The middle of the night had seemed like an apt time for a dark ritual, or so the thinking had gone for the college boy. He had slipped out from his dorm to one of the many wooded areas surrounding the isolated campus. Up in the mountains it was in a beautiful area, but staf constantly warned students of the danger in nature. Many had no idea how true that was, nor that it wasn’t just the wilderness humans needed to beware of. The mountain town was home to a pack of werewolves.
Not that any of that was of concern to the student, trying the ritual on a whim. It could help grant him what he wanted! If not, then it was harmless fun, right? No wolves came to bother him that night, but the ritual was real. Because there in the moonlight, revealed by a dispersing fog, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen stood in the middle of the circle he had etched into the dirt.
Inanna flicked her hair behind her shoulder with her hand. The moonlight momentarily seemed to dance along the black, silken strands before they settled. In the pale light her eyes were ice as she surveyed her surroundings. Her gaze settled on the human staring with his mouth open. He looked surprised, so she surmised that he was likely an idiot and had little idea what he was doing. Easily manipulated.
Her lips curled into a smile that was as cold as it was alluring,”What is your wish?”
“What?” He was so confused.
Inanna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She wanted to have this done with. Instead she just stepped forward with the smile still in place,”That is why you summoned me, isn’t it? To grant your deepest desire. So tell me, what do you want? Anything and it’s yours.”
“Anything?”
“Anything.” She confirmed, stopping in front of him. For a demon Inanna was young. Born from the essence of her predecessor. She was essentially reincarnated. In that way she lacked some power and experience, but that didn’t matter. It would all come back to her in time.
Just grant some mortals their wish, extract her payment, and gather her power back. If a demon is killed and their essense survives it gives birth to a reincarnation, like Inanna. A demon born fully grown and with some power from their previous life. She waited while the human boy considered. Wealth? Power? Love? What would he ask for?
“Tiffany. I want Tiffany.” He finally answers.
Love it was, then. Inanna’s smile widened,”Very well. She will be yours. Give me your hand.”
The boy held out his hand to her. She held it in one hand, and with the other her nails extended into sharp claws and quick as a flash she cut the back of his hand with four fingers.
He jerked his hand back, the scratches cradled in his uninjured hand,”Ow! What the fuck!?”
Inanna examined the blood on her still extended nails, holding them up to the moon,”I need this to make sure she will be yours. I will be back in the morning to deliver. Go sleep. I can find you.”
Inanna spent the night working on her love potion. Well, a powerful lust potion, true love was not something she could bottle. She could, however, bottle something close enough and even with a specific target rather than leaving it to chance. It would fulfil the terms, and then she could extract her price.
With the little vial in hand Inanna followed her senses to the university to track down the boy she made the deal with. She did not know his name, nor did she care. She had his scent to find him and that was enough.
She attracted some looks, but not as many as she might otherwise. Apparently a tour was scheduled for prospective students and their families. It had nearly every available hotel room in the small town booked, and the campus buzzing with more activity than usual. Another new face hardly caused waves, except that she was new [i and] pretty.
When she cracked open the door of a classroom every head looked up from their reading at her. She looked to her target and beckoned him with a single finger. It was time to finalize their deal.
