Succubus Shadows Chapter 9

She couldnt carry I exclaimed. He was with me on the whole night.Not later the plan ended, pointed fall out roman. You acc passingit, I hazard that rotary capacity truly be deviation somewhere. W abhorver trace of c erstption hed shown earlier with me had vanished in Carters presence.Sim star was hanging out in that twenty-four-hour c gain-keyee shop, Carter give tongue to. bent went there to work after what was it you verbalize? You were at a concert?Yeah, I state. Blue Satin Bra.The saint gave papist a nod of agreement. Those guys ar great.Hey, can we stick to the issue here? I gave both of them glares. What happened with lot and Sim unitary?Carter shrugged. Same as usual. He came in and noticed her first, though. She had her tip in a book didnt even demeanor up until he walked over. soundly played, I express. Forces him into the aggressive role.I dont think Seths ever really in an aggressive role, m apply Carter. It righteous put him in a position to wor k the first move, if he wanted to be polite.During our instruct affair, Seth and I had do love so tenderly and so sweetly that poets would wealthy person wept at its beauty. Other ages, things had been mowright dirty, and I think Carter might get hold of reconsidered his comment virtually Seth being aggressive, had the angel cheatn.Then what? I demanded.Like I verbalise, the same. They talked roughly distinct things a lot of topics en benevolentle to Seth, really. I think she might direct done some essayk on him.Fucking lovely. I collapsed onto the couch, and consequently I promptly fling binding up. Im going over there Gone, interrupted Carter. They went separate ways, and so she bagged some guy, and I decided it was time for me to fly outdoor(a).Lucky bastard, grumbled Roman. You generate no idea what form of shit I had to sit finished.The ghost of a smile flickered on Carters face in the beginning he glum back to me. I sighed and sat back down. Confront ing hers no entire anyway. You al designatey did it, and nothing came of it. Im guess this would just be a repeat.Probably a good point. Being in a conflict with a succubus kind of sucked. I could punch Hugh or the vampires, and even with immortal healing, theyd shut up sport a black eye for a few hours drawn-out if I was really good. only with a succubus? I could thwack her some, and shed shape-shift the damage. And as for verbal fighting? Well, curbing as I had no real leverage, Id be desire just fuel her further and provide much cat fight entertainment for my friends.Well, I verbalize to Roman. I think Im pissed off enough like a shot that you dont have to go to underside with me.Carters eyebrow rose again.I mean, he doesnt have to watch me sleep, I explained. I was kind of glum earlier, and we were worried my mysterythingmight show up again.Why glum? asked Carter. He attempted innocence, further I wasnt fooled. Even without being at the concert, he could easily foreshadow out what had me down.Long story.Those silvery gray eyes bored into me, and I shifted and looked away. I hated when he did that. It was kindred he could see into my soul. That was a place I didnt even want to look at allow alone have differents do it. I attempted a neuter in subject.You hold out, I was thinking about this thing thats going onthis force or siren metrical composition or whatever. Its not wish well what happened with Nyx, unless theres still a dreamlike quality to it, you exist? I mean, it certainly seems like Im sleep paseo. Do you think she could be back?Nope, verbalize Carter. Shes definitely still locked up. I checked myself.Really?Really.I didnt fall out up with the obvious question. Had Carter done it for me? I mean, checking up on Nyx probably wasnt too hard for him. He probably just asked some angel buddy who asked another angeletc. It still made me rarity about Carters endgame. Why go to such trouble for me? Why look into this? Why tr ack Simone?His face made me think he guessed my thoughts, something I hated. Thanks, I said. But I think Im heading to bed now.And I, said Carter, am going to get a drink.Done with Simone for good? asked Roman.Carter made a dismissive gesture. At least for tonight. Ill find her in the morning.Youre kind of a slacker spy, I pointed out, though I definitely soundless his reasons for avoiding the other succubus liaisons.His only response was another smile before he vanished.Now what? I windered aloud.Now, said Roman, you get your beauty sleep so that I can have another captivating day of earshot to you give recommendations for people who en pleasanceed The Da Vinci Code.You endure you love it, I said, walking off toward my bedroom.Sure you dont want company?I glanced back at him and studied his face, the lovely lines of it and blue-green eyes like the Mediterranean of my youth. His expression was speculative, wry humor twisting his lips. I couldnt entirely tell if he was joking. Or what his exact meaning was.Positive.My words were a small(a) bolder than I felt, exactly the night passed uneventfully, again furthering the idea that my blue moods were the target. Consequently, this put me in a good mood when I went to work the next day. I even wore yellow in an attempt at further cheeriness and greeted my coworkers with such enthusiasm that Doug wanted to cheat what drugs I was winning and if he could have some.All of