Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

Melisa sat cross-legged on her dorm room floor, a small bowl of her own blood in front of her. Three drops. That's all she figured she'd need to make this spell work. The goal was simple: turn the blood in the bowl into a projectile that wouldn't make her look like a complete psychopath when she used it.

"Sanguis, lumen, vitae," she whispered, drawing the spellsign in the air above the bowl.

The blood shimmered, then rose, forming a small, pulsing red sphere that hovered at eye level.

[Hell yes. Step one: don't fuck up immediately. Check.]

But as she prepared to move to the next stage, Vira's voice sliced through her concentration.

"You're the princess's fucking advisor. You live in the Academy. You've got it made."

Something like that, though maybe Melisa was making it sound angrier than it was.

The blood sphere wobbled dangerously.

"Shit," she muttered, frantically retracing the spellsign to stabilize it.

[Focus, Melisa. FOCUS.]

This was the third time her thoughts had drifted back to that conversation at the Full Moon Inn. Two days had passed, and she still hadn't figured out how to approach Aria again about Koros.

Which meant the execution was tomorrow.

The blood sphere quivered with her anxiety, picking up on her emotional state like some kind of fucked-up mood ring.

She took a deep breath and tried again.

"Sanguis, mutare, forma."

The blood sphere stretched and reshaped itself, forming a small, crimson bird that flapped its wings experimentally.

Melisa smiled despite herself. Creating shapes from blood was an advanced technique, one she'd been practicing for weeks. The bird wouldn't last long—maybe a minute at most—but it was progress.

The hope, obviously, was that she'd soon have some badass blood swords or blood daggers or blood whatever to work with, once she got this spell down.

The tiny creature fluttered around the room, leaving a faint trail of red particles like some morbid fairy dust. Melisa watched it, momentarily distracted from her worries.

A knock at the door shattered her concentration. The blood bird dissolved mid-flight, its essence splattering harmlessly to the floor where it quickly evaporated.

[Dammit! I almost had it that time.]

"Who is it?" she called, not bothering to hide her irritation.

"Message delivery," came the response.

Melisa sighed and got to her feet, wiping her hands on a towel before opening the door. A young page boy stood there looking like he might piss himself—probably because everyone knew this was the nim mage's room, and rumors about her were getting wilder every week.

"From Her Majesty," the boy said, thrusting a sealed letter at her like it might bite him. "She requests a prompt response."

Melisa took the letter, recognizing the royal seal immediately.

"Thanks," she said, already breaking the seal as the boy practically sprinted away.

The letter was brief and to the point:

Melisa Blackflame,

I have given consideration to our previous discussion. I believe I have a solution that may satisfy all parties concerned. Please attend me at the palace at your earliest convenience today.

Aria, Queen of Syux

Melisa read the letter twice, her heart racing.

[She found a solution? For Koros?]

She glanced at the clock. Just past noon. Raven wouldn't be back from her training run for at least another hour. Plenty of time to visit the palace and return before her roommate noticed she was gone... Maybe. Not that Raven would care too much, but still.

Melisa quickly changed out of her practice clothes into something more suitable for a royal audience—though nothing too formal. One of the perks of being the queen's unofficial advisor was that Aria didn't stand on ceremony with her.

Ten minutes later, she was hurrying through the Academy gates, the queen's letter tucked safely in her pocket.

Queen Aria was in her private study when Melisa arrived, surrounded by maps and reports. The bags under her eyes suggested she hadn't been sleeping well.

[Guess that makes two of us.]

"Melisa," Aria greeted her, setting aside a report. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Your Majesty," Melisa said with a small bow. "Your letter said you had a solution?"

Aria gestured for her to sit in the chair across from her desk.

"I do." The queen leaned back, studying Melisa with those sharp grey eyes. "But first, I need to know something. Why do you care what happens to Koros? He tried to kill your family."

The direct question caught Melisa off guard. She considered her words carefully.

