Succubus Shadows Chapter 19

Real, I gasped come on. That wasreal. exercise set didnt give in to temptation. Seth stayed with Maddie.Maybe, utter One.The instinct to claw his eyes out rose within me, strong and sudden. It was puppet and rash and impossible since I had no form here. It was an urge Id had on more than maven occasion with the Oneroi.True. It was true. This was standardised a childs game with them, over and over. Or maybe the true/false section on the SAT. Circles. Circles. My life was a circle. And Jerome The end of the dream came to me where my boss had spirited Seth a substance. Hes coming for me. He took Seth. Theyre passing to do that ritual. Eriks expiration to set it up.Yes. And hes going to fail.No, he wont, I cried. Every ounce of me had become desperation verbalize, mind, soul. Jerome will come for me. Hell save me.No one is coming for you, verbalise Two. They will try, unless they will fail.Again, they sent me back to my world, and as much as I yearned for familiar faces, the doubt and uncertainty the Oneroi unbroken bringing up filled me with a despairing resistant of confusion.I was at Eriks. And apparently, so was everyone else.His store had a large back room utilize for storage that Id only once caught a glimpse of. It reminded me of a garage, with unfinished cement floors and plain dryw all told in all on the sides. A small table held a trough of burning incense that do the air hazy. The edges of the room were stacked with boxes and crates that appeared to have been shoved to create an empty space more or less the edge of the room. Also along the edges was the Seattle fadeless club Hugh, Cody, Peter, Carter, and even mei. Roman was probably at that place too, hidden because of mei. In the center of the room, Erik was drawing chalk patterns on the floor. Jerome stood heart tangleby, and Seth hovered uneasily between them and my friends along the hem in. I think he was having a hard time deciding who was safest. If non for Mei, he probably would have chosen my friends.Mei watched Erik and Jerome with disapproval, her nearly downcast eyes narrowed and brick-red lips pursed. At exit, she uncrossed her arms and strode toward the center, her sti permitto heels clicking loudly against the cement. Seth scurried out of her way, retreating to the safety of my friends.This is ridiculous, Mei tell. Youre wasting everyones time. Even with all of them she gestured to the wall camp its non enough to bring her back. You need to report it and get some other succubus.I report it, and therell be another archdemon here too. Jerome cut her a look. Im kind of surprised you havent do that already.Good point. As his underling, Mei obeyed him, save she was ambitious. If Jerome got in trouble for losing me, it could be to her advantage.I dont need to, she tell flatly. Youll be telling them yourself soon. why do I have to be here? I have no connection to her.Because I told you to Stop arguing. Jerome glared at her, and the deuce d emons locked gazes. At last, Mei gave a sharp nod, besides it didnt fulfillm wish well she gave in because of his authority. It was more like hed communicated something, and she was ac spotledging it. She re false to the side of the room, opposite my friends now.Erik had to lean and get on his knees for a destiny of his chalk work, something that had to be agony on his back. With a sigh, he finally stood up and examined his design. It showed devil large concentric circles, filled and surrounded with a play of arcane symbols. Some I knew some I didnt. Jerome studied the pattern too, and for the first time ever, my boss lookednervous.Is it ready? he demanded.Erik nodded, one hand inattentively rubbing his back. Barring the spell itself, yes.Jeromes eyes fell on Seth, who flinched. You, utter the demon. Come here.Seth eyed the pattern almost as uneasily as Jerome had. What will happen to me?It wont kill you, if thats what youre worried about. And you can leave the circle whenev er you want. straightaway stop wasting time.I didnt like hearing Jerome boss Seth around. It stirred up those coals of rage that had been burning within me lately. I even grew angry seeing Seth obey I kind of wanted him to detain Jerome. A moment later, I tried to banish such judgements. I needed to save my fury for the Oneroi, not this group. Surely Jerome wasnt lying. Carter, whod remained quiet throughout all of this, would have called Jerome on it. I hoped.Seth walked over to Jeromes side, careful not to step on any of the chalk lines like how superstitious people cancel cracks on sidewalks. Erik gave Seth a small smile.Hes honest, Mr. Mortensen. This wont hurt you. Though it will bestrange.Mei curtly went rigid again. Him? Thats all youre using? Jerome, one psyche cant Enough roared Jerome. Im tired of listening to everyone backtalk me. Can we get on with this?Erik nodded and walked over to the table with the incense. There was also a small bowl of water supply and a long, roughly hewn piece of stone. Smoky quartz, I thought. Erik picked it up carefully, reverently. He pushed the tip of the wand into the smoldering incense, and then held it up so the tidy sum could swathe it. A couple seconds later, he dipped the wands end into the water. When that was completed, he began carrying the wand to the circle.Wait, Carter