Succubus Heat CHAPTER 27

While Id been pretty confident in telling stage set that Dante had liable(predi shake offe) skipped t write awayledge, I n wholenesstheless immobilizeped by his shop the next day. It had neer been very prosperous looking to begin with, further with shape up out of the closet delay the signs of apostasy were clear. The neon PSYCHIC sign was at rest(p). The blinds were also gone, showing a style regular(a) barer than before. The FOR LEASE sign on the door was credibly the approximately telling clue that Dante was gone for slap-up.In the wake of what had happened with stage set, it was challenging to bonk what to think to the highest degree Dante. My heart almost didnt flummox the energy for it. I had cared about him, absolutely. Hed suited my decadent phase, and despite his blackened soul, there were split of him that were resemblingable. And above solely, it appeared that hed cared about me, misguided or non. I wasnt happy about the deal hed make with Grace, but I was glad he hadnt been there to nervus Jerome and Meis punishment. No one meritd that, not even Dante. I hoped wherever he was, hed undertake to start a new life-maybe one that could lighten his soul a little. I well knew, however, that valet de chambres with goddam souls rarely recoered.Later that evening, I drove oer to Capitol Hill. Peter and Cody were hosting a cocktail donationy to celebrate Jeromes return, though I half(prenominal)-suspected they simply needed to soak up away the sorrows of losing the sun.How back tooth we celebrate Jerome being back when hes not even here? chromatic wanted to know. She was back to her normal, Amazonian blond self and was prop her martini glass in a precarious way. Peter couldnt take his look out it.I was nursing a gimlet out of politeness. The vampires had gone out of their way to go away Grey Goose and fresh lime, but truthfully, I was a little destroy out on alcohol. It go acrossmed homogeneous Id been perpetually d rivuletk these last four months. I was not burned out on cigarettes yet, but I was listening very hard to break the habit once more.Jeromes got plenty to keep himself busy, I give tongue to. Were skilful drinking in his honor.But he is staying, reclaim? asked Cody.We all dark to Hugh. Like the rest of us, Hughd had his abilities restored, and Id honestly expected him to be a bundle happier having his imp vision back. Instead, he actualizemed very serious, and I could be in possession of blaspheme he was watching me when I wasnt looking.Yep. He and Mei schmoozed the corporeal blackguard pretty good and pulled in enough favors to tucker out backing from others. Cedric and Nanette twain swore up and down that no one else was break off qualified to run Seattle than him.Nanette at long last caved, huh? I swirled the ice just about in my glass. Of course, knowing Jerome owes her now probably makes her feel secure in her territory.Cody shook his promontory. Still. Grace went finished an awful assign to try to pull this off, among the Canadians and all the rolling and dealing. And Dante. He shot me an apologetic look that I waved off.I dont know, express Peter. He finally expectmed convinced that Tawny wasnt going to ruin his upholstery. Shes a middle management demon with so-so(predi spille) power. Doing what she did-seizing the opportunity when she conceit Jerome looked weak-was probably the closest shell ever get to ruling over an area like this.What do you smashed? Would she be stuck forever? Never have her own domain? asked Tawny, frowning.She efficiency have eventually gotten assigned control of round nonexistent town in middle America, but I inquiryfulness ofttimes more. Hugh politic looked oddly speculative. Clearly, she didnt want to. Neither does Mei, from the looks of it.So much for it being better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven, I say, pleased with my own wit. Of course, I think were going to see a lot more in Meis career. She might be so-so in power, but shes got a plan.Have you noticed how shes a lot less scary alone? asked Cody.It was the matching clothes, tell Peter sagely. When they attired alike, it was too much like those girls from The Shining .More laughter and communication ensued, though I eventually grew quiet and simply listened. peradventure I could be the life of the party, like Seth had said, but this group could do okay without me. I took a certain meat of contentment by being back with them and having our lives returned to normal-such as they were. I could neer be human again, but these were the people I wanted to be damned with.At one point, I got up to trade my empty glass for weewee and discovered Hugh had followed me into the kitchen. He still looked troubled. The others were laughing and talking, providing cover for our conversation.Whats going on? I asked. I thought youd be happy.I am, I am, he said. Believe me, I am. God, that was miserable.I couldnt help a smi le. Hugh had hit his whole tone with being a lesser immortal. He was past the novice stages of Cody and Tawny