Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

Rax's hands shot up like Melistair had already drawn a weapon.

"Whoa, whoa, brother, no," he said quickly. "I had nothing to do with that. Nothing."

[Nine years of friendship,] Melistair thought. [And I can't tell if you're lying right now. Gods...]

"Someone told them where we lived," Melistair said lowly, eyes unblinking as he looked back at Rax. "Someone told them my family would be there."

"You think that was me?" Rax's eyes were wide. "Mel, everyone knows the Blackflames live with former Court Sorceress Folden. It's not exactly a state secret."

"Everyone?"

"You know how it is," Rax pressed on. "The former court sorceress, living with a nim family? People wouldn't shut up about it for months. Any idiot with a grudge could have found out."

[... Yeah, he has a point,] Melistair admitted to himself. [But how many 'people with grudges' have we created just by existing?]

"And what about Hazel?" Melistair asked, watching Rax's face carefully. "Did these arsonists know my eight-year-old daughter would be there?"

Something flickered in Rax's expression. Pain? Guilt? Or just the natural reaction to hearing a child was nearly murdered?

"Gods, Mel," Rax ran a hand over his face. "I didn't... I would never..."

[But you know who would,] Melistair thought. [Don't you?]

In the shadows, he could practically feel Melisa vibrating with the need to intervene. To demand answers.

But there was a reason Rax still had his head on his shoulders right now. The information had been public. Any nim with a grudge, some amount of literacy, and the will to ask around *could* reasonably find out where they lived.

[Not enough,] Melistair decided reluctantly. [Not enough to justify murdering him, anyway.]

Even if part of him still wanted to. Even if he could picture exactly how satisfying it would feel to wrap his hands around Rax's throat and squeeze until those denials stopped.

"If I find out you're lying," Melistair said quietly, "if I discover you had anything to do with this..."

"I didn't," Rax insisted. "Brother, I swear on my children's lives. I didn't order this."

[Notice he didn't say he doesn't know who did,] Melistair thought.

But that was a conversation for another day. When he had more proof. When his daughter wasn't waiting in the shadows, ready to test exactly how much damage her new spells could do to a living body.

"Get back to work," Melistair said finally.

Rax hesitated, clearly wanting to say more. But something in Melistair's expression made him think better of it.

As his friend – former friend? – walked away, Melistair tried to sort through the mess of emotions in his chest.

[Nine years of friendship,] he thought again. [And I still don't know if I just let my daughter's would-be murderer walk away.]

Behind him, Melisa emerged from the shadows.

"Well," she said quietly, "that was extremely useful, huh?" She asked sarcastically.

Despite everything, Melistair laughed.

"He's hiding something," Melistair said.

"Obviously." Melisa crossed her arms. "But hiding something isn't the same as trying to kill Hazel."

"No," Melistair agreed. "It's not."

They stood in silence for a moment, watching the distant figure of Rax disappear into the crowd of workers.

Melistair was slowly taking in what Rax said. There was enough of a defense for him to not just kill the guy... But that didn't mean he wasn't suspicious anymore.

"Actually," Melisa said, that familiar gleam entering her eye. The one that usually preceded either a brilliant discovery or a spectacular disaster. "I might be able to get more information myself."

"How?" Melistair asked, already dreading the answer. Melisa was, no doubt, a genius, but she'd caused enough explosions over the last 9 years for Melistair to be cautious when she got this look.

"Well," Melisa grinned, "you know how nim naturally produce pheromones?"

"Yes," Melistair said slowly. "That's why your mother can't go shopping without damn near half the market following her home."

"Right! Well, I've been experimenting." Melisa's grin widened. "Turns out you can sort of... aim them. Makes them stronger. Strong enough for people to spill their darkest secrets, maybe."

[Of course,] Melistair thought. [Of course my daughter figured out how to weaponize horniness.]

"You're telling me," he said carefully, "that you've invented some kind of... targeted aphrodisiac?"

"More like a truth-telling spell that makes people really, really want to impress me while they're spilling their guts." Melisa shrugged. "Also makes them want to fuck me."

"Great." Melistair pinched the bridge of his nose. "You invent new ways to change reality as often as you change clothes."

But... if it could get them answers...

"Fine," he sighed. "If you think you can figure this out, go ahead."

"On it," Melisa nodded. She did some weird gesture with her hand Melistair hadn't seen before, putting it in front of her forehead. "I'll have results for you in no time."

[Sometimes,] Melistair thought as his daughter practically skipped away, already planning god-knows-what, [I miss when the most complicated thing about parenting was changing diapers.]

---

{Melisa}

Melisa lounged against a half-finished wall as she watched Rax work. The bastard moved with the easy confidence of someone who either had nothing to hide or was very, very good at hiding things.

[So,] she thought, [how exactly do I play this? Can't just walk up and be like 'Hey, tried to burn any houses lately?' My charm spell isn't straight-up mind control. It's just that people don't really think about the things they say when they're horny.]

The late queen was proof of that.

The construction site buzzed around her. Workers called to each other, hammers struck wood and stone, and somewhere nearby someone was whistling a tune that somehow managed to be both cheerful and incredibly annoying.

[Could try seducing him directly,] she considered, watching Rax lift a beam. [Honestly, the thought of seducing a guy doesn't sit too well with me. Don't play for that team, after all. But, for the sake of finding out if he's guilty or not? Small price to pay.]

She just had to figure out where to start.

[Honestly...] Melisa nodded to herself. [No need to over-complicate this. I can just catch him as he's walking home from work.]

Simple plan, but sometimes, simple was best.

[Yeah, yeah,] Melisa sighed. [Better get comfortable somewhere. I'll be here a while.]