, packed on the bridge as they all lumbered their way through a wash of Autumn’s bounty. They filled the parking lot before the gates at the base of the Academy, those attached to simple wrought iron fencing, set in solid slate block in a half-crescent to either end of the hill where it met with the actual wall of the Academy. Those gates were already open, allowing access to the steps, padded with purple carpet, leading to a set of heavy, wooden double doors. A grand chandelier awaited in the entrance, made of thousands of crystals, descending from what seemed the heavens, themselves, casting dazzling lights upon the stone floor and walls. There was a pair of staircases at the end of the entry, meeting over another set of double doors while they ascended into the splendor. Before them were a pair of wide arches. The right housed many a plush chair and couch while the left had a sitting area before a hallway, packed with doors and plaques, polished as well, ready for a new “day”. And year.

Doors slammed, drowned out by voices from faces that rose, that appeared out of thin air on the grounds before the Academy. They were joined by the beatings of wings that descended from the dark skies, feathers following their wake, all mingling with the chiding, giggles, and scathing rumors. Howls answered and summoned the moon as it rose over the horizon. Shadows flickered and roiled in its wake, ending at the top of the steps, while those that came by vehicle, those himan, clambered out of their metal coffins and trudged after. By hoof, by talon, by spindly legs or even no legs at all; all joined the masses that still simply appeared, that dropped from the skies or clawed out of the ground. An unseemly sight in what was considered the normal world. At the Academy? That WAS the mundane. The only place it could be... on the east coast.

There was one that did stand out that night. One that seemed far too normal for such an abnormal place.

“Excuse me!” Samantha Coffey bellowed. For the umpteenth time. That time it was aimed towards the sky as she waved her satchel at the harpies, little more than a patch of leather on an old string. It threatened to spill out as she fought with her blue loafers, halfway on each foot. It was a trying battle, but, in the end, they won. The loafers slipped off on the steps as she scrambled after the harpies. If only she had taken a bit longer to straighten and smooth out her black stockings, allowed them to contour to her feet, as she had done for her waist. It was in perfect form under her skirt, not a wrinkle to be seen on the blue fabric, matching her blue dress jacket. It was buttoned all the way up, hiding her white blouse. She had on white gloves, with all but her caramel-colored face hidden behind cloth, her black hair unnaturally smooth but proper. Turning red and splotchy as she panted and growled and continued to bellow. Finally, she lost what patience she had, and called out something different. “Hey, dammit! Any of you?”

One of the harpies finally showed mercy and landed before her. She had deep red feathers, tipped in white and running from her neck to her tail, which flourished behind. It was her chest, however, Samantha leered at. Not entirely on purpose. She was trying to catch her breath but also used the time to back a few steps to retrieve those dastards called loafers, lumbering back up to the already ruffled bird. Her feathers were tearing at that tight white tank, which didn’t need more help. Each breast was as large as their keeper’s head, and in truth they were the brighter eyes. Those orange tips bore through the gray fabric, and seemed to return the hard look.

The harpy’s feathers fluttered, ripped more at the cloth as Samantha stared her down- until she squawked, breaking the staring contest.

“What do you want!” She demanded.

Samantha shook her head and finally lifted her head, glaring into the harpy’s rubies proper as she sighed.

“I was catching my breath, thank you. Where’s the dean’s office?”

“Missed orientation or something?”

Another harpy landed. Her feathers were a solid mass of black, clashing with her shimmering golden talons. The first was a high-born and had human legs, while low-borns had avian. Which seemed to be enough for the latter to warrant not to wear pants at all, showing off the soft, white tuft in between her legs.

“This hag holding you up?” The low-born inquired.

“Yeah,” the first harpy said. “Seems her memory is foggy. Can’t even remember where the dean’s office is.”

“Well, we’re no girl scouts.”

The low-born tittered, blushing. “Not right now, anyways.”

“Shut up!”

“I mean, he’s currently on leave and that b-”

“Bitch, what did I just say?”

“Fine... So what do say, Rin. Do we help this old crone?”

