Succubus Heat CHAPTER 14

sense do me drive hindquarters to Queen Anne. I operated on autopilot, my principal blank. It was only when Id parked and gotten break through of the auto that my senses slowly began to re exercise to me. distillery, I tried my best to stay numb, to no. speak out near anything right on a path. My stomach was growling, so I decided to focus on elemental holds. I walked exclusively any over to a Thai restaurant between my flatcar and the bookstore, jar over againstking the comfort of a corner dining table and green get dressed. at at whizz time I was settled, there was no avoiding it.What had happened back there? Part of me could politic feel Gregs give ways on me, hush feel the sickening hotshot of being utterly and completely armed serviceless. however the rest of me was slowly startle to analyze the stove exploding.Id noniced the spatter stove upon my initial inspection, only when Id noticed no smell until right in front it caught on fire. Wit h gas leaks, didnt a place commonplacely fill up over term? This had been sudden. An out-of-the-blue surge of gas, and BAM No warning, no anything. I supposed it could relieve oneself been coincidence. flourishing timing. But in my world, coincidences didnt happen. They were usu altogethery guided by a stronger power. The indecision was who or what was responsible? I had likewise more than than to worry rough now without some(a) unseen arsonist on the scene. wherefore so pensive, Daughter of Lilith?I adverted up from my half-eaten food. CarterI was pretty sure Id neer been so happy to see the angel in my life, except for peradventure when hed rescued me from Helena the round the bend nephilim last fall. He wore the same apparel hed had on in Vancouver. They appea cherry-red to stay in a perpetually consonant state of dishevelment- neer getting worse, never getting better.He slid into the chair reverse gear me. You gonna finish that? he asked, pointing at my plate.I s hake my head and slid the curry over to him. He immediately dug in, practically inhaling it. Whats going on? he asked between mouthfuls of rice.You devote it off whats going on. Seattles gone to hell. Literally.Yeah, Ive noticed. Hows it feel to be footloose and fancy free?It sucks. For some reason, my hairs constantly frizzy. I utilise to style it myself before this happened, and it never did that.Carter grinned. I doubt you were doing it all yourself. You may hasten even so done all the labor, barely some subconscious bring out of you was be resembling tweaking it just a scant(p) bit to happen it perfect.I pulled a human mettle. Well, nonetheless if thats true, Ive got a few bigger problems.I gave him a brief recap of my adventures this morning and what had happened with Greg. Even speaking about it still sent a chill bulge out my spine. I pass judgment Carter to laugh and make some quip at my expense, however his face stayed serious.You need to be careful, he give tongue to gravely. Everythings different now. Itll only be for a short time, true, but even if you after partt die, youre still locked in a dangerous game.We squander to risk Jerome. Do you shaft where hes at?Carter shook his head. Nope. He disappeared off our radars too. I dont know anything oftentimes than than you do.You probably know more about demon summoning than I do, I pointed out.Depends, he say. What do you know?Pretty much what I already told you. Dante didnt have much more to offer than who he scene could do it. And those some other losers didnt give up anything at all-except attitude.Carter flagged d avouch a attendress and tell a plate of panang curry and Thai iced coffee. Afterward, he tapped the table piano with his finger, face drawn and thoughtful. I rat tell you how its done, he say at last. But I give noticet do much more. This is your sides business, not ours. Were not supposed to interfere.Dispensing information isnt the same as interferin g, I give tongue to.He smiled. Depends on your definitions. And your people are commodious at finding loopholes and technicalities.Yeah, butCarter I sighed. I dont really have anyone else.Even if Id had full succubus charisma going, I dont think it would have worked on him. But I still had some sort of Georgina charisma that he was susceptible to. He care me and was concerned about my life, even if he had a funny way of showing it sometimes.The Thai iced coffee appeared, and he paused to take a drink. okeh. Heres how it works. Basically, a demon gets summoned into an mark, and with enough magic, the demon becomes strangle to that and is trapped. Youve heard stories about genies, right? Well, theyre benevolent of variations on this principle. Humans who summon demons into objects can and therefore once in a while release the demon and make them run errands.But this ones keeping Jerome locked up.Right. Which makes it nastyer. What makes it unattackableer still is that if th is human has any sense at all, theyve got the object hidden in a place of power. He took another sip and waited for me to process this.I knew what he was talking about. The earth was covered in places of power-sacred sites, ley lines, magic-infused spots. Anyone sifting with mythology would come across countless references to them and the roles theyd played in human history. on that point was just one problem with it.There are dozens of those in Seattle, I said slowly.Carter nodded. Yup. And even if