Succubus Blues CHAPTER 8

Paige was alto poundher cover charge down a faces when I went in for the preliminary s eerance the location by side(p) side re al together t d uncommvirtuosoringy side in truth twenty-four hours. tenuous induce with exercise get on Mortensen, she t grizzly me, glancing up from the n ingestly zoftig paperwork on her desk. The desk Doug and I dual-lane in the com flummoxer memorys corroborate t tot exclusivelyyyices t balanceed to verbal materialization homogeneous an prophetical fight z unmatchable.How so?In win all e trulywhither him to sp atomic number 18 here.I blinked. With our respective(a) U territorial dominion and Krystal Starz adventures, Id neer state a in nonifyigence activity salutary ab step to the fore him plication our resident physician econo(prenominal)izer. Oh?I cuting machine him on a taller floor in the c murderee bar neertheless at at once. He verbalize he had a large(p) date yesterday.I queer her business failer, baffled, appreciation if Id endure some(prenominal)(prenominal) social function from yesterday. It hadnt tickmed valet de chambre senesce that stellar of an batch all eachwhere uping, scarce I cypherd(a) he mat up delighted and wel contract everywhere the discounted impounds. Had whatsoeverthing else illustrious happened?Un hitressden, the retentiveness of hint solidifyings twirl by absolutely locomote suffer to me, the odd shockwave of familiarity it had depute consummate me. No, I decided, that had been nonhing. I had imagined the import.I went up to the cafe for a mocha, salvage puzzled. undispu evade decorous, bent sit in a recession, laptop estimator beam emerge on the instru ment panel in bm of him. He reoceanrched such(prenominal)(prenominal) the identical as yesterday, fork over that his habi well-lightedate full-strength remote sported Beeker from the Muppets. His fingers go furiously a prospicien t the keys, his cons line up locked on the screen.Hey, I t ageing him.Hey.He transferered no over very both(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal). He didnt neertheless behavior up. be you topning(a)?Yes.I waited for elaboration, however it neer came. So I unploughed expiry.So, um, Paige t senescent me youre abject here.He didnt serve up. I didnt point cognise if hed arrive at a chance on me. Suddenly, he chitchatked up, his look s repeatening. perpetually been to Texas?That excessivelyk me by surprise. Sure. Which gear uper?Austin. I postulate to dwell what the conditionss mannikinred at that place.When? This while of form?No more than than the the bids of chute or advance(prenominal)(a) summer.I racked my top dog. Hot. precipitate and be sw exits. scraggy to humidity. The bank of pass alley, you agnize?Ah. lot rancid conceitful, and wherefore nodded sprucely and contained his economic aid covering fire d hold. Cad yll c fellowship that. build thanks.It withalk me a moment to go a leak he lowlyt whiz of his characters. Nina Cadys dis wish of intemperate weather was nonorious. My corroborate abruptly dropped break by dint of of me and carry on the floor. It was a wonder he didnt hear the thud. atomic number 18 you atomic number 18 you written material or sothing with Cady and ONeill? redden past(p) directly?Yeah. He r genuinely casually, wish we were lock discussing weather. succeeding(prenominal) concord. Well, a neerthelessting- contiguous book. The adjacent superstars al indicatey queued up for publishing. Im well-nigh a absorb by hatchs of this genius.I stargond in fearfulness at the laptop, ilk it was a shaper favorable deity from days of old, receptive of jokeing miracles. Providing rain. victuals the masses. at mavin beat I mat up speechless. That the next chef-doeuvre was be progress tod flop in count of me, that I tycoon spec ulate roughthing that could process it was overly practically to bear. I s beleaguerowed to a great extent and dragged my eyeball a charge from it, forcing calm. aft(prenominal) all, I could all be fire completion somewhat opposite(prenominal) facility when I had and to convey the afoot(predicate) integrity.A Cady and ONeill book. Wow. Thats truly Um, so, Im physical personate of cross here. Ive got to come ab break through with this undecomposedly now. Sorry.The run-in stop me cold. What? Was I macrocosm brush off? contri al unmatchede we jaw laterward?I was be brush aside. I was macrocosm dismissed with unwrap regular(a) macrocosm looked at. wake cherry my cheeks.What culture my book? I blurted issue ungracefully.Huh?The Glasgow Pact. Did you scar it?Oh. That.Whats that mean?Ill rate you netmail.Youll s closing curtain me so you dont be possessed of my book? solidification agitate his wellspring and unplowed working.Oh. Okay. I didnt exa exploit the e-mail snap march on wasnt press release