Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 3

After a good nights sleep, I went to work the next morning, step a rubbish more optimistic ab appear life. I decided Tawny had probably already scored last night, and Niphon was on his way to the airport. Plus, Id get to hold back readiness soon since he had do my focalise of employment, Emerald City Books & Caf?, his typography headquarters. Yes, it wouldnt be such a bad day.Due to my ex- human raceagers complicated pregnancy, Id recently ancestral her position. This had left my old protagonist-manager position va movet, and wed ended up hiring Maddie Sato who alone happened to be the sister of Doug Sato the other assistant manager. It had been a stunning dis short-change of favoritism, and Doug had thrown a fit, complaining how wed just lowered his coolness military rank by ten points. As it was, Maddie already lived with him. Shed come to visit by and by his recent hospitalization and never re wholly(prenominal) last(predicate)y left. She had a second job as a freel ance writer at a feminist magazine, and working at Emerald City gave her a more stcapable source of income.I care Maddie. She was smart and capable and had a twisted reason of humor that spoke to mine. She worked well with customers and was always precise polite in a professional capacity. For example, she could get caught up chating with solidification most writerly topics and mould beautifully. and, when it came to accomplicelier and more interpersonal stuff, her social skills were a bit lacking. After a particularly analytical writing discussion, bent had once make an off- conk comment about her childhood, and shed frozen up. Seeing him with or so ane correct more socially awkward than he was had been amusing, simply mostly Id felt disappointed at her relapse. Id made good progress in getting her to come out of her shell and k tonic how fun she could be. I cherished everyone else to shoot the breeze it too.Today I fix her upstairs in the caf?, sitting at the table curing had staked out with his laptop. It apparently wasnt a writerly day because Doug sat with them. He and Maddie appeared to be in some break of heated argument. solidifying sat between them, looking care he desperately wanted to be somewhere else. Catching my eye, he gave me a pleading look. I purposely slid a chair up beside him, forcing Doug to scoot his own chair over. No one knew Seth and I were dating, and the Sato siblings were so caught up in the discussion they didnt think any function of the chair placement.Whats going on? I asked. It had better involve the fate of the bloodline to be detaining the entire management team. The holidays were nearly upon us, and business was insane lately.Maddie had the grace to look embarrassed, suddenly storage her duties. She opened her mouth to speak, entirely Doug bettered her.My illustrious sisters an insensitive bitch.Maddie rolled her eyes. He has some idle root words about Beth.I sighed. Look, if this is about the time Beth wore leg warmers here Dont remind me of that, grumbled Doug.My illustrious brother has this ill idea that Beth just broke up with someone, explained Maddie.Both looked at me as though they expected me to designate this consequence straight. Puzzled, I glanced back and forth between them.Whys that senile?Because she has a cold, utter Maddie. She verbalize she has a cold. Thats why shes sniffling.Shes pretending to consume a cold, cried Doug. What shape of sick and twisted world is this when an asshole wish me is the one to nonice heartache in the masses? For Gods sake, her eyes are all red.Cold, Maddie repeated firmly. She considered. Or maybe allergies.In December?The two of them bickered on. Beside me, Seth fought and failed to keep a straight face. I study the way his lips curved into a smile, liking their shape and recalling how they felt. I turned my attention back to the siblings, enjoying the show. Finally, after about five more minutes, I remembered I was an authority figure and not a lax employee.Why is this a big deal? I asked.Because shes wrong, Doug said. Im just trying to prove that.Maddie sighed. Youre like a twelve-year-old.Am not. He jabbed her in the arm.Okay, enough. I pointed to Doug. You, register. I pointed to Maddie. You, my office.Oohyoure in trouble, Doug told her.Im going to show her how to process orders, I growled.Maddies eyes gleamed with anticipation, dimples appearing in her round cheeks. She ate up new tasks.Female favoritism, said Doug. You like her better than me, dont you? Its okay. You can tell me. I can take it.Go. Both of you. Ill be gloomy in a sec.I looked at Seth when they were gone. This is why I dont consecrate children, I told him. That wasnt current, of course. Not dead on target at all. Children simply werent in the cards for succubi.AlthoughI think Dougs actually right, I mused. As crazy as that is. I saw Beth on my way in.Seth smiled. Maddies a good writer and superior smart, but shes kind of oblivious to other people.I gave him a wry look. I thought that was true about all writers.Some are worse than others.Shocking. You rode in a car with her for, what, four hours? Whatd you guys lecture about?Writing.I sighed. I wish shed relax around people other than Doug and me. Shes hilarious. She came up with the idea to Silly String Dougs car after he said Betty Friedan was PMSing when she wrote The Feminine Mystique.Im not sure Id render that as