The Naphil's Kiss (13 page)

“Josiah, have you done this before?”

“Yes,” he replied, and her heart plunged. “With you, in the meadow. You're the only woman I want.”

He scooted down her body, cupping her hips in his hands and kissing her belly. Annie wasn't ignorant. She and the other girls had read naughty novels and giggled. She knew how this worked. But when his tongue parted her folds and lovingly lapped her, she realized her imagination had not been anywhere near accurate.

“Oh, Annie,” he groaned, “you taste so good.” He slipped one finger deep inside her. “All mine.”

She arched her hips, urging even him to deeper penetration, but he slipped the finger out. She whined in protest and he chuckled. He pushed two fingers inside her, sliding them gently in and out while he kissed and teased her clitoris.

In no time, Annie was drenched and panting, poised on the brink of orgasm. But Josiah didn't stop. He eased her over the threshold into that devastating peak, where she writhed in ecstasy.

“More, Josiah,” she begged. “Please, give me more!”

“Tell me what you want, Annie. Do you want me inside you?”

“Oh yes,” she pleaded. “Yes, Josiah. It's right. Don't you feel it?”

“Yes, I feel it. Here, baby, feel this.” He guided her hand down to his straining erection and Annie moaned, bending her knees and parting them wide. She stroked him a couple of times and then guided him into position. This time there would be no stopping. He rammed into her with a mighty thrust, claiming her body for himself.

Annie sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden pain, but it didn't stop her from lifting her hips to him, forcing him even farther inside. She wanted every inch to be filled by him. He moved forward until he was rubbing against her deepest place.

How he held off his orgasm, she didn't know, but Josiah was far from finished. He claimed her aching passage again and again, gliding through her wetness, pulling out, and surging in again. Her own arousal had been subdued by the sudden sting of his entrance, but as the pain faded his slow, deep thrusts began to build her pleasure again. If it could feel this good when she was so tender, the next time should be phenomenal.

Josiah's thrusting grew harder and faster, bringing him quickly to his own peak. Annie stroked his back as he growled and ground his body against her.

As his erection waned, he slipped from her sore sex, and Annie whimpered a bit.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked, concerned.

“You took me,” she replied, “and I was a virgin. Of course it hurt. But I'm not sorry, this was what I wanted.” She cuddled Josiah close in her arms and kissed his cheek.

“I took you because I love you.”

“I let you because I love you.”

Their lips met again.

“Your grandfather is going to throw a fit.” He frowned.

“I know. Ask me if I care.”

“You should. He only wants what's best for you.”

“Let's not talk about him,” Annie insisted.

Josiah nodded. “So tell me about this costume you were wearing when you came in. It's not Halloween. Are you really The Assassin?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “They told me girls can't fight. I think I've proven them wrong.”

“It's not that you can't. It's that people don't want to see you in danger.”

“Josiah, we're all in danger. Every day. Every hour. How am I in less danger if I don't know how to defend myself?”

He grinned. “You don't have to convince me. You've been better at this stuff than me from the very beginning.”

“It's not a competition, Josiah,” she said, stretching and pressing herself against him. He squeezed her gently.

“Should we get up and go face the music?” he asked.

The other boys would be occupied with food for quite some time and Annie wasn't ready to leave his bed. “Not yet,” she replied. “Hold me a little longer.”

“Okay,” Josiah agreed easily, snuggling Annie close and kissing her forehead. She smiled, enjoying being cherished.

***

While Lucien and Sarahi had intended their wedding to be private, the previously unheard-of joining of succubus and Naphil ended up drawing quite a crowd. One was Nathaniel, one of the youngest Nephilim. He'd been a newborn when the Flood occurred. No sooner had the announcement of Lucien and Sarahi's imminent nuptials been made, then the golden-skinned man raced down the hall to a bedroom he'd passed many times, wishing he had the freedom to go inside. He knocked. A woman of about forty, with long hair the color of tea, answered the door.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Nathaniel. They nearly popped right out when he hauled her into his arms and kissed her. “Come on, Mary!” he urged, taking her hand and dragging her down the hallway towards the chapel.

“Nathaniel, what's happening?”

“Trust me. Things are changing. You have to see this to believe it.”