and could fully reap the benefits of his position. However, he wasnt old enough to have acquired all the jaded centuries Peter and I had. Out of all of us, I didnt doubt that Hugh had suffered the most.Then whats going on?He hesitated, and again, I was struck by how out of character he was behaving. Georgina, has Seth make everythingbad late? Rob a bank? Cheat on taxes?Of course not, I said, more confused than ever.Has heor welldid he do anything, uh, bad with you?To my chagrin, I blushed. Youd think nothing would make a succuba self-conscious, but I still tried to maintain that business organization in the midst of my private and business sex lives. My silent response was enough for Hugh.Fuck.What? I asked. We did it when I was in stasis. I didnt take any of his energy. I didnt repress his life. And we havent done it since Jerome came back. Its over. Hes back with Ma ddie.Hugh raised an eyebrow. Oh?I actualized how im affirmable it was for us and convinced him to go back to her. I really laid on the guilt. Just mentioning what had happened do me ache all over again.Im sure you did, Hugh said dryly.What do you mean?Georgina He sighed. at that places no easy way to let off this. When I first met Seth, his soul was likea supernova. It lit up a room. That guy had such a generous spirit, it was insane.Had.And now? The coiffure was slowly creeping in on me.Now, theres a shadow on him. A stain on his soul. He cheated on Maddie with youand is back with her, retentivity that from herThe room started swaying, and I forced myself to focus on Hugh. What we did, it wasnt sleazy. We arewerein love. It was sweet-that is, it meant something.Maybe it did, sweetie. Maybe the planets aligned when you made love. But regardless of what happened between you, he wronged her-and he feels it now. That sin is darkening his soul.How dark? I asked, my vowelise almos t a whisper now. If he were a hit by a car right nowHughs face was both hard and sad. Hed head right to Hell.Oh my God. I collapsed back against the counter. I didnt thinkdidnt realizeSince I hadnt been a succubus, I hadnt been thought process like one. I hadnt unhinged about shortening his life or exhausting him because there was no need. While Id known we were both deceiving Maddie and had felt a fair amount of guilt over it, Id neer con emplacementred it in terms of damnation. Id turned off that part of my life, the part of being a succubus that counted and tallied souls-the main part of my job.Which was dullard of me. Humans didnt need us to sin. They did it all the time on their own and did just as good a job-if not better-than we could. I didnt have to be a succubus to make Seth sin. I could have been any woman, any woman hed had an affair with. Sin was subjective, too, and variant people would feel it differently. For someone like Seth, doing what he did would leave a har sh mark-and me making him feel guilty about it hadnt helped.This is worse, I said. I laughed, but it was the kind of hysterical laughter that could segue to tears at any moment. It would have been better if wed had sex when we were dating. Id have taken age off his life, but his soul would have stayed pure-and thats what matters in the long run. Instead, I was so adamant about refusing to do itand now look. Look what I did.Hugh caught my hand and squeezed it. Im sorry.Is thereis there any way he can undo it?You know the answer as well as me. Sure, he can eventually swing the p final stageulum the other way. But its hard. Very hard.Hes a good individual, I said stoutly.Maybe, but that may not be enough anymore.Hed need a deal with God, I muttered.I stared at the floor, studying the tiles absentmindedly. What had I done? How could I have been so stupid? Had I been so blinded by love and lust that Id been mindless to the principles that had dictated my immortal vocation these long c enturies?Georgina, Hugh said hesitantly. I looked at him. Theres something elsejust a heads up. You know this as well as I do. When adept people screw up like thisthey do try to confine in their way. The guilts got to be eating him. People like that try to do things to make up for it. Rash things. Something tells me hell be like that. convey for the warning, I said. Though I cant imagine hed do something that could make this any worse.The imp cut me a look. Sweetie, hes human. Dont underestimate him.Hugh was right.The next day, I went to the condo builders office and talked more in-depth with the real estate agent that handled their sales. We chatted for a go and talked numbers, though I still couldnt shake the feeling that I was doing this without thinking it through. The pictures were nice, the floor plan was nice, and the options were nice. Yet, I didnt know if this was just some voluntary reaction to the ups and downs in my life.Then, when he took me to the unit itself and s howed me the balcony, I knew. It was a dishy day, one that wasnt true summer yet but could give us enough hope that winter was just about finished. Puget Sound was racy blue, and the downtown skyline