“It would be the nice thing to do. Otherwise she’ll just continue to pester and whine until she falls backwards.”

“But that sounds fun!”

“I know, right?”

“What’s taking so long,” A third harpy asked as she landed, another low-born. She had brown feathers, with her plume gelled up into a mohawk.

“We’re trying to think of how to help granny,” the black one said. “She can’t remember the way to the dean’s.”

“How dreadful. I hope I never get that old-”

“I’m only twenty-five!” Samantha boomed, and the stone under crackled. Metal wrapped around her knuckles as she pinched her brow, a soft yellow light pulsing through the silver. “Now! Do any of you walking dinner buckets know where it is or not?”

“No need to be so rude,” Rin said. “It’s up the stairs, to the left, and down the hall. Can’t miss it.”

“I mean that’s not entirely true-” the black low-born began.

“Shut up, Val,” the brown one said. “Give her some credit.”

“I am, but there’s a lot of-”

“Great! Thank you!” Samantha said. “Have a pleasant life.”

She pushed by them, making Rin gasp as the last thread on her white top was snagged with the jagged steel on Samantha’s fingers. It made such a satisfying sound as it tore off, left in her wake as the metal dribbled off, leaving puddles on the purple rug. She heaved a weary sigh, bordering on a growl. Samantha let her hand fall from her face, scowling, shaking her head, but it was all forgotten as she entered the Academy. All but awe left her as she wheeled about, slowing to gawk at the chandelier quite a few times, catching a new layer each time in it. She also took in the soft, vine-like wallpaper on the stone walls, “worn” enough to give such a mood, as well as the “sconces”- at everything!

Students shoved by, grumbling, but Samantha continued to drink it all in. Entitled shits all of them, ignorant of the true beauty they strode through. Them, the harpies, the other wastrels; all ignoring the fact they were inside and surrounded by such... history. Pedigree. True legacy. How could they be so nonchalant in their wear? Even she felt underdressed, while some wore nearly nothing and others were nude. Had they no shame, no respect, no understanding of where they were!

Samantha huffed, but shrugged. There was no point to get angry, no reason to argue with stupid. It still sobered her a touch, but even then it took all she could not to skip to the left arch and beyond- but, just like the shoes, she lost. She didn’t skip but galloped to the hall, bolting for the offices- no. THE office. No other door mattered, her olive eyes warming, beaming, seeming to light the hallway, focused on the door at its end, gleaming off the gold plaque.

Lilith Brimst.

Samantha grabbed the door, still mid-stride, angling to slip in- and it was locked. It rattled in her hand, once, then thumped against her knee, her shoulder, and, of course, her head before it flung her to the ground. The office to the left was open; she crawled into it and pulled herself onto a chair by its entry, her smile that she practiced so long gone. Her nose throbbed, pressed down- and bleeding. She groaned as she fished a packet of tissues from her satchel.

Blood and tears held it in place as she fumbled for her cellphone next, held with both of her trembling hands.

“I’m not that early,” she muttered, but time slowed after. Nearly to a halt. She didn’t dare to play games nor check her texts. The only thing she did aside watch the time was check her email. The one left by Lilith.

Be at my office on Monday at 20:30.

Samantha must have read that email over forty times the last few nights. She made sure to get a proper rest and woke late enough. She practiced for every single part of that meeting (even if she never stepped foot in the building before), and was more than ready... She closed the email, and glared at the time.

8:25.

She heaved another, weary sigh, and squeezed the hem of her skirt. It wasn’t long before her legs started to fidget, bouncing and rubbing against each other. Though the door was open there was no other circulation in the room, and she was starting to sweat. If she only took off her jacket –but would she truly give in to such simple creature comforts? Would she give up professionalism to avoid discomf- the jacket had to go. It had to fucking go. It needed to! Another sigh echoed in the office, but it was of relief, respite at last. She folded her jacket in her lap, her arms allowed to breathe. The ruffles of her blouse by her shoulders were revealed, as well as those down her front. Flat.

