Succubus Revealed Page 0,69

that possible? I can get on board with reincarnation. I've seen enough to believe it can happen. But him always being reborn around you? You running into him - what was it, ten times? That's statistically impossible."

"The things we're dealing with aren't really governed by statistics and probability," said Roman. "There are other forces at work here, forces that guide his rebirth. It was part of his contract, the deal you made as Kyriakos. What can you tell us about it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. . . . I don't remember . . . I . . ." Seth shook his head, the anger returning. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let me go. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from her!"

"Seth . . ." I said.

"But you're the key!" exclaimed Roman. "The key to unlocking Georgina's problems. You're the other contract, the one Erik was talking about. You're tied to her, tied to everything that's been going on with her."

"I don't care," said Seth. He seemed to just barely be able to keep his emotions in check. "I don't care about your various and sundry plots! Do you have any idea what I just saw? What I just went through? I'm still not even sure I understand any of it! I don't understand who I am! All I know is her - and what she did to me."

"Seth," I tried again. Or should I address him as Kyriakos? I didn't know. "Please . . . I love you. I've always loved you. What happened . . . it was . . . it was an accident. . . ."

The look Seth gave me was dark and wary. "It sure didn't seem like an accident when I walked in on you."

"I never meant to . . ."

"To rip my heart out?" he cried. "To destroy my world? My life?"

"Roman," said Hugh carefully. "Maybe we should give him some time to process this."

"We don't have time," said Roman. "Hell can move fast - especially if they find out what we know. If we're going to save Georgina - "

"I don't care!" said Seth again, this time with more vehemence. "I don't care what happens to any of you, and I certainly don't care about what happens to her. It's probably less than she deserves."

"She didn't do anything to you," said Roman. "She's been a pretty solid girlfriend, from what I've seen."

"Seth," I pleaded, knowing Roman wasn't quite getting it yet. "I . . . I'm sorry. It was a long time ago." My words were terribly, terribly inadequate, but Seth was tapping into things I'd forced myself to block out - because they were too painful.

"For you, maybe," said Seth. "It happened over the course of centuries. One life for you. But for me . . . whatever you guys did with the hypnosis, it's all here now. All of those lives . . . those memories. Here in my head at the same time. It didn't happen 'a long time ago' for me. It's like it just happened yesterday! All those feelings, all that pain . . ."

"It'll fade," said Hugh, not sounding as though he was certain. "What you regressed through is still fresh, and you weren't brought out of the trance properly. Give it time. Or . . . if you want, I can put you back under and make you forget this."

"And forget her?" demanded Seth. "So I can forget what a faithless, conniving bitch she's been to me?"

"Seth . . ." I could feel tears forming in my eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I could take it back, I would."

"Which part?" he asked. "The part where you proved our marriage meant nothing to you? Or the countless other times you lied to me and broke my heart? Do you have any idea how I feel? What it feels like to be experiencing all of that at the same time? Maybe you've moved past it all and don't care anymore, but it's real for me!"

"It is for me too. I . . . I love you." They were the only words I managed to get out, and they still weren't enough. Where was all my usual glib charm? My ability to talk my way out of anything? I was still too choked up on my emotions, still reeling from the fact that looking into Seth's eyes meant looking into the eyes of every man I'd