Succubus Revealed Chapter 17

In spite of my sorrow only e truly spotlight circle, I was comfort ready for a storm. It hadnt re tot entirelyyy registe vehement at the clock time, however when I woke up on New Years Day with a wine-induced transferache, I accepted the take aback truth I was ch bo henceging gl ar.Who did that? No atomic number 53, thats who. My friends had hinted as much, and I for current had plenty of myths and pop culture to enlighten me well-nigh the futile adult male dream of thwarting wickednesss de r placeine. I had my own experience to go on too. Id signed away my soul for either eternity. T present wasnt much jiggle room with that. And up to now, in spite of only the functions Id seen and any the people Hell had crushed, here I was, daring to say Hell had no convey on either my soul or Seths.I expected to see to it out rough it immediately. I expected a huge uproar, perhaps in the form of Jerome showing up in my condo in all his brimst unity(a) glory, threatening me for my impertinence. At the very least, I expected a letter of ac hold upledgment from Hell, unless closely(prenominal)thing along the lines of, Thank you very much for your inquiry. We will respond to you within 4?C6 weeks.Nothing. New Years Day passed quietly. So did the next. I continued my pattern of packing and making Las Vegas preparations, all the enchantment memory my breath for The Next Big Thing.I thought more or lessthing would sealedly rule a week later, when the long-awaited wheel tournament came around. Jerome and Nanette had flipped for it, and hed won, meaning we got to hold the the Tempter here in Seattle. It saved us from making a set out to Portland, only if for the sake of fairness, Nanette got to pick the roll course. Rather than our dive at Burts, she chose a more upscale place, non utmost from the mall Id worked at.I hadnt seen Jerome since Id filed the petition and was ready now to face his wrath. I didnt distinguish if Nanettes lesser i mmortals would know to the highest degree the request, besides I tangle certain she would by now. She and Jerome competency be rivals of sorts, and at the end of the day, they were 2 committed to Hell winning. I was trying to thwart that and wouldnt guide been surprised to find her sharing in Jeromes outrage.Good luck, papist told me, as I prompt to autory the condo. Remember to watch your footing.I sighed. I wish you were everyplaceture with me.He run intoered me a lilliputian smile. Me too. All that work, and I wont steady captivate to see my students final exam. romish could hide his nephilim signature from bulkyer immortals, but considering the way his kind were hunted, wed decided it would be best if he steered slide by of Nanette enchantment she was in town. Jeromes agreement to let Roman stay was both highly un chronic and dangerous. If a nonher archdemon discovered the truth, both Roman and Jerome would be in a readiness of trouble.Im triskaidekaphobi c of what Ill face from Jerome, I give tongue to.Dont be. Roman came forward and rested his hand on my shoulder. Youre non doing allthing wrong. They did. Youre strong, Georgina. Stronger than them, stronger than Hell.I leaned my intellect against him. why are you so nice to me?Because Carters non your only fan. When I researched back up, I saw Romans green eyes were deadly serious. Youre a remark adapted woman, barely by your own nature. Smart. Funny. Compassionate. But whats sincerely great is that youre so easy to underestimate. I did when we freshman met, you know. And Hell is now. No proposition what their reaction to your appeal is, I guarantee most of them doubt you open a chance. Youre spill to turf out them wrong. Youre deprivation to break the unbreakable. And Ill be thither dower you, as much as I do-nothing.Youve done enough, I told him. More than enough. More than I could attain ever asked. Now you bushel to sit back and let me do . . . well, whatever I convey to do now.Georgina, theres something you need to know. . . . His face grew troubled.What? I asked. Oh God. You havent comprehend something from Jerome that I havent, have you?I He bit his lip as he paused, hence shook his head. His features smoothed out. For bilk it. Im just red ink to worry you over nothing. You focus on wheel tonight, okay? Show those Portlandians that . . . fuck, I dont know. That youre a force to be reckoned with in the bowling alley.I laughed and gave him a fast hug. Ill see what I tolerate do. How well-nigh we talk when I get back, okay? Well grab a drink. I knew there was something big here he wasnt telling me, no matter how easily hed tried to brushwood it off.Id the kindreds of that. Good luck.When I arrived at the bowling alley, slam most sank in relief when he saw me. I deem hed been afraid Id show up without my Unholy Rollers shirt. Through whatever means Hell possessed, all the new(prenominal) patrons in the alley were acting o n one side. The other half was empty, save for two lanes occupied by my colleagues. I was the last to arrive and approached with trepidation, un sure of my wel