The Naphil's Kiss (15 page)

Chapter 18

Josiah stretched, sitting up in the bed. His nose wrinkled. He would never grow accustomed to the stink in this place; a combination of snake, old sex, and blood. And it was cold. Always cold. Always dark. Though he'd learned to capture light using the demon eyes he'd inherited from his mother, the dim fire didn't give him much to work with. Maybe that was better. He really didn't want to see what surrounded him.

Beside him, a girl sat up and he slipped his arm around her shoulders. Succubae weren't so bad, not really. This one was young-seeming and pretty. She reminded him of Annie, except for the eyes and forked tongue. She wanted him too, they all did. But for some reason he didn't want her. Maybe
because
she was so much like Annie. But he was willing to cuddle up with her at night, just to keep warm. Even though he had to wrestle to keep her wandering hands off him.

Josiah sighed. This was not a nice place. He didn't belong here either. He'd thought, after being so rejected at the compound, maybe his demon relatives would be easier to fit in with. They weren't. For one thing, they were all girls. There were men around, but Lilith kept them pretty busy. Drones, they called them, and they seemed sort of… hypnotized. Or maybe like zombies. They appeared to have no personality or will. One walked past him in answer to the demon queen's call. The tall youth with shining mahogany hair had a vacant expression and moved like a sleepwalker. They all looked like that. The boy approached the demoness and she beckoned him closer, turning around to bend over her throne, wiggling her backside seductively. Josiah turned away. The first time he'd seen this spectacle, he'd been shocked and disgusted. Her attempt to seduce him with blatant sex had not been successful. Too well he remembered having Annie in his arms. The hedonistic lifestyle of the hive paled in comparison.

Enraged by his prudishness, Lilith had backhanded him into the corner. Damn, she was strong. It would take a tank to stop her, or a charging rhinoceros. The next night she'd come after him directly, using her unholy powers to enhance the lust he couldn't control when faced with her naked beauty. Josiah shuddered, not only at the memory of his terrible mistake, but at the beating she'd inflicted on him afterward. He still couldn't figure out how she'd known he wasn't a virgin, but apparently it meant something to her. At any rate, he'd been positive she was going to kill him, until one of the girls whispered something in her ear. Just like that, she'd calmed down, stalking to her throne and flinging herself onto it, leaving him to nurse his injuries in silence.

A week later, she'd begun training him. The exercises were identical to what he'd done at the compound, only much more vigorous. Now, after a few weeks of that, he'd laid a layer of muscle over his wiry frame. It looked good on him. And there were other… compensations. Any girl he wanted, any time. He had yet to find that interesting. On the other hand, the food was good, alcohol was readily available, and there were live sex shows all over the place. It was a wild young man's paradise.

Josiah wanted to go home. Only trouble was, he wasn't exactly sure where home would be.

It's not a place and you know it. It's a person. Anywhere is home, if Annie is there.

But Annie was not his future. He couldn't keep her. Was this really all that was left to him? This meaningless existence? Josiah shook his head, tossed off the demon-girl's groping hands, and rose from the bed, pulling on a pair of ragged black trousers.

A loud crash shook Josiah the rest of the way awake. He turned to see the drone sprawled across the altar where the succubae laid offerings of food and drink. Apparently Lilith was done with the drone. Poor fellow. The demoness was like a mantis or a widow spider. The men who mated with her didn't always emerge alive.

It was another reason he was not in a hurry for a repeat performance. Josiah shuddered again, averting his eyes from the pitiful, throatless corpse bleeding over the fresh bread he'd hoped to eat for breakfast.

Oh well. He wasn't hungry now anyway.

“Josiah,” the demoness cooed in a sultry voice. He approached cautiously.

***

“We can't wait any longer,” Jonas said irritably, slamming his hand down on the table of the council room. “If our enemy has the incubus, we need to make preparations now.”

“But how can we move forward without leadership?” Nathaniel asked, his arm wrapped around Mary's shoulders. The difference three weeks of marriage had wrought in her was astonishing. She looked ten years younger. It seemed some of her husband's vitality was rubbing off on his wife.

“Who says we're without leadership?” Rahab demanded. “Just because your pitiful president has taken to his bed doesn't mean we're adrift. There's no reason why a human should be in charge anyway.”