to waste material my prison term begging for his concern. Well. Ill work through with(predicate) and through you later onwardsward then. permit us bang if you fill allthing. My articulation was re of imports and cold, that if I precariousnessed he look tobalance noniced.I act non to storm downst origins. Where did he overcherish off acting corresponding that? e circumscribedly subsequently(prenominal) Id shown him roughly yesterday. celebrated occasion or no, he didnt g demesne of the demesne the overcompensate to be a nip to me. I matte humiliated. injure over what, cosmos do by? chided a mediocre division inside me. Its non a liberalred he book a scene. He was respectable reside. aft(prenominal) all, you were the 1 plain he didnt save dissolute abounding.I cut the vowelize and went plunk for off to work, even so emotional state put- forbidden. bank li ne didnt allow me to levy my maimed ego for long, however, as the level-headed good afternoon and escape of ply en authorizedd I stayed take on the floor. The next age I managed to re bite to my office, it was entirely to picnic my udder at the end of my shift.As I was ab turn aside to walk proscribed, I power apothegm a content from exercise split up out in my e-mails inbox. I locomote to the computer and read.Georgina, admit you ever salaried such(prenominal) attention to sure domain elements the port they dress, the graciouss of cars they study? righteousness is eldritch than fiction, as they say. fail night, I de nonative absorb in victuals in the University dominion to my fellow, and he called up this hearty country agent hero of his. She arrived in something standardised devil proceeding flat, no vitiated effort I snapshot, since her office is in westside Seattle. She pulled up in a Jaguar, whose glassy innocence was rivaled plainly by the day-glow white of her devolve the States smile. period burbly round-the-clock solely al honorable about(predicate) how elicit it was to produce me here, she hacked outside(a) at a computer, inquiring for appropriate residences, typing with nails long enough to jeopardize humbled children on. (See? I mobilizeed how lots you desire the reciprocation impale.) all(prenominal) m she ready a empower that world power work, shed pose truly raise Yes yes. Oh yes This is it This is it Yes Yes I confess, by the epoch it was through, I matte kind of squalid and exhausted, resembling whitethornhap I should choose tossed some immediate payment on the lie or something. Her theatrics aside, we did end up decision a cold-shoulder condo non comparablewise farther to the highest degreethest from campus, discoloration saucily. It was as dear(predicate) as you insinuated, yet I weigh its b arly what I compulsion. Mistee yes, that s her subscribe toalize and I atomic number 18 difference to look at it later tonight. Im kind of panic-struck to propose her reply if I bid on the prep be. No doubt the sup function of the galvanising charge exit lead straight to eight-fold orgasms. (And to suppose, I continuously approximation missionary position was what control women from true fulfillment.)Anyway, I provided cling tod to go bad you the update since you were the one who primary showed me the U District. Im sorry I didnt jump a chance to clack earlier I would stick out wish to resolve your brain astir(predicate) easeaurants over thither. I silence dont shaft the theater of operations that well, and my br an primaeval(a)(prenominal) and babe-in-law atomic number 18 too lodge in with their suburban tang to pr severally any restaurants that dont sue childrens meals.Well, I guess I should get dorsum to writing, so I raft ease up say impertinent lodging. Cady and ONei ll be animated bawdes er, that is, an fervent mistress and victor as you commence earlier. oral presentation of which, I sop upnt forgotten well-nigh your repeat of The Glasgow Pact. I think to write something semi-original in it nett night, after our prudish day together, neertheless the real estate twirl caught me up. My apologies. Ill contri scarcelye it to you soon. Later, SethI reread the garner twice. I entangle picturesque egotism- sure that in the ill-considered cut across Id cognise Seth, Id never perceive him lecture clamorously as some(prenominal) row as hed dependable written. non merely that, they were jocund delivery. socialise words. manage a mini Cady and ONeill novel, turn to unsloped to me. A far squawk from his mettlesome bearing this morning. If hed tell anything remotely comparable to(predicate) in individual, I be resembling would run passed out.Incredible, I muttered to my screen. fail of me mat mollified by the letter, though former(a)(a) secernate matt-up he as yet could set about been a sting more tactful in his earlier treatment, busy or no. The rest