The Naphil's Kiss (14 page)

“Did I do wrong?” she asked Lucien.

“I don't know, love. People object to being manipulated.”

“But I only gave her the tiniest nudge.”

“I know. You're right. They should have been married years ago. I've suggested it more than once.”

“Why is everyone so afraid of Mr. Smith?”

“Not afraid, exactly. Respectful. He has visions of the future, and they always come true. Between that and his natural charisma, he's a great leader.”

“Not when he's putting his entire society in jeopardy because of squeamishness and bigotry.”

“Be calm, love. The succubae have been our enemies for millennia, since the dawn of time. Asking them to accept you was difficult, but asking them to accept the merging of our lines might be too much.”

“I don't understand why. Our son is less demon than I am. I know Mr. Smith doesn't trust me, but he doesn't hate me. So why does he hate Josiah?”

“I'm not sure. Part of it is natural protectiveness. He's lost so many people he loved, including most of his family. Part of it is that Josiah's existence made him question so much of what he's always believed about Nephilim. I think he was quite uncomfortable with the idea that we might not want the vows of celibacy, and that he might be responsible for denying us a basic need humans take for granted. The fact that I wanted you more than I wanted to keep my vow was the first blow to his world view. The fact that I was able to produce a child was the second. So long as no Nephilim fathered children, it was easier to pretend those needs didn't exist. My actions forced him to reconsider his own.”

“But to take them out on a child…”

“I doubt he saw it that way. More likely he just didn't want the corrupted bloodline in his family. Annie is much stronger than he gives her credit for.”

“Yes, I know.” Sarahi considered telling him that Annie was The Assassin, but decided against it. That was not her secret to disclose.

They arrived at the bedroom and Lucien led Sarahi inside, shutting the door behind them.

***

“Josiah.” Annie stepped into the bedroom and approached him cautiously. A few paces away, she ran the rest of the distance and threw her arms around his neck. He turned in her arms and kissed her briefly before wrenching himself out of her embrace.

“Josiah, what's wrong? Grandfather was way out of line, but really, what does his opinion matter?”

“It matters,” he said darkly.

“Why?”

“You belong here. I never have. I have to leave, Annie. “

“Leave? You can't leave. Where would you go? What about what your mother said?”

He narrowed his eyes. “I have a hard time trusting a mother I've known since yesterday. Everything she said this morning made it sound like they need to control me. If she truly is a succubus, my mother or not, I don't trust her.”

“I trust her,” Annie said.

“Why?”

“I've known her for a couple of years. She's been passing me information about the locations of the succubae. Her intel has led to dozens of successful battles. And do you know how she got that information? She went to the hive, right into Lilith's presence. Do you know what Lilith would have done to her if she'd been caught? It wouldn't have been pretty. She risked her neck for us many times. I'm the one who brought her here. She's my friend.”

“She manipulated you into my bed. I didn't want that, Annie.”

“Liar.”

“Okay, I wanted you. I still want you.” He took her arms in his hands and skewered her with an intense, green-eyed gaze.

“You can have me, Josiah. I want you too. We've always belonged together.”

He shook his head. “I can't. You deserve better than to be the lover of a bastard demon.”

“I already am, Josiah. Do you hear me complaining?”

“Why are you so determined, Annie? Are you part of this plot to keep my supposed `powers' under control?”

Annie slapped him. While he still stood blinking in surprise at the blow, she hissed, “Idiot. Don't you know better than that? I wanted you long before your mother arrived, before I knew you were an incubus. I've always loved you. I still love you, asshole. Now stop talking nonsense.”

“Are you sure you wanted me? What if I'm putting out some kind of demonic lure?”

She lifted her hand again and he flinched.

“I know my own mind, Josiah. Never doubt that.”

“Okay, okay,” he said. “Forget it. You know your own mind.”

“That's better,” she said. “Cool off, Josiah. No one is out to get you… well except maybe my grandfather. But he doesn't get to decide what's best for us.”

“No, that's right. We make our own decisions. I love you, Annie.”

She smiled.

“Listen, babe. I need a little… space. And some time to think. Okay?”

Annie nodded. She kissed Josiah again and slipped out of the room.

***

At dinner time, Josiah did not appear at the table. Concerned, Sarahi knocked on the dormitory door. No one answered. Back in the dining room, the other boys reported they hadn't seen him since after breakfast. A thorough search of the compound revealed the devastating truth. Josiah was gone.

Chapter 17

Josiah had been missing for two weeks. Search parties had been sent in every direction, to no avail. It seemed as though he had vanished from the earth. Annie, of course, was devastated. So was Sarahi. The succubus was wracked with guilt, convinced it was her interference which had driven him away and certain his desertion would spell certain doom for the clerics and the Nephilim. They had requested reinforcements from Europe and Africa, but had been refused. Both continents were rife with succubae and could not spare a single warrior. Australia sent a few. So did Asia. But the added troops only swelled the number of total angelic warriors from two to three hundred Nephilim, with an equal number of trained clerics. At last count, there were over two thousand succubae active in North America. If they attacked the compound in force, along with the drones, the Nephilim stood little chance of success. If Lilith decided to join her daughters, there was no hope.