“Hey,” Peter protested, poking his wife in the ribs. She nailed him with a furious glare and he fell silent.

“I say Lucien should be in charge,” Jonas proposed. “He's already General of all the Nephilim in North America. We follow his orders. We can't wait for Mr. Smith to decide whether he feels like doing his job.”

“I agree,” Nathaniel seconded. There were murmurs of assent all around the table. Clerics and Nephilim alike placed their trust in the tall half-angel.

Lucien inclined his head, accepting the appointment. “Very well. Let's be sure we understand what's happening. Sarahi, you've said from the beginning that if Lilith could secure Josiah, she would come after us. Why would she want to? Why start a war?”

Sarahi took a deep breath, contemplating her answer, but Jael jumped in first.

“She might not. She might wait a few centuries hoping to kill off more Nephilim in skirmishes so that the takeover will be simple.”

“But we all agree her goal is domination. It always has been. She will come against this compound first,” Rahab added darkly.

“Why?” asked Mary. “There's an order of clerics on every inhabited continent. Why this particular one?”

“Because it's personal for her,” Sarahi replied. “This is the compound where her traitor daughters are hiding. Where I am hiding. I defied her orders. I produced the child she wanted, and did not give him to her. And I orchestrated a plan to ensure that child would be unable to share power with her.”

There were gulps and shudders around the table. The psychic scream which had rent the night a week ago had been horrifying. No less so because human and Naphil alike could hear it. Everyone knew what it meant. Lilith had discovered her prize had already imprinted on someone else.

“I don't think she'll wait,” Salome said. “She's been growing angrier and more unstable for decades. And Sarahi is right. It is personal. But it's not Sarahi she wants to devour most.

Faces turned towards Annie, who was dressed in her Assassin uniform, but had left her face uncovered. She paled at the mention of that terrible moment, but then swallowed and straightened her stance. “Who would have guessed falling in love would be so hazardous,” she quipped with a wan smile.

“Even if Lilith succeeded in wiping all Nephilim from the planet, the host of Heaven would be in no way depleted. Real angels cannot be killed, and the Creator will not allow succubae to overrun His creation,” Lucien said.

“Love, we're not dealing with a rational mind,” Sarahi reminded her husband. “Lilith's hubris is beyond anything you can understand. She truly thinks she can challenge Heaven and win, and getting us out of the way is a step toward that end.”

“So our goal then is to protect ourselves and our families?” he asked. Sarahi nodded. “And how do we do that? Succubae, any suggestions?”

Jael, Sarahi, Rahab and Salome exchanged glances. “Don't waste time fighting drones more than is necessary. Stay away from the succubae. If we can get rid of the source, the others will be leaderless. They can be scattered and dispersed much more easily. There is no second-in-command,” Rahab said. The others nodded their agreement.

“Are you suggesting we concentrate the fight entirely on Lilith herself?” Jonas asked, appalled.

“Yes,” his wife responded simply.

“Is that even possible with the incubus's unlimited energy behind her?” Nathaniel asked. “I know she can't access it, but he can, right? If he fights for her, what happens?”

“I don't know,” Sarahi replied. “But better to die trying than wait for the death she would dish out to us.”

The ugly thought was far too true for anyone's comfort.

“So what do we do then?” Jonas demanded. “If we want this fight on our terms, how do we draw her out? How do we make sure she doesn't just wait until our numbers are down? There are no new Nephilim. There will be no more. Every one we lose cannot be replaced. We will never be stronger than right now.”

“I have an idea,” Jael said.

“Tell us,” Lucien urged.

The war council leaned forward. It was sure to be a desperate plan, but they had nothing else.

***

“Well, Jezebel,” Lilith said irritably as she watched Josiah practice sword fighting with one of the drones. “Why do I have to keep him alive?”

“Mother,” the succubus cooed in a placating voice which made Lilith want to hit her, “For centuries you've dreamed of an incubus. Now you have him. Why do you want him dead at this point?”

“The little prick gave away his power. He slept with some girl and imprinted on her. All that lovely energy, and I can't drink a drop.”

“He is tasty,” Jezebel agreed, her eyes following Josiah's muscular back as he pressed his attack against the tall warrior.

This time, Lilith did hit her, sending her daughter sprawling. The woman rose quickly and returned without a word of complaint. Her pale cheek bore a palm-shaped red mark which would soon turn into a bruise.