She continued to tap her heel, watched her cell as it crept to 8:30- and almost bolted to her feet when she heard a door creak open. Not just any door, but Lilith’s!

It slowly opened. A shadow could be seen against its smoked glass panel before it was pulled inside. Which Samantha did bolt to her feet. Her smile was once again in place... only to falter then disappear. Another lowborn harpy –and not just because she was a low-born.

That harpy stepped out, carrying a bag of garbage. Samantha slumped back on the chair in the dark, pulling her feet in as the harpy’s clacked through, clearing that room too. Her tips were capped in silver, polished, reflecting everything above, including her brown skirt and what awaited under. Rather, what wasn’t there. Like Samantha or anyone else needed the help for that: The woman’s violet-and-orange tail flared, bounding, bouncing and pushing her skirt up with each rocking trot only to be pushed down seven steps too late. Her black tee suffered a similar fate as Rin’s before, tearing to shreds, showing off the dusky tips under. If there was a worry about a male population maybe she would show a bit more modesty- no. No she and they wouldn’t. If anything, it would only escalate as the harpies would want to turn the dicks in their heads into the cock in their womb. Bad enough there were hysterics constantly haunting rural areas for country men as no one cared if they went missing- and once more it took the harpy’s squawks to pull Samantha’s vision from those dark points, looking up into those yellow eyes.

“Did you need the high beams?” Samantha said. “I know it’s dark in here but show a bit of courtesy.”

The harpy rolled her eyes, and trotted out of the room- but not before flipping the light on. Samantha growled, and doubled-over in the chair, if only to give the sweat accumulating a clear line to drop instead of marring her garb any further. She glowered down at her phone, not even blocked a bit by her chest. Her bra was the only thing that gave it any definition, and even that was being generous. The door before the room she sat in reopened, and that harpy returned to the hall. Samantha shot a dirty look after her, watched as she went into the next office before she stood, turned the light off, and stepped out into the hall.

And realized that Lilith’s office was left open.

Samantha blinked, peeked inside, but there was no one there. She shuffled down the hall, to the end of it, checked each office along the way (even the one that bitch was in), and looked out onto the lobby before looking back at Lilith’s door. Yet, still, no one –aside that wretch. She checked the time, 9:15, and grimaced at it until it went dark, then returned up the hall and before Lilith’s office, taking it in. The first item she noted was the desk. It was made of mahogany and took up most of the space, with only enough room to walk around from the left. The right side was closed off by the brown leather couch that took up the entire wall, with its furthest, plush arm in-line with the desk. There were three chairs at the desk, two on the side closest to the door basic compared to the winged beauty beyond. Two silver picture frames stood out on the desk, newer than anything else in the room. Dust collected on the bookshelves along the left wall and around to behind the desk. Tomes upon tomes, leathers and dust jackets abound, along with vinyl and their player set behind the winged chair, speakers seen atop the corner shelving. A rather browned ficus sat in the right-hand corner, just beyond the closest arm of the couch, still pulling the room together.

She gave it time to digest, for her mind to accept it all, before she drew and held a few deep breaths, letting them go in sharp puffs. On the thirteenth, she blew it out and fully stepped into the room. She approached the desk, reached for one of the pictures.

Stopped.

Her heart dropped as she felt a hand on her back. It slid up to her shoulder before falling off, releasing her breath as it did. Samantha gulped, sighed, and smiled at the woman easing behind the desk. That raven-haired woman settled into the winged chair, smoothing out her dark top as she did, near umbra in shade. Yet it was pale, nearly gray if not white compared to her hair. However, even as ashen as it was to her long, long, straightened hair, it was black as night against her skin, whiter than the driven snow. There was easily an acre of it before her, that poor blouse straining against her magnanimous breasts. Her red eyes twinkled as she waited for Samantha to sit, but made sure to ease the picture away from her clawing hand and back on the desk. Those two points were the one place Samantha did not want to look, however.

