Fair Warning: The beginning of this chapter gets rather dark. If mentions of and attempted suicide makes you uncomfortable, please skip the first part.

The Next Day...

Verosika's P.O.V

I break the surface of the water and gasp for breath, the sweet relief of air rushing over me. Brushing my wet hair out of my face, I walk up the steps leading out of the pool, water dripping off my bare skin. Nothing more freeing and relaxing than swimming nude. I then go over and sit down in one of my reclining seats and pick some cheese from the plate of grapes, salami, and cheese sitting on the table next to me. I also take a sip out of the open wine bottle resting on the table as well, feeling quite at peace. The only thing that would fully complete this moment is some passionate sex.

But that's when the fantasies come surging back and the dominant side of me takes center stage. I have to close my legs to prevent me from touching myself, though I still can't help but run my hands over my legs and over my abdomen. That pleasurable rush, while plenty common by now, is too enticing to dispel, especially since it gets me thinking about all sorts of things I want done to me. Thoughts involving kissing and thrusting in the pool, pushing me up against a wall and sucking on my neck while I cling onto them, getting taken from behind. It just gets my heart racing and my womanhood trembling. But since my thoughts are running rampant and going all sorts of places, that also includes guilty pleasure territory that shamefully gets me even more turned on, even though I know it isn't right.

Guilty pleasure involving thoughts of Y/N, to be specific. The real succubus side of me really wants to get him back here, taste his lips again after so many years, pull him into my bedroom, feel his strong member deep inside me, and ride him until we're both moaning each other's names. That side doesn't particularly care about what I said to him on the phone yesterday about trying to be friends again, but I haven't let that side take complete control. But the thoughts don't stop, visualizations of him licking up my neck and even licking my entrance filling my head until I actually release onto the chair. I can't stop myself from exhaling in relief, the succubus side wanting to reach for my phone to call him and invite him over.

I, however, push back against it, as hard as it is, and stand up. Putting my bathrobe on, but not tying it, I grab my phone off the table but slip it in my pocket before I do something that I regret. I then grab the wine bottle and head for the door leading back inside, entering and walking past the other reclining chairs sitting around before I trudge down the glass spiral staircase. I walk straight to the bar and sit smack dab on the counter, the cool marble making my ass feel all tingly. Setting the wine bottle down between my legs, I glumly look around and a sense of loneliness fills me as I see nobody else around. 

Sure, having someone over to fuck would make it better, but doesn't quite feel enough. They aren't permanent and won't stick around, but some might like to just live out their dreams of staying in a place as nice as this while also pounding me anytime they like, but I tend to discard those kinds of people anyway. No, a steady boyfriend that loves me for me and would be the main and only source for my lustful desires would be perfect. But given the reputation I've made for myself, there isn't anyone who would fit the profile. I don't have any friends either since my posse are only work-related associates who I haven't even tried treating as friends yet.

I sigh sadly and take a long drink from the wine bottle, but right as I finish, tears threaten to escape from my eyes while my hands and arms start trembling. In a fit of anger and sadness, I throw the wine bottle against the floor with a slight yell, the bottle shattering and its contents spilling out onto the floor. With my hands trembling more, I start to cry, my hands covering my face as my legs unconsciously pull themselves up towards my chest. Look at me, walking around naked with no care to clothe myself! I'm such a slut! No wonder Y/N hates me! I'm the complete embodiment of what everyone thinks a succubus is!

As I'm able to remove my hands from my face, my eyes glance over at the sharp-looking bottle shards on the ground and a dark thought that hasn't crossed my mind in some time formulates once again. Still trembling, I get down off the counter and get down on my knees in front of the stained area. Grasping a shard from the floor, the wine covering the back of my hand, I press the sharp point against my arm, right next to the other diagonal scars that cover it. I tell myself I should do it, that it'll push back the succubus side and rid me of my loneliness. It'll make me feel things that'll take my mind away, that it'll take me away to a place where I won't be making my own life miserable just by being me. And I try to press down and cut my skin open, but even with tears streaming down my cheeks, I just can't do it. Gritting my teeth momentarily, I throw the shard down and start crying against, collapsing to the ground and rolling over onto my side facing away from the things that would help me kill myself.

Why did I have to be born a succubus? Why couldn't I have just been an imp instead? As much as I hate Blitzø for what he did with me, at least he isn't plagued by a powerful, insatiably hungry monster inside of him. Y/N neither, and I lost my chance with him while I had it and now I'll never have him back again. All because of the succubus side.