that changed when, era headed for the science fiction section, I felt something tout ensemble unwelcome an immortal signature. A succubus immortal signature. And I knew but which succubus it belonged to. I did a 180, took a few steps, and tried to corpuscle its direction. Fiction.I headed straight over there, and sure enough, there was Simone with Seth. She wore that guise Id perceive reports of, the bookish that sexy brunette. They were standing by Seths section, and she was holding up one of his paperbacks, Idiosyncraso. I knew she could feel my signature as I approached, but her eyes stayed on Seth, her conversation not missing a beat.You really wrote this in college?Yup, he said. It wasnt the first I had published, though. I shelved it for years before digging it out and revising it.Cool, she said, flipping through the pages. I cant wait to read it. Itll give me something to do before your next one.Well, dont get your oh, hey.Seth had spy me. I came to a stop beside them, and Simone turned toward me politely.Hows it going? I asked, join harsher than I intended.Seth, always sensitive to me, looked a small strike at my tone but didnt acknowledge it. Fine. Georgina, this is Kelly. Kelly, Georgina. Georginas the manager here.Hi, Kelly.I shook her excrete with a hardness she matched, and we both act grinning at separately other like Stepford Wives.I met Kelly at a coffee shop, said Seth mildly, not aware he was in succubus crossfire. Told her she should see the store sometime.Its great, said Simone, all a dorable innocence. Im a big reader. I love all things books. And meeting one of my favorite authors has given me great insight.Well, said Seth, a little embarrassed at the heed. I dont know how much insight Im really offering.Simone laughed. Lots. I feel like Im getting something from you each time I see you.Have you seen each other a lot? I asked.Kelly travel to Queen Anne, said Seth. So we keep running into each other.Its a great area, I said. Where do you live?Simone faltered. Um, on Queen Anne.way, Avenue, or Drive?Seth seemed surprised at the interrogative style of the question. Simone turned nervous. Eh, Avenue.Damn. Lucky guess. Queen Anne Street didnt exist.Nice place. Turning my back on her, I looked at Seth. I came over because I heard someone say Maddie was looking for you. That wasnt reliable at all. Maddie wasnt even in for another hour. I gave Simone a mundane glance. Maddies his fianc?e.I didnt think she was in yet, said Seth.Why, of all days, would his memory be up and running today? Maybe I misheard, I said with a shrug. But I figured youd want to check.I will, he said, still a little puzzled. I need to show Kelly one more book.She shot me a triumphant look, but I knew shed effectuate nothing with Seth. He had that expression he got when he was so focused on something in this case, the history of books that he was distracted from the world. Kelly was a good-natured coincidence. Simone was too overconfident to notice.Seth turned back to the shelves, and me staying would have seemed awkward. With his attention elsewhere, I shot Simone a warning look. Well, Im sure Ill see you virtually.Oh, she said with a serene smile, you will.When I got fundament later that day, I was expeditious to contribute some furniture. Did you see Yes, yes, I saw, said Roman, materializing beside me. Calm down.I let out a small cry of frustration, something primal with no real form. I cant believe that bitch Cant believe shed actually do it right in front of me She did it on purpose. She did it on purpose to mock me.Roman was the assure of tranquility as he leaned against the wall, a off the beaten track(predicate) cry from my frazzled, pacing state. Of course she did. Its like mobsters who threaten their victims in a crowd theres absolutely no way you could have fought back, not with that many a(prenominal) witnesses.Nice analogy, I muttered. Maybe therell be a horse head in my bed next.I could leave one in hers, if it would help, he offered.That more or less made me smile. Almost. Except I wasnt entirely sure he was joking. The really comical part is that Seth brought it about, you know? He was nerve-wracking to stay away from me and walked right into this.The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.I didnt dignify that with an answer.Look, he said in all seriousness, taking a few steps toward me. It sucks that shes doing this, and we can definitely rule out coincidence. But if Seths with Maddie eon shes there, you know nothings going to happen. And Carter will report back to us. No point in getting worked up over it.Easier said than done. Nothings going to distract me from this.He moved closer still and rest his hands on my upper arms. Oh? When was the uttermost(a) time you went dancing?I blinked in surprise. The last time Id been dancing? It had been a salsa lesson at the bookshop earlier this year, after which Seth and I had ripped each others clothes off in my office.A while ago, I said evasively, pass onn off by both the question and his fingertips on my skin. Why?Lets go out, he said. There are a million places we can go. Any kind of move you want. If memory serves, youre an okay dancer.I narrowed my eyes. Im an excellent dancer, and you know it.He leaned his face closer. Then prove it.Irrelevant. I dont feel like going out.Roman sighed and stepped away. I found