Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22

You faked it faked being affected by me, I echtized, shock making my words come come forth thick and faltering.Still chuckling, he took a step toward me, and I cringed, frantically trying to find a way to run, to strike out of my own apartment. What had moments ago seemed safe and inviting now became shut down and stifling. My apartment was too small, the door too far away. I couldnt breathe. The amusement on ro musical compositions face shifted to astonishment.Whats the proposition? What are you timid of?What do you opine Im afraid of?He blinked. Me?Yes, you. You kill immortals.Well, yeah, he admitted, unless(prenominal) Id neer hurt you. Never. You cope that, dont you? I didnt answer. Dont you?I backed up farther, not that I had anywhere to go. I was faced in such a way as to only keep moving toward my bedroom, not toward the front door. That wasnt a apt(predicate) to do any good. papistic still seemed floored at my reaction. Come on, I cant believe this. I would never do anything to you. Im half in love with you. Hell, do you know what a wrench youve already thrown into this operation?Me? What pick up I done?What have you done? Youve wrapped my heart around your little finger, thats what youve done. That day when you solicited me at the bookstore? I couldnt believe my luck. Id been watch you all week, you know, trying to learn your habits. Christ, Ill never forget the first day I aphorism you. How feisty you where. How beautiful. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for you right then and there. And later when you wouldnt go out with me after the signing? I couldnt believe it. You were originally going to be my first target, you know. besides I couldnt do it. Not after Id talked to you. Not after Id realized what you are.I swallowed, leftover in spite of myself. What what am I?He took a step toward me, a rueful half-smile on his handsome face. A succubus who doesnt want to be a succubus. A succubus who wants to be human.No, thats not trueOf course it is. Youre interchangeable me. You dont play by the rules. Youre tired of the system. You dont let them push you into the role theyve dictated for you. God, I couldnt believe it, watching you. The more you seemed interested in me, the more you tried to back off. You think thats normal for a succubus? It was the most amazing thing Id ever seen not to concern the most frustrating. Thats why I finally decided to call you out today. I couldnt decide if youd rightfully cut me off for my own good or were just interested in someone else now similar Mortensen.Wait thats why you arranged that stupid little game today? For your own bed ego gratification?Roman shrugged haplessly, still looking self-satisfied. It expectants so shallow when you put it like that. I mean, okay, it was pretty stupid. And maybe a little childish. But I had to know where your affection stood. You cant imagine how touching it was to see you so worried slightly me not to mention the fact tha t you checked on me first. That was the real kicker I got priority over the others.I almost protested that Id actually worried about bent first, having only called Roman in the lead because I thought solidification was already accounted for. Fortunately, I had enough sense to keep my mouth shut on that issue. Better to let Roman think hed proven his point.You have issues, I said instead, perhaps unwisely. Making me jump by hoops like that. Me and the other immortals.Perhaps. And I am sorry for any discomfort I caused you, just as for the others? He shook his head. Its good for them. They need it, Georgina. I mean, doesnt it piss you off? What theyve done to you? Youre obviously not happy with your lot, but do you think the folks in charge are going to let you change things? No. No more than theyre going to give me or my kind a break. The system is flawed. Theyre locked in their fucking this is good and this is evil mentality. No gray area. No mutability. Thats why I go around a nd do what I do. They need the wake-up call. They need to know they arent the be all and end all of sin and salvation. Some of us are still fighting.Go around How often do you do this? This cleanup position thing?Oh, not that often. Every twenty to fifty years or so. Sometimes a century. Doing it sort of cleanses me for a while, and then, over the years, Ill start getting smashed off at the whole system again and stake out a new place, a new set of immortals.Is it always the same image? I remembered Jeromes symbols. The warning phase then the main attack phase?Roman brightened. Well, well, havent you done your homework. Yes, it usually works that way. Take out a a few(prenominal) lesser immortals first. Theyre easy targets, even if I always feel a little guilty about it. Really, theyre as very much victims of the system as you and I are. Still, messing with them freaks out the higher immortals, and then the stage is set to move on to the main attraction.Jerome, I stated grimly. Who?Jerome the local archdemon. I hesitated. Your father.Oh. Him.Whats that supposed to mean? You dont sound like hes a big deal.In the grand scheme of things, hes not.Yeah but hes your fatherSo? Our relationship or lack thereof doesnt really change anything.Jerome had said almost the exact same thing about Roman. Baffled, I sat down on the arm of a nearby extend since it appeared my imminent destruction wasnt quite so imminent after all. But isnt he isnt he the real target the higher immortal youre here to kill?Roman shook his head, face turning serious. No. Thats not how the pattern works. After I move on from the lesser immortals, I focus in on the local bigwig. The real powerhouse in the area. That tends to unsettle people more. Better psychological effect, you know? If I can take out the big man on campus, then they worry no one is safe.So, that would be Jerome.No, its not, he countered patiently. Archdemonor no, my illustrious father is not the ultimate power source aroun d here. Dont get me wrong Im getting a nice bit of satisfaction from pissing in his territory, so to speak, but theres someone else who dwarfs him. You probably dont know him. Its not like youd have reason to hang out with him or anything.Stronger than Jerome? That only left Carter. Youre going after Carter.Is that his name? The local angel?Hes stronger than Jerome?Considerably. Roman gave me a curious look. Do you know him?I know of him, I lied. Like you said, I dont hang out with him or anything.In reality, my mind raced. Carter was the target? Mild, sardonic Carter? I could hardly believe he was more powerful than Jerome, but