Note: Hope you like it so far, this is my third submission on this story, chapters 7-9.
Chapter 7
It was about nine in the morning on Friday, it felt strange not needing to be anywhere. I realized this would be a good time to increase my defenses, and find a way to deal with fire. I was kind of in limbo waiting for a call, and we were going after an old powerful demon.
First I considered working on my gravity, but I decided against it. All the fragile stuff around, like my apartment building, dissuaded me.
It wasn't like I never tried, or didn't practice, it is just the primal forces eluded me. I was okay with most of the other stuff, life, transmutation etc...
That got me thinking about the possibilities. Stone was a poor conductor of heat, granted, demon fire was extremely hot. Still it should afford me protection long enough to end the fight, as long as it didn't go on to long. It was just annoying having to come up with a new way.
I didn't understand why I couldn't do it the normal way. But still, it would be better than nothing, and if I could ever learn to control gravity right, I wouldn't need it in the future.
I threw on some comfortable jeans that made my ass look good. A tight shirt and some shoes finished the ensemble and I headed to the park. I didn't want to have to transmute something in the apartment, and there was all that dirt in the park. I was thinking about using marble, it was an effective insulator. Although it would crack when cooled, no fight would last long enough for that to matter.
It might get hot enough to burn my skin, but I could fix that with shape shifting. If I was turned to ash there would be no coming back from that. When I got to the park I worked on it. Transmuting dirt, or anything available, to stone. I also had to increase my muscle mass to move normally. The hardest part was figuring out the joints, so no fire could get through, but I would still be able to move.
It wouldn't be much protection if I covered myself and could move at all.
Once I had it worked out, I imbued my locket with the spell. I was completely drained from all the practicing. I didn't want to use my personal power for my improvised shielding during a fight. That way I could save that energy for offensive capabilities.
I needed to feed badly, both kinds.
I grabbed lunch on the way to Tony's, I needed to feed, but I also wanted to test it out. Tony shooting fire at me made me nervous, but better testing it with him instead of during a fight.
When I got to Tony's I put out feeding tendrils, taking a little from each customer. There weren't many people here this time of day so I spread it out over a couple of hours. One of the main advantages to being both a Witch and Succubus is I could just channel the life energy I skimmed and feed it straight into the locket.
Once I was back up to strength personally I did exactly that, filling the locket with power to fuel the transmutation spell.
I said grinning impishly, "Hey Tony, want to shoot me with fire?"
When he lifted an eyebrow I explained.
We headed down into his basement. He didn't waste any time, I activated the spell which sheathed my body in marble and then removed my clothes. I imagine I looked silly, naked marble woman, but no reason to lose my clothes for a test.
Plus, marble looked much sexier than a pile of ash. I let his fire hit me for about fifteen seconds, I could tell the last five he was really trying. The stone was getting very warm and I could feel it burning my skin beneath.
I said quickly, "That's enough!"
When he stopped I removed the stone and fixed my burns. It hurt a bit, but nothing too bad. I smiled up at him and said, "Well, it's not ideal, but fifteen seconds is a long time, for one of our kind of fights anyway."
He replied, "No doubt, but you may want to aim for a little faster. The first few seconds I went easy just in case." He shrugged, "Your mom would have been mad at me if I had to explain any accidents."
I snorted and said while dressing, "Thanks for the concern uncle..."
He grinned at me impudently and said, "Anytime..."
I felt the amulet and there was still plenty of power in it, but I topped it off anyway, since I was already in a tit bar, why not? As Tony headed upstairs I felt a portal opening up. I turned toward it wondering what my mother wanted, but it wasn't her. Cat stepped out. She looked barely eighteen nowadays.
Cat said, "Hi young one."
I couldn't help it. She looked so cute and young, calling me young one made me laugh. I stopped though when she scowled at me. No one knew how old she actually was, and she was undisputedly leader of the Witches. She was terribly nice, but also scary in a way. I had a feeling she forgot more about magic than anyone else ever knew.
I said, "Hi Cat, what brings you by?"
She sighed, "Sit child, we have some things to talk about."
I bristled at that, but did what she said. I may be rash sometimes but try to avoid stupidity... Mostly.
When the silence got uncomfortable I said, "So..."