It started way back when Y/N and I were still dating, the happy memories of that time re-emerging and making me feel even more crushed. I got my first taste of what sex was like back then and once I did, that dormant nature of a succubus started waking up. It wasn't until much later that I learned that this happens with all succubi, though some are able to temper it and control it so that they don't get overwhelmed and become controlled by it. But I was weak. I've remained weak, but I was still younger and even weaker then. The succubus side was ferocious and latched onto me, getting me to have sex more and more, which further cemented its influence over me. It was great at the time, but once Y/N found out and called off our relationship, the realization and impact was strong enough to make the succubus side retreat for a moment, my mind free enough to be overcome with sadness, regret, and guilt. How I was too pathetic and weak to let my own race's nature wreck the one good thing I had that I won't ever get back, even giving him my first.

But once he left, my life just went on a down-spiral that he had no idea of. The succubus side got me into sex with dozens of more men and women, making itself stronger every time I fucked someone. But the thought of Y/N no longer in my life still lingered like a steel sliver in my heart, causing me to occasionally break free of the influence and wish that I could just get rid of it for good. I got desperate, trying a number of drugs to see if that would push it back, got into drinking so much that I became an alcoholic, and even sometimes cut myself. There were loads of times I remember, breakdowns in the studio, sobbing on the bathroom floor while down a drink, sniffing some lines while I banged my head against something hard to punish myself, and even breaking a few mirrors and using the shards to mark on my skin just how much of a whore I had become. But it wasn't enough. My succubus side still kept its influence on me and slowly had me forget about Y/N until I just fully embraced it and didn't care what I was.

But when he came back into my life just recently, I was caught off guard and messed it up, the succubus side still too in control to have me say the things I wanted to say without making it sound like I was only wanting to fuck. But now that he is back in my life and even more badass than ever, I'm determined to not let him go without explaining to him why I messed up. I'm scared to tell him, since he might think the succubus side taking me over is just an excuse for me cheating on him. And it is, in a way, since I could've fought harder to stop myself. But I still did it. I'd love more than anything to have him back, to have him share this place with me and to be my boyfriend again. It would cure me of this loneliness I feel when just sitting around and looking at this big, empty place, but he has Kiki now. I can't steal him from her, since he is loyal to her and would hate me even more for it, but since he's willing to be friends, maybe we can rebuild enough trust given time as to where he'd be willing to forgive me and perhaps find a way for us to start again.

I need to be strong now. I need to fight back against the succubus side harder than ever before and keep it from getting me to work hard to get Y/N to just fall for me again. Sitting up, I shake my head, take a strong, confident, deep breath, and stand up. I need to go grocery shopping today, so I go to the sink, rinse the wine stains off my hand, then head into my bedroom to change. In order to not stand out too much, I pick a simple crop top and some yoga pants to wear, slipping those on over some black underwear before combing my hair and putting it in a ponytail. I then leave the room, grab my purse, and go for the elevator, pressing the ground floor button and heading down.

Thankfully, nobody gives me any looks when I leave the elevator and walk through the lobby, even more so when I head outside and walk to my car. I'm able to continue on with a bit more content mixed into my general feelings, starting the car, backing out, and heading onto the open road. The store is just across the city, so it's not too incredibly far. Though as I get to a particular stoplight, I look over and up to see Blitzø's building towering in the distance. Huffing and shaking my head, I readjust my hands on the wheel and keep going since the light turned green.

Upon finally arriving at the grocery store, there's quite a number of spots open, so I pick one that's farther away from the entrance. Means less people looking to potentially key my car or steal it for themselves. Unfortunately, I start getting people looking at me with recognition as I head inside, grab a shopping cart, and start perusing the aisles. It's annoying and nerve-wracking at the same time, having to go down multiple aisles, stop and check my list, and also keep a lookout out of the corner of my eye for anyone that's getting too close. Too many assholes in this city would just look to sexually assault me without my consent just because I'm a succubus. But I'm not about to let anything of the sort happen. And sure enough, when I get to the frozen food section, some freakshow corners me and tries to feel me up.

"C'mon, Miss Mayday~. Surely I can give you a good time~" The creep says with seductive intent.

"Back the fuck up, shitbag" I snap, pushing him off, "Go screw around with someone else!"

"Mmm, I don't think so~" He grins.

It's clear this scum isn't getting the message, so I reach into my purse and take out the small six-shot handgun I keep in there for defensive purposes, pointing it directly at him.

"Fuck off and leave me alone right now or you'll get exactly what's coming to you" I threaten, expecting it to be enough to intimidate him.

What I didn't expect was that he would still not relent and that I would actually pull the trigger. I hadn't intended to, but it must've been survivalist instinct, since now a hole is in his head, he's on the floor, and blood is coming out. I'm frozen in shock for a moment before being able to snap out of it, slowly putting the gun away and pushing my cart away. I remain quite rattled on the inside, since I had never killed anyone before and I didn't think I would today of all days, but still manage to finish my shopping, pay for it at the register, and head back out to my car. Nobody else gave me looks as I left, probably because I scared them off, but I thought little of it as I packed everything in my car and left as quickly as possible.

