Chapter Four
“Perry, I was going to tell you. The opportunity just hadn’t presented itself.” My mother looks flustered. I haven’t said a word to her since she and my dad got here half an hour ago. I’ve learned from my father that the best way to make my mom spill her guts is to say nothing. “I knew you weren’t in danger because you hadn’t come into your powers yet.”
Silently, I uncross my legs and tuck them both under me. I glance at my father to see him trying to hide a partial smile. He knows what I’m doing.
“A succubus doesn’t develop all of her powers until she begins having sex and feeding her appetite.” She takes a sip of water. “You know our Goddess is Lilith, but She didn’t create us all by herself. Samael tempted her and she made love to him. That’s how she and three other women became succubae, and how we came to be. Perry, please,” she says. One word from me would shut down our ‘sharing’ session.
Haines looks at my father. “Kevin, would you join me in the kitchen? Perhaps we can…”
“Whatever,” my father says, quickly rising from the couch. He feels the tension and wants to get away. My dad is a real sport at this supernatural stuff. He keeps his distance from all things weird and my mom does everything she can to help him do it.
I’m pretty sure she just wants to keep him safe. He’s mortal and too fragile for her comfort. She has never admitted it, but I see it. When other supernaturals started showing themselves to the world I thought she would shit a brick. She worried what my classmates and friends would do if they found out I was the daughter of a sex demon. By that time my powers hadn’t manifested and I think part of her secretly hoped they wouldn’t. She was hoping I’d be more like my father. Human. But my dad took it all in stride and told her to simmer down; that we would deal with whatever happened when it happened.
And here we are now. A succubus who doesn’t know how to control herself, who just so happens to be the daughter of a secret keeping demon and a mortal father. The thought alone makes me sigh and shake my head.
My mother looks to my father for support but he only kisses her on the forehead and follows Haines.
“Perry, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. How do you tell your child that a man, an archangel no less, wants to kill her? The accepted idea is that he feels guilty for taking part in our creation. He had some kind of epiphany and for the last seventy years or so he’s been picking us off. But our essence is so strong, we usually regenerate. We are hard to kill.” She smiles at this. “I was able to resist him. It was hard, but…” My mother looks thoughtful for a moment.
I suppress a shiver and let her continue. Anything that scares her must be awful.
“I’m a full-blooded succubus and he wants us dead. He still comes to me sometimes,” she says in a whisper, looking off to the kitchen to see if my father is listening. “It’s like he’s asking if I’m sure I still want to be alive. That’s why most of us give in. Years of living off the lives of others takes its toll on your conscience. After years of living and watching your loved ones die…it just takes something from you. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you and your father. You two are the only things that make this life worth living.”
All right. I can’t take it anymore. “Then why would you leave me unaware of this? You should have been preparing me for his arrival, not trying to hide it from me and hoping I stay a virgin forever.” My mother looks as if she wants to say something and then stops. “Mom, I’m scared. Really, really scared. You have to help me.” I stand up and go sit next to her.
“I know, Perry. That’s why you have Haines.”
I scoff. “He makes my blood boil. I don’t understand how he can help.”
She smooths out my left eyebrow. “Then I’ll contact the soothsayer who led us to him. I hoped you’d be like your father, but when I found out you were like me, I went to her to find out how to protect you. And she led me to Haines.”
I shake my head. “But why? What can he do besides piss me off?”
“Perrian Ettis.”
“Sorry for the language. But come on! What is it that he can do?”
She bites the inside of her lip and shakes her head. “I don’t know.”
She’s lying.
“Well that’s helpful, Mom,” I say sarcastically. “You don’t know how he can help, but you’re pretty sure he can.”
She mulls it over for a moment and looks toward the kitchen. “Yes. Pretty sure.” I laugh at her confusion. “Perry, you don’t understand. I would do anything to protect you. Even if that means doing something that makes absolutely no sense. I don’t know what else to do.” My mother looks defeated.
“It’s okay, Mom,” I say, sighing. “We’ll figure it out. What’s Haines getting out of this? Maybe he knows what’s going on.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she says, looking me in the eyes. “Just as long as you’re okay.”
