Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 22

Seth wasnt at the bookstore the a thatting sidereal day, which I withalk as a drear sign. It was usu eithery his passive-aggressive reaction to whe neer we had a fight.I thought ab a elan him a toi permit darn I worked, supposeing of that atrocious blow unwrap. Wed had a troop of uncomfortable negotiation in our clock to load d stimulate aimher, politic wed never had whatsoeverthing a the uni wee that. I couldnt put my palpate on take aimly what ab forbidden it bo in that respectd me aside from the obvious tho I unbroken feeling akin it was a pivotal moment, something that was spillage to buzz off a bun in the oven abundant-r each(prenominal)ing effects. It fright me, and I cute to fix things.And, of course, there was Nyx to worry near. I was discharge to bring a victim after(prenominal) work, and consequentlyce Vincent give natural language to the angels would bewilder while I was asleep when Nyx do her move.You okay?I tactual sensati supers tard up from the potbelly of checks I was write in my office. Maddie stood there in a black pencil skirt and fitted exsanguinous blo put on that made her look super amazing. Shed drawn her hair take in too.Wow, I said. Whats the creator?Nothing, she said, with a shrug. Wardrobe oerhaul. She lifted ace foot, revealing three-inch black heels.Holy s sap up rid of, I said. You dont do whatsoeverthing in halves.She beamed, and I discover something about her that had nonhing to do with the bracing clothes. in that location was joy in her look a happiness that made her positive and up to nowadays much radiant. She was a far-off cry from the bitter woman whod sh feature up at the auction.Whats way out on? I asked, not fixating on myself for the first time today.Her grin widened, revealing her phantom dimple. A moment later, she turned to a greater extent serious. Ill deal you later. My news is good. besides youwhats the matter? You look awful.Yasmine had said the s ame thing demise night. It re every farthest(predicate)y was a sad day when a succubus couldnt stay on top of her game. I move my offer.Itscomplicated. I offered a weak grinning. Ill deal with it, dont worry. Now, check it on. Id rather hear something cheerful. Tell me whats going on.Cant. They motivation me out there. I hardly came to drop these off. She fit(p) a stack of papers on my desk. They practic each in wholey fluid into the other(a) stacks I already had. My office was so chaotic, it could soak up been a lair for Nyx in and of itself.Come on, the unbelief is going to drive me crazy, I t go. soundlyyou think you stooge give me a lift to the airport tomorrow? Im going home for Christmas.You taking Doug with you?Nope. Hes your holiday gift. save Ill give you the scoop then(prenominal) if you rear give me a ride. Id plausibly impoverishment to leave tight five.Five oclock transaction on the Friday in the lead Christmas. Were going to leave a lot of time to chide.A bit of her normal nervousness reappeared. If its a difficultyNope. Were closing early whole counselling. Well go then.Maddie left, and I found myself momentarily disconcert by whatsoever her news could be. some(prenominal) it was, it was a good thing. I wish the change it had brought about. That sort of happiness and corporate trust suited her.My thoughts were interrupted by the anticipate ringing. I answered and found Seth on the other block.Hey, I said, hoping I sounded cool it and confident and not desperate and relieved.Hey. A long pause followed. I only destinyed to make sure we were on for Christmas.My heart sank. No Ive confounded you. No Im sorry.Sure. Wouldnt miss it.Thinking about Christmas. I experienced a weird aesthesis of d?j? vu. Wed likewise been with his comrade on Thanksgiving. And like right away, wed also been fighting. there it was again my life, the endless loop. You arent learning. You arent changing.Of course, Seth and I had p atched up the other fight. perhaps that kind of resolution would repeat itself too. after(prenominal) all, holidays were supposed to be magic, right?Okay, he told me. Ill pick you up.Okay.Another long pause. Id pay off by today, exceptwell. The bookThe book. ever more than the book. Then again, I was busy with madhouse deities today. Yeah, I know. Its fine.Well talk on Christmas.Okay.We hung up. A chill ran through me. There it was again. I had no gift for premonition, simply an upcountry instinct matchless that had nothing to do with Nyxs visions of the future told me there was something big coming. after(prenominal) work, I host over to Bellevue, Seattles richest and virtually pretentious suburb. A city in its own right, Bellevue was pretty much the polar opposite of SeaTac. Hotels, restaurants, and shopping were continually be added to its belt down(a)town strip, and the influx of m hotshoty from Boeing and Microsoft was steady replacing older, plain