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Alyse Zaftig is a romance author who loves to write about women who break the mold. Sassy heroines are her favorite.

THE MIDNIGHT CEREMONY

LURE ACADEMY, EPISODE 1

Cara Wylde

CHAPTER ONE

At the end of January, the Carpathian Mountains were covered in snow and fog. As the car drove up the abrupt cliff, Sophie could see the peaks of the everlasting green firs throwing themselves up to the sky at her right, while at her left they were rolling down into an abyss of rocks and bushes. Half an hour ago, they had crossed a small village, and Hebe, who was seated next to her, told her it was the last one they would see until they arrived to their destination. Sophie was now eager to reach the tall towers of Lure Academy, which she had seen from far below.

The flight from Paris to Bucharest had lasted a little over three hours, and the car ride from the airport to the Academy two more hours, but Sophie was far from tired. She did feel a bit overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the last two days, but this only increased her excitement. Two days ago, she was just a 23-year-old who wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with her life. Her mother had encouraged her to finally go to college and leave their small town behind, after she had postponed this plan for four years in favor of working at the local library. But the thought of moving to Paris terrified Sophie. Yes, she knew she had to leave her hometown because it had nothing to offer her. She wanted to leave. But Paris just didn’t feel like the right choice. She felt like she wasn’t cut out for a life in the overly expensive and overly pretentious capital. And it wasn’t about money. It was about her. She felt like she wasn’t pretty enough, determined enough, independent enough. She simply wasn’t enough.
“No friends, no plans for the future, no idea where to start… The only thing that’s waiting for me in Paris is failure,”
she used to tell herself. That was until Hebe showed up at her door and threw all her worries out the window.

As the tall fir trees ran before her car window, Sophie turned her gaze away from the impressive landscape and looked at Hebe. The succubus was studying a dossier, casually taking notes in a notebook she was balancing on her knee. Strands of white hair had escaped her messy ponytail and were now framing her beautiful face. Sophie couldn’t see her eyes from that position, but she knew they were of a translucent, unreal turquoise, framed by long, white lashes. Even after spending the entire day with Hebe, she still couldn’t get used to that intense gaze which almost hypnotized her. It had been those eyes that had made Sophie listen to the surreal creature when she walked into their house, sat down in the leather armchair, and started telling Sophie and her mother what she was there for.

At that moment, Sophie had been shocked. She could hardly process what was happening even when her mother confirmed Hebe’s words.
“I’m so sorry. It is true… It happened one night, when your father was away.”
Her mother’s confession still echoed in Sophie’s head, and the woman’s words hurt even more because she knew that her father – her supposed father – had died without knowing of his wife’s betrayal.

But all that was in the past. Now, after hours of staring at the beautiful succubus and thinking of everything, things were starting to become clearer: Sophie was the daughter of an incubus. What had Hebe called her? A cambion. Half human and half demon. More or less, give or take. Those were Hebe’s exact words. Once she was deemed ready, she was accepted at Lure Academy, a place where all cambions went to learn about their history, their purpose, and how to become what they were truly supposed to be: guardians. Hebe’s words were etched into her brain:
“We, the succubi and incubi, are often sorry that we cannot let our children live normal, careless lives, but these are hard times we live, and we need all the weapons we can get. Once you step over the threshold of the Academy, you will be able to look around you and see the true face of this world: a place roamed by dark creatures, by greater and lesser demons who feed off people’s suffering. Kings, princes, counts and dukes of hell. Your purpose, all cambions’ purpose, is to destroy evil through evil. Lure Academy will teach you everything you need to know, and when you go out there again, no one will dare stay in your way.”

There were so many implications to the little information Hebe had time to give her before they left for Romania. Sophie had never been very interested in mythology, but she did know that incubi and succubi were demons who fed off human energy, which they harvested through sex. Did cambions do the same? She wasn’t sure. At that thought alone she could feel her pulse rising and heat growing between her thighs. As if on purpose, Hebe busied herself with files, reading and taking notes all the way from France to the Carpathian Mountains. So many questions swam in Sophie’s head, but she couldn’t bring herself to disturb the succubus to try and get some answers.