I arrived home in record time, not bothering to stop and talk to anyone as I went straight for the elevator and didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the interior of my penthouse came into view. I then let out some rapid breathing, the effects of what recently happened showing more of their external affect on me as I hurry to put the groceries away in the fridge, pantry, and other places. When I'm done, I head to the bathroom and am even more rattled when the lights turn on and I see myself in the mirror with blood on my crop top and face. I rush to the sink, turn it on, and quickly rinse my face off, my hands trembling again. Once that's done, I throw the crop top off and replace it with something fresh, trying to calm myself down. But instead, I reach into my pocket and bring my phone out, calling Apple. I just really need some company right now.

"Hey, boss, what's up?" Apple answers.

"Would you be able to get everyone to come over to my place? I'd like for us to talk about something I had been thinking about" I reply, keeping my voice from cracking.

"Sure thing. I'll get Coco up, grab Milky, and we'll be over in 15" She confirms.

"Great, see you then" I conclude, hanging up shortly after that.

Sighing, I put my phone back in my pocket and just stare at myself in the mirror. I need to get a grip, because otherwise how can I fight against my succubus nature? I sort of just stand there and think quietly to myself, long enough that I'm interrupted by a knock at the door and the voice of Apple outside, meaning that they've arrived. Shaking my head, I stand up straight and leave the bathroom.

"You ok, boss?" Coco asks, her hanging by Apple's side as Milky stands next to her.

"I'll be fine, I'll be fine" I reply, both to them and to convince myself as they follow me to the bar, them sitting down while I get behind the counter.

"So, is this about the concerts coming up in a couple days?" Milky asks curiously.

"Yes, it is," I nod, even though that's just an excuse for us to talk about something, "I was thinking of performing down in Lust."

"Looking to draw more locals or are you thinking that they'll recognize us more since that's our hometown?" Coco asks.

"Ehh, it's not really either of those, but those can still work" I sigh, "I just kinda miss the place. It's where we all met, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, it was" Apple smiles, "I remember those days."

"It's a shame Kiki's no longer around, though. But I can understand her being busy with that good-looking sinner Y/N" Milky grins, "Speaking of which, are you still wanting to invite him?"

".......Yes, I am" I hesitate, "It'll be nice to see him again, even if he won't like seeing me."

"Whatever happened between you two? You never said you had an ex-boyfriend before you know who" Apple asks, being cautious with her approach since she knows I don't really like people inquiring about my private life.

"I don't want to talk about it" I reply, trying not to snap in response, "And I expect that you three be on your best behavior when he's around. We may be succubi, but let's try to have some class."

"We'll try, but can you blame us?" Coco smiles.

Shaking my head for the upteenth time in a row today, I walk away from the bar, leaving them to their own conversation they're starting, and head out onto the exterior porch. Leaning on the railing, I look down at the sprawling city below, knowing that Y/N is down there somewhere. He said he was in Wrath, but that's impossible for a sinner. I'll need to permit him some of my magic to let him even have the possibility of coming to Lust with us. I just hope he won't be too mad. I really miss his smile and spending good time together.

I just hope it's not too late.

Y/N's P.O.V

"How goes things, honey bun?" Kiki asks, her chin resting on her hands as her legs kick the air behind her, "Murder any douchebag assassins lately?"

"Not the one I came here for, but yeah" I nod, smiling, "I'm liking the nicknames, though. That a recent change?"

"Yeah" She smiles, giggling a little, "I wanted to try and do what more affectionate and loving girlfriends would do. Ideal ones at least. I figure I'd start there and casually work up from that while we can work out what we like and what we don't throughout our relationship."

"You are too cute, Kiki," I continue smiling.

"Is it because of this new underwear~?" The succubus teases, sitting up a bit so that her chest is more visible while she pushes it up a bit, "Because I got them for when you come home. And I can't wait for you to rip them off me~." 

I sit on the bed inside the room Millie's parents let me stay in, my laptop open and a video call going with my girlfriend. I just got back from doing some morning chores out in the fields and wanted to call to see how she was doing. And judging by the fact that she's lying on her stomach in nothing but the dark red lace underwear that she admitted to just buying yesterday and gazing fondly at me, Kiki's more than happy I called.

"Speaking of home, how are things back there?" I ask.