gleamed in the sun against a cloudless sky. To the west, the prodigious Mountains were visible for the first time in over a month, their peaks still heavy with snow. As often happened with this kind of weather, people turned out in droves, treating it like it was high summer. Families came out, shorts came out. This part of Alki didnt have a true beach-that was at a park a little far down-but the water was still just a stones throw away from my building, unca holler only by the small road and narrow strip of grass. I watched the waves break against the shore and realized this was where I needed to be.I want to make an offer, I told him.I knew Maddie would want to know, so I made sure she was the first one I told when I ended up back in Queen Anne later that night. It was early even ing, my last day before returning to a real full-time schedule, and I swung by the store to catch her and tell her. Only, she sought me out first, with news of her own.GeorginaId barely entered when she grabbed my arm and pulled me off into the cookbooks. Hey, I laughed. Glad youre in a good mood. Ive got news.Me tooHer face was radiant, and after all that had happened, it made me happy to see her like this. I couldnt help a return grin. Whats up?She glanced around covertly, then lowered her voice. You were right.About what?About Seth needing time-about him being preoccupied.Oh lord. Hed finally slept with her again, now that things had ended with us. I cant say I was happy to have this news delivered to me, but for her sake, I was at least glad she could stop worrying.Wow, thats great, Mad-He was waiting to proposeShe shot her hand up to my face so quickly that for half a moment, I thought she was going to punch me. But, no, there was no impact-unless you counted the brilliant glit ter of the engagement ring dazzling my eyes.Oh my God. But itits so soonI know, she said, breathless from her excitement. I cant believe it. And I mean, yeah, weve only been going out for about four months, but Seth says we can have a long engagement, that he just wanted to commit things between us.Of course he did. When upright people screw up like thisthey do try to rebound in their way. The guilts got to be eating him. People like that try to do things to make up for it. Rash things. How could I be surprised? Id give-up the ghost a succubus because Id cheated on my husband and been caught. Id sold my soul in an effort to blot that act out, to make him and everyone else I knew forget me. why was this any different?You dont think Maddie turned uneasy, once more desire my approval and advice. You dont think its too fast, do you? Have I made a mistake? I mean, even if we wait awhile for the spousalI kept smiling. Its fine, Maddie. Theres no time frame thats set for everyone. If it s what feels right to you, then youve got to do it.Her grin lit back up. Oh, give thanks you. Im so glad to hear you say that. I mean, I said yes, and Ive been deliriousI just didnt want it to seem like I was hastiness in. She glanced back down, admiring the ring. I realized something.Its a diamond.She gave me a curious look. Of course. why wouldnt it be? Most engagement rings are.Last year, Id teased Seth about getting married, and hed said that if he ever did, hed give his fiancee a ruby because he thought diamonds were ordinary, and getting married was extraordinary.I stared into the stones glittering facets, puzzled. Did you pick it out? Had you told him you wanted a diamond?Nope. It had never come up. He just got it for me. Why?I shook my head and tried to look happy for her. No reason. Its beautiful. Congratulations. I turned to leave. Ill see you tomorrow.Georgina, wait.I paused and looked back.What was your news?Wh-oh. yeah. Im buying the place in Alki.Seriously? I swea r, she almost seemed more excited about that than the engagement. When will it be done?July.Oh, wow. Thats great. You could have such great summer parties.Yep. Lets hope it gets finished on time.She sighed happily and gave me a quick hug. Isnt this a great day? goodish news for both of us.yea, I agreed. Great.I walked home, too stunned over the engagement news to process it much. Considering Hughs prediction, there wasnt much to process. Id convinced Seth that he and I were a fantasy, that he needed to settle into ingenuousness and take what good he had with Maddie. Seth had believed me and tried to make it up to her-make it up to himself, even-with this hasty engagement. He was not a rash person usually, but the extreme circumstances had turned him into one.My phone rang about half a block from the store. I could recognize Vancouvers area code by now, but I didnt know the number. For all I knew, Evan wanted me to export them some spray paint across the border. To my relief, it w as Kristin.Hey, I said. Hows it going?Fine. Well, better than fine. Great actually. There were a few awkward seconds of silence. Me and CedricwereThe first stumble of enthusiasm Id felt in a while leapt up in me. Really? You guys are athing?Yeah. There was wonder in her voice, like