My father comes into the living room carrying a large mug for my mother. I’m pretty sure it’s filled with cocoa and two shakes of cayenne pepper. “You two straighten things out?”
I feign excitement. “Not so much! But it’s fine. We’ll get it together.”
I catch my mother and Haines looking at one another. There’s something more here. Neither one of them are willing to tell me. I’ll get it out of one of them.
“So,” my father says interrupting my thoughts. “What are you two going to do for your honeymoon?”
“We’re doing it,” I say flatly. “He convinced me to take off work for a while so at least I can do whatever it is I do on days off.”
I try to keep busy. Too much free time on my hands means too much time for my idle demon libido to kick in and start looking for men who are too ready to hand over their lives. The phrase ‘the flesh is weak’ is an understatement. Most people confuse lust with love, and people who are in love are willing to do almost anything for the person they love. Even if they know it’s unhealthy for them. They crave what they lust over. Sprinkle in a bit of sex demon mojo, and they are willing to die to have that lust sated.
My father snaps his fingers as if he’s remembered something. “You’ve always wanted to go to Ireland. Or is it Scotland? I’m sure your uncle could set that up for you.”
My uncle is a travel agent. And he’s not really my uncle. Just a friend of the family. “I’m good, Dad. Maybe something a little closer to home.” He doesn’t want to accept what Haines and I have is out of convenience. He never thought I’d get married. I think he’s hoping I’ll be his happily married daughter and give him grandkids. Fat chance.
Haines clears his throat. “I have a little cabin in Rolling Springs. It’s about an hour from here. Perrian?”
I sigh. “Maybe. Sounds all right, I guess.”
My mother finishes the rest of her cocoa and sets the mug on the living room table. “Your father and I are going to get going.”
“All right,” I say, shrugging.
She looks like she wants to hug me but stops herself. My mother has never been big on sappy stuff. She turns around and begins to follow my dad.
I pop her bra strap to clear the air. “This isn’t over, okay?”
“Yes, I know.” She smiles and pats my arm. “This isn’t over. Not for a long time. We’ve got a lot of living to do, daughter.”
Once they’ve left I turn to Haines and shake my head. “You should have said something.”
He holds his hands up in surrender. “It wasn’t my place to do so. Your mother wanted to wait until you had a little more control.”
“That didn’t work out.”
“No,” he says soberly. “I suppose it didn’t.” A devious smile spreads across his face. “Let us begin your lessons at once. Feel like begging?”
I grab my sneakers by the front door. “Nope, I feel like power walking. I’ll be back later.”
Once I’ve put on my shoes I bolt out of the door. I always think better while I’m walking. And I’ve got a lot to think about.
****
People are out all bundled up, walking their little dogs and enjoying the crisp fall morning. I’m so hot and bothered—and not in a good way—I could be walking around in short-shorts and a tank-top tee. Instead, I have on pink sweat pants and a long sleeved yellow shirt. The moisture of my breath blows out in little ringlets into the cool air as I speed walk through the neighborhood.
Two men and a child exit a semi-detached house. They laugh and hug one another. Their obvious comfort makes me feel envious. The taller of the two men—he looks like he must be the father of the little boy—kisses the other man on the lips softly and then bends to kiss the top of the child’s head. The kid looks just like him or in old people terms, he looks like he spit him out. They see me, the new face, and wave as they say their goodbyes. I wave back, and my mood is slightly uplifted.
A woman in a severely neat brown and black tweed pant suit runs out of her house as if she’s running late and gives me a hurried smile.
The leaves are turning their browns and reds and yellows. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and completely picturesque. My insides are the opposite. I feel suppressed and stuck in a relationship that I don’t want to be a part of. Haines is here to help me not get killed by an angel. How am I supposed to fight off an angel? It made me uncomfortable to listen to my mom talk about it. She looked almost tempted. Like she wanted to say yes to Samael. That alone scares me. She is far from a pushover.
And what about Haines? What is he getting out of this deal? Maybe he thought he was getting a maid? No, he can afford one of those. A fuck-buddy? No, he looks too tasty not to have women throwing their theoretical cooches at him. He’s getting something. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something.