you find the right one, the power in that place is going to help mask the power coming from the stick out demon. For you? Gonna be nearly im executable without your usual senses. You need another perpetual to help, the stronger the better. Or possibly a human psychic.I groaned. But you cant help, and no(prenominal) of the demons will. The panang curry arrived, and Carter devoured it with enthusiasm. Putting that aside, lets suppose I find this object, whatever it is. then(prenomina l) what?Mmm, thats hard too, he said. A greater immortal could just scandalise it open.But not me. I was beginning to see how this worked, and it wasnt encouraging.No, not even if you were in your normal state. The summoner probably put a lock on it-a seal. Thatll keep a lesser immortal out. The seals used in the binding, then its broken into two pieces that are kept separated for safekeeping. The practitioner around certainly keeps one. If he or she had a demons help, Im guessing the demon has the other. Or else the practitioner would hide it.Do you think another demon was tortuous?He swallowed. Most definitely. If you can recover the pieces of the seal, though, then you could unlock the object and set Jerome free.When Id first seen Carter standing over my table, Id been filled with hope, convinced this dispirited situation was going to resolve soon and wed get Jerome back. Now? I was more pessimistic than before.So, let me get this straight. All I have to do is find this mysti cal object that Jeromes locked in, an object I have no way of even sensing. Once I have it, I then simply have to force the pieces of the lock forward from the summoner and a demon .Yup, said Carter, licking his fork. That pretty much sums it up.Fuck.Yup.Well, the infos good, but I cant do anything. I have no leads on any part of this, nowhere to start.His gray look twinkled. The seal has to be make of quartz.OkayHand-carved by human march ons.I raised an eyebrow, curious as to where this was going.By someone familiar with magic and runes. He brassed at me expectantly.So?How legion(predicate) people do you think that describes in the Seattle area? He didnt wait for me to finish. Not many.Carter and his riddles. Youre saying I should find who made the seal, in the hopes they can tell me who commissioned it.Right. And they can also tell you what the seals specifics are. Its almost always a disc about this big. He used the fingers of one hand to make a circle about the size of a q uarter. But the color and designs will be different and provide clues as to what lovely of place its been hidden in.God, this is complicated.Youre trying to find a demon thats been captured and bound as part of a larger political power play, Georgina, Carter said. What do you expect?Fair point, I murmured. I have one more question, though. It has zipper to do with the seal, though.Shoot.Whyd the stove at Gregs blow up?Because of a gas leak. maven that came on out of nowhere?He shrugged. Compared to what we see all day? A lot stranger things happen.I look him for a moment, wondering if I should press him with my real question. Hed said he couldnt directly interfere in this, but Carter had saved my life once before. His showing up here now was awfully coincidentalWas it possible hed been following me all day? Had he helped expedite the stoves incineration to save me? One might argue that touching Greg would have been direct interferencebut harming the stove wouldnt be, if you req uisiteed to use demon-worthy technicalities. And, in a typically odoriferous way, Carter hadnt really denied his involvement.I decided to let the matter go. If Carter was keeping his help a secret, there was a good reason. With a sigh, I glanced at the clock to my right. Well, Im still technically on leave, so I should probably take advantage of that and hunt down this seal maker.Good luck, said Carter. But joking aside, I meant what I said earlier. Youve got to be careful. At the very least, dont do this stuff alone.You sure you cant break the rules and come with me, then? I asked a bit wistfully.Nope, but why do you need me when there are plenty of other candidates? With a grin, he nodded at something beyond me.I glanced back and dictum readiness standing at the take-out counter. I jerked my head back toward Carter.Hey Howd-Carter was gone. secure then, the waitress set down the bill, which included Carters meal. Fucking angels, I muttered, fumbling for my credit card.Turning back around, I studied solidification, feeling my stomach twist in that usual way. As though sensing me, he suddenly turned and made eye contact. Surprise registered on his face, and then he held up his hand in a hang on a second physical body of way.A few agonizing minutes later, he walked over to my table holding a take-out bag.Hey, I said.Hey. Is that lunch? I was suddenly low by the fact that I had two plates in front of me.Yeah, Im really heading home to work. The caf? at the stores too crowded and noisy.I thought you could work through anything.He shook his head. These days Im moredistractible than usual. His eye studied me for a moment, and then he looked away. But in that moment, Id mat a tingle run through my skin. Seth triged his throat. Sowhat about you? He forced himself to look back at me. You lookI dont know. Uneasy. Not as bad as yesterday but still troubled. More immortal intrigue?A good fraction of my present uneasiness was simply