Succubus Dreams Page 0,107

going on. "He told me to fake it - fake being bad. I mean...well, actually, I am kind of bad. Okay, a lot bad. I can't flirt like you. And I really can't dance." She paused a moment, as though this caused her particular pain. "But you were right in saying it was impossible for me to not get sex from someone. I did. I just lied and said I couldn't."

It was just as I'd suspected for a while now, but hearing her confirm it didn't really cheer me up. It was yet another reminder of all the miserable things in my life these last couple of weeks. Staring at her, I still couldn't bring myself to feel angry at her. Partially because I was still drained of feeling and partially because it just wasn't worth it. Niphon had used her to play me, but he'd played her too.

"You're a good liar," I told her finally. "I could never be sure if you were telling the truth or not - but you seemed to be. I'm usually good at reading people."

Tawny smiled, just a little, with something almost like pride. "I hustled people a lot when I was mortal. Worked some con jobs." The smile disappeared. "Until that asshole dumped me for a cheap blond whore. She had no idea what she was doing, but did he care? No. Dick. He's sorry now. They both are."

I blinked. I hadn't expected to hear that. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear that. Suddenly, Tawny's initial desire to make men everywhere suffer made a lot more sense - as did the reason she might have sold her soul in the first place. I hoped her current appearance wasn't some weird bastardization of the cheap blond whore. Because that would just be kind of creepy.

"Well, um, I'm...sure they are. And you know, the skills you need to hustle and con aren't that different from seduction." Maybe it was the moving and talking, but as I sat there, my sluggish brain began to stir to life and analyze the situation. "Tawny, why are you telling me this? If you're working for Niphon, he's probably not going to appreciate you blowing his cover."

"You're right. He doesn't know I'm here. But...but I was afraid. I know it'll all come out if you tell, and I don't want to go down with him! I thought if I came and talked to you and told you what happened that maybe...maybe you could forgive me. I'm starting to like it here. I don't want to leave. And if they punish him, they'll punish me too and - "

"Wait, wait. Stop again. Punish him for what? For getting you to lie?" I frowned. "And what is it I'm going to tell?"

Tawny was so surprised that she forgot to sniffle. "About her."

"Her?"

"That - that hag. The one who came into my dreams..."

"Nyx? Oh. That really is how you hid your glow. Hugh was right."

"I hated it," said Tawny vehemently. "Every time he made me go to her so she could suck me out. And then I'd have such weird dreams."

Think, Georgina, think! It was all coming together here if I could just put my own romantic disaster off to the side of my mind for a moment.

"You...went to Nyx willingly? To have your energy sucked out so I wouldn't find out that you were lying?" Tawny nodded. My brain hurt. "And he - Niphon - made you, and - " I stopped. "Niphon knew about Nyx. You both did. And how to find her."

"He's the one who got her to come here when she escaped. Promised her two succubi," sniffed Tawny. She gave me a puzzled look. "I thought...I thought you knew all that? I heard you were there when they captured her..."

Tawny looked a little nervous, like she was wondering if maybe she'd done the wrong thing in betraying Niphon. As for me, I was suddenly reliving the battle back in my bedroom and Nyx's offer to help me get revenge on the one who'd sent her after me....

Niphon.

"Niphon?" I exclaimed. "Niphon sent a crazy chaos goddess after me? Why? Why does he hate me that much?"

Tawny's eyes went wide, no doubt surprised at my sudden outburst. "I...I don't know. He just said that he wanted to make things difficult for you. Screw up your life. Maybe get you sent away."

Hugh's words came back to me. All I know is that when an imp shows up and is going to