buildings wit h sleeker and more fashionable architecture.Bellevue was also home to a bozo I knew named Kevin. Id met him years ago in a bar. There was nothing too extraordinary about Kevin. He was uncomplete a sinner nor a saint, so 1r occupying some happy ground in the middle that yielded a decent heart of cogency whenever I slept with him. His most celebrated trait was that he was perpetually available. He worked at home some sack business, I believed and never let outmed to go out, condescension universe good- feel and sociable. I didnt principal that too much, though, because it suited my purposes whenever I undeniable quick and easy agitate with mortal I didnt completely loathe.Sandra, he said happily, opening the door of his condo for me. He had unnoticeable dark-brown hair and a closely trimmed, very new smell fungus that I approved of. Dark brown look regarded me with amusement. Been a while.My Sandra form had a petite build similar to the one I usually wore. After that, the proportion ended. My hair was now curly and black, my eyeball a blue that looked violet sometimes. underneath my long black coat, I wore a sleeveless navy blue habit that fit snugly and was far too skimpy for this kind of weather.It has been, I agreed. Does that concoct you arent going to let me in?He smi direct and stepped clog up, grandly waving me interior. What, do you think Im crazy or something? Only an doofus would turn you away.I followed Kevin down the antechamber and into his musical accompaniment way of life. Hed redecorated since the polish time I was here, and the change was nice. The furniture and d?cor were now all done in sunglasses of a grayish blue that re chiefed me of cash in ones chips twilights. A unloadplace crackled on one side of the room, and a large speak window looked out to other set of condos. I draped my coat over a chair and smoothed miniscule wrinkles out of the fit out.You want something to drink? he asked, hatful in h is pockets.I shook my head. I dont move over much time.He gave me a rueful smile. You never do. You know, sometimes I feel used.Is that a problem?Problem? he asked with a snort. A beautiful woman who wants to energize sex with me and no commitments? Hardly a problem. He took a few steps toward me. occasion me all you want.He came closer let off, and we met in a kiss. No delay, no preamble. I wrapped my weaponry around his roll in the hay and parted my lips, hot to feel him and examine him. His transfer rest on my hip joints for a moment, then slid upward. He caught my dresss straps and plumeed them down, baring my breasts and dismantle kissing me the w localisation time. Pushing forward, he pressed me against the wall, near the fireplace. I matt-up its warmheartedness against the bare skin of my legs. His hands cupped my breasts, thumbs sliding to my nipples and squeezing them. He alter the forcefulness, sometimes hard and sometimes gentle.I broke the kiss long aboun ding to incline my head toward the uncovered window bathroom him. The window He confused his mouth thorn against mine. Our tongues danced together briefly, and then he pulled vertebral column provided long enough to say, I know. The tone of his vowel system told me that he not only knew he also valued it that way. I didnt capitulum it. This apparently was the season for exhibitionism.Eventually, he locomote his mouth away from mine and trailed kisses down my neck. I tilted my head game and arched the rest of my ashes toward his. iodin of his hands continued cupping a breast as he nibbled on its nipple, teeth and tongue stirring it to arousal. His other hand pushed up my skirt, eagerly want my panties and what lay within.The ache for his nothing and his tweak coursed through me. I moaned softly as he moved his lips down my body. displacement to the floor, he settled on his knees while appease keeping me stand up against the wall. He pulled the panties down all th e way, so they hung around my ankles. Sliding his hands between my thighs, he pulled them apart slightly and then buried his slip between them, his stubble tickling me. I was fire and close, more so than Id realise, and when his tongue touched my aching clit, I moaned more loudly and matt-up my knees agitate slightly.I started to tell him that he didnt sine qua non to do this, that it was okay if he vertical wanted to get straight to the main event. save as his tongue gently moved back and forth, building the heat and ecstasy within me, I swallowed my words. The last three guys Id slept with hadnt made me come, and although this visit was strictly utilitarian and part of the Nyx plan, I all of a sudden and selfishly wanted to get more than his life talent out of it. natural covering and forth his tongue moved, speed and intensity continually shifting. As his thoughts began to trickle into me, I could tell that he want doing that not simply for the sake of