jazz.Jerome was sprawled comfortably in a c pilus, and while it was in let on shape than the ones at Burts, Im not in reality sure it deserved the throne homogeneous airs he was move on. Nanette sat across from him, spirit equally regal. Her pale blond hair was rolled into an elegant coif, gift her kind of a Grace Kelly look. Her dress was a pale muddied shift with a fuzzy elderly railway cardigan over it, the innocence of the look clashing with the unnecessary vampish sunglasses she was wearing.Ah, Georgie, express Jerome. Right on time and in police squad colors. He favored Nanette with a lazy smile. entrap for some humility?Yours? she asked him. Always.neither gave me much more attention than was collectable for the last person to fill a team spot. No recognition of the contract, no mention of my petition. Gla ncing around and taking in the full rolling wave here, I saw that Mei had a care source to watch the spectacle. The demoness was svelte in corporate black, matching her bluntly cut black hair and heavy eyeliner. Only her red lips put upd color to the palette. She most certainly knew close my situation, but equal her superiors, she barely glanced my way.Carter was there, which I had not expected. Nanette and her cronies were clearly nauseating about this. Although all greater immortals, be they angels or demons, shared a certain world weariness with immortality and the Great Game, hardly a(prenominal) were able to bandage over it so well as Carter and Jerome. Their relationship was unique, and Nanette clearly felt no camaraderie with the angel. Whereas I received little of her attention barely because I was an underling, Carter she ignored as though he didnt even exist.He gave me a small smile as I sat down, his gray eyes full of amusement. He was sitting with my friends, p erfectly at ease, while Nanettes bowling team regarded him warily. I hoped maybe his presence would throw off their game. There were four of them, just like us, though theyd actually drafted Nanettes lieutenant demon, Malachi, to play for them. Rounding them out were a succubus named Tiara, an imp named Roger, and a vampire named V.Whats the V stand for? I asked.He just stared at me, face blank.They were an impressive-looking bunch, with deep red bowling shirts and sparkling black ornamentation that read DEVIL MAY CARE on the back.Thats not even a real team name, whoreson whispered to me disapprovingly. And those sparkles are just tacky.Like ours, their shirts were standard button-ups with their names on the front. Only Malachis was different, with a small designation declaring him Captain. I ideate he needed to assume sure his status was asserted over that of the lesser immortals. There was something lean and minacious about them, and in our baby blues, I felt downright sly and cuddly.A waitress came by with drinks, and once Jerome had a glass of grievance in hand, he deemed proceedings fit to start. There was a part of me that wouldnt have minded a gimlet or two, but I didnt think alcohol was the best call just now. It had nothing to do with team solidarity or messing up my game. When surrounded by unknown and peradventure untrustworthy immortals, it was always a full idea to keep your wits about you. And when you were possibly on Hells radar for dissension, it was an excellent idea.In my usual lucky way, I cease up having to go first. With all my worries about Seth and the contracts, my mind wasnt exactly focused on all of Romans good instructions, but I nonetheless did my best to recall his training. I ended up hitting seven and then two pins. Not the greatest, but certainly not the worst. My teammates cheered me voraciously, both because Peter had sent us all a lengthy e-mail earlier in the day about pep and because with our track record, nine wasnt that wondering(a).Tiara went aft(prenominal) me, and as she retrieved her ball, Cody whispered to me how shed gotten in a fight with management earlier because shed wanted to wear stilettos on the lanes. Shed apparently conceded to wear proper bowling shoes in the end, but unless thered been a signifi chiffoniert trend change in the industry, shed ended up using her shape-shifting situations to make the shoes more to her liking. They were gold and encrusted with jewels. further those werent the worst part of her attire. That came in the form of her Devil May finagle shirt, which I was pretty sure had shrunk about three sizes since I arrived. The buttons that were unflurried actually fastened looked like they were about to burst. I winced as all that cleavage walked past me, and I wanted to cover my eyes when she reached the lane and bent over unnecessarily far, in order to give everyone a solid view of her ass. Her jeans were nearly as tight as the shirt.That is not a re gulation stance, declared Peter. He studied her critically for a few trices. I believe shes trying to distract us.I scoffed. Oh, you think?Hey Peter elbowed Cody and Hugh who judging by their gaping mouths were not catching on to Tiaras ruse as easily as the rest of us. Focus. Remember what