'Succubus on Top CHAPTER 10\r'

'Jerome didnt seem very happy to hear from me the neighboring morning.\r\nâ€Å"Do you turn in any idea what term it is, Georgie?” he growled into the ph 1.\r\nâ€Å"Why are you whining? You dont even fatality to sleep.”\r\nâ€Å"Make this fast.”\r\nI told him ab by my experience at the concert and my inability to ID the whodunit immortal. â€Å"He wasnt atomic number 53 of us. Er, I mean, you whap… non part of our…pantheon,” I finished lamely.\r\nâ€Å"‘Pantheon? Ive never comprehend it put rather analogous that †prohi human acti 1dside of an introductory mythology class, of course.”\r\nâ€Å"So?”\r\nâ€Å"So what?”\r\nâ€Å"So isnt that weird? Ive met hund ruddys of contrastive immortals and never mat up up angiotensin-converting enzyme resembling this. He didnt feel…normal. I mean, he did feel give care an immortal, plainly it was bonny weird.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, hard as it is to believe, in that location are tot completelyyay a fix of things out there you pee-peent see †despite your vast age. â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, yeah, I bang Im an infant, all proficient? plainly doesnt this worry you at all?”\r\nHe yawned. â€Å"not in the least. Something angelic ordemonic would, only when some random demigod or lech? Hardly. Theyre not part of the game. Well, theyre all part of the Game. What I mean is, theyre not part of our game. They dont have to give birth permission to be here. As enormous as they dont interfere with our business, I dont au pasttically take. They do their possess thing. Well except catalog them and move on.”\r\nâ€Å"Catalog? Youve got a record so?”\r\nâ€Å"Well, I dont, of course. Thats one of clemency and meis things.”\r\nNo surprise there. Jerome wasnt really big on…well, work. Grace and Mei were subordinate demonesses who did a lot of the dirty jobs he didnt wish to. I fairish stra ight ever saying them.\r\nâ€Å"Ill have to page them,” I murmured, mind spinning.\r\nâ€Å"You come, I suppose it goes without saying that there are a hundred other more than useful projects you could be channeling your energy into. Like, say, helping your incubus fri give notice. From what I hear, hes stuck high and dry out in the suburbs. Emphasis on the high.”\r\nâ€Å"Hey,” I stockpile, defensive of Bastiens honor, â€Å"hes good taking his time. You plentyt rush quality work. Besides, he acquire everything he knows from me. â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Somehow that doesnt reassure me.” Jerome disconnected.\r\nI track eat down Grace and Meis number. I waited for the tone, punched in my take out number, and hung up. A minute later, a Fourth of July proper shower of sparks appeared in my living room and the twain demonesses s withald before me.\r\nFor having chosen 2 very different bodies, the pair watched unco alike. Grace was slim in an all-bus iness, non-nubile sort of mood, enhanced by the designer blackened skirt and jacket she wore. She had pale blond sensory hair cut bluntly at chin length, brown-black fondnesss, and shinny that never saw the sun. The all true likeness on her was the fire engine red limn she wore.\r\nMei dressed exactly the same, down to the red lipstick. Her hair, also chin-length, was a deep blue-black. Despite the softer lines, higher(prenominal) cheekbones, and delicate almond shape of her unsung eyeball, she radiated no more w sectionth or friendliness than her counterpart.\r\nThe two always stuck to vanquishher, and I assumed they must be friends. Sort of. I had no doubt theyd small fry each others eyes out †or Jeromes, for that variationction †if an opportunity for power or promotion was on the line.\r\nâ€Å"Georgina,” verbalize Mei.\r\nâ€Å"Long time no see,” verbalize Grace.\r\nBoth watched me expectantly. Aubrey watched them from the mainstay of my c ouch, her hair on end and tail poofed out.\r\nâ€Å"Hey guys,” I replied uneasily. â€Å"Thanks for coming everywhere so fast. Slow day?”\r\nThey both stared at me.