by Rory Miles
“I cannot allow that.”
My eyes snap to his. “You are no master of mine. Do not think to exert power over me, you will not win that game.”
His lips twitch and I grab his neck and pull him to me, consuming much of his essence before he can begin to protest. The obvious lust he holds for me makes the task easier; he’s putty in my hands within seconds and I ride the wave of pure blood demon prince essence, sighing contentedly when it zings through my body, bouncing around like a pinball. Why does his essence feel so right?
When his fingers dig into my arms, I realize he isn’t grabbing me in passion but in pain, his face contoured with agony.
Shit.
I pull away, holding on to him so he doesn’t fall over. The big guy sways on his feet and I use my demon strength to carry him to the bed. His eyes remain open, and when I lay him back against the pillow, he blinks, fighting sleep.
“Why did you save me?”
“Lucifer needed room to breathe without your scent clouding his mind.”
So he didn’t save me per se. More like removed a nuisance for his High Lord. I wipe away the frown pulling at my lips. I’m more than disappointed to hear his answer.
What had I expected, though? Some sort of loyalty from the right-hand demon? The prince is unlikely to be on my side, but now that I’ve chosen to swim in the political cesspool, I had hopes he would be succubus-leaning.
“I’m sure Lucifer appreciates your help. Which lower demons lost their lives to help you?”
He shrugs. “Does it matter?”
I glance back to the window. “Of course it matters.” My words are whispered so quietly he does not hear them.
By the time I peel my eyes from the window, he’s deep in a recovery slumber. His demon body is rebuilding his essence. I almost drained him completely.
I snoop around his posh apartment for a computer and credit card. I find both on the island in the kitchen. The computer doesn’t require a passkey and I quickly navigate to a site with flights to Albuquerque. Last-minute flights are expensive, but I don’t hesitate to enter in his credit card information. The flight leaves in four hours, which means I have two to make it to the airport if I want any chance of making it. Given the traffic in the city and airport security, I’m already behind.
A glance in his bedroom shows me he’s still sleeping soundly. I scribble a quick note, staring at my words for a few moments before I leave.
I refuse to be caged or controlled. Don’t come after me.
-S.
“For devil’s sake, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Levia smirks at me as she takes the seat across from me in the crowded airport. The hum of energy here is strong and pure, but Beelzebub’s essence will fuel me for a few days.
“Shera, what an awful surprise.”
The princess of envy is beautiful but the glamour she uses hides her high cheek bones and plump lips. In front of me sits a face easily forgotten, but there’s no mistaking her voice or particular flavor of Taint.
“Levia.”
She taps a long fingernail on the armrest. “A little bat told me you were shacking up with Beelzebub.”
“You should know better than to trust a flying rat.”
She cants her head. “You don’t deny it.”
“Shacking is not the word I would use.”
Her left eyebrow rises slightly, as though she’s surprised I’ve admitted to it, but she quickly schools her features.
“Fascinating,” she says, glancing out across the crowded airport, her eyes sparkling with whatever rumors she’s concocting.
The attendant at the stand announces the first boarding class. My ticket was bought so late I’m the very last of the classes to go. Levia watches the crowd a moment more before meeting my gaze. Wheels are spinning in her mind, almost wildly so. The look she wears reminds me of a car about to lose control. Captivating yet terrifying at the same time because you don’t know the extent of the damage until after the crash.
“Have lunch with me when you are back in Albuquerque. I’ll meet you at La Calita.”
The attendant calls the next class and I stand, collecting my things as though it’s my turn.
“Goodbye, Levia.”
She calls after me, “La Calita. Saturday at noon. I’ll wait thirty minutes.”
Even with the promise of green chile, I don’t deign to respond. No amount of spicy food would get me to meet with her. Fucking hierarchy and their stupid political games.
Jasper’s Honda Pilot idles as he leans against the bumper with his arms crossed. The vampire scowls at a cop who is approaching to tell him he can’t park here but as if sensing the danger, the cop wisely turns around.
I come to a stop in front of my friend, giving him a once-over. “Well, you’re a welcome sight.”
He scoffs, then pushes off the SUV and wraps his big arms around me.
“Where the hell have you been?” he asks into my hair.
My shoulders slump, and I look up at the concrete ceiling of the pickup terminal. “It’s a long story.”
Jasper pulls away with a frown. “You call me after disappearing for three days and ask me to pick you up at the airport. Trust me, I have time for a long story.”
The cop is lingering near us, like he wants to say something because it’s his job, but he also hasn’t worked up the nerve to approach us demons.
Humans.
“I’ll tell you on the way to pick up my stuff?”
He nods and we get in. He navigates through the airport traffic, shouting at a car that swerves into our lane because they can’t follow a simple sign.
“It’s probably a man.”
I laugh at the derision in his words. “They’re the worst drivers, yourself included.”
The vampire glares at me. “I’m a great driver.”
“Says the demon who drives a mom car.”
“This is a sport utility vehicle.” He adds extra emphasis on utility.
I nod and gesture to the space around us. “Yeah, cars invented for women too afraid to buy vans and just admit that they aren’t any better than the minivan-driving ones.”