They arrived a few steps behind Sarahi and slipped into a pew near the back. Mary looked up to the front of the chapel and her hand tightened in Nathanial's when she realized what was happening. Weddings at the compound were generally brief, and this one seemed to go faster than most. Within ten minutes the Naphil Lucien and the succubus Sarahi were pronounced husband and wife.

As the happy couple tugged each other down the aisle, clearly intent on finding a bit of privacy in which to celebrate their union, Nathaniel whispered, “What about you, Mary?”

She looked at him, not understanding his question.

“They've revoked our vow of celibacy. The Nephilim are allowed to take wives. Will you be mine?”

She blinked. “I can't do that, Nathaniel,” she said sadly.

“Why?” he asked, feeling as though his heart were about to break. “You know how long I've loved you.”

“I know, but Nathaniel, I'm already middle-aged. We have so few years together, and I already look old. It would be ridiculous.”

“I'm much older than you,” he said, puzzled by her reaction.

“I know, but you're ageless.”

“Mary, I don't care about that. I would rather have you for whatever time is allotted to us than miss out altogether. I love you. Don't you love me, Mary?”

“Of course I do,” she agreed.

“Good, come on.” He led her to the front of the room, where a rather shell-shocked looking elder was still standing.

“Mr. Smith,” Nathaniel said, “do you have time for one more wedding?”

The elder looked at the two of them, opened his mouth as though to speak, and then closed it again, instead replying to their request with a brief nod.

Chapter 16

In the morning, Sarahi and Lucien wandered hand-in-hand down the hallway to the dining room. Adjoining the kitchen, the massive space doubled as a meeting hall and auditorium. Every surface was white from the cinder block walls to the laminate floor, even the tile ceiling. A row of narrow windows near that ceiling admitted pale winter sunlight.

The room was full of milling clerics, Nephilim, and children, just like any other day, apart from an excited buzz which hummed just below the surface.

Mr. Smith stared blearily into a cup of coffee as the newlyweds slipped onto the bench across the table. Lucien set down a tray laden with a huge breakfast. Sarahi carried a glass of juice and a muffin. Mr. Smith glanced up from his drink and eyed the succubus.

“I didn't think you needed that,” he said, indicating the food.

“I don't need it,” she replied. “But I can eat if I want to. It's easier for people if I do now and again. Helps them forget.” She smiled and laid her head on Lucien's shoulder. He squeezed her gently and then tucked into his food without a word.

“Mr. Smith,” Sarahi said hesitantly, “could I ask a favor of you?”

He raised one eyebrow.

“There are a few of my sisters whom I believe… well I think they would leave Mother if we offered them sanctuary here.”

The second eyebrow joined the first. “I'm not sure inviting succubae into the compound is a good idea. How do you know you can trust them?”

“They're my sisters,” she said.

“And how would they be fed?”

“The same way I was. There's enough love energy in this place right now to feed a dozen succubae.”

“A dozen?” He slapped both hands on the table and leaned forward.

She shook her head. “No. There are not twelve who are trustworthy.”

“How many then?” he asked.

“Three for sure. At most five.”

“I suppose you can invite them. But I'm still not sure how you can be so certain they won't turn on us.”

“I'll check them out,” Lucien said between bites of ham and mushroom omelet. “I can tell by their auras if they're trustworthy.”

“Oh all right then,” Mr. Smith sighed. “I guess having a few more with inside knowledge won't hurt. But you'd better be certain they understand that they have to leave their sluttish ways behind them. I won't have that here.”

Sarahi nodded. Explaining to her sisters that they would have to feed by standing nearby while others made love was going to be interesting.

A tall figure slid into the seat beside them.

“Good morning, Annie,” Sarahi said warmly.

“Good morning.” The girl blushed, lowering her gaze to her cup of tea. Luckily, Mr. Smith was examining his coffee again as though it contained the answers to all the perplexing questions which had arisen of late.

Sarahi poked the girl in the ribs and wrinkled her nose. Annie grinned through her blush. It had only taken the tiniest push to break through her restraint. And Annie, though embarrassed, clearly had no regrets. Thank Heaven.

“I've been wondering something,” Sarahi said, making idle conversation.

“What's that?” Annie asked, her eyes begging for discretion.

“How is it that the Nephilim and the clerics came to work together? And how did the clerics gain the power to make rules for semi-angelic beings?”

