Chapter 23: Astrea [Past]

"Fiera, what in the three realms are you doing here?!" Astrea stood by the door, her eyes wide open in disbelief. Her nose was red and swollen. Judging by the nasal tone of her voice, Fiera concluded her friend was down with a cold.

"Astrea, you need to take better care of yourself." Inviting herself into the tiny house, the succubus shoved herself past her friend and marched right towards the kitchen.

"Look who's talking! You're a matriarch now!" Astrea glanced down the street. She lived at the edge of Midtown, where small houses alternated with low-rise apartment buildings. Her home belonged to one of the few places that seemed to be in better shape than the rest. Seeing nobody approaching the house, the girl hurriedly closed the door to follow her friend. "You can't be running around without bodyguards, even if we're on The Surface!

Fiera stopped to look back at her. "Don't worry. I'm not. There are several people posted outside."