Suddenly A Succubus
Chapter 42.2

Tessa stood perfectly still, her eyes glued to the plush, extravagant carpet to avoid the piercing gazes of the Coven Heads. The four of them sat in a semicircle in front of her, each resting in an antique armchair covered with green, velvet quilting. Against the far wall, centered between the chairs, a brilliant marble hearth housed a crackling fire.

Directly to the right of the fire sat Headmistress Cassandra Davenport. Her black clothing as immaculate as her posture, she glared at Tessa over her thin spectacles. Although all Coven Heads technically held equal influence, everyone understood that Cassandra Davenport ran the show. She oversaw all facilities that taught magic to aspiring witches, and she had no tolerance for anything less than perfection.

Next to Headmistress Davenport, further from the fire, sat Simone Gautier. She had dark brown hair that curled in at her jawline, and equally curled bangs stopped just short of her eyebrows. Despite her naturally pale skin, she presented with an immaculate tan that seemed too perfect to be legitimate. Her sleek face had high-set cheekbones, matching the intensity of runway models, yet holding none of the appeal. While Headmistress Davenport watched with stern, unyielding eyes, Coven Head Gautier’s eyes were fierce and predatory.

To the immediate left of the hearth was Elizabeth Bishop. Her long brown hair gently cascaded in front of her face, partially hiding her warm, ever-present smile. Her face was more decorated than the other Coven Heads, the pigments perfectly complimenting her rich, tawny skin, and she dressed in loose, flowing garments that accentuated her natural beauty. She had always been Tessa’s favorite.

The last of the four, sitting furthest to the left, was Palesa Tsopnang. The crackling glow of the fire reflected strongly off her warm, dark skin. Her black hair had been fashioned into a series of tight braids, all of them ending in decorative silver cuffs that lightly clicked with every turn of her head. Soft brown eyes stared half-heartedly at Tessa as she spoke, her silver septum ring occasionally twitching as the smell of the fire washed over her.

The silence was nearly as thick as the carpet. Tessa had just finished recounting the events of the last few months, although she’d left out several important details. In her telling, Amara and Vee were no different than Nick and Chloé; two unlucky students that happened to get pulled into the chaos.

Would they believe her? Did the Coven already know anything? For all Tessa knew, this entire conversation might be a sham, a test to see how trustworthy she was.

“Miss Blackwood, do you recall why we sent you to Aurelius University?” Headmistress Davenport asked.

“I-I was to monitor the campus for any signs of magical phenomena, either natural or manmade, and contain the spread of information at all costs. Should any anomaly prove beyond my capabilities, it was my responsibility to report my findings to a Coven Head.”

Headmistress Davenport turned to her right. “Miss Bishop, did you receive any such report at any point in the last three months?”

Coven Head Bishop shook her head. Her long, elegant brown hair cascaded over her shoulder, and it shook slightly as she turned her gaze back towards the Headmistress. “No ma’am.”

“Perhaps there was an error, then,” Headmistress Davenport said. She turned to look at the other Coven Heads, addressing each in turn. “Miss Gautier? Miss Tsopnang? Did Miss Blackwood’s report accidentally land on your desks instead?”

Coven Head Gautier grinned, baring her teeth with unnatural enthusiasm. “No ma’am.” Her voice carried a faint French accent, the sound bringing back harsh memories.

Coven Head Tsopnang simply shook her head, saying nothing.

“I see.” Headmistress Davenport’s gaze returned to Tessa, who felt its intensity despite her own eyes still being fixed on the carpet. “It sounds to me like a report was never filed. Based on your recounting of events, I’m quite curious to hear why you thought a report was unnecessary.”

Tessa’s cheek tingled, the memory of the Headmistress’s anger still strong in her mind. “The cult took great measures to cover their tracks, and I did not understand the scope of the problem until it was too late.”

“And the incursion?”

Images of reapers flashed through Tessa’s mind. Desperately running from building to building, students screaming in terror as they ran for their lives. “The incursion only lasted for several hours. In my haste to protect the other students, the thought of notifying the Coven slipped my mind.”

“Tsk.” Coven Head Gautier huffed with indignation. “We all know what’s happening here. She shut us out, plain and simple. She deserves to have her magic stripped!”

Coven Head Bishop gently cleared her throat. “In Tes—sorry, Miss Blackwood’s defense, she was unaware of the importance of this University. Her briefing was minimal, and contained no mention of the planar convergence, nor of the seals that bind it. How was she to identify the breaking of those seals when the cult started acting?”

Headmistress Davenport turned her head to Miss Bishop, her glare more intense than ever. “Are you implying that her education was subpar?”

“N-not at all, Headmistress!” Miss Bishop stammered. “I just think it’s worth considering that, in spite of her lack of fieldwork, she managed to stop both the cult’s plans and the planar incursion. Such achievements mustn’t be overlooked.”

“Regardless of her actions, I must remind everyone that we stand at a crucial juncture,” Coven Head Tsopnang said, finally breaking her silence. “Debating Miss Blackwood’s guilt only serves to distract us from the real issue. This convergence has been sealed for centuries, and we have no idea when the next incursion might occur.”

Silence fell once more, and Headmistress Davenport’s attention returned to Tessa. She steepled her fingers, then took a deep breath as she waited. Once enough time had passed to make Tessa suitably uncomfortable, she spoke up again. “Miss Blackwood. While it’s true that you managed to avoid the worst-case scenario, your actions speak volumes about your intentions. Explain to me the full scope of your errors.”

Tessa swallowed nervously, still refusing to lift her eyes from the floor. “O-of course, Headmistress. My faults are plenty, and I—”

Headmistress Davenport snapped her fingers, and magic began swirling around the chamber. This magic was not hers, but Coven Head Gautier’s, who summoned it eagerly. Intense telekinetic power gripped Tessa’s face, angling it higher until she was looking the Headmistress in the eyes. “That’s better. Continue.”