“The Academy was founded in the 1500s, during the Inquisition and the Witch Trials, by the Pantheon of the Alluring Ones.”

Sophie realized she had been spacing out because the fairy-like demon had closed the dossier and was now looking at her, amusement dancing in her bright eyes.

“Oh... The… the Alluring Ones,” stammered Sophie. “Succubi and incubi.”

“Yes. We were created by the dark forces with a clear purpose: to draw mankind further into sin. Our nature was built in such a way that only by mating with mortal men and women we could satisfy our cravings. We feed off other creatures’ souls by draining their energy through mating.”

Sophie was finally starting to piece things together.

“By other creatures you mean… not necessarily humans.”

“Exactly. This is what they’ve overseen.”

“So, what happened? How did you decide to turn against your purpose and protect humans?”

“We got closer to them,” Hebe was now looking straight ahead at the narrow road she could see through the windshield. The chauffeur, a middle-aged man with strands of gray hair at his temples, didn’t seem to pay attention to their conversation. “Having a permanent connection with them, we began to understand their feelings and sorrows. Maybe we even started to feel a little. Something strange and scary, but exciting nonetheless. During the Inquisition, the fight against humankind worsened. The Alluring Ones, who began to feel compassion and pity for their victims, decided to take their side.”

Sophie felt her heart grow with excitement and impatience. She squeezed the key pendant which was resting on her stomach, attached to a long silver necklace. It was a gift from her father and she had the habit of holding onto it whenever she felt stressed. Hebe had turned to face her, and her turquoise eyes were now pinning her in place, making her unable to avert her gaze. She couldn’t understand why, but she felt the overpowering need to raise her hand and touch the succubus’ perfect features. Her presence made her feel warm inside, but when Hebe turned her gaze back to the front of the car, the spell was suddenly broken. Following her movement, Sophie saw they were approaching the end of their journey.

As the chauffeur drove the car between the massive iron gates of the Academy, Sophie saw the emblem sculpted at the top: the Mannaz rune, a symbol of man and mankind. She stepped out of the car in the middle of a large court surrounded by a building with four tall pavilions. Near the gate, a separate pavilion was guarding the entire edifice. The Academy looked like a palace, with pointed, gothic arches, and tall wooden doors and windows. The roofs were decorated with gargoyles, and the windows and balconies with baroque sculptures – grotesque creatures with strangely shaped bodies. The court, a long semi-circle, was full of snow-covered trees, each guarding benches and rectangular tables. Sophie could see few students sitting outside, reading or chatting. The cold air and the bleak wind must have scattered them all inside the warm rooms of the palace.

Hebe touched Sophie’s arm. “I will first take you to Lilith, and then to your room. Lilith is the headmistress of Lure and the highest in rank of the incubi and succubi. Then, you’ll have some time to meet your roommate, and, in two hours or so, after dinner, two hetaerae will come to help you prepare for the Midnight Ceremony.”

“Ceremony?” Sophie’s heart jumped and her palms began to sweat in spite of the cold January air. “What kind of ceremony? And what is a hetaerae?”

“Hetaera, the singular is hetaera. They are young human girls and boys who work at the Academy and sometimes offer their… services to our cambions, if you know what I mean.” Hebe gave her a mischievous smile. “We welcome our new students with a special kind of… party. There’s nothing to worry about. You won’t be alone. There are three other new cambions who have arrived in the past two weeks. It’s a simple protocol that needs to be followed. You’ll be presented to the older students, each of them will bring you a welcome gift, and then there will be drinks and you’ll have time to meet everyone and make some new friends. Lamia, your roommate, can tell you more if you ask her.”

“Oh…”

Hebe’s explanation made Sophie feel even more nervous and apprehensive. She wasn’t that good at meeting new people and making friends, and the whole ceremony thing sounded too sumptuous to be just what the succubus described. But there was no turning back now. Sophie had left her town and her mother behind in a blink of an eye, excited beyond words that an opportunity which didn’t involve Paris had been offered to her. Whatever lay ahead, she had to face it full force and think about the consequences later. Sophie felt her heart pound faster in her chest, and not even Hebe’s sweet touch could chase away the iciness in her toes and the tips of her fingers.

