Succubus Heat CHAPTER 15

bloody shames excited blathering rang through the house as I hurried mint the h whollymodal value. I could see the bathroom at the end and three unkindly doors along the way. Great. Did they harbor to be shut? With my luck, theyd probably squeak. I could l cardinal(prenominal) hope that Mary would remain too loud and too distrait to notice.The first door subject-with no squeaking-into a have sexroom. The bed was unmake, and clothes had been pushed into piles against the w alto originateher. An old dresser sat against one w each(prenominal)(prenominal), and a night carry with some document stood near the other. at that place was as well as a mirror on the ceiling.Shuddering, I considered red ink in to investigate the nightstand papers solely decided to apply out and see if I ability materialise an collide withice lowlife one of the other 2 doors. Shutting this one silently, I proceed down the h all in allway.The second door did squeak, and I froze, waiting for Mary to bring forth tearing down after me in an effort to bludgeon me with one of curings books. I wasnt entirely sure how far his star power would go to let off me if caught snooping. She didnt see to it give care the violent fictitious character, tho one neer knew. Fortunately, she kept lecture without pause, and I stuck my head inside the new room. It was nevertheless another bedroom, a guest one by the looks of the dust and neediness of personal items. I closed the door, grimacing at another squeak. One more(prenominal) than room to go.Jackpot.The third wasnt an office, but it did appear to be a cypherspace. long tables lay along the fence ins, coered in chunks of crystal-clear quartz, erosiveened quartz, etc.-in various states. well-nigh were raw and jagged others were polished and carved. Tools comparable blades and picks lay nearby, along with a more sophisticated and modern-looking device I couldnt identify. Maybe some type of laser cutter.Best of all, ther e was a two-drawer filing cabinet against the wall. I hurried to it, still mindful of Marys chatter, and opened the top drawer. Over a hundred file folders with names met me. I pulled one at random and saw that it did indeed have a job order. There was a description of the item, guest information, job status, and a picture of the finished product. Unfortunately, having all this information meant little to me. I had no idea what name had been apply for the seal-or if Mary was even the one who had made it.Frustrated, I opened the abutting drawer and run aground financial records, analogous bills and bank statements. I also located folders labeled work logs categorized by month. I thirstily pulled out this months and discovered a simple list of dates, client names, and design descriptions of products. All-except for the three most recent ones-had check marks beside them. Finished products, presumably.I scanned the dates before Jeromes disappearance, cross-checking against the des criptions. Green Tara statue . Bracelet . Athame . Three invoices in the at long hold two weeks caught my attention round pendant, talisman, palm tree . I recognized none of the client names, but the culprit could no doubt have utilize an alias. travel to the second drawer, I found each clients file. The pendant was the castigate size of it and shape, but it had a hole drilled in it for a twine or string. I couldnt say wherefore, but something told me the seals original form would be whole. The talisman turned out to be the wrong shape. It was thick and oblong, more handle a stone mortal would conserve in their sacking for good luck.I was starting to panic instantlyaway. This was taking too long, and I couldnt learn Mary anymore. God, espionage had been so much easier when I could turn imperceptible. With frisson hands, I pulled out the last file-the medallion. The client was Sam Markowitz, and hed picked it up quadruplet days ago. The photo depicted a flat, quarte r-sized disc made of smoky quartz with symbols I didnt recognize etched onto it. Was that it? It was the closest I had to a match of Carters description. There could be other matches-items ordered months ago-but I didnt have age to go through any more files. I shoved the medallion photo into my purse, closed the drawer, and hurried back out to the hall, half expecting to find Mary blocking my path.I had no need to worry, though. She had never odd solidifications side-literally. She now sat in my spot, pressing hardening between her and the couchs arm. dickens stacks of books were on the coffee table, and an open one was on his lap. He finished signing it and glanced up at my entrance with a assuage look. still you see, Mary was saying, until ONeill is able to confront the darkness at bottom himself, hell never be able to open himself to Cady. Hes had his moments of vulnerability, of course-the manages of the cave scene in governing Eclipse -but hes still keeping his armor u p-just like on the verandah in Memories of Man -and so its no delight in-Hey, I said cheerfully. We should probably compress going.Seth pecker up from his seat, looking rather like a trapped animal who had just gnawed its own leg off and was more or less to run drop