Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!-Chapter 280: Loyalty, Part Thirty-Eight

{Melisa}

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Melisa took another sip of whatever cheap liquor Vira had procured, letting the burn distract her from the absolute clusterfuck this evening was becoming. The door to the back room hung slightly open, fragments of conversation drifting out between Vira's increasingly handsy attempts at seduction.

[Info first, sex later,] she reminded herself as Vira's fingers traced patterns on her thigh. [You're here to investigate arson and murder, not get laid. Well, not yet.]

"... can't wait forever..." Koros's voice carried through the gap. "... humans need to learn..."

[Yeah, I bet you've got lots to teach us about burning people alive, you fuck.]

But, despite the simmering rage, she kept her expression interested, engaged, and focused entirely on Vira even as she strained to hear more. The woman's hands were getting progressively more adventurous, clearly ready to repeat some of their previous... encounters.

"You keep looking over there," Vira noted, following Melisa's gaze to the door. "Not that interested in my company tonight?"

[Shit.]

"Just curious," Melisa shrugged, leaning into Vira's touch to sell the lie. "You mentioned your brother has meetings here sometimes, right?"

"Mm." Vira's hand slid higher. Vira looked away for a moment. It seemed she was hesitant for a second before she asked, "want to meet him? He's always looking for new recruits. Especially pretty ones."

[Oh you have no idea how much I want to meet him.]

"I don't know..." Melisa bit her lip, playing hesitant. "Your brother sounds kind of intense."

"He is." Vira's voice carried an edge now. "And... well, don't get me wrong, I think all this revolutionary stuff is ridiculous, but if you wanna maybe sit in on a meeting or two, I'm sure I could convince him."

Through the door, Melisa caught another snippet: "... next target will send a real message..."

[Yeah, I bet it will. Right up until I send you a message about why trying to kill my family was a really bad idea.]

"Well..." Melisa turned to face Vira fully, channeling her inner Margaret. "If you really think he'd let me..."

"I do." Vira stood, reluctantly pulling Melisa up with her. "Come on."

[Oh honey,] Melisa thought as she let herself be led toward the back room. [You have no idea what I'm involved in.]

Vira pushed open the back room's door, her hand still lingering on Melisa's lower back. The touch felt possessive, protective even – like Vira was already regretting bringing her new fuck-buddy into her brother's world of revolutionary bullshit.

[Aw, that's actually kind of sweet,] Melisa thought. [Shame I'm here to possibly murder him.]

The room stank of cheap tobacco and cheaper ale. Five nim sat around a scarred wooden table, all of them looking up as the door opened. Koros dominated the gathering – broader than the others, with that particular intensity in his eyes that screamed 'I have great ideas about setting things on fire.'

[There you are...]

"Brother," Vira said, her voice carrying none of the warmth it had held at the bar. "This is Melanie. She's... interested in what we're doing here."

Koros's eyes raked over Melisa, lingering on curves that definitely weren't hidden by her chosen outfit. His expression shifted from mild annoyance to interest.

[That's right,] Melisa thought. [Another stupid nim girl ready to be radicalized.]

"Is she now?" Koros leaned back, gesturing to an empty chair. "Well then, Melanie. Tell us what brings you to our little gathering."

Vira's hand tightened briefly on Melisa's back before falling away. A warning? A promise? Hard to tell.

[Time to find out exactly what you're planning next,] Melisa thought, taking the offered seat. [And then we'll see just how fireproof you really are.]

"Well," she said, letting her voice carry just the right mix of anger and uncertainty, "I heard you were planning to make some real changes around here..."

---

{Vira}

Vira watched her silver-haired mistake bat her eyes at Koros like he'd invented sex. Which, given how thoroughly Melanie had demonstrated her knowledge of that particular subject over the last few days, seemed pretty fucking unlikely.

"It's just..." Melanie's voice wavered perfectly. "I've seen so much. Humans treating us like we're nothing, you know? And, I was wondering if I could get involved at all, but..."

[Oh for fuck's sake,] Vira thought, watching her brother lean forward with interest. [Two days ago you were screaming my name in bed, behind this bar, and now you're what, ready to join the revolution?]

She couldn't watch this. Couldn't stand here while the girl she'd been fucking stupid looked at her idiot brother like he had all the answers in the world to... everything.

"Getting more drinks," she announced to no one in particular, already heading for the door.

Behind her, Melanie was saying something about "making real change" in that breathy voice that usually preceded someone getting their clothes torn off.

[Fantastic,] Vira thought, closing the door maybe a bit harder than necessary. [My brother's about to recruit my new favorite fuck buddy into his stupid crusade.]

She made her way back to the bar, where the elderly bartender was already pouring her usual.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sliding the drink over. "Worried your new girl's gonna get swept away by revolutionary fervor?"

"Fuck off, Tam."

"Hey, at least she's not the one who suggested attending the meeting." He shrugged. "You did that all on your own."

[Yeah,] Vira thought, downing her drink in one go. [Because I'm a fucking idiot who thought maybe if she got involved in Koros's bullshit, she'd stick around longer.]

Yeah, she pretty much instantly regretted this choice.

From the back room came the sound of Melanie's laughter. That same laugh that usually accompanied fingers finding interesting places. Now aimed at whatever stupid shit Koros was saying about human oppression.

[Well,] Vira thought, gesturing for another drink, [at least someone's having fun tonight.]

Though given how this evening was going, she was probably going to need a lot more alcohol to forget the sight of Melanie making those kinds of eyes at Koros.