“This is a man’s vehicle.”
As if to prove my point, the exact same Honda Pilot comes to a stop next to us at the red light on Gibson and Yale. The woman inside is reaching back to give a snack to her little toddler.
I chuckle and jerk my thumb in her direction. “See? Mom car.”
Jasper curses under his breath and shakes his head. “Whatever. Tell me everything.”
With a sigh I settle into the seat and tell him about leaving the club with Rem—who I need to call—the yellow rose Lucifer left me, the conversation with the high lord and our fight. His eyebrows hit his hairline when I tell him Beelzebub got me out.
“So the Bubs, huh?”
My fingers brush out some of the knots in my hair and I stare at the black locks. “He only rescued me so Lucifer wouldn’t be distracted.”
Jasper clicks his tongue. “Uh-huh, and you believe that?”
I shrug and gaze out my window, watching the mountains grow larger the closer we get to my house. “He gave no other reason and he’s Lucifer’s right-hand man.”
“He took you from the high lord’s home and freed you from the box. What kind of right-hand man does that?”
My eyes narrow slightly before I turn to look at Jasper. “Don’t speculate. If Beelzebub thinks I’m a distraction and he did what’s best for the high lord, that’s all it is. I won’t get caught up in some fantasy.”
Jasper gives me a side-eye before navigating the off-ramp, exiting the freeway and heading down Tramway toward Four Hills. “Do you like him?”
“In what way? Do I want to sleep with him? Of course I do, I’m a succubus. Do I want a relationship?” I pause and consider the question. “I don’t know enough about him to say, but I do know it can never happen. Lucifer would never allow it.”
“Especially after another failed claiming.�
�� Jasper pulls into my driveway and unlocks the doors.
“I’ll be right back; I’m just going to grab a few things.”
I rush inside, pushing open the still-broken front door. At some point I’ll need to replace the lock, but there is no time to do it right now. Grabbing a light gray tote bag from the hall, I begin to drop clothes, shoes and other essentials into it. I ignore the bed which is unmade from the last time I woke. My phone is still on the kitchen counter, so I pocket it as well. I half-expected to come back to an empty house since the lock is broken, but by some miracle criminals have left my home alone.
My mind flits briefly to Kevin McCallister before I close the front door. Not bothering to try the broken lock, I head back to Jasper’s ride.
“Everything okay?” he asks as I buckle up.
Yes, even I buckle up. No need to die in a car crash when I’ve done my fair share of dying in a box.
“Spectacular. Your place?”
“Let’s do it.” Jasper turns up some remake of “Tainted Love” and I can’t help but sing along as Marilyn Manson growls and screams about running from a lover.
After all, if anyone knows about tainted love, it’s me. Succubus, remember?
Chapter Nine
The next morning, we get a call from Lenard.
“Jasper, is Shera with you?”
“Yup,” I say with a smile. “Lovely of you to think of me, Lenny.”
He grunts at the nickname and mumbles something about demons being no good—which he isn’t wrong about—before saying, “We’ve got a big job for you.”
Jasper sits up straighter at the kitchen table, pushing aside his plate of eggs which he wasn’t touching. My plate, on the other hand, is empty. I reach over and pull his to my side of the table and dig in while Lenard explains the newest human crime we’re meant to help with.
“Trafficking ring, no problem. The last one was easy,” Jasper says.
I take a bite of bacon, enjoying the greasy feel of my fingers. At least the humans did one thing right. Okay, smart phones are pretty exceptional as well.
Lenard lets out a long sigh. “I don’t think this one will be as easy as the last one.”
Wiping my hands on my napkin, I lean forward and speak at the phone.
“Why do you say that?”
“I’m pretty sure that Duchess Rosie is involved somehow.”
Most humans aren’t privy to the inner workings of Avernus’s leadership, but Lenard’s group knows everything about Avernus, Faerie, and Magusai. When he started the Cohort thirty years ago, he made it his mission to get as much information as he could about the other worlds. I’ve never met another being more determined than Lenard.
I meet Jasper’s gaze. “Don’t worry about her, Lenard. I’ll take care of it.”
Jasper scrunches his brows at me, asking what are you doing, but I ignore him.
“What’s the location?”
Lenard rattles off an address in the South Valley and I scribble it down on a piece of paper.
“Got it. We’ll check in when the job’s done.”
Pressing the red button to end the call, Jasper says, “What the fuck do you mean you’ll take care of it? You can’t be seen taking down one of Rosie’s operations.”
I stand and head toward the bathroom. “The fuck I can’t. I’m done playing nice with everyone.”
And I am. I’m fucking tired of being courted for one reason or another. Be it political or personal reasons, I can’t stand being a pawn any longer. It’s time I take a stand and show the hierarchy what I’m capable of if pushed too far. Starting with Rosie.
“I need to hit a church first.”
“Jesus,” I hear Jasper mutter from the kitchen. “A church?”