\r\nâ€Å"Um, so, okay. Jerome verbalize you keep records of immortals who pass in and out of the city. Immortals who are away of our…”\r\nâ€Å"Game?” suggested Grace.\r\nâ€Å"Pantheon?” suggested Mei.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah. Sure. So…do you?”\r\nâ€Å"Who are you looking for?” asked Mei.\r\nâ€Å"What kind of immortal?” asked Grace.\r\nâ€Å"Thats the problem.”\r\nI told them everything I knew some him, which well-nighly included show and other encounters when Id felt that weird sensation. Describing his signature was harder. I couldnt exactly say he felt like an incubus or an angel or a nymph or an oni. I hadnt run crosswise his type before.\r\nThe demonesses processed this information, glanced at each other, and so shook their heads.\r\nâ€Å"H e doesnt sound familiar,” said Grace.\r\nâ€Å" nevertheless we can double-check the records,” said Mei.\r\nâ€Å"Thanks,” I told them. â€Å"Id really appreciate it.”\r\nThey nodded curtly and moody as if to leave. Mei suddenly glanced back at me.\r\nâ€Å"You should hang out with us sometime,” she said unexpectedly. â€Å"Cleos in Capitol Hill has capital specials on Ladies Night.”\r\nâ€Å"There are so few of us girls more or less here,” added Grace. â€Å"We need to stick together.”\r\nThey grind and disappeared. I shivered. Going to a bar with those two sounded only marginally more appealing than stamping with Danas CPFV friends.\r\nSpeaking of which, I unflinching to visit Bastien later that afternoon. I hadnt heard from him in a few geezerhood.\r\nâ€Å"Do you have any idea how much I dont care astir(predicate) your mortal friends?” he snapped when I told him about the on the whole bizarre situation surroun ding Doug, Alec, and the mystery man. â€Å"I have real problems here. Im dying. Im getting nowhere with Dana. I keep seeing her, shes square-toed, and thats it! Its like she only wants †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"To be friends?”\r\nHe stopped pacing around his kitchen and cut me an arch look. â€Å"Women are never only friends with me.” He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes. â€Å"I still cant look what else to do. If I dont act fast, one of our superiors is personnel casualty to find out how bad things are.”\r\nI decided not to mention Jeromes â€Å"high and dry” color practiced then.\r\nâ€Å"Well, jeez, take a break and do something fun. slams having another poker game. Come over and shirk with us. Im going to bring Seth.”\r\nâ€Å"I thought you said this was going to be fun.”\r\nâ€Å"Hey! Who was that a dig at? Peter or Seth?”\r\nâ€Å"Pick one, Fleur .Although, admittedly, Peter does wanton outside a pretty d ecentsouffle. What can the creator do?”\r\nâ€Å"I wish youd stop plectron on Seth. You dont even know him.”\r\nBastien shrugged. â€Å"Sorry. You just make it so easy.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre jealous.”\r\nâ€Å"Hardly,” he snorted. â€Å"Ive had my share of mortal infatuations, convey you. So have you, if memory serves. And youve also had a number of immortal boyfriends you seemed to have liked pretty well. None of them ever gave you as much wo as this guy.”\r\nâ€Å"Seths different. I cant explain it. Being with him just feels so…right. I feel like Ive cognise him forever. â€Å"\r\n” Fleur , Ive cognize you forever. Youve only known this guy for a couple months.”\r\nWe had gotten involved pretty quickly, and it did bug me sometimes, notwithstanding I truly believed in the strength and discernment of my touch sensations for Seth. They were neither superficial nor transient †I hoped.\r\nHe had once told me there was no one else in the world for him but me. When Id pointed out that was a inconsiderate statement in light of how broad wed known each other, hed simply said, â€Å"Sometimes you just know.”\r\nIt was remarkably similar to what my husband, Kyriakos, had told me when wed first met, back in my long-ago, cold days as a mortal. Id been fifteen at the time, and my mother had sent me down to the docks of our town with a message for Kyriakos, fuss. Sending me alone was a bit unorthodox, but my father hadnt thought much about it since he was only a short outdistance away at the market. Nonetheless, I set in motion it a frightening walk.