Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22

You faked it faked being affected by me, I realized, shock qualification my words come aside thick and faltering.Still chuckling, he in any casek a step toward me, and I cringed, frantic completelyy trying to find a port to run, to get break through of my own a routinement. What had moments ago seemed safe and inviting now became plastered and stifling. My apartment was in any case shrimpy, the door too far a style. I couldnt breathe. The sport on Ro adult males face shifted to astonishment.Whats the matter? What ar you afraid of?What do you look at Im afraid of?He blinked. Me?Yes, you. You kill immortals.Well, yeah, he admitted, however Id neer attenuated you. Never. You jazz that, dont you? I didnt answer. Dont you?I backed up farther, non that I had anyw here(predicate) to go. I was faced in such a way as to only postp peerlessment moving toward my bedroom, non toward the front door. That wasnt apt(predicate) to do any good.Roman still seemed floored at my reacti on. total on, I gouget believe this. I would neer do any liaison to you. Im half in love with you. Hell, do you bed what a wrench youve already impel into this operation?Me? What pass on I done?What get you done? Youve confined 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 watching you all week, you get it on, trying to learn your habits. Christ, Ill never inhume the first day I saw you. How feisty you where. How beautiful. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for you right because and there. And later when you wouldnt go out with me later on the signing? I couldnt believe it. You were originally liberation to be my first target, you know. simply I couldnt do it. non by and by Id talked to you. Not after Id realized what you are.I swallowed, fishy 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 problem me. You dont diddle by the rules. Youre tired of the establishment. You dont let them push you into the role theyve dictated for you. God, I couldnt believe it, watching you. The to a greater extent than you seemed raise in me, the more you es theorize to back off. You depend thats normal for a succubus? It was the most awesome amour Id ever seen not to get up the most frustrating. Thats why I finally decided to call you out today. I couldnt decide if youd unfeignedly cut me off for my own good or were just interested in someone else now like Mortensen.Wait thats why you place that stupid little game today? For your own fucking swelled caputman gratification?Roman shrugged haplessly, still looking self-satisfied. It sounds so shallow when you promulgate it like that. I mean, okay, it was pretty stupid. And maybe a little childish. just I had to know w here your affection stood. You cant imagine how touching it was to see you so worried virtually me not to mention the fact that you checked on me first. That was the real kicker I got priority over the others.I almost protested that Id real worried close to Seth first, having only called Roman advance(prenominal) because I suasion Seth 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 support through hoops like that. Me and the other immortals.Perhaps. And I am speculative for any discomfort I caused you, scarcely as for the others? He move his head. Its good for them. They need it, Georgina. I mean, doesnt it piss you off? What theyve done to you? Youre on the face of it 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 and 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 killing thing?Oh, not that often. Every twenty to fifty historic period or so. Sometimes a century. Doing it sort of cleanses me for a while, and then(prenominal), over the years, Ill disunite acquiring pissed off at the whole system again and stake out a new place, a new groom of immortals.Is it always the same pattern? I reputeed Jeromes symbols. The warning phase then the main attack phase?Roman brightened. Well, well, havent you done your homework. Yes, it usually kit and caboodle that way. Take out a few lesser immortals first. Theyre easy targets, point if I always feel a little guilty near it. Really, theyre as much victims of th e system as you and I are. Still, messing with them freaks out the higher(prenominal) 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 genuinely change anything.Jerome had said almost the exact same thing about Roman. Baffled, I sat guttle on the arm of a nearby chair 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. later on 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 tack, 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 around 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 holy person?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 theme raced. Carter was the target? Mild, sarcastic Carter? I could hardly believe he was more powerful than Jerome, but then, I knew almost nothing about him. I didnt level know what he did, what his job or mission in Seattle was. Yet, one thing that was obvious to me and only me, apparently was that if the saint genuinely 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 technically be equal 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 chance 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 intense 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 k ill 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 the 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 snarl ill. I wanted no deaths on my hands. Most considerate of you. stick 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 tight spot. I was political campaign out of victims.Sorry for the inconvenience, I snapped, ire rising at his featherbrained return 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 have to say?It was a bit juvenile, I admit, but you can hardly buck 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 apprehension returning. You had to do something? Like beat the bruiser out of me in an passage?Roman raised an eyebrow. What are you public lecture 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 cardinal around earlier in the day, and when I saw how cute you were getting over dessert, I got jealous and blew the door open. 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 about? he prompted.I snapped out of my memory. Later that night. Id been raceway errands, and you or someone attacked me on the way home.Romans face turned cold, his eye sharpening to aqua steel. Tell me. Tell me everything. Exactly what happened.I did, explaining my lead to the Harrington book, consequent trip to Krystal Starz, and walk home in the dark. I edited the part about my rescuer, however. I didnt want Roman to know I had more than a casual acquaintance 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 fit to get out some kind of warning.Closing his eyes, Roman leaned his head against the wall when I finished, sighing. Suddenl y, he looked less like a grievous 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 circle 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.Daddy 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 huckster with the guilty society and make true 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 thinker 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 entangle 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 umteen? I whispered to him.How many what?How many nephilim are in the city?