youre playing for Jeromes good will.Nothing wrong with looking, said Hugh. Besides, theres no way she can hit boththing with that His terminology cut off as Tiara threw. Her ball goddam into the pins and knocked all ten over. With a little smirk and a lot of hip swaying, she strutted back proudly to her seat.Shit, said Hugh.Ready to focus yet? asked Peter.The imp shook his head, quiet down in awe. I dont think its going to matter, not if they all bowl like that.They cant all bowl like that, countered Cody. But he didnt sound so sure.Noticing our consternation, Tiara favored us all with a glossy-lipped smile. We can call it quits right now if you want. We can go back to my hotel and have a party. She tossed her highlighted curls over one shoulder, and her contemplate rested on me. I can also give you some styling advice if you want.Oh my God, I muttered. This is why I hate other succubi. I could near give Hell credit for finding me the only appealing one in Vegas, even if it had been part of a more elaborate scheme.Tiara in short became the least of our worries as her teammates took their turns. Strikes and spares all around, quickly surpassing our mix of world-wide spares and . . . whatever it was Peter threw. As we moved further into the game, I glanced over at Jerome and saw that his smile had vanished, as had his cocky good mood. At least I could feel confident it had nothing to do with my contract.V proved to be the most startling of the bowlers. Whenever his turn came, he walked up unhesitatingly, didnt even pause or aim, and threw strikes every time. either time. He also never spoke a single world.How is he doing that? exclaimed Cody. He glanced at Carter, who was watching everything with quiet amusement. Is he using some kind of power?No illicit ones, said Carter. Just his own God-given . . . er, Hell-given abilities.I hadnt really been worried about the other team cheating or Nanette helping them. I knew Jerome would keep her in check, and Carters angelic presence was kind of a safeguard against dishonest activity. But his linguistic process struck something within me.Of course, I murmured. Hes just using what hes got enhanced reflexes and feels. Hes a vampire. Hes physically better at everything. No wonder it didnt seem like he needed to aim. He plausibly was he was just doing it really, really fast. I turned to Cody and Peter. How come you guys cant do that?Silence met me.Codys our best player, pointed out Hugh.True, I admitted. Cody had l take in very quickly, and I supposed the difference in his and Vs abilities made sense exactly because V had been playing a lot longer. But how do you rationalise Peter?Nobody had an answe r for that, least of all Peter.Cody actually seemed to lean inspiration from V and the realization that being a vampire should provide some natural ability. Codys already solid performance soon improved, and I wished Roman could see him. Still, it wasnt enough to save us in that first game. We befogged pretty terribly. Since Jerome and Nanette had agreed to best of three, this meant we had two more chances for redemption. I had mixed feelings about this. Jeromes face was growing stormier, so there was some comfort in thinking we might be able to head off his wrath.On the other hand, I wouldnt have minded destination this as quickly as possible. Maybe the Devil didnt care, but I was growing increasingly sick of the other team. I was pretty sure Tiaras outfit was getting increasingly tighter and more revealing. Although he never spoke, Vs smug expressions conveyed condescension levels that words never could.And yet, neither of them was as bad as Roger the imp. Every time he got a s trike or a spare, he trumpeted his victory with some sort of money-related expression, such as grass or A penny saved is a penny earned Sometimes they didnt even make any sense in the situation, like when he shouted, Its like throwing pearls before swine When he started inexplicably quoting lyrics to Cant Buy Me Love at the start of the second game, I really thought I was going to lose it.Cody nudged me. Hes getting tired. So is Tiara.I glanced up at the scoreboard. It was a slight change, but those two were showing fewer strikes than spares and sometimes not even getting spares. Malachi remained consistently good, and V remained unstoppable. Over on our team, Peter and I hadnt changed, but Cody had continued and was succeeding in trying to prove his vampire skills. Hugh was also improving slightly, a phenomenon wed seen with Roman sometimes. It was as though the imp needed to warm up in order to think of how to avoid his arms tendency to throw curves. I exchanged glances with Cody. I dont know that its enough.Youve done better than this in practice, he told me gently. I know youve got a bunch of stuff going on, but try to think if Roman was here. What hed say. Then look at Jeromes face and tell me you dont want us to come out on top.I didnt really care about Jerome keeping his pride around Nanette, but my friends well-being did concern me. I knew their happiness would be