Succubus Tear (Triune promise)

by Andreas Wiesemann

  “Look, Cain.” Al’bah pointed.

  They were currently on Highway 54 with the idea of using it to get all the way down into Mexico. Cain saw an exit sign where they might get some gas and some needed relief from all this driving.

  He checked the time clock on the old ’87 Accord. It was four in the evening; perhaps now in New Mexico it would be a good idea to ditch the car. He knew the authorities would have never let Charlie out of the country with Stella unless they gave them descriptions and license plate numbers. They had been lucky, but luck only went so far, and with the speed traps they were running across, not to mention all the dirty business with the Mexican drug cartels, it would only be a matter of time before they were stopped and discovered.

  “Al’bah, I think this will be the last stop we take before we walk the rest of the way to Mexico. We have been pressing our luck, and it may just run out before long.”

  “Viek-Tein! I do not think too much on the idea of walking several days, or even weeks, out there without some better shoes, perhaps boots,” Al’bah said, eyeing her sneakers. “Also, we need supplies and a decent night’s rest.”

  Cain nodded and they turned off the road. Alamogordo. Just under a hundred miles from the border.

  Chapter 52

  Life, Warmth, and Worth

  “Do not blame me for your shortsightedness. Humanity was given their favor for a reason. And even if Cain is as dim as you assume, his Bond is not.”

  —Walter Stratton

  “Let’s see, ah! Room 104,” Cain said, sliding the card and opening the door. “Woa! Nice!” The motel room was unlike any other he had ever been in. The floor was a welcome tile-and-rug combo showcasing a crisp gray and white pattern.

  The walls were a soft brown color, as was the queen bed. The entire room smelled fresh and looked brand new. A curious glass wall separated the bedroom from the bathroom, giving both the feel of being much larger while still offering privacy with inexpensive plastic roman blinds.

  “Foul!” Al’bah snorted.

  “Say what?”

  “The room is so filled with chaos. So many people were here, so much energy that is not mine or yours.”

  Cain placed his duffel on the dresser. “Yeah, but I don’t think I could spend another night sleeping in the car.”

  Still not looking at Cain, Al’bah muttered, “I could.”

  Cain stepped closer to Al’bah; her eyes were distant, and her expression seemed a little sad. “Are you okay?”

  “Hmm?”

  Cain sighed. Al’bah was in one of her strange moods again. She once described it as going to another state of being. Though she could function, her attention would be severely diminished until she came back. He shrugged and started to run the hot water in the hot tub and stepped into the standing shower for a long overdue appointment his body had with a washrag and soap.

  ***

  Cain sighed as he entered the steaming hot tub that had just finished filling with fresh water.

  He opened his eyes. Al’bah had entered the spacious bathroom, but she was reluctant to enter the tub.

  “Ah, there you are. I was beginning to worry about when you would come back around.”

  Al’bah quirked her head. “I am always with you, my Bond. I just could not stand the spiritual garbage that surrounded us. It is gone, and there is harmony here.” She stepped closer and frowned at the steaming tub. “Why do you prefer hot water?”

  “It feels good. Why, does hot water bother you?”

  Al’bah knelt and leaned against the tub wall, her face level with Cain’s.

  “I am uncertain how hot water can feel comforting to you. I have been a spiritual creature for so long, and am quite sensitive to the energies that surround us all.” She swirled her finger in the water. “The energies that fill this water are chaotic. What you call cold water is pure, inert, and more receptive to harmony.”

  Cain stood, and with one foot on the tile floor while the other was in the tub, he bent over and scooped Al’bah up in his arms.

  “You are not just a spiritual creature anymore, Al’bah,” he said with a smug grin. “I am certain that your flesh will appreciate the warmth as well.”

  Al’bah clutched Cain tightly and held still; she seemed to sense the precarious situation Cain was facing now with both feet in the slippery tub and carrying her in his arms. “Gently, my Bond,” she whispered.

  Cain sat back down in the tub, allowing Al’bah to ease out of his arms and sit upon the bottom.