“All right, Mother,” Jezebel said. “All joking aside, it is possible to break the imprintation and rework it.”

Lilith leaned over the arm of her chair until her face was very close to Jezebel's. “How?”

“From what I've been reading, there is a provision for an unacceptable imprint. If the girl dies, it rebounds to his next partner.”

Lilith nodded, considering the possibilities. “So I have to….”

“Hunt down and destroy the girl who preceded you. But, Mother, you must also make him trust and desire you. Otherwise he will not choose to give himself to you.”

“Are you saying he does not desire me now?” Lilith hissed, rage bubbling at the suggestion.

“Please don't hit me again, Mother. I'm not trying to be insulting. But you have to admit he hasn't been too enthusiastic.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Seducing a good-hearted man can be tricky. He's conflicted. I'd suggest you play up the problems he must have had with our enemies and show him how much better it is here.”

Lilith nodded, pondering Jezebel's advice. She'd never before had to work at taking a man. They came to her brainless and obedient. This would be an interesting challenge.

Chapter 19

For the next three weeks, targeted attacks of succubus strongholds increased in frequency and intensity. Clerics and Nephilim engaged in hit and run tactics, firebombing buildings, planting snipers to take out targets and generally doing anything they could to reduce the number of their enemies as drastically as possible. They made no attempt to cover their tracks. Soon succubus intel knew the exact location of the compound, and had a good approximation of how many Nephilim and clerics were operating out of that location. The information they had been carefully fed showed a stronghold in the Mojave Desert and a force approximately half of what actually existed. When the stakes were this high, it was no time to play fair. Lucien ruthlessly used every advantage available to him.

The risky decision had been made to avoid drawing Lilith to the actual compound. Its location remained concealed, and the young, old and vulnerable would be able to hide there. And they had learned how to enter the hive. The succubae had demonstrated the method for opening a portal into the demonic realm where Lilith held court; a small world of eternal ice. All the Nephilim, and those clerics, like Annie, who had regained special gifts, were able to access it. It was no different than relocating from one spot on earth to another, so long as they knew the coordinates.

The intention was to open the portal and send in a few troops, who would appear in the demonic realm and attract the attention of enemy. Their hope was the majority of the succubae would follow them back through the portal, leaving the queen lightly defended. Or better still, Lilith might come through herself. Either option would work. They had plans for both possibilities.

The date of the attack was set for December 31. With all the hype about the Y2K bug, anything strange appearing on computer screens and video feeds could be attributed to computer error.

The night before the battle a meeting was held in the cafeteria of the compound. Mr. Smith still refused to emerge from his room, so Lucien and Sarahi stood before the mass of clerics and Nephilim for a final briefing.

“Does everyone understand what you need to do?” Lucien asked. There were nods all around.

“Women and children will remain in the compound, along with the elders. We will maintain contact through the succubae and any others with psychic abilities. This communication must only flow from the battle to the compound. Otherwise you risk distracting your men while they are fighting.”

Nods.

“Advance force,” Lucien indicated a group of battle-scarred Nephilim and the youngest of the clerics, who sat apart from the body of the group. “Jonas will open a portal into the demon realm and you will enter. Take no prisoners or hostages. Cut down as many as you can. Make noise and draw attention to yourselves, and then retreat. We want this to look like the skirmishes we've been enacting against nests on earth. The important thing is to leave the portal open. Remember, we need them to follow. And don't fight too skillfully. Make it look clumsy so they won't suspect a trap.”

The Nephilim saluted, fists to their hearts, as they had done since Roman times. The humans looked ready to piss themselves, but imitated their angelic counterparts.

“First battalion, set up at your coordinates in the Mojave Desert. When the Advance Team returns, send them through the ranks to the rendezvous point. Engage and hold any of the enemy who emerge through the portal. It is vital you hold the line.”

Clerics young and old and ageless Nephilim all wore matching expressions of grim determination.

“Second Battalion, wait at the rendezvous point. Triage the Advance Force as needed and wait for the call for reinforcements. If Lilith emerges, engage her. If not, prepare to enter the hive through the second portal and engage her there. I will be with the Second Battalion.”

The second group of men and angels dipped their heads in acknowledgement of their instructions. They had all been briefed and trained. They were all ready… as ready as anyone could ever be in the face of certain death at the hand of a powerful, sadistic enemy.

