I sat with my elbow propped on the bar, absorbing the delightful atmosphere. I noticed at once that the blond woman had returned, her upset friend in tow. I watched with interest— sipping delicately at my beer trying to avoid acquiring a frothy white mustache—as they interacted. It was evident that the dark-haired woman had been crying. And the blonde felt terrible which was also quite obvious by the stricken look on her face. Now they sat at a table, leaning close to one another, locked in an intense discussion. I was beginning to put together a picture of their relationship based on the subtle touches they shared and the obvious affection that was underlying their current anxiety. The fair haired woman kept trying to comfort her lover—if my guess was correct—but whatever had upset the woman was not so easily rectified.

"They make a startling couple, don't they?"

I jumped, spilling beer all over my hand. I was so absorbed with my curiosity that I didn't notice that someone was beside me until they spoke. I looked up as I put the beer down on the bar and flapped my hand to get most of the moisture off. The taller brunette from the other end of the bar had somehow found her way over to me and was now leaning against the bar watching the two women as well. She had an unreadable expression on her face.

"Beautiful," I said, but I didn't comment on how unhappy they currently seemed.

She turned her attention to me, holding a cocktail napkin between her fingers. I hadn't seen her pick it up, but I was grateful for it as I wiped my hand. She smiled and it was beautiful, so full that it spoke volumes while seeming to offer me the world. "Sorry about that," she purred. "My name's Bo."

"Don't be sorry. You can't help my nerves," I managed. Normally women weren't my thing, but this one was exuding sexual energy to spare and I couldn't help being enthralled.

I looked into her eyes, twin pools of dark chocolate that were gazing at me with rapt attention. Around the edges was a faint blue glow that seemed to pulse the longer she held my attention. Her tongue parted her lips slightly, precipitating her next movement. She reached out to touch a strand of auburn that had somehow escaped my ponytail. She tucked it gently behind my ear, trailing her fingers down my jawline. I shivered uncontrollably.

Several things happened then, so rapidly that I could barely keep track of them. I realized too late what sort of creature was before me—just as Trick shouted her name in warning—and she released her power into me. I jolted under the caving force of the latter, clutching at the chair to keep myself upright. I couldn't breathe. My eyes widened at what I had absorbed.

"Oh no," Trick groaned as he rushed to our side.

I ground the heels of my hands into my eyes, knowing what was coming next. A barrage of unwanted images flashed in my skull. Blonde hair spilling over my breasts—trailing kisses across my abdomen—fingers tracing patterns on the inside of my thigh—a lab coat and stethoscope—the Ash's mark hanging inches from my face—

"Ugh!" I spat. I opened my eyes. "Damn! Why can't you succubae ever just ask?"

Bo stared at me open-mouthed, clearly at a loss for words. I doubt the woman had been shut down quite like that before. At that moment I couldn't discern if she had figured out just what had happened, but I had suspicions she would know soon enough.

"Hey, Succubum, aren't your eyes supposed to be glowing?" The succubus' friend came skidding to a halt in front of me, also staring with wide-eyed attention. "She a succubus, too?" the girl asked, hiking a thumb in my direction. The question had been posed to Trick since her friend seemed to be in shock.

"Shh, Kenzi," Trick hissed. He was shaking his head, probably wishing he had made a verbal warning instead of just giving me a pointed look earlier.

"Just for the record," I started with a hard edge to my voice, "I didn't initiate that." To say that I was angry was a little bit of an understatement. I could feel the blood coursing through my veins as my blood pressure rose.

The succubus was now looking at her fingers. It was dawning on her that something wasn't quite right. I knew she'd be feeling an immense vacancy depending on how in tune with her energies she was. Given how little time it took her to notice something was missing, I had to be impressed. She narrowed her eyes menacingly at me. She took a step forward, but Trick launched himself up onto the bar and restrained her.

"Don't, Bo. She's an Erised," he said. My species title as an explanation was clearly lost on the succubus.

"A what?"

"Erised. Uhm, she can determine our deepest desires, even those that may be hidden from our consciousness."

"That's not all she did, Trick!"

I gave her a little bit of a lopsided grin. Something spoke to her innocence in all things Fae and I had the sense that she could use a little bit of patience. My anger faded away as quickly as it had flared. "I also have the ability to absorb your gifts."

The first one to manage to articulate anything was the succubus' little friend, Kenzi, who summed it up with an eloquent, "Holy shit!"