“I take it you are Samantha Coffey,” Lilith said. Her voice was like velvet, seeming to raise insinuations, to drip with tawdry flair and rouse all in its roll. She looked over Samantha, clasped her hands before her, while Samantha kept hers flat in her lap. “I apologize for running late. I had other matters to tend to.”

“You were running late? I thought I was really early.” Samantha giggled, trying to shake off that lewd wave crashing upon- still crashing upon her- buffeting- snaring- holding- filling! She offered her hand, fast and hard. Hard enough to make both her elbow, shoulder, and wrist pop. All at once. “Nice to meet you. Samantha. Samantha Bernice Coffey.”

Lilith gave her name, but did not take her hand. Instead, she gestured to the photos. “I would appreciate if you didn’t touch things on my desk, or, at the very least, wait until I am in my office before entering.”

“Sorry. Door was open and curiosity got the better of me.”

Lilith uttered a single chortle. An attempt, perhaps, at solace, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth as it reached and caressed Samantha and made it all the harder to dispel those moans rising in the back of her mind, closing in as her gaze continued to creep towards those red eyes. Samantha fought it. That was one round that she needed to win. That didn’t hinder those giggles, those moans, those soft, satin sheets that seemed to roll with the light in Lilith’s- she jerked her head towards the couch, panting. Her cheeks were greened yet still flushed.

Only then did Lilith speak again. “Yes, well, curiosity is best to be sated rather than squelched and fester. Even so, I must ask you to respect my privacy.” Lilith pulled one of the pictures to her, smiling at it. “But aren’t we just passing forgiveness back and forth for I must ask for forgiveness again. I let you and your family wait a long time before receiving an answer. We had... issues.”

“Issues? Hopefully nothing too apocalyptic. I don’t see any gateways to Hell or giant meteors so how bad could it have been?”

Samantha chuckled, but the darkness that settled on Lilith’s visage stole any warmth that may have been born in that room- and once again Samantha found her gaze had drifted back to those eyes.

“Several students died, murdered in a gruesome fashion,” Lilith stated. Her voice was cold, no longer the gentle velvet but a hard lash, harsher than winter’s bite. “Teachers as well, while others suffered worse.”

“My gods. What happened?”

“Jealousy. Ignorance. Blissful ignorance, but ignorance all the same.” Lilith shook her head, and the cold pressure that settled rose with it. Her voice softened as she continued. “It’s been taken care of. Proper procedures were followed and we are back to normal. I finally managed to schedule an appointment... and to tell you that I must decline.”

“What?” Samantha blurted, and the smile that she painstakingly practiced, that was plastered and seamless, shattered. She repeated herself. Lilith looked away from the photo- and Samantha barely had time to look away.

“The last time we had a Coffey in these halls, it ended... shall we say... not well.”

“That’s... absurd! My mother had nothing but praise-”

“While I have only complaints.” Lilith put the picture down and reached into a drawer beside. She needed both hands, grunting, near panting as she pulled out a manila folder as thick as her chest. Her arms quivered, shuddered until she was able to get it above the desk, and let it thud onto it. Coffey was taped on its front. “Your mother was a promiscuous sort. Caught over 900 times consorting with students, teachers... and... every possible combination thereof. She showed bias in her grading, even took bribes, then without even a two-weeks notice she left.”

“That was during Katrina! Of course she left. She had to check on her family.”

“Though that may be the case she never returned.”

“You sent her a letter of termination. With severance pay! Why would she return to a place she was cut from when her-”

Samantha winced, biting her cheek. She clenched her hands, rattling with fresh metal, and looked Lilith straight in the eyes, seeming to dive into those crimson pools- No! This was not a loss. She accepted that challenge, needed to look into them, to glare at her fully. So she stared, long and deep, into that crimson abyss, and did not dare to look away. Even as those moans enveloped her, as the world faded into silks and satin. Lilith’s breath was hot on her neck, her perfect teeth nipping at Samantha, arcing against. Her thighs squirmed, trembled, pushing into her hand as it trailed along. Goosebumps rose under those scarlet nails, digging in just enough to be heard as they made their way in between, meeting and rubbing their true target. Samantha fought to keep her breathing steady, shuddering, even as Lilith continued to toy with her. Her other hand teased her tit, making its dark tip rise, while the Lilith across remained stoic.