“My faults are plenty and without excuse. I failed to report multiple magical disturbances, I engaged several magical creatures without proper training, and my actions led to dozens of students being exposed to magic.”

The Headmistress’s eyes were unyielding, and Tessa became nothing more than a scared child under their gaze. “Your actions have caused significant damage to the population here, the integrity of the planar barrier, and the sanctity of our eternal mission. We cannot move past this until you have demonstrated knowledge of, and taken full responsibility for, this damage.”

Tessa’s chin shook as she tried to maintain her composure. “Dozens of cultists sold their souls, and surrendered their bodies, to demons. Their deaths, and their eternal Damnation, lie on my shoulders. All future incursions are possible because of my actions, meaning all future harm that befalls anyone on this campus will be attributed to me. During the planar incursion, multiple students were injured, with one losing her life.”

More silence. Whatever Tessa had said, it clearly wasn’t up to the Headmistress’s expectations.

“T-that student’s death is… is attributed to my errors,” Tessa said. A minuscule twitch of the Headmistress’s mouth confirmed this was what she wanted to hear.

“Elaborate.”

Another deep breath. Tessa’s chest shook. “Her name was Chloé, and her death could have been prevented.”

Headmistress Davenport leaned forward. “Elaborate.”

“Chloé’s death is… is on me. It’s my fault Chloé died!” Tears began streaming down Tessa’s cheeks. She heard Chloé’s screams echoing across the quad, watched in horror as the portal closed around her.

The Headmistress finally nodded.

Another minute passed, the Coven Heads simply watching as Tessa failed to contain her sorrow. For the entire duration, her eyes stayed locked on the Headmistress’s, as she knew breaking eye contact would only make her life more difficult. When the tears finally stopped, Tessa didn’t risk wiping her face clean, instead keeping her arms perfectly still at her side.

“You are lucky that we stumbled across your incompetence,” the Headmistress began. “Had you successfully kept this hidden, no doubt more would have died. Thankfully, we’re in charge now, and we can right this ship.”

Miss Gautier’s magic flared again, this time opening the large, regal entrance to the room. Footsteps echoed from the hall beyond the room, though they grew silent as this mystery person entered the room. Now standing in front of the Coven Heads was a girl Tessa didn’t recognize. She had incredibly smooth ebony skin with thick, voluminous black hair. She walked with effortless grace, no doubt at the request of the Headmistress, and as she walked into view, her large brown eyes briefly met with Tessa’s. Incredibly striking white eyeliner adorned her face, and their shared look only lasted a moment before this new girl spoke up.

“Coven Heads, thank you for summoning me,” she said.

“Tessa, this is Miss Imani Mabaya. Moving forward, she will be taking charge of the student population. You are to cooperate with her every request, without hesitation.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Imani,” Tessa said softly.

“The rest of us, as well as our Scribe, will begin working on the Seals around campus. You are to assemble all your notes and present them to us posthaste, and any further tampering with these Seals is strictly prohibited.”

“Pft. Like she has any notes…” Miss Gautier muttered. Her comment earned her a stiff glare from the Headmistress.

“Provided the Seals are not completely obliterated,” the Headmistress continued, “we should be able to repair them entirely before classes resume again in January. I strongly recommend you do everything in your power to make yourself useful during this time, Miss Blackwood, as final judgment regarding your actions will be postponed until the Seals are repaired. This is your last chance to repent for your mistakes here.”

Miss Gautier seemed offended at the Headmistress’s last comment, but kept her thoughts to herself this time. Instead, the Coven Heads rose to their feet and began leaving the chamber. Headmistress Davenport went last, though briefly stopped in front of Tessa.

“Your actions disgrace your noble legacy, Miss Blackwood. Your parents would be ashamed of you.”

Tessa couldn’t summon the strength to respond. Tears welled in her eyes once more, and she simply nodded. Thankfully, with that last comment, the Headmistress left the room. Now alone with Imani, Tessa immediately brought her hands to her face and wiped it clean with her sleeves. Her composure broke, and she shuddered as she took another deep breath.

Once she’d finally calmed down, she turned to the girl next to her. She guessed that Imani was roughly her age, but she didn’t dare pose such an informal question with the Coven Heads still in the building.

“Apologies for my demeanor, Imani. What do you need from me?” Tessa asked quietly.

Imani’s posture relaxed. “Nice to meet you, Tessa. I’ll be doing everything I can to help manage the students and faculty that were exposed during the incursion. I’d like to know what organizational structures are currently in place and, if possible, it would be great if we could call a meeting so I can address everyone directly.”

Tessa nodded. “I can do that. At this hour, it would be best to set the meeting for tomorrow.” Unlocking her phone, she began texting the group chat she shared with Nick, Amara, and Vee. Her progress was interrupted, however, when Imani reached out to lightly grab her shoulder.

“For what it’s worth,” Imani said, lowering her voice, “I think they’re being too rough on you.”

A shiver ran down Tessa’s back, and she nervously looked back towards the room’s entrance. It would be stupid not to assume that the Coven Heads could hear everything being said here. “That’s… kind of you to say Imani, but they know what’s best.”

The two girls shared another glance, and something seemed to shift in Imani before she responded. “Right, of course. So, before tomorrow’s meeting, it would be great if you could tell me…”

Tessa did her best to give Imani an overview of the students affected. Having never met before, she still took great lengths to hide the true identities of her friends, but she couldn’t deny it was nice to have some help. After a short series of texts, which attempted to strike a balance between helpful and deniably vague, Tessa mentally crossed her fingers that Vee would understand her intentions.