"Oh, well, you know. It's only been about a day or so, so nothing huge has happened. Verosika tried calling me, but I didn't answer. I really should've deleted her number by now, but I guess I just kept it in the event she could be useful for something. I'm still mad at her for how she treated you, though I know I shouldn't stay that way since it's not good for me" Kiki sighs, twirling a bit of her blue hair through her fingers.

"It shows you care about me, though, so I appreciate it" I tell her wholeheartedly as she removes the frown that recently formed on her face.

"Thanks, Y/N. Oh and by the way, I went and got a job right after you left" My girlfriend admits, shifting around a little bit, "And, surprise, surprise, it's with that company you're working with."

"Really?" I raise my eyebrows in slight surprise.

"Yeah. Met that hellhound friend of yours. She seems like a real tough cookie" Kiki nods, her tail lazily spinning around in the air, "And, apparently, she's become your temporary replacement for that Goetia princess while you're away. Loona was quite happy at the chance, not in regards to you being gone, but to be able to act more like an assassin."

"Huh, that's interesting. I didn't get any texts from her or Octavia mentioning it. Though I guess I need to remind myself that I'm not the center of their universes and that they're good friends as well" I think out loud, "Regardless, I'm glad to hear that Loona's happy. She really wasn't in the happiest of positions where she was before."

"You know, my friends have been asking about you as well," Kiki tells me, changing the subject.

"Is that so?" I reply, frowning with some skepticism at their potential motivations for doing so.

"Yeah, they have. Apple and Coco called me this morning and I just got off the phone with Milky a few hours ago. Though I know you and I were both at that concert together, I guess you made quite the impression" My girlfriend relays, then going into teasing mode, "I guess you're such a natural charmer that any succubi wants to snatch you up~."

"Yeah, and that's what I wonder" I respond, not mirroring her teasing, "Whether it's their natural instincts or genuine interest."

"Well, you might find out soon enough since, according to them, Verosika is going to be putting on a couple concerts in Lust here pretty soon and she's going to invite you to come spend some time with her throughout the process" Kiki reveals, her legs falling to the bed as her expression darkens, "Though I'm getting the suspicion that Verosika is just trying to get in your pants so that you'll eventually get wrapped around her finger. And I can't afford to leave Pride to prevent her from doing anything since I just got the job at I.M.P and don't want to leave the apartment abandoned."

"That's only if I were to agree, though" I point out, "And since it won't really help in this investigation, I'm more than likely going to turn her down. Besides, I know you trust your friends, but I don't think I'd be able to trust them to keep me away from whatever Verosika might have up her sleeve. Though I know she admitted to wanting to start over as friends again when she called yesterday, I can't fully and easily take her word for it, especially since she's now a more full frontal sex demon."

"Still, fair warning in the event you cross paths with her anyway. I had done some reading on succubi, since I'm not the most well-versed in my own species, and it sounds like after a number of times a succubi has had sex overall, their overall nature doesn't really ever revert to anything that isn't seductive or sensual. Just so you know" She tells me.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind" I nod, being entirely genuine with those words, "Anyways, I gotta go. I'll see you soon, Kiki."

"Promise is a promise" She smiles, blowing me a kiss before we both disconnect.

Sighing, I rub my eyes and look back at the tabs I have open on my laptop. I've accessed multiple places on the local network that should tell me more about the assassins around here, but I guess Wrath is more old school and secretive than Pride since I found no lists or names of any kind available. And I didn't even go to any dark websites or anything, which wouldn't have made a difference since there aren't things like that down here that are hidden instead of being openly accessible. Yet, still, I searched and searched, and refined those searches for many hours late into the night last night with no avail. Now I'm just tired and still haven't gotten nearly anywhere.

Not to mention sweaty, so let's deal with that first. Luckily, this place has working showers inside the house and not like some farms that have them as booths on the exterior. I shut my laptop, leave it sitting on the bed, and head into the bathroom to shower. The cold water is quite an exhilarating rush over my skin, especially with how hot it can get in the early morning. I only stand there for a couple minutes, so as to not waste water for everyone else, before I'm back in the bedroom and changing into fresh clothes. You know, I could really go for some target practice right now. Keep my skills up and all. Grabbing one of the handguns I brought with me, I head out into the hall, seeing that nobody is in their rooms, before then going downstairs and spotting Lin and Joe in the kitchen.

"Oh, hey there, kid" Joe says upon noticing me, "Nice work this morning."

"Thanks" I smile, then seeing the empty beer bottles on the counter behind him, "You mind if I have those?"

"Sure, knock yourself out" Millie's father shrugs, seeing where I'm pointing and handing them to me.

"Lunch is gonna be ready in about an hour, just so you know" Lin informs me.

"Great, thanks. Oh, also, I'm going to be practicing my shooting, so if you hear gunshots, don't panic because it's just me" I tell the two of them.