If I could stop myself from sexually exploding and wanting to take as many men with me as I could I’d leave the bastard. He thinks he’s so…
“Oww,” I hear a voice say as I ram into someone’s chest. It’s the tall dude. “My gawd, you’re built like a linebacker, but you’re so petite.”
I’m still standing. He’s fallen ass over coffeepot after I power walked into him. I hadn’t even realized I’d made it to the end of the circle and was coming back around. With that sex demon on my mind I didn’t even see this guy standing there. “Shit,” I say, reaching down to help him stand. “I’m sorry. I was thinking and didn’t see you there.”
He dusts himself off and checks his brown and green mailbox. “Better me than the mailbox. Our son made it for us in shop class.” He looks me up and down and settles in on my eyes. “You’ve beautiful lookers. I’m Ryan. You saw my husband Trent and our son Roman heading off to work and school.”
“I’m Perry. No work this week, just speed walking, bitching, and having devious thoughts.”
“My, you’re quite honest and potty-mouthed.” He clasps his manicured hands in front of him. “You’re the newlywed, aren’t you? Your husband has been quite the talk among the single ladies. And the married ones, too.”
I roll my eyes and pick a dead yellow leaf off his teal and gray sweater. “Yup, that’s my sweetie,” I say sarcastically. “I just moved in. We got married Saturday.”
“Perry, is that a family name?” he asks, walking toward his house.
I think he wants me to follow him. Damn-it. “It’s actually Perrian. And yes, it is a family name—Perrian Ettis.”
“You didn’t take his last name? I thought it was Haines?”
I start up the steps after him. Aren’t you not supposed to go into strangers’ houses? Please, with my strength, I’d rip him a brand new one and smile in the process. “I did. Ettis is my middle name.”
“Well,” he says, turning to look at me, trying to hide a frown. “It has character. At least you’re beautiful. Now I understand why you go by Perry, if you don’t mind me saying.”
I eye him and smile. We walk into his foyer, and it opens up into a beautifully modern yet classic home. “I don’t mind. Your house is like a mirror image of Haines’. Except it looks more…”
“Stylish? Please, I’m a gay man who’s married to an interior designer. Our house changes trendily like the seasons.”
It’s my turn to be nosey. “Well, Ryan, you’re not on your way to work. Are you a housewife? Househusband?”
He laughs loudly and touches my shoulder. “No, I’m a computer programmer. I run my own company from home. I’d have taken Roman to school but it’s on the way to Trent’s job. What do you do?”
“I’m a physical therapist. Guess you could say I was born with a ‘magic touch’,” I say, wiggling my fingers. “It’s a great job, and I only work three days a week.”
The mixture of traditionalism and neoclassic lines of their home is to die for. There are unfinished borders along the middle of the earthen toned walls, but striking colors in the furniture. The wooden oak table sitting in the middle of the family room is adorned with fresh sunflowers and aged pine cones. This place rocks.
“I’ll let Trent know you love our home. It gives him pride to know his hard work is appreciated. Even though I let him know I do love it, it doesn’t seem to matter as much.” There’s a bit of sarcasm stinging in his voice.
“Dude, I know I’m easy to talk to but please don’t give me a negative look at your boy-toy. I want a nice clean slate when I meet him. Are you guys happy?” Hey, I’m honest.
“Perry, don’t get me wrong, I love him more than tongue can tell…”
I know that saying. “It’s from a Twilight Zone episode. I love that one and know it word for word.”
“That’s my fav, too! We’re going to get along swimmingly.”
“But as you were saying—Trent.”
“Yes, I love him very much, and our marriage is awesome. But you know, nobody is perfect. I’m sure there are days you want to throttle your hubby,” he says, laughing and walking toward the kitchen. Is it mandatory to have one of those glass refrigerators if you live in this neighborhood?
“You couldn’t possibly imagine.”
He smiles and pulls out two bottles of water. “Would you prefer wine, Perry?”
Impressed. “At eight in the morning, Ryan? Sure, why not. I don’t have to work today. Why not start my honeymoon off right—with alcohol.”
