Succubus Diaries 03 - My Fair Succubi

by Jill Myles

  That would explain the boom we’d heard. I pulled another shard free. “Strange. Do you think he was having trouble handling all that power?”

  Zane made a soft noise of assent, his fingers tightening around my waist as I pulled a bigger shard free. “I think so. When everything settled, I was pinned here so I couldn’t help out. She seemed weaker after that—weak enough that Ethan could get close enough to slam a fist into her nose. It didn’t stop her, though. She just shoved him through the wall and went downstairs. I couldn’t follow.”

  Poor Remy. So that was how her nose had been broken … and how we’d been able to fight her down and get the collar on her.

  I dropped one of the bloody shards to the floor and smoothed the wing feather I’d removed it from. “I think she’s under control,” I said, concentrating on my task. “Caleb put the necklace around her neck and seems to be sucking Joachim out of her.”

  “Your necklace?” His pinned wing fluttered as I pulled the last piece free.

  “No, his,” I said, turning toward him. “He collared Remy. Now that she has it on, the power is transferring into the collar. She’ll be herself again soon.” And I couldn’t wait for that to happen. A bubbling sense of accomplishment was rising in me, mixed with relief. Giddy with happiness, my heart felt as if it would burst, and I leaned in to press happy kisses to his face. Remy was going to be all right after all. “We did it, Zane!”

  He folded in his wings, giving a great bodily shudder, and leapt down from the rafter down to the floor. I took the ladder and climbed down while he waited for me. As I moved to his side, he shook his head and glanced around the room, as if something wasn’t adding up. “I don’t understand,” he said. “What’s he collaring Remy with?”

  I frowned at him. “The shenu.”

  Zane paled and grabbed my arm. “What did you just say?”

  I tried to pry his fingers off my arm, alarmed. “The gold necklace. The shenu.”

  “That idiot!” He raced for the stairs and I ran after him, fear clenching in my gut. “It’s a transfer symbol.”

  We ran back down just in time to see Remy collapse at Caleb’s feet. All the light and energy had seemingly sucked out of her, and she looked like a pale, wretched copy of herself. Ethan cradled her on the floor, a concerned look on his face as he patted her cheek.

  The collar in Caleb’s hand was shooting off light much like the halo had, once upon a time. Caleb raised it into the air, a savage look on his face.

  “No!” Zane called, reaching a hand out, but it was too late. “Caleb!”

  It was too late.

  Caleb put on the collar, and the light flared and pulsed as it touched his skin.

  A wave of energy rolled through the room, knocking us to the ground. My eardrums exploded, and I barely felt Zane pull me under him before the entire building collapsed around us.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I awoke gradually. My head was ringing, but I could hear faint, tinny things, so my hearing must have been repairing itself as I slept. Had I been hurt more grievously than I imagined? It took a lot to knock a succubus unconscious.

  Someone heavy and warm lay unconscious over me. My fingers trailed over the muscled arm clenched around my torso, up to the broad shoulders and the base of a wing. Zane. Still wrapped around me, trying to protect me. My fingers continued their exploration and I touched his face, feeling his breath on my fingers. “Zane?”

  No answer.

  I tried again, prodding his shoulder. “Zane? Wake up.”

  Nothing.

  I glanced up, trying to make out where we were and what had happened. A broken piece of the ceiling was inches from my face, close enough to make my breath hitch shallowly. Were we buried alive? I clenched my hand against Zane’s shoulder and forced myself to calm, noting my surroundings. There was a sliver of light coming from somewhere, showing me the broken beams and chunks of drywall that surrounded us. We’d been lucky—we’d fallen into some kind of pocket in the basement of Midnight. When Caleb had put on the collar, the surge of power had destroyed the entire building and brought it down around us.

  We were screwed. And not in a pleasant way.

  If Caleb—a four-thousand-year-old vampire—had the halo inside him, who knew what madness he was capable of? This was one step away from handing it right to the queen in a gift-wrapped package.

  We had to do something … just as soon as we escaped the wreckage of the club.

