Succubus Tear (Triune promise) (63 page)

Rinnah closed her eyes, and brought her hands together. Charlie gasped as a sudden, unexpected surge flashed through his senses. Stella appeared to have had the same experience as she too flinched. Both goblets were caught by Rinnah before they fell to the table.

“What happened?” Charlie and Stella said at the same time.

Rinnah smiled bashfully. “I am not certain. Mother never placed any spiritual power in the goblets. But, I felt a strong connection form between the two of you just now.”

“But, what were you doing?” Stella said, slightly out of breath.

“Oh, I prayed for God to bless your union.”

Charlie too felt slightly out of breath, and more than a little frustrated. The last time supernatural things like this happened, his life as well as Cain’s life completely changed. He was about to give voice to his frustrations when Stella grabbed his wrist from below the table and bent it savagely.

“Aw, Rinnah, that is so sweet of you to pray for us like that.” She said warmly, keeping Rinnah’s attention from Charlie. “You know, I never was able to thank Al’bah for bringing us together. If it weren’t for her, I don’t know where Charlie and I would be right now.” She said emphasizing a few choice words for Charlie by bending his wrist a little harder.

He took in a relieved breath as Stella had finally let go of his wrist. The sudden intake of air caused Rinnah to turn to him. “Truly? You truly feel this way?” She said with a wide smile and innocent eyes.

“It’s more than that Rinnah.” He said, feeling a supreme sense of gratitude fill his heart. He remembered; Al’bah had saved his life, the night she depicted was the night he tried to goad Cain to killing him. Al’bah stopped him, at first Charlie saw it as the supreme act of betrayal. How her wish overruled his own. But now, he understood; so much of what she said that night was meant for him as much as it was for Cain, and for Stella. Which was odd, considering she barely spoke to him after he and Cain left the pub to ‘settle their differences’.

Rinnah seemed to pick up on his feelings. She wiped her eyes and clasped her hands under chin. “Happy.”

She reached in the bag again and pulled out a leather bound book that was tied off with simple twine. “This is for you Charlie, from Father.” She kept her eyes to his, and Charlie could see a powerful hunger in them. “This is Father’s journal from the day he married mother. He said this was for your eyes only, but if you wished to share it with me, you had the right.” She sighed and continued. “Father agonized long and hard to give a gift worthy of his best friend. Mother suggested that he give you his journal. She said that it was the closest thing he could give that would be like unto himself.”

Charlie felt numb as his hand closed around the leather bound journal. “Thank you, Rinnah. I will share this with you, but I would like to read it first, okay?”

Rinnah’s eyes and face filled with happiness, “You will? You truly will?” She said, clasping her hands together in anticipation.

“Sure, why not?” Charlie grinned.

“I am most thankful,” Rinnah sighed and reached yet again in her back and pulled out a small leather sack. “And this, to assist with the finances necessary to ensure my presence does not cause financial hardship.” She handed it to Stella.

“Gold?” Stella said holding out several heavy-looking coins.

“Yes, gold. Mother and I can sense its presence no matter where it is. Humanity worships gold so much, that it always has an unmistakable signature.” She stretched and yawned deeply.

“Perhaps you’d like to get some rest Rinnah?”
  Stella asked, putting the coins away and handing the bag to Charlie.

Rinnah nodded, “I am tried. Thank you. Good night Charlie,” She said hugging him tightly, and followed Stella, who coaxed her to the smaller bedroom that was once the study.

Charlie opened the photo album and a lump jumped to his throat. Every page, front and back was
filled
with a chaotic jumble of pictures of his best friend, and his Succubus wife.

Pictures of him with another couple and a black man dressed in religious clothing.

Pictures of Cain and Al’bah in what appeared to be Mexico City; both wearing sombreros

Cain at a barber’s chair, getting his long hair cut, damn he looked nice with his hair short.

Al’bah asleep on a couch with her right hand in a cup of water.

Stella laughed, breaking apart the moment. “Serves her right for peeing in front of me.” She snorted.

Charlie looked up, “she’s asleep already?”

“As soon as her head hit the pillow, right after saying her prayers.” Stella whispered, snuggling close to him on the sofa.
She caressed his left wrist. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I was about to go off with my temper again. You stopped me in the nick of time.”

“They look so happy,” she whispered looking again at the album.

“They are, look at that.” Charlie said pointing to Cain’s hands “even then, he was thinking about me.”

“That’s his ‘tell’ for happy?”

Charlie shook his head, “Cain and I, never had a ‘tell’ for happy, that’s just the one he used for ‘I’m okay’.” Charlie said, flipping over another page, it seemed as though Cain and Al’bah spent the majority of the last four years in Central and South America.

Cain, reading a book at a desk. His dark hair slightly going grey at the temples which somehow made him look younger.

Al’bah eating an ice cream cone with an absolutely ridiculous expression; obviously unaware that Cain took a picture.

Both of them in the midst of a crowd all celebrating something. Everyone in the picture seemed to be friends with the two of them.

Both of them asleep in a hammock on a beach, a small campfire
glowed warmly in the background, and three people in the process of dumping a large trashcan of ice water over them.

“Are we really gonna stay up the whole night, looking at photos?” Stella said with a large smile, as she made herself comfortable.
 

Charlie chuckled, as he turned the page showing another new facet of the last four years of his friends’ life.

Cain and Al’bah on a mountain top.

Both of them swimming in a river in the rain forest.

Al’bah blowing a kiss to the camera, a beautiful seascape behind her.

Al’bah holding her hands reverently over her stomach that showed a delicate rounding.

“Looks like it,” Charlie said quietly. The night wore on; a gentle London thunderstorm added a peaceful ambiance, punctuated every so often by the wind, thunder, laughter, and sighs.