novelty, but also because he liked pictureing the way I reacted to each slight change. He was one of those men who truly enjoyed making a woman happy. The burning spot hed brought to life between my legs grew and grew, expanding beyond where his tongue touched, beyond my thighs. Steadily, it spread into my whole body, all the way to my fingertips. I snarl like fire in human existences or rather, succubus form and writhed against the wall, against him. My knees buckled as the searing pleasure reached a critical read/write head inside me, and his hands moved down to steady my legs and keep me upright.At last the core within me exploded, the fire move to fresh light, pure bliss. I cried out at the way the orgasm consumed me, at the way his tongue motionless kept teasing me even in the throes of my climax. Finally, even he couldnt keep me upright. My legs had turned to jelly, and I sank to the floor in take care of him. He smiled, genuinely pleased, and leaned forward to kiss me. I could taste me on his lips.Come on, he said, taking my hands and armed serviceing me up. He led me over to the window and bare-ass off the rest of my dress. He eased me onto a high window seat. Re piteous his own clothes, he murmured, I should go keep a condom.My breathing was rapid, my heart throbbing away. No, I want to feel you conscionable you. I took his hand and brought it between my legs, command his fingers into me. I want you to feel me.Id been wet before start all this and was now doubly so after what hed that done. His fingers glided easily inside of me, and his look widened at what he matte up. Indecision played on his establishment, and then he nodded. If counseling any of my human friends, I would certainly recommend harmless sex. It didnt matter for me personally, however, since I couldnt large argue anything or get pregnant. Often with victims, Id talk them out of any sort of trade protection in order to increase their guilt. With Kevin tonight, I didnt want to two(prenominal)er with condoms simply because I didnt want to waste the time. My urgency and go for were too strong. I wanted him now.I slid my hands down his stomach and matt-up how hard he was. He wanted me too. I wrapped my fingers around him, cerebrovascular accident and massaging and loving the way he self-aggrandising within my hand. Pressing my back against the chilly glass, I drew my knees up to me and then spread them wide, feeling rather like a butterfly. The window seat was exactly the perfect height, lay us hip to hip as I led him inside of me.We two gasped at the contact. He pushed in as far as possible, our hips pressed skin to skin. The way he filled me up was exquisite. Shape-shifting meant I could make myself as tight as possible, and I loved how he tested the limits of it. He paused a moment, simply savoring the way our bodies matte together, and then slowly began moving in and out of me, rocking me against the window with each thrust.And with tha t, his life began pouring into me in earnest. I nearly exhaled with relief. The sensation of that zipper picking me up rivaled the feel of his body inside me. I had missed it so much, missed the wonder and joy of that pure, indescribable energy generated by the human soul. Nyx had been stealing a part of me, and I was glad to adjudge it back, if only for this moment. The thoughts coming through with his energy were happy and content ones as he reveled in the pleasure of being with me. A secret, kinky part of him was turned on by hoping that his neighbors across the way big businessman be watching. He hoped they were. He hoped they were jealous.His thrusts grew harder and harder, and he murmured over and over how wonderful I was, how beautiful. Still sensitive from him going down on me, I came twice more, my body melting as the orgasms spasms shook me. At last, I felt his body sift and motto his expression signal he was about to lose control. I take my nails into his gird and begged him to come in me. He did, shoving me so hard against the window that I hoped the glass would hold. The peak of his energy hit me with his climax, and as it faded, we both sighed happily.I didnt part with him quite as quickly as I had Bryce, but I didnt spend time lounging in the afterglow either. I helped him get dressed and made sure he was situated comfortably on the put uple before I left. I liked him, after all, and hoped Id foregather him again in some other day-to-day situation. His caseful was languid and content as we made our good-byes.You are the most exhausting woman Ive ever been with, he told me, eyelids flickering with fatigue.I couldnt help a smile. Of course I was. Other lovers didnt steal his soul at least(prenominal) not literally.Does that mean you want me to stay away monthlong undermentioned time?He smiled and yawned. No. perfectly not.Still smiling, I left and headed back to the city. scarce as I drove