Friday, May 17, 2019
Succubus Heat CHAPTER 12
Searching the Internet didnt turn up much, just as Id fe ard. Still, I took some satisfaction in at least doing something. It kept my mind off my possibly impend death. It kept my mind off demons descending on Seattle. Most importantly, it kept my mind off Seth.Because if I thought about him, I was going to think about touching him and kissing him andwell, a crew of other things. My feelings for him were starting to consume me, almost to the extent that my other problems seemed trivial. So, I lost myself in Google searches, hoping for each scrap of information about demon summoning. As expected, most of my hits sent me to sites on role-playing games and Dr. Faustus. Still, I mat up better than if Id just sat around.Driving to the meeting at the Cellar was about as harrowing as walking to the bookstore had been. I took slow back roads, unwilling to face the congestion and zip up of the freeways. The Cellar was a pub a lot of Seattle immortals a alike(p)(p)d to frequent. Whoever had organized this event had apparently taciturn the restaurants back room, which was norm on the wholey used for banquets and wedding receptions. I didnt occupy to experience demonic magic to cognise theyd sealed off the space from prying ears.The dimly lit room was crowded when I entered. I recognized some of the local lesser immortals, besides most were demons I didnt distinguish. Few sat at the long table, which was covered with appetizer plates and bottles of wine. Most peck stood around the edges, deep in conversation, or had pulled chairs up in tight, furtive clusters. deck and mei were both working the room, looking as businesslike and streamlined as ever-albeit edged in an uncharacteristically frazzled air. For the inaugural time ever, they were dressed differently, and I wondered if stress had prevented them from organize their wardrobes. Mei wore a red skirt and blazer with a necklace made of tiny alternating currency and silver rings. Grace wore a linen pantsu it with a chunky stone choker with a rounded moon pendant.Peter, Cody, and Hugh stood in the corner and waved me over.Hey, I express, whats going on?Not much, say Hugh. This seems to be more of a meet and greet. Not a lot of organization.We fell silent, all of us watching the interactions. In the opposite corner, I saw Cedric gesturing dramatically as he communicate. His face was dark and intent, and Kristin stood nearby with a clipboard and rapt expression, taking nones. Not far away, Nanette stood with her lovely, unreadable face while listening to another demoness talk.So, you must(prenominal) be Jeromes staff.The four of us turned. None of us had noticed the demon approaching, thanks to losing our ability to sense immortal signatures. This whole experience, I decided, really was like being bereft of sight or smell. This occurrence demon was no one I k naked as a jaybird. He had a big toothy smile and strip down that looked like it had had a tanning job go bad. His spiky white-blond hair wasnt doing him all favors either.He widen a hand. Im Tom. Pleasure to meet you all.We each shook his hand in return, introducing ourselves. He held our hands with great vigor, like a politician on the campaign trail. If wed had a baby, I had no doubts he would have kissed it.I imagine this must be pretty strange for you, he commented. But I pauperism you to hold out that were all here for you. Theres nothing to worry about-thingsll be back to normal before long. move over thanks you, I said politely, giving as good a succubus smile as I could in a non-succubus state. Snark around a demon was never a good idea. Snark when you didnt have your normal powers? Horrible idea. Were just anxious to take Jerome back.His smile faltered a little but quickly resumed. Yes, yes. Of course. Were all doing everything we can. But, of course, you know theres a prospect Jerome might not be foundSo weve heard, said Hugh, utter as politely as I had.Tom nodded. But dont worry. In the tragic event that happens, well occupy sure you guys are taken care of. You can rest assured that Seattles next archdemon will reign over with control and competence, making sure youre able to perform your duties in an efficient and effective manner.I had a feeling he was on the verge of telling us how, if elected, hed cut taxes and increase jobs, but we were break up by a high-pitched voice.Georg- gee -naA seven-foot woman was heading toward us. She had