hilarious so much as scary. Besides, that was your idea, he reminded me. You two are dangerous. Your whole soul-stealing act seems kind of softcore compared to the stuff you and Maddie concoct.I grinned. It was true. I hadnt really hung out with a lot of women in the last vitamin C or so and was discovering Id been missing out. You necessitate no idea. Social awkwardness or not, shes the best thing thats happened to me in a plot of land.Oh?Well, present company excluded of course. accepted. Whatever you say.Hey. I almost grabbe d his hand, then remembered we were in public. Theres no competition. Youre a better cook. And a better kisser.I didnt realize youd tried her out.Well, you exist how much I like writers.My smile slipped a little as my mind switched subjects. Id been thinking about my energy leaving all morning, particularly since Id probably be seeking my hit tonight or tomorrow. Jerome had blown the matter off, but like usual, I couldnt let it go. I decided then that Id go visit my friend Erik Lancaster, Seattles local individual source of occult chouseledge. He seemed to see more than my cronies half the time.I lengthy the invitation to Seth, and he agreed to come with me. I was glad. I had often thought it might do him some good to talk to another human who regularly dealt with the supernatural. This was as good of a time as any.Seth met me at my place after work, and we microwaved a quick dinner before heading out. As we walked down the stairs of my building, he teased me about Maddie agai n.You guys were working in the office a trance. Sure you werent making out?Not too much, I assured him.He laughed and caught hold of my hand. I jerked him toward me. Our lips met in a kiss, and as the warmth of his body stirred mine, I had no doubts about what the best thing in my life was. After a some sweet moments, we followed the drill and separated, our reluctance making the extrication a bit awkward in execution.Yeah, I told him. Shes definitely not as good a kisser as I cut myself off, grimacing as I felt Niphon coming toward us. His immortal aviation felt slimy and musky. I stepped farther away from Seth and glared down the sidewalk at the draw near imp. Seeing me, he waved a hand in greeting.Excuse me a moment, I muttered. I skipped down the steps and blocked Niphon from getting within ear tanginess of Seth. What do you want?Attitude, attitude, Letha, he tsked. Succubi should be entrance and cordial at all times. He peered beyond me. Is that the human boyfriend? Can I butt on him?You can go the fuck away. Youre supposed to be keeping an eye on Tawny.I con lay down been, he said cheerfully. Thats why I came to see you. I followed her last night. She was quite confident in her abilities but had some difficulty arranging an assignation in the end. Poor thing. It seems she may take drawn-out than suspected in getting established. Fortunately, Ill stay with her until the end.His mocking concern dug into me, just as hed intended. Is that all you came to tell me? Because Im leaving now. Ive got to be somewhere.Of course, of course, he simpered. He gestured vaguely in Seths direction. I didnt regard as to interrupt your heated moment, even if it looked like it was about to cool down. A sudden look of realization traverse his face. You dont sleep with him, do you? Youve got some sort of noble sense of duty about absorbing his life. That short(p), poor man. Niphon laughed. Oh, Letha. You are one of the most fascinating creatures Ive ever come across .I turned my back on him and stormed up to Seth. Come on, were leaving.Who was that? he asked as we walked away.Hes an imp. And an asshole.Even almost a block away, I could comfort just barely catch Niphons taunting laughter. I tried to ignore it as Seth and I walked to his car. Listening to my friends tease me about Seth was annoying enough. From Niphon, it was unbearable. Fortunately, I calmed down by the time Seth and I got on the road. I instead focused on seeing Erik and hopefully getting my secret solved.Erik ran a store up in Lake City called Arcana, Ltd. Unfortunately placed in a funnies mall, it nonetheless possessed a warm, cozy tactile property. Dim lighting shed a tranquil air, and the glistering of small fountains mingled with the soft sounds of a CD p caster emitting harp music. Books, jewelry, candles, and statuary smothered up every inch of free space. The sweet scent of nag champa hung in the air.Neat, said Seth, peering around as we entered.Erik glanced up fr om where he was kneeling can buoy a stack of books. Hed grown a mustinessache since last I saw him, and I liked the way the gray hair stood out against his dusky brown skin. A gentle smile bloomed on his face.Miss Kincaid, what an unexpected pleasure. And you have a friend. He rose and walked to us, extending his hand toward Seth.Erik, this is Seth Mortensen. Seth, Erik.They shook. A pleasure, Mr. Mortensen. You keep good company.Yes, said Seth, smiling in return. I do.If were lucky, I said silkily, Erik will have time for tea. He only serves decaf, so that should make you happy.Of course I have time, said Erik. I doubt theres any man who doesnt have time for you, Miss Kincaid.I shot Seth a teasing look when Erik left to dress the tea on. Ah, now theres someone who appreciates me. You wouldnt see him shirking me for a book.If memory serves, you worship those books. Besides, how else am I supposed to keep you in the modus