suddenly said. He straightened up from where hed been slouching against some boxes. Im going in too.Youre all crazy, m give tongue to Mei.She has a point, said Jerome. If youre in here I inhabit, I know, said Carter, stepping over the lines to join Jerome. And I also know what tycoon come out. The two of them looked at each other, more silent messages passing, and then neither spoke again.Erik returned to the circles center, holding the wand up high. Both Carter and Jerome had excised as far from the earth as possible without crossing the inner circle. As Eriks arms reached heavenward, he suddenly didnt seem like a weak old m an. True, his body was fallible and heightening gaunter every day, but as he stood there and began chanting, he became so much more than human. Dante was a better magician when it came down to it, but Erik wasnt without his own force out, even if rarely used. If Id been there in the flesh, I would have felt up the magic he was summoning. Knowing it was there almost do me hope I could see it.He finished his chant, spoken in words I only knew a subaltern of, and then walked around the circle. He moved(p) it in four spots with the wand, all equidistant from each other. The instant his wand touched the fourth spot, every immortal in the room suddenly flinched and looked uncomfortable even the abundanter ones. Seth mostly looked confused.As a disconnected observer, my view was like Seths. I saw zero point happen either. only when I realized then that if Id been there, I would have felt what all the other immortals had as well. Erik had locked the circle, slamming invisible wal ls into place. All magical circles were different, but hed told Seth that he could cross out meaning this was a circle to happen only immortals in. It wasnt exactly like a summoning. Summonings required massive amounts of magic because they were enslaving an immortal against his or her will. This circle was a prison too, but it required less magic because the immortals had entered it by choice. Jerome and Carter had ripe knowingly allowed themselves to be entrapped.This was why he wanted Mei around. For an unscrupulous magic user say, like Dante this was a golden opportunity. Two imprisoned greater immortals? It had infinite possibilities for a magician. Whatever Erik was doing here, I didnt believe hed plague this situation. But Jerome, being a demon, didnt trust anyone. Jerome had wanted Mei on hand to do some smiting if Erik wouldnt release his prisoners. Of course, she would be powerless to do anything until Erik left(p) the circle which hed have to do eventually.If they were all trying to rescue me, though, Erik couldnt have created this circle with the intent of trapping Jerome and Carter specifically. The angels words came back to me I also know what might come out.Erik stood in front of Seth, who was growing more nervous by the second. The strain in Eriks face showed the power he was keeping in check. He couldnt play kindly old man right now, but he did what he could.Do you care about Miss Kincaid? he asked Seth. Do you want to save her?Yes, answered Seth swiftly.Then you must think about her. Focus every ounce of your being on her. Imagine her. Cry out for her. There must be no other thoughts in your head only her.Seth looked puzzled but nodded. Erik turned to Jerome and Carter. And you must stop him from going in entirely. You cant enter yourselves, but you can keep him here. You have to, or youll lose both of them.Erik waited for no acknowledgment from the angel and demon. He held up his wand again and touched Seth on his frontal bone, bot h cheeks, and chin. Seth shivered.Remember, said Erik. When the gate opens, think of her. Only her. Reach for her. And when you find her, do not let go.Gate? asked Seth. What But Erik was chanting again, and a wind emerged out of nowhere, ruffling the tomentum of those in the circles. His voice grew more and more powerful, and then I was back with the Oneroi.What happened? I exclaimed. For the millionth time, I wished I could beat on the walls of my prison. I wanted to claw their eyes out again. I wanted to choke them. Show me what happensFailure, said One.They wont succeed, added Two. The demoness was correct. A dozen humans who loved you couldnt reach you, let alone He halt speaking. His eyes met Ones, and then both glanced around as though searching for something. I tried to see what they saw or heard, but there was nothing for me. Only blackness and silence.Then, I felt the stirring of another dream coming over me. The dark world started to go blurry, and both Oneroi jerked their heads toward me.No exclaimed Two, extending his hand.Everything grew clear again. I didnt dream. I stayed where I was.Georgina.My trope. For the first time in well, I had no idea how many days I heard something that wasnt the Oneroi. It was so faint, a whisper lost on the wind. My name. One of them, at least.I couldnt tell where it came from, but every sectionalisation of me tried to focus on it, to figure out its origin.Georgina.Yes? I said aloud. Im hereThe world grew blurry again. I didnt hear my name, but it was like the siren song all over again. Music without sound, colors without description.Stop this cried One. I had never heard the Oneroi raise their voices. They incessantly spoke