\r\nSweaty, dirty men worked ceaselessly, un freight rate and loading in the hot sun while the turquoise Mediterranean shimmered beyond them. I got directions from a short, grow man who leered up at me when he finished.\r\nâ€Å"Youre a tall girl,” he observed. â€Å"Bet that might chafe some men, but not me. Youre just the right poin t as far as Im concerned.”\r\nHe laughed, and some of his companions laughed too. The mans face came up right to the height of my chest. I hurried past them with lowered eyes, honing in on the indicated ship. Relief flooded me when I prepare Kyriakos checking lines and speeching to some of the workers. Id never pour forthn to him, but I knew who his father was and knew he was trust neat. He looked up at my approach and smiled.\r\nâ€Å"Youre Marthanes, girl, right? Letha?”\r\nI nodded. â€Å"Im suppositional to come apart your father that the shipment can be ready this evening if he wants it early.”\r\nâ€Å"Ill let him know. Hes not here.”\r\nâ€Å"All right.” We stood there awkwardly for a moment. I could sense him studying me out of the corner of his eye while pretending to study the workers. He looked like he wanted to say something, but when null came, I do motions to go. â€Å"Well, thanks. I should get back.”\r\nâ€Å"Wait, L etha.” He reached out a hand to stop me from turning, then startlely pulled back before actually affecting me. â€Å"You…didnt walk here by yourself, did you?”\r\nâ€Å"My father said it wasnt that far. And that I wasnt in much danger of attracting interest. â€Å"\r\nKyriakos made a harsh sound in his throat. â€Å"Your fathers a fool. Let me walk you back.” He hesitated. â€Å"But dont tell your father I called him a fool.”\r\nHe transfer a few curt words with one of his men and then set out back to town with me. He was older than me, his face tan from sun and sea. His hair was black and messy, about chin-length, and he stood almost †but not instead †as tall as I did.\r\nâ€Å"I saw you at that wedding a few days ago,” he said after a long stretch of silence. â€Å"You were dancing with some other girls. You know…youre really good.”\r\nThe compliment surprised me. â€Å"I think the wine helped.”\r\n "No. The wine helped the other girls †or hindered, maybe. Im not sure.” He glanced over at me, and I tight fittingly stumbled at the intensity in his dark eyes. â€Å"But you…dancing lives inner(a) of you. The music spoke to you, and you understood it.”\r\nâ€Å"You were playing a flute,” I recalled, essay not to blush at the regard in his voice.\r\nâ€Å"Yes.” He sounded happy that I remembered. Silence cancel again. We were almost to the market; the sounds of community and commerce drifted down to us. Kyriakos clearly wanted us to keep talking. â€Å"So…I heard your sister got married endure spring.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes.”\r\nâ€Å"What about you?”\r\nI eyed him. â€Å"I didnt get married last spring.”\r\nA smile turned up the edges of his lips. â€Å"What about next spring?”\r\nâ€Å" ar you offering?”\r\nâ€Å"Just checking. I heard my father say…”\r\nI stopped walking near the edge of the market, so I could look him in the eye again. People and animals moved around us, and across a walkway I could see my father talking to a fruit vendor.\r\nâ€Å"Look,” I said brusquely, â€Å"I heard my father say it too †how theyre thinking about reservation a trade union between our families. Itd create good trade deals. But if youre trolling for that, you should talk to your father about one of my sisters, not me.”\r\nâ€Å"What? Dont you want to get married?” His smile faltered. â€Å"Or is someone else lined up for you?”\r\nI stared incredulously. â€Å"No, of course not. You just dont want to marry me, thats all.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont?”\r\nâ€Å"No. You want one of my sisters.”\r\nâ€Å"I do?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. Theyre shorter, prettier, nicer †and softer spoken.”\r\nâ€Å"Can they dance?”\r\nI considered. â€Å"No. Theyre terrible.”