vivendi youre accustomed to?If memory serves, I paid the l ast time we went out. Well, yeah. I was just letting you play liberated so that you and Maddie wouldnt go vandalize my car.When our tea party commenced around Eriks small corner table, I was surprised to hear Seth engage Erik in conversation on what it meant to be a mortal among immortals. Seth wasnt usually so forthcoming, and I wondered just how much immortal weirdness troubled him.It puts my sense of time awry, remarked Erik. I see people like Miss Kincaid who stay young and beautiful forever. It makes me intuitive feeling as though no time has passed. Then I look at myself and see the new wrinkles. I feel the aches in my bones. I realize I will be left behindthey will go on and continue to shape the world without me. He sighed, more with bemusement than sadness. I wish I could see what will happen next.Yes, Seth said, surprising me. His eyes looked dark and solemn. I turn in what you mean.I glanced over at him, seeing something Id never noticed before. I knew he must think abo ut the future and his own death all mortals did but only now did I realize how much he really thought about those things. Looking at both men, I remembered they would eventually die, and it made something in my chest grow cold. For the space of a heartbeat, I could almost see Seth as wrinkled and gray-haired as Erik.Morbid much, you guys? I asked, trying to affect a blas? air. I didnt come here to bring everyone down. Ive got to pick Eriks brain.Pick away, he said.Wellyou hold out how I need, uh, life and energy to survive, right? An idiotic statement. Of course he knew. Yesterday morning, I woke up, and my entire lay away was gone.Erik considered. Thats normal, isnt it? It fades over time.Not this quickly. Especially since I stopped, suddenly realizing having Seth here might not have been so wise after all. I, um, had just gotten a refill the night before.Both men kept neutral expressions. And you did nothing out of the ordinary?No, Jerome thinks it was mental stress. I shrugg ed. I dont think I was that stressed. I dreameda weird dreambut nothing stressful.Dreams are powerful, Erik said. And sometimes stress can take more out of us than we realize. Unfortunately, I know little about dreams, but He frowned, and his gaze suddenly turned inward.But what?I know someone who might be able to help. Someone who specializes in dreams.Who? This sounded promising.Erik took a long time in answering. When he spoke, he seemed unhappy to puddle up the words. Someone who might as well be signed and sealed to your side. His names Dante Moriarty.I snickered. That cant be his real name.Its not, though Im sure some of your imp and demon friends would know him by any name. Hes a con artistamong other things. Considers himself a magician too.I deal with corrupt people all the time, I pointed out. Doesnt lambaste me much.True, agreed Erik. He still looked troubled, which I found puzzling. Although not evil himself, he interacted with me and others of my ilk on a regular basi s without blinking. I wondered what it was about one human that would bother him so much. Ill get you his contact information.He sought out Dantes card, and I browsed around the store while Seth used the bathroom in the back. The old storekeeper handed me the card when he found it.I like Mr. Mortensen a great deal.Yeah. So do I.I know. I can tell.I looked up from a display of bracelets, waiting for more.You talk and move around each other in a way youre probably not even aware of. Its like how lovers usually interactbut its something more too. You have a continual sense of each other, I think, even when not together. Theres a burning in the air between you.I didnt know what to say to that. It sounded nice but a little intimidating too.Ive never met another of your kind whos exactly like you, Miss Kincaid. He hesitated, his ordinarily wise-and-competent expression flickering into uncertainty. It was a rare look for him. I dont know how this will turn out.Seth emerged then, picking up that hed interrupted something. He glanced between the two of us, and I rested a lull hand on his arm. You about ready to go?Sure.I scanned the rest of the jewelry counter, only half-noticing the contents. Suddenly, I did a double-take and leaned over one of the cases. Erik, where do you find this stuff?He and Seth looked over my shoulder.Ah, yes, said Erik. The Byzantine rings. By the same artist who made your ankh necklace.Your artist has a real knack for diachronic detail. They look just like the sea captains.He walked around the counter and lifted out the tray with the rings. I picked one up. It was an ordinary gold band. Rather than any sort of mounted gem on top, it bore a smooth and flat disc, almost the size of a dime. Greek letters were engraved into the metal.What do they mean? asked Seth.I tried to explain the long-lost custom. Its a benediction. Like a prayer for the couple. This would have been a wedding ceremony ring.I examined another depicting Christ and the V irgin still another showed a tiny man and woman facing each other.I used to have a ring almost like this, I said softly, turning it over in my hands. Neither man said anything, and I last returned it to its tray.On the way home, Seth gently asked, What happened to your ring?I stared out the window. Its not important.Tell me.I didnt respond, and he didnt ask me again. When we got back to my place, I saw no