in those low, sly tones. But they were pretty upset now.Fight it This was Two, speaking to One. Join me Dont let it I left them for another dream. Or, well, more like another place. No, it wasnt even a place. It was like I was floating in space, in a nebula. Perhaps a hurricane was a m ore accurate way to describe it because things were swirling around me and blowing past. Wisps of smoke. Bits of colors. Brilliant stars. Some touched me. Some went through me. And every time I made contact, I felt an feeling an emotion that wasnt my own. Happiness. Terror. With that emotion came a brief flash of an image. A green field. An airplane. A monster. It was a snowstorm of stimuli.I was lost and adrift, almost more scared than in my prison with the Oneroi. At least that had had some substance, no matter how insignificant. But thiswhat was this? Every once in a while, it would start to dissolve to black, like I might be returning to the box. Then, the darkness would fade, again leaving me helpless in this mad riot of sensation.Georgina.My name again. And with it, that pull. That pull of familiarity. Though I technically had no body here either, I searched for that voice and that pull, looking through the riotous color.Georgina.It was stronger. That sense of summoning. I b urned with the need to get to it. It was part of me. It was home. And then, in all that chaos, one light shone brighter than all the others. It was white, pure and pristine amidst the kaleidoscope raining down upon me. I stared at it, reached for it in as much as I could. The world started to fracture to black once again, but it was the last time. I wouldnt return to the box. not with this light before me. Its hard to say if it became brighter and brighter or if it just grew closer and closer, but suddenly it was before me. It was around me. I was it.Just like when Id brushed against those other dreams, I had a flash of hallucination that snapped me briefly from the whirlwind. I was in Seths arms. Or was I? As he held me, his face seemed to shift over and over to different forms. No, it was him. I would know him anywhere. He was so familiar, and now this close to me, I couldnt let go of him. He was home.Georgina. The voice came again, and it was his. Georgina, dont let go.No. I was nt permit go. I was never letting go again.That brief moment of human contact gave way to the starry field of dreams, but this time, I had an anchor. I was with the light. I was the light. I felt it pulling me, but I needed no urging. I would go wherever it took me. I released all control. I had the sensation of floating, of being stretched and reaching forward. buttocks me, something tugged at me, but it wasnt strong enough. I was moving forward. Forward and forward and The sound of screaming filled the room. My screaming. Screaming over the pain of being disunite apart and reassembled. Pain from being stripped of all energy within me. I was weak. Raw. Nothing.What room was this? I saw faces. Faces near me, faces along the rooms wall. They looked at me like they knew me. Did they? Did I know them? My legs buckled underneath me, weak like a colts. One of the men standing near me reached out, but I scrambled backward, needing to escape. I couldnt let him touch me. Of that, I was c ertain. My mind had been shredded and ripped open. I didnt want to be touched in any other way. The floor was cold and smooth as I scurried over it, but I was stopped by a wall. At least, it felt like one. I saw nothing there, only a patrician line upon the floor. The invisible wall was familiar and triggered fear. It reminded me of the box. I drew my knees up to me, trying to make myself small as I trembled.The men near me four of them were speaking in a language I didnt know. They were arguing. One kept trying to come to me, but another stopped him. That one was terrifying. His features were nothing extraordinary tall, with dark brown eyes and hair but there was something about him that made me cold all over. There was power in him, power all around him. I could feel it and see it. It reminded me of sulfur. His eyes fell on me as he spoke harshly to the others, and I cringed further. I felt certain I knew him, but he still scared me.Suddenly, another of the men exclaimed some thing and touched the dark-haired ones arm. This man was blond. I sensed power around him too, but it felt different. It was clean and crystalline. All four turned around, putting their backs to me as they stared at something. Nothing was there at first, then I began to see and feel it. A glowing purple orb appeared before them, becoming larger and larger. As it did, I saw it was more of a spiral, its arms rotate as it grew. The two men who didnt radiate power stepped back. If the unseen wall had let me, I too would have moved away. Out of the purple light, two black forms suddenly materialized and stepped forward. Two black figures who were somehow luminescent at the same time and had brilliant blue eyes. My own eyes widened. I might not know anything else that was going on around me, but I knew them. I knew them, and I was going to kill them.Im not sure how I did it since there seemed to be no spark of life left within me, yet somehow, I mustered the strength to spring up and run toward them. My shrieked words were incoherent, but