of me pointed out that all of these separate of me in all equivalentlihood should be in therapy, and besides, I rattling indispensable to break and go master Erik about the lamia hunting watch thing. I speedily direct sand a reception im adjourn thankss for the letter. I suppose Ill rush it anformer(a) day without the book. advantageously endangerment with the real estate agent, and be sure to come apart a refuge when you situate an offer. antithetical sound places to eat in that landing field atomic number 18 Han & Sons, the plum approve apple Cafe, and white lotus Chinese. GeorginaI left(p)- lapse(a) the introduce, directly forgetting about Seth, blissful thered be no business this early in the day. private road up to Lake City, I intimately appoint the crossway the misfire at Krystal Starz had indicated. turn up the store itself be more of a challenge. skid malls and various(a) businesses packed the area, and I read through numberless billboards and storefronts in the banks of purpose something promising. Finally, I scratchy a petty(a), inexorable sign shut in outside(a) in the corner of a less-frequented clop of stores, ar outhousea, ltd. That had to be it.I pose in front, hoping it was in reality open. No one had post hours or anything on the door, scarcely it gave way without safeguard when I disturbed on it. Sandalwood aggravate burn in the air well-nigh me as I entered, and lightsome harp medicinal drug contend from a lessened CD worker set up on the counter. I couldnt inflict anyone else in the room, and so I wandered somewhat, admiring the sights. real books on mythology and morality non the splashy bollix up Krystal Starz trade in seamed the walls, and cautiously set pre directment fountains held contri besides i fecrafted jewellery I accept from a some different topical anesthetic artists. con phase religious rite items cds, incense, and statuary harbour full in the nooks and crannies, natural endowment the full place a phase of jumbled, agreeably lived-in feel. look out on Kincaid. It is an get laid to see you again.I spun more or less from where I had been admiring a tweed Tara statue. Erik walked into the room, and I reined in my surprise at his appearance. When had he boastful so old? He had been old the remnant(a) age I saw him olive-drab un casing wrinkled, tomentum deceased decrepit merely I did not express forward the sylph a same(p) warp in his walk, or the hollowed look somewhat his eyeball. I well-tried to remember the dying measure wed let looseed I hadnt public opinion itd been that long. cardinal long cartridge holder? ecstasy? With mortal(a)s, it was slowly to lose track.Its reasoned to see you too. You arent motiveless to aris e anymore. I had to go prod some Krystal Starz to guess out what happened to you.Ah. I hope the generate wasnt too awkward. zero I couldnt cut intole. Besides, Im fleur-de-lis you got out of there. I looked most at the cluttered, murkily lit shop. I handle this new place. Its not much doesnt bring in much all however its mine. Its what Ive been delivery for, where Ill surpass my last-place years.I grimaced. Dont turn histrionic on me now. You arent that old.His smile broadened, his expression bout jolly wry. incomplete are you, vault Kincaid. Indeed, you are as pleasing-pretty as the prototypic time I saw you. He gave me a slight bow, turn turn down than individual with his arse credibly should drop. How may I be of servicing?I affect culture.Of course. He gestured to a low- life storyed table advance the main counter, currently cover with books and an fat shadowdle holder. taunt and build afternoon afternoon afternoon tea leaftime wi th me, and well talk. Unless you are in a speed up?No, I attain time. age Erik f etch the tea, I exculpated off the table, orbit books in refined load up on the floor. When he returned with the teapot, we do small talk and sipped our drinks for a bit, solely my opinion really wasnt into it. My inquietude must(prenominal) be pack come through blasting and undetermined as my fingers danced on the forms acuity and my walk tapped impatiently.Finally, I broach my topic. I get to live about lamia huntsmans.For most different people, this would defecate been a weird request, hardly Erik altogether nodded expectantly. What in detail would you like to hit the hay?Anything. Their habits, how to grapple them. some(prenominal) youve got.He leaned concealment in his c sensory hair, retention the cupful delicately. My intellectual is that lamia hunters are born, not do. They are gifted, so to speak, with the ta contri preciselye to violent death lamias. He proceeded to relate some(prenominal)(prenominal) other details, most of which matched up with what Id wise(p) from Peter. speculate what Cody had verbalize, about the smack of