Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!-Chapter 272: Loyalty, Part Thirty

{Melisa}

Melisa's morning began with her waking up alone at the dorm.

Lots of moving around, or fucking around maybe, had made this last night be particularly exhausting and so, Melisa had opted to sleep in at the academy. Now, she was stretching her arms in the air as she looked down at a note she wrote for Raven's benefit. Just to let her know she hadn't been kidnapped or something.

[Not that she'd be too concerned, I think,] Melisa thought as she put on some thigh-high socks. [I've been spending so much less time at the academy lately. Even my professors look surprised when I actually show up for class, huh.]

She gave herself a look in the mirror.

[... Did my chest get even bigger?] Melisa pouted a little. [It's gonna get hard to walk around at this rate.]

Alas, her breasts were not her main concern at the moment. No, that was the fact that she actually had a name attached to the arson of Javir's manor.

[Right! Time to go see what Dad thinks about this Rax guy.]

Melisa ventured out into the early-morning streets of Syux. She got a few looks as she made her way down. Some cause the people recognized her as Melisa Blackflame, that girl from the academy. Some cause of her growing titties. Some cause people were probably worried she'd try to attack them or something.

[The latter number is getting a bit high for my taste,] Melisa thought. [I need to help Aria fix this ASAP.]

She kept her head low for a little while until she bumped into someone.

"Oof."

"Ah, uh," the man she ran into placed his hands on her shoulder to steady her, "my... Melisa?"

[What?]

Melisa looked up.

"Oh, Dad."

"..."

They stared at each other for a beat.

Melisa laughed.

"Oh shit, oh wow, I was just heading to Kimiko's house!" Melisa declared.

"Ohhh wow," Melistair blinked a couple of times. "I was about to head to work."

"Well," Melisa smiled up, "how about you give me a sec? I was actually going to ask you something."

"About?"

"Rax," Melisa said. "Do you know anyone by that name?"

The instant that question left Melisa's lips, Melistair's face darkened.

"Yeah... I do." He gestured toward a nearby alley. The kind were Melisa would usually be attacked by the Shadow Mages or something. "Let's talk over there."

They walked over. Melistair leaned against the alley wall, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"To answer your question... I do know him."

"Oh, okay, perfect. Can you-"

"He's my friend."

Melisa stopped.

"Been my friend for nine years, actually," he said quietly. "Since we first came to Syux. Works at the same construction site. He's..." Melistair shook his head. "He's been my best friend in this city."

[Oh fuck,] Melisa thought, her stomach dropping. [Not just some random terrorist. Dad's actual friend?]

She vaguely remembered seeing another nim at their house years ago, bringing food and chatting with Margaret and Melistair and such. Though, in those days, Melisa had basically been an arcane hermit, spending almost every hour of the day experimenting with magic in her guest room.

Was that him?

"Wait," she held up her hands. "So... your friend tried to burn down Javir's house?"

"Maybe." Melistair shook his head. "Maybe not. Could be he... didn't know we were living there. Forgot, or something."

"Yeah," Melisa latched onto that possibility. "Yeah! I mean, not everyone knows where we-"

"The whole nim community knows," Melistair cut her off. "It's been gossip for years. The Blackflames, living with a human mage."

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[Well shit,] Melisa thought.

If Rax had ordered the attack knowing they lived there... knowing Hazel was there...

It wasn't hard to guess where Melistair's mind was at.

"Still," she tried, "could've been a mix-up with the orders. Wrong house, wrong time..."

She trailed off. Even to her own ears it sounded desperate.

[Humans enslaved nim. Humans lied about our magic. But trying to murder a child? That's a special kind of fucked up.]

"That's what I'm going to find out," Melistair straightened up. "I'm heading to talk to him now."

"Like hell you are," Melisa stepped in front of him. "Not alone."

"Melisa-"

"Dad." She crossed her arms under her increasingly impressive rack. "Your friend might have tried to murder our entire family. Including Hazel. If you think I'm letting you walk into that conversation alone, you've clearly forgotten who raised me."

[And if he really did try to kill us,] she thought, [well... I've got some new spells that need testing.]

Melistair smiled a little.

"Ah, damn it. Your mother would say the same thing."

"Damn right she would. Probably with more swearing." Melisa grinned. "Besides, I can always flash my tits as a distraction if things go south."

"Melisa!"

"What? They're getting big enough to qualify as deadly weapons at this point."

Again, Melistair shook his head. Out of disbelief again too, but of a different kind entirely.

The joke landed, breaking some of the tension. She could see the smile he was trying to hide.

"Fine," he said. "But let me do the talking."

"Sure," Melisa fell into step beside him as they left the alley. "I'll just stand there looking intimidating. And probably getting ogled by half the construction site."

[And trying not to think about how many times this guy may have sat at our dinner table,] she added silently. [How many times he smiled at us while planning to burn us alive.]

The morning sun hit her face as they emerged from the alley. Somewhere in the city, Hazel was probably just waking up, asking Margaret to make her favorite breakfast. Safe. Alive.

No thanks to Rax.

[If he really did this,] Melisa thought, her magic stirring beneath her skin, [being burned alive is going to seem like a mercy compared to what I'll do to him.]

She glanced at her father's face, seeing nine years of friendship warring with the need to protect his family.

[One way or another,] she decided, [we're getting answers today.]