. Although Grandmother continued to keep her eyes closed, I could feel the sense of eyes gentling and a warm patient smile in her mind’s voice. And perhaps amusement at my alarm. My plaything will recover the portion you are taking as she sleeps. It is no more than what she might lose in a day of particularly taxing labor. …

. The girl languidly stretched, then wriggled free and pulled me toward her. I was beginning to feel the vampiric hunger stirring, and I forced myself to focus on that and not on the full-body skin-to-skin contact with this girl. She was glued to me now, and it was definitely stirring other feelings in my own body. The other choice …

. Once the picnickers frolicked long enough in the water– which, to my astonishment really did evolve into nude bathing like Grandmother predicted– and had their midnight dinner (for which the girls dared each other into remaining nude), the third girl retired to her tent and the two couples picked discreet trysting spots. After Grandmother’s disappointed whining made it official …

. Unable to answer, I looked away, down at the group. They had blankets spread and tents set up. The girls had removed their shoes and were raising their skirts while wading in the water. “Now I know why they say fairies toy with women and kill men.” She laughed again, not ashamed in the slightest. “Innanmi, true fairies follow …

. It was fully nighttime now, but the greater moon had risen in a cloudless sky, and it was nearly a full moon. The lesser moon, the white moon, was not visible that day, but the light from the blue moon was plenty bright enough. I reclined on soft sand in the moonlight next to the outdoor bath that Grandmother …

. I gaped in surprise for a long space, then finally asked, “Are you saying you know of such a thing? Magic you can’t see?” She chuckled. “I know of no magic that I cannot detect, but some magics don’t appear to fairy sight and require abilities that a young one such as you cannot possess. Who told you about …

. I could feel no presence whatsoever, in my fairy senses or in any other way, except for the sensation of fingers around my neck and the voice I had just heard. It felt like a ghost had just grabbed hold of me. “I’m sorry for trespassing,” I said carefully, trying to keep my panic from causing my voice to …

. The two remaining harpies were both coming at me, enraged and out to avenge their sister, but I wasn’t planning to meet them head-on. I poured the wind mana I had been saving up into a quick ascent just before I arrived. Take me with both hands! We’ll savage them both! “Shut up, you rusty old bludgeon,” I told …

. In a few moments, it became clear that my gamble picking this spot was paying off. They were nervously watching me, with regular glances at the sword that told me they didn’t want to get any closer to it. “Sister, it’s a sweet, tender succubus! How do we get at it?” “Careful, Sister. It might pick up the sword!” …

Kiki looked up at me, wondering, “Big Sis?” “Hush,” I answered quietly, “I’m trying to hear something.” She frowned and scrunched her eyebrows, evidently attempting to improve her hearing by squinting. I didn’t see any point in commenting on it. Besides, the sound had just grown dramatically stronger, before suddenly coming to a stop. As if whatever it was had …