The Demon and the Succubus

by Cassie Ryan

  He didn’t for one minute really believe Amalya’s crazy plan would work, but as always, he could deny her nothing, so here he stood, ready to fight an army of demons just to buy her and Levi time to die as they chose.

  A quick glance behind him allowed him to judge Amalya and Levi’s progress deeper into the cemetery. He could no longer see them past the assortment of mausoleums and gravestones, but if the moving column of fog was any indication, they were nearing the back of the property and pulling as many shades to them as possible.

  He tipped his head from side to side, working out some lingering stress and reminding himself that at least he’d get in some great target practice before he died. He chuckled at his own joke, even though it wasn’t particularly funny.

  A few stray shades that hadn’t joined the large bank of fog edged close, the icy slimy sensation that they left behind on his skin making him shudder. Jethro picked up a spray bottle he’d brought filled with salt water and sprayed it toward the opaque figures. They instantly shied away. “Go find Amalya and Levi. They’ve got lots of tasty energy to spare, and you’re going to miss out if you hang out here with me.”

  Something nudged him from behind and he whirled to find another shade edging away from him. He grinned. “These clothes were soaked in salt water and then dried. I told you. Go find them and come back for me in a while.” He pointed toward Amalya and Levi’s probable position as the noise of the oncoming crowd increased.

  Jethro cradled his twin Glocks, one in each hand, enjoying their weight as he waited and watched.

  He knew the exact moment the first demon spotted him. A demon who looked like he inhabited an accountant, complete with an off-the-rack three-piece suit and gaudy tie, snarled and jogged forward leaving the crowd behind.

  Jethro smiled and let him come. Might as well have a test case.

  When the demon rushed forward and touched the large iron gate, it recoiled and jumped back as smoke rose from its hands a split second before the stench of charred flesh reached Jethro.

  “I’ll be damned, that holy water actually worked. Or maybe it’s just the consecrated ground.” He laughed, the joyous sound echoing down the hill, which made several other demons snap their gazes in his direction.

  The test case demon didn’t waste any time in edging the length of the fence and testing it for weakness, but Jethro lost track of him as the throng of demons rushed forward with the same results as the first.

  As the rushing crowd behind them pressed in, they were shoved against the iron bars to smoke and char, their bodies twitching until loud pops filled the air as they were sucked back to Hell.

  Enjoying the show of self-mutilation, Jethro turned in a slow circle, grinning as he watched the cursing, spitting hordes hasten their departure back to Hell.

  A sudden charge in the air prickled the hairs at the back of Jethro’s neck and swept over him in a rush that left him gasping for air. He glanced around searching for anything that would resemble the electricity produced by a downed power line running through the graveyard.

  The wall of bodies pressed against the fence not only made the entire area stink of burning hair, cloth, and flesh, but it also restricted his vision of what might be the cause of the new phenomenon.

  Jethro raised the Glocks and took aim, squeezing the triggers several times and hitting several demons between or through the eyes.

  Not bad for moving, squirming targets.

  Large holes blossomed in foreheads and eye sockets and several loud pops sounded as the demons were sucked back to Hell and the bodies, now lifeless shells, slumped to the ground to be trampled by the wave of those still possessed behind them.

  As the first line of bodies fell, Jethro caught sight of three large demons easily seven feet tall and nearly half that wide—which meant the iron gate was only one foot taller. “Fuck.” A fresh surge of adrenaline spurted through his system, leaving him a bit light headed. “They brought out the big guns. Lucky me.”

  Two of them looked like the bounty demons they’d escaped from back at Sinner’s Redemption and then the outpost store. The third looked like a cross between a wrestler on steroids and the Terminator. Its skin flashed silver and copper in the sunlight. It carried a long curved scythe in one hand; the other hand ended in a set of wicked-looking animal claws.

  No doubt these three were the source of the sudden charge in the air, and Jethro had his doubts as to the effects of the holy water on keeping them at bay. Not that any of that changed his plan, which simply put was to send as many demons back to Hell as he could before he died.

  He shrugged to relax his shoulders and began picking off several more demons, reloading as needed and reserving ammunition for those who had gotten creative and used the bodies of the dead to stack against the gate and crawl on top of them as if they were fleshy ladders.

  The air filled with shouts, pops, and such loud sizzling sounds that Jethro briefly wished he’d brought earplugs.

  When the lumbering bounty demons neared, they spread out to cover the entire length of the front gate.

  “You’re ready to play, are you?”

  Jethro grinned and holstered his Glocks as he picked up the first of the Molotov cocktails. He flicked the lighter, which brought the flame to life, and then held it under the rag allowing it time to catch fire. He watched the rag darken for a few seconds, making sure it was well lit, before he jogged forward a few steps and lobbed it up and over the fence.

  When it cleared the top of the fence he cheered and then quickly ducked behind the first stone grave just in time for the resulting explosion and fireball.

  High screeching accompanied several loud pops and he covered his head as glass shards and a few still burning remnants rained down on him. He brushed them away and glanced up over the grave to evaluate the damage.

  A hole in the wall of demons and the fiery remains of the fallen were quickly erased when others took their place.

  Time to up the ante.