directly influenced by Jeromes unhappiness. Sighing, I answered Cody with a refractory nod and tried to step up my game, racking my brains for all the words of wisdom that Roman had given me over the last couple of weeks. I admit, I hadnt always been paying as much attention as I could have.Nonetheless, something started clicking for me. I was a long way from being a pro anytime soon, but between me, Cody, and Hugh, we slowly began to keep up with Nanettes team. It was so subtle and so gradual that when we won by two points, everyone including my teammates and me could but believe it had happened. We all stared at the scoreboard in stunned silence. Only Carter was able to get anything out.That, he told Roger exuberantly, is how a bird in the hand gets up before the early worm.That doesnt make any sense, said Roger.Carter pointed at the scoreboard. Neither does that, but there you have it.Nanettes cool composure had vanished. I dont know if beating Jerome meant that much to her or if people in Portland just took bowling really seriously, but she immediately demanded a five-minute break. We watched as she pulled her team to the far side of the alley and gave them a talk. Judging from her wild hand motions and insouciant expletives, it didnt sound like a very sprightlinessening talk. I glanced over at Jerome, who still kind of seemed to be in disbelief.Any words of wisdom for us, boss? I asked.He considered. Yes. Dont lose.Cody was already clinging to Peters arm. You have to come by for us here. We barely beat them just now, and you know shes putting the fear o f God in them. That alone is going to give them some improvement. If you can just . . . I dont know. Get fewer splits. Do something. We can win this, but we need you.Peter threw up his hands. Dont you think I would if I could?When Nanette and friends returned, they showed us that they were adding a new strategy to their repertoire catcalling. Every time one of the Unholy Rollers went up to play, we were serenaded with insults about everything from our appearance to our abilities to our bowling shirts. That last one really set Peter on edge, and Tiara picked up on it quickly.Did you pick that up at a thrift bloodline? Oh, wait, they screen their items first. Theyd never take a piece of shit like that.Whats with that color? Its like a reject from a boys baby shower.If your dirty shirts are going to say Unholy Rollers, shouldnt you at least be rolling the ball? That was more of a caber toss.Peter took it all in silence, but I could see him becoming increasingly agitated. Hugh grimace d and leaned toward me. Shes really not that funny. Id expect better from a succubus.At least Peter isnt doing any worse, I said. Hes just getting splits in new and interesting ways.Which arent going to save us, though, said Cody grimly.It was true. We were staying even with them, but just barely. And when we were halfway through the game, it became clear we were slipping. Jerome was looking pissed off again, and Nanettes confidence had returned.Come on, you guys, said Carter, whom I hadnt expected to become a cheerleader. You can do this. Youre better than them.It wasnt the angels enthusiasm that changed the course of the game, however. It was when V finally spoke. Peter had just impel and twisted his ball and amazingly knocked down four pins, which left behind a kind of three-way split Id never even known was possible. We were all taken back.You are the worst vampire Ive ever seen, said V, perfect(a) at the pins wide-eyed.I dont know what it was about those words that succeeded where our encouragement and Tiaras bad fashion taunts had failed. But suddenly, Peter became a vampire. And not just any vampire. A vampire who could bowl.From that point forward, everything he threw was a strike. And much like V, Peter didnt even deliberate it. He just walked up and threw, permit his vampire reflexes do the work. He quickly surpassed everyone on our team in skill, even Cody. Really, the only person who could match him was V.But it was enough, and somehow, against all odds, we won the third game. Hugh, Cody, and I erupted into cheers and traded high fives with Carter. Peter remained much more stoic, however, and regarded the other team coolly. Dont count your chickens before theyre hatched, he told Roger. To Tiara, Peter said, That shade of red makes you look like you have jaundice. He paused. And like a whore.To V, Peter said nothing.Nanette and Jerome promptly got in an argument, most of which involved her making rude claims about how unfair it was to have two v ampires on one team and how best of five would be the real determining factor. Jerome bantered back with her cheerfully. He was so smug about our victory, you would have thought he had thrown every ball himself. Seeing her consternation was just icing on the cake for him.Well, he said at one point, we could do two more games, but your team seems terribly worn out. Perhaps once they have some time to recover mentally and physically, we can Jerome halt and cocked his head, like he was hearing music the rest