“Oh, I know the answer to that,” Annie replied. “After the Flood, there were thousands of Nephilim, but over the centuries, many were lost. By the Middle Ages, they were down to about six hundred. It was decided there were not enough left to police the whole known world, and so they began to gather the gifted from among the human race and train them to fight succubae. Eventually, the Order of Clerics emerged, similar to Knights Templar, but much more secretive. They have declined greatly in ability, but at their height, around the time of the Renaissance, the clerics had great gifts; healing, prophecy, supernatural speed, strength and endurance. Most of those eventually dwindled or died out.”

“That's amazing,” Sarahi said. How do you know all that?”

“The same way you know so much about the incubus. I studied. I teach, so I have to know things.”

“Why were the gifts lost?”

“We don't exactly know. Perhaps too many mundanes were brought in to prevent inbreeding and the bloodline thinned out. For the longest time, clerics were nothing but soldiers. That is, until recently.”

“What do you mean?” Lucien leaned forward so he could see Annie as he asked the question.

“Well, grandfather is a prophet.”

Mr. Smith met his granddaughter's eyes. She challenged him with a glare and he nodded in agreement.

“It's true. I do see visions from time to time.”

“And when he sees one, it's guaranteed to be true,” Annie added. “And there are others who have abilities.”

“What others?” Mr. Smith asked her sharply.

The girl's expression turned mischievous. She stood and passed behind Sarahi, stopping by Lucien. “Allow me to demonstrate. Sir, do you trust me?”

“Yes, Annie,” he replied. “What are you going to do?”

“You'll see.” The girl closed her eyes and concentrated. A pure white light shone around her, eventually drawing down along her body to her hand, and then reaching the tip of her index finger. “May I touch you?” she asked.

Lucien nodded. Even though she hadn't opened her eyes, she seemed to know he had granted permission. She laid her fingertip against the scar on his face, tracing it along the length of the injury. Her finger followed the scar with unerring accuracy. When she had stroked the entire length, her hand dropped to her side and the light disappeared.

Sarahi looked at Lucien's face and gasped. The scar was gone as though it had never been.

“It seems I have a gift of healing,” Annie said smugly as she returned to her breakfast. Josiah joined them, daring to slide silently onto the bench next to Annie. His whole body was tense, and Sarahi reached around Annie's back to touch his shoulder. When he glanced at Sarahi, she winked. He smiled, but it looked strained.

“Sir,” Josiah said hesitantly to Mr. Smith.

Smith scowled. “I have nothing to say to you, Josiah. Get away from my granddaughter this minute. Go.”

“No, sir.” Josiah said. “I have something I need to tell you.” He raised his chin, meeting the man's eyes. Sarahi looked from her son to the elder. This was not going to be pretty.

“Well, boy, say your piece and be done with it.”

“Very well. I love Annie.” He slipped his hand into hers. “She loves me. I want to be with her.”

“No,” Mr. Smith said.

“You mistake me, sir. I wasn't asking permission. I want to be with her, and I will be. You can't stop it.”

A vein in Mr. Smith's temple began to throb. His teeth ground together audibly. “What did I tell you, Josiah? What did I say would happen if you went near Annie again? Do you want to be thrown out?”

“No, sir,” Josiah replied.

“Then get away from her, and me.
NOW
!” The last word was a roar. Conversations stopped around the room as people turned to stare.

“No, Grandfather,” Annie said. “You can't do this. You've never been fair to Josiah. Why do you dislike him so much?”

“He's an unnatural creature, the bastard son of a Naphil and a…”

“Stop!” Sarahi exclaimed. “That's no way to tell him.”

“Tell me what? Child of a what?”

“Succubus.” Mr. Smith spat out the word as though it were an insect which had flown into his mouth.

Josiah went pale. “Mother?”

She gave a short nod. He gulped. Suddenly, the expression on his face became haunted. He looked from one person to another, begging for help.

“Do you understand, Josiah? Do you understand why I didn't want you for Annie? She deserves better than to be saddled with a demon.”

“You watch yourself, Mr. Smith,” Sarahi hissed. “Why accept me and not him? Have you been tormenting him his whole life?”

“He has,” Annie said. “And that was long before we knew what you were, Sarahi. He has some kind of prejudice against Josiah.”

“After what happened three years ago, how can you still defend him?”

“What? When I almost gave him my virginity? I wish I had.”

“He manipulated you.”

“I may have,” Josiah said. “Mother, is it possible?”