  I hoped that Remy and Ethan had managed to find a safe pocket, as well. I called their names a few times, but got no response. I tested my limbs gingerly. Nothing seemed to be overly broken. I ached all over, but I was whole. Noah’s ring was still tucked safely in my pocket but Remy’s necklace was gone. Next to me, Zane’s body felt warm and amazing, so I huddled back down next to him, almost in a dreamlike state.

  Zane slept peacefully at my side, and I pulled his arm over me, stroking my hands over his warm skin, sighing with pleasure. My pulse ignited, the warmth beginning to spread through my body. We could just wait out the hours here, snuggled in our cave away from the world, and I could rub up against him—

  Oh jeez.

  The Itch was in full bloom. I wasn’t due for another day, and I frowned as my skin crawled with need. I must have been badly injured. When I’d had a hole blown through my middle (thanks to an angel wielding a gun), I’d needed sex far more often to heal my body. I recognized the same restless ache deep inside me now, the need for sex to refuel.

  And it was getting hard to resist the urge to flip Zane onto his back and straddle him.

  We must have been unconscious for longer than I’d thought, and I’d been hurt far worse than I thought. Ignoring the skittering Itch that swept over my body, I craned my neck and tried to find the source of the light to judge how long I’d been asleep.

  It was impossible to tell, but the light explained why Zane was fast asleep: the vampire day-sleep.

  And I was horny, restless, and trapped.

  Not a good combination.

  My hand skimmed down my side, sending ripples of pleasure and anticipation through my body. My jeans had torn during the explosion, and I slid my hand down the waistband and let my fingers glide over my sex, parting the lips below. My folds were already slick with need, the Itch throbbing through my veins and making my body react. My nipples were hard, tight peaks, and there was a restless urge in me that needed to be satisfied.

  Waiting hours for a rescue—or for Zane to awaken—would be torture. His body, so warm and heavy against mine, was making my own body go crazy with need.

  I slid my fingers over my clit, once, twice, the sensation pulsing through me with delight. My other hand brushed across my nipples, teasing them. This eased the Itch’s restless hunger. I could do this for a while.

  I stroked my body, lost in my own thoughts. This was such a bad idea—I kept telling myself that even as I continued to touch myself, sliding my shirt up to expose my breasts and moving my ripped jeans down so they pooled around my hips and then kicked them off. Clothing was bothering me.

  And here I was, all alone. Zane wouldn’t awaken for hours. Since a succubus couldn’t bring herself to orgasm, someone had to give us relief. Didn’t matter who, or if they were willing, and even if Zane was willing, he couldn’t knowingly touch me or he’d fry from the collar.

  Knowingly touch me … I glanced over at Zane, who slept on his side, wings folded tight against his back. His body leaned against mine, his hand loose on my hip. I scooted up slightly, taking his hand in mine.

  Ohhh, lovely. I hadn’t remembered his hands being so very big. They’d touched me a day or so ago, but I hadn’t had time to really study his hands … and they were a thing of beauty. His fingers were long and large—not blunt like a craftsman’s, or thin like an artist’s, but just right. I took his fingers and guided them so they brushed over the top of my thigh.

  An utter thrill shot through my body.

  This was terribly wrong, but I couldn’t help m
yself. I guided that warm, large hand between my thighs and brushed his fingertips down my sex.

  An electric jolt of pleasure coursed through me, and I moaned aloud. That was far nicer than I had imagined. Soft, light, without force behind it. I slid his fingers against my clit and rubbed hard, nearly coming off the floor with pleasure. My breath came in soft gasps, but even so, frustration was ever-present. I was so close, but I needed something more. I swore as I bucked against his hand, almost sobbing with need.

  God, I was a sick, sick creature—molesting a sleeping man.

  I looked down at his hand between my legs, watched as I guided his thumb, resting on my mound, to slide downward and part my sex. I gasped as it brushed against my clitoris. Using my fingers to guide his, I gave it a rough stroke.

  My head tilted back and my thighs locked around his hand, encouraging the pressure.