"I don't care about Koros," she admitted. "Like I said before, I... I care about his sister. And about what his execution might mean for nim-human relations."

Aria nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"Right. If I execute him, I make him a martyr. If I pardon him, I appear weak and invite more attacks." She tapped her fingers on the desk. "A dilemma."

"So what's your solution?" Melisa asked.

"A trade." Aria's face gave away nothing. "I spare Koros's life, commuting his sentence to life imprisonment, and in exchange, you provide a service to the crown."

Melisa felt she probably should have seen this coming.

[Okay... Here we go.]

"What kind of service?"

Aria gestured to one of the maps spread across her desk.

"The darian attacks are becoming more frequent and bolder. The most recent raid hit a village called Villhem, near the eastern border. I've sent troops, but they'll need magical support."

"You want me to go to Villhem," Melisa said flatly.

"Yes. For two weeks. You'd be attached to Captain Fenris's unit as a combat mage."

[Just like Armia.]

Melisa weighed it. Two weeks of military service in exchange for Koros's life. Aria spares the nim murderer without looking weak, Melisa is portrayed by the papers as the "nim who went to war for another nim", though not everyone will take that kindly due to Koros's crimes, but the nim in the city might appreciate the gesture.

Not a bad deal, all things considered.

And honestly, she was curious about the darians. Armia's mandatory service had changed something in her, given her a new perspective. Maybe Melisa could gain something similar.

"Is that all?" she asked, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Aria's lips quirked in a small smile.

"You'd be under military command, required to follow orders. I understand that's asking a lot."

"When would I leave?" Melisa asked.

Aria's brows shot up.

"You've... made your decision? Already?"

"Yes," Melisa nodded. "To be honest, I've been curious about the war for a while. Seeing it up close... Well, might be a bit closer than I would have wanted, but it's not horrible."

She nodded.

"Tomorrow morning. Which would mean Koros's execution is postponed indefinitely until the official commutation is processed." Aria's eyes gleamed. "Convenient timing, wouldn't you say?"

By postponing rather than immediately commuting, Aria gave herself leverage to ensure Melisa actually went through with the mission. Clever.

"And if I refuse?" Melisa asked. More out of curiosity than any intention to do so, given that she fully intended to go through with this. Aria, judging by her smirk, picked up on this fact.

"Then Koros loses his head at dawn, and we both deal with the consequences." Aria shrugged. "But I don't think you'll refuse."

"I'll do it," she said. "On one condition. I want a written guarantee that Koros will be spared if I complete this mission."

Aria smiled properly then.

"Already prepared." She slid a document across the desk. "Read it thoroughly. I expect nothing less."

Melisa did, checking for any loopholes or tricks. But the agreement was straightforward: in exchange for her magical services with Captain Fenris's unit for a period not to exceed fourteen days, Koros's death sentence would be commuted to life imprisonment.

She signed it.

Aria took the document and added her own signature, then her royal seal.

"It's done," the queen said. "Report to the eastern barracks at dawn tomorrow. Captain Fenris will brief you on the situation."

Melisa stood, preparing to leave, but Aria stopped her with a raised hand.

"One more thing, Melisa. Be careful out there. The darians aren't like the Shadow Mages or nim rebels. They're warriors born and bred. And they particularly dislike magic users."

"I'll keep that in mind," Melisa replied, wondering what exactly she was getting herself into.

As she left the palace, her mind raced with preparations. She'd need to pack, tell her parents and friends where she was going, and maybe get in one last night with Isabella before leaving.

She smiled at that last thought. Isabella would probably insist on "giving her something to remember her by" before she left for the border.

But beneath the practical considerations and anticipation of Isabella's farewell, a deeper question nagged at her.

Was she making the right choice? Trading her safety for the life of someone who had tried to kill her family?

[Too late to second-guess now.]

She quickened her pace.

She had a lot to do before dawn.