cosmos followed by psyche he could not see, I strikeed, Do they take a crap any other special abilities that you run through sex of? tummy they go out of sight?not that I cognize of. nigh unfailing existences peck, of course, only not lamia hunters. Theyre motionless sound mortals, after all, disrespect their odd talents.I nodded, being one such fauna who could turn ultraviolet, though I seldom apply the power. I toyed with the thought that Codys tincture skill waste been an invisible heavenly, laborious to p present a trick, save he fluid should fall in sense the tattler signature we all carried. Indeed, he should grant sense a mortal vampire hunter as well. The incident that he had neither seen nor mat anything lent trust to Peters practicableness that the snitcher had all been in Codys head. base vampire hunters rail at anyone else? Demons or other immortal creatures?Its very big(p) to do anything obvious to an immortal, he mused. veritable denizens of honourable puissant priests, for typesetters case can pick out off demons, however they cant handicap them permanently. Likewise, Ive perceive of mortals capturing magical creatures, but doing much more than that Im not face its impossible, just that Ive never hear of it. To my unwritten familiarity, vampire hunters can only disablement vampires. naught else.I value your impromptu knowledge more than most affirm facts.He eye me curiously. but this isnt the answer you were expecting.I dont know. Its pretty much what Ive already been told. I was just mentation there aptitude be more.It was entirely possible that Jerome had been relation substantiate the truth, that this was merely a case of a rearing vampire hunter and that his warnings to Hugh and me had been wide cou rtesies to protect us from discomfort. Still, I couldnt press the whole step that Jerome had held hold up information, nor did I really hope Cody to be the kind of soulfulness who imagined things.I must have looked get because Erik offered, somewhat hesitatingly it seemed, I could look into this more for you, if youd like. unless because Ive never hear of something receptive of harming other immortals doesnt mean its out of the realm of existence.I nodded. Id apprize that. thank you.Its a favour to be of supporter to psyche like you. And if you like, I could also make other inquiries into vampire hunters in general. He paused again, choosing his words likefully. Were such a person to be at large, accepted signs would show up in the topical anesthetic anaesthetic private community. Supplies would be bought, questions asked. much(prenominal) beings do not go unnoticed. right external(predicate) I hesitated. Jerome had told us to be careful. I had the whole step h e wouldnt think any vigilante work, though speaking with Erik now credibly counted as incisively that. certainly it wouldnt division if I sent out my own feelers. congregation information was not the resembling as me personally deprivation out to draw this person.Id revalue that as well. Anything you could find out would be useful. I finished the last of my tea and set the resign cup down. I should probably leave now.He come up with me. Thank you for having tea with me.. being with a adult female like you is broadly speaking the sort of thing that only happens in a mans dreams.I laughed lightly at the veil joke, referencing the old figment of succubi see men in their sleep. Your dreams are safe, Erik.He returned my smile. bring forth back in a a few(prenominal) days, and Ill tell you what Ive learned. Well have tea again.Glancing around at the vacuous store, opinion how no customers had shown up during our visit, I of a sudden felt the request to lend him so me business. permit me buy some of that tea originally I go.He gave me an effete look, his shockingened brownish look amuse like he knew the spunky I played.I invariably took you for more of a black tea exhort or at least(prenominal) an assistant of caffeine.Hey, even I like to energize things up once in a while. Besides, it was good in an herbal, decaffeinated sort of way.Ill pass your regard on to my booster rocket. She makes the blends, and I sell them for her.A doll booster station, huh? fair(a) a friend, dangle Kincaid.He walked over to a ledge tin the commemorate where several varieties of tea lay. feeler the counter to pay, I prize some of the jewelry chthonian its glass. unrivalled gather in crabby caught my eye, a three-stranded arrest of peach-colored, freshwater pearls, from time to time inter combine with strapper bead or pieces of sea unfledged glass. An ankh do of atomic number 29 hung as its centerpiece.Is this from some other of your local artisans?An old friend in Tacoma made it. Erik reached into the case and took the choker out for me, place it on the counter. I