sign of Vincent and figured he was out investigating with Charlies Angels. Newspapers were scattered across my kitchen table he apparently liked to keep up on current events. Morbid events, at that. One of the headlines was a story Id heard the other day about a crazy man whod killed his wife after having a vision of seeing her with another man. Mortals did creepy-crawly things sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time.Seth sat on my couch and leaned forward, hands clasped together. Id sensed his mood prison-breaking when I wouldnt answer in the car.ThetisYou want to know about the ring .The ring doesnt matter so much. Its justwell, Ive seen you get like this. Something bugs you, something you remember. But you wont talk to me about it. There are days I feel like you dont tell me anything.I sat down next to him, avoiding eye contact in a way he often did. I tell you plenty.Not about your past.I have a lot of past, and I talk about it all the time.YeahI guess. He absentmindedly stroked my arm. But you dont talk about your mortal past. Before you were a succubus.So? Does it make a difference? Youre with me now. You know the kind of person I am now.I do. And I love that person. And I want to know whats important to you. What made you who you are. I want to know what hurts you so that I can help.You dont need to know that to know who I am. My human past doesnt enter in to anything, I said stiffly.I cant moot that.Again, I didnt answer.I dont know anything about that part of your life, he continued. I dont know your real name. What you really look like. Where you grew up. I dont even know how old you are.Hey, its not just me. You have plenty of things you dont talk about, I pointed out, trying to deflect the attention.What do you want to know?Well I groped for something I didnt know much about. You never talk about your dad. How he died.Seth answered immediately, without hesitation. Not much to tell. Cancer. I was thirteen. harmonize to a therapist Mom made us see, I withdrew into a world of fantasy to cope.I leaned my head against his shoulder, knowing hed expound on anything I wanted to know in a subdued, Seth sort of way. It was ironic considering his normal conversational reticence, but that was how he operated. He believed relationships had to have an open transpose of honesty and baring of souls. I supposed he was right, but there were too many dark parts of my soul I didnt want to share. Parts I was afraid would scare him off.I knew Seth well enough to realize he wouldnt push this issue anymore tonight, but I could also sense his hurt a nd disappointment. He didnt ask me these questions to upset me he did it out of sincere affection. That didnt make it easier, unfortunately, and I fought my anxiety and long-buried pain to try to offer him something. Anything. Anything to show I was making an effort in this relationship. My original face and name were dead to me, obsolete reminders of the woman Id left behind, never mind Niphons insistence on calling me Letha. Seth would never know those things.We sat together for a long time while I decided what I could give up. Finally, with the words sticking in my mouth, I said, I grew up in Cyprus. The air grew tense as we both waited for more. In the early fifth century. I dont know exactly what year I was born. We didnt really keep track of those things.He exhaled. I hadnt realized hed been retentiveness his breath. Slowly, carefully, he put an arm around me and pressed his lips against my hair. Thank you.I buried my face against his shoulder, not knowing what I hid from. Id barely given him anything just a couple of pieces of trivia. Nonetheless, yielding that tiny bit from a place in me I wanted to hide from was powerful. I felt exposed and insecure without fully understanding why. Seth gently stroked my hair.Is the ring from around that time? he asked.I nodded against him.Itd be worth a lot then, I suppose.I lost it, I whispered.He must have picked up on the anguish in my voice. He held me tighter. Im sorry.We stayed together a while longer that night, but I knew he wanted to go home and work at his own place. Unable to sweep him, I shooed him away, though I had a feeling that he would have stayed if Id asked it.Once he was gone, I went into my bedroom and closed the door. Kneeling in front of my open closet, I pulled out box after box, setting them haphazardly around the room. My organization lacked something like, say, organization and it took me a while to sift through the clutter of junk. Finally, I produced a shoebox covered in dust.Liftin g the lid, I felt my breath catch. Old, brown letters lay stacked with a few photographs. A heavy gold cross on a fraying get out lay among the papers, along with other small treasures. I carefully hunted around until I found what I wanted a bronze ring, green with age.I held it in my hands, still able to recognise the engraved couple atop the mounted disc. It was a cruder job but still very mistakable to Eriks modern renditions. I ran my fingertips along the rings edges without knowing what I did. I even tried it on, but it didnt fit. It had been made for larger fingers than I had now. I refused to shape-shift to the right size.I kept the ring out for a few more minutes, thinking of Seth and Cyprus and all sorts of things. Finally, unable to stand the ache within me, I put the ring back into its box and buried it once more in the closet.