  “So, how does it feel?” he said as he lounged against the tub wall again.

  Al’bah sighed. “You were correct. I do find this sensation pleasurable.”

  Cain leaned forward. “Are you okay? You seem sad again.”

  Al’bah looked up, and tears shone in her eyes. “Oh, I was remembering your concern that I could have been with child. Cain, would that be something that you might regret someday?”

  Cain felt uncomfortable and wished he could change the subject. Though he had learned by now when Al’bah asked questions, she would have her answer. “Truthfully? I never thought about the idea of having children. I don’t know if I would regret it.” He thought for a moment. “Why, do you want children?”

  Al’bah closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her chest. “Cain, what I would give to be the harbor where life was being formed. Animals are blessed, even the crawling insects, and the swimming fish are blessed.” She opened her eyes and nestled herself into Cain’s arms.

  “Thought, emotion, existence, endless potential and boundless wonder. Oh, Cain. What a miracle life is. The very idea of life being brought forth by two beings in love is so beautiful.” Al’bah sighed and turned her face to Cain. “And it is denied to me.”

  “I’m sorry, Al’bah,” Cain whispered.

  Al’bah shook her head sadly. “No, Cain, I am sorry. I am sorry that I cannot bear your child. I can only hope you do not grow to resent me.”

  Cain shrugged. “There are other ways to—”

  Al’bah shifted away from Cain and shook her head. “I am aware of caring for a child of other people, and it is a grand and loving gesture.” She caressed Cain’s chest. “But is it so wrong to want your children? Is it so wrong to feel that the notion of raising the child of another, reminds me of my own inability?”

  Cain couldn’t meet Al’bah’s sad eyes anymore. He wanted to say something, anything, to make her feel better. The uncomfortable silence drew on, and like always, Al’bah seemed to always know just how to break it.

  “It is an uncomfortable subject; we should not be so at odds in the presence of each other.” She reached for the complimentary fruit basket and plucked a pink and butter-yellow peach. “This fruit is good,” she said, taking one for herself and biting into it.

  “Thank you, Al’bah.” Cain took the peach; it did look delicious, and as he took his first bite, he accidentally bit his tongue.

  Al’bah gasped with Cain. “Are you well?”

  “Ackh! I bit my tongue.”

  Al’bah smiled softly and traced her finger across Cain’s cheek. “There, you are well. Happiness fills me.”

  Cain ran his tongue across his cheek; the pain was gone. “Al’bah, is this what you meant by using my energy to strengthen our Bond, and me?”

  Al’bah nodded. “Yes, I have healed illnesses and injuries throughout your entire body.”

  Cain put the peach down. “What? When was I sick or injured?”

  “You were very ill when we first met, Cain,” Al’bah purred as she caressed his right hand. “Of course, you already know of your hand.”

  She moved her fingers up his arms and rested them upon his elbows. “Here,” she said and continued to his shoulders. “Both shoulders—your right shoulder was more damaged.” She kissed Cain’s neck softly and settled into his lap. “Here,” she whispered into his ear while tracing his lobes with her fingers. “Your hearing was weak for your years, and here,” she said, dragging her fingers across his
lower back.

  Cain felt a sense of vertigo from the implications of what Al’bah had done for him. He was reminded of the innumerable times of being labeled as reckless by others in the construction yard. That he was going to wind up in a wheelchair and deaf before his time. He thought the various aches and pains he endured was a sign of weak muscles, not from his abuse of his body…not from growing old!

  Al’bah moved her hands again, and this time she rested them on his chest. “When we first met, I could smell from your breath that you once inhaled foul smoke as so many others do.” She looked up from his chest. “Your lungs are well again.” Her hands and glance drifted to his mid abdomen, and Cain felt her press on a vague spot. “You were very ill here. I could smell the sickness in your breath, skin, sweat, blood, seed, and every piece of clothing that is yours.”

  She looked up. “That illness would have killed you before long.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you healed me?”

  “I have. I even asked for your permission, which you gave.”

  Cain thought back hard. “I did?”