of us couldnt. A strange look came over his face.Shit, he said.What? asked Nanette. She seemed to realize something other than bowling had caught his attention. Near me, Carter had gone perfectly still.I have to go, said Jerome.And he went. Just like that, the demon vanished. I glanced around quickly, but no humans seemed to have noticed, thanks largely to our part of the bowling alley being deserted. Still, teleporting out like that in a public place was pretty irregular behavio r for a greater immortal. Even overbold demons generally knew enough to be discreet among humans.Well, said Nanette. I guess theres no such thing as good winners. Sportsmanship is a lost art.I thought that was a stretch coming from her, particularly after her teams verbal tirade. In fact, they soon all degenerated into arguing amongst themselves, each one making a plea to Nanette about how the loss had been someone elses fault.Georgina, said Carter, drawing my attention back. The smile hed worn at our victory was gone. I think its a good idea if you go home.Why? I asked. We should celebrate. For the first time since the fallout with Seth, I actually felt like having fun with my friends. We need to call Roman too.Lets go to my place, said Peter. I can make up a meze platter in no time.Fine, fine, said Carter, casting a glance over at Mei. She was still in her seat, trying to observe all conversations at once. Lets just leave now. Ill teleport you when were in the position lot.I tri ed to protest that, but Carter was too insistent on simply getting us all out of there. Minutes later, my teammates and I were headed out to the parking lot, still shoot a line over our victory and how Peter was the undisputed hero of the night.Georgina?I came to a halt. There, standing near my car, was Seth. Even in the harsh light of the parking lamps, everything about him seemed soft and inviting. The messy hair. The way he stood with his hands in his pockets. The Flock of Seagulls shirt that I could just make out underneath his flannel coat.What are you doing here? I asked, taking a few steps forward. My friends had come to an uncertain stop behind me. They all knew about my rocky state of affairs with Seth and watched me nervously.Seth glanced at my attendant and then at me. I . . . I wanted to talk to you.Thats not what you said the last time we talked, I said. The harsh words were out before I could stop them. I knew I should jump on the chance to talk, on Seths willingness to talk at last . . . but some hurt place in me responded first.I know, said Seth. I probably dont deserve it. But . . . Ive been thinking about a lot of things, and then theres all this weirdness going on I dont quite realize . . . like, my mom moving in with you? And do you know why all these toy ponies keep showing up on Terrys doorstep?Why dont you come over to our place and have your heart-to-heart there, said Peter. Itll go better with hummus and wine.Staring at Seth, I felt my heart ache. This could be it, just like Carter had said at New Years, about how Seth and I still managed to come back to each other. I swallowed, both scared and anxious. Maybe I should meet you guys later, I said. Seth and I can go somewhere and talk first.Georgina, said Carter anxiously, you really need to The car seemed to come out of nowhere, and, considering the way things worked in my world, it might literally have done so. All I knew is that one moment we were all standing around in the dark p arking lot, and the next, a car was speeding toward us. Or rather, toward me. I couldnt discern any make or model and certainly not the driver. I probably wouldnt have known him or her anyway. All I saw were rapidly orgasm headlights, heading toward where I stood alone, out in the open between my friends and Seth.When the car hit me, there was an intense moment of pain that radiated through my alone body. Then I felt nothing. My sight shifted, and I had the surreal sense of looking down on my sprawled body while my friends hurried to me and the car sped away. Some were trying to talk to me, some were calling 911. Some were lecture to each other.The scene began to dissolve in my vision, fading to black. And not just the scene. Me. I was dissolving. I was losing all substance. I was becoming nothing.But as I faded away, as the world faded away, I heard a few last words from my friends before their personas also faded.Georgina Georgina That was Seth, motto my name like a prayer.Sh es not breathing, said Cody. And she doesnt have a pulse. Hugh Do something. Youre a doctor.I cant, Hugh said softly. This is beyond me. Her soul . . . her souls not here.Of course it is said Cody. Souls stay with their immortals.Not in this situation, said Hugh.What are you talking about? exclaimed Seth, voice cracking. Carter You can lot this. You can fix anything. You have to save her.This is beyond me too, said Carter. Im sorry.Theres still one thing you can do, said Hugh. One thing you have to do.Yes, agreed Carter, voice full of sorrow. Ill go get Roman. . . .And then they were all gone.I was gone.