due to his proximity. Yeah, afraid so.So, you havent ground Jerome yet, and youre stillNow it was my turn to look away. Yeah. I followed some leads on Jerome this morning, and it was kind ofum, well, its not important. Lets just say it wasnt a pleasant experience, and I didnt find out anything anyway. I glanced back in his direction, making sure I kept my eyes on his Blondie T-shirt and not his face. Ive got one more thing to check into, then I guess I can call it a day.Well, thats good, I guess. He shifted uncomfortably, and that awkward tension that was so characteristic for us multiplied. I tried to think of something to say, but vigor came. So he began at last. I know what you said beforebut I still have to ask. Is there anythinganything I can do?The retort was on my lips, to tell him I didnt need him, not anymore. But an image of Greg flashed into my mind, and I hated myself for the fear it invoked. I didnt wish to be a damsel in distress. I didnt want to continue in fear and need a man to watch over me. Gregs weight and element of surprise had shown that self-defense wouldnt always work. Sometimes it was hard to face danger alone. Carters words repeated in my head Why do you need me when there are plenty of other candidates?I blurted out my question before I had time to reconsider. Would you go with me?It was hard to say which of us was more surprised by this. Onyour errand? he asked.I nodded. Yeah. But I mean, if youve got stuff to doIll go, he said quickly. He held up his take-out bag. Can I eat in your car?You can eat right now, I said. Seeing as I dont know where were going yet.Leaving Seth to eat at the table, I stepped outside to make a couple of phone calls. The first was to Dante. He answered, fortunately, but had no clue about what I needed.Someone who carves quartz? he asked incredulously. I dont do fluffy New Age stuff.Yeah. I found out more about demon summoning. Apparently theres some kind of seal involved that only a master artisan can make.I dont know anyone sa me(p) that, he said. As much as it pains me to admit a lack of knowledge about anything.Well, I guess even you have limits.You are so in trouble for that the next time I see you, succubus.After we hung up, I tried Erik. He too answered, and in his usual way, he never bothered to ask why I needed the information. There is someone, he mused. Ive acquired crystal jewelry from her before, carved into assorted sacred symbols-ankhs and crosses. I dont know if she works with the esoteric or spellcraft, but shes the only one I know in the area who comes close.I took down her name and make do and went back inside. Seth had nearly finished his meal, rivaling Carter for speed. Do we have a mission objective yet?I nodded. Yup. Out to the hinterlands, even.Okay, Carnation wasnt scarce the hinterlands, but it was well outside the Seattle urban and even suburban sprawl. It was one of several small rural communities that clung to western Washingtons edge before enceinte way to the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains and the desert on the other side.I made a Starbucks stop along the way so that I could acquire some caffeine. It seemed requisite to get through this. When Seth asked me to nightclub him a mocha Frappuccino, I nearly crashed into the drive-thru window.Thats got caffeine in it, I said.I know. But theyre really good. Maddie got me hooked on them.We drove in utter shut away for ten minutes after that. If not for Jeromes summoning, I would have said this was the most astonishing thing to happen to me in the last twenty-four hours. Seth was drinking caffeine. It was unheard of. Hed abstained from it for years, and despite my clear addiction and coaxing throughout our relationship, hed never shown any interest of cracking. Yet, Maddie- Maddie -had someways gotten him to change?I dont know why I took such crime at that. Honestly, it was an inconsequential thing in the greater scheme of the universe. StillI couldnt help feeling hurt. Well, maybe hurt wasnt the righ t word. Inadequate, perhaps. Shed gotten him to do something I couldnt. Why? Why her and not me? Was she more inspiring? Did he care about her more?Is something wrong? Seth finally asked. My silence and death grip on the steering wheel had probably reorient him off.Nope, I lied. Just worried about all of this.You are not.Im not worried about all this?Okay, you are. But thats not why youre lift right now. Youre upset about this. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wave the Frappuccino. After all this time, he still knew me.Thats stupid. Why would I care about that?He sighed. Because I know you. Youre irritated that I did something I never said Id do.Why should I care? I replied stiffly. Im happy youre expanding your horizons. The look he shot me told me he knew better.We reached the address Erik had habituated me without further argument, largely because we didnt talk. The house was an older rambler set on a huge yard that would have held an entire subdivision back in Seattle. Lawn ornaments-a deer and a gnome, to name a few-cluttered the grass, and wind chimes dangled on the porch.We knocked on the door, and several moments later, a woman in her late forties or early fifties answered. She had hair dyed an unnatural shade of red that put me in mind of Tawnys current hue. Her tight-fitting top touch a lot of cleavage into her scoop neckline and was also not that outlying(prenominal) off from something Tawny might wear, albeit a little less tacky. The look the woman gave us wasnt unfriendly so much as curious.Yes?Hi, I said. be you bloody shame Wilt- Oh my God she squealed. She had just done a double-take on Seth. Youre Seth MortensenSeth stiffened and exchanged looks with me. Well, yeahHer blue-shadowed eyes bugged as she practically drooled over him. I cant believe it. I cant believe it Seth Mortensens on my porch I recognize you from your website. I look at it every day. Every day . Oh my God. Oh my God Im your biggest fan. Come inSeth looked like h e wanted to bolt then and there, but I nudged him forward. This turn of events was a bit unexpected-and creepy-but could possibly work to our advantage.We stepped through the doorway. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about the inside of her house. The d?cor was more advanced than the outside suggested, all done in neutral shades. There was a bit of normal lived-in clutter and far more figurines than I found tasteful, but overall, it was a nice place. Some of the figurines were carved out of crystal, which I took as a good sign.Come in, come in, Mary gushed, beckoning toward the victuals room. Sit, sit Can I get you anything? Iced tea? Coffee? Tequila?Er, no. Im fine, said Seth, who was clearly becoming more and more uncomfortable with all of this. Thank you.He and I sat down on the couch, and Mary sat in an armchair across from us, leaning forward in a way that afforded an ample view of her breasts. What can I do for you? she asked. Are you here to buy something? Id do anything for you. Anything . She grinned at Seth, making her anything intentions obvious. Youre so much cuter than I expected. Will you sign my books while youre here? I own all of them.She gestured toward a set of shelves on the wall, and sure enough, Seths books stood out prominently. I had been a longtime fan girl of Seths before we started going out, and I wondered uneasily if Id sounded this crazed and desperate way back when. She probably would have passed out if shed known about the advanced copy Seth gave me.Sure, said Seth. Id, um, be happy to. He elbowed me, no doubt in an childbed to get me to state our business and save him. Still a little irritated from our car argument, I almost enjoyed watching him in her clutches.Were really not here to buy anything, I told her. We wanted to find out about a piece you might have recently made for someone.Mary turned toward me, seeming to notice me for the first time. Her gleeful, ravenous verbalism dimmed and even turned a little suspicious. Who are you again?Georgina. Were wondering if you recently made a piece for a client. A carved disc about this big with some sort of arcane symbol on it. I approximated the size Carter had shown me.Her face grew more alert and pinched. I cant say.I frowned. You dont remember?She shook her head. I keep records of all my pieces. But thats confidential. I cant give that kind of information away.This is really important, I said. We thinkthere may be a crime involved.Sorry, Giselle. I cant tell you about that. Not unless youre with the police or something.Georgina, I turned. Her inclination to client confidentiality was perfectly understandable-but well, I wasnt really concerned with what was morally correct right now. Giving Seth an elbow poke of my own, I hoped hed starting in and use his author god power. It took him a few moments, but he did.It would help us so much, Mary. Wed- Id -really appreciate it. He stumbled over the words a little, but from the way her face l it up, youd think hed just murmured the sexiest thing in her ear.Oh, Seth, she sighed. I really would do anything for youbut, well, I do try to respect my clients privacy. Surely a man like you understands that.Well, yeah, of course I- I elbowed him again. He shot me a quick twinkle and then returned his gaze to her. That is, I do understand, but like I said, this is really important.Indecision warred on her face, and I kind of admired her principles. She actually looked uncrackable, and I had a feeling Seth wasnt going to be too much more assertive. Glancing beyond her, I noticed a manse leading off to another part of the house. I keep records of all my pieces .Youre right, I said abruptly. We cant expect her to give out that kind of information. Right, Seth?He turned to me again, giving me a curious glance. Right? It was more of a question than an agreement.Mary nearly melted in relief, her eyes all over Seth. Oh, I knew youd understand. I could tell right away that we think jus t alike. Kindred spirits and all that, you know? Just from the way you write I-Hey, Mary? I interrupted.She looked over at me, again seeming astonished that I was still there.Do you have a bathroom I could use?Bathroom? she repeated, like it was a crazy concept.It was a long drive, I explained sweetly. Besides, thatll give you and Seth a pretend to get to know each other while he signs your books.Her face brightened again, and she turned to Seth without another glance for me. Oh, sure Thats a great idea, Georgia. Its down the hall.I stood up. Thanks.Seth and I made brief eye contact. There was a look of both panic and wariness. He didnt want to be left alone. And he also knew I wouldnt give up the fight so easily. He suspected that I was up to something.He was right. I was about to go break into Marys records.