Zafira [3]

Zafira crossed her arms and rested her chin on her hand, giggling as she noticed the concerned expression on my face before heaving out a dreamy sigh.

"Not having second thoughts now, are you? It would be a bit disappointing if you sent me back. But honestly, that's your best option. You don't look like a proper mage. So, send me back, forget about all this, and steer clear of magic. Mortals and magic don't mix well."

I won't lie… but hearing her words actually made me reconsider. So, yes, I was having second thoughts. I mean, was summoning a demon as a familiar really fine?

Not to mention, Zafira had a point. Contracts always had loopholes. I was sure mine did, too. What if she found and exploited them? What then?

But then again, I had explicitly included a clause that the summoned demon could not even try to harm me or cause me any kind of emotional distress.

So, technically, I wasn't in any real danger.

But was that truly enough to ensure my safety?

I tried to think of ways Zafira could turn against me after signing the contract, but nothing came to mind.

Absolutely nothing.

Once she made the pact, she wouldn't be able to do anything to harm me. So, I guess it was safe? Well, as safe as making a deal with the devil could be.

Besides, returning to my mundane life was out of the question now that I knew about the supernatural. Now that I knew that magic was indeed real!

Moreover, I had taken an oath to never back down from my challenges again… and intended to honor that oath. I would never run away from my problems.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. "No, I won't back off. Let's proceed with the signing."

"Sure," Zafira shrugged. "Want me to draft a contract for us—"

Before she could finish, I interrupted. "No need. I've already prepared one."

"Well, aren't you a clever little lamb!" Zafira clapped her hands together and winked, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Chop chop then. Show me what services you expect from me, if you know what I mean."

No… I don't know what you mean, weirdo.

Suppressing an eye roll, I grabbed the complete set of A4 sheets I had on my desk, on which I had written the terms of the deal before starting the ritual, and handed them to her.

With a swift motion of her hand, far too quick for me to follow, she had the documents in her grasp. She didn't move the rest of her body or take her eyes off me until she began reading the first page.

She studied the paperwork for a few minutes, going over each and every word. Slowly, the wide grin on her face began to fade.

When she looked back up at me, her smile was not even reaching her eyes. "Well, I must admit, you're not half as dumb as you look."

I tried to hide it by staying silent, but a chill ran up my spine at her change in demeanor. Her playful attitude was replaced by a much more serious posture, and her tone turned cold and callous.

As the silence dragged on and she continued to scrutinize the contract, I cleared my throat.

"Would you like a seat?" I asked, gesturing to the bed behind her.

Zafira glanced back. "Oh, thank you."

She stepped back across the salt circle, perhaps to emphasize that it held no power over her whatsoever and repeated her act of dominance once more.

With slow, graceful movement, she eased onto the mattress. I watched her, captivated by her presence. It was only then did I noticed a forked tail with its heart-shaped tip curled gently behind her.

The absurd realization hit me once again — I had summoned a real demon! Like, from hell! All my life, I had always wanted magic to be real! I yearned to wield it! Well, here was my undeniable proof that it existed and that I could use it!

I had several questions flooding my mind and countless doubts I wanted to clear. Despite the risks, I could hardly wait for Zafira to sign the contract so I could begin asking the things I had always wondered about magic!

I was thrilled beyond measure, though I kept a composed and clear head as I knew she could read minds.

What other abilities did she possess, I wondered?

As she sat on my bed, dressed in a regal black gown with soft, frilly edges, her tail swayed in the air slowly… almost hypnotizingly.

At times, it flicked like a whip… and other times, it spiraled and twisted like a snake. For some inexplicable reason, I found myself utterly fascinated by it.

Perhaps because humans don't have tails?

She eventually crossed her legs, and her tail settled on her lower thighs. My gaze wandered over her knees, calves, and down her long legs.

Okay, I swear to the heavens I wasn't a pervert! I wasn't!

But every teenage boy has a weakness. Mine were legs. Thighs specifically, but a sexy pair of legs in general.

Earlier, when Zafira was vainly trying to seduce me, her charms were ineffective on me for two reasons. Firstly, the black obsidian I wore around my neck shielded me from her demonic aura.

But that was not enough.

As a succubus, her natural beauty was enough to enthrall any man, even without her seductive aura. So, to divert my attention from her enchanting appearance, I bit my tongue.

It was painful and it stung… it stung bad… but the pain helped me resist her temptation.

But now, as the pain subsided, arousal was beginning to stir simply from being in her presence.

I tried to fight it, though I couldn't help but imagine being ensnared between her perfect legs, forced to service her as she rode my mouth. For a minute, I even entertained the desire to abandon the deal and just ravish her right there and then—wait… no!!

No! Oh, god!

No!

I vigorously shook my head and bit my tongue again. The pain returned and brought along with it clarity.

Goodness! Even without her aura, she was dangerous. I needed to always remain vigilant around her. Always!

When I finally lifted my head, I realized she was staring directly at me all this time. So captivated I had been by her exposed legs that I hadn't even noticed.

For a tense moment, her pupils narrowed, and I could have sworn her eyes were peering into my soul… again!

"Fine," she relented, though a hint of amusement danced in her crimson eyes. "I can see there's no point trying to... wriggle my way around this contract."

Aha! It was a trap! She was trying to trap me!

As if reading my mind once again, Zafira chuckled and lightly waved her tail in front of me. Annoyed, I resisted the temptation to look at it, refusing to give her any more fuel.

"There's just one thing I need to ask," she murmured in the same velvety tone as when she arrived.

With deliberate steps, she walked up to me, her tail flicking behind her like an excited cat… or perhaps a tigress toying with her prey.

I, however, kept my gaze fixed on the ceiling, feigning boredom or fear, or some amalgamation of both. She halted before me, trailing a finger down my cheek.

"So, what is it you want from me? Your terms state that you want my help in mastering mystical knowledge and arcane arts. But don't you humans already have societies for that stuff? Then why do you want help from a demoness?"

"Wait, we do?" snapping my eyes back to look at her, I blurted out with a shocked frown, now more interested than ever.

Zafira mirrored my frown, almost equally confused. "Um, obviously? There are covert magical societies in your world, right? Where else did you acquire the knowledge to perform a summoning ritual?"

"I… well… it's complicated," I confessed.

"Wait," she interjected, raising her palm. "So, you're saying you're not a part of any human magic society?''

"No," I admitted. "In fact, it's the first time I've heard about anything like that!"

Silence.

More silence.

A heavy silence settled between us as we exchanged incredulous looks.

Well, it made sense for there to be such societies. Kind of.

I mean, cults existed in the world, so why not magical societies? Magic was real and hidden, apparently. That only implied there were people actively hiding magic's presence from the world.

The book I stumbled upon in my school library had to have come from somewhere, right?

It was an introductory manual on demon summoning, a guide. It meant that there would be more such guides on magic. Which logically meant that there would be magical institutions somewhere out there!

As that realization dawned upon me, the succubus burst into uncontrollable laughter. She clasped her stomach and doubled over, her body shaking with every erratic chuckle.

Confused, I watched until she regained composure, wiping tears from the corner of her eye.

"So, let me get this straight," she began, still chuckling between short breaths. "Not only did you summon a royal demon like me all on your own, but you're also not affiliated with any magic societies, AND you possess a pure soul. I don't know if fate's playing a prank on me or if this is just one massive coincidence, but I'm intrigued! Something tells me being with you is going to be fun!"