Sarahi shook her head. “We cannot create desire where none exists. We can only enhance what's already there. If you influenced Annie, it was only by acting on feelings she already had.”

“That's right,” Annie agreed. “I wanted him. I didn't feel manipulated.”

“I didn't know what I was doing.” Josiah cast his eyes down at the table.

Annie slipped her arm around him. “I love you, Josiah.”

“When a succubus, or in your case an incubus, comes into puberty, son,” Sarahi explained, “that ability to enhance can flare without warning. Likely you got caught up in it yourself, not realizing what was happening.”

He nodded.

“But I thought the age of marriage here was twenty,” Sarahi continued. “If anyone should have married young, it's Josiah. Why was he not given a wife?”

But Mr. Smith was not listening. He was glaring at the young couple in front of him. “Get your hand off him, Annie.”

She shook her head. “I won't. You will not take me away from him again.”

“I will make him leave.”

“Mr. Smith,” Sarahi gasped, “consider. If you throw him out, what will become of us?
She
will find him.”

“Who?” Josiah turned to Sarahi, confusion twisting his features.

“My mother. Lilith.”

“The demon queen is your mother? That's what I come from? I've been training all my life to kill succubae, and now you tell me I am one?” He gagged.

“Most of them need killing,” Sarahi replied darkly. “Especially Mother. Promise me, Josiah. Promise you won't go to her.”

He shook his head, not hearing what she was saying.

“I'm a demon?”

“No, son, you're not,” Sarahi said. “Demon is a choice. You are the incubus. But you're only a demon if you act like one. I've chosen a different path, and I've got more of that blood than you do. Please, Josiah, calm down. Mr. Smith, calm down. This is not helpful. The important thing is the fight which is coming. In order to succeed, we need everyone working together.”

“I will not work together with that!” Mr. Smith snarled.

“You're not thinking clearly,” Lucien said softly. “Your hatred of Josiah is causing you to make bad decisions. We need him if we want a chance to win.”

“We need Annie, not that creature. I've seen it, and my visions are never wrong.”

“Well, Grandfather, at this point, wherever Josiah goes, I go. I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. So if you want me here, you have to make peace with Josiah, and with us being together. Now that I have him, I'm never letting him go.”

The words from Song of Solomon registered on Mr. Smith with all their significance. His dark face took on a purplish hue and he seemed to be choking. “Tell me, Annie,” he managed to force out, “that you didn't… that you haven't…”

Annie's cheeks turned red, but she didn't answer.

“This was your doing!” Mr. Smith turned the full force of his rage on Sarahi. “My granddaughter is a modest, quiet girl. You used your sluttish powers to influence her, didn't you? You wanted me to give Annie to your demon son, and when I refused, you took matters into your own hands!”

“It's true, isn't it, mother?” Josiah asked softly. “When Annie came to me yesterday, she didn't seem like herself. Did you influence her?”

“NO!” Annie insisted. “No one influenced me. I wanted Josiah and I couldn't stand to wait another minute.”

“But why right then? Mother had left just a moment before you arrived, right? Why did you come in?”

Annie looked Josiah right in the eyes and lied. “I didn't see your mother. I just felt you were in there and I wanted to see you. So I came in. And then, when I saw you, I had to have you.”

Josiah shook his head. “Nice try, Annie. Mother, why is it so important Annie have sex with me? What was that about? You say I'm an incubus. That's more than a male succubus, isn't it? What is it about me you want to control?”

Sarahi shook her head. This plan was rapidly falling to pieces. “You're looking at it the wrong way,” she said. “You should have been married to Annie years ago. You need that connection. You need to be loyal to the Nephilim, to the clerics. They need you too. I was just trying to help the process along. It's necessary…”

“So you manipulated us both. And now there's no way Mr. Smith will ever give me a chance.”

“To be honest, son,” Lucien interjected, “he never would have anyway.”

“That's for sure,” the elder sneered.

“Well I'm certain about one thing,” Josiah said. “Whatever it is you think I need to do, I will not be anyone's pawn. I make my own decisions.” He rose stiffly from the table and stalked away. Sarahi tried to go after him, but Lucien held her back.

“Give him some space.”

“Give me some space too,” Mr. Smith said. “Lucien, take your… wife away.”

Lucien nodded, wrapping his arm around Sarahi and walking her back to their bedroom. From the corner of her eye, she saw Annie sneaking down the hallway towards Josiah.