ebony-black skin that looked horrible with her orange tree hair. The combination made Toms features look supermodel gorgeous. Gold eye shadow shot all the way to her eyebrows, its scintillation rivaled only by the multicolored sequins of her dress. A black feather boa flared around her as she walked. some(prenominal) demons in the room froze and watched her, which was remarkable. Demons are not easily fazed.Whos that? asked Cody. Just like with Tom, Cody could sense neither the identity element nor even the type of thi s immortal. But I needed no such clues. chromatic, Peter and I said in unison.How do you guys know? asked Cody.The clothes, said Peter.The whine, I said.Tom was standing there, mouth half-open. A act later, he recovered himself. Well, it was nice meeting you all. I hope youll line up talk to me if you have any questions or concerns. Im very eager to get to know you all better. He scurried off just as Tawny reached us. We stared.What the hell happened to you? exclaimed Hugh.Tawny pouted. Well, there was this really nice guy that I pauperismed. Really minute and-Tawny, I interrupted. Ive told you a hundred times. S tip worrying about the good ones.She shook her head. No, no. He was into me. Well, he was into this. She gestured to her body. I figured out that he had these weird fantasies his wife didnt know about. So, I endue on this shape, and we did it . And the energyit was amazing.I couldnt hide my astonishment. Tawny had managed to score a decent guy. Shed used a strategy tha t, while basic, was also highly effective exploiting secret desires. It could shake the unshakable soul. Wow, I said at last. Thats great. Iwell, I cant believe Im saying this, but Im proud of you.She sighed. But I didnt get to enjoy the rush. Like, ten minutes afterwards it happened, it went away. Everything went away. I started feeling sick and-Yeah, we know the rest, said Cody, not un winsomely.And I was wearing this body, and nownow Im stuck with it.Under normal conditions, this would have provided hours of hilarity. For now, I actually matte bad for her. Well, hang in there. They say this wont last for long.Tawny nodded unhappily. Yeah. Heres hoping. Then, unexpectedly, she b justifiedlyened a little. Oh, but hey, you were totally right about the blow-job thing.Hughs head whipped around to stare at me. What?Before I could say anything, Mei appreciatively shouted for everyones attention. And when I say shouted, I mean it. She used her power to amplify her voice, so it rang s orely through the whole room, making a lot of us wince and cover our ears. Several people backed away, giving us a clear view of her and Grace. We neediness to thank everyone for coming, Mei said, returning(a) to her usual flat, emotionless voice.And we appreciate everyones help as we try to keep things exceedning around here. Mei and I have everything under control right now, but the concern everyones shown is certainlyadmirable. There was the slightest humorous note in Graces voice as she glanced around at the assembled demons. Many of them straightened up and smiled, acting as though they truly were here out of concern for us.We know youre as anxious to find Jerome as we are, said Mei. And well be doing everything we can to locate him. Some of those smiles tightened a little, and the crowd shifted uncomfortably. As Id told Seth, not everyone was so eager for Jeromes return.Yes, of course, a booming voice said. Tom had joined Grace and Mei in the spotlight. Jerome is our top pr iority, of course. And if-I mean, when-hes found, Im sure Management will be most eager to talk to him about how this happened in the first place. No doubt he will need a littlerehabilitation, and should he be unable(p) to fulfill his duties, I for one am ready right now to step up and run infernal affairs in Seattle.Well, Tom. A dark-haired demoness from across the room straightened up from where she leaned against the wall. If memory serves, your leadership in Tuscaloosa didnt end so well.Tom glowered. That was not my fault.So it began. The meeting slowly degenerated into chaos and broadly became about each demon talk of the town about wherefore he or she was the best choice-and why all of the others were completely unfit. It was like a year of presidential campaigning condensed into an hour.Look at Grace and Mei, noted Hugh. They look like they want to smite this entire room.Well, I said. Thats the thing. All these demons are talking about keeping hellish