“Where were you?” Joan demanded.

“I told you, I went for a walk.”

“A walk that lasts all day?” Rooney raised an eyebrow.

“Yep.” Nora stared at them smugly.

“Enough games Nora, we know you skipped school. Tell us the truth or you’re grounded.”

“Oh, the truth!?” Nora said it like she just made some grand discovery. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

Joan and Rooney shared a look.

“How about you go first. Tell me who those girls really are, twice removed? Really? I only have one uncle and he doesn’t have kids.” Nora said.

“Those girls are none of your concern. That’s our business.” Joan said.

“Then where I was is none of your concern, it’s my business,” Nora pat Joan on the shoulder as she pushed past her to get to the shower.

“Who do you think you’re talking to young lady?” Rooney grabbed Nora by the arm and stopped her.

“A couple of hypocrites, I thought it was obvious.”

“I don’t know where you get the nerve to talk to us like that but I won’t stand for it. You’re grounded.” Rooney snapped.

“Oh no, not grounded, spare me, oh the agony how will I ever survive?” Nora snorted in laughter before running to the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Rooney gave Joan an incredulous look.

“What the hell was that?” Rooney asked. “She’s doing more than acting out. She’s never talked to us like that.”

Joan sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Aren’t you going to say something to her? Or are you just going to let her walk all over you like that!?” Rooney said.

“What do you want me to say, Rooney?” Joan challenged.

“Something! Be strict for once! I’m tired of always being the bad guy. You could put your foot down for once you know, it won’t kill her.”

“Being strict with her will only make her act out even more!”

“How would you know!? You’ve never even tired!”

“Enough! We are not doing this right now, at least she’s safe.” Joan went downstairs.

“Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you!” Rooney chased after her.

“I sense your mood changing, having your parents fight makes you upset?” Jinn asked Nora as Nora stood in the shower and let the warm water wash over her.

“They always fight, nothing new.” Nora rolled her eyes.

“Why do they fight so much?”

“Because of me. I guess all I do is ruin their perfect lives.” She said bitterly.

“You don’t need them anymore Nora, you have me now. I can help you achieve your wildest dreams. I am an all-powerful deity. With me, the things you can do are limitless.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Try me.”

“I bet you can’t make my parents stop fighting.” Nora challenged.

“Is that what you truly wish?”

“It is, I wish for once, those two would just stop fighting and love each other like they are supposed to.”

“Your wish is my command.”

Downstairs the shouting match suddenly ceased.

Nora’s ears perked up as she listened.

“Forget it, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Rooney apologies.

“No, you’re right. I should be stricter. I’m sorry.” Joan walked over to her.

“What are we doing? Arguing isn’t solving anything. We need to be there for her, no matter what.” Rooney said.

“I agree.” Joan grabbed Rooney’s hands in her own.

Rooney looked into Joan’s eyes and the two smiled at each other before kissing.

“How did you do that?” Nora asked as she heard the shouting match cease.

“I told you, I am a deity. My powers are only limited to your imagination.”

“You’re amazing,” Nora said in awe.

“So long as you let me live inside you, I promise to share my power with you.”

“Talk about the best deal of all.” Nora giggled.

After her shower, Nora went downstairs to investigate why her parents had become so quiet and found them with tongues in each other's mouths completely enraptured by each other on the couch.

“Ew! Get a room.” Nora made a face before walking to the kitchen.

They slowly pulled apart.

Nora rummaged through the fridge and cabinets grabbing a lot of food and snacks in her arms before taking it upstairs to her room. She dropped all the snacks on her bed and popped open a bag of chips before pulling out her phone. She planned to call Destiny about her parents but paused, remembering how awful she had been to Destiny this morning.

“Do you regret what you said to her?” Jinn asked.

“I didn’t mean it, I was just mad.” Nora put her phone back down.

“Call and apologies.” Jinn suggested.

Nora looked out her window, it was merely sprinkling now. She grabbed a handful of chips and filled her mouth with them before grabbing all her snacks and shoving them in her backpack.

“What are you doing?” Jinn asked.

“I have a better idea.” She said, still chewing.

She grabbed a raincoat and put it on before opening her window.

“We shouldn’t.”

“Relax, it’s just Destiny, we’ve known each other since I was a baby.”

Nora jumped out the window and floated into the air.

“So cool,” she giggled.

Then she flew off towards Destiny’s house.

When she got there she saw Aunt Darci wasn’t home yet, which made things easier for her. She flew close to the house and peeked through the window, finding Destiny alone on her bed staring at her phone as if waiting for a call.

Nora knocked on the window.

Destiny scrunched her brows together in confusion before walking to her second-story window and moving the curtains. Nora waved at her. She gasped dramatically.

“How are you doing that!?” Destiny said.

“Open the window!” Nora called.

Destiny opened the window and Nora flew inside.

“Nora! What the hell!? What was that?”

“Like? I’m totally like a superhero now.” Nora giggled.

“How!?”

“It’s a freaking long story, so I brought snacks.” She emptied out her backpack on Destiny’s bed.