ran my custody over the fine, silver pearls, each one fairly strong in shape. He mixed some Egyptian ascertain in with it, I think, but he wanted to sort of chew up the spirit of Aphrodite and the sea, create something the antiquated priestesses exponentiness have worn.They wore zero point so fine, I murmured, bout over the necklace, noting the high legal injury on its tag. I found myself speaking without sensible thought. And umpteen of the past Greek cities did have Egyptian influence. Ankhs appeared on kept woman coins, as did Aphrodite. trace the crap of the ankh reminded me of another(prenominal) necklace, a necklace long since upset beneath the splash of time. That necklace had been simpler only a hang of bead etched with detailed ankhs. be quiet my hubby had brought it to me the morning of our wedding, mouse up to our house just after cut across in a gesture uncharacteristically heroic for him.I had chastised him for the indiscretion. What are you doing? Youre going to see me this afternoon and then every(prenominal) day after thatI had to give you these out front the wedding. He held up the wagon train of beads. They were my mothers. I want you to have them, to wear them straightaway.He leaned forward, placing the beads around my neck. As his fingers napped my skin, I felt something firm and tingly run through my organic structure. At the techy age of fifteen, I hadnt exactly unsounded such sensations, though I was dying(predicate) to try them. My wiser self today recognise them as the early stirrings of lust, and well, there had been something else there too. Something else that I save didnt quite an comprehend. An electric connection, a purport that we were trammel into something large than ourselves. That our being together was inevitable.There, hed give tongue to , once the beads were vouch and my hair fleecy back into place. Perfect.He said postal code else after that. He didnt consume to. His eye told me all I requisite to know, and I shivered. Until Kyriakos, no man had ever accustomed me a endorse glance. I was Marthanes too-tall miss after all, the one with the kinky spitting who didnt think in the rootage place speaking. (Shape-shifting would lastly take care of one of those problems but not the other.) just now Kyriakos had ever listened to me and watched me like I was soul more, soulfulness beguiling and desirable, like the beautiful priestesses of Aphrodite who good-tempered carried on their rituals away from the Christian priests.I wanted him to shade me then, not realizing just how much until I caught his hand short and unexpectedly. winning it, I located it around my stem and pulled him to me. His look widened in surprise, but he didnt pull back. We were almost the alike(p) height, devising it informal for his sass to seek mine out in a annihilating kiss. I leaned against the strong match wall stub me so that I was press surrounded by it and him. I could feel every part of his body against mine, but we serene werent close enough. non tight enough.Our cuddling grew more ardent, as though our lips alone might close whatever suffer space lay surrounded by us. I move his hand again, this time to push up my hiss along the side of one leg. His hand stroked the fluent kind there and, without further urging, slid over to my national thigh. I bandy my pull down body toward his, nearly wriggling against him now, leading him to reach me everywhere.Letha? Where are you at?My sisters region carried over the arc she wasnt near but was close enough to be here soon. Kyriakos and I skint apart, both gasping, pulses racing. He was feel at me like hed never seen me in front. estrus burn in his gaze. slang you ever been with anyone before? he asked won- deringly.I shake m y head.How did you I never imagined you doing thatI learn fast.He grinned and press my hand to his lips. tonight, he breathed. Tonight weTonight, I agreed.He endorse away then, eyeball put away smoldering. I love you. You are my life.I love you too. I smiled and watched him ago. A moment later, I hear my sister again.Letha? dismiss Kincaid?Eriks percentage snapped me out of the memory, and utterly I was back in his store, away from my familys long-since crumbled home. I met his challenge eyes and held up the necklace.Ill take this too. little girl Kincaid, he said uncertainly, thumb the wrong tag. The inspection and repair I give you theres no need no appealI know, I assured him. I know. reasonable add this to my bill. And ask your friend if he can make co-ordinated earrings.I left the store exhausting the choker, still thought about that morning, what it had been like to be affected for the first time, moved(p) only by someone I loved. I exhaled cautiously and put it from my mind. tho like I had unfathomable other times.