through the compound to the empty kitchen. The women and some of the men
took turns cooking meals, but a large number of snacks could be had by anyone
who felt a need.
Lucien scanned the refrigerator and snagged an apple, crunching it
nosily while Sarahi rummaged for a pan and heated it on the stove.
"How can a creature who does not need to eat know how to
cook?"
"How can a creature sworn to celibacy be so good in bed?"
she bantered back. He shut up.
She sautéed some onion and bell pepper in a pan with bacon, and
then added a few beaten eggs. By the time he’d finished his apple and a
banana, she’d completed the omelet and slid it onto a plate. He devoured
it. She sat beside him, toying with a cup of lukewarm, leftover coffee. While
she did not require food or drink, she could take them if she so desired. Or so
she’d told him. Once the edge of his hunger was satisfied, he returned
his attention to his lady, taking her hand and admiring the long, slender
fingers, the perfect half-moon nails, the soft, soft skin. He touched his lips
to her palm, and then to the pulse in her wrist. He felt her heartbeat increase
under his lips. She opened her hand on his cheek, stroking.
He stood and hauled her into his arms for another long kiss. This was
madness. They had to slow down. But he couldn’t.
"Sarahi!" A harsh voice behind them broke the couple apart.
Mr. Smith stood, arms crossed over his chest, regarding the succubus
with an angry scowl. "You promised us our men would be in no danger from
you. You swore you’d never seduce them. What on earth is this?"
"Mr. Smith, I..."
"Quiet," he ordered, slashing the air with his hand.
"You’ll have to leave now. We can’t have you here, not of
you’re harming our men."
"Mr. Smith," Lucien cut off the elder’s tirade. He
stopped dead and turned, taking in the face.
"Lucien? You? Did you learn nothing from your previous
punishment?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did." Lucien said,
deliberately being cryptic.
"I know you have a... weakness for women, but a succubus?
Really?"
Lucien shook his head. "No, not the way you think. Sarahi did not
seduce me. She would not do that."
"But... but..." the cleric sputtered.
"Listen, you wanted to know... I’ll tell you. This is not a
casual fling with a hungry succubus. We’ve known each other a long time.
Sarahi is... Josiah’s mother."
That rendered the stuttering cleric silent. He looked from one to the
other and back. Apparently, Lucien’s lady felt nervous. She clung a
little closer to him. He tightened his arm around her.
"Mo... mo...mother?" Mr. Smith forced out at last. You mean
he’s... "
"Half naphil, half...me," she said softly.
"A demon," he gritted out. "That explains so
much." A sour look passed over the elder’s face.
"He’s not a demon," Sarahi hissed. Lucien could never
recall hearing that ugly, snake-line tone in her voice before. Apparently even
a succubus could be dangerous in defense of her offspring. "He’s
less demon than I am, and you let me stay here. What makes you dislike him so?"
"There’s something wrong with the boy. And before you go
all cobra on me, Sarahi, remember. I’ve raised him since infancy.
You’ve never seen him. You have no idea the trouble he’s caused in
this place, with his strange urges and his unnatural abilities."
Her body tensed in Lucien’s arms and he tightened his grip,
warning her to remain calm.
"Listen, Mr. Smith," he said, "I’ve been here
the last ten years, and I have not seen him behave differently than any of the
other boys. Why are you so set against him? If this is the way you’ve
treated him, no wonder he’s begged me to take him away."
"I wish you had," Mr. Smith said coldly. "He should
never have existed. I felt that when I thought he was your son by a human
woman. Now that I know he’s a demon..."
"He is not a demon," Sarahi said again, more strongly.
"He is the incubus. And you should be careful how you treat him. If he
hates you, he will
took turns cooking meals, but a large number of snacks could be had by anyone
who felt a need.
Lucien scanned the refrigerator and snagged an apple, crunching it
nosily while Sarahi rummaged for a pan and heated it on the stove.
"How can a creature who does not need to eat know how to
cook?"
"How can a creature sworn to celibacy be so good in bed?"
she bantered back. He shut up.
She sautéed some onion and bell pepper in a pan with bacon, and
then added a few beaten eggs. By the time he’d finished his apple and a
banana, she’d completed the omelet and slid it onto a plate. He devoured
it. She sat beside him, toying with a cup of lukewarm, leftover coffee. While
she did not require food or drink, she could take them if she so desired. Or so
she’d told him. Once the edge of his hunger was satisfied, he returned
his attention to his lady, taking her hand and admiring the long, slender
fingers, the perfect half-moon nails, the soft, soft skin. He touched his lips
to her palm, and then to the pulse in her wrist. He felt her heartbeat increase
under his lips. She opened her hand on his cheek, stroking.
He stood and hauled her into his arms for another long kiss. This was
madness. They had to slow down. But he couldn’t.
"Sarahi!" A harsh voice behind them broke the couple apart.
Mr. Smith stood, arms crossed over his chest, regarding the succubus
with an angry scowl. "You promised us our men would be in no danger from
you. You swore you’d never seduce them. What on earth is this?"
"Mr. Smith, I..."
"Quiet," he ordered, slashing the air with his hand.
"You’ll have to leave now. We can’t have you here, not of
you’re harming our men."
"Mr. Smith," Lucien cut off the elder’s tirade. He
stopped dead and turned, taking in the face.
"Lucien? You? Did you learn nothing from your previous
punishment?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did." Lucien said,
deliberately being cryptic.
"I know you have a... weakness for women, but a succubus?
Really?"
Lucien shook his head. "No, not the way you think. Sarahi did not
seduce me. She would not do that."
"But... but..." the cleric sputtered.
"Listen, you wanted to know... I’ll tell you. This is not a
casual fling with a hungry succubus. We’ve known each other a long time.
Sarahi is... Josiah’s mother."
That rendered the stuttering cleric silent. He looked from one to the
other and back. Apparently, Lucien’s lady felt nervous. She clung a
little closer to him. He tightened his arm around her.
"Mo... mo...mother?" Mr. Smith forced out at last. You mean
he’s... "
"Half naphil, half...me," she said softly.
"A demon," he gritted out. "That explains so
much." A sour look passed over the elder’s face.
"He’s not a demon," Sarahi hissed. Lucien could never
recall hearing that ugly, snake-line tone in her voice before. Apparently even
a succubus could be dangerous in defense of her offspring. "He’s
less demon than I am, and you let me stay here. What makes you dislike him so?"
"There’s something wrong with the boy. And before you go
all cobra on me, Sarahi, remember. I’ve raised him since infancy.
You’ve never seen him. You have no idea the trouble he’s caused in
this place, with his strange urges and his unnatural abilities."
Her body tensed in Lucien’s arms and he tightened his grip,
warning her to remain calm.
"Listen, Mr. Smith," he said, "I’ve been here
the last ten years, and I have not seen him behave differently than any of the
other boys. Why are you so set against him? If this is the way you’ve
treated him, no wonder he’s begged me to take him away."
"I wish you had," Mr. Smith said coldly. "He should
never have existed. I felt that when I thought he was your son by a human
woman. Now that I know he’s a demon..."
"He is not a demon," Sarahi said again, more strongly.
"He is the incubus. And you should be careful how you treat him. If he
hates you, he will
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