“I know this is asking a lot, but sleep, if you can. We cannot afford to enter this battle exhausted.”

Incredulous stares met this advice. Adrenaline, not rest, would be the foundation of their strength.

“Now, let me turn the floor over to Sarahi. She has several suggestions for you.”

Trembling with nerves, his wife stepped forward. “Here are some things you need to know. A succubus is not much more than a strong woman with claws. They can be killed by a body or head shot, by having their throats or hearts removed, or by severing the spine. High caliber firearms should be effective and I highly recommend taking out as many as you can before they get close enough to grab you. They're quite adept at hand-to-hand combat, but Lilith is tremendously old-fashioned. After the sword was invented, she didn't really acknowledge the development of other weapons. So shoot them if you can. A succubus decomposes instantly, so if they don't go poof, they can still kill you.” Her lame attempt at humor inspired a few tepid smiles. She continued. “Severing limbs slows them down, but doesn't stop them. Apart from their claws, their greatest weapon is their allure.”

“But, ma'am,” Jonas protested, “they've never used that against us.”

“That's because they didn't realize it would be effective. They, like the clerics, believed Nephilim to be asexual. Now that they know better, they will try it. Which brings me to my last piece of advice. Go back to your rooms with your wives and be sure that, come morning, the allure will have no power over you. Ladies, you have a responsibility to protect your husbands from the threat of dirty lust. No matter how tired, scared, or even sick you might feel tonight, there is no excuse for refusing. Protect your man with your love. You just might save his life.” She looked at Lucien and then back at the crowd. “I have nothing further to say.”

“I do,” a raspy voice spoke from the doorway. Unkempt and unshaven, Mr. Smith staggered to the front of the room. “Let's pray.” Hands folded. Heads bowed. Sarahi slipped her hand into Lucien's.

“Lord, we face the fight of a lifetime. The outcome is in Your hands, and we trust You. Help us face Your enemies with courage. Amen.”

“And please protect Josiah,” Lucien added.

“Amen,” echoed other voices around the room, and the war council broke up.

As couples drifted back towards their quarters, a tall woman in a white uniform approached Sarahi and Lucien.

“Annie,” the Naphil acknowledged her.

“Call me Assassin,” she replied. “I'm no longer interested in being Annie.”

“It's not a bad thing to be vulnerable sometimes,” Sarahi cautioned her softly.

“It's done me no good,” the girl said. “Lucien…”

“No,” he replied, “you may not fight. You'd be walking right into her hands.”

“I don't care,” Annie replied, her face dark with depression. “What's left for me here? I might as well die doing something useful.”

Lucien narrowed his eyes. “Then I definitely don't want you fighting. She'll know, you know.”

Annie nodded.

“Know what?” Sarahi asked.

“That your demon son left her with more than just a broken heart,” Mr. Smith intoned from beside them. “She's pregnant. It's no wonder she wants to die.”

“I don't want to die,” Annie snarled, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. “I want to help. But we all know we're not coming back. This is it. I'd rather go down fighting than wait trapped in this compound like a rat. She'll come. And when she does, those who don't fight will go down harder than those who do. Especially me.”

“I can't believe you still love that demon,” Mr. Smith mocked.

“Grandfather, be quiet,” Annie snapped. “If you had been nicer to Josiah he would have wanted to stay with us. We would have him on our side in this fight. There was never anything wrong with him and you know it.” She turned her back on him, focusing all her attention on Lucien. “I need to see him. To see if there's anything left of the Josiah I know. Maybe there's a part of him that still loves me.”

“I'm sure there is,” Sarahi told the girl gently. “But he's been with her for weeks. He won't be the same boy you knew. He's seen too much now.”

“And maybe the part of him that's still Josiah is sick of all he's seen. I don't know why or how. I just know I have to be at that fight. And I won't be a liability, Lucien. You know how good I am.”

“I do know, Annie,” Lucien replied. “You've saved my hide often enough. But I'm not thinking of you as a soldier. I'm thinking of you as a daughter. I don't want to see you hurt.”

Annie blinked, and then threw her arms around the Naphil. He hugged her back. Sarahi joined them.

“I love you both,” the girl whispered.