“Is that what you’ve been doing all day?”

“Yeah, and I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean any of it, I was just… humiliated and angry. Do you forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. Those guys were assholes.” Destiny hugged her.

“Thanks,” Nora hugged back.

“So tell me everything!? How did you do that? Are you messing with me!?”

“No way! I have cool powers now. I can turn invisible and control lighting and fly! Pretty cool right!?”

“But how?” Destiny grabbed the chips.

“Inside of me is a Deity. Their name is Jinn. I’m like possessed or something. So long as they get to use my body to see the world, I can use their powers. Pretty sweet deal right?”

“Possessed! Nora that sounds dangerous. Letting something use your body is so dangerous. What if they use your body to do something you won’t like? Or what if they use you to hurt people? If watching ghost adventures taught me anything it’s that you don’t want to be on the wrong side of possession.”

“Relax, those shows are all bologna anyway. Jinn is actually very nice and understanding. You’d like them.”

“So Jinn is a good spirit?”

“Totally.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, Jinn even got my parents to stop fighting.”

“Wow, for real?”

“Yep, but you can’t tell anyone. This has to stay a secret between us. I mean it, not even your mom can know. Promise me.” Nora grabbed Destiny’s hands in hers.

“Okay.”

“Promise.”

“Alright, I promise. You can trust me, Nora.”

“Good.” Nora smiled and let go.

“So, what’s it like having powers?” Destiny asked.

“It’s totally like in the movies. It’s so fun!”

They both giggled.

Across town, a family of succubus sat in the living room of a nice big and fancy house. The owner of the house was an old man, dead, slumped in a chair. A sheet was thrown over his body.

The oldest of the succubus paced the room back and forth while her two daughters sat on the couch. The older daughter, at 21 years of age, cradling her injured tail. The younger succubus, at 17 years of age, staring at the old man covered by a sheet.

“I still don’t get why we are helping those retched vampires! Look what happened to my tail because of them!” Nixivrya, also known as Nixi, said.

“That’s my business, not yours, you do as your told.” Their mother snapped at them.

“You know I’m old enough to be on my own now. I owe you nothing.” Nixi mocked.

“Silence! We need this, not just for us but for all of succubus kind. What we are doing is very important. Succubus are nearing extinction and if we can make a pack with vampires we secure our future in this world. We’d be protected by their council.”

“Only if we get Rebecca and Valyssa to surrender. And we are competing with a bunch of other disgusting demons and beings. The odds aren’t in our favor.” Nixi leaned back in her seat.

“So, we sway them in our favor.” The mother turned to them, lighting flashed behind her and the power in the house went out.

“How?”

“Rebecca seems very keen on protecting this girl. If we can get that girl in our grasp we can make them surrender. They’d have no choice unless they want to bring about her early demise.” She smirked.

“Yeah, but everyone is gunning for this girl, we still don’t even know who she is or what she looks like. It’s a bluff, the vampires are just waiting for Rebecca to lead us to her.”

“See Nixi, that’s where you are wrong. I know exactly who this girl is. It was an easy educated guess, the vampires have their suspicions about the girl being her best friend's daughter. So ask me where I was today?”

“Okay, where were you?” Nixi rolled her eyes.

“I followed Rebecca right to that girl. Her name is Nora Miller. I know where she lives, where she goes to school, and that she is going through a rebellious phase right now.”

“How’d you find out all of this?” Nixi raised an eyebrow.

“Yesterday, while we were battling I placed a tracker on Rebecca, early on in the fight. On her shoe. She led me right to her old stomping grounds. Then to Joan Miller’s house, where a very rebellious Nora Miller proceeded to talk to Rebecca, and I overheard Rebecca saying how she wished she could be with her again. It’s her, a little research on the internet, and the rest was easy to find out. So, how hard can it be to abduct one rebellious teenager?”

“Not it, Tryx can handle this, right?”

“W-what!? No way, you guys got this.” Tryx finally spoke up.

“Wake up girl, it has to be you. Enroll in her school, befriend her. You weren’t at the battle yesterday so we have that to our advantage. They won’t know to look for you. Do something right for once in your life. You are a disgrace to our family, the laughing stock. A succubus who hasn’t even had sex, preposterous. You will do this for me, it’s the least you can do for the shame you bring to this family.”

Nixi snorted in laughter.

Tryx glared at her.

“And if you don’t do it,” her mom walked closer to her, grabbing her by her chin to force Tryx to meet her eyes. “This will be the end for you. I will slay you myself and put an end to your feeble existence. Not like you plan on reproducing anytime soon. Am I clear?”

Tryx huffed and pulled her chin free before averting her gaze and saying,

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Cheer up Tryx, it’s just a stupid high school kid. How hard can it be?” Nixi teased.

An echo of thunder rumbled outside as lighting flashed across the sky.

“Whoa,” Destiny said as Nora held the lightning in her hand.

They were Destiny’s backyard as Nora showcased her powers to her best friend.

“This is awesome!” Nora cheered, shooting off the lightning again, making another loud clap of thunder fill the sky.