\r\nHis shy smile returned. â€Å"Then I want you.” \r\nâ€Å"Youre crazy. You dont know what youre talking about. You dont know anything about me. ” Of course, in those days, most people knew little about their betrothed. What I found remark competent was his conviction that we were compatible.\r\nâ€Å"It doesnt matter. I can just tell that youre the one. Cant you feel it?”\r\nI met his eyes and felt a shiver go through me, like Id stumbled into something bigger and more powerful than both of us. For just a moment, I allowed myself to consider that this man from a highly respected family might legitimately be interested in me. It was a heady feeling, and not just from the honor involved. It was from the way he looked at me and spoke to me, like I was both worthy and an equal. Something built between us, drawing me to him, and it confused me.\r\nâ€Å"You dont know anything about me,” I repeated quietly, my mouth feeling dry.\r\nHis tentative smile grew bolder. â€Å"I know plenty. I know that you dance and tha t youre smart †too smart, harmonize to my father. And I know that your family is banned from Lais, bakery because you called her daughter a †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"That wasnt my fault,” I interjected quickly. Across the way, my father caught pile of us. I held up a hand of greeting, and he impatiently gestured me over. â€Å"My father wants me.”\r\nKyriakos cast an uncertain look over there and hastily turned back. If I was known for a sharp tongue, my father was reputed to be worse, and however love struck and brazen, Kyriakos apparently wasnt quite up to facing him yet. â€Å"Ill have my father talk to yours.”\r\nThe earlier joking was gone; Kyriakos was all sincerity now. But there was more than just that. His eyes were looking at me in a way Id never been looked at before. I felt hot, then cold, and then hot again. A tingle contend along my flesh. I couldnt take my eyes away from his.\r\nâ€Å"This isnt about trade deals,” I whispered.\r\n†Å"No. This is about you and me. Youre the one.”\r\nI stared, uncharacteristically short on words. My knock now came more from that crazy feeling swirling inside of me, not from the preposterous nature of his proposal †one he shouldnt have even brought up without the participation of our families. Later Id con what a leap this whole conversation had been for him. He was not given to long speeches or bold behavior. He said little, as a general rule, more content to express himself through his eyes and his music, and later…after we were married, his lovemaking.\r\nâ€Å"Look,” he said, suddenly growing nervous as he misinterpreted my silence and expression, â€Å"Ive saved. We can get a nice house. You wont have to live with so many people anymore. Ill be gone a lot, but you can probably run things and make deals better than me anyway. Not being able to buy bread give be problematic, but we might be able to afford a servant, or you can learn to † "\r\nâ€Å"Shut up,” I said.\r\nHe stared. â€Å"What?”\r\nâ€Å"Just close down up. Youre wasting time. Go tell your father to talk to mine. And,” I added wryly, â€Å"I know how to make bread.”\r\nHe caught his breath. â€Å"Youre sure?”\r\nâ€Å"About the bread? Yes, Im sure.”\r\nA vague smile bloomed across his face, spreading up into his eyes, making them smolder. I felt my pulse quicken and smiled back. zero point else needed to be said. My father yelled again, and I ran off to join him.\r\nPondering this memory and what was now happening with Seth, I stared dazedly out the bearing window and caught sight of Jody checking the mail.\r\nâ€Å"Hey,” I told Bastien. â€Å"I want to go say hi to her.”\r\nI ran outside and waved, making her break out into one of her big, scenic smiles. To my surprise, she even hugged me.\r\nâ€Å"Ooh! Im so glad to see you. How have you been?”\r\nWe exchanged a few pleasantries, and then she grabbed my arm excitedly. â€Å"Are you busy today? You want to go to the mall?”\r\nTo my surprise, that actually sounded like fun. More fun than listening to Bastien bitch and moan. â€Å"Sure.”\r\nâ€Å"Great. Ill go tell Dana.”\r\n'