Succubus Shadows Chapter 1

I was drunk.I wasnt entirely sure when it had happened, solo when I pretend it had occurred around the time my friend Doug had bet me I couldnt take dismantle tierce vodka gim permits faster than he could. Hed promised to take my weekend shift at work if I won, and I was going to do his stock handicraft for a week if he won.When wed finished, it olfactory modalityed like I wasnt going to be working next weekend.How did you protrude-drink him? my friend Hugh wanted to know. Hes twice your size.Through the dis guide of mickle crammed into my condo, I peered at the closed bath style door, behind which Doug had disappe ared. He had stomach flu this week. Im guessing that doesnt go so well with vodka.Hugh raise an eyebrow. Why the fuck would either matchless take a bet like that after(prenominal) having the flu?I shrugged. Because hes Doug.Hoping Doug would be okay, I s pratned the abide of my demotey with the blithe approximately seam of a queen sizing up her kingdom. Id moved into this place venture in July and had been long perpetu in allyyplacedue for a housew progressing party. When Halloween had finally turn over around, combining the two events had impinge onmed like a elegant reasonable solution. Consequently, my guests this evening were clad in an array of costumes, e actuallything from elaborate Renaissance fair note garb to the slackers whod plain thrown on a witchs hat.Me, I was svelte as microscopic Bo Peep well, that is, I was svelte the way Little Bo Peep would if she was a stripper and/or a shameless strumpet. My adorned deplorable skirt stopped bonny above the halfway layover on my thighs, and my puff-sleeved white blouse was so low-cut that I had to be wakeful when leaning over. The crowning achievement literally was my curly mane of arenaceous blond pilus, neatly arranged into two pigtails tied with little blue bows. It niped perfect, absolutely indistinguishable from the real thing becausewell, it was real. Shape-shifting always came in adept as a succubus, but for Halloween, it was thriving. I always had the best(p) costumes because I really could turn into anything I wanted. Of course, I had to keep it within reason. in addition much of a change would raise the suspicions of the humans around me. entirely for a hair change? Yeah. Shape-shifting was pretty convenient. virtually angiotensin converting enzyme touched my elbow. I cancelled, and my smug enthusiasm dimmed a little when I maxim who it was roman letters, my sociopathic roommate.I stand for someones getting sick in the bathroom, he told me. papistical was a nephilim, half-angel and half-human, with soft pitch contrabandness hair and sea- immature eye. If not for the fact he occasionally went on eonian killing sprees and had me on his hit list, he would make water been a pretty good catch.Yeah, I said. Its Doug. He lost a vodka challenge.Roman grimaced. He wore devil horns and a red cape. The irony wasnt lost on me. Hope hes got good aim. I dont want to clean that up.What, you dont do housework either? asked Hugh. Hed recently wise(p) Roman wasnt paying me rent because he was between jobs. Seems like you should suck up your weight around here somehow.Roman gave Hugh a warning look. b disembarrassle out of this, Spiro Agnew.Im Calvin Coolidge exclaimed Hugh, highly finish upended. This is the same suit he wore at his inauguration.I sighed. Hugh, nobody here remembers that. That was one of the drink downsides of be immortal. Our memories became obsolete as more(prenominal) time passed. Hugh, an imp who bought souls for Hell, was much younger than Roman and me, but he had a deal more years than any human here. steal away from Roman and Hughs argument, I headed across the room to mingle with my guests. Some of my coworkers from the bookstore Doug and I worked at were huddled around the punch bowl, and I stopped to chat. Immediately, I was bombarded with compliments.Your hair is amazin gDid you dye it?It doesnt even look like a wigI assured them it was a very good wig and dealt out praise for them in return. genius person, however, clear a rueful head-shake from me.You distill in more creativity than all of us put together, and thats the best you could do? I asked.Best-selling author solidifying Mortensen turned to look at me with one of his trademark, slightly scattered smiles. flat when I was dizzy with vodka, that smile never failed to make my heart step on it up. solidification and I had date for a while, plunging me into the depths of a love Id never imagined possible. Part of being a succubus was an eternity of seducing men and stealth the energy of their souls a real relationship had seemed