affairs in order he re, but those two are the ones who are actually doing it right now.Hell should just let them take over if Jerome doesnt come back, said Cody. I gave him a sharp look. Er, I mean, not that theres any question of that. Hell be back.Lets hope so, a new voice said. Cedric had strolled over and joined our circle, Kristin in tow.Whatever, I said, unable to hide a smile. You cant tell me you want him back. This is your perfect chance to create your great Northwest empire.He shook his head. No, believe me, I want nothing to do with any of this. Compared to some of these losers, Jerome suddenly seems like an ideal neighbor. It was very much like what Isabelle had said. I dont suppose, Cedric added, that youre going to be coming back up to Vancouver?I hesitated. Was I? Who did I dish up to now? Did Jeromes orders soothe stand? II dont know, I admitted. I dont know what Im supposed to. If I should leave.Well, he said. It wasnt like you were doing that great a job.I was too Id gotten them to back down before their questionable angel spoke to them. She told them not to trust me. I frowned, wondering if I should go on. I didnt know who to trust without Jerome around, and as Hugh had said, Cedric was still a very likely candidate for Jeromes summoning, in spite of my gut instinct. And you knowI think I have an idea about who did this and who that angel isCedric groaned. Will you give up on Isabelle already?I shook my head and lowered my voice. I dont think it was her. I think it was Nanette.The incredulous look on his face didnt change. Thats as ridiculous as Isabelle. You were there. You saw Nanette come to me because she was simply worried about managing her own territory.Funny, she had a similar meeting with Jerome not long after that.Cedrics face kept that cool, skeptical expression that demons excelled it. But, I was pretty sure I could see a spark of interest in his blue-gray eyes. That doesnt mean anything. Another gut feeling told me he was lying. He started to t urn, but whence Cody spoke, voice hesitant.Excuse medo you knoware we mortal?Cedric hesitated a moment and then laughed. When none of us said anything, he glanced between all our faces. Oh. Youre serious?Why is that such a crazy question? I demanded. Weve lost everything else that makes us immortal.Youve lost it to keep you out of trouble, said Cedric. goose egg wants you guys running around unsupervised with your normal abilities. So when you lose an archdemon, you get cut off. But youre still immortal. You think you can get out of your contract with something as easy as death?So we could get hit by a car and still be okay? asked Cody.Of course. Sure, itd take awhile to recover. Youd heal like a human, but youd eventually heal.What if we got decapitated? asked Peter.Yeah, agreed Cody. Like in upland ?Cedric rolled his eyes. Dont get decapitated, and well never have to find out. He focused on me. Look, stay here for a while. Something tells me that the Angel of Darkness isnt going to be making any appearances anytime soon. I suspect the mismanagement is over.I agree. Thanks.He gave me a curt nod and started to turn. Then, he glanced back at Tawny and did a double-take. Whats your name?Tawny, she replied.He eyed her from head to foot and then turned to Kristin. Get her number and find out up a date.I saw a spark of something in Kristins eyes, and it took me a moment to severalize it. Jealousy. Reflecting back on the way she doted on his affairs, I shouldnt have been surprised that she had a crush on him. She flipped through a few pages in her clipboard, her lips tight and disapproving.Youve got a lot of appointments this week. You hate it when youve got back-to-back events. She spoke levelly, but I could tell that while part of her warning came from true concern, another part of her welcomed the chance to throw a kink into his dating life. Cedric didnt appear to notice.He waved a dismissive hand. Cancel something unimportant. Youll know what to do.He wande red off while Kristin took down Tawnys number. Well be in touch, Kristin said flatly.Huh, said Tawny, once Kristin was gone. Hes kind of cute. Maybe this body isnt so bad after all.I exchanged glances with Hugh and Peter. They looked a lot like I felt weary and frustrated, with the secret suspicion that this was all almost funny.Well, I said, watching Tawny smile with delight. At least someones happy with all this.
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