I was a little disappointed to have him let go. Man, he said. I remember when you used to be fun. Im glad I left town when I did . He walked over to my entertainment center and knelt down. Well, if Muhammed wont come to the mountainGood grief. Youre a wealth of religious proverbs tonight, arent you?Hey, just trying to Jesus Christ. CDs? You do know the Dark Ages ended a long time ago. He pointed at my collection with disdain. Everyones gone digital now. You know, those little magical devices that store medicine? Or do you consider them some kind of witchcraft?engineering changes every year. Jump on a fad, and youre obsolete before you know it.Honestly, its a wonder you arent cooking over a fire in the middle of your living room.You forget I dont cook.I live here. I havent forgotten.By and then, hed put one of my archaic CDs in the player. I laughed. Youre one to talk about ancient history. This is old school.Nah. He rose and offered me his hands. This is classic. never goes out of style.Yeah, I said, as the music began playing. All the kids are doing foxtrot nowadays. Geez, its even the slow style. But I s till let him gravel hold of my hands.Hey, youre the one who owns that CD.We both fell into the steps effortlessly, gliding around the living room and managing to dodge the furniture with some grace. Roman had a long list of flaws, but one of his better traits was that he was almost as good a dancer as me.Why do you dance so well? I asked, stepping over Aubrey. She didnt seem relate at all about getting squashed and had shown no signs of lamentable when we began to dance.What kind of a question is that? Why do you dance so well?Natural instinct, I guess. Thats what Im wondering. Was it something you were born with? Or is it something you cant help but perfect over the years? I mean, youve been around for a while. I suppose if you put your mind to something that long, you cant help but master it.He laughed. To tell you the truth, I dont know. Maybe its in the blood.Oh, come on. I cannot picture Jerome out on the dance floor.Not him. My mother. She was a dancer. A striver girl for t his king a long, long time ago Romans heed turned inward. He didnt seem angry, so much as nostalgic. Of course, he was pretty pissed off when she got pregnant. That kind of thing tends to ruin the let loose line.What happened to her? I hadnt been around that long ago, but certain things stayed the same through time. Slaves who angered their masters got beaten or sold to someone else. Or worse.I dont know. Jerome took her away, off to some village where she could be a liberal woman.I frowned. I still had trouble wrapping my mind around the idea of my boss falling romantically and divinely for a mortal. Did he stay with her? He would have been a demon by then.He never came back. First time I saw him was last year. My mother didnt hold a grudge, though. She would talk about him all the timesaid he was beautiful. I dont know if she meant as an angel or a demon, though. Probably he looked the same, seeing as theyre the same beings, really.Im guessing he didnt look like John Cusack t hough.No. This made Roman laugh again. Probably not. My mother took on mundane jobs whenever we moved villages lavation woman, field worker. But at least she was free. And she still danced sometimes. I saw her once, when I was really youngjust before she was killed. There was a festival, and I remember her dancing in front of the fire, wearing this red dress. All mirth disappeared from him. That image is burned into my mind. I can see how an angel would have fallen for her.I didnt ask any questions about how she was killed. In those days, it could have been as simple as a bust or attack. They were commonplace. Or, more likely, shed been killed in an attempt on Roman and his sister. Hed once mentioned that they were always on the run from angels and demons.So maybe you learned to dance as a subconscious tribute to her, I said, shifting to something lighter.That half-smile supplyed. Or maybe I just inherited my fathers regard to graceful, sensual women.The song ended, and we stoo d there, frozen in time with our hands still entwined. Foxtrot was simply the bumping and grinding seen in modern clubs, but our bodies were close, and I felt like I could sense the heat from his. Whether it was real or imagined, I couldnt say. But I did know there was something very seductive about dancing, about mirroring anothers frame, and somehow, I wasnt surprised when he leaned down and kissed me.I was a little surprised that I kissed him back. But not for long. Because as our lips met, I realize how much Id come to regard Roman as a consolatory fixture in my life. Wed grown from adversaries to friends towhat? I didnt entirely know. I did know that I liked having him around and that Id never really shaken the attraction that had drawn me to him long ago. I also knew that I was lonely for the particle of someone I liked and that I had an automatic instinct to move to this sort of thing.His mouth pressed harder against mine, as hot and demanding as I recalled. His hands q uickly moved from the formal orientation of foxtrot to something more intimate and eager, sliding down to my hips and somehow managing to push me against the wall while also shoving my shirt up. My own hands were around his neck, my lower body pressing against his as I felt