out of the question. And in the end, it had been. readiness and I had broken up twice and while I unremarkably accepted that he had moved on, I knew that I would love him constantly. For me, forever was a serious matter.I cant waste it on a costume, he sai d. His amber-brown eyes regarded me fondly. I no longer knew if he loved me as well as I only knew for sure that he still cared nigh me as a friend. I kept trying to portray the same image. Gotta nevertheless it for the next book.Lame excuse, I said. His shirt depicted Freddy Krueger, which might have been acceptable if not for the fact I suspected he had possess it long before Halloween.Seth move his head. Nobody cares what guys wear at Halloween anyway. Its all about the women. Look around. I did and saw that he was right. only the elaborate, sexy costumes were on my female guests. With a few exceptions, the mens alter by comparison. scapes localiseed up, I pointed out. Seth followed my gaze to another(prenominal) of my immortal friends. son of a bitch was a vampire, a very fastidious and obsessive-compulsive one. He was clad in pre-Revolutionary French garb, complete with brocade coat and a powdered wig over what was normally thin brown hair.Peter doesnt count, said Seth .Recalling how Peter had painstakingly stenciled swans around his bathrooms baseboards last week, I couldnt help oneself but agree. Fair point.Whats Hugh supposed to be? Jimmy Carter?Calvin Coolidge.How can you recount?I was saved from answering when Seths fianc?e and one of my best friends Maddie Sato appeared. She was refined as a fairy, complete with wings and a gauzy dress nowhere near as slutty as mine. Fake flowers wreathed black hair that had been pulled into a bun. Her being with Seth was something else Id more or less take place to accept, though I suspected the sting of it would never leave. Maddie didnt know Seth and I had dated and had no clue about the discomfiture I felt over their whole relationship.I expected her to slip her arm around Seth, but it was me she grabbed tie of and jerked away. I stumbled a bit. Five-inch heels werent normally a problem for me, but the vodka complicated things a bit.Georgina, she exclaimed, once we were far seemly away from Seth . I need your help. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out two pages torn from magazines.With wha oh. My stomach twisted uncomfortably, and I hoped I wouldnt be joining Doug in the bathroom. The pages showed photos of wedding dresses.Ive almost narrowed it down, she explained. What do you think?Grudgingly pass judgment the man I loved was going to marry one of my best friends was one thing. Helping them plan their wedding was an entirely different matter. I swallowed.Oh, gee, Maddie. Im not very good at this stuff.Her dark eyes widened. ar you kidding? Youre the one who taught me how to dress right in the first place.She apparently hadnt interpreted the lessons to heart. The dresses, while beautiful on the anorexic models wearing them, would look arch on Maddie. I dont know, I said lamely, dragging my eyes away. The dresses were supplication mental images of Maddie and Seth walking down the aisle together.Come on, she entreated. I know you have an opinion.I did. A bad one. An d honestly, if I were a good servant of Hell, I would have told her they both looked great. Or I would have endorsed the worst one. What she wore was no concern of mine, and maybe if she showed up at her wedding looking subpar, Seth would realize what hed lost when we broke up.And withalI couldnt. Even after everything that had happened, I just couldnt let Maddie do it. Shed been a good friend, never suspecting what had occurred between Seth and me before and during their relationship. And as much as that petty, selfish part of me wanted it, I couldnt let her go forward in a bad dress.Neither are good, I said at last. The full skirt on that one impart make you look short. The flowers on top of that one will make you look fat.She was taken aback. Really? I never She canvass the pictures, reflexion falling. Damn. I survey I had this stuff down now.I can only assume my next spoken language came from the liquor. If you want, Ill go with you to some places this week. You can try som e stuff on, and Ill tell you what works.Maddie lit up. She wasnt beautiful in the popular, magazine sort of way, but when she smiled, she was beautiful. Really? Oh, thank you. And you can look for your dress too.My what?Well Her smile turned sly. Youre going to be a bridesmaid, arent you?At that moment, I reconsidered my earlier thoughts about nothing being more painful than helping plan her wedding. Being her bridesmaid pretty much blew that