9 A Succubus' Slaves

I sighed and went offline again after done with reading. The hunger and adrenaline that kept me awake were gone, but I couldn't sleep because disturbing thoughts were filling my mind every time I closed my eyes. Where should I go? What would happen to me now?

I was trying to sleep leaning against a wall in a town I never heard of. I've been in difficult situations before, but back then I had a home to return to if I was patient and survived. The presence of loved ones waiting for me to return kept me strong during all these trials.

Now? I was homeless now. I've never felt so alone before. I took a deep breath, giving up on sleeping, and started meditating. I invited the light to help me, and I cleared my mind with deep breaths, my presence enveloped in shadows.

It was not a substitute for sleeping, but sometimes you had to travel through dangerous areas without someone to watch the bad guys while you're asleep. At such moments, you had to rest while keeping some of your consciousness aware of your surroundings. Just as sharks. Did you know that sharks sleep with one eye open?

I meditated until the sun's first lights chase away my shadows and Mr. Zane started cooking something smells delicious. I asked the light to camouflage my bare feet and my dirty nightgown before knocking on the bakery's show glass. The sun was just rising and the bakery was still closed for customers.

Zane probably opened the door to say that, but his sentence left incomplete when he looked into my eyes. ''Miss,'' He said. I watched as the light in his eyes slowly became dull. ''Your visit has honored me. Can I invite you inside?''

I got in. Zane continued to watch my every move, staring blankly. It was weird and uncomfortable to be watched like this. Okay, I wouldn't be considered ugly, but no one had treated me like a goddess before.

''Command him,'' the fox said. ''He waits for your command.''

''Umm... Okay. Keep doing whatever you were doing before I came,'' I said.

''Yes, ma'am,'' he said and turned to mix something I guessed was cream.

''What the hell was that?'' I asked the fox in my mind.

''You have fascinated the man. He will do whatever you want like a love slave.''

''Damn,'' I said. ''I don't want him to be like this. You should have warned me.'' I took my head in my hands. ''I don't want any slaves.''

''I think you're too conservative,'' the fox said. ''But you're right. I should have warned you. I didn't think the fascination of a level 1 succubus would be this strong. As the man was very inexperienced, he became an excellent prey.''

''How can I fix that?'' I asked.

''As long as you don't feed on him again, he will get better over time.''

I sighed in relief and sat on a white chair in front of a small table. It was a nice small bakery, tastefully furnished. Cinnamon and vanilla scents filled my lungs when I took a deep breath. As far as I can tell, the counter he'd dreamed of having sex with Lily one day was in the back of the shop, where the kitchen was.

I was feeling a little guilty about the woman, but hey, I was just trying to stay alive. ''Umm... Can I get a cup of tea and something for breakfast?'' I said.

The man dropped the bowl of cream in his hand and started making me tea. White cream spilled on the floor but he didn't even care about it. Yes, that was really, really disturbing.

''You're sure he will be alright, right?'' I asked.

''Ninety-nine percent chances are he will fully recover,'' the fox said appeared on the table. ''He's not sane enough to notice anything but you right now. He won't see me.''

''What is the one percent chance?''

''Sometimes people get addicted to the touch of a succubus. They start not being satisfied with anything else. They slowly lose their minds as their bodies suffer for a touch,'' the fox said, ''Their situation is so miserable that even succubus', who do not care about their prey generally, cannot stand beggings and either kill them or take them as food permanently.''

Looking into Zane's empty eyes, who brought me tea, I hated myself. After placing a few donuts and a cup of tea on the table, he continued to look at me as if there was nothing in the world but me. I felt my mouth dried and I had no appetite anymore.

I looked at his desires carefully and hated myself even more. ''Serve her whatever the cost... Serve her whatever the cost... Serve her whatever the cost...'' and that was all. He had no feelings for Lily or about his fondly doing bakery till today.

''Don't worry,'' the fox said. ''It is not permanent. It would be much worse if it was permanent.'' I looked at the fox in disbelief. How it is possible to be much worse than that? It ignored my unasked question.

''Have breakfast, then let's get out of here. Since you don't want a slave, the less you interact with him, the sooner he will regain his will,'' the fox said.

I nodded and finished my donuts without being able to realize how they taste. Seeing a good man turn into a foolish animal because of me was affecting me worse than committing murder.

While I was walking without a destination, I did not see anyone except a few tradesmen who opened their shops early. ''Ahem, ahem,'' the fox said. It's been trying to get my attention for a while.

It was hard to ignore someone speaking in your mind, but somehow I succeeded. ''If you want such an accident to never happen again, you need to learn to use your skill properly,'' the fox said.

''How?'' I whispered.

''Put the money you got from bandits in the system, and buy a guide,'' the fox said.

I exhaled shivering and planned my next move. Looking at the street, I decided on a shoemaker where I could both add money to the system and buy something for my bare feet.