  The clamp of my thighs forced his thick middle finger to slide down through my folds, bringing a new set of sensations. Gasping, I arched and rotated my hips against his fingers, forcing his fingertips to stroke and circle my clit again. And again. And again. Harder and faster, I rocked against his hand, breathing his name and arching my hips to create the friction that I needed so badly. The Itch spiraled through me, wild with need.

  Finally, I climaxed. Not in the smooth, easy, pleasant way that sex had always been since I turned. This was rough and grating and shameful, and I collapsed with relief when I felt the aching intensity ebbed out of my body. I lay there for a moment, spent. My breathing eventually slowed, and I relaxed in the languor that followed the abatement of the Itch.

  I was a horrible person. I’d just rubbed myself off using a sleeping man’s hand. There had to be some sort of rule against that.

  But at least Zane hadn’t burned himself on the collar, and I’d bought myself another two days. To make amends for using Zane, I carefully straightened his clothes, then wiped his fingers clean on my shirt, though I could still smell myself on him. Well, I’d just have to explain that later.

  Once everything was restored, I cuddled close to Zane again and watched him sleep for a few moments. That got tiresome, though. For one, he didn’t sleep like regular men, and it was more like watching a dead body. That was a little too creepy for my state of mind, so I peered around. Could I climb out? I tested a heavy outcrop of busted drywall and tried to pull my weight up, but all it did was earn me a shower of plaster pieces and the mini-cave shuddering as it came close to collapsing.

  I froze. Okay, bad idea. Someone else was going to have to dig us out. No problem, we could wait a few hours. Or days. Or however long before the queen’s men came after us again.

  Of course … that meant that the queen wasn’t going to be happy that Caleb had taken Joachim’s power and sucked it into himself. I suspected that he wasn’t going to go back to the queen with that little treasure. In fact, I’d bet money that he wouldn’t.

  So now, instead of just a psychotic succubus, I had to worry about a pissed-off queen and a vampire who could potentially be stronger than her. And crazy. Great.

  To pass the time, I decided to mentally go through Egyptian dynasties and pharaohs. Most people would probably go to the old standby of ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, but that well ran dry after about five minutes. I started with Narmer. It was a challenge, because I hadn’t studied my Egyptian history in a while, so I drew myself family trees on the dusty floor while I waited.

  I was somewhere in the midst of the Ptolemies when I heard footsteps overhead.

  My breath sucked in. Should I say something? What if it was Caleb? I didn’t want to point out where we were. I shifted uneasily. The light overhead seemed fainter than before—was the sun going down? If so, Zane would be awakening soon.

  What if the queen had decided to come back and check on things? Would calling attention to us mean instant death? What was I supposed to do?

  “Are you sure they’re here?” said a low voice. My ears strained to make out the rest of the conversation. A female voice jumped in, her response musical and soft.

  Who was it up there?

  More conversation. I sat up on my elbows and craned my head, desperate to hear. The low thrum of voices was maddening and my guess was that they were walking away, because I could no longer make out the male’s voice.

  The female said something sharp and shrill, allowing me to catch her voice. “Don’t … ridiculous … Noah … dead …”

  Noah? Was Noah up there? “Hello?” I called, nearly jumping in my excitement. My head brushed against the broken beams as I tried to stand upright. “Can you hear us down here?”

  For a long, endless minute there was no response.

  Then, a faint voice called. “Jackie? Is that you?”

  Noah!

  “I’m here!” I called, clutching at the beams as if that would help me climb them. “We’re here! We’re trapped down here!”

  Overhead, a shadow moved and blocked out the last of my dimming light. I sucked in an anxious breath until I heard the sound of wood creaking and groaning. A massive chunk of the collapsed ceiling moved, the rest of the debris shifting slightly. Faint light trickled in and I could see the orange sky overhead. He was going to get us out.

  I moved over to Zane and shook his shoulder, but he didn’t awaken. Anxious, I turned back to the hole, waiting to see a glimpse of Noah.

  I was not disappointed. After a few more minutes of creaking and groaning and shit being moved, the hole widened a bit more and a blond head peered over the top.

  “Noah,” I cried, raising my arms up with excitement. “You’re free!”