Each night, as she lay cradled in Lucien's arms, Sarahi reached out to her son, whispering to him, telling him how much she loved him and urging him to come home, but to no avail. He did not respond. The best that could be said was that he didn't push her away.

A week after that, four women approached the outer gate of the compound. Lucien came out, his bride in tow. He'd just returned from another fruitless search and was eager to do something constructive.

“Sarahi!” The girls squealed, embracing her.

“Jael! Salome! Rahab! Sheba! And who is this?” Sarahi leaned over Salome to see the baby her sister was holding. “Another succubus?”

Salome nodded, long black hair dancing around her dusky -skinned body. In deference to the cold, she'd dressed, for once. “Mother told me to expose her, to leave her outside to die, but… I couldn't.”

“Why would she do that?” Lucien asked. “Why not have another soldier in her army?”

“She says she doesn't have time to care for a baby right now or a sister to devote to her upbringing. There's too much at stake. And… she said there was something wrong with the baby. It reminded her of…you.” She turned to Sarahi. “She didn't want to risk it. But… a baby… you understand?”

“I do,” Sarahi said. “She's our sister after all. Did Ruth not come?”

“Ruth's dead,” Rahab said, casting her tilted green eyes to the ground. “She made Mother angry and…”

“How did she do that?” Sarahi asked.

“Her drone was a little… livelier than Mother wanted. He refused her.”

Sarahi made a sympathetic face.

“Well, he was the lucky one,” Sheba said dryly. She tore his throat out. He was dead in seconds. Poor Ruth.” She shuddered.

Sarahi shook her head. She did not want to think about it.

“So these are the sisters you trust?” Lucien asked, approaching the women. Sheba hissed and took several steps backward. Jael ducked behind a tree, her golden hair glinting in the sunshine. Salome turned, shielding the infant with her body. Rahab pulled two daggers from her belt.

“Sisters, please,” Sarahi urged, “there's no need for this.”

“But that's a Naphil,” Salome whined.

“Yes. He's also my husband.”

“Husband?” The daggers fell from Rahab's hands.

“Yes.” Sarahi giggled. “Lucien, darling, these are my sisters Rahab, Salome, Jael, and Sheba. And… Salome, what's the baby's name?”

“She doesn't have one,” Salome replied. “I couldn't just leave her there. Can she stay here too?”

“Of course,” Sarahi said. “They won't turn away an innocent baby, will they Lucien? After all, they accepted Josiah.”

Lucien nodded. “The child is fine. But ladies, we cannot simply admit you until we know you can be trusted. If… your mother knew we were here, it would be very bad for us.”

“If mother knew we were here, it would be worse for us,” Salome said. “How can you know if we are trustworthy?”

“I can read your auras. Ladies, if you step forward, one by one, I will be able to see if you are safe.”

“And if we're not?” Rahab asked. “Will you kill us? After all, we know where you live now.”

“I cannot in good conscience harm a guest. If you are not safe to admit, I will remove you from this place, and you will not remember how to get back.”

“Fair enough,” the succubus said. “Might as well start with me. What's my color, angel?”

“Red. Very bright. Contentious, but not necessarily evil. You have quite a gray overlay, but I'm not surprised you're feeling uncertain. Do you swear you will not go out of your way to cause trouble? Lilith will come, and when she does, our only chance is to prevent a united front.”

“Yes,” Rahab said. “That's true.”

“So you won't have the men fight over you?” Sarahi asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not right now,” Rahab replied with a hint of a smirk.

Lucien bowed his head to her and she walked past him and through the open door. Jael stepped forward next.

“Green, though somewhat muddy.”

“What do you mean?” The brown haired succubus asked.

“Nothing bad. Just that you might be feeling a little… sensitive…”

“Yes, darling. Jael is very sensitive. But she doesn't like to talk about it. She also saved my life once. Let her in.”

Lucien gave his wife a long look and then indicated the doorway.

“Sheba?” The blond succubus approached.

Lucien recoiled, and in a flash, Sheba was gone.

“Darling?”

Lucien rubbed his eyes as though he'd seen something painful.

“That was the ugliest black aura I've ever seen. Sorry, darling. Sheba was a spy.”

“Is she…”

“Sleeping in your trailer. When she wakes up, she will have no recollection of this meeting.”

“Sir…” Salome stepped forward and held out the baby. “Please take her. Even if I'm not… worthy, I want to be sure this little one is safe.”

Lucien smiled. “Bring her in yourself, sister. I've never seen such a beautiful blue aura, even on a full-blooded human. You are welcome here.”

Tears glittered in Salome's eyes and she rose on tiptoe to kiss Lucien's cheek.

“If I may make a suggestion,” he said, “I think this baby should be called Eve.”

Salome nodded and walked through the door into the compound.

***

Josiah roared down the road on a second-hand motorcycle. He'd taken in lieu of payment after helping out on a feedlot back in Nebraska. How many states ago had that been? He couldn't remember. A motorcycle was a cold way to travel in winter, and it didn't hold much in the way of possessions, but he liked it. And unlike a car or pickup, he had a license for this one. It had been one of the things he and Father had done together when he was a teen.