“Look,” Samantha said. Her voice was steady, her victory. She blinked, and the office returned in full. Lilith had brought her hands together, her elbows resting on the desk, allowing her to lean and hold her head in her palms. “Is there any way we can put that ugly business behind? That was my mother. I am not her nor anything like her-”

“Save your gift,” Lilith interjected. “Well? Why not a small presentation?”

Samantha... broke their gaze at last. She was rigid, trying hard not to shake, to not even give the smallest twitch other than what she intended as she stood and held out her right hand. Fire, black wisps swirled down it, molding to her knuckles before ripping them open. In their place were five silver claws, formed from the aether. They sparked with green lightning, sapping the lights above, buzzing loud as sparks swarmed from those silvered tips. The energy formed into an orb, just a bit bigger than a golf ball. She let it loose as she sat again, which it swirled about the room, buzzing. It returned to her hand again and again to regain its luster, to split and make more until there were seven chattering. Only then did they dare to cross the desk and touch Lilith.

The succubus hummed, grabbed each and crushed them between her thumb and index.

“Not too shabby,” she said. “More promise than your mother initially showed... But this isn’t a magic school. This is a place for himan, of which your family-”

“My mother.”

“And grandmother and her mother... all have a bad reputation. If any of the older families hear that I let another Coffey onto the premises... and, even then, we have three witches already-”

“Then let me be the fourth. You’ll be that much closer to a full coven.”

“We don’t want a full coven. We cannot survive it. Experience has already shown that the Three-Fold Law only requires one witch to do something wrong to doom us all. Why would we want more to potentially jeopardize everything?”

“Come on! There must be something I can do... How about I intern?” Lilith inquired, which Samantha nodded, snapping her fingers. “Yeah! Let me work my ass off for, say, a year, without- er with minimum pay. Let me try to earn everyone’s trust. Just give me that... Please? I’ll... I’ll do anything!”

Lilith crooked her brow, her smirk growing into a full sneer. She reached across the table, and grabbed Samantha’s hand. “Anything?” She locked Samantha in with her gaze once more, and the world boomed in Samantha’s ears. It crushed her, forced her to close her eyes, and she was unable to fight her panting any longer, jerking back against her chair.

Against Lilith.

Samantha’s clothes were gone, on the floor in a jumbled heap with Lilith’s. They were on the couch, the room hot and so very heavy. Samantha shuddered, mewled against Lilith, lapping at her breast as the succubus continued to caress and tease in between the witch’s legs. Lilith shushed her, again and again, before silencing with her nipple, the witch’s moans lost against the burgeoning flesh with each gulp and nip on that ruby tip. The succubus smelled of jasmine and lavender, stifling, nigh suffocating Samantha- only to be pulled away and forced on her knees. Before Lilith’s quim. Lilith grabbed, clawed into her black hair, and eased her against, her clit-

Lilith let her hand go, tittered as Samantha opened her eyes- then averted.

“My my. A virgin no less,” Lilith said, mused on it... but shook her head. Only then did Samantha actually note the succubus’s hands. Specifically, the left and its silver band. “Don’t fret. I won’t ask such from you. I’m a married, faithful woman. Can the same be said about you?” Lilith reached into the desk again and retrieved a bit of parchment, while also pulling out her cell from her breast pocket. “We are done. For today at least. Need to make a few calls, but I have something in mind. Come back, say, in a week. Around the same time.”

Samantha blinked, then struggled to her feet. Her thighs... and hands trembled so much. Once more she held one out to Lilith while the other clung to the desk, both to keep her up and from going elsewhere.

“T-thank you-” She began, but Lilith shook her head. And once more refused to take her hand.

“Don’t thank me just yet.”

“I will, though. For at least giving me this chance.”