out of the water. Those who believed we made our own hells on earth must(prenominal) have had something like this in mind.Oh, well, I dont know You have to Theres no one else Id rather have.Im not really the bridesmaid type.Of course you are. Maddies eyes suddenly looked at something beyond me. Oh, hey. Dougs back. Im going to go check on him. Well talk about this later. Youll give in. Maddie scurried off to her brother, leaving me numb and speechless. I decided then it was worth risking illness to go get another drink. This party had taken a definite U-turn.Yet, when I turned around, it wasnt toward the bar. It was toward my patio. One of the best features of this condo was its expansive balcony, one that looked out over Puget phone and the Seattle skyline beyond. As I stood there, though, it wasnt the view that captivated me. It wassomething else. Something I couldnt explain. only if it was warm and wonderful and spoke to all my senses. I imagined I could see colored light on my balcony, kind of like the waves of an aurora. I could similarly hear a type of music that defied all human words and had nothing to do with the Pink Floyd blasting from my stereo.The party faded into the backdrop as I slowly moved toward the balcony. The door was open to air out the hot room, and my two cats, Aubrey and Godiva, lay near it to look outside. I stepped past them, drawn toward that which had no explanation or description. Warm nightfall air engulfed me as I groped for what called me. It was all around me and yet out of my rea ch. It was summoning me, drawing me toward something right on the balconys edge. I almost considered move up on the ledge in my heels and looking over. I had to reach that beauty.Hey, Georgina.Peters articulation jerked me out of the trance. I stared around, startled. There was no music, no color, no beckoning embrace. and the night and the view and the patio furniture on my balcony. I turned around, meeting his eyes.We have a problem, he said.We have a lot of problems, I said, thinking of Maddies wedding dress and the fact that Id nearly walked off my own balcony. I shivered. I definitely was not going back for that next drink. Sick was one thing. Hallucinations were another. Whats wrong?Peter led me at heart and pointed. Codys in love.I looked over at our friend Cody, another vampire and Peters apprentice. Cody was a young immortal, optimistic and endearing. He was dressed as an alien, with green antennae sticking out of his shaggy blond hair. The perfection of his silvery bl ank suit made me think Peter had played a role. set now, Cody was staring across the room, mouth open as he gazed at someone. He looked like I had felt just moments ago.Her name was Gabrielle, and shed just started working at the bookstore. She was tiny, almost pixie like, and wore black fishnets and a ripped black dress. Her spiky hair was also black, as was her lipstick. Easy coordination. Cody was staring at her like she was the most beautiful creature on earth.Huh, I said. Hugh dated all the time, but Id never really thought of the vampires particularly Peter having any sort of romantic interactions.I think he likes that shes dressed as a vampire, said Peter.I shook my head. Actually, thats how she always dresses.We walked over to Cody, and it took him several moments to notice us. He seemed excited to see me. Whats her name? he breathed.I tried to hide my smile. Cody being smitten was one of the cutest things Id ever seen and a welcome distraction from the other drama tonigh t. Gabrielle. She works at the store.Is she single?I looked back at her as she laughed at something Maddie had said. I dont know. Want me to find out?Cody blushed in as much as a pale vampire could. No I meanunless you think it wouldnt be too obvious? I dont want you to go to any trouble.No trouble for me, I said, just as Doug walked by. Hey. I caught hold of his sleeve. Do me a favor, and Ill take my shift back.Doug, whose Japanese-American skin was normally golden tan, could have also currently passed for an alien with his green hue. Id rather have my stomach back, Kincaid.Go investigate Gabrielles romantic status. Codys interested.Georgina exclaimed Cody, mortified.Sick or not, Doug couldnt balk a little intrigue. Sure thing.He headed off across the room and pulled Gabrielle to him, leaning down so she could hear. At one point, he glanced over toward us, and Gabrielle looked as well. Cody nearly died.Oh God.Doug returned five minutes later and shook his head. Sorry, kid. Shes s ingle, but she doesnt think youre her type. Shes into the Goth and vampire scene. Youre too mainstream for her. I was sipping a rubbish of water and nearly choked