Cat said, "I know this will make you angry, but your mother asked me to keep an eye on you, make sure you were okay. She is as well of course."
She was right, I was mad at that. Like I was five and needed a minder, much less minded by the most powerful Witch alive.
Cat waved a hand, "That isn't why I am here, it just led to it. Originally I was never going to tell you, or bother you in any way. But I've been watching you for a while now. I couldn't help but notice the control issues you have with certain of your powers. Do you know what the cause is?"
I shook my head. "Some things I had to study hard before I mastered, some came easily. Primal forces though, no matter how hard I study, or how long I practice, it's just a disaster. Mom always said I just had to work harder at it, but it's not working."
Cat said thoughtfully, "Primal forces are our most powerful abilities, much like demon fire or curses are a demon's most powerful ability. I can tell you that your work ethic, or study, has nothing at all to do with your failure."
I raised my eyes, suddenly hopeful, "What is it then?"
Cat said, "Come with me."
She opened a portal and stepped through, I followed a moment later.
I looked around, we were in the forest next to a small creek, I wondered why she brought me here, but knew she would explain eventually.
She said, "This creek bed is like a witch, the water her power. It flows straight from the source running downstream."
I watched as she sped up the water with magic, it started to go by quickly.
She said, "As you can see, with a strong flow of magic, there is no difference, you can still see the bottom yes? Everything moves smoothly."
I nodded, not sure where she was going with this at all.
Suddenly the ground shook, and a long strip of dirt rose up in the middle of the stream, the length of it running with the now normal slow current again. Essentially making two streams side by side upriver, but coming back together into one stream by where we were standing.
She said softly, "This is you my dear, split in two. Two halves. Witch and Demon. At odds within you, instead of in balance together. You don't see yourself as one being, you see yourself as two, constantly fighting the other."
I sighed. "That is what I am."
She frowned and said, "Watch the stream, how they join back together with ripples. Consider this the strength it would take to grow a tree, or make its roots move. Or really anything you are good at, the lesser powers. There is a ripple where your powers meet, but not so bad it would screw things up."
She then increased the flow of the streams, and where they met was suddenly white foam, cavitations of the water, disturbing where the two streams came together as one again.
She said, "This is you working more powerful magic, this is why your gravity control is so unpredictable. The greater powers turn unpredictable, because of how you are, because of how you see yourself. It has nothing to do with ability, or study, it is all about your perceived duality."
She looked at me sternly and said, "I say perceived because you are one being, not two stuck in one body. You need to bring balance to your sides." The dirt strip in the middle of the river lowered, and the cavitations stopped.
She continued, "Then you will be able to cast the deeper magic. Yes, gravity is cheap energy wise, but it is a greater magic, messing with the primal natural forces of the universe. Do you understand?"
I said sadly, "Yes, I won't ever be able to use the primal magic. I can't prevent my sides from conflicting, can I?"
She said impatiently, "I wouldn't have bothered to talk to you if it was hopeless. Of course you can bring balance to yourself. It won't be easy, I suggest you start here."
I felt the knowledge settle into my mind, how to meditate and search within.
She said, "Another good start is to stop thinking of yourself as two separate beings. A lot of people have conflicting thoughts. Granted, your succubus' instincts make it a little harder on you, but they are your instincts.
"You want to go out and feed, have casual sex with whomever you want. You also find that thought disturbing, and want love through multiple relationships. That doesn't mean you are two people though.
"It is okay to resist the instinct to go out and find a stranger to fuck. What is causing you to be out of balance is that you are not accepting the fact that they are your wants and needs. You are the one splitting yourself in half, not accepting what you are. You resent part of what makes you, a part of your whole.
"It is okay to want both, and just choose one. But you must accept all of who you are. Right now you hate and resent your succubus side, the need to feed and fuck, and it is throwing you out of balance. It is the self judgment, resentment, and hate doing it. Not that you control yourself, it is how you control yourself."
She sighed, "Remember how you felt last night with Bonnie? You were in balance then, able to explore your sexual needs without guilt, since it also satisfied your other needs. That is what you must find. You must be at peace with how you feel, and what you want.
"Even if you stop yourself from seeking a one night stand out of love or loyalty to others, you need to be okay with feeling it. When you finally do accept yourself as a whole person, I think you will be surprised at the hidden power within you."