"Got it. Thanks for the warning" Lin nods with a smile.

I then leave the kitchen and walk out onto the porch, going down the few steps with Joe's empty beer bottles from last night clinking in my left hand. Going up to the hog pen, I place the bottles on the posts one at a time, and take a number of steps back, bringing out my gun. I stare down at it while my thoughts try to formulate some solutions. I'm hoping that this will ease my mind a bit so that I can piece together something from the minuscule amount of information I was able to find and make some better progress since every hour that passes is another that the assassin could be farther away from wherever I'm trying to search for him, assuming that I'm even in the right place anyway. Am I second-guessing myself too much?

Shaking my head, I put my focus forward and go to carefully aim at the bottles on the post, forcing myself to put those thoughts on the backburner for now. I shoot one just fine, but when I try to hit the others with a bit more speed, I begin to falter and miss. I curse at myself, but keep at it until only a single bottle remains, leaving it sitting there as I mull over something else that I'm not having great luck with. I almost wonder if this is part of Hell's influence, making people feel building failure at points just to torture them.

"Doing a bit of target practice, hot shot?" Sallie May surmises, smiling and approaching me from my right.

"Yeah" I sigh, staring at the targets as the imp girl comes to a stop next to me with her arms crossed in curiosity, "I'm starting to wonder if my one best lead in this investigation is now just rotting in a dumpster, because my probability on finding anything assassin related on Hell's internet, pertaining to this situation, is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Hmm, doesn't sound hard for me. I could find that needle. I'm good at observations, remember?" Sallie grins, "But in all seriousness, you know what the problem is you're running into?"

"What?" I ask, turning away from the bottles to look at her.

"Having connections. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and surmise that you don't have many in general, correct?" She guesses, to which I nod in response, "Exactly. It helps to have acquaintances or perhaps even friends that have some level of influence or knows more than most others around them. Having them means getting to know things that many wouldn't and make sticky situations a bit easier to navigate."

"And you're saying this because you happen to be one and are looking to offer?" I attempt to guess with a raised eyebrow.

"Haha, no. But I appreciate the compliment" Sallie May chuckles, "I'm just trying to give you some friendly advice that I'm sure no one else around here would. Besides, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to maybe be of help in a rather interesting situation such as this. Who knows, maybe you'll even let me raise some hell with you once you've tracked this piece of shit down."

"Well, if you're really wanting to help, then I won't stop you" I reply, glancing down at my gun, "Self improvement is always important and experience from those who know better than me in ways I don't can really shape a person into a stronger and fiercer warrior."

"Oooh, keep on talking that way and I might help in a more personal way~" She flirts, winking at me.

Uh, oh, there she goes again. If I don't make it clear to her that I have a girlfriend, since I haven't alluded to anything of the sort so far, I doubt she'll stop the flirting. And I'm not going to make Kiki think I'm not being loyal to her since she's been loyal to me. Abigail's also standing beside Sallie and shaking her head at the imp's behavior, giving a look that conveys the same thought I was just thinking. Which is just me technically thinking it a second time since she's of course not actually there, something I have to keep reminding myself so that I don't get deluded.

"Sallie, I'm flattered and all, but I feel as if I must tell you that I do have a girlfriend" I say, trying not to sound too harsh or rude when revealing it to her.

"...Huh, is that so?" She replies, clear jealousy and controlled anger slowly seeping into her tone and facial expression, "Guess you figured me/picked up on my hints more quickly than I thought. Just my luck that the one guy I'm interested in, after so long of not being interested in anybody, is already claimed before I even have a chance to tell him I like him. Isn't that just fucking perfect."

Sallie May now just stands there looking at the ground, her fists clenching as the beginnings of potential tears start to form. And though I felt like I didn't let her down too hard, it still hurts to see her so crushed by what I said. I'm not going to just up and leave Kiki to make her feel better, especially since I don't really have the same feelings for Sallie that she has for me, but maybe I should give her some time and then suggest that we could become friends. After all, she herself said that having friends would be a good thing.

"Let's be best friends instead, then" Sallie then says with a pained voice, "I'll be your 'ride or die' so long as you don't let me down."

"I'm cool with that" I nod, "Though you do know that I won't be staying in Wrath forever, right?"

"Yes, yes, I know. And I'm prepared to go with you when you leave too!" Sallie insists, surprising me a bit.

"Are you sure your parents would be alright with that? And are you sure you want that?" I ask.

"They'll understand" The imp waves off, "Besides, it's not like they can't survive without me. My brothers are getting old enough as to where they can handle more of the work around here. I want to go on as many adventures as I can with you!"