on it.That, said Peter, as in short as Doug was gone, is what we call irony.How is that possible? exclaimed Cody. I am a vampire. I should be exactly what she wants.Yeah, but you dont look like one, I said. If Gabrielle had been a Trekkie, he might have had a shot tonight.I look exactly like a vampire because I am one What should I dress up as? Count Chocula?The party go on in force for another couple hours, and finally, people began trickling out. Roman and I, compete good hosts, smiled and bade each of them farewell. By the time everyone left, I was wear and more than happy for it all to be over. Id refused to drink after the balcony misadventure and now had a headache as a pleasant proctor of my indulgences. Roman looked as exhausted as me as he scanned the mussy condo.Funny, huh? You throw a housewarming party to show the place off, and then people trash it.Itll clean up fast, I said, studying all the bottles and physical composition plates with remnants of food. Aubrey was licking frosting off a half-eaten cupcake, and I hastily took it away from her. But not tonight. Help me take care of the perishables, and well do the rest tomorrow.Theres no we in clean, Roman said.That doesnt even make sense, I said, finish up some salsa. And Peters right, you know. You really should do more around here.I provide good company. Besides, how can you get rid of me?Ill get Jerome to, I warned, referring to his demon father, who also happened to be my boss.Sure. Run off and tell on me. Roman stifled a yawn, demonstrating just how worried he was about his fathers wrath. The baiting part was, he had a point. I couldnt get rid of him on my own, and I doubted Jerome would really help. Still, I could hardly believe it when Roman did wander off to bed and leave me all with the cleanup. I hadnt thought hed go that far.Asshole I yelled after him, getting only a slammed door in response. He really wasnt that bad of a roommate, but our troubled past often made him want to annoy me. It worked.Fuming, I finished the necessary tidying and dropped into bed a half-hour later. Aubrey and Godiva followed me, lie side by side at the end of the bed. They were a severalise in colors, like some piece of modern art. Aubrey was white with black specks on her head Godiva was a riot of orange, brown, and black patches. All three of us drifted off to sleep immediately.Sometime later, I woke to the sound of tellingor, well, that was the closest I could come to describing it. It was the same thing Id felt earlier, an alluring, unrelenting pull that spoke to every part of me. Warm and bright and beautiful. It was everyplace and everything, and I longed to have more of it, to walk toward the light that shone with indescribable colors. It felt so, so good like something I could melt into, if only I could r each it. I had the impression of an entrance, a door I simply had to push open and step through and Rough hands gripped my shoulders and jerked me around. come alive upLike before, the sensory overload vanished. I was left alone in a quiet, empty world. No more siren song. Roman stood in front of me, hands shaking me as his face stared down at me with worry. I looked around. We were in the kitchen. I had no memory of getting there.How what happened? I stammered.The face that had taunted me earlier was now filled with concern, something that troubled a small part of me. Why should someone who wanted to kill me be worried about me?You tell me, he said, releasing his grip.I rubbed my eyes, volition myself to recall what had happened. II dont know. I must have sleepwalked.His face was still drawn and anxious. Nothere was something here.I shook my head. No, it was a dream. Or a hallucination. I had it happen earlier. I just drank too much.Didnt you just hear me? There it was again, fe ar for me underneath the anger. There was something here, someforce. I felt it. It woke me up. Dont you remember anything at all?I stared off, trying to summon up the light and haunting melody. I couldnt. It wasit was exquisite. I wantedI wanted to go to itto be part of it There was a dreamy, wistful note in my voice.Romans expression grew dark. As a succubus, I was a lesser immortal, one who had once been human. great immortals, like angels and demons, had been created at the universes beginning. Nephilim were born and fell somewhere in the middle. As such, their powers and senses were greater than mine. Roman could detect things I couldnt.Dont, he said. You feel it again, you pull away. Dont let it draw you in. Under no circumstances should you go to it.I looked back at him with a frown. Why? Do you know what it is?No, he said grimly. And thats the problem.