I smirk. “What? I’m hungry.” What better place to get a little bump than a place filled with mostly pure essence? Though most will deny it, even the most devout is Tainted, and there is bound to be a man or two willing to be kissed by a beautiful woman. The only true, pure essence is that of a child. But even then, by age ten the Taint of the world begins to stain them.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
My hand lands on the bathroom door. “Jasper dear, you worry too much.”
“I just don’t want you to overreact.”
I fight off a burst of laughter. Overreact? To being killed by Lucifer again? To being manipulated into a political game I could care less about? When I’m done, overreact won’t be an adequate word to describe the chaos I’m about to unleash.
It doesn’t take long to find someone to corrupt at the Catholic church we stop at. Twenty minutes later, after taking a heavy dose of essence from the eager bishop, I’m ready to go. Jasper waits for me inside his mom ride. His fingers tap against the steering wheel, gaze flitting between me and the man staring after me.
“Goodbye.” I wave my fingers at the human whose world I just rocked, smirking when he begins to fix his buttons.
“I’ll call you,” the bishop yells after me.
I turn, but say over my shoulder, “Let me know when you’re ready for round two. You have my number.”
He smiles like he’s just won a prize, and I chuckle. I knew I’d find someone who wanted to have a little fun. The bishop, while a full believer, loves to get down and dirty.
Jasper unlocks the doors. As I climb in, he says, “Forgive me Father for I have sinned. It’s been thirty seconds since I’ve last been fucked out of wedlock.”
I laugh and close the door. “He was nice.”
“At least he wasn’t ugly.”
Shooting a glance back at the strangely attractive man, I hum in agreement. Luckily, I found someone so willing on the first stop; otherwise we would have had to hit another church to find the right person.
“I’d say you’re going to Hell, but. . .” Jasper trails off.
“Been there, done that.”
We laugh together as he follows the directions Lenard gave us. If he’s right about Rosie’s involvement, I plan to obliterate this operation.
Jasper snaps his fingers in my direction. “Shera, are you even listening to me?”
“Sorry, what did you say?”
A ripple of worry passes over his face. “Are you going to be okay to do this? You’ve been acting strange.”
“Don’t worry about me, Jasper. I’m more than ready for this.”
He flips on the turn signal and glances over at me. “If you’re planning something, I have a right to know.”
I meet his gaze and nod. “Fair enough.” After I explain my plan, he whistles low and long.
“I love it when you get angry.”
We pull up outside an abandoned house in the South Valley, two blocks from the warehouse where the trafficking operation is run out of.
He opens the glove box and grabs one of two pistols. I pick up the other and put the holster on. Normally we don’t bother with guns, but with an operation this size, we may need some easy kills.
“Ready?” His hand rests on the door handle.
After wrapping my long hair into a twist bun, I open my door. “Let’s fuck shit up.”
We pass a house with a few guys standing outside. They stop talking and mad-dog us as we walk by, letting us know we aren’t welcome in this neighborhood. If we were human, it might’ve worked. Once we are a few houses down, I sense one of them following us. Jasper and I share an annoyed look. The guy probably wants to rob us, but he will be very disappointed when he finds out who he’s dealing with.
He follows us all the way to the warehouse parking lot; only then does he hesitate. I incline my head and nudge Jasper.
“Can you deal with that?”
We don’t need an added distraction.
Jasper approaches the guy and the thug shrinks under the vampire’s presence. I hear a low hissing sound and know that Jasper has dropped his glamour, revealing his true self. Our stalker turns pale and takes off running in the opposite direction.
“Too easy,” Jasper says
with a small chuckle.
“Human thugs are all tough until they meet a demon.”
“They’re like all tough,” he says, mimicking the human’s accent.
The door to the warehouse opens and out steps a low born demon. His powers must be weak because it takes him a full two minutes to register our presence. When he sees us, he drops the box he pulled out of the back of a creepy white van with no windows.
“Succubus.”
I quirk a brow. “My, you are a clever one, aren’t you?”
He rushes back inside before we reach him, probably going to warn whoever is inside. Two humans rush out, toting guns and not asking questions. Before their fingers can squeeze the triggers, Jasper shoots them both in the kneecaps. They scream in agony and fall over, clutching their wounds. We step around them, take their guns and sweep the area for more immediate threats.
No one else rushes us. I make a hand gesture at Jasper and he nods in understanding, taking off toward the back while I head straight in. The inside of the warehouse reveals a large room with two doors leading to other rooms. The first room is empty, but I check the corners and crevices anyway.
Once satisfied that the room is truly empty, I close the door to the warehouse and lock it with the padlock to keep anyone from leaving or coming in.
Holstering my gun, I call out, “Hello? Is anyone here?”
A small clattering noise comes from the room on the right. Keeping my eye on the left, I hurry over to the right, crouching low before twisting the knob and pushing open the metal door. Someone rushes the door without checking to see who opened it, and they stumble when no one is standing before the threshold.
“Ahem.” I grab the gun he’s holding loosely at his side and point it at him. He startles and whirls on me, fists already raised. Like Jasper, I shoot to disable, not kill. The guy falls to the ground groaning. I tuck his gun in the back of my pants. After checking to make sure no one is waiting right on the other side, I stand and step into the room.