I still think Sallie's trying to cope with my rejection and is acting more rashly by suggesting these things. She might end up going back on them given a few days, but I'd be lying if I said I won't miss her when I eventually leave. She definitely has quite the personality to her, is pretty skillful in a number of ways, and is certainly knowledgeable, which is my personal favorite mix of traits within a person. For now, I think I'll humor her and have her come along, though I don't think I should let her stay in the apartment with me back in Pride. Kiki would suspect something, no doubt, and we'd both be in trouble.

"You might still want to think it through, but if it's really what you want, then, sure, you can come" I tell her.

"Yes!" Sallie cheers, jumping and pumping her fists in the air, "Thank you so much!"

Seems like she's not going to think it through any further, but that's on her. I only hope that if she changes her mind along the road going forward that it won't wreck things too badly.

"First order of business as your new best friend is to help expand your skill set based off my own experience!" Millie's sister then says, her tone more energetic now as she rushes toward the fence and grabs the last remaining target practice bottle, "Work with me on this, Y/N. Have you ever shot at a moving target for one of your jobs?"

"Well, yes and no. I've followed moving targets with my gun and waited until they've stopped to shoot them, so I guess that sort of counts" I shrug.

"Yeah, sort of. But now I'm gonna teach you how to hit a real moving target. We'll start by simply having you try to hit this bottle when I throw it up in the air. Ready?" Sallie smiles eagerly.

"Ready" I nod.

She then chucks it up and I aim with my handgun. Just to conserve ammo, I wait and only fire once, even though I still miss. It's not like I've never missed before, but it is admittedly disappointing since I'd like to think I could hit it. Sallie catches the bottle, but then sets it down when she sees my look of inner frustration.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't worry, handsome" She soothes me, though also revealing through her use of that nickname that she still won't easily let go of those feelings she has towards me, "Not everyone is good at everything and some things just require a bit of practice and guidance."

Sallie then walks back over to me and stands at my side while placing her hands on my arm and the hand holding the handgun.

"Now, the best thing to do is to pay attention. Obviously, this should come no trouble to you, but what I mean is that especially if what you're trying to hit can and will shoot back at you, you have to anticipate their movements. Watch and see the pattern, because people always have them, whether they're conscious of it or not. Then, aim a bit ahead of the direction they're going and you've got them" She instructs, moving my arm and gun while talking to get her point across, "Now, let's try it again now that you've listened to all of that and see if it works."

The imp girl then releases her grip and walks back around to where the fence is, grabbing the bottle in her hand and tilting her head as she waits for verbal confirmation from me. Instead, I nod and Sallie throws the bottle up again. I do my best to incorporate what she said, adjusting my aim accordingly, and then shoot. Yet, still, I miss it again. A bit of impatience seeps in, but Sallie encourages me to try again. So, I nod and she does it once more. I concentrate harder, using my practiced precision, and shoot. It hits the bottle midair and shatters it, Sallie jumping and cheering as I lower my gun with a smile.

"See? I told you you could do it" She smiles, walking up to me as I put the gun away, "And don't worry, I'll show lots more things that'll help. Just keep practicing with that and you'll be a natural in no time."

"Thanks, Sallie" I reply with gratitude.

"Ah, don't mention it. It's what best friends are for" Sallie playfully waves off, though I can still sense some denial in her.

Just then, the sounds of rapid hooves on the ground sound, causing Sallie and I to turn and see Millie riding up on one of her family's horses. Sallie just smirks and crosses her arms as her sister disembarks the horse and rushes over to us.

"Y/N! I met with some of my contacts and they told me about a meeting going on with the assassin clan of Wrath! We need to go right now if we're going to catch them!" Millie explains quickly, sounding out of breath while she's talking.

I glance over at Sallie and she just nods and smiles, gesturing me to go. I nod back and run with Millie back to the horse and get on behind her, Moxxie's wife getting the horse going and sending us off at a fast pace away from the ranch.

"You never told me you had contacts" I say as the horse gallops rapidly.

"Well, I just never really had the need to mention it before" Millie admits, "But some more details are that the clan is meeting to discuss a job and to talk about you as well. I'm guessing the fella you killed yesterday was part of their inner circle and whatnot. I'm willing to bet, though, that we might find the prick who's been causing you and that rich family all this trouble."

"I hope so" I nod in agreement, "It's almost a funny coincidence, though, since your sister was just talking to me about forming some contacts to help with navigating my assassin type of lifestyle."

"Oh, did she?" Millie tilts her head, "How are you two getting along, by the way? She make any moves on you?"

"Sallie does like to flirt, but after I told her that I had Kiki, she was...definitely not happy" I tell her, "Now she wants to be best friends and leave Wrath with me. Do you think that's a bit odd?"