Lilith huffed, continued her note, and didn’t pay Samantha any more mind. If only the same was true for Samantha. One last, dirty thought flitted in between, and it was enough to make her silver claws return, digging into the desk as her middle twitched.

“You may come to regret it,” Lilith said, shooting Samantha a dirty look. “Also, do remember next time that witches are incredibly susceptible to telepathy as they are cambion, thus part demon and as such have little resistance to anything that affects brainwaves. I showed mercy; others won’t.”

Samantha scoffed but was more than happy to waddle out of that office, clinging to the wall then railing. That didn’t mean she slowed. If there was anybody else coming up the hall or the steps they would have been blind-sided. Her shoes dared to slip and slide but held, even through the gate and into her red sedan. The keys were still in the ignition, forgotten in her excitement before.

And then as well. She leaned against the steering wheel, biting it, panting. Her skirt was raised, revealing her panties. Sodden- ruined! She tore through the fabric in the middle, so soaked it needed but the smallest flick of her nail, and then her hand was buried between, squelching against her pussy. The vision was still fresh, feeling Lilith’s rub against. Their legs were locked together, grinding, bucking as the desk under creaked and shimmered with their juices.

Samantha sneered but came all the same, squirting on the faux leather of her car seat thrice over before finally loathing it too much to continue, straightening herself. She turned the car on, grumbling at her, as if she needed someone or something else to berate her, but why not make her feel worse! She looked at herself in the vanity mirror. Her face was crimson, coated in sweat, panting and grimacing at that disgusting being in the driver’s seat as she pulled out onto the road.

She had a room at the motel across the bridge, only recently reopened for business, but even there she wasn’t allowed peace. Moans rippled and thumped against her bedroom wall while she was nude in one of the full-sized beds, splayed out. Her clothes were folded on the bar along the left wall before a whole-length mirror. It mocked her, showing her teasing her breasts and thrusting her blue dildo with each thump behind, fighting her own moans as theirs rippled through. Black fire flourished from that blue rod, hitting the sweet spots, making her cum more oft than her fucking buddy in the other room, ending long before she was ever done. By the time they decided to argue and storm out along the walkway she was only turning over on her knees, thrusting from behind. She bit her pillow, moaning into it as the bed creaked and started to fold in on itself from the metal growing down her arms.

Thankfully she collapsed before it did, unable to move her bottom half at all. She made sure her alarm was set for eight AM before slipping into tortured bliss, finally freed from Lilith’s touch.

“Fuck that cumskin ho,” she said, her actual voice, her Creole accent, flowing through. “That cracka think she so great, that her shit don’t stank, walk around with her breath reekin’ of givin’ neck… Snatch her up when she ain’t paying no mind, fucking cumrag cunt. Lily ass crackas always act tough ’til they caught outside.”

She stewed on it for a week, but the week did pass. That time she was ready. She wore a pair of thick black sunglasses, watching, glaring at Lilith across, looking over the paperwork on the desk. The succubus was in a dark blue tank that day. Samantha wrung the hem of her skirt, her thumb tearing a hole in the green fabric, digging in, widening it, stopping whenever Lilith looked up. She did often, and smiled as Samantha looked away. Cat and mouse; gazelle to lion.

Lilith straightened the papers then slid it over to Samantha. With a pen on top.

“All right. Here you go,” the succubus said. “Your internship papers, liability wavers, medical, and so on.”

“Truly,” Samantha asked, repeated until by the seventh she exclaimed, flipping through them and wasn’t able to hold her voice from squeaking.

Lilith cleared her throat. “Yes. You are being given a trial period, a place where we think you’ll show the most... promise. You are to tutor those in the Black Halls.”

Samantha dropped the pen, looking at Lilith...’s ear. “The what now?”

“The Black Halls. Where those who are... not fit for society... go. For most, it’s pretty much grounds for termination if not extermination. However, with you? They may have a chance.”

“W...well... I mean, what will I be teaching?”

“Music. Arts. Maths. Science-”

“I can’t teach any of that! What the hell?”