  “Will you allow me to show you?”

  “Sure.”

  Al’bah placed her hands on Cain’s chest, and Cain immediately felt his body grow weak like the first time he met her. She carefully eased his head upon the incline of the tub to keep his face above the water.

  “I mean you no harm, Cain. Let me show you, my love.” She picked Cain up with ease and placed him upon the bed.

  “The first night we spent together, you were so suspicious of me. So desperate to maintain control that it frightened me,” she said as she resumed running her hands all over his body. “So I separated your mind and body for a moment. Your body rejoiced in my attentions and my affections, while your mind was left in confused desperation.”

  She pursed her lips and teased the skin upon Cain’s bare chest with her breath. Suddenly, like a flipped switch, he regained control over his body and sat up.

  “Your body accepted my desire for your energy, and accepted my efforts to make you well, when I asked to show you my affection. That was the moment of your permission. Then, I asked if you would allow me to feed you, to bring health into your life.” Al’bah raised her hands and placed them on Cain’s chest. “I have fed you more than just food and drink.” Al’bah swallowed. “And I—” She shook her head and wiped her eyes. “Cain, forgive me…but in asking if you would feed me, I meant for you to feed me a portion of your soul.”

  Cain stared into Al’bah’s eyes for a full minute, realizing Al’bah was capable of tricking him. He felt a moment of outrage, but it was quickly pacified as Al’bah kissed his hand.

  “And.” He gathered his thoughts for another moment. “And this is what allowed you to heal the worst of my illnesses?”

  Al’bah nodded and held her breath.

  “I still have my soul, right?”

  Al’bah nodded again. “Yes, I just took a small, small portion. It has since regrown.”

  Cain sighed. “Well, that’s okay.”

  “You…forgive me? So easily? How? Why?”

  “Because, I just do. I trust you.”

  Al’bah let out her breath; her face was filled with elation. “But, during our first night, I wanted you to be receptive to me. I needed you to want, and I also asked for your kiss.” Al’bah closed her eyes and leaned into Cain, waiting.

  A dizzying sense of déjà vu’ swept Cain’s mind. She wants me to kiss her.

  But this time Cain didn’t resist, nor did he want to.

  ***

  3 a.m.

  Cain opened his eyes; something was wrong. He could see Al’bah sleeping next to him, but there was something awkward about the way he was positioned. He turned his head and remembered.

  During their passions, Al’bah had wrapped one of her wings around them both and grabbed a portion of the ceiling with the other. They both were suspended in a cocoon made from Al’bah’s wing, while the other kept them suspended three feet above the bed.

  Why did she do that? Cain thought. He wondered if he would be able to go back to sleep like this, or if he should wake her up. He was starting to decide to try to go back to sleep when he noticed his arm was stuck to the inside of Al’bah’s wing.

  No, not stuck! What the hell is this?

  Cain looked closer; it was as if Al’bah’s wing was becoming a part of his arm. He looked toward his legs and noticed the same thing was happening all over.

  Cain took a deep breath and started to pull his arm away from her wing. He could see her flesh leave his own in spongy tendrils.

  Okay, he thought, maybe it’s not what I think it is. Cain started to move his legs and body to shimmy out of the cocoon. He dropped onto the bed, and for a moment he stared at the large brown shape that was still suspended from the ceiling.

  Cain looked at the parts of his body that were fused to Al’bah, and aside from him being hairless from the neck down, no other marks were present on his body at all.

  A soft touch on his face drew his attention, and he looked up.

  Al’bah’s wing had unfurled by now and seemed to be reaching for him. It was a strange sight to see Al’bah’s limp body hanging from one wing still asleep, while the other wing stretched toward him.

  “Offa me,” Cain said quietly and nudged the wing aside, or at least he tried to.

  As soon as his hand made contact with the pink underside, it was stuck fast, and the wing started to pull Cain back up.

  “Hey! Hey! Let go!” Cain shouted and pulled back.

  The response was as instant as it was alarming. The wing that was attached to the ceiling must have let go as Al’bah, wings and all, collapsed onto the bed.

