Waiting for Mercy (Cambions) (36 page)

“I didn’t force Paul to sleep with Amber and get her pregnant,” I said.

It was his turn to laugh.  “You know absolutely nothing don’t you.”

“That’s an understatement if I ever heard one. You certainly haven’t taken the time to enlighten me about things,” I declared.

Moving forward, he closed the distance between us. “Let me tell you lass,” he began, laying the Scottish accent on thick. “Your kiss can be deadly.  It also can be addictive.”

Addictive.  I thought about Luke and Flynn. “No, it doesn’t work on supernaturals,” he said, looking in my eyes and possibly reading my thoughts.  “And thank the living stars you’re still a virgin or we may have piles of dead bodies in this town.”

Okay, I didn’t like that he implied that if I wasn’t a virgin, I’d be a slut. Continuing, he said, “Unlike a full succubus, you don’t wield your power to claim the souls of man.  But all the same, your beauty is alluring and your kiss keeps them wanting.”

I wasn’t sure how I kept standing.  This was the kind of information my dear mother hadn’t shared with me.  At the same time, my knees felt weak thinking what I was capable of or worse yet, what I’d done to Paul.

“At sunset, that human boyfriend of yours -” he said.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I interjected.

He laughed wickedly. “Well, it’s easier to say boyfriend, lass, than to try to keep all their names straight.”

I lunged, “You bastard.” He easily caught my hands despite my extra power and held me at bay.

“We can argue over semantics at some other time. The light is leaving the sky and Paul will complete the circle.  At which time, he will have either failed or succeed at containing a demon.  Neither prospect is good.  If the demon is loose, it will kill anything in its path if it chooses.  Worse, Paul will succeed and his limited knowledge at bargaining with a demon will have dire consequence on more than just himself.”

My fighting stance relaxed.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “What does he want from the demon?” I asked.

He let loose my hands.  I guess he figured I was no longer a danger. “You, of course.  He wants to find a way to be with you because he knows you will never chose him if he’s human.”

Remembering the conversation we’d had previously in the car, I still couldn’t accept this. “That’s just stupid. My kiss did all that?” I asked.

He nodded. “His feelings for you only enhanced the pull you have over him.  If he didn’t already love you, I doubt he would go to this extreme without at least going further than first base.”

I felt ill and not even from the creepy factor that Sebastian was well versed in my non-sex life.  “What do I do?”

“Stop him.  You may be the only one he will listen to.”

That sounded all too familiar.  Hadn’t he just said that to me about Flynn?

“Go,” he commanded and then sound rushed around me with Sebastian’s mist quickly leaving this earth.  Apparently, we’d been in some kind of bubble. I should have noticed that in this quiet neighborhood, no one had come out to investigate the shouting.

Heading for Paul’s front door on shaking legs, I managed to ring the doorbell.  The weight of all my problems finally caught up with me.  I collapsed on the porch into heaving sobs.  I didn’t know how I would fix all the problems.  I thought Paul understood.  I was sure him seeing me with Luke again would be conformation enough where things stood between us.

Hands on my shoulder brought me out of my misery. I hadn’t heard the door open.  Paul’s mother’s words finally penetrated. “Mercy, dear, what’s wrong?”

How could I possibly answer that question?  I’m sorry your son wants to end his human life to be with me.  That would go over well after they locked me in a padded cell waiting for my mom to get back from her honeymoon.  I heard her shout back into the house calling Paul to the front door.  His running footsteps did nothing to stop my tears.  I didn’t know what to say, but I was certain how things would end and they wouldn’t be good.

Paul was surprisingly strong.  He scooped me up in his arms muttering to his mother he would handle it and she didn’t have to call my mom.  He carried me up the stairs and to his room.  When he sat me on the soft cover on his bed, he pried my hands that covered my face.

Opening my eyes, I was able to see the pentagram on the floor.  That visual was enough to dry my tears and open my mouth. “What the hell are you doing?” I cried wiping my face with the back of my arm.

Hurt was the first expression that crossed his face.  But that was quickly replaced by a flash of anger displayed in the narrowing of his eyes.  I jumped to my feet gesturing wildly at the pentagram on the floor.  The white chalk outline stood out stark against the deep chocolate of his hardwood floors.

This wasn’t the first time I’d been in his room.  But everything pushed back to leave a large part of the floor empty for this abomination disturbed me. “How could you be so stupid?” I yelled, not caring if anyone in the house heard. 

His face quickly morphed back to hurt.  “Stupid, how about you being so stupid you can’t see what you have right in front of your face,” he spat.

Closing my mouth was the easiest of options.  There wasn’t room for arguments.  I needed to end this tragedy before it began.  Swallowing nothing but empty words, I couldn’t make myself say them to make him feel better.  I moved around him about to kneel to break the circle with my hands.  But I never made it.  His arms encircled my waist and spun me around to face him. “Why him, I loved you first?” he asked.

His blue gray eyes filled with storms that soon looked as though they would spill a downpour of sorrow I couldn’t heal.  “It’s too late,” I barely whispered.

“This can fix the reasons we can’t be together,” he said taking one hand from my waist to sweep towards the circle that enclosed a five pointed star.

“Have you lost your mind,” I reproved more calmly that I thought possible.  “You think becoming inhuman is going to make me want you more?” I asked.

He let me go then but didn’t move from in front of me. “I felt the way you kissed me Valentine’s night.”

That had been his doing.  I was caught up in the rush from his life force.  Quickly, I looked away from him feeling guilty.  “You’re going to be a father now.  You’ll be the one to reprove your child from doing stupid things.  Don’t be this stupid.” I said softly, using my first line of defense.