“Then what were you hoping to teach? Didn’t your mother explain to you what working here entails?”

“Of course she did! I thought, though, I would have a year of internship to learn exactly what I needed to teach first- didn’t you see my credentials? I have a bachelor’s in assistant teaching. I’m still not wholly qualified. I should be a teacher’s aid starting out!”

“Well this works out, doesn’t it? Take this class as a... first time making love. You’ll bumble around, there will be plenty of blunders as you are thrown in the deep end, but by the end you’ll be able to do far better for those that come around the next time.”

“Yeah. That’ll reflect well on my resume.”

“Isn’t that a worry if you decide to work somewhere else? Weren’t you hoping to prove you can work here? Besides, you should have thought of that before trying to use your name to get in the door… One last condition: you are to stay in the undercroft-”

“U-undercroft!”

Lilith nodded, then stood. She sauntered around the desk, dug her nails into Samantha’s shoulder, forced her to stand, then led the witch back to the entrance of Vereor Nox. The succubus practically dragged her under its chandeliers and between the double staircases, where she went under the right and opened a hidden alcove and revealed a trap door, slung open. There were steel rungs hammered into the stone, clacking as they eased down them and onto the steps, cobwebs stretching for leagues. Small lights warmed the way down into those depths, where they took a right, a left, and another right before coming to a dead end.

Samantha cocked her brow at Lilith, watched as she simply pushed on the wall- and gasped as it slid away, revealing a solid metal wall. It, too, slid away, and stainless steel walls waited behind, given a sterile glow by the dome lights above, one every fifteen yards up to twenty of them in a straight line before a T-section. It wasn’t only the walls, however, as there were indents, for buttons and doors. They had visors, covered with shields. For the moment. Voices could be just heard grumbling beyond them but were stifled under Lilith’s heels, clacking down to the T-bend. She went left and up a simple set of steel steps, leading to holed scaffolding and another shielded door. That one was open, revealing a posh bedroom, complete with its own mahogany desk, placed against the wall right of the door. There was a laptop resting on top of it. Meanwhile, there was a full-sized bed set in the center of the back wall, layered with thick, cool-colored materials, aglow from the soft lamp on the stand beside that cast long shadows from the books before it. There didn’t appear to be anything else.

“This is where you’ll be staying.” Lilith stated, leading Samantha back down the steps and underneath, opening the door there to a classroom. A ‘window’ glowed on the left wall, showing a sun setting on an ocean far too blue in the light supposedly being cast across it. The floor was covered in a speckled tile, with thirteen desks spread across it. All were faced towards a simple oak podium and a whiteboard. Cables hung off its side, also leading to a projector hanging down from the center of the room. “And this will be where you teach. You won’t have many, but each one is expected to pass if you are to have a job. Their transcripts are in the filing cabinet left of the desk, ready for you to peruse… So... do you accept?”

Samantha… nodded. Fervent. She looked Lilith straight- on the bridge of the nose. A hard look at it, at least.

“Of... Of course. Of course, I do! Give me a pen! Sign me up, coach!”

“Coach?”

“Just go with it, okay?”

Lilith chortled. No joy could be heard in it. Instead, the succubus led Samantha back upstairs to her office, the papers waiting. Samantha didn’t even give her the chance, signing them before she got behind the desk. Lilith offered her hand, but Samantha ignored it, her mind buzzing, ready to head back down.

Lilith stopped her, however, holding her shoulder true. She cleared her throat, smiling at one of the pictures on the desk.

“You know,” she mulled, “that attitude... You remind me of someone.”

“Who?”

… Lilith shook her head. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You begin class tomorrow at 9, sharp, and are expected to work a full twelve hours. If you need anything, simply ask. Welcome to Vereor Nox.”

“Glad to be here.”

Samantha saluted her... and left one finger up as she trudged down to her room. She looked over everything, ready to make her mother proud. And to show that bitch wrong. First she needed to cool off, unwind... and relish in the fact that she was in her office. Her very own office. At long last.