all my nerves answer on fire and lust coursing through me.He managed to break away enough to pull my shirt off, and then his hands moved to my breasts, which were wrapped in a white lace bra. He glanced down and made a face as he pulled from our kiss. Cant you make it a front hook?A small bit of shape-shifting made the bra disappear altogether. Dont trouble yourself, I said.He smiled and moved his lips to my neck while his hands cupped the curves of my breasts. It made it impossible for me to take his shirt off, but I slid my hands under it, loving the feel of his warm skin and soused muscles. I tipped my head back, letting him taste me and increase the specialty of his kissing.And through it all, there were no voices in my head. I heard no(prenominal) of his thoughts, sensed none of his feelings. I was alone alone with my own reactions, simply enjoying the way my body felt with no other interruptions. It was glorious.I at last managed a break that let me pull his shirt off, and then my hands moved to his pants, putting us in a brief deadlock as he tried to move his lips to my nipples. I won and watched his pants fall to the floor. With that concession, he pulled me down as well and keep his efforts to kiss my breasts, almost kneeling before me as he did so. I ran my hands through his hair, gripping his head while his mouth sucked and teased. As he did, his eyes glanced up and met mine. I saw the desire in them and something more.Something I hadnt expected to see. There waswhat? Love? Adoration? Affection? I couldnt quite pin it down, but I recognized the general category. It was a slap to the face. I hadnt anticipated it. Lust, Id expected. A primitive instinct to throw me down and fuck me, in order to relieve his bodys need. For so long, Id operated on the assumption that he kind of liked me and kind of wanted to hate me. Yet, now, I realized those nice moments wed had recently werent coincidence. His sharp attitude had been a facade, meant to hide his feelings.Roman still loved me.I identified it for what it was. He wasnt doing this just because he wanted my body. He wanted me. This was more than just ful geting a physical instinct for him, and suddenlysuddenly, I didnt know what to do. Because I realized then, I didnt know why I was doing this. There was a fair amount of lust on my part, and Id grown closer to him since his return to Seattle. But the rest? I wasnt sure. There was so much going on right now Maddie, Simone, SethAlways Seth. Seth, who even now made my heart ache while I was wrapped in the arms of another man. My emotions were a tangle of confusion and hurt and desperation. I was with Roman as some sort of reaction, some attempt to fill the ho le in my heart and seek false comfort. My feelings didnt match his. I couldnt do this with him. I didnt deserve to do this with him.I pushed him away and jumped to my feet, indorse off toward the hallway.No I said. I cantI cant. Im sorry.He stared up at me, understandably confused and a little hurt after the ardor Id displayed seconds ago. What are you talking about? Whats wrong?I didnt know how to explain it, didnt know how I could even begin to articulate what I felt inside of me. I just shook my head and continued backing. Im sorryIm so sorryIm just not ready.Roman sprang to his feet in one graceful motion. He took a step toward me. GeorginaBut I was already moving away, off to the safety of my bedroom. I slammed the door arsehole me not from anger, but from a desperate need to stay away from him. From the hall, I heard him call my name and feared hed come in anyway, patronage my refusal to answer. I had no lock, and even if I did, it wouldnt stop him. He said my name a few mo re times, and then silence fell. I think he returned to the living room, backing off and giving me my space.I flung myself onto the bed, gripping the sheets tightly and trying not to cry. That horrible despair that plagued me so often filled me now. It was an old friend, one that I would never be able to leave. All my relationships friends and lovers were a mess. I was either hurting them, or they were hurting me. There was no peace for me. There never would be, not for this servant of Hell.And then, through that horrible, clenching pain inside me, I felt the lightest of touches. A whisper. A breath of music, of color, of light. I lifted my head up from where Id hide it in my pillow and stared around. There was nothing tangible, not exactly, but I could sense it all around me that warm, comforting siren song. It had no words, yet in my despair, I could hear it perfectly. It was telling me I was wrong, that I could have peace. And not just that I could have comfort and love and s o much more. It was like arms beckoning to me, a mother welcoming home a long-lost child.I slowly rose from my bed, moving toward that which had no form. Come, come. outdoors my door, I heard Roman shout my name, but the tone was different from before. This wasnt confusion or pleading. It was frantic and concerned. The sound was grating to my ears as I stepped closer to that beautiful warmth. It was home. It was an invitation. All I had to do was accept.Georgina The door blew apart, and Roman stood there, blazing with power. Georgina, stop But it was too late. I had accepted.All that joy and protection wrapped around me, taking me into its arms.The world dissolved.