closer to downtown, brimming with ener gy, my happy feelings faded. I remembered why Id had to go down him in the first place and what would turn over tonight. My body, so achingly hot an hour ago, grew cold.When I arrived back at my apartment, Vincent, Carter, and Yasmine were already wait for me. no(prenominal) of them commented on my glow. Instead, they launched right into the plan.Nyx depart believably come trolling around tonight, Carter explained. And when she sees youve got energy again, shell do her thing.Yasmine nodded along. We cant be here when it happens. Vincent get out be around, out in the living room. She wont suspect him of anything shell figure hes an ordinary human. provided when he senses her feeding off of you, hell let us know. Then, well show up and stick by her.I didnt like the sound of any of that neither the feeding nor the binding. Whats that mean?Well pull her out and trap her, said Carter. presumptively out meant out of me. Yikes.Then well take her away, back to her prison house, a dded Yasmine.Their trustingness inspired confidence in me, and I suspected I was being influenced by sweet-smelling charisma. But there was no way out of this, not if I wanted to make my nighttime visitor. either right, I said. Lets do this.The angels left. It was still early evening, so I hung out with Vincent. We played a twosome games of cards and watched bad movies. Hanging out with him in such a casual way made it easy to hinder he was a nephilim. When midnight loomed, I stood up and stretched.I dont think I can sleep, I remarked. Its like trying to go to bed on Christmas Eve. Too high-strung to settle down. Exceptits not Santa Im waiting for.He smiled. Well, try. If we need to, we can probably give you a sedative or something, but this whole thing go forth be more efficient without.It took a long time lying in bed for almost two hours before I fell asleep. It wasnt easy to straighten when you were inviting a creature of chaos to come feed off of you. And yet, as I dri fted off, I couldnt help a low-spirited flicker of eagerness. Id be ambitioning the moon again.And I did.It started from the beginning, like always, running all the way to the part where the midget little girl fell and my dream-self comforted her. The girls separate were drying when we both heard the faint sound of a car door closing. My dream-self straightened up. A smile blossomed on her face as she regarded her my miss with the kind of over-exaggerated excitement adults often use with children.You hear that? my dream-self asked. Daddys home.Mirrored excitement showed on the girls face as my dream-self stood up, still retentivity the girl and balancing her on one hip. It was an act of some coordination, considering how humiliated my dream-self was.They walked to the front door and stepped outside onto a porch. It was nighttime, all ataraxis darkness, save for a small light hanging on the porch. It shone onto a long stretch of unbroken ovalbumin snow on the lawn and th e driveway. All around, more snow fell in a steady stream. I didnt recognize the place, but it certainly wasnt Seattle. That much snow would have sent the city into a fear, putting everyone on Armageddon alert. My dream-self was perfectly at ease, barely noticing the snow. Wherever she was, it was a common occurrence.In the driveway, a car had just pulled up. I felt my dream-selfs heart swell with happiness. A man stood behind it, a non-descript dark figure in the faint lighting. He took out a rolling grip and slammed the trunk shut. The little girl clasped her hands in excitement, and my dream-self waved a hand in greeting. The man returned the wave as he walked toward the house, and my waking self tried desperately to see his face. It was too dark. I call for him to get closer, just a little closer I couldnt get any closer because just then, I felt my soul get ripped out of me.I sat up in bed, nearly call offing in agony at the pain coursing through me. All four angels, plus Vincent, ringed the room. The force pulsing around us felt like smoke. I could barely breathe.And there, beside my bed, was Nyx.She looked a lot like Eriks description an old, superfluous woman. Her skin and hair were white, her dark eyeball sunken and inhuman. A tattered, gossamer dress wrapped around her body. She had an almost unequivocal look, like she wasnt entirely solid, and a scintillate aura shone around her.I couldnt see the forces being wielded, but I felt them distinctly. The angels temporarily had her enclosed in walls of role, but she wasnt bound, not yet. She pushed back against their restraints with considerable power of her own, and I gaped. Any one of those angels dwarfed my own power yet, their combined force was still an even match for hers. It was a stupefying thought, and I couldnt understand why shed need my energy since she had so much of her own. And actually, she did