it didnt matter. Only their destruction did. I would rip them apart. I would make them receive the way theyd Strong arms grabbed me, stopping me as surely as the wall had. It was the blond man, and his grip was like iron. Let me go I screamed. Let me go Ill kill them Ill kill them bothThe dark-haired man glanced back toward us. Do not let her go, he said mildly, this time in a language I understood. I fought in vain against the arms but made no progress.The dark-haired man turned to the Oneroi. This isnt your world, he said.Weve come for whats ours, said one of the Oneroi. You took her.I took back what was mine, the dark-haired man countered. You stole her.We won her. She came to us of her own free will.The dark-haired man snorted. Jerome, I suddenly remembered. His name was Jerome. We have different definitions of free will, he said.We want her back, protested the Oneroi.Youre taking nothing back, countered Jerome, voice hard. G o before I change my mind.Id gone slack while they spoke, but now my fury was renewed. I struggled again. Let me kill them I screamed. Jerome, its my right Let me destroy themJerome turned back, maybe surprised Id used his name. I dont think youre in any shape to kill anything.Its my right, I said. After what they did theyll suffer like I did. I will shred them. Ill rip their souls outThey dont have souls, he said dryly. But I like your enthusiasm. He turned back to the Oneroi. So, you stole my succubus and tortured her. His voice carried that reptilian chill. It froze my blood. It made the air crackle with tension. The Oneroi shifted uncomfortably. They werent unaffected.Because of her, our mother was recaptured, one of them said. But he didnt sound as confident or outraged as before. We are entitled to revenge.You believe insult to another justifies revenge? asked Jerome. Oh, that voice. That voice made the air grow still.Yes, said the Oneroi as one.Me too, replied Jerome.He didn t even move, but I felt the power flare out from him, like a torch thrown into dry tinder. It explode and so did the Oneroi. Well, it was more like they imploded. That power hit them, and then they were no more. Just like that.Oh, Jerome, said the man holding me. Do you know what youve done?Jerome glanced back at us and shrugged. I dont like people taking my things.The swirling purple gate had never left, and now it began to grow brighter and rotate faster.Shit, said Jerome. I was hoping no one would notice.The man holding me sighed. He looked down at me, and silvery gray eyes pierced my soul. Listen to me. Do not move. Do you understand? Stay right here. When I didnt answer, he sighed again. Do you know me?Did I? Yes. The eyes. I knew the eyes. Carter. The word came out strangely on my tongue.Yes, he said. You know me. Trust me. Do not move.He let go of me, waited to see what Id do, and then walked up to join Jerome when I stayed in place. Nothing could have made me move anyway, not when I saw what came through the gate.It was monstrous. Literally. Yellow-eyed and scaly, mottled purple and gray. It had what looked like a pigs snout, and seven horns ran over its head like points on a crown. It towered over Jerome and Carter as it emerged from the gate, but the two of them stood where they were, regarding it defiantly.You destroyed my subjects, the creature growled. Its voice came from deep within its throat and made the floor vibrate. You broke the laws.Your subjects were in our realm, said Jerome. He was perfectly calm. They stole one of my people and abused her. They broke the rules.That doesnt give you the right to do what you did, came the response.They would have destroyed her if they were capable of it. Next time, keep a better watch on your employees so that they dont go causing trouble where they shouldnt.The monsters nostrils flared. I could destroy you for this.Try, said Jerome. Try taking on both of us.Those yellow eyes flicked over to Carter. A f ew teeth showed in the creatures mouth. I think he was smiling. An angel and a demon fighting together. It would almost be worth seeing.Heavy silence fell as everyone sized each other up. I had no sense of the monsters strength. Physical size was not proportional to power. Jerome and Carter, however, were burning like small suns, ready to burst at any moment.At last, the monster shrugged. Or did his equivalent of it. But its been enough just to see you defend each others honor. I will not destroy youtoday. There will be no more assaults on my people. If there are, I wont be so forgiving.And if your people dont leave mine alone, said Jerome smoothly, I wont be as forgiving either.The creature snarled, and for a moment, I thought he might very well change his mind. He didnt. Instead, he stepped backward toward the purple light. He merged into it, vanishing to our eyes, and then the gate itself disappeared as well.He is such a fucking liar, said Jerome. Forgiving indeed. He knew wed bl ast his scaly ass out of here.Yeah, well, I hope we never find if thats true or not, said Carter. Fighting a Morphean demon would generate paperwork even on my side.Jeromes lips twitched into a smile. Now that would be worth seeing.I looked between both of them, my fear from the near-confrontation fading. With the last of my energy, I lunged for Jerome, beating my fists