  Al’bah’s wings seemed to have a mind on their own and went into a mad frenzy. This time both of her wings wrapped around Cain’s arms and drew him closer to Al’bah, who had just opened her eyes that were glowing violet.

  “Cain? What are you doing?” she asked softly.

  “What am I doing? What the hell is this?” Cain said, gesturing with his head to Al’bah’s wings that had completely engulfed his arms.

  “Ssshhh. Listen, breathe, relax. You are in no danger, my precious Bond.” Al’bah sighed as she reached out and wrapped her arms and legs around Cain as he was brought on top of her.

  Cain relaxed his muscles and waited. Al’bah’s wings released their iron grip on his arms and allowed them to slide down and between her wings to rest at his sides. Even with his arms relatively free, he felt a soft panic as Al’bah’s wings continued to fold over his body, and although he couldn’t see it happen, Cain felt Al’bah’s flesh and his melding together.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Does this upset you?” Al’bah asked with a confused face.

  “Yes!”

  Al’bah’s wings immediately opened, and Cain got off of Al’bah to sit on the bed, panting slightly.

  “Forgive me, my Bond. I take you into my wings because of my feelings for you, my love for you. I did not mean to cause you disquiet,” Al’bah said and sat up as well.

  “But what was up with your wings grabbing me and—” Cain stopped and calmed down. “It was almost like I was being eaten alive.”

  Al’bah smiled and ran her hands through Cain’s hair. “Do we all not reach out and touch what we desire? Do you not remember me stating that I am used to having more than just two arms and two legs?” She maneuvered herself onto Cain’s lap, still running her fingers through his hair. “Even in my sleep I reach for you, to bring you near.” Al’bah gestured to her body. “And I desire nothing more to surround and to be surrounded by you. To have you within me, and I within you.”

  “And what about my hair?” Cain said, feeling Al’bah’s smooth skin all the more now that the hair from his body was gone below the neck.

  “Oh,” Al’bah said, seeming embarrassed. “Well, it was uncomfortable for me as we joined, so I took it from you.”

  Cain opened his mouth to spe
ak, to protest such an intrusion of self, but he let out his breath, and for the life of him he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t bothered by it.

  “Okay, well let’s get some more sleep,” Cain said, yawning.

  Al’bah didn’t move from his lap; she just waited, staring at Cain with pleading eyes.

  “Fine, okay.” He sighed as Al’bah’s wings folded upon them both this time, like delicate petals of a flower welcoming the passing insect like a lover.

  “Just tell me something.” Cain sighed, feeling a euphoric rush that he missed before in his panic. “Why didn’t you do this before?”

  “I could not do this before,” Al’bah breathed. “I wanted to. But I would guess it has more to do with you, than me.”

  She moaned softly as she settled deliciously upon him; the softness of her body was contrasted perfectly by her sharp teeth and nails biting into his flesh.

  Cain gasped as well and felt Al’bah’s wing grab the ceiling to suspend them again in the air. “Why do you do that?”

  Al’bah stopped and stared at Cain for a moment; her wings had completely enclosed the two of them in a tighter space than before. The dim, pink light that filtered through her enclosed wings clashed with the violet glow of her eyes and lent an atmosphere that couldn’t decide to be lustful or loving. Al’bah moaned slightly in frustration and muttered a few incomprehensible words.

  “Cain.”

  “Yes?”

  “God is above all, but for this moment, there is nothing but you and I. There is no bed, and there is no motel. There is no Taint, and no struggle for our lives and freedom. There is nothing but this small universe I make for you.”

  She grasped Cain’s hair and squeezed her fists with incredible strength, and pulled.

  “So please,” she moaned painfully, letting go of his hair. “Please!” she begged as violet tears sparkled down her face and burned upon Cain’s chest. “Accept my works with a heart full of joy! Accept my affection with your own.”

  Cain was dumbfounded; he could feel the beginnings of a complete mood killer, and he was sure Al’bah felt it, too.