Succubus Blues CHAPTER 3

Of course, I should clarify at this point that Jerome doesnt look like a demon, at least n ane in the traditional red skin and horns sense. maybe he does on another plane of existence, but like Hugh, me, and all the other im pestilents walking the earth, Jerome wore a piece of music guise now.One that looked like John Cusack.Seriously. No joke. The archdemon always claimed he didnt plane know who the actor was, but none of us bought that. Ow, I give tongue to irritably. allow me go.Jerome released his grasp, but his dark eyes sleek over glinted dangerously. You look good, he said after a moment, seeming surprised by the admission.I tugged at my sweater, straightening it from where his hand had crumpled it. You put one over a funny way of showing your admiration.Really good, he continued thoughtfully. If I didnt know any better, Id say you shine, murmured a voice behind the demon. You shine, Daughter of Li illumineh, like a star in the night sky, like a diamond glittering on the bleakness of eternity.I started in surprise. Jerome cut a sharp glance to the speaker, not liking his monologue interrupted. I also glared, not liking an uninvited angel in my apartment. Carter only smiled at both of us.As I was saying, snapped Jerome, you look like youve been with a good mortal.I did a favor for Hugh.So this isnt the start of a new and improved habit?Not on the salary you pay me.Jerome grunted, but it was all part of a routine between us. He would c workchat me for not taking my job seriously, Id give a few witty quips in return, and the status quo would resume. Like I said, I was whatsoeverthing of a teachers pet.Looking at him now, however, I could see no more jokes would follow. The charm that had so enthralled my customers today had no effect on these two. Jeromes face was drawn and serious, as was Carters, disdain the angels usual sardonic half-smile.Jerome and Carter hung out together regularly, especially when alcohol was involved. This baffled me since they were supposedly locked in well-nigh sort of great, cosmic struggle. Id once asked Jerome if Carter was a locomote angel, which had elicited a good laugh from the demon. When hed recoered from the hilarity, hed told me no, Carter hadnt fallen. If he had, he wouldnt technically be an angel anymore. I hadnt really found that answer pleasurable and finally dogged the two must stay together because there was no one else in this area who could relate to an existence stretching rachis to the beginning of time and creation. All the rest of us lesser immortals had been human at some point before greater immortals like Jerome and Carter had not. My centuries were a unspotted blip on their timeline.Whatever the reasons for his presence now, I didnt like Carter. He wasnt obnoxious like Duane, but he always seemed so smug and supercilious. Maybe it was an angel thing. Carter also had the most bizarre sense of humor Id ever seen. I could never tell if he was making fun of me or not.So what can I do for you boys? I asked, tossing my purse on the counter. Ive got places to be tonight.Jerome fixed me with a narrow-eyed look. I want you to tell me about Duane.What? I already did. Hes an asshole.Is that why you had him killed?I what?I froze where Id been sifting through cupboard contents and slowly turned around to look back at the duo, half expecting some joke. Both faces were in earnest, watching me.Killed? How how does that work?You tell me, Georgie.I blinked, suddenly realizing where this was qualifying. Are you accusing me of killing Duane? And wait this is stupid. Duane isnt dead. He cant be.Jerome began pacing, his voice exaggeratedly civil. Oh, I as original you, he is quite dead. We found him this morning, on the nose before sunrise.So what? He died of sun exposure? That was the only way Id ever heard a lamia could die.No. He died because of the stake wedged into his heart. Ew.So are you ready to tell me who you got to do it, Georgie?I didnt get a nyone to do it I cant regular I dont even understand what this is about. Duane cant be dead.You admitted to me last night you two got in a fight.YesAnd you threatened him.Yeah, but I was jokingI study he told me you said something about him never coming near you again?I was angry and upset He was scaring me. This is crazy. Be human faces, Duane cant be dead.That was the only piece of sanity I could cling to in all of this, so I kept repeating it to them and to myself. Immortals were, by definition, immortal. End of story.Dont you know anything about vampires? the arch-demon asked curiously.Like that they cant die? pastime flickered in Carters gray eyes Jerome found me less funny.Im asking you one last time, Georgina. Did you or did you not have Duane killed? Just answer the question. Yes or no.No, I said firmly.Jerome glanced at Carter. The angel studied me, his lank blond hair falling forward to partially cover his face. I realized thus why Carter was along for the ride tonigh t. Angels can always discern truth from lies. At last, he nodded sharply to Jerome.Glad I passed the test, I muttered. nevertheless they werent stipendiary attention to me anymore.Well, observed Jerome grimly, I guess we know what this means.Well, we dont know for sure I do.Carter gave him a meaningful look, and several seconds of silence passed. Id always