then, I knew almost nothing about him. I didnt even know what he did, what his prank or mission in Seattle was. Yet, one thing that was obvious to me and only me, apparently was that if the angel really did outclass Jerome, then Roman couldnt do anything to him, not if the rule about nephilim power not exceeding parental power held true. Roman shouldnt t echnically be able to harm either angel or demon.I chose not to mention this to him, however or the fact that I knew Carter better than Roman believed. The more delusional he was, the more of a destiny we had to do something about him.Good. I didnt really figure a succubus would be too friendly with an angel, but with you, its hard to tell. You may have a sharp tongue, but you still manage to gather a lot of admirers. Relaxing slightly, Roman leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest. God knows Ive already gone out of my way to avoid your friends.Anger helped me overcome my fear. Oh really? What about Hugh?Which ones he?The imp.Ah, yes. Well, I had to keep setting an example, didnt I? So, yeah, I messed with him a little. Hed been impertinent to you. But I didnt kill him. He looked at me in what I supposed was meant to be an encouraging type of way. That was for your benefit.I stayed silent. I recalled how Hugh had looked in the hospital. Impertinent?And what about t he others? he pushed. That annoying angel? The vampire that threatened you? I wanted to break his neck on the spot. I got rid of them for you. I didnt have to do that.I felt ill. I wanted no deaths on my hands. Most considerate of you.Come on, give me a break here. I had to do something, and really, once Id met your vampire friend at the dance lesson, I couldnt bring myself to do anything to him at all. You put me in a really choky spot. I was running out of victims.Sorry for the inconvenience, I snapped, ire rising at his pathetic show of compassion. Is that why you took it easy on me that night?He frowned. What do you mean?You know what I mean Thinking back to my attack, it all made perfect sense. It had occurred after Id been to Krystal Starz, the day after Id run out on Roman at the concert. A perfect excuse for him to be angry and seek retaliation. Remember? The day after Dougs concert? After Id been with Seth?Understanding washed over Romans features. Oh. That.Thats all you h ave to say?It was a bit juvenile, I admit, but you can hardly blame me. It wasnt easy watching you cozy up to Mortensen after freaking out on me like that. Id watched you go home with him the night before. I had to do something.I sprang up from my seat, old scruple returning. You had to do something? Like beat the crap out of me in an alley?Roman raised an eyebrow. What are you talking about? I told you I would never hurt you.Then what are you talking about?Im talking about that ice cream place. Id followed you two around earlier in the day, and when I saw how cute you were getting over dessert, I got jealous and blew the door propagate. Juvenile, as I said.I remember that I trailed off stupidly, recalling how the door had blown open at the parlor, letting the outside wind wreak havoc in the small store. Wind like that was certainly uncharacteristic here, yet I had never suspected supernatural influence. He was right it had been juvenile.So whats the alley thing youre talking abou t? he prompted.I snapped out of my memory. Later that night. Id been running errands, and you or someone attacked me on the way home.Romans face turned cold, his eyes sharpening to aqua steel. Tell me. Tell me everything. Exactly what happened.I did, explaining my lead to the Harrington book, subsequent trip to Krystal Starz, and passport home in the dark. I edited the part about my rescuer, however. I didnt want Roman to know I had more than a casual booster with Carter, lest the nephilim think I might be a deterrent to his plans. The more he thought I had no interest in the angel, the more likely I would be able to get out some kind of warning.Closing his eyes, Roman leaned his head against the wall when I finished, sighing. Suddenly, he looked less like a dangerous killer and more like a tired version of the man Id come to know and nearly love. I knew it. I knew nonintervention was too much to ask.What what do you mean? A strange feeling crawled down my spine.Nothing. Forget it . Look, Im sorry about that. I should have taken precautions beforehand to protect you. I knew too the next day? When I came by and you cut things off between us? I could tell you had been hurt, even through your shape-shifting. I could tell it was supernaturally inflicted too, but I never suspected I thought it was some other immortal one of your own circuit youd tangled with. You had sort of a residual effect on you the faint traces of someone elses power like a demonsBut thats not oh. You mean Jerome. protactinium dearest again? Dont tell me dont tell me he did something to you too. Romans brief lapse into mildness faded, replaced by something more sinister.No, no, I said hastily, recalling Jeromes psychic slap, pinning me to the couch. It wasnt like that. It was more of a show of power that I caught the edge of. He wasnt the one who hurt me. Hed never hurt me.Good. Im still not happy about what happened in the alley, mind you, but Ill have a little chat with the guilty party and make sure it never happens again. When I saw you that day, I had half a mind to take out all the immortals in the area. The thought of someone hurting you Closer and closer he came to me. Hesitantly, he squeezed my arm. I didnt know whether to recoil or reach out to him. I didnt know how to reconcile my old attraction with this new terror. You have no idea how much I care about you, Georgina.Then how in the alley Before I could follow that thought to completion, another suddenly poked its head up at Romans words. When I saw you that day. He had visited me the day after the attack, coming over while Carter investigated a nephilim signature. But that was impossible. I couldnt remember where that particular signature had occurred, but it had not been close by. Roman could not have flashed Carter and then made it over to my apartment so quickly.Iknew noninterference was too much to ask for. Ill have a little chat with the guilty party.I understood then why Roman felt he could take on Carter, why having less power than the angel would pose no concern. The realization sank into me like lead, heavy and cold. Im not sure what look crossed my face, but Romans suddenly softened with compassion.Whats the matter?How many? I whispered to him.How many what?How many nephilim are in the city?