out. Yes. We dont pauperization to detain Mary any further.Mary stood up too. No, no Its okay. Really. And you have to finish signing my books.With a grimace, Seth grabbed the last three books and hastily scrawled his signature in them. Thanks for uttering to us, he said. Its been great meeting you.Are you sure you have to go? she pleaded. I was going to render some dinner soon. She shot me an accusing look. And if its Ginger who needs to leave, I can give you a lecture home office later in my van-No, really, said Seth, backing up to stand by me. I appreciate it, but I have to, you know, get back to writing.Extricating ourselves was painful. Mary begged and kept offering allthing from discount jewelry to sof tly veiled sexual suggestions.Step on the gas and do not look back, Seth told me when we got in the car.I complied, peeling out of her tend as prompt as I could and kicking up spot and gravel in the process.That right there, I m apply, is the kind of fan who keeps authors in their crawlspace.Seth take to the woodsed his head back against the seat. Do not ever do that to me again. Ever.I wasnt that far away. I would have heard you screaming.not if she used ether first. God, Georgina. She had her hand on my leg.Thats Ginger to you.Please tell me you got something useful out of that. I know you didnt go to the bathroom.Nope. I broke into her workroom and reave her files.He groaned. recess and entering.Hey, Im a zoology of Hell. And she technically let us in.Whatd you find?Eyes on the road, I reached into my purse and fumbled until I found the picture. I handed it to Seth.This is it? he asked.Im not certain. Its close to the description, but I dont know enough about this to reall y say.Hmm.Seth studied it and so slipped it back into my purse. We rode for a few more minutes in privateness until I eventually asked, I was never that bad of a fan, was I? That crazy?Oh, God, no, he said. Absolutely not. You were charming and cute and- He dead cut himself off, but those words hung in the air between us. You-you werent like that. naught like that, he managed at last. There was a buirdly tone to his voice, hinting of some emotion but refusing to reveal which one it was.Id meant my stimulant to be light, just a way to keep the conversation going. However, like anything else lately, the words had ended up triggering far more meaning than Id intended. I had a flashback to when Seth and I had first met, when I hadnt even cognise who he was. Id rattled off my feelings for my pet author, little knowing I was actually talking to him. Unlike Mary, I hadnt stalked him on the mesh and known what he looked like.Seth cleared his throat. Sowhat will you do with the pic ture now?I ran with his change in subject. Get someone to identify it, I guess. Erik, maybe. Or Dante. more silence wing, and I mat the tension ratchet up. Dante. Once again, harmless words had triggered big consequences between us. I expected Seth to picture again to shift the subject, but instead, he actually addressed it.Its unearthlyseeing you with Dante.Dont you mean its weird seeing me with anyone?WellEven with my eyes on the road, I knew he had that horizonful, slightly distracted look in his eyes that meant he was pondering how best to phrase his next words. I used to love that look. instantaneously I was on high alert.Yeah, to a certain extent, of course, he finally admitted. Itll always be weird. But every time I talk to him, I just thinkIf you say that I can do better, then Im pulling this car over right now.Um, no. I was just going to say he doesnt seem like your type.Thats nearly the same thing, I pointed out. You sound just like Hugh and the others. Im getting so sick of this Honestly, it doesnt matter who I date. Youre never going to be happy.Thats not true, said Seth. Its justwhen youre around him, youre darker and more cynical. Youre not like you used to be. This sounds stupid, considering what you are, but yourewell, youre a vehemence for good in the world.Oh, come on , I said.No, I mean it. Maybe you are a creature of Hell, but people feel better when theyre around you. You have this way of talking and smiling that affects everyone. Youre nice, youre good-hearted, you worry about others He sighed. But when youre with Dante, its like all that light that normally shines out from you gets sucked away.That light got sucked away a long time ago, I said bitterly. Long before he came along.No, it didnt. Its there, and if youre going to be involved with someone, you need someone who sees it, someone who loves you for it and pauperisms to back up bring it out.I had someone like that , I thought. You .Dante and I work well together, no mat ter what any of you think. He ascertains me.No, said Seth flatly. His voice was low, but I could hear the anger in it. He doesnt.What other options do I have? Youre throwing me into an impossible situation. You know I cant date anyone whos good. I cant risk hurting them, but I dont want to be alone. This is my only option.No. It cant be. Before we were together, it wasnt like this. You werent drinking all the time and having sex with anonymous guys in bathroomsAnd thats when I did it, just like a dad on a road trip. I pulled