  Jethro lit two more and threw them up and over the wall in quick succession, ducking in time to avoid the worst of the fallout but still managing to catch a few shards of glass in his arms and on his back. The wounds burned into him and he did his best to ignore them, flexing his arms to ensure he could still fight and move.

  A loud roar rent the air and battered Jethro’s eardrums until he clapped his hands over his ears to lessen the pain. When after a few seconds, his ears adjusted and he was able to drop his hands. He glanced up over the grave in time to see the pestilence demon screaming as fire licked at the constantly moving black mass that made up its mottled outer skin. The thing flailed and the roar became a high-pitched squeal as if someone had stabbed a herd of pigs. As it gesticulated its arms wildly, it bumped into other demons, catching their clothing on fire and starting a scene of chaos on the other side of the gate.

  The sounds of wrenching metal from the far right side of the gate made Jethro whirl to find the Terminator bounty demon slowly bending open the bars of the iron fence, the other demons pressing forward, trying to squeeze into the hole the larger demon was soon to create.

  “Damn.” Jethro picked up the other Molotov cocktails lighting them and tossing them as fast as he could to cover the length of the fence.

  He tried to duck for the worst of the explosions, but several more burning shards caught his arms, legs, and back, making him wince and stumble.

  When some of the smoke cleared, he saw that half of the Terminator’s face had melted away and one arm hung uselessly at its side, but the famine demon still looked intact.

  “Time for plan B.”

  He laid his Glocks gently on the stone casket in front of him and began shucking out of his clothes, dropping them beside him until he stood naked, the cool breeze stinging against his fresh injuries.

  “All right shades, time to do your stuff,” he muttered as he picked up his Glocks and began killing the demons one at a time. He aimed a few shots toward the famine bounty demon, but when they bounced off
harmlessly, he returned all his efforts to the lesser demons, trying to ignore the fact that underneath the possession, there was still a human trapped inside those bodies.

  When the first clammy slap of sensation slid through his shoulder, Jethro had to brace himself against the urge to shy away from the contact. “Come and get it. Lots of energy right here for the taking,” he said to the shades as he reloaded his Glocks and took aim again.

  More of the freezing touches followed the first until he felt as if his soul had been dipped in ice water. As his energy slowly ebbed away, his reaction times suffered, as did his aim. More arms, legs, and torsos took the brunt of the jacketed hollow points, and a few shots even ricocheted off the insides of the iron fence.

  Jethro laughed at the idea of being killed with one of his own ricochet shots and robbing both the demons and the shades of their chance with him.

  But then his vision began to waver, and it took all his willpower to reload his Glocks and slowly pull the triggers, hoping the shot discharged close to something vital in the crowd of demons.

  The loud wrenching sound of bending metal sounded almost surreal as it trickled through his fading consciousness, and he found himself on his knees, not remembering how he’d gotten there.

  He gritted his teeth as the fluttering cold touches continued and with all his remaining willpower raised his arms and emptied both cartridges of ammo into the crowd of demons.

  As he felt the last flicker of his life force leave his body, he whispered, “Amalya . . .”

  17

  Amalya ran, dodging around graves, crumbling mausoleums and sliding on the grass and gravel underfoot when she took a turn too sharp. Her chest burned and there was hot pressure behind her eyes. She didn’t try to deceive herself that those sensations had anything to do with her current mad dash or the scene she planned in a few short minutes.

  She’d already been brought to the brink of death by the shades once before and knew there was nothing to fear. It was Jethro she worried for. Levi was just beside her and would be right beside her no matter what happened. But Jethro would be all alone.

  She knew she couldn’t protect him, any more than she could return the emotions that he’d always had toward her. But it felt cruel somehow to leave him there, no matter how logical the plan had sounded when they’d all discussed it.

  Levi grabbed her hand, threading his fingers through hers and pulling her forward. “Don’t look behind you, just keep running.”

  She grabbed tight to his hand and increased her speed but couldn’t help tossing a quick glance over her shoulder.

  A huge wall of undulating fog rose up behind them so tall that it blocked out the sky.

  Her blood chilled inside her veins, and as adrenaline spiked through her she ran faster until she was dragging Levi with her to keep up. She’d banked on the shades following her, but they had to make it to the cliff’s edge to allow enough time for Jethro to distract the demons.

  Gunshots sounded at the front gate and her steps faltered as an urge to protect Jethro rose up so hard and fast that she was turning around before she realized she intended to.

  Levi caught her and tossed her over his shoulder, running full-out until her stomach bounced painfully against his hard shoulder with every step.

  Explosions rocked the ground beneath them and Levi fought not to stumble as he gripped her tighter to his shoulder. More gunshots and more explosions followed at different intervals, and Amalya’s hands squeezed into fists as she tried to imagine what Jethro was dealing with back at the courtyard.

  She pushed up, bracing herself from the impact enough so she could look behind them. What she found surprised her.

  The wall of fog wasn’t a wall at all. Amalya could make out individual shapes of opaque humans with very distinct features, and they looked . . . hungry . . .

  As if they sensed her scrutiny, a deep, bass buzzing began, and for a moment, Amalya thought there might be an earthquake, but as the sound increased until she could feel it deep in her belly she realized it was coming from the shades.