"Honestly, no. Sallie tends to be rather clingy towards those she likes and if you let her, she'll run all seven rings and back following you. But are you going to let her?" She asks.

"I don't know yet" I shake my head, "This is all still new and quite sudden for both of us and I don't know if she's thinking clearly or not. I more or less don't want to drag her along with me and get her killed in the process since I know neither you nor I would forgive me if I did."

"My sister's no pushover. She's the strongest in the family, even more than myself, though she doesn't fully believe it. My point, though, is that I wouldn't blame you and you shouldn't either, since she'll be making the choice and she isn't going to let something meager be the cause of her demise someday" Millie states confidently.

I can only nod in response, not sure if I can let her words console me enough to not feel guilty. The more people I pull into this situation, the higher the risk is for them to even be associated with me and the higher the chance is for them to get killed. I mull on this more as the landscape zooms past us until we come to a stop at the main road leading into a bigger and more busy town than the first one I've seen in Wrath. Lots more wooden buildings and even one with a clock-tower. The sign nearby reads 'Dust Town', which fits quite accordingly given how dirty and dusty everything looks to be. Millie and I get off the horse and find a place to keep it secured until we leave.

"Did this contact of yours mention where this meeting would be held?" I whisper to her.

"They described it well enough and I've been here a number of times to know the overall layout. Just follow me and try not to look around too much" She whispers back.

Doing what she says, I merely walk next to her and put on an expression that will make any onlookers believe that I'm no stranger to this town. The two of us pass by about four or five buildings, bustling townspeople paying us no mind, before Millie stops, gesturing quietly to her right to say that that's the place. I nod in response and stay close as she goes around to the left side and points upward at a balcony a number of feet in the air above us. Judging from the look of the building, it's a bar, and that would make that upper level more of a 'private meeting room'. And as pure luck would have it, a ladder is sitting propped up long ways against the opposite building. I snap my fingers to get Millie's attention and point to the ladder, to which she nods and grabs it before lifting it up, walking it over, and carefully resting it against the side of the bar.

Unfortunately, we're not too lucky since the ladder doesn't completely reach the balcony. But, we might be able to jump from the top and grab onto the railing if we try. Millie's already thinking of that, though, and quickly begins climbing up the ladder towards the top, leaving me to hurry after her and match her pace. She jumps over and hauls herself onto the balcony right as I reach the top, the imp holding out her hands as I also jump. She helps catch me and also helps pull me over, leading me to quietly thank her as I stand up. We then press our ears against the doors and listen, not hearing any voices on the other side. Shrugging, I take my gun out and Millie does as well before we yank the doors open and enter. Our eyes scan the area, but sure enough, the assassins aren't here. Could we have missed it already?

It's a pretty square room with a fireplace on our right, a large square table in the center, and what looks like a closet near the wall behind and to our left. But after glancing up and seeing a viewing area that runs around the perimeter of the room, I deduce that the closet must have stairs that lead up. It's not really easy to see, though, since the only light in the room is a candle on the table. I still am holding onto the hope that we're just early, so I head for the closet and open the door before cautiously trotting up the stairs. Once Millie shuts the balcony doors to ensure that nobody suspects our presence, she follows me, closing the closet door too. It's even darker up here, which will help make sure we're not seen. But just to be sure, I get down on my stomach, Millie copying me as we both fix our gazes on the table, waiting quietly for anyone to come in. The wait drags on for minutes and I begin to worry that we really did miss our chance, but then the door opens and multiple voices begin filling the room. Seven different looking assassins come in and sit down at the table, though judging by the two empty seats, a few are still missing.

"Alright, alright, let's get settled down and down to business" One of them says to the others, "H, you're here. T, you're here. P, you're here. R, you're here. M, you're here. And W, you're here."

"So, S isn't coming today, I?" T asks.

"Yeah, he couldn't make it" I nods, "But I'm sure you can understand. After A was killed yesterday, he's gotten a bit more cautious about coming to these meetings."

"Who was it again that found him?" R asks.

"That was me" W confirms, keeping his arms crossed and his face stern, "Whatever dickhead that iced him put his body in a dumpster. Can you believe that?"

"Urggh! Let me go find this asshole and bash his brains in!" M snaps angrily.

"Patience now, M. We can't act rashly. We're professionals. We're above such things" I reminds him.

"So that guy you killed yesterday was one of them?" Millie asks as quietly as she can.

"I guess, but I had no idea at the time" I whisper back before turning my attention back towards the assassins.

"Right now, we have to focus on the joint job. You all remember that, right? The one that came up late last night?" I asks his companions, all of them nodding, "Good. Let's go over the details one more time. W?"