  He laughed, the sound a mixture of relief and amusement. “And you’re the one trapped. Hold tight for a few minutes more, Jackie, and I’ll get you dug out.”

  I waited impatiently as Noah removed enough debris to clear head space. Soon enough, a rope (made of what looked to be Noah’s long-sleeved shirt and undershirt) was lowered down and I grasped it, expecting to have to pull myself up.

  But no sooner had I grabbed ahold of the makeshift rope, than I shot up like a rocket into the air, only to be snatched from midair as Noah grabbed me. Holy shit, the man was strong! I’d had no idea. I clung to his neck in surprise, inhaling his crisp, clean, musky scent.

  God, I’d missed him. I didn’t realize how much until I had my hands on his bronzed shoulders. I clung to him for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being wrapped around him.

  “Jackie, sweetheart,” Noah breathed against my hair, and I felt him press a kiss into my curly hair. “Thank God you’re safe.”

  “Yippee,” said an unenthusiastic voice behind him. I glanced over his massive shoulder at the speaker—Delilah.

  My fellow succubus wore her long blond hair in two curling pigtails atop her head, and she toyed with a sucker in her mouth. Her jeans were low slung and her baby pink sweater was so tight that I could see the indentation of her belly button. And her erect nipples. Charming as ever, and dressed a lot more provocatively than normal. I suspected that had something to do with Noah. “Hi, Dee.”

  She wiggled her fingers, looking less than pleased at Noah’s reunion with me.

  “Noah, you’re here. That’s amazing,” I began. “But how did you escape the Serim? How did you get out of Mexico? How—”

  “We’ll talk about that later.” He touched my cheek, as if needing to assess for himself that I was all right. “What happened here?”

  I pulled away from him and stared at the wreckage of the club. There was a giant mess of debris where Midnight had once stood. “We set a trap for Remy—uh, Joachim,” I corrected. “We were able to pull him out of Remy, but then Caleb took him. He put on the collar and everything went kablooey.”

  “A necklace?” Noah frowned. “What sort of necklace?”

  I stared at the ruins in a daze. “Some sort of protection shenu thing.” Where was Remy? Was this all for nothing? I stepped away from Noah, my eyes searching the wreckage.

  “A shenu?” Noah grab
bed my arm. “An ancient Egyptian shenu? Those were used to corral power—to boomerang it.”

  “No,” I said, pacing around the wreckage. Where was Remy? “The shenu was used for protection Caleb told me so.”

  “Yeah, because vampires never lie,” Dee chimed in.

  It was a shame I didn’t have time to punch her right now. “Caleb told me he got it from the queen.”

  “Jackie, did you ever stop to think that maybe the queen wanted him possessed? So he could bring the halo back to her?”

  Well, no. I hadn’t thought about that. A sick feeling swept over me, and I forced myself to refocus. “That’s not important right now. We need to find Remy and Zane.”

  As if on cue, Ethan arose from the far end of the wreckage, all hulking shoulders and messy dark hair. His shirt hung at his waist, torn. Clinging to his leg like a damsel in some sort of Conan movie, was my friend.

  “Remy,” I yelled, circling around the ruins of the club to run back to her side. “Are you okay?”

  She stared at me uncomprehendingly, then stared up at Ethan in a daze. “Big.”

  I knelt at her side and touched her cheek, turning her face to me. “Oh my God. We were so worried about you!”

  She blinked, then looked up at Ethan again, and caressed his muscular leg. “So big.”

  Uh oh. Now was not the time. I took her arm and dragged her to her feet, though she resisted all the way. “Remy, say something coherent. Please. So I know Joachim didn’t fry your brain.”

  She blinked again and looked over at me, then threw her arms around me in a bear hug. “Jackie!” she squealed. “You are the best friend ever!” Her mouth landed near my ear and she whispered in close, “And I see you brought me a present.”

  Ethan? She was welcome to him … if he was into that sort of thing. Judging by the dazed look on my Boy Scout’s face, he had no clue what hit him.

  Remy finished hugging me and moved on to Noah, launching herself into his arms so he could swing her around. “Noah! My boo! How are you, sweet thing?”