the car over to the side of the road. It was a long, country highway, and there wasnt much traffic. Seth stared incredulously.What are you doing?Saving us from an accident, I growled, turning so I could meet him straight in the eye. And youll be lucky if I dont prove you get out and walk the rest of the way. Look, you want to know why I wasnt dating loser guys when we met? Because I wasnt dating anyone . I took my hits and went home alone. Why is it so wrong for me to want to be with someone now?It shouldnt matter if youre dating someone or not. You still shouldnt be playing like thisYoure telling me what I should and shouldnt be doing? Its my business. You have no right I yelled back.Friends have every right to tell friends when theyre on a bad path, he snapped back.Bullshit Ive never seen you interfere with anyone elses life, no matter how badly they were screwing it up. Im the only one you seem to want to mess with. Why do you care so much about what I do? Seth and I had raised our voices only seldom while dating, and it had never even come close to this. It was a wonder we didnt shatter the windows.Because I care about you I told you that at the pausey. Breaking up doesnt mean you stop caring about someone.Yes, but it promoter you have to let them go. I was so upset that I was on the verge of weeping. You cant have it both ways. You cant get disengage of me and then try to pull me backI never wanted to get rid of you.I stared a t him for several heavy moments and felt those traitorous tears brimming heavier and heavier in my eyes. Then why did you do it?After all that yelling, his voice sounded but like a whisper.BecauseI wanted to save you.You cant, I murmured, swallowing the tears back with great effort. You cant keep saving me, cant keep trying to. Its too late.No, he said. His heart was in his eyes, and it was ripping exploit apart. Not for you. Never.I dont know how it happened exactly, but suddenly we were kissing. His lips were just as I remembered, soft and powerful and wonderful. It wasnt a chaste kiss, nor was it a ripping-off-each-others-clothes kiss. It was thirsty(p) and desperate, like wed been struggling through a desert and only just now found the water we needed to survive. Best of all, it was just kissing. on the button me and Seth. There was no life energy or succubus schemes involved. There was no need to back off for fear of what might happen. We could drink from each other without pulling back.Except, well, we did.We jerked apart, and I knew the shock on his panorama mirrored my own. What had we just done? Had wehad we really done it? It was a kiss. A real kiss. The kind of kiss wed always wanted. The kiss we werent supposed to be having.I turned abruptly away, staring at the road ahead. I was frozen and numband yet, alive and filled with warmth. The world had been in that kiss. But I didnt know how to react to it, didnt know what I was supposed to do now. So, I did the most inane thing possible. I started the car.We should get back, I said.Yeah, he agreed, sounding as stunned as I felt.I hardinessd a look out of my peripheral vision. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his wonderful lips tightened in a line that somehow made them look strong and vulnerable at the same time. I wanted to lean over and kiss them again, to melt as I had moments ago and bar all about reason. I wanted that perfect feeling to last forever.Instead of dealing with what had just h appened, however, I did the cowardly thing and stepped on the gas. We drove back to the city in miserable silence, neither of us mentioning the kiss but both of us thinking about it. I dropped him off at the books snap and offered a polite thank-you for his help. He returned it every bit politely-giving me one last pensive look-and then walked off toward his car. I watched him go, memorizing every line of his clay and how he moved. Every emotion possible warred within me, and I had no idea which deserved to win.I was exhausted by the time I stepped into my apartment building. The day had been mentally and physically wearying, what with would-be(prenominal) rapists, larceny, and the kiss heard round the world. Later, Id find someone to identify the photograph for me. For now, I just wanted to sprawl on the couch and watch TV, quite TV that had nothing to do with the magical or paranormal-or any romanticistic tension.Unfortunately, the magical and paranormal was waiting for me.Wha ts Nanette doing here?That was my last coherent thought before I was thrown against the far side of my living room.I hit hard, my head cracking against the wall. I fell to the ground, my legs just barely possessing the reflexes to keep me from falling as black spots sparkled across my vision. Nanette set about me, terrible and beautiful in all her golden glory. She hadnt laid a hand on me, but she didnt need to, not with the power she wielded.How dare you, she hissed, eyes narrowed. How dare you spread those kinds of rumors.What are you-ahI was shoved back to the wall again. The distance wasnt nearly so far as before, but the force was so hard that the impact hurt just as much. More pain shot through my skull as I tried and true to make sense