suspected the two were communicating mentally in such moments, something we lesser immortals could not do unassisted.So Duanes really dead? I asked.Yes, said Jerome, remembering I was there. really much so.Who killed him then? Now that weve determined it wasnt me?The two glanced at each other and shrugged, neither answering. Negligent parents, both of them. Carter pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. Lord, I hated it when they got this way.Finally Jerome said, A vampire hunting watch.I stared. Really? Like that girl on TV?Not exactly.So where are you exit tonight? asked Carter pleasantly.To readiness Mortensens signing . And dont change the subject. I want to know about this vampire hunter.Are you going to sleep with him?I what? For half a moment, I thought the angel was asking me about the vampire hunter. You mean Seth Mortensen?Carter exhaled smoke. Sure. I mean, if I were a succubus obsessed with a mortal author, thats what Id do. Besides, doesnt your side always want more celebrities?Weve already got plenty of celebrities, Jerome said in an undertone.Sleep with Seth Mortensen? Good grief. It was the most preposterous thing Id ever heard. It was appalling. If I absorbed his life force, there was no telling how long itd be until his next deem came out.No Of course not.Then what are you going to do to get noticed?Noticed?Sure. I mean, the guy probably sees tons of fans on a regular basis. Dont you want to stand out in some way?Surprise washed over me. I hadnt even considered that. Should I have? My jaded nature made it difficult to find pleasure in many things nowadays. Seth Mortensen books wer e one of my few escapes. Should I acknowledge that and attempt to connect with the novels creator? Earlier today, Id mocked run-of-the-mill fans. Was I about to become one of them?Well I mean, Paige will probably introduce the staff privately to him. Ill sort of stand out then.Yes, of course. Carter put out the cigarette in my kitchen sink. Im sure he never gets the opportunity to meet bookstore management.I opened my mouth to protest, but Jerome cut me off.Enough. He gave Carter another of those meaningful looks. We need to go.I wait a minute Carter had succeeded in derailing me off the topic after all. I couldnt believe it. I want to know more about this vampire hunter.All you need to know is that you should be careful, Georgie. Extremely careful. I am not joking about this.I swallowed, hearing the iron in the demons voice. But Im not a vampire.I dont care. These hunter types sometimes follow vampires around, hoping to find others. You could be implicated by association. Lay low. Avoid being alone. Stay with others mortal or immortal, it doesnt matter. Maybe you can follow up on your favor for Hugh and score some more souls for our side while youre at it.I turn over my eyes at that as the two walked to the door.I mean it. Be careful. Keep a low profile. Dont get involved with this.And, added Carter with a wink, say hi to Seth Mortensen for me.With that, the two left, closing the door gently behind them. A formality really, since either of them could have just teleported out. Or blown my door apart.I turned to Aubrey. She had watched the proceedings cautiously from the back of my sofa, tail twitching.Well, I told her, reeling. What am I supposed to lead of that?Duane was actually dead? I mean, yeah, he was a bastard, and I had been pretty pissed when I threatened him last night, but Id never actually wanted him to be really dead. And what about this vampire hunter business? Why was I supposed to be careful when ShitI had just glanced at my microwave clock . It coolly informed me I require to return to the bookstore ASAP. Pushing Duane out of my brain, I dashed to my bedroom and stared at myself in the mirror. Aubrey followed more sluggishly.What to wear? I could just keep my legitimate outfit. The sweater and khakis combination looked both respectable and subdued, though the color scheme blended a bit too well with my light brown hair. It was a librarian sort of outfit. Did I want to look subdued? Maybe. Like I had told Carter, I really didnt want to do anything that might solicit the romantic interest of my favorite author in the whole world.StillStill, I remembered what the angel had said about getting noticed. I didnt want to be just another face in Seth Mortensens crowd. This was the final stop on his latest tour. No doubt hed seen thousands of fans in the last month, fans who blurred together into a sea of bland faces, making their inane comments. I had advised the guy at the counter to be innovative with his questions, and I intended to behave the equivalent way with my appearance.Five minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror once more, this time clad in a silk tank top, deep reddish blue and low-cut, paired with a floral chiffon skirt. The skirt almost covered my thighs and swirled when I spun. It would have made a great dancing outfit. Stepping into strappy brown heels, I glanced over at Aubrey for confirmation.What do you think? Too sexy?She began cleaning her tail.It is sexy, I conceded, but its classy sexy. The hair helps, I think.I had pulled my long hair up into a romantic sort of bun, leaving wavy locks to frame my face and enhance my eyes. Momentary shape-shifting made them turn greener than