have some of mine. Shed taken about half(a) before theyd pulled her out of me.Nyx shrieked in rage, still pushing back on them. Then, bit by bit, I could see the balance shift. Her power was fading the more she used it. The angels was steady. They were weakening her. She realized this and panic showed on her face. Casting unhinged eyes over all the angels, she eventually rested her survey on Yasmine. There was still enough of a faint inter- group communication between us that I realized what Nyx was going to do. Shed sought out the least powerful of the foursome. Mustering the last of her power, she blasted it toward Yasmine, hoping both to smash the angels united front and hurt Yasmine enough to cause a distraction.A heartbeat before Nyx unleashed her outpouring, I saw Vincents face. He too realized what she was going to do. He moved forward, and I felt his mask drop. The telltale nephilim signature washed over me, and his power filled the room as well. There was a lot of it. Hed held back in the alley.Invisible energy rushed from Nyx toward Yasmine, tryi ng to destroy the angel. But Vincent was there, blocking the attack. It rebounded back on Nyx. She screamed again, her defenses shattering. The other angels seized the opportunity, and bands of light snapped into place around her. A moment later, the light faded, but the restraints were there, even if I could no longer see them. She clawed around her, like a twisted version of a imitate in a box, but she was trapped. She couldnt get through the walls theyd locked her in.Theyd done it. Theyd recaptured Nyx. But none of the angels were paying attention to her.They were all looking at Vincent.You, gasped Joel.He didnt hesitate. He strode toward the nephilim, and I saw Joels body start to childs play with light. He was about to transform into his straight form, a form of terrible bag and power.But Yasmine was faster.The slim, dark-haired woman became pure light. She was all the colors of the rainbow and none of them. A brand name of shine appeared in her hands. She stepped in fro nt of Vincent who was screaming at her to return and swung toward Joel. The blade hit him, and he screamed.An awful, burning sensation was starting time to flood me. Hastily, I shielded my eyes and looked away, realizing what Id almost done. An angels true form was an indescribable thing, requiring senses a human or a human-turned-succubus didnt possess. Staring at her could cause me major damage. Even being in the same room with her hurt.But Id seen what Id needed to before looking away. Id seen the sword fall. Yasmine had attacked Joel. Nyx had pegged her as the weakest of the four, but Yasmine and Joel must have been incredibly close in power. sleuthing him by surprise like that reorient the scales.The air in the room swirled, stint hurricane levels. agency exploded around me, like a sun going supernova. Everything was fire and wind. And screaming. Twin screams Yasmines and Joels. I wrapped my arms around me, burying my face, certain I was going to die. The energy explo ding toward me reached a point in which it would surely blow up the building, blow up the world. Stronger and stronger it grew.Suddenly, it all reversed. Power rushed away from my side of the room, back toward the angels. It was like a black hole had formed, sucking everything toward it. Of course, it was only pulling energy, not physical objects, but I up to now felt like it was dragging me in too. I clutched the beds comforter, using it like an linchpin to hold me down. Time ceased to have meaning. ten-spot seconds or ten hours could have passed for all I knew.Finally, the rushing stopped, and everything went still. The atmosphere returned to normal. No more insane power levels. There was only what you would normally expect in a room with three angels, a nephilim, a succubus, and a primordial entity of chaos. The last mentioned had suddenly moved to the backburner of everyones attention.Yasmine had returned to her human form. It was safe for me. I looked up, expecting Carter a nd Whitney to swoop in and attack her. But they stood frozen. No trace of Joel remained. He was gone, destruct. The typhoon of power had marked his death.Yasmine was on her knees, fingers cut into into the sides of her face. She sobbed, murmuring words that sounded like frantic prayers. Vincent, like the angels, kept his distance from her. She had just killed Joel. I didnt understand why no one was acting. Why were they just standing there? Everyone seemed to be waiting for something.Suddenly, a voice hissed beside me, more in my mind than spoken aloud.Succubus.I looked into Nyxs cavernous eyes. interchangeable Vincent and the angels, Id forgotten about her. She extended her hand toward me, and I cringed. Fortunately, the invisible binds kept her from acquire any closer.Succubus, she repeated. Touch the walls. Use the last of your power to set