Father. Sometimes Josiah missed him. Sometimes not. Lucien could be interesting, but he was still stuffy, pompous, and inclined to talk rather than listen. Those were all deadly flaws to a twenty-one-year-old would-be rebel. It was easy to stay away from Father. Mom was harder. No matter that he'd only known her one day, the sparkling, rose-colored image had been part of him as long as he could remember. She still came to him, singing, hugging him, and begging him to come home. Telling him how much she loved him.
Love, ha. Love doesn't manipulate. And what kind of mother arranges for her son to have a tryst with a girl?
A demon mother. He didn't want to see her either.

Annie. Josiah wanted to close his eyes, but riding a motorcycle at speeds in excess of sixty miles an hour without looking where you where you were going was a good way to become a splatter against the side of that oak tree over there. Sweet Annie. He missed her. He dreamed of her nearly as often as he dreamed of Mother, but Annie couldn't caress his mind the way a demon could. He believed her when she said she wasn't in on the plan to control him. They'd known each other too long, loved each other too long, for him to think otherwise.

Back before you knew you were a demon.

This time he did close his eyes. Just a quick blink to prevent the sting from becoming tears. Annie was so powerfully good. He'd seen her shining white aura. She was more angel than he, despite having only human DNA. She deserved a human husband. Or maybe a Naphil, since they were allowed to marry now. He could see that being a good match.

Actually, he
could
see it in his mind's eye. Annie would forget about him in the wake of a half-angel's love. Surely if his father could love and even marry a succubus, a creature who'd no doubt had hundreds of partners in her lifetime, another Naphil could forgive Annie her one indiscretion. Or rather her one night of indiscretions. Even as his teeth ground at the thought of her marrying someone else, he couldn't help but take a bit of satisfaction in knowing he'd been first.

Josiah's stomach growled. He'd been riding since dawn, hardly stopping to stretch his legs, and the sun was hanging low in the sky. He needed to eat. He pulled his bike into a sleazy-looking truck stop off the interstate and walked inside. The smell of greasy burgers and bad coffee nearly choked him, but a quick glance at the white plastic menu above the counter convinced him this was the place. He'd need to pick up work again soon or he wouldn't be able to afford more gas for the bike.

“Burger and a beer,” he told the long-bearded man behind the counter.

“Wanna show me some ID, son?” the man said.

Josiah pulled out his license, demonstrating he was over 21, and the requested beverage quickly appeared. He took a swig. Then another. The alcohol hit him pretty fast, since he wasn't used to it and his stomach was so empty. By the time the burger landed on the counter in front of him, he was too dizzy to stand up. Hoping the greasy meal would help sop up some of the excess, he tucked in, barely noticing when a person slid onto the bar stool beside him. That is, until a sultry female voice spoke.

“Howdy, handsome.”

He turned and looked into familiar lamp-like eyes in a pale, pretty face, surrounded by a nimbus of curly brown hair. He gulped. She reminded him of Annie.

When she saw him, her eyes widened. “What are you?” the succubus whispered.

“Same thing as you, I guess,” he replied.

“Come with me,” she urged, taking his hand and tugging him away from the bar to a private booth. He stumbled a bit, but managed to make the walk.

She sat beside him, placed an arm around his shoulder and whispered in his ear, “There's no such thing as a male succubus. So what the hell are you?”

“According to my mother, I'm an incubus.”

She took his chin in her hand and turned him to face her.

“Incubus?”

He nodded. He suddenly doubted telling her had been a good idea, but it was too late.

“My mother would love to meet you!”

Josiah considered her suggestion. He made his own decisions. Couldn't make good ones without the relevant information. He needed to know what he was up against. “Take me to her.”

***

Two weeks later, most of the Nephilim and all three remaining succubae were married. Jael had scooped up Jonas the first night after their arrival. A week later Rahab said her vows with Peter. Sarahi had managed to convince the elders the boy would not turn as long as the succubus did not feed exclusively on him. And there was certainly enough love energy floating around to fill in the gaps. Finally, Salome was wooed and won by Nathaniel's older brother. Having the bad girls securely attached to husbands made everyone feel much better about their presence. They also proved invaluable in surprising areas. Salome was gifted in caring for children. Once the mothers became accustomed to her, they were grateful for the opportunity to get a little break now and again. Jael was a marvelous educator. She taught the Council of Elders things about the succubae they had never imagined. And fiery Rahab had a firm grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the succubae and drones, and even a few tidbits about Lilith herself, which she was quick to share with the generals.

But despite these small gains, no sign of Josiah was found. Sarahi was beginning to despair of her son and refused to be comforted. Her darkest moment came one night when she reached out to his spirit, and he shut her out, like a door slamming in her face.

Sarahi came fully awake with a gasp, tears pouring down her face.

“What's wrong, love?” Lucien asked.

“She has him,” she whispered. “He's gone to her.” She drew her knees up to her chest and rocked.