she could hardly believe it. He told me that you were the one who said that he should go out with me.Oh, well. Ijust suggested he was looking in the wrong places.Georgina, there is no way I can thank you enough for this. Her voice was brimming with emotion, something I wouldnt have thought possible of the businesslike imp. This isIve wanted this for so long. Loved him for so long. And he never noticed me until you made him just pause and look. Thats exactly how he said it too. That hed been so busy chasing everything else that hed never seen what was in front of him.I thought I might get choked up too. Im glad for you, Kristin. Really. You deserve it.She laughed. Most would say us damned souls dont deser ve anything.Were like anyone else, deserve both good and bad. Im not sure being damned has anything to do with it.She was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was low, almost hard to hear. I actually stopped walking and stepped off down a side street to get away from the din of traffic.Its funny you mention that, she said slowly. Becausewell, I did something for you. I suddenly had an image of Tim Hortons donuts showing up on my doorstep.Er, thats really not necessary. I didnt do that much.You did, though. To me, at least. And soI wanted to do something just as big for you. I, uh, went and looked at your contract.I caught my breath. What?Weve had a lot of paperwork to file, and I managed to work in a corporate trip.Corporate trip was a nice way of saying shed visited the upcountry offices of Hell.Kristinif youd been caughtI wasnt, she said proudly. And I found your contract and read it.Id come to a complete stop now. The world around me didnt exist. And?Andnothing .What do you mean nothing?I mean, theres nothing wrong with the contract. I went over and over it. Everythings in order.It cant be Niphon was attempt so hard to mess with meto get me recalled. Hugh was certain it meant he was trying to shift attention from the contract.I dont know about any of that, said Kristin, sounding truly sympathetic. All I know is what I read. You sold your soul and took on standard succubus servitude in exchange for every mortal you knew forgetting who you were. That sound right?YeahThats what it said. All the language was exactly as it should be.I didnt really have any response, so I gave none.Georgina, are you still there?YeahIm sorry. I just thoughtId been so certain It had been a rattlepated hope, that maybe somewhere there was a loophole for me. But then, I seemed to walk out for those things all the time, just like I had with Nyxs dream and the impossible mishap of getting pregnant while in stasis. I was as nave as Dante had said. Thanks. I really appreciate you looking.Im sorry you didnt get what you wanted. If theres anything else I can do for you-that doesnt involve breaking into records-let me know.Thanks. I will.We disconnected, and I stared bleakly at my surroundings, at the quiet residential block Id stepped off onto. There is no way, I said out loud, that this day can get any worse.A rustle behind me made me jump, and I spun around. I had thought I was alone and now felt like an half-wit getting caught talking to myself. I saw no one, though. Then, a shrub by the sidewalk twitched a little. I took a few move toward it and knelt down. Yellow eyes peered out at me, followed by a paltry meow. I made the clicking sound thats universal to cat owners, and after a few moments, my observer emerged.It was a cat, a very scraggly one-and a cat I was pretty sure Id seen before. It was smaller than Aubrey, maybe younger, and I could see its ribs poking out underneath the fur, which was matted and dirty. When I petted the cats head, I noticed a dry texture to the fur that often indicated fleas. The cat seemed unsure of me-but not enough that it ran away. It mostly seemed curious for now, like it was trying to frame of reference me out-and maybe score some food.Which was fine, because I was trying to figure it out too. Clearly, this cat had no owner, or if it did, that ownership needed to be revoked. I studied its yellow eyes and every frail line of its body. The cat looked so different and yetI was certain it was the one. And in a musing that was worthy of Carter, I suddenly wondered if the universe might not be done with me after all.I let the cat sniff my hand a bit longer, and then I reached out and picked it up. It was a she. She didnt fight me as I held her to my chest and walked home. In fact, she started purring. Maybe she knew me. Maybe she was just weary of fighting all the time too.When I shouldered open my door, Aubreys head immediately jerked up from where shed been napping. She made no noise , but all the fur on her back stood on end as she studied our new visitor with narrowed eyes. Roman, lying on the couch as usual, also studied us. He looked at the cat, fetching in her orange and brown patched coat. Then, he looked up and met my eyes. Im not sure what he saw, but it made him smile.Let me guess. Thats a tortie.Yes, I agreed. This is a tortie.