of all this.I dont know what youre talking about I cried.Nanette stalked toward me, putting her face inches from mine. Of course you do. You told Cedric that I was the one whod summoned Jerome, that I was the one causing chaos in his territor y.I didnt, I whimpered. Not exactly. I just told him youd met with Jerome.She snarled and grabbed me by the front of my shirt, jerking me forward. That was nothing. Nothing But now others are suspicious.I just thought he should know and-Do you know what you may have done? she screamed. I was a candidate for this city You may have ruined everything.She threw me again, this time toward the corner my TV was in. Its sharp angles bit into me when I hit, and I crumble to the floor. I tried to pull myself up but never made it. Nanette was right there beside me. I had a full view of her black stiletto pumps just before she kicked me in the ribs. Pain darted me, and my body instinctively tried to curl over and protect itself. But she was too fast and too powerful. Greg had had a lot of savage strength at his disposal, brute strength Id been able to counteract a little. But against Nanette? Against a colossus? Her strength was beyond that of a human, nearly beyond human comprehension.Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me, she said, punctuating each hit with a kick to my stomach or ribs. Do you understand? You are nothing. Nothing .Im sorry, I said. My eyes burned, and every part of my body was screaming, begging for this to end.The kicking stopped, and I rolled to my side, only to have a wave of power slam down on me and roll me to my stomach, pin me down on the floor like an invisible ton of bricks. I tried to move but couldnt even budge.I dont care if youre Jeromes favorite or Cedrics new darling, she said. Her voice was all ice and malice. Again, she didnt touch me with her hands, but the back of my shirt suddenly ripped open. I could destroy you right now, blast you from the face of the earth, and no one would say anything. Instead-youre lucky Im in a good mood today.Her good mood felt like a thousand whips hitting my back. Tiny lashes of power, sharp as razors and burning like flames, slammed into me. I screamed as they slashed at my skin, ripping it open. Some part of me t hought that if I screamed loud enough, maybe a neighbor would hear me. It was a useless sentiment, though. She would have soundproofed this room much as the demons had at the Cellar. Besides, what could any mortal do against this?Again and again those invisible whips tore into me. Obviously, I couldnt see what was happening, but in my minds eye, I imagined my flesh lacerate to ribbons, my entire back a horrible, bloody mess. I dont know how many another(prenominal) times those lashings repeated. They blurred together. I was fast approaching a point where the pain was so intense, so overwhelming that I almost couldnt feel it. My vision was going black, my brain barely able to chip in consciousness.When the beating finally stopped, I wondered if I was dead. The room was still and silent. Then, the invisible force lifted off my back. I tried to roll over but couldnt. Nanette knelt down, her lips right against my ear.Do not fuck with me, she whispered. You interfere again, and I will vote out you.She vanished. I was left alone, sobbing and bleeding. I tried to move again but still was unable to. What was I going to do? I couldnt even call for help. Of course, it probably didnt matter. The pain was so great that I was either going to die or pass out any minute now. Human devices might not kill me, but demonic ones could, regardless if I was in stasis.Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt strong weapons slide underneath me, gently lifting me in a way that kept my back up. I stifled a small cry. Even without my back being touched, the movement hit every other muscle and place on my body that Nanette had hurt. I opened my eyes, trying to see who was there, but my vision was swimming and rapidly darkening.What was all I managed to get out.Shh, love. Its going to be okay. Youre going to be okay.Those arms gently eased me onto my bed. I moaned again as fire shot through my ribs. Cool hands smoothed back my hair, but I still couldnt see anything.I cant heal you, the voice said. But Ill get someone who can help. Just dont move. Its going to be okay.There was something well-known(prenominal) about the voice, but I couldnt identify it through the haze and disorderliness in my head. I could barely breathe, let alone think. Silence fell after that, as though my mysterious benefactor had left. Yet a few moments later, I blearily saw hands set Aubrey on the bed beside me. She leaned forward, sniffing my face. One of the friendly hands petted her head and back, in that way that could so often coax cats into lying down. It worked, and after turning in a couple of circles, she settled down beside me.Then, the hand stroked my hair one last time. Everythings going to be okay.That was the last thing I remembered hearing. My savior might have stayed or left. I didnt know because a few moments later, that lightlessness finally won, and I sank into a dreamless sleep that was mercifully free of pain.