“Come now, don’t be so nervous. Lilith likes to welcome the new students. Every one of you is of extreme importance to us. She will tell you what we expect from our cambions, and she will give you your personal file and some study material.”

Hebe went on with explanations Sophie couldn’t quite focus on while she was gently guiding her to the tower near the entrance.

♥

The tall ceiling turned the office into a glamorous and imposing chamber. Even though there was a small gold chandelier hanging above, the only light came from a lamp perched on a desk at the far back of the room and the comforting flame burning in the fireplace. The heavy red curtains were drawn over the window. The fire made dark shadows dance on the red, delicate flowers painted on the walls. On the left side of the room, there was a tall wooden door, which Sophie guessed was leading to a large, comfy bedroom. Above the fireplace, Sophie spotted a gold-framed painting picturing a man, his half drunken-half ecstatic features shaken by the green ghost-like woman floating behind him in thin air.
“A poet haunted by his muse,”
Sophie thought. As her mother had been an avid collector of art albums since early girlhood, it wasn’t hard for her daughter to recognize Albert Maignan’s “Muse verte”. But she surely didn’t expect to see the original in a dark, forgotten corner of the Carpathian Mountains. Because she had no doubt the painting was genuine.

Sophie’s attention was distracted by a soft rustle coming from the barely visible desk. Hebe was no longer by her side, and she saw her leaning over some scattered papers.

“Here are the names for next month. They’re quite a few. Maybe you should take someone with you.”

Lilith’s voice was a deep, satin whisper. As she handed the papers to Hebe, the headmistress rose from her chair and Sophie could finally see the perfect features of the highest ranked demoness at Lure. Lilith was a tall and sensual woman. Her absinthe eyes were clear and provocative. Her full red lips were a perfect match for her large breasts and round hips, both barely hidden underneath a green skintight dress. Long, strong legs were made even longer by her red high-heels. Her fiery red hair covered her back in smooth curls that almost reached her waist. She was wearing red-framed glasses that only made her look more dangerous and appealing. Sophie lost all train of thought at the sight of such a dark and beautiful creature that oozed lust from all her pores.

“Sophie La Volpilliére.”

Sophie wasn’t sure those luscious lips had really spoken her name or it was just a mad dream.

“Welcome to Lure Academy.”

Lilith smiled as she watched the new girl practically droll all over her expensive carpet, which all students did at their first meeting with the headmistress. She took a few seconds to observe the new cambion, silently calculating Sophie’s possible abilities with her future victims. The girl was fairly tall and curvy, but her beautiful body was hidden underneath an awfully large, black sweater.
“She’ll have to learn how to dress according to her status.”
Her straight chestnut hair was of medium length, and she had a heart-shaped face, dark-brown eyes, and full lips. Definitely a unique beauty, all round curves and white, creamy skin. Most of the female cambions were athletic if not downright skinny, which was why Lilith was now feasting her eyes on the girl’s heavy breasts and generous hips. Satisfied, she stepped closer to Sophie and took the key pendant between her fingers.

“A key.”

“My father gave it to me.” Sophie internally thanked all gods for having been able to find her voice.

“A wise gift indeed.” Lilith searched Sophie’s eyes. “The key is a powerful symbol. It represents the importance of knowing yourself, which leads to the discovery of your purpose and the proper path you need to follow in order to achieve it.”

When Lilith turned to search through her desk, Sophie exhaled softly. She tried to even her breath.

“For a cambion this is of utmost importance. Inner knowledge stays at the very core of their power. Cambions belong to two different worlds, and each world has gifted them with valuable features: human and sensible enough to gain trust, but powerful and skilled enough to stand up for the good of mankind.” Lilith returned to Sophie, holding a book and a file. “The process begins with building a new self out of scattered pieces. Most of the things you’ve known will lose all their meaning or gain a new, unthinkable dimension. You need strength and courage to understand and accept who you are. When you feel the demon inside you stir and crave, remember the human standing next to it directs its dark powers towards light.”