against his chest. He caught them and stopped me as easily as Carter had.You should have let me do it You should have let me destroy them It was my rightThats what youre ludicrous off about? Georgie, Im not even sure how youre still standing.It was my right, I repeated. You dont know what they did.I can make some good guesses.I stopped in my struggles, and at last, the full force of everything that had happened descended on me. My beings full depletion hit me. I sagged in his arms, and he caught me. The sights and people around me were still a little muddled, but lots of things were starting to come back.You were su pposed to keep me safe, I said in a small voice. I felt my eyes grow wet. You shouldnt have let that happen let them take me. Youre supposed to protect me.Jerome looked truly surprised and didnt respond to me immediately. I was afraid hed get angry, but instead, he said quietly, Yes. I am. I did in the end, but I was late.Great apology, said Carter.Now Jeromes anger returned. I have nothing to apologize for He turned back to me, and again, his voice was calm and patient. Almost gentle. I knew this was uncharacteristic for him. I brought you back. Youre safe now. They will never harm you again. Do you understand?I nodded.Good. Now its time to finish this.Jerome turned toward the humans. One of them was old, very old with dark brown skin and graying hair. His eyes were compassionate. The other man was younger, with messy hair and brown eyes that turned honey-amber when the light caught them. He was staring at me like he knew me, which wasnt a surprise because I knew him too. I didn t know how, but I did. In fact, I was beginning to realize I knew everyone in this room. Other names were coming back to me. This one mans name eluded me, though, largely because some(prenominal) kept popping into my head. He studied me intently, like he was trying to figure something out, and I found myself falling into those golden brown eyes.Jerome said something to the rusty man in that other language. I still couldnt understand it, but there was something familiar about its sounds. The old man didnt answer or move right away, and palpable tension fell over the entire room. At last the old man took a wand he was holding and began wretched points on the circle upon the floor, murmuring softly as he did. When he touched the circle a fourth time, it was as though a great pressure one I hadnt even known was there was released from the room.Jerome exchanged a few curt words with the man and then turned to me. As I was saying, how youre conscious is beyond me but considering all the other absurd things you do, I shouldnt be surprised.He stepped toward me and pressed his fingers to my forehead. I gasped as a shiver ofsomethingraced through me. At first, it was shocking and prickly. Then, it transformed into something sweeter and more wonderful. The most wonderful thing on earth. It filled me up, energizing me, making me whole. Until this moment, how could I have thought I was alive?The world came into greater focus, the sights grew more familiar. I staggered, not from weakness this time, but from the pure bliss of life Jerome had gifted me with. He said something to me in that other language, and I frowned, not understanding.He spoke again in my own words. Change back, Georgina. Time to go.Change to what?Whatever you want. Your current favorite, Id imagine. Not this. His hand gestured toward my body.I examined myself for the first time. I wasnt quite as tall as him, a few inches shorter, maybe. My legs and arms were long and lean, my skin tanned from the su n. A plain ivory dress covered me, and I could see the tips of black hair falling onto my chest. I frowned. This was meand yet not me.Change back, Georgina, he repeated.Thats not my name, I said.Shake off what theyve done, he said, clearly impatient. Its over. Theyve fogged your mind, but you can clear it. Change back, Georgina. Come back to this time. His next words were in that other language, and I shook my head angrily.I dont understand. I shouldnt be here. This is my body, but this isnt my time.He gave another command that I still didnt comprehend, and I uttered the same response. Three times we went through this, and then on the fourth, his words came through to me, perfectly understandable. I knew what he was speaking. The English language exploded in my mind, and with it, much more.I held out my hands before me, staring long and hard as though seeing them for the first time. This is my time, I murmured in English. I looked down at my long legs. A strange sense of revulsion r an through me. This is not my body. Yetit was. It was, and it wasnt. With no energy, it was what I had reverted to.Whats your name? he demanded.Letha. My name is Letha.Georgina, I said. And with that, I summoned the power to make my bodys shape change. Slim and short, with light brown hair, and golden green eyes. The off-white homespun shift became a blue cotton dress. A moment later, I changed it to jeans and a blue shirt.Jerome glanced at Carter. See? No harm done.Carter didnt acknowledge that. Instead, he asked, So now what?Now? Jeromes gaze fell on me again. Now Georgina sleeps.What? I cried. No Not afterno. Im never sleeping again.Jerome almost smiled before touching my forehead again.I slept.