usual. Changing my mind, I let them go back to their pattern gold-and-green-flecked hazel.When Aubrey still refused to acknowledge how awesome I looked, I grabbed my snakeskin coat and glared at her. I dont care what you think. This outfit was a good call.I left the apartment with my copy of The Gla sgow Pact and walked back to work, impervious to the drizzle. Another perk of shape-shifting. Fans milled inside the main retail area, eager to see the man whose latest book still dominated the bestseller lists, even after five weeks. I squeezed past the group, making my way toward the stairs that led to the second floor. early days adult books are over there by the wall. Dougs friendly voice drifted nearby. Let me know if you need anything else.He turned away from the customer hed been helping, caught vista of me, and promptly dropped the stack of books hed been holding.Customers stepped back, politely watching him kneel down to retrieve the books. I recognized the covers immediately. They were paperbacks of Seth Mortensens older titles.Sacrilege, I commented. Letting those tinct the ground. Youll have to burn them now, like a flag.Ignoring me, Doug gathered up the books and then ushered me off out of earshot. Nice of you to go home and change into something more comfortable. Chr ist, can you even bend over in that?What, do you think Ill have to tonight?Well, that depends. I mean, Warrens here after all.Harsh, Doug. Very harsh.You bring it on yourself, Kincaid. He gave me a reluctant, appreciative glance just before we started climbing the stairs. You do look pretty good, though.Thanks. I wanted Seth Mortensen to notice me.Believe me, unless hes gay, hell notice you. likely even then too.I dont look too slutty, do I?No.Or cheap?No.I was going for classy sexy. What do you think?I think Im done feeding your ego. You already know how you look.We crested the top of the stairs. A mass of chairs had been set up, covering most of the cafes normal seating area and spreading out into part of the gardening and maps section of books. Paige, the store manager and our superior, busily attempted some sort of wiring stunting with the microphone and sound system. I didnt know what this building had been used for before Emerald City Books moved in, but it was not an ideal venue for acoustics and large groups.Im going to help her, Doug told me, kindly chivalrous. Paige was three months pregnant. Id advise you do something that doesnt involve leaning more than twenty degrees in any one direction. Oh, and if somebody tries to get you to touch your elbows together behind your back, dont fall for it.I gave him a sharp jab in the ribs, nearly making him lose the books again.Bruce, still manning the espresso counter, made me my fourth sporting chocolate mocha of the day, and I wandered over to the geography books to drink it while I waited for things to pick up. Glancing beside me, I recognized the guy Id discussed Seth Mortensen with earlier. He still held his copy of The Glasgow Pact.Hey, I said.He jumped at the sound of my voice, having been absorbed in a travel book about Texas.Sorry, I told him. Didnt mean to scare you.I no, you d-didnt, he stammered. His eyes assessed me from head to toe in one quick glance, lingering ever so briefly on my hips and breasts but longest on my face. You changed clothes. Apparently realizing the myriad implications behind such an admission, he added hastily, Not that thats bad. I mean thats good. Er, well, that is His embarrassment growing, he turned from me and tried to awkwardly replace the Texas book back on the shelf, upside down. I hid my smile. This guy was too adorable. I didnt run into many shy guys anymore. Modern-day dating seemed to demand men make as great a spectacle of themselves as possible, and unfortunately, women seemed to really go for it. Okay, even I went for it sometimes. But shy guys deserved a break too, and I decided a little harmless flirting with him would be good for his ego while I waited for the signing to start. He probably had terrible luck with women.Let me do that, I offered, leaning across him. My hands touched his as I took the book from him, replacing it carefully on the shelf, front cover out. There.I stepped back as though to admire my handiwork, making sure I stood very close to him, our shoulders nearly touching. Its important to keep up appearances with books, I explained. picture show goes a long way in this business.He dared a look over at me, still nervous but steadily recovering his composure. I go more for content.Really? I repositioned slightly so that we were touching again, the soft flannel of his shirt brushing my bare skin. Because I could have pledged a moment ago you were pretty caught up in outside appearance.His eyes shifted down again, but I could see a smile veer his lips. Well. Some things are so striking, they cant help but draw attention to themselves.And doesnt that make you curious about whats inside?Mostly it makes me want to get you some advanced copies.Advanced copies? What did he ?Seth? Seth, where ah, there you are.Paige turned down our aisle, Doug following behind. She brightened when she saw me, and I felt my stomach sink out of me and hit the floor with a thud as I put two and two together. No. No. It couldnt be Ah, Georgina. I see youve already met Seth Mortensen.