Shame was all over his face when I turned to meet is stare.  “So this is why you went back to him,” he said matching my quiet tone. 

I couldn’t hide behind that.  It may be true that he was going to be a father but that wasn’t the real reason even though it was a compelling one.  “No, that’s not the real reason,” I spoke carefully.  The sun was dipping preciously close to the horizon. “It was always him.”

“Then why did you bother to come that night,” he said, temper filling his voice making it rise again.         

Unable to meet the contempt in his gaze, I looked away. “I needed to know,” I said honestly.  He’d been my best friend what seemed like eons ago.  I’d never lied to him and I would start now.  “Look, when I loved you, you didn’t love me enough to overcome what I am.  So how dare you look at me this way,” I said anger filling me again.  “I don’t have time for this,” I said and bent down to break the circle.

A wave of energy burst out the circle.  I had just enough time to look out the darkened window to realize I’d wasted my time and it was really too late to stop this.  Nearly falling flat on my face, Paul pulled me back up against his chest. 

Not sure what I expect to see, it certainly wasn’t what stood in the center of the pentagram.  A tall woman of supermodel beauty leered at us, oddly dressed like a business woman in a pinstripe suit.  Her jacket hung open to reveal a crisp white shirt unbuttoned enough to showcase her ample cleavage.  She wore killer heels on her feet.  Her highlighted brunette hair was full and hung loose around her shoulders. I couldn’t see Paul, and he hadn’t spoken.  I had to assume he was gawking at the sight in front of us as well.  She oozed sex. 

“Human,” she purred. “What is it you desire?”

It wasn’t hard to image what she implied.  She began to morph. “Is this what fills your dreams?” Her clothing changed.  She was dressed in a bra and underwear with wings on her back.  Her hair was blowing in the wind that didn’t exist.  She looked like she was a runway model for Victoria’s Secret. “No,” she said slightly moving her head left to right.  “How about this?”  Her total appearance changed this time into someone who looked a lot like Katy Perry with black hair, flawless features and skin.  Paul still said nothing but his grip on me tightened.  The demon’s runway show turned into more like a slide show.  Her entire being changed into another stunning woman equally as beautiful as the last until we were left with a string of images.  Was she pulling these images from Paul’s thoughts?  That seemed to be the only logical conclusion.  Despite knowing the possibility that she was delving into Paul’s fantasies, I was unprepared for what I saw next.  The figure that stood before us now was more beautiful than I’d ever seen in the mirror.  I looked at myself thinking the demon had added something extra to my appearance she’d taken on.  Because there was no way I was that pretty.

“Daughter of Lilith, it is,” she said with a hiss as if her tongue was forked like a snake.   “You desire one of us.”  My eyes must have bugged out. 

“Don’t look so alarmed young cambion,” she said, her focus shifting to me.

No longer able to stay silent, I stumbled out the words, “How do you know what I am?”

Her chuckle was light and airy.  “Young succubus, we sense our own kind,” she said.

“But,” I stammered.

“No, half-breed, you would be able to with proper training.  I do see though that your allure is strong.  You have this one right where you want him,” she said.

“I,” I spit out.  I hadn’t tried to allure him with anything.

“Well, well, well,” she said. “You know not the power you have, do you?”

Unable to speak, I shook my head no.  She could help me.  She could answer my questions.  She could give me the knowledge I desperately needed.

“Yes,” she said dragging out the word as if she read my thoughts.  “Yes, just say the word and I can give you all that you desire.”

Out of nowhere a booming voice rocked me out from under what felt like a spell.  He spoke in a voice filled with strength and courage I didn’t think I’d ever heard before. “Eisheth Nata Igrat Mahlat Zenunim.” Comprehension cleared my mind to accept it was Paul who was speaking.  Whatever he said must have bound the demon because her alluring demeanor was gone.   Her eyes darkened into something inhuman.  Something in her stare shot goose bumps all over me.

“Human,” she spat.  “How dare you use my name?”

Paul shifted.  From the feel of him, he stood taller.  “It is I who has summoned you here.  It is I to whom you will obey.”  Where did all this strength and resolve come from?

She let out a hiss and her form shifted back to the first face she’d appeared to us in.  But she was no longer wearing a suit.  In fact, she wore nothing but a python that curled itself around her body.  If she thought that was sexy, I would be glad to burst her bubble.  I happened to know that Paul was freaked by snakes.  He didn’t scream like a girl or anything but he didn’t like them one bit.  A flash of us walking a long time ago with him freezing because a tiny garden snake was in our path filled me.  I remember him shuddering at the sight.  I wasn’t too fond of snakes either, but I remember pulling him to skirt around the thing to continue our walk.  It wasn’t longer than a ruler and as thin as a pencil.  But the snake on the demon was much bigger.

If I thought he would clam up, I was dead wrong. “You cannot seduce me with your beauty demon,” he said.

She morphed into me again.  Unfortunately, she was still naked.  It wasn’t my body but it was close enough I felt familiar heat in my cheeks.  “I can give you what you want.  She can be yours.”

Not bothering to wait for his response, I swirled around to face him. “Don’t do this,” I begged.

Tearing his gaze from fake naked me, he locked his eyes on mine.  There was so much emotion and need in his face.  “I can ease your need for her,” the demon said using a siren like voice to tempt him.

His hand came up and cupped my face.  His touch was soft and caring. “Can you love me?” he asked.  I closed my eyes and tilted my head down.  What had I done to him?  His desire for me eclipsed anything I thought possible.