Augustus' house looked normal enough. It was a small four-room terrace house, with plain white walls and a little sign by the door that read, "The Wilburton's". To the casual passer-by there was nothing out of the ordinary about it at all. Jacob, however, knew better. For in that house lived Augustus Wilburton, and Augustus - unlike his house - was extremely odd.
The phonecall that had brought Jacob here, for example, was classic Augustus. "Jacob," he had said, without any preamble. "Can you come over? I need your blood." And he had hung up.
Augustus was always dabbling in something occult, in all the ten or so years Jacob had known him. Now they were both in their twenties, and Augustus showed no signs of giving up his "hobby". Just the other week he had tried to convince Jacob to loan him his cat for some arcane ritual. When Jacob had asked whether Fluffy would be returned to him safely, Augustus had tried to avoid the quesiton. Jacob had refused. Now he wondered whether Augustus had succeeded in getting a cat from somewhere, and what had happened to the poor creature.
It was a strange friendship, but it was a friendship nonetheless. For all his eccentricities, Augustus seemed harmless enough, and Jacob could always count on something interesting happening with Augustus around. So, despite the slightly ominous thought that Augustus "needed his blood", Jacob walked up to the door and pressed the doorbell.
Augustus opened the door almost instantly. "Good, you came. Come in."
"What's this about my blood?" Jacob asked, entering the house.
Augustus made no reply, but beckoned Jacob to follow him into the summoning room.
The summoning room had previously been the second bedroom of the house. Augustus had converted it upon inheriting the house from his parents, boarding up the window, removing all the furniture and installing several candle-holders on the walls. There was a large pentagram on the floor, drawn in red chalk, riddled with intricate designs. Also on the floor was what looked like a large burn mark - evidence, thought Jacob, of a recent failed summoning... or perhaps just a failure of one of the candle-holders. He tried to avoid comparing the size of the burn mark to an average-sized cat.
Augustus closed the door behind him, and bolted it shut.
James was beginning to feel slightly uneasy. "Augustus, what's going on? Why do you need my blood?"
Augustus turned, with a fiery excitement in his eyes. "I'm going to summon a succubus."
"A succubus?"
"It's like a pleasure-demon, that feeds on -"
"Yes, I know what a succubus is, Augustus. But why?"
Augustus raised an eyebrow. "There's only one reason to summon a succubus, Jacob."
Jacob sighed. "Okay. You want to get laid by a sex-demon. Why do you need my blood?"
"Because you're a virgin."
"What? I am not! And besides, you're a virgin too."
Augustus shook his head.
"Seriously? You? Who would -"
"It's not important. What's important is that I need your blood to summon the succubus."
Jacob folded his arms, feeling slightly peeved. Augustus, of all people, looking down on him! "And what do I get out of it?"
"After I'm done, you get to have a go with her."
"So I get your sloppy seconds? That's supposed to motivate me?"
"Succubi aren't human, Jacob. She'll be clean, and tight... think about it, the best fuck you'll ever have." He spread his arms. "I have the equipment, I have the skills. I can do this for you... I just need your help first."
"Well... I dunno..." Jacob had to admit it sounded very tempting. A gorgeous sex-demon to do his bidding? Who wouldn't be tempted?
"There's no need to be scared. I know it's your first time and all -"
"Look, enough with the first time bullshit!" Jacob rolled up his sleeve. "And I'm not scared. I'll do it."
Augustus smiled. "Excellent! Now stand over here..."
Jacob allowed Augustus to steer him to a corner of the room. He flinched when Augustus produced a knife, but allowed him to make a small cut just above the elbow. Blood welled up and began to drip from the wound; this he collected in a small bowl. Augustus placed the bowl in the centre of the pentagram, and then he began to chant.
Jacob couldn't make out the words, but it sent a shiver up his spine. There was something darkly resonant about the sound, as though Augustus wasn't the only one chanting - there seemed to be other voices joining in: deep, rough, abyssal voices. The flickering candle flames suddenly took on a crimson hue. Wisps of black smoke appeared in the pentagram, and through the haze Jacob saw something taking shape. It seemed to rise from the bowl, gaining form as it went, until there in the centre of the pentagram stood the most beautiful woman Jacob had ever seen.
No, not a woman, he corrected himself - a succubus. So this was what they looked like. Now he understood Augustus' excitement. She was tall, with short dark hair framing high cheekbones, straight nose, full lips. Her eyes: piercing, black as midnight. Her naked body was sublime perfection: slender shoulders; large breasts, firm and round; slim waist, pleasantly wide hips; long, long, long legs, ending in dainty feet; a thin, barbed tail visible in the gap between her legs. Partially hidden by those lovely shoulders, Jacob saw the tips of two small, black wings. And her skin, a pale, perfect red.