  They weren’t happy, and she wondered if they’d had time for everything they’d planned during their lives.

  Levi dropped her to her feet so fast that she stumbled and it took her a few long seconds to catch her footing. By the time she glanced up, Levi was sloshing a messy circle around them with the holy water.

  Amalya tracked his progress as she began to shuck off her clothes as the first of the shades found her, sliding through her body in an icy, clammy rush that made her skin crawl. She resisted the urge to wince away from them as she kicked off her shoes and nudged them just outside of the wet holy-water circle.

  When she turned toward Levi he stood barefoot and naked from the waist up. He slid off his trousers and boxers in one smooth motion and laid them on top of her jeans and shirt in the middle of the circle.

  He hugged her to him and captured her in a searing kiss, the warmth of his body buoying her against the soul-deep cold the shades left behind.

  As Levi’s tongue dipped inside her mouth, Amalya swayed on her feet, unsure if it was an effect of the shades or from Levi’s kiss. Levi caught her and gently lowered her to the ground as he slid onto his side and pulled her down on top of him.

  “Levi, what are you doing?”

  Even as her vision wavered she laughed at the evil glee in his dark eyes. “If they want energy, let’s give them energy, shall we, love?”

  Before she could answer him, Levi had lifted her and impaled her on his cock.

  A long moan broke from her throat as he filled her in one swift stroke.

  Rather than pushing up and riding him, she laid on top of him, closing her lips over his and enjoying the sensation of having him buried deep inside while she kissed him.

  The contrast between the slimy ice cold that was the shades stealing her energy and the searing heat that she and Levi created between them intensified the moment, and she said a silent thanks that she could spend her last few seconds of life this way.

  And if this didn’t work, she giggled at the thought of whoever would find a dead couple in a graveyard buck naked and still joined together.

  Amalya gave herself up to the differing sensations and immersed herself in Levi—his musky, male scent, the taste of him that reminded her of warmed whiskey, and the reverent, almost desperate way he touched her.

  As black spots danced in front of her vision and her full weight slumped forward onto Levi, his chest rumbled underneath her and she could just make out the words, “See you on the other side, love.”

  “She did it.” Raphael grinned at Lilith who stood with him watching the scene at Graveyard Rim Cliffs. “I wasn’t sure she got my reference, but here they are.”

  “My succubi are very smart. They have to be to survive.” Lilith glanced up at him from under her eyelashes. “You came very close to interfering, Raphael. You must be more careful.”

  Raphael adopted his best innocent expression. “I only told her a story about a place I’d visited in Oregon.” He shrugged.

  Lilith raised up on her tiptoes to brush a kiss across his cheek. “I’m grateful and always shall be.”

  Heat seared into Raphael’s neck and cheeks, and he managed to mumble, “You’re welcome.”

  Jethro blinked and then winced away from the bright sunlight that streamed down through the swaying branches of the tree above him.

  Branches? What the hell?

  His demon battle in the open-air courtyard had taken place under a cloudless sky. There had been no trees to block the sun, let alone the tangy ocean breeze that currently ruffled his hair and teased against his bare skin. The front of the graveyard had been too far from the cliff to even hear the crashing of the waves.

  Rather than the courtyard’s hard gravel and packed dirt, his back and shoulders were now brushed by springy grass, and he shielded his face with his hand to look around him.

  A verdant expanse gave way to a beach with pristine white sand and waves
slowly caressing the beach. He turned his head the other way and saw a Victorian brick two-story mansion that was both stately and mysterious. “This is Heaven?” He laughed as he pushed up on his elbows. “It certainly doesn’t look like Hell.”

  “This is only an in-between area, but your next decisions will decide where you’d like to spend your time.”

  The sultry voice moved over him like a physical caress and his cock hardened, swelling against his belly as he turned to find a woman standing at his feet. She was a stunning dark beauty with long hair that flowed over her shoulders and an hourglass body that in comparison would’ve made Marilyn Monroe look like a ten-year-old boy.

  Jethro slowly stood, glad he could even move after the episode with the shades. He didn’t bother with false modesty. She’d already seen everything on him there was to see, and Jethro had never been ashamed of his body. “Who are you?”

  Her musical laugh stole over him and a spurt of pure, hot arousal shot through him making liquid seep from the tip of his cock. “I’m Lilith.”

  “Wait.” He made a chopping motion in the air in front of him and looked Lilith up and down again, seeing her in the fresh light of everything he’d ever heard about her from Amalya. “Lilith, Queen of the Succubi?”

  “And Incubi,” she added lightly, her voice infused with a sexual playfulness that both invited and teased.

  Even though his body was on high alert to her proximity, his mind was still back at the cemetery. “Where are Amalya and Levi?”

  “Their fates are decided separately from your own, human.” She shrugged, which did wonderful things to her breasts currently encased in a form-fitting black dress that seemed to be held up only by one small tie in the front.

  He internally cursed for letting himself be distracted. “Their fates are decided separately, which means?” For lack of anything better to do with them, he fisted his hands at his sides and slowly turned as she circled him, keeping her in sight at all times.