“Just one glass won’t hurt. Besides, I’m going to cook you French toast and it pairs perfectly with a French Sauvignon Blanc. And neither one of us has to go to work.” He goes to the counter, opens a drawer, and pulls out a French baguette. “Why aren’t you going on a honeymoon?”
“Why are you making me breakfast? We just met and I’m pretty sure you’re not interested in me.” I smile and start picking grapes out of a fruit bowl.
“I don’t know. You feel like…my friend. We just met ten minutes ago, but I feel at ease around you.” He looks at me sideways as he begins to cut the stale bread into thick slices. “You’re not treating me like a leper and most of the, um, people in this little community do.”
“Oh. Well, you seem pretty cool, too. I don’t care what you two do. You seemed pretty happy and your son looks happy, too.” The stale bread chips away and flitters to the floor. “Why are you using stale bread? I thought that only worked in bread pudding.” I spent some time in New Orleans and a chef down there taught me the many uses of stale bread. French toast wasn’t one of them. If it tastes good, I’ll have to call Tony and let him know.
“That’s kind of heart-warming. The first part, anyway. When you use stale bread and let it soak in the sweet egg mixture it has a gentle crisp exterior with soft, fluffy insides. It’s to die for. Maybe you can make it for your hubby.”
Yeah, I don’t think Haines wants me to cook anything for him right now. Not if he wants to be able to keep it down. “Sure. And to answer your question, we didn’t honeymoon because I didn’t want to. I thought I’d go back to work this week, but he talked me out of it.”
“Mmm-hmm.” I don’t think he believes me. “Go on, settle in at the island and watch me work my magic. And pull down two wine glasses.”
We share light conversation while he cooks and he tells me all about his happy family. While Trent’s family is completely against him and Ryan’s arrangement, Ryan’s family is all for it. They used a surrogate to have Roman and plan to adopt a child next year. Ryan started his company when he was twenty-five and has a thriving business that he and his hubby could live on, but Trent loves his job.
I gloss over the relationship between me and Haines. It’d be nice if we were happy. Hell, it’d be nice if I could actually stand being in the same room with him for ten minutes and not want to savagely attack him.
“So,” Ryan says as he places a plate in front of me. “How did you and your love bug meet?”
I stare down at the beautifully arranged plate. There are two lightly browned, thick slices of French toast sprinkled with cinnamon, scrambled eggs, and three thick slices of bacon. “We actually met when I was a teenager.” Stick as close to the truth as you can, Perry. It’s easier to remember. “Haines is um…twelve years older than me. We saw one another every once in a while, and I hated his guts.” Still do. “I got older…I guess you could say we were destined to be together.”
“Aww,” he says, with feigned sweetness. “That would almost sound poetic if you didn’t look so pissed off when you tell your fairy tale.” He takes a sip of wine and sits down across from me with a plate that mirrors mine.
I cut into the French toast and look for the syrup. I see none, so either he has forgotten or it’s so awesome I don’t need syrup. The fork barely skims my teeth as I place the fluffy bread in my mouth. I moan and close my eyes. This has just given Haines a run for his money. “Oh. My. Goddess. This is freakin’ awesome. Seriously, dude, my mouth is actually watering.”
“I know right!” he says, grabbing another slice and putting it on my plate. “I use syrup in the egg mixture. Am I being too presumptuous by giving you more?”
I cut a larger piece and shove it in my mouth. “Absolutely not. This is fantastic. I almost had reservations about coming into a stranger’s house, but this makes it completely worth it.”
Ryan preens and begins to eat his food. “Roman has his eccentricities. He used to love syrup, but about two months ago he said it reminded him of brown glue, and he wouldn’t allow it on anything. So, I tried adding it before I cooked the bread.”
We finish our breakfast in silence, which makes me happy. I don’t want to be interrupted while I snarf it down. Someone knocks on the door while we’re cleaning up. Though he wasn’t expected, I can already feel that it’s Haines.
Ryan goes to the door and is completely taken off guard. “Oh. Hello,” he says nervously.
“Hi,” Haines says with a little too much enthusiasm. “I saw my wife come in here and just…”
“Here I am,” I say flatly as I walk up behind Ryan.
“Just wanted to make sure you were all right,” Haines says more for Ryan’s benefit than mine. I suppose he thought I was in here having sex with him. Does he even pay attention to his neighbors?