"I'll be at the front so that the targets don't get away without me interfering" W affirms.

"I'll be on the rooftop, keeping my sniper rifle trained on them" R recalls.

"I'll be across from W and making sure nobody tries to get in his way" T states.

"I'm taking the rear to ensure an escape route should things get ugly" H says.

"I'll be watching for our targets and keeping everyone informed" I confirms.

"I'll be covering I in the event our target tries to shoot him" M shrugs.

"And I'll be on the rooftop across from you two with the explosives" P nods confidently.

"Alright, that's everything. Make sure you all have your gear and let's go execute the targets" I concludes.

The assassins then get up from their seats and file out of the room in a moderate orderly fashion. But it's only when the doors close again when Millie and I stand up and look at each other.

"What do we do now?" She asks me.

"Well, if we're thinking that one of them is our guy, let's just leave no loose ends and eliminate them all" I rationalize, "Besides, after giving them a once-over, I don't think Wrath would suffer from them not being around anymore."

"So, we're gonna interrupt their little operation?" Millie asks, smiling eagerly.

"I guess so" I smile back.

We then head down the stairs and back out onto the balcony, hearing horses neigh and watching as the seven assassins ride away from the bar.

"We can't let them out of our sight!" Millie insists.

We then hurry down the ladder and run back to where our horse is tethered, undoing the knot and getting on. Millie then spurs it into action and we race after the fleeting assassins, determined to follow them to where this joint job of theirs is taking place.

Loona's P.O.V

You know, when I pictured myself being a bodyguard to my best friend, who's part of a rich, noble family and recently had an assassin attempt to kill her, I thought this job would be a certain level of exciting. So far, though, it's been anything but with just me following these birds around to their meetings and sitting by keeping an eye out for anything suspicious, sort of like now. I sit next to Octavia on this plush couch while her parents, alongside some other wealthy higher-ups, sit at this very business-looking meeting table in the center of the room. The room reminds me much of I.M.P, just better looking in almost every single way, though that doesn't make me interested in any way to start applying here. Due to how dull and uneventful this day has gotten already, I have my phone out and am scrolling through it before Octavia says something.

"Sorry that this isn't very exciting for you" She whispers.

"It's fine" I whisper back, "I've had more boring days than this. Though maybe Y/N could've stuck around a little longer and I would've had a chance to use this gun on this assassin we're dealing with."

"You really think he's doing ok?" My best friend asks.

"You've known him longer than me, you tell me" I reply, setting my phone down, "Though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried."

"You know what I've been thinking?" Octavia asks, "Maybe we should help him. Uncle Andri is still a prime suspect, so perhaps we could try and determine whether he is the cause behind all this."

"And how would we do that?" I ask, not sure if I want to sign on to this or not.

"Easy. We just go over and ask him" She replies, but explains further before I can interject, "I'll ask him some questions, not too specific to this situation, and analyze how he responds. That'll help us ascertain whether he's guilty or not."

"That's a pretty risky scenario, Octavia" I bite my lip, "Merely showing up and asking questions will say that we're onto him. And assuming that he might actually be guilty, don't you think he'll be evasive and give dishonest answers to your questions? And what's to stop him from keeping us there if we or he slips up? If, and that's a big if, he's the reason behind the assassination attempt, going directly to him is the worst idea ever."

"True, but that's why it'll work. He would expect us to be thinking smart and not the opposite" Octavia insists.

"...Why are you so dead set on this?" I ask, glancing over at her.

"........Because it's tearing me up inside that I'm just sitting around doing nothing while an active and on-going threat against me and my family is being chased after by my best friend. It doesn't feel right that he should have to be thrown into danger without me having to shoulder a certain amount of it as well" My best friend glances down at the floor, "Wouldn't you want to do the same if Y/N was as good of a friend to you as I am to him?"

"I mean, I guess, but this all a little too risky for my taste" I sigh, crossing my arms, "All this nervous uncertainty just makes me anxious and uncomfortable, especially what you're suggesting."

"But you're still going to help me, right?" She asks, raising her head back up and looking back at me.

"Yeah, yeah, I am" I sigh again, shaking my head and letting a small smile cross my face at how well she knows me, "What can I say? Putting my life on the line for the few real friends I have is still the most exhilarating thing I ever get to experience."

"Thank you, Loona" Octavia nods with appreciation.

"So, uh, what's the plan for getting there? And do you know where he lives?" I inquire.

"I was thinking that once we get home, we'll take the limo and head out on our own. I already know where Andrealphus lives since Mum and Dad visited there a couple times in the past" She relays.

"Alright, then" I smile, changing it to a confident smirk, "Let's go indirectly interrogate a family member!"