“I hate to admit it,” Mr. Smith said dryly, unmoved by the touching scene, “but I've had the vision over and over since her childhood. There is a chance for us to win this battle. But Annie has to be there. I don't know how it will work, but her presence is the key to victory.”

“And will you be there too, Smith?” Josiah asked.

Mr. Smith nodded. “I need to be. I may be too old to fight, but I'm not so old I want to hide in the tower while others do the fighting.”

Lucien nodded. “You will both be there. Assassin, prepare yourself for battle. Smith…”

“I know what I need to do. Get out of here you two. I'll be with the First Battalion in the morning.”

The Naphil and the succubus took their leave.

“Annie,” her grandfather said, “can you forgive an old man for being stupid?”

“If it were stupidity or ignorance, Grandfather, I could let it go. But it was prejudice. And don't say anything about demons. You hated Josiah long before we knew. You drove him away.”

“I did. Now, for tactical reasons, I wish I hadn't, but I still don't think he's the one for you, Annie.”

“There has never been anyone else for me, Grandfather.” She rested her hand on her flat belly. “I miss him.”

Smith squeezed his eyes shut. “Can you forgive me, Annie?”

“I'm past holding on to hating you for your choices. You have to live with the consequences. The only thing left for me to do is move forward. Do you hate me now, too? Now that I carry the seed of his mixed blood?”

“I could never hate you, Annie. But why couldn't you have loved a normal boy?”

She laughed, and the sound was bitter and harsh. “There are no normal boys here, Grandfather. Haven't you noticed? We're a community of gun-toting, right-wing crazies. Josiah was no stranger than the rest.”

Mr. Smith made as though to argue, then stopped. “I guess you're growing up, Annie,” he said at last. “Hard for an old man like me to see. You're not ten years old with a skinned knee anymore.”

“No. I'm twenty-one with a broken heart.”

“For what it's worth,” he said, “I am sorry for the role I played.”

“I'm going to try and lure him back.”

“No offense, Annie, but do you really think you can out-seduce the queen of the succubae?”

“Easily,” she replied. “That bitch doesn't love Josiah. She can't have him. He's mine and I
will
fight for him.”

She tossed her milk chocolate curls over her shoulder and stalked away.

***

In the little bedroom, Lucien cradled a naked Sarahi against his shoulder, stroking the side of her face, her neck, her arm. She kissed his bare chest.

“I don't want to take your energy, darling,” she said.

“I have it to give,” he replied. “I want you, Sarahi.” He leaned over and kissed her belly button.

“Did I cause all this?” she asked.

“All what?”

“This battle. If I had left you alone, if I hadn't seduced you, the Nephilim could have remained in the business of keeping balance and protecting the innocent. There would have been no need to declare outright war.”

Lucien shook his head. “No, love, you didn't seduce me. I wanted to be with you. I came to find you, remember? Can you honestly say you regret loving me?”

“Of course not,” she told him quickly. “Your love is the brightest, most wonderful thing in my entire existence. But what right do I have to love?”

“The same right as anyone. You deserve to be loved, Sarahi. And look at the good you've done. Your actions allowed the Nephilim finally to take wives, something they've wanted for centuries. Can you feel the love in this place tonight? All my brothers are holding their women. We have always faced death, and many have fallen. But now, finally, we have something worth fighting for, worth dying for. That's because of you, darling, your courage and determination. You're the best of your kind, Sarahi. And I love you.”

She smiled and scooted up to kiss him. He took her lips, rolling her beneath him to ravish her mouth with blazing kisses. She kissed him back in a frenzy of desire. He released her mouth and rose to his knees, rolling her over onto her belly. He lowered his mouth and pressed heated kisses up the length of her spine, nipping and lapping at her tender skin. His hands delved beneath her, cupping her full breasts, rolling the nipples between his fingers.

Sarahi moaned and rose to her knees, presenting herself to her husband. Lucien flexed his hips, rubbing his erection over the smooth curve of Sarahi's bottom. Her silky skin caressed him and he made a little growling noise. Pulling back, he sat, taking a moment to admire her beauty. Her skin glowed like alabaster in the moonlight; her burgundy hair spilled onto the white sheets. He rested one hand on the full curve of her bottom, touching the soft skin again, stroking. Her feminine folds glistened with moisture. The little nub of her clitoris stood proudly erect, begging to be touched. He leaned forward and kissed it, then touched his tongue to the straining morsel.