Succubus Dreams Page 0,44

Erik and Dante, who could sense the immortal world. "And you went and talked to her?"

"I hadn't planned to, but then the cotton candy started to fall over, so I went to help her and ended up eating half of it myself."

"That's sweet," I said. "Er, no pun intended." It didn't matter that in the last few months, I'd fucked one guy in an office chair, used a leather whip on another, and gone down on another in the back room of a seedy club. I still loved romantic stories.

"She started asking for my help after that, off and on, once she realized what I could do. It was supposed to just be that...nothing more than her, you know, professional cases. But after a while, we couldn't help it. We're together all the time now."

I swallowed another piece of lasagna. It was divine. Seriously. "Do any of the other angels know?"

"Yeah, right. Joel barely tolerates me now..."

"But obviously, you guys aren't, um, you can't be - "

"No, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be physical. Really, it's ironic. Angels are creatures of love. They're supposed to love everyone. They're just not supposed to love one person so much more than another."

"That's stupid," I stated adamantly.

"To you, maybe. And to me, I suppose. But to her...well, she devotes her entire existence to the service of a power and cause bigger than all of us. To be so in love with something - or someone else - is distracting. You can't serve two masters without eventually betraying one."

I looked down again, turning over his words. "And yet you guys still stay together. Sort of."

He shrugged. "In as much as we can. Maybe I should move on with my life, but, honestly, there's no one else I want to be with. I accept what she is. It's why I love her. I'd rather be with her in a limited capacity than none at all."

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. He'd just stated a variant of what Seth used to tell me all the time, back when I would continually urge him to leave me and find someone else. I'd accepted his choice by now and honestly couldn't imagine not having him in my life. But still. Sometimes I didn't entirely get how he could be okay with everything between us; hearing another person support such a choice was refreshing.

As though reading my mind, Vincent gently asked, "Am I hitting too close to home? Carter mentioned a boyfriend..."

"No. Yes. I don't know. He - Seth, my boyfriend - says the same thing as you. That if it can't be any other way...well, then this is the way he wants it."

"Exactly. And thus, life goes on." Vincent started gathering up the newspapers. "I tell you though, I think your side and hers are both so fucked up, it's not even funny. Why the rules? Why does a succubus always have to take away someone's life when she's with them? Why can't you have the choice? And why can't Yasmine make love? Why can't she be in love?"

Good question. I don't think Vincent really expected an answer, but I had to give one anyway.

"Because that's the way it is. The way the system works. The way it's always worked."

"The system is fucked-up," he said.

I thought about it and nodded. "No arguments."

Smiling, he reached for his coat and slipped it on. "You're okay for a succubus."

Vincent left, off to do whatever it was one did with a posse of angels. I almost envied him because I had something to do that I wasn't looking forward to at all. It was another necessary evil.

I had to get Tawny a job.

After that debacle of a dance lesson, I'd told her I'd help. I might not be able to do much about my mysterious energy loss or angelic romances, but I sure as hell could do something to expedite Niphon's departure.

I drove down to Seatac, a city that owes its entire existence to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It's more of a shadow, really, spreading around the airport in a blanket of long-term parking lots and cheap hotels. It also has a couple of strip clubs because really, what else are out-of-town businessmen supposed to do in their downtime?

It was late afternoon, so business was slow when I stepped inside Low Blow. A few bored-looking men sat scattered throughout the place, which was dingy and in need of some serious redecorating. Or, well, any decorating. A couple