“Oh, please,” Ryan begins. “We’re new best friends. I wouldn’t hurt a hair on her pretty little head. Would you like to come in?”
I shake my head letting Haines know not to ruin the only friend I have here. We’ve only just met but I think he and I are going to get along pretty well.
“Thank you, but no,” Haines says, shaking his head. “Can I see you at home, please? Perrian?”
He’s being nice. Too nice. He never says ‘please.’
“Sure,” I say carefully. “Ryan, thanks for breakfast. How about you come over later this week, and I’ll make you lunch?”
Haines looks confused. “You cook?”
Ryan looks from me to Haines and back again.
I push Haines toward the steps. “Yes. I do. Bye, Ryan.” We walk in silence toward his house. “What do you want? I made a friend, and no, I wasn’t molesting him.”
He stops walking and looks at me. “There is someone who wants to meet you.” He looks strange.
“Is it your mother? Brother? Do you have any family, or did you scale your way out of hell?”
He grabs my hand and starts walking again. “We need to—”
“What’s with the touching?”
“I’m sorry, but he insisted on meeting you.”
We walk up the steps to his house, and he enters the door before me, holding my hand tightly. I don’t think I’m going to meet his family today.
“Haines, what’s going on?” I ask.
He turns around and looks at me. His eyes are nervous, but his stance is protective. “He said that I would introduce you to him, or he would come to you. Alone. I’d rather be present.”
I look over Haines’ shoulder and see the back of a very tall man. This guy is easily almost seven feet tall, and he has on a long black coat. He’s running his long fingers along the mantel of the fireplace. He spins around, too quickly, and his lavender eyes seem to zero in on me. He looks like a teenager who had an unnatural growth spurt. His faultless, pale skin seems to glow and his eyes are unnerving in their glare. A smile breaks across his face, but it looks wrong. Beautifully wrong.
“Darling!” His voice is deep, too deep for someone who looks so young and innocent.
I tighten my grip on Haines’ hand so he can’t pull away. “Samael, I’m guessing.”
He sounds almost jovial. “You’d guess right, Lady Bug.”
My father used to call me that. Until I graduated from junior high school. My insides tell me to rage against him but my good sense tells me to simmer down. This is an angel, and he looks…wrong. It seems as if a touch of insanity has taken its toll.
“You’d be correct in thinking that, Lady Bug.”
Did he just read my thoughts?
Nodding, he walks toward me and Haines pulls me a little closer and I let him.
“Haines,” he says, as if insulted. His eyes never leave mine. “I would never dream of hurting your sweetie. She’s not even ready.” His eyes finally flick to Haines. “But you are.”
It’s my turn to pull Haines closer to me. “Is there something I can help you with, Samael? Or did you just want to scare me out of having sex. Forever.” He is freaking me out.
His smile widens and I can see his molars. “Oh, Lady Bug. I didn’t know we were on a first name basis.” He walks back toward the fireplace. “I just had to come meet you. I almost said hello when your mother was here earlier. But your father was present. He’s really not my concern right now. Now you on the other hand…I just had to see what the hub-bub was about. I’ve been waiting for you, Lady Bug. Have another family meeting and ask your mama why. I’m sure she’d love to share.”
“Doesn’t sound like you know my mom too well. She’s not one for sharing.”
He smiles and walks back to me, leaving only a few inches in between us. “I know her better than you think, doll face.” He places his hand on my cheek and moves a stray hair behind my ear. “You and I will get to know one another as well.”
I want to pull away, but I can’t. He seems so loving. So accepting. I feel myself leaning into his touch. Almost mesmerized. His childlike features and deep baritone are comforting.
“Perrian!” Haines yanks me back against his chest and wraps his arms around my waist. Was he yelling?
I shake my head to clear away whatever screwed up spell Samael has about him. “What the fuck was that?”
“Home, sweet girl.” Samael smiles and then walks to the front door. “That’s what home feels like. I’ll be taking you there soon, Lady Bug.”
I almost want to follow him.
He opens the door and glides out. “Tell your mother I said hello,” he says as the door closes behind him without him even touching it.