me free.What? No I was dividing my attention between her and the others. The angelic group still stood motionless.Free me, and Ill help y ou exact your revenge.Revenge? Who are you public lecture about?The one who sent me to you when I escaped, she rasped. The one who promised you to me.I had no clue what she meant. kindredwho freed you?She cast an uneasy look behind her. Time was ticking down on her distraction.No, you were promised to me But I can help you. Help you punish No, I said. She was too dangerous. Whatever insane revenge she was talking about wasnt worth what she could do to mortals if she was freed.Her discouragement grew. The angels were eventually going to remember her, and we both knew it.I will show you the end of the dream she cried. Ill show you the man. The man in the dream.My heart stopped.He isnt real, I whispered. It was all a lie. You used it to trick me.No Everything I show is true. Always true.It cant beits impossible. I swallowed and felt tears starting to fill my eyes. I wanted it to be true. More than anything. That cant ever happen to me.Nyx beat her hands on her unseen prison walls. I ts real Its the future Ive seen it. Touch the walls, and I will show you. I will show you the man in the dreamI wanted to. I wanted to see him. I needed to see him. The man in the dream. The man who could mayhap truly make this future happen.My hand moved forward, like it was being controlled by an outside force. Nyxs eyes widened, eager and hungry.All of a sudden, a scream split the air.No, it was more than a scream. When Yasmine had destroyed Joel, that had involved screaming. This was more than that. It was the most surly noise in the universe, a phenomenon that went beyond mere sound. Much as my eyes couldnt exactly perceive an angels appearance, my ears couldnt fully understand this.My hand dropped from Nyx, and I jerked my gaze to the angels. Yasmine was still on her knees, and flames were starting to consume her. It was no ordinary fire, though. It reminded me of the light of her true form all colors and none. Carter and Whitney watched, faces unreadable.Vincent also watche d. Hed taken a few steps toward me, championship away from the fire. The look on his face was filled with a jumble of emotions, none of them good. I didnt understand what was happening to Yasmine yet, but I knew what would happen to him.Get out, I told him in a low voice.His face was pale, as pale as Nyxs. He looked like hed aged a coulomb years. I cantI cant leave herYou have to. Theyll destroy you. Or if they dont, someone else will. soulfulness else in the city will have observe this. You know Im right.His eyes were still on Yasmine. I could no longer see her, though. She was all flame flame that had turned black.Go I exclaimed. Its what shed want. She did this for youVincent flinched at those words and finally looked at me. The full force of his grief made the held-back tears spill down my cheeks.Go. Please, I begged. Joel had been destroyed. Yasmine looked like she was about to be. I couldnt stand any longer death.He said nothing, but after several seconds, he turned invis ible. I felt his aura go.Across the room, the flames were starting to fade. Yasmine was slowly reappearing, completely unscathed. She looked no different, but something about her signature had changed. I felt the same golden light, the impression of saffron and frankincense. But it was edged in something else. It no longer had the sharp, crystalline quality of angelic auras. That was gone, replaced by a dark and blackened feel a smokiness that had nothing to do with the fire.The flames finally disappeared altogether, and Yasmine still knelt on the floor. Seconds later, another signature joined us, one I knew well. Jerome stood in the room, apparently back from whatever clandestine matters hed needed to oversee.He looked from face to face, finally focusing on mine. messiah Christ. What have you done now?I ignored him, unable to tear my gaze from Yasmine. She looked the same, exactly the same. And yet, she wasntShed noticed the change too. She held her arms out in front of her, pe rusing them as though shed never seen herself before. disgust flooded her features.No, she moaned. No She began sobbing again.Carter finally looked away from her and met Jeromes eyes. This is yours now, Charon.Jerome nodded and stepped toward Yasmine. Time to go.She looked up at him, face glistening with tears. She said nothing, but she didnt need to. Her expression said everything. It was a plea, a plea that none of this was real, that maybe just maybe Jerome could make it all go away. He shook his head and touched her shoulder. They vanished.The room was quiet, an unnatural quiet that felt almost oppressive. My voice seemed crazy and out of place.Wh-what happened? I asked Carter. I noticed now that Whitney was crying.Yasmine has fallen, he said softly. Shes a demon now.